A Mother’s Shadow
Eira’s presence loomed like a shadow over Isla’s time with her father, her soft-spoken words always seeming to tilt conversations away from the questions Isla wanted answers to. Kaelen listened to Eira with a quiet deference that grated on Isla’s nerves, as if he trusted her more than he trusted his own daughter.
One evening, as they sat in the study surrounded by tomes and the soft glow of lanterns, Isla decided she couldn’t hold back any longer. Her father was leafing through an old journal, but Isla’s sharp voice cut through the silence.
“Eira isn’t helping you,” Isla said, her silver eyes burning with conviction. “She’s manipulating you.”
Kaelen’s head snapped up, his golden eyes narrowing. “You don’t know what you’re saying, Isla,” he replied, his tone even but edged with irritation.
“She’s keeping you from telling me the truth,” Isla pressed, stepping closer. “Every time I try to learn more about our past, about my power, she’s there—deflecting, distracting, controlling. Can’t you see it?”
Kaelen’s expression hardened, and he set the journal aside. “Eira has been by my side for decades. She’s sacrificed more than you can imagine to keep this family safe.”
“That doesn’t mean she’s not using you,” Isla countered. “You’ve spent so much time looking at what she’s done for you that you’re blind to what she’s doing now.”
Kaelen’s voice dropped, his tone cutting. “You don’t understand the sacrifices she’s made. You haven’t lived through what we have.”
Isla’s chest tightened at his dismissal, anger flaring in her veins. “Maybe not,” she said, her voice shaking slightly. “But I understand betrayal. And I know what it feels like to be left in the dark by the people who are supposed to protect you.”
Kaelen’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t reply. For a moment, father and daughter stared at each other, the weight of unspoken words hanging heavy between them. Finally, Kaelen looked away, his gaze falling to the floor.
Isla turned on her heel and left the room, her frustration boiling over. She didn’t know how to break through the wall Eira had built between her and her father, but she was determined to find a way—before it was too late.
