Empyrean: Return of the Fire Faery

by Twyla Turner

  Get outta my head, pervert! So not cool! I cringed thinking about what he’d heard in my head during that whole episode. Effectively throwing ice water over me, dousing my internal flame and killing the mood.

  Sorry!

  He was so not sorry.

  “What’s wrong? You got so tense all of a sudden.” Rafe asked.

  “Nothing. Just noisy one-horned devils intruding on my moment,” I grumbled.

  “Ah! I see.” Rafe chuckled against my ear. “Don’t worry about him. Just relax and take in the beautiful moment. It was amazing and you were beautiful. So sexy.”

  “Mmm…” I grinned happily, taking a moment to enjoy being in his arms and forgetting about the danger ahead of us.

  Right now, in this pool of water, the world fell away and it was just Rafe and me. Just us.

  My mind wandered to my human life on Earth. I didn’t miss it at all. I thought I’d miss my cell phone, TV, computer. But I missed none of it. I had so much to do and worry about here, that all of that stuff became an afterthought. I missed my parents, but I missed them on Earth too. And then it hit me. I stiffened in Rafe’s arms.

  “What? What’s wrong now?” He asked.

  I could see worry crease his brow as he turned me to face him.

  “Wait. Give me just a second to count.” I pressed my wet fingertips to his lips, silencing him as I thought back to how many days and weeks I had been in Empyrean. “Oh. My. God!”

  “What is it, Immy? You’re making me nervous.”

  “I’m almost positive that today is my birthday,” I whispered, recounting in my head.

  “Really?!” His face lit up.

  “Yeah, I think so,” I grinned up at him. “I’m eighteen! Which legally makes me an adult! At least on Earth anyway.”

  “Happy birthday, Immy.” He kissed my forehead.

  “Do you guys celebrate birthdays here?” I asked curiously.

  “Maybe for the first hundred. After that, we just try to keep count. That would be a lot of birthdays to celebrate. Just imagine if the Oracle celebrated all of her eight hundred and something birthdays.” His eyes widened in mock horror.

  “You’ve definitely got a point.”

  “Come on. Let’s get out of here and tell everyone. We should celebrate.” He said as he pulled me towards shore.

  I pulled my hand back before he dragged my bare behind out of the security of the water. I was feeling more comfortable, but not that comfortable. “Hold up there, buddy. You go first. I’ll turn my back while you dress, and then you leave so I can get dressed in private. And haven’t we celebrated enough since I’ve been in Empyrean?”

  “First, you don’t have to turn around. I’m not bashful.” Rafe began to list off as he stepped out of the water.

  True to his word, he turned and faced me while he pulled on his pants. My eyes nearly bugged out of my head, and I almost choked on my own spit. Holy guacamole! He was glorious. His beautiful imprints ran down the right side of his body. Over his defined chest, down his rippling abs, and swirling over his muscled thigh. Even all that to look at couldn’t stop my eyes from traveling over his fifth appendage. It was the first penis I had ever seen in person. And as far as I’m concerned, it was the best first example I could have. Long and thick, with an upward curve. It stood proud. As did he, completely unashamed of his aroused state.

  “Second, you can never have too many celebrations. And we must celebrate your first birthday on Empyrean and our victory over the Gryphons and Imps.” He finished as he shrugged on his shirt.

  “I-If you say so.” I finally found my voice after the shock of seeing all of him. “I don’t wanna make a big deal out of it.”

  “If you haven’t noticed already, we here in Empyrean like to celebrate things. So just enjoy it, okay?” He raised his eyebrows at me expectantly and pulled on his pants.

  “Okay.” I conceded.

  “Good. Now, I’ll leave you to get dressed in private.” He bowed deeply at the waist and then strode off to join the others.

  “Maybe that’s what I could do once the war is over. Become a party planner or a DJ.” I grumbled to myself and rolled my eyes.

  I started to tread towards the shoreline when the water began to sparkle familiarly in one spot. It brought me back to a month ago when I was crying at my family’s favorite spot at Red Rock Park. I turned in a circle but saw no one. The light continued to sparkle like it was high noon, even though the sun was setting.

