A SMALL CHUCKLE PARTED RYDER’S lips. The damp tattered cloth in his hand was set to the side as he turned to face me. I watched him carefully, as he raised a hand, palm up, level with his chest, before he closed his eyes. Then it happened.

The heat from his skin radiated all over my body, his hand emitting a burning orange, then settling into bright and flaming red. Ryder snapped his eyes open at the same moment a single flame appeared dancing over his palm. As if his hand was flame retardant, his expression was observant as he watched me, searching for any sort of reaction.

“What the hell…” The words trailed off my lips in a soft whisper, my mouth agape in shock and wonder.

“I’m a Mage.” He stated it so simply, with such permanence, that it shocked me. My throat bobbed as my eyes locked onto the flame. My head tilted, curiosity taking hold of my arm as it lifted. It didn’t hurt or burn Ryder, so would it burn me?

As my hand drew closer to the flame whose tips flickered into the air, while the base crackled against Ryder's palm, Ryder narrowed his eyes wearily, seemingly knowing what was to come. When it seemed like I wasn’t going to stop from touching it-- I wasn’t --Ryder closed his hand and seemed to extinguish the fire and its heat all at once.

Ryder shook his head, and I frowned. “It will burn you,” he explained. I furrowed my brows in confusion, and he seemed to catch on with my lack of understanding. Ryder seemed to lose himself in his thoughts as he questioned me. “Do you know what a Mage is?”

My throat bobbed as I tilted my head, studying him as if I could figure him out with just one look. “No,” I answered honestly.

Ryder nodded, seemingly expecting the answer. He lowered his chin a touch, before losing himself in his words. “My brothers and I, were like your father. Though, I doubt you knew what he was, or your mother I’m guessing?”

The question was so abrupt, and the sudden erosion of thoughts of my parents rocketed through me in emotional waves. I swallowed, the vault I buried deep within myself nearly splintered. I shook my head. "No," I managed to say past the sudden lump in my throat. “My mother died when I was five.”

Ryder furrowed his brows, frowning deeply. “If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?”

“I’m seventeen.” I responded hesitantly. I didn't understand why the sudden shift in topic. "Eighteen in a few months.”

He paused for a moment while he thought, idly nodding his head to acknowledge my answer. I waited patiently as he gathered his thoughts. His amber eyes flickered to me, smiling softly in what seemed like nerves, as his adam's apple bobbed and he ran a hand through his hair. A moment later, he picked up where he left off. "Well, your parents, my brothers and I are all kinda a big deal." He gave me a side glance, and smirked a bit.

I snorted, and raised my eyebrows as if to mock him. “Oh yeah?” I edged him on. “Like, how big, of a big deal?”

Ryder rubbed the back of his neck. "Like, descendants of Gods type of big deal."

My mouth dried as I nodded along with him, acting as if I understood what he was saying, while also trying to hide my shock. “Okay…” However, Ryder saw right through my attempt. I knew it was written all over my face, regardless of how hard I tried to hide it.

He snorted while shaking his head. “Sorry, I forgot you were left in the dark” he muttered. I couldn’t tell if there was disgust or sympathy in his tone, but I wanted neither. “I should probably back up.” I bobbed my head, and Ryder let out a soft sigh. “When time began, there were the five gods of our universe. The God of the Sea, God of Destruction, of Creation, of the Four Winds, & the God of Spirit. They made our solar system, and many others like it, all waving through the length of the greater galaxy. Our planet, the animals, us, and the air we breathe, they all created.” Ryder cleared his throat. “However, as time passed and the humans grew more imperfect, the darker the planet became. The gods, all except for Spirit, waved it off as nothing, that the humans would outgrow the darkness. However, the gods were quick to realize that they were very wrong.”

I shifted myself and swung my feet over the edge of the bed as Ryder spoke. My shoulder skimmed his tricep, his body warm to the touch. I let my feet swing back and forth as I gripped the edge of the bed, engrossing myself in Ryder’s words.

“They called it Caligo, It’s Latin for darkness,” he explained. “It rose like the morning sun, only, it didn’t fall as the sun set. It captivated the human race, terrorizing them with their most horrid fears and used it against them. Caligo consumed all the positive energy and joy around the world, volumizing the anger, hatred and violence. Millions of lives were lost by the time the gods came together and did something about it.” Ryder sighed, shaking his head. The anger was written along his features. These gods, whoever they were, seemed like lazy jerks. “The gods finally brought balance back into the world, then locked Caligo in the center of the Earth, and deep underground-- just short of the core.”

