by R. G. Angel
Chapter 13
When I woke up in the morning, I had my face buried on Tamlin's chest, and I could feel his calm breathing and his calm heartbeat. I smiled, keeping my eyes closed.
“You’re awake, my fairy.” I could feel his chest rumble with a soft laugh.
“How did you figure that out?” I asked, snuggling closer to his body as he tightened his hold around my waist.
“I noticed the change in your breathing. I’m attuned to you. What can I say?”
I didn’t move but brought my hand up to his cheek, fondling it idly. “I wish we could stay like this forever.”
He tightened his hold on me. “Me too… Me too.” There was longing in his voice.
“So, tell me more about what we are. Fairies? Like, in the books?” I moved a little to look at his face.
“What do you mean ‘like in the books’?” he asked, looking down at me. His eyes were both joyful, loving, and playful. It was so different from the usual stern, serious Tamlin and I enjoyed it immensely.
“I mean, I don’t feel bad surrounded by iron… Am I immortal? Why don’t I have pointy ears?”
He laughed out loud. “Ah… myths, only myths. We are a different… breed, let’s say. We can control the elements to a certain extent; we can help nature to grow… or die. We are also stronger and faster than human beings, but believe me, we are no superman. We don’t have kryptonite, iron or otherwise. We are physiologically different from humans. We don't get sick as easily as they do; we don’t get hurt or break bones as they do, but even if we heal faster, a bullet or a stab wound in the right place and we go bye-bye.”
I tightened my hold on him, resting my hand on a small scar he had on his side. I knew he was a soldier; his life would never be safe, and I didn’t want to lose him. I couldn’t bear the thought.
“I’ll be fine, Fay. I’m not going to leave you.” He kissed the top of my head.
“Reading my mind again.”
“No, I don’t need to do that to know how you feel. I would feel just the same. Anyway, as you already know, we can read each other's minds but only if you give your permission. It’s possible for the purest bloods, royalty of both sides, to get a glimpse of other fairies’ or faes’ minds by touching them even if they are not willing to share, but you can’t see much, only the strongest feeling they have. Some of us can control human minds to a certain extent; the more powerful of a fairy you are, the more you can. Some of us can’t do it.”
“I can!”
“You are royalty; you are powerful; sure, you can… You are as powerful as a fairy or fae can be.”
I hated when he referred to me as royalty. I didn’t want to be royalty; I wanted to be like him.
“What’s the difference between fairies and faes?”
“None. In fact, we started as one clan with two brothers reigning over our world. The followers of King Faegal became the faes. They thought humans were taking their planets for granted, that they should worship us for all we did and that they should come back to their pagan roots and forget their false gods. King Cleon and his followers agreed that humans were wasting their resources away, but we didn’t want to enslave them, hurt them, or worse… destroy them. That’s when our clan separated, and your line continued to reign as the other side grew stronger until today.”
“What is so different today?”
“Your line was weakened a lot with the attacks. You don’t have uncles or cousins to take the throne. There’s minor nobility, sure, but no blood as pure and strong as yours. You are the only one left, and even if you are powerful, living in the human world, forgetting who you are, made your powers dormant. For a fae you are still defenseless. It’s the perfect time to destroy the lineage, and then it will be just so easy for the fae royalty to take over.”
“So everything falls on me?” I trailed off. “Man, you guys are screwed.”
He chuckled. “No, we’re not. You are stronger than you think. You are stronger than anyone thinks. You’ll be the best, most magnificent queen our world has ever known. I know it, deep in my heart and soul.”
“I doubt it.”
“It’s okay, I have enough trust for the both of us.” He sighed heavily. “However, as much as I like being here with you… I need to go now, for duties both fairy and un-fairy related.”
I turned so I lay on my back, looking at the ceiling. “I know… reality had to come eventually.”
He chuckled. “I’ll take you out for lunch; how about that?” He rested on his elbow, tracing my collarbone with his fingertips.
“I’d like that. I’ll try to phone my brother before then, and I need to talk to Gareth. He was upset about something yesterday and I don’t like that.”
I saw Tamlin’s tender look turn into a scowl.
“You don’t like him.”
He shook his head. “There is something… something I can’t really put my finger on.”
“Jealousy?” I said with a small smile.
“Maybe,” he admitted grudgingly, leaning in to brush his lips against my collarbone.
I shook my head as it was probably the stupidest thing I ever heard. “He has nothing on you. I like you.”
“Like?”
“Love, I love you.”
He smiled brightly. “Yeah, that’s more like it. I love you too.” He pecked my lips. “I’ll pick you up at one in this room; don’t be late.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” I winked.
Gareth agreed to meet me at the coffee shop, and I was trying to figure how to find out why he was so weird yesterday.
I smiled when I saw him sitting at his usual table. He was wearing the cufflinks I gave him, and I knew there was still a chance to salvage our friendship. I would make things better with one person anyway.
Nick didn’t answer any of my four calls, and I knew he was mad I was not coming home for Thanksgiving, so I was glad that Gareth at least was receptive.
