by Tina Smith
The Queen helped Lacon down the hall. Chewie followed closely behind.
For the third time in days, my something-is-wrong meter climbed. Chewie never acted like that. In fact, ever since finding the fae prince that day, his behavior had been off. I emptied the pan into the garbage. They say animals sense things people can’t. This was different. “I wish I knew what it was,” I whispered, closing the pantry door.
When I entered the family room, the Queen and Lacon sat on the sofa. She was almost as tall as him. Lila looked like her. The Queen’s dark hair, divided into four coiled-up sections, was decorated with silver branches and assorted gemstones. Her peridot gown had ornate stitching with leaves and flowers that actually moved as though they breathed. Impressive.
As I drew closer, my heart rate quickened like a hummingbird’s beating wings. Lacon leaned back against the cushion, his eyes cloudy. He was under the influence of something.
Was it the nectar? Or was it his mother’s doing?
I knew nothing about fae medicines.
She pushed stray hairs off his forehead and kissed him on the lips. Eww…. An image of Hamlet and his wicked mother came to mind. I gulped, taking my phone out of my pocket. My finger slipped, opening the voice memo app.
“So, wench, you’re the offspring of Helleborus.” She stood, her attention fully on me.
Something nagged at me. I hit the red button, starting a new recording, and blocked her view with my hand. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, but it felt right. “Yes, she’s my Nana.”
“Nana? What a ridiculous word. Such a useless bitch. I have hated her ever since King Phlox brought her to his Court. Do you know his wife, Narci, is my closest friend? Of course not. How would a human simpleton know anything about fae history or politics?” She laughed.
I slipped my phone behind a wreath box on the side table then continued to approach the prince. Lacon’s eyes, still open, had glazed over.
“What did you do to him?” I asked. The dog jumped up beside him, licking his face.
The queen flicked her hand at Chewie. My heart skipped. Nothing happened.
Pure outrage soured her pretty features. She waved her fingers at him again, this time forcefully. The outcome was the same. Absolutely nothing.
“How can that be?” She turned her anger towards me. “Is this Helleborus’s doing? That witch. Where is she?”
“Witch? Nana’s half-fae. That’s what—”
Her fingers latched onto the front of my sweater and dragged me up to her height. There was no one here to help me. I had no mace, no weapon. The rising fear took over once again. There was not one thing I could do to stop her.
She shook me, nails ripping into my shirt. “Helleborus is pure fae, a disgraced princess of the Autumn Court. She fell for a human, took him to the castle, and bedded him in her room. Her room! Her father threw her out, disowned her when he found out. She roamed the lands alone, depressed. I heard she lived with a hedge witch for some time and became an apprentice. There were rumors she’d gone into the human realm to live with her lover. While travelling, Phlox got lost one day and saw her plucking berries. He had to have her, even though he already had Narci, his wife, pregnant with his child. Men are such beasts.”
Her grip twisted and tightened. She raked her nails down the side of my face. I yelled out. With one wag of her index finger, my voice cut off.
So this was magic.
I screamed a soundless scream while the Queen laughed. “Wench!”
As if I weighed nothing, she threw me across the room. My shoulders struck the mantelpiece, and my head smashed into the front of my father’s antique clock. The glass cracked. The ticking from the mechanism filled one ear. The breath was punched out of me. Some of the stocking holders I’d placed hours earlier pierced my skin. I could feel my blood leaking from the wounds. She’d shredded my sweater. The material of my cami caught on something and rode up, exposing my skin to the rough surface of the bricks. As I slid down, the bricks scraped me. I tried to groan.
The queen advanced, peering down at me with pure hatred.
“When Narci lost her baby, we both searched for Helleborus. She’d disappeared, but I was persistent. The search took years. When my hunters located her in the human realm, we went after her. Imagine my surprise when we found her in the forest having some kind of meeting with King Phlox, and my Malus, my king. And then I saw my son, my Lacon, playing with a human girl.”
