by Julia Crane
I couldn’t look at Kallan. The concerned sound of Adam’s voice hit me hard. Why did this have to be so confusing? I saved the message and then called home.
“Hello?” Mom answered frantically.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Rylie! Are you okay? Where are you? What is going on?” Her tone was borderline hysterical.
I cringed. “I’m fine. I’m not really sure where I am. I just wanted to let you know I’m okay. I know I left without talking to you. I’m sorry. I just...I need to do this. And I need for you to understand. I’ll be back soon, I promise.”
“Rylie...come home now. Please.” Her voice cracked.
“I can’t. Not yet. This week is spring break so I won’t miss any school. I’ll be home before then. I promise.”
I heard her sigh. “Are you safe?”
I glanced at Kallan. There was no doubt in my mind that he’d keep me safe. “Yes. I’ve gotta go. I’ll call again soon. I love you.” I hung up before she could say anything else. I powered the phone down so the battery wouldn’t die and shoved it back into my pocket.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah. They’re upset.”
“They’re worried.” He ran the back of his hand down my cheekbone, causing me to take a long shuddering breath.
“So where are we?”
“Should be near Oklahoma City.”
“What? Oklahoma? What are we doing in Oklahoma?”
“This is where Oren was spotted.”
So he was close. I took a deep breath. My biological father lived somewhere nearby, and I would meet him soon. That scared the hell out of me.
It was nightfall in the human realm. The lights from the city were so bright I couldn’t see the stars above. “What do we do now?”
Kallan took a deep breath. “Are you tired?”
I nodded. “Exhausted. We did a lot of walking today.”
“There are plenty of hotels around.”
Once again, the thought of a soft bed and real food made my whole body relax. “I like the sound of that.”
He led me down a narrow side road and around the corner onto a busy main street. He stepped into the road and hailed a cab. Twenty minutes later, we were checked into a hotel. Once again, they only had one bed available, and I wondered if Kallan was somehow arranging that.
The room was cool and dim. I sat down on the bed and kicked my shoes off my aching feet. Using my thumbs, I started rubbing them, hoping to ease the pain.
“Here. Let me.” Kallan took my feet in his hands and began to massage them. His hands were like magic.
I closed my eyes and leaned back against the headboard. “It feels wonderful.”
I drifted off under his touch. After a few minutes, I felt something being placed on top of me. Opening my eyes, I saw he had pulled a blanket up to my shoulders. I smiled and went back to sleep.
When I opened them again, I found Kallan staring at me. He was lying next to me, one corner of his mouth turned up. He reached out and pushed back some hair that was in my face.
“Morning,” he whispered.
Light filtered through the small openings in the curtains. “Guess I really was tired.”
“Why don’t you take a shower, and I’ll order room service.”
I rubbed the sleep from the corners of my eyes. “Coffee. Get lots of coffee.”
“Got it.”
I flipped the covers off and stumbled into the bathroom. I closed the door behind me and let my hand linger on the doorknob as I thought about Kallan. What was I doing here with him? He was wiggling his way into every aspect of my life, and I was enjoying it. I envisioned myself opening the door back up, walking back to where he was, and kissing him.
No, no, no. Focus. Today is the day I meet my father.
I thought about that—finding out why he traded me, and what he was planning to do now. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. What was I thinking, taking off on my own like this? I glanced over at Kallan and realized I was far from being alone, but that didn’t stop me from being any less scared.
We hopped on a bus and rode for about half an hour, getting off at the last stop. It was a rural area with large open farmland. A single wooden mailbox was on the side of the street with the name NERO in large gold letters.
“Why is his name backwards?” I asked Kallan.
“We don’t have last names like you do. He probably turned it around just to blend in with humans.”
“Oh.” I hadn’t realized that before.
As we walked further up the dirt road, a small house appeared. There was no car in the driveway, and I wondered if anyone would even be home.
I heard a strange thudding in the distance, and glanced over at Kallan. “What’s that?”
He put a finger to his lips. Quietly, we went around the back of the house. A faery, axe in hand, stood over a log chopping wood. He seemed to sense our presence immediately. His body stiffened. Slowly, he turned and faced us.
His light brown hair was cut short, almost buzzed. He rested the axe against his broad shoulder. He wasn’t at all what I was expecting. In my mind, my father was a weak flower-smeller. A coward who ran away and left his wife. The man standing before us looked like a warrior. His body was strong and his blue eyes were cold. Maybe we were at the wrong house.
Nobody spoke. It was one of the most awkward moments I had ever experienced.
The faery’s eyes narrowed. “Get out of here,” he growled.
I almost turned and left. But then Kallan’s voice rang out. “Oren? You are Oren, right? I’m...”
He stared at my birthmark. “I know who you are. How did you find me? Who sent you?” He took a step closer.
My eyes rested on the axe he still held in his hands. I swallowed hard, wondering if he’d actually use it. Surely my own father wouldn’t kill me. He had traded me, but could he be a murderer as well?
Kallan took a step in front of me. Having him there gave me strength. “We just want to talk,” he said evenly.
