Broken Fairy Tales

10

I had so many questions. I wasn't expecting anything like this. Mornings had never been the best time of day for me. My brain was sluggish as I tried to find the words I wanted to say. “Her name! Ask her name!” Rin was practically screaming in my mind.

I had almost pulled myself together from the shock of first waking up in bed with someone I hadn’t gone to bed with, followed by the unmistakable, mate bond, growing wildly in my heart.

When the small figure on the floor stood up, her layers of robes and clothing swirling into the air as she flicked her hands around, muttering words I didn’t understand. The veil went around her face, leaving only her hair uncovered. I had never seen hair the color hers was. So deeply red it was like red wine. I was stood, frozen dumbly in place, in awe as she controlled more magic with her small hands than I had ever seen before. She was amazing.

“Stay here!” she hissed at me, and swung her arms wide before curling them in around herself and she was gone. She can fucking teleport? Conjure my desires from my mind, that she is also reading, walk my dreams, jesus Rin, what is she? I asked, I had known more than a few witches, she didn’t smell like they did. Whatever magic she was using it was different. Something stronger. Or maybe the witches I had met were like children playing in a puddle, while my mate had the ocean at her fingertips. Rin had no ideas or answers for me. His only advice was to do as she said and stay put. Recognizing he was significantly outranked by power, the Wolf did the only sensible thing and decided to fall in line.

I made my way around the room. It was smaller than the room I had been living in. The bed was simpler but just as comfortable as I sat down trying to make sense of anything. I didn’t think this was her normal room, there weren’t any personal effects here, and the bed didn’t smell strongly enough of her to be the one she slept in regularly. She had been staying here to be close to me. That thought made me smile. I imagined her, a tiny shapeless pile of clothing walking down the steps silently just to crawl into bed next to me while I slept, leaving before I woke up. I wondered how many nights she had joined me without leaving a trace come morning.

I heard the door in the room below open, three pairs of feet walking, I couldn’t tell if any of them were her or not, I didn’t know her well enough to know her gait. I stood up, on the balls of my feet in a ready stance, prepared to face whatever came through the door standing. What I was not prepared for was a skinny witch, a demoness, and my little mate all to come up the stairs and stare at me like I was an idiot for being ready for a fight.

The thin witch, whose pointed face reminded me of a bird, seemed to be the one in charge as she looked me up and down like she was measuring me down to the value of my socks. “Certainly is Valentina’s type, she likes them pretty.” She said with scorn, making my face heat with shame. But before I could try and come up with a retort or comeback she turned away from me and to my little mate. “Now Princess Evermindrea, tell me more about how you pulled Valentina’s link from him?” She asked, using a name that was more than a mouthful, and ignoring me like I was insignificant and inconsequential.

My head cocked to the side as I looked at the tiny bundle of robes, hidden behind a veil, skin more scarred than any warrior I had ever seen. Princess? Behind her veil Princess Evermindrea scrunched up her nose, shifting the veil just a little bit. “Don’t call me that. Ash. Call me Ash. Please.” Her eyes turned from the witch to look at me, and I saw her face relax a little. She felt the pull to me just as much as I did to her.

The demoness, laughed, making us all look at her, I had almost forgotten she was there, she had been so quiet. “Sorry,” she muttered. “I need to step out or these two will be fucking on the floor soon.” The demon teleported herself away, with a call to the witch to summon her when she wanted to leave. The mate bond pull was strong, but I could control myself in front of strangers thank you very much, leaving me puzzled why the demon needed to leave.