Arranged (Arranged Trilogy Book 1)

by Julia Crane

  Michael looked around the room. “I was sorta freaked out when the floors started shifting under my feet. I didn’t realize you could do such things with your magick. You’re not going to change me into someone else, are you?”

  I grinned. “‘Nope, I seem to like you just the way you are.”

  We each took a step forward, but before our lips could meet the doors opened and my mother burst through them.

  “Mother, what’s going on?”

  At my anxious face she beamed back at me a beautiful smile.

  She looked joyful, her eyes bright and her cheeks rosy. It’d been a while since I saw that look on her face.

  “What is it?” I repeated. “Tell me what makes you so happy.”

  “We’ve done it.”

  My heart stilled in my chest. I looked at her steadily. “The halflings?” I whispered. I knew this day was coming, I just hadn’t expected it to be so soon.

  “Yes! Henrek said they are in the embryonic stage and it appears as if they will make it at least through the first stage. This is further than we’ve been able to get before.”

  I glanced at Michael who looked like he was going to be ill. I felt pretty queasy myself.

  “I want to see them.”

  My mother shook her head. “Not yet. Henrek will let us know when it’s time. For now we need to focus on what is at hand. Creatures have already started to arrive. We need to make ourselves seen and available so there is no confusion.”

  My shoulders slumped. “Fine. But the moment they become viable you must take us to them. Promise me.”

  “Of course. And remember, do not mention this to the others. I’ve sealed off the laboratory so none of the creatures accidentally stumble upon the project.”

  My gut twisted at her choice of words. Project.

  “I’d like a moment alone with Michael and then I’ll be down.”

  She gave me a disapproving look before closing the door behind her.

  “That was quick.” Michael ran his hand through his hair.

  “Yeah, I thought we still had time. But then again, I have no idea how this science works.”

  “Me either,” Michael agreed. Some of the color had returned to his face. “It’s really happening, huh?”

  “Seems so.”

  “If you made changes so quickly to this building, do we really need them?”

  I nodded. “We’re but a small blip of this planet. And I cannot begin to explain to you the shape that Mother Earth is in right now. We are not enough to bring her back to balance. The idea of the merger is sound. Are you having second thoughts?”

  He took a deep breath and let it out. “Not really. I’m just a little freaked out about the whole thing. There are so many unknowns. Why don’t you just bring more faeries from your realm to speed up the process?”

  I looked at him with a raised brow. “All faeries do not have the same gifts. Our realm was already thriving and full of magick. It did not have to be rebuilt. There are very few faeries with the abilities that my mother and I have. Each has their own power. So I’m afraid it’s not that simple. Even our own halflings. If we had them naturally, the chances are high they would have healing abilities but it wouldn’t be one-hundred percent. They could turn out to be warriors like my father’s bloodline. Or completely dormant. It’s only due to Henrek’s,” my nose scrunched, “splicing, that we are able to ensure they will have the powers needed to rebuild.”

  “I didn’t realize. I guess I thought all faeries were the same.”

  I laughed, a little taken aback. “That’s like saying all humans are the same. It’s not possible. By the laws of being, we are all unique. I really should get downstairs. Maybe you should stay out of sight, at least until everyone is settled.”

  With a shake of his head Michael strode forward and put his hand on the door handle. “I’m going with you. I’m just as much of a part of this as you are.”

  We paused for an instant, our gazes meeting briefly, both holding a little uncertainty. He was an arm’s length away from my side, yet I was overwhelmingly conscious of him.

  “Fine.” Just as I was about to strode past him, his hand encircled my waist and pulled me into him. Unable to move, I felt caught. In the most wonderful way. My heart rate flew at the touch, the nearness. When our eyes met, I saw in his the awareness of what was taking place between us—it brought back all the emotions of our earlier kiss. Fate was such a strange thing. I never in a million years would have dreamed I’d fall for a human. And yet here I was.

  “Not so fast,” he murmured, his voice huskier than normal. When his gaze settled on my lips it sent a thrill throughout my body. As his lips touched mine, I swear the rest of the world and problems dissolved around me. All I could feel, all I could think was, Michael.

  I drew a jerky breath when the kiss ended. “We should get downstairs.”

  A crooked smile crossed his face. His own voice was slightly breathless. “I do believe the most powerful creature I’ve ever met is afraid of me.”

  Neither of us moved for several moments, both catching our breath.

  I tilted my head and realized he was telling me the truth. I was terrified of the feelings he was bringing out of me. What I felt was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.

  Laughing, I reached up and lightly sunk my teeth into his lower lip and pulled. “Don’t flatter yourself, human.”

  His eyes held an unnerving hunger, as well as the oddest combination of emotions. Once again his arms were around me, but this time he’d pushed me up against the door frame and the weight of his body on mine was the most delicious feeling I’d ever known. Then his warm mouth moved down my throat; I was surprised I didn’t melt onto the floor in a puddle. His hand left hot trails of awareness down the side of my face, my arms, finally resting on my hips as he bent down and once again we were lost in each other’s arms.

  The kiss seemed to last a long time, but maybe it was only seconds.

