by Jarica James
I’m helpless as I hear the gunshot, but instead of pain taking me, I feel the impact of being knocked to the ground. I twist around, expecting to find that one of my fae companions had shoved me out of the way. Instead I’m shocked to see Arabella’s face twisted in pain and the color draining from her already pale face. Warm blood flows over me before I see it, realizing she’d taken the bullet for me.
The stupid human who shot her is trying to mumble something but I don’t care to listen to. I yell and block him from coming closer. My heart clenches at the sound of her whimpering in pain and I rip off my jacket and try to keep pressure on it, she’s lost too much blood for a human already. Stupid girl!
I help her to her feet, hoping to at least get her inside, somewhere she’d be safe so I can see how bad the wound is. She gasps in shock as she looks at the fighting still raging strong around us.
“Enough!” she bellows out as I feel and see the wave of power burst from her body in a spiral of light. What the hell just happened? She’s a human, and they don’t possess such powers. Even if she was a fae, we don’t have this sort of power on Earth.
Much to my surprise she’s no longer human at all. Her skin has the beautiful otherworldly glow of the Winter Fae. Her eyes are no longer a common blue, but a sparkling turquoise with specks of violet. Her features are more defined and regal, but the biggest shock is her previously round ears have now come to a point, the telltale sign of fae.
Another grunt of pain from Arabella has me rushing toward safety. I squeeze her hand. “You’ll be alright," I whisper and start to hum a soothing tune. Eventually her breathing evens out as she’s pulled into sleep. I just hope I can find a healer to save her life.
I knew who she was as soon as she transformed. In fact I was one of the few who knew of the princess of the Spring Court’s pregnancy. It was hidden because the baby’s father was the prince of the Winter Court. Once the Dark War broke out, it wasn’t safe to tell anyone. They hoped to bring change to Faerie, but the war altered their plan. The Winter and Autumn Courts aligned. The King of Winter wasn’t evil, merely arrogant, but they still weren't willing to take the risk.
The rebellion that started as a challenge to the oppression of what was eventually coined as the dark fae, turned into wanting to take over all of Faerie. A united court under an unhappy and arrogant ruler would have been our downfall. The Spring and Summer Court aligned together and tried to reason with the Winter King, but he was past that. His son tried to pressure him to give up the war, but the devastation spread quickly. Magic makes war much more vile, and the people are the ones who paid the price.
Word came that agents of the dark fae decided to ignore their orders and kidnap the Summer and Spring princesses to tip the war in their favor. Fearing for their child, the Winter prince and Spring princess went into hiding. They both disappeared and were presumed dead… another casualty of war. The final battle was pure devastation, losing the rest of the royal families.
When I saw Arabella’s features, her mix of pale skin and bright Spring eyes, I knew she was their hidden daughter. She’s far too unique of a fae to be anyone else. They must have found a way to bind her magic and appearance, so she could survive on Earth.
Though having a queen of Faerie hardly matters anymore. We were driven from Faerie by the hostile lands. Arrogance and greed corrupted us until we thought our only duty was to our people. The land was as alive as we were, and altered itself in self-defense, now it’s useless and toxic. All of the magical destruction and spilled blood took a toll on it. Maybe it’s a good thing, even if she is fae now, she was raised by humans. She knows nothing of our world, which could be the only way to help it. If we can ever go home again, that is.
The last moments of battle rush back to me, as fresh as the day it happened. I was Captain of the Spring guard. I was supposed to help protect her, but I failed her. The Spring King went down first, then one by one the others fell. By the time I was able to return to the Court of Spring… the princess was missing and those left behind were slaughtered. It was pure devastation.
One by one the survivors were drawn to the portal when Faerie turned hostile. We fled and our shame is thrown into our faces every day in this awful realm. The humans hate us and are afraid we’ll use magic against them. And now we hate them just as vehemently.
Now, as I watch Arabella rest, I know she is the reason for the magical pull. Her powers must have been slipping through the shield, this last outburst the final straw before it broke completely.
