Born of Dusk

Have Your Back...

The run off group haven't returned yet. Daemon, Fang, and Luna were leading them. They would be smart enough to get everyone back before now. The sun is rising, and no one has returned. I sighed and stood up from my old bed. The sun coming in through the window was warm and relaxing. There was a knock at my bedroom door. "Hello?" I said in response. My father opened the door and looked at me, a frown across his face. "What's wrong father?" I asked. He pushed me down so I was sitting on my bed, then sat next to me. "You've been accused of the missing children across the species this morning. If you can't prove yourself innocent, then you will be exiled," my father explained, no emotion is his voice at all.
I couldn't believe it, I was getting blamed for Daemon's game. "Why? I did nothing! I would be with those children if you hadn't stopped me last night! I did nothing to get anyone hurt!" I argued, frustration gathering inside me. My father's hands clenched into fists. "I read your diary, I know you and your friends have been planning to leave and to stay where it's unsafe. I know you've never left, but you were planning to last night. I know you were putting people in danger by telling them that the world has changed" he whispered, sounding almost angry at me. I stood up and stared out the window in my room. "It's been four thousand years father, something must have changed, something must be different. The humans must be over it by now. We're over it, but all the adults are too much of cowards to leave this DAMNED FOREST!" I yelled. My father jumped slightly. Tears formed in my eyes, and I could tell they were forming in his. "You listen here, we are not cowards, we just don't want anymore blood shed, you are NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE THIS FOREST YOUNG LADY" he snapped. I turned around and glared at him. "I AM NOT YOURS, THIS IS MY LIFE, LET ME GO, I HATE YOU, YOU NEVER UNDERSTAND WHAT LIFE IS TO ME!" I screamed as I ran out the door.
As I ran out the front door, I slammed it shut. Hot tears ran down my cold cheeks and sparkled slightly in the little sunlight that was filling the forest. I had to go somewhere safe, with someone I could talk to. The slight breeze that blew past me, had the sweet scent of roses among it, I had to see Rosa, one of the only fay I trust. I stretched my feathered, white wings then started to fly up to Rosa's treehouse. She was sitting on a tree branch outside with her brother, Skyler. They saw me and waved, but as I flew closer, they could tell something was wrong. "Lea, what's up? You look like, well like shit," Skyler announced, concern looming somewhere in his voice. Rosa shot him a glare then punched him in the arm. Skyler jumped and rubbed his arm where Rosa had punched it. I sat down on the branch next to Rosa and leaned my head against her shoulder. She began to stroke my hair. "Hush hush, it's okay, you're safe," she whispered soothingly. With this, I just let the tears flow, washing away my pain.
Rosa had been with me through what Daemon didn't know how to handle. Whenever I was in a wreck, Rosa would be there. When my mother died and my father slipped into depression, Rosa held me. She didn't say anything, she just held me. Occasionally, she would sing to me, replacing my sadness with a smile. There are things I can never pay Rosa back for, and that was one of them. She is like a big sister to me, the kind Luna could never be. Rosa soothed me in a way I could rely on to help me through my darkest moments. For that, I was grateful.
Skyler and Rosa listened as I relived and explained the fight my father and I had. "He's going to exile you? From the whole Kiagra Woodlands?" Skyler questioned, a look of shock on his face. I nodded and wiped wet tears from my eyes. "That's sending his own daughter to death, he's killing you!" Rosa murmured almost silently. Skyler looked at the sun. "Daemon, Luna, Fang, and six other people left on last night's run off, none have returned" Skyler said softly as he picked up his staff, "I'm going to go look for them." He jumped from the tree branch onto another, and with seconds, was zipping through the trees. Rosa stood up and held her hand out. I slipped my hand into hers, and she pulled me up. Her smile was beautiful, her chocolate brown hair was shining in the morning sun, and her emerald eyes sparkled like stars. I wish I could be beautiful like her. "Lets get you cleaned up" Rosa suggested, opening the door to her treehouse.
Rosa's treehouse always smelled like roses. "I've got a present for you, but if you want it, go take a bath first," she ordered, going towards her bedroom. I nodded and walked through her house to the bathroom. The floors were a soft mossy green carpet, the walls were made of wood with designs carved into every branch, and the roof was made of enchanted oak leaves. Her whole house was always clean and beautifully decorated. She knew how to make a place feel like home. I reached the bathroom and opened the pine wood door. Her bathroom has birch walls and a skylight which lit the room naturally. There was a hole in the ceiling that allowed rain water to fill her bath which was made of a carved stone. I placed my hand against the surface of the bath water. The water had sunlight shining on it and was warm. As I pulled my hand away, I could smell the lavender she had put in her bath. I quickly slipped off my dirty clothes and got in the bath.
Rosa walked in and lay a bra and a pair of underwear she had hand sewn against the counter. "Your clothes will be in the living room when you're ready" she explained before picking up my dirty clothes and leaving me alone again. The warm water and relaxing smell washed away all of my problems. I don't know how long I was in the bath, but I definitely spaced out while sitting in the water. After a while, I climbed out of the bath and slid on the underwear and bra. I don't know how Rosa knew, but everything she ever sewed me was the perfect size for me. The warmth of the sun through the skylight sent a wave of calm happiness through my body, replacing the frown and tears with a small smile.
As I walked out into the living room, Rosa squealed with excitement. She ran over to me with a bag in her arms. "Close your eyes!" she ordered. I closed my eyes and let my thoughts consume me. I felt Rosa dressing me, her soft hands gently pulling smooth clothes on me. I felt her push me down to sit, then a brush go through my hair. After a while of my hair being brushed and tied, I felt something soft against my face. After a while, I felt no hands touching me. I could tell Rosa was staring at me, admiring her handy work. She grabbed my hand and pulled me up. As she usually does, I knew she was leading me to the mirror in her bedroom.
"Open your eyes," she ordered. I fluttered my eyelids, then looked in the mirror at myself. My usually messy, straight, blonde hair was tied into two braids on either side of my head and resting against my shoulders. I was wearing a white shirt with a black mark sewn into it. After inspecting it for a moment, I could tell the mark was a mark of heaven. The specific mark on the shirt was given to anyone who needed protection from a guardian angel. It was supposed to keep the carrier of the mark safe. Below the shirt, I was wearing a skirt made from a rough blue material, I recognized it from one of the pants Daemon wore that he got from the human world. He said they called it denim. On my feet was a pair of black, sparkling flats. They were comfortable and not like the usual shoes I wear. I looked up at my face and saw my cheeks had a sort of pinkish glow to them. The top eyelids were outlined in a dark black. My eye lashes looked longer, darker, and thicker. A whitish powder was outlining all of this, including my sea blue eyes. "Rosa....this is beautiful" I spoke, breathlessly. A smile lit up Rosa's face. "The humans call the stuff on your face make up. The skirt was something Fang got me, but it didn't fit so, I thought you should try it. The shoes I got from a store, but I used magic to add the sparkles. As for the shirt, I made it myself," she explained. I hugged my arms around Rosa. "Thank you, you're amazing" I whispered into her ear quietly. I felt her hesitantly wrap her arms around me as well. "You're welcome, we'll get through your troubles together Jay" she replied, stroking my back slightly.