Little Red (Twisted Dark, #4)

Chapter Seven: Confrontations: Part Three

I crossed my arms and looked at my mother expectantly. She would tell me where Violet was roughly located, there was no way I was leaving her new house without it. She lifted her arm and snapped her fingers, the rather intricate golden bracelet on her wrist sparkled with her magick and a rolled piece of parchment landed in her hand. I never could understand how the fuck she always made everything look so effortless and graceful.

She unrolled it and showed me the map, there was a glowing circle on the upper norther portion of it and she tapped it. "Northern Forests, roughly here. I was only able to cast it because there was a tiny lingering of her magick on the outside of the tower walls. If I had more of a signature I would have been able to pinpoint it more." She held the map out for me to take and I did with a slight face.

"How... archaic of you." I glanced between her and the map as I raised my eyebrows. We were witches, we didn't need to do everything on parchment paper with a quill and ink. I rolled up the map and tucked it into the inside pocket of my leather jacket. "Also, let everyone know they should visit with Fayette more. I think she would like it and she doesn't look the greatest." If anyone could organize all of us to go and visit a sister in need, it was our mother and Fayette needed to have more people visiting.

Her expression fell slightly, "The path to becoming an Oracle is a private affair. The transformation-"

I waved my hand at her, cutting her off as I threw her a look. "I don't care. That's my little sister and she didn't look good. Visit with her or get others to know to visit her." I shook my head, feeling more concerned as I thought about her. "She's... she's fading, mama. Like she will cease to be Fayette entirely." I didn't want that for her, I truly didn't. I wanted it no more than I wanted Tia to fade away like that, or Zinnia, or Bam. I didn't want any of my siblings to end up like that.

"I understand you're troubled by her...condition but that is what an Oracle is. They let go of their attachments and become one with their sisters to help them through their visions." She said it slowly and carefully, as if she were trying to keep me from blowing up at her. I wasn't going to lie, I was tempted but she looked too torn and pained to feel any sort of satisfaction railing against her at the moment would cause. "There are rules for a reason, Lillianna." She gave me a slightly imploring look and I levelled her with a hard one in return.

"Rules are made to be broken." I said it slowly and as firmly as I could. "Fayette's my blood, she is your daughter, she's our family. There'ss no written rules about Oracles being held from their family. Just tradition and if traditions are wrong, then they must be changed." Tia had explained it to me during my visit. She was concerned for Fayette just like I was and had wanted me to know everything she knew about it. I knew that in a few days I would more than likely get a phone call from her asking if I could take her to see Fayette at the Transition House. "Visit with her, mama. She would love to see Zinnia, Aymis, and you because she was ecstatic to see me." I wasn't the easiest sister to get along with and Fayette and I had our squabbles in the past so the fact she had been so happy to see me spoke more than I ever could.

I watched as my mother pinched her lips together before she gave a small nod, her shoulders lowering just a fraction. "I would like to see her again. She's still my baby." She gave a firmer nod before looking at me, her eyes warm and loving to the point I wanted to shuffle my feet and look away in embarrassment. "Just like you." She reached over and lightly brushed her thumb across my cheek and I gave her a rather tight smile in return. I still wasn't entirely happy with her and affection from anyone outside of Tia and my baby siblings always made uncomfortable but I allowed it.

"Red!" At the shout I whirled around but Aymis was already right there. He hit me with a heavy bear hug, squeezing me so tight I felt like I couldn't breathe but I laughed, hugging him back and ruffling his hair. He lifted me off my feat and my eyes popped open, he had gotten bigger and stronger since I had last seen him. "I haven't seen you in forever!" He looked up at me as he spun on his feet, grinning that familiar toothy grin.