by Kimbra Swain
His voice echoed in the darkness. Holding Winnie above his head, his body turned to flames. They spread from him to her, licking around her body. The dress she wore caught on fire, and her skin darkened to a charred black.
“No!” I screamed, fighting with Levi to get away. He tugged me back to him. I could feel his body behind me.
He whispered in my ear. “Forgive me for this.”
“Let go!” I screamed.
“Gloriana, hold,” he said. I felt my legs lock into place. I couldn’t move. My bard had captured me completely.
“No, no, no,” I murmured.
“It’s okay. It’s going to be okay, Grace,” he tried to reassure me. We watched as Dylan lowered Winnie’s burning body to the ground. When the last of the flames burned out, there was nothing left but ash.
“Let her go,” Dylan ordered.
“Release,” Levi said.
I barreled toward Dylan who caught me before I made it to what was left of my daughter. “What did you do? Why? What did you do!” I screamed through the tears.
“Grace, look at me,” he said. “She had to be ash to rise. She’s the Phoenix now, except for one thing.”
“What one thing?” I asked.
“There can only be one,” he said. “And I can’t kill myself.” He wiped the tears from my eyes, as I stood in horror.
“I can’t,” I said.
“That’s fine. You can order Levi to do it,” Dylan said.
“I will do it without an order,” Levi said behind me.
“Good man,” Dylan said. “See. This is working out. When I am gone, she will rise.”
I sank to my knees, no longer being able to stand. The pain and grief that had piled up inside of me since Dylan was taken from us poured out of me in howls like the ones little Mark had called out for Winnie. My chest tightened, and my breaths were so labored that I thought I might die from lack of oxygen. Dylan knelt before me, trying to calm me down. He kissed the tears on my cheeks.
“I gotta go, Gracie. Give me just one more minute,” he said with a glint of humor in his eyes.
“I don’t owe you any more minutes,” I stuttered.
“No, you’ve given me a lifetime of minutes, but I’m begging you, My Queen, for one last minute,” he smiled.
“Okay. One last minute,” I said. “I’m counting down from sixty in my head.”
His lips pressed to mine, and I clutched his hair holding him to me. When the minute was over, he looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, “I won’t beg you to do it, but I know that you can.”
“I can’t, Dylan. Please don’t make me,” I said.
“Alright,” he said looking at Levi. “It’s on you, Bard.”
“Okay,” Levi said with a gasp. I felt his sorrow and pain too.
“I love you, Grace. Take care of my children,” he said, smiling at me as Levi snapped his finger.
The crystalline dust faded down into the black ash that was once my daughter’s body. Watching it intently, I heard Levi sobbing behind me.
“Thank you,” I muttered. “I couldn’t do it.”
He cleared his throat and said, “I would do anything you asked me to do.”
I lifted my fist to my mouth, holding back the emotional breakdown that I felt rushing up on me.
Then, tiny sparks of flame flickered in the ashes. They grew from flickers to flares, then into pulsing flames. The ashes burned brightly as they lifted off of the ground. The wind swirled around the field, and the people started moving away from the gathering cloud of fire. Slowly the shape morphed into a large bird covered in flame. The flashing flames burned hotter from red to blue, then to a darker purple. Its shrill call echoed through the night.
Sitting on the ground, I looked up in awe of the first female Phoenix. Pride rumbled through my chest at the beautiful bird flapping her wings in the air. Winnie’s form was much darker than Dylan’s bright fires. Her wings and body pulsed with a heavier glow. A purple radiance. I felt the heat radiate off of her. That familiar heat.
The bird lowered itself to the ground shrinking as it went, and with a slight puff, the raptor turned into my little girl. My naked little girl.
“Winnie!” I called out to her, holding my arms out.
She walked over to me cautiously. “Momma, have you been crying?” she asked.
“Yes, baby. I thought you had left me. I need you here,” I said, hugging her tightly.
“I feel hot. I think I better get some sweet tea pretty quick before I faint,” she said with a smile. Levi sighed behind me at her.
“Winnie, do you feel okay?” Levi asked.
“Yes, but I saw my daddy,” she said.
“What?” I asked. “How did you see Daddy?”
