Tales & Darkness

by G. Bailey

  “Let’s go and get the others. I know they missed you too. Even Quin,” I say with a small smile.

  “Quin held you back and let me die. I remember that,” Sin almost growls.

  “He has changed, and he helped us. He helped save you, and we couldn’t have done it without him,” I explain to Sin. “Be kind with him. I wouldn’t trust him if I didn’t know he had changed.”

  “Do you love him?” Sin quietly asks.

  “No and yes. I love him in a friendly way, and I always will. He will always be important to me, but it isn’t the love I feel for you and your brothers,” I explain, and Sin nods. “Anyway, he is in love with Tavvy. Though she won’t remember him now. That might be a little bit awkward when they meet again.”

  “What? How did that happen?” Sin asks in shock. “Those are two people I’d never suspect to get together.”

  “Long story,” I chuckle, hearing Tobias’s laugh in the distance, near the fire they built. The door to the other cabin opens, and Warren comes out, smiling when he sees me, and my heart beats that much quicker as I look at him. His white hair is softly pushed to the left, his eyes are so enchanting to look at, and I feel that pull to him from the moment we see each other. I’m so lost for a second that I don’t feel Sin let go of my hand or notice how he runs at Warren, his fists on fire, until he punches Warren in the cheek, and they both go flying back in the air as Warren grabs his shirt.

  “NO! Stop that right now, Sin!”

  Chapter 3

  My shouts do little to stop Sin as he fights Warren, who is not using his full power to stop this fight. His spear lies on the ground, and it’s so odd to not see him holding it. I almost want to pick it up, but the fight going on distracts me from the spear altogether. Warren, even though he isn’t using half his powers, is easily beating Sin’s attacks. Sin sends element after element into his punches, but Warren is knocking them away like nothing until he grabs Sin’s arms. I don’t hear what he says to Sin, but they both seem to pause, staring each other down before Warren lets Sin’s arms go. Warren holds his hand out, and his spear flies into it as Sin pulls more power, this time making water, fire and air swirl around his arms and up his shoulders. The power spreads all over his body, and he almost floats into the air as he spreads his hands out.

  “Try it then, you utter dickhead,” Sin shouts, and Warren just smirks.

  “Sin! Please!” I shout again. I see a gap, and before I can overthink it, I run and jump into the middle of them both, pressing myself against Warren as Sin lifts a hand to attack. Sin pauses mid-air, frowning as Warren wraps an arm around my waist, a motion not missed by Sin.

  “Dangerous move, Miss Dormiens,” Warren whispers to me. Great, we are back to lack of using my first name again.

  “Says the guy fighting,” I mutter, trying to ignore how right it feels to have his arm around my waist, how his skin touches my bare skin on my stomach where my top has pulled up.

  “Who the fuck is this guy?” Sin asks, lowering his hands as his feet hit the ground, but his fingers still stay on fire, sparks flickering off and landing near my feet. “Why are you protecting a dark tale?”

  “His name is Warren, and he isn’t our enemy. You can’t hurt him,” I tell Sin, moving close enough to press my hand onto Sin’s chest, and Warren’s arm falls away.

  I miss it right away.

  “And you shouldn’t have jumped in like that,” Warren tells me, moving to my side and looking to Sin. “I know our people like to fight each other, but if you can get past that instinct, you will find I’m not that bad.”

  “Yeah, dark tales are all puppies and flowers,” Sin sourly replies.

  “This one is different. You can trust me, right?” Noah shouts with amusement in his tone, and Sin looks straight towards him. I look over my shoulder to see Noah and Tobias walking towards us, their eyes fixed on Sin. They look almost like they can’t believe he is here.

  I just about believe it too.

  “He saved your life, Sin,” I tell him, just as Tobias wraps his arms around Sin, pulling him into a hug.

  “It’s good to see you. So fucking good to see you,” Tobias says with a laugh before letting him go. Noah grabs him next, patting his back hard as he hugs him.

  “I missed you, brother,” Noah firmly says, giving him a shaky nod as he lets go. “Did Sleepy explain everything?”

