by Zoe Parker
The slow sensual smile that splits his lips make me regret admitting it, even if to myself, it immediately. Flipping bond. Stepping away from him I grab the violin and fire shoots up my arm. In vain I try to drop it, swinging my arm in the attempt to sling it away. Still it remains firmly in my grasp. The pain fades and Ciar’s chuckle breaks the silence.
“What?” I demand.
“It tried to befriend you and you cast it away. Now it’s taking the choice from you. It’s your Conduit, monster girl, accept it.” As he speaks his hand slides down my arm to wrap around my hand and the burning sensation instantly stops.
“I have no idea what to do with the flipping thing, Ciar. I can’t play a violin.”
“I bet you can play this one. Try,” he encourages.
A bow magically appears in my other hand and I let Ciar guide the violin to rest under my chin and against my shoulder. Rolling my eyes, I lightly run the bow across the strings and am rewarded with one of the most beautiful melodies I’ve ever heard.
That enthralling sound is all due to the magic of the violin but, for a moment as I stroke the strings, I allow myself to enjoy the music coming from my contact with it. Reluctantly, I carefully set the violin on the dresser and rest the bow across the top of it.
The ethereal glow around it dims and it’s almost like it goes to sleep.
“Did that really just happen?” Ciar huffs at my question.
“Of course, it did, just like you got a Dragon and a Corpse Worm as familiars… among other things, monster girl.” As he talks he moves closer to me pressing his body lightly against my side.
Part of me is tempted to give into the offer he’s subtly giving me. Yet another, smarter part of me says to wait. Wait until I knowingly—not magic drunk—make the choice to commit and am not influenced by whatever magic wahoo is going on.
Although, I suspect that there isn’t as much wahoo as I keep telling myself there is.
Stepping away from him is a bit difficult but I manage it. Grabbing a bottle of water out of the stack that Ciar bought earlier in the day I sit back on my bed and stare at him.
He’s lounging on his own bed with those eyes of his bright in the darkness and intent upon me.
“Your hair is turning purple,” he comments after several minutes of silence. That’s a fact I’m aware of and trying hard not to think on. “It’s a sign of your impending Awakening, monster girl. The violin another. The familiars another. All of these facts and you’re still wanting to try and control it all instead of going with the flow of it?”
“It’s not completely purple, just the tips of it,” I defend, knowing fully well that the purple is half-way up my head. Something that wasn’t true a few days ago, there were only a few errant curls of purple. Then we had that bite each other night and everything started changing, dramatically.
Like Ciar wanting me, that’s new.
“Not quite, monster girl. I’ve wanted you for a long time,” he smirks.
My mouth open and closes several times but nothing comes out. Do what now?
He continues, “do you think that I’m the type of creature to allow magic to control my choices, Keri?” I shake my head because my tongue has deserted me. “I’ve known since the first time I laid eyes on you how things will turn out.”
I remember that day well. It was the first time I came to the forest, I had set a snare—something my mother taught me—to catch a rabbit for dinner. Money was tight and my belly was empty.
Instead this pitch-black wolfy-dog lay at the edge of the forest lying in a pool blood. Those green eyes looked at me and at that moment I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, but he was hurting and I couldn’t abide by that. I ripped up my shirt and made him bandages and fed him the rabbit I caught.
I was all of five when that happened.
“Wait… you knew when I was five that you wanted me?” I say it with a serious look on my face. His smirk disappears, and he sits up.
“That’s ridiculous! You were a child. I simply knew one day I would,” he sputters.
Unable to hold it in any longer I laugh. Ciar is a lot of things but a pedophile isn’t one of them. He gives me a disgusted look and leans back against the wall.
“Your humor is not appreciated,” he grouches, which makes me laugh harder. The pillow hitting me in the face shuts me right up. Ciar throws hard.
“Ow!” I exclaim throwing the pillow back at him. He laughs at my attempt to hit him with it and catches it instead. Before long it’s a straight up pillow fight, with both of us dodging and laughing and hitting each other hard enough to send feathers flying everywhere.
