"You are terrifying and strange and beautiful,
Something not everyone knows how"
To love"
By, Warsan Shire.
9
*An Adventure.
"Are you out of your mind?" Xana asked between her gritted teeth, glaring at Alston while placing both her hands on Jamie's chest. Michael was still kneeling beside Xana, steadying her. She would have fallen if it wasn't for Michael.
"He saw what you are. I had to do something." Alston said defiantly.
"He will be fine. He just passed out." Michael assured Xana, but that didn't make her any less angry with Alston. He hated Jamie, and he took the chance to knock him out, Xana thought.
"Help me get him into the car, Mikey. I need to take him to the sanctuary." Xana was so dizzy at that moment, she knew she had used more than she should have of her energy. The smell of blood made her head light. She was used to seeing and smelling blood, but not mundane blood, and especially not Jamie's. "What? We can get him to his house and ..." Michael protested, and Xana cut him off between gritted teeth. "Then what? He will wake up remembering everything. Are you going to risk that?" Xana said in a sharp tone, a bit more sharply than she intended to. "We can ask Calum to erase that part of his memory." Alston said and reached out to help Xana up, but she ignored his hand and kept her hands on Jamie's chest, making sure his heart was beating steady. "That's not up to you to decide. It's my choice and mine alone. Michael, if you want out leave now, the two of you, I will take full responsibility. For now, I need to keep him somewhere safe until he gains his strength, and then I'll decide what to do." Xana said, without looking at the boys. She kept her gaze on Jamie's face. He was gaining his color back now, and his cheeks turned pink. "Don't ever say such a thing again. I'll always be a part of your crazy adventures." Michael gave her a reassuring smile and kept a firm hand on her back. "I cannot let you do that alone. It is too dangerous." Alston said and slung his bow on his back. He hid how hurt he was that Xana did not take his hand. He hated when she was angry with him, but he only wanted to protect her. She ought to know that. He hid his pain under his shield of arrogance and fey pride. "All right, we can keep him in my room till the morning." Xana suggested. Her head started to buzz and hurt.
"No way missy. That boy is staying in my room under my constant surveillance." Michael confirmed, and he helped Xana up. He had to pull Xana's hands away from Jamie's soaked chest. "I agree with that." Alston confirmed with a cold tone. Xana rolled her eyes as she stood up and took slow breaths to steady herself. "I wasn't going to be alone. You two are supposed to be there." She tried to bend down to grab Jamie's guitar, but Alston reached for it first and slung it on his back along with his bow. Michael bent and lifted Jamie in his arms. Jamie's arm was flailing and his head dropped backward. Xana held Jamie's head and rested it against Michael's shoulder.
"Really?!!" Michael protested. "Be careful with him." Xana ordered Michael, and he rolled his eyes and started walking down the street toward the car. "I was only trying to protect you." Alston told Xana while offering her his arm again. He thought she looked pale and unsteady. This time Xana hesitated, but she took his arm. She felt weak and unbalanced and hungry. "I know," she said as they walked in the empty, dim street after Michael, "Just remember, he is important."
Alston did not like hearing that. He wanted to keep the boy away from her and now she said he was important to her! Well, he might be just one of her crazy adventures. She always enjoyed a bit of danger, going after the biggest demon she could find, going to the dragons' lair in Incantia. She would be bored with him soon and he would be here for her when she did. "I'll try to remember that." Alston said and tried to hide his smirk, but Xana caught it. "You better, Prince of Alavara," Xana teased him, and this time, he didn't try to hide his smirk. Xana leaned against Alston, using his arm to support her. She hoped she wouldn't faint before getting Jamie to the sanctuary. Michael laid Jamie on the back seat and Xana went and sat beside Jamie, then she threw her keys to Michael. "I don't think I'm strong enough to drive." Michael got inside and started the car. Alston came in last, glanced at Xana, then crossed his arms and focused on the road ahead. The tips of his ears were blazing red. "We could tell my dad. He won't mind. We are allowed to shelter mundanes who were exposed to werewolves or were in danger because of them." Michael suggested casually, eyeing Xana in the rearview mirror with concern. "He doesn't know of werewolves." Xana replied, leaning her head against the back of Michael's seat. The buzzing was getting louder, and now her stomach was growling, too. "But he was in danger and you saved him and revealing your nature to save a human life isn't against the law. Dad won't be doing something illegal when he agrees to keep him in the sanctuary." Michael wanted to assure Xana. He knew she was worried about getting anyone in trouble because of her. "Tomorrow then I'll talk to Fenris. He would be home now, anyway." Xana said and closed her eyes. She needed sleep, a long night's sleep, and a huge meal.
The sanctuary was quiet and dark, everyone was asleep, with no sound but the echoing of their footsteps along the corridors. Michael carried Jamie to his room. Xana and Alston were following him silently, Xana leaning a bit on Alston's arm and trying her best to keep her eyes open. When they reached the third floor where their rooms were, they found someone lurking in the dark corridor. Xana stiffened. She did not want anyone to find out about Jamie like this, and she needed to talk to Fenris first. Michael sensed Xana's tension and asked, "Sam? Is that you?" A small voice spoke, "No, it's Adam. I was waiting for Xana."
Michael exhaled. Xana realized he was worried as well, then he walked past Adam toward his room. He wasn't getting tired of carrying Jamie, but he thought he had carried him long enough already. "Is everything all right, Adam?" Xana asked in a gentle voice. Still grabbing Alston's arm for support, she pulled on the last strings of energy she had left. Adam looked back at Michael, who went past him without another word, with wide eyes. It was dark in the corridor, only the light coming from the floors below illuminated their faces faintly. Adam wondered who was that Michael was carrying. Was he someone like him? Was he bitten the same way he had been? Xana spoke, retrieving him from his thoughts and he said. "Yes, I just wanted to know if there's any news. Fenris and Sam are trying to keep me in the dark and I try to tell them that I'm strong enough to handle it, but they won't listen." He sounded frustrated. Xana felt the anger and sorrow in his voice. That kid had to face such a horrible fate at a young age, and her stomach tightened. She swallowed around the lump in her throat and said. "They just want what is best for you. Keep that in mind. But don't worry, I'll see what I can find out in the morning." Xana deliberately did not mention what Fenris said about finding out new news. No need to get Adam's hopes high for nothing. She could not see his features clearly in that faint light, but she felt he wasn't satisfied. "You need to sleep well and be prepared for the second moon," Alston said, breaking the silence in a firm tone. "Xana is very tired now, and she needs to rest." Alston added. He wanted to get Xana to rest. Xana wanted to make Adam feel better, but she was so tired that she did not even scold Alston for speaking with Adam in that firm tone.
Adam said good night to both of them and stalked to his room. Xana and Alston went to Michael's room. Michael had laid Jamie on his bed, pushed the pile of clothes to the floor, and sprawled on an armchair beside the bed. He looked up at Xana when she entered with Alston and said with amusement. "The sleeping prince is safe and sound." And jerked his chin towards Jamie. "I'll take that chair, scotch." Xana said. She sounded tired. Michael stood up and left the chair for her. She threw herself down with a thud and eyed Jamie carefully. Jamie looked fine. His cheeks were pink, which was a good sign. His shirt was torn and smudged with dry blood but it didn't matter, his wounds were healed. He was sleeping peacefully. He was just going to have a terrible headache in the morning. "I'll go get some food." Michael said, stretched and headed out, his brown wavy hair falling carelessly on his shoulders and his muscles firm underneath the leather of his black gear. Alston looked wistfully at the pile of clothes on the floor by the end of the bed and the other pile by the bathroom door, then decided to sit on the windowsill. He laid the guitar against the wall. His hair was gleaming softly and his green eyes were hiding millions of unspoken words. "You can sleep in your room, don't worry, I'll be fine." Xana told Alston lazily, trying to ignore the buzzing in her head. Her face was pale and her emerald eyes were sleepy and tired. "I guess so, as long as Michael will be here with you." He gave Xana a skeptical look.
