Immortals Of Byolla Bay

Mom was listening to Keri talk about renovation and home repair when I walked in. She looked up and seen me, her face held a smile and then it fell, “What’s wrong baby girl?” I cleared my throat, “Mom, who is my dad?”

Mom’s eyes widened, “What in the world do you want to know about him for? Baby if you are scared of living here, we will move. There’s no need to hunt him down and try to move in with him just because you don’t want to live with these wolves..”

I cut her off, “No mom, that’s not why I want to know. Just tell me, okay?” She sighed and walked over to the hallway closet. She pulled out a small cardboard box that I’ve never really noticed from the top shelf and sat it down on the kitchen counter.

“I kept the only things I had of him just in case one day you wanted to know who he was, what he looked like or wanted to try and locate him. Of course I was also hoping I’d be dead before you wanted any of those things because I didn’t want there to be a chance that you would leave me, but now I realize how unfair to you that is. Here. His name was Trysten Agve. He was from Zephyr’s Landing and was here visiting Chaywon Winnigrove for his birthday party at the Winnigrove mansion. That’s where I met him. He was and, as much as I hate to admit it, still is the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen. We dated all through high school with him taking frequent trips here all the time. Your grandma always hated him for some reason, but I guess she seen what a sorry man he really was. I was too blinded by his charm and good looks to see how selfish, arrogant and untrustworthy he actually was. He left when he found out about you. End of story.”

I felt a little bad for making her tell me that, but I had to know what he looked like. I opened the box and pulled out letters, movie ticket stubs and faded receipts until I found what I was looking for. I found two pictures of Trysten Agve at the bottom of the box. One was with his arm around my mom. She was smiling at the camera and he was looking across the room at something else, not paying attention to the picture.

The other one though is what made me put my hand over my mouth to stop from gasping and causing a scene. He had his back against the counter with his arms crossed in front of him, not smiling at all. He apparently did not liking having his picture taken. His sky blue eyes cut right through me from the picture itself.

My eyes. “Yes, you are the spitting image of him I know. I think you could have figured that out before looking at the picture though, seeing how I have blonde hair and hazel eyes and you come out light brown headed and blue eyed.” I’m glad my mom misinterpreted my shocked look because that gave Maggie the opportunity to say, “Does she really? I always thought she looked like you, Erin. May I see the photo when you are done, Kinsley?”

I wordlessly handed it to her and she looked down, her face turned ashy pale and passed it to Rikki, “Identical almost, wouldn’t you say, brother?” I could feel the tension radiating off of Rikki as he stared at the picture, but before I could get too worked up over it, Rikki shakes his head and smiles, “No Maggie. Kinsley is way more beautiful than he is, by a long shot.” Rikki hands me the picture back and turns to my mom.

“Did you say your mother hated him?” Mom nodded, “No matter what he said or did she couldn’t stand him. She would just glare at him across the table when I invited him home for dinner and she would always be on the front porch waiting for me when he would drop me off from one of our dates. She’d always be mean and spiteful any chance she got and for the most part Trysten just sat there and took it. That’s why I thought we were meant to be was because he went through all the hell my mom put him through and still wanted to stay with me for some reason. I was four months pregnant when she had her car accident. I remember what she said to me before she left that morning, ‘I am going to do everything in my power to make sure he gets what he deserves. Men like him should be skinned alive. But I promise child, you and my grandbaby will always be took care of. I must go, but I’ll see you again soon. Keep your head up and keep moving forward’. That evening her car ended up running off a bridge in Zephyr’s Landing and into the ocean below. Her body was never found, but we know she didn’t survive that. So Kinsley only knows her through pictures and stories, but she knows she was loved by her very much. Mom would just talk to Kinsley through my tummy all day. It was the sweetest thing. Mom was right about him and I should have listened, but then I wouldn’t have her.”

Mom put her arms around me and kissed my cheek as a tear slid down. I hugged her back, “Thanks for showing me mom and I promise I’ll never leave you. I swear it was only curiosity that had me ask about him okay? I’m sorry to spring this on you all of a sudden.” Mom smiled, “That’s alright dear. Why don’t you go rest. It’s been one eventful birthday for you.”

The three of us walked into my room and I shut the door. “How did this happen? I don’t understand how he could be my dad?”

Maggie shrugged, “He travels with Drakkar everywhere he goes, including back and forth from this realm to ours. We know that Dark Oracle has been keeping tabs on everything going on so it’s possible she told him about that ring well before your mother was even born. Maybe Drakkar sent Trygve to retrieve the ring, but your grandma sensed his less than honorable intentions. Not that I’m saying she knew he was from another world or anything, but she knew he really didn’t love your mom. He only wanted to get close enough to find the ring, but when she got pregnant with you that’s when he realized he screwed up. It’s a theory, not a great one, but a theory nonetheless.”

Rikki gently took me in his arms, “Kinsley first off, are you okay? I feel like you finding this out is the icing on the cake of you throwing your hands up and saying your done.” I hugged him tightly, “There is nothing in this world or any other world that could make me leave you or your family. Don’t worry about that. You guys are my family, too.”

A warm smile spread across his face, “Yes we are, my love. But are you sure you are okay with finding out who your father really is?” I thought for a moment. My whole life I’ve secretly wondered who he is. It’s not that I wanted to go find him or have a relationship with him, but just wanted to know how his life turned out and if he was ever sorry about leaving us.

Now I know that the only thing he was sorry about was not getting my ring away from grandma. “Yeah, I’m okay. This doesn’t change anything. They are still evil and need to be stopped, right? Trygve is nothing to me and I’ll never give him any kind of fatherly acknowledgement if I see him again. I’m more worried about the town gathering a team of people to go into the woods and hunt down what they think are regular wolves that have took up residence here. I don’t want anyone to get hurt or worse.”

Rikki sighed, “I think father and Gene are going to attend the town meeting to act like concerned citizens with them. When they decide to go hunting, they will be there to help so to speak. But as far as them finding anything, no. Drakkar and Trygve won’t appear to them. I’m more concerned that some innocent animals are going to be slaughtered just to appease the masses. As long as there is physical evidence that a so-called dangerous animal is put out of commission, people here can return to their normal lives without living in fear. That’s how the human mind works. No one is going to feel better if the team comes back empty handed or say they didn’t find anything. The town would still be fearful to let their children out of the house.”

He is right. This town is set in their ways and the mayor does seem to sweep things under rugs just to keep everybody happy. Just then there was a knock at the door, “Maggie, Rikki, it’s time to go.” Keri called.

She then walked in and hugged me, “We’ll keep better watch, dear. They won’t get that close again.” Rikki kissed me with a sense of urgency, “I’ll be back tonight as soon as your mom is asleep. I love you more than I can say.” He then slipped out of the door with Maggie and Keri.