Status: update is in progress.

Birdie

family

It is late afternoon the next day when I finally wake up. Almost as soon as my eyes open, I snap into a sitting position, hands clutching at my stomach and groaning. The pain subsides after a few seconds and finally I am able to lift my head up and take a look around me. I'm now in my bedroom at the manor. The curtains have been drawn closed across the window, but enough sunlight gets through to light the room. I am alone and in a signifcant amount of pain.

With a hiss of pain, I look down to see that I have been changed into a white nightgown- by Tinsley, I hope. The fabric is silk and it doesn't cling to my body. Still, when I shift the gown flows across my body and sendsd sharp pains through most of my body. I glance around casually before lifting the gown up my body to look at my bear skin. I nearly vomit at the sight. My ribs are plagued with bruises and scratches and the skin is a sickly mix of purples, blues, and blacks. If this is how my body looks I can only guess what my face looks like.

I let my nightgown slowly ease back down my body and try to get into a more comfortable sitting position. I only have to wait a moment or so before my door is silently pushed open. Tinsley pushes it open just a crack and slips through, trying to be silent. However, when she spots that I am concious she sighs, relief radiating off of her in waves. She comes to my side, kneeling next to the bed. "Oh, Skye! You're awake!"

I blink hard and mumble, "I'd rather be sleeping."

It is the truth. My body aches, aches like nothing I have ever fault before. I have taken a few falls before and had been bucked by my old horse on my family's farm, but nothing had ever caused me to feel like this. My torso burned and the bruises leave my skin weak and vulernable. I hate feeling weak, I hate being in pain. Sadly, there's nothing to do about it. I need rest but I can't seem to find the motivation to sleep.

Tinsley reaches out to touch me but withdraws her hand quickly, thinking better of it. With a frown she tells me, "I will tell them you have woken." Without anotehr word, she flees from the room and down the stairs. I shrug the best I can without being in too much pain and shift myself slowly so my back is resting against my headboard. Moments later, four people return to my room- my Uncle, Tinsley, Pierre, and Tai.

"I came over as soon as Pierre told me," Tai explains. I nod the best I can. The four disperse around the room. Edwin sits upon the old purple desk and just looks down at his lap. At his sulen expression, it finally comes clear to me. This was Elena's room. I don't dwell too much on that fact. Tinsley takes a seat the edge of my bed, Tai kneels beside the bed, and Pierre stands over me, looking down at my body.

"What happened last night?" He asks slowly. "I went to go find you. I figured you'd run some placeand wait for me... I wandered around for an hour before I found you," Pierre frowns and clenches his hands into tight fists. "You were just laying there in the alley, bloodied and bruised. Who did this?"

I know exactly who did this to me. Though I didn't get to glance at their faces before my vision went dark, I did hear their voices. Their voices rang in my ears loud as day as they kicked me several times before I finally lost conciousness all together. This is for being a wagger, one had shouted. No one is here to protect you now, laughed the other. It had been the two boys from class, the ones who had been trying to harm Tai- Pessle and Freer.

I shake my head. "I want to know what happened last night. That woman-"

"She's fine," insists Pierre. His face relaxes a little, his brows furrowing as he explains further. "As soon as you fled from the tent, something sort of washed over her. She went as pale as a ghost and collasped. I was able to wake her after a bit but when I questioned her... She seemed to have no recollection of what had happened. Nor did she remember even meeting you."

I close my eyes and try to remember the whole event. It comes to me in broken flashes. Reina reading my palm, the visions -which are already fading- and he accusing me. But what? What was she accusing me of? I try desperately to recall it but it's gone from my head. Whether it was just the excitement of the night or my fall, but last night is just a big blur to me.

"What was she accusing me of?" I ask quietly, sorely.

"Skye, I don't think that it would be best-"

"I want to know," I whisper feircely. For some reason, the events of last night seem more important than anything else right now. I deseperately yearn for them to just be fresh in my mind but they are fleeting and they are fleeting fast. I am clinging on to what I can but so much of it is lost. "I deserve to know, don't I?"

