by L M Lacee
Harper nodded. “Yep I know, Juna told me.”
“Well of course she did, why tell me. I didn’t need to know?”
Harper almost grinned at the long ago Charlie’s bitch, about what she should have been told by Juna. The fact she would scoff at just about anything Juna told her or spend most of the time arguing logistics and probabilities with their mother. Charlie always conveniently forgot, it seemed she still did. Juna their mother, had ended up telling Harper because she one, believed what her mother told her and two, she knew the information would keep her and Charlie alive. Which it had done on many occasions.
Another faerie emerged from the other room carrying a baby with two girls walking beside her, they called to Charlie. “Mama?”
This time Harper did not react and the first faerie Tansy moved to Charlie’s side and grew as Charlie scooped up the younger girl. She looked at Harper as she told her. “These are our daughters Kelsey and Cara and our son Justice.”
Harper nodded her head. “Well okay then.” She stared at the girls and smiled, then said. “Well hello little Unicorn.”
Cara said. “Ello!”
Kelsey, smiled when Harper said. “Hello little cougar.”
Kelsey said. “Hello.” Then walked over to Harper and looked up at her “You are like mama.”
Harper shrugged. “Maybe?”
“You are the same but different, you have a big hole inside, it is all dark.”
“Maybe!” Harper repeated softly then asked. “You can see that?”
“Yes I don’t think we can fix dark holes?”
“That’s okay, I will fix it, and Kelsey it is not your job to fix holes.”
“Oh but we fix holes, that is what grandma and grandpa say.”
“Well did they also say sometimes holes cannot be fixed?”
Kelsey answered seriously. “No! Why do you have a hole?”
Harper looked down at Kelsey and said. “You should ask your mama that, she put it there.”
Charlie breathed deeply keeping her temper leashed as she narrowed her eyes on her sister. “Kelsey honey can you go with Rose and Tansy please.”
She passed Cara to the faerie named Tansy and all the while she kept her eyes on Harper who stared back at her challenging her to deny her statement. She told the girls. “I need to talk to auntie Harper for a minute.”
“Okay mama.” Kelsey smiled as Cara waved at Storm. The kids left with their nannies after being introduced to Frankie.
As soon as the door closed behind them. Charlie yelled at Harper. “What is the fucking matter with you?”
“Me? What did I say?”
“You blame me for the hole in you?”
Harper slammed her hands onto her hips and scowled at Charlie. “You bet I do, you left me Charlie, just walked away. Then believed I was dead!”
Charlie grabbed Harper’s collar with both hands and pulled her towards her, snarling into her face again, much to everyone’s surprise. “Now you listen to me, you little pain in my ass. I left because I had won a scholarship and it was safer for me to go. Remember sister it was you who damn well told me that? So do not go and get all snotty now because you have decided it does not sit right in your memory.”
Harper’s eyes narrowed and she grabbed Charlie’s hands and thought about squeezing them hard, then stopped when she realized she had actually forgotten Charlie was right, it was at her urging that Charlie had left home. Damn it!
Harper let her hands go and grumbled. “That explains the dead thing huh, not likely!”
Charlie said as she once more stepped away from her. “I came back you were gone, our bond was gone. When I finally found her, she said you were dead.”
Charlie almost begged her to understand what she was saying. “There was no bond Harper. I could not feel you.”
Harper shrugged as sadness choked her throat making speech impossible. Charlie unfortunately took the gesture as uncaring, her voice hardened and she hissed. “How about I spell that out for you, seeing as it is not getting through. D.E.A.D. I cannot make it any plainer than that.”
Harper growled angry at her sister. “Unbelievable! She says I am dead and you go boohoo and fucking shut the door on us. You believed her because she always told the truth.”
“I didn’t go boohoo, who does that?”
“Not you apparently.” Harper snarked back.
“I thought you died. They all told me you had died. I could not feel our bond anymore!” Charlie said with a calmness she did not feel.
