“He’s okay. Kalen has him. Let’s go,” Lilyette said as she took Rhiannon’s hand and began to lead her back towards the house.
Rhiannon sighed in relief as she saw Kalen already heading in the direction of the house with Oberon in tow.
“Okay, let’s go,” she said as she followed Lilyette’s lead.
Kalen reached the house first and slowly lowered Oberon to the floor, lying him down as gently as he could then focus on retracting his wings so that Oberon wouldn’t see them when he came to.
Rhiannon and Lilyette landed soon after. The trio focused and pulled their wings back.
Rhiannon knelt on the ground in front of Oberon and placed her hand gently on his face.
“Wake up, please wake up,” she said, full of worry.
Oberon’s eyes slowly opened and slowly regained focus as he looked up at Rhiannon’s worried face.
“What…what happened?” Oberon asked, his voice raspy and weak.
“I want to ask you the same thing,” Rhiannon replied.
“We were in the dream, then after I touched you, it was like something took over me. I felt like I was possessed or something,” Oberon said as he slowly sat up.
“I guess that decides it, you can’t have wings,” Lilyette said coldly.
“What?” Oberon yelled.
“Guys, let’s all go to sleep and discuss this in the morning, okay? We are all exhausted,” Rhiannon pleaded.
“I agree, come on,” Kalen said as he reached his hand out to Rhiannon and helped her stand up.
Both Lilyette and Oberon slightly grumbled but followed them inside to go to bed.
Chapter 20
Oberon woke up from a fitful night’s sleep feeling angry at himself and sad at his brief taste of power.
I was out of control, so I know why she did it…but I just can’t shake this feeling. I need to get her to trust me and somehow get my powers back.
Oberon sat up on the couch and looked around to see that Kalen wasn’t on his designated couch. The sound of dishes clanging came from the kitchen, so Oberon headed into there.
“What are you doing?” Oberon asked when he saw Kalen in the kitchen, pulling out various pots.
“After last night I think everyone could use a hardy breakfast, so I’m going to whip something up,” Kalen answered.
“What are you, a chef?” Oberon asked with laughter.
“No, just used to the way my mom does things. When I’m going through something tough, she tends to cook up a feast. She says good food is good for a troubled soul,” Kalen replied.
“Sounds nice,” Oberon said as he tried to imagine his mom ever cooking. “How can I help? I have some making up to do.”
“Get a carton of eggs out of the fridge and crack 6 of them into this bowl and beat them until they’re frothy,” Kalen said as he handed over a plastic bowl and whisk.
“Yes, chef!” Oberon replied happily as he went to work.
Neither of them noticed Rhiannon who had come downstairs and was quietly watching their interaction.
I’ll leave them to it, she thought with a smile as she turned around and went back upstairs to take a shower.
In the shower, Rhiannon turned the water to the hottest level it would go and enjoyed the way it soothed her sore muscles. She had woken up with every part of her body feeling stiff and achy, and wondered if it was a result of what happened the previous night.
I don’t know what’s wrong with Oberon’s wings, but I can’t let that happen again, she thought.
When she finished her shower and got dressed, she took a little bit of time to style her hair nicely and do a little bit of makeup. When Lilyette saw her, she smiled slyly.
“Putting in extra effort for your boyfriends?” she asked, emphasizing the plural.
“Shh! I just…wanted to look a nice today, is that so wrong?” Rhiannon answered.
“Not at all,” Lilyette said as she laughed.
The pair linked arms and went down the stairs together, and were hit with a heavenly smell the further down they walked.
“Woah, I didn’t realize how hungry I was until now,” Rhiannon said as she breathed in the tantalizing aromas.
“Come sit!” Kalen said happily as he placed plates of food on the table.
Once everyone settled into their meals, Rhiannon was shocked to see Oberon staring at her with a desperate look in his eyes.
“What?” she said.
“My wings…I feel strange now without them,” Oberon replied.
“You had them for 5 seconds before you began plotting world domination, so forget them,” Lilyette said.
“I know…you’re right…” Oberon said sadly.
“We need to learn more about them before we use them any further or before we even consider telling anyone else about them. Maybe if we can get more information, we can prevent that from happening again,” Rhiannon said hopefully.
“Where would we even start?” Kalen interjected.
“The library!” Rhiannon said happily.
“Yeah, actually the library at the academy has a private history section that’s closed off to students. But maybe now that we aren’t any longer and you’re our Princess they’ll give us access,” Lilyette said.
“Exactly what I’m hoping for,” Rhiannon replied.
Oberon’s eyes began to shine with hope as he listened.
“I hope we find something,” he said.
“Then it’s decided, let’s finish eating, clean up and head out,” Rhiannon said.
Everyone got busy eating – Oberon leading the pack as he shoveled food into his mouth, excited to get to the library and begin their hunt for information.
Chapter 21
With the kitchen clean again, everyone loaded up into one of Rhiannon’s cars and buckled in.
“I haven’t driven in…a while,” Rhiannon said hesitantly as she put the keys in and turned the car on.
