“Other than the docks, is there any other portal from Empress to Earth?” I asked.
“No, not in this city anyways,” he confirmed. “Why?”
“How are the portals opened?” I asked.
Ezra explained, “By drawing energy from the ocean during a celestial event. Usually they can be opened only five or six times a year, during an eclipse, unless…”
“What?” I asked.
“Unless you have The Angel Aura Crystal—a crystal that comes directly from Heaven,” Fay finished for Ezra.
“Could he have this Aura?” I asked.
“It’s doubtful,” Ezra answered. “But those Slayers that attacked today, they had to have come from somewhere.”
“This Aura, what is it?”
Daylan’s voice was deep, almost pained as he spoke. “Angels live forever, but when they sleep, they sleep for years. They put their souls into The Aura and other angels protect it. The angels’ sleeping souls generate enough energy that the power inside the crystal becomes comparable to a celestial event like an eclipse.”
“Okay, we have to assume he has it then, so we need to have a twenty-four hour watch on the docks. We will all have to take shifts. Penelope,” I said, taking money out of my pocket and handing it to her, “go next door and get some pre-paid phones. If anyone comes through the portal, we need to know about it, and we’ll need a way to communicate.”
Penelope left, and Daylan smirked at me with approval and pride.
I turned shyly away from his gaze.
“I don’t want to be surprised again,” I continued. “If you were sent through the portal to be executed, then it could happen to someone else. And if that happens, we need to save them. Maybe they can be brought to our side. Tyler, Google when the next eclipse is please?”
Tyler looked at me like he didn’t recognize me. He sat still leaning against the arm of the sofa, biting the inside of his cheek—silently challenging me. He had to be wondering if I wanted this—to be the one in charge.
My eyes didn’t waiver. My shoulders remained back, calmly waiting for him to answer.
“On it,” he finally said, taking his phone from his pocket and began searching on the internet to find what I needed.
It was quiet while we waited for Penelope to return. Daylan and the twins had this amazing ability to be completely still, and it totally freaked me out. I kept waiting for one of them to twitch, or shift in their seat, but no—they remained still and deep in thought.
Then there was Tyler. The opposite of quiet. He cleared his throat while he scrolled on his phone, leaning forward, then falling heavy into the sofa cushions. He tapped his foot on the ground impatiently when the internet didn’t work fast enough.
When Penelope returned, she handed each of us a pre-paid phone.
“Penelope, is there a way you can contact faeries on the other side?” I asked.
“Yes, I just have to find the right spell.” She went to the bookshelf in the café, reached behind some of the larger dustier books on the bottom, and pulled out a book of spells. Tyler’s eyes went wide, again having a hard time believing what he was seeing. I was beginning to be used to it—which was alarming.
“Daylan, is there someone on the other side that we can contact—someone you trust?”
“Yes, her name is Annora. She will help. I trust her with my life.” He had no doubt.
Fay nodded in agreement, and Ezra was distracted playing with his new phone. Penelope was completely absent from the conversation, engrossed in her spell book.
“So, uh.” Tyler cleared his throat again. “Tonight, when the Slayers died, I could see them. Why?”
“Dead equals no magic,” Ezra replied vaguely.
“Okay… But I think I would be more useful if I could see them all the time, you know… before they are dead.” He looked at Penelope, waiting for her to take a hint.
“Penelope,” I called.
“Hmm?” Penelope grunted without looking up.
“It’s not safe for Tyler to be shielded from faeries. Is there a way to… magically fix that?”
“I’ll see what I can do,” she answered, still distracted.
“One more thing,” I said to all of them. “You need to teach me to fight.”
“No, absolutely not,” Tyler objected.
Penelope lifted her eyes from the book in shock.
“Tyler, this is not up for discussion. I need to know how to protect myself. I can’t always depend on their protection.”
“She’s right,” Daylan agreed.
Tyler glared at him then focused on me.
“Look what happened today—that was insane. I don’t want you anywhere near that,” he pleaded.
