Half-Blooded | The Dark Child Prophecy Series [✔️]

Chapter 22: Family Tree

There he stood, my father: Avalon J. Mezdor the Prodigy, the Hybrid. Snow dusted his shoulders and mixed with his blonde hair. He looked tired but unchanged, exactly how I had last seen him, covered in snow in his winter coat, and smiling.

Adrian brushed the wet from his own coat and pulled it off, bringing his hat off with it. He looked from Papa to me, then to Jason, confusion crossing his face. I found it ironic as everyone else in the room stopped to look at the two of them. Adrian didn't seem surprised by who was right next to him. He appeared confused that I had a look of complete and utter shock on my face.

"Papa?" I whispered, my voice catching in my throat.

My father smiled, his lips parting as his grin filled his face. Tears began to well up in his eyes. "Serenity."

I stood still for another moment until I couldn't handle it any longer. I rushed to him, leaping down all three steps of the dais and across the room. I launched myself into his arms, burying my face into his chest. I didn't care if he was wet from the snow and his coat's material was cold against my cheek.

"Serenity," he whispered again in his familiar British accent into my hair, and I felt us both begin to shake. "Look at you, you're all grown up." He held me for another few moments before pulling back to look at me. He took in my blonde locks and smoothed them from my face to really look at me: the meek nose and large eyes I had inherited from my mother, the cheekbones and chin from him, my eyes the same bright shade of blue as his. "You are more beautiful than I ever thought possible," he added, smiling as tears trickled down his cheeks.

"Don't cry, please don't cry," I begged.

"Seren, what's going on?"

I turned my head to find Luce and Jenny in the doorway of the library. Jenny's face was pale and her mouth agape in shock. Luce stared at our father for a long moment, unable to say anything either. His eyes shot to Adrian who grinned knowingly, like he had somehow outsmarted us all with a clever stunt.

"Dad?" Luce finally got out.

"Luce, Jenny," he answered, still smiling.

Jenny pushed past my adopted brother and hurried the distance across the room to us, pressing herself into his arms as I had, careful of her baby bump.

I watched as Papa hugged her, his favorite pupil. "I know, I know," he consoled. "Look at you. All grown up, too, and expecting."

Luce joined us, hugging our father next. I looked away to see the rest of the room still in paralyzed shock. I didn't know what Adrian had done to achieve it, but I had my father back.

I sensed I was being watched and turned my head. Jason stared at me, a sad smile on his face as he wondered if I would no longer want anything to do with the hybrid part of myself that tied me to him; that I would want to be like my father had been with his lycan side: locked down to never be released.

"We've missed you," Luce said as he pulled back. "How long are you...?" He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. "How long are you going to be here?"

"Until I die," my father answered him, smiling at Adrian who still hadn't said anything. "This isn't a short necromancy spell. I'm really here, permanently. My life has been restored."

Luce and I both looked at our eldest brother, staring at him. Without thinking, I leaned into Papa's side again. His smell of herbs, leather, musk, and books filled my nose. Despite the strong scent, I held tight to his body. I was terrified he would disappear at any moment.

Adrian shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "I've been working on it for months. Gemma and I found an old text when we were in Canada last year. I've been modifying the spell since then."