The Shadow Kingdom

Chapter 4i

But that's not what happened. It wasn't horrific or even frightening; it was soothing. It was as if the final piece of a puzzle had fallen into place, as if I finally found something that has been missing my entire life, something that I needed in order to feel whole.

"Aircaster," I point at his chest. He nods solemnly. "Waterweaver," I point at myself, and he does the same thing. "And that remark about vampires and werewolves?"

"Yeah, they exist too," he answers matter-of-factly.

I turn around and sprawl down on the sofa, mentally exhausted. Adrian flips the switch, and the sunlight re-enters the room. He sits down on the chair beside me, probably wondering what I'm thinking. "Tell me more," I command.

"Supernatural beings have existed for as long as humanity has. From the beginning, we've always existed in secret either because of fear or common sense. All spellbinders are born with the ability to control one of the four elements.

"The abilities are passed on from generation to generation; there is something about our genes that gives us these gifts. In general, all spellbinders are organized into families; we call them houses. That is the reason why the overseers took an interest in you. They want to know to which house you belong."

"Who are the overseers?"

"The overseers are kind of like the warlock police. They are responsible for maintaining the secret of our existence and enforcing the laws. They track down rogue spellbinders, cover up their activities, and punish the offenders."

"And you're an overseer?"

"No, I'm not an overseer." Adrian chuckles. "I just happen to live in the same city as you, and my dad ordered me to keep an eye on you." I turn my body away from him, reeling from the sting of that statement. He made it sound as if I'm just an assignment to him, as if all his kindness was just a tool of manipulation. "Scarlett, I know you were adopted; I figured that out on day one. Do you know who your biological parents were?"

I lounge in silence. This is so not something that I want to talk about especially after Adrian just pointed out how... impersonal our relationship is. "No, I never knew who they were." I lie. "Why is it such a big deal for you to find out who my biological parents are?"

"There is a law among warlocks; it is illegal to breed with humans. All spellbinders are registered in a global database, making it easy to keep track of them. Mixing with humans complicates the issue. Bastard children are frowned upon in the Shadow Kingdom."

"The Shadow Kingdom?" I make an incredulous face.

"That's what we call our civilization – the world that regular people don't even know exists."

This is too much to grasp. "I met your sister by the way. She's delightful."

Adrian rubs his chin and smiles. "Yeah, you have to get to know her to like her."

"She said she took care of those guys from last night. What did she mean?"

"One of the guys was lying unconscious on the ground when she drove to pick us up. She gave me the car, and I drove you here. And then she called the ambulance, and they took him to the hospital. When the guy regained consciousness, she persuaded him to forget everything that happened and to tell his friends to do the same."

"Persuaded? What are you, the mafia?" Adrian smirks. I sit up straight and ask the most important question. "So what happens now?"

"Now, you know what you are. I will report everything I know to the overseers, and they will continue investigating your lineage. And you can move on with your life."

I breathe a soft laugh. "And that's it?" I ask.

"That's it," He replies. I cannot believe this guy. He walks into my life, acts like a white knight, drops this massive bombshell, and then just tells me to move on? "One more thing before you leave." Adrian says as he shows me out. "You cannot share this knowledge with anyone, including your sister. We must maintain the secret in order for us to survive, which means that the law must be obeyed. The punishment for disobeying is death."

"You're saying that if I use my abilities in public, the overseers are going to show up at my door and kill me?" He doesn't answer; he didn't have to. As I am about to leave, I turn around to look at him one last time. Was there ever actually anything true between us? He stands at the doorway, and his expression is completely impassive; no more of that sweet smile I love so much. "Goodbye, Professor Shang."