“He was here. Wasn’t he?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said trying to hold it together. “He was here.” How did I tell her that he had given his life so that she could live forever? Would she understand such a thing?
“He had to go,” she said.
“Yes,” I muttered on the brink of losing it.
“I’m going to need another key for my necklace,” she said.
There was no holding it back this time. My lamentations started in my chest, rattling outward. It felt like grief poured out of every pore in my body. I slumped to the ground facing the cool earth beneath me. I heard voices around me as I howled and sobbed. I vaguely remember Levi instructing someone to take Winnie and Aydan home. It must have been Astor.
I cried, digging my fingers into the earth. Levi hovered nearby waiting patiently. Cold agony moved through my body causing me to convulse in wails of mourning. No one stopped me. Not even Levi.
Weeks of not sleeping in a bed and holding back my frustrations and fears took its toll on me. My body felt limp and useless. Drained to the point, that I was sure I wouldn’t be able to pick myself up off the ground. I wasn’t sure I had the will to go on. If something happened to me, I hoped that my children would be taken care of by loving members of my extended family.
“No. They need you,” Levi finally protested my depression. “Take whatever time you need. I will be here, but you will pick yourself up.”
“I hate you,” I muttered.
“I hate me, too,” he said. I didn’t realize how close he was to me. Lifting my head up to look around, the field was empty. The light from the RVs was the only sign of life in the large area.
“I’m sorry,” I groaned. “I should have done it.”
“No, you don’t need to carry that, too. I told you. You’ve got to start sharing this with us. It is why we are here. It is why we chose to serve you, and because of that, your burden is heavy enough. I will carry what you cannot,” Levi said.
I reached over to touch his arm, feeling the tingle of his fairy being. I had felt plenty of fairies in my day, but none felt like Levi. Remembering Dylan’s last moments, there were so many unspoken words between him and Levi. I saw them in each other’s eyes. Dylan knew he would be leaving us. It seemed as though Levi had known as well.
“What time is it?” I asked.
“It’s almost dawn,” he said. “Winnie and Aydan are fine. Nestor is at the house with Astor and Finley. They are waiting for us to come home.”
He pushed himself up off the ground from where he was seated next to my curled body. Offering me his hand, I looked up to him. “I thought you said I had to pick myself up,” I said.
“I say a lot of stupid shit,” he said, trying to lighten the moment.
“So do I,” I said.
“I agree,” he said, looking down at me with the devil in his eyes.
“You know what I am going to say now?” I asked.
“Jerk. Knot. Tail.”
He wiggled his fingers, so I took his hand. As he helped me up, my body protested. I stumbled, but he steadied me.
“I need my children,” I said. “I don’t think I have the power to skip home.”
“That’s fine. I’ve been working on something,” he
smiled. “Home.” The guitar on his arm came to life with a vibrant chord.
With his hand still in mine, we were whisked through a portal which opened up on the front lawn of the farmhouse. Releasing my hand, he motioned toward the house. He wanted me to walk in on my own.
Dylan said that I had strength. He was right, but what he didn’t say was the source of that strength. That source was the people that I loved. The ones who helped me up when I was down. The ones that filled in as mom or dad when I had to be Queen. The ones who worked behind the scenes to secure my kingdom. The one that I knew would never leave my side. The one that sacrificed everything for our daughter.
Stepping on to the porch, I knew I was stepping into the home I’d built for our family. Another wave of sadness overtook me thinking about Dylan and how he would never play with Aydan or take Winnie shopping for dresses. His warmth and kindness wouldn’t fill the house as it had the trailer and his old house. I looked up at the ceiling of the porch trying to compose myself before entering. Someone had painted the ceiling a pale blue like cornflowers. It was a lovely calming color. Just what I needed in this moment. There was power in the paint as well. I could see it flickering with a protective ward.
“How long has that been blue?” I asked.
“Astor painted it when we were putting extra wards on the house,” he said.
“Why blue?” I asked.
Levi moved closer to me, so that he could help me open the door. He gazed up at the ceiling with me. After staring at it for a moment, he said, “It’s to keep out evil spirits. Astor said that it was a form of protection. He called it, Haint Blue.”