She kicked me in the chest. “‘Look, Mother, we’re making mud pies!’” my son said so proudly, fingers and face caked with dirt. You little snipe—”
Another kick.
“You dared to touch my royal traveling cloak.”
Kick. A rib cracked. Pain exploded inside.
“You smeared it with handprints. They laughed, all of them!”
Kick.
“‘My love, they’re friends’ the king said. ‘Aren’t they adorable?’ Narci and I were disgusted, enraged. We vowed to make them pay. And we did. Little did they know we’d brought along a friend, a hedge witch named Solidago. We spelled you all and used the subconscious block on you. The three of us together cursed Helleborus, performed an obliterate block which ultimately took her fae powers away.”
Her face turned maniacal, eyes glowing, lips twisted cruelly. The gems adorning her braids rattled and fell off as the silver branches shuddered, turning to ash. The soot cascaded down her gown which had become a dull grey, the leaves and flowers curled and dead.
The beautiful queen had transformed into some evil being before my eyes.
“We then searched for the remaining members of your family and changed their memories as well. None of you would remember anything pertaining to the fae. And when that silly goat followed us back to the portal, we killed her. Solidago likes to visit from time to time. She brings back little human souvenirs that are forced to work in the dungeons. No one dares to fool with me.”
The queen knelt beside me, picked up the wrought iron poker from beside the fireplace, and dipped the tip into the flames. “And now it’s time to get rid of you so my son will never come back to the human realm. He’ll forget about all you disgusting humans.”
Any strength or fight I had left me with the last kick. Hell, I’d rather deal with anxiety every day than with the horrible pain inside my body. It was going to end. Soon.
Fingers curled around my hair and yanked me up. My eyes rolled back. Spit drooled out the sides of my mouth. Soon.
“Put down my granddaughter, Kalmia. Do not make me blast you into a million pieces inside my daughter’s home.”
That voice. A small smile curled the sides of my mouth. I was hallucinating. My Nana couldn’t be here.
“Release my daughter now, you bitch!” Whoa, and there was my mom. I giggled.
The queen let go and stood. Her shadow darkened the area around me. Or was I being pulled under? Dying?
“Holly? Holly?” Sounded like Lila.
My head was lifted with soft hands. Something cold was pressed against my lips. “Drink it, Holly. It will take away the pain.”
Around us the sounds of anarchy, things breaking, yelling, screams. Who put the TV on? It was too loud. I shivered. There was heat on my back, ice by my lips. “Hold her. I’m going to have to open her mouth.”
My lips were forced open. A sticky, sweet liquid thick as glue glided down my throat. I began to choke. A weight made my mouth stay closed. No, I’m drowning. I tried to push it away but something heavy tied my arms down. This was a crappy way to die.
“Okay, let go. We did it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, Lacon has nothing to worry about. His precious Holly isn’t going anywhere.”
Really? That’s how much they knew. I did have someplace to go—into the waiting dark shadows.
I let go and went.
Chapter Ten
There was too much quiet. Heaven must be a silent place. I cracked open one eye. It took a while to completely open the lid. The se
cond one complied sooner. Sunlight flowed into the room. My bedroom.
I was alive. I began moving parts of my body to make sure.
Toes work? Check.
Knees bend? Check.
Can move my butt? Check.
Head can twist from side-to-side? Definitely.
I turned. There was a tug of pain from my middle. My chest felt bandaged or wrapped.
I hoisted myself up on my elbows. My clothes had been changed. Pink and black heart pajamas. Those were Mom’s favorites. Grabbing hold of the bed post, I stood and suddenly had to pee. Holding my arms against my chest to stop the pain, I walked barefoot to my bathroom and used the toilet.
After catching my breath, I washed my hands and brushed my teeth. Slowly, I shrugged on my robe. The door to my room was open. I walked out and headed down the hall, taking my time. All the doors to the rooms were closed.
The house somehow felt and smelled different.
