Arranged (Arranged Trilogy Book 1)

by Julia Crane

I stilled. We stood there in silence, listening to each other’s breathing. Not knowing what to say.

  Without giving it much thought, I grabbed his hand and dropped down onto the bed, pulling him with me.

  I scooted over to the side near the wall. “You should rest. It’s been a long day.”

  I leaned forward as his arm slid around my shoulders and I dropped my head to his chest and relaxed into him. His body stilled beneath me. How was it possible that I still felt accepted in his arms after what I’d done? I’d expected him to throw me out of his room and never speak to me again. Not offer me comfort.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked without lifting my head.

  He turned his head side to side and stretched slightly as if testing his body. “Physically, I feel fine. My head and heart are quite conflicted.” I felt his muscles tighten beneath me. “My family is gone. I’m lying in bed with the enemy. And I’ll soon have powerful halflings running around that may someday despise me for bringing them into this world. They will be shunned for their differences. It’s a lot to take in.”

  And maybe someday Michael would hate me for bringing this all on him. My stomach clenched at the thought.

  With the touch of my hand I commanded his body to drift off into sleep. I don’t think either of us were ready to discuss the kiss or what it meant for us. His head lolled to the side and his breathing became steady.

  Chapter Nineteen

  My mother burst through the door, startling us both awake. I hadn’t even realized I’d dozed off, I’d been so relaxed in Michael’s arms. She stopped in her tracks as soon as she saw the two of us curled up together on the bed.

  Don’t embarrass me. It’s not what it looks like. Nothing happened. My thoughts frantically entered my mother’s mind. The last thing I wanted was for her to throw a fit in front of Michael. This was confusing enough as it was.

  Michael pulled his arm from under me.

  My mother glanced away. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, Michael. I’m sorry, but I need to borrow Tulupea for a little bit while you get some more rest.”

  Looking a bit flustered and uncertain, he ran his hand down his face before pushing himself up to sitting. He was still half asleep so he just nodded.

  I gave him a little squeeze before I detangled my legs from his and rose to my feet. Thank you.

  My mother didn’t reply, instead she turned and walked out the door. I couldn’t quite place her mood but something was up. I had to find out what, even though I hated the thought of leaving Michael on his own. I reached down and touched two fingers to his forehead. Immediately his eyes glassed over and he yawned. “I guess I am still tired. Wake me up when you’re done.”

  I gave him a smile before his heavy lids closed and he faded off into a peaceful slumber. I’d wake him when we got back. I didn’t want to worry about him having nightmares about his parents or waking up and trying to find us.

  With one more glance over my shoulder I closed the door softly behind me. I knew my feelings for him were growing stronger and I should try to put distance between us, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want to. Honestly, I don’t think I could if I tried.

  My mother stood in the hallway waiting with her arms crossed over her chest. “Tulupea, I hope you know what you are doing.”

  So did I. But what was life without a few risks? “You’re the one that pulled us together,” I reminded her.

  She closed her eyes and took a breath. “I’ve called a meeting with the other creatures in the lands. I’ve thought about what you’ve said. I cannot reign over the humans, but I can convince the creatures to work with us. What I’ve been doing on my own is not enough, we need a more targeted approach. Thank you for your guidance.”

  “Umm, okay.” It seemed strange for my mother to take my advice on something so much bigger than the both of us. “So where are we meeting?”

  A radiant smile crossed her face, taking years off her. “One of the few havens left in this world.”

  She grabbed my hand and led me out of the hallways and into the kitchen. We hurried out of the house and made our way to the portal.

  We grasped hands and closed eyes. Next thing I knew we were struggling to remain standing. My mother held onto my arms to steady me. I blinked a few times, waiting for the surroundings to come into sharper focus. I sucked in a breath. “Mother, are we still on Earth?”

  “Yes, a small section of the rain forest remains intact. You’ll find plants here I’ve never heard of that do miraculous things.”

  I glanced around in awe. “Why don’t we bring everyone here? And start fresh?”

  A pensive look crossed her face. “I had the same thought when I found out about this place, but the arguments made to keep it to ourselves are quite valid. There’s only a few acres left, and if it were to become depleted we wouldn’t be able to duplicate the plant species. The humans have destroyed so much already. It’s truly not worth the risk. You will see.”

  I chewed on my lower lip but didn’t say anything. I wasn’t sure I agreed with this assessment, yet I kept my thoughts to myself. My soul felt light and free amongst the beautiful greenery. I touched plants as we walked and with each touch, the plant would talk to me. I’d ask it what its medicinal properties were and I’d hear its reply in my heart space. My mother was right. Many of these I’d never heard of either and they could cure so many illnesses. I couldn’t help but wonder if we could bring back some of them to our realm to plant there. I didn’t voice my idea out loud because I was too enamored with my surroundings. It wasn’t long before my mother cleared her throat. I looked up and realized we’d come to a larger clearing. Hundreds of magical creatures stood in clusters, mostly separated by their kind. I was surprised to see there weren’t very many faeries amongst the group as I glanced around and took in all the variations of beings.