Pierre nods shortly. "Of course." He sighs and looks down for a moment, gathering the words to his own brain. "She kept saying things like, 'you've damned us all' and 'you've killed us all.'"

"You've dug our graves," I mouth to myself, the memory suddenly coming back. I've never had anyone look at me the way Reina had. Terror had been the light behind her eyes and her fear seemed to comne off of her in rolling waves. She had been terrified of me, syaing that I've damned all of them and that there's no changing what I've already done. But who is she talking about? Who have I damned? Perhaps it truly is best to put it out of my mind, I think glumly.

There is a moment where no one speaks. Tai is gazing down at the carpet, Tinsley has turned her attention to the windows. Pierre shifts his gaze away from me. Uncle Edwin, however, remains the same. He's been sitting here patiently, quietly. I glance at him and you can see the mental exhuastion written all over him. His sorrow has already taken over his expression. This is much too hard for him. I swallow sadly.

"Tinsley," I manage, "Perhaps you and Uncle could go back to work now?" I look at Tinsley and she nods in comprehension. I glance back at my Uncle and smile softly. His green, hazy eyes fall over me. "I'm awake and feeling better. Please, don't trouble yourself to look after me. I'll be fine. I promise."

He doesn't say anything. Tinsley walks over to him and smiles, taking his and and leading him from the room. His eyes stay fixed on me the entire time. They seem to utter the words that he cannot. Thank you.

"Anyway," Pierre continues after my Uncle is gone, "I made sure she was calm and healthy after she woke, and then I went to find you. It took a bit of wandering, but I found you. You were laying facedown in the alley. I brought you back immeadiately. Tinsley changed you and put you in bed. I went anf fetched Tai this morning so he can help you."

"Help me?" I ask curiously.

Tai smiles and gets up to sit on the bed. "Yes," he smiles even brighter. "Faeries may be able to work a bit of nature magic, but they can't heal like we can."

I suddenly clamp my mouth shut. If you are to ask anyone back home, they will tell you that I am an independant girl. I absolutely hate accepting help from others, especially when I can something myself. I will heal on my own, though it will take much more time. However, this offer is a bit different. I have school tomorrow and in my condition, I can barely move without wanting to scream. If I am healed, I can show up tomorrow without a single scrape, just to spite Freer and Pessle. I nod in agreement after a moment.

"Now, I'm going to use a major healing spell on you, due to the amount of pain you're in," Tai warns, "Such a big spell will make you drowsy, so you're going to need to tell Pierre what you can before I work the spell."

"Fine," I agree. Pierre doesn't say anything. He knows that I know the questions he wants to ask. I sigh, folding my hands into my lap. "I ran from the tent and though I knew I should head home, my feet seemd to have a mind of their own. I ran into Uptown and I finally stopped in an alley. I remember..."

"You remember what?" Pierre asks, his voice like silk. Calming and soft.

What did I remember? After a second, I remember. "Footsteps. Both in front and behind me. I decided just to keep going. I remember getting to the end of the alley and then I was shoved backward," I pause for a moment, gripping hard at the sheets. Midway through my story, anger has started to boil within me. I do not continue until the rage has subsided a bit. "I fell and that's when I started to black out. I can only remember their kicks and their shouting. They kept calling me a wagger." I look up curiously, my expression asking the question for me.

Tai scoffs, the anger already spilling through his body. He crosses his arms defiantly. I raise an eyebrow to Pierre. He sighs. "A wagger is a term that humans use to insult other humans who associate with Warlocks. It's meant to be offensive."

"Oh," I look down slowly. Though I am the one who had been brutually beat in a dark alley, I cannot help but sympathize with Tai. He's lived in Everstile for years now. He has probably heard all these insults and have been insulted time and time again. The time we had saved him from a beating was probably not the only time he had been in that situation. I have been living a sheltered life, never knowing of the ridicule these creatures -no, people- face and it just saddens me.

"Most humans dislike us, the faeries and Warlocks. Warlocks more than faeries, because well, faeries didn't raise the barriers did they?" Tai shrugs and shudders a bit with discontent. I decide not to take the subject any further.

