by Morgan Wylie
“Oh... well, your bed is more comfortable, but only if you’re sure. Don’t tell Chel we had a slumber party without her, she’ll never forgive us for that,” he said with a playful grin as he walked in her room.
“Tell me about it! She hates to feel like she’s missed anything. The other day when we had lunch without her she went on and on about it that whole day. It’s our secret,” she said, scooting over to the far side of the bed to give Finn space. Her room wasn’t that big but she and Chel had decided to share so they made the king bed fit. It always made them laugh when they reminisced about their acrobatic maneuvers trying to get it in the door and turned properly in the room. Smiling, she thought, See, totally normal, no big deal. Then she heard his belt buckle as he was taking it off and she quickly flipped over so she was looking at the opposite wall, blushing like a little girl at the thought of a boy in her room taking his clothes off. Her heart sped up. Why am I freaking out? Realizing Finn was laughing, she rolled slightly back toward him.
“What’s so funny?”
“You.” He looked in her eyes and took in her face with a humorous twinkle in his eyes, but also something else—something resembling desire, she thought with a panicky feeling—but then it melted away. “Don’t worry, I’m just taking off my belt. It’s uncomfortable, but everything else is staying on... unless you want it to come off, Kaeleigh,” saying that last part with a mockingly seductive voice that she knew he was teasing her with. At least she thought he was teasing.
“Shut up and go to sleep,” she said as she threw a pillow at him and rolled back over. She knew he’d be the perfect gentleman. “Good night, Finn, thanks for being here.”
“That’s what friends are for, right? Maybe my being here will keep the bad guy in your dreams away. Good night, Kae.”
Hmmm, I don’t remember saying there was a bad guy in my dream slash image flash...
Chapter Nine
Exhile
The Realm of the Unforgiven Dead
While Daegan was scouting the mortal realm, evil was restless in another realm. Hidden away in the obscurity of a jagged mountain range of the desolate dark realm, also known as Exhile, was a labyrinth of caves. In the tallest, darkest mountain peak there was one particular cave hollowed out of the rock through time and death. This was of the oldest of all the realms. It was where the lost souls and the souls of the unforgiven dead—the ones that became the Droch-Shúil—were escorted by the Ferriers, a race of Elves who up until recently had remained neutral on all concerns other than their purpose—to ferry the souls. The ones who chose to side with darkness... with her... became dark themselves, thus creating the Ónarach. They chose when they went against nature, against their purpose, by enslaving stolen souls... specifically, the souls of the passing Orchids.
A primitive, ancient evil dwelled there, carried through the centuries, attracted by the torment of this realm. It was cold. It was dark. It was lifeless. Except for the faint, struggling hidden heartbeat that for centuries had fought for its survival against its keeper—her—this was a place of death.
Until now.
The tides had turned. It was about to become more. She was about to become more.
The Council of the Kings had been destroyed long ago. The Orchids had been silenced; their last had been marked. The Elders were almost extinct. It was all coming together. The time of the prophecy to be fulfilled was approaching, but it would not come to pass; of that she was confident.
The Droch-Shúil had been given free rein in Alandria, as long as they still made contact with her. She was their master, and it was almost time for her to reign.
Chapter Ten
Kaeleigh woke up on the far left side of the bed, facing her closet, which was pretty unusual considering she usually slept pretty much in the center of the bed. Like a strike of lightning she remembered that Finn had stayed over and suddenly felt very awkward. She licked her lips, trying to bring some moisture back to her mouth, checked to make sure all of her night apparel was in its proper place, then slowly rolled over to face the boy that had slept in her bed in order to protect her from her from her “dreams,” and possibly from herself.
To her instant relief, he was not there. Kaeleigh felt all the muscles in her body relax and let out the breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. He must have gotten up early and gone home before breakfast. He’s such a good friend. Then why all of a sudden did she feel awkward with him?
Maybe because I’m afraid he wants more out of this friendship than I’m willing to give and I don’t want him hurt, she rambled to herself.
