Discovering Fae
Stress and Heavy Burdens

Grim

She really was here. I could smell her all over the stolen cloth that I now held to my nose. It had been so long since I had smelled her. Of course, I smelled him too. He was always with her, even when he wasn’t. I hated that his scent tainted hers, but soon, nothing about him would linger. Not when I saved her.

But it wasn’t time, yet. He was still on alert. They all were, but for what? I knew I had been careful. There was no way they could know I was lurking, waiting for the perfect moment to take her back. Now, I waited in the shadows, watching a castle and itching to save the woman inside. He’d do anything to keep her to himself, so I wasn’t shocked that he brought her here, even when she hated drafts, and being surrounded by stone made her feel cold inside.

She had to be miserable in there with him. He might have tricked her into thinking she wasn’t, but I knew her far too well. I knew her better than anyone because I’ve watched her since the first day, I met her. Until he took her away, that is.

I clutched the cloth in my fist and slammed it down on the table, my eyes never leaving the stone walls of the castle in the distance.

“She was mine first,” I growled, anger and darkness burning inside of me in a storm that whispered of blood and death. “I’ll get her back. She belongs to me.”

Yes, I’d get her back and I’ll give her the head of the man that stole her from me. She’d be upset, at first, but as his hold on her fades, she’ll come to appreciate my gift. I wondered if she kept any of the others I had given her before I was forced out and betrayed.

“Soon,” I promised the vision in my head. “I’ll have you again soon.”

Fae

I woke with a cold shudder and blindly rolled over just in time for Mal to kiss me. So soft, so sweet, and never failed to make my toes curl. I smiled against his lips, and he chuckled.

“Good morning,” I said, opening my eyes to the muted morning light.

“Great morning,” he smiled back.

“Is it possible to get a proper bed when we run away?” I asked, putting my arms around him under the blankets and pulling myself closer to him for some morning snuggle time.

“As if I’d let you sleep on a pile of leaves for longer than necessary,” he snorted.

I hummed and closed my eyes to bask in the happiness that surrounded me.

“So, where would you like to go?” Mal asked after a moment. “Forest? Mountain? Being near water is out.”

“Somewhere with a good climate. I don’t care much for snow, but I don’t want to bake in the summer,” I smiled. “Trees are nice, but I want to be able to see the sky, too.”

“Some trees, agreeable climate, no water,” he said thoughtfully. “What about mountains?”

“As long as we aren’t between them,” I shrugged.

“Alright. I think I know a place,” he smoothed my hair down and I kissed his neck beside my face. “Aerbow Mountains. A chain of mountains a bit to the north and far to the west from here. They’re pretty unremarkable, actually. A few lumber towns sit in the foothills and there’s the usual hunter and trapper, but that’s really about all that happens there.”

“That sounds perfect,” I grinned.

A knock on the door sounds and I debate ignoring it for a moment before I remember Mom said she wanted to catch up over breakfast. It was still early in the morning, but being a queen probably meant early mornings. Another reason I was sure I’d made the right choice.

“Morning!” Mom beamed brightly with Dad sulking beside her and a small crew of maids waiting in the hall behind them. Her eyes moved over me and she shook her head.

“I told you they’d still be asleep,” Dad mumbled.

“We were just waking up, actually,” I said, seeing the shadow of doubt in Mom’s smile.

“Lucky. Your mother woke me up hours ago,” he crossed his arms.

“Don’t even try to lie, Quinn. You were pacing all night,” Mom rolled her eyes. “Didn’t sleep a wink.”

Dad huffed, brooding harder than usual.

“Well, come in. No need to stand in the hall. Must be kind of weird, since you own the place,” I opened the door. “If we knew when you’d be here, we would have at least gotten out of pajamas.”

“Into a parka?” Dad glared at Mal, who stood up from the side of the bed, his wings held out at his side and vibrating.

“Dad,” I snapped and he harumphed and sat down in a chair while the maids set up the short coffee table with plates, cups, and cutlery.

My room was more like a large studio apartment. There was an en suite bathroom the size of a normal bedroom and a closet that would make most girls drool with the number of racks to be filled with clothes and shoes. The bed and dressers were on the far side of the room with the doors for the bathroom and closet on the left and a full-sized couch and a matching pair of chairs were situated closer to the hallway door with the windows on the right. It wasn’t a huge suite of rooms, which I was kind of wishing for right now as my parents sat down while Mal stretched the sleep from his body.

