THE LOST COLONY
In 1587, a small group of settlers came from England to the Americas in search of the New World. They crossed a wild sea and braved unknown dangers with hopes of having a second chance at life. Led by Governor John White, they came upon a wild and untamed island off the coast of what is now North Carolina.
They named their new home Roanoke Island.
Once the new colonists were settled, White returned to his ship and set sail for the journey back to England. Upon his departure, he assured them he would return soon.
When White’s ship left the shores of the Americas, he left one hundred and fourteen settlers behind. One hundred and fourteen men, women, and one pregnant widower named Eleanor Dare.
Within her womb, Eleanor carried the hope of a new world, the hope of a brighter future. Several months went by as the settlers adjusted to their new home and surroundings. It was during this time, in the middle of this unchartered territory, that young Eleanor gave birth to a baby girl and named her Virginia.
After three years of absence, Governor John White returned to Roanoke Island armed with supplies and gifts from their old land, anxious to see the life the settlers had created.
What he found would be whispered in tales for centuries and would burn like acid in the hearts of future colonizers.
Not a trace of shelter.
Not a trace that anyone had ever been left on the island.
Not a trace of life.
They were gone. All one hundred and fourteen settlers had vanished. It was as if they had never even existed.
Today they are known as The Lost Colony.
THE PROPHECY
The old woman’s ancient voice rang with a quiet authority, her tone not to be doubted. Her hair spun wild and gray around her small, frail face. Her eyes shone a pale translucent blue, which would frighten any mortal that dared cross her path.
But I was no mortal.
We sat in an ancient Tuatha DéDanann circle, one that our people used for centuries when looking into the future. I glanced up at the silver moon and savored the cold breeze that hit my face. I tried to hide my reaction from the old woman as I concentrated on the circle of trees that surrounded us. But it was difficult, even for me.
It wasn’t as if I was frightened of her, like the mortals would be. No, I wasn’t afraid of her person. I was only afraid of her words.
They seemed to permeate my soul.
I willed myself to wake up out of this fog-like dream. But the old woman was cunning and knew that if I awoke, I would disappear into the air, and she wouldn’t be able to chant her prophecy to me. Instead, she came to me in my dreams, trapped me so I couldn’t leave. Her hold was too great, all-powerful in sleep.
I would remember everything that she said when I woke, and I would ask Him what it all meant. It was a premonition. One that would be solidified by the runes.
“The Fae have existed since the earth was born. They have lived here, beyond human comprehension, among mortals since the beginning of time.“
With her husky voice, she began to weave her tale as she laid out the runes in the traditional way, in order to read the future.
“Your people came here from distant lands and created their very own universe, one that was designed to live within the world of the humans. To co-exist with the mortals but never interfere.” While she spoke, her eyes took on a faraway gaze as she recounted the history that I knew as well as I knew my own name.
“But as in all kingdoms, there is Dark and there is Light. And in all races, superhuman or not, a line between good and evil is drawn from the beginning.”
She stared knowingly at me. “You are the first. The chosen one. The only Fae to ever be gifted with both light and dark. To have a father that rules over the dark kingdom and a mother who was, before her destruction, a princess of the light. But as you know, dear boy, you cannot stay in between forever. You must be either one or the other.”
My muscles tensed as she stared at me with an ominous look. Was she hiding something? I wanted to shake the truth out of her, but I kept my face impassive, my thoughts clutched to myself.
“It was inevitable for the Dark Fae to infiltrate the humans and live among them, vying to have positions of power and to control what they deemed to be an inferior race.”
She paused for a moment, then slowly continued on. “For power among the Fae is the ultimate aphrodisiac. You are all gifted with limitless magical attributes and blessed with staggering beauty. You are a race that is in need of nothing.”
Nothing, I thought silently to myself, but the desire to seek pawns to move about at our will.
“The ultimate goal of the Dark Fae is to eliminate the Light, who prevent them from wielding their power over humanity. Conquer those that are weak and destroy the ones that will fight them. Once the battle is won, they will find their peace. For in the end, it is all a game, where winner conquers all,” she continued on, the magnitude of her words belied by her calm voice
“The time has arrived.” Her voice grew grave. “The baby that was conceived in love and left to grow up in the human world on her own has turned sixteen. She has never known that she is more Fae than human, protected for all these years, hidden from the Dark Court, she has lived in peace. But no more.”
