Chapter FOUR
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When I walked into the house my mother was waiting, giving me a disapproving look as I was minutes late.
"I know, I know." I sighed as I ran up the stairs, dropping my school bag on the bed before grabbing my potion book and my purse, which carried the appropriate form of payment. The portal was only open in our house once a month, due to all the little kids running around, my mother worried that some of the kids would sneak away when she wasn't watching. And getting into trouble in the other dimension was not something anyone wanted.
As I approached the door in the kitchen, I smiled at my mother while passing her through the doorway. "Be safe." She warned me.
The shimmer of the disturbance in the air caused a homey feeling to swell in my heart. Something about being with others of my kind had me feeling like this was entirely right. I stepped carefully through the portal, a tingling sensation running through my body as I passed to the other side.
"Welcome," A squat little witch smiled, handing me a ticket and a basket. "The specials are marked, we are also having a sale on crystal balls."
"Thanks." I returned the smile and walked further into the market. I knew this dimension was more than the market, but I was never allowed anywhere else but here. What with my mother requesting the opening of the portal here and all.
The market was longer than it was width wise, tons of stalls lined the walls with shops selling tons of magical products. A broomstick shop was one of the first stalls and I saw the brooms hovering mid-air as they waited to be purchased. My mother would never let me have one, something about not being appropriate for our world.
Signs flashed sales as I passed and I stopped at the bookstore, where books were flying around as the shopkeep was clean up and rearranging the books them on the shelves. I smiled and approached the balding man, "Hey Mr. Simon, Bailey around?"
Mr. Simon looked up in surprise and let a grin cross his face, his eyes crinkling with happiness. "Oh Lily, has it been a month already? Time moves so fast these days." He shook his head, "He's been waiting for you."
"Dad." Bailey appeared beside him, giving his father a warning look before he grinned at me, "Ready to shop?"
"Yeah, I need help finding the mermaid scales for the love potion." I shrugged, "I've never used those yet so I'm not sure where to find them."
"I'll show you, be back soon dad." Bailey laughed before leading me down the crowded lane. Bailey was a wizard and a year old than I was so he'd already received his wizard license. He helped me when Mae was busy, he was one of my best friends here.
"Can't believe it's been a month since I've seen you." Bailey shook his head, "And now you're seventeen. Happy Birthday by the way." He smirked over his shoulder, his blue eyes finding mine in the madness.
I laughed, "Thanks Bay."
A miniature dragon breathed fire over our heads and a crowd of children cheered as I ducked to avoid the flames. "Only seventy Sunbeams for your own little monster." I heard the dragon tamer call out as we passed.
"Seventy sunbeams?" I laughed to Bailey who was smirking as well, "Who here has Seventy Sunbeams? I've only ever seen one in my entire life."
"I'm surprised he stays in business." Bailey agreed before stopping in front of a small stand, "This is where you'll get most of the sea ingredients. Since Mermaids are the epitome of grace and beauty, they are used in love potions to help the person fall in love." He told me, gesturing to the rainbow scales that glittered in the sunlight. "What does the recipe call for again? Five?"
"Yeah," I nodded without having to look at the recipe, I've been reading it over and over for days now. "I also need electricity from an eel and a flower with red stripes, a florda?."
"The eels are right there." He pointed to a small tank the looked like it had an enlarged charm place on it to hold them all as they lit up the water angrily. "The flower is going to be over there." He pointed down the lane further to a greenhouse shop.
"And the unicorn hair is going to be right over there." He pointed to behind us, "I'm pretty sure you know where the rest of the ingredients are as they are pretty basic."
Bailey helped me gather all the potions necessities before we headed back up the lane. "I'll walk you to the portal." He smiled as we passed his dad's shop, Mr. Simon putting on an excellent display of charm work. I smelled the tray of cookies as a witch pushed passed us, the cart drifting ahead of her.