  He’s a human, I reminded myself. Yet that didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was that I followed this path, this connection we’d somehow forged. Not that I had much choice. I couldn’t walk away now if I wanted to. Our lives were deeply entwined.

  “What do you want from me?” With a tilt of my head I put space between us, pulling away as I asked Michael.

  He hesitated there, inches from me, and took a breath. “Whatever you’re willing to give me. I knew from the instant our eyes met that my life would be forever changed.”

  His words—along with the raw emotion in his voice—shocked me.

  I touched my lips, still feeling his skin on mine. “It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?” I said quietly.

  He nodded in agreement. My body relaxed, and suddenly I felt hopeful. Maybe we could make this work, even with all the reasons why we shouldn’t be together.

  So many thoughts whirled in my head as we made our way down the long, spiraling staircase. I stared down in awe at all the commotion going on below. Creatures from varying dimensions moved about. The guards stood at the ready, as if expecting to jump into action at any second. Never had such a vast range of creatures been in our castle. Other creatures rarely entered our realm. But on Earth it was free rein and my mother had opened our home to them. I should have felt anxious or afraid but I did not. It was a new era. I was grateful that my mother was open-minded enough to expand her views. Something I did notice and found quite odd was there were no faeries to be seen. Perhaps they didn’t feel comfortable being in a contained space with the others.

  My mother was commanding the room and handing out orders. The strange demon Demitrious was close to her side. I stared at him rather curiously. Such a powerful creature. As if he could sense my gaze, he looked up, and the barest smile touched his lips before he quickly glanced away. How strange.

  Behind me I could feel the tension and inner turmoil coming off of Michael in waves. I hadn’t given much thought to how he’d feel around so many beings. Creatures that he’d
been raised to hate and distrust.

  Suddenly I realized everyone was watching us, but they weren’t really watching both of us. All eyes were on Michael, the human. My magick was at the ready if it were needed, yet I did not sense any threat. More of a curiosity. I couldn’t blame them. We were all walking an uncharted path.

  My mother did not acknowledge their unasked question but continued on with the planning.

  Eventually they lost interest and returned to the task at hand.

  There were large boards with notes, and color-coded maps. The closer I got I could read that they were the areas sectioned off within the immediate area and the tasks to be completed by different individuals. From now on we would be going from the inside out instead of the scattered attempt that had clearly failed. I skirted around the creatures, making my way to my mother.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Two Weeks Later

  My mother strode into the kitchen, a look of satisfaction on her face. “It’s time.”

  I didn’t have to ask what she meant. I knew. Closing my eyes, I tried to fight back the anxiety that rose from deep within me. She grabbed my hand, and laced a calming energy into my auric field before leading me with haste down the hall. I swear each step was filled with trepidation. I had no idea what to expect.

  Our pace was nearly a run. My mother’s grip on my hand was tight. I could feel the excitement coursing through her. I did not allow myself to feel excited. I was curious, of course, but also unsure of what to expect. Internally I was steeling myself for the worst even though I had no idea what that would be.

  As soon as we entered the laboratory I gasped. Before me stood a huge cylinder of liquid with over a dozen babies floating around in the tank. They were each attached by some sort of cord. They were fully formed infants and they were gorgeous. How could this be possible?

  “It’s better than we could have expected,” Henrek spoke quickly, his voice filling the room and bringing me back into focus. “They are marvelous.”

  I was so stunned I didn’t know what to say. I’d been expecting one, maybe two or three babies, but nothing like this. I also didn’t expect them to develop so quickly. Just then one of the little ones opened its eyes and stared straight into my own. My heart froze.

  “What do you think?” my mother asked, moving to stand beside me. “They are almost as beautiful as you were when you were born.”

  Unconsciously, I made a small grimace, trying to swallow down my apprehension. Why didn’t I feel the elation that my mother felt? I looked at the little beings and my heart hurt. How was I supposed to know they were in this world and not be a part of their lives? And how could one woman take care of so many at once? The task seemed daunting.

  The one with the opened eyes swam to the edge of the tank and placed its tiny little hand on the glass. Instinctively, I reached up and placed my own next to hers. The little being’s lips tilted. She smiled at me! I felt a tear run down the side of my face. I loved her. I love them all. My heart was so expanded I wondered if it would burst in my chest.

  Without turning I asked, “Henrek, how quickly will they grow? Will they grow slowly like my kind or quickly like the humans?”

  He scratched the side of his head. “I honestly have no idea. They are already growing quicker than I expected. As you know this is all very experimental. Yesterday they were just forming eyes and today they are fully formed.”

  “I should tell Michael,” I said quietly, not wanting to move from my spot.

  “Not yet,” my mother stated firmly.

  My head snapped in her direction. “Why not? He has just as much right as we do.”

  She shook her head. “We must wait a while longer. I want to make sure they are safe and can live on their own without the help of the cords and machines. We don’t even know if they will make it yet.”

