The faerie looked toward Oracle.
"There!" She shattered into what looked like mist and flew toward me. Oracle grabbed me and threw his body over mine. I hit the ground and the camera went flying from my hand. My eyes shut immediately. Pain from the back of my head spread as I blinked a few times. I thought about my dagger. Did I bring it? I couldn't remember.
Fucking Erasmus. Can't he leave me alone? No, of course not. I had to stab him in the gut. He had to get back at me for that.
The mist was gone, but there was a crash and Eloy's yelling coming from inside.
Oracle pulled back a little to look down at me. He looked worried.
"Are you alright?"
I nodded.
I heard screams and Oracle scrambled to his feet. I followed and grabbed my camera. The people in the room surrounded someone. Oracle pushed through the group and I followed close behind. Drake. Erasmus would've loved to get a hold of him. Panic gripped me as I broke through the crowd.
"Drake!" I said, looking around.
I saw bright pink eyes stare back at me. Drake searched my face.
"Are you hurt?" He asked. He reached out and gently cupped the back of my head. A sharp, quick pain shot through my head and I winced as he felt the bump forming a knot in the back of my skull.
"No!" I said as I looked around him. Eloy sat on the ground, growing paler by the minute as he held onto Cassandra. She looked like she fell asleep. No, she looked like a corpse. Her face was smooth and her eyes closed. Her hands folded underneath her collarbone. Her hair fell free of the braid she wore it in and it reminded me of Renaissance princesses in paintings.
"What's happened?" Oracle said.
"She just collapsed." Ari said, looking up at me. His face broke out into a sweat and his panic made me scared. He seemed so calm about everything else, but something about this scared him.
It took me a moment. Of course it scared him, he saw the faerie.
Cassandra's eyes fluttered opened. She made eye contact and gave me a dreamy smile as she said, "Dreams. We live in dreams, isn't it beautiful?"
"Dreams?" Drake asked as he got down to her level and held her hand. "What do you mean by that, Cassandra? Is someone coming from your dreams?"
She gave a little giggle before her eyes rolled up to the back of her head.
Oracle looked around. "Someone, call 911!"
_____
The EMT was smart enough to dodge Eloy's punch when they told him that he couldn't come with Cassandra to the ambulance.
"He has to realize he is just going to get sick in that tin can," Drake said with his arms over his chest. The police lights flashed over Drake's face as he stood next to me. The night came too quickly and hours of waiting, trying to figure out what was going on began to make me cranky. The police wanted to ask me questions even though there wasn't a lot I could answer. The officer looked at Drake for a moment.
Most of the police stepped away from Drake. Most humans knew there was something off with Drake and Eloy, but didn't know what. It made most men uncomfortable, but women stop and stare.
"You sure there isn't anything you can remember?" The officer asked me.
"Hasn't she told you that five times already?" Drake shot back.
The officer held up his hands.
"I just need to be sure." He said.
"I'm sure you could record it," Drake said and I nudged him in the ribs. He looked down at me. The officer looked at Drake and seemed to shrink at Drake's glare. Drake probably wore that glare when he was about to kill someone.
Another, older, officer came walking up to us.
The old officer sniffed at me. He looked at me once more and then grinned. "Matty Lee, it's been a minute since I've seen you."
Oh shit. I looked at him and I felt my face burn. Drake stood in front of me suddenly.
"Oh relax, buddy." The officer said. The younger one saw it as a good time to step away to get away from Drake's glare. I saw the muscles in Drake's back flex and I could tell he was contemplating on grabbing me and taking me up in the sky. "It's just funny."
"Funny," Drake said the word in a cold tone. "How?"
He grinned. "She'd get in a lot of trouble when she was a teenager. Always got into fights and now you're a big time photographer, ain't you?" He looked at me. I didn't recognize him, but it wouldn't surprise me if I met him. I was a stupid kid who got in trouble a lot with Lowell. After a good yelling by Lowell's dad, I would make sure Lowell got away before the cops came whatever stupid thing I did. "I'd put her bloody nosed self in the back of my patrol car," he said. "How's that old man of yours doing?" He asked, grinning as I rolled my eyes. That explained it. "Still get into a couple scuffles now and then, don't you?"
"She usually wins," Drake said and tilted his head, "I'm not sure if you could now."
I sucked in my lips as Drake looked at the man's pot belly.
The officer scowled and I worried that he might try to find an excuse to put Drake in cuffs. And that really wouldn't end well.
Instead, the detective stuffed a card in my hand. Maybe he sensed that Drake wasn't human or wasn't going to be taken easily. "Call me if you remember anything."
I nodded and he walked to the car. I stuck my tongue out at him.
"I don't like human police." Drake noted.
"No one does," I admitted. I didn't like that blast from the past. I might need to call my dad to make sure he wasn't keeping tabs on me or something. That was the last thing I needed.
I heard shouting. Drake sighed and stepped out of the way so I could see.
"You better get out of my WAY!" I saw Eloy was about to argue.
