Enchanting the Fey- The Complete Series

by Rebecca Bosevski

  “Tai, take the vase,” I said, stepping towards Ava. “Tai, do it now, that belonged to my grandmother and if it falls you will be picking up after the datherin for a month.”

  That gained his attention and I saw him reach for it out of the corner of my eye.

  “Ava?”

  She wasn’t looking at me. She stared at the vase, her hand still stretched out.

  “Des? It won’t let me grab it,” Tai called.

  “Ava, let go, it’s okay. Tai has it.” She moved her eyes to mine and smiled.

  “Mum, I think I can put it back. I saw something in your book, a picture that looked like a hole in the air that things can go through.”

  “A portal? Are you talking about a portal? Those are really advanced magic, Ava. I don’t think you should try something like that yet. Let Tai grab the vase.”

  “But I can see,” Ava swung her arm and a buzz came from behind me. Looking back to Tai and the vase I saw an oval of blue light open below the vase, and another above the table. Then the vase fell through the first portal, but before it could make its way out of the second, it quivered and closed, cutting the vase in half. The piece that came through fell to the table top and broke into another three pieces.

  Tai smacked his hands over his mouth. “Not my fault,” he said through his fingers.

  “I thought I could do it.”

  I turned back to her, trying to keep my cool. I loved that vase. The ornate flowers painted around it had been done by hand by my grandmother on my mother’s side. A woman who sacrificed her connection to Shulun for my safety, for my mother’s safety. She died when I was still small, but my memories of her remain. My mother had told me so many stories about how supportive, loving, and strong she was. It was one of the few things I kept from my mother’s house after she died, and it had survived so much. It survived me, but not my child. Mum always did say I would be given a child just like me one day, and I did break my fair share of my mother’s things.

  “Ava, it’s alright, it was an accident.”

  “Does she have to clean up after the datherin?” Tai asked, joining us up the hall.

  “No, she has never seen a datherin. But if you keep running through the halls you will be their primary carer for life.” I scruffed up his hair with my fingers. He had the same hair as Jax, messy and riddled with caramel highlights.

  “Tai, this is Ava,” I said, taking her hand and turning her towards him. “Ava is your… niece.” I squeezed her hand and bent down to kneel in front of Tai. Ava copied me but stayed slightly behind.

  Tai was six and only came up to just above my waist. Jax’s parents struggled for years to have another child after Jax. Part of Jax’s interest in growing the magical plants and herbs came from wanting to help his parents, plus he always wanted a brother.

  Jax found every herb, flower, root and bark he could that held properties for creation, growth and health. His mother baked them into breads, ground them into pastes to mix with juices, and whatever else she could think of to absorb their magical properties. Then one day it worked, and a while later Tai was born.

  Tai beamed up at Ava. “Is that who everyone is whispering about in Jaxies room? They kicked me out.”

  I returned his smile and pulled him close. “Like that would stop you. You probably know more secrets than anyone in this house. Now, let me introduce you properly.” I scooted to the side and took both their hands. “Ava, this is Tai, he’s your father’s little brother.”

  “Hey, I am not little!”

  “Sorry. Younger brother.” I smirked and gave him a little poke in the belly. Ava tilted her head and frowned a little as she looked past him to something on the wall. Then as if something clicked in her mind, her eyes widened in delight. An enormous smile spread across her face and she pulled him in for a hug.

  “Des, she’s squishing me.” Tai giggled from beneath her arms.

  “You are like me,” Ava said, twisting side to side as she continued to squeeze him.

  “Des,” Tai called again from his muffled place, and I reached out and took Ava’s arm, encouraging her to release her uncle.

  “Ava, what do you mean Tai is like you?” Her grip of him lessened and he was able to wriggle out from her hold.

  “He’s made of more. We are made special.”

  “See Des?” Tai planted his hands on his hips, and tilted his head up in a superman pose. “I always said to Jaxie that I was better than him. Can I do that blue light thing too, Ava? Can you show me how?”

