"Her eyes are like the evening air, her voice is like a rose,
Her lips are like a lovely song, that ripples as it flows,
And she herself is sweeter than, the sweetest thing she knows.
A slender, haunting, twilight form, of wonder and surprise,
She seemed a fairy or a child, till, deep within her eyes,
I saw the homeward-leading star, of womanhood arise."
Hesper. By, Henry Van Dyke.
7
*Delicate Hearts
A young woman stood behind the door. She had bright white hair just like Calum's, pink eyes, and a skinny frame. She was wearing a floral dress and holding a white Persian cat with big yellow eyes. She checked Xana carefully from head to toe, then she craned her head back to stare at Michael. Both of them soaking wet, dripping water on the floor, looked back at her with wide eyes.
"Err... is Calum here?" Xana asked. Her long eyelashes dripping water on her cheeks and her hair plastered along her shoulders and down her back. Michael was shifting his weight from one foot to another. The girl looked at Xana and smiled a heartwarming smile. Then she reached out and touched the pendant under Xana's collarbone. Xana only stared. Something about the girl was comforting, but she wasn't exactly normal, Xana thought. Calum came from behind her running and skidded to a halt in front of Xana. "Emily, dear. Let's let them inside, shall we?" he said in a gentle tone as if talking to a child. She turned around without a word, still carrying the cat in her arms. Xana gave Calum a suspicious look and went to the living room. Michael was on her heels, smirking. He laid the boy on the couch and shook his head to drip the water from his hair. Calum looked wistfully at his Persian carpet, where Xana and Michael were destroying it with muddy boots and dripping rain, then at the boy lying on his expensive velvet couch, which was now smeared with dirt and blood. "Is that a vampire?" he asked, pointing a tall finger at the boy and moving closer to the couch. "Yeah. I found him in an alley." Xana said matter-of-factly. "What she means is she found a group of vamps. Sure, they were his clan beating him up, and she decided to take him from them and save his sorry life. If you can call it a life." Michael said and made air quotes. He sounded annoyed, but Xana ignored his tone. "I never saw a vampire so gray. Calum, what can you do?" Xana was standing beside the couch, looking down at the boy. A hissing sound made her turn around. The cat was hissing at Michael, who pretended that the cat wasn't there. "He needs blood. See how his veins are visible?" Calum indicated the blue and black veins on the boy's neck. "I'm not hunting for him." Michael said and shooed the cat.
"Don't be silly, Oakstaff. Go and dry yourself before you start leaking on the neighbors." Xana said, without looking at him. She wasn't mad at him. It was natural for him to dislike the vampire. But she wasn't in the mood for his snide comments. The vampire boy looked vulnerable and small. He reminded her of Adam. She felt a pang deep down between her ribs and a wave of sympathy towards the both of them. "There's a lady in the house and I don't want to startle her." Said Michael, who was suddenly amused. He wriggled his eyebrows at Calum.
"Speaking of which, I hope we didn't spoil your evening." Xana turned, a sly grin on her face, trying hard to conceal and overcome the sad feeling that was rising inside of her. "Emily is my sister. My twin." Calum said, looking at the floor. Both Xana and Michael stared at him for a while. Michael finally decided to get up and head to the bathroom, dripping more water on Calum's expensive Persian carpets and wooden floors. "You never told me you have a sister. Not to mention a twin. I thought warlocks…"
Calum cut her off gently, "There was no chance. And Emily is …. special. You will see for yourself. And we can have sisters and brothers, humans of course and in my case, Emily is a warlock like me."
"I can see that she is, and that's what I meant by a warlock sister. But I guess being your twin explains it." "We must contact Edward. He will have what the boy needs." Calum said and turned to get his phone.
The boy stirred and opened his eyes. Xana went even closer to him. He looked at Xana and flinched. "I didn't do anything." He said in a weak voice. Xana never thought that vampires could sound so weak. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you." Xana said gently, trying to comfort him. "But you are a Slayer." He said and threw his head back. He was unable to lift his head for long. "I don't walk around chopping heads for fun. If you didn't do anything wrong, you have nothing to fear."
Calum returned. "Edward will portal here now and he will get what he needs." Xana moved away from the couch and whispered to Calum, "What type of blood is he going to get?"
"Animal blood, of course. You think I would allow such violation of the law?" Calum sounded hurt. "No. Of course, you won't." Xana assured him. "Did you really take him from his clan? I thought you knew better than that. You can't claim him unless he commits a crime." "They were beating him up for a reason. And I was curious." She smirked at Calum, who shook his head. "That won't be the end of it." Calum said in a warning tone. Emily suddenly appeared beside Xana as if she had emerged from thin air. "The child is wet." She said in a gentle voice and touched Xana's hair. Usually, Xana would protest if someone called her a child. But the way Emily was looking at her made her suppress that desire. Those pink eyes were odd, but sweet and warm. Xana only smiled at her.
"Yes, dear, I'll get her some towels." Calum said to his sister in the same soft tone. "No. I'll take care of her." Emily said and grabbed Xana's arm gently and guided her toward the bedrooms. Calum was about to protest, but Xana shook her head and gave him a smile, assuring him that it was okay. She jerked her chin toward the couch, and Calum nodded.
