Empress Unveiled

by Jenna Morland

  Daylan looked at me again. “From the moment I saw you on that cliff, as brief as it was, I felt an urgency to protect you.” His hand reached around and cupped the small of my back, pulling me closer. “You said it yourself, when we touch”—he held my hand to his heart—“you feel alive. You need to trust that feeling, Swayzi. Know that beyond words, this,” he said and brushed my cheek with the back of his finger, “this is real.”

  He searched my eyes like he was looking for something he had lost. “I’ve lived a long time—fought wars, lost loved ones. I was ready to die on the dock that day. But when I saw you, I wanted nothing more than to live.” He sighed softly. “You are the strangest, yet most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen. You’ve awakened something in me.”

  He smirked. “If this isn’t real, I don’t know what is.”

  His eyes sparkled like stars on a cold dark night, and the silence between us spoke volumes when I looked up at him, waiting for his lips to touch mine.

  I barely felt the light touch of his finger under my chin, yet my head tipped gently, my eyes closing instinctively. The feel of his lips against mine lit a spark of urgency. With each breath our mouths moved faster, fanning the flame. My shoulders felt lighter, like a weight had been lifted, but at the same time tense from the uncontrollable passion flooding through me.

  I had never been kissed before. A part of me always feared I would be terrible at it, but I only felt ecstasy. He was intoxicating. Every part of me craved more.

  Knowing now who and what he really was, I pulled away before I wanted to. It was too overwhelming. Both of us were breathing heavily. “I should go home,” I said, my lips still brushing against his.

  He nodded, and I hugged my jacket close to my body again to guard myself from the falling snow. He took my hand and led me to the Wagoneer, where he opened the passenger door for me. “I can drive myself,” I said. Now that I knew he was from another world, that he had never seen snow before, I was nervous to allow him behind the wheel again.

  “Fine, as long as I can accompany you home,” he said firmly.

  He held open the driver side door for me before walking around to the passenger side. As I watched him walk in the falling snow, I touched my still stinging lips and tried to remember a time when I had felt this good.

  When we got to the house, the porch light was on, which meant Linda was home eagerly awaiting my arrival. Tyler sat on the porch swing, his long legs swaying back and forth while he waited. At my arrival, he stood up from the swing but stayed on the porch waiting for me to park the Wagoneer.

  “Remember, he can’t see me. I will keep watch tonight. You’ll be safe. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Daylan leaned over and gently brushed his lips on my cheek, the warmth of his breath tickling my chilled neck.

  “Good night,” I said before climbing out. I rested my chin on my shoulder watching him walk down the long gravel driveway, his footsteps crushing the snow, only to be covered again by more falling snowflakes. I wasn’t sure how I felt about him watching my house, but I would rather have that than the Slayers knocking down my front door.

  I turned toward the porch and looked at Tyler, waiting to see if he noticed anything out of the ordinary. But he remained leaning against the wooden pillar atop the stairs, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes curious.

  There was a thin layer of snow covering the stairs, the rotting wood creaking beneath my weight as I walked toward him.

  “So, where have you been?”

  Tyler’s hair was messy like it had sat underneath a hat all day. He wore black sweat pants and a grey long sleeve swim team shirt that hugged his toned arms. He was unshaven, and his green eyes appeared tired. “Well?” he asked again.

  “I don’t need to give you a play by play,” I started, but really, I was unsure of exactly what to tell him. I had never hidden anything from him before.

  “You seem different,” he said, searching my eyes.

  “Different? Different how?”

  “I don’t know, just different. Your cheeks, they have more color.”

  “It’s cold out,” I said, self-consciously bringing my hands to my face.

  “There’s something you’re not telling me,” he persisted.

  “No, there isn’t.”

  “Sway, I know you like the back of my hand. What happened tonight?”

  “You may know me, but that doesn’t mean I have to tell you everything, Tyler.”

  I was beginning to get defensive. I didn’t know why I couldn’t just tell him about Daylan.

