Bloodlines

by Trisha Lynn

Chapter Forty-Four

  Over an hour passed of eating, steady conversation and mingling with everyone. Apparently the cake had been made by Saibol and it was completely organic with real cocoa and dark chocolate, something the Fae could process easier. Adeila had almost wept at the idea of being able to eat chocolate, especially a cake, as it was something she'd never really been able to eat in the past but she'd never even considered trying to find something organic. She'd hugged Saibol and thanked her, and then had helped herself to a mammoth slice. Saibol had insured her that her mother made chocolate baked goods often, and that the bakery in the village made many chocolate things, so Adeila was set whenever she returned to Faerie.

  When finally they began cleaning up and it was only Saibol, Sorryn, Kami, Loki and herself, did Loki finally lug the presents from her parents inside, and gave her the go ahead to open one specific gift that was wrapped in silver paper.

  Her mother’s beautiful calligraphy scrawled across the note on the top.

  Our Daughter,

  We had this made for you.

  It marks you as a Fae and we hope that you use it whenever you wish to speak with us.

  Even if it's just to say hello.

  We miss you far more than words can express.

  And love you with every bit of our hearts.

  Loki knows what to do and will guide you.

  Please listen to his wisdom.

  I cannot wait to see your beautiful face, and hear your lovely voice.

  So open the gift, our daughter

  Love always, with the moon and stars,

  Your Mother and Father

  Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and every homesick emotion that she had stamped down, came up to the head and threatened to spill over. She heard the sound of some of the Fae leaving the room, and she knew without a doubt that it was left to just her and Loki. She felt his presence against her magical barrier, like a warm blanket against her skin. She knew he was close without looking up.

  Taking a long breath, she ripped at the shimmering silver paper and uncovered something so stunning it took her breath away. And knowing its use made her breath whoosh out.

  A mirror. But not just any mirror, her mirror. Made for her. It was a little bit smaller than Loki's and its finish was shinier. It was like polished silver. The frame was the head and body of a Unicorn. The horn was at the top, and the hooves and body wrapped around the mirror, the handle engraved as the animals flowing tail. Here and there a rose blossom was engraved with the horse, giving it dimension and even more beauty. The details were astonishing, the eyes of the animal set deep and knowing. The horn was long and braided, giving the frame a not entirely perfect oval or circular shape, more of the horses curved position shape.

  It was magical, and mystical and so well detailed that she ran her fingers along every etched muscle, and every flow of mane and tail; almost forgetting the message behind the idea of the mirror itself over its stunning beauty. Even Loki stepped closer to examine it.

  “It's quite extraordinary.” His eyes were wide and a mask of sheer admiration made his golden eyes soft and his face touchable. “May I?” He extended his hands towards it, gingerly, in case she said no.

  As she'd looked up at him, Adeila had slowly stopped her fingers from running over it a fourth time. Tears shimmered in her blue eyes, but there was a smile on her lips.

  How could you not be happy when given something so extraordinary, so beautiful and so very meaningful? This was a gateway into the life of the Fae. A true means of communicating with its people, beyond the realms, beyond the dimensions that separated them.

  She smiled at Loki, and slowly handed him the lovely mirror. He did much as she did, by running his fingers along each crevice and line.

  “Ervyn outdid himself entirely, with this one.”

  Her brows knit together; she had no idea of who he spoke.

  He looked at her bemused expression and elaborated. “Ervyn is the best of the best mirror makers or any frame maker, for that matter, in the Fae realm. His shop sits in the southern valley region of Neberuk, close to the border of Oakend. His son Gambron is his predecessor and handles most orders, but Ervyn still does some special orders. This is evidently the elder Handly Frame's owner’s spectacular work. His eye for detail is unmatched.”

  With a small smile he handed it back to her. Allowing her a few more moments to run her fingers over it and admire it. “Did he make your mirror?”

  Loki nodded. “Yes, he was the first to invent, design and manufacturer communication mirrors. He has an inventors mind and with his magical abilities, is able to fuse magic within the item, but on a much different level than most. Fae, like Magistra, can infuse small bits of magic and do simple tricks; Ervyn has the capacity to infuse magic for the means of communication that out spans the realms. Lucky for us, his son was born with such a knack as well, and he is much more ambitious then his father. Ervyn is also an amazing art frame maker. He is who most people send their fine arts off to for frames. He makes fine mirrors that are non-communicative as well. He is busy throughout the year, even without communication mirror work. As most people who have communication mirrors keeps theirs for their entire lifetime, and sometimes pass them down to their children. Since few Fae are born each year, he doesn't get as much work with mirrors as he'd like. So he passes his time with framing pretty much anything. Almost every painting, mirror or anything else that has a frame, which you saw in the castle, was designed and made by Ervyn. His talents are incredible, but he is very advanced in his years, even for a Fae, so passing on his exceptional talents to his son is imperative for such a trade to continue.”