"I have no idea what you two expect to happen, but he is totally harmless. I can babysit a dragon, Alston. Don't you think I can handle one mundane? An unconscious mundane thanks to a specific someone." Xana shot Alston a defiant look. "It is not a question of your abilities; it is a matter of safety. I need to keep you safe. I mean, Michael, and I need to keep you safe. You are risking so many things for that mundane." Alston crossed his arms and pursed his lips. His green eyes were looking brilliant in the light, and his hair was blazing silver. "You never spoke on behalf of Michael before." Xana lifted one eyebrow. "The last time I checked, we were a team. Your idea, remember?" Alston sounded a bit annoyed now. Xana was too tired to answer. She just threw her hands in the air, then leaned back in her chair, watching Jamie's chest rise and fall peacefully.
Alston watched her intently. She looked pale and tired, but she still looked beautiful with her black glossy hair falling elegantly around her petite frame and her emerald eyes with their eternal glow. She had one arm on the chair's sidearm. Alston watched her small hand and smiled. Xana was always petite. Anyone might think she was fragile. No one would imagine how dangerous she was just by looking at her. Then he looked at Jamie and frowned. He thought of Jamie as an intruder, a danger, who must be kept away from Xana at any cost. She was showing plenty of interest in him and Alston hated it and hated more that Xana would not listen to him. Michael entered the room carrying a tray filled with many plates of steaks, mashed potatoes, peas, salad, and Pepsi. He handed each one a plate, and they started eating. Xana gazed at Alston and smiled. She remembered when he was young and how he had refused to eat any mundane food. Once he had a taste, he had been eating it happily since then. Xana thought of how queen Mariona would look if she saw her son eating this food and smirked despite herself. "I will be in my room and I will be here first thing in the morning." Alston said as he laid his plate down, gave Jamie a suspicious look, then headed out of the room. "I think he is really proud of himself." Michael said and stretched. "Alston is always proud of himself." Xana rolled her eyes. "Naah, I meant because he hit Jamie. I think he enjoyed it." Michael smirked. "We better make sure not to leave the two of them alone." Xana shrugged. "Get some sleep. You lost so much energy tonight and, for the record, I think what you did was pretty awesome." Michael winked. Xana smiled. She could always count on Michael to enhance her mood, but she was worried. "I hope it won't affect him in a bad way." "You healed his gunshot wounds. How is that bad?" Michael asked and raised one brown eyebrow. "There has to be a reason why we are forbidden from healing mundanes." Xana looked at the sleeping Jamie and curled her lip. He looked all right, but she was not very comfortable though. "So you won't be exposed to the human world." Michael confirmed. "I hope it's just that." Xana rested her head back and crossed her arms. Her eyelids were heavy, and she struggled to stay awake, but she was drained. She slept in her chair, inches away from Jamie. Michael moved slowly, took out a cover from the cupboard, and threw it gently over Xana, then he put a small pillow under her head. He checked Jamie's pulse, then he threw himself over the other chair, wondering what Jamie would do in the morning and how he will react to their enchanted nature.
***
Xana didn't remember falling asleep. She could hear the birds outside the window and feel the warmth of daytime on her skin and Michael whispering her name in her ear. She opened her eyes to find Michael and Alston standing over her, gesturing her to be quiet. Xana gazed past them at Jamie, who was still sleeping. His head resting on the pillow and his blond hair falling over his face, one arm stretched beside him and the other arm on his smudged chest. "Are you rested enough?" Michael asked in a whisper. Xana stretched like a cat and nodded.
"It's time to wake the human up." Michael added with amusement. "I'll do it." Xana stood up and headed slowly for the bed. She paused for a moment, checking Jamie's face, then decided to call his name gently. "Jamie!" Jamie only stirred, but he didn't open his eyes. Xana looked at him worriedly and exchanged a look with Michael and Alston. Alston moved toward the bed and Xana raised her hand, gesturing him to stop. "Not you," she warned. Alston smirked and stood where he was looking magnificent in the daylight, with his brilliant eyes and high cheekbones.
"Jamie, can you hear me?" Xana raised her voice a bit and this time Jamie moved his hand and covered his eyes. Jamie groaned and touched the back of his head, where Alston had hit him. "Ouch," he opened his eyes slowly, saw the three of them standing over him, and then he sat bolt upright. "Whoa, what just happened?" Jamie stared at the three of them. Alston standing straight with that air of arrogance around him, glaring with those green eyes and crossing his arms over his chest. Michael looking curious, cautious, smug, and protective. Last was Xana, closest to Jamie. She looked a bit sleepy but no less beautiful, her hair looking elegant as always and her eyes glowing. She was in that black leather outfit. "How did I get here?" Jamie added, looking at the room. He knew he ought to be afraid, but Xana's presence assured him. He was more curious. "What do you remember of yesterday?" Xana asked.
Jamie stared at her for a moment before he said. "Everything. The two men who shot me," he touched his chest and looked at Xana with questioning blue eyes. "How did you do that? All I remember was that bright light and you, and I am not sure, but I saw wings behind you. How is that even possible?" Jamie looked between the three of them, puzzled. Xana, being a fairy, couldn't lie and she had to answer. She felt the boys tense beside her. They knew what she was about to do. "I have special powers. That's how I healed your wounds." Xana said and pursed her lips, stopping herself from saying more. Jamie's eyebrows shot up, almost reaching his hairline; he scanned Xana from head to toe before he asked. "What? You are spider girl or something like that?" 'What the hell,' Jamie thought. This was crazy. The only girl he liked turned out to be abnormal. "She is a celestial princess and you should be grateful for what she did to you, mundane." Alston snapped unexpectedly. Michael glared at him, and Xana closed her eyes and bit her lip in frustration. "What's a celestial? And mundane? Xana, what is he talking about?" Jamie looked baffled. 'They must be crazy, especially Alston,' he thought.
Alston opened his mouth to say something, but Xana shook her head at him and he closed his mouth again. Michael placed a hand on Xana's shoulder and she nodded, assuring him it was okay. "Celestial means having heavenly blood. Celestial beings are like angels, fairies, and elves. A mundane is someone with mortal blood, a human." Xana said and waited intently for Jamie's reply. The look in his eyes broke her heart. Was he afraid of her now? Was he going to talk to her again and want to be around her? She couldn't bear it if he hated her or was afraid of her.
