“Father, where is that boy?”
Karen asked a middle-aged man standing before them.
“He’s in our hands. The men are already out to secure the other targets.”
“The other targets?” Marilyn trembled as she asked this. Her eyes were already misty.
“Yes. It turned out that Micheal Angelo knew of what his son planned for tonight, and didn’t stop him. His son was instigated by his new wife to get his hands on Lady Arianna.” The old man sighed. “And it’s a little complicated.”
It felt like he wanted to say something, but then he just stayed silent. Karen and Marilyn seemed to have understood something from his expressions and lowered their heads.
“How bad was it?” Karen asked.
“Nothing bad really. Nobody saw Lady Arianna send him flying. The girl that was present there was taken care off. Lady Arianna altered her memories.” The man said and glanced at Kaiya before saying his next words. “The boy only received light injuries as he crashed on the couch and passed out.”
“Was Asaya okay?” Marilyn worriedly asked.
“Yes, I ordered Rysar to personally take her home and stay by the side of the mansion to keep a watch.”
“Keep a watch for what?”
“Shazan said that he didn’t want to take any risks. It’s possible that Angelo had some men out there if things didn’t go as he wanted them to. There’s no need to worry though.”
Marilyn nodded her head and tightened her arms around Kaiya.
“What is he planning to do with them?” She whispered.
“I am not sure, but they will get what they deserve.” The man replied and lowered his head.
“Ezio”
“Yes, My Lady?” The man asked.
“Take care of them before he arrives… Please.” She asked him pleadingly.
“I am sorry, My Lady. I can’t go against Shazan’s orders.”
“But…”
“Father, why didn’t Arianna…” Karen interjected Marilyn’s words but didn’t finish her own.
Ezio’s brows furrowed and he seemed to be thinking about something.
“I don’t know.” He said and looked at Karen. “She left that place right after altering that girl’s memories. When she arrived outside, I didn’t dare to ask her what had happened. The anger in her eyes scared me.”
Kaiya had stayed silent since the last couple of hours. And right now, she was still nestled in Marilyn’s embrace as they sat on the couch and listened to the words of this man. Ezio was the Head-Butler of the Silverstein Empire. He was also Karen’s Father. He looked like he was in his forties, but seemed fit for his age. He was a respectful man who kept his eyes lowered most of the time as he spoke to Marilyn and Karen.
She could feel the restlessness in Marilyn’s heart. Marilyn was scared of what Shazan would do to the people that tried to get their hands on Arianna, Maira, and Asaya. Her own heart was growing restless. She remembered the grave expression in Shazan’s eyes. Caius had mentioned something about handling the Fourth Lord. The expression in his eyes had only lasted for a moment, but it was enough for her to remember it.
Ezio left the guest living room soon after he and Karen talked about something. Karen planted a kiss on Kaiya’s head before taking the leave and going to bed.
“Come, you will stay with me tonight, okay?” Marilyn lovingly asked and led her to the second floor.
Marilyn’s room was right next to her room. And it was just as spacious. The setting and decorations were different. The theme color was also soft pink. It was not the color she liked, but she had to admit that it was pretty. Her mood got better right after arriving here. They both got in the bed and sat together with their backs resting against the headboard.
“Why have you not asked me anything about Shazan, Arianna, and Roselyn?” Marilyn smiled and asked. She grabbed a book from the side table and started to read it.
Kaiya lowered her heard when she heard the question of Marilyn. It was not that she was not curious. She just lacked the courage to ask the question. The three of them could pull off things that seemed Supernatural. It scared her. Her timid heart didn’t want to hear an answer that would scare it.
“They are humans, don’t worry about that.” Marilyn laughed.
“I know!” Kaiya lowered her head embarrassedly. It was not like she thought that Shazan was a monster. Though he did seem like he had come straight out of some fantasy.
“How are they able to do those things?” She meekly asked.
“You want a long answer or a brief one?” Marilyn smiled and closed the book. “The long one would take the entire night.”
“I am afraid I would fall asleep, so the latter one.”
“Okay.” Marilyn took her time before saying her words. “Listen carefully.”