“Why didn’t they destroy it?” I blurted. At Ryder’s furrowed brows, I attempted to clarify. “The gods, I mean.” I cleared my throat. “Why didn’t they just destroy Caligo?”

Ryder flicked his eyes over to me, then to the other side of the room. “There was nothing to destroy, it was just darkness and pure evil. An essence. Whether the gods liked it or not, Caligo brought a balance to the world the gods couldn’t. That, and it was human created. If they really wanted to get rid of Caligo, they would have to wipe out the human race first.”

I formed an ‘O’ with my lips. “How lovely,” I muttered.

He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “Anyways, after the mess was taken care of, the gods devised a plan to make sure, if something like that ever happened again, it could be stopped.”

I rolled my eyes. “Meaning they didn’t want to get their hands dirty?” These gods did nothing until it was nearly too late to save the planet when Caligo arrived. I doubt they would risk such effort to do something like that again, if they could help it. It bothered me to no end.

“Well, sort of,” Ryder replied, and I snorted. “They were essentially trying to allow us to fix our mistakes, to brave them alone.” When I raised a brow, Ryder sat up straighter. “Like when a mother bird teaches her babies to fly, but they fail at first. She’s still to aid if absolutely needed, but they have to figure it out on their own. They’d die if they didn’t.”

I bobbed my head, fluttering my eyes. “Yeah, that makes sense, you’re right,” I rambled.

Ryder shrugged, a knowing smirk on his lips, then continued. “Each god took a sliver of their soul, and infused it to a jewel of their choosing. Then, they took turns traveling down to Earth. They didn’t stop searching until they found a human and their bloodline fit for the power. Worthy of the Gift, as they had once stated.” Ryder’s eyes moved to me as he began speaking the next portion of his story. “The God of the Four Winds was looking for dreamers, and profound lovers of freedom. He chose Hunter’s bloodline.” Ryder ignored my raised eyebrows. “The God of Destruction, was searching for an emotional, yet irresistible and unpredictable bloodline that could handle the chaos of his powers. He chose my bloodline.” Ryder’s lips tilted in a smug smirk, but I didn’t gve him the reaction he wanted. “The God of Creation needed a bloodline who was a lover of life, calm yet possessive. He chose Mason’s bloodline. Then, the God of the Sea, went down and chose your father’s bloodline. The God of the Sea was looking for a compassionate bloodline, who were kind and a healer of sorts.”

My eyes widened, but no words dared to leave my lips. I guess you could have said I was shocked, speechless even. My curiosity pulled through the haze of shock. “What does all of that mean, exactly? Did my mother know?” Ryder paused and blinked, studying me, then let out a small laugh, and I frowned. “What?”

He shook his head, avoiding my gaze. “Oh, nothing.” I rolled my eyes, but said nothing, and instead crossed my arms. I hoped my silence and stubbornness was an indicator for him to answer my questions.

Patience I have not-- as Yoda would have said.

Eventually, Ryder’s shoulders sagged as he gave in.

Victory.

“It means that you’re like your father was.” Ryder paused, waiting for a reaction, but I gave him none. My brain was bursting with foreign knowledge and I was one hundred and ten percent unsure how to process, let alone handle it all.

When I said nothing, Ryder went on. “When each God gave their person of choosing, a Beholder as they called them, the jewel, they let the human choose a weapon. Each weapon was different from the others, and the jewel was linked to that weapon. Once that was complete, the god bonded the weapon and its jewel, to the Beholder. The Beholder then became the Mage, and the Mage held a sliver of that god’s powers at their fingertips.”

“Did they need the jewel to use their power?” I asked, genuinely curious. If it was so, then maybe all they had to do was take back my father’s from Felix. I don’t remember everything from that night, but I do remember piecing together that Felix had stolen something from my father. I’m pretty sure it was a jewel of some sort, and I was almost certain he had said Alexandrite.

