Whispering Embers-Valoria Kingdom
Jenna walked into Natasha's bakery for her final job - which didn't involve baking or taking orders, both of which exhausted her like nothing else.
She will admit that slathering herself with dark makeup to look as though she were related to Natasha was itchy and heavy - like another layer of skin - keeping her 'parents' spelled was tiring and nearly unberable.
Jenna nearly lost her hold on their mind when Natasha had given her a kiss on the cheek befrre she went to bes one day.
Then it occurred to her that the last time her mother had done something like that was when she'd been ten.
In the Lunaris kingdom - her home - its custom for a mother to be apart of their children or child's lives until they turn ten. After the child's tenth birthday - the mother must cease to exist.
She can no longer interact with her child until they're twenty.
As a child, Jenna had always thought that the rules didn't apply to them because her family was royal.
But Jenna remembered the night of her tenth birthday all too well.
Shaking off the memory, Jenna took a big whiff of the warm, sweet-smelling cafe. The bustle of people coming in and out made the place loud with chatter, but no louder than usual, even with Jerof's voice in the corner telling stories about his travels.
Too bad it's about to go up in flames.
Jenna greeted her 'mother' with a hug and kiss on the cheek before slipping into the kitchen where Stan was scurrying about between washing dishes and checking food in the oven.
"Hey, Jenna!" Stan called, not even pausing to glance at her. "Could you watch the bread?"
Folding her arms, Jenna let her mask fall into place. "Yeah. What type of bread?"
Stan hurried to the sink to wash dishes. "Uh..banana nut. Why?"
"Heavens, Stan!" Jenna huffs, feigning annoyance. "How could you not remember?"
Stan turned toward her drying off a cookie pan with his brows raised. "Remember what?"
"My allergy!"
If there was anything Jenna felt compelled to tell the truth about in the fake life she's built, her nut allergy would be a good place to start. Sorta.
"Wh-?"
"I'm deathly allergic!" Jenna exclaimed. "We only found out when I'd been four, my mom fed me a pecan."
"Oh." Stan stacked the pans with the others. "Then what happened?"
Jenna shuddered. The part about her mom - her real mother - giving her the nut was also true - she'd been so traumatized by the experiences Jenna swore never to go near nuts again.
Including food with nuts baked into it or if the food had nuts as an ingredient.
"I swelled up, Stan! I could hardly see through my swollen eyes."
"Mhm." Stan wiped his hands off on the apron before moving toward the oven. He popped it open and then used a drying cloth to pull out two glistening loaves.
The smell of the bread made Jenna's head throb and stomach churn.
Stan stares at the loaves before continuing. "I wasn't asking you to eat it, though." he narrows his eyes. "Are you and Tasha arguing?"
"No!"
Not exactly.
I want this to be as painless as possible. Even though both Natasha and Jerof were brainwashed into believing I was their daughter, it'd be hard for me to leave this life. Jenna thought, pursing her lips. Life is so easy, so simple without all the expectations of my royal family weighing me down.
At Stan's suspicious frown, she sighs. "We're not arguing. I promise..we just had a slight disagreement."
To avoid Stan's piercing stare, Jenn padded toward the fridge and took out a bag of sugar cookies.
"Is that for Kitty?" Stan mused. "We're still working on the first bag!"
Grateful to have averted his attention, Jenna closes the fridge. "By 'we' you mean you, right?" she laughs turning to face him. "I doubt there are any more than five cookies left 'cause you're greedy."
"Me?" Stan scoffs. "Kitty won't even let me near them!"
"I don't blame her." Jenna smiles, tossing the bag at him. "That reminds me - my mom told me to tell you to take a break."
Stan blinked. "But, Jen!"
"No buts, Satan." Jenna folded her arms and raised a brow in a vain attempt not to flinch. "My mother claims you've been working non-stop since six this morning."
Grumbling, Stan muttered, "Oh, come one!"
"Nope, it's been decided." Jenna shoved him playfully toward the emergency exit. "Off you go."
"Why exit using the emergency exit?"
Heavens help me. Why must he ask so many questions?! I'm trying to save his life!!
Jenna groans, then pushes the door open. She shoves him out into the alley.
"You ask too many questions. You've got thirty minutes. Don't be late."
Stan chuckles. "Your mom would kill me if I were to be a millionth of a second late."
"You'd better get going then."
With a slight chuckle, Stan turned and left the alley. Jenna went back into the kitchen marching toward the cleaner closet.
She opened the door to pull out the device she stashed away. She felt a faint pulse against her skin as she carried it to the cooking counter.
There were only twenty-five seconds left.
Jenna then pulled off her apron dropping it to the ground and slipped into a black cloak she'd also stashed away. She pulled up the hood before hurrying from the exit.
Jenna managed to make it a few buildings away before she stopped to look back.
The explosion was sudden and fiery, sending debris everywhere. People in the streets scream, startled, others are picking up young children to get them to safety.
Those who'd been standing near the building were crushed under large pieces of debris.
Moments later guards stormed the streets. Some were leading people away soaked in blood or covered head to toe in dirt and dust.
A girl had been pulled from the wreckage her clothes bloody from a gash on her arm and tears leaving streaks on her dirty face.
Jenna turned and ran.
Everything that was Jenna burned. Her apron, fake life, the store, and anything else that tied her to Natasha and Jerof's life.