The gift of Fae

The Fae

After what felt like forever sitting with Mum on the edge of her bed, I knew I needed to gain some courage and tell her what David was and what that meant for me now.  I wonder if she even has any idea about the Fae and their community? 

"Mum, there is more to why I went to visit Madam Prea and she revealed more than just who my real father was to me" I tell mum in a soft tone, ready for her to pounce with a hundred questions.  But she doesn't, she just looks at me with sad questioning eyes, as if she is wondering how this could possibly get any worse. 

"Well... I went to see Madam Prea in the first place because my skin absorbed some henna ink that we got down at the Autumn Festival, it was like magic, it just soaked into my skin and freaked us all out... We all thought it might have been something to do with my wolf abilities.. But we were wrong" I let out a heavy sigh, knowing that my next sentence was probably going to send her into shock. 

"Turns out it's a Fae ability, because I'm a Fairy, like my real father was and his mother, who happens to be Madam Prea is as well" I just let it out, no turning back now.  Watching Mum sink into the bed, deep in thought, I should just let her be for a minute, she obviously needs to process this information just like I did. Feeling like it was the right decision to wait until today to tell Mum this rather than barging in late last night. 

"A Fairy?" Mum questions. "Yes a fairy, Madam Prea gave me a Fae Lore book to read to learn about who and what I am, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet... I only found out last night and needed time to process that I'm a fairy before I try and process what that actually means for me" I say. 

"I don't understand why David never told me? I told him I was a supernatural werewolf and he didn't think to let me in on his secret? Probably explains why he took it so well when I told him what I was though, maybe he already knew?" she questions. But I have no answer, I don't think I have ever seen my Mum not know the answer to everything, she is always so confident, so strong, so independent. I can tell she is definitely doing some deep thinking right now, her eyes tell me she is a million miles away contemplating how and what we are going to do next with this information. 

"Okay" she says with the confidence I'm used to, "lets get this straight, your not a werewolf at all?" "Nope" I respond. "You're a fairy, like David and Madam Prea, who is apparently his mother?" "Yes that's the gist of it" I snicker. "So.. We obviously can't stay here, the rest of the pack will become aware that you aren't a werewolf in just six days when you don't shift... I think we are going to have to go see Madam Prea and hope she knows of a safe place for you" she states, not as a question but as an obvious plan for moving forward. 

Mum just gets up off her bed, ties up her hair in a neat bun and grabs her handbag and heads for the door, "so are you coming or what?" she smiles back to me. She's like a woman on a mission, we have never done anything like this before, so sporadic. This is exciting and Mum looks excited too, like she is running on adrenaline. 

Heading towards the entrance of the castle we try making small talk and act 'normal' whatever that is.  Feeling so on edge like at any moment we are going to be captured or something, it's a really bizarre feeling.  No one here even has the slightest clue what is going on, yet I feel like everyone does and that they are all staring at us. Crazy what the subconscious mind does to your confidence. 

"Catana, Felicity, wait up" we here from the distance and grind to a halt. s**t. 

It's my father, I mean Dominic. 

"Dominic" Mum says with the fakest smile I have ever seen plastered on her face. "I didn't think you were coming back to the castle until the day before Felicity's birthday?" she questions gently while giving him a hug. 

Pure disgust I have for him right now, he better not want a hug from me. I do not have my mothers faking abilities, this man was responsible for killing my real father, and for what? To keep my mother to himself. Just cruel and selfish. 

He comes in for a hug, f**k, hold it together. 

I hug him, staring at my Mum the whole time. Pretty sure she can sense my anger, I wonder if he can too. I try my best to suppress how I am feeling in the moment. 

"I decided to come back a bit earlier, help Felicity prepare for her birthday and the responsibilities that follow" he responds sternly, like he is the boss of both of us. I don't think I have ever noticed before, but he has always spoken down to us like this. I guess I was just used to it. "So where are you two off to outside the castle?" he questions like we are under interrogation. I think Mum can sense my unease because she quickly responds "Just off to do some shopping, Felicity would like a new dress for her birthday celebrations and I was thinking a nice necklace would be fitting for a birthday present." So confident in her response, she even had me believing I was about to get a new dress and some jewelry. 

Dominic seemed satisfied with that answer telling us to have a good time and that he would see us at dinner at 6pm sharp. But the colors that began radiating off him after our exchange gave me another feeling altogether. Deep intense red, maroon and even specks of black, I've never seen black come off a person before, but I know that the reds signaled anger and rage. On the outside he was doing a good job at hiding how he was really feeling towards us.  Does he know about me? Why else would he come home early? Or was it really to help me with my shift and what comes after? 

Leaving the castle, Mum and I clung to each other, knowing that was a bloody close call, and likely that could be the last time we ever see Dominic. If Madam Prea knows of a safe place for us, I get the feeling there will be no turning back.