by Julia Crane
“Surely you are not going out after what I told you?”
Hot anger flushed my skin. “I’m not going to stop living my life because you think someone is after me. You already said they think I’m dead. It’s not like there are search parties scouring the earth for me.”
She sighed. “I didn’t think you would listen. You get your stubbornness from me.”
“The only thing I got from you are these crazy wings,” I snapped. “Please, just show me what to do.”
Her lack of emotion was so weird to me. Azura sighed. “It’s really quite simple. Just close your eyes and imagine yourself in your human form. Picture exactly how you want to appear, down to every line and freckle. You have to really believe it. Picture it in your mind.”
I stared at her. “That’s it? Why didn’t you just tell me that in the note?” The way she had worded it made it seem much more complicated.
“I’m sorry. I was vague because I wanted you to need me,” she said honestly. I guess they really didn’t—or couldn’t—lie. She continued, “I wanted to see you on the day of your transformation. In the fey world, it’s a big celebration. We have a feast.”
Well, the fey world wasn’t my world.
I closed my eyes and clenched my fist, and following her instruction, I thought of myself as normal. I pictured my blonde hair, my blue eyes, and the way my nose was always kind of shiny if I didn’t wear foundation makeup. When I had a firm image of myself, my eyes snapped open, and I turned towards the mirror.
“It didn’t work! Great. I can’t even do this right. What am I going to do?” I was close to having a panic attack.
“Oleander, calm down. It worked.”
I really wish she’d stop calling me that.
She walked over so she was reflected in the mirror behind me. “To humans you look normal, but you will always see your reflection in your true form.”
My mouth dropped open, and I snapped it closed. “You mean I’ll never look human again? Please tell me that’s not true.”
“You only appear human to other humans. I realize it’s a shock at first, especially since you haven’t grown up around fey, but you will get used to it.”
“What about cameras?” I asked.
“In a picture, you will look human,” she said with a nod.
“Even to myself?”
“Yes.”
Relief spread through me. At least there was a way I could see what other people saw. I couldn’t imagine how I’d know if my makeup or hair was right if I couldn’t see myself the way others did.
“Your human looks have improved as well,” Azura said as if she could read my mind.
“But, if faeries can see each other’s true forms, then how can you tell my glamour worked?” I asked. I was so confused. No matter what she told me, it all just kept piling up.
“We don’t see the true form constantly,” she replied with a smile. “You will see what seems like a mask overlaying their true form. It will show through in brief flashes.”
My mother knocked tentatively on the door and walked in. “Everything okay?”
Completely forgetting for a moment that Azura couldn’t lie, I asked terrified, “What do you see?”
“What I’ve always seen,” my mother said with a smile. “You.”
“Normal me? Not freaky-looking me?”
She examined my face. “Normal you. You look beautiful. Your hair is vibrant and your skin looks flawless.”
“Told you,” Azura said with a hint of sarcasm. Another rare display of emotion.
“Your lips have more color to them, almost like you’re wearing the perfect amount of makeup.” My mom laughed. “I doubt you’ll ever have to put makeup on again. Can you make me into a faery, Azura?”
Great. Glad I got something good out of all this.
Azura looked over at my mother, dead serious as she replied, “No, I cannot make you into a faery. I’m sorry.”
My mom rolled her eyes. “I was just joking.”
I stifled a laugh.
“Does the glamour ever go away?” I asked quietly.
“No. Once you use it, you’ll have to take it off,” Azura answered.
“How do I take the glamour off?”
“You’ll notice the glamour often feels like a cloak,” Azura—my faery mother—said. That was going to take some getting used to.
“Well, okay, then. Thanks for helping. You can go now,” I said curtly.
Azura’s eyes widened, and she stared at me. “Excuse me?”
“You taught me how to use the glamour. That’s all I needed.”
“I don’t think you understand. Not only are you in danger, you will need help figuring things out.” There was a note of hysteria in her voice.
“I think I can handle it from here. It’s my birthday, and I’m having a party that I need to get ready for. So please, just leave. Maybe we can talk…later.”
Azura opened her mouth to speak, but my father interrupted, gripping her arm and steering her out my bedroom door. “This has been quite a shock to all of us. I certainly don’t think you hovering over my daughter is going to help.”
Mom and I followed as he led Azura down the stairs and into the front foyer.
“But the danger—”
“I’m a cop!” Dad barked. “I will take care of any danger.”
Azura shook her head. “Humans never understand.”
Dad released the faery and opened the front door, holding it open. “My daughter has asked you to leave. Please respect her wishes.”
Azura eyed him, her face unreadable, and then she turned back to me. She reached out and touched my cheek. “You really are quite exquisite. If you would permit me, Oleander, I need to share something more with you and your family before I go. To help you understand the danger. I cannot leave here knowing I’ve not given you enough to fully protect yourself.”
My father’s hand fell from the door, but he didn’t close it. “You can have ten minutes if you answer something for us first.”
Even though I wanted to get ready for my party, a part of me wanted—needed—to hear what she had to say. I stood next to my mother, neither of us touching, but drawing comfort from one another.
“Very well.” Azura nodded.
