She laid on her bed staring up at the ceiling again. Her world had honestly turned bonkers. There was no way, what Ryder claimed was true. She needed answers, so she flung off her bed and made her way down towards her aunties bedroom. She knocked, and almost instantly her aunt repiled. "Come in!" Her singsong voice was slightly irritating. Shaylee opened the door, the room smelt like lavender, roses and a hint of cigarette. Various patterned drapes hung from the ceiling, there was a bead drape hanging in the doorframe, and lots of weird witchcraft looking symbols all over the walls. Shaylee awkwardly untangled herself from the beads, and shuffled inside. Her aunt was in her usual mismatched attire, and was cross legged on a yoga mat, with a crystal ball by her feet. "I've been expecting you." She teased, trying too hard to make her voice sound mysterious. Shaylee resisted the urge to huff. She sat down in front of her aunt but before she could say anything, her aunt bet her to it. "So I heard about that little 'caffuffle.' you and Ryder Shayne had in the carpark the other day." She began to shuffle some tarot cards.

"How do you know about- that...?"

Her aunt looked up at her and grinned. "Hon. One thing you should know about this town is that everyone talks."

Shaylee sat there awkwardly for a moment, before mastering the courage to ask. "Are you an actual witch?" She knew her aunt had a 'thing' for witchcraft and the paranormal, but she just wondered where the line between fact and fiction was drawn. Her aunt stooped shuffling, and glanced up at her, her face expressionless. "Who's asking?"

"Me? Shaylee?"

She eyed her for a moment, before flicking her wrist and making the door sound with a soft click. She'd locked it. "Does that answer your question?" Shaylee was stunned, wide eyed. She couldn't rule this out as an optical illusion, or cult like nature. "H-how did you- what?" Shaylee began to tremble, and fall over her words. "Because I'm a witch? Duh." Her auntie chuckled, which did not ease Shaylee's nerves in the slightest. "You don't know anything do you?"

"Well people keep saying that-"

"Well that's because I assume, she's still protecting you." She began to shift the cards again.

"Who?"

"Your mother." Her hands left her cards, and reached for the sides of Shaylee's head. "Let me show you, what you've already seen." Shaylee felt uneasy, but didn't stop her aunt. She needed to know, she must know. It was like one of those flashback scenes from the films. Various noises and voices blended together, and seemed to fade in another. "You have to take them, I can't let him do it." It was her mothers voice.

"I have a younger brother, I'll put him on the task. They'll be safe." Vlarissa's warm voice sounded.

One of the most distinct noises was one of a crying baby, a man entered the room and scooped up the baby from the cot beside her. The man was older, with greying hair and sunken eyes. The baby had hair as dark as night, and dark brown eyes. The baby was sobbing dramatically, and the man balanced the baby in one arm, leaning down towards her. "Hey Shaylee, daddy will be back in just a tick." He tickled her tummy, making baby Shaylee giggle. The man shut the door and the image faded. Green eyes stared down at her, she'd recognize those eyes anywhere. It was Ryder. He scooped her up, and looked down at the other cot panicked. Familiar purple light consumed her, and the visions stopped.

Shaylee gasped, and her aunt wrenched her hands away from her head. "You have a bigger role in our world's than you think Shaylee."

"World's?"

"The underworld."

"Again. I know nothing. You might wanna elaborate."

Her aunt gave her a sheepish smile, "The underworld is a world exact to ours, it is ours. It's hidden just outside the corner of your eye. It's a world where there's colonies such as; Vampires, Witches, such as myself. Werewolf's such as Paul." Shaylee's eyes widened, "Fae's, such as yourself. Oni's, Demon's, Shapeshifters, Seers, Physics, People who can commute with the dead, Shifters, Shadowers, and Halfies. Just to name a few."

"What- what's a fae?"

"Fairies of course."

Shaylee chuckled at this, "If i'm a fairy then where are my wings? Do they just sprout out of my back once I've completed my 'fairy training'." She joked.

"Fae's don't have wings." Antionette clarified.

"Oh..."

"Anyways," Her aunt cleared her throat, "Your halfie. Half human, half fae. Provence, which is the Queen of fae's, and what a bitch she is..." Her aunt trailed off, "Wants to eliminate all half-blood underworlders. Which makes up over half of the underworld's population."

