Discovering Fae

I blinked and tilted my head sideways, then the other way and blinked again, harder.

“Keep doing that and I’ll think you’re getting sick,” Mal said in my ear. “What’s so interesting?”

“It’s weird. When we came in here, I couldn’t see much at all. Not for the first day or so. I didn’t even notice when I started to see things better,” I answered. “Now I see almost as clear as day in here.”

“That’s... odd,” he made a face.

“It’s pretty weird,” I corrected, then spotted my dad shaking his head slightly, his lips thin and face hard. “I don’t think I’ve ever had that kind of adjustment. Awakening has its perks, huh?”

“Is it a royal thing?” Mal asked.

“I guess so, since it’s happening,” I shrugged. “Mom and I haven’t exactly gotten around to discussing what all I have to look forward to. But, then again, these aren’t one of those things either.”

I held my arms out and gestured to the markings.

“They are pretty cool, though,” Mal smiled at me.

“Even if they’re a bit on the obvious side,” I made a face at my skin before continuing our walk through the not-so-dark-now wood. “Obvious for what, I don’t know. I wish there was some kind of family history or something that had all of the answers.”

“Didn’t Quinn say there was a friend that might be able to help?” Mal asked.

“Yeah, but his help is going to take time. I don’t know why, but I feel like time isn’t something that we have a lot of right now,” I frowned.

“You have been feeling... uneasy?” Mal quirked his head a little, his face pinched as he tried to think if the right word to use.

“Since the second day we were in here,” I nodded.

“What’s this?” Dad asked, making Mal jump a little.

“Why did you jump?” I asked him.

“Why didn’t you?” he asked me.

“I saw him. Didn’t you?”

“No. It’s too dark,” Mal frowned. “Is it that different?”

“What were you saying about feeling uneasy?” Dad asked.

“I don’t know,” I twisted my face up. “It’s hard to explain. I wouldn’t say it’s anything wrong so much as not quite right.”

“How so?” he asked, looking around. “Can you break it apart? Do you feel threatened? Watched? Stalked? Things like that.”

I went down the list of bad juju feelings, pinching my lips together and tilting my head from side to side as I tried to find the ones that were making me feel off.

“I think... Watched, but not innocent or curious kind of watched. Not really hunted either. It’s not friendly eyes doing the watching, though,” I finally said, slowly. “There’s danger lurking about under the surface, like being near a sleeping tiger. You might be safe for the moment, but you know you’re in deep shit if it wakes up.”

“I’m not getting that on my own at all,” Mal commented.

“It’s a royal thing,” Dad nodded. “Mary usually feels things about our surroundings before I do, so I’ve learned to just go with it.”

“Danger radar. Nice,” Mal nodded with a smirk.

“Can you tell a direction?” Dad asked and I shook my head. “What does it feel like? Constant?

“Like a blanket that’s slowly getting heavier,” I rubbed the back of my neck and between my shoulders.

“Put your wings away, boy,” Dad looked at Mal, eyeing his faintly glowing wings. “It’s best if we try to be as unnoticeable as we can until we shake whatever it is giving Fae this...”

“Heebie-jeebies,” I shook myself.

“I was going to say “warning”, but that works better,” Dad smiled.

“My wings aren’t that bright,” Mal made a face.

“They are,” Dad and I both said at the same time. Dad looked at me, an odd look on his face before turning back to Mal. “It may not seem like it to you, but to me, it’s like a light bulb in the night.”

“You think it could be another dark fairy?” Mal asked as he folded his wings and they disappeared into his back with the magic that hid them from humans.

“We aren't the only species that can see in the dark,” Dad frowned and looked at me.

“Is it a royal thing?” Mal asked.

“No.”

Dad looked around us before jerking his head, indicating that we should keep going.

Dad made hardly any noise in the fallen leaves and twigs that littered the floor of the woods. Mal only made slightly more. I felt like I was making enough sound for a herd of elephants in comparison. We spread out a bit, following the direction of the single broken twig near the body we had found yesterday. So far, we’d seen nothing else at all, not even a sign of a wild animal.

