by Natalie Erin
When Reagan went looking for Kennu the next morning, it didn’t take her long to find him. The fairy was sitting on a rock by a small lake, tongue between his teeth as he bent over a piece of parchment, scribbling furiously away. Reagan watched the fairy for a moment or two as he moved the lead across the paper. Kennu really loved art. It was obvious in the way his expression changed as he created the various emotions throughout his sketch.
Reagan jumped when she saw Kennu glance up. The fairy grinned. “Hey, Rea. What’s going on?”
“Nothing. Just bored,” she said, sitting beside him. “Why are you out here by yourself?”
“I snuck out. My parents think I’m in my room. They never noticed me leave.”
“Where’s Allie?” Reagan said, mouth souring at the taste of the name on her tongue.
“She’s out with Ionan,” Kennu said. “It’s probably a good thing neither one of them are here right now. They’re both pretty mad at you.”
“They shouldn’t be. My dad was the one keeping all those animals, not me,” Reagan said angrily.
“I’m not blaming you,” Kennu said very quickly. “We all do stuff for our parents that we shouldn’t.” He closed his sketchbook slowly, putting his utensils into his leather bag. “But I don’t know why your dad would do something like that.”
“It’s his job,” Reagan said. “We were sent to this island because it was far away. Some of the things he was doing got people angry. We left so he could work on his research in private.”
“What was he doing that was so controversial?”
Reagan glanced to the side. “I don’t want to talk about it. Can you just drop it?
“Okay.” Kennu began shuffling in his bag. “I felt bad for getting you in trouble the other day, so I brought you this.” Kennu pulled out a massive, golden crown, one embedded with multiple gems of all colors. “It’s something my mom and dad found on their adventures throughout the Lands. It’s been sitting around for years, and nobody has paid any attention to it. I thought you’d like to have it.”
“That’s a huge crown. It’s fit for a king,” Reagan said, staring at it.
“That’s only what it looks like when I touch it. It changes, depending on who’s wearing it.” Kennu placed the crown on Reagan’s head, and it morphed into a glass crown with jagged, sharp edges, pitch-black in color. “Mom said she got it from a creature called Nagli in the Blue Sky Peaks. I always thought it was a cool story.”
“It is pretty cool,” Reagan admitted. “Though it’s kinda weird. Stuff doesn’t…”
“Change where you come from, I know,” Kennu smiled. “A lot of things happen here that don’t happen back home, don’t they?”
Reagan nodded. “Yeah. It’s like living in a fairy tale, except I don’t like it. When I was a little girl I always pretended like I was a princess, living in a magical land full of unicorns and dragons. And now that I’m here, all I want to do is go back home.”
“I’m sorry, Reagan,” Kennu said. “I wish I could help.”
“Well, you can’t. So…” Reagan tilted her head, and the crown shifted on top of her hair.
Kennu shook his head abruptly, covering his ears as if someone was screaming directly in his face.
“What’s wrong with you?” Reagan asked.
“You’re thinking too loud,” he said. “It’s really hard not to pay attention when you’re doing that.”
“Um...what?” Reagan asked.
“I have telepathy. I can read other people’s thoughts,” Kennu said. “Some fairies get it, some don’t.”
“Oh, that’s great! Any other special powers you’d like to tell me about?” Reagan asked, putting her hands on her hips.
“No.” Kennu sighed, and closed his eyes. “That’s better.”
“Have you been reading my mind this whole time?” Reagan said.
“I’ve never read your mind until now.” Kennu looked at her. “I don’t like it. Just because I have a power doesn’t mean I should use it. I try not to read anyone’s mind unless I have to. It’s an invasion of privacy. I wouldn’t want anyone climbing around in my head, so I don’t let myself do that to other people, especially not my friends.”
“Good for you for having morals, I guess.” Reagan shrugged. “I know if I had that kind of ability I’d use it as much as possible. Make things a lot easier.”
“I promise I will never read your mind, Reagan. Not even if there’s something I really want to find out,” Kennu said. “I trust you to tell me the truth no matter what.”
