Chapter 11: Chapter 11
Starting Over
Catalaya's POV
It's been a week since we left the pack and honestly it has been the best week of my life I got to learn all about my mom, dad even gave me a framed picture of her, now I know where the skin colour comes from. I recall the conversation being a emotional one
Flashback
We had just returned from our old pack, Samael and Merlin took Dominic to his new room where he could rest, the girls made a b-line for the kitchen while dad and i went to Sam's office to have a long overdue talk so we made our way upstairs.
Sitting on the couch beside dad I say
"So what did you want to talk to me about dad?"
"I think you know that already Catty"
"Sigh, yah i know its just i was hoping it was something different"
"If your not ready to talk about it you don't have to your friends already gave me the run down"
"No its ok i want to tell you but you have to promise me not to interrupt until I'm finished because it's not the easiest thing to talk about, plus there are things my friends don't know about"
"Like what?" He asks puzzled
"Well i was always teased as a kid but that was nothing compared to what my adopted parents did to me even before Dominic realized what was going on. They'd starve me, beat me and- and ...."
"Its ok sweetheart take your time" dad says comforting me as tears pooled my eyes at the painful memories
Sniffing i continue "besides beating me to the point where i could hardly breathe they'd torture me by tying me up and cutting my skin over and over with different poison coated knives"
"WHAT" he yells
"Dad remember not to interrupt"
"Sorry" he apologies' sitting back down
"It was his specialty, he had a knack for torture based on what he told me during that time was that he used to be in charge of getting information from rogues or any other enemy back in the day"
"When did this start and how long had it gone on for?" Dad asks
"The beatings started at when i was 8 but after i turned twelve and didn't shift and Noah started bullying me emerson got more bold and started with the knives, that continued until i was about 14. One day Dominic saw a scar on my hand and kept probing me about it he even went as far as to involve Mr Mathews but i didn't tell them anything afraid of what would happen if i did but they kept probing which caused emerson to stop cutting me and go back to the beating" i reply
"I see, so that's why he reacted that way to my spell" he mutters
"What spell?"
"Earlier when he was bleeding i casted a spell on him so he'd experience every pain he'd ever inflicted on you. I was curious as to why his skin was getting cut so badly but i just thought it was a reaction to the spell because he couldn't handle the pain"
"Woah" i say in surprise and awe
"Is that all they did to you?" He asks and i can tell he's fighting to keep his anger under control
"Yes" i say finally glad i was able to get everything off my chest
My past was still weighing heavy on me but i knew that with time i could and would heal and become stronger so it couldn't haunt me anymore. As the tears streamed down my face my dad pulled me into his arms giving me warm hug that made me feel safer than i ever had in my life.
"This is what a father's love feels like Cat" legacy's voice popped up in my head
I smile as i snuggled into his warm embrace even more. This is it this is what i prayed for all those years i was being tortured.
"Dad?" I say remembering something important
"Yes princessa"
"Who's my mother?"
"Your mother was a beautiful woman by the name of olivia she had managed to capture my heart at first glance. She had gorgeous dark chocolate coloured skin like you and the most mesmerizing grey eyes I'd ever seen.
"You said was instead of is, she's dead isn't she?"
He nodded at me with over flowing sadness in his eyes
"That is something I must apologise to you for as well I'm sorry I couldn't protect her I thought she was safe in the place I left her but I was wrong" he said.
"Who killed her" I asked
"The Dark sorcerer, he drained her of her blood to become stronger because it contained my essence he wanted you as well but thankfully the nuns took you and ran" he told me.
"Did you kill him? I asked
"Yes I did and it wasn't swift too I casted a spell on him so he wouldn't die no matter where i injured him then I tortured him for centuries before removing the spell and ending his miserable life" he spat coldly
"I see" was my reply
I'm sad that my mom is gone I didn't even get the chance to meet her
"I'm truly sorry Catalaya" he apologized
"It's ok at least you tried to protect her and you searched for me all these years without giving up" I say giving him a hug.
"There is something else that's been bugging me though"
"What's that?"
