Author: Chris Garcia; Henry Fleiss; J Clair
Date: 2023-02-24 05:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Romance; gay romance; romance books for men; soulmates; gay high fantasy; fantasy romance books for adults
Description: The Fantasy World Naropa Anthology includes the following works: SHADOWS WAKE: One World. Three Realms. And a deadly secret to unravel it all. For Malcom McKnight, her life has been entrenched in a protective web of secrets and lies, but when she discovers soul-shattering truths about her family, she finds herself thrust into an entirely different world, and falling headfirst into the comforting arms of a stranger. But she has no time to rest. A nightmarish creature of unbridled rage threatens her new life—the result of a secret that has plagued her family for centuries. For Andrew Coleman, he
Publisher: Fantasy World Books

Also by Chris Garcia

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Fantasy World Earth Anthology Vol 1

Fantasy World Naropa Anthology

Treachery: A Fantasy World Anthology

Also by Henry Fleiss

Fantasy World Earth Anthology

Fantasy World Earth Anthology Vol 1

Also by J Clair

Fantasy World Earth Anthology

Fantasy World Earth Anthology Vol 1

Fantasy World Earth Anthology Vol 2

Fantasy World Naropa Anthology

Fantasy World: Naropa Anthology Vol 1

Fantasy World: Naropa Anthology Vol 2

Fantasy World: Naropa Anthology Vol 3

Fantasy World: The Explorers

Fantasy World

Fantasy World Vol 2 - Expedition One

Fantasy World Vol 3 - The Protectors

Fantasy World Vol 4 - Desertion

Fantasy World Vol 5 - Utopia

Upgrade

Upgrade Part I

Upgrade Part II

Upgrade Part III

Wishes

A Wish for Love and Vengeance

A Wish for Us

Witchfall

Witchfall

The Harvest

The Blood Witch

Also by Julius St. Clair

Angelic Testament

End of Angels

Angels of Eden

Angels and the Ark

Depression Series

Depression Vol 1

Fantasy World Earth Anthology

Fantasy World Earth Anthology Vol 1

Fantasy World: The Explorers

Fantasy World

Fantasy World Vol 2 - Expedition One

Julius St Clair Short Stories

Sanctuary (A Short Love Story)

My Best Friend is a Killer: Short Story Collection

World War Baby: Day One

World War Baby: Day Two

Static Rain (A Short Story)

Girl of My Dreams

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Face Punch II: Two for Flinching

Champion: Reluctant Hero

Champion #2: Family Reunion

Champion #3: Broken Promises

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The Weather Brothers #2: Fighting Immortals

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The First and Last Kiss

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The Last of the Sages

The Sage Academy (Book 1.5 of the Sage Saga)

The Dark Kingdom

Hail to the Queen

Of Heroes and Villains

The Legendary Warrior

The End of the Fantasy

Rise of the Sages

Ancient Knights

The Last War

The End of an Era

Hail to the King

The King's Apprentice

The Legend of the Sages

Sage Saga Bundle

The Sage Saga: The Complete Five Kingdoms Trilogy

The Sage Saga: The Complete Bastion Trilogy

The Sage Saga: The Complete Sorcerers Trilogy

The Sage Saga: The Complete Time Travel Trilogy

Sage Saga Collection

The Complete Sage Saga Collection

The Complete Sage Saga Collection Vol 2

Sage Saga Duologies

The Last of the Sages Book 1 and 2

The Last of the Sages Book 3 and 4

The Last of the Sages Book 5 and 6

The Last of the Sages Book 7 and 8

The Last of the Sages Book 9 and 10

The Last of the Sages Book 11 and 12

Seven Sorcerers Saga

The Sorcerer's Ring

The Sorcerer's Dragon

The Sorcerer's Blade

The Complete Seven Sorcerers Trilogy

The Rest Die Tomorrow Miniseries

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Shepherd of the Wolves

Wishes

A Wish for Love and Vengeance

Standalone

My Immortal Playlist

The Last of the Guardians

The End of Us

FANTASY WORLD ANTHOLOGY Vol 1

[EARTH]

By

J Clair, Henry Fleiss and Chris Garcia

––––––––

Includes:

Shadows Wake

Soulmates

Final Family Vol 1 and 2

Patreon: HERE

Youtube Channel: HERE

Newsletter: HERE

Copyright © 2023 by J Clair, Chris Garcia and Henry Fleiss

All rights reserved. This story or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, objects and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales are coincidental and should not be taken seriously.

This book contains violence, mature thematic material, sexual content, and strong language. It is for mature readers.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

SHADOWS WAKE

SOULMATES

FINAL FAMILY VOL 1

FINAL FAMILY VOL 2

SHADOW’S WAKE

MYTHICS BOOK 1

Don’t always believe what you see with your own eyes...

By Chris Garcia

This book contains violence, mature themes, sexual content, and some language. It is for mature readers.

Table of Contents:

The Order Speaks

Ancient Laws of the Order

Preface Part I- Among the Wolves

Preface Part II – A Child of Magic

Chapter 1 – A Grand Day

Chapter 2 – Closer

Chapter 3 – Welcome to the Show

Chapter 4 – A Night at Home

Chapter 5 – A Dragon’s Word

Chapter 6 – Blue as the Sky

Chapter 7 – To Be a Mother

Chapter 8 – Magic After Midnight

Chapter 9 – Crossing the Line

Chapter 10 – Secrets of the Night

Chapter 11 – Stranger than Fiction

Chapter 12 – For Each Day

Chapter 13 – The Return of Magic

Chapter 14 – A Drop of Memories

Chapter 15 – The Courtyard of a King

Chapter 16 – What Big Teeth You Have

Chapter 17 – The Heart of a Child

Chapter 18 – A Battle Strategy

Chapter 19 – Split Directions

Chapter 20 – The Power of Lifeblood

Chapter 21 – House of Glass

Chapter 22 – The Price of Blood

Chapter 23 – I Must See the Queen

Chapter 24 – A Father’s Vow

Epilogue

The Order Speaks

“In the beginning of the world before there was ever record of time, the Great Creator constructed both the Heavens and the Earth. In the wake of this great planet, there have existed certain creatures who inhabit it. Some soar in the skies, some swim beneath the waves of the oceans, others trot across the green land and grass. They all lived in harmony together, the creatures of the Creator's world... That was until the day when Man's arrogance destroyed the trust and truth that was held so sacred for so many centuries.

In the decades and eons that have passed from the exile of Eve and Adam from Eden, Man grew ignorant and selfish, losing in himself the memories of the days of equality for all of the Creator's creatures. Once, we all shared the same mind; bound together by the magic that was woven into the fibers of our very souls. But as time passed and the land grew old, and tranquility grew tired, Mankind became more intelligent by nature but lost intelligence in nature. Their innocence died and so the magic in their hearts fell to ruin, leaving nothing of the great organic power that had fueled them for centuries.

Once, long ago, Man and Mythic walked side by side. Man could talk to beast—knowing in himself the common tongue. We lived in the same world and were tethered to it as one. But not anymore. Since the days of the fall from Eden, Mankind has pushed us away. We have always existed in their nature, trapped somewhere between the shadow of their mortality and the soul of their inner demon. Once we, the Mythical beings called Man our brothers, our sisters... Our equals. We were one under God. But much anymore, they have turned their backs on the Great Creator and we have been forgotten and shamed in the wake of their arrogance, cast away; lost to the shadows and regarded as nothing more than myth.

Presently in the modern times of the twentieth century, we are hidden in plain sight from Mankind. We walk among them; we fight beside them. We live in their cities and hide in their towns. But it is not the Mortal World in which we spur from, it is not the land of automobiles and famine and war in which we live. No. We cross between the Mortal and Mythic Realms by means of our own magic, keeping forever safe the ways of our kind, the ways of the Creator’s original design.

Mankind, still our brothers if not estranged, have fallen so far from the times of Eden. Gone are the days when Adam would bathe in the same waters that a mermaid dwelled, or Eve would rest her head upon a slumbering dragon’s flank. Mortals have become so blind to what exists between the darkness and the light, that they fail to see that it is there that it exists, the entry to our world. If born a Mythic with magic blood, it is known that home is never far away... only as short a distance as the space between the shadow and the soul. It has always been this way, and so it forever shall be. Until the day may come, we pray, that Mankind may see us again as their equal. Not their enemies. And it is so. For now and forever more.”

—The Mythical Creature Order.

Ancient Laws of the Order

1. No Mythic is to tell a mortal of their being unless that being is marked by the Creator.

2. No Mythic is to fall in love, marry, or have children with or by a mortal being. No exceptions.

3. No Mythic is to fall in love, marry, or have children with or by another being of mythical origin if not of the same race and blood. No exceptions.

4. No Mythic is to break the restrictions and laws of their land in Exodus.

5. No Mythic is to take the life of another Mythic unless they are of a threat to the original being.

Preface- Part I

[Among the Wolves]

The night was wrapped in a cloak of uneasy melancholy. Certain sounds of slumber echoed through the trees and cast a hushed lullaby across the land. A large herd of deer grazed in a field under the pale moonlight, softly chewing their cud as they relished in the near silence. At their lead, a goliath buck was warily watching the line of trees before them. He swayed his great head and tilted his ears, straining to hear a particular sound through the nighttime melodies. Crickets chirped as they danced and sang in the tall grass, swayed by the distant breathing of nymphs and other woodland creatures as they rested in the dark. But all at once, the somber air was sliced by a chorus of chaos; heavy breathing, horse hooves stomping on sodden ground, and the frantic sobs of a patron with a shattered heart. The deer lifted their heads, and with dew-dampened greens still dangling from their mouths, they fled the fields just in time to steer clear of a stampede of royal steeds as they tore across the grounds; only the lone stag remained to watch the scene unfold with a hollowed stare and heavy heart.

Through the silver-glazed trees, a single guard from the Violet Fairyan City emerged as he raced to stay ahead of the patrol. He was sweating profusely and breathing heavy, white fog rolling from his lips as he exhaled into the cold winter air. Branches from the pine trees whipped at his face and arms, cutting his skin and leaving scarlet droplets behind on the needles. He shouldered his way through the ever-thickening wood, ignoring the stinging of his flesh as the advancing hunters began to make up ground. He looked desperately over his shoulder and clutched a precious bundle even closer to his chest. He was all but hopeless, trying frantically to clear the dense forest, needing to find the refuge he so desperately sought.

I should be out of the woods by now! I simply must get past the trees... She said I’d know it when I see it... The man let out a cry of surprise when the blinding pines finally fell away, spilling into a clearing that held a single, lonesome tree. As the pounding of hooves grew nearer, the castaway rocked the still thing in his arms and regained his composure, shuffling sightlessly through the shadowy glade toward his destination.

It was a great silver willow with roots that twisted upward and downwards and every which way, its thin branches reaching so far down that many of them twined with the grass. A sad, heartbroken smile spread across his face as he hurried toward the tree on shaking, weakened legs. Behind him, the other guards were becoming increasingly frustrated, having lost his trail in the fray of the darkened pines, close but without a lead as the horses became disillusioned and lost. So, her magic worked. They wouldn’t find him here. No one would.

As the deserter dipped behind the hanging curtain of branches and into the shroud of mangled roots, he reached out a hand, his palm coming to lay flat against a smooth, door-shaped slab of trunk. He knocked on the bark’s face only once before it gave way, sliding to the side to reveal something extraordinary. For hidden in the clearing, protected by tedious, heavy magic, there was a house built into the massive entrails of the mighty willow tree.

“Good Heavens, Tain! I was starting to think you wouldn’t come... It’s been so long since you’ve sent word...” Through a haze of yellow light, an unclear silhouette appeared from inside the hollow trunk. A woman’s petite hands reached out, her arms embracing him as she pulled him inside. “Get in here before you both catch your deaths. It is far too cold a night for an adventure such as this...” And just as quickly as it had opened, the door was closed again. The bark dissolved into nothing more than a smooth wooden surface, sealing the hidden cottage away from the rest of the world. As the light faded, the willow once again became nothing more than a forsaken tree that stood alone inside a wintery forest.

Behind the enchanted door, the willow kept its secret well. The extending roots and growing wood of the still live silver willow had unfurled but hollowed, leaving a space beneath the earth just big enough for a home. Blocks of brick lined the sides, cemented in place to hide the dark dirt and clay behind. Tubers twisted naturally down, of which the owners of this strange cabin had made a part of their home. There was a chandelier crafted from tree roots, tables and chairs made from branches, countertops etched carefully out of the wood. Beautiful carvings and statues littered the cavern, worked into the walls of the living tree. A warm fire was crackling toward the back, a chimney from it leading to an enchanted chamber some ways back in the setting. All of it was done this way to keep the privacy of the owners. No one was to know they were there. And very few did. In fact, no one did... Except for Captain Tain... Former Captain Tain.

The weary traveler was trembling, though it seemed not to be from cold. He nodded gratefully to the woman who greeted him as she ushered him to a couch and motioned for him to take a seat. As he did, she shuffled over to the kitchen area and drew him a drink from their reserves before handing him ice cold water in a shiny silver cup. Tain took the glass with one hand and pressed the rim of it to his lips, drinking it down as quickly as it had been given. The hostess sat herself in a wooden rocking chair across from her companion and crossed her legs, her electric blue eyes never leaving his face. She looked older now than Tain remembered... But, then again, he hadn’t seen her in nearly a year.

The fairy stared at him with a gaze that was nearly acidic as she suddenly pushed to her feet. She was across the space between them in no more than a heartbeat, extending to him her tender, pale hands. Her fingertips touched the silky fabric of the blankets that held Tain’s most precious possession. His heart hammered in his chest when she offered him a thin, sad smile.

“May I see the girl, Tain?”

He felt his heart break, swallowing down the agony with a dry throat and burning tongue. The former captain sat his glass down on the table and held the precious bundle even closer to his chest. From the shadows of his hood, he looked down at her meek, elfish face and grimaced through a smile. Tears brimmed on the edge of his eyelids, the whites of his hazel eyes streaking with red as he fought back the sobs that bubbled up his throat. He thought about everything just then and the weight of it all metastasized in his soul: the infant’s mother- his beloved Hera, his family, his friends, his kingdom. His kingdom... He had been seen in high regard back in the Violet City, as the lead guardsman in the Queen’s Royal Council. Tain’s heart ached as he thought of how proud he was to be a Guardsman. Well... That he had been. It shamed him to think he could never go back. But it pained him more that he didn’t know rather or not he would ever see his precious daughter again.

His eyes were now a dark brown so tainted with anguish that they were nearly black. Tain brought the sleeping, enchanted newborn to him and kissed her forehead. As he did, the spell he had cast upon her to keep her at rest for the journey began to dissolve and within moments, she was active and staring up at him with eyes that mirrored his own. The newborn baby cooed at him and he trembled from the heartache as he nodded slowly and carefully reached out, extending the child delicately to the other fairy. The woman took her softly and she stared down at the baby’s face with worry etched into the crease of her brow.

“You can tell she’s halfblood,” she sighed, bouncing the bundle up and down in her arms. The infant reached out with a tiny hand and touched the stranger’s golden hair. “She has the mixed genes. There is a lot of discoloration to cover... I will do all I can to make her skin more Hera’s natural flesh tone, but my fairy dust and elixirs will only go so far, Tain. She will always be Stained, she will always be...”

“I know.” Tain shook his head, pushing a hand through his thick, dark hair, forcing his hood back as he did to reveal frostbitten, pointed ears. “Jayle, how can I ever repay you for doing this for me?” he asked with a shaky voice as he tried to take his mind off the aching discomfort in his chest. “I... I know it has put your life in much danger. If any member of the Order ever found out...”

“They are more merciful than we give them credit for, my friend,” Jayle told the former captain as she rocked the yawning babe gently against her warm chest. “For the Order, and the Creator Himself, are not as closed-minded as we think...”

“But the Ancient Laws are written for a reason. It is so that all Mythical beings stick to their breed for preservation of peace.”

“No. For the preservation of power...” the peach-colored fairy cast her gaze toward the door. She shook her head and shuddered. “Tain, my soul aches for you. I agreed to help you because I understand... When I left the Citrine Kingdom to be with Daniel, I risked my life, my honor... My wings. The life we live here is a careful one and I will keep my promise to you. She will be loved, and she will be raised as a fairy and be trained as a witch. Just as she would have been if she was being brought up by you and Hera. But know also that the day will come when we tell her who she really is, and in doing so... If she comes looking for you, you must not hide from her.” The baby coughed lightly then began to cry and Jayle held her closer to the warmth of her breasts, humming a gentle tune as she bounced her up and down. “Times are changing in the land, Tain, and secrets cannot be kept forever. Sooner or later, all truth must come to light...” her eyes glistened with tears and she reached up and wiped them from her lashes. “But for there to be light, we must make it through the dark... And in speaking of dark...Tain...It is time.”

The Violet Fairy nodded and slowly stood, his heart as heavy as the feet in his boots. Jayle walked closer to him, allowing the man to see his child for what could have been the last time. He bent down and kissed her forehead once more. His heartbreak manifested into a single tear that splashed onto her brown-splotched cheeks. As the infant stared up into the eyes of her father, she quieted down until the only sound was that of her gentle breathing. She placed a hand on his cheek and Tain laid his own over it. “Goodbye, my sweet Cleo,” he whispered as he unfastened his faded violet cloak and laid it across the arm of the couch. He shuddered, but not from the cold, as he turned on his heels, heading for the door. He couldn’t stay a moment longer. “I agree, Jayle... All truth must come to light. Times are changing. And for my first admittance?” he placed his palm on the door and the slab of bark slid aside, opening up again to the cold winter night. “She is the sweetest sacrifice I could ever make. Losing her may be something that I cannot survive...” And with that, the former captain of the Violet Kingdom disappeared into the darkness, shutting his heart behind him and away from the rest of the world.

***

A CHORUS OF EAR-SPLITTING, spine-chilling howls echoed throughout the hushed walls of an old cobblestone cabin. Sleepy silence was shattered by the frenzied sound of running feet. A bare-chested man wearing gray pajama pants scrambled through the kitchen of the house as massive paws beat at the door. The sounds of rabid snarls and snapping teeth sent chills up his arms, making the dark hairs stand on end. He was holding a young boy against his chest as a woman with long, curly dark hair came running in after him, a black and tan puppy in her arms. Together, the two pushed a massive oak table out of the way and the man bent down, grabbed a painted handle that had once entirely blended in with the ground, and yanked it upward. Where the table had stood, an outline of white formed as he pulled on the plank and a large rectangle on the floor lifted to reveal a secret room lit only by the candlelight of magic flame. Tears flowed down both adult faces as the father eased his son down into the hide-away and the boy’s mother handed the puppy to him. The woman jumped at the sound of splintering wood and she looked over her shoulder, eyes wide in terror, when she saw massive black claws scrapping at the wooden floor of their home. It was too late now! The hounds would be upon them any moment. There was no time. Just no time.

Confused and terrified, the child stared at his bewildered parents with frantic, huge blue eyes and clutched the canine close to his chest. He looked down the tunnel then back up at his mother and father and reached for them with one hand. The mother caught his wrist in her palm and kissed all five of his fingers, her stormy gray eyes heavy with tears. She had her other hand on his cheek, carefully cradling her only son’s face as her husband readied his magic to fight.

“Cade... Listen to me now. You will run to the end of this tunnel; do you hear me? Run to the end and you’ll be in Donny’s pasture. He’ll know what to do from there. Do you understand?”

“Why can’t you come?” Cade asked, his eyes glistening with tears as his mother began to lower the plank to hide him and hopefully buy him time. “Wait! You have to come too! Momma, Papa, please! The wolves will come in and eat you up...”

“We’ll be alright as long as you’re okay, my boy. We love you, Cade,” his father told him with a voice that was weaker than the boy had ever heard before. The light from above began to fade away and the child was sealed into the dim lighting of the passage. “Never forget that.”

Just as the door sealed shut, the wood finally gave way and oak shattered in all directions. The crashing sounds of the house being destroyed sent young Cade reeling down the passageway, sprinting as fast as he could with the bewildered puppy bouncing in his arms. Above ground, his parents were faced with a small army of werewolves as the bloodthirsty hunters poured into their home. With the thundering of the lycan paws, they brought with them a thick, sticky cloud of dark mist that filled every crack and crevice of the space. It began to bog down the light magic of the man and woman, clouding their senses and causing the strength of their hexes to falter.

Determined to make a stand, they stood back-to-back, both posed to fight with white light pulsing weakly from their palms. Even as they screamed spells and conjured hexes, blasting away the first few rows of invaders, they knew the battle was lost. The fog was seeping into their skin, wrapping around their limbs, and pulling their focus away from the fight. A few of the wolves were crying in pain but the ambush took its toll, the rush of attackers too rapid to allow any kind of progress to be made on their part with their defenses weakened. For every wolf that fell, six more surged forward to take its place on the front line. The canines were on them at once, snapping and clawing at whatever they could get their slimy, prickly paws on. As the battle showed poor favor, a lanky, eerie alpha wolf slithered through the carnage and locked his eyes on the man. He lunged forward and pinned him down, sweaty back against the cold table face. The wolf bared his white, sharp teeth in the warlock’s face, pupils narrowed into dangerously thin slits.

“Jeckles...” the warlock snarled, his dark blue eyes glowing with anger as the demonic lycans continued in the destruction of his home. “I should have known it would come down to you, you twisted son of a bitch.”

“Oh come now, Luxar. Is that anyway to speak in front of your misses?”

“You leave Noctora out of this!” Luxar roared, glaring hatefully at a few wolves across the room that had his wife pressed to the floor with her face smashed against the hardwood.

“Ah yes... Noctora.” The alpha, this... This... Jeckles, slid his hungry gaze over the pretty, raven-haired beauty and licked his lips with a wicked gleam in his eyes. “I think we’ll spare your pretty wife for now. I see no need to kill such an attractive Shifter when she could still be... Ah, useful. Right boys?” And all the wolves laughed and howled in agreement as Luxar bellowed in protest. He squirmed under the weight of the foul beast, but Jeckles pressed a massive paw to his throat and it silenced his struggling, black smog wrapping around his wrists and ankles like chains. Jeckles snickered and then lowered his long, narrow, ugly muzzle until it was just a hair away from the warlock’s face. He smiled at him with his big, white, terrible teeth.

“Luxar Hanvhar McKommas, you have been convicted and found guilty by the council of the Dark Law Ordinance to have violated one or more of the Ancient Laws set in place by the might and power of the Mythical Creature Order. On their behalf as justice bringers, I hereby sentence you, as Commander of the Ordinance, to immediate death for treason against the Order and betrayal of the law.” As the color drained out of Luxar’s face, the fur along Jeckles’ haunches rose, and a terrifying gleam entered his icy blue eyes. “May God have mercy on your soul.”

“No!” Noctora cried, tears streaming down her face. Her voice strained when she screamed and one of the wolves pressed his paw harder onto the back of her neck, forcing her throat down on the wooden surface.

“Any last words?” Jeckles sneered, baring his fangs to Luxar’s delicate skin, the wickedness of his nature showing in the lustful twinkle in his gaze as he stared directly at the accused’s wife.

The warlock blinked and closed his eyes, thinking just of his only son and praying that he would make it to the dragon pasture to escape. If he can just make it to Donny, nothing will be able to stop him once he’s atop that dragon’s back... He then peeked through his eyelids briefly, staring at his wife’s terrified, tear-soaked face as she reached out her hand to him, her fingertips trembling. So, this was it- this was the end. At least our son is safe... So be it.

“I have but one thing to say...” Luxar snarled through gritted teeth as he leaned over, his cold fingers desperately longing to twine with Noctora’s for the final time. Jeckles had robbed him of even that. He closed his eyes again, so he wouldn’t have to see her cry. He never could stand to see her cry. And in that moment, Luxar heard the distant rumble of a dragon’s mighty roar and he knew his son had made it to safety. Now the werewolf’s fangs were hot against his throat but he couldn’t help but smile. Jeckles had failed. He would always fail- so long as Cade was alive. “Jeckles Dylite...” he hissed, a flash of vengeance in his blue eyes.

“May God have mercy on your soul.” Jeckles growled in anger at his defiance. It was his final act of rebellion, for with just one swift bite- it was finished. Luxar the Just would speak no more.

Preface- Part II

[A Child of Magic]

The slumbering night was disturbed from its dormancy by the distant sound of a muffled roaring. The dismal fog was split open as yellow light beamed through the clouds of silver mist. On a seemingly abandoned stretch of road, a lonesome traveler made his way down the dampened blacktop. From the blank nothingness, there came an immaculate white vehicle that was tearing down the street, tires burning hard against the wet pavement in the night.

The driver of the car was a young man, seemingly in his early twenties though his eyes held age well beyond their years. His hair was short, well-kept, and charcoal black with tightly coiled curls. He had dark, full eyelashes and a cut jaw that was ridged with dark stubble. His pupils sharpened and, with a sudden, odd half-smile on his face, the driver glanced at all his mirrors to make sure that he was alone on the road... Even though he was always the only one on this road. It had been virtually abandoned for the past decade. That had been precisely why he’d chosen it for his purpose.

Comfortable with his solemn company, he leaned back in his seat and pressed down on the gas pedal until the vehicle accelerated to its maximum. Within a few seconds, the car's engine began to roar as it caught speed upwards of eighty miles an hour and the revs went out of control. A thundering sound resonated from under the hood and grew louder and more violent, increasingly unlike the familiar noise of any machine and more and more like something from another world. The driver’s eyes flashed a shade of sky blue only for a moment as the car cruised past a dead-end sign and disappeared with a shimmer into the mist of the midnight darkness.

Somewhere in a forest unknown and untouched by man, there came a mighty rumble from someplace hidden below in the line of trees. All around, the forests were lush and healthy, beautifully green and stories tall. These pines and maples were vibrant, their barks a flawless brown and the leaves a dark, glossy emerald color. The skies were a perfect, crystal blue without a trace of pollution or corruption. There was another booming roar and the tops of the trees trembled as something incredible pushed from below. From above the wood canopy, a great beast of legend rose from the branches.

This magnificent creature was breathtaking, massive, and lean. Its wings spread like avian metal shields, stretched out from a lithe form and muscular body. It was a majestic sight to see, with scales as white as snow- spare for the points of its body. Its horns, paws, tail-tip, muzzle, wing-tips, and claws were all black as obsidian. There was only one beast that could identify with such splendor. This was a product of ancient lore, a supposed myth come to life in a moment of glory and invincibility- a dragon! It flapped its great wings and was lifted higher into the sunset-drown sky.

Straddling the beast's back from a massive saddle was a familiar form- a man with black, tightly curled hair and startling blue eyes. He pulled lightly on the dragon's reins and the beast nodded, easing down the streams of wind until it slowly, tenderly, climbed the breeze to a stop. Its paws landed gingerly on green, grassy earth. The dragon snorted, black smoke rolling from its nostrils as it padded across a cobblestone bridge that was arched over a crystal-clear stream. The rider smiled in a peaceful, familiar kind of way as the pair approached a house of whimsical proportions.

The cottage before the two was glorious, the front of the house encased and decorated by lush plants and vibrantly colored flowers. The exterior walls were a soft cream, and the shutters and roofing were a light, woody brown. The archway to the door was done in articulate pale cobblestone and the same design carried over to the chimney and the sides of the house. Quant, comfortable, and lovely... It was his destination. It was his home.

By now, the man had climbed off the dragon's back and was staring nervously at the entryway to his house, sweat starting to bead across his brow as he trembled in excitement. He gripped the reins tighter in his hand although his eyes never left the door. The great white beast rolled its emerald eyes in a good-natured way and nudged the young man forward by pressing its forehead to his back.

"You must tell me how it goes then," came the smooth rumble from inside the dragon's chest, his lips moving swiftly as he spoke. His rich voice and soft, yet simple words seemed to comfort his rider. The man nodded and nervously hugged the broad head of the creature, holding him close for only a moment before letting go and ending the embrace.

"Of course, Lorem," he whispered, looking into the beast's beautiful eyes before he released the reins and headed for the door. "Do whatever you want but be back before too long, so I can take your bridle and saddle off. I hate keeping you tacked like one of the horses."

"It's all in good meaning, Cade," the dragon, Lorem, said with a chuckle as he flapped his great wings and hovered for a few moments over the ground. "Miss Cleo made it very clear that you are not to ride without a saddle until after your spine has healed. And we all know who the master of this house is!" The dragon's rolling laughter echoed as he lifted higher and took off into the ensuing night.

The young man, Cade, watched his dear friend go with only a small, tired smile. "Yes, she is the real master, isn't she?" he murmured to himself before sliding a key into a slot below the doorknob.

He stepped inside a house that was beautifully furnished and well-kept. A small army of creatures would have usually run up to greet him- but not today. The furry occupants of the manor were preoccupied with other matters- more serious matters. Cade hung his lanyard on a nail by the door then headed slowly through the rooms in the house; passing through a delicate living area, climbing up a spiral staircase with iron rails and cherry-wood steps. He ran his fingers along the railing, tracing the walls as he went step by step. Finally, Cade stopped outside a grand oak door, noticing his animals were gathered there... Waiting.

A large, beautiful, dark tortoiseshell cat looked up at him with venom-green eyes that were gleaming with excitement. Her muzzle was pitch black but blazed by white, cream, and peach. The other animals were sitting away from her slightly, among them included a fluffy golden pup, two more tabby cats, and a snake coiled off in the corner. The tortoiseshell stood quickly on her back paws, which seemed to be quite a task as she was rather large for a she-cat, and pressed her dappled forepaws to Cade’s knee.

"Master, we are so excited that you're home!" She cried in a scratchy, exasperated voice. "Oh, please! Go in so we may see! Isadora and Penny are the only ones she allowed inside- and the anticipation is simply killing us all!" she cried as she dramatically flopped herself down across her owner’s shoe, a front paw draped over her head.

Cade smiled through his nervousness and patted the cat between her ears then apologized to the other animals as he pushed the unlocked door open and stepped inside the room. The bedroom behind the door was grand and lovely. The wooden floor was a dark cherry and was partially covered by a thick beige rug. And in the center of it all... was what his heart ached for most. In the middle of a king-sized bed, curled up under maroon satin sheets, there was a young woman.

She looked exhausted; her yellow-and-copper hair plastered to her forehead from sweat. Her naturally soft, elfish face was red from strain, her eyes bloodshot; the hazel-brown irises glossy with fatigue. At her side was a snowy white cat, the feline purring in her sleep, the soft pink pads pressed to the woman's neck. Laying at the foot of the bed was a shaggy black and brown dog, an old motherly type with Shepherd-like features. The canine lifted her head when her master entered, and she got to her paws in greeting.

"Welcome home, m’lord. Come, come. Look." The old dog led Cade over to the bed, and her master climbed in beside his beloved, gently draping his arm over her shoulder. The young woman lifted her head weakly and offered him a tired smile.

"Baby..." she whispered in a hoarse voice as she kissed his cheek. "I tried to wait for you... But she was ready..."

"I'm so sorry it took me so long, Cleo," he apologized quickly, nearly stumbling over his own tongue as the regret thickened in his voice. "I got held up in a meeting and I didn’t get your message and Lorem was..."

"Shhh..." she whispered, smiling at him again to tell him that it truly was okay. "Here, sweetheart..." She shifted, slowly and stiffly, and moved back the covers to reveal a tiny little bundle wrapped in a red towel. Cleo sat up slowly and rocked the precious creation in her arms, leaning her head on Cade’s shoulder as she gently nestled the baby against his broad chest. "Say hello to your Daddy."

In that moment, Cade’s heart melted as he stared down at the perfect, cherub face. The newborn's cheeks were slightly red, ears ever so lightly pointed; attributes taken from the mother more so than him. Cade could see it, the resemblance between the two, and it just made his soul ache more to know that their child had his Cleo’s fairyan soul. Perfect. So sweet and little and... His. His baby. He held his beloved with one arm and tenderly held the infant to his chest with the other. Tears glossed his eyes, and a few even fell from his dark lashes and were splashed against the newborn's face.

"My baby...” he whispered softly, the new father kissing his precious baby girl gently on the nose. "My sweet Malcom."

***

PARALLEL TO THE BIRTH of Malcom in the Mythical Realm, another part of the circle of life was beginning to unfold in a small town in Kentucky on Earth. A heavy heart palpation woke a mercilessly sick woman from her shallow slumber. Her sunken, dull eyes adjusted quickly to the dim yellow glow from her table-side lamp, though the light made the hollow lines on her face look deeper. Her paper-thin, eerily pale skin was nearly transparent as she brushed back a piece of her dying, faded sunset red hair. She coughed weakly and then her lungs made a terrible rattling sound as she struggled to regain her breath. She shook her head in dismay and agony, her mind foggy and will brittle. Her vision cleared slightly, and she seemed to regain a bit of herself as her pupils caught on something that filled her grim face with an expression of warmth and love.

Sprawled uncomfortably across a black leather visitation chair was her husband, James. He was a kind-looking man, with dark brown hair and a genuine smile. But for now, as he slept, his face seemed solemn and the woman couldn’t determine if it was from the awkward angle of his neck as it was craned across the chair-back or from legitimate concern. Perhaps it was both. A thin smile played across her chalk-white lips as he snored a few times before readjusting into a dreamy hush. The light sound of his heavy breathing nearly distracted her from the slow, agitating sound of the ever-beeping monitor of her heart. Almost. There was one thing, and only one thing, that truly took the pain and fear away. And he was nestled in the nook of her husband’s left arm.

He was only two. So small but so mature already. He knew so many words, so many songs. God, could he sing... Her son was unique and everyone who knew him knew that. He was so kind, polite, and wickedly smart for his age. He had fire red hair- the shade hers had been before she’d fallen ill- and an abundance of freckles across his face and neck. His eyes were as green as emeralds, like hers. Like her mother. Mother... The sick lady thought of her then and tears welled across the bridges of her thin lash-lines. Her mind went back to before... Before the accident. Before this place. Oh, how she longed for the kind spirit that had been her own mother. She missed her so deeply... Perhaps she would see her soon.

The near-silence became unbearable as she drowned in her thoughts and the beeping of the heart-monitor roared like a lion. The woman shifted in the uncomfortable ambience of ringing and breathing, and she covered her ears with her bony hands and curled up in a ball. Veiled by thin, white hospital blankets, she began to cry. Her body ached. Her bones throbbed, her organs burned, her blood seemed to turn to ice in her veins. The pain was incredible. It was her curse, her physical form tearing itself to shreds without a source to sustain it. She could feel her heart trying to give out, beating weaker and weaker with every moment. And the infernal beep, beep, beep of the monitor- slower and slower each time. Slower, slower, slower... Beep, beep, beep...

“Momma?” the tiny voice broke the spell from the machine. At an excruciating pace, she unfolded carefully from her cocoon of torment and noise and found herself nose-to-nose with the last strong piece of her heart. He was yawning and rubbing his tired eyes, his flame-colored locks spiked in all directions from the wallowing he did in his slumber. She smiled at him and patted the space beside her. He climbed into the bed with an enthusiastic speed that his mother envied and she took him in her cold, thin arms and kissed the top of his head.

“Hey, angel-face. Did I wake you?” she whispered, her head atop his as she rubbed his arm and breathed in the sweet smell of little boy and sugar cookies.

“No. I had a bad dream.”

“Oh? What about?”

“I don’t remember,” he said in a sleepy voice, trying to comfortably nestle in but finding it impossible against his mother’s skeleton-like figure. “I just know it was scary...” he sniffled back tears but was being eased by her tender touch.  “Momma,” he murmured as he closed his heavy eyelids. “Tell me a story.”

“Oh, my fawn. What do you want to hear this time?” she asked in a husky voice as she felt his strong, steady heartbeat against her ribcage.

“About the night... I like that one...”

“Ah. Alright then...” she hugged him closer, as close as she could get. In the back of her mind, she was aware of the disgusting, rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor slowing down even further. She kissed the top of her son’s head. “The Moon has loved Mother Earth for as long as time has existed. But the two can never be together, as the Moon must stay in the sky to protect the Heavens and Mother Earth must be where she is because she takes care of us and everything that lives. So, the Moon created...” she paused as her throat constricted and she had to cough- something that was so painful she nearly wept. She constructed herself and continued, feeling herself grow weaker still. “So the Moon created the stars as a gift to Earth. She loved them so much that she made mountains that would reach up so high that the Moon could dance across their great peaks. Sometimes the Moon sends down stars that we call comets, more gifts to Earth. And Earth keeps them close forever...” she trailed as she heard the soft sounds of her son’s snoring. Tears glossed the frail woman’s eyes and she kissed the top of his head again. Once, twice... A tear fell on the third kiss. And you would have to look very hard to have seen it... But the third time her lips met her son’s scalp, a bright spark of white light sept from her mouth into his red, messy locks. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling his scent. Of little boy and sugar cookies.

Beep... beep... ... b...

And then there was nothing. Nothing at all.

1

[A Grand Day]

"Malcom! Wake up!" Came a sickeningly sweet, slightly nasally voice as a snowy white cat leaped up from a thick, blue shaggy carpet. The feline promptly landed atop a snoring mound underneath a mass of burgundy bedding. Something buried in the blankets groaned and shoved itself deeper under a pile of pillows, trying to ignore the pestering feline as she prodded and poked at various spots in the plushy sheets.

This was a very special day and the young master had slept long past her waking time- something made horribly apparent by the harsh rays of dimming sunlight that were beaming in from the curtain-drawn window. Isadora, the cat, took a mouthful of the comforter in her teeth and began to step backwards, pulling the cover off what lay buried beneath it. Underneath the layers of fabric, a single figure clad in a baggy gray t-shirt groaned in resistance and curled up further beneath the bolster, attempting to shield her eyes from the bright declaration of the new day. The feline rolled her eyes and rubbed herself against the back of the Mythic’s leg, purring as her yellow gaze slid over the young lady with warm affection. "Masterrr. Your father wants you awake!"

"Too early..." Malcom groaned, shrugging her shoulders, and kicking her legs in an attempt to try and knock the cat away from her, but the feline held firm and laughed at the half-given effort. Instead of surrendering, Isadora leaped again atop Malcom’s side and began pacing the full length of her owner’s torso.

“It is not by any means early, young master! It’s a few hours shy of nighttime now and your father wants for you to be...”

"Izzy, get off!" A yowl of surprise ripped from the white cat’s lungs as the young woman suddenly sat up-right, wiping a bit of drool from the left side of her lip as a tangle of bronze curls fell around her shoulders in unorganized, matted springs. Pillows and stuffed animals went flying in all directions as Malcom stretched and yawned. She swung her legs off the edge of the bed, her toes sinking into the soft, grass-like blue carpet that was extended across most of her bedroom floor.

It was hard to see the girl’s face, as it was mostly covered by the untamed mess of curls from atop her head. She had to push a large wave of them out of her eyes to be able to see as she stood and stretched once more. Izzy laughed at the state of her and purred, running around Malcom in excited circles as the young lady headed across the room to a sandalwood vanity. She snatched a wide brush off the top and began to comb the knots out of her hair, wincing as the bristles dragged through a snarl. She patted the top of the feline’s head as she threw open the doors to a massive wardrobe with just the wiggle of her nose.

“Alright, let’s see...” Malcom left the brush in her hair for a moment as she began to thumb through different articles of multicolored hangers. She pushed aside a large assortment of women’s clothing which included dresses, skirts, petite button-ups, and curve-fitting blue jeans and began to pick through an arrangement of more masculine articles. She had just settled on a blue and black flannel shirt when the fast patter of feet made her quickly turn on her toes just as the door to her bedroom came bursting open.

"MALCOMMALCOM!" The squeal echoed through the entire house as a blur of energy came crashing into the young Mythic’s quarters. Malcom and her mother went tumbling together, head over heels, sprawling onto the cushiony carpet below. Cleo let out a few happy trills and laughed as she wrapped her arms around her daughter’s neck and squeezed Malcom’s head into the valley of her chest. "Wake up! Well, you are awake but... Wake up anyway! Happy, happy, happy birthday!"

Malcom muttered something incoherent into her mother's breasts, trying to squirm and inch her way out of Cleo’s grasp. The pretty fairy just tightened her grip and sighed happily, kissing the top of her daughter’s frizzy head, careful to dodge the hairbrush that was still lodged there. "Come on, my sweet baby. Up, up! Your daddy's got a surprise for you." Cleo jumped to her feet and shook her body to try and calm down her excitement, shifting her weight from foot to foot as the sunlight caught off her skin and lit the room in rays of glitter. As the two laughed and smiled at each-other, Izzy tilted her head, admiring how the two generations looked so much alike now that Malcom had grown.

Cleo and her daughter shared many characteristics; both naturally beautiful in simply extravagant ways- as most Mythics usually were. Cleo was almost overbearingly lovely but was so without trying, while Malcom had plain, more subtle features. Her mother had hair that was short and kept in a clean, slightly edgy pixie cut with bangs that reached her forehead but were never allowed to pass her ears. The strands of hair were loose curls and often fell in soft, ‘s’ like springs. Malcom’s hair was much longer than it appeared and fell to below her shoulders. When tamed, however, the strands were so tightly-sprung with spirals of copper and bronze that it seemed inches shorter than it was. While Cleo’s hair was sandy blonde with brown roots, her daughter inherited the totality of the chocolate hue. Both had Fairyan-based, smooth facial structure with high set, subtle cheek bones and slightly pointed ears. Cleo’s lips were a soft shade of rosy pink and her eyes were the most beautiful hazelnut brown while Malcom’s lips were earth colored and she had her father’s bright blue eyes.

The two sat on the floor for several minutes, laughing and talking about plans for the day; their many differences forgotten. It was moments like this that almost made Malcom feel close to her mother. Almost... She shook her head and let the apprehensive thoughts slip away as she brushed the remaining knots out of her hair. After she was satisfied with the result, she snapped her fingers and was dressed instantly in the dark flannel she had chosen moments before her mother’s intrusion. Her hair tamed itself, untangling and relaxing until each strand was curled individually and perfectly into a lovely bundle of a thousand bronze ringlets. Black cargo shorts appeared around her waist, fitted in place by a white and navy checkered belt that matched a pair of dark blue bangles around her wrist. Her face printed with the subtlest amounts of makeup; a thin bit of jet-black eyeliner and midnight dark mascara. Cleo stopped talking as her daughter’s appearance changed in seconds, looking less like the young, sleepy teen she had been a few minutes ago and now like a full-grown woman. Malcom offered her mother a small smile and got to her feet, pulling the paler fairy up in the process. But just as she was about to say more, her mother shook her head and began to pull her from her room.

“Enough chatter. Your father will wonder if we’ve gotten lost in the corridors again. Close your eyes and no peeking! It’s time for your surprise.” With a sigh, Malcom closed her eyes tightly and timidly began to walk after Cleo as she dragged her out of her comfortable space with Izzy following excitedly behind.

"Keep them closed, Mal!" her mother chirped over her shoulder as she led her child outside the house. Malcom stepped lightly, nervous when her toes felt live grass and then stone as her mother dragged her across the rock-laden bridge in the front yard.

"Mom, I don't feel safe..."

"Oh, trust your mother!" Cade laughed from where he was with his child's birthday surprise a few yards away, eagerness dying his mood-changing eyes a light, robin-egg blue. A smile lit up his face as his wife brought the young girl to a halt then scurried over to her husband, so they could reveal the gift.

"Alright.” Cleo clasped her hands together and brought them to her mouth, trembling with excitement. “Open up."

Malcom carefully opened one eye and then the other, her pupils taking a few moments to adjust to the harsh sunlight. She winced and rubbed her eyes with her fists before blinking again so she could try and see properly. And then... It hit her. Malcom gasped and took a step back, slapping her hands over her mouth as her eyes and brain finally registered what it was that she was seeing.

"Daddy! Oh... Y-You got me a dragon?!" She squealed, unable to believe it as tears welled in her eyes. Standing beside her mother and father, there was possibly the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen. It was just too good to be true! The dragon was a female, she could tell by the structure of her body. She was smaller and more slender built than most of her kind so Malcom figured she was a foreign or rare breed. Her scales were a deep, beautiful metallic silver and her wings were breathtaking. And as for her eyes? She had never seen a dragon with orange eyes before. This creature was just the most incredible thing she had ever laid eyes on. And she couldn't believe that she was actually hers! Her own dragon!

"We got you a dragon," Cleo chuckled, correcting her daughter's previous excluding statement. "And yes, my love. Isn't she beautiful? Come get acquainted!"

"What's your name, gorgeous?" Malcom asked the beautiful beast as she tiptoed over to her and gently, slowly reached out to touch her muzzle. The she-dragon purred against her touch and she chuckled about the girl’s excitement as she nuzzled into the palm of her hand.

"Surrexit Argento," she told her new master with a smile as she lifted her head and nuzzled Malcom’s cheek with her cold, hard nose. "Surrex for short."

"Surrex... I love it. Silver Rose,” she translated, trying to loosely recall the basics of Dracixtongue. “It suits you..." she whispered, wrapping her arms around the beast’s neck to pull her into a hug. Surrex raised her head, lifting Malcom off her feet for a moment. Once her toes were back on land, she released her new companion to hug both of her parents. "Mom, Dad... Thank you... So much. I'll take good care of her and I'll..."

"Respect her," Cade cut her off with his usual, calm, monotone voice. "Dragons are the most majestic beings of our world. We may be Mythics and we may be their riders, but they are to be ultimately respected within our culture. Never forget who is over you or you..."

"Will end up beneath them, I know, Daddy," Malcom chuckled, hugging her father tightly before wiping away the tears in her eyes. The two of them had always had a special connection... Always. Malcom sighed happily once more then released her parents and looked up at Surrex again. She shook her head in disbelief of the beauty of this creature and as she admired her, Cade motioned toward the she-dragon’s flank.

"Be careful," he said in a stern voice. "Surrex is a rare breed. She’s one of select few dragon species who still live in all three realms. She’s from Earth, not just a different continent but a different realm. She’s only lived among other dragons her entire life. She isn’t used to tack yet, so you’ll be going bareback. Don’t ride too fast or climb too high until you two are synced with each-other. I'm serious, if Surrex comes back by herself and you're not dead, I will kill you. Understood?" the Shapeshifter warned as he helped his daughter up on the dragon's slender back. Cleo watched worriedly as she helped adjust Malcom's legs on either side of Surrex’s slender flanks.

"Fly easy," she whispered to Surrex and the dragon dipped her head respectively.

"Of course, my lady."

"I expect you back by dark! Not a minute after sunset, Malcom! If there is no more color in the sky, you shouldn’t be in it," he warned her as they both stepped back to give the dragon space to stretch her glorious wings. Surrex shook herself lightly and let her wings extend fully to relax them before flight. She nodded again to Cleo reassuringly before flapping her wings against the wind. She rose off the ground within a few seconds and hovered twenty feet to give Malcom time to adjust to her spine as she held on tight to Surrex’s neck. She looked down at her parents and smiled as she tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear.

"Yes, sir! I love you guys!" She called as Surrex turned toward the east and began to soar across the land. Cleo watched them go until the two left her sight. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she sighed, leaning her head against Cade’s chest.

"She's grown up so fast..."

"Well, she’s part fairy so we have a good sixty or so years left with her looking mostly like that- so it isn’t the end of the world," Cade teased, kissing her forehead. "Well, come along dear. There's not much we can do- she's off the ground now. And we have a lot to do before she gets back. Let’s not worry too much. You only turn eighteen once, you know."

***

"IS THIS YOUR FIRST time flying, Malcom?" Surrex asked her master as she soared through the skies, cruised over the land, and glided through the clouds. The teenager shook her head and smiled, careful to keep the promise she had made to her father about being cautious aboard dragon-back.

"Not hardly! My parents breed and trade dragons."

"I see. Your folks are good people. I like them a lot. Whenever I first saw Master Cade at the market, I remember thinking that he must be extremely powerful. So many addressed him as a lord or as a sorcerer. He could barely get two steps down a road without someone stopping him to talk. And when he walked toward me, I did feel the majesty and might that radiated off him. I was instantly humbled. And I am sure you know, more than anyone else, how hard it is for a dragon to be humble."

"Extremely hard," Malcom chuckled, patting the dragoness’s right side so that Surrex guided toward the east, cruising over the forest. "Bank down and land lightly between those trees there," she guided Surrex in a polite voice. "My father has set a rift to Earth there."

"Yes, young master," the dragoness all but purred as she obeyed her new owner’s wishes. Surrex came in gracefully; her paws ever so gently meeting the dew-covered grass just as she folded her wings neatly against her flanks. Surrex looked all around her as she became grounded, thoughtfully admiring the beautiful forests of her new home. "Much different than Transylvania. Much different than Earth!"

"So that’s where you’re from." Malcom hopped off her back, being careful so that her foot didn't accidently tap the dragon’s wings on the decline. She stood leaning against the she-dragon’s foreleg for a moment to regain her balance of the world before she ran a hand over Surrex's beautiful, silver neck. “Somehow, nothing else would make sense for you, my friend.”

Surrex seemed to enjoy this and she blew out a few rolls of black smoke, looking about the new forest to better drink in the tall pines and dark green ferns. “This place is beautiful...” the exotic creature craned down her neck, inspecting a bright purple violet with her wide, orange eyes. “Are we leaving here then? You had mentioned a rift to my home realm.”

“Yes, well... I was getting there. You get to meet my best friend today, Surrex!"

"Oh?" a curious look crossed the pretty dragon’s face as she cocked an eye-ridge at her young rider. Something abruptly caught her attention as her electric eyes sharpened and she tensed defensively. Surrex had opened her mouth, prepared to spout shards of fire when she heard something fast approaching and had no time to prepare.

"Malcom! Happy birthday!" Within seconds, the half-fairy was on the ground, pinned to the grass by an adorable, bubbly young girl with rich, wood-colored skin and caramel hair. The young lady sat back on Malcom’s lap, pushing back a stray unruly curl as Surrex stared at the scene in bewilderment. "I brought you your present and OH MY GOD... They got you a dragon!" She exclaimed, jumping to her feet as she spotted the great beast.

This energetic form in front of them was somehow familiar. Her hair was curly and kept back in a ponytail, but even withheld by a band, the strands fell nearly to her hips, the many colors anywhere between caramel and chocolate brown. Her skin was beautiful, copper-toned and perfectly shaded in a sun-tanned mocha. Her eyes were bright and full of life, the irises a syrupy brown color. She wore cut-off black jeans that cuffed at her knees, her torso clad only in a red flannel over-shirt. She could have passed for human... Almost. Her ears were pointed, and she had some type of essence about her that wreaked of magic. But Surrex had only moments to take it all in before the colorful creature hurried over to her and began to examine the dragoness up and down with wide eyes and a gaping maw.

"She's so beautiful, Malcom!" She exclaimed, energetically bowing to show respect to the beast of legend. "I'm Felica but my friends and family just call me Cia. What's your name, drafemasa?"

"Surrex,” the dragon responded as she dipped her head in greeting, both impressed and surprised that the Mythic knew the word for dragoness in Draxictongue- the ancient language of the fire-breathers. “Lovely to meet you, Miss Cia. So... Tell me, my dear. What kind of being are you?”

“Me? I’m a dirty Stain like Malcom,” Cia joked, giving her best friend a curt slap on the shoulder. “No, just kidding. Well, not kidding. But just kidding!” She laughed and tossed her head, sending bouncing bronze curls in all directions as some were coming free of the band that held them. “I’m a troll. Well, half troll. My mother is a troll and my father is an elf. So, there’s me!” She lifted her hands above her head and splayed her fingers. “Ta-Da! Cia the halfblood.”

Even though Surrex found the young girl amusing, she flexed her claws at the use of the word Stain. Surrex had been many places and had heard many things in her over-century of life, and one thing she knew was the awful slang word that was used for any Mythic that wasn’t considered “pureblood.” But nevertheless, the energy and happiness in the young girl’s smile made the silver dragoness swell with amusement, and she nuzzled Cia fondly—her thoughts of the worldly troubles melting away.

“Well, it is an honor then.”

“Likewise!” Cia hopped on her feet to face Malcom again, stuffing her hands into the pocket of her jeans as she fished around for something. “So! Birthday girl, hereyago! I hope you like it.” Cia pulled out a little velvet purple box and extended it to her friend. Malcom tilted her head in curiosity and took it gingerly, pulling the lid up to see what was inside. Malcom gasped and jumped in excitement as she hurriedly took the item from inside.

“Cia, they’re perfect!” Malcom lifted the items up to Surrex so she could see. The dragon tilted her head, amused by the beauty of the pieces of jewelry. Lying flat on her master’s palm were two earrings, both circular with images printed in the center: one of a black lion and one of a white tiger, the lion with green eyes and the tiger with blue. Malcom went to put them in quickly then paused, thinking better of it but then Cia shook her head.

“They’ll turn into gauges when we get over there. I know he wouldn’t be a fan of them as is.”

Malcom’s eyes softened, and she fastened the earrings in before hugging her friend tightly. “Thank you, Cia... You have no clue what it means to me...”

Surrex just smiled at the bond of the two young ladies, though she was obviously confused. Then something dawned on her and she raised an eye-ridge. “Over there, you said. Where are we going? Through the rift, I suppose?”

“Oh, just exploring,” Malcom said innocently enough as she climbed atop Surrex’s back and extended her hand down to help Cia on board. Surrex narrowed her pupils suspiciously but nodded obediently as Malcom patted her neck, adjusting to the weight of the two bodies on her back. “But you have to promise me you won’t tell my Dad.”

“Oh, dear. My first day on the job and we’re already keeping secrets!” Surrex laughed as she leaped into the sky, spreading her wings to soar as her master steered the way.

2

[Closer]

Back at the cottage, Cade and Cleo were busy tending to their work. Cade was checking through letters, his face grim as Cleo updated logbooks on dragons they had coming in and going out come the next auction- which was the following day. She smiled slightly as Izzy walked across the back of the couch and peered over her shoulder, the pretty white feline interested in whatever it was her master was doing. She scratched behind her pet’s ear as Isadora began to read off the names of the new inhabitants. Suddenly, there was a loud bang from across the room as the peaceful quiet was disrupted by Cade roughly smacking the table-top with his fist.

“Damn it!” he cursed as he tossed away a letter in aggravation. All the present creatures turned to look at him and Cleo immediately gave him her full attention. Before she could ask what was wrong, Cade had swiveled in his chair to look at her, his eyes a dark, nearly midnight blue. “I’ve received a letter from the northern counties. There is a small town deep in the Arctic called Harishaw. The corps of Peacekeepers there have all gone missing or were found dead.”

“Dark Law?” Cleo seemed instantly alarmed and Cade nodded, confirming her fear. The two sat in silence for a moment as they recalled when the trouble had begun, even though the war between Dark and Light had existed for as long as the world itself.

Ever since the dawn of time, there had always been evil in the world. And as far back as time could remember, the Peacekeepers and the Dark Law Ordinance had been at war with each-other, somehow keeping balance between all the worlds. But in the past few centuries, the Dark Law Ordinance had begun to wreak havoc not just in the Mythic World, but in all realms. War was igniting more frequently, the masses were growing immune to the shock of death and decay, and greed was being more and more accepted as a natural commodity. It was in that the Peacekeepers fought. And of the Peacekeepers, Cadyn McKnight was the main captain of the Mythic Realm; the Lord above them all.

Cade snapped out of his thoughts when Cleo came to his side and wrapped her arms around him. “This is the third regimen this month that has reported attacks directly from the Dark Law Ordinance. They’re not just causing small battles here and there and stirring up trouble, they’re personally attacking us now. Oh, Cadyn... If this keeps up, we’ll have a full-on world war on our hands.”

“I’ll schedule a meeting with the other captains and I’ll contact our regimens on Earth as well,” he growled in a nearly inhuman voice, his eyes swirling different shades of blue as he fell deep in thought. “We’ll hold council and try and figure out what to do, see how many reports there have been in their lands... It, for right now, is something we will try to handle without the involvement of the Order. They have enough to deal with as it is on Earth.”

“Can you make the journey? Your back still isn’t healed...” Worry rushed through Cleo’s voice as she remembered how Cade had injured his spine while defending their neighboring town, Grillionville, from an attack of Dark Law Ordinance trolls. This was the second time he had, had a major injury to his back- the first had been a long time ago, a few months before Malcom was born. There had been a battle between him and one of the Ordinance Hounds. His spine had been completely snapped in half and it had taken all of Cleo’s power, strength, and resources to keep him from being paralyzed. A deep, age-old concern furrowed in her brow as she closed her eyes, drinking in her husband’s scent. Her eyes softened lightly, the irises nearly a honey gold, and Cleo pressed her pink lips to the small side of Cade’s jaw.

“That isn’t necessary, my love...” he whispered, closing his eyes as his wife began to slowly undo the snap-away buttons on his shirt, the troubles of his mind ebbing with her enchanting kisses. “I should be strong enough to make the journey without the need for an Energy Exchange...”

“I’d rather be safe than sorry,” she argued in a hushed, rich, velvety voice as she came around to Cade’s front and straddled his lap. She pushed her fingers through his thick, black hair and trailed kisses from his forehead to his throat, tipping her lips off his eyebrows, nose, and chin. Even as Cade weakly protested, pushing lightly at her shoulders, the small army of furry creatures that inhabited the home of the McKnights began to slowly patter away to give their masters their privacy. They knew how important exchanges of this kind could be and they were often so incredibly environmentally sensitive. Even Penny exited the room without her claws so much as making a sound.

As they were finally left alone, Cleo climbed off her husband’s lap and gripped his collar in her hands. She took handfuls of fabric into her palms as she lay down on the couch and brought him down atop her. Cadyn had quit resisting and leaned in to kiss her, pushing his hands up her shirt to feel the beating of her heart through her warm, bare skin. As Cleo tangled her fingers in his hair, their kissing became feverish and she moaned around his tongue. Cade felt the rhythm of her pulsing heart drumming against the soft pads of his fingers and his own heart-rate began to quicken to match hers in time. Cleo opened her eyes for just a moment, briefly gazing into the pools of vibrant blue as she carefully eased out of her pants, wrapping her legs around his own to lock them in place together.

“Have my magic, Mister McKnight...” she whispered into his ear, breaking the kiss, as Cade unbuckled his belt and eased out of his trousers, careful not to break the connection and the intimacy of the moment as it was so vital to their Energy Exchange. This was Cleo’s gift to Cade; giving him pulses of her life force to help keep him strong for the long journey to Council. It was her precious offering to keep her beloved safe. It was the ultimate show of the power of their love.

The Peacekeeper Captain smiled softly into her flushed cheek and trailed kisses across her neck and collarbone. He slid a hand around her back and cupped the skin between her shoulder blades, his palm resting against a rough patch of tissue that scarred his beloved’s spine. He pushed her against him until there was nothing between them but their own bodies and Cleo breathlessly whispered inaudible things into his neck as they joined physically as man and wife.

Cade made love to her carefully, kissing and whispering, promising and pleading as Cleo focused everything inside of her on everything he was to her. Energy, magic, and love flowed between them effortlessly like rain down window glass. Power radiated off them in waves; a faint, foggy white glow emanating from their souls- pulsing from their chests in rolls of palpable enchantment. Cleo’s fingernails dug into her husband’s back as he pushed against her scar again with his palm, arching her so that her stomach pressed closer to his own, her breasts rubbing against his bare chest. Touching the ugly scar that crisscrossed her shoulder blades allowed for a painfully intimate connection, a secret that only he knew from her. Cleo was a fairy halfblood who had been ultimately disgraced; she had been stripped of her wings. It was their disgrace to bear, something they battled together.

“C-Cadyn...” she moaned into his neck, sliding her feet along his calves to feel every inch of his being against every part of her soul. She had one hand on the back of his neck and the other at the base of his tailbone, feeling the tight muscles just above his hips where the break in his spine had nearly killed him; where she’d saved his life with her light magic. The ultimate spell of all- love- had mended everything that was damaged about their souls. It was all coming forth now in this Energy Exchange, manifesting as tangible effervescence between them.

Sweat beaded Cade’s forehead as he felt the emotion and power crashing into him, draining him of his own strength as Cleo literally poured herself into him to make him complete. It was a coming and going of tide, the give and take of all things. He had to become all but nothing for her to give him all but everything.

“Cleo, my darling...” he whispered, his shoulders quivering as he breathed in her scent, his nose and mouth pressed into her damp hair as he began to drown in every infinitesimal part of her being. She was all he could see, all he could hear, all he could smell and taste and feel. Every vein and fiber of his being were filled to the brim with her essence- and he was full nearly to the point of bursting. “Just a moment more... Are you alright?”

“So close to you...” she told him in a voice so small he barely heard her, her body trembling against his radiating core. “I can never be any better.” And in that moment, she tossed her head back and dug her nails into his skin, writhing against her husband as the power surge hit its peak and the two of them bonded together. Their souls linked intimately as they climaxed in sync and spilled all of who they were into the very wake of each-other’s hearts. The magic overflowed in radiating, glowing waves of silver smoke; bathing the entire house in a moonlit glow as the two creatures at the epicenter were nearly statue-still in recovery.

They laid there, Cade off to the right with his left arm over her chest and his right arm under her head, Cleo with her legs dangling over his own; the two of them twined together. Cleo shivered lightly, the gift of her power to him had drained her and she looked tired and worn, as if she hadn’t slept in days. Cade seemed better than ever, his eyes bright and skin glowing; rested and anew with seemingly added years of life. The Energy Exchange had been wondrously successful, and he no longer felt the pain from his injured back, now only able to sense the rush of his wife’s energy as it coursed through his veins like liquid fire. Their breathing was shallowing now, their heart rates returning to normal, their power leveling back out as the exchange declined from its incredible peak. Cade kissed her temple and Cleo nearly purred as she touched her nose to his own, yawning lightly as she snuggled in closer to his chest.

“You know...” He whispered as they both closed their eyes to rest. “A simple exchange with a spell would have been a lot faster.”

“Oh, Cadyn,” she laughed weakly. “Where’s the fun in that?”

***

SOMEWHERE ELSE, SEEMINGLY eons and centuries away from the Mythic Realm, there was a lonesome car traveling down an abandoned road. But this wasn’t just any vehicle, oh no; not in the least. This was an anachronism in every way and had no business at all on this particularly vacant street so late in the evening. Turning off of Parker Avenue, a 1960’s Impala cruised down the street, seemingly brand new and untouched even though over half a century had passed since its founding.

The tires of the silver car were white-wall and perfectly clean, never having touched pavement before. The interior was an electric orange and seemed hauntingly familiar. But what wasn’t familiar at all was the person driving the car. He was a young man with skin like umber velvet and a muscle toned body. His hair was thickly coiled, black as coal, and precisely kept but for a stray piece that fell in his face to give him that classic daredevil appearance. His eyes were a fierce green, and his lips were a cherry red. A thin layer of shadow tinged his face; dark stubble casting a slightly older air about him.

Sitting in the passenger’s seat was yet again, someone familiar. She was tall, well over five and a half feet, and had a predominately simple figure. She appeared Hispanic, with mocha colored skin and thick, curly hair that fell to her mid-back in sexy, bouncy waves. The strands were a dark cocoa color, but the underneath, bangs, and sides were dyed a mulberry purple. Even though the two were holding hands, the lack of romantic chemistry between them announced that they were- at least mostly- platonic. Well, of course they were. Most best friends typically are.

As the driver pushed the car to meet the speed limit, a soft roaring sound rang from under the hood, and it made the young man smile. “Y’know, I wouldn’t have thought you for an Impala, Surrex. It’s weird to see a hunter reduced to the prey.” No more had the words left his lips, did the car slow down to almost a stop even though the young man had never moved his foot to the brake pedal. They both laughed, and the speed evened out, almost as if it was driving itself.

“You look very handsome, Malcom,” the young lady told him, tossing back a stray strand of her dyed hair. “Do you like the plugs?” Sure enough, in the young man’s ears, were gauge copies of the earrings that Cia had given Malcom McKnight in the Mythic Realm. And as the man smiled, a small glimmer of Malcom Marie McKnight’s soft features slipped through.

As they turned into the parking lot of a concrete building and threw the car into park, the engine roared and a faint voice came from where the radio appeared to be. Malcom, I don’t understand... Why a man? The voice that filled the air belonged to Surrex. Cia cleared her throat as Malcom removed a fake key from a fake ignition.

“Well... Malcom is very special, Surrex... Something very rare.” Cia explained as she stroked the dashboard with black-gloved fingers. “Have you ever heard of someone with a twin soul? Though, I think they’re more commonly referred to on Earth as something else... it’s a disorder I think, uhm... I can’t remember what it’s called...”

“As you well know, magic exists on extreme levels in our world. Well, this can sometimes cause an extraordinary phenomenon at conception; two souls can be present in the body of the mother- something that usually forms twins in utero. Sometimes those souls don’t separate into the different bodies of the unborn babies. Instead of having twins, you have one body with two distinctive spirits. I, my dearest Rose, was meant to be two people- not one. The nursery in my house was designed for me and my twin brother- Mercy. But it isn’t just the souls that failed to part... I have slivers of him, of who he was supposed to be. The two separate entities are distinctive. A pair of entirely different souls inhabit my physical shell. I am at constant war with myself, over which spirit needs to control my body. So, this is how I compromise. When in the Mythic Realm, I am Malcom Marie unless I wish to appear as something else- someone else. But here? I’m Mercy Michael, living as the part of me that should have been my brother. It satisfies both sides of my soul as Mercy just isn’t strong enough to exist on his own with my body. Do you understand? Does it make sense at all or did I lose you?”

As a response, the lights in the car shut off and Malcom and Cia took that as an okay to get out. On the outside, the two did look lovely together with Cia in her tight red dress and black heels and Malcom in his dark blue jeans and white v-neck. Malcom took off his dark leather jacket and draped it over Cia’s shoulders as the two began to walk toward the plain looking concrete building that was radiating with loud music from inside. Malcom waved to Surrex as they disappeared behind the thumping neon door. But as they entered and were passed through with fake I.Ds displaying invalid ages, the headlights of the silver Impala lit once more for only a second as Surrex’s soul inside watched the red-stained sky carefully. Her mind wandered into the realm of magic, praying to herself that the two young Mythics would keep their word and return before the sun had finished its completion of sinking. If there was one thing even a dragon wouldn’t contend with in all the worlds against all the magics of every realm combined, it was the wrath of angry parents over the safety of their child.

3

[Welcome to the Show]

Music blared inside the club, and the lights flashed in sequences of blue, yellow, white, and green. This place was their favorite- a slightly trashy- yet somehow still swank- little establishment adequately named Three Corners. As the music thumped around him, Malcom licked his lips and took another sip of water, settling down on a bar stool to watch the odd behavior of the tipsy, dancing mortals. It was a Friday night, and the youth of the Earthly world were raging.

Malcom had fancied himself a recluse- as usual- and was sitting at the bar as he gingerly drank on an overpriced bottle of water which he was confident had been recycled, filled with tap, and (badly) passed for Fiji. He watched as Cia slipped in and out of a group of tightly clustered young men, charming them with light magic as she innocently unclipped their watches and took their wallets. Cia had little interest in members of the opposite sex; or any for that matter. She was almost entirely asexual; however, she had altered the way she looked on purpose to be appealing to mortal men. She could trade their cell phones, money, and watches for a great deal of splendorous things back in Ausbury. And if Cia was good at anything, it was a slide of hand.

Malcom had been so transfixed on watching his best friend effortlessly take a set of a dozen men for everything expensive they had carried on them that he failed to notice that he himself was being stalked. A handsome young man had slid into the chair beside him and was watching him observe Cia. He was tall, lean-muscled and had thick, beautiful dark crimson hair the color of melted cinnamon. His eyes were a light, playful gray green so pale that they nearly appeared silver. He tilted his head to the side and watched how timidly Malcom drank from the bottle, pressing the rim to his lips as if it were fragile.

“Afraid you’ll break it?”

Malcom missed his mouth for a gulp and the water spilled down the front of his shirt and his cheeks immediately flushed a deep, cherry red. He had turned to face the person who spoke and instantly felt awe-struck. Deep inside the façade, Malcom was extremely taken aback by something about this man. He blinked hard, his eyes adjusting to the dim, smoky lighting in the room as he nervously screwed the lid back on his drink and set the bottle aside. He looked away, snickering as Cia slipped her hand into a drunken man’s back pocket and stole his entire leather wallet before prancing off into the crowd. He glanced back over his shoulder and yet the stranger persisted, giving him a megawatt smile, which crinkled a layer of freckles over the bridge of his nose. Malcom forced the strength from inside of herself and pleaded her puppet body to speak.

“H-Hi.”

“So ya can talk,” the redheaded man beamed. “What do you know about that? You know, I’m in here just about every weekend and I have never seen you before. I know, trust me. I would remember eyes like that.”

Thank you. They’re not really mine. Malcom chuckled, and for a moment his green eyes flashed their real, hidden shade of blue.

“How many girls have you taken to bed with that line?” he asked coolly, taking another swig of his water. His companion chuckled and tilted his head, sipping the fruity-smelling beverage he was drinking. He shook his head as he swallowed it down.

“I’ve had my share of pretty women, but I’ve never used that line on anyone because it isn’t one. It’s just true.” He extended his hand and Malcom stared at it in confusion, wondering why introductions were entirely necessary. He got hit on from time to time; occasionally he would have a man or a woman who would take interest in him. But it never lasted longer than one night and never got any further than harmless flirting. Very rarely did anyone introduce themselves to him. There was generally no need. Eyeing the stranger cautiously, he extended his own hand, and the two men shook.

“Andrew Presley Coleman. My friends call me Andy. Or at least they would if I had any friends. I heard that in a movie once.” His voice was light and smelled of sweet alcohol. Andy’s goofy smile was contagious, and Malcom couldn’t help but to smile back at him, his cheeks burning from blushing.

“Mercy Michael McKnight.”

“Mercy? A first name? That’s killer. The whole damn thing’s pretty cool. Three ‘M’s. McKnight you said, huh? Haven’t met one of those around these parts. Is it Irish?”

“No, not quite. It’s a mixture of my mother and father’s names. My mother’s family has the last name Nightingale and my father’s family have the sir name McKommas. Their marriage was... Unconventional at least, so they combined their names.” Malcom explained smoothly, as it was something he and his parents had explained their entire lives. But it was information that he didn’t generally tell a mortal lightly and the look on Andy Coleman’s face reminded him why.

“Nightingale? That’s freaking gorgeous! I’ve never heard of that as a last name before. And it’s super cool that they meshed their names together like that. I love the concept.” He took another drink. “What made their marriage unconventional? Religion?”

“Eh...” Malcom shifted. “Something like that. Uhm, more of a race thing.”

“Are you mixed?”

“Kind of. My parents... Well, their families are in different clans so to speak. Where I come, they’re not supposed to marry. Mixing races, or families, is forbidden back home. Against the government mostly. So, when they married, they changed their last names and destroyed the ancient law as well as a few other things... So... The name change was also in part to protect themselves, us, and their families...” Malcom idly sipped on his water and Andy just stared at him in shock, one eyebrow raised suspiciously.

“Government controlling families, clans, and ancient laws... Sounds like you live in a fairytale! Where are you from? I’ve never heard of a place that does that in the U.S.”

“Ausbury. It’s a country in Europe. It isn’t very well known, a very small bit of land really not much bigger than Delaware.”

“You don’t have an accent.”

“I wasn’t born there. Immigration is a real thing, you know.” Malcom smiled in a cocky way, having prepared answers for every prying thought to the loose-information questions that came off the small bits he gave about where he was from. Andy’s eyes gleamed with a challenge, but he seemed to abandon his quest for knowledge as he finished his drink and asked the pretty blonde bartender for another.

“Want one? I’ll buy- and Sarah makes a mean screwdriver.”

“I don’t drink,” Malcom replied quickly as Cia slid again into his line of vision before disappearing once more to continue her quest for pretty things.

“You keep looking at that girl. She’s really something. Do you like her? Have you talked to her? Have you asked her out?”

“She’s my cousin... And my best friend. We always go together; we back each other up. Look at her. She needs someone in her corner if people get too pushy.”

“Ah, I see. She’s pretty.”

“Yes, she is pretty.”

“So, do you find girls pretty? Or just your cousin? Is inbreeding a common thing in Austrailiaberrywherever?”

Malcom suddenly realized what this charming stranger was doing, and he laughed out loud, tossing back his head and looking at him with a bit of admiration. He was smooth, this Andy Coleman. He’d give him that. Malcom just shrugged his shoulders in response.

“I like whatever likes me back. So, yes, in answer to your question... I do find girls pretty, I guess you could say. And no... We don’t generally approve of incest in Ausbury. Cia just clearly got the attractive side of the gene pool.”

“Well, if you don’t mind me saying... I believe that you got the attractive side of the gene pool as well, Mr. McKnight.” Andy took another drink from the glass, never breaking eye contact with Malcom. “So, if you don’t mind... Let’s move on past your name and creepy tendencies. What’s your family like?”

“Well...” Malcom hesitated, taking a deep breath. What harm could it do? He was never going to see this man again after tonight. Why not indulge him? “Well... My dad and I are very close, but my mother and I have a kind of rocky relationship...” And that sparked a conversation that lasted what felt like years but passed in only seconds. Andy and Malcom swapped stories of past relationships and talked about their parents and families, their hopes, their dreams, all kinds of things. Andy had told him that he didn’t speak to his dad and in return, Malcom had told Andy that he had lost his maternal grandfather when he was very young and the two had been very close. Any exchange of vulnerability that Andy gave, Malcom tried to give it right back just to keep it all fair. The mortal boy was an open book, and it had slowly dissolved the brick wall Malcom had in place. Caution burned in the wind as Malcom found himself abandoning his intuition, lost in those brimming pools of emerald.

Andy was on his fourth drink and Malcom had just then timidly caved and given him a hexed phone number when Cia approached him, urgently yanking on his sleeve. Malcom was reluctant to give her his attention, but she snapped her fingers in front of his face and it brought him back to reality, his minty green eyes glossy with infatuation.

“Mercy, it is dark out! I lost track of time while I was... Uhm, talking... To... One of those guys.” She cast her eyes over Andy cautiously but didn’t pay him much mind as she tried to pull her best friend off the barstool he had been rooted on for so long. “We have to go. Now. Like right now.”

Malcom was already getting up and beginning to push through the crowd when Andy grabbed his arm and stumbled after him. “Hey, wait... Can I see you again? Please?”

Malcom bit his lip as Cia dragged him along, but Andy pursued the pair. As they neared the door, Malcom was able to hear his car roaring as Surrex protested them being late the only way she could; high beams blasting at them from across the lot. A flare of panic rose in Malcom’s chest when he realized that his companion was still vying for his attention and that Surrex was doing a horrible job of being discreet. He couldn’t let Andy get too close to the car or he might realize something was... Off about it. Surrex was too new to being in vehicle form in the human world to be able to hide all of her dragon tendencies and even though Andy was clearly drunk, it made him nervous. Too nervous.

“Hey, listen here mister; I’m not going to leave you alone until you agree to see me again. So- we can either do this the easy way or the hard way and one way constitutes as kidnapping because I clearly can’t take care of myself to consent to anything and you’re too cute to go to jail. So, come on. Make it easier on both of us and just say that this is a real phone number and that you’ll see me again.”

Damn. This guy just won’t quit!

“I can’t. You don’t understand.”

“Your parents broke the great law remember? You’re free to be with whoever you want. McKnight and yada yada, romantic Ausawhatever bullshit, right?”

“I... Can’t. You don’t understand. Andy, please. You’re a really nice guy and all but...” Malcom’s heart hammered in his chest when the passenger side door of the Impala opened on its own, but Andy was too focused on him to notice.

“Okayyy, so I guess I’m going home with you then becauseee...”

“Malcom!” Cia protested, using the Mythic’s given name. If Andy noticed it- he didn’t respond. Cia slid into the passenger’s seat before jumping out again to go close the popped trunk. “A certain someone is really, really freaking out... Just... Just...”

“Yes! God, okay, fine...” Malcom whirled on his feet, placing a palm on Andy’s chest to stop him from getting any closer to the bizarre automobile. Malcom’s face was bright red as he looked over his shoulder, a line of sweat forming across his brow when he clearly noticed the distinct sound of a dragon growl in place of an engine roar. “I’ll see you again. Next Friday,” he rushed, turning to say goodbye but Andy took him by the elbow, cupped his chin in his palm, lifted his head, and gave him a soft kiss that tasted like sweet liquor and caramel apple. Malcom froze in surprise but couldn’t help but feel his face burn. Andy was smiling.

“Perfect. That’s all I wanted. Next Friday.”

4

[A Night at Home]

The sound of wolves howling echoed through Cadyn’s head and ached in his skull. He tossed and turned in his sleep; gripped in near-paralysis by a night terror that enveloped him. Sweat drenched his flesh and he shook violently for several minutes before his muscles seized. Cade’s body went rigid and he was still all but for the trembling of his core. He was remembering it all now as if it were yesterday, reliving the worst day of his entire life. It was the day he lost his parents, lost his home, the day he became an orphan, when his life had changed forever, and he had vowed to avenge everything inside of him that had made him who he was.

In his dream, he was a young boy, climbing up an old wooden ladder to make his way through a narrow hole in the earth. The echoing of howls, snarls, and frustrated cries bounced off the walls as the army of wolves searched for him, trying to discover where he was hiding. His parents had made the tunnel safe and secret under the house when they had built the home nearly a decade before. They had made it for him, to keep him safe in case there was ever an attack; something they knew would happen, something they knew they couldn’t stop.

Cade gasped for breath, suffocating from fear, as he pushed at a hidden wooden door and it opened to the world above. Cade kissed the top of Penny’s head and threw the puppy as carefully as he could over the tunnel’s opening. Using all his strength, he hauled himself from the underground passageway and panted, his eyes adjusting to the starlit night. He crawled out from under the bush and looked around, frantic for the only thing of his regular life he had left. Relief flooded through him as he picked up the puppy he had plopped on the ground and took off running through thick forest toward a clearing where a great white beast was waiting for him. The dragon was livid, its fangs bared, and wings displayed in anger- but Cade was not afraid.

“Donny! Donec!” Cadyn cried as he ran toward the fire-breather, tears streaming down his face as he collapsed against the horned lizard’s scaly chest. Penny whined as she was smashed between her owner’s frame and the dragon’s throat, but she only nuzzled closer to the boy as her body tingled with his distress. The three of them stood that way for a short while, their hearts aching as they embraced and consoled one-another. Only after several long moments did the great beast calm enough to lower his mighty head and wrap a large paw around the young Cade, incasing and protecting him. “Donny, I just want Mommy and Daddy...” he whispered, his tears staining the puppy’s fur.

“Shh... Young Master, there is not much we can do now. I vowed to your father I would get you out of here safely and I will keep that promise. Climb on.” The beast kneeled low, but the boy could not manage to climb onto his back with the puppy in his arms. The dragon’s wings flared in alarm as the howls that were once distant became closer and he reared on his hind legs to see the pack quickly approaching. Fear ravaged the dragon’s green eyes as he flapped his wings and hovered only feet off the ground.

“Donny! Don’t leave without us, please!” cried Cade but the dragon shook his head, reached down with his mighty paws, took the boy between his front claws, and held him and the pup both close to his chest. Donec beat his wings and was lifted higher and higher up into the sky, avoiding the great pack of lycanthropes by only seconds. They all jumped and howled and snapped but it was too late as the dragon went slicing through the air, flying with all his might as far away as he could. But as he soared, the marvelous beast drifted over the beautiful house that had once been Cadyn’s home. The party of refugees looked down in horror, heartbroken to see that the cottage had been destroyed by the wolves who had invaded it; black rolls of smoke rising from decimated piles of ash.

Cade wept against the dragon’s chest and even Penny yipped and howled. Donec only clutched them closer as an angry fire raged within his heart. He looked up to the sky as they rose higher and higher, and he soared farther and farther away from the pain and destruction. After a while, Cadyn stopped crying and just watched the clouds drift by as they passed through them, and he even smiled a little when his puppy stuck out her tongue to try and taste the white, fluffy vapor.

“Donny...” Cadyn called as he placed his palm over where the dragon’s heart was, feeling the strong beating against his skin. “What do we do now?... Will Momma and Poppa come for us? How will they find us? Do they know where we’re going?”

The dragon’s soul began to ache at the innocence of the boy. The great beast simply did not have the heart to tell his young master that his parents had been murdered and that he was taking Cade to live amongst the sky mountains with other dragons to be safe until his parents’ deaths were not so recent. Donny knew for sure that the Dark Law Ordinance would be looking for Cadyn as they knew that Noctora and Luxar had a child, that he was a halfblood, and that he had the potential to be very, very powerful. It simply wasn’t safe for him to be out in the open. Not just yet... And Donny had sworn to Luxar that he would never let harm come to Cadyn. No matter what the cost. At the sound of the young boy sniffling, Donec looked down at the orphaned child, and he offered him a small smile even as his own heart broke in pain and grief for his late masters.

“I will take care of you, Cadyn. This I vow, till my last breath.” Just as I promised...

Cade nodded and closed his eyes, tears brimming them again as he held the puppy ever closer. Then, suddenly and without warning, he was falling. Somehow, he had slipped from Donec’s grasp and had begun to spiral rapidly toward the earth. And then again and all at once, great howls split the air and wolves began to race through the dark clouds toward the descending boy and his pup. Cadyn watched in terror while others of the pack began to tear at Donec’s wings; the dragon roaring in agony. Down, down, down, down Cade fell, screaming as he was engulfed into the jaws of a great, ugly, black wolf with nasty white teeth- Donny being torn apart as the last thing he saw before the horrible throat swallowed him up.

Cade woke with a jump, tears streaming down his face as he gasped for breath, his lungs on fire and head pounding with the fading echoes of the howls of those who had killed his parents. He ran a hand through his damp hair and shivered, remembering that flight from his home in Thistle Town to the Tentrion Blue Mountains. He had asked his family’s dragon as many questions as he could think of about what had become of his family and former home. It was not until some weeks later that he had learned the truth; his parents were dead and weren’t coming to rescue them... Ever. And he could never go back to the life he knew. Cade didn’t say anything to anyone for a month after that and rarely ate or drank unless Donny made him. He owed that dragon everything, well... Him and Penny- his loyal canine and one of the only staples he had from his childhood. It felt so long ago now, since he had lived in the mountains with no bed but a grass nest and nothing but one set of clothes, his puppy, and his heartbroken dragon. So very long ago...

Cade wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes then reached for his wife. Panic flared in his chest when he realized she wasn’t beside him. He slid out of the satin crimson sheets and shuffled around their room, searching for Cleo. He found her in their bathroom and the sight of her made his heart ache. The shower was running, the water almost boiling hot. The entire room was foggy with big rolling waves of white steam. And sitting in the middle of the bathtub, her knees pulled to her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs, her forehead nestled in the valley of her knees- was Cleopatra. He watched her for a moment through the glass of the shower and considered just letting her be. But he knew what was happening and knew she needed to know he was there. Slowly, on tender feet, he tiptoed over to the tub and tapped softly on the glass.

Cleo raised her head only enough to see his face before returning to her previous position. Her pretty fairyan skin was red in reaction to the heat of the water as she tried to burn some of the pain away. On her back, the ugly, massive ‘X’ shaped scar between her shoulder blades was pulsing and angry. A lot of times when Cade had nightmares of his childhood, Cleo would dream of having her wings clipped and the pain would be so unbearable it would wake her from deep slumber. This was the price that they paid for the power of their intimacy and connection- Energy Exchanges on a marital level always had a downside.

The Peacekeeper Lord managed to slip into the shower almost undetected by the agonized fairy as he slid down behind her and pressed his body against her own. His bare torso rested against the ugly, burning flesh between her shoulder blades and Cleo slowly leaned into his embrace, bringing her head off the bow of her knees and back against his shoulder. Cade wrapped his arms around her, his hands locking across her chest to hold her close to him. The two were silent for what seemed like years, the only sound at all was the soft pattering as the water droplets fell on red skin and gray marble. Cleo adjusted, letting out a soft, breathy sigh as she closed her eyes and let the hot water and pulsing love ease some of the ache in her back. Cade felt discomfort at the level of heat as his flesh burned and stung with the intense temperature of the water, but he just clenched his teeth and bared through it for her. Cadyn flinched when Cleo stood up suddenly and slowly turned off the water. She sluggishly moved the glass door aside and stepped out of the shower, her bare feet padding across the floor, leaving small puddles in her wake.

Cade caught her by the elbow and stopped her from walking away. He picked her up in his arms and carried her back to their bed. Silently, he laid her into the sheets and kissed her forehead. “I’m going to get you a glass of water and some herbs from the kitchen. I’ll be right back,” he told her as he clothed and dried himself with a blink then headed toward their bedroom door, careful not to step on any of the furry creatures that lay on the floor, most of them awake and worried about their masters.

“Cadyn... Check on Malcom, will you?” She called softly, beginning to curl herself back up underneath the silk fabric of their sheets. “Ask her how her day went...” she trailed off, laying her wet head down into the soft, plushy pillows. Cleo closed her eyes as Izzy came to her side and made a nest beside her head, kneading the fabric of the pillowcase with her gentle paws. Cade thanked the white cat with a nod of his head as Cleo’s special kitty sang lullabies softly into her master’s ear, using her own kind of magic to ease the fairy’s mind. As he headed down the hallway, he heard Cleo’s breathing come in painful, labored laps and it made his heart ache. She had been through so much...

Cleo had lived a lot of her life in mystery and knew very little of herself, something she was very ashamed of. She had been raised in much privacy, nearly a non-credited existence as no one knew she and her family even dwelt the earth. But it had been done that way for a reason. The parents that Cleo had been raised by were Stained as well. Jayle- her mother- had been a fairy from the Citrine Kingdom and her father had been a warlock/elf halfblood. Their love had been forbidden and that was the reason they had always given Cleo to explain why they avoided society. She hadn’t found out until she was quite a bit older that she was, in fact, not their daughter and was adopted. She had been born Stained, her parents had been from different worlds; her father was a Guardsman of the Violet Fairy Kingdom and her mother had been a witch. Her biological mother had died in childbirth and her father had saved her life, but not before the Royalty of the Violet Kingdom had taken her wings as punishment for being born Stained. It was a pain that no amount of Cade’s magic had ever been able to heal.

Cadyn almost slammed into the wall along Malcom’s room, distracted by the heaviness of his thoughts. His pupils sharpened and his eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness as only the light from the moon was guiding his way. He placed his palm on his daughter’s door and closed his eyes, feeling instead of listening. He could sense her heartbeat, calm and soft. He could hear her breathing, the inhaling and exhaling of oxygen as it swirled in her lungs. He pushed the door open slowly and peered inside. Malcom was snoring lightly, her hair flared about her in messy, frizzy curls. She was half under the covers, half sprawled out in the pillows. Her enchanted nightlight glowed on the cherry-wood end table, beaming light shadows of flying dragons that danced around her room and illuminated the darkness. One of them twirled through a foxtrot across his shoulder as Cade sat down on the edge of her bed and reached out with a hand, gently touching one of his daughter’s spiral curls.

“Happy birthday, Malcom. I love you,” he whispered as he leaned down and kissed her temple before getting back to his feet. He silently tiptoed back to her door, slipping soundlessly through the opening. He reached back for the doorknob and went to close it when he heard a soft, dreamy voice from inside the room.

“Daddy, love you more.”

He smiled softly, his heart aching as he gently closed her bedroom door. As Cadyn headed downstairs to fetch Cleo her sedatives, Surrex peeked her head up over Malcom’s windowsill. She growled lightly and blew a playful ring of smoke at the young Mythic’s head. Malcom shuddered and coughed into her pillow, scowling over her shoulder at her new friend. Surrex raised an eye-ridge and chuckled warmly at her master.

“You’re a lucky young lady. Ten minutes later and you would be grounded so hard that coffee would even take pity on you.”

Malcom sat up in her bed and wiped the faux drool from the side of her mouth. “I lost track of time.” She rubbed the back of her head nervously. “It never happens... And it won’t happen again. You won’t tell him, will you?”

Surrex tilted her head and looked confused. “Tell him what, young mistress? As far as I’m concerned, you were back in bed before nightfall. I see nothing else that proves that false.”

“You’re the best!” Malcom beamed, slipping out of bed as she padded silently over to the windowpane. She folded her arms across the wooden ledge and peered out at Surrex, the pretty she-dragon sitting back on her hind legs, her front paws pressed to the side of the house. She had her neck craned just enough that her head rested by the window, her nose against the ridge of the pane. Surrex nuzzled Malcom’s head softly and the young girl sighed at her. “Surrex... What do I do about that Andy guy on Earth, huh? Got any advice with the male spectrum?”

“What do you mean? You agreed to meet up with him again. That seems simple enough to me... Even though he was rather pushy... Then again, most anything with a penis is though- testosterone tendencies, I’m afraid.”

Malcom chuckled at the joke but rubbed the back of her neck with anxiety from the situation. “But... I actually like him, Surrex. He’s different than any other person I’ve ever spoken with; especially a human. The way he looked at me... I felt like he looked right through the façade to who I am- this Malcom, not the show I give as Mercy. The way he talks to me... He has a pure heart. I can feel it. I felt it when he kissed me- even through the liquor. He’s so... Kind. But he’s haunted too...” Malcom’s eyes downcast. “He has lived on his own for a long time. He’s twenty-five...”

“Quite a bit older than you, dear... Seven years in human time.”

“Yes, technically... But... He’s so...” She sighed and tugged at her hair. “His mother died when he was young, very young- two, I think he said. His father went to drinking and became abusive, both emotionally and physically. When he was a teenager, he was raped by his best friend after admitting attraction to both men and women. When his father found out about the ordeal, Andy was cast out because ‘it wouldn’t have happened if he wasn’t whoring around in the first place’,” Malcom mocked an older man’s drawl and made air-quote motions with her fingers. “But before his dad put Andy on blast for being ‘one of those gays’, the two of them got into a physical altercation. He’s been running and hiding ever since, trying to dodge the cops and a nasty assault charge- things that are bad in the human realm. He’s all alone, Surrex. I... I know what that feels like... It’s a terrible thing to have in common with someone.”

“How are you alone, Miss Malcom?” Surrex asked, tilting her massive, streamlined head. “You have your mother, father, a farm of dragons, as many pups and kits as you wish... And a very committed best friend. You don’t seem alone to me at all. Much to contrary, I wouldn’t fancy the amount of company you keep.”

Malcom took a deep breath and snatched a black hairbow from her wrist, using the stretchy band to pull her mane of fluffy hair out of her face. “My relationship with my parents... It’s complicated. Very complicated. I get along with my dad way better than my mom. At least he listens- sometimes. My mom? She... Just doesn’t. She gets so angry and defensive over everything. But it’s never consistent. I never know what to expect from her. Sometimes we’re best friends- like today- and sometimes it’s like I live in a house with a stranger... I really don’t know anything about her if we’re being honest... I mean, as far back as I can remember, she’s never even left McKnight Manor. What kind of person never leaves her house?...” Malcom trailed, her blue eyes down-casting as she rubbed the back of her hand nervously and Surrex dipped her head intently to show she was listening.

“And your father?” Surrex pried, nuzzling her master’s knee tenderly as she tried to skew her companion’s troubling thoughts.

Malcom inhaled, scrunching up her nose as she tried to think of how to respond. “My dad?... Even though my father is a Peacekeeper Lord, my parents are still Stained. I must be careful, guarded- all the time, constantly. I must be safe. If not, something bad could happen to me. I’m their only child and a lot of members of the Dark Law Ordinance want to hurt me and my parents. The fact that we are just existing is risky business and I understand that, but they don’t think I get it...” She sighed and then grabbed onto the side of her wall with one hand and used the other to gently latch onto Surrex’s head. An unspoken command was transferred between the two and the dragoness lowered her master from the windowsill down into the dewy grass below. Malcom sat cross-legged with her back to the house and Surrex curled up beside her like a humongous resting mare. Unknown to the two of them, just inside the wall, Cadyn was stirring honey and herbs into tea water for his wife, eavesdropping on their conversation without meaning to hear it at all.

“... But I almost feel like they’re too strict. I can’t be out after dark, I can’t go anywhere alone, I can’t let anyone they don’t know in on the secret that I have a joined-soul, I can’t do magic unattended, I can’t get to know anyone unless they meet them first... I’m literally just caged and trapped, and they suffocate me. I don’t feel like my mom understands. She’s had my dad as far back as she can remember now, she had amazing parents, and she’s had a great life and she’s done so much and seen all these places. My Grandma Jayle has travelled all over the world with my mom. And I mean, yeah, my dad had a rough childhood, but he had a great young adult life and he’s prospered- obviously. And me?” She opened her arms and motioned gently at the great silver beast. “I’m talking to my dragon at like three in the morning... Because they got you for me, so I wouldn’t talk to just myself at like three in the morning.” Malcom let out an exasperated sigh and shifted, flopping down into the wet grass, staring thoughtfully up at the starry sky. As her master finished, Surrex began to nod slowly, taking in the rushed whispers that Malcom spoke to her. She craned her head down and affectionately nuzzled the restrained mess of curls.

“What happened to your father? You said he had a rough childhood.”

“When he was young... I think he was five?... The Dark Law Hounds broke into his house and killed his mother and father for treason due to unlawful and unclean marriage. He was an orphan. Lorem, but he wasn’t named Lorem then- he changed his name after the tragedy- took him into the mountains and raised him with other dragons until he was twenty or so. He lived in the mountains for something like fifteen human years. Then when Dad led Lorem and the other dragons down from the mountain to breed and trade, he met my mother during an auction. They started talking right then and there when my mom fell in love with Lorem and his forest green eyes. My grandparents did not approve of her being romantically involved with a nomadic dragon whisperer from the mountains- which I can understand. But they were inseparable and determined. My mother wouldn’t listen to her parents and my father didn’t heed their warning either. He came to see her every night and eventually he came to stay with her family after my grandma and grandpa accepted that he was more than just a deadbeat orphan. And there’s a lot of bits and pieces in there that don’t really matter. A cottage in the woods, a marriage, and a consummation later; you have me. My mom has told me that there is some family secret on her side that I’m not to know about yet- again, to protect me. But I mean... I’m eighteen human years old and still have no clue what the hell it is that is so important it can’t be told to her own daughter...” Malcom trailed as she noticed Surrex’s shocked stare.

“He lived among dragons?” Surrex seemed bewildered by this, as she had barely heard the rest of the story. “For more than a decade in the mountains?”

“Well, he is a shapeshifter. So, it was easy to blend in.”

“Shapeshifters can’t shift into mythical creatures though... Not unless...” Surrex’s molten orange eyes had nearly swallowed her pupils in shock.

“Unless they Blood Bond. Or have some way to transfer magic. Lorem let my father share his magic; they bonded blood shortly after escaping to the mountains. He hasn’t transformed into a dragon for many years, but he can if need be- or at least he says he can. I don’t know if I’d believe it... I’ve never seen him do it, but my mom says that it is very draining for him so that’s why he doesn’t. It takes a lot of concentration and a lot of magic to shift into something as glorious as... Well, a dragon. And you know, there might be a big scary ordinance guy out there just waiting to find my dad through his magical ways... They say that’s why I can’t do magic... Because it would be easy to track us... But... I just... Just...” Malcom kicked her feet in frustration and silenced herself, looking at the moon as Surrex stared at the stars. After a few moments of silence, Malcom sighed and closed her eyes.

“I don’t really have any other family either, you know... I have my grandmother on my mom’s side. My grandpa died when I was little- like three or four I think? I was playing with him and then we came home and the next day my mom and dad told me had died from a long-going sickness... I miss him a lot, actually... He made me my dragon nightlight. He was the only one who understood me... and really, really listened... you would have loved him a lot, I think...” then she trailed, listening to the sounds of Surrex breathing. The dragoness looked fondly at her new rider and shook her head at how many scattered thoughts plagued her young mind. She craned her neck inward again, nuzzled Malcom’s cheek softly, and purred into her ear.

“This has been very enlightening for me, young master. But young lady... You’ve had me all but lie to your parents on the first day of my life in your family. Enough horror stories and fairytales for tonight. No crimson-haired prince is going to climb in through your window and make love to you on my watch... At least not tonight.” She winked then pressed her muzzle to Malcom’s chest. With a final playful growl, Surrex scooped the young girl up with her head and hoisted her back to her window. She chuckled and gently tossed Malcom past the windowpane and into her bedroom. A soft thud echoed as she landed in the pile of stuffed animals on her bed. Surrex brought herself down on all fours and began to walk toward the dragon pasture, her delicate paws leaving faint tracks in the dewy wet grass. Malcom peered out the window one more time and smiled affectionately at her new friend.

“In speaking of boys- have fun with Lorem. Enjoy your first night with the family’s alpha male.”

“I plan to,” Surrex puffed in a playful tone over her shoulder as her muscular silver body disappeared into the night. Malcom watched her go until she could no longer see the rays of silver moonlight glinting off her scales. The halfblood girl hugged her big body pillow tight to her chest and watched the silhouettes of the nightlight dragons dance around her room. She sighed sleepily and let her eyelids flutter closed, thinking of her father in the mountains, learning to fly from beasts that were eons older than him. She thought of her mother, traveling the world with her loving parents, seeing things Malcom only dreamed of. She thought of her grandfather with his big smile and loud laugh. But the final thing that crossed her mind, was Andy Coleman’s hazel green eyes and how his lips tasted of tart caramel apple and creamy sweet liquor.

Unbeknownst to anyone else in the house, Cade had made it back upstairs as Malcom was drifting off to sleep. His heart was heavy and his head was pounding as he entered his chambers. He sat down on the bed and reached out; his hands hot from preparing Cleo her tea but shaking from Malcom’s conversation with Surrex. He touched his wife’s shoulder, but she was fast asleep now. Her breathing was deep and slow, lulled into some gentle dreamland by Izzy’s enchanting voice. Cade thought briefly of waking her but disregarded it as he tucked himself into the satin sheets. He closed his eyes after a few moments, welcoming the comforting darkness and thinking of his sweet, naive, sheltered daughter and how hard he and his wife had fought to protect her, her entire life. He had kept her safe from the evils of the world for eighteen human years and with a ferocious anger in his heart, swore to continue to do so until his dying breath. It wasn’t soon after that, that sleep came again and with it, the nightmares of howling wolves with empty bellies... And the tears that tasted so bitter to the broken heart of a little orphaned boy.

5

[A Dragon’s Word]

Malcom shifted uncomfortably in her sleep; her body set afire. Her bones were aching as if they were going to split in two, her blood boiling, and skin crawling. Goosebumps covered her entire being from head to toe and she was shivering despite the uncomfortable heat of the episode. Her eyes were rolling back in her head behind her eyelids and her hair was plastered to her scalp from sweat. Inside her mind, her soul was screaming, the two parts of her spirit toiling restlessly back and forth. Her hands clenched involuntarily, and her head ached from the tension. Her mouth opened, and jaw locked hard into place, her body twitching as it paralyzed itself into an awful, rigid state of animation. Inside the blankness of her mind, he was there, familiar as her own shadow. Mercy’s eyes were soft and sympathetic, green like mint and calm as still water. They were facing each-other, both in silence as they mirrored one-another’s actions. Smiling, sticking their tongues out, wiggling their toes. This intimate, amusing, sibling-like puppeteering went on for what felt like hours.

The delicate bonding was brought to an abrupt stop when they touched palms and Mercy withdrew from her, taking a step back into the white canvas of infinity. He shook his head and disappeared in a faded shimmer, leaving her alone and feeling terribly empty in the blank Nothingness. Her soul began to twist out of the purgatorial hell as the two spirits inside her physical shell tried to make peace with one another. He wasn’t strong enough. But stronger than he used to be. He wanted to exist externally; independently. She wanted him to be real, palpable. Her heart hurt for him and she was always so pained to feel he wasn’t with her. But he was always with her. In her shadow, her reflection. Always.

A faint noise drew her out of her own mind, a distant sound that beckoned to her. It sounded almost like thunder. Come awake, it seemed to say. Trouble... There is trouble. And then there was warmth, tenderness, something touching her face. Something warm... Something... Wet? Malcom became more conscious of another sound. A voice, words... Sentences? And then the white Nothingness was fading, and reality was coming, faster and faster. The blackness of her eyelids was rushing toward her like a train. Words... A voice... A nasally, soft voice...

“Malcom! Malcom, come out of it! Come on! Malcom! Malcom!” the voice was familiar now, frantic. Her eyes snapped open, and Malcom gasped for air as if she had just been drowning. Her lungs burned, and her body ached as her muscles regained their strength and gradually went lax. The halfblood collapsed into her sheets, having been lifted several inches off the bed from being suspended on the tips of her toes with all of her weight on her shoulders. Malcom was trembling and covered in sweat as she blinked numbly at the creature in front of her. Izzy was standing at her side, tail straight up and fur spiked in all directions as she looked at her master with wide, terrified eyes. “M-Malcom? Are you okay?”

She opened her mouth to reply but the words failed her, and she found her strength was still bad. She just nodded but Izzy didn’t seem convinced and reached out to poke her with a plushy white paw.  “This is the third episode you’ve had in a month... He’s getting stronger, isn’t he? Oh, I wish Mercy could figure out another way to talk to you! Oh, sweetie, that scared me so bad. I’ve never seen you lift off the bed like that... Are you sure you’re okay?”

“F-Fine...” she managed to say at last but then a terrible commotion broke the tender moment; the sound she had heard in her dream that had brought her back from the trance she was in. She had been wrong. It wasn’t thunder. No. Instead... It sounded like... Roaring. It came again, and there was no doubt what it was this time. Without giving her body time to recover, Malcom was out of bed so fast that her entire head was throbbing with pain and she was incredibly woozy. The room began to spin as she struggled to the door, her fingertips pressed to the walls to guide herself along.

She stumbled from her bedroom and braced against the railing to the stairs, her fingers feeling the smooth wood as she raced clumsily from the house. Once outside, she found that her parents were already heading quickly toward the dragon pasture with Penny at their heels. Izzy kept close to her, watching the young girl carefully as she ran on numb, trembling feet. The roaring continued and with every frantic screech, Malcom’s headache got worse, and her stomach just twisted further with knots.

By the time she made it to the fields where the dragons of both their family and their trade were kept, she was made immediately aware of what had pulled her from the precious meeting with her brother. It seemed she wasn’t the only one who had a rough night’s sleep.

Lorem was thrashing wildly in his slumber, his expression wild with terror. Many of the dragons who were in their keep for rehoming were awake and staring at him with wide, concerned eyes. Surrex had come to be over top of him, holding his paws and wings down with her claws, her wings flapping against the wind to keep him pinned. He was larger than her, stronger than her, and was a different breed that was built for the harsh conditions of the cold mountains and wild, thick forests. One hard wing flap or a well-placed kick and Surrex could be seriously injured. And it didn’t seem to faze her.

As black smolder drifted from the male dragon’s nostrils and mouth, Surrex pushed cold, blue flame down at his maw. She was cooling his fire, trying to calm him, and attempting to ease his mind as he fought some demon foe in his sleep. Lorem howled and flailed but Surrex held firm, keeping her weight on his body. He thrashed underneath her, and she screeched behind the wall of azure fire, her eyes blazing with emotion. Malcom covered her mouth with her hands, shocked at the terrible sight as her father began to circle the two dragons. She wanted to help, to think of a spell or a charm to calm Lorem or grant Surrex strength. She had only just summoned pulses into her palms when her magic fell short due to her swimmy head and she defaulted to collapsing in the still-dewy grass.