Stopping the nice witch I picked up twenty cookies for the kids back at home, she smiled as I handed over my money and continued on her way. I paused again when I heard a shopkeeper yelling to get the attention of passing customers, the promise for a wonderful display of fairies that twinkled in the dying sunlight.
The littles in my house would go nuts for a fairy, the little girls especially. I Looked into my purse and sighed as my money had been dwindled, maybe next month. "Did you want one?" Bailey asked, eyes skimming over the fairies that flitted in their small cages.
"No." I shook my head as I lied. "I might want to get one as a present for someone one day though. Twelve moonstones." I nodded as I looked at the price. "Totally reasonable for such high-quality fairies."
He laughed, "Which one do you want?"
"Bailey, I really couldn't take one," I told him, hiding my excitement as I wanted him to fight me on this.
"Think of this as your Birthday present, I'd get you a broom but you're not a full witch yet besides I know your mother wouldn't let you have one." He smiled.
Grinning I turned around and looked at all the options. I decided on a purple one and by purple, I mean her fairy dust and her flowery outfit. Her hair was in a messy bun on her head, flowers growing from the updo and she smiled up at me. Fairies in the magical world were like dogs in a way, loyal and completely adored humans. But unlike dogs, they were extremely human-like with their facial expression making it easier to understand them.
"She's perfect," I whispered. My fairy twirled in her cage, glitter sprinkling around her as she fluttered her wings in excitement.
Bailey paid for her and then smirked down to me, "My birthday is in two months."
Laughing I made a mental note to start saving to get him something incredibly special like he'd done for me. As we approached the portal I handed the ticket to the welcome witch, who waved her hand over the already glistening air. The portal shone brightly and I turned to Bailey.
"Thank you." I hugged him tightly, "You're the best."
"I know." He chuckled.
"I'll see you in a month." I told him, "Unless you finally decide to visit me in my world."
He shook his head, "You know I can't do that. I was born in this world, I wouldn't belong, I'd probably expose us in a second. I've never had to hide who I am before." He laughed and waved his hand across my face, a bright pink flower appearing out of thin air. "See. You'll just have to visit me."
I took the flower and stepped closer to the portal, my face flushed from the way Bailey was smiling. "I'll see you."
"In Thirty-one days." He nodded.
Stepping into the portal my body tingled again for the briefest of seconds before I was staring at the familiar door of my pantry. I let out a breath I'd been holding before the door was thrown open, my mother staring at me with a relieved look.
"You're home." She sighed happily.
"Yup." I nodded and gripped my basket and the small fairy cage tighter in my hands.
"Bring those up to your room before the littles..." She trailed off as I passed her into the noisy kitchen. "What is that?" She asked, her voice getting higher.
Refusing to meet her accusing stare I set the fairy cage on the already overcrowded counter. "A Birthday present."
"A...A birthday present?" She stuttered as she leaned closer to get a better look at the fairy who was waving up at us, her wings brushing together creating a bell-like twinkling noise.
"It's a fairy." I finally had the courage to look at my mother's face. Her eyes narrowed slightly and then looked at me.
"You can't keep it, Lily." She shook her head, "It doesn't belong in our world."
"Well I don't either, but I'm still here." I hissed out before I picked up the cage and the basket, running up the stairs.
"Lily! Lily, you get back down here!" She called after me but I didn't stop. I set the cage and basket on my desk and shut the door, holding it with all the power I could muster. I heard my mother knock repeatedly while also twisting the doorknob. "Lily open this door."
"No," I called back, my voice giving away my anger. "I don't belong here, this isn't my world. I'm...I'm not supposed to be here." I felt warm liquid drip from my nose but ignored it as I seethed with anger.
"Lily." She sighed, "You know I didn't mean you don't belong here. You do, you belong right here, with us."
My anger began to ebb away and I felt guilty at my overreaction. I just didn't like feeling like everything from the world I was supposed to belong to was wrong. I didn't like that I had no connections apart from my once a month excursions to the market.