After Kaeleigh got ready for the day, she headed to the kitchen for some breakfast and much-needed coffee, but froze in the entry. There was Finn sitting in the kitchen reading the paper like he owned the place. He turned, hearing her enter the room, smiled, and got up to get her a hot, steaming cup of coffee. Sweet, but... irritating.
“Morning, Kae, did you sleep good?” he said.
“Morning. Um, yeah. You?” she grumbled.
“Fine, thanks. Your bed is a little softer than mine so it took me a little time to get used to it.”
Kaeleigh wanted to say, Well, don’t get used to it. That was the last time you will ever be in it. Of course she didn’t say that though. Wow, somebody is IRRITATED this morning. “I’m surprised you’re still here, Finn, I thought you might need to go home and get ready for work or something”. Yeah, subtle Kaeleigh.
“Nope, I don’t have to work today,” he said, now leaning casually up against the counter, but she thought she saw a twitch of his lips indicating she wasn’t hiding her mood very well. “We made plans to have coffee with Chel at The Station this morning, remember? I thought we could just go together. So here’s a pre-coffee coffee for you. Drink it, relax, then let’s go.” He handed over her favorite purple mug with brown polka dots.
Kaeleigh took the mug, eyeing him, but held it between both hands and began to drink the hot, smooth liquid life. She closed her eyes and took deep, soothing breaths, willing her irritation away, and awaited the fresh energy that would soon be buzzing through her veins. Although what she suddenly felt was not just caffeine but a subtle hum of light-blue energy she could see and feel flow through her. She opened her eyes with a smile.
“Better?” he asked, apparently not seeing what she just did.
“Better,” Kaeleigh said with a rush of guilt, realizing that he had sensed her irritation. “I’m sorry I was irritated. For some reason I felt a little awkward about last night and I don’t want that between us. How do you feel?” There. Always better to just talk about it.
“I feel fine. You need to lighten up a bit, Kae. I think that dream threw you for a loop last night.” Finn turned to stare at the paper that was in front of him once again. But the way he said it and the way he shifted the subject sounded like he didn’t want to talk about it. So she left it... for now.
“Yeah, maybe you’re right. It was an intense dream or whatever it was,” she said absentmindedly, shaking her arms and body trying to shake it off.
“Wait. Why did you say ‘whatever it was’? Wasn’t it a dream, Kaeleigh?” Finn questioned her with what seemed to be a spark of panic in his eyes.
She looked away. “Of course it was just a dream. I don’t know why I said that. Still tweaked, I guess.”
“Kaeleigh?” Finn prodded. “Is there something you want to talk about?”
Kaeleigh thought for a moment and skirted his question with another one. “Why did you think there was a ‘bad guy’ in it? I don’t remember telling you there was someone else in it.” She stared intently at him, gauging his reaction.
“Oh, um, I guess you didn’t. Aren’t there always bad guys in dreams like that though? I just assumed. So I was right then?” he asked while once again looking back down at his paper.
Odd response. And he squirmed. I can’t remember the last time I saw Finn off his game.
She would have just believed him had he not looked back at the paper t
hat way, like he was avoiding looking her in the eye. That was unlike Finn. But why?
“You’re acting kind of strange, ya know?” she threw out just to see if she could make him squirm again. This would be kinda fun if it didn’t also freak me out. Sighing, Kaeleigh added, “I do have something I want to talk about, but let’s wait until we’re at The Station so I can clue Chel in too. She’ll want to know. There’s something that I haven’t told you guys.”
Chapter Eleven
They waited for Chel in their usual booth in the corner between the wall and the front windows. The Station was a combination coffee, bakery, and fresh flower shop. Kaeleigh loved it. The colors consisted of comforting earth tones. It had a real natural vibe with leathers, sticks, and branches, in just the right proportions, juxtaposed with iron and things reminiscent of early steam engines. The flower “shop” took up the back section of the store even having its own entrance creating the illusion that it had its own space. The amazing floral fragrances permeated throughout the little café. It was hip, but relaxing and warm at the same time, especially on these crisp fall mornings when the sun was blanketing their booth with warmth through the window. It felt like a haven, safe from the threat of the winter that lurked around the next corner.