  Would we ever be blended? If more of us worked together sharing our gifts, I knew progress would be made more quickly. Mentally I transmitted my thoughts to my mother and she gave a barely perceivable nod.

  She glided to the center of the clearing. I realized her crown was once again on her head. The faeries amongst the group bowed. Others just looked at each other as if wondering who she thought she was.

  “Thank you for agreeing to meet with us. We’ve had another run in with the rebellion which lead to a majority of their tribe being slaughtered.”

  A cheer rose up amongst the group.

  My mother’s stare silenced them immediately. “I am not proud of what happened, but it is an opening that we must take advantage of. My daughter and I have given this a lot of thought. I know our original thought process was that we should spread out and work in the communities but it’s not going as we’d hoped. Very little progress has been made. I think we need a shift. If we all came together and used our skills and worked from the inside out we could grow a strong community, and as we strengthen, if you so choose to, you could move outside of the sanctuary. We’re through hiding and working from behind the scenes. The humans, if they are smart, will understand this is their sole chance of surviving. So what I am asking of each and every one of you is that you gather all the humans that are open to a new beginning and bring them to a common area. And the ones that refuse are to be left to fend for themselves. Do not bring harm to them. They will have to try to survive on their own and many will perish, but it cannot be avoided.”

  Murmurs trickled through the crowd as they turned to each other, talking in hushed whispers. The fae were the first to step forward and drop to their knees. Some of the more unsavory creatures cackled and went off on their own. No one was sad to see them go.

  Soon more and more of the creatures came forward. Many of them dropped to their knees while others just stood there. There was no protocol for them to bow to a faery queen. But it still ticked me off. My mother deserved respect.

  A large red demon strode forward. His head thrashed side to side, and a low growl emanated from his mouth. His bulging muscles rippled when he
walked. My hands crackled.

  My mother’s face had become unreadable.

  Magick sparked off my fingertips.

  “What gives you the right to make demands of us? You do not control us,” the demon stated in a tone that sent a shiver down my spine.

  “Demitrious. I’ve made no demands of anyone. What I’m asking is that we start over, a blank slate. We’ve gone about this all wrong and I was too blind to see it until my daughter brought it to my attention. I would really like you on our side, but if you choose otherwise, I will understand.”

  My mouth dropped open. My mother was asking a demon to be on our side? Obviously a lot had changed since she’d been gone. Demons and fae have never worked together. Ever.

  “What if your plan fails? What if all you do is speed up the process of extinction?”

  My mother frowned in thought. “That is a very real possibility. I will promise you this, if Mother Earth gives up and there is no hope to revitalize, I will bring everyone back with me who wants to go into my realm.”

  I sucked in a breath. Heads snapped up in surprise. Our realm was closely guarded and the borders always protected from outsiders. Why would she promise such a thing? That could cause an uprising amongst our own kind. Her crown could be overthrown.

  The demon tilted his head to the side, thinking. He scratched his jaw, lowered his head slightly. “Then I shall stand with you.”

  “Thank you, Demitrious. Your skills will be invaluable.”

  I glanced between the two of them. What in the world just happened? And what skills did this demon possess that my mother felt him worthy enough to offer up entrance into our lands? My mind raced with possibilities and I couldn’t come up with a single reason that would justify such an offer.

  Chapter Twenty

  The rest of the meeting was comprised mainly of the logistics of the move. I barely paid any attention; my mind kept returning to Michael. I hoped he was resting well. It also bothered me that we didn’t know what had become of his brother. Hopefully the dragon had taken care of the issue but it was hard to say. I’d have to find him as soon as possible to find out. I still couldn’t believe that jerk betrayed his own brother in such a way. The anger welled up inside of me just thinking about it.

  My mother jarred me back to reality with the touch of her hand. I blinked a couple of times before acknowledging her. “Are we ready?” I asked.

  She gave me a soft smile. “You’re worried about him.”

  I didn’t deny the implication. “He’s been through a lot.”

  “Tulupea, you must not get too attached, you know nothing could ever come from your relationship.”

  I gave her a look before walking out. Nothing besides children, I thought bitterly. It still pissed me off that she could be so nonchalant about the whole idea. But what bothered me the most was I knew she was right. Our kinds did not belong together. Faeries belonged with fae. It was just the way it was. I’d never expected to grow attached to the human boy. But I would be lying to myself if I tried to deny the way he made me feel. I wasn’t sure if he felt the same way, but by the way he kissed me and how his heart rate sped up when I was near, I had a feeling the attraction was mutual. I just wasn’t sure what to do about it other than let it run its course.

  We walked in silence back to the portal. Without giving it much thought and letting my intuition take over I collected plants along the way, tucking them into my pockets. I would grow them near our living quarters. Lost in my thoughts, my mind kept wandering back to how it felt to have Michael’s arms around me. And the anguish I’d felt when I thought he was dead. We’d barely gotten to know each other yet there was a connection. A strong connection that had me deeply confused.

  I shook my head, bringing myself back to the present. I had a lot of questions for my mother.