Emily's room was full of dresses scattered everywhere. Silly looking dresses, Xana thought, satin and silk and taffeta and even velvet, and the colors. Xana couldn't even look at the girly colors, pink, bright yellow, violet and not to mention the floral ones. She hoped Emily wouldn't give her a dress to wear instead of her wet jeans and top. She would never put such a thing on, even if she had to walk in her wet clothes for the rest of the night. The dresser was full of perfume bottles and hairbrushes and colorful hairbands. Everywhere you looked, you saw toys. Xana wondered if those were her toys as a child, since warlocks couldn't have babies. Emily guided Xana to the bathroom in her bedroom, gave her some towels, and to Xana's horror, a pink satin dress. "Umm... do you have anything other than a dress? You know, like jeans and a T-shirt?" Xana asked and immediately regretted it. Emily looked disappointed and hurt. She took the dress and hurried towards the cupboard. She came back carrying a large T-shirt and old-looking cotton pants. Xana took them and went to the shower. Xana didn't realize how tired she was until now. The hot water dripped over her cold wet hair, washing away the rain from it. Her stiff muscles relaxed and her eyes closed. She wished she could stay under the water for hours. It cleared her head of the sight of Adam's injured small body, the weak vampire lying on the couch a few feet from her, Alston's troubles with his father, and the lack of sleep that made her head hurt. A dazzling smile filled her thoughts. Jamie's smile. She was glad she got to know his name, to hear his lovely voice and his music. And the way he….
A knock on the door snapped her out of her reverie. She hastily went out from under the shower, dried herself, and put on the clothes Emily had given her. She made a face at herself after checking how she looked in the mirror. Emily's clothes were not her size. The girl was taller than she was. She had to fold the pants, otherwise, she would step on the hems. And the T-shirt reached above her knees. At least it was better than that horrible pink dress. She nearly stumbled on Emily, who was right behind the bathroom door. "Cal needs you outside." She said and went to sit by her dresser, collecting a wooden brush and slowly brushing her bright hair and humming softly to herself. "Cal!" Xana whispered to herself before she strode out of the room.
***
The scene in the living room was chaos. Calum standing near the couch, palms out and shouting. Edward holding some silver vials, waving them in the air, his tail shaking anxiously, and behind him was red-haired, blue-eyed Johnny, shaky and pale as ever, clutching the back of Edward's shirt. Even the cat was under the coffee table, hissing. The vampire boy was against the wall beside the fireplace, shaking and showing his fangs. "Get these away from me. I have done nothing." The vampire hissed and clutched the side of the fireplace. "This is the blood you need, boy." Edward's booming voice came out steady despite the shaky tail. "LIAR, that is holy water." The vampire hissed again. "Do you really think we need holy water to kill you? We are warlocks." Calum shouted, a bit angry now. Xana didn't stop to think. She heard Michael's footsteps echoing at the end of the corridor. She darted towards the terrified vampire and stood between him and the wary warlocks. Michael appeared a second later, looking dangerous and irritated. He was wearing one of Calum's pants, which was so short and so tight on his muscular body and he had no shirt on. His wolves' tattoos on his forearms and upper arms standing out and his hair was still soaking wet and falling in his eyes. The 'beati bellicosi' tattoo under his left collarbone almost shining under the water drops from his hair. "What is going on here?" he demanded angrily. The second he saw the vampire baring his fangs, his eyes turned blazing silver, and he was about to phase. "Stay where you are, Michael," Xana ordered Michael, who stood still, looking from Xana to the vampire and back. "Everyone, just stay where you are," she ordered everyone this time, and they obeyed. No one dared to not do as ordered when she spoke in that tone. "Edward, hand me those vials and all of you get back." She said in a less demanding tone. Edward did as he was told and retreated to where Michael was standing, Johnny still clutching him, was retreating rather clumsily. Calum lowered his hands and went to stand beside them as well. The vampire boy collapsed to the floor, eyeing all of them with horror. "I didn't do anything. Please, I don't want to die." He said to Xana, who was approaching him slowly. "Nobody wants to kill you. Here," she assured him and threw him one of the vials. He snatched it and opened it hastily, took one sniff, and instantly drank the whole thing. Then slowly he stood up and took a few steps toward Xana. Michael tensed and both Calum and Edward grabbed his arms, stopping him from leaping forward and slitting the boy's throat. Xana handed the boy the rest of the vials and he drank all of them. His black veins started disappearing and his ivory skin started gaining its color. Xana left him to collapse again on the couch and headed toward Michael and the others. Michael's eyes were blazing with anger. Calum looked calm, Edward wasn't comfortable and Johnny was clearly terrified. "What happened?" Xana asked.
"I walked out of the portal and he jumped up and started hissing and accusing me of carrying holy water." Edward told Xana while trying to make Johnny loosen his grip on the back of his shirt, but Johnny refused to let go. "He thought I brought him here to kill him as well. I say we leave him to rest before we ask him what's his story is. I want to know why the others were beating him." Xana said. "Do you have any idea what you just did?" Michael startled Xana with his tone. Rage was radiating from his face and clenched fists. He locked his gaze with hers. Calum retreated to the corridor. Edward dragged Johnny and stood by one of the windows.
