by Sheryl Lee
Taking the phone from Sunny Zora gave her a confused look before looking at the screen. Whoa, way too close, she really didn’t want to see her nose that close. Holding the phone further away she peered at the glowing screen in the dim light. So ok, her hair did seem to be glowing, and yes her skin looked kind of pale but it wasn’t like she was really glowing.
Looking back up at Sunny she frowned, “I don’t understand Sunny, I look pretty normal. It’s just the dim light and the sun reflecting off my hair.”
Sunny snatched the phone back, stabbed at it with her finger and then aimed it at Zora, obviously taking a photo.
Zora began to feel a bit tetchy, she wasn’t up for puzzles at such an early hour. “Sunny! No photos, I haven’t even had a cup of tea yet!”
“Forget tea woman, look at yourself, really look at yourself! And look at this veranda, do you see any sun here yet? The sun is only just above the horizon, it’s not bright enough yet to reflect off anything except clouds. Wow that really is an awesome sunrise.” Shaking her head irritably she returned to her subject. “Here, look at this pic and don’t rationalise it, just look with your eyes open.”
Zora took the phone from Sunny and very reluctantly gazed at the photo open on the screen. She swallowed against a lump that had formed in her throat. Sunny was right, she was glowing.
She looked up from the screen, a bubble of anxiety rising rapidly and forming into a tornado of panic. “Sunny, what is happening to me? I look like I stood in radioactive matter or something.”
“Little Zora do not panic, Powers has awakened thinking you are in danger and will be here in protection mode in seconds. Please, calm yourself. It is nothing more than your own abilities manifesting.” Axel appeared from the darkness at the back of the veranda as he spoke, coming to Zora and stroking her hair in a deliberate calming motion.
Not feeling at all calm, especially as apparently Powers was about to appear guns blazing metaphorically at least, Zora glared at Axel like it was his fault. And it kind of was, since he was the one activated her abilities. “What do you mean? What abilities are manifesting? Why am I glowing like nuclear Barbie?”
“Because you are a defender, and you are strongest at dawn. In fact exposing yourself to sunrise increases your strengths.” The fourth voice to speak at an hour when Zora was used to no voices at all belonged of course to Powers. He strode across the veranda to join the little group standing around Zora. His voice gentle he continued, “Your pendant recharges in the dawn light, your powers are at their peak. Unlike the wolf you are strongest at dawn, and unlike the wolf you gain strength from the rising sun. You are a creature of the day as much as the wolf is a creature of the night.”
Zora gaped at him, and swung her gaze to Axel. “Is this true? Do I recharge like a phone battery?”
Axel snorted in a failed attempt to hide a laugh before replying, “That is a very broad analogy little Zora and not exactly correct. You have your strengths at all times, but yes, you are strongest at dawn. And your pendant pulls in the sunlight. You are connected to the sun in a way pure humans are not. That is why you glow, that is why your pendant is glowing. Surely you have felt this before even when your abilities were not unlocked? You are a creature of the morning, you would have experienced at the very least the calm and serenity of being in the presence of the dawn light.”
Sunny and Powers both developed an unexplained coughing fit, turning away from Zora as one. Zora glared at them both. “Stop that! I know you’re both laughing like loons inside.”
Axel raised an eyebrow at them both. “Powers, Sunny, I have said something amusing?”
Powers grinned at Axel unrepentantly. “Axel, Zora is not a morning person, I doubt she has seen the sunrise for years.”
Zora watched the normally unruffled Axel gape in astonishment. Really, was it that hard to believe a person would prefer to be asleep when it was still dark? As was befitting to an insanely old person/fairy/prince/whatever Axel quickly recovered his usual expression of mild amusement and turned to Zora.
“Little Zora, I am astonished that you have been able to suppress your nature for so long. Even with your abilities locked, you showed by sensing the werewolf the first time you went to the scene that you still had some access. As such you should also have felt the pull to greet the dawn each day. I really don’t know if it is a sign of your strength or of your stubbornness that you were able to resist.”
