Chapter One: 20 Years later.

I groan inwardly as I enter the kitchen. Victor's nanny had called me because my four-year-old brother was throwing a fit again. Which meant that he was probably destroying everything in his wake. I shake my head as I stare at the state of the kitchen. There was broken glass everywhere and even a wooden stool lay in the floor splintered in pieces. I notice Victor standing in the middle of the kitchen crying and screaming to the top of his lungs. Victor being four still had some of his baby weight and his black curly hair was tussled in every direction. I shake my head and slowly approach him. Which causes him to look up at me.

I frown slightly as his onyx-colored eyes were blacker than normal. He was letting his magic run to freely. Reaching up I flick him in the forehead. Which causes him to go completely silent and still. Then he pouts and rubs his forehead.

"Astra! You're a meanie!" I huff. Says the kid literally exploding things with his mind.

"I don't want to hear it! You are going to go up to your room and write your nanny an apology and THEN you are going to go and tell Mother what you did." Victor huffs turning on his heels and stomping out of the kitchen. I swing around and look at the Cook Sophie.

She was a slender older woman with salt and pepper curls that she usually wore up in a bun. Her tanned skin now had wrinkles from old age and her dull blue eyes held her amusement. I sigh heavily and shake my head.

"I am so sorry Sophie. Can I help you clean any of this up?" Sophie chuckles and her eyes fill up with tears. I tilt my head at her curiously. What's gotten into her?

"Sophie are you alright?" Sophie clears her throat and nods her head.

"Yes dear. I'm alright. No, I don't need help you go ahead and run along." I nod and exit the kitchen. Now I just had to deal with the twins. Being the oldest of six was tiring! Victor was the youngest and then there was Victoria who was six. The twins Vince and Aros are sixteen, then there was Aryn she was seventeen and then there was me..I was twenty. I shake my head and head toward The Study where I had left the twins.

I pray to The Goddess that my mother gets pregnant again! I couldn't handle raising another sibling! I cross my arms as I enter the study.

The twins sat on either side of the room glaring at one another. Of course, being sixteen they thought that they knew everything. Vince and Aros were identical, and both had black shaggy hair and a smooth beige skin tone. My younger brothers were taller than me. They were about five-eleven and athletically inclined only because they were convinced that girls liked guys with muscles. I clear my throat to get their attention.

"Can I despell the Speechless spell now and you both behave?" Both Vince and Aros's cobalt eyes widen, and they nod their heads frantically. I chuckle and snap my fingers and the boys let out a dramatic sigh. I shake my head at them and frown a little as something crashes upstairs.

"Oh! Right! While you were dealing with Victor Aryn came home and she was freaking out!" I glare at Aros as I could hear the amusement in his voice. Wonderful! Now I have to deal with Aryn. The girl was fragile minded and had very high functioning anxiety. I had no idea what was waiting for me as I climbed the stairs,

Aryn's room was at the end of the hallway. She insisted on having the room because it was the furthest away from the rest of our siblings. I inhale a deep breath and prepare myself for the worst.

Slowly opening the door my eyes widen at the slight of Aryn's room. If I didn't know any better, I would think that someone had ransacked her room. I could see Aryn's blonde curls just on the other side of the bed. She was hunkered down in the corner sobbing softly. I arch an eyebrow at her and slowly approach her. She had her long-tanned legs drawn up to her chest and her head buried in her arms.

"Aryn? Hey what happened?" I kneel down in front of her, and she slowly lifts her head revealing her onyx eyes. They were puffy and her heart shaped face was blotchy. I notice that her body trembled slightly. I grunt as she throws herself into my arms and sobs hardly.

What in the world is going on? I held her and let her sob. She'd talk once that she had cried it out. We sat there for over an hour and now she was just sniffling.

"Astra...what would happen if one of us found our Divine Pairing but it wasn't a witch?" My heart skipped a beat and I pull her at arm's length so I can look her in the face.

"Airy did you find your pair bond?" Aryn whimpers and nods.

"Mom and Dad are going to freak out. He's not a witch." I inhale shaky breath and pull at the collar of her shirt so I can see her marking. It was beautiful and a vibrant gold color...I squeeze my eyes shut and growl a sigh. It was a fae...

Our parents were very strong believers in Witches should only be with witches.

"Do you want to be with him? Because if you don't. Then you don't have to. This marking isn't a binding contract... You can reject it." Aryn's eyes widen and she shakes her head violently. I felt myself smile a little surprised at her.

"NO! He makes all the mess in my head fade away...I like being around him." I nod and slowly wave my hand over the marking and watch as it slowly disappears. Aryn gasps. I pat her head gently.

"It's fine. Its just a glamour and I've cloaked it so no one can sense the magic in it. That way you don't have to deal with it right now and you can explain it to him. But his marking so be hidden too. But this gives you time to figure out how to tell our parents and finish school." Aryn lets out a choked sob and smiles brightly at me.

"I wish Mom was more like you." I felt a pang in my heart at that comment. I couldn't blame her for it. Mom was distance with all of us. She wasn't very affectionate or anything. I give Aryn a quick hug before heading out of her room.

I wonder where Victoria was. I hadn't seen her since breakfast, and I was starting to worry. I knew that she had tutoring right after and that is what worried me. I make my way up to the second floor where her room was along with mine. Her bedroom door was open. Weird. I walk inside and look around.

Victoria's golden hair was over her face, and she sat to still at her desk. Something was wrong. I slowly approach her and my heart drops into my stomach. Victoria's wrists were red and raw. She was wearing the anti-magic, cuffs that were laced with mistletoe. I growl and Vicky's head snaps up in surprise.

Grabbing the cuff, I shove my magic down into my fingertips causing them to spark. I smirk as the cuffs shatter. Vicky gasps.

"Who put those cuffs on you?!" My voice vibrated and Vicky flinched.

"I did a spell wrong..." She sounded so defeated and my anger just kept growing.

"Did Mom do this?" Vicky's eyes widen and she just stared at me. That was all the answer that I needed.

"Go see Sophie so she can treat that. I'm going to have a word with our mother!"

I spin around fast and storm out of her room. HOW DARE SHE!!!

We had a deal! She wouldn't use those cuffs on any of my siblings as long as I gave her half of my magic! I had done so in order to protect my siblings from those things! I snarl as I make my way across the courtyard toward The Coven offices. Which was a two-story cottage with many rooms. Mom's office was on the top floor.

I stop at Mom's door. It was cracked open. I rush toward the wall to listen.

"Are you sure?" It was Mom's soft voice and for some reason it sounded so concerned. Something had happened.

"Yes, High Priestess. The report was clear. The Blood Moon pack hired a witch, and he killed The Lycan Prince's Mate." My heart stopped for a fraction of the second. Oh, Goddess No! I rush into the room before I could think of the consequences. There was only one witch missing from our coven right now...Gus. He was my mother's brother and my favorite Uncle. He knew that it was against the Law to be a hired assassin. There was no way that he would that.

Mom gives me a stern look and turns back to the other person in the room.

"Where is my brother now?!" I flinch at her hostile tone. I had been on the receiving end of that tone, and it was habit to flinch. I saw at the young man. My heart beating out of control.

"He's disappeared. But The prince in stuck in wolf form now..." Mom lets out a clipped sigh and turns her attention toward me and then I saw a flash of something in her eyes...something that I had never seen before...regret. But what would she be so regretful about?!