  “Since when?” he said, now blocking me from opening the front door.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Stop lying.”

  “What do you want me to say?”

  “The truth.”

  “The truth?” I raised my voice, frustrated that he wouldn’t let me go. “Things changed on the cliff that night when you asked me to kiss you,” I shouted.

  “I told you I was just joking.” He shrugged.

  “Now who’s lying?”

  “Fine, you’re right!” he shouted back. “But is it so hard to believe that maybe we’re meant to be together? I’m tired of being slaves to circumstance.”

  “Slaves to circumstance? What is that supposed to mean?” I asked defensively.

  Tyler waved me off and turned away, but I couldn’t let it go. “What are you talking about?” I asked, stepping around to face him.

  His voice softened. “It kills me every time you have a high fever or when you have trouble breathing just from walking. I would give anything to be able to breathe for you.” His hand reached for mine, his fingers resting on my wrist. Our secret gesture.

  “When I see you in pain…” He paused. “You think I don’t notice, but I do. You wrinkle your nose, and your freckles move the tiniest bit. You gasp under your breath from the sharpness but swallow it like you are trying to stop a freight train with your bare hands. I feel those little moments, and I lose a part of myself every single time.”

  I could feel the pain in his voice. “I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I ever lost you because you are my life, Swayzi. You’re the reason I wake up every morning and the reason I sometimes can’t go to sleep at night.”

  I hugged myself, suddenly feeling insecure. I tried to let his words sink in, but they only floated on the surface of my already muddled thoughts.

  “All that I have ever wanted was for you to be healthy, so I could tell you how I really felt. Your illness, though, has always dominated our relationship, and I never wanted to force anything when I thought that my friendship was what you really needed. But now…”

  I looked up. “But now what?”

  “Now I see you feeling better. Your movements are smoother, your skin is glowing, and I don’t hear those tiny under-your-breath gasps anymore. It’s time, Swayzi.”

  “Time for wha—?”

  Without warning, Tyler gripped my face in his hands and kissed me. It wasn’t a slow gradual kiss like with Daylan. It was rushed and without permission.

  My hands pushed his chest, and to both of our surprise Tyler stepped backwards from the force. “Tyler! What is wrong with you?” I shouted.

  My lips were wet with his saliva, and they felt tainted, like they suddenly belonged to Daylan. I had barely processed that kiss.

  Tyler did not let up. “I know there’s no music playing. We aren’t standing in the rain like in the movies, but I know you felt something. Tell me you felt something.”

  “No. I felt nothing—you had no right, Tyler.” I hit his shoulder and stumbled past him on the way to the door.

  He groaned loudly. “You are so damn stubborn.” His hand gripped mine, not letting me open the door. I turned to push him away again, but he pulled me towards him faster than I could push back.

  We looked into each other’s eyes both knowing what was coming but not completely understanding it, either. This time, when his lips touched mine, for some reason I ignored my
instincts to push him away.

  I always thought kissing Tyler would feel wrong, but this felt very right. My mouth moved with his naturally like we had done this a hundred times before. He spun me without breaking the kiss, my back against the front door, his cold hand touching my warm skin underneath my shirt. With his body pressed against mine, the urgency of the kiss only deepened.

  Until the front door opened behind me.

  I stumbled back, but Tyler caught me by wrapping his hands around my hips to keep both of us from falling.

  “I thought, um, I heard you come home,” Linda said, looking at both of us with shock. “I didn’t know you were here, Ty,” she said, awkwardly tightening her housecoat.

  I held my hand over my pink lips, sore from Tyler’s stubble, and tried to slow my breath. My cheeks grew hot with embarrassment.

  “I’ll, uh, give you two a few minutes,” Linda said, leaving us in the entryway.

  I looked at Tyler and my entire life with him flashed before my eyes. The laughter, the tears, the quiet moments in comfortable silence—all now in jeopardy from us crossing that unspoken line. Floods of emotion bombarded my already chaotic thoughts.