  “I don’t know how I did it,” she said, her voice breaking a little.

  “It’s okay,” Tai said, grabbing her hand in both of his and pulling her up to stand. “Des is great at magic, she will help you and then you can show me. Des won’t show me magic.” He poked his tongue out at me.

  “Tai,” I said, helping myself to stand. “I told you before, the Tanzieth’s have no magic left. I am trying to get it back for them, for you, but I can’t show you how to use a magic you don’t have.”

  “He has light like us,” Ava said, swinging her hand in his like two children that are the best of friends. “Tai is like me, we are made of more.”

  “Ava what do you mean ‘made of more’?”

  “She told me I am made of more. I can hear her voice, she laughs a lot, says you made her laugh, too.”

  “She?”

  “Yes, she talks to me. When I don’t understand something, she tells me, explains for me.”

  “And what did she say you are made from?”

  “I am made from Angels.”

  “Oh my Fey,” gasped Tai. “Des, do you think I am made of Angels, too? That would be so cool. Have you seen the pictures of the Angels? They have feathers like birds, they have huge wings of feathers. They are so cool. Des do you think I am? Des—?”

  “Tai, shoosh.” I placed my hands on Ava’s shoulders gaining her full attention. “Ava, what do you mean you are made of Angels? Jax and I made you, you grew inside me, I am no Angel.”

  She tilted her head to the side and then giggled. The chuckle sounded so familiar.

  “Ava, are you hearing her now? The woman that speaks to you?”

  She nodded and her smile grew again. “She said you are too and that you should stop saying you are not. You know how you came to be and by the Oley you are far greater than they could have expected.”

  “Ava, stop.”

  “Des, what does she mean?” Tai asked, pulling on the hem of my top. The book shifted. “Oh, what’s that?”

  I let go of Ava for a moment to tuck it back snuggly in the waist of my pants. “It doesn’t matter what she means Tai, and that’s a book. Don’t touch it.”

  I turned my attention back to my daughter, “Ava, you shouldn’t trust what the voices tell you so easily. Not everyone will want to help you.” Should she have to know so much so soon? Why can’t she be allowed to see the world as good and kind and helpful? Oh that’s right, cause it isn’t. Even family can deceive and plot against you.

  Ava had her head tilted again but was watching me.

  “My sweet girl, leave the voices be and let your mother show you some stuff, huh? It’s my job after all.”

  She nodded and I collected a single curl of pink that hung loosely over her right shoulder. Running my fingers down it I was lost for a moment in her beauty. In the amazingness that was the daughter I created.

  A door slammed down the hall drawing our attention and Ava stiffened. She latched onto my hand with hers and squeezed it tightly.

  “Ava, it’s alright. Tai, we will talk about this later, don’t say anything to your parents. You do like secrets, remember?”

  He tried to wink, but it looked more like staggered blinking, then took off down the hall in the opposite direction.

  “Hey, Ava,” he called from behind us. “Come find me and we can play, okay?”

  Ava nodded excitedly and released my hand to wave goodbye. She turned just as Max rounded the corner looking far scarier than he proba
bly would have had he known we were in his path.

  “Dad, what is it?”

  “Those people are just so—”

  Ava scooted to hide behind me, her hands moving to rest on either side of my waist, I could feel her face bury in my hair behind me.

  “Dad, you are scaring her. Calm down and tell me what’s going on.”

  His disposition shifted. “Oh my Fey, Ava, I am so sorry. My dear, you will have to excuse your grandfather. I am all bark, no bite, I swear.”

  “Grandfather?” Ava asked from beneath my hair, her warm breath making its way past the strands to the base of my neck. It tickled and I laughed as I shrugged her out from beneath it, and into view of my father.

  “Yes my dear, I am so sorry, I didn’t want to scare you.”

  Ava took my hand and squeezed it tight.

  “It’s alright Ava, this is my dad, your grandfather. He really is just like a puppy.”

