Chapter 26: Mother knows best
AYLA
"So, you really were invited?"
I rolled my eyes.
This was the second time my mother was asking me this question.
"Yes mother, I was invited by Willow to the party tonight but I am not going."
"And why is that?"
"Because Willow has bullied me ever since we both knew what bullying was. Our father leaves me unacknowledged while he gives her the world. She has tried to sabotage me at every point so why will I go to this party and give her more ways to ruin my life."
My mother took a seat at the edge of my bed.
The room had now been arranged and everything looked almost like nothing had happened.
Even my mother was unaware that just yesterday, I had blown the place to bits.
I had told Astrid some lame story about being angry and turning the place over myself but I could tell she did not believe me.
I had no idea why I was keeping the truth from her.
It was scary knowing that I had this power that I could not control.
I had no idea when it would manifest and where I would be when it did.
What if I was with Ares or Cassian and I mistakenly killed them?
I would not mind manifesting the powers in Damon’s presence just to watch him cough up blood from those stupidly annoying lips.
"What are you smiling at?" My mother asked.
I turned to her.
I had totally forgotten she was even in the room.
"I..."
"Never mind. You are going to go for the party."
"Mom..."
"I know what you are about to say but from what I hear, you have been missing breakfast and dinner with the princes."
"I am trying to avoid blurting father’s secrets to them. Are you forgetting the part about the Beta..."
"I am not forgetting anything" My mother snapped. "But you seem to be forgetting that you are still yet to actually mate with either princes. You are yet to solidify your position as their mates and goddess forbid there is another mate lurking somewhere that immediately ruins everything just because you want to stay in your room and whither away."
She jumped to her feet and clasped her hands together.
"You are going to go or I will drag you there kicking and screaming."
She turned around to the door and called for Astrid.
"Come with me to my quarters. I am going to give you a dress for your mistress and I want you to make sure she is dolled up and ready for the party by noon. Is that understood?"
Astrid cast me a look.
"Open your mouth and answer when I speak to you!"
"Yes, ma’am" Astrid muttered.
"Good." My mother turned to me.
"You had better get out of that bed and get ready for the ceremony."
I said nothing as both she and Astrid left the room.
Moments later, a small knock sounded at the door.
I sighed and climbed to my feet.
When I opened the door, I was staring into the face of a man.
"Hi" he smiled.
I looked around.
He was alone and my ladies in waiting did not seem bothered by his presence which relaxed me.
It had to be someone they knew.
"I am Alistair."
"Hello Alistair, how may I help you?"
"Maybe you would like to invite me in."
I frowned at this.
"No, I don’t think I want to invite you in. Who sent you? What do you want?"
The man smiled then took a step closer and leaned forward.
"I saw you."
My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach.
I knew what he was talking about.
The smirk on his face, the surety in his eyes.
He had seen me kill those men and now he was here to blackmail me!
"Come in" I opened the door wider.
"My lady..." One of the ladies in waiting stepped forward.
"It’s okay. He and I are going to talk. Nothing more."
She looked at the man with suspicion but she nodded and returned to her position.
Alistair walked into my room, his eyes darting back and forth, taking the whole place in.
I closed the door, leaning against it because my limbs were suddenly too weak to do anything other than that.
"What do you want?" I asked.
He turned to me, gray eyes taking me in.
"I wanted to introduce myself. I work with Prince Cassian as a healer and I had been gathering some herbs when I saw what happened."
I nodded weakly at this bit of information.
When he said nothing else and just remained staring at me, I said:
"This is the part where you tell me what you want from me."
"Oh, you have it all wrong, Ayla."
He was using my name.
It could only mean he did not recognize my rank as the princes’ mate or cared for it.
"I think the men deserved what they got for trying to take advantage of you."
"Oh" I muttered.
"And I am only here to tell you to stop sending your maid to ask if there is anything out of the ordinary happening or you are going to bring suspicions to yourself."
He drew closer so he was hovering above me.
I flattened myself to the door, my heart thumping rapidly in my chest.
"I took care of it."
My eyes widened at this.
"You did what?"
"The bodies. The reason they have not been found is because I took care of it. You can rest easy knowing no one will ever know what happened."
I could not make sense of what he was saying.
"I should go now." he bowed low and I jerked away as he reached for the door.
"Why did you help me? Why are you doing this?" my voice stopped him in his track.
He turned around and regarded me with a hooded stare.
"I want us to be friends, Ayla."