by Bonnie Lamer
After I’m all settled under the blanket Aunt Barb had given him, I say quietly, “I don’t know what to expect tomorrow. What’s it like there?”
“I would rather you experience it for yourself. I am curious to see your first reaction.”
“You know I don’t like surprises, don’t you?”
He chuckles quietly. “Yes, my impatient little Witch Fairy, I do. But this time, you are just going to have to wait.”
“How do you think the other Sheehogue Fairies will react to me?” It’s pretty much a given that the Pooka are going to hate me. And want me dead. “Do you think they’ll be mad that I’m making myself such an easy target?”
“No,” he whispers and his mouth is right next to my ear, so it tickles. “First of all, you are never an easy target. And secondly, I think that you will make a positive impression on everyone you meet. That is what worries me.”
I frown in confusion but he can’t see it in the dark. “Why?”
He takes a moment to answer as his lips are currently brushing deliciously over my ear and neck. Finally, he says, “You are beautiful and you are powerful. That is an irresistible combination.”
It takes a minute for that to sink into my brain and then I grin. “Are you jealous already? I haven’t even met another Fairy yet.”
“No, I am not jealous,” he says, but not very convincingly. “I am simply anticipating competition.”
I laugh and pull his arms tighter around me. “Don’t worry, I’m a one Fairy kind of girl.”
He’s back to kissing my neck again and whispers against my skin, “I hope so.” We don’t say anything else, we just hold each other. It’s amazing how being together like this calms me. Eventually, we’re both able to fall into a deep, comfortable sleep.
I don’t know if it’s been five minutes or five hours, but either way, waking up because the thing you’ve been sleeping on has suddenly disappeared is not pleasant. Kallen and I fall two and a half feet to the floor with a heavy thud. I don’t even have to look up to know who’s responsible.
“Good morning,” Isla says tersely. Yesterday she had a storm in her eyes; today it’s a typhoon. “I believe we worked out sleeping arrangements last evening.”
“I couldn’t sleep,” I say lamely from the floor as I struggle to disentangle myself from Kallen. Isla raises her brows and is about to say something else, so I rush to say, “Until I came out here. Then I fell right to sleep. Immediately.
“Grandmother,” Kallen says as he stands up and offers me his hand, “nothing inappropriate happened.” He has his own storm brewing in his eyes. I don’t think he likes his grandmother continuing to insinuate that we’re doing things we aren’t. Glad I’m not the only one.
“I can assure you he’s telling the truth,” Mom says. She sounds kind of snarky, adding her name to the list of people who are tired of Isla’s insinuations. “Jim and I don’t sleep – which is why we know there has never been inappropriate behavior when the kids have slept together. We check on them regularly.” Oh, I didn’t know that. Good thing we’ve been good.
It looks like Isla is dying to say something, but she bites her tongue. Instead, she says, “Perhaps we should be on our way.”
I’m still a little groggy from sleep and the fall to the floor. Through a stifled yawn, I say, “Um, I haven’t packed anything, yet.”
Isla looks confused now. “A few toiletries are all you should need. Anything else, such as clothes, can be created with your magic.”
“Not my magic,” I grumble, apparently loud enough for her to hear.
“That is ridiculous. You could clothe the entire realm with your magic.”
“Xandra is still working on her…finesse,” Kallen says. I wonder what word he was going to use before coming up with that one. I probably don’t really want to know.
“Yeah, I’m still more likely to blow up the house than make a pair of jeans.”
Isla’s brows crease. “Interesting.”
What’s that supposed to mean? “So, I should go pack.”
I start to walk from the room, but she holds a hand out. “No need. I will be happy to supply clothing until you are able to clothe yourself.”
Great, she’ll probably have me dressed like a nun considering her views regarding Kallen and me having sex. “Okay, I guess,” I say reluctantly. “Can I at least take a shower first?” Do they even have showers there, or will I have to bathe in a stream or something? I give Kallen a sour look for not telling me anything about the Fae realm last night. But, since he has no idea what I’m thinking, his brows come down into a frown trying to figure out what he did to deserve such a look.
“Yes, of course,” Isla says briskly. “We will plan to head out in thirty minutes.”
Guess I better hurry then. I look at Mom to see if she’s going to argue, but she gives me a little nod that means she’s made peace with me going. Leaving Kallen to deal with Isla’s concerns, I go back to my room to gather what I need after my shower.
Twenty minutes later, I’m showered, dressed and looking in the mirror while I’m blow drying my hair. When Mom’s face suddenly shows up next to mine, it scares the crap out of me. Since they can’t knock, Mom and Dad usually try to let us know they’re approaching with some sort of sound. If she had said something, I probably couldn’t hear it over my blow dryer. Willing my heart rate go back to normal, I turn it off.
Mom smiles in understanding. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I just wanted a quick word with you before you go.”
