She waltzed into the bathroom, and her much taller frame hip-checked me as she moved to sit on the counter while I brushed my teeth.
“So, do you want to go to brunch this morning before we head to Bridal Veil?” she asked.
Bridal Veil was a small town outside of Portland where my parents lived. Even though the house was miles from any real store, they’d kept the home for its view.
The story had always been that it was inherited from long-lost relatives before I was born, along with a lifetime supply of money that they’d invested properly. While we weren’t swimming in cash, we’d lived a comfortable life that I assumed had more to do with being inhuman than it did with an inheritance.
The modest house I’d called home for my entire childhood sat atop a mountain facing Multnomah Falls, a monstrous waterfall that was over six-hundred feet in height and absolutely stunning to visit. When I was younger, I remembered going there on many occasions and hiking to the top after hours when nobody else was around. There was always a sense of peace that would settle over me when I did, and I never understood why until the night before.
When Stryx had shown me the falls in Arvayta, the same sense of tranquility became rooted deep into my soul. Once I recognized the feeling, I knew I was home. Even if I hadn’t been raised in the unknown world, my inner being recognized it for everything that it was.
Jordan kicked me from her spot on the counter as I finished rinsing my toothbrush. “So, brunch?”
“Oh, yeah. That would be great. We can swing by Carver Café on our way to Mom and Dad’s,” I replied, and my mouth was already watering. Not only was the café in the middle of nowhere, far away from the craziness of downtown Portland, but they served the best biscuits and gravy I’d ever had.
“Are you still half asleep or what?” she teased while hopping off the counter.
“Pretty sure I’m wide awake.” I rolled my eyes.
“Then what did I just say?” She smirked, and I gulped.
“Uhhhh, you asked about brunch.”
She patted my shoulder. “Nope, but maybe I’ll tell you again later.”
Damn it. The stupid biscuits and gravy thoughts, on top of my looming death, had me distracted. That was definitely still rolling around in my mind, but I was trying to make the best of it. Stryx had promised that while it would hurt, the pain would be dulled as soon as I arrived in Arvayta.
Apparently, I couldn’t begin the transition in the magical world as the passageway would reject me if I hadn’t at least begun the process of having my powers released.
My head still had a hard time wrapping itself around that one.
I was going to be something other than human in less than twelve hours. If I was just learning about all of this on my birthday, I was pretty sure I would have run away from everyone and changed my name. Likely, my appearance as well.
But, given I’d had the opportunity to take it all in slowly, a part of me was excited for the new adventure, especially if my parents and Jordan were still going to be in my life. As long as the darkness Stryx had warned me of on several occasions—the reason I’d worked my ass off for the last year—didn’t completely screw with things, I kept hope that my life would work out for the better.
Jordan left my room, so I could finish getting ready. It was late April, and temperatures were sporadic. While they usually were during all seasons in Oregon, it was almost a guarantee to need an umbrella and shorts on the same day this particular time of year.
Finally, I decided on my favorite ripped jeans, sandals, and my Avengers tee. We weren’t going anywhere fancy, and I preferred comfort over fashion any day of the week, regardless of what my roommate thought.
“You’re wearing that today?” she huffed when I came out of my bedroom.
Peeking at my phone, I feigned shock. “Well, look at the date. I’m pretty sure it says April 29th. You know what day that is? My birthday. So, yes, I will wear whatever I want, and there’s not a single thing you can do about it.”
Her head shook. “One day, you’re going to come to me for fashion advice and it’s going to be the greatest day ever.” She stomped toward the front door in her perfect-fit skinny jeans, strappy heels, and sequined tank top.
The day I did that, hell would have frozen over.
“You still love me anyway,” I called down the empty hallway, then grabbed my purse before following her outside.
First part of my last human day down. Just a few more events to go.
The drive out to my parents’ house was as stunning as usual for the time of year. It was late spring, and the warmer weather was just starting to make its appearance, causing the trees to change from deep forest green to a more vibrant version filled with bright colors from all the budding flowers.
Thirty minutes after stopping for brunch, we passed by Multnomah Falls and made a right turn up the dirt road leading to the wooden home I'd grown up in. The house was two stories with floor-to-ceiling windows and log siding that made it appear more like a weekend getaway than a full-time home.
Jordan parked the car in her usual spot beneath the side overhang, and before we could even open our doors, my mom was waiting just outside my window. Her hand waved excitedly, and her blue eyes a few shades darker than my own shone brightly in the afternoon sun.
"Happy birthday!" she exclaimed when I opened my door.
"Thanks, Mom." My arms opened to her, and her shorter frame stepped into my embrace.
"How was the drive?" she asked when we pulled apart.
"Same as always. Too much traffic until we passed Troutdale, but it wasn’t all bad. Before we hit I-84, we stopped for brunch at Carver’s, so it made the drive a little more bearable with food in us," I answered.
Mom’s eyes sparkled as she licked her lips. "Did you get the biscuits and gravy?"
A grin appeared on my face as I opened the back door of the car. "I did, and I might have even ordered an extra side of them to bring with me."
There wasn't much about my mom that wasn't exactly like me when it came to taste, so I knew she’d be over the moon with the treat. The biggest difference between the two of us was my temper. That, I got from my father, who was barreling his way toward us from the front porch.
After I handed Mom the food, she and Jordan talked about the weather of all things, while I made my way to meet my dad in the middle. He was a gruff man, but more like a teddy bear whenever he was around people he actually liked.
"Hey, sweet girl. Happy birthday," he whispered in my ear as he picked me up off the ground.
"Thanks, Dad," I replied after he set me back down and I could breathe a little easier.
My dad had blue eyes the same shade as my mom’s, but his skin was naturally tanned while my mom’s was fair. Mine was the perfect mix of both. The same thing happened with our hair. Mom was a natural brunette who never greyed, and Dad was a blondie, so I ended up with dark brown strands that had natural highlights thrown in.
As the four of us moved inside the house, I took several deep inhales of the outdoors: pine, sugar, and water. I knew it seemed weird to smell water, but ever since I met Stryx and my training began, my senses had been heightened, including the ability to smell any type of moisture in the air.
I didn’t focus too long on the outside scents, as they were quickly overpowered by the aroma coming from the kitchen. "Are you making sweet meatballs?" I asked my mom.