“How do you know that?” she asked. “I never told anyone but my cat that.”
Emmett just gave her a blank stare before moving on. “You aren’t part of this world, Tatyanna, you never were. You were born in Yemaya, and you are the only child of King Gerulf and Queen Adele. You are heir to the throne.”
“Wait, what?” she asked bewildered. “Are you saying I am a princess?”
Emmett crosses his arm over his chest, moving his left leg back like a lunge and bowed deeply. “Yes, m’lady.”
She held her hands up in front of her chest. “Oooookay. That is going to take some getting used to. Can you at least tell me what I am? Am I even human?”
“Yes, and no,” he said, standing back up.
She gave him a slow blink. “That’s not an answer.”
Emmett sighed. “You have human blood in you. We all do, but we are also Fae. It doesn’t matter how much human blood we have, or how little Fae blood we have, the magic in the Fae blood always dominates the human side of you. It doesn’t matter if you are full or a half breed, power is power. As long as a person has Fae blood, they will have magic in them. Being a full-breed, doesn’t necessarily mean you will be more powerful than someone else. That’s not how it works.”
“How does it work?” Emmett didn’t answer her. He was confused she was taking this all so well. Tatyanna noticed his hesitation. “What is it?”
He shrugged. “I’m just surprised. I was expecting you to yell and throw stuff.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve always known I was different, and the alien theory totally worked for me. It explained everything. After the most recent events, a part of me knew there was more going on, and I could either accept it, or live in denial and slowly lose my mind. So as crazy as all of this is, it is easier to accept, and know I am not crazy.” She paused, and sat down on the ground, staring at the endless trees in front of her. “So, how do our powers work?”
“That is not a question I can easily answer. You need to understand where we come from first, and that is a story that will take much longer than a few minutes to explain. In doing so, I will also explain why you have been taken away from your family and hidden here for the last decade, or so.”
“So, the Bakers aren’t related to me?”
“No.”
Tatyanna let out a whoop of joy, punching the air above her head. “That makes me feel better. I knew there was no way Lilah and I could truly be related. Don’t get me wrong, I love her like a sister, but I am the complete opposite of her, and half the time I don’t think my parents even realize I exist.”
“They don’t. That is part of the reason why you were sent to live with them.”
“Because they are clueless?”
“That’s exactly why. They are very self-absorbed in their own lives and have very little concern to the people around them. Grandfather handpicked them and put some kind of spell on them so when it was time, you would disappear from their lives, and they would never remember you.”
“Who is Grandfather?”
“He is the oldest of our kind. I believe he was the one who woke you up earlier. I had put a spell on you, forcing you to sleep. You were supposed to stay asleep until I woke you up. He has the power to override all that.”
“Why did you force me to go to sleep?” she asked softly.
“When you came home from work yesterday, you were distraught. You laid in your bed for hours, crying your heart out. After a while, I couldn’t listen to your cries any longer, and so…” he trailed off and shrugged when she just stared at him her mouth hanging open.
“Huh,” was all she would say. Tatyanna was quiet, pondering everything that he had told her. She still wasn’t sure what to think of him, she knew he was keeping things from her, and she was okay with that…for now, but how did he know she was crying?
She turned to him sharply. “I think I’ve been asking the wrong questions. Who are you?”
Emmett paced in front of her for a moment or two. He laid on the ground, his hands crossed beneath his head, looking up at the trees. “It’s complicated.”
“Arggg!” she said in frustration. Slumping on the ground beside him, she slapped the dirt with her hands. “Is there anything in life that isn’t complicated?”
Emmett smiled and figured she didn’t really want an answer. They lay there in silence, both lost in their own thoughts, but comfortable with the peace surrounding them. Emmett felt Tatyanna staring at him from time to time, but he refused to meet her gaze, waiting for her to make the next move. Sure, he could tell her who he really was, but again, that was complicated, and she needed to hear the whole story before he revealed his identity. He knew she would be mad, even hurt, and especially betrayed. He supposed he was being selfish. He didn’t want to hurt her, and wanted to hang on to the thin line of friendship he had with her at this moment.
Tatyanna swiveled her head left and then right, and then up and down. “What is it?” he asked.
“What is up with this place?”
“What do you mean?”
“There are trees EVERYWHERE,” she stressed. “I can’t even see the sky, because the trees are so thick. How do I know what time it is? How do I know if it is day or night? How come I don’t hear anything, aside from your breathing?”
“I told you, this is neutral territory. We come here to hold meetings between warring clans. This is where we sort out our differences. If someone tries to hurt another here, there will be consequences. The trees cover the sky to prevent magic being used while inside, or someone from the outside trying to attack. It blocks everything out, including sound and even weather. It could be storming, but once you set foot in the clearing, everything is sunny and dry. The clearing is located in the middle of our world, with each of the four kingdoms touching it. There are portals all over the world people can enter from. Once you enter, you can’t leave, unless you transport yourself out of here, or someone escorts you out. It’s how we can protect ourselves when an outsider enters our world accidentally.”
“Huh,” she said again, taking everything in. “So why did you bring me here?”