“Nobody ever just wants to talk.”
I took a chance and walked closer to him. Kallan followed. It wasn’t until I was standing a couple feet from him that I could see the age in his face. Wrinkles spread near his eyes and forehead. He had not aged as well as Azura, that much was obvious. But the weathered look only added to his cold demeanor. My eyes were drawn to his vibrant orange and white wings. This stranger was my father. I felt anger course through my body. He had walked away and moved on with his life.
He knew who I was and didn’t seem all that shocked that his thought-to-be-dead daughter was standing before him. If anything, he seemed annoyed.
“Why?” I asked, so low I could barely hear my own voice.
As if my words pulled him out of a trance, he shook his head and looked in my eyes. “What?”
“Why? That’s all I want to know. I’ll leave you alone. Won’t bother you again. I just want to know why you traded me. Your own flesh and blood.”
“I can’t tell you that.” He ran his large hand over his face.
“Can’t or won’t?” I glared at him.
He stood in place, steady as a rock. His face was cold and hard, and his body rigid.
I pressed my lips together and spun on my heels. I had to stop myself from breaking into a run, to get far away from this place. Before I could, fury rose within me.
Turning back to face him, I yelled, “How could you do what you did? Do you have any idea what it has done to my life? I am your daughter! Don’t you care? Varwik will kill me if I don’t marry Kallan. All because of your greed.”
Guilt flashed across his face, but was quickly replaced by coldness. “I don’t owe either of you an explanation.”
“I hate you! I hate you for everything you have done to Azura, to me, to my parents. You make me sick. You are a poor excuse for a man.”
“I said get out of here!” he barked through gritted teeth.
That time, I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed Kallan’s hand and
ran like hell. At the end of the long road, Kallan pulled me to a stop. “We don’t have to run.”
“I know. I just...I had to get out of there as fast as possible. I can’t believe that man is my father.”
He nodded in understanding. “I didn’t expect him to be such a jackass. He could have at least shown some remorse. I was so tempted to use my power on him, but I wouldn’t do that without your permission.”
“He’s not worth it.” I wiped a tear from my face.
“Do you want to go home now?”
I shook my head, blinded by the hot tears pouring out of my eyes. “No. I can’t face my parents right now.” I wiped my face with my hands and looked up at Kallan. “Could we go back to the hotel?”
“Of course.”
I tried to keep it together the rest of the way there. I didn’t want strangers staring at me. As soon as the door closed behind us, the tears started flowing again. Kallan put his strong arms around me, and I sobbed into his chest.
After a few minutes, he coaxed me over to the bed and helped me to sit. I looked into his eyes. “Why does it hurt so much?”
“Oh, Rylie. I’m so sorry...” He leaned closer and kissed under my eyes. I could feel his warm breath on my lips as he pressed his forehead to mine, and I desperately wanted him to kiss me.
Instead, he pulled away, his jaw clenched. “Not like this, Rylie. I want to kiss you, but I want you to kiss me, too.”
He leaned against the headboard and patted the bed next to him. I scooted to sit beside him, and laid my head against his chest. With one hand, he stroked my hair and with the other he fiddled with the TV remote.
“Kallan, I feel lost and hopeless.”
“Shhh, it’s okay.”
“Thank you for helping me. I know it can’t be easy. If we break the promise...”
“I told you, Rylie. I want you to be with me because it’s your choice, not my father’s.”
I laid my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes. I was mentally and physically exhausted. It was just too much to take in. My whole world had been turned around ever since Azura knocked on my door. Unable to keep my eyes open, I drifted off to sleep.
I woke up lying next to Kallan, and it felt so natural—so safe. Part of me wanted to stay snuggled up for as long as I possibly could. I could forget about light and dark faeries, forget about promises and my dad and all the other worries floating about in my mind.
My stomach had other plans, however. It let out a powerful growl.
Kallan nudged me with a chuckle. “You awake?”
“Yes,” I admitted.
“Sounds like you’re hungry.”
I turned over to grin at him. “I guess I am.”
“Well, let’s go eat.”
“You have somewhere in mind?”
A slow smile spread across his handsome face. “I do love French toast. That’s one thing humans got right.”
“Room service or eat out?” I asked, sitting up in the bed.
“Whatever you want.”
I didn’t have to think too hard. “Let’s find a local diner. Whenever I go on a trip with my parents, we love to try out mom and pop places.”
“Mom and pop?”
“Local places owned by small business owners instead of big chains,” I explained. “My parents have always been big on showing support for the American dream.”
“Your parents sound like good people.”
“They are.” And they were probably out of their minds with worry. The reminder was a stark one, and it crash-landed me back into the real world.
Once in the lobby, we asked the receptionist to point us in the right direction. There was a place called Coffee Dive down the street. We made our way, lost in our own thoughts.
The bell jingled as we walked through the single, smeared-glass door. The Coffee Dive was a small, dimly lit diner with warm, orange walls and white tables on a black-and-white checkered floor. A curvy woman with red hair piled high above a heart-shaped face and a white apron tied around her hourglass waist smiled from behind the counter. “Welcome. You’re obviously not from around here.”
