The Sea of Change

by Tina Engel

  I don’t know how long I had been down there, but I felt a hand brushing my cheek. I could see Brett’s face in my mind and just knew it was him, come down to check on me. As I opened my eyes, there staring back at me with a look of curiosity, was Queen Anahita. I shook the grass from around my body as I sat.

  “Princess Emilee, Rose was concerned that you were down here so long. I thought it best that I be the one to check on you. I see that you’re fine. Interesting though, how the plants seem to want to be close to you.”

  Queen Anahita placed her hand on the side of my cheek where the shield was; the shield that was created by the pearl earrings that she gave me.

  “You grow strong within yourself. You are becoming one with this planet. Don’t be foolish and let your hearts lead you astray from your duties.” She said, and then swam up to the surface of the pond, leaving me there at the bottom, wondering what that was all about.

  As I emerged from the water, I saw Queen Anahita leaving between two bushes that parted just enough for her to squeeze between. Rose was there waiting for me, with a towel of sorts for me to dry off with.

  I went to Rose and allowed her to wrap me in it. I turned and looked at Rose with questioning eyes.

  “Sorry princess, I didn’t know quite what to do. When I looked down in the water to check on you, you were covered entirely in plant matter. I was concerned and feared I needed help. I wasn’t expecting her to come and help.”

  My attitude softened some and I told Rose it was alright. Somehow I knew that Queen Anahita was truly on my side and I knew exactly what she was talking about. I wanted to get angry with her insinuations, but I knew she was correct.

  How can I control myself though, with Brett so close? How can he control himself as well? What would be so wrong if we came together as one? Why would loving Brett be such a terrible thing? As my mind was filled with these questions, I wasn’t looking at Rose, but up in the sky. The trees weren’t closed over us like at the camp, so I could see the sky so great and wide.

  As I looked up, I could see the clouds forming quickly. The sky was blue when Rose wrapped me in the towel. Within minutes the sky was dark with greyness swirling all around. Then a gust of wind came at me from behind, pushing me into Rose, and we both fell to the ground.

  Lying on my back, I watched the sky get darker and more menacing, as the clouds continued to swirl in a circle. They looked like they were just circling around us. The clouds were coming down closer to us, and I felt an angry, destructive energy emitting from the sky above.

  The wind gusts kept coming, one after another, stopping Rose and I from getting to our feet. The branches on the trees were being whipped around like small twigs and a large branch let out a screech of pain as it was removed from its body and came crashing to the ground, just inches from me. Rose had reached over my body somehow, and grabbing my arm, she was able to turn me over to her other side. If she hadn’t, I would have been under that large branch.

  A crash came from the bushes and out came Brett, followed by Jordan and Eagle. I was without my towel at this time; it had blown off of me during this escapade, and they all turned away after seeing that we were alright for the moment.

  Brett came running over then, as Rose grabbed the dress that she had for me to wear; my burnt orange dress that I had been given at Douglas’s tree home in Wyoming. She slipped it over my head just as Brett reached us; the wind trying savagely to stop him. As I stood up, my dress dropped down to my knees, as the wind tried so hard to force me back to the ground. Brett reached out and grab both Rose and I.

  The wind was blowing in circles around us, stopping us from heading towards the bushes. I watched as Eagle held onto a hand that was in the bushes. I realized that it was Albee’s arm that was protruding out from within the bushes. Eagle was then stretched out as far as he could go, with Jordan on the other end, holding his hand tight. Jordan was stretched out as far as he could reach towards us, as Brett tried to reach his hand while he had his other arm around me, and I holding Rose.

  The wind was brutal, determined to stop us. As Jordan and Brett’s fingers finally intertwined and a solid grasp was formed, it started to hail. Not just regular hail that you would see in a spring storm that blows in and out in minutes, but hail the size of chicken eggs. As they fell from the sky I could hear the trees shriek in pain as it tore into their branches, ripping at the leaves.