I closed my eyes in sadness. I had waited for this moment for all of my life. But hearing that it was time was staggering.
“As written in the Great Book and in accordance to the prophecy, when the girl turns sixteen, as she has, what is destined will begin. And, my dear boy, there will be a great and terrible war.”
I tried to still the frantic beating of my heart. I tried to open my eyes and wake from the intensity of this dream. But the old woman leaned in toward me and waved her hand slowly, methodically, in front of my face. A soft tingle of electricity brought me back to the moment. The magik she used made me incapable of any movement.
“A newborn baby’s laughter will set the Fae free. It opens up a world of endless possibilities. The laughter echoes in all hearts and signifies a new beginning. A beginning with only Light.”
She set a few ancient runes on the ground in front of me and laughed. “She will arrive in your life like a thunderbolt from the Gods. And when she does, you will know her. Your soul will recognize its other half. You will protect her.”
She set another stone on the ground, and her eyes seemed to take on an eerie glow. Her hands moved in the air like claws as she drew circles into the still night.
“Know this. You will not be the only one who covets her. There will be others who will desire her just as equally as you.”
My eyes narrowed at that. I was a possessive man by nature. What was solely mine was mine alone, and there would be hell to pay if someone tried to take it away from me.
Suddenly she grabbed my hands in her calloused palms and pulled me out of my reverie and closer to her face. “Heed my warning dear boy, don’t let them take her away.”
CHAPTER ONE
“Fate leads the willing, and drags along the reluctant.” —Seneca
I know that people always say that when it happens, it’s like a bolt of lightning that rushes through your body. It’s a feeling you never forget. I always thought that when people described the feeling, they exaggerated it for dramatic effect. Their descriptions were always so cheesy. But there I sat on the cold, crusty bleachers of the Manteo High School football field on October 11 at 6:41 at night, and my heart felt like it stopped beating.
The moment may have been just that, a moment.
Instantaneous.
All powerful.
But to me it felt like hours had passed. Coach Brown was rambling on and on about
the new year and the new football season, intentionally enunciating every other word for dramatic effect. At first I couldn’t have been less interested in listening to yet another one of his horribly boring and overdrawn speeches.
I started focusing on the flames billowing through the large bonfire, which all the eager students sat around. The bonfire was a tradition at Manteo High School. We started out each year and the football season with one as a way of introducing the players. Not that they needed much introduction. The town we lived in was rather small. Everyone knew everyone else.
But this year was different. Our team had a new player.
There was one flame in particular, undulating around and around, that caught my attention. I was entranced. It looked like a dancer kicking her legs as she twirled. in magical circles.
I was hypnotized.
The loud applause pulled me away from the flame. Apparently, Coach Brown had just said something extremely exciting. I shifted uncomfortably on the icy steel bleachers. It was then that I actually started listening to what the man was going on about.
The Coach was talking about him. I searched the familiar faces of the football team
and suddenly as if a magnetic force was calling out to me...
Our eyes locked.
His deep and penetrating gaze stopped my heart.
Had I known, I would have definitely washed my hair. I would have been much
better prepared. Had I known that our eyes would connect for what seemed like an eternity, I would have taken time putting together a cute outfit for the day and maybe even bothered to wear some makeup. But true to form, I didn’t. As a matter of fact, I distinctly remember standing in front of the full-length mirror in my room that morning and telling myself, why bother, Caroline? It’s not like anyone is going to look at you.
And yet miracle of all miracles, there he was staring straight at me.
Time stood still. I felt like I had been hit in the chest by some unseen force. My breath, God, did I even breathe? I don’t think I did. How could I? He was beautiful.
No: Handsome.
No: Gorgeous.
Perfect.
If I were ever to have closed my eyes and dreamt up the perfect man and set him on
this lonely island of Roanoke, he would look exactly like him.
“Now let’s give a big Roanoke welcome to Devilyn Reilly! Manteo High’s newest
quarterback!” Coach Brown said with a little too much enthusiasm. He was like a kid, proudly displaying his new toy for the overzealous crowd.
“Devilyn Reilly!”
