Midnight Cove

I didn’t have to wait long for Phoenix. I had just sat down to eat my lunch when he arrived, as suave and debonair as ever. His blue tailored suit fit him like a glove and I could slightly make out where his chest muscles left delineations. My face lit up as he entered the suite and quickly crossed the room to greet me with a kiss.

“Good afternoon, my love,” he said, a smile present in his liquid voice. “How has your day been going?”

I blushed heavily. I knew he was referring to the wedding and the thought that we would soon be man and wife made me giggle with excitement. “It’s been wonderful. Overwhelming a bit, but still wonderful.”

Phoenix took his seat across from me. “Well that’s to be expected. It is an elaborate, royal affair, but I have no doubt in your capabilities. You are going to be the most becoming bride, especially since you are going to be my bride.” He beamed his satisfied smile at me before taking a bite into his pastry.

“Why did you have to leave this morning? Is everything alright?” I asked trying to quiet my nagging anxiety. I had been worrying in the back of my mind all day about what could possibly drag him away from me. Faeries were peaceful people, they didn’t have to concern themselves with wars they way human kingdoms did. What could be so important?

“Everything is perfectly fine.” He answered in a most reassuring voice. “Politics. I had to meet with council leaders and discuss issues dealing with faeries of other realms.” I could tell he didn’t want to pursue the topic, but it had piqued my interest and I couldn’t let the subject drop.

“Faeries of other realms? You mean Fate Faeries?” I knew how delicate this subject was and neither one of us wanted to broach the subject of Cove. Not yet anyway.

“Yes, them and others.” Slight annoyance colored Phoenix’s tone.

“Others? Like who?” I had never known that there were other faeries besides the Fate Faeries and the Dark Faeries.

Phoenix sighed knowing all too well that my curiosity couldn’t be stifled. “It was a meeting of the Courts. As King, I am ruler of the Unseelie Court, which rules over the Underground Realm as well as all solitary faeries. The Seelie Court however, rules the trooping faeries such as the Fates and the Light Elves,” he explained.

“The Light Elves?” I repeated in awe. I had never heard mention of them.

“Don’t worry about it, Bonnie. It’s just politics.” And he waved his hand as an effort to dismiss the topic.

I straightened in my seat and took on an air of authority quite foreign to my usual demeanor. “Phoenix, my love,” I said to avoid offence, “If I am to be Princess, or Queen of this realm, don’t you think it would be prudent for me to at least be aware of these things?”

Phoenix looked at me a moment in silence before nodding. “You’re right. You should at least be made aware of all things related to the Fae. You are to be my wife.” And the acknowledgement of that truth brought a smile to both of us.

“The Light Elves, as they liked to be called, are Faeries. They rule the Seelie Court. It is their responsibility to keep the destinies of humans never too far off course. We must meet now and again to touch base with each other. For as you might have guessed, it is the responsibility of the Unseelie Court to attend to the duties of the solitary faeries and the Dark Faeries. The solitary faeries mainly consist of Pixies, Brownies, and Sprites. All of which delve into the workings of nature. They ensure the balance of plant and animal life. Whereas, we the Dark Faeries are responsible for the ferrying of human souls from Death into the Afterlife. It can be tricky, for each soul is different and most are carried off to be reborn again into the mortal realm, while few others are transformed into pure light. Much as you would imagine of a person reaching enlightenment. They have lived a pure and good life and so are no longer in need of their fleshy bodies.”

“Oh,” was all I said. It was quite a wealth of information that I had not realized before. I hadn’t given much thought as to what the tasks of each faery were.

“And so, why did you have a meeting of the courts?” I wanted to gain as much knowledge on the subject as possible, so that I could prove to be an asset in my beloved’s kingdom.

That night, snuggled safely against Phoenix’s sleeping form, I was plagued by more disturbing dreams. I saw visions of myself walking the passageways in the Dark Palace. I was weeping as I walked and a constant dread loomed over me as I feared that someone was following. I felt frantic to get away, but I couldn’t remember what I was running away from.

While checking over my shoulder for what might have been the fiftieth time, I crashed right into Phoenix. He looked younger than he did now, but not by much. He had the boyish face of a young man, maybe eighteen. I knew in all reality, he was far older than that. He looked into my eyes and read what only could be mortal fear. He looked around, but saw nothing.