  “Enough,” Sin coldly replies. “But she left out about the dark tale being here. Why is he here?”

  “My name is Warren,” Warren adds and offers him a hand to shake. “Seeing as we have bigger issues than the blood in my veins, I would like if we could get along.”

  “He isn’t that bad,” Tobias says, coming over to me and wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

  “Warren kept me safe and alive in Lost Time Academy while it was taken over by dark tales,” I explain to him. “I really do trust him with my life and with yours. With everyone’s. I need you to accept that Warren won’t be going anywhere any time soon unless he chooses to leave.”

  “Which won’t happen,” Warren firmly says, making sure to look at me as he says it, and I gulp as he looks back to Sin. “I will always keep her safe.”

  “That’s one thing we agree on then,” Sin says and finally gives in with a long sigh. He grabs Warren’s outstretched hand, and I feel like I can breathe for the first time since Sin woke up, as they come to a truce. As Sin lets go of Warren’s hand, an awkward silence descends on us all, and I rub my hands together, wondering who should talk first. I eye Noah, who shrugs and is the first one to speak up.

  “We have many things to discuss, but first, are you all hungry? The food is ready,” Noah tells us, and I smile.

  “I could eat,” Knox’s voice echoes across the pathway, and we all turn to see him standing in the doorway with a big smile, his eyes fixed on Sin. Tears burn my eyes as Sin and Knox walk to each other and share a manly hug, holding each other tightly for more than a moment. I don’t hear the things they quietly speak to each other, but I can imagine nonetheless. I’ve wanted to see us all together for so long, since the moment we lost Sin. It feels like a fairy tale in this moment, but it’s more perfect than any fairy tale could ever be. We all walk over, and I catch Warren’s glance and how uncomfortable he is being here. I need to talk to the brothers about Warren at some point, and I actually need to have time alone with Warren so we can talk too.

  “You didn’t sleep long,” I say with a raised eyebrow at Knox, who still looks tired but so happy it doesn’t matter. I know I’ve got zero chance of getting him to sleep any time soon. I hope once everything settles, we can talk more about his past and find a way to help him move on from it.

  “I can sleep when I’m dead,” Knox replies, and we all cringe a little as he sheepishly grins at Sin. “Shit, bad choice of words.”

  “I don’t remember being dead, so no worries,” Sin playfully replies. “But I would like a more detailed explanation of what happened and some food while we talk.”

  “And we need to make a plan about what to do next. Who knows how long everyone will be asleep for and what that goddess is up to,” I add in. Those are the important things, and we can’t forget the rest of the world while we are staying in here.

  “She could be in the academy for all we know, still a statue with her sister,” Noah says, and he has a point.

  “I get the feeling that’s not going to be what we find,” Tobias adds in.

  “We should go to the academy after eating. We can’t sit around guessing and hiding in here,” Knox states.

  “I agree,” I say, and all the guys say the same. “Now, what did you cook for dinner?”

  “Oisin…” Quin whispers, gaining all our attention as he runs over, sweat still dripping down his cheeks from the running he must have been doing. He stops in front of us, locking eyes with Sin. We are all silent as Sin walks up to him and, in the blink of an eye, punches him hard in the face. Quin coughs as he stumbles back from the hit and holds his cheek. I wa
nt to step forward, but Noah holds an arm out in front of me.

  “I see where Madi learnt her right hook from,” Quin states, straightening up and rubbing his cheek.

  “I needed that, and you damn well deserved it,” Sin says, offering Quin a hand to shake. “I’m not saying sorry, but we are closer to being equal now.”

  “Understood,” Quin says, shaking Sin’s hand before letting go and crossing his arms. “I’m fucking glad to see you alive, mate.”

  “Considering I don’t know what I look like dead, I will take that as a compliment,” Sin replies. “And you were always a brother to me. You might have made fucked up decisions, but we all have. All that matters is that you fixed it.”

  “You always thought everything was a compliment. Even when Mandy Hicks told you she didn’t like you in middle school, you somehow—” Knox jokes as Quin nods once at Sin.

