Trust From Within - Book 3 Daughter of a Monster Series

Chapter 42- Chosen and Blood

Sunlight streams in through the window beside me, hitting my face and causing me to drift a bit faster towards consciousness. Birds chirp outside, leaves rustle in the breeze, and deep breaths from under me cause my head to raise and lower rhythmically. A muffled conversation from upstairs finally rouses me from my dozing, the voices low and rough, but slightly agitated.

Nate grunts at me as I attempt to get from the couch, but his arm wraps around me, holding me to him. "Just a bit longer," he grumbles. "They can wait."

"I think I'm needed, sorry honey," I respond. He grunts again, reluctantly letting me go, and I roll off the couch, landing heavily on my feet in a crouch. With a groan, I stand up straight again, muscles protesting and the scar on my chest aches slightly. With my magic directed towards healing injuries, it can't focus on dulling the chronic throbbing that sits beneath the scar tissue.

"You alright?" Nathan queries, opening one eye to cast a concerned glance towards me.

"Yeah, just a bit achy," I respond with a grimace, but I turn towards the stairs anyway, listening to the mumbling voices, trying to pick up on the words being exchanged. Slowly, I make my way towards the stairs, gently lifting myself into the air with my magic and floating up to the second floor.

"-all this time," I hear Dad say. "It's been eighteen years, Steve, eighteen. It can't possibly-"

"But it can, Brine. You know her. She's just as stubborn as you, and if she wants to be here, then she's damn well gonna be here."

"But... I had her in my arms. She was-she was dead. There was blood, and-and she was that horrible grey colour- and..."

His speech trails off and I hear the rustling of fabric, the voices softening. "I know Brine, I know. Once you're better we'll get you home, and you can see for yourself. She will be there, you will have her back."

Something sparks in my mind and I almost gasp, just catching myself before I do. I don't want to let them know I'm here. Slowly, I move back towards the stairs, my getting lifting off the ground again, and I move back to the living room. Nate gives me a worried look as I sit heavily on the couch, my magic urging me to dab for that spark.

I tentatively reach towards it, to the start of a new bond, a new link to someone. Both ends connect and suddenly an onslaught of thoughts slam into my head.

"Jade? Jade, is that you honey? What's going on? Is this real? Where's Brine? Where are they? How am I here? What the hell happened?"

"Mum," I project, Nathan rushing over and steadying me with a hand to the shoulder. "It's okay. Dad and I are at Steve's place. He can't teleport yet. You're safe, we're safe, everything is okay."

"Am I really back?" She hesitantly asks.

"Yeah you are. You're really here, Mum," I respond, and I realise that Nate is wiping at my cheeks. I tune back into my surroundings and find him kneeling with me on the floor, hand stroking my cheek as he hushes me.

"You're okay, we're all okay," he soothes.

"Yeah," I respond, choking up a bit, tears pouring forward again. I bury my head in his shoulder, desperately clutch at his shirt. "Yeah we are."

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It's a few more days before we go back to the Nether. Dad's strength isn't anywhere near back, but he has enough to teleport himself home, and so we bring him to the portal. The three of us go through and wait on the other side, breaths caught in our throats as we wait for him to appear. Just as Steve's about to go back and look for him, he appears in front of us, stumbling forward into Steve's chest, his own breaths short and sharp, eyes dim.