Abandoned (Born From Shadows #2)

Tatianna’s mind was a hurricane. A storm so thick that not one thought was clear. The Lady that was killing children, sending people to hunt down the Elves…she had to be tricking her, using her as a pawn in her plan. Tatianna shook her head from side to side. “How? How could…no. That isn’t…” Her thoughts were completely jumbled up, she was unable to form a sentence. She felt so weak standing here like this, so vulnerable when her thoughts were not colinear. “No…you’re lying. You are trying to manipulate me,” she spat out in denial.

“I wish. Had you not been the abomination that you are it would make my life so much easier. But you are unique…complicated…what destruction you could rage by my side. So I will give you the offer you always wanted. Stay with me, fight by my side and I will give you a home. Be the family you always wanted to have. We will get justice for all the world has taken from us, for your mother. Then we will be strong, powerful and in peace. Or you could go back and fight for the rest of the living until you inevitably die.”

“You plan to kill…everything?”

“No, of course not. Just the Elves, the Fae, the Dwarves, and the Human’s. It’s time for the darkness to have it’s time to shine, don’t you agree?” she replied with such joy in her voice.

“Darkness? Why would I want that?”

“You are a monster. You are a part of that darkness; did you not realise this child?”

“I am not an Elfir, that’s impossible. How would that even work?”

“It’s in the eyes. That black, light sucking colour that circles your pupil. You should never had been born…but here you are. You are a monster; your mother was a monster, and your grandfather was the most monstrous of them all. He killed thousands, and so will you.” Belladonna descended from her throne till she was standing in front of Tatianna, who reminded herself to stay strong. Their eyes locked. Tatianna focused on Belladonna’s blue orbs. One of Belladonna’s pale fingers reached up and caressed Tatianna’s cheek. “How beautiful,” the lady’s voice was in deep thought, “Beauty that could capture so many hearts, then shatter them in their cages. Tear people apart, I could teach you so much. You would never have to be afraid again of anyone. Instead, people would fear you.”

“Why?” she asked. “Why kill so many?”

“A lion does not chose to be the King of the jungle, it is just in his nature,” she answered. “I have to fight for the darkness, or else no one else will.”

Tatianna’s focus then drifted onto the previous words spoken. He grandfather killed thousands? Her head was starting to ache due to the bombardment of information pouring onto her as if they were each a droplet of rain in a storm. “What you are saying is impossible,” she repeated.

“You are dim wittered it seems then.” The Lady of the Night said while she walked back towards the throne. “You truly know nothing of your heritage, do you?”

Tatianna’s silence was enough of an answer for belladonna. “Would you like to know?” she asked. Tatianna’s heart was truly racing. For the first time in her entire life she could get answers, but did she actually want to hear them? Want to know that her parent’s truly didn’t love her. That no one cared for her, that her whole family were just a bunch of wicked hearted individuals. She was currently ignorant of her past, which enabled her to have some sort of hope that her parents loved her. If she said yes that hope would disappear and all she would be left to do is fight the truth. A battle that could never be won.

Yet despite this there was such a strong lure within her heart. Pulling her towards the answers to her entire life. All she had to say was yes and then that question of why would finally be clear. The heart always craves what it shouldn’t. “Yes,” Tatianna finally replied.

“You know 150 years ago there was a war?” Tatianna nodded, of course she did. People talked about a great many of things on the streets, some useful information…other’s not so useful. “Good,” Belladonna continued, “so you must know what ended the war. The Elfir are spectacular creatures. Powerful. Only one is known to this continent and that one is your grandfather. Now I know you are wondering, there is only one of them how did it procreate. Well, the thing about Elfir is that they are neither male nor female. Biologically they act as both enabling them to produce offspring despite their only being one. Quite useful for a species on the brink of extinction.”

“Why do I look like an Elf and not the creature depicted in the stories?” Tatianna replied in disbelief. She looked down at her hands, thinking about the blood that flows through them. Dark, corroded and corrupted like everything that came from the dark lands.

“Elfir are mysterious creatures. However, your father was a pure-blooded Elf making you special beyond your imagination. A cross breed.”

“A monster, an abomination. I get it no need to explain,” Tatianna replied.

Belladonna smirked. “Yes, now you are getting it.”

“If I am so special, so powerful then why? Tell me why I was left on the side of a fucking street in Avalla to rot?” she choked out.

“By now I believe your Fae friend has made it out of the mountain so it seems our time is up. Unless you decide to stay and fight for you peoples freedom,” Belladonna said.

“Why do you want this? Want the Darkness to rule?”

“No, I think that’s enough story telling for me. It’s time for you to make your choice. Work with me and I will continue this conversation. Teach you how to use and control that power within you. Say no and this will be the last conversation we share. I will let you walk away but when we meet again, I will not be merciful.”

This one conversation had made more sense than her entire life had. Why the Queen was so controlling of her, but not why her parents left her. Left to her imagination, her mind would conjure the worst possible reason. That maybe her mother, the monster, killed her father…she hated this. Tatianna glanced up at the lady of the Night who was still waiting for a reply. She did not want everyone to die. She did not want to help Belladonna, but her heart craved for that life. Fulfilment. Was it so bad to watch the world burn? To see the Red Prince suffer for what he did to her body. She would have a family, she would be strong all for the price of a few million lives. Is it worth it? Her heart believed it was.

She learnt a long time ago to ignore her heart and listen to her mind. “No.”

“So you will fight against me, even though you have already lost? Now as we speak the human and Elf’s are ready to demolish each other and I barely had to raise a finger. Fight against me, to what end?”

“Till I’m as much as a villain as you were, and you’re as shattered as I am.”

Belladonna frowned. “Then leave, and pray to your gods that our paths shall never cross again.”

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Belladonna sighed in her room deep beneath the mountain. She tried to make the child see reason, she didn’t want to hurt something so precious. A choice was made and Tatianna would have to pay the consequences. For her, Belladonna reminded herself. To get the freedom her sister fought for before those wicked creatures of Light took away her life.

She looked into the cloudy mirror that despite its distortion her face was clearly visible. Belladonna stared into her blue eyes and watched them flicker back to their natural deep black, sucking the light from the room and into her soulless form.