We slept completely clothed, yet I still felt my face heating up as I looked at the bed where we had been. Together.

“So, tell me, where did you two go?” Mom asked as she poured some tea into a cup in front of her.

“About two hours to the southeast,” Mal answered, taking my hand and leading me to the couch. “Give or take.”

“Sounds peaceful,” she smiled.

“It was,” I nodded, and Mal poured some coffee for me.

“It helped?” she looked at me. “Looks like it did. You don’t look so stressed out.”

“It helped a lot,” I smiled at her, and Mal sat beside me.

“Sometimes, getting away is what we need in order to deal with things. And you have a lot of really big things happening right now,” she nodded then waved at the maids, dismissing them. Once the door shut behind them, she put her cup on the table and sighed. “I have a feeling I already know the answer, but you’ve decided something, haven’t you?”

“I have,” I nodded.

“Well, I can’t say I blame you,” she sighed and looked around the room. “All of this is a lot to take in and the pressure that comes with it is no small matter. I was aware of who I was from the moment I was born. I was taught to be what I needed to be for this role. Unfortunately, you weren’t prepared for it like I was, so I understand how overwhelming it is to you.”

“I don’t think you do,” I said softly. “Not really. Like you said, you were raised for this, prepared for it your whole life. Until a few months ago, my future looked nothing like this. I wasn’t human, like I thought, but it was still a normal kind of life. Simple and quiet and far away from the kinds of games found around politics.”

“You’re right,” she smiled sadly. “I don’t really understand, but I do know how it feels to be faced with things you are completely unprepared to face.”

“I’m not saying I’m never going to change my mind, because in a few years, I might feel differently. Maybe with a little brother or sister in the picture,” I smirked at her.

“Stop that,” she snapped, but there was no bite in her words and her cheeks turned pink.

“Right now, I don’t want this,” I shook my head. “I don’t know if I ever will.”

“You are so young, still,” she sighed and leaned into her chair in a very un-queenly way. “So very, very young. You are an adult, but in a lot of ways, still a child. We were too late to raise you, like we should have, but you still have a lot of growing to do. I was forced to grow up and mature and if you want the freedom to do that at your own pace, I won’t stop you or tell you no.”

“I would like to make a few requests,” Dad spoke up for the first time since he sat down.

“Leave Mal alone,” I narrowed my eyes at him.

“No, you’re right about that. I can’t change it and if I keep pushing at you two... You’ll always choose him,” he admitted. “It’s the way of the Bond.”

“It’s not the Bond, Dad,” I looked at Mal. “I would have chosen him even if I never made that Call. Once he pulled his head out of his butt, of course.”

“Our Bonding was very different,” Mom chuckled, picking up her cup again. “Four hours was how long we waited after the Call. Not a lot of time to get to know one another without the magic telling us everything we need to know.”

“I made a lot of mistakes that I shouldn’t have,” Mal admitted. “But I love Fae. I left because I was afraid of that, and it will always be the worst decision I’ve ever made. I’m not asking for permission because Fate has put us together. We don’t need your approval or your blessing, either. But Fae deserves to have her parents and you deserve to have your daughter. It would be easier for everyone if you accepted that I’m part of her life, now and always.”

I smiled and took his hand, squeezing it and pressing my cheek into his palm.

“I was actually going to say that I want Fae to learn more about the Sidhe before you two leave,” he smirked a little bit. “But it’s good to know you have your priorities right.”

“I agree with your father,” Mom said. “You know less than a child about this place and the people that live here. Earth has dangers, but the Sidhe is danger.”

“I also agree,” I nodded.

“Thank Fate, because I am not a great teacher,” Mal muttered, and I laughed.

“We want to know where you are,” Dad continued.

“Kind of defeats the purpose of being alone if people can drop in whenever they want,” I shook my head. “Besides, we don’t even know where we’re going for sure yet.”

“We’re going to keep looking for Zane before we leave,” Mal said, giving my hand a squeeze. “Hopefully, we find him and can prepare soon, because there’s a lot to do when we get to wherever we’re going.”

“I don’t like this idea,” Dad said after a moment. “Do you even have a plan at all?”

