by Alison Pensy
“What power did my mother have?” she asked.
“Your mother was telekinetic. She could move things with her mind.”
His reply sparked a memory that Faedra had almost forgotten, but, in a flash, it was there again, clear as day. She had walked into the dining room one morning when she was little. Her mother was doing some dusting and humming to herself. She had her back to Faedra and hadn’t heard the little girl walk in. She was standing on a chair reaching up to try and dust the light hanging from the tall ceiling, but couldn’t quite reach it. She opened her hands and the duster floated up to the light and started dusting by itself. Faedra had let out a gasp causing her mother to turn to look at her. The duster had fallen gracefully to the floor. Lillith had flushed, picked up the duster and gone about her business as if nothing had happened. Faedra had never been quite able to believe what she’d seen, so put it to the darkest recesses of her mind.
She thought of something else, too. She was going to ask the question when Faen mentioned it, but got caught up in another thought, and had forgotten about it until now.
“Faen, you mentioned earlier that you and Jocelyn were keeping the redcaps away from me. Who is Jocelyn?”
He sighed. “She is my little sister.”
Faedra’s eyebrows shot up. “You have a little sister?”
“Yes, I do,” he replied stoically. “She is the black and white dog you see at the church. She guards the portal to the Land of Azran.”
Could sibling love and rivalry be the same for fairies as for humans, she wondered. Faedra laughed, and Faen narrowed his eyes at her. “Well, that growling thing you do with her makes perfect sense now,” she responded to his frown. “My friend’s little brother gets on her nerves all the time, but she still loves him, even if she can’t stand him sometimes.”
He didn’t respond.
“Wait, you said she guards the portal. There’s a portal at the church?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, we can get to your world at the church?”
“Yes.”
“So how come the vicar couldn’t see her that day when I asked him if she was his?”
“She used glamour to hide herself.”
“Ooh,” Faedra shuffled excitedly on the swing, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. “I know what that means! It means you can choose to make other people see what you want them to see, doesn’t it? I remember that from an episode of Charmed.”
Faen gave her a martyred look, he remembered that episode of Charmed, also. Along with all the others in the seven seasons he had watched with her. It was her favorite show, and she never missed a single one.
Faedra practiced using her power for several more hours, watched by Faen as he relaxed against the ancient oak tree. He was impressed by how swiftly she was becoming adept at focusing her thoughts and creating balls of light in her palms, but she had not yet mastered, apart from that very first time, the art of being able to throw them at a target. They dissipated into sparks just a few inches from her hands, and he could tell she was getting tired. It was, after all, her energy she was throwing away each time, and she had to replenish it with something to eat or she would get weak very quickly.
“I think you have had enough for one day, Ms. Faedra,” he said as he rose in that fluid motion of his and was, in the blink of an eye, standing before her. “You need to eat, you are growing tired. Remember, this is your energy you are expelling. You need to replenish it often.”
“Just one more try?” she asked.
He didn’t answer. Before she even had time to comprehend it, he was gone and her dog was sitting in front of her. She heard a noise and looked up to see her dad’s car coming down the driveway.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Faedra and Faen strolled over to where her dad had parked his car, and greeted him as he opened the car door.
“Hi, Dad. Did you have a nice time with Uncle Leo?” she asked.
“Actually, we had a very nice time,” he replied with a smile as he got out of the car and planted a kiss on his daughter’s forehead. “How about you? Did you go for a ride on Gypsy?”
She’d forgotten all about her horse and the ride she was supposed to take that day.
“No, I didn’t in the end,” she said, playing for time until she could come up with an excuse as to why she hadn’t. “I just ended up relaxing in the garden. I didn’t want to wear myself out and be tired this evening.”
He gave her a thoughtful look. “Well, I’m not sure how much relaxing you did, darling. You look exhausted.”
“Do I?” She feigned ignorance and made up another excuse. Truth was, she did feel exhausted after using up all that energy practicing with her power for most of the day. “I’m just hungry. I was going in to get myself a sandwich when you drove up.”
They all headed to the front door. Henry opened it and gestured for Faedra and Faen to enter first.
“What time are your friends picking you up this evening?”
“They’re coming around about seven.”
“I know I haven’t really mentioned this before because you are always so sensible, but I feel, as your father, I need to say something.”
Faedra smiled. She had been expecting the ‘I know you are legally old enough to drink, but don’t over do it’ speech. “Don’t worry, Dad, Amy is designated driver tonight, and I promise I’ll only have a couple. I have no intention of waking up with a throbbing headache tomorrow morning.”
Henry looked visibly relieved by her response.
Faedra wandered through the dining room towards the kitchen to make herself a sandwich and caught a sideways glance of her reflection in the mirror hanging on one of the walls as she walked past. She stopped dead and reversed back a few steps until she was standing in front of it. Faedra looked with surprise at the person staring back at her with a shocked expression.
“Oh, my God, I’m nearly gray,” she gasped as she took in her features. Her skin had taken on a pallid grayish tinge and there were dark circles developing under her eyes. “No wonder Dad thought I looked exhausted. I look like I’ve got one foot in the grave.”
