by Amelia Shaw
The sun was shining down. I was expecting rain, but the day was too beautiful for dark clouds to blot out the bright, blue sky. It relieved so much of the stress that had accumulated over the last few weeks.
“Yes, I...” His voice trailed off as he continued to turn his head one way and then the other, taking it all in. He seemed particularly fascinated by cars and any other kind of vehicle, whether it was a bike or a scooter.
Everyone minded their own business but offered friendly smiles when they passed by. Bubbling laughter from a nearby park indicated kids were playing without a care in the world. It truly was a nice place to be, and I was glad I got to be the one to share this with Tavlor.
His gaze shot from my quiet street to another, to a young mother pushing a pram.
“You don’t come to the human realm very often?” I asked him as we stepped onto the main road and headed out of town.
A car zoomed by. Tavlor startled, his hand going for his sword.
I reached out and took his hand in mine, giving it what I hoped was a gentle, reassuring squeeze.
“You can relax,” I told him. It was amusing to see this big tough guy who could kill anyone with his bare hands jumping in fear when a car whizzed by. “There’s no threat here.”
He stared at me, worry written all over his handsome face. “Are you certain?” he asked, wrinkling his brow. “There could be shifters, or Fae, anywhere. You wouldn’t know how to distinguish them from other humans. They are experts at camouflaging with their environment.”
I nodded at him, giving him the benefit of the doubt. “Okay, well, you can, so keep your eyes open and I’ll concentrate on where we’re going.” At least this would give him something productive to do, more so than simply worrying. “This way.”
I turned him down another road and headed towards the portal that would take us to my mother’s realm.
“Hey,” I asked him, as a thought occurred to me. “Why is it that when my mother died, our house and all our things disappeared, but the realm still exists?”
I hadn’t really thought about it until now, but Tavlor should understand this stuff more than me.
“You may have to ask your mother about that,” he said. He knew about the locket. He knew I could still talk to my mother even though she was technically dead. “The most common reason would be that someone else created the realm for her, and they are still alive. Or that she attached the magic to an object or person, like yourself, rather than herself.”
I nodded, the locket on my chest staying cold.
Hmm... my mother didn’t want to answer than one, obviously. I wondered why. I was tempted to grab the locket in my hand and demand an answer, but I didn’t. Not yet.
“Makes sense,” I said.
When we reached the entrance to the portal, I hesitated.
It was embedded in a wall as well. An ancient church brick fence that I had to assume would never be knocked down. “Do you need to come into the realm with me, or would you like to say goodbye from here?” I asked.
I wasn’t exactly sure which option I preferred, but leaving Tavlor felt like the worst one. Even though we weren’t doing much talking, I loved being around him.
However, I did hesitate.
I hadn’t told anyone except my father about my sisters, and although I trusted Tavlor, especially now, their safety was the most important thing for me. I didn’t want to risk it for a selfish reason.
“I’d rather see you into the realm,” he replied. He looked past me, at the portal, before locking eyes with me once more. “But if you don’t want me to...”
“I’d love you to come with me, but there’s something I need to tell you first,” I said slowly. I swallowed, shifting my weight.
“What is it?” he asked, his lips quirking up. “Three secret children? A husband?”
I was startled by his attempt to make a joke. He kept smiling, but I wasn’t sure if he’d continue to do so once he found out that his job of protecting the illegitimate heir to the High Warlock had just tripled.
“Ah, no.” I forced a smile, shaking my head. I curled an errant lock of hair behind my ear.
“I didn’t think so.” His smile faded and a bout of disappointment rippled through me. “Considering what we know about your experience, I doubted it would be that.”
I rolled my eyes. He never seemed to forget the fact that inside my brain he’d found out that I was a virgin. I knew he said it to lighten the mood, but I didn’t like to be reminded that he had seen so much about me and I knew so little of him. It didn’t seem fair.
“Well, inside this realm is my biggest secret, Tavlor, so please be as calm as possible when you find out,” I said.
