Old Promises, New Mysteries: Book 2 of The Kinstone series

A knock sounded on my door, “Aria.”

No answer.

Again Rachel knocked onto the door, “Sweetheart. If you don’t answer young lady I am coming in.”

Still no answer.

She sighed, turning the door handle and stepping into the room. Her eyes immediately trained onto a man leaning over the back of the couch in my room. He stood only slightly shorter than her, with dark blond hair, and a trimmed reddish beard.

The man appeared to be merely staring out the balcony window. On the bed rested my favorite satchel, filled with new notebooks and other materials.

A smile rose on her face, “Well hello there stranger. It’s been quite some time since I’ve seen this face.”

The man turned and looked at her, leaning against the couch, “It has, hasn’t it?”

She smiled, stepping closer to him, “You chose to transform for the coming term.”

He shook his head, “Not…exactly.” Rachel raised an eyebrow, staring at him. The man smirked, pointing behind her.

Rachel turned to see me, leaning against the wardrobe, untransformed. She looked back to see the man fading away into mist.

“You…you can create a perfect clone of yourself. Not only that, but you were able to mask your presence from me.”

I shook my head, wrapping my arms around my body, “Not exactly perfect. I can only maintain the illusion for a couple hours at best. Plus there’s the fact that it’s beyond draining to hide my presence. So with that, my total time is dropped to about half that. I can also attach it to me and create the same effect.”

My mother smiled, “When were you able to master making a clone of yourself?”

I gripped my arms tightly, looking away, “A couple days ago. And it’s not like I’ve fully mastered the technique.” A sheet of paper then flew off of the floor and into my hand, “The last batch of books I got from Miss Yukari really helped.”

Rachel grinned, “She will be overjoyed to hear that my love. Is your clone able to interact with solid objects?”

I nodded slightly, “With me being able to feel it, to a degree.”

She smiled, “That should come quite in handy then.”

I let out another sigh, lowering my head, now clenching my shirt sleeves. Rachel then sat on the side of my bed, patting a seat next to her. My body rose from the wardrobe and walked over to the bed, and sat next to her.

My mother wrapped her arm around me, stroking mine, “I know that look, my love. What troubles your heart? Are you nervous for the forthcoming term? It has been obvious to me for the last couple of months.”

My head rested onto her chest, hearing her heartbeat. “Nervous isn’t quite the term I’d use. More like uneasy or worried or even unsure.”

She continued to stroke my arm, “Lay forth your troubles my love.”

My eyes looked towards the door, “I haven’t been back to Concordia since last spring and I’ve…changed so much since then. I don’t quite hold the same beliefs I used to, and what’s more is that I’m not the same person I once was a year ago. I don't act the same, think the same, or even quite talk the same. Concordia was…is a place I know. But just thinking about being there, or even when I remember my time there, it now feels so alien to me."

I sighed into her, "It’s like when you and I traveled to Chattanooga last year. It was familiar, yet not. But there it was merely the fact that I hadn’t been there in so long. Concordia is like stepping back into a different world for me. I’ve tried remembering how I felt last spring, but I just can’t.”

My fingers clenched her top even tighter than before, “It’s not my world anymore. This is. I’m not Clay anymore, I’m Aria,” my voice crumbling into a whimper.

Rachel smiled, “You’re correct my love in saying that you aren’t the same person you were a year or even two years ago. You have changed, now standing as my most precious daughter. Furthermore, over the past eight months, you have been immersed into the world for which I brought you into. A world you have fully and wholeheartedly embraced as your own."

She stroked my shoulder, "This is now your life, and you are now Aria. In your heart, mind, even your very soul, you are my little girl. This has been true from the very moment you put on the necklace.”

Tears rolled down my face, “Is it wrong that I don’t want to go back?”

My mother shook her head, “No my love.”

The tears continued to roll down my cheeks, “I know we had a deal…” I choked up, unable to finish, fighting the urge to breakdown and cry.

Rachel held me even tighter to her, “Shhh, I know, I know,” looking down to me, “why don’t I make you another deal?” I stared up at her.

She smiled softly, “After you complete this next term, you no longer have to return to your old world. This is your last true obligation to your old life, and with its conclusion, you can sever yourself from it all. Your past self will disappear from the world and you will be free of it.”