"I'm sorry, Mikey. I know how you must be feeling now and …" Xana said in an apologetic tone but Michael cut her off sharply. "You never think, Xana. You just leap forward, risking your life every time and you never learn. He could have killed you. You can't trust a vampire." Anger was radiating from his blazing eyes.
"Michael, I'm sorry. Please don't be angry with me." Xana grabbed his arm and looked up at him hopefully, trying to achieve her best puppy eyes. Michael closed his eyes and inhaled slowly. He said without opening his eyes, "I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at the crazy things you do." Xana tiptoed and reached to push his wet hair away from his face. "Do you really think one weak vamp can kill me? That's insulting," Michael opened his eyes and gave her a smile.
"I need your help. We have to ask him some questions and I need to get out of these clothes." Xana whispered. Michael looked at her clothes and laughed. "At least you were able to get into them. These pants are killing me and the shirt got torn when I tried to force it past my chest." Xana laughed and wondered if Calum went to check on Emily. Why didn't all that noise even interest her? After everyone had settled on a cozy armchair, Calum made tea for his guests. Xana and Michael decided it was time to talk to the vampire boy. Johnny chose to sit at the far end of the room, as far away as possible from the vampire, holding his steamy tea with slender shaky pale fingers.
"I'm Daniel, and those were my clan. I decided to leave, but they wouldn't let me. I escaped, and that was my punishment." The vampire said. "Why did you want to leave your clan?" Michael asked. "I never wanted to be in a clan or even be a vampire." Daniel said and lowered his head. "How long have you been a vampire?" Xana asked. "A while, before you were born." Daniel looked up at Xana. "Do you know who we are?" Michael asked him and straightened his back with a proud and superior look in his eyes. Michael was really proud of what he became. "The Slayers, every Downworlder knows who you are." Daniel said matter-of-factly. "Why did you think we were going to kill you?" Xana asked. "Because of what my clan does, they steal from mundanes." "Steal what?" Michael asked. "Money, house supplies, and jewelry." "That's all? They don't bite the humans?" Xana asked and raised one eyebrow. "They know what you would do to them if they did."
"Why didn't you go to Emrick Bendsteen? He is your leader." Xana asked the vampire and he shook his head.
"He wouldn't allow me to leave the clan. They don't like wandering vampires."
"Xana, a word," Michael gestured Xana to go to the corridor with him. "I don't trust him." Michael whispered. "I know you won't. But why would he lie?" Xana shrugged. "Seriously?" Michael asked incredulously. "Okay, I know the part where vampires can't be trusted, but look at him. He is so weak and they want to kill him." "We are not supposed to protect him; we are not bodyguards for God's sake. And stealing from mundanes is not in our mandate," Michael was getting annoyed. "You can't save everyone, you know." Xana ran both her hands through her hair and took a deep breath. "I know, but I can't just throw him back out there. He did nothing wrong." "Yet." Michael said.
***
Xana agreed with Calum to let the boy spend the night at his apartment. Calum said he would cast a protection spell around the vampire room and he wouldn't be able to get out until the spell was broken. He wasn't so happy about letting a vampire stay at his house, but he always trusted Xana's judgment. He even teased that she owed him big time now. Edward portaled back to his place along with Johnny, after promising to bring the boy more vials tomorrow, and Emily didn't leave her room, which Xana thought was strange, but she was too tired to think about everything that was happening.
***
"Where are you going?" Michael asked Xana when she didn't go to her room in the sanctuary. "I want to check on Adam. He was asking about me." Xana said and stood before Adam's door. "It's too late. He must be sleeping and you need to sleep too." Michael tried to reason with her. "I won't be long." Xana assured him. Michael shook his head and went to his room. Xana cracked the door open slowly and peeked inside. Adam was sitting on the windowsill in the dim light. The room was lit by a bedside lamp. He looked different after resting and taking a bath. His curly blond hair wasn't plastered with dirt and blood anymore. Instead, it fell on his forehead and almost covered his eyes. His blue-gray eyes looked dark in the dim light. He bent his knees and rested his chin on them. Xana stepped inside and closed the door behind her. Adam looked at her and blinked. Obviously, he was deep in his thoughts. He didn't hear Xana stepping inside. Xana smiled at him. "Hey Adam. How are you feeling?" she asked gently and leaned against the wall beside the window. Adam looked at her clothes before he answered and Xana remembered that she hadn't changed out of Emily's clothes. "I'm all right, I guess," Adam said, but he didn't smile back at her. "I know about my parents. Sam told me." "I'm so sorry. If there's anything I can do, just tell me." Xana touched his hand lightly. "I want to know who killed them. I want to know exactly what happened and why." He said and locked his gaze with Xana's gaze. She nodded. He was so young, but his tone was determined and final.
