He decided to put it out of his mind for the moment. "Where do you want to start?" he asked Conner.
"I don't know," Conner said. "You pick."
Alec pointed to the left. "Let's go check the fountains. We'll let the girls question people. I doubt anyone will want to talk to us, considering what we are."
Conner nodded without argument.
Alec watched Conner for a moment and wondered if things would ever return to normal. Love had a way of screwing things up and a part of him wished he'd never met Harper. The other part of him, of course, couldn't imagine living without her.
THREE
Chloe walked the streets of her hometown, marveling at how nothing had changed in the many years since she'd last been there. It was still as beautiful as ever. There was no electricity; they fey didn't need it. They had magic that was used to power anything they needed.
Did she miss it? Part of her did. She missed the camaraderie the most. Everyone in the forest knew each other, and treated each other like family. For the most part, nobody lied or stole. She remembered a few times that she had; she'd taken her friend's doll when she was eight, and when she was nine, she'd lied about her math homework. Those things had weighed heavily on her mind. She had been convinced at the time that it was the reason for her parent's deaths. She was being punished.
Chloe didn't know where she was going until she ended up in front of her old house. Nobody had moved in. It was in the exact condition she'd left it in. She went to the front door. It was unlocked -- of course it was. The fey had no reason to lock their doors.
She could walk away now. There was no reason for her to go inside. But she found herself opening the door and going inside. There were pictures up on the mantle, pictures of her parents at their handfasting ceremony, and pictures of Chloe when she was young.
She picked up one. She had been playing the flute during it. She hated the flute at first. That's why she'd stolen the doll. She'd wanted it instead, but her parents had insisted she learn to play music. Later on, she'd been grateful. Music had a special ability among the fey; it had healing and calming properties.
Chloe wondered if her flute was still in her room. She went to it, and looked around. Nothing had changed. Her bedspread was dusty, but still colorful. Her clothing hung in her closet. The rug she'd begged her parents to trade for was on the floor under her desk, musty with age.
When she was done looking around, she prepared herself and went to her parents' room. There were changes here. Someone had removed the bodies and cleaned up the blood. It didn't look at all as if death had been in it. She went to the closet, her fingers tracing over the knob. She had hid here, watching, while her parents were killed.
She went into the closet, and sank onto the floor. When she peered out the closet, she could see it all over again. Chloe realized she was crying. She missed her parents terribly. What would they think of Brittney? Would they approve? She didn't think they'd have a problem with her being a woman, but what if they cared that she wasn't fey?
Chloe got out of the closet, left the house, and wandered down the streets. She was looking for someone specific, and eventually she found him.
"Mikael," she greeted.
"Chloe?"
The fairy she'd been searching for was short, with red hair, and the most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen. His wings protruded from his back; there was no reason to hide his identity here at home.
"It's been years," he said. "How long? Thirteen?"
"Fourteen," she said.
"Where have you been?" Mikael asked.
"I've been busy," Chloe asked. "I went through a rough patch for a while but then I made friends, and I've been helping them. Can I have a hug?"
Mikael had been one of her best friends growing up. He grabbed her and hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad you're home," he said.
"I'm not staying," Chloe told him. "I came to help with the problems facing the forest, and then I'll be gone again. I have a life out there now, Mikael."
Mikael made a face at her. "You belong here with the fey."
"Don't give me that," Chloe said. "You have no idea the things I've been through. I don't belong here anymore."
"Fine, fine," Mikael said, and smiled at her. The expression warmed her heart. "You should at least come and visit occasionally. I've missed you."
"I missed you too," Chloe admitted. "Mikael, I was hoping you could help me with something."
"Anything."
"I need advice from a fairy of love," Chloe said. "I know your talents weren't fully developed when I left, but I'm sure they are now. "
Mikael grinned. "Chloe McAllister, in love. Who would have thought? Of course I'll help you, Chloe. What's the problem?"