I looked at Kallan. “What gave it away?”
“Youngsters don’t wander in here unless they’re with family.” The woman chuckled. “We’re not exactly the hot spot in town.”
“Receptionist at the hotel said you had the best coffee in town,” Kallan commented.
“Damn right!” she said proudly. “Find a seat and make yourselve at home.”
We picked a table in the corner. There were only a few people eating—a couple near the door with a toddler, a table full of gossiping women near the counter, and an old man with a newspaper, but mostly, it was quiet. A country song played on the antique jukebox.
“I can see why your parents like to visit places like this.” Kallan’s eyes met mine across the table. “After my mother died, we no longer took part in any family traditions.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It was a long time ago.” He unrolled his silverware and arranged it on top of his napkin as he went on. “Maybe this can be a tradition for us. Checking out new places off the beaten path.”
His words took me by surprise. The thought of making new traditions with Kallan was the furthest thing from my mind, but in reality, next year I could be his wife. With that came those kinds of things—traditions, celebrations, kids…
I was only a kid myself. I couldn’t think about that right now.
“Maybe,” I mumbled, relieved that the waitress had returned with coffee.
She set the mugs in front of us and poured from a steaming carafe. “Y’all know what you’re having?”
She took our orders for French toast and then bustled off. The brief interlude gave me a chance to change the subject. “We didn’t learn anything. By going to Oren’s, I mean.”
“We’ll figure it out.”
“Feels like a wasted trip. All that way for nothing.”
Kallan hmmed noncommittally.
“How do we get home?” I asked.
“You don’t want to try to talk to Oren again?”
“I can’t. Not right now.” Absently, I rearranged the sweeteners in the container by color. I even removed two sugar packets stained with old coffee, and tossed them aside to be thrown away.
“Okay,” Kallan responded, surprising me.
“You aren’t going to argue with me?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Why would I argue? It’s your father and your life. I just came to…”
“To what?”
Kallan cleared his throat, and when he answered, I could have sworn there was a blush in his cheeks. “To be with you. To protect you.”
I didn’t really know what to say, so for the fifth time, I changed the subject. “So…how do we go home?”
“We can go back the way we came.”
“Do we really have to go back the same way?” I shuddered, thinking of the creatures lurking along that path through the faery world.
Kallan’s lips curved up. “It’s the easiest.”
I scowled and lowered my voice. “I don’t like it.”
“We could return the human way, I suppose.”
“Really?”
“If it would make you feel better.”
“That would be so awesome. But...how?”
“How what?”
“We’re in Oklahoma! How are we going to get back to Virginia?”
“We fly.”
I looked up at his wings, my skin growing cold. I’d never really tried to fly. There was no way!
His teal eyes twinkled in the sunlight. “Not that way. In a plane. I have an account set up for when I’m in the human realm. Money isn’t an issue.”
“Oh. Good to know.” I had wondered how we were paying for the hotel room and food. I thought maybe he had been using his mind control power, and now I knew he wasn’t. For some reason, that made me feel better about him. Knowing that he could have used his powers but didn’
t, that meant something.
“We’ll go in the morning.”
“I should call home.” I pulled out my phone and turned it on. Again, messages poured in. I pushed the button and listened to the phone ring.
“Hello?”
“Mom, it’s me. I’ll be home tomorrow.”
“Rylie! Thank God. Where are you?”
“I’m okay. Don’t worry. I’ll be home sometime tomorrow. We’ll talk then.”
I heard her sigh. “Okay. We love you.”
“I love you, too.” After I hung up, I caught Kallan’s gaze and said, “I feel so awful.”
“Why?” Kallan asked.
“I’ve put them through so much. None of this has been fair to them. Not what Azura did and not what I’m doing now.”
“You’re only doing what you feel you have to.”
I turned away from his gaze and stared out into the street. “Doesn’t make it right.”
That night, I slept fitfully, tossing and turning every which way. My dreams were haunting: full of faeries and shadows as I ran through the dark forest of the faery world.
I jerked awake when I felt the bed move, my heart still pounding. I looked over my shoulder to see Kallan climbing in next to me.
“What are you doing?” I asked him, my voice groggy with sleep.
“Shhh. Just close your eyes and relax.”
I stared into his eyes for a minute, and then slowly rested my head back on my pillow and closed my eyes. His arms wrapped around me as he snuggled his warm body next to mine. He ran his hand up and down my wings so that tingles ran through my body. But the motion soothed my fears, and soon, I was asleep.
We stood in front of my house. The light was on in the living room and both cars were in the driveway. I needed to go in, but I wanted to linger outside with Kallan a little longer. “Thanks for coming with me.”
“Anytime. I’ll always be there when you need me. Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”
When Kallan said things like that, it warmed my heart. “Yeah. I just need some time to process everything.”
“Let me know if I can help,” he offered sincerely.
“I will. Thanks.” I turned to go, but spun back around. “It’s been nice, ya know?”