The days went by without any word from Andraste or Dylan. Shade hadn’t realized how excruciating the hours would feel as they ticked by, painstakingly slow. At least, when Dylan had been around, she could bug him about anything, and she was never alone. But now, with Brisa away at college, the house was so uncharacteristically silent, it bore into her like an asylum for a crazy person. She missed Sary and hoped that her friend would be okay.
Shade spent the days sitting on the back porch staring off into the woods, hoping she might catch a glimpse of Dylan’s jet-black hair or a wisp of blue fire hovering in the darkened forest. Nothing came, and no one showed up to take her to her grandmother. It seemed finding her was going to prove harder than she’d hoped. Shade was starting to doubt they would even find her at all now.
She also doubted that Dylan was ever going to return, even with the blood bind in place. She found herself filling her own head with morbid thoughts. What if Dylan had found a way to break the bond? Would I even know he did it? Then he would never return for sure. What scared her even more was what he would say if he did return. Would he still love her, or would he turn away from her, cold as ice? She found she didn’t really want to find out.
What of the Teleen suitors from the caverns? Shade knew from what Dylan had told her that sooner or later, some of the males would come after her and bid for her hand. She cringed at the thought. There wasn’t anyone but Dylan or Soap she would choose. She hoped the Teleen suitors would never come. The drama of it all would be far too much to deal with right now. Supposedly, they wouldn’t leave her alone until she chose a mate. That was something she really didn’t want to do or even think about.
One evening, Shade sat on the porch watching the sun sink over the horizon. Its brilliant orange-reds warmed her face in the cool evening. Shade had Dylan’s blanket around her shoulders. Keeping it close comforted her, making it seem like Dylan was not so far away. She supposed he was still pretty angry. She didn’t blame him at all. Soap was probably upset, too. She couldn’t make anyone happy, no matter what she did. She liked both of them and was fairly sure they both liked her back, even though at the moment, she didn’t feel worthy of either one of them. She’d have to think up a way to repair the damage she’d done.
“What are you waiting for?” Benton’s voice startled her out of her reverie. Shade turned and stared up at her brother. She rolled her eyes and resumed staring at the sunset’s streaks across the horizon.
“Nothing.”
Benton sat down next to her and handed her a can of coke. He was loudly slurping his own can and paid no attention to her as she glared back. His invasion of her space was something she didn’t tolerate.
“What do you want?” Shade grumbled as she opened her soda without thanking him and chugged down a swallow.
“Most people say thank you, you know. I’m just wondering what it is you’re waiting for out here every freakin’ day. The sunset doesn’t change that much.” He spit out a sunflower seed that he had been chewing on, dumping a few more in his mouth as he waited for her to answer.
“None of your business,” Shade sighed. She knew she should attempt to get along better with Benton, but his paranoid, nosy ways drove her insane. She continued to sit in silence, listening to him crunch on the husks.
“Alright, fine. Don’t tell me. I knew something’s been going on with you since right before graduation. I’m not stupid, you know. I know it has something to do with that Dylan guy, too. I swear there is something not normal ‘bout him, and I’m going to figure out what it is. Where is he anyways? He finally decided to go back to his family?” Benton turned and watched her. His dark eyes studied his sister. He wished she didn’t keep so many secrets from him. Since their dad died, he had assumed the role of “man of the house,” which put Shade off, but their sister Anna and brother James didn’t seem to mind it at all. Since Dylan had been living with them, Benton had felt pushed aside. Benton was seventeen and graduating this coming year. He was somewhat relieved to see that Dylan hadn’t been around much lately.
Shade sighed. She wished she could confide in her brother, but being part fey wasn’t exactly going to sound logical to a regular kid. She’d contemplated telling Benton but hadn’t found a good way of explaining anything about her powers without sounding crazy. She hoped he wouldn’t ever find out.
“No, he’s just visiting them. He’ll be back soon. Nothing is going on, all right? Just stay out of my business, okay?” She watched the sun disappear as dusk began to grow. She thought she saw a light within the line of the trees which bordered their backyard, but the longer she stared at the spot, the more she suspected it was just her eyes playing tricks on her.
Right before she was about to jump up and retreat into the house, she saw it again. A blue fire flashed in the woods. She sucked her breath in, hoping it would be Soap and Andraste showing up to take her to her grandmother. She turned to look at Benton as he suddenly stood up and also stared out toward the forest.