With that introduction, our moment passed. He looked away just as he stood up to shake the coach’s hand. But I didn’t. I continued to stare. A quick look around would have assured me that I wasn’t alone in my obsession. The entire female population of the school was staring at him the same way I was.
In complete and utter lust.
And I couldn’t stop.
Teddy snapped his finger in front of my zombie-like gaze.
“Umm, Caroline?”
I looked over, embarrassed. I’m sure that my face had turned nineteen different
shades of red because I knew that Teddy would notice. He noticed everything. “Yeah?”
“I was talking to you.” He brushed back his thick blond hair away from his face in agitation. “I had a whole conversation with you.”
“You did?” I was instantly remorseful. How had I not heard anything he said? I pulled my arms around my chest trying to ward off the horrible cold. “I’m totally sorry.”
“Forget it.”
“No, tell me.” I gave Teddy my most charming grin and leaned in closely so he could see it. It didn’t take long before he smiled back at me. We had been friends since we were
both in elementary school. He knew me better than anyone else. And he would always forgive me, just like I would do the same for him.
“I was just asking if you had a chance to think about what you’re going to write for Mr. Simmons’ assignment. Has anything annoyed you today? He said it has to be descriptive but almost like a position paper,” Teddy said in frustration. “I’m having a hard time trying to figure out what he means by that.”
I mulled it over and answered honestly, “I know what you mean. I actually haven’t had time yet to figure it all out. I don’t know what has specifically annoyed me the most. I mean, there’s the usual stuff, but I don’t think that warrants one full page.”
“Well I know what annoyed me most. It just happened,” Teddy said grumbling as he looked at me. “I guess I’ll just have to figure out a way to articulate it and take a stance against my annoyance.”
“Oh no, please don’t,” I joked. I knew deep down he wouldn’t. Teddy would never humiliate me like that. We were both too loyal to one another.
“We’ll see,” he mused cryptically. “Were you actually listening to what Coach Brown was talking about?”
“No, I just was—I was just thinking about things.” I covered lamely. Yeah, I was thinking about things. Things that had to do with Devilyn Reilly. I could never confess that to Teddy; he’d be too disappointed in me for fantasizing about a jock.
“Like what?”
“I dunno. Stuff. You know, girl stuff.” I knew that would stop him cold. And it worked better than I imagined, but he still looked intrigued.
I looked away from his questioning gaze and found that my eyes were drawn straight over to him.
Staring again. Hopefully not drooling.
DEVILYN
I felt her before I ever set eyes on her. I can’t say that it was fate that pulled us together by some unexplainable force, or if my soul instantly recognized its chosen mate. Whatever it was, I knew her. I sensed her.
I was drawn to her.
It’s just simply curiosity, I told myself. I just wanted to see her for myself. Because I knew that my mind was already made up. Regardless of what I was told, I didn’t want it. I wanted no part of what she would offer me.
It was too easy to find her. I could scan a crowd and see only her in an instant. My eyes would recognize her. They would feel the bloodline that flowed so strongly in her veins.
The heir of Virginia Dare.
As if she sensed me searching for her through the screaming crowd and the open flames, our eyes connected. I looked at her and wondered what it was that I would be drawn to. Her looks were plain—nothing like what I was used to. Accustomed to. There were definite signs of royalty in her. She had a proud look, but not regal like I was expecting.
Her chestnut brown hair was severely pulled back away from her small face. She wore little makeup, unlike her counterparts, who were at that moment busy jumping up and down in front of me trying to get my attention. She had big gray eyes that were beautifully shaped. Inquisitive and intense.
She had the kind of eyes that could draw you in. But not me.
Never me.
I was too good at hiding my heart. I had built a careful fortress around my soul to
guard me from any kind of love. Especially anything she had to offer me, and which the Fates would then take away.
I made that decision before I arrived. I would protect her at all costs. But I would not get involved. I wouldn’t allow it. I would never let my guard down around her. Never let myself be accessible in any way. I couldn’t afford that risk. And neither could she.
Coach Brown introduced me to the crowd. I waved at the fans.
My fans.
It was too easy. So easy for these humans to fall for me. My kind, we were part of a
super-human race. The Tuatha DéDanann, the people of the goddess, Dana. We were all beautiful. Granted, some more than others, but nevertheless, our looks were our key into the human population. They gravitated toward us. They wanted to be friends with us.