Reagan frowned. “Thanks Kennu. But you really, really shouldn’t.”
“Having telepathy does give you some perks, though.” Kennu smiled lopsidedly. He waved his hand, and the blossoms blooming from the trees around the lake softly detached from their branches, spinning like dancers upon the air until hundreds of flowers were twirling in a circle all around them, moving up and down in a spiraling pirouette against the golden morning sun. Reagan gasped as she watched the spellbinding array, unable to believe her eyes.
“I can move stuff with my mind,” Kennu said. “It’s not hard, unless it’s really heavy.” He took a deep breath, putting a hand on the rock he was sitting on. “It does take a lot out of me, though.”
“It’s worth it, Kennu,” Reagan said, and she leaned against the boy, putting her head against his chest. She could heart his weak heart increase in rapid beats as she grew closer. “This is pretty damn magical.”
“Yeah.” Shakily and slowly, Kennu put his arm around her shoulder. “I guess it is.”
Deliberately, Reagan looked up at Kennu. Right there, in the middle of the swirling blossoms, she placed her lips on his. Kennu’s heart beat wildly underneath her hand as, feverishly, he kissed her back.
Almost as quickly as she kissed him, she pulled away. The crown jolted on top of her head as she got to her feet. “I’m sorry, Kennu,” she said. “I’ve got to get back.”
The blossoms plummeted to the floor as she reentered the woods. She didn’t know whether to be proud or disgusted with herself.
Chapter Thirteen
The Origin of Changers and Accompanies
Caini trotted happily along, observing her surroundings after a full meal. It had once again been a successful hunt, and she felt as if the very world was at her pack’s feet. With her gaze held high, she tripped over someone in her path and gasped, nearly running into the ground before she caught herself.
A young girl was lying face down on the ground. From the looks of things, she’d been here quite a while. The smell wasn’t fairy, nor Accompany. It was something different, something Caini had never smelled before. She assumed the girl must be a human, but she wasn’t afraid. She had heard Kennu was running around with a human girl, but if Kennu trusted the humans, well, it was good enough for Caini.
“What are you doing?” the she-wolf asked curiously, poking her head in the girl’s hair.
“I tripped,” the girl said.
“I can see that, but why aren’t you getting up?” Caini asked.
“Because I don’t want to. Just let me lay here.” Her voice came out muffled against the grass, deadened and sad.
“Come on now. Up you go.” Caini nudged the girl’s body, her voice playful. Not wanting to be bothered, the girl raised her head and sat up. Even with all the dirt smudged across her face, Caini could see the girl was very pretty.
Once she saw the wolf, the girl screamed. “Get away!” she cried, scooting against a tree trunk.
Caini laughed, saying, “Why are you so afraid?”
“You’re a wolf! You’ll eat me!” she cried shrilly.
Caini chuckled. “Of course not. My belly is full. And we don’t hunt humans.”
“That’s not what I hear.” The girl brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.
Caini’s eyes narrowed. “I bet you’ve heard that wolves are dumb, bloodthirsty brutes who like to kill for pleasure?”
The girl...Caini thought she’d heard her name w
as Reagan...nodded.
“That’s only my brother, Snapfoot.” Caini laughed out loud and added, “Just kidding. He wouldn’t hurt anybody without a good reason.”
“You eat poor, innocent things,” Reagan said. “Like deer.”
“It is our nature.” Caini’s eyes softened. “We can’t help what we are.”
Caini’s tail waved in the breeze. “We do what we must to live. To live we have to kill. That is the way of our world. I don’t understand many things, but I can understand the land and the way I love my family and my friends. I can understand the respect we have between predator and prey, and even though I can’t understand you, I can understand what is within you. You are what you are, and is there any stopping it?”
As Reagan pondered this, Kennu came walking through the brush. His expression was unreadable. It was hard to tell whether the fairy had been crying, or had just gotten done screaming his rage to the world. “He left,” he said instantly, with no other explanation.
Caini whirled around and Reagan asked, “Your dad?”
“Yeah.” He plopped down on the ground next to Reagan. “He cheated on my mom. It was just a kiss, but it meant everything.”