  We were moving then, as Albee pulled Eagle into the bushes, which then brought Jordan through the thicket and finally Brett pushed me and Rose in, leaving him last. Jordan grabbed me roughly from Brett’s hands, just as Brett was swept back into the hail and wind.

  I yelled and tried to pull away from Jordan, but he wasn’t loosening his grasp, in the least. Just then, a large branch from up above came down and scooped Brett up as if it was the hand of God, and tossed him gently back into the bushes where we were all hiding in.

  I felt the tears of joy, fear and fury stinging at my eyes, but couldn’t let them out, not yet anyway. We weren’t safe yet. The hail was crashing down, breaking the branches and tearing at the leaves of the bushes that were trying to cover us.

  We all got up on our feet, but staying bent over to protect our heads, managed to get through the bushes with their help, and out the other side where our camp was.

  The trees above were still close together and the branches intertwined with each other to stop the hail and wind from getting through, but as I looked up, I could see that they were struggling to win this brutal fight.

  It was quieter here, in this sanctuary of sorts, and as I looked just ahead, there Queen Anahita and Kimberlite stood close to the small hill with a red glowing rock at Kimberlite’s feet. We all let go of each other and headed towards the warmth of the rock. Well, Brett still had my hand in his and as I looked down at our fingers intertwined, I could see blood seeping from between our hands.

  I looked back up and around at all who just survived this ordeal, we were all wounded, with blood, dirt and leaves covering us. Jordan had a gash on his head with blood running down the side of his face. Rose was bleeding from cuts on her knee and elbow. I guessed it happened when she turned me away from the falling tree branch. We all had scrapes and cuts, but those looked like the worst.

  I looked back at my hand holding Brett’s, and as I watched the blood drip from between our hands, I felt a tingling sensation. I looked up to Brett’s face and saw that he was looking down at our hands also. He had a look of panic as he jerked his hand away from mine. I was shocked by this display of fear and urgency. He realized quickly that his sudden movement was deeply hurtful and confusing to me.

  Brett’s look softened, but the concern on his face remained as he scooped me up in his arms just as I began to fall to the ground. I was falling in slow motion; everything was twirling around, fuzzy and strange. I could see my hearts as their rhythm slowed and their color changed from a red to a dark green.

  I was aware of everything around me but I couldn’t talk. I felt Brett’s body against me, warm with his hearts beating but they were slowing down too. I looked at his face and he was turning a greenish color. Did I look like this too? Then it was gone. Everything around me was gone. It wasn’t black in color; it was white, everywhere white.

  I was in the wheat field again but I wasn’t alone. There was Brett, standing at the edge of the cliff with the raging waters below. I stood there, just watching him. His arms were a normal color, not green as I saw moments ago as he was carrying me.

  Looking down at my hands and arms, I saw they were the same color as always. Not a speck of green. My hearts weren’t beating though. I put my hands to my chest and couldn’t feel a beat. Feeling my face, it was as always, with the shield on each cheek, pointed ears and my eyes, yes, slightly pointed at the tips. Running my tongue against my teeth, there were the fangs, small but there. Funny, they don’t usually appear unless I’m hungry or want to show them off, not often I might add, the showing off part!

  I didn’t move
towards Brett, afraid that when he turned around, he wouldn’t be Brett. Who then, was I afraid he would be? Stephan came to mind and I pushed this thought away as fast as it came.

  Brett turned towards me and I saw it was Brett, my Brett, just as handsome as I remembered. He smiled and came to me. I still made no movement towards him.

  As he stood there in front of me I asked, “What happened? Are we dead?”

  Brett gave me, not a smile, but a contemplating look, wondering how to explain. He reached out, taking both my hands and placing them on his chest. There was no heart beat in his chest either. Both were as still as the dead.

  I asked again, quieter this time, but with more urgency, “Are we dead?”

  “No Emilee, not dead. We are changing though”

  “What do you mean changing? Into what? Why?”

