Chapter 25
9 years later
The crew gathered celebrating young Hanna’s tenth birthday on a picnic, close by a popular kids playground. Over the years Hanna’s hair grew to midnight long curly locks down past her shoulders. Wild, like her soul. Her silver eyes seemed to glow the more she grew. Yet more importantly, her Angelic side still hasn’t hatched. S
The girl raced around the play-set hopping from one equipment to the other with blinding speeds. Laughing as she swung herself around, throwing herself into air and landing on her feet. Today she wore one of her favourite singlets, painted cloth to resemble a Knight's chestplate, gift from her Aunties. Black flannel overtop, her long sleeves shoved up her arm. Bright red bandana, courtesy of her parents, tied around her neck. With the locket of her birth mother just hanging beneath. Short jeans covered in dirt and dusty blue sandshoes.
She loved the way the children and her uncles laughed as they played Tag, but a small nagging voice that sounded very much like her Grandmother Suzanne, reminded her to go easy on them. So she followed her advice. Allowing the other children to catch her every once in a while, but not always. She loved the birds that chirped around them. The sun that warmed her skin. The voices of her family talking nearby. Today was nothing special by others standards, but to her this day was the best.
A flash of wild blonde hair caught her eye. She paused mid sprint to find a girl, around her age in appearance. Wild hair like hers, wearing floral tattered dress playing on the swing. She was alone, but the girl didn’t seem to mind. Her green forest eyes darted around the playground with amused attention. When they caught sight of Hanna. The stranger smiled, watching her for a moment, then resumed surveying the playground.
Footsteps ran up behind Hanna. She just heard the sound moments before a Uncle Michael launched himself at her. She jumped up and caught hold of the monkey bars. Lifting her legs up, narrowly dodging the boy. Next came her Uncle Diego trying to catch her. She made a slight pull of the bars to dodge his hands and one bar bent under the pressure.
“oh no” she groaned. She threw herself up and over the bars. Landing ontop. She turned to her uncles and laughed “Missed me!”. They looked to her and laughed, shaking their heads.
“Good one Han” Diego congratulated. He turned to Michael with cheeky smirk. He shoved Michael while saying “Tag your it!” then took off running.
“Hey no fair!” he complained as he chased after.
Hanna watched her Uncles run about, watching the kids chase after her Uncles. Then she turned to the bars with worried gritted teeth and eyes sparking with purple hue mixed in her silver eyes. “please don’t be broken, please don’t be broken”. Hanna reached for the bent bar and with a slow pull upward, she set the bar straight again. She looked back to her family’s picnic and sighed relieved; they didn’t notice. Hanna turned over her shoulder to the strange girl on the swings. A smile graced her face and her eyes transformed to gold. It was decided, she was going to meet this girl.
Hanna stood up and skipped along the thin bars, jumped up to the top posts of the Playground. Leaping from one post to another until she landed on top of the swings. She dropped down, wrapping her legs around the top bar, then swung face forward, hanging facing the girl. The little girl jumped at her sudden appearance. “Hi!” Hanna called excitedly. “I’m Hanna”
The little stranger laughed nervously. “Hi Hanna, I’m Persephone”
“Piraphone?” Hanna asked confused.
“No silly” Persephone laughed. “Perse..phone”
“Ohhh. Persephone” Hanna repeated, her grin widen showing her dimples. Her body swinging freely in the air. “I like it”
“Thanks, I like yours too”
“Would you like some cake? It’s my birthday today and my mums said they will be cutting the cake real soon”
Persephone frowned worriedly. “I dunno…” she sighed. She turned to the left and starred.
Hanna frowned following her gaze, her eyes slowly changing to purple. There beyond the children running about, was a man. Tall, dark and glaring. He was focused on Persephone until he caught sight of Hanna starring at him. He looked her way and smiled briefly for a moment. He turned to Persephone, smiled at her and gave her a sharp nod.
Persephone quickly snapped her attention to Hanna with a giddy grin. “Dad says yes!” she cried, leaping from the swing.
