A Gray Area

by Amy Sumida

  I gasped and then whispered, “Varian.”

  I glanced back at the bed. Malik was fast asleep. I didn't want to wake him; he'd spook Varian again. Instead, I waved at Varian to wait for me and then rushed to my closet. I swiftly dressed; a long, sweater dress, boots, and a fur-lined coat. It was cold out. As I left the room, I grabbed my gloves and slipped those on too.

  I hurried downstairs and out the front door without grabbing anything else. I assumed Varian just wanted to speak to me. Should I invite him inside? No; I didn't know this guy. We could talk in neutral territory.

  “Sir Varian,” my words puffed in the air before us; evidence of the cold.

  “Lady Amara.” He bowed. “I've come at my Queen's behest.”

  “I'm glad you did; I have information to trade.”

  “Trade?” His amazing eyes searched mine and again. There was surprise in his stare, as if he couldn't believe what he saw.

  “A friendly exchange,” I amended. “If you could offer us any advice on countering the gray areas and provide me with some answers, I'll gladly share my information with you.”

  “Gray areas?” He cocked his head at me. “You mean the places where Danu is seeping through?”

  “Is that what's happening?” I asked in a hushed tone. “Your world is bleeding into mine?”

  “Bleeding,” he murmured. “That's a good term for it. Yes; someone has been stealing life from your world to create a... I'm not sure of your word for it... a void? It pulls in the magic of our realm.”

  “A vacuum,” I whispered.

  “Vacuum?”

  “An emptiness that creates suction,” I explained.

  “Yes; that's it,” he agreed.

  “Nature abhors a vacuum,” I muttered.

  “It is in the nature of voids to try to fill themselves.” He nodded. “But why do you call it gray?”

  “I can see the energy that living things radiate,” I tried to explain it in words he might understand. “They're very colorful and each color conveys meaning; we call it auras.”

  “Aura.” He nodded. “In my language, it's asha; life-force.”

  “Asha,” I repeated the word with a smile.

  “Why does that please you?”

  “I love languages,” I said. “Learning them is another of my talents.”

  “Another, besides the asha-viewing?”

  “Yes.” I cleared my throat. He was staring at me in that odd way again. “Back to the Gray; I was the first to notice the... energy loss. All of the asha had been drained until the place and the people who lived there appeared gray to me.”

  “Gray,” Varian murmured. “Fascinating.” He straightened suddenly. “Lady Amara, my queen wishes an audience with you. I've come to collect you if you will agree to attend her.”

  “An audience?” I blinked at him. “You want me to go to Danu?”

  “I am to offer you her royal oath of protection.” Varian's face settled into serious lines. “No harm will come to you. I will personally see you to the Court of the East and home again safely.”

  I glanced up at my bedroom window and chewed my lip. I couldn't just leave Malik asleep in my bed and run off with a sidhe knight. But if I woke him, he'd want to come.

  “Can I bring someone with me?” I looked back at Varian.

  “No; it's risky enough for us to bring one human into Danu, my queen wouldn't allow two.”

  “He's not human; he's Bleiten.”

  Varian's eyes widened, and he stared up at my window. “You are... he is your consort?”

  “Yes.”

  “A bleiten?” His eyes widened.

  “I see that you're familiar with the race.” I smirked. “He's the one you heard the other day; he was watching over me.”

  “Bleiten do not have cloaking abilities,” Varian pointed out.

  “No; that was me,” I admitted.

  “You can cloak others in invisibility?” Varian blinked once.

  I nodded.

  “What else can you do, Lady Amara?”

  “I'd rather not give you all of my secrets, Sir Varian,” I said with a smile. “We hardly know each other.”

  He chuckled and nodded. “Very well, my lady. Keep your secrets, but you cannot bring your bleiten into Danu. That would be even worse than another human.”

  “I can't stay very long,” I said. “If he wakes up while I'm gone, he'll be upset.”

  “I promise to get you home as soon as your conversation with the Queen is concluded.”

  I considered it; the chance to see a magical realm and speak to a sidhe queen. Sorry, Malik, but I'm taking it.

  “Give me a minute; I'll be right back.”

  Varian nodded. I rushed into the townhouse and found some paper and a pen. I wrote Malik a note and taped it to the inside of the front door. Then I hesitated. I grabbed my keys but nothing else. I wouldn't need cash in Danu so there was no sense in bringing my purse. I had all I needed. I walked out, locked the door, and went back to Varian.

  “Are you ready?” He asked.

  I nodded.

  “I apologize for the liberties I must take.” He reached for me and pulled me against his chest. “But I must hold you closely in order to twist.”

  “Twist?” I looked up at him.

  “It's the way Danutians travel,” he explained. “We twist reality to suit our needs. Hold onto me tightly and close your eyes, my lady; this may be disorienting for you.”

