by A. M. Hodges
I choke back a sob as I walk up to him and grasp his hand, giving it a light squeeze. His eyes flutter open and he looks at me.
"Hey there Old Man," I break, tears falling down my cheeks. He gives me a pained smile and lightly squeezes my hand back.
"I am so sorry," I sob.
"Shhh. Baby it's okay. Lucah has already explained. This isn't your fault," he soothes, "you didn't do this. They did."
"But it's because of me, of what I am. None of this would have happened if it weren’t for me," I stammer.
"Stop that, right now," he pushes authority into his voice, "there is not a single moment of my life that I regret. Not one. The day I brought you home was and still is the best day of my life. You have taken care of me, loved me, and been my light since the day I found you on those steps. I am a better man, because of you. Your love is fierce and strong. Your light shines brighter than any star. Your mind is as beautiful as it is dangerous. Your heart is big and full.”
He takes both of my hands as he struggles to breathe through his pain, “You have been the love of my life since the minute I looked into those golden eyes. I love you with all my heart baby, and nothing will ever change that. We will meet again one day, I swear it. And I trust these two males to take care of you until then. Because I know, that if they love you even half as much and I do, they will do anything to keep you safe."
I let out another broken sob and throw myself into his chest, grasping him like he is the only thing keeping me grounded on this earth. Because he is. He has always been my anchor, my calm in every storm.
"I don't know what to do without you there. What am I going to do?" I wail into his chest.
"You're going to survive. You are going to thrive. And you are going to shine," he strokes my hair with his good arm.
"I love you, Dad. I will always love you," I kiss his cheek and a tear slips from his eye.
"And I love you. More than anything in this world. This isn't goodbye baby, it's just see you later."
∞∞∞
I spent the following week planning the funeral. Jeb and Lucah spared no cost and told me that I could have whatever I wanted. It wasn't needed, the entire town pitched in, making my heart swell with pride for the man that I got to call my father. He touched the lives of so many and was loved by all.
I couldn't know where they were sending Jackson or what name they were giving him. It was a precaution to keep us both safe.
The service was beautiful, a fitting goodbye for a man like Jackson. Like I said at the hospital, I didn't have to make them believe he was gone. The funeral was my final goodbye. I drew into myself at every word of the preacher’s service, my heart shattered with every crackle of the rifles giving their final salute.
When it was all over, I had another casing to add to my chain. The chain that would always weigh heavily around my neck with the memory or two amazing men.
Now, I prepare for war.
Chapter 18
It took a lot of arguing, but eventually they caved to my choice to stay and finish school. I refused to disrespect Jackson's wishes and drop out. But that is all I do. I go to school, I eat, I sleep, and I train. No more working at the auto shop. No more swim team. No more nights at the gym. I gladly handed my position as captain to Paisley.
She texts every day, like I did for her. I don't answer, but I know that she doesn't expect me to. She understand me the most.
Every day I train harder, forging my body into a weapon. I focus my pain, my rage, into every exercise. I spend hours in that training ring, only stopping when Jeb decides I’ve had enough. If I had a choice, it would never be enough. I don't want to sleep or eat or think. I want war, and war I will have. I will have my vengeance for Jackson when I find who did this.
Lucah spends every moment that he isn't training with me trying to find the Fae responsible. There is no way to tell whether they came from Malatia or Angof, but my bet is on Angof.
The first day of winter break, I delve farther into their history. When learning about the civil war in Malatia I find most of the details I already knew from Jeb and Lucah. Then, I learn about the second war between the continents. It was, simply put, fought over resources, like many of our wars. Malatia has these smalls beings that they call Willow-whisps.
Tiny little things, what I have always imagined "faeries" to look like. They, for lack of a better definition, create the resources. I guess they are sort of like nymphs in mythology. They tend the trees and the gardens, the water and the soil. They bless the land with exotic fruits, grains, vegetables, and livestock. Without the whisps, things cannot grow and where things cannot grow, things cannot live. After the Splicing, Angof lost all the whisps to Malatia, making it a wasteland. Hence the name Oblivion.
The war started because Angof wanted all the whisps. They fought to capture them and enslave them. What they didn't know was that you cannot take a whisp against its will. They answer to only the true ruling family. Take them against their will, and they will die. Tens of thousands of whisps were killed because of Angof and their greed.
Skipping the dirty bits that I already know surrounding my supposed murder and my parents’ death, I read the terms of the truce. Every year during the planting season, before the harvest, one hundred thousand whisps are gifted to Angof. They would prosper, though not as much as Malatia, and they would survive. After the harvest, the whisps are returned to their homes in Malatia.
That is all I learn focusing on the dividing continents. The rest of the book is on the customs and all-around way of life in Malatia. I learn about the monarchy and their history. Apparently, my mother’s side of the family has ruled Malatia, even when it was Aurora, for its entire existence. I learn the different social classes.
