mark of the moon child

The Answers

Elle felt warm. Her mind was fuzzy, like she'd had a long, bad dream. She could hear her mother's gentle voice singing a lullaby, could feel her mother's hand stroking the nape of her neck. She cuddled further into her pillow - then her eyes shot open. She sat up abruptly and turned. "Mom?"

"Hi, Elle." Any other time, she would have jumped into her mother's arms and her mother would have held her tight. Now she looked at Elle with glossy, uncertain eyes. Eyes that asked for forgiveness. Elle eyes filled as she remembered the dream that wasn't a dream. "You must have a lot of questions." Her mom said, looking down at the nape of her daughter's neck where a black mark she'd covered so long ago had reappeared.

"Who am I?"

"You are Elle Hallewell. You're my daughter." She said as she reached to touch her daughter's face. Elle pulled away.

"Mom." She said again. Her mother put both her hands back in her lap as Elle shifted to face her.

"You were born Eleanor Radley. My daughter. Our daughter." A tear streamed down her cheek. "You remind me so much of him. You have his eyes." She looked fondly at the stormy grey eyes she loved more than life itself.

"Radley?"

"Your father's name. Grayson Radley." A moment went by as Elle took in the new information. They'd never spoken about her father. Mia's father, her mother's brother, had never spoken of him either while he was alive. He'd died six years earlier in a car accident.

"What," She took another shaky breath. "What am I?" Her mother looked down at her hands. She always knew the day would come, it was inevitable. She just wished they'd had more time.

"You, my love, are special." Elle frowned. Her mother took a deep, deep breath and looked up at her daughter. "You have Nephilim blood."

"Nephilim?"

"Your father was a direct descendent of one of the first Nephilim. Half human, half angel. Born and created to protect humans from the evils in this world. Your aunt called me a couple days ago. When I sat down I saw your mark was back. I assume you know the truth?"

"You let him die. You let my father die," Elle said quietly. Her mother gasped.

"I didn't let him die-"

"I saw it. I saw you go through the portal and leave him behind."

"Elle I didn't let him die he stayed back to protect you, he-" So many thoughts and memories rushed through her mother's mind. "What do you mean you've seen it? How could you possibly-"

"The Grotto of Truth." Her mother's eyes widened. "I went there. I saw everything. I felt them take him like part of my heart was ripped out of me. I saw you run away to a wizard who took the mark from me. If you hadn't done that I wouldn't have felt crazy my whole life." Tears streamed down Elle's face now. Her anger seemed to surge through her body. "If it hadn't been for the stupid Grotto, I-"

"The Grotto?" Elle gasped and turned to find Mia at the door. "You went to the Grotto of Truth?" All Elle could do was stare back. "How? I've been here every day. They wouldn't have let you out during the night! How could you? We told you it was too dangerous!" Mia rushed to Elle's bedside.

"We?" Her mother asked, just as distressed.

"Some guy that's been following her around." Mia said and her mother stood from her chair.

"What guy? Elle you've been followed?"

"It's fine, he's just-" Elle tried to explain.

"Elle, you can't trust anyone!"

"Yeah, that's been made pretty clear." Elle snapped back at her mother. "I'm done with this." Elle ripped her bed sheets away and swung her legs over.

"Elle, you can't. My mom said-"

"I don't think your mom can help with visions and shadow demons." Elle moved passed Mia and put on a pair of light ripped jeans, a black crew neck, and her black booties.

"Elle, you have no idea who this man is!" Her mother protested.

"No, I don't. I don't know who I am either and I sure as hell don't know who you are." She threw her duffle bag over her shoulder and headed for the door.

"Please, wait," Her mother tried again as Mia stood still.

"How dare you? How dare you come here and think you can tell me who to trust? You have lied to me my entire life! Let me feel crazy, dismissed my dreams as nothing when you knew." She spun back to the door and rushed into the hallway. She heard one of her nurses call after her from the reception but couldn't make out what she was saying. She needed to get outside. To get away from everyone.

"Elle-" Mia called when she caught Elle outside the hospital entrance. "Hold on."

"I'm sorry Mia. I can't do this right now."

"How could you do that? How could you go there?" Mia asked anyway.

"I had to know, Mia! You have no idea what it's like to feel like you're getting crazier and crazier your whole life. To be terrified to go to sleep at night. To dream of these horrible shadows when you're just a kid, terrified, only to find out they're real as an adult. I had to know." She repeated.

"How did you even get there? I was there during the day and people were checking on you throughout the night because of your nightmares. There's no way you could get out."

"I didn't have to leave! I went to sleep and woke up there. I went there in my sleep. I can't explain it but it happened and I didn't turn back from it."

"You could have died!"

"I did!" Elle shouted. Her head was pounding.

"What?"

"Look, I can't." Elle started to back away. "I can't do this right now. I need space." With that she turned and ran off.

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