A Note From The Author
Sight for Sore Eyes was the hardest story I’ve ever told. It took me longer to write it because of outside distractions. I questioned my own storyline throughout it. Dylan was a character that I created to be a hero for Shady Grove and Grace. He’s fulfilled that destiny in every single way. From the beginning, I knew that Dylan’s end would come, but I also knew that his end would have to be noble.
Writing Chapter 25 pushed my emotions to a frayed edge. So, I’m very aware of how significant it is to my readers. I know that so many of you love Dylan. I tried my best to honor that with a worthy death. I admit, that even as I’m writing this, tears have fallen as I’ve finished my last edit. I’ve cried from time to time over my stories, but never on the first draft. However, this one was different. I cried from the moment that fire bird rose above the bonfire. I cried as each word flowed out of my head to the fingers on my keyboard. I’ve cried with every edit.
Thank you for allowing me to take you on this emotional journey. I know this book in the Fairy Tales of a Trailer Park Queen feels different from the rest. It’s because it came from a much deeper place within myself. If anything, I have always tried to make the fairy life in Alabama real.
In Chapter 14, Grace says about Matthew Rayburn, “I wanted this to be a happy ending, but I’d learned a long time ago, that this life wasn’t a fairy tale. It was a life which included hurt, pain, and death. We may be fairies, but as exiled fairies, a happy ending wasn’t guaranteed.” This is true for our lives as well. Death is something real that all of us face.
Levi says something very significant in Chapter 24 referencing something he said early on about how the Otherworld taught him about death. “As fairies, we don’t take life for granted, but sometimes we forget about death and its impact.” This is future Levi looking back on the story he’s telling for Grace. In a way, I think sometimes we do the same thing as humans. Sight for Sore Eyes was my chance to address death in its many forms. From the anonymous dead human, to the almost dead Matthew Rayburn, to the spiraling William, and finally to Winnie and Dylan, each instance has a significant impact on the citizens of Shady Grove.
Moving forward, Haint Blue will address the rebirth that happens after death. It changes you, and it will change my characters in many different ways. I promise that it will be a lighter book emotionally. Haint Blue will be released in late September 2018 and will be a Halloween themed book.
Thank you for taking this journey with me.
-Kimbra
Character List
Grace Ann Bryant- Exiled fairy queen hiding in Shady Grove, Alabama. Daughter of Oberon. Also known as Gloriana, to her Father and the fairies of the Otherworld. She was called Hannah while traveling with the gypsy fairies before coming to North America. Owns a dachshund named Rufus. Loves orange soda and Crown. Nickname: Glory
Dylan Riggs- Sheriff of Loudon County, Alabama. Fiancé to Grace Ann Bryant. The last living Thunderbird and the only living Phoenix. Also known as Serafino Taranis and Keme Rowtag. Nickname: Darlin’
Levi Rearden- Changeling from Texas brought to live with Grace by Jeremiah Freyman. Given Bard powers by Oberon. Looks good in a towel. Nickname: Dublin
Wynonna Riggs- formerly known as Wynonna Jones, but adopted by Grace and Dylan. Human daughter of Bethany Jones who dies in Tinsel in a Tangle. Given the power of the Phoenix by her father. Nickname: Winnie
Aydan Thaddeus Riggs- son of Dylan Riggs and Grace Ann Bryant. Heir to Thunderbird inheritance.
Nestor Gwinn- Grace’s maternal grandfather. Kelpie. Owner of Hot Tin Roof Bar in Shady Grove. Maker of magical coffee.
Troy Maynard- Police chief in Shady Grove. Wolf shifter. Married to Amanda Capps and father to his adopted son, Mark Capps (Maynard) who is Winnie’s best friend.
Betty Stallworth- wife to Luther Harris. Waitress at the diner. Flirts with everyone. Fairy.
Luther Harris- head cook at the diner. Ifrit.
Tabitha Mistborne- fairy physician. Daughter of Rhiannon. Dating Remington Blake.
Mable Sanders- former spy for Oberon. Fairy Witch. Girlfriend of Nestor Gwinn.
Sergio Krykos- Grace’s Uncle who has taken over the Otherworld. In his first life, he was known as Mordred, half-brother to King Arthur. Goes by the name Brockton.