"If you know all my friends parents that means you must also know where our pack is so why didn't you come there to search for me" i asked
"I did visit your pack in fact it was one of the first places I went to I even asked Sylvia and Gabriel for help seeing as sylvia was once my second in command before she found out Gabe was her mate but because of a certain spell casted by the goddess to seal away your demonic side i couldn't sense you and being the devil I couldn't exactly walk around the pack looking at every child around your age also by the time I found out I had a child I was so deep in grief I lost control of my powers which almost caused the destruction of the world" he explained.
"Wait wait so your telling me that history lesson they told us in the pack about how the devil went on a rampage sixteen years ago and the leaders of the seven clans had to join together to bind you so you wouldn't destroy the world was true and it was because you couldn't find me!!??" I asked
"Yes that is partly true, the seven clans did help in my binging but only because i requested it because i knew my demon wouldn't take kindly to being imprisoned but the goddess was the one who bound me. Not my proudest moment but when you loose the love of your life and your child at the same time it's not something you get over easily" he answered.
"Well that i can understand, I'm just glad we finally found each other" i say hugging him once more
End of Flashback
As for my powers Dad and Dominic performed a ritual to release my restraints and any remainder of the bond i had with noah along with it, so now legacy and i can communicate freely also I'm able to transform just like everyone else and I'm currently in training to control my awesome powers.
Legacy is an elemental demon she is also ancient as in thousands of years old kind of ancient
"I heard that asshole"
She is very wise and she knows a lot and her demon form is awesome. She's an elemental demon which is totally awesome but controlling my our powers is really hard. Being imprisoned for sixteen years legacy doesn't have much control and me being practically human all my life I'm completely clueless when it comes to having powers as a result I almost burnt down the house once and froze the entire kitchen trying to freeze my molten ice cream.
I also have two giant black wings. Alana helped with my flying skills and spell casting, I have mastered flying about 80% but spell casting is a bit more challenging. Dad helps me control my elemental powers. However, he left reluctantly a few days ago because he had to inform everyone of my return.
Also a little fact I learnt about my brother turns out he is the horseman of death, to say I was frightened when I saw him transform was an understatement. He also revealed that he and Adonis were mates which wasn't really surprising since we all saw the pictures of them in the hall way and the way they look at each other makes it pretty obvious. Sometimes I'm a bit jealous of them and my friends since they'll be finding their mates any day now and i wont have a mate since i was rejected.
My friends haven't gone to visit the pack even though I told them it was ok however they refused every time then we later got word from one of my father's messenger Jacoby that the Pack was disbanded temporarily and everyone sent back to their homeland where they will be severely punished for how they treated me. I have to say I was surprised at the news I bet noah is shitting his pants now.
"Hey sis" Samael greets as he walked into the living room where I was watching I-Carly along with a few members of the pack.
Everyone here is so nice and they treat me way better than my old pack even before Sam had told them who I was and even after finding out they treated me the same, like family. Here i was a normal teenager. This was all I ever wanted I'm my old pack to be treated equally and now I have that and it makes me extremely happy.
"Hey bro" I reply to Sam laying my head on his shoulder as he sat beside me
"Listen dad called and he wanted me to ask if you and your friends wanted to spend the summer in his realm he wants everyone to know you plus there are some important people you need to meet and he wants to spend time with you and he can't do that if your on earth because he can't stay on earth too long as per his agreement with the goddess" he says
"He wants us to come to hell!!!?" A voice says from the door way. We both turn to see Harley with a surprised and excited look on her face.
"Yeah when you put it that way I guess so" Sam scratches his neck sheepishly
"But isn't down there supposed to be like super hot and dark?"
"That's just stuffed made up by humans it's actually quite normal and similar to earth in most ways, it would be like going to another country" Sam explained
"Ok cool" was Harley's reply
"So what do you say sis ready to go see your kingdom"
"Yes" I replied excited
"GUYS WE'RE GOING TO HELL" Harley shouts running up the stairs to inform the others, Samael and I laughed at her antics as she disappeared from our sight.
"So when are we leaving?"
"This evening, I need to sort some stuff out with the pack first and inform them that I'll be gone for a while and Abraham my third is in charge."
"But I just finished unpacking now I have to pack again" I whined
"Umm you do know you have powers right? Use them" Sam says walking away
"Yeah he's actually right I could just cast a spell to pack my bags" I say to myself smiling at the fact that I have a new way to make my life easier.