Chloe hesitated. "I'm in love with someone. She loves me too. I'm sure of that much. But I don't know if we belong together because she's not fey. Someone told me that I'd fall for a fey. Maybe you could tell me if that's true or if he was wrong."
Mikael took her hand and held it close to his heart. He breathed in deeply and then allowed a light pink mist to escape his mouth. It covered Chloe's face. She waited impatiently while he thought.
"Chloe, sweetheart," he said, "you will become handfasted to a fey someday."
"No."
"Yes," he said. "That's what I understand, of course. My powers are strong, and I'm rarely wrong. Whoever told you that you'd fall for a fey wasn't lying or tricking you. You belong with us, and sooner or later, you're going to fall for one of us."
"Not you," Chloe teased.
"Are you kidding?" Mikael said. "Oh that's right, you've been gone. You didn't hear. I was handfasted to Anastasia."
Chloe stared at him, wide-eyed. "You hated each other as kids," she pointed out. "In fact, you were the one to help me steal her doll."
Mikael laughed. "Sweetheart, people change. We changed, we fell in love. We are expecting our second child. We're naming her Amber, after your mother."
Chloe felt tears fill her eyes again, and wiped angrily at them. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You'd do that for me?"
"Yes," Mikael said. "We all loved Amber. Giving her life to protect those children from the vampires was one of the most noble things that a fey can do. She deserves to live on."
Chloe threw her arms around Mikael again. She kissed his cheek heartily. "You're the best friend someone could ask for," she said. "I'll come back, Mikael. I promise. I won't just disappear again. You have no idea what that means to me, naming your child after my mother."
"It's nothing," Mikael said, pushing her gently away.
"It's everything," Chloe said. "I have to go for now, Mikael. Can we have dinner sometime? I want to see Anastasia. I want to meet your first child. I want to see your home."
"You're welcome any time," Mikael said. He kissed her cheek and then squeezed her hand. "You made a promise," he told her. "You won't disappear again. I expect you soon. Not tonight, sure, but soon. I'm holding you to it. Do you understand?"
"Yes," Chloe said. She wiped the tears from her eyes again. The two of them went their separate ways and Chloe made her way through the forested town. She stopped on occasion to greet someone she used to know. The nice thing about the fey was that they never forgot a face. Soon she was caught up on much of the gossip and events that had taken place.
The only mar on the day was what Mikael had said. She'd end up with one of the fey someday, and Brittney was wonderful, but Brittney wasn't fey.
FOUR
"Where should we start?" Conner asked Alec. They walked together throughout the forested village, both of them observing the differences between it and Las Vegas. It was a beautiful place; Conner remembered Chloe once telling him that the fey loved beauty above all else.
There were gardens everywhere with colorful flowers, wooden benches with twisted handles, and painted rock gardens. Birds flitted back and forth overhead, unaware of the land they were now a part of. Conner thought he saw a rabbit as well, and he definitely saw a doe. The animals seemed
wholly unconcerned with their presence.
"How should I know where to begin?" Alec asked.
Conner glanced over at Alec and frowned. The vampire looked irritated; his face was withdrawn, and his arms were folded over his chest. On occasion, he kicked out at a rock that was in his way.
"What's the matter with you?" Conner asked.
"You broke up with Harper." Alec said.
Conner blinked. "Wait, you're upset about it?"
"Yes," Alec said.
"Why? You love her," Conner said. "I would have thought you'd be happy that I ended things with her. That frees her up."
"You're an idiot," Alec said. "I was happy she was with you. It meant she wasn't trying to constantly get with me. Don't you realize, Conner, that Harper and I can never be together? Now she's going to think there's a chance again and I'm going to have to break her heart all over again."
Conner glared at Alec, starting to get angry himself. "So what? I should have stayed with a woman I know didn't love me because it would have made it easier for everyone else? What about me, Alec? Don't I deserve a chance at finding love?"
