Destiny

Chapter Two:

Somehow, Sam and I had fallen asleep. I was wrapped in his arms and it was only the incessant knocking on my door that woke me.

"Come in," I croaked.

Sarah entered, she looked the same as she did last night, just a little tired.

"I'm sorry, but we have to leave now."

Sam stirred, and slowly his eyes opened. "Leave where?" he mumbled as he yawned. I still hadn't had chance to tell him that I was being made to leave him.

"Lisbeth is being placed in care with a friend of her father's. It's only an hour away."

Sam sat ramrod straight and the sleep had left his eyes. His hair was a tangled mess on top of his head, and sometime in the night he had lost his jacket. Looking around, I noticed that we were still on the floor and his jacket must have been draped over us like a blanket. "What? No! You can't just palm her off to some other person who she doesn't even know!"

“Please,” I begged, tears in my eyes. “Let me stay here, I can look after myself I swear!”

“She can live with us!” Sam pleaded, puppy dog eyes staring directly at Sarah in a futile attempt to get her to relinquish her decision.

Sarah sighed and looked at us both. “I know that this is hard for both of you, but that’s just not possible, I’m sorry.”

Sam and I shared a silence, none of us knowing what to do or say, we couldn’t fight the law no matter how much we wanted to.

Sarah looked haggard. She sighed and entered the room, perching above us on the end of my bed. "Look, she's only sixteen, now the law states that until she's eighteen, she must be placed with a responsible adult."

Sam opened his mouth, as if to argue, but, like me, he must have realised that there was no point. We couldn't talk my way out of this. I was going, and that was that. A desolate looking Sam turned to me. "You listen here," he said cupping my face with his hand. "As soon as you get there, you text me, okay? I'll come straight to you. I promise."

***

Half an hour later, though I didn’t want things to be like this, I was packed. Sam picked up both bags, a hard look on his face, and he threw them in the boot of Sarah's silver car with more force than I thought he possessed. It was morning now, and the sun shone down on the scene. I was sort of glad I was leaving, I didn't want to bear the looks of sympathy from my neighbours. My feet were laced up in black combat boots, my legs clad in tight black jeans. I'd thrown on Sam's grey shirt and jacket. "Remember to text me the address. I'll come straight over, OK? Then, that gives you time to settle in and I can explain things to my mum."

"Tell Jackie I said goodbye, and that I'll miss her," I said, as I thought of Sam's mum.

"Of course. I love you, Liz. I'll see you soon," Sam promised as he left a lingering kiss on my forehead. I smiled sadly at him and got in the car.

I love you, too, I thought to myself. Sam was my rock. He wouldn't let me down. "Are you ready?" Sarah asked. I nodded my head and waved to Sam as Sarah started the car. My eyes lingered on the blood stain outside the garage door as we passed the house.

Bye, daddy.

Banishing thoughts of him from my mind, I studied the front of the book I'd taken from my dad's study. The Fae & Their Legends. I felt my eyebrows crease, what sort of books did my dad read? Cautiously, I opened the book, my heart was slamming against my rib cage and a strange sense of trepidation set in. Why was I so nervous? It was only a book.

The first page of the book had a folded piece of paper inside of it. With shaking hands, I unfolded the paper and read the messy writing.

Dearest Lisbeth,

I hope you understand why your father and I did what we had to do. I never wished for this to happen, but then, no monarch wishes for their people to be slaughtered in front of their eyes. If you are reading this, then it means that somehow, your father is dead.

I am so sorry, Lisbeth.

I am going to explain everything in the little time I have. You have no reason to believe any word of this letter, but I know you will make the right decision.

You have fairy blood in your veins. You come from one of the most powerful families of the Fae. Right now, we are at war with the pixies; the evil of our kind. I have sent you and your father out into the human world, where he will cast a spell upon the both of you so that you blend in and look like normal humans.

Safety measures are in place if your father should be indisposed. You are to be sent to a Fae family. They are the closest to the Royal of the Fae; our protectors. They will look after you. They have a son, a year older than you who will help you through this, Lisbeth.

Lisbeth, the fairy realm needs you. We are being annihilated. The fate of the Fae depends upon you.

Love, Mum.

I stared down incredulously at the letter. I didn't want to believe that anything that absurd could be true; but something was tugging at my memory.

I was five years old, it was Christmas. Dad had taken us shopping in a place I'd never heard of before. We passed a prepossessing woman, dressed in a gown as fine as snow. It was so white it hurt my eyes. She was hovering a few feet off the floor, and from her shoulder blades protruded magnificent wings, like a butterfly's. Her forewings were a glittering blue, that sparkled silver when she moved. Her hindwings were as black as ink. I tugged on my dad's sleeve and pointed to the woman.

Noticing people staring at her, the woman fluttered over to us, and bowed down. She landed lightly on the ground and kneeled before me. "Your Highness, it is a pleasure to meet you." Her voice tinkled like little bells and I couldn't stop staring at her. She tugged on a piece of my ash brown hair. "You will grow to be a most beautiful fairy indeed." After that, my dad had told me it was a costume, for Christmas.

Now, I wasn't so sure.

