Discovering Fae

Meeting up with Mom, Ben, and Blaine took a couple of days and when we finally stepped out of the darkness of the Malokian Woods, I expected to be sun-blinded for a moment. Strangely enough, I walked into the light, and it was like I never left it. A little sting, but not enough to warrant the word “uncomfortable”.

Looking around, I noticed I could almost look directly at the sun without much struggle. I frowned and kept walking. Dad led the way and Naz was behind him and off to the side, leaving Mal and I to bring up the rear.

“So how long before we reach Ha’anok?” I asked when we grouped together again.

“A few hours on foot, but we should end up meeting with the others soon,” Dad answered then glanced up at the sky. “We’ll be there in time for dinner.”

“So, we’ll get rooms?” I asked, hopeful.

“Possibly,” Dad chuckled.

“What are we going to do about Naz?” I asked, looking at the inky gray skin, small ram-like horns peeking out of his black hair above pointed ears and long, slender tail that reminded me of a monkey.

“I don’t need accommodations,” he answered. “I very rarely need to sleep, since I feed off of others as they rest.”

“How exactly do you do that?” I asked.

“You don’t want to know,” Mal grimaced.

“To some, it could be unpleasant to witness the beginning and end of a feeding,” Naz admitted, his tail flicking behind him. “But it isn’t something we share often. Our feedings are... private.”

“So, what is it that you feed on? The sleep?”

“The younger ones do feed on the chemicals produced by sleep, but it’s like eating only one thing all the time,” Dad explained when Naz looked confused. “Melatonin is one of those necessary staples they need to survive, but as they get older, they begin to feed on the actual dreams, the firing of the neurons in the brain and the sporadic flashes of chemical that the dream produces.”

“So, instead of just meat, there’s veggies, fruit, a glass of wine or something?” I asked.

“Variety is the spice of life,” Dad shrugged.

“Right. The rules still apply,” I pointed at Naz, who smiled, flashing wicked teeth as his tail swished behind him.

“I will not feed on you or your companions. Unless asked otherwise,” he said.

“Why would anyone ask for that?” I asked.

“Because they prevent the dreams from actually happening,” Mal said.

“We do not keep them from happening,” Naz corrected. “They must happen for us to feed. Feeding removes most traces, though.”

“Some people do end up having fuzzy memories of their dreams that fade the longer they’re awake. Some have lingering emotions, but no idea why,” Dad explained.

“Is it unpleasant for the person you feed on?”

“It can be, if we choose or are too young to know better,” Naz shrugged. “Sometimes, we must force a dream to happen, though it doesn’t satisfy as well as natural ones do.”

“So, do you have to be feeding before the dreams start or can you pop in at any time?” I asked.

“It’s easier and we are less likely to be detected during the feeding if we follow the dreamer down, but it takes a lot of skill to be able to do so without being noticed before they are under,” he answered. “We can slip in during a dream, but it takes finesse to not be noticed.”

“So being noticed is... well, obviously it’s bad, but why is it so important?” I asked him.

“As far as demons go, we don’t pose much of a threat when the dreamer is awake,” Naz shrugged. “We can induce sleep in a tired dreamer, we can prolong sleep in resting dreamers, some can influence the dreams without forcing them to achieve the taste they crave.”

“But only one can do all of it,” Dad said. “Lord of the House of Ardigon.”

“That’s important?” I asked.

“Demons are pretty tight-lipped about their politics, but the rumors are all pretty conclusive about the Lord of Ardigon being the closest thing to a true king as it gets without actually being the king.”

“Relatives?”

“Blood relatives. Cousins,” Naz nodded.

“Really?” Dad asked, intrigued. “I didn’t know that.”

“Most don’t,” Naz shrugged. “I like to keep some form of anonymity.”

“I should have guessed,” Dad scoffed.

“What are we missing?” Mal asked.

“I think Naz just said he’s the Lord of Ardigon,” I leaned over and whispered to him.

“I don’t buy it,” Mal said after looking at Naz for a moment.

“Not my concern,” Naz shrugged. “I am curious. You know other demons?”

“I was technically raised by one, although I’d say “raised” is used freely,” I said, and Dad growled softly. “And I have two friends that are demons. And a therapist.”

“That stupid cat is not getting anywhere near you again,” Mal snapped, his anger through our Bond making me smile.

“Has anyone told you that you’re incredibly handsome when you’re being protective?” I asked him.

“Faella!” Dad snapped and I giggled as Mal stopped midstride.

“Just a passing observation,” I said with as much faked innocence that I could muster.

Dad glared at Mal and Mal stiffened as an open wagon came down the road, pulled by a dappled horse that looked like it was bored.

“Look. It’s Mom,” I pointed and walked towards the wagon. “Mom! Dad’s doing the thing again!”

“Quinn! Leave the boy alone!” Mom shouted back.

“This isn’t over,” Dad muttered to Mal and stomped towards the others.

“That was very entertaining,” Naz grinned, his tail flicking back and forth with amusement as he followed my father.

“Why, Fae?” Mal groaned.

“It’s the truth,” I smiled and took his hand. “He’s going to have to get over it eventually, you know.”

“You don’t have to provoke him, though. It would be much safer for me if you didn’t,” he said as we slowly walked over to the wagon.

“He can threaten all he wants, but we all know that if he did anything, he’d be hurting me, too,” I rolled my eyes. “Then Mom would get her hands on him. I don’t think any sane person wants her anger on them.”

“I’m not completely convinced Quinn is sane,” Mal eyed my father warily.

“He does seem the controlled instability type, doesn’t he?” I tilted my head to the side.

“Must be a family trait,” he chuckled.

