Daughter of Both

Chapter 4

Twenty minutes later and we're standing in front of my porch. "Grim, stay out here please. I don't think you'll fit inside without breaking stuff." He whines, but goes and lays down on the wide porch. I walk through my front door and beeline to my bedroom. I don't bother with the light and just dive into my mountain of pillows and blankets. I know Dreagons standing at my bedroom threshold, I can feel him a few steps away. After a few seconds of silence, Dreagon clears his throat "We really should talk about some things. I need to know where you're from and how you're able to keep Grim calm and get him to listen to you." I pull myself halfway out from under my pillows, enough to see him. "Turn on the light and take a seat, but if I'm answering your questions then you're answering mine." The light clicks on and he sits down in my desk chair. "I believe that's fair. So, where are you from?" he leans back in the chair, his full attention on the little bit of my face he can see. I fully poke my head out from under the pillows ""As far as I know, I'm from here. The problem is I grew up in the system and never knew my parents." His eyebrows scrunch together "So... you have no idea who your parents were? There's no records?" He asks, leaning forward to rest his elbows against his knees. I shake my head "No, nothing on any of my records or files, believe me I've looked. The only thing I have from my real parents is the crystal pendant I always have on. I place my hand over my chest, covering the crystal hanging there. He tilts his head to the side, a silent question. I pull the chain until the crystal pops out from my shirt, it shines in the light. I know it's a unique piece because I've never been able to find another like it. Dreagons eyes widen and before I can blink he's standing over me. I jumped in surprise at how fast he moved. He mumbles something too low for me to hear and he looks like he's seen a ghost. He sucks in a breath "It can't be, it's impossible. It's just a myth to keep us all in line. Even if it's true then you're supposed to be dead!" He's not making much sense. "Dreagon, what the hell are you going on about? What story?" He flops back down into my chair and runs his hands through his hair. "The story goes that the queen of the witches, a goddess named Hecate, fell in love with a very powerful angel. They said he denied her for a long time, but eventually he couldn't fight his feelings for her anymore. They tried to keep their love a secret for a long time and for many years, they did, until one day she found out she was expecting. When she told her love he was full of joy until she reminded him of the danger they would all be in if the Elders and his siblings found out. The angel decided to tell his most trusted brother, Michael, thinking his brother would help him find a solution. He was wrong, his brother betrayed him and told the Elders.The angel fled heaven, fighting his way out. He rushed to his love and they disappeared. A couple years later he was spotted and Michael found him and Hecate, but no child. Hecate told him the child had not made it during the birthing process. The Elders chose to have her executed to make an example of her, making the angel watch before banishing him to hell to spend his days locked up in the kingdom of his dead lover. The witches blamed him for the death of their queen so they welcomed his punishment, taking joy in his torture. It's a story that's been told over the past twenty something years. It was said that their child would've been the child of both pure good and evil, a being of unimaginable power that would turn the tide for one side or the other. The real reason that angel was sent to hell was because he tried to start a rebellion against the Elders and lost. He allied with the witches and tried to take over, so they banished him to be trapped with them in hell. The thing I'm having an issue with is that the book I read that story in only had one picture, a drawing of a crystal that they found on Hecate and it looked exactly like that." He points at the crystal hanging from my neck. My brain struggles to sort through and process everything he's saying. Angels and witches, good and evil, heaven and hell. "I don't understand, why would my crystal be in a drawing in a book about this story? Why was it found with Hecate, who if I understand correctly, is some sort of Goddess?" He leans forward again "The book said they didn't know what the crystal was and they never actually found it. Now I know why it was never found, that crystal was left with their child. Their child who didn't die, but was hidden away by them and strong magic." He stands up abruptly and starts to pace "I can't believe it's all true!" He stops pacing and turns to me "I think you're their child Scarlet. You are the child of good and evil. Your mother was a goddess and your father was an