Beautiful Nightmare

by Stotz, Chrystie Q.

  So I pouted. Childish, I know, but it made me feel better.

  Tilli was dusting a sparkling light bronzer over my skin when I noticed she had stopped and was staring, with a confused expression, at my neck. My hands automatically flew up.

  “Is something there?” I didn’t feel anything. Guilty, who me?

  “No, nothing anyone else will see, but lets leave your hair down, just in case.”

  My heart beat slowed as she dusted more makeup over it. Had she had to cover up her share of marks? I thought they healed immediately.

  “Tilli, how long have you been at court?”

  “My whole life. Why do you ask?” Her work didn’t falter as she talked.

  “Have any of them ever bitten you?”

  “Oh, no. The Baobhan Sidhe-”

  “The what?”

  She sighed. “The fae who are vampires.”

  “Oh,” I responded and tried not to blush from feeling foolish.

  “The Baobhan Sidhe only bite for two reasons. To kill, which is most likely, or because you are their mate. They do not bite for any other reason.

  Suddenly I felt like I was going to throw up. “So if they bit you and you didn’t die…”

  “Then you are his.” There was no question about it. She said it like it could be nothing but matter of fact. She did one last sweep with the brush. “So I would assume, since you aren’t dead or dying, the one who bit you is your mate.”

  Mate. I was speechless. No words would come out. She had to be wrong. My heart felt like I was choking on it. I tried and took a few deep soothing breaths and tried to understand. But I couldn’t. Could it be possible? Both Halo and Devlin bit me and I wasn’t dead or dying. How could you be meant to be with more then one person? It didn’t make sense. I swallowed hard and let out a long breath, restraining the urge to rub at my newly done-up eyes.

  The next thing I knew, Tilli stood back and looked me over. “Finished,” she said, taking my hand and leading me toward a large mirror. I stumbled a bit in the five inch high heels she gave me. “Take a look.”

  I did not recognize the person in the mirror. She had hair the same color as mine, but had small braids weaved around the top of her head. The rest hung in a cascade of perfect curls down her back. The smoky eye shadow brought out those piercing green eyes that I knew I had but only did this when I wore green. These eyes would give Devlin’s a run for his money. Everything about the makeup accentuated every feature of the face, right down to the blood red lipstick. The dress I knew, but it looked nothing like my body underneath. I spun myself around in the mirror and watched as the reflection did the same.

  “That’s not me.”

  “Of course it is,” Tilli said shaking her head and fixing a stray curl in the back.

  Before I had a second to protest, there was a knock on the door. Tilli squeaked and ran to get it, leaving me to stare at the fun house mirror. That’s what is was, a fun house mirror. Only instead on making my head big or making me really tall and skinny or short and fat, it made me… everything I wanted to be. I wish I had one back home, one that would lie to me everyday, telling me this was how good I looked ever chance I got to sneak a peek.

  Coming out of my daze, I heard Tilli call from the other room, telling me it was time to go. But when I got to the door, the one standing there waiting for me wasn’t who I would have expected.

  I walked slowly to the door, more so to keep from falling on my face than anything else.

  “You look even more beautiful than I could ever have imagined,” the King said.

  I peeked over at Tilli, who was still holding open the door, slightly bowed. She peeked up and met my gaze, nodded slightly and motioned for me to go.

  “Shall we go,” he said, lifting his arm. I took it, without a word and we walked from the room.

  We walked in silence down the long, empty halls. We walked arm in arm, which for me was uncomfortable, only because of who I was walking with. Then I realized how completely empty the halls were and even more unusual, there were no guards with us or anywhere around us.

  “Your majesty, where are your guards?”

  He grimaced quickly but the response was gone in a flash, almost missed. Then he smiled. A smile both Halo and Kamdyn had a version of. Breathtaking.

  “Please, call me Corrigan, and I sent the guards ahead. They are waiting for us outside the banquet hall.”

  “But why are they not with us? I thought you were to have guards with you all the time.”

  He chuckled softly. “My dear, I am the King and I will choose to be alone when I wish to be alone. And today, I wanted to talk with you, alone.”

  “Okay,” Now I was nervous.

  “I know the whole story behind you and Halo, and I know you do not want this bonding to happen. Don’t think I don’t see how you are around Devlin. Halo is my son, and a Prince, and he deserves the best, which is you.”

  I blinked hard and let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. But then he continued.

  “But you deserve the best as well.”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t understand, your… Corrigan. What are you saying?”

  “I am giving you a way out of your bond with my son.”

  I almost started jumping up and down, clapping my hands screaming “Yah, yah!” Instead, I forced my face to stay passive. “What’s the catch? There is a catch isn’t there?”

  He gave me the family smile again. “Of course,” He stopped walking and dropped my arm, turning to face me. “I will let you out of this bond, if and only if, you agree to bond with me, instead.”

  I had seen the banquet hall on my tour. Right now, the ridiculously large room looked completely different and now was full to capacity with people, well, fae.

  There were six extremely long tables set up around the outsides of the room with a few smaller circular tables set on the inside, but leaving the center empty. To me it looked like a huge dance floor. My father had taken my mother and me to a fancy charity event once. The tables were set up different, and more spread out, but the center of the room was empty for after dinner dancing and, as the same here, everyone was dressed in their best and most expensive.