“What was that?” Benton exclaimed. “Did you see that? I thought I just saw some kind of blue light or fire, but… it’s gone now. Did you see that, too, Shade?” Benton looked at her and then turned back to the woods as three faeries stepped out from the trees and walked toward them.
Oh, crap! Benton isn’t supposed to see them!
“Benton, go inside and stay there. I’ll see what they want.” Shade stood up and started to head down the steps when he grabbed her arm. “Benton, let me go!” She stopped, noticing his widened eyes.
“They aren’t human, Shade. They—I don’t know what the hell they are, but….” He gulped, a slight wisp of fear crept into his eyes as he stared at the faeries.
Shade turned and looked at them, too. She saw Camulus wrapping his glamour around him like a shimmer in the grass. Soap and Andraste followed suit, apparently aware she wasn’t alone. She placed a hand on Benton’s and pried it loose from her arm.
“It’s okay, Benton, I know them. Chill out, all right? I said I’d take care of it. We can talk about this later.” Benton turned to her, nodding and letting her go, but not looking completely convinced.
“If they try anything, I’ll kill them.”
Shade sighed, “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure they don’t.” She headed off to meet them before they got any closer.
“Shade, we found her! Your grandmother’s alive!” Soap’s smile warmed her saddened heart; she was relieved to see he wasn’t upset with her, at least not right now. He came to a stop in front of her, holding out his arms for an embrace. Shade smiled. Why not? She fell into him, feeling her heart flip with joy.
A moment later, he stepped back from her, serious now as he nodded in the direction of the house. “Looks like we caught you at a bad time. Need me to erase his memory?” Soap flashed a mischievous smile.
“No! That’s my brother, Benton. I don’t think you should. I’ll explain it to him later….”
A flash of orange-red fire flew near them, singeing the grass and landing before it hit Camulus and Andraste. The two warriors immediately unsheathed swords and stood ready to pounce on any offenders. Shade turned toward the source of the fireballs and quickly ran in front of them.
“Wait, stop, that’s my brother! Benton, what the heck are you doing?” She stared at her brother, whose hands were lit up with yellow flames which licked the air around him. He held another fireball, ready to be thrown.
How is he doing that?
“Shade, get back here! I told you they aren’t human! Get away from my sister, you beasts!” Benton started walking toward them as Shade pondered what to do.
“Wait, Benton! Stop! Please, they aren’t here to hurt us, they’re helping me! Please stop already!” Shade ran up to him and stood firmly in his way. He turned his dark brown eyes toward her, confusion swimming all across them. She shook her head as he frowned, giving her a nod as he extinguished his fire.
“Thank you! Now, care to tell me what that was about? You can wield fire? How did y
ou do that?” She waited and studied his firm expression. How could she have not known? If he was fey, why hadn’t she realized it before? Did he know about her?
“I—I don’t know. I just found out I could manipulate fire about a year ago. I’m not sure why or how, but I can. I’ve gotten really good at it, too.” Benton pressed his lips together. “I’m sorry, Shade. I just thought they didn’t seem to be very friendly.”
She continued staring at him, waiting to see if he had any further explanation. She realized this was probably as good a moment as any to come clean with him about her own powers.
“I have powers, too, Benton. If I had known about yours, I would’ve told you sooner.” She watched as his eyes widened with surprise.
Yeah, I need to have a good, long chat with him for sure.
“What? You do? What kind of powers?” His eyes glistened with curiosity but darkened slightly as he glanced nervously back at the three warriors.
“I’m part faery,” Shade said. “I’m not exactly sure of all I can do, but what I do know is that I can tolerate a Teleen faery’s blue-fiery skin without burning. I can speak to my spirit guides in dreams, and I somehow trapped one Teleen warrior who tried to kill me in his own mirror magic. I can wield water, control it, and make it do what I want. Not sure how I do it, but it’s all because I’m part faery.” She paused and wondered if they could possibly be full siblings. If they were, Ilarial’s story didn’t add up.
“Wow, Shade. I thought I was the only one who was different. All I can do is manipulate fire, though. It doesn’t burn me at all. Is that what they are? Teleen faeries?” He nodded toward the others, who waited patiently a few feet away.
Shade smiled and turned back to her friends. They had not moved from their spots but had re-sheathed their weapons.
“This is Camulus, Soap, and Andraste. They are also fey, but Camulus is Elven-Pixie, Soap is part Teleen and part Changeling, and Andraste, um, not sure what you are Andraste, what exact sort of fey are you?” She smiled nervously at the husky blonde soldier. He smirked back, looking so much like his twin Draden in both looks and mannerisms. She almost thought she was looking at the commander, who was far away at the glass castle of Prince Lotinar, organizing legions of soldiers to wage war against Queen Aveta.