The main question is, who bound her magic and genetics? They had to have been powerful and affiliated with the court. What happened to her parents is the second mystery on my list, though I doubt I’ll get my answers anytime soon.
“You holding up okay, Allwyn?” Gwen’s soft voice interrupts my thoughts. I give her a small smile but don’t bother to look away from my charge. We’ve grown closer after travelling here together, but my focus has shifted.
“Just thinking over what happened in Faerie and hating how it feels like it’s repeating itself on Earth now," I reply, solemnly. I can understand Arabella’s horror at seeing the aftermath of the battle today. I felt it many times during the war.
“We won’t let it get that bad. I don’t think they’ll try again. Though I’m unsure what to do about Bella. She still has a life here, but she isn’t the same person she was this morning. She doesn’t know yet, does she?” If I woke up and found out I wasn’t a fae anymore, I would be devastated, but she doesn’t hate the humans as I do.
Finally, I turn back to Gwen. “No, but I think she will adapt better than we think. She has too much acceptance in her heart to struggle with it for long. She also has Jacob and the rest of us to help her along.” If we can teach her about Faerie and what went wrong… maybe we can use her to fix this.
All I offer is a shrug before turning my attention back to Bella. I watch her breathe, making sure the rise and fall of her chest is keeping a steady pace. She seems stronger now than before the bullet was pulled from her side, especially after the healer stitched her wound. She’ll have a decent scar from this one, unfortunately. The amount of blood she lost was astounding, we’re lucky she survived at all.
She drew me in, even as a human, though I fought it. But I need to keep my heart separate from this. There’s too much at stake and far too many battles ahead.
Chapter 6
The sound of Jacob talking in a cutesy voice wakes me up. This time opening my eyes is easier, I blink only a few times before the grogginess fades.
It’s not hard to recognize that I’m in Jacob’s apartment. Though apparently Jacob’s lost his damn mind. He has Dormouse in a small travel cage, complete with his burrowing fluff and tunnel. His face is pressed against the side and my tiny mouse is hanging on to every word.
“I promise Dormy, she’ll be just fine. The healer promised," Jacob coos. Dormouse already noticed that I’m awake and starts to scratch at the side of his cage, trying to get to me. When my best friend finally notices, he turns and lights up at the sight of me being awake. “Bella! How are you feeling?”
“Better than the first time I woke up." I try to sit up, but my abdomen is bound tightly in bandages and the smallest move feels like I’m pulling my stitches out.
“We need a strong man in here!” Jacob calls, grinning at me before putting on a blank expression. Allwyn and Andras come into the room at the same time. “She needs help sitting and Dormouse won’t calm down, so I didn’t want to set him down," Jacob explains with a shrug and a flirty smile.
“Be careful, my queen," Allwyn says in his somber tone.
“Moving will probably hurt, may we assist you?” Andras asks politely, giving a slight bow. What the heck is wrong with these two. Why are they being so formal?
“I’m hardly a queen, just help me sit up you weirdos. Tell me how bad the casualties and injured are. Are the other humans throwing a fit?” I ask through gritted teeth as they pull me by my biceps until I’m sitting.
Andras tucks an extra pillow behind my back and I give him a smile of gratitude before relaxing into it.
“The humans are oddly quiet, which probably doesn’t mean anything good. We lost two of our Fae brothers and I believe only one human died. We pulled our people away and called the police before leaving. We couldn’t stick around, the police would have arrested or killed all of us for it," he explains in a sad tone that has me cringing. This is my fault. I sent that blast into them… speaking of which, what the hell was that? I’ve had so many weird things happening lately, I don’t even know where to start.
“It was probably the best choice, Andras,” I say softly as I give him a light pat on his arm. “Thank you for the assistance.” With the last part I finally look at Allwyn, also trying to make sense of his dramatic mood shift.
“How is the pain?” Allwyn asks quietly, almost as if he thinks the loud noises and voices will have me crying out in pain. I’m hardly a delicate woman.
