Do I?
“Good to have you here, finally,” Ruby says, coming up behind Myra and toying with a lock of her flawless, blown-out red hair. “Good to see you again, Sophia.” She falls into an awkward curtsy. “Or should I call you my Lady?”
Myra and Ruby had not been friendly or accepting of me when we’d first met. That isn’t the case now. They gaze at me, eyes lit up with fascination like I’m some kind of celebrity.
“No,” I say. “Please don’t… I-I mean, it’s unnecessary. Alexander isn’t one for those formalities, and I agree.”
The fourth girl at the table looks up. She was sobbing when I first walked in, but seems to have recomposed herself now as she dabs her eyes with her napkin.
“Oh, I have to ask. I’m dying to know… what’s it like? You know, being bound to a Fae prince?” she asks in a small voice, sniffling as she joins the other three girls beside me.
It’s a strange thing to ask someone you’ve never met before, but it’s the ice-breaker we didn’t know we needed. Whatever they had been arguing about seems forgotten now.
“Sophia literally just walked in the room, Anne,” Myra snaps, giving the girl a firm nudge.
“Oh. Right.” The girl, Anne, doesn’t seem bothered by Myra’s aggression as she turns to me and curtsies. She has a plain, but pretty face with neatly trimmed bangs and a light dusting of freckles over her nose. “Sorry, my Lady—uh… Sophia. Apologies. But, it’s just that we’ve heard so much about you, we feel like we already know you.” She extends a delicate little hand. “I’m Anne.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Anne,” I say, unable to hide my smile.
The girls may be a little quirky, but they’re nice enough, even Sarah.
“Okay, now that that’s out of the way, what’s it like being married to a Fae Prince?” squeals Anne.
Her excitement is met with a little shriek from Ruby.
“Yeah, how do you even function when he’s around?” Ruby asks, her voice faraway and dreamy as she winds her bright red hair up into a bun and plops it on her head. “We’ve all been with supernatural men, of course, but nothing like… Prince Auberon.” She turns her gaze upward, releasing an exaggerated rom-com-worthy sigh. “Are you addicted to him? Is it killing you right now being away from him?”
“Well, yes. I miss him very much—“
“He doesn’t go by that name anymore.” Myra smacks Ruby in the arm again before turning to me, wide-eyed. “Isn’t that right, Sophia? He prefers Alexander?”
“That’s… right. But please don’t hit me,” I laugh.
The girls laugh but continue to encircle me like vultures, moving in closer and closer until I feel like they’re going to smother me. They seem to want to know everything. Yet, I can’t seem to get a word in before they fire off the next question off. I catch Sarah’s eye, and she winks at me as she makes her way back to the table.
“Give Sophia some space, you guys,” Sarah says as she peels the other girls off of me. It doesn’t take a third eye or balanced chi to see my obvious unease with this suffocating situation, so Sarah sits beside me in order to keep my intense inquisitors at a safer distance. “She just got here. Let’s give her a moment to get settled.”
“Right…” Anne plops down into the seat next to Sarah.
She mutters something to herself and then taps her temple with her fingers. A small knitting basket appears on the table beside her. She rifles through it for a moment before producing some charcoal gray fabric and a pair of knitting needles.
“I’m making a scarf,” she says to no one in particular.
“For a vampire she’s crushing on,” Ruby says, lowering her voice to a whisper.
Myra makes an “oooh” noise.
“Stop,” Anne says, looking up at Ruby and Myra, her face flushed, and her eyes blazing.
“He’s a vampire, Anne,” Ruby teases. “He doesn’t need a scarf.”
Anne glowers at Ruby. “It’s not for him,” she grumbles.
Sarah lets out a loud sigh and turns to me with a tight grin.
“They are so annoying,” she says in a tone that suggests that she is never annoying and pours me a cup of coffee. “So, Sophia, how was your trip? Nevermoor is trippy, isn’t it? I remember when I first I came here.” Sarah hand brushes mine as she pushes the coffee cup and saucer toward me, and she flinches, jerking her hand back and shaking it like she’s just received a shock. “Oooh, okay. You are bustling with power, aren’t you?” A devilish gleam lights up her innocent blue eyes. “Your guard must be up. Are you nervous, Sophia? I know we’re a little… much…. Nevermoor is a little much… but don’t be nervous.” Her eyes flick to the doorway. “David, our bartender friend will be here in a minute. He makes the Bellinis ever. Guaranteed to delight.”
