by Larisa Long
B1’s eyes narrow.
I read her. “Do not do that.”
She flinches. “How can you read me?”
Blist looks at Pem. “Is this really what you want?”
Pem nods her head. “I finally have a family.”
Blist flinches but recovers quickly. It had to hurt. “Then reverse the 36 you have on Zalia.”
B1 giggles. “So romantic. Not like you can ever do anything with her. She’s fated to be with Raks.”
“Not going to happen,” Vax says. “She’s with us.”
B1 thinks about that. “How?”
Masimu squeezes Vax reminding her of my secret from the witches. “It’s nothing. Just an expression.”
“Yeah,” Vax says. “Means she’s been accepted by us. She’s the only nice witch any of us have met.”
“Ah,” B1 grabs at her heart. “So nauseating.” She looks at me. “Declare yourself a warlock, Zalia, and I’ll release the curses.”
“Nope.”
B1 hisses.
The shifters laugh and shudder. “Scary.”
B1 smiles. “Then, you’ll only have yourself to blame.” B cubed and Pem disappear.
Before we can even process, one of the faeries hovers near me and makes a very loud noise.
“What is it?”
Ceru, the faerie who happens to have red hair, points to her own head.
“Xury?”
Ceru nods.
Chapter 9
I don’t take the time to check on the vampires. I assume they are free, snacking and still pixied at me.
The shifters and I rush through to the lobby, and I say a brief spell as the faeries distract the warlock guards so we can get to Elevator.
“Come on.”
Ash moves closer to me. “Don’t want to be a nag, but those warlocks freak me out.”
I glance behind him and motion for the faeries to continue distracting them.
“Elevator. Now.”
Elevator finally arrives with a huge thud but refuses to open the doors.
“What’s the issue?”
Elevator clears his throat. “You are well aware, Zalia Witch, niece of King Philock and Queen Ama, that this is in clear violation of the codes of conduct, and I for one will not be party to such insolence.”
“For fae’s sake. Let the shifters in.”
“No.”
I steady myself as my migraine has now seeped to my right side as well. “Grand.”
Blist steps in front of me. “You have to see someone about what’s happening.”
“Who?”
Blist looks at the shifters who nod. “The King.”
Chancy. I thought of it instantly, but … there are risks. He’s not exactly strong with his daughters, and if he ignores me or does nothing the curses could get worse.
Blist looks me over. “How much worse can it get?”
“You sure you can’t read my mind?”
“I know you.” He backs up. “We can’t go with.”
The rest of the shifters growl.
“Why?”
“You’re already going to be in trouble just by coming here. If we’re free …”
I know he’s right. I know it, but it still faes.
Blist motions for the rest of the shifters to return. “We’ll be fine. You’ve fed us.”
I shake my head even though it feels like my brain sloshes from side to side when I do.
“You can send the faeries to check on us.”
I still shake my head and force myself not to cry. I don’t know if it’s from pain, from curses, from fear. I don’t know anything anymore.
Blist puts his arms up like he’s going to take my hand, but stops. Of course he can’t touch me. That would make me normal, wouldn’t it? “You know I’m right.”
I look down because I won’t let him see my tears fall again, and if I see the worry in his eyes I’ll lose it. “Elevator, it’s just me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Open the fae door or I’ll rust your insides.” Don’t really know if that’s a thing, but the doors open quickly.
I step in.
“Zalia,” Blist pleads. “Look at me.”
I keep my head down. I can’t let him see how much pain I’m in or how afraid I am. “To the lobby.”
Only when I know the doors are closed do I look up as tears fall fast. I hold onto the back of Elevator and hope I can make it before I pass out. I need to make it. This time, Elevator moves at glacial speed. “Why so slow?”
Elevator clears his throat. “You have my sympathies, Zalia.”
“Means a lot,” I say, without even a hint of the sarcasm I had intended.
“Why do you think you are like this?”
I sigh. I’m so not having a therapy session with Elevator.
“The problem with you is—”
“This thing go any faster?”
Elevator ignores me. “The problem is that you think they will change. They won’t.”
I tap my foot to distract me.
“The only thing that will change is your unwillingness to be a doormat.”
I snort. “Hardly a doormat.” Then I think about it. I did put up with their curses for three years. I didn’t go to the King and Queen. Why didn’t I?
“No, it’s not one of their hidden curses.”
“How much longer?”
Elevator stops moving. “As long as it takes until you convince me that you will not allow them to treat you like this any longer.”
I start to say something, but what is there to say? I sit down on the floor. I don’t know why I’m like this. Always have been. I know I’ve hinted that it was a hidden curse, but it’s not a hidden curse. This is how I’ve always been. Taken anything heaped on me. Thought everything was my fault. Accepted whatever weird curses were thrown my way. “I allowed them to do this to me, didn’t I?”
“Wouldn’t put it that way, but yes.”
I laugh. I can’t help it. I always laugh before I go mad.
“You have enabled them. You’ve taught them how to treat you by not standing up for yourself.” Elevator hums softly. “Why do you stand up for everyone else but not yourself?”
I shrug.