My eyes quivered as I stared into her eyes, “So… you mean like…I can really start over?”

She nodded, “Yes my love,” chuckling, “there are times in which I wish you were born to me. But then this world wouldn’t be quite as special to you, now would it?”

I smiled, “No…it wouldn’t.”

She nodded, “So do we have a deal? Once this term is over, no more. You will have no longer have any obligations to your old world, your old life. And will be free to be who you are now forever.”

I giggled, “Deal.” She grinned, kissing my forehead.

I looked to her, “I just hope I’m not acting like a spoiled brat.”

Rachel chuckled, “Sweetheart, you are not. While I do spoil you on occasion, you have put forth a great deal of effort in relation to your studies. Everything I have given you, you give tenfold in return. You engage heavily into your hobbies, but seldom allow them to distract you what is important.” I sighed into her chest.

Rachel gently stroked my hair, and then chuckled softly, “I also wish that I was able to transform you into a little girl once more, allowing you to truly start over.”

I blushed, giggling softly, “Wouldn’t be a bad idea, but I know that you can’t.”

Her lips tenderly kiss the top of my head, “Sad but true my precious. But even still, with you acting like one is more than enough for me.”

Giggling once more, I looked up at her. She smiled to me, wiping away the tears still on my face, “I can’t believe that in a mere two and a half months you will be on the other side of the world, training for just over two more.”

My cheeks blushed softly, “I can’t either. Almost seems like a dream.”

Her eyes glittered softly, pressing me even tighter to her chest, “A dream nearly a year and a half in the making.”

I nodded softly, letting out a softly giggle, “I’m also assuming I won’t be human during that entire time will I?”

My mother smiled, “For a short time I believe so.”

I smiled, “It’ll be like when I spend that week and half with Silvi as a dragon, just longer.”

Rachel grinned, “I only pray you remember that you are human my love.”

I smirked, “I dunno, might come to enjoy being a yokai more and just stay as one.”

She playfully flicked my nose, “Cheeky little girl.” I giggled, rubbing it.

Rachel smiled, “You truly look your best with a smile on your face. Sadness never suits you, and it pains me as your mother to see you as such.”

I smiled to her, then feeling a massive furry face landing into my lap. I looked down to see Fenris’ ice-blue eyes staring up at me. My tiny hands stroked and petted his face. “It’s gonna be rough maintaining both spells while there. I know it be way easier to just transform, but I don’t want to.”

My mother nodded, “I know my love. As you stated before, you have no desire to assume your old self.”

The wolf groaned softly as my hands moved over his face, “I can cloud your presence from the humans while you perform your illusion, little one.”

I smiled to him, “Thanks Papa Wolf.” I saw his tails swishing softly on the floor.

Fenris was a true master of shadow magic. Not only could he hide himself in shadows, but could fog himself from anything. He often used this while hunting during the day. The wolf would shroud himself in darkness, erasing even the very sound of his feet as he stalked through the forest.

I had attempted to perform shadow-walking, the ability to move between shadows, but really couldn’t figure it out. The wolf often shadow-walked during our sparring sessions, bit of a cheat if you ask me.

I was grateful that he was going with, much like he did last spring. Well…try telling an over five-foot tall magical wolf that you couldn’t tag along with his bonded would be like telling a five year-old they weren’t going to the park on a bright sunny summer day. Just wasn’t going to happen.

Having him nearby would put me at even greater ease. I still remembered where all of my typical hideouts were, praying that they were still there of course.

Rachel smiled, “Now remind me of your schedule my love.”

“Three classes, two being on Mondays and Wednesdays, with the third will be on Friday. I’ll have three hours in between my Monday/Wednesday classes. All three are super long, couple hours a piece. Kinda wished the last one was an online course but it got booked quick.”

During my “heavy” days, I also wouldn’t get back home until after seven at night, well past rush hour. I hope. 620 had always proven to be unpredictable even at the best of times. I should also be grateful that I was still able to drive, but only after a few minor modifications to my car courtesy of Marie.

Rachel looked to me, “If you wish, I could have Bianca accompany you while you are at school. Or even have Abigale or Lyra implanted as teachers.”

