Meanmna: Book One of the Daearen Realms (5 page)

“All right. Talk,” I said as I placed a cup of black coffee in front of Elwin.

“
I thought you wanted to wait until your mom got home.”

“
I changed my mind. I’d like to get a primer course first so I don’t completely freak out in front of her.” I sat down across the table from him and took a sip of my sweetened coffee with skim milk.

“
What do you want to know?”

“
Who is my father?”

“
King Roland of the Spirit Fey.”

“
What or who does he watch over?”

“Well . . . everything. I guess you could call him my superior.” He shrugged and set down his coffee cup.
“In our world, Daearen, there exists a certain hierarchy. Each of the five elements is represented by a realm. Each has its own royal family in charge. Each has its own castle. And the balance in that realm—water, fire, earth or air—carries into this one.”

“What about the
Spirit Fey?”

“They watch over everyone and everything in Daearen. The
Spirit Fey have ultimate rule of the land. They have the most magic, the most power, and are the only fey with the power to use magic
against
other fey. Your family rules our world.”

“
I’m just going to let that sink in for a little bit. Um, my grandmother? What’s her story?”

“
Your grandmother and grandfather Keltoi ruled side by side for many years. It was a most glorious reign, a time of productivity, tolerance, peace and harmony. Your family leads the fey with confidence and humility. Your father, King Roland, spent his life preparing to be king. He also, he told me, had an incredible wanderlust, and one day he left our world and came to yours. He didn’t know it, but soon after he left us, our king—your grandfather—started getting sick. He died a very short time later. His death made it Roland’s time to serve.

“
Your father immediately returned to take over the crown. Your grandmother, the queen, vowed to stay by his side until Roland’s sister, Princess Penelope and her chosen were mated and then they would step in and rule. However, Princess Penelope disappeared after her mate died, and never took her place as the queen. So, your grandmother stayed on the throne. You see, we must be ruled by both a queen and king or the balance is upset. Your father still has not chosen a queen, which is very unusual. That brings us to you. No one knew anything about you, except for your father and grandmother. They’ve had friends secretly watching out for you.”

“
What do you mean, he had friends watching out for me?”

Elwin
took another drink and nodded his head toward the kitchen window above the sink. I automatically followed his gaze and looked. There was a blue dragonfly and a rainbow-colored butterfly outside the window. “I don’t get it. I mean, dragonflies are pretty and I like butterflies, but they’re bugs. Can I talk to bugs? Is that it? Or can I somehow make it so their wings don’t freeze off? It’s like zero degrees outside?”

“
They are not bugs,” protested Elwin, “nor are they a dragonfly or a butterfly. Go, take a closer look.”

I spilled coffee as I got up
and walked closer to the window. I glanced back at Elwin and shrugged. “Still look like bugs to me.”

“
Let me help.” Elwin walked up behind me, put his hands on my shoulders, and bent down so his mouth was right next to my ear. A shiver of excitement ran through my entire body. “Take a deep breath and look again.” He started mumbling something in an indiscernible language. The bugs flew down to the ledge. They shimmered for a moment, then, right before my very eyes, they morphed into two tiny people about six inches tall.

“
Tiny people with wings!” I cried. “That’s awesome!”

The dragonfly
’s wings had different shades of blue in a stained glass pattern. She looked at me and did the same hand over the heart bow thing Elwin did. I squinted and leaned in for a better look. She had a sparkling blue nightclub dress. Her eyes and hair were blue, set off by her alabaster skin. The butterfly also did the heart-fist-bow thing. She had bright green eyes and the most beautiful ebony skin I had ever seen. She was wearing a glittery white nightclub dress so short it showed off her long legs. Her wings were different colors, woven in an intricate Celtic knot pattern. The tiny women curtsied, then turned back into bugs and flew away.

“
Wow . . .” I could not look away from the window. “That’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen.”

Elwin
was standing behind me with his hands on my shoulders. I felt safe as I leaned on him and rested the back of my head on his muscular chest. He sharply sucked in a little breath and hesitantly reached around me, clasping his hands together in front of my bellybutton. I wondered if I made him as nervous as he made me. The embrace felt so nice that I took a small breath and closed my eyes, enjoying how our bodies fit together. His breath was a little heavier than normal. I wondered what would happen if I turned around to face him. Would he kiss me, or politely pull away?

