Enchantment (The Fae Sister Chronicles Book 1)

by Tanya Dawson

  “I’m taking her to the Fae.”

  CHAPTER 13: OLIVIA

  I COULD HEAR SOMEONE yelling, but it was faint in my ears as I was in and out of consciousness. I felt my body being passed to someone who was weaker than the person who had been carrying me. I could feel myself losing more blood, and the voices grew fainter and my vision blurred.

  I came to again, and this time I was certain I would die. Blood ran down my arm and dripped from my fingertips. Someone was carrying me, but I didn’t have the strength to figure out who. My head hung limply on his arm as we seemed to move at the speed of light. The only thing I could remember was fangs biting into my skin. Did Henry turn me to be his?

  My body heaved at the thought of him betraying me. Why did I ever trust a vampire? I moaned in pain.

  After a while, I came to again, and I was laying down in my bed. I could see my window was still open and the curtains were blowing as a breeze came in. I tried to get up, but a hand on my arm stopped me.

  “Now now my darling. We mustn’t get up.” My grandmother said as she patted me down with a cold facecloth.

  “He bit me. I’m a vampire now.” I tried to protest, but my stomach muscles fought me as they ached, as if I had done a thousand sit-ups.

  “You were bitten, but we bled you. The worst is over now my dear.” Her voice was calming as she leaned over and held a glass of orange juice with a straw for me to drink.

  “But the bond?” Surely I had remembered that part correctly.

  “You’re an unknown. Part fae and part vampire. His blood was easily separated for now.” She moved from my bed and pulled a chair close to the side of it instead.

  “For now?” I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to ask.

  “Yes, my dear. You know this is all new for us, as well. It’s been a long time since we didn’t have a pure fae in our family.” She took my hand and gently stroked it to settle me in.

  “There were others?”

  “At least one other.” Her eyes avoided mine, but then they returned to me with a smile.

  “What happened to them? What did they pledge?”

  She leaned on the bed to be closer to me and whispered, “I pledged to the fae.”

  The shock jolted my head and I immediately regretted asking as the pain from bruising at the bite mark was still there.

  “You will have to heal as a human I’m afraid.” She stood up and helped me back into position on the pillows.

  “How are you half fae and half vampire?” I obviously knew how but...?

  “My mother met and fell in love with a vampire while my father was away with the Fae Council. They had a tawdry affair at the beginning of the war. But eventually her husband came home, and she was pregnant.” She said it so matter of factly without any emotions.

  “So that means we all have vampire in us?”

  “Oh dear lord no!” She waved away my suggestion. “You have much to learn. Don’t count on your human logic for our world. Once I pledged, the vampire blood was bled from my body and now I am all fae, my dear.”

  “So am I all fae now?” The thought somehow troubled me that my choice could have been made for me.

  “No. That choice can only be made on the night you pledge, and by you. ”

  “How did I get here?” I was starting to relax a little, given what had happened to me.

  “Henry brought you to the door.” She climbed into the bed with me, and I laid on her chest as I had with my mother when I was a child. “He did the right thing. And he will be punished for it.”

  “So it wasn’t him that bit me?” I was certain it was him.

  “No, I think you are pretty safe that he has your best interest at heart. He defied the Vampire Council to bring you here because he knew we would take care of you.” She pulled my hair off my face and gathered it all across the pillow so I could move more freely. She reminded me of my mother, on her good days.

  “He did?” I felt faint at the trouble he would be in when they found out. Hannah as well.

  “Did they try to get you to pledge with them?”

  “Yes. They tried their best.” I was just about to drill her for more information when Ruby and Lily came into my room.

  “She’s awake.” Ruby ran over and wrapped her arms around me while Lily stayed close to the window.

  “I’m feeling better.” I smiled, but it was forced. I was still very uneasy about being around Lily, but Ruby made up for the awkwardness.

