Status: I would love more comments!
With My Life in Her Hands
Define Human
"Define human."
Willow draws back a little hesitant and confused.
"Briar?"
"I need to tell you something," I am scared to look into Willow's eyes as I confess what I am.
"My mother wasn't just black. She was human."
Willow is so quiet I could almost believe I was talking to myself if I couldn't hear her nearly silent breaths.
"Eura was my mother's partner. She was wild and stupid and thought she was in love with my mother Rosalia. Eura used our shapeshifting to become a man for Rosalia. How was my mother to know Eura was a Vila? She became pregnant with me and you know the rest," I look up experimentally and see Willow's eyes are darkened in what I don't know.
"Veel-leah?"
I shake my head. "Veel-ah. Vila."
"What are vila?
"You could almost consider us nymphs. We come from Europe," I smile weakly. "The sirens were our cousin. The first Vila was cursed and lived near the ocean so most of us are dependent on water. After reaching majority, we can control all the elements. Most vila hate men so they're women scorned. Vila used to use our bodies to punish males for lies, cheating, etc. I don't know if more will come but I needed to tell you just in case," I smile weakly at Willow but she doesn't return the gesture.
I wish I was surprised but I am not.
"Is this what you meant when you said your family was magical but not Wiccan?"
I nod in confirmation but watch for any sign Willow wants me to leave.
"I almost don't want to know but what do you mean 'use their bodies'? Did they do it to kill them?" Willow's voice almost screeches at the mention of it. "That seems a little too much. Since when has it became deadly?"
I mimic Willow from earlier and shrug my shoulders. "They could have just used their looks. No one has called us ugly before. We've been bred into almost perfection. It's almost impossible for Vila to be ugly. Even then, we have an allure at least for men."
"Allure?" Willow repeats after me and I wonder if she heard me the first time.
"Yes," I answer patiently. "We draw men in like moths to a flame. They don't know they're dead until it's too late."
"You better not be doing that! It's not good. It's kind of evil when I think about it. No killing!" Willow's pointer finger moves in my direction and I feel oddly scolded. "Killing is of the bad and we kill the bad ans I don't want to kill you so no killing!"
"I haven't killed," I answer truthfully. "Anyway, you still need to learn about our gifts and how they might have came to be."
Willow quiets down so I can finish talking.
"The first was cursed and she lived in a village near the ocean. She became lonely and turned other scorned women into Vila so she wouldn't be alone. Some Vila can have children including the first's bloodline so we think our moving and breeding with others has expanded our powers.
"There's demon evolution? How very Darwin!" Willow exclaims this and I'm not sure if she's talking to me or herself.
"I believe so. Originally, we only controlled water but the other elements have been added in. Our looks have also differentiated much. Most have pale skin and look at me," I gesture to myself. My skin though darker than Willow's is a light bronze color I'd seen on pictures of statues.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I want you to be safe," I answer honestly. "Some Vila won't hesitate to kill someone in the way and I don't want you to get hurt."
Willow leans backs and adjusts until she's almost against the wall.
I sigh but stay sitting near until Willow decides to speak.
I hear the Wiccan sigh and turn my head towards her.
"I understand if you don't want to talk to me after this," I try to keep my eyes locked on Willow's so she knows that I'm telling the truth. "I just didn't want to lie."
"Have you lied? Have you lied about anything to me? At all?"
I grin a little and shake my head.
"I can sing," I confess. "It's hard though because people come to me when I sing. I suppose it's a natural reaction. I don't know how to dance. I have a hard time being around people. I like you."
Willow almost pouts and makes a hmmm sound before looking at me again.
"I've dated a werewolf before," she admitted. "A boy werewolf," Willow adds. "I've seen my alternate...universe," at this point Willow struggles to explain. "-vampire...doppelganger...person who was kinda gay."
"I've never been with anyone before. Once upon a time, I used to idolize Isla."
"What changed?"
"You."
"What do you mean?"
"I came here and found out you're not supposed to act like you like others and then act like you hate them," a vague image of Isla appears in my head. "You taught me that."
A small thinking sound escapes Willow's small mouth.
"I think I can handle that," she begins and I can see she's thinking out loud again. "You're a Vila. I like a Vila. I like a half Vila. I like a half Vila who hates coffee and that was kissed by a Ms. Slutty She-Devil."
I laugh a little at how her mind works.
"I still don't like her. She's all with the you're-mine-kisses and you-should-leave-looks and I don't like her," Willow declares and somehow I doubt I can change her mind.
"My grin is now a little sheepish as I ask "Does this mean she can't sleep in my room?"
Willow gapes at me and her eyes become so much wider on her face.
"Briar, I don't want her in your room. Did you not hear about the you're-mine-kisses? You were there," she points out to me. "I don't want her kissing you! At all!"
"Isla-"
"Ms. Slutty She-Devil-" Willow corrects.
"-has nowhere to go," I continue as if never interrupted. "She just has to rest from traveling so far so that she can go back home. Please," I beg. "With chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate and Hershey bars."
"That's a lot of chocolate," Willow points out.
"Please," I beg again. I don't want to fight Willow about this after we've just had my first kiss.
"Fine," Willow gives in first and I don't know if it's my eyes or my voice that helped get my way.
"Thank you," I say gratefully and kiss her on the cheek.
It feels like silk against my lips.
"Do you want to go back to the smoochies?"
Smoochies? Are those kisses? I wouldn't mind more kisses.
I nod eagerly and smile when her lips touch mine.