“Maybe it was just a sign of my common sense to stay asleep at this absurd hour of the morning. Do you know how long I’ve been awake already today, and I haven’t had any tea, and people are talking to me!” Aware of how querulous she was sounding Zora shut her mouth and resolved not to speak again until she had at least one cup of tea inside her.
Axel snorted, she was pretty sure it was actually a smothered laugh, while Powers and Sunny didn’t even try to hide their laughter.
“Ok, ok, I’ll go make a pot of tea for you o snitty one.” Powers saluted, pivoted on his heel and disappeared inside.
Zora scowled as his actions sparked more laughter from the two left on the veranda. Seeing her dark expression Sunny hurriedly composed herself and announced that she would go help Powers since she had a sudden and urgent desire for coffee. That left Axel, who to her chagrin did not leave but instead gestured to a chair which obligingly moved itself, settling gently beside her. Axel lowered himself into the chair and took Zora’s unresisting hand. That hand was unresisting because its owner was trying to control her shock at the casual display of magic.
“Close your mouth little Zora, I simply feel too lazy to go get the chair before coffee. Being a fairy has its benefits.” Nodding speechlessly Zora looked down at her hand lying limply in his. It had stopped glowing she noted. She must be fully charged, probably there was a little light on her forehead or some such.
“Little Zora, you are always so entertaining. You are not a battery to be charged, you simply gain strength from the rising sun and as such you should be drawn to the time of dawn. I think that from now on you will wake as the sun rises – much as a new vampire sleeps at the same time really.”
The last was added in an aside to himself she decided and as such did not require a response. Before she could ask anything he continued, “You would have felt a great sense of peace and belonging as the sun rose. Like a flower, you respond to the dawn light. I say flower because a flower is part of the bigger entity that is Gaia, or the earth. For the time of the sun’s rising you feel the power of Gaia and you are a part of it. As it climbs and dawn gives way to the full light of morning you feel the loss of that connection, which in you shows itself in bad temper.”
Zora stared at Axel, not sure if she understood his meaning. Seeing her confusion he elaborated. “Little Zora we are all part of Gaia, we the fairies are the purest form of Gaia manifested, and the supernaturals are also connected. You feel that connection at dawn and you can in fact draw on it at any time, which you will understand as you grow into your abilities. All supernaturals gain their power from Gaia, and it is a wondrous thing to be connected to.”
Zora thought – and it was hard to do without tea, where was Powers? “So you mean that you are formed directly from Gaia, and the supes all get their powers from Gaia, and I have a connection only at dawn? That kind of sucks. And people don’t have a connection at all?”
“Mostly correct little Zora. We the fairies are Gaia, the supernaturals are formed of Gaia and get their powers through her. You also have a connection to her. And humans, well they too once had a connection but they lost their way and now no longer feel her. What we call Gaia you call earth.”
“Soooooo, if humans could feel Gaia they would have superhuman powers too?”
Axel smiled sadly at her. “No, they would not have super powers, but they would feel the love of the planet and they would not be hurting her as they do. There would still be wars, but the planet would be healthy and humans would have more humanity than they do now.”
Rubbing his hands togethe
r briskly Axel said firmly, “Now that is enough of that subject, it is far too complex to tackle before breakfast. Just remember little Zora, at dawn each day you are connected to a power beyond your comprehension.”
Zora nodded, not really feeling capable of anything else. Her world had shifted under her feet again and she needed tea, or maybe what she needed was a good stiff scotch. Hearing Axel’s soft laughter at her last thought she decided that she needed no more proof. Axel for sure was reading her mind. Throwing a resentful glare in his direction she was met with a cheerful grin and a wink and sighed. And where was Powers?
The person in question came out as she spoke, followed by Sunny and the fairy guard. Marcus however did not put in an appearance. Well, vampire - no doubt morning was the least favourite part of his day. Powers and his helpers had not only made tea and coffee, but prepared a huge breakfast with everything anyone could want currently being arranged on the table.
