Lilly

by Tiya Rayne

  “Mama, I told you I’m fine.” She says into her phone. She’s standing in the back of the diner between the jukebox and the booth I’m sitting at. My back is against the window and both legs are propped up on the long vinyl bench. I can see the entire diner from where I sit.

  She sighs! “I told you for the hundredth time, I’m not telling you or Uncle Buddy who he is. Now it’s my life mama and I’ll take care of my responsibilities on my own.” What responsibilities? Does this have anything to do with moving to New York with her blonde haired friend? Although I want Lilly to branch out and travel, I do not wish for her to go with the blonde. She is a bad influence for my little human.

  “Lilly!” a customer calls for her across the diner.

  “I’ll be right with you, Mr. Henry.” She yells back. “Mama, I gotta go. I’m at work.” She rolls her eyes, “I gotta go Mama. I’ll see ya Sunday………… Love you too.” She slides her finger across her phone then slides it back into her apron. She leans up against the juke box and exhales. Something is wrong. She always twirls her necklace when she’s worried or nervous. I wish I could ask her what the problem is. I’ve always secretly fixed Lilly’s problems. I’ve dealt with countless bullies and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve helped her in fights. There were so many children with their cruel taunts and name calling. She took them all like a trooper, ignoring those that she could, fighting the ones she couldn’t. I’ve even helped in times when she may not have needed me to, like with dating. Young single−minded boys chased after her wanting nothing more than to claim her body. I chased them all away. I even landed one young man in the hospital, not my proudest moment but it had to be done.

  So as I watch her now worry over some unseen problem I want to reach out to her, stroke her hair, and tell her I will fix it.

  “Lilly!” Mr. Henry calls her again. She sighs and pushes herself away from the jukebox.

  “I’m coming.” She walks over to Mr. Henry’s table and plasters a fake smile on her face. I know it isn’t a genuine smile because her dimples were not visible.

  “Let me guess, Mr. Henry, a coffee, Black, two sugars?”

  “Are you feeling better, sweetheart?” Is Lilly sick? Is that what is worrying her? I rise from my booth and walk over to her. I look her over and she looks well, maybe a little tired, but she’s been working a lot of double shifts lately trying to buy a car. The one she has is in need of service, again. I do not have cars in my realm, so when Lilly first started having problems with the ridiculous contraption I didn’t know how to help. However, after the third time that left her stranded on the side of the road, I picked up every mechanical book I could find and taught myself how to care for her car. I would wait until night fell and fix whatever the cause at the time. It is because Of my help that it has lasted so long. I wish that I could just buy her a new car and many other things, but I do not have the human realms financial means. And, I am sure no one will accept my currency.

  “I don’t like when you’re out.” Mr. Henry continues. “That other girl never gets my coffee right. I have to suffer with that terrible stuff she gives me.”

  “I only missed half a day Mr. Henry.”

  “Well I’m glad you’re better now, I need my coffee done right.”

  “Yes, Mr. Henry.” Lilly turns and walks back towards the back of the diner. Her blonde friend Alice comes up beside her and places a hand on her shoulder.

  “How ya doing? Anymore nausea?” Lilly is sick. I’ll have to bring her some opal leaves and slip them into her drink tomorrow. That should cure any illness.

  “I lost my breakfast this morning at the photo shoot, but I’ve kept everything else down.”

  “How did the shoot go?” Alice asks. I am interested in that too. Lilly is a talented photographer but she is struggling to do the photos that she wants. Like the ones in her book. Unfortunately, she’s been stuck doing weddings, babies, and the occasional group photo.

  “The kids wouldn’t sit still and the father blinked every time the flash went off.”

  Alice laughs and so did I. Lilly sighs.

  “Mama called me again.” Her voice is sad and I couldn’t help feel like I need to fix something for her.

  “Let me guess, she wants you to move back in?”

  “How did you know?” Alice smiles and picks up her order off the counter and places it on her tray.