  “She liked me, we all know it,” Sin says, grinning until he sees my raised eyebrows. “But I always loved Madi, so it didn’t matter,” Sin says with a cough, saving himself, and I chuckle as he comes to me, wrapping his arms around me.

  “You’re lucky I missed you so much that I’m going to forget that one,” I say.

  “I’ve always been lucky,” Sin whispers to me. “And you always were the centre of my attention.”

  “Food. We all need food. How did we get distracted again? It will be burnt or cold at this rate,” Noah mutters, clapping his hands together.

  “I could open a portal to McDonald’s and do a quick run in,” Knox suggests, and everyone is quick to agree to that idea, even Noah as he grumbles about cooking for ages. Everything feels almost normal again.

  I had no idea how much I missed Oisin Tale.

  Chapter 4

  “Is everyone ready?” Knox asks as we all stand in a circle around Knox, getting ready to leave the safety of this dimension and head back into the real world. I take a second to quickly look around at everyone. Quin looks nervous but ready to go. Noah and Tobias look more determined and stronger than ever. Sin might be wearing a confused look for a long time at this rate. Knox just seems bored, likely wanting to get the hell out of here. Warren...well, Warren just looks like he always does. Confident and ready to kill some people, and I should find that scary, but nope, it’s completely the opposite reaction.

  “What if everyone is awake?” I ask, feeling nervous. “They were pissed when I put a class to sleep; this time it’s a lot more than that.”

  “The goddess told you to put them all to sleep. Did she tell you anything else?” Knox asks me. I think back to the words she whispered.

  When you go back, use your power and put the island to sleep. Send your ravens far and wide. The island will wake when the power is gone. Be blessed in love, Madilynn Dormiens.

  “Only that they would wake when the power is gone. Or something like that,” I reply, wondering what that even means. It didn’t make sense and neither did the power when I walked out onto that field. It was like someone else was controlling me and giving me power I shouldn’t have had. It’s no wonder I passed out afterward. Luckily, Warren is a good catch. Sin links his fingers with mine and lifts our hands, kissing the back gently.

  “We got you, no matter what,” Sin tells me.

  “Always, Sleepy,” Knox echoes his brother’s words. Warren bows his head for a second, locking eyes with mine. I know he will be there. I have my Tale brothers, I have Warren, and I know that’s all I need. I have Quin too, but it’s not the same, and we both know it. There is this divide between us now, and it’s best we keep that there. It’s funny how love can be so different, felt in so many different ways. A friendship love, a parental love, and a true love. I just never knew I could feel the true love part for so many guys. I know I can’t imagine a future without them all in it, and I pray that it’s the same for them. I need it to be the same for them.

  “Let’s go,” I say. Knox gives me an unwavering smile, and I wish I could be as confident as he is about this. I smile back, understanding he needs to know I’m ready. I pull my black cloak around me and Knox’s top that I’m wearing, tucked into jeans that we “borrowed” from a random store.

  I’m as ready as I can ever be.

  “That’s my girl,” he says and claps his hands together, making a bright light burn out of the middle of them, and it slowly stretches until it makes a portal into the middle of the academy entrance hall on the other side. Warren goes through first, followed by Noah and Tobias. I hold Sin’s hand as I step through next, and Sin comes through with me. Knox steps out of the portal last, closing it behind us as we all stare around at the students on the stairs in front of us. They are fast asleep, passed out where they were standing, by the looks of it. The academy is cold and silent, only our breathing filling up any noise. I stare at the bright dresses and black suits of some students who didn’t escape, remembering how we were having a dance when the dark tales invaded and attacked the academy. The dark tales guards are hidden by their cloaks, collapsed in the places I remember them standing in. No one saw my sleeping ravens coming.

  “Let’s split up and search the place,” Knox suggests, his voice echoing in the halls. The guys’ footsteps and mine are the only sound as I let go of Sin’s hand and walk into the dining hall, seeing Tavvy on the ground, sleeping soundly. Her dress is spread across the dust covered floor and ripped in places. There is a massive hole in the wall and parts of the wall are scattered across the room, mixing in with students and dark tales in their hoods, all sleeping. Quin runs in the room, sliding to his knees and putting Tavvy’s head on his knees. I run over and stand over them, seeing the cut on Tavvy’s head. He puts his arm under her legs and lifts her up as he stands, holding her against his chest. I place my hand on her cheek for just a second, wishing I knew how to wake her up. She would make a joke and make me laugh, then figure out how to wake everyone.