“Plus, he totally has a thing for Sarah,” Anne whispers, not taking her eyes off her knitting.
“God, every guy in town has a thing for Sarah,” Myra snorts. “And if they don’t… if they’re already interested in someone else, she swoops in and bats those fake eyelashes, and then she—”
“Shut it, Myra,” Sarah snaps, her face reddening. “It is not my fault he ghosted you. And how are you not over that yet? Aren’t you dating some mystery shifter? Some guy you refuse to talk about?“
“I refuse to talk about him because of you.” Myra snatches her rolled-up napkin off the table and starts waving it at Sarah. “You always come in with that fake smile and bleached hair. Then, you move in on the guys I’m interested in. Because it’s all about you. It’s always… all about you.”
Myra does a very convincing impression of Sarah. I pretend to be interested in my coffee, not wanting to get involved. The napkin in Myra’s hand suddenly ignites, reddish-orange flames licking the edges of the fabric.
“Woah,” I shout, jumping and spilling my coffee on the table.
“Damn,” Myra mutters, giving the napkin a quick shake before dunking it in her glass of water to douse the flames.
“Calm down, Myra. No need to burn the place settings,” Ruby says. “Let’s not scare Sophia off.”
“I didn’t mean to,” Myra says, backing down as she tosses the charred napkin aside. “And don’t look at me like that, Ruby. You’re just as bad, flooding the ladies room when those Seelie ambassadors were here last week.” Anne looks like she wants to speak, but Myra stops her. “And don’t you even start either, Anne! Your little windstorm at the Nevermoor Spring Wine Walk last week? You blew Mrs. Campbell right over, you know. Broke her arm and everything.”
Anne makes a little wailing sound of anguish, as if the very memory pains her before she and Ruby both turn to me, looking at me like naughty puppies who have destroyed expensive couch cushions.
“We’ve all been having problems with our magic,” Sarah tells me. “But now that you’re here…” She trails off, smiling like my arrival has just solved everything.
“Ever since I’ve been back, I’ve been sort of… off, too. The magic I share with Alexander is non-existent, as is my ability to…” I stop, not wanting to get into the complicated situation with the Elements. “Anyway, I started thinking that maybe the title of Fae Princess was a bit ambitious for someone like me. I mean, how can I help rule an ancient race of supernatural beings if I’ve got no magic of my own?” I force a smile.
“You’re having doubts,” Sarah says. “That’s the problem. That’s what is keeping you from your true magic. You were more confident in your abilities in Berlin, but we’ve sensed a major shift since you’ve been back.”
“Yeah, we’ve had to get super creative with how we contact you.”
“I had more guidance in Berlin,” I admit. “As weird as it sounds, I could communicate with the Earth’s Elements. Through a sort of magical music.” I stare at the eager faces of my new friends who all lean in toward me, hanging on every word. So much for not getting into the whole-Elements-thing. “But now, I’ve got nothing. No guidance. Nothing. That line of communication is gone. So yes. I su
ppose I have some doubts.”
The girls exchange secretive glances.
“Should we tell her?” Ruby whispers, her eyes bright with excitement. “I think it’s time to tell her.”
“Tell her?” exclaims Myra. “No. I say we sing the song. And do that little dance we prepared.”
“Ooh, the dance!” Anne says, clapping her hands. “My favorite part.”
Sarah rolls her eyes. “Well, it still needs work.” She pauses, considering. “We didn’t have a lot of time to practice. But she’ll get the gist, I’m sure.”
Get the gist?
My new friends rise from the table and stand before me as if they’re about to entertain a royal court. And just to be sure, I take a quick peek around, just to make sure there is no other royalty present. One never knows.
The girls form a line, linking arms as they sweep into a low, somewhat sloppy bow. Without thinking, I applaud, urging them to go on.