“Dolorem!” Cade screamed, cautiously moving toward his dear friend. “Wake up! It’s not real!”

The great white beast opened his eyes at last, his entire being shaking. His pupils, despite the sunlight, were huge and black with terror. He snarled out a puff of smoke and struggled under Surrex’s smaller frame, letting out a horrible roar. He twisted under her weight until the she-dragon went tumbling into the grass with a shriek. She rolled to her paws with a limp, a gash in her right wing from where his spines and claws had caught her in the fray. She snarled at Lorem, her pupils narrowing into thin slits. Surrex shook her flanks and bellowed at him, her calming blue flame now replaced by tongues of crimson fire that nearly grazed the hysteric bull’s face. But just as she was rearing to defend herself and take a chunk out of his hide, she saw Cadyn sinking to his knees, cradling the bull’s massive head in his arms, the side of Lorem’s skull pressed tight to his master’s chest.

His scales were burning like blacktop in summer, but Cade paid the pain no mind. Even as his skin ached and blistered, he held the terrified dragon close, stroking the broad scales across his neck. Lorem groaned against his chest; the mighty creature humbled by his fear. Cade closed his eyes and felt how his heartbeat began to race and sync with Lorem’s own. They were tethered by dragon magic- their spirits combined. And now Cade’s fear brought Dolorem nightmares.

“They were holding me. Biting me. I couldn’t save them... I tried... I... C-Cadyn... Our nightmares are returning...” Lorem was gasping for breath, his tail tucked between his hind paws as his legs and withers quivered. Malcom managed to regain some of her strength and she shakily got to her feet. Without a word, she skirted around the dragons to check on Surrex, running her hand softly down her beloved flyer’s neck.

“Lorem, it’s okay. It’s me. It’s Cadyn. You’re safe at home in the pasture. The Hounds weren’t holding you. Malcom’s new dragon was trying to calm you. She wasn’t biting you; she was easing your flame with blue fire. It’s okay. You’re okay, my friend. You’re safe.”

Lorem’s breathing slowly began to return to normal, his wings and muscles relaxing as his heartbeat eased. He slid his acidic green eyes over Surrex, alarmed by the sticky, dark red blood that was running down her wing. He pulled his still steaming head from Cade’s burning arms and approached her slowly on shivering paws. He dipped his head slightly to her and the black smoke fuming from Surrex’s nostrils began to slow and finally ceased. The other dragons relaxed, some of them laying back down to sleep while others got up to begin grazing for the day. For many of the guests in pasture, this was their first and perhaps last night witnessing the violent episodes that came with the alpha dragon’s broken heart.

“I... I didn’t mean to...” Lorem sighed, a puff of black smolder escaping his lips. “Thank you for trying to help me. Your blue fire is some of the coolest I’ve ever felt. It’s soothing, like laps of waves from a lake...” He tilted his head to the side as Cade waved a hand over Surrex’s injured wing and the cut instantly mended with stitches. The blood faded away, leaving her silver scales shiny and clean. “I’m Dolorem by the way. Lorem for short, Lo for shorter.”

“Surrexit Argento,” the dragoness breathed in her foreign voice. “Surrex for short and Surri for shorter.” She mocked kindly as Cleo made her way over to Lorem and rubbed his side softly, leaning her head against his foreleg.

“Cadyn had a bad nightmare last night. I should have known you’d feel it,” she murmured, stroking the bull’s leg. Lorem nodded, seeming to understand now the reason for his terrible dream. He could see the confusion in Surrex’s eyes, and he exhaled harshly. She had tried to save him. That, in the very least earned her some honesty.

“I raised Cade from a boy,” he told her in a strained, groggy voice. As he spoke, Lorem rested his chin atop his master’s head and began nuzzling him affectionately. “He lived with me in the mountains with the rest of my dragon clan. But the high altitudes of the Tentrion Peaks began to damage his body, his lungs, and his mind. To save him, we agreed to share magic.”

“Dragon magic?” Surrex seemed shocked. Even though she and Malcom had discussed this only the night before, the thought of a dragon offering to share magic with another being was just a concept that she couldn’t quite swallow... And she wasn’t sure what the McKnight Alpha would think of her knowing his deepest secrets. But as she feigned her surprise, Cade peered at her with his knowing, sharp gaze.

“Dragon magic,” Lorem confirmed after a moment of silence as he took a deep, painful breath. “I knew it was the only chance he had of surviving... And I vowed to always give Cadyn his best chance.” Lorem lifted his right paw and showed the palm of his pad to Surrex. Across the delicate flesh was a deep, ugly scar. Cade raised his right hand and an identical marking appeared through his skin, matching the one on Lorem’s paw. Surrex looked at the twin injuries and shook her head, in awe of what was unfolding before her. It was incredible to see for herself. “You might not be aware of it but when a dragon Blood Bonds with another Mythic, they then transfer more than just a bit of fluid. I had to give Cade some of my fire, my soul... Some of the very essence that makes me a dragon. However, the magic I gave him comes with a great consequence. As you know, magic can never be destroyed or created; only shared and reborn. Cadyn and I, our souls are joined together now. When his heart aches, my own will skip a beat. If he is in danger, I can feel it. If he is angry, my rage will burn like wildfire. We are forever part of each-other, tied together by the magic we share by heart and by blood. No one outside this family can know this. As you may have heard... Cadyn is the Lord of the Peacekeepers, a powerful sorcerer; perhaps the most powerful alive.” Lorem held her gaze. “I am his greatest weakness. If I die...”

“As do I. Lorem and I are joined. We cannot live without each-other,” Cade told Surrex with a soft smile, the dragoness clearly bewildered by all of this information. Even Malcom hadn’t told her all of this.

“So that is why you had the nightmare...” Surrex nodded, accepting this partial secret and all that came with it. She looked from Cadyn to Lorem and back again. “Is it often that these... episodes happen?”

“More recently as of late,” Lorem admitted softly. He shook his wings and puffed out a breath of black smoke, his pupils narrowing into thin slits as he gazed into Surrex’s stricken face. “I fear I’ve made a poor first impression on you.”

“Not hardly. Just remember that you owe me something now. I know how bulls work, how they think. You won’t try to control me. I follow no male.” Lorem seemed to dislike the idea of a female telling him what to do. But, considering she’d saved him from injuring himself and probably burning down half the pasture... He would make an exception. This time. Cleo smiled at the interaction between the two dragons as Malcom rolled her bloodshot eyes. She patted both of their shoulders and cleared her throat.

“Lorem, Cadyn has to make a trip to council today. I think it would be best if you sit this one out. Let him take Surrex instead. You need your rest still from the last trip and it would do Surrex good to get used to flying long distances. If that’s alright?” Cleo looked from Lorem to Surrex then back again. The two dragons simply shrugged their massive shoulders and Cade nodded in agreement. He stroked Surrex’s side softly and let out a long, heavy breath.

“Alright. Let’s get you ready for flying, shall we?”

***

THE STABLES WHERE DRAGON gear was kept was something quite magical all its own. The barn was a massive structure, fifty feet high with oak beams painted a dark cream. Although almost the entire stable consisted of holding cells for visiting dragons that had description sheets stapled to the wooden door fronts, there were currently two lanes that stuck out from the rest. Lorem and Surrex had gold plates on their stalls that were inscribed with their full names and the proper translations, gender, breed, age, weight, birthplace, and their designated rider. This was a mark of permanent residency- one that every dragon present hoped to someday find with a rider who matched the spark in their soul.

Lorem walked dutifully into his unit, eager for the soft hay bedding and comfort of security. He used his whip-like tail to wrap around the handle and close the door to give him privacy. He laid down gratefully in the relaxing grass and let the sweet aroma of other dragons lend him a temporary peace of mind. Lorem still watched Surrex carefully as Cade led her to her own space. She tilted her head in wonder and read the words on her description plate. She looked around at all the beams of wood and how delicately each splinter seemed to be carved. Silver roses were painted on her door, something Cleo had done before her arrival when learning that her name translated to Silver Rose. Cadyn slipped into her stall and removed her tack from the wall. Her gear was all new, and most of it was a dark, burnt orange that matched the color of her eyes. Lorem couldn’t help but chuckle at the peculiar look she gave his friend as he began to fit her harness into place.

The blanket he laid across her back was a soft fabric to keep her comfortable on the long flight. Her saddle went next, Surrex calmly standing still as Cade knelt to fasten the straps under her belly to hold the gear in place. The safety strap across her chest made her a bit more uneasy- Lorem could tell by the way her pupils narrowed as it was tightened and adjusted. Her headgear was simple- just a band around her muzzle and then the reins. She did, for all it was worth, look lovely in her riding material. However, she seemed unhappy with the tack but didn’t complain when the Lord of the Peacekeepers attached travel bags to her mount before climbing atop her back. She tossed her head lightly as she stepped forward with a slight limp, still favoring her injured leg.

She walked silently from her stable, the dark orange of her dressing bringing out the fire in her eyes. Surrex lifted her head at Lorem and he raised an eye-ridge at her from inside his stall. “Well,” she said after a moment. “How do I look? Tame yet?”

“Never tame, simply humbled,” Lorem chuckled, dipping his head to her. Surrex shrugged off Lorem’s comment about her appearance and nuzzled Malcom affectionately, rubbing her slender muzzle across her rider’s head of curly hair. She, for a moment, felt that her beloved was askew and the two shared a brief, silent connection before pulling away. Worry etched through Surrex’s face, but Malcom reassured her with a small smile. They would talk more later. The atmosphere suddenly seemed to shift between them, and Malcom chuckled at something the two were thinking about together- something about red hair and green eyes. The dragoness rolled her eyes but then winked at her in passing before flexing her wings to get the blood flowing as she stepped out into the pink rays of morning sun.

“Please, take care of my master... Cadyn is my dearest friend. If you kill him, I die too!” Lorem called to her in a teasing voice but there was a tone of urgency to the message. Surrex rolled her eyes at him and snorted, black ash shooting from her nostrils. The silver she-dragon let out a brilliant roar and took off in a canter, only slightly favoring her injured paw. After picking up a bit of speed, she stretched her wings out and they caught air. She flapped them only once and leaped, twirling mid-jump as she rose higher and higher into the sky.

“And you take care of Malcom!” she called down as she turned, circling back above the stable. Cleo waved up to them and blew a kiss to her husband. Surrex roared a spout of blue fire and beat her paws against the air, her wings cutting through the currents as she soared into the sky.

“You have my word...” But as Lorem murmured the promise, he noticed something odd about Malcom as she stood at the opening to the grand barn. She was watching her father and her dragon soar away, but her mind was elsewhere. Not in her own head; not in the Nothingness with her brother’s spirit (as she had been in recent months). No, her mind was off to a place much more frightening than her own subconscious. She ran a finger tenderly across her lips and tilted her head, watching as the distance between herself and her father grew further and the distress of being torn away from her brother began to melt away.

Lorem watched Malcom more intently through the gap in the gate of his stall door. He finally pushed himself to his paws, dipping his muzzle down to what would have been a salt-block to a horse. Instead there was a half-gnawed square of some other type of mineral. He was just about to take a bite from the side when a faint, brief, and strange scent blew in on the breeze. In that moment, he pinpointed the off subject of his curiosity. His strong sense of smell hadn’t failed him, and an unfamiliar aroma drifted into his lungs. Not the aftershave Malcom used as a man or the mix of Cadyn’s herbal fragrances. Instead, he recognized the tinge of alcohol and the burning it brought to his nose. And something else. Perfume? No. Cologne. Strong cologne. Something sweet. Something foreign. Something... Human.

Malcom, suddenly aware of the dragon’s searing eyes on her, whisked around on her heels, and raised her eyebrows innocently at him. Lorem saw right through her. He nosed open his stall door and walked over to her, his pupils narrowing in suspicion as she smiled at him with sugar-sweet pearly whites. With her curls framing her tired face and her half-shirt hanging off her shoulder, she looked so simple and... Innocent. But however hard she tried, there was a mischievous gleam in her eye that Lorem affectionately recognized in the reflection of her father.

“What have I promised myself into?” he asked, lowering his great head to make eye contact with his youngest master.

“Girl talk. Something a big bull like you wouldn’t understand,” Malcom countered so quickly that Lorem knew in an instant she was lying. “But hey, how about you stop being a scaly version of my dad and let’s do something useful. If you’re feeling up to it, I need to take some of the dragons into town for auction today. Mind if I catch a ride? Or are you too old for dragon games now?” she teased.

“Too old to fly maybe, not too old to walk.” Lorem joked as he nuzzled Malcom affectionately. He found that in such close proximity to her, the foreign scent was only stronger. He huffed at her, a black plume of smoke escaping his lips. Lorem was just about to question her further when Malcom began to head off back inside the stable to fetch his tack and packing bags. Despite his vow to Surrex, he had an odd feeling that there was suddenly more to his unease than just a nightmare. Lorem shook his flanks and cast a single, wary glance over his shoulder into the clear, blue sky. He thought briefly of Surrex- the strange silver dragon who had spent her entire life hiding among the mountain tops of Transylvania half a world away. He wondered also about Malcom and what secret she was trying to protect... And what it had to do with a human being somewhere on Earth.

6

[Blue as the Sky]

Malcom whistled a happy tune as she and Lorem led the way into Grillionville. Dragon auctions occurred only twelve times a year, and for three days each month. Dragon traders from all over the world and from all three realms would recruit dragons of every kind. They were offered the opportunity to come live among Mythical beings, to be part of a relationship as sacred as marriage- for the bond between a rider their dragon was forged in steel and as valued as gold. Some dragons longed for the sole companionship of their own kind, living their entire existences with no need or want for outside interaction, and some dragons... Some couldn't stand to be away from their riders, and their magic bound so close that to be separate was to be all but dead. Auctions were times of great joy, when families could become whole and missing pieces could be found. And for the month of June, Malcom got to experience the delights of a dragon auction all by herself as her father rushed off to council with the other Peacekeepers.

She patted Lorem's side, holding his reins tighter as they trotted into town. “I had a nice adventure into the Nothingness before your fit woke me up,” she told him as they carefully made their way through the ecstatic crowds that were gathering for the day’s festivities. Behind them, the other dragons they had been fostering were trailing after eagerly, their information tags and temporary riding tack on and in place.

“Oh? Did you see your brother there again?” he asked, and she nodded. “You’ve been having your own episodes as much as your father and I have. I wonder if it means anything...” he trailed as Malcom waved at a few people she knew and they both dropped the heavy subject and instead focused on the day at hand. She and Lorem made their way over to the arena where her father brought the creatures they kept for trade. She hopped off his back and gave his scaley neck a kiss.

“Ah, don’t go overthinking again. I’m sure it’s nothing. You just be good, huh? Make sure they don’t get too rattled. You know how first timers are,” she whispered to him, affectionately stroking his long, broad neck before turning on her heels to address the twelve great beasts who were about to begin a new journey. Some of them were quivering with excitement, all but rolling smoke from their nostrils due to nerves. Others were steely and calm, looking as if they couldn’t care less even though their eyes were glinting with anxiety. Malcom walked down the line of them and picked the top three of the group, two males and one female. They were the healthiest and best looking of the collection and she brought them to the front to stand outside the gate. Lorem called the other nine into the arena to gather around him, beginning to give them his speech about presentation and decision making. Choosing a family was one of the biggest moments of their lives. It wasn’t something to take lightly.

Malcom stared at Dolorem fondly, remembering the stories her father had told her about how he came to be with their family. Lorem himself was a Black Claw Dragon who had been born in the Gauthien Islands. As an egg, he had gotten left behind by his family and was later found by a trader who brought him to an auction somewhere in Tentrion. He then came into the possession of William C. McKommas and became loyal to his family- right down to every auction and event since his hatching. Malcom couldn’t imagine ever not having the stubborn bull in her life.

The halfblood shook her head to clear her thoughts and prepared to address her top three- as people were already staring and talking, looking in their bags and purses to see what they had to trade. Before she had a chance to get out a single word, she was bowled into the grass by some unforeseen mass. The smell of sunshine and honeysuckle immediately swept over her and she laughed, wrapping her arms around the tan young lady who had come crashing into her.

“Hi, Malcom!” Cia laughed, kissing her friend warmly before hopping back on her bare feet. She helped her best friend up then leaned against the wooden fencing of Cade’s arena, admiring all the dragons the McKnights had brought to trade this month. “Wow. A good group. Twelve dragons? They’re beautiful too.” She turned her head and looked at Malcom’s top three. The lone female seemed to be drawing the most attention- as she should have. She was in her prime, anywhere between three and five hundred years old. Her scales were a deep, metallic black and her claws and crests were a bright, rich blue. Her eyes were the same color as her points, a heavy shade of cobalt that reflected her proud nature and good health. Cia gawked at her and the dragoness smiled, dipping her head to the half-troll.

“I’ve never seen a pitch-black Ridgeback before,” she gasped with a shake of her head. “You’re beautiful.”

“Thank you, dear,” the she-dragon responded with a purr. Her voice was heavy with a foreign accent, similar to Lorem’s own. “I appreciate it.”

Malcom walked along the trio, checking to make sure that their names, origins, breeds, and ages were all correct. She circled them once to ensure that they had no injuries or blatant scars that needed to be made apparent to potential traders. One of the males, the biggest of the three, had a broken horn and a scar that ran across the entire right side of his face. She would need to address that before he could be auctioned off. She came back to where she'd begun and started in the middle with the lone female, touching her smooth neck scales with delicate, dainty fingertips as she read the stats off the dragoness’s information plate.

“Gauthien Island Ridgeback- gender: female, age: 525, color: black and teal, height: 10’2”, never bred, never rode, never tamed, name: Iralah.” She looked up at her and the great creature nodded to confirm her information was valid.

“It’s pronounced Ire-ale-ee-yah,” she corrected with a smile, tilting her head as a little boy pointed at her and squealed to his father about how pretty she was. Malcom nodded then stepped to the right, looking at the big, tall male who had a broken horn and a scar. He was intimidating for sure, so it surprised her that he had chosen to come from where he was born to be among Mythics. He seemed like a loner, with his cool golden gaze and icy demeanor. He was older, and it seemed that he had succeeded most of his life on his own and by being a survivor kept by solitude and force. She touched his chest lightly but found that he didn’t shy away from her nor did she feel threatened by his presence.

“Tentrion Continental Northern Horned- gender: male, age: 808, color: gray and black, height: 14’5”, bred prior, never rode, never tamed, name: Xanzyr.” She found that the name fit him. It was pronounced different than it was spelled, and it matched his stony, powerful disposition. Zanzer. He dipped his head slowly to her, lowering his head so that his dark, molten gold eyes were only inches from her face.

“Correct, dragon rider.” His voice was a lot lighter than she expected, gravely and raw but not as deep as she anticipated. She noticed the scar across his face was actually far worse than it looked from below him and her eyebrows furrowed with worry.

“What’s the scar from?” She asked, needing the information just in case his future family wanted to know. When she saw his pupils narrow, Malcom tensed. She thought at first that she had offended him but then he began to answer her anyway.

“A fight with a fellow dragon- though I much despise to say he is part of my breed. He was an aggressive beast from the darker side of my region. He tried to force my mother to be his mate after murdering my father. I know the scar is deep, but he paid the ultimate price for his wickedness. Same with the horn, since I know you shall ask about it. It was broken in the fight and then was charred with dragon’s fire- so it has never grown again. I have impaired vision in my right eye from the fight as well. You may make note of that. I might be damaged, but I am not broken... You should make note of that,” he spoke smoothly and quickly but Malcom was able to keep up with him. She nodded fondly at him then stepped away, over to the last dragon in her top three. She was just about to read off his information when one of the people from the crowd of bystanders began to approach her.

“Very impressive line-up,” the speaker was an older woman in a dark gray cloak. Her amber eyes were shining with fascination, the interested buyer already touching a bag at her hip. She raked her gaze carefully over each of the dragons and she stopped and drew a sharp breath when her eyes fell on Lorem. “I’m quite impressed by this assortment for you to be so young of a trainer...” She dipped her head to Malcom, admiring both Iralah and Xanzyr before resting her gaze back on the Alpha. “Can you tell me more about the white bull with the black points?...” Malcom was opening her mouth to tell the woman that Lorem wasn’t for trade, when she was cut off abruptly by a panicked voice.

“Miss! Miss, may I bother you for just a moment?” The cry made Malcom turn away from her first query and Cia perked in attention from where she was chatting with Iralah. A man stood leaning on a cane a few paces away, gawking at the blue and teal dragoness. Iralah acknowledged him instantly and gave him a small bow and he quickly returned the gesture. As this exchange occurred, the lady who had been talking to Malcom stepped back into the crowd and melted away among the numerous other faces.

“A beautiful beast you are,” the old man whispered, his pupils large. He was an elderly Mythic- an elf. He was nearly bald with just wisps of gray hair and tired brown eyes. He began to dig around in the pockets of his worn green coat but looked distraught to find they were empty. “My granddaughter is ill. She has a sickness in her bones that makes them weak... and no amount of magic or medicine has been able to cure it. She cannot walk well so I was hoping to find a creature for her to ride. Her favorite colors are blue and black... And she has always longed for a dragon... Oh, if she could have one, she could do more than walk, she could...”

“She could fly,” Iralah finished his statement, her cobalt blue eyes darkening with emotion. She looked herself over, then looked at Malcom, then the man. “Oh, the poor dear... I’m sure she’s just the sweetest thing...”

The man quickly, with shaky hands, fumbled with a chain around his neck. He stepped nearer to the dragoness and opened a locket that was hung from tarnished links. Inside the bronze frames was a worn, faded picture of a beautiful young elfin girl with hair as black as coal and eyes as brown as earth. Iralah rolled a stream of smoke from her maw, her eyes glossing with sympathy. She looked at the old man fondly and nuzzled his side. He squealed happily at being shown compassion by a dragon as marvelous as this and his entire face lit up as years seemed to flee away from him.

Malcom’s heart ached but she knew she couldn’t just give her top dragon away to a stranger... No matter how badly she wanted to. He was reading Iralah’s information tag, all but bursting from excitement of meeting what was surely fate’s hand chosen dragon for his ailing granddaughter. But he also looked distraught, as he knew he probably didn’t have anything in his life worth trading for this miraculous being. He then whipped around to face Malcom, tears glossing his tired eyes.

“I have no articles worth your Iralah. I know that... believe me, I know it... But for my sweet Kate... I have three magical creatures... A black male unicorn, a white she-wolf, and a blue dragoness. Now, I know they aren’t worth what Iralah surely is... But they are wonderful beasts- all of them- and I...”

“Bring them to me,” Malcom urged, her voice catching in her throat. “Let me see for myself.” She was trying to hold firm as her father did, attempting with all her might to do him justice. The old man’s eyes shined with hope as he hurried off to collect his offer, his cane tapping rapidly on the ground as he scuttled away. Malcom reached reassuringly for Cia’s hand; the troll just as touched as she was.

What felt like eons in heartbeats later, the old peddler came shuffling back, mumbling to himself worriedly as he did. He was leading a beautiful black male unicorn by a set of worn, weather-rotten reins. He displayed the horse proudly for Malcom, a timid-stepping white wolf heeling to every move he made. Malcom gulped, hoping that these two random creatures would somehow be enough to equal what Iralah was worth. She walked a circle around the old man, inspecting the unicorn with expert eyes. He was rare, that was for sure. Unicorns were usually white, gray, or a mixture of the two. Purebred unicorns were almost never any other color, especially a solid black as dark as this. Malcom looked for some type of sign that might suggest he wasn’t pedigree, but she couldn’t find anything. His tail was arched, his horn was real, his hooves held signs from where his ancestors had once had cloven feet- a faint line down the middle. He was of a lithe build and had rich, streamlined muscles. The magic aura he gave off was strong enough to mark him as full-blooded. It was then that Malcom found the drawback to this majestic creature.

“He’s gelded?” She asked with a trace of worry in her voice, and the old man seemed to deflate, looking down at his feet as if he was hoping she wouldn’t notice. He nodded slowly and Malcom let out a sigh. A unicorn as healthy and as rare as this one deserved to be bred. His dark coloring was a mutation that would only occur one out of a million unicorn births and she was likely to never see another in black for as long as she lived. And he was worthless as a stud. It was an absolute waste of his magnificence and how rare it truly was. She stayed optimistic though and decided to properly greet the beast anyway, perking up with a genuine smile.

“My name is Malcom. Malcom McKnight,” she introduced and, knowing that unicorns were often as proud as dragons, she offered him a curtsey. He neighed softly at her then bowed his head, his impressive horn dipping till it touched the ground.

“My moniker is Drailen,” he countered back to her. His voice was beautiful, rich and smooth like velvet sky. He was beautiful. But, being gelded?... His appearance just isn’t enough.

“Can he work?” Malcom asked the old man and he instantly looked panicked. “I can’t breed him. Can he work at all, sir? He is very beautiful... But his looks alone aren’t enough in trade for Iralah.” The grandfather elf went to open his mouth but Drailen cut him off with a whinny. He stepped forward and looked Malcom in the eye and she saw a ferocious determination in those amber depths.

“I can learn, m’lady. I have never been asked to tow carts or plow land, but I can learn. I haven’t been ridden much but I won’t resist it. I know that being gelded makes me worthless as a stallion. Trust me, I know. But I can work for you, I can learn how. William has been very good to me. I would like to be able to be good to him.”

Malcom listened to what the unicorn had to say, and her heart ached when she heard the man’s name. William was a name that held heavy in her family and she felt she would be wishing for bad karma if she just turned him away. She nodded slowly, taking in his words. This horse was noble and that was an admirable quality. She rubbed the back of her neck and sighed, the aching in her heart fighting with the knowledge in her head. She motioned down toward the white wolf who was still faithfully heeled at William’s feet.

The beautiful creature stepped forward and dipped her head politely. She was very large for a female, healthy, light-footed, and had a wonderful, muscular phasic. The tips of her ears came to the bottom of Malcom’s chest and she stood tall and proud, her pelt free of scars or unattractive marks. Overall... she was an impressive canine. And yet Malcom wasn’t sure if she could even trade for her. Her father was absolutely terrified of wolves. He never kept them, never traded them, and never owned them. Yet, here she was, looking at the one creature in the entire world and all three of its levels that Cadyn McKnight truly feared. Malcom’s heart drummed in her chest when she realized that she was possibly going to trade her for an absolute gem of a dragon at a mere fraction of her worth.

“Tell me about yourself if you don’t mind. Please.”

“My name is Lilian,” she told Malcom in a voice as smooth and sweet as honey. “I was born barren, but my maternal instincts are high. I can still produce milk and I can do anything you’d need me to. I am best with children, but I am also good in times of sickness or sadness. I am motherly and kind. I do not bite or growl unless I am protecting someone I love. I have never shown a single sign of aggression- just ask Will! I cared endlessly for Katherine. She was my entire world...” Lilian took a breath that seemed painful, and Malcom could see the honest tenderness in her eyes as she spoke of her fondness for William’s sickly granddaughter.

“She can’t breed either?” she asked the elf, and the old man’s face fell once more. He shook his head as his eyes downcast and Malcom’s head throbbed with all the decisions.

“William, is that right?” she asked and he nodded. “I am very sorry for your situation... But a barren white nanny wolf and a gelded black unicorn are worth only a mere fraction of any of the dragons I have brought to trade today...”

“Wait! What about the dragon!” Drailen interrupted, stomping his hooves. “Will, you still have the dragon!”

“That dragon is worth less than you two are apart,” he whispered to the stallion, tears welling in his eyes and his throat taut from holding back sobs. Malcom glanced sideways at Cia and her best friend only gave her a reassuring smile. She rolled her blue eyes and sighed before looking at William once more. He had already begun to walk away, weeping silently with Lilian and Drailen following him, just as crestfallen as their master.

“Tell me about the dragon!” Malcom called at last and all three of them perked up. William spun on his heels so quickly he nearly fell even with the support of his cane. Though Malcom was offering him hope, his eyes were round with shock and worry.

“She’s an old veteran. She fought in the Dragon Wars and she was the only one of her company to survive, Mythic being or beast. She’s aggressive and stubborn. She isn’t pretty anymore, though I’m sure she once would have been. She’s a smaller female, but stout and muscular. Because of that, she is very strong. The man I bought her from traded her to me with Drailen. He just wanted to get rid of her because he said she was as useless as a guard dog with no bark.” He licked his lips, wringing his hands nervously. “She broke her right wing during the wars and she’s a rough flyer now because of it. That’s why I never dreamed of mounting Katherine with her...” Tears began to form again in his eyes. “One of her horns is broken and the other grows crooked. She is scarred and ragged and she walks with a limp in her gait. She’s partially deaf in one ear and is missing some of her teeth. She is extremely territorial and untrusting and as far as I know, she doesn’t do well with other dragons.” The information spilled out in a rush and Malcom had to focus to keep her jaw from dropping. Was he actually going to try and trade this beast to her?! She rubbed the back of her neck in thought. There was no harm in seeing her... Just in case.

“What are her stats? What’s her age, her breed? What’s her name, has she ever been bred? Was she ridden in the wars or used as a weapon?”

“Well... I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?...”

“Miss, I have had this dragon for five years now,” William told her with a defeated sigh as the tears finally spilled from the rims of his eyes. “And she has never spoken a word to me.”

Malcom leaned back against the fence of the arena. She rubbed her face with her hands and groaned into her palms. She felt Cia prodding her reassuringly and she nodded, looking up over the crests of her fingers at the worn face of the patiently waiting old man. She looked up at Iralah and the pretty dragoness nodded, as if she had faith that the beast William had described would be worth the time to at least inspect. Malcom blew out all the air in her lungs and nodded, looking into the grandfather’s exhausted brown eyes.

“Bring her to me then.”

William was away within an instant, scurrying over to his wagon without hardly using the cane. He ushered toward something behind it and there was a low growl. The old man backed up as a dragon rose from behind the cart, her posture proud and defiant. She stepped over William and headed toward Malcom’s general direction, limping heavily in favor of her injured hind leg. Her wings folded awkwardly across her flanks, probably from the break many centuries ago. Malcom could tell by the scales in her face and the definition of her horns that she was older. Much older, even more so than Lorem. The scales on her body were blue as the sky, though every so often there were a few scattered silver and white patches blended in. Her eyes were celestial blue, deep and strong as mountains.

She had a silent wisdom about her and there was something haunted in her eyes. She stopped a few paces short of Malcom and craned her neck down so that her head was parallel with the Mythic’s face. So close, Malcom could see the countless scars and battle wounds from war after war. William had been correct about everything about her. She wasn’t pretty at all. In fact, Malcom found her to be quite beautiful. Instinctively, the young girl swooped into a curtsey. The stern dragon’s only reply was to narrow her pupils and grunt, a roll of black smoke escaping her lips. She was hard, stern; nearly brutal. Malcom had never felt so humbled before in the presence of a dragon and she had never felt so much respect for one either, not even Lorem.

“May I ask your name?” Malcom whispered; her voice so low that it barely came out at all. The veteran brought her face even closer to Malcom’s own. Her pupils narrowed further until they were only slender black slits that disappeared into the pools of navy blue. She lowered her head with a growl, bringing her cheek to Malcom’s chest. She lingered there for a long time, listening to the girl’s heartbeat for what felt like centuries- as if she were searching for something. She raised her head slowly, her eyes never leaving Malcom’s gaze for even a moment. The dragoness gave a small nod and blew out another roll of black smolder.

“My name is Azura.” When she spoke, William, Drailen, and Lilian all gasped in bewilderment. “I am thirteen hundred years aged.” Her voice was not as rough as Malcom had imagined it should have been, but she also had a feeling that her heart wasn’t as hard as the dragoness made it appear to be. This one was different- special. A diamond in the rough. Malcom could just feel it.

“As you know, dragons must choose their family as much as the rider chooses them. So, Azura...” she blinked slowly, hardly daring to breathe. “Would you like to take a chance on me... to become part of my life and my family?”

The blue she-dragon raised an eye-ridge in surprise that Malcom had even seriously considered her. She was obviously used to being looked over. Azura took a step back then glanced over her shoulder at the three individuals she had arrived with. She mumbled something silently to herself then turned her head back to Malcom and offered her a small nod as another stream of smoke billowed from her nostrils.

“Well, madam... You earned yourself a gelded unicorn, a barren she-wolf, and a broken war veteran. Are we worth that pretty dragoness?” Azura asked her with an odd, untrusting edge to her voice. Malcom offered her a bright smile, still transfixed by this creature and how deeply connected she felt to her.

“Iralah, you’re going home with William. You three will come with me. I accept your offer.”

William dropped to his knees instantly and broke into mad sobbing. Lilian nuzzled him affectionately a final time then headed over to Malcom’s side. Malcom herself had to fight the tears that were welling in her own eyes. She petted Lilian’s head, while Drailen took a bit more time, grieving the departure of his dear friend. He and William talked for a long time, the old man hugging the stallion’s broad neck affectionately, tears flowing down his withered face into his beard. After a few minutes, Drailen managed to pull himself away and he trotted over to his new owner, who greeted him warmly by touching his neck with light fingers. William shared a silent goodbye with Azura, who flinched lightly under his touch. She nodded at him silently then made her way over to the arena where the other dragons were. She stopped before entering, looking at Iralah with a sour glare. Malcom’s heart hurt for her in that moment. Azura was obviously so used to being described as ugly, once-pretty, and ragged that, to see a beautiful she-dragon such as Iralah, she was probably reminded of her former glory; something that the Dragon Wars had stolen from her.

“You will watch over Katherine. You make that little girl happy; you help her walk; you make her fly. I, even in my prime, was never worth what you are. My new master was a fool to make this trade. Do not make her idiocy be in vain.” She didn’t even give Iralah, who was stunned, a chance to respond. She turned her back to her and limped into the arena, the other dragons moving aside to give the newcomer her space.

“I will take care of her. I promise, I promise all of you,” Iralah called over her shoulder to Azura but she spoke also to Drailen and Lilian. She quickly headed over to William and nuzzled the still-weeping man affectionately. Slowly, Iralah lowered herself to the ground, offering her flanks to the old man. He looked terrified, his watery brown eyes wide as he slowly, shakily climbed onto her temporary saddle, clenching his cane at his side. Once he had hold of her reins and she was sure he was in tight, Iralah pushed back up on her paws. She reared back on her hind legs and leaped into the sky, bouncing off her hind paws like a coiled spring. She splayed her beautiful teal-and-black wings and circled the trading area of Grillionville, the crowds gasping at how beautiful she looked in flight. She came back toward Malcom’s arena and lowered herself to the ground, taking the sides of William’s cart in her claws. She picked the wagon up flawlessly and stroked her wings, rising higher into the air.

“Thank you, Malcom!” Iralah called down to her former master. The halfblood only nodded and waved with teary eyes and a worried smile.

“Yes, thank you! I will never be able to repay you for what you’ve done for my Katie. God bless you, Miss Malcom.”

“And God help you when your father finds out what you’ve done.” Lorem’s voice sent chills up the young girl’s spine as he whispered in her ear. Malcom and Cia both waved at Iralah and William as the two of them flew away. Despite the happiness that Malcom felt in her heart, she cast a single glance down at Lilian and prayed silently that her father returned in a listening mood.

***

MANY HOURS LATER, AS Malcom headed back toward her home with her new discoveries in tow, the patron who had spoken to her first of her dragons was standing by the McKnight corral. As the commotion of the festival began to fizzle out around her, she was focused on the parade of dragons as they marched away. Her electric eyes sharpened and, with a strange, twisted smile on her face, she brought her hand to her mouth and spoke quickly and quietly into an orb of silver light that pulsed in her palm.

‘I saw her myself. She was selling her father’s dragons. Yes. I am sure- without a doubt. I would recognize Luxar’s steed anywhere. The McKnights are here, in Ausbury. Send word to the Lord and tell him to rally. We’ve finally found them. We’ve found them at last... And then she vanished in a shimmer of dark mist, almost as if she had never even been there at all.

7

[To be a Mother]

It was sometime late after sunset when Malcom finished at the auction. The moon was high, the stars were bright as diamonds, and the shadows were alive with night-dwellers singing their laments. She rode atop Lorem’s back, the moonlight glinting silver off his snowy white scales. Azura was a few paces behind him with the new additions quickly after. Malcom had managed to successfully rehome eleven of the twelve dragons she had taken to the arena. Only Xanzyr remained. She had four new ones to bring back to prep for the following auction come July- all wonderful additions but none quite as glamorous as Iralah had been. Drailen galloped alongside Lorem alone, for Malcom had told Lilian to branch off from them sometime back when they’d entered the forest that started the many acres of McKnight Manor. Xanzyr had gone with her to guide the she-wolf toward the pasture where she’d be staying (and where she’d have refuge from both discovery and Cade’s anger.)

Malcom shivered slightly, a cool breeze blowing through the trees, making them creak and groan as they shifted. The cold wind burned her cheeks, and she pulled her cloak tighter, instantly uneasy from the eerie shadows cast by the trees.

As the party of eight ventured into the deeper part of the forest, the canopies of the trees above blocked the moonlight from falling to the ground. Malcom raised her hand and a white glowing orb appeared from her palm. It let off just enough light to see but she was still increasingly uneasy. So close to Lorem, she could feel his discomfort as well. He was nervous, constantly looking about him as if he was waiting for Lilian to come rushing out of the woods to tear into his wings.

From behind the crew came some type of sound and Azura was quick to whip around to look. She growled lightly at the darkness, even her reptilian eyes unable to see what had made the noise. It echoed again through the trees, louder this time, and it more distinctly sounded of canine snarls and snaps. Lorem’s muscles tensed, and he took a step toward Azura’s side, the two of them staring back the way they’d came. The four new dragons were on edge as well, listening to the quiet and glancing nervously at the shadows. Drailen began to plow at the ground with his hooves anxiously, his amber eyes wild with alarm.

“Let’s go. Come on. We’ll be home within the next half hour. There’s no use in spooking ourselves,” Malcom told them all but her voice shook when she spoke and she didn’t sound nearly as confident as she wished she did.

“M’lady...” Azura didn’t get to finish her statement before, from in front of Malcom, a familiar shaggy black and brown figure appeared from the shadows. A second later, someone covered in a black satin cloak followed, holding a lantern out in front of her so that she was able to see. While Azura and Drailen seemed suspicious and wary, the only thing running through Malcom’s mind was instant dread- and not because she didn’t know who this person was- but because she did.

“Where have you been?!” The voice was nearly a hiss as Cleo pushed back the hood of her cloak to reveal her reddened, freckled face. Malcom’s eyes downcast and she opened her mouth to respond but her mother just raised a hand to indicate she wasn’t yet to speak.  “That was a rhetorical question. I know where you’ve been but why in the hell is it so late? You know the rules. You are never to be out after sunset, Malcom. Not without Cadyn or I present. What if something had happened to you?!”

“Mother, I’m not alone!” Malcom protested, growing hot in her face from anger. “Look at me! I’m riding Lorem. Behind me are five other dragons. I’m fine.”

“That isn’t the point! The point is that we have rules for a reason. I let you go to auction today because you promised me you could handle it and that you wouldn’t be out after dark. The sun set hours ago, and you haven’t so much as tossed a charm at me so I would know that you’re okay. It’s incredibly close to midnight, Malcom! Do you understand what kinds of horrible things can happen after midnight?”

“Mother, I...”

“Hush! And then I had to bring Penny out here to find you. She isn’t as young as she used to be and walking through the forests and hills at night is dangerous for her. You’re not nearly close enough to the house yet and in the thickest part of the woods. If something had tried to hurt you, it would have taken me far too long to make it to you. Do you have any idea the kind of danger you just put yourself in? Put us all in?! You’re grounded.”

“Mom!” Malcom’s jaw dropped as the words she had ready to protest simply failed her entirely.

“You are not to leave our property. You will wake up every day at seven to go tend to the dragons. You will do the chores of the house: sweeping, dusting, mopping- all of it. You will study and read on up on spells, but you are not to use magic. In fact, I will cuff you so you can’t. If you are outside, you are to be inside at dusk. If it gets dark and you’re not inside the house, the grounding will extend an extra week. Nothing technological from Earth. Not one thing. No visitors; not even Cia. You step one foot off McKnight Manor and I will turn you into a frog.”

Hot tears were streaming down Malcom’s face from anger and her cheeks burned with shame at being scolded so harshly in front of so many others. She blinked them away and gripped Lorem’s reins in her hands, her knuckles turning white from force. “I’m not a kid anymore- but clearly you haven’t noticed that!” she snapped, urging Lorem forward and the white dragon took off in a reluctant canter at his master’s command. “Stop treating me like one!” She screamed over her shoulder as she wrapped her arms around Lorem’s neck and cried into his scales, letting the sound of his paws against the earth sync with her heartbeat.

He arrived at the house quicker than she’d expected and Malcom clumsily leapt off his back. She swung her leg over his side and landed on the ground with a soft thud. She glared hatefully back across the lawn at her mother as the lantern light appeared through the darkness, leading Azura and the others. Cleo was calling to her, but Malcom didn’t listen, resentment and embarrassment flowing down her face in the form of hot, salty tears. Malcom stormed into the house, throwing open the front door as she headed through the living room, rushing to the staircase.

“Malcom, stop!” Cleo cried breathlessly as she followed her into the house. Malcom was already flying up the stairs, racing as fast as she could for the sanctuary of her bedroom. She threw a hand up in the air when she reached her safe haven. She tried to cast a spell to slam and seal her door shut but she could form no magic. She cursed out loud when she realized that her mother had already cuffed her with a hex, and now she was rendered all but mortal. Malcom ran over to her door and shut it herself, the force she used to close it enough to nearly crack the wooden seams. A few moments later, her mother knocked on the door, her fist rasping against the oak.

“Malcom! Malcom Marie, you open this door.”

“You have magic, why don’t you do it yourself?!”

“You want to be treated like an adult? Stop acting like a child!”

“You yelled at me in front of dragons I just brought back from auction! You embarrassed me like a toddler throwing a fit at a market. I just turned eighteen, Mother. Literally it was yesterday. I am not a child anymore- I haven’t been for a long time! All I want is a little freedom. I want to be able to do magic unsupervised and I want to be able to go for walks without you all knowing which blade of grass I’m standing by. I want to be able to go somewhere other than Grillionville. It isn’t fair the way you both shelter me. I have never been able to actually live. I’m sick of it!” Malcom cried, her voice cracking with pesky, fresh tears as she threw herself down on her bed and found solace in her many pillows and blankets. “I’m sorry I was out after dark...” she whimpered at last. “But I just love being away from here...”

Cleo sighed, leaning her forehead against the door. She slid down to her knees, tears welling in her eyes. Her heart ached for her child, for the life she only wished she could give her. She thought briefly about using her magic to open Malcom’s door, but she decided that would only make the moment worse. Cleo wiped her tears away and tried to calm her thoughts... no matter how much she herself wanted to scream and cry and pitch a fit.

“Malcom, you just don’t understand...”

“Make me understand! I know you and Papa hide things from me. I know our family has secrets. I know that. I know I’m Stained, and so are you, and so is he. I know we have to be careful because the Dark Law Ordinance wants to hurt us because we have mixed blood. I know Daddy has to be strong because he’s a Peacekeeper Lord and they fight against the Ordinance. I know all of that, Mother, I know! But what else? Why are we so careful if he is so strong? Why do you never show your face or leave the land? Why are you so afraid? Why is he- a powerful sorcerer- so cautious? I just want to know why.”

“I... I can’t...”

“Of course. ‘We can’t tell you yet, but someday’,” Malcom all but hissed in a mocking tone as she peered over at her window. “I’ve lived with you for almost two decades but you’re as much a stranger to your own daughter as you are to the rest of the world.”

Cleo’s heart shattered at her daughter’s words. Not because they hurt- but because she knew they were true. She’d always been withdrawn from Malcom, a lot more than she ever wanted to admit. Cleo knew so little of herself that she never knew how to answer Malcom when she asked her questions. She hid because it was all she’d ever done. She was good at hiding but not existing. She had literally spent her entire life pretending to not be real; never visiting the same place more than once too frequently, never drawing attention to herself, never traveling anywhere new where she would stand out, never doing anything that might make someone notice her. If someone noticed her, they’d notice her magic, and they’d realize how strong it was. Or they might notice the pale splotching on her skin that resulted from being a fairy halfblood. That was something that made her a target- her, and now her family. Oh... why can’t she just comprehend that we do this to keep her safe?...

“Malcom, please...”

“I just don’t understand you,” Malcom called the comment over her shoulder as she sat on the edge of her bed, hugging her favorite dragon-shaped pillow close to her chest. Her face was void of any emotion though her blue eyes were all but bursting with pain, tears streaming down her face. “You know as much about life and how to live it as you do about being a mother.”

Cleo let out a long, painful breath. Her heart thudded in her chest even though it felt like it was breaking into trillions of pieces with every beat. She wiped away the tears on her face as the silence thickened between them. Suddenly, it felt like the door wasn’t the only thing that stood in the way of her and her daughter. Cleo placed a shaking hand on the wood and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, after what felt like centuries of them being closed, she was looking down into the round, wise eyes of one of her dearest pets. Izzy purred and leaned her head against Cleo’s leg, seeming to try and encourage her.

“You’re right. I wouldn’t know much about being a mother, I guess,” Cleo said after a while. She leaned back, her head throbbing as she petted Izzy’s white coat. “And I suppose it makes since that you don’t know anything about your mother. I don’t know anything about mine either...” She sucked in a hard breath as the air thickened again between them. “I... I’ve been meaning to tell you, Malcom. For so long... I... I just didn’t know how. I’m adopted. Jayle and Daniel aren’t my biological parents. I have no clue who my real mother and father are.” She paused, catching her breath.

“I didn’t find out until I was a teenager. I found a picture of Jayle and Daniel when they were younger, and I realized I looked nothing like them. When I asked them about it, they told me everything. The only thing I know about my real parents is that my father was a guard in the Violet Fairy Kingdom and my mother was a witch who died giving birth to me. I... I have scars on my back where my wings used to be. I’ve always hid it from you because I didn’t want you to know how badly others fear what they don’t understand. My wings were clipped when I was only a few hours old. If someone was scared enough to rip wings from a baby, there is no telling what they would do to you. You see, Malcom... You are more than any halfblood has ever been. And not just because of the soul you share with Mercy. You are part witch, part fairy, and part shapeshifter. Noctora and Luxar were very, very powerful. Noctora was a very gifted shifter who learned how to hold magic just as well as any witch ever could. Luxar was one of the most powerful warlocks in all the land and he was kind and just. He used his great power for nothing but good.” Cleo paused, wiping at her eyes, her voice shaking and her body afire from years of keeping this locked away in her mind.

“My adopted parents, Daniel and Jayle... Jayle is a fairy from the Citrine Kingdom, you know that. That’s true. Daniel was a halfblood too, part warlock and part elf. Their love was forbidden, and they did flee into hiding to protect themselves. Daniel’s mother, who was raped by a warlock to conceive him, found out her son was with a fairy and she cursed him to be sterile so that he could never continue the lineage of sin... but then they adopted me. We never traveled for fun, they just made it seem that way. We moved so much to stay undetected. Magic is traceable, Malcom. You know that. That’s why we don’t let you practice alone. Your magic will be so, so strong- if we can ever teach you to properly wield it, but we’ve been too anxious to try. What if we can’t help you control it and?...” she paused, shaking her head. Cleo’s heart pounded in her chest. This next part... this was the moment she had been dreading for so, so long.

“We lied when we told you that Daniel died of sickness when you were young. An Ordinance Hound found him and killed him... he-he’d been playing with you and teaching you spells, and I guess one of them caught wind of your magic... it was so strong, it led him right to their front door. Jayle came back here with us and that hound destroyed their home. He tore it apart, board by board, trying to find the source of the magic. Trying to find you. Daniel died with your existence and whereabouts a secret... he loved you so much, Malcom... I love you so much. And I am so, so sorry...” Cleo’s throat became taut and it was difficult for her to speak. She shook her head and put her face in her hands, tears pooling into her palms.

After a long time of strained silence, Cleo lifted her head, wiping snot and tears on the back of her hand. Izzy rubbed against her affectionately, reminding her that she wasn’t alone. She stared at Malcom’s bedroom door and traced some of the woodwork designs she had done years ago, running her fingers over the curves and swirls she had carved when she was just a few weeks pregnant. The silence thickened and it broke Cleo’s heart to imagine how mad Malcom was at her and how hurt she must be. The secret of fear- of worry that Malcom’s power would be too strong to harness, to teach, or to hold because of what she was, had been one kept from birth. Cade had known from the moment he held the child in his arms that she would be a breathing target with magic so strong, the shadows would be able to taste it. That’s where the deception had begun... and had never stopped.

“Malcom,” she spoke timidly after a while. “Malcom, can I come in?” Cleo asked, forcing herself to her feet. She knocked on the door, but the silence remained, and the pretty fairy leaned her head against the wood. “Malcom, please. I’m so sorry... we can talk more- and I’ll listen, I promise! I’ll answer anything, anything...” She took the doorknob in her hand and turned it, surprised to find that it wasn’t locked. Carefully, tentatively, she pushed the door open and peered inside. Cleo’s heart jumped inside her chest when she found her daughter’s bedroom empty and the window open.

***

TEARS STREAMED DOWN Malcom’s face as she retraced her way through the dark forest, her heart aching and mind racing. She had stayed just long enough to hear what her mother said. I love you so much... That was the last thing Malcom had been able to bare. She had kept so many secrets from her for so long- they both had.

Her grandfather... she had been the reason he died! He gave his life to protect her and then her mother and father had caged her so she could never indirectly hurt anyone else again. All the other things just piled on, smothering Malcom until the air burned inside her lungs. Elite Fairies were always powerful- did that mean her mother was too? She had never seen Cleo do more than light a candle with her magic, so that couldn’t be. Or could it? Were they trying to protect Malcom or were they afraid of her? If it was so dangerous in this world, why didn’t they just leave it and go somewhere else? Why did others want to hurt her because of a magic she didn’t know she had and couldn’t even understand? What if there was more than what she knew already? What else were her parents keeping from her?

It was the day after her birthday and everything she had ever known had been ripped away from her. It was like the ground was shifting under her feet and she couldn’t anchor herself back. She felt dizzy and sick and violated and so very, very alone. Malcom headed toward the familiar rift, reaching into her pocket to pull out a tiny burgundy change purse she had gotten in trade at the auction. Her mother had cuffed her to keep her from using her own magic, but she couldn’t disband or destroy the power of someone else.

Malcom walked through the rift without a second thought, blowing fairy dust in her wake as she dropped the tiny bag to the ground. She left the Mythic world behind her as she headed onto an abandoned road on Earth, the illusion in place as the male part of her soul fermented. Malcom wiped the tears from his eyes without looking back, pulling a simple flip phone from his pocket to call the only person he felt he could go to without hurting, drowning out a lifetime of lies in a dial tone as it rang.

8

[Magic after Midnight]

Malcom leaned against a brick building at the corner of 9th Street and Porter Avenue. He rubbed his arms lightly, shivering a bit as a breeze ruffled his thick, black hair. The gray and black flannel shirt he was wearing was thin and it was just a tad bit chilly- uncharacteristically so for June. Light appeared from the darkness and a motor rumbled to break the silence. Malcom pushed himself back into the shadows in case this person wasn’t who he wanted to see. A motorcycle crept down the road, the rider looking all about. Malcom saw a lock of red hair glint in the brief beam of light from the streetlamp above. He stepped from the shadows and waved, flagging Andy down. The stranger he had met only two days prior was over to him in a second, concern thick in his hazel green eyes.

“Are you okay?” he asked instantly, reaching out to touch Malcom’s arm but he flinched away lightly, still wary of him and mostly untrusting.

“I’m having a rough night. I just... Found out some things about my family... Cia’s asleep and I don’t want to wake her... And I just... needed to get away.” Malcom’s green eyes downcast and tears threatened to fall from his lashes. Andy tried to touch him again and this time, Malcom let him. Andy rubbed his arms then slowly brought him into a hug, holding the Mythic close to his chest.

“Yeah, I know how you feel... Come on, you shouldn’t be alone,” he said to Malcom, pulling on his sleeve lightly. Andy hopped back on his bike and patted the seat behind him. Malcom took a step back apprehensively, shaking his head but Andy motioned for him to come over. “It’s okay. Have you ever ridden before?”

“My dad isn’t big on motorcycles...” he replied softly as he walked over to the vehicle. It was beautiful, a mixture of shiny chrome, black, and red. Malcom ran his fingers across the leather seat then slowly climbed on, settling in behind his companion. Andy handed him a helmet and Malcom fastened it as the motorcycle revved to life. Instinctively, Malcom threw his arms around Andy’s chest and the young man chuckled at him as he brought his feet off the ground and they took off into the night.

“You know this area has been a ghost town for years,” Andy called over his shoulder. “What were you doing out here in the middle of the night? It’s kind of dangerous.”

“I just wanted to get away,” Malcom responded, nestling his forehead against Andy’s back to block the wind. “I didn’t really pay attention to where I was going... I just didn’t want to be home.”

Andy nodded in understanding, growing silent as they tore down the streets of a city that Malcom knew nothing about. He just closed his eyes and drank in the smell of Andy’s cologne, the same scent he had been thinking about since the first time he experienced it a few days prior. The wind whipped at his ears and burned his cheeks. Malcom found that the sensation of riding on a motorcycle was similar to flying- without the fantastic view.

After what seemed like hours of endless turns and winding roads, the roaring of the bike and the howling of the wind finally came to a stop. Malcom lifted his head to see a two-story brick building, of which the bottom appeared to be some type of restaurant. Andy parked around the back and climbed off, chaining his motorcycle to a pole before locking it into place. He dug around in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys, turning them lightly into the keyhole of a white, splinter-laced door. He pushed it open effortlessly and placed his foot on the first step with a glance over his shoulder.

“Come on. I won’t bite,” he told Malcom as he followed uneasily. Inside of her subconsciousness, every sensory feeling she had was going haywire. Her mind was buzzing with fear and wariness. She barely knew this man and she was going to go to his house? Alone? Nobody knew where she was- an entire world away with no magic to defend her. Cold dread settled in her stomach and Malcom began to regret her decision but she was also driven by another instinct besides fear- curiosity.

He stepped up to the doorframe without much hesitation, squaring up to Andy with a smile. The young man just nodded and headed up the stairs, Malcom following slowly after. Off the top of the staircase, there was a small hallway that led to a single door. Malcom tilted his head, looking around at the surrounding deep burgundy wallpaper and ugly, wire-like black carpet. Andy walked straight to the lone door and pushed a key into the lock. He opened the door and stepped inside a darkened space. As he flipped a switch that flooded the corridor with yellow light, Andy cast a glance over his shoulder.

“Well, come on then. Don’t you trust me?”

“Trust you? I hardly know you.” Even as he said it, Malcom was slowly, cautiously, nearing the doorway. He peered inside to see that the apartment was quite small. It really wasn’t a full apartment; more so just one big room. The living area wasn’t separate from the bedroom- even though it was just a bed and small nightstand- or the kitchen. It was all one space, divided by differences in flooring and tile. The kitchen was just a sink, a bit of counter-space, a small island, and a stove. The entirety of the home was minimized into something that fit into no more than fifty feet. Malcom stepped inside and closed the door quietly behind him.

“You live alone?”

“Almost,” Andy told him, giving a whistle. From the bed, something moved between two pillows. A small, fluffy head surfaced from the mound of blankets and barking ensued. A flash of ginger raced across the room and a cute, red-and-white mutt pawed ecstatically at Andy’s legs. He laughed and reached down, picking up the yipping pup who covered him in licks.

“This is Gizmo. He’s my only friend,” Andy told Malcom with a warm smile that made his heart flutter. The way Andy addressed his pet with so much mirth just reflected the kindness of his soul- and reminded the Mythic of her own dragon back in Ausbury.

“Hi, Gizmo,” Malcom greeted in a small, sweet voice as he eased a hand across the pup’s head and ruffled his ears. The wagging canine rolled into the affection, covering the Mythic’s fingers in licks and nibbles. Malcom chuckled, crinkling his nose at the small dog. “What is he?”

“Good old mutt,” Andy replied simply, plopping the pup down onto the rug. Gizmo ran around them in circles then decided he was thirsty and bounced into the kitchen area, sliding as his claws lost traction and he skidded into his water bowl. Andy shook his head and ran a hand through his crimson hair. “He’s part Australian Shepherd, part Dachshund... Then mixed with something else. But he’s my little buddy.” Andy shifted, his face red from talking so affectionately about his dog. He motioned around the small apartment. “I know it’s not much, but this is home to me.”

“You live above a diner?” Malcom asked casually, using the small talk to combat his nerves. He cautiously took a seat on the couch that was somehow both in the middle of the living room and on the edge of the kitchen. Andy nodded as he shuffled into the dining space and emptied his pockets, laying on the counter a wallet, a small knife, and a lighter. He then spun around and opened the fridge, scrounging around inside. He pulled out a bottle of some type of alcohol and poured it into a glass.

“I work downstairs in the diner actually. It’s an old flashback eat-in to the 70’s and 80’s. It has the black and white checker floor and the red leather booths, and all the prices are insanely low. All the food is hand made every day, nothing is pre-packaged or frozen. Exclusively there is music from the 50’s through the 80’s, and only that kind. The uniforms are all vintage from that era. It’s a really amazing place to work.” Andy poured orange juice into the glass with the clear alcohol and took a long drink. “When I first got the job three years ago, Gizmo and I lived out of my old Chevy. The owner was so impressed by my ambition, that one day he saw me go to my truck after work to sleep and he told me there was a vacant apartment above the diner he used to meet up with women before he fell in love and got married. He used it for an office mostly. He offered it to me. I’ve been up here ever since. I don’t pay rent, that’s covered for my labor in the diner below. I only take care of utilities, and Gizmo of course. It’s a pretty nice deal.” He took another drink.

Malcom found himself leaning his chin against his palm as he listened to Andy talk. There was something about the way his eyes lit up when he talked about the diner, how much detail he remembered and cherished. Malcom was transfixed by his mannerisms, the way we held his shoulders and the way he pronounced words. He kept looking for something in his story, something in his tone, or something in his eyes that would prove to be a lie. Malcom was trying to find some type of major fault with Andrew Coleman. And so far... He couldn’t.

“What do you do? In the diner? Are you a waiter, a cook?” Malcom asked as Andy came over to the couch and sat down beside him, offering him a sip of whatever concoction he had made. Malcom shook his head vigorously and pushed the glass away from his lips and closer to his companion’s own. Andy raised an eyebrow at him but shrugged and took another sip.

“Both. All. I serve, I host, I cook, I clean...” Andy swished a bit around in his mouth. “But my favorite part? I sing. Every Friday night, the diner has a concert during dinner... and I sing for the guests. Elvis mostly- he’s my hero and my partial namesake. That’s my favorite part of the job.” He took a long gulp of the drink and nearly emptied the glass. He smiled in that smooth, charming way at Malcom and the Mythic felt his face burn red- his otherworldly worries temporarily forgotten. “How come you won’t share a drink with me? What are you afraid of?”

“I barely know you,” Malcom responded immediately, even though the real excuse was that, if he were to get slightly too tipsy, it could cloud his judgment and distress his magic. Well, if he had magic. “What if you try to kill me?”

“Scared I’ll go Dahmer on you, hm?”

“Who?”

“Dahmer? Jeffrey Dahmer.” Andy tilted his head and Malcom just shook his. “You don’t know about Jeffrey Dahmer? The serial killer?” When Malcom still seemed lost, Andy elaborated. “Okay. Uhm... He was a really socially awkward dude. He killed kittens and small animals as a child and kept the fascination as he became an adult. As a young man, he was attracted to other men. He would lead them, well, boys too, to his house and would usually have sex with them- or rape them- then kill them and dismember their bodies. He was found with like, thirty some body parts fermenting in his apartment. Some crazy shit like that.” Andy finished his drink as Malcom stared at him, eyes wide and terrified. Malcom flicked his gaze over to the kitchen countertop, nervously eyeing the pocketknife that Andy had put there. Andy followed his gaze and chuckled, running his thumbs over the rim of his empty glass.

“I’ve never used that, if you’re worried about it. It’s one of only three things I have left of my mother. I just keep it on me so I keep her with me, ya know?...” the silence walled up between them and then Andy sharply changed gears, his eyes brightening with confusion. “How in the hell are you in your twenties and you’ve never heard of Jeffrey Dahmer? He’s one of the most famous serial killers in history.”

“I’m not from here, remember? I know very little of the history or culture of this region,” Malcom responded quickly.  “I’m not very... Caught up with the lore and legends of this land.” Immediately, he knew he’d not watched his words closely enough when he saw Andy’s pupils narrow.

“Who are you? Who in the hell talks like that?” His companion’s questions caught Malcom so off guard that he nearly fell off the couch. Andy just stared at him, his green eyes bright and expression expectant and demanding. He leaned in closer, his breath smelling of sweet alcohol again, but this time with a tinge of orange instead of apple. Malcom looked at him cautiously, touching his hand. There was just enough magic left from the powder that it allowed for Touch Telling. Malcom could feel the sincerity and purity of Andy’s heart. He won’t hurt me. I can trust him... at least a little.

“If I told you, you’d never believe me,” he said so softly that Andy had to lean in even closer to hear him.

“What?”

“If I tell you who I really am, you’d never believe me.”

“Mkay...” Andy measured his next words carefully. “Where are you from? Really? And don’t lie to me this time. You can tell me.”

“I can’t...”

“Why?”

Andy was so close to Malcom now that he could feel the warmth from his sweet and sour breath, the air between them as heavy as stone. Andy brought a hand to his face and brushed his thumb across Malcom’s cheek. Shivers racked the young man’s entire body and all doubts of Andy’s heart and all thoughts of Cleo’s admissions just melted away as the mortal pressed his soft, pink lips to Malcom’s own. Malcom recoiled at once and coughed, overwhelmed by the amount of alcohol that lingered on Andy’s lips. All that Andy did was grin then laugh.

“What in the world was in that drink?!”

“It’s called a Screwdriver. A little Vodka and a lot of orange juice. Or the other way around. I prefer the other way around.”

Malcom shook his head. “Vodka’s a strong liquor, you know.”

“Yes, I do know. But do you? Have you ever even drank before?”

“No, of course not. I can’t.”

“Why?! What is it? What are you hiding behind those green eyes, hm? What is it with you? What did you find out tonight? And why are you here in my apartment and not with your cousin? She’s your best friend, right?”

Malcom looked away, staring over at Gizmo as the pup nestled down into his bed. “Cia... Wouldn’t understand... She has so many responsibilities... It’s late- she’s probably tucking in her nine little brothers and sisters right now... And I... I...” Malcom exhaled and closed his eyes, feeling the weight of the night spinning around him once more. “I... I found out that my mom is adopted. She’s hidden it from me my entire life. I found out... She was hurt very badly as a child by people who should have protected her... That... my grandpa didn’t die the way I thought he did, and it was partially my fault. She lied to me because there are bad people looking for her, and my dad, and me too I guess. That’s why I have to be so sheltered all the time...” Malcom gulped down the hard lump in his throat. The energy between the two shifted and Andy gently took his hand, lacing their fingers.

“I understand... I’ve been on the run from the law since I was a teenager- like I told you. The cops are still looking for me... But my assault charge isn’t necessarily a life-changing secret though. Damn. That’s a lot of heavy shit, Mercy. I’m sorry you had to find all that out right after your birthday. And it sucks for your mom. I couldn’t imagine finding out my parents weren’t really who I thought they were...” Andy shook his head. “Anything else you want to talk about? You can tell me about your grandpa if you want. Or we don’t have to talk about it- or anything... If you don’t want to.”

Malcom slid his gaze over Andy, tears welling on the rims of his lids. He saw, and could feel, so much genuine compassion emanating from every pore on Andy’s body. He felt, truly felt, such deep regard for his pain... It was touching. Especially from a human boy...

Malcom wasn’t entirely sure why he did what he did next. Maybe it was the dare of Vodka on Andy’s tongue. Maybe it was the lure of Andy’s tender heart. Maybe it was the promise of danger she had never gotten to know. But mostly Malcom did it to keep Andy from asking any more questions he couldn’t stand to leave unanswered, or half answered. Malcom reached out, placed a hand on both of Andy’s cheeks, and kissed him. Andy’s eyes fluttered shut and he gave Malcom a light tug and leaned over top of him, trailing kisses down his neck. Malcom gripped the fabric of Andy’s black shirt in his hands and paused, mind racing and heart hammering as reason and logic pushed their way back into palpable thoughts.

“I... I’ve never done this before. I’m not this kind of person. I don’t...”

“I assume you don’t just follow strangers back to their apartments, tell them cryptic bits and pieces of your life, then grind with them on their couch.”

“No, I... I don’t.”

“And I don’t just bring strangers up to my apartment and try to sleep with them. I’m not that kind of man.”

“I know you’re not,” Malcom said it with so much certainty that Andy looked up at him from where he was kissing circles across his collar bone. Something flashed in his eyes and Malcom worried if he had ruined everything in an instant.

“How do you know? There’s no way you could possibly know my intentions, my heart, my mind. But you do, don’t you? How, Mercy? Who are you?”

Malcom just shook his head, tears threatening to form. He drummed his fingers against Andy’s shoulders and offered him a painful smile. “I like that. Please don’t stop. I’ve never had anyone kiss me like that before...” Andy held his desperate green gaze for a moment longer before continuing the pattern across Malcom’s collar bone in silence. Malcom felt warm fingertips against his bare flesh as Andy ran a hand up his shirt, tracing lean muscles that didn’t really belong to him. Malcom let out all the breath in his lungs until it came out a hard sigh.

“I’ve never done this before either.”

“Hmm?” Andy looked up from where he was kissing circles and lines across Malcom’s stomach. Suddenly, it seemed to register what it was his companion meant, and Andy sat completely upright. Something in Andy’s eyes hardened and Malcom wondered if, once again, he’d just ruined everything. Andy moved away from Malcom, seeming entirely sober now in a matter of seconds. “I think you should go.”

“What? No! Andy, please don’t make me leave. I don’t have anywhere else to go. I-I’m sorry if I upset you. I just...”

“You’re a virgin?” The icy venom in Andy’s voice cut through Malcom’s very soul. The Mythic nodded slowly and Andy shook his head. “No. I can’t. I can’t be the person that... I mean, not yet. I can’t yet. We’ve only just met. I mean, don’t get me wrong. You’re attractive, Mercy. So damn attractive. You are ten different kinds of sexy and I have some type of weird... Feeling that draws me toward you. I felt it at the bar, and I feel it now. Is it love at first sight? Probably not. Is it lust? It can’t be just that. I think clearly when I’m around you and I never do when I just see something- someone- I want. I have something with you, Mercy...”

“I feel it too...”

“Then this can’t happen. Not like this. Sex makes people move too fast. We could doom whatever it is we could be before it even gets started. It wouldn’t be such a big deal but... Your first time is a big deal. At least to me it is... You don’t understand how crucial it is to your life... Until after it happens.” Andy’s gaze was void and he seemed as far away from Malcom now as Exodus was from Earth. Malcom remembered something Andy had told him the night that they met. He sat up slowly and reached out, gently cupping Andy’s pale cheek with his palm.

“Andy...”

“Your innocence is something you can’t get back, Mercy. Especially when it’s taken from you rather than given away. When you’re little, you think that the world is this big, kind place full of dreams and magic and dragons and unicorns. Then someone shows you that none of that bullshit is real and it shatters the illusion of fairytales. Dreams don’t come true, people aren’t kind, the world is small and all the same, there’s no such thing as magic, and dragons and unicorns don’t exist. The world is ugly and hard and cold and the only thing that you’re told about as a child that does exist? Monsters. And they aren’t sabretooth, terrifying creatures that hide under your bed and gobble you up if you’ve been bad. We are the monsters. Human beings- they’re the real boogeymen. But it isn’t the strangers you need to be afraid of. It’s the people you let in, the people you trust... The people you love.”

“Like Jeffrey Dahmer...” Malcom whispered, tears rimming his eyes as he briefly thought of an awkward young man who killed anything that dared come close enough to love him. Andy nodded slowly and turned away, unable to meet Malcom’s watery gaze.

“Yeah, Mercy... Just like Dahmer.”

A tear rolled down Malcom’s cheek as he leaned in and wrapped his arms around his companion, burying his face into Andy’s broad chest. After a few long moments, Andy embraced him back and kissed the top of his head. Malcom listened to the racing of his heart and sighed, breathing in the young man’s comforting scent.

“I don’t want to take it from you like it was taken from me, Mercy. I don’t want you to wake up tomorrow and regret it.”

“I won’t regret it...” Malcom kissed the small of Andy’s neck and took him by the hand, standing as he did. He offered his companion a thin smile and wiped Andy’s tears away with his thumb. “Come on. Don’t you trust me?”

Andy cocked an eyebrow and chuckled, getting to his feet as Malcom slowly pulled him over toward his bed. “Trust you? Why, I hardly know you,” he whispered as Malcom tenderly took the fabric of Andy’s shirt in his hands and pulled him closer, pressing his dark lips to Andy’s mouth. Andy blinked in surprise but then closed his eyes and accepted the embrace. He let Malcom kiss him, slow and hesitant at first but then fast and feverish. Malcom thrust his fingers into Andy’s rich, red locks as the human took Malcom’s pants by the beltloops and pulled him close until they were touching. Malcom groaned when Andy dropped his kisses lower to his neck, his chest, then trailed them across his collar bone.

“I want it off,” Andy whispered, pulling Malcom’s shirt off in an aggressive rush that swept the Mythic off his feet. He collapsed onto the bed with a hiccup of surprise as Andy continued his kisses down his stomach then across the line of his pants. “God, you’re enchanting...” he whispered, tugging on Malcom’s belt loops to pull the article down. “I swear, it’s like... Nothing I’ve ever known...” he murmured in a hushed voice as he began to kiss across the firm, defined line of the Mythic’s pelvis.

“I... I know how you feel...” His heart in his throat, Malcom reached down and began to pull Andy back up to his face. “Wait... Please. Just... Kiss me a little longer...” he pleaded, and Andy obliged with a gleam in his eyes. Andy kissed under Malcom’s chin and on his cheeks before pressing their lips together again. Malcom groaned when Andy’s tongue slipped softly into his mouth and he once again took handfuls of his hair between his fingers. Andy’s face flushed a dark red as his blood rushed and he shifted uncomfortably, squirming his way out of his jeans. As Andy kissed circles and lines across Malcom’s chest, his entire body was becoming numb. Unknown to his human lover, Malcom’s eyes were rolling back in his head under his closed eyelids.

Somewhere, deep down in the Nothingness, Malcom- the true Malcom- was standing in front of her brother, their eyes meeting in a silent connection only they shared. She shivered as Andy kissed down the physical body worlds away, leaving prints of heat on her skin. She stared deep into Mercy’s mint green eyes and asked him a simple question. Could she, with his physical form, let Andrew Coleman become closer to her than anybody had ever been? Could she finally have a freedom her life had never allowed? Mercy, may I? Her eyes were glossy with tears as her brother walked toward her. He offered her a small, nearly playful smile and wiped the tears away. As his fingers touched her cheek, the connection broke and shattered his form, sending Malcom reeling from the void and crashing back to reality.

“C-Can I, Mercy? If not, it’s okay... I just... I...”

“Hm?...” Andy’s voice drew her from her thoughts and Malcom blinked his glossy eyes. “Oh, yeah. Go ahead... I’m sorry, I spaced out there. It just felt so good... I... Oh, G-God...” Malcom’s words failed him as Andy removed the clothing between them and gently took the Mythic into his mouth. Malcom’s back arched and he gripped handfuls of Andy’s green blanket in his fists. Soft whimpers escaped Malcom’s lips and again, she felt herself slip away to the Nothingness. Mercy wasn’t there this time. It was just her; bare, exposed, and longing. And yet, somehow she felt like Andy was alongside her- almost spiriting through the infinity. She could swear, with her eyes tightly closed, he was touching her, burning her, setting her soul on fire. He was deep in her mind, infiltrating her thoughts, breaking past her resolve, and destroying all of those carefully constructed walls. On her back in the blank void, she felt like he was kissing her kept, protected body in places no one ever had. What was happening? What kind of reality was this? No one had ever invaded the Nothingness. It was a space for her and her brother alone. But now?... Now...

“A-Andy... I... Can I... I want to...” Malcom’s breathless voice came out from her subconscious and the words were deeper and needier than she intended for them to sound. Sweat was beading Malcom’s forehead and he was staring down at Andy with dull green eyes. Andy paused and looked up at his lover with a surprised expression. “C-Can I try?”

“Oh... Of course... I just... You’re like... I feel like I’m in a trance. What kind of gypsy magic did your family dabble in anyway?” the mortal asked in a nearly drunken voice as Andy pushed his boxers down with one move, exposing himself entirely to his companion. Malcom’s jaw hung askew, and for a moment she panicked, not knowing what to do with Andy now that he was being offered to her. Instead, she swallowed hard and crept forward, excitement and anxiety racing up her spine.

“Oh, all kinds of dark magic,” Malcom joked half-heartedly as he laid on his stomach, shifting uncomfortably as he leaned down and took the most fragile part of Andy in his hands. “Should I tell you about it?” he whispered.

“No, let me fabricate the story...” his partner murmured, sweat rolling down his face as Malcom tenderly, slowly, began to work. Malcom’s face deepened with color as he tried to recall how Andy had been doing it so that she could at least mimic the motions. Andy clenched his jaw and placed his hands on the back of Malcom’s head, grabbing obsidian curls between his fingers. “Let me see here... Your mom is a drifter who ran away with a great ringleader of a circus. He came from money and she was dirt poor...” Andy trailed, clenching his jaw as he brought an arm up and braced it against the wall. “Y-Your mother’s parents shamed her for running away with the circus and disowning her gypsy roots... And your father’s parents didn’t support him wedding someone of such a lower class...”

Malcom started laughing and reeled back, leaving gossamer trails from his mouth to Andy. He wiped his mouth shyly and glanced up at his lover, his cheeks running hot. Andy tenderly pushed him back onto the bed and climbed over him, nestling down between his legs as if he belonged there. “Was I close?” Andy whispered, his voice airy and deep with lust and longing.

“What?” Malcom gasped through clenched teeth as Andy began to touch him again with slow, gentle strokes.

“I said was I close? To your family’s backstory?”

“Not at all,” Malcom groaned, her eyes rolling back under her lids again as her body burned in the Nothingness. She felt a spark of touch between her thighs and across her crest and the shock of it slipped out in a cry that made Andy jump.

“Did I hurt you?!”

“No!” Malcom gasped, opening his eyes to stare at the surprised look on Andy’s face, irises fading from waterway blue to Mercy’s sage green. “No, I’m sorry... It just... It feels so good... I... Am slightly unprepared and a little overwhelmed. That’s all.”

“I can go slower...” the man whispered gently. “How do you want me? Help me make it easier...” Andy leaned down and kissed Malcom’s throat, flicking his tongue across his Adam’s apple. Malcom shook his head and furrowed his eyebrows.

“I-I don’t... What... What do you...”

“Do you want for me to... I mean... Well, do you want top or bottom?” he asked, gently pressing his teeth to Malcom’s collarbone. The Mythic’s brain began to scramble, and his face turned dark red.

“I... I don’t know... I-I-I...”

“Or... We don’t have to do either...” Andy purred honestly, once again kissing down his lover’s body. “I want you to trust me, to be comfortable with me... I promise. I can... Give you what you need... Without...” he kissed both of Malcom’s hip bones and she nearly slipped away into the Nothingness once again. “Taking everything...” and then, slowly, Andy took control once more. Malcom’s spine arched, and the noise he made came from somewhere deep inside. In the Nothingness, she was on fire, screaming out as loud as she could as Andy began to drain her energy, the first assisted climax of her life building from her toes and bubbling up through her burning core.

“Is this... What it should feel like?” Malcom asked in a hushed, trembling voice. “It’s everywhere...” The Nothingness gripped her again, forcing the physical form into a rigid state, Malcom writhing in pleasure in the void. Sweat was beaded all over her entire body: her breasts, her forehead, her stomach. In that moment, she was thinking of nothing. Not her mother, not her father, nor her grandfather’s death. Not the secrets in her family, not Mercy, not herself... No. There was nothing but Andy, how amazing he was making her feel, and how magical the entire moment was. A moment that was hers and hers alone.

“Andy... I... I...” His lover seemed desperate now to make him release. He was holding Malcom’s hips so that he had to be still. “I... Oh... Oh God...” Malcom laid his head back and let out a beautiful, baritone cry that sent chills up Andy’s spine. Malcom went rigid physically as her soul climaxed in the void. She cried out so loud that her lungs burned, and she cupped her breasts with her fingers as the sensation surged through her in waves. She collapsed on her back into the blankness and her physical body recovered with a sigh as Andy began to kiss his way back up Malcom’s chiseled torso. “And-dy-dy... That was... I... Thank you...”

“You are so very welcome,” Andy purred, kissing the side of Malcom’s neck. He laid beside him softly, running his finger in soft circles across his chest. “Was it everything you wanted it to be?”

“And a lot more...” Malcom groaned in a hoarse, grainy voice that made Andy shudder.

“Wonderful...” his pale cheeks flushed a deep red and he took Malcom’s hand and kissed his fingertips. Malcom ran a line from Andy’s chin to his throat, his chest, to his waist. Andy’s eyes lit with surprise as Malcom took him in his hands and began to massage the top with his thumb. Andy moaned into his neck and the rush of warm breath against his skin nearly sent Malcom back to the Nothingness again. “Just like that... Slow and steady... I’m close anyway...”

“Andy, I don’t really know what I’m doing...”

“You’re doing fine,” his crimson-haired lover whispered with a shiver. “You’re like magic... Taste like it too...” he purred, running his shaky fingers in faster circles across Malcom’s broad chest. “Gypsy magic,” he teased, closing his eyes as he leaned his forehead against Malcom’s arm.

“Dark magic,” Malcom taunted back with a bit of a chuckle as he felt Andy go rigid against him. “Dark, bewitching magic.”

“Casting a spell on me, are you?” Andy groaned as his entire body littered with goosebumps. “M-Mr. McKnight?”

“Something like that,” Malcom whispered, and his entire body burned when Andy’s face lit into an expression of euphoria so pure that she could have wept. He bit his lip, but it didn’t entirely muffle the sound that spilled from his mouth and sent chills racing up Malcom’s spine.

“S-Something like that...” Andy stammered, staring affectionately into Malcom’s mint green eyes. He leaned up and kissed the Mythic’s lips and the two laid that way for a moment, their foreheads pressed together and noses touching. Malcom thought for an instant that Andy was asleep as he listened to the soft hums of his breathing. Suddenly, his eyelids shifted, and Andy was staring at him again. A curious, bright gleam entered his wild emerald gaze and he smirked at his lover.

“So then, Mercy Michael McKnight, do you trust me?” he asked in a hoarse voice, and Malcom shook herself from the Nothingness, being entirely present in the moment for the first time in what felt like hours. He smiled.

“Trust you? Why, I hardly know you.”

9

[Crossing the Line]

Cadyn entered the house quietly, tiptoeing across the hardwood floor on all but silent feet. Behind his back was a bouquet of flowers, exotic and beautiful lilies from some foreign land he had passed through on his way back from the council. He padded softly toward his wife, the pretty fairy busy at mixing batter in the kitchen. Just as he closed in for the surprise, Penny noticed his shadow drift across the floor and barked, startling them both. Cade dropped the flowers and Cleo whisked around, her eyes bright and mouth wide in a smile.

“Malcom!” She exclaimed, but when she saw it was her husband, her face fell a bit and she sniffled, rubbing at her rosy nose with her palm. She offered him a fast smile and closed the space between them. She kissed his lips tenderly but Cade recoiled from her touch, stepping on one of the flowers as he staggered back. Cleo’s energy, all of the fear, pain, and heartbreak hit him like a blow to the chest. He kept eye contact with her but said nothing as he leaned down slowly and picked up the bouquet from under his boot. He offered them to her as he stood and Cleo took them tenderly, pressing her reddened nose against a folded petal. “Oh, Cadyn, they’re beautiful...”

“What happened to Malcom? Did you two fight? I felt in in your kiss.” His tone was icy, almost acidic, and Cleo’s eyes downcast to the flowers in her hands. Their kindred spirits had betrayed her.

“I... I told her, Cadyn. I told her everything. About me, about you, about us. I told her about Jayle and Daniel... and the truth of how he died. I... I told her about my wings. I scolded her too harshly when she came home late from auction. I just got so scared... I... I shouldn’t have yelled at her the way I did. S-She left the house. She’s out and about in the forest somewhere; she has been for about an hour or so. I tried to contact Cia but she must be asleep...”

Cadyn’s eyes darkened into a deadly midnight blue and he turned on his heels, storming for the door. Cleo threw the flowers on the counter and followed him, only a step or two behind. He whirled around to face her- his eyes blazing. “You let her go outside alone? At night?! It’s a full moon, Cleopatra! It’s been full all damn day- even in the sunlight you could see it. And now Malcom is out there alone?! Why didn’t you go looking for her? Do you have any idea what could happen!”

“I had to give her space, Cadyn! Don’t you understand?!” Cleo cried, tears again falling down her pretty fairyan face. “She needs to be away from me. I suffocate her, just like you suffocate her. She isn’t a little girl anymore. She needs some freedom. Freedom I never had and that we’ve kept from her. We never give it to her, so she took it.” Cleo rubbed her arms and struggled to keep her voice steady. “She’ll be okay. Please, please... Just... Give her some time. Call for her if you must- you know she’ll answer you, and if she doesn’t- it’s my fault. Cadyn, please.” Cleo approached him slowly, placing a trembling hand on his chest. His heart was pounding but his eyes were calming as he exhaled all the air in his lungs. After a few agonizingly long seconds, the Peacekeeper Lord let out a harsh, painful sigh and gradually nodded.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you...” he whispered first, kissing her forehead. “Let’s go to bed. She’ll come home soon, and we’ll talk more about it then. I know she’ll be fine. She’s a big girl... She’s smart like you and strong like me. I know she can handle herself. She’s just... My baby...” Cade twined his fingers with Cleo’s own then headed toward the staircase. “Keep watch for her,” he said over his shoulder to Penny and the old dog nodded as she curled up by the fireplace. Cleo cast one last, long glance toward the door before following her husband upstairs, leaving the flowers on the counter and the cake batter unfinished in the bowl.

***

MALCOM’S EYES FLUTTERED open, having dozed off in the soft surroundings of Andy’s full-sized bed. He yawned and smiled, curling closer against the chest of the man he had just so deeply connected with. Andy was awake, staring at him with soft hazel eyes; the calmest shade Malcom had yet to see them. He smiled and ran his thumb across Malcom’s cheek as he gave him a tender kiss.

“Rise and shine sleeping beauty.”

“How long was I out?” Malcom asked through a yawn, sitting up and stretching till his joints popped and his face turned red.

“An hour or so, I think,” Andy replied, taking a sip from a water bottle by his bed. Malcom watched him carefully before standing up and fishing around on the floor for his shorts. He pulled the boxers up his legs until he was decent then headed into the kitchen. As he opened the door to the fridge, Andy tilted his head. “What are you doing?”

“I’ve never seen you drink water before. It’s kind of freaking me out.” Malcom poured Vodka into a glass then added a bit of orange juice and walked the drink over to his lover. “Here’s something more your style, Mr. Coleman. A little bit of orange juice and a whole lot of Vodka.”

Andy laughed at him and took the glass, pressing the rim of it to his lips. Malcom was watching him fondly when he caught sight of flashing red numbers from a digital clock on the nightstand. His whole word froze. It was almost three o’clock in the morning. Malcom’s face turned ghostly pale and his heart began to pound. He frantically began to dig through the blankets and search through the articles of clothing laying crumpled on the floor.

“Mercy?” Andy sat up and touched his arm, but the young man was already shifting into his jeans and looking around for his flannel shirt.

“I have to go. It’s so late. I’m never supposed to be out this late. My dad...” Malcom’s face took on a greenish hue when she thought of the fact that Cadyn might be waiting for her at the house: sitting in his handmade chair, staring at the door, irises dark blue, and face red. She could almost hear him. Where have you been young lady? Earth! With a mortal?! Malcom’s hands were trembling as he buttoned up his shirt. “Can you tell me how to get back to Parker Avenue from here? I really have to go.”

“Well, I’ll just take you,” Andy offered as he climbed out of bed. Malcom took a minute to stare at his beautiful body before he headed for the door.

“No, I have to go... alone. He’ll know if you go with me. I’ll be in a lot of trouble.”

“Because I’m a man?”

“No, because you’re...” Human. Malcom had almost said the word aloud. She looked at Andy longingly, her eyes dampening with tears. Malcom shook his head, threw the door open, and headed down the hallway. He could find his own way back. I have to get home.

“Mercy! Wait! It isn’t safe this time of night!” Andy had managed to put on his blue jeans and shirt as fast as Malcom had made it out of bed and was hot on his heels. “Please, let me take you. I can get you there fast if we take the bike.”

“No,” Malcom snapped as a storm of thoughts whirled inside her head. More than anything she had ever known, she wanted to share who she really was with this man. Oh, but father would never... A wall of bitter emotion festered in her soul and she instantly made up her mind. Her parents had kept entire lifetimes worth of secrets from her since she’d been born. They owed her a bit of grace. “I-I have to drive if we’re going to take a vehicle. And you have to keep your eyes closed- the whole way. You can’t see where I go. Okay?”

“What? Mercy, this is insane...” Andy looked bewildered, shaking his head with confusion thick in his hazel eyes.

“I know it is. Stay here. I’ll be right back...” Malcom gave Andy a soft kiss then headed outside to where the motorcycle was chained. He made sure that his lover didn’t follow and wasn’t watching before he slowly came down to one knee. Malcom prayed that she had enough magic from the fairy dust to cast one more spell. She could already tell its simple magic was running thin, as the charm she used to be Mercy Michael was fading rapidly. When it was gone, he would be too. And Malcom had no desire to try and explain that to Andy tonight.

“You will do not as I say, but as I please. Follow my thoughts and listen to me...” He whispered against the chrome siding of the vehicle. A small spark of magic transferred when he touched the seat and Malcom felt his strength give. The spell wasn’t very powerful, but it was just enough to drain him. He didn’t know much longer he’d have until the magic disintegrated completely. Blinking away her nerves, Malcom shakily got to his feet and went to get Andy. His companion was waiting for him, standing in the doorway with his back to the night.

“Come on. We have to hurry,” Malcom told him, alarmed that his voice was already sounding higher. “I have rules though, okay? You can’t watch, not even a bit. You keep your eyes closed the entire drive. Don’t ask questions. Don’t talk to me until I say so and don’t look at me either. I know all of this sounds crazy- but you have to trust me... Okay?”

“So I do get to take you home!” Andy whirled on his heels and beamed at Malcom, seeming to pay no mind at all to the peculiar instructions. But then his eyebrows furrowed. “Do you even know how to drive a motorcycle? I thought your dad didn’t like them?”

“Trust me,” Malcom repeated, stepping into the driver’s seat. Andy cautiously settled behind him, burying his face into Malcom’s shoulder and closing his eyes. The young Mythic placed his feet where they needed to go and gripped the handles tenderly. ‘Nice and easy, take me home’ he thought, and the vehicle roared to life, taking off steadily toward the abandoned street that lay past the corner of 9th and Porter Avenue.

10

[Secrets of the Night]

It’s so hard to breathe. The painful sting of the silent darkness was cutting the young witch to the bone. It was unseasonably cold for June and it was making the trek so much more miserable. Malcom shifted uncomfortably, the crisp night air whipping at her face. She glanced nervously over her shoulder as they walked, clutching the hand of her lover ever closer- but also praying that Andy didn’t notice the difference in the size of the fingers that twined with his own. Thus far, Andy had done good by Malcom’s rules. He hadn’t looked at her directly, content to walk with her a step or two behind him. He hadn’t asked her to speak since they parked his motorcycle back by an oak tree.

This had to go perfectly. She had to approach it just right. She’d been thinking of ways to break it all down to him since they started walking. One wrong word could ruin everything. Out of the cloak of illusion, back in Exodus, she was no longer able to hide who she was. All of who she was. She just hoped that she hadn’t been wrong about Andy and that his soul was as pure and understanding as she felt it was.

Malcom’s thoughts were drawn into the present as the atmosphere suddenly changed entirely. A chilling wind swept through the pines and bent the trees in awkward, painful ways that sent shivers up Malcom's spine. The haunting glare from the full moon was glazing the forest in an eerie, iridescence frost of silver. Malcom’s worried thoughts of Andy began to dissolve as true panic raged in her blood. A distant sound echoed across the land. It was something that she had never heard before, but her face paled at the thought of what it might be. Of what she knew it was- the howling of wolves. Malcom tensed and Andy sensed her unease, his fingers clenching tightly around the Mythic's palm.

"Mercy... You're shivering!” He risked a glance over his shoulder at her, but she dodged back to avoid his sight, nearly releasing his fingers in the process. Andy himself was becoming unnerved, though he wasn’t entirely sure why. He didn’t know where they were and couldn’t figure out why it all looked so unfamiliar. But even through his own anxiety, his focus remained on the growing apprehension of his partner. “Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Malcom replied rather quickly, even though her nerves were tearing her apart. She had spent so long in resistance to her father’s rules, she had never truly realized that her parents wouldn't have set the warning lightly. And now she knew why- because there really were dangerous monsters hiding in the night. In the shadows. In the dark. The young Mythic looked around again, her eyes widening when she heard movement in the woods. Malcom stepped backward, tugging protectively on Andy's hand. "I just don't like being out so late..."

"Something your daddy taught you?"

The spectral, unfamiliar voice sent chills across her body and her skin prickled with gooseflesh. In her peripheral vision, she saw a figure creep from the shadows of the forest. The stranger was tall, cloaked in black from head to toe. She could just make out what seemed to be boots and dress slacks from underneath the heavy winter coat that was draped across his bony shoulders. Malcom couldn't see his face, but she noticed he had pointed ears that were sticking out from the sides of a charcoal fedora hat. Pearly white fangs flashed at the pair and Malcom's heart began to hammer in her chest. She knew who and what he was without even thinking its reason. She could tell... This was a member of the Dark Law Ordinance.

"So, it is true," he chuckled as he circled the two lovers with calculated, measured steps. He never missed a beat and never allowed the shadows of his hat to move from his face. His agile, otherworldly movements were nearly unnatural and the way he paced around them made Malcom’s stomach twist in fear. "It is rumored throughout Shadow Country that you are gifted as both your mother and father are. Oh, we’ve looked so very long for your sneaky little family. It hasn’t been easy. Your father was quite selective on where he settled, and it is said your mother never leaves the property. I never would have dreamed Cassidy Village would be where Cadyn McKnight would have come to after all this time...” he chuckled and waved a long, bony finger at her. “But my hounds caught the scent of an Energy Exchange too powerful to be ignored. Oh, then my scout identified you positively at the auction. I wasn’t sure at first... no one in the Ordinance has ever laid eyes on you before. But! When she described Lorem to me and saw your blue eyes... Yes, yes... I knew. I’ve always known we’d find them...” Malcom’s nerve shattered when a line of saliva began to roll down his shadowed jaw. “I knew we’d find you.”

He stopped his encroaching and instead stood before them, quivering in the moonlight with the spittle now running down his throat. He sneered in a way that caught the silver haze off his fangs and he stepped closer to the pair. Malcom forced herself in front of Andy as she shielded the terrified mortal with her small, shivering frame. “By the shadows, I can smell the power on you, Malcom. I can already taste it. It’s strong, as I always knew it would be.” He smacked his lips. “Tell me, child of Cadyn... Has your father yet shown you the ways of his keep? Can you bend magic and conjure spells out of thin air? Can you shapeshift? Do you have wings like your clipped mother should have had? Ah. Yes... Yvette was correct when she said there was no mistaking who you were. Your eyes are blue like his, wild and free and strong. When I heard your name, I was sure you’d be a young man... But no, no not at all... You’re much more than a son or a daughter, but both- I’d wager...” he inhaled deeply, drinking in her fear on the breeze and swallowing it down with malicious glee. “Oh, they must be very protective of their sweet baby girl and the power that you hide."

"Mercy? W-What's going on? Who is this? What is he talking about?" Andy's voice was shaky, his face pale as his gaze locked on the grotesque stranger before him. Andy took a step back and Malcom released his hand, never taking her eyes from the intruder as she continued to keep herself between Andy and this beast... Whatever he was. More than a son or daughter...  Both... The way he said it... He knew... He knew the truth about who and what Malcom really was. The rare thing inside of her that made her so different, so dangerous, so powerful. He knew about Mercy...

Malcom clenched her teeth as she searched her mind for him, but her brother was nowhere to be found within the confines of the great, white void. There was nothing but here, now... And this... Monster. Then Malcom noticed it, the way he was breathing heavy under the thick cloak, the way his stance was so unnatural upright, how his teeth glistened. No... It couldn’t be.

"Andy...” Malcom whispered quickly and quietly as the stranger’s pale face began to bead with sweat droplets that looked nearly like tears in the moonlight. “L-Listen to me... I need you to run. Run south... There's a cottage. You can't miss it. White and brown... Cobblestone chimney. It's my home. Get my father...” she trailed as she heard a deep, terrible sound emanate from the stranger’s throat that confirmed her fear. She whisked around, taking her eyes off the brute to face Andy for the first time as who she really was. His eyes grew wide when he saw her round face, long hair, and fragile, wild blue eyes. She put her shaking hands on Andy’s chest and shoved him hard, breaking the trance of shock and fear. “There’s no time to explain; just go! Run now! Find my father- his name is Cadyn McKnight! Go!" Malcom cried and he nodded, stumbling a few steps in the direction they had been going. Andy looked frantically from her to the stranger then back again, disbelief blazing his emerald eyes. There was nothing else to be hidden now; it had all been exposed. The spell was broken.

The beast began to chuckle coldly; the noise a menacing, horrible sound that rang through the trees and made the night feel shrill and haunted. He removed his coat and dropped it to the ground to reveal a body that was bare and skin as pale as the moonlight itself. His sunken-in, bony chest was laced with deep, jagged, pink scars and his lean muscles flexed with unnatural spasms. He smiled at Malcom with dagger-like sharp fangs that just continued to grow longer with each second that passed. Her suspicions had been correct and there was nothing she could do to contain her fear.

Pure terror shot through Malcom’s veins when it finally registered in certainty what this creature was. He was a beast of legend, a being of great malice that was ageless; a horror of flesh and blood that lived on eternally in the fear of his victims. This was a member of an ancient society of lycanthropic beings; the only creature on Heaven, Hell, Earth, or anything in-between that her father feared... This was a werewolf. And the moon was high and full.

"Andy! Go now!" Malcom couldn’t contain her shrill scream as she stood protectively on the path in front of the mortal boy. Moments passed, seconds flew by, and Andy was frozen- his eyes wide and jaw hung askew. With each fractal of time, the invader before them slipped farther and farther away from anything resembling humanity. His feet rose off the ground- toes became paws and nails became claws. His face contorted in painful ways, his bones snapped and groaned as they stretched and realigned under his skin. Coarse black hair began to manifest and thicken across his being, a tail lashed in agony, and canine ears perked in triumph. At last, the monster towered before them, saliva dripping from his maw, eyes wild in the light of the silvery moon. This creature of legend threw his mighty head back and howled; a chilling song filling the night air as the fedora fell from his head to the icy ground.

Andy’s green eyes raked across the beast in disbelief as Malcom rushed over to him and shoved him hard back on the trail. "Why are you still standing here? Didn’t you hear me?! Go now! Get my father!" With that shrill cry, the fear in Malcom's voice sent the mortal boy sprinting away into the darkness, distancing himself from the horrors that lay behind him.

Malcom, now abandoned and afraid, shook violently from fear and cold as she focused her gaze on the monster that was fast approaching. The beast dropped to all fours, slowly closed in, and began circling the young Mythic like she was some type of prey. Malcom stepped in reverse until her back was pressed hard against a shadowy pine. White fog rolled from the halfblood’s mouth; her lips parted in silent terror as she desperately gasped for breath.

She tried to think of spells, pleading with herself to focus just enough to pull magic from the earth. She just needed something to defend herself with until Andy came back with Cadyn. She stitched words together in her mind and lifted her hands. She willed the power to come- preparing to form a light that would blind him. Nothing happened. A horrible realization struck her and dread deeper than agony settled inside her soul. I don’t have my magic. Malcom was still hexed from her mother’s binding charm. Even here in Exodus, she was as close to mortal as Andy was- and she had a feeling this nightly predator knew it. Desperately, unblinking, Malcom reached down to the ground and picked up a splintered branch. She held it across her body with trembling hands as the monster closed the distance between them.

"Well, fancy the human boys, do we?” he teased, saliva dripping from his jowls as he stared in the direction Andy had gone, his nostrils flaring in delight at the scent of fear. For a split second, Malcom’s heart raced in worry that he was going to give chase to Andy. But in the next second, the monster returned his acidic blue gaze to her. This time, his pupils locked with her own and the expression of malice across his face was unwavering. “But never-mind about the boy... It’s you I’m truly fascinated with.”

“Just who do you think you're fooling, Miss McKnight?" The growled words escaped the lycan's dark lips and rushed through the cold night air to scorch Malcom's frost-bitten cheeks. Even though the words were calm, they were spun in a maddening tone, the creature’s eyes growing more feral with every passing second. "You portray yourself as male in the mortal world to hide what you are not- to pretend to be whole. Such courage it takes to be so unapologetically true to yourself. So much like your father you are- like your grandfather too.” He snapped his teeth in front of her face. “But, all your magics and charming can’t fool me, sweet girl. No, no. I know what is underneath those garments, Malcom Marie. I know who and what you truly are. I know about the two parts that make you whole...” he was talking in a frenzy now, his beady blue eyes wild with emotion and his mind drunk from the enraging curse of the moon above. Saliva hung from his quivering lips like tendrils of poison. “Oh...” his long, red tongue slipped out and lapped her face, the rough pad running the length of her cheek. “My, my... What big eyes you have."

Every drop of color drained from the Mythic's face. Fear and panic glazed her blue irises a nearly agonizing shade of icy white. So, this assassin knew. He knew about her brother, her power, her secrets. He knew about her- anything and everything; things he couldn’t possibly know... And somehow, he did. She knew that he did. In that moment, Malcom understood exactly who he was. He was a stranger no more. This was the lycan who had killed her grandparents and left her father an orphan. He had sent one of his hounds to the willow cottage in the woods and the assassin had slain Daniel on his command. This creature was the definition of the word monster. This was Jeckles Dylite- Commander of the Dark Law Ordinance and lord of Shadow Country.

Tears gathered on the rims of her eyes and spilled over, rolling down her elfish cheeks. Her only defense, the branch, fell from her trembling hands as one paw, then another, took place on either side of her head. His hot breath seared her face and coarse fur scratched her skin. Hot urine ran down Malcom’s legs and she gripped the tree’s bark desperately with her fingers. Oh... If only I had remembered about my magic... She would have run away with Andy, but then of course... he may have just killed them both. At least her lover had a chance. Maybe. Malcom closed her eyes, willing the Nothingness to come and sweep her away. She briefly saw Mercy’s green eyes- pupils wide with fear- when Jeckles lashed his ugly red tongue across her parted lips. She felt herself slipping into the void as harsh claws met her skin.

"What's wrong, Little Red? Scared of the Big Bad Wolf?"

***

DADDY! DADDY, HELP me! Oh God! Daddy, please! He's hurting me! Daddy! Daddy! Father! CADYN MCKNIGHT!

The warlock shot up in bed, sweat rolling down his face. His breath came labored and heavy, his chest heaving with the effort to inhale. Cade’s dilated pupils scanned the darkened room, finally locking on a device on his nightstand. He read the numbers on the enchanted clock and was immediately alarmed that it was nearly four in the morning. He crawled out of bed and shuffled through the house, his piercing blue eyes the only light in the darkness. He hurried down to the hall and pushed open the door to Malcom’s room. His eyes scanned the empty space in his daughter’s bed, and he sucked in a hard breath. Cade's heart was hammering in his chest and he felt sickened by the silence.

"Malcom? Sweetheart?... Malcom?"

Daddy, please help me!

His daughter's tear-choked, painful screech shot through Cade’s head like a bullet to the temple. The Peacekeeper Lord dropped to his knees then immediately got back up, looking around frantically as the last echoes of Malcom's screams faded into the pulsing memories of his mind. He ran back through the house and crashed into the bed in his room, tumbling into his wife. Cleo gasped awake and cried in surprise, silencing instantly when she sensed her husband's anxiety.

"Something's wrong with Malcom. I can feel her. She never came home. We have to go. Now!" Cade was dragging her from their room and out the door before she was even able to respond to him. Within a second of crossing the threshold of the doorframe, Cade was pacing in the front yard. His mind focused on an animal, he closed his eyes, and the transformation began.

Within a heartbeat’s time of his concentration, a misty silver light began to envelope his body and his form as a man melted into the fog, the waves of light shifted and changed until it materialized into the shape of the animal he envisioned. As the gray sheen dissolved, an incredible creature was left in its wake- a massive black Friesian stallion standing in his place. Cade tossed his head and came rushing to his wife, turning quickly on his hooves to offer her his flank. Sensing the urgency that was crackling off him like lightning, Cleo rushed atop his back. She gripped strands of his mane in her hands and held on as tightly as she could as the stallion took off across the bridge and began to canter into the night.

The earth shook like thunder as Cadyn’s hooves beat off the frozen ground. The trees seemed to bend free of his way as he raced through the oaks and pines, gaining speed with every stride. Cleo's brown eyes were clouded with worry as she checked the landscape for her daughter, though she never once doubted the instincts of her beloved's heart. Cade knew the way. White fog rolled from the stallion's mouth like steam as he desperately raced through the forest, his heart aching and mind racing with fear for his only child. His eyes darted across the trees, scanning bark and branches and leaves, Malcom’s desperate cries piercing his skull as she called for him the only way she could. Where was she?!

Suddenly a blur of color from ahead caught Cade's attention. Something running toward them hadn't been paying attention and all but slammed into the galloping steed. Cleo screamed in fear as her husband reared in surprise, the shapeshifter all but throwing her from his back in the process. The fairy clutched her arms around the horse's neck, holding on to his mane for dear life as he dropped back onto all fours.

"Woah! Easy boy!" Came the gasped, labored voice as Andy panted; trying desperately to catch his breath. Cleo's eyes instantly darkened with wariness. He wasn't an elf, nor a fairy... Not a werewolf or a cat-creature. No. This boy wasn't Mythic at all. In fact, she was entirely sure that he was...

"Human..." Cade all but snarled the word as he trotted aggressively toward Andy, not in the mood to deal with a poor mortal who had somehow wandered into the Mythic realm. He had important business to attend to that involved his daughter's safety and he had no time for this boy. Cade’s dark blue eyes were cloudy and hard, the stallion's gaze burning into Andy’s face. "What are you doing he..."

"Please... Listen... M-my friend... We were walking and this, this... thing attacked us. I thought it was a man, b-but it wasn't. It... Wait... What... Did your horse just talk to me..." Andy went to backtrack, his eyes widening in shock as his brain kicked into overdrive. What in the hell is going on in this place?! Men turning into wolves, that thing calling Mercy a she- Mercy looking... Well, like a girl... And now a talking horse? Maybe I'm just dreaming... Andy was snapped out of his thoughts when the stallion before him snorted and hot, white air blasted against his sweaty face. The horse stepped forward until Cade closed the space between them, his muzzle nearly touching the mortal’s nose.

