by Talia Jager
“It’s been a month!” I smiled, but continued my jog. Aurora was already there, sitting in Spring Land in a pile of snow. I raised my eyebrows and closed the space between us. “This is new,” I said, sitting down facing her. Her hair was up in a bun with a braid wrapped around it, and she wore a short dress.
She smiled and my heart flip-flopped. “I’m hot.”
“The sun isn’t even out.”
“But the air is so thick. August is always the worst,” she complained.
“Do you sit in snow every August?”
“Yes.”
Raina plopped down next to Aurora. “Share the snow.”
“Make your own.”
“Let’s take a walk,” I suggested, grabbing Aurora’s hand and pulling her up.
Raina jumped into her spot and let out a sigh.
Leading her down to the lake, I took my shirt off over my head and laid belly down in the grass. “The ground always feels cool.”
“I’m not taking off my dress and laying in the dirt.”
I laughed. “I wasn’t going to ask you to.”
Tingles flew through my body as her fingers traced the sun tattoo on my back. Closing my eyes, I enjoyed her touch, knowing full well I shouldn’t be. I should sit up and just talk to her, but when I was near her, all logic went out the window.
The moon reflected off the lake, making it glimmer. The other fae were playing in the water. A few were dashing in and out under the falls, a couple were doing cannonballs off a rock, and the rest were just wading.
“Let’s go cool off in the water,” I suggested.
“I’ll get all wet,” she said with a pout.
“So?”
“You get to wear shorts and a shirt. I’m in a dress! And then there’s my hair and makeup.”
I rolled my eyes. “So what? You’re always acting so free and spontaneous. Let’s have some fun.”
She mashed her lips, looking bemused. “Okay.”
I jumped up and held out my hand, which she took. Keeping her hand in mine, I led her to the water and stepped in. It was the perfect temperature for a midnight swim.
Aurora took a big step into the water. “Happy?”
I walked in to deeper waters. “It feels good.”
She paused, looking unsure.
“Can you swim?” I asked.
“Yes, of course.” She rolled her eyes.
“Well, come on then.”
She followed me in until we were chest deep.
“Let’s go under.” I laughed and went under the water. I came back up the same time she did. Our wings fluttered furiously trying to shed the extra water.
She wiped her face with her hands a few times. The only other time I had seen her without makeup was when she fought the fire, but that wasn’t close up.
“Beautiful,” I said softly.
“What?” she asked.
“You. You’re beautiful just like this.”
Her cheeks turned red, but she smiled. “Thank you.”
With our eyes locked, I couldn’t move. My hand found her waist in the water, and I pulled her close. Her cold breath tickled my lips before they enveloped hers in a gentle, easy kiss.
After a minute, I started to pull away, but she held on tighter. “Not yet,” she whispered and then pressed her wet lips to mine, drawing me back into a kiss. I let her take the lead and end the kiss when she was ready to.
After a few minutes, she pulled away and bit her lip. “Sorry. I got carried away.”
I put my finger to her lips and repeated the words she said to me. “Don’t say you’re sorry. There’s nothing to apologize for. I’d kiss you all night if I could.”
“I look like a wet rag doll.”
“No. You’re more beautiful than ever. You don’t need makeup.”
“Don’t you like when I wear it?”
“Of course I do, but you’re beautiful this way too.”
“Rory!” Raina called.
Aurora looked over just as a wave of water came our way. Putting her hands up, she stopped the wave and sent it right back at Raina. When she smiled, I knew she had an idea. “Iris, grab a bamboo.”
Iris swam over to an area where some plants were overgrown. She got out of the water for a minute and came back with a piece of bamboo.
“Play ‘The Song of the Fae,’” Aurora said.
Iris put the bamboo to her lips and played a few notes while Raina swam over and stood next to Aurora. Using their fingers, they made the water jump with every note Iris played with the bamboo. At the end, they both raised the hands and the water jumped high and then splashed back down.
“You never cease to amaze me with your talents,” I told her. “You’re full of surprises.”
“Good. When I get boring, it’s time to move on.”
“You could never get boring.”
Staring into her eyes, I ran the back of my hand down her face. Just as I was leaning in for another kiss, Raina called, “Time for berries!”
Just before dawn, I found Aurora back at the lake staring at the falls. “Everything okay?” I asked.
She faced me, and I swept a strand of hair behind her ear. Placing her hand on my chest, she said, “Maybe we should stop.”
“Stop what?”
“This.”
“This?” I wasn’t sure what she was trying to say.
“Fooling around with each other.”
“Is that what we’re doing?” I questioned.
“Yes.”
“What are you scared of?”
Aurora paused for a long minute. “Falling for you.”
With that, she hurried off, grabbed Raina, and the two of them left the meet-up early, leaving me standing there pondering her statement. Had she fallen for me? Did that mean she liked me more than a friend?
Keir strolled over to me. “So…what was that about?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Did you guys have a fight?”
“No.” I scratched my head. “Not being able to talk to her is going to kill me.”
“The month will pass quickly.”
“Will it?”
“If you keep busy.”
I was worried about what could change in that month.
