Jade's Paradox_Becoming Fairy Queen

by Isabelle Hardesty

  Like a tightrope walker, Jade walked the pipe connecting the two buildings and landed with little noise. She stood at the top of the old bakery and watched the intersection that had become a favorite for thieves lately.

  The dawn light bathed the buildings in a coat of gold mist. The early morning rush hour hadn’t started yet. The morning air was filled with the aroma of the subway station and coffee from the many nearby cafés.

  The rumble of a subway train vibrated and was gone. She breathed in and surveyed the area. This had become her home. It was much different than the suburbs of Atlanta, but she felt connected to it.

  As she was lost in thought, a van stopped in front of the jewelry shop. The driver jumped out, leaving the door wide open. His features were masked and he waved his gun in the air as he walked in.

  "The Pantyhose Thief," she mumbled. He was notorious for his bumbling burglaries that were caught on camera. He'd managed to steal from a few shops in the area and had held a woman hostage during his last burglary. Jade wanted to stop him for good today.

  She stepped between a wall and an air conditioner and removed her necklace, clothes, shoes and phone. She laid her tote bag on top. The morning air chilled her bare skin. She was glad no one could see her on the dark rooftop.

  Jade convulsed and fell to all fours. Her jaw stretched and her spine elongated. Thick claws sprang from her finger tips. She shapeshifted into a mountain lion. She swung her wheat colored tail around and stretched out her front paws, clawing at the tar rooftop.

  Jade pounced to the ledge below, jumping onto the roof of the store and down to the sidewalk. Her claws scraped the cement as she raced inside. Her heart pounded in her chest.

  "What the—" the robber said, through the tan mesh of the pantyhose. A tuft of red hair poured out of one of the holes in his makeshift mask. He pointed his gun at the mountain lion, his hands trembling.

  She looked at him and then at the five people huddled together in the corner of the jewelry store. She had to keep them safe. She couldn’t talk or reason with him as a mountain lion. She had to act quickly before it was too late.

  Although it was early, the smell of whiskey surrounded him like a cloud.

  She growled and lunged for his boot, knocking him on his back. The gun careened out of his hand and twirled on the linoleum tiled floor. She held her breath, hoping it wouldn't land too close to him.

  "Help me! It's gonna eat me," he said in a shrill voice. He lurched his body towards the gun, but missed it by a few inches. "Damn!" he slapped the floor with his hand.

  The ceiling fan beat a steady rhythm as the sound of cries from the customers and owners blended with the burglar's cries for help. Jade dragged him out of the shop. She held on to his boot with her sharp teeth.

  The owner of the jewelry store managed to dial the police, despite his shaking hands. "Um, I've got a mountain lion in here at Wardson's Jewelers and it's going to eat the Pantyhose Thief."

  Jade used all her strength and continued pulling the thief by his boot. She made sure not to sink her sharp teeth into his ankle. Her muscles rippled under her fur as she used all her strength to get him away from the innocent people in the jewelry shop. She hoped the police would be there soon, before he had a chance to escape.

  He flailed his arms wildly, trying to hold on to anything. He grabbed a display rack and it crashed down on him, knocking him unconscious.

  Jade stopped when she reached the sidewalk. She released his boot and lowered her body. Her chest heaved as she waited, hoping they wouldn’t shoot her.

  She glanced through the storefront window, satisfied that the owner and the customers were safe in the corner. She waked backwards at a slow pace, her head moving from left to right, surveying the area.

  The Pantyhose Thief’s eyes fluttered. He opened them and muttered under his breath. It was either a string of expletives or a prayer. Either way, he was caught. He glared at the mountain lion.

  "I would have gotten away with it, if it wasn't for this damn animal." The thief reached for a second gun he had hidden in his jacket. He fired a shot at Jade.

  She cringed as a searing pain shot through her ear. She jumped towards him, swiping the gun out of his hand with her claws.

  Cars screeched to a stop. The police jumped out of their cars with their weapons drawn.

  "It's gonna kill me! Shoot it!" The thief scrambled on his back like an upside-down turtle.

