Laurel

2:34 Delia

I followed in rapt attention as Laurel and Brydel told me everything that had happened to her since she vanished from the beach six months ago. Fabled dark elves, one of the last unicorns, a dragon who should have been dead millenia ago who was also master in all elements and magic, a wolf who had lived several lifetimes already in service to demons all to save his first crush. It was a fairytale. An epic equal to the Grecian and Roman Myths. But Laurel couldn't lie, and her nose crinkled when Brydel spoke even a bit ambiguously to enhance the story, so it all had to be true.

"It doesn't seem possible that your father could be so old, and so all knowing without being," I paused, knowing the word I wanted but it sounded silly, "Divine?" I felt my cheeks flush, it sounded worse out loud than it did in my head.

"Right? Auris, Sky and I had been talking about it and our combined knowledge eliminated basically every Fae species known, above and below ground, leaving something divine." Brydel added, no irony or mockery in his voice like I was expecting.

"So Divine and probably one of the last Selkie? Right now it's the only options that make sense." I said, looking at Brydel as he nodded and at Laurel, her eyes were looking at me, but she was deep in thought.

"But Selkie had skins, seals. I've never shifted. There is no skin?" Laurel said. She had tucked her knees up under her chin, letting her now long straight hair fall like curtains around her. Like an armoured shell protecting her.

"Selkie needed their mothers to take them to the holy waters for a seal to choose them. Selkie were hated by shifters because they had no divine intervention, just powerful women so intune with nature and the earth itself that nature rewarded them."

"Where are the holy waters?" the pining in her heart made my own ache for her. I already knew the answer. I was glad Brydel was around to tell her. He was amazingly well informed on the general state of most of the realms right now.

"Lost, behind the corruption. No one knows where it was anymore and all the selkie have been long relegated to ancient history." Brydel said, his voice obviously sad for the lost shifter race.

"I see. Ok. Delia are you sure you don't need anything from your house? I'd like to get back to the house now." I noticed that Brydel had been calling it Laurel's home they were staying in. But Laurel called it the house. It made me sad for her, I wanted her to have a home. She had only ever wanted to feel at home, she deserved that little bit of kindness from the universe after everything it was throwing at her.

"I'm sure, my bag can get me any of my books or rare ingredients as long as mother or Jo don't move anything too far from where I placed my charms." Laurel looked at me. Knowing I wasn't being fully honest, but not calling me out on it front of any one yet.

"Your Aunt is back around then?" Laurel asked, barely hiding her dislike for my less than kind aunt. I nodded and if I blinked I would have missed her sneer. No love lost between those two. Josephine was right about one thing, Laurel was more than we could have ever possibly anticipated. She looked at me and Brydel, making eye contact. "So we go back then?" I heard Brydel's aye as I nodded my head. Laurel grabbed a golden pin, and we walked towards the majestic willow, lifting the dropping boughs to find a secret gate. Laurel was able to activate the gate with her pin. She took my hand in hers, and then Brydel's and led us into the glowing gateway.

I fell on my knees on the other side. It was similar to teleporting with Damon, yet different all the same. I was still left ready to puke on the other side and was thankful when I looked up and saw we were in a private room, and no one but Laurel and Brydel saw my moment of weakness. It was Brydel's strong hands that grabbed mine and helped me back on my knees. His lilting accent rolling over me as he told me upsy daisy. How on earth a man made that sound so fucking sexy was beyond my understanding right now. But I wanted him. Almost as much as I was burning for Laurel right now. And there were still two more mates to meet. I had no idea how I would manage myself with that much temptation. I had avoided complicated situations like this my entire life.