Alec scoffed. "You've had plenty of chances. You ruined them. Besides, Harper would have fallen in love with you eventually. She cares about you."
Conner threw a punch at Alec. Alec wasn't expecting it and took it right in the nose. He couldn't transform, but that didn't stop him from hitting back. He slammed his fist into Conner's stomach and he doubled over. In an instant, they were fighting tooth and nail, rolling on the ground, trying to pummel each other.
A few of the fey walked past, but nobody tried to stop them. Conner was grateful for this; he didn't think he'd be able to stop if someone tried to stop him. He wanted to beat Alec into a bloody mess. All his pent up anger and frustration was coming out in the fight.
In the end, they both finally fell away from each other on the ground. They were covered in fresh bruises, ripped clothing, and lacerations. Alec's nose was bleeding heavily, and Conner had a cut above his left eyebrow that would need stitches if he was human. Since he wasn't, it would heal on it's own.
They looked over at each other. Conner was still angry, but out of energy. He knew he could really hurt Alec if he tried.
"Harper isn't something you can just give away," he said. "She's not a thing. She deserves better than that. I don't care how hurt you are that you can't have her, that doesn't give you the right to treat her like a possession."
"I know," Alec said.
"Do you?" Conner asked. "Because that's how you're acting, Alec. You can't have her so you're going to pass her to someone who can, like she can't make her own decisions."
"I just want her to be happy, Conner."
"Then let her find love on her own and don't try and force it," Conner said. "She doesn't love me. Maybe someday she will, but she doesn't love me right now, and she can't have you. But someday, she'll find someone that'll make her happy."
"And if she doesn't?"
Conner shrugged. "What if none of us find someone? Look at Sarah. She thought she found someone, and she just lost him. Samuel's gone, and he's not coming back. Who's to say that any of us are ever going to find love, Alec? We have each other though. Isn't that enough?"
"I don't know."
"Well, figure it out," Conner said. He stood up and touched the cut above his eyebrow. "Because I'm not above hitting you again."
Alec sat up and sighed. "I'm sorry. You're right."
"I know."
"You don't have to be so smug about it," Alec said.
Conner laughed. He held a hand out to Alec, which he took, and came to his feet. Then he pinched his nose and held his head up to stop the bleeding.
"You know, you're my best friend, Alec," Conner said.
"I am?" Alec asked.
"Yes. Didn't you know that?"
Alec was quiet for a moment and Conner had to resist the urge to hit him again. "Yeah, I guess I did. Thanks, Conner," he finally said.
Conner frowned. "You know, the appropriate answer when someone says they're your best friend is to return the favor."
"I've never had a best friend," Alec said. "Unless you count Ileana. She was my best friend. I'm sure I had one growing up, but I don't remember. It was so long ago."
"I remember my first best friend," Conner said. "His name was Chris. We were four years old. We used to share our candy at preschool. He always had better candies than I did, but I suppose I could convince people to do what I wanted, even then. He ended up moving though, and I never had another best friend, not until you."
Conner stared at Alec. "You saved me, you know. With that poker game. You could have killed me. You could have sent me away from Las Vegas. Instead, you took me in, you gave me a home, and a place to belong. That's why you're my best friend."
Alec cleared his throat. "I can't say you're my best friend, Conner, because all of you are. I never thought about it before Chloe came along, and then you, and then Sarah. Then Harper and Brittney. I always just thought I was the type that would never have friends. But I was wrong. I care about you guys. That's as sentimental as I'm getting though, so don't expect more."
"I don't."
"Good," Alec said. "Come on, let's keep looking around."
FIVE
"I'm going for a run," Sarah told Brittney and Harper.
"We're supposed to stick together," Harper said. "We're supposed to be figuring out why the demons are able to find this place. Is this really the time for a run?"
Brittney nodded her agreement. "Harper's right. Now isn't the time."
Sarah shrugged. She didn't care what her friends thought at the moment. "I'm going for a run," she repeated. "If you can catch me, you can stop me."