  I did as he said and felt Varian lift me off my feet. He turned us but the movement was eclipsed by a disconcerting vibration that turned into a whirring. It felt as if I was shooting through the air faster than a plane without moving at all. I clutched Varian tighter and then the sensation faded.

  “Open your eyes, Lady Amara,” Varian's voice was low and intimate. “Welcome to Danu.”

  I slowly opened my eyes and stared up into his. Those spikes of teal were glowing against his sapphire irises. His eyes had come alive. They widened as if they saw something just as interesting in mine.

  “What is it?” I whispered.

  “Your eyes have stirred to life like a Danutian's.” Varian's hand lifted to touch the side of my face with wonder. “What are you, Lady Amara?”

  “Stirred to life?” I asked instead of answering.

  “They glow with the magic of Danu,” he explained. “Only our race can tap into the magic here. You must be part Danutian; perhaps even part Sidhe.”

  “That's not possible.” I shook my head. “My mother was human and my father was Triari. And what's the difference between Danutian and Sidhe, anyway?”

  “The name Danutian refers to all who live here in Danu. But Sidhe is the ruling caste. We are the ones who humans most closely resemble. In fact, we are close enough genetically to allow for cross-breeding. Perhaps your mother had some Sidhe blood in her lineage.”

  I shrugged. “I suppose it's possible but your people have been gone from Earth for thousands of years. I'd think that any trace of Danutian blood would be bred out by now.”

  “Danutian blood is strong. It can reveal itself several generations from the source,” he said. “But we can come back to that. I'm more interested in how you gained your ability to see the asha. Neither humans nor Triari have such talent.”

  “That was my father's doing,” I fumbled for a way to explain without giving away too much. “He gave me an elixir to heal me from a disease I had when I was little. It had side effects.”

  “Side effects?” Varian frowned but his eyes still searched mine.

  “Physical reactions to the elixir. I gained my abilities from it.”

  “And your eyes? Were you born with this color?”

  “No; the elixir gave me them as well.”

  “Ah,” he whispered. “You have been touched by magic, my lady. That explains everything.”

  “My abilities may be magical but what gave them to me was not; it was science,” I protested. “My father was a scientist.”

  “Lady Amara, I kno
w magic,” Varian chided me. “It's in my blood. This is not science.” He stroked my temple. “This is magic. Your father may have believed he was creating something scientific, but he unknowingly tapped into the magic of the Universe. You, my lady, belong here, in a realm of magic, not on Earth where you are cut off from it.”

  I gaped at him. “What?”

  “I must tell my queen.” Varian eased back from me and nodded as if it were decided.

  I hadn't realized until then that he had still been holding me. I felt adrift suddenly; my arms empty and cold. But then something rushed up my body, and I inhaled deeply. A thousand scents greeted me, as well as a thousand sounds and a thousand colors. Everything came alive. I looked around me slowly and took in the alien landscape that was somehow also familiar.

  We stood on a road of smooth stone. Not cement, not asphalt, not bricks; stone that was seamless and pale green. Its color complemented the ankle-high grass that bordered it. Vibrant flowers—similar to the one I'd found in the Gray—speckled the grass along with other beautiful blooms. Insects buzzed around them; spots of fuchsia, ivy, and turquoise against the vibrant petals. Then I realized that they weren't insects at all; they were tiny people with dragonfly wings. A female noticed me and waved gaily. I waved numbly back. The flock of winged people took to the sky in a shimmering swirl and flew away.

  Past the meadows to either side of the road, magnificent trees loomed up; their leaves a watercolor bleed of greens, purples, reds, and yellow. Giant ferns swayed around their roots and other plants rustled with the passage of creatures I couldn't see. The air smelled fresher than anything I've ever inhaled, as if my body could process it easier. I took another deep breath and felt as if I'd had a full night's rest.

  “This is magnificent,” I whispered. “The auras here—the ashas—they're so bright that I can't look at them for long. I have to turn off my senses.”

  “I can't imagine what it would be like to see the asha of every creature; every bird, beast, and being.”

  I turned back to look at Varian; his aura was even more beautiful in Danu; sparkling brighter than his eyes.

  “It's as if I can see the truth in everything,” I tried to explain it.

  “And what's my truth, Lady Amara?” Varian asked as he stepped closer.

  “Your aura is different than a human's; it sparkles like jewels,” I said. “And it's even more vivid here. I see a foundation of indigo wisdom and dark gray power beneath splashes of cerulean dependability and ultramarine loyalty. You have a lot of blue, Sir Varian. That's a good thing.”

  I smiled deeper when I saw the white. A Triari's halo is completely white and indicates compression, but when there are only hints of white in an aura, the meaning changes depending on the shade. Varian's aura had dabs of white in it; pure as the driven snow.

  “There's also purity in you,” I said. “And...”

  “And what?” Varian studied me as intently as I was studying him.

  When had he moved so close?

  “And pumpkin... a color of—” I swallowed past the dryness in my throat—“fascination.”