"You are an angel?" Jamie asked in bewilderment. All the old stories about angels and wonderland came to his mind. Was it all true? But that was simply not possible. "No, I'm a fairy." Xana said and lowered her head. She couldn't look into Jamie's eyes. 'He will never want to talk to me again,' she thought. Michael saw the strange expression on Xana's face. He once again placed his hand on Xana's shoulder and lifted his chin up as he spoke. "Xana is a very special fairy with very unique powers. No other fairy out there is like her. She is a respectful, honorable warrior. There is no one in the enchanted world who doesn't know who she is and what she does." Michael spoke with pride and respect. Xana looked at him and smiled. He was the protective older brother she always had. At that moment, she was so grateful to him. How could she ever repay him? Jamie swallowed and ran a hand through his tangled hair. "I believe you because that's the only explanation for how I'm alive now." He couldn't believe he actually said that, but it was true. He should be dead now, not alive and breathing. He knew anyone in his situation should run calling them crazy, but he wanted to be beside Xana. It surprised him that he was not trying to escape. That was the last thing Xana expected him to say. He wasn't shocked either. He seemed to be taking it well. Why wasn't he freaking out? Xana wondered. "I know it's a lot to take in all at once and I will understand if you have doubts or if you wanted to leave but I must ask you to stay for a while." Xana said and watched as Jamie looked thoughtful and confused for a moment. "Am I a prisoner here? What is this place, anyway?" Jamie asked, curiosity ebbing from all his features. "You are free to go if you want to. You just have to promise not to reveal my true nature to anyone, but I want you to stay for your own safety. The thing is, I haven't used my powers that way before," Xana paused, seeing the odd expression on Jamie's face. He looked astonished and puzzled. "I was trained to do the opposite of what I did to you last night and I have no idea what will happen to you now." Xana added with caution. "Am I going to get pregnant? I worked really hard for this six-pack, you know. I can't walk around with a baby-bump that will ruin my career." Jamie said and raised his blond eyebrows. He saw the sad look on Xana's face and he thought a bit of humor might make her smile. "I'm not an alien," Xana snapped. She felt offended, then she realized that Michael was smirking and Jamie was actually smiling, only Alston was grim. "Oh, you are just kidding." Xana smiled one of her half-smiles, feeling the anger fading away as she saw Jamie's smile. He looked more dazzling when he smiled. "Look, this all sounds crazy but I have seen it with my own eyes and felt what you did to me. You saved my life and the least I can do is listen to you, but I can't stay for long. I have to work." Jamie was still confused and a bit afraid but something about Xana made him trust her, he wanted to believe her and be close to her. Something about her was assuring and comforting even if she wasn't even human. 'She was so pretty for a human,' Jamie thought, and he felt he was ten feet tall when he made her smile. "Only for today then you can leave, I'll take you home tonight myself." Xana said. "Ourselves." Michael corrected. Xana rolled her eyes. "Right now you need to rest and get cleaned up," Xana said to Jamie then she turned to Michael. "Mikey, can you lend Jamie something to wear please?" Michael nodded and headed for his cupboard. "The bathroom is over there and I'll get you breakfast."
Jamie stood up, stretched, and touched his chest. He looked at Xana with gratitude, something she did not expect. "Thank you." "It's my duty." Xana replied and blushed.
Michael handed Jamie jeans and a black T-shirt. Jamie thanked him and was about to head for the bathroom when someone knocked on the door once and then peered in. Xana turned pale. "Morning, sleepyheads," Sam said cheerfully and gave Xana a wink. Xana gaped at Sam as he walked into Michael's room. He wasn't even a bit surprised to see Jamie standing there. "Hey, I'm Sam. You must be the human." Sam added and offered Jamie his hand. "Jamie. Are you also a fairy, then?" Jamie said as he shook Sam's hand. "They didn't tell you everything then. No, I'm a werewolf. So is Michael, my baby brother." Sam grinned. Jamie stared at Sam, then shrugged. "Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised." 'Werewolves too,'
Jamie thought.
"You better not," Sam said then turned to Xana. "Dad will see you in his office now and we all are going to have breakfast after, that includes you too Jamie." "Okay, I guess." Jamie sounded uncertain. He excused himself and went into the bathroom. Xana turned to Michael. "Traitor, we will talk later," then she turned to Jamie before he closed the bathroom door. "By the way Jamie, this place is the main werewolves' sanctuary in London." "Uh-huh." Jamie looked once more at Michael and Sam, then he closed the door. Michael gave Xana a sly grin before he said. "I couldn't risk you sneaking him out and taking all the blame alone. I wanted to make you see that all of us are here for you and we got your back, Star."
"I wasn't going to sneak him behind your back. I just wanted to make sure Fenris was all right with all of this before exposing Jamie to all of us." Xana said and shook her head. "He seems to be taking it well enough. You choose well, Xana." Sam winked. "Choose what?" Xana asked in bewilderment. Sam only shrugged before he went and sat on the bed. "Go see Dad, I'll be with your human, and I'll take him down to breakfast myself."
'Your human,' Xana wasn't sure if she liked the sound of that or not. She left the room toward Fenris's office, followed by Michael and Alston. Fenris was behind his huge oak desk, which was covered with papers, newspapers, and police reports. The room was lit by daylight that came from the glass window beside the desk. Fenris's light brown hair looked even brighter in that light. When Xana entered the room, he stood up and took wide strides to reach her. "Are you okay? Michael told me what happened last night. How are you feeling?" Fenris asked with concern. Xana was used to that fatherly manner from Fenris. "I'm fine Fen, don't worry. I actually didn't know I could do that. It only got me tired, that's all." Xana said and scanned the worried expression in Fenris's eyes.
"It was a brave thing to do. You saved that boy's life, but it was a huge risk." Fenris said. "Are you mad at me? I can take him and leave. I wouldn't want you to be in trouble because of me." Xana lowered her head as she spoke. "I'm proud of you," Fenris placed his hand on Xana's shoulder. "Our mandate is to protect the human life, and that was exactly what you did, I wouldn't leave a human to die either, we just have to be extra careful and make sure he won't expose our secret." Xana nodded. "I trust him."
"You do not know him." Alston protested. Xana glared at Alston and before she said anything to him, Fenris spoke. "I have to agree with Alston. You didn't know him long enough to trust him. Not all mundanes are trustworthy. Unlike you, they can lie and deceive and break promises. And the secret you are keeping is not only your own, it's ours. It belongs to all the enchanted creatures, therefore we have to be absolutely positive of Jamie. We can't let him wander around and risk the exposure of our world." Fenris spoke gently, but Xana felt the tension in his tone, the lines between his eyebrows, and the set of his broad shoulders.
"I don't want him to forget me." Xana said, looking up into Fenris's eyes. The thought of not seeing Jamie again made her stomach contract. Fenris exhaled before he gave Xana a smile. "I won't tell Uriel, I'll leave that to you, but I'll put Jamie under your responsibility, and Michael and Alston will watch him as well." Xana nodded. Alston crossed his arms, and Michael gave Xana a reassuring nod. "What is the news about Adam's family?" Xana asked, remembering the sad look in Adam's eyes the night before. An anxious look crossed Fenris's face before he spoke. "I have contacted the packs and there have been reports about Liam Hunt. He left his pack over a year ago and went crazy, staying away from his friends and lately attacking mundanes. That's why you had to put him down."
"Went crazy?!!" Xana echoed in disbelief. "Why would a werewolf go crazy and attack a human for no reason?" Michael asked.
"That is what we are trying to find out. I have all the packs investigating, and I'm sure we will find out soon enough." Fenris said. "But what does this have to do with Adam?" Xana asked. "What made Liam leave his pack may lead us to why he kidnapped Adam." Fenris explained his doubts.
"You do not think it is personal anymore?" Alston asked. "We are still considering all the possibilities." Fenris said. "I can ask around as well. I know where to go to get the latest gossip." Xana confirmed, and Fenris nodded. "We can match our information then," Fenris said and headed for his desk, "I'm not sure what to tell Adam, we don't have anything certain yet." Fenris looked at the file that contained Adam's family investigation and sighed. "I say we tell him the truth. We are still investigating and we won't stop until we know why Liam had kidnapped and changed him and why he killed his parents." Xana said. Fenris ran a hand through his hair and put the file down. "He has been strong enough for the past few days, but I'm afraid he might break down. Maybe the shock hasn't hit him yet, you know what I mean?" "I understand that you want to protect him but he suspects you're hiding something, that's why I want him to know there's nothing to hide." Xana explained and Fenris nodded. "I think you are right. We could tell him over breakfast." Fenris said.