  I let her words sink in and my heart clenched. My eyes finally left the little girl before me and darted around, taking in the rest of their beautiful little faces. Their hair was little more than fuzz but I could already see a vast array of colors amongst them. Most of them had pale skin like Michael but a few of them were tinged green like my mother and me. I wondered if they would have more fae than human. Would their magick be stronger or weaker than my own? Would their life spans be longer or shorter than the other humans? I had so many questions and no answers. No one knew how their lives would turn out. Maybe they wouldn’t even make it past today. Just the thought was like a jab through my heart.

  I couldn’t believe that to be true. I knew deep in my heart they would live and they would thrive. They had to or I would shatter into a million pieces.

  My mother wanted me not to feel for these creatures, yet I knew as I watched them float around that I already loved them, each and every one of them. And there was no way I was going to be able to walk away from their lives. For the first time in my life I might have to go against my mother’s wishes.

  “What are you thinking, my dear?”

  I gazed back at their little faces, changing my thought process because my mother would know if I weren’t telling the truth. “They are beautiful, aren’t they?”

  She nodded in agreement. “That they are. And they are the future. This is just the start. We can keep populating. Henrek says once we find out which ones are the strongest we can use them to produce more. We just have to find more matches for them. And of course you and Michael can have many more batches since it does no harm to your body.”

  I took a deep breath. It might not do harm to my body, but what about my soul? I looked at her, my gaze unwavering. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First we must make sure they survive,” I said flatly.

  “Yes, you’re correct. I am getting ahead of myself. It’s just so exciting.”

  “Mother, don’t you look at them and see your grandchildren?”

  She placed her arm around my shoulder and squeezed. “More so than I expected. But we can’t think of them in such a way. They are not ours to keep and to raise. They are children of the Earth, you must not forget this.”

  My body stiffened. I could feel my heart thud like a hammer in my chest.

  “Tulupea. Do not make this harder than it has to be.”

  I bit off my reply, the anger plain on my face, and gestured toward the babies. “They can hear and they can sense what is in our hearts.” I didn’t want them to hear about my mother’s plans of leaving these children to fend for themselves. “We have to teach them our ways. We will be a part of their lives,” I stated firmly.

  “Of course. But once the Earth is able to stand on its own we must return to our realm. You know this is how it has to be.”

  I nodded curtly. Deep down I knew she was speaking the truth. However, I was not ready to concede this truth to her. Right now all I wanted to do was lift one of these little beings from the water and hold them in my arms.

  “How are they being fed?”

  In his element, Henrek stepped forward and spent the next hour informing me how the babies were being kept alive. It was interesting but also way over my head. All I wanted to know was if they would survive. That he could not confirm.

  “What are we to name them?” I asked while I watched three of the little ones float around each other. Their eyes were not yet open so I couldn’t tell the color or see their intelligence, but I could have sworn some of them smiled when they passed each other. A couple of them were even holding hands.

  “I don’t think we should think about names until they have proven they can live outside the tank, and even then I think we should keep their names generic. Perhaps use the human number system.”

  “No. They will have real names,” I practically hissed. How dare she mention such a thing? Naming children numbers? As if they were nothing more than objects.

  “We’ll talk about it later,” she said firmly.

  Yes, we would, I thought while trying to contain my anger. Never in my life had I disagreed with my mother so strongly. We’d had our differen
ces but I always knew my place as princess. I was to obey her wishes. It was as simple as that. This was the first time we really did not see eye to eye, and I knew it would be the first time I would disobey her. When she looked at the little bodies she saw Mother Earth’s children. When I looked, I saw my flesh and blood. I would stand for them and I would fight for them even if it meant my mother’s disapproval.

  Turning, I ignored my mother’s quizzical stare and asked Henrek, “Can we hold them?”

  His eyes darted to my mother as if seeking her permission to answer.

  “I don’t think that is wise,” she answered for him.

  I didn’t bother to look at her. “I’ll take that as a yes, they can be held. Henrek, grab me one of them. It doesn’t matter which one.”

  My mother gave him a slight nod. My shoulders relaxed. I had hoped it would not turn into a full-blown argument.

  Henrek slid a large ladder over to the tank and nimbly climbed to the top. Reaching in, he grabbed one of the cords and drew it out of the tank.

  I hurried over to be by his side; my mother stayed where she was. He grabbed the slippery naked baby. Reaching down he handed the little creature to me. It was a boy. His skin was pale and his hair was blue. There was slimy film covering him and the cord hooked into his belly button. He was absolutely the most stunning creature I’d ever laid my eyes on. As my hand ran down the side of his face, his eyes opened and I nearly dropped the poor little guy. One of his eyes was purple and the other amber. The same birth defect I myself had. I kissed his forehead and silently promised I would keep him safe.

  “We cannot keep them out long,” Henrek warned. I nodded in understanding. I wouldn’t want to risk the babies’ lives.

  His cheeks were so chubby and his little fingers and hands were tiny. His lips were perfectly bow shaped. He would be handsome, that much was obvious. I am your mother, I said telepathically to the little one and a small smile slid across his face. I knew without a doubt—in that moment—I could not be separated from them. Henrek reached out his hands. Reluctantly I handed the baby back to him. As soon as the baby was put back in the tank it swam over to the glass wall where I stood and stared at me. My heart exploded in joy. Now I knew how my mother must have felt when she saw me. It was an overwhelming feeling.