  “Your mama has been trying to get you to move back in the moment you moved out, of course she wants you to come back now that you’re…”

  “Lilly!” Mr. Henry interrupts. Wait. Now that she’s what? I knew humans get various illnesses. Their bodies are susceptible to all kinds of things and many of these illnesses can kill. Is that what’s wrong, is Lilly going to die? For the first time ever I feel sick. I have protected this young girl all her life to lose her to some human disease. I brace my hands on the edge of the counter as rage rocks my body. My vision turns red and my body tenses.

  “What the hell?” Paulie states confused as he looks down at the indention my fingers make in the metal counter. I release the counter and pull away. My mind is racing through options of how I can save her.

  “Lilly, table two.” Alice calls back over her shoulder. Lilly walks over to table two and pulls her pad from her apron.

  “Hello dear!” an elderly lady says. The woman is old and frail. She’s wearing a bright red scarf covering her hair and her spine is curved leaving her hunched over. I can’t take my eyes off the old lady. Something is tugging at my memory when I look at her. I cannot place where the familiarity comes from.

  “My names Lilly and I’ll be your waitress tonight. What can I start you out with?”

  “You are so beautiful, young lady.” The woman reaches out a bony hand and touches Lilly’s arm. My instinct to protect rears up inside of me. This was confusing, no one is in danger. I scan the diner to see if I am missing something.

  “Thank you.” Lilly says. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “No, my dear, but you can tell me how you would like to die?” the question startles me, clearly I must have heard wrong.

  “What?” Lilly asks jerking her hand away.

  “I said,” The woman stands up and her disguise fades away. “How would you and those bastards you carry like to die.” Standing in front of Lilly was Ofilla, the Dark King’s witch. As soon as I recognize Ofilla three Shifters trace into the diner. Immediately I drop my invisibility and materialize my sword. The shifters growl, and Ofilla turns and sees me.

  “Assassin.” She hisses. For the first time in 15 years Lilly’s eyes meet mine and the smile that lights up her face stops everything. I would give anything to live in this moment. However it doesn’t last long, because Ofilla shoots a ball of fire from her hands into Lilly’s chest and her body flies across the diner into the counter. I see red. I don’t recall how I start to move, my body is on auto-pilot. I slice through the first shifter in a blur. I can vaguely see people running out the diner all around me. I try to think how this must look to the humans. A crazy man slinging a sword, three large wolves, and a woman that just shot fire from her hands, I do not blame the humans for fleeing. I slit the throat of the second wolf.

  “Get back bitch or I’ll blow your head off.” Paulie is holding a shot gun towards Ofilla as she hovers over Lilly’s body. Alice stands by his side wringing her hands together. Ofilla pulls back her lip in a snarl. The light from her hand flies in Paulie’s direction at the same time his shot gun fires. The light hit Paulie in the shoulder sending him flying back into the kitchen. Alice screams Paulie’s name and chases after him. The bullet from the shot gun blows into Ofilla’s stomach knocking her onto her back. She clutches her hand over the wound. I pull my sword out of the last shifter and head for her.

  “We found your precious chosen, Assassin.” I pause. Who was our chosen? She looks over to Lilly’s still body and I follow her gaze. I gasp. It can’t be.

  “We will kill her before she can take our Dark King’s thr
one.” I charge at her once again and she traces away just as I get to her. I roar into the air. This can’t be possible, Lilly is not the chosen. I know Lilly is still pure. I’ve heard her and her blonde friend speak of it numerous times. I fought like hell in her teen years to make sure of it. Who would dare taint her body?

  I hear her moan and I spin on my heels to go to her. Kneeling down beside her body, I can see the black scorch marks of the fire ball Ofilla shot at her. I move the tattered rags of her uniform and the wound on her chest rip a sob from my mouth. There is a hole in her chest the size of my fist. I bite down on my lip to keep from screaming out. The copper taste of my blood fills my mouth. The sweet little girl with the big heart and bright eyes that I’ve watched grow is dying before my eyes. I lift her head, and she cries out in pain.