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It's now evening and were all in the living room with our luggages ready to go. Sam had earlier told us to wait in the living room as he prepared our transport, apparently he can't just open a portal to hell as he would anywhere else on earth. Thirty minutes later we heard a knock on the door then it opened revealing a man dressed in a tail coat and a top hat.
"Good Evening ladies and gentleman my name is Tarloc and I'll be in charge of your transportation to the underworld" he says with a warm smile like it's the most normal thing in the world to say that to someone
We all stood there gaping at the man and the huge carriage behind him which I assume is our ride.
"By the way which one of you young ladies is princess Catalaya"
My shock still present I rose my hand as the others pointed at me in the same state I am. Tarloc took off his hat with a small bow placing it to his heart as he went on one knee then took my hand in his and kissed it
"Nice to meet you your Highness Welcome home"
"You can call me Cat and it's nice to meet you too" I replied
Afterwards I introduced all my friends to the lovely gentleman man then he took our luggage and place them in the back part of the huge carriage. We all took a seat in the ancient transport as we waited for Sam.
"Oh my gosh really" Sam gave an incredulous gasp as he and Adonis stepped through the front door
"Dad is really something else he couldn't send a normal vehicle" he chuckles amusedly while Adonis barks out a laugh
"Wait this isn't the type of transportation used in the underworld" I asked
"Of course not it's the 21st century not the 1800s. The layout of the realm is similar to earth babe" Adonis replies dropping in the pet name he calls me
"Oh ok, I just assumed this was the norm since a carriage was sent to pick us up"
"Well I guess you do have a point. Something you should know, our father has a weird sense of humor also I think he was just going for the fairytale style with this kind of 'vehicle" Samael says
He and Adonis climbed into the carriage after Tarloc took their bags they closed the door, and we were off.
"So who's ready to explore the underworld? Its understandable if your a bit anxious" Adonis asks
"Anxious? We're freaking excited" Merlin squeals earning weird looks from the rest of us which he ignores
"I cant wait to meet all the hot demon babes"
"Of course that's what your looking forward to you man whore" Aquarius says
"I wouldn't be too anxious to meet women in hell Merlin most of them are sucucbi and you know what they feed on" Sam says seriously but i can see him trying to fight back his laughter when Merlin's face pales
"I think you should just wait for your mate them she'll be able to quell that insatiable horniness of yours" freya says
"Is that jealousy i sense there frey?" Merlin asks with a tease
"Why on earth would i be jealous?" Freya asks incredulously
"Because you weren't able to tame me" he says with a wink
"What! ewww I'd rather do it with a dog" freya says with a cringe
"Woof woof" Merlin retorts drawing laughter from the whole carriage.
Suddenly Tarloc snaps the reins and our carriage takes a sharp right turn. The ground seem to slope downward as we gradually gain speed. I look out the window to see nothing but darkness. The beating of the horses hoof echoes in the dark and i suddenly feel claustrophobic. I look over to see Sam and Adonis completely relaxed eyes closed and heads tossed back whilst my friends and i are about to shit ourselves.
"Where are we going!?" Harley asks terrified
Samael looks at her utterly confused as he says "Home"
"But were going down!" Aquarius yells grabbing on to Dominic
"And where is hell according to your teachings?" Adonis asks calmly
We all mouthed an 'oh' before straightening up and calming our selves best we could. Out the corner of my eyes i notice small flashes of light pass by the window getting brighter as we progress. Moments later the carriage levels out and the sound of hoofs are less frantic than before as we begin to slow down, the horses came to a halt and Tarloc announces that we have arrived.
I find myself getting anxious, my heart begins to pound and my palms sweaty as my insecurities slip in. What if they don't like me? What if I'm not good enough to be a princess even if it is in hell, What if-
"Calm yourself child of course they'll love us they've been waiting for us our whole life and of course we're good enough to be a princess its our birthright its in our DNA" legacy reprimands
"We've gone through too much and come too far to turn back now Catty this is our destiny this is our life the life we've always dreamed of so push past your insecurities and move forward and embrace your new self" she says
"Thank you legacy your the best demon a girl could ever ask for"
"Your welcome sweetheart now go make your mark on the world"
"I wi-"
"Earth to cat!!" Alana yells
"Huh" i say jumping in fright
"I've been calling your name for five minutes now could you please move so i can go get my hell on"
"Your an angel what kind of hell do you want to get on?" Merlin says earning a finger from lana
"Uh sorry i kinda paced out" i say getting out of the carriage to see a waiting Adonis but no Samael
Looking ahead a loud gasp escaped my lips when i saw where we were parked. There stood before me is a gigantic castle the most beautiful one I've ever seen.
