by C. J. Abedi
“Devilyn. It is always nice to see you here.”
I bowed deeply and took Ella’s hand.
“It is always a pleasure, Ella.”
She pulled me aside for a moment.
“And how are you, my friend?”
“I am well.”
“You are a poor liar, Devilyn,” she said with a smile. “I can see the strain.”
I tried to smile back. “I worry about what is to come.”
“You are surrounded by family that loves you. A family that will help you.”
I looked away from her knowing eyes.
“I know it.”
“You know that I am here if you ever need someone who will just listen,” Ella said quietly. “I will never judge you.”
“Thank you.” I knew the words came from her heart. “I know that I can always count on you.”
I then turned my attention to Iris who lifted her hands and brushed them softly against my cheek.
“My dear boy, we have been waiting for you,” she said to me in a soft voice. She was an Elder in the court, graced with staggering beauty.
Iris had a wisdom and love that radiated from the depths of her soul. She too was taken by my father at one point. Out of all the Fae, she had spent the most amount of time with Alderon. She knew him better than any one of us. My father believed she was dead, and Dana had gone to great lengths to ensure that he would never know of Iris’s existence. Once she had escaped from him, she had asked Dana if she could disappear into nothingness. Dana had denied her wish and had instead given her an alternative: remain in her court forever and never leave its light, and Alderon would believe she was gone. Iris had agreed.
I hugged her and felt the warmth of her love. I was told that she had been my mother’s best friend, and I was sure that if I ever asked, she would tell me all that there was to know about my mother.
But I had never wanted to know.
I knew that we would have to rely on Iris’s knowledge and insight to give us the advantage we needed against Alderon, and I silently thanked her for not disappearing into oblivion, as she had once wanted to do.
I felt rejuvenated as I turned and smiled at Odin. He knew that Dana’s court would offer me the solace that I had been seeking.
“Am I the only one to not get a greeting from our future King?” Dana’s voice commanded as I turned to her and smiled.
“I don’t care if you don’t like to be called by your proper title. It is yours, chosen as you have been for all these years,” Dana told me as she read my mind.
I hugged her tightly.
“It is too heavy of a crown for me.”
Dana pulled away and looked at me. Her eyes glowed like Lemurian stones.
“When you realize how powerful your thoughts are Devilyn, you will become a free man.”
I nodded and went to find a seat at one of the chairs in the room when my eyes met Rowan’s. He raised a brow at my look of surprise. Rowan was a renowned warrior in all the realms. He was eternally loyal to the Light Fae after suffering an unknown fate at the hands of Alderon and his followers. No one but Dana knew what had happened to the warrior as no one had the courage to ask. He always promised that if and when the time came, he would make the ultimate sacrifice.
“I’m so happy that you have both joined us today,” Dana smiled as she looked from Odin to me. She walked to stand in the center of the room, knowing that all eyes were on her. “Iris told me that you would arrive.”
Odin walked to the center of the room.
“I was recently enlightened of some events that are about to unfold,” Odin began. “I felt it was incumbent upon me to bring Devilyn here to seek your guidance and allegiance if and when the time came.”
“We are here for Devilyn,” Dana replied solemnly. “He has always had our support.”
I was humbled by her words.
“I am grateful for your loyalty,” I replied appreciatively. “I hope that I do not disappoint any of you.”
“You have already proven yourself to be a fearsome leader, and you have shown that despite one half of your heritage, you are a champion of humanity,” Dana said solemnly.
I hoped that one day I would be able to repay the loyalty and kindness they gave me. I stood up and put a hand over my heart. I bent down on one knee.
“All you must do is ask,” I vowed to her.
“I brought Devilyn here today to prove to him that he is not alone in his battle, that we are all here to ensure that the Light will prevail, and that he will one day take his rightful position on a throne that will unite the Fae,” Odin told the room.
“We are here to ensure that he is never alone. We are all family and must support each other, protect each other, and most importantly, love each other,” Dana countered with a knowing smile.
I immediately thought of Caroline. She was also part of my family. Support. Protect. Love. I would live by that motto for her until the day I died. As if she read my mind, Dana continued, “We will protect her Devilyn, just as we will protect you.”
“As always, I appreciate your strength and loyalty, but with the plans Alderon has in motion, it may end up being my sole duty to protect her,” I explained. I could not ask them to come up against what I was about to face.
“That is not necessarily true,” Ella responded with a smile. The young Faerie was already up and moving about the room. Suddenly full of energy.
“Alderon is sending Patrick, the Seeker,” I pointed out.
“The Seeker, although highly skilled, can often be confused,” Ella continued on as she stopped to stare at me. “Odin’s cloak hides Caroline.”
“But for how long?” I could not keep the worry out of my voice. “How long will it shield her?”
“It has for sixteen years,” Dana said as she moved to stand in front of the fire. “For sixteen years he’s kept her hidden. They never knew where she was. They still don’t.”
“But I am in Roanoke now,” I told her.