“What do you mean?” Caini asked, astonished.
“Just what I said. I guess he and Luciana went for a walk and Mom walked in on them kissing.” His voice had taken on a distant, detached tone, as if he couldn’t believe what he was saying was real.
“I didn’t know Luciana had a thing for Keota,” Caini said.
“I don’t think she liked it,” Kennu said reluctantly. “I mean, I can’t tell for sure, but I walked in on them the same time Mom did, and it was for sure that Dad made the first move. Luciana looked shocked, like she couldn’t believe he did that. She probably thinks they’re just friends, while Dad wants something more.”
“What did Kia do?” Caini asked.
“She lost it. She went off on Dad, and told him to get out, so he did. He and Luciana flew away to Nesting’s Haven. I begged him to stay and try to work things out, but he...” Kennu put a head in his hand, seemingly to stop himself from crying.
“Ionan’s gone too?” Caini asked.
“No. Ionan refused to go. It’s kind of twisted, that my dad made Ionan stay here years and now he’s the one who’s leaving.” Kennu stared dully at the ground. “I guess Dad doesn’t love Mom anymore.”
“Don’t be too sad, Kennu. Divorce happens to a lot of people,” Reagan said, putting a hand on his arm. “You know, it makes me think this whole love story crap is just a bunch of garbage.”
“I can’t disagree with you.” He wiped his nose on his sleeve and sniffed. Caini simply laid her head on his shoulder for a minute or two, then licked his face gently before padding off to find the rest of her pack.
It wasn’t too long before, in silence, Kennu got up off the ground and went back to his house. Reagan, having nothing else to do, followed him.
Allie the doe was waiting for them there. She had a sourness in her brown eyes, like she’d known Kennu would go running for Reagan. Her necklace flashed in the sunlight and she walked over to Sunset nearby, who was watching Ionan from a distance.
The mighty stag’s head was nearly scraping the ground. It was as if Ionan had been cleaved in two. Keota’s absence had hit him harder than almost everyone, save for Kia.
“Please tell us a story Sunset, to get our mind off all this horrible mess,” Allie begged. She sat down in front of Sunset’s head, with Kennu at her side. Reagan followed, hiding behind Kennu.
“What story should I tell?” the dragon asked, keeping her eyes on Ionan. The stag bounded off into the woods, seeking sanctuary within the tall trees.
“Tell us the history of the Changers and the Accompanies,” Kennu said. “That’s always a good one.”
“Ah, yes. I have heard it many times when Ionan told it to Mirabelle over a desert campfire. It is a good tale, and history too. Listen closely, dear ones, for this tale is who you are,” Sunset said. “So it was, long ago, there existed lands in the sea. They were miles and miles wide, and full of magic. This place was called Mortica, more commonly known today as The Lands. In Mortica, there lived a phoenix, and his name was Zorna. He had been raised from an egg by a powerful young fairy named Philialoha. Now Zorna loved Philialoha, and Philialoha loved Zorna. They went everywhere together, and were never separated.
“One day, on their many travels throughout Mortica, they met a unicorn entangled in the brush. Feeling pity for the creature, they freed it and nursed it back to health. When the creature became well, the unicorn changed into a woman with snow white hair and an enchanted voice.”
“A light spirit,” Allie said eagerly, as if this was her favorite part of the story.
“Zorna and Philialoha were amazed. ‘Do not be frightened,’ the spirit said. ‘I mean you no harm, but give you a blessing. You tended to me when I was near death. For your kindness, I will make you like us. You will be bonded forever, and the phoenix will no longer be just a phoenix, but a creature of many forms like I. You shall not know how you change, or how you are made. You just will be.’ She touched the space between Zorna’s eyes and instantly, he morphed into a stag. The light spirit vanished and Zorna, enthralled with his new power, flew Philialoha up into the skies as a dragon, carrying his friend upon his back.”