  “You were in rough shape. I’m so glad Henry had the sense to bring you back to us.” She sat on the opposite side of Grandmother on the bed and stroked my hair.

  “That still doesn’t tell us why or how you even made it to the Vampire Council,” Lily scoffed as she turned her full attention to me.

  “We are all here for Olivia. This is a trying time and very hard for a teenager to handle.” My grandmother stressed those last words and they were directed to Lily.

  “There’s not enough time to play nice. Clearly they got close enough to her to get here to leave this house.” Lily pushed back, and neither Grandmother nor Ruby offered to respond to her.

  “She’s right. I have no idea what I am doing. I don’t know who to trust or what I can say.” I sat up pleading with them. I was desperate. “I have all these bits and pieces in my head, and nothing makes sense. While all I want to do is find my mother. I don’t care about anything else.”

  I tried my best to adult up, but it was no use. All the fears I had came rushing to the surface, and I couldn’t help but crash.

  “Tell her!” Lily practically shouted at Ruby and my grandmother.

  My grandmother put her hand up for all of us to take a breather. Lily walked back to the window clearly irritated, and Ruby pushed herself back on the head of my bed silently.

  “We don’t think your mother has passed my Dear.” Grandmother took the seat next to the bed to face me.

  “How would you know?” I was angry that they could know something about her and not tell me.

  “There is a history of family members going missing, I’m afraid.” She sat back and looked towards Ruby, almost as if to back her.

  Just then, I remembered something Henry had said to me about my father. That he wasn’t dead and that the fae had him. Whatever that was supposed to mean.

  “And my father?” I wanted to see if they would deny having any involvement with his death or abduction. I needed to know who I could trust.

  “Well, now that wasn’t us.” Grandmother was quick to point out but didn’t seem to want to offer any more details.

  “Then who was it?” I looked at all three of them, but they all looked away. “Is he alive?”

  “There are rumors that he is, but we can’t say for certain. Things were done very differently back then, and it’s not wise to ask after certain things.”

  “He’s likely dead.” Lily said from the window not remorseful in the least, and my Grandmother and Ruby again scolded her with dirty looks. “Don’t get her hopes up.” Lily responded to their looks.

  “While it is probable that he has passed, we can’t be for certain.” Grandmother corrected her.

  “What do you know about my mother? I need more details. As soon as I am better, I am going to look for her.” I avoided all eye contact as I knew they would try to stop me.

  “We will help in any way.” Grandmother offered and looked towards Ruby and Lily for support.

  “I want nothing to do with finding her,” Lily said angrily as she walked towards the door, slamming it as she leaves.

  “She hates me,” I stated the obvious not caring at this point.

  “She doesn’t hate you; you just look so much like Mother.” Ruby put her hand on my shoulder.

  “She’s in a great deal of pain over your mother because she loves her.” Grandmother got up carefully as her back hurt. “But she must remember it is not your fault; your mother took off with that man.”

  “He was married?” I asked hoping they would tell me mor
e than Henry had.

  “Oh yes, and with children.” Grandmother offered, then her facial expression regretted it immediately.

  “I have other siblings? Vampires?” I immediately felt numb, like I didn’t even know myself. I laid back on my pillow as my hands shook.

  “Had I’m afraid. They disobeyed the treaty that all creatures must obey and their punishment was...” Grandmother looked to Ruby for a gentler ending.

  “It was many years ago.” Ruby smiled as she put her arm around my shoulder and her head on mine. “I’m so terribly sorry to be the one to tell you. I wish Mother could have kept you away so you would never know such things existed. But then I would miss knowing you.” Ruby brushed away a tear that had escaped and was rolling down my cheek.

  “They were murdered?” I needed to clearly hear it.

  “Yes. They were.” Ruby said. “We will tell you whatever it is that you need to know about them.”

  “The treaty. Everyone keeps talking about it. What is it?” I pulled away from her not wanting to appear weak.