Tired from the game, I end up sitting on the floor laughing, out of breath and surrounded by white feathers. Inches from me, Ciar is also laughing and surrounded by them.
I’m not sure who moves first, but somehow his lips are on mine and it’s sweet and languid and goes on for minutes before we break away from each other breathing hard. I stare into those eyes I know so well and smile.
That kiss was my choice, not magical wahoo.
Sitting back on the floor, away from temptation I say, “Why were you so sure of my Awakening, Ciar?”
Crossing his legs in front of him, he rests his elbows on his knees and steeples his hands at his chin. “Because of me,” he answers, simply. Raising my eyebrows, I wait for the rest of the answer. “Only an Awakened is strong enough to survive truly mating with me, Keri.”
Oh, well, that’s good to know. I frown, “Wait, what do you mean “truly mating?”
He leans forward that smirk returning, “You know exactly what I mean, monster girl.”
I do, but true mating means forever. Like, forever-forever. It means something more too, the only way I can mate with anyone is if they’re part of my Triad.
“Exactly,” he adds, reading my thoughts again.
The shields are up so that means the bonding is allowing him to get around them and there’s nothing I can do about that. Because this bond is different than what I was told to expect from a bond. If I concentrate hard enough I can feel his heart beating.
Ka-thud. Ka-thud.
Fudge. The sound of it makes me want to crawl on his lap and put my head against his chest.
“I don’t understand, Ciar, I really don’t. You haven’t exactly been nice to me over the years. There’s no indication that you liked me at all. Yet you’re basically telling me you’re my mate AND a member of my Triad?”
Scooting towards me he closes the distance between us, touching our knees together.
“Do you know how hard it is to see something you want, every single minute of every single day and not be able to touch it?” He leans towards me, “To taste it?” Even closer, “To rightfully claim it as yours?” He smiles then, so gently that for some reason it makes my eyes burn.
“I had to wait until you were ready to even contemplate saying or doing anything, monster girl, and that time is finally upon us. You will Awaken and when you do I’ll finally be able to claim my place at your side and… taste what has been denied me for so long.” His lips lightly brush mine and then he pulls away.
“Why did it have to be purple thought?” I blurt out.
“You love the color purple, so hush.”
“Why a violin?” I ask quietly.
“Have you never wondered why you loved music so much? You’re drawn to it, are constantly humming it when you do things, even eating your food. Music is in your blood, monster girl. Now do you see?” I hate when he makes sense, because then I can’t argue with it.
So instead of saying anything, I nod. It’s a bit overwhelming. Surprisingly not so much the Ciar part of the equation as the Awakening.
“There’s a chance I’ll die, Ciar,” I whisper. I don’t want to die. There are so many things in life I’ve yet to see or do.
Instantly his eyes alight in anger and he spits out between his gritted teeth, “You shall not!”
Unsure of what else to say because death is not something Ciar ca
n stop, I pat his cheek and climb to my feet. I’m sleepy and my brain hurts from all of this.
“Keri, you will survive because you’re too damn stubborn to die,” he whispers in the dark.
Climbing into my bed I pull the covers up to my chin and snuggle down into the bed. He sounded so sure of it and if life has taught me anything it’s that if Ciar says something will happen, then it will. Ciar is never wrong and this time I really want him to be right.
Hand in hand, with Fairy grace,
Will we sing, and bless this place.
~William Shakespeare
The next two days were rather uneventful. I was expecting something to happen because the of the magical wahoo and bupkis. I now understand why they tell you to be careful what you wish for because the headache starts in music class.
Ciar keeps giving me sideways glances wearing that somehow attractive frown of his. For the first hour I roll my eyes at his concern. Now my head feels like it’s going to explode and the room keeps doing this weird weeble wobble. Now I’m actually starting to worry a bit myself.