They begin their song, each performing her part in a cheesy, yet endearing way. And it doesn’t take long for me to get the gist. My new friends aren’t just witches. They are my missing link, and I’m pretty sure I’m theirs. This Chosen Four, as they call themselves. These four girls. They are the Earth’s Elements in all their silly, bickering human glory.
8
“I don’t know how I missed something so obvious,” I admit to Esmeralda later that morning. “I know that nothing should surprise me anymore. But I still can’t believe it. I can’t believe those silly girls who can’t go more than five minutes without arguing are the Chosen Four. The Earth’s Elements. Can they not pick a title? Earth’s Elements or Chosen Four. Pick one.”
“Because they are the humans…the four women chosen by the earth herself to wield her power,” Esmeralda says.
I blow out a tremendous sigh. “I suppose the earth knows what she’s doing, but…really? She picked those girls?”
“It sounds like you made quite an impact,” Esmeralda says, grinning at me. “The girls couldn’t stop gushing about how much they like you. They all had glowing things to say.” She laughs. “I can’t remember the last time those girls agreed on anything. So, whatever you’re doing is working.”
“I’m not actually doing anything, yet,” I confess.
She arcs an eyebrow. “Just because it isn’t magical doesn’t make it insignificant.”
Despite still feeling a bit of disbelief over what I have learned, I can’t contain my smile. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt accepted by anyone. And I’ve never been one for having a bunch of girlfriends. Perhaps this will be a positive experience for me after all.
If you let it be a positive experience, that is.
I scan the pristine white exam room. It looks like any other sterile medical examination room, and it smells of alcohol and sterility. But I also detect hints of pumpkin, clove, cinnamon, and a hint of rich chocolate, which seems wildly out of place.
Esmeralda seems oblivious to the warm autumnal scents as she sits in a chair beside the exam table, thumbing through a well-worn edition of The Magical Monthly, which appears to be some kind of magazine for supernaturals.
“Why does this exam room smell like…pumpkin spice?” I ask. “Are they making potions that will put the public in a pumpkin-spice-frenzy or something?” I pause. “It isn’t necessary. Coffee shop chains have been doing it for years.”
“And where do you think those frenzy-inducing ingredients come from?” Esmeralda asks, a smile crinkling the corners of her eyes as she peers at me over the top of her magazine.
“Well, I want some of them.” I raise myself and attempt to peer through the tiny square window in the door of the doctors’ entrance. “Where can I get my own personal supply of pumpkin spice potion?”
“That, my dear, is not a potion. All of our potions are made in the labs. The pumpkin spice is coming from the kitchen,” she says, flipping a page and glancing at it for a second before closing the magazine setting it aside. “This infirmary shares a wall with the kitchen.” She inhales through her nose and then sighs. “Smells like they’re making their famous pumpkin spice bread in there.” She winks at me. “You’re in for a real treat if that’s the case.”
Pumpkin spice bread is, in its own way, quite magical, yes. But knowing that witches were brewing up a potion in the room next door would’ve been a little more exciting.
“What are they going to do to me in here?” I ask. “Fiona said I’d need an evaluation and examination, but she didn’t tell me much about it.”
“It’s like other medical exam. They’ll do some bloodwork, take your vitals, all of that.” Esmeralda tosses her magazine aside. “It’s a formality more than anything.” She waves her hand. “Everyone knows you are magical. The entire town is already talking about the newly arrived Fae Princess in town. You’re practically a celebrity.”
“Except I’m not yet a Fae Princess,” I remind her. “And I sure as hell am no celebrity.”
“Wait until your debut into Faerie society,” Esmeralda says, winking at me.
I shift on the exam table, the tissue paper crinkling beneath me. Why hasn’t Alexander said anything about me making a splash in Faerie society? It seems like he would’ve at least mentioned it in passing or something. It seems like it’s a big deal.
The exam room door opens. Two slender women with doll-like faces walk into the room wearing long, black lab coats that look more like witches’ cloaks than coats. They move in an awkward, disjointed way, as if trying to adjust to bodies they’re not used to.
“Hello again, Sophia. We are pleased to see you,” they say, their voices in perfect unison.
