Night lullaby
By: Charlotte M. M. A.
©2010
To my brother Elijah
Thanks for being there <3
You sure know how to make
Things funny J


 
 
“Life can be a blessing or a curse”

- C. M. M. A
 


  Chapter one
A change and a meeting
 


All life is precious, but it doesn’t mean all life is good. But maybe it can be.
 
Dreams.
Something that you see when you’re sleep.
Is it truly a dream?
Or a forgotten memory of the past?
Or even a vision of the present?

I was following after a small white cat. And after every step the kitten took, there was the jingle of a small bell.
The kitten walked there a forest of maples, oaks and other swaying trees, to come to a clearing the ended in a cliff and waterfall that fell into the lake below. It was beautiful. There was a tree that by the edge of the cliff. It’s white and light pink blossoms shining in the light of the full silver moon.
And below the tree stood a young man no older then seventeen. He face was shining as he looked at the full moon. His face was contorted in a deep sadness and pain that ran so deep I could feel my heart cry out in pain. As if they were my own emotions. He was beautiful even in his agony. He had long raven black hair and eyes the color of silver. He was tall and even under all his clothes I could tell he was nothing but muscle.
It was then I realized that his face was not glowing but simply the moonlight shinning off of tears that fell from his eyes. He had one hand clinched on the tree in a fist and the other held out to the sky. As if to accuse it for his pain.
“Why must it have been her?! Why did you take her way? She was all that was good!” he yelled at the sky.
As his tear fell in the light he still looked to the sky as if I was the new who tortured him.
“She was all I had. She was…all kindness and goodness….she was my only love…” he got quieter and soon he just stood there crying.
His once beautiful face was stricken.
The kitten made its way across the field to him. It sat close by and meowed once.
He turned to moment I stepped out of the woods that hid me.
Giant black wings came forth from his back and he soared into to the air.
“Why do you torture me Fira!” he yelled and disappeared in the sky of the witching hour. I watched him as he disappeared in to the darkness with the stars and the silver moon as his only guides.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


I shot straight up in bed, breathing hard.
I stared wide-eyed out my bay window. The moon was full and glowing as if lit with candles from within.
I was covered in cold sweat and my nerves still on end. I leaned forward and placed my head on my knees. The shadows of the walls surrounding me in a cool darkness. I stayed that way for a while and then with a hand pressed to my forehead I got off the bed. I went to the kitchen and got a glass of water.
Who was he and why did he see so familiar? Why did he call out my name?
A memory of my childhood appeared.
A little boy cried beneath the tree. His face in his hands and his long hair hiding his face. I reached out my small hand and patted his head.
“Are you okay?”
He lifted his head and sniffed, tears running down his cheeks. I show one of them was red. I put my hand gently to his cheek.
“What happen to you?”
“My mom was sick and my dad got mad at me. He said it was my fault and hit me,” he whispered.
I sat in the grass with him under the tree. I patted his head and kissed his sore cheek.
He looked at me with wide surprised eyes.
I put a finger to my smiling lips.
“Mama told me that it makes it feel better if you kiss it.”
He put his hand to his cheek and smiled.
“See? All better! Yay!” I clapped and told him my name. “I’m Fira Silver.”
“I’m Tain Alexander Black.”
He was a cute little kid with long black hair and silver eyes. He looked look the man from my dream.
The glass slipped from my hand and crashed to the floor. The glass shattered into a million pieces and scattered across the floor.
“Oh,” I said in dismay and bent down to pick up the pieces. I knelt on to kitchen floor and started to pick the pieces up.
“Ouch,” I mumbled when I pricked my finger on a piece. I sucked on my finger and picked up the last few pieces. I get up and looked out the window of my apartment. The sky was gray with the promise of rain today.
“And I have to go to work too. Great.” I sighed and got dressed for today in a white T-shirt and my favorite jeans. I pulled my wild, unruly curl in a pony tail and it hung half way down my back. I looked at me face in the mirror. My skin was pale and flawless, my eyes rimmed in coal black eyeliner making my gold eyes pop. It made my coal black hair stand out. I was beautiful too, just like my mom. It’s just how things are. Around 5’ 5’’ and thin, but I have curves and a chest that was rather large. I was just like my mom, but our coloring was different.
As a child she was always telling me that I looked like my dad. I don’t remember what he looks, because mom took me with her when I was only five years old.
I looked one more time and went to eat breakfast. By time I was done it was around 7:00 am and time for work. I grabbed my bag and left locking the door, behind me.
“Excuse me are you Fira Cross?”
I whiled around and saw a guy standing a few feet away with spiky blond hair, bright green eyes, a crooked smile, and in baggy jeans, and a black T-shirt that said “Can’t Touch This”.
“Yeah, I am,” I said to him turning around.
Then he grinned. “Great so now I won’t have to look for you. I have a letter from you grandpa; he said only to give it to you. Here,” he said, holding out a thick envelope to me.
I reached out and took it. “Thanks,” I said looking down at it and when I looked up he was gone.
“Weird,” I stated, and with the envelope under my arm I headed to work.
 