I released the hold on the door and it opened at once as my mother nearly fell through the door.
"Lily. You know I love you." She told me while wrapping me quickly into a hug. "I know it's getting harder for you to not be so connected to the other dimension, Mae had the same issue at the same age." She shook her head, "Once you get your witches license, you can start to go whenever you want. We'll see about getting portal access to your room."
Sinking onto the bed I wiped under my nose and wasn't surprised when the back of my hand was stained red. "Thanks. It's hard but I don't want to be anywhere else. I love my family, I love you." I whispered.
She smiled and placed a gentle hand on my cheek, "You can keep the fairy, it was a gift after all. But she stays in the house and no broomsticks because that would definitely go back."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you." I squealed happily and opened the cage. My fairy fluttered quickly so she was circling my head, I held out my hand and she landed lightly on my palm. It felt like when you blink eyelashes against your skin. It tickled.
"How about a name?" I asked her and she nodded vigorously. "Um, Mia?" I asked and the fairy gave a face, "Okay, Riley?" I questioned but she shook her head. I sighed and moved to the desk opening the computer I went to a name website.
"Pick when you see one you like," I told her and she flew from my hand to get closer to the screen. Having a fairy that was extremely opinionated was going to be great. I scrolled through dozens of pages before she began to go crazy, her wings lifting her into the air so she could point to a name.
"Sylvia?" I asked and she nodded, grinning broadly as she twirled again. "Sylvia it is then." I laughed. "Want to meet the others?"
I grabbed the cookies I'd brought and gestured for her to follow me downstairs. She landed on my shoulder and I could feel the tiniest of pressure as she sat down.
Grace was the first one to notice the glittering thing on my shoulder and she shrieked with joy as she ran to my side. "Let me see, Let me see."
"Hold out your hand." I smiled as Grace obeyed instantly. The fairy fluttered into her palm and she giggled. "This is Sylvia."
Sylvia was sparkling beautifully as she looked at all the faces staring at her in awe. We had drawn a crowd of pretty much all my siblings so it was crowded in the little circle. She flew up to the ceiling and then zoomed around the room, taking everything in.
All the kids squealed in delight as they watched her trail of pixie dust fly through the air.
"Dinner's ready," Mom called and the kids ran to claim a seat at the table, the fairy momentarily forgot. I took my seat beside Luca and he smirked.
"A fairy?" He laughed, "What couldn't afford a dragon?"
"Actually I can't afford a dragon. They cost Seventy Sunbeams, that's millions of dollars for you werewolves." I told him and his jaw dropped, "Nealy lit my hair on fire today."
"You can buy dragons?" He asked, completely baffled and shocked. "You've seen one?"
"Yeah, there's a shop at the market that sells them."I shrugged as Sylvia landed in front of my plate and started picking things off to eat. "Sylvia was a gift, she only cost twelve moonstones."
"Damn." He muttered, "I want to see a dragon."
"There is no way mom would let you come with and neither of us has millions to buy one. Not that she'd let us keep it anyway."
"Take a picture." He shrugged, "Or I could sneak with you.." he suggested.
Shaking my head I took a bite of the unidentified meat on my plate. "No way, mom said that I might get access for whenever I wanted soon so I'm not going to mess this up because you want to see a dragon."
"Maybe when we both are older, then she can't stop us." He smirked, "I can wait for a couple years."
"Fine." I agreed, hoping he'd forget about but it was a dragon so I doubted it.
Sylvia was asleep on a bed that I'd stolen from the little girl's doll houses, I gave her a comfy pillow made out of a cotton ball and a blanket that was really a tissue. I mentally made a note to actually get her a comfy bed and some real things when I went to the store next.
After I was sure she was asleep I got out my cauldron and got all the ingredients set up for starting to brew the potion tomorrow. I climbed into bed and tried my hardest not to think about him. I knew that it wasn't going to work. I knew that when I closed my eyes I'd see him, feel him in my dreams.