  “Hello?” I called out, but no one answered.

  The light faded, though I could still see something sparkling underneath the water. I dipped down under the surface of the water and saw something golden and shining, nestled in the rocks. I dove down and swam to it. I pulled the object from the rock and pushed back up to the surface. In my hand was a beautiful chalice made of gold. It had an ornate pattern on the stem that continued up the cup. Embedded inside the beautiful design were sparkling rubies.

  “Drink from the chalice.”

  My head whipped around at the sound of voices. The same voices that spoke to me before at the secret waterfall. The mermaids.

  “You’ve shown your humanity. You showed mercy to your enemy and spared his life. The chalice is yours. Drink from it and you will have the strength to fight.” The voices explained.

  “Where do I go next?” I called out.

  “Come find us. We are in danger. We need your help.”

  I knew it was the mermaids. And I knew that our next gauntlet was supposed to be water. So it made sense that we should go to Mermaid Cove next. I can’t even imagine what awaited us there. Whatever it was, I also knew that I didn’t have a choice.

  “Come morning, we will be there,” I announced to them. They didn’t respond.

  I quickly and gingerly stepped out of the water and over the rocks. I struggled to put my clothes on over my still damp body since I didn’t have a towel to dry off. I put my hair up in a puff to keep it out of my way. I started towards the weeping willows with the chalice in my hand. It was time to let everyone else know I had gotten the next gift and where we had to go next.

  ~~~

  “Man! You were right again, Imogen!” Wakeley exclaimed after I showed them the chalice. “How do you even know that you’re doing the right thing to get the next weapon?”

  “Uh…well, I’m not really thinking about if I’m getting something out of it at the time.” I shrugged. “I’m just going off of what feels right in my gut and my heart. It felt right to help the dwarves. It felt wrong to steal the sword from Valen. And it felt wrong to kill Warley while he laid there broken and defenseless. To me, the reward was feeling good about myself for doing what was right. I guess the weapons were just an added bonus.” I finished.

  Rafe pulled me into his side and kissed my temple. “You’re the best person I’ve ever known,” he whispered against my hair.

  I smiled up at him self-consciously. It felt so good to be around a group of people that appreciated me for the real me. Even if someone told me that I had to go back to Earth now, I would fight, kick, and scream just so I could stay. I prayed to God that I really could stay forever.

  “Speaking of how incredible you are, I made you something for your birthday,” Rafe said softly, all of a sudden turning shy on me.

  “You did? When?” I asked, trying to look around him but he kept his hands behind his back.

  “Yes. While you were finding your chalice. It’s nothing big.” He explained.

  “Let me see,” I demanded eagerly as I pulled on the sleeve of his shirt. I’d never received a gift from a boy before.

  He brought his arm around and in the palm of his hand was a bracelet made of the pink, purple, and white vines of the willows surrounding us. The colorful vines were woven together and spiraled around in a continuous circle with no end or beginning. I had no idea how he’d made it so intricate and perfect in such a short amount of time, but I loved it.

  “It’s beautiful, Rafe.” I breathed as he place
d it on my wrist. “I love it.”

  “It is an eternity bracelet. It is a symbol of my commitment to you. As long as we’re together, it will never die. It will remain as vibrant and colorful years from now as it is today.” He informed me.

  “How do you know?” I asked.

  “It’s just something that’s been done between faery men and women since anyone can remember.” He shrugged nonchalantly, though I could tell it was kind of a big deal. “Male lifemates make the bracelets out of any flowers, grass, vines, etc. found on Empyrean and gives them to their women lifemates, and it becomes the symbol of their relationship. Their commitment and devotion to one another.”

  “What? Like getting married?” I asked, and he looked away. “So…did we just get married or something?” I said on the verge of a panic attack. It was possibly the sweetest thing I had ever heard in my life. But it was also a huge step that I hadn’t even thought about a few weeks ago. Hell, even a day ago!

  “Umm…let’s just call it an engagement.” He said cautiously as he cringed and smiled at the same time, trying to gauge my reaction.