"Why?"

"Some say just for control, for power. But- most halfies are known to be stronger, more adapted than 'pureblood' underworlders. Because they're hybrids. Provence is set out to eliminate them all. It's an abomination in her eyes." Her aunt sounded disgusted. "You're our only hope."

"Why me? I mean- I didn't know about- well, any of this until five seconds ago." Shaylee spoke, she watched as her aunt looked like she was bracing herself.

"Paul's not your father..." Coming from her- an auntie she grew up with, it sounded possible. It sounded confirmed. "Not following-"

"Your father is King Titanus. Provence's husband."

Her aunt shrugged her coat on, and followed Shaylee out the door. Her aunt thought it would be best, if she heard the rest from someone 'closer to the story'. Antionette banged on the door of the Shayne residence. Vlarissa opened the door and recognized her aunt immediately, "Antionette Armani." She breathed, and then her eyes found Shaylee who stood awkwardly behind her. "She knows." At Antionette's words, Vlarissa's eyes snapped back to her and she studied her face for a moment. "Come in. Come in." Vlarissa ushered, and the pair walked into their house once again. Vlarissa poked her head out her door, and looked both ways before flinging herself back inside, locking the door. "CALVIN! MELVIN! RYDER!" Vlarissa called. Their house was quite lovely, decorated head to toe in tan and white. Their couch was a pale brown, their living room led into their yellow tiled kitchen. Two pairs of footsteps bounded down the stairs, and the translucent boy seemed to float gently. "Ryder! Call Ember, tell her to get Ryan, Felix, Nessa, Nina, The Rivers and Tom around here ASAP. And tell her that we'll fill in the pack, and any neighbouring communities later." Vlarissa instructed, to which Ryder nodded and made a beeline to the nearest phone.

"Hi I'm Calvin." The shaggy hair boy introduced, extending his hand to which Shaylee shook gently.

"I'm Melvin. I'd offer my hand but-" The translucent boy's hand floated through her arm. Shaylee chuckled, making Melvin turn orange.

"Please sit." Vlarissa smiled, Shaylee and Antionette sat down on the brown couch. Two low howls could be heard from behind their house, and the next moment Ember and the boy beside her- presumably Ryan flew through the backdoor, their werewolf bodies long gone. As the pair of werewolves strutted into the living room, the front door flew open and the redhead boy, and chopped haired girl walked in. "Nessa, Felix please take a seat-" Vlarissa said shutting the door behind them, a boot got stuck in the door. "Where's the hospitality Vla?" It was Calador's playful voice. Calador sauntered in, with Cooper following behind him. "Or a stand." Vlarissa finished, seeing the Oni's choice in comfortability. Calvin and Melvin stood beside the werewolves, and Ryder stood up front beside Vlarissa. "Where's Nina?" Vlarissa lowered her voice, to which Ryder shook his head.

Vlarissa gave him a sad look, "Can't get a hold of her... might've gone off the grid." Ryder explains.

"Probably the safest." Calador chuckled darkly.

"Not now." Cooper whispered.

"And Tom?"

"Occupied. Someone from the PL, I presume." Ryder replied.

"How much do you know?" Vlarissa asked. She was obviously their leader of some sort.

"I know about the underworld- Titanus, Provence. What you all are." She pauses, "Well not specifically... but i've guessed."

"Well what are your guesses?" Ember spoke up.

Shaylee turned around to face her, "Werewolves." She pointed at Ryan and Ember.

"Vampires." She looked over at Calador and Cooper.

"Close." Cooper grinned, "We're halfies. Vampire and Fae." Shaylee took that into account.

"Ghost." She turned to Melvin who grinned.

"That obvious?" He joked, turning purple now.

"I- I don't know about the rest of you..." Vlarissa smiled at her, and took a step closer her hands laced together. She put a hand on Ryder's shoulder, "Warlock." She then gestured to herself, "Witch." She looked to Calvin and Melvin. "Can communicate with the dead." She paused, as Calvin waved cheerily. "But he's a warlock. Pureblood. He just has a rare gift." Calvin turns pink at this. Vlarissa gestures to Melvin, "Ex-warlock. Now ghost." Melvin turned a pearly, clear colour.