Elevator sighs or tries to. It sounds more like a whine. “We have two minutes. Magic free zone. I haven’t done this for 300 years.” Elevator clears his throat again. “Imagine if your cousins placed 36 curses on Xury.”
I feel my blood start to rise as my stomach clenches.
“What would you do to stop it?”
“Everything. Anything.”
“Now, imagine if it were Blist.”
I stand up quickly. The thought of anyone attempting to hurt Blist makes every cell in my body pulsate.
“Imagine if it were Ash or Vax or either of the Masimu’s or Rella or Lux or Raks or even Ms. Guthy.”
I think about it. I would defend them all.
“What if it was one of B cubed?”
My body goes rigid. “Not for them.”
“Are you sure?”
I think about it. Every part of me fights my instinct to help.
“You have to fight for yourself with the same fierceness that you fight for everyone else.”
“Why didn’t I fight harder for my parents?” I hear myself whisper. I fight the images that appear of another origin story. Curse Number 3. I won’t think about it. I won’t acknowledge it.
“How could you possibly blame yourself when the real memory has been cursed away?”
“Do you know what happened?” I can’t believe I’m actually asking Elevator.
“I do. Everyone does. Do you trust the shifters? Blist? The pixies? Xury? The faeries? Your uncle, Professor Sway?”
“Yes.”
“Then until you trust yourself, trust the ones you love. They would never love you as strong as they do if you were the horrible one you fear you are.”
I let that sink in as more tears flow. I know he’s right. “They would
n’t, would they?”
“Migraine gone?”
I didn’t realize. “It is.” I can think. I can see. I glance at what I can see of my reflection in the shiny Elevator walls. My eyes are back to my normal one green and one blue. Then the images hit me. “Oh.”
“Exactly.”
“I know who’s helping the cousins and why.”
“And what are you going to do about it?”
I think of so many things I want to do. The elevator doors open. “You’re stronger than your enemies. They subsist on hate and fear. You have love. I especially liked the fourth idea.”
With that, I’m spilled out, and Elevator slams the doors shut and is gone.
I look around. Elevator dropped me on the witch floor. I know what I have to do.
Chapter 10
I start walking towards one of the cousins’ rooms. B cubed currently have twelve. They bore easily and convinced … You know what? I’m not going to give them any more energy or time in my brain.
Before I turn the corner, Rella is waiting for me. She’s breathless and the look in her eyes is pure fear. She points at me and then at her hair which becomes red for an instant.
“Right. I forgot about Xury.”
While the pure faeries can’t speak loud enough for me to hear, I’ve gotten pretty good at reading them. It’s like faerie sign language. “My room?”
Rella nods.
I rush back to my room, open the door and see Xury crumpled on the bed. “What happened?”
She sits up and looks at me as tears fall. I can tell from the splotchy and streaming makeup that she’s been crying for awhile. Xury wipes her tears away. “Where have you been?”
“They have the shifters and vampires in the dungeons. What’s going on?” I glance around thinking surely there must be pixies hiding. Where? I don’t know, but they wouldn’t let their queen out of their sight.
A few faeries appear and throw things at Xury before disappearing.
“What the fae?”
“They hate me.” Xury takes out an overused tissue and blows her nose for what seems like five minutes. “They all hate me.”
“Who?”
She jumps up and paces. She can only go about two feet one way before she has to flip around. “The pixies.”
The same faeries return and throw a few dozen bubbles at Xury which happen to be tiny stink bubbles. When they explode it smells of fragrant rotten eggs mixed with very pungent blue cheese with just a tinge of special fae formula for all things stinky. I have no idea what the formula is since it’s proprietary, and the patent resides with the purest of the fae. “Thanks,” I say as they disappear.
Unfortunately, pure faerie stink bubbles have time release spells. Just when the stench has dissipated, it resets itself. I hold my nose. “They definitely set that to massive stink fest.”
Xury covers her nose and mouth with a scarf and nods.
“Why do they hate you?” Pure faeries align with the species most closely related to them which are pixies. If the pixies have turned against Xury, most of the faeries will as well. “That’s impossible. Why?”
She gestures to me.
I get it. It’s what they warned. “The cousins. Pem said—”
“Pem? Blist’s sister?”
“Yep, she’s killed her shift and allied with B cubed.”
Xury flinches as she stares at me. It’s not an innocent or sad stare but more of a blaming glare. A blare.
I step back. Xury’s never been mad at me. Okay, once when we were seven, and I didn’t enthusiastically compliment her hair. It was a dozen different lengths and alternating orange and red and green. A tragic combo. “Fae.” It hits me. “It’s another curse, isn’t it?”
Xury nods.
I close my eyes, think about it and the curse appears clearly. I open my eyes. “22.”
Xury blows out a breath and finally smiles. “Thought you’d never get there.”
“Curse Number 22. No one will help me unless or until I am willing to help myself.” I frown. “Why would the cousins put a psychological curse in there?”
Xury’s eyes narrow as she studies me. “Because they knew you’d never help yourself?”
“Ingenious.” I nod slowly. “That makes sense.”
Xury jumps up and down. “Finally, Z. Why you couldn’t see yourself as the rest of us saw you is beyond me.”