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


“Fira! Get the orders!” yelled Mrs. Amy.
“Got it!” I yelled back. I went over to the oven and pulled out the large tray of pastries. I laid them out over the counter and added the creams and fillings to them. When I was done I put them out for the people to buy. Molly the cashier smiled at me and I looked over the small, but crowded coffee house. Teens sitting and laughing at one another looking as if nothing else in the world mattered.
I snorted.
Rich kids. Never had to work a day in your life. Never been hungry I day in your life, nor had nothing of our own. But it’s not their fault.
I shook my head and turned around listening to the children laugh and the moms talking, only to run straight into Mrs. Amy.
She laughed and helped me up.
“Sorry I was just going to make some more,” I said smiling at her.
“Honey you have been working super hard the last few weeks, you’ve even taken over your mom shifts you need to slow down. Else you’ll be acting like your sixty instead of sixteen. Go take a break,” Mrs. Amy said.
“But I need to-” I said pointing to the back, but she would have none of it.
“Oh no! You don’t. Go take a break,” she said with a laugh pushing me toward to the door of the back room.
I sighed and gave in. this would give me a chance to read what was in that envelope. I went through the door and the noise from the shop vanished. I sat on a crate and took the big white envelope with me. I pulled it open and pulled out a thick piece of ivory paper. On it written in flowing fancy script was the letter.
 


My dearest Fira,
I have waited so long to talk to you and it saddens me that I only start after the death of your mother. You may not remember me but I am your grandfather Adrian, your mother’s father. Since you no longer have any other family as I, I want to ask if you would come live with me. The place I live in is rather large and I feel lonely with no one around. The boy I sent this with can be trusted. I hope you will think on this and come to visit at the least.
With love, Grandpa
 
I felt my hands shaking, and tears sting my eyes.
I was saved! Since mom died I have made enough money working to keep the apartment much longer, and the buy the food needed to live. I was being saved by my last family member I had, and he wanted me to live with him! I have a grandpa!
“Thank goodness,” I whispered.
I wiped my eyes and looked at what else was in the package. I pulled out another envelope and a picture. The picture was of my mom, me, a man that looked in his early thirties and a little boy who held my hand. I didn’t know the man, but the boy was the same one from my flash back this morning!
I opened the smaller envelope and there was money! And a few hundred dollars no less! And a note that read, for you to use, if you wish.
I held it all to my chest and closed my eyes thanking him with all my heart.
The last piece of paper was directions, thought they didn’t make much sense, at the bottom it said, someone will be there to help you if you come.
I went back to work and told Mrs. Amy I would be taking a little while off, and she agreed with a smile. When work was over I went home to start packing. I knocked something over and saw it was a picture of mom. I picked it up.
“I’m going to be fine now mom. You don’t need to worry anymore. I’ll be well taken care of.” I kissed the picture and packed that too. Even thought we had lived here for more then ten years we barely had anything in the apartment. We had everything we needed and nothing we didn’t. When I placed the last things I had from mom in my suit case, and zipped it up and looked around. It had looked as if no one lived in it even before, but now it looked as if no one not even a ghost lived here. I went around saying good-bye one last time and decided that it was best to go now. It was only two in the afternoon and the rain hadn’t come yet, so now would be the time to leave. On my way home from work I had stopped by the manager office and told them I was leaving. So now nothing could stop me from leaving.
I closed the door behind me and said my last good by and headed to the rode that left to the bus. I paid my fare and didn’t look back as the bus drove away from the city.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*