"Felix and Nessa are Oni's. Once human, made into Oni's by the devil himself." Shaylee's eyes drifted towards the pair of stone faced, sour expressions wearing people.

"And your aunt is a witch. As you probably already know."

Shaylee shifted, "Can you tell me, well- more about... me?"

Vlarissa walked closer to her and went down onto the floor into a kneeling position. "I can show you." Shaylee gulped, at least she knew what was coming this time. She leant her head forward, making Vlarissa crack a grin. "We witches do things in different ways Shaylee." She grabbed Shaylee's hands in hers, and almost instantly visions began to swarm again. She seemed to be in Vlarissa's point of view, her body seemed to work for herself and she began to move down a hallway. "Vlarissa!" Titanus boomed, "I need you." Vlarissa sighed, and went into the library. She found the king standing in front of the bookshelf they knew all too well by now, the king pulled the green book which had golden swirled letters on the spine. The book case slid open on both sides, and the pair filed in to the narrow passageway. Vlarissa flicked her wrist making orange light, flow out of her palm in a ball. She carried her light ball, in front of her as it hovered just over her skin. Titanus opened the door that led into a whole sealed section of the castle, there was a large hallway which had two doors and an open space living room and kitchen, a secret hideaway. He opened the door to one of the rooms which led to his children, "Have you considered my offer?" He asked as they entered the room, the red head woman sat anxiously, feeding her son with a bottle as her daughter sat by her feet. The woman glanced between the pair of them, "I- I can't do it Titanus." Her mother's voice spoke shakily.

The vision cut off, and Shaylee gasped. "Your father wanted me to mindwipe the woman I served at the time, Queen Aleaigha. He wanted it so Aleaigha thought you were her daughter, and your actual mother would've been fobode to ever see you again." Vlarissa explained.

"There was a Queen before Provence?"

"Yes. She was beautiful, and so selflessly kind, I've never met any underworlder in my almost six-hundred years of existence that thought badly of her."

Shaylee shifted on the couch, another question popped into her mind. "Uhm- do you know who the other baby was?"

Vlarissa exchanged a look with Ryder, "That baby was, he was your brother. We don't know what happened to him..."

Shaylee's breath hitched, "I-I have a brother?"

"Multiple siblings actually." Ryder answered.

Shaylee's eyes widened, and she sat there stunned. "H-how many?"

"Eleven." Ryder replied.

Her aunt placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We have a plan to stop this all. Will you help us?" Vlarissa asked. The weight of worlds was on Shaylee's shoulders, entire species relied on her. Shaylee gave a simple nod. Vlarissa, and Ember explained the 'plan' (Ember quite aggressively.) The gist of what they wanted Shaylee to do is spend a few months in the fae castle with them. She needs to get 'insider information' and she needs to learn about Provence's motives, and her plans. "Ok." Shaylee finally said, "I'm in."

Everyone smiled thankfully at her, Calador's was potentially the biggest. "Oh and one itsy, minor detail." Vlarissa paused, "Ryder's going to be accompanying you on your stay, as a sort of- '' She was searching for the right words. "Guardian."

Even Ryder looked slightly shocked and he turned on his sister so fast he probably got whiplash. "A babysitter?" He half snarled, he lowered his voice. "I didn't even know this would be a part of the plan." He hissed.

Vlarissa shrugged, "I'm not letting her go alone."

Ryder's eyes found Shaylee and he huffed, "Of course I have to babysit the fae-blood." The plan was settled, and it was to be put into action ASAP. Antionette and Shaylee thanked the Shayne's, and everybody else and left. "Hey Shaylee!" Cooper called, rushing onto the porch after them. Shaylee's head whipped around, as she shrugged her coat on. Antionette looked between them and stepped off the porch, she gazed at Shaylee as if reading her expression. "I'll give you two a moment." She turned on her heel, and started across the lawn. Cooper gave her a very flashing grin, and ran a hand through his hair. "Thank you." he paused, watching as the chilly night air flowed from his mouth. "You're saving me. And us all. You're one truly extraordinary girl."

A light blush crept onto Shaylee's cheeks, "I wouldn't say that-" She muttered.

"You're saving our world's. That's extraordinary."

Shaylee gave him a friendly smile, "Thanks."

