Page 31 of The Tribrid Princess and the Taste of Chaos (The Rossi Legacies #7)

Sienna

T he sun is burning down on me; it’s hard to keep up with him. His beige cloak flows behind him, the sweltering heat and humidity suffocating me as he motions me to keep following.

No, I don’t want to follow him this time. I want answers. This is no ordinary dream.

I force myself to stop, and the cloaked man stops as well. Looking at me over his shoulder, this time I can make out a golden-brown beard and full lips.

“Who are you?” I ask. I’m speaking a language that is foreign to me, but one that I can somehow understand.

“You are here. That’s good to know.” He chuckles, the sound soft yet full of warmth and mirth. “I am nothing more than someone who wishes to help you, to give you what you deserve.”

What I deserve?

“Come with me.” He stretches his hand out, and I frown hesitantly.

“How can you help me?” I ask softly, hesitant to take his hand.

“Take my hand and I can show you,” he coaxes. I can sense longing from him, and a sadness that makes me want to comfort him. I reach out, ready to take his hand, when I turn sharply, looking at the temple with that same symbol.

For a moment, my mind is blank, and then I remember. Oh yes… Jayce showed me it! It’s the symbol from the tome!

Jayce…

I retract my hand and look at the temple.

“Come with me!” the man in the cloak commands.

“This symbol? What does it stand for?” I ask. This time, the dream feels different. It’s almost as if I’m leading it.

“It does not matter; it is meaningless to our goal.”

His hand is still outstretched, and I tilt my head, watching passersby bow their heads in the temple yard. Strange, it’s as if they don’t see us standing right here. Now that I pay attention, the man in front of me is far taller than everyone else.

“No… I want to know. This-”

“Come with me, and I will grant you your heart’s desire, even if it is beyond the land of the living. What you wish shall be yours.”

I freeze, my heart thudding as I turn to the man.

“What?” I whisper.

“Your Fath-”

Loud banging makes my eyes fly open, my heart squeezing as I wish I could fall back into that sleep to know what he’s saying.

“You’re late, Rossi!”

“Maralai?” I ask groggily, trying to get my bearings.

“Yeah! Now get up, Shahira said you refused to wake up!”

“Oh shoot! Thanks for waking me!” I exclaim, kicking off my duvet. I can’t believe I missed my alarm!

I grab my phone, my heart skipping a beat at the messages from a number I don’t recognise.

Jayce…

He sent the images, but that’s it, no message along with them…

I feel a bit disappointed, but what was I expecting?

That a moment where emotions were heightened meant something?

The only thing keeping me from completely dismissing what happened is the fact that I was not in my demon form; I was just me, and the way he was looking at me…

My heart thumps, and I hold my phone to my chest, remembering the way he motioned to tell me that Ahren was there. I can’t help but smile. That’s the most un-Jayce-like thing he’s done in front of me.

It was cute.

Not to mention how drool-worthy he looked. Gods, is he perfection. He is built like a god, and I want to be pressed against him once more, feel his firm arms around me. My stomach leaps, and I bite my lip.

I want him. The fear I felt somehow transformed into this… or maybe being around him just made what was already there more obvious.

I look down at my phone and simply like the photos. I don’t want to appear needy; I’m going to work on these. I’m glad that he’ll have more people to help crack the language, but I also want to be the first to get him answers.

I will be the first.

Feeling happy, I get ready, for once, not dreading lessons. As long as I keep myself distracted, maybe the chaos in my mind won’t consume me. I still feel guilty about the barriers…

I walk down the hall when a notification pops up on my Schattensicht. Uncle Leo, or should I say the King, wants to see me. My stomach knots with nerves as I wonder what he wants to say. I change direction, heading towards the meeting room instead, now feeling nervous.

I knock on the door and step inside. There’s only Leo there, smoking as he looks through some folders. He doesn’t look happy. His cold eyes flick up, and I stand there awkwardly.

“Take a seat,” he commands, flipping the file he was looking at shut and sitting back, but not before I see some of the drawings of the training facility.

Oh gods, he’s probably so pissed.

I glance at the file, trying to hide my panic as I look back up at him.

“You did quite a number on the training room,” he remarks, a hint of a ruthless smirk on his face. Is that supposed to make him look less intimidating? Because it doesn’t. He looks like he’s going to eat me alive.