"I'll do all I can to help you, I promise you," Xana assured him. "But right now, I need you to go to bed. It's late and you must rest." Her tone was a bit demanding. She led Adam to his bed and made him promise her that he would sleep. "Xana," Adam called, and Xana stopped before opening the door. "Thank you." Xana turned and gave him a big smile before she went out of the room. She leaned against the wall in the corridor and ran both her hands through her hair. She was beyond tired now. She was drained, both physically and mentally. She decided to talk to Fenris the first thing in the morning to be part of investigating Adam's family murder, and she must find a place for Daniel, where he would be safe. Instead of heading to her room, she went to Michael's room. She found him sprawled on his bed. She sat beside him and whispered. "Mikey, are you sleeping?" he didn't answer. She knew when Michael was sleeping, there was no point in waking him up. He slept like a rock. She decided to go to her room finally.
***
The sky never looked so blue before and Xana never wanted to stare at the sky like that before, either. That shade of blue was so captivating, so alluring, and it was absorbing all of Xana's senses. She wanted to be lost in those blue patches forever, but it wasn't the sky, not really. Those blue patches were Jamie's eyes. Those luminous blue eyes were haunting her. Xana couldn't get them out of her mind. But when she reached out to touch Jamie's face, his eyes dimmed and lost their glow. And the more she tried to reach him, the more his eyes changed and his face turned into a blur. Xana wanted to scream, to run faster and hold him, to cure him and keep him close, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't reach him and he kept drifting away from her reach, falling into the darkness. "Xana, Xana. You are dreaming." Alston said in an urgent tone. Xana sat bolt upright, blinking in the sunlight. The sheets twisted around her and her hair was a complete mess. "Alston?" she whispered in confusion.
"You looked like you were having a nightmare. Are you okay?" Alston sounded concerned. "Yeah, I think so," Xana said and threw herself back on the bed. "When did you get here?"
"A little while ago, everyone is waiting for you in the dining room for breakfast."
"Where were you yesterday? Is everything all right with your father?" Xana asked while covering her eyes with her hand. The sun was too bright. "Not quite." Alston replied. He sounded worried and sad. Xana sat up again, untangled the sheet around her, and searched Alston's face. "What is it this time?" she asked. "I think we should discuss this later." Alston said and went to look out the window. He looked immaculate as always, not a single hair out of its place. The fey folk couldn't lie and that's why Xana knew it was something big and Alston didn't want to share it yet. "Sure, as you like, I'll just change and go down." Xana watched him leave her room before she headed for her bathroom and grabbed the first clean jeans and T-shirt she could find.
Fenris, Sam, Billy, Michael, Alston, Mark, Simon, and Adam were at the table. Arthur was hovering around them with pancakes and scrambled eggs. A large pot of steaming coffee was in the middle of the table. Jam, butter, cheese, and honey, were also on the table. The room was bright with sunlight. Xana's pixies were hovering over everyone's heads.
Fenris was at the head of the table, busy reading a newspaper. Sam and Billy were talking about local football teams. The twins were trying to convince Adam to put jam on his eggs and dip them in coffee. Michael and Alston were both silent and busy eating.
"Good morning." Xana said, and everyone greeted her. She took her usual seat between Michael and Alston. She reached straight for her coffee and Arthur put a large amount of scrambled eggs on her plate. Michael automatically put ketchup on her eggs and took the container back. He liked his food soaked with ketchup, which Alston considered disgusting. Michael leaned against Xana and whispered, "Today should be interesting. I just can't wait to see Alston's face when he sees what you left at Calum's." His tone, as usual, was teasing and amused. Xana elbowed him and said to Adam. "Don't trust the twins."
"Are eggs and jam mixed together and dipped into coffee a typical werewolf breakfast, and do they enhance the smell?" Adam asked Xana and Michael snorted. "No Adam, it's not. They are being silly as usual," she said gently to him. "Mark, Simon, stop monopolizing the kid." She said in a fake, angry tone. She couldn't ever be angry at the twins.
"I'm thirteen." Adam said in a small voice. "You're still a kid. Enchanted creatures don't have the term for teenagers. You become an adult at eighteen." Sam said matter-of-factly. Adam looked puzzled, and Xana felt sorry for him. Sam's tone wasn't his usual friendly one. Something was bothering him, and she wanted to know what it was. After breakfast, Fenris told Arthur to take Adam for a tour in the sanctuary, and then he told the rest of them to gather in his office. "Mark and Simon discovered evidence in the kidnapper's house. I think he is the one who killed Adam's parents. There was a gun in his bedroom and when I matched the gun type with the police reports about the bullets, they found in the bodies, I found out it was the same kind for that gun." Fenris said. Sitting behind his oak desk, a lot of papers and notes were scattered on the desk and one file caught Xana's eyes. It had the words 'Scotland Yard' written on the cover. Obviously, it was an official police file, but how did Fenris get hold of it? Xana wondered and intended to ask Fenris about it later.
"Why did he kill them? Did you find out?" Michael asked his father. "As far as we know, there's no connection between Liam Hunt, that's the kidnapper, and Adam's parents. He wasn't a relative or a friend or even a colleague. But we will investigate more and I will contact the packs to find out more about Liam Hunt." Fenris replied, and sat back in his chair. He looked tired. "If there's no connection, do you think it was random? I mean, taking Adam and chaining him that way makes you think it was revenge." Xana asked. "We have to consider all the possibilities." Fenris replied and tried to arrange the piles of papers in front of him. "I want to be part of the investigation." Xana said. "There's no need. You already have a lot on your hands." Fenris smiled at her. "No. I promised Adam I would help. I have to do this for him." Xana pleaded with Fenris.