I hear what she’s saying. “Elevator had the same type of chat with me.”
Xury leans in closer like she didn’t quite hear me right. “Elevator?”
I wave my hands. “It’s a witch thing.” I look her over. “Are you good here?”
Xury glances around the room and curls her lip. “I suppose.”
I think about changing the room but I don’t. I don’t plan on staying here after today, and I wouldn’t want … All of a sudden, the yawns take over. “Fae. What day is it?”
Xury’s eyes widen. “Fae it all. Friday.”
I can’t keep my eyes open.
Xury leaps out of my way before I collapse on my bed. Correction, my old bed but I don’t have the energy to make it to my new one.
I put my finger up to her. “I just need a minute.” I’m so going to fix this. I’m so going to …
~ ~ ~
I wake up and stretch. The first thing I see is Xury with her arms folded across her chest and her foot tapping on the floor.
“Finally.”
“What time is it?”
She motions to the clock.
“Monday. Huh,” I say yawning again. “I slept all weekend again.”
“Yes,” Xury says, as she claps her hands. “Up. Up. Up. You’re going to fix this, remember?”
I put my hand out to stop her. “Give me a minute.”
“No.” She snaps her fingers. “Up. Now. Do you know what it’s like to stay in this dreadful room surrounded by witches who hate you?”
“Seriously?” I look at her and jump up. “You were in here for what a few days? I lived here for three fae years surrounded by witches who hate me. Do you know what that was like?”
I realize Xury isn’t angry. She’s smiling at me.
“Have you gone mad? Bad sugar water?”
She shakes her head. “Hello, Zalia. I’m Xury, and I’m a pixie. It’s nice to meet a bad ass witch.”
I step back. That’s how she introduced herself when we were five and first met. “Huh. This is what it’s like to fight for myself.”
Xury nods and points to the door. “Now, channel that inner bad ass and direct it all to the cousins.”
I stand up straight and put my shoulders back.
“Oh, Z …” she cringes. “Hate to be that pixie, but do you mind if …”
I wave my hands, and she’s already sipping a drink. Wait a minute. I do the same thing for myself.
“Way to go, Z. What flavor?”
I look at her as if she’s gone mad yet again. “Chocolate.” Pixies can quickly become mentally challenged if they get the wrong sugar.
“Of course.” She nods. “So, get your chocolate fix and then fix yourself.”
I salute her because I don’t want to stop drinking. Mocha, chocolate, just a dash of peanut butter and maybe more than a dash of peppermint ice cream. I could live on this. I should live on this. I finish and slam the glass down on the tiny end table not only making a horrific noise but also a permanent mark in the cheap wood. “I’ll be back.”
“I’ll be here.”
“If you get bored …” I point to the window. “The whirly fan vent thingie on the roof can entertain.”
Since it’s Monday morning, witches, warlocks and witchlocks populate the area. Of course they move out of the way automatically as I march my way down one hall and then another.
I close my eyes to determine the location of B cubed. Which room are they currently infesting? Got it. I stand in front of the door. “Open.”
The door swings open, and I think I’ve slipped into a different realm. Sure, I�
��ve never been invited or wanted to visit B cubed, but their room is huge. I can’t stop looking. Rooms open to more rooms with more rooms and then even more rooms. There are living rooms, family rooms, a kitchen, an atrium, bedrooms, media rooms. Everything is pink. Floor to ceiling, carpet to rugs, furniture to beds pink. They must have a thousand square feet.
“Two thousand,” Pem says.
“Why the fae?”
“It’s Pem,” she chokes. “I thought it was clear when we talked in the dungeons.”
I wave my hand to stop her. “Wasn’t talking about you or to you. Talking about the room.”
B cubed finally saunter out of their rooms. B1 yawns. “What’s with all the noise?”
B2 covers her eyes as sunlight streams in from their floor to ceiling windows which open to a deck that extends so far with plants and even a pool that I have to stop looking.
“Enough,” I say.
B1 smiles. “We’re not done with you yet.”
I move closer to her which freaks her out. “Was I asking a question? No. So, pay attention, take a note, set the remind spell. I don’t give a fae what you have to do, but this obsession of yours with making my life a misery ends now.”
B4 laughs. “I don’t think—”
I hold up my hand to stop her. “Wasn’t done speaking. Queen Ama!” I yell.
She immediately appears and looks me over. “When did you figure it out? How did you figure it out?”
“Seriously?” I motion to her spawn. “You’re a powerful warlock which I bet my uncle, the King …” I say the last part louder than I intended and almost scare myself. “He doesn’t even know about what you’re doing. Look, I’m sorry that he fell in love with my mother. I’m sorry that he’s so desperately unhappy with you that he allows you to do whatever, but get some therapy, visit Elevator, deal.”
“Hey,” B1 says. “You don’t get to speak to her like that.”
I glare at her which makes her step back. “I knew it had to be someone powerful. Your daughters have the skills of a twice crumpled potato chip.”
“Excuse me?” B4 says, before frowning as she thinks about it and then nods. “Probably right. I didn’t want to even do it.” She looks down at her nails. “I just wanted to stay in the castle and be adored.”