There was a heavy beat of intense silence and then he nodded. “Alright.”
I blew out a breath, feeling the locket on my chest warm with the warning I knew my mother would be sending me.
I ignored her. I’d already thought of all the consequences of this. And the fact that she didn’t trust me with certain information only made it easier not to listen to her now. She couldn’t parent me from the grave. Advise me when I asked, sure, but she stopped calling the shots the day she left this world.
I trusted Tavlor.
I lifted my hand and said the incantation my mother had taught us for emergencies. Considering the fact that she never wanted us to leave in the first place, it was a blessing she shared that much with us.
The portal opened and the warmth of the air made my breath catch in my throat.
The scent of familiar trees and flowers from my childhood made nostalgia well, along with the tears in my eyes.
“Hold my hand.” I said grabbed for Tavlor’s palm again.
I had no idea if there were securities set for entering the realm. As far as I knew, no-one, bar for my sisters and me, and our mother, had ever stepped foot into this realm before.
Tavlor’s fingers slid between mine and gripped my hand.
“Let’s go.” I stepped forth, tugging him with me. A shiver of unease passed over me as I walked onto the grass of the field. I wasn’t sure if it was because I shouldn’t be bringing him here or if it was for some other reason.
With a strange whoosh sound, the portal closed behind me, but we had arrived—together and in one piece.
I let out a sigh of relief. “We made it.”
Tavlor looked around, his face strangely open and relaxed. “This... is your mother’s realm?” he asked. “Where you grew up?”
He seemed surprised and yet comfortable. There were no winkles of tension on his face.
“Did you expect something else?” I asked, gesturing for him to follow me in the direction of my sisters’ cottage.
We walked slowly, enjoying the tranquil nature of the realm around us.
He nodded. “Yes.” He looked around the same way he had back in the human realm but he wasn’t as jerky. He seemed to be taking in the sights rather than looking for danger. “I thought that there would be more technology, facilities... but perhaps it all fell to pieces when your mother passed?”
I shook my head, chuckling. “Hardly,” I said. “I grew up in a large country cottage, with a library, and big bedrooms, and a kitchen. I had chores, and chickens to look after. I learnt my magic in the living room, and practiced spells in a field surrounded by cows. It was... simple.”
“Sounds heavenly,” he said, his tone strangely strained.
I glanced up at him, wondering, not for the first time, just how bad his childhood had been. How they’d tortured him for a parentage he had not chosen.
I opened my mouth to ask him a question—which one, I wasn’t sure—but the silence around us was broken with my name being called.
“Ava!”
I turned towards the horizon as a dark-haired figure ran at me. Bella. My heart soared at the familiar voice; one I hadn’t heard in a long time. One I’d missed more than I’d realized.
Tavlor stiffened. I reached for him before he did something stupid, or dang
erous. Like hurt my sister.
“Don’t.” I put my arm out so he didn’t draw his sword.
“Why? Who is it?” he demanded. “Who knows you’re here?”
Bella slowed down as she neared us, and I got a glimpse of the face my father said looked just like our grandmother.
I turned to Tavlor. “I’d like you to meet...my sister.”
Chapter 5.
Tavlor’s intake of breath was swift and startled. He staggered back, his mouth hanging open in surprise.
His gaze swung back to Bella, as she inched toward us.
“Ava?” she called, eyeing Tavlor standing at my side. I wouldn’t say she was scared. Bella wasn’t scared of anything. But she was wary. And judging by the studious look she was currently giving Tavlor, she didn’t trust him.
I rushed forward. Arms wide open.
“Bella!” I exclaimed. I would explain Tavlor in a moment. All I cared about right now was wrapping my sister into a big hug and never letting go.
I embraced my her and she hugged me back, slowly at first, then tighter and tighter, until I heard an almost silent sob leave her throat. Her body trembled once, twice. I rubbed her back, trying to soothe her.