“
So you must be Elwin!” a voice blurted out. I jerked out of Elwin’s arms, turning around so fast that I almost tripped. Elwin caught me as I met my mother’s eyes from across the room. She put her purse down on the table by the door and moved toward the kitchen where we were standing.

“
Mom, this is Elwin. Elwin, Mom.” I tried not to look too guilty. After all, I hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Elwin,”
Mom said as she nodded her head in his direction. “I hear we have some issues to discuss.” She waited until he nodded back before walking over to the coffee pot. “Coffee smells good,” she said as she poured herself a cup.

“
Why don’t you go and get the crystals, Sarette. I have a feeling they’re much more interesting now that there are two of them.” She spoke calmly, walked over to the table and sat down. “Elwin, please sit down.” She motioned toward the place in front of his abandoned half-cup of coffee. He cautiously accommodated her request. I stood there in awe. I had never seen her so businesslike. “Sarette?” Mom snapped. “The crystals?”

Without
further hesitation, I took the stairs three at a time. As I reached the top, I heard my mom say, “So, is there news of my husband, the king?” A twinge of melancholy tugged at my heart. She knew more about my dad than she had revealed to me. I mentally unchecked the box next to “always be honest with me” on the trust meter and quickly grabbed the crystals off my bed. They were opaque and looking normal again. To be safe, though, I made sure they were apart—I didn’t want to accidentally travel to another realm or plane of existence.

Hurrying
back down the stairs, I rounded the corner of the kitchen just in time to hear Elwin say, “I’m sorry if this is a shock, the queen kept the change of plans from Roland too. Daearen has grown more unstable and Queen Paige is ill. She fears she will not be strong enough to pass on the crown if we wait until next summer like you and Roland agreed to.”

Elwin
looked at me as I sat down, and I felt my face flush with betrayal, anger and curiosity. I looked at my mom, and my eyes started to fill with tears. “You’ve been lying to me my entire life.”

“
No,” she clarified, “I’ve been omitting parts. We wanted you to have as much normalcy as possible, for as long as possible. What your father and I had was an once-in-a-lifetime thing—destiny. But we couldn’t continue to be together. It wasn’t my fault, or your father’s; it was the fact that I am totally human and only those with fey blood may enter the fey realm. That’s why direct contact with humans is strictly forbidden by the fey. Your father was going to give up the fey kingdom so he could live here with you and me. He and I were completely in love and he didn’t care about being king. We were living our life, our way, and on our terms—at least for a while anyway. Then, one day, everything changed.” Mom’s eyes glazed with unshed tears. “Roland said he needed to leave. His father had died and a throne must have balance to be effective.” She paused and took a sip of coffee.

Elwin chimed in
. “If a realm in Daearen doesn’t have balance in all things, bad things happen here.”

“What kind of things?”

“Tornadoes, flash floods, tsunamis, those kinds of things.”

Mom
set down her cup and regained control of the conversation. “When the Spirit Fey throne was left unbalanced it didn’t create an event here, it created a void or darkness in Daearen, and there has been fighting within all the realms ever since that day. Sarette, when I told Roland that he was going to be a father, he wanted to come back, but I wouldn’t let him.”

“
Wait! You talk to him? How come I’ve never talked to him?” I was practically screaming. “You guys didn’t think I should know about this? I want to see my dad, now!” Tears were flowing down my face. I looked from Elwin to my mom. Elwin, his eyes cast downward, was kneading his hands together, and my mom sat there calmly. “I can’t do this!” I pushed out my chair and ran up the stairs. I reached my room and flung myself across my bed, burying my head in the pillows.

Elwin
came up the stairs and stood in the doorway. “Sarette,” he began, but I raised my hand.

“
Please don’t!” I lifted my head just enough so he could hear me but not see my face. “I need to process. I know it’s your job to get me to understand all this, but…” I took a deep breath. “…just give me time to think. Please.”

He wait
ed for a moment. “I need the crystals for now, so call me when you’re ready to talk.” I could hear movement behind me. He was probably doing the heart-fist-bow thing. “Goodbye, Princess.” He was gone. I put my head back down and cried myself to sleep.