  Jade looked from the thief on the ground to the police. Her heart pounded in her feline chest.

  “Only in New York,” one of the police officers said. He kept his weapon aimed at Jade.

  “You can’t shoot it, you know. They’re protected,” a bystander shouted.

  The police hesitated and Jade ran past them to the other side of the street, near the subway station. She didn’t think the city would turn against her. She had to escape before they caught her and she shapeshifted back to her natural state.

  The animal control truck pulled up as Jade pounced onto the ledge. He pulled his tranquilizer gun out and shot, barely missing her. She leapt from the street to the ledge and back to the roof. She panted and her ear burned as the dart tore through the edge of her ear. She wanted to look over the ledge, but didn't dare. For the next few minutes, she was safe.

  She hid behind the wall and the loud air conditioner unit. The motor’s buzz calmed her from the chaos below. She took a deep breath and shifted back to her natural form. She found her tote bag and threw on her clothes.

  Jade slipped her hand through the handle of the tote bag and made sure some of the produce showed from the top of the bag. She pulled her hoodie up and then winced as her ear touched the fabric. The pain seeped into her, making every step unbearable.

  She slid down the fire escape and landed in the alley, out of sight. It smelled of rotten food and old beer. She held her breath and grabbed her phone from the tote bag, beneath the produce. She pretended to text as she walked onto the street. Her only way home was through the crime scene.

  One police officer called out to her, "Excuse me, miss, what were you doing back there?"

  Jade froze and forced herself to calm down. "I was shopping."

  "In the alley?"

  She smiled and pointed to the alley. "One of the stores lets me leave through the back way." She smiled and tried to remember how to sway someone. Swaying someone was an ancient art, the art of making someone bend to your will. She wished she had practiced more. She said in a near whisper, "Sometimes what we see isn't really what we see, is it?"

  The police officer blinked and said, "What are you talking about?"

  Oh crap. “I was just saying—“

  “Look, this is a crime scene. You need to leave.” He shook his head and mumbled.

  Well, she thought to herself, she’d need to learn how to sway eventually. She really needed a real teacher.

  She marched out of the area and walked back to her apartment. The thirty minute walk in the wakening city was refreshing, despite her injured ear.

  She clenched her teeth and wished she knew how to heal herself. She knew that some fairies could, and hopefully she'd learn, eventually. She felt frustrated at having to learn so much so quickly.

  She stopped at the bakery on the corner of her street and picked up croissants and donuts. After all, that was the excuse she gave her sister when she left her apartment two hours ago. Usually, she’d be in Seven’s apartment, but he had left for his overseas trip already. This was their first time separated and she missed him.

  She didn’t tell anyone about her early morning outings. "This is what I was meant to do," she said. She felt a different kind of feeling than anything she'd felt before. Almost like what she felt when she looked into Seven's eyes.

  She was in love and it scared her, especially since she knew she would have to end it soon or not be eligible to become Fairy Enthrall, unless she could change the Council’s minds.

  “Where were you?” Nyx asked, still wearing her pajamas. She yawned a
nd rubbed her eyes.

  “I grabbed our favorites, croissants and donuts.” She arranged the pastries on a plate.

  “Hmm, seems like you were gone a long time just for pastries, though,” Nyx said. “Are you hiding something from me?”

  Jade hated lies, but didn’t want her sister to know where she’d been. Nyx would undoubtedly tell Alejandro, her boyfriend, and once he knew everyone else would know. Jade used to call him the town crier when they were neighbors back in Georgia.

  “I can’t talk about it yet, but when I’m ready, I promise to tell you,” she said. They had made a sister pact to never lie to each other.

  “We made a pact,” Nyx said, biting into a donut.

  “I’m just not ready to tell you yet, but it’s not a lie,” Jade said.

  “Ok, cool,” Nyx said, biting into a croissant, locking her eyes with her sister’s for longer than usual.

  The look gave Jade a chill down her spine.

  ***

  "Well, with the other fairies competing for Fairy Enthrall, I think we need more work," Malik said.

  "Anyone home?" David asked. He looked like his old self again, before Bex brought him back from the dead with the Bractillion spell several months ago.