The bus drove up longs roads and an hour later as it got to the edge of the town, most of the people were gone. Only an old lady asleep a few seats back and a young mother and her sleeping child in her arms were still on the bus. The houses after that slow got farther apart and soon stopped as it turned to mountains, rather then hills. The old lady got off soon after and the mother an hour later. Then it was just me.
The bus driver looked up in the big mirror to the back at me. She had a big open smile and a kind face.
“Where are you going dear?” she asked in a voice that sounded like a kind aunt.
“To my Grandfather’s, he lives up in the Black Forest.” I said to her looking for the window I had been looking out.
“Oh my,” she said, “You have to be careful there. There are stories and myths about monsters that live there. I didn’t know anyone lived up here anymore. Not since the mass murder a hundred and twenty years ago.”
“Really?” I asked, curious now.
“Oh yes. That place use to be one of the best known place for miles around because all the rich people had bug mansion there and it’s said there own city too. But know one really knows because no one has ever gone up there since. Would you like me to take you some where else?” she asked. She was worried for me.
“No that is the only place I have to go. How far is it from here?” I asked.
Monsters? Stories? Myths?
“It’s about twenty miles west if I have it right,” she said, watching the rode.
By time we get there it’ll start to get dark.
I watched out the window are the mountain became closer and soon I saw the forest. You couldn’t miss it. On either side of the entrance there were tall rocks the size of the ancient trees. Anywhere from 30 ft. to over a 100 ft. tall. But if there wasn’t enough to keep someone out the giant metal gates with the spikes was. It looked something like what a person would call the gates of hell. There were skulls carved into the metal of the gate over thorned rose vines interlacing the gate from the top to the bottom. The gate had to be over a hundred feet tall.
We were still a few miles from it which told me it had to be huge. The forest beyond the gate led up a hill into darkness. You couldn’t see beyond a few feet in.
I felt a chill run down my spine. A final warning. Keep out.
But I had no choice. I looked down at the instructions.
The gates with lead into the forest. First you must wait for them to open.

The bus pulled over on the turn off in the rode that lead up the gate.
“I’m sorry, but this is as far as I can go. Please don’t ask me why,” the bus driver said. Her voice was shaking.
I nodded. I got up from my seat and placed my bag over my shoulder. I walked down the isle of the bus. She stopped me on the top step and handed me a silver coin. It burned my palm.
“It is said that the monsters can’t stand silver, keep it close.”
I nodded and closed my hand tightly around it. The burning got worse, but I hardly notice. As soon as I steeped out of the bus the doors closed. The bus pulled away and raced down the rode to the next city over a few hundred miles away.
The sun started to set as I started to walk the long rode. The old paved rode under my feet was smooth and the cracks small. The closer I cam to the gate the cold the air around me felt. With my free hand I pulled my jacket closer around me.
Soon I stood at the foot the gate and the skulls craved into the metal seem to stare at me and scream as the gate doors slowly opened. But I wasn’t the one who had opened them.


Chapter Two
What lies beyond the gate?