I felt someone sit on my bed. I shot straight up and opened my eyes.

“
Mathew Michael Conner! You know better than to sneak up on me! People get hurt when they surprise someone in bed. You should know that.”

“
What people?” He chuckled. “Who, besides me, would be brave enough to walk in on you?” His face grew serious when I raised my head.  “Have you been crying? Is it that guy you met? Did this college dude already turn into a dick? Where can I find him? I got your back.” He made an over-exaggerated angry face, trying to make me smile. It didn’t work. “Seriously, I hate seeing you upset. What’s wrong?”

“
No, nothing like that. The guy, Elwin, is amazing. I wish it was a guy thing; it would be easier to fix. I had a fight with my mom. Elwin was here and witnessed it. He was sweet and wants me to call him when I’m feeling up to it.”

“
You had a fight with Mom? You never fight with her. Was it about Elwin? Elwin is a strange name.” He pulled my hair, like he used to when we were six years old.

“
Owww! What was that for?”

“
So, about the fight . . .” Mathew waited. I didn’t know how much to tell him, or if this was even the best time to spill the beans. “You probably need to process all this before we talk, huh?”

I nod
ded. He got up and headed toward the door. “I’ve got a date with Steph tonight, but I will cancel if you need me. You know that, right?” I nodded my head again. “I’m here for whatever you need.”

As I listened to his footsteps fading down the stairs,
I felt a stab of pain in the middle of my chest. If I went to the fey realm, I would have to leave Mathew behind. Mom, too. I was completely pissed off at her, but I didn’t want to leave her. And what about Mama? It’s always been the four of us. They are the only family I knew, and I’d have to leave them and go to some unfamiliar place and be with people I’d never even met. I rolled over onto the bed, squeezed my Hello Kitty pillow, and stared at the spot where the crystals had been sitting.

I didn’t
bother to wipe the tears cascading down my face as I fell back to sleep.

Nine

I awoke at 8:02 p.m
. and realized I had screwed myself into not sleeping that night. I could process all the new family history I’d just gotten, or I could call Elwin. I sat up and looked to the east. What time was it in la-la land anyway? Do they observe Eastern Standard Time? I went downstairs to the bathroom where a look in the mirror confirmed that I was a disheveled mess. I washed my face, freshened up, and discarded my wrinkled clothing. I ran back upstairs wrapped in a towel and donned a clean pair of jeans and a strapless baby doll top. I could always put a jacket on if I got cold. I quickly brushed through my hair, twisted it up, and clipped it in place. I slid into my strapped black flats and felt ready. I went to the balcony door, faced the east, and called for Elwin. It was only a second before he materialized in front of me. I opened the door and motioned for him to come inside.

“You look nice all dressed up. G
ot a big date?” He walked past me, grabbed my desk chair, turned it around, and straddled it in one fell swoop. I shut the door and leaned back on it, crossing my arms to mimic his normal stance. I can’t smize though; he definitely has me beat on that skill.

“
No date—I’ve been crying and sleeping all day. I’m up for doing something, though. I’m not sure what; I just need to get out of my head for a little while. Also, it took me all of five minutes to get ready. I am in no way, shape, or form dressed up. You won’t be able to miss me when I’m dressed up.”

“
I have no doubt.” Elwin paused before he reached in his right jacket pocket and took out one of the amazonite crystals. It was the one my mom had kept all these years. He placed it on the desk and retrieved the other one from his pocket. He stood up and reached into his front pocket of his button-down shirt. I caught myself staring at his chest and averted my eyes. “I made something for you. I think you’ll find it convenient. Turn around,” he said as he made a twirling motion with his hand, “and close your eyes.”

I respond
ed without protest and closed my eyes tight. I felt like a little kid waiting for a surprise at her birthday party. I could feel Elwin’s luscious energy swirling around me. I was startled and a chill ran up my spine when a cold object touched my skin near my heart. His fingers lightly touched the back of my neck and I felt him clasp a necklace. He left his warm hands on my shoulders and spoke into my ear, “You can open your eyes now.”

