Acceptance

Chapter 46

Cindy's POV

Everyone has seen a Shadow Leech here and there. They were very annoying. I was trying to eat chocolate ice cream in the kitchen when I found one just standing by the fridge watching me. Dang near made me drop it. One of them scared the living crap out of Qin when he found one watching him as he took a shower. None of us were very happy it saw our mate naked. He now doesn't do anything in the bathroom without making sure it's just him or us with him. Our poor baby is traumatized. Another time was when Nathaniel was feeding from Alice. The feeding was very sexual, and although they were still clothed and hadn't gone very far yet, Alice was still embarrassed and Nathaniel was pissed. Unfortunately the beings are only ever allowed to talk to whoever summoned them so when we capture them, it never lasts long. They were very crappy spies to be honest. I thought spies weren't allowed to be caught? Alice said it's because the summoner doesn't see us as a threat. 

Why are they even spying on us? It's not like we have huge top secret information that we're protecting. Okay, we are, but we aren't the only ones who know it. At the same time though, since the only one who is crowned currently is Qin, the others and I aren't Kings and Queen so it's not like we know every detail until our parents think we're ready. So we have no idea why they're spying on us. Drake thinks it's being summoned by the rebellion to find out what plans we have to squash them, but Alice disagrees. She thinks it's being summoned by someone who hasn't chosen what side of the line they're wanting to stand on, friend or foe. Pyrus finds them annoying and wishes they would stop. Qin and I agreed with him very much. I would like to enjoy my midnight cravings in peace without my mates finding out and lecturing me on how I should eat something healthier. 

Tonight though was the full moon and we ignored the stupid shadows. We were all split up today with our parents for the full moon celebrations, even Pyrus and Drake since they were both healed enough. The only one who wasn't doing any major celebrating was Alice. Witches usually meditate the entire night of the full moon, except the coven leader. They tend to watch over their coven members to protect them so an enemy doesn't take advantage of their witches being deep in their meditation and attack them. Since Alice is next in line, she doesn't have to meditate. Wolves usually spend the entire night in their wolf forms running through the woods. We don't have any woods for her to run through so she can't really do that. As a member of Nathaniel's clan she could've attended the ball, but she didn't want to be stared at with disgust the entire time by his clan, although she was honored by the invitation. His parents understood and didn't want her to be uncomfortable so they weren't offended. Tonight though she said she was going to summon her familiar, but I worried about how much magic that was going to take. 

"Cindy honey, are you okay," My mother asked me. I sighed, "I'm just worried about Alice." "Is something wrong with her," She asked me, showing genuine concern. I shook my head, "Not really. It's just that, she's spending the full moon alone tonight. She feels so torn between the three halves of herself that she doesn't know which traditions to follow so tonight she is going to try and summon her familiar." "Then why are you here," She asked me. I was confused, "I'm sorry?" "I take it, she didn't tell you," She said with a soft sigh. "When a witch summons her familiar, it uses every drop of magic she has. The size of the creature is a representation of the amount of magic she possesses. Alice is a remarkable woman who possesses an extremely large amount of magic." I straightened in my throne, "Will she be okay?" "She'll be defenseless, and probably unable to move afterwards," She told me. "And if her magic isn't full when she attempts it," I asked next. 

"Well usually it's suicide, but because she has chosen to do it on a full moon, she'll be able to handle it. Why wouldn't her magic be full," My mother asked curiously. "Because usually it's not. She feeds enough to not be starving to make it through the day so she doesn't hurt us. If she fed the way her appetite wants her too, then she would be full, but then we would be weak from it, " I explained to her. I stood up, "I'm going to go to her." 

She nodded and I teleported back to the castle. I huffed a sigh when I saw she wasn't in the bedroom. I then followed the bond till I found her in the court yard, a glowing purple circle taking up almost all of the ground as her magic poured into it. Her eyes were closed as she concentrated on it. I watched in shock and awe as a massive sea serpent began to appear, taking up almost the entire courtyard, the body wrapped a couple of times. It's head rose high above several of the trees. Its scales were a coral pink color and it's eyes were a beautiful aquamarine color. It looked at me with it's head tilted. It lowered it to sniff me. I smiled, "Hi, I'm Cindy." 

I then looked at Alice and saw she was incredibly pale. The circle vanished as her knees gave out. I ran to her, wishing I could catch her. Her serpent then moved the tip of her tail to catch her. I went over and checked her pulse. It was beating rapidly, but it wasn't weak which was a good sign. Now what do I do? Qin was in a field a hundred miles from the castle having a giant bonfire to celebrate. Pyrus was on the other side of the world. Nathaniel was five hours away at his parent's mansion. Shelton was somewhere on the East coast. And Drake was in some far away mountain. I informed them all through mind link, but how the heck do I get her back to the room? None of them could teleport like Alice and I, and it would take them all a while to get here. If I wasn't pregnant then I could teleport us back to the room, but while pregnant, teleporting myself was taxing on my magic. 

I then thought of her grandmother. I know she was busy watching over her coven members, but I prayed she could spare a second to help me with Alice. I pulled my phone out of my clutch and called her. 

"Blessed Moon Cindy," She said in greeting. "Blessed Moon," I told her. "I am in need of assistance. I know it's the full moon and you are looking over the meditating witches, but I really need help with Alice. I can't get her to our room to rest and our other mates who can are hours away. Alice summoned her familiar, and it took so much out of her that she passed out afterwards." It was rushed, but I was in a rush. My mate hates the cold, and she was outside where it was beginning to snow. "Oh goddess," She said. She hung up then suddenly she was there beside me. She took a step back in shock as she took in the serpent. Her eyes were round like saucers, "Oh goddess." Her eyes then went to Alice who was shivering and unconscious. She then used her magic to make Alice lift into the air. "I can't send her to the room since I don't know where it is, but like this, I can carry her." 

I nodded and we rushed inside with her. I showed her to our room and she laid her in the bed. I was shocked when I saw the Serpent's head level with our window. It was extremely long. "I take it, she didn't tell you what happens when a witch summons their familiar did she," She asked me. I shook my head, "My mother did." "Do go easy on the girl when she wakes up. She just didn't want you all to worry. Plus I don't think even she knew just how bad the drain would be." I sighed and she kissed my forehead, "Call me if you need anything else." She was then gone. 

I went to the fireplace to get a fire started to help warm her up. I made her snow covered clothes disappear and put her in a silk nightgown. I then changed my own clothes before moving the covers to cover her, before crawling into bed with her. Since I was becoming large, my stomach kept me from wrapping around her so I laid between her arm and body, with my back against her, hugging her arm to me. With the guys they had broad shoulders I could use as a pillow so to save me neck I moved one of the pillows to cover enough of her shoulder to be comfortable. Stupid Alice, I thought. She knows better than to scare us like that. I sighed and looked out the window at the large serpent that watched us. Despite my anger at her recklessness, I was so proud of her. Now I just had to figure out if I showed her my anger first or my pride.