What if it was only just that? A dream…and nothing more.
Adam rubbed my aching back. I had almost forgotten the pain that I had been dealing with for the past week. A pain which meant I was growing wings. Freaking wings! If I told Adam, would he still want to be with me? Would he still love me? I couldn’t lose him. I loved him.
I sniffled and looked up into his eyes. “I love you,” I told him.
He gave me the crooked grin that always turned me into mush. “I love you, too.”
*
After Adam left, Mom sat with me until Dad got home. I could tell the news wasn’t good the second he walked in the door. He sat down across from us, rubbing a temple with one hand. “I couldn’t get a hit on her name or fingerprint. All that means is she’s never been arrested.”
“And the other thing?” I asked softly.
“DNA tests take longer. We won’t know for quite some time, unfortunately.”
“Oh.” I looked down, hiding the tears in my eyes. I had a suspicion what was going to return in that test was going to wreck our world.
Dad got up and sat on the other side of me. “Rylie, if there is some evil man out there who wants to hurt you, I will find him and kill him if I have to.”
I met his eyes and knew without a doubt that he meant it.
“I don’t want to fall asleep.” I leaned my head against my father’s shoulder. “I never thought I would say this, but I wish tomorrow wasn’t my birthday.”
“No matter what happens when you wake up, you are my little girl. I’ve loved you since the minute I laid eyes on your tiny little face. Nothing will ever change that.”
My mom made a noise of agreement, her hand rubbing my back.
“Thanks. That means a lot.”
I took three soda cans to my room, hoping the caffeine would keep me awake. I fought sleep tooth and nail, but before dawn came, it eventually won over.
Chapter Eight
I woke up gasping for air. No, no, no!
I had fallen asleep at some point the night before. It was Saturday. My birthday. I was sixteen now. I squeezed my eyes shut. I did not want to open them. Maybe it was all a crazy nightmare. I felt normal. All the aches and pains were gone. Nothing hurt, nothing felt different. I let out a long breath. Just a nightmare.
I would get up like normal and look in the mirror and everything would be fine. Keeping my eyes closed, I rolled onto my side. Okay. One. Two. Three.
Slowly, I opened my eyes. My vision was hazy, like a film had been pulled down over my eyes. I rubbed them over and over, but the haze wouldn’t go away. What was wrong with my eyes? Why couldn’t I see clearly?
I started breathing fast as panic rose in my chest. Scanning the room, I realized there was something on my nightstand that wasn’t normally there. I reached for it—a notebook. Skeptically, I opened it and found words on the first page. They were blurry and hard to read. I stared at them for a long time before I was finally able to focus:
“I had to leave you a note to tell you what to expect this morning since you don’t want me with you. You will wake up unable to see clearly. This is normal. You are getting your faery sight. This will clear up about an hour after you wake.”
It hadn’t been a nightmare.
“Once your sight clears, you will be able to see the faery world.”
Great.
“Your transformation will have completed overnight. You will look different until you use glamour. I suggest you don’t open your door until you learn how.”
I gulped. How was I supposed to know how to use glamour?
“If you cannot figure this out, just go to your window. I will come to you.”
That meant she was watching the house, watching me. All this time I felt like someone was watching me, and it was my faery mother. Just the thought was so ridiculous I wanted to burst out laughing—or crying. I wasn’t sure which.
I strained my eyes some more, trying to read what else was written. “Once you are glamoured, no human will be able to see your faery looks. But other faeries will. If you have already stood, you may have noticed your wings. If not, they will appear when you stand. They tuck in when you lie down. Don’t be scared, my child. This is who you are. I will be there for you when you need me. But please be careful, for my warning is true.”
I put the book down and closed my eyes again. Maybe if I stayed in bed, none of this would happen. No wings. No enemies. Just me. Unfortunately, that wasn’t realistic. How long could I really stay in bed?
I blinked a few times, trying to make the haze go away faster, but it did nothing. I’d have to wait. I thought about Adam and our kiss the night before. I thought about how I felt in his arms. What was I supposed to tell him about this? As soon as he knew I was some kind of fairy tale creature, he might leave me.
On top of that, my parents were throwing me a birthday party today. All my friends were going to be here. How was I going to keep it together? I had looked forward to my sixteenth birthday for years, and now I just wanted to stay in bed. Maybe I should cancel it.
I ripped my pillow from under my head and squeezed it into my face, screaming at the top of my lungs. I wasn’t just scared anymore. I was mad. Hot tears burned my eyes as I silently cried.
Eventually the tears subsided, and I peeked out from under the pillow. My vision had cleared. Everything in my room was crisp and bright. I stayed in bed, examining my surroundings like it was the first time I had seen it.
“Huh,” I said into the room. I had no idea I’d have better than perfect eyesight.
Pushing the covers off, I noticed my palms were smoother than they were the day before. My hands started trembling. There was no denying it, my skin was definitely different. No blemishes or freckles.
Curiosity was getting the best of me. I had to stand up and find out what the rest of my body looked like. Shaking, I pushed myself out of bed. I took three steps to my dresser and very slowly looked up into the mirror.