“
Wow, this is so beautiful.” I looked at my reflection in the mirror, drinking in every detail. It was a thick silver rope chain made up of Celtic knots, one leading and turning into the next. The pendant resting on my breastbone had two pieces of my amazonite crystal. One side was a darker green with the white stripes and swirls, and the other side was a lighter, creamier green taken from the other side of the crystal. Both pieces were cut and shaped to resemble a yin-yang sign, however, it stretched into the shape of an oval rather than a circle. A simple two-strand, one in gold and one in silver, Celtic knot pattern framed the oval. I turned around and looked up at him appreciatively. “Thank you, it’s so beautiful.”

He swallow
ed hard. His hands, still resting on my upper arms, felt really warm. Looking up at him, I stood perfectly still, hoping he might kiss me. I was afraid to breathe for fear that it might cause this moment to end. Then, a sudden wave of nervousness and anxiety overcame me, and I had to look away.

“
You made this?”

“Uh huh.”

“You’re such an artist.” I lifted the pendant from my chest, smoothing my thumb over the surface, much like one might rub a worry stone. “Why are both pieces from my crystal?”

“That’s how it works,
two pieces from the same crystal. Mine is also made from yours. I haven’t figured out why touching your crystal to your mother’s worked.”

“So how does
this
one work?”

“I put in a hidden latch so you can wear them at the same time and not
have to keep one in your pocket. When you unlatch it, you can move the two pieces together and it will physically take you to the same place we were yesterday. If you sleep with the bigger piece nearby, your physical body will stay, but your spirit will enter the same location in the dream realm.”

He moved
his right hand from my arm and trailed his fingers across my rib cage, sending a warm quiver down my spine. I wondered if there was such a thing as a poisonous fey; I felt paralyzed by a sensuous exchange of energy as his hand covered my hand that was still holding the pendant. He then reached under my chin and raised my head to meet him eye to eye. This created the most intensely erotic sensation that I had ever experienced. I felt powerless to resist, and every cell in my body was begging him to caress me. His eyes looked hungry as our gazes locked. Then, I saw something momentarily flicker in his eyes. He gave a disappointed smile and took a small step back, removing his hands from my arm and chin. I suddenly felt cold.

“
First test,” he said, clearing his throat, “is to see if you can find the latch.”

I look
ed down quickly and blinked, hoping he would not see the tears that had begun to swell at his rejection. I thumbed the pendant, searching for a discernible difference in the surface, but felt no edges indicating where a latch might be hidden. I started visually scanning it. One small loop in the silver strand of the Celtic knot was turned a different way from the others, so I flicked it gently with my thumbnail. Nothing happened, so I pressed in lightly. The center of the symbol split apart and the two crystals hinged so the backs were touching. I looked up with a victorious grin.

“
Maybe I’m losing my touch,” he said. “That took you all of ten seconds to figure out.”

“It’s so pretty. How did you make it?”

“
I can’t take all the credit. Your mother cut and shaped the crystals for me and I built the pendant at home.”

“
So how does it work? The stones touched, but I didn’t go to the dream place.”

“In this position,
the halves are not quite touching.” He pointed between the two pieces and I took a closer look. “To travel, you have to squeeze the two sides together. But, not now!” he cautioned.

He
sat back down, straddling the chair as before, and hunched toward me with his arms clasped on the back.

“
Do you know what their story is—my mom and dad?”

“That’s not my story to tell.”

“If I ask Mom about her story, how do I know she will tell me the truth? The
whole
truth! I am supremely pissed off with her, super confused, and trying to keep my wits about me. She has been lying to me my entire life. Oh, wait. No, she’s just
omitting
things. Part of the prep work for anything I do is research. I need facts. I’ll get nothing out of talking to my mom.” I sat down cross-legged on my bed and put my Hello Kitty pillow on my lap. “Start talking, Knight Boy.”

Startled by my insistence for details, Elwin stammer
ed. “Your mother has a crystal so she can spend her dreams with your dad.”

“Why did she keep me from him?”

“It’s really not like that. Your mom couldn’t have introduced you to him. The crystal is for
her
connection. You mother and father are connected, joined as husband and wife, mates. No matter how much he loves you, he’s just not connected to you in the same type of relationship. Their crystal is
their
unique link, their connection.”