"One more thing, I don't want Calum to know about Jamie yet." Xana said to everyone in the room, remembering what Calum said about relations between people from different worlds, she wasn't sure how Calum would react or if he would tell Uriel to protect her. Michael and Alston understood Xana's request but Fenris looked uncertain, but he assured her. "I'll leave that to you as well."
"Dad, do you know someone called the Overlord or the Magister?" Michael asked. "No, I don't think so. Should I know him?" Fenris asked, looking at the three of them. "A demon threatened me, saying if I kept doing what I'm doing, that Overlord will kill me and Michael." Xana explained. "I haven't heard of him before but if he is a demon's lord, he is either a higher demon or a warlock," Fenris replied and shrugged. "You should ask Calum."
"Yeah, when I see him then." Xana was thinking about Emily. Calum will probably turn Jamie into an orange frog if he knew about him. "Let's go have breakfast, I'm starving." Michael led Xana toward the door, Fenris and Alston following.
***
Jamie looked at Sam and Michael for a moment before he closed the bathroom door. His brain was screaming RUN. His survival instinct was yelling in his ears to get out of this crazy place. Fairies and werewolves and God knew what else was out there. It all sounded impossible, a crazy dream but he knew it was real. He leaned on the bathroom's wooden door and closed his eyes, remembering the night before. The cold empty street and the two robbers trying to take his money and his watch. Suddenly, he felt this excruciating pain in his chest. The ground swung under his feet and his head hit the freezing ground, he knew he was shot, he knew he was going to die. His life did not flash before his eyes, he was in pain, all of his body hurt and his brain was frozen. He didn't want to die alone like this, he thought of his younger brother Sammy. Then he saw her, Xana, kneeling beside him and whispering softly. He couldn't remember what she said, he knew she said his name but that was all he could remember. The world turned black and he felt his soul being ripped off his chest, he knew what dying felt like. At least he wasn't going to die alone. He was falling rapidly into the darkness, the nothingness, and the unknown. A soft hand grabbed his and another hand was placed over his soaked chest, he tried to speak but no words came out. Suddenly, instead of the coldness around and beneath him, he felt warm inside. His whole body stopped aching and his chest wasn't painful anymore. His eyes were closed, but he could see the light, feel its warmth. Like the sun, you didn't need to open your eyes to feel the sun. Was he in heaven? He must be. He hadn't felt this light and warm before. He was floating inside that silver comforting light. He wished to float like that forever. It was warm and safe and peaceful. Jamie opened his eyes and couldn't believe what he saw. The light was coming from Xana, from her hands, her face, and even her hair seemed to produce that beautiful light. Like moonbeams, soft and tender. Was he dreaming? He must be. The scene was impossible. And the wings, Xana had angel's wings, white and glorious. She seemed to be shielding him from the world with that light and with her long hair that fell around him. He tried to speak, and this time the words came out. Xana looked exhausted and he didn't understand what was happening. Then suddenly everything went dark again. This time, the darkness wasn't painful or unpleasant, but it was unwanted. He wanted to understand what had happened to him and who Xana really was. Jamie opened his eyes and looked around the small bathroom, then he touched the back of his head and felt a lump there. He intended to ask Xana about it when he saw her. He hanged the clothes Michael had given him, took off his o,wn and checked the holes in his shirt. They had black circles around them and smelled of gunpowder and fire, he tossed his clothes aside and went into the shower. The hot water was relaxing and comforting, Jamie wanted to stay under the shower for hours but he had so many questions to ask Xana. He knew he should be afraid of her but he wasn't. Not just because she was a pretty girl, a pretty fairy, Jamie corrected himself, it was something else, something about her was captivating. Her eyes were so deep, pulling him into a new but familiar place. He felt safe around her, he felt that with her was where he should be, it was the right place to be. But would she want to be beside him? She was surrounded by a bunch of handsome werewolves and she seemed to be particularly close with Michael and Alston. Jamie wondered if he had a chance with Xana against them. But he promised himself to do all he could to be with her. That would be such an adventure. Xana wasn't ordinary, not everyone would know how to be with her, how to like her and possibly love her. that word startled Jamie, he spent his whole life avoiding love, avoiding loss and pain and Xana's arrival opened a place in his heart he had shut down long ago. Jamie was afraid of the change Xana was causing in his heart and soul but his desire to be near her was stronger than his fear. Jamie stared at his healed chest and touched it several times before putting on Michael's clothes, then he stared at himself in the mirror for a long moment. The clothes were obviously too big for him, he had to buckle his belt all the way to the last hole and the shirt hung loose on his frame. Michael was a lot bigger than he was, but they were about the same height. Jamie liked Michael, he was nice to him, but he knew Alston hated him and he would make sure to stay out of his way. From what he knew about the movie werewolves they were extremely powerful, there was no way for him to win a fight against any one of them. He must stick to Xana's side, for some reason he knew she could protect him. Jamie dried his hair and went outside to find Sam sitting on the bed, looking at him with amusement. "You look all right." Sam said and stood up. "I feel all right. It's funny though I should be dead." Jamie shrugged. "True, but Xana couldn't leave you to die," Sam tilted his head to the side and examined Jamie. His black eyes were full with amusement. He pushed his black wavy hair away from his eyes and said. "But you should know she wasn't supposed to do so. Her mandate is to protect you from the Downworlders, such as vampires and demons, not to protect you from your own kind. She ought to have left you and went away, to not risk the exposure of our world but she decided to take that risk to save you, you must be grateful for her," Sam took a step closer to Jamie and his amused face changed into a serious, warning expression. "And you must keep her secret or you will have to face me, face all of us actually. Xana is family and we would end anyone who tried to hurt her."
Jamie stared at the muscular boy. He saw he was older and much bigger than he was, and he nodded. "I have no intention of hurting her, and I will keep your secret. You have my word. Nobody would believe me either."
Sam laughed. "I wasn't trying to scare you I just wanted you to know all the facts." Jamie smiled and was about to say something when the door burst open and Adam came running into the room, then stood frozen when he saw Sam with Jamie, before any of them got to say anything, Adam spoke rapidly. "Were you also bitten? Did you see who did it? Did you change yet and…" Sam cut Adam off gently. "Adam, he was not bitten. He is just a human." Sam walked towards Adam and patted his arm. Adam looked disappointed. "But why is he here? Do you want to become a werewolf?" he asked Jamie.
"Er.. No. I needed help and Xana brought me here." Jamie said, wondering what a child was doing in a werewolves' sanctuary, a child who knew of werewolves. "Xana brought me as well. She saved my life after I was bitten by a werewolf." Adam's face lit up as he spoke about Xana and Jamie noticed. She was loved by everyone in this place, he realized. "You were bitten!! I'm sorry." Jamie said. "It's okay, it's not that bad, so far." Adam said and shrugged.
"Let's go and have breakfast. Jamie, you must be starving." Sam said cheerfully as he led Adam out. Jamie followed him silently.
***
In the dining room, everyone was at the dining table. Fenris was at the head of the table, an empty chair on his right, then Michael, Xana, Alston, and finally Charlie. On the other side of the table were Billy, Mark, and Simon. Arthur was hovering over them, making sure they all were eating well. When Sam entered with Adam and Jamie, everyone turned around to look at Jamie, who felt uncomfortable seeing all eyes focused on him.