"Be still, mortal." He came to Andy's side and Cleo grabbed his collar in her hands. Andy tried to scream but nothing came out as she all but hauled him atop the horse. He had no time to fight back or protest before Cade took off, galloping as fast as his hooves would carry him. To keep himself from falling off, Andy had a death-grip on Cleo’s waist. Whatever the horse was, whoever this strange lady was, he had a feeling they weren't going to hurt him. And at least on the back of a stallion, they could possibly get away from whatever had attacked Mercy. Mercy. I just left him there alone with that... That... Andy shuddered, closing his eyes to block out the image that would be seared into his mind forever. Oh, I hope he’s okay...

Cleo took advantage of the physical contact between her and Andy, using the brief interaction of flesh to search the mortal's soul. He had experienced a lot of pain in his life, she knew that. She could feel it. She could also tell that he was pure of heart. Rare for a mortal. Then she found what she was unintentionally looking for. He knew Malcom. Cleo understood in that moment that this mortal was here because her daughter had brought him here.

"Your friend, what is their name?" she asked urgently over her shoulder.

"Mercy! He's..."

"Get off of me!" A bone-chilling cry ripped through the forest and Cade nearly tripped over his hooves. “Oh God, please stop! It hurts!” The painful scream echoed again and was this time cut off by a sadistic laugh and then a long, proud howl that split the sky and invaded the night. The stallion's pelt prickled with fear as he raced through the woods, pushing through branches blindly as he dashed madly toward the source of the noise. All at once, the trees gave way to the main path and Cadyn spilled out into the clearing. He looked around wildly then froze, his heart skipping half-a-beat in his chest.

Pressed against a frosted silver pine tree, Malcom’s face was scraping the cold-hardened wood, tears running down her impish cheeks. Her dull blue eyes were wide with fear and agony, the whites streaked with red from crying. The werewolf's paw was slapped over her mouth now, his claws drawing pinpricks of blood from her rosy, frozen cheeks. Malcom's clothes had been stripped away, only small pieces hanging off her in tatters. Her nearly naked body was exposed to the unforgiving night and her flesh was littered with goosebumps from cold and shock. Her attacker was still a menacing wolf, though now a haunting form of both a beast and a man. He had her pinned hard to the trunk of the pine, his massive frame melted against her own. His other paw was splayed between her shoulder blades to keep her against the tree as he repeatedly pounded against her defenseless frame. He had mounted over her like a wolf in the wild as he took her body for his own, brutally stealing the trapped power out of the helpless girl until there was nothing left.

In the instant realization of what was taking place, Cade only saw vicious red as anger blazed through the very core of his soul. There was a great ringing in his ears and a pounding in his head as he bellowed a war cry and tore off across the clearing. During the chaos, Cleo and Andy were thrown from his back and were now hiding behind an oak tree, watching with horror as the stallion’s fury was unleashed.

"Get your filthy, God-damned paws off my baby girl!"

The following moments happened in a blur, time seeming to be in both fast-forward and freeze-frame all at once. The lycan barely had time to register what was happening, as he was much too involved in his prey. He hadn’t heard the stallion enter or even charge. He raised his massive head, but the equine was upon him. Blows from the Friesian's mighty hooves struck hard against the canine's skull. The werewolf tore himself away from Malcom and she crumpled weakly to the forest floor; broken, battered, and all but crippled on the frozen ground as she curled up into a shivering, sobbing ball.

The next moment, the two creatures were viscously fighting as if there was nothing left but feral beast. The werewolf snapped at the stallion’s face and Cade bucked at his flanks like a wild steed. Spit, fur, claw-tips, and scarlet drops of blood were flying in every direction as the males warred with one another. Cadyn plowed at Jeckles’ face, striking him in the jaw- but then Jeckles returned by swinging around and sinking his fangs into Cade’s ankle. The shifter’s hooves were flying aggressively, aiming blow after blow to his opponent’s face. His blue eyes were bloodshot from rage as he pounded his massive, bloodied hooves into the wolf’s chest, at last sending him sprawling to the frozen ground.

The battle ended when the lycan dropped to his knees in his human form, blood running from his busted lip and broken nose. Cade recoiled also, standing before his daughter's attacker still as the black stallion. The silver mist began to form around him, and the equine form slipped away to leave Cadyn as himself. The warlock's body trembled from emotion and adrenaline, his bare chest heaving from the fight. Blood was trickling from so many places; a cut under his left eye was to the bone, and his right eye was already bruising black.

The wicked werewolf raised his head and Cade’s battered face lit with instant recognition. The shapeshifter's eyes dyed a wicked shade of midnight blue, the depths of his irises ablaze with raw, passionate anger. He clenched his fists and bared his teeth, his expression melting into a mask of murderous fury as his injured opponent puffed out his bloody, broken chest in pride and defiance.

"Jeckles Dylite. You son of a bitch. I should have known it would be you."

"Ah. Cadyn, my boy. It's been a long time, hasn't it? The last time I saw you, you were just a child atop a dragon’s back. Now look at you." The sleazy voice of the lycan sent chills racing up Cadyn’s spine as he spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground. Jeckles smiled at Cade with eerie, perfect teeth that were stained scarlet from streaks of blood. He raised an eyebrow at his opponent, those deeply set eye-sockets casting eerie shadows on his skeletal cheeks. Cold, fog blue eyes burned into Cadyn’s face without so much as a whisper of remorse. Cold, unbridled rage boiled in the Peacekeeper’s soul and he felt it beginning to run over when he heard Malcom shudder.

"You sick, twisted bastard! First my mother and father and now my daughter?! I swear to God I will end your miserable life!" Cade snarled as he started to storm over to the werewolf again, his eyes still ablaze with murderous loathing as his form swirled with silver mist.

"Cadyn, no! We must get Malcom home. Now!" Cleo called to him, snapping her husband out of his ferocious state of mind. The shapeshifter looked over at his daughter and his mind instantly focused on her. He rushed over to Malcom’s tattered form, the silver fog of his transformation ebbing away and as he took her in his arms. As he knelt at her side, Jeckles chuckled sadistically at the damage he had caused. He caught Andy’s eye and winked at him as he transformed into the beast again and disappeared into the darkness cast from the forest.

“Now I know where you are hiding, Son of Luxar! Remember that the shadows come with nightfall and this is only the beginning!” his wicked, terrible laughter took the sky again and Cade snarled after him. He forced his gaze back to his daughter and rocked Malcom’s all-but unconscious form in his arms.

Slowly, on shaky feet, Andy began to inch over to the family of three as Cleo brushed her daughter’s blood-clotted hair back out of her pale face. He saw how Malcom was trembling and removed his jacket, tenderly using it to cover her naked body. Cade watched him with acidic blue eyes, tears glossing on the rim of his lids. He looked up at the sky and whistled, the sound echoing through the now silent pines.

"Dolorem Ipsum Sanem!" he called, his voice ringing clear. He ran his hand through Malcom's curly, dirty hair and kissed her forehead. "Hold on, baby girl... Just hold on."

"D-Daddy..." she coughed in a disoriented voice, curling tighter against Cade's chest. Cleo was rubbing her shoulders, her body pressed to her daughter's back as she tried to warm her. Malcom's eyes were glossy and far away, her blank, void gaze locked on her father's face. She was gone from them now, lost deep into the Nothingness. Her battered, bare body began to crash into the white infinity when familiar arms rescued her. She felt Mercy’s comfort for just a moment before the contact forced them apart and she was alone, unconscious, drowning in the blank. Her body went rigid against her parents for just a moment before her eyes rolled back in her head. The will to exist shattered and she went limp in her father’s arms, her breathing shallow and mind in purgatory.

"Will he... Er... She... Will Mercy be okay?" Andy asked in a small, trembling voice. He softly placed his hand on Malcom's side, but he quickly drew it back when his fingers felt the sticky texture of still-running blood.

"Yes. Malcom will be fine."

“Malcom?...”

"Cadyn!" A deep voice from the sky called down to the group as wings beat through the night air. Andy's jaw dropped in shock and he fell backward onto the ground as Lorem landed just before the family. The dragon's eyes were dark with worry as he noticed the state of Malcom. "My God... What has happened?"

"Werewolf attack, Dark Law Ordinance. Jeckles found us..." Cade told him, standing up with Malcom in his arms. He held her close to his chest as he climbed up atop the dragon's back, nestling his daughter between Lorem's neck and his own body. Cleo was behind him in an instant, her arms around his waist. Her honey-amber eyes scanned Andy's paralyzed face, his expression stricken with shock, awe, and fear. She extended her hand to him.

"Come. We can't leave you here alone.” The young man blinked slowly, looking the dragon from snout to tail-tip. He forced himself to his feet then cautiously slid his shaking hand into Cleo's own and she helped pull him up behind her. His arms locked around her waist once again, his voice stuck in his throat. Lorem roared then leaped into the air, spreading his wings as he began to soar through the stars. The dragon flew with steady purpose across the land, riding the wind with speed and accuracy. Within moments, they were back at the cottage in the woods that belonged to the McKnight family. Lorem grunted as he descended from the sky, banking his wings downward so the glide to the ground was graceful. He landed as delicately as possible, taking extreme care not to jar Malcom’s abused body.

No more had his paws touched down was Cadyn off his back and rushing inside the house. He burst through the door, stepping over the small army of animals to get to the couch. He laid Malcom down on the sofa and tucked Andy's coat around her, trying his best to keep her warm as he sent Penny off to fetch towels and blankets. He shot an icy glare at the fireplace and it instantly came alive with dancing flames. Cade began to check Malcom's wounds, tears running down his face when he saw her shoulders had gouges nearly to the bone. Her neck was badly clawed, her back was raw, her chest was torn, her face was scratched. But that wasn't what concerned him most of all...

"Master Cade?" The soft, sweet voice of a black and gray molly made the shapeshifter wipe his eyes and try to fight for composure as the small feline came to his side. She turned sightless, milky eyes toward the halfblood and she fixated numbly on her trembling form. "What has happened? Her scent is so wrong..."

"She...” Cade clenched his jaw, forcing the rest out like jagged rocks from his throat. “She's been raped, Symba... Jeckles found us... He found... He found her..." he whispered at last, the words all but choking him as he touched Malcom’s flushed cheek. Penny came to him with the towels he asked for and he thanked her, using the cloths to wipe at his daughter’s bloodied body. Cleo brought him a pan of water and sat down on the floor, holding Malcom’s hand even though her daughter was unconscious. As Cade worked to clean her torso, her mother broke into silent sobs as she shifted Andy’s jacket to one side and began to clean up the blood that was drying between the halfblood’s thighs.

Andy stood alone in the doorway, looking around numbly at the house, attempting to recover his sanity. He tried to take in the beauty of the McKnight residence, but he was too far gone to appreciate anything lovely. He trembled in the silvery moonlight and looked away from the scene that was unfolding inside the home. Andy took a deep, painful gulp of the cold night air and crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes glossy and red from tears he hadn’t yet cried for Malcom.

"I'm sorry for what you've seen tonight," Lorem told him as he came to Andy’s side, the dragon's voice nearly making him jump out of his skin. "The Mythic realm is usually a place of wonders and peace... Not this."

"Mythic realm?" Andy mumbled deliriously, his hazel green pools searching the deepest parts of Lorem's emerald eyes. "What... I... I don’t..."

"Come inside, boy," Cade’s voice rolled like thunder from on his knees by the couch. The young man whirled to look at the warlock as he spoke, and he could have fainted from the intensity in his stare. Cade’s irises were nearly an electric blue. "We've got a lot to talk about."

11

[Stranger Than Fiction]

Andy sat in a handmade wing chair, holding a cup of steaming black coffee in his trembling hands. He watched with wide, unblinking eyes as Malcom laid in an uncomfortable sleep on the couch, her soft, scratched-up face lit by the orange flames from the fire. He occasionally stole glances at his surroundings, finally able to take in some of the beautiful architecture and brilliant woodwork. The house was gorgeous... And he couldn’t even enjoy it. His eyes panned downward as he absorbed the details of Mercy’s face. Malcom. Here she was called Malcom.

Her face was round, her cheekbones high, her ears pointed. The skin across her nose was an odd, almost unnatural white which stuck out amongst her darker features. Andy swore he saw glitter infused into her skin. Her eyelashes were long and dark and her hair, even though it was matted with blood, was a chocolate brown and the strands were curly. She was younger than the Mercy he knew. She had to be a teenager; there was no way she was more than twenty. Andy’s heart lurched and he gulped down his tears as he truly took in this magnificent creature- the most beautiful thing he had to witness here in what Cade’s dragon had called the Mythic realm. In fact... He found her to be the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. And it broke his heart.

“Who in the hell are you?” the question made Andy jump and he pried his gaze from Malcom’s damaged face to meet her father’s eyes. Cade was staring at him from the kitchen where he was washing Malcom’s blood off his hands, numbly fighting back tears as ruby red water swirled down the drain. Cleo had taken over her care, replacing the bandages on her head, shoulders, chest, and legs as she slept. The fairy seemed to be in a state of shock herself, her eyes wide and unblinking, face pale and expressionless. Andy didn’t even know how to answer, he was just watching Cleo in a stunned, agonized silence.

“My name is Andrew Coleman, sir,” he said after a long stretch of time. “I-I go by Andy.”

“And what are you doing in my house, Andrew Coleman?” Cade’s voice was acidic.

“I was walking Mercy... er, Malcom... home... I... I don’t even know how we got here, sir. I don’t understand...” Andy rubbed a temple with one of his hands and shook his head. Literally an hour ago he was lying in bed, watching the sleeping face of the man he’d just made love with. And now? He was sure that it was at least five o’clock in the morning and he was sitting in a stranger’s house in the forest of some woods he didn’t know with a young girl who was apparently the person he’d been seeing. He was beginning to wonder if he was dreaming. Or maybe he’d had too much to drink. Or maybe Mercy had drugged him. Maybe the beautiful man with sage green eyes was the real Jeffrey Dahmer and was just playing dumb. Maybe...

“You’re not asleep and you’re not hungover,” Cadyn told him in a sharp, annoyed tone and Andy’s face paled.

“How did you...”

“I’m a warlock- some prefer to call me a sorcerer. I’ll accept wizard as well but that’s a term that humans invented... And you’re in my domain, Andrew Coleman. I bend magic, I make it into something by pulling it from the environment around me. I am also a shapeshifter. That is why when we first met, I was not a man. I can change into anything I want. Any basic Mythical being- but not magical creatures, any animal from Earth or Exodus, any gender I please, any person...” Cade trailed when he registered the stunned, confused expression on Andy’s face. The Peacekeeper Lord grit his teeth in anger and slammed a fist down on the kitchen counter, making Cleo jump and Penny bark. “And you- you, Andrew Coleman, are from Earth. That is where you belong. You are in Exodus right now, and as you can tell- we don’t play nice with your kind.”

“Exodus is a book in the Bible...” Andy murmured half-heartedly; his eyes still cloudy with confusion. Cade chuckled at him, rolled his eyes, and shook his head as he dried his shaking hands on a towel.

“Very good. Earth is in the Bible as well, yes. So is Eden. Exodus is a word with a definition- along with being a book in the Bible that explains the escape of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt. It also is the name given to this realm of the world.” Cade sat down in a chair across from Andy, his icy blue eyes never moving from his face. Andy shook his head slowly.

“Realm? I’ve heard that twice since I’ve been here...” Andy groaned, his eyes watering again as his head throbbed near his temple. “What in the hell is going on?”

“Andrew Coleman, everything you’ve known your entire life has been a lie,” Cade told him with ice in his voice and building anger in his eyes. “There exists on this planet, three worlds within it. All are happening, all are very real, all moving and functioning in unison- that means at the same time. It’s like layers to a cake, do you see?” Andy nodded, if ever so slightly. “Earth is the icing- the top layer you see. Exodus is the middle- the cake in the center. Eden is the furthest from the icing- the piece on the bottom. Earth is ruled by humans, where magic was replaced by technology. Here, in Exodus, there are Mythical beings and magical creatures. There is nothing here that doesn’t know of magic. Eden is the purest level; magic rules the entire world and humans are a distant notion, not something that comes into your house and sleeps with your daughter.” Cade cleared his throat and Cleo handed him a glass of water. “Does this all make sense?”

“No, but I think I’ve caught the gist,” Andy replied, nodding slowly this time as he drank in Cade’s steely words. “Mythical beings... Is that what that guy was? The one who...” He gulped down his tears and shook his head. His eyes fell over Malcom’s face again and his heart ached. His lifted his gaze to Cade’s face. “What is Malcom? Is she... he...”

“She is correct. Technically both are correct. She is fine.”

“Is she... a shapeshifter like you? Is that why I knew her as a man?”

“Malcom is many things,” Cleo spoke for the first time, settling back by her daughter’s side. She took a soapy towel that was wet with warm water and began to scrub the blood from her hair. “I am part fairy and part witch. Cadyn is part warlock, shapeshifter, and elf. Yes, Malcom appeared as a man on Earth with the magic she has as a shapeshifter. But that is not the reason why.”

“Why then?” Andy asked but Cade snapped at him and made him jump.

“It matters not why! You won’t remember any of this anyway. You don’t belong here, Andrew Coleman. I don’t care about whatever connection you think you have with my daughter and to be honest, I don’t like it at all. I know that she met you on her birthday...” he tossed a glance over at his wife and then sharply looked away when she seemed shocked and angry. “But that doesn’t matter now. All I know for certain is that your kind is dangerous and unwelcome here- especially in my house.” Cade pushed up from his chair, storming toward the door. “I’ve had a really long, rough night and I would rather not complicate it further with the presence of some, some... Mortal like you.” He pushed the door open. “Lorem, see Andy to the rift closest to the manor. Come straight back.”

“Wait!” Andy stood up, staring at Cade and then at Cleo with wide, anxious eyes. “At least answer my question. How did I get here? How do I get home? What was that thing that attacked Malcom?...” he stared fearfully past Cade into the night with wary eyes. “Is it... still out there?...”

“Darling, please... At least let us answer his questions. Imagine how confusing this must all be for him. He’s just as you said, a human boy. Let’s ease his mind a bit and wait for the sun to rise before we see him off. If Malcom brought him here- and we both know she did- he deserves our honesty, if nothing else.” Cleo motioned for Andy to sit down and he did. “Please... We owe him an explanation at the very least.” Cade’s anger flickered and he sighed, waving a hand, and closing the door to his house.

“Why did that thing do this to her? Who is he? Why would he... Why would he rape her?” Andy asked softly and Cade steeled up, visibly becoming rigid as he began to pace the living room.

“Just like your world, we have criminals and defenders of the peace. There is good and bad here- as there is in all worlds. I am what you would consider a police officer. That... Beast... Is the filthiest of felons. He has been alive for hundreds of years, keeping his youth by the misery, blood, and magic of others.” Cade’s heart ached and he looked away from Andy. “Jeckles- that’s his name- killed my mother and father when I was a boy. He has been at war with my family and the Peacekeepers since the first McKommas moved here centuries ago. This feud goes back over five hundred years, when my ancestor joined the Peacekeeper Corps and fought her first battle against a pack of Dark Law wolves. She killed Jeckles’ mother in that battle and the war has been lit with blood and kinship ever since.”

Andy nodded, his brow furrowing as he slowly took in the information he was being fed. “He did it because he could...” he concluded. “To hurt her. To hurt you,” he whispered softly, looking at Malcom’s pale, scratched up face. Silence gripped the air for the following minutes as everyone seemed to get lost in their thoughts.

The tension was broken by a simple occurrence. Cleo moved from her spot, stiffly walking back into the kitchen. She poured hot water from a teapot into a mug and headed over to Andy. She extended it to him and he looked further confused, glancing down at the untouched cup of coffee he already had in his hands. He opened his mouth to speak but Cleo cut him off.

“Coffee won’t calm your nerves. You’re trembling. You’re in shock. This is tea made with violet roses from the kingdom of my people. It will relax you. Please take it.” Andy sat the coffee cup down on a tree stump end table by the chair. As he took the white, ceramic mug from Cleo, their fingertips brushed. In an instant, memories flooded into the fairy’s mind. Her pupils grew until they nearly swallowed her irises, her soul shattering as she felt the thudding of Andy’s heart. She saw it, through his eyes. The moment that changed him forever- a moment that left him tethered to Malcom in a way that should have never been.

Cleo felt it all. She was pinned down on a table, pressed to the countertop by the back of her neck. She couldn’t breathe. She just couldn’t breathe. Her lungs burned with a toxic mixture of brutal anxiety, pain, and suffocating asthma as she stared at the inhaler that was just out of her reach... Had she been able to reach. The taste of blood was so strong, the smell of iron burned her throat. Her arms hurt. God, her shoulders felt as if they’d tear from their sockets. Another hand was holding her own roughly behind her back, her wrists joined and captured in an unnatural way. Fingernails dug into the back of her neck and into the skin around her hands. And the pain. It was so bad. Cleo felt as if her insides were being churned with knives as she was brutally savaged, rudely invaded time after time. The sound of her own cries- of Andy’s screams, the heavy breathing of her aggressor, and the stomach-churning echo of skin slapping against skin drowned out everything, even the beating of her own heart.

Cleo recoiled from Andy, her hands trembling as she stared at him with watering, agony-brimmed eyes. She was gasping for breath, her lungs aching for air. She stumbled backward until she found a chair and collapsed into it, her eyes never leaving Andy’s bewildered face. She looked over at Malcom, then to Cade, then back to Andy again. All of them sat in stunned silence for a while until Cleo’s heartrate calmed and her breathing returned to normal.

“You’re asthmatic?” she asked in a cracked voice after what felt to be an eternity. Andy’s pupils widened and he nodded.

“Allergies mostly... But there are instances where I have attacks. It usually couples with anxiety,” he responded after a minute. He gingerly pressed the cup she had given him to his lips, and he took a cautious sip of the herbal tea. He never took his eyes off the witch’s face. “How did you know that? What just happened?”

“It’s called Touch Telling,” Cade told him, staring at his wife curiously. “When a Mythic touches another being, they can read memories and share feelings... It’s usually intentional but it can happen on accident sometimes. Which... I am assuming is what just happened. Cleopatra? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she breathed quickly, her hazel eyes still locked on Andy’s face. She placed a hand over her heart, still able to feel the pounding in his chest as if it had been her own. “You share this, don’t you? You and my daughter.”

Andy at first opened his mouth to ask what she meant. But then he remembered. He remembered that when he’d whispered that Jeckles had raped Malcom simply because he could, that he hadn’t been thinking of her entirely. He’d been thinking of what his best friend had done to him years ago, when he’d first admitted to being attracted to men. He remembered it. Every day. His body had healed, but his mind?... Andy looked down and Cleo knew she had her answer.

“I’m sorry you went through that, Andy... No one deserves to endure it.”

Andy’s mind wandered, as he was lost deep in thought. He took another sip of the tea, amazed by how it calmed him and even solved the aching in his chest. The liquid was strange, thin like water but dark violet in color. It was the sweetest, most earthy, natural drink he had ever had. When he looked up again over the edge of his cup, he saw Cade standing only a few feet away, his eyes lighter than he had seen them since they’d met.

“It is time for you to go. Go back home to where you belong.”

“But what about Malcom?” He asked and Cade’s pupils narrowed.

“She’ll be fine in due time. We’ll see to her. She’ll be okay, she just needs to heal.”

“Can I see her again?” Andy asked and Cleo looked as if she suddenly had something to say, but Cade alone shook his head.

“No, you won’t. I will cast a charm on you so that you won’t remember any of this. You’ll remember Malcom as Mercy- as the man you met on Earth. Nothing more, nothing less. A fling that disappeared with the summer nights.”

“But I don’t want that!” Andy protested, getting to his feet. He sat the mug down beside the other cup and he shook his head at the Peacekeeper Lord. “I don’t want to forget her. Or you, or your wife. I don’t want to forget this house or these creatures. That dragon or the beast in the forest. I don’t want to forget the cats and dogs that talk or the way I know what I know now. I was so ignorant before and there is a whole new world here that I never knew anything about. I want to get to know Malcom- the real Malcom. I want to see the ways of her people, to see the depth behind the strange things she told me when I met her on her birthday. My entire life I have felt like something was missing and now I understand why. She’s... She...” Andy looked at Malcom’s face again before meeting Cade’s gaze. “I don’t want to forget her... Please.”

Cadyn raised an eyebrow. He didn’t seem amused, though deep underneath he was impressed by both Andy’s desire and his bravery. Cleo, on the other hand, did very much admire Andy’s plea and seemed perhaps even touched. Cade, once again, headed toward the door and opened it wide, the crickets outside singing songs of their breed as frogs croaked and called somewhere in the distance. The forest was awake again with life and laments, even as dim streaks of bright light were rising like fog upon the horizon. Day was breaking. Andy’s time was up.

“This is not the land for mortals. Nor is it the land for foolish young men who barely know my daughter. I’ve turned away every suitor, male or female, who has come before me in hopes of courting my sweet Malcom. And you, as far as I’m concerned, Andrew Coleman, are the weakest of the bunch.” Cade motioned toward the forest. “Lorem will escort you back to the rift that I am sure Malcom used to get you here. I will spare you your memories, since it is what you desire, though I believe it foolish... And I hope to never see you again.”

“You will. You can bet on that. I’m not going to give up on her. All of this is happening for a reason. Everything happens for a reason. I can’t just tell myself this is all a fantasy.” Andy pushed past Cade out into the cold morning air. Lorem was waiting for him and Andy found that the great beast didn’t look angry. He looked... Well. Almost... Was it?... Amused?

“Once you step foot out of the Mythic realm, you can never come back in. It takes magic to travel between worlds, great magic. You won’t be back,” Cade explained to him and Andy hesitated. He looked back through the doorway of the beautiful, enchanted house and made eye contact yet again with the Peacekeeper’s fairyan wife. Cleo smiled at him in an odd way.

“I’ll be sad to see you go.”

Andy stole a final, longing glance at Malcom’s pretty, scratched up face and then turned on his heels and began to walk back the way he came. Lorem padded almost silently beside him, his shadow casting across Andy’s sight as they headed on their journey. Once they crossed the bridge and neared the trees, he glanced back over his shoulder one last time, seeing nothing now but Cade’s bright blue eyes. He looked up at Lorem who was already staring down at him.

“What’s meant to be will be.”

“What?” Andy said softly and the dragon lowered his head until he was eye to eye with the young man.

“What is meant to be, will be,” Lorem repeated with what Andy nearly mistook for a smile. “But, for that... We will wait and see. As for now, come. I will see you home.”

***

AS LOREM AND ANDY DISAPPEARED into the trees, Cade reentered his home. He ignored the tear-drawn, pleading look of his wife as he carefully leaned down and scooped up Malcom’s battered body in his arms. It occurred to him that he hadn’t returned Andy’s jacket, but the thought was fleeting and he dismissed it. I don’t have any room in my patience for anything to do with the likes of Andrew Coleman. Without a word, he headed up the staircase that led to Malcom’s bedroom. He just wanted for her to feel safe and comfortable when she woke up. She needed support- as much of it as she could get.

He pushed into her room and shuffled soundlessly through the blue carpet. Cade settled his daughter down in the soft, warm nest of her bedsheets. The blankets were thick, plushy, and with a snap of his fingers- the comforters dyed a deep, ocean blue. He tucked his baby girl in with an ache in his heart. Cade cast a soft spell to help her sleep and dressed her in a simple, pale green night gown. He couldn’t bear for her to wake up and find herself naked, to immediately see all the cuts and scrapes. He was trying with all his might to help aid her recovery. No matter how small the gesture seemed. At last, the Peacekeeper Captain nestled some of her stuffed animals around her, leaned down and kissed her forehead, then turned to leave.

“I love you, Malcom Marie,” he whispered softly as he reached the doorway, nearly collapsing into the arms of his wife- who was leaning against the doorframe. Cleo caught Cade by the shoulder and, in one move, snapped her fingers and removed the hex she’d put on Malcom as a punishment. Cade could tell from the haunted look on her face that it was Cleo who seemed to be the one suffering from the choice. With drawn eyes and withered spirits, the pair turned to go. They hadn’t even cleared the doorway yet when Cade heard a sound that nearly broke him down entirely. It was his daughter, her soft voice responding as it always did when he told her goodnight- no matter if she was in the Nothingness or just a deep, dreamy sleep.

“Daddy, love you more.”

He left her door cracked open as the sun began to rise.

***

CLEO AND CADYN HAD only just entered their room when the worn fairy closed their bedroom door and whirled on her heels. Her eyes were swollen from tears, cheeks red, and lips puckered as her emotions boiled over and the words came flooding from her mouth. “You knew about Andy and you didn’t tell me... How could you? You knew!” she screamed, tears spilling from her eyes in a waterfall of broken, fragile feelings. “If I had known she’d met a boy, I would have never let her go out alone last night! Never ever! That’s why you were so angry at me for letting her leave!”

“I wasn’t thinking! He was just a boy- a human boy!” Cade snapped back, his timid resolve from Malcom’s bedroom melting away into crashing waves of anger and guilt. “I accidently heard her and Surrex talking about it the other night. I wanted to protect her but what could I say? ‘Oh, I eavesdropped on you and your dragon by mistake, and I know you and your best friend went to Earth for your birthday? You’re grounded?’ She was telling Surrex how trapped she feels, how broken, how lost, how lonely! I was trying to not make it worse! It’s as you said, we’re suffocating her!” his slow tone had erupted into a fever of unending anger as fire blazed his irises into a deep midnight blue. “She could have stood her own against Jeckles if she had her magic!”

Cleo’s face immediately fell, all the emotions of rage just faded back into an expression so twisted with guilt that it shattered the contempt in Cadyn’s heart. His wife collapsed into the silky emerald sheets and began to sob madly into the palms of her hands. Her body shook violently as Cade’s own emotions boiled over and fell down his face in waves of salty, terrified tears. Without a word, he climbed behind his stricken wife and wrapped himself around her. “Cleopatra, I should have never... I would never...”

“But it is my fault!” she wailed, slamming her fists against the sides of her face. “My God, I did this... I let that monster rape our daughter...”

“No! No... Stop, stop!” Cade pulled Cleo’s hands away from her and held them tight. “There is blame to place here... We sheltered her too much... For this, we can be convicted, yes... But we didn’t take her, we didn’t hurt her. He did that. He did that. Do you hear me?” he kissed Cleo’s forehead, her breaking heart splintering his soul until there was nothing left inside but an empty ache and a terrible flame of molten rage. “And he will pay for it- if it’s the last thing I do. I promise, Cleo. I swear it.”

***

MERCY LAY BESIDE MALCOM in the Nothingness. He was as close to her as he could possibly be, only a breath away from touching. She was unconscious still; her eyes closed and face peaceful as she slept. Mercy was wide awake, however, and looking at his sister with huge, concerned eyes. Here, Malcom looked perfect, flawless- with no cuts, scrapes, or other signs of her assault. His heart ached for her. He sighed and reached out, brushing his fingertips gingerly across her cheek. As usual, the connection shattered their time together and Malcom was suddenly drawn fast out of her subconscious.

It was sometime after noon when Malcom woke from her uneasy slumber. She blinked as the rays of sunlight intruded her sanctuary. She sat up in her bed and stiffly rubbed her eyes, stretching as usual but then her senses came alive. She went to scream but the sound caught in her throat and came out instead as a disembodied gargle. The pain was incredible and traveled all at once like a wildfire dancing across her skin. Everywhere hurt. Her flesh felt as if it was splitting wide open; her bones aching, and mind reeling. And then she saw her reflection as it bounced off the mirror on the back of her door. She barely recognized herself; every inch of her skin seemed to be covered with bruises or cuts, the abrasions of either scrapes or scratches. She stared at the image in stunned horror, confused and bewildered until she remembered it all. The night before came flooding back like someone was pouring liquid nightmares into her brain. The brims of her eyelids welled with tears and they eventually spilled over and fell down her face, causing tinging stings as the salty drops sept into the cuts on her cheeks.

Carefully but quickly, she climbed off her bed and all but ran from her room. The motion caused incredible pain and she sobbed silently as she limped down the hallway and locked herself in the bathroom. She forced herself to go on, collapsing to the floor as she crawled feebly to the toilet. She barely made it to the porcelain bowl before the contents of her stomach emptied into the still water. She vomited violently for several minutes before sprawling flat on her back on the wooden floor, staring at the ceiling with void eyes. She peered over longingly at the claw-foot tub and began to sob again when she found that her desire to reach it, to bathe and be clean, was consumed by her pain and the weak vulnerability she felt. Something stirred within and she was confronted by Mercy’s calm, familiar voice as it rang inside her mind. Come on, Malcom. The water... The water helps. Just a few feet. Get. Up. Get to the water!

She gritted her teeth and nodded to him, wiping away her snot and tears with the back of her hand. He was right. The water. The water, and the home-made bath solutions her mother created would help ease the pain. She just had to make it to the tub- but in her current condition, the five feet between her and it might as well have been miles or an entire world away. Slowly, agonizingly, she rolled on her side and forced herself to crawl the distance that remained. With the taste of blood in her mouth, she grabbed the back of her nightgown and pulled it up over her head. Any other time, she would have blinked it away but... You don’t have magic now. A cold, stirring, bitter resentment for her mother boiled up from inside and Malcom cursed Cleo in her mind as she clawed her way across the floor. She could feel the hex had lifted and yet... Her power was drained. Jeckles, she thought with revolt, had destroyed it. With a great deal of effort, she hauled herself up over the rim of the tub and collapsed into the water that was already climbing up the sides. The enchanted porcelain had warmed the healing liquid to the perfect temperature and steam rolled off the glass-like surface as Malcom sunk in the water up to her nose.

She stared at her toes as they splayed across the white cusp and she studied the cuts across her body. She began to count them for the sake of herself. There were seven abrasions on her left leg, a nasty scrape from tree-bark, and then nine more on her right. Her stomach looked like something her father would sand down off a coffee table. Her chest? God, what’s left of it. Her breasts were torn to pieces, scabbed over from gouges in her delicate, umber-toned skin. She could feel the burning of the long, claw-carved incisions on her back. She wondered how bad they were or how deep they ran...

She shifted her attention and glanced over at a row of glass bottles that were settled on the shelves of the tub. She reached numbly up and selected a tall, leafy green vial and emptied the entire content of the container into the water. Instantly, the warm liquid surrounding her dyed a pale, pastel pink and the calming scent of cinnamon and roses started to waft from the steam. Malcom winced in discomfort and groaned as the magic brew began to take effect. As she soaked her body in the elixir, the herbs and natural oils infused in the potion started to heal her beaten form. The abrasions and scabs on her skin healed and retracted, shrinking smaller and smaller until they disappeared altogether- leaving thin, petite scars in their wake. The bruises lightened until they melted away and, inside, her wounded bones grew once again strong and healthy. Feeling rejuvenated, Malcom brought her head out of the water and leaned back against the lip of the tub and stared at the door with her dim, blue eyes.

Her physical form felt so much better as the powers of her mother’s specialty potion began to soak the dirt and grime away. However, inside, the turmoil of her heart was so heavy and chaotic that she knew nothing could be done to mend it. Internally, she was devastated and ruined, and no amount of soap could wash the gritty, disgusting feeling away. Inside. He’d been inside her. And not just physically. Every-time she closed her eyes, she saw his icy irises staring back at her. She felt his hot breath scorching her skin. And that smile? She would never be able to rid herself of his terrible grin or be forsaken of the sick sound of his sadistic laughter. Malcom shuddered and her face lost all its color, leaving her expression pained and uncomfortable. He had truly taken all of her; just as he’d wanted to. There was such an aching, incredible emptiness inside that she wasn’t sure she’d ever be whole again.

Timidly, as if she would discover something she couldn’t bear to find, she slid a hand down between her thighs and touched the sore, aching crest of her vulva. She winced at the discomfort and drew her hand away. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she felt the tears coming again. Malcom bit her lip and forced herself to repeat the action, but this time she tenderly spread apart the petals of her outer folds and used the tips of her fingers to open herself up and let the healing elixir inside. She tasted blood again as her teeth tore through the flesh of her lip. The potion burned like alcohol on an open wound- but the calm came after, as the mending properties softly began to heal the malady of her most private area.

The uncomfortable sensation began to wane, and Malcom forced out a long, labored sigh. She had just closed her eyes when she was startled by a soft sound from the window across the room. Malcom let out a breath of relief when she recognized the lithe, streamlined form of Surrex as she tapped the glass with her nose. The dragoness’ dark tangerine eyes were deep with emotion and she downcast them at the intrusion of Malcom’s privacy. Her master stared out the window for what felt like eons before she nodded to herself and numbly got to her feet. Steam rolled off her body like waves of magic as she walked across the room and pushed the window open. Surrex didn’t face her, choosing to look down instead. Malcom reached a hand out and touched the curve of her dragon’s face.

“I don’t want to look upon you,” Surrex said in a rush before Malcom could speak to her. “My heart couldn’t take it to see you so badly damaged. Lorem said you looked...” she stopped speaking, overcome with emotion. “My dearest Malcom, he said you looked near death... And while that monster stole away your spirit and invaded your body, where was I? I’ve failed you... The pain you’ve suffered is my shame...” she withdrew from Malcom’s palm and began to turn away when at last, the Mythic found her voice.

“Surrex, no! There was nothing... Nothing that you could have done,” she protested, finding that speaking hurt immensely from the damage of her injured windpipe. The elixir had mended her almost everywhere, but her throat was still bitterly sore from screaming- and from the iron grip from Jeckles’ paw as he choked her into silence. It was the first time she’d said anything since before he had attacked her and the effort nearly drew fresh tears from her eyes. “You can look at me, Surrex... I’ve been soaking in my mother’s healing oils and my body isn’t nearly as scratched up now... Please... Don’t blame yourself. He came here knowing what he was doing. He knew what he wanted... He’d been looking for me; for all of us. Nothing was going to stop him from it...” she reached down desperately and Surrex paused but didn’t turn to face her.

“I should never have allowed you to see the boy. I should have never encouraged you to chase after him. If it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t have been out last night. I...”

“Don’t! Don’t say those things. Don’t you dare. You sound so much like my father,” Malcom snapped, pulling back into the bathroom. Just then, something occurred to her and her mind temporarily digressed from the thoughts that haunted her and redirected toward a young man with red hair and emerald-green eyes. Surrex at last looked at her, her orange eyes upset as Malcom peered down at her accusingly. “Surrex... Andy? Is he okay? Where is he?”

“Your...” Surrex recoiled, knowing that no matter what she said, she was going to cause her beloved distress. “Master Cadyn sent him away.”

“Of course he did...” Malcom said in a steady voice that was hiding her shaking core. She nodded as if this all made sense and she retracted from the pane. “I... I need to be alone now, Surrex. But please... Please come talk to me later. Will you?”

“As you wish,” the dragon replied in a hurt tone as she turned and spread her wings, leaping into the sky without a build-up. Malcom watched her go, eyes watering. Her hands shaking, she picked up her night gown from the ground and wiggled back into it- wondering briefly how it got on her in the first place. Silent, solemn, and with a limp in her step and an incredible aching in her heart, she began to walk slowly back to her room.

Her mind filled with so many thoughts, too many to not be consumed by them. She thought of Andy and how frightened he had to be. If he had noticed the difference between her in Exodus and her on Earth?... Surely, he had. She hadn’t gotten to talk to him about it the way she wanted- yet another thing Jeckles had stolen from her. Her untimely revealed secret meant it was probably over between them anyway- so perhaps this was for the better. But Andrew Coleman shared this with her... They were both survivors. And now the only person who could truly understand what she’d been through was a literal world away. How poetic. Had her father wiped his memory clean of her? What had Cleo said to him? Did he get hurt? And Jeckles... He had found her, found her father at last after decades of searching for the child of Luxar McKommas that evaded him so many years ago.

What did this mean for her family? Would they have to move now, constantly bouncing from town to town as her mother did when she was young? Would she- her heart dropped- would she have to leave Cia behind? Did her mother feel guilty for placing a cuff on her that suspended her magic and left her defenseless against one of the most powerful beings in all the Mythic realm? Most of all, Malcom thought of herself. Her body was littered in scars that would fade but never heal. She had lost her innocence, her true virginity ripped from her by the most tyrannical ruler Exodus had ever known. Her magic would never be the same again. She would never be the same again.

Overwhelmed, Malcom collapsed into her bed, burying herself into the nest of plush, fluffy things as her resolve shattered and she began to sob madly. She curled up in the comforts of her things and let the world around her slip away as she broke down within the safety of familiarity and structure. Her heart ached, her head hurt, her eyes began to sting. She sniffled and wiped her nose on the back of her hand before closing her eyes. She needed him then, as she always did, when she felt alone and had no one else to comfort her. The only one who would ever truly understand her. And she needn’t travel any further to reach him than the back of her mind. Malcom closed her eyes and begged for Mercy to come, longing for the sanctuary of the white infinity she shared with her twin brother. The Nothingness came fast and hard, and this time, she welcomed it.

12

[For Each Day]

Cade had spared Andy his memories. And it was the most miserable thing he had ever endured. Being back in the human world, it felt even more desolate than it had before. People were crueler, the nights were darker, the days drew on longer. There was nothing to ease Andy’s restless mind or aching heart. A month went by in a pained, dull blur. Andy went to work, bought food for Gizmo, went home, and then would drive out to the rift where Lorem had led him to that night; somewhere on the long-forgotten street past 9th and Porter. And he would wait. For fifty days, this ritual persisted. And with every drowning sunset, Andy’s heart grew heavier and heavier as he sat cross-legged on the old, abandoned road, trying to figure out how to get back to the magical land with fairies and dragons. How to get back to... Her.

***

THE SUN HAD JUST SET but Malcom was already asleep. She stayed exhausted anymore and nothing could be done to remedy it. She twitched uncomfortably in her slumber and her body began to violently jerk. In her dreams, a monstrous scene was unfolding before her closed eyes.

Jeckles was in her house, in her room. Her mother and father were slain, torn to pieces on the stairs as they tried to warn her. There was no one, nothing but her and... Him. The darkness was suffocating, the shadows of dragons that once danced around her room were now the wicked silhouettes of encroaching wolves. He was standing in her doorway, his looming form engulfing the wooden frame, blocking her way out. His eyes were blazing like blue orbs of fire, teeth bared and stained ruby with the blood of her family. She looked out the window but there was no escape; a sea of lithe, sleek bodies writhed below- the hundred glistening lights of eager lycan eyes. She was trapped. When Malcom looked again, he was upon her. She screamed into nothing as his fangs met her throat, his claws tearing into her stomach to rip away the flesh and organs underneath. This was it. The darkness was coming, swallowing her whole. And all she knew was the dancing of the wolves on her bedroom walls and the Shadow Hounds howling in victory as he gnawed her life away.

Malcom woke with a jolt, lifted out of bed. Her skin was on fire and she was pooled in sweat. She began to cry, burying her face in her plushy dragon pillows. Her entire body burned as she sobbed, her scars throbbing in memory of that terrible night. Suddenly, there was a wave of cool relief. Her blazing flesh was starting to lose its sting and she looked up toward her open window. Surrex was there, breathing sweet waves of icy blue fire down over her master, pouring it into her room like crests of water. After a few more moments of this calming release, Malcom raised her hand, and the dragoness withdrew her fire.

“I came as soon as I heard you struggling... I’m very glad I’ve chosen to nest outside your window, my love... Was it the dream again?”

“Yes,” Malcom said in an uneasy, cracked voice. “It felt so real this time...”

“I know, my dove. But it isn’t real. He isn’t here. There is no wolf for miles but Lilian.” Surrex offered her rider a tender smile. “She is here with me too. She wonders if you would want to hear a story. Would it comfort you? Or... Is her appearance too much?”

“No, I’d love to see her. Lilian doesn’t scare me. Bring her to me, Surrex. Carefully,” Malcom whispered, still unmoved from her fetal position as she whispered to her dragoness. Surrex nodded slowly and disappeared from the windowpane, returning a moment later with Lilian hanging carefully from her scruff. Silently, the silver dragon set the she-wolf down on her paws, her black claws sinking into the down of the blue, grass-like carpet. Lilian’s gentle blue eyes were kind and her tail wagged as she padded over to the bed and licked Malcom’s burning cheeks.

“I’m glad our visits have become routine,” Lilian all but purred, with affection thick in her eyes. Malcom smiled back and nodded, patting the space beside her. This was the twelfth night she had come to visit her and the tenth she had been allowed- secretly- into her room. Every morning, she hid under her master’s bed until it was safe and Surrex came and fetched her before Cade left his quarters for the day. It was a tedious but welcome process and Malcom cherished it greatly.

As Lilian settled in beside her master, Surrex nested back into the grass outside and closed her eyes to listen to Lilian spin her bedtime stories which brought Malcom so much comfort. “So, my dear,” the white she-wolf began as she gently pulsed her paws on Malcom’s shoulder blades and nestled her warm nose in the young lady’s messy hair. “What tale should I tell you tonight? Or should I sing you a song?”

“A bit of both, please,” Malcom whispered, closing her eyes. “My mother used to sing to me all the time, but she stopped when I got a little older... I don’t know why...”

“Oh, mother’s do strange things sometimes...” Lilian said in a knowing way as she began to hum gently.

“What was your mother like?” Malcom asked softly, her eyelids fluttering shut. “Overbearing and secretive like mine?”

“No, I don’t truly know, dear. My mother died when I was just a pup. My sister raised me.”

“Oh...” Malcom grew silent for a long time. “I’m sorry...”

Lilian changed the subject quickly, her blue eyes watering. “Have I yet told you the story about the love that exists between night and day?”

“No... I don’t... I don’t think so...”

“Ah. Alright then...” she nuzzled Malcom’s ear softly. “The Moon has loved Mother Earth for as long as time has existed. But the two can never be together, as the Moon must stay in the sky to protect the Heavens and Mother Earth must be where she is because she takes care of us and everything that lives. So, the Moon created the stars as a gift to Earth. She loved them so much that she made mountains that would reach up so high that the Moon could dance across their great peaks. Sometimes the Moon sends down stars that we call comets, more gifts to Earth. And Earth keeps them close forever,” Lilian finished with a small smile when she realized Malcom was snoring.

“And I will give you a song, as promised...” Softly, to keep the young Mythic’s mind at ease, she began to gently sing. “By the moon, by the moon, the wolves dance in the glow. Before the Creator, what a marvelous show. By the moon, by the moon, we all come to play. In the moonlight, in the moonlight, our hearts come to stay. And the moon, and the moon, she smiles at her spawn as the wolves in lunar-dust are just moonlight fawns...” As she finished the lullaby, Malcom fell deep into a comfortable sleep. Lilian nodded contently and eased away from her, dropping to the floor on the side toward the window. She closed her eyes, falling asleep to the gentle, calm sound of Malcom breathing as she descended into her brother’s comfort deep inside the Nothingness.

The following morning was the particularly hot beginning to a Tuesday in August as Azura approached the house with great caution. She had a spring in her step, as she had something she was hoping would cheer Malcom up a bit. Upon her back was Cia, the pretty troll rambling on to Azura about some great adventure she’d been on recently with her mother. Cia quieted though when Azura reared up on her hind legs in attempt to peer into Malcom’s bedroom. The young lady was only just awake, laying on her back with her right arm dangling off the bed. Her fingers were brushing through the soft, white fur on Lilian’s head.

“Malcom?” Cia called and her best friend peered over the edge of the sill, beaming brightly at her. “Malcom! Hi! How are ya today?” Even though she asked the question genuinely, there was a glare of pain in her syrupy brown eyes. Ever since the night Malcom had been attacked, the young Mythic had never been the same. And try as she might, Cia couldn’t help but be broken by the difference.

“Alright,” she replied simply as Lilian put her paws on the windowpane beside her dearest and the Mythic scratched the space between her ears affectionately. “I mean... As good as I can be. Mom still hasn’t talked to me much. Dad still acts like I’m dying... God, Cia... If it wasn’t for you, Lilian, Surrex, and Azura... I think I’d have gone mad.” Her best friend offered the pretty troll a soft, tired smile. “But enough about me. What’s up with you? Anything on the agenda today or are we going to sit up here and read together?”

“Well, I do have a few errands to run today,” Cia replied in a hurry, looking guilty. Her mother had been quite busy with the babies as of late and thus Cia was left to do all the running around for her. That had, unfortunately, taken away a lot of the time that she spent with Malcom and she hadn’t seen her best friend since that previous Friday. “I was going to go over to Earth after I left here and grab some supplies. Mother needs more of those special gems for the dress she is making for that fairy princess and you know about the dealer in Thailand. He has the most exquisite rubies...” Cia’s voice was almost a whisper as she dared to venture further with her curiosity. “Well... I was wondering... Do you want to come with me?”

“No.” Malcom almost snapped but then her expression softened considerably, and she shook her head instead. “I... I still don’t feel well enough to leave the manor. My mom took the hex off me the night... The night it happened... But my magic is still so weak...” She rubbed her arm shyly. “I’m too afraid to venture away without it. I’m defenseless and I will be damned rather than be caught off guard, unable to protect myself again. Maybe soon I’ll get some spark to my magic back, but as for now... I think I’ll just stay put. Thank you very much, though...”

“Well, of course!” Cia beamed, as the rejection was less aggressive than it had been the last time she’d asked Malcom to join her on an expedition anywhere outside of her own room. “Is there anything I can get for you then? Candy? Twizzlers, a toffee maybe? Some choc...”

“Chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate,” Malcom replied as Cia was asking and the two of them laughed together. But then there was a sad look in her eyes and Malcom reached out the window, taking Cia’s mocha-colored hand in her own. More often than not, the two of them had broken away to Earth to collect small hoards of sweets to keep and store for later. “I haven’t gone out with you in so long, we haven’t been able to go on our dates. I miss chocolate and coffee. I mean, the chocolate makers here are wonderful- you know that but... I don’t know. It’s nice to have a little danger. I just... I just want to feel normal again.” Malcom sighed softly, glancing down at her best friend. “Is that too much to ask, Cia? Will you need anything to trade or...”

“No, no, no. Not at all! I’ll be meeting with the trader just inside of town before heading out to other posts. He has a large amount of human money for me this time because I’m giving him fairy dust and pixie powder. And just in case, I have like six or seven magic tokens I think, and you know how eager some Earth-dwellers get to have a taste of home.” Cia offered her dearest friend a genuine smile. “Do you mind if I take Azura with me? I don’t want to walk all of that today if I can help it.”

“If she’ll go, sure!” Already, Azura was nodding in agreement to taking on the journey. “But you better take Lilian down before I get up for the day. I don’t want Papa to see her... Where’s Surrex anyway?” she asked as she hoisted Lilian out of the window and Cia took her carefully in her arms.

“Out and about somewhere, I’m sure,” Azura shrugged, even though it was odd that the she-dragon wasn’t right outside the window. “Perhaps chewing Lorem’s tail off again. Those two just can’t be together more than a few minutes without fighting over something. Stubborn bull that he is.”

“He is, he is...” Malcom chuckled, rolling her eyes. She leaned down and kissed Cia’s mouth, scratched Lilian’s ears, and patted Azura’s head. “Well, thank you so much for coming to see me, Cia. I’ll see you soon, then?”

“Yes, as soon as I get back. I promise. No problem, Mikey. I love you,” Cia told her softly as Azura turned away. Malcom slipped back into her room and murmured a reply that was probably ‘love you too’ but Cia couldn’t make it out. Lilian leaped down off the dragoness’s back and disappeared into the forests as Cia stared at the window longingly. Azura swiftly turned away and trekked on in silence as Cia eventually settled comfortably on the dragon’s back. The hush lingered for a while until the pretty troll thought of something to say.

“I notice you don’t fly much. How come?” she asked in her usual springy voice as her pep seemed to return; energized by the quest brought on by her best friend. Azura nodded, finding that most Mythics wouldn’t have the courage to ask a dragon as rough looking as her such a personal question and yet Cia seemed entirely unafraid of her. The troll has spunk. She admired that- she always had.

“My wing was damaged very badly during the Dragon Wars. I was told I’d never fly again. Because of the injury, I’ve lost most of the feeling on my right side- including my face. I taught myself to fly again, walk again, talk again. I made myself get better. I refused to accept defeat. If you haven’t noticed yet, I’m not exactly a quitter. I’m an old stubborn bitch and that’s how it always will be.” Azura spoke swiftly and flatly but Cia caught the emotion and heartbreak behind her voice. The halfblood affectionately rubbed Azura’s rough, scaly neck. Cia continued to be silent for a bit longer, listening to the unsteady rhythm of Azura’s paw-steps.

“You were close to the old man’s granddaughter, weren’t you? The one who traded you all for Iralah at the auction?”

“She was my entire world,” Azura’s voice was the softest that Cia had ever heard it. “Katherine has been ill since I have known her. She’s up and down. Sometimes she’ll get better for a while... And some days the sickness is so bad that she can barely get out of bed. I forget what William said it was exactly, but it is killing her slowly and Will never had anything worth trading for magics or herbs that could cure her- if there even is a cure anyway. Katherine is the purest soul I’ve ever known; so kind and selfless. Her grandfather is her entire life, and it pains her that he must care for her and she cannot care for herself.” The dragon grew quiet. “I miss her greatly but honestly... It is a relief to me that I will not be there when she passes on. I don’t think my old, withered heart could bear it.”

“Can I ask you another question?” Cia pried after a moment.

“Anything. As many as you like.”

“When Malcom spoke to you during the auction, you pressed your head against her chest. Were you Touch Telling?”

“No- not quite. When I first saw Malcom, I felt tethered to her somehow... By something. But it wasn’t that she was meant to be my rider. I felt something deeper. I listened to the sound of her heart and in the beating I heard it- the rhythm of someone else’s soul. I believe that I am meant to be the dragon of the person who claims her heart. Or it could be that I am destined for the other half of her twin spirit. I’m not sure. In any case, a good friend of mine once told me that dragons can hear the beating of their rider’s hearts in the shadow of someone else who loves them. Now that I’ve experienced it myself, I fully believe there is truth in that.”

Cia nodded thoughtfully as they approached the rift that Cade had made in the forest. Azura paused just outside it and she tilted her head warily. “I have never been to Earth before. What shall happen to me there?”

“You’ll appear as a car or a motorcycle or some type of human transportation. It won’t hurt. You’ll be okay. I promise. It’s just the way that Mr. McKnight has charmed this rift to protect the dragons who go through it. Every master hexes every rift differently.” Cia patted Azura’s side as she rubbed a heart shaped pendant on the necklace she wore. The old dragoness nodded and slowly eased her way in-between two massive oak trees, disappearing in a wave of shimmering smoke.

Andy awoke with a jump as a vehicle engine roared to life from the air a few yards in front of him. It was impossible, the road led to a dead end in the middle of nowhere. There was no way a car could have possibly come from that way. Unless... He sat up stiffly, his body aching from sitting and laying on the asphalt for so many weeks. Headlights beamed at him and Andy had to squint to be able to see. He shivered in the mist of early morning as the shape of a vehicle began to creep slowly toward him. Azura’s soul tried to adjust to being bound in suspended animation inside the shell of a modern car: stuttering then stopping, then starting up slowly again.

The mass of metal came to a screeching stop just a few feet away from Andy and the driver stepped out. She was beautiful, with caramel skin and thick, curly mocha hair with mulberry ends. She was wearing black leggings and a red hoody with some strange marking on it, and she was, for the most part- entirely ordinary. And yet... Somehow. He knew it was a lie. He recognized her.

“Hey!” he all but screamed. “You’re the girl from the bar! The one with Mercy- Malcom! What’s your name? Did you come from Exodus? Have you seen her? Is she okay?”

Cia took a step back, bringing her hand to the heart pendant that was charmed to keep her other appearance in this world. Her syrupy brown eyes watered, touched by the panic she saw in his eyes. She had never known a human man to show as much kindness as she saw in his face. Without a word, Cia slowly approached him. Cautiously, she reached out and her fingertips and touched his cheek. Touch Telling took hold and she saw right through him- into his heart where felt the fear he’d felt that night in the Mythic realm. She saw Malcom through his eyes- her scathed face somehow so hauntingly beautiful. She felt Cade’s rage, Cleo’s heartbreak, and Lorem’s panic. She drew her hand back just as a single tear fell from the rim of her eyes.

“My name is Cia,” she said softly, and he nodded as if acknowledging her.

“You’re Malcom’s cousin.”

“I’m actually her best friend.” Cia’s heart began to drum in her chest from the look of desperate concern on the man’s face. “I... I’ve seen Malcom almost every day since the attack. She’s okay, I promise. Her recovery is taking a long time and she rarely leaves her room...”

“Take me back with you.” The words came out of Andy’s mouth before he had much of a chance to think of what he was actually saying. Cia blinked in surprise and leaned back, all but sitting on the hood of the car, the headlights beaming through her silhouette. “Please. I’ve been here every-day waiting. I care about Malcom. I’m not sure why... but I really, really do. I can’t stop thinking about everything I saw. The dragon, her father, her mother, the beautiful house they live in... Her pretty, perfect face. I-I just can’t fathom the thought of never seeing her again. I’ve been going crazy with worry, wondering if she’s okay, if the officials caught Jeckles yet. I just want to know if she’s okay. I just want to see her. Please... Just one time.”

“I can’t. It doesn’t work that way. It’s forbidden. Non-Mythics are never to cross into the land of Exodus unless marked by the Creator. And I see no such mark and sense no such magic. I can’t break the Ancient Laws. Malcom really, really did something stupid when she brought you over... I just can’t... Cade would kill me,” Cia told him, tears glossing her eyes again.

“But I’ve already been to the Mythic realm once! I can go back.”

“Only because you were with a Mythical being at the time. Without magic, you can’t cross the threshold.”

“Aren’t you a Mythic though? Don’t you have magic?”

“Well of course...” Cia’s voice fell away and the vehicle groaned underneath her with idle adjustment.

“Cia... Please. I don’t want to live in a world without magic. I can’t now that I’ve seen the beauty of Exodus. Please, Cia. Take me with you. Let me see Malcom. Let me see her just this once and then I’ll leave you alone. Seeing her for who she really is, is all the magic I need to last me a lifetime. Then her dad- Cadyn, right? - can wipe my memory clean and it’ll all be over. Please. I’ll do anything.” Andy reached into his pocket to dig for his wallet, but Cia shook her head.

“Your mortal money is worth very little to me in Exodus. The only thing it is used for is trade, no matter what the amount. It honestly would fetch me more here than anywhere else. And... I guess... I can take you back with me. But this is the only time, you won’t remember after today anyway!” Cia’s eyes locked on a crucifix that hung around Andy’s neck. She reached out and touched it with her fingertips, whispering something that the young man couldn’t hear. “I charmed your necklace. It should allow you to travel safely into Exodus. But it will only work for a short time as the spell- and my magic- are both temporary. It isn’t strong here and I don’t have much magic to begin with. It really isn’t in my breed,” she told him in a slightly anxious voice. The vehicle roared underneath her, and Andy raised an eyebrow in alarm.

“Is it safe to go back in that thing?”

“Safest thing in the world. And her name is Azura,” Cia said simply as she turned on her heels, her mind whirling with the decision she was making as she opened the passenger side door for Andy. He was just about to wedge his way into the seat when he stood back up and embraced Cia briefly. She let out a breath of surprise and gently hugged him back, rubbing his shoulders as she tried very, very hard not to initiate Touch Telling.

“Thank you so much, Cia.”

“Don’t thank me yet. Cade might kill you- and me as a bonus. Also, I came here on business today, so you’re going to have to run around with me and do some Mythic things. Errands and the like.”

“What kind of errands does a Mythic have here?”

“Oh, you’re about to find out.” Cia settled herself into the driver’s seat and within seconds, the car took off, leaving Andy’s motorcycle sitting eerily by, going nowhere on an abandoned road that stopped with a dead-end sign.

13

[The Return of Magic]

Andy couldn’t have dreamed most of what he experienced with Cia that day. In such a short period of time, they did things he could never have imagined were even possible. They went through two different rifts that led to other countries where they met with what seemed to be ordinary people. In China, Cia traded two hundred American dollars for a small bag of what Andy believed were tiny, smooth, white rocks. In Thailand, they met with a very old man who smelled of pea soup and had warm brown eyes. Cia handed him a clunky green bag and a single white rose to receive back a silk sack filled with crushed leaves, a plastic container of beautiful gemstones, and a bronze box that she handled as delicately as if it were made of glass.

Once back in America, they stopped at a grocery store where Andy gave Cia a fifty-dollar bill for her troubles. He was surprised to see her spend it all on Malcom’s requested chocolate, and a single package of hair-ties. As Azura headed smoothly back toward Porter Avenue, Andy was wide awake, wired from the day’s incredible adventure. He couldn’t believe Cia seemed worn out already. How can she possibly be tired?! They’d been in three different countries in two hours, and it was more than Andy had seen in his entire life!

“Can I... Can I go to my house first? I need to feed my dog,” Andy asked as he stared out the window, remembering that it was time for Gizmo’s second meal. Cia looked over at him with tired brown eyes and sighed.

“I really need to get Azura back. This is her first day out to Earth and the adjustment must be exhausting. Her soul is kind of suspended right now and I’ve heard it’s hell to get used to. I promise, we won’t be gone too long. Will he starve?”

“No,” Andy whispered with a touch of embarrassment in his voice. He watched the lines on the road go by, faster and faster with each second that passed. Then he saw them pass his bike. Suddenly, they were flying down the asphalt at every bit of ninety miles per hour. He could hear the engine beginning to shake and rumble from the speed. Andy shifted uneasily as the temperature inside the car become uncomfortably warm. The vehicle itself was quite old- an early 1990 model Honda. The light blue paint was chipped on the outside, the interior was worn to bits, one of the doors was dented, and the car was sounding more and more like a blender tossing around shards of gravel.

“Cia... I don’t think this car can go this fast...”

“Of course she can.” The halfblood floored the gas pedal and Andy screamed as they soared over the edge of a cliff that marked the end-of-the-line portion of the dead-end road. He closed his eyes, bracing for the crash, preparing for the pain as they slammed into the hillside. But the car never smashed into anything, his body never cracked and crushed from impact, nothing ever happened. Instead, the smell of pine drifted into his nose and wind whipped across his face. There was a jagged motion, the sound of something galloping, and the seat he was sitting on had melted into something firm and warm. When Andy opened his eyes, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

He was straddling the back of a massive, sky blue dragon- the same shade as the car they had just been riding in. He had his arms instinctively around Cia’s waist, the young troll holding onto Azura’s neck as the dragoness cantered through the forest. For once, the aching pain in her injured leg didn’t stop her. She felt too alive to slow down, too free to be contained. She was running like a young dragon again and nothing would spoil it for her. She stretched her wings backward to pump reviving blood into them after hours of being frozen, disintegrated inside the faux appearance of a ratty old car. To be alive, to be a dragon again. She was wild, untamed, and free.

Andy looked around, amazed to see that he was nestled between two massive leathery wings that were a slightly darker shade of blue than the rest of her. A thin, small row of spines ran from the crown of her head to her tail. He admired her horns, how one was broken and the other crooked. This was the second time that he had been atop the back of a dragon and it was even more incredible than the first. Andy blinked the astonished tears out of his eyes and found that nothing else in his life had ever felt so good. The air in his lungs was so clear, the sky above him so blue, the trees around him so green. He was sure there was no place on Earth that was still this beautiful- this pure. Not wanting to lose any precious moment of this world, he dared to take a hand off Cia’s waist. Cautiously, Andy reached down and touched the dragon’s smooth scales.

Azura felt a spark enter her soul and her pupils nearly swallowed her irises. She dug her heels into the ground and skidded forward, all but throwing her riders from her back as she slid to a grinding stop in the tearing grass and moist dirt. She reared on her hind legs, her blue eyes glossy as the feeling of serenity nearly engulfed her. Once she was back on all fours, Cia helped Andy down the ground and they both came around front to see what had startled the great beast. Azura lowered her head, the dragoness’ scarred muzzle only a few inches from Andy’s face.

“You,” she said in a starry voice. “You laid a hand on me. What... What is your name, young man?”

“Andrew Coleman,” Andy said in a voice that was barely a whisper. He stared up into the dragon’s face, his heart thundering. Never in his life had seen anything like this creature. He could see how scarred she was, how beaten. She was battered and broken. She had seen horrors of her world just as he had seen the terrors in his. He reached out and gently touched the she-dragon’s muzzle. Her cool blue scales felt warm under his palm. “But my would-be friends call me Andy”

“Andy...” Azura dropped her head down again, her eyes wide with incredulous wonder. Without another word, she pressed the left side of her skull to Andy’s chest. Immediately- it clicked. She recognized it instantly, the sound she had heard echoing when she listened to Malcom’s heartbeat what felt like eons ago. The strong beat in Azura’s chest began to drum in sync with his own. She closed her eyes, feeling more at ease than she had in years as the gentle thump, thump, thump eased the heavy parts of her soul.

“Your heart...” She lifted her head and found that Andy hadn’t taken his eyes off her. Their gazes locked and she felt a kind of fierce love rage inside her soul that hadn’t burned for centuries. Nothing was said between them and yet, somehow, Andy understood. Even though he never could have fabricated anything like this in his wildest dreams, he nodded at something unspoken yet shared between them in the intimate silence. He reached out once again and touched the space between her eyes, rubbing his thumb in gentle circles across the scaly scars that marred her once-pretty face.

As this gentle bonding occurred, Cia was staring at the two of them with an incredulous look on her face. It was unheard of for a human to be fated as a dragon’s rider- impossible even!- and yet... That seemed to be exactly the kind of claim that was happening right before her very eyes. Only humans marked by the Creator are ever given such privileges. An ordinary human? Never. It was impossible- entirely impossible.

Suddenly, the troll began to study Andy in a way she hadn’t before. As he and Azura silently began to detail one another- him taking in every definition of her scars and her drinking in the precision of his features- Cia homed in her examining skills. She looked him up and down, trying to sense some type of energy that might indicate he was, in fact, unique. Could she possibly have overlooked something magnificent? No, no, no... No mark, no iridescence, no magical glow...

Then it happened. She noticed something she hadn’t paid attention to before. His left ear, if ever so slightly, was pointed in a very unnatural way to human beings. Cia sucked in a hard breath and began to piece together some things from Andy’s past. Malcom had told her he never knew his mother, she died of a mysterious illness when Andy was just a few years old. A lot of Mythical beings that spent too much time on Earth grew ill from the lack of magic and would die in unexplainable ways.

Careful not to alarm either of them, Cia tiptoed ever closer. She whispered something inaudible and stared at Andy, her syrupy gaze searching for an explanation. If her suspicions were correct... He wasn’t marked by the Creator at all. Not a fairy... His skin had no color from any of the Fairyan Kingdoms. Unless... His freckles were oddly red. The color drained from Cia’s face when she finally created a theory, one she knew in her heart had to be true. Without thinking, before she could stop it, her thoughts flew from her mouth.

“You’re part Mythic!” Cia cried it out without meaning to. Andy tore his eyes away from Azura for just a moment, staring at his companion with a confused, dazed expression.

“What? No. My mother and father were definitely human.”

“Do you know them both?” Cia pried, though she knew the answer already.

“I was two when my mother died... I haven’t spoken to the man I call my father in years. I never knew my biological dad. He and my mom split before I was even born.”

“Do you remember your mother at all?”

“No, not much... She died when I was two.” Andy repeated, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

“Andy... There may be more about you than meets the eye. You don’t understand right now. And that’s okay.” Cia rubbed her hands together as she stared at him with wide, wonder-struck eyes. It then occurred to Andy how different Cia looked here and he was desperate to get the attention off himself.

“Uhm... Are you a shapeshifter too then? Like Malcom and Cade?”

“No. I’m a troll,” Cia replied shortly, pointing to her head of frizzy, curly hair. “And elf. I’m a halfblood, like Malcom and both her parents. I use magic charms when I go to the human realm so that I can appear different than I am. This necklace has a spell on it- it’s why I don’t take it off. So, that way, I can come and go from Earth to Exodus as I please without having to constantly reapply magic,” she told him, revealing the heart-shaped pendant that she constantly touched for reassurance. Andy nodded, trying to make sense of it all. Even as Cia explained herself, she was inching ever closer to him, her gaze questioning. “Elf...” she murmured, and Andy’s eyebrows furrowed as he took a step back.

“You’re telling me that you think I’m part... Mythic?” Cia nodded. “Like you? And Malcom...”

“Well. It only makes sense,” she told him, sudden excitement bubbling up inside of her until it spilled from her lips. She eagerly ushered toward Azura then at Andy again, bouncing back and forth on her feet with increasing energy. “It now makes me understand why Malcom was so attracted to you. And why you were attracted to her. Magical beings seek each other out, it’s an aura they give off- if ever so faint. That also explains why you and Azura are connecting this way. Humans don’t have dragons waiting for them, Andy...” she shook her head, deep in thought. “Y’know, I bet it’s why you were able to leave and enter this realm so easily. Even with me and Malcom guiding you, the transition between worlds can be fatal to mortals because the magic is too much for their souls to take. Your left ear,” she pointed to it and Andy touched it ever so lightly. “It’s pointed. Just barely. Your hair is so red, more vibrant than normal for a human. Those freckles of yours, since I’m looking at them and noticing them now with the clear air in Exodus, are also unnaturally red, very dark... Patterned so uniquely. It’s all so obvious now. You are part Mythic. You have magic in your veins.” Even as Cia spoke in an excited rush, Andy was shaking his head in disbelief.

Cia sighed angrily, put her hands on Andy’s shoulders, and shook him. “Have you felt out of place your entire life?” she asked abruptly, stepping near him until their bodies were pressed together. Andy stumbled back and was now resting against Azura’s leg, Cia’s hands falling from his shoulders.

“Yes,” he answered slowly. “But that’s just...”

“Felt a strange connection to animals more than people?”

“Yes, but I mean, that’s not that uncommon...”

“Do you have a strong love of music and art? It’s like magic to you?”

“Y-Yes... B-But...”

“You have a hatred for money and find more pleasure in nature.”

“Yes... I love to be out in the forests and woods, but...”

“You see the darkness in the world as an entity, not as a figment of imagination. Don’t you?” Azura asked this question and Andy closed his eyes, his heart pounding. He forced his mind to steady and words to come.

“Yes. I do.”

“I smell magic on you now that we’re so close.” Cia exhaled harshly, eyes glittering with excitement. “Malcom never noticed it because you were drinking both times that she met with you. Alcohol can cloud magic, it’s one of the reasons she doesn’t drink. It’s also a very light scent... I wouldn’t have noticed it if I hadn’t been trying to find it and now that you’re here- now that you’re home... it’s stronger. The magic in Exodus is trying to restore you. It’s trying to claim you back.”

“Somewhere in your family... There has been contamination of Mythic and human blood. You are welcome here... you always have been,” Azura all but purred, nuzzling into Andy’s side as he shook, shivers racking his body as his brain tried to process all of what he was hearing.

“This is a good thing, Andy,” Cia told him softly, touching his arm for reassurance. “If this is true and you are part elf- or just part Mythic in general- then you are at least a quarterblood and you belong here. You belong where magic is. This is home to you, Andy. I know it’s hard and confusing now, but it will all be clear soon. If I am correct, Cade will be able to tell by testing your blood. You just have to trust him.”

Andy nodded numbly, looking into Cia’s wild, syrupy brown eyes. “Can... Can I bring my dog?” he whispered at last, finding the question rather silly out-loud as his lip trembled at the thought of never seeing his only friend again.

“We will go back for Gizmo,” Cia told him softly and Azura groaned at the thought of having to be a car again. “But this will be the last time you leave and come back until you learn to travel between rifts safely. It is very dangerous if you don’t know how- and it is draining. My magic isn’t the strongest, it’s the troll in me.” Cia giggled softly but then regained her serious tone. “Are you sure then, Andy, that you have nothing worth staying on Earth for?”

Andy looked deep into Cia’s eyes and offered her a faint smile. “No, Cia. If I really am part Mythic...” he glanced up at Azura for assurance and the war veteran blew a ring of black smoke at him. “Then I think it’s time that I finally come home.”

“Alright,” Cia replied with teary eyes and a beaming smile. “Let’s go over some things. Now, the first thing you need to know about addressing someone of power...”

14

[A Drop of Memories]

Azura approached McKnight Manor as silently as she could. Surrex was asleep under Malcom’s window now and she hardly stirred when the other dragoness approached. Cia slid off the blue dragon’s back and reached up to help Andy down, as it was awkward with Gizmo in his arms. Andy had brought very little from his apartment; his entire life compacted down into a brown, worn backpack. Azura nuzzled him softly, her sapphire blue eyes dark with worry at what the Lord of Peacekeepers would say. Cia held tight to the bag full of items she had collected from her day of trade and took a deep, long breath. She looked up at Andy and mouthed ‘don’t forget what we practiced’ before she approached the front door with a bit of a hesitation. Slowly, she twisted the knob and pushed it open.

“Cia!” cried a fluffy, long-legged pup and Cade looked up from his desk where he was going through files from other Peacekeepers. The shapeshifter offered her a genuine smile and Cleo waved from the couch where she was knitting a beautiful gold and black blanket. Cia reached down and tried to pet the canine’s head as he bounced around her. “Cia, Cia, Cia!”

“Hi Scout!” she laughed, kneeling so the dog could greet her. He yipped and Cade laughed as the puppy began to slather Cia’s neck and arms in long, wet licks.

“Well, don’t be a stranger! Come on in,” Cade offered, but Cia stayed put. He began to become suspicious and raised an eyebrow. “Cia, is everything okay?”

“Yes, of course,” she responded quickly as she entered slowly, setting down her bag of valuables. “Cade, m’lord, I came across a young Mythic who needs your help. He is a halfblood who is unsure of his origin and wants to be tested so that he can figure out what he is. I told him that you are the best warlock in all the lands and can help him trace back his ancestry. He made it past your barrier without any trace of dark intention. Will you help him?” she asked so sweetly that Cade could only nod and smile back at her. He began to put his papers away.

“Well, of course. Is he with you now?”

“Yes!” Cia turned on her feet and hurried back to the door. “And by the way...” she took a deep breath before replying over her shoulder all in one move. “It’s-totally-that-Andy-guy-Malcom-was-seeing-and-I-know-you’re-totally-going-to-want-to-kill-me-but-you-can’t-‘cause-you-love-me-and-this-is-all-going-to-make-sense-so-don’t-be-mad-at-me-and-don’t-kill-him-kay?” Cia rushed out the entire sentence so fast that Cade didn’t have time to register what she said before the spunky troll was pulling a reluctant Andy by the arm back into the house he had been longing to see for so long. Cade’s face lit with surprise, his eyes blazing with anger at being deceived by Cia and defied by Andy. He had just pushed to his feet, looking like he was about to explode, when Andy dropped down to one knee and crossed his arms over his chest, Gizmo now snuggled quietly into Cia’s arms.

“Cadyn McKnight, Lord of the Peacekeepers- I, Andrew Coleman, request permission to speak,” Andy said in a hurried, trembling voice. He prayed he had managed to correctly recite the proper form of humble greeting that Cia had rehearsed with him on their way to the manor. Cade closed his mouth and tilted his head, feeling slightly impressed by the efforts of this human boy.

Cleo had silently gotten up from the couch and was now in the kitchen, pretending to just prepare tea even though she was watching the interaction with an amused expression on her face. She had been waiting to see Andy again. She shot Cia a wink and the troll just nodded back at her in response though her lips were curved ever so slightly in a smile. Cleo watched her husband in silence, wondering why Cade was taking so long to respond. Finally, after what felt like hours, he let out a soft sigh.

“Permission granted,” Cade said in an indifferent tone as he crossed his arms over his chest. Andy rose quickly and tried to steady the beating of his heart.

“M’lord,” he began in a shaky voice. “The last time we talked, you told me I wouldn’t be back. I have waited on that abandoned road by the rift every single day since Lorem led me back to Earth. Today, when Cia came through with Azura, I begged for her to bring me back just this once so that I could see Malcom again- just to make sure she was alright. I just wanted to look into her blue eyes...” Andy trailed, noticing that mentioning Malcom didn’t seem to do him any favors. “After Cia and I went all over the world for her trading deals, we came back to the forest, and Azura and I... We bonded. She... She listened to my heartbeat and said she knew I was meant for her. I felt it instantly when I looked into her eyes and I know it’s true. Cia told me that only those who are marked by the Creator or have Mythic blood in their veins can be fated dragon riders. And well...” Andy touched his vaguely pointed left ear. “Cia thinks I’m part elf. She says my dark freckles and my crimson hair might be an indication of something else though? I-I... Want you to test my blood... if you would sir. I need to find out who I really am.” Andy sucked in a deep lungful of air. “Would you please, Lord Cadyn?”

“Well, of course,” Cade said in a dry voice even though he was trying to keep his expression steely and his voice impartial. Deep down though, he was extremely impressed with this young man. He had ambition, drive... More heart than he had credited him for. He was also slightly embarrassed with himself that he hadn’t noticed the boy’s features before. Then again, there had been so much going on the night they’d met... He wouldn’t have noticed if Andy had three heads.

Cade motioned to the couch and Andy took a seat, nervously shaking his legs. Cade took one of Andy’s trembling hands in his own and a needle formed in the other. Andy furrowed his eyebrows, but his eyes showed great surprise.

“How did you do that? How did that needle appear? You don’t say a spell or use a wand or anything?”

“You can. Everyone bends magic differently. When you’ve learned to harness magic the way I have, you don’t really need to use spells or wands to form what you need. You just think about it and the magic takes form for you. It takes a lot of control and concentration and plenty of practice. But that will come in time if you are truly Mythic as Cia believes.” Cade gave his daughter’s best friend an icy glare then focused on Andy again while Cia watched Gizmo interact with Scout- trying to ignore his resentment. “This will only hurt for a second.” Cade pricked Andy’s finger then brought the drop of blood up on the point of the pin. He stared at the crimson bead and carefully walked over to a cabinet that ran the full length of the left wall of their living room. He used his free hand to open one of the beautifully crafted doors and pulled out a tiny glass bottle with orange fluid inside. Cade took the cork lid atop the vial in his teeth and pulled it off, dipping the needle and the drop of blood into the elixir.

A few seconds ticked by before the liquid began to react, the droplet mixing with the potion to form into a dark red color. The concoction swirled and bubbled then smoke began rolling out of the top before spilling into the floor in waves of dry fog. From the clouds of pinkish vapor, a silhouette appeared. The figure solidified into a thin, beautiful woman with thick hair that swept the ground, and upon her head were two small, deer-like tines. Her ears were pointed, her features fine and precise.  The apparition laughed and danced around the room, twirling in circles. Andy gasped in awe, watching the figment prance across the hardwood as if she were a ballerina from a dream.

They were all watching silently when from the vapor, appeared a second form. This one was a lean, small female with extravagant wings and bright red flames for eyes. Cleo smiled as the misty apparitions walked around her living room, touching the furniture, and playing with the creatures of the manor. The one with wings even fluttered up to brush her fingertips across the light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. Cade shook his head and smiled when the first figure playfully kissed his cheek. He blew on the vial and the vapor dismissed, the fog silhouettes disappearing as fast as they had formed.

“That... That was incredible! What... What happened? What was that?” Andy asked feverishly, staring at the tiny, empty bottle in Cade’s palm with wide, wondering eyes. The Peacekeeper Lord shook the little glass lightly, staring at it with a perplexed expression on his face.

“The elixir in the bottle is a serum designed to show you the deeper, true aspects of whatever it encounters. A tear will show why you’re in pain, some of it over an injury will display what has gone awry in the body, et cetera, and so on. Apply a drop of blood and it will pick up on the desire of the donner. You wanted to know what your ancestry is and that’s what it showed you. We call it Sincerity Serum and it can be a complex mixture for a novice. I’ve spent a long time perfecting it,” Cade told him as he settled down on the couch, this time farther away from Andy as the young man stared at his palms incredulously.

“So... What were those things? What am I?”

“Fairy, I’m guessing... At least part of you is,” Cia mumbled after a long drag of silence, smiling as she noted the way Andy’s eyes were focused on the spot where the winged lady had been fluttering only seconds before. Andy reached out a hand and touched the space where the vapor had just been, his mind unable to process the beautiful magic he had just seen. His thoughts whirled with Cia’s words and Cade nodded in agreement, running his thumb across the glass in his hands. Cleo chimed in the answer to a question Andy hadn’t asked yet just as it popped into his mind.

“Crimson Kingdom, it would seem from the eyes she had,” she told him, and Andy smiled softly at the announcement. I’m one step closer to discovering who I truly am. But... wait...

“Crimson Kingdom?... I’ve heard of the Violet Kingdom and of the Crimson now. How many fairy kingdoms are there?”

“Five,” Cia replied as she stroked Gizmo’s head and sat cross-legged on the floor. “Violet, Onyx, Silver, Citrine, and Crimson. The kingdoms are set around the five breeds of fairies, all of which have different skin tones from different elements. Fairies were created from the sky at different times of day so that’s why you have the colors the way they are. Violet is lilac, purple, periwinkle... any shade in-between. Onyx is black, blue, and gray- any darker variations. Silver is white, frost blue, and silver respectfully. Citrine is yellow, orange, and peachy colors, and then crimson is your red, pink, and such. There used to be a sixth kingdom, the Emerald Fairies, who were birthed from the strong hues of a rainbow that crossed the sky on the day of fairyan creation. Unfortunately, they went extinct some odd thousand years ago. Very few fairies that I have ever met have had dark colorations to their skin but then again, most are halfblood so the pigment is less strong anyway. It isn’t common to see a pitch black or pure dark, navy blue fairy. The coloration is generally scattered or less intense.”

Andy nodded, touching the pointed part of his ear. He briefly started thinking about fairies in the Crimson Kingdom with dark red skin the color of dried blood and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He was glad they didn’t come that pigmented often. Sounds freaky to me! “And what was that other thing, er... Mythic we saw? Was she some type of elf or fairy? She had antlers, I think.”

“Neither.” Cade chuckled uneasily as he nervously tapped the vial in his hands. “That, my dear boy, was a nymph. Nymphs are rarer creatures- at least in this region. It is... odd that you have nymphean blood. You see, nymphs are the only Mythical creature that don’t reproduce sexually. Well... They aren’t supposed to, anyway. Nymphs as a race are entirely female and no one of pure blood can ever produce a male offspring,” Cade explained slowly, and Andy’s jaw dropped in awe. An all-female race of creatures that didn’t procreate sexually? What a strange, magical world! He ran a hand through his hair and nodded, his fingers instinctively touching his slightly pointed ear again as his mind raced.

“You’re going to have to write all of this down for me. This is insane.”

“It is a lot of information if you don’t grow up with it,” Cade agreed. “I have many books. We’ll give you lessons... But, as of right now, if that blood test was correct- and they always are with Sincerity Serums- then that means that somewhere in your family tree, a nymph did something very naughty. Nymphs are flirty and often promiscuous in nature. They have been dancing around the Ancient Laws since the dawn of time, skirting by the rules set in place by the Mythical Creature Order. They will take to bed just about anything that will have them back, but nymphs can only get pregnant through the physical act of sex by the emotion of love. They must almost wish it so for it to be. So whichever one of your nymphean ancestors mated outside of her breed, she had to love her partner very much and will it so for a child to be conceived. That baby was then a halfblood. Judging from how the elixir reacted, I have a feeling that the father was a fairy from the Crimson Kingdom.”

“Nymphs are shunned from their sisterhoods when they have children from having sex,” Cleo told Andy as she brought him a warm cup of violet rose tea. His temples were throbbing, and he took it gratefully. “So, it is safe to assume that the mother and child were banished and lived nomadic lives. To live alone is a great burden for most nymphs. They usually live in groups of twenty to a hundred or more.”

“There is a way we can get answers for all of this...” Cade was staring at the cupboard. He got up quickly and headed over to it, throwing the doors open without a word. He reached in the back and brought out a tiny yellow bottle. He lifted the glass from the first experiment, noticing that there was still a small bit of liquid left at the bottom. He tilted it over the opening to the other bottle and the small bit ran into a dusty powder that was settled at the base of the yellow vial. Cade closed his eyes, brought it to his lips, and blew into it.

“Show me,” he demanded and sat the bottle on the floor. Andy all but spat out his tea when fog billowed upward and formed into a perfect, movie-like picture scene of something long forgotten.

A beautiful nymph was bathing in a creek, washing her long, dark hair in the cool water. A second, slightly younger woman appeared from the mouth of a hidden cave. This one was different- her hair was a bright crimson red and her skin a peachy, almost human tone. The offspring’s flesh had taken on the mottled mutation of those who are Stained, cancelling out the nature-colored hues of her nymphean ancestors and the red pigments of her Crimson Fairy father. She lacked the nearly snow-white skin of her mother, the woodland nymph’s flesh pale but for her hands and feet, which were dark brown and resembled tree bark. As the daughter joined her mother in the stream, something haunted crossed Andy’s face and his hands began to tremble.

The pair suddenly looked distressed, and the mother became panicked. They began to argue and the older nymph seemed distraught. She embraced her daughter quickly and kissed her, pushing her away at last. The two parted tragically and the halfblood began to sprint away as fast as her feet would carry her. Just as she cleared the sight of her mother, a pack of wolves came leaping from the brush. Horrified, the viewers watched as the pretty woodland nymph was sentenced to death and attacked, her body being torn to shreds before she finally died from her wounds. When the life and magic left her, the nymph’s physical form burst into a ray of flowers which laid beautifully on the ground over drops of scarlet blood.

The vision switched over to following the red-headed girl, who ran with all her might as the wolves were closing in. She closed her eyes, mouthed a prayer, and took a great leap over a bush that sent her hurtling over the edge of a ravine. But as she disappeared down the gully, her body shimmered and was gone in a puff of gray smoke. The wolves came to the edge a moment too late and were snapping at the air, angry that their prey had escaped them.

The fog began to ripple, and the young Mythic girl was in view again, this time in the human world somewhere in a public park. She was trembling, wearing an oversized black sweater that hung off one shoulder and a pair of worn blue jeans. She had been staring down at her feet with tears running down her face when she ran into someone who had been walking the opposite way. He apologized then noticed the beauty of the girl and asked her why she was crying. Cade noticed now how terrified Andy looked, his face pale and eyes watering. The Peacekeeper Lord decided he had seen enough, and he dismissed the visions with a wave of his hand.

“Andy?” Cia murmured, bringing Gizmo over to his owner. She gently laid the pup on Andy’s lap, but despite the soft licks from his pet, Andy didn’t move. He continued staring where the vision had been, his eyes wide and nearly drowning with tears. He sat there in shock- motionless, unblinking- as the three other Mythical beings gathered around him in concern.

“Andy?” Cleo tried now and she touched his shoulder. Fresh tears formed in the young man’s eyes and they finally spilled over his lids as he looked up at her. Silently, his hands still shaking, Andy removed his backpack and began to dig around inside of it. He pulled out a journal and from its worn pages, he removed a single photograph. In the picture was the nymph’s daughter with crimson red hair, now wearing a gray flannel dress; her belly swollen from pregnancy.

“The man I called my dad always told me that he met my mother at church,” Andy said softly, his voice hardly more than a whisper. “She had gone to ask God for guidance as she was pregnant and had just left her abusive boyfriend- my biological father... She had no family and he had been the first person to talk to her when she showed up in town. She was naïve, he always told me, to believe the first man she met would be kind to her...” He gulped back his tears. “That man she ran into in the park- that’s him. I’ve always known that James wasn’t my real dad. He always reminded me of that. T-That he didn’t have to raise me after my mom died but he did it anyway. That he had saved her from a bad situation. He helped her and was doing me a favor...” Tears ran from the corners of Andy’s eyes in uncontrollable waves. “He always said that my mom never talked about her mother because she lost her in a horrible accident...” Andy looked over to where the vision had been only a moment ago. “That nymph they killed was my grandmother... She fell in love with a Crimson fairy... She died to save my m-mom...”

Gizmo felt his owner’s distress and whined, licking Andy’s face. The young man finally acknowledged his dear pet and embraced the tiny dog. He held him close then began to weep, crying into the pup’s reddish fur. “I finally know what I am, Mo...” Andy whispered softly through his tears. “I’m a halfblood like Malcom and Cia. I’m part nymph and part fairy... I-I...”

“But you don’t look like a halfblood, Andy. You don’t look Stained,” Cleo told him softly as she rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. This all must be so overwhelming. “The human in your blood cancelled out the brown or white discoloration that so-often happens in halfblood Mythics- especially fairies. You basically look like a very odd elf. This may be good for you. If others can’t tell you have mixed blood, it’ll be safer for now. Nymphs and fairies both hold a lot of magic in their elements. It’s going to be difficult for you to learn to control it, especially without spells and with magic so far removed from you. But we’ll help you. Cade is the best teacher anyone could ask for.”

“And what if I can’t do it? Magic, that is...” Andy whispered, wiping away his tears. He met Cia’s determined brown eyes and she gave him a nod of reassurance.

“Any Mythic can do magic, silly. We’re born with it. Some just aren’t as equipped for it as others due to their breeds- but a lot of training and determination can change that. Your grandmother and mother were woodland nymphs and lucky for you that you’re in the middle of a forest,” she told him with a beaming smile and Andy’s eyes seemed to lighten just a bit.

“Will you show me how, Cadyn?” Andy asked, addressing the Lord of the Peacekeepers. Cade had moved and was now in the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of tea. He looked up over the rim of his glasses and sipped his drink thoughtfully. He pushed his glasses on top of his head and put his mug down. Cade braced his palms on the countertop then hauled himself over the kitchen island in one fluid motion. As he leaped, his body dissolved into a shadow of silver. In the blink of an eye, he landed in the living room as a grand black lion that stood as tall as Andy’s shoulders. The young man almost fell from the couch in shock as Cade offered him a nod of comfort.

“I will show you, yes. I owe you that at least, for you took great care to respect me and have showed your worth... for now.” After a few moments of silence, he spoke to Andy again with a growl in his voice. “Malcom is resting in her room. You can see her tonight if you wish- if she’ll have you. I believe your arrival will please her.” His pupils narrowed dangerously. “But as for the remainder of today, I will take you with me on my patrols. You will watch and learn as much as you can. This is your homeland now after all, Andrew Coleman. And you have a lot to learn.”

15

[The Courtyard of a King]

Cade and his new apprentice strode side by side in heavy silence for a long time. Andy was too busy trying to drink in every single detail that he could- entirely oblivious to the thick air between them. The sky was so blue and the grass so lush. There were plants he had never seen, flowers he couldn’t name, and some familiar trees that stretched so high, he had to crane his neck to see their tops. There were birds chirping- finches and robins that were recognizable- but then there were others he could hardly believe existed. Then, of course, there was Cadyn McKnight- Lord of the Peacekeepers, a sorcerer known throughout all the land, and a king of the beasts in coal black who walked with thunder in his paws.

Cade gave him a tour of their house first, showing him around inside as well as out. Andy had been beyond thrilled to see yet another dragon as Surrex remained in slumber underneath Malcom’s window. He mentioned to Cade that she seemed vaguely familiar and was shocked to discover it was Surrex under the cover of a classic Impala that Andy had encountered his first meeting with Malcom. He walked along in a stunned silence for a while longer as they dove deeper into the manor’s many acers.

“So all of this belongs to you?” Andy asked at last as the shapeshifter leaped effortlessly over a fallen log. Cade nodded, casting an amused icy glare over his shoulder.

“This land Cleopatra and I claim as our own. We built a home here, settled with our family, and the forest has accepted us as its owner. One thing you must learn about the world of Exodus, Andrew... We own nothing. We borrow from the land, we bend the magic, but in the end, it all is given back to be used by different souls anew,” the lion rumbled, and Andy nodded, transfixed by the idea of a world where people didn’t stake claims or fight till the death in bloody wars over scraps of forest.

“Where are we going now? What do you do on your patrols?”

“Now we are heading to the dragon pasture,” Cade told him with an amused purr as Andy’s face lit with surprise that there were still more dragons to come. “I patrol three times a day, or Cleo will if I’m not here. Once in the morning, once in the evening, and once at night to check that all is as it should be. I tend to the dragons, make sure my security spells stay in place and are strong, and check on the ponds and waterfalls of the land. Sometimes creatures in distress will send messages via water to the nearest Peacekeeper and it is vital to get them help as soon as possible. Especially now...” When Cade dropped off his sentence, Andy gave him a puzzled look, and so the lion simply continued.

“Ausbury is the county that we live in, but our community goes by the name of Cassidy Village. Our home is on the very outskirts of the town. I go into the main city many times a week to seek trade or check with other officials there. Cleo, however, never leaves the manor. Until Grillionville- our neighboring town- I am the only Peacekeeper around for many miles. We didn’t use to be scattered so sparsely but anymore many are too afraid to swear into the corps for fear of being assassinated,” Cade’s eyes darkened with worry as he spoke about his beloved Peacekeepers, his voice deepening into a growl.

“So why does the Ordinance hate the Peacekeeper Corps so much?” Andy asked as the trees began to clear away and open into a stretch of flat land. Across the field, several dragons of every color and size were resting or playing good-naturedly among themselves.

“Why does anyone hate anyone? Cops verses robbers? Darkness will always seek to destroy the light...” Cade responded as they stepped into the clearing. “Long ago, and I do mean long ago, there was not war as there is now. The realms lived in peace as one world. When the Great Creator split the earth in three to protect His magic children from His mortal ones, He created the Mythical Creature Order. They are the four sacred guardians of the elements: one for fire, one for water, one for air, and one for earth. They help the Creator by constantly revolving between the three realms, laying laws and keeping peace.” Cade drew a deep breath and shook his obsidian mane.

“And thus, they grafted the Ancient Laws of the Order- a set of rules Exodus was to follow in order to keep peace and power in its place while they dealt with the horrors of Earth. Under the Order, there was the Peacekeeper Corps- designed to do just that; maintain the peace. There has always been darkness, since Cain killed Able, since Lucifer fell from Heaven, since the Snake tricked Eve into taking the apple. Some of the Peacekeepers lost their way, tempted by the power of the shadows. They broke away and formed a twisted, hypocritical legion of wicked creatures known as the Dark Law Ordinance. They do it to honor the Old Laws by destroying anyone of light nature to disobey them...” he cast his gaze over at Andy, to see the young man had gone pale and was staring at him with large, fear-stricken eyes. “It is wrong and delusional... I know this. Any sane being does... But so, the war was waged and so it continues still.”

“If it’s against the Old Laws, the things they do- why doesn’t the Order stop them?”

“Because Earth is more corrupt than Exodus and both the Creator and the Order have been dealing with humankind’s madness for the past thousand years. It will still be long yet before Exodus becomes so far gone that the Order must intervene. Eden has its Warriors, Exodus has its Peacekeepers, and Earth has... little defense against the darkness anymore. Free will, my boy, free will.”

Andy nodded, drinking in the history with trouble in his eyes. He was about to ask another question when a familiar creature in the pasture seemed to notice their presence. Andy recognized Lorem and waved at him. The grand white beast just dipped his head in response with an amused smile on his face. Cade nudged Andy’s side with a dinner-plate sized paw and shook his head.

“Dragons are some of the proudest creatures in all the lands. Lorem is old and less fiery than he used to be, but you should always show respect in the presence of a dragon. It’s okay this time but remember to always bow or cross your arms over your chest in the future until you two are more comfortable with each-other. Not every bull is as forgiving,” he warned, and Andy’s face turned red as he twined his fingers, now embarrassed with himself. He nodded, making a hard-mental note to remember to always be humble when coming before a creature he had spent his whole life believing didn’t exist.

“Are all of these dragons yours?”

“No. Lorem is my dragon. And I am his rider; we claim each-other. The others are to be kept and prepared for auction. Come next month, we will take them into Grillionville and try to find them their fated homes,” Cade replied. Of the dragons Malcom had brought back from her auction in June, all of them had traded exceptionally well at the following auction for July. All but one. Xanzyr remained, the steely old bull laying in the sun a few paces away from the others.

“They’re all so beautiful...” Andy murmured as he tried to scan the many flanks for scales that were sky blue. “Where’s Azura?”

“Your stubborn female is off somewhere by herself. She rarely sleeps in the pasture or in the stable with the rest of us. I suppose she thinks she’s too good to,” Lorem scoffed but even Andy could see that Lorem’s annoyance with the war veteran was as strong as his respect. He had grown to favor her in the recent months, even though her tongue welded sharp comments and she so often had a nasty attitude. She had a low tolerance for male dragons but she and Surrex had bonded and become quite close- something Lorem couldn’t stand as they were both incredibly headstrong and brutally defiant... Even more so when together.

“Do you have anything to report, Lorem or are you just going to insult the dragonesses all day?” Cade asked as he butted his massive head against his dragon’s broad chest. Lorem chuckled and raised a paw, placed it between the lion’s ears, and pushed his master backward- head over furry heels.

“Not at all. It seems to be just another lovely day in August.” Lorem slid his acidic green gaze over Andy’s freckled face. “And you, young man. Don’t I know you?” he asked with a sly gleam to his eyes.

“What do you mean? I don’t think we’ve met,” Andy teased back but Cade rolled his eyes and gave his chest fur a stubborn lick.

“I told you the boy would be back!” Lorem laughed and the great lion batted at his snout with a paw. “You owe me lamb for the remainder of the month. Keep good your word, Cadyn. As your father always said, never forget who is over you or...”

“You will end up beneath them, Dolorem, I am aware,” Cade growled as he began to trek across the pasture, his apprentice following dutifully after. “Lamb it is then.”

“So how does that work here, by the way?” Andy asked, getting frustrated with himself that he had to continue asking what were, in his mind, all stupid questions. “All the creatures I have encountered here can talk and have emotions. Isn’t it hard to... Hunt and kill them?”

“Well, we don’t hunt and kill those animals,” Cade told him, becoming increasingly impressed with Andy’s vigor and thirst for knowledge. “Animals like my pets are enchanted, they have souls formed from magic. Again, on Earth there is little to no magic left in the world at all. There isn’t enough of it for the human beings who inhabit it, let alone all the animals and creatures too! Pets like cats and dogs or even horses aren’t born here, they are shipped from Earth and brought to trade because even us Mythics long for companionship from animals. Gizmo can even be enchanted to be gifted with intelligence and a soul. Other animals, ones without magic, are called dim creatures. You can see it in their eyes, the intellect that magic grants them. We have deer and birds and prey just as you do on Earth, but many of those animals aren’t enchanted and don’t have reason or emotions. The magic soul is the difference maker and you will learn it very well. Just give it time.”

Andy seemed satisfied with this answer and he nodded again as the pair began to trek toward the sound of rushing water. Within moments they were exiting the woods and were standing before a grand waterfall, the water tumbling down until it dissolved into a fine mist somewhere far, far below. Andy stared with wide eyes and he reached out and let tiny droplets of spray land on his palm and fingertips.

As Andy remained transfixed by the falling water, Cade was studying the pool and stream at the bottom. His keen feline eyes caught on something red glistening as it bobbed up and down in the froth from the falls. As quickly as his paws would carry him, the lion was descending the slippery slope of wet rock and slick stone down to the base of the tumbling water. Andy followed more slowly, his worn sneakers struggling for traction on the dampened stones.

Cade landed with a thud that made the ground shake under his feet. He waded into the pool and reached out, scooping up a dark red bottle in his massive paw. By the time he had reached the bank again, Andy had made it down and was panting heavily, his shirt and jeans damp from mist. Cade extended the bottle to the young man and he took it, removing the corked top with urgency before coaxing out a piece of folded parchment.

“What does it say?”

“’Dear Cadyn, it has been a while since our last visit. Do stop by. Looking forward to seeing you!’ It’s signed by a Kylee France. Is she another officer?” Andy asked but he felt that the letter seemed harmless enough. Cade’s face remained unmoved though concern was thickening in the lines around his muzzle.

“Kylee is a good friend of mine and Cleo’s. She lives on the opposite side of Cassidy Village. We must go now. Something is wrong,” he told Andy as he turned on his paws and began to head back the way they’d come, his massive gait clearing yards in a single bound.

“But I don’t understand!” Andy called as he broke into a sprint to match the lion’s pace. “All she says is that she misses you. How is that urgent?”

“Kylee never sends word by bottle. It would be a bird waking me up at six o’clock in the morning. She’d send a hex, call, write... just show up on my damn doorstep. And the glass is red. Red bottles are urgent. She might be being held hostage,” Cade told him as he broke into a full run.

“Cadyn, wait! I can’t keep up with you!”

“You won’t have to!” the lion called over his shoulder. “Bring the bottle, Andrew! I’m going to get Lorem.”

16

[What Big Teeth You Have]

Andy had often imagined what it might feel like to fly. On Earth, he had never been on a plane or helicopter. The highest he had ever gone was when he was a child and had climbed thirty feet up in an old pine tree that grew in his backyard. Never in his wildest dreams could he ever have imagined anything like the view of the world from atop a dragon’s back. He had been airborne before, he recalled, the night of Malcom’s attack. His mind had been so foggy though that he’d nearly forgotten. But this? During the day, Lorem’s great wings glistened like fermented snow and he rose so high that Andy swore he could touch the clouds.

As he took in the incredible sights, he found himself being so thankful that Cade had let him come along although he had been hesitant about it. The Peacekeeper Lord was going to leave him behind at the house, but Cia had left to go to the market, and Cleo had gone to tend to the dragons. The warlock wasn’t too keen on leaving the young man alone in the house with his daughter, so he opted to bring Andy along. So now, the halfblood was watching in awe as the world rushed by beneath them in a whirlwind of color, blurs of trees, roads, and houses. Andy was only just adjusting, his heartrate beginning to calm, when Lorem banked down behind two massive redwoods and landed almost silently on his paws before a quaint little cabin.

Had Cade not have known where he was going, Andy couldn’t help but think that he would never have found this house. Lorem himself had nearly flown right by it. It was in the middle of very thick wood and it appeared that just enough of the forest had been cleared out to build the house, as there was nothing else around to indicate inhabitance by anything other than woodland creatures.

The cabin itself was beautiful, made of a deep cherry colored wood that seemed out of place among the bright green foliage. Five simple steps led up to a sandalwood wrap-around-porch. There were two grand glass doors nestled at the entryway, a window to the left of the doorframes, and a beautiful, gray cobblestone chimney to the right. Above the doorway were two smaller, angular windows and on one of the porch rails was a black glass globe that was fuming with gray smoke, filling the air with the scent of herbs and spices. Andy found the house comforting with its odd, modern tranquility. But then, he took a closer look at the cottage’s finer details. There were two signs staked into the ground on either side of the staircase that read ‘beware of dog’ and ‘my boy bites.’ Hanging above the doorway, below the two upper floor windows, was a hand-painted sign that displayed a warning in bright red letters: ‘trespassers will be attacked, survivors will be eaten.’

Despite all the warnings, Cade hopped silently off Lorem’s back and began to approach the house with great caution. He noticed it before Andy did- that half of the grass in the yard was trampled down and the dirt was marked with a chaotic mesh of giant paw-prints. As the two came up on the porch, they noticed that one of the front doors was wide open. Cade’s heart drummed in his chest as he neared the doorway, ready to fight or flee if needed. He motioned for Andy to stay behind him as he stepped a single foot into the threshold of the house.

