Crossing Paths

I had wandered away from Gerritt and the princess, needing some quiet, after a long lecture from both of them about how they’d risked their lives to help get me out of their realm and we were too close for me to mess it up by trying to take revenge on Prince Almin.

I thought about that for a long time sitting in the middle of a forest of swaying kelp. I watched the calm, soothing movement. It was totally at odds with how I felt inside.

I didn’t want to be here anymore. I wanted to go home and hug Gideon. I wanted to hear Pete hit on me and feel awkward about it again. I wanted to go back to the peace I had found when I’d become a vampire.

I knew that sounded insane. So many horrible things had happened to me in my life, including losing my baby. That had led to me trying to take my own life and instead, ending up a vampire. Now I knew that since I had died when Gideon’s blood was still in my system, my death had triggered the change. Then, my only thought was that I would be in misery for all eternity.

Gideon hadn’t let me wallow in my self pity for very long. He saw the dangerous spiral I was sliding into, and he forced me to get up, get out and get started living again. He had taught me how to use my vampire powers to my advantage, but he also taught me that some people can be trusted.

Was Gerritt one of those people? Was Princess Dolphina?

I didn’t know. I thought that it might be a good idea to find out. But, how?

In my mind, I could hear Gideon’s voice reminding me that sometimes you have to trust your instincts.

What did my instincts tell me about these two Fae cousins who had taken their safety and thrown it aside to help me?

I muttered under my breath, “Shit,” as I realized I may need these two in order to carry out my plan.

I watched the tall, green pillars of kelp for a little while longer, gathering my thoughts and planning what to say, then I walked back to the main part of Princess Dolphina’s room.

I didn’t see Gerritt anywhere, but the princess was sitting at a big, pink, shell-shaped vanity, brushing her long, green waves with a piece of coral.

“So, Princess Dolphina,” I said, “you and Almin were a thing?”

She smiled, sadly, her face visible to me in the reflection on the vanity.

“You can call me Dolly. I would prefer it,” she stated, then continued, “He was not always like this. Supposedly, he was an intelligent and kind Fae in his youth.”

That was very hard for me to believe, but I was trying to get information, so I kept that to myself.

“Have you two known each other since his youth?” I asked.

“No. My family has only opened our borders to land Fae in the past few years. Many of our people choose to live in the seas on your world, but those waters are becoming corrupted. We have opened our borders in hopes of building a stronger race and finding a way to save our Earth relatives,”

she said, still facing the mirror as she braided her hair.

“How will that help your race?” I asked.

“First, some of our people cannot even walk on land. We need the land Fae to speak with the humans and explain how they are affecting our way of life,” she turned around now and continued speaking, “Second, you are always strongest when you ally yourself with others. Last, my personal hope, that by opening our borders and allowing the land Fae to learn our ways, perhaps some of the hatred between our people will fade.”

I laughed a little when she mentioned talking to humans.

“Humans don’t care about you. Humans don’t even believe you exist,” I said.

“They may not, but we Fae have our own way of communicating to the humans,” she said, then she stopped, and her cheeks reddened, “Why do you ask me these things?”

“I just think that if I understand your people better than maybe I can get past what Almin has done to me,” I said, softly and quietly, as if pained by the thought.

This was what I had decided to say whenever it seemed as if she or Gerritt were becoming suspicious of my questions.

It seemed to work.

Dolly stood up and came to my side, placing a cool, blue hand on my shoulder.

“Of course, Melissa. You want to know about what you are,” she said, sympathetically.

I felt a flash of rage because I still wasn’t sure what I was, but I shoved it down and smiled.

“I guess I am a little curious,” I said, laughing.

“That is a good sign,” Dolly said.

There was a quick knock on the door.

I felt a rush of panic and stumbled around the room, trying to find a decent hiding place.

Dolly rushed to the double doors and called out, sweetly, “Yes?”

“Your Highness, your cousin is here with your meal. Shall we allow him entry?” a young male voice said through the door.

“Of course, Henson. I am famished!” Dolly replied, giggling like a schoolgirl.

I watched the door open from behind a large pillar of coral, out of sight of anyone who shouldn’t know I’m here.

The doors opened and a rolling tray, exactly like you see in movies about fancy people, came through the door followed by Gerritt.