"Good morning Jamie, I'm Fenris Oakstaff," Fenris stood up and shook Jamie's hand. "Come sit beside me, please." He led Jamie to the empty chair beside Michael. "Good morning, I'm Jamie Moon, and thank you." Jamie said and sat beside Michael, who grinned at him.
Mark and Simon snickered, and Xana shot them warning glares. Fenris cleared his throat, and the twins tried to behave themselves, but they were never able to.
"Jamie, these are my sons. I believe you met Michael. This is Charlie," Fenris gestured toward Charlie, who nodded. "This is Billy, the twins, Mark and Simon, and Sam," all of them gave Jamie greeting nods. Fenris went on. "This is Adam, the newest member of my pack and this is Arthur, our butler." Jamie nodded and took a look around the huge room. The table could easily seat twenty people at once. The place looked elegant with its wooden floors, thick carpets, and the huge chandelier dangling from the high, painted ceiling. The windows were glass and half-covered with white lace curtains. Everyone there seemed curious, except Alston, who looked furious. Arthur immediately put a plate in front of Jamie and filled it with eggs, beef, and bread. Jamie thanked him and asked Billy to pass the coffee pot. He poured a large cup of coffee and started drinking before he ate anything. Michael watched him and smirked. "You two go for the coffee first. I dunno how you do that." He gave Xana a wink and Xana looked at Jamie, then at her cup of coffee. "So Jamie, what do you do?" Fenris asked. "I'm a singer and I do a bit of modeling and acting." Jamie said and sipped more steaming coffee. It made him feel good after a weird night.
"How old are you?" Charlie asked. "I'm nineteen." Jamie replied.
"You are the same age as me and Alston." Michael said and reached for the ketchup. Jamie looked at Xana and decided to ask her. He was curious since the moment he saw her. "And Xana, how old are you?"
"I'm eighteen." Xana said and drank more coffee. "What about your family, Jamie? Do they know where you are now?" Fenris asked, sounding concerned. Jamie stared into his coffee as he spoke. "My parents died a while ago, and my only brother is away in school." Xana wanted to reach out for him, to say anything that might comfort him, to push his hair away from his face.
Everyone went quiet for a moment, looking sideways at Jamie and Adam, then Simon decided to break the tension. "So how does it feel to be the only human in a house full of werewolves?"
"Uh... It's not that bad. I thought there would be raw meat for breakfast, but you turned out normal enough." Jamie said and looked sideways at Xana. She was smiling and shaking her head. Everyone laughed. "Typical human, thinking we only eat raw meat." Mark said jokingly.
Alston was grim. He didn't laugh or even look at Jamie. He kept eating quietly, ignoring what was happening. "Wait till you see us phase." Billy said to Jamie and winked. Xana put her empty cup down and Arthur hurried toward her and filled her plate with scrambled eggs and bread. Jamie watched as Michael went for the ketchup, put some on Xana's eggs, and pushed the salt closer to her. Michael moved automatically and Jamie suspected it was because he did this every day. Xana and Michael looked close. The way they moved beside each other, both of them knew the next move of the other. Maybe Michael was her boyfriend. But on the other hand, she was close with Alston, too. The way she kept the water near him and how she handed him an apple, which he started eating without even checking it, she knew what he liked. Jamie knew that putting himself in a competition against Mr. Gorgeous and Mr. Fantastic wasn't a good idea, but he couldn't stop himself from glancing toward Xana, to check what she was doing and try to figure out what she was thinking. What made her different? She looked every bit human to him. Michael and his brothers had some common features, their tall muscular bodies and the silver circle around their irises. Alston didn't look like them. He was muscular too, but not like Michael. He had funny-looking ears and no silver circle. He wanted to leave and go back to his house to think everything through, but he didn't want to leave Xana. There must be a way where he could be with her, even if they were from two different worlds. Jamie decided to speak. "So, there are vampires and demons?"
"Yup, and angels and all the fantasy creatures you can think of, Alston here is an elf." Michael said and jerked his chin toward Alston, who ignored Jamie completely.
"But you don't have to worry about any of them. You are sitting with the best demon slayer." Mark said and wriggled his eyebrows.
Jamie looked at the muscular boy with black wavy hair and bright brown eyes and wondered. "You are?"
Everyone at the table laughed. Jamie looked puzzled. Xana lowered her fork and watched the expression on Jamie's face, she knew what Michael was about to say. "He wishes," Michael teased his brother. "He means Xana, Xana is the best out there." He clapped Xana gently on the shoulder and her cheeks went scarlet. Jamie looked at Xana, how tiny she was between the two boys on her sides, how tiny compared to everyone in the room including himself. She looked delicate and petite. He couldn't imagine her killing a demon. Jamie didn't know what the demons looked like or how big they were, but he sensed that they must be big and nasty and certainly couldn't be killed by a small fairy like Xana. "Michael is exaggerating." Xana said, avoiding looking into Jamie's eyes. 'He doesn't need more reasons to dislike me.' Xana thought. "I'm not," Michael protested. "She has killed many demons and law-breakers in such a short time compared to anyone else. She can slay a hellhound in six seconds, and that is some record." Michael went on, bragging about Xana. Jamie noticed that everyone agreed with Michael. They were looking at Xana with love and pride. Even Alston's grim face changed into a smile. Xana looked shy. He liked all of them. They seemed nice. Despite Sam's threat but he understood why they were protecting Xana. Fenris told Adam what they had found about Liam Hunt, his kidnapper. Everyone went quiet as Fenris explained everything to Adam. Jamie was uncomfortable when he knew what happened to Adam and his parents. He knew how it felt to lose both his parents. Adam seemed to be taking it well, but Xana knew that he was hiding his anger and sorrow. She could see his sadness in his eyes. After breakfast, Fenris went to his office with Sam. Billy, Charlie, Adam, and the twins went to train in the training room. They needed to keep Adam busy and toughen him up a bit to be ready for his second moon. Xana realized she was in her gear since the night before. "I'll go take a shower and be right back. If you feel anything different or strange about yourself, I can get a doctor to check you." Xana said to Jamie after they left the dining room and headed for her room. "I'm feeling fine," Jamie touched his chest unconsciously. He was feeling great, actually, except for the lump at the back of his head. "Just one thing though, I have a weird lump at the back of my head and it's really painful." Alston looked smug, Michael grinned, and Xana bit her lip. She felt like laughing, but she didn't. "Alston hit you with his bow. You weren't supposed to see what you saw." Xana explained. "Uh-huh... I see." Jamie looked at Alston, who gave him a sly grin. Xana elbowed Alston. "And he is sorry for hitting you that hard." Xana looked up at Alston and raised her eyebrows, gesturing for Alston to apologize. "I am not, and I would do it again if I had to." Alston confirmed, his sly grin still covering his handsome face. His green eyes filled with amusement. He was wearing black leather pants and a white button-down shirt, leaving half the buttons unbuttoned. He had his silver hair loose. Alston always looked magnificent, the charm and the beauty of the fair folk showing on every single one of his features. Michael laughed, he couldn't stifle his laughter any longer, Xana shook her head and said. "I'm sorry on behalf of Alston, Jamie."