"Very well, just because you already promised the kid." Fenris, clearly, was too tired to argue with her, especially when he knew there was no point. "Or because, you know, she will do it anyway." Billy gave Xana a grin. "And that too." Fenris admitted. "Michael, Alston, are you in with me?" she turned to look at the boys. Sam looked distracted. Billy and the twins were grinning at her. Michael and Alston nodded. Xana smiled her most confident smile.
"I'll let you know when you can do something." Fenris assured Xana. Everyone left the room. Xana told Michael and Alston to wait for her in the back garden. She waited in the corridor for Sam, who appeared after a little while, walking slowly with his head down. He was even startled when Xana called for him. "Are you okay? Is everything all right with Haley?" Xana asked and looked into his black eyes, trying to figure out what was wrong. "What makes you think something is wrong, kiddo?" he teased her and ruffled her hair. But Xana knew better. He was just trying to hide something. "I'm eighteen, an adult just like you, and I'm sure something is bothering you." Xana ran a hand through her hair to arrange it back. "I'm a man, actually, not just an adult, and you are still a girl." Sam teased her. Xana put her hands on her hips and said in a defiant tone. "Sam Elijah Oakstaff, if you don't tell me now what's wrong, I'll take out my phone and call Haley."
"No, please don't. AAAH, all right. But don't tell anyone just yet, okay?" Sam was almost whispering, and Xana nodded. "I'm going to propose to Haley." "But that's great news. Why are you looking like this then?"
"I'm not sure if she will say yes." Sam shrugged and stared at his shoes. "You are joking, right?" Xana asked incredulously, "You have been together for three years now and you love each other. Haley is probably wondering why you haven't popped the question yet." "You think so?" Sam looked at her with wide black eyes. He looked so much like Accalia. He really wasn't sure, Xana thought, and felt sorry for him. "I'm confident. Go and tell her so I can tease you by saying 'I told you so' for the next ten years." Xana gave him a wink. "I have planned for everything, a candlelit dinner and a proper proposal with a beautiful ring. Here, see." He took out a small box from his pocket, opened it and inside it was a beautiful ring, a heart-shaped diamond. "That's beautiful, Sam." Xana assured him. He put the box back in his pocket. "I'll do it tonight." His eyes were glowing. "I'll wait for the good news." Xana said with a confident smile.
***
Xana meant to go to the garden to meet the boys, but she found Adam staring at one of the paintings in the sanctuary entrance. She walked toward him instead. When he saw her, he turned to face her. His hands were in his pockets and he was wearing clothes that fit him. Billy must have brought him some of his clothes when he was investigating his parents' house. He looked so young, yet his eyes looked old and tired. No thirteen-year-old should look like this. His curly hair was covering his forehead. He didn't exactly smile at Xana, but she sensed he was pleased to see her. "You don't look like your dad, but your wolf is very cool. Where are you keeping him?" Adam asked Xana, and she blinked. "Where have you seen my father and I don't have a wolf? Who told you this?" Xana suspected that the twins had something to do with it. "Mark and Simon told me that this is your father and that is your pet." He pointed at the painting in front of him.
"I'm going to have a serious talk with those two. That's not my father, Adam. That's Lucian Wolf, the 'Primus Lupus' it means he was the first werewolf, and that is Edon, he is like the king of the wolves, the normal wolves, you know. The legend said that the vampires had gone mad and were killing humans in large numbers and they weren't able to defend themselves. Edon came to Lucian one night and bit him, then stayed with him until he phased and even showed him how to fight. Some elder werewolves believe that Edon's pack fought along with Lucian for a while until the numbers of the werewolves increased and they were able to fight the vampires and keep the balance of the world. Edon, of course, bit some of Lucian's friends and turned them into werewolves, and those were the first werewolf families, the first warriors against the forces of evil. All their descendants were born with the ability to phase at the age of twelve like Fenris and all his sons." Xana told Adam while staring at the painting of the tall, broad man standing beside a white large wolf with aquamarine eyes. "And there are other werewolves who turn because they were bitten." Adam said and looked at the floor. Xana took a moment before she replied. "That doesn't make you any less than all of them. You will find that werewolves don't have those silly ideas about pure blood. Every werewolf is a warrior and you are all equals. You just need some training and you can join any pack you choose." "Can I stay in your pack?" Adam asked and looked up into Xana's eyes with an open expression. "You mean Fenris's pack. I don't have a pack," Xana said and saw the confused look on his face. Then she remembered that he didn't know what she was. She was sure the twins must have invented something wicked. "I'm a fairy, Adam. I'm not a werewolf."
Adam took his hands out of his pockets and pushed his hair away from his eyes and blinked. "Fairies are real?" he eyed Xana from head to toe, trying to find any fairy feature. "But you don't look like one." "I'm sure you are thinking of Tinker Bell." Xana threw her hands in the air. Adam nodded. "I never thought that fairies wore jeans."