"Breathtaking isn't it?" Adonis says with a smile
"It is" i reply still looking at the building
"Where'd Sam go?" I ask
"He's inside with his mother. Turns out he didn't tell her he was coming so now he's about to get his ass whooped" he replies trying to hold back his laughter
Chuckling i say "the horseman of death getting scolded by his mother I'd pay money to see that" making Adonis bark out a laugh whilst nodding in agreement as he couldn't hold it back anymore.
"So what happened to our welcome party?"
"Right here princessa" someone says making me spin on my heels
Seeing the face belonging to the voice a big grin appears on my face as i squeal "Daddy!!!" Before jumping in his arms
"Welcome home baby girl" dad says
"It's good to be home" i sigh hugging him tighter, it really was good to be home. I may have just gotten here but i already feel a sense of belonging.
After everyone came out the carriage we got our luggages and head inside where we were welcomed with an even bigger welcome party consisting of the castles other residents and workers, they had up a huge banner behind them that had
"Welcome home princess Catalaya" written on it
"Oh my gosh thank you guys so much" i say as tears gathered in my eyes as i walk towards the crowd of people where i received a few handshakes and some warm hugs
"Come on I'll show you guys to your room" dad says ushering us away from the crowd
"But what about everyone there all waiting to meet me?" I say
"Don't worry they'll meet you at the ball tomorrow" he replies
"Wait what?" I say coming to a complete stop
"What ball? Nobody said anything about a ball"
"Its nothing big or fancy honey just a little get together with the people so they can properly meet their princess and also you will be crowned" he says
"But- but -but"
"No buts sis it'll be fine and absolutely fun. You'll get to meet people your age and maybe even find a boyfriend" Sam says popping up beside us
"The hell she will she's not allowed to have a boyfriend until she's at least a thousand years old" dad growled
"Uh oh i see the over protectiveness has chipped in" Adonis muses
"Oh come now father surely a man at your age is looking for a grandkid or two" Sam teases making dad's eyes go as wide as saucers
"LILITH!!!!!" Dad yells and i see sam's smile drops as his face pales
"Who's lilith?" I asked confused
"I am" a strange voice says
My friends and i turned to see a familiar looking woman i just couldn't remember where I'd seen her before. Out of the corner of my eyes i see Samael slowly backing away from us and suddenly realization struck.
"Your sam's mom!" I shout
Yes i am and you must be Catalaya its nice to meet you" she says giving me a hug
"Likewise" i say returning her hug
"And you! Don't even think about running away I'm not through with you" she points at Sam
"M-momma i can explain its just that everything was happening so fast with Cat and i didn't get to call-"
"Don't you dare use your sister as a scape goat and dont give me that crap about forgetting to call. Adonis remembered so why couldn't you!?"
"How could you" Sam whisper yelled giving Adonis an incredulous look
"Sorry baby but i wasn't about to get my ass whooped by mama lil you know she don't play" Adonis replied with sass
"I am your husband how could you betray me like that" Sam asked dramatically while we all stood there laughing at the scene unfolding before us
"You leave my baby alone" lilith says
"Momma listen I-"
"Momma no no i promise it wont happen again. Dad save me!!" Sam yelled as his mother dragged him away
"That's what you get for trying to marry off my daughter after i just got her back" dad replied
"Don't worry dad your the only one for me" i say making him huff in satisfaction
"Hey!!!" Merlin and Dominic say at the same time
"So what you find someone new with a few cool tattoos and now were not good enough" Nic asks with fake incredulity
"That's harsh Cat, i see I've been replaced so therefore i want back my sweater its over between us" Merlin says
"No not the sweater anything but the sweater" i say dramatically
"You've given up your title as Mrs Mathers so you have to give back the sweater" he replies
"You'll never catch me alive" i say before casting a teleportation spell as Merlin makes a grab for me
Lets just say that wasn't such a good idea seeing as i just got here and i haven't been given a tour of the castle as yet. Looking around i see I've landed in some kind of dark room, now i really wish i had cooled it with the harry potter jokes and actually focused on the spells Alana was teaching me. After looking around for some time i noticed a small light in the distance, ignoring the horror movie cliche of my current situation i walk towards the dim light in hopes that it leads to somewhere more illuminated or preferably with people.
