We all turned our attention to the blonde who looked exhausted; her hair tied in a messy bun matched with her black sweatpants, red Demon Queen tank and black circles under her eyes.
"And you look like shit." I pointed out; Cece rewarded me with an eye roll.
"So do you, antsy pants." She snarled back, before sighing. She walked over to stand in front of the TV.
"Scarlet's stable. Winter’s still doing some tests on her, but she should be done soon." Cece explained.
We all let out sighs of relief, happy to hear that Scarlet would be okay after what had just occurred.
"How are we going to explain this to her? Or are we waiting to see if she remembered any of it?" Ethan questioned.
"I think Junho walking on water was the finisher." Christian commented.
"I didn't know she was there. Ethan said that Lizard breath was getting away, so I thought I could corner him and get him out of the water before he vanished." I defended.
"We need to tell her." Michael opened his eyes, giving us a stern look. He continued.
"She's hearing voices."
It took us a moment to understand what he meant.
"Impossible." Ethan and Christian said at the same time. I looked to Michael giving him a look.
"She's not a shifter like us, Michael. There's no way she has a spirit."
He shook his head, glancing to Jaxson who was sitting next to him. He sighed before standing up; the leader side of him came out.
"Scarlet said she's hearing voices. Michael had to tell her that Lizard breath is actually a lizard which led to him using his power on her." He began.
Ethan raised his hand. I rolled my eyes. I didn't get why he did that during our talks.
"Yes, Ethan."
"If Michael used his ability, she should have passed out. You know how strong our gifts are on humans. How was she able to keep up with you guys during the chase? I watched the surveillance video clips. She was able to pass Michael. Did you also notice the wind attack didn't hit her?" Ethan spilled out.
"What do you mean the wind didn't hit her?" Christian inquired.
"Look for yourself. The wind blast was strong enough to knock Jaxson down and that same wind attack was the same reason Michael fell into the water. It literally pushed him off the dock. Yet, Scarlet stayed in place with outstretched hands. The camera on the dock is too far out for me to get a clear image when zoomed.”
We all gathered around him as he pulled out his tablet from his backpack on the side of his seat, opening the video for us to watch.
Holy shit. My eyes widened as I watched the playback; Jaxson and Michael were ahead while Scarlet looked like she was struggling to keep up. Within seconds she got faster and faster, catching up and surpassing Michael before being only a few feet away from Jaxson before Lizard breath turned around – initiating his wind spell.
My body tensed up as I watched the green wind hit them – Jaxson fell to the ground; Michael was pushed off the dock and crashed into the ocean. My eyes lingered on Scarlet, whose orange hair whipped wildly around her as she stood in place; her hand stretched out. It was as if the wind only affected her hair as she stood completely still.
She then looked like she's about to begin sprinting, Jaxson already up and moving when she stopped, looking around and turning her head. Ethan stops the video.
"You see what I mean? If Michael's saying she's a shifter like us, that would be the only explanation. Look at the wind readings during that moment of the wind attack. It went from no wind to a hundred miles per hour in two seconds. It was able to blow Michael off the dock completely. It should have had the same effect on Scarlet, and she would have flown even farther back since she's lighter. Add what you guys said happened back at the house; Scarlet should have passed out eons ago." Ethan concluded; his voice flat as he frowned.
Ethan didn't get serious often, but when he did, it was for a good reason – this was a big deal if what he just explained was accurate.
Cece let out a sigh.
"Sit down." She ordered. We all exchanged looks but didn't argue; returning to our seats.
"Alright. It's story time. I'm not supposed to be telling you this because I swore not to, but if my predictions are right, I'm gonna need your help in protecting Scar. This isn't a drill or some wimpy case where the killer conducted the murder fifty years ago and is now an old man who can barely run down the hall. If I tell you what I'm about to say, you'll all have to put your lives at risk if or when the time comes because the people we're dealing with are stronger and more cunning than even Vinzent and his job is to snoop these people out." Cece disclosed, crossing her arms.
