Alpha: TWG- Chapter 1

A/N: Hey y'all, this is actually the second book in my series, so for those who haven't read the first book, some things might not make sense.  However, I've noticed published authors tend to re-summarize a lot of things anyway, so feel free to mention any and all questions you have.  For those of you who have read the first book, feel free to let me know what things you need reminding of.

Also, I re-wrote the first chapter to The God's Song like five times, and I'm still not sure about this beginning.  So, if you don't think it's the best way to start, fee free to let me know.  Thanks, everyone!'

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It seems in a home where a three year-old girl knows to place her knife at six o-clock when she’s done eating, her equally proper older brother would know to knock on the door of his teenaged cousin’s room before he entered.

And understand when she freaks out a little when he taps her shoulder.

He jumps back when I sit up suddenly, like I’m going to attack him or something.

Sighing, I slip the headphones out of my ear, cutting off Paul McCartney’s thoughts on lonely people. It would make sense for me to be grateful someone broke my own loneliness after listening to that song, but unlike misery, loneliness doesn’t love company.

“Someone’s here for you.” He’s so tense it’s amazing he can get the words out. He gives me one more nervous glance before as he edges out of the room.

Someone’s here for me? There could be a multitude of someones here for me, and most of them are people I don’t want to see. However, it would be rude to leave my aunt alone with my mysterious visitor.

But that didn’t meant I couldn’t smash my face into my pillow one more time and let out a long sigh before pulling myself off the bed and stumbling down into the main landing.

My visitor turns as soon as I reach the top of the spiral staircase. Even in a small dress— with nothing but yellow flowers for decoration— Thea still looks radiant.

She smiles. “Hello, Billie, Happy—“

I let out a shriek as I fly down the stairs. Her greeting dies on her lips as she steps back, but I scarcely notice as I fling my arms around her neck.

“Birthday,” she gasps as I release her. “I was going to say birthday.”

“Birthday?” My aunt glanced between her and me with a frown on her lips. My excitement drains a little as I stepped back from Thea.

“Yes,” Thea says. “My parents agreed to let you sup with us tonight in celebration. That is,” she glances at my aunt, “unless you have something else planned?”

But my aunt seems to barely register her question. “You didn’t tell us it was your birthday.”

I shrug, like it’s no big deal. “I didn’t want to bother you.”

Except, based on the way her amber eyes widen, she knows by you, I really mean him.

“I’m sorry.” Thea glances between my aunt and me, tugging at the hem of her dress the way she does when she’s nervous, and tense silences always make her nervous. “I know it’s a last minute invitation. Perhaps another time.”

“No.” My Aunt sighs. “It’s fine.” She crosses to the door and opens it. “Enjoy your time with your friend, and maybe when you get back, we’ll do something with you.” She tries to smile, but it looks more like a grimace. Still, the corners of my mouth twitch up in response.

Thea stands there for a minute, like’s she not sure what to do, before seemingly deciding it best to listen to my aunt. Just as I start to follow her giggles erupt behind me.

My youngest cousin, Eve, bursts into the room, followed, much more civilly, by my eldest cousin, Fauna. Eve catches sight of me by the open door and stops. Her little eyes squint as she processes the information, the she grins broadly. “Bye Billie.”

I give her a tiny wave. “See ya, crazy girl.” She giggles again. Fauna doesn’t giggle, or say goodbye, but her eyes follow me all the way out.

“Your aunt seems nice,” Thea says as we step into the fresh, evening air.

“She tries.” I kick a stone out of my path. The two warriors that guard the gate to my Uncle’s estate glare at me as I walk out. My uncle never forbade me explicitly from wandering the streets of Reme, but based on the way they treat me like a criminal every time I leave, he might as well have.

“I was wondering when you were going to call on me.” I nudge her shoulder. I meant it as a joke, but Thea flinches.

“My apologies. Things at home have been… busy.” Busy doesn’t seem like the word she wanted to use, but I don’t comment on it.

A paradise, The Realm's name for human servants, opens the door for us as we reach her carrier, and I can’t help but roll my eyes. After a month of living in the upper hills of Reme, I’m used to the ways of the rich and elite, but life was so much simpler when I could open my own doors.

“You only have older siblings, right?” I ask, trying to smooth over our earlier awkwardness.

“Yes,” she says. “Why?”

I shrug. “I’ve just never been around little people for so long.”

She frowns. “You don’t like children?”

“All Rusties love kids,” I say with a grin. “We have too, considering they outnumber us four to one with the orphans and all. And I love my friends’ little brother, but I guess it’s different when you live with them.” Especially when some of them are afraid of you, but I don’t say that, though Thea doesn’t seem to be paying attention anyway.

“What happens to the misfit orphans?” she asks.