Zora sighed with pleasure. Really Powers was pretty useful to have around, she was going to miss his amazing way with food when this was all over. A slight stiffening of his shoulders was the only sign Powers had picked up on her thought. Remembering her other uninvited mind guest she looked over at Axel who was pouring himself a cup of coffee. He looked unusually serious so maybe he was not actually listening in on her thoughts right now. A glance flicked in her direction and then directed at Powers gave her the rather unsettling feeling that maybe he was and he knew something. She shivered, if so she decided she really, really didn’t want to know.
Marcus put in an appearance as they were finishing eating. He looked rather rough around the edges, or at least as rough as someone as gorgeous as him was able to look. When he grunted in response to Sunny’s cheerful greeting and made a beeline for the coffee pot Zora decided that she quite liked morning Marcus. Somehow his grumpiness made him seem more human and less vampire. All the others ignored him so Zora surmised that this was normal morning vampire. Given that they were usually sleeping during the day Zora could see that he would not be thrilled to be moving around at this hour.
When he came to sit next to her she asked, “Marcus can all vampires be awake at this hour?”
Taking a large swallow of coffee and sighing with pleasure, Marcus focused his attention on her. “As we grow older we can change our routine when necessary for a short time. It is not pleasant any more than doing shift work is pleasant to a human but we can do it. I do not enjoy being awake at this hour, but it is necessary for now. And coffee always helps greatly.”
“So you can sleep at night?”
“Once I get adjusted to the different routine yes I can, but it’s not the refreshing sleep of the day. Again, think of a shift worker, they sleep during the day but it’s not the same for them as night-time sleep. But do not worry Zora, I will be fine for this time and if I need to refresh I can take some day time naps.”
They both settled into silence, Marcus sipping his coffee and Zora enjoying her tea while the rest of their group chatted quietly. It seemed that they were the only two who were not morning people. Zora wondered if she was going really going to wake each morning at dawn, it was not a prospect she relished. Maybe she could wake, recharge or whatever, and then go back to sleep. She could maybe open her curtains and a window and get her sun fix that way. She shrugged, she really could not see her sleeping patterns changing no matter what Axel said.
Bringing her focus back to the group she saw that Sunny and the fairy guard were clearing off the table. Axel stood and just like that commanded the attention of everyone. “We will leave in two hours everyone, so get ready and we will meet here on the veranda.”
Sunny cleared her throat nervously and Axel turned his attention to her. “Yes Sunny, what’s bothering you?”
“Axel do we have a place to arrive at? Like, we won’t just materialise in the middle of a street or a building or something?”
Smiling at her Axel replied in a soothing tone, “We will arrive in the grounds of one of my mother the Queen’s properties. The guard there knows we are coming and will be waiting for us. Do not worry Sunny, nobody will see us arrive that should not and we will certainly not materialise in the middle of a wall or some such thing, if that is what you were worried about.”
Sunny looked relieved and left with the fairy guard and all the dishes. Zora was also relieved, she had worried about that too but didn’t want to say anything. She was still nervous about the new mode of transport but was trying to convince herself that it must be safe since Axel had been using it for hundreds of years without any obvious problem. She followed Sunny off the veranda, feeling the need for a shower after the nightmare of the previous night.
CHAPTER NINE
Two hours later they were all assembled on the veranda, Zora and Sunny at least feeling very nervous about what was to come. Axel assigned luggage transportation to the other four members of the fairy guard, Samantha having already been given the duty of transporting Powers. Sunny was standing with Marcus and looking less than happy to be with him. Zora was standing a little behind Axel and wishing she was anywhere but right there.
Axel had decided that the fairy guard should go first, and as Zora watched they all began to fade into the rainbow mist. She stared most closely at Samantha and Powers, wondering if the rainbow would change at all with the addition of Powers. She shuddered a little watching them dissolve, not looking forward to finding out what that was going to feel like. As she watched Samantha and Powers disappeared into the swirling mist. As before it was coloured gold, silver and green, but this time there was a sprinkling of a new colour, purple. Was that Powers? Or just an indication that Samantha had a passenger?
