“What do you think?” Mom asked.
“It’s gorgeous, and now that I’m seeing more of Arvayta, it makes me sad I didn’t get to grow up here. Don’t get me wrong, Oregon was great, but this is something else entirely.”
She grinned. “It really is, and I hope you can be happy here. Things will take some getting used to, but as long as we can eliminate the threat of this dark fae, then it should feel like home in no time.”
Sigh. The dark fae. For a split second, I had forgotten about him.
“What do we do about that? Just wait for him to show up?” I asked.
“No, we’ll be assembling a group of guardians to go searching for him. Once we have his location, a more elite team will be sent to lock him up and end this nightmare before it even begins. We’ve been trying for years since we learned of his plans, but Alaryk is rather elusive, unfortunately. I’d have much preferred him dead long ago,” Dad answered with a grimace.
My parents had always maintained lighthearted personalities, and to see my dad so hell-bent on ending someone’s life so casually was sort of freaking me out, even more so than the talking owl.
“It’s going to be okay, Dad.” I looped my arm through his and leaned on his shoulder, trying not to let my worries increase his own.
“Damn right, it will be. Nobody threatens my daughter and gets away with it. You’ll also need to resume training. You have the hand-to-hand part down, but now we need to teach you how to control your magic and bend it to your will. I had a plan for that, but I’m not sure that’s going to work out anymore.”
Glancing between him and Mom, I saw more concern etched into their faces. “Why? What was the previous plan?”
“Let’s not worry about that now,” Mom said. “I bet you’re famished. How about some lunch? Time changed some with the travel, so it’s now the thirtieth and one in the afternoon.”
Food didn’t exactly sound good, but I knew I’d have to get my body and mind acclimated to the new time adjustments, so I figured I could at least snack. It would also appease my frayed mom, so it was a win-win.
“You ladies enjoy lunch. I forgot I need to go check on something.” Dad kissed my forehead and then did the same to Mom before walking out the back door.
My hand reached for the necklace she had given me, and I let out a strangled cry. “It’s gone.”
She raced to my side. “What’s gone, sweetheart?”
“Your gift, the necklace. Did you take it off of me?” I was going to feel awful if I’d lost my mom’s gift so soon after receiving it. I should have waited to wear it until after we arrived in Arvayta.
She grasped my shoulders. “Calm down, Kaliah. The necklace wasn’t meant to survive. I gave it to you so that it could ease your transition. It is, or was, a conduit of magic. When your powers began to seep out, the necklace filtered as much of them as it could before exploding. I knew what would happen when I gave the gift to you, and it was worth it.”
“But it was your mother’s.” Guilt still assaulted me no matter what she said.
“And she would have made the same choice as I had. Now don’t worry about it.” She went back around the counter to the food she was sorting and let the subject go, but I worried there was something more wrong than what had already been said.
As I watched her closely, the worry lines around her eyes grew deeper. “Mom, spill it.”
She plastered on a fake smile. “Spill what, dear?”
“Don’t play coy with me. I know there is more. Dad wouldn’t have left so soon if there wasn’t. Plus, Jordan took off with that other guy. By the way, is he related? His eyes were eerily similar to mine. How many relatives do we have here?”
I’d always believed we had none, but maybe that was a lie to keep me from asking questions as a child. I wouldn’t have minded having an aunt, uncle, or even some cousins. Hopefully, the Ryland guy was not one of them, though. I really didn’t want to have to remind myself not to ogle him at family functions.
“Arvayta is very different from Earth. We have problems to worry about here that are much greater than normal human ones. Your father and I used to be part of the council, but we stepped down when we found out we had to leave for your safety. I’m sure your father is just going to check in with them.”
My brow raised. Her answer was plausible, so I let it pass for the time being and inquired more about my other questions. “What about Ryland? Who is he?”
