Closed World || Kai Parker || Kol Mikaelson

04. Family

|| SOPHIA

"What are you doing here?" I asked, looking at my mother, my aunt and my cousin. I was definitely puzzled by the fact that they were all here in one place - and in the middle of the night too. How long had they been waiting for me before Jack had the mercy to go looking for me? Besides, my mother and my aunt usually avoided each other. So there had to be a good reason why they had gathered here.

I glanced briefly at Jack, who pulled the door shut behind him. True to the motto: there is no retreat.

Silence fell and I could clearly see the hesitation on my family's faces. Finally, it was Aunt Abby who spoke up. Every time I looked at her and then at my mother, I still wondered how they could be sisters. Abby had a beautiful dark skin tone, while Mum looked like a corpse next to her. I mean, yes they had different fathers and my mom wasn't even named Bennett, but still. She was so white and I was glad I hadn't inherited it as much. My father had also had fair skin, but nothing like Mum's. I was glad that I had his skin and hair. Still, my Mother was beautiful.

"There's something important you should know," Aunt Abby began and I gave her a puzzled look. "It's about your sister Maylin," she continued and I sucked in my breath. Abby was struggling with herself and so it was Mum who took over: "At the time of your sister's death, a powerful spell was cast nearby." I stared at her. A spell? What was that supposed to mean?

"Besides our own coven, there are many other covens. Among them is the powerful Gemini Circle. Eighteen years ago, the eldest son of the leading family killed three of his siblings and was then banished to an intermediate world," Abby continued. "When Mailyn died, some of the Geminis were working with us to seal off the Interworld and cut the connection for good, making it impossible to return." Abby closed her eyes and looked at the floor. I frowned at her. "So?" I urged. It was Mum who answered again: "There was a momentary imbalance due to Mailyn's death that affected the spell. She never got to the world of the dead, but was intercepted in the in-between world that was created."

For a while, I just looked at my mom and had to digest what she had just said. It was only after ten minutes that I spoke: "That means..."

My cousin Riley nodded. "She's still alive."

*

I clutched my teacup tightly and looked ahead of me, lost in thought.

"According to the Gemini Circle, it's possible to get into the prison world and even free Mailyn. The spell has been interrupted and the final separation has been prevented," Riley explained and I felt her gaze on me. I slowly lifted my head and met her gaze. "But... why was there such an imbalance in the first place? Maylin is human, why did that affect her?" Silence followed and my hair slowly stood on end. "She's human...?" I asked slowly and all three of them avoided my gaze. Finally, Abby mumbled: "We don't know for sure. If she was human, she would have died normally. She's supernatural in some way."

Silence followed again, and when I was sure no one could tell me anything more specific, I focused on the facts I did know.

"So she's with that killer now?" I asked quietly, pressing my lips together when I saw Riley nod.

"That shouldn't stop us from saving her," Mum said, standing next to Riley with her arms crossed in front of her chest. "You mustn't underestimate Kai Parker! He's a powerful Syphon who is definitely out for revenge. For 18 years he was trapped alone in this world and now he has company..."

I took a deep breath. "We can't leave Mailyn with this... Kai! What if he kills her?" I asked now, feeling my voice trembling. With anger and fear. But there was also this little glimmer inside me. The small spark of hope that I could see my sister again.