“Alright, I just have this weird tugging in my abdomen," I use my hand to point where the tugging is coming from, when I notice my skin looks weird. I hold my arm up to the light and shriek. “What the fuck is wrong with my skin?!”
“Girl, you’re fae now," Jacob says in a matter of fact tone. Leave it to him to break any news in a brutal, yet honest way. At least he doesn’t fumble around his words or sugarcoat shit.
“I am not," I say with an eye roll. Though as I say the words, I know he isn’t lying. He never lies to me… he just isn’t that type of person.
“You are,” Allwyn adds. “In fact, you are the queen of the fae. And because of that, I pledge myself as your personal guard. I was your mother’s personal guard before you. Even if we are never able to return to Faerie, I will be by your side.”
“Whoa there, stud. Here on Earth, we don’t just have bodyguards or pledge our alliances," I exclaim, trying to scoot away. He seems unfazed by my protests, but then the part about my mom registers.
Before I can ask, he’s already continuing. “Usually you don’t need them. However, when you’re the last descendant of fae royalty, and the only mixed-court royalty, it’s necessary,” he explains in a patient voice, like he’s speaking to a small child. Biting down my urge to smack him, I choose to focus on more important things.
“Tell me about my mom?” I ask quietly.
“She was beautiful and full of joy. She was fair to her people and wasn’t the typical princess who locked herself up in her castle, reveling in her riches. She gave away most of her jewels to keep her people fed, and spent a lot of time in the town. Everyone loved her. But she fell in love with the Prince of Winter. He wasn’t like the other dark fae. He didn’t allow the opinions of others to cloud his duty to his people. They were never able to be married and kept her pregnancy a secret in fear of being targeted. Wartime is hardly the time to announce a child of such intense lineage,” he looks wistful as he speaks of them. Of all the fae I’ve met, Allwyn seems the most reluctant to let go of Faerie.
“Thank you. I was told by my grandmother, who raised me, that she died in childbirth. She would never tell me anything about her, just gave me an old photo of her.” My chest aches and a tear runs down my cheek. The pain is fresh, like I’ve just lost her again, even though we’ve never met. It feels ridiculous, but I can't stop it. Allwyn hands me a tissue, not saying anything else. He’s probably afraid I’ll start crying harder, he doesn’t strike me as the emotional type.
“She may have died in childbirth, but I doubt your grandmother is actually related to you. Can you describe her?” Allwyn looks curious and for a moment I worry he’s about to tell me even more of my life is a lie.
Describing people is not my strong suit, so I grab my phone that Jacob has sitting near the bed. We didn’t take many, but I have one photo of me and my grandmother from my high school graduation.
“It’s an old photo, but this is her. She was a very strict woman, but she took care of me," I say as I turn my phone so he can see the photo. His eyebrows wrinkle as he concentrates on the picture. He’s actually kind of adorable when he concentrates. Though his personality isn’t my usual cup of tea.
“She seems familiar, but she’s not the queen of any court,” he states. ‘No shit’ rests on the tip of my tongue but I hold it back, I can’t wrap my head around the fact he thinks I’m this prodigal daughter.
“Why do you think I’m their child? Especially if nobody knows what happened to the prince and princess? Also, if I am fae, then why was I human until now?” None of this made sense and was starting to freak me out, though the pulling sensation is annoying me more at the moment, than anything else. Apparently sitting was the wrong choice. Stupid man just had to try to shoot Allwyn.
“I know, because I knew them. Now that I can see your true face, I see both of them in you. It’s unmistakable. As for your magic and appearance, it was an extremely powerful binding spell. I’m unsure how it could last all of these years outside of Faerie, unless your grandmother is responsible and is also a glamoured fae.” he studies my face with an intensity that makes me squirm.
“My true face? What does that mean?” I turn to Jacob, because he’s the one who actually knows me and won’t try and soothe me.
