by Talia Jager
When Kallan approached, I asked him, “So did you use your mind control to get in all of my classes?”
He laughed heartily. “No…only most. Figured it would look too odd if I were in all of them.”
“Good thinking. Are you in my first period?”
“I am.”
“Well then, let’s go.”
I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that Adam wasn’t in my first or second classes. He was in my third. Our eyes met briefly when he walked in, but he quickly diverted his. He sat a row over and a couple seats up. I stared at the back of his head as he talked to the girl next to him. I waited to feel a little jealous, but was glad when I didn’t. Adam should be happy and I couldn’t stand in his way.
The cafeteria was half full when I got there. Sierra waved from the table we had sat at for the past three years. Drake was with her. I hurried over and sat down. Kallan came and slipped into the seat across from me. The place Adam had always sat in. My eyes searched the room for him, but he wasn’t there. My body relaxed and I enjoyed spending lunch with Kallan. It was a little weird seeing all the wings at the table—the wings nobody but faeries could see.
I received a note from Mrs. Lopez in fifth period to stop by and see her. When I walked into the choir room, she smiled and stood up. “Rylie! Good to see you. I was sad that you didn’t take the summer voice class with me this year.”
“Sorry, Mrs. Lopez. My grades really slipped last year and I needed to retake some tests and get back on track.” I fiddled with the black stone necklace Kallan gave me.
“I understand. Are you still interested in being in choir during the school year?” she asked.
I hesitated, not sure if I was or not. I loved singing, but it seemed like my life was changing and I wasn’t sure choir was what I should be doing.
“Of course she’s interested,” a voice said behind me.
I spun around and came face to face with Adam. He had cut his light brown hair so his bangs no longer hung in his green eyes.
“You have a beautiful voice. Don’t give up what you love to do for anybody or anything.”
Tears in my eyes, I nodded and turned back to Mrs. Lopez. “Yes, I’ll be in choir again this year.”
“Excellent. Our first practice is Thursday.”
“I’ll be there,” I told her and turned around to face Adam, but he was gone.
I took my time getting to my next class, thinking about what Adam had said and why he didn’t stay to talk.
As soon as I walked into psychology, whispering stopped and all eyes turned to me. I swept the room with my eyes real quick. Neither Kallan nor Adam was in this class. I made my way through the desks to an empty one and sat down. The whispering started up again. I caught bits and pieces of it.
Someone murmured, “I heard Adam and her broke up.”
“Saw her with Kallan this morning. They were kissing.”
“Wonder what happened.”
“Does that mean Adam’s available?”
“Does that mean Kallan’s not?”
I began to think I should make an announcement when the teacher walked in and shushed the class. “Let’s get down to business. Everyone take a paper and pass it back. These go home and get your parents’ signatures on them.” He handed out stacks of paper to each person in the front row.
The last bell of the day rang and I walked out of class to find Kallan waiting for me. He scooped my hand in his and we walked out of the building. My eyes landed on Adam near his truck talking to Sandra. I watched as he opened the door for her like he had done for me a million times and she got in. Then he closed it, walked around the front of the truck, and got in the other side. I finally looked away as he pulled out of the spot.
“You okay?” Kallan asked.
“Yes.” I turned to face him and smiled. “I made my decision and it was the right one.” I stood on my tiptoes and planted a kiss on his lips. “I want you, only you, but I still feel bad for behaving the way I did with Adam. I was with him for so long that it feels different being here without him.”
“We’ll have to make some new memories then.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
He flashed me his rascally grin. “Like this…” He grabbed my hands still down by my sides and intertwined our fingers. He swung them up, let go with one hand, and twirled me around, then pulled me close. We were inches apart and my wings were fluttering like crazy, giving away my attraction to him. He leaned in and gently brushed his lips against mine. The kiss grew more intense before he pulled away. “How’s that?”
“Magical.” I sighed, wanting more. “I’d like to make more of this kind of memory here.”
“I can make that happen.”
I linked my elbow with his and we walked toward the parking lot. “Sierra is parked over there.”
“We need to get you a car.”
“What?” I raised my eyebrows.
“So you don’t have to rely on Sierra.”
“You’re not buying me a car. My parents wouldn’t go for that. After I finish high school, if that’s what you want to do…”
“I don’t understand why you won’t just let me. I have the money. Heck, you do too. Azura has plenty of it, plus Oren left you everything.”
I looked at him sideways because I didn’t know anything about having money or inheritances. “It’s not about the money. It’s about my parents and just letting things be.”
“I get it, I do. I just want to give you everything.”
“You will. In time.” I glanced over at Sierra’s car. Looked like her and Drake were both inside making out. “Better give them a minute.”
He followed my gaze and laughed. “I don’t mind having an extra minute with you.”
“So what’s his deal? Why is he here?”