I gasped and stood frozen in place as I stared at my reflection. I reached up and touched my pointed ears, running my fingertips along the tips. They felt like normal ears, just pointier. My eyes then rested on my birthmark, now glowing ever so slightly. My eyes looked wider and had a slight slant to them. I felt grateful that they were the same beautiful blue they had always been.
Suddenly, I felt a pop on my back and wings burst open behind me. I let out a small shriek, not from pain, but from surprise and shock. I stumbled backwards, fell onto the floor, and scooted as far away from the mirror as I could get.
“Rylie?” Mom’s voice cried out on the other side of the door. “Are you okay?”
I scrambled quickly to my feet and stumbled across the room to lock my door. “You can’t come in.”
“Rylie! Open this door!” Mom pounded.
“No!” I hurried back to the notebook and read over the directions for glamour. I couldn’t let my parents see me like this. Azura had written something about telling myself who I was and visualizing myself human. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I mumbled under my breath. She had said it would be simple.
“Rylie, let me in this instant! I’ll break this door down if I have to,” my father’s voice boomed.
My shoulders drooped. I knew he would do it. I just really didn’t want them to see me this way.
“I’m a freak,” I screamed at the door.
“Please, let us in, honey. We love you no matter what.” My mother’s voice sounded strained.
“Fine.” I slung the door open.
My mother covered her mouth, her eyes widening.
My dad just stared at me blankly, and then he surprised me by pulling me into a tight hug. “We’ll figure this out.”
“You look beautiful. I always knew you were special.” My mom reached out to touch my wing, and I involuntarily pulled it back.
I couldn’t stop myself. I started sobbing. “I don’t want this.”
Mom joined the embrace. “It will be okay, sweetie.”
>
When I pulled away from their collective warmth, I said, “I need to be alone. I have to figure out how to use the glamour. I might need to let—her in to help.”
My parents looked at each other, and then my father nodded. “We’re going to need her to understand what exactly is going on.”
“How can you reach Azura?” my mother asked.
“She told me to stand in the window, and she would come. It’s so creepy that she’s out there watching.” I shuddered. “If you don’t mind, can I have some privacy before I give her the signal?”
They nodded somberly, and my father said, “Of course.”
I closed the door softly behind them. I could hear my mom sobbing, but I couldn’t deal with that right now. This was my reality. I was a faery. It all seemed too surreal.
Reluctantly, I stood in front of the mirror again. I had to face these wings. I looked up and directly at them. They weren’t small, but they weren’t huge. Extending about an arm’s length from my body, they were actually quite gorgeous—a mixture of light pink, lavender, and shimmering white, almost translucent, each color fading into one another. I leaned closer and they fluttered. I sucked in a breath. I didn’t even feel them flutter. It didn’t hurt to move them. It actually felt…good. Like they had been cooped up for sixteen years and were finally free. I concentrated and willed them to move again, and they flapped. If it were on someone else, I would have thought it was the coolest thing ever.
I was curious as to what they felt like. I reached behind me and carefully touched my left wing. I was surprised at how fine it felt. They were almost sheer and bent slightly with my touch. I wondered how delicate they were; if they could get ripped, and if so, would it hurt?
I spent a few more minutes trying to get used to how I looked. I wasn’t sure I’d ever feel comfortable looking like I did. How was I supposed to deal with such a huge change?
When I knew I couldn’t put it off any longer, I went to the window and hesitantly pushed the curtain back. I stared into the misty, overcast morning that matched my mood. I waved a hand, and within moments, the front doorbell rang. I could hear the murmurs of voices and then a light knock on my door.
“Come in,” I mumbled.
Azura came through the door in her true form. She stopped in her tracks and looked me up and down. “My goodness, you’re even lovelier than I could have imagined.”
If it were possible, I felt even more self-conscious having her stare at me so intensely. I fidgeted with my hands. “Can we just get this over with? I need to look normal. It’s my birthday, and I have plans.”
“Surely you are not going out after what I told you?”
Hot anger flushed my skin. “I’m not going to stop living my life because you think someone is after me. You already said they think I’m dead. It’s not like there are search parties scouring the earth for me.”
She sighed. “I didn’t think you would listen. You get your stubbornness from me.”
“The only thing I got from you are these crazy wings,” I snapped. “Please, just show me what to do.”
Her lack of emotion was so weird to me. Azura sighed. “It’s really quite simple. Just close your eyes and imagine yourself in your human form. Picture exactly how you want to appear, down to every line and freckle. You have to really believe it. Picture it in your mind.”
I stared at her. “That’s it? Why didn’t you just tell me that in the note?” The way she had worded it made it seem much more complicated.
“I’m sorry. I was vague because I wanted you to need me,” she said honestly. I guess they really didn’t—or couldn’t—lie. She continued, “I wanted to see you on the day of your transformation. In the fey world, it’s a big celebration. We have a feast.”
Well, the fey world wasn’t my world.
