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seventeen

I missed the rain. The weather here was always pleasantly balmy and it didn’t fit my state of mind.

I’d been in Nymera for over a month now.

My magic was getting stronger every day and I was beginning to get through my workouts without every muscle screaming at me.

I was getting faster too, even able to knock Louis on his ass sometimes.

I should’ve been happier at my progress; instead, I moped around like a love-struck teenager. I’d never been in love and doubted it felt as awful as this, but something was wrong with me. I feverishly devoured books, searching for the cure to my self-imposed ailment.

This was more than loneliness. I was used to being alone— enjoyed being alone—so why did I suddenly crave Galen’s attention more than food, water, and air?

My skin felt as if it might crawl away from me, abandoning my pathetic skeleton, if it didn’t get what it desired soon.

His touch was the answer. He was the illness and the remedy.

It wasn’t until I discovered the romance section in the library that I found relief. I lost myself in love stories—the kind I’d always avoided—because I’d thought that if I didn’t believe in love, then it couldn’t afflict me. Except it had. Or something like it had.

I couldn’t stop dreaming of his body over mine, couldn’t stop fantasizing about him biting me.

The shame of it left me feeling agitated.

The lack of discipline I had over myself was…

unsettling. Louis reiterated over and over how important it was to maintain control.

He warned of burnouts and worse if I didn’t master my emotions.

And yet, even while meditating, a flame flickered inside me, demanding I surrender to its warm embrace .

It was easiest to forget about Galen when I was with Meli. She was a nice break from the castle in general. Today, we’d left her shop to go work in the gardens where her and Odin grew their medicinal plants.

After spending the morning weeding and pruning, we sat under the shade of a jacaranda tree, quenching our thirst with tea and biscuits.

So far, I hadn’t made much progress when it came to healing others, but I was getting better at sensing pain.

The first step to mending others was learning to read energy. It felt similar to meditating—something I now did daily, thanks to Louis. When I meditated, I scanned any sensation within myself, breathing out the feelings that weighed me down.

Today I practiced reading Meli’s energy instead of mine, combing through her mind and body until I found a tangled nest of pain.

Meli had told me the blocks in her energy were what I was to seek out—those were the fears, anxieties, and traumatic events that lived in everyone. Physical pain was more acute while mental pain throbbed.

I gasped when I was hit with an overwhelming wave of anxiety—a tight knot in her chest that radiated down to her abdomen. It was fierce and primal, hissing at me like it hadn’t wanted to be found. What was she hiding? I pulled back into myself and gathered the courage to ask what was wrong.

“Meli, I don’t want to violate your privacy. I appreciate that you’re allowing me to practice on you, however, I must ask… are you okay? Is there anything I can do to help?” I was concerned. This was my fourth lesson with her, and each week I could feel the pain growing stronger.

She pulled out of my grasp, and for a moment, I thought she was going to tell me to leave.

But then she let out a heavy sigh and began to speak.

“I’m in terrible danger—as is Odin. He’s more than my source; he…

he is the love of my life . He has been for years now and we’ve been able to keep it a secret.

We’re very careful—hardly ever seen together in public.

But I-I recently found out that I’m pregnant.

And… our rulers don't approve of hybrids. They’ll kill me if they find out.

They’ll murder my child and take Odin. I have herbs that would end the pregnancy, but I can’t bring myself to do it.

I’ve already grown attached. I want this baby, but I’m so scared. ”

I moved closer to comfort her while she cried into her hands.

Once she’d stifled her sobs, we sat in silence, listening to the whistling wind rustle the leaves.

Purple blossoms fell from the trees, fluttering around us as I combed my fingers through her dark curls.

I wouldn’t let anything happen to her or her baby.

“How far along are you?” I asked. “Are Fae pregnancies the same length as human ones?”

Meli nodded. “Roughly. Human gestation is around forty weeks. A faerie’s is about a month longer.

You must think me foolish to end up in this situation, but I’m two-hundred years old and this is my first pregnancy.

