Poppy (The Deadly Flowers Series)

by Riana Lucas

  I miss her. This is truly an odd feeling for me, but I find that I like it. I like knowing that there is someone that cares about me also. I smile a little at the picture of Rho that I have formed in my head. Arms crossed, back straight, hair wild and unkempt. She is pacing in my room stealing glances at the doorway, all while cursing me with every breath.

  I am not sure how long I sit there, only a few minutes I am sure, but eventually I sense someone coming. My body tenses automatically and I reach for my daggers before I am able to pick up the scent of the Halfling.

  “Poppy,” he calls out quietly. He is still not close enough to see me, but I know he senses me too. For this reason I do not answer. I allow him to follow his instincts and find me himself. He is calling out so he does not catch me off guard but still remaining quiet so that he is not heard by others. He is learning. A small smile briefly touches my lips at this thought. Maybe it is time I start teaching him some other small things that will come in handy not only now, but also once he reaches Faery Land.

  I do not usually enjoy giving instruction, but I realize that I think I might enjoy teaching this Halfling, given his natural abilities. He would prove to be a quick study and a worthy opponent.

  I hear a few twigs snap behind me, but he is mostly quiet. A few seconds later he reaches my side. “Morning.” He says as he stands beside where I am sitting. He studies the stream and then the surrounding area before looking down at me. “How was the water?”

  “Wonderful,” I tell him with a smile tugging at my lips in memory.

  “Is that a smile?” He asks with a false sound of shock in his tone and a huge smile on his face.

  I quickly school my features, “No”.

  “Yes it was,” he says in a singsong voice, “Poppy smiled. I can’t believe it. I wish I had a camera to take a picture because I know I will never see that again.” He mockingly pats his pockets as if looking for said camera.

  “And to think, I was just considering teaching you some things about the Fae. I am so glad you reminded me of who I was dealing with.” I quickly stand and brush the dirt off my pants.

  “Oh, I do believe that was sarcasm too. I think I might like this new Poppy.” He grins at me.

  “There is no new Poppy. I am the same as yesterday. Now, if you are going to bathe I suggest you do it now. We do not have time for your games. I am heading back to camp to get organized. Meet me back there as soon as you are finished. We have things to do today.”

  “Yep, same Poppy as yesterday,” he says with a wink before turning to look at the stream. “I won’t be long.”

  I start to walk back to camp when I hear the Halfling call out, “Oh Poppy?” I sigh and turn to face him with a bored look on my face, “Thanks for considering teaching me about the Fae. I would really appreciate that.” He says seriously.

  “Oh, well…Fine. Just hurry up.” I snap at him, turn back around, and walk away. I can hear him chuckling almost all the way back to camp.

  I do not know why, but this Halfling is starting to grow on me. It must be my lack of any other interaction with other Fae. I briefly consider that the bond I placed on him yesterday may be responsible. I have never held a bond with one of my Halflings for such a long period of time. I decide that it is a possibility, but do not linger on the thought to long. I will see us through this mission, teach him a few things, and be rid of him once we return to Faery Land.

  Everything will be back to normal then.

  * * *

  I gather all of our items including the Halfling’s blanket and place them all in my satchel. I prepare another bottle of sugar water for both of us to share, but keep the food put up. There is plenty of fresh edible plants right here in the forest that we can eat for now. There is no point in wasting the packaged food. There may be a time when we will need that.

  Just as I am finishing up and taking a drink of water, the Halfling strolls into camp. His hands are swinging at his sides and he is whistling. He probably does not realize it, but being in the fresh air and natural setting of the forest is making him happier. Not to mention bathing in the cool crisp water of a natural stream. His Fae side is luxuriating in all of this. I find myself being happy for him.

  How odd.

  I shake my head at the thought and hand him the bottle of sugar water when he reaches me. He takes a drink while looking around.

  “You could have waited for me; I would have helped you clean everything up.”

  “It was no problem. I wanted to be ready when you finished. How do you feel?” I already know the answer and am not disappointed when he responds.

  “Great!” he answers enthusiastically. “The water was amazing. I feel cleaner than I do when I bathe in the shower at home. Funny, huh?”

  “No, actually I am not surprised. You are half Fae. The Fae love nature. They love the fresh air, the cleanliness of the water and dirt…”

  “Cleanliness of the dirt? Dirt is not clean.” He bends down to rub a bit between his fingers and then proceeds to show me his dirty fingers as if this proves his point.

  “The dirt is not contaminated with trash or other human products. It is all natural and directly produced from the earth. It is clean and fresh. The animals are wild and untamed. The trees and plants grow larger and free. It calls to the Fae. It is calling to you.”

  I look at him before continuing, “Our magic is much stronger when we are close to nature. This is why we do not use human customs and human technology in Faery Land. It holds back our magic. A Faery is strongest and most happy when they have their magic within them.”

  I impulsively make a decision to show him a bit of what I am talking about.