  “You should go,” I said.

  “I’m not leaving.” Tyler shrugged.

  “After eighteen years, you all of a sudden hint that you’re in love with me, and what, I’m supposed to just forget what you are to me? You’re my best friend; how could you do this to us?”

  “I do love you,” he said steadily.

  I let out a frustrated groan. “This is exactly what I’m talking about. You’re screwing everything up!”

  “So, I’m a screw up. We both know that. I’m not afraid to ruin what we have because I know you love me, too.”

  “Of course, I love you,” I spat.

  “No, you love me, Swayzi.” His hand held my wrist, his two fingers resting on my pulse. “The ‘nobody puts Baby in the corner’ kind of love,” he added.

  Looking into his hopeful green eyes, I knew every word he said was true. He was right, I did love him. No one made me laugh like he did, and after that kiss, clearly our physical connection was undeniable. The fact that he knew to quote Dirty Dancing was another testament to how well he knew me.

  But he didn’t know all of me—not anymore.

  “I can’t do this right now. You need to leave.” I broke from his gaze and stepped backward towards the stairs.

  “You want me to go?” he asked, suddenly wounded.

  “I’m tired, and I have too much to think about. I feel like my brain is about to explode. You need to go.”

  He paused like he was about to challenge me; instead, he stepped towards me touching his lips on my forehead. I closed my eyes, breathing in his familiar sent. “Night,” he whispered quietly.

  I locked the door behind him, kicked off my boots, and ran upstairs. I landed face first into my pillow, my hair spilling around me, and let out a loud muffled groan.

  “You want to talk about it?” Linda asked from the hallway.

  “Not right now, Linda,” I mumbled into my pillow.

  Linda didn’t push any further and left me alone with my thoughts. I had plenty to contemplate.

  There wasn’t a word in the dictionary that could explain how unbelievably beautiful Daylan was. His dark brown hair was always tousled just the right amount, like he had just rolled out of bed that flawless. His eyes were haunting, almost pained, and his eyebrows always dipped like he was thinking intensely about something. His robust lips were plump and the perfect shade of blush. The purple shadows under the hallow of his eyes were his only imperfection, but those melancholy shadows only made me want to know him more—to know what pained him.

  Daylan opened up a terrifying world of mystery. He had answers to questions I didn’t even know I had, about my father, about who I really was. He could be dangerous, but he was new and intriguing. I liked that he was unfamiliar, and the fear of the unknown was exciting. And his kiss—so gentle, but at the same time, soul crushingly electrifying. I had never felt so alive.

  Tyler’s kiss on the other hand was absolutely surprising. I wanted so badly to pull away and punch him for jeopardizing our perfect friendship, but when I finally surrendered to his lips, something felt right. Why hadn’t we kissed before?

  I always knew he was attractive. His lean muscular swimmer’s body, tall enough that I could look up at him but short enough that I avoided a crick in my neck. His hair sat just below his ears, always a mess falling into his green eyes—eyes that had the tiniest specks of blue and yellow, like a beautiful peacock spreading its colorful tail. His genuine smile lit up my world, and his laugh was my favorite sound. Why had I never looked at him that way before? Maybe because I didn’t want to affect our friendship. Too late for that now.

  Even after the Slayers, the twins, the talk of faeries, and Daylan’s perfect kiss, Tyler’s kiss had still been the most surprising thing to happen to me that day.

  I rubbed my eyes adjusting to the bright light from my cell phone. It showed twelve missed phone calls and eight unread text messages all from Penelope. The phone rang again, and I answered. “Morning, Penelope,” I grumbled.

  “Swayzi! Thank God you finally answered. Are you okay?” She was frantic.

  “Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

  “No reason. I mean, I stopped by your place last night, and you weren’t home.”

  “Well, I am now. In my bed, alive and well,” I mumbled through a yawn.

  She paused, and I heard a ship horn in the background and blurred chatter.

  “Is everything okay, Penelope? You seem a little… on edge.”