“Hey! I’m happy you came.”
“I’m happy you called,” he replied as the waiter came with my vanilla latte and his black coffee. “I ordered for us.”
I smiled wider. “I became so predictable?”
He chuckled. “I starting to know you pretty well.” He sighed, serious again. “I’m sorry.”
I raised my eyebrows questioningly.
“Yesterday.” He rubbed his neck in clear discomfort. “I was distant and cold.”
“Really? I didn’t notice,” I said sarcastically.
“It’s just that… the way you two looked at each other…” He shrugged dismissively. “What can I say? I’m not used to not being number one. I’m a sore loser.”
“That I can believe!” I laughed, remembering how he was haughty at first and based on his expensive clothing and model look, he probably had any girl he wanted. I reached for his hand. “But it’s okay, none of us are perfect.”
But as soon as my hand touched his, he removed it as if I burned it. I felt a wave of rejection that turned into puzzlement when I saw his face, full of hurt and disbelief.
“Why did you do it?” he asked, jumping out of his chair like a devil in a box.
“What? I… What? I can’t touch you?”
He shook his head, throwing a bill on the table. “You shouldn’t… you shouldn’t have done that,” he added with a weird mix of hurt, disappointment, and anger in his voice before exiting the café as if he’d been burned.
I looked toward the door, utterly dumbfounded. He had left faster than I thought any human was able to. I would never understand that guy. We were just fine, and the next minute he just freaked on me with no apparent reason. There was no reason for him to get that worked up.
“Don’t you have smaller?” asked the lanky young waiter, bringing me back to reality.
“Hmmm?” I looked down to the hundred-dollar bill he was holding. “You keep the change.” I stood up, reaching for my jacket. “It has nothing to do with me.”
I walked back to my room in a sort o
f daze. Nick still didn’t want to pick up the phone, and Gareth was even more upset than before.
However, all my sullenness faded as soon as Tamlin came to pick me up for lunch; he had the gift to chase all sadness and worry away.
“So tell me, what are we exactly?” I asked him as I reached for a strawberry. They were big and so red and tasty, they tasted almost unreal. When I asked where he found such tasteful fruit, he simply said, ‘I grew them this morning’ as if it were the most banal thing he could say. I tried to look smug, like it was not a big deal, but I was dying for him to show me that.
He smiled, lying down on the blanket he brought. When he picked me up for lunch, he had a picnic basket and a blanket. I told him that, even if I loved the idea of a romantic picnic with him, it was November in Oregon. He had just laughed it off saying he had contacts.
Now, alone in the winter garden, I had to admit it was the best idea ever.
“What we are… That is a tough question. I’m not even sure there is one.”
“Well, there has to be.”
He reached up and pulled me down so I was resting half on top of him. “Oh yeah? Well, tell me where humans come from.”
“Well, Darwin…”
He chuckled again, gently stroking my hair. “I know the evolutionary theory, Fay, as I’m familiar with the ‘God-built-the-universe-and-created-life’ theory too. I’m not asking for theories; I’m asking for answers.”
“I…”
“Speechless? Really? Wow, I’m good.” I didn’t need to look up to know he was grinning.
I playfully slapped his arm, but I was sure that me snuggling closer to him pretty much undermined any anger, fake or not, I could express.
“Give me theories then.”
“Very well.” He kissed the top of my head, tightening his hold around my waist. “The main theory is that we’re some sort of demigods.”
“Demigods? Like… like Perseus or something?”
“Not quite. The story says that there was a man centuries and centuries ago that loved nature and animals, and he was hurting when animals suffered or when the forest was getting damaged. He was a sort of… of empath for the wild life.” He took a deep breath. “You know about the pagan gods, right?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Apparently Earth was becoming more work and the gods themselves couldn't handle it. So they came down and asked him for help. When he agreed, they gave him special power, godly powers to protect nature and wildlife. That man became the first of our breed. For us, he was ‘the first’… for you I guess he was your great, great, many times great-grandfather.”
“Damn… I’m part goddess?” I added, teasing. “How cool is that?”
“For me you're a full goddess.”
I smiled, reaching up to kiss his neck.
“There is also the crazy theory that we might be from another planet.” He chuckled. “I personally like that one.”
“I can be okay with that theory,” I admitted. “I’ve seen some movies with very good-looking aliens.” I turned slightly, seeing the sun already low in the sky. “We need to go back.”
He sighed. “I know but… but let’s stay just a bit longer okay.”
I nodded silently, resting my face in the crook of his neck, breathing deeply his woody scent.
He didn’t need to work to convince me; I had that feeling in the pit of my stomach that things were about to change, and probably not for the best.
We walked back, hand in hand, and I couldn’t care less about the sidelong glances we were getting.
I was happy, and I felt complete—for the first time in my life.
Just before we reached our building, Tamlin stopped in the middle of the path.
“What?” I asked, all my senses on alert.
He jerked his head toward the little clearing where I could see a tall man half hiding behind a tree.
“You need my help?” I asked, knowing I would be as useful as a bag of stone.