  Adeila enjoyed the small lesson, but it brought about a question that was seemingly irrelevant to mirrors. “So do Fae have famous artists and painters and musicians like the human realm?”

  Loki chuckled. “But of course, Princess. Even some of our Fae have migrated to the human realm for fame and fortune as famous painters, writers, dancers, singers, and so on. Some you probably even know. But we do have many within the Fae realm who lead a slightly less glamorous, more humble life. Many Fae have artistic and creative talents that exceed the norm, due to their magic.”

  Adeila took it all in, and was surprised to hear that some creative Fae chose the glamorous life here in the human realm. She really thought the Fae were less corrupt than that, but then again money and fame, as she'd heard, does have its very own seductiveness. She nodded to Loki, who watched her a moment.

  “I guess even on my birthday I need a learning lesson, huh?”

  He looked at her sidelong with a grin on his face. The look softened his rugged features, and she had to resist the urge to touch the planes of his tanned face.

  “Indeed, Princess, but without further ado let me show you how to make this work shall we?”

  She took a breath and nodded.

  “Alright, it's quite simple really. Just touch the mirror and envision whom you wish to speak with and/or say their name or names. Sometimes if you just think their name it will call them. Now don't worry about the screen just popping on, as embarrassing as that sounds, Ervyn's son put a stop to that several years ago, and revised the magical formula to ensure that the other person is aware they are being summoned.”

  Adeila wasn't sure if she should be horrified or giggle at that prospect. She turned to him, sobered. Loki allowed a grin, and Adeila smiled as well. “I'm sure that was awkward at times.”

  “I'm sure for some, outright mortifying. So, all new mirrors are made with an advanced, upgraded version that allows for the other party to receive a vibration. When the receiver touches the screen, then the caller's mirror image will appear on the receivers.”

  “So it's like Skype?”

  Loki looked at her blankly and she couldn't help the grin. She liked making him feel lost, like she did with most of the Fae stuff. It gave her a tiny sick, twisted, sense of justified glee.

  “Ah, Skype is something that you can use on your phone or
computer. You call the person, when they answer, whatever your phone screen is pointing to, the other person sees. It doesn't necessarily have to be your face, some people show the other person the room they are in or wherever they are. Wherever the screen is pointing, the receiver sees that. Typically it is ones face though.”

  He cocked his head, thoughtfully, and then nodded. “Precisely.”

  “Well, that's easy enough. So you can only call people you know, or have met before?”

  “Typically, yes. But I have called ambassadors from other kingdoms and countries that I hadn't actually met before, and it worked just fine. As long as you know the persons full name. Once you use the mirror more, you will build up its knowledge. Then you can simply think of someone and it will call them for you. The magic within the mirror syncs to your own magic; not in an invasive way but in a time effective and helpful manner.”

  She smiled. That was pretty amazing. You couldn't get that from your smartphone – Well, not yet anyway.

  Loki gestured to her lovely mirror. “Take your time to get comfortable, when you are settled, envision your parents and just say what you wish to call them. Mom and Dad or their names, that choice is yours. Your magic will lead the mirror to the correct people. Since they are linked to you by blood, the mirror should have absolutely no troubles connecting to them.”

  She had a thread of excitement run through her at the prospect of seeing her real parents and hearing their voices. She couldn't wait to tell them, truthfully, how much she missed them, and give thanks for such a wonderful and extraordinary gift.

  Finally getting up the courage and containing her inner excitement, she gingerly touched the mirror and closed her eyes envisioning her father’s handsome bearded face, blue eyes that matched her own perfectly. Then her mother’s delicately feminine features and midnight blue eyes, the nose and full lips that were so similar to her own.

  To the mirror she whispered, “Summon my Mom and Dad, please.”

  She wasn't sure if summon or call were the more correct term, but regardless after just a moment their faces shimmered to focus.

  “Adeila! My love! I see you figured out the mirror.”