“It is what it seems,” Kallan replied.
“Must you talk in riddles?”
Kallan swept a strand of my hair behind my ear. “He has no ulterior motive. He just wants to be with Sierra.”
“That’s sweet.”
“Also, you promised them a way to be together. I’m helping out.”
I glanced over, waiting to see if there was a third reason, but he just smiled. “I appreciate that.”
“You’re welcome. I like him. In fact, I asked him to be my number two.”
“Don’t you have a second in command?”
“I was, but Varwik’s death made me leader. The third and fourth in line moved up and I picked Sebille to replace the fourth, but now Lichen is missing and I need someone I can trust by my side, so I asked Drake.”
“Missing how?”
“Not sure. He’s just gone. I asked Kyro to look into it.”
“What’s his role?” I asked, confused.
“Kyro? He’s my advisor,” Kallan said, rolling his eyes. “He doesn’t like me much.”
I laughed. “Why not?”
“My father was more…how did he put it? His style of leadership.”
“Oh sheesh.” It was my turn to roll my eyes. “Do you have to keep him on?”
Kallan kicked at the ground. “I don’t have to, but he knows how things are run. Things I hadn’t been taught yet. He’s so negative though. It’s hard being around him.”
“Having Drake around will help. He’s usually upbeat and fun to be around.”
“It’ll be better when you’re by my side.”
“We don’t have too long. Nine, ten months, and school will be over.” I looked at the building in front of us. “Will we come back to this realm often?”
Kallan shrugged. “After what happened to my mother, I had no desire or reason to come here. I thought it was an evil place, but you’ve shown me that it’s not all bad. We can come whenever yo
u want.”
“There are some things I’ll miss here besides my parents and Sierra.”
“Bring them with you.”
“I can’t bring my TV, there’s no electricity.”
“The castle had electricity,” Kallan reminded me.
“Oh yeah. Anywhere else?”
“Not many use it. They prefer to entertain themselves other ways. Do you need TV?”
I shook my head. “There’s a show or two I love watching, but I’ll be fine without them. Maybe I can catch up when I visit my parents.”
“I think you’ll find that there’s a lot to do in our realm. You won’t be bored. Maybe you’ll even have time to finally read.”
I laughed. I never did have the time to read. “I need to get home.” I knocked on the car window. “Hey! You gonna come out for air sometime?”
Giggling erupted from inside the car and a minute later, Sierra popped out. Hair was falling out of her bun and she adjusted her clothes. “Sorry.”
I smiled. “No problem. You done?”
“For now.”
Drake awkwardly exited the car. His wings got stuck and he had to twist a few different ways. “Hey, guys.”
“What are your after-school plans?” Sierra asked, looking from Drake to Kallan.
“We have to head back to the faery realm.”
“Why?”
“Just stuff I need to attend to,” Kallan said with a sigh. “Being in charge is hard work.”
“But you’ll be back tomorrow?” Sierra held on to Drake.
Kallan nodded. “We will. Promise.” Faeries didn’t break promises, so that satisfied Sierra.
She gave Drake one last kiss and got in the driver’s seat. I sat in the passenger’s seat and rolled down the window. Kallan came close and touched his lips to mine for a sweet kiss. “See you later, my love,” he said before crossing the parking lot with Drake.
Sierra put the car in drive and started home. “Can I tell you something?” she asked.
“Of course.”
“I’ve never been happier. Not with Trent or Ian or anybody else. Nobody has ever made me feel the way Drake does.”
I smiled. Knowing that she was happy made my happy. “I’m glad.”
“I’m scared though. What’s going to happen? I’m not a faery. Will he be forced to dump me?”
I didn’t answer her for a minute. I didn’t have the answer she needed. “I don’t know.”
She nodded and gripped the steering wheel. “If it was up to you though…”
“Sierra, if it was up to me, you two could be together forever.”
“Thanks. Just knowing that you support our relationship helps.”
“Of course I support you. I haven’t figured out how the two of you can stay together, but I will. I just need to understand how everything there works, then hopefully I can find a way.”
“You’re really going to go live there when school is finished?” She glanced over at me quickly.
“Yes. I’ll visit all the time though and you’ll visit me too.”
“It won’t be the same.”
“I know, but things were going to change with college anyway.”
She pulled in my driveway and parked. “You’re my best friend.”
“And you’re mine.” I reached over and hugged her. “Stop worrying.”
Sierra sighed. “I’m trying.” Her phone was buzzing and she looked down at it. “My sister…again. I hate the drama.”
“Keep your head up.”
She bobbed her head up and down. “She’s trying to get child support from the father and has to work all the time. If it’s not a babysitter she needs, it’s someone to talk to, but I just don’t care anymore.”
“She has to understand you’re a senior now. You can’t spend all your free time helping her out or you’ll miss out.”