Be us.
The Fae had fought wars for the humans years and years ago. Protected them. We fought so they could live, but after one brutal battle too many, we simply stopped. Humans craved war, and there was nothing we could ever do to end the thirst unless we used magik, which was a deadly sin among the Light Fae. The use of magik to change fate or free will would inevitably lead to darkness, and to the Light Fae that was worse than having their souls destroyed.
Because the temptation was so great, the Light Fae decided to stand back and distance themselves from the human race; they decided it was in their best interest to only mingle among the mortals. Mostly, they kept to themselves.
But there are some that have a differing opinion. They are Dark. They are children of the dark arts, the Dark Fae, and they are intent upon destroying the human race. In the
past, they entered weak humans and whispered to them to commit heinous crimes. They were usually found to be the right hand man or woman of the cruelest dictators of the world. They are here now, and they were here then. In every ugly moment of the human race, they were there. The instigators, goading and coaxing evil on.
They were my people.
I am a descendant of the Dark Fae. I was to be their king. The chosen one. The king who, according to all legends, would unite the dark and light. If only I could keep the Dark from consuming me. And each day it was becoming more and more of a battle. The Dark was my blood, my soul. It flowed through me like a powerful force. But somehow, miracle of all miracles, I managed to escape its call, the need. I had risen above it and had remained a perfect combination of both. He told me that I would never fall. But at night, when my inner soul waged its private battle, I did not believe him.
I stared at her again. Found her easily. It was difficult to fathom that this tomboyish child was to ascend a throne and become a powerful, indomitable queen.
A queen that was already promised to a warrior king.
A queen that would fall in love, and with that would make the greatest sacrifice.
Her life.
She would leave a brokenhearted husband behind and live in the minds of her loyal
subjects for centuries to come. She, the queen of all queens, would save her kingdom from ruin, and for this honor she would give her life.
All of this, her future, was written in the heavens before this girl was even born. I wondered if she sensed her greater purpose as she sat on the bleachers with her head held high, without a care in the world. I wondered if she knew deep down that there was something unique about her.
Special.
Did she know what her fate was to be? A queen.
And I was to be her king.
C
I continued to stare, wondering if he noticed me at all in the crowd. Hoping that I stood out among the masses of girls staring at him in utter lust. My mind raced as I thought back to conversations I had heard earlier in the week.
I think I remembered hearing his name mentioned around school that week. I wish that I paid closer attention to what was said about him. But I never paid attention to gossip. Especially because half the time it was mean-spirited. No one had anything nice
to say anymore.
It was just then that Teddy turned to me and answered some of the questions running
through my mind. He could probably tell that I was gawking. But everyone was gawking, so at least I wasn’t alone.
“You know the rumors don’t you?”
“No,” I answered trying to sound as uninterested as possible.
“He was forced to leave Camden County High,” Teddy said turning to me.
Manteo High School’s eternal rival.
“Supposedly he got together with another player’s girlfriend. Real scandalous. It got
so bad in school that he had to leave.” Teddy excitedly told me as he gossiped away.
For some strange reason I felt sick to my stomach. “Fact or fiction?” I asked a bit
defensively.
Teddy shrugged, “Who cares? It makes for the beginning of a great story.”
Not to me, it doesn’t. I didn’t share that sentiment out loud. Teddy was impressed,
though, by the obvious hype as he continued his story.
“This guy is a supposedly a legend over there. He’s like one of the best quarterbacks
our state has ever seen,” Teddy continued.
I stared openly at him again. Yes, everything about him screamed legend. You could
tell in his past life he had probably been a great warrior. Not that I believed in that sort of thing, but if I were to believe, I’d bet he was the leader of a great army that was unbeatable... Oh Lord, my fantasies were sure taking a turn for the strange.
“If he’s such a legend, why would they let him go?” I asked desperately trying to poke holes in Teddy’s story.
“He apparently decided to leave on his own,” Teddy said with a hint of sarcasm. “What a martyr.”
“I’m sure there’s a lot more to the story,” I added trying very hard to sound indifferent. “People always leave out the most important details, you know. Like the truth.”