It’s shocking to learn that there isn't really such thing as being poor in Malatia. Their social hierarchy is basically just like ranks in an army. Generals and higher officers would be the Valkyn, who reside in their lands called Valterra. The lower officers and senior enlisted would be the Pixies, in their land of Polenka. Then, there is the lower enlisted which would be the Shvetlani. They live in Dunewbe.
I study the maps of the continent and each territory. The major markets and dwellings are labeled in each territory. There are hospitals and schools as well, along with warrior training camps and outposts. The capital is in Valterra, a place called Crystaline where the so called "Royal Residence" is located. I’m waiting for a map of Angof but never find one. There isn't even a full map of Aurora. Only Malatia.
Dunewbe is mostly Forrest, and Polenka a valley with rolling hills and a few orchards. Valterra is a mixture of the two and mountains. Crystaline seems to be a city built into a mountain, the Royal Residence is perched at the top. There are lakes, rivers, and streams all throughout the continent, but no oceans that I can see. It’s almost like the continent just ends, like you would fall off the edge if you went too far. Everything outside of the continent is simply labeled "The Mists". Interesting.
A knock on the front door interrupts my reading and I saunter downstairs to open it.
"Reyna, we have to go. We have to go right now!"
"Miles? What's wrong?" I am taken aback by the panic clear on his face.
"Now Reyna. We have to go NOW!" he pulls at my hand urgently as I hear a crash through my back door.
His eyes widen, "you have to run! GO!"
I turn to see what he is looking at and everything goes black.
∞∞∞
My head is killing me, and my eyes feel like they are stuck shut. It kind of feels like when you have pink eye and try to open your eyes first thing in the morning. I move to wipe my eyes, but my arms are restrained. My eyes pop open easily now. Everything seems hazy and blurry, and it takes a few minutes for the fog to clear as I look at my surroundings.
Looking around, I try to establish where I am.
I’m sitting on a concrete floor surrounded by old cinderblock walls. I can see faint light coming through one small window that l
ooks like it belongs in a basement. Various wooden beams are around the room running from floor to ceiling, my hands tied behind my back around one of them. I can't see any doors, but to my right the room branches off into a hallway where the exit might be.
I'm probably underground. I need to get out of here.
"Jeb baby. If you can hear me, I need you to get me out of here," I call down the bond along with some mental images of my surroundings. Sending images is a first for me, so I pray that I did it right.
I guess I can use to my advantage that no one knows about the mating bond except for Lucah. Reyna 1, Bad Guy 0.
Now to work on getting my hands untied. Having a fire ability would really come in handy right now. Sadly, I'm stuck with water. I can still feel the sheath that I have wrapped around my ankle with my knife in it. I work to contort my body so that I can reach my ankle with my hands. If I weren’t kidnapped and tied to a post, this would probably be kind of comical to watch. Hell yes, it's still there. Reyna 2, Bad Guy still 0.
I wriggle the knife into position and begin sawing at the ropes. They finally snap free and I pull my arms around to remove the remainder of the rope before rubbing at my wrists. Faint pink lines are chafed on them from the movement of me trying to cut myself free.
I hear a door slam in the distance and immediately grab the ropes and shove my hands behind my back like I’m still tied up. If I can just get the drop on him, then I can at least hold him off until Jeb and Lucah get here. Footsteps come running around the corner.
"Miles?" I squint as he skids to a halt, turning towards me.
Only it isn't Miles. Well, it is, if Miles were taller, older, beefed up and super model handsome. But those are his chocolate brown eyes and his messy brown hair. I recognize his face, his jaw just more chiseled and his features more enhanced.
He rushes towards me before squatting down in front of me.
"We have to get you out of here," he whispers. His voice is deeper. A voice that I recognize.
I pulled my hands in front of me and squint at him, "How long have I been down here? And how did you turn into Captain America? Wait, your voice. I recognize that voice."
He gives me a cautious look and stands to back away.
"You were the stranger in the alley. You warned me." I gawk at him.
He merely nods, looking at the floor.
"What the FUCK," I yell.
"We can discuss this later, right now we have to get out of here. Quickly. Jeb and Lucah are coming," he scolds me.
As I stand something, or rather someone, crashes through the ceiling.
He is terrifying. Dressed head to toe in various animal furs, he stands at least seven feet tall. His skin is sickly pale, his hair snow white and with eyes as black as night. Darkness seems to slither around him like snakes on his body. He snarls and I see his elongated canines.
"You need to run," Miles murmurs under his breath.
"I'm not leaving you with him, we do this together," I roll my shoulders back and release my wings, "Whatever you do, don't look at me."
The Fae let out a low growl and my more animalistic nature takes over as I roar at him in challenge. Then, he charges. I manage to dodge the first hit and get a right hook in before he slams his fist into my chest and sends me flying. I immediately get back on my feet and rush him again, sliding between his open legs and springing back up behind him. As I move to kick him, he spins and grab onto my leg. I cry out as he twists my ankle, causing the bones to snap, and throws me again at a wall.
