by Julia Crane
His face was emotionless. “We are. But you don’t know my father. He will force us to marry. He always gets his way.”
“We’ll just say no. He must want you to be happy. Doesn’t he?”
“You know nothing of the faery ways.” His jaw clenched and he looked away. There was pain in his eyes. I got a closer look at what was around his neck—a beautiful necklace made of shiny black stones.
“Well, duh. I didn’t grow up here,” I shot back. “I just found out I was a faery a couple of days ago. This is all surreal and completely unbelievable.”
“You have been made soft while living in the human world.” Kallan caught my eye, his own gaze intense and unyielding. His voice was dangerous. “Let me clue you in on something. You don’t say no to my father. What he says goes. We will marry.”
“I am not marrying you!” I shrieked, fighting the urge to launch myself across the table and choke him. Instead, I picked up a roll and chucked it across the table. “I love Adam. Not to mention I’m only sixteen!”
Kallan caught the roll without flinching. “Trust me, if I knew a way to get you out of my life and back to Adam, I would gladly arrange it. You are putting a serious damper on my plans.”
“Oh. Sorry to be an inconvenience,” I spat, surprisingly bothered by his declaration. My emotions warred inside me, unsure whether to hate him for treating me like trash, or be hurt by his obvious loathing of me.
The door banged open and Varwik strolled back in, a frown on his face. “I had hoped this would go better.”
“You can’t force us to get married,” I told him hotly. “This isn’t the Middle Ages.”
“You’re right,” Varwik said with a sinister smile. “I can’t.”
I let out a sigh of relief. Now we were getting somewhere. He could let Lena take me back home, and then I could beg my parents to move us somewhere far away.
“However, if you don’t marry my son and unite with us, I can kill you. It’s the only solution.”
I gulped. “I don’t have any great superpower! I’m not any help to you. Why can’t you see that and let me go home?”
“Your ability will show itself sooner or later, and it will be great. Of that I have no doubt.” Varwik dismissed me with a sniff.
“And what if I don’t want to marry her?” Kallan pushed his chair back and stood up, turning to stare down his father.
“Makes no difference, Kallan.” Varwik put a hand on his son’s shoulder and squeezed. “You must, and if you refuse, she will die.”
“Don’t be dramatic, Father. She doesn’t have some awesome ability. Maybe because she grew up in the human world, her ability was lost.” Kallan’s gorgeous eyes landed on me, and he sniffed. “She’s really quite pathetic. I mean, look at her.”
“Hey!” I narrowed my eyes. “If anyone is pathetic, it’s you. You can’t even make your own decisions. Your father dictates your life.”
Varwik held up his hand. “Enough! We all know looks can be deceiving, Kallan. I’ll give you some time to think about it, but you know what I want from you.”
Neither of us spoke, but I could read the fury just below the surface in Kallan. My anger had dissipated into something akin to despair.
Varwik called for Lena, and she appeared in the doorway immediately. It was like everyone in the place was at his total command. She took her place beside him. “Yes, my king?”
“Take her away.”
Lena took me by the arm—not hard, but her fingers dug in where I was bruised and blackened. I winced. “Hey, you don’t have to force me. I’ll gladly go with you to get away from these two.”
With a nod, she let go of me, and I followed her silently back to my room.
Once we were in front of the door, I turned to her. “I’ve been thinking. Why were you allowed out when I saw you at the mall? It seems too coincidental.”
“I can come and go as I please, so it’s really not that strange. I enjoy being out among humans.” She pulled the clip out of her hair, letting the mass of blonde fall around her face. Her eyes looked tired, and her face was drawn.
“What? Why would he let you leave? I thought you said you were here against your will?”
“If I do not return, Varwik has promised to kill my family.” Her statement was so matter-of-fact.
I stared at her in disbelief. This just kept getting worse and worse. I couldn’t imagine living like that. “Your family? How could he be so cruel?”