“What did you do with the baby?”
Azura’s face softened. “I took very good care of her. She is buried close by.”
“Maybe we should have her buried in our family plot?” Mom asked Dad.
Dad took my mother’s hands. “Do you really want to disturb her grave?”
Mom’s eyes glistened and she looked away. “No.”
“I can take you there someday,” Azura offered.
My parents nodded.
“Go on,” my father told Azura.
Azura took a centering breath, and launched into her tale. “Long ago, both dark and light faeries lived in the same realm. I wouldn’t say it was peaceful, but they made do. The dark faeries on the east liked to cause trouble. You might say they lived on the ‘wrong side of the tracks.’ Mostly, they kept to themselves, but sometimes they caused trouble on the west side—usually involving magick and practical jokes.” She paused and took a deep breath. “Until Ealdun came along. He had an unquenchable thirst for power.”
“What did this Ealdun do?” my father asked grimly. His eyes were calculating. I knew the part of him that was a detective was listening to every detail, cataloguing Azura’s information for future reference.
Azura glanced at me and continued with the story. “Ealdun’s gift was the ability to take power from a source. In the right hands, it’s an amazing gift. In the wrong hands, it’s terrifying. He started out small, taking the energy from trees and crystals. The stronger he became, the more power he wanted. He formed an army of sorts. They had it in mind to take over our side of the land. Ealdun destroyed the forest and took power from animals. He even took energy from other faeries, leaving those poor souls nothing but empty shells. Our land was all but destroye
d.”
I was completely caught up in the story. “What happened?”
Azura gave me a sad smile. “An Aurorian faery—a faery like you, my daughter—stopped the madness. A boundary was put in place so the dark and light faeries lived in separate realms. Eventually, a neutral land was created, but that took several generations. There are still vast areas in our realm where plants can’t grow. One we call the Dead Forest. However, with a lot of time and magick, we were able to rebuild the majority of our kingdom.”
“Are they still at war?” my father asked quietly.
“No. A truce was signed when Ealdun passed from this life. But after so many generations, the hatred is still strong. We keep to ourselves.”
“I still don’t understand why they want me so badly.” I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall, trying to look tough but probably failing.
“Fear. Plain and simple. The last Aurorian faery had enough power to put up a boundary between realms. The Aurorian’s magick blocked the most powerful dark faery in existence. People fear what they can’t understand.”
Everything that had happened welled up inside me, and I couldn’t help the outburst that came. “Great. Because of a stupid birthmark my life is ruined!”
I whirled on my heels and ran up the stairs, my footsteps heavy. I rushed into my bedroom, slammed my door, and threw myself down on my bed, crying. Again.
There was a tentative knock on my door. “Honey, can I come in?”
“Sure,” I grumbled. I didn’t care if she could hear me through my pillow or not, so I didn’t bother to lift my head.
The door clicked open, and I heard Mom’s soft steps crossing the room. When her weight sank onto the edge of my bed, I finally looked over at her. She held a dark purple box wrapped in a pink bow. I sat up to face her, wiping dried tear streaks from my face.
“I thought you might want this before your party,” she told me, holding the present out like a peace offering.
“Is she gone?” I asked numbly.
My mother nodded, her face drawn.
Even when I wasn’t in a festive mood, I still loved presents, so I reached for the gift and settled the light-weight box on my lap. I tore off the bow and opened the box. Inside was the most beautiful dress I’d ever seen. I drew it out and held in front of me. It was strapless and sea green, short with asymmetrical layers that gave it a wavelike appearance. It reminded me of the ocean.
“Oh my God, Mom! It’s incredible.” I ran into the bathroom to try it on, but stopped short as reality hit me in the face. Staring back at me was a faery. “Oh, hell no!” I spun around so I couldn’t see the mirror anymore, clutching the dress to my chest as I fought to breathe through more tears.
“Rylie! Language,” my mother called from outside the door.
I rolled my eyes. If there was a time to use bad language, this was it. What was I thinking? I couldn’t have a party looking like this. Supposedly nobody else could see me like this, but I could, so I would know. How was I going to be able to act normal with wings? What if I somehow lost the glamour and everybody could see me?
“I can’t have a party, Mom.” Tears welled in my eyes, and I took a deep breath, trying to stop myself from shaking.
She appeared at the bathroom door, giving me a sympathetic smile. “Of course you can, sweetie. Nobody else can see what you see. When I look at you, I see Rylie, the same girl I’ve seen every morning for the last sixteen years.”
“How am I supposed to enjoy myself when my world is crumbling around me?”
“Oh, honey.” She pulled me into the circle of her arms and held me. “This is just a new adventure.”
I didn’t want an adventure. I wanted to be a normal sixteen-year-old. “Why are you so calm about this?” I asked her. “Your daughter is a faery. Not only that, I’m not even your biological daughter.”
She was silent for a minute, her hands drifting lazily over my back, comforting. “I guess I feel that if I don’t freak out, I can handle it better. I need to be here for you.”
“Do you think about her…the other baby?”
“I haven’t had a lot of time to process, but yes. It makes me sad she died, and I didn’t even get to bury her.”