During the first few days of my last spring semester, she had sent Bianca to check in on me. Rachel was concerned about how I was doing and wanted to be sure I was all right. The reason why was because she could easily pass as student, albeit a rather young looking one.

I utterly had no doubt that Abigale or Lyra would not even hesitate in joining me. Both could also hide their nonhuman features, (i.e. tail and wings). Both ideas were solid and I really wouldn’t object to either one. It also would be extremely easy to implement either plan, given how simple of a matter it would be for Rachel.

I shook my head, smiling to her, “Thanks, not but this time.”

She looked to me, “Are you sure?”

I giggled, “I’m sure Rachel.”

She was silent for a moment, possibly waiting for me to change my mind. Seeing that I wasn’t, she sighed in defeat, “Very well my love. But I would like to have meals prepared for you while you are at school. That way you can relax in between your classes and not exhausted yourself for too long.”

I giggled, “You’re gonna have lunches made for me? Wow, now I really feel like in going back to school and not college.”

She chuckled, “I hadn’t really considered that,” looking to me, “we could also resume our lessons, reserving them to say…twice a week? That should allow you a chance to complete your other schoolwork as well.”

I giggled, “Sounds good me. It’ll be like old times”

My mother grinned, “My thoughts exactly.”

I giggled more. This really would be a callback to before I came to live here. My prayer was that this half semester would end quickly. I really wanted it to be over and then no more. “Clay” would then disappear from the world entirely.

“I have a question for you.”

Rachel smiled, “I hope to have an answer for it.”

I fingers still stroked through Fenris’ fur. His eyes still peered up into mine. “Why isn’t everyone in the Coven creeped out by me? I know they all “know” who I used to be by now, but no one is freaking out about it. Even during the winter festival last year, everyone was super eager to meet me.”

My mother smiled to me, turning my head, our gazes meeting each other’s. “You probably came to the realization that the moment you first transformed you were essentially “reborn” as Aria. Never truly the same as you were before.”

I nodded softly.

“With said rebirth, you became an entirely new person. While it is true many have come to know of this fact, in the end it doesn’t matter. In our world, your past self no longer exists as a result. An entirely new future was created for you.” I nodded softly, fingers softly clinging to Fenris’ fur.

“As for the children,” she continued, “while they were born into this “modern” era, they also have grown up in a world where occurrences, such as yourself, happen from time to time. To them, it is merely a fact of life. What this all boils down to is that in the eyes of our world, who you were in the past has become irrelevant. They know you as Aria, and forever shall. That is why they wholeheartedly embraced you without hesitation.”

My cheeks blushed. I still remembered talking with Jenn last year in St. Louis, when she revealed that the Coven all knew about me, but didn’t care. So this all now made sense to me. This also kinda made some of my earlier concerns feel completely silly.

Rachel smiled, kissing my cheek, “Feel better in having this weight lifted off of your chest?”

I nodded smiling to her, “I do.”

She placed another kiss onto my cheek, “Good. Now…why don’t you come down? I am fairly certain that tea will be prepared shortly.”

I giggled, “I’ll be down in a sec.”

She smiled, “And I shall meet you in the parlor then.”

I nodded, “See you there.” My mother hugged me tightly, and then rose off of my bed, leaving my room.

I lied down onto my side, staring off for a moment. My mind wanders slightly. Our conversation reminded me again of when Miss Elizabeth and I talked on the plane. But this further cemented the fact that the Coven had fully accepted me and now that I wasn’t some kind of freak to them. They had embraced me as their own. So yeah, a definite weight lifted off of my chest.

Fenris stepped a little closer, leaning into me. His eyes glittering as he stared at me. My hand reached out to him, stroking his face. “Your heart seems lighter, little Aria.”

I smiled, nodding to my bonded, “It is. Thank you always for coming with me, and for helping me when I go back.” A large wet red tongue lapped my cheek, causing me to giggle.

“I shall forever be at your side.” I leaned forward and kissed the tip of his nose. The wolf’s tails swished happily. I grinned and sat up, sliding off of my bed. My bonded and I then left my room, heading down to meet Rachel for afternoon tea.