“Well you know what they say, behind ever rumor there’s a bit of truth,” he reminded me with a laugh as he rolled his eyes.
“I mean take a look at Brian Baker. He looks like he’s been hit in the gut. He must be pissed that this guy is just coming in and taking his place as quarterback,” Teddy continued as he all but pointed.
I glanced at Brian. He definitely looked like he’d been hit by a truck.
Poor Brian. He wasn’t the type of guy to forgive and forget this slight. And he’d see it as one even if Coach Brown was the one who had made the decision. Brian could care less about the team. He just had to shine and be the school hero. He would definitely hold a grudge and figure out some way to get even. Second string, especially in a town like ours, meant never leaving.
“I hear that his family is really rich. He supposedly lives with his grandfather and sister in the old Westmoreland Mansion,” Teddy went on. How he knew all this information was beyond me. Frankly, I was just glad that he did.
I continued acting like I wasn’t interested, but I was eating it all up. I immediately drew my own conclusions. He was a handsome, rich, famous football player in North Carolina, and he’d probably find a beautiful cheerleader girlfriend to match him perfectly. They would be the golden couple. The celebrity couple. The couple that would ride off into the sunset as childhood sweethearts and end up marrying each other. I could go on and on and probably would have if Teddy didn’t keep talking and interrupting my thoughts.
“But let’s face it, at the end of the day he’s a jock. He’s probably as dumb as they come.” He concluded.
I hope not.
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” I mumbled instead.
I looked at Devilyn again. He definitely had a forceful and confident look about him. Very aristocratic. He towered above everyone and commanded nothing but attention. He had a tanned glow, dark hair, and obsidian eyes. The blackest eyes I had ever seen.
Dark, almost.
I decided his name suited him well.
I continued staring at him as the whole team rose and the crowd began disbanding.
Many questions continued running through my mind, questions that were continuously interrupted by Teddy.
“Looks like this thing is finally over. It’s getting late, and I promised my mom I’d watch Tommy tonight so she can work the late shift,” Teddy said as he gathered his backpack.
Tommy was Teddy’s eight-year-old brother. Teddy’s parents were divorced, so Teddy took on the role of father, brother, and caretaker. His mom was extremely lucky because Teddy was the most responsible, loving, and caring friend and son. He never nagged when his mother asked for help.
He was her rock and, to be honest, he was mine as well.
“Are you going to hang out?” He asked knowing full well that the answer would be “no.”
“Definitely not. I might as well leave with you. I’ve got a lot of reading to do for History and that paper we have to write for English,” I replied. My backpack was filled with books and a bit heavy. I carefully walked down the steps of the bleachers. When we got to the bottom, we made our way through the crowd when someone rudely grabbed my arm and jerked me back.
Of course it had to be Natalie Simmons. My editor for the school paper. I tried to cover my annoyance. Her face was flushed, and she looked like she was about to burst in
pure pleasure. I was instantly suspicious. If Natalie was happy about something it probably meant she was going to give someone a last minute, late night assignment that would be tedious to do.
Ten seconds later I knew I was right.
“I’m so glad I caught you,” she began, out of breath. “I need you to do an interview for this week’s edition of the paper.”
I was, after all, her loyal and obedient reporter.
“This week’s edition?” I replied questioningly. “The paper goes to print in the morning, Natalie.”
“I know, I know. I looked for you all day today,” she stammered out.
Lie.
She covered quickly. “Anyway, I need you to do this assignment. Just a quick
interview. Basic stuff.”
“When?” I asked. I couldn’t keep my agitation from my voice.
“Now. Here. I know that it’s late notice, but there is no one else I can trust. Besides,
it shouldn’t be that hard. It’s just a piece on the new quarterback, Devilyn Reilly,” she rushed out.
My heart stopped beating. My hands clammed up. What? I screamed on the inside. Are you kidding me?
“Tonight?” I croaked out. “Why can’t we just do a profile on him and put it in next week’s paper?”
Please let her say it can wait until later, I thought frantically to myself. There was no way. Just no way I could walk up and actually talk to him. My mind quickly moved through my plans for the upcoming evening. I would run home and have time to think, prepare my questions, and try to relax. By next week, I’d be in perfect control.