“Now as time went on, Zorna and Philialoha fell in love, Zorna with a pretty young dranern, and Philialoha with an elf called Osias. It wasn’t long before Zorna’s mate gave birth to three healthy children. Though the children had hatched as dranern, Zorna’s gift had passed onto his hatchlings. Philialoha’s children grew very tall, and incredibly strong, as she was. All of Philialoha and Zorna’s children became unable to eat or sleep, but rather absorbed their energy from light. It was just as the light spirit had said.
“Over time, their offspring mated with many other creatures. Soon, an entire new species had been created. Philialoha noticed Mortica was becoming crowded and decided her kind needed a place to stay. Thus, a search began. An old, dead volcano was chosen as home, and they called it Nesting’s Haven. After all was settled, Philialoha ruled Nesting’s Haven as the first Great One. She called the animals Changers, and the strong people Accompanies.
“Time passed. Philialoha and Zorna died, as all things do, and others took her place. As time went on, a rumor began that the Changers were jealous of the Accompanies and wanted to take Nesting’s Haven for themselves. The Accompanies became frightened, and with the help of a witch from far away, they created a binding spell. The spell would make it impossible for Changers to disobey orders. The magic took hold, and it has been that way ever since. A tale exists of a way to break the enchantment, but only with the three items that were used to create the curse. In order to set the Changers free, they would have to be destroyed.”
“Our prophecy,” Kennu said. “It said that the three items would be brought together by a secret from across the sea. They must exist, if we foretold of them. Do you think we’re supposed to find and destroy them, Allie?”
“I don’t know.” She used her teeth to scratch at an itch on her chest, moving her necklace to the side as she did so. “As far as I’m concerned, I just want to stay out of it.”
Sunset rose to her feet. “I wish to see my daughter and her Accompany, if you don’t mind. It was a pleasure talking to you.”
“Same here,” Kennu lifted a hand in thanks and the group was blown backwards by a gust of wind as the dragon took off, buffeting the edges of the trees as she flew away.
“She’s beautiful,” Reagan sighed, seemingly swept up in the magic of the moment. “She blends right into the setting sun.”
“There was only one other dragon in the world who was prettier than Sunset.” Allie got up from the ground and walked away, her melancholy returned once more now that stories could no longer distract them from their problems.
Reagan looked at Kennu. “What is she talking about?”
Kennu hesitated
before diving into the story of how he was kidnapped ten years ago. Reagan’s eyes grew larger and larger with each part. He wasn’t able to tell her anything about Vera, except for the fact she had died.
“Then we came back here, and that was it. Allie never showed another sign of her powers until recently.”
“That must’ve sucked for you.”
“It did, but I think my parents splitting up is worse.” He sighed. “But everything’s not so bad.”
“Why?”
“Because.” Kennu stepped forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. “I met you.”
When Kennu kissed Reagan, Allie gasped in surprise. She changed back into a griffin, beating her wings furiously. “Kennu, what are you doing? Have you lost your mind?”
“I like Reagan, Allie,” Kennu said, taking the girl’s hand and glaring at his Changer. “So what?”
“You like her? She’s a human, and an unpleasant one at that! This is disgusting,” Allie snapped.
“You just want me all to yourself. Face it, Al, you don’t like to share,” Kennu rebutted, gripping Reagan’s hand more tightly within his own.
“She’s the one who doesn’t want to share!” Allie shouted, pointing at Reagan with her wing. “I could tolerate you liking her if she was even the slightest bit bearable!”
Reagan shook her head, ripping her hand out of the fairy’s. “Kennu, this isn’t going to work out.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
Reagan took a deep breath before holding her ground, crossing her arms tightly around her body. “If you want to be my boyfriend, you’re going to have to ditch Allie. No exceptions. You get to have one of us, not both.”
“I agree, Kennu. It’s either me or her.” Allie stood her ground against Reagan, clenching her talons into the ground.
“What are you talking about? I couldn’t choose between either one of you!” Kennu shouted. “You’re both being unfair. Friends don’t give each other ultimatums.”
“Kennu, just make a decision.” Allie was goading him to make a quick choice, because she knew he would pick her. But that wasn’t going to work. Reagan had a plan.