Oberon- King of the Winter Otherworld. Grace’s father. In his first life, he was known as King Arthur.
Rhiannon- Queen of the Summer Otherworld. Half-sister to Oberon. In her first life she was known as Morgana, a fairy witch.
Remington Blake- Grace’s ex-boyfriend. Dating Tabitha Mistborne. From N’awlins. Sweet talker. One of the Native American Star-folk.
Astor- The ginger knight that Grace brought back from the Summer realm. Formerly betrothed to Grace. Former First Knight of the Tree of Life. In his first life, he was Percival, Knight of the Round Table.
Matthew Rayburn- Druid. Spiritual leader of Shady Grove. Leads services in a Baptist Church which is a portal into the Summer Realm. Enthralled by Robin Rayburn.
Kadence Rayburn- Daughter of Matthew. Ex-girlfriend of Levi. Enthralled by Malcom Taggert. Becomes a fairy. Dating Caleb Joiner.
Malcolm Taggart- Incubus that once tried to seduce Grace. Enthralls Kady.
Caleb Joiner- Lives with Malcom and Kady, but frees Kady from Malcolm.
Riley McKenzie- Daughter of Rhiannon and Jeremiah Freyman. Levi’s ex-girlfriend. Stole the songbook. Fled the Summer Realm with Grace.
Stephanie Davis- Daughter of Rhiannon. Dylan’s ex-girlfriend. Sergio Krykos’ ex-girlfriend. Mother to Devin Blankenship. Missing in the Winter Otherworld.
Joey Blankenship- Tryst with Grace. Enthralled by Stephanie. Father to Devin Blankenship. Turned into a faun by Rhiannon. Escapes the Summer Realm with Grace and his son.
Eugene Jenkins- Mayor of Shady Grove. Former Knight of the Round Table, Ewain. Wife died in childbirth. Father to Ella Jenkins. Partner to Charles “Chaz” Leopold.
Eleanor “Ella” Jenkins- Changeling daughter of Mayor Jenkins. Catches Astor’s eye. Teacher at the fairy school.
Charles “Chaz” Leopold- Also known as “The Lion.” Hairdresser. Second Queen in Shady Grove.
Finley- Grace’s “twin” brother. Married to Nelly. Wears armor portraying the symbol of Grace’s royalty.
Jenny Greenteeth- A grindylow living in Shady Grove. In her
first life, she was known as Guinevere, wife of Arthur, lover of Lancelot. Cursed to her current form.
Tennyson Schuyler- Mob boss. In his first life, he was known as Lancelot, Knight of the Round Table. Oberon calls him Lachlan.
Cletus and Tater Sawyer- Last human residents of Shady Grove. Comical, but full of heart.
Yule Lads- A group of Christmas Trolls who moved into town. Lamar is the most frequently mentioned with his various peg legs. Others include: Phil, Cory, Willie, Chad, Keith, Kevin, Phillip, Ryan, Bo, Richard, and Taylor.
Michean Artair- Solomonar. Owner of Magic Vape. Produces magical liquids for all occasions.
Brittany Arizona- Shady Grove’s tattoo artist.
Bramble and Briar- Brownies who live in Grace’s house, but are attached to Winnie. Hired by Caiaphas to watch over Grace. Now in servitude to Grace.
Caiaphas- Leader of the now defunct Sanhedrin. Former Knight of the Round Table.
Fordele and Wendy- King and Queen of the Wandering Gypsy Fairies. Fordele was Grace’s lover ages ago.
Josey- Grace’s former neighbor in the trailer park. Perpetually pregnant. Goddess of the Tree of Life. Also known as Lillith.
Jeremiah Freyman- Deceased. Former member of the Sanhedrin that brought Grace, Dylan, Levi, and most of the other fairies to Shady Grove. Worked for Oberon. Father of Riley. Former Knight of the Round Table. Known as Tristan.
Deacon Giles- Farmer in Shady Grove. Krampus.
Connelly Reyes- First Knight of the Fountain of Youth. Former Knight of the Round Table known as the Grail Knight, Galahad. Best friends with Astor.
