“Yes, I do. But at the end of the day, it’s not what I believe or what your boyfriend believes; it’s what you believe. Do you believe in yourself? Is your dream stronger than your doubt and fear?”
If I walked onto the stage on Friday, I could fail miserably. I could embarrass myself in front of everyone. But if I didn’t try, I would lose immediately. I rose from my chair. “I’ll be here.” I smiled at Lorenzo. “Thank you.”
The urge to hug him was overwhelming, but I didn’t. It would be inappropriate. If I wanted to sing and stay with Victor, I had to prove to him that there was nothing between the handsome demon and me. And there really wasn’t. Because no matter how charming, kind, and thoughtful Lorenzo was, he was an immortal, and I was a mortal. Relationships between one person who was aging and another who wasn’t could never end well.
“I’m looking forward to hearing you sing again,” Lorenzo said as I reached the door.
“I’m looking forward to performing.” With you, I thought.
I exited Daydream feeling light and calm. Strange how I had gone from completely depleted to being filled with positive energy in one evening.
6
20th July
The fog hung heavy over me like a stifling blanket as I trudged through the streets of Arcadia. All around me were people who walked straight ahead, their faces emotionless. What was going on? Where were they all going? Every time I was close enough to touch one of the zombies, the person disappeared. We kept walking in circles around the night market, and with each circle, the tension within my chest increased. What was the meaning of this? Why couldn’t I talk to anyone?
Buzzing sounded, and one by one, the people vanished, and the fog grew heavier until I couldn’t see anything. The buzzing grew louder. Trying to escape it, I turned to the left only to fall onto the ground.
Ouch. I blinked a few times, realizing the noise was coming from my alarm clock and that in my desperation to escape it, I had tumbled out of bed.
I rubbed my lower back, slowly remembering that I had set my alarm this early because today I had to go back to Acacia’s. I pushed off the floor and stepped toward the mirror. The pronounced golden specks in my eyes told me I was pushing it. The spots were so close and big they almost formed a circle.
Not wasting any time, I washed my face and threw on my clothes, then hurried downstairs. I had to walk down the entire length of the guest floor before I reached the stairs that led to the ground floor and outside. To not draw any attention, I kept my gaze downward even though I didn’t expect anyone to be up at six in the morning. To my surprise, there was a rustling, and two women strutted toward me, their heavy dresses way too fancy for our boarding house.
“This is a shithole,” one of them was saying. “How does Mother expect us to stay here?”
“She’s handling it. She said our room is the biggest and has the best view,” the other replied.
I dared to peek up from underneath my eyelashes to find two faces marred by disgust. The two girls both had tiny, beady eyes, large and wide noses, and hair that was combed so high a wig would’ve looked more natural. Given how similar they looked and them saying that their mother couldn’t expect them to stay here, I assumed they were sisters. Strange, our boarding house wasn’t exactly known to be the place to stay for women traveling by themselves, especially women who had money.
“I wish we hadn’t come,” the first sister, who was the shorter and plumper one moaned.
“Shut up. It will get better soon. Give it a few months, less if we’re lucky, and everything will be restored to order,” the taller one snapped.
“It better be faster.”
As they passed me, I had to press myself into the wall since they walked in a way that took up the whole corridor. With a sinking feeling, I left the boarding house, hoping the sisters would change their minds and stay somewhere else. They seemed like very difficult customers, and I could easily imagine them complaining that the sheets weren’t ironed enough, that the bread wasn’t fresh enough, and demanding snowdrops in the middle of July.
At least, they weren’t here with their mother. In my experience, children who allowed their parents to make decisions for them after they were grownups, had parents that were ten times worse than the children themselves were.
Since I tended to arrive at Acacia’s around half past six in the morning, I never had to wait. As a fae, she chose to run her business during the night hours, opening around eight in the evening and closing in the early morning. Many people frowned upon those that did business with the fae, so most of her clients preferred to arrive protected under the cover of darkness. However, when I knocked that morning on her door, she said, “Please wait in the hall. I need to finish up with a client.”
“No problem.” I didn’t mind waiting as long as I wasn’t standing outside where I ran the risk of someone who knew me spotting me and asking me why I came to see the fae. With no chair to sit down, I remained standing and studied the beautiful stained-glass art, wondering if it was made by a fae. After a prolonged silence, voices carried toward me. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I also wasn’t willing to wait outside.
“I feel so energyless as if I have aged by ten years in one night,” a female said in a sad voice. She sounded like a middle-aged lady, which surprised me since older people were even more suspicious of fae than the younger generation. “And I look much older. It’s as if I have gone gray overnight.”
“Are you sure you didn’t take anything that might’ve caused this?” Acacia asked.
“No, I already told you. I don’t drink alcohol or take any tinctures. The only treatment I use to fall asleep is chamomile tea.”
“Did you fall asleep quicker yesterday than usual?”
There was a pause. “Well, yes, but that was probably because the full moon had ended.”
“Did anyone have access to your tea?”