Coffee! Breakfast blend. I gripped the bannister, trudging down the steps. That didn’t put too much pressure on my chest. By the time I touched the main floor, my mouth was salivating. The grandfather clock in the living room began to strike. As I walked down the hallway, I counted along. One, two…
The family room was spotless, some of the furniture had been moved around. A fire blazed in the fireplace.
Five, six…
The carpet runner smelled of cleaner. But how?
Seven, and at the eighth strike, the chiming stopped.
I entered the kitchen and spotted the coffee carafe brimming with liquid gold. Taking a mug off the rod Mom hung underneath the top cabinet after she saw it on a Pinterest board, I filled it and then took the creamer out of the fridge. As I stirred, fingers glided down my side and lightly wrapped themselves around my waist.
“What are you doing out of bed?” The smell of mint coupled with his low voice made me shiver. I forgot about pain and discomfort when his lips touched my neck. “I’m glad you’re safe.”
“Good morning, Prince. Did you sleep off the nectar?” I smiled as he peppered my neck with more kisses.
“Please, call me by my name. Here, I am just Lacon.” He sipped from my mug and grimaced.
“Hey, that’s mine!” I said, giggling when he handed it off.
“How do you feel? Any pain?” he asked, slipping his fingers along the ones of my free hand.
“Some.”
“It will get better soon. The nectar isn’t working as fast since your body isn’t accustomed to anything fae-oriented.”
“Give her time, Hallacon, give her time. Now that I’m back, my girl will learn everything about her fae heritage.”
Lacon released me so I could pivot around as fast as my body would let me. “Mom?”
She stood a few feet away, a tremendous grin spread across her face. “Hi, baby.”
I ran to her, literally jumping into her arms. The questions began, but in my rush, my voice sounded like baby talk as the words trampled each other. My mom smelled like her designer perfume, looked like her regular self, and sounded like her, too.
Then I realized something. “If you’re here, what happened to Nana? Don’t tell me…” Tears sprang into action. No, not after everything.
“I’m right here, sweetie.”
Mom released me, and Nana enveloped me in her arms. I cried freely. We all did. “You’re okay! You look great! I was so scared!”
Nana smoothed my hair down and cooed in my ear. “I’m fine. The stroke was simply my body’s way of forcing a trauma to alert me to what had truly happened. After all these years, the spells were weakening. The blocks were cracking. Nature wanted to right the wrongs.” She kissed my temple.
“Then King Malus sent a hedge witch friend to fully remove everything from me and your mom. When we heard from Lila about what was going on here, we traveled through the Orlando portal to the one in Central Park. Lila had a guard fetch Brad and he met us there. Then we drove straight here.” Her eyes glistened as she took my chin in her hands. Nana’s skin had turned smooth, her gray hair now silver and shiny. She looked younger, more vibrant.
“There was traffic. We arrived a little late,” she continued. “I’m so sorry about her beating you, sweetie. With your mom and brother and Lila, together we took care of Kalmia. Lila’s guards took her away. We stripped her of her power. She was put into a nice room in the Summer Court dungeon.”
“Brad’s here?” I asked.
Mom stepped up, wiping my tears away. “Yep, he’s in bed. And your dad’s on his way. He should be here by tonight.”
“So they know about us being part fae?” I asked, bewildered.
Nana smiled. “Well, it will take a while. With our memories unblocked, things will return a little at a time. Thanks to your recording of the queen’s actions, we knew what to do. My old and trusted friend, Carna, removed your spells and blocks as well. Because of your young age when spelled, your memories will return gradually. Otherwise, too much too soon would overload your mind and—”
“We wouldn’t want that, honey.” Mom piped in. “Now you need to rest today.”
Nana touched my cheek. “We have a tree to finish decorating. Cookies to bake. Pies, too. And this house needs lights and snowmen and the nativity out front.”
“Mom.” My mom took Nana’s free hand. “You need to unpack. I gave you the room in the back corner, the one with the windows overlooking the meadow.”
“Nana’s staying?” I asked, dumbfounded. “Really?”
They both nodded.
“And so is someone else,” Nana added with a wink. She walked off with Mom, looking more like her sister than her parent.