Taking long strides i get closer and closer to the light as it gets brighter, however the closer i get the hotter my surroundings seem to become. Walking closer i see the light is actually fire but it has a weird shape and seem to be floating in mid air which is absolutely impossible no matter what realm your in. Caution sets in and i halt my steps to inspect the space I'm in further. Suddenly i hear low breathing as if someone is asleep however i couldn't see who it was, taking a step closer my left foot hits something and the cling of a metal echoes through the quiet place. Instantly the low breathing is replaced by a threatening growl that sends chills down my spine and not the good kind of chills its the 'this is where I'm gonna die', kind of chills.
Suddenly the fire starts moving upward and its shape changes to that of a tail. Then i see the outline of a figure I'm not sure what it is as more fire appears. When the fire gets brighter and the figure moves i had to clamp my hands on my mouth to stop a gasp from escaping.
Holy motherfucking god I'm standing in front of Cerberus!!!! Was all i could think looking at the figure
The giant three headed animal stands towering a good two feet above me and I'm 5'5. I see now that the fire i saw was actually its tail, there was also fur like fire running from the top of all its heads to its back and ending at the tip of its tail. It starts stalking towards me slowly as a predator would its prey which is exactly what i am right now. Now I've read a lot of stories about this guardian of the underworld before but seeing it with my own eyes is a whole other experience, but what had me almost dying of a heart attack wasn't the size of this creature but when it spoke. Yup! You heard me Cerberus actually spoke.
"Well well well what do we have here" the middle head says with a what I'm presuming is a grin
"It seems like dinner came early today" the left head responded
"And she's awfully pretty too" the right head says with a country accent causing me to raise a brow
"What are you doing down here little soul you know there is no escape from hell right?" The left head asks
"If you didn't wanna be here you shouldn't have sinned" the middle head snarls
"Wait you guys think I'm an escaped soul or something?!" I ask
"Of course and do you know what happens to souls who try to escape?" The left head asks
"We get to em!" The right head answers
Cerberus then pounced at me taking a swipe at my head. I fall to the ground trying to dodge his attack. I quickly got up and made a mad dash in the direction i came from not wanting to get eaten on my first day home.
"Uhm legacy some help would be nice" i say
"You do know my powers belong to the both of us right?" She replies
"Yes but I'm horrible at using them so save my ass or both our asses are gonna die" i yell
"Alright i hear you don't get your panties in a twist"
"Just close your eyes and picture me in your mind then you will yourself to transform into me" she says
Doing as she says i stop running and take a deep breath then i picture legacy. Her long white hair, her entire form as i feel myself change and morph into something else, it wasn't as painful as the first time i shifted but painful none the less as i haven't been doing this long.
As i transform Cerberus stops in his tracks immediately as a whine escapes him. He takes a step back looking at me with wide cautious eyes. I give him a questioning look wondering why he suddenly looked scared my demon form couldn't be that ugly or scary looking could it. I stand there looking at the monster that was just chasing me he looked utterly terrified.
"What's the matter big guy not so brave now are you" i say in a voice that sounded nothing like me, it sounded sinister and completely evil.
I see Cerberus quietly backing up from me whilst I'm distracted with the sound of my voice which had him squirming
"Not so fast mister" i say putting up my hand only for a blade shaped piece of ice to fly out from my palm at him.
This time he turns and makes a run for it in the direction we were coming from. I felt bad for attacking him even though he was just chasing me to eat me and i didn't really attack him it was accidental. However seeing as he was completely scared of me and i needed him to find my way out of this place since he obviously knows the layout and he can talk which is still blowing my mind, i thought it best to apologize.