We didn't say a word, waiting for Cece to continue.
"If you choose to listen to my next statements, you can't back out or run away. Otherwise, I'll have to kill you. Does everyone understand?" She took a slow look at each of our expressions.
We took another glance at each other; all our eyes landed on Ethan who sighed.
"If Xerxes or anyone is after Scarlet, we’ll just have to put a bullet or two in them. No big deal." He declared; the last sentence low and threatening, making goosebumps appear on my skin.
Ethan may have been the clumsy, anxious joker, but the true side of him was dangerous and the other side of him, lethal.
Cece nodded, satisfied with Ethan's response before turning her attention to all of us.
"You all know me as Cece, Scarlet's best friend. But I'm more than that. Are all of you familiar with Realm Three, Feminara?" She questioned.
"Feminara?" I repeated
I didn't know much about the realms outside of Earth or what outsiders called Earthala; Minato which was Realm Five and Heila which was Realm Eight being the only knowledge I had of the planets outside of our own. It was hard to remember the other names and I didn't see the need to know the others.
"Feminara is a realm mostly consisting of demon, dragon, phoenix, and necromancers who specialize in more than one element. It's a runner-up to Heila and their summoner magic. The only difference is, they focus on just using the common elements we know like fire, ice, water and so on." Cece explained. Michael gave her a confused look.
"What does Feminara have to do with anything? I haven't heard from them since I used to live back home." He noted.
"I am the first command of Feminara's Queen and part of a co-partnership with Realm Two, Wintalyn. I was sent here to Earthala to find the Queen's daughter and encourage her to return home to claim her birthright as heir."
I glanced around the room; the others’ expressions reflected the same as mine – shock. Holy shit.
"What happened? Shouldn’t you have found the heir and returned by now?" Jaxson questioned.
"You're right, I should have. It’s just too bad the heir was murdered."
"What?" We all called out.
I may not have known much about the realms, but from what the others had explained one thing was absolute: killing one of royal hierarchy or lineage was one of the highest crimes to commit, similar to the commandments that many humans followed.
Cece nodded, sadness flickered in her expression.
"The Queen's daughter was murdered and so my mission has been to track down the murderer with Vinzent; Xerxes is one of the suspects on our list."
"Wait. With everything you just said, what does that have to do with Scarlet?"
Cece stood there; her blank expression pissed me off.
“Seriously Cece? Just tell us already!” I hated when she was secretive at the worst times. She never wanted to feed you the bone. She’d throw it twenty fucking feet and tell you to go fetch.
“Figure it out.” She replied, unbothered with my outburst. I groaned, needing to vent my frustration. Christian sat forward; his hands relaxed on his knees.
"For Starlight sakes, I’m fucking tired of this shit. Ethan. Can you go into the hierarchy documents and search the royalty of Realm Three – find out who the late Queen was? Make sure you cloak your IP address as if you’r
e hacking." Christian ordered.
We gave him confused looks but Ethan didn't argue, putting his tablet away and retrieving his laptop; his fingers flew across the keyboard as he went into his secret agent mode.
It didn't take long before his eyes grew massive; his jaw dropped as he stared at the screen.
"What?" I asked.
"Fuck...uh, does that mean we have to like, bow?" Ethan questioned, looking at Cece.
She sighed, shaking her head.
"Ethan, what the fuck did you find?" I asked again.
"Um..." He trailed off, looking back at Cece.
"Ethan, are you going to tell us or not? What, is Cece the new heir or something?" Jaxson asked; his annoyance apparent in his voice.
"No." Michael answered, causing us to turn to face him; his eyes glowed lightly, looking as if he was in a trance state.
"Marilyn. She was the Queen's daughter...who was murdered." He said, blinking as he shook his head.
"Marilyn...wait. Marilyn as in–"
"Marilyn Sinclair. The princess of Feminara who was murdered on December 24th 5012, leaving her daughter Scarlet Sinclair behind as the last of the Sinclair bloodline. Scarlet is Feminara's next heir."
...Fuck
"Mommy, who was that?"