“Okay.” I hope she’s not going to start the whole ‘you’re not going’ conversation up again.
Reading my thoughts on my face, she says, “No, I’m not going to try to talk you out of going. I know that would be futile at this point. But I did want to give you some advice.”
“What about?”
“About Isla.” Good, I probably need as much advice on how to deal with her as possible. “Isla is a strong woman, and she’s used to having her own way.”
“Yeah, I’ve definitely figured that out already.”
Mom chuckles softly. “She does wear her authority well.” She reaches out and touches my cheek and little goose bumps form on my warm skin. “But I’ve raised you to be a strong young woman, and I expect you to act like it. If you let her push you around, she will. But, you need to walk your own path, not hers. Yes, she can see the possible future, but as your grandmother said, we can always choose a different future by exerting our free will. You do what feels comfortable for you, and only you. This is your destiny, your journey, and the rest of us are simply supporting characters to help you on your way. We’ve all had our own destinies to fulfill; now, we need to leave you to yours. You have the intelligence, the strength and the common sense to make the right decisions, and I trust that you will.”
I wish I could hug her. “Thanks, Mom. I really needed to hear that.”
She smiles but then her face turns serious. “There’s one more thing.”
“What’s that?”
“You use whatever magic you have to along your journey to keep safe. If you’re in danger, you blow up the whole damn realm if you have to, if that’s the only way to make it back here alive. Do you understand?”
It’s my turn to smile. “That might happen even if I’m not in danger.”
“Then so be it. My only concern is you.”
I brush at a tear that’s trying really hard to swim past my lashes. “Do you really think I can do what they want me to do?”
“I wouldn’t be letting you go if I didn’t. Now, finish up and meet us in the living room so we can say a proper good-bye.”
“Okay, I’ll be right out.” Mom turns and floats back through the door. After wiping my eyes again, I turn the blow dryer back on.
It only takes a couple of minutes to get the rest of my hair dry. I throw a few things in my overnight bag, put on my coat and boots and head back to everyone else. As it’s getting closer to the time to leave, I’m starting to get scar
ed again. What if there’s an ambush waiting for us? What if Fairy magic on a grand scale can do what the Witches weren’t able to do? This really could be my last fight and that’s a pretty sobering thought. I’m tempted to crawl back under my covers and never come back out; I’m pretty sure no one would be able to pry me out, either. But, like Mom said, she didn’t raise me that way. So, I need to quit whining and just go already.
Despite my little pep talk to myself, by the time I get to the living room, I’m all worked up again like I was last night thinking about the worst possible scenarios. At this point, my mind has convinced itself that the Fae realm will be all fire and brimstone and I’m just a sacrificial lamb on its way to slaughter. I was never this dramatic, or such a doomsayer, before. I really do have to snap out of it.
Kallen has a questioning look on his face, but I give him a small shake of my head to let him know I don’t want to talk about what’s going through my mind. He leaves it at that and just takes my hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. I’m glad he’s here to walk with me as I face this next challenge. There’s comfort in knowing that he loves me, and that he’ll do whatever it takes to help me.
Isla must have gotten over her irritation of finding Kallen and I both on the couch because she has a smile on her lips, and in her eyes, when she turns to me. “Are you ready to bring us home?” she asks.
My brows knit together. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, are you ready to open the realms for our return?”
Good lord, no one told me there’d be a pop quiz on magical abilities. “Um, I’m not sure if I can do that. I was drunk the last time I tore through the realms.” On Fairy darts, not alcohol. And does no one understand that I don’t always know how I’ve done things in the past?
“Nonsense, of course you can.”
Dad scowls at Isla and then floats between us with his back to her. “You be careful, understand? We love you and we expect you back in one piece.”
“Okay, Dad.”
Zac comes running in with Aunt Barb behind him. “Xandra, can I come with you?” he demands as soon as he sees me.
I smile and shake my head. “No, I’m sorry. It’ll be too dangerous.”
His bottom lip comes out in a pout. “You get to do all the fun stuff.”
That makes me laugh. “Tell you what, when you’re my age, I’ll take you out on the most dangerous mission I can think of, okay?” If I live that long, anyway.
Zac’s face brightens. “You promise?”
“I promise.”
“Yeah!” He throws his arms around me in a quick hug. “You’re the best. Good luck with the Fairies.”
“Thanks. I’ll tell you all about it when I come home.”
“Okay. I’m going back to my game now.” With that, he tears back out of the room to get back to whatever video game he paused to say good-bye.
Everyone else gives me hugs, as well. Aunt Barb’s and Grandma’s are considerably warmer than Mom and Dad’s, but I’m glad for all of them. As Mom pulls back from her ghostly embrace, she winks at me. “Remember what I said.”
I nod. “I will.”