I like 'smoochies'.
Willow draws back a little hesitant and confused.
"Briar?"
"I need to tell you something," I am scared to look into Willow's eyes as I confess what I am.
"My mother wasn't just black. She was human."
Willow is so quiet I could almost believe I was talking to myself if I couldn't hear her nearly silent breaths.
"Eura was my mother's partner. She was wild and stupid and thought she was in love with my mother Rosalia. Eura used our shapeshifting to become a man for Rosalia. How was my mother to know Eura was a Vila? She became pregnant with me and you know the rest," I look up experimentally and see Willow's eyes are darkened in what I don't know.
"Veel-leah?"
I shake my head. "Veel-ah. Vila."
"What are vila?
"You could almost consider us nymphs. We come from Europe," I smile weakly. "The sirens were our cousin. The first Vila was cursed and lived near the ocean so most of us are dependent on water. After reaching majority, we can control all the elements. Most vila hate men so they're women scorned. Vila used to use our bodies to punish males for lies, cheating, etc. I don't know if more will come but I needed to tell you just in case," I smile weakly at Willow but she doesn't return the gesture.
I wish I was surprised but I am not.
"Is this what you meant when you said your family was magical but not Wiccan?"
I nod in confirmation but watch for any sign Willow wants me to leave.
"I almost don't want to know but what do you mean 'use their bodies'? Did they do it to kill them?" Willow's voice almost screeches at the mention of it. "That seems a little too much. Since when has it became deadly?"
I mimic Willow from earlier and shrug my shoulders. "They could have just used their looks. No one has called us ugly before. We've been bred into almost perfection. It's almost impossible for Vila to be ugly. Even then, we have an allure at least for men."
"Allure?" Willow repeats after me and I wonder if she heard me the first time.
"Yes," I answer patiently. "We draw men in like moths to a flame. They don't know they're dead until it's too late."
"You better not be doing that! It's not good. It's kind of evil when I think about it. No killing!" Willow's pointer finger moves in my direction and I feel oddly scolded. "Killing is of the bad and we kill the bad ans I don't want to kill you so no killing!"
"I haven't killed," I answer truthfully. "Anyway, you still need to learn about our gifts and how they might have came to be."
Willow quiets down so I can finish talking.
"The first was cursed and she lived in a village near the ocean. She became lonely and turned other scorned women into Vila so she wouldn't be alone. Some Vila can have children including the first's bloodline so we think our moving and breeding with others has expanded our powers.
"There's demon evolution? How very Darwin!" Willow exclaims this and I'm not sure if she's talking to me or herself.
"I believe so. Originally, we only controlled water but the other elements have been added in. Our looks have also differentiated much. Most have pale skin and look at me," I gesture to myself. My skin though darker than Willow's is a light bronze color I'd seen on pictures of statues.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I want you to be safe," I answer honestly. "Some Vila won't hesitate to kill someone in the way and I don't want you to get hurt."
Willow leans backs and adjusts until she's almost against the wall.
I sigh but stay sitting near until Willow decides to speak.
I hear the Wiccan sigh and turn my head towards her.
"I understand if you don't want to talk to me after this," I try to keep my eyes locked on Willow's so she knows that I'm telling the truth. "I just didn't want to lie."
"Have you lied? Have you lied about anything to me? At all?"
I grin a little and shake my head.
"I can sing," I confess. "It's hard though because people come to me when I sing. I suppose it's a natural reaction. I don't know how to dance. I have a hard time being around people. I like you."
Willow almost pouts and makes a hmmm sound before looking at me again.
"I've dated a werewolf before," she admitted. "A boy werewolf," Willow adds. "I've seen my alternate...universe," at this point Willow struggles to explain. "-vampire...doppelganger...person who was kinda gay."
"I've never been with anyone before. Once upon a time, I used to idolize Isla."
"What changed?"
"You."
"What do you mean?"
"I came here and found out you're not supposed to act like you like others and then act like you hate them," a vague image of Isla appears in my head. "You taught me that."
A small thinking sound escapes Willow's small mouth.
"I think I can handle that," she begins and I can see she's thinking out loud again. "You're a Vila. I like a Vila. I like a half Vila. I like a half Vila who hates coffee and that was kissed by a Ms. Slutty She-Devil."
I laugh a little at how her mind works.
"I still don't like her. She's all with the you're-mine-kisses and you-should-leave-looks and I don't like her," Willow declares and somehow I doubt I can change her mind.
"My grin is now a little sheepish as I ask "Does this mean she can't sleep in my room?"
Willow gapes at me and her eyes become so much wider on her face.
"Briar, I don't want her in your room. Did you not hear about the you're-mine-kisses? You were there," she points out to me. "I don't want her kissing you! At all!"
"Isla-"
"Ms. Slutty She-Devil-" Willow corrects.
"-has nowhere to go," I continue as if never interrupted. "She just has to rest from traveling so far so that she can go back home. Please," I beg. "With chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate and Hershey bars."
"That's a lot of chocolate," Willow points out.
"Please," I beg again. I don't want to fight Willow about this after we've just had my first kiss.
"Fine," Willow gives in first and I don't know if it's my eyes or my voice that helped get my way.
"Thank you," I say gratefully and kiss her on the cheek.
It feels like silk against my lips.
"Do you want to go back to the smoochies?"
Smoochies? Are those kisses? I wouldn't mind more kisses.
I nod eagerly and smile when her lips touch mine.
I like 'smoochies'.