Kaeleigh closed her eyes trying to saturate her body with every last drop of sunshine. She could almost feel its energy penetrate her body as her skin began to tingle. Kaeleigh imagined her skin shimmering with the intense infusion of light: a myriad of colors seeping into her pores. Energizing. Relaxing. Home.
She heard Finn subtly clear his throat and realized that she must have drawn attention to herself. He knew she didn’t like to draw attention. When Kaeleigh opened her eyes she was suddenly self-conscious. Her cheeks heated up and she apologized for drifting off. Finn’s eyes were wider than normal and he opened his mouth to say something when he was suddenly interrupted by Chel fluttering her way through the front door like she was brought in on a whirlwind.
Kaeleigh had to laugh out loud as her friend tried to unwrap one of three scarfs that got tangled not only around her neck but under and around her arms too. Chel had an olive-green stocking hat on, a brown peacoat over dirty-looking skinny jeans (that of course she paid to look dirty), and flats, which, although brown, were still cute. Chel had added a yellow scarf and a purple scarf entwined with olive green along with her plain brown one. She was quite the sight, but then again Kaeleigh guessed she was too with her green long-sleeved-T, short dark jean skirt over multicolored striped thick tights and purple dragon-printed Cons with pink laces. Not to mention, of course, her favorite purple scarf that Chel had knitted her a couple Christmases ago—it was a little uneven, but it was the thought that counted and Kaeleigh loved it. It was Chel’s first and last knitted project.
Then there was Finn, pretty much always in black; black shirt, black jeans, black jacket, and when he didn’t wear black he at least wore something dark, but Kaeleigh had to admit it worked for him. They harassed him but concluded that he would get lost in their craziness if he wore anything else. He would reply by saying that he just did it to give them the background to stand out—as if they needed any extra help in that arena.
“Good morning! Sorry I’m late,” Chel said as she scooted Finn over to sit next to him on the bench.
“Hey! Why don’t you go sit by Kaeleigh?” Finn grumbled at Chel.
“Because look at us! We totally clash. Don’t you want to sit by me?” She batted her eyes in a falsely flirtatious way at him. He just grunted and scooted over to give himself as much room as he could. Chel laughed and looked at Kaeleigh curiously. “So... spill.”
She cocked her head and looked at Kaeleigh curiously, then leaned in to get a closer look at Kaeleigh’s face when Chel’s eyes got big. “Whoa! Your eyes were just super vivid green then faded back to normal... must have been the sun reflecting in them, or I’m seeing things. Strange.” She kept staring at Kaeleigh.
“Quit staring at me! You are weirding me out. It must have been the sun or your imagination,” she replied self-consciously. Then she remembered Chel’s perceptive question. “Spill what?” Kaeleigh asked a bit nervously. Chel had a way of always knowing when she needed to talk.
“You look like you’ve got something to say. You’re making me feel all anxious and on edge. I already chewed off all my finger nails waiting to yell ‘surprise’ for you last night.”
“Okay, well… Yesterday at Antonia’s this guy came in—a really hot guy I might add—and asked for me specifically... by name! He said something weird about watching me and how I was unaware of who I was. Then while I was trying to figure out what he was talking about, he got up and left. Just like that—he was out the door. How weird is that? He must have been confused... or got the wrong Kaeleigh... or I don’t know. What do you guys think?” Kaeleigh knew she was rambling, but she was nervous for some reason. She watched both their responses.
“That is really weird, but I don’t think it’s anything to get worked up over,” Chel replied first—too nonchalantly for Chel—then leaned forward with her elbows on the table. “So this guy was really hot, huh?” She winked at Kaeleigh, obviously trying to change the subject.
Finn’s turn. Kaeleigh simply raised a questioning eyebrow at him. “It was probably a mistake, but keep an eye out just in case he comes back.” Finn sounded distracted yet concerned.
“That’s not the only thing that I haven’t told you guys,” Kaeleigh said, wringing her hands, suddenly scared to share one of her longest-held secrets.
