Chapter Four — The First Thread Unravels
Avery sank into the couch between her parents, the cushions soft and familiar beneath her. Her fingers trembled as she reached for the tea tray, selecting a mug with a faded constellation etched into the side.
She tried to pour the hot water, but her hands shook too badly.
Her father gently took the kettle from her. “Let me,” he said, already adding her favorite blend — honey chamomile with a pinch of cinnamon. He poured his own coffee while the tea steeped, the scent of roasted beans and herbs curling through the air.
Remy passed around the pastries, and Auron took a seat across from them, his posture relaxed but alert.
For a moment, no one spoke. The fire crackled. The tea steamed. Avery took a bite of a flaky pastry and let the warmth settle in her chest.
It felt like a pause in the storm.
When she finally set her tea down, her voice was steady.
“Auron,” she said, meeting his gaze, “how did you know where I was? When I needed help? And how did you get my parents to safety so fast?”
Her adoptive father shifted beside her, setting his coffee down with a quiet clink.
“That’s… part of what we need to explain,” he said gently. “Your mom and I have been here for a month.”
Avery blinked. “What?”
Her mother nodded, her hand still wrapped around Avery’s. “That’s why we told you not to come home for the long weekend. We said the house was being fumigated, remember?”
Avery’s mind reeled. “You lied?”
Her father’s voice was calm, but heavy. “We didn’t want to. But we had to. The Council warned us that something was stirring — something dangerous. They asked us to relocate early, just in case.”
“The Council?” Avery echoed. “What Council?”
Auron leaned forward slightly. “The ruling families of the supernatural territories. They’ve been tracking the shades — the creature that attacked you. We’ve known for a while that they were searching for something. Or someone.”
Her mother’s grip tightened. “We didn’t know it was you. Not for sure. Not until your mark appeared.”
Avery looked down at her arm, the faint glow still pulsing beneath her skin like a heartbeat.
“So you’ve all been planning this?” she asked, voice low. “Behind my back?”
Her father’s expression was pained. “We were trying to protect you. You were happy. You had college plans. Friends. We didn’t want to take that away unless we had to.”
“And now you have to,” Avery said quietly.
Remy spoke then, her voice soft but clear. “Your mother — your biological mother — saw the mark in a vision. That’s when we knew the prophecy had begun to unfold.”
Avery’s head snapped up. “My biological mother?”
Auron’s eyes met hers, steady and unreadable.
“There’s more to your story than you’ve been told,” he said. “And it’s time you knew everything.”