I closed my eyes and clenched my fist, and following her instruction, I thought of myself as normal. I pictured my blonde hair, my blue eyes, and the way my nose was always kind of shiny if I didn’t wear foundation makeup. When I had a firm image of myself, my eyes snapped open, and I turned towards the mirror.
“It didn’t work! Great. I can’t even do this right. What am I going to do?” I was close to having a panic attack.
“Oleander, calm down. It worked.”
I really wish she’d stop calling me that.
She walked over so she was reflected in the mirror behind me. “To humans you look normal, but you will always see your reflection in your true form.”
My mouth dropped open, and I snapped it closed. “You mean I’ll never look human again? Please tell me that’s not true.”
“You only appear human to other humans. I realize it’s a shock at first, especially since you haven’t grown up around fey, but you will get used to it.”
“What about cameras?” I asked.
“In a picture, you will look human,” she said with a nod.
“Even to myself?”
“Yes.”
Relief spread through me. At least there was a way I could see what other people saw. I couldn’t imagine how I’d know if my makeup or hair was right if I couldn’t see myself the way others did.
“Your human looks have improved as well,” Azura said as if she could read my mind.
“But, if faeries can see each other’s true forms, then how can you tell my glamour worked?” I asked. I was so confused. No matter what she told me, it all just kept piling up.
“We don’t see the true form constantly,” she replied with a smile. “You will see what seems like a mask overlaying their true form. It will show through in brief flashes.”
My mother knocked tentatively on the door and walked in. “Everything okay?”
Completely forgetting for a moment that Azura couldn’t lie, I asked terrified, “What do you see?”
“What I’ve always seen,” my mother said with a smile. “You.”
“Normal me? Not freaky-looking me?”
She examined my face. “Normal you. You look beautiful. Your hair is vibrant and your skin looks flawless.”
“Told you,” Azura said with a hint of sarcasm. Another rare display of emotion.
“Your lips have more color to them, almost like you’re wearing the perfect amount of makeup.” My mom laughed. “I doubt you’ll ever have to put makeup on again. Can you make me into a faery, Azura?”
Great. Glad I got something good out of all this.
Azura looked over at my mother, dead serious as she replied, “No, I cannot make you into a faery. I’m sorry.”
My mom rolled her eyes. “I was just joking.”
I stifled a laugh.
“Does the glamour ever go away?” I asked quietly.
“No. Once you use it, you’ll have to take it off,” Azura answered.
“How do I take the glamour off?”
“You’ll notice the glamour often feels like a cloak,” Azura—my faery mother—said. That was going to take some getting used to.
“Well, okay, then. Thanks for helping. You can go now,” I said curtly.
Azura’s eyes widened, and she stared at me. “Excuse me?”
“You taught me how to use the glamour. That’s all I needed.”
“I don’t think you understand. Not only are you in danger, you will need help figuring things out.” There was a note of hysteria in her voice.
“I think I can handle it from here. It’s my birthday, and I’m having a party that I need to get ready for. So please, just leave. Maybe we can talk…later.”
Azura opened her mouth to speak, but my father interrupted, gripping her arm and steering her out my bedroom door. “This has been quite a shock to all of us. I certainly don’t think you hovering over my daughter is going to help.”
Mom and I followed as he led Azura down the stairs and into the front foyer.
“But the danger—”
“I’m a cop!” Dad barked. “I will take care of any danger.”
Azura shook her head. “Humans never understand.”
Dad released the faery and opened the front door, holding it open. “My daughter has asked you to leave. Please respect her wishes.”
Azura eyed him, her face unreadable, and then she turned back to me. She reached out and touched my cheek. “You really are quite exquisite. If you would permit me, Oleander, I need to share something more with you and your family before I go. To help you understand the danger. I cannot leave here knowing I’ve not given you enough to fully protect yourself.”
My father’s hand fell from the door, but he didn’t close it. “You can have ten minutes if you answer something for us first.”
Even though I wanted to get ready for my party, a part of me wanted—needed—to hear what she had to say. I stood next to my mother, neither of us touching, but drawing comfort from one another.
“Very well.” Azura nodded.
“What did you do with the baby?”
Azura’s face softened. “I took very good care of her. She is buried close by.”
“Maybe we should have her buried in our family plot?” Mom asked Dad.
Dad took my mother’s hands. “Do you really want to disturb her grave?”
Mom’s eyes glistened and she looked away. “No.”
“I can take you there someday,” Azura offered.
My parents nodded.
“Go on,” my father told Azura.
Azura took a centering breath, and launched into her tale. “Long ago, both dark and light faeries lived in the same realm. I wouldn’t say it was peaceful, but they made do. The dark faeries on the east liked to cause trouble. You might say they lived on the ‘wrong side of the tracks.’ Mostly, they kept to themselves, but sometimes they caused trouble on the west side—usually involving magick and practical jokes.” She paused and took a deep breath. “Until Ealdun came along. He had an unquenchable thirst for power.”
“What did this Ealdun do?” my father asked grimly. His eyes were calculating. I knew the part of him that was a detective was listening to every detail, cataloguing Azura’s information for future reference.
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