“No. Even if we did, every plan I ever make ends up going to Hell in a hand basket, so I’m not even going to bother,” I laughed.

“It’s more like a general goal,” Mal shrugged.

“Well, I would feel better if you developed your powers more. Maybe even wait until your wings come in and can fly,” Mom made a face.

“A few months from now, it’ll be late to start building a house,” Mal said. “At least one that’s worth the effort and can make it through a winter.”

“The way your wings are developing, your wings should nearly be in by then,” Mom nodded. “It will be a hard crunch, but I think I can teach you more in... Ten weeks?”

“Does that leave enough time?” I asked Mal and he nodded.

“Okay. We start today,” Mom smiled.

“What about Zane?” I asked.

“Naz has quite the reputation in Malokia, so it was moving along better than before, but they’re still getting a lot of older information. We had to leave to come back here and deal with a few official things before we can leave again,” Mom answered with a frown.

“Is something wrong?” I asked her.

“Not wrong but there has been some news that, frankly, is a little disturbing,” she shook her head.

“We aren’t sure just how true this news it yet, so we’re looking into it before making any assumptions,” Dad nodded. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ Findɴovel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“What kind of assumptions?” Mal asked.

“The war kind,” Dad answered after a second of hesitation.

“It won’t come to that, I’m sure,” Mom snapped then looked ad Dad. “I killed him, Quinn. I held his heart in my hand and watched his head roll away from his body. You helped me burn the body and I sent the ash far away on a strong breeze.”

“Gross,” I muttered, picturing Mom killing someone that way.

“Scary,” Mal corrected me just as quietly.

“I know,” Dad nodded. “But something very similar is being whispered about. We were foolish to ignore them once before and look where it got us.”

“What am I missing?” I whispered to Mal.

“Basically? Your mom had a stalker that took her from your dad. Became a vampire for the power,” he answered next to my ear while Mom and Dad... argued? Spoke with vigor? “That kind of power is like a disease. One flaw, one weakness, and it will destroy everything you once were. Made vampires are rare because they’re bound to go insane with the power rush and blood thirst.”

“Dracula?”

“A million times worse,” he nodded.

“Lovely,” I pursed my lips “How does one hunt a made vampire?”

“With other vampires, usually,” Mom answered, giving Dad a withering look. “Vampires have a bad image that isn’t entirely justified. They tend to avoid people as much as possible so the only real stories about them are really about the Blood Craze.”

“I don’t know what that is,” Mal frowned.

“Most don’t,” she shrugged.

“The reason most made vampires go insane is because they lack the strength of will to resist the thirst,” Dad explained. “Normally, vampires only take a small amount of blood from any one victim, and they are mostly willing. They sign contracts, promising blood in exchange for something, usually money. They are generally well taken care of, and vampires typically have more than one donor at their disposal to avoid causing long term harm.”

“Not the monsters literature makes them seem,” I nodded. “I’m finding that the history books have gotten a lot wrong.”

“Human history got a lot wrong,” Dad held up a finger.

“So, is there another vampire running amok?” Mal asked.

“The thing about the Blood Craze is that when a vampire succumbs to it, there’s a lot of bodies left behind,” Mom shook her head. “There are bodies, but not the kind that point to a vampire. Aside from them still having blood in their bodies, they are beaten and broken more than I’ve seen in a long time.”

“Jesus,” I muttered.

“Something dark is lurking in the shadows and the places we’re searching for Zane are nothing but shadows,” Dad said, his tone serious and warning.

“I’m not giving up on him. Until there’s a body, Zane is still alive,” I replied, and Mal sighed.

“I knew you’d say that,” Mom said sadly. “You’re every bit as stubborn as your father.”

“Excuse me?” Dad lifted an eyebrow at her.

“Is there one?” she asked innocently and sipped her tea, looking very much like the proper lady she was raised to be.

“If it’s so dangerous, why did you leave Ben and Blaine?” I scowled.

“They’re demons, Fae,” Mal squeezed my hand again. “Malokia is the place for the dark and dirty. Demons are dark by their very nature. They’ll be fine, especially with Blaine still being unbound.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” I asked.

“Hell Fury,” Dad answered. “When a hound is claimed by a master, the master controls the actions, and more importantly, the reactions of the hound. Being unbound, having no master, weakens Blaine, but it also makes him unpredictable because he has full control over his actions. Hell Fury is kind of like a Morphi Hazing, only this is brought on by extreme emotion.”