The guardsman, Henson, stayed just outside the doors and gazed, starry-eyed at the princess.

Gerritt and Dolly hugged, whispering to each other about where I was. Then, Gerritt looked back at Henson and cleared his throat.

Henson quickly looked at Gerritt and said, “Sir?”

“Leave us,” Gerritt responded.

Henson’s cheeks reddened and I heard him sigh, heavily, as he shut the double doors.

Dolly, the object of his attention, wasn’t even aware he was leaving.

Not your circus, not your monkeys, I thought to myself. I definitely didn’t need to get involved in the love lives of Fae royals.

“Come on out, Mel,” Gerritt said, loudly.

I cringed. He didn’t know that I hated that nickname since it was what my ex-boyfriend had called me, but it still hit a nerve.

I sped out at vampire speed and grabbed him by the throat.

Dolly gasped.

Gerritt held out his hand, telling her to stay where she was.

“Do not call me Mel. I hate it and I hate you thinking you can get comfortable with me,” I growled and dropped him to the floor then said, “We are not friends.”

I turned away and walked a few feet before realizing I had just done the exact opposite of what I had planned on, which was earning their trust and getting information so I could kill Almin.

“Damn it!” I cursed, then I turned back to the Fae cousins.

Dolly looked at me angrily, but Gerritt just sat on the ground where I dropped him, rubbing his neck.

I tried to look as if I were sorry. I lowered my eyes.

“I’m sorry. It’s just the name...” I started.

“Stop!” Gerritt said, “I know why you hate it. I won’t use it again.”

His words sat in the air between us until I processed what he had said.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked him.

I saw in his eyes that he was afraid to say more.

“When you touch me, I hear things,” he muttered, almost under his breath.

“What do you hear?” I asked, attempting to sound casual while inside I wanted to die rather than hear this.

“Come here and I’ll tell you," he said, pushing up off the ground, “It’s not Dolly’s business. Or mine for that matter, but I didn’t have a choice.”

Dolly had busied herself with the tray of food. She was setting a small table in the corner with different items that had come on the tray.

I watched her as I slowly moved the few feet to where Gerritt stood.

“Look at me,” he said when I reached him.

For a few seconds, I defiantly kept my eyes on Dolly.

Gerritt sighed.

I looked at him, but not kindly. I glared and let a small snarl escape my lips.

“What I heard was someone calling you that name and what I felt was that you thought this person cared for you and instead, he hurt you. Badly.” Gerritt whispered to me. He had leaned in as he spoke and now, he took my head gently and kissed my forehead, “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

My head was spinning. On one hand, I was horrified that this man… Fae… had apparently heard my thoughts. On the other hand, he seemed very sympathetic and maybe I could use that to my advantage. On the third hand, he had kissed me in a way too familiar way, but I had kind of enjoyed it. How many hands do I get?

I felt light-headed.

“I need to feed,” I said, stepping away from Gerritt and sitting at the small table next to Dolly.

“Please help yourself,” Dolly said.

I looked at the offerings and made a face. None of it looked familiar.

“What is that?” I said, pointing to the green, slimy strings on one platter.

Dolly grinned, “Pickled algae! It is my favorite!”

“Is there any blood? I need blood,” I said, angrily, “What is wrong with you guys?”

“Here’s your blood,” Gerritt said.

I turned to find him shirtless, a gash on his forearm dripping sparkling crimson down his wrist and hand.

“Gerritt!” Dolly gasped and ran to him.

He pushed her gently aside and said, “She needs to eat, cousin. If it’s all I can do for her, then it’s what I’ll do.”

The smell of the blood had already overwhelmed my senses. It was so different from human blood. Spicy, earthy, moist, warm and cool at the same time.

I was on him before I realized I had moved.

Dolly screamed once but quickly got control of herself and turned away from the sight of me feeding on her cousin.

The taste of the blood was so different, too. Fresh air, sea mist, laughter, sunshine…

I could feel Gerritt’s pulse, strong and slightly faster than normal.

I told myself, do not kill him.

‘I’m fine.’ I heard in my mind.

I stopped sucking the delicious fluid from his arm and stepped back, looking at him in shock.

“Did you just...” I started to ask, but Gerritt’s look was all the answer I needed.

Gerritt had just spoken to me in my mind, the way Gideon could sometimes do. What did that mean?