Hanna turned to her and nearly fell off the swing from surprise. “Really?” she called, quickly regaining her balance. Her gold eyes sparkled with joy. “Awesome lets go!”. Hanna threw herself off the bar and landed light on her feet. She stood tall, grabbed Persephone hand and started leading her straight for her family. “You are going to love them, they are really funny and cool!”
“Cool”
“Do you wanna be friends?” Hanna asked with a hopeful tone.
“Yes”
“YAY” Hanna squealed excitedly. Before she could allow the exciting prospect of her new friendship get too far into her head. She looked over her shoulder to her friend, then to the man that watched them. “So who was that man back there?”
“Just my dad”
“He looked scary” Hanna comment. She turned to her new friend, her eyes darken, changing to slight ting of olive as she asked “is he okay?”
“yeah of course, he’s my dad”
Hanna sighed. Not entirely convinced, but she didn’t want to scare her new friend off too quickly. She turned ahead to her family. Trying to focus on their happiness, instead of the pain in her gut.
“How do you do that?” Persephone voice whispered.
Hanna stopped in her tracks, focusing on her new friend. “Do what?”
“Change your eyes?”
“I don’t know” she shrugged. “I’ve always been able to do it”
“It’s so cool, wish I could do that”
“thank you” Hanna spoke, her smile widen at the compliment. “Come on, we’re almost there” she turned and continued to lead her new friend across the yard.
When they arrived at the family picnic, she found her Uncles running over to join them. Hanna stopped and pulled Persephone close. “Hey everyone!” she greeted, drawing all attentions to her. “This is Persephone! She’s my friend”
“Hi Persephone!” they greeted.
“Would you like some cake kid?” Ava offered.
“Yes please” Persephone answered.
“Alright take a sit, welcome” Ava patted the ground twice, then pulled out a knife, handing it to her daughter. “Care for the honour Sweetpea?”
“Sure” Hanna took the knife and started slicing through the cake. Giving everyone a slice each before herself. “This is awesome birthday!”
“Glad you are enjoying it sweetpea!” Ava wished, leaning over and kissing her daughter’s temple.
“Where is your parents Persephone?” Bea asked concerned.
Persephone frowned with a mouthful of cake, she turned over her shoulder to the spot her father was a moment ago, instead discovering his absents. She then turned back and shrugged. “He was here, but he will be back”
“does he often leave you alone?” Mother Superion asked concerned.
“He does, but he always comes back” she replied. Then returned to devouring her cake.
The rest of the kids followed her lead while the adults took subtle glances over Persephone shoulder to where her father was last seen. They didn’t say a word about the matter. Letting it drop as they devoured the cake. Watching as the kids talked amongst themselves mid eating.
“Are you staying long?” Hanna asked her.
The pair had returned to the swingset, swinging side by side. Her Uncles kindly offered to push them.
“Don’t know” Persephone answered. “We move around a lot, but I hope we stay”
“Me too”
“You know its awesome here” Michael comment. “If you are staying a while, little Hanna here gets to play here every afternoon”
Persephone smiled and way she smile shown, made Hanna’s eyes glowed.
“That’s so cool, this place is so cool!” Persephone spoke. She turned to her friend and asked “Can we meet tomorrow?”
“Sure”
“Girl!” a commanding voice declared. The four jumped at the sudden appearance of Persephone's father. Persephone almost fell off her swing from the sound of his dark voice. Luckily Diego was close by. He caught the girl and held her upright until she regained her composure.
