Julia clapped her hands over her mouth to stop herself from talking such nonsense. She had never wanted the supernatural world to come out of the closet before and she still didn't. Embarrassed by her unexplained outburst she waited until she was sure that wayward feeling was gone. "Sorry mom. I have no idea where that came from. You know I feel the same way you do on that subject."

Everyone except Véronique looked at Julia as if she had grown another head and it made her feel awkward. Her mother, Edrys and Alex all looked mortified. Ren and Damien looked shocked but were keeping a calm expression on their faces. Véronique looked as if she couldn't care less what Julia's views were on the subject, and just wanted to get this whole ordeal over with.

"You were telling us about your time in the Guard, Rosalie," Ren said cutting the tension.

Rosalie snapped out of her momentary shock. "Yes. I wasn't in the Guard for very long. Thorsen had already gotten his claws into them and many of the members were already loyal to him. This allowed him to do a lot of the vile things he did. My mother was murdered in the first uprising, betrayed by my father. After that Oren and I fled to America. I didn't see your father again for another one hundred-six years. If I didn't have the ability to see snippets of the future, I would've called our meeting a twist of fate or chance."

A melancholy expression took hold on Rosalie's face as she continued speaking. "It was 1977, and I found myself back in Alandria. It was pouring rain, and I had got the heel of my shoe stuck in a grate. Your father appeared out of nowhere and helped me. I wanted to run away but he wouldn't let me go. Eventually after many minutes of him begging, I agreed to have lunch with him at some tiny café just so we could get out of the rain. I tried to fight it, but after the first fifteen minutes of talking to him my love for him was still there even after all that time had passed."

Rosalie paused for a moment, a woeful expression coloured her eyes. "Many years went by and we desperately wanted to marry yet the law forbade us from doing so. Dark faerie relationships with other supernaturals are still very much discouraged." She gave Julia and Alex a hard look as she said that. "It was the Faerie Queen that offered us sanctuary in Arlandria and we even married there. We lived there happily until I was pregnant with you. We feared what would happen, so we ran. It was the stupidest mistake I've ever made." She looked at Ren tears pooling in her eyes. "I'm still very sorry for not listing to you."

Rin turned to Rosalie, gave her a hug and whispered something in her ear.

Watching how close the two of them were stirred up a whirlwind of emotions in Julia, the dominant ones being anger and jealousy.

Rosalie continued, "Thorsen found out I was pregnant with you and relentlessly hunted us. We ran for almost four years. Then Thorsen caught up to us. Your father gave his life so we could get away."

"That still doesn't explain why you had to lie to me about what I am. Or why Thorsen wants me," Julia said, exasperation lacing her voice.

Rosalie sighed, looked down at her hands and started twisting the handkerchief around her fingers. "Thorsen is obsessed with power, he always has been. Being the oldest of the three sons in the Víðarr clan he should've been clan leader but the youngest brother was chosen. That affected the two older brothers."

Julia pursed her lips in annoyance. "I should care about this because? Honestly, mom, why can't you just answer my questions?"

Julia could tell her mother was hiding a lot more than she was letting on and it pissed her off. "I know you think I'm some innocent child who can't fend for herself. But you could've told me what I am. I would've been able to keep that secret." Julia looked at her mom and waited for an answer. When Rosalie didn't reply she threw her arms up in the air exasperated and got up. "You know, mom, you were wrong to keep this from me. I could've handled it." Julia turned and started to walk off.

Rosalie looked up. "Your father was Ásgeirr Víðarr, the second son in the Víðarr clan. You don't understand, Julia." Julia froze and slowly turned around. "Your father did a lot of bad things with Thorsen . It wasn't until after you were born that he changed. You changed something inside of him that had been broken for thousands of years."

Something deep inside of Julia started to crack from too much pressure. She started to breathe more heavily gasping, because she could tell there was more to come, much more.

"Thorsen, my father, and Ásgeirr wanted to use you as a weapon, Julia. When Ásgeirr finally woke up and came to his senses, it was too late. Thorsen already knew you were born, and he was hell-bent on possessing you. Your father did the only thing he could to make up for his part in this whole mess. He gave his life in an attempt to kill Thorsen and save you."

Julia couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her whole body started to shake, and whatever had been cracking inside of her shattered into thousands of tiny pieces. Her legs gave out from under her and Damien rushed over, wrapping his arms around her. It was a familiar feeling and very comforting but his were not the arms she wanted.

Véronique stood up, abhorrence radiated from her in huge waves and she shouted, "Un-flipping-believable! You're telling me that freak," she pointed at Julia, "is part of the Víðarr clan? The daughter of the second son? NO! I do not accept this." She looked at Alex. "How can you accept this? How can you or Damien stand to be in the same room as that abomination? She should be ripped limb from limb and beheaded."

Alex walked over to Véronique and slapped her. "If you say another word, you will be the one that'll be beheaded. We're here to protect Julia and to stop Thorsen from getting his hands on her. Now get the hell out and go home. And remember, Véronique, you took the blood oath so keep your mouth shut."

Julia shrugged out of Damien's arms and stood up. Tears poured out of her eyes. "Stop," she said looking at Alex and then around the room. Anguish and betrayal took hold of her heart. "She's right. I am an abomination. All of you knew what I am other than her, and not one of you had the guts to tell me. This is all a horrible joke, it has to be. Please, someone tell me this is all a horrible joke."

Rosalie got up and walked over to her. "Honey no, don't say that about yourself. Nuvi, you are not an abomination never think that way about yourself. Please believe me I only did what I thought was best. Everyone else was just doing as I wished."

Julia balled her hands and backed away. She was beyond angry and could've broken everything in the house and still not have been satisfied. "Don't give me that crap!" she shouted, her resentment getting the better of her. "You did this for your own selfish reasons and you're still keeping things from me. How can I trust you mom, when you won't trust me enough to tell me all the truth?"

Rosalie stretched out her hands to touch her daughter, but Julia backed away almost tripping on the rug by the front door to get away from her mother. "Please, Julia, I have told you everything you need to know. Just come back and sit down we still have things to discuss," Rosalie pleaded.

She looked at her mom in contempt, "I'm done," then ran out the door slamming it behind her shattering every pane of glass in it.

Tears poured out of her eyes. Having no idea where to go she ran down the road and her feet took her to Ella and Abby's house.

Julia knocked on their door, and when Abby opened it. Julia said through her sobbing, "Did you know?"

Startled by Julia's state Abby hugged her and rubbed her back. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Jules."

Julia stepped back and pointed at her eye. For Abby to see their piercing silver colour then asked once again, "Did you know?"

Abby gasped loudly taking a step back and Ella said, "Oh. My. Gods."

"No, we didn't know," Abby answered. "You had better come inside and explain everything."

Julia hesitated and regarded the twins. After what she had been through, she was finding it hard to trust those closest to her. A torrent of tears poured out of her as her mother's words echoed in her head. Abby reached out her hand and placed it on Julia's shoulder causing Julia's breath to catch. Julia narrowed her eyes and scrutinised Abby's face, looking for any hint that her best friend had any clue as to what was going on.

"Abby, Ella, I swear to the gods if you two knew anything now is the time to tell me because I can't take any more secrets," Julia ground out.

Abby looked stunned and said, "Julia, I swear to you we had no idea."

Julia shoulders slumped and her body started to shake as she gave into the despair and sobbed uncontrollably. Abby wrapped her arms around Julia and led her into the house.

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