“She might not have a choice. The fight may come to her, just like it did tonight. She should at least know what to do if that happens,” Daylan argued.
“Don’t pretend you know anything about what Swayzi needs.” Tyler shot back.
“Maybe I don’t. But, I do know a thing or two about what she wants.” Daylan’s sly smile made my cheeks blush, and Tyler saw it.
Tyler got to his feet, his face seething with jealousy. Daylan met him face to face, standing a few inches taller.
“Guys,” I started, but Tyler put his hand on my shoulder to keep me seated.
“You think you know Swayzi because you knew her father?” he asked. “Tell me, what makes her laugh?” He paused. “What makes her cry? She has a scar on her neck that starts at her hairline and runs down her spine, can you tell me what that’s from? No?” Tyler challenged Daylan, who still stood only inches from his face. “It’s from her spinal osteomyelitis surgery when she was nine-years-old. She didn’t cry, even though she couldn’t walk for months after. You know what does make her cry?”
Tears welled up in my eyes with embarrassment. This was too much.
“When her favorite character in a book dies,” Tyler said. “She mourns them like she knew them her entire life. Or when the grocery store is out of rocky road ice cream; her eyes well up in disappointment like that ice cream could have cured her of all of her pain.”
“Tyler, that’s enough.” I needed him to stop.
“She’s right, Tyler. Stop it,” Penelope said, leaning forward protectively, her eyes shooting daggers of warning.
Daylan didn’t flinch. “You may know her past—her childhood. But I will know her future.” His confidence gave me butterflies.
Tyler shoved Daylan, and the faerie shuffled back one step, his eyes suddenly getting darker.
“Tyler!” I shouted, but they ignored me.
“Watch it human,” Daylan said, his voice an octave lower. “I could rip you in half with very little effort.” He shoved Tyler with one hand, and Tyler fell back several feet hitting a chair and tumbling over it with a groan.
“Daylan, no!” I screamed, but Daylan’s eyes didn’t leave Tyler.
Fay and Ezra moved between Tyler and Daylan, and Ezra put his hands on Daylan’s chest, trying to calm his sudden hostility.
Tyler got up without Fay’s help and raised his fists in front of his face. “This needs to be settled, let him go,” he said, looking past Fay to Ezra.
“Enough!” I shouted.
They all looked at me.
“From now on, when I talk, all of you have to listen.”
“Excuse me?” Tyler challenged me. He wasn’t used to me giving him orders.
“I’m serious. Earlier today, before the Slayers came, something didn’t feel right. I knew that something bad was about to happen, and I spoke up, but none of you heard me—you were too busy arguing.”
“What do you mean you knew?” Penelope asked, eyeing me suspiciously.
“It doesn’t matter. My point is we have to work together.” My eyes shifted between Daylan and Tyler. “The only way we will all survive this is if we act as a team.”
Tyler’s hands dropped to his sides, Ezra’s hand fell from Daylan’s chest, and Fay picked up the fallen chair before we all
sat down again.
“This world is new to me,” I said. “So I need to be able to trust that I can count on all of you guys. All of you,” I said, looking at Tyler. “If I am meant to be the Queen of Empress, the only way they will believe it is if the people I trust most believe it, too. So, starting now,” I said turning to the rest of them, “no decisions are going to be made without talking to me first.”
Daylan nodded silently.
“If I’m going to be your Queen, you need to be completely honest with me,” I continued. “That means no hushed talks behind closed doors.” I looked at the twins. “No more secrets.” I looked at Penelope. “No more wondering if I can handle whatever it is you need to tell me.” I looked at Daylan.
Finally, I looked at Tyler. “I feel stronger than I ever have before. I can feel it. You need to trust that I can handle this.”
They were all stunned—except Daylan. He leaned back in his chair, his lips turning up in a smirk like he had been waiting for this all evening.
Fay wore a diminutive smile, the first one I had ever seen on her.
