Hunted Memories

12- The Truth

Kathy sat patiently waiting for them to explain why they abandoned her. She readied her mind to be hurt, disappointed, angry, and sad. She didn't want to be overwhelmed then her powers would spiral out of control.

Hala gave Aerial a look of caution and he squeezed her hands in encouragement.

"My sister is a shadow magician."

Kathy's eyes widened in surprise. Elara is a shadow magician?

"Lady Elara is a shadow magician? I thought your mother banished all shadow magicians, " Kathy voiced her thoughts.

"Not Elara. Elara was born after Lena and me, " Hala answered.

"When my mother gave birth to both Lena and me, she had birth complications. Her twins were born twelve days earlier, " Hala started and Kathy interrupted her.

"You have a twin?"

Hala smiled sadly. Her blue eyes revealed intense sadness.

"Yes. On the day of our birth, our mother had a power surge that caused a blackout in the kingdom. Due to that, they couldn't recognize who was the firstborn. Mother accepted that and raised both of us as equals. There was no Luna Princess then because there was no firstborn, " Hala explained, still holding on to Aerial's hand.

Hala then went on to tell Kathy how close Lena and she were during childhood. She told her about their joint birthday celebrations and how they did everything together.

"We were good to each other until our twenty-first birthday. The acting oracle prophesied that after our awakening the Luna Princess would be named. Lena was very excited because she had always wanted to be Luna Queen. On the evening of the day, our powers awakened. I was gifted with nature while Lena's powers didn't awaken with mine. In Lunae, if your power doesn't awaken on your twenty-first birthday, you will be powerless. Since her powers didn't awaken, I would be crowned Luna Princess."

Kathy was confused. Her awakening occurred in her twenty-third year on the night of the red moon. She decided to tell her parents about her questions after they finished their explanation.

"Lena was enraged and went on a mass-destruction spree. Her hopes of being Luna Queen were dashed to the ground. She ruined everything she could find in the castle. Father tried to stop her but she was far too gone. Her eyes had turned fully black and a black mist covered her whole body. She hurt the castle guards and maidens with what seemed like black smoke. For the first time, I was scared of my twin sister. She hurt young Elara who was trying to calm her older sister. Elara had just returned to us after her Siren father took her for years. Mother called for the acting oracle she came. She took one long look at Lena who was still on a rampage and called her a shadow magician. Mother's heart broke for she knew she had to send Lena away else she would destroy Lunae and everything in it, " Hala explained with her voice breaking slightly.

Aerial held Hala by her shoulders and turned her to face him. He gazed deep into her eyes with nothing but love shining in his blue irises.

"It is not your fault, my love. You couldn't have been able to do something to help her then, " He said staring at her tenderly.

Kathy could feel the love her parents had for each other. The longer she spent in Lunae, the more she discovered things that answered some of the questions she asked all her life.

"What has your sister being a shadow magician got to do with why you left me?" Kathy didn't mean to sound insensitive but she needed to know.

"As impatient as your mother. Calm your curiosity, Princess. We are getting there, " Aerial said, smiling fondly at her.