He squeezed my hand. “He is one of us; he just needs to talk to me. Go back up. I’ll see you in a bit.” He kissed my forehead, but it seemed awkward, as if he didn’t want that man to see how involved we were.
“See you later.” I let go of his hand, which made me feel cold all of a sudden.
As I got up the elevator, my heart rate started to increase, and some sweat appeared on my forehead. I was having a panic attack. I reached for my phone—no missed calls. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as the elevator reached my floor.
“Just breathe. Calm down,” I whispered after the elevator opened.
I rushed to my room and locked the door as fast as I could, but when I turned around, I had a vision of horror. My beautiful day just turned into the most horrible right before my eyes.
Nausea hit me as my knees gave out and I fell heavily to the floor. I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out. I could not breathe.
Here, lying on my bed, was my brother Nick. Skin sickly white, eyes opened, unblinking and vitreous… lifeless.
My brother was dead; somebody had killed him and left him on my bed as a sickening gift.
Chapter 14
“Nicky?” I croaked in between my gasps for air. “Nicky?” I repeated, crawling toward his body. “Nicky, come on, wake up,” I begged, sobbing.
I brought my hand to his forehead, and his skin was cold. It felt so unnatural… It made me sick.
I saw drops of water on his forehead, making me realize I was crying.
This was not possible; my Nicky couldn’t be gone. “Please, Nicky, don’t do that, please. Don’t leave me. I need you.” I was sobbing so hard now; my body was shaking.
My lungs stopped working; I could not breathe. I was dying here, with my Nicky.
I let my hand wander down his arm and squeezed his fisted hand, bringing it up to kiss his hand.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” I repeated over and over again.
“Fay, Fay, open the door.” I heard Tamlin shout.
Tamlin, he is dead! I wanted to say, but I couldn’t speak. I was not even sure I tried. I used all my force to loosen the fist of my brother's hand to see what he was holding on to so dearly.
I took what he held without even looking and held it tightly in my hand. I was pretty sure I would be bleeding if I held it any tighter but I wanted to feel—feel anything.
It felt like I’d left my body. I could not feel anything physically or emotionally. I could hear some muffled voice, like if I had cotton stuck in my ears.
I didn’t even realize I was not alone in the room until when someone picked me up and sat me somewhere.
I saw Tamlin as he kneeled in front of me and gently wiped my tears with his thumb.
“Fay, Fay, please talk to me. Say something, anything.” He cupped my cheeks in his hands.
“She is in shock,” someone said from beside him, but I was too dazed to look at who it might be.
“I know… Fay?” Tamlin took my hand, and it seemed like his was burning in mine, I was so cold.
“They killed him,” I whispered, finally concentrating on Tamlin’s eyes.
“I know,” he whispered back, his face distorted with his pain for me.
“Bring him back,” I asked with a rekindle of hope. Yes, he could! I saw him transform plastic flowers to real ones.
He looked like his heart was breaking in his chest. “No, Fay, I—”
“Yes!” I pointed to my brother’s lifeless body as nausea hit me once more. “You fix him!” I ordered. “I’m the princess and I demand you fix him!” I shouted.
“I can’t. I’d do anything to bring him back, Fay,” he shouted, so defeated.
“What are you good for then?” I spat, knowing I was not being fair, but the deep hole of pain was eating me alive.
He just stayed kneeling in front of me, his eyes glistening with unshed tears, and I could hear him in my head. ‘Your pain is my pain.’
I took a deep, shaky breath. “My brother… he
is gone?”
Tamlin nodded sadly. “I’m afraid so, love.”
“Why?”
“The best way to destroy you is to hurt the one you love.” I turned my head, finally noticing there was someone else in the room with us.
He was not the man I saw standing by the tree. This one was bigger, older, and with a thick black beard. I didn’t need to know who he was; I could sense the knight in him.
He nodded his head to me. “Princess, my name is Aidan. I’m a member of the royal guard.” He turned to Tamlin. “We need to act now, move the body.”
I looked back to Tamlin still kneeling in front of me. “Move the b—” I couldn’t resign myself to call my brother a ‘body.’ “Move Nicky?” I shook my head. “We have to call the police!”
“We will but— but not from here. They can’t find the body in your room, too many questions. It will raise the attention and I need you safe…” He quickly glanced at Aidan. “We need to keep you safe.”
Aidan whispered something in an unfamiliar language I presumed was Gaelic.
Tamlin turned to him and replied something in the same language, but it was harsh, cold… so unlike him.
“She is in danger here; they sent a Pure Blood after her,” Aidan added in English.
“Pure blood?” I asked slowly, trying my best to avoid looking toward my bed. Every glimpse I had of my poor brother made me want to die.
Tamlin sighed. “It’s not really the time, Fay. You have had enough emotions for the day. I don’t—”
“What’s the pure blood?” I asked, turning toward Aidan, somehow knowing he would not spare my feelings.
“The pure blood is your equivalent in the fae world. The pure blood is the most powerful, gifted of all. Well… except that, in your case, it would take a while to be fully efficient as your gifts went dormant for so long.”