  "Hey, David. What took you so long?” Nyx asked. They'd become fast friends, especially when she found out that David grew up with Seven and had lots of embarrassing stories that Nyx relished.

  Nyx avoided talking to Soraya, even though she was in Soraya’s home.

  "Hey everyone." David stepped shoulder to shoulder to Nyx and leaned his head towards her. "Who is he and should I be jealous?"

  Nyx shot a look at David. “Really? Still? She’s not into you. Move on. I’m sure you can do better. Maybe someone more honest.”

  “I’m not getting into your stuff with her.”

  “My advice is to get a dating app on your phone. I have Alejandro, who’s back in town tonight. I’m so glad. I was going to lose my mind. But if I didn’t have a boyfriend, a dating app is the way to go,” Nyx said while texting Alejandro, who was at the airport about to board a plane.

  “I’m glad he’s finally coming home. I hope all is well with his family,” David said.

  “Yeah, he just checked in on them, making sure they’re safe from the crazy Faction.”

  “Look, I’m an optimist. I came back from the dead, so anything is possible, right?” he said, looking at Soraya standing on the other side of the window, facing the backyard.

  “Did you come to help?” Nyx asked. “Jade needs all the help she can get. So much to learn by next week.”

  "I don’t think I can help more than Malik. He’s one of the best."

  “If you say so,” Nyx said. She left him and sat on the sofa, texting Alejandro. He was still visiting his family and would be back soon.

  “David, it's good to see you again. It's been a while," Soraya said with a smile.

  Jade winced as she saw the look of hope in David's eyes. "Hold on," she said to Malik. She motioned for Nyx to come to her. "Are they—"

  "Well, he is. I don't know if she loves him back, because he's too chicken to tell her."

  "I mean, I knew they had some bond. But I didn't think it was like that,” Jade said.

  “Well, you know my feelings about anything dealing with Soraya right now. I need time to get over it all.”

  “You take all the time you need, Nyx,” Jade said.

  "Oh, those two?” Malik said, pointing to Soraya and David. “Trust me. I've been a fairy long enough to know that love usually has a way of messing things up. I hope you're not one of the many fools that lets love get in the way of your goals, Jade." Malik said.

  “Love doesn’t get in the way for me, it guides me, if anything,” Jade said.

  “Look fun is fun. But love can wait. You have so many spells to remember and about a dozen other things to master.”

  Jade didn’t think Malik was a good fit for her, but he was her only trainer. She didn’t think she had a chance in fairy world to win Fairy Enthrall without help.

  ***

  Later that night, Jade was back in her apartment with Nyx. “So what do you want to do for your birthday?” Jade asked Nyx. Her birthday was days away.

  Nyx paused.

  "What is it?" Jade asked. She stepped towards her sister and then jumped back as Nyx fell to the ground and began panting.

  Nyx rolled to her back and clawed the air. She thrashed to the left and right repeatedly.

  "Control it!" Jade yelled.

  "I can't!" Nyx screamed.

  Jade ran to the sink and filled the nearest cup with water. She threw the water on her sister, who had by now ripped a sofa in two.

  Nyx's fit stopped. She lay in a fetal position.

  Jade fell to her knees and cradled her sister's head.

  "It's going to be okay."

  "Just when everything is going well for me — my new family, my new boyfriend, finally getting into college — it all will be ruined because our mom was dumb enough to fall for a Cloyn fairy. I know this sounds pathetic, but I have to say it: Why me?"

  "It's not pathetic.” Jade shook her head. "You didn't ask for this crazy life, but it's yours." She shrugged her shoulders. "Besides, whatever all this turns out to be, I know you can handle it." Jade stood up and held out both her hands. "Come on."

  "Where are we going?" Nyx asked suspiciously.

  "We're going to that new café at the corner and each of us is getting a slice of that delicious chocolate cake.”

  "Sorry about the sofa," Nyx offered. She cringed as she stepped over the pieces.

  "Don't worry about it. I hated that thing, anyway," Jade chuckled.