“It’s okay.” I said. “I’m here. Everything is going to be okay.”
“We’ve been so worried,” she whispered, squeezing me tight.
I held my sister until the tension began to leave her body and I could slowly pull away.
She wiped at the tears on her face and snuck a look at Tavlor. “You, ah... brought someone with you?”
She shot a look at me. I should be grateful that she wasn’t outright accusing me of something in front of Tavlor. Bella had grown in the short amount of time I had been gone. She had matured more than I realized she would have. Tears tickled my eyes. I felt like I was missing a lot and yet, there was nothing I could do to slow down time or to go back and relive it with my sisters.
I laughed as I took a few steps back so I stood next to him, blinking back the tears. “You noticed, huh?”
Bella’s lips quivered up into a smile. “Yeah. Hard to miss.”
I wanted to hug her again. Her sarcasm was like music to my ears. Even though that sarcasm was typically aimed at me, I was just glad I was able to hear it again. I wasn’t sure I ever would again, with everything going on.
I glanced up at Tavlor, who’d gone strangely still. I couldn’t read his face, not really, but I knew he wasn’t going to kill her.
“Tavlor, this is my sister, Bella,” I said. I looked back at my sister. “Belle, this is Tavlor. He is the head of the Council guard, and he’s half Fae, half Warlock.”
Tavlor’s jaw flexed, as though he wasn’t too keen on me telling my sister that. Perhaps that wasn’t any of her business, but I knew my sister, and I knew she wouldn’t judge him badly. If anything, she’d be intrigued.
Bella turned to Tavlor, eager surprise in her face. “What an incredibly potent mix!”
I laughed. I should have known she would react like this. “Bella is the bookworm in our family,” I explained. “She has read a lot about, well... everything.”
Bella stepped forward, throwing her arms out. “It’s so nice to meet you. I have so many questions.”
Tavlor looked at me, his eyes strangely wide. I pressed my lips together, trying to contain my laughter.
I put a hand on his arm. “Don’t worry,” I said. “I won’t let her take too much of your time. But now that you know I’m safe, would you like to head back, or...”
He interrupted me with, “I have questions too, if I may stay a little longer?”
The question burst out of him, like he had been trying to hold it in. I blinked, surprised by his enthusiasm.
Bella shivered and I had to clap my hand over my mouth to stop the giggle.
A red blush stole up my sister’s face and when I saw Tavlor stiffen, I squeezed his arm again.
“Don’t assume everyone’s reactions are negative,” I said. “It’s your voice... we like it. Right, Bella?”
My sister clapped two hands to her burning cheeks. “Yes, I’m sorry. I just haven’t heard anything like it.” She twisted her foot in the grass. “Honestly, I haven’t seen anyone like you. Like Ava said, I read a lot but that doesn’t mean I’ve actually experienced anything like this before.”
Tavlor’s shoulders dropped from their stressed-out high position.
“See,” I said, shooting him a playful wink.
He looked at me, bewildered.
“Your genetics are very unusual,” he said.
I laughed. “Oh, you haven’t met the weird one yet.”
His eyebrows flew up on his forehead. “Excuse me? There’s more?”
“Yes,” Bella said, totally unaware of how unexpected this information was for him. “We have one more sister. She’s back at the house.”
Tavlor gripped my hand. Tightly. “Three? There are... three heirs to the High Warlock?”
Bella furrowed her brow. I cleared my throat, nodding quickly.
I squeezed his hand back. “Yep, and all daughters! Surprise!”
Tavlor went pale. The palest I’d seen him.
I shot a look at Bella. She shrugged, telling me she had no idea why someone would react that way. She didn’t yet understand what it meant to be an heir to the High Warlock. I wasn’t sure how I was going to explain it, or if I was going to explain it at all. Would it be better to leave my sisters in the place where they didn’t know anything? Was ignorance better than possessing information that could potentially put them in danger?
Ignorance had been my enemy so far. Knowledge was always better.