“You’re hot now, Bells. Here.” He laughs as he hands over a small mirror. The moment I lock eyes on my reflection, I gasp. My skin was always pale , but now even more so and it has an iridescence that almost shimmers in the light. My face looks similar to before, but there are a few differences. My cheekbones are more defined now, taking away my innocent, cute look, my eyes are now a turquoise with the bits of purple in them instead of plain pale blue. The signature pointed ears of the fae are mine as well now, which actually has me biting back a squeal. I’d always loved that about fae.
The most insane change is my hair. Instead of the blonde I had before, it’s now a silvery white and at least five inches longer than before.
Altogether I have an almost ethereal look now. It’s both startling and breathtaking.
“What the hell?” I turn to Jacob, my mouth hanging open like a fish.
“Girl, I told you, hot," Jacob replies with a shrug. “You look like a goddess or something. The hair has to be my favorite part though.” He reaches out and tugs on a white wave.
“Well this is going to take some getting used to. Can someone get a healer though? I can’t stand this tugging in my stomach anymore," I whine. Now that I’m not distracted, it’s starting to get worse. With the battle and the current mindfuck, I don’t have the energy for this too.
“I’ll go fetch the healer," Andras offers, slipping from the room. His words are so much more proper now that he thinks I’m their queen, and I hate it. A few moments later he returns with an older fae man. He examines my wound and frowns up at me.
“It’s almost completely healed, that’s remarkable. Though with its location it should have nothing to do with your stomach. It could possibly be a side effect of your binding breaking apart. I think if you get more rest, it should get better,” he guesses, the lack of confidence not instilling much in me. “Here’s a stomach relief blend I have.” He hands me a small bottle, the size of a shot glass, and indicates for me to drink it all. It smells like the inside of a spice cabinet and I have to hold my breath to swallow it down and gag. It’s worse than I anticipated and I have to stop myself from being rude about it. Jacob, of course just laughs at me, wiping tears from his eyes as he hands me a bottle of water.
I drink down over half of the bottle before the taste is finally gone. Needing to shift my body, I try to lay back down, but Allwyn walks over and gently readjusts my body, like I’m light as a feather.
“Where’s Sam?” I ask Jacob, noticing that Sam’s usual clutter isn't here either. I’d just assumed he was in their bedroom working or something. He takes a shaky breath before shaking his head, words failing him. My heart falls. Who breaks up with their long term boyfriend while his best friend lays in bed with a gunshot wound? “I’m so sorry," I whisper
as I reach for his hand. He shrugs it off and hands over Dormouse, who’s done being patient. He’s been scratching at his cage the entire time we were talking and it’s not reached the point of looking pathetic.
“It’s okay buddy, I’m fine," I say as I look into his little cage. He runs to the edge, staring at me. He doesn’t act as crazy now that he’s so close. When I open the top to reach in to pet him, Jacob makes a sound of protest, hopping onto a chair like he’s not a grown ass man.
“You aren’t taking that creature out in here!” He yelps as I roll my eyes and reach for Dormy. He runs up to my hand and nuzzles my palm. I bring him up to my chest and he snuggles right in, like this is our thing. For some reason he brings me comfort, his little warm body making my anxiety calm.
“Look, he’s harmless and happy," I announce with a sleepy smile.
“If he goes missing, you’re searching this place top to bottom for him,” he says through clenched teeth. I blow him a kiss and he rolls his eyes not bothering to fight me today. That’s a sure sign that I nearly died. As my eyes drift closed I see a hint of a smile on his face.
“Don’t run off on me, Dormouse. I like having you around," I murmur as I stroke his back before slipping into a dreamless sleep.
Chapter 7
“Hello?” I call softly as I walk through Jacob’s apartment. The apartment was completely silent when I woke up, apparently well enough now that they all left me home alone. I’d almost gotten used to the hovering so now it’s almost lonely in here. The first thing I notice is Dormy still sleeping, though now he’s nestled in my hair. At least he didn’t poop all over me while he was getting more comfortable.
The longer I wander around his empty apartment, the crazier I start to feel. It’s impossible to go from being a busy college student who works and studies, to just sitting around. Especially when it’s not even my apartment I’m stuck in.