She focused really hard on cutting the fruit in front of her and didn’t answer for a minute. “He’s one of the top guardians of Arvayta. He used to be assigned to us when we had to travel for missions, and he’d stay close if there were threats near.”
“So, not a cousin?” I needed confirmation so I wouldn’t feel guilty anymore.
“Your father and I were only children and, as you know, your grandparents passed away in the Dark War. So, no, Ryland is definitely not a cousin.” She grinned. “Why?”
I shrugged. “Just curious. So, where do I stay?” I changed the subject. I had zero desire to talk about guys at the moment. It had already been a long enough day.
“Well, we have a guest house. I figured you and Jordan could stay there. It’s smaller than your old one but should work for now.”
I may not have had a job before, but I just remembered, I was leaving behind a lot of belongings. “Speaking of houses. What about all of my and Jordan’s things?”
“That house is paid for. Your stuff can sit there for as long as it needs. Once you have your own place here, we can collect your things and the old house will likely be turned into a workplace for other guardians if needed.”
Interesting. I always thought I was taking advantage of the parental system by letting them pay my way when I wasn’t in school. Good to know I’d just been utilizing resources.
“So, am I good to go get a nap in before Dad gets back? If so, don’t let me rest for too long. I’d prefer to be able to sleep tonight.” I’d only done major travel once before and remembered the jet lag like a bad dream. Assuming this adjustment was going to be similar, I wanted to do my best to avoid it if possible.
“Of course. Let me just clean up here and I’ll take you over there.”
Glancing out the back door my dad had used, I saw the house that I assumed was where I’d be staying. “As long as it’s that place over there, I think I can manage.”
She nodded. “Alright, well, I’ll check on you shortly then.”
Grinning, I waved goodbye and headed out the door. That was the best part about my parents. They weren’t overbearing and understood the importance of space. While crossing the wood deck, I dipped my fingers into the cool water of the fountain and a tingle ran up my arm. There was definitely something in the water, and I hoped it was good that my body reacted the way it had. I really didn’t want to die again so soon.
Moving across the yard, I took in the small guest house. It was a mini version of the main house with the same rock siding, but only a single story and with much smaller windows. It sat higher up on the hill, though, so I assumed the view would be just as impressive.
The door opened up into a small living room that included two couches, a TV on the wall, and a coffee table in the middle with an assortment of board games tucked underneath it. Immediately to the left was a small kitchen with barely any counter space. Major cooking would definitely be taking place in the main house.
Off to the right was a short hallway and three doors. Opening the first one, I entered a bedroom with a double bed, dresser, and small closet. A smirk lifted on my face. Jordan was going to hate this place. The closet wouldn’t even fit her shoes.
I found the second bedroom to be the exact same, and the bathroom was nothing to write home about until I caught my reflection in the mirror. Moving into the small space, I held on to the counter as I peered closer. Cheese and rice, my ears were pointy. Okay, not like those of an elf, but there was a noticeable change.
Running my fingers through my hair, I realize
d it was silky and wavy in all the ways I had always wished. After spending however long in the water, it should have been a tangled mess. Even my skin had a slight glow to it, but thankfully, my eyes were still the same.
Deciding I’d dealt with enough for the first part of the day, I headed back to the first room and plopped down on the bed, not even bothering to remove my shoes before I passed out.
When a weight dipped onto the bed and I realized it was pitch black in the room, I was momentarily pissed my parents had let me sleep all afternoon and evening. That was until the body next to me was pulling the comforter back and I couldn’t see a damn thing.
Moving over, I assumed Jordan was getting into bed with me, but when there was a grunt followed by a hand around my throat, I quickly realized that was not the case.
Using the skills that I’d worked almost a year to hone, I grabbed the wrist of my attacker and twisted before flipping him onto his back. “What the hell are you doing in here?” I snapped while pinning his arms above his head.
I only knew it was a guy, because he wasn’t wearing a shirt and a muscled chest was barely visible as my eyes adjusted in the tiny bit of moonlight that peeked through the closed curtains.