I stepped closer to Tavlor. “Are you okay?” I asked, tilting my head to the side. I didn’t think this was how he would respond to the revelation.
Bella began to step backwards. “How about we get back to the house?” she suggested, her voice careful as her eyes darted between the two of us. “I can make some tea?”
Tea sounded absolutely fabulous right now, especially tea from Bella. My sister was great at potions and I thought with the right training she could become an incredible healer. Plus, she always made my tea a little sweeter than it should be because she knew I liked it with extra sugar.
“That’s a great idea,” I said. I turned my attention back to my companion. “Come on, Tavlor. Bella makes the best food.” I tugged on his hand. “Plus, you’ll be able to meet Courtney—if she deigns to grace us with her presence, that is. She has a mini-fridge in her room, so I’m not sure if she’ll come out at all.”
I was glad to see that Tavlor followed us. Making a man his size come somewhere he didn’t want to go would be near impossible. More than that, a small part of me wanted him to see my home. It wasn’t the home we grew up in, but it was one my sisters had created. Plus, I wanted him to meet my sisters. It felt nice being able to finally tell someone about them and not have to worry about the consequences.
We walked over the field and up to the gorgeous little house my sisters had created when my mother’s magic had disappeared, taking our family home with it.
“The garden’s looking great, Bella,” I said, noticing the additions she’d added since I left. Bright red, pink, and yellow flowers were in full bloom, lining up around a white picket fence that reached our knees. There was even a vegetable garden over to the side with juicy red tomatoes and carrots stuck in the ground, tantalizing wild rabbits.
“Thank you.” Bella opened the front door, bypassing the garden nonchalantly. “Courtney! We have company.”
I pulled Tavlor through the front door and into the small living area.
I could let go of his hand at this point, but I didn’t want to. I hung onto him. This was as new for me as it was for him.
Butterflies fluttered around in my stomach as we waited for Courtney to come down.
“Have a seat,” Bella said, pulling out a chair at the dining table.
He went to step forward, then stiffened as a set of footsteps we
re heard on the floorboards.
We both turned.
“Did you say we have company?” Courtney called out, moments before she stepped into the room. Her eyes bugged out of her head. “Ava!”
Courtney, my gorgeous little rebel of a baby sister, ran straight for me and grabbed me up into a tight hug. Tears filled my eyes. I hadn’t been expecting that. If anything, I thought she’d be mad that I had stayed away for such a long amount of time. The only time I sent them word was when I’d sent them that note from the Fae realm. I didn’t even know how much time had passed.
She pulled back. “We just received your letter!” Her face was completely lit up. She actually looked happy and not filled to her head with sarcasm. “You said you wouldn’t be able to contact us or come home for ages. What happened?”
I pulled out of Courtney’s grip and moved back, next to Tavlor. He kept looking between me and my sisters, his mouth hanging open like he was a fish. I stifled a giggle.
Bella had gone to the kitchen and was stirring and crushing plants and medicines as we spoke. The soft tapping could be heard from where I was in the dining room, and it soothed me more than I realized.
“Court, this is Tavlor,” I said, turning to Courtney. She stared wide-eyed at my companion. I couldn’t blame her. He was absolutely gorgeous. “He’s the head guard to the High Warlock and has come to escort me home.”
Courtney stared at him, then a huge smile crept over her face as she looked at me.
“You brought a boyfriend home?” she asked slowly, her eyes glittering with teasing. “He’s gorgeous! Wow, Ava, I’m surprised. Did you find one for us too?”
Tavlor collapsed into his chair, shaking his head.
I couldn’t stop the chuckle that rose in my throat. “See?” I asked, knocking his shoulder with my hip. “Told ya.”
“Told him what?” Courtney asked, grinning with impetuousness.
I sighed, wondering how to explain everything all at once. “Well, long story short. Tavlor is half Fae, half Warlock, and most of the Witches in the magical realm think that’s some sort of crime and have treated him like an ugly outcast for most of his life.”