Another pause. “Ever since my husband died, I had to sell my house and move into a women’s house. We share the kitchen. But why would they put anything into my tea? What little money I have is in the bank, and none of my belongings were taken.”
“Why, indeed?” Acacia wondered aloud. “Here’s what I’m going to do for you. I’ll prepare a brew for you. It should help, for now; however, it won’t do much good long-term. You need to move out of this women’s house.”
“Why? Where would I go?”
Acacia sighed. “New times are ahead of us, and unfortunately, those that are coming into power are willing to exploit the helpless.”
“I don’t understand. What would anyone want with me? I don’t have anything.”
Acacia didn’t reply immediately. Instead, there was rattling, as if she was mixing the brew. After a few minutes, she asked, “How old are you?”
“I turned fifty last year. Why?”
“You have at least twenty years to live, perhaps more. Someone who knows how to harness life energy could use twenty years for dark magic.”
I gasped as the middle-aged woman exclaimed, “Who would do such a horrible thing? And why isn’t anyone stopping them? What you’re talking about is murder. Murder!”
“I’ve told you everything I know,” Acacia replied calmly. “Take this brew. It should help you temporarily. But once again, I urge you to move out. Find another house, move in with other people to save money, but leave the place you’re at now. It’s not safe.”
There were footsteps, and I quickly retreated to the end of the hallway and lowered my gaze. The client stalked past me without a word.
Acacia closed the outside door behind her. “Come in, Halia.” She shot me an appraising glance. “I see you left this until the last minute.”
Normally, the statement would’ve made me feel guilty, but today my curiosity took precedence. “What did you mean by times are changing?”
Acacia sighed. “Haven’t you noticed? There are a lot of newcomers in Arcadia.”
I took a seat at the table. “A lot of magic wielders.
I would think you would view this as something positive.”
She screwed a bottle cap shut. “Not all magic wielders are good. It feels as if a protection spell has been lifted, and everyone is able to come into Arcadia, including a lot of bad people.” She shook her head. “I’ve been here for eighteen years, and something has changed in the last few months. I don’t know exactly what is happening, but it’s not good.”
I shifted in my seat. “Do you really think somebody is taking life energy from unsuspecting people while they sleep?”
“Yes. Those who practice dark magic could do it easily and won’t have too hard of a time finding victims.” She shut one of the drawers forcefully. “Arcadia’s citizens are spoiled. They don’t know to look for the danger.”
“This dark magic, is it performed by fae? Is it similar to what you do?”
Acacia had been putting away potions, but now halted mid-motion. “I don’t know if fae are behind this. Energy stealing relies on a similar magic as emotion siphoning, but there’s a huge difference. People who come to me know what they’re getting in return. They enter willingly into a mutually beneficial relationship. I’m not a parasite. I don’t exploit others. I offer them the option to escape their lives for a little while or to make their life easier, as in your case.” She lifted her chin. “If you no longer require my services, you’re free to go.”
“I didn’t mean to offend you. I was only trying to understand.” Why was I always so damn clumsy? Either too shy or too forceful. Would I ever find the right balance?
Acacia’s face softened, and I added. “It’s not safe for me to show my true eye color yet, is it?”
She gave a tiny shake of her head.
“Do you know when it will be safe?”
“That’s not for me to decide. Only you will know.”
I bit my lip, people kept saying that, but I had no answers. Even when I tried to listen to my inner voice, my intuition, there was nothing.
I hadn’t planned on talking about my dream but figured I had nothing to lose. Perhaps it was a puzzle piece to whatever was going on. “Last night, I dreamt about walking in circles around Arcadia. Thick fog surrounded me, and every time I tried to touch one of the people who acted like zombies, they would disappear. Any idea what that might mean?”
Acacia took my hand. “I’m not a clairvoyant. A witch might have the information you seek.” She focused on my palm, and a tiny crease appeared between her eyebrows as she sifted through my emotions, deciding which one she would like to take.
“Less anxiety in you today, a little bit more anger than last time.” She smiled. “There’s confidence and positivity.”
I jerked my hand backward.
“Don’t worry; I won’t take that from you. I know you need it.”
I relaxed and rested my hand in hers.
The crease between her eyebrows grew. “Sadness. Such beautiful sadness, a melancholy for something that never was. I think I’ll take that.”
“I accept.” She could have all the sadness she wanted.
Her lips moved rapidly and silently, and I closed my eyes, leaning into this exchange.
With each passing second, I grew lighter and lighter, and my happiness floated to the surface, toward the space my sadness had vacated.
“All done,” Acacia said after a few minutes.
I opened my eyes and met her arctic-blue gaze. Her lips moved quickly and silently as she said the incantation. I looked into the mirror. The golden specks in my eyes were gone.
“Thank you.” I rose from my chair, ready to leave.
“Before you go, take this.” She handed me an amethyst quartz rock, half the size of my palm. “Keep it in your bedroom, preferably close to your bed. Don’t let anyone see it. It will protect you.”
“Thank you so much.” I searched my pocket for coins, but she shook her head. “I can’t accept this, it’s too big.”
A feline smile spread across her lips. “Consider it a favor.”