  Daegan, who had been watching the scene unfold and listening to my thoughts, looked to the other faeries as well as Valen, Sabir, and Kaya. “Everyone, you might want to back up a bit. Her head is going to explode. That red hair isn’t just for show.” He joked as he took a few steps back and the others followed.

  I would’ve laughed if I wasn’t about to strangle a blue faery, whose imprints had turned a dark indigo in his embarrassment.

  “So you did this very important and symbolic ritual without asking me first?” I asked, trying to keep it together.

  “Well, I mean, from the moment we soul surged, our relationship was a foregone conclusion. Already written in stone.” Rafe tried to explain. “This is just a symbolic token that ties us together and lets others know we are one.”

  “Married!” I screeched. “It’s literally no different than getting married on Earth. The only difference is that I didn’t sign a legal document. But I’m assuming on Empyrean, this is just as good as a legal document. Am I right?” I raised my wrist and shoved the bracelet in his face. Then, I looked from him to the other faeries for confirmation. Saffi, of course, couldn’t keep from admitting the truth and nodded her head in the affirmative. “Oh my God!”

  “We do have a type of wedding ceremony, but it’s mainly for formalities. And to celebrate the happy union. But the giving of the bracelet to your lifemate is the true union. Usually done in private.” Saffi explained in her usual teacher-like way.

  Rafe gritted his teeth and gave her the stink eye. “You’re not helping, Saffi.” He said through clenched teeth.

  “Oh, sorry.” She apologized quickly and looked away.

  “Did you know that for some on Earth, turning eighteen means you become an adult and gain your freedom? If, and I won’t, but if I were to go back to Earth, I could move out of my foster parents’ home and get the money my parents left me so that I could take care of myself. I would have my freedom. And now, you’re telling me on the day I’m trying to celebrate that freedom, that I’m now tied to you…forever.” I growled at him.

  “Well, you’re in Empyrean now. Life is different here. You already have your freedom here. And being tied to me isn’t like it’s going to be a prison sentence. And like I said before, the moment we soul surged it was already decided. This is just the next step.” Rafe defended.

  “You! You soul surged.” I poked him in the chest. “We- I didn’t do anything. I just stood there while your imprints went all wonky on me.” I heard the others chuckle, and I turned to them. They all choked on their laughter as I stared them down. “Oh…shut up! All of you!”

  I stomped off to find some privacy. I found a vacant purple willow at the edge of the village. I swiped at the vines as I passed under them and sat against its trunk to stew in my fury. Happy birthday to me! I thought grumpily. I was tempted to take the bracelet off and throw it far away from me. But I touched the beautiful natural jewelry Rafe had made for me and wasn’t able to do it. Which of course, just made me angrier.

  It wasn’t long before I heard footsteps heading in my direction. I expected to see Rafe walk through the purple vines, but it was Daegan instead. I tried to ignore the fact that I was slightly disappointed that it wasn’t Rafe as the black unicorn, now with beautiful wings, sat down in front of me.

  He didn’t say anything for a while. He just stared at me. Eventually, the silence began to irritate me.

  “What, Daegan?” I said in exasperation. “What do you wanna say?”

  “I’m trying to understand why you’re so mad. What Rafe did was really sweet.” He cocked his head to the side like a dog does when it doesn’t understand something.

  “I’m not saying that it wasn’t sweet. But that’s beside the point. He didn’t ask me. I still don’t know the rules here. He can’t just spring something so important on me without telling me what it means first.” I explained, trying to get him to understand my side. “Where I’m from, a man doesn’t secretly marry a woman without her knowledge. He gets down on one knee and asks her. Then it’s up to her whether she wants to say yes or no. And we don’t get married quite so young anymore. Some still do, but not many.”

  “That makes sense.” He nodded his head. “But here, you learn who you’re supposed to be with fairly early. And once you find your lifemate, that’s it. You’re together forever. There’s no divorce here. So you have to understand that Rafe knows that you’re it for him. There will be no other female that he’ll be with. Maybe he should’ve asked you, but he loves you, Immy. You can’t get mad at love.”

