"How did you get a fairy wing? You know they're smaller creatures. I have searched under rocks and shiny stones to find one but I didn't see any." Elizabeth said.
"You see....." Lucian placed both hands on her shoulder. "The fairies are now smart unlike before. They're using their powers to make themselves appear big like humans. It is harder to get one these days."
"Ohhh..... Thank you so much." Elizabeth giddily replied with a smile that reached her eyes.
Hearing the man, Anna began to question if her mother used her powers to make her appear like a human. She wanted answers to many questions going on her mind.
She didn't want to be here. She could sense danger in the air and when the man met eyes with her, her heart skipped. Who was this man and why does it looks like she have met him before?
He shared the same features as Marcos but appeared to be more innocent than him.
"What are you doing here?" The woman asked.
"Am I not allowed into my home. This is my father's house and I can come here anytime I want to." He smiled before going to sit down next to Marcos. He didn't tear his gaze away from her and he looked at her as if wanting answers he couldn't find.
"Since your father died you haven't come near this Mansion." The woman said.
"He is not staying long." Marcos glared at his brother.
"True." Lucian nodded. "I will be leaving next two days."
"No please I want you to stay long so you can teach me how to hunt for fairies. I would love to have more of their wings in my room." Elizabeth pleaded.
"He cannot stay here." Marcos said.
"He is the only one who acknowledge me of my birthday. He gave me a present which none of you would ever give to me. I want him to stay long. He cannot leave." She glumly said.
"No." Her mother shook her head. "It would be better if he leaves and not come near you."
Anna shrank back to her chair, wanting to escape from here. Anywhere was better than sitting with them. Her eyes shifted to Marcos who sat down with a proud expression.
With anger in her eyes, Elizabeth roughly slammed her hand onto the table and then she pushed it, causing a loud screech in the room. At this, the room turned silent.
"He is staying longer in this house." Anna caught glance of black veins on Elizabeth's face which disappeared after the girl blinked.
Her mother breathed out in shock. "You should learn how to control it and not show it out for everyone to see. Control your anger. Lucian would be staying longer if it is your wish."
This was not about her anger, Anna thought.
"Who is she?" Lucian nudged his head towards her.
"She is a new maid." Charlotte, their mother replied.
"And Elizabeth think it is better having a maid dine with us?" Lucian tilted his head to look at his sister.
"She is my guest. I invited her here." Elizabeth started eating from her bowl.
Once lunch was over, Anna stood up to join the maids clear off the table. As she walked to Marcos side to pick up his bowl, it mistakenly slipped off from her hand.
Before it could land on the ground, he grabbed it with inhuman speed.
"Huh...." She anxiously sighed. "Thank you."
She quickly took the bowl from him and plastered an apologetic expression on her face.
Once she was in the kitchen, she went to the sink to wash the bowls. She was the only one in the kitchen as all the maids have gone out to do other chores. Just then, she felt someone behind her and when she turned around she saw Lucian.
"Uhm....." She bowed her head. "I was just washing the dishes. Do you need anything?"
His lips tugged upward with a small frown. "Tell me Anna..... Why do I not like you?"
She paused her lips. "It's okay to not like a person. You cannot please everyone."
"How do you know my name?" She asked.
"I saw you earlier, staring at a particular painting, wanting to touch it. I heard your name from the other maid." He said.
"Ohh..." She scratched the back of her head anxiously. "I was only staring."
"But you wanted to touch it." He scrunched his brows, looking at her with a questioning look and she wondered what he was thinking about.
"It is because the painting appeared different than the others." She turned her gaze back to the sink to continue washing.
"You see....." He said. "The woman in that canvas is my mother. The first Madam of this household. But she died."
"How long?" She eagerly asked.
"Years now but it feels like yesterday." Lucian muttered.
Anna paused what she was doing and spoke to Lucian. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Lucian raised a brow.
"Your mother." She replied. "I know the pain of losing someone so close to you. I've felt it too."
Just then the door opened and Anna turned around to see Marcos. His gaze was fixed on his brother who had plastered an innocent look on his face.
Without saying anything, he opened the door and walked away. Lucian followed him from behind.
"Brother don't you think we should put the past behind and start again?" Lucian asked. "It has been forty five years already."
He looked at his brother for a moment before laughing out. "It really has been a long time."
"I told you to stay away from Anna." Marcos sharply pointed out.
"Relax I didn't say anything about the fairy stuff to her." He winked an eye at him.
"But before careful Marcos." He smiled. "You never can know when I would sink my fangs into her fresh skin."
When it was time of the night, the maidens retired to their bedroom. Anna slept next to her roommate as she dozed off to a dream of her mother.
It was a midnight and all the fairies where gathered around a burning fire. Tonight was the night of the ritual were the fairies would chose the next Queen of the Unseelie court.
Since the other Queen had passed away trying to breed with a human which didn't work well and she died, they need a new one. The Unseelie court was a powerful organisation of evil fairies wanting to wipe the existence of mankind.
Just then, Anna saw her mother flew towards her and stop in front of her. Anna looked at her wings which had grown so long and would sparkle like shining diamond at the time of night.
As the demons have been hunting for them, they acquired a new powers which made them appear human and live in their midst without them knowing.
"Are you ready?" Her mother asked her and she nodded. The both of them flew towards the other fairies.
"You should step forward." Her mother nudged her head forward and she stepped closer to join the other fairies of the Unseelie court.
The oldest among them cut through her palm and the blood that came out formed a ring that wrapped around her hands. "Ed Sheeran CA BRE."
Suddenly, all their bodies started appearing blue and it shone brightly in the night sky. They were like rare treasures and once seen, would be used for cosmetic or for ritual purpose.
Anna looked at her mother one more time before closing her eyes and joined the other fairies to speak in a strange language.
"Ohh goddess of the moon chose whom our new Queen would be." The woman looked at the night sky.
Suddenly, the sand began to move and whirl. It twirled with so much speed and formed a cone shaped tornado of sand and wind.
After moving for up to a minute, it started moving towards Anna. The fairies watched with keen eyes as the sand twirled faster around Anna, taking her up from the ground.
Suddenly, the cracking sound of thunder sounded throughout the empty land. The moon goddess already chose their Queen and it was Anna.
"This can't be! Anna can never be our Queen!" One of the fairies shouted.
"The moon goddess must have mistaken her for someone else." Another spoke up.
When the tornado died down, Anna fell on her knees.
"She cannot be our next Queen!"
"Enough!" Her mother voice rang throughout the place. "She is our new Queen and we must bow to her."
"I don't want to be your Queen." Anna shook her head before flying off.
Anna shot out of the dream and placed her hand on her chest, breathing heavily.