“There are some Humans in the world, less than 0.2% of the world’s population, that are very different from the rest. They are different because they or their ancestors managed to step in a stage greater than their initial potential. Every bloodline is different just like every skin and eye is different. The genes are different. And their potential is different.”
Kaiya was already feeling muddle-headed after listening to all this. She couldn’t understand a thing.
“The Silverstein family is part of that less than 0.2% population. Their history goes back to thousands of years. Every member of the family is born with the ability to play with the minds of other people. The extent they are about to pull off things depends on their strength and the strength of their target.”
“As you have heard, Arianna can alter the memories of other people. She can control the minds of people. She can influence people just by her mental strength and make them lose consciousness. She can turn a person into a puppet who would obey every command without even realizing that his mind is being controlled. And she can destroy the mind of a person. Yes, she’s also capable of killing people by using her ability.”
Kaiya gulped down the saliva that had accumulated in her mouth. She was scared now.
“These abilities seem like the specialty of Silverstein Family. But there might be other families out there that can pull of some or all of these things. In addition to this, all humans have some abilities in common as well. What Roselyn pulled off earlier on you is something that only people who have at least stepped a Stage ahead of others in human potential can do. I don’t understand the concept behind it since I cannot perform any such things. It’s something like guiding the energy and air around you to cut things. You can feel closer to Nature with every step you take beyond your initial human potential. And that allows you to play and guide the energy around you.”
“Oh…” Kaiya was lost in her thoughts now. The words of Marilyn were nothing less than a revelation to her. She was not as scared as before, but her curiosity was killing her now.
“How do you awaken such abilities?” She asked and earnestly looked at Marilyn.
“There no specific way. In truth, there’s no way. Like I said, every bloodline is different because their genes are unique. What they need to do to unlock their potential varies as well. Even Shazan doesn’t know how he has achieved all he has right now. Things he can do, no one in Silverstein Family was ever able to accomplish. He was born with the same potential as Roselyn, but now he’s…” Marilyn stopped her words and then closed her eyes. “I would ask you to not think about awakening your potential. I am certain that what it requires is great pain and torture that no normal human can survive.”
Kaiya was a little disappointed after hearing Marilyn’s words. But then her mind was all on what she had just talked about Shazan.
“What Stage is he at right now?” She asked.
“I just used the word of Stage to explain it to you. There’s no clear rank or design of it. And there’s no limit as well. Not that anyone knows off. These secret families address this Potential as Amazeros. The word comes from some ancient texts and means Myriad. The people can be called Azeros, and Zeros for individuals.”
“So they are just what you would call Mutants? Like in the comics?”
“No. The word Mutant gives an impression of miscreation, something faulty. Amazeros is the Potential of Nature. It’s the law of nature. It’s a road open to everyone, but not everyone can step onto.”
Everything was so mystical and interesting.
“At least there are no monsters…” She said and sighed. Were such people any less than monsters? A giggle escaped from her belly and brightened her smile.
“Monsters?” Marilyn curiously looked at her.
“Like Vampires and Werewolves.”
“Oh… They exist…” Marilyn said in a serious tone.
“What?!” Kaiya dumbfoundedly looked at her. “You are joking, right?”
“I am not joking.” Marilyn smiled and patted on her head. “They exist.”
“Oh.”
“Rysar is a Werewolf. He was with Caius when they went together with Shazan to Japan.”
“Oh”
Now that she remembered, there were two masked fellows with Shazan.
“W-what does he eat?” She asked.
“Not Humans.” Marilyn laughed heartily. “He eats the food we eat!”
“Good.” Kaiya took a sigh of relief, and her fear lessened.
Her mind was running wild with thoughts now. Some thoughts ached her heart, and some scared her.
“Are… all the girls around Shazan Azeros?”
“No. Keira, Arianna, Maira, Ilsa, Karen, Serafina, Renesme, and Lyla are Azeros. And…” Marilyn stopped her words before saying anything more.
“Who’s Lyla?” Kaiya was familiar with all the names but hadn’t heard of Lyla’s name before.
“Lyla Silverstein. She’s his cousin.” Marilyn whispered, and there was sadness in her voice. “She doesn’t live with us now.”
Kaiya wanted to ask where she lived, but the tears welling in Marilyn’s eyes stopped her. Her heart felt uncomfortable. She didn’t want to make people sad.
