Hades' Lost Daughter

Chapter Nine

The day passed very quickly after that. We talked and played around the lake without actually going in. I never imagined my birthday was going to go like this. Or rather, my birthday celebration.

Alex and Andrew were now chasing each other through the clearing while I sat next to Barbara, letting the warm breeze move our hair softly. I closed my eyes and let my senses take over as I heard all the creatures in the forest scattered. The sound of birds flying overhead and chirping excitedly made me smile, along with the smell of nature.

As a child, I had always been intrigued by nature, by all its wonders, and especially by the four elements that reigned over it.

I hadn't been allowed to go near the forest since all children had it prohibited but now, as I was sitting here, I was beyond grateful Barbara had brought us out here. I hadn't known what was out here and now that I did, I felt lucky.

It was as if a part of me felt as if I were finally home. As if there was something in the Earth calling out to me.

"How are you feeling, Aileen?" she asked suddenly, breaking the silence between us. Her voice broke me out of my thoughts and I turned to look at her with a shrug.

"I feel fine. Surprisingly, calm. Thank you for doing this. I think it was the exact change I didn't know I needed," I said and I heard her chuckle in response.

"We can all use a break sometimes."

I nodded my head and noticed Andrew and Alex had stopped running and were now walking amongst themselves. A cold sensation ran down my back as I watched them. The hollow pit in my stomach contracted and I turned away quickly.

Barbara must have noticed what had caused my change in the mood because she quickly spoke. "Hm, it looks like Alex and Andrew are hitting it off very quickly. If I didn't know any better I would say you are feeling jealous. What I can't decipher is if you would feel jealous because Alex is spending so much time with Andrew and not with you or because Alex is spending a lot of time with Andrew," Barbara raised an eyebrow as she looked at me.

My eyes widened and I quickly shook my head, knowing what she was suggesting. "No, it's nothing like that. Andrew just makes me uncomfortable," I admitted, looking away.

"Why? Has he done something to upset you?" she asked softly and I shook my head.

"No. I can't explain it. Not exactly. It's just a feeling I can't shake away. I mean, he's nice and confident but... there's something about him that doesn't make any sense. He hasn't said anything about his past or about how he ended up here. I just find it strange, that's all." After speaking my doubts out loud, I knew that they didn't make any sense but it wasn't something I could control.

"Aileen, you mustn't be so untrustful of everything around you," Barbara began.

"I'm not. This is something completely different," I urged as I looked at my friend.

Barbara pursed her lips together and raised her hand to signal me to listen. "I know that you don't know Andrew. None of us do. But at least give him a chance. He could turn out to be a great friend of yours. Someone you could count to always have your back. Just think about that," she said softly.

I didn't say anything as I turned my attention back to Andrew and Alex who were now seated looking up at the sunset on the horizon. Andrew was telling Alex something I couldn't hear but she seemed to be very interested in the subject.

I sighed and shook my head, trying to keep the nauseous feeling away from my stomach. My body was beginning to feel warm, just like Alex had mentioned but I tried to ignore it. I didn't want to worry everyone or cut the celebration short.

Instead, I turned to Barbara who was now lying on the grass, her eyes closed. I smiled as I looked at her. I had known her for many years. She had been my greatest ally amongst the orphanage staff. Now, as I looked back at her, I could see the years catching up to her. She still looked young and filled with life but there were now lines beginning to form on her face. It must have been due to all the stress I put her through throughout the years. I hoped that once I was free to leave the orphanage next year, she would keep in touch and that I'd be able to see her regularly. I would miss her the most of all since Alex and I would probably leave together and stay together for a while. But life could change in a matter of seconds. Who knew what was bound to happen in the years to come?

"Barbara, I have something to ask you," I murmured under my breath.

I wasn't sure she had heard until she opened her eyes a moment later and looked at me intently.

"What is it, Aileen?" She asked, propping herself on her elbows.

"I'm sorry. I tried to not think about it since it isn't exactly my birthday yet but, when are you going to tell me what happened to me? The time I was in the infirmary," I said, trying to keep my voice even.

Barbara pursed her lips together, thoughtfully, before responding. "Tonight. I promise I will tell you everything tonight."

I nodded my head and laid down beside her. Wondering what it could be that she had to keep it a secret until now. "Is it something bad? Am I dying or something?" I managed to ask in a breaking tone.

My friend quickly shook her head and turned to me. Her eyes filled with amusement. "No, of course not, Aileen. You're perfectly healthy. Don't worry about that. It's just something else. Something that you should know about your heritage and where you come from."

I stiffened, suddenly remembering the blanket that was still neatly folded on my bed. The last items I had from when I was left here. What could they possibly have wanted me to know that it had to wait until my seventeenth birthday? It made no sense to me.

Before I could say anything, Andrew and Alex ran over to us. Alex was giggling at something Andrew had said, but when she saw the seriousness on our faces she stopped and sat down next to me.

"Hey, what's going on?" She asked slowly, looking from me to Barbara expectantly.

"Nosy, much?" Andrew teased and Alex quickly glared at him and stuck out her tongue. I rolled my eyes and shook my head as I turned to them.

"Nothing. We were just talking about how the Headmistress hurt her ankle last week," I said, thinking of an excuse fast.

Alex raised an eyebrow in surprise and she gasped. "She did? When? What happened?"