Up close, the man’s rugged body towered over the four kids. Casting them into shadow. Yet his grizzy appearance and twisted smile didn’t scare Hanna away. She threw herself off the swings and took a stand in front of the man. Craning her head back to look him in the eye, just like her Mother taught her. Her eyes darken to iron, like the swords the Warrior Sisters carried. She didn’t threat away, didn’t show her fear. She pushed her feelings down and faced him unperturbed by his presences. Nor did she react to the weird smell his scent carried. “Hi” she greeted, putting on her widest cheery grin. “I’m Hanna, and you are Persephone Dad, I’m her friend”
“Nice to meet you Hanna” he greeted, offering his hand. “My name is Baron”
She took the offering and felt immediate pressure from his grip. She closed her lips in a tight grin. Her mother told her about shaking hands, the etiquette of it all and especially with particular strong men. She never met the certain type of man until now. So she returned the grip with the same pressure she received and more.
“Good”
“Good?” she questioned confused.
They let each other’s hands go, their hands now having matching bruised fingermark marks on their skin.
He laughed “Your handshake girl, your father taught you well. You looked me right in the eye and didn’t shy away” he hummed, looking to his daughter. His daughter looked to her father briefly before turning her gaze to the ground. He looked back to Hanna and smiled proudly. “You can be her friend”
“And we appreciate that” she remarked.
Baron frowned at her comment, insulted by her attitude, he warned “I beg your pardon”
“Hanna” Michael warned in a low whispered.
“Your excused!” Hanna replied, ignoring her Uncle’s warning.
Baron chuckled darkly “Is this how you were raised to treat your elders? Where is your respect?”
Hanna laughed “It’s right up your-“
“-Baron wasn’t it!” Ava’s voice asked off to their side. The woman suddenly standing along side her child, with her wife standing beside her. She watched Baron face her. Taken back by their sudden presences. “Seems you met my daughter, might as well introduce myself. My name is Ava!” she gestured to her wife, who was now walking between Persephone and Hanna. Taking a stand on Hanna's other side. “This is my wife Beatrice”
Beatrice turned to Baron, her eyes darken and her bared teeth grin shown wide. “Pleasure to meet you” she stated, offering her hand.
Baron looked her right in the eye, displeased with the interruption, but shook her hand. “Baron” he grunted. The moment Beatrice’s fingers wrapped around his hand, he bit back a hiss. Like her daughter, she didn’t shy away from his eyes. She faced them head on and stared directly into his soul. He pulled his hand back quickly. He smiled for a moment, rubbing his wounded hand. “You taught your daughter well, it shows a lot about one’s character when you don’t shy away from a handshake”
“It does” she agreed.
He looked beyond Ava to the family, discovering their presences have moved from across to park to around the children in seconds. He wasn’t pleased with their sudden appearance without his awareness, but he knew better to pick fights when out numbered. He turned to the mothers with a cheerful smile. A look forced beyond measure. “We should get each others numbers!” he spoke. “It’s good my daughter has a friend while we are in town and work tends to take me away from my little girl? You wouldn’t mind babysitting her once and a while? I would appreciate the help”
“Our pleasure” Beatrice assured. “Just give us a ring” she enforced, pulling out a card with her number and their house phone. Handing to the man she stated “Whenever work is required of your presences”
“Thank you, I will” he replied, taking the card. He turned to his daughter and urged “come on Persephone, we have to go”
“Do we have to?” she whined.
“Persephone” he grunted.
She sighed, turning to Hanna and Hanna to her. “See you tomorrow?” Persephone asked.
“Yeah, right here!” Hanna informed smiling.
Persephone smiled, before she ran from her friend, around Beatrice and to her Father’s side. Her Father led her away, but she kept her head facing her friend, waving with a small hopeful smile.
Hanna waved back, watching her friend’s form grow smaller from the distance.
“Geez I thought you were going to kill him for a second” Michael sighed relieved.
“too many witnesses” Hanna and Beatrice spoke in unison. Beatrice turned to her daughter with an impressed smirk while Hanna beamed proudly at her mother.
“Okay you two, take the assassin creed down a notch” Ava joked.
Hanna frowned as she turned to her Mother Ava. “She’s going to be here tomorrow right?”
Ava frowned, kneeling down to her daughter’s eye level. “She said yes, why do you think otherwise?”
Hanna shrugged “I don’t know, I got a bad feeling about him”
“Me too sweetpea”