“They go to the orphanage until get adopted.” I don’t say maybe get adopted, even though I should.

“Is the orphanage… nice?”

“Not really.” She sucks in a breath, and I backtrack. “Well, it’s not terrible. They don’t get beaten or starved or anything. They’re just a lot of kids there.”

“Do they often get adopted?” she asks.

“We try.” I again, avoid using the word, maybe. Thea bites her lip and looks away. I’ve never had anyone ask me so much about the orphanage, but Thea isn’t anyone. She’s always had a bit of tender side.

The carrier stops. I reach for the door, and barely remember to pull my hand away as the servant opens it.

Thea’s gate is also guarded by two warriors, but they barely glance at us we pass through. Unlike my uncle’s house, their path is lined with gleaming statues rather than flowers. There’s also no ivy on the walls, and no trees on the roof. It’s a dark red building adorned with gold and black. It reminds me a little of Alexandria, except the colored buildings there don’t look so harsh.

Another servant opens the door for us, leading to a grand entryway that’s adorned with that same striking red and black. Large red steps lead to the floor above.

“Your parents are waiting in the dining room,” The paradise says. She smiles at Thea, with more warmth than the human servants usually give to the magicians.

“Oh dear. They haven’t been waiting long, have they, Lysa?” Thea scarcely waits for an answer as she strides toward the door on her left. I scurry after her, blinking as the hallway becomes dark and narrow, before opening into another red room. They do know their house is the color of blood, right?

“Thea, darling.” A middle-aged woman rises to her feet, while the light-haired man sitting next to her does the same. She’s unmistakably Thea’s mom, with the same flowing brown hair and prominent eyes, yet hers seem darker than her daughter’s. And like her daughter, she wears a simple yet elegant gown of white and gold.

“And this must by the Fae you’ve told us so much about.” Her gaze drifts over my jeans, black shirt and ripped denim jacket. I smile and wave. I’m not so far gone that I don’t still like purposefully dressing down and throwing off the rich lady.

“Mother, this is Billie Runningdeer. Billie, these are my parents, “Rhea Vestater and Julius Couleson.”

Her father doesn’t smile as he nods, but there’s a softness in his face that his wife lacks.

“Pleasure.” I give another wave. Mrs. Vestater purses her lips at my curt greeting, but makes no comment.

Lysa, Thea’s servant, pulls out chairs for us, and then scurries from the room.

There are five place settings, but only for people sitting at the table. Mrs. Vestater glances at the empty seat at the end of the table, before muttering to her husband, “he’s late.”

“He’ll be here, my dear.”

“He said he’d be here before the meal began.”

“He needs more time.”

“Don’t tell me what he needs…” Mrs. Vestater breaks off as dark-haired boy steps in from the other side of the room.

“Helios!” Thea says in surprise, but he ignores her as he pulls out his chair, letting it grind against the floor. Mrs. Vestater’s nostrils flare.

“Helios,” Mrs. Vestater says, once the noise disappears. “This is Billie, Thea’s friend. Billie, this is our son, Helios.”

He looks up at me. “Is she the rusty?”

“Yes.” Mrs. Vestater’s eyes narrow. “She’s our guest this evening.”

“So it’s true.” A smile curls on his lips. “They’re letting bloody misfits into the realm.”

“Mind your tongue,” his mother hisses, though he’s gone back to ignoring her, and me, but I don’t stop staring.

He’s definitely older than Thea, maybe nineteen or twenty. He might have been handsome with the same dark eyes as strong jaw as the rest of his family, but his hair stands out in all directions like a mop and his jaw constantly twitches like he was mad about something.

Thea was still staring at her brother, like she doesn’t know whether to be delighted or distraught. She starts to say something, but stops when Lysa comes out with our food.

I don’t lose my stomach at the smell of the rich, intoxicating food anymore, but this lamb steak uses some spice I haven’t tasted before, like some mix between peppermint and ginger, that’s making my mouth water.

“Thea told us today was your birthdate,” Mr. Couleson says as we begin eating. “I’m sure it’s been special. Isn’t it your first birthdate in The Realm?”

“Yep,” I say, trying to keep the edge out of my voice.

“How fortunate for you now, then.” Mrs. Vestater’s smile is probably meant to be encouraging, but it looks more like she’s gloating.

I set my fork down. “My mom and I used to go the mountains on my birthday. Guess it’s fortunate I’ll never get to do that again.”

Thea gives me a sideways frown, and I duck my head to hide my flaming cheeks. I don’t want to admit it, but she’s right. I’m being rude.

Mrs. Vestater, however, either misses my sarcasm, or is purposefully ignoring it as she gives me a broad smile.

“If only your mother were here, then you could carry out your tradition in the evergreen mountains,” Mr. Couleson says. “Have you ever been to them, Billie?”