  “I freely admit it; I am utterly fascinated by you,” he said it simply and by his tone and expression I deduced that it wasn't the fascination of a man for a woman but a man for a new discovery.

  I was a little embarrassed that I'd assumed the previous.

  “Perhaps we should get going?” I asked to cover my embarrassment.

  “Of course.” Varian offered me his arm. “Shall we see if you can fascinate the rest of the Eastern Court, Lady Amara?”

  “First, let me get out of this coat; I wasn't expecting the heat.” I took my coat and gloves off before I took his arm.

  “It is always Spring here,” he explained. “At least, in the East. Our queen prefers it that way. The King of the South sometimes allows his kingdom to experience cooler weather. In fact, he kept his kingdom in a frozen Winter for many years after he lost his last consort. His way of mourning, I suppose. But most Danutians prefer a perfect medium.”

  They could control the weather. Of course, they could; they'd built the whole damn realm after all. I nearly rolled my eyes. Instead, I asked, “How far is it to your court?”

  “Just around the bend.” Varian waved his hand toward the road that curved around the trees ahead of us. “Twisting into crowded areas is not recommended. I brought you as close to Court as I dared.”

  I looked up and saw the gleaming tips of towers peeping over the tree line. Pale blue flags flew from poles atop them. They nearly blended with the cloudless sky behind them.

  “Take me to your leader,” I said with a smirk.

  It was too bad there wasn't anyone there to get my joke.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Varian and I walked up to a silver gate so detailed that it was like the finest filigree you'd find in precious jewelry. The walls that stretched out from the gate were brilliantly white; gleaming in the sun. A pair of tall, slim guardsmen opened the gate for us and nodded respectfully at Varian as we passed through. The stone path we trod led directly to the front doors of the castle; passing through an elaborate garden. Short trees and shrubs formed the foundation for fantastical shapes and flowers added color to the designs. Dragons loomed over us, giant birds proudly extended their long tail feathers, and women stood serenely in vibrant gowns; all formed of flowers and foliage. The scent was incredible; a warm welcome extended before we even reached the shining silver doors.

  Couples strolled through the garden; gorgeous, willowy-tall people whose features had the same alien appearance as Varian's; long faces, thin noses, and large, almond-shaped eyes. They paused to stare at us openly; whispering to each other as they did. Some of them even followed us into the castle.

  The castle walls were as pale as its outer defenses but there was a blue opalescence to them that gave them a translucent depth. The structure was columnar; the main keep soaring up in one large piece while several slightly-smaller columns pressed up against it to form the castle wings. Thin towers were attached to all of these; sprouting up willy-nilly at differing heights. It looked like a collection of enormous, stone straws. I stared up the seamless sides at the conical roofs topping each structure and felt suddenly small.

  What was I doing there?

  The double doors swung outward; pushed from within by two more guards in blue and silver uniforms. They bowed to us as we passed by. It was all becoming a little surreal; I had to keep reminding myself not to use my senses to look at the auras around me. I knew it would become so overwhelming that I might faint under the stress. It was nearly too much without that second sight.

  Vaulted hallways adorned with fine tapestries and paintings that were taller than my townhouse, connected to opulent rooms full of glittering Danutians. Several of them saw the entourage we were gathering and strode out to join. By the time Varian had led me to the heart of the castle, we had a parade of courtiers behind us.

  I would have asked Varian about it if I hadn't been so busy gawking at the alien architecture, luxurious furnishings, strange creatures, and the Danutians themselves. Birds flew past us trailing vibrant tails, furry critters in jewel colors scurried across the floor, scaled beasts considered me with yellow eyes, and canines the size of ponies nosed their way through the courtiers. There were more beasts roaming the castle than there were people.

  One of the canines shimmered and transformed into a man in the way a Lesh—a werewolf—does, and I realized that some of the beasts were people. I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. I could do this; I was raised in the Supemarket. I was accustomed to the strange. My boyfriend transformed into a beast far more frightening than any there. It wasn't a big deal.

  Then we reached the biggest, most elaborate set of silver doors; even more ornate than the ones at the castle entrance. Yet another pair of guards opened them for us, but I didn't notice their bows as we strode through. I was too focused on the throne room of the Eastern Court.

  It was massi
ve; a vaulted, silver ceiling arched above us, supported by twisting columns of that same opalescent stone that the castle walls were made of. Silver stars floated in the air below the ceiling; shedding a soft light over the glassy, indigo floor. Twin fountains were placed halfway up the room; one to either side of a snowy, stone, central aisle set into the floor. Winged women of carved alabaster rose up in the center of the fountains; pouring an endless stream of water out of their hands. Danutians gathered in groups around those fountains; all of them stopping their conversations to watch us walk up the aisle. Only the sound of the gently falling water was left to fill the silence. Sharp stares inspected me and without my second sight, I felt lost beneath them; as uncertain of their intentions as any human would be. I let my aura vision flash over me and got an impression of both curiosity and enormous power.