Guilt, sadness, exhaustion, hope.
I missed the Atlas who exuded confident indifference to the world around him. I missed the Atlas that never let anything show, that stuck to his little friend group above anyone else. It was easier to hate that Atlas, easier to dehumanize him into the cold-blooded enemy that rejected me. This Atlas was different, was that much harder to hate. While his alabaster skin and platinum hair made him look cold, the emotion in his eyes was anything but—emotion reserved for me and me alone.
“What’s the point in giving in?” I found myself replying, fighting to keep the hurt and anger from my words.
The memory crept up on me without my notice. There were no telltale signs that I would soon be sucked into the past. My head felt pain-free, better than it ever had. As I slipped into unconsciousness, an explosion of color appeared behind my eyelids. The colors churned and swirled until I felt my very essence being pulled far, far away.I drifted even further, into the colors that now surrounded me. My sight sharpened, as did the colors and shapes lingering on the outskirts of my vision. The large splotches of green and brown became thick tree's, a million emerald leaves dangling from thick branches. The spattering of black became the main road in Atlas's pack. The road sat through the middle of town. Thick, healthy grass grew underneath my feet and the scent of something sweet lingered in the air. The sun was bright and warm, but I couldn't shake the lingering sadness that held me in its grip."Mommy, how long are we going to stay here?" A familiar voice whined. "I wa
Even as awareness crept into my subconscious, I kept my eyes tightly shut. Warmth and a thick husky scent enveloped me, nearly coaxing me back to sleep. I couldn't remember the last time I slept so soundly. Not a single nightmare had worked its way into my head. I lingered in that blissful nothingness, content on forgetting the memories that danced along the cusp of my mind. A beam of sunlight danced through the sheer curtains on the window, explosions of orange and yellow light danced behind my eyelids.Something soft yet firm rested against my face, and I burrowed deeper into the source of warmth. My eyes snapped open as my pillow shifted, and a rough hand gripped my thigh. The hand belonged to Atlas, as did the delectable scent. He pulled my leg up and over his waist, resting his palm on my lower back. My long sleeve t-shirt had risen up in the night, and I nearly flung myself from the bed when his hand grazed my bare skin. The sparks seemed to vary in purpose, but never i
I wasn't sure what to expect once Finn opened the front door. A knot of tension had unraveled in my gut at the sight of his familiar face. I couldn't lie, part of me worried Finn no longer lived here. It was a worry that gnawed at me the entire walk here. Now that I stood in the foyer of Finn's cabin, his unnerving eyes never once leaving my face, I found myself slightly underwhelmed.The cabin was much more--ordinary than I would've expected. There were no hints of magic, at least none I could pinpoint by sight. The inside of the cabin was cloaked in shades of gold, maroon and rich brown. The furniture wasn't new, but was worn to the point of comfort. A large kitchen sat towards the back of the house, and I couldn't help but eye up the large pot of stew boiling on the stove. My stomach howled in response, demanding something heavier than chilled soup. I was immediately drawn to the source of heat in the living room, edging closer to the blistering warmth. The crackling fire
"Are you sure about this, kitten?" Atlas murmured, worry and something eerily similar to fear flickered in his eyes. He smothered the emotion as it formed, but I had already noticed its presence."I--I don't know, Atlas." I admitted, letting out a shaky breath. "If I don't do this, death will follow. If I do, the Fae will come after me and endanger everyone in your pack. If I go back to Liam's pack, they'll still come looking for me. No matter what I do, innocent people are put in danger."Once a heavy silence consumed the three of us, and our conversation came to an end, we were given some privacy to talk over how we'd want to proceed. I could live with putting myself in danger, as I knew the risks--but I couldn't risk harming innocent people. No matter which choice I made, someone would be hurt. The only difference was that with my memories, I might stand a chance at protecting myself. How? I hadn't a single clue, but Finn was able to tell me enough. My remaining mem
That missing piece of myself snapped into place, tearing the world out from under my feet and sending me plummeting into darkness. Searing light burned from behind my eyelids, and I couldn't stop myself from opening my eyes. The blinding light dimmed, leaving me wondering where the hell I was.This wasn't a memory of mine; I was sure of it. I stood in the middle of what was once a great forest. I could see the huge tree's that were now little more than lifeless husks. Branches and what looked eerily similar to bleached bones sat scattered throughout the barren wasteland. The scent of stale, putrid air wafted in my nose and I barely managed to suppress my gag before it wracked through me.Before I could linger any further, I was ripped away from the wasteland by claws like cold steel.I was lifted into the air, yanked across the sky with speed that brought tears rushing to my eyes. As I blinked back my tears, I managed to make out the world before me. Kingdom's,
As I opened my eyes and struggled to sit up from the hard table, I knew everything had changed. Everything looked sharper, brighter--and I swore I could now see the light flicker of scarlet threads draped over random parts of the house. Through the large window in the living room, I could see that the sun was beginning to rise. It had taken hours--hours to unlock my lost memories. My back should've been sore, but I felt oddly loose and limber. The gaping hole that existed in my mind--in my soul, it had vanished. Where I had once been blindly stumbling through life, I was now running. While I couldn't make much sense of the memories I saw, I knew their presence had unlocked something within me. I was no longer Raelynn, the weak girl who had lost both her Dad and Mom. I wasn't sure who I was now, but I was determined to figure it out."Give her a minute to process everything." I could hear Finn murmuring to a slightly irate Atlas."What did you do to her?" His voice was
“Though I have not stepped foot in the Fae realm for decades now, I was one of the High Lords.” Finn confirmed, the features on his face tightened in what looked like agitation and a hint of pain.“So you weren’t one of the Fae who gave up some of their power?” Atlas asked, distrust still evident in his voice.“No, he wasn’t.” I shook my head. “The High Lord looked just like him though.”“My son, Kalin.” Finn commented, his cinnamon eyes darted over to the fire in the hearth.The flames brought out the golden and orange tones of Finn’s eyes and hair, reminding me of flame in Fae form. The weight in Finn’s voice halted the words on my lips. Suddenly, I wanted to know why Finn was here and not in the Fae Realm. This world held little against the Fae Realm, with it’s otherworldly beauty and magic. Why would anyone willingly choose this place over the Fae Realm? Unless,
Finn became somewhat overbearing after that, though I knew it was more due to the strange nature of my abilities. He insisted that not a single Fae could see magic as a physical substance, and seemed somewhat worried at how easily I had unraveled his heat spell. After explaining what I had done a hundred and one times, I finally managed to escape Finn and commandeer his shower.It had taken a total of ten minutes for my sweat to freeze and dry on my body. I basked in the steaming water of the shower, letting it wash away the sweat and chill from my body. I was sure if I were a normal werewolf, I would've had a cold from the temperature fluctuation by now. If anything, I felt great. Better than great, I felt near invincible. I couldn't help but wonder if all of the other Fae felt the same, gorged on power and enamored by the beautiful light that seemed to shine from beneath their skin. Even as I wiped the condensation away from the mirror and stared at my own reflection, I cou