Discovering Fae
Now What?

Once everything had calmed down and we got the heck away from the caves and back at Rollie’s farm, I sighed heavily and tilted my head back to look at the sky.

“I don’t know what to do, Blaine,” I said. I had brought him away from the camp and the monster his brother had turned into. “You were right. There’s nothing left of him to save, but... I can’t watch him die, either.”

“That thing isn’t my brother,” he said firmly. “His soul reeks of the wrongs he’s committed. Zane would never fall so low.”

“Maybe growing up knowing what we are makes it easier,” I sighed. “He doesn’t look like him, doesn’t sound like him, everything is different, but I still just see Zane.”

“The laws are clear. Hazed Morphi can’t be released if caught. I know your parents would keep him alive, if you asked, but Morphi are meant to be free,” Blaine heaved his own sigh. “Putting him in a cage will be like torturing him.”

“So, what do we do?” I asked.

“I’ve already sent word to our parents,” he said. “We’ll meet them in Royal City. They'll do what they have to do there.”

“I’m sorry, Blaine. As hard as it is for me, it has to be so much worse for you. And your parents,” I shook my head.

“We knew the odds when he started Hazing,” he said simply. “When I saw him that day, on the field, I knew he wasn’t going to come back. Not the same, anyhow. I can’t begin to guess what he’s done so taint his soul that much in such a short time, but... It’s better this way. Zane wouldn’t want to know what he’d become, so it’s good that you don’t try to bring him back.”

“I’m losing my brothers, Blaine,” I looked at him. “I replace blood relatives and every time, I lose a brother. First Nando, now Zane. I can’t keep doing this. You and Ben are all that’s left.”

“You’re a super cool... whatever you are,” he shrugged then smirked at my annoyed look. “You saved our butts this morning. And Mal’s wing? That was pretty great. Not only that, but you gave us the energy we were desperately needing with a Sin coming. I had no idea anyone could do that, yet you did.”

“That doesn’t help any, since a cage laid me low,” I huffed.

“Well, then get better,” he shrugged. “I know all about having something in front of you that you don’t want. I can’t change being a hellhound, just like you can’t change what you were born for. Choose to walk away from one throne, but the Infernal Throne isn’t something you can just ignore. Demons are vicious and if you don’t claim the throne, someone will hunt you down and kill you for it and it won’t even matter that you don’t want anything to do with it. Demons don’t care.”

He put his hand on my shoulder for a second before going back inside, trading places with Mal, who hugged me tightly.

“Thank you,” he said.

“How is it?” I touched his wing.

“I can still feel the ghost of pain from it being severed, but I think that will go away in time,” he answered. “What about you? You aren’t hurt or freaked out... anything?”

“You can’t tell?” I scoffed.

“It’s confusing,” he answered.

“I don’t think anything could happen that would freak me out anymore,” I sighed after a second. “I’ve been through all of it now, I think.”

“So, what’s next?” he asked.

“I can’t escape the Infernal Throne, can I?” I looked at him and he shook his head. “And running from it is only going to get me killed.”

“Unless we’re really good at hiding,” he said.

“Built in homing beacon,” I pointed at myself.

“Right. There is that,” he twisted his mouth.

“I don’t want to die, Mal,” I said.

“I don’t want you to, either.”

“If I die, you die. I don’t want you to die. Even if you are sometimes a jerk.”

“I don’t want to die either and I’m glad to know I’ve redeemed myself from idiot to jerk again,” he smirked.

“They’ll come after you to get to me,” I said, looking over Rollie’s fields.

“Then we need to make sure we’re safe,” he nodded. “We need to prepare for whatever comes next.”

“You know it’ll be insanity, right?” I scoffed.

“Probably, but I’m okay with insanity. Makes things interesting,” he smiled.

“Don’t you mean ‘entertaining’?” I mimicked Naz.

“Highly entertaining,” he joined me, and we laughed at how terrible we both sounded.

“I have a couple of demons to beat into next week,” I sighed.

“If anyone can do it and make it very entertaining to watch, it’s you,” he laughed again. “Just give me a few minutes to get the popcorn ready.”

I stretched my wing out behind us and leaned my head on his shoulder.

“I love you,” I closed my eyes. “But I’m glad that worked and I don’t have to lug you around everywhere.”

“I love you, too. And I would take any excuse to hold you, Fae.”

“Guess what?” I looked up and smiled at him.

“That’s a loaded question with you,” he teased.

“I was taken from you again. And look,” I laced our fingers together. “Right back where I belong. I’m like a freaky yo-yo or boomerang; I just keep coming back, no matter how far away I get.”

“Not a freak, and I’d never throw you away. Even if I could replace it in me to try, you’d come back and hit me in the face,” he rolled his eyes. “We are tied together, though. Something I’m always going to be thankful for. There is one thing, though.”

“Oh?”

“When you flew in like that this morning? Hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” he grinned.

“Oh, shut up,” I shoved him, and he laughed.

The sound of a clearing throat had us both turning to see Rollie and Naz waiting a short distance away.

“I’ll get the popcorn,” Mal kissed me softly. “Try not to get stolen for at least a month, okay?”

“No promises,” I chuckled as he walked past the two older demons, no doubt glaring at them. “You two have some nerve showing your faces to me right now.”

“I’m sor-,” Rollie started.

“No,” I snapped my wings open with an echoing pop, and the feathers rustled, sounding like metal. “You are incapable of feeling remorse because that requires a conscious, which neither of you have. Blood may connect us, but it is thin indeed after last night. And loyalty? Oaths? Coming from either of you, they mean nothing to me now. Give me one good reason why I should even listen to a word you say when I can no longer believe them?”

Naz’s tail rustled in the grass as it twitched around his ankles and Rollie’s wings drooped slightly. They looked scolded yet I just couldn’t believe anything coming from them, not even their actions.

“Why are you here?” I asked them both. “And don’t give me that line of crap about serving your queen, because there was very freaking little of that last night. What use have I for a pair of liars and cowards?”

Both of them stiffened at that, clearly insulted.

“Oh? Don’t like hearing that? I should hope not, but the truth freaking hurts. Imagine my reaction when learning about your refusal to assist. What were the words you used, again?” I crossed my arms. “Don’t be shy now. Answer me.”

“We were wrong,” Rollie shifted on his feet.

“No, no,” I held up a hand. “You were right. I am weak. I have run from this thing that’s been forced upon me. I’m nowhere near fit to be a queen and I have absolutely no desire to change that. I am sick and tired of people telling me I’m weak, yet doing nothing to help me, so you have two choices. Help me now or get out of my way, because I’m done. I’m done with all of this ‘need to’, ‘have to’, ‘don’t have a choice’ crap. You want me to take the stupid throne? Fine. I’ll perch my freakishly confused behind all over that thing. I will own every cursed inch of it.”

“You just sai-.”

“Then I’m going to destroy it.”