“He’s really not that bad,” Lena told me with a careless gesture. “He’ll eventually grow tired of me and let me go. He’s used to getting his way, and he uses any means to get it.”
“I don’t even know how you can stand being in the same room with him.” I shuddered.
“It was hard at first, but once I got to know him better, I realized he was actually lonely and enjoys my company. Believe me, there are worse fates.” She paused, and then touched my hand. “You must consider the consequences of your decision.”
“Yeah, I get it,” I said wearily. “Say yes or die. Nice choice. But I can find another way out.”
“There is no other way. Get some sleep, Oleander.” She opened the door to my room and motioned for me to step inside.
The lock bolted shut behind me, and my shoulders sagged. Another day in paradise.
I lay in the bed and stared at the ceiling. Marry him or die. What kind of crap was that? I was not marrying him, but I certainly didn’t want to die. There had to be another way out of this.
What was my ability? It would work out pretty nicely if it was the ability to teleport. I closed my eyes and willed myself to be home. Please, oh please, work. But when I opened my eyes, I was still in the cell, lying on the small bed. Damn it!
What else could it be? I racked my brain for anything I knew about faeries from folklore and myth. Azura could manipulate the wind, and I think I’d read before that conjuring elements was common. I focused on the wall and commanded it to burn down. Nothing happened. I jumped up and ran to the bathroom. Turning on the faucet, I stared at the water, trying to make it do something, but nothing happened.
It was then I noticed the mirror had been replaced. Someone must have fixed it while I was at dinner the night before.
Frustrated, I organized the toiletries from largest to smallest. One of the towels was off-center, and it was driving me nuts. I straightened it and looked around the bathroom. “There,” I said to myself.
But the satisfaction didn’t last long.
I made my way to the closet where all the gowns were hanging and organized them by color and length, hoping that would make me feel better. Every dress was stunning and must have cost a fortune. I ran my hands over the different types of fabric and wondered if Lena had picked them out.
Thinking of Lena brought an entire wave of self-loathing that hit hard. I felt so alone. No one here was nice, and as stupid as that sounded, my feelings were hurt.
I sobbed, rushing to the dresser. Brush lined up to the edge of wood. I opened the top drawer—hair supplies. I began organizing them by size, color, and purpose, all the while, tears coming harder and faster, and my sobs becoming louder.
I pulled open the next drawer—undergarments. I tried to fold them all, but they were silk, and the material was too slick, so they kept falling off of each other. When I couldn’t wrangle them into submission, I collapsed to the floor, a complete mess.
Ever since I was a little girl, I needed organization or else I would get stressed out. It felt a little like giving in, though, this mad cleaning. Like I was accepting my fate, and that was not what I was doing. This was not my room; it was my prison.
Fatigue finally set in. I picked myself up off the floor. I changed from my flowy pink gown and into a long cotton nightgown. I crawled into bed and pulled the soft tan blanket up to my chin. The tears silently fell down my cheeks.
Adam, I’ll find a way home to you. Closing my eyes, I let the sleep come.
“Hey, beautiful.”
I spun around and came f
ace-to-face with Adam. We were standing on my front porch. “Adam! You’re here.” I covered his face in small, fluttery kisses. “You’ll never believe where I’ve been.”
He put his strong arms around me. “It’ll be okay. I’ll never let you out of my sight again.”
“I was so scared,” I told him, looking into his loving, green eyes.
“I know. You’re safe now.” He cupped my face and kissed me softly, his lips like velvet. “Let’s go up to your room.”
Taking his hand, I led him to my room where we lay on my bed, his arm draped over me. I closed my eyes and murmured, “Never let me go.”
“I won’t,” he promised.
When I opened my eyes again, I was alone in my cell of a room. Tears filled my eyes once again, and I turned over to bury my face in the pillow as I sobbed. I don’t know how long I stayed there before the door opened.