I didn’t think I could get pregnant. Faeries struggle with infertility, especially with the curse.

We must maintain magic in our blood the entire pregnancy or we are susceptible to miscarriage.

It’s a true miracle that I’m pregnant, and yet we haven’t been able to celebrate.

I believe the baby was conceived about twelve weeks ago, which means I’ll start showing in the next few months.

” A new round of tears fell and I held her until they dried again.

“I’ll help you. I’ll figure out how to get you to Erador, I promise. I’m going to learn to world walk—for you, I’ll try. It’s just that… it’s such rare magic, I’m not sure where to begin.” I’d looked in every library in the castle, scouring countless books, but hadn’t found anything helpful yet.

She trembled as her shoulders sagged. “You’d do that for me? I-I can’t thank you enough for even considering it. I’m eternally in your debt.” She got down on her knees and kissed my hands.

I laughed uncomfortably. “Meli, get up. I’m your friend. Of course, I’m going to help.”

“You’re more than my friend. You have many gifts and your magic is strong... special. You’ve been chosen by the gods.”

“Chosen for what? I did nothing to earn this power that everyone thinks I have—I certainly haven’t done anything to deserve being favored by the gods.”

“Don’t say such things. We don’t know how or why our gifts are assigned to us, but I can ensure you that they aren’t a coincidence. You were sent to unite our people—to save us.”

I didn’t want to hear this. It was hard enough to accept that I was part Fae…

that maybe I was capable of world walking.

But a savior? No. Saviors didn’t have panic attacks and hide in their rooms, fantasizing about princes, while actively avoiding them.

They weren’t afraid to try and fail, to love and lose .

I’d ended up in this world because I was a coward who’d run away from her problems. I was the opposite of a hero.

Meli jumped up like she’d been stung by a wasp.

“The Oracle! You need to go to the Oracle!” she declared with enthusiasm.

“She’ll be able to help you access your powers.

Her magic is as rare as yours. Her and her twin—who stayed on Erador—are powerful witches.

They can see the past and the future… they receive prophecies from the gods.

” Suddenly her excitement drained from her and she paled.

“But perhaps it’s not worth it. She will demand a steep price for her help… And she lives deep in the mountains."

We sighed simultaneously and then the sound of a gate opening and closing caught our attention. Meli smiled widely at a man with alabaster skin and pale blonde hair that fell around his shoulders. Odin, I assumed. He was holding a basket and looked like he’d arrived to harvest herbs.

He sauntered towards us, staring at me apprehensively with round, storm-grey eyes. We exchanged pleasantries and then I couldn’t help but exclaim, “You’re the first human I’ve met since arriving here!” I stood to shake his hand and he backed up a few feet, looking at Meli uncertainly.

“Odin, this is Marigold, my friend from Erador.” I’d given her permission to tell him about me, and I was glad she had, because his face eased into a relaxed smile.

“I should’ve known. It’s nice to meet you. Meli is always in her best moods after a visit from you.” He shook my hand and set down his basket before settling down beside us in the grass.

He had a calm, quiet energy that complimented Meli’s gregarious nature. I searched for his aura, curious if I could read a human’s soul, since I couldn’t see mine or Raf’s.

I saw a faint flash of sage green edged with silver. His uhra was soft and unmistakably kind.

Odin tilted his head as he asked, “I’m the first you’ve met since you arrived? There are no humans at the castle?”

“None. I’ve only seen the family drink blood from a cup.” It was difficult to imagine Meli biting Odin. I couldn’t see any marks on him… perhaps she healed him afterwards.

“Ah, I see. Easier for them to treat us like livestock if they don’t have to interact with us.

I just heard news of another attack. This time two humans were found drained on the side of the road near the mountain pass.

It seems faeries will be their own demise, as well as ours.

” Odin sighed. Meli sat stunned, clutching her belly.

“Why are faeries draining humans? Don’t they value the preservation of magic above all else?” I asked, clenching my fists until my nails bit into skin.