  Their smiling faces appeared to her, both with a look so full of love that it clenched her heart. The sting of tears burned her throat.

  She could only nod for a moment, until she reigned in her emotions.

  “Thank you guys so much for this.” Adeila caught a tear in her mother’s eye, and one of her own slipped over the edge.

  “Now, now ladies, be happy!” But she saw the unmistakable sheen to her father’s eyes as well. “Happy birthday, baby girl. We are so happy that we are able to see your lovely face on this day.”

  She gave him a watery smile, and she heard the click of a door closing. Loki was clearly giving her some privacy, of that she was grateful. It seems he always knew the appropriate times for it.

  “I'm so happy to see you guys too. I...” She took a breath, reigning in her emotions a little more. “I really miss you both, and the realm.”

  Deleana let out an audible sniffle, and fresh tears surged to her beautiful eyes. Bairon cleared his throat, trying to push the emotion out.

  “Yes, my heart, we've missed you every moment you've been gone, and cannot wait for your return. We worry and miss you every moment.”

  Adeila sighed. The conflict inside her was almost unbearable. She knew she needed to be with these people, be where they were this moment, but something held her back. Something she felt she owed to the people that had raised her. She'd turned out pretty decent, it's not like they had beaten or neglected her in the literal sense of the word.

  After the typical small talk enveloped the three of them, they insisted she open her other “insignificant” gifts. Which happened to be amazing Fae crafted hand and body lotions and a few gorgeous silver bobby pins with diamonds encrusted along them. Adeila could only have been happier if they were here to receive hugs for the lovely gifts, and she had no problem telling them so. Her shyness had evaporated completely where they were concerned.

  “We miss you, sunshine, so very much.”

  Adeila fought back tears. “I miss you both too, and cannot wait to come home.”

  Both parents closed their eyes, and smiled at her words. She felt Loki return to the room even before his body fully entered, not because of her heightened hearing sensing the door opening, it was his energy, his pulse, his magic, clinging to the air around her, tempting hers to come out and play. She found him and her eyes caught his golden gaze, a smile tempted her lips.

  She wasn't sure if he caught her words, the ones of her coming home' but when he returned her smile with a tentative one of his own, she was pretty certain he had.

  She returned her attention to her parents and thanked them again for everything.

  They said another tearful goodbye and then the mirror wavered and their image shimmered and vanished, leaving her own reflection gazing back at her. Her large blue eyes tinged slightly red, her cheekbones reddened from tears, her perfect complexion a bit paler. She pursed her lips, closed her eyes for a quick second, and then pushed all emotions away. It would do little to weep over something she herself had done.

  She'd needed to come back to the human realm. She'd needed to say good bye to her family and friends here. It was her decision to leave them this time. She had no one to blame but herself.

  She took a breath, opened her eyes, and turned to Loki.

  “Thank you for the privacy.”

  He just waved her off and handed her something. She took it, and realized it was her cell phone.

  “Marissa has called you numerous times, but I did not wish to disturb you while you were speaking to your parents. I figured that was more important.”

  “Oh, yes, ah, thank you. I kind of told her I would do something with her tonight.”

  She squeaked when she saw that it was almost eight at night. Where the heck had the time gone? She'd been having so much fun with the party, her gifts, Kami, and then speaking with her parents she'd completely lost track of the time.

  “Holy crap, I gotta go. She must be flipping!”

  Adeila jumped up, holding the mirror out, awkwardly. “Ah, how do you...”

  Loki grinned. “You just ask it to be more convenient or smaller or whatever word you wish to speak to it for it to shrink down.”

  She nodded, and as she held the large mirror she asked under her breath for it to be small enough for her to fit it in her purse, and before her eyes it shrunk the same size as her cell phone. How truly convenient!

  Adeila returned his grin. “Ah, Loki, so...”

  He gestured to the door. “I'll give you a ride home; it would not look good for me to give you a ride to meet her now would it?”

  She looked at him sheepishly. She felt bad hiding the fact that they hung out, or trained, or spent time together, or were friends. Or that he was her oath bound Warrior, because that would make total sense in normal conversation. Nothing she could really say would placate Marissa. Even if she did mention, again, that Loki was “friends” with her real parents, as that was the avenue they had used, and that she would continue to use if it came up. But the fact that they spent as much time together as they did, without Marissa, would surely upset the girl. It was just easier to avoid being caught together in general, until things were figured out. Or never, because that worked too.