“Sorry,” I reply. “It was an accident.”

“It’s a good accident. So, how is your training going? Jayce seems to have faith in you. Is that faith justified?”

My heart skips a beat at the mention of Jayce, and I feel as if he can read my mind.

“I wouldn’t know; I mean, I didn’t do great…” I lost control. I ruined everything. “After all, I’m the reason those witches got inside.”

“Like I said, that was the defences that were lacking, nothing to do with you. Keep at it. There might not be any reason for me to pull you out and train you myself.”

Thank the gods for that.

“I’ll try.” And I mean it. I want to show Jayce that I’m better than this… It may be a silly incentive that I would never tell the others, but it’s the one thing motivating me the most.

My heart sinks as I realise just how little I’ve been thinking about Dad lately. Jayce has been distracting me, and I only realised this because of my dream… Why did it feel like the man was about to say ‘Father’?

“What’s troubling you?” Uncle Leo asks, his voice sharp as he inhales the smoke of his cigarette slowly, his icy eyes fixed on me.

“Nothing.”

“That’s always your answer. Heaven is even more stubborn than you, and I didn’t think that could be beaten. The sigils, they don’t hurt you in any way, do they?”

I shake my head. “No, I don’t even notice them until I summon more power. And even then, it’s just the surge of my power. The sigils are just containers.” He nods slowly.

“Good. And regarding your powers, do you feel even a little more in control lately?”

“I don’t really know. I want to try.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear. Just remember, Sienna, there are people around who are there to help you, but the first step is you having to want it. So, I’m glad you’re letting Jayce help.”

“I’m not letting him do anything,” I answer quickly.

His eyebrow shoots up as he tilts his head, observing me intently before he sits forward. “I am really fucking tempted to ask what you mean by that, but I ain’t fucking going to.” He frowns, though, and I realise how that may have come across.

“Uh… I meant to say, we’re just training one-on-one! We’re not doing anything different – different from normal training, I mean! It’s just we’re alone, so there’s…” I’m really making this so much worse.

“Ahuh,” he says.

“Uh… is Heaven in trouble because of me? I mean, she was only trying to help me,” I say worriedly, changing the subject and genuinely wanting to know.

He sighs. “She’s not in trouble; I did talk to her a short while ago.

She stuck by what she said, that it is not dark magic.

And even Raihana and other witches are in agreement that the sigils don’t feel like dark magic.

It is just the origin of where the knowledge came from that is the concern here.

But Heaven knows we’re here for her, as I hope you do, too. ”

“Thank the gods,” I murmur, feeling his gaze on me again. Sometimes it feels like I’m under a microscope.

“You can head to lessons, unless there’s something else you want to say?”

I shake my head quickly and get up. “You seem less angry today…” I say bravely, looking at him through my lashes. “With me.”

A flicker of surprise crosses his face, but it’s gone as fast as it came. “I wasn’t angry with you, just with the fact you didn’t want to fucking try. You were giving up before even trying your best. You weren’t born to be a quitter.”

“But I still don’t have control of my powers,” I remind quietly.

“No, but I don’t give a shit. You’re doing what I wanted you to do, you’re trying. The end results don’t fucking matter as long as you keep trying.”

My heart skips a beat as I look at him, suddenly feeling that I always took his every remark with a bit too much negativity…

“Thank you. I’ll try my best.”

This time, when he smirks, it’s not as terrifying. “And that is the biggest change.”

“Huh?” I say, feeling confused, but he doesn’t explain.

“Get to class. You’ll be late.”

“Yes!” I turn and quickly hurry to the door.

“Oh, and Sienna?”

I pause at the door, looking back at him.

“Yes?”

“Let Jayce know that if he fucking hurts you, I won’t care that he’s related to Azura. I will fucking castrate him.”

My eyes widen as I stare at him, paling. Why would he say that? Does he think we’re- Oh my gods!

“Er… there’s no need. When training, it’s obvious I can get hurt. That’s a bit-”

“You’re a smart girl, Sienna. You know exactly what I fucking mean.”

My heart thuds. How did he figure that out? But we’re not seeing one another! I’m only going to make matters worse, so I simply nod and turn, running from the room.