Before I knew it though, I was out completely and utterly helpless to the flashing pictures. I remember them all.
Dozens of flickers of the pale girl with platinum hair and muddy brown eyes and then surprising me, a flicker of my face. My face as he saw it, I'd never seen my face from this point of view before and it gave me great joy to feel that he was happy when he had me in his mind. My face lingered in his mind more than any of the flickers of the pale girl.
The walk home played again in my head but I watch from his Point of view again. His eyes accessing my face and random happiness jolts whenever our eyes met. It was an intense feeling and I didn't totally hate it. But then the pale girl was there, interrupting our walk, he'd kissed her and I could see that he'd watch for my reaction and was pleased when dream me became angry.
Groaning I held my head as the bell-like sound twinkled in my ears, pulling me back to reality. Sylvia was fluttering around the room happily as dawn was breaking in the window.
"Too early." I groaned again while stretching my stiff muscles.
Sylvia grinned and stopped to hover above me as she saw me waking. "Morning," I muttered to her, throwing off the blankets. She continued to follow me until I was downstairs, with the rest of the family which is where she fluttered around happily at the noise and chaos.
Peter smirked when he saw me, "Sleep well?"
Narrowing my eyes I knew exactly why he giving me a knowing smirk. "Mom. Can you please tell Peter to keep his vampire, dream watching, fat head out of other people's business?"
"Peter, you know the rules." My mother sighed, "Dreams aren't meant to be hacked, don't read Lily's or anyone else's dreams for that matter."
"I don't do it on purpose," Peter grumbled as he shoved some toast into his mouth.
Rolling my eyes I gripped my glass tight and took a sip. I instantly sip it out and wiped my mouth as the taste lingered on my tongue. "Yuck." I hissed.
Peter reached across the table and took the drink taking a sip before he smiled over at me, "O negative. It's okay but you should try AB, way better."
"Gross." I shuddered and took a big gulp of water.
Luca came over to my side and grinned, "Hey, what's up?"
"Nothing." I shook my head, squeezing my eyes shut as I tried to forget the taste of the blood on my tongue. "Just don't drink the red stuff."
As I opened my eyes Luca gave me a look of disgust. "Ew, you drank that stuff."
"Hey, there are vampires present," Peter called while gesturing to the others around the table.
"Sorry." Luca laughed, "I didn't mean it for you guys."
"Sure, sure." Peter rolled his eyes annoyance on his face.
If Peter was annoyed, that was a plus because I was annoyed at him. "Big game today," Luca announced to the table, the littlest ones cheered out of pure cuteness while everyone else smiled and wished him luck.
I know what you're thinking, why would you let a werewolf play in a game with humans? Isn't that cheating? I think it's just natural talent, just like anyone else, he just happens to have a little bit more.
"Bus," I said a moment later as it rattled down the street. I held out my hand and Sylvia fluttered to me instantly, "You be good, okay? Help mom with the little ones, I'll be back in a few hours." I told her.
My mother was handing out lunches and shouting instructions as we all left. Luca paced himself with me, "Starting your potion tonight?"
"Yeah, it has to simmer overnight. I also have to add a few ingredients in the middle of the next day otherwise I would have started it last night."
"Sounds boring." He shrugged.
"Eh, it could be worse. I could be a werewolf." I laughed, as I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye.
Luca growled, bumping his shoulder with mine. "Ow." I groaned grabbing my upper arm as pain radiated through it. "It was a joke."
"Right." Luca laughed, "Sorry but hey at least we're both not vampires."
"Aw positive thoughts." I shook my head happily as Peter turned around to glare at the both of us. Luca and I laughed all the way to school causing Peter to join in as all was forgiven. That's the way it was with us. We'd fight for maybe half a second and we'd be laughing the next like nothing was wrong.