by Vera Sparks
And maybe how to fix it.
“It’s a nice night tonight,” Gene stated as he led the way. He’d said we had to come to a forest on the edge of their territory. Their territory was more extensive than I had thought, and I wondered how they regulated it.
“It is.” I looked up at the clear night sky, the stars glittering overhead like a canvas of divine design. The moon doused us in a soft glow as we walked through the forest, and I felt my feet go transparent as I almost tripped. Something I wasn’t capable of anymore, my body would just float through any possible tripping hazard.
“Now, remember, the Fae act like royalty, so no swearing and speak only when spoken to,” Gene said.
Yep, I was right. Just snobby prudes.
“Got it,” I huffed.
“Relax, I’ll handle the talking. You’ve told me all I need to know,” Gene reassured me. The older man looked quite strange wandering around out here in his grey suit, his hair neatly combed, and beard trimmed neatly. I suddenly felt quite underdressed. Damn.
“Here it is,” Gene murmured, and I gazed around at the forest. Here? There was nothing here, just forest.
“They set up doorways all across the world to their paradise,” Gene explained as he rested his hands on his hips.
“Paradise?” I said in disbelief.
“Inaccessible from humans and most supernatural creatures. It’s said that their paradise actually lies somewhere within the Bermuda triangle, if you believe that nonsense,” he shrugged.
“So is it like another realm, like the middle and ghost realm?” I asked. The different realms were still difficult to get my head around, and now this on top of it.
“No, it’s an actual place here in this world. The only access is these doorways from my understanding,” Gene said as he glanced around the clearing.
“Don’t doorways open?” I said flatly.
“Our meeting isn’t for another few minutes,” he murmured as he checked the time on his watch. How he could see the damned thing was beyond me. A cloud had drifted over the moon and we were cast into shadows.
“Percy sees you a lot,” Gene stated. I looked at him to see what he meant, but his gentle look meant no harm.
“Yeah, I guess he does.”
“He certainly has fallen for you,” he chuckled as he clasped his hands together. “You may not be a ‘wolf, but you’re an impressive woman, Ivy.”
I stared at him, trying to understand what his words meant. Was he saying if I chose to I’d be allowed to become some weird honorary member of the pack because I was worthy? Or was it because interspecies relationships were still frowned upon, especially in the werewolf communities. I couldn’t determine it from his calm and collected demeanor.
“Do you think they’ll be able to… help me?” I asked as I shifted my weight uneasily.
“I really don’t know to be honest. I just know they’re powerful, magical creatures and I wouldn’t put it past them.”
I chewed my lip as I glanced down at my sneakers. I was seriously underdressed. Gene looked so clean and classy in his suit, and I just looked like I’d just been hanging with friends. Which was true, I guess.
“Don’t stress. There’s nothing to be worried about. They’ll either know or they won’t, we’ll find out either way. I know you're nervous, but I’m here, I’ll take care of you,” Gene reassured me.
His words did settle me. The alpha gave off a strange, calming aura. I enjoyed his company, and I was certainly glad he was coming with me. He was a leader; he’d handle this with ease. I’d just follow him and keep my mouth shut.
What could go wrong?
I squeaked as a flash of light blinded me momentarily, but I relaxed as I felt Gene’s arm grasp mine to steady me. I was just glad the shock hadn’t made me transparent.
“The doorway is open,” he stated.
I drew in a calming breath. Here goes nothing.
We stepped through the blinding white light, and I refrained from gaping at the elegant lounge we now stood in. A room filled with luxuriously dressed folk and plush couches with a deep red velvet floor and high golden ceiling. It was absolutely breathtaking.
“Hmm, this must be their bar,” Gene murmured. “The doorways don’t lead to anywhere in particular. Last time I appeared in a field.”
Wait, what? He’d been here before? I didn’t get a chance to ask as he began leading me through the classy crowd. The crowd who were peering down their noses at us in disgust.