Ryder shook his head and my shoulders instantly sagged. “It wasn’t until five or so years ago, that we learned it was just a myth. You’re born with your gift. Once that bond with the first Beholder was complete, that sliver of the god’s power infused with their blood. The weapon only made you stronger. The weapon and jewel made you a Beholder, your blood made you a Mage.”

“Wait,” I blurted. “You never answered my other question, about my mother?”

Ryder parted his lips, clearly hesitant to tell me whatever it was he was going to say. I waited, not-so-patiently, for him to speak, hoping he wouldn’t lie. It was clear I’ve been lied to my entire life. I didn’t want more. “Your mother knew,” he cleared his throat, watching my reaction to his words almost too carefully for my liking. “Because her bloodline was the one chosen by the God of Spirit. He wanted a bloodline of balance, and peace. Someone who was soothing, a lover or mother of sorts, but to all. ”

My mouth dried as his words grasped at my head and my heart. My mother knew, meaning it wasn’t just a lie from my father, but it seemed as if I was the only one left in the dark. The air in my lungs seemed to have been knocked out of me, and my eyes grew wild. The vault I buried not deep within ago, cracked along its edges, threatening to dig itself up. I should have known, all my life I’ve been called a freak, and now I knew why. But my parents had refused to tell me, and now look where they were.

Dead.

My eyes blurred as tears began to pool along my tear line, edging to spill over. I could have sworn Ryder let out a curse from beside me. Never once had my parents ever told me the truth, it seemed. Whether it was about who I was, or who they were. They kept their world hidden from me, and for what? They had no excuse. I squeezed my eyes shut as the anger I felt within my chest grow. I let it enlarge, uncaged and feral. My head hung low as my eyelids fluttered open, my grip tightening around the metal frame.

The lights began flickering overhead as my anger heightened. I hated the feeling, realizing my parents could never trust me with the most important part of their lives. Of my life. It disgusted me, but most of all, it hurt. For whatever reason they had, it clearly wasn’t good enough. Their lives were the cost of their involvement, and if that was the world they lived in, I didn’t want any part of it. Bloodline or not, it wasn’t the life I wanted, nor would it be the life I chose.

A soft touch to my shoulder jerked me from my thoughts. I returned my focus to the room around me, and to the man in front of me. Ryder’s eyes were glowing molten red and orange. His heat matched the anger I felt. Hot and unyielding. I stared back at him with the same intensity, crackles of electricity echoing in the distance.

A sliver of an electric current shuddered through me, bolting me upright. I gasped, terrified at all the sensations I’ve never experienced before. Overwhelming, out of control, and chaotic.

Ryder must have seen the terror on my face, because he was kneeling in front of me within a flash, his expression worrisome as he met my petrified gaze. His eyes glowed more fiercely, both hands gripping my forearms with more intensity than he was before, and I held on to that sensation like it was my anchor.

“Angelina, you’re having a panic attack right now. I need you to listen to the sound of my voice.”

I was listening, but nothing was happening besides what I couldn’t control. I wasn’t sure how I was doing it, but I knew the cause of the sparks and spikes of electricity was coming from me. I felt the currents coursing through my veins like it was my own blood; I felt it all.

“Angelina,” Ryder tried again, his voice pleading.

I looked down, locking my gaze with his. Several sparks of minor lightning bolts, flashed from the lights and power outlets. It kissed Ryder’s skin with a sharp hiss of burning skin. Ryder was immune to fire, but he wasn’t immune to electricity. My head felt numb, but as I watched Ryder wince as the bolts struck his body, tearing open his black shirt and burning the cotton, that pinch in my chest returned. I may not know him well, but he’s been nothing short of helpful and upfront with me. I didn’t want to hurt him, especially at my own hands when I couldn’t control myself.

“Angelina, look at the floor. What colors do you see?”

I did as I was told, and stared down at my feet. There was nothing but white socks covering my bare skin. The tile beneath was pale white, grey flecks spotting the floor. It was plain, reminding me of a hospital. I knew I hated hospitals. Last time I was in a hospital, I was five years old, watching my father lean over my dead mother, sobbing into her chest and clutching her hand. If there were anything good about my Father's death, it was that he at least was with my mother again.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, shoulders heavy as I recalled the memory, so vivid for having been so long ago. The numbness in my chest replaced the ache that begged to settle there. Reaching to the back of my mind, I focused on Ryder’s touch and his breathing. Reaching back within my mind, I found that vault I buried. Shoving all the hurt and betrayal in the safe, I patched up the crack and buried it deeper than I had before.