I watched the lady with neon orange hair like mine wave at the window I stared out of; my hand moved side to side as I waved her farewell.
"That's your grandmother, Scarlet dear." Mommy said softly.
"Grandma? But I have a grandma." I pointed out, pouting as I tilted my head. I liked Grandma Mimi. She made the best chocolate chip cookies.
My mom smiled, kneeling to face me.
"That's Grandma on my side of the family. Her name is Neptune Sinclair."
"Neptune? Like Sailor Moon?" Mommy laughed, making me giggle.
"Yes, sweetie. Neptune like Sailor Moon. She lives far away."
"Far away like planets away like the sailor scouts?"
"Ah. Something like that. It takes her a few days just to come visit. That's why you don't see her as much as Grandma Mimi." I took a moment to ponder about it, looking back out the window; Grandma Neptune stood on the sidewalk.
I pulled away from my mom, racing to the kitchen.
"Honey what are you –"
I climbed the stepping chair, taking the rainbow colored jar and jumping back down, racing past my mom. Before I reached the door, it opened, my auntie about to step in when I raced past. I heard the sound of little feet following me; Moonlight right behind as we ran towards our gate entrance.
"Scarlet!" I heard my mom call from the door, but I ignored her.
Grandma Neptune turned around; her eyes grew wide as I reached her side, huffing and puffing. I took a second to catch my breath before looking up at her.
"Grandma Neptune! Here." I presented her the jar – the rainbow-colored cookie jar was one of my favorites. A soft, serene smile formed on her red lips as she knelt; her hands landed on mine.
"What is this my dear Scarlet?"
"It's my cookie jar. Mommy said you live far away and it takes you days to get there so take some cookies with you, so you don't get hungry." I explained.
"Meow!" Moonlight agreed, making me giggle.
"See. Moonlight says you should."
She laughed, taking the jar from me; a black car rolled to a stop in front of us. A man walked out from the driver's seat; he was really tall, wearing a nice suit like dad used to wear. His violet colored eyes and silver hair stood out the most, making me wonder who he was.
"Madam." He greeted. I looked up at him.
"Are you Tuxedo Mask?"
He blinked, looking confused at my question before a soft smile formed on his lips, chuckling at my words.
"No, I am not." He knelt next to Grandma Neptune, leaning forward.
"But, I do help catch the bad guys."
I jumped up and down, laughing.
"That's so cool."
"I'm so sorry Mom. I didn't know where Scarlet was going till she was already out the door." I lifted my head to see my mom who was upside down.
“It’s okay. She's gaining her powers quite early. She shouldn't be running that quickly."
"Hi, Mommy. I gave Grandma Neptune my favorite chocolate chip cookies. At least the next time she comes over we can bake some together."
"That's very kind of you Scarlet." My mom praised. Grandma Neptune and the look-alike Tuxedo Mask rose up; Grandma gave the jar to the man.
"I will definitely come again, and I'll make sure I bring you a best friend to play with." She promised. I gasped in astonishment.
"A best friend? You mean one that's okay with me being weird? What if they don't like me?” I frowned; my shoulders dropped at the thought. I already didn't have any friends at daycare. That's why mommy had let me take classes at home until I can go to a different school.
I felt a pair of arms hook under mine, lifting me in a warm embrace; the smell of coconut filled my nostrils.
"She will love you for who you are, Scarlet. When the time is right, she'll introduce herself to you and I promise, life will be filled with many happy memories."
"AND cookies?"
"And chocolate chip cookies." She promised.
We all laughed.
"We should be going Madam. You have an appointment with Winterlya and her Majesty." She nodded, giving me a kiss on the cheek. I smiled, looking into her eyes that matched mine and my mom's.
"No matter what lies before you Scarlet, always know I'll have people watching over you. Till we meet again. And we'll bake chocolate chip cookies together." She whispered.
"Okay, Grandma. I love you." I replied, hugging her.
"I love you too Scarlet; my little princess. You'll be a wonderful queen one day."