"Wait, you heard their voices?" Pierre asks suddenly, both excitement and anger riddled in his voice.

"It was those two boys from school, Pessle and Freer," I admit. The faery stands quickly, hands already made into fists. His pale skin shines in the restrained sunlight. His beautiful lavender eyes are distorted with fury. He's mutter to himself, mainly about what he's going to do to those boys tomorrow. I simply shake my head. "You're not going to do anything to them. Violent revenge is never the answer."

"Then how, Skye? They cannot just get away with beating someone until they're bloody and bruised. Especially not a girl. Especially..."

"Especially what?" I ask, leaning forward a bit.

He closes his eyes. "Especially you. They cannot get away with hurting you."

I blink back my surprise. He has been kind to me, that is for sure. He has held my hand and doted on me, but he has never been so sweet with me. I have to admit, it is very becoming of him. But, sadly, I cannot have him exacting revenge on these boys. "They won't. Listen, violence is not the solution here. Let me be healed. Let me march into that classroom tomorrow without a single scratch. Let me rub it in their faces that they have not gotten me down. Not yet. Please, let me handle this my way."

Pierre blinks hard and then sits on his knees near my bed. He lays his head foreward, his brow resting against my blankets. When he pulls away, he tilts his head to look up at me. I blush and try to look away. I must look like a bloodied mess. But my eyes catch his and I feel my heart beat faster. They shimmer with understanding and what I can only see is acceptance. Resting his chin against the bed, he talks up to me. "I trust you," he says.

"Good," I reply and giggle. It's a dry sort of sound and it pains my throat. I cough and clear it, but that hurts just as much. I sigh. "I'm in a lot of pain, so..." My voice trails off.

"Right," the two boys agree and move away from the bed. With a smile Pierre silently leave the room. Tai helps me adjust back into a laying position. He's gentle with me but it still burns. Once I am lying down again, he stands over me. He holds his hands out above my chest. The feeling in the room shifts and the air seems to stop completely. His hands have become the focal point of the entire room. He whispers a word, one that I cannot understand and his hands beging to glow. The color surrounding his fingers and palms is a soft luminescent green.

He lets his hands wander above me, head to toe and back again. He does this several times. I feel the bruises already fading and the muscle strengthening. The cuts are stitching themselves back together, the dried blood liquifies and returns to its original home. Several seconds later, a cloud of drowsiness settles over me. I find myself falling deep into slumber without any care in the world. What a marvelous feeling it is, I think tiredly before finally fading from the waking world.

Image

The next day is probably my most satifactory in quite some time. I had waken up feeling rested and ready to take on the world. I had gotten dressed and Pierre and I had walked to school. Nearly all day, I would find ways to make myself known and flaunt my good health in front of the two boys who had beat me senseless. It is very obvious that they are unhappy with my health because of the sneers on their faces. Their eyes had held wonder at first and then disgust- but also a sense of defeat. I think they know that messing with me in more than pointless now.

And I owe it all to Tai. I do not get the chance to speak to him directly until after class but as soon as the bell rings, I rush to catch with him. I have Pierre go on ahead while I talk to the Warlock boy. I meet him outside near the trees, my hand clasping down on his shoulder to stop him from walking any further. A bit out of breath from my short sprint, I pant a bit while speaking. "Wait, Tai," I smile, "I wanted to talk to you."

He offers me a welcoming look. "I see that you're doing much better," he manages through a small portion of laughter. "So, what'd you want to talk about?"

"I just wanted to thank you for yesterday," I pause, already sensing my blush, "For healing me. I don't always feel comfortable accepting help from others, but I wanted you to know I appreaciate it. I owe you a favor, that's for sure."

"You don't owe me anything, Skye," he blushes. He reaches his arm up and scratches the back of his neck. He turns even more red when he realizes I'm watching him. He laughs slightly and puts his arm down shyly. "You and Pierre are my only two friends here. I'd do anything for you two."