After lunch, just before the sun began to sink, Dad used the comm wisp to talk to Mom, Ben, and Blaine. It was decided that we should meet on the south side of the forest near a town called Ha’anok. Even with us being closer, we’d still end up meeting about the same time, due to the thickness of the vegetation we would be walking through. Mal suggested we fly, but I didn’t want to maybe miss something that could lead us to Zane.

Setting up camp that night, Dad stopped Mal from making a fire.

“We’d better be cautious. If Fae is getting a bad feeling, it’s safe to assume there’s a reason,” he said quietly. “No fire and try not to make a lot of sound.”

“You’re putting a lot of faith in an ability that I don’t even trust,” I muttered, snuggling closer to Mal for some heat.

“You might not trust it, but I do,” Dad said. “Get some rest. I’ll take first watch.”

-----

I woke up with a calm start. My body didn’t move, but my mind did, whirling around as it rushed to process things I didn’t know I had noticed.

Something wasn’t right. Something was very, very not right.

A twig snapped and my attention went towards it, though I made no outward movement. I wasn’t sure how, but the more I concentrated, the more the information I was getting made sense. The soft sound of a footstep, carefully placed, the measured breathing of someone trying to be cautious, even the heartbeat and sound of the blood in their veins all painted a picture for me as clearly as if I were seeing it myself.

The movements were slow and deliberate, intending to make as little sound as possible as whoever this was came closer. Then, I felt the pressure on my body that meant I was about to use my magic. Before being kidnapped by creepy bats, it had felt rough, wild, and jagged, almost burning and ripping at the same time. Now, however, it felt hard, solid, and unforgiving.

When I let it go, instead of going out, it went down. The earth shifted and groaned as it rumbled to do as it was told. Dad jumped up, alert and ready with twin swords in his hands and crouched into position to fight while I slowly sat up, not feeling the least bit threatened or endangered.

“What happened?” Dad asked, straightening slightly when he saw the mound of rock and dirt with the almost humanlike head sticking out of it. “Who is that? Where’s Mal?”

“Over there,” I pointed, feeling our Bond. “About a hundred feet. He’s unconscious, though not wounded.”

“Dream demon,” Dad hissed, getting a better look at my prisoner. “Release him.”

The demon in question hissed, baring small, but wicked looking teeth that reminded me of a shark.

“What are you doing here?” Dad growled, sheathing one sword.

The demon’s eyes flicked over to me, then back to Dad, still not saying anything.

“Let him go, Fae,” Dad said, his jaw tense. “He can’t do anything now that we’re awake.”

“Mal isn’t,” I stood up, the demon’s attention coming back to me. “I’ll crush you like a disgusting bug with the snap of my fingers if he’s not awake in two seconds.”

Instantly, I felt Mal through our Bond startle and come running towards us.

“Fae! Quinn!” he shouted, then slid on the dead leaves as he stopped at the edge of our campsite. “How did you...?”

He looked at me and I shrugged.

“My queen,” the demon said, a heavy accent and small hissing from his teeth sounding through the woods and making the hairs on my arms stand on end.

“There hasn’t been a ruling demon, queen or otherwise, in millennia,” Dad snapped. “Why are you here?”

“For my queen,” he replied.

“Wait,” I held up a hand, stopping Dad as he took a step forward angrily. “Why were you coming to me?”

Mal and Dad looked around and noticed what I had. Mal was on watch, but the demon had gone right by Dad to get to where he was when my magic grabbed him.

“I came for my queen,” he repeated, dipping his head towards me.

“I’m not queen. My mother is,” I crossed my arms.

“Demons don’t recognize your mother as queen or me as king,” Dad said.

“Regent,” the demon bowed his head towards my father.

“They abide the laws when roaming outside of their territories, but they only fully obey their own leaders,” Dad continued. “There hasn’t been a demon king or queen in a very long time. I believe the last one was King Valisk.”

“He was no king!” the demon hissed, his teeth snapping in anger.

“There was a lot of dissent amongst the demons about his rule,” Dad shrugged.