I swallowed hard. If I accepted, I’d be indebted to a fae. But if I didn’t… “Do you think somebody will try to steal my life energy?”
“I don’t know, but they would be idiots if they didn’t try. You have a lot of magic within you, and it’s only growing with each passing day.”
I shook my head. “I had a strange dream. It can hardly be described as a vision, and I most certainly cannot move objects with my mind or hear other people’s thoughts.”
A tinkling laugh. “Why are you humans always so obsessed with witches when there are so many other types of magical creatures out there that are much more fascinating?”
I wrinkled my forehead. “Because that’s the only thing I could be. I suppose somebody could turn me into a vampire or werewolf, but neither bit me. The fae folk are born the way they are.” Just like sprites, goblins, and elves. As were demons. For the first time, I wondered what world Lorenzo had come from. Was he born here? Had he traveled to hell or perhaps even heaven? Who were his parents? What was his life story? I’ve been so obsessed with my problems that I had neglected to ask him anything about himself besides what his powers were, afraid he would use them on me.
“You’re none of those things.” Acacia brought me back to the present. “I’m not sure what you are, but I know you have magic within you. And it’s growing.”
I twisted a strand of my auburn hair. I was odd, nothing more. I didn’t have any magical abilities. I wasn’t a magic wielder.
“Don’t worry about it. The time hasn’t come yet to uncover your heritage.”
My heart fluttered, and hope rose within me. Was there a chance I might discover who my parents were? The orphanage didn’t keep any records, so I had given up trying to find my parents a long time ago. But if there was a chance, even the slightest chance of finding any answers, I would give anything to know where I had come from.
“For now, follow your path.” Acacia placed her hand on her upper stomach. “Follow your intuition. It will guide you where you must go, and it will keep you safe.”
I almost asked whether she was talking about my performance tomorrow but didn’t. Fae liked to communicate in riddles, and I was already overwhelmed by all the pieces of information I had gathered today. I was also feeling slightly light-headed from the emotions she had taken from me, and I didn’t want to be late for my shift. I thanked her again and made my way back to the boarding house.
I was about to enter through the front door when Tia rushed out of it. “You’re just in time!” She shoved a piece of paper and a basket into my hands.
“What’s this?” I scanned what appeared to be a list.
Pink roses,
Honey from wildflowers
Turkish delight
Hazelnut chocolate
Lavender hand cream
“We need to get this in the next half hour before our shift starts. We have new guests with very high demands.”
I sighed, immediately knowing to whom Tia was referring. “The sisters decided to stay.”
“How do you know about them?”
“I saw them complaining when I went to see Acacia.” I whispered the last word.
Tia’s forehead wrinkled. “Hurry. Madam won’t be happy if we’re late for our shift. I’ll start cleaning now so that we finish on time.”
“Maybe I should do the shopping later?”
She shook her head. “No, Madam will be furious if she finds out we didn’t run the errands immediately.”
Tia was right. As much as Madam acted like a fire-spitting dragon toward the staff, she treated her guests like royalty. Still, the items on the list weren’t exactly cheap or reasonable. “She’s all right with us buying all of this? Maybe we should run it by her first?”
“I almost forgot.” Tia handed me a coin bag that was much heavier than I expected it to be.
“The sisters must be paying a lot of money to stay with us.”
“They’re not paying anything at all.”
“What?”
> “They’re Madam’s daughters. Now hurry.” She gave me a gentle push, and I started toward the market, confused by this new turn of events. If Madam Fontaine had children, why hadn’t they visited her until now? And why had they suddenly decided to stay with her?
Acacia’s words came to my mind. It feels as if a protection spell has been lifted, and everyone is able to come into Arcadia, including a lot of bad people.
As far as I could tell, Madam and her daughters were annoying, but harmless humans. Or were they? Just because they didn’t possess magical abilities didn’t mean they couldn’t exploit people. Icy fingers tap-danced down my spine. I shook the sensation off, unwilling to give in to the panic. The sisters and Madam were a pain in my behind, but that didn’t make them dangerous.
Even though Arcadia’s market had everything one could wish for, it took me a while to check everything off the list, given how precise the sisters’ instructions had been. I hurried from stall to stall, but there was no way I could make it back by eight.
My basket filled with luxuries I would never be able to afford, I returned to the boarding house’s reception desk to be greeted by Madam’s scowling face.
“Who do you think you are, Halia?”
“I bought what your daughters have requested.” I held out the basket to her, and she snatched it from me.
“You were supposed to do that before your shift.” She glanced meaningfully at the clock hanging on the wall. “When does your shift start?”
“At eight. But—”
“And what time is it now?”
“Half-past eight.”
“So, you’re half an hour late.”
“No, I left at half-past seven. I started my shift half a half-hour earlier to get the shopping done.”
“Not another word. You should be ashamed of yourself. You can’t expect others to do all the heavy lifting while you coast by.”
I balled my fists. I’d had enough of standing down and letting others intimidate me.
“Would you have preferred I didn’t get those items for your daughters?”
Halia: Daughter of Cinderella Page 7