“And it only lasts for a few minutes to a few hours at most,” Mom added. “Blaine has exceptional self-control. If he ever went into a Fury, he would do so willingly, knowing what the outcome would be.”

“And what would that be, for those of us who aren’t in the loop?” I asked.

“He’d destroy everyone and everything around him, feeding off the souls of the dead, getting stronger until he either exhausts himself or someone kills him,” Mom answered. “There’s a reason people fear hounds.”

“Blaine says they don’t eat the souls, just the sins. The stains left from living an immoral life,” I frowned.

“And there is nothing but stains in Malokia,” Dad nodded. “No one in their right mind would provoke him there. Not unless they were absolutely certain they could bind him. And Blaine? He’s probably the strongest hellhound I’ve ever met and I’ve met more than a few. And he’s so young still, so he’ll only get stronger. More deadly.”

“Seriously? Blaine?” I looked at Mal and he nodded and shrugged, like it was no big deal. “He’s so... not that.”

“Not to you, but when he nearly took that cat’s soul when you disappeared,” Mal snorted.

“I told you Jacob had nothing to do with that,” Mom glared at him.

“He’s still the reason she was taken. Again,” Mal said, completely unrepentant.

“Can we agree to not bring that up again?” I sighed, putting my cup on the table and eyeing the food.

Mal smiled and got up to pile food on a plate and hand it to me.

“Okay, so when we go back to the others, stay with Blaine,” I said when Dad got up to make plates for himself and Mom.

“Stay with Naz,” Mom said. “Right now, he’s leading the search, because he’s got the reputation to make things easier. Blaine is sticking to him like glue. Ben, too. They don’t trust him.”

“Should we trust him?” Mal asked.

“It is unwise to trust a demon completely, much less one like Naz. He’s a lord for a reason and he’s held that title for a long time,” Dad answered. “But I think he’s too loyal to the Infernal Throne to risk Fae.”

“This again?” I rolled my eyes.

“Yes, this again,” Mom nodded. “I spoke to him about it at length and you need to be very careful with how you move forward as far as this is concerned. He was hedgy about giving me too much information, like all demons are, but I don’t think you can walk away from that as easily as this.”

“Anti-demonizing our new place is now a top priority,” I muttered.

“That won’t work long term, Fae,” Dad shook his head. “The stronger you become, they more they will come for you. If Naz can find you in the middle of the forest...”

“Built in homing beacon,” I scoffed and shook my head. “Did he say how I deal with this, by any chance?”

“Demons aren’t very forthcoming with information unless they’re outclassed or have something to gain. Neither circumstance applied at the time,” Mom narrowed her eyes. “Another reason why the Demon Lands are a nightmare to deal with.”

I snorted and got up, rolling my shoulders as I started pacing in front of the empty fireplace.

“That’s enough,” Mal said, stopping Dad from saying more. “This is why we’re leaving everything behind. All of this stress and pressure and danger. Adding more isn’t helping.”

My fingers started tingling until I started snapping them in my absentminded pacing while Dad and Mal argued. It wasn’t until I heard the popping that I realized I was sparky again.

“Freaking great. I’m a firework again,” I muttered, and Mal looked at me.

Mom got up and put her hands over mine, grounding my wacky powers until they dissipated and gave me a huge hug, pulling away to look at Dad.

“This is probably the worst place for our daughter to be, Quinn,” she said, squeezing my hands in hers almost painfully and turning back to cup my cheek in her hand. “The sooner we can start teaching you what you need to know, the sooner you’ll be safe to live the life you want.”

“Flying lessons will be fun,” Dad mused. “I never thought I’d be able to teach my child that.”

“Mal will teach me to fly,” I said softly.

“Right. You probably won’t fledge in ten weeks. Well, then I should teach him to fly better,” Dad snorted. “And I’m still going to help you develop your flight muscles before you leave. Raiz gave me a bunch of pointers.”

“Oh, what about the books and stuff he sent for me?” I asked.

“Gods, I’m getting flashes of you and Nando geeking out in the library for hours upon hours,” Mal laughed and looked at Dad. “I hope you have a stash of junk food, because that look right now means she’s not coming out of those books for at least a day. Longer, if she finds something in there that’s interesting.”

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