I grit my teeth and shake my head, even though there’s nothing technically rude about his question. I’m just not in the mood to talk about my mother.

“You must find time to visit it. Its serenity leaves those in the Dustlands to shame.” He also smiles at me, but I choose that moment to shove a large chunk of meet into my mouth.

“Thea,” Mrs. Vestater snaps after a pause, “head up.”

Thea’s head whips up and her back straightens. She forces a smile, but her mother only huffs and looks away.

I take her hand under the table and give it a gentle squeeze. She smiles at me as I release her hand.

“I remember your mother,” Mr. Couleson says, like there’d been no pause. “I was several years older, but our parents were good friends. She was a charming little thing.” He turns to his wife, and you met her on a few occasions, did you not?”

“Oh yes,” Mrs. Vestater says, her voice almost as upbeat as her husband’s, for a change. “I saw her at the Restoration Commerative Gala. Such a stunning woman, brilliant too. I think she even came in on the arm of the guest of honor, Arwan Homakan.”

I glance up, but she doesn’t say anything else about him.

“I remember the day she told her parents she was going to work at the Homakan Istitute,” Mr. Couleson says. “Your grandmother was ecstatic. She framed the article about her daughter’s employment and displayed it in her sitting room. She’d been worried about your mother. Heard some interesting reports about her time at Alpha, but she straightened up after school. “

“It seems many people may questionable decisions in school,” Mrs. Vestater says, her eyes trailing over Thea. Thea swallow, averting her gaze.

“Just as long as they figure it out after.” I purposefully hide my sarcasm this time, meaning Mrs. Vestater has no choice but to give me an unknowing smile. Thea though, also smiles gratefully before looking away again.

We lapse into silence again, which ends up being worse. Now I have no choice but to think about my mother. I never knew much about her life here, but now I know she was rich, one of the richest families in Reme. And I’d known she was brilliant, but I hadn’t known she’d escorted the Realm’s hero to his own event.

She’d been perfect, or had she? What did the meant by interesting reports from school? Was my mom a troublemaker? I couldn’t picture it, but maybe she just didn’t behave the way Fae were supposed to. Maybe she was a rebel, like me. Maybe she really would be proud of me, but I still can’t ask her.

“I remember reading a few articles from her time at the facility,” Mrs. Vestater says. Thea’s family must not be big on awkward silences. “Truly extraordinary work.”

Mr. Couleson shakes his head. “It’s such a shame The Realm lost her. Such a waste of talent.”

I slam my cup down. That was too much. “Yeah, it’s such a shame she decided to raise me.”

Mr. Couleson cocks his head, like he’s legitimately considering my statement.

Mrs. Vestater, however, gently sets her glass down, like she’s purposefully contrasting with my roughness. “We meant no disrespect, but think logically. What use can the Rustlands have of her?

What use? How about using her magic to heal the humans at the hospital? She tries to hide that from me, but it’s true. And she volunteers at the orphanage, and I know she’s uses her magic to help other misfits when she thinks I don’t know. Oh yeah, and there’s, you know, being my mother.

But what’s the point of telling Mrs. Vestater any of this, she’ll have some smug, sophisticated comeback, I’m sure.

“You’re right.” I lift my chin. “The Rustlands are only for freak children their magical parents don’t want.”

Thea sucks in a breath. Mrs. Vestater’s eyes narrow, and for some reason she glances at her son, but he’s not paying attention.

Her gaze returns to me. “What kind of life do you think they’d have in The Realm?

Watching their siblings learn magic, grow and excel, yet unable to do anything themselves? Forced to take the same jobs as the paradises? No, they’re better off in a world where they could mean something.”

I can’t believe my ears. Is she serious? I almost want to laugh, except nothing about this is funny. I already know this is what the Realm thinks of us, I just didn’t think anyone would say it so blatantly, to my face.

I bite back my response and look at Thea. There are certain you just don’t say to your friend’s mom, not if that friend is important to you. Thea has no eyes for me though, only her brother.

Her brother isn’t looking at her either, but his hands shake were he’s tightly gripping the edge of the table.

“They mean something to their family,” I say finally. “At least, they should.”

A vein is Mrs. Vestater’s neck pops, like it’s going to explode and shower her blood on me, but she manages to maintain control as she says, “magic and non-magic cannot exist in the same capacity. If you’d grown up here, you’d know that.”

Helios stands up and turns toward the door.

“Helios Juliuson.” Mrs. Vestater’s attentions snaps to him. “You will not—“

“It’s fine.” I rise to my feet. “I’ll go.” Thea collapses in on herself, but I don’t let myself look at her. I feel guilty enough as is. I stride toward the door and fling it open to find a man standing in the doorway.