“I need it to go in tomorrow’s paper, Caroline. He’s a new student, and everyone is dying to get to know him. You’ve got to write it tonight and email it to me.” She was talking a mile a minute. “You know that I am always the last to know about everything, especially the new students. We have to write something about the famous new quarterback! Don’t you agree?”
She always ended every sentence with a “don’t you agree?” especially when she knew she was wrong.
I hated her. “Yeah, I guess.”
“I knew you would after you heard my logic.”
Her logic defied all reason. I shook my head in annoyance. I couldn’t believe how the
evening had transpired. I was speechless. What was going on?
My stomach sunk in dread as I nervously scanned the crowd looking for him. He was
easy enough to find. Tall enough to stand out in the crowd. Gorgeous enough to demand attention. And of course he was surrounded by a small crowd of adoring female fans. Just
like a celebrity.
And they were female fans that came in the form of cheerleader. A different breed of
women. They looked immaculate at all times in short skirts, and had, for some reason, swam out of the genetic pool of Playboy models. These were the kind of girls that would always remain hot, never lacking for anything because they’d inevitably find some rich husband to marry them, and would breed children to look and act just like them.
And now I had to enter their lair?
Jordana Kroll, a name that funnily enough rhymed with troll, was the blonde bombshell and squad leader. She was practically drooling. No doubt assessing her prey. To think that I was going to have to walk over there and get his attention was nauseating. Absolutely sickening. What had I ever done to deserve this?
I looked to Teddy for assistance. He shook his head. “Don’t look at me. I’m already late, my mother is going to lay into me if I don’t leave right now.
“But...Ted,” I begged.
“You’ll be fine. I’ve gotta go. You’ll be fine.”
Another lie.
It was as if he sensed my hysteria. He knew me too well. He knew that the last thing
in the world I wanted to do was walk over to the snakepit and conduct this interview. “Caroline, who cares about this guy anyway? He’s a football player.” He was right of course. This guy was a jock. What did I have to be afraid of? Unfortunately, I could not
control the frantic beating of my heart.
For some reason, I was suddenly obsessed with him, and I couldn’t figure out why. “You’re right,” I said instead. I looked over at Natalie, “I’ll do it.”
“Great,” she happily replied as she gave me my marching orders. “Just ask him the
basics: background, family, girlfriends, etcetera.”
She turned around and started walking away from me as she spoke. “Remember to
email it to me tonight. Okay?” She called out.
“Good luck,” Teddy said as he too started to walk away. “Can’t wait to hear all the
details. I’ll be up late, so call me. I want to hear about how smart he is.” He added sarcastically.
I tried to smile, but it’s hard to smile when you know you’re doomed.
D
I saw her approaching me from the corner of my eye. I was busy entertaining a cheerleader, Jordana something or other. She was pretty enough. Blonde, blue-eyed, long legs. I could see why the former quarterback of the team was seething and shooting death
looks at me.
But the incessant chatter. It was never-ending. It could drive any immortal, or mortal
for that matter, crazy.
Teenagers and their ability to talk a mile a minute—it would be fascinating, if it
wasn’t so frustrating. Studies should be conducted on the phenomenon. No matter where they were from or what school they went to, they all possessed this attribute.
Everything in the world was awesome to them. Unfortunately, not so awesome for me. I’ve been around way too long to be affected.
I played the dutiful gentleman and continued to feign interest as she rubbed my arm. But my concentration was fully on the girl slowly making her way toward me from behind. I could hear her hesitant footsteps. Her sigh. Was she nervous?
I sensed she was right behind me, minutes before she tapped my shoulder. She took her time before she tried to get my attention.
I wondered if she’d turn around and run for her life. If she knew the future that was in store for her if she stayed, she probably would, I grimly thought to myself.
She sighed again, sounding annoyed, then got the nerve to tap my shoulder. My muscles immediately tensed at her gentle touch. I did not want to know it at all. To ever become familiar with it.
I didn’t immediately turn around. I waited a few seconds just to give myself more of an advantage. Lord knew that I wanted our first encounter to be on my terms, not hers.
I continued staring at Jordana, who noticed her as well. She gave her biggest, most condescending fake smile.
“Hi Caroline,” she practically sneered. I couldn’t understand why Jordana was so openly irritated by her. Jordana was clearly beautiful. Obviously in a league of her own.