I glance between their pretty faces, trying to place them. One of them has a sleek-black pixie cut, while the other has dark red hair that’s pulled back into a neat ponytail. I know I’ve seen them before. Somewhere. Warm. Exotic.
And that’s when it hits me.
“Liri? Mora? From Faerie?”
“Yes,” Liri says, beaming at me as she bows her head. “We are from Faerie.”
“We are here to look at you again,” says Mora.
“Examine,” hisses Liri, nudging Mora. “Examine her. That is what they say.”
Mora’s face tightens, and I think she may cry.
“Oh yes,” she says, looking disappointed. “Examine.”
I give the faeries-in-human-form a sympathetic smile. “We can use First Language if that’s better for you,” I say, switching with ease to the Fae tongue. “I’m so happy to see you both.”
“Oh, no,” Liri says. “Mora must work on her human tongue if we are to see to you here.”
“Human tongue…and that doesn’t sound at all creepy,” I mutter to Esmeralda as I watch the two faeries bustle around the room, trying to make sense of the medical equipment.
This should go well.
“So, can I help?” I ask as I rise from the exam table to help. “I can tell you what most of these things do.”
“No,” Liri snaps, shooing me away. “We know what they do. We just prefer to use them our way.”
I hold my hands up in a defensive posture and sit back down. “Okay then.”
“Speak into this,” says Mora, holding up the little rubber mallet used to test reflexes while Liri stands by, a stethoscope shoved in her ears and holding the round piece out in front of her as if it’s some kind of recording device.
“Uh…okay. Hello,” I say, feeling a bit silly. “Hello, testing…one…two…is this thing on?” I tap the mallet with my finger, and Liri yelps as she tears the stethoscope from her ears.
“Why do you do this?” She rubs her ears, scowling at me. “This causes me pain. Great pain,” she moans.
“I’m sorry,” I say, shocked. “I didn’t know…humans rarely do it this way.” Liri’s eyes narrow, her little face twisted with frustration. “Okay, okay, I’ll be serious this time.”
“No need,” says Mora as I feel a sharp sensation in my lower back which causes me to fall forward. Spots
cloud the edges of my vision, and I almost pass out from the pain that shoots up my spine.
“Holy, Mother of God,” I croak. “Did you just…give me a spinal tap? Jesus Christ!”
“Your false gods cannot save you now!” Liri says, grinning as she points a finger in my face.
I think she’s trying to make a joke, and if it is, it’s the best string of English words she’s ever put together.
“Is that it?” I ask, trying to keep from doubling over in agony as the two faeries exit the room, carrying the stethoscope, mallet, and vial of whatever they took out of my spine.
“It? No.” Liri rushes back over to me and scrunches her fingers through my hair, pressing her fingers into my scalp. “This is acceptable.” She stares at me for a moment. “It is fine. We will return to this room. Stay.”
She and Mora turn on their heels, and exit the room in perfect step with each other, like little faerie soldiers of medicine.
“Regular old doctor’s exam, huh, Esmeralda?” I grumble, rubbing the sore spot on my lower back. “What was that about?”
Esmeralda shrugs. “They’re your people, not mine,” she says, flashing me a mischievous grin.
Anxiety creeps in as I wait for what seems like hours. What are they doing? What what’s taking so long? Better yet, what will they find? What are they going to tell me? After an agonizing fifteen minutes, Liri and Mora return, each carrying a clipboard, their faces solemn.
“We have news that is good and news that is not good,” Liri says, frowning. “We will tell you of news that is good first. You have magic inside of you. This is certain. Most certainly the case.”
“Yes, yes,” I nod. “I knew that much already. What’s the bad news, Doc? Tell me. I can take it.”
The faeries exchange a confused glance, failing to understand my sense of humor.
“The news that is not good…” Mora fidgets and chews her bottom lip. Liri gives her a gentle nudge. “I am sad to tell you that when you were lightbound with our Prince Auberon, it did not…oh…what…” Mora fumbles over her words. “With the binding of the light, there was something most accidental that occurred. The binding did not bind.” She frowns. “I do not know how to explain…“
Faebound Rhapsody Page 9
