Unbeaten, book 3

Anne and Eleazar

The door let me out in front Sara and Sebastian's shop. Lucia was sitting on the counter inside dangling her feet as she watched her dad using magic to stock the high shelves.

She was a bit older now. Maybe two years older. Her hair was now about as long as mum's used to be before she cut it. Lucia turned her head and got excited as she saw me.

She yelled something making Sebastian jump before she ran out of the shop and hugged me tightly.

"Tia Annie!" She yelled. "You came to see me?" Her accent was a mix of Spanish and British.

"Of course," despite her being taller she made me pick her up. "And your mum."

Sebastian walked out of the shop to greet me as well, "not him though, hide me Lucia." Lucia gasped and covered my face with her hands.

"Why do you look so tired?" Sebastian asked, ignoring me. "Are you okay?"

"Why can everyone see I'm tired? Is Sara here?"

He opened his mouth to speak but stopped when we heard a squeal. When we looked behind me Sara was running up with a basket in her hands.

"Is that who you get your screaming from?" I asked Lucia as I put her down.

"Anne!! You're here!" She hugged me, knocking the wind out of me. "I'm so excited! I miss you all so much."

"I missed you too."

"Come into the shop I'll make hot chocolate."

"Wait, I just have a question."

She waved her hands in her face as she handed Sebastian the basket. "Nonsense! Traveling is tiring. Just come in."

I sighed and walked in after them.

______

El's pov

"Oh god..." Giselle groaned as she walked into the library and saw me sitting at Anne's desk. "Get out of here!"

"Uh... lower your voice you are in a library. And I'm just here for today while Anne's away." I spun around in the chair as Andre walked in and looked confused.

"Does Mum know?"  He asked.

"I'm an adult," I reminded them.

"He's going to destroy the library," Giselle rolled her eyes and walked away.

"I think you two are supposed to be in class right now."

"You can keep thinking that because while we may have muggle studies right now we decided that we would rather study for our potions final." Giselle said proudly. "Where's the competent one?"

"I'm right here," I said confused.

"No, she means Abby. The real competent one." Andre sat at one of the table after he grabbed a book.

"Oh, she's walking around the school."

Giselle lingered a bit longer before following her twin. "Are you okay?" Her serious tone through me off for a moment.

"Why do you ask?"

"You've been different since you and Abby came back from your last adventure." I glanced at my baby sister in shock. She was the last person I ever expected to realize I wasn't myself. And yet here she was staring me down as if I'm keeping a secret for her.

"How much do you know about mums past?"

She shrugged, "enough to know it sucked,"

"Well yeah, but do you remember why the bad Cerus wanted to hurt our family?" I didn't expect her too. She was around toddler.