  I take a step closer to the Halfling so that I am within arm’s reach of him. I close my eyes and pull the magic from the surrounding area into myself. I reach out and allow just my finger tips to touch the tops of his hands where they are resting at his sides. I will a small amount of my magic to trickle into him. I hear his sharp intake of breath and feel his hands begin to slightly shake. I open my eyes and look into his.

  “Feel it?” I wait for him to nod to make sure he is paying attention to me. Once he does I continue, “Grab it from within. Think about it, imagine it is yours and grab it.”

  He closes his eyes and I can see his brow furrow in concentration. I lift my hand and press a finger gently to the spot between his eyebrows. “Do not think too hard. Just know that it belongs to you and own it.” His face relaxes and I immediately feel the change in him. I step away, breaking all contact with him and bring my magic back to me.

  Now he is able to feel his own magic, before it quickly slips away. His eyes snap open and he looks at me. “Where did it go?” he asks, not trying to hide his disappointment. I feel sad for him, knowing that the taste of magic he just had feels more like a tease, but I am unable to do more for him now.

  “You had it, but it will take time and practice for you to hold it and use it. We will keep trying until we reach the Unseelie Court. But for now we must find food.” I pick up my satchel and begin to walk in the direction that will lead us further into the forest. The Halfling follows my lead and begins to walk with me, continuing our conversation.

  He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, “Okay. We’ll try later…that felt amazing, Poppy. I can’t believe I’ve had that in me my whole life and I never knew. My mom would flip!”

  “I think she knows.” I say quietly, not sure how he will take my assumptions about his mother and father.

  “No, way! She would have said something. We’re really close. She wouldn’t keep something like that from me.” His smile starts to fade and doubt starts to set in. “No. She would have told me, wouldn’t she?”

  “I am not sure. I have been watching you since we have met and there are things about you that are different from the other Halflings I have brought back to the Unseelie Court.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well…you are much more in touch with your Faery side than other Halfl
ings raised in the human world. And there are things about the way your mother has raised you that lead me to believe she not only is aware that your father is a Faery and therefore aware that you are a Halfling; but also that she has had at least some contact with him and received some guidance on how to raise you.” I raise my eyebrows at him, knowing that this is going to be a difficult conversation for him. Realizing that his mother was not always honest with him is going to be hard to accept.

  “But that’s not possible. My mom told me that my dad died in car accident when I was a month old. She even has pictures of him. He looks normal, definitely not Fae. Besides, she wouldn’t lie like that to me. There is no way she could have known.” He crosses his arms and that crease in his brow has re-appeared.

  “Well, I think she did, or at least she did once. It is quite possible her memories were erased and rewritten with the story she told you, but she has definitely had guidance. Someone told her you should drink sugar water and although you live on the beach, she has surrounded you with lush plants and trees in your backyard. I bet you have spent a lot of time out there.”

  He shrugs but keeps listening. We have slowly been making our way deeper into the forest, away from our camp. I look around and see that we have made our way back to the stream we used earlier to bathe in. I begin to look around for plants that would be edible. I spot a blackberry bush on the other side of the stream a few feet away. I look up and down the stream and spot an area where the stream becomes narrower. There are also boulder sized rocks sticking out of the water that we could use to cross the stream to the other side.

  I turn that way and the Halfling follows behind, still deep in thought.

  Once we reach the spot I have chosen to cross, he finally speaks again. “I understand what you’re telling me and it all makes sense, but it’s so hard to believe that my father would be taking an active role in my upbringing, but erasing the memories? That’s so bizarre. Why would he do that?”

  I step to the first stone and look back at the Halfling. I gesture for him to follow, he raises his eyebrow in question and I give him a stern look. He shakes his head and smiles before following behind me.

  Then I answer his question, “Well, most Fae do not care about their Halfling children. A lot of them are not even aware they have any. Fae come to the human world to play with humans. They cause mischief and enjoy starting trouble. They can even be cruel. Every now and then a Faery finds a human they cannot resist. But once they have spent a few days with the human they grow bored and leave. That is usually when they wipe their memories clean. The humans do not remember them and sometimes the human women are left with a little surprise a few months later.”

  I reach the other side of the stream and make my way back up to the blackberry bush.

  “That’s so wrong. How do these women think they got pregnant? Immaculate conception?” he snorts and I shake my head trying to stifle a laugh. His human-ness is beginning to grow on me.

  We reach the blackberry bush and I pluck a few juicy berries from the branches. I pop one in my mouth and the sweet taste explodes on my tongue. Fresh fruit straight from the bush is so good. I turn back to the Halfling and hold my palm out to him, offering a few of the succulent berries.

  He eyes them critically and then takes one, placing it into his mouth. After he bites into the berry he smiles at me. “This is good. What is it?”

  “Blackberry. They obviously are edible, but they also make a great wine. As long as they look plump and juicy you can eat them.”

  “Oh, I bet the wine is good.” He plucks more fruit from the bush until he has a handful and then begins to eat them. I gather more in my hand as well and we turn to continue further into the forest.

  “All Faery wine is good. But you must be careful. It has a stronger effect on humans and Halflings than on full Faery. You can lose yourself if you are not careful.”