The entire house was dark and it was deafeningly quiet, spare for the chirping of the birds outside. Andy could hear the blood roaring in his ears as he watched Cadyn enter a potentially dangerous situation- one that he would be all but useless to aid in. Something moved in the darkness, the still air broken by a shadow that dashed across the room and caught Cade’s peripheral vision. The Peacekeeper Lord’s formally feline eyes strained in the dim lighting, but he couldn’t see anything. And then he heard it- the drum of massive paws. He had no time to react when the beast was suddenly on him.

“Cadyn!” Andy screamed as the shapeshifter slammed on his back with a thud. Leaning over the Peacekeeper Lord was the biggest dog that Andy had ever seen. He was some type of canine but unlike any on Earth. He favored a Great Dane, with long legs, a lean body, a boxy head, and cropped ears. His shoulder width was ginormous, easily being three or four feet across his entire chest. His goliath paws were the size of dinner plates, with razor sharp claws readily drawn. His focused eyes were a deep, earthy brown and the pupils sharpened as he drew his lips back in a snarl. He lowered his horse-sized head to meet the Peacekeeper’s face- dagger-like white fangs glistening as a thin line of spit laced between his incisors. His bobbed tail twitched in anticipation as he prepared himself for the final blow.

“So,” the beast rumbled after a second of silence that nearly made Andy’s heart burst. “Was it scary this time or did I wait too long? I was really worried you were gonna see me there when you walked in. Shoulda knocked.” His voice was deep and smooth but not at all unfriendly. Cade was just staring up into his big brown eyes, a displeased and annoyed look on his worried face.

“No, that was much better. The pounce was good. I could have killed you though. Where’s Kylee?”

The dog shifted and moved his massive paws from Cade’s shoulders, turning back toward the darkness. His amber eyes caught on Andy’s terrified face, but he seemed simply amused by his fear, and the canine threw his head back in a deep, rolling laugh. “Seems like I sure scared someone! Sorry, Cadyn. I didn’t know you had a friend with you. Has he come for a spell?”

“Jax! What in the hell is going on out here?! I was in the middle of doing my makeup and you made me mess up an eyebrow and you know that beauty takes time... Oh my God, look what the dog dragged in.” Neither Cade nor Andy had time to reply before they were cut off by the aggravated yelling of a young woman who had magically appeared against a doorframe by the kitchen.

She was tall, unusually so. In fact, Andy had never seen a woman that height before. She has to be every bit of seven feet! Her dark hair was still wet and was pulled up in a sloppy bun atop her head. She had softer toned skin, her flesh the color of the inside of a white peach. Her cheeks were tinted red, but it was unclear if it was from makeup or natural design. She had piercing blue eyes that were even visible in the dimly lit room. Her face was perfectly sculpted with high cheek bones, plump lips, sharp eyebrows, and a smooth chin. She had broad shoulders with a thinner waist and long, muscular legs. Dark blue acrylic nails tapped against the wooden frame in annoyance. She had obviously been unexpectedly interrupted, for water pooled around her pedicured toes and she was clad only in a thick, plushy black bathrobe.

“Kylee,” Cade greeted with a laugh. “It’s good to see you too! Jax, you really did startle me. I wasn’t expecting you to be a dog this time.” He suddenly caught a glimpse of Andy’s pale, sickly looking face and he laughed again, but harder this time. “Andrew, this is Jax,” he told him, motioning to the massive canine who was lapping pints of water at a time from a massive barrel in the kitchen. “Jax is a shapeshifter like me- and part giant. Kylee, this is Andrew Coleman,” Cade addressed the woman who was giving him a sour look. “Kylee is half witch, half giant. Andrew here is part nymph, part fairy, part human. He’s a... Friend of Malcom.” Andy flinched at the ice in Cade’s tone when he spat out the word ‘friend’.

Kylee’s demeanor softened a bit, but her expression held a bit of sass still- so Andy decided that was simply the natural expression of her face. Kylee cleared her throat, snapped her fingers, and- much to Andy’s wonder- in a poof of gray smoke, her appearance transformed. The velvety bathrobe disappeared and was replaced by indigo leggings, black knee-high boots, and a black lace top with mid-length sleeves and a plunging neckline. Her makeup had changed too, the precision of her eyebrows expertly sharp, her lips painted a deep, blood red, and her blue eyes traced with midnight black liner that ended in perfectly fine points. Her hair dried and fell around her shoulders in loose waves, bangs feathered perfectly across her forehead. She strode over to Andy without a moment of hesitation and embraced him, shoving his face into the nook of her breasts.

“Any friend of my niece is a friend of mine!” She told him in a much friendlier voice than he had anticipated. Or at least it sounded friendly, Andy wasn’t sure between gasping for air and trying to remove himself from her vice-like grip.

“So, how long has he been a dog this time?” Cade asked as he sat down in an oversized black chair. Kylee clapped her hands twice, releasing Andy so he could receive oxygen, and the house flooded with light that seemed to come from nowhere at all.

“A couple of months now off and on- since Malcom’s assault. If the shadow puppies are gonna play peacemaker again, he’s gonna give them a run for their money. Sure enough, nothing has come this way. Ain’t even Dark Law Idiots going to mess with a giant that can turn into anything,” Kylee replied, striding into the kitchen with two steps. She began to dig around in her lovely, dark wood cabinets and removed the largest wine glass Andy had ever seen. He couldn’t help but chuckle when she lifted it to her mouth and it magically filled with sweet red wine just before she took a drink. He had just been admiring the paintings of different Mythical beings on the wall when he caught sight of Lorem outside. The dragon seemed troubled, staring off into the distance beyond the thick forests and high trees. Andy then noticed the supposedly urgent letter that Cade had brought with them laying on the ground; it had fallen from his coat pocket on the dismount from the dragon’s back. Suddenly, Andy remembered why they had come in the first place.

“So, Kylee, you’re not in trouble?” he blurted out before he even had time to think of what he was saying.

The witch raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at him and then looked at Cade, obviously puzzled. “I can’t perfect the potion I’m working on right now- which is why I had all the doors and windows open in case I blew up half my house again or some crazy shit like that. But other than that, we’ve been great. Why, what’s up?”

“So you didn’t send a letter via bottle to the manor?” Cade pressed, now understanding the alarm in Andy’s question. Jax and Kylee exchanged glances but they both just shook their heads. By this time, Lorem had heard the conversation and had approached the steps of the house. He leaned his head inside, depositing the letter at the front door. Kylee made it to the paper in one stride, before Andy had even made it out of his seat. She picked it up and her eyebrows furrowed. She looked over the edge of the paper at Andy then at Cade.

“This isn’t my handwriting. Who sent you this? Jax?”

“I’m a dog right now, woman. How do you think I would have done that? Dipped my claws in ink?”

“So, if you didn’t write this and it isn’t a warning, then what is it?” Andy asked as he took the letter from Kylee’s hands. Fear and rage suddenly spread across Cadyn’s face as the man bolted to his feet and went rushing for the door.

“A diversion. We have to get back to the house!”

***

MALCOM WOKE FROM HER deep slumber shortly after her mother and best friend had left the manor. She had a pounding headache and her stomach felt quite disturbed. Mercy had been extremely affectionate today in the Nothingness and leaving him for consciousness had been quite bothering. She blinked into the sunlight and rubbed her eyes, slipping off the bed with tender feet. A deep streak of delight filled Malcom’s chest when she noticed that Cia had left her dozens of different candy bars at the foot of her bed. With a girlish smile, she scooped them all up to feast.

Malcom shuffled across her fuzzy floor and took to her windowsill, dangling her legs over the side as she began to unwrap a king-sized chocolate bar. She broke off a mouthwatering piece and stuck it on her tongue, letting the ribbon of velvet coco cream melt against the roof of her mouth. Surrex lifted her head from below and blew a ring of smoke up at her beloved one as she sat up to be closer to her rider. Malcom happily gave Surrex a large portion of her chocolate bar and they had just begun to eagerly discuss the next dragon auction when Lilian came racing from the forest, the fur along her hackles raised.

“Lilian!” Malcom cried through a mouthful of mushy candy. “What are you doing?! If my father sees you...”

“It doesn’t matter- there’s no time! Malcom, there are Ordinance Hounds coming in from the east. I can smell them and they’re approaching fast. You must hide!”

“Hide where? This is the safest place in the world for me. They don’t know where the house is, and my father has protection spells put up all around the perimeter. Dark magic cannot enter. And I don’t...”

“They’re coming straight for the manor!” Lilian hissed, the fur along her spine rising into spikes. “It’s your scent, Malcom. He’s following it.”

“Jeckles... He can’t...” despite her certainty that the Shadow Lord couldn’t possibly find her home, the color drained from her face and she shivered, an uneasy feeling creeping across her flesh like an unwelcome blanket.

“Malcom, I’ll go and rally the other dragons. We will defend the home!” Surrex roared as her rider began to tremble. She was about to take off in flight when Malcom stopped her by desperately waving her arms.

“No, please don’t leave me...” she whispered, the rims of her eyes watering. “Stay here... I’ll just... I’ll be right back...” Malcom’s mind was racing with a flurry of emotions. Panic, fear, anger... Jeckles? No. He’d never come to the manor. Not with her father... Her father... She forced herself away from the windowsill and began to race toward her door. Her bare feet rasped against the hardwood floor as she hurried down the stairs, desperate to get to the front door to lock it. Her mother had returned her magic, the cuff had been removed the night she’d been raped. Even as the months had gone by, she still found that her magic was too weak to do much more than turn her bedroom light on and off. She cursed herself silently when she tried to lock the door from the middle of the stairs, but her magic flickered, and the bolt didn’t budge.

“Momma! Papa! Cia!” she screamed, a flare of panic rising in Malcom’s chest when she failed to find Cleo knitting on the couch or Cia playing among the animals. She checked the kitchen, the living room, and the office for her father, but she found him absent as well. “Izzy!” she asked the white cat frantically. “Where are they? Momma and Papa?”

“About,” Izzy replied nonchalantly from the back of the couch, rasping her tongue over her flank. “Cia went to the village and your mother is tending the dragons. Cadyn has gone off on his patrol. Why? You haven’t been downstairs in weeks and now you’re yelling about...”

Disregarding the feline, Malcom took off across the living room, slid into the front door, and threw it opened it. Her eyes scanned desperately over the front yard and across the bridge. Tending to the dragons... Tending to the dragons... Suddenly, her eyes caught on silhouettes and she was vaguely able to make out the shapes of two people in the trees. It was her mother and best friend in the distance, the two of them leisurely walking back from their daily errands.

“They’re coming!” Malcom cried but they didn’t seem to hear her. Dismayed at the scene, Surrex reared on her hind legs and let out a mighty roar, flames of bright orange raging from her lips.

“Make haste!” she screeched into the sky. Cleo and Cia, who were now clear of the trees and walking across the distant yard, both paused and stared at the frantic dragon with worried expressions on their faces. “Hurry now, get inside! Quickly, to the house!” She bellowed out to them and she batted her great wings in alarm. “The Hounds are coming!”

The pace of Cia and Cleo went from a tender walk to a mad run, and it couldn’t have happened sooner. No more had they taken off in a sprint did a series of bone-chilling howls split the air and Malcom felt her whole world spin. Hot tears stung her eyes and she desperately willed her loved ones to be safe, to be near. She raised her hand and begged her magic to come, to wheel them along, to bring them closer. She felt a sickening, void pull from behind her navel and she collapsed to her knees as her magic failed her yet again. Braced against the doorframe, Malcom scanned the tree line for the third figure of her father but found him absent. Still on his patrol, surely. But what if... What if they caught him? No! Malcom clenched her jaw and prayed silently that her father was okay. He would show soon, and all would be well; the hounds would flee. Cade would be more than okay- he would be outraged.

Please let him be okay, please let him be okay...

Malcom’s beloveds had made great distance now, both panting as they bolted for the sanctuary of the manor. Knowing the wolves were getting closer, Cleo pushed Cia ahead of her, forcing the young troll across the bridge as they raced toward the house. The hounds erupted from the trees and Malcom’s heart plummeted when she saw that Jeckles was clearly leading them. Those eyes, those terrible blue eyes. She saw them in her sleep, they haunted her dreams. He was here; on her father’s land, tearing across the grass toward her home, her sanctuary, her haven. The McKnights have been unearthed at last and now... Now they could never be safe again. Malcom forced herself to her feet, numbly feeling her core tremble as Cia desperately closed the distance between them. Tears ran down Malcom’s face as she reached out and took Cia in her arms, the two girls embracing as she pulled her best friend into safety. But where was...

“Momma!” Malcom cried when she saw Cleo struggling to make the last few yards as the wolves closed in. Malcom’s heart hammered in her chest and she made a split-second decision. She ran outside the house with Cia screaming after her and met her mother in the front yard just beyond the gravel pathway. She grabbed Cleo by the shoulders and pushed her with all of her might the last final steps into the house. There was no time to recover the distance as Malcom turned, leapt, and made it just to the front door. She bit her lip and spun around just in time to come face to muzzle with the monster who had attacked her what felt like only yesterday. And God, his eyes were so blue...

Jeckles was breathing hard, his legion of hounds pouring in behind him. Ten of them encircled Surrex and Lilian, snapping and snarling to keep them at bay if they dared to disturb their lord. Hot, sticky breath blasted Malcom in the face, but she held her ground, her sky-blue eyes blazing back into the icy pools. His massive teeth glistened only inches from her face, but she didn’t so much as blink though her body shook in fear. Cleo, now recovered from the run and with blood roaring in her ears, came beside her daughter, Cia shielded behind her. Of all of them, the young troll was the most vulnerable with the least amount of magic and Malcom would die before she’d let them hurt her best friend.

“You are trespassing on McKnight Manor! What is it you seek here without the lord of the land?!” a growl came from behind the three women as Penny pushed her way forward. She snarled with hatred in her eyes so dark that even Jeckles took a step back as the old dog came to stand before him.

“I have unfinished business with Miss Malcom. Down girl,” he hissed at her, but Penny held his glare, the fur between her shoulders rising. “You have something that I seek,” he spoke to Malcom now, his icy blue eyes sliding over her tear stained, red-splotched face. Fear blazed through the young Mythic’s eyes and the color drained from her cheeks. Anger and disgust read across her expression, but she only smiled at him coolly as she let out a chuckle that caused Cia and Cleo to exchange confused glances.

“You only came to chat because my father isn’t home. No matter how many dogs you have, Jeckles, you’ll always be a scared little pup running away from a rolled-up newspaper!”

The sting hurt the lycan in his pride and he snapped his teeth only a few inches from Malcom’s face. She flinched and he laughed at her, his pack echoing the howls. “Oh, Little Red...” he cooed, reaching a clawed hand out to touch her cheek. “What big teeth I have! Oh, the better to eat you with, my dear!” he howled in laughter and all the hounds rolled with him. “Watch your tongue, Miss McKnight. Or I’ll have to rip it out.” He offered her a terrifying grin and Malcom grabbed either side of the doorframe to steady her pounding heart, swimming head, and shaking form. Her stubborn smile persisted through her fear.

“You won’t lay a paw on me, Jeckles. I know you won’t.”

“Malcom, please...” Cleo warned, desperately trying to pull her daughter inside as she grabbed the back of Malcom’s shirt.

“No, she’s right. I won’t harm a single hair on her pretty little head. Not until after she gives me what I need.”

“Over... My... Dead... Body,” Malcom all but growled the words and the fire in her eyes took the Shadow Lord aback. If only for a moment. He recoiled at her ferocity but recovered quickly, smiling in his condescending way. He leaned forward and licked her face, his hot red tongue tracing the soft flesh of her pale lips.

“Stop it! What is it that you want from her? Have you not taken enough?! Anything you want from my daughter; you can have it from me. Just leave her in peace!” Cleo cried desperately as she tried to pry Malcom away from the door. However, Jeckles only seemed to delight in her dismay, and he looked down his long, black muzzle into Malcom’s terrified eyes.

“Oh, I see! Your Mommy doesn’t know. Well, I wouldn’t have told her either. It isn’t like she’s been the best maternal figure to you as of late. After all, it was because of that nasty cuff she put on you to restrain your magic that I was able to defeat you that night.” Jeckles saw the heartbreak on Cleo’s elfish face, and he grinned the eeriest smile in satisfaction. “I sensed it; you know. I was tracking you all the way from the rift you entered. I used the nightfall as my cover. I could smell it. Your magic; so strong but so tamed. I knew you had to be hexed. And ah, what a sweet victory it was for me, my dearest Little Red...” saliva was running from his jowls now, his wicked eyes blazing as he recalled the night. Malcom shifted uncomfortably, her insides aching as she held his stare.

“Did you know that virgins always have the strongest magic?...” Malcom shuddered in disgust as Jeckles ran his eerie, anthropomorphic paw down his torso and- much to her horror- grabbed the hard, throbbing end of his red canine phallus and stroked it lovingly. “It’s so pure and untouched. And yours especially was...” he emphasized the word ‘was’, “So very, very strong...” Pools of slaver dripped from the beast’s jaws and ran down his throat. Malcom shuddered and nearly fell to her knees, gripping the doorframe desperately as if she would collapse without its support. She could feel a void aching inside her, the burning hole in her soul where her innocence had been and where the strength in her magic used to be.

“You shut your filthy mouth!” Surrex roared, smoke billowing from her lips. “How dare you expose your vileness before my master?!” Jeckles only laughed at her rage.

“Oh, but what fun it is, Miss Dragoness! For I have come only to speak to Malcom about what rightfully belongs to me. She’s the one being difficult.”

“M-Malcom...” Cia whimpered. “What is he talking about?”

“Oh, what’s this? We didn’t tell the best friend either? Ha! Blessed be the shadows, does no one know?” Malcom’s gaze flickered over to where Surrex was, and the dragon hung her head desperately. “Well, I think it’s time everyone knows your little secret! Or should I say... Our little secret.”

Just then, a great roar split the sky and, in the distance, Lorem’s white wings beat the air like thunder. Fire blazed from his mouth, the blue day sliced in half by a sword of flame and molten rage. Many miles underneath him, great thundering paws echoed as Jax raced through the trees at the speed of lightning, Kylee atop his back as he matched each of the great dragon’s wing beats with an equally massive stride.

The Shadow Hounds began to whisper in worry, as Cadyn and Dolorem would be upon them soon. Jeckles sneered at Malcom and motioned for his wolves to pull back. Many of them began to retreat for the trees until only the snake himself remained. He bared his ugly fangs at the young Mythic one last time then turned and raced back the direction they had come. He stopped just short of the bridge and cast her a chilling glance over his shoulder.

“This isn’t over, Malcom! I will be back for what is mine!” he called before howling into the air and disappearing over the bridge. Malcom’s willpower gave out and she dropped to her knees, sliding back against the door. Penny, Scout, as well as the cats, and Surrex all raced from the house to make sure that the Dark Law Hounds would be leaving McKnight Manor. Lilian retreated to the trees, watching with careful, watery blue eyes from the safety of the shadows. Lorem landed just as the patrol of manor creatures disappeared and Malcom looked away from her father as he began to run toward her. She gazed deeply into her best friend’s hazel eyes. Cia held her hand and shook her head in confusion.

“What is it, Malcom?” the troll asked as she cupped the halfblood’s face in her palms. “What do you have that Jeckles wants so badly that he would march onto McKnight Manor in broad daylight?”

Malcom closed her eyes as fresh tears spilled from the corners, running down her red-splotched face just as her father’s footsteps became audible as he closed the space between them.

“My baby,” Malcom said at last as her heart hammered in her chest. “I’m pregnant with his child.”

17

[The Heart of a Child]

Cade’s arms encased her; his lips pressed to the place on her scalp where her hair parted. He was breathing hard, and Malcom could all but feel his heartbeat. Cia came next, silently wrapping her best friend in a warm hug that smelt of sunshine and chocolate. Cleo moved in to hug her as well but when her skin brushed her daughters, shocks of pain and betrayal singed her fingertips and the fairy instantly drew away. Malcom wasn’t ready yet to be embraced by her. And I have to be okay with that.

Kylee and Jax followed, approaching softly. The tall witch just leaned against the doorframe; her eyes glossy with tears of worry. “But baby girl, you’re gonna look so damn cute with a baby bump!” She said in a positive, honey sweet voice that sliced through the painful silence. Malcom burst out laughing. Tears streamed down her face and she forced her way to her feet, falling straight into Kylee’s arms. The half-giant rubbed her back comfortingly, Malcom’s head just under her godmother’s breasts.

“So, we need to all talk and think about this. We have a lot to consider now,” Cade murmured numbly. He wondered how he hadn’t noticed. But then again, he had barely seen Malcom at all for the past two months. Two months... Five weeks? Six? How long had it been? How far along was she? There was no bump from her belly, no sign of anything internal. But on the outside... Malcom did seem to have a very maternal glow about her. Her cheeks seemed rosy, brighter than they had been since before the attack. Her skin was no longer pale and sickly but had instead gained a quality of health and radiance. A pang of deep agony seared through Cade’s soul to think of how long his daughter had known this. How long she had to suffer alone. Afraid, excited, wondering... Oh, my sweet baby girl...

“How long have you known?” Cia asked the question that was on everyone’s mind, a glimmer of excitement showing in her hazel eyes through the fear for her dearest friend.

“I knew almost immediately. I could feel it, I sensed it... And don’t worry. I already have a plan,” Malcom told them all as she rubbed the space between Jax’s massive, cropped ears, running a finger across an earring on the left one. “The second spare bedroom upstairs, the one that you and Mom were going to use as Mercy’s, we can use it for the baby.” She spoke to her father and Cade’s heart ached again at how cool she seemed to be; how at peace with being the mother of a monster’s child. Suddenly his eighteen-year-old daughter seemed to be centuries aged, and it only broke his heart further.

“And I can start going with Cia on trading events so I can gather things to prepare. There are plenty of mothers in Ausbury who now have grown children but still have their things to trade. I don’t want my baby to ever feel like they are condemned into the darkness all because their father walks in the shadows...” Malcom rubbed her stomach thoughtfully, her eyes bright with excitement and love instead of fear or worry. It seemed this had been what she needed all along, someone besides Surrex to talk to about the little life that was growing inside her womb.

Cade had just opened his mouth to say more when the sound of growling and snarling outside sent all of them reeling out into the yard. Surrex and Lorem were boxing like bulls during rut, the great white dragon pushing her back into the ground when she struck his face. Lilian ran in circles around them, trying to get them to stop fighting. And then it happened, the thing that Malcom had tried so hard to prevent. Cade saw Lilian for the first time. His face paled, the color drained from his cheeks, and blood raged in his eyes.

“Stop!” he cried, and the two dragons ceased mid-battle. Lilian paused in her tracks. Cade’s dark, midnight blue eyes swirled with hatred as he looked from Lilian to Cleo then from Cleo to Malcom. “Why... Is there... A wolf on my land?”

“I traded for her,” Malcom told him boldly. “Azura and Drailen weren’t the only creatures that the old man bargained with for his granddaughter. Lilian was included. I’ve hidden her in the spare bull pasture so you wouldn’t see her. She’s kind, Papa. I know you fear wolves and don’t trust them, and I understand why. I know better than anyone. But she means no harm at all. She’s a maid and a nanny and she’ll be perfect for when the baby comes...”

“No. Absolutely not. She will go with me to auction and she will be taken elsewhere. No wolf, lycan or timber, shall ever be allowed around my grandchild.”

“And who are you to say who I allow around my baby!” Malcom snapped and Cade stepped back as if startled by her force. Lilian, out of fear and submission, hunkered low to the ground and whimpered as she stood between the two dragons. “Lilian has no family, no pack, and nowhere else to go. I could send her back to Katherine and William but that would make the trade void and I would have to reclaim Iralah.” Malcom’s eyes darkened to a very serious shade of blue and Cadyn knew this battle was lost. “And I will not do that to a dying child.”

Cade’s icy gaze slid off Lilian and he puffed out a curse-word or two. “You may stay on my manor,” he said through gritted teeth. “But if I ever see you set paw in my house, I’ll have Penny rip your throat out on sight. Is that clear enough, wolf?” he spat out the last word as if it were venom. Lilian nodded and began to slink away.

“Yes, m’lord. Clear as crystal.”

“Now. What in the hell were you two fighting over? As if today hasn’t rattled my bones enough!” Cade snarled at the two dragons who were reared to go again as if they only wanted to taste the others blood. Surrex hissed at him and Lorem stepped back, having never been so disrespected be a female on his land.

“I can’t believe you’ve known all this time that Malcom was pregnant and you never once thought to tell me- or tell anyone! I am the keeper of these forests, the guardian of the McKnights, the...”

“The fated dragon to the Lord of the Peacekeepers, yes I know who and what you are, Dolorem!” Surrex snapped the words right out of his mouth and Lorem growled at her in frustration. “A dragon always keeps her word! Or have you forgotten that Malcom is my fated rider? And that I will die before betraying her trust? Is that not the honor of a dragon’s word?!”

“This is not the time for your foolish resolve! You have bent the rules of dragon honor and have in turn endangered Malcom and everyone on this land,” snarled Lorem, his acidic green eyes ablaze with rage. “You knew about the boy too! You knew that Malcom was seeing a human on Earth and you let it happen without argument. It is your fault that Malcom was out that night, your fault that she was attacked by Jeckles, and it is your fault that she is now harboring some seed of evil. Everything bad that has happened to my family in the past few moons has been because of you!” He roared and Surrex had heard enough. The pretty silver dragon blazed crimson red tongues of fire at Lorem’s face then leaped in the air. She turned sharply, sliced the sky with her wings, and was gone from sight within seconds.

Everyone was staring in silence, many of them with their mouths open or their eyes wide in shock. Lorem shook with anger and now, also with guilt. But being a proud, stubborn male dragon, he would not easily admit he was wrong. Even though, at this moment, he knew he had made a horrible, horrible mistake. Cade reached over to touch his friend and Lorem pulled away from him. He began to storm across the yard, heading into the forest beyond the house with black rolls of smoke smoldering from his nostrils.

“I wish to be alone,” he said simply and vanished into the trees.

“Oh, Surrex...” Malcom whispered, cupping her hands over her mouth as Lorem disappeared. She was beginning to take off toward the dragon pasture when a small cough came from the other side of the doorway. All the attention turned to Andy, the newcomer sitting crisscross in the grass, awkwardly petting Gizmo as the dog trembled in his lap.

“So is this a bad time for the boy to be around or...”

Malcom temporarily forgot her concern and her heart leaped with joy. Without really thinking, the mother-to-be squealed and ran over to him, tumbling with him into the grass. She hugged him tight and wept, squishing the copper-colored pup between them. And then all at once, she recoiled. Dressed in a spaghetti strap, low-cut tank-top and pale gray shorts, her feminine features glowed in the rays of sunlight. She sat away from Andy, awkwardly looking down. She raised her eyes up to him slowly, painfully daring to take in each inch of his body until she saw his face at last. She expected judgement, perhaps disgust, or even anger. But all she saw was the kind, gentle, carefree spirit that had so entranced her the first time she looked into those emerald pools what seemed like an eternity ago on Earth.

“Andy... I...”

A hand reached out and Malcom paused, staring at the appendage as if it were a foreign ligament as his lips began to dance with a smile. “Andrew Presley Coleman,” he said in a soft, almost too kind voice. “My friends call me Andy. Or they would if I had any friends. I heard that in a movie once.”

Malcom couldn’t help but smile as she brushed a curl out of her face. She took his hand in her much smaller one and shook it slowly. “Malcom Marie McKnight. I go by Malcom. My friends call me Mikey.” She pointed over to Cia. “Actually, just her. She calls me Mikey.”

Carefully, as if calculating every move, Andy drew her hand up to his lips and kissed the reverse side of her palm. “Three M’s again huh?” he chuckled. “It is a pleasure to meet you then, Malcom.” He looked up from the gesture and smiled at the sight of her soft, fairyan face. He could see traces of both her parents in her. Thick, dark curls from Cade and soft, round cheeks from Cleo. The fairy in her held in her slightly pointed ears and in her skin, the glitter built into the very follicles of her pores. And then there was the magic, the palpable magic that Cia had told him about. He could feel it pulsing through her fingertips, drumming against his hand. She was even more incredible than he could ever imagine.

“How did you... How did you get back in?” Malcom asked, tracing a line of red facial hair across the squarer part of Andy’s jaw.

“He’s part Mythic, Mikey,” Cia called to them as she patted her leg and Gizmo bounced over to her to be given attention since his master was now devoted elsewhere. “Fairy and nymph. Look at his hair, his face. Look really, really hard. Do you see the kingdom?”

“Crimson...” Malcom said softly, as it struck her now how much sense it all made. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment that she hadn’t been able to see it before.

“Ahem,” Cade coughed, slightly aggravated at the tension between the two of them. Andy looked over at him, nodded meekly, and got to his feet, pulling Malcom up softly by her hands. The Peacekeeper Lord’s pupils narrowed into tiny slits when Malcom carefully, almost cautiously twined her fingers with his own. It was too intimate for him and her father disappeared into the house. Cleo, masking a smug grin of satisfaction, followed inside and Kylee led Jax in after. The last three entered the house together and closed the door, Cia locking it behind them to make sure no one else disturbed them.

Cade was already putting on tea by the time that everyone else had gathered in the living room. Some of the tension had lifted from the wolf ambush and dragon quarrel but there was still the threat in the air. Kylee was discussing baby clothes and Jax would interrupt occasionally with his opinion for strong, fine names for boys. Andy was watching in silence, taking in every detail of this version of Malcom as she listened and nodded eagerly with all the ideas from her godmother and godfather. Cia was rolling around in the floor, playing tug-of-war with Gizmo while Cleo surveyed the group from a way off, sitting in her chair by the fireplace, pretending to knit. The tension between herself and her daughter had reformed as the danger cleared and they had become, again, estranged from one another.

The peaceful, awkward conversation was at last disrupted when Cade’s temper, worry, and rage boiled over with the pot of tea. He slammed the kettle down on the counter, spilling laps of brown liquid out onto the floor. Steam rose from the ground and filled the silence as he shook, palms on the granite countertop surface.

“Are we all going to talk and chatter as if everything is perfectly fine?” The question was rhetorical. “It is not a good thing that Malcom is pregnant. Children are always blessings, but we have to look at the bigger picture here. That child, in your stomach, is the offspring of Jeckles Dylite- Lord of the Dark Law Ordinance. He killed your grandmother, both your grandfathers, and Andy’s grandmother as well. Jeckles cares about one thing in this world and it is carrying on his dark blood to future generations so that the shadows stay alive forever. That child is not safe, Malcom. He will come for it. I’m not just going to idly sit by and paint a nursery blue or pink and wait for him to bust in my front door and kill my entire family. I will not let it happen again!” Cadyn had started talking in a cool, almost icy voice but now he was all but screaming at them.

“And on top of you being pregnant, there’s a wolf on my property who, for all we know, could be a spy for the Hounds. My dragons almost ripped each-others’ throats out. And now I have a boy with no family, no home, nowhere to go... Who has a dog...” Cade didn’t mean for the words to come out so steely but they did and Andy flinched. “This situation is a lot more serious than any of you realize. We have to start preparing right now for an attack and we have to start thinking of evacuation plans and backup strategies and- where in the hell am I supposed to put you?” Cade slid his gaze over to Andy as the words came flooding from his mouth, his chest heaving with anxiety and fear.

“I don’t have any extra space for anyone at my house,” Cia said quietly with a sigh. “I’m one of ten kids and we all live in a tree.”

“He can stay with us,” Kylee offered, her tone icy only because Cade was getting so upset and was taking a lot of his emotions out on Andy. “We have more than enough room.”

“He doesn’t know his way around the forest yet and your house is hard enough to locate when you know where you’re going,” Cleo argued, and Kylee nodded as if she had already thought of this. Malcom’s face was darkening with emotion and she had tears rimming her eyes.

“He can stay here,” she said as if it wasn’t an argument but a fact. “We have a guest room. There are five bedrooms in this house, after all. We only use two of them. One is prepared for a baby that never came and will be a nursery for mine. That still leaves two rooms unoccupied. One is full of books and junk and the other is all but empty except for a few boxes. Clear out that room and let it be Andy’s.” Malcom crossed her arms as if this was the only solution and she was upset that nobody else had thought of it. “I am the closest thing Andy has to family here. And no one should ever, ever have to be alone in the world with just their dog.”

The last statement struck a chord deep in Cade’s heart- hitting the soft place of a young boy who was left orphaned and alone except for the company of a puppy and some dragons. And Andy doesn’t even have the dragons. He let out a long, painful, defeated sigh and as he did, the red drained from his face. Cade’s temples began to stop pulsing and his blood pressure started to fall. He nodded slowly, as if agreeing this was a closed subject and his head fell into his ready hands.

“I was thinking a pale yellow for the nursery anyway,” Malcom said after a few moments and Kylee chuckled at her statement. “And furthermore- my child will be a blessing. I know... I know it’s confusing and I know it’s hard. I mean- imagine how I feel? I was so scared at first. I was really, really terrified. It’s partially why I didn’t tell anyone. I knew immediately. The next morning when I woke up, I felt something was different. My magic was weak, my entire body felt estranged from me, but something else was different. Mercy knew too. He helped me realize it’s the reason for the nightmare I keep having about Jeckles attacking me and ripping open my stomach...” she trailed as her mother winced but she seemed to barely take her comfort into account.

“I didn’t even tell Surrex, she just sensed it one day.” Malcom’s voice faltered and she was afraid for a second that she might cry. “I cussed, I cried, I screamed, I asked God why He was punishing me. But then, a kind of peace came over me. A kind of understanding. Surrex helped me see that... Jeckles just breeds death. He creates carnage and destruction everywhere he goes. He thinks that me being pregnant is going to break me, that it will ultimately destroy me.” She looked at her father with her fiery eyes. “That it would destroy you, Papa. But he’s wrong. It hasn’t and it won’t. I won’t let it.” Malcom rubbed her lower stomach in soft circles and smiled in a genuine way that made Cade’s heart ache.

“You’ve always taught me that life is a blessing from the Creator. Jeckles has only defeated himself by creating this baby by me. I will raise it with so much kindness and love and warmth...” Ah. Finally, the tears fell, and it felt so good to let them out. “My child will be surrounded by everyone here and will be brought up with support and goodness. I will not let the darkness snuff out its light. And in that, Daddy, I have made my peace. I just need for you to make your peace too.” Silence gripped the room as nobody could find words to say to the courageous young lady. Finally, Andy thought of a way to sum it all up.

“You’re very brave,” he told her after a while longer and she only smiled at him in thanks.

“Mothers have to be,” Malcom answered softly and for some reason, it made Cleo cringe. A nearly painful silence would have reformed had Kylee not went to the kitchen to help Cade clean up his mess and prepare a meal. Cleo didn’t meet her daughter’s eyes as Malcom and Cia talked freely about the future plans for the baby. All the while, Andy just kept looking around the house, his eyes wide and amazed at being back in such an extraordinary place

“Now, I don’t know what kind of cuisine you’re used to in your home layer...” Kylee called over her shoulder as she stirred a giant pot full of incredible looking stew with just her mind and a clockwise motion of her index finger. “But here in Exodus, honey... We eat just right!”

Malcom thought she caught it- just a brief momentary lapse of judgement. But as Andy roared in laughter and nodded his enthusiasm, she was sure that she saw her father smile at him. If only for a second.

18

[A Battle Strategy]

Night fell quickly that day across McKnight Manor. The sun had already sunken beyond the horizon when supper was complete. The family ate dinner in an awkward silence, Jax lapping chunks of deer meat from a metal bowl on the floor as Kylee ate her soup beside him, sitting cross-legged on the hardwood. Cleo dined alone in her quarters off the living room, her mind foggy with pain and regret. Cade, Malcom, Andy, and Cia ate in the dining room at the table, all of them so quiet that they could hear the night breathing outside.

“I can go into Grillionville. I’ll request aid from the other Corps members... I know that they won’t hesitate to defend you. I will go to every neighboring and near county and ask for assistance. We will be one solid, allied force and that is something even Jeckles will fear,” Cade said after a long time in thought. Malcom nodded numbly, taking a bite of mashed potatoes.

“There are many traders who fear the Ordinance. I am sure that they will help us protect you,” Cia added, taking her bowl in her hands to drink her soup, pressing the rim against her lips. Again, Malcom nodded and shoveled in another spoonful of mashed potatoes. Silence slowly returned and tightened its grip over the room. Suddenly, as if on cue, an eerie chill entered the house and the flesh of its inhabitants lit with goosebumps. Rubbing her arms, Malcom’s nape hair stood on end and she looked around frantically as the wind began to howl outside.

An unnerving tap, tap, tap echoed through the near deafening silence and Cade got to his feet, peering around for the source of the sound. Before he could complete his investigation, the window above the sink cracked then shattered- sending billions of glass pieces in all directions in waves of microscopic oblivion. Much to the horror of them all, a fierce ball of energy came hurtling into the room- black as shadow and rolling like smoke. It expanded and filled the space until the entire house was blanketed in a blinding gray fog.

“Malcom! Malcom, where are you?!” Cade cried as he fought his way through the dark for his daughter. “Malcom Marie!”

“I’m over here!” she cried, also blindly feeling around through the shadowy bog. “What’s going on? What is this?”

“It’s some kind of spell... It isn’t possible. I put a shield up to protect the manor from any kind of dark magic...”

Oh, silly, silly boy that you are!

Malcom shrieked as she found her way into her father’s arms, tears instantly pouring from her eyes. Jeckles’ voice rang through the house as if he were standing right in front of them. The fog intensified until it was so black that Cadyn couldn’t see Malcom even as she trembled against his chest.

Now that I am part of her, you are never safe, son of Luxar. Tick-tock, Miss Malcom! Tick-tock! Give me what is mine or I shall take it- root and stem. I will burn this entire realm to the ground to make a nursery of ash for my child. All who stand with you will fall. Thousands will die and the land will run red with blood. Consider this your final warning...

With a cackle so sadistic that it turned Cade’s nerves to ice, the imminent darkness swirled and, much to Malcom’s absolute horror, twisted back into the form of a sphere and disappeared into her stomach. She collapsed to the ground, clutching her belly, begging her magic to come and wash the sticky, unclean feeling away. Her skin was littered with drops of dark water, as if dew made from tar had settled on her flesh. She wiped at them frantically and the liquid smeared like mud against her skin before seeping into her body. Her trembling turned into uncontrollable shaking, tears rolling down her face as she screamed. Cade came down beside her, incasing her in his arms as Kylee raced to her side.

“It’s more than that now,” she said after a long time, her eyes void but for fear as Cade ran a hand pulsing with soothing gray light over her body. Malcom looked up at all the faces that were staring down at her. “It’s more than me. He won’t stop. He won’t stop. He will destroy everything that keeps him away from my baby... Away from me.” She shook her head and let her chin drop into her readied palms. Fresh sobs came.

“It’s been a long time coming. He’s been waiting for this... I can feel it. I can almost see it. Everything’s been building up to this. He wants me to know it. He wants me to tell you...” she lifted her head and turned her wide, terror-stricken eyes to her father, tears running down her elfish face. “God, I can hear him. It’s like he’s in my head.” She pressed her palms against her temples and gripped spiral curls in her fingers. “I... I was his plan. He’s been waiting for me. I was the catalyst all along. All the attacks in the north, the Corps captains going missing, the ambushes on the fairyan kingdoms... All of it. He’s done it to wither our resources so that when he came for me... for you... we would be on our own.” She began to sob into her palms again. “Oh, Daddy! I will do anything and get as much help as I can to make sure my child is safe. I can’t let him take my baby. I can’t... I...”

“We won’t let him.”

Suddenly, Cleo came from across the living room, her footsteps all but silent. She stood beside Kylee, looking down at her broken daughter with tears welling in her eyes. She lifted her head slowly, her entire body quivering with anger, fear, and pain. Her nose and cheeks were red, and her eyes were bloodshot and puffy from crying.

“I know where we can get help,” she said softly and Malcom seemed to at last pay attention to her, a lot more than she had done in months. “I-I will go to the Violet Kingdom. I was born there, and they are allies to you, Cadyn.” She motioned toward her husband with shaky hands, though his eyebrows were furrowed in concern. “I can try. Please let me see if they will at least warn us if Ordinance members come their way and agree to fight if with us if it comes to that. We already know they’ve been upping their guards, and no one has heard anything from the royalty in months... Cadyn, please. It’s the least I can do.”

Cade let out a small sigh and he hugged Malcom closely. His magic had done all it could, but nothing could undo the unease in his daughter’s heart. “We will all go where we can to find assistance in this battle. Malcom could be right...”

“I know I’m right,” she interrupted, her eyes a dull blue and void of shine. Cade nodded slowly, his heart pounding in his chest.

“This was the point all along. For Jeckles to impregnate her and start a war that my heart would be so far invested in that I would be blind to an attack. If a war is to come, it is meant to come and it has, in fact, been a long time coming. Cleopatra, you will go to the Violet Kingdom. It isn’t far from here. I’ll go to the Crimson Kingdom...” His eyes slid on Andy’s pale, hollow face and he drew a deep breath, trying to decide what to do with the young man. “You want to get acquainted with the world of Exodus? You’ll come with me. I can keep you safe and it’s always good to have an extra set of eyes. The Crimson and Violet Kingdoms are the only two which are fully allied with the Corps. Our best bet is with them and it’s not a bad start. The Violet Kingdom is the biggest of all the fairyan nations and Crimsons have fire magic...” Cade whispered the last bit as he began to map out a strategy in his head.

“We’ll go too. I can talk to King Silus in the Silver Kingdom and see if they’ve noticed any weird activity from their neighbors from hell.” Kylee spoke up and Jax agreed without hesitation. “It’s a long journey, a few weeks at the least. But we’ll send word- I promise!”

“I can go to the Citrine Kingdom?” Cia offered and Cade shook his head.

“We will take care of that when the time comes. We must plan deeper into this, and we might not need to get all the fairy kingdoms involved if we can help it. Cia, you can stay here with Malcom. To keep her safe, to keep her company,” Cade told the troll, and she opened her mouth to protest but Malcom looked desperately objective. “There is nobody else I would trust her with in this whole world than you. And I need to put a new protection spell on the house and your lack of magic will keep from harboring any unwanted attention and it won’t hurt the charm.” That seemed to satisfy her a bit, but she crossed her arms at being left behind. The Peacekeeper Lord pushed himself up from the floor and he offered Malcom his hand. She numbly allowed herself to be lifted and she looked her father in the eyes as a new fire began to blaze in his heart. This flame had ignited long ago, once when he swore into the Corps and then again the first time he laid eyes on his sweet baby girl. He took her head in his steady hands and kissed her. “We leave tomorrow at dawn. Pack and prepare everyone. It’ll be a long journey.”

***

MALCOM DEPARTED FOR the upstairs shortly after the incident with the orb had settled down- eager to wash the unease away and find the comfort of her room. Andy had swept up the glass while Cleo tended to the busted window. Andy had been absolutely astounded to see that she repaired the obliterated glass with nothing more than a wave of her hand. He eagerly offered to help clean and put away the dishes and didn’t hesitate to wipe down the dining room table. Trying to stay distracted from the dark energy that lingered, Cia and Kylee engaged with him by talking avidly about Earth’s music and their favorite artists- something that surprised Andy greatly as they had many of them in common. He was just emptying the contents of the dustpan into the trash when Cade approached him, an odd look on his face. Andy met his eyes as he washed his hands clean in the sink and raised an eyebrow curiously.

“Yes, sir?”

“If you want to spend some time with Malcom before we depart... I encourage you to do so. I’ll set the spare room up for you while you’re talking...” curiosity lingered in Cade’s gaze and he cleared his throat. “She’s up the stairs there, her bedroom is the furthest on the right. I’ll come get you when I’ve finished your room...” something uncomfortable and unspoken lingered on the Peacekeeper Lord’s lips as he turned away from Andy and headed for the staircase himself. As he went, he scooped up a sleeping Gizmo in his arms and began to ascend, saying not another word as he branched off down the hallway to the left.

“He likes you,” Kylee told Andy in a hushed voice. Andy turned his green eyes on her and laughed, shaking his head at the thought.

“He’d like to see me dead, maybe. But as for appreciating my character- I think you’re sadly mistaken.”

“No,” she shook her head at him. “I’ve known Cadyn for a really long time, okay sugar? Since before Malcom was born some eighteen years ago now. He’s letting you stay in his house, eat with his family, learn from his mind, and go talk to his daughter. Trust me, Andy. He likes you.” Kylee patted him on the back and Cia nodded encouragingly. “Now how about you go upstairs and see the girl you risked your life to know better? Just knock first. The rest of the clean-up is a snap. Literally.”

Andy nodded slowly at her with an odd little grin on his face. He headed up the staircase quickly and silently, running his hand across the varnished wooden railing. At the top of the stairs, the second floor of the house fanned out all around him in a grand oval-like shape. He counted the doors to the left, one of which was swung open as Cade prepared a space for him. Light flooded down the corridor from lamps with no plug-ins or wires, that were instead lit by magic flame. He took in all the details in the grains of wood and ran his fingertips across every surface he encountered as he headed straight down to the furthest door on the right. It was cracked open, and he could see light flashing inside. Tenderly, he raised his fist to knock on the door but before his knuckles ever met the wood, he heard a voice.

“You can come in,” Malcom called to him and Andy gingerly pushed the door open. He sucked in a hard breath, amazed by the complex, gentle beauty of Malcom’s room. The thick, grass-like blue carpet under his feet, the dark painted walls, all the stuffed animals and pillows, the art easel in the corner with half a painted rose on it, and of course- the way the lantern dragons danced about the ceiling.

Sitting in the middle of the bed with a huge white-and-brown tabby sprawled across her lap, was Malcom. She was now wearing a giant black t-shirt with a dragon printed on it, her bottom half clad clumsily in a pair of boxers that Andy found to be familiar. She had her curls pushed back out of her face with a headband and she looked more like an average person than Andy had ever seen her- but he still felt awestruck by the beauty in her subtle magic.

So, he stood there, at the foot of the bed for a long time before she patted the mattress and he felt inclined to sit. The ginormous tabby tom glanced up at him with wide, accusing amber eyes. He grumbled once to himself and spread out, his scoop-like paws almost hanging off the bed as he dropped off either side of Malcom’s thighs.

“This is Panther,” she told Andy with a fragile smile. “He’s part Maine Coon, part tabby mutt. He’s very sweet. He likes my room because the night-light lures him to sleep.” She scratched between the tom’s head and he purred in delight, the sound a deep rumble like subdued thunder. She watched the dragon shadows twirling about her room and finally looked at Andy with hollow blue eyes. “Where is Gizmo?”

“Down the hall. Your dad is making a room for me. He’s so tired, Gizmo is. He’s had a lot of... excitement... today.”

“You both have.”

“We all have.” Andy reached out to touch Malcom’s hand comfortingly and she drew it away from him before their fingers ever touched.

“Forgive me,” she whispered. “I’m... Still shaken.”

“No,” Andy shook his head, bringing his hands back onto his lap. “Forgive me. I’ll be more mindful. You’ve been through a lot.” He paused for a second then rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “Malcom... There’s so many things I want to ask you...”

She offered him a thin, tired smile. “I’m sure all of this is... Really overwhelming. I know this is a lot to take in. Consider me an open book for you. Ask anything you like- it’ll take my mind off things.”

Just then, one of the shadowy dragons twirled across Andy’s shoulder then giggled before returning to the others on the walls and ceiling. “Uhm... Yeah, it’s a lot...” he chuckled nervously. “If I could... Ask some questions about you?” He smiled at her tenderly. “And I want honest answers this time.”

Malcom managed a dry, stifled laugh and she nodded. “Okay. I promise. Go ahead.”

“You’re a shapeshifter- like Cade.”

“I am- just not quite as good at the craft as he is.”

“Can you take the appearance of anything?”

“Any mythical being, not mythical creature. Mythical creatures have different blood, a different essence of magic than just elves or fairies. I can make myself a troll but not a unicorn. Make sense?” Andy nodded. “Also just normal animals- like horses, or dogs, or...”

“Ginormous black lions?” Andy teased, and Malcom actually managed a full laugh.

“Yes, or a lion!  But not always black if I don’t want. We can change gender, shape, race, color, size... Anything. But shifting takes a lot of magic, as you are bending the physical parts of who you are to become something different. Shapeshifting for long periods of time can be quite exhausting- even if you’re a full-blood shifter.”

“I see...” Andy nodded, piecing the information together. “So how long can you keep your... Other form?”

“I can keep on my mask- that’s what it’s called- as Mercy for almost twenty-four hours. Anything more than that can be quite exhausting. The most skilled and pure-blooded of shifters can, in general, only keep their transformations up for about three days without stopping. You have to take a break, let your true self breathe, and give your magic a moment to recline or you’ll break yourself down.”

“And Mercy is your brother? How do you know what he looks like if he never...”

“Mercy was never born but he does exist.” Malcom pressed her pointer finger to her temple. “I see him. The fragments of his spirit that made it through live inside me. In my heart, in my mind, in my soul. The male form that I represented myself to you as- that’s Mercy- my brother. He has mint green eyes, jet black hair. The voice, the laugh, all but the personality... That’s him. It’s the only kind of freedom at all that he gets from the Nothingness. And even then, it’s mostly his physical form- his actual soul isn’t strong enough to survive independently out here.”

“What’s the Nothingness?”

“It’s a mental state. People on Earth to try to achieve it by meditation or hypnotic therapy. Some mortals can go there- if ever briefly- when they have orgasms or reach nirvana. The Nothingness is a place in my psyche, a place in anyone’s psyche- I guess- where there is nothing but you and your thoughts. Except for me, there is something there. Mercy dwells in the Nothingness of my mind. I go there when I dream, when I sleep, or when I need him. It’s the only place I see him and he’s my greatest comfort...” she trailed, closing her eyes as she tried to feel her brother, desperate for his connection with the stress of the day. For just a moment, she heard him humming to her.

“That’s crazy...” Andy’s voice drew her out of her thoughts, and she opened her eyes, watching him as his open palm held two twirling dragon silhouettes as they tangoed. “So... What does he think about you using his body? Mercy? Does he approve?”

“He’s never protested. I asked him for permission, actually... The night that we... Went back to your apartment.” Her cheeks flushed and she looked away. “When we started getting physical, I asked him if he was okay with it. I could never do anything that serious with his body if he hadn’t given me his blessing. He hasn’t said anything negative about you. He actually really liked you the first time I met you at the bar. He trusted how clear your eyes were- even though you were drinking,” she told him, touching her fingertips to his palm so that one of the shadow dragons could foxtrot across her hand.

“I... I just have so many questions.” Andy shook his head with a wild smile. “I don’t even know where to begin... I feel like there will never be enough time to answer them all.”

“Well, don’t be shy. Keep asking- it’s keeping me distracted from my thoughts.”

“Okay then! Earlier, I saw your mother repair the busted window with no effort- just a wave of her hand. Why do anything at all with physical labor if you can just use magic? Why get dressed or walk or... Work or anything? Isn’t magic just a solution to everything?”

“Magic is a force, Andy, a presence. It’s a living, breathing, tangible thing. It’s like a mixture of electricity, gravity, and emotion. It can never be created or destroyed- only bent and borrowed. I could, say... Change my entire outfit right now by just thinking about it- but that requires magic. Not a lot, granted, but my body is weak and my mind is tired. To learn how to properly bend magic takes a lot of time, practice, and training. If you try to use too much, it can hurt your soul if you’re not ready. Trying advanced spells, hexes, or curses when you are unprepared can kill you. What is taken must be given back and the magic you hold is only as strong as you are. It is playful and energetic. Think about fire- like a wild flame that doesn’t burn but dances and frolics. Magic is mischievous and unpredictable. Using it withers down the soul like standing on your feet wears down your body. My mother repaired the window because it was just a window, but I’m sure it wasn’t as easy as it looked because it was damaged with dark magic. Dark magic is tainted, it’s like tar on the soul. It’s oil instead of fire. It was just a window but had it been a wall?...” Malcom shook her head. “I don’t think my mother could have done it without a spell or something secondary to help harness the magic she’d need to fix what was broken.”

Andy nodded. “I think that makes sense...” he nodded again, as if confirming that it did. Then his expression softened, and he dared to inch a little closer to the young lady in his company. “Are you... Are you scared? About being a mother?” His question caught her off guard, as she had been expecting further pressings about the ways of the world they lived in. Malcom leaned forward thoughtfully and ran a hand down Panther’s side.

“I’m terrified. But I can’t express that in front of my parents. It’ll just make it worse. But I have Lilian- she is so comforting. And Azura and Surrex and Cia- who is the oldest of a small clan of children. I’m not afraid of not being able to raise my baby. I’m just... So afraid of... Of...”

“Of what it’ll become,” Andy completed, and she nodded, looking away from his face as the dragon who was jitterbugging on her forearm bounded from her and began to prance about the windowsill.

“And I fear also what Jeckles will do to get this child. He’s a lot of things... A monster, a murderer... But he is also incredibly ferocious when it comes to his kin. He is an old creature, Jeckles Dylite, and he has many offspring. And you heard his threat tonight. His Ordinance is already waging war...”

“We’ll protect you. Your father loves you very much.” Andy again dared to place his hand on Malcom’s own and this time, she didn’t pull away. “He’ll stop at nothing to keep you safe. That’s what real fathers do.”

For a moment, silence passed between them and Malcom looked into his eyes, some of the emotion returning to her baby blue irises. Andy gently lifted a hand to her face and brushed his thumb across her cheek. “You look so much younger here...” he whispered; his lips closer to hers than they had ever been in this world. Seeming to realize how terribly intimate the moment was, Andy’s cheeks flushed red as he pulled his head back a bit and cleared his throat. “Can you explain that to me by the way? I’ve heard ages given a couple of times since I’ve been here. How does that work here in Exodus? Aging? Time? It all feels different...”

“Time was created for man,” Malcom told him softly, watching with a fond expression as Andy stroked Panther’s wide head and the great tabby tom purred gleefully from the affection. “We didn’t really have a concept of time here before Marked Ones started arriving. Marked Ones are humans, mortals, who are branded from birth by the Creator. They are given The Sight and the knowledge of the other realms and are destined to seek them out. It’s supposedly the will of the Creator, to try and keep some type of bond between His mortal and Mythical children. A lot of our more humanoid things are brought by Marked Ones. That’s how a lot of our architecture and culture has advanced through the years. We evolve with man, trying to stay as caught up as possible so we never fall behind. It’s best that we stay equals. Safer that way.”

“I must say I agree...” Andy nodded. “But what about aging. How old are you really?”

“Well, that’s hard to say really. We keep track of dates and hours as mortals do. It’s all the same as human time- three hundred and sixty-five days in a year, twenty-four hours in a day. But we don’t really track it as much as they do. Time doesn’t destroy things here as it does in Earth. We age according to the pace of our souls and the use of our magic. It’s why beings that use a lot of magic for a lot of things tend to look more worn than those who stick to basics. Bending and funneling magic will take a toll on your physical form if you aren’t careful- especially if it isn’t in your breed to do so. We aren’t meant to always hold more and use more than we’re born with. It’s tiring on the soul- like I said before. That’s the thing, Andy,” Malcom told her companion with a small smile as another dragon silhouette twirled on top of her head.

“Human lives are based on how long one can push the body. Mythic lives are based on how long one can keep the soul. Like, my father for instance... He is, by human time, more than fifty years aged. But he doesn’t look more than, what... Thirty something? Right?” Andy nodded. “I am only eighteen human years old, but my spirit has more age than that. My soul got stuck in the phase between newborn and toddler, so it took my body a while to develop with it.”

“Wait... You can get stuck in ages?” Andy’s jaw dropped and a shadow dragon beside him pressed its paws to its face and gaped its mouth to imitate his shock.

“Well of course! Your physical body will grow and age to match your soul- however much you keep or weaken it. It’s all tied to the magic, do you see? My father has looked like he looks now for nearly three decades. His soul is just idling, maturing but not yet aging because of how he keeps and tends to his magic. But I believe this battle for my baby will take its toll. His age will catch up to him. Just wait... He’ll have gray hair by the time my child is talking.”

The next few moments stretched on in silence until a sudden, odd realization struck Andy. “I was talking, clearly, by the time I was three...” his eyes grew wide as he spoke. “My father told me that I had been called a genius my entire life because I was recognizing shapes, sounds, words, and abstract concepts by the time I was two years old... Is that... Is that because...”

“Of your magic, yes!” Malcom finally seemed to snap out of her daze entirely and she beamed at him, her blue eyes shining brighter than they had all day. “You were like Cia then. Cia aged very quickly. She was born only twelve years ago- yes, yes, I know! But she’s spiritually older than me. Everyone’s soul intertwines with magic differently and how it reacts to the world around you will determine how fast you physically age. There have been some cases, rare but not unheard of, where Mythics age extremely fast. I’m talking they make physical bounds in weeks. Luxar, my grandfather, was an adolescent man within ten months of being physically born. It’s an insane concept for you, I know. But soon you will understand and realize... All things are trivial here. All things are from magic, soul, and spirit. The sooner you grasp ahold of that, the better off you’ll be. And since you’re going off to journey with my father, these are all basics that you need to know to keep up with him.”

Andy nodded thoughtfully and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked into Malcom’s sparkling eyes and he chuckled slightly, shaking his head as he petted Panther some more. “I have so many more questions, but I feel like I don’t know how to ask them. I feel like it’ll take me years to ask them all and I still won’t understand...” his eyes traveled around her room, following the pirouetting form of a dragon. It stopped on the easel in the corner that held the half-finished rose. His mind faltered from his curiosity and he turned his gaze back to her. “You paint?”

“I do,” she responded with a small, surprised tone to her voice at the simple, normal question. “I love painting. Cia takes a lot of my works to trade with her when she runs her errands. Us Mythics love art, music, literature...” she tilted her head to the side and offered him a tender smile. “It’s why you love music so much, Andy. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that sooner. I bet there’s magic when you sing.”

“When I... sing?”

“Mhmm...” she closed her eyes. “My parents told me that nymphs have voice power. The wind in the trees, waves against the shore, the sounds of birds... All of the present noises that are so beautiful by nature- those are audible things that are power sources for nymphs.” She opened her eyes slightly, blue irises soft and filled with wonder. “Why don’t you sing for me, Andy?”

The young man’s face turned bright red, and he cleared his throat. “Oh. Uh, sure... What... Uhm... What would you want to hear?”

“Oh, anything, really. I like your taste in earth-bound music.”

Andy thought for a second, running a shaky hand across Panther’s head. He nodded, closing his eyes to get deep in his own mind, away from his nerves. Then... A song came to him. He ran his tongue across his lips then softly, beautifully began to sing.

“Wise men say... Only fools rush in. But I... But I can’t help... Falling in love... With... You...” he licked his lips again, his body beginning to relax. “Shall I stay? Would it be a... Sin? If I can’t... Help... Falling in love... With you.” Unbeknownst to Andy, as he softly sang the words of one of his favorite songs, Malcom was staring at him in awe. Her skin littered with goosebumps and she watched, transfixed, as the shadowy dragons that flew around her room began to sway softly, swooning at the tender, rich sound of Andy’s voice. “Like a river flows, surely to the sea... Darling, so it goes... Some things are meant to be. Take my... Hand. Take my whole life... Too. For I... Can’t help... Falling in love... With you...” He stopped, taking a deep, shaky breath. “For I can’t help... Falling in love... With... You.”

Andy kept his eyes closed, his breathing labored now from nervousness and effort. Malcom sat, stiff from shock. As he had sang to her, a soft, faintly pink glow had pulsed from his chest and was swirling around the room in a wave of pale, fog-like radiance. Malcom reached out and tenderly touched his lips and Andy opened his eyes, the hazel depths a bright shade of nearly iridescent green. Tears were brimming on Malcom’s eyelids as Andy’s unintentional magic touched her soul and put her spirit at ease for the first time in weeks. Andy held her stare, unable to look away from the emotion in the blue pools of her eyes.

“Your voice...” she whispered. “My God, it is magic...”

“I... Thank you?” he managed finally, noticing at last his surroundings and how the silhouette dragons were still swaying in the air, some of them slow dancing together, twirling around with the fine pink mist swirling around their paws. He tilted his head to the side and stared at the fog in awe. “Did... Did I... What...”

“Powerful magic leaves a trace, sometimes a tangible mark in the environment around it...” Malcom smiled at him, a tear rolling down her elfish cheek. “Now that you’re home, your magic core is feeding off the lifeblood that pulses through Exodus. You’ll be very powerful, Andy... If you just learn how to harness it.”

They both jumped when Cade knocked on the doorframe, the Peacekeeper Captain peering into the room with wide eyes and a dazzled expression. As swiftly as it had appeared, the foggy evidence of Andy’s magic faded away, leaving the dragons to dance again in their frantic, playful manner. Malcom retracted her fingers from Andy’s lips and sheepishly began to pet Panther again while Andy ran a frazzled, embarrassed hand through his crimson red hair.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Cade said oddly. “But your room is ready.”

“Oh, thank you...” Andy quickly stood up then turned around, nearly tripping over his own feet. Malcom chuckled at him and he awkwardly peered at her, his cheeks again flushing red. “I-I’m glad we got to talk. Thank you for answering all my dumb questions.” Sheepishly, almost as if he was afraid he’d break her, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Goodnight, Miss Malcom...” he avoided Cade’s gaze as he turned away. Without another word, he left the room quickly- eagerly yearning for a sanctuary of his own where he could be alone with his thoughts.

Cade stood in the doorway, watching first Andy as he entered his room, but then watching Malcom as she touched her head where he’d kissed her. The Peacekeeper Lord’s eyes swirled a foggy ocean blue. “Malcom... Was that... Was that him singing?”

“Yes!” she whispered in a frantic fashion as she rubbed her arms where her chill-bumps had been. “Papa, he has strong nymphean magic. It was like it renewed me. It was like... Like an Energy Exchange, but from just being in the presence of his voice. Did you see the mist?”

“I did.” Cade rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully then sighed. “He has a lot to learn...”

“He’ll do fine. You’re going to teach him after all,” Malcom assured him, petting Panther as the cat pined for more attention. Cade stared at her fondly, the ferocious love in his heart making it ache.

“Before we leave tomorrow, I’m going to reset the protection spells on the house. I won’t take anymore chances of Jeckles undermining my magic while you and Cia are here alone.” He turned on his heels and sighed, peering over his shoulder at his sweet daughter. His soul ached for her as he closed her bedroom door. “I love you... With all my heart, Malcom Marie,” he whispered as he began to walk away and without fail, as always, he got his reply.

“Daddy, love you more.”

19

[Split Directions]

Cleo tossed and turned in an uneasy sleep, haunted by the images of the night before. She saw Jeckles, his ugly white teeth and terrible blue eyes, mocking them, threatening them, touching himself in that vulgar, sickening manner. She heard his threat. His promise. His vow. Now that I am part of her, you are never safe, son of Luxar. I will burn this entire realm to the ground to make a nursery of ash for my child. Thousands will die and the land will run red with blood. Consider this your final warning...

Pain. Incredible burning, indescribable, soul-wrenching pain caught her in its clutches, and she thrashed wildly against Cade’s side. He woke with a jump and tried to calm her but as soon as his hands touched her skin, he recoiled from the heat of her flesh. In her sleep, Cleo relived it. Again, and again, and again. The rally cries of infuriated soldiers. Someone... Someone was shouting, demanding her wings. The cast of a spell, the icy cold of fingernails like daggers, the spirit-splintering agony as her fairyan appendages were torn from her body. A blood-curdling scream left her lips and Cleo went crashing to the floor, nearly crushing Penny as she slammed against the hardwood.

“Cleopatra!” Cade’s worried cry snapped her at last from her nightmares and her eyes flew open in the dark. She gasped desperately for air. She longed to speak, to say something or catch her breath but nothing came of it. No words- nothing but agony and hot, salty tears. Guilt. So much guilt. Suffocating. Her life shrouded in secrecy had only led to the destruction of the one thing she had fought to preserve- the safety of her daughter. Finally, Cade’s cool arms embraced her and both breath and words came like rushing water.

“C-Cadyn...” she sobbed through broken sobs, leaning her hot face against his chest. “Oh, Cadyn... What will we do? What have we done?”

“Shhh...” he held her closer and rocked her gently, kissing the top of her head. “Easy, easy...” Penny’s syrupy brown eyes stared at her owners with such a deep feeling of both adoration and concern. She padded over on arthritic paws and began to gently lick soothing circles across Cleo’s throbbing back.

“Rest...” he whispered, kissing the crown of her head. His wife trembled in his arms as soft waves of white light pulsed from his chest into her aching, burning body. “Rest.”

It took only a matter of moments before Cleo fell fast away from her troubles into a calm, dreamless sleep as she was subdued by the tender caress of her husband’s magic. Cade leaned his head back against the bed and nodded thankfully at his beloved dog.

“It’s gonna be a long night, Penny... A long, long night...”

***

ANDY LEANED AGAINST the doorframe of Malcom’s bedroom, staring at her with sad emerald eyes. She sat on her bed with her back to him, sobbing madly into a blue dragon pillow. Her mother was leaving- something entirely unprecedented, so was her father, her godmother, her godfather, and her... Andy. Andy was going away too. It was all too much to handle being so early in her pregnancy with the threat of Jeckles so fresh and so near.

“I promise, we won’t be gone long. Cade said that the trip to the Crimson Kingdom isn’t even a day away. He believes that because I’m part fairy that they’ll trust me.” Andy rubbed his arm thoughtfully. “We’ll send word when we land.”

“Please don’t let him forget...” she whispered, wiping the tears from her face. “Cia and I will be worried sick about all of you until word is received...” Malcom risked a glance at Andy over her shoulder and her face burned hot. She looked away before the tears fell. “I wish you had time to sing to me again...”

Andy’s heart drummed in his chest and he dared to enter her sanctuary yet again, carefully stepping across the thick, blue carpet of her bedroom. He gently laid down beside her and reached out a hand. “May I?...” she nodded briskly and he softly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her smaller frame back against his chest. With delicate, trembling hands, he began to rub her belly in soft, soothing circles and then kissed the top of her head. “I can for a minute,” he whispered to her. “I’ll sing you one of my mom’s favorite songs... Is that alright?”

Malcom nodded again, choking back her sobs as she closed her eyes- ready to be enchanted by his velveteen magic. Andy licked his lips and stared at a fixed point on the wall; escaping again into the place in his mind that allowed for the courage it takes to sing.

“When I find myself in times of trouble... Mother Mary comes to me. Speaking words of wisdom... Let it be...” his voice came in smooth ribbons of musical silk and Malcom felt the warmth of his cool energy began to pulse into her back and seep into her soul. “And in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me... Speaking words of wisdom. Let it be.” Andy ran a gentle hand along Malcom’s flank, watching curiously as the pinkish fog spread around them like mist. “Let it be. Let it be. Let it be... Oh, let it be... Whisper words of wisdom...” he dropped his mouth down to her ear and kissed the flesh of her temple softly. “Let it be...” Much to his amazement, he found that Malcom was softly asleep against him, her chest rising and falling with each breath she took.

“Your voice is incredible.” The sound from the doorway made him jump and Andy, swiftly but gently, eased off the bed and lay Malcom down into her plushy comforts. He quickly turned to face the person who addressed him. Cleo stood quietly, her gentle, tired eyes watching him with tears brimming the lids. She wiped them away before they fell and cleared her throat. “Are you ready then?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be...” he murmured, softly tiptoeing out of Malcom’s room. Cleo stared at her sleeping daughter with a heartbroken expression and nodded, closing the door to softly seal her peace inside. As the two stepped outside the house, Cade motioned for them to be cautious as his wife closed the door behind them.

There was a small audience gathered on the front lawn, as Jax and Lorem paced in anxious circles while Cade and Kylee were still, focused on the task in front of them. They were standing just beyond the bridge in the front yard, their hands lifted upward toward the sky, palms splayed wide open. Their lips were moving in calculated motions, their eyes focused on a fixed position Andy couldn’t see. Just as he was about to ask what was happening, spirals of familiar white fog burst from their hands and twisted through the air. Cadyn flinched visibly when the webbing of magic contacted the roof and began to spread across the surface of their home in waves of silver mist.

“By fire, by air, by water, by earth... Give me the strength, I plead... Give my feeble flesh the power, less my soul shall bleed...” Cade spoke just loudly enough for Andy to hear him. He was now becoming noticeably distressed as the spell continued its journey and threatened to swallow the house in a flood of safe radiance. The color drained from his face, sweat ran from his forehead and rolled down his chin, his entire body began to shake, and he clenched his teeth in aggravation.

“Cadyn, I don’t think you can continue...”

“I have to!” he snapped, cutting Kylee off. “This is the only way I can keep them safe...”

Lorem stepped up behind his master, keeping his eyes locked on the house. He nodded and reared back on his hind legs. He closed his eyes and when they opened again, the dark green irises were blazing neon. He opened his mighty jaws and from his mouth came leaping flames of nearly violet color that mixed with the already existing sheet of magic. The new wave washed over the manor in a rolling tide. The entire structure rippled in a shimmer of iridescent metallic magic then it faded away like Andy had seen it do so many times before. Cade collapsed to his knees, trembling in the grass. Suddenly, he looked much older than he had ever appeared- with gray peppering his hair and dark, deep circles under his eyes. He shivered despite the warm breeze blowing and his beloved dragon nuzzled him affectionately.

“Can you make it, my lord?”

“I’ll be fine,” he said in a tired, gravelly voice. Cade looked at Andy and chuckled at the concerned expression on his face. “Magic... Can take a lot out of a person...”

“Malcom explained it all to me last night,” Andy said in a voice that seemed small and stupid. “Was that a strong spell? Why did it take so much out of you?”

“Cadyn placed a protection spell on the house years ago- before Malcom was even born. He’s renewed it annually and no one has ever, ever breached it before. A Mythic holding dark magic can’t find the house, the spell confuses them. Any creature that is controlled by black magic can’t get past the woods. That’s why we were so shocked when Jeckles just so politely strolled up to our front door yesterday. It really isn’t possible...”

“He’s just s-stronger now because he stole Malcom’s magic. And her magic was pure, unfiltered...” Cade cut his wife off before his face twisted. He looked ill and he doubled over as if he would be sick. “It’s the only thing I can figure as to why it was so hard to place again. Kylee helped me renew it and it should be strong enough now to keep Malcom and Cia safe. It just took a lot out of me this time because I’ve been giving Cleo Energy Exchanges a lot to ease her. I’ll be back to one hundred percent again soon.” He petted Lorem’s head fondly. “Thank you for helping.”

“We are together.” Lorem helped his master to his feet and then shook himself to gain back his composure. “Shall we get ready to depart, then?”

“Yes.” Cade nodded slowly. “Malcom, how is she?”

“She was very upset. Andy lulled her to sleep with his... Uhm... Magic. His voice is...”

“Extraordinary. I know.” Cade ran a hand through his hair, the strands that had been dyed gray slowly gaining back their deep, charcoal coloration. “Very well. Let’s get ready then.”

He motioned toward Drailen, the unicorn fit with a saddle and bags for the journey ahead. The handsome stallion bucked his head in excitement, eager to prove his worth to the Peacekeeper Lord. He was to be Cleo’s sole companion on the trek to the Violet Kingdom and he knew how much it meant for him to be at his very best.

“How is the girl?” the unicorn asked, finding it slightly painful that he was referring to Malcom and not Katherine.

“She’ll be alright. I promised her we’d all send word when we get to where we’re going...” Andy trailed when he saw that Kylee was gearing up Jax, who was now morphed into a giant, awe-striking black lion. Andy felt the shock sink in when he realized he was even bigger than Cade had been, the tips of ears rising above Andy’s head. Kylee had to get a bit of a start before she could even climb up on the saddle that was straddled across his back. She ran her hand across the top of his head, her fingers sliding through his short, cropped mane.

“I hope the Silvers will be in a listening mood,” Kylee murmured, fastening her bags on Jax’s flanks. Cade seemed like he might protest but her icy gaze silenced him. “If we can get King Silus on our side... We’ll have one hell of a leverage. He’s been dying to have a reason to break off his alliance with Jeckles for decades. It’s as good a shot as any.”

“The Silver Fairies and Jeckles are allies?!” Andy nearly looked ill as he looked into Kylee’s eyes with wild panic spreading across his face.

“Not quite. There is an ancient pact between the snowy kingdom of the northern Silver Fairies and the dark hearts of the Ordinance in the arctic,” Lorem spoke to Andy as Cleo silently, almost numbly, began to tack down his back with the last of her husband’s supplies. “Every year, a male and female are selected for tribute and offered up to the pack for continuance of peace. No Silver Fairy will ever be injured from Jeckles or his men as long as the truce continues. Silus is the King of the Silver Kingdom and he hates the pact that was put into place before his reign began; something created by his ancestors before him to protect their kind. However, fairy kingdoms are ruled by the vote of the people and it was elected- and is elected- each year to continue the tradition to spare what would be a massacre of the Silver race.”

“What happens to them?” Andy asked, his face pale. “The chosen Silver Fairies?”

“No one knows,” Jax answered, shaking his massive head. “Some say the women are kept as part of Jeckles’ harem. Others say they are killed for their hearts. Some rumors say the best men are kept to breed with offspring of the Shadow Lord. There are so many speculations as to what happens to those poor Silver Fairies.”

All of them shuddered and then Kylee shook herself, rubbing her arms which were now prickled with gooseflesh. “Well, there’s no sense in sitting here scaring ourselves to death! Cleopatra, my love, good luck with Queen Tanic! And Cadyn and Andy?... Good luck with the Crimson Kingdom!” Kylee blew them all fiery kisses as Jax took off with a mighty roar that seemed to shake the ground. The earth quaked under his paws and he raced across the bridge, thunder blazing underfoot as he disappeared into the trees- lighting the way for the others to follow.

Cleo and Cade held each-other tight for a few moments. She ran her fingers through his thick, black coils and cupped the back of his neck. Cade held her waist and drew her in close, pressing his lips to her own. White light pulsed between them and they broke the embrace, sliding into a hug that was silent and raw. Words weren’t needed. They had felt all they needed to say. “If you stop, please send me a message so I know you’re alright,” Cade said to her in a low voice, his fingertips gently outlining her soft, elfish features. He addressed Drailen as his wife pulled from his arms and mounted the beautiful steed. “Cleo has never left the manor and the Violet Kingdom is well beyond her zone of comfort. Run swiftly and be surefooted. Come back with my wife or don’t come back at all.”

“Yes, sir. And you, Master, be safe the same!” Drailen tossed his head back in a whinny and took off, his silver hooves flying as he tore across the ground after Jax.

At last, Andy and Cade stood alone with a solemn Lorem, his green eyes dark with the importance of their journey. Cia stood in the doorway to the living room, nervously stroking her necklace with shaky fingers. She exited the house and crossed the lawn, greeting the two men with worry in her eyes. She embraced Cade first, hugging him tightly as tears formed along her lashline. She released him with a kiss to his cheek.

“You’ll take care of my girl, won’t you?” he asked her as he brushed her tears away and Cia gave him her usual, genuine smile.

“You know I will.”

The troll halfblood turned her attention to Andy and she smiled sheepishly at him before wrapping her arms around his neck. As she pulled back, something sparked in her eyes and she began to dig through the pockets of her shorts.

“I found this on the living room floor... I think you should take it with you.” Cia pulled out Andy’s little silver pocketknife and handed it to him.

“Oh! I definitely don’t want to lose this...” Andy slid the weapon into his back pocket and smiled softly at his friend. “Thank you, Cia.”

“Don’t mention it... Now, stay alive. Both of you. Come home safe,” she told them as pesky tears threatened to fall again. Cia stepped backward until she was inside the threshold of the house once more. She wiped the tears away from her eyes as Cade climbed atop Lorem’s back and helped Andy up behind him. The dragon stretched his great wings and leaped into the sky.

“Please be careful!” The troll called as the men waved at her and Lorem took off into the orange, dawn-kissed clouds. “Please...” she whispered, nervously touching her necklace again.

Cia stood in the doorway until she could no longer see the mighty dragon’s white wings, feeling uneasy as he disappeared from her sight. With a nod to Surrex who was laying dutifully under Malcom’s window, the young halfblood looked around cautiously before closing the door and locking it behind her.

20

[The Power of Lifeblood]

Somewhere up north farther than any Light Life being would dare to go, there was an unsettling calm across the white abyss. Hush spread over the land like a sickness, the only sound as the wind howled like disembodied screams. Abruptly in the arctic vastness, there was a fearsome structure that towered like some sort of dark mountain, protruding menacingly as an obsidian spire against the sheets of snow and ice. It was monstrous and glimmering- a wicked fortress made of glass and shadow. Inside its heavy walls, nestled safe and warm in his throne made of bone, sat the king of darkness himself.

The courtroom of Jeckles Dylite was eerie and threatening- with stained glass windows that looked like they were painted with dark, murky water. The high ceilings were decorated with terrible images: dark depictions of bleeding and wailing creatures in some twisted version of the Sistine Chapel worlds away. And in the center of it all, there was a chair fit for a man as wicked as this. The throne was carefully crafted from actual skull and bone- all petrified memories of poor Mythical beings who had been unfortunate enough to cross the Shadow Lord’s path.

He sat there upon his ivory throne with his head tilted back and his eyes closed. His long, needle-like fingers gripped the arms of the chair, yellow fingernails digging into the porcelain surface. He let out an animal-like groan and lolled his canine tongue out of his mouth, the flesh of it looking unnatural and red from his parted, pale human lips. Between his knees, knelt a slender fairy with floor-length black hair, dutifully pleasing her master with her mouth. He chuckled when she choked, and he placed a palm on the back of her head to hold her steady.

“Oh, come now. Do try to act like you enjoy it. Or we can do this the hard way...”

Her efforts doubled and he groaned in pleasure, a sick smile crossing his ashen lips. “Ah. Much better. Good girl...” his eyes opened and he growled when a knock sounded on the courtroom door. “I’m busy. What is it?”

“It’s about the McKnights, m’lord.”

Jeckles licked his lips with his long, slick tongue and nodded, pushing the fairy’s head back down when she tried to stop her work. “Come in then.”

The massive doors swung open and two creatures slowly entered. One was a werewolf in his extended form, his fur a chocolatey brown. Beside him was a short, ugly troll that seemed incredibly uncomfortable with being in his master’s presence while he was being... serviced.

“My lord.” The werewolf dropped to one knee and crossed his arms over his chest. The troll followed more slowly but repeated the motion.

“M’lord.”

“So what then of the McKnight family?” Jeckles asked in a rough, sandpapery voice as he clutched the fairy’s hair in one palm.

“Yvette reported that the lord and lady of the manor left just this dawn,” it was the werewolf who spoke to him. “She says Cadyn placed a new protection spell over the property. She can no longer find it.”

“Ah, but I can,” the Shadow Lord purred, closing his eyes yet again. “I found the manor before. I shall find it again. His magic has no hold over mine. Not now that my child grows inside Malcom’s belly.” He snapped his fingers. “Bhard, go fetch me a bowl of water. I shall show you... Ah!” he jumped slightly and yanked the fairy’s hair, causing a tremble of fear to cross her entire body. “Not so fast. I’m not finished yet. Keep going. Slowly.”

Looking ill at ease, the troll scurried off to fulfil his master’s wishes as the werewolf got to his paws. “How do you know you can get past his magic, dear lord?”

“Because,” Jeckles breathed with another uncomfortable smile. “I cursed Malcom when I planted my seed inside her. That child is a vessel for my magic. As long as the baby is with her, my blood will run through her veins. She can’t escape me.” He touched his index finger to his temple. “I’m in her head, in her soul, in her blood. I can get through Cadyn’s defenses because my dark magic is inside her mind.”

“Your water, m’lord?” Bhard returned quickly and knelt by the throne, lifting a charcoal bowl with eerily still liquid inside. Jeckles placed his pinky in the water and his eyes blazed.

“Show me my child!” he snarled and without a second passing, the glass-like surface rippled and there, crystal clear, was the image of Cia and Malcom asleep in her bed with Panther nestled between them. “See, Bhard? Cade’s magic has no power over me- not now that I have his daughter tainted with all the lifeblood of Shadow Country.”

Jeckles winced but this time, it wasn’t in discomfort. An unsettling, gagging sound resonated through the room as the poor fairy on her knees finally reached the end of her service and she yanked her head backward, gasping for breath. “Ah. Very well. Broch.” He slid his acidic eyes over the werewolf. “Ready the hounds.”  He raised his gaze to the trembling, disgusted troll. “Bhard, take one of the serpents and prepare. I have a very important mission for you.” An eerie smile graced his pale lips. “If the Lord of the Peacekeepers wants to play- very well. Tag- he’s it!”

***

“ON EARTH, WHERE WE are going would be the state in America called Texas,” Cadyn explained to Andy, stifling a yawn as Lorem soared through the sky. “Where Cleo is going would be Tennessee, Jax and Kylee are headed to Washington- or close to it, anyway. Where we live, Ausbury- is roughly Kentucky.” Andy nodded, taking in this information as he watched the world fly by in a blur underneath them in streaks of green through the clouds.

“What is the Crimson Kingdom like?” Andy asked suddenly, finally daring to bring voice to what he’d been wondering since they’d left the manor. “Are they good or bad? What are fairy kingdoms like? Why do they have kingdoms? Does any other species of Mythics have kingdoms? Are the...”

“Woah, easy now! One at a time,” Cadyn chuckled, a bit of warm affection creeping into his voice. He thought back through Andy’s flood of wonderings and began from the beginning. “No race of fairy, well, no race of Mythic, is completely bad or completely good,” he told him. “Just like people. None of us are born evil. As for your ancestors... Well, Crimson Fairies are very independent by nature. That’s why they’re so far south. They like to be away from others. They are known to be headstrong, stubborn...” Cade’s head twisted as far as it could over his shoulder and he offered Andy a small, simple smile. “I guess that explains a lot about you then! It’s in your genetics to be a pain in my ass,” he chuckled lightly, and Andy couldn’t help but throw a smile right back at him.

“Fairy kingdoms are just like any dynasty you’ve ever read about in history books. At the head are the royal bloodlines, a king or queen and their children or siblings, then a royal court, then an army, then the subjects and so forth. Very basic hierarchy. And fairies have kingdoms because they are very social creatures. They don’t like to live alone- period. The kingdoms are devised out of the element that each fairy breed pulls power from. For Violets, it’s energy and light- think lightning, for Onyx it’s the nighttime and shadows, for Crimson it’s fire, Silver is snow and ice, Citrine is sand and stone, and the Emerald Fairies were masters of plant-life and nature.”

“What happened to the Emerald Fairies anyway? Cia didn’t explain why they went extinct.”

“The Emerald Fairies were the strongest of the fairyan breeds,” Cade explained with a sad look creeping across his face. “They were also the most defiant against the Ordinance and what it stood for. A lot of the best Peacekeepers belonged to their kind. The Dark Law Ordinance drove them out and destroyed them one by one. The last known Emerald was murdered nearly five hundred years ago. They’ve been considered extinct ever since.”

Andy shook his head, his heart aching at the thought of how much the Ordinance had destroyed. As the air grew thick and heavy between the three males, he cleared his throat and redirected attention back to some of his unanswered- less morbid- questions.

“Who rules over the Crimson Fairies? King or queen or what?”

“Queen,” it was Lorem who replied in a rather amused voice. “A very interesting bit of royalty to say the least. Queen Auburn is her name. Every royal fairy since the very first Queen Crimson has been named after some shade of red. Auburn is the first or second with her name, I believe? But she is a one to remember. She’s a firecracker and even the furthest Mythics in our world know of her from whisper. She was born the only child to her parents, yet another female in her line- like all the others who came before her. And with every generation, they’ve gotten more and more headstrong and powerful. Queen Auburn is no exception. Her temper and promiscuity are famous throughout all of Tentrion.”

“Queen Auburn is very kind,” Cadyn interrupted as not to worry Andy too much about the ruler of the Crimson Kingdom. “Very kind, very funny. Unfortunately, though, she is... Also spoiled. Like my dear friend has said, she is an only child. She is used to getting her way and is very peculiar about the order of things. All in all, she’s a very good ruler. Her public loves her. She is admired and adored... And feared. Remember, Andy, never forget who is over you or you will end up beneath them. Always show respect. Always. Especially before fairyan royalty, particularly before a Queen- even more particularly before any Queen of the Crimson Kingdom.”

As Andy was nodding, storing mental notes for later, Lorem banked downward and he began to descend from the clouds. Andy watched in silence as the blurry world below them came closer and closer into range. Green flashes formed into trees and then thinned into endless crests of sand. Suddenly, there was ground underneath them as the great dragon’s paws touched the dry, grassless earth without much of a sound. Lorem’s sides heaved as he struggled to catch his breath. Andy wasn’t sure how long they’d been flying, but it had to be several hours at least. He could tell the bull was tired as Lorem’s gate broke from the easy rhythm of flying to a slow, steady trot.

“I have to walk for just a little bit,” he called over his shoulder to his two riders as the massive beast began to pad across the vacant stretch of desert toward a forest of thick shrubbery beyond. “My wings are horribly tired. I got us past a lot of the desert though. We’ll be heading into the lusher parts now. Pretty soon, we should see signs of the kingdom,” the dragon told them, treading cautiously as the dust under-paw began to become damp and soil-like.

“Where are we heading?” Andy asked.

“To the coast. Crimson Fairies live more toward the ocean. They make their kingdom in the rolling red mountains. I’ve seen paintings and artworks of their great, blood-colored buildings built into the rock and stone. Some of the most beautiful architecture I’ve ever experienced from fairies comes from the hands of Crimsons,” Lorem told Andy and he nodded, taking in the scenery around him.

The barren desert had started to fall away, leading the way once more for lush grass, thick shrubbery, spindly trees, plenty of vegetation, and the mud? Lorem was ankle-deep in it and seemed to be loving every second of it. The further they traveled, the more beautiful the land became. It flourished, rich with blue pools of sparkling water and hanging rocks green with ivy. It was a kind of oasis desert beauty that Andy had never known. Nothing back on Earth was half as beautiful as everything he had seen so far in Exodus. Even the bad things.

“There! Our first sign...” Sure enough, along the ridges above them on the rocks, there were red jewels glistening like rubies against the gray stone. Lorem nodded and turned toward the marker, stepping over a hedge of spikey green shrubs. Suddenly, his paws met the air and the dragon tumbled forward, managing to catch his bearings just fast enough to spread his sore wings and take flight before they all went crashing into the unforgiving rocks below. He reached them out as far as they would go, so that he would glide across a beautiful cyan blue lake that fanned out before them. Lorem dipped down just enough to stick his muddied paws into the water, leaning to the left so his riders could put their fingertips against the surface.

“It’s so beautiful here!” Andy laughed, feeling the crisp water against his skin.

“Yes, it’s beautiful,” his mentor agreed with a nod. “And well-guarded. Deservedly so! In this part of the continent, the land can get so dry and be so merciless. The Crimsons must claim this entire land, almost all of Xetan, in order to maintain their posts and survive. They have fought very hard to earn it and must battle regularly to keep it. That was the reason for the diversion back there with the gems in the rock. It wasn’t a marker at all, Andy. It was a warning to anyone who means harm that they have come too far into the territory of the Crimson Fairies. It’s my guess that most who travel here don’t have wings to keep them from going over the edge of that ravine. Thank you, Lorem, once again for saving me.”

The dragon nodded dutifully as he was forced to flap his wings and lifted above the water’s surface. The lake began to narrow out into a small creek that ran down into a shaded canyon of glimmering red and copper stone. The great dragon folded his wings back to his side, came back to the earth, and began to walk again along the water source. The dragon followed a trail of flowers and ivy that crept along the canyon wall, the vines embedded with a series of small red rubies. As they went deeper into the ravine, the creek widened and seemed to extend on and on forever, and the gemstones on the rock facings grew larger and more incredible with every step.

As they rounded a bend in the path, a stone dislodged from somewhere above them a few paces away and went crashing into the stream. As water droplets sprayed upward from the impact, Lorem’s pupils narrowed suspiciously and he began to step with caution, peering around with uneasy eyes. Suddenly, a spear came whizzing through the air and penetrated the ground right where the bull was about to place his paw. The dragon reared back in surprise, alarmed to see an armored warrior lurking about twenty feet away, hovering above an outcrop of scarlet granite.

Her mosaic wings splayed like glass suncatchers in the harsh rays of light. They were brilliant, swirled with abstract flame designs and were a stunning cinnamon red. They were reminiscent of autumn leaves, seemingly fragile with sharp, maple-like jagged edges. The fairy herself was small with lithe muscles and a thin frame. Her legs were long for her stature and her arms were streamlined with toned muscles. She had pale, coral-hued skin that had a translucent layer of sparkles, almost as if she had rubbed her entire body head to toe in lotion that was fused with glitter. Her delicate hands were wrapped around the grip of a bow that raised defensively. She was dressed for battle, with thick black combat boots over form-fitting blood-red tights, and a plated black corset with crimson-colored accents in the lacing and across the chest. Her hard, fierce blue eyes were locked on Andy as she loaded an arrow against the nocking point of the bow, her fingers ready to release and fire.

“Who dares trespass across the Jewel Bay into the land of the Crimson Kingdom?!” Her voice was sharp and stern yet there was a soft quality to it that took Andy off guard. When none of them replied quickly enough, she moved swiftly and released her arrow. The razor-sharp tip flashed by Andy’s head and nicked his ear. As blood welled from the cut, the arrow turned in the air and shot back to the fairy’s hand. She loaded again before they even had time to blink. “Answer me or the next one won’t be a warning! I never miss.”

“Forgive us! We didn’t mean to offend you and we didn’t mean to trespass. We come in peace. I am Cadyn McKnight, Captain of the Peacekeeper Corps. I have only my apprentice and my dragon with me. No weapons at all.” As Cade addressed her, he lifted his hands high so she could see them. Wincing, Andy did the same despite the insane burning from his ear. As the two men offered their surrender, the fairy moved out of the shadows a bit, but she still held her weapon ready. Suspiciously, she fluttered closer.

“Cadyn McKnight? Is it truly?”

“Yes.”

Cautiously, as if she were afraid he’d tear her wings off, the pinkish fairy flew down from the rocks and landed before the mighty dragon. Up close, her face held that natural, magic beauty of all things in Exodus. She had a thin nose and high cheek bones. Dark magenta freckles decorated the bridge of her nose and her irises were a bright, shining sky blue. As she closed the space between them, a faint smell of cinnamon, vanilla, and sweet milk wafted on the breeze. Slowly, ever so slowly, she lowered her weapons, her eyes still untrusting until she properly saw Cade’s face.

“It truly is you... Cadyn McKnight. My lord, forgive me.” She dropped to one knee and crossed her arms over her chest, arrow and bow still in hand. Cade merely shook his head.

“No need for that, my dear. Please, forgive me. We are in fact trespassing here. I would have been just as wary as you are, and I must say... God have mercy on anyone who isn’t a friend of the Crimson Kingdom,” he said to her in a kind voice as he glanced back at Andy’s bleeding ear.

She looked up, following the Peacekeeper’s gaze. With a shake of her head, her cheeks filled with color, staining her face a darker shade of pink. She waved her hand in a circular motion and instantly, the abrasion on Andy’s lobe mended and the blood dried. “I appreciate the praise, my lord... Oh, but what a glorious day this is! We thought you would never come,” she told him as she regained her footing and slipped her beloved archery items into a bag that was slung across her back. She put her hands over her mouth and rose on her tiptoes, fluttering slightly as her wings beat in excitement. “At last you’ve come.”

“Did you ask for me?” Cadyn questioned, now both concerned and confused. The pretty fairy’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Why yes. Queen Auburn has been eager for your help. She was ready to send a patrol out to try to find you. Every Peacekeeper from here to the southern Ausbury border has gone missing or been found dead. We’ve tried to contact other regimens all across the coast, but none have answered. The last we heard from the Violet Kingdom, you were the only one they knew of who remained on this side of the country at all. Well, except for Amos.” She paused, realizing how fast she was talking.

“We found him injured by the bay. He’d fallen down the ravine. He was half-dead when we got to him, all torn to pieces and missing his tongue. Queen Auburn took him in and offered him shelter. He’s been in recovery since. He is from Ciana and is the last remaining Keeper of his county. All others have gone missing within the past two months or so,” the fairy rushed out the information to Cade and it took him a moment to process it all. The man’s eyes downcast as he wound deep in thought. Two months... My God, Malcom was right after all...

“I met with the Peacekeepers, one Captain from almost every county only a few months ago. You’re telling me that... They’re all gone?”

“From what Amos told us and from the silence we’ve received in response to our calls for help... It would appear so, my lord.”

Cade gulped down his rage as his eyes welled with tears. He thought of the hundreds of Peacekeepers that he was so close to. The mothers, the fathers, the sisters, and the sons. Are they really all gone?... He lifted his gaze back toward the Crimson fairy, who suddenly seemed far more distracted and subdued. She reached out and touched Lorem’s muzzle, her eyes wide, and the dragon accepted the affection gratefully.

“It has been many years since I’ve seen a dragon,” she whispered and she smiled at him, the gesture brightening up her small, sharp face.

“You said you sent me a message?” Cade pried again, desperate to find answers. His plea regained her attention, her blue eyes snapping to his face.

“Yes, my lord. Queen Auburn sent you a message via red bottle about a month ago- as I said sir. We exhausted every other option and Auburn didn’t trust her orb messages to not be intercepted. We know that sometimes bottle messages take a while to arrive, so we were trying to hold out hope that you would return our plea, but you never did... We just assumed you’d been killed as well. However, I told the Queen that if the Lord of the Peacekeepers had been slain, we would have surely heard by now.”

“As you would have,” Cade agreed, now suddenly troubled by something that had occurred only the day before. He reached into a bag on Lorem’s back and removed the red bottle he had received a fake message in. The fairy fluttered up until she was several feet off the ground.

“You did get it! Wonderful! Oh, I knew you’d come! You’ve come to help us at last.”

Andy and his mentor exchanged worried glances but said nothing. Cade gave Andy the smallest shake of his head and decided this was something to discuss with the Queen. The Peacekeeper Lord nodded more slowly and offered the fire wisp a small smile. “Tell me, my brave fairy, what is your name?”

“Annabella Glass,” she replied with a sweeping bow. “Most, however, just call me Anna.” She turned in the air and twirled a few feet forward. “Come along then. I know it isn’t late now but nighttime falls quickly here and you don’t want to be out when the sun goes down.” She began to fly quickly, leading the newcomers deeper into the canyon. Lorem followed briskly, galloping after her at a feverish pace. The three travelers carried on behind Anna for almost a mile until she paused before two parallel stone structures. Anna folded her wings and they dissolved as they folded against her back. Her combat boots made a soft noise against the muddy ground as she landed. She looked over her shoulder and nodded.

“Welcome to the Crimson Kingdom,” she said with a small smile before stepping between the two pillars of rocks and in an instant, she disappeared in a wave of shimmering orange air. Lorem snorted a roll of black smoke but cautiously approached. Slowly, he placed a paw where Anna had disappeared and he watched, amazed as it vanished before his very eyes. The dragon lashed his tail nervously then eased through the two stone columns at a painful pace. He closed his eyes, frightened to see what was on the other side.

“Lorem... Look...”

The dragon opened his eyes and his mouth gaped. Following the creek that still ran beside them, there was an oasis that seemed untouched by the scorching fury of the desert sun. The kingdom held lush green trees and grasses aplenty; orchards and forests reaching out as far as the eye could wander. Skyscrapers built into massive rockscapes reached up high, seemingly trying to grasp the tops of the mountains they were carved from. There were cabins made of scarlet brick and red cobblestone and wooden lodges with deep, mahogany planks. All over the land, there was the endless glistening of rubies, garnets, and precious red jewels.

Anna smiled at the awe-struck travelers and motioned them to follow her. “I’ll take you straight to the Queen. Follow closely now though. She doesn’t take too kindly to strangers these days and the people have grown wary,” she warned as she began to lead them through the winding streets of the glittering city.

“What has happened here to make Queen Auburn so untrusting?” Cade asked as Lorem padded alongside the magenta fairy. Anna’s eyes darkened and she missed a beat in her step.

“In the past year, but more recently so in the last few months, the Crimson Kingdom has been under attack. Almost all of our Royal Guard was wiped out by a Dark Law Ordinance attack. Trolls, pixies, werewolves, you name it- they were just pouring into the city, mowing down our people like lambs at a slaughter. We keep losing our brave men to succubae and our children to spell-winders. Our population is only a fraction of what it was a few years ago. I fear that if something isn’t done soon, we will need to find ways to mate outside of our breed just to keep the kingdom alive. Either that or... the Crimson Kingdom will fall to ruin. Just as the Emerald Fairies did,” she told them as she came to a sudden stop and Lorem all but ran into her as she halted before a grand, golden gate in the heart of the city.

The copper entryway reached high into the air, towering even above Lorem’s horns. The entire proximity of the front of the fence was covered in deep, blood-red roses and orange lilies. The vines crept every which way, lacing into the bars and wrapping around the poles and beams. A heavy lock in the shape of a flame burst rested chained at the center, protected by a tangle of leaves and ivy. Anna removed a key from her belt and, as she reached for the lock, the plants cleared out of the way. She pushed through, motioning for her charges to follow.

Leading them down a winding path through a brilliant, multicolored flower garden, she paused briefly to pick a pink flower and tuck it away in her pocket. All around them were enormous hedges and blooming trees. Toward the center of the garden, a beautiful willow swayed, its thin branches coated in breathtaking red and orange blossoms that looked like butterfly wings. The never-ending, curving cobblestone path led up to a castle which was set in the middle of a small lake, anchored to land by an arching stone stairway. Anna led them across then used her key again to open a set of stunning granite-and-cherry wood doors. She pushed them open wide and nodded her head, motioning for her companions to follow.

Inside the court of the Crimson Kingdom, there were high twenty-foot ceilings that held moving tapestries of burning suns and extraordinary horses galloping with flames sparking from their hooves. The entire castle was furnished with banisters, rails, couches, and chairs that were either shades of red, deep scarlet, or gold. The floors were marble- the stone swirled white and dark magenta. Massive, heavy drapes fell from rods above the windows, the burgundy tassels at the end sweeping against the floor. It was as if the castle’s very interior was made of living granite and it swept around them as Anna brought the party before three golden thrones. She came down to one knee, crossing her arms over her chest as she lowered her head.

Before them, laying sprawled across the center royal chair, there was a magnificent creature. Without a shred of clothing on, she watched the party with feline-like eyes. Her rump was in the seat, her legs dangling off the left arm, her back pressed to the right arm with her head leaning against the throne’s back. Her skin was a deep, rich gold shade the color of honey, but it had a red blaze to it as if she was sculpted of melted cinnamon. She had long, beautiful legs and refined, slender hands. Her fingers were decorated with rose gold and black jewelry, rings and bracelets reflecting off her gorgeous skin. She had a smooth, soft face with defined cheek bones and plump, blood-red lips. Her nose was sculpted and fine, her eyebrows sharp and a red color that was a shade darker than scarlet. She had long, jet black eyelashes that framed molten amber irises. She was twirling a lock of auburn red hair between two of her fingers, her obsidian feline-like nails spinning the strand over again and again.

Her ears were sharp in fine, royal lineage points and her lobes were pierced aplenty with rose gold and black earrings, studs, and cuffs. Covering her arms, legs, hands, and feet were dark crimson red tribal tattoos that swirled and twisted into beautiful patterns of abstract flame. The fairy’s ember eyes flashed and she stood swiftly, bare feet meeting cold stone. From her back, she spread the most marvelous pair of eagle wings. The down closer to her body was a velvet black that faded into a deep, blood red as the feathers spread out. The beautiful creature approached her guests on silent feet, watching them with the eyes of a seasoned predator.

“What have you brought me, Captain?” the voice spilled from her mouth like honey, and she motioned for Anna to rise. As the fairy came to her feet, she pulled the rose she’d plucked from the garden and extended it to the Queen. The royalty purred and took it, pressing her lips to Anna’s own for a heartbeat. Despite the sultry of her majesty, Anna’s blue eyes showed no heat or emotion as the embrace ended and the molten fairy looked at her with expectant eyes.

“Cadyn McKnight has received our message, my Queen. He has come to help us fight the Dark Law Ordinance that has plagued our kingdom. The other Mythic is his apprentice and the dragon, of course, is the famous Dolorem,” Anna replied with a slight indifference to her tone. The Queen winked at her and reached out, claiming her chin between her finger and her thumb.

“My sweet Annie. You never disappoint me,” she said with a tease in her voice. Anna just cleared her throat, and the Queen rolled her eyes, releasing her face with a huff. “You may go.” She dismissed the captain with a wave of her hand. “Go home for the day.”

“Yes, Queen Auburn,” Anna said loyally, turning on her heels and exiting the court without so much as a second glance. Queen Auburn watched her go with hungry eyes, biting the tip of one of her nails. She whipped around on her heels and tilted her head, the strands of cinnamon hair falling around her shoulders and brushing against her bare chest as she did so. Cade’s eye shot down to his feet, but Andy found himself getting lost in her amber depths. She extended a hand to him, but he was frozen to the spot.

“Are you both going to stay up there all day? That’s no way to address royalty.”

As if suddenly released from a spell, both Andy and Cadyn slid off Lorem’s back. They came down to one knee in unison, arms crossed over their chests. The fairy royalty just huffed in amusement and flicked her finger. “You may rise.” As they did, she extended a hand first to Cadyn- who shook it shakily- and then Andy who felt his mouth grow dry when she touched him. “Queen Auburn,” she introduced formally. “And you are?”

“Andrew Coleman,” Lorem answered for his flustered friend when Andy found the words wouldn’t come. Queen Auburn nodded, raking her eyes up and down his body briefly. She took one of her long, black fingernails between her cat-like teeth, eyes locking onto his own.

“Andrew.” She rolled the name around on her tongue and Andy’s knees trembled.

“My f-friends call me Andy.”

“Well, then, nice to meet you, Andy. Have a kiss on account.” She leaned in and pecked his cheek, leaving behind a red print of lipstick and the stinging smell of cinnamon and vanilla as it burned warm against his skin before melting away. “And you as well.” Next Cadyn received a kiss and then Lorem on the neck. She turned on her heels and twisted in the air, fluttering lightly as she did so. “So, my Commander tells me that you have come to help me. Is this so?”

“Well, not quite,” Cadyn answered, finally daring to look up at her, his eyes fixed on her face. “I had initially come to ask a favor of you. But now I have something I need to clarify. If I may...” Cade retrieved the scarlet bottle and extended it to the ruler of the Crimson Fairies. Tenderly, with wide eyes, she took it from his hands. She breathed across the glass surface and a sigil of a fiery gemstone blazed across the middle.

“This was the bottle I sent to you months ago... I dared not send a verbal orb in case a Dark Law Ordinance member intercepted it. Our symbol would only appear if first it was placed in your hands, Cadyn... It took me months to conjure enough magic to perfect a spell that would protect the note that was inside this bottle...” she shook her head, her eyebrows furrowing. “What happened?”

“I found it in one of the water sources on my land- only yesterday. It was this bottle- plain- your sigil unrevealed. The letter inside was a falsely written document from a friend of mine who lives near my home in Ausbury. I saw the red glass and assumed she was in trouble. When we went to see her, she was fine and confirmed that she had sent me no letter. It was a diversion. Somehow... Somehow or another, Jeckles managed to break through the defenses I had in place around my manor. He marched his ugly hounds right up to my doorstep and threatened the entire realm as we know it. It was then that we decided, as a family, to reach out. Jeckles Dylite himself told me that he will wage war across this entire country... And destroy everything in his path... To get to the child he created by force with my only daughter.”