She rushed into the kitchen and made herself a plate of sandwiches, wolfing them down as if it was the first thing she’d eaten for days.
“Steady on,” Henry said as he walked through the door and caught Faedra stuffing a whole sandwich in her mouth giving her chipmunk cheeks. “You’ll get indigestion if you eat that quickly. Anyway, wanted to let you know that I’m going out with your uncle tonight, so I’ll be leaving around six thirty.”
She acknowledged him with a nod of her head, her mouth still full to overflowing with the sandwich she had just stuffed in there. She looked over at the clock on the oven. She had a couple more hours to go before her friends arrived; that should give her plenty of time to get ready, and hopefully, to re-energize. Faedra certainly didn’t want to go out looking like she was on her last leg. She prayed that the sandwiches would do the trick.
They did. A half hour later she dared herself to look in the mirror again. Her usually radiant skin and sparkling eyes stared back at her. She heaved a huge sigh of relief and made a mental note to take snack breaks while practicing with her power in the future.
She went to her room, grabbed her bathrobe, and made her way to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for her evening out with friends. She was looking forward to it. When she had finished with her shower, she wandered back to her room, her hair piled on top of her head, wrapped in a towel. Faen had waited patiently outside the bathroom and was following her up the stairs to her bedroom. When they got to the top of the stairs he lay down and didn’t attempt to enter her room this time.
“Thank you,” she whispered as she closed the door.
She padded over to her dresser and commenced her ritual of putting make up on and drying her hair. The former didn’t take long at all; she had almost perfect skin, so just a dusting of powder, a little eye shadow, mascara, and lip-gloss, and she was done. The lat
ter took considerably more time, as her hair was so long and thick. She leaned forward, turned her head upside down and continued on with the arduous task.
A while later when her hair was dried and styled, her face glowing, and natural, she wandered over to her closet. Due to the fact that she hadn’t done what most teenage girls do on their eighteenth birthday and go shopping for a new outfit, she looked with deliberation at the clothes that already existed there, and decided on a pretty royal blue dress with thin straps. It had a fitted bodice that nipped neatly in at the waist flowing into a full skirt that skimmed her hips, and came to just above her knees, accentuating her figure perfectly. The color complimented her skin and hair, and she felt really good in it.
“I’m off now, Fae,” she heard her dad call from the bottom of the stairs.
“Okay, Dad, have fun tonight.”
“You, too, darling. Hey, did you know Faen was out here?” he asked in surprise.
“Yes, Dad, I’ll let him in a minute.”
She heard her dad mutter something about never knowing Faen to be shut out of her room before as he walked out of the dining room.
She sighed. She had to admit it did feel kind of odd not having him in with her, but that dynamic had completely changed now, and would never be the same again. There was a heavy feeling in her heart at the thought. Her dad’s car door slammed. She watched from her window as he drove up the driveway and out of sight.
She wandered back to the closet and took one last look at her reflection in the full-length mirror that was attached to one of the doors. That’ll do, she thought with a smile and wandered over to her door to let Faen in. She never knew which form he would be in now, but guessed that because her father had left he would probably be in his true form.
She was right. Faen was standing in her doorway when she opened it, all six feet of him. He didn’t make her jump this time; she looked up at his face and smiled. She wasn’t sure, but as his eyes skimmed over her, his usually stoic features melted for just a split second to reveal something more like warm approval, but then it was gone in an instant. She wondered why he was so loving with her when he was in his dog form. Always wagging his tail, always looking pleased to see her. But in his true form he seemed distant, almost as though being there was an inconvenience. She brushed the thought aside. It seemed like they were stuck together for the time being, whether either of them wanted to be or not. At the very least, until she had learned all she could to defend herself against the Unseelie.
“You look very nice, Ms. Faedra,” he broke the silence, and pulled her from her reverie.
“Thank you.”
“Where are you going tonight?” he asked.
“The Old Brewery House in the village,” she narrowed her eyes at him. “Why?”
“Because I am going with you, of course,” he replied.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” she said defiantly. “It’s a girl’s night out with my friends. You can’t come.”
“I will be there whether you like it or not,” he reiterated with a firmness that was undeniable. “I told you, I will not make the same mistake twice. Do not concern yourself, I will blend into the background, no one else will have to know I am there.”
She looked him up and down. Blending into the background was not something Faen would accomplish, especially dressed as he was.
She sighed. “Okay, I understand that you want to stay close to me, but you will definitely not blend in dressed like that.” And she gestured down his body with her hand as if showcasing something unusual.
He looked himself up and down, and returned his gaze to her. “What’s wrong with what I am wearing?” he asked.
“You look like you have walked straight out of a Disney movie,” she replied somewhat sarcastically, then kicked herself for sounding so rude.
He looked perplexed.
“Faen, what you are wearing is very old fashioned. You have seen how humans dress nowadays. You need to wear something more… modern.
“Oh, modern,” he replied. “I can do modern.” And with one of his blurs he was standing in front of her in a complete change of clothes.