"He's just going to end up angering the men with the..." Drake thought for a moment. "The gun." And even Drake frowned, looking a bit worried.
Walking over to Eloy, I grabbed his wrist and felt the dizzying warmth of lust that always came with LoveTalkers. I shook my head to get rid of the lust. Eloy looked down at me as the EMTs saw it as a good time to put Cassandra in the ambulance.
"They won't let me go with her," he said and his hand dropped.
"I know, but you can't go hitting people," I said as I heard one of the EMTs say something that sounded a bit rude before going into the front of the car.
"And for god's sake Eloy, you can fly," Drake said as Eloy glared at Drake.
"Did something bite your ass or are you just deciding to be a prick to annoy everyone around you today?" Eloy asked as I wondered the same thing. "Are you still jealous about Prince Erasmus going after Matty?"
Why would Drake be jealous?
"Are you done throwing your fit?" Drake asked a moment of silence. The weight of glamour covered my skin and I worried for a second that a cop might've noticed that we suddenly disappeared. Drake leaned over and picked me up.
"Careful!" I said.
"If we want to get there as the ambulance, we should leave now," Drake said. He cradled me against my chest. Eloy looked at the disappearing ambulance before nodding. I sucked in a deep breath as Drake jumped into the air and I hugged his neck. Drake liked flying high above everything else when he could to the point where the city looked like a glittering piece of jewelry.
"I have a hold of you," Drake whispered to me as I looked up at him. Drake held me tighter when I squeezed him. I smelled burning wood coming from him and thought about how he kissed me hard back in the Lunae Lux Court. "Matty?"
"Yeah?" I yelled over the wind.
"Are you alright? You're burning up," Drake said as I buried my face into his neck. He didn't need to know what I was thinking.
"I'm fine," I said.
Eloy flew below us. He seemed concentrated and it was weird not to see the smile on his face or him making some kind of jab. Looking at him, I remembered what Cassandra said about dreams. A part of me felt panic ripple through my head. I tried to bite down on it, but I knew it wouldn't work.
"Dreams," I repeated, thinking about what Cassandra said.
"You think it's the Nightmare court?" Drake asked me as I nodded. "But what exactly did she mean?"
"Drake, Erasmus wouldn't come and get me himself, would he?"
"Of course not." He said so calmly. And I wondered if he used the same tone of voice to talk to his wife. Did he sound like this when he was ordered to kill her? Drake dropped and I hugged him tighter. "It's alright."
We dropped to the ground outside the hospital. Eloy ran in. I looked up at the night sky and Drake grabbed my hand. We followed him and I had to take a deep breath as the doors slid open. The sharp smell of medicine and cleaning filled my nose. I wasn't sure if it was going to work. Were they even married?
"What do you mean I can't see her!?"
Nurses and doctors ran around the hospital while family at in chairs and waited for news. I saw Eloy looking like he might reach over and ring the next of some receptionist.
"Only family," The nurse said, "and I understand you're...with her, but-"
Eloy ignored this and used glamour to disappear. The nurse gaped and looked around the room.
"Where did he-"
"He's good at magic tricks," I said and Drake looked down at me as if to call me out on my bullshit. Well excuse me I wasn't sure what to do. "I'm...her sister." I lied and smiled. The nurse looked me up and down. "What room is she in?"
"217- hey!"
Drake smiled and I glared at him. "You could've waited until we left like normal humans."
"I would, but the smells here make me ill and I would rather leave as soon as possible."
I could definitely get that. Eloy stomped passed the rooms and opened the door to the stairs. I could hear him muttering underneath his breath about stupid human regulations. Then he stopped and said regulations and how dumb everything was.
"She's right here," I said, opening the door to the second level. Eloy sped past me and looked up and down the hall. I pointed and he walked down until he found her. My feet wouldn't move. Sweat made my hands slick and I wiped them on my jeans. Drake grabbed my hand again and tugged me forward. If my breathing sounded too panicked Drake stopped and waited until I took a few steps. I looked at our interlocked fingers. It seemed to be easier to move when I looked at our hands.
What is wrong with me? This is the same man who killed his wife for his queen and here I am, looking at our interlocked fingers like some lovestruck girl in a romance movie. But I can't. I'm not that.
"Are you okay?"
I looked to see Cassandra. She sits up and smiles at me before bursting out into a fit of giggles.
"She's going to be useless," Drake muttered as I rolled my eyes. Tubes and wires connected to her and I wondered what the doctors said about it. I stayed by the door. I didn't like hospital and this scene was way to familiar to when I was stuck in the hospital for months after the accident. "What? There might be something come after you from the Nightmare court and the only person who might be able to help figure this out is giggling like a mad woman in a Shakespeare play. It's like Dracula only Cassandra hasn't started eating rats...yet."
I kicked him and Drake looked down at me.
Eloy laid down in the bed as Cassandra looked at me.
"Wooohooo, it's lady Matty," Cassandra said. She wiggled her fingers at me.
"Shush," Eloy said and stroked her hair.