Queen Auburn crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow suspiciously, the playful expression melting from her face to be replaced by a mask set from stone. She licked her lips. “Your kiss held more than that. What is it you fear now? I can feel it... What did the Shadow Lord say to you? Don’t try to hide it from me- I’ll know.”

Recoiling a bit from surprise, Cadyn held his breath. “The warning he left us with was clear. He said... ‘I will burn this entire realm to the ground to make a nursery of ash for my child. Anyone who is allied with you will fall. Thousands will die and the land will run red with blood.’ I... I know this isn’t any of your concern... But...”

“It’s of everyone’s concern!” the Queen snapped. “This is a catalyst. He’s been waiting for this moment... for God knows how long.” Queen Auburn shook her head, her feline-like eyes betraying levels of grief and dismay. “He’s taken so much. He’ll only take more if we stand divided and don’t fight back. That alone concerns far more than just the parties involved.”

“Well...” Cade inhaled sharply, realizing he’d not been breathing. “Queen Auburn, I didn’t know of your cry for help to me until Captain Annabella addressed it at the gates to the kingdom. I came here to ask for your alliance...”

“Done. Of course we will fight for you.” She cut him off before Cade even had time to finish asking the question. “And in return I ask only that you and your allegiances help me defeat the regimen of Dark Law members who have destroyed my kingdom. Send me guards, send me dragons, dogs, something. Just anything to keep my people safe. Our numbers have dropped from ten thousand to only a few hundred in a matter of years. So many homes in our city lay wasted, in ruin, vacant...” Queen Auburn dropped her gaze, her voice shaking.

“Of the thousand of us who remain, almost eight hundred are female. We’re running out of fresh blood, Cadyn. We’re running out of time.” She began to pace, her face clouded with thought. “We used to be able to work with the nymphs, just as our ancestors did, to create new lives with new genetics. But with every group of scouts I’ve sent out to find a nearby Sisterhood, the more and more of my people I have lost. My Elite Guard has shrunk from fifty to ten in less than three months. I even had to put up a magic barrier to hide the entrance to our kingdom and keep us safe.” Her wings spread with emotion and she shook her head with rage. “Crimson Fairies are proud! We do not hide in the shadows. We dance in the sun.” Angry tears glazed Queen Auburn’s eyes as she turned again to face her guests. “If you help me save my kingdom, Cadyn McKnight- I will help you save your daughter. This I swear.”

The Peacekeeper Lord nodded. “You have a deal, Queen Auburn.”

Cadyn extended a hand to her and she shook it firmly. Queen Auburn smiled at him and a gleam of mischief reappeared through her watering amber depths. Cade’s face burned bright red as she closed the space between them.

“Excellent. Let’s seal it with a kiss.”

21

[House of Glass]

Queen Auburn, dressed now in a form-fitting black dress, led the trio through the winding, scarlet-paved streets of the Crimson Kingdom. She moved with a cat-like accuracy, balanced on the tips of her toes. The royalty guided them in silence until she came to a cottage that was set away from the main city.

On top of the crest of a hill, a proud tree had once stood but had long since been shattered and was now being used for another purpose. Built into the massive trunk- there was a simple house. Smoke rolled from a chimney that was masked as a splintered branch that stuck high into the air. There was only one door, one wall, and one window visible to make it recognizable as any kind of living structure. But it wasn’t the architecture of the house that had the visitor’s attention- it was what was outside that had them all staring in awe.

All around the property, there were glass figurines. Some were hanging from branches, nestled in patches of moss, or laying unfinished on top of tree stumps and log benches. Some were extravagant, several feet tall with painstaking detail. Others were small, able to fit in the palm of your hand and were as simple as letters and shapes. There was glass and marble of every color imaginable; reds, blues, yellows, a shade or two of silver and gold. Shiny, dull, pastels, neon, vibrant, and subtle.

With their eyes wide and breath stolen, the trio advanced cautiously. Lorem stood, bewildered, as he carefully tiptoed through the garden of fragile things. Something extraordinarily shiny caught his eye and he tilted his head at a five-foot statue of a dark emerald dragon with black claws and spread, delicate wings made of crystal so thin the sun was shining through. The artist had left nothing out, from the smallest scales, to the blaze of orange fire from its maw. Andy and Cade joined him in admiration, the Peacekeeper Lord tenderly touching the craftsmanship across the beast’s chest while Andy took in the twisting colors.

Queen Auburn smiled at their transfixion, a purr of pride swelling from her chest as she came to a stop in front of the single, long window of the house. The Crimson Queen turned to the left and raised her hand to knock on a door that was all but hidden by a wall of cobblestone. Hinges squeaked as the door swung open and a familiar figure stepped into the light. It was Anna. Stripped of her armor, she now wore only loose black pants and a gray spaghetti strap tank top. Her strawberry-colored hair was down, and the strands fell to her shoulders in a perfect, precise cut. With her skin revealed, it was easy to see almost identical tribal markings on her right arm that matched the tattoos that littered the Queen’s body.

“Auburn,” she greeted, again with her indifferent tone of voice though she kept her eyes on the cinnamon fairy’s face. “What an honor to see you dressed so decently at this hour.” Queen Auburn only laughed and touched her bare shoulders with her long, feline nails.

“I have brought you our visitors. Do you have room to keep them for the night until I make accommodations in the castle?”

Something flashed in the soldier’s eyes, but she only nodded dutifully. “Well, of course we do. But, my lady, is there not a room vacant at all in your court?”

“Not yet, I must make space,” Queen Auburn replied with a silky purr as she winked then turned on her feet. She began to pad back toward the city as the buildings lit with blazes of crimson, orange, and caramel in the rays of dying sun. “Goodnight, Annabella! I’ll see you and our gentlemen at dawn,” she called over her shoulder before melting into the bright flood of warm colors as they washed over the kingdom.

Anna stood, thoughtfully watching her go before she turned her gaze to the travelers. She rubbed her arm and motioned toward the hidden door. “I have more than enough room for you two but I’m afraid your dragon will have to sleep outside.” Her voice held more warmth that it had before, and Cade managed a small smile. Lorem thanked her and picked his way across the yard, beginning to press down grass to make himself a nest. He was careful not to step on any of the glass figurines as he watched his companions disappear into the tree house. Cade and Andy bade him goodnight and followed Captain Annabella inside her home.

Anna had been right. Her home was deceivingly spacious. It sported a full kitchen with delightful light fixtures, a dining room with a beautiful table that looked large enough to fit for at least eight, a living room with a matching set of furniture, and all kinds of crystal and glass décor. Everything was precise and incredibly well kept: dishtowels were folded, plates and sets of silverware were laid out on the table, there were skillets and pans hung on nails above the stove. Everything had its place in the home of the Captain of the Crimson Kingdom.

Andy and Cade stood in her living room, taking in their surroundings as Anna smiled genuinely for the first time in their presence. Without a word, she fluttered past the two to the couch and sat cross-legged on one of the dark brown cushions as she smoothed out a wrinkle on her tank top. She motioned for them to sit down and they both slowly found their way to adjacent, matching brown chairs that were at either side of two gray marble end-tables. As Andy nestled into the comforting seat, he found his eyes falling back to the unusual markings on Anna’s arm and chest. This time- she caught him staring.

“It’s the mark of royalty. A branding of sort for the Elite,” she told him, smiling in a soft, kind way that was a completely different expression than any she had yet to show. Anna snapped her fingers and a cup of hot chocolate appeared in her hands and two more fabricated into the unexpecting palms of her guests. She chuckled slightly at their astonishment then sipped on the creamy drink thoughtfully until finally deciding to speak again. “Every Royal Fairy family has a series of birthmarks on their skin. It’s a marking that’s inherited from the origin fairy all the way down the line. As a display of loyalty to our Queens and Kings, the Elite are sworn in by magic and stained with the prints of the royal family. Some are smaller, some are large... As you can see, the mark covers most of my torso.” Anna motioned toward the swirls on her arm. “I wear it with great pride. I’ve seen you staring at it. Do you know nothing of fairy culture? Andy- was it?”

“Yes, Andy. Thank you.” He took a sip of the delicious drink, surprised by the comfort it brought him. “Uhm, no... I... I don’t really...”

“Andrew is my apprentice,” Cade interjected quickly, gulping down some of the cocoa. “He’s part human and was raised by mortals on Earth.”

“Part human,” Anna seemed surprised, pressing the ceramic rim to her rosy lips. “How interesting... I knew you were different the second I laid eyes on you... But part human...” she trailed, her gaze sliding from Andy to his mentor. “Very interesting indeed... Well, I hate to be so rude, but I simply must know. My lord, have you agreed to help us?” she asked Cade suddenly and he nodded slowly, licking the sticky chocolate off his mouth.

Anna beamed from ear to ear and settled deeper into the cushion on the couch, as if this answer brought her as much comfort as the warm drink. Her autumn-leaf wings fluttered for a moment then folded inward and disappeared in a shimmer of pink smoke. “Oh, I’m so glad! I knew the Queen would be pleased with your arrival. I just knew it. I...” Anna trailed and redirected her attention to a sound of movement somewhere else in the house. Her blue eyes lit with affection and a tender expression washed across her face that seemingly transformed her into a different person.

From a room across from the living area, a door opened slowly, and a silhouette formed. Out from the dim-lighting, stepped a handsome man who couldn’t have been any older than thirty-five physically, but something in his expression held an unsettling air of age. His hair was a chocolatey brown, peppered with streaks of gray along the sides of his skull. His skin was a soft brick color so pale it almost shaded him into human tones. His eyes were a deep, rich forest green and held both ghosts and laughter. The fairy was leaning heavily on a crutch and his gate favored his left leg as he came up to the couch.

He smiled kindly at the two men and limped toward them, putting almost his full weight on the cane as he tried not to trip over the bottoms of the blue pajama pants that were dragging the floor over his feet. He let out a soft sigh as he collapsed on the cushions, laying down to find the back of his head in Anna’s lap. She smiled at him lovingly and stroked his head, running her archery-tuned fingers through his thick, dark hair. It was then that Cade noticed something that took his breath away. Shirtless, his back partially tilted toward them, it was easy to see the lack of wings on his back. But unlike Cleo, there was no x-shaped scar to show removal, but rather there were risen stubbles where the appendages had once been, seemingly broken off or physically torn away. Cade looked away when the man noticed his gaze.

“This is my husband, Jaron. Jaron, this is Cadyn McKnight- the Peacekeeper Lord- and his apprentice, Andy.”

Something tired fell over the fairy’s face and he suddenly looked eons older, as if having aged decades in only seconds. He offered them another smile, and Cadyn returned it out of kindness but all his heart felt was pain for this poor Mythic and whatever it was he had been through in his life to make him look so worn so soon.

“So, you’ve finally come to help us,” he said after a long moment with a small sigh, his voice holding heavy relief. “Thank God you have. We’ve done all we can, we really have... It just hasn’t been enough...” Jaron’s eyes clouded and his wife cuffed her hand softly over his lips.

“Shh, stop that now.” Anna silenced him with a sweet kiss and a gentle caress of his jaw. The Captain’s embrace seemed to melt the sorrow out of her spouse and he visibly calmed under her care. After some time, the two seemed to remember that they had an audience and Anna’s face flushed dark red as she tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “Jaron used to be a member of the Elite as well- that’s how we met actually. But three years ago he was badly wounded in battle. His entire left leg was shattered, from his hip all the way down to the bones in his toes. His wings were torn and broken and ultimately- they had to be amputated to save his life.”

“I’m so sorry,” Cadyn said softly but Jaron shrugged his shoulders, his eyes glossy as if he was some place far away and out of Anna’s reach. “My wife had her wings clipped as an infant... I couldn’t imagine. Thank you- for serving your kingdom.”

“It was my honor, man,” Jaron said proudly, offering a thin smile, his green eyes clearing. “But now Annie is the most trusted of Auburn’s court. She ain’t never missed a shot, not once since becoming Captain. I’m telling ya... her for me is a more than fair trade.”

Once again, Anna’s cheeks flushed bright red and she gently punched his shoulder. “Jaron, you don’t need to brag on my archery skills every-time someone enters our house. Goodness. I’m so sorry.” She blinked at her guests apologetically. “Besides, the swap had to happen. One member from every family in the Crimson Kingdom must serve in the Elite. It was either me or my oldest son and there was no way I was letting Isaiah run that risk. He’s just a boy.”

“What?” Cadyn nearly choked on his hot chocolate. He stared at the couple with a shocked expression on his face. “Queen Auburn recruits children into her Guard?!” At his exasperation, Jaron sat up and crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze thoughtful.

“I guess it isn’t the same everywhere else, huh?...” he shook his head. “As numbers in the kingdom began to dwindle, it became mandatory that at least one member of every family had to train for the possibility of joining the Elite. As long as Annie stays in the Guard, our children won’t have to brace for war as soldiers in the line of fire. Our eldest son, Isaiah, just turned sixteen and is now old enough to enter. This December, my second oldest will be twelve and be old enough to begin training. One of us must always stand as Elite... or another Glass will instead. So says the decree from the Queen.”

“Is that why you dislike her so much?” Andy asked suddenly, finally finding his voice after listening to the exchanges happen around him. “The Queen, that is? I... had noticed you didn’t seem too warm toward her, Anna.”

Some of the tension in the room began to melt and Anna’s eyes lightened. She chuckled around a mouthful of chocolate and Jaron’s eyes flashed playfully. “No- on the contrary! I love the Queen deeply,” she replied after a moment. “In all honesty, Auburn is probably my best friend apart from Jaron. I understand why the kingdom is governed currently with the rules it is. She’s trying to save us. Nothing means more to her than the peace of her people. It isn’t anything about the Queen as royalty that bothers me. Auburn is... Very special, as you noticed.” The Crimson Guard Captain brushed her pink lips with her fingertips. “She is stubborn, proud, and knows how beautiful she is. She’s desirable, fiery, sexy, confident. Men and women alike don’t know how to handle themselves around her. It’s part of her magic, actually. She entrances you, snares you in her trap so she can play her games. Don’t feel bad if you get caught in the web. However, when she can’t make someone dance on her strings, it drives her insane.”

“And you’re one of the rare few who can resist her, I take it?” Cadyn asked with a small smirk. Anna nodded her head with a triumphant smile, but Jaron just cackled out loud.

“Sometimes I just wish she would give just a little, man! Queen Auburn has had it in for Annie since they first met, when she was chosen for the Crimson Elite. And she’s been the only woman- or man for that matter- who has ever turned her down more than once.” He chuckled and his green eyes gleamed with mischief. “Of all the company she keeps in her court, I believe if she ever got to take my Annie to bed, she’d never need anything from anyone ever again.” He rolled his eyes. “And maybe she’d put on some damn clothes.”

“So that’s why there wasn’t room for us tonight!” Cadyn snorted, beginning to thaw in the warmth that Anna and Jaron had spun around them. The Glass’ good nature was contagious!

“Of course! All of those spare rooms are filled with her... Companions, as she calls them. You’d be surprised how many there are, how much love is made there.” Jaron shook his head and slapped his hands together. When he pulled them away, a cup had formed between them with hot chocolate steaming from the top.

Jaron’s eyes lifted suddenly when a little coo came from the room he had exited from. A small girl stumbled into the light, rubbing her sleepy eyes. She had red, precious cherub cheeks and thick, cinnamon ringlet curls that sprang around her head in every direction like curled ribbon. Her skin was the softest shade of rose pink and glittered with sparkles. She had on dark blue booties and a matching night gown that went down past her knees. Anna unfolded from the couch effortlessly and walked over to the yawning child, scooping her up, and covering her precious face in sweet kisses. The little girl laughed, shaking a rattle that looked like it was made of bubble gum pink marble.

“Cadyn, Andy, this is my newest baby. She’s seven months old in mortal time but she’s pretty advanced for her age. Already walking, already talking. Magic is working fast in this one.” She kissed the toddler’s cheek. “Emily, wave to the nice men.”

“Hi nice men!” Emily said in a sleepy voice. She flicked her fingers and buried her face in her mother’s neck as she shook her rattle. She stuck the end in her mouth and began to suck on it before promptly throwing it in the floor. Andy thought for sure that it would have shattered, but instead it just bounced back up into her hand again. Jaron blew a raspberry at her and Emily laughed.

“Thank God I used enchanted glass for that thing or we’d have an entire floor full of shards! Get it together, smalls.” He waved a finger at his daughter and she blew a raspberry back.

“In speaking of... I have to know, what’s with all the glass anyway?” Andy asked as he took another sip then waved at Emily- who waved back with vigor. “They’re beautiful. I love the dragon outside.”

“Thanks, man. That monster took me weeks.” Jaron said with a chuckle as Anna came back over and handed him the bouncy toddler. “We’re glaziers. My family has been working with the stuff for as long as the Crimson Kingdom has existed and some ex-amount-of-hundred years before that. We use magic to carve crystal, glass, marble, stone... All of it. Windows, doors, figurines, statues, countertops... The works! I can’t do as much intensive work now that I’m all crippled and stuff, but my hands are still pretty damn steady. I’ve taught my boys how to work with their natural magic too. I mean, after all, come on now...” Jaron offered them a wide, beaming smile and bounced Emily on his knee. “It’s my family name, in the blood, man!”

Anna laughed with her company and nestled in beside her husband, cross-legged on the couch. She slid down the strap of her tank-top to be able to nurse her infant and took Emily back from her father. That explains the scent of milk and vanilla... Cadyn thought warmly, recalling how nursing mothers so often smelled of sweet things. Cleo had her time when she had carried the aroma of milk and sometimes, the faintest hint of caramel. He found that his heart ached with a pang of paternal longing as Anna brushed back curls from her daughter’s face while she nursed.

“I remember when my Malcom was that small. And now, she has a baby of her own on the way...” His eyes flicked for a moment as Jaron got to his feet. As he limped into the kitchen, the fairy gave the Peacekeeper Lord a friendly smack on the shoulder.

“Congrats, man! Ain’t nothing in this world like a baby. I should know! Well, I wouldn’t consider my two oldest boys babies anymore by their standards but they’re still my angels, y’know?” he chuckled, snapping his fingers. The cups that Andy and Cade were holding vanished, refilled, and placed back in their hands with a second round of steamy hot chocolate. Cade raised an eyebrow, his expression revealing that he was impressed. Most fairies weren’t so good with instant magic. Jaron met his eyes and offered him another contagious smile and began to conjure up some type of food in the kitchen.

“Is Malcom- is it?- your only child? I didn’t even know you and your wife had children,” Anna asked, playing with one of Emily’s crimson springs as the baby suckled against her breasts. “We heard rumors years ago but not much word comes in or out from the Crimson Kingdom these days.”

“Malcom is my only child, yes. Cleo and I always wanted two, but it wasn’t in the stars for us to have more than just the one daughter,” Cade replied with a hollow note to his voice, watching Jaron as he prepared meat and vegetables in a pan on the stove, his craftsmen hands slicing carrots in a blur of effortless grace. His eyes shifted to Anna and her nursing baby and he smiled softly at how tiny and innocent little Emily still was. He wished she would never have to know the indecencies of the world. He wanted that so badly for this family- for them to just live in peace and know love and not fear or war.

“I love the name Malcom for a girl,” Jaron was saying and it snapped back Cade’s attention from his thoughts and forced him into focus on what was happening currently. “Emily is our only girl. We have Isaiah- he’s the oldest, then Cameron, Ryland is seven, Wyatt is three, and then... There’s my precious little rosebud there.” Jaron’s forest green eyes glowed with love as he gawked at his precious daughter and he scrunched up his nose at her. “Four boys, one girl, five perfect children.”

“You have a wonderful family,” Andy told them as his heart panged with the feeling of not knowing what that must be like. He wondered how it would feel to be a father, to love someone so unconditionally that you’d give up your very life for them. And then... he wondered what it was like to be a child to someone who loved you unconditionally. What kind of love was that?

He looked down into the swirling brown depth of his hot chocolate. His thoughts travelled miles away, back to where Malcom was growing a baby of her own. Was there a future for her and him? Would he be an acting father to her unborn child? Would they fall in love? Would he get to have a family? Or was it still too soon to tell? Probably. Andy had never known family, and seeing it like this?... The love, the warmth, the compassion. It made his soul ache for something he didn’t know existed- something he didn’t know he’d ever long to find. When he lifted his head again, his ears burned with shame to find that Cadyn was watching him curiously. He shook his body to rid himself of his thoughts then turned back into the conversation, where Jaron was idling on without missing a beat.

“Thanks, man. They’re a blessing. My boys are great too. You’ll meet them in a bit! They were out with me pickin’ glass to shape all day so they’re nappin’ for now.” Jaron glanced in the direction of the window; the world now dark outside the frame he surely made with his own two hands. “Say, I think it’s time y’all unwind for a bit too, huh? We’re not the only ones who have had a long day today.” Jaron grabbed his cane and limped over to a doorway just to the left of the kitchen. He slid over a wooden door then gestured to Andy and Cadyn. “This is our guest room. There ain’t much to it- just a bed and a sofa but they’re both pretty comfy. You fellas go ahead and lay down, I’m sure you’ve traveled a long way. Take a nap and I’ll wake ya when dinner’s done.” He smiled at them, a glow of thanks in his green eyes. “Cadyn McKnight? I can’t thank you enough. We’ve waited for safety for so, so long. And at last... Maybe the Crimson Kingdom can be free to dance with sunlight again. Bless you. Bless you.”

***

BEFORE HE HAD FALLEN asleep, Cadyn gathered all the strength he could, and sent his sleeping self away from the Crimson Kingdom- home instead to McKnight Manor. An astral version of himself walked down the hall from his bedroom to check on Malcom. He placed a palm on her door and pushed it open. Inside, his precious baby girl slept soundly with Cia curled beside her and Panther guarding the foot of the bed. He nodded to himself reassuringly then turned, feeling comforted by her safety. He went to stroll back down the hall when something in the spare room caught his eye. Sitting on the edge of what was now Andy’s bed, petting Gizmo with tender fingers, was a handsome young man with black hair and green eyes.

Cade stared at him for a long moment- trapped in the silent twilight of dream magic. His heart raced as he drank in every detail about this familiar stranger. He noted immediately the square jaw that belonged to his father and the green eyes that had to come from Cleo’s family tree- whatever it actually was. The man suddenly noticed him and tilted his head in surprise. He offered Cade a faint smile then waved at him softly. With tears in his eyes, his father waved back at the son he had never met but had always known. He was just about to speak to him when a voice beckoned from somewhere else, and it drew him fast from the projection of his dreams.

“Cade? Cade...” Andy shook his mentor, who was laying eerily still and felt cold to the touch. The shapeshifter’s eyes flew open, and he gasped for breath, sitting straight up as a line of sweat broke across his brow. Color began to fill his face again as he turned to look at Andy, his chest heaving as he took in massive gulps of air.

“Sorry,” he apologized, seeing how startled and concerned his apprentice appeared. “I was... Dream-walking. I’ll tell you about it later... What’s up? Is something wrong?”

“Uh... No... Uhm... Jaron said it’s dinner time,” Andy replied in a meek voice. Cade nodded and rubbed the back of his neck, his senses flooding back to him in crashing waves of sound and color.

“Of course...”

The two of them gathered their bearings and headed out of the guest room with grainy eyes and stiff steps. The Crimson couple stood in the kitchen, laughing amongst one another as they filled glass bowls with a delicious concoction of veggies and grain that smelled of earthy herbs and seasonings. Anna noticed them first and they waved at her when she greeted them with a crinkle-nosed smile.

“Well there you are!” she beamed as she pushed a freshly dampened lock of strawberry hair back out of her face. “We were going to let you sleep a little longer but the boys were just so excited to meet the Lord of the Peacekeeper Corps. I didn’t want to let supper get cold while they waited so patiently. I hope you don’t mind the awakening.”

“Oh, not at all! We appreciate the meal. We haven’t eaten anything since we left the manor. And I really am flattered your children are so eager to meet me...” Cade’s cheeks flushed and he yawned, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes. Anna extended a bowl to him and he took it gratefully, his mouth watering as the aroma wafted up to his nose. Cade looked from side to side, noticing the marble dining table was vacant; void of the laughter and shenanigans one would expect from a house filled with five children. “Where are the little fairies?”

“Oh, we eat outside in the garden most nights,” Jaron told him with a smile. “C’mon. You’ll see what I mean.” He winked at them and headed toward the doorway. He held his bowl carefully with one hand and his cane in the other. Anna tried to take the plate from him, but he shooed her away with a playful smile. Andy chuckled at their interaction and collected his bowl gratefully from the counter with a mouthed ‘thank you’ to Anna. She nodded to him then rolled her eyes as Jaron limped out the door and she followed steadily behind, motioning for the two visitors to follow. With a brief, wonderous glance at each-other, Cade and Andy trailed after their hosts, making sure to close the door behind them.

All throughout the garden of Glass, there were orbs of floating, pulsating light that turned the crystal works of Jaron into illuminated pieces of fragile, glittering art. With their mouths askew, Andy and Cade watched as the mister and misses headed along a path paved with cobblestone and granite. Sitting patiently at an opal table only a few yards from the front door, their five children waited with steamy saucers full of food. The mentor and apprentice were nearly to the table when something remarkable happened.

To Andy’s right, a life-sized emerald unicorn tipped its head and poked him in the shoulder with its horn. When Andy jumped back and nearly dropped his bowl, the fragile beast brayed in laughter. Jaron couldn’t stifle his booming cackle as he settled down between two older boys that could have been twins and were undeniably his own. “Oh, don’t you pay them any mind. The big pieces like that tend to take a lil’ of us with them as they’re being made- just fragments of power here and there. It’s just enough to give em a bit of spirit when the moonlight hits em just right. That’s Green Beauty right there and she is one hell of a troublemaker- always trotting off on full moon nights or breaking the other, smaller sculptures. Just don’t pay her any mind and you’ll be alright. Our pieces love the attention.”

“So they... Move? I’ve never heard of any glaziers ever being able to create structures that had some hold of spirit.” Cade was trying to ask more questions but had to double back to nudge his shocked apprentice along. After collecting himself again, Andy thanked him and the two settled down in vacant chairs beside Anna and Emily.

“It’s a talent my family has possessed for decades, centuries maybe. The Glass Fae go back all the way to ancient times- before the Creator had to split the realms. The glass, stone, and rock elements of nature are infused in our blood. It’s where the magic comes from.” Jaron’s eyes sparkled proudly. “Before the Crimson Kingdom closed its border, Mythics would come from all around to see our Garden of Glass. We’ve had visitors from Exodus and Earth- Marked Ones or traders. Caaro, King of the Citrine Kingdom, has six of my marble elephants in his court. I blessed them with Glass magic before shipping them off to him and they’re actually part of his army- completely still unless he asks otherwise. It’s pretty impressive- if I do say so m’self,” Jaron snapped his fingers and the pre-set cups beside each plate filled with a soft gold liquid that smelled of sweet, crisp pear. “After dinner I gotta show you the crystal tiger Annie and Isaiah made. That thing is incredible. Ten times better than anything I’ve ever done.”

“Oh, Jaron. Don’t flatter me so much. Isaiah did all the heavy work.” Anna blushed furiously and tucked back a strand of hair. “Now, settle yourself so we can pray. Emily is starving.” Anna winked at her husband then clasped her fingers together and bowed her head.

“Father, Creator, Son, and Soul...” much to Andy’s surprise, it was the oldest boy- Isaiah- who was praying. “Bless this house, this home, this family, and this blood. Thank you for bringing Cadyn McKnight to us and thank you for bringing my mom home safe from work today. We are thankful for what we’re given. Amen.”

“We are thankful for what we are given. Amen.” The family echoed then instantly, the children began to ravenously shovel food into their mouths, all while staring at Cade with wide and wondering eyes.

“That’s a nice prayer,” Andy found himself saying as he blew on a spoonful of the hot stew, keeping an eye out subtly for the emerald unicorn that was trotting around behind him on cloven, crystal hooves.

“It’s just the customary prayer.” Jaron seemed surprised. “You don’t know it?”

“Andrew is from Earth, remember? Being sired by a mortal and raised in human culture denied him any of our customs.”

“What?!” The second oldest- Cameron- reeled, his jaw hanging open with a smudge of brown gravy across his lips. “You’re part human?! That’s so cool! Do you even have magic at all?”

“Cameron Thomas Glass! Absolutely rude of you to ask someone tha...”

“I do have some. He’s fine, Anna,” Andy laughed nervously, feeling color fill his ashen cheeks. “Uhm, I’ve actually only been in Exodus a few days so... I’m still warming up to everything but, I apparently have some pretty intense magic when I sing. It’s news to me- I didn’t think my voice was really anything special until I came here.”

“Vocal magic is usually a nymphean thing,” Jaron said thoughtfully, holding his spoon in his mouth. He locked eyes with Cade and the Peacekeeper nodded slowly. The spoon fell from Jaron’s lips and he gaped at Andy with a crooked smile. “You’re kiddin’ me! You’re part nymph?!”

“And Crimson Fairy. Yes.” Cade couldn’t hide his smile as Andy nervously pushed some veggies around in his bowl. “Ah. See the hair and freckles- they’re my trademarks, I guess.”

“Well, that makes a lot of sense too...” Jaron spoke again, picking up his spoon. He scooped up a bite of broccoli as his focused green eyes drilled into Andy’s face. “I kind of assumed you were an elf but... Seeing those freckles now in this light...”

“This is fantastic news!” Anna burst suddenly, interrupting her husband with an energetic cry. “You didn’t tell me he was part Crimson Fairy! I can’t believe we found another fae with fire in their blood! Auburn will be so pleased. She’ll want you to stay here, of course.”

“I... Here? In the Crimson Kingdom?”

“Well, yeah,” it was Isaiah who spoke this time, his father’s familiar green eyes lifting from his nearly empty bowl. “There aren’t a lot of us. And you belong here. Your lifeblood is here.”

“Lifeblood?...”

“Lifeblood is what we call raw magic. Source power. When you’re a Crimson Fairy and you’re on your own, out in the world away from your kingdom, your lifeblood- the source of your elemental power- will wane. It’s why fairies who live outside of their territories aren’t as strong as other Mythics- like witches or warlocks who can just pull magic from anywhere. Fairies are connected to the element they are bonded to. For Crimsons- it’s fire. Our kingdom’s foundation was forged in flame by the first Fire Fae- our ancestors.” Anna motioned toward Andy. “Your ancestors. You will always be strongest here. You can tap into the power of your people, of your heritage, here in the Crimson Kingdom. Lifeblood is a force, it’s a raw magic river that you can reach into. If you want to see what abilities you’ll truly have magically... here’s the best place to do it.”

“I... Wow... That’s... Insane. God, there’s always so much to learn here and I’m always so far behind.” Andy nervously ran a hand through his hair, chills running up and down his arms. “I never knew there was so much missing... There’s still so much I don’t know...”

“We can teach you!” Anna told him enthusiastically. “I can show you how to hold fire and how to find your true strength. I’m sure Auburn can teach you as well- she’s really gifted with bending magic- as most royals are.” Her blue eyes were bright with promise and excitement.

“I... I don’t know. I don’t really. I’m super new to all this. I... I’ll have to think about it but it’s an amazing offer.” Andy took a deep breath. “The only person I have any kind of connection with here is Malcom and right now, she’s my priority. I promised Cade I’d help keep her safe and find a way to protect her. But after- maybe I can come here. I really would love the opportunity. Thank you, Anna.” All of the words came out in a rush and the captain nodded, her gentle smile never fading. Cade found that he was staring at his apprentice oddly and finished his meal, drinking down a gulp of pear juice to hide his surprise at Andy’s loyalty.

“Then the Crimson Kingdom will wait for you,” Anna’s voice was kind and understanding as she reached out and touched his hand, her calloused fingers easing the anxiety that was climbing up his throat. “And we’ll be glad to have you home.”

“Mister Cade sir?” Emily’s tiny, angelic voice came through a mouthful of food and sliced the building energy in half.

“Well, yes, dear?”

“Have you ever killed anyone?”

“Em! No!” Jaron looked dismayed at the question and he covered his face with his hands. “Cadyn, I am so, so sorry...”

“Only bad men,” Cade’s reply came fast and with a silly smile. Emily laughed at the serious answer to a serious question that had a halfway funny response. “So nobody here has anything to worry about.”

“Can you really shapeshift into anything?” The smallest boy- Wyatt- asked now, handing his embarrassed father his empty bowl as Jaron began to limp around the table to collect the dishes.

“Just about- lions, and horses, and tigers.”

“What about a unicorn!” Emily squealed, and Cade laughed.

“No, not a unicorn. That’s a different kind of magic...”

As Cadyn began to enchant the curious children with tales of his powers, Anna tapped Andy on the shoulder and motioned for him to follow. Careful not to disturb the gentle interaction of the Peacekeeper Lord and the future of the Glass family, Andy slipped away from the table and followed the captain deeper into the garden. They walked on past hundreds of small fairy sculptures, crystal mice, sleeping cats, giant snakes, and fierce warriors. She stopped just by a small pond where a life-sized, ruby colored glass tiger stood. Its jaws were parted in a frozen, ferocious roar and its paws were flexed so that needle-sharp claws glimmered like blades in the starlight. Andy drew a deep, shaky breath and reached out, his fingertips touching the tiger’s head. He ran his hand down her body, feeling the careful detail of muscle placement and fur strands.

“It’s incredible...”

“Thank you. Isaiah is going to be just as talented as his father. I married into the family- don’t quite have the touch.” Anna chuckled softly, staring out across the land, her eyes following the blinking lights of the kingdom beyond. “I want you to close your eyes, Andy. Close your eyes and just listen. I need you to tell me what you hear.”

His heart began hammering in his chest and he closed his eyes, his fingertips flittering on the tiger’s glass ears. What do I hear?... Anna and Jaron’s children were laughing and bombarding Cade with a billion questions. The shapeshifter roared in laughter back and answered all of them; honestly but gently. Jaron was coaching and guiding them, not letting his angels ask things that would disrespect his guest. Further away, there were crickets and frogs. There was water running. Somewhere, someone was talking loudly with no response. He heard the wind blow...

“No. Deeper. Listen. Past all of this. It’s on the surface. Try again. Listen.”

Andy scrunched his brows, trying to find the thing she wanted him to hear. His hand laid flat on the glass tiger’s heavy forehead and he exhaled a hard, shaky breath. Wind. Laughter. Crickets. Water. Something...

Deeper? It sounded like... Like... Slowly, quivering, Andy came down to his knees, one hand on the tiger as the other instinctively lowered to the earth below. His fingers stretched through soft, wet moss and he tilted his head. A warmth spread through him, licking his fingertips and racing through his bones. An infection of heat radiated from his muscles to his nerves, reverberating within his heart and echoing in his mind. He could hear nothing now but a deep, primitive sound. Something ancient and strong. It was the steady, gentle crackle of flames as they burned into the life of fire.

“I...”

“Shh...” Anna’s hands cupped his cheeks. “You can feel it. I can tell. That’s your lifeblood Andy. The raw magic of your people. What does it sound like?”

“Music,” Andy replied softly, opening his misty eyes to stare deep into the blue pools of the Crimson Kingdom’s Elite Guard Captain. Under his palm, soft pink light had pulsed involuntarily. The glass tigress closed her mouth and bowed her head to the fae whose magic had awoken her. “Anna... It sounds like music. And it’s beautiful.”

22

[The Price of Blood]

Cleo snored softly into the soft, thick hair of Drailen’s black mane. It was late in the evening of the second day of their journey to the Violet Kingdom, and she had become frightened by the shadows. The stallion had told her unicorn stories and magic lullabies to ease her into sleep. It had apparently worked very well, for she had drifted into easy dreams as the sun was coming up and had slept the whole day through. Drailen’s hooves were aching, his ankles were swollen and throbbing, and his belly ached for food, but he refused to stop to graze. They had made amazing, nearly impossible time, and they were now in the perimeter of the Violet Fairy Kingdom.

As suddenly as a wish, a white orb of light came in on the breeze, pulsing with energy as it found its way to whom it sought. Drailen neighed in alarm as the bulb brushed across Cleo’s nose and the fairy halfblood woke from her deep slumber.

“Whatsit?... Oh!” The orb burst in front of her face, dissolving into the air with a lingering message that drifted away in the wind.

“Cleopatra, my love, we’re in the Crimson Kingdom safe and sound with the Elite Guard Captain. Please send word back so I know you’re okay. Day one of three. August 2nd.”

Cleo nodded drowsily, shaking away Cade’s voice with the cobwebs in her head. She opened her palm and a sphere of lilac light appeared above her hand. She pressed her lips to it and whispered a message. “Cadyn, we’re approaching the Violet Kingdom limits now. All is well. Send word if need be. I love you. Day two of three. August 3rd..” She blew the orb away from her like dandelion fuzz and the charm disappeared into the trees.

“Halt!” The cry caught Drailen off guard and he reared on his hind legs. Cleo gasped and gripped his neck, holding her body against his own in attempt not to be thrown. A few paces in front of them was a thin, sickly looking old male fairy. He was dressed in an oversized violet cloak, his ugly hooked nose the only visible thing besides large, sunken in brown eyes- the rest of his face shadowed from the pulled hood. He raised a black staff in the air and Drailen tried to calm, bringing himself back onto all fours just as Cleo was about to slide off. “Who goes there so close to the entrance to the kingdom of Queen Tanic?”

“A traveler,” Cleo replied, grasping onto the burgundy cloak that had one been vibrant violet- the only thing she had of her father. She clutched the collar tight and brought up her hood which made the guard narrow his pupils in suspicion.

“One who must hide?”

“I am a trader from Cassidy Village,” she told him with a smile. “I only wish to seek trade with a merchant here. I have brought many fine things.” Cleo reached into one of the packs slung over Drailen’s back and pulled out a handful of jewelry that Cia had traded for when she’d gone into Grillionville. “My business is discrete, as most trades are, and this is a matter of great importance.”

The guard obviously didn’t believe the story, but he nodded and stepped aside. He sniffled and brought a thin, spindly hand up to his nose and wiped the mucus that ran from his giant nostrils on the back of his sleeve. Cleo fought not to gag as he sleazed his way over to the grand iron gates and pushed them open. The fairy’s ugly, bulging eyes never left her face as she passed him by, gripping Drailen’s reins with white-knuckle force. The stallion paused, Cleo’s anxiety traveling down his withers to his hooves. She closed her eyes, drew in a deep breath, and nodded. With a gentle spur of her heels against his sides, Drailen stepped forward into the woodland fortress that held the kingdom of fairies who had cast her away from them so many years ago.

***

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF Tentrion, the morning of day two had just begun for Andy and Cadyn. The amazing dinner of tender lamb meat, vegetables, and cheesy rice had filled them both up and had made for a wonderful night of comfortable sleep. The hours had lolled on, aided by the soft breathing of dreaming children that were tuckered out after their incredible dinner with the Lord of the Peacekeepers.

The sound of terrified screaming woke Andy from a deep slumber. The horrible wake-up-call seemed surreal to the amazing hours prior. Before he even knew what was happening, Cade’s mind was racing as he rolled off the sofa and hit his head with a thud against the hardwood floor. Andy was just scrambling to his feet as Cade went racing, stumbling, from the room. Jaron was already up and limping without his crutch toward the window. He pushed the curtain aside and stared out into the rising dawn horizon with terrified green eyes. The kingdom was ablaze with war. The peaceful scene that had existed the night before had erupted into a battlefield. There were creatures that Andy had never seen before powering through the beautiful scarlet city, attacking and laying waste to the drowsy, unsuspecting Crimson fairies.

“Dad...” Isaiah’s voice came in a shaky, small breath as he was looking out from beside his father, his green eyes wide. Jaron ushered him away from the window to take him out of sight of the violence. The other four children were behind him, all terrified and disoriented as their father herded them all up and away. Cameron was holding Emily tightly, bouncing with a gentle rhythm as the toddler clutched his side. Cade and Andy were too shocked to move, watching the chaos as the living room came alive with sounds behind them.

Anna came sprinting from her bedroom, dressed in her guard uniform. She slid into the kitchen and pushed the table out of the way. A hidden door’s outline formed in the hardwood flooring. She lifted it by a handle as it materialized in her hand, and she motioned toward a set of obsidian steps. Silent and obedient, her children charged down into a dimly lit room. Jaron looked dismayed when his wife turned her fiery blue eyes to him and nodded toward the stairs with her head. “Go.”

“No, Annie. I won’t. Not unless you promise me that you’re not going out there,” he said sternly, and the solidity of his voice made her freeze. “Let Cade and his apprentice go deal with that. Just this once... you don’t have to fight. Please. Stay here with us...” a flicker of fear crossed Jaron’s eyes as he reached out and gently pulled Anna’s small frame against his own. He kissed her nose, her eyelids, then finally her lips. “Stay here with me, Annie...” he whispered again, but as he did, there was a terrible cry of pain and fear from the city beyond the Garden of Glass. “Annie...” His voice became desperate as he saw the fierce desire to protect her kingdom light in the blue pools of his wife’s eyes. He cupped her cheeks with his hand, and she kissed his fingertips.

“I am the Captain of the Crimson Kingdom’s Elite Guard. I must fight. I swore to protect my kingdom, my Queen, and my land. I must defend. I must...” She dropped her bow for just a moment and kissed his lips once more. “I must.” And with that, Anna pushed past her husband and dashed into the chaos of the outside world. She leaped into the air and spread her glorious wings, flying toward the raging city with her family distraught behind her.

“Momma!” Emily cried and Cameron cooed to her softly, kissing the top of her head. Jaron reassured them all with a shaky smile, kissed each of them in turn, then lowered the door back down until it melted into the floorboards and disappeared, sealing his angels safely away in cool, protected silence.

Cade, who had been watching the scene with a cold, void stare, rushed out into the yard to follow the captain when Andy caught his arm. “Cadyn... I-I can’t fight. I don’t even know how. What do you want me to do?” he asked, feeling his heart drumming in his chest as the overwhelming sense of helplessness began to drown out his fear.

“Stay with Jaron. Defend their home if you must but hide if you can. Stay safe. Please.” Cade turned, flagged over his beloved dragon, then took off toward the city atop Lorem’s mighty back. Andy watched them head toward the smoke and chaos until the smolder of the morning stole them from his sight. He went to ask Jaron what he could do but found the man was now outside. He was on his knees, deathly still with his palms splayed out across the mossy ground. He had his eyes closed and there was a line of sweat forming across his brow.

“Jaron, I...”

“Get down here. Help me,” the former Elite Guardsman hissed and without thinking, Andy fell to his knees and copied the stance- hands open in the dewy vegetation of the garden.

“What are we?...”

“Feel... Just feel. Please, try to tap into the lifeblood. Annie told me about last night and how her ruby tiger came alive under your hand. Please... Just a moment... I’m trying to help them, Andy, but I can’t do it on my own. Stay down here with me. Can you feel the fire?”

Andy’s heart hammered inside his ribcage and he closed his eyes. He tried to listen, he tried to block out the sounds of chaos that were raging beyond their haven in the city but the clash of weapons, cries of fear, and sickening melody of war just drowned out the calm he was trying to reach into. He shook his head and took in sweet, shaky gulps of air. Jaron gently placed his hand over Andy’s own and the tender touch reassured him. With the warmth of Jaron’s skin reminding him of what he was looking for, Andy tried once more to tap into the crackling lifeblood of the Crimson Kingdom.

A few moments rushed by in uncomfortable silence but then, a warm and tingling sensation began to trickle from his fingertips up his arms. It filled his shoulders, his spine, his skull, skin, and blood with an echo that felt like being washed in smooth, hot caramel. Chills coated his body and he again heard the familiar and distant, musical ringing of a deep, ancient roaring of eternal fire. Red energy pulsed from his hands and into the ground below, beating through the Garden of Glass in soft, tranquil waves. The intense, heated, full-body quaking ended in a subtle wane, declining like the fall-away of the final moments of a storm.

“Andy... Look.”

Finally, daring to open his eyes, a bead of sweat rolled off his dark cherry lashes and Andy recoiled in wonder. Standing before the two men, there was an army of hundreds of glass and crystalline creatures. The ruby tigress dipped into a bow before them and they all dutifully followed, including the emerald unicorn. Jaron stood there in shock, gasping for breath as he wiped sweat from his face. He touched the tiger’s broad head and nodded thankfully, taking in his beautiful creations as they silently and stoically waited for command.

“It was Glass magic that forged you—you were born from fire and flame. Let nothing else tarnish or break you. So say I.” Jaron spoke in the clearest, most serious voice Andy had heard from him yet. He watched, stunned, as a single pulse of red energy spread from the tigress through the crowd of once-fragile creatures. Jaron trembled as his magic left him and he crumpled to his knees in the mossy yard. Andy rushed to help him, but he shooed him away. The brick color drained from his skin and he looked frail and weak as his green eyes met Andy’s own.

“Take them, Andy. Take them to help my Annie.”

“Jaron, I... I don’t know how to fight. What if...”

“They’ll keep you safe. Your lifeblood is with them. Go on. I know you can do this. It’s your birthright. It’s who you are.” They shared a moment of silent understanding and Andy nodded. He helped Jaron into the house and closed the door behind him. He turned on his feet and felt the pressure of hundreds of sculpted eyes resting on his shoulders. The tigress bowed once more and offered him her side. Uncomfortably, he settled below the shoulders of her hard back and he wrapped his arms around her broad, cold neck.

“To the city!” Andy cried, closing his eyes as the ruby cat roared herself into action and took off in a feverish, powerful run toward the sounds of the battling kingdom. Andy kept his eyes tightly shut, succumbed by his fear and the deafening thunder of countless glass paws and hooves pounding the hard ground. It wasn’t until the copper smell of blood burned Andy’s nose that he dared to open his eyes.

His senses flooded with too many images and sounds. They were now raging in the middle of the Crimson Kingdom, dozens of massive glass structures fending back the attack and protecting their defenseless master. Again- the ultimate realization of having no control began to engulf him and panic blazed in his chest. How could he do this? What exactly was he doing? He hadn’t been in Exodus even a week, couldn’t use a bow, had never held a sword, couldn’t cast a spell or bend magic, and yet he was prepared to go into a war with creatures that could kill him with one blow? His only source of self-defense was... his voice? What in the hell do you plan to do then, Andy? Sing your enemies to death?

“God, what am I doing?...” he whispered, looking around the mayhem for something- anything- he could recognize. He saw a vicious ring of ugly, terrible creatures circling a handful of armor-clad Crimson soldiers whom he assumed were the kingdom’s Elite. He saw smoke and blood and so many unmoving bodies. A terrible, vampiric-looking beast noticed he was stunned by surveillance and came rushing at him. Before the monster even got close enough to do Andy any harm, the emerald dragon came tearing from the sky and clashed into the beast with an unbridled fury.

Arrows began to blaze around him from all directions, zipping past the glass army and Andy alike. Above them, finally, Andy found someone he knew. Anna had come to the aid, recognizing her husband’s artwork as they glistened in the sun and caused havoc amongst the Dark Law Ordinance. Her hands moved in a blur, from the pack on her back to the string of her bow. It was a movement as natural as the flight from her wings. Ordinance soldiers fell, member after member crashing dead to the ground, impaled expertly by her perfected shot.

Andy felt helpless as the already dwindling population of Crimson Fairies screamed in fear and pain all around him. He suddenly began to swell with a great and horrible rage. Andy’s fingernails scraped against the tiger’s crystal side as he thought about Jaron, locked somewhere safe back in his quant little house decorated with hundreds of glass figurines. Five perfect children, he had said they were. And they were cowering, crying, longing for their mother, fearing for her life as she was here- fighting. For them, for Jaron, for her people, for her Queen. This was her kingdom, her land, her blood... Her birthright. As it was his.

Andy was knocked out of his flooding thoughts as a member of the Elite Guard was tackled to the ground by a huge, ugly creature with thick gray skin and a massive weapon of which Andy didn’t know the name. The simmering emotions bubbled up inside of him and boiled over into a fever pitch. He found himself leaping from the tigress’s back. She roared in dismay as he got to his feet and went running at the terrible creature. The red tiger came tight on his heels and he felt something drawing- something beckoning. Like a voice he couldn’t hear but somehow understood, he listened to the song as it poured into his head. Andy thrust his hand into his pocket and pulled out the knife his mother had left him- knowing without knowing, trusting without reason.

Andy’s heart began to beat like thunder, he felt his blood grow warm, and his muscles burned with an intense heat that didn’t hurt nor wound. He again heard the sacred crackle of fire raging from somewhere eons ago. As he grew nearer to his adversary, the world itself seemed to melt away. Andy remembered the faded, torn picture of his mother in his backpack, her hair as red as rubies. He thought of his grandmother, a beautiful woodland nymph murdered for her love of a Crimson Fairy. He thought of Jacob, the best friend who had betrayed him and destroyed everything he was. He thought of Malcom, of her two souls and her blue eyes. Finally, he thought of Cade as a young boy, orphaned and alone in the world but for a puppy and a dragon.

So much pain, so much anger, so much heritage coursed through his veins. He seemed to be a man reborn, fueled by the agony and torment of his people and tethered by the power of the land. He felt a strange kind of understanding wash over him and he flipped open his little pocketknife. The monster laughed at him, but his delusion was short-lived. In seconds, the simple blade grew and grew until it was a full-length sword that blazed an intense shade of red as bright as Queen Auburn’s skin. With a cry that didn’t feel like it belonged coming from his lungs, Andy brought the sword down only seconds after he had lifted it high. The side of the weapon hit head-on, and the giant creature recoiled in agony as the flesh that was sliced sizzled and burned.

Just as the sword struck the back of the monster’s neck, two Ordinance members came racing toward him from the fray to aid the beast; one a werewolf armed with fangs and claws and another an elf with a spear. An arrow pierced the werewolf through the side and Anna readied another to take out the elf but the humanoid Mythic noticed its attacker from above.

“Andy, watch out!” Anna screamed but her voice didn’t carry. She had just released the arrow, the weapon racing from her fingertips through the air to meet its mark. Andy’s voice caught in his throat as he watched a terrible exchange. The spear was thrown. The arrow was let go. He watched it fly seamlessly through the air and sink into the blood-spattered dirt. It missed. But Anna never... Andy lifted his eyes to the sky and saw that the captain had missed because the elf had not.

Silence seemed to grip the kingdom, the fighting ceased, the war cries died. The battle raged on around them, but the only noise Andy could hear was the horrible, shattering sound of a body crashing to the ground as Anna crumpled onto the pavement. Her eyes were wide open, her breathing jagged, blood pooling around her lithe body. The javelin had gone through the center of the captain’s chest, the spear side protruding between her shoulder blades like a bloodied thorn.

Andy was at her side in an instant, dropping his sword as he raced to her aid. He fell to his knees, his hands shaking as he took her head in his hands and made her look at him- but she seemed miles away now. Tears were welling in her blue eyes. But it wasn’t from pain, nor from fear. It was from sadness and understanding. Heart-shattering comprehension. Her hair fell around her pale face in stray waves, some of the strawberry-colored strands plastered to her skin with hot, sticky blood. Even still, she held tight onto her bow, as if letting it go would somehow defeat her entirely. Andy remembered when he first saw Anna, her wings looked like autumn leaves. Now, she herself looked like a withering plant, fading away.

“Cadyn...” At first Andy couldn’t get the words to come out, his only thoughts to summon the one person who could fix something so terrible. Cade was a great warlock. He could do anything. Right... Right? “Cadyn!” he screamed hoarsely but the battle hadn’t stopped when Anna had fallen from the sky- no matter how much it seemed it had. His voice was drowned in the echoes of war.

“Annabella!” the heartbroken cry was that of Queen Auburn, the beautiful fairy crashing into the ground beside her most beloved friend. Recognition flashed in Anna’s already-glazing eyes and she seemed to retreat to some place in her mind. The captain opened her mouth to speak but blood droplets escaped from her lips and tears fell, rolling through red streaks on her face. The Queen wiped the drops away with violently shaking thumbs, her eyes glossy with tears. “Y-You’ll be okay. The doctor, I’ll get her! You’ll be okay! Just hold on. It’s not that bad. It’s not...” Queen Auburn began to rock back and forth, desperately ripping up pieces of her shirt. She tried to stop the bleeding as she pushed the fabric into the wound, filling the hole in Anna’s chest around the spear.

A sudden thud was heard from yards away and Cade- in his lion form- had arrived at last. With one paw, he pinned down the elf that Anna’s arrow had missed, his other holding down the werewolf who hadn’t been so fortunate to avoid her shot. The fighting truly had stopped now and the Ordinance members who remained seemed too terrified to move, their eyes locked on the great lion as he held the two beasts at bay. Cade’s blue eyes slid over to where Andy, Auburn, and Anna lay in the grass and he nodded grimly as if to say that nothing further would interrupt this moment. No matter what was to come.

“C-Cadyn...” Andy’s mouth was so dry as he was getting to his feet, stumbling toward Lorem who had the unwounded Dark Law warriors trapped against a wall. “Y-You’re the greatest warlock in all the land. Can’t you do something?” he asked but Cade just hung his head. The wound was so deep. The damage was so great... Andy knew without having to be told. There was nothing anyone could do. He looked down at the Crimson Captain and his hands shook violently. Now Queen Auburn was cradling Anna’s head in her lap, the fairy’s breathing so shallow that her chest was barely moving at all.

“Let it end...” the words came from the captain’s lips and she looked off into the sky, her eyes seeing something nobody else could. “P-P-Protect them, Cadyn... protect...” her eyes flickered to Andy for only a moment, and he thought she might have smiled at him. “Andy... S-S-Save them. Save my...” What? Kingdom? Family? Andy would never know what it was she was going to say- what it was that she was going to tell him. Her chest heaved unnaturally, and her lips closed. Her fingers unfurled and the bow slipped from her grasp.

“Anna?” Andy whispered as he numbly staggered back over to her and collapsed at Auburn’s side. Seeing Anna there- so still and pale- it took Andy to some place in his mind he tried not to go. Back to a hospital room- his mother’s faded red hair lay around her in dull, lifeless waves of former-auburn silk. Her lifeless eyes looked like that.

Tears brimmed his eyelids and Andy doubled over and wretched, spilling the contents of his stomach into the scarlet-spotted dirt. He knew. He knew but he just couldn’t handle it. He screamed and beat the ground with his fists, howling and cussing as Anna’s blood spattered his skin. Queen Auburn’s face was void of emotion, her cheeks wet with tears and her body dampened with the other fairy’s dark magenta blood. She let Anna’s head fall from her lap and she got to her feet, approaching Cade with numb, calculative steps. She looked around her, at the horror-stricken Crimson Fairies and at the terrified, trembling members of the Dark Law Ordinance. She turned her molten gaze to the Peacekeeper Lord as tears began to well.

“I, Queen Auburn of the C-Crimson Kingdom...” she clenched her teeth as tears fell again. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t steady her voice. “Publicly swear allegiance and alliance to Lord Cadyn McKnight of the Peacekeeper Corps. For my Captain, Annabella Glass... On behalf of the whole Crimson Kingdom... I swear, that until my last breath... I will fight the Dark Law Ordinance by your side. From here on until forever more. And so let it be.”

The members of the Dark Law Ordinance looked even more distressed as the entirety of the Crimson Kingdom screamed and whooped in agreement, now willing to risk everything they had to defend their future and avenge their captain- renewed in faith by their Queen’s unity to Cade. The Peacekeeper Lord roared, the mighty bellow shaking the ground. He looked down at his two hostages and they shuddered under his paws. “You will leave this kingdom in peace,” he snarled, the massive fangs inches from their terrified faces. “And you will tell your lord that if it is a war he promised- then a war it shall be. Your attempt to ambush the Crimson Kingdom- to destroy me- has failed. You tell Jeckles that this land always will be protected, for Cadyn McKnight stands with the Crimson Kingdom!”

Again, cries echoed from the fairies of both victory and rage. “Deliver this message to Jeckles. Tell him I’m ready!” he growled as Cade let the werewolf go. He kept under him the elf that had struck Anna from the sky; the reason for the only shot that had ever left her hand to not hit its mark. As their injured captain fled, the remaining members of the Dark Law Ordinance army followed in high pursuit, many of them limping, others racing as fast as they could through the red streets. Many would perish from their injuries before clearing the city and would be left rotting on the kingdom’s brick roads.

The elf assassin, suffocating from fear and pressure under Cade’s paw didn’t get a second chance. Whatever plan the Peacekeeper Lord had for him, he never got to complete it. An arrow whizzed through the air and ran straight through his neck. The light died from the elf’s eyes, fear fermented on his face, jaw twisted open permanently in a scream of pain that never rose. His head hit the ground; dead before it landed. Standing beside Anna’s limp form, Jaron held her bow in one hand. He brought the weapon down to his side, his eyes blazing such a bright green that Cade flinched from meeting his gaze.

“Jaron...” Queen Auburn tried to touch his arm, but he yanked it away. There were no tears, his hands weren’t shaking, his face didn’t show remorse or pain. Just anger. Such horrible, deep, aching rage. Jaron dropped to his knees; his cane cast away on the bricks that were now stained with his beloved’s blood. He waved a hand over her chest and the javelin crumpled into dust and blew away in the wind. Jaron’s jaw clenched as he took Anna in his arms and stood, holding her bloodied, fading body against his bare chest.

“You can’t,” he said in a voice so low that Andy barely heard him. “You can’t do this, Ann.” His eyebrows furrowed as if he didn’t understand. “What... What will we do?...” Then, it was as if a protective barrier shattered somewhere in the back of his mind and reality was exposed to him at last. Jaron’s face twisted into an expression of agony and he collapsed to the ground, clutching his darling ever closer. The color had drained from her skin, leaving her a snowy white. No longer the color of her people, she looked oddly human. The visual proof of her demise broke Jaron entirely and he wailed into the wind. Sobs began to rack the fairy’s body as he wept into her sticky, dimming-strawberry hair. “God, no...” he cried. “Please... Not my Annie...”

Queen Auburn raised her hand in silence and from her palm, there came a blaze of red light that was shining bright as flame. One by one, each member of the Crimson Kingdom did the same. The fairies screamed, cried, mourned, poured out their tears into the streets, sobbing into their hands. Andy stumbled his way numbly over to Lorem, the ruby tigress abandoning him at last to lay in anguish by her creators. The boy and the dragon found their way to Cade’s side and the three of them exchanged glances. Andy had retrieved his sword and raised it as tears streaked down his blood-spattered face. Cadyn shifted back into his human form and raised a hand, sparking red light from his palm as Lorem roared rolling waves of orange flame into the morning sky. The Crimson Fairies had lost so much more than another of their own. A leader had died, a mother had been killed, a family broken, an army left in mayhem, a kingdom shaken to its core. Much more was mourned than just a life- but a legacy.

A hand laid on Andy’s shoulder and he snapped around, ready to strike with his sword. Instead, he found he was looking into the watery, tired gray eyes of what he presumed to be a middle-aged fairy. He had thick, dark gray hair and a weathered looking face. His hard jaw was lined with charcoal stubble and he had a scar across his throat. He was square shouldered with muscles better than Andy’s own and deep, rose colored skin that was lightly pigmented. Andy took in all his features but stood still with a tight jaw and angry eyes, upset that this stranger had interrupted him during his time of grief.

“Can I help you?”

“You’re Wren’s son, aren’t you?”

The name hit Andy in the chest like the wind had been knocked out of him and he felt his stomach twist into knots. He hadn’t spoken his mother’s name in years and yet, somehow, this stranger knew it. Tears glistened on the rims of his eyelids and threatened to fall. He set his jaw, but he could feel his resolve ebbing. “How do you know her name?”

“I would recognize those eyes anywhere. You must be Andy.”

***

AS NIGHT CREPT ACROSS the land and cloaked the pine and oak trees with long, morbid shadows, a small band of eerie creatures slithered their way into the makeshift camp their lord had made. At their head was Broch, the werewolf captain who had been deeply injured by Anna’s arrow. He was holding his side tightly, his fur matted down with clotting blood. He kept his dark eyes downcast, wishing more and more with each passing second that the shot had simply killed him. He would much rather be dead than risk upsetting his master.

As the squad approached a sickeningly familiar clearing, Broch lifted his gaze. In the middle of the patch of woods where Jeckles had raped Malcom’s magic away, there was another unholy act taking place. Gathered in a semi-circle, there were dozens of Ordinance members- both male and female, naked, sweating, and heaving in the falling rays of moonlight. They were all touching themselves or touching each-other, fueled by the disgusting event taking place in the core of meeting.

Jeckles, in his extended wolf form was eagerly breeding with the pale fairy with dark hair who had serviced him the day before. She was clutching the ground desperately, tears streaming down her face, her lips parted in a silent cry as the wicked lycan had his way. Jeckles flicked his head at Broch to let him know he knew he was there as he took a fistful of the fairy’s matted hair in his paw, his claws scraping her scalp. Her mouth opened in the form of a scream, but nothing came out as her captor held her there, pausing the ritual to give Broch his attention.

“Yes, captain?” he managed, his voice heavy and labored from his efforts. “You don’t look well.”

“I am injured,” Broch replied, moving his arm away to show the wound oozing blood from under his ribcage. “My lord, I am so sorry, but we failed... Our splinter army was defeated by the Peacekeeper Lord...”

“As I knew you would be. Cadyn is much too powerful for the handful of Darkbloods you took with you. Where is Leo?” he asked, referring to the elf who had dealt Anna’s fatal blow. When Broch didn’t answer, Jeckles nodded and rotated his hips, causing tears to brim against the fairy’s eyelashes. “Ah. Sad indeed. He was one hell of a shot... It’s alright. My plan worked. Cadyn fought, he used his magic- he’s not at his best right now so far from home... Especially after draining himself before he left to try and cloak his house from me. He’s weaker. That’s all I needed. You distracted him. That’s what I wanted. Bhard did exactly as I asked as well. He witnessed Cleo entering the Violet Kingdom- right on schedule. This is all working just the way I envisioned. Oh, stupid boy... He thought he would protect her- but he’s left her defenseless.” Jeckles chuckled and pulled on the fairy’s hair. Her eyes grew wide, and she began to silently sob as her master climaxed. Jeckles snarled and let her go, smiling at his captain with ghostly white fangs.

“Go see Yvette and she’ll patch you right up. I need you at your best, Broch. It is time.” He threw his head back and let out a terrible, spine-chilling howl. Some of the pining, lusting members of his Ordinance transformed at once into a terrifying army of werewolves who joined their master’s cry.

“It is time!”

23

[I Must See The Queen]

A snowflake fell from the darkened sky and twirled on the breeze before it came to rest on Cleo’s eyelashes. It was so hard to believe that the rumors about the Violet Kingdom were true. She had heard the tales since she was a child- that ever since Queen Tanic had fallen ill, the Violet Kingdom had been seized in a state of permanent winter. She had never believed it until now.

Walking through the lilac and magenta streets, crystalline snow fell in shimmering blankets- dappling Drailen with white flecks and coating Cleo in opaque glitter. Some patrons passed by them, stealing glances at the halfblood and the unicorn as they carried on their way in the opposite direction. Many more were hurrying to their homes as the downfall became heavier and the cold turned bitter and cruel.

Despite the unwelcoming weather, Cleo found herself dazed and unaffected by the storm. She was staring up at the magnificent towers, taking in the sights and sounds of the kingdom that should have been her home. She traced the outlines of one of the grape-colored brick buildings, running her fingers across the slick, icy surface. In a trance-like state, she closed her eyes, reaching desperately into the earth around her to try and get just a taste of Violet lifeblood. The wind lifted into a howl and the storm began to rage around them, snow falling so heavily that the two suddenly seemed abandoned, isolated in a sea of ice and frozen things. Drailen pawed at the ground and Cleo snapped out of her focus, her pupils wide and face hollow.

“We must carry on!” the stallion cried to her through the increasing gales of aching cold. Nodding numbly, Cleo pressed her face against Drailen’s neck as he turned away from the brick wall, his hoof-prints disappearing in a fresh wave of frozen powder. Drailen tossed his head and a strong, pulsing white light formed around the tip of his horn and illuminated the path ahead of them. He turned left at a fork in the street, going against the flow of wind and snow as he clopped deeper and deeper into the Violet City.

“My dear lady,” he said in a breathless voice, pausing mid-step. “I think we’re here.” Lifting her head, Cleo’s pupils swelled, and she had to stifle a gasp. In the heart of the kingdom, a brilliant castle loomed through the blizzarding fractals. It was built from violet stone and lavender brick, forged strong with towers that shot upward like bolts of lightning. Cleo and Drailen stood, shocked, for several moments until she gently spurred his sides with her heels, and he moved forward, swishing his tail as they approached. Drailen’s hoof-steps echoed loudly on a frozen iron bridge as he crossed and came before grand metal doors with lightning bolt emblems printed in the centers. Cleo found her heart hammering in her chest, her eyes widening as the numb feeling began to fade.

Before they even reached the amethyst staircase, the castle doors flew open and two Violet Kingdom Guardsmen stepped out of the fortress and into the storm. Cleo exhaled harshly, a roll of white fog streaming from her lips as fear and anxiety gripped her to the core. She had spent the last two decades safe and secure inside the sanctity of McKnight Manor. Here, in the cold, in the storm, in the city... there was nothing and no one to protect her. She willed herself to speak but could only grip the reigns tighter in her hands as the two guards came closer, their hard expressions cold and unwelcoming.

“Who dares to disturb the Royalty of the Violet Kingdom?” The hot breath of one of the Queen’s guards scorched Cleo’s face as he and his companion closed the space between them. Drailen backed up anxiously, tossing his head as he was met with steely green and hazel eyes.

“I-I come from Cassidy Village,” Cleo replied in a shaky voice, looking into the harsh face of the guard who had addressed her. “A small town just outside of Grillionville in Ausbury. I... I request to see the Queen.”

“The Queen?! You come here from Cassidy Village and demand to see the Queen! You must be out of your damned mind!” He nudged the other guard and turned to head back up the stairs. However, the fairy with the hazel eyes stayed near, and was looking at her curiously. He, never taking sight off Cleo’s face, dipped slowly in respect to Drailen.

“Miss, if you would, remove your hood. The Violet Queen is very ill... we do not trust outsiders so easily. Let me see who you are.” Despite the somber expression on his face, there was something warm in his gaze that Cleo found a sliver of trust in. Slowly, with numb fingers and shakings hands, she pushed back the hood of her faded burgundy cloak. Cold instantly bit at her ears and nose, but she remained as still as stone as the guard studied her face, examining the fairyan features of her pointed ears and glittery skin.

“What kingdom shares your blood?” he asked suddenly in a soft voice. The guardsmen with the green eyes crossed his arms over his chest from where he was by the door, though he now seemed interested in the stranger and the conversation.

Cleo’s heart leaped in her chest and she downcast her eyes, staring at the snow that was caking Drailen’s mane. “P-Please sir,” she answered slowly, not even daring to meet the kind guardsmen’s hazel eyes. “I beg of you. This is a matter of greater importance than you can even comprehend. A war is coming... From the Dark Law Ordinance. I must speak to Queen Tanic. Please! Or I fear for the Violet Kingdom...”

“Why is the Violet Kingdom any of your concern?” Questioned the other guard as he stormed down from the steps and thrust his face into Cleo’s own. Swallowing down her fear to gather her composure, she gave a tiny nod then slid off Drailen’s back. Keeping her steady gaze on the guardsmen, Cleo slowly came down to one knee and crossed her arms over her chest. She broke the eye contact and lowered her head.

“I must see the Queen,” she repeated, not even daring now to look up at the members of the Elite. Silence stretched between them until Drailen shuddered from the cold and broke the tension. The softer guard gave a small nod, his eyes still sparkling with curiosity.

“We will take you to the court... but I cannot promise you will see the Queen.” He extended a calloused hand toward Cleo then flicked his gaze over the unicorn. “But I am afraid that your horse will have to wait outside.”

“Horse?!” Drailen stomped his hooves from insult as Cleo slid her hand into the guard’s own and he helped her to her feet. She clutched her cloak around her, patted the unicorn farewell, then headed after the guardsmen on heavy feet. Cleo cast a worried glance over her shoulder at the black stallion and Drailen held her gaze until the doors slowly shut and sealed him away from her. Cleo kept her head down as she was quickly led between the two fairies and was brought into the center of the royal courtroom. She kept her gaze on the ground, watching the ever-shaky steps of her own feet. She scarcely dared to breathe as she instinctively took a knee, crossing her arms over her chest as she came before the throne.

“Welcome stranger. What is it that you seek?”

“I...” her voice trembled. She lifted her eyes to meet the gaze of the... No one? Wait. Where was the Queen? Before her, the three royal purple thrones were vacant- and appeared to have been so for a very long time- with only the single form of a council member standing beside them. She was tall, thin, and looked very tired; the skin around her eyes wrinkled from stress and age. Her hair was moonlight silver and was kept in a long, thick braid that came to her ankles. Her eyes were dark blue and withered but she seemed stronger than she appeared- and Cleo made note not to underestimate the light that blazed from her irises.

“What is your name, child?” Her voice was smooth but unfriendly, as if it had been stolen from the wind outside. “What business do you have with the Violet Kingdom?”

“Cleo,” she breathed, locking eyes with the fairyan woman. “My name is Cleopatra McKnight.” She swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest as she slowly stood. “I was born here, in the Violet Kingdom. My father was a guardsman and my mother died during childbirth. She was a witch from Cassidy Village.” She clenched her fists, painfully aware of the gasps and whispers that echoed around the room from the gathering guards and staff. “My wings were clipped when I was born and then my father, Tain, gave me away to my mother’s best friend to raise me. I was born in this kingdom...” the aggressive guard who had met her at the gate was reaching to his belt to retrieve handcuffs when Cleo shot him an icy glare, her anxiety turning to rage.

“I have a right to be here! I know I am an outsider, and you have every reason not to trust me. And I, as I have been told by other fae my entire life, am a disgrace to all my kind because I don’t have my wings. But I am here to warn you- the people who abandoned me...” she drew a deep breath, blood roaring in her ears and her heart hammering in her chest. “The Dark Law Ordinance is on the rise. They are waging war against the Peacekeepers and the Light Lives of our world. My daughter...” Her voice caught in her throat as emotions began to fester under the calm surface. “My daughter, Malcom, was raped by Jeckles Dylite. She’s pregnant with his child and he wants it back.”

The kind guard with the hazel eyes had a hand on his chest, his eyes wide in disbelief. He was looking feverishly from Cleo to the older fairy with the braid in her hair as Cleo continued. “I won’t take no for an answer. You will help me. My husband is Cadyn McKnight, the Lord of the Peacekeepers. It is your duty to fight for this world as you swore to the Order and swore by alliance to Cadyn.” She met the councilwoman’s steely blue eyes, pleading with herself not to tremble and that her voice would stay steady. “I... demand that you allow me to speak to Queen Tanic.” Cleo caught her breath. She had been rejected by these people since the moment of her birth. And now she had come home to face what she had run away from her entire life. “Please.”

For a moment, Cleo feared that she had gone too far- spoken of too much, too sternly, too quickly. The entire staff and crew were whispering frantically to one another and a small, faint whisper began among those who seemed older than the rest. At last, the fairy with the silver braid raised a thin, spotted hand and cleared her throat to silence the others.

“You say that Tain was your father? Captain Tain was never married, and he had no children. He went missing long ago when the Queen sent him to the islands to retrieve antitoxins. You see, foolish girl... He never returned.” As she spoke, the old fairy raised a sculpted, gray eyebrow and sighed, her expression exhausted and sad. “Even a liar as you are, your request is validated by its need. I am sorry for your daughter- if there be truth in that. And as our kingdom swore to Cadyn, I shall grant your desire. We will discuss with the Queen. Follow me.” She turned to go, the violet lace of her gown dragging the lilac granite floor. She looked over her shoulder and dismissed the gathered staff with a wave of her hand. “The rest of you, as you were. Queen Tanic still has orders for you all.”

Cleo, still shocked at the response she had been given, looked around her as the Queen’s servants began to disperse. She caught the gaze of the guard with hazel eyes for only a moment before hurrying swiftly and silently after the councilwoman. As they went deeper into the corridors of the castle, Cleo found her mouth hanging open slightly as she looked around her. On the walls were giant, lifelike painted portraits of every Royal family member dating all the way back to King and Queen Violet themselves. She took in every detail, drinking in the history that had been denied to her for so long. This is where I came from. This is who I am.

At last, as the hallway came to an end, the paintings became interrupted by doors on either side, facing perfectly across from one another. Cleo noticed that dust had gathered on the frames and the doorknobs had tarnished. They were locked- she could tell. No one had been inside of the rooms for a very long time. A few spaces on the walls between the rows of doors were vacant with nails driven through the center, ghosts of where picture frames had once been. Perhaps the spaces had been preserved for Queen Tanic’s children. But Tanic had never had children...

So many unanswered questions... all of this history. It was all new and yet it had been here all along. A headache was starting to throb behind Cleo’s left eye from all the thinking, and yet all she had come here to do was warn the Queen and ask for help. But now, here, in the heart of where her story had begun, she was getting dizzy over all the history she had never known. Caught up in her thoughts, she didn’t notice the councilwoman had stopped walking until she crashed into her. The elder turned and snorted at her in annoyance, glaring with those cold blue eyes.

Behind her were grand doors that stood over twenty feet high and smelled of fresh lemon oil. The frame was beautifully crafted with the designs of flowers and animals mixed into the wood patterns. To the right of the doorway, Cleo noticed a grand statue. She recognized the sculpture immediately from pictures; this was a memorial to King Varyk- Queen Tanic’s late husband. To the left of the doorway was a sculpture of a Violet Kingdom Guardsman. At his feet was a stone plaque that read Captain Tain Valore; Leader, Friend, and Loyal Soldier. Her heart could have shattered. Hungrily, Cleo raked her eyes over the marble work and wondered how accurate it was. Did he have eyebrows like that? Was his hair that curly? Was that a mistake in the statue or the traces of a scar?..

“You will now be entering Queen Tanic’s quarters,” the councilwoman told her and Cleo snapped her focus to the withering Violet Fairy. “She is not well. You two will not be alone. I will stand as the witness of your interaction. You make one false move, Mrs. McKnight, and I will not hesitate to rip your beating heart out. Understood?”

Cleo gulped then nodded, gripping the cloak closely to her body. “Y-Yes, ma’am.”

And with that, the elderly fairy turned, pulled a key from her gown’s pocket, twisted it in the slot, and pushed the grand doors open. Inside was the largest, grandest room that Cleo had ever seen. Despite the stunning size and beautiful artwork on the walls, the space itself held very little. A fireplace that looked to have not seen coals in eons lay dormant against a brick wall. There were scarce other furnishings: a few dusty- yet beautiful- chairs, a coffee table, and in the middle against the far-left wall... Was a massive bed. Grand, dark purple wooden polls ran from both the head and foot boards and led up to a canopy top that sloped into heavy curtains on both sides. Cleo couldn’t see who was sleeping in the bed, but she could hear soft, rattled breathing. The councilwoman stepped inside first and slowly Cleo dared to follow. Before the two even got close to the violet-shaded bed, a soft voice called.

“Rowan, you have brought a stranger into my quarters. I am trying to rest. Oh, you left the door open. Don’t let the cold out, Rowan. Please shut it... And tell me why you have disturbed my sleep.”

The silver-haired woman, Rowan, simply snapped her fingers and the door soundlessly shut, sealing the frosty cold inside. Cleo’s heart was absolutely thundering in her chest and she was sweating even though snowflakes were floating in the air. The figure in the bed sat up slowly and pulled the curtains back. Cleo’s heart stopped. The creature before her was old, sick, and frail; there was no doubt about that. And yet, there was something magnificent about her that echoed around them like soft waves upon a shore.

She was a small-framed fairy with softer features. Her hair was a deep, dreamy silver, and it fell all around her in loosely sprung curls that spilled off the bed and swept the floor. Her pointed ears stuck from the strands and were glistening with sparkles of snow. Her cheek bones were high and pronounced but not sickly so and her lips were the same shade of pink one would find inside the folds of a rose. And her eyes. Cleo had never seen eyes so beautiful. They were amethyst purple and they shined like diamonds from the face of a very old, very majestic creature. And they were locked on her.

“Speak.”

“I... I uh...”

“She comes from Cassidy Village, my Queen. She claims to be the wife of Cadyn McKnight.”

“The Peacekeeper Lord?”

“Yes, your Majesty.”

“And why is she here?”

“She speaks of great trouble, of violence and war. She says her daughter was impregnated by Jeckles Dylite and she has come to recruit our fealty to their cause. Also, my Queen.” Rowan met the withered fairy’s eyes. “She claims to be a child of Tain.”

All at once, something haunted entered the ancient fairy’s eyes and she tilted her head, bringing her beautifully aged hands to her face as she propped her head on her gnarled knuckles. She stared at Cleo in silence for a moment. Rowan scowled but said nothing as the Queen reached out and beckoned for Cleo to come closer. The halfblood stepped nearer and Queen Tanic reached out with a shaky hand and touched her cheek softly, her skin so cold that it stung like icy flame to the touch.

“Tain went missing long ago.”

“I know, he disappeared on his voyage to the islands. He was your guardsman.”

“More than that,” Queen Tanic said in a painful voice, her amethyst eyes hollow. “He was my son.”

The world spun in a whirlwind of color and sound that was also gray and silent. Cleo felt everything and nothing at once as her knees shook and she felt ill. Her limbs failed her, and she nearly buckled to the floor as her heart skipped a beat. Rowan caught her by the elbow and held her steady. Tain had been Queen Tanic’s son?... But... Queen Tanic is barren.

Beside her, Rowan seemed just as shocked as Cleo looked- an acidic shadow crossing the councilwoman’s bony face. “But your majesty... You never birthed...”

“No, I know,” the old fairy cut off her advisor curtly. “Believe me, I know... I was never able to carry a life inside my womb. So Veryk and I adopted Tain as an infant. He was all but an orphan; his father had been killed before he was born, and his mother couldn’t raise him on her own. She was a good friend of mine, so it was second nature to take him in. She kept the title and we kept him. She babysat him for us and made sure that no one knew we had him. We didn’t want him gathering unwanted attention and we didn’t want the thrill of parenthood to be tarnished by the public eye. He would be famous as the barren Queen’s only child.” She shook her head, her shoulders slumping as she pulled her hands back from Cleo’s face and sat them neatly on her lap.

“When he turned seventeen, I encouraged him to compete and show his valor as all who wish to join the Royal Guard must do. He learned well from Veryk and he won enough competitions to qualify for the Elite. He worked for what he was given, and he earned his place among the select few and was finally able to be here with us; Royal Elite if not royal blood.” Queen Tanic smiled in a tired way and coughed into her hand, her entire body lunging with the effort it took to breathe. She wiped her eyes when the fit ended and continued, staring past both Cleo and Rowan into the cold air of forgotten memories.

“He was nearly thirty when he came to me one night, full of panic and fear. He told me he had fallen in love on one of his quests to the trading villages of Ausbury. His beloved was a very talented young witch from Cassidy Village. Her name was Hera.” Tanic paused just long enough to smile slightly at Cleo, her brown eyes growing wide with shock and wonder as she listened to the Queen’s story. “There would be a child, he said. He was frightened, but I assured him that no harm would come to him, Hera, or their unborn baby. If only I had known...” the fading royalty looked away, then waved her hand over the space beside her and a vision began to form, swirling from violet fractals and crystal snowflakes in the cold air.

Through the fog, a beautiful young woman was stumbling through the streets of a midnight bathed Violet City. She wore a dark violet cloak that was many sizes too large for her, clutching the side of it desperately as she swayed on her feet. The woman was heavily pregnant and breathing hard, her chest heaving as she struggled to navigate through the snow-laden buildings and brick roads. A man in guardsman gear appeared suddenly and ran toward her. The two embraced, her smaller head on his chest.

“We’ve not much time,” the woman huffed to him, her arms cradling her massive belly. “She’s on her way now and I don’t know if I can make it long enough to...”

“Who goes there?! You better have a good reason to be wandering the streets of the Violet City at three in the bloody damn morning!” Another guard was fast approaching, and the woman laid into her companion- less intimately and more so as if she was leaning on him for support.

“Ease your guard, Kyle! It is I. I was searching the streets for my patrol and ran into this woman. She is lost and in labor. I sent word and received orders from Queen Tanic herself that she be brought to the castle to give birth.”

“Captain Tain,” the second soldier dropped to one knee, crossing his arms over his chest in respect before rising once more. “My apologies. Yes, yes. Come along then, my lady. If the Queen wishes it, then it shall be so.”

And just like that, the vision faded, and Cleo found she was staring at the frail queen with large, dewy eyes. Her breathing was frantic and heavy, her heart hammering in her chest so loudly that she was sure the other fairies could hear it. Queen Tanic was crestfallen, her gaze cast downward at her spider-veined feet. Rowan was staring at her majesty, her jaw tightly clenched.

“But the woman died in birth, my Queen. I was there. I remember...”

“And then the child lost her wings.” Queen Tanic suddenly lifted her head, her violet eyes searching Cleo’s copper depths. Sadness, sorrow, regret, pain; all of it swirled in her gaze as she raised a hand. “Turn around, child. Let me see your back.”

Slowly, obediently, as if under a spell from Tanic’s words, Cleo turned on her feet and dropped to one knee. She bent her head slightly as the Royal Mother touched her shaky fingers to the cloak’s silky fabric. The articles of clothing melted into nothing and Queen Tanic drew a sharp breath. Under her thin fingertips, the deep, ugly x-shaped scar was throbbing and aching as if it were only just healing. Queen Tanic traced the marred skin with gossamer fingers and it burned no more.

“Rise, my dear.”

Cleo eased gingerly back onto her unsteady feet and, as she did so, Queen Tanic also slowly stood. She reached for a staff beside her bed, the rod long and made of dark wood that swirled up to encase a sphere of glowing violet gem. She stood straight and tall even though it was obvious the posture caused her pain. The Queen cleared her throat and pushed a strand of silver hair back behind her ear as she lifted her chin to face Cleo.

“I had planned to have Tain and Hera taken from this place. I was going to hide the expecting mother until the next day when I would send Tain on a mission to the islands to recover antitoxins. He was supposed take her with him, start a new life, and would never be seen again- proclaimed dead on the mission. But everything went wrong. Hera went into labor early and died giving birth to their daughter. Without my permission, my guards rallied when they saw the child was Stained with Violet Fairy blood. They took it upon themselves with radical vigilante justice to clip the baby’s wings.” Tears of regret welled in the old fairy’s eyes and she couldn’t meet Cleo’s gaze. “I had to come up with a new plan. I helped Tain stage a break in five days after he had supposedly left for the islands. The child was taken and presumed dead; stolen by the Dark Law Ordinance, as neither she nor her kidnapper were ever recovered by the guards who searched for her.”

“Queen Tanic...” Rowan whispered in a shaky, emotionless voice.

“Hold your tongue; the Queen speaks.” The matriarch flicked her wrist in the councilwoman’s direction and Rowan instantly silenced herself. “Outside of Cassidy Village, Hera’s best friend had offered to take Tain’s child. She and her husband were living a careful, sheltered existence as they were a Stained pair; an elf halfblood and a Citrine Fairy. Tain asked my opinion and I agreed it would be best. The exchange was made, Tain disappeared, and I would continue to care and provide for my granddaughter and her keepers.” She paused one final time. “Do you understand, child? Speak to me the names of the couple who raised you.”

“Jayle and Daniel Nightingale,” Cleo said without hesitation, her mouth dry and eyes damp. Her palms were sweaty, her heart racing, her head pounding with the information that was being so quickly shoved into her mind. None of this made sense. It couldn’t.

“And what became of Tain, your Majesty?” Rowan asked slowly and at first, it seemed the ailing Queen did not hear her.

“Do you recall the letters that I receive once a month from the tradesman, Nhian? Who lives in Ausbury in the farmlands? It’s all merely a farce. Nhian is Tain. I have kept in touch with him all this time. I know precisely where he is, but you shall not find him in Ausbury.” The Queen’s eyes clouded as she reached out and gently cupped Cleo’s flushed face in her icy, shaking hands. “Cleopatra McKnight, you are the true heir to the Violet Kingdom. You are our princess. You have come home.”

“I... I don’t...”

“Shhh. My child, you will understand.” Slowly, stiffly, Queen Tanic lowered herself back onto the bed. This time, Cleo felt relaxed enough in her presence to help her. She took the sickly fairy by the elbow and carefully laid her down to rest in the soft, violet sheets. Rowan blinked, looking from Cleo to the Queen then back again as the two shared an intimate moment; a bond of Touch Telling. With that, the old fairy nodded to herself and reached over on her nightstand. She took a beautiful silver and violet crown from the end table and gently placed it atop Cleo’s head. “Rowan has witnessed the change of power. As my lead councilwoman, she is also key to all my endeavors. It is done.” She blinked her tired eyes, her lash-line wet with tears. “Oh, my dear... I have been waiting on your return for many, many years. A fairy knows, well, all Mythics know... When it is their time to die. One has often to will it so, to be able to leave... Before we can go.” Queen Tanic placed a fragile hand on Cleo’s cheek as tears leaked from the halfblood’s eyes.

“I don’t know how to be a princess,” Cleo whispered softly, urgency and anxiety making her voice raspy and taut. This was all happening so fast- too fast. Tanic gently wiped her tears away.

“You don’t have to know how to be a princess, my dear. You shall be the Queen.”

“The Queen?! But your Majesty...” Rowan interjected in an almost panicked state. “I was always next in line to be Queen since, well... Since you appointed me your lead in council when you discovered you’d never have children...”

“You would proceed me as long as I had no heir to the throne, which was how I believe it was stated. My heir has returned. And with the announcement of her daughter’s pregnancy, the bloodline of royalty in the Violet Kingdom shall continue.”

“B-But your Majesty, Tain was not your real son...”

Tanic shot Rowan an icy, furious glare and the councilwoman took a step back. The fairyan elder lifted her hand and fluttered her fingers, sending Rowan toward the bedroom door as it flew open. She was forced from the room with little more than a twitch of Tanic’s nose and the doors slammed shut again. Cleo, feeling a bit more comfortable with the leering aid gone, sat down on the edge of the bed and took one of Tanic’s frail, shaking hands in her own. It seemed that within the time they had been talking, the former queen had aged eons. She now looked quite sickly, frail, more dead than alive. Cleo thought that she resembled a crumpled leaf in late fall; somehow lovely and yet so very far gone. Tanic’s sunken-in cheeks lifted in a small smile.

“Rowan was my witness, she cannot deny the claims we made here tonight,” she told the halfblood in a soft whisper of a voice. “Trust not anyone from the outside. Only blood and kin must be allowed in here...” the old fairy pointed to Cleo’s heart. Even though she didn’t understand the words or their sentiment, she nodded as if she did. Cleo lifted Tanic’s hand and kissed her beautiful, gnarled fingers as tears fell again from her eyes.

“This is all so much so fast... I don’t know anything about this kingdom or its people. How can I expect them to trust me or follow me? I-I don’t know anything about myself- who I am or where I came from. Oh, and you... I’ve only just met you and now I am to lose you?... It doesn’t seem fair.”

“No, my dear. Life isn’t fair. But life also has a way of mending itself. All the knots and patches, all the miseries and pains you have known are only the beginning of something great; something wonderful.” A single tear formed in the old fairy’s eye and beaded on the rim of her lid. “Welcome home, my granddaughter, welcome home...” Tanic brought the hand that Cleo was holding to her chest and pulled a chain from around her neck. On it was a rusted key that she pulled on lightly and the golden string disappeared. She gently placed the key into her granddaughter’s palm and sighed softly, a final breath escaping her body before she grew silent and still. But even as Tanic died, a soft whisper seemed to fill the cold, frosty air.

Welcome home... Welcome home...

Cleo let out a wail as pain pierced her chest. She clutched the key tightly, leaned over the fairy’s rapidly decomposing body, and gave her forehead a brief kiss. “Farewell, grandmother...” No more did her lips rest upon the late fairy’s skin, did her physical form dissolve completely into an explosion of violet snowflakes that swirled around the room before flying out through the doors as Rowan pushed them open. Cleo made eye contact with the person who was now her lead councilwoman. She looked down at the key in her hand then back up at Rowan and showed her the tarnished piece of metal. Without a word, the grim-faced fairy nodded and gave her a small bow.

“Yes, my Queen. It is time to return what belongs to you. Follow me.”

***

CLEO STARED IN WONDER, never having seen such a remarkable place. After Queen Tanic passed, Rowan led her in an agitated silence to a locked door at the end of a hall filled with abandoned rooms. Cobwebs and dust lingered throughout this entire wing of the royal castle, displaying the fact that nobody had been here in many, many years. Rowan grunted as she took the rusted key that Queen Tanic had given to Cleo, and she slowly opened the door at the end of the abandoned hall. Its frame was old, worn, and cracking. Even as Rowan pushed on it, it seemed it would simply splinter into a million pieces. Rowan motioned inside and Cleo slowly entered, clinging to her cloak as her eyes adjusted to the dark. Then realization struck her with sight, and she understood where they were and why they were here.

On the many empty shelves in the vacant, white room, there were occasional jars filled with... Wings. Clipped wings. Some were black, some were white, some were gold or gray. They were all labelled and dated, tagged with the person’s name, their age, the year the wings were clipped, and their charge to warrant so. In this giant room on many shelves that could have held thousands of jars or millions of books, Cleo counted only twelve containers.

She ran a finger across the dusty shelves, feeling herself drawn to the jar that seemed the most recent. She let out a small gasp when she brushed the murky film away with her fingertips. The label on the jar was blank spare for the word ‘infant’ and inside the container itself, there were two snow-white baby’s wings, no bigger than that of a butterfly. Terrified she’d break it, Cleo picked the small glass container up and held it for what felt like an eternity, her heartbeat nearly deafening her in the building silence.

“Rowan... a-are these...”

“Yes.” The old fairy nodded as she watched with cold, icy blue eyes. Cleo gently tapped on the glass, her heart aching and throbbing in her chest as she saw the wings that had been ripped from her before she was even a day old. Rowan huffed and rolled her eyes. “Only the fairy the wings came from can remove the magic and return them. That’s why all the wings here have never been returned. The fairy they were taken from has either died or... Never warranted a reattachment.”

“How do I...”

“Feel it. With your soul.”

Cleo’s heart throbbed and her entire body ached with pain from the scar on her back. She closed her eyes and felt with her heart, her entire soul. She thought about Cadyn and how much she loved him, about Malcom and about her unborn child. She thought about Lorem and how much pain he had felt through his life. She thought about Andy and how proud she was of who he was becoming. Then she thought about her mother and father; Jayle and Daniel and the way that Daniel had died. Her mind wandered to thoughts of Queen Tanic and how she had only just learned that she had been her grandmother. How she was her grandmother. She remembered the statue of Tain. She had to find him, she had to know him. These were the thoughts that stormed in her mind.

Energy, emotion, and heritage all coursed through her veins. The pain in her back became unbearable and Cleo screamed, hitting her knees, and dropping the jar. There was no sound of glass breaking, no slicing of shards on her skin. Cleo could feel, see, and hear nothing but the painful energy that was flooding her entire being, blazing in her bones and burning in her blood. After what felt like seconds but dragged on like centuries, Rowan placed a hand on her shoulder. The fairyan halfblood opened her eyes, the agony having ebbed away as fast as it started.

Rowan helped her up, but Cleo still felt sick. She swayed on her feet and the icy councilwoman steadied her. Rowan snapped her fingers and Cleo felt her clothes fall away to be replaced by something new. In front of her, Rowan created a mirror and Cleo gasped at the sight of herself. She looked down in awe, seeing that her pants had been replaced by high-waisted, obsidian silk trousers that held in a satin violet blouse with a plunging neckline. On her head was the crown that Queen Tanic had given her- her official induction into Violet Royalty.

“Now,” Rowan said with the faintest trace of a smile. “Turn around, child. Look at your wings.” Cleo’s heart lurched into her throat. She spun on her heels so fast that she nearly fell... And her entire world just stopped and froze. All around her, Rowan had created mirrors so that she could see herself entirely. Behind her, folding neatly against her back were marks of true royalty. The wings were regal, with violet feathers that faded into black toward her body. All of the doubt that Cleo had of being the heir to the Violet Kingdom washed away in an instant. Only Royal Fairies had feathered wings. Finally, Cleo noticed the last mark of her new title. Her once brown irises were swirling with lilac hues; the trademark of her people.

“You are ready. It is time.”

***

ROWAN HAD GATHERED the staff of the Violet Kingdom yet again, all of them curiously chattering in the foyer of the great hall. Again, the loyal councilwoman stood by the side of the empty thrones. From the long corridor that Cleo had walked down only an hour ago, strode a new woman. Her head held high, walk powerful, new wings heavy against her spine, and her body tingling with the power of her heritage and the glory of her throne. Gasps echoed throughout the faculty as she stepped from the shadows and into the light, taking her place in front of the throne of the Queen. Rowan nodded and raised her hand to silence the murmurs and cries of shock.

“Good loyalists of the Violet Kingdom royal court! I, Rowan Proditor, councilwoman to the Royal Family have come to you with news. Queen Tanic has passed away this night.” She paused to allow a time for grief and cries of shock and sorrow. “But before she left this world behind, she called me to witness the meeting of herself and Cleopatra McKnight of Cassidy Village. In that conversation, I was informed that the late Captain Tain was, in fact, the adopted son of Queen Tanic and King Varyk.” She paused again. “And he did in fact have a child. His daughter was that born of the witch who died giving birth in our city so many years ago. The infant was then stolen but was not killed as we were to believe. For she stands before you here. She stands before you now.”

There was silence among the loyal gathered until alone, the kind guardsmen with the hazel eyes stepped forward. His gaze swirled with disbelief as he slowly lowered himself down to one knee and crossed his arms over his chest. Recognition sparked in Cleo’s eyes and she suddenly realized that he was the guard, Kyle, who had approached Tain and Hera in the vision Queen Tanic had showed her. As Kyle lifted his head, the thick emotion on his face told Cleo that he also knew who she was. He remembered her. Perhaps he had from the start.

“My Queen. I will serve you as I served Queen Tanic. Forevermore—until death!”

The other guardsmen and guardswomen came to the front as well and they all nodded, slowly dropping to one knee and swearing the same. Cleo felt the world slowing down around her as, one by one, all the staff of the Violet Kingdom court, came steadily down on one knee before her. She looked over at Rowan and the elder only nodded and crossed her arms over her chest.

“My Queen.”

“Here, I speak to you, staff of the Violet Kingdom...” Cleo began slowly, stretching her new wings as her audience gasped in awe. “And I ask not of you your trust, but your loyalty I will request. My daughter, the heir to this throne, your princess... Her very life is in danger, and the child she harbors too. I know it is not right, for I am only just your Queen... And I will not force you to fight for me. I ask of you only that you hear my plea.” Cleo sighed and opened her arms slowly, as if offering herself to them all, tears welling in her eyes. “Violet Kingdom Elite...” She stared down at the line of guardsmen and guardswomen. “Will you help me protect my daughter?”

Kyle- the Captain of the guards- rose slowly and raised his fist in the air. “Till death!”

“Till death!” The others echoed.

“Then tomorrow we shall begin. For my Malcom, for Queen Tanic, and for the Violet Kingdom!”

Cleo felt a fire bubble up inside of her as she sat down in her throne for the very first time and closed her eyes. She let the energy of the Violet Kingdom flow through her veins as the guards, servants, and loyalists let out a cry so loud it began to wake the city. A few violet snowflakes filtered down from the ceiling and danced across the bridge of Cleo’s nose. For the first time in my life, I know who I am. I am royalty... I am home.

“Bow before the Violet Queen! Found at last, our Royalty!”

24

[A Father’s Vow]

Malcom’s uneasy slumber was shattered by an echoing, terrible sound. It was one she had dreamt of a thousand times and had prayed a thousand more never came true. Her eyes flew open, and she found herself staring into Cia’s stricken face- her amber irises swirling with thick, heavy fear. There was chaos, a disruption outside that had turned her stomach into knots. It came again. A howl. A cold chill ran up Malcom’s spine as she forced herself out of bed and grabbed Cia’s hand, pulling her along. They hurried over to the windowpane and stared out into the night. The moonlit trees swayed in silver melancholy as her blue eyes darted across the treetops. It wasn’t possible. It just wasn’t possible! Her father had set the spell to protect the house. No one could defy Cadyn McKnight’s magic. Not even Jeckles Dylite.

Suddenly, there came a great cry from the dragon pasture and Malcom felt herself grow ill when she heard Azura screech in fury then grow silent. Her heart hammered in her chest and she felt as if it might burst. There’s no way they got past the dragons... There’s no way... My father’s spell causes confusion. They’ll never find us... They can’t... Even as her protested thoughts swirled, a deeper, more unsettling feeling began to bubble up and fester inside. But what if? What if... Malcom turned on her concrete feet and forced herself to run from her room to the staircase. She lifted a hand and begged her magic to work, willing with all of her might that something would come to reinforce the door. Again, the nauseous, empty, aching feeling throbbed behind her naval and she nearly fell down the last two steps. Nothing. There was nothing.

She crashed into the kitchen, peering out the window into the yard. She saw Surrex had stirred and was aggressively crouched, black rolls of smoke billowing from her nostrils. Her predatory orange eyes were locked on something in the trees- something Malcom couldn’t see. There was an unsettling silence- an eerie kind of calm that caused an uneasy sweat to break across her brow. Then there was a great erupt of noise- a sharp ringing sound like a high-pitched scream. Malcom watched, terrified, as a beam of blinding white light unfurled from the tree line and struck directly in Surrex’s chest. The dragoness roared in fear and rage as a thick crystalline casing enveloped her and she was frozen in suspended animation, her lips parted in a burst of flame that never rose.

The deafening silence gnawed at Malcom’s heart and terror gripped her in its icy claws. She took a step back, one trembling hand over her gaped mouth while the other grasped desperately at Cia’s arm. Shadows bled from the still evergreens and manifested into the silhouettes and steady forms of hundreds of Ordinance followers. From their shaded ranks emerged a terrible menace, a looming beast of nightmarish proportions. He was tall and lanky, his gate long and proud as he strode toward the manor on extended hind paws. His chest rose and fell gravely, inhaling deep gulps of air from his massive, parted jaws. White, glistening fangs shined like marrow-made knives in the silver moonlight. His eyes. Those abhorrent, dreadful blue eyes.

“M-Malcom?” Cia’s voice was a hushed whisper. “He... He can’t... Come in, right? Cadyn...”

Malcom took a step back away from the window, her eyes darting to the front door. An unsettling, skin-crawling aura had settled in the air and lingered like early morning mist. The temperature was dropping, actual goosebumps forming on her body in response to the cold. Malcom moved the hand from her face and pointed her shaky fingers toward the door.

“B-Bless this house, bless the bricks, bless the stone...” she whispered in a trembling voice. “Let darkness not enter, may we be left alone.” Nothing.

“I...I...” tears welled in Malcom’s eyes, her voice catching in her throat. “Thus as my f-fear and sadness wells... M-May what is unjust not undo... The p-power of my father’s spell...” Still the temperature dropped until Malcom could see her own breath. There was nothing.

“Damn you!” she cursed at herself, turning to run up the staircase again. “It’s useless! Come on, Cia, we have to hide!”

The troll was frozen to the spot, her watery brown eyes staring in terror at the door. A single tear rolled down her face as the lights in the house began to smolder and burn out; one by one. There was a sound of ice cracking, of something too cold shattering into nothing. Malcom’s gaze followed Cia’s stare and her heart sank. The door itself was crawling with spiderwebs of ice, the wooden panel groaning as it froze. The lock mechanisms screeched as they were slowly, forcefully, pried away from their latches.

“Run,” Penny whispered to the girls, sharing a faithful glance with the other animals as they joined in rank- standing shoulder to shoulder as the cracking sound echoed through the house. “Now.”

The door could take no more and burst open, sending subzero-temperature wood splinters in all directions. One of them scratched Cia’s face but not a single sliver harmed Malcom. Waves of dark fog rolled into the house as the friends went racing up the stairs. Malcom’s tears flowed like water when she heard the howls and hisses of her family’s precious pets, the dogs and cats crying out as they battled for their home.

Malcom pulled Cia along into her bedroom and rushed over to the window as the smoldering bog made its way up the stairs and began to swell through the upper story of her home. She could hear the snarls of oh so many hounds and the heavy silence of any help they may have had. She tried to pry at the windowpane with her shaky fingers, but the locks were fastened tight.

“Malcom!” Cia hissed, trying to use what little magic she had to unbolt the latch. “Why won’t it budge?!”

“His magic...” Malcom said in a choked voice. “His damned dark magic...”

“Well, well, well. Aren’t you looking lovely?” Every ounce of strength sept out of Malcom’s body and she began to tremble. Tears fell down her face in quarts and she felt her stomach twist in knots. Gently, protectively, she laid her hands over her abdomen then slowly turned around. She moved in front of Cia, her entire being shaking from cold and fear.

Before her was her worst nightmare come to life. Jeckles Dylite. Here. In her home- in her room. He had violated the furthest, safest corner of creation as she knew it. And it disgusted her. Malcom lifted her chin, trying to show some courage despite her overwhelming panic. His ugly maw was inches from her face, acidic blue eyes baring into her like rays of poisoned sun. But there was no warmth here now, only the echoes of dark and cold.

“How’s my child?” Saliva ran from the back of his throat, across the fangs in his mouth, and dripped from his lips to the floor—sinking into her plush blue carpet. “Swear to me that it will be mine upon birth and this can all end, Malcom. You have my word.”

“Trust not the words of the defiler,” Malcom’s voice trembled as she spoke. “Lucifer’s words bled from a forked tongue. I will believe not anything from the lips of a snake.”

“Malcom...” Cia whispered, clutching her friend’s side in fear of the blatant disrespect. Jeckles pupils narrowed and he snapped at her, but his fangs did not touch her skin.

“Then you’ll come with me,” Jeckles reached out, touching her cheek with his furry, icy paw. Behind him, half a dozen hounds poured into Malcom’s bedroom with all the lethalness of their breed. She knew at once the battle was lost. Malcom closed her eyes, begging, pleading... She dropped her hands from her stomach and reached them back, twining her fingers with Cia’s own. Her best friend sensed her desperation and pushed the small bit of magic she had into Malcom’s hands. She nodded, feeling the Energy Exchange shifting between them. She let go of her beloved and stepped closer to the monster before her.

“Yes, my lord...”

“Good girl.” His hot breath scorched her face and she tried desperately to look him in the eyes; icy pools meeting azure embers. Malcom’s sense of being, of consciousness, began to melt away. First it was from fear, from fatigue, but then... It was intentional. She became faintly aware of Jeckles saying something to her, but she couldn’t make it out. She clung desperately onto the spark of magic Cia had given her as the darkness came and she collapsed backward into her best friend’s arms. The last thing she saw was a pale fairy with dark hair in the clutches of one of the hounds; her gray-blue eyes haunted and dull. Malcom recalled hearing Cia scream and then there was only silence as Mercy welcomed her into the Nothingness. That little spark was all they needed. Together, they could form just enough magic to send one cry for help- he only way she knew how- to the only person who could stop Jeckles Dylite.