“Hey, Jordana.” The poor girl mumbled.
I turned around then, slowly, and came face-to-face with her. Ready to meet my plain Jane.
I sucked in a deep breath.
Up close, her looks weren’t as plain as I had originally thought. No, this close she was not plain at all. Her hair was pulled too tightly from her face, and her tomboyish and casual clothes seemed to overpower her slight frame. But everything else about her features was beautiful.
Her eyes were her most spectacular asset. A man could get lost in those eyes, especially when she stared so deeply at you. Into you. As if she knew something about you, something hidden, something that you’d kept within your soul, a secret so deep that you would never share.
“Can I help you?” I asked trying my hardest to sound calm and disinterested.
“Um, yeah. Hi, I’m Caroline Ellis,” she barely made out. “I’m with the school newspaper, and um...we’re doing a feature story on the new quarterback,” she continued.
“Well, on you.”
“Really?” I asked, deliberately sounding bored, put out by her attention.
”Do you have time for a few questions?” she croaked out staring at me intently again. I stared right back and looked her up and down, intentionally trying to make her
insecure. Making sure she would never like me. Trying to make her loathe me. It would be too easy to do.
I could see the curiosity in her eyes. She wanted to know me. But then again, they all did. To the humans, the Fae were the most powerful and seductive creatures on the earth, and she would be no different in her desire to get closer, even if she was different from her weaker counterparts.
Regardless, I was going to stop that dead in its tracks. Before I had the chance to respond, Jordana spoke up.
“Here? Caroline, are you serious?” She laughed. “He just got here, and he’s busy. You can do it later.”
“We’re trying to get the story in tomorrow’s edition of the paper,” she responded, staring straight at Jordana. Her shoulders were squared back, and her chin was up in defense.
She was so small compared to me. So fragile.
So delicate.
So...innocent.
What was I thinking? I came back to earth and responded as coolly as I could.
“Let me save you some time. I don’t do interviews,” I said with finality. “Not now, not ever.”
She turned her gaze to mine, and we stared at each other on the field.
Grey eyes meeting black ones.
I could tell she was speechless, shocked even, so I continued on sounding as cool and
as insensitive as I possibly could.
“You’ll have to go and find someone else to bother with this nonsense.” I was
probably going to get the jerk of the year award from her, but I didn’t stop. It was the best way. The safest way for her and for me.
Jordana and her friends, who had now circled us like lions eyeing their prey, even chuckled from behind.
She was beyond silenced. I could see the emotions running through her flushed face. Humiliation. Pain. Anger.
Seconds passed, though it felt like hours.
But then she got her gumption back and if possible lifted her chin even higher as she continued to stare at me. “That’s quite alright. I’m sure the interview wouldn’t have been that interesting anyway.”
I almost smiled. She was like an angry tigress. I could see it in her eyes. It made me want to laugh. Did she have any idea just how powerful I was? With a flick of my hand I could make her disappear forever. And then whisper into the ears of the mortals to make sure that no one would ever remember that she even existed. Such was the power I possessed.
“Well then. Sorry to have bugged you all,” she said politely. She pulled her backpack up tightly against her shoulders. It looked like it must have weighed a ton. I silently resisted the urge to reach out and help her with the weight.
“Bye Caroline,” Jordana said as she ran her arm through mine.
She didn’t respond as she continued to stare at me. I stared right back looking as cool as possible. Jordana grabbed my arm and pulled me away. I let the young girl drag me through the crowd and turned around only once to watch Caroline walk slowly away.
C
Humiliated. Mortified.
Crushed.
Dear God, had I just lived through that horrific experience? Had that beautiful man just belittled me like that in front of a small audience of the cattiest girls in school?
You’ll have to go find someone else to bother with this nonsense.
Indeed he had.
My face had to be as red as a cherry. I could feel my cheeks burn with the humiliation as my mind replayed the scene over and over again.
Not that I cared at all about what these girls thought of me. They weren’t my friends, but they were always nothing but nice to me when they were alone.
When they were in a group, it was a different story.
