The aunties were here. 

“What, are you going to leave us waiting? I swear to god I have been sitting on your doorstep for the past millennia. Poor Margie here just wants to rest her legs.”

Marjorie Chapman and Xennia Maluwa were the oddest couple in the Republic of Auskas, yet somehow they had been married for almost two hundred years. Margie was a stout, red-haired human, with both larger-than-life glasses and personality. Margie was born in the human town of Schmutz to an elfin real estate agent and a human baker. She had grown up as the only inhuman child in her town, so she always felt that she didn’t quite belong. It didn’t help that she aged five times as slowly compared to her human counterparts. She had to say goodbye to her mother before she had even reached her teenage years, and her father was never the same after that. He let go of himself and his job, resorting to alcohol to numb the pain.

Margie spent most of her childhood looking after herself, unsure of who to turn to when her elfin side was acting up. However, she grew to be one of the best bakers on this side of the Great Sea, opening her first bakery before she reached 50. She is the nicest person I have ever had the honor to meet and treats Xennia like she is a miracle, a star that shines so brightly that there is no reason to let it go.

Xennia was a maid at my father’s, the 4th emperor’s, palace for most of my early childhood. She was a tall, slender nephilim, with caramel-colored skin and emerald-green eyes. She was my second oldest brother Everest’s personal maid and was one of the only people who were nice to me. She used to bring me bread from the kitchen when my oldest brother, Bartholomew would lock me up in the silence box and prohibit anyone from feeding me. Sadly, no one can succeed in the palace unless they sell their soul, especially when my second oldest brother takes an interest in you.

Four months after my 50th birthday, Xennia was shoved into the silence box with me, pregnant and sobbing. Not only had my brother taken away something that could never be given back, but he was also planning to starve her to death to keep her silent. He had a reputation to uphold, and an affair with a palace maid would ruin it. Bartholomew would likely convince my father to remove him from the line of succession. Luckily for her, I had only stayed in here because I was afraid of my father’s reaction if I escaped, not because it was actually trapping me. She had saved me from the brink of starvation multiple times, so I would be able to bear my father’s wrath so that she could escape. All I needed was blood.

I bit into my hand until I broke skin and pressed my power against the walls of the silence box. This box had been built to hold me, but not even my brothers knew the extent of my powers. All it took was one small push and the box shattered. The door flew against the corridor wall and the wall that faced the outside exploded outwards. I grabbed Xennia, untied her wings, and told her to get to the nearest human town. They would be suspicious of her at first, but there was no way they would recognize her. I couldn’t leave because of my curse, but she would be fine.

For about the next 500 years, she wandered the continent for a place to call home. She had barely survived the miscarriage in the first few years, both emotionally and physically. She had no family to rely on, and spent those years wishing she had just someone who cared about her. Eventually she stumbled onto the town of Schmutz and met Margie, who had just started her bakery. Two lonely people who grew up too fast, looking for someone to love them. They fell in love, and together they started X+M Bakes and Soaps, which grew into a global chain. Margie and Xennia got the happy ending they deserved, but there was still one loose end to tie up. They were too busy running their business that they had put their marriage plans to the side.

I met Marjorie through Xennia about 200 years ago, when they showed up at my doorstep demanding that I go to their wedding. Xennia had heard through the rumor mill that my father had started giving me a longer leash. Their wedding was beautiful, and they have since spent every summer traveling the world, always making sure to stop in at my place on the way. Today was no different, as I would be the first stop on their journey.

Once Margie noticed my swollen leg and the child dangling around my neck, she yelped in surprise. However, Xennia’s face was rife with concern.

“Zuri…what happened?” Xennia asked.

“Aunties, meet Analina, father dearest’s latest target for me. I can’t kill kids, so I brought her back with me. Surprise?”

Marjorie grinned. She loved children, and she had always wanted one of her own. However, I couldn’t help but feel nervous. I wasn’t particularly close to either of them, but I couldn’t burden Milo with a child. 

“Don’t worry darling. We got you covered," Margie answered. "We’ll take care of the human. Ain’t that right, baby?”

I just have to trust them.

“Looks like we have found ourselves a summer vacation challenge," Margie smiled. "It's been a while since we've seen something new.”