Sierra shrugged. “I don’t think she cares about my life.”
“Tell her. Talk to her. Or talk to your mom. Make them hear you.”
“I’ll try.” She gave me a half-smile.
“Thanks for the ride.”
“Anytime. Talk to you later?”
“Yup.”
I climbed out of the car and walked into my house and right into Kallan.
Chapter Four
“What are you doing here? Thought you were going back to the faery realm to deal with something.” Not that I wasn’t thrilled he was here, I was just confused as to why.
Kallan shifted and said, “I did. Kyro was waiting for me. The elders are meeting and we need you there. Will you come?”
“Now? Like right now?” My heart sped up.
“Yes.”
I knew this was coming, but I didn’t think it would be so soon. I rubbed my temples. “I will come, but I don’t know what’s expected of me.”
“Just be there. You’ll know if something needs to be done.”
“How come you have such faith in me?” I asked.
“I know you. You can do this.”
“My parents aren’t going to like this.”
“I know. I could use my power. Get them to give you permission to go.”
I seriously thought about that, but then shook my head. “I just can’t do that to someone unless absolutely necessary.”
“Okay, so how do you want to handle it?”
“Leave a note, I suppose. Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, right?”
“I’ve heard that.”
I scribbled on a notepad and left it on the kitchen counter. I was almost glad there was no communication in the faery realm. No doubt my parents would be calling my cell phone non-stop.
As we made the long walk to the other realm, I interrogated Kallan. “What should I expect?”
“A lot of faeries.”
I scoffed. “And?”
“It’s like a meeting. We’ll sit at a table, they’ll call it to order, and talk,” he explained. “It’s pretty formal.”
“Great,” I retorted. “All these elders…are they like seniors? Like old?”
Kallan guffawed. “Not quite like a senior citizen in the human world. They are some of our oldest fey, but they don’t look like elderly.” He helped me over a log. “Also, using your power is forbidden in the meeting.”
Once we crossed the boundary to the faery world, I saw Azura waiting for us. “Is she part of this council?” I asked Kallan.
“No.”
I wondered what she wanted. Was she just here to say hi? Or was there something more? I was never quite sure what to expect.
“Wonderful to see you, Rylie.”
I smiled. “You too.”
She handed me a garment bag. “A dress for the occasion.”
I looked down at my casual school clothes. Guess I wasn’t exactly dressed for a formal council meeting. “Thank you,” I said, taking the bag.
“May I walk with you?”
“Of course.”
She fell into step with us. “You’re headed to a big meeting.”
“So I hear.” I gulped. “Anything you want to tell me?”
“There are many rules that you will learn of. I know this is all still new to you and I’m sorry you have to jump into some of the demands of faery life, but I know you can do this,” Azura said, and her calm, confident tone reassured me somewhat.
“Where are we going?” I realized we were headed down a path I hadn’t been on before.
“To a meetinghouse in the middle of our lands,” Kallan answered.
“Other than it being formal and not being allowed to use talents, is there anything else I should know before it starts?”
“Only council members are allowed inside. No u
sing powers. Don’t speak out of turn,” he repeated.
“Sounds…stuffy.”
Both Kallan and Azura laughed, which made me laugh too. “You have a unique outlook on things, Rylie. I like that.”
“Thanks…I think.” Glancing over at Azura, I asked, “Why do you call me Oleander sometimes and Rylie other times?”
“I know you like Rylie better, so I’ve been trying to call you that, but when others are around, I use your faery name. They wouldn’t be so understanding,” she explained.
I felt guilty. She must have loved the name to choose it for me. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
We came upon a large structure made of long sticks tied together with vines. I could tell the boundary line literally ran right down the middle of it because of the color difference between sides.
“This is as far as I go,” Azura said. “I’ll wait here for you.”
I paused and looked between her and the meetinghouse. Part of me couldn’t wait to see what was in store for me. The other part of me was scared of what was coming. I took a few deep breaths and said, “Let’s go.”
Kallan put his arm around me and we walked toward the house. “I love your spirit.”
“I’m glad because it’s part of who I am.”
“I never want you to change.”
I looked at him curiously.
“Just for the record. No matter what, don’t change who you are.” He opened the door for me and I walked inside.
I held up the garment bag. “Where shall I transform into a more sophisticated member of the faery society?”
Kallan laughed and pointed to a door. “It’s a closet, but it’ll do.”
I smirked and walked over to it. “I’ll just be a second.” I changed quickly in the oversized, yet still cramped, closet, leaving the jeans and shirt in a neat pile on the floor. I walked out dressed in a long flowing blue dress.
Kallan smiled. “You look beautiful.”
“Will it get council approval?”
“Yes.” He took my hand and guided me to the table in the middle of a large, empty room. There were eleven chairs around the oval table. Five on one side, five on the other side, and one at the head. There was no chair across from that one.