“Roanoke is the natural home for all Fae. It is where our cultures intertwined in a fateful way. And when destiny began. Alderon would not believe that you would be so close. Remember your powers,” she said. “You can be where you need to be within the blink of an eye.”
“I do not use that gift.” She knew why. Magik was an aphrodisiac for me; the dark side could easily be mistaken for the light.
“He does not know that,” Odin interjected.
“They come now because she is of age. The prophecy states—” Ella began.
“I know what the prophecy states.” I did not want to hear it again; I knew my voice had been harsh. “I’m sorry.”
“You are forgiven,” Ella said softly. “See how easy it is?”
Dana watched me closely. “Alderon would never think that you would keep yourself close to her. He knows you, and he knows that the best way to protect her is to shield her from our world. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”
“What does that mean?”
“Keep her as close to you as possible. I know your initial plan was to make her dislike you, even though you know that is impossible.”
“It is not impossible.”
“You were made for one another,” Dana said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
“We will be nearby watching the forest. If she enters, we will protect her,” Rowan spoke out. The look of gratitude was written all over my face. It was undeniable. They would protect her. I knew if I failed, they would take her away. Odin nodded his head, and I knew that it was time to leave.
“Until we meet again,” Dana said as she watched Odin lift his hand.
“Good bye, my King,” Ella called out. Before I could answer, we were gone and back in my room.
I pulled a sweater over my head and smiled in anticipation. I dared myself to have a little hope. I grabbed my schoolbooks, ran down the stairs, and headed out to my car. As I drove to school, I couldn’t r
emove the grin of hope on my face. It would be a good day.
But things didn’t go exactly as I had planned.
Chapter Ten
“He who is not impatient, is not in love.”
—Italian Proverb
C
I arrived at school pretty early Monday morning. I went straight to the Math lab and decided that I would try and complete some of my homework before our weekly meeting for the school paper. I had had such a difficult time getting anything done all weekend that I thought that if I came an hour or so earlier than usual, I could get it done before Natalie Simmons passed out our assignments for next week’s edition of the paper.
Our meetings were typically very short, and most of the reporters had quite a bit of autonomy. Unless of course there was a particular story that piqued Natalie’s interest. Then the person who was assigned to it would usually have one heck of a time. After our assignments were given, we would usually have a few days to complete them before she would get them out to press for the following week. Some took longer than others to write, so starting fresh at the beginning of the week was always helpful.
If I hadn’t been so behind in my homework for the week, I would have gladly welcomed a new story, but this weekend had been filled with so many distractions that my work had been piling up. It wasn’t like me to procrastinate.
I grimaced in anticipation of the week of long nights ahead of me, one that I definitely wasn’t looking forward to. I was also a bit nervous about the History project with Devilyn. I had so many things left to do for it and was hoping that I would be able to have some time to complete all of my research.
I looked at the clock. It was half past seven. I continued to silently pray that Natalie would go easy on me when she arrived. We usually started our meetings promptly at seven thirty, so I knew our irritating school editor would have to be making an appearance soon. Just as I began to drift off into another daydream, Natalie’s voice called out, interrupting as usual.
“Okay everyone. I had such a crazy weekend,” she practically screeched as she walked in the room like a tornado. It was a wonder she could keep it all together.
She planted a pile of papers on a desk and started rummaging through them.
“I’ve compiled a list of some interesting stories. It’s here somewhere,” she said as she moved the stack around. “I’ve got to say we have a bunch of exciting things happening this week that need all of our focus and attention,” she said in an eager voice that was shockingly chipper for being so early in the morning.
I glanced out the window and longed to be running through the grass or walking through the Elizabethan Gardens. The leaves were changing, and soon snow would fall. I loved this time of year.
“Earth to Caroline?” she called out.
I turned suddenly and forced a smile, “What do you have for me, Natalie?”
“You have the most coveted story of the year,” she told me in glee.
Coveted? That usually meant the story that no one else in the room wanted.
Great. I was beginning to dread what it was.
“Which is?” I asked silently fearing her response.
“Okay fasten your seatbelt because you are going to be so excited you might just jump out of your chair,” Natalie said unable to contain her glee.
She had to be kidding. Fasten my seatbelt? Jump out of my chair? I tried to feign excitement but knew that the next words out of her mouth would surely be my undoing.
“You will be riding along with the entire football team to their first away game!” she said as she practically jumped up and down.
“What?” Did I hear her correctly? I had to be hallucinating.
“Female sports reporters are making a killing. So this is your opportunity to try it first hand,” Natalie continued. “Seriously Caroline, who’s luckier than you?”
Luckier than me? If I was so lucky why didn’t she want this job?
“When is this game Natalie?” I asked as I took in a deep breath, trying desperately to compose myself.
“Tomorrow night,” she replied. “You’re going to have a great time. It will probably be a late night, but you are going to have the time of your life. I’m so jealous!” she continued on as if she had given me some great treasure.