Dolly handed me a soft, cloth napkin.

I took it but didn’t take my eyes away from Gerritt’s.

“How?” I said, wiping the blood drops from my chin.

Gerritt shrugged and shook his head then said, “How is anything possible? Magic, I suppose.”

I rolled my eyes.

“I’m getting very sick of your magic,” I said.

I spun on my heel, meaning to walk away from him in a dramatic way, but my head suddenly seemed to spin, and my knees felt wobbly and wavy, like the pillars of seaweed I had watched earlier.

I felt my body lifting into the air and heard the sound of laughter. I looked around me, but nobody was laughing.

“Hello down there,” I called between bursts of giggling, realizing it was my own laughter I was hearing.

Gerritt was waving his arms at me and shouting something, but I was laughing so loudly that I couldn’t make out the words.

How had he gotten so small? Or was it that I was big?

‘Dolly is coming for you. Stay calm,’ I heard Gerrit’s voice say in my mind.

I didn’t like that. The sound of his voice in my head made me think of Gideon.

“Gideon!” I shouted, my laughter dying.

Where was Gideon?

A large shadow moved over me.

I looked up to see a large, dark shape moving towards me.

A shark!

I would have panicked, but I remembered that Dolly’s magic had created this undersea habitation.

I looked back down and saw another dark shape moving towards me from below.

“Well, shit,” I said, starting to giggle again.

Then, the shape from below became clearer and I saw the green hair rippling behind as Dolly pumped her shining, blue-green tail.

“You're a mermaid?” I said, childlike wonder filling me with excitement.

I wondered what was wrong with me. Why was I not terrified? I was floating into the air and laughing like an idiot.

Dolly swam swiftly past me, and I saw she had a shiny, jeweled pitchfork in her hands.

‘It’s a trident.’ Gerrit pushed into my thoughts.

“Get out of my head!” I screamed.

Suddenly, the air around me began turning red. First, a few small tendrils of red seemed to snake downwards. Then a light reddish mist drifted down. Finally, a large chunk of bloody shark fin floated down.

“What the hell?” I said, looking up to see many more chunks of bloody parts and Dolly, swimming towards me with her ‘trident’ held out.

She reached me and said nothing. She just grabbed my arm and pulled me back to the sandy floor where Gerritt held onto me to keep me from floating away again.

“What the hell is happening?” I asked.

“Vampires have been known to have strange reactions to our blood on occasion,” Dolly said. She was standing next to us now.

My head felt as if it were stuffed with cotton.

Gerritt kept a tight grip on my wrist. I didn’t like it.

“Let go of me,” I said, “I can hang onto something, can’t I?”

I couldn’t have his hands on me when it made my skin tingle and heat up like this.

“Here,” Dolly said.

She was pointing to the table she had just set up with her various, nasty-looking foods.

“Gerritt can use his belt to secure you to the table. It is stone,” she explained.

So, Gerritt took off his leather belt and used it to strap my leg to the table to keep me from floating into the sky again. Then, he sat next to me, which irritated me to no end.

“Strange reactions? You knew this might happen?” I said, holding my heavy head in my hands as I floated inches above the heavy, rock table.

“No, not at all,” Dolly said, “This,” she waved her hand in my direction, “Has never happened as far as my people have record of.”

Anger was becoming my resting state.

“You can’t keep getting angry over every new thing you learn. There’s going to be a lot,” Gerritt said, placing a hand on my mine.

“You will stop acting as if you know me, or anything about me,” I said, angrily. Then, I swung at him, but since I was all floatie and weird I missed him and spun myself around in circles.

“There’s no way I can stop hearing your thoughts, Melissa,” Gerritt said, “Trust me. I am trying. I could do without knowing what you think of our people. Or me.”

I looked at me as I spun slowly around to face him, grabbing the table to stop myself.

The look on his face told me he knew.

He nodded quickly, not letting Dolly see the movement.

I rolled my eyes and sighed.

“So, now what?” I asked them both.

“The guards have called off their search. They believe you’ve made it out of the palace and are now going to be slaughtered by the Creations,” Dolly said, slurping up a pickled algae.

“Ok, so we need to get to a portal with access to your realm and...” Gerritt trailed off, looking at the floor.

“And take me home,” I said, smiling.