  “It’s ok, Lilly.” I say soothingly as I place her head into my lap. Some of her raven colored hair has escaped her ponytail and is falling across her face. I push the black locks away from her eyes. I’ve never seen her so close up; seeing as I’m usually looking at her from a distance, she is beautiful. Her full lips are a stunning shade of deep pink against her honey colored skin. Her nose is narrow and resembles her mother’s English heritage. When she opens her eyes and looks at me with her dimpled smile, it steals my breath away. Her big bright eyes are still that stunning shade of emerald and gold.

  “Hello, little human.” I say, my voice cracking with emotion. I know Lilly does not remember me; I took those memories away from her, but the way she looks up at me makes me second guess myself. She blinks slowly and I realize the pain is making it hard for her to keep her eyes open.

  “Your ears are funny.” She says breathlessly. I choke back my laugh. She is still my perceptive little human.

  “I guess they are.” I answer. She smiles one last time before the pain forces her to shut her eyes again, and then she stills in my arms.

  Chapter Six

  “Assassin, what is going on?” I storm into the queen’s chambers. One of her loyal male servants stumbles out of her bed with nothing but a pillow to cover his dick.

  “Out!” I snarl. The servant fumbles his way out of the room. Avalia rises from her bed, her hands on her naked hips. I am too distracted to take the time to enjoy her pale skin and full round breast.

  “What the hell, Assassin, he was actually really good.” She says pointing towards the space her loyal servant had just vacated. I pull a robe off the back of her chaise and toss it at her.

  “Call a council meeting, now!”

  Avalia fumbles with the sleeves of her robe. “Assassin, it’s late. What is this about?”

  “I’ll meet you in the throne room.” I trace away from the glass castle back to the cabin where I’ve left Lilly. I hated to leave her, but I cannot trace her to the queen’s castle without her first accepting her. It is a security all kingdoms have put up. It keeps any of the Dark Kings followers from just popping up into our domains.

  I rush to the small bed where Lilly still lies motionless. Her breathing is ragged and her heart beat is slow. Her face is pale and dark shadows are under her eyes. I lay my hand on her clammy forehead, already her fever is breaking. She moans under my touch.

  “It hurts.” Lilly’s soft voice calls out. My hands fist at my side. I will kill Ofilla for doing this to her, and the bastard that left her alone with child. Who is he? I know he is from the Locke and is of magical breed because the wound Lilly sustained should have killed her. Not many travel back and forth through the different realms. I travel the most of any from the Locke yet I know it is not my seed that fills her womb. The Immortal Kings have the ability, but never use it. The Dark King has portals set, but he would never travel to a place that makes him weak. His portals are set up mainly for the shifters. The Great Gods forbids a shifter has disgraced Lilly’s body. I felt the bile rise into my mouth as that thought crossed my mind. Lilly’s hand tightens around mine bringing my thoughts back to her.

  “She asked about you.” I turn my head towards the doorway where Rose’s voice comes from.

  “What?” I ask. Rose is a petite non-magical with copper colored skin and black hair. She is the village healer and midwife. She lives in Briarsfield, a small village at the edge of the Elvin Territory and the Eastern Territory. It is the closes place I could bring Lilly to our territory without the magical border permitting her entrance. Briarsfield is actually part of the Eastern Territory which means everyone is the same darker complexion as King Fisgal. Rose hurries into the room carrying a fresh set of linen and a white nightgown.

  “She woke up and asked for the handsome man with the sparkly eyes.” Handsome?

  “She is more delusional than I thought.” Rose laughs.

  “She knows when you are gone. She woke up the minute you left her side; there is something to say about a bond like that.” I did not respond to that. The Eastern people had all kinds of silly superstitions. It’s best not to entertain them.

  “How is her recovery?” I ask changing the subject. Rose lifts the pillow from Lilly’s head and replaces it with a fresher one. She then lifts Lilly’s body up as if she weighs no more than a small child and lays her in my arms like a sleeping infant. I cradle Lilly to my chest while Rose strips the blood stained sheets and replaces them with fresher linen.

  “It’s slow.” Rose states tossing the stained sheets onto the floor. “But it’s coming along. That ole heathen witch should have her heart cut out and fed to the livestock for attacking this poor child.”

  “Ofilla will be punished.” That I can promise. Rose motions for me to lay Lilly back down on the bed. With as little movement as possible I place her down.