  As the huge twenty foot doors swung open and everyone in the room stood. All eyes were on the King and his arm candy, me. And you know how the center was completely empty? Yeah, that’s where we were walking.

  My heart sped and my body went rigid. I was suddenly all too aware that I couldn’t walk well in these shoes.

  Corrigan leaned over, a little too close. I could feel his breath on my ear. “Calm down, Trystessa. It will be over in a minute.”

  I took a gulp of air and walked as confidently as possible. I almost lost my footing once but I was held steady by the king.

  We reached the end of the room and there was another extremely long raised table facing the room. There were a few people there I didn’t know but I did see both Halo and Devlin, only staring at me. I noticed they both looked incredible, Halo wearing a black button up shirt that brought out the red in his hair and Devlin wearing a deep green shirt that made his eyes beam. But as good as they looked standing there; I ignored them as we walked around the table to our seats.

  Unexpectedly, Corrigan did not just walk me to my seat and walk away. He held out my chair and waited for me to sit, then he took his seat which was next to mine.

  It felt ridiculously awkward sitting between the King and his son. His son should have been in my seat, more so, so I could sit further away and hide. Once the King took his seat, so did everyone else and I felt a little better.

  Dinner went by really fast, literally. There was one course served then a small dessert. Apparently, they didn’t actually care much about the actual dinner; they cared about the party afterward. I spent the short dinner/dessert thinking about my proposal. Not what I would choose, but how creepy the thought was. Yeah, Corrigan was very good looking but, how old was he? Kamdyn told me they were immortal and Corrigan doesn’t look much older
than his late twenties, but obviously he was older than that. Halo is almost eighteen. But it still wasn’t even that, it was Halo and Kamdyn’s father. Not to mention there was just something about him, the air around him that made me feel unsettled and broken. That was what made my skin crawl.

  Did Corrigan actually think I would drop Halo for him? Choose the person I knew nothing at all about over another who at least I was slightly acquainted with. Who I knew had a few good qualities and that there was a great person in there, underneath it all? Corrigan was right, I don’t want to bond with Halo, but I would if I had no other choice, or in this case, if the other choice seemed worse. There is something about the King that was… wrong.

  The music began seconds after the plates were cleared and couples swarmed to the floor. I sunk down in my chair and tried to be invisible. It didn’t work. Corrigan took my hand as I started sliding down in my chair, and stood.

  “Will you, please, give me the first dance?”

  I tried to hide my sigh. “Sure,” I said and stood.

  People cleared out of our way as we walked out to the dance floor. Corrigan wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close, too close, and started to move.

  “Have you given thought to our conversation?” he asked quietly into my hair.

  “No, your… Corrigan. I have not.”

  “Fair enough. I will give you until the ceremony tomorrow to make up your mind.”

  I nodded and avoided looking at his face until the song was over. The music came to a soft end and Corrigan took my hand and, looking into my eyes, brought my hand to his lips and kissed it gently.

  “You do look amazing tonight,” he said, and walked away leaving me in the middle of the dance floor.

  “May I have the next dance?” someone asked behind me. I turned to see Devlin, a slight glow, like an aura, surrounding him. He gave me a glimpse of an amazing smile while reaching toward me. I smiled back and took his hand.

  He twisted me quickly and I ended up in his arms, looking up into his emerald eyes. I got a quick flash of the three rings of green in his eyes, and smiled just as they blended together again.

  The music was slow and it made me feel every movement his body made against mine.

  “I didn’t think you could get more beautiful, and here I am mistaken.”

  I blushed and turned my face away, but his hand caught my chin and brought me back.

  “Do not turn away. I can’t stand to see your beautiful face hiding, especially from me.” His eyes shifted to my mouth and back to my eyes again. He leaned forward and whispered against my ear. “You do not know how hard it is to keep my lips from yours.”

  I pulled back slowly, his eyes locked intensely on mine, but I said nothing. Something was different about him, more confident, more comfortable. Something was up. Something changed.

  “There is something you’re not telling me.”

  “Maybe, but I would prefer you meet me after the party.”

  “I need to talk with you anyway, it’s important and… creepy.” I shivered.

  His brow arched but his eyes danced with amusement. “I will see you after, then,” he leaned forward again, whispering, “Come to my rooms.” He didn’t wait for my reply, he simply kissed my cheek and left.

  The next few hours were filled with dance after dance with all sorts of members of the court. It was strange because I thought, for some reason, that the fae at this banquet might wear a glamour, for my benefit. But to my surprise, none did. I didn’t find one that even attempted it. And it’s a good thing I’m not a squeamish because some of the men I danced with could hardly pass for human. Many of the men had the cliché pointed ears everyone would associate with a faery. Some actually had big wings that looked like giant beautifully colored butterfly wings. Some had skin in different colors; some tinted green, some blue or purple. I danced with a few elves, which made dancing a little awkward, due to their lack of height, and I danced with a couple goblins, who were actually a little too comfortable with me for my taste.