“I’m from the northern tribes of Drisen. Predominantly woodland- and ocean-dwelling fey, and partly descended from the great Vikings of the North,” Andraste said as he winked at her and rubbed his scruffy blond-red beard. Shade did think he looked quite a bit like a Viking, now that he mentioned it: big boned, strong and Thor-like. He and his brother were not the kind of guys you would want to mess with. She remembered having to trick them at the Santiran Fountains. She’d been so petrified about having to lie while Dylan cornered them. Draden had even cut her with his sword to get her to reveal herself. Only her mysterious Changeling Blood Magic had stopped him from doing any more harm, enchanting him and causing him to give up the fight.
“Oh, okay.” Shade grinned as she returned her attention to her brother. “Well, Benton, there are many different kinds of fey which I’ve met in the land of Faerie. I just didn’t know you might be one, too. I would’ve told you sooner, but I didn’t know.” Seeing his relief made her feel much better. Somehow she knew things would be different between them from now on. Even so, something was bothering her.
“One of the Faerie Oracles, Ilarial, told me my real father was a faery changeling and that mom doesn’t know I have a different father than you, Anna and James. If that’s right, how is it you have powers, too?” Shade inquired.
“He is a Fire Wielder,” Camulus stated more than suggested. “Your mother must also have some special powers of her own. Most likely a human fire witch.” Camulus watched her with his orange-red eyes, his face serious and still.
“What, Mom? I thought she didn’t have any powers,” Shade answered. “She certainly hasn’t shown any. Are you sure, Camulus?” Shade was beginning to wonder if anything about their lives had ever been true. Her face was frozen in shock, and her eyes moved slowly to look at her brother, whose disbelief danced across his own eyes back at her. For what felt like an eternity, they digested the new information.
“But why would she hide her powers from us?” Shade asked as she felt her stomach twist, wanting to know what it all meant but getting nowhere fast.
“Maybe someone placed a spell on her, a memory charm which caused her to forget. It could be in effect temporarily or forever. She might not even know anything about her powers anymore,” Soap offered as he watched Shade with his gleaming, jeweled green eyes. Even now, the pull they emitted made Shade force herself to avert her own eyes to the ground. If anyone could cast such a spell, Soap was the one to ask.
“But can it be removed? Would she remember then?” Shade’s thoughts went to her mother. Such a normal and hard-working woman. How could her mother have magic swirling in her veins and remain oblivious to it? Mom seemed almost boring and mundane compared to the likes of Evangeline, the only other fire witch she’d ever encountered. Vange had been fighting with Jack for some stolen artifact she’d lifted from the Guildrin Court. She had disappeared just as quickly as she’d appeared. Her powers were so strong, they could cause a building to shake with her sonic booms. Shade wondered just how powerful Mom might be.
Shade finally blinked back to the present. Staring at Camulus, she searched for treachery but remembered that he could not lie. Breathing in deeply, she figured they could always have a long chat with her mother later. She definitely still wanted to go see her faery grandmother.
“Okay, well, this is just insane. We have to go now. I have to see my grandmother, and she could probably answer so much for me.” Shade turned back to Benton as his face contorted in confusion.
“Going? Going where?” Benton asked. “With these guys? No way. Not without me, at least.” Benton crossed his arms and stiffened as she started back toward the house for her pack. She stopped and stared at her brother. He was annoying her to the max. How would she get rid of him now?
“You can’t come, Benton.” Her voice came out stern, hoping that he would see how serious she was.
“Well, I’m coming. I don’t care what you say. Where are you going, anyway? Wherever it is, I don’t think it’s smart to go by yourself. Especially with three burly-looking faery guys! What if they mess with your mind, or worse, kill you or whatever the hell they tend to do with people? No, I’m coming, so get used to the idea!” He waited, staring at her with his dark eyes. He was as stubborn as brothers got.
Shade glared right back at him but finally sighed, shaking her head and letting out a frustrated grunt. “Fine, but stay out of my way and don’t wander off. Don’t touch anything, either, or speak to anyone but us. Faerie is full of crazy things, and some things you wouldn’t believe. Stay in the group, okay? Otherwise, Camulus can drop off your butt right back here in a flash!” Shade snapped her fingers in his face and huffed away into the house, leaving Benton smirking back at her, satisfied that he had won. He turned back toward the warriors, sizing them up again before heading into the house.
Chapter Twelve