“I wish I had an answer... Such attacks were rare until recently.” We all sat in silence, letting the sorrow of the situation sink into our souls. I didn’t tell them that the Kingdom was likely behind it.

Meli looked towards Odin. “Marigold has offered to help us get off this world, when she is ready to open a door to Erador.”

His eyes lit up at her words. “You’d do that for us?” He moved closer to Meli and hugged her, resting his forehead against hers.

“I’ll try… that’s all I can promise.” They weren’t the only ones who needed a world walker’s help. I was terrified of proving myself useless, of letting everyone down, but I could no longer afford to let fear guide me. I had to start believing in myself.

With a shaky exhale, I said, “I’d also like to extend the invite to anyone you two deem worthy of going to Erador—faeries that treat humans as equals—humans that may need our help. Invite those you trust, then we can formulate a plan when the time comes.”

I watched them find any excuse to touch each other while we talked. They held hands, teased each other, snuck kisses… It was almost nauseating—how in love they were—mostly because of the jealousy that roiled in my gut. How did they make a relationship between faerie and human look so effortless ?

“Does it hurt… when she bites you?” I asked, trying to appear nonchalant—as if the idea of drinking blood didn’t repulse me. They both looked at each other, before erupting with laughter.

“Quite the opposite,” Odin said. “I understand why you’d be disturbed by the idea, but the magic makes it pleasant for us. Some even find it addicting. But, Meli doesn’t have to bite me anymore.” He turned to her. “You haven’t told her?”

Meli flashed me a wry smile. “We performed the blood-bond a few months ago, which makes us a mated pair. Once a couple is bonded, they share abilities and magic. Odin now has the power to heal, while I have my own supply of magic.”

“The blood-bond?” I’d never heard of it.

“Yes,” Meli said. “All faeries have the option to bind themselves to a partner for eternity. We didn’t know if it would work between a human and a faerie, but it did. And now I don’t have to drink from him. With these uncertain times, we decided it was worth the risk, in case one of us is killed.”

“It’s illegal to make the blood-bond with a human?” I asked, not surprised, but still outraged.

“It’s a sacred right, gifted by the gods themselves.

Some faeries see it as blasphemous to give humans our gifts.

But I don’t see it that way,” Meli said defiantly.

“We’re all children of the same world. I think they want us to share our gifts.

Perhaps, they regret not giving humans the ability to use magic and the blood-bond is a way to mend their mistakes. ”

I studied them. They were good people. I caught a glint of their uhras swirling together, like paint blending together on a palette.

It was obvious that they were made for each other.

And yet, couples were being torn apart and murdered, for simply following their hearts.

Only monsters who gained power through hate and fear , would criminalize love.

“I was told that humans didn’t possess the right physical traits to wield magic” I said, turning to Odin. “Did the bond change you physically?”

“Nothing noticeable. Perhaps internally something shifted. After we became blood-bonded, my senses grew keener and my blood sang with the magic that had always been there, but I hadn’t been able to access.

I feel more… alive now, more connected to the world.

” He gave a smile to his mate before nuzzling his nose against hers.

“I’m just so grateful that I get to share my life with her. ”

They were proof that romantic love was real . The way they looked at each other made me yearn for something similar. “How does one perform the blood-bond?”

They exchanged a look. Meli answered, “We both drank from each other while we… consummated the bond. Two souls nearly become one, once bonded. I can feel him, whether he’s near or far.

I can sense his moods, his desires. We can even speak mind to mind.

It’s a closeness that makes us feel like half of our soul is missing when we’re apart. ”

“But one can live without the other, if… one dies?” It was an intrusive question. I regretted asking it when their faces fell .

“It would be excruciating, and the loss would linger forever, but one doesn’t immediately die if their mate does—though many lose the will to live if a bond breaks,” Meli said softly.

I stared at the ground, unable to meet her eyes. I wouldn’t let that happen to them. I’d find a way to deliver them to safety, no matter the cost.