“Because it is peaceful.”
“Liar.” She watched as Emmett flinched, and she knew there was more than what he was telling her. “Stop trying to be nice, and be my friend. The Emmett I have grown to know is anything but. You have a reason you brought me here, so spill it.”
Ahnehna, he swore in his native tongue; Emmett didn’t think she would be so perceptive. He should just come right out and tell her now, instead of waiting until later. At least here she wouldn’t be able to hurt him, and she wouldn’t be able to leave without his help. He took a deep breath, knowing his mind was made up, and there was no going back.
Sitting up, he wrapped his arms around his knees. “You asked me who I was, and I said it was complicated. You also asked how our powers work and that, too, is complicated. It’s not that I can’t explain it to you, but it would be better if our history lesson comes from Luka, Dimitri’s uncle.”
“Why?”
“Because he is the storyteller for our country…well, most of Enzolia, to be exact. He is what you would call a Historian. He has spent his life studying the ways of the people and where we came from, and teaches it to the next rulers in every generation. He will be able to explain everything much better than I could ever hope to.”
“Okay,” she said slowly. “So why did you bring me here?”
“I’m getting to that,” he said, rubbing his hands together nervously. “When you were five years old, your mother appointed me as your Guardian. She handpicked me out of the hundreds of other Guardians who were more prepared than me. Your mom looked at me, held my hand, and told me I was the one. I was only a few years older than you, but she said it had to be me to watch over her little princess.”
“You knew my parents?” she asked in awe.
“Yeah, I did,” he said wistfully. “They were good people. They didn’t deserve to die.”
; “How did they die?”
Emmett simply shook his head then told her she would have to wait until they saw Luka later to hear the full story. He chewed on his bottom lip as he thought best how to reveal himself, finally concluding there wasn’t an easy way. He turned to face her, his emerald eyes shining brightly, and softly said, “Forgive me, Princess. I hope you don’t hate me, but I will understand if you do.”
“Emmett, what are you talking about?” she asked, but she saw Emmett shake his head slightly and crouch down to all fours. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a mostly black cat, with a white chest and white feet. Tux.
Chapter Nine
Mysterious Stranger
Tatyanna felt frozen in place. The only friend she had ever known had torn her heart into pieces. She wanted to yell, she wanted to cry, yet all she could do was stare mutely at Tux. This explained a lot to her, but that wasn’t the point. Emmett had been with her for as far back as she could remember. He could have told her the truth at any time. Every day he had remained a cat was a lie, and Tatyanna could see nothing worse.
Tatyanna was thankful Emmett had stayed in his cat form. She looked into his emerald eyes and could see the person behind them. She drew her knees into her chest, wrapped her arms around them, burying her head, and started to cry. She couldn’t help herself. It was either throw something, or cry. The only thing around her to throw was dirt, and she knew it wouldn’t do justice.
Tatyanna wanted to lash out at Emmett, but she couldn't do that as long as he was in his cat form. She looked up a few times to see Tux watching her…waiting. She couldn’t hurt him, she just couldn’t. She didn’t know how she would react if he changed. She didn’t want to know. She wanted to leave this place. She wanted to go somewhere far, far away, where people didn’t know who she was. She wished she was invisible. But, more importantly, she wished she had her cat to go to, and now, she didn’t even have that.
Tatyanna buried her head in her arms again and cried her eyes out. She cried for Danny, the little boy she had unknowingly saved, she cried for the patients she healed in the ER, including the one who almost took her life. She cried over the last sixteen years of her life for being the outsider she was, and she cried over the loss of her best friend.
Tatyanna looked up when she felt a warm hand on her arm. She stared into Emmett’s eyes, unable to move when it all came back to her. She shrieked and quickly scrambled away from him. She held out her arm, as if to ward him off. “You stay away from me. Got it? Just stay the hell away from me.”
“Tatyanna, come on. Just let me explain!”
She looked up at him incredulously. “Really? I should let you explain? Explain what exactly? How you’ve been lying to me for years? How I let you into my home, my heart? I told you everything, and this is how you repay me? By spending your sick days watching me? Like some kind of pervert? What other big secrets are you keeping from me?” she asked angrily. She couldn’t believe how stupid and naïve she had been. Emmett had lived with her in his cat form for sixteen years. He had had sixteen years to tell her the truth, and save her from this pain and betrayal she was feeling.
Emmett quietly took a few steps closer to her, hoping to get her to give him a chance to make things right, but Tatyanna saw him advancing toward her. She quickly stood and took several steps away from him. “I told you to keep away from me. I won’t tell you again.”
“Tatyanna, it’s not what you think. You know you can trust me. I would never do anything to hurt you.”
“Really? Somehow, I have a hard time believing that.”
“If you'd just let me explain,” he begged, pleading with her, holding his hand out to her.
“You had your chance!” she screamed at him. “You let me go through life believing I was a freak, and you stood by and did nothing. You could have told me the truth years ago. Why wait?”
“I didn’t think you were ready.”
Tatyanna nodded her head and took a step toward him, her eyes glazed over, with a wildness to them. “That was your first mistake.”