“I was about to ask you the same thing.”
I recognized Ryland’s voice from earlier in the day, and I was once again thankful he wasn’t a relative considering I was straddling him, but that didn’t last long. He ripped his arms from my grasp and, with little effort, grabbed my waist to toss me back on the other side of the mattress before rolling off the bed.
“Are you staying here?” he asked as he turned on the bedroom light.
“Of course, I am. It’s my parents’ house.”
He glared as I moved from the bed to stand level with him. “No, this is their guest house. A house I normally stay in when they’re home. Why don’t you stay in the main house?”
“Because they offered it to me. Not that it’s really any of your business,” I retorted. He smelled of alcohol, and gone was the kindness he’d shown me earlier. A scowl marred his face, and I was not awake enough to deal with his diva attitude. “So, run along to your own house,” I added when he continued to glower.
Besides the similar eye color, Ryland had tanned skin and russet hair that fell over his forehead in that natural messy way I’d always found appealing. His broad shoulders and muscled abs were also on full display, and I let my gaze wander until he cleared his throat.
“Enjoying the view?” He smirked, which was better than his previous surly attitude, but still not something I wanted to deal with after being rudely woken.
“Nope. Just sizing up the competition,” I quipped. Thank the fates I’d always been quick on my feet with retorts. I did not need this guy knowing I thought he was hot. Something told me he was already well aware of how good-looking he was.
“So, considering you’re supposed to be my parent’s guard of sorts, why don’t you stay in the house with them? You don’t want to be caught slacking on your job all the way out here,” I said, then wondered if Jordan had come back at the same time as him, but I wasn’t leaving until the sleeping situation sorted out. Sure, there’d been an attraction, but I wasn’t giving up my space for anyone.
Before he could respond, the door slammed open in the living room. “Ryland, don’t—crap.” Jordan was a couple minutes too late.
Ryland threw his shirt back on as Jordan waltzed into the room. “Sorry, Kali. I made it here as quick as I could when your mom said you were sleeping.”
“Why didn’t anyone wake me up earlier?” I asked, pretending Ryland wasn’t still staring daggers at me.
“She tried. So did your dad. You wouldn’t budge. Come on over to the house and we’ll grab some food while we chat. It’s just after nine, so I’m sure you’re starving now.”
It was only nine? Then, why was Ryland already exhausted and ready for bed? Was he secretly some old man who needed his beauty sleep? That thought made me grin, which seemed to further irritate him.
“What about him? He thinks he’s sleeping here.” My head nodded toward Ryland and he wasn’t at all happy with me.
“Listen here, Princess. I don’t care what you—”
Jordan cut him off. “What he means to say is that he understands this is your family home and he’ll be gone before we’re back. Right, Ryland?”
He mumbled his reply and stormed out of the room into the bathroom.
Jordan pulled on my hand, and I gladly followed. When we were outside, I asked, “What’s his problem? He was nice for like two seconds earlier.”
“Don’t mind him. He’s just going through some stuff and might be a little inebriated.”
“So much for him being a top guardian,” I scoffed.
Jordan grasped my elbow. “He’s had a rough day. He deserved an evening of reprieve. Just try to cut him some slack and things should work themselves out soon enough. Ryland is one of my best friends from here. I promise he’s not all that bad.”
Deciding she was right—even if I didn’t know the whole story—I let it go and continued on to the main house with her. Hopefully, whatever attraction I had to Ryland would pass because he clearly didn’t feel anything for me based off his attitude. I was counting on his surly disposition to make sure any blossoming feelings disappeared.
When we entered the house, my mom was already setting out more food in the kitchen, because she was awesome like that, and my dad was sitting on the couch reading a book, which I immediately took interest in. We both had a love of reading, but I hadn’t been keeping up nearly as much as I liked.
“Glad to see you’re alive,” Dad joked when we walked in.