The drive to the library went without incident, and Rhiannon’s confidence in her driving skills increased. After parking, she walked towards the entrance filled with pride.
Lilyette, Oberon, and Kalen followed behind her, smiling at her as she strutted away.
Rhiannon walked right up to the librarian and got his attention.
“Excuse me, sir?” she said.
“Yes, how can I help – oh my! Rhiannon!” he said as he saw who was standing before him.
“Hi, Mr. Kline! We were wondering if we could get access to the private history room? We aren’t technically students any longer,” Rhiannon said, returning his smile.
“Hmmm…may I ask what for?” he replied.
Lilyette walked up and answered before Rhiannon could, “These two want to research traditional fairy wedding traditions.”
Rhiannon jabbed Lilyette with her elbow but smiled and nodded at Mr. Kline.
“Ahh, of course. How sweet! I hope you’ll give me an invite to this wedding of the century!” Mr. Kline answered as he pulled out a key from the drawer in front of him.
“The room is in the back right of the building, you’ll need this key to get in, just make sure to bring it back to me when you are finished,” he said.
“Of course! Thank you,” Rhiannon said as she took the key and headed in the direction of the room.
Lilyette let out a small chuckle as they turned away from Mr. Kline.
“I can’t believe you said that,” Rhiannon whispered.
“It worked,” Lilyette laughed.
“Yeah whatever,” Rhiannon retorted as they reached the door.
The key went in smoothly, and Rhiannon swung the door open. As she and Lilyette walked in, they saw stacks and stacks of old books on five different tables; some in cases, some opened, and others just set down. They both breathed in deeply.
“Ugh, I love that old book smell,” Lilyette muttered.
“Me too,” Rhiannon agreed.
“Smells like mold,” Oberon said as he walked in behind them.
“Smell
s like sweat,” Kalen said, laughing.
“You guys just don’t get it,” Lilyette said.
“Okay, let’s all split up and start looking through the books, we can each take a table. If anyone finds something useful, let us all know, okay?” Rhiannon said.
“Yes, ma’am!” Lilyette said as she put her hand to her forehead in salute.
“I’m going to kick your butt,” Rhiannon laughed.
Everyone laughed and headed towards different tables and sat down, carefully looking through each book.
Rhiannon sat down and picked up a large red leather-bound book that said “Historia de Hadas” in an ornate cursive font and underneath it “Fairy History” in English.
Rhiannon opened the book and saw that each page mirrored each other with one side in Spanish and the other translated in English.
Flipping through it, she found a page entitled, “Living in Unity – Destroyed.”
Living in Unity – Destroyed
The days of fairy kind living as guardians and friends to humans have come to an end.
A long history will soon be wiped away due to jealousy and mistrust.
Fairies have long lived all around the world, distant kin with identical racial and ethnic backgrounds as their human counterparts.
Harmony in these communities was abundant as the humans' used skills of hunting and gathering to provide food for all, and the fairies used their unique powers and skillsets to protect.
This give-and-take relationship has been destroyed with societal pressures abounding and many humans wanting to utilize fairy powers for conquering and gain.
Through a meeting between worldwide fairy leaders in the dream realm it has been decided that the fairies would travel to a remote area of the world in Antarctica, and create a hidden paradise for those who wish to no longer live amongst the humans and be part of their developing thirsts for power and chaos.
A small amount has decided to stay behind, accepting whatever risks may come from that decision.
The elemental fairies gathered first to alter the landscape and make it into a livable and thriving land. Their talents were well put to use as they transformed the unlivable landscape of Antarctica into a paradise. Far within the mainland, our oasis in this icy desert was created with flowers and vegetation from all parts of the world.
The atmosphere was changed from freezing to a warm and comfortable temperature year-round, with pleasant rainfall that would come when needed to quench the land. Crystal clear lakes were added throughout the land. Some were filled with pure water for drinking while others held saltwater for aquatic life as though they were miniature oceans.
Much like the time of Noah’s Ark, animals of all species were brought to the land – though any poisonous or vicious varieties were left out.
Those with warding powers went next to create protective boundaries around our vast land – which was straightforwardly dubbed Fairyland – so that it may remain undetected by humankind for centuries to come.
The migration was swift, with fairies all over leaving by moonlight to not alarm the humans being left behind.
The unity that we once knew in our world is no longer. We were divided.
This is not the way that God had intended our world to be, so one can’t help but wonder how long this division will be able to last.
Already, many fairies protest at leaving because some of their family members stayed behind to be with their human spouses and mixed-blood offspring.
The leaders assure everyone that in time, we will forget about the human world entirely, and live happily in our own world.
The skeptics amongst us will watch and continue to document our history so that whatever may come to pass, the future generations will not forget what they come from.
Rhiannon sat back after reading the final line of the page, her mind swarming with what she just read.
This must be what my mom was telling me in her letter, our history doesn’t start with us joining the humans – it goes way beyond that, Rhiannon thought, why wouldn’t we be taught this in school?