  “What kind of power does the demon have?” I asked when I finally spoke.

  My mother paused. “He has access to all of his life forces.”

  I stopped in my tracks. “Wait. What?”

  She laughed at my shock. “It’s truly incredible. I’ve never met another like him. Any form his spirit has taken since the beginning of time, he has access to it and can merge into it at will. And he has been many things other than a demon in his lifetimes. Even a human on several occasions, along with various other creatures. You have no idea the amount of knowledge that is stored in this being.”

  I was too stunned to speak. The whole idea blew my mind. I mean, sure I grasped the concept that we’d all lived other lives and sometimes on different dimensions, but we all have to go through the valley of forgetfulness on our way into our new lives. I’ve heard of people being able to access past life memories through different forms of divinity. But to actually be able to take on the form of your former selves? To have all the memories and powers? It was—incredible. And sorta scary. “Wow,” I whispered in awe.

  With a grin she laced her arm through mine and we continued on. “My thoughts exactly.”

  “I’m surprised he agreed to help you.”

  She shrugged. “He’s probably bored. And whether he’d like to admit it or not, he has a deep sense of kinship with the humans. He does not wish to see Mother Earth perish any more than we do.”

  Interesting. I couldn’t wait to talk to this man and pick his brain a bit. If he’d allow it.

  “I also noticed you didn’t bring up the halflings in the meeting.”

  My mother stared off absently as she considered her answer. “The timing wasn’t right. I had to make sure they would agree to the change in direction. And to be truthful, I’m not sure they’d agree with the idea. The last thing we need to worry about is someone trying to sabotage the plan before it even gets off the ground.”

  An icy chill ran through me. The new breed would be born into a life of danger. We had no idea how they would be received. Not by our kind, humans, or the other creatures. It would not be a shock to most of the fae because my mother had not withheld this information from the courts, but seeing something and talking about something are two totally different things.

  My mother reached for my hand, and next thing I knew I was trying to regain my footing. I looked around at the ruins of Earth, and it made me feel dirty. Magick had done this and magick would restore it. If not, the planet would become a lost civilization like others before it. What a heartbreaking thought.

  As we continued to walk my foot stuck to something, and I quickly looked down in surprise. What in the world?

  Leaning down I touched the sticky black substance. “What is it?” I asked in alarm.

  My mother swiped her finger through the goo. “Blood.”

  “Blood?”

  “Yes, Mother Earth is bleeding. She doesn’t have much longer now.”

  I was momentarily struck speechless. I didn’t even know such a thing was possible, although it made sense.

  Without consulting my mother, I closed my eyes, reached for my magick, willed it to mingle with the atoms, focused on their structure and before me trees sprouted and instantly we were surrounding by woods. I let out a sigh of relief. I could sense the immediate shift of the energy around us. Much better.

  “Don’t say a thing.” I glanced at my mother. “If we’re going to take charge then we are going to use our powers fully. I never understood your line of thinking. Either the humans are with us, or they are not. Free will. They can venture off farther if they want to live in the rubble. Mother Earth needs us.”

  “You’re very wise, daughter.” My mother closed her eyes. Fields of flowers sprouted around us. I grinned. This would be fun.

  We continued down the path and restored the land as we walked. We didn’t have enough power to restore Earth on our own, but we could make a difference to our immediate surroundings. It would be a small reprieve for the planet.

  As we approached the run down building, I reached for my mother’s hand. We were strong enough on our own to make changes in nature because it was close to our elements, but s
tructures took a different kind of energy. Together we’d have enough power to make changes but on my own it would take a long time and be very draining. I felt her energy mingle with mine. She gave me a slight nod of her head.

  A slow smile spread across my face as the crumbled down walls were morphed into a replica of our castle at home. The guards were uncloaked. I nearly groaned—it felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I knew my mother meant well by tiptoeing around the humans, but now it was time to embrace our powers and show them that magick was not all bad.

  The doors opened as we approached the front entrance. The guards were trained to keep their faces still, but even their lips were slightly turned up and eyes lit with approval. For the first time since walking onto the dreary planet I felt a renewed sense of hope.

  “Guards. There will be others arriving shortly. They are welcome guests. Treat them as such. You may not approve of my methods but you will abide by them.” My mother practically snapped out the words like a whip.

  “Of course, Your Majesty. We’re at your command.” Low bows were given all around.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  We continued through the large main hall. I glanced in wonder at the exact replica of our home. Everything down to the flowers climbing up the walls were the same. The mind in conjunction with the source of all things was an amazing thing to behold.

  I wondered where Michael was now that the rooms had been changed and if he was freaked out about it. I ran up the spiraling staircase to my bedroom. Of course he was not there. I checked several rooms before I finally found his room. He was no longer lying in bed. When I walked through the door he glanced up and a look of surprise crossed his face. “You really are a princess.”

  Laughing, I reached up to touch the small jeweled crown on my head. “We’ve decided to make a few changes around here. There will be no more hiding. Not for us or for the humans that choose to join us.”