"It's okay. I understand why he did it." Jamie knew there were other reasons for Alston to hit him, other than the obvious. The memory of Alston's firm grip came to his mind. "You should not have apologized." Alston went grim as he stared at Xana, speaking as if Jamie wasn't there at all. "I wouldn't have to if you had done the decent thing." Xana said defiantly and crossed her arms. Her emerald eyes blazed and her glossy hair was flowing around her. Jamie watched her with fascination. "Hitting the mundane was the decent thing. I did nothing wrong to apologize for." Alston matched Xana's defiant tone. Michael crossed his arms and stood silently, watching the two of them argue. He was used to it, but Jamie wasn't. Jamie kept looking from Xana to Alston. "The mundane has a name Alston, you should refer to him in a more polite manner." Xana protested. "The mundane is a burden, a reckless adventure." Alston snapped. "Shouldn't we do something?" Jamie whispered to the silent Michael. "Naah, they will be fine." Michael whispered back.
"An adventure you don't have to be a part of." Xana reminded Alston firmly. Her cheeks went blazing red. Alston's ears turned scarlet, he closed his eyes for a moment before he spoke again, trying to contain his anger, "I swore to be by your side, I swore to protect you and you know that I keep my promises." He locked his gaze with Xana's.
Xana's face softened. She knew Alston was worried about her. She just wanted him to be nicer to Jamie. "I know," she said softly. "But can you please be nicer to Jamie, for me?" Xana said softly again, looking at Alston with hopeful eyes. Alston exhaled. "I will try, just for you," Alston gave a look at Jamie. "But I cannot promise." He looked back at Xana and shrugged. Xana nodded. "That's good enough, for now." Her tone held a slight warning. Xana turned and headed for the stairs. Alston followed her. "Do they do this often?" Jamie asked Michael with curiosity. "All the time." Michael confirmed and headed to the stairs as well, gesturing Jamie to follow him. "What do you want to do today?" Alston asked Xana. Going up the stairs beside her. "Let's hope we don't get any missions. I want to keep Jamie under my supervision for today." Xana replied. "You mean we will babysit him today? How wonderful." Alston said mockingly. Xana rolled her eyes. "He is as old as you are. Do you mean I babysit you every day?" She said in a teasing tone.
"They do realize I can hear them, right?" Jamie asked Michael. They were a few steps down from Xana and Alston. "Right, but don't get offended. It's a celestial thing," Michael assured Jamie.
Jamie looked like how he felt puzzled. He looked up at Xana, still trying to see the fairy in her, and for the second time, he failed. Michael noticed how Jamie looked. "They can't lie or deceive or keep secrets, they only say the truth and when they are asked a question, they have to answer," Michael explained. "So what they say to your face will be exactly what they will say when you turn your back," Michael raised his eyebrows. Jamie thought about what Michael had just said and was astonished. It must be hard not being able to lie, noble and dignified as it must be, but he couldn't imagine how difficult as well. .
Michael went on. "So now you know how hard it must be, especially for the two of them to keep you a secret." Jamie nodded. He felt more grateful for Xana and despite how much he hated to admit it, he felt grateful for Alston too, only a bit grateful though. They reached Xana's room. "I won't be long," Xana said, then she gave Michael a look. "Mikey." Michael nodded. He understood what she was asking him. 'Take care of Jamie'. Xana vanished into her room. Michael headed for his room, Jamie and Alston on his heels. Inside Michael's room, Alston sat on the windowsill. Michael carried the pile of clothes on the floor and placed them in the laundry basket in the bathroom before he sat on his bed, toying with one of his knives. Jamie sat on the armchair by the bed, where Xana slept last night. The chair smelled like fresh roses and sunshine. He knew that was what Xana smelled like. "What would happen if I exposed your secret?" Jamie asked Michael. Before Michael could answer, Alston was talking. "We would be in a lot of trouble. It means we had broken the law and we must be punished. Uriel will summon one of the punishers for us and he will question us, and when he finds us guilty. He will decide our punishment, which would be severe. We are the law enforcers. We should be a role model and not the ones who break the law for the sake of a mere mundane. We could be sent to prison and stripped of our weapons and honor." Alston said, throwing daggers at Jamie.
Jamie swallowed. "I wouldn't want that to happen to Xana," he deliberately didn't mention Alston. "Who is Uriel?" Jamie asked Alston. This time, it was Michael who spoke before Alston. "He is our mentor, he is the angel who trained us, and he is the one who assigns our missions. There's also the punisher. He is an angel also, but as you may figure from his name. He is not an angel you want to meet. He is like a mundane judge. He questions criminals and you can't lie to him because he can invade your brain and find out what your intentions really were. And the enchanted prison is in a different realm, the punisher's realm." Michael explained to Jamie. He wanted him to know the whole truth. Michael sensed that Jamie cared for Xana and he wouldn't want her to be punished. Jamie's face fell, he squinted his blue eyes and laced his fingers, he couldn't imagine Xana locked in some scary jail in a different realm, he knew what realm meant, he used to read fantasy stories about the void and hell being in another realm. There was so much more he wanted to know, but he preferred to ask Xana. Michael was nice to him, but he wanted something to talk to Xana about. And he wanted a chance to talk to her alone, but he suspected that neither of the boys would give him that chance. The three of them were moving as one, following each other everywhere, the two boys constantly on either of Xana's sides, looking at her with protective eyes.
***
Xana stood for a long time staring at her bathroom mirror, looking at the two tattoos under her collarbones. 'Salvator Mundi,' savior of the world, and 'Lux et Lex,' light and law. She broke the law by saving Jamie, but how can she be the savior of the world if she left him to die? How can she be both? To save the world and obey the law? She had never broken the laws before. Yes, she was stubborn and rebellious, but she didn't break the rules. She made new choices sometimes and Uriel said it was all right but this time she wasn't sure. Uriel might accept what she did for Daniel, after all, he entrusted her with keeping the order of the Downworld. But she was certain he wouldn't accept what she did for Jamie. She feared what might happen if Uriel found out, they might erase Jamie's memory and she might lose her weapons. But she couldn't tell Uriel, she wanted Jamie in her life and she would do anything to keep him safe. She hated keeping secrets, but it was imperative. Two pixies flew in front of her face, trying to grab her attention. They had been living in her room since she had saved them from a jar in Edward Wood's office. They flew close to her face and gently touched her cheeks with their fluttering, soft wings. Xana smiled at the tiny pixies, dried her hair quickly with a towel, then put on a gray sweater and black jeans and headed to Michael's room. Then she paused and remembered something. She sent a light message to Uriel to explain what had happened with Daniel and waited patiently for his reply. Uriel didn't object, saying she didn't break any major rules, but he made her responsible for Daniel's actions and if he broke any laws, she would put him down immediately. Xana's tension eased up only a tiny bit. She expected that reply from Uriel, it was his reply if she had told him about Jamie that worried her the most.