No, wait, it seemed like it was just me. Gene was even drawing a few eyes. I guess he was handsome in a George Clooney kind of way.
And bar? What was Gene thinking? How could this be a bar?
Then I saw it. We were headed towards the most divine bar I’d ever laid eyes on. The shimmering crystal wall that was in the center that shelved many strange-looking bottles, the porcelain countertop that spiraled around the wall. The golden stools with plush red velvet seats.
I could see why Gene had said paradise.
“Gene!”
My eyes fell on the petite blonde whose beauty was astounding. Her skin practically glowed and her long golden hair was so perfect and straight. Her body curved in all the right places despite her shorter build, and the elegant blue glittering ball gown she wore was to die for. Her silver heels clicked as she strode towards us, and the silver headpiece she wore suited her, a floral twisted crown with jewels embedded into it. Now that I had a chance to look, many of the women wore these small crown pieces.
“Gilda, it’s so lovely to see you,” Gene’s face lit up as she pulled him into a tight embrace.
“Oh, it’s been so long,” she said as she pulled back, her bangles jingling from the movement.
“It has, it has,” Gene nodded.
“How’s your wife, Heather?” Gilda asked, but I caught the strange flash of emotion across her face before she covered it. How strange.
“She’s doing wonderfully,” Gene sighed with a smile.
“I’m glad to hear it,” Gilda nodded. Every movement she made was rather slow and precise, exactly like royalty.
“This here is my good friend, Ivy,” Gene introduced me. “Ivy, this is Gilda Longhaven, we go way back.”
“That we do,” she sighed as she focused on me. Her vibrant green eyes dragged over me and I wanted to scowl at the way her eyebrows raised slightly. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Ivy,” she said as she gave me a curtsy. An actual curtsy. Christ.
“Anyway, you said you’d organized us a meeting with Madame Fayla?” Gene moved on.
“Yes, that’s right. If anyone knows anything about your friend’s… condition, it’ll be her,” Gilda gave me a careful look as she spoke.
I had already decided I didn’t like the Fae. They came across too proud and elitist. I hadn’t realized just how bad they were when Gene spoke of them.
“This way, follow me,” Gilda beckoned us with her delicate little hand, her long blonde hair billowing behind her as she walked, no, glided, across the lounge.
We followed after her, and I wished I’d put on a jacket so I could cover my inferior clothing from these judgmental Fae.
My cardigan was pretty useless on that regard.I contemplated going invisible and following along unseen, but Gene had warned me to let him handle everything. Vanishing on them might cause some unwanted distress or annoyance. And I really did want to know what they knew.
Gilda ducked through a doorway masked by some tumbling red velvet drapes. Inside, a woman who looked just like an older version of Gilda perched on a purple love seat, her strapless emerald green dress hugging her body tight. Maybe it was in the Fae blood to look like models, with the addition of good boobs which most models didn’t seem to have these days. They may have the face and long legs, but many were just skinny twigs in my opinion. Despite the people who were trying to get more average and normal sized models out there.
The woman waved at her various companions and they all stood, brushing past us as they left. I co
uld feel the animosity for me seeping off of them. I couldn’t wait to leave and never come back to this place. It may look like paradise, but these people were horrid, stuck-up twats.
A glass chandelier illuminated the room with a soft glow, and Gilda beckoned for us to sit on the luxurious purple couch across from the woman.
“Madame Fayla,” Gilda bowed, and I withheld my internal groan.
Madame Fayla nodded and gently indicated for Gilda to join her on the love seat.
“Gene Newstead, it’s been a while since any of your pack have visited us,” the old woman’s voice was soft and sweet, but the way her eyes flicked to me told a different note.
And Newstead? I’d never even asked his last name. Hell, I didn’t know many of the ‘wolves last name, except for Percy’s.
“We’ve had some issues to deal with, kidnapping of members,” Gene said carefully.