I slowed my breathing, in through my nose and out through my mouth. I repeated this, searching for a calm I desperately craved. In the distance, I felt it. Instead of the electricity, I sensed something softer, smoother even. I outstretched and called it forth, then opened my eyes. I gasped, watching as a small pool of water settled over Ryder’s entire chest and torso. They smoldered against the burns that broke his skin, his lips parted in a relaxed sigh as his eyes fluttered.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, distraught that I had hurt him, and I had no idea to keep it from happening again. Let alone know what happened in the first place. Control was something I prided myself on, and this was my new rock-bottom. Even though I had lost it a few times in the past, I had never fallen quite this low.

Heat sizzled over Ryder’s skin, drying his water soaked skin. “It’s all right, I healed.”

My eyes widened, lowering to the cuts in his shirt. Sure enough, where the burns had previously been, smooth skin appeared. I tilted my head, lifted a hand, then flexed my fingers from the death drip I had on the bed frame, and pointed to his chest. “Can I do that?”

Ryder chuckled, releasing the hold on my arms then stood to his feet. “Yes,” he answered. “And clearly many other things,” he mused, more to himself than to me.

I shrugged, twirling my fingers in my lap. “You basically said I was a descendant of two gods,” I pointed out, remembering Felix had said the same thing. Seems he clearly knew more about my life than I did. It made me sick.

“You’re right,” he muttered. “I did say that, and I meant it. Everything that had happened just now, that was you. No faulty wiring, no short circuits. Just you.” I winced, and Ryder immediately shook his head. “You didn’t know until minutes ago. It’s obvious you’ve had no training. You shouldn’t be able to do any of those things without the proper practice skillset.”

I frowned, the word ‘freak’ echoing in the back of my mind. “What does this mean?”

He exhaled, running his hands through his hair. My fingers itched to twirl such soft strands between my fingers. “It means,” he started, jerking me from my semi-perverted thoughts. “You’re stronger than we all originally thought.”

My shoulders lifted in indifference. “Okay…” Those words held no real meaning to me. Though, my curiosity had my lips moving. “What now?”

Ryder stood to his feet, then began pacing the length of the room. I watched silently, waiting for him to speak his piece. Hopefully, whenever that was, would be sooner rather than later. “It’s not my place to say much about it, but remember that darkness I was talking about earlier? Caligo?” I nodded, remembering all too well as I had allowed myself to be completely engrossed into his little story time. “It’s coming,” he said.

My eyes bugged out of their sockets. “W-what?” I stuttered, swallowing the terror that threatened to spill from me. My eyelids squeezed shut, as if attempting to feel my way through this crazy reality I wanted so badly to call a dream. “What are you saying?”

Ryder sucked in a deep breath of air. “I’m saying that I think it’s coming sooner than we originally thought.”

I opened my eyes, but kept my head lowered as my voice trembled. “How soon-- decades? A few years?”

Ryder let his facial features shift into an angered scowl. “A few months.”

My throat bobbed, unease settling deep within my bones as if a heavy weight was planted over my shoulders, tugging on my mind. I nodded numbly, unsure of how to react to such news. There was so much to take in, and my brain felt as if it was on overdrive.

“Angelina, are you okay?”

My eyes shot forward, gazing upon the worried look within Ryder’s expression. Again, I nodded but kept silent. It was all so overwhelming, and I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, with nowhere to go but down. My family were a bunch of liars, I’m cracked out and spitting lightning bolts from my fingertips, and the world was ending.

Fantastic.

After a moment of tense silence, Ryder’s stare boring into my skin, I shook my head. “No, I’m not,” I told him honestly. “I’m overwhelmed and exhausted, to put it lightly.”

Ryder’s adam apple bobbed, and he nodded. “Okay,” he said, clearing his throat. He stood to his feet, whipping his palms against the fabric of his jeans. “I’ll let you sleep then.”

I lowered my head and avoided his gaze. “Thanks,” I whispered. The room grew quiet rather quickly after Ryder’s footsteps carried him away into the distance. I was alone once again, and I felt miserable. My parents were dead, I had no real friends, everyone thought I was a freak, and school was over.

I was completely, and utterly alone.