I turned to Barbara who had been looking at me in shock before she quickly masked her expression with a neutral one. "Oh yes, she tripped down the stairs. But as I told Aileen, nothing happened. She is fine, back to her old self and she's very embarrassed about the whole thing so you shouldn't bring it up if you ever see her."

Alex nodded her head quickly and shrugged. "Poor woman. She's getting older every day. No wonder she limps slightly as she walks."

I tried to hold back the laugh that grew in my throat but in the end, I couldn't. A burst of laughter left me and I shook my head. The others looked at me in confusion and I quickly waved them off. I didn't know why I was laughing. It wasn't like it was very funny or anything like that. I was beginning to think there was something wrong with me.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me," I said once I managed to regain my breath.

Andrew and Alex shared a look but didn't say anything.

"Anyway. I'm beginning to feel hungry again. Is anyone up for any cake?" I suggested as I got to my feet.

I didn't wait for the others to say anything as I headed for the table where the cake was. Barbara followed my lead while almost out of hearing range, I heard Alex say: "I can't believe she's hungry. Not after all that she ate. And after her historical outburst of laughter, I'm beginning to think there is something wrong with her." Andrew murmured something in reply but I was too far away to hear what he said.

Either way, I shrugged them off and reached the table.

I helped Barbara put the candles on the cake and by the time she began to light them up, Andrew and Alex had reached us.

The sun was still visible on the horizon but I knew it was going to get dark soon so we were probably going to head back to the manor after cutting the cake. Not that I minded, I was anxious to get back and rest. I felt as if I was going to need it.

"Okay everyone, get ready," Barbara said, looking at Alex and Andrew before beginning to chant:

"Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday dear Aileen,

Happy birthday to you."

I smiled, my cheeks suddenly feeling very warm even though I wasn't blushing. My ears started to buzz and the ground around me spun, making everything look funny.

No one seemed to notice as Barbara cut the cake and began to hand the slices out.

Alex was the first to take a bite and a moan escaped her lips. "Oh my God. Barbara, this cake is amazing. Where did you buy it?" she asked before taking another bite.

Barbara smiled, her eyes gleaming proudly. "I made it, Alex. That is something neither of you knew about me but, in my free time, I bake."

My eyes widened as I took a bite and nodded my head. "Alex is right, this is great. You should totally open a bakery."

Barbara blushed and waved us off.

We ate in silence, wanting to enjoy and savor the moment to the fullest. Alex and Andrew reached for seconds but I held back, suddenly not feeling very good. The ground had stopped spinning but my head was beginning to ache.

I shook my head, trying to make it go away but it only made it worse. Taking deep breaths, I turned my attention back to the group that was already talking about what activity was going to take place next week when it was the girls' turn to leave the manor.

"I think we should head back. I don't like the way those clouds are beginning to look," Andrew commented after a moment. He was looking up at the sky and when I followed his gaze, my eyes landed on a group of dark clouds flying towards us quickly.

Barbara looked at Andrew seriously for a moment and I saw Andrew shrug before slightly tilting his head towards me. I stiffened and before I could ask what they were trying to say a loud roar of thunder filled the clearing.

Next to me, Alex yelped and grabbed onto my arm, sinking her nails into it. I cried out in surprise and she gave me an apologetic look but didn't make a move to let go.

"Andrew is right. This storm is going to reach us any minute. We're going to have to run back to the manor," Barbara said, eying Andrew.

Andrew quickly reached for the cake while Alex and I picked up the trash and Barbara grabbed the basket.

In a matter of minutes, we were racing through the forest, Barbara in the lead.

Andrew ran behind us and refused out help with the cake, to which Alex looked grateful as she ran at Barbara's heels.

I yelped when I felt the first droplets of water fall on my hair. The humidity, along with the rain and the running was making my head feel worse by the minute. My breath became labored and I panted as my pace slowed down.

Andrew caught up to me and I noticed his blonde hair was already sticking to his face from the rain. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

I nodded my head and stopped running for a moment. We were already wet, there was no point outrunning the clouds. "Yeah, I just need a moment to breathe," I said breathlessly.

I closed my eyes and willed the pain in my head away. What was wrong with me?

"Here, let me help," Andrew murmured softly. Before I could open my eyes and see what he meant, I felt his warm hand slowly touch mine.

Power coursed through me and I gasped in surprise. It felt as if a wave of water was washing away the chaos inside of me, calming the pain and sparks igniting energy inside of me. A moment later, I looked at Andrew who was still holding my hand, his eyebrows were creased together.

"Let's keep going," he said.

He didn't wait for me to respond, instead, he tugged me forward until the two of us were running back to the manor, hand-in-hand. The sparks between us were still burning intensely and I wondered why I was feeling this way and if Andrew could feel it as well.

I didn't get the chance to ask. A moment later, the manor came to view, and through the glass backdoor, I could see Alex and Barbara waiting for us, towels wrapped around them.

They opened the door for us before we got there and once we were inside the warm building, Barbara and Alex wrapped a towel around us. Sometime after we had walked in, Andrew and I let go of our hands and the pain slowly began to crawl back in my mind.

"Come on, Aileen. We need to get you dried. We don't want you getting a cold," Barbara murmured sternly in a motherly tone.

She quickly began to lead Alex and me back to the girls' section of the manor and before we walked out into the hall, I turned back to looked at Andrew. He was already looking at me, an unreadable expression on his face. Our eyes connected and I had so many questions. But they would have to wait, at least until we were all dry and warm.