“Okay, Ava. I’ll try.”
“You can do it, Bella. I know you can. I know you don’t like using your magic against anyone, but if it keeps Courtney alive, then it will be well worth it.”
“Okay, Ava,” Bella said with a sigh.
There were so many ways to keep Courtney safe, and Bella knew it. Bella could knock Courtney out for a week using a simple sleeping potion if she needed to.
Then a thought popped into my head and I clung to the phone receiver. “Oh! Before you go, how much do you know about Fae men, Bella?”
“Hmm... not a lot. Why?”
I didn’t want to tell my little sister the type of affect Tavlor had on me. However, I didn’t want to lie. Certainly, there was a way I could do both. “Because I met one. A man who’s half Fae, half warlock. He was... intense.” That was the nice version.
“Well, I can do some reading for you, but from what I understand, the Fae are immortal troublemakers, who love sex
, war, and nature. They’re incredibly animalistic, kind of like the shifters. But they’re antagonistic on top of it. It’s like, if you leave shifters alone, they’re probably not going to bother you. But even if you leave the Fae alone, they’ll come after you, especially if they’re bored.”
I shivered. That sounded daunting. “Do you think I can trust him?”
“Well... everyone’s different, Ava, but the Fae are as old as time. And fierce warriors. I can imagine they have integrity. But also living forever tends to blur the lines of right and wrong. Either way, you need to be careful, Ava.”
Everyone seemed to be telling me that – Mother, Father, Alison, and now my sisters. Did I really seem that irresponsible? Was I really that reckless?
“Thanks, Bella.”
We hung up the phone and I let the protective spells fall down around me.
The intrusions came barrelling in. I gasped at the power of them and stood up. If people were listening to me at all times, I was going to have to be careful about what I said aloud to my mother too.
I walked to the door and stepped out into the lounge room, then froze.
“Ah... Ava... you have a visitor,” Mallory said, her voice shaking as she practically clung to her sofa in fright.
My gaze moved away from her, to the man standing in the lounge room by the stairs. “Tavlor. Hi...”
Did he just come or had Mallory been waiting for a while? Was she hoping he’d go away before I even knew he was here in the first place?
I walked over to him, drawn by his aura. Was that normal? A Fae thing? I wished Bella had had more information but I had to make due.
“The High Warlock has instructed that I bring you to the training area for an orientation, before your trials tomorrow,” he said. His eyes darkened again as he looked at me – or was I imagining things?
“Tomorrow?” I squeaked out. I cleared my voice. “Already?” Oh shit. I wasn’t ready.
He cocked his head slightly. “I thought there was a sense of urgency in this?”
“Well... there is... but... yes, sorry! You’re right. The sooner the better.”
My heart pounded louder. I could barely hear my words over the roaring of my blood. Why did this man do this to me? I felt like a fool around him. If I wasn’t careful, I was going to trip over my own feet.
I shook myself and straightened my shoulders. “Okay, where are we going?”
“To the training zone.”
He indicated the stairs and I looked over at Mallory who was still shivering.
“Ah, I suppose I’ll see you later Mallory,” I said slowly. “Thanks for your help.”
“Oh, yes. Of course.” Mallory put a hand to her chest and didn’t move. She was terrified of Tavlor and I still didn’t understand why. Well, I did understand. I just didn’t agree with it.