At another table, Lilyette was also finding herself lost in the pages of the book in front of her. She knew she’d found exactly what they were looking for, but decided to read by herself first before letting everyone else in on her discovery.
A fairy and their wings are interchangeable. Wings are the manifestations of our inner selves, our true selves. Below is a current (ever-growing) list of known wing types and their correlating powers, warnings, and uses.
Lilyette scanned the extensive list first looking for any mention of fire, eager to find out what her wings meant. Her heart leaped when she finally found it mentioned on the next page.
Fire: Fairies with this wing type are often referred to as phoenixes due to their unmatched restoration powers. A fairy with wings of fire that is injured will heal at a rapid rate, and emerge unscathed. They age at the average rate of other fairies up until the age of 30, when their physical aging comes to a halt. A fairy with this power who desires aging normally will need to have their wings stripped from them.
When a fairy gets their fire wings, they will find that controlling their temper will become difficult. It is imperative that fairies with these powers take extreme measures to gain control over their emotions. Once their fire takes over, it is hard to put out – many casualties have been made by a fairy with fire wings losing control of their emotions.
Lilyette read and reread the passage multiple times, somehow hoping for more information.
I can’t believe this, she thought, I don’t know whether to feel excited or terrified. I’m going to have to start doing my daily meditations again.
Lilyette took some deep breaths to calm herself down. The last thing she wanted in the middle of a library was to start a fire.
She flipped through the dozens of pages and stopped when she found a page that mentioned black wings and had a subsection of those whose eyes become entirely black.
Black wings with black eyes variation: This wing/eye type variation is extremely dangerous and must be reported to the High Council immediately if developed. A fairy with this type is likely to have a complex inner self that will be amplified when their wings are active. They have increased strength, superior athleticism, and are often called reapers.
With a touch and a thought, they can suck the life force out of any living being and take it for their own – extending their own life expectancy.
Almost demonic in behavior and mindset, these types of fairies must have their wings stripped the moment it becomes apparent that they are this type. Destruction around the world has run rampant at the hands of these dark fairies. Thus, they must be stopped before they can even start. There is no reasoning with the Unseelie kinds.
Lilyette clenched her fist and jaw as she tried her best to remain calm as she felt her body heat rising.
I’d been holding my tongue for too long not telling Rhiannon what Oberon did to me, this just proves – he’s evil like his father, and there’s no fixing him, Lilyette thought. My old happy memories with him need to be forgotten, he has to be stopped.
She closed the book, vowing to read it in detail later, and slipped it sneakily into her bag – all the time taking calming breaths, so she didn’t lose control.
Chapter 22
Kalen stood up and stretched, then checked the time on his phone.
“Hey guys, it’s getting late. If no one has found anything, why don’t we head out and come back tomorrow? My butt is numb, and I’m hungry,” he said to the group.
Rhiannon looked up from her page and smiled.
“Agreed,” Lilyette said quickly, “my eyes are starting to hurt.”
“Alright, sounds good. Did anyone find anything useful?” Rhiannon asked.
“Nothing at my table,” Oberon replied.
“Same,” answered Kalen.
“Nothing here,” Lilyette said.
“Oh well, guess we can try again tomorrow. Make sure to put
aside the books you already went through so we don’t waste time going through the same piles again,” Rhiannon replied.
Everyone made quick work of sorting their books and headed out the door.
Rhiannon handed the key over to Mr. Kline and let him know that they would be back again the next day.
They all walked out of the building and headed to the car.
“I’m not going to be coming with you guys,” Oberon said.
“Why not?” Rhiannon asked.
“I’ve actually been getting angry texts from my parents all day telling me that I’d better be home tonight, so I’d better not press my luck any further,” he answered sheepishly.
“Don’t. Tell. Them. Anything.” Lilyette ordered.
“How many times do I need to promise? I won’t, okay?” Oberon replied exasperated.
“Tell your parents that you were helping me move in. Maybe they’ll go easy on you,” Rhiannon said, feeling worried about him facing his father and getting beat up again.
“I will try – don’t worry,” Oberon replied as he gave Rhiannon a quick hug then turned to leave.
He stopped and turned back towards the group.
“He’s not staying at your house again…is he?” he asked suddenly.
“It’s a far ride out for him back to his house, and since he’s coming with us to the library again, I don’t see the point in him making that trip,” Rhiannon answered.
“I can see a lot of points for him making that trip. Just send him home, he’ll be fine,” Oberon ordered.
“Do I need to remind you that I’m very capable of making my own decisions and handling myself,” Rhiannon seethed.
Oberon looked from her to Kalen then to Lilyette.
At least Lilyette will be there as a block, I doubt they’d do anything with her there, Oberon hoped.
“No, I’m sorry. Of course, it isn’t my place to try and tell you what to do,” Oberon backpedaled.
“That’s what I thought,” Rhiannon snarked.
“See ya’,” Kalen said as he got in the car with a smile.
“Alright…stay on your couch…” Oberon complained as he reluctantly turned to leave and head towards the main building on campus where he was meeting his mom.
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