She knew neither of them would be able to keep up, so she took off in a run, her tennis shoes thumping out a rhythm on the dirt ground.
Running was the only thing that kept her sane sometimes. She had begun running when she joined Afterlife, and she hadn't stopped since. When she went too long without it, she felt like she was losing her mind. She processed things as she ran, but today, she tried to keep things off her mind.
Sarah wasn't paying attention when she ran directly into one of the fey. He was a younger man with brown hair and brown eyes. He looked a little like Chloe.
"I'm so sorry," she said, extending a hand down to help him up. "I wasn't watching where I was going."
He accepted the hand and hoisted himself to his feet. "No harm done," he told her. "You're not one of us, though, are you? But you're not a demon either. Are you one of the ones helping us? Did you come here by mistake?"
"It's no mistake," Sarah said. "I'm here to help figure out why your woods are being invaded."
"And you're figuring that out by running?"
Sarah laughed, though it felt forced. There was little to laugh about these days. "No, but I needed to clear my head."
"And you clear your head by running?"
"Yes."
"Why don't you come in for a cup of tea?" he invited. "I find that tea clears the mind much better than running in circles. Because that's what you'd be doing. This entire place is a circle, believe it or not."
"Oh, no," Sarah said. "I couldn't impose."
"It wouldn't be an imposition," he told her. "Please, I could use the company."
Sarah wanted to refuse, but she didn't want to be impolite either. They were guests in the forest, after all. Guests that were there to help, but guests nonetheless.
"I really have to finish my workout," she told him. "I haven't done any boxing or any weight lifting today. I'm trying to run more to make up for it."
"Then run after," he said.
"Alright," she agreed. "But just one cup, okay?"
He smiled. "I'm Joseph."
"Sarah."
"Come on, Sarah," Joseph said. He led her to his house, which was made out of trees, of course. He led her inside and she looked around. It was just as beautiful inside as out. There was a set of drums in the c
orner, a guitar, and a flute.
"Do you play?" she asked.
"Oh, yes," Joseph said. "They fey are very musical creatures. We have centuries to hone our talents. There's nothing quite as beautiful as music, wouldn't you say? Would you like me to play you something?"
"No," Sarah said. "Thank you, though. Just the tea."
"Of course," Joseph said. He went to his kitchen and she could hear him rummaging around. A few minutes later, he returned with two cups and a teapot. He poured one for each of them. "I hope you like herbal."
"Sure," Sarah said. She tried a sip and was almost blown away by the taste. It was delicious. She quickly took another. "It's really good."
"I'm glad you like it,"Joseph said. "Now, you were running for a reason, and it had nothing to do with exercise or with clearing your mind. You were running to escape something. What was it?"
Sarah didn't want to share with a complete stranger, but she knew the fey didn't lie, and she would feel bad breaking tradition while in one of their homes. She took another sip of the tea and set the cup down. "My boyfriend left me."
"Why?"
"Because he realized we wouldn't work out," Sarah said. "He became a vampire. It was an accident, but there's no cure, and he knew we couldn't have a relationship with him like that. So he went home and we broke up."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Joseph said. "If I had to guess, you think you'll never find someone else."
"I don't know that I want to," Sarah admitted. "I was happy before he came, and I'll be happy again after. It's just going to take some time."
"Do you believe that?"
"I don't know."
"Can I show you something, Sarah?" Joseph asked.
"Sure."
Joseph went to the mantle above his fireplace and took down a photograph. He brought it over to her.
"This was my first wife," he said. "Beautiful woman. Clara. She died of an accident. Fell from a tree she was climbing and hit her head. Normally fey can heal themselves pretty easily but the head wound was too grievous and she couldn't use her powers. We took her to our best healer, but there was nothing he could do. Then we took her to a doctor in the city and he could do nothing either. So she died."
Trees in the Desert (Afterlife Book 8) Page 2