“
So, are you and I connected?” I blurted. “I mean, when you showed up we didn’t have any connection.”
And apparently we still don’t have one
. “So how does that work?”

“
We do have a connection,” he swallowed hard. “Your father has trained me for as long as I can remember to protect you, and I have been here since last May doing just that.”

“
You’ve been spying on me since last May? I feel so violated.”

“
I was not a peeping tom, Sarette. I wasn’t peering in your windows or stalking you. I’ve been close by in case there was a problem. There haven’t been any problems outside and you’ve always been very good about protecting yourself in here.” He spoke with his arm sweeping the room. “Your room has been a very safe place, thanks to the candles. Did your mom give them to you?”

“
No, I bought them in town.” 

Elwin
seemed surprised. “How did you know how to cast a protection spell on your house? I couldn’t get within five feet of it.”

“
I’ve never cast a spell. The most I ever do is light my candles. It’s not like I’m up here, chanting and dancing naked in circles with my arms stretched toward the ceiling. It’s just me with a candle and a Bic lighter that I purchased for $1.99 at my local convenience mart.”

“
The queen sent word a week ago that the timing has been pushed up. I’ve been trying to reach you here ever since. The water candle kept me out, so I’m not too concerned that you haven’t got another one burning.”

“
So, what? A week ago you became a peeping tom?”

“Stop with the pervert stuff.
No, I didn’t peep. I could never make it close enough. Your protective circle was too strong. I needed a little help, so your grandmother came. I think you met her. She’s Paige, the one who brought the crystal to Visions for you to find.”

“
What? The little redheaded cutie? She was only five years old!”

“
She didn’t think you were ready to see her in her natural form, so she changed into something less imposing. Something ‘cute’, like you said.” Elwin shrugged. “You really didn’t do any ritual with the candles?” I shook my head no. “That’s remarkable.”

“
Why aren’t humans and fey allowed to be together?”

He raise
d his eyebrows a little bit. “It hasn’t always been that way. Long ago, it was very common for a fey to fall in love with a human. The fey only truly fall in love once, but humans cannot come to Daearen. Many fey left to stay with the ones they love here in this realm. Our ancestors soon realized that with so many fey in the earth realm, our magic had weakened in our own. When Daearen became unbalanced, things like massive earthquakes, cities being leveled with fire and brimstone, the sinking of Atlantis, and Tornado Alley happened here. It took many years of laws, strict rules, marriages, and alliances to bring Daearen back into perfect balance.”

“
And then my father left and the imbalance came back. Why would my father leave if so much was at stake?” I absentmindedly reached for my pendant, found the latch, and clicked it open and flat.

Elwin noticed. “
Totally losing my touch with the hidden clasp thing. It’s too easy. Maybe I’ve spent too much time here. My magic could be weak.”

“
Are you like a rechargeable battery?” I giggled. “Or, do you go back to fey land and say ‘up, up, Power Rangers!’ and morph into super fairies?” A picture popped in my head of Elwin holding a wand and springing up with wings and sparkles. It started as a giggle that turned into a laugh. I kept laughing, harder and deeper to the point that I couldn’t breathe. So hard that I started crying and couldn’t see. I could still hear, though, and Elwin was laughing as hard as I was. He leaned back and fell right out of the chair, which made both of us laugh even harder. We were laughing so loud that neither of us heard Mom coming up the stairs. I don’t even know how long she was there before she spoke.

“
I’m not thrilled about you having a boy in your room, but I am happy to see you laughing.” She leaned on the door jam with a hopeful look on her face. “Are you ready to talk?” She glanced at Elwin and said in an authoritative manner, “Alone.”

Elwin look
ed at me and I nodded. He stood up and walked to the balcony door. When he opened it, a cold breeze whipped into the room. He turned around and said, “I’m not exactly sure when we will be leaving. But when it is time, we will have to go, no matter where we are in our training. Please call me tomorrow. There’s much I have to teach you.” He closed the door behind him, and on his second step his outline blurred and he was gone. The room instantly began to warm and I felt different.
Just a crazy crush, right? Get over it, Sarette. Our connection is different. He was clear: you are his job.

I look
ed at my mom. “Ice cream?”

She smile
d and we headed downstairs.