Chapter 17
1290 Words
I couldn't help but feel starstruck. Micha and I talked through a small opening in the veil for months, and now that we were face to face, I felt speechless.
"Are you gonna say hello, or stare at me?" Micha says playfully; his voice brought me out of my wonderland.
"Ha! It worked! See?! I'm not stupid for dreaming!" I shouted up towards the sky. My excitement spilled out of me, and I began to jump for joy all over the place. I was here!
As I jumped for joy, I failed to see the embedded rock in the ground that caught my foot and trips me.
"Ah!"
But I never hit the ground, and when I look up, I'm staring into Micha's eyes, and my heart starts to flutter.
"Oh...Hi," I said, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment.
"You know, this was a foolish thing to do, right?" Micha says, but the smile on his face was all I could think about. He was happy I was here!
"Yes, I know, but I need to know what happened to Odessa. Can you help me?" I ask. Micha's smile fades; he helps me up and goes to his horse, bringing her further into the cave.
"Emery, Odessa is gone. What could she have possibly left behind?"
"She left behind that ripped picture, remember?"
Micha sighs, "Yes, but do you happen to have the other half of that picture?"
I looked down, knowing I didn't; I only had the picture of Airell, "No but, I have another picture..."
"Oh? Show me." Micha asks as he walks to stand beside me. I pull out his picture from my dress pocket, then Airell's picture.
"I know they aren't similar but, this is all I have," I said in defeat. Micha picks up the picture of Airell and narrows his eyes.
"Who is this?"
"Airell, the man who wants to marry me."
Micha stares at the picture for a long while, "Are you alright?" I ask. Micha puts the picture down.
"Very odd..."
"Why? What is it?"
"I swear, I've seen him before."
"Yeah, dummy, you've seen him from through veil-"
"No, I've seen him somewhere else too."
I stare at him for a second, "Wh-Really? Where?"
Micha shakes his head, "I'm not sure, but he looks very familiar."
"Hm," I stare at the picture and start to wonder why Airell's father would have ripped it in half and still kept it.
"I still have Odessa's picture, too," I said as I laid them both out, and then I noticed the tears were eerily similar.
"Whoa," I said as I started to analyze them, "Do you see this?" I asked Micha.
He stares down at the pictures but says nothing. I pushed them together, and they completed each other like a missing puzzle," What? Micha, your in this picture! Why are you with Airell's father?" I asked, but Micha's face turned pale.
"What's wrong."
"You need to leave," he said as he turned back to his horse.
"What? But I just got here! Micha, there's a story behind this, what if you-"
"Stop, Emery, your going too far; I was born here."
"Then why does the picture Odessa gave you match the one Airell gave me?"
I could sense a change in Micha. He grabs his horse's reins," I don't know, why don't you go ask your beloved King."
"Are you alright?"
Micha's jaw clenches, and I see his knuckles turn pale from his grip on his horse's reins. Something was wrong.
"Micha?" I place a hand on his shoulder, his head slumps, "I'm sorry, I was just curious..."
"She looked at me as if she knew me," Micha's voice strained.
"Odessa? You saw her?"
I could feel Micha's neck stiffen, "I killed her..."
I gasp, then retract my hand as if I was being lunged at by a snake; my chest tightens, "What are you talking about?"
He turns to look at me, his lips pressed line, "My father made me, but, " Micha pauses and looks at his trembling hand, "I couldn't do it. What kind of demon can't slay? Somehow that woman knew why I couldn't do it and also why I had to."
Micha clenches his fist, "She took my hand in hers with the dagger and took her own life, but her blood is on my hands."
I couldn't believe it, but that sounded like something Odessa would do. She was anything but selfish, and if I were assuming right, Micha would be her son, and now he feels as if he's killed his mother.
"Oh Micha, that's not your fault; neither of you knew who you were to each other."
Micha swallows hard, "Why would she do that?"
"Well, Odessa was that kind of person; she was elegant and poise and carried no ill will towards anyone. But, I can tell you this, " I gently lay a hand on top of Micha's balled fist, " She would have given her last breath to see you again anyway because her love for you was strong."
Micha chuckles slightly," Then what the hell am I if I'm not a Demon?"
I glance back at the picture and realize Micha wasn't a Demon at all, and he was on the wrong side.
I look to Micha once more with a sparkle in my eyes, "Come back with him."
"What?"
"You aren't a Demon, your Fae! You belong with us, Micha; this is amazing!" I said, filled with glee; if the King knew Micha was Fae and not Demon, he would let him come home.
Micha loos at the picture again, "I don't think that's possible."
My joy starts to slip, "But why?"
"I think someone didn't want me in your world, to begin with."
"Huh?" I was dumbstruck, "What makes you think that?"
"Look at that picture again. Do I look like I belong?" Micha says; I glance at it again and notice the King's face; he did not look happy and even had his hands on Airell and not Micha. Was it possible that the King gave Micha away early because he didn't fit in? What an asshole!
"Let me speak to him; maybe I can change his mind," I asked.
"No. Leave it as is, Emery; if you dig into this, you'll get into trouble."
"But I-" I want you with me...
I guess I was being a little selfish; I wasn't thinking about how Micha feels about this. I clear my throat, "So, how does this make you feel?"
"Not sure, honestly; I mean, I've been in this world and raised as Demon for so long, I don't know if I would ever fit in with the Fae world again."
"Oh, you would!" I exclaim, "You are so smart and handsome and funny-" I stop after realizing I was starting to fawn over him. I look at Micha, who smirks at me.
"Go on," He says with a cheeky smile.
"Um, I mean-" Damn it! Why was I getting so flustered around him?!
Micha chuckles, "Your cute when your blushing."
It wasn't long till I realized his hand was entangled in mine. My heart starts to pound every second his hand linger with mine.
"So Fae girl, wanna take a peek at my world?"
My eyes glistened as I looked at him, the danger of it all was a little exciting, but most of all, I was thrilled to be spending time with him in real life.
"Might as well; I'm pretty lost in a dream already," I said playfully.
"Well, then," Micha takes my hand as he leads me to his horse, "Let's dream on Fae girl," he says as he lifts me onto his horse.
- Writer