“You heard her.” Ezra winked. “You guys about done marking your territory? Can we move on to more important things?”
Tyler sighed frustrated but nodded his agreement. “If she is learning to fight, then so am I.”
“We can learn together.” I tapped his leg, urging him to relax.
“Penelope,” Daylan said. “We spoke briefly about you possibly unlocking our abilities. If we possessed the full range of our magic, we could be of more use.”
“What kind of spell did they put on you?” Penelope asked, leaning forward.
“It was eighteen years ago, so I don’t know the exact words, but I’m certain it was some sort of sealing spell.”
“What are your abilities?” she asked as she flipped through another one of her spell books.
Daylan looked to Ezra and Fay, waiting for their approval. It was apparent that even though they were working peacefully with Penelope, they still weren’t used to working this closely with a witch.
“My wings were taken away,” he said mournfully.
“Wings?” Tyler asked, shocked. “So, you can literally fly.” Tyler huffed under his breath. “Of course, you can.” It was only that morning he had made fun of Daylan about faeries flying.
“Fay?” Penelope asked, ignoring Tyler.
“I can be one with animals, see through their eyes, hear what they are thinking— guide them.”
As she spoke, I took in her sharp features and subtle movements. Her eyes moved furtively, always hyper aware of her surroundings. She had heard those Slayers today before anyone else, and the graceful but purposeful way she moved in battle was reminiscent of a beautiful, deadly cat.
Penelope scribbled in her notebook, nodding like none of this information surprised her. It made me wonder if I really knew Penelope at all. Did her parents know? Were they witches too? I had a mountain of questions for my friend, but they would have to wait.
“And you, Ezra?” she asked.
“My gift isn’t quite as obvious as these two. It’s more instinctual. Basically, I can anticipate movements before they come, particularly when battling an opponent.”
“The first fight I won against him was right after our abilities were taken from us,” Daylan chided him.
“That’s right. And that was the only fight you’ve ever won,” Ezra fired back.
“Daylan, can I see your back?” Penelope asked. “By the sounds of it, I should be able to help you.”
Daylan stood up from the sofa and pulled his shirt over his shoulders. I breathed in sharply.
His statuesque body looked even more defined in the dim light of the café. His skin was pale, almost glowing, and its only flaws were from his many battle wounds. He was absolutely beautiful, an angel, but his scars told me he knew exactly when to be bad. I could feel Tyler watching me watch Daylan, but even if I wanted to look away (I didn’t), I wouldn’t be able to.
Daylan turned his back to us and to Penelope, and I gasped when I saw the torture his body had suffered. I was relieved Daylan couldn’t see the horrified look on my face. From the top of his shoulder blades to the middle of his back, he had two large gaping scars on either side of his spine. It looked like someone had cut his wings out of his back with a jagged knife. Penelope stood up, touching the swollen scars. Gently, she ran her fingers up and down his back inspecting them, looking for something.
“Thank you.” She tapped his shoulder.
He put his shirt back on and sat down next to me, without making eye contact. He seemed…ashamed.
“This Medallion guy is pretty sick and twisted,” Tyler said, shaking his head. For the first time, he showed something other than contempt for Daylan.
“He really is,” Daylan agreed.
I looked toward Penelope, and she smiled at me. Everyone was beginning to get along.
“If it was a sealing spell, then you should still have full range of your wings when I reverse it,” she said to Daylan.
“Fay, yours won’t be much different than Daylan’s,” she continued. “I think the spell is blocking any communication you may have with animals. Once that block is gone, your gift will return.”
Fay smiled and relaxed in her chair.
“Ezra, yours—I’m not really sure… It is something I’ll have to look into.”
“Just when you think a witch can actually be of use…” Ezra scoffed. He was obviously dejected.
“Watch it, fae. I’m doing the best I can.” Penelope’s shoulders lifted in frustration.
Okay, so maybe we’re a work in progress. I tried to stay positive.
“If you guys don’t mind, I would like to take the first shift at the docks,” Ezra offered, ignoring Penelope’s threat.