Just a couple of hours later, I faced my brother in one of his challenges. My mind wasn’t in it, though, and when he swung at me, I almost went down. I snapped to attention and won the fight.
“I almost had you!” Dune exclaimed.
I didn’t say anything about having other things on my mind. “Good job. Keep it up. You’ll beat me in no time,” I said encouragingly before jumping in front of the bow and arrow class I taught.
After teaching class, I sat down with Keir for lunch.
“What’s up?” he asked, taking a bite of bread. “You look lost.”
I let go of a sigh and said, “I think I’ve fallen for her.”
“Her meaning Rory?”
I nodded.
He turned serious. “You can’t be in love with her.”
“I know that!” My voice rose, and then I quieted down. “I know. It was just flirting and fun. She was pretty and made me happy. But I can’t get her out of my mind. I think about her all the time. I dream about her. Is this what love feels like?”
“I don’t know, Sorin, but if you really feel like it is, you’ve got to stop it. Focus on your duties, on Daisy, on anything but her and maybe don’t go to the falls again,” he suggested.
I studied Keir. He was dead serious, which surprised me because I really thought he’d encourage the relationship.
“It’s not that I don’t like her,” Keir explained, seeing my expression. “Rory is awesome. I just don’t want to see either of you hurt, and that’s where this is going to end up.”
He was right, but even knowing that, there was something in me yelling not to give her up.
After the long day, I settled into my bed awaiting sleep that would hopefully come quickly…but it didn’t. I ended up tossing and turning, thin
king of Aurora and her words “Falling for you.”
The following days didn’t pass quickly. No amount of training or hanging with my friends took my mind off of her. Each day I contemplated what to do about my feelings for a girl who lived on the wrong side of the realm.
Chapter Ten
Aurora
I paced the clearing waiting for Sorin to show up. What if he didn’t come? The last time I saw him I was scared and had run off. And then there was no way to talk to him until the next meet-up. I had never hated our laws until now.
Sorin came into view, and my heart took off inside my chest, thumping hard, like it wanted to break free and join with his heart. His eyes immediately met mine, and he walked over.
“Aurora.”
Oh…the way my name sounded when he said it. I put my finger to his lips and said, “Let me talk first.”
He nodded.
“I’m sorry I ran off last time. I said I was scared to fall for you, but the truth is, I already have. I don’t know what to do. This wasn’t supposed to happen, but it did. I don’t know the future. All I do know is now, tonight, I’m the happiest faerie alive. I want you to hold me, kiss me, and talk about a future we’ll never get to have. If you…still…want to.”
His answer came in form of a kiss. “I would hold you forever if I could.”
Keir and Raina interrupted. “Everyone’s here. Let’s get the berry going.”
I narrowed my eyes. “We just got here.”
“C’mon, Rory,” Raina whined.
“Okay. Fine.” I grabbed the basket, and we gathered in a circle, passing the berries around. Raina held it in front of me. I grabbed one, but she shook the basket, and I rolled my eyes before taking a few more. I turned to Sorin and placed one in his mouth. He didn’t like to take a lot of them, and I respected him for that. I threw the rest down my throat.
“The king and queen are freaking out so bad,” Jora said with a laugh. “They are trying to get everything ready for next week.”
Sorin laughed. “My parents, mainly my mother, wouldn’t stop talking with this piercing tone. She hated everything. Nothing was right. And everyone was being stupid. Finally, my father had her go into the hills for some fresh air. While she was gone, we got everything done. When she came back, she was surprised, a little miffed even, but happy she didn’t have to worry about it anymore.”
“It’s sad they have to go to such lengths to just do what we’re doing here,” I said. “If everyone could just hang out, they’d see how normal it is.”
“What’s that?” Raina asked, pointing to something brown on the ground.
“It’s called a baseball mitt,” Cedar answered.
“Baseball?” I inquired curiously.
“It’s a game humans play.”
“Humans? How did you get it?” I was intrigued now.
“I know somebody,” Cedar answered with a sly smile. “He has gone to the human realm before. Brought this back with him.”
“You know someone who’s gone to the human realm?” I sat forward.
Cedar laughed. “Yes. One of my friends is a nature faerie.”
“Did he tell you what it was like?” Raina jumped in the questioning.
“Some.” He shrugged.
When he didn’t offer any more, I threw a snowball at him and said, “Tell us!”
He wiped the snow off his chin and said, “If I didn’t love ya, Rory, I’d be burying you under the ground right now.” Looking around at us, he finally said, “He said it was weird. Lots of noise, bad smells, and rude people. Doesn’t seem very happy of a place to me.”
I scrunched up my nose.
“Not what you always dreamt it would be, huh, Princess?” Cedar joked.
“Surely there must be something good about it.”
“He did say some of the food was tasty, and they had some interesting things.”
“Like?”
“They have a contraption for everything. Things to cut food up for you, things that wash your clothes, things that entertain you. There are so many buildings and roads that nature’s being affected.”
“That’s why the fae who protect the land are so important,” Jora chimed in. “They make sure the humans don’t destroy all of nature.”
“Is that what you’re going to do?” I asked.
Jora nodded. “I hope to be accepted.”
