Page 54

When Mother appeared, standing next to where Father was sitting, a knot formed in the pit of my stomach; she looked less than pleased to be summoned by us.

The statuesque female was terrifying to look upon, and when standing next to her much shorter and softer-faced, caring, and compassionate husband, it was always comical if you weren't on the receiving end of her wrath.

Mother was tall, curvy, and beautiful. She was educated, well-spoken, had an exceptionally short temper, and had very few friends, if any, and none of her family back in South Africa were in her life.

"The Blood Whore healed you, I see," Mother dryly commented.

Father gave her a warning look.

I guess Uncle told them after all.

"Yes. Thank you for your concern, Mother," I said with a slight bow of submission. "What is it that you have to tell us? Why is Zannie seeing dead stuff? We're Mundane, we shouldn't be seeing ghosts like he is. Should we? Or are we not Mundane?" I asked.

I was hoping that I wasn't Mundane and instead was more, someone that could be worthy of being at Viggo's side until his arranged marriage was consummated.

Mother's full lips snarled up over her white teeth before she composed herself. "It has been kept from you long enough, which was not by my choice, initially."

"Yes, we're adopted!" Zane and I beamed, getting a dirty look from Mother.

"No. You know my role in the Imperial Court is that of a barrister," Mother said.

We nodded; everyone knew that.

"It's a surprise they allow a Sorceress in the court," I commented.

Mother gave me a look, the look that she gave people who just stated the obvious when the truth was as far from the obvious as possible. "Because they do not. The best Barristers, contract makers, those that barter for soul contracts," she said, choosing her words carefully, "and the originators of contracts that are soul bound, are of the Fae."

"What?" we asked in unison.

"Like sparkly fairies that flit about," Zane started.

"Those tiny winged creatures of the forest?" I finished.

Father chuckled.

Mother wasn't amused in the least, and shook her head, not at all impressed with our very limited understanding of whatever it is she was trying to explain to us.

That was her fault though.

"I am what my people call a Yumboes," Mother explained.

"Bless you," we said.

She glared at us. "In our world, I was born as an Anomaly. Pure bloodlines of Mages and Druids, Sorceresses and Sorcerers that can trace their lineage back for more than fifty generations, and yet I was born different."

"Told you Mom had a dick," Zane said.

Father coughed, trying to cover his chuckle of amusement.

"You want to know why you are seeing dead people so shut up and let Mother talk," I scolded. "Sorry, Mother. Zannie is sober, still."

Mother glared at us. "As I was saying, a blessing is what my people called it, but because it is an anomaly in a bloodline, it was hidden from the people. Yumboes are Fae of South Africa and have the ability to see spirits, ghosts, and wraiths if they are strong enough and of a pure heart to see beyond the umbra in which wraiths dwell," she said, sounding indifferent. "Those that are considered Fae are hidden from our people because they can influence them, and be easily lured by the darkness and shadows to Devily, turning to Dark Fae, and that is far more complicated than they are worth."

"Aw, Mom, don't think so poorly of yourself," Zane scolded with a smirk.

I fought to keep from giggling; he was waiting to throw something else at her for the Blood Whore comment.

Mother glared at him.

"Does this mean we're Yumboes, too?" I asked.

"No," Mother and Father said in unison.

"Yumboes are considered an Anomaly," Mother repeated, since apparently, we didn't pay attention to that. "Rarer than the rarest of all races and classes in the world of Thaumaturgy, something that you are not."

My face dropped.

Father's nostrils flared and his eyes started to hum with blue light. "Our children are far more precious than a Fae or an Anomaly, and you would be wise to remember that, Kaya," he venomously reminded her.

Mother rolled her eyes, but kept her mouth shut.

"Ari, Zane," Father said with a soft smile, "you both are unlike any other in our world. Never have twins been born in either of our family trees, so the impossible would only be possible by the rarest of rare in our world. However, an Anomaly cannot pass down what they uniquely are to an heir. It is theirs and theirs alone to possess, to be, but that doesn't mean you cannot possess, possibly, some of their unique traits as a shadow through genetics and the creation soul. You both got your mother's height and soft curl to your hair, and a lighter shade of her beautiful skin tone, her face shape, and muscular build."

Zane shook his head. "Dad, flattery will only get you everywhere," he reminded him, and Father chuckled. "My hair color and face shape are that of Grandpa, not Mom. And my ass is not nearly as big as theirs." He motioned towards me with his head.

"Hey!" I complained, smacking him. "Not cool."

"Whatever. But it doesn't answer the question as to why I'm just now'ish seeing dead people," Zane said, talking to Father.

Mother sighed. "You have been harboring this vision you possess for how long?" she asked, knowingly. "It is hard to tell you or teach you something when you refuse to tell us the truth so we know we have to."

He glared at her. "A trait I obviously got from my mom."

"Yes, amongst other things as your father pointed out," Mother agreed. "Son, you possess a form of sight, something that is hereditary from your mother. You are welcome for that. Will you be able to converse with spirits as I can? No. You merely have sight that started to present, I am assuming, as you started to go through puberty."