Once she opened the door, she found Charlie leaning against the wall in front of her room. His head bent down and his brown hair falling over his face, his hands jammed into his jeans pockets. When Xana walked out, he lifted his face up. His light brown eyes were almost golden in the daylight. Charlie looked so much like Michael, only he was less talkative and he was an artist. Michael was like Xana, who couldn't even draw a straight line. Xana always liked Charlie's drawings, and he always allowed her into his studio. "Charlie, are you okay?" Xana stopped instead of going to Michael's room. "I came to ask you that." Charlie straightened up and pushed his hair back. "I'm okay. I just needed a good night's sleep and a meal." Xana shrugged. "I didn't mean your health." Charlie took a step closer to Xana. Xana scanned his eyes, trying to figure out his thoughts. Were her feelings for Jamie that obvious? "I'm fine." She managed to say. "I thought you were smarter than this. I mean, I thought you would choose better." Charlie said. "You sound just like Alston." Xana shook her head. "Glad to know I'm not the only voice of reason." Charlie took another step forward and stood right in front of Xana, towering over her. "I'll take him to his home tonight." Xana said, looking at her boots. "I'm not worried about us or him. I'm worried about you. I don't want to lose you." Charlie was staring down at Xana. Xana looked up and saw how concerned and worried he was, how her choice affected a lot of people who loved and cared for her. "You wouldn't lose me, Charlie, I'll always be here, be part of your family as long as you want me to be." "What if you had to choose between him and us?" Charlie asked and crossed his arms. "I can't live without all of you in my life Charlie and I can't be anything other than who I am now, and I'm not sure he would want to be a part of that life." Xana said and exhaled. "He would be a fool if he refused you, and apparently he is not. You haven't seen the way he looks at you. It makes me want to smash his face." Charlie smirked. Xana smiled one of her half-smiles. "Please don't do that. He has a beautiful face," Xana teased him a bit. "And that's why I'm worried. You two want to be with each other. You are just uncertain about how deep you two feel about one another and how much you would have to sacrifice. I just hope you wouldn't have to choose." Charlie ruffled Xana's hair. "I hope so too." Xana ran a hand through her damp hair. "I will protect your heart, we all will." Charlie said in a firm tone.
"And I wouldn't have it any other way." Xana assured him. "All right, let's go see your human." Charlie wriggled his eyebrows. Xana shook her head and went to Michael's room. Jamie stood up when Xana entered the room and smiled at her. Alston looked at him with annoyance, then he jumped off the windowsill and smiled at Xana broadly. Xana smiled awkwardly and stood at the threshold, not sure what to do. Michael watched the whole scene with amusement. "Can I talk to you in private, please?" Jamie broke the awkward silence. "Sure, we can go to the garden. The weather is nice today." Xana said. Jamie nodded and walked towards Xana.
"I need some air, too." Michael said and jumped off the bed, following Jamie. "I should go with Michael." Alston said. "And I really need to watch this." Charlie smirked.
Xana rolled her eyes. "Fine, come on Jamie, walk with me." Xana led Jamie downstairs and to the back garden. Alston, Michael, and Charlie were on her heels. The sky was cloudy, but with no sign of rain. Xana led Jamie to the old fountain. It hadn't been working for a long time, moss grew all over it, covering most of it. In the middle of the fountain stood a sculpture of three running wolves. The water was supposed to pour from their mouths. Xana sat on the edge of the fountain over the moss. It didn't bother her. Jamie sat beside her. Michael, Alston, and Charlie stood away but within earshot. "Nice sculpture." Jamie jerked his chin toward the running wolves. He wasn't sure what to say. "Yeah, this fountain is really old. The whole sanctuary is, actually." Xana said, looking at Alston, Michael, and Charlie, who were lurking close by, standing awkwardly and not really doing anything specific. "They are so protective of you," Jamie jerked his chin toward the boys. Xana smiled and nodded. The wind blew her hair around her face gently. Jamie longed to touch her soft locks but he was certain that the boys would kill him and probably bury him under this fountain if he did so. "How is it to have a werewolf boyfriend?" Jamie decided to see what he was up against, that if he couldn't stop himself. Xana was taken by surprise. She curled her lips. "It's good I suppose! I think what matters most is the personality, not the species." She looked at Jamie, trying to figure what was on his mind.
"Michael seems like good boyfriend material." Jamie said matter-of-factly. Xana was used to honesty, manipulating with words wasn't something she appreciated or understood sometimes. She didn't realize what Jamie was indicating. Manipulating was in the nature of the Unseelie fairies. "He is the best. Michael is perfect in every way possible and impossible," Xana said. Jamie's face fell. He knew he wouldn't have a chance against Michael. He said nothing and just looked at Michael wistfully. 'Well, it was worth a try' Jamie thought. "But he refuses to date," Xana went on. Jamie's face lightened up immediately and he looked back at Xana with hopeful blue eyes. "He has a lot of admirers everywhere we go and I tried to make him go out with many before, but he refused." Xana shrugged. "Maybe he has someone in his heart, but he hasn't told her yet." Jamie raised one blond eyebrow and tilted his head to the side. "No, he would have told me. Michael doesn't hide anything from me." Xana said with confidence. "Yeah, I can see how close you are." Jamie was having an internal struggle, his brain was demanding him to stop talking, to stop being interested in that girl, but his heart had a different opinion, his recently awaken heart demanded him to go further, to inquire about everything, to keep the girl close. "We are best friends, more like brother and sister, really." Xana said, looking at Michael. "Oh, it's funny 'cause when I first saw you together, I was sure you were a couple." Jamie decided to be honest. Xana's eyebrows shot up, then she threw her head back and laughed. "Me and Michael! No way, we are close, yes, but not a couple. You see, we were raised together. I knew Michael since I was four and we haven't been separated even for a day since then. He is my partner in battles, my best friend and my brother. I wouldn't know a thing about your world if it wasn't for Michael. I would just cross from Myron to do my missions and head straight back." Jamie was smiling broadly. He couldn't hide how excited he was to hear that. "It must be nice to have a friend like that." Jamie realized he wasn't competing against Mr. Fantastic. He could scratch Michael off Xana's possible boyfriends' list. But the list was infinite with all those boys around her. Alston was grim and annoyed. He stood frozen in his place, crossing his arms and glaring at Jamie. "What do you think he is telling her to make her laugh like this?" he asked Michael, and gritted his teeth. "Making fun of you." Michael threw his hands in the air. Charlie chuckled. They both knew of Alston's intolerance toward the humans. Alston glared at Michael with fury. "Xana would not allow him." Then he looked back at Xana and Jamie, both of them were laughing and talking, they looked close, Alston hated it. "Is Alston your friend too? Like Michael?" Jamie asked, toying with a piece of the moss covering the fountain. "Yes, he is my other best friend, the three of us are a team, people call us the Slayers. Alston has been my friend since I was four also," Xana explained. A sudden wind blew over Jamie's face, messing his hair and smashing dead leaves into his face, he raised his hand covering his eyes then he was surprised to see Xana sitting beside him, no wind blowing on her at all. "Sorry about that," Xana said and Jamie didn't understand at first what she was apologizing for. "Alston!" She turned her gaze to Alston and said his name in a warning tone. Alston unfolded his hands; gave Jamie a scornful look then gave Xana a small nod. The wind stopped blowing. Jamie ran a hand through his hair to rearrange it and picked the dead leaves from his hair and threw them into the fountain then he gaped at Alston. "What just happened?" Jamie was looking from Xana to Alston with confusion. "Alston's idea of a joke." Xana said with an apologetic tone. "How did he do that?" Jamie asked.
"Alston is an elf. He can control the elements: water, wind, earth, and fire." Xana replied matter-of-factly. "Can you do that too?" Jamie asked with curiosity. "No, I can move objects, but not elements." Xana said and saw the puzzled look covering Jamie's face. She lifted her hand and moved it to the side. Some dead leaves moved the same way she moved her hand. Jamie was speechless for a few moments. Xana's heart sank, 'He thinks I'm weird,' Xana thought. "That was awesome. It must be great being magical." Jamie finally spoke. Xana smiled at him, "Yeah, it is." "So where are you from? I mean, do fairies live here among us and what is Myron?" Jamie spoke rapidly, he was so curious. "I'm from Myron. It's where all the fairies and elves live. It's the fairies' realm. We have been living there since we were first created, but we have always crossed to your land. When werewolves, and vampires and warlocks were born, they needed a place away from the humans, for your own safety of course, so the angels forced the fairies to host all the enchanted creatures in Myron, to adjust the portals to allow them into our realm and they forced them to follow our rules in return. They are not allowed to commit any crimes or practice black magic. If they did, the angels will punish them. Back then, only warrior angels were the ones keeping the order of the enchanted world until they formed the enchanted council, which contained fairies, elves, werewolves, vampires, mere people and warlocks, all under the supervision of the angels. They put the first laws, and who has the right to punish a criminal, each group had the right to defend themselves and when someone commits a crime against them in their land, they have the right to punish him. Despite all this, the fairies weren't happy about sharing their realm, but you don't simply say no to an angel." Xana explained. "Yet you have." Michael said cheerfully. Xana and Jamie didn't see him when he walked towards them and stood before them.