"This fairy does, wanna see something cool?" Xana asked him in an amused tone, and he nodded. She took a step backward and smiled then made her wings appear. Adam gasped and moved closer to touch Xana's wings and she let him. "They are so soft," he was all wide-eyed and amazed. He was only a bit shorter than Xana but he reached up trying to reach the very top of her wings. "Are there others like you?" he finally asked after stepping back and he stopped touching her wings.
"Fairies, yes, like me, no. My wings are special and no other fairy has them and so are my powers. I can kill demons because I have a special light within me and I can move objects around," Xana tried to sound casual, but it didn't work. Adam was beyond amazed. He was dumbfounded. Xana guessed there was no casual or easy way to tell anyone about the enchanted world and all its wonders, and especially a unique wonder like herself. "You know, Alston is an elf." Adam scratched his cheek where the ugly scar was healing. "I know about elves. I thought his ears were strange but I know why now."
"Let me just tell you this: all the stories are true. Most mythical creatures are real and live all around you and everybody else. The world is not just what you think it is, it's so much more beyond your imagination. But being who you are now will help you see it as it really is, to see the reality of everyone and not the glamor they put to blend in. There's a lot you need to learn first, but you don't have to worry. All of us will help you. Just don't believe everything the twins say, okay!" Xana said and waited patiently for his reply. He laughed and Xana was proud of herself at that moment. She was able to ease his grief, even for a little bit. "I don't think I'll take most of what they say seriously." He said and smiled before he told Xana he would go to wander around for a while and maybe watch TV.
***
The sky was gray and filled with heavy clouds. Xana missed sunny days. It had been mostly cloudy and rainy lately, but that was how it was in London. She grabbed a black fleece jacket on her way out to the garden. Michael was throwing his knives at one of the trees and Alston was sitting on the grass, cleaning one of his arrows.
"Come on, boys. We have to go to Calum's." Xana said, not meeting Alston's questioning eyes. Michael smirked at her and she lifted her hand and made Michael's knife fly from the tree trunk into her palm. Xana threw the knife to Michael and shot him a warning look. No need to tell Alston just yet about what she left in Calum's apartment last night. Michael caught the knife, jammed it in his jeans, and was ready to go. "Do we have a mission there?" Alston asked, putting the arrow inside the leather quiver and zipping it shut. He kept the bow in a leather bag similar to art supplies bags. "Not exactly. You will see when we get there." Xana replied, still not meeting his curious eyes. The three of them rode in the Mustang. Michael didn't enjoy leaving his Harley behind, but it wasn't fun getting all soaked on rainy days, either.
***
Calum was as calm and friendly as ever. He greeted all of them and led them to the living room. Xana stalked to the kitchen, and Calum followed her. "How is our guest?" Xana asked in a whisper. "He is just fine. I warded his room, and he was unable to leave. Edward dropped more vials just before you arrived." Calum said casually.
"Good. Thank you, Calum. I know I asked for a huge favor, but you are the only one I can trust in such a situation." Xana was grateful, but there was a glint of anxiety in her voice and Calum caught it and immediately assured her. "It's all right, my child. I still think you did the right thing, despite any consequences." Calum patted her arm lightly and gave her a huge smile. Xana made a silly face. "My child! I'm eighteen Calum."
Calum laughed. "You will always be my child. Sometimes I can't believe how grown-up you are now; it feels like you were this chubby laughing baby only yesterday. I look at you now and I realize how much you have changed and matured and how much I'm proud of what you became." He said in his gentle tone, his eyes gleaming with pride. "Are you really? Sometimes I really doubt myself and second-guess my decisions. Do you really think I did the right thing with the boys? Alston especially and the crazy things I do every day, and Daniel?" Xana asked and hunched her shoulders, laced her fingers on the kitchen counter, and stared at them. Calum gave her a thoughtful look. Fairies didn't lie. She really wasn't sure. "What you did for the boys is remarkable. They became what they are now because of you and what you decided three years ago. Alston never wanted to be a knight in the first place, and the troubles with his father are not your fault. You brought a unique balance to the enchanted world. Your love united the separate and different creatures, and despite their diversity, they worked together. You taught them how to get along. Your love changed the ancient rules and made the feared possible. It brought new hope. Look at your team, it's a tremendous success. Tell me, where else have you seen an elf and a werewolf getting along like this? I know they annoy each other sometimes, but at the end of the day, they are friends and comrades. And it's all because of that heart of yours, delicate as it is, but also the most powerful heart I have ever seen. Such a unique ability to love all of us the same way, despite our differences, to give us your whole heart is something magical and rare. You even decided to save a vampire, knowing that it's not in your mandate. Don't ever underestimate yourself, child. I have never been proud of anyone the same way I'm proud of you." Calum said, looking at her with love and pride. Xana looked up and met his gaze. "I... will, that was ... you called me a child again." She said in a teasing way. Calum laughed. He knew Xana didn't like being complimented. Her cheeks turned scarlet and her mouth was shaped into a small, shy smile. "I have been meaning to ask you a favor, actually." Calum said. "Anything." Xana said, now looking serious. "I want you to talk to Aldora, make her come here and check Emily and see what she can do for her." Calum said while looking down at the counter. "Aldora!!" Xana raised an eyebrow. "But she is not a healer. She hasn't even worked in the infirmary before. You could always go to the Seelie Court. King Randall will never deny your request and the healers will be able to help her better, I don't think Aldora is the right one for this task." Xana looked intently at Calum. "Aldora is a Medela, healing powers are in her blood and she knows about the magical herbal remedies and I will assist her. I don't want to go to the Seelie Court because I want to keep it a private matter. If I went there everyone would know about Emily and I don't want that to happen. Please, will you do this for me?" Calum looked into Xana's eyes. His gray eyes looked troubled and worried. "Sure. I will send her a light message and if she agrees you can make a portal for her." Xana said and as she did, she saw something twinkle in Calum's eyes. "We can do it later today perhaps. For now, let us see to our special guest." He gave Xana a wink and she inhaled, straightened up, and headed to the living room. Xana sank into an armchair and waited for Calum to bring the vampire boy, preparing herself for Alston's tantrum when he saw the boy. Calum appeared after a few moments, the boy on his heels, silent and looking at the floor. Michael relaxed back in his chair and wriggled his eyebrows at Xana, who narrowed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him. Alston on the other hand, the moment he laid eyes on the boy, shot right up and clenched his fists. "Calum?" he asked and raised an eyebrow.