  “Take off her dress.” Rose demands.

  “Excuse me?” I ask shocked. Rose rolls her eyes at me.

  “I need to get her into some clean clothes. Take off this filthy dress.” She says attempting to pull one of Lilly’s arms from the dress. Lilly flinches and cries out.

  “Get your hands off of her.” I say with a little more ferocity than I attended to. Rose rolls her eyes at me and places her hands on her hips.

  “The dress must come off, Assassin. So either you do it, or I will.”

  With a sigh I say, “I will do it.” Rose nods towards me to get on with it, she then turns and grabs the soiled linen and marches out of the room. I look down at the small face in front of me and swallow the lump that is stuck in my throat. This is more personal than I ever cared to get with my little human.

  “It has to happen, Assassin. It is a job and nothing more.” I say scolding myself for being a coward. I take one of the smaller daggers from the inside of my boot and place it at the neck of the pink and white striped dress. With one fluid movement I cut off the intrusive dress splaying it open. The wound on her chest was ragged and red, but the hole was smaller, instead of the size of my fist it is now the size of a plum. I scan her body. My eyes stopping at her stomach; there is no sign of pregnancy yet. Her belly is flat against her rib cage. Her pelvic bones are slightly visible above her black and white lacy panties. Lilly is not bony or overly skinny, her body is well defined with weight in all the right places; her hips flare out at her waist then narrows down to her legs. I smooth my hand over her tight stomach feeling the softness of her honey colored skin. She moans and arches into my hand unknowingly. I quickly withdraw my hand as if her body is fire. What the hell am I thinking?

  “Is she out of that dress yet?” Rose asks reappearing into the room. I stand from my seat on the bed quickly.

  “Yes!” I say running my hands nervously through my hair. I feel as if I was just caught doing something naughty.

  “Good.” Rose begins to pull the dress from under Lilly’s body.

  “Assassin, we are all here. Where are you?” the Queen calls into my mind.

  “On my way.” “Rose, I must leave. If she awakes when I am gone tell her I shall return and if anything is to go wrong….”

  “I’ll send Gidjet to the gate to alert you.” Rose says f
inishing my statement.

  “Thank you, Rose.” I say then trace into the queen’s throne room.

  ************

  “Why are we here in the middle of the night? What can the Assassin possibly want?” Bartus complains right before I appear.

  “Thank goodness! Assassin, what it this about?” Avalia asks crossing her arms over her chest.

  “A human was attacked today.”

  “Are you serious?” Bartus shouts.

  “A human!” Fisgal complains throwing his hands up in the air. “I was called from the throes of passion for this?”

  With a hearty laugh Artumis adds, “Assassin, you are misunderstood; only you care about that ridiculous species.” I was expecting this flippant attitude. Our realm views the others as inferior to our own, and none as more inferior than the humans. The great god gave the human realm to his son Jasu, a peaceful and loving god that thought keeping his people in the dark about the other realms made them less susceptible to corruption and evil. In reality, it made them idiots and weak. In spite of all the proof, they still believe they are the only species.

  I ignore their jibes about the humans. “By Ofilla.” That gets their attention. Bartus gasps and Fisgal says a prayer under his breath before spitting on the floor. I knew that would shut them up.

  “Are you sure of this?” Avalia ask placing her hand on my shoulder.

  “I was there, my queen. Ofilla attacked a human girl. One she suspects to be the chosen.” Ofilla is the most powerful witch in the Locke, if she assumes Lilly is the chosen she is not mistaken.

  “Could it be, Queen? Could this be our chosen?” Bartus ask.

  Avalia ignores Bartus and turns back to me. “Where is this girl?”

  “She is in Briarsfield with a mid-wife name Rose. She was wounded during the attack.” My voice breaks, I’m losing it. I inhale deeply to control myself then go on. “The magic of the unborn twins is healing her, but it is slow. She is only but a human.”

  “Have you any idea how this could have happened?” Avalia ask me. I can see the suspicion in her eyes as she looks at me. I know she thinks that I am the one at fault, but she would never accuse me of anything, especially not in front of the others.