***

THE REST OF THE DAY went by in a painful blur that Andy longed to forget. Anna’s funeral had been heartbreaking. By the time the kingdom had gathered to mourn, her magic had already been returned to the earth. Now, the ground where she passed was rich with the most beautiful patch of bright, strawberry red roses. Jaron had steeled back up into the ball of rage who had shot the elf assassin. His children were in tatters and he was strong for them.

It had been decided that Jaron would reenter the Crimson Kingdom Elite Guard on one condition. Queen Auburn had insisted that she be listed as the guardian to his children in the event of his death. He had been reluctant at first but finally agreed to those terms, so long as he got to fight in the war. A ferocious hunger to avenge his wife had grown in the soft place where the love had been. It was now all Jaron had in his heart to keep his family safe and keep Anna’s memory alive.

The older fairy who had addressed Andy had said little else until the ceremonies were over, to allow everyone to grieve. Only when night fell and the second day of the battle strategy travels rolled over into the third, did he finally take back up to talk to Andy again. He offered him, Cadyn, and Lorem a night’s stay in his home and the trio couldn’t refuse. They felt the Glass family needed to be alone with their pain.

His home was modern in comparison to most others in Exodus, a townhouse wedged in-between a row of houses much like it. The bricks of the building were a deep maroon-color and there was a wrap-around porch big enough for Lorem to rest on. The inside was simple, nothing extraordinary. Everything was neat, precise, and clean. The floors were all carpeted in a new looking cream fabric that was soft and comforting on the arches of Andy’s aching feet. Their guide said nothing as he poured a cup of tea, his gray eyes staring at Lorem through the double-pained, sliding glass doors in the kitchen.

“Annabella and Jaron made these doors for me,” he said after a while and he suddenly looked more and more like a tired old man. He emptied the kettle by pouring the remaining liquid into two more cups that he handed to his guests. He grew quiet for a while then opened a black fridge- much to Andy’s surprise. He removed a blue marbled cup from inside of it and held it in his hands until steam rolled from the top and the liquid inside warmed.

“Who are you?” Andy dared to ask as the sweet, spicy, herbal tea he was drinking helped ease the sour feeling in his belly. “How did you know my mother’s name?”

“Amos! Your coffee!” He shouted over Andy, as if he didn’t even hear him. But then he sighed and pointed toward a beautiful painting above the living room fireplace. Something shuffled above them and footsteps began to sound as they made their way down the steps.

“That artwork is of a woodland nymph. Her name was Kestrel. She was beautiful...” their guide trailed and took a sip from the cup he was holding. “Her connection to the earth was through trees. She even looked like one- a sycamore, it had been. Her skin was pale as paper, her arms up to her elbows and feet up to her knees were a dark, ashy brown. Her fingers always looked like twigs to me...” He took another scorching sip to numb the pain as a man turned from the staircase and headed toward the kitchen. The newcomer was a large, dark skinned elf with big, syrupy brown eyes and scars across his face and neck. He took the cup thankfully from the Crimson Fairy with stiff hands. When he saw Cadyn, he nearly dropped the mug.

“Amos!” Cadyn was up in an instant, realizing that this was the Peacekeeper Captain that Queen Auburn had spoken of. He rushed to him and the two men embraced, holding on for dear life as if each of the other was the last of their kind. Amos handed the cup back to his companion and hugged Cadyn tighter, tears forming in his deer-brown eyes. “Amos, I was wondering where you were...” Cadyn cupped his friend’s cheeks with his hands and tears blazed in his blue eyes as he kissed him. “Oh, my friend... I heard the Crimson Kingdom found you half alive. But here you are, well as always.”

Amos smiled at him but pointed to the scar’s around his mouth. Cadyn’s heart plummeted when he understood. He remembered what Queen Auburn had said. They cut out his tongue... “But why?”

Amos waved a hand above his head and a small white glowing orb appeared. A voice radiated from it in reply. “So I could never tell anyone what I had seen. They broke my hands too, in attempt to keep me from ever writing to explain. But the Crimson Fairies took wonderful care of me and as you can see, I am alive and well.” Amos took a step back and wiggled his slightly stiff fingers. There were deep, ugly gray scars all over his skin where surgeries had been done to save the use of his hands. “And my magic has grown stronger in my time among the fairies. Doran has taught me how to use charms to channel my thoughts into voice. I guess the Dark Law Ordinance doesn’t understand magic as much as they think they do.”

“Ah, yes. I should have figured that you two would know each-other...” the Crimson Fairy, Doran, seemed to be piecing it all together in his head as took another sip from his cup. “When Amos arrived here, half dead, Queen Auburn made sure his life was saved. Spare his missing tongue and shaky hands, she did a wonderful job. The Dark Law Ordinance kidnapped him and held him for months. They tormented him in all kinds of ways, trying to get him to sell out the other Peacekeepers in hiding in exchange for his life. As you can see, Amos refused. After that, he was sent off alone into the wilderness to live or die. They were hoping he’d be an example of what the Ordinance can do if they don’t get their way. What they didn’t realize, is he turned into a martyr. Everyone believes he’s dead.”

“So now I’m here, living in the Crimson Kingdom as a refugee. They set Doran and I up as roommates and I am quite happy with my current living arrangements. I do plan to go back to the Corps as soon as I have recovered just a bit more. I have heard of the attacks in the north against the Peacekeepers. I know our numbers are low. I won’t abandon you, Cadyn- I swore it then and I swear it now.” Amos smiled at his friend and took a sip from his cup.

“Okay, all of this is great,” Andy interjected coldly, his eyebrows furrowing as his face turned red. He didn’t like being ignored and his patience had about run out. Jaron’s cry for Anna echoed in his head and he still felt her blood warm on his hands despite having washed it away. He’d had enough.

“However- I really would like to know how it is that you know my mother. I haven’t spoken her name in years and yet you knew it. You knew it. And you know me. You took one look at me and magically seemed to recognize my eyes? Who in the hell are you? I am so sick of everyone here knowing more about me than I do, and I really don’t like it. Answer my questions, please.”

“Wren is my daughter.” Doran’s voice was almost void of emotion, but his eyes held a spark of amusement at Andy’s outburst. “I am the Crimson Fairy who fall in love with a woodland nymph. Kestrel, her name was Kestrel.” He peered at Andy thoughtfully, holding those green eyes with his steely gray hues. “That, young man, makes you my grandson. I’ve seen you before, with those big emerald eyes. Your mother and I were in contact for a while after she left this realm. She sent me hexes, charms, enchanted letters, dreams... All kinds of things to show you to me. You were so tiny as a baby...” Doran’s gray eyes seemed to swirl with a storm of emotion. “Wren stopped contacting me... Did she?... I mean, is she?...”

“She died when I was a toddler,” Andy replied as he got to his feet. He tilted his head and stepped closer to Doran. His hands shook as he carefully, slowly, reached out and touched the fairy’s pointed ears. “You’re my...”

“Yes. You’re such a fine young man... You look so much like her, like Wren. And Kestrel. Perhaps even...”

“I look like you.” Before anything else was said, the two men cautiously embraced. Doran’s arms wrapped around him in a big, tight bear-hug and Amos took the cup from his fingers. Andy was reserved at first then finally gave in to his pounding heart. He held Doran tight, pressing his face into the nook between his neck and his shoulder. The embrace between grandfather and grandson was a tender moment- until their hearts began to beat in time.

Suddenly, an electric shock like a miniature lightning bolt struck them both in the chest. Doran’s watery eyes froze, and Andy paused his breathing. Years upon years of memories and time washed between them. Andy saw everything. Kestrel, how she had met Doran, their first date, their first kiss. He felt the joy of becoming a father as it swelled in his chest but then the joy turned to fear that melted into rage when Doran found out that Kestrel had been murdered at the paws of the Dark Law Hounds.

Tears rimmed the older fairy’s eyes as he saw the life his grandson had lived. Abuse, neglect, rejection, fear. Always feeling different. Always being cast away. He felt his lungs burn, tasted iron in the back of his throat from blood. The smell of alcohol, the burning of painful blows from the man who had raised him. Just as fast as the flashes started, they began to recede. Andy and Doran slowly released one another, staring into the other’s face as if looking into a mirror.

“I-I’m so sorry that you didn’t know my mother died...” Andy forced out at last- his throat taut with emotion.

“You never knew who you were... What you are...” Tears ran down Doran’s face as he fought to catch his breath.

“I always thought I was just different, you know?” Andy wiped the tears that were forming in the corners of his eyes. “I never imagined that I would ever... Have an explanation for it. And here it is...” he blinked thoughtfully and slowly sunk down onto a cream couch cushion. “Kestrel was a beautiful woman, er... Nymph. I can see why you fell in love with her.”

“She was kind and so funny too.” Doran’s face took on a haunted look. “I tried to find love after she passed. I was a young man when it happened, and with Crimson numbers so low, I was trying to do a service to my kingdom. But I just couldn’t find it in my heart to be with a woman again after her. Amos there is the closest I’ll ever come to that kind of love again.” Doran offered the mute Peacekeeper a small smile and Amos just rolled his eyes at him. “I hope that doesn’t bother you? Amos and...”

“No. I think it’s wonderful. Everyone needs someone. Even if it isn’t the same as what you had with my grandmother. You need something. We all need...” Andy’s eyes downcast. “Something.”

“Have you no one, Andy?” Amos asked as he put an arm around Doran’s shoulders comfortingly.

“Not... Not quite. I’m taking what I have right now super slow. I don’t want to mess it up. I really, really like the girl. But she has a lot going on and she doesn’t need a boyfriend making things in her head worse,” Andy replied as he pushed a hand idly through his red hair.

A knock from the front porch made them all jump, and Doran slid away from Amos to answer it. He had only just opened the door when a blurry body rushed at him. A woman with red hair nestled into his chest, hugging him tightly as she sobbed. Doran’s gray eyes calmed until they were an aching, sympathetic misty color. He wrapped his arms around the weeping girl and rocked her gently.

“There, there. Shhh, my precious Auburn.” He kissed the top of her head. “I know... Come in. We are among friends.”

As the woman pulled away from him, it became clear that this was no ordinary Crimson Fairy. This was the leader of it all, Queen Auburn herself. She was dressed entirely differently than the first time Andy and Cadyn had entered her court. She wore low-rising blue jeans that hung on her hips and swooped down so low in the front that it was nearly obscene. Black leather boots sunk into the soft, white carpet as she stepped inside. A black tank-top covered her upper body, though it was extremely revealing in the chest area and cut very high across the stomach so that most of her belly was revealed. Her hair was pulled back in a casual high ponytail, swinging cinnamon locks left and right as she walked. She had been looking down the entire time until her heels clicked on the kitchen floor and she lifted her head, noticing there were more people present than usual.

“Cadyn, Andy...” she said in surprise. Amos walked toward her and embraced her, and she let his large arms warm her chilly body. She kissed the Peacekeeper’s cheek then leaned into his embrace. She sniffled and rubbed the tip of her nose with her palm and thankfully gushed gratitude over Doran as he handed her a large cup filled to the brim with steaming, hot liquid.

“What are we drinking tonight?” asked the Queen as she took a sip and let it warm her inside throughout.

“Spiced tea with cinnamon, honey, and crimson rose petals. I...” Amos sucked in a hard breath as he began to brew more on the stove. “Your dearest Annabella taught me how to make it. I figured it be only fitting. This concoction chased the flu out of half the kingdom a few years ago, I heard. Bless her soul. She was a saint.”

At the speaking of Anna’s name, Queen Auburn seemed to visibly crumple. She took another sip of the delicious herbal drink she had tasted so many times at the house of her best friend. Tears formed in her eyes as she picked a stool at the kitchen island to sit at. She drank more and more of the tea, trying to burn her pain away. “Anything stronger?” she croaked at last, her voice hoarse from trying not to cry and scorching herself with the tea.

“Not for you, your Majesty,” Doran replied with a painful, sympathetic shake of his head. He was about to say something else when his face suddenly brightened. Light returned to his eyes and he energetically rasped a hand against Amos’s shoulder. The Peacekeeper flinched then looked at him with an askew expression. “My Queen! Do you not understand? Oh, Amos, don’t you see!” he turned his sharp gaze on Andy. “Queen Auburn, my dearest niece... This is Andy Coleman.”

“I know who he is, uncle.”

“But do you? He’s my grandson.”

Queen Auburn’s head shot up and she looked over at Andy with watery golden eyes. She wiped her tears away and got to her feet. Andy recoiled from her slightly as she began to approach him, looking at him as if he had three eyes and four heads. Queen Auburn reached a hand out and touched his slightly pointed ear with her cat-like claws.

“Of course...” she whispered. “You’re part Crimson Fairy- you said so yourself...” She recoiled, her hands covering her mouth in shock. “You’re just... So far removed from magic. We can fix it. We can. Oh, Andy. This is such a blessing... In the darkest of times.”

“W-What? What are you talking about? Because I’m part Crimson Fairy? I don’t know if you actually saw me on the battle field or not but I’m really nothing to get excited about...”

“No! Don’t you see? My father, the former king, was Doran’s younger brother. Doran is my only living relative. I have no children, Andy. No siblings. No other living kin. You, you, Andy, are Doran’s grandson. That makes you my second cousin. You, if I will it so, are the heir to the Crimson Kingdom.”

Andy reeled and leaned against a wall near Amos, his head swimming. Doran my grandfather? Yes. Doran’s brother was Queen Auburn’s father? Cousins... Andy looked up at all those around him who were staring so expectedly. Cadyn’s blue hues were wide with shock, Auburn’s gold eyes watery with the only joy she’d felt all day, Amos’s brown depths swirling with admiration, Doran’s gray pools so full of unexpected love. How could this be? Just a few days ago, he was just a man, working a full-time job, living in a studio apartment with his dog. Now, he was royalty? A long-lost prince? Heir to the Crimson Kingdom?

“I don’t know how to be an heir,” he said slowly. “I don’t know how to rule a kingdom or how to be a fairy... Or how to be a Mythic. I don’t have any real magic. I don’t...”

“That isn’t true. I saw you earlier, in the battle. Before Annie fell...” Queen Auburn caught her breath. “You felt it, didn’t you? The blade you held- it was flowing with the energy you claimed. In your very soul, you felt it- the lifeblood of the Crimson Kingdom.”

Andy stuffed his hand into his back pocket and removed the small knife his mother had left for him before she died. James had told him that she said it belonged to her father. Doran’s eyes flickered with recognition and his lips curled into a smile. “My brother’s knife. He gave it to me as a gift. And when Kestrel told me she was with child; I naturally gave it to her to give to our baby. In a world where halfblood is so frowned upon, I knew our son or daughter would need it. It... It brings me so much joy to see that it ended up in your hands, Andy.”

“The blade, if it is a gift from my father, is enchanted,” Queen Auburn told him, carefully taking the knife from Andy’s hands. She smiled, as if holding it brought back memories of her parents. “Ah, it is indeed. My father, King Demi, was a paranoid man. He often charmed dangerous items to not look as deadly as they were. I wonder...”

Queen Auburn closed her eyes and magically the little pocketknife unfolded and began to grow, twist, warp, and change until it was a massive sword with a blade as black as night. The handle was a deep, dark golden color and was laced with designs of lions, wolves, dragons, and fire. Auburn twisted the sword in her hand and smiled at its craftsmanship, running her fingers across the flat side of the blade that had magically become clean again. “He made this himself. I can almost feel him in it...”

“It’s part of his magic,” Doran explained as he cupped Andy’s shoulder. “It will appear small and virtually useless when not channeled by the power around it. But when Crimson magic touches it, it will grow into a blade worthy of the challenge that faces you. Today, in the battle, you fought a Dark Troll- or ogres as some mortals call them. Their skin is very thick and nearly impenetrable unless whatever trying to pierce the flesh is hot like...”

“Fire,” Andy murmured, his eyes wide. “I thought I saw the blade turn red when I was fighting that thing. I... You’re saying I had to use magic to make it do that?”

“Yes, Andy! You are now in Exodus where you belong. You will finally be able to master what you were born to do. You will be able to bend magic.” Queen Auburn handed the sword to Doran and grabbed Andy by his wrists, shaking him lightly. “Please, Andy! Join me here. Be a prince. Give our people—your people—hope.”

“Queen Auburn...”

“Auburn,” she corrected him with a megawatt smile.

“Auburn,” Andy repeated. “I... I will. I promise, I will. But not just yet. I owe the McKnights my life, so much more than you will ever, ever know. Cadyn is going to train me, help me learn to harness magic. Until then, I’m not ready to be a prince of anything. I don’t even know who I am yet, I don’t want this kingdom to look to me for answers until I have some of my own. I promise... cousin...” he said with the faintest of smiles. “I will come home. But first, let me take care of things with me. Okay?”

Queen Auburn nodded slowly, her eyes softening with understanding. “Yes, I suppose that is only right. Oh, Andy. The kingdom will rejoice. Rather or not you come home today or ten years from now, they have another heir. This has been what they’ve been waiting for...” She embraced him, tears running down her face. “Oh, Annie...” she whispered to nothing, as if her dearly departed captain had somehow helped this unfold. “Thank you.”

“This calls for a celebration! The Crimson Kingdom has found a new heir!” Doran cheered, lifting his cup. Amos let out a silent laugh and lifted his as well.

“To Queen Auburn, to Prince Andrew, and to Captain Annabella!”

Cadyn raised his mug to cheer as well when something crept into his mind. A chill rushed up his spine and his head began to pound like he had been slammed in the temple. The cup slid from his hands and shattered against the hardwood of the kitchen floor. Cadyn’s vision blurred as he doubled forward, saliva dripping from his open mouth. His head pulsed harder until he felt as if the sides were going to burst. Lorem roared outside, distress raging through him as his rider’s anxiety prickled in his heart. Cade thought he heard someone screaming as he hit the floor- but his head was in too much pain to be sure. The darkness came quickly, and Cade let is swallow him up.

***

IT WASN’T LIKE FALLING. Or sleeping. Or feeling. In fact... This wasn’t like anything at all. Cade blinked awake into an endless abyss of white, tender light. He rubbed his closed eyes and groaned as he drifted weightless through the void. He was suddenly aware of someone else- another presence. It wasn’t menacing nor unwelcome. Just... Unfamiliar. And yet... He knew it. Cade opened his eyes and found himself staring into the face of a young man with a chiseled jawline and startling green eyes.

“Mercy?” he whispered, and the stranger nodded slowly. Cade forced himself to stand and his son backed away from him- careful to not touch the Peacekeeper Captain. “Mercy... What’s going on? What happened to Malcom?”

A sad look entered Mercy’s eyes and he stared off, far into the distance of the Nothingness. He looked again at his father and opened his mouth, forming words Cadyn couldn’t understand. Mercy reached out and silently cupped Cade’s face in his hands. As fast as the time with him had started- it all came crashing to an end.

Fierce wind burned his face and when Cade opened his eyes, he had to shut them again immediately to avoid being blinded. He could tell by the sound and the feeling underneath him that he was atop Lorem’s back and they were soaring through the air at break-neck speed. The Peacekeeper Lord blinked but kept his eyes screwed shut as he felt around him. He was strapped down so he wouldn’t fall, and Andy was in front of him. There was someone behind him, and the dark, earthy scent was familiar to him- Amos.

“Wh-Where... Mercy... Malcom?... Where’s Malcom?”

“You passed out,” Andy called to him as the forests and fields below whisked by in storms of green. “It was so strange... You were fine, and then you were screaming, and you just dropped. Lorem said he felt in your soul that we needed to head back to Ausbury. We packed up and left as soon as we could. You’ve been unconscious for hours...”

“No,” Cade protested, his head pounding as he struggled to make sense of everything around him. “I was... I was only out a few minutes...”

“No, my lord! It’s morning of the third day now!” Lorem called into the wind as a sharp bank downward jerked Cadyn more directly awake. He sat bolt upright, his heart pounding as he recalled the night before. The throbbing of his head, the pain that was so sharp. He could almost hear her voice and feel her fear. It was a message, an urgent cry for help. But why?

“Jeckles...” the word slipped from Cade’s lips like a lyric to a hellish nightmare. He clutched Andy’s waist and looked about him, Amos’s strong arms holding his back. The land was familiar now- cozy, home. My God... They’d made it back to Cassidy Village. It felt impossible. Did time move so differently in the Nothingness?

Lorem’s insane pace increased as they got closer and closer to the enchanted land that held McKnight Manor. But before anything even came into sight... Cadyn knew there was something terribly wrong. Chills of unease raced up his spine and cold, unholy thoughts crept into his mind. Things long forgotten crawled out of dark corners in his memory and sept into the shaking palms of his hands. Fear. Terrible, tangible, inconceivable fear... And guilt. And something far more primal- more personal. Rage. Lorem’s flight stopped so abruptly that he nearly threw all his riders- his wings suspended in mid-air. Silence formed like fog.

“Oh my God...”

A great, terrible roar rose in Lorem’s throat and the great white beast tore down toward the ground, spiraling out of control as the land came fast. His paws hit the grass with a brutal force and flames ignited the sky. Amos had no time to stop him, and Andy hadn’t even gotten halfway out of the saddle when Cadyn unstrapped himself from Lorem’s back and fell into the grass a few yards from the doorway. The Peacekeeper Lord toppled to the ground in a numb, aching heap. His body shook, his sides heaved, and tears rolled down his face in silent agony as he beat the ground again and again with his fists... For before him was a childhood nightmare breathed back to life.

The home he and Cleo had built together lay in ruin among the lush foliage; black ash smoldering from what remained. Still in her frozen state, Surrex stood reared on her hind legs- cloaked in a glass-like tomb that was dusted with soot and cinder. Lorem approached the paralyzed dragoness and breathed surging violet fire over her. Slowly, fractal by fractal, the crystal melted away and Surrex was finally thawed free of her prison. She gasped desperately for breath and nearly collapsed into the grass- her eyes glossy and dull. She looked up at Lorem first then over at Cade, then Andy, then Amos. She seemed dazed and confused as she took a step back. Her hind paws met the smoldering piles of rubble and she whipped around- then froze.

“W-What happened...” instantly, angry tears began to roll down her face. “No... Th-This isn’t right. I was just here. I was just here, damn it! I... I... I don’t understand...”

“Lorem... Go unfreeze the others.” Cade’s voice was icily cold as he got to his feet and numbly walked over to what remained of his home. Half the house lay toppled to the side, the stones and planks of wood were burnt and charred. Strewn across the front yard were shredded remains of Malcom’s precious stuffed animals. Bits of blue carpet and red bedding blew through the grass in the breeze. Pictures and documents were still lit like embers in the rubble, precious things that couldn’t be replaced smoldering in dark fire. Surrex cried in anguish when she pushed her muzzle into the charred remains of Malcom’s favorite teddy bear and a silhouette dragon sulked sadly on the edge of a broken ceiling beam.

Surrex screeched when something moved under a pile of ash and she quickly began to dig out whatever lay underneath. Tufts of white fur surfaced from the carnage as Izzy lay weeping, defeated in a circle of blood. As Surrex dug deeper, she began to look incredibly ill. Buried in the heaps of ruin, many of the McKnight’s precious pets lay slaughtered across the grass. Izzy’s bloodshot eyes met the dragon’s sad gaze.

“Penny... and Panther-er...” she coughed, laying on her side as she gasped desperately for breath. Tears glazed her eyes and Andy knelt into the black remains, scooping the white cat up in his arms. The environment surrounding the manor began to sink deeper and deeper into a sinister, sad aura as the feline turned her sad gaze to Cadyn- his expression steely and unreadable. “Th-They’re alive... They f-fled to the dragon... P-Pasture...” she whispered hoarsely, her throat blistered from smoke and heat. Cade collapsed again to his knees, Amos holding his shoulders. The two just stared at each-other in deep, agonized understanding.

The sound of heavy steps came from the forest and Xanzyr approached the Peacekeeper Lord slowly from the trees, his head down with blood running from a wound on the side of his face. His left eye was swollen shut as he brought all the other dragons and the remaining domestic pets back to what remained of their house. He stared at the destruction with shocked, livid yellow eyes. Black smoke rolled from his nostrils as the great bull dropped his head, his mouth only inches from Cade’s ear.

“We tried to stop them, m-my lord,” he said in a voice that was so rough and heavy with defeat, it palpably ached. “But they came so fast... They were so strong. We didn’t even really see them coming. I-I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what can freeze dragons like that... I... I’m so sorry we failed you.”

“You did no such thing!” Izzy cried as Amos came over and began to patch her injuries. Blood ran from her lips as she shook her head. “We all did what we could... Had... H-Had we all been able to fight... Th-They never would have stood a chance...” she whispered as she watched with heartbroken eyes when Cade found Symba’s flayed body. He sobbed until no sound came from his lips as he held her still form close to his chest.

“They came when the night fell last. It was like a wave, an endless sea of soldiers,” Azura gasped as she came to Surrex’s side, her blue eyes lifeless and expression sullen.

“Cadyn?...” Penny limped toward her master, seemingly hundreds of years older as she crumbled at his side. The shapeshifter hugged her numbly with one arm, unwilling to release Symba’s battered body. The two of them looked in silence at what had once been their front door as it laid in ashes among the annihilation; torn from its hinges like butterfly wings. “Oh, my sweet C-Cadyn... Our home... W-We’ve lost it again.”

Andy moved numbly, coldly, stiffly toward what was left of the former entry of the beautiful, magical manor. He touched the wood with trembling fingers, a sick, twisting feeling in his stomach as he noticed a piece of parchment untouched by the flames and fall the house had suffered. He removed the piece of thick, yellowed paper that was tacked to the frame and his bloodshot eyes devoured what was written. Once. Twice. Three times. On the third read, he lowered the paper and a fire lit in his eyes. He looked at Cadyn with a grim, dark expression building across his face. He made his way to his mentor’s side with feet made of lead and handed the note to him. At first, Cade’s eyes didn’t focus on the words. He had to read it twice for it to really sink in.

Malcom Marie McknIght,
you have been convicted and found guilty by the council of the Dark Law Ordinance to have violated one or more of the Ancient Laws set in place by the might and power of the Mythical Creature Order. On their behalf as justice bringers, I hereby sentence you, as Commander of the Ordinance, to BE JUDGED for treason against the Order and betrayal of the law. May God have mercy on your soul.

Jeckles Dylite,

Lord of the Dark Law Ordinance.

Cade’s entire world began to spin out of control. He doubled over and vomited, the contents of his stomach emptying into the grass. Everything began to tear at his heart, blistering his soul. The message... The pain... The fear... Mercy. The house in ruin, the stuffed animals destroyed, so many of his beloved animals left slaughtered... Malcom... Gone. His baby- his only, precious, perfect baby... Was gone.

The helpless pit of familiar agony that was spreading in his chest began to fester and boil until it metastasized into something powerful, aching, and so deeply hidden. A terrible anger raged through him until dark orange fire engulfed his hands and the parchment burned up in his palms. Cade let out a horrible cry and brought his fists down against the earth. He closed his eyes and when they opened again, the blue of his irises were set ablaze with a flame that burned with the primal ferocity of ancient dragon blood.

“Never forget who is over you...” he all but growled through clenched teeth as his azure embers met Lorem’s blazing gaze. His dragon held his stare.

“... Or you will end up beneath them.”

Slowly, shaking, Cade got to his feet and raked his eyes across the two men and creature army who remained before him. He looked into Andy’s shattered emerald eyes and Amos’s swimming earth-toned depths. He saw his so few remaining mangled pets, his crestfallen dragons, his daughter’s white nanny wolf... He clenched his fists and tried to steady his voice.

“Will you fight with me? For me? For Malcom?...”

Andy and Amos exchanged glances then met Cade’s steely expression with their own frosty stares. Waves of red, blue, and orange flame thrust into the air and painted the sky in sheets of hot, vengeful color as Xanzyr, Azura, Surrex, and Lorem roared their loyalty. Andy never looked away from Cadyn as he pulled out his pocketknife and flipped it open. The enchanted weapon transformed into the sword that King Demi had forged, and he raised it high.

“Till death.”

“Till death!” Amos raised his fist up against the scarlet sky.

Cade drew a deep breath, his fiery blue irises darkening until they were almost black as he looked once more at his destroyed home. Again, Jeckles Dylite had taken everything from him. But he wasn’t a little boy anymore. He would take back what belonged to him... Even if he had to burn down all of Shadow Country to make that happen. He thought of the lycan lord’s terrible threat and the nursery of ash, he swore he’d create. If the shadows were awake and alive within their realm- so be it. Even Jeckles knew nothing of the ferociousness of Cade’s love for his only child. In his mind, he saw the werewolf’s pale face and acidic blue eyes. A deep silver mist began to blanket Cade’s body as it took on the shape of a dragon silhouette.

If it’s a war you want- it’s a war you’ll get. I’m coming, Jeckles. I’m ready... And may God have mercy on your soul!

Epilogue

The kingdom lay in smoldering ruin. Brick buildings had toppled over into the street, still billowing black smoke into the crimson sunset sky. In some places, the fire was still burning- orange tongues of flame crackling against the harsh wind. A blanket of ash fell like gray snow and covered the carnage that lay beneath it.

A terrible roar split the air and a cry of panic rose from the shadows. A man peeled himself out of a shaded place as the silhouette of a mighty beast hovered overhead. Blue eyes stretching wide with fear, the man tossed a terrified glance over his shoulder as he went racing down the street. He covered his mouth with a bloody hand, coughing into his palm as smoke twisted up around him. He tripped over something and fell, gasping as his skin met painfully warm stone. He looked back, absolutely horrified to see that what had caused his fall were the charred remains of a citizen who had been burned alive by dragon fire.

Another ear-splitting screech echoed from above and intense heat seared across his flesh. Willing himself forward, the man rolled to his feet and took off in a mad sprint for safety. He turned down an alleyway only to find the street blocked with smoldering debris and singed bodies. With sweat rolling down his face, he turned and dashed the other direction as another blast of red fire came closer this time- blazing the space around him.

The man ran down a narrow path and screeched to a stop before a crumbling wall of stone and dark brick. He went to take a step backward but was suddenly aware of the shadows closing in around him. The disembodied wails of those departed echoed in his ears as merciless hands reached out to grab him.

The sound of claws scraping stone made him reel and he looked ahead, horrified to see the mighty black dragon had climbed the wall before him and was peering over the edge with hatred blazing in his blue eyes. The man fell backward, his palms searing from the heat of the bricks under his palms.

Fire raged behind the beast and he stretched his mighty wings. “You cannot hide from me, Jeckles. This is for my daughter!” The dragon roared, spirals of orange flame twisting from his jaws. Jeckles covered his face with his arms, desperate to shield himself from the incinerating inferno as the spectral hands grabbed his arms and began to drag him into the infinite darkness below.

The Shadow Lord gasped and sat straight up, his eyes flying open to be greeted by the familiarity of his own keep. Sweat rolled down his face as he tried desperately to catch his breath, sucking in precious lungfuls of crisp, clean air.

He threw his legs over the side of the bed and stormed shakily from his chambers, his canine paws making virtually no sound as he hurried down the corridor of the castle. He took a hard right and felt his way along the dark walls that led down into the dungeons. He stopped by the last cell and turned to the barred window- peering inside. Behind the door, two young women lay sleeping. One, a troll with messy, dirty hair, was curled up in a nest of straw and hay on the floor. The other, a dark-skinned fairy with a round belly, was laying on the single bed, her face tilted toward the door. Jeckles felt his heart stop.

The girl’s eyes were wide open even though she was obviously in deep slumber. Her irises blazed an intense viridian that seared into his soul, her pupils no more than pinpoints in the sea of green. Jeckles held her gaze for a few moments, a chill creeping up his spine that made his skin crawl beneath his pelt. With an uneasy shiver, the lycan turned on his heels and headed back up to his quarters, plagued by his nerves and his worries.

Inside the Nothingness, Mercy sat with his legs crossed and his hands cradled on his knees. The vein along his temple pulsed with concentration and his sage-colored eyes blazed. Behind him, as close as she could be without touching, Malcom was nervously chewing on her fingernails.

“Do you think it worked?” she whispered, and her brother gave her a curt nod.

“He got the message loud and clear. Our father will come, Malcom... And he’ll burn Shadow Country to the ground to bring you back with him.”

***

LOREM’S PAWS LANDED softly on the thawing ground outside the gates of the Violet Kingdom. An instant later, Azura, Xanzyr, and Surrex followed- each with baskets and bags of all that remained from the manor on their backs. The four of them looked quite impressive despite their harrowed experience just hours before. It still felt like just a bad dream...

Anxious and wary, Dolorem looked around nervously as he folded his wings to his side. The forest is still, so quiet. Silence was a new enemy, a nemesis he had known too well that had returned with eager vengeance. He didn’t trust what it carried in its wake.

He forced his attention from his thoughts as the dragon’s molten green eyes met the gaze of a noble, stern-faced Elite Guardsmen who stood before the iron gate. The Violet Fairy dipped his head politely and stepped aside and the metal swung open.

As the parade of dragons made their way silently down the city streets, fairies of all ages stopped to stare in awe. A little boy pointed at Xanzyr and his mother hurried him away. The roads were wet with melted snow and icicles hung half-dissolved from ledges and overhangs on buildings. The frozen kingdom was thawing... Could the reason why be true?

A large crowd had gathered outside the castle gates, many of which were children. They were laughing and dancing in the warm rays of sun, something they hadn’t known for so very many years. Encircled in a ring of young fae, Drailen was taking turns letting each of them on his back. He would neigh and trot around, delighting those watching and bringing endless joy to the ones who were riding. His amber eyes locked on the familiar forms of the dragons and he met Cade’s gaze from atop Lorem’s back. He dropped his head instinctively, his bow so low that his horn touched the lavender bricks.

“My lord.”

“Drailen... Is it true?” Cadyn’s voice seemed foreign, gravely, and rough. “Is she truly here?...”

“Lady Cleo is Queen,” the stallion confirmed, gently stepping around the excited children- all of them now gawking at the four magnificent dragons that stood before them with dazzled, dull looks on their faces. “It’s an incredible story, my lord. When she came to see the Queen, Tanic told her that Tain was her adopted son. Isn’t that remarkable?!” he tossed his head. “Tain as Cleo’s father, leaves her and Malcom as the rightful heirs to the Violet Kingdom.” Drailen’s eyes scanned Cadyn’s face for some type of excitement.

Only then did those amber pools seem to notice that those coming from McKnight Manor were covered in soot and ash. Something uneasy entered the stallion’s gaze as he took in the sunken expression on first Andy and then Lorem’s face. His gaze darkened as he stepped closer to the white dragon. “Where is the princess? What has happened?”

“I need to see my wife,” Cade replied in a voice that was barely a whisper. “Please.”

Dark ill-ease came over Drailen’s face and the great stallion nodded. He turned on his hooves and trotted toward the castle. The guards opened the doors for him, and he looked over his shoulder. Slowly, Cade and his companions dismounted and followed. As Drailen led them into the Violet Kingdom’s royal court, the three men seemed too hollow to enjoy the beauty of their surroundings. Now, the three thrones were dusted and polished and only two were vacant. Cade stopped short; his breath caught in his throat.

Sitting in the middle chair, Cleo looked striking. A modest silver crown sat perfectly in a nest of chocolate-and-golden hair, her eyes a brilliant shade of violet ember. She wore an ankle-length black cotton dress that was littered with metallic, purple snowflakes. But what truly took Cade’s breath away was something he had never imagined was possible.

Folded against her back, hanging over the edge of her throne, were deep violet feathered wings. She hadn’t quite noticed them yet, as she sat in her throne cross-legged, listening to the pleas and prayers of her people. Before her was a withered old fairy who was nestled on her knees, telling her new queen of some issue with her land. Cleo’s eyes swirled as she nodded, listening intently to every desperate word.

“Well, yes of course,” the queen said when the woman finished speaking. “Yes, at once. I’ll send some of my court to aid you. We’ll get the farm up and running again in no time... What was your name again, my dear?”

“Agatha,” the elder replied graciously, her cataracted blue eyes watering. “Thank you, my queen. Thank you, thank you.” She clasped her hands together and shook them graciously then crossed her arms over her chest. One of the Elite helped her stand and walked her out, sniffles echoing the entire time.

“Alright. Who’s ne...” Her head snapped over to Cade and she beamed at him. She slid from her throne and dashed into his embrace. The Peacekeeper Lord exhaled and closed his eyes, wrapping his dirty arms around his wife. He found it odd to have to figure out where to place his hands, attempting to find a spot that felt comfortable between the feathered appendages.

He inhaled deeply, taking in sweet, precious gulps of air that smelled familiar and warm. Her scent was different- stronger, more... Electric, almost. The hair along his arms rose slightly at the new aura she gave off and he pressed his lips to her scalp.

“I’ve missed you so much... How was the Crimson Kingdom? What did Queen Auburn say?” she began, pulling just out of his arms. She looked at him with watering, fiery eyes. “I’ve got so much to tell you- the message I sent couldn’t even contain it all. Oh, I can’t wait for you to see the castle. It’s so amazing, Cadyn. I already know where I want to put Malcom’s room...” she trailed, peering beyond her husband at Amos and Andy. Suddenly, she seemed to notice their physical state and her energy deflated. “Cadyn? Where’s... Malcom? Why are you so filthy?”

“Cleo... Can we talk... Alone?” Cade tried with all his might to keep his voice from shaking. The pretty fairy’s eyes flashed in alarm and she nodded. Standing off from the thrones, there was a bitter looking old fairy watching them with cold, soulless eyes. Cleo walked over to her and whispered something in her ear and the woman nodded. The next moment, the new queen was guiding the trio into a room just off of where they were- but also away from the open space. She closed the door behind them and leaned back against a magnificent mahogany table.

“Cadyn... What’s happened? Is it the baby?”

“We went to the Crimson Kingdom,” Cade began, licking his lips as he tried again to steady his voice. “Queen Auburn agreed to help us. There was a battle... A bad one... Their captain was killed...” he gulped, looking away, unable to meet her gaze. “A-Andy found out some stuff about himself... He’s kin to Queen Auburn- heir to the Crimson Kingdom...” Cade closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands.

“Last night I was hit with an energy pulse from Malcom so hard that it knocked me out. W-When we got back to the Manor... Uhm... It was destroyed, Cleo...” his voice turned to ash in his mouth and tears began to form. “Malcom... Malcom’s gone. Cia too. He took them... Jeckles has our daughter.”

“N-No... No... No... This... No...” Cleo shook her head, tears overflowing and spilling down her elfish cheeks. Her chest began to rise and fall in fast, short movements and she looked desperately ill. She nearly melted to the floor, but Cade rushed forward and caught her in his arms. He held the weeping queen against his chest as her sobbing gave way to wails of anguish and she grasped desperately at his soot-covered shirt. “Cady-Cadyn... What will we do?”

“We get her back.”

An odd silence gripped the room as Andy spoke for the first time since they’d landed in the city. His arms were crossed over his chest, his emerald eyes hard and unforgiving. Amos placed a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it away. “We take what we have, we train... And we get her back.”

Cade seemed ready to say something when Andy interrupted him, an unsettling fire burning in his eyes. He leaned forward, splaying his hands across the mahogany tabletop. He turned his gaze back toward his mentor, his jaw set and expression unwavering.

“We have the Fire Fae. The Crimson Fairies have agreed to help you. Your wife is now Queen of the Violet Kingdom- the largest fairyan kingdom... Right?”

Cade nodded slowly and Cleo wiped some of the tears away from her still-watery eyes. She looked from her husband, to Amos, then to Andy as she cleared her throat. “T-That’s right... but I’m such a new queen, I don’t know how to lead their army. I thought I’d have more time....” Andy gestured to Cleo as she spoke, his evergreen eyes blazing with the fire of his people.

“I’m one of the heirs to the Crimson Kingdom. I don’t know what that means right now either, but I do know that it means we have literal fire power. I... I felt the lifeblood of the Fire Fae when I was there, Cleo. Cade knows it. Queen Auburn said that it is strong and wild and- with training- I know I can learn to harness it. We’ve clearly underestimated Jeckles and the Ordinance so far. We won’t make that mistake again. The worst thing that could happen, has happened. He has Malcom. We know he won’t hurt her. She’s safe until that baby is born. We have time... How much, I don’t know. But we have time. We can get an army together- we can train, get stronger, get better. Really focus on what we’re up against.”

“He’s right.” Amos nodded and extended his hands to Cade. “We just have to bring everything we’ve got to the next fight. And it has to be the last fight.”

“It will be,” Queen Cleo said in a thin, shaky voice as she steadied herself and adjusted her crown. She blinked back her tears then looked at her male companions. She nodded and slipped her fingers into the spaces of Cade’s own. She pulled him from the room and led the gentlemen back toward the Royal Court. The steely-eyed woman nodded at her as she passed, and Cleo spread her wings. All of those gathered in the court silenced immediately, staring at their new queen with stricken expressions of awe and wonder.

“Good loyalists of the Violet Kingdom,” she began, her voice shaking as it carried. “I introduce to you your king; my husband, Peacekeeper Lord, Cadyn McKnight.”

“Praise to the king!” The cry came at once as they dropped to one knee, all of them crossing their arms over their chests in unison.

“He has a message for you. If you would kindly lend him your ears.”

Cade’s heart drummed in his chest as he stood before one of the empty thrones, his head pounding. He looked around, first at Andy and Amos but then at Cleo and her stony advisor. He gazed out into the crowd of divine Violet Fairies and he cleared his throat to calm his nerves.

“Our daughter- your princess- has been abducted by Jeckles Dylite of the Dark Law Ordinance... Supposedly arrested for the crime of her existence. I... I don’t feel right to ask this of you... But...”

“We will help you retrieve your daughter.” The voice came from the front. There was the hazel-eyed form of Kyle- the Violet Kingdom’s Elite Captain. He met Cade’s eyes with an equal intensity as he pulled a beautiful, deep purple sword from the sheath tethered to his belt loop. He lifted it high. “For princess Malcom, for our queen, for our king, for the Peacekeeper Corps, and for the Violet Kingdom! Till death!”

“Till death!” they all echoed.

Cade closed his eyes, listening to their battle cries as he let his mind go elsewhere. Somewhere, some place dark and cold, Malcom rested in the heavy comfort of her Nothingness. Cade tried to reach out to her- but it was like he was feeling her through murky water- like seeing someone walking down a street at night. She was there but so far away from him.

Just hold on, Malcom. He begged silently with all of his might; praying somehow that she could hear him. I’m coming... And I’m bringing the entire realm with me.

Soulmates

By

Henry Fleiss & Helena Brown

This book contains mature themes, sexual content, brief strong language, and some triggering material. It is for mature readers.

ONE

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty One

Twenty-Two

Twenty Three

Twenty Four

Twenty Five

Twenty Six

Twenty Seven

One

Blue sapphire. It was not a diamond, but it was my favorite stone. In all the years we have been together, I think I only mentioned it once, maybe twice. I couldn’t believe he remembered.

Our mutual friends and parents knew the day was coming – we had been together since the second grade – but no one was sure when. They wondered what he was waiting for all this time. We had graduated from school a few years ago, and now we were living together. I knew someday I’d go from Ms. Ali Marinko to Mrs. Daniel Ortin. But even I was starting to think he was stalling. It turns out that he was waiting for the right moment, the perfect moment.

“Let’s go for a ride,” he said to me.

It was Friday afternoon, and I had just arrived home from half a day at work. I really didn’t want to go anywhere. It was the first weekend in October, and it was getting cold out; plus, I had a rough day. Answering calls from car dealerships for a living and servicing their computer needs gets tedious (but it pays well) and the problems with our system caused them to call in one after the other that morning. I just wanted to come home and take a hot bath, finish the novel I was reading, the mystery, The Missing Wife at the time, and mope around the house.

Daniel seemed excited about venturing out, so I agreed to go along. We drove down route seven until we came to interstate 80. There he headed south, and I mean south! After forty-five minutes of telling him about my day, I realized we were still on 80, heading further from home.

“Where are we going?” I asked. “Shouldn’t we turn around now? It’s getting late.” I must have been feeling old that day. It was only 2:00 PM.

“We’re not going home,” he said, leaning over with a sinister smile lingering under his large brown eyes.

“What?” I was confused but couldn't help but blush. I immediately knew he had planned something special. I hid my curious smile behind my long blond hair. “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere,” he replied—a slight smirk on his face.

“Are we coming back tonight?”

“Nope,” he replied.

I could see the grin fighting against the sternness of his face, trying not to turn into a full-blown smile.

“I don’t have any clothes with me,” I said. “I didn’t bring anything. I can’t stay anywhere.”

I thought about my teeth and how filmy they would feel in the morning if I didn’t brush them. What about my hair dryer? I needed my makeup, especially if we were going out in public tomorrow.

“I got it covered. Remember how you couldn’t find some of your socks and your comfortable pajamas?”

“Yeah,” I took a deep breath and held it, biting my lower lip.

“I’ve been packing your stuff for a couple of days now.”

I sighed, but not with relief. The thought of him packing my things made my stomach tie up in knots. I could tell he meant well and probably had a pleasant surprise planned, but in my mind, there was no instance in which any man should pack a woman’s things. All I could think about was what he might have forgotten since men pack differently than women for trips and tend to forget things.

“Why didn’t you tell me we were going away?”

I loved Daniel dearly. He was handsome with a firm jawline and a perfect nose with big brown eyes under his wavy, short dark hair. He was gorgeous in my eyes but not the best dresser. He couldn’t even match his own clothes, and his attire has been getting worse since I encouraged him to stop working and start writing. With his lack of fashion sense, I certainly didn’t trust him packing for me.

I sighed and glanced over at him. He was wearing faded, puke green corduroys, driving in his mismatched socks with his shoes in the back seat (that was normal for him). He wore a tee-shirt under his gray cardigan button-down sweater. He looked like Mr. Rogers had gone broke and became homeless.

I placed my hand on his leg and batted my eyelashes at him. “Where are we going?”

“South,” his grin finally stretched into a smile. Even his cute nose widened, eyebrows lifted.

I narrowed my lips and playfully scowled at him, folding my arms. “Well, at least it will be warmer wherever we’re going. And who’s going to take care of the cats and Hazel Brown?”

“I have that covered, too. Laura is staying at our place. She knows what to do. I gave her a key, and I cleaned Hazel’s cage this morning, so she’ll be fine until we get back.”

I figured he had everything covered; that’s just who he was. My thoughts turned to what he might be up to.

I pulled back my hair in a ponytail and turned my body to face him in the seat to read his expression clearly. “How long have you been planning this?”

“Just a...” he hesitated.

Daniel was not good at lying. He didn’t like it but also didn’t want to tell me the truth either. He found some vague answer to avoid both the truth and a lie while giving nothing away with his body language.

“...a little while now.”

I huffed, kicked off my shoes, and sat back to enjoy the ride.

As we passed through West Virginia, we stopped and got something to eat. I had curly fries from a fast-food place, and Daniel got a few snacks at a coffee shop to keep him up for the evening drive.

We entered Virginia around 7:30 PM. The leaves were beginning to change, but they were not in their full color yet. I took a short nap and woke up before we entered Tennessee. By then, I was starting to get antsy.

“Are we going somewhere in Tennessee?” I asked.

He teased me about going to Cooter’s Place for a vacation. I didn’t know who Cooter was, but I had heard of The Dukes of Hazard. Of course, I wasn’t buying it – at least I hoped he didn’t bring me to Tennessee to shop at the General Store.

We were off the highway now, so I assumed we were getting close to our destination. “Are we still in Tennessee?”

“Yes. Cooter’s Garage should be close now.”

I chuckled but folded my arms in frustration at not knowing his secret. I became an investigator at that point, thinking back to all the things we had spoken of; the places we wanted to visit. I didn’t recall any conversation about wanting to visit Tennessee.

I scanned the area and the signs along the road, trying to find any clue. The addresses on the billboards led me to investigate the license plates of the cars passing us on the narrow mountain roads.

“If we’re in Tennessee, then why do most of the license plates here say North Carolina on them?”

“Because Cooter didn’t set up a shop in North Carolina yet, so all these people came to Tennessee.”

I laughed at his quick wit. The thought of all these people driving from North Carolina into Tennessee just to shop at the General Store was ridiculous. He was a terrible liar. The only lies he told were ones so outrageous, no one would believe him anyway.

North Carolina? I questioned myself. Where would we be going in North Carolina?

I sent a quick Facebook message to a few close friends, stating that my body could be found somewhere in North Carolina if they didn't see me again. I got a few replies telling me to watch out for the lions, tigers, and bears. One sent me a report of a tornado warning in North Carolina. Something was up.

“Where are we going?” I asked again.

We were climbing up roads at a forty-five-degree angle now as if heading straight up the mountainside.

“We’re going to a magical land where the roads are gold,” he said.

“What are you talking about?”

It was a hint, but it didn’t bring me any clarity.

Around 10:00 PM, we arrived at a cabin on top of Sugar Mountain. The key was left out for us since we were arriving so late. Daniel popped the trunk open, and I saw the suitcase he had packed for me. That’s right, just one suitcase. I was itching to see what was inside, wondering how much he could pack for a two-night stay in one suitcase? He had a smaller one just for himself.

But what I noticed first when we stepped outside the car was the cold temperature. I doubted my bathing suit was in the case. I’m no geography expert, but I knew the beach was hours away. So much for my hope that we were heading south into warmer weather since it was colder here than in Ohio.

Daniel took my suitcase, and I took his lighter one. He unlocked the door, and we entered the room, or should I say rooms; I was pleasantly surprised.

Wine glasses hung from the lighted area in the hallway in front of a large mirror. To the left, there was a doorway that led into the kitchen, which had a full-size refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, and microwave. The cupboards were packed with utensils, pots and pans, and dishware. As we checked the cupboards, beyond the breakfast bar, I could see the dining room. We stepped back into the hallway, where across from the kitchen was a door that led into the bedroom.

There was a king-size bed, flat-screen television, two full-size dressers, and a walk-in closet. Near the closet, we walked through a door into the bathroom. Inside, on the left, was a stand-up shower, and on the right was a large (by large, I mean it could qualify for a small swimming pool) Jacuzzi bathtub. We exited the other bathroom door and found ourselves back in the hallway.

There we entered where the dining room met the living room. A single fold-out couch and two chairs surrounded a glass table. In one corner was a large flat-screen television, and there was a rustic fireplace in the other. The walls of the cabin were decorated with rustic décor.

I turned around to see Daniel draw open the curtains in the dining room and joined him as he slid back the balcony door. A gust of cold mountain air blew through the room.

“I did a lot of searching, and I thought this was the perfect place,” he said, stepping out onto the balcony.

The back of the cabin overlooked a woodsy but steep gorge on the backside, making the balcony appear several stories up. In the distance were the rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with clouds drifting over the tops of the peaks. Moonlight burst through the opening in unbroken beams. The stars felt close enough to touch.

“This is beautiful,” I said, smiling from ear to ear, and I meant it.

The darker side of me wanted to ask him...the perfect place for what? A murder? Getting mauled by a bear? I refrained (I had the sudden thought that I watched too many crime shows like Forensic Files and Dateline). It wasn’t my perfect weekend getaway spot. I’d rather be on a sunny beach than in a cold mountain cabin, but I was quite happy. I was just glad to have the weekend away with my wonderful, romantic boyfriend, Daniel.

***

WE HAD SPENT A FANTASTIC night together with details I will not share (some things should stay between a man and a woman) and woke early the following day.

“We have to hurry,” Daniel said after he looked at the clock. “I forgot to set the alarm.”

“Alarm for what? Where are we going?”

I thought the weekend on top of Sugar Hill was the present – the magical place he wanted to bring me, but apparently, there was something more.

“You’ll see,” he replied.

We hurriedly got dressed, and Daniel insisted there was no time to shower. I finally got to open my suitcase and go through it. It wasn’t what I would have packed. Still, a hooded sweatshirt is always comfortable, and considering the chilly mountain air, also convenient. I brushed my teeth while adding some blush to my cheeks, colored my lips a brighter red, and buried my unkempt hair under a warm, white-knitted beanie. My eyes looked a brighter blue than usual. Perhaps it was the excitement I was feeling, and I didn’t even know what I was excited about.

Daniel insisted there was no time to waste. We headed down the side of the mountain in our car only to pass through a small town then head up to the next mountaintop over – Beech Mountain (Don’t let the name fool you. There wasn’t a beach within three hundred miles. I checked.)

To understand this next part, you have to realize what a huge fan I am of The Wizard of Oz. I’m a huge fan! A really, really huge fan! It’s my all-time favorite movie, and I have several collectibles. From the McDonald’s toys, they gave out several decades ago to a carved wooden figure of each of the characters—which Daniel bought me for Christmas last year.

It turns out there used to be a Wizard of OZ park in Beech Mountain, North Carolina. Unfortunately, it closed in 1980; however, the park opens one weekend a year for the Autumn of Oz Festival. As we pulled into the parking lot and saw the huge painted sign, I knew where we were. My voice was screeching with excitement.

Daniel had booked us on the 9:00 AM ride up to the park. Unfortunately, there were only two ways of getting there – on a ski lift or a bus. He had scheduled the ski lift, but they were not letting anyone use them due to the high winds. So, everyone had to take the bus.

When we arrived, we entered a few small buildings filled with the film's memorabilia – costumes from the movie, photographs, props, and trinkets sold over the decades. Then we entered Dorothy’s house. It looked just like the movie, as far as I could tell. Antique furniture, old glasses and knickknacks, dusty picture frames, and handmade quilts draped over rockers. Even the curtains, wallpaper, and woodwork looked right out of olden times. Everything was in its place.

There was an upstairs where two bedrooms were. Downstairs was Dorothy’s bedroom, a living room, and we passed by Auntie Em in the kitchen; then, I wasn’t sure which way to go. So, we followed the crowd out the back door; at least, it looked like a back door. It led into the basement, where it was dark, and I had to hold Daniel’s hand. The tornado scene was playing on the wall, complete with the sounds from the movie echoing through the room with flashing lights. The witch’s laughter scraped our eardrums.

From there, we entered a replica of the house above us – same pictures, furniture, and rooms. Only now, it looked like a tornado had ravaged it, with the floor was slanted and Dorothy’s room in shambles. Pictures were crooked on the wall, and knickknacks were scattered across the floor. Auntie Em was nowhere to be found this time.

When we stepped out the back door, I saw the witch’s feet stretching out from under the house. Her famous red and white socks were tucked into her shoes. In front of us was a short trail through the woods that led to the yellow brick road. A fountain was there, and Glinda, the Good Witch, greeted us. It was amazing.

From there, Daniel and I walked down the yellow brick road hand in hand. This time I didn’t need to hold his hand like in the tornado room; it just felt right. We met the scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, and the Cowardly Lion. Then we came to a place where flowers covered the hillside, and a waterfall flowed in the background. Despite the coldness of the weather, the hillside looked like the most beautiful of spring days. I took a few pictures with my camera phone then we were about to move on.

Daniel stopped and bent down, and I assumed it was to tie his shoe. I looked out over the scenery one more time and waited. When I turned toward him, he was standing there with a small box in his hand. He opened it, revealing inside the blue sapphire ring. I nearly started to cry. I think I did cry; it’s hard to remember from the rush of emotions.

Right there, on the yellow brick road, he placed the ring on my finger.

“Will you marry me?”

“Yes,” I shouted. He stood up, and I jumped into his arms and cried out, “Yes!”

It could not have been a more perfect proposal. I was so caught up in the scenery of the mountains and the Land of Oz that it caught me off guard when he proposed. Even without the engagement ring, the weekend was very magical. It was perfect.

Well, almost.

I couldn’t imagine that weekend would lead to the choice I was about to make now.

To say goodbye to Daniel, forever.

Two

After we left the park (it was honestly too cold to be out anymore), I was the happiest girl in the world. Around 12:30 PM, we drove down the mountainside, and on the way back, we stopped and ate lunch at a lovely Mexican restaurant. Who knew the best Mexican food I’d ever have would be found in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains? It was delicious, but we were still cold to the bone.

We decided to head back to our quaint little place on the next mountain top and light a fire for a romantic afternoon. We sat on the couch, and Daniel rubbed my shoulders. We played a few games and read quietly next to each other under a thick blanket with the travel network on in the background, counting down the list of the top 10 best island vacations. Later, we decided to go into town and do some exploring, maybe get something to cook in the evening from the grocery store or find a nice place to have dinner, although we were both still full from lunch.

We would have to leave the following day, so we wanted to make the most of the daylight hours. We got dressed in the clothes we had placed by the fire (outside the iron gate, of course), grabbed our wallets, and headed into town.

There was a small plaza we drove into as we traveled along the main street of the town, and we spotted a coffee shop. Daniel loved coffee shops; he was a writer, so he spent a lot of his free time drinking coffee and writing. We went in, and I ordered a tea, while he ordered a coffee, and we walked along the plaza.

When we pulled into the plaza, I had not even noticed the store. Perhaps I was too busy looking at the new ring on my finger. We browsed through a card shop, a not so unique for the area mining store that sold rocks and gems, a jewelry store, and then we came to that fateful place. I didn’t even want to go in.

“It looks spooky,” I warned.

“It does look spooky,” Daniel agreed, but he had a smile on his face as if nothing would ever go wrong again. I guess he was feeling the height of our engagement as well. “Let’s just see what’s in there.”

I rolled my eyes but followed him. The doorway and the dark windows gave me the creeps, but he had done so much for me. The least I could do was indulge him in a short little trip into a dingy store. How long could it take? I’d stand in the doorway and close my eyes if I had to.

Daniel opened the door and held it for me; a long line of bells chimed as I stepped through into the red and black room accented with candlelight. I thought the mining store was strange, but at least it made you feel like you were part of the Blue Ridge Mountains. However, this store was far out of place. Perhaps it would feel right on a side street in New Orleans, or a country dominated by sacrificial religions, but it was out of place here.

And I thought a Wizard of Oz Park and finding the best Mexican food ever would be the strangest things we’d find here. But, boy, was I wrong.

I stood still while Daniel began to browse the bone-carved statues and prayer beads lined the table on the right side of the room. The tablecloth and the clothes covering the walls and windows were filled with mismatched patterns and odd designs. I made the joke in my head that, considering his clothes, Daniel would fit right in. It was like a kind of camouflage for his faded green corduroy pants and gray cardigan. He was wearing his plaid shoes, for goodness’ sake. His dress was nothing to be desired, but he was a sweet, sweet man. I knew he would always be there for me.

Or so I thought.

I turned towards the back of the room, and the sight of her made my heart jump out of its chest.

“Can I help you?” the rustic voice asked.

She was watching Daniel as if he had no business being in her store.

“Just looking,” Daniel said. He seemed so casual, like the woman’s features didn’t startle him at all. I had my left arm over my chest, the hand buried in the pit of my right elbow. My right arm was crooked up, the hand covering the swallow of nerves in my throat.

The woman had one eye that was covered with a film and always looked up to her left. The other shifted from Daniel, gazing at me now, or so I thought. It wasn’t my face she was looking at.

“That is a lovely ring you have,” she said to me. “Where did you get it?”

“We-we just got engaged today,” I stuttered.

She gave me a look as if the word engaged disgusted her as her leather lips curled back, displaying a row of yellow teeth. She seethed through the rotting corn kernels, but her words said something else. “It’s lovely.”

“Thank you.”

I wasn’t one to make fun of other people’s appearances (if that were the case, I wouldn’t have just gotten engaged to the worst dressed man within three hundred miles), and I’m not doing it now. There’s beauty to be found in everyone, and it’s just a matter of you choosing to see it. I firmly believe that, but in this woman, it was difficult to notice. She looked greedily at my ring. Next, she seethed at the prospect of engagement. Then it sounded as if she was growling as she hobbled to where Daniel was looking. I gave her the benefit of the doubt that it simply pained her to walk. The cane she was using was an indication of that.

“Can I help you with something?” she asked again.

“I was just looking,” Daniel said.

She seemed to be bothered that we were there at all. Daniel didn’t seem to mind or notice as he moved to the front counter, and the woman followed him. He looked down into the glass case, but there was nothing in it.

“Nothing here is for sale,” the woman said.

I couldn’t see Daniel’s face, but he stood up tall and looked the woman in the eyes. I’m confident he was wearing a curious look, perhaps utterly confused, like when he wondered where his new book went after he saved it on the computer. If I hadn’t introduced him to flash drives, he’d still be searching for the things he writes in Pictures, Document, Music, and even the Control Panel.

I was hoping he would leave it at that and turn around and walk away, but once he didn’t understand something, he couldn’t leave things alone.

“Why do you have a shop if you don’t sell anything?” he asked.

I sighed, trying not to let it show. I swear the woman could see right through him and was scowling at me.

“I don’t sell things. I sell services.”

Please don’t ask what kind of services. Please don’t!

I tried my best to send a telepathic message when Daniel blurted out, “What kind of services?”

He did it. Oh, boy.

“Since you and your lady have gotten engaged, I’ll give you one service for free. Unless you’d like to tip me at the end.”

“We should get goi—”

“What is it?” Daniel asked. “What kind of service?”

She peered around Daniel and stretched out her old, crooked hand. She drew her fingers into the palm of her hand like slow-moving squeaky hinges and waved me forward, “Come. Come,” her leather lips uttered.

Reluctantly, I walked up to the counter. There was a black cloth on top of the glass, and she took out two small strips of paper, about the size found in fortune cookies but blank.

“I’ll prove if you two were meant to be together,” she said.

She looked at my ring as she pulled out two pens and placed them beside the strips of paper. Then, she put one of each of them in front of us.

“Each of you,” her eyes shifted back and forth, “Write your name on the paper in front of you.”

Then she looked at me with an enigmatic shine emanating from her sunken eyes and wrinkled face. I tell you; I cannot describe the feeling of standing within arm’s length of this woman and staring into her eyes. It is the feeling that counts. If you don’t feel like spiders are crawling on your skin and snakes are slithering through your stomach as you read this, then you don’t know of the face I speak of.

In all that frightened me, she seemed to smile as she said to me, “This will prove if you are the woman who should be wearing his ring.”

“What? Is this like a magic trick?” I asked nervously. I was saying anything to avoid following through with her directives.

Daniel widened his eyes; afraid I had insulted the woman. It was the tone of my voice.

The woman pounded her crooked finger in front of the paper before me.

“Write. Write!”

I lifted the pen and wrote my name. I wanted to get this over with and get out of there as quickly as possible.

Daniel wrote his name on the paper before him, and we both dropped the pens in front of us. The woman took the pens away then lifted her hands in the air. She placed her right hand over the paper I wrote my name on and her left over the one Daniel wrote his on. I was waiting for her to ask for my ring, so she could switch it with a cheaper one she had stashed behind the counter. I wouldn’t give it up, though. I wouldn’t take it off, but she never asked. She closed her eyes and mumbled something indistinct over the small strips of paper with our names facing upward on them. Her hands hid the names, but she never touched the papers, as far as we could see. She mumbled louder then moved her hands in opposite circles before she finished.

She pulled her hands away and looked up with a surprising smile on her face.

“It is done,” she said. “Now, you will know your true soulmate’s name.”

We looked down, inspecting the papers, but they were blank. Somehow, she had flipped them over, and we both expected to see each other’s names on the ones in front of us. Somehow, the woman managed to switch them.

“I’ll go first,” Daniel said.

Fearlessly he lifted the piece of paper and pulled it closer to his eyes. I waited anxiously. He seemed startled, looking up from the paper at the woman. “That’s good. How did you get her name in red?”

“Red is the color of your true love.”

“That’s a good trick. How did you do that?”

“It’s no trick,” the woman professed. “It’s real.”

Daniel smirked in a way that wasn’t offensive, and while he carried on a conversation, I snatched the piece of paper in front of me and read it. I’m glad Daniel didn’t see my face. I don’t even remember what my reaction was. Was it a surprise? Horror? I don’t know. But more importantly, Daniel didn’t know.

“So, whatcha get?” he asked.

I looked up, and Daniel was smiling at me. I didn’t know what to say. I turned to the woman behind the counter and stuffed the slip of paper in my pocket before Daniel could see it.

“It is a good trick,” I said.

Daniel was still smiling at me, I could feel it like I could feel the sun in my peripheral vision, but I couldn’t look at him. Still, it was her look that overwhelmed me, dominating every ounce of my being. There seemed to be hideous laughter behind her film-covered eye.

“It’s real,” her leather lips uttered.

I turned away. I looked Daniel in the eyes but not for more than a moment. I couldn’t bear to look at him.

“We should get going,” I said, already heading for the door.

I heard Daniel thank her, drop a five-dollar bill on the counter, and tell her to take care. The chiming bells were the last thing I heard before I felt his gentle hand squeeze my shoulder.

“That was a neat trick, wasn’t it?” he asked.

I just nodded as he started walking further along the plaza.

Daniel’s mind was still in the shop. “I don’t know how she switched papers. I didn’t see her touch them. I thought maybe she did it when she took the pens away.”

I was certain Daniel had my name. He never said so, but the way he accused the woman of switching papers made it clear. He believed he had the one I wrote down, but I didn’t have his.

“How did you get her name in red?” He had asked the old woman. “That’s a good trick. How did you do that?”

“What I can’t figure out,” Daniel continued, “Is how she got the ink to change colors. Was your name black when you wrote it?” he asked, happily. “Was it a black pen?”

“I...I don’t remember.”

“I know mine was black when I wrote it, so if it showed up red on yours, how did she do it?”

“I don’t know,” I replied curtly.

“She probably used some trick ink, or the lighting in the place makes it look black in there at first, but it was red all along. Maybe it was the tablecloth that made it look black; then, when we lifted it to the light, it showed up red.”

“I don’t know,” I said with obvious frustration. “Can we just let it go?”

“Yeah. Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

I snapped again. I had a reason, but it wasn’t Daniel’s fault. Not at all. It was never his fault, and I tried never to take it out on him.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “That store just creeped me out a little. And I’m getting a little hungry and cold.”

He wrapped his arm over my shoulder and pulled himself closer.

“Do you want to head back to the car and find a place to eat?” he asked.

It amazes me that the hungry excuse always worked. It even has a name. Hangry. I snapped because I was hangry, but the truth was I didn’t want to waste his money on a restaurant. I wasn’t hungry at all. Mushroom quesadillas, beans, and rice were still fighting for room in my stomach.

“How about we just get something from the grocery store and go back to our place and cook later. Maybe have a drink too, where we don’t have to drive.”

“Sounds good to me,” he said, his smile back in place.

He always went along with anything I said. Sometimes I couldn’t tell if he just didn’t care about things, had no opinion of things, or if he was content with whatever I had in mind.

“What do you want to cook?” was his next question.

See what I mean. He has nothing in mind, no suggestions. If he does suggest anything, it’s something he thinks I’ll like, not something he wants.

“Why don’t you decide.”

“Sure,” he agreed as we approached a grocery store up ahead.

We stepped through the door, and I knew he would go for something he knew I liked. I just knew he would go for the pasta dinner—wait, Mac n’ Cheese?

“How about some good old-fashioned Mac n’ Cheese?” he asked.

I turned the corners of my lips down.

“I don’t want Mac n’ Cheese. Not a big fan of the cheese. How about some penne pasta and mushroom sauce? That’s easy to make.”

“Sure,” he said.

The truth is I usually appreciate how kind he is, but this night, everything bothered me, especially the name in my pocket.

Why not another name?

I wanted to scream at the voodoo witch lady. I wanted to yell, is this some kind of joke?! Of all the names in the world, why did she put his name down? How could she even know about that? She had to know, somehow. Of all the names, why that one? The one that brought out the most rage within me.

It was the worst name possible.

Frank Brennen.

My soulmate?

Three

We returned to our cabin, or chateau as they called it in the mountains, and Daniel pulled out the pots and pans from the cupboard and began to heat some water for the pasta. While we waited for the water, he started the fire again, and I went into the bedroom and changed into the pajamas he packed for me. I took over the cooking while he tended the fire.

We didn’t bother setting the table. Instead, we turned on the television and sat on the couch by the fireside, watching reruns of Forensic Files. I’d never be featured on the show. Daniel wouldn’t even kill a fly or a spider. He even blew the mosquitoes off his arm if he didn’t want to lend them some blood. The weird thing is, sometimes he did. He would probably let a vampire feed off him if asked, just a little, though. Not enough to kill him, but sure, Prince of the Undead, you can have a taste so you’re not hungry tonight and no one else needs to suffer.

Besides, look around me; Daniel did occasionally make decisions. We were spending an evening in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and I had a blue sapphire ring on my finger. He made great decisions when it came to important things. I had no right to think the way I had of him earlier. I had just been frustrated after leaving that shop, after receiving the name I had been given as my soulmate.

I had no interest in ever talking to Frank Brennen again, and I did my best to forget about him. I did my best to stay present with Daniel by the fireside, where I had everything I wanted. No need to spoil it with thoughts of another man.

It was a relaxing evening after all. I only had one and a half wine coolers, which was a lot for me; I rarely finished one. I started to feel hot, and my skin gets itchy every time I have alcohol. I think I’m allergic, but it’s not worth finding out. Daniel had one beer before we ate, a half during, then one more after, leaving half of the third bottle to stink up the apartment. I never liked the smell of dark beer. Maybe it’s the allergy thing; who knows? He doesn’t drink it often enough around me to be concerned about that, either.

I fell asleep for a bit after dinner, just a nod off during the fourth or fifth Forensic Files episode, then we went to bed. We stayed up a while longer, then got a restful sleep before we packed our things in the morning and drove home. I showered in the morning, looking over the nice Jacuzzi tub that went untouched while Daniel packed his things. He packed away his towel, and so he skipped the shower, saying he’d shower as soon as we got home.

He wasn’t a dirty person by any means but going from Friday morning to Sunday night without showering didn’t seem to bother him. It went right along with his wardrobe, I guess.

We took a different route home that did not bring us through Tennessee. Though that was a beautiful drive, this alternative way was a little faster. Still, we didn’t get home until dark.

The last thing Daniel said to me before we pulled into the drive was, “I still can’t figure out how that woman did that trick.” It made my stomach cringe.

Why did I let it bother me? Surely the woman was playing a cruel joke on me, nothing more. She didn’t like me from the moment I walked in the door. I could see it in her eyes, she didn’t like me. Well, eye. I guess it was safe to say I didn’t like her place from the start before I even walked in the door, and maybe she could tell.

She wanted to know about my ring, which made me feel uneasy. Still, if she was playing a joke on me, how did she know about Frank? There’s no way she could’ve. And how would she have written his name on a piece of paper and switched it with my own signature? I was standing right there.

The pens, I thought. Maybe Daniel was right, and she might have switched the slips of paper when she took the pens back. Daniel thought she switched the slips that we wrote on, but no. She had other slips in her hands and could have done it while she waved her hands above them and distracted us with that mumbo jumbo she was chanting. Yes, that’s it! Those crooked old fingers were faster than we thought. But still, how would she know about Frank?

I felt angry all over again, but I didn’t want it to show. I didn’t want to have to blame it on being hangry again.

Daniel could see that I was tired, and he carried both bags to the front door. I had my book and a few of Daniel’s snacks. He opened the door for me, and we were both glad to be home.

“I’m going to take that long-overdue shower.” He winked his brow and added, “Feel free to join me.”

I forced a smile to hide my ‘hanger.’ “I think I’m too tired to undress, let alone join you.”

He carried the luggage into the bedroom, and I followed. We considered everything in them dirty laundry and would unpack them tomorrow. I walked up to him after he dropped the bags and wrapped my arms around his waist. Despite the turmoil that I was feeling inside, I wasn’t insensitive to the fact that Daniel was still the sweetest man I knew, and he deserved to know that.

“Thank you for a wonderful weekend. It was perfect. Everything about it.”

I kissed him on the lips and believed it with all my heart. That old kook wasn’t going to get to me any longer. Daniel was the best man any woman could ask for, and he was mine, and I was his. No crazy old lady who sold mean tricks for a living was going to tell me otherwise.

Still, how did she know?

I looked Daniel in the eyes and felt all my worries wash away. I knew that it was right, that we were meant to be together. He was my soulmate, and I had every reason to be grateful to have him in my life.

I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I couldn’t imagine a better proposal.”

“You’re welcome,” he said. “I couldn’t imagine asking anyone else.”

He kissed me and held me tight.

“I’m sorry I waited so long, but I had to find the perfect moment to ask you.”

“I’m glad you waited,” I smiled, genuinely, feeling like I was in a heaven of sorts. “It was perfect.”

I pulled out my ponytail, and he unwrapped his arms. I spanked him on the butt and told him to get in the shower, but my smile fell when he passed. Perfect. That’s what I kept telling myself the whole way home, but I didn’t feel it. Don’t get me wrong, the proposal and the atmosphere of it couldn’t have gone better, but the weekend as a whole was like a poisonous apple. I bit into it, and I couldn’t stop it from bothering me from the inside out.

The old lady had gotten under my skin, and I couldn’t dig her out. Certainly, I could reason about it, like pulling out a thorn, but the poison was already in my blood, corrupting my system.

System? Oh, boy. Work tomorrow. I hope they got the system working.

I sat on the bed and watched Daniel pull the items from his pocket and randomly drop them on the dresser. Along with some loose change left from the tolls, some puke green lint balls from his ugly green cords, and a few bills, the paper with red writing dropped in the pile, too.

I felt that panic again, like when I first saw the old woman with her sickly eyes. I turned away and pretended not to notice.

“Well, I’m off to scrub,” Daniel said.

I looked up, finding that he was smiling at me, and I immediately forced a smile back.

“You alright?”

I tilted my head and drew back the corners of my lips until my teeth shone. “Yeah. Just tired.”

The tired excuse was for when I didn’t want to tell him what was bothering me. The hangry excuse was when I’d already taken my frustration out on him and knew he didn’t deserve it.

“I’ll unpack everything tomorrow. Just lie down if you want to. Be out in a few,” he said, turning and going into the bathroom.

I sighed and rested with my elbows on my knees for a moment, head in hands, as I heard the shower water turn on. I pushed all the thoughts from my mind as best I could and unpacked my makeup, hairdryer, and brush, realizing again what an excellent job Daniel did packing. There were a few shirts he had added that I did not wear; knowing I’m sometimes indecisive about what to wear, he wanted me to have choices. I lifted them out of the luggage and walked over to the closet to put them away.

I passed the dresser, where the slip lay atop, almost beckoning. The slip with my name on it was written in red; I wanted to see it. I didn’t know why but I was compelled to look at it.

I dropped the clothes on the closet floor and turned to the dresser. There it was, the name hidden behind the dollar bill. Spots of green lint from his pockets littered the pile, but I could see the corner of the slip. I was tempted to grab it. My arm wanted to reach up, but I wouldn’t let it.

I looked away, then opened the third drawer down, pulling out a pair of Daniel’s boxer shorts and a tee-shirt. I closed the drawer and turned away. I hurried to the other side of the bed, and I slipped into his boxer shorts and tee shirts. I pulled back the covers on the bed and sat down, hoping the bed would ease my thoughts.

However, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. The old lady. Her crooked fingers calling me to come closer. Those eyes! Frank! How did she know?!

I heard the shower water shut off, and I immediately stood up, rounded the bed over to the dresser where Daniel had dropped his things. My name was face down behind the dollar bill. I looked through the bedroom doorway at the light under the bathroom door. He was still drying off. I was certain of it.

I pinched the tiny paper between my thumb and forefinger and lifted it from the change. I flipped it over and held it up to the light to get a good look. It was in red, and it was my name. There was only one problem; it was NOT my handwriting.

I dropped the slip and watched it flutter to the floor. I picked it up again and placed it face down on the pile. Somehow Daniel hadn’t noticed even though he talked about the trick ink changing colors in the light or the black cloth making the initial writing appear black when it was actually red. He talked about how the woman somehow turned the signed slips upside down then switched them, but he couldn’t figure out when she did it. He didn’t know how. When she took the pens away was his best guess, but he never even considered that it was not my signature on the paper. The slip I had signed had vanished and was replaced with another.

It wasn’t my handwriting! It had to be hers! That old lady! It must be her handwriting. And if she wrote my name down, then she wrote Frank Brennen’s name as well.

But wait! How would she even know my name? She could have read it off the signature I signed, but when would she have rewritten it in her handwriting? I didn’t see her pick up a pen long enough to write my name. She could have known my name from the signature I wrote, but she didn’t have time to write it on another slip in red ink then place it in front of Daniel. But even if she somehow managed to pull that off, it still doesn’t explain how she knew about Frank Brennen. How could she have known about Frank and what happened between us?

Then the scariest thought of all came to my mind. Maybe she didn’t write it. Maybe, and I shuttered to think it might be so, but just maybe, Daniel wrote Frank Brennen’s name on the slip instead of his own. The old woman switched the names, but Daniel didn’t write his own name. He wrote Frank’s name, but why? Was it his cruel way of letting me know he knew what happened between Frank and me? Or what he thought he knew! How would he even know? I never told anyone.

The bathroom door opened, and I nearly dove for the light, and the room went black. I was near tears, and I didn’t want him to ask questions. He would ask what was bothering me. He always asked, but this time, would he really be concerned that there wasn’t a smile on my face? Or was all this his roundabout way of trying to get me to confess about Frank? If he saw me crying, he would certainly ask, and I would certainly lie. Or I would say, you know what you did! And he would pretend not to know, but did he?

“Already in bed?” he asked as he entered the room.

He slipped under the sheet and wrapped his arm around me. Could he really be that cruel? To give me such a perfect weekend, ask me to marry him on the Yellow Brick Road, then callously let me know that he knows about Frank with the help of a voodoo woman? No, Not Daniel. He wouldn’t hurt a mosquito.

“I’m very tired,” I said, turning to face him quickly, pecking him on the cheek before turning back to face the dim moonlight behind the curtains on the other side of the room.

“Good night,” he said and squeezed me tightly. “I had a good weekend.”

“Me too,” I uttered, my bottom lip pouting as I held back the tears.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Daniel.”

No. He couldn’t have done it. It wasn’t my handwriting on his slip, and now that I think of it, Daniel had horrible penmanship. It wasn’t his handwriting on the slip either. It had to be the old lady. But if she didn’t copy the name Daniel wrote down, then how did she know? How could she know unless Daniel told her? But nothing else in his behavior indicated he knew. I couldn’t help but think this was all a lie and that he didn’t really want to marry me. He wanted to get back at me for the secret I kept from him all this time. Somehow, he found out, and he was determined to get even.

Four

Two weeks had gone by, and Daniel’s behavior had not changed. In fact, he encouraged me to plan my dream wedding. He showered me with kindness and kisses, and not a day went by that I did not have his full attention. I was convinced he knew nothing of Frank, and he didn’t mention the crazy Blue Ridge Sorceress again. He was hard at work looking for the perfect honeymoon after I told him to plan whatever he wanted.

So, my mother, sister, girlfriends, and I, started to plan the wedding. But some things that I wished had changed did not, such as work still sucked. I like to consider myself a lady who kept the trucker talk to a minimum (although I hear it all day long from co-workers after a call and on the other end of the line), but I can think of no better way to relate how I feel at my job. It sucks! Monday mornings are the worst. We’re always backed up from weekend deals that they couldn’t push through, and dealerships are mad at us because they don’t know how to use the system.

They want the system to be as simple as possible. However, when you need a program that figures leases, interest rates, taxes, and even fuel costs per mile for every make and model of vehicle they sell, things can be a little complicated and difficult to explain to impatient salesmen. There’s just no other way to describe it. My job sucks! At least the pay and benefits are good, and I’ll be qualified to receive three weeks of vacation next year, just in time for our honeymoon.

I sat at my desk and put my phone on busy, zoned out for a while, and thought of all the things I might have gone to school for. I could’ve been a nurse, a teacher, hell, I could’ve been a doctor if I wanted to be. At this point, I’d settle for a minimum wage file clerk job. But like I said, and I know I’ll probably regret it someday, the bosses here gave me just enough to keep me from pursuing other options right now.

“Call for you, Ali.”

I rolled my eyes. Which scumbag dealership guy would it be? The one who has never seen me but asks me to meet him for dinner? The crazy woman in Michigan whom no one can please? The religious one who always blesses me after he spends twenty to thirty minutes calling me an idiot and telling me how incompetent I am?

Ughh!

I put on a smile. You know, the smile, a fake one, that makes you sound peppier on the phone like there’s nothing else you’d rather be doing at this moment than answering their call. I picked up the receiver and placed it to my ear.

“Hello? This is Ali speaking? How can I help you?”

“You can start by taking that blouse off and—”

“What?!”

“It’s me, Ali.” The familiar but unexpected voice said. “Don’t hang up.”

“Daniel,” I sighed with relief and laughed. It wasn’t like him to be so blunt. “These calls are recorded. You can’t say stuff like that.”

“Oh,” he chuckled. “So, how’s your day?”

“Good,” I lied. “How are you doing?”

“Alright. Feeling a little writer’s block. Want to get some lunch?”

I checked my watch and eased into a genuine smile. “Sure. Anything to get out of here,” I chuckled, realizing instantly that this call may be recorded. “Where at?”

“Whatever works for you. You’re on the clock, not me.”

I sighed again. Why can’t he sense that I don’t even want to think at this point? I guess I did answer the phone, sounding a little too pepped for the mood I was in.

“How about Main Street Café? It’s just down the road from me. Some of the guys here go there, but I’ve never been. They say it’s good.”

“I know where it is.”

“On Main Street,” I had to add.

We both chuckled.

“What time?” he asked.

“How about 11:30?” I didn’t care that the call might be recorded. “I need to get out of here as soon as possible. Before I go postal.”

He laughed, but I felt serious enough.

“Careful what you say. You’ll end up on a terrorist watch list.” I could hear a cat or two meowing in the background as he continued. “You can tell me all about it over lunch. Or we’ll get your mind off it. That might be better. See you then.”

“Love you.”

“I love you, too.”

***

DANIEL WAS WAITING for me at a back booth by the window since he knew I liked the window seats. I think he’d rather be closer to the bar or the fireplace at the other end of the room, which was burning, and in late October would have been nice but always put me first. He was always sacrificing for me. Why does it annoy me sometimes? He’s almost too nice.

He took my coat after he hugged and kissed me, hanging it on the metal hook that jutted out from the post behind the booth. Yes, we’re one of those couples who sit on the same side of the booth. He let me in then scooted close to me to warm up my cold hands with his warm ones.

“So, writer’s block?” I asked.

“Not really writer’s block. I was close to finishing the novel then I added a different ending. That caused me to think too much about my story, and now I need to go back and make some points earlier in the book. That means going through the whole thing again and adding what needs to be added to accommodate the new ending. I’m a victim of my own disorganization. I wish I was more organized, like you.”

“I’m organized with paperwork, and bills, and all kinds of things that don’t matter.” I raised my eyebrows and smirked. “But I wouldn’t exactly say my life is organized.”

“No?” He squinted his eyes.

He was curious where that comment rose from; I could see it in his face. I wondered if he thought I was having doubts about the wedding and everything. I wasn’t, but something in my life felt incomplete. I failed at something somewhere along the line, but I didn’t know where it was. It wasn’t with Daniel, though. I hoped he didn’t think I meant him.

“Well, there’s just a lot going on right now. I feel disorganized. It’s a lot to plan a wedding, especially when I go to a job I don’t like. I just get screamed at all day, and it wears me down. I don’t have the energy to do the things that really matter.” I smiled big, and I made certain he saw it. “Like planning our wedding.”

“Don’t stress yourself out over it. You’re supposed to enjoy it. Besides, I’ll be just fine with however it turns out. I don’t care if we get married in the parking lot here with no shoes on our feet. I want you to have the wedding you want, but I won’t be disappointed. I’m the luckiest man on the planet.”

I forced a smile. He made me feel wanted, cared for, loved, but no, he didn’t care. Did he even realize how much planning it takes to have a wedding, and he would be satisfied with getting married barefoot in a parking lot? He’d probably wear those puke green cords with that hideous cardigan that was two sizes too big for him. I’ll probably prepare a beautiful wedding, and it won’t even matter to him. He won’t even see all that I’ve done. He’d be happy to say I do next to the dumpster with the smell of yesterday’s rotting lasagna that the raccoons didn’t even want to smell lingering through the air.

Stop it, Ali! For a writer, he’s not good with words when speaking, but he means well. He means as long as he has me, he’ll be happy. Why didn’t he just say that?!

“What can I get you two to drink?” the waitress asked.

We ordered our drinks and food too. Being a vegetarian narrows the menu choices considerably in cafés like this. I ordered a salad and Daniel a personal Margarita pizza. I stole a slice of his; it was delicious. It was only after we ate that I regretted eating anything at all. Not because I was counting carbs or calories and worried about fitting into my wedding dress, which wasn’t even purchased yet, but because of who prepared it.

I didn’t know Frank that well. In fact, I didn’t know him at all the night we first met, the night I’ve come to regret and hate with every ounce of my being. I heard his name here and there, after that, twice in the paper, once for driving while under the influence and the other for assault.

I saw him three times after that night. The first time was at a party, where he ignored me like he didn’t remember who I was. Maybe he wanted to forget about that night more than I did? I don’t know, but he pretended I didn’t exist, like that night meant nothing to him. He acted like he didn’t know me, and I’m certain if I had walked on that side of the room, he would’ve slyly slithered to the other like the snake he was.

The second time I saw him was at a traffic light. I looked out my driver’s window, and there he was, listening to loud music, smoking with the windows up, and revving his engine at the light. He didn’t see me, and I was glad; at least part of me was.

The third time I saw him was at another party. One of my friends was getting married, and rather than having a bachelor and bachelorette party, they held a celebration, men vs. women, in an Olympic showdown of silly, dirty, and embarrassing games. The women won. Frank and I only exchanged glances from afar.

I haven’t gone to many parties in my life. Daniel and I prefer our quiet weekends and meeting close friends for dinner, then going home early enough to catch Dateline. But at Marcy and Jake’s Olympic pre-wedding bash, I realized Frank, and I had mutual friends. I had been friends with Marcy for a long time since the eighth or ninth grade. Jake had met Frank through their mutual friend Tom and has been acquaintances ever since. I didn’t really like Tom any more than I liked Frank. I wasn’t too fond of Jake either, but I wasn’t about to tell Marcy that. She figured it out for herself seven months after their wedding when she filed for divorce.

This day, the day I met my Daniel for an 11:30 lunch at Main Street Café, was the fourth time I saw Frank since that night we shared two and a half years ago. The night I never told Daniel about. The night I never told anyone about. Apparently, he was a cook at the diner, and as he strolled out through the bar area, I wanted nothing more than to leave.

“I have to get back to work,” I said to Daniel.

“So soon? I thought you had an hour lunch.”

“It’s really busy there, and I kind of avoided the phones today. The bosses will see my low numbers. You know how they add up our phone time.”

“Ahh,” he smiled.

I could tell he bit the hook too. It wasn’t really a lie. I did slack off that morning, and my numbers were low, but that wasn’t why I was in a hurry to leave. I had the sudden fear that this would be the day Frank would come over and talk. Daniel would wonder how I knew him, and I wouldn’t know what to say. I’d break down, and Daniel would find out. He’d leave me. But he suspected nothing. Low numbers at work were the problem.

“You have to make up for your morning slack-off.”

He cringed when he said slack-off. We both knew what he meant, but I agreed with a contorted face. It sounded dirty and gross.

He chuckled, and I smiled along with him, but I didn’t feel like smiling.

“Yeah, something like that,” I replied.

I put on my coat and gave him a quick hug and kiss, thanking him for lunch, which I paid for, then headed back to work. Daniel left with me. If he had stayed behind, I don’t know what I would have done. The last thing I wanted them to do was to talk to each other without me present. I doubt Frank would say anything. In fact, I’m certain he wouldn’t. But the thought of Frank gloating in Daniel’s face while he pretended to be friendly turned my stomach. And I already felt like regurgitating my food just because I knew Frank made it.

Five

We planned a fall wedding exactly one year from the day we got engaged. All our friends wanted us to have a Wizard of Oz-themed wedding, but I was set on something more traditional. Besides, for my last birthday, Daniel surprised me with a Wizard of Oz-themed birthday party. He spent hours cutting out yellow bricks from construction paper, taping them in the shape of the yellow brick road. I came home from work that Friday, and I saw the yellow paper bricks on our front porch.

Nothing else looked abnormal; there were no cars in the drive (our friends had parked at the gym across the street and walked over). I parked the car and walked up the steps across the porch and to the door. I grew instantly nervous; a pleasant nervousness filled with anticipation. I opened the door, and still, no one was around.

I followed the yellow bricks through the living room and into the dining room, where a Wizard of Oz-themed cake was sitting in the center of the table. Oz plates were there for the cake, alongside witch-green cups, and utensils were also spread out on the black tablecloth. Black and green balloons were hanging on the walls and bouncing around the rooms. Shiny red streamers were hung in doorways. As I noticed all this, that’s when Daniel and our friends burst from the kitchen with surprise.

I was taken aback at the thought and preparation that went into it, all for me. In the kitchen, black streamers were hung from the overhead fan, and with the fan spinning the streamers like a tornado. The best part, Daniel was dressed like my favorite character, the scarecrow, and our friends like the others. Jami was the cowardly lion. Noelle was Glinda the Good Witch. Jodi and Jenny, the bad witches of the east and west. After I walked the yellow brick road and said hello to everyone, Jenny brought me upstairs to where a Dorothy outfit was waiting for me. I put it on, then under Daniel’s instruction, Jenny handed me a basket, and we put Hazel Brown in it, our pet rabbit.

Yes, Daniel and I had three cats and one rabbit. I named the rabbit Hazel after a character in the book Watership Down by Richard Adams. Daniel, being a bit colorblind, thinks Hazel is brown (even though she is clearly gray to the rest of us), so he started calling her Ms. Brown. Her full name was Hazel Henry Brown, and she played the part of Toto, sitting quietly in my basket with the help of some lettuce and strawberries.

Daniel’s cousin Tony showed up late, and we wrapped him in tin foil, and he played the part of the Tin Woodsman. We got him a real ax to carry around for a bit, and Daniel made him a tinfoil hat and wrapped Tony’s beer in tinfoil to pretend it was the oil can. It was the best birthday I had ever had: so much fun and a complete surprise.

Forgive me for reminiscing; it was a wonderful time in my life. Hard to believe my next birthday would be spent on a yacht with another man.

***

ABOUT A WEEK AFTER I met Daniel for lunch at the Main Street Café, some co-workers invited me there for lunch. I was reluctant to go. When they mentioned it, all I could think about was Frank working in the back with his dirty hands pulling apart the lettuce to the salad I would order. But it was Kevin’s birthday so I couldn’t say no.

Kevin was the comedian of the group who kept us laughing when, at least I, wanted to cry. Whenever I was down or frustrated with a call, he would find the time to send me a little note. Sometimes he would put customers on hold just to write one for me. The notes usually consisted of a lot of descriptive swear words or a comical drawing of the particular dealership owner I was on the phone with. I had to put them on hold on several occasions because I was laughing so hard. Kevin took the time to look them all up on Facebook and learn as much as he could about their private lives too. A little creepy, yes, but Kevin was a man who wanted to get the details correct even if he was going to embellish them.

He was also in the process of compiling his own Synonym Dictionary, as he called it, but there was only one word in it: Car Dealership Owner. Nearly every day, he would come up with a new synonym or definition for Car Dealership Owner. Most of them I cannot repeat, and it should be noted that they do not apply to all car dealership owners, just the rude ones we deal with on a regular basis. But for often lifting my spirits when I felt like running over my service phone with my car, I owed it to Kevin to participate in his birthday lunch. Unfortunately, Frank was there again.

From where I sat, I could only see Frank pacing by the kitchen door, which was behind the bar where they made all the fancy coffee drinks. I couldn’t help but glance when I saw a shadow pass by the window. Part of me wanted to march back there and confront him about the short time we spent together, but I knew I didn’t have the guts. I had the anger but not the nerve to go through with it.

As usual, when it came to Frank, I hid my feelings from everyone around me, and I did my best to have a good time for Kevin’s sake. And that we did. It was a café that also served alcohol, and Kevin was not one to decline a birthday shot or two or three. Everyone else was afraid the bosses might catch them returning to work with alcohol on their breath, but Kevin didn’t seem to care. He had that kind of personality that could smooth things over, and by the end of the day, he’d be having a shot with the boss in his office. We liked that about him, as did everyone else.

We left to head back to work, and I took one more look through the kitchen door. Frank was still back there, where I saw him laughing with the waitress. I shuttered to think his shifty hands were all over my salad. I barely touched it. I didn’t want anything if he had something to do with it, no matter how hungry I was.

The rest of the day, I sat at my desk taking calls, thinking about what I would like to say to Frank if we spoke. Then I thought about what I’d say if I really had that opportunity. There was certainly a difference in the words I’d like to use and the ones I’d actually use. This wasn’t a note from Kevin, and I would actually have to say the words. It was one thing to hear them rolling around my head stewing in a pot with anger, but to actually let them roll off my tongue...I didn’t think I could do it.

I wondered if he would even remember. Of course, he would, how couldn’t he? Maybe he was too drunk; there was liquor on his breath that night. Maybe that’s why I feel sick whenever I drink or smell alcohol. Maybe I’m not allergic at all; it’s my body’s way of dealing with the regrets of that night. I should have never gone into the room with him in the first place. I was with Daniel, had been since the second grade. I had no business even going in there. It had to be partly my fault, right? At times, I felt like it was all my fault.

I continued to lazily listen to car dealership managers, and owners complain about their computer issues and did what I could to help them, but I couldn’t get Frank off my mind. Not in the way you might think. When I even heard his name, I felt anger stir inside me; rage coursed through my veins. My hands shook, and I felt like I wanted to break something.

Soulmate? Hah! There was no way! The thought that that old crazy lady even suggested such a thing was a cruel joke. Frank would never be my soulmate! I hated him! I wanted to hurt him whenever I thought of him and what happened that night. It could’ve cost me my relationship with Daniel if he had found out. No. I didn’t want Frank in my life, and if I could go back in time and avoid him that night, I would. Yet, I couldn’t stop thinking of him.

I convinced myself that today was the day I was going to confront him. I had always wanted to tell Daniel about that night, but I never did. I always thought it would be the end of us, so I kept it from him. Yes, it ate me up inside, but in time I learned to stuff it in some dark chest inside myself, lock it, and cast it into the abyss, hoping it would stay dead, forgotten!

But now that old, crazy Blue Ridge Sorceress pried the lock open, and the chest was floating on the surface. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, about him. It wasn’t going to go away until I dealt with it. My mind was made up; I’d confront Frank and tell him what I thought. Tell him how he hurt me and how he almost ruined my life with Daniel.

Daniel was the one I loved. Who cares what the crazy lady’s fortune cookie slip said? I loved Daniel, and that was that! How did she even know about Frank? How did she even know my name? It wasn’t my handwriting on Daniel’s slip. How did she do it?

At five minutes to four o’clock, I called Daniel and told him I had to work over. It was a small lie. I couldn’t tell him where I was really going or about Frank. Maybe someday. It would have to be before our wedding. I couldn’t tell him after, but not today—one step at a time. The first thing I planned to do was confront Frank. Just a small lie to Daniel, then never again.

“I’ll be home a little late. I have to work over.”

“No problem,” Daniel said. “Don’t be too late. I’m cooking you something you’re going to like.”

“What is it?”

“You’ll have to wait and find out. See you as soon as you can get here.”

“I won’t be long. And Daniel,” I paused.

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

I cringed when I said I loved him, not because I didn’t feel any bit of it was untrue; it just hurt me to lie and say such a thing in the same conversation. I felt fake and slimy inside, even though it was just a small lie. But I did love him. I do. I just had to take care of this one thing. How much more I could fully be with Daniel if I took care of this secret, say what I have to say to Frank Brennen, then I’ll be able to tell Daniel about it. Maybe.

I put my phone on busy until four o’clock then logged out of my computer. I didn’t want to be bothered by another call and be any later than I had to be. Daniel made me a good dinner once or twice a week, while other days we cooked together after I got home. I enjoyed his meals, even though he wasn’t the best cook. Writer, maybe, but not a good cook.

He knows my favorite is Italian food, but I’ve been craving a lot of Mexican food lately, ever since we got back from North Carolina, so last week, he decided to combine them. Pasta covered with mashed black beans and salsa didn’t make the best combination. I suppose it didn’t taste that bad, but it was just too...odd.

Anyway, looking forward to dinner with Daniel this evening made the idea of confronting Frank much easier. I had something to look forward to no matter how ugly our confrontation might get, and I had a feeling it was going to be very, very ugly, like Daniel’s pesto watermelon pizza ugly.

Six

I sat down in the back booth one over from where Daniel and I had lunch the first time I was here. The booth gave me a better view of the kitchen. I ordered some tea and began to read, well, pretending to read my book. It was 4:11 PM, and I could see Frank in the back laughing with one of the waitresses. It irritated me to see him laugh; he didn’t deserve to laugh. But there he was, grinning like one of those psychotic monkeys with symbols in their hands, only Frank was holding a lid to a pot in one hand and a soup ladle in the other.

He moved away from the window, and the waitress returned with my tea. I wanted to ask her what Frank was laughing about. What was she laughing about with him? Doesn't she know he doesn’t deserve to laugh?

“Thank you,” I said with a fake smile on my face.

She had a tattoo of a boy’s name on her right wrist. I could see it when she pulled a straw from her apron and placed it on the table for the customers in the booth next to me. No wedding ring: probably a single mother who shared her high school graduation pictures with her son. That wasn’t what annoyed me about her. I knew a few girls like that, and they were good mothers; at least two out of three were. This working mom probably was, too. What annoyed me was that she was laughing with Frank. If she only knew what he was really like, she wouldn’t be laughing at all.

“Did you decide on anything to eat?” she asked me.

She had told me her name when taking my tea order, but I couldn’t remember it.

“No thanks, just tea.”

“Alright. There’s honey on the table and plenty of sugar there, too. If you need anything else, just holler.” She began to turn away, tossing her hair back over her shoulders, and looked at me again. “By the way, I love your taste in books. That’s one of my favorites; I’ve read it three times. And congratulations, that’s a beautiful ring.”

I was caught off guard. She wasn’t a laughing monster at all, which was how I thought of her for a moment but was too embarrassed to admit it. I loathe this hate in myself. I had always looked for the best in people and gave them the benefit of the doubt, until recently. Lately, the world around me and the people in it were colored with my anger and frustration. I was impatient and felt icky on the inside, knowing it was me and not them. But what could I do to rid myself of these feelings? Confronting Frank was a good start.

I smiled at the waitress, but this time it was genuine.

“Thank you,” I said. “My fiancé knows me well.”

I didn’t know what else to say. I felt stupid. She was obviously a reader, a good observer, and I had to admit, charming. What was a girl like that laughing with Frank Brennen for? Maybe because she had to since she works with him. She’s probably nice to everyone, like how I pretend to be while on the phone with how much more can I make by raising their interest and lowing the retail price car dealership owners.

The waitress turned away, and the next words she spoke sent me shrinking in my seat, like a sheet of tinfoil being crushed into a ball.

“Have a good night, Frank,” she said.

“See you tomorrow, Mil.”

That voice! That grinding, deep voice! I hated it!! Mil? That was her name, Milly. How could I forget? I shrunk in my seat and raised the book over my face so he didn’t see me. I had hoped he wouldn't see me. I didn’t look up until I heard the door open and close. Frank was gone.

Wait! I came here to confront him. I must confront him; that’s the plan. Today’s the day. I stood up and started heading to the door. The parking lot would be a good place for the showdown since I could yell and scream if I had to.

Ugly! The only word I could use to describe how I felt inside, and I needed to get it out. The chest of dark secrets inside me was leaking a foul emotion. I needed to let Frank know he was the cause of this ugliness.

I pushed the café door open and stepped outside but stopped as Frank was getting into his truck, a red Dodge. I wanted to march across the concrete parking lot and tell him what I thought, but I couldn’t get my legs to move. Despite how much I thought about it, how many scenarios I rehearsed in my head if I had the opportunity, I was drawing a blank. I wouldn’t know what to say. So, I just stood there as he started his truck, lit a cigarette, and started to back up.

In a hurry, I turned back into the café entryway before he spotted me. Through the door, I watched him pull out onto the road. He didn’t even stop. He was gone, tires screeching down the road.

I missed my chance.

Feeling defeated, I rushed back into the café. I must have had a distraught look on my face because the waitress confronted me before I could get back to my seat.

“Is everything alright?” Milly asked.

“Yes,” I said with a flustered voice. “I just had to-to take a call from my fiancé. I’ll take the bill now, please. I have to leave.”

Milly glanced to my booth, where my phone was sitting on the table next to my tea. She turned back to face me, not with an I busted you lying to me look, but with an are you sure you’re alright look.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized for the obvious lie. “I’m not feeling well. Can I just pay the bill?”

She smiled. Damn that smile! She was the kind of girl you could melt into like butter and tell all your problems to, all your personal secrets. Some people just had that feel about them.

“Don’t worry about the tea,” Milly said. “You didn’t even drink it. Go home. I hope you’re feeling better soon.”

She was too kind. I gathered my things and left a few dollars on the table, not for her waitressing services but for her kindness. It was genuine. I forgave her for laughing with Frank since she probably was naturally patient and polite to everyone. I wondered how she would feel if she had been through what I’d been through, hoping she hadn't been. Although if she had, I doubt she would be laughing with Frank Brennen.

***

I HURRIED HOME. I THOUGHT knowing Daniel was waiting for me at home would make everything better, but it didn’t. I had lied to him, and as I walked up to the door, I was feeling sick about it.

“Hi,” he said, his smile immediately fell. “What’s wrong?”

I wanted to spill it out right there. Open the chest, deep inside, and let him see all the horrible things hidden away, but I couldn’t. But just like Milly, he could tell something was wrong and cared enough to ask. It must have been written on my face. The difference was, if I had known Milly a little better and we were actually friends, I would be able to tell her what happened that night between Frank and me, and our relationship would only grow closer. But if I told Daniel, it might be the end of us.

“Just a rough day,” I said. “The last dealership was a real pain.”

“Huh,” he grunted. “You stay over to help them, and they still treat you badly. Sorry about that.”

“What?” I asked, my thoughts far away, consumed with the horrible things inside me. Stay over? Oh, yes. My lie. There I was, piling on another one. I couldn’t stop now. “Yeah. Oh well, I’m glad to be home.”

“I wish I could hurry up and sell a bunch of books, so you didn’t have to work if you didn’t want to.”

I threw my arms around him and pulled him close so that way he couldn’t see my face. Let’s change the subject before the lie gets bigger, or the chest explodes.

I put on a fake smile, pulling my wavy, blond hair from the ponytail to hide any residual anguish left on my face.

“So, what did you make for me? More spaghetti sandwiches or pasta tacos?” I chuckled.

“Actually, this is a bit more normal,” he said, taking my hand to lead me into the kitchen, “Something I know you’ll like.” He looked back over his shoulder at me. “I just hope it tastes good.”

I followed Daniel into the kitchen. He held my hand the entire way and pulled the chair out for me. A glass of juice and water was waiting for me as he fixed a plate. Chicken marsala! Fake, non-GMO chicken, of course!

“You made my favorite,” I uttered, almost in tears. I didn’t deserve this.

“I did,” he smiled, believing I did deserve it.

I took a bite, and he waited with anticipation.

“It’s delicious, Daniel.” I forced a smile, as genuine in appearance as I could make it. “You’re going to make a great housewife after all.”

I enjoyed every bit of dinner and, as we ate, he showed me a folder of papers he printed from the internet. There were three different cruises that spent five to seven days on the Caribbean Sea, stopping at various islands. There were four different beach houses for rent from Marco Island, Florida, to Galveston, Texas. There was a planned RV road trip across the United States from our home in Ohio out to San Francisco, where we would walk among the Redwood Trees, down to Los Angeles, where we could catch a taping of Jeopardy, then head to the Grand Canyon on our way back to Ohio.