angel." My mind goes blank and my body goes numb. He's wrong, he has to be. I think I would know if I was some 'being of unimaginable power'. I shake my head a little too aggressively "No fucking way. I am not some half goddess half angel thing. I'm just a normal person, or as you'd say a mortal, a human. If I had powers I think I would know." It's Dreagons turn to shake his head "I don't think you would. I think your mother has placed a spell on you to keep your powers buried. Think about it, Scarlet. That's why the hellhounds were after you and even with your powers locked up Grim knew who you were. That's why he acts this way with you, that's why he listens to you." Again I shake my head "No, he's just different then the other hellhounds. I feel a connection to him." Dreagon laughs, like full on belly laugher. "What the hell are you laughing about? This isn't funny!" He chokes on his laughter and clears his throat. "You're right. I'm sorry. It just makes so much sense now. Hecate was the goddess of magic, queen of witches. She was known to always have two special hellhounds by her side at all times. She didn't treat them as beasts nor pets, but as friends. They both respected and listened to her. They were loyal to her. That's why Grim listened to you, not because you're a demon, but because you are the child of Hecate, the child of magic." He starts laughing again and a thought crosses my mind. "How do you know any of this? Who are the Elders?" He stops laughing, his face turning serious again "A common name for what I am is angel of death. I help souls travel to the other side. The Elders are who rule and govern the heavens, like how the witches run the underworld. They're like a council that makes the rules and gives the orders." He sits down on my bed and waits for my response. Am I dreaming? This can't be real life. None of this shit is real. How can I be half goddess and half angel? Am I a witch too? I swallow the lump in my throat "Explain the witches and my relation to them." I manage to force the words out "For the most part they rule the underworld, there's a small portion that is governed by some very powerful demons. They're all skilled with spells and potions and some receive a special ability when they complete their transformation to become a witch. Some get the ability to see the future or shape shift and there are a few very powerful witches that get more then one ability. They only care about their own kind and they like toying with people and souls for fun. They sent those hounds after you, which means somehow they either know who you are or they're at least suspicious of you. Which really means we need to get going, we're not safe here." I nod to show him I understand before I stand up and grab a backpack to stuff full of some of my things. "What was the angels name? If my mother is supposedly Hecate then who is my father?" He sighs and clears his throat "The only angel that's been banished to hell, Lucifer." My jaw drops before I let out a strange sound that almost sounds like strangled laughter. "Right... The devil's my father and a witch goddess is my mother, totally. How could I be the child of good and evil if they're both evil?" Dreagon stands and walks towards the door. "He isn't evil, if the story is true then both sides have tried hard to make everyone believe he is." He gestures around the room "If there's anything else you need to grab, please do so. I'll be outside waiting for you." I nod and he walks out. I change into my favorite boots and rush to grab my tooth brush out of the bathroom. Dreagons leaning against his bike as I step outside, Grim jumps up the moment he sees me. "I don't think it's a good idea for him to follow us. My brothers will not believe that it's not under the control of witches. They'll try to kill him." Grim growls at him and I raise my hand to calm him. "Well, in a way I am a witch and I'm sure we can get them to understand.He'll stay hidden until we can convince them. Right boy?" Dreagon and Grim both let out huffs of annoyance. "Great, let's get going. The sun will be up in a couple hours and I'm sure we're all exhausted." I tell them while making my way towards Dreagons bike. He gets on and starts to open his mouth to tell me how to safely get on, I put my hand on his shoulder and place my left foot on the left peg before swinging my right leg over the seat. I can tell he's surprised by his silence. "Let's go please." I pull and tighten the straps on my back pack and I'm surprised when he hands me a helmet. I take it and place it on my head before looping, pulling and buttoning the helmet strap. I catch Dreagon watching me through one of his mirrors and again he looks surprised. I smirk at his reflection before leaning and wrapping my arms around his stomach. He glances down the street both ways before taking off, continually gaining speed. I glance back to see Grim keeping up with us.