  “Is she okay?” I ask Quin, not that he knows any better than I do. I lean down and place my hand on her cheek, feeling that she is warm to touch and looks frozen as she sleeps. As I straighten up, I realise they all look the same. They should be cold; the room certainly is. The grass outside even has frost on it, but somehow they seem okay.

  “Just sleeping. I’m going to put her in her room,” Quin tells me, looking at her sadly. “I love her, and she doesn’t even know who I am anymore. I guess this is the closest I am ever going to get to her again.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” I mumble. “I’m just sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry. We both made our choice, and if we hadn’t gone back in time, she would have died. We all would have,” he firmly tells me.

  “She loved you. Really loved you, and that was meant to be. I saw it,” I whisper, placing my hand on Quin’s shoulder. “That love can’t be erased by lost time.”

  “You’re her best friend, a sister to her, so if anyone knows, it is you,” Quin says, looking a tiny bit less broken as he smiles at me before walking towards the stairs, passing by Noah as he comes in.

  “Is he okay?” Noah asks me, coming to my side and wrapping an arm around my waist as I see the entrance hall is now empty, and it is silent once again. “Everyone has gone to search for anyone awake, but I thought you might want me to stay close,” Noah tells me, clearly seeing the question in my eyes before I said it.

  “Quin will be okay. We should look around too,” I say, nodding my head to the big gap in the wall leading to the field outside. “I want to find someone in particular and make sure he is sleeping.”

  “Rueben?” Noah guesses, and I nod as we step over a few broken bricks and on to the frost-covered grass.

  “It’s so quiet here. There are no sounds, just nothing,” I say. “I have always had a raven near me since I came here, but I’ve not seen one of them. I’ve not heard a squawk or anything.”

  “You must have put all the animals to sleep, even the birds. That power was incredible to witness,” Noah suggests.

  “I don’t know how I did it. It jus
t came out like a blast,” I explain to him. “It’s all a blur, to be honest.”

  “You had wings; did we tell you that?” he asks.

  “No, I didn’t,” I chuckle and stop in my tracks when I realise he isn’t joking. “Wait, you’re being serious?”

  “Yes,” he replies with a grin. “Glowing blue wings made out of dust. That’s a crazy blessing to have wings so soon.”

  “I can’t wait to tell Tavvy...when she wakes up,” I mutter. “She always wanted wings.”

  “She will wake up,” Noah says as we pass through the field, seeing the dark tale men sleeping all over the floor, but not finding Rueben. I would see the bastard a mile away if we went anywhere near him. We head back inside through the main doors after finding nothing, just as Knox and Tobias come around the corner.

  “Come and look at this,” Knox says, waving his hand. Noah and I follow them down the corridor to the stairs to the library, my heart almost sure of what I will find down there. I pass outside the doors, looking at the ground and knowing in the future we came from, I lost two of my best friends here. Ella won’t even like me when she wakes up, especially as she won’t remember how I helped her. Maybe we will find each other somehow. We head inside, where Sin and Warren are looking at the piles of rock and rubble on the ground, mixed with dozens of books. There is nothing else.

  “The goddess statue is gone,” I mutter, but I knew that. This was too easy. Saving Sin and coming back was too easy. Life doesn’t give you lemons and a lemon squeezer to make lemonade. You have to squeeze them yourself and find your own damn sugar. “Shit.”

  “We can’t find Rueben anywhere. Did you see him?” Noah asks, and it’s a resounding no from everyone.

  “Right, so we have two crazy bad guys on the loose. This really isn’t good,” Sin says, rubbing his face, and I sit down on a large piece of rock, closing my eyes for a moment. I don’t know what we should do next. “Any chance they might just go relax for a bit and not cause any trouble?”