  “That’s why I have you Poppy, you have my back.” He bumps his shoulder into mine as we continue walking.

  I do not comment. Instead I continue with our earlier conversation, “Before a Fae leaves the presence of a human, they usually alter their memories. The humans either have a complete explanation or a fuzzy memory. There is enough memory though, that the human does not go crazy trying to figure out what has happened to them.”

  “That’s really messed up, Poppy.”

  I shrug, “The Fae do as they please. We rank above humans and what happens to them is of no concern to us.”

  The Halfling stops walking, I take a few steps past him before I realize he is not continuing. I turn back to see him looking at me in a strange way. It looks like he is upset, maybe even angry.

  “What is wrong?” I ask, looking around as if I might see what has caused him to stop walking.

  “What is your problem with humans? Ever since I met you, you act so disgusted with us. You won’t even say my name. You just keep calling me Halfling in that superior way of yours. What did humans do to you?”

  “Nothing,” I shrug and turn to keep walking but am stopped by the sound of his voice.

  “Nothing? Nothing?” he almost yells. “Humans have done nothing to you and you treat them that way? That’s disgusting.” He brushes past me and now it is I that is standing still and not moving.

  I find myself disappointed and hurt that he has talked to me this way. I hurry after him for reasons I cannot explain. “Wait, Halfling…umm wait.”

  He whirls around in a cloud of anger and I take an involuntary step back, “What?” he grits out between his teeth.

  “I do not treat them that way. Other Fae do. The only interaction I have is when I come to the human world to retrieve Halflings like you. I usually am here only a few hours.” I do not know why I am defending myself, but I feel like I need to. I do not want him to think badly of me.

  “But don’t you see Poppy, the fact that you can’t stand to be around us and the way you say our names shows your hatred. Then you defend the way other Fae act, even if you are not one of them. It’s not nice at all. Why do you hate humans and Halflings?”

  “I do not hate you.” I point out.

  He lets out a humorless laugh, “No, you don’t hate me. You just tolerate me. Why?”

  “I… I do not know. It is what I was taught from the time when I was little. I do not know any other way.” I am actually ashamed of this answer. I did not realize until now that I had no true reason, I was only doing what I was told without question. This is not like me. I do not like to follow blindly. I like to lead and know what I am leading into.

  The Halfling must see this on my face because he softens his features and his tone before continuing, “You should get to know someone before you decide if you hate them, Poppy. How can you know anything about humans if you don’t find out for yourself?”

  “You are right. I shall try harder to understand you and other Halflings and humans.” I say before straightening my shoulders and raising my head, “but I still do not like the human world and all of the trash and technology and noise and smells. I will never change my mind about that.” I wrinkle my nose at just the thought of all of those things.

  He chuckles, this time more relaxed. “I won’t argue with you on that. Some of those are valid points. I don’t care for much of that stuff either. Although, technology can sometimes be great. I’ll have to show you some stuff.”

  I look at him unconvinced and he just laughs.

  “Well for now, why don’t you show me some more Fae stuff? We can worry about the human stuff later,” he suggests when I do not laugh with him.

  “I think I like that better. I do not wish to learn any of the human technology. I do not care for the interference it plays on my magic. I also prefer to rely on my own skill.” I am not surprised that he enjoys his human technology, but I know that with time he will begin to rely more on his Faery magic. It is more important for him to learn about the world we share, not teach me about a world I hold no interest in.

  “About…” h
e begins, but I raise a hand to cut him off. I already know that he intends to ask about my skill and training, but I feel that we should proceed at a slower rate. “Baby steps, Halfling.” I steer the conversation toward our surroundings.

  We continue talking as we walk. I point out several different plants that are edible, but I also point out plants that are great for healing wounds. Fae are quick healers, but some plants will speed that process up considerably. When a Faery is in the human world, sometimes those plants become a necessity. Especially now, considering that we are unable to return to Faery Land at our convenience.

  I also point out several different types of trees and what the Fae use them for. I explain things like the blanket that I made for him and the clothes that I am wearing. He listens intently to all of my explanations only breaking in with a question every once in a while.

  “Wow” he says to me after I explain my clothing to him, “There are so many things you can do. No wonder you love being a Faery so much. It’s amazing and well…magical.”

  “Yes it is. I am very happy with being a Faery. You will be too. I am sure of it. It almost seems so natural to you already,” I tell him, because it is the truth.

  “I don’t know. Although you still have your issues, you are pretty nice. But some of the others you told me about…I don’t think I like the idea of sharing a world with them. And I’m still not sure about never seeing my mom again. I don’t want to leave her alone.”

  After spending the day with the Halfling, I am starting to understand him more. I feel sorry for the situation with his mother and find myself wanting to help. Before I realize what I am implying I say, “Once we reach the Unseelie Court, maybe there is something that can be done about your mother. I will seek Damien’s advice.”

  “Thank you, Poppy.”

  “As for the other, those Fae are no different from the bad humans. Every world has the good and bad. You just have to decide which you want to be.”