“Then I shall hope for you as well.”
“Thanks. I really do think it’s an important job.”
“If you get accepted, what will you do?”
“They’ll send me wherever autumn is, and I’ll make sure the land transforms to winter. I’ll heal anything that needs it and lead the season change.”
“You get to go in and out of the human realm, right?”
“Only if I need to. If I can do what I need to from here, I will. If I can’t, then I will go. What about you guys? Do you know what you’ll do?” she asked.
“Other than the next king and queen over here.” Keir elbowed Sorin, who rolled his eyes.
“Honestly, doing what Jora gets to do sounds more exciting than ordering faeries around,” I said. “I want to do something important.”
“What’s the first thing you’d do, Rory?” Iris asked.
“Get rid of the stupid law that has us all separated. Let the fae be friends with each other, hang out, maybe even fall in love.”
“That’s a pretty old law to change first,” Linden said.
“It’s the stupidest one.”
“Aw, c’mon, if it weren’t for that law, we wouldn’t be here right now.”
“Maybe we’d be better friends?” I said.
“Maybe we wouldn’t care about each other so much?” Navin said.
“Guess anything is possible.”
“Teacher,” Iris added. “I want to be a teacher.”
“Knight like my father,” Keir said, proudly.
“I would love to explore the neutral land,” Navin said.
“I don’t know yet,” Raina admitted.
“Me either,” Linden agreed with her.
“Do we need jobs? Couldn’t I be like the Merry Berry picker for the next group of teens who decides to hang out here?” Ivy said, and we all laughed.
“Well, Cedar, why don’t you show us how this mitt works,” I said.
“Linden,” Cedar said, throwing one of the mitts at him and standing up.
The two autumn faeries walked away from us and started throwing a white ball back and forth, catching it in the brown mitt.
“So you just catch a ball?” I asked.
“Apparently this game has a bat too, but he didn’t bring that with him,” Cedar answered.
The boys seemed interested. They all got up and went over to where they were playing, taking turns, leaving us five girls to chat.
“So, Rory, you and Sorin…what’s the deal?” Iris asked.
Blushing, I responded, “How can we be anything more than friends? The law is clear.”
“Right. So that whole get rid of the law that separates us isn’t because of him?” Iris narrowed her eyes.
“No. It’s for all of us. I’d like to be able to see you guys, my friends, every day. No more sneaking around.”
“But you like him,” Jora egged.
“C’mon, Rory…spill,” Iris pleaded.
Looking over at him, I sighed and admitted, “Yeah, I like him.”
When they were done playing catch, Sorin headed my way, but Raina and Keir both stepped in between us.
“Want to play a game of marbles?” Raina asked.
I shook my head. “No.”
“What about an obstacle course?” Raina looked around.
“We have one?” I asked.
“We’ll make one,” she said.
I glanced at Sorin. “Not really my thing. Do you want to?”
“No. Let’s just go talk.” Sorin smiled.
“We could play with our elements,” Keir suggested, and everyone looked at him. “We
ll, we could. Maybe not the Autumn Fae because any earth shaking would be reported, but we could see if fire or ice would win.”
“Now I know something’s up.” I crossed my arms and stared at them.
“Nothing’s up.”
“You’ve been interrupting us all night. Trying to keep us busy. What is up with you two?”
“Look…” Keir sighed. “We’re just concerned about you.”
“Why?” Sorin asked.
“You know why.”
“Sorin and I both know what we’re doing.”
“Do you?” Raina asked. “This won’t end well.”
I mashed my lips together, annoyed that they were trying to intervene, even though I knew it was out of love. “Now we’re going over there to talk. Neither of you will bother us. Got it?”
“Fine.”
I stomped over to Summer Land and blinked away the tears that threatened to come. I felt Sorin come up behind me.
He wrapped his arms around me. “They’re right.”
“I know. Can we just not talk about it and have fun?”
“If that’s what you want.”
I nodded. “Did you have fun playing baseball?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
We sat around the fire pit. It was hot, but I pushed the uncomfortable feeling away, focusing on my rings instead.
“You always wear those.”
“I don’t take them off.”
“Are they your favorites?”
“Yes. I have matching necklaces and earrings too, but I always wear the rings.”
“What about your hair? Do you like it up or down better?”
I shrugged. “Depends on what I’m doing. Why?”
“Just wondering.”
“Which do you prefer?”
He smiled. “Well, when your hair is up, I can kiss your neck easier, but I love your hair down too. You’re beautiful no matter what.”
“What if I was bald?”
“You’d still be beautiful. Are you bald under those locks of yours?”
“Not that I know of.”
He ran his hand through my hair, giving it a playful yank. “Nope. Your hair is attached.”
“Good.” I laughed.
We spent the rest of the time by ourselves talking about different things. When it was almost time to go, Sorin walked me back to Winter Land and backed me up to a tree.
He swept the hair out of my face and gazed into my eyes. As he placed his lips on mine, my eyes fluttered closed, and together our lips moved in harmony. His kiss was stronger, filled with a passion I hadn’t felt before. He didn’t hold back, and my body responded by pulling him closer.