Axel took her hand. “Little Zora, the colours you see in the fairy guard mist, what are they?”
Puzzled, Zora nonetheless had no difficulty remembering. “They all are mostly gold with some silver, but Cameron and Samantha also have some green, James has some red, Arthur blue and Clare aqua. But just now I saw purple in Samantha’s mist and I’m sure it wasn’t there before.”
Axel nodded in satisfaction. “As I thought, you can see the full spectrum of them. Remind me to explain the colours to you soon. The purple you saw was Powers, that is his aura. Open yourself and you will see it around him. You should do some research on aura colours little Zora, it will teach you a lot. But it does not exactly apply to fairies.”
As happened so often with Axel, his answer simply created more questions and he clearly was not about to explain any further. Sighing internally Zora added to the already long list of questions on her mental list.
Axel meanwhile was giving instructions to Marcus. “When you arrive the resident guard will be there to greet you. Remember Sunny will be disoriented so give her some recovery time before you move into the house. We will join you shortly anyway.”
Marcus joined hands with Sunny and moved her closer, until she was aligned against him.
She looked up at him worriedly. “Is there any danger of your cells and my cells mixing if we touch?”
Marcus threw his head back and laughed with far more amusement than the question warranted, at least in Zora’s opinion and no doubt Sunny’s too. “Like in that movie The Fly? You are worried you will arrive with my hair or fangs perhaps? That was just an imaginative movie, it doesn’t work like that. I simply need contact with you to be able to transport you and the closer you are the easier it is. I promise you will arrive safely and intact. Don’t worry, I’ll look after you.”
Sunny gulped and nodded. At Axel’s raised eyebrow she managed a smile – a grimace more than a smile really but she stayed where she was.
Marcus looked down at her. “Ready?” Looking ready to faint Sunny tried a casual shrug but didn’t speak. “Right, let’s go!” So saying they began to shimmer into the mist. Zora was sure she heard a squeak from Sunny just before they disappeared.
Zora decided to focus on the mist and not that squeak; this time she noticed more colour than before. The mist was still
white, but she could see now that there were flecks of colour in it, some were blue which she knew now was Sunny and some were more silver than white. As she watched the mist thicken and swirl faster Zora wondered if aura colours applied to vampires or if they had special rules like the fairies.
“The rules for aura colours apply to vampires, werewolves and shapeshifters as they do to humans. Remember we the fairies are of Gaia, all rules are different for us.” Axel reached for her hand and drew her closer as Marcus had done with Sunny. Zora tried to be relaxed about it but it was hard to do. And of course Axel knew what she was thinking so she couldn’t lie to him. “Relax little Zora, it is a strange feeling but it does not hurt and it will be over very quickly. Okay, let’s go.”
Zora at first felt nothing and began to relax but then she realised why Marcus had said it was fracturing. She felt a tugging sensation, and while Axel was correct in that it didn’t hurt, it did feel very uncomfortable. Her body felt like it was being pulled apart which, she realised, it was and that was a terrifying thought. She had closed her eyes but now she opened them and looked down at herself. Big, big mistake. Where was her body? All she could see of her lower body was a swirling mist and even as she watched her torso began to waver and dissolve.
It was a horrible feeling, like she was a pencil drawing that was being erased. Their joined hands disappeared and Zora felt a jolt of sheer panic as she felt her physical connection to Axel vanish. She was being sucked into a void, a beautiful void, silver and gold and white with accents of pale yellow, but there was nothing to hold onto. She felt her mind scream as she disappeared, but then with a pop her physical connection to Axel returned.
Zora stumbled as sensation returned fully and she opened her eyes to see a formal garden that was definitely not Powers yard. Standing in front of her wearing identical expressions of concern were two people she did not know, members of the resident guard she supposed. Over to her left Marcus was practically holding up a pale and shaking Sunny. Zora swallowed as she felt a wave of nausea rise and her stomach threatened to evict all of her breakfast. Her legs felt like jelly and her knees buckled, it was only the strong arm of Axel around her waist that stopped her from falling to the ground.