  Out of everything he had said, the only thing that matter was that very last sentence. Tears instantly filled my eyes, and I tried to blink them away. I felt like a childish brat for being mad at something that most humans can’t find on Earth and search for most of their adult lives. For whatever reason, I was brought to this realm and found someone that apparently was made for me. And I found the most amazing best friend ever. I should be celebrating, instead of sulking.

  “I am a pretty amazing best friend, aren’t I?” Daegan asked arrogantly, trying to lighten the mood.

  I thought about denying it, just to give him a hard time. But I chose to be honest. “Yeah, you are.” I got up on my knees and leaned over to hug him around his neck. “Thank you, Daegan. For saving my life. On my birthday no less. And for just being there for me. It means a lot.”

  “You’re welcome, Immy. Thank you for believing in me. You promised the first day I met you that you’d help me prove my family wrong. And you did.” He reminded me.

  “It was all you.” I paused for a moment, thinking. “Even though falling to my death seemed to help bring it out of you. So I guess if you think about it, it was definitely all me. I almost died just to bring out your potential. I should get a medal for that!” I teased him.

  “Hey.” I heard Rafe’s voice and looked up. “Can I come in?” He asked as he peeked his head through the willow vines.

  “Yeah.”

  Daegan got up, nodded to Rafe, and then walked out to give us some privacy. Rafe looked around awkwardly, before finally looking down at me. His eyes looked so sad as he dropped to his knees in front of me.

  “I’m so sorry, Immy. I’m sorry for not asking you first. I know that you don’t know all of our customs. It was wrong of me. Please forgive me?” He pleaded.

  “You’re forgiven. I’m sorry for blowing up at you. I may have overreacted just a smidge.” I cringed.

  “No, you didn’t. This…us, it’s a big step for you, and I should’ve considered that.” Rafe reasoned.

  “So…what now?” I asked, unsure of how to move forward.

  “We finish this quest so that we can be together without the threat of danger. Then I can have the time to teach you all of our customs, so you can stop getting mad at me,” he said playfully.

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Rafe reached for me
and pulled me to him. He clasped my face, rubbing his thumbs along my freckled cheeks. Then he lowered his lips to mine. His imprints went wonky as we kissed. For the first time, I boldly initiated more. My tongue peeked out to flick against the crease of his lips. His breath hitched in surprise, and his mouth opened. Hesitantly, my tongue sought out his, and they danced gently against each other.

  Rafe’s hands gripped my face tighter as the kiss deepened. Slowly, his fingertips slid down my face, to my neck. They caressed a path down my neck to my shoulders. Then they glided down over my shirt to my breasts, and he gently squeezed. The passion that he’d ignited in the private pool, surged back to the surface once more.

  I broke the kiss on a gasp. My heart was racing, like I’d ran a marathon. I looked into his blue eyes. His pupils were dilated, to the point that his eyes were almost all black, except for a sparkling blue ring. His face was flushed with color and his lips were swollen, pink, and wet from our kisses. He was the most tempting thing I’d ever laid eyes on. And as my eyes roamed the details of his face, so did his eyes on mine. His expression of love and passion mirrored how I felt precisely. I understood at that moment exactly how he saw me.

  For the first time, I stopped seeing myself through the eyes of hateful and negative people. And I began to see myself through the eyes of those who showed me love and positivity. How Rafe saw me. How Daegan saw me. How my parents saw me before they past. Every part of my body felt lit up from the inside out. I felt buoyant. I felt…beautiful.

  Our faces were so close that I could tell the moment that Rafe saw the change in me. I smiled so hard that my cheeks started to hurt.

  “You see it now, don’t you? How beautiful and loved you are?” He asked me, his eyes searching mine.

  I just nodded. Unable to speak through the lump in my throat. Instead, I launched myself at him, and we tumbled to the soft grass, laughing. He rolled on top of me and smiled down at me. He pulled a blade of grass from the ground and gently caressed my face with it. Down my forehead, across my cheek, over my nose, through the crease of my lips, to my chin.