Fae of any species, don’t get sick like humans do so that narrows the field on what’s wrong with me. It also forces me to dig my head out of the sand of denial. Normally, I hate when Ciar is right and this particular moment is no exception.
Cradling my head, I lean it on the cool top of the desk. Briefly the pain lessens but it comes back with a vengeance and I can no longer hide it. Cold sweat breaks out all over my body, instantly soaking into my shirt, and a moan of pain escapes me before I can catch it.g
My stomach is debating on showing my lunch to everyone.
Another wave of pain rolls through me and I seriously doubt my ability to remain sitting up much longer. Warm strong arms scoop me up and instantly the pain lessens. Ciar.
I can feel us moving but I have no idea where he’s taking us. I hope it’s some place that has pain killers. Pain lances through me again and I cry out. Maybe just knock me unconscious, that will work too.
“I got you, monster girl,” he whispers against my hair.
He lays me on something soft, but it doesn’t feel like my bed and then cool hands gently rest against my forehead.
“She is in the throes of Awakening. How long has she had symptoms?” A woman asks above me.
Ciar took me to the healer, I can smell the clean scent of her magic. It’s a little bit of a surprise and show’s a facet of him I’ve never seen before.
“Take her pain away,” is Ciar’s curt response.
“That is not something I can do. It is a painful process and no amount of magic can lessen that pain. From the looks of things there is a good chance she will not sur—”
“Then you’re useless,” he interrupts, picking me up again.
I force my swollen eyes open and try to smile at him but instead of smiling back, he kisses my mouth. With the light touch of his lips, the pain fades again. It returns in a rush when he pulls away.
“I’m sorry, monster girl. I can only take away seconds and the healers in this place are fucking worthless. Mada has forbidden me to bring you back to the forest until she gives permission, which means I won’t be able to find it even if I disobey her. I’m sorry I cannot take you home.” He kisses me again and I force the smile to happen.
Trying to talk out loud causes more pain so I try to communicate with my thoughts. He may be able to telepathically communicate but I’m not a telepath.
It’ll be fine. I can sleep it off, dog breath.
A surprised chuckle bursts out of him. My eyes drift shut again, it hurts. It hurts so bad. There’s a slam of multiple doors and I hear someone yelling and then a thud as something fleshy hits the ground. I’m pretty sure someone got in Ciar’s way and he took exception to it.
The cold blessed feeling of water embracing me makes me moan, I sigh as the sharpness of the pain dims. It isn’t gone but I’ll take what I can get.
“Ciar… did you—Awaken?” I manage to get out.
His warm body moves against mine and I realize he’s holding me in the water. I fight to open my eyes, but they won’t budge.
“I was born as I am, monster girl. I didn’t need to.” That’s something to puzzle on later and it speaks volumes about the power of the man holding me.
“I leave for ten minutes and you allow something to happen, dark lord. Explain yourself.” I feel the tickle of Zag’s tongue as he investigates himself. “Oh, oh my—it’s happening. Fluffy, get your fat ass in here!” Zag calls.
A laugh comes out as a cough and then a moan as a fresh wave of pain rocks me. Ciar’s arms tighten and I feel the weight of Zag on my chest. A splash and then a bulbous body wraps itself around my legs.
It’s rather cute really, my boys all trying to cuddle me and make me feel better.
Sing to me, dog breath. You have the voice of a flipping angel.
I feel his laugh more than hear it and then the melodious voice of Ciar fills the room. It’s been many years since he sang to comfort me—not since I was a child in fact—and the performance at the music class made me remember the genuine comfort of it.
He still sounds like a flipping angel, and it lulls me, tugging my spirit free from the pain of my reality. Letting it all go, I ride the cadence of Ciar into the darkness of unconsciousness.
The Realm of Fairy is a strange shadow land, lying just beyond the fields we know. ~Author Unknown
There’s bright color everywhere. Purples and pinks and vivid reds painting a kaleidoscope of color vomit in my mind. What kind of crazy place did death drag me to? I didn’t realize there would be so much color in death.