I watched as the gate opened its screaming mouth to swallow me and the dark woods behind. Black shades and shapes seemed to move and shift about restlessly. Eagerly waiting for me.
I took my first step that led me up to the gate and another that finally crossed my over into the forest. The wind blew suddenly fast and furious, but it didn’t touch me instead with went behind me, as if to protect me. I shivered as I took another step forward. The warning was still there and the coin felt as if it would burn through my hand.
I put my shoulders back and started walking into the forest and up the hill. The gates screamed as they slow shut behind me. I watch them until the completely closed.
“Weird,” I muttered, turning back and going farther up hill. The shadows seemed to follow me, but every time I try to get closer they simply slid farther back and disappeared coming back as I moved on.
The ancient tree crowded close together and they were so tall I had to wonder if they were as old as the earth itself.
Once more I looked at the piece of paper with the instructions.
You will find a path of flower, and you must follow it, but do not wander from the path.
Soon the path gave away to flowers the color of blood in the fading light of the sun. I looked up. The sun was almost set.
“Crap if I don’t hurry I’ll find myself lost in the dark,” I told me self, “I hate being lost.”
It wasn’t the dark that I hated really, I actually love dark places, and it not knowing where I am that make me jumpy.
I looked around to see if I could spot anything, but the forest was huge and everything was cast into the darkness of night. The shading of the ancient trees didn’t help.
Then I saw a stone path that led deeper into the forest.
Maybe this is the way.
I stepped on the path and started through the trees. These trees were smaller then others but as I looked at them I could tell they were older. It was almost completely dark now and soon in the distance I spotted an old cottage.
Thunder rumbled in the air and rain started to pour through the trees.
“Great.” I said as my hair plastered my face and hung down my back in long wet strings.
I stumbled over the uneven ground, and caught myself before I went head first into the mud. My shoes sunk into the ground in the thick oozing mud.
I pulled my feet out of the ground a trudged on father.
I reached to cottage soon and headed for the door.
Nothing could be worse then this, I thought, as I reached for the door handle.
“Caw! Caw!”
I turned sharply to my left as a crow came flying towards me. I ducked, but it landed on my head, and I tilted my head back to look at it as I bent forward to stare at me with its black beady eyes.
“What do you want?” I asked it. I was annoyed and edgy.
“Caw! Caw! Caw!” it squawked and jumped back into the air. It caught a piece of my hair a tugged.
“Ow! That hurt!” I muttered as it pulled my hair again, but not as hard.
“I’m going to stay here tonight. You can stay with me if you want,” I told the crow.
“Caw!” Tug.
I swatted at the bird. It pulled again, but this time back in the direction I had come. It seemed as if the bird wanted me to follow it.
“Alright I’ll follow you, but you better take me somewhere useful,” I told the bird.
“Caw!” it agreed and I followed the bird.
It led me back to the path, but the path had changed.
The rain started to pour harder, and I cursed.
The bird flew though my hair still in its break and seemed to have no trouble seeing there the rain.
Strange noises of animals I’ve never heard before caught my ears in the whipping wind. Wondered what they looked like.
A rustling came from behind me and the crow pulled harder on my hair, telling me to run.
I ran alright. I ran till I had to close my eyes as the rain stung them and then I came up short as I hit a metal fence.
I rubbed my forehead, but the things or things that were following me were closer now. I couldn’t really see the tall wall of the fence, but I started to climb anyway.
I panicked grabbing at what ever I could, but my hand slipped.
“No, no,” I begged, but it did no good. My hand slipped and I fell to the mud. I was grabbed by my arms and struggled, screaming.
I was hauled up by two set of hands.
Wait! Hands?
I stopped scream and stood up looking back to see who held my arms.
What!? Are they even human?!
They were over six feet tall and they were wearing black cloaks with hoods that covered all of them, but for half there face.
“Are you Fira Silver?” they asked.
“Huh?” I squeaked.
“Good. Come with us.”
What the!?
They pulled me behind them as they went through the gate I had tried to climb over. The first thing I saw was the huge castle. It took up nearly half the side of the mountain. They pressed me in the back of a fancy long car and started driving up the mountainside.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked as soon as I caught my breath.
“To your Grandfather’s. He’s been waiting.” One of them said.
“Well,” I muttered as I sat back in the seat, “You could have been nicer about it.”
I sighed in relief and nearly passed out from it. I drifted into sleep and woke when they opened the doors.
Am I already there?
I got out of the door and stood in front of the giant castle. It was most then ten stories high and spread out on the cliff side of the mountain, as if it were carved from the stone itself. The towers soared high into the sky as the lightning screamed, and the sky cried. It had the look of gothic architecture; it reminded me of the cathedral in Rome. Just about ten times its size.