  “It’s an agreement between all creatures. Fae, Vampire, Witch, Shifters.” Ruby’s voice trailed off into the distance as she spoke.

  Are these people crazy?

  “It’s a lot to learn at once. We didn’t want to scare you, but perhaps in not telling you everything quickly enough, I’m afraid we are to blame for your current state, my dear.” Grandmother moved back to my side, her eyes red and tears seconds away.

  “I don’t care about anything but my mother.” My voice heaved as I spoke, my body was full of pain, and I was exhausted.

  “I will make a few calls. I was mad at first when she left, but I understand why now.” She took one last look at me and then motioned to Ruby to come. “We will leave you to sleep now, my dear.”

  They both left after kissing my cheek and tucking me in. As soon as the door closed, I felt at ease. I moved the blankets off my body and swung my legs over the side of the bed, determined to get on my feet if only for a few minutes. I gingerly eased my butt off the bed as my head spun. I closed my eyes and stood for a few moments until the dizziness drifted off.

  I felt a breeze on my face, and I looked towards the window. I was sure as hell going to make sure it was closed and locked. I made my way over and looked down. Something off in the woods caught my attention and my heart almost stopped. The trees moved in the wind, but there was a figure standing still among them. I leaned forward to see who it was, and he stepped out of the woods. I quickly closed the windows and locked them, pulling the curtains closed. Henry was the last person I wanted to see.

  CHAPTER 14: OLIVA

  I LEFT EARLY LIKE NORMAL for my first day back at school after being off for a week. I wanted some sort of normalcy, and I needed to get away from that house. My energy was drained and looking at cute puppy videos on YouTube was about all my brain could handle at the moment.

  I decided before I left the house that I would ditch class and head to the library for the day. With everything I had found out, I would spend the day looking at local newspaper archives for any information on my mother. I didn’t have to wait long before the librarian unlocked the door and I scurried to the back where the microfilm was.

  I worked diligently scanning through the 80’s and early 90’s. Looking for anything on the Whitbys or Savoys. I hadn’t noticed the time until my stomach started to rumble. I looked around to make sure the librarian wasn’t close and dug out some crackers from my book bag.

  “There you are!” I turned towards the voice. Skylar, Eve and Garrison were walking towards me.

  “We heard you were back today,” Eve said as she leaned on the opposite side of the band-aid on my neck and gave me a light squeeze. “I’m so sorry to hear about your accident.”

  Ruby tipped me off that she had spoken to Skylar and told him that I had been in an accident and for him to bring any homework for me to her. I refused to see him or anyone for that matter.

  “Thank you. Still a bit sore.” I avoided their eyes, as I wasn’t much of a good liar.

  “Just glad to have you back with us,” Garrison said with a soft pat on my back.

  “We were worried when Ruby told us what happened.” Skylar’s face seemed to flush as he took a seat next to me.

  “Weren’t we?” She giggled and gave him a quick slap on the shoulder, and his face grew redder.

  “I had hoped to see you when I dropped off your school stuff, but Ruby thought you weren’t up for it,” Skylar said in a concerned tone of voice.

  “I wasn’t up for much company. I’m not even sure I should be here today.” I said as I slouched back into my chair.

  “We should get going,” Garrison said to Eve as he wrapped his arm around her tiny waist. “We have a game tonight and have to get to practice. You should come, Olivia.”

  “I’m still not feeling up to par, but next time. I promise.” I was happy to see them leave. They were a sweet couple. He was always trying to kiss her in the halls, and she was forever pushing him away giggling.

  “Do you need me to take you home?” Skylar offered.

  “No. I did need to get out of the house. I’ve been going through old newspapers all morning.” I pointed towards the microfilm stacked up on the desk next to my notebooks.

  “I got something for you.” He whispered as he searched in his bag, pulling out a file. “I’m not sure if it’s her or not.”

  I took the file from him and immediately began scanning the paper inside. There was a bunch of names, and one was highlighted – Grace Whitby.