"Xana said no to the angels?" Jamie asked with astonishment. Michael nodded and Xana blushed, then she spoke in a low voice, "When I was born I was supposed to keep the order of the enchanted world, to have power over all the enchanted creatures, fairies or not."
"She means her legend said." Michael interrupted her. Xana glared at him and he shrugged. Jamie gaped. "You have a legend?" 'That was some news,' Jamie thought.
"It's not that big of a deal, there are millions of legends about everything," Xana always felt uncomfortable talking about her legend. She hated when people thought of her as superior and royal. "Anyway, I was the first to have that privilege but I decided I wouldn't have it alone. After spending my whole life training with Mikey and Al I refused to just give our friendship up and fulfill my destiny alone so I refused my mentor angel's orders and said I wouldn't go out on missions unless the three of us go out together as a team and he agreed." Xana shrugged. "And here we are, the Slayers." Michael emphasized the word and wriggled his eyebrows. Xana laughed. "Wow, it sounds just like a fantasy book, except that it's real," Jamie said, looking from Xana to Michael, then he added, "Why does Alston say you are a princess?"
"Because the angels gave her that rank when she was born," Alston's voice was firm, he was standing behind Michael. He took a step forward, closer to Xana. "She is a princess over the entire enchanted world." Xana rolled her eyes. "It's just a title. I never ask people to treat me any different based on it." Xana glared at Alston.
Alston was about to protest, but Xana's glare was warning enough. He kept his mouth closed and his gaze focused on Jamie. It went like this for a while. Xana and Jamie talking, Xana explaining about her world, Jamie listening, amazed and astonished. Michael standing close by, bragging about something Xana did when he got the chance. Alston standing grim-faced, crossing his arms and poking holes into Jamie's skin. Charlie was amused by the scene. He never saw Alston that annoyed before and he wondered why. "Most werewolves, vampires, and warlocks live in the human realm, but they can cross to Myron whenever they want and they can live there as well." Xana went on explaining. "What does Myron look like?" Jamie asked. "It's beautiful. Myron is the whole country like when you say England, the Capital is Elond, it's the major city. Then there's Incantia, or the enchanted forest. It's where the Medela fairies live. Those are my people. Medela fairies' rule over the Seelies, my king and queen rule the Seelie Court. In other words, 'the good fairies'," Xana winked. "They have the power of healing, and under their rule live many kinds of fairies like Pixies, Nixies, and Alvens. And then there's Alavara, land of the elves. That's where Alston is from." Xana indicated Alston, who looked superior. "Are there any bad fairies then?" Jamie asked, looking at Alston. "Yeah, the Unseelies. They follow the Unseelie Court, they live in Arrathil or the forbidden hill. They don't follow the enchanted council and they are very nasty. They kidnap mundanes." Xana replied. "Wouldn't want to meet one of those then." Jamie said. Xana laughed.
Billy called them for lunch, and after lunch, the day went flying. Billy left after sunset, and Xana wished she could slow down the time. She told Jamie she would take him to his house that night; she didn't realize the day would end so fast like that. Jamie thanked Fenris for allowing him to stay and Fenris shook his hand firmly. "Just remember that I will set my whole pack after you if you revealed what you learned today." Fenris said while smiling. Jamie feared him at that moment.
Jamie swallowed. "Er...You have my word." He assured Fenris. "Better not mention this to Xana." Fenris said in a low voice. Xana was close by, putting on a jacket and getting ready to leave. Jamie nodded. He wasn't going to reveal her secret for many reasons. He wouldn't want any harm to happen to Xana or any of her friends, and who would he tell? Even if he told anyone, they wouldn't believe him. Who would believe that werewolves and fairies exist and they are walking among us undetected? "Come sit in the front." Xana told Jamie before Michael or Alston took the front seat beside her. "Do all fairies drive a Mustang?" Jamie asked jokingly. He was still in Michael's clothes. "Because I'm really admiring their taste."
Xana laughed softly as she settled behind the wheel. "I think I'm the only fairy who does mundane driving." Michael and Alston sat in the back, watching Jamie and Xana intently. Xana grabbed the wheel and whispered softly. "Let's go, baby." Jamie jerked his head, staring at Xana with wide eyes. Alston leaned in between the front seats and said in a teasing tone. "Do not flatter yourself mundane, she means the car."
Xana looked at both of them, puzzled, but said nothing. Michael was chuckling. When they reached Jamie's house, Xana gave the boys a warning look as she went down after Jamie. They got the hint and did not follow her.
"They aren't coming down?" Jamie raised his eyebrows in astonishment. "Not this time," Xana shook her head. "I will leave you now, but if you need anything, you have my number." Xana was staring at her boots. Jamie watched her, watched her long lashes brush her cheeks softly, her hair flowing softly around her and how she worried on her fingers. "I will call you." Jamie said softly. Every nerve in his body was aching because Xana was leaving, and he knew he was really going to call her. Xana looked up into his intense blue eyes. She didn't want to leave him, but she had to. "Have a nice night." She said and smiled. "You too, Xana Star." Jamie said, and gave her a dramatic bow.
Xana laughed, then turned around and headed to her Mustang without looking back. She was afraid if she looked back at Jamie, she wouldn't be able to leave. Jamie stood on his doorstep, watching Xana walking toward her car. He liked the way she walked, so swiftly, as if she were dancing. He liked the way her hair always looked glossy and perfect, how petite she was. He still couldn't imagine her as a demon slayer. Once she got in the car, he went inside. Xana was quiet all the way to Calum's apartment. None of the boys dared to talk to her. She looked upset and distant. Michael placed a hand on her shoulder, but she didn't even notice.
***
Calum was happy about what she did for Daniel. Michael bragged about the way she fought Matthew without any weapons. Aldora was glad Xana was all right and Emily was just Emily, floating into her own world. She didn't seem to notice that Xana had been gone since the night before. The three of them settled in for dinner when Xana's phone rang. She stiffened when she saw Jamie's number; she was certain he wouldn't call her. Was he calling to say he couldn't see her anymore? He couldn't accept her nature and be part of her world? Xana stood up hastily and went to the balcony to answer. "Hello." she said in a small, uncertain voice.
"Xana, HELP, I need help....." Jamie was yelling, then she heard a scream, a bang and something crashed. "Jamie? What is wrong?" Xana asked urgently. Her heartbeats jumped up an octave and her mind whirled, but Jamie never answered. All she could hear were screams, ugly hissing noises, and things smashing. Her stomach contracted and tied into a knot. Xana sprang inside in an instant. Clutched her jacket and was running towards the door. "We gotta go. Something is wrong." She said to the boys, who sprang up without a word and ran after her. Calum was puzzled, but he assured Aldora that it must be a mission. He was used to seeing them acting like that most of the time.