“There has been no true king, or queen, born of the great House of Immail for eons,” the demon ranted. “Only pretenders!”

“Immail,” I frowned. “I know that name.”

“Where?” Mal asked. “We never went that deep into demon studies when we were preparing for your Awakening.”

“I read it, I think,” I shook my head like it would make it clearer. “Recently. It was on the scroll Raiz showed us.”

“Who’s Raiz?” Mal asked.

“I didn’t see it,” Dad stated, his brow pinched in a small frown. “There was a lot on that scroll in a language I don’t know.”

“It was deep purple ink, near the end by the weird illustration,” I said. “I didn’t read much, just the words ‘Immail’s blood’.”

“I didn’t see any purple ink, Fae,” Dad shook his head.

“Immail’s blood will bring the Houses to bear,” the demon said. “I felt the draw of my queen.”

“There is no queen here,” I rolled my eyes.

“Well, there is a future queen,” Mal pointed out.

“Hold on,” I held up my hands and rubbed my temples. “Demons don’t recognize you and Mom as the king and queen. Why do Blaine and Ben?”

“Personal choice,” Dad shrugged. “Without a proper ruler, the Demon Lands are in constant turmoil. There are lords that rule factions and tribal or clan leaders, like we have, but no one to oversee the interests of all demons.”

“It’s complete chaos,” Mal nodded his agreement. “It’s why Ben doesn’t go there often.”

“So why is this one- Sorry, what do we call you?” I asked my prisoner.

“I am Naz’gra’hal,” he inclined his head.

“Naz. We’ll go with Naz because I am absolutely positive that I cannot make my mouth say that right,” I blinked and turned back to Dad. “If they don’t recognize you and Mom as the king and queen, and they don’t, and haven’t had, a ruler, why is Naz talking about a queen? What queen?”

“The demon queen, blood of Immail, and heir to the Infernal Throne,” Naz answered.

“I’m sorry. What?” I tilted my head. “You must be lost. There’s only one person here that falls under the gender specific title of “queen” and I’m not... That.”

“Not until you claim your place by sitting atop the throne,” Naz cocked his head like he was shrugging, but the earth was keeping him from lifting his shoulder. “You are my queen.”

“You called me what?”

“My queen. Does this not please you?” he asked.

“No! No, it does not please me at all!” I shouted. “I’m not a queen! I’m not even a princess except by blood. What the unholy nightmare is happening to me?!”

“Wow,” Mal shook his head as my emotions passed to him. Then he stiffened. “Fae. You need to calm down.”

“That’s a lot easier said than done, Malachi!” I snapped and started pacing.

“Fae?” Dad said calmly and put his other sword back in its sheath and crossed his arms, the very image of idle.

“What?” I snapped at him.

“You’re on fire,” he pointed out like he was telling me the sky was blue. Like I wasn’t on freaking fire!

“What?!” I squealed and looked at myself. Sure enough, my feet and hands were on fire. I felt nothing at all. My clothes, on the other hand, were another matter. “Put me out!”

“That’s not how it works,” Dad said as Mal grabbed his blanket and tried to smother my flames. “You have to stop them yourself. By calming down.”

“I’m freaking on fire, Dad!” I said and yelped when Mal’s blanket whooshed into flames.

“Is it hurting you?” Dad asked calmly, the top of one of his wings twitching slightly.

“No,” I said.

“Then leave it be. Breathe, Fae. Control the fire. Tell it what you want it to do,” he said. “It’s your fire. It won’t hurt you, just burn your clothes.”

“I like these clothes,” I looked down. “Freaking stop it!”

The fire sputtered out and Dad chuckled.

“I didn’t mean literally tell it what to do, but if it works, right?”

“This isn’t funny,” I pouted.

“It was entertaining,” Naz said from his mound of dirt.

“Shut up,” I glared at him.

“That was terrifying. Are you okay?” Mal asked, stooping to inspect my now bare feet and legs before turning my hands around to make sure I wasn’t burned.

“I thought I was done with the dysfunctional bullshit,” I kicked the smoldering blanket.

