SAD GOODBYES.

Hours later, I’m done packing but I still can’t wrap my head around everything.

“Are you excited?” Mama asks when she catches me spacing out again.

“More like nervous, but also excited, I mean, I’m going to college!”

“Did you get everything?”

“They said no clothes, so I just packed my Kindle, a tab for my music, my portable sound system, all my shoes, and underwear.”

“Oh, and the plushies for me and Blue, plus a couple of his favourite books.”

“So that’s everything?” Mama asks again.

“Yeah, if I need anything I can ask for it, we can communicate, right? Oh my God, please tell me they have the internet and cell phone coverage.”

“Relax Mahi, I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised, it’s not all medieval,” Mama says with a laugh.

“Have you ever been there?”

“Yeah, we all went there, that’s where I met Raphael.”

“And Nona Ellie?”

“No, we met earlier than that.”

“How was it? Were you discriminated, you told me most people aren’t kind to your kind.”

“Well, it was pretty cool and fun too, like a normal school, but that was years ago so I’m sure a lot more has changed. No one messed with me though not only is my magic volatile, I also had an angry alpha dragon shifter at my beck and call,” she adds with a laugh.

“No angry dragons for me, and i can’t throw a punch to save my life, i answer dejectedly.”

Mama just laughs at my comment moving to hug me, “Don’t worry, I’m sure everything will be fine, and maybe you’ll get your own dragon,”she says with a sly look.

“One thing though, don’t be outright hostile, it would be nice to make some friends, but don’t trust too easily either.”

“That’s a given, you don’t need to tell me that.”

“Yeah I know, but some of those people are on another level of mean, they thrive on the suffering of others, taught to trick and manipulate everything for their benefit,” she explains trying to smooth back my hair, though her efforts were completely futile.

“Wow Mama! I can’t wait to get there! It sounds like a magical place,” I counter earning a pinch for my sarcasm.

“Are they racist too?” I ask looking up at her from her hold.

Though I say it in jest, that fact really worries me. My dark brown skin had been a major setback for me before, my uniquely coloured hair didn’t help matters either. I was always labelled a freak. Maybe it was because I couldn’t tame my hair no matter what and I either looked like i had role played a lightning rod or like I had wrestled a shoal of piranhas.

“Some of them will be though I suspect any discrimination you would receive will be because of your humanity, and I mean that in every sense of the word,” Mama answers letting me go and heading to the door. She opens it to reveal Mor, I hadn’t even heard the doorbell ring. Some perks I could really use.

“So, are we ready to go?” Mor asks heading in.

“Yeah, well as ready as I can be anyway,” I reply, picking up Blue who was lounging on the couch with Papa. He had been hyper all day, finally cooling down when he took him.

“Where is Eliane?” Mama asks.

“She went ahead to get everything ready, and Killian is waiting for us outside.”

“Is this all?” Mor asks indicating my luggage set, a gift from my parents from my previous birthday.

“Yes, that’s it, you said not to carry much,” I answer fighting to keep a firm hold on Blue who was now going up and down my body like I was some jungle gym equipment.

She picks them up and carries them outside while I say goodbye to my parents. After they hug Blue too, we head outside and I bundle him into the car seat, which is quite a task because of his wings.

“Retract your wings, child,” Mama instructs, moving to help.

He obeys, though half-heartedly, and we finally get him comfortable and secure.

“I know you’ll make us proud baby, and we’ll visit so often you’ll be tired of us,” Mama says fighting tears while cradling my face. Papa is next to her nodding looking equally teary, which was a sight since the man was the very definition of intimidating.

I nod a final goodbye and turn to the car before I lose it too. With one last look at the place that had been my first and only home, we are off.

“How come we are taking a car, I thought you would open a portal or something,” I ask once we hit the highway.

“We would have, but we don’t want to alert the other guys looking for you, any sort of magic would be detected.” Mor answers.

“So, where are we going?”

“To the airport.” Mor answers.

“We are flying?” I ask excitedly.

“No, we will create the portal once we are there, that will throw them off for a while,” she explains. I guess BH had exhausted his words for the day.