Maybe it was my own insecurity, but I never really felt like I fit in. None of the things that interested them really interested me. I didn’t dress the part. I didn’t act the part. And I wasn’t interested in the gossip of who dated whom. But what Devilyn just did would haunt me for at least my high school career. I would spend every waking moment obsessing over it until hopefully one day it would become only a memory. I knew that would take at least half a year.
Six long and agonizing months.
It would play like a broken record in my mind for days. And I couldn’t stop it. I wouldn’t be able to stop it because I was simply not strong enough. He was so...dismissive. Had I looked and acted like a lovelorn stalker? I couldn’t be that bad,
could I? But it was as if he loathed me. Maybe I was absolutely repulsive to look at... You’re just a geek, Caroline, my mind screamed at me. And he clearly doesn’t go for
geeks.
But he could have been nice. Just shown some common decency. It wasn’t like I was
asking him out on a date. Just a simple interview. He could have just said, ‘no, thank you’. I breathed in and tried to let the air in my lungs wash away the humiliating experience. But it wasn’t going anywhere. I wondered if I should call Teddy. Surely, he’d be willing to calm me down. But then, he’d ask me the inevitable question, why did I even care?
I picked up my pace and all but ran to the parking lot that was fast becoming empty. I pulled out the keys to my Volkswagen Jetta and clicked on the button to open the locks.
You’ll be okay, I assured myself. Just get in the car. Just get in the car and drive away.
Far away.
Like to the next state.
My heart was still racing. I threw my backpack into the passenger seat of my car and
quickly slid into the driver’s seat. The cold leather started to soothe my soul. I could slowly feel the deep crimson color draining from my face. I locked the doors quickly and took in another deep breath. I suddenly felt safer. A high school experience like the one that I just lived through is something that everyone fears.
What was my problem? Who cared about this guy? Why was I so bugged out? My fingers gripped the steering wheel as I took in yet another deep breath and prepared to face the word that was facing me like some ugly pimple.
Rejection.
It haunted me like a wall of shame. Deep breath. Take another deep breath. The word itself was hideous. Rejection. He had undeniably rejected me in the biggest, fattest way known in history. Okay, maybe I was overreacting just a bit, but let’s face it, he had. I wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t worthy enough to even warrant a look from him.
With shaky hands I slipped the key in the ignition, and the car roared alive. I turned my headlights on and tried to get a grip. I didn’t even know him. He was a jock. A football player, why did I even care?
As I continued to talk my way out of the disastrous situation and what could be a complete hysterical evening of tears and self-loathing, my headlights illuminated the man that was dominating my thoughts. He was walking slowly toward the parking lot, his gait sure, his steps long. Like a rock star.
I hated him.
No, I didn’t.
But I wish I did.
His hands were stuffed in his jean pockets, and he was staring confidently ahead. It
was almost sickening. Almost.
My gaze was glued to him. How could I help myself? He was just so perfect. It
wasn’t fair.
Reverse. Put the car in reverse and just go before you put the car in drive, step on the gas, and run him over right here on this field in front of dozens of eye-witnesses.
Like you’d ever do that, my mind screamed at me.
It took all of my self-control, my will power, to put the car in reverse and drive away. But before I did that, I hesitated for one brief moment because I thought, maybe, just maybe he was looking at me.
Was he staring? Through the light fog of the night and the darkness, I could not tell. But after what I’d just gone through, I’d guess I was wrong. Just drive, Caroline.
And I did.
Straight into another car.
I heard the crunch of metal on metal. I heard the crackle of a headlight shattering.
For a second, time stood still. Then I heard something else, louder than all other sounds, as if it were coming from within. I could hear his laughter, unabashed, loud. Absolutely trying not to hide it. I started sweating. Profusely.
“That did not just happen,” I said to myself. I gripped the steering wheel for a good minute then jumped out of the car and ran to check out the damage I’d have to pay for. I looked at my bumper.
Whoever’s car I hit was also blessedly unblemished. I almost fell against the vehicle in relief. Not a scratch. At least there were small miracles. All that noise and not an inch of damage.
But he was still laughing. I could hear him. I stalked back to my car, slammed the door shut, and took off.
Lucky for him I didn’t try to run him over.
***
Thanks for reading Chapter 1 of this sneak peak of Fae! Come back next week for chapter 2. Fae is available on iTunes, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Hope you enjoyed.
xo
Colet & Jasmine