  “Our blood mixed, you had wounds to your hand and I to mine. My kind is never to mix our blood with those of a different species. It can cause them to change into a species similar to me, if it doesn’t kill them first. These fey will need the blood of the pixies, only they won’t stop until the pixie is bled dry. They become vicious, due to the two bloods fighting inside of them for control over their own body. These fey must be killed immediately so as not to throw off the balance of all fey. There are some who survive and are hunted for as long as it takes to destroy them. We don’t want them to multiply. We actually have rogue fey hunters. That is what we call these fey. Rogue Fey!”

  When Brett said this, it was with a comical grin but that faded quickly, changing back to the serious face.

  Brett stopped talking and that gave me a chance to ask, “Will I become a rogue fey?”

  Brett gave no answer, just looked around as if in wonder.

  “This is my dream world.” I said. “Why are we both here? Is this my true home, and did I bring you here?”

  Brett looked back down at me and as our eyes met, there was nothing but peace in my body.

  All of a sudden, I felt turmoil deep inside. I tightened to fight as it turned to pain. I could see in Brett’s face that he was feeling it too.

  Brett took me in his arms and we held each other so tight that I could feel his hearts start to beat in an irregular way, trying to find some regularity. I realized that mine were doing the same.

  Brett put his lips to my ear and said in a whisper, “I am so sorry Princess.” He was quiet for a moment and then added, “I love you.”

  I opened my eyes and there was Jordan staring back at me. He smiled and a look of relief covered his entire face. It was a face filled with kindness and love. Not the gruff, I don’t care about anyone, face.

  Jordan said, “Princess, you gave us all quite a scare.” He put his hand on my forehead as if checking for a fever, as a parent would.

  I remembered my dream, and Brett, and everything that had happened before I entered my vision. I tried to sit up in a panic, yelling out Brett’s name. Jordan pushed me back down gently saying that Brett was fine and Queen Anahita was tending to him.

  Well this didn’t make me feel better at all, so of course I pushed myself up with more force and my head started to spin out of control. I shut my eyes to wait for the spinning to stop.

  As I looked up at Jordan, he had the same old look of gruffness and said, “You are a stubborn one. We almost lost both of you and you still won’t listen.”

  Jordan stood, and taking my hand, helped me to stand. His gruffness wasn’t the same though. It was a softer gruffness, if that’s possible.

  I realized that the storm was still raging but we were safely tucked in a sanctuary of sorts, protected by Albee’s tree friends. The stone that Kimberlite had burning was all aglow with a nice soft orange color, and the area that we were in was warm and dry.

  I looked up at Jordan again and realized that his head had been tended to, and there were small stitches made from the stems of leaves. I reached up and touched his forehead tenderly, and as I did, I felt a soft pulsing that went from my fingers to his wound. The wound closed up and the small stems dried up and fell to the ground.

  I removed my hand and turned as Rose approached me. She threw her arms round me, hugging me tightly, saying over and over, “I knew you would be all right, I just knew you would be all right.”

  Our embrace ended as Rose took my hand and led me over to where Queen Anahita was kneeling, next to a bed of sorts, with someone laying on it. I knew it was Brett before I could see him.

  Queen Anahita knew I was behind her but didn’t turn to look at me. I looked down at Brett, his face pale and his wounds infected. I wondered why. Queen Anahita then turned to face me, with fury in her eyes.

  She stood and faced me, standing close enough that I could feel the chill coming off of her body as if it was a cold mist drifting away from an icy river.

  Queen Anahita said, with resentment in her voice. “I can’t heal him. I don’t know why or what is stopping him from healing himself. Your blood is different from any that I know. Why you are healed, and he isn’t, is a mystery.”

  I went to Brett and knelt down next to him. I could hear the wind whipping around, above the trees, trying desperately to get in.

  Queen Anahita said, as she stood behind me, “We must go soon before the storm breaks through the shield that Albee has created for us. We can’t move him in this condition.” And she walked away.

  I placed my hand on his head and felt the heat of the fever that was plaguing his body. His blood mixed with mine, in my body, and I adjusted. Brett’s body, however, wasn’t as successful, allowing my blood to mix with his.