That, actually, makes sense.

Some races don't come into their full Thaumaturgy until they are physically matured, like Necromancers as Viggo explained; they don't come into their full Thaumaturgy until they are at least twenty-five years old. That was what the reminder of him being seventeen meant. Harper wanted to know why Viggo couldn't heal me... But that meant Harper knew Viggo was half-Necromancer before I did.

"I am rather torn by the fact that when I got pubes it gave me the gift of seeing dead people," Zane said.

I roared with laughter, falling back on the bed.

Father chuckled as well. "He has a point, Kaya. That isn't a discussion any young male wants to have with his mother."

Mother wasn't amused, as usual. "Your newly revealed gift of sight is not to be discussed outside of the family. Do you understand? You and your sister are Mundane, never forget that."

The truth those sneered words were flooded with caused me to tear up.

Because I was a Mundane, I couldn't be with Viggo.

"That is enough," Father warned. "Ari, Zane, I will be in contact with Azrael and advise him of your gift, that way he can get in front of any complications that might present. Is staying with your baby sister going to work? Or did you want a different dorm?"

Zane gave him a look. "I'm fine here, in their fourth room," he said. "Ari's my baby sister, and it's my job to protect her and make sure no one tries to bone her."

My eyes widened, and before I could stop myself, I punched him in the arm as hard as I could and it knocked him off the bed. "Stop saying bone!" I shrieked.

Mother shook her head.

"I have to agree with your sister on that one, that term is older than my generation, Son," Father informed him. "Your Uncle Keithen just arrived on site to help with the rebuilding of the Healing Center. Make sure you ambush him so I don't have to listen to him scold me about how I raised two inconsiderate American heathens."

We giggled.

"If either of you need anything, please let me or Azrael know," Father said. "The King and Queen of the Unified House trust him with their lives, so you can trust him as well. I do. Okay?"

I nodded. "Of course, Daddy," I said with a smile.

Father blushed. "My Little Lotus Blossom, if you need anything, let me know. I love you, Kids," he said with a warm smile before the wall of mirror-like water collapsed to the floor.

Instantly my smile fell.

"That was unexpected," Zane said in our twin-speak, flipping from his back to his feet, then he went over to the window and opened it so he could smoke.

"Was it though?" I rhetorically asked, speaking in our twin-speak for privacy.

"You think they're lying?" he asked before blowing smoke out the open window.

That was always a possibility when Mother was involved.

Father though, he has never lied to me before, ever.

"Keeping, not lying," I admitted, pulling a pair of joggers on. "We need to tread lightly, and keep it between us."

Zane blew a smoke ring out the window. "You, keeping stuff from Dad?" he asked. "That's a first."

"Father is keeping something from us, I can feel it," I said, pulling an oversized sweatshirt on.

"That's my hoodie, Thief," Zane complained.

"Yeah, and?" I asked.

"It's too early in the afternoon to argue with you. Your roommates, you trust them?" he asked.

"With my life," I said, sliding into my shoes. "Harper, Slevin, and Jolyn I trust nearly as much as I trust you."

Zane snorted. "Please, I'm one of a kind, Sis. I never thought you'd hang out with someone like Jolyn though."

"Why do you say that?" I asked. "Sure, she's a bible thumper and part-Vampire that has no vampiric traits of her partial kin, but she's one of the most caring people I've ever met."

He took a drag from his cigarette. "Huh, she must be going through a mental breakdown then because she tried to seduce me when she came by to check on you when we got back from the Blood Brothel."

I laughed, thinking he was kidding, but the look on his face meant he was serious.

"Jolyn tried to baptize you over the summer the last two weeks you spent with me here before you headed back to Stockholm," I reminded him.

"Yeah, I know," Zane agreed. "That's why it was really weird."

"Did Harper or Slevin see this?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I was in the rec room raiding their candy stash down there and crossed paths with her. The awkwardness continued up four flights of stairs, then when I offered her to come inside and wait for Harper or Slevin, the Perv said she was late for Night Class and would stop by in the morning."

That was concerning.

"Perhaps Seattle caused her to lose her faith in her Lord and Savior or something?" I offered. "I'll see if she wants to have brunch with us, but you can't bone her."

Zane made a face of disgust. "Believe it or not, I don't make it a habit of having sex with every female I meet. The Headmaster's daughters' thing, that wasn't even sex! I talked to them and gave them the confidence to come out of the closest to their family."

"Are you serious?" I asked, and he nodded. "That's amazing, Zannie. Why would you hide the truth of that? Seriously, that is the most mature and nicest thing you've ever done for someone other than me or yourself."

Zane made a face, smoke rolling from his nose. "Yeah, about that. They each had an arranged marriage and since their sexuality would prevent them from popping out kids, in the traditional sense, the Imperial Court got involved, thus Mom got involved. My bad."

He didn't sound remorseful at all, and I truly loved that about him.

"Maybe you are a superhero with the cape after all," I teased. "Put the cigarette out, and make sure you lock the window so the sigil reengages," I said.

Zane finished his cigarette then locked up the window and hurried after me so we could get brunch.