“I am not... Okay, I might be a little unbalanced,” I said after thinking it over.

“Oh, Fae. Honey,” Mom was laughing while Dad glowered. “You are quite the little devil.”

“I’m allowed to admire my Bonded,” I said and grabbed the side of the wagon to jump in.

As soon as I put weight on my arms to lift myself up, blinding pain lanced through my back, making my whole body stiffen with shock and I ended up falling backwards. Of course, Mal caught me before I hit the ground, because he always catches me, but the look of pain on his face made me panic.

“No! Fae, don’t you dare block me out,” he snapped, squeezing his arms around me. “Let me in so I know what’s going on.”

“Turn her over,” Dad sighed, and Mal bent me at the waist, so I was laying on his arm as the pain gripped me. Good news was it wasn’t getting worse, but it wasn’t getting any better either.

Dad put his hand on my back and pushed. There was an odd sensation, like a wicked pimple being popped, only under my skin on both sides of my spine followed by a weird shifting, like something moved under my skin. The pain burned for a moment before it faded away into a dull ache that itched a little bit.

“Holy Horn of Asparada,” Mom breathed out. “Did you just-.”

“Yes,” Dad said.

“Wait. What?” Mal asked, his head snapping up to my dad. “That’s impossible.”

“It’s supposed to be impossible,” Mom agreed.

“Apparently, it’s not,” Dad sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fae, Mal, and I need to go see Raiz. There are some... things, that need a bit of insight.”

“If Fae is in danger, we’re going, too,” Ben said.

“She’s not in any danger that we know of,” Dad said. “Keep looking for Zane.”

“Traipsing about in the woods is one thing, but I stick out like crazy,” I pointed out. “It’s unlikely I’ll be of any help in towns and villages until I can figure out a way to hide these markings.”

“Why hide them?” Naz asked with a shrug of his shoulders. “Malokia is the place to be different. Unashamed.”

“It’s not shame,” I shot at him, oddly defensive about the weird markings. “Go to the human world as you are and walk down the street.”

“I would be hunted and killed in minutes,” he lifted his lips in a snarl.

“Then don’t talk about shame to me,” I snapped.

“My apologies,” he said with his hand on his chest over his heart while he bowed towards me. “I spoke out of ignorance.”

“Who are you, again?” Blaine asked, a soft growl in his tone.

“Naz’gra’hal,” he answered.

“Mother of Lucifer,” Ben groaned and looked to the heavens like there was an answer there.

“Ah, you’ve heard of me,” Naz smiled.

“Yes,” Ben sighed and shook his head as he looked at Naz. “Why are you here?”

“I was drawn to my queen,” Naz said, looking at me.

“I am not a queen,” I ground out.

“How?” Ben asked and jumped out of the wagon so he could pace on the side of the road. “How in the world does this keep happening to Fae? You being here is going to bring nothing good her way.”

“Who is this guy?” Blaine asked.

"Naz," I supplied.

“Lord of the House of Ardigon,” Ben said, and Mal rolled his eyes.

“Still not buying it,” he muttered.

“Whether you want to accept it or not, nothing good is going to come her way anyhow,” Naz crossed his arms, the tip of his tail flicking around by his ankles. “I was drawn to the heir of the Infernal Throne because we are related. As she grows more powerful, others will come and not all of them will submit. Some will come to claim the throne for themselves. Care to take a guess as to how they would do that?”

“Combat trials are limited to within the Houses,” Ben said.

“Not for the House of Immail,” Naz said.

“Immail? Ha! That’s rich! That line has been gone for a million years!”

“Absent, not gone,” Naz held up a finger. “I am a blood relative, fox. I am not mistaken.”

“How would you even know?” Ben threw up his hands.

“I recognize the smell of family,” Naz tapped his nose.

“Great. I stink,” I muttered.

“Look, we can go on and on about this, but the point remains the same. We need to see if Raiz has any information about what’s going on with Fae,” Dad pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fae sticks out, even here, so it’s better if, for now, we split up.”

“Yes, I think you’re right, but not because she sticks out,” Mom said with a worried crease between her brows.

“I vote to go with them,” Naz grinned, pointing at me and Mal.

“No,” Ben glared at the other demon. “It’s stupid to trust a demon, most of all a demon Lord.”

“I trust you,” I said.

“We’re your guardians. That’s different,” Blaine said, jumping out of the wagon.

“I trusted you before that,” I rolled my eyes.

“So, if I hadn’t Called, you’d what? Stab me in the back?” I asked them.

“We wouldn’t,” Ben gestured between himself and Blaine.

“But he would,” Blaine said.

“I would not betray my queen,” Naz hissed.

“Argh! That’s it!” I stood up quickly and swung at Naz, my fist crackling with lightning, and hit right in the middle of his chest, sending him flying backwards, his tail swinging wildly to gather his balance before he hit the ground a solid ten feet away and slid another three before he stopped.

“Fae, sweetie,” Mom said, putting her hand on mine and lowering it, despite the still snapping electricity running up and down my arm. “You can’t go around hitting demon Lords, no matter how much they annoy you.”

“That was quite invigorating, my queen,” Naz groaned as he sat up, his hand on his chest.

“Pain in the ass,” I huffed and flicked my finger, like I would flick a bug, and a ball of compressed air hit him in the face, knocking him back to the ground, his feet going up as he tried to remain upright.

“Yes, most demon Lords are,” Mom sighed. “I think Naz should stay with us.”

“I would like to change my vote,” Naz held up his hand, still laying on the ground.

“You don’t get a vote so pipe down,” I said.

“Now that was entertaining,” Mal smirked.