My heart sank as he showed me these things. Here he was planning our honeymoon while I was lying to him so I could confront a demon from my past. A demon named Frank Brennen.

Damn that Blue Ridge Sorceress!

But was it really her fault? No. It was my fault for going upstairs into that room with Frank in the first place. It hurt more that Frank wouldn’t even acknowledge me after that, not that I wanted him to. But to treat me as if I was nothing. It hurt! It damn well did hurt! And if I told Daniel, would he want me anymore? Would he just discard me, too, as if I was nothing to him?

I believed he wouldn’t. I believed he would still love me, but I didn’t believe he would ever look at me the same. How could he? It was like a stain on the carpet that I covered with a piece of furniture to hide. I didn’t want him to see it, but it would always be there until I got rid of it. I had to get rid of it. I had to confess.

Seven

I had placed the slip with Frank’s name on it in a small ring box under the plastic insert and placed it in the second drawer from the top in the vanity Daniel bought me, in the back, under a few bracelets. I didn’t need to look at it again, but I couldn’t throw it away, like a mystery that had to be solved. It was evidence. It would stay that way until I figured out how the old lady knew about Frank and me and why she did it. Why would she say Frank Brennen was my soulmate? I hardly knew him, and I loved Daniel.

I tossed the idea back and forth in my mind that Daniel had something to do with it, but, like before, I quickly pushed the thought from my mind. I dreamt of the old lady a few times over the next month or two, but the dreams meant nothing. It was just her standing behind that counter with the one creeping eye watching me. The other, gazing into the nothingness of her cataract. I usually woke up as soon as she looked directly at me.

When my co-workers asked me to go to lunch at the café again, and I went several times after. Whenever Daniel asked me to lunch, I chose the pizza shop down the road to avoid him seeing how distraught I felt. However, at the cafe, I got to be friendly with Milly.

She often waited on us, and I found out she did have a child, an eight-month-old son that her mother watched while she worked during the day and attended college classes online at night. Milly was working hard to improve her life, and I can only say she was friendly with Frank because they were co-workers. She was friendly with everyone. It was her personality to just like people when she met them. It was safe to say that I liked her, too.

The café became a regular place for lunch for my co-workers, but I never spoke with Frank. It wasn't that I didn’t think I had the nerve to; I just didn’t. I guess I was just waiting for it to happen. Waiting for him to see me and acknowledge me, but he never did. Still, when I saw him, it made my blood curdle like a bowl of milk in the desert over an afternoon campfire.

I had the nagging suspicion that I wouldn’t be able to let this go until I did confront him. No matter how much I pretended to be alright with everything that happened, I could feel the grimy stain inside me wanting to be wiped clean.

One day, while going over the honeymoon that Daniel was still trying to decide on, I realized I would never be able to face him with a hundred percent honesty with this sour taste in my soul. Whether I ever told Daniel about that night or not, I had to confront Frank about everything that happened so that I could relieve myself of this pain inside me.

So, that was exactly what I planned to do.

***

I LIED TO DANIEL A few more times and told him I was working late. Each time I brought a book to the café and sat in the same booth and ordered tea. Sometimes I’d drink it; other times, I didn’t. I found out that Frank had the same schedule I had. We both worked until 4:00 PM every weekday. I also found out that he often stayed a little late to finish cleaning up, especially when they had had a busy lunch.

Each time I went, I didn’t know what I intended to do. I guess I was just feeling things out, checking what level my nerves were at and if I would be able to handle my emotions if I did confront him. But I intended to, at some point.

One time I almost said something, but I chickened out at the last second. Another day I followed him into the parking lot, where he was smoking a cigarette. His truck wasn’t there (I hadn’t noticed when I went in). It was the perfect opportunity. I started walking up behind him as he threw the cigarette butt on the ground (didn’t even stomp it out), then the truck pulled in—the red Dodge.

I stopped. The driver was a young woman, looking like she had just woken up. She was also smoking, and as far as I could tell, was pregnant. Her hair was unkempt, and she looked tired.

Frank immediately started arguing with her for being late as he made her get out so he could drive (that’s how I was certain she was pregnant). I was shocked; was he married? Did he have children? How could he do what he did if he was married this whole time or at least living with her? I didn’t see a ring on him, but she was wearing several. Perhaps he was recently attached and not with someone the night it happened. I had hoped not, for her sake.

I sat in my car for a while before I went home that day. I didn’t know what I was feeling. Anger, most certainly. Confusion? I didn’t know what to do. Jealously? No, it couldn’t be jealously. It felt like a big pot of emotions was being boiled inside me (and I say being boiled because I didn’t feel like the cook. I felt like I had no control of it) and stirred together until they formed one horrendous, unexplainable feeling. Like the time Daniel mixed smashed cannellini beans with mashed potatoes, added an array of vegetables, ground it all in the blender, and then boiled it in vegetable broth. Vegetable-Pancake Soup, he called it. My stomach felt as if I just ate another bowl of it, as I did that day, just to be nice.

I returned home, where Daniel was making Mexican pizzas for us to eat. He had told me his friend Quentin had stopped by, and so he was behind schedule. I wasn’t hungry anyway. I was sick to my stomach with thought and emotion. Frank Brennen had raped me and may have been married this entire time. There, I said it! He raped me!

I’ve been lying to Daniel about working late as well as withholding the fact that something so horrible had happened to me. I never told anyone. I was too embarrassed, too ashamed. I should have never gone upstairs and into the room with him in the first place. I had had a drink or two, but I wasn’t drunk. Frank was. I could smell it on his breath when he took me up to the room in his friend’s house to show me what he had for sale. A stupid Aquaman figurine from the early seventies still in its package.

Aquaman was Daniel’s favorite superhero. He used to put on his Aquaman Underoos and pretend to save the world with his army of plastic fish. That was when he was a child, of course. When I saw the action figure for sale on Facebook, I had to get it for him since Daniel’s birthday was less than a month away.

We weren’t living together at the time, so I wasn’t worried about Daniel wondering where I was. After a few Facebook messages, I stopped at the house after work, since back then, I worked until about eight in the evening. I wasn’t certain I was at the right address, as there was a party going on, but then I saw some people I knew. They assured me I was at the right place and that Frank, who I had never met before, but I knew was a friend of Marcy’s fiancé, was around there somewhere.

As I said, I knew a few people at the party, so I stayed and had one or two drinks before I was introduced to Frank. The music was loud downstairs, and he said the action figure was upstairs. Everyone saw me go up the stairs voluntarily. Later, I heard some of them say I wanted it, but Frank Brennen made me ashamed to be a woman that day. He made me ashamed to be with Daniel. He makes me ashamed to become Daniel’s wife.

I did my best to bury it all in a locked chest, deep in the abyss within myself. I was afraid Daniel wouldn’t want me anymore or that he wouldn’t believe what Frank had done. He would ask people who were at the party, and they would say I followed Frank up the stairs, voluntarily, my second drink in hand, and that I wanted it to happen.

Eventually, I felt too much time had passed, and I had done a good job burying the emotional scars left over. All my stains were hidden. Mostly, I was just too ashamed to talk about it, wanting to pretend it never happened. It was easier that way, and I was doing a good job of leaving that night buried and forgotten until that old, crazy lady wrote his name on a small slip of paper and named that sleaze as my soulmate.

Maybe I should’ve told Daniel long ago. Maybe I should have confided in my sister, a good friend, my mother, or a psychologist or counselor. I was afraid they would make me go to the police. I was afraid it would backfire, and everyone at the party would say I wanted it to happen. They might even say Frank was an upstanding guy and would never do something like that. So, I buried it deep. I had learned to live with the lie in such a way that it didn’t seem to affect my relationship with Daniel. But deep within, I was always afraid it would come up again, that Daniel would find out, and he wouldn’t believe that Frank forced himself on me. And even if he believed I was raped, I was afraid he wouldn’t want me anymore.

Everything was fine until the Blue Ridge Sorceress declared my rapist my soulmate. How would she even know?

Eight

“How’s the writing going?” Quentin asked as he installed a program on Daniel’s computer.

“Not too bad. Just need the sales to pick up,” Daniel said.

Quentin leaned on the kitchen counter while the program downloaded. “I’m sure they will.”

“When I started this, Ali and I talked about her paying the bills for one year while I tried to get the book sales going.” There was a pause, and Daniel sucked in the air between his clenched teeth. “It’s been one year and two months, and I’m not making a living yet.”

“Yeah, but you’re well on your way. I’m sure Ali doesn’t mind. She’ll give you more time. Not like you guys are struggling,” he looked around the neatly furnished room and the small knick-knacks everywhere. Then he opened the refrigerator, and when he couldn’t find a cold beer to drink, he added, “too much.”

“Yeah, she would. I just feel bad. She hates her job, and she goes to it while I sit home and write books all day,” he paused, “And don’t bring enough money home to keep our lights on.”

“Ahh,” Quentin shut the refrigerator and waved his hand as if to brush Daniel’s concerns away. “You would do the same for her, and maybe you will someday.” He took a seat next to Daniel in the dining room. “Just do your best while you have the chance to do what you want to do. Take advantage of this time; just don’t forget her in the future. You owe her big time.”

“I already know that,” Daniel chuckled. “Some days, I’m so busy writing I don’t even clean up around her. She comes home to a dirty house with cat hairs and Cocoa Puffs everywhere.”

“Cocoa Puffs?”

“Hazel never got the hang of being potty trained. That rabbit needs a diaper, but I hate to leave her in the cage all day. I just try to get it all picked up before Ali gets home.” They both turned and saw Hazel lying on the floor; Quentin saw the gray rabbit, Daniel the brown one, though they were one and the same. A pile of ‘Cocoa Puffs’ were behind her nub of a tail. “Sometimes I’m too busy writing and don’t get around to it.” He turned back to Quentin. “I feel like a trophy wife that lounges around in pajamas all day and doesn’t bother getting fixed up for her husband anymore.”

“You, my friend,” Quentin laughed, “are no trophy wife.”

“I think she hates the way I dress. I get that feeling.”

Quentin looked him over. Green oversized cords with an Aquaman T-shirt, unkempt hair, and mismatched socks.

“I get that feeling too,” he said.

“I do cook for her now and then.”

“I’ve tasted your cooking. Don’t try to pass that off as one of your better domestic qualities.” Quentin shook his head like he recalled a bad memory. “I’ve had your vegetable soup burritos before.”

“Maybe I should write a cookbook,” Daniel said, with a curious look, as if a light bulb was flickering on and off in his head, and he couldn’t quite see what was in the room.

“Maybe you shouldn’t,” Quentin replied without hesitation. “The tastiest thing about that cookbook will be the book.”

“Hey now,” Daniel pointed at him with wide eyes as if the light stopped flickering and lit up the room, “There’s a million-dollar idea.”

“What?”

“A book that you can read but when you’re finished you can eat it! A cookbook that you can actually cook!”

Quentin got a good laugh about it while Daniel thought of ways he could actually make it happen.

When the laughter died down, Quentin added, “I see her now and then, by the way.”

“Who? Ali?”

“Yeah. She gets off at four, right?”

“Yeah, most of the time. She’s been working over a couple of days a week. Guess that adds onto my guilt.”

“Overtime? That’s good.”

“Where do you see her?” Daniel asked.

“I drop in to pick up my dad’s coffee after work on my way to see him. He had cataract surgery not too long ago. I stop in the café on Main Street on my way over, and Ali is sometimes sitting there. I waved once, but she didn’t see me. I’ve only met her a couple of times, and you guys are such hermits, so she probably wouldn’t recognize me if she saw me at all. I’ll stop and introduce myself the next time I see her there.”

“She’s in the café? After four?”

“Yeah. I’ve seen her there a few times. Don’t worry,” Quentin chuckled, “she’s always alone. Sitting there reading a book with a cup of tea in front of her.”

Daniel raised his dark eyebrows. “After work?”

“Yeah,” a curious look crossed Quentin’s face, “Wait. I feel like I’m saying something that’s going to cause a problem.”

Daniel pouted his lower lip and turned away, shaking his head.

“What’s wrong?” Quentin asked, but he already knew the answer. Daniel thought she was getting home later because Ali was working overtime, all the while she’s been in a coffee shop.

“Well, she’s been telling me she’s been working overtime lately. She’s a half-hour to an hour late from work one to three times a week. And you’re saying she’s sitting alone in a café reading a book?”

“You think she’s lying to you?”

“Ah, no,” Daniel said. But yes, he did.

The only times she had been late were the days she called and said she was working late. And if Quentin sees her at the café sitting reading a book...? Why would she lie about working over just to sit in a café to read a book? Did she need alone time and just did not want to say it?

“There’s one way you can know for certain if she is lying,” Quentin said. “Check her paystubs. See if there’s any overtime on them.”

Daniel shook his head. “I don’t need to check her paychecks. She wouldn’t lie to me. I’m certain she has a reason.”

Quentin nodded. There were lots of reasons women lie, but time alone to read a book for a half-hour to an hour didn’t seem like one of them.

“Well, okay. I didn’t mean to start anything. I was just saying I’ve seen her there lately. She’s not doing anything wrong, though. Just so you know that. Just reading, and again, she’s there alone.”

Quentin pulled the flash drive out of the computer and stood up to leave. “It’s all done.”

“Thanks for the program,” Daniel said. “Thanks for bringing it by and installing it. Always good to see you.”

“No problem. If you have any questions about how it works, don’t ask me. I bought it and could never figure it out.”

“Using it to make book covers shouldn’t be that hard. Not like I’ll be doing some serious graphic design stuff.”

“Good luck,” Quentin smiled.

He could see the worry on Daniel’s face. He was still thinking about Ali sitting in the café while he thought she was working overtime.

“Thanks again,” Daniel said, patting his friend on the shoulder, walking him to the door.

“No problem. Don’t let what I told you bother you. I’m sure there’s a good reason she’s there. Just ask her.” Quentin stepped outside and studied his friend’s face. He wouldn’t ask her. Daniel wasn’t the type to pry, but Quentin was certain he wouldn’t stop thinking about it either. “You two should join us more often. It’s good to see you, and it might be good for you two to get out once in a while.”

“Yeah. We’ll get together soon.”

After Quentin left, Ali pulled in the drive. The Mexican pizzas were still unassembled on the kitchen counter.

That’s when I walked in feeling sick about Frank Brennen after learning he might be married.

***

“HI, HANDSOME,” I SAID to Daniel. “How’s your day?”

“Good,” he replied.

It wasn’t his usual tone. He hugged me, but it lacked his usual complete embrace that always made me feel better. He kissed me on the forehead rather than the lips before returning to the kitchen without excitement or my hand in his.

“Quentin stopped by. He brought me over a program that he thought might help me to make better book covers. You just missed him.”

“Quentin?” I tried to recall as I placed my purse on an empty chair. “Did I meet him?”

“Yeah. He left for the service right after high school, but you met him at Jake and Marcy’s wedding. We saw him out a few times, too.”

“I can’t place him, but that’s good. You’ll make some new book covers.” I wrapped my arms around him from behind as he assembled the Mexican pizzas.

I thought being close to him would soothe me, but it only made things worse. Despite how physically close we were at that moment, I felt the distance growing between us. Was it because of my little lies, or was it something more? Was the old lady trying to tell me something, that I was not the woman meant to wear Daniel’s ring? I hated that the thought popped into my mind.

“I’m sure you’ll get some big sales soon,” I said.

I wanted to push all the other thoughts away. I wanted to lock them in that chest or tie them in a sack with the other nightmares and bury them deep, but I couldn’t.

I kissed Daniel on the cheek and watched him place the loaded burrito shell in the pan. “Those smell good.”

“I got behind when Quentin stopped by,” he said coldly.

I didn’t know it at the time, but the thoughts of me lying to him were racing through his mind.

It doesn’t make sense. Did she just need time alone that bad that she lied about working over? Maybe Quentin was mistaken. He hadn’t seen her in a long time either, and Ali doesn’t like to eat at the café. She never wants to go there for lunch. She always prefers the pizza shop, which is unusual being that the food is not as healthy as the café. Maybe she just doesn’t want to be seen there with me. But why?

“So, how was the overtime?” he asked.

“The what?”

He caught me off guard.

“You worked over again. You’ve been working over a lot. Is it wearing you down?”

“Oh, ah, no.” I pulled two plates from the cupboard and utensils from the drawer. I didn’t want to look at him while supporting my lies. “It’s alright. I just have to stay late and take calls. It’s no big deal.”

He had a smile on his face as he took the plates from me. I forced a smile back but quickly found something else to do, getting some drinks out. Then I made an excuse to wash my hands. By the time I came back and sat down, my dinner was on the table. I thought the conversation was over. It would change to a new subject.

“At least you’ll have a bigger paycheck,” he said.

“What?” I paused. It wasn’t over yet. “Oh, ah, yeah.”

I started eating immediately. I didn’t want to talk, and anything I said would make the lie grow. I hadn’t thought everything through. I hadn’t thought of the overtime that would not show on my paycheck, but he wouldn’t look anyway. He never checks up on me. That’s one thing I loved about him; he trusted me. The problem was, I couldn’t be trusted, could I?

I didn’t do anything wrong, though. It was just that stupid slip I received from the Blue Ridge Sorceress in North Carolina. Why did it have Frank’s name on it? How could she know? Why do I even ask myself anymore? I’ll never get the answer. The only logical answer is that Daniel knew about Frank this whole time, and he somehow arranged for that crazy lady to play the trick on me. But that doesn’t seem like the Daniel I know, but still, how else could it have happened? Unless, no, it couldn’t be. Unless the woman was real?

She said it was real. Her eyes were fixed on me, at least the one working one was. This will prove if you are the woman who should be wearing his ring. I could hear her scratchy voice like razor blades across my eardrums. She pounded her crooked finger on the black cloth in front of the paper, Write. Write! And I wrote. Now you will know your true soulmate’s name. She was smiling at that point. Frank Brennen? How could she know unless Daniel told her? It’s no trick. It’s real, she had said. But if it’s real then...then that means Frank is my soulmate, and Daniel isn’t. No! I refuse to accept it!

I nearly cried into my pizza, which was good. I just didn’t have the appetite for it, but I ate anyway. I would do anything other than talk. I didn’t want to lie anymore. I didn’t want Daniel to see the ugliness inside me. No makeup would cover this up. Either I was a liar, or I would tell him the truth, but the truth meant that Frank was my soulmate. My rapist was my soulmate. No! It can’t be! I refused to believe it! Or if Daniel knew what happened all along and played that cruel joke on me, then it is him that has been lying to me.

I felt distrust growing in my heart.

I looked up. Daniel was eating, staring into his food. Something seemed wrong; he was quiet and withdrawn. Had he found something out? Did he know all along?

I opened my mouth, wanting to say something. I wanted him to tell me what he knew, but I couldn’t do it. If I talked now, he would know I lied; he would know everything. I needed to confront Frank and get this out of my system then I could let it go.

Tomorrow will be my day of redemption, I declared. Then, I would tell Daniel everything. Everything! I couldn’t marry him unless I did. I was just afraid if I did tell him, he wouldn’t marry me. He would see me as...stained, for lack of a better word, but it was a chance I had to take. I had to tell him everything in order to feel clean again if I ever could, and Daniel deserved the truth. It was the only way I’d feel worthy of wearing this ring and the one to come on our wedding day.

We didn’t talk much that night. We both busied ourselves with watching television, writing, and reading. It was the worst evening we had together in a long time because we worried about what was on the other person’s mind, but neither of us wanted to ask. I knew it was all my fault, and I couldn’t stand to see Daniel this way. It might have been easier if he had just asked me, but I was glad he didn’t.

We turned out the light and crawled into bed. Still not a word.

“Good night, Daniel.”

“Good night, Ali.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Before I went to sleep, I promised him something without saying a word. I’m sorry, Daniel. I’ll make it all better. Tomorrow, I’ll make it all better. I promise.

Then I turned my attention to confronting Frank Brennen.

Nine

It was 3:56 PM, the day after I stuffed the Mexican pizza down. I put my phone on busy and waited for 4:00 PM with great anticipation. I had already called Daniel and told him I’d be late. I swore to myself it was the last time I would lie to him. I found myself checking my makeup and hair, not because I was meeting Frank; it’s just what a girl does when she’s nervous. Today was the day, the day of Frank Brennen’s reckoning.

I turned to the clock; it was now 3:58 PM. I grabbed my car keys and purse, ready to run out the door and head to the café. Suddenly, my phone rang. I sighed. It wasn’t my cell phone; it was my work phone. How the hell did that happen? I thought I had made it busy. All the anticipation that had been building up in me suddenly turned to frustration.

I turned to look at the cursed device. It was dull green with big white numbers and sat laughing like a devil on my desk. If looks could kill, I think the phone would have melted right there. I had messed something up, today of all days! I felt like kicking myself. No, not kick myself; that’s just an expression. Throwing the stapler across the room or stabbing the phone with a pencil was more accurate. I wanted to wrap the spiral cord around the base of the phone and strangle it until it stopped ringing.

I rolled my eyes and seethed through my clenched teeth to avoid making a scene. While I would’ve liked to have taken my frustration out on the office supplies around me, it was my fault. I help fix computer issues for a living, and I couldn’t even set the phone to do not disturb correctly. I felt like a mechanic who tested every inch of an engine just to find out the car was out of gas, or a television repairman who takes out the guts of the set only to find it was never plugged in. It must have been my overactive nerves.

I took a deep breath and lifted the phone.

“This is Ali with—”

“I don’t have time for pleasantries. I have a customer waiting outside my office, and once again, your program is failing to convert the interest. I don’t know what the hell you people do there, but it sure the hell isn’t—”

I had to hurry this up. I was in no mood to take my abuse slowly right now.

“We’re sorry for the inconvenience, Sir. If I could just get your name and the dealership so I could bring you up on the computer.”

“You know damn well who this is. I have to call them ten times a day...”

His voice trailed off. I did know who it was, but all my calls were recorded. It was in the handbook that I had to ask him his name and the dealership each time he called, so it was on record. He never said, but I had asked. At 4:03, we had discovered that Conrail Pratman of a Chevy dealership in Michigan had forgotten to click the conversion enter button at the bottom of the page. We never established it during the course of the phone conversation, but I think by the end, we both knew who the idiot was.

I hung up the phone after telling him to have a lovely day then raced to my car. I hopped in and headed to the café. Today was the day! Here I come, Frank Brennen, and I’m already irritated enough to strangle a phone and a car salesman!

As I pulled into the parking lot, I saw the red truck pulling out. I turned my face so he couldn’t see me, and I don’t think he did. I sighed as he pulled out onto the road; today was not the day; I was too late. Thoughts of smashing that phone flashed through my mind. Maybe I needed to take a little road trip to Michigan and show Pratman where he can—

“Calm down, Ali,” I told myself.

I just didn’t want to have to lie to Daniel one more day. I wanted it to be over with today, but technically today wasn’t a lie. I actually did get a phone call that kept me over. I figured I’d have to try again tomorrow.

I turned around in the parking space since there was no need to go into the café now. I figured I’d just go home and be with Daniel; it was where I wanted to be anyway. I pulled out of the café and headed up the road toward the main light at the top of the hill. It was the only light in the town, and as I turned the final bend before the light, I found myself pulling up behind Frank’s truck. There was a little silver car between us, but there he was, waiting at the red light. I became nervous all over again.

I was afraid he’d spot me in the rearview mirror. He was stopped at the light with his elbow leaning out the window with puffs of smoke escaping the cab. His turn signal was on, which meant he was going the same way as me. When the light turned green, I stayed back to get more distance between us, with the silver car was turning, too.

Frank was driving in front of me about a hundred yards up. I was seething with anger and guilt. I felt mudded inside as if I was stalking him or doing something I shouldn’t be doing. I just wanted to forget the whole thing now. I wished Daniel and I had never gone to that crazy old woman in North Carolina. But would it have changed anything? Even if Daniel’s name had been on that slip, would I have kept the secret buried forever? Was it something I had to tell him before we got married, so there were no secrets between us? I didn’t know. I only knew that it was starting to feel like a wall between us now.

What’s done is done, the saying goes. Frank’s name was on that slip. The name of your soulmate will be on the slip, she had said, or something like that. I could ask myself a million times why Daniel’s name wasn’t on that slip, and I would never get an answer. All I knew at this moment was that, for whatever reason, the past was here haunting me, and there was only one way to end it.

Frank was now two hundred yards ahead of me when he slowed down and pulled into a driveway. So, this is where the rapist lives? I thought to myself. There was one drive for about six smaller white homes that looked identical, three on each side of the drive. I watched as he pulled next to the last home on the left. I could confront him now if I wanted to. I don’t even remember doing it, but I pulled in the drive staying close to the road as Frank stepped out of his truck. I watched him grab his hat from the seat and nearly jog up the few steps to the door and open it. I pulled my car up on the other side of his truck once he was inside.

I took a deep breath and asked myself, “What am I doing? I should get out of here!”

I didn’t even shut the car off. I was about to leave, but then I looked up and saw the most peculiar thing. I wound my driver’s side window down and sat there watching for a moment. Through the window (it must have been a kitchen window), I could see Frank arguing with the woman who picked him up the other day. I always had pictured Frank living in a deplorable apartment, with or without heat, working during the day and getting high at night with shady friends. I had never pictured the rapist being in a relationship raising children. Yes, children. The woman was pregnant, and there were two children at the table, a boy and a girl, the oldest no more than five years old. The girl, the younger one, was crying; the yelling must have frightened her. The boy kept eating as if he was used to it; the screaming was part of his daily life.

Frank Brennen could not be my soulmate; I was certain of that. I had no interest in him at all except to march in there and let the woman know what he did to me. I wanted him to pay, to suffer as I had! But wasn’t he? He was obviously unhappy. Raising two children and another one on the way as he cooked in a mediocre café, not that being a cook in a mediocre café was a bad thing.

The kind of person Frank Brennen was, made it a bad thing in this circumstance. It would probably be all Frank would ever do with his life, and even that isn’t a bad thing, as long as he’s happy with himself. However, Frank was not, and that was obvious. I saw it firsthand when he flirted with Milly. She was smart enough to stay away from him. Smarter than me, who walked up those stairs to his friend’s bedroom so he could show me an Aquaman figurine he had for sale. At least Milly wasn’t dumb enough to trust him with something like that. But how could I know? I had a drink or two, but I didn’t lead him on. He had no right!

I pounded the steering wheel and felt my anger rise like I was about to regurgitate it. My system labeled it a poison and wanted rid of it, but I couldn’t break down here. I held it in and started to cry.

“Get yourself together,” I said. “Just go home and forget about Frank. Forget about it all. Just move on and be happy. Daniel loves you. You love him. Let Frank go and be happy. That’s your best revenge!”

I felt another wave of anger rising. I felt hot, and my nerves were shaking. Revenge is what I wanted...

***

BEFORE I DROVE HOME that day, I found myself being later than usual. I had to circle the block to let my eyes dry. I fixed my makeup in the car in the driveway so Daniel wouldn’t know I had been crying. I stepped into the house, expecting him to have something ready for me to eat. My little trophy wife, he was. Something we joked about from time to time.

That’s when I could tell something was wrong. Maybe he just ran to the store, or he just had to help a friend and didn’t start cooking yet. But my gut told me something else was happening, something that would tear us apart.

The beginning of the end.

Ten

“Hello?”

“Quentin.”

“Danny! What’s happening? Good to hear from you.”

There was no reply.

“Danny. You alright?”

“No. No, Quentin. I’m not alright.”

“Where are you? I’ll come over.”

“I’m not home,” Daniel said. “I’m just driving around.”

“What’s wrong? Do you need help?”

“You were right. She’s been lying to me.”

“Ali? Hey, I didn’t say she was doing anything wrong. I just saw her at the café, that’s all. She’d never—”

“I checked her paychecks last night after she fell asleep. There is no overtime.”

Quentin didn’t know what to say. He sighed and said the first thing that came to his mind to break the uncomfortable silence.

“That doesn’t mean she’s doing anything wrong. She might just need a little time alone—”

“She called me from work today,” Daniel interrupted. “Said she was going to be working late. She hasn’t been working late at all and...”

“Relax, Dan. That doesn’t mean anything. Don’t jump to conclusions—”

“I drove by the café today, and she wasn’t there.”

Quentin knew in his heart it was bad. He could feel it in the sound of Daniel’s voice, but he did his best to remain positive and not jump to conclusions, like Daniel might be doing.

“See, then she probably actually worked late today. And what’s the big deal about reading at a coffee shop? Maybe she didn’t want to tell you she needed time alone. It’s not like she was with someone else. Each time I saw her she—”

“Quentin.” Daniel’s voice was filled with tears, but he refused to let himself cry. “Listen to me. I don’t know what to do. She wasn’t at the café. I thought the same thing. When she wasn’t there, I thought maybe she was actually working late. Then she showed up, but she didn’t stay.”

“Where did she go?” Quentin asked. He heard the concern in Daniel’s voice, and he had no more excuses to offer him.

“She followed a red truck up Main Street.”

“A red truck. Who’s?”

“I don’t know. The red truck was pulling out as she was pulling in. I didn’t think anything of it at first. Then she turned around in the parking lot and left right away. I figured she was planning on reading at the café then decided to go home. But as I headed back, I saw her car again. It was parked on the other side of the red truck on route 308.”

“Three-o-eight? Was it a small white house?”

“Yeah. There were six of them. Small houses, three on each side of the drive. You know of them?”

“Yeah. Ah...Dan, that’s...that’s...”

“What, Quentin? You know who lives there?”

“Yeah. I do.”

“Who is it?” Daniel asked.

He felt his heart sinking.

“Frank Brennen,” Quentin said.

“Frank who?”

“Skinny guy. Shady looking. He’s friends with Tom. He was at Jake and Marcy’s wedding. Remember?”

Daniel couldn’t speak. He vaguely remembered. Quentin could hear his heavy breathing on the other end.

“She wouldn’t be with him,” Daniel uttered. He couldn’t picture the guy’s face, but he remembered Frank was an odd character. The kind you didn’t want to meet in a dark alley, the kind that probably hung out in dark alleys.

“I wouldn’t think so either, but Dan. When I went into the café to get my father’s coffee a few times, I saw him there. He works there, and he drives a red truck.”

Daniel’s breathing went from heavy to gasping for breath.

“Danny! Are you sure? Are you certain it was her car there?”

Daniel swallowed the lump in his throat and caught his breath.

“Yeah. I’m sure,” he said. “I didn’t think anything of it at first.” He played it all back in his mind. “She pulled in the café as the red truck was pulling out. She pulled back out of the parking lot when I saw them ahead of me at the light. I guess she was following him. I had to wait for the next light after she turned. They both turned. Then I saw her car at the house. She must meet him at the café and follow him home. He works there?”

Quentin sighed. He had no other explanations to offer.

“Yeah. He’s the cook.”

“The cook?”

So that’s why she doesn’t want to have lunch with me there, Daniel thought.

“Yeah, he’s the daytime cook,” Quentin confirmed. “But I thought he was married or at least living with someone. Has a couple of kids. I’m sure. I mean, that wouldn’t stop him from being with another woman. He’s a real slime ball, you know? I just don’t think Ali is the kind of girl—”

“Well, obviously, she is!” Daniel shouted.

“Is she still there? With him?”

“I don’t know. I just drove by. I know it was her car. I pulled in, saw the license plate, then I pulled back out. I can’t go home. I don’t want to see her.”

“Come over. I’ll be home in ten minutes. My dad’s feeling better now; I don’t need to stop there. Just come over.”

“Alright. Thanks, Quentin.”

Eleven

I sat in the living room, waiting for Daniel to come home. He hadn’t returned any of my calls, but I only left a friendly message on the first call, then nothing more. I wondered if he was hurt or if he was helping a friend, although it wasn’t like him to not call me. In my gut, I knew it was because of me he didn’t come home that night.

I called off work the next day. I didn’t sleep at all, sick to my stomach. I had texted him a few times early in the morning, but he didn’t respond. He looked surprised to see me when he came to get his things at 9:30 AM.

“Hi,” I said.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

His voice was cold and distant. I didn’t try to hug him.

“Waiting for you,” I said.

He stood there a moment, staring at me. I had never seen him look so intense; he looked enraged and yet equally fragile at the same time. His eyes shifted away, and he walked around me.

“I don’t think there’s anything to say,” he said.

“I don’t know what you know, but— it’s not what you think.”

He turned back around, squinting his eyes, glaring at me. The scale had tipped; he was looking more enraged than fragile now.

“What do I think? How could you know what I think?” he asked.

“Tell me,” I said. I kept my voice low. I knew we could work this out. It was a misunderstanding because I was not honest in the first place. I would take all the blame, and everything would be fine as long as he still wanted me once he knew my horrible secret.

I stepped closer to him, but he turned his head.

“I have nothing to say.”

I stepped in front of him as he headed to the bedroom.

“Daniel. We should talk.”

“I checked your paystubs,” he said. “You haven’t worked overtime in months.”

“You checked my stubs?” I wasn’t angry, but I’m certain I appeared furious. I was more surprised than anything. He had a right to be suspicious, but usually, he would talk to me, not go behind my back and check up on me. Maybe I was a little angry, but I deserved to be checked up on. “You should’ve talked to me.”

“I...should’ve talked to...you?” he replied. I didn’t like his sarcastic tone, but I understood it. “How about you talk to me? Obviously, you’re the one who isn’t happy here.”

“I am happy.” I wasn’t sure if I was; I was confused. Yes, I loved Daniel, but something was wrong. “Please don’t walk away.”

He turned around after he walked around me again.

“I don’t have anything more to say.” He threw up his hands. I grabbed his arm and turned him around with ease. “I’ve never fought with you, and I’m not about to fight now. If you need to be with someone else, then go,” he gestured toward the door. “I thought you wanted to be with me. I didn’t think I had to fight for you. I thought we were perfect for each other. But obviously, you’re not happy. Obviously, I can’t make you happy. I’m not what you want, so go find what you want. I won’t stand in your way.”

He turned back around, and I followed him into the bedroom. He started gathering his things and piled them on the bed.

“So that’s it?! You don’t even want to know what’s going on? You just want to leave?”

“I don’t want to know what’s going on!” he shouted. “It hurts too much! I’m not going to try to make you love me. If you don’t, you don’t!”

I nearly gasped. He actually thought I didn’t love him. That hurt me more than anything.

“I don’t know what you think you know, Daniel, but you obviously don’t know what’s going on.”

“I do know what’s going on! You’ve lied to me several times about working late. One of my friends sees you sitting in that coffee shop. You don’t think I know what’s going on? I saw your car at his house! I saw you follow him from the café to his house!”

“You followed me? You were spying on me?”

The paychecks were one thing, but spying? I felt enraged! Certainly, if he knew I was lying, he had the right to be suspicious, but spying on me? I felt violated, cheated.

He turned away. I could tell he was ashamed that he did what he did, but how could I blame him? I probably would’ve done the same thing. Hell, I was spying on the man who raped me, but only because some crazy woman told me he was my soulmate.

“Daniel,” I said in a calm voice. I had every intention of resolving everything right there. I’d tell him everything. “I haven’t been cheating on you.”

“No? So, you lie to me about working late two to three times a week to go to a café, where you won’t let me take you to lunch, so you can follow Frank Brennen home. No, you’re not cheating on me.”

“I know how it sounds.” I was surprised he knew his name. “But I’m not cheating on you.”

“You’re lying to me to go see another man after work! Even if I did believe you weren’t having sex with him, I’ll still never trust you again!”

My heart nearly stopped. Never again! But what if he heard the truth? The whole truth! Was he that wounded that this could not be repaired? No. I had to show him. He deserved the whole truth, and we could go on.

I stormed toward the vanity and opened the second drawer. I moved the bracelets out of the way while Daniel continued to gather his things. I pulled out the ring box and lifted the lid, taking out the plastic insert to reveal the slip of paper that started it all. I pulled the Blue Ridge Sorceress’s slip out and left the ring box to fall to the bed.

“Do you want to know what this is all about?” I nearly shouted to him. He stopped piling his things on top of each other. Mostly a few clothes mixed with his writing supplies.

“Yeah. Why don’t you tell me what this is all about?”

“It all started when I got—” I stopped talking. I just stopped. I didn’t know what else to do. I was looking down at the slip in my hand, but Daniel couldn’t see it.

“Well? What’s this all about?”

I fell back onto the bed and swallowed the lump in my throat.

“Well?” Daniel was standing there with his hands in the air, waiting for an explanation. “What’s it all about, Ali?”

I didn’t even lift my head. I was staring into the palm of my hand, concealing the slip from Daniel, hiding my face behind the wall of wavy hair.

“I—I—I don’t know.”

“Great,” he replied. “That clears everything up.”

I clenched my fist as Daniel picked up his things and started to leave the room. I did nothing to stop him. Goodbye, Daniel.

“I’ll be back to get the rest of my things Monday. I’ll leave the key on the table,” he said.

He looked back after he opened the door like he had something more to say. Or perhaps he was waiting for me to stop him.

I stayed seated on the bed. I was capable of saying, don’t go, or we can work this out, Daniel. I’ll tell you everything. But I said nothing.

He huffed, and the kitchen door closed behind him. I still had time to stop him. I could’ve run out the door and waved for him to stop. I could’ve thrown myself in his arms and begged him to stay, and I know he would’ve, but I just sat there. I heard his car start up and pull away, and I let him go.

Goodbye, Daniel.

I opened my fist back up and looked at the name on the slip in my hand, and wondered, who is Augustine Maylor?

Twelve

Something else happened before I left Frank Brennen’s home that day. I was about to leave. Yes, I wanted some form of reprisal, but I didn’t want to hurt those kids or that woman he was with. I’m not a monster, not like Frank. Really, just confronting Frank might have been enough, but after my little tantrum in the car, I felt I had seen enough. I lifted my head from the steering wheel and decided to go home.

The figure outside my window did more than frighten me. It left me paralyzed with fear for a moment; it was Frank. He lifted the back of his hand and knocked on my window with his knuckle, lightly, like a serial killer might do in a movie just before he slashes the unsuspecting victim (I really need to lay off the Dateline and Forensic Files). I was staring into his face. His grin allowed enough space to show his row of crooked yellow teeth.

I wound my window down again, but not all the way, just enough to talk to him.

“Can I help you?” he asked.

I don’t know what came over me. I was suddenly not afraid of him anymore. The day of Frank Brennen’s reckoning was at hand.

He backed up as I ignored the gap in the window and opened the door. I stood up and slammed the door shut.

“Yeah, you can help me.”

A strange gaze came over him as if he knew me but couldn’t remember where he had seen me.

“Do I know you?” he asked.

“Yeah, you know me.” I was just getting started. Just buying time to muster up what I really wanted to say. I swallowed the lump in my throat and let the words spill out. All the spoiled things I had locked in the chest must have come out with them, like black tar flowing out with my words of reckoning because, by the time I was done, Frank looked more frightened of me than I ever was of him. “Listen here, Frank. You remember a little party a few years back?” He looked confused. “I came there to buy Aquaman from you.” He looked even more confused. “That’s all I wanted. Nothing more. I followed you up the steps, and people whistled like something was going to happen, but all I wanted was that fucking Aquaman.” Then a look of recognition crossed his face. “You raped me!” I shouted. “You remember me now?!”

He turned to the house, looking through the window to make certain his wife, or whatever she was to him, couldn’t hear. When he turned back to face me, his grin was gone. His ugly teeth still showed, but his gaping mouth wasn’t grinning anymore.

“Look. I didn’t mean—”

I took two or three steps toward him. He took a large step back.

“No, you look!” I pointed at him. I may have even poked his scrawny chest. I can’t remember. I was caught up in the moment.

“Shhh,” he hushed, glancing back at the window then the door.

“I’ve spent every day since then trying to forget you. Trying to get what happened out of my mind.” I made certain he was looking me in the eyes. “You hurt me. You caused me a lot of pain over these last few years, but not anymore.”

“Shhh,” he said again, glancing back to check the door. “Please don’t shout. Look, I’m sorry. Please don’t tell my wife.”

“I never told anyone.” I was about to say, I’m not about to tell your wife, but I liked watching him squirm. “I didn’t go to the police. I didn’t talk to friends. I never even told the man I’m about to marry about you. You know why?”

“No,” he shook his head.

“Because I was ashamed. I thought I did something wrong. I thought somehow, in everything that happened, it was probably my fault. But it was all you, Frank. I won’t hold the blame anymore. It’s your burden now.”

He seemed a little relieved, but he knew his wife could step out at any minute. And I had the sneaking suspicion that he was married to her back then.

“That was a long time ago,” he said. “I didn’t know it did this to you. Please don’t tell my wife.”

I could tell by his reaction his wife had already been through this with another woman, perhaps a few. The thing that stuck out the most was that he never even attempted to deny what happened. He didn’t seem to remember me at first, but he remembered enough about the act not to deny it (one would think raping someone would be enough to embed their face in your memory unless you did it so often you started forgetting faces).

“I never told anyone,” I said again. “You, me, and God (or whatever you believe in) are all that know. You may never go to jail or be punished legally for your crime, but what you did will always weigh on your soul, Frank. Maybe you’ll even be able to live with it and not lose any sleep over what you did, but that only makes me feel all the more sorry for you.”

He stood there like a pathetic man that I could crush with one quick squeeze.

“You see,” I continued, “Your punishment is being Frank Brennen. I firmly believe that no stone will go unturned. And even if you don’t pay for your crime the way people would want you to pay, it’s still inside you like a seed waiting to grow. You know what I actually hope happens with you?”

“What?” he asked. He spoke low, hoping I kept my voice down, too.

And I did.

“I hope you can forgive yourself like I’m forgiving you now.” He squinted his eyes, not certain where I was going with this. “I’ve been carrying that cruel Frank Brennen and the weight of what he did around with me all this time. Every time I looked at my fiancé, there you were like a thorn in my love for him. You were weighing me down, Frank. No matter how deep I buried the pain and pretended it didn’t hurt, Frank Brennen was there like a dirty secret that filled me with shame. But I forgive you. I’m letting my Frank Brennen go. I feel sorry for you because you’re the one who has to wake up and see him every day.”

I took a deep breath. I felt the weight of his cruel act fall from my shoulder. I had not eaten, but I felt full. Empty of all the unwanted emotions, but full, as if I had taken that chest and poured out all its filthy contents. I no longer had to bury it. There was nothing to bury I could finally let Frank Brennen go.

He stood there with a dumbfounded look on his face as my smile rose. I had a few last words for him before I got in my car and left.

“I hope you let him go too and become something better. That way, I know no one else will get hurt the way he hurt me. But if I do hear your name or that what you did happens again, I won’t be afraid to speak up if I’m needed. You understand?”

He nodded, and I turned away from him for the last time. I had accomplished what I needed to achieve, and now I was going home to tell Daniel everything. I was finally ready to give myself over to him fully if he would still have me after I told him everything. But I never got the chance.

The words were on the tip of my tongue. I was about to tell Daniel why I had lied about the overtime, the reasons I was afraid and ashamed to tell him what happened to me at that party and show him what started it all in that small shop in North Carolina. I was ready to spend the rest of my life with Daniel until I pulled out that slip again, and a different name was there.

Now, I had one more question to answer.

Who in the hell is Augustine Maylor?

Thirteen

Daniel had started telling our friends the wedding was off. When they asked why I heard, he stated that it just didn’t work out. There was no mention of me cheating on him, and I was grateful for that. It never happened, but considering I think he believed it did, I was thankful he didn’t drag my name into such rumors. We just stopped speaking because he felt wronged, and there was some truth in that. I didn’t contact him because I needed some time to figure things out. For one thing, how a slip changed names.

I had considered I was the crazy one. Perhaps I read the name wrong in the first place and was seeing what I wanted to see. Maybe my need to resolve things with Frank was so strong that I projected his name on the paper, but Augustine Maylor? I had no idea who that was. How would I project a name I didn’t even know?

I often lay in my bed at night, with my rabbit Hazel Brown burrowed in the sheets next to me, staring at the ceiling, thinking of that crazy, one-eyed lady. The Blue Ridge Sorceress. Maybe she wasn’t as crazy as I had thought. Part of me started to believe in her as if she had some power to predict soulmates. She could probably get her own television show or a newspaper article.

I could see it now:

Dear Blue Ridge Sorceress,

Can you tell me who my soulmate is? Can you tell me if I should call my wedding off and wait for my true soulmate?

She could have her staff mail out slips of paper with everyone’s individual soulmate written on them. That would solve a lot of dating problems. All people would have to do is get their soulmate’s name from the Blue Ridge Sorceress, then Facebook him or her and give them the good news.

Hey stranger, guess what? I got my slip back from the Blue Ridge Sorceress, and she says, you’re my soulmate. So, do you prefer a fall wedding or a spring one? Let’s do this.

I often made myself laugh thinking of such things as Hazel Brown vanished under the sheets only to bite me as she tried to burrow through my legs. Wait a minute! Facebook?!

I hopped out of bed that particular evening and did just that. I opened my Facebook account and typed in the search bar Augustine Maylor. It didn’t even leave me waiting with anticipation, quickly showing that there wasn’t anyone by that name. If Augustine did exist, he wasn’t on Facebook. Which meant he’s probably older than forty, or I’ll have to wait several years before he’s legal. I guess I just assumed everyone between the ages of eighteen and forty had a Facebook account. Maybe he didn’t. Maybe he’s a foreigner from a place that doesn't have internet service.

I closed the computer. I tried to shut my thoughts down and go to sleep. No sense worrying about it; if he’s my soulmate, it will just happen. At least that’s what I told myself, but I wasn’t one to sit around and wait for things to happen. There was only one person who could give me the answer I needed.

I jumped out of bed and packed a small bag, doing a much poorer job than Daniel did, but what did I care? I had nothing special to dress up for. I gave Hazel Brown plenty of food and water, grabbed my purse, and locked the door behind me. I tossed the bag in the car, called off work sick for the next three days, and filled the gas tank. I sped down the highway, hoping I’d make it to the small town at the base of Sugar Mountain by the time the shop opened tomorrow morning.

Of course, I didn’t make it. I had to stop and sleep when I started falling asleep at the wheel in the middle of the night. I woke up late the next morning and considered returning home, but I was halfway there. I pressed on, filling myself with cheap fast food and the car with expensive fuel. I made it to the plaza and parked right in front of the shop, bumping into the curb as my nerves twisted in knots. One thing I was certain to pack was the small piece of paper the sorceress gave to me. I pulled it out of my bag and raced to the door.

Locked!

I sighed with disappointment but convinced myself it was a minor setback. I’d wait until tomorrow; then, I’d confront her. I booked myself a hotel, and that evening I went to the Mexican restaurant Daniel and I had visited. It just wasn’t the same without him. The food didn’t taste as good. I considered sending him a picture of the empty seat beside me, but I refrained.

I never pictured my life without him, and now here I was, alone, hundreds of miles away. The thought of life without him crushed me. It was almost like there wasn’t a reason I was with Daniel, I was just the way it was supposed to be, and now he was gone.

I missed him.

I went to the hotel and watched reruns of Forensic Files, then had nightmares of being stuck in a mountain hotel all alone with killers lurking outside the door. I’m actually not certain if I slept at all that night.

The next morning, I packed my things, checked out of the hotel, and headed straight for the plaza. I walked through the door with the slip of paper in my hand. The store looked the same. I don’t think anything changed. She hadn’t sold a thing. Questions of how she managed to keep the shop open raced through my head, with images of the plaza owners having their heads shrunk and kept in her basement, but there was only one thing that I wanted to know. I slapped the paper on the counter, the sound of my hand crashing down, causing her to turn around. I stared fiercely into her glazed eyes and nearly shouted, “You remember me?”

She smiled, as best as her leathery face would stretch. “I remember you.”

I held the piece of paper up for her to read. “What is the meaning of this? You give me a paper stating that my rapist is my soulmate. I confront him, and now a new name shows up. What’s going on here? First, how did you know about Frank Brennen?”

Her smile fell. “I know nothing of Frank Brennen. The paper will say what you need it to say.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Daniel was, is, my soulmate. Now the paper says someone else’s name. How did you do it? How did you change names? And who is Augustine Maylor?”

“I do not know.” Then she smiled again. “But you will meet him. The magic doesn’t lie.”

“There’s no magic here. How did you do it? Why did you do it? You ruined everything between Daniel and me! Why didn’t you just put his name down?”

“It’s the magic,” she said again.

This time she reached out and grabbed my hand. Her appearance and the suddenness with which she grabbed my hand frightened me, but if I’m being honest, it felt more like a kind old lady caring for a young, confused girl.

“If you are not ready to meet with your soulmate, then the magic will not guide you to him. If you do find him, but you are not ready, then you will lose him. You must be patient and follow the magic.”

I pulled my hand away. “He was in my life!” I shouted. “And I was ready! Everything was fine until you came along!”

She smiled again as if my anger was a pleasant kiss on the cheek.

“You are not ready, or the magic would bring you to him.”

I started to tear up. I drove all this way, and clearly, I wasn’t going to get the answer I wanted.

“Follow the magic,” she said as I backed away from the counter.

I didn’t want her to see me cry. I turned around and rushed out the door, jumped into my car, and raced back to Ohio.

***

ABOUT THREE WEEKS AFTER I returned, I quit my job; I needed a change. I even started fixing my hair differently, with fewer ponytails and more braids. Still, I couldn’t get into the whole makeup thing—just a touch of blush and a splash of color on the lips and eyes.

I was hired as an office clerk at a children’s advocacy center, filing paperwork, and was free from taking phone calls. The center was in a bigger town than my last job and not that far from my home, and there were tastier places to go out and eat lunch, much more than a pizza joint and a café.

I made new friends at the job quickly, and we ate Mexican one day, pizza the next, Chinese the next. It was a delightful change from that small town but what I missed most was seeing Milly. I didn’t even know her well, and she probably will never know it, but she was an inspiration for me. She was working, going to school, and being the best mother she could be, as well as working close to Frank Brennen, all with a smile on her face. All I did before was answer phones for car dealerships and head home to a wonderful fiancé who had dinner waiting for me, and I was burnt out. I don’t know how the girl did it.

Except for not seeing Milly, and Daniel, of course, everything in my life was improving. Working with a few women with good senses of humor as well as a worthy cause (helping children in troubled homes) was much more enjoyable than fighting with dealership owners about how inadequate they think I am over their own inability to work a program on a computer. However, my evenings were lonely.

The cats always liked Daniel better, so he took care of them, but I still had Hazel Brown to look after. I hung out once in a while with the girls from work, but my weekends were spent puttering around the house, not doing much of anything other than cleaning up rabbit droppings and reading books. I had trouble watching Forensic Files and Dateline without Daniel nearby.

I got a call from one of my older friends, Marcy, one day. We made plans to meet up at Top-Off Buffet for lunch. She thought it sounded like a strip club, but it was only the best Chinese buffet in town. She looked better than ever when I saw her. At first, I assumed married life was treating her well; she was looking thinner.

“I’m getting divorced,” she said casually as she stuffed a fried potato covered in General Tso’s sauce in her mouth like she hadn’t eaten in days. “So, I heard you and Daniel broke up.”

“Yeah,” I said with a somber tone, and I meant it. I still missed him. “You’re getting divorced? I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be. I’m not. That was seven months of hell. I should’ve never married that scumbag.”

She didn’t look like it was bothering her. It looked like she missed eating more than anything the way she was plowing through the potatoes.

“So, what happened with you and Danny Boy? I thought if any two people would last, it would’ve been you two. Doesn’t leave much hope for the rest of us.”

I wanted to tell her what happened. I wanted to tell her exactly what happened, but it was too bizarre. Some crazy woman made my soulmate’s name appear on a slip of paper, and the name ended up being my rapist. So, I confronted him, and it cost me my relationship with Daniel, but that’s alright. I was about to tell Daniel everything, but then a new name appeared on the slip; Augustine Maylor. I haven’t met him yet, but I’m certain he’s the one.

No, I couldn’t tell her; I couldn’t even tell the man I loved. It would be more humiliating than telling people Frank Brennen raped me all because I wanted to buy an Aquaman figurine for Daniel for his birthday.

“We just started growing apart, I guess.”

She must have sensed I was holding back. She even stopped eating for a moment.

“It had to be something more than that,” Marcy smirked.

“I don’t really want to talk about it,” I said. “I love Daniel. I always will. I just needed to...to take a break.”

“So, you broke up with him?”

“No, not really. He...he thought I was doing something I wasn’t. He had good reason to think that I mean. I understand why he interpreted it that way, but I wasn’t doing anything wrong.”

“So, it’s not true?”

I squinted my eyes and cocked my head to the side, “What’s not true?”

“I heard you were having an affair with Frank Brennen of all people.”

I sat back. I felt a rush of anger flood through me. How dare he! I thought Daniel was above spreading rumors, but obviously, he wasn’t.

“I didn’t have an affair,” I huffed, folding my arms. I wanted to punch something. I wanted to cry. How could he start talking bad about me? “Is that what Daniel is saying? That I cheated on him?”

“No,” Marcy said calmly. “His friend Quentin told Tom, and Tom told the scumbag, and the scumbag told me. Daniel saw your car at his house.” She took another bite then added before she bothered swallowing. “So, to be clear, you weren’t having an affair with Frank?”

“No!” My wide eyes narrowed into a scowl. “I would never!”

“Then what was your car doing there?”

I took a deep breath. I felt the need to tell everything just to defend myself, my reputation. But the truth was far-fetched, perhaps further than me having an affair with Frank and more embarrassing.

“When Daniel and I were in North Carolina, we went to a woman who told us who our soulmates were.” I paused. I had to tell her something, but it was difficult for me to put it into words. I just said it. “She told me my soulmate was Frank Brennen.”

“What?!” Marcy gasped. She dropped the potato back to the plate and stared at me wide-eyed and mouth agape. “Are you serious? Who was this woman?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

She started laughing, “And you believed her?”

“No, of course not. I mean, we were in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains. How would a woman there know of Frank?”

“Wait,” she said, looking more curious like an on-duty detective. I had a feeling she was hired by someone to come and investigate. Perhaps Daniel, or her own self-interest. “Did you think it might be true, so you had to go see Frank and find out if anything was there between the two of you?”

“Marcy!” I nearly shouted. “Listen to me. I never thought Frank was my soulmate. I’d rather die a lonely old woman than spend my life with Frank Brennen. Let me be clear I never considered that Frank and I were soulmates. Got it?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” She waved her hand as if motioning for me to calm down. She casually returned to her potatoes but kept asking questions. “But why did the psychic lady say so? And yeah, how did she know who Frank was?”

“I don’t know. That’s what I wanted to figure out.”

“So, you never considered you and Frank might be meant to be together then?” she asked, more like a detective again. “I mean, I know you guys hooked up that once.”

My mind went blank. My feelings were paralyzed. I think my heart even stopped, but I remained alive, frozen in that moment. She thought Frank and I had hooked up? Who else knew about it? Did Daniel find out and believe I “hooked up” with Frank? I started to feel again, and the first thing I felt was the tears rolling down my cheeks. I couldn’t have stopped them if I wanted to.

“Did Daniel find out about that?” Marcy asked.

“Marcy,” I said, trying to keep my voice low but not because I was calm. I felt like a wounded animal and didn’t have the energy to scream the way I wanted to. I felt like all my nerves were hot, naked wires shocking me from the inside out. I took a deep breath and bit my bottom lip.

“What is it, Ali?”

I had Marcy’s attention, every bit of it. She even looked concerned for me.

“About three or four years ago, I stopped into a party at Frank’s friend’s house. Tom’s, I think because I wanted to buy Daniel an Aquaman action figure for his birthday. I knew a couple of people there, so I had a drink or two. Then Frank brought me upstairs to show me the figure.” I paused. I looked up and made certain I still had Marcy’s undying attention; I did. “I didn’t hook up with Frank Brennen.”

“You didn’t?”

I shook my head. “He raped me.”

“What?!”

I nodded.

“I never told anyone. I was ashamed. People saw me follow Frank up the stairs. They thought we were together. I was afraid no one would believe me. I didn’t want Daniel to know either. I was afraid he wouldn’t want me anymore. There is a lot of shame when something like that happens to you. I wasn’t strong enough to confront him or anyone. I felt like it was partly my fault. Then when the psychic told me my soulmate was...”

“Your rapist,” she gasped.

I nodded. I couldn’t stop the tears, but I covered my face so no one around us would notice.

“After we got back from North Carolina, I went to lunch at the Main Street Café and saw Frank was cooking there. I stopped after work to confront him a few times but never did. I told myself it had to be done for mine and Daniel’s sake. I had to tell Frank exactly what I thought of him.”

“Did you?”

I nodded.

“I went to meet him at the café, but he was pulling out. So, I left. He was ahead of me at the light. I was planning on going home, but then I saw him pull into his drive. I pulled in after he went into the house. I sat there a few minutes in my car but then decided I couldn’t go through with it. He had a wife and two kids there and a baby on the way. I decided to leave. That’s when he came out, and yes, I told him exactly what I thought of him. I got everything off my chest. All that pent-up rage over the years I let go of.”

“I would’ve liked to have seen that,” Marcy stated.

“I was ready to begin my life with Daniel,” I continued. “I was going to tell him everything when I got home, but when I got there, he was gone. I guess he was getting suspicious and followed me. He thought I was having an affair with Frank, but it was nothing like that. I can see why he thought I was, but I wasn’t. I never would.”

“Did you tell him all this?”

“I tried. But...” I thought of the name change, Augustine Maylor. It was one thing to tell her a psychic told me my soulmate was my rapist, but it was another to tell her the slip changed names. But it did. “...I just let him go.”

“You should talk to him. He’s an understanding guy. If you tell him everything like you’re telling me, I think—”

“Even if we talk, it doesn’t change the fact that I lied to him about what was going on,” I interrupted. “He doesn’t know I was raped. He might not even want me if he found out. And now there are all the lies between us. He didn’t talk to me; he just spied on me. He thought he saw something that didn’t happen, then left me. That easily, he left me. I don’t know.”

“How did that psychic know about Frank?” Marcy said with a detective’s tone again. “Do you think Daniel thought you hooked up with Frank at that party?” She shrugged her shoulders. “I mean, everyone else did. Do you think he set it all up? Meeting the psychic and everything? If he did, that’s pretty cruel.”

I shook my head.

“Why would he ask me to marry him then set something like that up? If he did, I’m not sure I’d want to marry him anyway.” I thought of the name change again. Did Daniel switch the slip in the jewelry box, too? Why would he put Augustine Maylor’s name on it? I quickly brushed the idea off. The only other conclusion is that that crazy old lady was real. “But I don’t think so. Daniel isn’t the kind to be so cruel.”

“It always seemed weird to me that you two never had any problems. Everything seemed to just go smoothly without any fighting.”

I squinted my eyes, wondering why that was a weird thing. Isn’t it weirder that people who fight all the time stay together? Even seven months in Marcy’s case.

“We didn’t really fight.”

“You need to fight,” Marcy said, tackling her potatoes again.

“Like you and Jake?” I asked, certain my sarcastic tone was evident, but she didn’t seem to take offense to it.

“Well, not that much,” she smirked. “We fought too much, but you two didn’t fight enough.”

“I don’t think couples need to fight. We didn’t hide things from each other...well, there was that one thing I hid from everyone. Please don’t repeat it. I don’t want anyone to know. I’d rather them think I hooked up, I guess.”

“I won’t say anything. And if people mention a hookup around me, I’ll say it never happened. Just some rumor a bunch of drunks started.”

“Thank you, Marcy. I’d appreciate that.”

She hardly paused.

“I think you should tell Daniel everything, though, if you want him back, that is.” She raised her eyebrows. “Do you?”

I bowed my head.

Yes, I did. I loved Daniel, but I needed to figure things out. I needed to know for certain we belonged together. I didn’t know if we were heading in the same direction. I didn’t know which direction I was heading, and Daniel didn’t seem to be heading anywhere. He wanted to be an author. He was good, and I liked his stories, but what if he didn’t make it? Would he be content to be poor the rest of his life? How would we have children together? We couldn’t raise them on my salary. He didn’t even have a backup plan in case his writing didn’t work out. I didn’t need to be rich or have a mansion to live in, but I wanted to be comfortable. And wouldn’t we get bored of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy every night? Dateline on the weekends?

There was also the question of the crazy old lady and the slip that changed names somehow. Who was Augustine Maylor? But the biggest kink in the hose is that Daniel hasn’t even contacted me. He hasn’t called to talk, to ask how I was doing or made any effort to work things out. I wasn’t certain he’d want me back.

I looked up into Marcy’s eyes, probably appearing like a frightened rabbit.

“I just need some time alone right now.”

“There’s one thing to consider,” she said.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“If you really don’t believe Danny Boy set that whole thing up with the psychic lady,” she paused with a serious look that I was not used to seeing on her face, “Then that means the psychic is real. How else would she know about Frank?”

“Yeah, I considered that,” I said.

I couldn’t believe I was admitting that to anyone, but Marcy said it first. The Blue Ridge Sorceress just might be real. The downside to that is it meant Daniel was out, and Augustine Maylor is real. I didn’t like the thought of it. I didn’t like the feeling inside me when I considered spending my life with someone else besides Daniel Ortin.

Marcy continued the potato gorge but spoke when she could.

“Did you ever hear that we have many soulmates?” she asked.

I wasn’t that hungry anymore. I snacked on a few salted green beans while she explained.

“What do you mean?”

“A soulmate isn’t necessarily someone you’re supposed to fall in love with and live happily ever after with. It’s more about karma and learning lessons. Like Hitler is a soulmate of millions of holocaust victims.” I crunched my face in disbelief but listened intently as she continued. “It’s about learning and growing spiritually. Frank Brennen may have been your soulmate because you needed him. You needed him to learn to respect yourself and not be ashamed of yourself no matter what happened. You needed Frank Brennen in order to learn and to grow. Kind of like I needed Jake in my life to learn that I don’t want to be married to a scumbag.”

I chuckled and sighed at the same time. I didn’t like the sound of it but what Marcy was saying was the only thing that made sense. Why else would Frank be in my life and be labeled as a soulmate of mine?

I was thinking out loud now.

“She, the Blue Ridge Sorceress, said—”

Marcy burst out laughing, even spitting some potatoes back onto her plate in the process.

“You even have a name for her,” she laughed.

“I do.”

“The Blue Ridge Sorceress,” Marcy echoed. “I like that. Go on with what you were saying.”

“Anyway,” I continued, “She said something about seeing if I was the woman who should wear Daniel’s ring. And I didn’t get his name; I got Frank Brennen’s name. Am I supposed to marry Frank just to learn a lesson?” It was meant to be a joke, but the seriousness of my voice sent a different vibe across the table.

“No,” Marcy said, scrapping bits of General Tso’s sauce from the plate with the last bite of potato on her fork, “Don’t be ridiculous. If I had learned that I didn’t want to be married to a scumbag before I married Jake, I never would have had to marry him. But I didn’t figure it out until after the fact. I bet the Blue Ridge Sorceress named Frank your soulmate because you had karma to deal with. You had unresolved issues with Frank Brennen, keeping stuff locked up inside that needed to get out. But you don’t have to marry him to learn your lesson as I did.”

Stuff locked up inside that needed to get out? I thought. Marcy didn’t know how dead-on she was. The moment I got it out, I figured Frank Brennen’s name disappeared from that slip I had stashed in the jewelry drawer. But that still doesn’t explain who Augustine Maylor was. I didn’t have any unresolved karma with anyone by that name.

“Karma, huh?” I said.

She chewed the last bite and nodded, “By standing up to Frank, you took care of that karma. If you saw that crazy lady today, you probably wouldn’t get Frank’s name. That karma is past you, right? You stood up to him?”

“Yes,” I nodded.

That karma was behind me. Frank’s name wasn’t even on the slip anymore, but I wasn’t about to tell Marcy that.

She pointed the empty fork at me and swallowed the last bite. “I bet you would get Daniel’s name now.”

I had some hope in Marcy’s words. It made sense. Why else would I get Frank’s name but to resolve some karma, and Frank was the key in doing that. But Marcy didn’t know I already had someone else’s name, and it wasn’t Daniel’s. My heart sunk. It would be so much simpler if I just had Daniel’s name as he had mine, but it was not to be.

Marcy pushed her plate to the edge of the table. She pulled back her fork and wiped it on the napkin. “You ready to get seconds?”

I looked down at my nearly full plate. Her plate was wiped clean.

“I’m good. Not much of an appetite today.”

“Suit yourself,” she said. “I’m getting my money’s worth. A sack of potatoes only costs four dollars. I’ll be damned if I’m paying six bucks for just a plateful.”

Marcy always had a way of making me laugh. She was one of those people that no matter what life dealt her, she would be smiling by the end of the day. She wasn’t about to let her potato money go to waste, but she seemed to let Jake go with ease. I guess it’s easier to let a scumbag go than a buffet full of General Tso’s potatoes.

Even though I hadn’t talked to Daniel in several weeks, I was aching inside. I wasn’t ready to let go yet, but I didn’t feel like reaching out to him. Why hasn’t he called me?

Fourteen

It was nearing Valentine’s Day, and I had not heard from Daniel at all. I assumed he didn’t want to get together. If everyone else had thought I hooked up with Frank Brennen, Daniel probably heard of it by now, too, and considering what happened, he probably believed it.

Marcy and I texted each other now and then, but most of it was about her divorce and the two new guys she was dating. She moved on quickly, but I hadn’t. I was asked out by a few people, but not by anyone named Augustine Maylor. I guess I was holding out to see if he really existed; plus, I couldn’t say yes to anyone. Part of me felt like I would be cheating on Daniel if I did go out with someone else. We weren’t together anymore, but it was clear my heart was still with him.

Then, on Valentine’s Day, like a page out of a fairy tale novel, everything changed. They call them fairy tales because no one believes the characters in them can truly exist in the real world. People don’t actually believe a real man could live up to the part of a prince in one of those tales or that a modern-day woman could be such a lady as found in the tales. I’m certainly no princess, but Augustine Maylor was everything a prince could be. A gentleman, a perfect smile, wealth, yet kind, humble. Over the next few months, I kept up my guard, looking, prying to find his flaw, but would find none. Yes, I finally met him; he was real.

On February 14th, I walked into the nearby Mexican fast-food place for lunch. I had a couple of errands to run on my lunch break, so I was running late. I ordered a vegetarian burrito and a Dr. Pepper. I was really craving pop, and their Dr. Pepper was the best. I don’t know how fountain drinks can be different from restaurant to restaurant, but they are.

I ordered, then stepped back as it was busy. It was not long before I was handed my lunch on a tray despite the fact that I ordered it to go. I wasn’t waiting around to ask for a to-go bag. I set the tray on the top shelf of the garbage bin, grabbed my burrito and pop, and headed to the door.

As I turned around, and it was probably my fault for moving so quickly, a worker ran into me with a mop and bucket. The hot water spilled over the edge and covered my shoe, and soaked my pant leg and sock. On top of that, I dropped my burrito on the floor; its contents spilled out into the water that overflowed from the bucket (not that I would have scooped it up if it had just hit the floor). A look of utter horror was on the man’s face who had bumped into me as if this was his last straw and he would be fired.

“Are you alright? Does it burn?” he asked.

I probably had a disgusted look on my face. The thought of hot, dirty mop bucket water seeping into my shoe felt like walking around a duck pond in my bare feet. The heat ran down between my toes, but it didn’t burn.

“I’m alright. Just a little wet.”

“Let me get you another burrito. What kind?”

“It was a vegetarian one. But it’s alright. I don’t have the time to—”

He whistled to the workers behind the counter and asked for another of what the lady had, with the lady being me. Then he turned to me, still looking very concerned, his green eyes wide with shock.

“I’m so sorry,” he said again. “Let me get you a rag.”

“That’s alright. I have to get back to work.”

“If it’s any consolation, the water is clean. I’m just on my way to the bathroom to mop up...” he paused, before whispering, “Someone threw up their burrito.”

I didn’t need to hear that. Anything grosser than eating your burrito with warm mop bucket water on your foot was hearing about how someone just threw their burrito up in a public bathroom. He must have seen the grotesque expression on my face.

“I’m sorry again. You probably didn’t need to hear about that.”

It didn’t bother me as much as he thought. I didn’t have time to wait around for another burrito anyway.

“It’s alright.” I let it go. I figured he was in enough trouble already if he was the guy who was mopping up spills in the bathroom. “I should go. You have a good—”

“Don’t leave without your burrito. Hold on. I’ll get it.”

I rolled my eyes as he headed behind the counter; it would be rude if I left now. I didn’t want him to get into any more trouble than he probably already was. He seemed to hurry the other workers along. Within seconds he was heading back with another burrito, handing it to me with a smile.

“Can I get you anything else for your trouble?” he asked. “A free lunch coupon for your next visit?”

“No. I’m alright. You better get to that burrito,” I nodded toward the bathroom, “Before you have a chain reaction.”

“I better,” he chuckled with a smile. It was a handsome smile, but I turned away. “Please come back. I’m the owner here, so next time I see you, your lunch is on me. Just ask for Augie.”

I stopped in the doorway. Did he say Augie?

I turned around; my toes were squishing in the damp sock. He was rolling the mop bucket toward the bathroom.

“What’s that?” I asked.

He stopped and turned to me; this time, there was a twinkle in his eye.

“I said your next lunch is on me. Just ask for Augie.” I must have had a confused look on my face because he continued to explain. “That’s my name. Augie Maylor. I’ll buy you your next lunch. It’s the least I can do. Maybe some new socks, too.”

“Augie Maylor,” I echoed his name. “As in Augustine Maylor?”

“Yes. Most people just call me Augie.” I stood there with a gaping mouth, a burrito in one hand and a Dr. Pepper in the other, my right foot soaked in mop bucket water. He tilted his head and added. “Have you heard of me?”

I dropped my replacement burrito without any more effort than the first one. Only this time, I was just standing there. No one ran into me. Did he really say Augie Maylor? As in Augustine Maylor? The Augustine Maylor? He looked down to see the pile of rice, black beans, and pico-de-gallo sauce at my feet.

“We really have to wrap these things tighter,” he smiled, looking into my eyes again. “Are you alright?”

“Ye-y-yes. You’re the owner?”

“Yes.”

I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t say you’re the guy whose name appeared on a slip of paper. Not just any slip of paper, but my soulmate’s slip of paper. However, I couldn’t just walk out the door, either.

I flashed a smile, saying the first thing that came to my awestruck mind. “You’re cleaning the bathroom?”

“Yes,” he squinted his eyes. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Ah, yeah.” I had to make up something and something quick. “It’s just odd to see an owner cleaning the bathrooms. Most owners have their employees do those jobs.”

I probably sounded really stupid. I looked down at the second burrito at my feet, then back up. Okay, it wasn’t anything you would read about in a fairy tale, the princess standing with her one foot covered in mop bucket water fit for cleaning a regurgitated burrito in a public bathroom and a pile of vegetarian burrito guts at her feet, but it felt like a dream for me at the time. Fairy-talesque.

“I don’t ask my employees to do something I wouldn’t do. Plus, we’re shorthanded today, and they’re busy handling the food,” he said.

Yes, there’s the prince standing there gazing into my eyes and me into his sparkling blues. He didn’t have a flower or a glass slipper or anything romantic at all in his hands. He was holding a mop, but he looked like a prince all the same. He wasn’t on his way to a ball but a bathroom to clean up a sick person’s burrito, but he looked just as dreamy as a prince to me. His voice was slow, as if he was still concerned about the odd look on my face.

“Let me get you that free burrito now. Why don’t you sit down for a moment?”

“Okay. Sure,” I said in some dumb schoolgirl awestruck voice, but I guess I just stood there because he had to repeat himself.

“Why don’t you sit down over here,” he pulled out a chair for me, “While I clean this up. I’ll have them make you another one.”

He had them make me another burrito, and I sat there and watched him clean up the one I just dropped. I held onto my Dr. Pepper with both hands, so I didn’t spill it, too. When the world seemed like a real place to me again, actually physical rather than like a dream, I began to consider what had just happened.

I had gotten a slip of paper from a perhaps not so crazy woman in North Carolina who said my soulmate would appear on the other side, and Frank Brennen’s name was there. You know that story; perhaps Marcy was right about the whole karma thing. The day I confronted Frank, the slip had a new name on it, Augustine Maylor. And now here I was sitting in a fast-food burrito shop watching him clean up the second burrito I dropped in five minutes. I thought of my soaked foot, which was feeling cold now.

Was it just chance, or was it meant to be that of all the people that came in the restaurant, he ran into me with his mop bucket? And if I hadn’t dropped my first burrito or he soaked my foot with water, I might have just smiled and walked away. If my burrito had not been mistakenly put on a tray rather than in the to-go bag I asked for; I might have missed him as well. Still, if someone had not regurgitated their burrito in the bathroom, he would have never got out the mop bucket and ran into me. Funny how destiny can sometimes be shifted by such a thing as a rejected burrito.

It was Valentine’s Day. That was another sign. I had started the day hoping Daniel would call and want to have dinner or just talk, but he didn’t. He didn’t do anything, but Augustine Maylor spilled mop bucket water on my foot on his way to...well, no need to talk about gross things again. By the time I received my third burrito, we were deep in conversation, and by the time I walked out the door, he asked me if I’d like to have dinner with him sometime, somewhere else, of course. Without a doubt, I said yes.

Fifteen

Our first date was that weekend. He took me to a Lebanese restaurant in Cranbury, the largest shopping district in the area. There were many fancy restaurants to choose from, but he picked a Lebanese one because it offered an array of vegetarian meals. I love Lebanese food and often tried to cook Mujadara on my own when Daniel wasn’t busy making some Mexican/Chinese concoction, but I could never get the taste just right. However, as the nearest Lebanese restaurant was in Cranbury, I rarely ate it. So, without knowing Augie, he couldn’t have made a better choice, not that I judge a man on where they take me to eat. I think Daniel took me to Taco Bell on our first date, although it was in the ninth grade, and it was the easiest place to walk to after school.

“This is one of my favorite restaurants,” Augie said. “I thought you would like it, too. Just a feeling.”

“You’re right,” I agreed.

There was so much to choose from, but I decided on an appetizer of vegetarian chili and a Fattoush salad for my main course. Augie ordered a hummus plate for an appetizer and Mujadara for his main course.

“So, how did you get into the restaurant business?” I asked after we placed our order.

“My grandfather started a Mexican restaurant when he was younger, and my father took it over. That’s how I inherited it.”

Augie was young, mid to late twenties I was suspecting with the maturity level of a forty-some-year-old man (which I’m certain ladies, you can vouch for me when I say that is very rare in men) too young to have lost his father. The tone of his voice when using the word inherited told me he was probably deceased.

“Did you father—”

I didn’t want to say it.

“He passed away a year and a half ago while I was overseas. I came back just in time to say goodbye. It was cancer.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” There was a pause. “You were overseas. Were you in the military?”

“No. Peace Corps.”

“That’s interesting,” I said, and I really thought it was. “What made you join the Peace Corps?”

He smiled. It was a very pleasant smile, like a layer of charming, good looks covered with a frosting of kindness.

“I always knew I’d inherit the business, just not so soon,” he said. “My father said I had to prove myself by getting a degree. But with the business to fall back upon, I knew I had the luxury of going to college to study something I was interested in, not for the purpose of getting a job. So, I got a degree in archeology. There I became interested in other cultures—probably should have been a cultural studies major, but I started out in archeology and finished there. After I graduated, I wanted to experience other cultures, not just study them in books, so I joined the Peace Corps. It was a good way to help others as well as satisfy my curiosity. I probably would’ve signed up for two more years if my father hadn’t become ill.”

Peace Corps. A degree. Charming, good looks. His own business. Fond of Mujadara. I found myself looking for the flaw on the first date, but he even had polite table manners and pulled out the chair for me to sit down in. He wasn’t boasting about his accomplishments to try and impress me, either. He quickly moved on to me.

“So, how about you?”

“I don’t know what to say. I received a two-year degree and just worked after high school.” I felt I was failing miserably. Daniel had been my life, not the degree, the jobs, or exciting adventures. At best, I could tell him I was proposed to on the yellow brick road. “I’m still figuring out my way.”

Our appetizers came, perhaps the universe's way of telling me to shut up, so I don’t blow this. I had to change the topic from me to something more interesting.

“So why a Mexican restaurant?” I asked once the waitress was gone. It sounded like a stupid question, but he didn’t exactly look or speak like a full-blooded Hispanic person. “Do you have a Hispanic background?”

“That’s a funny story,” he smiled. A couple of girls at a table to the side of us were glancing at him with wanting eyes and giggling like schoolgirls, but they were middle-aged women older than me. Still, I had his undivided attention. “My grandfather, when he was a young man coming of age, happened to be very much in love with a Hispanic woman named Zooma. He tried everything to court her to no avail. Her family was very traditional and refused to let her date an American of European descent. So, my grandfather, being the bold man that he was, renounced his European decent, as much as someone can do such a thing, and started familiarizing himself with Mexican customs. He started dressing in a Mexican style, started learning Spanish (although he couldn’t get the hang of it), and he, you can guess—”

“Opened a Mexican restaurant?” I asked.

“Exactly,” he said. I waited for him to finish, but he took a bite of his appetizer like he was done.

“So, what happened? Did he marry Zooma?”

Augie swallowed his bite of cucumber smothered in humus, seeming to enjoy it immensely, then shook his head.

“What? He didn’t get the girl, but he kept the restaurant?” I asked.

“After starting the restaurant and even hiring some of her family members, her parents still wouldn’t have it. So, he planned to run off with her. He used to meet her in the daytime when her parents were gone.”

He paused for another bite, this time a tomato with hummus.

“What happened? Did they get caught?”

“No,” he started laughing. “He decided after meeting her several times in the day that he didn’t love her as much as he thought. But the restaurant was a huge success, so he kept it.”

“I see. So that’s it. He just ended it with her.” I thought it sounded cruel.

“No. He married her cousin, who was half Mexican and half European. Her parents didn’t care who she married, and they liked that my grandfather would be able to support their daughter. And he figured it would be easier to marry her, too, because she spoke good English and he wouldn’t have to continue his Spanish lessons, which I’m told he was horrible at. There are stories of him asking customers if they want octopus burritos rather than chicken. It seems the words are similar; pollo and pulpo. But anyway, I do have some Hispanic blood in me, but even the people on my grandmother’s side became too Americanized to celebrate the culture. I think it’s a shame.”

“Well, you could bring back the culture when you have children.” Uggh! My heart fell into my stomach. Did I really just start talking about children within the first several minutes of our date?

“I’m not certain I’m qualified to do that,” he smiled again.

I was so focused on the fact that I mentioned children that I thought he meant he wasn’t qualified to have children. I caught myself before I said something even more embarrassing.

“That’s an interesting story you have to tell,” don’t mention his grandchildren, “Anyway.”

I ate my chili, and by the time our main course came, I was feeling full. The chili was spicy but very good. I couldn’t stop eating it, not just for the taste but also it kept my mouth shut. Although I was full, I stuffed as much of the salad down as I could. Enough to make him feel like he didn’t waste his money but not enough to make him think I eat like a hog. It’s a delicate balance.

After dinner, we walked through the local shopping center, where we visited the indoor animal shelter as if we were drawn there. He said it was one of the places he liked to visit the most, especially when he needed a quick getaway. Rescue cats, dogs, rabbits, and other small creatures were sleeping, playing, and feeding in descent size cages. The older woman behind the counter recognized Augie immediately.

“Augie!” She smiled and came around the counter to hug him. “What brings you here tonight.” She turned from him to me with a generous smile.

“This is Ali. We were just passing by, and I thought we’d drop in.” He turned to me. “This is Ms. Harper.”

She slapped him on the shoulder with a slight gawk.

“My name is Alice,” she said to me and took my hand. “It’s nice to meet you, dear.”

She turned back to Augie and winked at him as if to say she’s a looker. His smile turned to a slight blush.

“How’s Frank?” he asked her.

My first instinct was that she was related to Frank Brennan. I became tense, and my nerves were shaking. But the woman gestured to the back of the store.

“Well, go see for yourself.”

We followed Alice to the back of the store and surrounded one particular pen, a circular wired gate with no top and one door. There was a Do Not Enter sign on the door, but Augie unlatched the lock without asking and stepped inside. There was a large box at the far end, and Augie knelt down before it and called for Frank to come out. I had no idea what was in there. Cat? Dog? Ferret? A miniature Frank Brennen?

When nothing appeared from the box’s doorway, Augie held his hand in front of it for the creature to sniff then gently lifted the box. Then I saw it, a rabbit that looked almost identical to Hazel Brown, gray head and gray backside with a white stripe that wrapped around his shoulder and under his chin. The only difference between Frank and Hazel was that Frank had a white spot on his nose and was smaller. Plus, when Frank hopped, it was easy to see that he had been injured.

Alice stated that his last owner was a young boy who accidentally broke both of Frank’s back legs. They stretched out to the side, but it didn’t stop Frank from getting around. Augie chuckled as Frank began to circle him like a dog who was excited to see his owner after a few days apart.

Augie obviously had a soft spot for Frank, and I was wondering just how he came to know him and Alice so well, well enough to ignore the Do Not Enter sign on the cage door. After we said our goodbyes and Augie said hello to a few other cats and dogs he knew well; I had to ask.

“You come out here often?”

“Not as often as I would like. The restaurant keeps me busy. But it’s one way I unwind. Shovel a little manure around.”

“So, you volunteer there?”

“I occasionally do,” he said.

Occasionally didn’t seem to be fit with how well he knew Alice and how much the woman obviously adored him.

“How do you know Alice? From your volunteer work, or did you know her before?”

“She runs one of the animal shelters that I donate to,” Augie said. “Before I just hand over money, I like to get to know the people. I like to know where their heart is, so I volunteer before I donate.”

“You spy on them?” I chuckled.

“I guess I do,” he laughed. “I can tell you that Ms. Harper is one of the most genuine people I know. She does everything for the good of the animals.”

He didn’t seem to want to talk about his charity work. That was enough about him.

“So, you have a lot of family around here?” he asked.

I told him about my family, my parents, a middle-class couple who managed to stay married, and my sister, who seems to know exactly what she wants to do with her life, even though she’s just graduated from high school and off to a graphic design college in California. But when people ask me about my family, the first person I always think of is Daniel.

Thoughts of him raced through my mind. What would he think if he saw me out with Augie? Would he be jealous? Would he be enraged? Would he think I was cheating on him, again? Or wouldn’t he care at all? Perhaps he was busy, already dating someone. I didn’t know. I didn’t ask.

“The age difference between my sister and I never let us get really close, but we don’t fight either. We’re actually better friends now than ever, except that she moved away.”

He didn’t ask about my past relationships, and I didn’t volunteer the information. Daniel never asked for the blue sapphire ring back. I guess I had always hoped he wanted me to keep it as a way of saying we weren’t over yet, but he said nothing. He didn’t ask for it back, and he didn’t give any indication that it meant anything to him still. I placed it back in the box before I went out with Augie that first date, but I felt the emptiness on my finger. It felt bare, wrong. Still, Daniel didn’t seem to care either way. I pushed the guilt out of my thoughts and just tried to be with Augie, without memories of a love gone wrong staining this new relationship. If it was to become a relationship. I guess if Daniel didn’t care anymore, I was hoping it did become a new relationship.

By the end of the evening, I was a little uncomfortable. I had to excuse myself more than once as the chili started to get the best of me. Augie wasn’t Daniel, and this was our first date. I couldn’t just burp or fart in front of him. Ladies don’t do that, at least not until we’ve been together so long, and we’ve heard him do it enough that we get tired of excusing ourselves to the next room. Again, I was no princess, but Augie was as close to a prince as I could imagine, and princes didn’t hear such things in fairy tales. However, they don’t exactly get mop bucket water poured on them either.

“Forgive me, I’m not quite sure what to do,” he said to me

We were sitting in his car in the restaurant parking lot where my car was parked. I would never have a man pick me up at my house on the first date. If he ended up being a creeper or something, I didn’t want him to know where I lived.

I squinted my eyes with curiosity.

“You see, I don’t want to give you any wrong impressions here. I wish to take things slow,” he paused, “Not like turtle slow, but slow. I’d invite you to my place, but I don’t want to seem like a cheetah either. But if I don’t invite you, I don’t want you to feel rejected.”

He took a deep breath. He appeared a little nervous.

“It-it’s not for your sake alone. It’s for mine, too. When girls figure out, I’m...well off,” I could tell he was trying not to sound arrogant about it, “They tend to want to latch on to me, for my money. So, in conclusion, I don’t want to move too fast or too slow.”

He huffed, probably feeling like I felt at the restaurant like everything was coming out wrong. Hah, he was human after all, perhaps thinking he was making a fool of himself. I could tell it was all done with honesty, though.

“I want to show you just enough affection to let you know that I am interested in seeing you again. Very, very, interested.”

He caught my eyes, which seemed to paralyze me in blue light. He looked worried until I cracked a smile.

“I think I know what you’re saying.”

I don’t know what came over me as I leaned over the console and kissed him quickly on the lips, then pulled away. I didn’t want to get involved quickly either. I had to see all his flaws first and determine if he was worth it, but, like I said, he was quite dreamy. If ever a fairy tale prince jumped off the page into real life, Augie Maylor was him.

“How about I buy next time. Alright?”

He smiled. “As long as there’s a next time, I don’t care who buys.”

I smiled, perhaps blushing a little also as I opened the car door.

“Good night, Augie.”

“Good night, Ali.”

Sixteen

“What should I do?”

“When’s the last time you talked to her?”

“I stopped by her new job on Valentine’s Day of all days to see her, but she went out for lunch. Before that, it was the day we broke up.”

“What does that tell you?” Quentin asked.

“That I have bad luck? Or that she had a really long lunch hour.”

Quentin rolled his eyes. “I was hoping you’d figure it out on your own. But obviously, you’re not going to. I think you should move on with life. Get out there. You just sit here and write books all day. Meet yourself another girl.”

“I don’t want another girl.”

Meeting a new girl was the last thing on Daniel’s mind. As far as sitting around and writing books all day, that could be debated. He felt like he had lost his muse when he separated from Ali. He had written a few things but nothing he deemed worthy of being read. What had he been doing? He thought the last six months of his existence could be comparable to a stagnant puddle of water in an abandoned parking lot. His life was going nowhere, slowly evaporating under a gloomy sky.

“Look, Dan. I was hoping I never had to tell you this. I was hoping it never came up, but...well, Ali is dating someone else now.”

“What?!”

“She’s moved on. It’s been months since you two broke up.”

“Who? Who’s she dating?”

“Some burrito, man.”

“What are you talking about? Is that a racist way of saying he’s Mexican?”

“No. I don’t even think he’s Mexican. He—”

Daniel felt his nerves twitching. His heart rate increased, and his breath became short and deep.

“How do you know she’s dating someone?” he interrupted, not believing it could be true.

“Marcy still talks to her once in a while. Marcy told Jake, Jake told Tom, and Tom told me.”

“I thought Marcy and Jake were getting divorced?”

“They are. They kind of just devolved back into casually dating each other, I guess. Along with the other people, they’re dating.”

“Isn’t Tom friends with that lowlife? Brennen? What are you doing talking to him?”

“I don’t hang out with him,” Quentin said, feeling the need to defend himself. “I just see him out once in a while. We were friends with Jake and Jake’s friends with Tom. You know. I don’t cause problems. Keep it friendly. Besides,” there was a pause, then he just said it, “She didn’t have an affair with Frank.”

Daniel looked at Quentin with surprise. He took a moment to register the significance of what he had just heard. Then his frozen muscles melted like a snowman in July, and he felt relief.

“She didn’t?” He never really thought she did, but it was nice to hear it said out loud from a reliable source.

Quentin shook his head. “She didn’t.”

Daniel let out a long breath.

Quentin could see the relief on Daniel’s face. Still, a faint sparkle of anguish was left in his eyes. Why had she gone to Frank’s house that day? Why had she lied to him so many times about working over to hang out where Frank works? It didn’t make sense.

“She told Marcy everything,” Quentin said. “I don’t know the details. You know how Jake never listens when she talks,” he chuckled. “She didn’t have an affair, but she is seeing someone new now.”

Daniel sighed again, but not with relief. The anguish was flooding through his body. “Burrito man?”

“Yeah. Some rich guy who owns a chain of burrito shops. His father started one, and he opened a few more when he took over. Something like that.” He wasn’t about to tell Daniel which one it was. Daniel didn’t ask. “Marcy said Ali looks happy. She’s moved on, Daniel. You should, too.”

“Are you certain of this?”

“If you would get out more, you would know too. Everyone knows, but no one wanted to tell you. We’ve just been hoping you would pick yourself up, forget about her, and move on.”

There was an uncomfortable silence. Daniel rarely shared himself with others, and Quentin didn’t know what he was thinking. It could be anything from being ready to move on with a new relationship or moving on with a new life by ending this one. Quentin figured it was somewhere in between. He wasn’t ready to let go of Ali yet but not the desperate type either.

“So, you want to come out tonight, or what?”

Daniel took a deep breath and felt his rapid heart rate slow back down to a normal rhythm. He felt like he was looking into a future he always knew was a possibility since they split up, but one that he never believed would happen. It was dark and lonely and unwanted.

“No.”

“Look. I’m not accepting no for an answer. You’re coming out, and that is that, for your own good. In fact, I met this girl, Kelly. She has a friend named Lilly. I want you to meet her.”

“I’m not interested,” Daniel replied.

Quentin stood up and stretched out his arms, not unlike an animal does when trying to make himself look bigger and fiercer before a fight, hoping to get their opponent to concede before the battle begins.

“Look at you. Look around you,” he said.

Daniel did.

There were piles of book drafts scattered around the floor. He was still living out of boxes with half his things packed away in the corners of the rooms. His kitchen cabinets were empty except for a few utensils, a plate, and a pot sitting on the counter. Canned goods and pasta were still in boxes on the floor. Lamps were in place but not plugged in. There were no curtains, windows were without blinds, and the furniture was still piled haphazardly in the middle of the room. The only thing that looked lived in was his writing desk.

“It’s been months,” Quentin continued, “And you haven’t even unpacked. It’s like you’re living in a storage closet.”

Daniel seemed to ignore the mess.

“That’s because I feel like I belong with Ali. That’s where my home is, wherever she is, that’s where I belong. This apartment isn’t a home to me.”

Quentin could see how serious he was about her. He sat back down on the arm of the chair and tried to be more sympathetic.

“Look, I’ve broken up with girlfriends before. I’m sure you have, too—” Quentin stopped. He realized Daniel had not broken up with girlfriends before. Ali had been all he even knew. They had been together since the second grade. “I know it’s hard to let go, but she let go. You’re just free falling now, and she’s not there to catch you. She’s gone. She’s in some other guy’s arms now.”

“Stop it!” he shouted. “I don’t want to hear it!”

“I’m just trying to get you to get your life back. It’s time to move on.”

Daniel took a deep breath. He had never shouted at Quentin before. There was never a need to. He took another deep breath. Quentin could see this was going to be more difficult than he imagined. He had never seen a grown man cry over a woman before, yet, there were hints of tears piling up on Daniel’s lower eyelids.

“I’m sorry,” Daniel said. “I know you mean the best, but I’m just not ready yet. Maybe she needs time without me to figure out if I’m really the one, and I have hope she will. I know we were meant to be together. I don’t know how but I just know it.”

Quentin rolled his eyes, feeling bad for his friend. He had never seen someone so deep in love before since he had ditched girls for looking at another man, let alone going out with others. Then again, he never had anything as good as Daniel and Ali had.

“Alright,” Quentin said. He stood up and picked up his car keys from the counter. “You call me if you need me.”

“I will.”

Daniel didn’t bother getting up when his friend left. He didn’t want him to see his watering eyes but couldn’t hold it back much longer. He also didn’t want to unpack, but he realized it might be a while before Ali came back to him. In fact, it might be, forever. He might as well get comfortable.

After Quentin left, Daniel dried his eyes and started going through the boxes. He had every intention of fixing up his new apartment but found himself going through his things and just putting them aside. He pulled out the rest of his items to place on his computer desk, the things that he didn’t use that often but always had handy. Pens, a stapler, the mouse pad he forgot about. Outside of a few pens, it was all gifts from Ali.

He felt his eyes watering again but held back the tears as he moved to a different box, leafing through the clothes he never unpacked. He pulled out shorts for the approaching summer, shorts that Ali had liked and the plaid ones she always lightly picked on him for.

“You look like a 1970’s golfer in those,” she had said, followed by that intoxicating laugh.

Daniel knew that laugh completely. He set the shorts aside. Summer tee-shirts were folded underneath the shorts, more gifts from Ali.

In another box, he pulled out a roll of pictures he kept on the desktop next to his computer. It contained his favorite pictures of his cats, Hazel, his family, and most of all, Ali. He found his wrist mala made of lapis beads, given to him by Ali. In fact, Daniel rarely bought anything for himself. Almost everything he owned was gifted from other people, mainly from Ali.

Next, he opened the small, portable filing cabinet filled with such things as birth certificates, insurance forms, and his life insurance, whom Ali was now the beneficiary of. In the bottom drawer of the cabinet, there was a file for each year they had been together back to the ninth grade. It was in ninth grade that it became clear to Daniel that he would meet someone someday and spend the rest of his life with that person. By tenth grade, he had realized he had already met that special someone, Ali. From then on, he had saved everything they had done together and placed the proof in a shoebox for that year, which was later transferred to the filing cabinet. In each file were movie stubs and concert tickets, little notes written on napkins, and love letters and birthday wishes from that year.

Daniel stared at the files as the memories flooded back to him like moving photographs. He refused to open them. It was too painful. Just knowing what was in them and what might not ever be, was heartbreaking. The files were like a calendar of their lives together that suddenly ended without warning.

He had a special file for the years before he was so certain of their lives together. A file that contained old things, such as colored drawings from when they were still in elementary school, as far back as second grade when he finally had the courage to share crayons with her. In that file were also notes they passed back and forth in class and school pictures from the fourth grade on.

Then Daniel saw the last file in the cabinet. It was a file that contained contents from their last year together. He reached out and pulled it out of the cabinet, opening it on the floor. Inside were the usual yearly things, along with a parking ticket they received when they went to the museum and parked too close to the fire hydrant. He moved the parking ticket to the other side of the file, and underneath it was two ticket stubs from the Autumn at Oz festival where he proposed.

Paper clipped to those tickets was a small slip of paper he received in an odd shop run by an odd woman who had stated that the name of his soulmate would appear on the other side. Daniel released the slip from the paperclip and turned it over, holding it up to the light. On it read in red letters, Ali Marinko. The thought of her now in some other man’s arms was unbearable.

Seventeen

Two and a half months had gone by, and it was almost May; in fact, this coming Saturday would be May 2nd, my birthday. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t find a flaw in Augie. I was getting comfortable with him. Not like I was with Daniel, but sending a text or calling or getting a call at work from him was becoming part of my daily routine. Our relationship was at a point that if I didn’t hear from him, I started to worry. Mostly, he was one of three places, the restaurant, soccer (football as he called it) practice, or at home. The rest of the time, he was with me.

We were going to movies, dinner, and taking trips to the bigger cities to visit museums, parks, and shopping centers. We went to a Broadway musical in Cleveland and an event for the Pittsburgh Symphony. We hadn’t talked about going away for a weekend, and he didn’t invite me to stay at his place, but it felt like the next step of our relationship was just around the corner.

It was the natural order of modern-day relationships, but I wasn’t certain I was ready for it. He had been a perfect gentleman this entire time, what woman would or could say no, but Daniel had been the only person I had ever been with. I wasn’t certain I was ready or wanting any other man yet.

“This has been a lovely evening,” Augie said on this latest date near the end. The candlelight was glimmering in his eyes; crystal glasses sparkling in the dim light from the Neanderthal exhibit. To the left, a herd of woolly mammoths was charging toward us. Over Augie’s right shoulder, it looked as if the saber tooth tiger was stalking him from behind. “I hope it doesn’t end too soon.”

I didn’t know how many dates it had been now. I lost count, but we went out every weekend and some evenings during the week when he didn’t have football practice or a game. He liked to play the game to keep in shape. I played a little volleyball in high school, but I wasn’t interested in sports. I did promise to come to one of his games but hadn’t so far.

Over these two to three months, he remained a perfect gentleman. I couldn’t find one flaw in him. Augie was handsome, healthy, gentle, and kind. I tried to catch him in a lie, but there were none. I wondered if football practice was code for him to meet his wife, but he invited me to practice, said stop by any time.

I wondered if he had several girlfriends, but he told me he was in a long relationship that ended just before he met me. When he returned her things, he asked me to come with him. He was even at break-ups, no harsh words, wishing her well. And she broke up with him?! When I asked why he said she was getting back with her high school sweetheart, who returned to the area after serving in the military for four years. He said he understood, but I don’t think he did.

He told me he wanted to take things slow. A lot of women were just interested in him for his money, and he wasn’t interested in getting involved too quickly only to find out it wasn’t going to work out.

He had graduated from high school then went into college. His father wasn’t about to hand him over the business without him showing that he was disciplined. He completed a four-year degree in archeology, not business. He said he knew he would get the business and business majors often when to school to learn how to get business jobs, not how to create and run their own business. He majored in something he loved but always knew he would get his father’s restaurant. Unfortunately, he acquired it a lot sooner than he thought.

Augie joined the Peace Corps after college but didn’t finish out his second year. His father became ill with cancer, and he moved back to help his mother take care of him. He ran his business for him until he died, then inherited it himself. That’s when he met his now ex, Carrie. Recently he started expanding the business into a chain, starting three other restaurants. Then Carrie decided to go back to her ex, and then I came into the picture.

So, was it too soon to end the night? I wasn’t certain. He had been a complete gentleman. This particular evening, we enjoyed eating out at a high-end restaurant then went to the museum, even getting into the archeological exhibit after hours where we were served wine and allowed to stay as long as we liked. So how long should this night go on? I took a sip of my wine and glanced at the long teeth behind him, then back into Augie’s eyes.

“What did you have in mind?” I asked.

“As you know, I don’t like to move too fast, but I thought you might like to come to my place.”

I smiled. I couldn’t help it, but I turned away, also. I was afraid for him to see me blush. I swallowed the nervous lump in my throat then looked back into his attentive blue eyes.

“Sure.”

The ride went quickly. He held my hand most of the way, and we talked about everything from archeology to how I broke one of my fingers playing volleyball in high school. Why is it that even boring conversations are exciting when you’re with someone who naturally makes you feel nervous for all the right reasons?

I was nervous about going to his home. I didn’t know if I was ready to consummate the relationship (I suppose that is the ladylike way to put it), but I doubted Augie was the kind of man who would put much pressure on me. Besides, I wanted to see how he lived. Was he messy? Did he have a maid do all the cleaning? What possessions were most important to him? Paintings? Sports memorabilia? Who was he, really? I wanted to know more.

The home was modest for a man who owned a chain of restaurants, but it was well taken care of. We stepped in the front door into a large foyer with a crystal chandelier overhead, which was predictable. What wasn’t predictable was the room he led me to after he took and hung up my light coat.

“This is my den,” he said. “My favorite room in the house.”

The carpet looked like an Indian design. The furniture was red, something you might see in the den of a vampire’s house in one of those new hip vampire shows, complete with a fireplace to sip drinks in front of. Books lined the walls, but it was the knickknacks that caught my eye.

“We’re did you get all these bones? And the pottery is beautiful.”

“I dug most of them up on expeditions. All the somewhat significant finds I gave to museums of that country, but I kept a few smaller pieces for myself. Reminders of my travels.”

I smiled as I surveyed the room and looked at each piece individually.

“You’re like a modern-day Indiana Jones, aren’t you?”

He laughed.

“Well, I don’t know if my life is exciting enough to make a movie over, but I’ve done my share of exploring.” He pointed to the piece I was looking at. “This piece here I found among the Mayan ruins in Tulum. I guess that was kind of an adventurous trip. Try getting through Mexico’s airport security with an ancient artifact you dug up.”

“So, you’ve done a lot of traveling, haven’t you?”

“I tried to do as much as I could in my younger years. I suppose that is easy to do when you know you have a backup.”

His backup was the restaurant business that he inherited much too early.

“It’s the adventurers who don’t have a backup plan that deserve the credit,” he said. “They put everything on the line in hopes of finding enough treasure to live off the rest of their lives.”

“Would you still be out there traveling if you hadn’t...” I paused, wanted to put it as politely as possible, “...inherited the restaurant so soon?”

“I don’t think so,” he said. I was surprised. “I always knew I wanted to settle down, too. Have a family and a home.”

He seemed like the full package, a prince torn out of the pages of a fairy tale. I couldn’t find a flaw. That was what made it so difficult if he tried to get me to stay with him this night; I didn’t know if I was ready. Daniel had been the only man in my life up to this point, and it felt strange to think there might be another. I knew all Daniel’s flaws. There were no surprises there, but Augie was still a mystery.

I didn’t know if I was ready yet. But when the end of the night came, he didn’t do anything. What? Am I not attractive enough? Is he playing games with me? Then, as he helped me with my coat and kissed my neck from behind, he said, “You’re welcome to spend the night if you wish.”

That’s when the answer became clear to me. I wasn’t ready, but at least I knew he was interested.

“I should go home tonight. But maybe soon,” I said.

I didn’t really know what to say. I had never been in this position before. The first time Daniel and I did that, it was awkward because neither of us had done it before, but it felt right because it was Daniel. I already knew him inside and out. I had watched him grow from a nervous second-grader who was afraid to share crayons with me into someone who cooked naked in the kitchen (it happened three times-that I know of. I don’t want to talk about it).

Augie pulled me closer to him and kissed me on the lips. I thought he was trying to convince me to stay, but when our lips parted, he took a step back and held my hand.

“May I see you for your birthday?” he asked.

I smiled.

“Of course.”

I was happy he remembered.

“Good. Because I already made arrangements.”

“You have? Then I’m looking forward to it.”

My coat was already on, so he walked me to the car. He drove me home and gave me another kiss.

“Are we still on for lunch tomorrow?” he asked.

“Yes. Come by my office around 11:30.”

“I’ll see you then.”

He waited until I was in the door, then waved and sped away. I shut the door and slid to the floor, filled with nervous excitement. I still thought of Daniel often, as he had been part of my life for so long, but I could see myself in a relationship with Augie. I felt as if I gave up looking for his flaw and just accepted, he was perhaps the man of every woman’s dream, and I was lucky enough to have found him. His name had appeared on a slip of paper made for a soulmate, and I actually met him. He was everything a woman could want.

Eighteen

For Daniel, those next two to three months felt like years. He found himself sleeping in every morning and staying up late to write, which consisted of staring at a blank word document screen, eating pretzels, and watching late-night science fiction movies. During his waking daylight hours, he stared into his empty refrigerator, pet his cats, and mulled over ideas that he knew he would never write down.

His ideas had become darker, with lonely, desperate, grief-stricken characters pounded on the inside of his pupils looking for a way out. And to make matters worse, Daniel found himself making another call to his parents in order to borrow money to keep his electricity on.

“I’m so pathetic,” he said to himself.

He realized he couldn’t go on like this much longer. He had five dollars in his pocket and a hungry stomach. He felt like he was in college, only he had no plans of actually graduating or bettering himself. He was broke, had no job, and no prospect of employment. He had sent out a few resumes but didn’t actually want to get hired. All he wanted to be was a writer, and that was that, and Ali was giving him that chance, but it was gone now, along with her. His parents offered to pay his bills in order for him to keep writing. They encouraged him, but Daniel knew the truth behind it.