“And my second mistake?” he asked quietly.
“Bringing me here. I think I, too, will deal with the consequences.” She lashed out and slapped him across his face, and then disappeared into thin air.
“What the hell?” he muttered to himself. Emmett turned around when he heard someone clapping. “Who the hell are you?”
The young man didn’t answer him, just continued to clap as he walked closer. He appeared to be the same age as Emmett, in his early twenties, wearing a brown, hooded cloak that masked his head, except for the necklace shining like a beacon around his neck. Emmett saw the necklace, and knew who he was. He dropped down to a bended knee, arm over his chest, and he bowed, “Milord.”
The young man simply nodded and raised his hand, allowing Emmett to stand. “Please, call me Terran. I have yet to accept my throne, and the formalities aren’t necessary.”
“What are you doing here?” Emmett asked the young prince.
Terran raised a shoulder and dropped it. “I come here a lot. It seems to be one of the few places people don't go to look for me at, and the trees cover for me. I was sitting in the branches when I saw the exchange earlier between you and that human.” He said ‘human’ as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. “I understand why you lashed out at him, but you did know what would happen,” he quipped, with a humorless laugh. “And then, to see you bring the Lady Tatyanna here…boy, you aren’t very smart, are you?” Terran bent down to pick up a rock and started tossing it back and forth between his hands as he slowly walked around Emmett. “That was the Lady Tatyanna, wasn’t it?” he asked, already knowing the answer.
“It was,” Emmett confirmed.
“I figured as much. She looks like her mother. And she’s just as smart. I’m not surprised she saw through your bullshit.”
“Is there a reason why you are here? Don’t you have better things to do?” Emmett asked, getting annoyed at the man.
Terran didn’t answer, shrugging again. He laughed when he saw he was riling up the young Guardian. “Aren’t you the least bit curious?”
“About what?”
“About how the princess was able to strike at you and nothing happened to her? How she figured out how to leave this place without you?”
Emmett turned toward the young man, and as much as he hated to admit it, he was wondering those exact same things. “Fine,” he said out of defeat. “Why wasn’t she punished?”
Terran stopping walking and looked at Emmett head on. “Because the trees felt for her. They felt she had every right to slap you. You betrayed her trust. You must know it isn’t easy for us to trust people, regardless of what world we grew up in. It won’t be easy to win her trust back. The earth was actually hoping to see more than her just slapping you, but they will take what they can get,” he chuckled.
“How do you know this?”
“Because I can communicate with the living earth. It speaks to me, just like I can speak to it. You must know this is a trait of the true ruler.”
“I had heard rumors, but there has never been a male ruler before with that power. It’s always been a woman. Hence the name: Mother Earth.”
Terran waved his hand, as if to dismiss the comment. “Someone has a twisted sense of humor.” He continued to pace slowly around Emmett, forcing him to ask the next question.
He let out an aggravated sigh. “Fine. How was it possible for her to leave?”
“Simple. She no longer wanted to be here. I sensed her frustration, and I allowed her to leave. She needs time to cool off, before she is ready to listen to you.”
“Where did you send her?”
Terran stopped once again to study Emmett. He debated with himself if he should help the young guardian, or not. He merely shrugged again, a signature characteristic for him. “She wanted to go home, but I sent her to The Ghastly Web instead. There is someone else I feel she should slap,” he said, half-smiling at Emmett, before disap
pearing.
Emmett was left standing there, trying to figure out what game the prince was playing.
Chapter Ten
The Moment of Truth
Tatyanna’s mind was spinning out of control. She put a hand out to steady herself, feeling the bricks underneath her fingertips. Home, she thought. Tatyanna had never felt so happy to be home. She slid down to a sitting position, back to the wall. Her eyes were still closed as she waiting for her stomach to calm down. So this is what magic feels like. I don’t think I can get used to that.
Tatyanna went to rub her eyes, when she felt something weighing heavily in her hand. She knew instantly it was her necklace. She was thankful she hadn’t dropped it, with everything that had happened to her. Tilting her head back, Tatyanna let the morning sun caress her face. She felt like the weight of the world was sitting on her shoulders. She had left before Emmett could reveal to her anything more about who she was, or where she came from, but she had a sneaking suspicion there was a reason she was kept in hiding all of these years. The only reason he told her the truth was probably because they needed her. It all seemed surreal. Tatyanna was still waiting to wake up from a bad dream, but she knew that was wishful thinking. Her world had completely changed. She used to wish she was born in another time, another place, and she finally got her wish. It would do her no good to try to run from the inevitable.
The light behind her eyelids dimmed. Before Tatyanna could open them, her face was licked by a warm tongue. A warm tongue? she thought, lifting her head and cautiously opening her eyes. She was greeted by Althea, Dimitri’s giant blue wolf. “Althea,” she said warmly, laughing as the dog continued to lick her face. “What are you doing at my house?”
She heard a deep laugh. “Your house?” he asked. “Since when did The Ghastly Web become your house?” Dimitri said, watching as she got up, swiping the dirt off her pants.
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