“What are the special abilities of the rest of the girls?”
“Oh.” Marilyn sighed and then her smile was back. “Keira’s senses are heightened. Even more than Shazan. Karen and Ezio are dexterous, and their minds function at an incredible speed. So yes, they are very intelligent.”
Marilyn handed the book she was reading to Kaiya.
“This is poetry written by Renesme. Her Artistic sense or Wisdom is beyond that of what you wouldn’t expect of a human. It’s like words of someone who sees it all. She’s perceptive of all emotions and captures them in her works. There’s mysticism in her every word. She can Paint, Write, Draw, and Create sculptures. She can also sing, and needless to say that she can dance as well. It’s like she’s all the world’s best artists in one person.” She said and smiled. “If you want to learn any of those skills, you can ask her. She’s very amiable even though she doesn’t talk much. However, if it’s dancing you are interested in, I can teach you that. I may not be better than her at it, but I am just as good.”
“I will ask you to take my dance classes.” Kaiya nodded her head and smiled. She was impressed by everything Renesme was able to achieve. It was more interesting to her than what other girls were able to do.
“Ilsa and Maira are battle maniacs. Ilsa has monstrous strength. It’s in her bloodline. Maira, on the other hand, comes from the Family of Aryan. That’s a secret family from the Sub-Continent that controls South-East Asia. She’s a princess who fell in the hands of Shazan.” Marilyn chuckled. “Her ability lies in her battle instincts. It’s like she can see every move her opponent would make before it even happens, and she’s very agile. Still not a match for Keira, but no other girl can match her speed.”
“And… Serafina is scary. She can read minds.” Marilyn said and smiled. “So, you cannot hide anything from her.”
“Can she read the minds of everyone?” Kaiya worriedly asked.
“No. Keira, Arianna, Shazan possess more mental strength than her. They can negate her ability if they want to or trick her into believing the thoughts that are not present in their minds. So, she doesn’t even try to read their minds.”
“So there’s no way for me to hide my thoughts from her?” Kaiya asked.
“There are no secrets in the family,” Marilyn said, “If you feel uncomfortable, then ask her not to read your mind. You are now sisters.”
“Mhm.” Kaiya nodded her head. “Mother, who is his third wife?”
“You don’t know?” Marilyn seemed surprised. “It’s Karen.”
“So it’s Karen-nee.” Kaiya was glad that it was Karen. She had already met Keira and Karen, and they both seemed amiable. She just hoped that Serafina would be the same.
“Alright, It’s quite late now. I need to get some sleep. Rose will get mad if I don’t show up in the dance class in the morning. I don’t want to upset my little princess.” Marilyn said and pressed the button the control placed on the side table.
The lights of the room dimmed to the ideal for sleep.
“You can sleep with me tonight. And if you are not sleepy, then you can read this book. You can keep the light of the side table on.”
“I am always sleepy.” Kaiya yawned and snuggled close to Marilyn inside the comforter.
Marilyn just laughed lightly at her laziness and warped her arm around her.
Kaiya said that she was sleepy, but the sleep came only after an hour or so. Marilyn had fallen asleep, and somewhere in her dreams, she was whispering the name of Shazan. Kaiya didn’t turn her face to look, but she was certain that Marilyn was crying in her sleep. Her heart turned sour as her memories recalled how her mother used to hold her like this and cry at nights. But the gentle warmth of this embrace felt so comfortable that she eventually drifted off to a sound sleep.
……………………………
It was not noontime yet, but she was already present in front of Arianna’s room. Her heart was thumping hard, and her palm was sweating with her nervousness. Arianna hadn’t come to the breakfast table in the morning and had stayed inside her room since last night. No one dared to come and see her, Karen only kept a look at her from the monitoring room and told everyone that she was fine. Roselyn, however, had rushed inside Arianna room after her dance class and was still inside.
Kaiya mustered up some courage and knocked on the door. After the third knock, she opened the door. It was a rule that Karen had told her. She glanced around the room and found no one present inside. She guessed that Arianna was probably in the bathroom, and so stood by the side of the door. Her eyes wandered around the room, and her admiration rose. The room was decorated elegantly in a Violet theme and the light that illuminated it was also a shade of violet.