At least she was honest.
“But, Rylie…” She cupped my face, looking me in the eye. “You are my little girl, even if you aren’t made of my flesh and blood.”
“I’m sorry, Mom.”
“What do you have to be sorry for?”
“That Azura did this to you.”
She stroked my hair. “Don’t you dare be sorry. This isn’t your fault. Besides, if she hadn’t come into our lives I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of raising you. Now, c’mon and get ready for your party.”
Taking a shower was the weirdest experience I had yet. If I left my wings expanded, they were too big to fit in the shower. I had to keep them directly behind my back. I wasn’t sure if I could even get the wings wet, so I had no idea how to wash my hair. Sighing, I turned around, letting the water hit my head, back, and wings. Nobody was around to tell me otherwise, guess I had to learn on my own.
The water beat down on me, drops running down my wings. It was like someone was running a soft feather down my bare back. I closed my eyes, enjoying how it felt. The sensation was like a deep massage combined with Adam’s soft fingertips trailing on my skin. I could get used to this…
I finally dragged myself out of the shower. As soon as I stepped out, my wings expanded showering the mirror and bathroom walls with water.
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!” I whined. Cleaning up would be fun. I grabbed a towel and started wiping down the walls.
When I was finished, I brushed out my hair and pulled the sides back into a clip. I didn’t have to put on makeup, which was weird. Then I slipped on my dress, thankful the back was low enough I didn’t have to worry about my wings.
Sierra showed up about an hour earlier than the rest of the invited guests.
“Ry?” She knocked loudly on my door.
Oh, God. How was I going to face her? She’d know something was wrong.
“Rylie?” She sounded impatient. “Let me in.”
I unlocked the door and swung it open, bracing myself for the worst.
Her mouth dropped. “Oh, my! You look absolutely breathtaking! I love that dress!” She walked around me in a circle. “Love the makeup, too! You don’t need me here this early, you’ve transformed yourself. Bravo.”
You have no idea. “Thanks.”
I wanted to get the conversation off my own looks, so I gave Sierra a once-over. As usual, she looked fabulous in a short black miniskirt that showed off her long legs, and an off-the-shoulder red slouch top that emphasized her sleek frame.
“You’re one to talk,” I told her, grinning. “You look hot.”
“Why, thank you.” She giggled, and then pushed her way into the room to sit down on the edge of my bed.
“I can’t believe you didn’t call me last night!” I griped. “Tell me all about your date. I’ve been dying to know how it went.” Not that I had even thought about her date with the crazy twist of events the night before, but just talking about it would hopefully help me feel normal.
Sierra turned beet-red. “It was good. We had fun.”
I rolled my eyes. “Just good?”
“He’s really a gentleman. He opened the doors for me, paid for everything, and kissed me at the end of the night. I really like him.”
“Ah, a kiss.” I giggled. “Was there tongue?”
“Yeah.” She laughed. “It was great. He’s an incredible kisser, much better than Trent, who practically slobbered on me like a dog.”
“Gross!” We both laughed, and then I asked, “When are you going to see him again?”
“He called me earlier and asked me to dinner next weekend.” Sierra stood up and walked over to my dresser.
“Did you invite him tonight?” I asked curiously.
“Yeah, but I’m not sure he�
��ll show. He’s shy.” She leaned over my dresser and stared at herself in the mirror.
I wondered if Sierra believed in paranormal things. I think we might have talked about ghosts and vampires before, but not other things. How would she feel knowing her best friend had wings? Could I tell her? I never kept secrets from her.
She looked at me in the mirror. “What’s wrong?”
“Do you ever think there might be something more out there?”
“Something more?” She turned around to face me, her brow furrowed.
“Yeah. Like elves or faeries.”
“I’ve never seen one. Doesn’t mean they don’t exist though.” She turned back to the mirror, obviously more interested in her appearance than what I was struggling with.
I reminded myself that she didn’t know I was struggling with it. “What if…what if you found out something else was out there?”
Before she could answer, my mother’s voice came from the other side of the door. “Can I borrow Sierra for a minute, sweetie? I need help with the cake.”
I sighed and opened the door. “Sure.”
“Your guests will be here soon.”
“I know.” What I didn’t know was how I was going to be able to face them.
Sierra blew me a kiss and hurried out of the room to help my mother.
The doorbell started ringing at six o’clock. I paced around my room trying not to look in the mirror. How could I go down there knowing I had pointed ears? And wings?
“Rylie!” Mom called my name impatiently.
I should have been downstairs greeting the first guests as they arrived, but I was a mass of nerves. I opened my bedroom door and called, “Coming.”
A few deep breaths to prepare me, and then I slowly walked down the stairs. I look like a human, I repeated over and over in my head, trying to supplement the image I held firmly in my mind. I can do this.
Adam was at the bottom of the stairs. He looked even more handsome than usual. His hair was still damp from the shower, and he had on a white button-down oxford and khaki pants. I watched as his eyes lit up and his smile grew. He put his hand out and I took it. “You look beautiful.” He pressed a brief kiss to my fingertips, and then teased, “Took you long enough. Making a grand entrance?”