She took a step back and sucked in a breath. She hadn’t expected him to look so good in modern clothing.
“Ms. Faedra, you look shocked. Are you alright?”
“Absolutely fine,” she squeaked, as she took in the ultra modern Faen.
From top to toe he was dressed in designer clothing. Shiny black boots with a square toe. Jeans that were belted at his waist with a black leather belt, accentuated with a buckle that looked like a silver Celtic rose. He wore a black t-shirt that fit him like a glove, skimming every contour of his torso and upper arms. She swallowed hard, it was an involuntary response.
“Will this work?” he asked.
“Yes,” she breathed, “that will work just fine.” Then she noticed the design on his belt buckle and lifted her wrist to examine the bangle her father had given her earlier.
“Your buckle, it’s the same design as my bracelet.”
Faen looked at her and the corners of his mouth turned up very slightly in a knowing smile.
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
She was distracted by the crunch of gravel as a car appeared coming down the driveway. When she turned back to him he was holding a tiny clay pot with a cork stopper in the palm of his hand.
“You will need this,” he said, offering her the pot.
“What is it?”
“Rub a little on your eyelids. You will be able to see all fae now, even if they are trying to hide themselves with glamour.”
She did as instructed and rubbed some of the ointment over her eyelids. She figured she could use all the help she could get. A warm buzz lingered on her eyelids for a second, but when she opened her eyes and looked around, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
“Thank you.”
Faen nodded a ‘you’re welcome.’ Then they both turned their heads when a loud rapping could be heard from the front door.
“That will be Amy and Zoë. Stay here until I’m gone. You know where the Old Brewery is; I’ll see you there,” she made to leave and then thought of something else. “Oh, and Faen, please try to look inconspicuous.”
“I will try, Ms. Faedra.”
She grabbed her purse and almost ran down the stairs. Faen watched from the window as Faedra got in the back of her friend’s car. As soon as they were out of sight he was outside. Although the pub was a few minutes down the road by car, he arrived before they did.
“Good grief the car park is full tonight,” Faedra commented as they pulled in.
“It’s Saturday, Fae, what do you expect?” Zoë replied.
They got out and looked up at the outside of the pub. Actually, it was more than just a pub. It was a Georgian house that had been built in the late eighteenth century for a wealthy landowner. It had since been turned into a hotel with a very nice bar. The beautiful old building still retained many of its original features. Because of Faedra’s love of all things old, she enjoyed coming here, if only to soak up the atmosphere and imagine what it must have been like to live there when it was originally someone’s home.
“Come on, dreamy,” Amy snapped her from her thoughts. “Let’s go in and get you your first official drink.”
She responded with a smile and they trooped in through an open door way. The heavy oak door had been propped open with an ornamental doorstop. It was such a balmy evening; the owners had decided to let the fresh air in. As they entered the bar, Faedra stopped dead upon seeing Faen relaxing at a table in the corner of the room. She narrowed her eyes at him. How did he get here so quickly?
“What’s wrong, Fae?” Zoë asked looking over to where Faedra had turned her attention, then looked back at her with a confused expression. “There’s nothing there.”
“What? Sorry, nothing I’m fine,” she spluttered, and continued to the bar, glancing back at Faen who was giving her a wry smile. She narrowed her eyes at
him in response.
“Where’d Amy go?” she asked upon noticing her friend’s disappearance.
“Probably to the bathroom,” Zoë responded nonchalantly.
A couple of minutes passed, and they had their drinks in hand. Faedra had decided on a nice glass of red wine.
“Hey, you guys, you have to come and see this,” Amy said as she burst through the door. “They have a new statue back here, it’s so cool.” She came over and grabbed Faedra by the arm.
Faedra slid reluctantly off her bar stool and allowed herself to be half dragged by her friend through the door towards the bathrooms.
“Where? I can’t see one,” Faedra said when the corridor they were in was empty, except for a row of floor to ceiling windows that ran the length of it to reveal the beautiful courtyard outside, complete with fountain.
“It’s just through there,” Amy pointed to the double doors up ahead.
“Amy, I hope you haven’t been snooping around again,” Faedra said with a frown.
“Of course, I have, I always snoop,” she was proud to admit.
Faedra raised her eyes heavenward. Amy could be so brazen sometimes. Amy and Zoë got to the doors before Faedra; they each took a handle and pulled the doors open.
Faedra peered into the darkened room. In a heartbeat the lights came on and a chorus of “SURPRISE!” rang out loud and clear. She nearly jumped out of her skin, and Zoë surreptitiously grabbed her glass of wine, for which she was grateful, otherwise, she would have been wearing it all down the front of her dress.
Sprawling in front of her were friends and relatives, spreading all the way to the back of the large banquet room. They wore excited expressions on their faces. Most were blowing on party horns and throwing streamers at her; right at the front stood the perpetrators. Her father, flanked by her Uncle Leo and Nicki. She should have known. That was what her father had been so busy doing all day, organizing a surprise party when she had expressly told him that she didn’t want a big deal made of her birthday.
It was already more of big deal than he could ever imagine, she thought derisively.