Chapter 13
1391 Words
My parents both turn to look at me in shock. My dad has a little smirk on his face. “Here to see you, eh?” he asks with a wink.
I roll my eyes. “Shut up, Dad.” I retort. I look back at the intimidating man in the doorway. “What are you doing here, Eric?”
“I sensed something was wrong,” he answers. “I felt your pain. I had to come see you and make sure you were safe.”
My parents’ eyes grow wide. “You know him?” My mother asks in shock
My cheeks begin to burn as the embarrassment creeps over me. “We’ve met,” I mutter.
“He obviously knows you pretty well,” my dad teases as he jabs me with his elbow. “He came all the way here because of a feeling?”
“Daaad!” I whisper. “Shut up! Please!”
“Okay, okay,” he whispers. “But who is he?”
“The king of the Werewolves,” I say with a sigh.
I hear my mom gasp a little. “What is he doing here?” she says under her breath.
“Guys,” I say quietly as I watch the amused smile on Eric’s lips. “He has superhuman hearing. Pretty sure he can hear everything you’re saying.”
Dad clears his throat uncomfortably, then looks back up at Eric while placing a protective arm over my shoulder. “So what can we do for you, your highness?”
My dad sure has a lot of confidence for someone who is completely mortal now.
“I told you,” Eric answers, “I just wanted to check on Mariel. I was worried about her.”
“Well then,” my dad says, “We don’t want to intrude, do we, Seraphina?”
Mom shakes her head and smirks. They turn and walk up the old staircase in the back of the tavern up to their room, hand in hand the whole way.
The sight of them finally happy and peaceful makes my heart swell with joy. But it also means that I need to do everything within my power to keep them out of my apocalyptic world of destruction. They’re mortal now, and I can’t let them be a part of this.
After they’re safely out of earshot, I bolt over to where Eric is standing.
“What the hell are you thinking, barging in here like this?” I demand, “And how did you find me?”
“I told you,” he sighs in exasperation, “we are connected.”
I groan and run my fingers through my hair. “You keep saying that. If it was true, why don’t I feel anything?”
He shrugs. “I haven’t figured that part out yet.”
I rub my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose between my fingers. I’m still recovering from the bout of nausea that I just experienced, and the stress of this situation isn’t helping matters. “Look,” I say with a sigh, “I’ve had a really bad day. I just need some rest. Can we talk about this the day of the council meeting?”
There is concern in his amber-colored eyes. “I can’t leave you when you’re in pain,” he says.
“I’ll be in pain for the rest of my life,” I answer. “Kinda the curse of being a one-of-a-kind freak of nature.”
“I would never cause you pain, or let anyone hurt you,” he says softly. It’s jarring; hearing such gentle words coming from such a rugged and scarred face. “And you are not a freak.”
The surprise makes me catch my breath.
“Eric, I told you. I’m fine.” I say. “I just need some space right now.”
“You’re not fine,” He says as he folds his muscled arms, “Who hurt you?”
I look at the ground. I know how he feels about Robin already, and I’m trying to keep the peace right now.
His golden eyes narrow suspiciously. “It was the fairy, wasn’t it?”
I don’t answer.
“That prissy mother fucker hurt you?” He growls under his breath.
“No!” I snap. “I hurt him. We hurt each other. It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine!” He shouts, a deep grumble coming from his chest. “I am not going anywhere until you have healed.”
I look up at him with a stubborn frown.
“I’ll sleep outside with the dogs if I have to,” he says with a smile and a wink.
I smirk a little despite myself. “I’m fine, honestly,” I say.
“Heartache is the worst kind of torture,” he answers. “You are incredibly vulnerable right now, and heaven knows there are a lot of creatures lurking in the shadows, waiting for you to show weakness. I won’t leave you unprotected.”
I groan and turn away from him. “Whatever,” I say over my shoulder. “Just let me get some rest.”
“Does that mean I can stay?” He asks.
“Ugh, fine!” I answer. “But you’re not sleeping outside. There’s a spare room upstairs.”
Out of the corner of my eye I see a broad grin spread across his face as he makes a victorious fist. “Yesss!” He whispers under his breath.
I roll my eyes and scoff, though I’ll have to admit that was pretty adorable.
“Are you coming?” I ask as I climb the stairs.
He awkwardly scrambles up behind me, and I show him to the spare room down the hall that used to belong to Seamus. “You can stay here for a couple of days, but I have a lot of traveling to do… preparing for the council meeting and all. So I won’t be around very much.”
“I can come with you… to help,” he offers.
“Absolutely not!” I snap. “Having a werewolf king on my shoulder isn’t going to look good for… diplomacy.”
His shoulders slump a little. This giant, muscular, superhuman creature is diminished to a lovesick puppy around me. It’s a little… strange.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” I say. “I really need to get some rest. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” he says with a sigh, then we both walk to our separate rooms.
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Boom… boom… boom…
There’s a pounding at my door.
I open my eyes and brush the messy mop of curls away from my face.
Boom… boom… boom....
“Coming!” I moan sleepily.
I clumsily climb out of bed and hobble over to the door. I probably just fell asleep an hour ago.
Just eleven more days until the council meeting, and I have yet to track down the leaders of the vampires and the shifters. And who knows about the angels and demons. This is all going to hell. Literally.
I open the door and Eric is standing on the other side, a look of panic on his face.
He’s been hanging around for the last couple of days, watching me from a distance as I frantically search for the leaders of these groups. But I’ve never seen him like this.
“What is it, Eric?” I ask, wiping the sleep out of my eyes.
“There’s been an attack on my castle,” He says frantically.
I stand up straight, suddenly wide awake. “What?” I shout, “Who was it? The vampires?”
His eyes darken with anger before he answers.
“No. The fairies.”
- Writer