Harper stood eyeing her sister with her arms crossed again while her toe started tapping the floor, both females totally forgetting they had an audience. Harper felt a little guilty, she had slammed the bond closed before she killed their father. Not wanting Charlie to have to feel any of what was going to happen and what came later. By the time she tried to re-open the connection to Charlie, she could not. To all intents and purposes Harper believed Charlie had been killed by her step mother’s family. For years Harper grieved for her beloved sister. Harper ran away to the grey zone where she had remained for a period of time.
Killing for Harper was far too easy, she is a true grey one with a terrible gift. Once she came from the grey zone she moved to the town of Bethany hoping the slower pace of life, away from the bigger cities would help her control her dark side. It is where she met Frankie and she found something more than a slow way of living. Harper found someone to help her fight the compulsion to re-enter the dark or grey place that turned her from a reasonable human to a wanton killing machine. She had found Frankie, who in her innocence held the compulsion at bay without even knowing she did. That was why she sent Charlie away all those years ago or she should say she had sent her away before the dark Harper emerged fully, frightened she would hurt Charlie.
So making her leave kept her not only safe from their father and step mother but from Harper or the dark side of Harper, it had been growing and taking over her life. Her biggest fear was that Charlie would find out what she had been left with after they fought the shades in the grey mist. It had taken Harper years to return to the person she was now.
Charlie sighed as she too remembered she had closed that door on those emotions when their bond was severed years past, when she believed Harper was gone. It had been smashed wide open with her love for Storm and their young, and Storm’s family who belonged to her now. So she felt guilty as she stood in front of her sister. All this time Harper had been by herself living without hope, she at least lived with a purpose to see justice done. What had Harper lived with? She wondered.
Harper asked now with loads of attitude which grudgingly Charlie supposed she was entitled too. “Did you see a body? Any… body. Did you see my corpse? No because I wasn’t damn well dead!”
Charlie frowned at her sister and tried not to grimace. She was right, but still... “Well yeah it seems you aren’t.”
“Did you at least shoot the bitch?”
“What do you think?” Shrugged Charlie, with an eye roll not admitting to how many she had killed in revenge for Harper’s death.
Harper growled. “That you better have!”
Charlie then asked. “Where have you been Harper, where were you?”
Harper shrugged unable to tell her, unable to put voice to those years in the grey zone.
Charlie asked. “I am guessing you thought I was dead as well until recently and then when you felt our connection again you came here?”
Harper shrugged one shoulder this time as she said. “Who said I thought you were dead?”
“I assumed you did because this is the first time you have come looking for me!”
“Maybe it was just that I was so pissed at you, I never tried. How about that huh!”
Charlie stilled, Frankie stilled and everyone around her heard her whisper. “Uh…oh! That did it.”
Charlie slammed both hands onto her hips and glared at Harper asking. “If I believed you were dead and you knew I wasn’t, where have you been?”
>
“And she’s sunk.” Frankie softly said.
Harper stared and said nothing. Charlie’s voice notched up an octave. “Harper Elliot Easton you answer me right now, you hear?”
“Yep. I do.”
Charlie’s foot began to tap now and the room got tense again, Reighn stopped chewing on the nuts Frankie had given him. “This is not good.”
“How do you know?” Sage asked as Frankie shook some nuts into her hand.
“It is never good when they use all three of your names.” Storm whispered.
Harper stared at Charlie whose foot tapped quicker and harder. Verity said. “This is so tense.” Frankie and Sage agreed.
Harper said. “Nope not going to go there you closed our bond, you have no right to be pissed.”
“That is a lie. I searched for the bond it was already closed you did that first. So you tell me why and tell me now Harper?”
Frankie jumped up and ducked in front of Harper again. “She was with me in the town we were living in, well at least for the last five years anyway, before that she will not say. I have asked.”
“Repeatedly!” Harper grumbled.