"Wait" i say taking a step forward only to take one step back as a giant dirt wall appears before me blocking me off from the running Cerberus
"Legacy what the heck is going on?" I ask
"Sorry hun, I'm still getting used to having my powers again" she replied
Suddenly i sense someone appear behind me, i quickly turn around taking on a defensive stance instantly black fire appears around my fists
"What tha-
"CAT!" My dad voice yells
Looking up i see my father with a look of worry, shock and relief on his face.
"Dad, what's happening to me?" I say tears gathering in my eyes as i feel overwhelmed
"Its your powers honey, they're awakening so its a bit much but you'll get the hang of it i promise" he says pulling me into a hug as tears roll down my cheeks
"Can you take me to my room please I'm exhausted" i say
"No problem sweetheart" he says kissing me on the forehead
"How did you get down here anyways it so dark"
"I have no idea one minute I'm trying to get away from merlin and the next I'm running from cerberus-
"Omg Cerberus!! Dad i saw him and he was chasing me and then i transformed and then he stopped and i accidentally shot ice at him and-
"Wait wait slow down honey what do you mean by you met Cerberus you couldn't have he's all the way to the south side in alcatra-" he trails off looking around
"What the fuck!!! He shouts as if realizing something
"Dad what is it?" I ask
"Cat what the- how did you even get here?" He asks
"Get where dad i have no idea where we are" i say
"Baby girl this is tartarus" he says
"What!!!" I yell "As in the underworld prison tartarus?"
"Yes that one. How did you even get here this is like farthest place from the castle." Dad says
"I have no idea how i got here i just did a short range teleportation spell i thought I'd end up in the kitchen or something not a prison"
"I was so worried about you cat one minute you were there and the next you weren't i almost ripped apart the entire castle looking for you" he tells me
"Wait if you didn't know where I'd gone how'd you find me?"
"I sensed an enormous aura that was similar to mine i knew it was you so i locked on to it and did a spell to take me to you i didn't know it would lead me here"
"Oh ok" i say
"So you met Cerberus huh? How'd it go?"
"Not great he tried to eat me. Now i understand why he thought i was an escaped soul but then after i transformed he was scared and ran away" i tell him
"Is my demon form that hideous it scared the guard dog of the underworld"
"Honey what are you talking about of course its not your appearance that scared him away" dad says
"Then what did?" I ask
"Wait you really don't know? Your not sensing it" he says giving me an odd look
"Sensing what? I asked puzzled
"Your aura catalaya its what lead me to you its like a big red flame around your body it so dense right now its as if it's taken a form of its own" he says
"But I don't feel anything" i say
"Ok close your eyes and clear your mind"
I did as he asks then i felt a pressure on my subconscious like a tap on my brain.
"The pressure you're feeling is me trying to enter your mind honey stay calm and relax and open your mind"
I took a calming breath and just let go freeing my mind of everything
"Ok now I'm going to send you a mental image of what you look like right now in your demon form" he tells me
"Ok" i respond
I wait patiently and then i see an image appear. Shocked as this is the first time someone sent me a picture telepathically i jump in fright.
"Calm down honey and focus" dad says
I do as I'm told and the image appears again. I gasp out loud at what i see. Dad was right there is a gigantic aura around me power radiating off me in tidal waves, no wonder Cerberus ran, i was the monster not him. The aura surrounding me was dense and i had a black and red colour i couldn't believe that was actually coming from me.
"You might want to transform before i take you back to the castle cant have you scaring off everyone now can we" dad says partly teasing
Focusing i took a breath an pictured my own form just like legacy taught me and before i knew it i was in my own skin again. Legacy's skin is awesome but until i learn how to control and conceal all that awesomeness i don't think I'll be going demon any time soon. After i changed a sudden fatigue washed over me and i felt myself sway before i fell. Strong arms wrap around me picking me up princess style before i could hit the ground.
"Don't worry princessa dad's got you"
"Why do i feel so weak all of a sudden" i ask
"Your body isn't accustomed to this much power as yet so it takes up all your energy when you transform and that takes a toll on your body so you'll need to train hard in order to get used to this much power" he replies
"Wow i hadn't thought of that" i say
"Don't worry sweetheart I'll teach you everything you need to know and more but for now just rest I'll take you to your room so you can get some sleep we'll discuss this tomorrow"
"Ok" i say before closing my eyes and allowing the darkness to take me in.