Athènia's POV
I finally resign myself to stand up, and MJ does too. I take the hobbit and place it on my back.
Garth: What should we do now?
Athènia: First, we must bury him properly.
Asher: What do you mean "properly"?
I say nothing, but I make Dracos's body levitate and start walking.
Garth: Lis, where are you going?
I ignore him and keep moving forward.
Asher: Then I guess we'll just follow her.
They follow me as I lead the way. When I reach the large courtyard, I stop.
Mara: Wow. Whose big mansion is this?
Athènia: Dracos's.
I gently lay Dracos down on the ground, then I start digging the earth to make space for a coffin.
Garth: What are you going to do?
Mara: Don't tell me you're just going to throw him in there.
Athènia: No.
Using a spell that allows me to create gold, I form a golden coffin and place Dracos inside.
Athènia: Rest in peace, Uncle Dracos. I promise I'll take care of Im and improve MALO for you.
I lower the coffin into the ground and cover it with earth. Then I create a golden fence around the grave to prevent anyone from stepping on it. In the middle, I raise a pedestal with Dracos's full name, his date of birth, and his date of death engraved, along with "Rest in Peace" at the bottom. Finally, I sculpt a two-meter-tall statue of him. Around the fence, I plant his favorite flowers—black roses, symbolizing his personality, and white roses, symbolizing the woman he loved.
Asher: Dracos SILVERS, born October 25, 1976, died October 25, 2021.
I gather a bouquet of black, white, and red roses—since he had recently grown fond of that color—and place it on the pedestal.
Asher: So, where's the baby?
Garth: That's true.
Oh no. He must be awake and crying by now—and if I don't feed him… I rush inside, using my super speed, and find my baby crying.
Athènia: Oh no, my love, don't cry, I'm here.
I take him from his crib, sit down, unbutton my shirt, and begin to nurse him. He calms down quickly, and after a few minutes, he stops. I button up my shirt again.
Mara: He's such a sweet little thing.
She enters with a big smile, followed by Asher and Garth.
Garth: He's already big for a three-month-old baby.
Athènia: He's six months old.
Asher: Wait… WHAT?!
Athènia: Do you mind not yelling, please?
Mara: But how is that possible?!
Athènia: Simple. Since he's the child of the first woman born with powers, and a wolf on top of that, he's obviously powerful. Add his father's vampire blood, and you get the result.
Garth: So you gave birth after three months?!
Athènia: Yes.
Asher: That's insane.
Athènia: Garth…
Garth: Yeah?
I throw him a necklace, and he catches it.
Garth: What's this?
Athènia: Can't you see it's a necklace, or have you gone blind?
Garth: That's not what I meant.
Athènia: Then you should have asked what it's for, idiot.
Garth: You know very well what I meant—so why not just answer instead of picking a fight?
Athènia: I'm not fighting with you, I'm correcting you. That necklace holds most of your powers. When you cast a camouflage spell on me, Jayden absorbed your powers and kept them until his birth. Unfortunately, you weren't there, so Dracos transferred them into this necklace.
Garth: That's why my powers felt damaged.
Athènia: Just say "Libera," and your powers will return.
Garth: Libera.
A yellow light shines from the necklace and flows into Garth's body until it fades completely.
Garth: Perfect. Now we can get out of here.
Athènia: We can't leave.
They all look at me.
Mara: What do you mean?
Athènia: The moment we set foot off this island, we'll die.
Asher: I don't understand.
Athènia: Im made it so that anyone on this island can never leave alive. Whoever steps here is cursed—even if they survive.
Garth: But we can't stay here forever.
Mara: Yeah, Lis, you must know how to undo it.
Athènia: I don't fully control it yet. Uncle Dracos taught me this spell, and I must master it to perfection. I still need to train for my final spell.
Asher: Why do you keep calling him Uncle Dracos?
Athènia: You know the story of Lily GRONDS, right?
They nod.
Athènia: But the story isn't complete. Lily married Xavier SILVERS in Harmonie. As is tradition, the parents had to bless their children—but instead of blessings, Lily's father cursed them. He declared that their children and descendants would all be dark sorcerers, only able to use magic for evil. At every birth, the child would trigger the curse automatically. After that, the king banished them to the Cursed Lands, a horrible place. Lily and Xavier did everything they could to build a small city there, later named MALO, the City of the Cursed. Dracos was one of Lily's descendants, burdened with the curse, who eventually earned the title of Dark Sorcerer.
Garth: How could a father curse his own child like that, just because she was a girl?
Athènia: Because it's harder for girls to adapt. A king always wants sons to carry the royal bloodline. Lily was unwanted, so the insults turned into punishment.
Mara: The wizarding world is complicated.
Athènia: Especially if you're a girl.
Mara: But your little sister isn't mistreated, right?
Athènia: Because she isn't like me. She fits perfectly into the GRONDS family and isn't part werewolf. The king loves her much more than me. But I fear for my other little sister.
Asher, Garth: You have another sister?
Athènia: I found out six years ago. My stepmother had a cryptic pregnancy, and I fear they'll treat her differently too, because she might not resemble the GRONDS family either.
Garth: This whole story is really complicated.
Athènia: Far too complicated.
I don't know how I'll handle all of this, but I must—for everyone's sake. In two days, my final battle will come. In two days, I will no longer just be the princess of Harmonie, but the Supreme Alpha of all supernaturals. Supreme Alpha Athènia Nancella Lisiane GRONDS. I must adapt to this role to maintain balance and make a place for hybrids, and for my son.
I glance at Jayden, who has been calm for a while, watching me since the beginning.
Athènia: Why are you so quiet, my love?
Jayden: Ma…ma…
Athènia: You… you called me Mama.
Jayden: Ma…ma.
I lift him up and spin him around, my beautiful little angel.
Mara: Wow, what a beautiful moment.
Asher: I hope I'll find my soulmate one day too.
Garth: So, leaving is impossible?
Athènia: Impossible for now—but possible at the right time.
I smile at little Jayden, who is beaming back at me. Officially, this is both the best and worst day of my life. But I will never forget Dracos and his sacrifice. He would have told me to smile and stop frowning. My Uncle Dracos has a special place in my heart, and I will never forget him.