I poke a cloud of color that floats nearby and it ripples from my touch.
Floating around in it might normally be fun but there’s a reason I’m here this time.
Daughter…
That’s the reason.
Your time has come to embrace the power I’m gifting you.
“I have to be honest and tell you straight up I don’t want it but seems like a bad idea to refuse… Faerie.” Laughter echoes around me. Well, at least I made her laugh.
Your gift will bring you pain… Something she sounds a little pleased by. That’s what I get for cracking jokes with a deity.
“I really am going to Awaken?” I ask, a bit dumbfounded.
Or die, the choice is yours. Accept this gift and you shall live. It is unique among my children.
Unique isn’t good in Faerie. Look at Satyrs. “Whats this gift?” I can’t believe I’m running my mouth and questioning the creator of all. What’s wrong with me?
You are to become my chosen Fate Caller.
Fate Caller? Where have I heard that before? I search my mind trying to find the memory but come up empty handed.
With your musical soul you can call the fate of any creature instantly upon it… but beware the cost. For every fate you call early a mark shall appear upon your skin that can only be removed by the ‘Giving.”
Crap, this doesn’t sound good at all.
Your Lord of the Hunt shall stand true as your Pinnacle.
“Ma’am,” clearing my throat I try again, “Ma’am I’m not sure you have the right person for this.”
You think I would make a mistake such as this, child?
I know menace when I hear it and there is a lot of it in that sentence. Well, then, Fate Caller I shall be, and I finally have the intelligence to shut my mouth.
“Of course not.” As if I’d say anything else after that.
You have always been a clever child. When you open your eyes, remember my words. Do not call fate lightly and use the Conduit it was made for you. Now, daughter, Awaken!
With the last word there is a loud boom and a tunnel appears sucking me into it, pain spears me and I scream as I’m sucked down into darkness.
When the ache in my head hits me and the light filtering through my eyelids makes it worse, I know I’m alive and that fact thrills me. I attempt to roll over and roll right off the bed. Thankfully t
he floor isn’t that far of a trip. Fluffy mostly catches me, so I simply lay there with my face resting against his soft leathery skin.
“Ciar, Faerie has a sense of humor,” I say, my face smooshed against the worm.
“Mistress, you might want to move your face, he hasn’t had a bath this week,” Zag informs me with more than a touch of laughter in his tone.
Rolling over, onto the floor, I open my eyes and look up into his swirly ones above me. “Zag, where is Ciar?”
“I believe the dark lord is… out,” Zag is not a good liar.
“All right, then. How long have I been out?” If Ciar doesn’t want me to know where he is than who am I to push it?
“Three days and you smell like every one of them,” his delicate nostrils flare but the humor remains in his eyes. He isn’t wrong, I smell awful.
Rolling slowly to my feet I stagger into the bathroom, peeling off clothes as I go. Turning the water on as hot as I can take it I climb in and lean against the wall, letting the water pound down on me. It burns but feels good at the same time.
I stand under it until it starts to make me sleepy, then hurriedly wash off. My hair is last and when I see it I sigh, defeated. It’s mostly purple, all the way up to the edge of my vision. Now I had new concerns, being awakened means others can start eyeing me for their clans or families.
Now the evaluations will begin.
Gods, why did you send me here, Mada? Did I make you angry? Resting my head against the wall I decide to stand there until I’m wrinkled like an old raisin. It always feels like someone else is controlling my life, when do I get to make my own choices?
“Are you in here feeling sorry for yourself, monster girl?” The quiet question pulls me right out of my self-pitying moment. I was so lost in it I didn’t feel him coming.
“Shup,” I say, in a voice thick with the tears that snuck out.
“We need some groceries for Fluffy, they refuse to feed him here. When you are finished blubbering in the shower, we’ll go get them.” Although he’s making fun of me his voice is still quiet, soothing. It’s the same voice he used with me when I was young, the coaxing one when I still cried over my mother. Gods bless it.