Fayla nodded slowly, and I really was getting frustrated with how slow they acted.
“You didn’t come here to talk, you’ve come to ask a favor, you want some help for your… friend,” Fayla turned to finally acknowledge me properly. About damn time.
“Yes, you see, over six months ago she was attacked by a vampire and nearly killed, and he tried to turn her. Something went wrong, and she woke up back at work, with new abilities. Ghost abilities,” Gene explained. None of the ‘wolves knew who the vampire was. I’m sure they’d all lose their heads if I told them it was Alex. No need to open that door if I didn’t have to.
“A vampire you say.” Fayla was displeased with this news.
“Yes, although she has no vampire traits at all,” Gene quickly added.
“How very strange,” Fayla leaned forward, and I focused on her face, not on the easy view of her pushed up breasts.
I could see the soft crinkles at the edges of her mouth and eyes now. She was older than I first thought. And she looked remarkably like Gilda. Were they related? Even perhaps mother and daughter? The crown Fayla wore was much more elaborate and built up, and I wondered if that was a representation of their class or rank or something.
“You are certainly an interesting find,” Fayla murmured, and I bit back my tongue. I wasn’t just an item Gene had wandered across. Damn, I hated these creatures, they way they spoke and acted. I couldn’t wait to be back with the ‘wolves and their friendly banter and respect.
“Ivy assisted my pack with ending the kidnappings,” Gene said, but quickly fell silent when Fayla held up a finger to him. How bloody rude of her. I wanted to smack that silver crown right off her posh little head. How dare she shush the Apha of the pack?
And the way her dull green eyes searched my face, glancing over me with a hint of disapproval. I wanted to set something on fire just to surprise her. To knock that prudish look right off her face.
“An Elemental you say, that’s even more interesting,” Fayla murmured.
I stiffened. Had she heard my thoughts? Oh crap. I was in trouble now if she could.
Fayla made no indication of hearing my inner dialogue, and I could only wonder.
“Madame Fayla, if I may,” Gilda started and waited for Fayla to nod before continuing. “How did you know?”
“Her aura, if you look closely, you see the touch of a power in there. A powerful one,” Fayla stated. Gilda leaned forward, squinting as she scrutinized my ‘aura’. Whatever that meant.
At least they couldn’t read minds. I could relax now.
“Well, I’m afraid we’re of no use to you,” Madame Fayla suddenly pulled back and shrugged softly.
I felt Gene bristle beside me, desperate to question her, but he withheld.
“We don’t mingle in the affairs of Elementals or witches. And this ghost thing, I have no clue,” Madame Fayla waved her hand to summon a waiter from outside the room. The lean and handsome man strode in with a glass platter topped with various glasses. Madame Fayla took one and sipped it as she looked back at us.
“You can leave,” she waved us off.
I opened my mouth to speak, to hurl abuse at her behavior. Surely she knew something? Did this old prude seriously have nothing to share with us?
And why did she mention witches? Was she just adding more insult since they were the closest to being humans?
But Gene latched onto my arm and pulled us up.
“Thank you for your time, Madame Fayla,” he bowed, yanking me gently down with him.
“Thank you for your visit,” she said as she turned back to the waiter.
Gilda stood and showed us back out.
“I’m sorry Madame Fayla couldn’t help you,” Gilda said as she strode across the lounge with us in tow.
Gene’s steely face portrayed his displeasure and annoyance without screaming it.
“I could only try,” he managed to say.
“Gene, I’m truly sorry.” Gilda stopped before the wall to turn to us.
“It’s all right Gilda, you did what you could,” he gave her a soft smile. Gilda returned it and I shifted uneasily and focused on the gold and white wall before us. The white was streaked with what could only be veins and flecks of gold, and I didn’t put it past these folk for it not to be real. Hell, the ceiling was probably real gold too.
“I hope you come back sometime soon, Gene. It would be lovely to see you again,” Gilda murmured.
