Half-Faye

Chapter 18

As I stepped back through into the mortal world I dropped to my knees as my vision suddenly blurred. I did not recall that happening the last time I went through but I assumed it was because of the way Verrann had transported me to the gateway.

The portal behind me was a mess of swirling purple and it was making a soft humming sound. As soon as my vision shifted back into focus I noticed the first of many strange things.

A best as I could recall, last time there were guards watching over the portal. It struck me as odd but I did not dwell on it. I had to find the stone so that Verrann could just leave us alone and Ridel and I would be able to return to the palace.

I hadn’t given it much thought but I suddenly realised how worried my mother must be. I had even said goodbye to her as I left yesterday morning. It was oddly comforting to think that someone was looking out for me but I felt very guilty as well.

I climbed back onto my feet dusting off the dirt. As I took a step I worked out why I had fallen over in the first place as I almost fell to my knees again. I had gotten so used to the weight of my wings by now that I now find it hard to walk normally again. It was quite a shock. My wings hadn’t weighed that much but I realised now how hard walking will be.

With this in mind I struggled through the dark trees back towards human civilisation. The trees looked just as menacing as the ones that Ridel and I had walked through the day before and then lost consciousness because of the rogues. I took as little notice of them as I could.

Somehow I managed to stumble out of the trees and suddenly felt very exposed. I was still wearing the silk dress with the now useless low-cut back and which was very tattered and torn at the edges. I would stick out like a sore thumb once I got back into suburbia.

Judging by the sun I knew that it was still quite early in the day so I knew that I would be able to get back home before anyone noticed me if I ran fast enough. Leaning against a tree I grimaced at the thought at trying to have to run but I really had no other choice. A few deep breaths I ran as hard as I could with my weakened limbs.

The dirt travelled beneath me and black dots fought for control of my vision but I held them back. I ducked under trees and behind bushes, when I got to the roads, every time a car went past. With any luck I was going to make it home without being seen.

The final hurdle was crossing the open expanse of the park. I would have rather gone around the edges and stuck to the trees but time was of the essence. Birds were tweeting in a way of morning greeting to each other loudly and I used the noise for cover.

When I finally ground to a halt out the front of my house I felt incredibly wheezing and was on the verge of throwing up. What was worse was that on top of that I was filled with a slowly knowing hunger which only made me feel sicker. I hunched over I grasped my ribs, the blood pounding in my ears.

At school I hated sport and running was definitely not my forte. Now I had probably run further than I had in my entire life.

Once I regained my breath I moved around to the side of the house. I was going to have to sneak in. I did not want to alarm my father as Verrann’s threat stuck in my mind, nor did I want to have to face my step-mother or even worse, Millie.

It would be so much easier just to drop into my room from the window, grab the necklace and get back out. If I had time I might check on my dad but that wasn’t at the top of my priorities then.

With much cursing I managed to pull myself over the side gate and fell like a rag doll to the ground. I didn’t notice the pain but jumped back up. I had too many bruises to take much notice of it. As I gazed up at my window I swallowed hard and changed my mind about climbing up to the second story.

I would have sounded stupid at that very point if I had voiced my feelings to another person. I mean what knid of faery is afraid of heights?

If I had my wings still I probably wouldn’t have discounted the idea, but my increasingly fatigued state was making even the most simple of actions a chore.

I felt a warm feeling spread through me as I padded across the back patio to the laundry door. I was home again. Despite the painful memories shared with my step-family here I still reminisced about my childhood.

In my mind’s eye I pictured my father grabbing me by the wrists and swinging me around on the lawn as a small child.

The memory faded as I slipped into the laundry. The washing machine was already churning away and I caught a strong smell of bleach. Wrinkling my nose I tiptoed through the door to find myself at the bottom of the stairs.

I leap up them quietly, being sure to make sure I skipped the step that squeaked and went to my bedroom. When I pushed the wood forward I was shocked to see it left exactly how I had left it. I felt a guilty squirm as I thought of how my father would have fought my step-mother to leave it as be in light that I might come back.

I was glad he did as it made it all the easier to find the necklace. It was exactly where I had left it, in the top drawer with my mother’s letter. The thin chain slid through my fingers and I held the pendant up to examine it in the light. When I had first found it in my mum’s scrapbook I had barely noticed it as I had been too absorbed with the letter. Now looking closely at the stone I pondered its value. It didn’t look particularly remarkable and I wondered why anyone would want such a thing.

It weighed very little when I sat it on the palm of my hand and looked as though it could have perhaps even just been made of plastic.

I picked up my mother’s letter and scanned her sloping words. She had said “Enclosed is a necklace for you, please wear it always.” She had not mentioned anything about its properties and as if I was following her orders I slipped the chain around my neck. The metal felt cool against my skin.

I took a quick glance around my room as I sank onto my bed. My school books were still piled up on my desk. My cupboard stood slightly ajar and I walked over to examine it. Suddenly feeling the desire to put on a pair of jeans and I hoodie, I stripped to my underwear and pulled on my old clothes.

At least I would look less inconspicuous and would have to run back to the portal.

I closed the cupboard behind me and went to re-close my bedside table drawer when I noticed my phone sitting beside the lamp. I picked it up and turned it on. I grimaced when I saw the message count and immediately turned it back off.

I had been feeling bad before it was hardly compared to what I felt now. I had left Sam all alone without even saying good bye. The option of giving in and staying in the human world came back to me, far more tangible than the previous time. Once again I remembered what I was, a half-faye, neither human nor faery. I could never truly fit in anywhere, least of all here. But, Ridel made me feel wanted and I guess that’s why I would always choose Avalon over the human world, when I was with him I felt like I had purpose.

Rubbing my face I left my room and tried to stifle the tears. One day I would have to come back and say good bye to Sam and it would be the last trip back to the mortal world I would take.

With the stone around my neck I felt as though I had achieved one goal and was ready to take on the next one. I would not only have to find my way back to the portal but I would have to relocate Ridel all by myself. It was a scary challenge but a part of me was telling me to not give up yet, that I would see Ridel again and more importantly that I was going to make it.