I placed the paper back inside the book and leaned against the seat. Was it true? Had my dad lied to me? But, the biggest question of all, was, if any of this was true, why?

***

"We're here," Sarah announced. I had spent that last part of the journey contemplating what the letter had said. I would show it to whoever was about to take me in and question them. I stuffed the book in Sam's jacket pocket. It was wide enough. The house we had stopped in front of was opposite a thick wad of trees that no doubt was a forest. The house was detached from its neighbours and looked rather posh. The front yard was bordered by a thick black fence that went all around the house. The brick building held two floors, a blue wooden door and four windows; two at the top, two at the bottom. A black, sleek car sat in the driveway and the green grass that swayed in the air was littered with primroses.

A thin, regal looking woman came out of the house, followed by a tall, muscled man and who I assumed to be their son. Sarah opened the boot, and took out my bags, both of which I took from her and slung around my shoulders. "Let me take them for you," the older man said as he approached. I shook my head and hoisted them further up my shoulder.

"Lisbeth, these are the Esmonds, they'll be your new family from now on." I turned to look at Sarah with dark, narrowed eyes. "My dad is, and always will be, my family." I said resolutely. I didn't even know these people, and I was being placed with them like we all went for a meal together every other Thursday.

"Of course, dear. I'm Mary, I'm so sorry for your loss," the slim woman proclaimed. She wore a floral-patterned dress, and her pale legs were made taller by the black stilettos she wore on her feet. Mary had a kind face, her chocolate eyes were drawn up as she smiled at me. Her blond hair was cut in a bob, that went just below her ears.

Mary's husband was next to introduce himself. "I'm Robert. It's a pleasure to have you here." The words reminded me of what the fairy had said to me when I was five and my heart sped up, like the beat of fluttering wings. A tendril of apprehension spread through my veins like wildfire.

The mid-afternoon sun shone down and lit up the scene around us, making perspiration trickle down my back - having two backpacks that weighed a tonne upon my shoulders didn't help either.

Robert's muscles protruded from the white shirt he was wearing and I could just faintly see the end of a tattoo on his shoulder. His attire was casual - blue jeans, grey socks instead of shoes - and he looked like a laid-back kind of guy. He had an ageing face, with grey eyes and brown hair that hung limply into his eyes.

"This is our son," Mary said. "Nathan."

Looking up, I met Nathan's eyes, the swirl of green and blue of them, my heart beat sped up even more and I felt something explode within my chest, so much so that I staggered. "Those bags are too heavy," Nathan said. "Here, give me one." His voice was a deep baritone that vibrated far within my bones. Silently, I handed over one of my bags. Nathan had long, slender fingers. He was a lanky boy, but he looked strong. He was wrapped up in a navy-blue sweater, and he wore black jeans - and, like his dad, he wore no shoes, only some grey socks.

Much like Sam, Nathan had chiselled cheekbones, a prominent square jaw and black hair that swept over his eyes. Comparing him to Sam, I realised that I still needed to call him. I let my bag slide to the floor.

"What's your address?" I asked in a small voice.

"132 Durring Lane, Weltshire. Why?" Mary replied in her kind voice.

"I have to call my friend." I fumbled in my jean pocket and brought out my phone. Two clicks later, and I was dialling Sam's number once again. "Liz!" he exclaimed. "Where are you?"

I recited the address to him, and he hung up promising to be there as soon as he could. Sarah ushered us all in, and Nathan lingered behind the adults with me. "I'll show you to your room," he said, avoiding my eye. I shrugged it off, if I were in his situation and some stranger was coming to live with me, then I'd be acting the exact same way. Inside, the hallway stretched out. At the end, a door was open and at a glance, I guessed that that room was the kitchen. Another door was set into the left-hand side of the wall. On the other side, there was a wooden staircase that led up to the top of the house. The inside smelled of fresh lemon, and it was somewhat familiar to me. The wallpaper was a dark, ruddy brown that strangely, didn't look overbearing or ugly. The floor was covered by a large purple carpet that I couldn't wait to get my bare feet on.

Nathan started up the dark oaken steps, so I followed him. There were four doors up here. "That door," Nathan said, pointing to the door nearest the top of the stairs, "is the bathroom."

"That door is mum and dad's room," he said pointing to a door that was opposite the staircase. There was another door a few feet away from it. "This one is my room," he said.

"And this one, is yours." My room was opposite the bathroom, and the furthest from the stairs. Nathan opened the room, and the wooden floor changed to a dark blue carpet, the brown walls changed to a dark purple wallpaper with black dots randomly placed around.

It was perfect in every way, but it only brought on painful memories of when I decorated my old room with Sam and my dad. Nathan dumped the grey backpack on the single, plain bed and said: "do you need help unpacking?"

I turned away from him so that I could let the tears fall without witnesses.

"No, thank you," I replied in a shaking voice.

As soon as the door closed, I moved over to the bed with its white duvet and white pillow and lay down my blue backpack. Below the window that I had, there sat a desk. It was empty. So was the wardrobe that took up the whole of the back wall. It was a light brown colour, and the two doors were mirrors. Underneath them, were three drawers; also empty. Everything else in the room was just empty space.

Much like myself.