  I looked down at the ring that Jordan had given me, and it was glowing. My diamond was glowing a dark orange; darker than I had ever seen.

  I opened Brett’s shirt and placed my hand, with the ring, over Brett’s two hearts. Then I placed my other hand over one of his infected wounds on his cheek. I didn’t touch it but just let my hand hover close enough that I could feel the heat emanating from his wound.

  I felt the infection enter my body. As it did, it dissolved into nothing. I did this with all of his wounds and scrapes, until his body was entirely free of the infection.

  The ring still shone brightly as if not done with its job. Brett’s fever was gone and the wounds just red lines. He didn’t wake though, seeming to be in a deep sleep. Was he still there in my dream world? Was he alone or with someone; his daughter or my grandmother?

  I bent down then and placed a kiss on his lips, and as I lifted my head, just above his lips, I whispered so it would enter his mouth, “I love you too.”

  Brett’s eyes opened as I still held my face close to his, our eyes just inches apart. I lifted my face away from his slowly and sat upright. Our eyes, however, never left one another’s.

  He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Queen Anahita pushed me aside, taking Brett’s hand in hers and bending down, placed a kiss on his cheek. “I knew you would be all right. You need to stay away from her.”

  I think that Queen Anahita was shocked by her reaction so she then composed herself, stood, and turning to me, apologized for her rude behavior. She was definitely embarrassed by her outburst.

  I graciously accepted her apology and understood her feelings. I believe she loved him as I did, but for some reason they parted ways some time ago. I wasn’t afraid anymore, their relationship was over. I knew that Brett loved me and somehow, some day we would find a way to be together.

  Queen Anahita walked away and drifted into the spring that was running out of the small hillside. Everyone watched as she disappeared and then looked at me. No one spoke, not sure what to say, if anything needed to be said.

  “Emilee.” Brett said, with a frail voice.

  I took my attention away from the others, and looking down at Brett, I saw a very weak smile cross his lips. I knelt down next to him again and took his hand.

  Smiling, I said in a concerned tone, “You gave us all quite a scare.”

  I then said in a more spirited tone, “So
did you need to hang around in my dream world a bit longer than I? Wanted to visit someone without me being there, maybe?”

  Brett just smiled and kissed my hand sweetly. I checked his wounds, and seeing that they were healed nicely, I turned to Rose and said, “He needs to eat. Can you find a pixie in this crazy storm for him?”

  Rose disappeared up above into the trees that were fighting so vigilantly to keep us safe down below. I looked back at Brett and saw that he had no fight in him. He wasn’t going to argue, he needed food. I was sure that if I had asked Rose to let him feed on her, he wouldn’t have fussed at all, but I didn’t want to make things uncomfortable later on.

  It was only a few minutes later that Rose reappeared with a male pixie. I rose up from where I was kneeling and Brett released my hand slowly, as if afraid I would vanish when I let go. I squeezed his hand just a little and with a smile of reassurance, he let go.

  I walked over to where Kimberlite, Eagle and Jordan were standing, to let Brett feed in private. Rose even stepped back a ways to be respectful of Brett’s feelings. I was proud of her. She might give him a bad time, but I knew deep down that she was fond of him and we all had become a sort of family.

  I asked where Albee was and Kimberlite informed me that he was with the tree fey, trying to keep the storm at bay. I could hear the storm outside of our shelter. There was crying and screams of pain from the trees that were protecting us, as the winds whipped around trying desperately to get in. The anger and rage that the dark clouds were expressing as they howled, sent shivers down my spine.

  I realized that the shield on my cheeks and neck was tight, ready to protect me if need be. I wondered why it didn’t activate when we were getting pelted by the large hailstones earlier. I could have protected all of us from the injuries we received. Why had I not protected us, I wondered? Were we supposed to get injured so that Brett and I exchanged blood? Questions I had, but didn’t know who to ask.

  Kimberlite spoke then, interrupting my thoughts, “Princess, are you all right? You’re looking a bit pale.”