Oh gods, this is not good! I dare not tell Jayce what he said.

We had training at one point, but I was assigned to work out alone, which I appreciated. Even though it was hard to get everyone’s emotions out of my head, I did a little better than if I were on the mat. I ask to be excused twenty minutes in, and I’m relieved when I am granted it without any fuss.

Things have been a little awkward, and I notice the glances I’m getting, but there are fewer disdainful looks. I text Heaven about meeting up if she has a moment, but she’s probably busy with lessons and doesn’t reply.

Allie said she had magic classes, so she wasn’t with her either.

Aunty came to see me at break before she left, and I finally managed to catch Heaven at the end of lunch break when she came in late.

I whisper a spell; it’s a bit of a struggle, but I manage, although I’m tempted to mute the entire room, the power calling to me.

But I manage to only mask the two of us speaking as aimed, and even Heaven gives me a smile of approval.

“Hey, you ok?” I ask, knowing she’s been avoiding me. Allie had already eaten and left, but I waited, wanting to catch her.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Maybe because you and your mama argued?”

She frowns at me, and I put my arm around her as I follow her while she gets her food. Since the lunch hall will close in twenty minutes, there are no queues. Most of the students have cleared out, save a handful of stragglers.

“It was fine. She was just stressed because of her own trauma.” Heaven’s voice is clipped, but I know her better than that.

“But you’re upset,” I push gently, as I follow her to a table.

She looks at me and sighs. “Do you know what the problem is with our family?”

I shake my head. “They see themselves as werewolves when half of us aren’t. My mom knew when I was born that I was definitely a witch, yet she named me Heaven.”

“It’s a beautiful name.”

“It is, but it’s also as if they didn’t want to accept that their daughter is a witch.

Most witches hold their witch names from birth, building that connection with their bloodline from childhood.

Yet for our family, it feels as if we are wolves first, anything else second.

Every witch has links to her ancestor’s magic, good or bad.

Every. Single. Witch. channels that power, yet the moment I do, it’s looked down upon.

I’m not stupid. I’m not going to use dark magic.

But it’s like there’s a stigma, if a witch is powerful - Oh my Goddess, she must be using dark magic.

If a wolf is powerful, it’s all - look at him, he’s so amazing.

And this stigma? It’s not just Mom, it’s from everyone.

I think she’s like that because she’s judged by others herself.

And you know what irks me the most?” she asks.

I nod. “Tell me?” I say gently, glad she’s at least venting to me.

“When they need help, it’s us goddamn witches who are needed all the bloody time!” She purses her lips, tossing her hair, and I tilt my head.

“I get it, I do… but I don’t think Aunty cared about the dark magic, but rather about you.

She was worried something would happen to you .

Goddess, I swear if you needed to use dark magic to protect yourself, your mama wouldn’t say ‘oh my Goddess, why did you?’ She’d be proud and relieved that you protected yourself. That you’re safe,” I explain gently.

She lets out an ‘hmph’, rolling her eyes.

I reach over and take her hand. She tries to pull free, but I wrap both of mine around hers and tilt my head.

“Honestly, I can vouch for them on that. Our mamas are pretty alone right now. They’re scared for us.

I know that’s why I couldn’t tell them some things because I didn’t want to worry them.

They don’t have a partner to lean on anymore.

They’re alone, raising us all alone. They’re responsible for us, and they’re terrified for us. ”

She sighs. “Maybe.”

“As for that stigma about witches, we’ll keep proving them wrong.

Look around us. We go to school with witches.

There was a time when witches were hated.

Our own mamas faced that. Even Jaddati didn’t easily take to your mama being a witch.

They saw the dark side of witches, and our mamas changed that outlook. My dad changed that…”

She cracks a small smile. “He did. I miss them. Dad and Uncle were the calm ones… I really, really miss them.”

My eyes sting with tears, and I nod. “Me too, yeah me too,” I whisper as tears trickle down my cheeks.

She looks away. Unlike me, she’s better at controlling her emotions.

I promise you, Heaven, you’ll always have me. I think to myself.

“Eat up. We have to head to class soon.” I smile gently. She nods, as composed as ever, before she picks up her fork. I sit back, watching her, glad she’s eating. I need to be there for her and Allie. I need to get stronger not only for me or Jayce, but for everyone.