  Three

  The English sunset cast an orange glow on the studio trailers huddled together in Nottingham. Seven pulled the warm towel from the microwave and placed it on his face. This was his five minutes of heaven. He lay on the brown couch and slid his arms behind his head.

  A muffled knock shook Seven’s door.

  "I’m battling jet lag! Who's there?" he asked.

  “I wanted to ask you something,” the person behind the door said.

  He lumbered to the door and opened it. He resumed his previous position on the couch as his costar walked into the sparse trailer.

  "Don't act like you're surprised, Seven."

  "Oh, it's you. Have a seat."

  Connie trailed a finger along Seven's arm and dragged the closest chair even closer.

  He pulled his arm away. “So what brings you here?”

  "Seven, after today, I'd say we crossed a new threshold in our relationship."

  Seven broke his five minutes of nirvana to peek at Connie from under the towel. "I'm not getting you,” Seven said. “What do you want?”

  "Don't play clueless. It doesn't suit you," she chuckled.

  He sat up and wiped the warm towel along his face and threw it toward the sink. It fell to the floor, instead.

  Seven shook his head. He looked at Connie, a fairy actress who was recently cast as his love interest.

  "I'm glad you like it here, Connie. But you know I have a girlfriend."

  "But do you really? You have been on set more than at home, lately. How much of a relationship is that? And the way you looked at me today?" She leaned in and put a hand on his knee, sliding it up.

  "Whoa!" He jumped off his couch and shook his head. "It’s called acting. You need to leave." He pointed between them, "This is not happening. Ever."

  She sighed and pushed her shoulders back. She flashed her brown eyes at him. "Seven, I'm not giving up. I can read people. It's part of my gifts, you could say. I know you're a shapeshifter. If you can be with that hybrid, imagine what it's like to be with a full fairy. You were raised by fairies, after all."

  "Don't talk about Jade."

  "If you say so." She stood outside of his trailer door.

  The filming schedule was intense for this English location. Although the sun had set, there were still several crew mem
bers walking by.

  "Look, you seem like an okay person. This is all make-believe. It's called acting," Seven said, raising both hands up in protest.

  She raised an eyebrow. “If you say so, Seven." She smiled and walked away.

  ***

  Connie sat in her trailer and answered her phone. "Yes, I've done what you asked. People saw me leaving his trailer. Look, it’s day one. By the time I'm done with him, you'll have everything you want. It's an honor to serve you."

  She hung up her phone and opened up her tote bag, revealing a mason jar. She unscrewed the metal lid and hooked her finger under a colorful and wriggling Thislax worm. This worm was known for its sweet taste among some fairies. Most no longer ate this endangered species of worm. However, Bex made sure to give them as gifts. The worm glowed a bright green and let out a peeping squeal before she slurped it down.

  “Seven, I’ll ruin your relationship before you leave England, just you wait.” She swiped through her phone as she looked at photos of her co-star.

  ***

  The tour was depressing. Instead of giving Jade hope, it did the opposite.

  The ballots were against the wall flanked by two immense frosted glass columns. Jade wondered how private the voting would be with water fairies floating about. Their wings created a soft hum that sounded like the whirring of a thousand tiny drones. Dishes of standing water rested on tables to quench their thirst.

  "So, what do you think?" Malik arched an eyebrow, smiling as if he had designed the room himself.

  "It's a fancy, big room. Cool, I guess." She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. Interior design was the last thing on her mind.

  "Well, this room is called the Great Hall of Beldar and it will be yours when—"

  "If,” she corrected him.

  "No, you have to believe or this is all a waste of time, Jade."

  "I'm being realistic, Malik."

  "Anyway, when you become Fairy Enthrall, this will be where you’ll throw parties.”

  “What’s the big deal about parties?” she asked, frustrated.

  Malik turned to her, “Jade, this role of Fairy Enthrall is what fairies need from you. You can lead them, bring them into a new age. Parties are never parties, like most normals have. A party that a Fairy Enthrall throws is always for a cause. It’s where deals are made. Powerful change can be born in this room.” His eyes were intense. “You have to believe in yourself, Jade. I believe in you.”