“Don’t forget the cell phone we gave you,” I said to Ezra. “Penelope, did you put all of our numbers in the contacts?”
“Already done,” she said.
I watched Ezra hold the phone upside down unsure of its function.
“Do you know how to use it?” I asked skeptically.
“Cell phones are a relatively new technology here on Earth,” Daylan spoke up. “Empress does educate us on Earth practices, we tend to fall behind.”
“I will cell phone you if there is any action at the docks,” Ezra said.
Penelope snickered.
Daylan looked at Fay when Ezra left the café. “He’ll be alright. He just needs a little time,” he assured her.
“It’s getting late, I should head home,” I said.
“I’ll give you a ride.” Tyler stood up quickly.
“Will you be okay here for the night?” I asked Daylan and Fay.
“Yes, thank you.” Daylan stood up taking my hand and lifted it for a kiss. His lingering lips sent shivers up my arm.
Tyler cleared his throat.
“See you tomorrow?” I asked, ignoring Tyler’s interruption.
“Yes,” Daylan said. It was only one simple word, but it felt like so much more:
A promise.
For safety reasons, Penelope insisted on sleeping at my place. Besides, we needed some quality time together. Tyler parked his truck at his house, and we trudged through the deep snow, making a fresh path from his house to mine. I hugged the warm leather jacket Daylan had given me to wear home.
“I’ll meet you inside,” Penelope said walking up the porch steps.
“Oh, and Tyler.” She turned before going into the house. “Thank you for saving my life.” She smiled sincerely.
“You’re welcome.” He shyly smiled back.
This rare genuine moment between these two made my heart happy.
I kissed Tyler on his stubbly cheek once we were alone. “I’ll see you tomorrow at your swim meet.”
“You remembered?” He sounded surprised.
“Have I ever forgotten one?”
“You have been a little distracted lately.” He sheepishly held his hands in his pockets.
“I have, and I’m sorry about that.” I tried to make eye contact with him, but he refused.
“Tyler.” I pulled at his arm. “I used to know exactly what you were thinking.”
“Trust me, it’s better that you don’t.” He bit his cheek like he wanted to say something but had thought better of it.
“Should I not have told you any of this?” I asked.
“No, it’s not that.” He shook his head. “Actually, it seems so unimportant now… I was going to ask you this when I came over this morning but then—well, you know…and I know this is terrible timing but…” He shifted on his feet nervously. “The school’s Halloween Dance is in a few days—a masquerade ball. I know you hate these types of things, the crowds, the getting dressed up, but I thought maybe…”
I cut him off. “Are you asking me to the dance, Tyler?” I teased with a small smile.
“Sway, will you go to the dance with me?”
“Yes, of course, I’ll go to the dance with you.” Butterflies fluttered in my stomach when I realized how much I actually wanted to go.
His shoulders lifted slightly, and his smile travelled from his mouth to his eyes. My favorite smile of his. He gave a light chuckle of victory before he turned to leave. “Night, Sway.”
“Night.” I gave half a wave as I opened the door.
When I walked inside, Penelope had already taken off her jacket and boots. She put a finger over her lips and pointed at a sleeping Linda on the sofa. I peered into the kitchen and saw two plates on the table, one empty and the other one still had food waiting to be eaten. I silently cursed myself, remembering how I had promised Linda we would eat dinner together. I couldn’t believe it had only been that morning that we had sat at the kitchen table talking about my father. It felt like days ago.
“I’ll meet you upstairs,” I whispered to Penelope. She looked just as tired as me.
I took the throw blanket off the back of the sofa and lightly draped it over Linda. I turned to walk away, and she stirred. “Swayzi? What time is it?” she asked, her voice cracking.
“It’s late. We can talk in the morning,” I whispered.
“Where were you?” She sat up and rubbing her eyes. The clip-on top of her head only held three quarters of her hair, the rest spilled over her face.
Empress Unveiled Page 14