She tried her best to keep her curiosity under control but soon lost to it. The entire wall had portraits hanging on it, and it was just too conspicuous. The portraits were chronologically set. The first from the top left was of a young boy holding a newborn baby in his arms. He was loving looking at the baby, and his smile was just too heartwarming. She recognized with just one look that it was Shazan, and the baby in his arms was Arianna. The next portrait was of a young boy feeding a one-year-old baby. The next one showed the young boy trying to teach a two-year-old baby girl how to play chess. Kaiya could not help but laugh at it. It was just too cute.
Her heart sped fast as she kept looking at the portraits. The boy was now turning into a deadly handsome teenager, and the baby girl was just like a fairy. There were some paintings mixed in as well, and they were all signed by Shazan. However, her smile froze when she glanced upon a portrait of what should be Arianna’s 13th Birthday. Arianna was wearing a wedding dress and the young man putting the ring on her finger was Shazan.
Kaiya eyes trembled as she looked at the next portrait. It was of Arianna and Shazan passionately kissing each other. The painting next to it was of Arianna naked and covered in sheets in arms of a shadow. Her mind had gone blank by now and she just dumbfoundedly stared at the last portrait. Arianna was sitting in his lap, and their eyes were locked. The affection in their eyes for each other was enviable. But what her eyes saw in the portrait was not their love. It was the sin. It looked sinful to her and felt so wrong. It was a taboo. It was Incest.
“Why are you so shocked?” A sweet and enchanting voice came from behind her.
Kaiya turned around and saw Arianna in her bathrobe. She was holding Roselyn in her arms and was looking at her. The smile on her perfect face was ethereal. Kaiya lowered her eyes as the girl in front of her was the most beautiful girl she had seen in her life. Arianna was only a couple of years older than her, but her beauty was on an entirely different realm. She was a fairy.
“No one told you that every woman in this Palace belongs to him?” Arianna smiled palely.
She was a Sinful fairy.
A tear slipped out of Kaiya’s eyes and then she could not stop crying. Her body trembled uncontrollably.
“Say it!” Arianna ordered.
“It’s wrong!” Kaiya couldn’t control her mind and screamed it.
The smile on Arianna’s face brightened.
“Silly girl, the next time you call my Love for him wrong, you won’t get a chance to take another breath.” She whispered. “Now control your emotions and go freshen up. I will be taking your classes personally.”
The words penetrated Kaiya’s ears, and her heart calmed down a little. She was scared, and tears kept streaming down her cheeks, but she could now comfortably breathe in this state. It scared her. Her body and mind were not under her control. She was already walking toward the bathroom.
When she returned to the room, Arianna was already dressed up in a skirt and had little Rose in her lap. She seemed to be instructing something to Rose, and the little girl was respectfully listening to her.
Kaiya stood there silently until they finished their talk.
“You will call me by my name from now on.” Arianna amiably smiled at her. It was totally unlike her earlier persona. “And don’t give me a chance to control your mind and hurt you. I am not good at dealing with people who love crying. It bugs me. Okay?”
She blankly stared at the girl and listened to her words. They didn’t seem to be a lie. They were sincere.
“Yes.” Kaiya nodded.
“Also, don’t behave as if you are my servant. You are my sister.” Arianna said and planted a kiss on Rose’s head. “You can share anything with me if it’s bothering you, but you are not allowed to say what you expressed earlier. I mean the warning I gave you.” She looked seriously at her.
“Yes.” She nodded.
Kaiya understood that Arianna’s only soft spot was Shazan. And anything bad said about their relationship would only call forth her wrath. Her heart was still uncomfortable. Their relationship felt wrong to her. She was lost in her thoughts when she heard the door of the room open, and a voice called out.
“Arianna.” It was Shazan.
“Get Out!!!”
Arianna shouted angrily, and Shazan was sent flying out of the room. He crashed right in the Glassed Window of the corridor, and then the door of the room closed.
Kaiya was in shock. She looked at Arianna and found her cheeks burning up with anger.
“He’s not hurt.” She looked at Kaiya and said. “And he deserved it.”
Kaiya could only nod to her words. This fairy was not affable. And it was not wise to not be on her side.