Human

22.

            I tried to keep my cool since I was standing in a room with a person who can read my mind, and another who can read my emotions. "Explain to me what you are talking about." I said firmly.

Wes didn't waiver. "The more you know, the more danger you'd be in. The more important task at hand is finding out what all you can do, and how to keep your secret. The most imperative thing for you to remember is that anyone finding out is bad. I know some feel it is ok to share with people they are close with, but I don't agree with that practice. The best thing to do is to just keep your distance from any people who aren't like you. I know that's even more difficult for you since you've lived this long, and made connections with people, because you didn't know. Now that you do, you need to create distance. Keep your head down, and it will all be ok."

"You can't just tell me that my birth parents were murdered, and possibly my brother too, and then not explain to me what you're talking about." I argued with him.

"I never sad both parents, I said your mother was killed. Your father is very much alive, but I don't know how deep in this he is, so you knowing who he is, or him knowing you're alive, would be very detrimental to you." He licked his dry lips. "I'm sorry you lost your brother, but just know, he fulfilled his purpose."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked feeling pretty pissed off at this point at his evasiveness.

"Wes, surely you can tell her something." Garrett said. "I think she does deserve to know at least a little about herself if you have the answers."

"I don't have them all." He said quickly. "I only knew of the rumors. It was so long ago. I never believed our kind could be so cruel and underhanded, but I guess that just shows the true humanness of us. Even we, who are supposed to be held to a higher standard, are capable of being drug down into primitive ways."

"Can you stop talking in circles and trying to confuse us? Tell me something!" I shouted.

"You're so much like your mother." He smiled at me.

"You knew her?" I softened my tone.

"I did." He chuckled. "That woman was a firecracker. I sense that in you. Your mother was a truly good person, she just found herself in a bad situation. She was special, just like you. You look like her too." He added on. "Let's have a seat in the study." He said motioning down the hall. "I will tell you about her, and the ancient house you belong to, but that is all I will share today. I can't be found out to have been involved with you either. There is no way of knowing who can be trusted, and although I like you, I'd prefer not to be killed for you."

"Gee, thanks." I said in a monotone.

Garrett trudged along behind us and took a seat on the couch next to me in Wes's study. The room was small, but it was wall to wall with shelves of books, and the smell of them was intoxicating. Wes sat across from us in a nice maroon chair and slowly lit the tip of his cigar. Wes asked Garrett how much I knew of Potentes and he explained what all he had told me.

"I see." Wes said stoically. "We need to get to finding your abilities, but I will give you a tiny history lesson first." He laughed to himself. "In our earliest histories it is written that there were as many as 25 Potente families in existence, whereas now there is only 10 remaining." He paused, giving me a look and then answered the unspoken question that was in my mind. "Because each family only has one heir, it is very important to be mindful of the safety of the heir. If they were to accidently be killed, it would mean the end of that Potente's family name. In addition to that, Potentes must mate with other Potentes to carry on their bloodlines, but there have been occasions where there were not the right number of males or females at a certain time to make a formidable match work. Those two things have led to a decline in the number of true blood Potente families in existence now." I nodded in understanding. "From the earliest writings we have, there have been two families who were known to be the most powerful. They were the McDuffies, and the Trysaimens. Both of these families had only ever given male heirs and so they were never able to be mingled together, which was what was hoped for. The possibility of the two strongest bloodlines joining was something everyone wanted to see happen. Their heirs would be the most powerful beings the world had ever seen. Finally, after hundreds of thousands of years, a girl was born. Your mother, Marrsala Trysaimens."