I knew that I must have looked angry, but I couldn’t help myself. Not only was I drowning in schoolwork, so much so that I would no doubt be delayed in completing all of it, but now I was forced to sit on a bus filled with a bunch of football players and him.
I knew it without a doubt. The universe was plotting against me.
“Don’t worry Caroline, I’ve got your back; I’ve already talked to the coach, and he’s so excited about having you on board the bus. You’ll be sitting on the bench with the rest of the players during the game, and you’ll even have access to the locker rooms!” she exclaimed. Again, I couldn’t help but wonder why she wasn’t taking on this amazing assignment. I couldn’t help but voice my thoughts.
“Wow, Natalie, thanks for this. But if you’re so into this story why don’t you take it? I wouldn’t want to deprive you or anything.”
Natalie waved me off. “You are so sweet. Seriously. But I’ve got so much homework I don’t even know where to begin. I can’t be gone for an entire night.”
Of course.
D
Our first away game was at Plymouth High School, over seventy-three miles away. Plymouth was a big rival of Manteo’s, and the game was an important one for the school. There had been a pep rally earlier in the morning, where the student body helped pump up the players for the game day ahead, and a practice session on the field afterward. This was a crucial game in the season, and it seemed that even all the teachers wanted the players to be ready.
I had run into my sister on my way to practice. I was surprised to see that she was waiting for me.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“Fine,” she said as she studied her manicure. “I just wanted to wish you luck, not that you need it or anything, but I thought that would be the sisterly thing to do.”
I tried not to smile. She had certainly not come to wish me luck; there was something else on her mind.
“What’s going on? Do you need something from Odin? Another vacation?”
“Honestly, Devilyn, sometimes I don’t even know why I bother with you,” she turned to leave.
I grabbed her arm.
“I’m joking. Tell me.”
Tatiana looked uncomfortable with the topic at hand.
“What is it?”
She lowered her voice, “I have a serious problem.”
My heart stopped. Had the dark thoughts finally consumed her?
“Tell me.”
“The boy—”
“Boy?”
“Ted,” she muttered.
“Did you do something to him?” I asked.
“Do something to him?” Tatiana said angrily. “That wouldn’t even be possible.”
“What do mean?” I was thoroughly confused.
“He doesn’t want to do anything but talk. He keeps asking me annoying questions like what books I read when I go home and what my favorite courses are.” She was clearly appalled. “I’ve even tried to make the first move. Can you believe that Devilyn? I’m making the move. And every time he turns away, like he’s disgusted by me. Which just simply isn’t possible.”
Tatiana sounded so horrified by the prospect that it took all my energy not to burst out laughing.
“I mean, Devilyn. Look at me. How could he not want me?”
My sister was beautiful; I’d give her that. But somehow my respect for Teddy grew even more. Obviously brains meant something to him.
“Why not try and talk to him about the things he likes to talk about?”
“Why? They’re boring!”
I couldn’t stop the laughter from rushing out. Tatiana didn’t seem offended by it, and I was grateful
for that.
“It’s a first, Devilyn. And I don’t like the feeling of being rejected.”
“Has he rejected you?” I asked.
“No. But I feel like he’s about to.”
“Amuse him. Read a book. Maybe you’ll like it?” I told her.
Tatiana seemed genuinely horrified by the prospect. “I knew I couldn’t talk to you about this.”
She disappeared instantly. I looked around to make sure no one saw, and thankfully luck was on my side.
I shook my head at her predicament as I made my way out onto the field to throw some passes. I had quite a big game ahead of me, and I needed to get my head in the right space.
Only the game I was preparing for had nothing to do with football.
I looked around the locker room, and the other players were laughing and joking about how they were planning on “destroying” and “cremating” the rival team. I was thinking about the long bus ride and the fact that I would be away from her for another day. Silently praying that harm wouldn’t come to her in any way while I was gone playing this silly game.
“We’re going to kick their ass,” Mark, our linebacker, said as he gave a high-five to another player. I tried not to look amused. I was already an outsider on the team because I kept to myself; the only reason why the guys didn’t outcast me completely was because of my tremendous skill.
Laughing wouldn’t help my situation.
I looked up at the clock and pulled my bag out of my locker. The coach had told us that we had about twenty minutes to get our things together before we made the trip. Everyone was told to be on the bus no later than three o’clock.
I took a moment before I went over to the bus. It was already proving to be a challenging start to the week, as I had set out hoping to find an opening with Caroline but unfortunately hadn’t found one. In fact, I barely saw her, which surprised me quite a bit considering we had every class together. There simply hadn’t been any time for us to interact beyond the usual hellos and goodbyes. I couldn’t help but feel frustrated.
She had avoided me all day yesterday, spending most of her time in the library. She made it a point to excuse herself from many of the classes that we had together by telling the teachers that she had a deadline and needed to work on an assignment for the school paper. Given that she was such an excellent student and rarely took advantage of the teachers, they excused her and allowed her to work on whatever it was “that needed her immediate attention.”