Natalia

Tonight, is a very special night, an occasion that hasn’t happened in quit a few years actually. Of course, being who they are they have attended gala’s before just to keep up pretenses, but as for hosting one, that’s something that these people just don’t do. They don’t like being in the spotlight and letting all eyes, and ears, fall on them, not in the way that it will be tonight. They have always preferred to remain in the background and just shove money in people’s faces while doing what needs to be done.

Everyone has secrets that they would like to keep hidden. No one is the exception to this rule, even if they want to deny it. Natalia is normally a pretty open and honest person; she’s never had a reason not to be considering the fact she’s never had anything much in her life at all. She has been an orphan for as far back as she could remember. She’s been in orphanages, in foster homes, and then of course, on the streets as well. Life’s not always fair. But then again, is it ever?

While Natalia’s life has been anything but perfect, she can’t help but to feel good and grateful tonight. Apparently, her best friend’s mother has decided to host this year’s annual gala for the wealthy business entrepreneurs. This is the type of thing that they attend in the shadows, not host in the limelight, and this is also a type of event that Natalia has never in a million years and dreams imagined she would actually be attending.

Natalia’s long black hair is flowing down her back in gentle curls with a braid wrapping around the top. She’s wearing a silver gown that goes all the way to her ankles and shimmers in the light as she moves due to diamonds being encrusted into the material of the dress. She also has on matching silver high heels. She feels like a princess. She’s never felt this beautiful, or special, before in her life.

She’s staring at herself in the mirror, reflecting on the hours of pampering she has just received and the way that she has turned out to look. She has never been pampered before like she had tonight either, she’s amazed by how much goes into preparing for such an event as this one. She’s actually proud at how well she cleans up and how pretty she is looking right now. Natalia didn’t even notice when Khalil walked into the room, stopping at the door frame to take in the beautiful image in front of him.

“You look very beautiful tonight, Nat,” Khalil says with a smile on his face and pride in his beautiful green with a hint of blue shining eyes. He’s adding the cuff links to his suit jacket as he speaks. Apparently, Natalia isn’t the only one who is capable of cleaning up nicely.

Natalia turns with a big smile on her face that matches Khalil’s. He has been her only friend since she graduated high school early, at the age of sixteen, and went on to attend the local university. She’s always been quiet and shy and a book worm, with a heart too big for everything that she’s had to go through in life.

Khalil was just the opposite, being the son of one of the top business tycoons that exist. For some reason out of everyone in the whole school, he decided that she is the one that he wanted to befriend, no matter what. That’s something that she didn’t understand but has been grateful for this whole time. He became a close friend and the family that she has never had. There’s nothing, well just about nothing, that the two of them didn’t share between each other.

“I have to meet up with my parents before the show. Are you okay? I’ll meet you down there as soon as I can.” Khalil informs.

“Yes, I’ll be fine,” Natalia tells him twisting her hands in front of her. If truth be told she’s a nervous wreck, and he can tell. She doesn’t have to voice her concerns for him to already know.

He steps forward. “It’ll be okay, just breathe, you’ll blend in enough to be left alone and once I’m free, I’ll be there, by your side, the whole time.” He tries to comfort.

They just look at each giving each other a knowing smile and nod before Khalil turns to leave. No, they’re not dating, never have, Khalil knew that she wasn’t the one for him and is perfectly happy just being her friend. There’s always been something special about her that draws him to her though and it makes him want to protect her, although he can’t quit figure out what the something is.

As he turns the corner, on the second floor of their mansion, exiting the third, and heading down the hallway to his father’s office where he has been called for a short meeting before the gala, he hears voices.

“I can feel a shift in power,” an unfamiliar voice says.

A sigh can be heard, his father, “I know, I can feel it too, I think just about everyone can, but does that mean it’s her?”

“Possibly sir,” the first man responds. “No one knows her family and where she comes from, and all the oracles are saying that the time is coming for the prophecy to be true. It’s possible you have one of the four under your own roof and have for a very long time now. Who knows what all information she’s gathered and if she’s in contact with any of the others?”

Khalil automatically knows that they’re talking about Natalia, but he’s lost as to what they are actually saying, what they are accusing her of?

His protective instincts kick in and he marches to his father’s office door. Without knocking or waiting to be told to enter, he opens the door the rest of the way and steps into the room. Both of the guys already setting there at his father’s desk know instantly that he has overheard what they had been saying.

“Come in and have a seat son,” his father, Maleic instructs. “This is Cole Wyatt; his family does business with ours from time to time…” Maleic attempts an introduction.

“Cut the crap dad, what are you saying about Natalia?” Khalil cuts him short, his anger getting the best of him at the moment.

Cole is taken back and becomes irked by the rudeness that Khalil shows towards his father. Thinking to himself that had one of his sons talked to him and disrespected him in such a manner he’d make sure they’d think twice before doing such a thing again. Maleic ignores it and looks over his son interruption.

A sigh escapes out of Maleic at his sons demands. First he has to deal with Cole here accusing the girl that he’s housed and took care since the age of sixteen as being the destruction of everything they hold dear all the while he knows that his son has some sort of feelings for the girl, although he’s fairly certain there’s nothing between them. He still knows that Khalil is not going to take light to the accusations of Natalia being one of the four that the prophecy of their destruction entails.

“Son, listen, there’s a power awakening, it’s getting stronger, and we can all feel it. I’d actually be quite surprised if you can’t actually,” Maleic simply states.

Khalil has been feeling that something is off. He doesn’t believe that it has anything to do with Natalia though, how could it? If she had powers or is the cause of “power awakening” he would sense it from her, but he doesn’t. Even though he’s skeptical about what his father is telling him, he nods for him to continue and doesn’t interrupt him.

Maleic continues. “There’s a prophecy that states when the third generation of majka bozica is born that there will be four special, and those four will come forward and be the destruction of all magical creatures. It’s speculated,” and he glances in Cole’s direction, “that Natalia could possibly be part of the four, being an orphan with no known lineage, and that the shift of power everyone is feeling is coming from her.”

Khalil stands still thinking for a moment. Sure, magic, and mythological creatures exist, hell even he’s a hybrid between a werewolf and a vampire, something that’s only slightly awkward and weird to occur. He can’t help but to think that his father and his friend have completely lost all their marbles and are insane. The only response he’s able to give them is a burst of laughter that came out so deep he had to double over with his hands on his knees just to keep himself up right and not start rolling on the floor as the laughter pours out of him.

Is this why he had been called to the office? Are they serious right now? They have a house full of elite guests for the gala, most of whom are supernatural creatures themselves. Why are they holding the gala if they believe their destruction is the petite girl who’s wondering around the mansion like a mouse trying to stay out of everyone’s line of sight and pretends not to exist most of the time?

“Natalia is too timid to be anyone’s destruction and on top of that, she’s mortal! She’s not goddess great grandchild or some shit.” Khalil defends once the laughter subsides and he’s able to speak once again.