“Well you should have just said then!” Frankie told her with tone. Before Harper and Frankie could get into it. Charlie asked. “Is that right Harper?”
“Yep. I guess.” Harper then told Frankie. “Go sit Frankie, it is okay.”
Frankie skipped back to her seat. “Phew! Tragedy avoided.” She whispered.
“You’re a cheerful little thing aren’t you?” Reighn murmured. Frankie grinned. “I think so. Harper am I cheerful?”
“So much, it is sickening.” Frankie laughed as did the others. Charlie asked. “Well Harper you want to explain?”
“What about you? Why is it always me?”
“I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!” Yelled Charlie.
Harper grunted. “Well sure bring that up.”
“Enough!” Reighn said as they both turned to where he stood from leaning against the table. “Apparently someone, somewhere told you both that each of you had died for their own pleasure or you both assumed for whatever reason you were both dead. Obviously we can see that is not true.”
Frankie went to speak but Reighn raised a brow at her, she did the lip thing instead, secretly Reighn scared her a little or maybe a lot.
“So as a family we will work on re-establishing and fixing the broken relationship and find the truth of the situation. Now Charlie I am guessing you are the elder sister.”
Harper grunted when Charlie replied causing Charlie’s eyes to narrow. “Yes Reighn.”
He smiled as he asked. “Good, so what do you wish to happen here?”
“Hey why don’t I get a say?” Asked an annoyed Harper.
“Quiet younger sibling.” Reighn told her. They stared at each other for a minute or two, then Harper scowled and looked away. Reighn’s dragon grinned… She is a worthy female.
Reighn agreed. She is but hurt!
His dragon asserted. We will mend her as we did our brothers shadow.
I think this is not something we can do alone. I believe it is just as well we have asked Uncle Patrycc to come home.
Maybe so!
Before Reighn could lay out what was to happen Charlie turned to Harper, pointed a finger at her and snarled. “You will stay here Harper, in this town and you will like it. Did you hear me, Harper?”
Harper eyed her sister, she had grown and changed, not just aged, her whole personality changed, and there was only glimpses of the sister from her past. She wondered if Charlie thought that of her. She would almost have to really. It is what happened when time passed away from each other. She was unsure whether she was sad or happy about that!
Harper felt Charlie’s tenderness, her immense sorrow and her deep joy that Harper was here and alive, she also felt Charlie’s fear that Harper would leave. It was very similar to Frankie’s fear. Sighing inwardly at the love and regret she felt coming from her sister and basking in the joy that after all these years Charlie was here in her life, in reality, not just her dreams and seemed happy to be bonded and a mother.
She shrugged nonchalantly. “Fine! Don’t think you can go all bossy on me Charlie.”
“Harper don’t be ridiculous of course I will.” Was Charlie’s laughing reply, then her voice changed and she said sharply. “I mean it Harper I will not let you go now I have found you.”
She snarled at her sister. “I am not deaf Charlie, I said okay, damn it and I found you, not the other way around.”
“So you say.”
“Damn Faerie.”
“Did you just call me a Faerie?”
“What is it with all the damn questions? Now where do we sleep and someone better get my truck.”
A smiling Charlie came to Harper and placed her arms around her. Harper almost screeched as she struggled within the bands of steel wrapped around her. “Oh my Goddess what are you doing?”
“It is called hugging,” Charlie snapped. “Now shut the hell up and enjoy it.”
“This is not happening!” Harper moaned.
Frankie lent on Johner as she wiped at her eyes. “Aww! They are hugging.”
Before Harper knew it the whole lot of them were hugging her. “Please. Kill me now!” She begged.
Verity said. “Hush female we are hugger’s you will accept the salute and enjoy it or I will be ‘wroth’ with thee. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes ma’am clear as glass.” She replied with a deep sigh.
“Isn’t it crystal?” Storm asked her.
Both Charlie and Harper asked together. “Why?”
