Genetics

Chapter 17

Two and a half years had passed in a blink of an eye. We had no new reports about where the vampire council members were held up, making our task to find them that much harder. With this stalemate in finding them, we were living in peace that very few of us even remembered out of the Tiger-humans.

Ragna, Jaydin, and Alex were having difficulties adjusting to the peace we were experiencing for the first time in fifteen years. Alex was constantly offering to go on patrols around the grounds and the surrounding forest. Ragna and Jaydin, on the other hand, continued training even after they were married and had a child. They had named their son Basilius Alvarez or Basil for short. Nicole had actually taken to calling him Bazza.

"Mama!" Nicole called out.

I looked up from the book I was reading as Nicole came over to me holding something in her hands. Cherry and Beth had taken to watching her and playing with her whenever she wanted. They were like older sisters to Nicole. Marcus was with her too and looked really nervous.

"Yes, my little heron?" I asked as I set the book aside.

Ever since Nicole was born Caleb and I had given her the nickname of little heron. Caleb was currently off working at the police station in town. He was trying his best to become the sheriff of the town too.

Nicole held her hands out to me to show a little yellow canary laying in her hands. Its little body was covered in blood and its blood sat on Nicole's hands. I would have thought this bird was dead if not for a chirp that came from its beak and its wings flapping slightly.

"Marcus what happened?" I asked him.

Marcus flinched and looked away with a guilty look. He clearly didn't want to tell me what happened. Beth sighed and looked at Nicole and Marcus.

"Marcus was showing off to Nicole with a stick. He was striking the air and the bird wasn't paying attention. It flew into his range, and he hit it. Nicole freaked out and went to the bird. There was some crazy flash of light as she picked it up and she ended up naming it." Beth grumbled.

"Mama, I healed Sunshine!" Nicole giggled before stroking the back of the bird.

My eyes widened as I stared at Nicole. There was no way she could have healed it. She just had an exam yesterday to see if she had any magic capabilities and May had promised me that she didn't have any abilities manifesting. Yet here stood my daughter holding a formerly injured bird that she had healed.

"Nicole, how did you heal the bird?" I asked warily.

Nicole frowned at the question and looked confused before shrugging. I sighed and looked at Marcus. He shouldn't have been carelessly swinging a stick like a sword. He could have injured Cherry, Beth, or Nicole. I'd have to talk with Alex about it.

"Thank you for telling me what happened Beth. Can you girls go with Nicole up to her room? I'll find a cage for the bird to stay in since Nicole is attached to it." I said as I looked out across the grounds.

Beth and Cherry nodded and headed inside with Nicole. Marcus quickly followed and I stood up. Where was Alex anyways? He should have been back by now. I frowned and moved away from the stairs. I sat down in the grass and closed my eyes.

With May and her coven having moved closer to us for constant evaluations of Nicole, it had given me the opportunity to learn more about magic and develop my magic capabilities. May had noted how my magic abilities were strange because I wasn't confined to one type of magic like most witches were. Even tiger-human witches like Blake and Elia were confined to certain types of magic. Elia had healing magic while Blake had more earth-based magic.

I began to meditate and tried to use the sensory magic one of May's covens had been trying to teach me lately. It was difficult to use and for a wide-ranged spell like the one I was attempting it would drain me of a lot of energy quickly. I was focusing the sensory magic solely on Tiger-humans.