  “Hey.”

  I laughed. “It’s true dad, you might be able to scare other people but you are really just a big softie.”

  “Well, when it comes to my girls I guess that’s true. And you my dear, Ava, are one of my girls now. My beautiful, if not surprisingly grown, granddaughter. I see you have found your mothers wardrobe. We will have to get you some of your own things.”

  “Dad, what did you mean before? You were saying something about those people, what people?”

  “Urg, we can talk about them later, surely Ava here is hungry? I don’t suppose breastfeeding would be required?”

  “I will pass on that, thanks.”

  “Kitchen then,” he said, reaching out his hand to me. Ava took it before I could and his eyes lit up. It was the same expression he had when he burst into the kitchen after their magic returned. I sighed, thinking of the magic they gave up for me. I had to find a way to give it back to them.

  “Kitchen?” Ava asked me, her bright eyes shining just like Mum’s.

  “Come on, let’s see if you like Wagon Wheels,” I said.

  “Des, I think she should have something more nutritious than your chocolatey obsession.”

  “If I had a choice of the first food I would ever taste it would be those chocolaty obsessions as you call them. Besides, she’s my daughter and I will feed her whatever I want.” I stuck my tongue out at him. “Your grandfather here, thinks himself a master chef, but mostly he just makes a master mess.”

  Max pushed open the door to the kitchen with his free arm. Maylea stood at the marble counter almost as if she were waiting for us.

  “Hungry?” she asked as she pulled a plate from beneath her and placed it on the counter. “Shall I make you a snack?”

  “All good, I got this.” I said, letting go of Ava’s hand and entering the enormous pantry. Reaching into the hiding place for my favourite treat I frowned when there was nothing there.

  “Hey who took my Wagon Wheels?”

  “A Wagon Wheel is not proper food, Desmoree, you will feed your child right.”

  “You hid them?”

  “Yes, and you will not get them back until she has eaten properly.”

  “But she’s my daught—.”

  “Do not finish that sentence, my dear. I have been feeding this household for many years and your treats will disappear more often, should you choose to continue.”

  I pursed my lips and frowned. Ava was watching our exchange intently.

  “Fine, but none of that stew stuff we had the other week. I would like her to at least enjoy her first endeavour. Could you make her something sweet, please?”

  “Very well then, how about we try her on some fruits? You grab your favourites out from the fridge, and Max,” she said, pointing across the room. “Could you please grab me the basket of pickings I left in the mudroom?”

  “You went picking?” I asked, tossing a blighter berry into my mouth before grabbing their bowl and adding it to the stack in my other arm. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going picking? I would have come with you.”

  “Desmoree, only a few hours ago you were not really in a way to go picking,” she said, looking from me to Ava.

  “Oh, right.” I chuckled and clunked the bowls down onto the counter.

  “Ava, come sit here, see what fruits we have for you to try.” Maylea said her voice soft and inviting.

  Ava moved over and took a seat on the stool beside me, directly in front of Maylea. She tilted her head in that way that she did and then pointed to the dark pink berries.

  “Fatums?” she asked.

  Maylea looked confused. “How do you—”

  “She has help.” I smirked. “I think one of the seers is talking to her.”

  “She’s a receiving fey?”

  “I don’t think so. Receiving fey talk to the seers who are still alive. The one I think Ava is talking to is not.” Maylea raised an eyebrow but said nothing more of it. Max walked back in and dropped a large wicker basket onto the counter. It was full of fresh herbs and fruits she had picked that morning throughout the Landown property.

  My father’s property had really come alive since his emotional state had been restored. Before I returned, his despair over my mother leaving had seeped into the lands, made everything dark, almost dead, but now everything was thriving.

  “Okay, miss smarty,” I said picking up one of the other fruits and holding it up for her to see. “What is this?”

  “A marlo fruit,” she said, matter of factly.

  “Very good, but what does it taste like?”

  “I don’t know.” She frowned.