“Strong emotions bring out strong reactions,” Dad reminded me.

“No shit,” I gestured to my charred clothing.

“How much does Malachi know about your heritage?” he asked. “What you learned during your Awakening?”

“Everything,” I answered.

“I think this,” he gestured to Naz, snug in his dirt, “Has a lot to do with that.”

“Then why isn’t it Mom and not me?” I huffed and flopped down as Mal dug in my pack to produce another pair of shoes for me.

Dad walked over and lifted my arm, so I was looking at the markings on my skin.

“We don’t even know what this is,” I groaned and pulled the socks and shoes over my feet.

“I hate to suggest this, since I know how much you want to keep looking for Zane, but I think we need to go back to Raiz,” Dad sighed.

“And who is Raiz?” Mal asked.

“The friend that Dad took me to see before we Bonded,” I said.

“If you go back, I’m going with you this time,” he narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms.

“There’s no way to keep you from her now that you’re Bonded properly,” Dad growled.

“You are Bonded?” Naz asked, then smiled widely, showing off all of his wickedly sharp teeth. “This is good, my queen.”

“I am not a queen,” I glared at him.

“Not yet,” he tried to shrug again. “May I ask of you to release me?”

“No,” I snapped.

“You can,” Dad shrugged. “Dream demons are pretty harmless when you’re awake.”

“I would never feed upon my queen,” Naz hissed.

“I’m not a queen,” I groaned.

“Not yet,” Dad, Mal, and Naz said together.

“Will you stop that!” I shouted, my voice echoing in the silent trees.

I slapped my hand to the ground and the mound of earth holding Naz retreated, though he looked incredibly filthy from the neck down.

“I’m not a queen, demon or otherwise,” I said and got up, stomping a fair distance away.

I put my hands on top of my head and tried to calm down before my magic decided it needed to act out again. I was pretty sure this was the only spare shoes I brought, so it would be best if I didn’t, you know... Torch them into nondescript ashes.

“Fae?” Mal said after several long minutes. “I’m sorry. I knew you were getting upset. I shouldn’t have said anything.

“Why?” I snapped and kicked a fallen branch, splintering the rotten wood. “Why is it always me? Why am I the one that suddenly ends up fae and royalty and get the crazy freaky tattoo things and now some demon thinking I’m some demonic heir? I just wanted normal, Mal. The annoyingly stupid high school classes, the useless degree that I put myself into inescapable debt over, the cubicle job that I’ll end up hating and the shitty apartment in some smog covered city, eating Ramen every day because I’m too broke to get real food.”

“Sounds awful to me,” he said while I paced between a tree and a bush.

“It supposed to be awful! That’s normal. Normal life sucks and I wanted that, not all of this,” I gestured around us.

“I’m part of all of this,” he said, a small crease between his brows. “Do you not want me?”

“Of course, I do,” I sighed and picked a leaf off the bush as I pivoted and paced back towards the tree. “I’m not human. Fine. I can get over it. I can kind of deal with being royalty, even if the idea makes me want to run and hide for the rest of my life. But the insanity of everything else? I can’t handle it, Mal.”

“Then don’t,” he shrugged and came to stand in front of me, gripping my shoulders so I stopped walking. “You can’t change what you are. You’re fae, whether you like it or not. Everything else? You get to choose. You want to run and hide? I’ll find the best place far away from everything for you. I’ll teach you about glamour, so you can hide your pretty awesome tattoos. I’ll find ways to keep demons from bothering you. Kind of sucks for Ben and Blaine, but at least that stupid cat can’t get to you.”

“I’m not worried about Jacob,” I rolled my eyes.

“You don’t have to do everything, Fae. You can say no. You have a choice. No matter what you want to do, I’m always beside you,” he said, holding my face in his hands. He kissed the end of my nose before leaving a soft peck on my lips, making me sigh as I relaxed.

“Neat trick,” I said, putting my arms around him.

“Not a trick,” he chuckled, hugging me back.

We stood like that for a moment before I gasped and looked up at him.

“Mal. I was on fire!”