by Zoe Parker
Chapter Nine
Gray
Four months have gone by since the last time I saw Oki. It's hard to believe that the same man I fell in love within such a short time, is also the Keelut. I found a local library that had a whole section on the Inuit people, including their myths and legends. I couldn't find a lot on the Keelut, but from what I could find, I can understand where Yuka's prejudices about him came from. He's not painted in a very good light. But, I know different.
As time goes by, I miss Oki more and more. Not because of what he did for me, but because of how he made me feel when we were together. How I long for him when we're apart. I really did love him, and it tore me apart that we couldn't be together.
Even though I'm miserable over losing Oki, I didn't let it put me back into a depression like when Anik died. I'd decided to make a better life for myself and my children, back when I opened myself to the idea of dating again, and that is what I'm going to do.
Being out of work for a little over two weeks put a major dent in my savings, so I end up working several double shifts once I start feeling up to it. I also had to buy a new cell phone, which cost a pretty penny. But, eventually, I'm able to move us out of Jissika's house and into an even smaller two-bedroom house just down the street. It's not anything special, but it is ours. The boys miss living their aunt and great-grandmother, but I know they're happy to have more space. It doesn't hurt that they still get to see them every day as well.
Just as the boys start to find their happiness again, tragedy strikes our family once more. Yuka falls ill and begins the process of fading away. That's what she calls it. The boys are devastated.
Yuka's death is a slow process, and it's painful to watch. I sit with her whenever Jissika can't, and whenever I'm not working or sleeping. I read to her and talk to her, but for the most part, she just sleeps. I may not be her favorite person, but I owe so much to her, and not because of Anik and our sons. She deserves respect and appreciation.
One day while the boys and Jissika are at school, and I'm reading to her from the newspaper, Yuka opens her eyes. She stares as if she's seeing something in the distance.
"Angunta," she whispers, almost too low for me to hear. "I am ready Angunta." I stand up and lean over her to see if I can get her attention, but she continues to stare off into space. "I am sorry. I was wrong," she says as her eyes close and she lets out her last breath.
Yuka was gone.
Chapter Ten
Oki
I left Gray's town the moment I ran as a wolf from her front porch. I didn't trust myself to not run back to her if I remained close, so I went halfway across the continent in search of someone to fulfill my duty to the gods. I became bitter at my lot in life and for a while, I just roamed the countryside as my wolf, avoiding all other life and the call of the Keelut.
I'm not sure I know how long I did this, but one day as I lay in a cave, Angunta appeared. I don't see a spirit with him, but I could sense the good soul nearby that had recently passed. I know he has a reason for bringing it with him.
He sees me lying with my head on my front paws, not moving, in the back of the cave and tisks. "What are we going to do with you, Oki?" he chuckles.
I know how pathetic I look, but I don't care. I will only ever know death. What did I do to deserve life and love? Nothing. So I have every right to mope.
"Will you please change to your human form?" he asks. "The friend that I brought with me would like to have a conversation with you if you don't mind."
With a huff, I stand up, and as I do so, I transform into my human form, clothes and all. "What do you want, Angunta?" I ask, wanting to get to the point.
We walk toward the mouth of the cave, and as we do, the spirit of Yuka meets us. Stunned, I stop in my tracks and stare open-mouthed.
"Hello, Keelut," she smiles. "Angunta was kind enough to let me make a stop before resting in Adiuvn. You see, I made a mistake."
I look over at Angunta, and he just nods his head it Yuka's direction, as if to tell me to pay attention.
"I told you that you weren't good enough for Gray and my great-grandsons. I lied."
"You lied?"
Yuka nods her head. "I was scared of you and what I thought you meant, but you only brought out the best in Gray. You made her appreciate life and love for the first time in years. A creature of only death could not have achieved that feat. I am sorry, Oki."
I think over what Yuka is telling me for a moment before responding to her. "Thank you for saying that, but even if it were possible to give Gray the love she deserves, how can I? I am an immortal being. She'll eventually get old and die, while I stay the same. I'll watch her sons get old and die as well. I can't do that. I love her too much to sit by and watch it all happen and not be able to stop it."
"What if you could change that?" Angunta says, making me turn in his direction. "You immortal status, I mean."
"What are you saying?" I ask.
He smiles his confusing smile and I want to pummel him. I would do it if I didn't want answers so badly.
"I am an original god," he says. "Gods like me gave you life and purpose. You've done your duty, and have done it well for a long time, my friend. I believe it's time for you to retire. What do you say? Do you want to give up the Keelut and become a mortal being?"
"Give up the Keelut?"
"You can keep your human and wolf forms, but the Keelut would need to pass to another. It is the immortal part of you, after all."
I didn't hesitate. "Yes!" I went to stand in front of Angunta. "Do it now, please!"