"Don't look at me. He is Xana's guest." Calum gave Xana an apologetic look, but an amused smile followed it. He sat near Michael and both of them were watching Xana intently, who shot them both a threatening look. Xana stood up and jammed her hands in her pockets. Daniel froze in his place, not sure where to go. Alston was glaring from Daniel to Xana and back. "Alston, this is Daniel. Daniel, this is Alston, the third Slayer." Xana said matter-of-factly. She didn't mean to scare Daniel, but he was looking terrified and swallowed hard visibly. He didn't meet Alston's eyes. Instead, he looked at Xana in a pleading way. Alston gave him a sneering look and turned his gaze to Xana. "Explain please, why do you have a vampire guest?" he said, emphasizing the word 'guest' mockingly.
"He was in trouble and he needed a place to stay." Xana said and looked at Calum and Michael, who were chuckling and she thought 'traitors.'
"What kind of trouble? Did he bite the wrong innocent mundane?" Alston demanded. "His clan wanted to kill him." Xana said. "That is not our concern." Alston said defiantly and took a step closer to Xana. Daniel flinched and stepped back, and in an instant, Michael was on his feet, growling. Alston drew a knife from his pocket and was pointing it at Daniel, who shrieked and staggered back. Calum was motionless in his chair, watching the four of them with curious eyes.
"STOP," Xana shouted and stretched her arms, separating the boys from Daniel, who was now on the floor, staring with horror at Michael and Alston. "Daniel, Alston wasn't going to hurt you. There's no need to be afraid of us." Xana assured the boy, who stood up slowly and nodded. Michael folded his arms across his chest, but Alston didn't put the knife away. He only lowered it.
"A word in private, please. You too Calum, if you would." Alston said, locking his gaze with Xana's. Calum stood up and headed for the corridor. Xana turned and followed him, Alston on her heels. "I know I owe you a good explanation, but first you need to calm down to think clearly." Xana told Alston gently and waited for a moment until he looked calm and put his knife away. "You did not have to help him and vampires cannot be trusted." Alston said and crossed his arms. "I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to. I needed to know why and investigate the matter further and see if they were doing any crimes that fall under our mandate." Xana said with confidence. Calum was looking at her with a smile on his face. Alston, still looking grim, asked, "And did you find any?" "No. His clan was stealing, but they didn't bite any mundanes."
Alston made a mocking noise and rolled his eyes. "You agreed to keep the vampire in your house. I thought you were wiser than this, Calum." He said, giving Calum an accusing look. "I can handle one terrified vampire, dear boy. And I trust her judgment." Calum said and clapped Xana on the shoulder. Xana gave him a grateful smile. "It's just a temporary solution until I find him a safe place. I need your help with this. You know I can't act without you beside me." Xana said, looking into Alston's green eyes. He unfolded his arms and ran a hand through his silver hair. "All right, but you alone will have to explain to Uriel if things go wrong." Alston said and headed back to the living room. Calum was laughing in amusement. "See how easily you can handle those two boys?" "I won't describe it as 'easily' more like 'barely'." Xana said and curled her lip.
"You made a werewolf carry a vampire and you get a fey prince to obey you, now that's real power." Calum said and clapped his hands once.
Before Xana could reply, there was an urgent knock on the door. Calum hurried to answer. Xana on his heels. The concierge stood at the threshold in his usual uniform. He was a mundane. "I have a message for you, Mr. Bennet." He handed Calum a golden envelope. His eyes were wide and curious. Calum flipped the envelope in his hand, but there was no name on it or any writing at all. "Thank you." He told the man and was about to close the door when Xana stepped beside Calum and held the door open. "Who gave you this?" Xana asked the concierge. "He didn't give me his name, Miss." The man said. "What did he look like?" Xana asked again. "I couldn't get a good look at him, Miss. He was in a car with black windows and he was wearing a hat and sunglasses and even black leather gloves, he handed me the envelope and said to deliver it to Mr. Bennet right away." the man replied and his eyes lingered on the golden envelope.