  They were one of the many who couldn’t pass for human. They were much larger than me, at least seven feet tall, with green skin. Some had extra arms or extra eyes. I was told the stranger they looked, the more beautiful they were to their own kind – who knew? The problem with the goblins was they were a little grabby. But I learned to politely ask them to “keep their hands to themselves” and after that, things were great.

  But the strange looks didn’t stop with the goblins. There was one man I danced with, his name was Sorgod, who had two massive tusks protruding from his mouth and tattoos covering most of his showing body. He was very shy, but a very nice man to talk with. You would never guess by they way he looked. Another man looked completely reptilian. To match his very pale skin, he had whitish blue scales that ran down the backs of his arms and neck, and I was told, covering his entire back side. They were actually more beautiful then they were frightening. And he seemed more than a little pleased that I wasn’t scared and was actually intrigued to know more about them.

  Considering the many types of Fae I met, I was completely comfortable with all of them. It felt like… home.

  But given the length of time I was standing up and the ridiculous shoes I had on my feet, it only made sense that my feet felt like they were going to fall off. It was right before I found and empty seat calling my name that Halo found me and pulled me back to the dance floor.

  “I don’t know even have words for how exquisite you look,” he said as he pulled me close and the hypnotic music began. “I’m happy you managed to fend everyone off to save me at least one dance.” He smiled down at me, his father’s smile, as we danced around the floor.

  “I watched you all night. You would never know you were born outside Faerie, you fit so well.” He pulled me closer, making my chin lift to still keep eye contact. He leaned his head down close to mine and whispered, “I can’t wait to spend eternity with you,” and he kissed me, a deep passionate kiss that caught the attention of everyone in the hall.

  The room erupted in applause.

  I knocked quietly on the big wooden door in front of me. It swung open before my knuckles managed to leave the wood. A glowing hand reached out and pulled me in roughly, landing me hard against a warm chest.

  “I can’t stay,” my words muffled by the soft fabric of his shirt.

  “Please,” That one word was so soft, with a thousand meanings, but he knew better. So did I.

  I pulled away and turned my back.

  “The King came and picked me up for the banquet this evening,”

  “I know.”

  “Well, did you know he asked to do so without guards? He sent them ahead so we could talk. Alone.”

  He was quiet for a moment. I said nothing as I waited but didn’t turn around to see his face. Finally he spoke, softly almost afraid to ask. “What did he say?”

  I turned then and looked at him. My tired feet protested the movement but I forced them forward. “He told me he would give me an out.”

  His somber face flashed, lighting up for the briefest of seconds, then settled into a neutral expression. When he saw that my face hadn’t changed or shown any type of relief, he reached out and took my hand in his, concern now embedded on his features.

  “This is what you have wanted, but you do not look happy. He said something else, didn’t he?”

  I looked away from his prodding eyes and nodded.

  “What else could he say to make such a haunting look appear in your eyes?”

  I felt my heart thumping loud in my chest and a shutter run down my body. “He gave me a choice. He will let me out of the bond with Halo, if and only if, I agree to bond with him instead.”

  I watched as Devlin’s mouth dropped open in total unexpected surprise. I guess that was conniving, even for him. When he only stared vacantly over my shoulder, I continued to explain about my deadline and that, well, it was time for me to face the facts. I wasn’t getting out of this. As I explained, I c
ouldn’t help that ran chaotically through the back of my mind. I would never see Kamdyn again. I wouldn’t feel his soft, full lips on mine, his tingling touch on my skin. Tomorrow, I would be tied to Halo, forever, because with a choice between Halo and Corrigan, well, there was no choice at all. I had never wanted to wrap myself in Kamdyn’s arms more. I never thought my life could come this unraveled.

  My finger began to burn as memories of Kamdyn flashed through me. I welcomed the burn knowing the ring he gave me was at least a piece of him I would forever carry with me. I wished for him to be here with me, wished for him to be who I would be tied to tomorrow, wished he was here to hold me.

  In the end, I settled for Devlin’s strong arms around me, holding me tight as a cold wind swept through the room and it began to rain.

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  I was staring at a reflection in the mirror. It wasn’t mine. No matter what Tilli said, the person I was looking at couldn’t be me.

  The girl in the mirror looked beautiful, her hair done in braids and curls –similar to the night before. Her smoky dark eye makeup accentuated her green eyes, high cheek bones and dark hair. The dark green of the lace brought out the slight red hue in her hair that fell down to almost her waist. The tight green dress showed off a figure even naked I would never see. But I guess she was close enough to just that. The lace dress was that and only that, solid lace. There was a thin green strip of material, like the front half of a thin tube top, around her chest and another skinny tube piece of green fabric covering around her hips. The rest of the dress, from shoulders to toes, was sheer lace, hiding nothing of the body beneath.

  It was an incredible dress, but as much as I knew the person in the mirror should be me, it couldn’t be. She looked amazing, her skin glowing, her eyes sparkling. I watched as she reached up to grip my locket around my neck. The one I had to fight Tilli to keep on, the one that held my parents. I was lucky the ring matched so Tilli didn’t try and take it. As the girl in the mirror held my necklace tight, I knew she wasn’t me, because she looked whole.