“Why are you still in bed?” Lena snapped. “It’s almost time for dinner.”
“Dinner?” Time was so screwed up…or I was. I put the pillow over my head and mumbled, “Leave me alone.”
Lena grabbed the pillow and tossed it towards the other side of the room. “You need to get it together and do what is asked of you. I don’t think you comprehend how serious this is. He will kill you and not think twice about it.”
“I can’t believe that’s my only choice!” I yelled back.
“Well, it is.”
I wished I still had my pillow so I could throw it at her. Or something harder would be good. “I’ll find another option.”
“Marry him! You will grow to accept this life,” Lena reassured me.
“No,” I said stubbornly. “I will not marry someone I don’t love. They’ll have to kill me.”
“It won’t be that easy. You need to think of your loved ones.” She lowered her voice. “They can get to your family, your friends, your boyfriend.”
I looked at her in horror. “Why would they do that? Varwik said one of his options was to kill me, why wouldn’t he just do that?”
“I don’t know. I’m just saying he can, and he might use that to convince you. He wants power more than he wants you dead. He is known to be cruel when he thinks it’s called for.”
I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to have dinner with those creeps again. I didn’t ever want to see either one of them ever again. I felt sick to my stomach and curled up in a ball, my head on the cool mattress.
“Playing sick won’t help. Get dressed and come out.”
“I’m not playing. Just leave me alone.”
I heard Lena’s dress ruffle as she left the room, the door closing softly behind her. I shut my eyes and willed sleep to come.
A few minutes later, the door opened. Peeking out from the covers, I saw Lena was back with a small cup. She held it out. “It’ll help your stomach.”
I met her eyes. “They won’t just let me be sick?”
She didn’t answer.
I took the cup from her and drank it. Within a minute, my stomach was feeling better. I handed the cup back to Lena and sat up. “Thanks, I guess.”
“Oleander, you only have a short time and your life could be over. Don’t allow that time to be miserable.”
I looked at Lena for a moment, considering her words. “It’s just so unfair. It’s hard to see the positive in this situation.”
“Life takes many twists and turns. Follow your path and be open to change. I know it’s not easy, but life is a wonderful gift.”
“I’m a prisoner. How can that be wonderful?”
“Get dressed. I’ll be waiting outside.” Lena practically floated out the door. I had no idea how she could be happy in her current life. I could not accept my fate that easily.
I dragged myself out of bed, used the bathroom, and rummaged through the closet. I refused to wear any of the black dresses. I didn’t want to look like I fit in. After dressing in a coral-colored strapless dress, I stepped out into the hallway.
The scent of garlic filled the air as we descended down the long staircase. The aroma made my mouth water. We entered the dining room to find Varwik sitting at the head of the table as usual. His son was to his right. Once again, as soon as I saw him, my wings gave a little flutter. He didn’t look up until I sat down. When he did, I noticed his wings did the same. Very odd that I had no control over the movement. I wondered if it meant something.
Kallan held my gaze for a few seconds and then looked back down at his food. His face was impossible to read. I wondered what he was thinking.
“Feeling better, Oleander?” Varwik asked in a neutral tone.
“Yes. Your medicine works fast.”
“You’re welcome. We have some of the best healers. They make amazing potions from the land. It’s quite impressive. Lena has been kind enough to share some of the light ways with our healers.”
“I’m sure humans would love to get their hands on it,” I said lightly.
Varwik’s eyes flashed. “We do not share with humans. It is forbidden. You really need to learn the laws of our land.” He turned towards Lena. “You need to take time and explain the way things work in our world.”
“Of course,” Lena replied with a smile.
I ate the food in front of me—much more slowly this time—and accepted seconds when they were offered. The meal was interminably long and uncomfortable, as Varwik tried to make everyone talk and none of us did anything but give one-word answers.
When everyone was done eating, Varwik waved a servant over to the table. Immediately the faery with auburn hair began cleaning up around us.
