BLOOD LEGACIES
Chapter 279: Hollow

Chapter 279: Hollow

"There are a lot of things we don’t understand about you Emma," he began in a more serious tone, his eyes also silently begging me not to be angry or upset. "We can’t just up and tell you about it without any explanation, we needed an explanation for everything"

"Is that why you kept blaming me for weakening the barrier?"

His eyes were saddened. "I was at fault for that and I’m stupid, it’s just the timing was too good to turn after from, we have a reason to believe someone might have done it"

"Someone?"

"We’re still looking into it"

I exhaled sharply, it was shaky and got my nerves unsettled.

"Emma"

I shifted my gaze back to him. "You used blood magic"

I narrowed my eyes.

"That day,"

"T-That was blood magic?"

He nods. " And that spell has never been seen for centuries, I’m not even sure there is a Grimoire for it"

I looked to the side as my thoughts drift. I don’t remember studying at the library for blood magic, I have never seen that topic there, so where? Where did I learn it from? Where did I see the texts?

"I don’t remember reading anything about blood magic, It just sort of came to me I guess" I mumbled, still trying to remember where I saw the texts from, my brain knew I must have read something, because how else did I know the spell to use?

"You have to promise me, Emma, that you won’t use that blood magic again, it’s dangerous, it might have been a little spell to you but that alone is enough to kill you... don’t forget that"

I said nothing because I didn’t know what else to say, my brain was still brainstorming when I saw that spell because I really wanted to find out.

"Emma" he began once again, but this time it looked like he wanted to say something that he had been meaning to say and didn’t know how to start. "You went to Dace didn’t you?"

I gulped.

And he scoffed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I kinda figured it out, where else would you have gone if not to him"

"Yes," I said in a firm tone, not wavering. "Where else?" I added to settle the point of it. "Besides you and Vanessa cast him aside from seeing him"

"Em-"

"I don’t wanna hear it, okay? I don’t because if I hear it... it makes it more true that you would do such a thing, do you have any idea how much it affected him? I almost lost him, Owen, because you both want to protect me but rather you endangered my heart. Just why would you guys not accept him?"

"That’s the point, Emma... two different bloodlines have never made a match before, they haven’t seen it and they will not see it even now, history doesn’t carry it, your relationship was never gonna work"

I scoffed at his words, he would still say that to my face. Well, that makes it all clear to him, he believes that no matter what... was that why? Because of two different bloodlines, I can’t be with Dace, because of their notion about it, were we never possible?

"No matter how you try for it to work it won’t"

I shifted my teary eyes to him.

"You always wanted me to be honest right? Well, I will do so right now. You and I both know no matter what there’s always a hollow feeling, you might not want to believe it but it’s the effect of those bloodlines not wanting to cooperate, you think this is just about two clan feuds or disagreements well it’s way more than that. If Clans don’t separate you... BLOOD will’’

A tear fell from one of my eyes and I leveled my gaze unable to meet his eyes because I just couldn’t bear to look into them because I could feel that they showed nothing but the truth.

"You’re a Vortex and a half-witch, a bloodline we haven’t seen for a long time, your compatibility is with your kind, there is no otherwise"

"I share a bond with him, Owen"

"A bond that comes only from the Werelion’s side? Tell me what else do you understand about that so-called bond?"

"It..." the rest of the words didn’t come out.

"You can’t expect us to understand and accept something we only just heard about"

I bit my bottom lip because another tear threatened to fall.

"This is me being honest with you Emma" he rose to his feet. "Tomorrow the clan leader requests your presence," he said lastly as he turned on his heels and walked out of my room, and shut the door.

That was when the tears fell like a storm and I found myself crying and sniffing, unable to contain the feeling in my chest.

I leveled my gaze on the fur baby in my arm who was already fast asleep and I gently dropped him on the bed to get more comfortable. I was careful not to wake him but I think my cries will.

I buried my hands in my hair as I cried silently, the tears dropping down to the floor as Owen’s words continued to hit me like a storm. Now I wish I didn’t leave that cottage house, I wish I would have just stayed there with Dace and forgotten that this reality exists, and be in our own world and not back to this world that wants nothing more than to separate us.

~

"You good?" my mom asked me the moment I came downstairs.

"Yeah" I nodded, pulling some curls of my hair behind my ear.

"Slept okay?"

I nodded. "He’s still asleep, can you help me watch him"

"I will, okay? Don’t worry, where did you say you found him again?"

"In the woods, I couldn’t leave him"

"Have you given him a name?"

"Not yet, still thinking of one. Mom?"

"Yeah"

"Just say it please..." I sighed shakily. "Don’t drag it further"

"About what?"

I was about to speak but she was fast.

"That my 17-year-old daughter is dating a girl who is hundreds of years old?"

"Mom he’s a teen like me okay, they just age differently"

"But that doesn’t change the fact that you are with a werelion"

"Please don’t look at him as just that"

"Are you asking for my opinion right now or you wanna just feel better about yourself?"

"What did Vanessa tell you?" I asked curiously because right now I can sense her distaste when she said ’werelion’.

"I only told her the truth nothing more"

I turned at the familiar voice and found Vanessa walking out of the kitchen while wiping her hands with a towel. I didn’t see her last night so seeing her right now was the first since I woke up and an undeniable pain tightened my chest when I did, I couldn’t help but look at her with an emotionless expression.

"Come on we will be late, we can’t keep Oliver waiting," she said, only breaking gaze with me as she walked out the door.

"Go on, I will take care of your kitten," My mom said, rubbing my arms, and I only just nodded as I walked to the door.

~

I never thought a ride with Vanessa would be awkward, but it is right now and I felt suffocating. I was lucky enough that the window was open and the breeze came in now and then, but the silence was killing me. I have always known Vanessa to be chatty and her being quiet right now wasn’t helping my nerves, it made me angry, and upright, and my brain was chaotic.

"I know you hate me right now" she finally began as she made a turn to the next block and I brought my eyes to her, she kept her eyes on the road as she continued.

"But if that is what it takes to keep you safe keep doing so"

My eyes grew heavy as I blinked. "I was never in danger"

"But you ended up in a coma"

"And I’m fine now that doesn’t give you the right to blame it on Dace"

She chuckled but it wasn’t heartfelt.

"You think I don’t know? How many times you turned him away... each time he came to see me, you hurt me too Vanessa"

I noticed her hands on the wheels clenched tightly.

"Do you have any idea how I felt when the doctors told me you might never wake up or recover? I was lost, confused and blaming myself for bringing you to this world of the supernatural because it has brought you nothing but pain" She faces me.

"I love you, Emma, not just as an Aunt but as a mother too, you should know all I have ever done is protect you"

I looked the other way before she could say more, resting my elbow on the window edge and covering my mouth with my hand feeling hollow once again. Why do they keep saying this and making me feel guilty? Now I feel guilty for loving Dace.

That isn’t fair.