CHAPTER 123: MEET THE PARENTS (2)

Sitting on a rock, Nova stared ahead as Atia weaved her locks into a high braid behind her. She wore a new matching skirt and halter top to show off the Serakai marks. They’d stopped off at the treehouse to freshen up and now were a few steps before crossing the boundary line marking the Oncari lands.

Nova couldn’t see it, but the shifters and animals could scent it. Besides this invisible line, it was pretty obvious that predators lived in this part of the forest. It was quieter.

Though a parrot squawked from high up in the tree nearby. All three heads looked up. Two of them squinting in suspicion, expecting the bird to rat them out to Silver Feather. However, Nova told them to chill after it was trying to make some moves on another parrot that clearly already had a mate and now they’re all fighting and feathers and claws keep getting everywhere.

"Done. Ready to go to war, little snack?" Atia smirked, dragging Nova’s attention back to the jungle.

She wiped her cheeks with her finger, stroking an invisible line. "Lets go to war!"

Atia tilted his head. "Yeah, no if you want war paint its normally smeared across the eyes..."

Aiyana looked between them then rolled her eyes. "Are we doing this or just going to have a mothers meeting? You will be late at this rate, and even worse... without their precious son."

Nova hopped up and nodded. "Alright, lets go..." Even as she said that, her nerves started to skitter along her skin again.

She could do this. It wasn’t like it was probably the most important thing in her life to get absolutely right. First impressions weren’t everything...

Nova looked down at herself then looked at Aiyana who looked like the perfect specimen of-

"Oi." Aiyana pinched her cheek. "Stop that."

"Stawp whaat?" Nova said while Aiyana’s grip stung her cheek.

They walked into Oncari lands where creepy silence met them. Aiyana moved to her other side and pinched her other cheek.

"Hey!"

Ouch, that hurt!

Aiyana glared at her and pinched a little harder, her dark honey eyes flicking either side of Nova’s face. "You’re stunning, and everything Yohuali needs in a mate. I’m tall like a tree, and you’re small, agile, cute, like a mouse. Your golden skin and hair is like looking at fractured light of the sun..."

"Are you trying to seduce her?" Atia chuckled, stopping ahead after looking behind him and seeing Aiyana giving Nova more of a pep talk, her hands either side of her face.

Aiyana released Nova’s cheeks. "I’m just stating the obvious." She gripped Nova’s chin, glaring at her again which made her a little nervous. "And you won’t compare yourself or think so little of yourself again. Hear me? You’re Yohuali’s Serakai, his other half." She smacked her shoulder roughly. "Start acting it. Nobody else here is good enough for him. Caelomè chose you."

Nova nodded, still feeling the heat in her cheeks from where Aiyana pinched them. "Caelomè chose me..." She repeated in a whisper, her gaze ahead as they started to walk on.

"Good job on the cheek pinching." Atia raised his hand for a high five. "It brought the colour back in her cheeks."

Aiyana high-five him with a small smirk shot Nova’s way. Warmth spread along her chest, so happy to have such good friends like these. Of course they would be. They were Yoa’s. It would have made her experience on the island much worse if these two despised her or tried to make her life a living hell.

But this wasn’t some drama or anything, and Yoa was surrounded by friends that openly chose to help him, acting as guards for her. Aiyana was secretly very sweet, and small things like pinching her cheeks, or smacking her seemed to always be in her best interest. Atia was more chill and fun loving, purposely annoying Yoa and her, even though his energy should really be spent trying to Woo Aiyana.

Nova sighed, pouting at the annoying pair that seemed to be perfect for each other. Surely Caelomè wasn’t that cruel? "One thing at a time."

"Huh?" Atia narrowed his eyes at her playfully.

Aiyana nudged her forward. "Stop stalling."

Nova nodded, and followed them into the darkening forest... until it wasn’t anymore. She didn’t know how they knew where to go because everything had all looked the same. She swore they’d passed the same tree a few times, the same leaf... wasn’t it back there...

But then the doom and gloom vibe she’d initially been exposed to the first time she’d ran through this area and met Yoa for the first time, fell away, and streaks of sunlight filtered through the giant trees. Children’s laughter filled the air, along with chatter of a tribe that slowly stilled at their slow approach.

It was a small village in a wide clearing. At the other end was a cave and... Nova’s lips almost parted like a gaping fish. It had been carved into the shape of a jaguar head! It’s mouth was the opening!

They’d passed a few more trees and it was like another curtain had been pulled back—whether it was some form of magic or some crafty way to keep more of their secrets concealed in case their location was ever exposed—revealed huts that were crafted into some of the trees. Like the treehouse, some even had different levels, where jaguars slumped over like that of balconies.

Others were simpler, the huts small caves, exposing some of the inside, most of it concealed in curtains of leaves or animal hides.

It was a mixture of what she’d expect of a tribe’s village and then something else entirely. In different lightings though, half of the tribe looked invisible, like their numbers weren’t so great.

"Welcome." A deep voice carried from the side as a an approached with measured, commanding strides. His ornate attire declared him Chief, but it was the sheer weight of his aura that left no doubt.

It was strange, Nova swore she found his features familiar. The years had carved faint rivers into his skin, but it was clear he was once a strinking young man, making him handsome with wisdom sinking deep into those dark honey eyes.

"Hi," Nova breathed, and patted her fist gently over the left part of her chest twice in greeting.

Chief Tamuari looked her over, assessing, but he forced the scrutiny from his features and turned his attention to Aiyana. That was when the missing piece finally clicked. Of course! How could she forget?! Atia always called her a savage princess!

Now that they were close together, Nova could see the resemblance, though Aiyana was feminine, slimmer faced, while the Chief had a strong wider jaw. She wondered what her mother looked like.

"Yana... we must speak... alone." Chief Tamuari gestured towards the jaguar cave.

"I need to show Nova where-"

"Now." His voice didn’t get louder but the weight of his command rolled off him, and others actions slowed, a few glancing in their direction.