I glance up at him, eyes examining him. That just cannot be true, I think. He is a beautiful boy. His skin is the perfect pale pink with round cheeks and soft eyes, giving him that youthful appearance. His hair is as black as the night itself and his eyes are the very color of fresh summer grass. Tai is one of the sweetest boys I know and it's hard to believe he hasn't any friends other than Pierre and myself. It just cannot be.

"I'm sure you have other friends," I mumble shyly.

He shifts his eyes down to his feet and offers and short shake of his had. His hair falls out of place and blocks his eyes from my view. "No, not at all. Before you two came here, I was getting beat up on a daily basis. And if I wasn't being beat up, I was being ignored or insulted. Then you two came along- and you guys didn't have a problem with me."

"Well why should we? You're a person, I don't care if you can use magic or not. It's the kindness of your heart that I love, not what species you are."

I bend my head a bit to try and catch a glimpse at him. I can't get a good look at him but I am just in time to see his smile. "I'm glad you feel that way. My mother and I, we aren't like the other Warlocks anyway. I don't see why people judge us the way they do."

"What do you mean?" I ask, reaching for his hand. I grab his fingers and tug him a bit and am able to lead him toward the front of the school. He talks to me while we walk.

"Most Warlocks live in the Warlock Kingdom. We designated that our territory and that's where we live. There, young Warlocks grow up to learn deep and powerful magic, the kind that could destroy cities and even countries if needed. It's just in case the humans turn on us. My mother and I, among some others who had left before us, are only a few who have fled. We don't have the same values. We just want to live amonst the humans," he shrugs. By now I've lead him to a small bench outside of the school. We sit ourselves down and he leans forward, twisting his body to face mine. I cross my legs and blush at him.

"I mean, we still use magic here and there. If you have it, use it- that's what my dad used to say before we left. He," Tai hiccuped and blincked hard. "He stayed behind. He didn't want to live with humans. He feels that we should be seperated."

"That is a darn shame, too," I reply, placing a careful hand on his knee. He looks up and into my eyes. I find myself staring into them, trying to find a break in the perfect sheen of green but even that task becomes lost on me. Somehow, I snap myself back into reality. "He's missing on how great you are."

The black haired boy's lips suddenly stretch into a grin, eyes flashing with happiness. I find that his happiness is infectious and am already beaming a smile back at him. "Thanks, Skye. That means a lot. Mom's not always there for me, and Dad's not with us... Until you came along, I really was alone. I couldn't ask for a better friend."

"Well she's missing out then too," I tell him, squeezing his knee in a comforting manner. I move my head so we're locked in eye contact once more. "I've known you for nearly a month, Tai, and you've been a great friend to me. Better than any friends I ever had before. You're like my brother."

Another smile grows on his face and the wind whipps delicately at his pink cheeks. My hair gets blown back behind me as I stand up, ready to leave. "Remember," I tell him, "As long as I'm around, you're part of my family."

I walk away then, only catching his last words. "Thank you, Skye."

I make my way through the streets and finally see Pierre standing in the middle of the street. He had been waiting for me, letting the other civillians dodge and weave around him. As I approach, he takes his hands out of his trouser pockets and smirks. Curiously, I raise an eyebrow and walk up to him. He then wraps hims arms around my middle in a tight hug, pressing his cold cheek against my neck. I gasp in surprise. When he pulls away from me I am sure my face is crimson red. "What'd you guys talk about?"

"Not too much," I reply. Pierre shifts so his arms is wrapped firmly around my waist. He holds my body close to his as we continue our way home. "But I think I just made his days in Everstile a lot more bearable." Pierre leans over and places his lips the top my head. I whimper softly and I pray that he hadn't noticed it. I can't help but feel warm as I think about how he has made my whole life here a whole lot better.

And how I may or may not be in love with him.
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Wow, late chapter update, but once again, I am a bit unsure of this chapter. And I think I use the word 'smile' too many times, so I'm going to work on that a bit. I need to edit a lot of this, but there is a bit of good news for all of you!

I will be making this story's tumblr blog password free (so you can just get in without the password.)

Anyway, I'd appreaciate some feedback!