“What else happened?” Finn questioned, now with an edge in his tone. Kaeleigh looked at him sharply. What was up with his responses lately? It was like she didn’t even know him these days.
“Okay, okay. So this is all going to sound silly”—might as well rip the Band-Aid off, right?—“but I’ve been having these weird um... flashes... of places and things I’ve never seen before but they seem so real. I can’t figure out what they are trying to tell me and I can’t always remember them. They aren’t dreams, that much I’m sure. Sometimes they happen in the middle of the day.” Kaeleigh started biting her nails, anticipating their reactions.
“Wait, you’ve had more of these dreams slash flashes? And this is the first time you’ve said anything?” Finn almost angrily interrupted her.
“Yes, I’ve had them since I was little actually. Why would I tell you when it just makes me sound crazy? I knew well enough back then not to draw attention that way—I would have ended up in the psych ward on more than one occasion. I learned to live with them. It’s not like they mean anything; at least, I didn’t think they did, but I’m not sure now—they’re getting stronger. Why else am I telling you now?” Kaeleigh started thinking out loud to herself before she realized they were both staring at her, waiting for her to finish.
Finn looked pale. Seriously, what is going on with him?
“Well, what are these ‘flashes’ about?” asked Chel, obviously trying to remain calm as her eyes shifted back and forth between Kaeleigh and Finn.
“Once, I saw images of a wedding in a forest with a crowd of people and creatures I didn’t know or had never seen before. This last one, there was some kind of battle.” Kaeleigh looked over at Finn, silently asking if she could tell Chel about last night, but before she could even say anything, he looked at her and nodded as if he knew what she was going to ask.
“I already told Finn about it because he had some kind of premonition or something that I was in trouble and came over to check on me. Or maybe I screamed and he heard me, but whatever,” she said with an embarrassed shrug. “Apparently, my flash had me in some kind of comatose state that he had a hard time waking me out of. I was pretty shaken up so he stayed the night.” Kaeleigh quickly glanced at Chel from under her lashes to see how she was going to react to that last part.
“Wow, that’s intense. I’d have hit him if he had left you like that. Wait!... Oh man, that means you guys had a slumber party without me. Sad,” she said wi
th a pouty face. “It’s okay, I had a slumber party of my own, if you know what I mean,” she unabashedly said as she winked at Kaeleigh AGAIN. Kaeleigh blushed, which she was sure was Chel’s intent, and hit her hand against her forehead. Only Chel would change the subject like that. Kaeleigh just shook her head.
“What’s with all the winking today, or does your eye just have a twitch going on?” Kaeleigh bit out, slightly irritated as she exaggerated a wink back at her.
“If he comes back, let me know RIGHT AWAY, and for god’s sake stop dreaming or flashing—or whatever it is!” Finn got up and stormed out of The Station. Chel and Kaeleigh both looked at each other, dumbfounded. Again with the walking away?
“What the F was that about? What is going on with him?” Kaeleigh asked Chel, but didn’t expect her to have an answer.
Chel stared out the window for a minute, deep in thought, then shrugged and kept drinking her coffee. “He’s just moody, maybe it’s his time of the month,” she said, laughing into her cup. “And did you just say ‘what the F’?” Chel laughed out.
“What can I say, I didn’t want to dirty the loveliness of this space.” She shrugged.
“Well then, I guess you better stop flashing too,” Chel laughed out again, causing Kaeleigh to laugh too which was of course her point. Taking a deep breath and a more serious tone she added, “He is right, though, you should let us know if he comes back.” Chel paused with a vacant expression on her face then snapped out of it, adding, “Well, at least me because I want a good look at him.” She purposefully winked yet again.
Ugh! She really shouldn’t be allowed to have her own ‘slumber parties’—she’s much too chipper.
Chel, suddenly serious, asked, “Do you think the flashes really might mean something, or maybe they are some kind of self-imposed coping mechanism that your imagination created to deal with stress?” Chel vacantly stared into space then shrugged, offering a sly smirk.