"That will be all, thank you." Calum said, and closed the door. "Who would send you a letter without a name?" Xana curiously asked Calum. "We are about to find out." Calum said and tore the envelope open. Inside it was another golden piece of paper with silver writing on it. Xana caught a name 'Emrick Bendsteen'.
"Getting messages from the head vampire, some weird clients you got there." Xana said in an amused tone. "He was never one of my clients." Calum replied in a low voice. He was busy reading the message. His face turned grim and his eyes narrowed. He moved toward the living room quickly, without a word. Xana followed him, puzzled. Michael and Alston were both sitting opposite from Daniel. It looked like they were making sure he wouldn't move. Calum sat in one of the armchairs, scratched his chin, and stared at the message in his hands. "Hey, what's that?" Michael asked, pointing at the message.
Daniel's eyes fell on it and he flinched and stood up slowly. He thought if he moved too fast, the boys would kill him, no doubt. "Don't send me back, please." He said to Xana. "What are you talking about?" Xana asked him and turned to Calum. "What is it?"
Calum inhaled. "It's an official message from Bendsteen. I'm sure Daniel recognizes the golden paper. He is requesting a duel to decide the fate of Daniel." Michael was on his feet, glaring. "That's not gonna happen, I'll take the bloodsucker back myself."
Daniel was shaking visibly. He locked his gaze with Xana's. "Relax, Mikey. Calum, what does this mean?" Xana said in a gentle tone, trying to calm everyone. Alston just stared at Calum, waiting for his answer.
"To claim one of their own, you must earn that right by winning a duel, a combat in which they put its rules. If you won, you take the vampire and he no longer follows their lead. If you lose, you can't claim him again. Bendsteen is addressing me to deliver you this message. If you accepted the duel tomorrow night, you could claim the boy if you won. If you don't accept it, you have to send him back and never interfere again." Calum's tone was obviously worried and fearful. He lifted his face and looked at Xana, who was standing in front of him, calm and thoughtful, her mind working and calculating the possibilities. Michael slammed a fist into his palm. "That's not going to happen, Xana, you are not dueling with anyone for that thing." He was shouting and pointed a finger at Daniel, who sank in his chair, looking with pleading eyes at Xana. "He is a 'him' Michael, not a 'thing'. And yes, I will. I said I'll help him and I have to." Xana said calmly to Michael, who turned purplish and started pacing. Alston's ears went scarlet, and he was on his feet, too. "You need to think that through. You owe him nothing. And we simply cannot let you risk your life for him." Alston managed to say without yelling like Michael.
The three of them kept arguing for a solid fifteen minutes. Michael furious and making wild gestures, his brown eyes blazing and his hair shaking fiercely as he shouted. Alston folding his arms across his chest and yelling, but not as loud as Michael's tone. Xana had her hands on her hips and defended her decision stubbornly. Calum sat quietly in his chair, toying with the golden message, and watched as Xana, Michael and Alston shouted and yelled at each other. It wasn't a new scene for him, every time Xana decided to do something crazy, this happened. The boys refused to let her do what she wanted and they went through an argument, which, magically, Xana won at the end of it. Daniel, on the other hand, hadn't seen them argue before. So, he was terrified, his eyes scanning the three of them and he flinched every time one of them pointed a finger at him. "I'm tired of arguing with you, you do whatever you want." Alston finally said. He sank into one of the armchairs and crossed his arms over his chest. His green eyes blazing with anger, his silver hair looking elegant as usual, and his pointed ears were still scarlet. "My dad is going to hear about this right now. You are not doing this alone." Michael said and fished his phone angrily out of his pocket before he strode to the window. Xana exhaled and collapsed into a chair. Then she gave Calum a shrug, which he returned with a smile. Xana always managed to make the boys agree with whatever crazy things she wanted to do. But she wasn't thinking about the boys and how angry they were with her, or even about the duel and what its rules and conditions might be. She was thinking about a certain dazzling smile and a very sweet voice, a particular pair of blue captivating eyes. She must go see Jamie before the duel and she must do it today. She tried so hard not to think about him, but she failed. Her thoughts lingered on the memory of his face despite her, and she couldn't fight them away. She would just sneak into his garden and watch him for a little while. What could go wrong if it was just for a few minutes? Xana only hoped the boys wouldn't be too mad with her when she stalked a mundane, a super handsome mundane, she corrected herself and sighed. She pulled her top to straighten it and braced herself to tell the boys to go with her, but before she opened her mouth, shimmering flecks of gold assembled in front of her face and formed instructions about a mission. This time it was four Nagas demons. Xana thought wistfully about the Nagas demons with their human upper bodies and the snake-like long slimy bodies instead of legs, and of the green slippery slime they left behind and how it burned the skin if they spat it at them, and how awful it stunk. She sighed again and stood up. Michael and Alston already saw the message and were ready to go. Xana threw her keys at Michael to go down and get their gears from the Mustang trunk. They would change at Calum's apartment before they left to get their new mission done. Michael was calmer now and focused on the mission ahead.