“You have a decision to make.” Varwik stood. “You better hurry up and make it.” He took Lena’s arm and walked out of the room, leaving Kallan and me at the table.
I sat back in my chair and crossed my arms over my chest, fighting a sense of déjà-vu since we’d only just done the same thing at the last meal. I waited for him to speak first, because I certainly wasn’t going to.
He echoed my posture, and we just stared at each other. I was getting more and more annoyed by the second, but I wasn’t giving in. I had no desire to be here and wasn’t going to pretend I did.
I don’t know how long we sat there until Varwik and Lena came back in. Looking at me, he said, “It’s not looking good for you.” He motioned to Lena. “Take her away.”
Lena stood by my chair and waited for me to get up. Once I did, she led the way back to my room. I turned to her before she closed the door and locked me in for the night. “Can’t I at least have a book?”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks.” I walked inside and the door closed with a loud clang.
A few minutes later, Lena returned and handed me a copy of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. “Really?” I asked. Just my luck to end up with Shakespeare again. “This was all you could find?”
“Do you want it or not?” Her eyes flashed with irritation and she shoved the book at my chest.
I took the book from her and once again, she locked me in. I paced the room with the book in my hand, flipping through it. Was I really supposed to fall for Kallan? Sure, he was gorgeous, but I hated him. He was cold and uptight, and I didn’t like that at all.
Boredom set in. I sat down on the bed, propped against the headboard, and began reading the book. I finished a third of it before I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer and fell asleep.
Things went just as well at our next meal as they did at the last one. After I refused to play nicely, Varwik’s eyes flashed with anger. “Both of you are stubborn!”
Lena knelt down next to him. “Varwik, I was thinking that it would be a good idea for Kallan to take Oleander out of the castle so she can get a glimpse of the beauty that comes with the fey life.”
Varwik tapped his finger to his chin and glanced over at his son. There was affection in his gaze when he looked back at Lena. “That is a brilliant idea.”
The rest of the meal passed in idle chitchat and uncomfortable silence
s. Once the meal was over, the servant entered the room and cleaned up the mess. Varwik stood up to leave, and Lena followed. He stopped at the door and turned. “Kallan, take Oleander to see the grounds.”
“Yes, Father,” Kallan said in a tone that made it obvious he would rather scratch his eyes out than be with me.
He pushed his chair back and stood up, then walked around the table and held out his hand to me. I glanced at it and stood up on my own. I didn’t need his help to get out of a chair. Just how pathetic did he think I was? My cheeks burned, and I seriously considered throwing something at him. I was doing that a lot lately.
He rolled his eyes. “Well, I won’t bother offering you my arm, then. Let’s get this over with.”
“We could just go to our rooms and tell your father you took me.” I crossed my arms and glared at him.
“My father has eyes all over this place. It’s best just to do as he asks. It’s really not a big deal.”
“What is with you people? You just follow blindly, not willing to take a stand—it’s annoying. How old are you anyway?”
“Seventeen in human years.”
“Human years? What’s the difference?”
Kallan started walking towards the door, and I followed, curious to hear his reply. “In our world, we age much slower once we hit eighteen in human years. I will look this way for several human generations.”
“You mean when everyone else is almost forty, I’ll still look like a teenager?” I had to admit that was pretty cool, but also scary. Adam would age, and I wouldn’t. Suddenly, I realized the enormity of the situation.
“Well, if you decide to stay in the human realm you will age normally. It’s only in our dimension that time is slowed.”
I tried to process this information. I was relieved to know that I could grow old with Adam if that was what I chose. If I could find a way to get out of this place alive, anyway. I didn’t know what to say so I just replied, “That’s intriguing.”
We were at the main entrance when Kallan paused and looked back at me. His intense blue-green eyes met mine and my wings fluttered again. That was so annoying. “You’re going to see things that will amaze you and some that might scare you, but I assure you that you are safe with me.”