He lightly chuckles. "It will hurt, but once the pain passes you will no longer be immortal. You will get illnesses, you can feel physical pain, and you will eventually die. Are you sure this is what you want?"
"Yes!"
Angunta laughs again. "Okay, my friend."
"Enjoy your life, and take care of my family," Yuka says, taking a step back.
"I will," I smile, but before I can say anything else, a jolt of what I assume is pain shoots throughout my entire body. I fall to the ground, writhing as my body burns. I don't know how long it lasts, but when I come to, I'm completely alone in the cave.
I move slowly to get up. After I'm upright, I try to transform into my Keelut, but it never comes. Smiling I call for my wolf, instantly taking that form. Once I'm used to the form, because it feels completely different now, I take off running toward my future.
I get pretty far before my body becomes tired, something I'm not used to. I stop and rest, then decide to look for sustenance since that's what mortal beings do. It took eight days, but I finally make it back to the town where Gray lives.
I stop at the tree line behind her house, but her truck isn't there. Confused, I transform into my human form and call for some clothing, thankfully I'm still able to do that. I approach the front door and look up and down the street, seeing her truck parked three houses away. I decided to investigate further and walk over to that house. Her truck has to be there for a reason.
I walk up to the front door and knock. I've waited for Gray for what seems like forever, and although that was difficult, it's nothing compared to the anticipation of seeing her, knowing that we can be together now. That's if she'll have me.
I wait for almost a minute, and I take a step toward the door to knock again when it swings inward quickly. Gray is standing there with a wild, desperate look on her face.
"Gray, I…" I don't get to finish my sentence. She takes a short running jump into my arms, her lips slamming down onto mine. She kisses me with all the passion I have for her, and I know that my love has missed me as much as I have missed her.
This woman is my future, and I plan to show her and her children all the love and happiness that I can during my mortal life here on Earth, no matter how long that may be.
About the Author
Rinna Ford is a Southern girl that lives in the Midwest USA. She lives with her amazingly sexy husband, two adorable daughters, a lazy dog, a
nd a skittish cat. She loves music, sushi, Game of Thrones, and getting packages in the mail (much to her husband's dismay). Rinna Ford is the pen name the author uses to write the stories that float around in her head.
You can follow her here:
www.facebook.com/rinnafordauthor/
Copyright © 2019 Angela Camilla Pontone
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the writer, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permissions contact: [email protected]
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Written by: Angela Camilla Pontone
Edited by: Anne Crawford
Matty, why is Heaven so far away?
The following story is a Paranormal Romance - Reverse Harem with dragons and fae.
Everything looked blurred in the pale light that was gradually diluting the darkness. The dawn was fast approaching, and soft pink tinted the sky. Outside my window, the snow fell slow, silent, a cruel, greedy lover caressing the earth.
It was magical, wonderful, and … terrifying. I watched as it sifted down from the sky, covering the world in soft white death. It was killing everything. Winter had arrived and had never left. The frost had turned the land barren. Nothing grew, and what food there was wasn’t even enough to feed the animals. People were hungry and desperate. The seasons were no longer in balance. As Queen, my life was intricately bound up with the life of my world. It was my duty to protect my people.
But I failed. Faery was dying and it was my fault. The mission I’d summoned my three dragons for was a last, desperate attempt to turn things around and save my world.
1
Victoria
Sleep had evaded me for hours, and it was still too early to get up. With a sigh, I picked up the book from my bedside table and lit the candle. A Children’s History of Faery. I hoped it would be sufficiently boring—especially since I already knew the history of my world—to lull me back to sleep. Opening it, I began to read.
Once upon a time there was a goddess, the Goddess of Fate, who fell in love with a mortal. The other deities were offended by this, and exiled her to another world. They gave her lover the chance to return to Earth, to leave the Goddess to her sad fate, but he refused. Years passed and the new world became their home.
Other humans, friends and relations of the Goddess’s lover, occasionally came through the portal to the new world as well, and some of them stayed. As the years went by, infused with the magic of that new place that had partially absorbed the power of the Goddess, they began to change.
Thus was born a new race. In honor of the Goddess, its people were called Fae, from the Latin Fatae, meaning he who commands destiny. Over the years, the Fae began to learn how to use the forces of nature to their advantage. Some of them learned to manipulate the wind, others fire, water, air, or earth. They became skilled and powerful enough to transform their world, making it rich and prosperous.
Five children were born of the union between the Goddess and her human lover, four sons and a daughter. But only their daughter inherited the power of the Goddess. She could foresee the future, manipulate destiny, and govern all the forces of nature, not just one like the rest of the Fae. It was logical, then, that Faery’s throne should pass to her when she reached adulthood.