“Yeah, I guess jet lag exists even with portals,” I replied with a shrug.
“You’ll get used to it after a few times.”
Dad went back to his book, and I headed toward the kitchen to check out the spread my mom had laid out. There were several platters of baked goods and light snacks, making me realize I was famished.
“What’s wrong?” I asked after taking a seat at the counter and noticing the frown on her face.
She glanced up and smiled. “Just a lot of adjusting today. Don’t worry about me.”
I wasn’t sure I believed her, but I was already on information overload and didn’t push. After all, we were in a world where my magic was supposedly putting into motion the plans for some fae who wanted to destroy me. There was a slight chance I was overanalyzing things, because everyone had a perfectly good reason to be acting stressed.
Chapter Six
While at the kitchen counter, I focused on sampling the sweets first before putting some protein on my plate. Once I was stocked up with food, I decided to fill the silence with some lighter topics and turned to Jordan.
I brushed my hair back and pointed to my ears. “Why do they look pointy and yours don’t?”
She snickered. “Well, you’re more fae than me, more than anyone else in Arvayta actually. So, you get perks the rest of us don’t.”
“You call this a perk?” I glowered at her while gesturing again to my ears.
“Yep. Just be thankful you don’t have wings like the original fae did. Then, you’d really stand out in a crowd.”
Ugh, she was not helping. Time for a different topic.
“So, Stryx says we live for a long time, like centuries. How old are you, really?” I asked.
She grimaced. “I am not old, so don’t ever say that again. I’m seventy-one years young.”
“Got it, Satan. What about you and Dad?” I asked Mom when she finally took a seat.
“We’re just over three hundred years young.” She winked at Jordan. “You kind of stop keeping track after a while.” She shrugged while my jaw pretty much hit the floor.
Cheese and rice, my parents were seriously old, but they didn’t look a day over forty. Deciding not to overthink that little fact, I focused on the positive: at least I had good genes.
“So, where do I find Stryx? I’d
like to go see him tomorrow,” I said, but Jordan and Mom shared a look I didn’t like. “What? I realize I’ve been here for like five minutes, but I’ve also known about this place for a year. You can take off the kid gloves and tell me whatever it is that has everyone acting so weird.”
I hadn’t meant to snap, but what I was asking didn’t seem like something that should have secrets behind it. It was frustrating to continue being so understanding when it seemed like they were still not telling me everything.
“Honey, we’re not trying to keep anything from you because we don’t think you can handle it. It’s more of a shock to all of us. Nothing about your situation is normal by any means, and while we knew this ahead of time, it doesn’t make it any easier,” Mom answered. I knew she was right. Though, once the floodgates opened, I had a hard time stopping the words.
“I get it, but not telling me things and preparing me for whatever is coming doesn’t help me, either,” I responded.
Mom sighed, seeing my point. “So, we don’t know where Stryx is. None of us have ever met him. We’ve only ever heard about him and his kind.” She seemed concerned with this tidbit, but I wasn’t.
“Well, wherever he is, I’m sure he’ll show up soon. He promised he’d be here. What do you know about him?”
All I really knew about Stryx was that he was a talking animal, crazy old, and didn’t really like people. Oh, and he was like an encyclopedia of information when it came to all things within Arvayta and the Otherworld, which held the rest of the beings I believed at one point to be fictional.
“He’s from a place in the far reaches of the Otherworld called Dásos where other animals like him live. They used to interact more with the fae, given the original leaders created them, but as the pure fae began to die, the bonds broke and were never reformed, because direct heirs started to be diluted of their fae lineage. Until you, that is,” Mom said as she slid a plate of food in front of me.
“So, they abandoned the other fae descendants just because they weren’t fae enough?” The anger at that knowledge was evident in my voice. I thought I knew Stryx well enough, but that wasn’t okay. “Did they even help in the Dark War?”
Of Dreams and Sorcery (Royal Fae Guardians Book 1) Page 4
