Escape the Covenant || Shawmila [Completed]

Bonus chapter

Dedicated to  @Idontcare_ellie who enthusiastically re-reads this story weekly!  Knowing that you enjoy it that much makes me indescribably happy! 

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Six years later...

«Daddy». A little voice whispers in my ear insistently. «Dad, wake up». I'm forced to open my eyes when a light weight sits on my chest and two small hands caress my bristly cheeks.

I blink a few times, my eyes struggle to adjusts to the bright early morning light coming from the window, but eventually I manage to fully take notice of the tiny figure in front of me. «What is it, baby?» I mumble looking at the worried, pretty face that is standing only a few inches away from mine.

«Something happened» she whispers, and I'm suddenly wide awake. A million different thoughts rush through my head and I internally start to panic. Camila isn't in bed next to me, and I wonder if that has something to do with my daughter's restlessness.

«Are you hurt, baby?». My voice sounds frantic and anxious, and I remind myself that I need to stay calm.

My five-years-old shakes her head, biting her lip, her curls bouncing around her face. Without saying any other word, she points to the candle on Camila's nightstand and gestures me to wait. Slowly, a feeble flame starts to rise from the wax, and my panic quickly morphs into excitement. But the look on Livia's eyes doesn't mirror my enthusiasm, which automatically cut off mine. «Livvy, that's great! Your mom is going to be so proud of you, so what's with that sad pout?»

She hides her face on the crook of my neck, tightening her grip around me. Still whispering, she mumbles something against my skin. «We have to keep it a secret, daddy. Nobody has to know».

«What do you mean? Aren't you happy to finally being able to use your power?»

She shakes her head no. «Jules can't do it; I don't want him to be sad». And then it clicks it also for me. Of course, my daughter is thinking about her twin brother.

Brushing a few wild curls away from her eyes, I try to soothe her. «Oh baby, don't worry about Julian. I'm sure in no time at all he'll get to use his powers too. Besides, what if the roles were inverted? Wouldn't you be happy for your brother?»

She nods tentatively. «But we're not sure he's going to have them. What if they never come?».

This is a great question. When Camila and I found out we were going to have twins we were obviously excited. Double the effort, double the love. The only downside was the knowledge that one of our children could probably be deprived of magic. Now, I'm not surprised that could be my son. Maybe it has something to do with genetics. Honestly I'm clueless. But here lies also the best answer I can give to my daughter right now. «It's true, Jules might never experience the thrill of magic, but would this be a great deal? I have no powers too, and I manage to live just fine. I'm happy and so lucky to have you two and your mom».

A little smile makes its way on Livia's face. I'm sure she's slowly accepting the fact that even if we can't control everything around us and unexpected things happen, we can still find some good in our life. Honestly, I wish I could snap my fingers and grant her everything she wants, but life had shown me more than once that it's not possible.

*

A few days later, I'm talking on the phone with my mom. More than ten years ago, just a few months after Estella's death, she reached out to me. It turned out that Camila's was right: my mom just needed some time alone, away from my father and everything else that reminded her of what had happened. That included me. I can't forget how broken she was after my father's cheating, and I don't blame her for sending us away. Obviously, I would have preferred to stay with her instead of living with my father, but after all that gave me the chance to talk to Camila and fall in love with her, so I won't complain.

My mom's soothing voice suddenly fades into the background when I hear a scream coming from the other room. In less than a second I hang up and rush toward the origin of the sound. The smell of smoke makes my nose tingle, and it doesn't take much for me to spot a scorch mark on the curtain.

Camila is still busy putting out the fire, so I know I'll get the uncomfortable duty to scold the culprit. I turn to my daughter and put on my most serious look. «Livia, I told you not to practice magic inside. Do you see what could happen?». But it seems like the little girl hasn't even taken notice of my presence.

On her face there's a big smile and two bright eyes. She points her little finger to her brother, incredibly not to snitch on him – or at least that's not her intention. «It was Jules! He got his powers!!».

Both Camila and I turn to him, a guilty look on his face tries to hide his proud grin. For a fraction of time nobody moves or talks. The silence is broken only when I burst out laughing. This sound snaps Camila back to reality, who crutches down and hugs Jules, covering his little face with quick kisses. Long forgotten is the burnt hole on the curtain while my entire family cheers and celebrates. I look at the three people that I love the most and my chest fills with happiness, pride and endless love.