I couldn’t stop the tremulous shaking of my body. He wrapped his arm around me supporting my weight as I was exhausted for whatever reason and quickly escorted me down the hall. Through hidden corridors we walked as briskly as I could manage until we entered a wing in the palace that looked familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

In the dream everything was unfamiliar, but I knew even in my unconsciousness that this was where Phoenix’s suite of rooms were. He led me through his study to a hidden black door in the corner of the room. I felt reprieve as soon as I entered the room and Phoenix closed the door behind us.

Whomever was after me would not look for me here. In the center of the room was a grand piano. My sleeping mind knew it, but in this dreamworld I saw it for the first time. Phoenix sat down to play and the melancholy tune triggered a memory so vivid I jolted out of my slumber.

“Phoenix,” I said, shaking him. He groaned and opened his drowsy brown eyes to stare at me.

Reading the alarm written on my face, he abruptly sat up. “What? What is it, Bonnie?” He looked around, scanning the room for possible threats.

“I had a bad dream,” I said a little sheepishly. I hadn’t meant to imply danger.

“Oh,” he said, and relaxed back against the headboard. “Hey, come here.” And he held out his arm for me to snuggle up next to him.

I readily obliged worming my way into his warm embrace. He kissed the top of my head and rubbed his thumb against my arm. “Do you want to tell me about it?” he asked, trying to nurture me.

I shook my head and rested my cheek against his chest. “It was weird. I was me, but different somehow. Everything was the same and different at the same time.” He stopped rubbing my arm and I looked up at him.

“You were younger. I was scared and crying and you took me to the piano room and played for me. It was that same song you played the first time I found you there, do you remember?” I asked.

“Of course. Do you remember anything else?” he asked, the apprehension apparent in his voice.

“No, not really. I just remember the feeling of being safe with you. Like whoever was after me wasn’t going to find me there. It was so odd, and yet it was so terribly real and frightening.” I got a chill just talking about it.

Phoenix started rubbing me again, his voice more relaxed than before. “You are safe with me, Bonnie. I’ve saved you many times, remember?”

But when he said 'remember' it sounded strange, almost as if he was telling me to remember rather than asking me if I did. Too tired to care anymore, I draped my arm over his stomach and slipped back into unconsciousness.

Over the next month I made vast strides in the plans for the wedding ceremony. Adele and I met every day tackling one section at a time. As much as I had wanted to do the dress first, she insisted it be the very last thing on her agenda. There were too many other small details to see to first.

She had been right. We had everything perfectly chosen from flowers to tablecloths, lighting, music and everything in between. It was going to be an elaborate affair fit for royalty, just like Phoenix had said. I couldn’t be happier, but I was dog tired. I was losing sleep nightly over these stupid and unbelievably terrifying nightmares. Each one gradually worse than the last.

As of the past two nights Cove’s face had entered my dreams. I would start the dream off happy wearing a white wedding dress. I was standing outside the doors that opened on to the ballroom practically bouncing in my skin. As soon as the wedding march started up the doors would open and I would start the slow walk up to the altar.

The closer I got, the more I started to feel like something was wrong. My groom’s shape would quiver and there instead of Phoenix would be Cove standing in his place. I would try to stop the ascent but I couldn’t, my feet just wouldn’t listen. I would look for help and all around me I was surrounded by smiling faces, but no one seemed to notice my pleas for help. Each time I would finally stop right before the bride is handed over and look down at my dress. It’s perfect white was stained with blood and I would scream out.

I would wake up screaming and poor Phoenix was so worried about me he could hardly sleep either. Several times I would wake and see him watching me, his brow furrowed with worry. Whenever he asked me about the dreams I wouldn’t tell him more than the fact that I was having nightmares. I couldn’t bring up the topic of Cove. I didn’t want to have him think that I was dreaming of his brother before we were going to be wed. He would think I had second thoughts, or worse he may have second thoughts about whether he wanted to marry me.

Last night was the worse so far, and I was afraid to go to sleep. Phoenix insisted that I see a faery doctor, also known as a witch. Great, just what I need. More creepy creatures, I thought. I didn’t know which prospect was more frightening the witch, or the dreams.

After my daily visit with Adele though, I decided I was willing to try anything. Adele had given me a verbal lashing for allowing myself to get so worn down so soon before the wedding. We had only another month before Phoenix and I would become man and wife. I didn't need that, or a tiny faery scowling at me from beneath two piercing green eyes as we went over the wedding processions for the hundredth time. Anything but that.

As I sat down to lunch with Phoenix, I could tell he was in a sour mood. He was still brooding over my night terrors. I decided it was best to give in, if for no other reason than to have him happy again and Adele off my back.

How scary could a witch be anyhow? I had already been in love with Death, and now I was going to marry a Daemon. How much worse could it get?