Ryder appeared in the doorway, his eyes narrowed at Shaylee. "Coops, we need to go over a few details." Cooper turned towards him.

"Coming." And with that Cooper went back inside, and Shaylee made her way back down the porch steps.

Her aunt had already gone inside, leaving the door slightly ajar. "She knows? Why did you-" She heard her mother yell, before she got cut off by Antnioette. "Why didn't you tell her sooner? You know what's at stake!"

"I-" Her mother was lost for words.

"You're Quotidian, so I don't expect you to understand or care."

"-I do care!"

"Obviously not enough," Her aunt snarled, "Your daughter's life is at stake, mine, Isabella's- Casey's! Their kids in my coven! And they are at stake, because of your selfishness."

Shaylee peeped through the door, and edged inside, shutting the door softly behind her.

"My selfish-" Her mother scoffed in disbelief, "I might not understand your 'supernatural' business. But you don't know what it's like- what it's like to need to protect someone, she's my daughter Ant."
"I don't know?" Ant scoffs, "I have a coven to protect."

"Ex- coven." Maya corrects. Ant shakes her head in disbelief, and it was obvious tears were forming in her eyes. "They're still my family."

"And so are we. You need to figure your priorities out." At this point Shaylee had made it to the stairs and attempted to climb with light steps.

Both the woman's heads snapped towards her, "Shaylee. We need to talk."

But the last thing Shaylee wanted to do was talk. Especially to her mother. "I think I just need space." Shaylee responded, avoiding her mother's eyes. "Well I cannot respect your wishes at this current time. Come. Now."

But Shaylee couldn't will herself to face her mother, not yet. She needed her space, so without a word she ran up the stairs as fast as her jelly-like legs would go. "SHAYLEE. GET HERE NOW." Boomed her mother's voice, but it became muffled as Shaylee shut her door. Tears streamed down her cheeks, as she pressed her back against her door and locked it with a sift click.

Her room was dark, and her breath became uneven. The world felt like it was caving in, and the dark looming walls around her were a silent metaphor of her fears. Shaylee quickly flicked on her light, and felt a slight wave of ease wash over her. She needed something to soothe her, to calm her down. So without thinking Shaylee climbed her bedroom ladder and hoysted herself through the window on the roof.

It was lightly drizzling rain, making her hair stick to her forehead much to her dislike. Goosebumps rose on her skin, and she began to shiver rapidly from her light clothing. Green light swirled beside her, and in an instant Calvin blinked into her vision. One look at Shaylee's tear filled eyes, Calvin felt sympathy. "I would ask if you're okay," His voice trailed off, "But I know you're not." Shaylee couldn't find it in herself to meet his eyes, she already knew the expression that would be reflected in them- pity. Shaylee turned her head away from him, and wiped rapidly at her eyes. She cleared her throat, "Where's Thing Two?"

A small smile twitched on the edge of Calvin's lips as they met eyes again, "Should be here in a-" But his words were cut off by another voice. "No, just don't take me with you or anything!" Melvin huffs, as he seemingly floats through the glass in Shaylee's ceiling. "I had to float through the backdoor- climb the stairs, and find her bedroom! It would've been human decency to take me with you."

Calvin gave him a playful look, "I feel like you just need more cardio." As Melvin sat beside his brother, he shoved him, his hands going through his brother's shoulder. "Can't you fly up?" Shaylee asked, with an eyebrow raised.

Melvin chuckled, his colour orange now. "Floating and flying are very different. I can go through stuff, not fly." For Shaylee this just raised more questions.

"What about your powers?"

Melvin shrugged, "Disappeared when I died. My powers are tied to my soul, dormant at the moment as I am not in a 'physical' body. They only work when I'm on the physical plane."

Surprisingly that made sense to Shaylee, the powers were bonded to his soul, but not accessible.

"I thought Warlocks were immortal?"

Both boys shrugged their shoulders, "We don't die of old age because we stop aging when our 'magic matures'. We stopped aging at sixteen a few hundred years ago." Calvin explained. They're are over a hundred? Shaylee pondered, she honestly never would've guessed. "But we can die of other things. If that makes sense?" It sort of did. 

Even if both boys had no clue how to cheer her up, in her confused, and bewildered state they however were exceptionally good at distracting her with insightful conversation.