"Dreams, dreams, you're made of dreams," Cassandra said and I was biting my bottom lip to keep from laughing. How many drugs was she on? "Dreams, dreams, dreams they're searching for you."
Drake sighed and slouched his shoulders.
"Dreams eat like dragons."
Drake perked up at this though.
"That they do," Eloy agreed and gently pushed her back on the bed. She looked up at her fingers and giggled.
I felt like this was a good time to go. I tugged on Drake's hand and he looked down and he nodded.
"We're going to get out of here," I said. Eloy didn't bother to look up at me.
"Lovetal-OUCH!" Drake said as I elbowed him hard. He glared down at me as Eloy looked up. Cassandra let out another high giggle.
"Bye," I said and Eloy bobbed his head as I dragged Drake out of the room.
"No wonder your species is so fragile," Drake muttered as we walked down the hallway. "You all resort to violence so quickly."
Says the guy who likes chopping people's head off.
For a split second, I could imagine Drake presenting my head on a silver platter to the new queen. I touched my throat where the choker Drake gave me was. The crescent moon on it was made with Drake's blood. Blood magic was sacred to faeries and it helped protect me.
"I wish that woman would've said something useful. Dreams? How can a dream hurt you?" Drake asked out loud.
"Aren't faeries made of dreams?" I asked after swallowing. No way.
Drake's hand still held mine. Did he hold her hand when she died? Or did he just turn his back afterward?
"Is that what you humans think?" Drake asked and I saw a small grin on his face. Were we okay now?
"Are you done being mad at me?" I felt so defenseless in front of him.
Drake grinned. There was something mean in it.
"Depends, have you let it go?" He shook his head. "How did you even found out? Keeva wouldn't-" I wasn't going to give him more of a reason to tear into Lowell. "And you have been keeping secrets, what has been going on with Prince Erasmus?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Matty, the prince wants you."
Okay, so we are going to have this conversation.
"Well I don't want him so it's not that big of a deal." Goose bumps rose on my arms at the smell of rubbing alcohol. "That's not important."
"Considering how he is sending dreams to eat you, I would beg to defer," Drake said and I could see the blank annoyed face he wore under oversaturated white lights. I told him everything that happened with Erasmus when he got back. I may not have mentioned the part where he gave me a rose and mentioned that he might totally still be into me. Well, into me is making it sound like Erasmus has a romantic interest in me. He just wants to marry me and have children with me so his creepy brother didn't get the throne. "We have to communicate on this issue, Matty, especially when the issue of suitors comes up."
I'm sorry, but what?
"Repeat that," I said. "Because you made it sound like this would be an issue. Look at my face." I said, pointing at my face.
Drake said, "You know, when you're around faeries and people you're comfortable with, you're rather charming. You can't be that clueless."
"I'm not clueless, I'm being honest." I said. "And I wouldn't want to be with a faerie to be honest. I like being human. A faerie like you and Eloy would have to go back to Faerie at some point. Then there's that whole immortal thing you guys got going for you."
"You think you're going to end up with a human?"
I thought about Rose and her new girlfriend. Probably not.
"No, I'm...okay with that." I said.
"You make it sound like love is impossible for you just because of your scars."
"That is not what I said!" I said. "It just doesn't make sense because I live in two different worlds. I can't really be in one or the other like you and Cassandra. I'm human, but I see faeries. I see faeries, but I'm human."
Drake sighed through gritted teeth.
"It's true, and you know it!"
"Yes, I think it's a little impossible for you to be with some ordinary human," Drake said, "I've mentioned that. But a faerie would make a relationship a priority and would be understanding. You see how Eloy is with Cassandra! Also Keeva and Ruth!"
Why was he getting so heated about this?
"What does it matter? I am not in love with anyone anyway."
Drake shook his head. "As I was saying, one day, there might be a prince that might want you and you will want him. I need to know when that day happens so I know to step away from you."
This was not a scenario that I could see playing out in my head. Most of my life, I just imagined my life going how most humans ended up in faerie tales – Dead.
"You're not just going to execute me then?"
"Where did you get that notion in your head?" Drake asked. I wanted to ask. I wanted to ask about his dead wife, but my tongue kept sticking to the roof of my mouth. "I'm here to protect you and only you."
I saw the elevators.
"Matty-!"
I felt heavy hands on my shoulders and he forced me to turn to look at him. He bowed down his head.
"Drake, just buzz off!"
Drake's eyes furrowed and he tensed suddenly. His nails dug into my shoulder.
I pushed him hard. Drake let me go as I went over to the elevator. The doors dinged open and a nurse stood in front of me, smiling.
"Good evening," she said and gave me a plump smile. She turned to Drake. "How are you?"
"Even-"
Drake grabbed me by the shoulder.
"Run," Drake hissed.
"What the hell-"
"She shouldn't be able to see you through the glamour." Drake said.
____________________________________________________________________________
Author's Note:
I'm so sorry guys. I don't have an excuse. I just wasn't feeling great. Here's chapter four, I hope you like it. I'll update Friday!