But the Goddess loved each of her children and wanted them to play an important role in her reign. Her world had grown, and many wished to make it their home by swearing eternal loyalty to her. So she decided to divide her world into four kingdoms. Each was entrusted to one of her sons, but all were subject to the power of her daughter, the Queen. For a while things went well, but eventually the four regents of the Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall Kingdoms decided they weren’t satisfied with their lot. Hungry for power, they conspired against their sister, the Queen.
Seeing their discord, the Goddess intervened. She created a race of dragons, monstrous beings with superhuman strength. They swore to defend the Queen and became her guards.
Even then, all was not perfect in Faery. A new enemy arose: the Solitary Fae. These were Fae who, no one knew why, were born with no power of their own to govern the forces of nature. Instead, the Solitary Fae were parasites. They sucked all forms of energy around them, becoming overwhelmingly powerful in the process.
In response to this problem, the Goddess created the first Twin Flames: dragons who were destined to unite with one or more of their kind. With their bond, they became even more powerful and indestructible, so strong that the Solitary Fae couldn’t suck their energy. The emergence of Twin Flames, though not universal among the dragons, made polygamy a normal state among those of their race.
The Fae, on the other hand, strongly disapproved of the Twin Flames and their unions. Over time, most of the Fae had become lazy and proud. They looked down on the race of dragons, considering them worse than slaves. Though the dragons died for them and their Queen, they were still regarded with contempt . . .
I shut the book in my lap, closed my eyes for a moment, and opened them again with a sigh. There would be no more sleep for me that night.
Everything looked blurred in the pale light that was gradually diluting the darkness. The dawn was fast approaching, and a soft pink tinted the sky. Outside my window, the snow fell slow, silent, a cruel, greedy lover caressing the earth.
It was magical, wonderful, and . . . terrifying. I watched as it sifted down from the sky, covering the world in soft white death. It was killing everything. Winter had arrived and had never left. The frost had turned the land barren. Nothing grew, and what food there was wasn’t even enough to feed the animals. People were hungry and desperate. The seasons were no longer in balance. As Queen, my life was intricately bound up with the life of my world. It was my duty to protect my people.
But I’d failed. Faery was dying and it was all my fault. The mission I’d summoned my three dragons for was a last, desperate attempt to turn things around and save my world.
My parents had been dead for less than a year. I hadn’t had time to mourn their loss. I had a kingdom to run and, to be honest, I couldn’t think of a less qualified person to do it. I’d thought I would have more time to prepare and learn; instead, at nineteen, I’d found myself with a heavy crown on my head. Sometimes it felt like a crown of thorns—it gripped my head so tightly, wounding me, that I wanted to take it off and throw it away. But I couldn’t. I was a queen and I had to behave like one.
There was a knock at the door of my room. Wiggling my toes to warm up my bare feet, I wrapped the heavy woolen blanket even more tightly around me. I knew I shouldn’t have opened my window with this cold, but I needed the fresh air. Sometimes I felt like I was suffocating. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
“Come in.” My voice was little more than a whisper.
“Your Highness.” I’d gotten used to the title. It was a reminder of why I had to keep fighting: too many people depended on me. I turned and gave the old man a smile, though my face was numb from cold. “Your guests have arrived.” His eyes looked into mine with a mixture of pride and concern.
Every fiber of my being resisted the mission I was about to embark on: the extreme danger it implied, and the fact that there was no guarantee of success. I knew there was a very real possibility it was too late. But there was another reason I was reluctant to meet with the three dragons who were waiting for me downstairs. I’d had a vision about them, and now I was doubly terrified.
I sighed. “Ask them to take a seat in the council chamber. I’ll be right there.”
Albert bowed s
lightly. His white hair was neatly trimmed and combed to one side and his uniform, always perfectly ironed, consisted of a simple dark suit. It wasn’t overly elegant, yet he wore it with a refinement that even noblemen envied. I didn’t know how old he was; all I knew was that he’d been around for as long as I could remember. He’d always looked the same, the skin around his gray eyes etched with fine lines and a gentle smile on his face. He’d been my mother’s most loyal servant. And now he was mine.
He smiled again. I could read in his expression all the faith he had in me and his hope that somehow I would find a way to save our world. My heart contracted as I saw the light in his eyes. His expectations of me were high, and I wasn’t sure I could live up to them. I nodded at him and he went out, closing the door behind him.
Of the hundreds of guards and servants in the castle, he was the only one I could always count on. His loyalty and affection were the only anchors I had left in my life. I couldn’t trust anyone else. I always had to watch my back and be wary of anyone who came too close to me. I was the Queen, but I felt like a prisoner in my own kingdom. Many people saw me only as a spoiled brat, too young to be able to rule. They weren’t entirely wrong, to be honest, but I would never have admitted it openly. Maybe I was incompetent, but I would do anything to gain the trust of my subjects—as I’d proved by inviting my new guests to the castle.