  “Are you staying home today?” she asked in a rush.

  “I don’t plan on leaving, why?”

  “Don’t leave your house. Promise me you won’t leave your house.”

  “All right, I promise.” I sat up in my bed more alert. “What’s going on? Should I be worried?”

  “Just stay home. I’ll come to you later.” She hung up before I could respond.

  I tossed the phone into my laundry hamper and fell back onto my pillow, my arm shielding my eyes from the sun. Just what I needed—more confusion.

  Part of me hoped the night before was all a dream. I touched my sore lips. Definitely not.

  I could hear Linda rummaging around downstairs, so I got up. I threw my long hair up into a bun and pulled on Tyler’s swim team hoodie over my nighty. He had forgotten to take it home sometime last year and never asked for it back. I tested him once by wearing it, and his lips turned up in a small smile but said nothing. I held the neck of the sweater to my nose, breathing in Tyler’s familiar scent.

  I found Linda in an oversized shirt, running shoes and a red bandana, cleaning the kitchen. She never cleaned. “Morning, Linda,” I said, startling her.

  “Oh, good morning, hun, I was just…” She looked around perplexed. “Cleaning.”

  “Who died?” I joked.

  “Not funny.” She smiled. “I was just waiting for you to wake up, but you didn’t, so…anyway, the kitchen was a mess. Did you know there was pudding in the cupboard that expired five years ago?”

  “Ew, gross.”

  “Come, sit. How are you feeling?” Her eyes travelled over my body looking for tells.

  “I feel good, really good.” I smiled, sitting down at the table, curling my bare knees to my chest, and lifting Tyler’s hoodie over them. With my toes still uncovered on the chair beneath me, I leaned down and rested my chin on my knees. I knew Linda was waiting for me to tell her everything that happened the night before, but I wasn’t ready.

  “Penelope stopped by last night before you got home. You should call her.”

  I sighed. “I just talked to her on the phone. Is it just me, or is she acting completely nuts lately?”

  “She’s been a little more…” Linda paused, trying to think of the right word. “…invested. Coffee?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Linda grabb
ed two cups from the cupboard and began pouring the coffee.

  I didn’t know how to start the conversation that needed to be had, so I awkwardly blurted out, “Can you tell me about my father?”

  She spilled some of the coffee, which almost never happened. She kept her back to me while she cleaned. I imagined her thoughts on rapid fire, sorting through her memories, and I was nervous to hear what she might say. Until now, this conversation never seemed necessary. Linda had always been enough for me. But after everything Daylan told me last night—I couldn’t help but wonder if what he told me was true. Did I have magic running through my veins? Could my father really be a faerie?

  Finally, she brought the coffee over to the table and sat down across from me. “What do you want to know?”

  “Do I look like him?”

  Linda sipped her coffee, set it down slowly, and looked at me. “As a baby, I always thought you looked like me, those cute little freckles and all.” She wrinkled her own freckled nose. “But now, you are the spitting image of him.”

  She used the same words as Ezra.

  “What is his name?” I asked.

  “His last name was Alexander, which is why your middle name is Lex.”

  “And his first name?”

  “He told me to call him ‘O’.”

  “O? So, you don’t even know his first name?”

  “There’s a reason I haven’t told you much about your father, Swayzi. I didn’t know much about him myself. It was the most intense two weeks of my life. Love at first sight—he was absolutely beautiful,” she said almost slipping into a daze.

  I noticed she kept using past tense. “How come you never heard from him again?”

  “When I was in my third trimester, not long after mom and pop passed, his ship docked again in town. I went to see him, but his other crewmates told me he had died at sea. Something about a rogue wave. They never found his body,” she said sadly.

  “He died?” I questioned in shock. My heart suddenly ached for a man I never knew. I was resentful towards Linda; how could she keep this from me?

  But that feeling was fleeting when I saw the sadness in Linda’s eyes. My heart was heavy for her. She had dealt with so much grief at such a young age, and she was still dealing with it.