Chapter 5 Horned God's Visit

• [Amara’s POV]
• Mom’s reaction says it all. She couldn’t believe what she just heard. Her eyes widened, and she slapped her palms over her mouth to muffle the loud gasp. She stayed frozen for a few seconds, and I started getting nervous.
• “Mom, say something.” I bent to her level and shook her shoulders with my two hands.
• Dads’ gazes were fixed on Mom’s, too.
• “Mom, would you please act normal? When I showed Mimi the picture, she mumbled something, but I have no idea what. Now you’re acting strange, too? When will the two of you explain to me what’s going on?” I folded my arms in annoyance—all these reactions and not a single explanation was starting to get on my nerves.
• “Picture? What picture? Show me,” she demanded in a rushed tone. I looked around, searching for my tablet, but couldn’t find it. “I must have left it in the coven,” I said casually.
• Just as the last word escaped my mouth, a large hiking bag appeared before us. Mom and Dads burst into laughter as I rolled my eyes.
• I looked up and protested in the air, “That’s not fair, Mimi. You are listening again.” I didn’t notice that my voice was loud and my tone was harsh, because Mom reacted almost instantly.
• “That’s not nice, Amara. Don’t use that tone with Mom. She is your grandmother. No matter what, she deserves all the respect in the world. Use that tone on her again, and you’ll have to deal with me.” I nodded apologetically as I opened the bag to search for my tablet.
• Mom is scary this way. Although she never used her power on us, I know what she is capable of. I understand that all of our combined power is nothing compared to hers, especially when she wears that goddess-given cloak. The only downside of her power is her inability to use it on herself. She can easily detect and cure others’ illnesses with just a glance, but she can’t heal herself. She can’t use her power for her benefit. She didn’t even detect her pregnancies. It was something that even a novice witch could detect, well.
• Once I found the tablet, I switched it on and opened the app where I drew the entity I saw in the forest. I extended my hand to show Mom the picture, “Here, Mom. Take a look.”
• Mom looked at the image without saying a word. Her expression was unreadable.
• After a few seconds, she lifted her head and closed her eyes. Slowly, her body lifted in the air. It rotated into a full circle before moving behind the long couch. She stayed there for nearly five minutes, unmoving, as if she were listening to something. We all watched her in silence. I could almost hear our racing heartbeats. The only annoying sound breaking the monotony of the void was the ticking of the wall clock.
• After a long wait, Mom bowed her head. When she straightened her back, her body slowly descended until her feet were on the ground.
• The main door slammed open almost the same time as Mom’s eyes opened. Nas and Sean stepped in with hardened expressions. They both asked in unison, “Who are you talking to, Mom?” as they marched toward her, only stopping when they were a few feet away from her. Their gazes bounced between Mom and the space in between them.
• Weird. It’s like they haven’t even seen me, but could see something no one else could, except for Mom. Are we truly triplets? How come they didn’t miss me? Just as the thought brushed my mind, my brothers looked in my direction, “Amy,” they exclaimed in unison.
• “Hey,” I waved my hand, and they quickly shifted their attention to me, approaching with a mischievous smile. They caged me inside their hardened muscles, as they always do, until I protested from suffocation.
• Once they pulled out of the hug, a playful grin appeared on their lips. “You’re in trouble, Amy,” Sean giggled as he ruffled my hair. “We just met Mimi, if you know what I mean.” He pointed at me and winked before joining Dads on the couch.
• “Don’t be rude, Mom. Offer him a seat.” Nas’s voice rang out, and we all looked bewildered at what he had just said. Or at least that’s what I thought until I scanned the room and noticed that only Dads had this identical questioning glare thrown at Nas, as if they were asking, “Whom to offer a seat? Mom and Sean looked… normal.”
• Mom bowed once again wordlessly before joining our father on the couch.
• “What was Nas talking about, Mom? Were you talking to someone just now?” I queried.
• “Yes. We were visited by a God. Pack your things, Amara, and go back to the coven. I will send you now. Make sure to come back for your sisters’ coming of age. We will all go to the forest to celebrate and initiate their powers as we did yours and your brothers.” Her voice was monotonous as if a robot was talking, and lacked emotion, which somehow infuriated me.
• “I just came, Mom. Can’t you at least let me stay for the night?” I protested loudly, stomping my feet and grumbling. And as expected, it didn’t sit well with Dads and my brothers.
• “Amara!” They all scolded me at the same time, and the packhouse shook with the intensity of their combined alpha command. Geez.
• I raised my hands in the air. “Okay, Okay.”
• I looked at Mom, and it terrified me to see how calm she was. Is this the calm before the storm? Am I in deep trouble? Once our gaze locked, she bobbed her head and said, “Go to your room. I will send you back to the coven tomorrow morning. I will talk to your Mimi first.”
• I nodded, but instead of going up to my room, I sat beside her and snuggled up to her, which is, in a way, an apology. She circled her arm around me and settled her lips on the top of my head. “You’re an adult now, Amara. Act like one. Soon, you will have your child, and you won’t be able to continue with these antics anymore. Stop being so willful, alright?” Mom’s voice was so gentle, but it sounded so… I don’t know what emotion that was. As I try to decipher the hidden meaning behind her gentle tone, something tugs at my heartstrings, and tears instantly well up in the corner of my eye. I closed my eyes after blinking back the tear that had been threatening to fall. I don’t know why I’m emotional today. I’m sure I’m not having my period, so why?
• My mom is like the queen of the family. She rules both the pack and the coven. No decision will ever be made without anyone consulting her. Everything that comes from her mouth is like a royal decree that no one wants to bend. And like a true queen that she is, my dads and brothers served as her royal protectors.
• The following day, Mom woke me up at 6:00 a.m. “Amara, get up. I will take you to the coven. We will go by car. Your dads will come with us.”
• “Why?” I cover my face against the bright light as I flutter my eyes open.
• “What do you mean why?”
• “Why are you all coming with me? You never came with me to the coven before.”
• “We need to talk to your three Mimis. Get up, get up,” spanking my buttocks playfully.
• “Mom,” I grumbled. “It’s still early. I should be enjoying my spring break by sleeping in. The Gods are not yet awake, and here you are, forcing me to get up.” My protest continues.
• “Don’t be stubborn, Amara. You can sleep in the car on our way to the coven.”
• “Why don’t we just teleport, Mom. It’s faster.”
• “Because that’s not the usual way of doing things?” she smirked. Her answer was dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, and before I forget, can you please spell out the words when you are sending me text messages? I have to chase your sisters to ask the meaning of your endless acronyms. It’s annoying.”
• “Meaning…? English, Mom. English.”
• “Will it kill you to type I don’t know instead of IDK? And I would love to hear or read the full form of ILY,” she paused without moving her gaze from mine. “It is also rather disrespectful to tell me TTYL, don’t you think?”
• I burst into laughter after seeing her expression. She is so cute when she is irritated.
• “Not funny, Amara. I’m serious.”
• “Okay, Mom. Promise, no more acronyms.” I lifted my pinky finger, and she locked it with her own.