  “How about Maylea prepares a platter of fruits and then we can have a taste of all of them?” I tossed the marlo fruit to Maylea who nodded and began cutting it in half. Ava sat mesmerized by it all.

  I touched Max’s arm and nodded to the wall by the pantry.

  We made our way over quietly so as to not disturb Ava, but I don’t think it would have mattered; she was so transfixed on Mayleas hands and her knife skills we probably could have danced a jig over to the wall and she wouldn’t have noticed.

  “So, Dad, tell me, what got you so fired up before?”

  “You know I like your in-laws, but—” He looked away to Ava and Maylea.

  “But what dad? What were they doing?”

  “Oh it isn’t what they were doing, it was what they were saying.”

  “And that was?”

  “They don’t understand her, Des, and you know first-hand what happens when fey are afraid.”

  “Yes, they act the same way as people. Like idiots.”

  “Exactly. Your in-laws think she’s not their granddaughter. That she’s not a part of Jax or you, but something Traflier created and put inside you.”

  “What!” I exclaimed too loudly, and drew Maylea’s eye. Ava turned to look too, but Maylea coaxed her attention back with a new fruit to play with. This one covered in thousands of soft hairs that danced like weeds through water as she moved it up and down and side to side.

  “You cannot be serious, Dad. Traflier had nothing to do with her creation. Look at her.”

  “You don’t have to convince me, Des, I see her. I know she’s yours. She’s special, different… yes.”

  “I don’t have to convince anyone. This is our house and they won’t accuse my child of being connected to that monster. What did Jax have to say about all this? Was he there when they were connecting his daughter to that thing?”

  “He loves you Des, but he’s worried. She grew so quickly and then poof,” he said, flailing his hands in an oddly descriptive way. “She was here and full grown and with that hair.”

  “Really, Dad, they are going to talk about her hair? Look at Mark, like his hair is normal. It is pure white, and far too long if you ask me.”

  “Des.”

  “I know, it’s just…come on. She’s mine, she was bound to be a little weird. So she hears voices, so do other receiving fey, and even though she did say something about Jax before, well it was more about me when I am wit
h Jax, it isn’t really any weirder than anything I have done in the past year. I mean come on.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She said my light was different when I am near him, but she was only with us both for a short time, she will get to know him and she will love him.”

  “I am sure you are right,” Max said looking back to Maylea and Ava, as Maylea placed the last of the berries at the end of the long assortment of cut fruit covering the counter.

  “Are you two going to join us over here?” Maylea called and Ava spun to see us. Her eyes sparkling.

  “Can I have some now?” she asked, bouncing a little on her seat.

  “Yes, let’s all have some.” I joined her at the counter, taking the stool to her left. My father took the seat on her other side. “What would you like to taste first?”

  “These look like the colour of those pretty shoes, the ones I can’t borrow,” Ava said, and I sucked my lips in holding back my smile.

  “Des, you are not refusing to share are you?” Maylea asked. The knife still in her hand dripped creepily with the juice from one of the red fruits.

  “Just the blue pumps. I will share everything else. Promise.”

  “I will have someone pop over to the human shop where you got them and grab some for her next chance I get,” Max said as he picked up one of the blue berries and popped it into his mouth.

  “The human shop?” Ava asked picking up one of the same berries and squeezing in between her thumb and forefinger. The juice squirted across the counter and she dropped the berry and stared at the drizzle on her fingers.

  “Here.” I grabbed the cloth from under the bench and I wiped her hand clean, before picking up another berry. “Don’t squeeze so hard, and pop it into your mouth so you can chew it and taste all the flavour.”

  She selected another one, lightly holding it as I did. Then she mirrored me as I put it into my mouth and chewed widely.

  “But you should really chew with your mouth closed,” Maylea said.

  I winked at Ava and chewed bigger, making smacking noises like a cow chewing on grass.

  “And quietly,” my father added, and we laughed. Ava intuitively swallowed and immediately tossed a few more into her mouth.