Then Harper said. “Crystal is not clear, glass is clear.” They looked at each other and grinned at the old saying they had often quoted as youngsters.
Harper sighed and felt a flame of happiness flare to life in her heart. Damn it was good to be here, even if the lot of them were crazy and friggin huggers!
“While I am talking about family.” Verity said as they all pulled away from Harper leaving her and Frankie alone.
“Was she?” asked Frankie.
“Yep I would say she was!” Harper agreed.
Verity gave them the look she reserved for her sons when they were trying her patience, which had both girls cringing inwardly. Once she was sure her message was received and understood she said. “Now Sunday, five days from now is family day. Which means we spend the day together doing family things, starting with breakfast ending after dinner. You two are expected to show and eat and become acquainted with our ever growing family.”
Harper sucked in her bottom lip then asked. “Really, because you know Frankie and I are not really family?” Really! Family day? Harper thought was this really what her life had come too. Several gasps and smothered coughs occurred when Harper made the observation. Verity asked with arched eyebrows. “I am sorry, did you take that as an invitation for your presence?”
“Well yeah!” Harper said with what she felt was politeness, until Charlie smacked her arm, so seemed it wasn’t. Frankie shook her head and mouthed Rude!
Verity said. “I see! So now you know you were wrong. You will attend Sunday?”
“Yes ma’am, no problem. We will be there.” Frankie said with what Harper could only call glee.
“Oh I know!” Verity stated. Harper refrained from commenting as she eyed the female dragon and started making plans to be gone. Ignoring Frankie’s bouncing up and down and her. “So cool!” comment. Verity almost laughed out loud as she watched the young female, she could almost see her mind trying to find a way out of family day. “Please do not make me have to send my boys to find you, it irritates them.”
“The only excuse acceptable is work.” Sage told her with a look of laughter in her eyes. Charlie said casually, not wanting Harper to know she desperately wanted her there. “We are all inspired to attend with our young ones and as their aunt you will of course want to come and get to know them.” She smiled at Harper, who smirked back at her.
> Rene` said quietly. “You both will attend and Harper, if you have problems with the Faeries of the Grove I suggest you work them out as Queen Scarlett and her light or mate King Elijah will be there.”
Harper stood looking at the crowd of people as Charlie secretly applauded Rene`. Thanks papa she is not going to like it!
I know sweet one but your sister has to come to terms with this, they and she are going to be living in close proximity to each other.
I wish it was that simple!
All expression was wiped from Harper’s face as she asked. “You are serious?”
“Deadly!” said Rene`.
“No!” Harper growled low.
Rene`s dragon growled back. “Yes there is no choice for you here Harper, your sister and her shadow have a rapport with the Grove’s faeries as her family you too...”
“No!” snarled Harper cutting him off. Anger and danger in every line of her body, her eyes bled to mist and her hands balled into fists. “Just no... I will not be made to have anything to do with Faeries. In fact if that is a condition. I am out of here!”
Charlie held her breath as Rene`s face became slightly hard, his eyes elongated as his dragon rose. Reighn slowly walked between them exerting his power, that which made him the Dragon Lord.
“No. It is not a condition, no one will make you associate with anyone you do not wish too. Harper this is to become your home and home is a place to feel safe and welcomed in.” Turning to his father he asked. “Papa do you not want Harper here?”
Rene`s eyes widened as he heard his sons words and shame coated his mind as his dragon subsided saying. I am sorry!
As am I my friend.
Rene` softly said. “I and my dragon are very sorry Harper, forgive us we seem to be taking the defensive where you are concerned. I do not know why. Please know that I wish you here as much as everyone else.”
Harper thought maybe he was not telling the whole truth but he seemed to be contrite and she nodded her head taking the pinched look from Charlie’s face.
“Well okay then.” Frankie said to break the tension between Harper and Rene` “If we are staying.”
“You are.” Reighn and Charlie said together.