His parents did want him to be successful at writing and would do anything for him, but the real reason why they offered to help him out was because they didn’t believe he could handle any more disappointment. They knew getting over Ali would be the most difficult thing he might ever have to do. They didn’t want to crush his dreams of becoming a writer as well by having him take a job he was going to hate. That backfired because what Daniel hated more than getting a job and writing only part-time was feeling like a burden on his parents.

He had believed his life was on track, with everything he wanted was falling into place. He would marry Ali; she would support him while he made a go of the writing career. If it worked out to a minimal degree, he would write, she would work, and they would start a family. If his writing worked out better than expected, he would support Ali with best-selling books, and they would start a family.

If the writing didn’t work out, he would find a backup plan. Maybe go into real estate or get a job at a bank and write on the side. Still, Ali would be there, and they would start a family. No matter what happened in life, successful writer or working manual labor somewhere, Daniel didn’t see a scenario where Ali wouldn’t be there. Now with her gone, nothing seemed in place.

It was difficult to accept that it was a very likely possibility he would have to make a life for himself without her. He had always thought, we, now it was just a lonely, me. He refused to finish the thought or give her the satisfaction, but he felt as if he was nothing without her, without his soulmate, Ali.

He had gone to see her on Valentine’s Day, but she was out to lunch. Now she was seeing someone else. I should’ve talked to her way back when. I should have never just left! I should’ve called her and tried to work it out! But why did she lie to me? Why did she lie to sneak around with Frank Brennen? AhhhHHH!!! I should’ve talked to her. He lifted the picture of them with their arms around each other, staring at the camera. He couldn’t help but cry. He tossed the picture across the room.

It’s OVER!!! Get yourself together! Ali is not the whole world. There was a pause. Then his heart said to his reasoning mind; she was my whole world.

It was Saturday morning, one of the more painful days of the year for Daniel when he finally placed that call. A call that he believed was the first step in starting that new life without her.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

“I need to get out.”

His voice sounded sluggish and weighted with worry.

“You alright?” Quentin asked.

“No,” Daniel said, looking at the calendar. What was once one of the happiest days of the year was now one of the worst. He scowled at the number two in the square box. “But I will be. Can I come out with you tonight?”

“Yeah, sure.” Quentin rose from his bed to his feet. He was glad to hear his friend was ready to make some changes, but he still sounded like a man stuck deep in a well without a rope for a lifeline. “What did you have in mind? Any place in partic—”

“It’s her birthday,” Daniel said, giving the number two one last look of disdain before he turned away. He couldn’t look at it any longer, turning away. His sullen voice caused Quentin’s eyes to go wide. Did he actually want to go out and celebrate his ex’s birthday without her? Or did he need to drown himself in alcohol to forget about it? “I don’t care where we go. Just out.” Quentin was betting on the latter.

“No problem. Yeah. We’ll go out. Any place, in particular, you want to go?”

Daniel looked at the five-dollar bill he had to his name.

“Somewhere cheap. I don’t have much money, maybe an old-timer bar where they sell Old Mil’ on tap.”

“Oh, no. Not for my friend,” Quentin insisted. “We’ll go somewhere nice. It’s on me.”

“I’d actually appreciate that. Would you mind driving, too? I might just drink till I can’t think.”

“No. I wouldn’t mind. I’ll pick you up about eight?”

“How’s seven?” Daniel asked. The sooner, the better. The sooner he was drunk, the sooner he could forget.

“Seven it is.” There was a slight pause. “I’ve been seeing Kelly.”

“Who’s that?”

“She’s friends with the girl I wanted to introduce you to before. Lilly, remember?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think you mentioned her.”

Quentin was certain he did.

“Want me to have them come along?” Then he said in a more hurried voice. “No, just us boys. I can cancel on Kelly tonight. She won’t mind.”

“No, no, no. Go ahead. Invite them along. The more, the better.”

“The more, the better?” Quentin questioned. “You are down in the dumps. That’s very poor talk for a writer.”

Daniel chuckled. “Using the word merrier just didn’t sound right.”

“Gotcha. Alright, then. I’ll see you at seven.”

“Thanks, Quentin.”

“No problem. I’m honored that you called me.”

Daniel hung up the phone. He couldn’t help but look at the calendar again. He looked at the phone. Should I call her? Wish her a happy birthday? Then he thought of burrito man. No. She’s forgotten about me by now. She’s with him today.

Nineteen

I laid out my favorite spring dress. It was that perfect length that showed off enough leg to look sexy but long enough to look classy. It had started out to be a beautiful day, and it was sure to be a lovely evening. I wanted to look my best.

I went to the local mall with my sister and mother as soon as it opened and had my nails done to match my dress, which was light blue with pink flowers on it. I had my nails done in a darker blue with flowers a deeper pink, closer to red, which would match my lipstick. I had my hair trimmed and styled. Tonight, I thought, might be the night. Maybe it was just the birds singing and the sun shining, the exhilaration of a perfect spring day, but love felt like it was in the air.

“So, where is he taking you?” my sister, Misty, asked.

“I’m not sure, but he already had the evening planned out when I saw him Thursday.”

I must have had a particular smile on my face when I said it, the kind of smile that lets close girlfriends, or a sister, in this case, know that something special was going to happen.

“Are you going to do it with him?”

“Misty!” our mother shouted, nearly losing all the mushroom and cheese from her pizza. “That’s not something you ask a lady, nor something a lady should ask.”

Then our mother turned to me and basically asked the same question in a more ‘appropriate’ way. “Well, now that it’s out there, how serious are you with this guy?”

My sister rolled her eyes. She was the type to just lay issues and secrets out on the table or ask exactly what was on her mind no matter who was around. She wasn’t afraid to burp at the dinner table and made no apologies for it. We weren’t that different in age, but sometimes I didn’t understand her, as if she was part of a different generation than me. Sometimes I felt closer to our mother’s age than my sisters.

“I don’t know,” I said to it all, my mother and sister’s questions. “He’s really nice and successful and handsome. He’s the kind of guy every woman dreams about.”

“Trust me,” Misty said, “There’s something wrong with him. He’s probably the kind you’ll marry and figure out later that he’s gay.”

“Misty!” our mother added a light slap on the shoulder this time.

“I’m just speaking the truth, or a potential truth. Usually, if they’re such gentleman, it’s because there’s no sexual tension, because, you know,” then she whispered, “He’s gay.”

“Ladies, don’t talk like that,” our mother reminded her.

Misty rolled her eyes again with a get real smirk. Our mother always tried to be proper and had probably never farted in front of our father. She always had dinner on the table for him at five o’clock. She was the last of the great 1950’s housewives.

“What about Daniel?” she asked.

I couldn’t believe she still brought him up. What of Daniel? I haven’t heard from him since he walked out on me. He walked out without even truly confronting me, for me, without a fight. He probably thought I cheated on him and wasn’t worth fighting for anymore. It had been months, and I had a new man in my life, but Daniel’s leaving still stung like a thorn in my heart. Why did my mother have to bring him up?

“I haven’t talked to him,” I replied in a ladylike tone, but part of me wanted to rant on about him with anger fueling my words.

“I liked Daniel,” Misty said. “Why did you two break up anyway?”

I had never told her. I had never told anyone except for Marcy, and Marcy was too busy with her own drama to spread the word about me. Daniel kept to himself, probably didn’t even talk to his closer friends about what happened between us. Quentin. I think that’s who he was spending most of his time with when he did see other people. I often wondered what he was doing now.

Was he writing? Was he alone? Was he seeing someone else? I didn’t ask, and no one told me. I thought about him still, but it was less often that I worried over him. He didn’t want anything to do with me, obviously. At least he hadn’t said so in the past few months.

“I don’t want to talk about Daniel,” I said. “That’s over.”

My mother let out a grunt like mothers do sometimes. You never really know if they're disappointed, or they’re reading into your heart because they know you so well and don’t believe you’re being true to it. Either way, they didn’t bring Daniel up again, and neither did I. Besides, I had a big date to get ready for.

Augie had football practice that morning, went back to his house and got ready, then picked me up that evening just before six. There’s a lake nearby, a large lake where wealthy people lived and gathered to relax on their yachts. Augie didn’t live near the lake, but he inherited his father’s yacht that was kept at a dock there. When we arrived, a small crew was waiting.

“Good evening, Sir. Madam.” The man was wearing a captain’s hat, and the rest of the crew was dressed in black uniforms except for the chef, who was wearing his white apron over his pressed shirt and tie. The captain reached out for my hand, and I gave it to him; kissing the back of it, he introduced himself as Captain Sam. He introduced the rest of the crew, a chef, waiter, and bartender who was also the first mate, then welcomed me aboard the S.S. Helena, named after Augie’s late grandmother on his mother’s side.

We set sail, and Augie brought me to the upper deck. There were a few large circular seats made of wicker and a large cushion laid out like a bed. It was like sitting inside a large egg with half the upper shell cut out. Fancy pillows were stacked behind us, and the upper part of the shell came out over our heads, shielding us from the breeze and sharp rays of the sun. A cloth cover could be pulled down for privacy and enclose us in. Perhaps later, perhaps tonight.

We sailed out far onto the lake, and the yacht was positioned for us to watch the sun set, which was at least an hour away. Until then, we were served a few appetizers and wine while dinner was being prepared for us below. It was a very romantic start. It was no Wizard of Oz birthday, but everything was perfect in its own way.

We sat in the wicker egg side by side, and Augie held my hand.

“This is one of my favorite places to be,” he said. “It’s so peaceful. My father used to bring me out here. He taught me a lot of things on this boat.”

“Like what?”

“Like not taking life too seriously. You know, the business stuff. Being grateful for what we have and always looking for a way to give more than you get.”

“Is that why you volunteer with animals?”

“Yes. He told me that whether I have money or not, good health or not, family or not, as long as I’m alive, I should be grateful and show that gratefulness by helping others. He used to make points in comical ways by telling me, “If all you have to eat for the day is one burrito, it is better to share that burrito with someone else that eat it all alone.” He paused for a moment, enjoyed the sun on his face. “Because of him, I looked for something I could do even if I woke up with nothing tomorrow. I like animals, and even if I lose everything, I can still help them. Nothing would change. He taught me that. Work hard but do what you love whenever you can even if your work doesn’t work out.”

“Sounds like a wonderful man,” I said.

“He was. My mother is a little more stubborn.”

“Is she still around here?”

“Yes. She’s always worrying over things. She can be tough to be around, but I know it’s her way of caring, so I do my best to remain patient. I’ll be there for her when she’s too old to take care of herself.” He turned to me with that chiseled smile. “Are you close with your parents? And sister?”

“We’re close,” I chuckled, “But there’s plenty I keep to myself around them. Not that I have many secrets or anything like that, but we shop and do things like that together, but I try not to discuss my personal life in too much detail with them. I think that’s typical.”

Before I realized how much time that had passed, Captain Sam delivered the message himself that dinner was ready. It was an exquisite meal that started with a salad with ginger dressing, Japanese in style. Then the main course consisted of vindaloo and a rice side, which I had forgotten the name of. I had my choice of desserts, but I accepted none of them. I had no room for dessert. The waiter cleared our plates, and the first mate filled our wine glasses. A few minutes later, Captain Sam showed up at the table.

“Evening, Sir.” He bowed his head, and Augie politely greeted him. He turned to me. “I trust everything was to your satisfaction?”

“Yes,” I said. “It was all very delicious. Everything was lovely.”

“Wonderful.” He smiled then turned to Augie. “If that is all, the rest of the crew and I will be departing from the ship for the evening.”

I felt my nerves twitch and tingle.

“That will be all,” Augie said. “Thank you for your services.”

“Good night, then.” The captain turned to me and held out for me to take his hand. I leaned it to him, and he kissed the back of it again. “Enjoy the rest of your evening, my lady.”

“You, too,” I said, feeling way under-cultured.

The captain turned and left.

“They’re leaving the ship?” I asked.

“Yes. Is that alright? I can ask them to stay if you’re uncomfortable.”

“No,” I said. I might have been a little uncomfortable, but not because we would be alone together on a yacht in the middle of a lake, but from all the formality. My last birthday was spent running around in a Dorothy costume with my rabbit Hazel Brown as Toto in my basket, laughing at my friends’ playing games and telling funny stories while the Tin Man over-oiled himself and fell over the railing of the front porch while The Cowardly Lion fell over trying to catch him. Tonight, dinner and sunset with a prince of men on his yacht, was probably the wish of every woman in the world, so romantic, but it was a big change for me.

“I was just wondering if they were going to swim back?” I laughed, perhaps encouraged by the wine.

Augie laughed with me.

“They're taking the dingy to shore.”

A crew had taken us out on the lake where we had a wonderful dinner and left us alone to sail through the rest of the evening alone, perhaps the whole of the night. It would be perhaps the most romantic night of my life, as long as I stopped comparing this birthday to my last and kept thoughts of Daniel from popping into my head.

Twenty

“Thanks for picking me up,” Daniel said.

“Look at you!” Quentin said, and Daniel fell back into the passenger’s seat. Daniel was dressed in nice jeans, no corduroys, and a button-down shirt. He looked like a new man. “You look sharp.”

“Just something I threw together,” Daniel laughed. Quentin was glad to hear it. “Thanks again for picking me up.”

“No problem. You’re not going to be in any shape to drive tonight, anyway. I actually arranged it, so if Kelly leaves with me, Lilly will be there to take you home if all goes well.”

“Who?” Daniel asked.

“Lilly! The girl I told you about.”

“Oh, yeah.”

Daniel didn’t seem too excited. Quentin could tell he still had her on his mind. It was the 2nd of May, her birthday. How could he not?

“Look, I know this is a hard day for you, but there’s nothing you can do now.” Quentin paused and made a right-hand turn with caution, and headed to the bar. He tried to think of things from Daniel’s point of view then add something from his own experience that would help him out of that dark hole. A lifeline, he hoped.

“I know you’ve only dated one woman your entire life. I couldn’t imagine having someone around that long and then losing them. But you can sit around and sulk the rest of your life, or you can choose to be happy again. I’ve dated tons of women, and let me tell you, there are a lot of good ones out there. They’re all unique. They’re all beautiful and fun in their own way. You’ve only known Ali your whole life, but frankly, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to settle with one. I’d like to spend a lifetime with each of them. But since that can’t happen, I give it a good two to six months then meet another one.”

Daniel didn’t know what to make of Quentin’s little speech. With that attitude, no wonder his relationships only lasted two to six months. That type of life wasn’t for Daniel. He just wanted one woman, one relationship to build on. And of all the things Quentin said, one word stuck out in Daniel’s mind. Frankly!

What happened between Frank and Ali that caused her to follow him? If it wasn’t an affair, why would she stay after work to see him at the coffee shop then follow him to his house? Frankly, it didn’t matter anymore, he thought. She was out with Mr. Burrito, whoever the hell that was. Maybe Quentin was right. Maybe it’s time to move on. Perhaps with Daisy. Or what was her name? It had to do with a flower. Rose? No. Daphne? Way off. Geranium?

“I really think you’ll like Lilly. Just give her a chance.”

Lilly! Daniel said to himself. That’s it. Lilly. I have to remember that.

“She’s hot! Plus, she works in fashion. She’s always looking good.”

“What does she do in fashion?” Daniel asked. “Design dresses? Stuff like that?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Does she make the dresses? You know, sow them?”

“Don’t they have machines for that these days?” Quentin said. “This isn’t the eighteen hundreds.”

“Well, what does she do in fashion?”

Quentin looked at him with confusion. “I don’t know. Fashion stuff. Whatever they do in fashion. That’s what she does.”

“There’s probably a lot of jobs in the fashion industry. She could be in sales, or she might—.”

“Who cares,” Quentin shook his head. “She’s hot and very fashionable. That’s all you need to know tonight. In fact, don’t even ask her what she does. Talk about the fun things. People don’t want to talk about work. Work is the reason they go out and drink, to get as far away from work as possible.”

There was a slight pause.

“So basically, you don’t know what she does. For all, you know she could be dressing mannequins at Shoe Carnival.”

“You don’t even have a job,” Quentin said. “You’d be lucky to meet the girl who dresses up the mannequins there.” He paused for a second realizing that he might have offended his friend. “Sorry about that. But do you really care what a woman does for a living? If you like her, you like her.”

There was a long pause as Daniel leaned out the window and watched the couples walking hand in hand. He turned his attention back inside the car.

“I care some about what a woman does for a living. I don’t think I could date a butcher or a woman who works in a perfume factory. The smells bother me.”

“As far as I know, Lilly isn’t a butcher, and she doesn’t work in a perfume factory. And I’m certain the perfume she wears is mild.”

“You smelled her?”

“No.” He looked at his friend, wondering if he had always thought of such weird things. “But Kelly’s is mild. It’ll be alright. She’s not a butcher. I can almost guarantee that. She’s into fashion. Somehow.”

There was a moment of silence, and Daniel looked at his shoes. There were from a company that used no animal products.

“I hope her sense of fashion doesn’t include fur coats.”

Quentin was starting to think that Daniel’s likelihood of finding a woman he was compatible with was much narrower than he originally suspected. He was a good-looking young man, as good-looking as one heterosexual man is willing to say about another man, but he was odd. Ali and Daniel seemed to fit together like two puzzle pieces. Quentin was afraid Daniel had too many curves and nooks to fit easily with most women.

“Look. Everything is going to be fine. You’ll meet Lilly. Maybe you’ll hit it off; maybe you won’t. But at least it’s the first step in getting on with your life.”

Getting on with my life? Daniel thought. I’d be lucky to meet the girl who dresses up the mannequins? Daniel was beginning to get a clearer picture of how his friends perceived him—a lonely, pathetic guy whose life is going nowhere and needs a date, any date, just to get him out of his funk. He thought that perhaps his friends were right.

Another part of him thought his friends didn’t understand because they didn’t know just how much he believed it was a mistake to get on with his life. The truth is, he didn’t want to be the lonely, pathetic young man who borrowed money off his parents so he could keep enough electricity on to attempt to finish a novel he would probably never publish.

He didn’t want to be the guy who needed his friends to force him to go out so he could get on with his life, but he didn’t want this either. He didn’t want to go out. He didn’t want to meet the girl named after a flower he couldn’t remember. He didn’t want to go to the bar and drink alcohol to forget Ali’s birthday. He didn’t want to be stuck, and he didn’t want to move on. All he wanted was Ali. Then, whether he sold novels or not, had a job or not, had a roof over his head or not, as long as he had Ali, everything would feel right in the world. No flower girl or getting wasted was going to do any good; he was certain of that.

Twenty-One

We curled up next to each other on the top deck again and watched the sunset. It was like a movie, and the world was our screen. We shared some wine, and Augie held my hand as we talked about our families, the places we hoped to see, the things we wanted to do, and even about wanting children someday.

“I have something to ask you,” he said.

It was the seriousness in his voice that had my attention. It was obviously very important. Was it marriage? I didn’t know how I would respond. Maybe he was the type that had to be married before we spent the night together. Was he that much of a gentleman? Princes usually are, at least in fairy tales. And they seem to rush into weddings, probably for the sake of the movies’ length and the need to wrap up the ending, but this was real life.

Then he asked the question.

“Have you ever been in a serious relationship before?”

I was taken aback. Why was he asking? Did he want a serious relationship? Or did I appear like a girl who would have never been in one? Maybe this was about him and Carrie.

“I have,” I said. I took a sip of wine and swallowed my nerves with the alcohol. “His name was Daniel. I mean, it still is Daniel. The was part is that we’re not together anymore.”

I felt nervous. Like I was hiding something. Like I was doing something wrong by telling him about Daniel.

“How long were you involved,” he paused, “If you don’t mind me asking?”

I did. For some reason, I did.

“No, not at all. We actually met in the second grade,” I chuckled. I didn’t know why, nerves, I guess. I felt as if he was asking questions; I didn’t want him to have the answers to.

“And when did you break up, if you don’t mind?”

I told a deep breath. I stared off into the sunset for a moment, them into my wine glass. I could look at him.

“Why do you ask?”

It was the first time he ignored my question and demanded I answer him first. However, he did it in a gentleman's way.

“Was it recently?”

I sighed and put down the wine. I felt like I was shaking and didn’t want to spill it.

“Yes. It wasn’t that long before I met you.” It felt like a confession as if he busted me cheating on him. But I hadn’t; Daniel was the one who left me. He wanted nothing to do with me anymore. I felt like crying but held back the tears.

“It’s alright,” he said. He could tell I was too choked up to talk about it anymore, but he went back to the question I had asked him. “The reason I ask is the same reason I didn’t push for us to move too fast into a relationship.”

I looked up. I dried my eyes as the tears started to drip like a leaky faucet.

“What are you talking about?”

He put his wine down and slid further away so he could face me. He lightly touched the bottom of my chin as if to say I should feel no shame in looking in his eyes.

“I could see it in your eyes,” he said. “It is in the nervousness when I touch your hand, and I can feel it when we are close.”

I squinted my eyes. It probably displayed other nervous ticks I wasn’t aware of at the time.

“What? What are you talking about?” I asked.

Then he said what most men would try to ignore or overcome if they sensed it at all.

“You’re in love with someone else,” he said. “He was on your mind when we first held hands. He was on your mind when we were walking through the mall on our first date. He’s been there ever since. You were thinking about him when you were in my den the other evening. You were thinking about him while we ate dinner below. He is often on your mind.”

My jaw fell open. He touched my hand as if he was comforting me. I didn’t know what to say.

“I guess I’ve been waiting to see if that would change,” he said. “I don’t think it has.”

I placed my hand on his. I felt it too. I felt it all along but didn’t want to face it. I looked into his kind eyes and began crying.

“I’m sorry.”

I apologized, but I wasn’t certain what I was apologizing for. I hadn’t deceived him, and I couldn’t help where my heart was drawn. He was smiling. There was no anger in him at all. Perhaps he was disappointed my heart was not in love with him, but I could tell he only wanted the best for me. He wanted me to follow my heart, and he was not interested in possessing a heart that didn’t belong to him. I knew right there that that was the making of a true prince. I knew then what I had to do. I squeezed his hands tight and gazed into his lovely eyes.

“You are a prince if ever there was one,” I said. “The problem is, I’m not a princess. And I can’t spend my life pretending I am.”

He lifted my hand and kissed the back of it.

“I’m meant to be with Daniel,” I continued. I could feel it more than ever now. “He’s no prince, but he is my soulmate.”

No matter what some crazy old woman says, I thought.

Augie stood up, and I joined him at the railing of the deck overlooking the falling sun shimmering on the lake. He turned to me after a moment and kissed me on the cheek.

“Let’s get you to shore. You need to find him,” Augie said, “And have a most happy life together.”

Twenty-Two

Daniel walked up to the table with apprehension. The two women waiting for them were both stunning, with the girl on the left giving him a quick glance before her eyes remained fixed on Quentin. She had to be Kelly. The other girl, what’s her name again? The flower girl, she was stunningly beautiful.

Her long dark hair hung down in waves like a black lake with the moon shining on it. Her smile was difficult to look at without his nerves getting the best of him, yet Daniel couldn’t look away. A feeling of unworthiness swept through him. She was too beautiful for any human man to have. She belonged to the gods. Fashionable? She definitely was; perhaps she was a model.

“This is my friend Daniel,” Quentin said.

Daniel shook off his gaze and turned to the other girl, herself a goddess in human disguise.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Kelly.” She said, reaching out her hand, and he took it.

“You too,” Daniel replied, though he couldn’t recall a thing.

“And this is, Lilly. Lilly, this is my best friend, Daniel.”

Best friend? Daniel had no idea Quentin thought of him that way. Quentin had other friends to go out with and often did because Daniel chose to stay at home. But then again, just because you hang out with people doesn’t mean you can trust them the way Daniel knew Quentin trusted him, with secrets, hopes, and fears.

“Nice to meet you, Daniel,” Lilly said, holding out her hand to shake his. Her voice was as soft as a flower petal. Her lips were the color of a lover’s rose.

“Nice to meet you, Ali.”

“Lilly,” she smiled and raised her perfectly trimmed eyebrows.

“What?” Daniel said.

Quentin gave Kelly a look of fright. He could tell Daniel wasn’t mentally here. He was probably still thinking of her.

“You called me Ali. My name is Lilly.”

“Oh, did I? Sorry,” Daniel said. “Nice to meet you, Lilly.”

Quentin put his arm around Daniel’s shoulder and whispered in his ear, “Just relax. She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

“Yeah,” Daniel shrugged his shoulders, “I guess so.”

The ladies took a seat, and the gentlemen followed. Before they sat down, Daniel reassessed his situation.

“Thanks for making me get out,” he mumbled to Quentin over the loud music. “I do feel better already.”

“You called me this time, my friend,” Quentin said.

“It’s her birthday, you know,” Daniel said before they sat with the ladies.

“You already told me that. Look. Loosen up. We’re here to celebrate your new life. Forget about her. Look at Lilly. She’s beautiful. She could be all yours. Kelly said she got the hots for you.”

“How does she know that? We just met.”

“She could tell by the way Lilly was looking at you when you were fumbling up her name. Just get a drink in yourself quick, and you’ll relax.”

They took a seat at four cushioned chairs around a high table. It was one of the few tables left. Quentin ordered Daniel, a boilermaker, to get him started and headed the conversation.

“Dan is an author.”

“Really? That’s exciting,” Lilly smiled, sipping on her pina colada.

“I haven’t written anything that has been publish—”

“Don’t be so modest,” Quentin jumped in. “He’s waiting for the right publisher. Had a few offers. His books are great! He’ll probably be as big as that Harry Potter lady someday.”

“I don’t think—”

This time it was Quentin’s boot in Daniel’s shin that stopped him in mid-sentence.

“So, tell us about you, Lilly?” Quentin asked. “You work in fashion?”

It didn’t take long for the boilermaker to kick in. They carried on conversations on many topics, and Daniel still couldn’t recall what she did in fashion, but he only called her Ali on two more occasions, so Quentin figured he was doing alright.

“How you doing? You relaxed yet?” Quentin asked when the ladies excused themselves for a bathroom break.

“Yeah,” Daniel smiled. “Thanks for bringing me out again. I needed it.”

“I know you did,” Quentin chuckled.

“Today’s Ali’s birthday.”

Quentin rolled his eyes. He thought Daniel was leaving the past behind, but clearly, it would take more than a boilermaker and a beautiful woman to do so. However, the night was still young.

Twenty-Three

It turns out that Augustine did have one flaw, and that flaw was simply that he was not Daniel. If any of you women out there are looking for a prince charming, and you are indeed a princess yourself, then I hope you meet Augustine Maylor someday. He’s a wonderful man and deserves a wonderful woman. But I’m guessing that most of you women are more like me. We’re not princesses; we’re flawed. We do fart; rather, we let others know or not. I guess what is important is that we be true to ourselves and not pretend to be someone we’re not. That and we don’t look at the man in our life and expect him to be something he’s not.

You see, it was all my fault that Daniel and I had to break up. I kept secrets from him. I didn’t trust him enough to tell him of the horrible thing that happened to me. I made him think that I was more perfect than I was, more princess than I really am. What I love about Daniel is that he is an open book to me, and I firmly believe if I showed him what was inside me, he would love me no matter what. But I never gave him that chance.

I never let him see the pain that was in me because I was afraid he wouldn’t want me. I was afraid I wouldn’t appear as the princess I wanted him to think I was. I didn’t want him to know I was stained, of the hurt Frank Brennen did to me. I didn’t trust that he would simply love me for the real me.

And yes, Daniel has flaws, but the thing is, he and I are our best when we’re together. I never needed to hide myself from Daniel. I needed him to help me heal myself. It’s wonderful to enjoy what we have in common with our men, but it’s even more wonderful that we can enjoy our differences, share, and help heal each other’s wounds, and compromise on the rest. That is one of Daniel’s best qualities; he never wanted a princess. He wanted me with all my imperfections. Now, with the weight of my past lifted from me and knowing who my true soulmate is, no matter what some crazy old lady says (I know what’s in my heart and mind), I’m going to spend the rest of my life with Daniel, if he’ll have me back.

Augie returned me to the dock, and I wished him well before saying goodbye to him forever. I headed home, nervously thinking about calling Daniel on the way. No! This was something I had to do in person.

I rushed home and changed my clothes. I brushed my teeth. I wanted all traces that I had been out with another man vanquished. I fed Hazel Brown, petted her, and promised her she would get to chase the cats again. I grabbed my keys and headed for the door. Then I stopped; I had to see it. I had to know if it changed.

I pulled out the drawer to the vanity and pulled out the slip. The slip! Augustine Maylor was still written across it. I could show Daniel and tell him that this is how it all started. I could explain to him that the slip said Frank Brennen first. I would explain to him who Frank was to me and what he did to me. Daniel would understand why I did what I did with Frank. But Augie? How would I explain that?

I felt a rush of anger surge through my veins. I hated that the slip still said Augustine Maylor. I thought of the old woman who gave it to me.

“To hell with your slip. Do you hear me? It’s supposed to say, Daniel! DANIEL!!”

I clenched my fist with rage and took a deep breath. I checked myself in the mirror and put the slip in my purse, undecided if I would show it to Daniel at all.

I knew where Daniel was staying. Friends had told me.

I rushed over to his new apartment and pulled into the drive; however, the lights were not on, and his car was in the driveway. I walked up to the door. It didn’t look like anyone was home, but who would he be out with? Another girl was my first thought, and I immediately felt like I had swallowed a stone.

I knocked on the door. Not even the cats bothered to meow. I knocked again until I was satisfied that he wasn’t home. I turned and looked at his car, but there was nothing unusual about it.

I stood on Daniel’s doorstep and decided I would call him; then I decided I wouldn’t. Then I decided I would again. I pressed the buttons and pushed call before I could change my mind again; it was ringing. As it continued to ring, I heard something strange. I pulled my phone from my ear and still heard Daniel’s phone ringing. Still on his doorstep, I turned around and looked through the window, and saw the light on the kitchen counter. His phone was at home, but he wasn’t.

I hung up and was about to leave, but for some reason, I turned back to the door and turned the knob. It opened. I looked around me; the neighbors weren’t looking, but I felt like a criminal. I stepped inside, and I suddenly had three cats at my feet, who began purring. I looked over. They had plenty of food in their dishes, too much, which told me Daniel planned to be out for a while. The only other reason the cats were swarming around me was that they missed me. They remembered me.

“It’s nice to see you guys again,” I said to them.

I pet them on the head for a moment, then turned my attention to the phone. I was never one to go through Daniel’s personal things. I didn’t even read his novels until he gave me the green light, often with a yellow tint to it.

I picked up the phone but stopped. I felt like I was invading his privacy. I was standing in his new home without permission with his phone in my hand. I looked up. I thought of leaving, then something else caught my eye. His old filing cabinet was sitting on the living floor in front of the couch. It was dark, but I wasn’t about to turn a light on to advertise that I was inside. I walked over to it, sat down, and placed the phone on the floor beside me.

I opened the folder I found on the floor. Inside was a colored drawing of a boy and a girl hand in hand by a tree in the sunlight. I started to cry a little. I couldn’t remember what grade I drew it, but it was my drawing. It was a drawing of Daniel and me and how I felt about him way back when I drew stick figures with big hands and feet and a nearly square sun with squiggly rays coming from it.

The image of Daniel sitting here looking through our past all alone caused me to burst into tears. What have I done? I had it all, and I ruined it. I grabbed his phone and stood up. I looked around. His writing-table was still as it used to be, with a picture of him and I hugging each other and smiling. He hadn’t given up on me. He hadn’t!

I opened his phone. I had to find him!

I went to the texts. The most recent one was from Quentin. I wanted to press on the feed and read the messages to see if there was any mention of where he had gone on my birthday. But I didn’t read them; I didn’t want to be too invasive.

I could wait here until he got back. Then it hit me; Daniel’s car was in the driveway, which meant someone had picked him up. Quentin, he must know where Daniel is and was the one who probably drove him.

I pulled out Quentin’s number from Daniel’s phone and dialed it from mine.

Twenty-Four

Daniel was looking more comfortable with Lilly, sharing laughs and stories about the good times from their pasts. It was the first Quentin had seen his friend genuinely smile in a long time. He and Lilly seemed to be hitting it off.

Quentin felt his phone ring, vibrating in his pocket. The music would make it too difficult to hear, but the real reason he ignored it was that he didn’t want any interruption. His friend was finally finding happiness again. About three minutes passed, and it rang again, but he ignored it one more. Then it rang again immediately after.

Quentin couldn’t help but check when it rang one more time. He pulled the phone from his hip pocket and nearly dropped it when he saw who was calling. It simply came up, Ali.

He didn’t even know he had her number in his phone. Daniel had called him from her phone a long time ago, and he put it in but never used it. He hit the ignore button and proceeded to put it in his pocket, but before he put it away, it rang again. He thought it might be an emergency. Of all nights for her to call, why this one? Wasn’t it her birthday? He looked up at Daniel first, then quickly turned away.

He acted like it was nothing and said to Kelly, “I have to take this. I’ll be right back.”

“Alright. Don’t be long,” she added with a flirty smile and gave him a quick kiss.

He turned to Daniel, hoping he didn’t ask who it was. Daniel was smiling and didn’t seem to care. The second boilermaker was doing its job.

“I’ll be right back.”

Quentin excused himself from the table and headed to the quieter area outside the building on the sidewalk. The phone rang again.

“Hello,” Quentin said. He wasn’t certain it was really her. What are the chances she would call on the very night he finally got Daniel out enjoying himself?

“Is this Quentin?”

“Yes. Who is this?”

“It’s Ali. Daniel’s girlf—” she stopped herself. “It’s his ex-girlfriend.”

“What do you want? Why are you calling me?” He was wondering how she got the number. But if he had her number, perhaps Daniel put his number in her phone.

“Are you with Daniel?” she asked.

He paused. “Maybe. Why?”

“I need to talk to him.”

“He doesn’t have anything to say to you.”

“Wh—hha—I need to see him.”

“Where are you?” he asked. He could hear she was in traffic. It was a warm enough night to have the windows down, but it was starting to rain.

“I’m downtown. I’m looking for Daniel. I know he’s with you. Where are you?”

Quentin drew a deep breath. The rain started to come down a little harder, and he heard her put up her window. He figured she was close.

“I’m not telling you.”

“Please,” Ali said. “Put him on the phone.”

“I’m not letting you talk to him. After what you did to him!” He raised his voice. “He’s finally getting himself together.”

“But Quentin. I love him. I know that now—”

“If you really love him, you’ll let him go!”

He could hear her stepping out into the rain.

“You hurt him really bad, Ali. While you were off dating some rich guy, Daniel was home alone trying to get over you. Finally, he’s ready to let you go. Just leave him alone!”

“Quentin, please listen to me. I don’t want to hurt him, and I won’t anymore.”

“Just stay away! What don’t you understand?! You need to stay away from him. It took me all this time to get him out. Besides, he’s out on a date tonight.”

“A date?”

“Yes. Don’t ruin it for him. I mean it!”

“With whom?”

“She’s a model or something. He’s moved on, Ali. Go back to your rich boyfriend. Or go back to Frank. I’m not going to let you mess with him anymore.”

“But Quentin—”

“Didn’t you hear me?! Stay away from him!”

I heard Quentin’s voice but not on the phone. There were only three bars in town, and I was standing in front of one. By the curb, I watched Quentin turn and face me. He lowered the phone and stared at me with a hateful gaze like I was the bad one here. He was the one keeping me from the man I loved, and he viewed me as the bad one. I could understand why; he was simply trying to protect his friend, but he wasn’t about to stop me. If he was here, that meant Daniel was nearby.

I turned to the bar window beside me and looked in. That’s when I saw him. Daniel was sitting with two girls around a tall table, sitting close to the girl on his right. She was beautiful; perhaps she was a model, as Quentin said. If he told the truth about that, perhaps Quentin told the truth about Daniel not wanting to see me, too. He was laughing, and I recognized the woman’s smile. It was a flirty smile that would laugh at anything he said, she liked him, and he obviously liked her.

Quentin came over and stood beside me. We stood shoulder to shoulder like two enemies staring in the window at the man we both cared for. Daniel Ortin, a gentle soul who would go out of his way to help any creature in need. A man who is honest to the core, genuine and kind, and sees a friend in every eye he meets. A man who is careful not to crush the ants under his feet and even refrains from saying harsh words about even those who have wronged him. He was the man who loved me as his soulmate since the second grade.

“You hurt him really bad,” Quentin said.

We both kept our gaze toward Daniel with a calm understanding that we were in each other’s way. I felt a sadness rush over me as I saw Daniel lean into the woman’s ear and whisper something.

“I know,” I replied.

He didn’t look hurt. The model was rubbing her shoulder against him and laughing in his ear.

“Does he love her?” I asked. I had no idea at the time that he had just met her less than two hours ago.

“He’s just starting to get over you,” Quentin said. “I doubt he’d let himself fall in love with anyone else yet, but he’s moving on.”

There was a long pause. Quentin waited to see what I was going to do. I stared through the window, watching Daniel laugh with her the way he used to laugh with me.

“If you ran to him,” Quentin said, “He’d take you back in an instant, not because he is certain that is what he wants, but because that is all he’s ever known. If you really love him, you’ll let him go and see if he comes back to you.”

I started crying again, but I did my best to hide it in the rain. I placed my hand on the glass. It was the hardest decision I ever had to make. I came this far, and I heard Quentin’s words. Daniel looked happy now, enjoying another woman’s company. Quentin’s words echoed inside me. Daniel would take me back but is that what his heart wanted, or only what it was comfortable with. If I loved him, I’d let him go.

I placed my hands on the window as if I could touch his face one more time. I turned to Quentin, tears pouring down my face. I didn’t care to hide them anymore. He looked at me with wide eyes and uncertainty. He could tell it was a difficult decision for me.

I nodded. “I do love him.”

Then I walked away. I didn’t even walk back to my car, but in the other direction, in the rain. I didn’t know where I was going, nor did I care. I felt lost even on these familiar streets I had walked a hundred times. I felt empty like my life had just missed out on the one thing that mattered most to me in this world.

There was a park up ahead, where Daniel and I used to go. When I thought about where I was, I found myself there.

I recalled the sound of Quentin sighing with relief as I had passed him outside the bar and left. It helped confirm that I made the best decision. I did love, Daniel. I wanted him to be happy. I’d give his heart time to heal and wait to see if he still loved me. And if I hurt him that much, I didn’t want to hurt him anymore. If he was finally moving on, then I wished him well. If he came back to me someday, then I would welcome him with open arms.

Twenty-Five

Quentin watched her walk away. He almost called out her name and asked her to return, but he didn’t. Instead, he entered the bar and returned to the table.

“That took a long time,” Kelly said, laughing. “Your other girlfriend?”

“No, ah—” he didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know if he had made the right decision.

“It must have been important enough to get soaked in the rain over,” Lilly added.

“Everything alright?” Daniel asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Or Santa Claus.”

Daniel laughed, and so did Lilly. It gave her an excuse to lightly slap him on the arm and scoot a little closer. Quentin wanted to tell her to back away. He belonged to someone else, but Quentin said nothing.

“You alright?” Kelly asked. “Who was it? Did you get bad news?”

“No. Nothing’s wrong.”

Daniel might have had enough alcohol to laugh at his own dumb jokes, but he didn’t have enough to be oblivious to the concerned look on Quentin’s face. He sat up in his chair and leaned over the table.

“Who was it?”

Quentin shook his head.

“It wasn’t important.”

He looked away. He wasn’t a good liar, and Daniel was certain the call was important, but it was none of his business.

“Alright,” Daniel said.

Quentin sighed again. Everyone could see the strain in his face wondering if he should say it or not. He took a sip of his beer and looked straight at Daniel.

“What’s wrong? Who was it?” he asked again.

Quentin bit his lip and swallowed again. He couldn’t hide it anymore.

“Was it her?” Daniel asked.

“Who?” the ladies asked.

Quentin nodded.

“Ali?!” Daniel gasped.

Quentin nodded again.

“Ali?” Lilly questioned. “The name you called me a few times? She’s a real person?”

Daniel didn’t answer. He was still staring at Quentin, waiting for answers.

“What did she say?” he asked.

Quentin shrugged his shoulders.

“She wanted to talk to you. She said she still—”

“Still what?” Daniel asked. “Tell me. Still what?”

“She still loves you.”

“She said that?”

Lilly huffed and fell back in her chair.

“Where is she?” Daniel asked.

“She was just outside.” Quentin put his beer down and leaned forward. “Think about this, Dan, before you do anything stupid. I don’t want her to hurt you again. You’re finally moving on. My advice to you is to let her go; for now, give yourself time to make a rational decision. When you’re sober.”

Lilly and Kelly waited with anticipation as they saw Daniel instantly sober up.

“I can’t,” he said. “I can’t let her go. I never could.”

“Daniel—”

“I never will.”

“Dan—”

“Where is she?”

“Are you sure about this?” Quentin asked. He would never have asked if he didn’t see the same lost love expression on Ali’s face as she stared through the window with tears in her eyes.

“Yes, I’m sure. I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. Where is she?”

Daniel hopped out of his chair and pulled out the few dollars he had to his name.

“She was here,” he said.

“Here?” he pointed to the ground then started looking around.

“Outside on the sidewalk,” Quentin said, recalling how she walked the opposite direction of her car, wandering aimlessly in the rain. He nodded his head toward the door. “If she’s what your heart wants, go get her.”

Daniel turned away then stopped, turning back to Lilly, unafraid to look into her eyes. He realized it wasn’t her that made him nervous when he first saw her. It was that he was deceiving her, pretending he was there and not in love with another woman. Now she knew.

“Lilly. I’m sorry. If circumstances were different,” and they both knew what circumstances he meant, “I’d be honored to stay and get to know you. But I’m in love with someone else. Someone I’ve been trying to forget but can’t.”

Normally she would have felt rejected. But Daniel spoke with an honesty that was rare in men of this day and age.

“I understand,” she smiled, feeling happy for him and disappointed at the same time. “Go get her.”

Daniel thanked them for the evening then rushed out the door.

Twenty-Six

Daniel stepped out onto the sidewalk and saw her car; she was still close. He thought for a moment, where would a girl go walking in the rain? He checked the other bar a few doors down. He thought it unlikely to find her there, and he was right, but he didn’t want to leave any stone unturned. He would wait by her car if he had to until she returned, then he remembered the nearby park. It was where they went from time to time to walk hand and hand along the paths.

Daniel raced across the street and over the bridge and down a narrow path that led to the duck pond, stopping in his tracks. There she was, sitting on a bench crying in the rain with the ducks quacking for breadcrumbs on the shore. No one else was around, well, almost no one.

I was sitting on the bench crying when he came up behind me. I didn’t know he was there. I didn’t expect him to show.

“Were you looking for me?”

I turned when I heard his voice.

“Daniel!” I gasped, standing up. I wanted to run into his arms, embrace him and tell him I was sorry. That I made a horrible mistake, but I didn’t know yet if he wanted me back.

He took a few steps closer, and we stood face to face, somewhat sheltered from the rain under the branches of the willow tree. The ducks were quacking at our heels like three hungry cats and an ornery rabbit in the kitchen after an evening away.

“Quentin said you were looking for me.”

“He did?” I didn’t honestly think Quentin liked me much. He was protecting his friend. I could see why he didn’t like me, but something made him tell Daniel I was looking for him. I felt grateful.

Daniel nodded and waited for me to speak.

“There are some things I have to tell you.” He remained still while I nervously spoke, knowing I had to tell him everything. Lay the cards on the line, I thought to myself, whatever that means. “I haven’t been completely honest with you. And I don’t mean just about the things that happened recently. I haven’t been honest with myself for a long time. I guess I expected you to just love me for who I was, but the truth of the matter is, I never let you know who I was. I mean, you know me very well, but there is a pain that defined my life that I never told you about. I was afraid if I told you, you wouldn’t look at me the same. And we probably would have got married, and I would have kept it from you the rest of my life, but then...”

I paused, afraid to tell him about the slip. The soulmate slip. I didn’t know if he would believe me.

He took another step closer, “Did you not want to marry me?”

It broke my heart to think he didn’t really know the answer.

“Yes,” I said. “Yes, I wanted to marry you.”

“Then what happened? You can tell me anything.”

I started crying all over again, “It all started that weekend.”

“What weekend? The weekend we went to North Carolina?”

I nodded. I still didn’t know if I should tell him about the slip or not. That I was given Frank Brennen’s name as my soulmate, but I had to tell him everything. It had to all come out, no matter how hard or unbelievable it was.

“Remember that shop we went into in North Carolina after you proposed? The one in the plaza with the crazy old lady behind the counter?”

“Yeah. She did a magic trick with us.”

I nodded, but I had to disagree with him.

“Daniel,” I said. “I don’t think it was a trick.”

“What do you mean?” I could tell he still assumed I received his name. “What does that have to do with all this?”

“After she was done with,” I didn’t want to say trick, “Whatever it was, she did. You had my name on the slip in front of you.”

“Yeah,” he said, folding his arms, looking curious, wondering where this was all going. When his face dropped, I could tell he already knew what I was going to say next.

I shook my head and pouted my lips. “I didn’t get yours.”

His mouth gaped open, and his eyes widened, hands falling to his hips then to his sides.

“Whose name did you get? Wait, let me guess. Frank Brennen?!”

I looked away. I could hardly bear to confirm it.

“Yes.”

The clouds had parted, and the moon was shining on the water of the duck pond. The rain had slowed to a barely noticed drizzle.

“And you believed that? You believed Frank Brennen was your soulmate?”

He sounded upset. I turned back to face him.

“No! Not for a second.” I stepped toward him, but he took a step back.

“Daniel.” I reached out with a hand like I wanted to touch him or keep him from running away, but I kept my distance. “I never believed Frank was my soulmate.”

I relaxed my posture again; he wasn’t running. I recalled what Marcy had told me, that people have many soulmates. Some soulmates are simply in our lives because we need them to resolve our karma. Our enemies are as much our soulmates as our friends.

“I never saw Frank as my soulmate. Not in the way I believe you are my soulmate.”

His eyes softened, looking like he wanted to embrace me, but he only took a step forward.

“And how is that?” he asked, folding his arms again as if guarding his heart against anything I said that might harm him.

“Daniel, I lied to you.”

“I know. I saw you at his house.” He turned away and ran his finger through his hair. He recalled what Quentin told him about her not having an affair, but he needed to hear it from me. “But if you tell you didn’t have an affair, I’ll believe you.”

“I didn’t. I swear. It was never about that.”

He turned back and faced me. There was a relief in his stance now, but he still showed worry in his eyes.

“I’ve been lying to you for years about something that happened.” He looked puzzled. He wanted to hear the punch line now. What was it all about? “What you don’t know is why I lied to you.”

“Tell me,” he said. He couldn’t wait any longer.

“It was about six months before we started living together. I answered an ad on Facebook and stopped by his friend’s house; Frank’s friend,” I made clear, “To buy you an Aquaman figurine. There was a party going on, and I knew a few people. I had a drink or two.” He started looking concerned, like he was about to hear something he didn’t want to hear, that I cheated on him or something. He had no idea how bad it was. I could hardly bring myself to say it. “Frank Brennen raped me.”

“What?! I’ll kill him!”

“No. Daniel.” I could see the rage in his eyes. If Frank was here, I’m certain I wouldn’t have been able to stop him.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t tell you like I didn’t tell anyone. Everyone saw me go upstairs with him. Frank said to me, ‘Who do you think they’ll believe? A drunk girl who went upstairs alone with a guy, or him?’ I just ran out of the house. I didn’t tell anyone. Especially you, because I was afraid you wouldn’t want me anymore. I hid it from everyone.”

“So that’s why you went to Frank’s house? To do what?”

I turned to the water and watched the rain suddenly pound on its surface. The storm wasn’t over yet, and it seemed in rhythm with my emotions. Scared. Frustrated. Angry.

I had to continue. I had to tell him everything. I didn’t want to miss any details.

“I saw Frank working at the café the day we met there for lunch. After that, I started lying to you about working late because I wanted to confront him. I made up my mind I was going to tell you everything after I confronted him. That last day,” and he knew he knew what day I meant, “I went to the café to tell him what I thought, to get it off my chest. But I actually got a call and left work late that day. As I was pulling into the café, Frank was pulling out. I thought I missed my chance, but as I was driving home, he was in front of me. I saw him pull into a drive and park next to a small white house. I pulled in behind his truck, and I was going to confront him, but I saw a woman in there. She was pregnant, and there were two more children. I lost my nerve. I was about to leave when he saw me. He came out and confronted me, but this time I had the upper hand. By the middle of our conversation, he was begging me not to tell his wife. I thought of ruining his life, but I didn’t. I just told him everything I had to tell him, and then I left. That’s the truth, Daniel. I never cheated on you. I love you.”

“Still! What he did to you...I had no idea.”

I could see Daniel was still angry.

“Let it go, Daniel,” I said softly. “I have. It’s alright. When I saw Frank Brennen’s name was on that slip of paper the crazy old woman gave me, I had to confront him. I had to. I’m just sorry I didn’t tell you about it. I’m sorry I hid it from you all these years.”

His breathing was still heavy. He calmed himself quickly and gave me his attention again, though.

“So that’s it. That’s why we ended up breaking up?”

I paused; there was more. There was the fact that I was about to tell him everything the day I had confronted Frank Brennen, but when I pulled the soulmate slip out again, it had another man’s name on it.

Everything, I told myself. I had to tell him everything, no matter how painful.

“How would that woman even know about Frank Brennen?” he asked.

“I asked myself that a thousand times. The only answer I’ve come up with is that it was no trick. She’s real.”

He blew out a long breath between his closed teeth and relaxed lips. “Real?”

“There’s something else.”

I opened my purse and hunted for the slip, pinching it between my thumb and forefinger, and then closed it in my fist. I didn’t want him to see there was another man’s name on it, hiding it in my fist like I had hidden the incident with Frank all these years. Closed tight; case closed, but it had boiled within me.

All karma had to be revealed and resolved; no stones go unturned. Everything in our past, both good and evil, flourishes like a growing seed when the time is right. I could hide this seed from him as well, but it would grow in time and turn to thorns at our feet. I had to be honest with it all.

He looked at my closed hand and pointed.

“Is that—”

“I kept it all this time.”

He knew exactly what it was, but he had to hear me confirm it. “The paper with his name on it?”

I nodded.

“Can I see it?” he asked.

“Daniel.” He held out his hand, but I didn’t flinch. “I want you to know that I don’t care what this slip says. I love you. You’re the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. I don’t care what trick some crazy old lady has done or if she’s real. Who cares! I know what’s in my heart, and that’s all that matters. I love you! And if you’ll still have me as your wife, I’ll spend the rest of my life with you.”

He withdrew his hand. The longer he waited, the more nervous I got. Then, like the sun rising on a perfect spring morning, a smile stretched across his face.

“That’s all I really needed to hear.”

The rain stopped, gone like the turmoil I felt. I smiled, and a joy filled me from the inside, overwhelming it extended beyond Daniel and me. I felt a love flow from me out to everything. I forgave Frank Brennen; I wished Augie a lifetime of happiness, Milly, too. I was grateful for Quentin’s approval.

I was grateful for all that I had. Even though the things of this life don’t last, I was grateful for the moment I had and whatever moments I had left. But most of all, I was grateful that I would spend most of them with Daniel. My true soulmate above all others.

We kissed and embraced, and I felt his love shine through every ounce of my being. Like the rays of the sun that offered their heat and light freely, I knew he loved me fully, even with all my faults and embellishments.

“I love you, Ali Marinko.”

“I love you, Daniel Ortin.”

He grabbed my hand and started to lead me back to the main street. Still, I had the slip in my other hand.

“Wait,” I said. “There’s one more thing I have to do.”

“What’s that?”

“Get rid of that old lady’s advice once and for all.”

I held out my fist with the slip concealed inside. My mind was made up; I didn’t care whose name might appear on the slip. I was going to spend the rest of my life with Daniel. I waited for a gust of wind to blow through the trees, and I opened my hand. The slip rested in my palm for a moment, and then I watched it flutter away like a wounded butterfly. It was gone, forever.

The ducks were squawking as the couple left the park and headed back to the main road. The rain had stopped, and the ducks had plenty of puddles to play in and a fresh spring breeze to ruffle their feathers. The slip tumbled through the air then across the ground with the leaves until a weathered boot stepped on it. The old lady put the bread aside and told the ducks they would have to wait. She lifted the slip, turning it over, and read the name with her one clear eye.

Daniel Ortin.

His name was written in red handwriting. Red! The color one sees when they see the name of their true love.

Twenty-Seven

Six Months Later

There’s one more thing about fairy tales that you should know that they don’t tell you. The prince and princess are said to meet, overcome the odds, get married, and live happily ever after. Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. But what fairy tales don’t tell you is that the power to live happily ever after is not some destiny written down somewhere waiting to come true. It’s a choice.

I choose to live my life with Daniel Ortin, and I will choose to be happy with him as well. I will not take his smile for granted or the sauerkraut cookies he makes every New Year’s Day. They taste horrible, but I will choose to enjoy them because Daniel loves me enough to make them for me. Whether his books sell or not, I will love them because he wrote them. When he’s sad, I will choose to fall into that sadness with him and hope to lift him up because his sadness is my sadness. When he’s ill, I will choose to care for him. When he smiles, I’ll be present and enjoy it and smile back.

Have you ever been in awe of the sunrise? It’s something that we’ve all seen perhaps a thousand times. Most of the time, we take it for granted. It is only when we are really present to it that we are in awe of it again day after day. That’s how I feel every morning I wake with my husband because that’s what I choose.

Yes. We were married last month in a quaint little chapel surrounded by our family and a few of our closest friends. Our ever after has begun, and even though the things of this world do not last, I will happily love him as if we have forever.

And as if there is no tomorrow.

THE END

FINAL FAMILY

A Fantasy Adventure Story

EPISODE 1 – Don’t Trust Portals

––––––––

By

J Clair

RENEE EDEVANE STIRRED the milk in her bowl with a large spoon, watching the red, green, and pink sugary residue mix together and form a swirl. She twirled a long brown curl with one of her fingers. Her thoughts, mostly of mundane tasks that held no importance to her, spiraled down the drain of her mind.

“Elbows off the table,” Jalen Edevane murmured, more out of reflex than astute observation. He put down his fork and examined his suit, searching for spots of syrup or butter from the waffles he had just devoured.

Renee blinked back to reality, turning her attention to the gagging six-year-old to her right. He was sticking out his tongue and scratching it with grubby little fingers. Then, not caring for the taste of his own skin, began wiping them on the sordid tablecloth, stained from forgotten meals and spilled juices. Droplets of liquid trickled down his cheek from the juice splashed in his curly brown hair. Finally, he noticed that Renee was glancing at him, and he stared up at her with his big hazel eyes and then smiled mischievously.

“What’s wrong, Ty?” Jalen asked, putting down his science fiction novel, the bookmark unmoved from when he had bought it nearly a year ago. Thin and almost gaunt in appearance, Renee wondered why he even bothered showing up at the breakfast table. He never ate, yet he constantly complained about how baggy his clothes were continually getting. His wife claimed that one day he would wither away into nothing. Just vanish off the face of the earth.

Tyler, or Ty, as his family called him, scrunched up his face like a frog. “It’s spicy. I don’t want it.”

“The waffles?” Jalen sighed in disbelief. “Are you kidding me?”

“No, my drink.”

“THE MILK?!”

The sound of a cup bouncing along the hardwood floor only added to Jalen’s woes as he cast his head to the sky and closed his eyes.

“Are you sleeping, Papa?” Little Hayden asked, milk drip, drip, dripping from the edge of his placemat to the floor below. He was a little cherub sitting in a high chair throne. His blonde curls hadn’t darkened or tightened like his brothers. He was still chubby and thought school was a place that someone wanted to attend.

“No,” Jalen groaned, opening his eyes and glaring at Hayden. “You’ve got to be more careful with your drink.”

“You want me to clean it up?” Ty asked, fidgeting in his seat.

“No,” Jalen sighed again. “I’ll take care of it. Go ahead and finish your milk. It’s not spicy.”

“Somebody put something in it.”

“Who would do something like that?”

“Did you smell it? It smells weird.”

Jalen took a sniff of the milk, and Ty giggled. “Just kidding.” Renee couldn’t help but giggle at that one.

“Renee, do you mind cleaning Hayden up while I take care of the spill?” Jalen asked. Renee nodded and grabbed a napkin from the holder on the table; Jalen walked into the kitchen.

“Don’t worry, I got it,” Ty said, jumping up from his seat.

“You should eat your food,” Renee said, but Ty was already at Hayden’s side, dabbing his face with a wet napkin, a third of it covered in syrup. Though Ty managed to clean Hayden’s face of milk, now there was sticky syrup gracing his dimples.

“Oh, come on!” Jalen said, throwing up his hands. “Ty, go sit down!”

“I was just helping,” Ty said under his breath.

“What are we having?” Isaac chirped as he came behind Jalen and skipped to his chair. He waved a hand over his piping hot waffles as if he was scooping up air. On the brink of middle school and on the cusp of his teenage years, Isaac was tall and lanky like his father, with an awkward frame he hadn’t yet grown into. Intelligent and almost always optimistic, Renee couldn’t help but feel a candle flicker in the darkness of her mind whenever he walked into the room.

“Good morning to you too,” Jalen said. He examined his suit again just as his wife, Aria came behind him and gave him a hug. It was as if she bounced whenever she walked, and it was easy to determine that she was the sun to the family’s galaxy. Renee often thought of her as a little sprite, shorter than the average person but not afraid to make up for her stature with fervor.

“Morning,” she said sweetly as her long hair whipped back and forth like windshield wipers. She gave Jalen a kiss on the back. She patted his shoulders as she felt him flinch. “Don’t worry, I’m not wearing any lipstick.”

“Yes, she isssssssssssss,” Ty said, his eyes darting back and forth between Isaac and Renee, looking for a reaction.

“Huh?” Isaac said, looking up at him with a mouthful of waffle.

“Never mind,” Ty sighed.

“What time is it?” Jalen frowned. “Renee, aren’t you going to be late?”

“Right!” Renee said, jumping up from her seat. Her chair nearly bumped into the wall. It wouldn’t be the first time. The dining room was part of the kitchen, and given that there were six of them, a spill here or a bump there was bound to happen.

“We need to move,” Isaac said with a full mouth. “Or add more rooms.”

“When I get a better job,” Jalen groaned. “Renee, do you need me to drop you off?”

“No, I got it,” she said, reaching down to grab her backpack. “I can still catch the bus.”

“Have a good day!” Aria said, standing on her tip-toes and waving like a fan trying to get a glimpse of her favorite celebrity.

“Um, thanks,” Renee grimaced. She turned around and tried not to let any of them see her disappointment. If anyone was to remember, it would have at least been Aria.

Renee burst out the door, closing her eyes as the sharp, cold air pressed against her face like acupuncture gone wrong. Missy was waiting for her at the end of the driveway, shivering within her thick parka. Renee could tell from the front porch that she had a few pants on, and her boots had been stuffed at the tops with socks of various colors.

“Aren’t you afraid of losing those?” Renee laughed, pointing at the socks. The balled-up red pair was on the brink of collapse.

“It’s too cold to care,” Missy whined from under her zipped-up collar. “Why do we live here?!”

“It’s not so bad,” Renee smiled. “At least there’s no hurricanes. No earthquakes.”

“Yet,” Missy’s muffled voice rode the increasingly volatile wind. “Anything could happen in this backward little town.”

“Don’t get my hopes up,” Renee said, reaching into her backpack to get her scarf.

“We should plan a vacation,” Missy said, sliding closer to Renee to leech off some body heat. “God, where is that bus?”

“Where?” Renee asked. “We have no money.”

“We could get jobs,” Missy said.

“I thought you said Burger Bun was beneath you.”

“I wasn’t proposing we go there. Besides, it’s minimum wage at best. We deserve better.”

“Hmm.”

“Hey,” Missy said, bumping an elbow into Renee. “Happy Birthday, girl.”

Renee tried to subdue the smile that crept upon her face.

“What?” Missy said, noticing Renee’s eyes lighting up. “You didn’t think I’d forget, did you?”

“They did,” Renee said, nodding back towards the house. “I don’t know why I get my hopes up.”

“You’ve got to admit, the apology birthday party last year was pretty crazy.”

“They outdid themselves,” Renee laughed, which was a mistake because the air immediately made her cough. When she recovered, she patted her chest and shook her head in disbelief. “That hurt more than I thought it would.”

“I’m sure that was worse than them forgetting your birthday,” Missy said. “In a few more years, you won’t even care anymore. You’ll start sounding like my mom. On the dark side of fifty and still telling everyone she’s twenty. It’s embarrassing.”

“They remember their kids’ birthdays,” Renee said.

“Yeah?” Missy said. Her attention was captured for a second as she heard the familiar sound of crunching brakes and an overheating engine. “Just got to survive a couple more minutes,” she told herself.

“I don’t think they’ve forgotten once,” Renee said.

“I can see how that would be annoying,” Missy said, craning her neck up the hill to see if she could spot the bus.

“Aria writes all the important dates down on her calendar, saves it in her phone, and she still forgets mine.”

“What about your dad? Uh, Jalen? Was that it?”

“He’s okay,” Renee said. “He’s stressed out all the time from work, and then they have three kids to help take care of, then I’m thrown on top of it. I have no idea why they wanted me in the first place.”

“Because you’re awesome.”

“Thanks,” Renee gave her a curt smile, “but it’s probably the extra money. You’ve been inside the house before.”

“Yep,” Missy smacked her lips. “And never again. Now I know what it’s like to live in a zoo. Oh, thank god,” she said as the bus rolled down the hill, sounding like an airplane struggling for take-off. She leaped onto the bus as soon as the door was slammed open, and Renee followed reluctantly, taking a seat by her friend in the back.

“Why are we back here?” Renee asked. “It smells.”

“Because I was trying to hide this,” Missy said, digging into her coat pocket. “I made it for you.”

“I hope it’s not something to eat,” Renee said, pinching her nose.

“Ta-da!” Missy exclaimed in a whisper, revealing a smushed cupcake in a sandwich bag. She scowled at it once she saw its current condition. “I swear it didn’t look like that.”

“I’m sure it’s delicious,” Renee giggled.

“Well,” Missy said, wrinkling her nose as she took out a solid piece from the bag. “It’s not what I envisioned, but it is not to be abandoned. My friend deserves the best.”

Renee fought back a smile as she glared down at the mess in her friend’s hand. “Clearly.”

“Here,” Missy said, handing her the flat cake. “Take that...and now....” Missy took out a half-broken candle and placed it in the center. “And one last thing...” she took out a lighter.

“Whoa,” Renee said, trying to see if anyone noticed them. “Have you lost your mind? Why do you have a lighter?”

“To light your candle, duh,” Missy said, flicking it. “We’ll make this quick.”

“We’ll wait until we’re at the school. It’s not a big deal.”

“Oh, and that’s better.”

“Missy...”

“I’m going to have you make a wish.”

“That’s childish,” Renee said, though she didn’t stop Missy from trying to light the candle.

“I want you to make a wish,” Missy said, “because it’s going to come true.”

“I don’t know,” Renee said. “It might be something crazy.”

“It’s going to happen regardless.”

“Oh, and why is that?”

“Because the magic is gone in the world,” Missy said, looking into her friend’s eyes long enough to give her a warm smile. “All legends have some truth to them, right?”

“Uh-huh,” Renee said.

“Well, where did birthday wishes come from?”

“Pagan rituals?” Renee suggested.

“Maybe,” Missy said, giving her a ‘are you serious’ look, “or they used to come true, back when there weren’t so many people in the world. There was enough magic to go around.”

“Missy, what is in this cupcake?” Renee laughed.

“I’m not kidding. No one believes in magic anymore. There’s no mysticism. No adventure. Everyone’s stopped blowing out candles and wishing upon shooting stars because they know for sure that it’s not going to happen. You know what that means?”

“That my best friend has early-onset dementia?”

“It means that there’s plenty of magic in the air, ready and waiting to be used,” Missy smiled. The lighter finally clicked, and a small flame hovered between them. “Make a wish, and it will come true. I can’t think of a better present for my best friend.”

“Especially since you’re broke,” Renee smirked, “and you have no money to buy me a real present.”

“That too,” Missy winced. “Sorry.”

“No, no, this is cute,” Renee said. “I like it.”

Missy lit the candle and gave Renee an encouraging nod.

“Alright,” Renee said. “Here’s to our trip to Hawaii.”

“There you go,” Missy laughed.

Renee raised the flat cake and the candle near her lips, inhaled, and paused. It really was sweet of Missy to do this for her, as much of a fail it turned out to be, but as much as she tried to put on a happy face for her friend, she couldn’t escape the thoughts that rented out her headspace. As much as she admired her family for various reasons, she couldn’t deny the feeling that she was a stranger amongst them. A mirror to reflect their wants. Their desires. For once, she wanted to have an original thought and perhaps, if she was brave enough, carry out an actual action that wasn’t meant to impress someone or cheer them up.

The numbness.

That is what she wanted to disappear most of all.

Because for all the laughs that told her parents that she was acceptable, the encouraging words she said to her brothers or the smiles she plastered on for her friends....

It was all a mask.

She was almost through high school, and she had no idea who she was.

That scared her.

I wish...to have an adventure...one that will show me who I am.

With a small puff, the tiny flame was snuffed out.

* * *

ARIA LEANED UP AGAINST the kitchen wall, phone to her ear as Jalen paced in front of the stove.

“Yes,” Aria said into the receiver. “Yes, I’m sure. Okay. Thank you.” She hung up the phone as Jalen took a deep breath.

“So, where is she?” he asked.

Aria bit her lip and rubbed her shoulder. “They don’t know.”

“Come on,” Jalen said, his face scrunched up as he fought back the tears. “They’ve got to know something.”

“She got on the bus with Missy,” Aria whispered. “They got off at the school and went to their individual classes, and she never reported to homeroom. The police are suggesting she ran away.”

“No,” Jalen said firmly.

“I don’t know,” Aria said, her voice breaking for a moment. “I mean, she’s done it before. Maybe—”

“Not with us,” Jalen said, hugging her tightly. Aria buried her face in his chest. “She seemed like she was doing fine.”

“Where is she?!” Isaac shouted from the front door. He and Ty ran into the living room, dodging several toys as they made their way to the kitchen. Huffing behind them, their neighbor, Mrs. Wilson followed, trying to keep her wig straight.

“There’s no news,” Jalen said softly. He turned to Mrs. Wilson. “Thank you for picking them up. I would have done it myself, but—”

“No, no, I understand,” Mrs. Wilson said. “Just find her, okay?”

“We will,” Jalen said.

“Dad, are you sure you can take off work?” Ty asked.

“This is important,” Jalen said to him. “We’ve got to find Renee.”

“You think someone took her? I can find them and beat them up.”

“If it comes to that,” Aria laughed lightly, giving him a kiss on the forehead. Ty gagged and stepped away.

“Where are we going to look?” Isaac asked. “She doesn’t go to a lot of places besides home.” He squinted his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. “Hmm. Maybe Missy knows.”

“We already asked her,” Aria said, “but we can talk to her again.”

“Is this her cake?” Ty asked, pointing at the dining table. Hayden was standing on a chair, slamming both palms into the center, giggling as if he was winning whack-a-mole.

“No!” Aria shouted, rushing over to stop him. She yanked him off the chair and carried him out of the room as if he was a bomb about to detonate. “Isaac, can you run him a bath?”

“Baths can run?” Isaac asked.

“Now’s not the time to be smart,” Jalen said.

“You...want me to be dumb? I’m so confused.”

“Just give him a bath,” Aria said, handing Hayden over. Hayden immediately proceeded to rub the cake up and down Isaac’s bare arms.

“Now Isaac’s the cake,” Ty giggled.

“Guys, this is serious,” Jalen said. “Isaac, give him a bath and when you’re done, come back down. Ty, can you clean up the toys in the living room and in the backyard? The police are supposed to stop by soon to ask us questions.”

Ty ran off without another word while Isaac tried to hum through his task. Jalen offered to help Isaac and followed him upstairs to get the water temperature right. Aria stood over the smashed cake and shook her head. She had it designed a few days ago, with a picture of the entire family making up the frosting, including Renee in the center—a photo taken when they went to an amusement park. She examined the cake, trying to determine what could be salvaged when she happened to catch a glimpse of something strange in the backyard.

Out of the bay windows, she could see their humble field, stretching to the forest line, and near the edge was Ty. He was standing dumbfounded before what appeared to be an oval, set ablaze with blue flames. She frowned at the image before her, confident that her mind was playing tricks on her.

But then a man stepped out of the circle.

“TY!” she shouted, running away from the dining room table and out the backdoor. “JALEN!!!” She ran over to Ty and grabbed him by the waist, yanking him behind her.

The man who stepped out the oval, wearing a wool robe that made her itch at its very sight, raised a gray eyebrow. “Is something wrong?”

“Is something wrong?” she said in disbelief. “IS SOMETHING WRONG?”

“Is this a world of parrots?” the man said, squinting his eyes at her. “Have you evolved from parrots?”

“What are you talking about?” she screamed as the backdoor burst open. Jalen, Isaac, and a half-dressed Hayden dangling from Jalen’s right arm came into the backyard.

“What’s going on?” Jalen barked, but his voice softened once he saw the fiery ring behind the stranger. “What’s going on?”

“Now I’m confused,” the robed man winced. “She could not have come from such a primitive land.” He scratched his goatee. “I must have miscalculated somewhere.”

“She?” Aria said, running over and grabbing the man’s robe. “Are you talking about Renee?”

“First off, unhand me,” the man said, waving her away like an unwanted cat-call. “This robe cost me Glass. Do you know how long it took for me to find some? Let me break it down for you. When I started, my body didn’t have hair yet.”

“Okay,” Aria said.

“Where is Renee?” Jalen asked. “It looked like you recognized that name.”

“Yes, yes,” the man said, patting down his robe. “My name is Fein.”

“Fine?” Isaac said.

“No, Fein.”

“That’s literally what I just said.”

“No, it isn’t. You did an inflection on the I. I don’t have one.”

“Our daughter,” Jalen growled.

“Sorry,” Fein said, clearing his throat. “Well, she is in my world and making a mess of things, I must say. I came here to find someone linked to her past. Someone that could talk her into returning back to this world, where she belongs.”

“She made a mess since this morning?” Ty asked.

“I love how that’s what you’re thinking about,” Isaac said, “and not that she’s in another world.”

Ty shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve seen stranger things.”

Isaac scowled at him. “Like what?”

“Your face, for one.”

“Wow.”

“Guys,” Jalen said. “Please.”

“This is ridiculous,” Aria said, “but...you’re serious, aren’t you? That ring behind you...that’s a....”

“Portal,” Isaac said. “Remember, Mom. We used to play a game with portals years ago?”

“Yeah,” she said. “And my daughter is in there?”

“She is,” Fein said. “Please retrieve her.”

“I will,” Aria said, walking past the robed man.

“Wait!” Jalen began to call after her, but she was already through. She did not expect the portal to be a few feet above the grass in this new world. She fell on her face and groaned as she heard giggling behind her.

“Come on, Mom, that didn’t hurt,” Ty said, landing on his feet. “You’re not that old.”

“Why are you here?” Aria grunted as she climbed to one knee. “Didn’t your father—”

She glared at him as he gave her a fake smile. Isaac tried to stealthily sneak through the portal behind him.

“Why are you here?” Aria cried out in exasperation. Then she noticed Hayden in his arms. “AND WHY DID YOU BRING THE BABY?!”

“Well, I couldn’t leave him at home.”

“You should’ve stayed home!”

“Yeah, okay,” Jalen scoffed. “And let my wife go all by herself to a mysterious dimension.”

“Why are you casual about this?”

“You’re the one that walked through first!”

“Well, this place is cool,” Isaac said. They stood atop a grassy knoll, surrounded by crystalline flowers of blue, purple, and pink. The sun up above was warm and comforting, considering they had come from a land in the midst of winter. Ty sprawled out in the grass and began making grass angels until the sun hit the flower next to him at just the right angle, sending a beam of blinding light into his left eye.

“Ah!” he shouted, jumping to his feet.

“Yeah,” Fein said from behind them. “You need to be careful where you look at times.” He waved his right hand in a circle, and the portal closed. The grassy knoll gave out into a meadow. Isaac tried to make out a structure in the distance, but it was too far. He spun back around and realized that he could make out the tip of a tower when he focused hard enough.

“What’s that?” Isaac pointed excitedly.

“That,” Fein said, “is where your sister will be. I tried to place the portal as close to her location as possible. Please retrieve her.”

“This place is cool,” Isaac said, “we might have to look around a bit.”

“Or you could retrieve her,” Fein grimaced. “Please.”

“She doesn’t do anything though,” Isaac said. “I don’t know what you’re complaining about.”

“If she’s there, that’s where we’re headed,” Jalen said. “We’ll, uh, worry about what the heck all this is later.”

“You said a bad word, Papa,” Ty scolded him.

“Sorry,” Jalen said.

Aria took a deep breath and started walking. “We’ll get her quick, and maybe, just maybe, we can salvage her birthday.”

“You think that’s why she ran away?” Isaac said. “Because we didn’t say anything?”

“But her party was supposed to be a surprise,” Ty said. “It’s not a surprise if she knows that we know.”

“I think I made a mistake,” Aria said. “But we’ll clear it all up soon enough.”

“Um,” Jalen said suddenly, “everyone?”

They all stopped and turned to look at Jalen, but it was not he that caught their gaze. Even Fein’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

“This is impossible,” Fein said. “You’re not from this world...and there is no Glass around. What is happening?”

“What is this?” Jalen asked, holding up Hayden. The two-year-old was no longer half-dressed. Now he was clothed in a pitch-black robe that extended down past his chubby legs and a hood draped over his scalp.

“Whoa!” Ty said, rubbing a finger across the fabric. “When do I get mine?”

“It was supposed to be never,” Fein whispered. “What is this? I thought your daughter wasn’t of your blood. How can you all transform?”

“I can do this too!” Ty shouted, jumping up and down. “Show me how to do it!”

“What did you do to my baby?!” Aria shouted, punching Fein in the arm. With how petite her frame was, it barely registered as an inconvenience, let alone an injury. Fein feared that she might turn into something more intimidating if he didn’t provide answers soon.

“He did it on his own!” Fein cried, throwing up his hands in surrender. “I promise! It’s a mechanic of the new world. After the Cataclysm, people have been blessed with magic...or you need Glass if you weren’t. I don’t understand how this could happen if you are not from here.” He paused to rub his forehead. “There is too much we don’t know about this new world.”

“Magic?” Isaac asked.

“It’s in the air,” Fein said. “It’s like breathing. It’s everywhere. You can’t escape it.”

“Then why did my baby transform and not me?” Aria asked.

“Babies are already complete. They know who they are...or...um, that might not be the best way to explain it. They’re like blank slates. There’s nothing to get in the way of their transformations. You’re adults. You already have...something inside of you, but you’re subconsciously suppressing it. Of course, this happens if you have been blessed with abilities. Perhaps you have none. This is new territory for me.”

“Tell me how to do it,” Ty demanded. He furrowed his eyebrows at Fein and clenched his fists.

“It’s a natural process,” Fein said, taking a step back.

“Unless you have whatever Glass is, right?” Isaac smirked.

“Then what is he?” Jalen asked. “What did Hayden become?”

“Based on the robe,” Fein swallowed hard, “I’d say a dark mage.”

“Is that bad?”

“I don’t think so. He’s just a baby, so he shouldn’t have any magical energy to draw from. It’s like a muscle, and babies have none to...to....”

Fein stopped talking as he saw the massive shadow behind Jalen, starting out the size of a door, but now it was growing at an alarming rate, to the point that Aria and the others couldn’t ignore it if they tried. The shadow became the size of a small house.

Fein slowly looked up to the sky, and his worst fears were realized.

“What is that?” Jalen asked as Hayden laughed and clapped his hands together.

“It’s a big rock?” Ty said, squinting his eyes.

“It’s a meteor,” Fein whispered. “I don’t believe it.”

“Is that bad?” Ty asked.

“Is it going to crush us?” Isaac frowned at it.

“You’re dangerous!” Fein shouted, backing away. “You’re all dangerous!” Fein turned and ran before Aria could grab him.

“Hey!” she shouted. “What do we do now?”

“Don’t die,” Isaac said. The meteor above them was now the size of a small lake.

“Hayden,” Ty said to him. “You know you’re my favorite brother, right?”

Hayden clapped his hands together and then pointed to the sky. “Look, Papa, I made a toy!”

Ty sighed heavily. “Well, you better start sharing.”

––––––––

TO BE CONTINUED...

––––––––

Final Family continues in Vol 2: A Helm Half Worn

FINAL FAMILY

A Fantasy Adventure Story

EPISODE 2 – A HELM HALF WORN

By

J Clair

RECAP:

Renee Edevane, adopted daughter of the Edevane Family, is at a crossroads.

She knows that she should be grateful she has a family,

But she is unsure if they care about her the same way they do their own children,

Especially when they forget her birthday.

Her best friend, Missy, asks her to make a wish, and Renee does.

She wishes for an adventure of her own.

Then she disappears.

Distraught over their daughter’s disappearance, her family searches for answers,

But then a strange man in a wizard robe appears in their backyard,

Asking them to come with him through a portal into another dimension, where their daughter is.

Unintentionally, the entire family ends up in this new world,

And the baby of the group, two-year-old Hayden, is imbued with powerful magic.

Before they can begin the search for Renee,

Little Hayden summons a meteor the size of a forest right above their heads!

“Run!” Jalen shouted as the shadow at their feet grew larger. He held Hayden up in front of him who was still laughing hysterically. “Is there a way you can turn this off?”

“We can’t outrun this!” Isaac shouted.

“Fein’s gotta have the right idea,” Jalen shouted back as he nearly stumbled in the grass. “If he thinks he can get away, then we have a chance. There has to be a limit to the size of this thing.”

“I don’t think he believes that at all,” Isaac said, pointing out into the distance. Fein had just finished stepping into a blue portal, which vanished as soon as he was inside.

“I could punch it,” Ty offered.

“You can’t punch a meteor,” Jalen huffed.

“Well, we’re not going to run past it.”

“He’s right,” Aria said, coming to a complete stop. “The baby doesn’t get to summon meteors and get away with it. What kind of parents are we?”

“I don’t know,” Jalen breathed heavily. “But I also don’t think putting Hayden in time out is going to get him to reconsider his actions.”

“I could spank him,” Ty offered.

“Okay, okay,” Aria said as she spread her hands out wide. “I think I got it.”

“What are you doing?” Isaac asked. He looked up at the meteor descending upon them, the tip of it breaking through the atmosphere and kissing the clouds. The entire valley was cast in darkness.

“Hayden transformed and called this thing; maybe I can transform too.” She shut her eyes and started screaming.

“You’re not a Saiyan,” Ty laughed.

“Isn’t this how they do it in all of your cartoons?” she asked, then she started screaming again.

“She has a point,” Ty said.

“No, I don’t think this is going to work,” Isaac said nervously. “Mom, we’re out of time.” The tip of the rock was now past the highest mountains.

“Guys,” Jalen said, stooping down to one knee. “I just want all of you to know that we love you very much, and we’re so proud of you that it’s ridiculous.”

“You wasted our time with that speech!” Ty shouted. “Dad, that didn’t help at all! I thought you had a plan!”

“I won’t let us die,” Aria growled. “Keep running down the hill. I’ll meet the meteor head-on.”

“I’m a lot taller than you,” Jalen said. “I’ll go and—”

“Just go!” Aria shouted. “And this time, take the baby with you!” Aria ran up the hill they had descended, but she did not expect for it to travel so fast. She had barely run several yards towards it when the rock was in her face. She stuck her hands out and broke out in tears. All she needed was a miracle.

Just a small one.

To her shock, she was not dead.

Her eyes opened, and she saw that the meteor had stopped, held back by her hands. It was technically still falling, she could feel it vibrating against her skin, but she also felt no pressure, no weight. A whooshing sound shot past her ears, and then she felt something spiraling around her skin, starting from her toes and winding up her legs and torso. Her eyes widened when she saw a light blue silk-like fabric looping around her bare arms, leaving behind a trail of blue steel in its wake. The silk finally ended at the tips of her fingers, clamping over her skin. The silk completed its transformation into steel, and then a helmet fell down over her face, feeling as if it had emerged from the back of her skull.

The silk against her skin had been cool to the touch, soft and comfortable. For a brief moment, she had forgotten about her predicament. She admired the fabric, visions of dresses dancing across her mind.

But now that the steel had become her clothing, she felt different.

Her fear washed away. Her worries dissipated.

She felt raw.

She felt powerful.

Aria growled under her breath, and then she cocked her right arm back and punched the meteor with all her might. At first, nothing happened, but then a cracking sound echoed across the sky. A similar sound joined the first, then another, and another, creating a cacophony of deafening thunder.

Then the meteor exploded like a fireworks finale, raining upon the valley in tiny bits and pieces. Aria was still in her punching pose, triumphant.

“WHOAAAAAA!” Ty nearly shrieked as he approached her from behind. “Mom! That is so cool!”

“No more meteors,” Jalen said to Hayden, tickling under his chin. The toddler kicked and laughed.

“What did you become?” Isaac asked, rushing to her side. He rubbed a hand along the steel covering her right arm.

“A fighter or something,” Jalen said.

“Stronger than that,” Isaac said. “She’s like a tank or something.”

“She doesn’t look like one,” Ty frowned. “Don’t they shoot missiles or something?”

“Not the kind you see in war,” Isaac said. “It’s a class in video games.”

“I knew that,” Ty huffed.

“Are you okay?” Jalen asked, handing Hayden over to Isaac. He stepped in front of Aria and looked for her eyes, but the helmet blocked most of her face. “How does it feel?”

“I feel amazing,” she said, her voice far deeper than normal.

“Uh, did you get taller?” Jalen asked, looking up at her. “Are there stilts in there?”

“Dad,” Ty giggled. “Come on.”

“I’m big,” she said in a deep voice.

“You sure are,” Jalen said, examining her helmet.

“I’m strong.”

“It was just a rock,” Ty said. “I could have done it.” He started patting his stomach. “How do I get big like that?” He punched his belly twice.

“I need to punch stuff,” she said. She turned around quickly, so fast that no one registered the movement until she was already facing the other way. Her shoulder bumped into Jalen’s chest, causing a giant tear to appear in his shirt.

“Hey!” Jalen cried out, but she was already heading down the hill, her footsteps so heavy that they could hear the stomps.

“It won’t be hard to follow her,” Isaac said, pointing at the enormous footprints in the dirt.

“We have to follow her,” Jalen said. “Come on.” They raced after her the best they could, but her speed was at least twice theirs. Jalen frowned as he saw red and black insects chasing after her, each of them the size of a coffee mug.

“Are those ladybugs?” Ty asked as they got closer to the lingering swarm.

“Just ignore them,” Jalen said.

“They’re huge!” Isaac said.

“Yeah, but ladybugs are harmless,” Jalen said. “They mostly—” a ladybug zipped towards him as they passed and smacked him in the cheek. It felt as if he had been hit with a hammer. Knocked entirely off his feet, he flew through the air and fell into the grass in a crumpled position.

“Wait, wait,” Isaac said, holding back Ty. He checked on Hayden, still in his arms, to ensure he was okay. Jalen groaned and rubbed his cheek as the ladybug that ran into him hovered nearby. The swarm it came from remained in the field a few yards away, bobbing up and down together, moving in unison from the left, waiting for a few seconds, and then flying to the right.

“Don’t move, Papa!” Isaac shouted.

“I won’t,” Jalen winced. The ladybug in front of him darted towards him, and he screamed.

“Don’t even talk!” Isaac shouted back.

“You didn’t say that!” Jalen shouted, running as fast as he could up the hill. The ladybug chased after him, making up the distance between them when suddenly it stopped, turned around, and headed back down the hill. Jalen leaned onto his knees as he tried to catch his breath. The ladybug rejoined the swarm and danced with them.

“We have to go around,” Jalen coughed, rejoining his children.

“I don’t know,” Ty said, pointing to the various swarms that had popped up from the grass. “They’re all in the way.”

“Your mother is long gone by now,” Jalen sighed. “And unless we figure out a way to fight these things, we’re not going to catch up to her.”

“I’m trying,” Ty said, punching his stomach again.

“Stop that,” Jalen said.

“Hayden could destroy them,” Isaac said.

“Or summon another meteor,” Jalen said, “and your mother wouldn’t be here to stop it.”

“I’m here,” Ty said.

“We get it!” Jalen snapped at him. “Sheesh.”

“It’s not a...terrible idea,” Isaac said, shrugging his shoulders.

“Yeah, we’d only die,” Jalen sighed. “There has to be a better way.”

* * *

A LADYBUG BRUSHED AGAINST Aria’s back and it felt as if the steel covering her body was alive. She felt its tiny insect legs brush against her, no different than if it had been her bare skin.

She turned around and punched it into oblivion.

Then she continued running down the hill, thoughts of her family absent from her mind. The suit was in control now, forcing her legs forward, pounding into the ground.

She felt alive.

A tree got in her way—no more. A bird tried to peck at her face—bye, bye bird. A squirrel jumped onto her shoulder—gone.

And each time she destroyed a hostile creature, she could feel the living steel hum, as if it were feeding off their destruction. If her true self didn’t feel so detached from her body, she would be horrified.

The valley, a forest, and then ruins. Aria wasn’t sure how long she had been running, but for some inexplicable reason, her suit stopped, and she began to become more aware, like being half-awake. Instinct still drove her, but at least she could now watch from the front of the car instead of being bound and gagged in the trunk.

She sensed movement nearby. Instinctively, Aria leaped up onto a chunk of stone to get a better view of the surrounding area.

“Who goes there?” a woman’s voice demanded, and Aria spun around to face her opponent.

Renee! Aria’s mind screamed in delight.

Her daughter’s face was staring right back at her, and she couldn’t remember the last time she felt so elated. Her daughter’s freckles and the placements on her cheek were undeniable—like a signature.

Her daughter was wearing a helmet...of sorts. The section that would generally cover the face had been removed so only the top of her head would be protected. The rest of her was covered in a purple steel costume, form-fitting. It wasn’t as bulky as Aria’s steel, but it would provide protection and increased speed. Renee twirled her spear in her left hand and transferred it over to her right, letting the tip fall into the stone platform they stood on.

“Hi,” Renee said. “I’m Renee. What’s your name?”

Omg, Aria beamed on the inside. She’s opening up out here! I’m so proud of her! I need to tell her!

Aria grunted.

“Huh?” Renee frowned, furrowing her brow. “Are you okay? Did you get hit with poison or something?”

Aria grunted again.

“Well, I’m sure there’s a remedy somewhere. When I first came here, I had plenty of pockets, but now,” she waved a hand along her tight armor as if she were unveiling a prize on a game show, “as you can see...no room for pockets. On the other hand, it looks like you might be able to fit some stuff in that armor of yours. Are you sure you can’t talk?”

Come on! Tell her who you are!

Aria raised her hand and pointed at Renee, then she pointed at herself.

“You want to fight?” Renee asked, puzzled.

No!

“I’m not in the mood,” Renee said. “I have a lot of stuff to do. Some guy wants me to collect eggs from his barn. Some lady asked me to pick weeds out of her garden. THEN, my guild asked me to walk around the neighboring town and ask the townsfolk what they thought about having the festival on the outskirts of town instead of inside it, which as you can tell,” she waved a hand over her steel costume again, “I am perfectly suited for all of those tasks. I’m totally not a fighter at all.”

“Fight,” Aria managed to grunt out.

“I already told you I’m not interested,” Renee said, “but uh, I can tell the medic that you need help out here. Do you mind if I see your face? Just so I can tell them who to look for.”

Aria grunted.

“Okay, um, this will just take a moment,” Renee reached out and grabbed the tip of Aria’s faceplate. She slowly lifted it up as Aria clenched her fists.

“Mom?!” Renee said in shock, right as Aria punched her in the chest. Renee fell backward onto the platform and looked down at her body, radiating a slight red aura. “Mom, what are you doing here?”

Aria grunted like before, but this time, her body moved forward on its own. She swiped at Renee’s face, but she had already somersaulted backward and jumped to her tiptoes. “That can’t be you,” Renee said. “You wouldn’t try to hurt me unless...is Fein behind this?”

Aria managed to let out a jubilant grunt.

“I knew it,” Renee groaned. She grabbed her spear with both hands and crouched down into an attack stance. “Okay, Mom, I don’t want to do this, but it’s the only way I can knock you back to normal.”

Aria whimpered.

But it sounded like a grunt.

* * *

“WHAT’S THAT SMELL?” Ty asked, wrinkling his nose.

“Great,” Jalen said, holding Hayden away from him at arms’ length. “And I forgot the diaper bag.”

“What are we going to do now?” Isaac asked as Jalen placed Hayden down in the grass.

He took off his shirt and began to tear at the sleeves the best he could. “Geez, what is this made of? Does anyone have a knife?”

“Sure,” Ty said casually, reaching into his shorts and pulling out a pocketknife. Jalen scowled at him, but he accepted the help. “What?” Ty said. “You never know when you might need it.”

“In elementary school?!” Jalen exclaimed.

“It gets real.”

“He’s not joking, Papa,” Isaac said, folding his arms. “You should see what happens when they play house with the kitchenette. Arguments break out over who gets to be the mom or dad, and someone gets stabbed.”

“We live in the suburbs,” Jalen muttered, cutting a sleeve off his shirt to use as a makeshift diaper.

“The suburbs are the new cities.”

“No one says that.”

“You’re out of touch with reality,” Ty said, and Jalen raised an eyebrow at him. “I don’t know what that means,” Ty admitted, shrugging his arms. “I heard it on one of the shows that Mom watches.”

“Probably Keeping up with the Kevorkians,” Jalen mumbled. He began to remove Hayden’s diaper when he suddenly stopped.

“What’s wrong?” Isaac asked.

“His eyes are glowing red,” Jalen said, pointing down at the half baby/half toddler. “Do you think he’s about to summon another meteor?”

“He’s probably upset because you didn’t put enough cream on his diaper rash last time. He has PTSD.”

“I put it on the red spots.”

“But not a lot of it.”

“We were almost out.”

“You should have used the Vaseline like Mom says.”

“Sure, it does a better job, but it also shreds the diaper if there’s too much. Then little flecks get all over the place. It’s a problem.”

“I should solve it,” Isaac said, cupping his chin. “I could invent a solution and go on Shark Trap.”

“You should go on there as yourself,” Ty smirked. “You’re like a robot.”

“Oh, I see what you’re saying,” Isaac said. “Still wasn’t funny though.”

“Hmm,” Jalen said, staring into Hayden’s eyes. The normally joyful child wasn’t blinking back, instead, he stared right back at him as if to dare him to change the diaper. “I feel like I’m defusing a bomb,” Jalen mumbled.

“He won’t summon a meteor,” Isaac said. “I’m sure of it.”

“Why’s that?” Jalen asked.

“Because he’s probably exhausted. If we’re following video game rules, then—”

“This isn’t a video game.”

“Okay, but if it’s kind of like one. If he does, then there is only a certain amount of magic he can use before he’s tired, then he has to wait for it to refill. It’s like gas in a car.”

“Or Papa on the treadmill,” Ty giggled.

“Okay,” Jalen said, “I’m going in.” He started removing the strips that kept the diaper in place as fast as possible and got to work.

“Don’t get peed on,” Ty giggled. “It might come out in flames.”

“That would be hilarious,” Isaac said.

Jalen ignored them and threw the diaper aside. Then he placed his shirt sleeve around the child and began clasping it together by cutting tiny shoelace-like strings with Ty’s knife and then tying the ends together in knots. “It’s not a masterpiece, but it will do,” he said.

“Did you apply a cream to his rash? He had a little.”

“We don’t have any,” Jalen said.

“Papa!” Isaac shouted suddenly, jumping back. Jalen looked down at Hayden and then recoiled back as flames burst from the baby’s mouth, blowing up into the sky like a fiery geyser.

“So cool!” Ty said, punching his belly again. “Come on!”

“Papa! Papa!” Isaac shouted. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Jalen said, feeling for his hair and eyebrows. “You know, I think I have a great idea.” He crawled towards the baby low as if he were at war on the battlefield. Then scooped Hayden up and held him out, making sure his face was facing away from him. With the baby secured in his arms, he held Hayden out in front and headed straight for the ladybugs in front of them.

They began dying instantly once they were hit with the cute flamethrower in Jalen’s hands.

“Keep it up!” Isaac shouted as he and Ty ran behind.

“What direction did your mother go?” Jalen laughed as they took out another swarm. “We’re going to find her!”

* * *

RENEE LEAPED INTO THE air and somersaulted over Aria, landing behind her, jabbing her spear into her back. Aria’s armor protected her, but it forced her to stagger forward. Renee swung her spear around and slapped her from the side, making Aria stumble to the side. Then finally, Renee leaped up a few feet into the air, cocked back her arms, and slammed her spear into Aria’s helmet, cracking it in two. Aria fell into a pile of rocks, her armor shimmering for a second before solidifying once more. The cracked helmet was restored.

Renee looked down at her body, still emanating a light red aura. “Geez, Mom. Can you let go of that form already?”

Aria grunted and tried climbing to her feet, but the rocks beneath her hands couldn’t support her newly acquired weight, and it crumbled beneath her, causing her to sink further into the pile.

“I’m going to try something,” Renee said. “Don’t be mad, okay?” She raised her spear high into the air overhead, and it began to glow a bright purple color. “I’m going to strike you harder, but it’s not meant to injure you. Just take down that armor.”

Renee brought the spear down upon her, and Aria’s chest plate shattered. Immediately, the rest of the armor vanished, and Aria was back into her petite frame. She yelped as she fell further down into the pile. Renee snapped her fingers, and her armor vanished, revealing her plain clothing underneath—a tan tunic and leather pants that were too big for her. Renee threw the rocks that fell on top of Aria aside and grabbed her hand to help her out.

“I’m sorry,” Aria said, then she clutched her throat. “My voice is squeaky again.”

Renee laughed. “I was surprised to see your face after hearing that deep voice.”

“What happened to me?” Aria asked.

“You were a Sentinel,” Renee said. “A class designed for defense. You’re supposed to be the frontline, taking the hits for your group so that they can concentrate on healing or casting spells. Stuff like that.” Renee held up her hand, which was not returning back to normal. The red aura enveloping her skin disappeared. “See, when this red aura was around me, it meant that you were using your aggression spell, even if you might not have been that aware of it. It affects the emotions of whomever you’re targeting. You can influence their anger, calm, etc. If you were in battle with an ally, and I wanted to fight them, your spell would cause me to be annoyed more by you than them, almost forcing me to attack you first.”

“I kind of get it,” she said, sitting down on a boulder and scratching her head. “Oh, I see! So, Hayden was casting a spell! Is he like a witch or something? Or do they call them warlocks?”

“What did he do? Wait, Hayden’s here?!”

“There was a big rock in the sky.”

“That was Hayden?!” Renee gasped. “The meteor was from that tiny little thing?”

“I know! I’m so proud of him...even if it almost killed us.”

“I was going to try to take it out, but then it got destroyed.”

“That was me,” Aria said proudly.

“That’s awesome,” Renee laughed, sitting down beside her. “I’m glad everyone’s okay...they are, right?”

“When I transformed into that Sentinel thing, I ran off,” Aria sighed. “I hope they didn’t encounter any trouble, but to be honest, I’m not worried about them much. Renee, I’m more concerned about you. What happened? Why did you leave us?”

Renee bowed her head. “I’m sorry. I...I wasn’t thinking straight. I should have at least said goodbye, but I didn’t know if I would have another opportunity. I had to take it. I...I was selfish.”

“We were worried something terrible had happened to you,” Aria looked up at the sky. “I mean, I guess this could be considered terrible depending on how you look at it.”

“I like it here,” Renee smiled. “It’s not so bad once you get the hang of things. A little chaotic.”

“Better than home?”

“Um,” Renee said, biting her lip.

“Renee, we love you,” Aria said, hugging her tightly. “We came here to bring you home. It doesn’t matter what we had to face. We’re a family.”

“I care about you too,” Renee winced.

“You didn’t answer my question though. Why did you leave? Did we do something wrong?”

“Well...” Renee began, but then movement in the distance caught her attention. The silhouette of a man walked towards them. Once he stepped closer, Renee could identify him clearly out of the shade.

It was Fein.

“Mom, can you go back into your Sentinel form?” Renee asked, standing to her feet. “We’re going to have to fight.”

“Oh,” Aria said, recognizing Fein. She stood up and began waving frantically. “Hi, Fein!”

“You know him?” Renee asked, snapping her fingers. Her steel armor sprayed over her like a shower that had been turned on for a second.

“He’s the one that brought us here,” Aria explained. “He wanted us to bring you home.”

“That’s because he wants leverage,” Renee said, scowling at him. “I’m the only one that’s given him any trouble, and if we don’t stop him, he’ll continue destroying villages. Mom, he’s killed hundreds of people.”

Aria’s eyes narrowed, her eyebrows furrowed, and her lips pursed. She clenched her fists as Fein smiled at them warmly.

“He’s killed whole families,” Renee whispered. “Even the—”

“I’ve heard enough,” Aria said. She snapped her fingers, and Sentinel armor swirled over her as if the wind had carried pieces to her, attaching the pieces one at a time from her head to her feet. This time though, a sword and shield also appeared in her hands. The blade was as big as her torso. Her shield was just as wide, with sharpened tips and the emblem of a shopping bag on the front, outlined in diamonds and rubies.

“I don’t condone violence,” Aria said from behind her helmet, her voice normal and squeaky. “But it’s like being out on Black Friday. You’ve been saving your money all year for a Taylor Nightly bag, and there are only three left in stock,” Aria raised her sword and extended the tip towards Fein. “You’re first in line, but then a crowd of people decides to rush past you when the doors open If you’re too small to shove them back...let’s just say that violence is sometimes the only language people know.”

“What the heck,” Renee chuckled under her breath. She snapped her fingers and activated her own armor.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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Did you love Fantasy World Earth Anthology Vol 1? Then you should read

Fantasy World Earth Anthology Vol 2 by Judy Bettle et al.!

The Fantasy World Naropa Anthology Vol 2 includes the following works: THE FOREVER:A Lost GirlA ProphecyThe Destroyer of The WorldsWith everything she knew wiped out in a fire, Chris is left lost and homeless. A vagabond. A shadow among the masses.Like all the homeless people, she was invisible to the public eye, which was just how she liked it. It was easy for her to live off thieving.Until one night, she is noticed—and attacked in an alley where she discovers she has powers. Too bad she only finds out after killing her attacker by mistake. And now, her newfound power is drawing unwanted attention—otherworldly attention.As Chris fights for her life and uncovers the truth of her past, she finds allies in unlikely places and enemies disguised as family she had never known existed. Her future hangs in precarious balance as she ventures into the unknown.Why?Because Heaven and Hell are set upon destroying her, and they might just rent the Earth to pieces to get what they want.SHADOW OF MONDRIAN: 18-year old Tyler Arwen lived a normal life with his brother Cody and their mom in Utah. But that all changed when two strangers came looking for Tyler at his high school. Desperate for Tyler to come with them, they kidnap Cody and flee Earth through a magical gate, unaware of the storm they have just unleashed.Tyler has a secret' one he is just becoming aware of. An army of unimaginable darkness waits just beneath his skin, howling to get out. Carrying this mysterious burden, Tyler must try to keep it at bay while he searches for his little brother in a not-so-normal world of wild magic, ancient war, and forgotten stories.Welcome to the realm of Mondrian.FINAL FAMILY VOL 3 and 4:As the battle between the family and Fein heats up, Ty is frustrated with his lack of power. Turning to the past for inspiration, he finds within himself a calling that may turn the tide of the fight, or doom them all...

Also by Chris Garcia

Fantasy World Earth Anthology

Fantasy World Earth Anthology Vol 1

Fantasy World Naropa Anthology

Treachery: A Fantasy World Anthology

Also by Henry Fleiss

Fantasy World Earth Anthology

Fantasy World Earth Anthology Vol 1

Also by J Clair

Fantasy World Earth Anthology

Fantasy World Earth Anthology Vol 1

Fantasy World Earth Anthology Vol 2

Fantasy World Naropa Anthology

Fantasy World: Naropa Anthology Vol 1

Fantasy World: Naropa Anthology Vol 2

Fantasy World: Naropa Anthology Vol 3

Fantasy World: The Explorers

Fantasy World

Fantasy World Vol 2 - Expedition One

Fantasy World Vol 3 - The Protectors

Fantasy World Vol 4 - Desertion

Fantasy World Vol 5 - Utopia

Upgrade

Upgrade Part I

Upgrade Part II

Upgrade Part III

Wishes

A Wish for Love and Vengeance

A Wish for Us

Witchfall

Witchfall

The Harvest

The Blood Witch

Also by Julius St. Clair

Angelic Testament

End of Angels

Angels of Eden

Angels and the Ark

Depression Series

Depression Vol 1

Fantasy World Earth Anthology

Fantasy World Earth Anthology Vol 1

Fantasy World: The Explorers

Fantasy World

Fantasy World Vol 2 - Expedition One

Julius St Clair Short Stories

Sanctuary (A Short Love Story)

My Best Friend is a Killer: Short Story Collection

World War Baby: Day One

World War Baby: Day Two

Static Rain (A Short Story)

Girl of My Dreams

Face Punch

Face Punch II: Two for Flinching

Champion: Reluctant Hero

Champion #2: Family Reunion

Champion #3: Broken Promises

The Weather Brothers

The Weather Brothers #2: Fighting Immortals

The Weather Brothers Vs Champion

The First and Last Kiss

Sage Saga

The Last of the Sages

The Sage Academy (Book 1.5 of the Sage Saga)

The Dark Kingdom

Hail to the Queen

Of Heroes and Villains

The Legendary Warrior

The End of the Fantasy

Rise of the Sages

Ancient Knights

The Last War

The End of an Era

Hail to the King

The King's Apprentice

The Legend of the Sages

Sage Saga Bundle

The Sage Saga: The Complete Five Kingdoms Trilogy

The Sage Saga: The Complete Bastion Trilogy

The Sage Saga: The Complete Sorcerers Trilogy

The Sage Saga: The Complete Time Travel Trilogy

Sage Saga Collection

The Complete Sage Saga Collection

The Complete Sage Saga Collection Vol 2

Sage Saga Duologies

The Last of the Sages Book 1 and 2

The Last of the Sages Book 3 and 4

The Last of the Sages Book 5 and 6

The Last of the Sages Book 7 and 8

The Last of the Sages Book 9 and 10

The Last of the Sages Book 11 and 12

Seven Sorcerers Saga

The Sorcerer's Ring

The Sorcerer's Dragon

The Sorcerer's Blade

The Complete Seven Sorcerers Trilogy

The Rest Die Tomorrow Miniseries

The Rest Die Tomorrow - Ascension

The Rest Die Tomorrow - Judgment

The Rest Die Tomorrow - Killbox

The Rest Die Tomorrow - Endgame

The Rest Die Tomorrow: The Complete Collection

Shepherd of the Wolves

Wishes

A Wish for Love and Vengeance

Standalone

My Immortal Playlist

The Last of the Guardians

The End of Us