“Of course,” Gene took her hand and raised it to his mouth to kiss it.
Gilda’s face lit up, and she smiled tenderly at him.
“Farewell, for now,” Gilda sighed as she waved her hand over the wall.
The wall shuddered and became liquid, and Gene took my arm. I hesitated as I took in the moving wall, as if it were made of swirling water.
“Time to go home,” he murmured. That was all the coaxing I needed as we stepped through.
“Why the hell would you let that old snob shush you, you’re the goddamn Alpha?!” I turned on Gene as soon as the glowing white doorway closed and we were left standing in the shadowed forest.
“Because they’re Fae. They’re powerful beings, and not someone I want to get on the bad side of,” Gene stated as he straightened his suit.
“And why didn’t you tell me to dress better? I felt like some country chick at a gala,” I baulked.
“They would’ve still turned up their noses at you no matter how you dressed,” Gene said gruffly.
“Cause I’m not good enough for those snobs,” I muttered.
“Barely anyone is,” Gene agreed.
“She had to know something,” I grumbled.
“Maybe, but obviously not anything worth sharing,” Gene sighed as he ran a weary hand through his greying hair.
“I see why a lot of creatures don’t know about them, who would.”
“You don’t like them, I get it,” Gene rolled his eyes. “We should head back, there’s nothing for us here.”
“Fine,” I crossed my arms, tempted to just jump away and abandon him here. But the guilt from the idea stopped me. He’d only been trying to help.
Gene led the way, guiding me through the eerily quiet forest.
“So, what’s with you and Gilda, she seems to like you,” I blurted, wanting to break the deafening silence.
“Nothing, we just go way back,” he said softly.
“Well, I could swear she has a thing for you.”
“I’m happily married,” he cast an eye over his shoulder at me. “And we don’t do interspecies relations. Humans are the one exception. Sometimes shifters.”
Right, so that’s why it was okay for Percy to be with me.
“Why? Why humans?”
“They can carry the werewolf gene in their blood, in a dormant state, almost a quarter of the human population is believed to have it. And they can bear werewolf children whether they have the gene or not,” Gene explained.
“Can it be awakened at any time?”
“No. The cross relations with a werewolf will awaken it in the next generation the majority of the time. Those who carry it in
its dormant state can never activate it.”
“Interesting,” I said. But my mind was still whirling around the Fae. Around Madame Fayla and Gilda. They’d known nothing? That was hard to believe, Gene had spoken so highly of them and their powers and such. But they hadn’t told us anything. It frustrated me to no end. I’d really hoped to learn something tonight, something useful. Even a way to fix me. I hadn’t wanted to expect too much, but I had hoped just the tiniest bit that there was something. And I’d been let down.
“I’m sorry, Ivy. I’ll keep searching. Someone has to know something,” Gene apologized.
“It’s okay,” I murmured. I didn’t want him to know just how let down and frustrated I felt.
Stupid Fae.
I wanted to call Maria, to vent my frustrations with her. But it’d been quite a while since I’d heard from her now, not to mention it was so early in the morning. She’d probably skin me alive if I called right now.
Instead, Gene dropped me off at Percy’s at my request. I waved as he headed home too, and I didn’t even reach the door before a sleepy Percy was opening it.
“Hey,” I didn’t try to hide how let down I was.
“That bad?” Percy asked through a yawn.
“They couldn’t help, and they just looked down on me the whole time,” I muttered.
“Come in, I’ll make you feel better,” he smiled.
The thought of sex wasn’t quite what I felt like right now, but I followed him inside and into his bedroom anyway.
He laid down and beckoned for me to join him, and I was surprised when he started dragging his fingers up and down my back. It sent tingles through me but I relaxed at his touch.
“I may have gotten my hopes up too much,” I moped.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’d just really like to know what I am. What happened to me,” I sighed, feeling quite defeated.
“We’ll figure it out, someone will know something.”
“That’s what Gene said,” I managed a smile.