Miles charges him as I wait for my bones to painfully reset themselves. He is fast and deadly, going hit for hit with the large Fae. He dodges and strikes but takes just as many hits as he gives. The male slams his booted foot into Miles's chest, sending him flying. Miles flips through the air, landing on one knee and sliding before raising back up to his feet. He charges again, grabbing the male by the neck and slamming him through one of the posts. When the male charges again, Miles grabs onto one of the furs around his neck and yanks his head down, his knee colliding with the male's face, leaving him laid out in the floor.
Miles turns and begins to walk towards me. Before I can shout to warn him, the Fae male is behind him, brandishing a knife to Miles's throat. He towers over Miles, giving me a clear view of his face.
"Miles, I need you to listen to me," I coax, "I need you to close your eyes. Close them and do not open them again until I tell you. And hum, hum as loud as you can to yourself."
He looks confused for a moment before finally closing his eyes and starting to hum a lullaby that seems vaguely familiar in the back of my mind.
"You are weak," a thousand voices say as I slowly prowl towards the male holding my friend captive, "your arms have lost all feeling. You aren't strong enough to hold them up anymore. You should drop your weapon," his eyes widen in terror as he lets his arms drop, "You're pathetic. You are so pathetic that you can't even contain one girl. You're a disgrace. How are you going to explain this to your master? You are a disappointment. You should be dead."
The male reaches up and plunges the knife into his neck, blood gurgling in his mouth and pouring from the wound as he drops to his knees and falls completely to the floor.
I stare at him for a few moments, probably longer than I should have, watching him bleed out into a puddle on the floor. I take some deep breathes and retract my wings, returning to my normal self. Walking over to Miles, I place my hand softly on his shoulder.
"It's okay, you can open your eyes now."
He turns around to look at me as Jeb flies through the hole in the ceiling and Lucah rounds the corner in his panther form, shifting mid sprint back into his Fae form.
"Reyna, Krasivaya, thank gods you're alright!" Jeb rushes to me pulling me in for a kiss, "I thought I was going to lose you when we saw the house and couldn't find you. I'm so, so sorry."
"It's fine, I'm fine. I took care of it," I gesture to the body lying on the floor. Lucah goes over to it and flips him over, the terror still clear on the dead male's face. He inhales deeply before standing and walking over to us.
"It's the Fae from the accident," he says solemnly.
"He's from The Mists," Jeb’s usual impassive mask slips slightly, showing his confusion.
"Yeah, I noticed that," Miles confirms, finally drawing attention to himself.
Jeb and Lucah whip around to face him.
"Marcus," Jeb growls pulling me behind him.
"What? No. This is Miles, my friend," I explain.
"No, Reyna," Lucah hisses, "his name is not Miles."
"What are you talking about?" I attempt to push between the two males that are now guarding me from my best friend.
"His name is Marcus, and he is Fae," Jeb growls, "he is the Dark Prince of Angof."
A slow smile spreads over Miles's face, "Well then. I guess that cats out of the bag."
Chapter 19
"Miles, what the hell are they talking about?" I demand.
"I never understood why I have to be the Dark Prince," he laments, inspecting his fingernails, "as if I'm evil. I'm no different from them. What is it that makes me dark?"
"MILES," I snap incredulously.
"Fine, fine," he succumbs, " I am as they say, the rightful heir to Angof. I was sent here when I was six years old to protect you. Hear that shitheads? PROTECT her," he emphasizes.
"We didn't know where you had gone as a child. You simply just disappeared, and we used it to our advantage to end the war. After a few years, our scouts discovered where you were and that you were alive after all. So, I was sent here. We knew no one from our side took you so someone needed to make sure you were looked after. Cover your tracks if your Fae abilities presented themselves and keep you under control. Our world couldn't be discovered by humans. If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done it long ago."
"My mother, she is DEAD," I seethe.
"Tragic as that was, it wasn't our fault," he says bluntly, "She still had Rune. There was no way we could have known
that she would react that way. We thought that her maternal instincts would keep her alive to raise her little boy."
I start pacing the floor, overwhelmed. How could this be? My best friend, a Fae the entire time. Not just any Fae either, but a royal of a rival continent. I don't know why, but I believe what he says. Since we were seven years old, he has treated me with the care of a brother. He has never tried to harm me, not even in sparring. I always got the drop on him first.
"You've been letting me win," I reveal, somewhat irritated, "this entire time, all these years, you've been letting me beat you."
His only response is a defeated smile.
"What are your abilities? You're Fae, royal Fae actually, so I know you have something," I cross my arms over my chest. Jeb and Lucah look just as curious as I am. Miles, Marcus, came to my world at only six. His abilities probably hadn't even presented themselves yet, or they were kept hidden.
He grins, "Glamour is one of them. A power that Jeb also shares. It's how I stayed hidden and appeared normal to you. I can change my features, make them seem less imposing. I also have the usual speed and strength that are common in all Fae. Also, I have this," he steps away from the group.
His form starts shimmering. Waving, like a mirage, and growing. Where he was standing, an enormous wyvern is now in his place. His eyes are a glowing green. His scales, well they are the exact color of my hair. Well that's weird.