She gave me to mom, giving her a nod before turning to the man.
"Alright Jeffrey, let's get going."
I waved goodbye as I watched them enter the vehicle; the car slowly entered the quiet street.
"Mommy. Will I see grandma again?" I didn't know why, but I really liked Grandma Neptune. There was something peaceful about her. The man with her felt mysterious, but he had kindness in his eyes.
"One day love. I promise."
"And I'll meet my best friend?"
She kissed my forehead.
"Yes. You'll get someone who will always keep a watchful eye on you, just like me. For now, Moonlight has to guard you."
"MEOW."
"I love you mommy and Moonlight."
"I love you too, Scarlet. Now, why don't we go bake some cookies for dessert?"
"YAHHHH." I wiggled in her embrace. She placed me down, allowing me to sprint back to the house in no time, Moonlight right at my heels as my aunt kept the door open.
"Child, you have way too much energy."
"You're just jealous I beat you at the race." I replied, running up the stairs.
"What are we gonna do with you, child?" I heard her laugh.
I stopped at the top of the stairs, waiting for Moonlight who sat at the bottom, staring up at me.
"She's energetic." My mom announced, closing the door behind her.
"Are you going to go back home and take her?" Auntie whispered. I hid in the shadows of the stairs, crouching down. Moonlight scurried up the stairs, standing in front of me as if to hide me from view.
"If her powers keep developing, I'll have to. She'll be safer there than here. I'll talk with Saikkiku and see what can be done. I want her to have a normal life, but with the gift of sight as strong as hers, it's only a matter of time before people will be searching for her. Xerxes has been seen near my studio. I can't afford to put Scarlet in harm's way." Mommy said.
"Does Kendrick know?"
"Yes, I've informed him. He’ll be keeping an eye on Scarlet from now on."
"Marilyn. How about you? You need a protector watching you."
"I'll be fine. No one would possibly go against the Starlight laws. I'm safe, but I can't risk it with Scarlet.
Mom already sees that her star is bright in this universe. She'll be one of the chosen ones to fight the darkness. We have to do our part to lead her on the right path."
Auntie nodded.
"In stars, we trust."
Chapter Sixteen
I opened my heavy eyelids; my familiar ceiling greeted me in the low light.
That was a dream...no, a memory. Why am I remembering about Grandma Neptune now? Wait, why did I forget?
I had a sharp memory, able to remember exact dates of events or all the arguments I've had with Jake down to the exact second. How could I forget something as important as that?
"Scarlet?"
I looked over to my left; the unfamiliar voice piqued my interest. It took a moment for my eyes to focus, revealing a beautiful woman.
She was six-three; her loose, curly, ombre colored hair morphed from a vibrant pink to a vivid lavender. The combination was a perfect match to her silver eyes. She wore a navy-blue dress, the silky fabric so beautiful and delicate looking. The stranger in my room looked as if she had just returned from a Galleria event.
Her arms crossed around her waist; her right hand held a silver wand. The wand itself was a piece of artwork; the metallic silver decorated with purple, pink and gold flowers engraved around it.
She sat in one of the white, suede chairs next to my bed; her legs were crossed as she sat watching me with a slight smile. She looked tired as if she'd returned from a long journey, yet seemed happy to be sitting in my room.
"Um. Hello. Uh...who are you?" I questioned, trying to figure out who this person was in my fuzzy brain.
"You wouldn't remember me. Last time I saw you was when you were a baby. I'm glad to see you've grown up into a strong, capable woman. You've got those boys on a leash too. I'm impressed." She nodded.
"Boys? Oh shit. The guys! Oh, the investigation." I sat up, with the intention of getting out of bed, but the world began to spin. The woman was at my side in a flash, steadying me with her hands.
"And you're as energetic as Neptune stated." She mumbled. Neptune? That was the name of my maternal grandma. Did she know her?
"This may be a rude question, but how old are you? You don’t look older than thirty-five. Maybe forty if you’re those type of people who look super young even as they age. And, how do you know my grandmother from my mom’s side?"
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