  “My mother. What is this list?” I asked confused as it also listed farm animals.

  “It’s a list of farm animal sellers. It’s a long shot, but she just appeared on the list this year.

  My mother knew nothing about animals except the men she dated. However, the timing was odd.

  “She is listed with a Vernon Savoy.” He grabbed the file and searched through finding the paper with Vernon’s name on it.

  “Savoy?” I grabbed it from him and read for myself.

  “Does that mean anything?” His eyebrows scrunched up as he scanned my face for any clues.

  “Yes.” I stopped for a moment unsure if I should tell him about my father.

  “Is this too much for you right now?” He leaned in, and his arm somehow ended up on the back of my chair with our knees touching. He smelled of the sea and musk. It made me lightheaded.

  “I don’t know.” My lip quivered as I tried to hold all my emotions in. I didn’t want to have a full breakdown in the library and certainly not in front of Skylar.

  “Olivia.” His voice was soft, and his finger and thumb gently lifted my face until our eyes met. “If you want to take a break from this, it can wait.”

  A feeling of dizziness came over me and in order to avoid the worried look on his face, my head somehow ended up between his shoulder and his ear. Both of his tanned muscular arms gently found their way around me, holding me from falling to the ground. My eyes closed and I could feel his lips pressing gently on my cheek, almost in instinct.

  “I can’t do this.” I pulled back from him, embarrassed at how easily I fell into his arms.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to kiss you. Well, I did, but I thought...” He stood up after I did, confused.

  I grabbed my backpack and crammed everything in it that I could.

  “It’s not you or the kiss. I’m just so tired Skylar. My brain is shot. I have so much going on, and I can’t share it. The last thing I need is a relationship.” My voice was angry, and I could tell his feelings were hurt.

  “We can just be friends. Please, Olivia.” He looked sad as I pushed past him, but I needed his smell out of my nose. I didn’t trust myself around him, and I now felt partially responsible for letting him get to close to me. I couldn’t keep him safe from my world, and I liked him too much for something to happen to him.

  I raced out of the library and headed to the girl's bathroom to the back stall. I cl
osed the door and dropped my bag to the ground. The second it hit, I couldn’t hold my sobs in anymore. In the empty bathroom, I let them all out. After a few moments of ugly crying, I tried to breathe like a normal person, finally getting myself back together.

  I heard the door open, and I put my hand over my mouth to keep any sounds from coming out. Then I heard the door lock and heavy footsteps come my way. Skylar must have followed me. Couldn’t he see I needed to get away from him?

  “Skylar, please, I just want to be alone.” My voice cracked from my full on cry fest.

  Silence. The footsteps kept getting closer and closer until they stopped outside of my stall.

  The only noise I could hear was my breathing. Was this someone trying to take me back to the Vampire Council? I turned quickly and stuffed myself into the space between the toilet and the wall, peeking through the tiny slot between the door and the wall.

  “You seem to be close to him, Olivia. I saw you at the library today.” A voice said from the other side of the door.

  “Henry?” I recognized the voice but barely. It sounded scratchy with a rasp.

  “I just want you to know that I didn’t know what they were going to do. If I had, I wouldn’t have taken you there.”

  “Just go and leave me alone.” Part of me was still scared of him, and another part wanted to open the door and fling myself into his arms.

  “I can’t do that.” He stated slowly as he leaned on the door.

  I heard a sound and looked down at the latch, it slowly moved out of its hinge magically, and the door was no longer locked.

  “Please come out.” He asked softly.

  “Why not force your way in since you unlocked the door?” I yelled at him angrily. I was tired of not being able to do what I wanted.

  “Please, Olivia. I just need to talk to you.” He slowly opened the door just enough for his hand to come into the stall. “Take my hand.”

  I waited for a few moments, remembering how good his fingers felt on my cheek, then anger burned inside of me. He risked my life, but then again he saved me.