“I asked permission to stay here,” Lacon said, handing me a fresh mug of coffee. “They approved. I’ll have to rush to get to know you again before you leave.”
I sipped, gazing up into his beautiful face. With his hair tied back, I loved him even more. Images of him laughing and teasing me as a boy began to surface in my mind. I think I’d always loved him.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to rush through anything.” I put my mug down on the counter. “I’m transferring to a school here. Let’s take our time getting reacquainted.”
As our foreheads touched, I knew I’d made the right decision. I needed to be with my family and with this very man. Who knows? Maybe I would begin my own family with him?
“By the way, Holly Bear, I like your new pointy ears. Very sexy.”
*
Four days had passed. Everyone continued to adjust to the changes the returned memories created. My family was a hybrid of human with some autumn fae mixed in. Our slightly angled ears were proof and we’d already learned to shield them from our neighbors and friends. My brother said he didn’t feel or notice anything different. Dad mostly kept silent when the subject came up while Mom couldn’t stop talking about it. Nana simply looked luminous when I got to see her. Various fae visited to ask her advice or include her in some meeting. Life for me simply went on. Sometimes everything was okay, other times I felt caught up in a whirlwind. Through every mood switch and session of a hundred and one questions, a certain prince stood beside me, a pillar of strength.
Getting to know him has been cool but he had his own moments to deal with. Moments like this one.
Lacon stood beside the lake, staring out at its ice-flecked surface. I stood beside my snowmobile, letting the sun warm my face. Soon bored, I walked over to join him. With each step I took, snow fell from the skeletal branches of the surrounding trees like something was traveling along them. There was nothing. It creeped me out. My breath came out in clouds when I joined him.
“Don’t fret, Holly, you are being followed. I have requested the services of the best guards in my world, a special force of shifter fae. They keep their forms secret as well as their distance. I know they’re there, hidden away, melting into the background. I can sense them, and soon, maybe you will sense them too.” Lacon reached out to take my gloved hand in his.
I
already sensed them when we left the house yet kept that to myself. It would be my luck to get a weird fae gene. Switching my focus to something else, I took in the guy before me. Fully healed, he looked gorgeous but so serious in his fae clothes. “Your clothing, it’s meant to blend it with your surroundings, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “Yes, the greens, the browns, the greys, it all helps us fade into the Summer Court world. Actually,” he stepped closer to me, his dark brown eyes gazing into mine, “when we travel into the other courts, all we need to do is think about their colors, and our fibers will change to match the environment. Our magic doesn’t work here. The human realm has too many unnatural things, too many dreaded metals and iron, too much pollution and chemicals. They all interfere.”
“What about the guards?” I asked.
He tore his gaze away to focus back on the water, as if it held the answers. “Do you miss Chewie?”
My dog. A piece of my heart went missing the day I lost him. “I still can’t believe when Carna removed our spells, that she removed the one on my dog too. I think everyone was in shock. My family had their memories and Chewie turned into this tall, smoky-gray-haired, naked man. Then Nana ran over to him and planted a huge kiss on his mouth!”
Lacon chuckled. “No one ever thought King Phlox had been turned into a wolfhound.”
“I hope it doesn’t take the King long to get back his throne.” I remembered how much in love they looked. “Then Nana will become the Queen of the Winter Court. She’ll have a royal title again.”
Something dark glimmered in Lacon’s eyes. “Phlox will have to go to war before he can claim his home, his castle, or his title. I’m afraid there are dark times coming for my people. Dark times.”
“Our people,” I corrected him. “I can’t wait to join you as soon as I’m ready.”
“I know,” he admitted quietly, placing a kiss on the side of my forehead. “You know about the four fae courts: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Helle is from the Autumn Court. Her father seized the throne of the Winter Court. He may have disowned her, but when any Court goes to war, rifts within families are usually forgiven. Helle’s father will expect her to side with her true family, while Phlox will want her to claim his family as her own. Your grandmother will have a difficult decision to make.”