Dad pats Kallen on the back, or at least, it appears as if he does. “You take care of my daughter. Don’t let anything happen to her.”
“I will do my best.”
Dad smiles. “I believe you will.”
“We really must be going now. We are due back and I do not want anyone to worry.” I think Isla has taken the ‘most impatient person’ trophy away from me. And what does she mean by we’re due back? Wow, she was really sure of herself that she’d be able to convince me to do this.
“There are others who know I’m coming?”
Isla gives me a curt nod. “You have been expected for quite some time by a select few.”
“You mean people you’ve shared your visions with?” I don’t know why, but I’m starting to get annoyed with her. I feel as if I’ve been expertly manipulated and I don’t like it. And it definitely feels like an invasion of privacy that others may know what I’m going to do next when I don’t know that.
She inclines her head. “Yes.”
I’m about to say something but Kallen interrupts, trying to head off the argument he can see brewing. “It will be fine. Grandmother would not have shared anything with someone she did not trust wholeheartedly.”
Glad he’s that confident in her because I’m not. I know I sound snarky when I say, “Fine, let’s go meet the Fairies who want to kill me this time.”
Isla narrows her eyes at me briefly, but she doesn’t say anything. Instead, she turns on her heel and walks out the door, fully expecting us to follow. And we do, of course.
Chapter 5
Isla stops just outside the door and Kallen and I almost run into her. “Alright, Xandra. Take my hand.” She holds her right hand out to me since Kallen is on the other side of me. I know I shouldn’t be reluctant, but she has been kind of aggravating the past couple of days. Still, I place my hand in hers anyway. “Now, I will send you an image of where we need to end up. Keep that image in mind while you open a passage to the Fae realm.”
I don’t know if I’m supposed to close my eyes, but I do. That way I won’t have to see her face right away if I don’t get this right. Yeah, I admit it, I’m a little insecure. But I’m working on that.
When the image hits my mind, it jolts me back to what I should be thinking about. The image is crystal clear, as if it’s my own memory. I had no idea that Isla had the ability to do this. Then again, Kallen has the ability to send other Fairies verbal messages with his mind. Focusing on the image, I reach out in front of me and wrap my fingers around an imaginary tear in the wall of our realm. I pull it back towards me as if ripping paper. I keep going until I’m sure that I’ve pulled it back far enough.
Several gasps cause me to open my eyes. Before us is a large opening in the fabric of the woods. Where there should be driveway and large trees, there’s suddenly a beach with what appears to be the ocean behind it. The exact image that Isla had sent to me with her mind. I did it. I can’t believe I actually did it. Sober, even.
Isla turns a proud face to me. “Perfect. Shall we?” She gestures toward the Fairy realm.
I’m not completely sure I’m ready for this, but I nod anyway. With a last look at Mom and Dad, I take a step forward – then I stop abruptly and Isla runs into me. Now she looks annoyed, not proud.
“I almost forgot.” I reach my hand out and run it through the passageway and the air shimmers around my touch. The shimmering turns into ripples that are rapidly receding towards the edges of the opening. Looking back at Isla, I say, “It would have burned us if I hadn’t cleared the residue.” I’m not sure what else to call it, but it burned the Fairies I sent through it before. I’d rather make it to the Fairy realm unscathed; not covered in painful blisters. “It should be okay now.”
Kallen and Isla look at me expectantly. I suppose I should be the first one to try it. Tentatively, I put one foot forward through the opening. When I’m not scalded, I move forward as the woods disappear and there’s sand and ocean as far as I can see. I turn back towards Kallen and Isla with a smile. They both step forward, Kallen more nervously than Isla, and pass through. With a final wave to everyone I’m leaving behind, I pull the seams of the realm back together and then my world is gone.
Okay, I know I didn’t really have a clear picture of what I expected from this realm, but this definitely wasn’t it. Maybe there was a little part of me, way in the back of my mind, that expected Fairies to live in tree houses or caves or something. But, as I turn slowly away from the ocean, a great stone mansion comes into view. Only, it’s not like a mansion that would be in my realm. This one is open and airy with several tiers that all include terraces full of flora, and breezy curtains over doorways leading deeper into its depths. The stone finish is whitewashed and bright; inviting you inside with a warm welcome. This is definitely not a tree house. Behind the house, though, is a forest of trees and gi
ant cliffs stretching as far as the eye can see. There’s not a tree house or cave in sight. There’s not even another house to be seen anywhere. Isla’s house must be fairly secluded.
I know my mouth is hanging open when I turn back to Kallen and Isla. Kallen must have known that I’d be blown away because he has a huge grin on his face. “Is this the palace?” I ask.
Isla smiles and shakes her head. “No, this is our humble home.” She said humble, but the pride in her eyes tells me she knows the house is anything but that.
“Come on,” Kallen says as he takes my hand in his. “I will show you around.”