I stared in shocked awe, and walked dazed as they led me through the dark huge wooden doors. There were plated with metal and spikes as if they waited for a war. But the outside with nothing like the inside.
It wasn’t what I thought it would be like. It wasn’t dark and shadows didn’t dance across the hallway to escape light. It was open and warm, the carpets and tapestries on the walls making it look like a real home, just a big one. Not the castle of a mad man, or ancient evil ghosted.
“This way,” one of them said. He pulled me along behind him as the other one went ahead to the end of a hall. I stared around with eyes widened in shock. The walls were lined in torches and had strange cravings of wings that took up entire walls. We walked in silence down a narrow passage that led into a large hall and a ceiling more then fifty feet tall. I stared at the paintings that covered the ceiling. There was a group of men and women painted there and each one could have been an angel. But they all had large beautiful black wings. They looked like the wings the young man had in my dream. All their faces looked like beautiful stone carvings.
“Come along. Master Silver is waiting.”
I turned and saw the cloaked guy staring at me, but I still couldn’t see his eyes.
I nodded and followed when he started to walk even faster to the only set of tall metal plated doors. They were as tall as the ceiling.
He stopped before the great doors and knocked. The doors started to open and the cloaked man bowed to me.
The doors slowly creaked open and I walked forward.
The room was huge. The size of a small house at least. And in the middle of the room were a long oak desk and a tall backed chair that faced out large bay windows, watching the storm.
Lighting flashed and the thunder roared. I walked towards the desk and the chair slowly turned around. First I could only see the outline of the face, but I knew it was a man.
When the chair came to fully face me I knew that this man couldn’t be my grandfather.
Maybe he’s my uncle, but I never knew I had any other family. The again I didn’t know I had any family before mom died.
The man sitting in the chair had a face like the people from the painting. He was beautiful, but he would have looked even better if he smiled.
I froze in place as he looked me over. His eyes were an electric green with streaks of gold, and his hair was thick black and is long it looked like it ended in the middle of his back. He reminded me of mom so much I felt tears sting my eyes.
“You must be Fira,” he said getting up from the Desk with the ease of a big CEO. He was tall too, way over six feet tall. He was in a silk suit and it looked as if he really were one.
“Are you my uncle,” I asked.
His eyes widened and then he started to laugh.
It was when he started to wipe away tears I began to be pissed.
I crossed my arms. “Well are you?”
He looked at me with smiling eyes.
“Oh no, I’m not. I’m your grandfather.” He said simply.
I felt my jaw drop.
“Is this some kind of joke?” I asked, looking around for hidden cameras. I picked up the lid of jar on his desk and with a chuckle he put his hand on mine and closed it.
“No, this isn’t.”
I turned to look at him. We was the man in the picture my grandfather had sent me and wasn’t a day over 30.
I narrowed my eyes at him and pursed my lips. I wasn’t buying it. I crossed my arms.
“Listen,” I said, “I’m sure this is all and well for you, but I didn’t come here to be lost in a forest in the dark, to be rained on, to be chased by cloaked people that don’t seem human, And then to be tossed in a chair to meet an old man who is mentally ill think he’s my grandfather.”
He gave me a strange look and raised his eye-brow.
“Mentally ill, old man?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yup.”
He sighed. “You better sit down for this.”
I did as he said just to see what he had to say. I need to see my grandfather.
“Anything you say Pops,” I said sitting in a big fluffy chair.
He sat in the chair across from me leaning back into it.
“It looks as if Miri didn’t tell you anything before she died… You look so much like her, but you have your father’s hair.”
I could help, but notice the softness he spoke my mom’s name with and the edge when he talked about my dad.
But what he said made me raise my eye-brow.
“What?” I asked.
“Have you ever felt out of place? Not normal? Almost like you could fly?”
I shrugged. “What kid hasn’t,” I said.
He leaned forward. “Well you see...I really am your grandfather. You see my family, no our family aren’t humans. We are called Eros or demons. But we are not the evil demons that people believe are real. There are more then just one kind of us, but our family is known to be one of the two most powerful. We are called Crow Demons, because we can grow huge wings from ours back. Some of us have immorality or just live a very long life. You however are only half demon, because your father was a human.”
I just sat there, speechless.
“You though take after our family’s side, the demon side. I don’t know if your wings have come in yet, but I would hope you to like this life.” He looked at me with a hopeful look.
Suddenly I knew what I wanted to say and before I could stop it. “What the HELL?! You’re telling me that I’m some kind of demon? And my mom was to, and you expect me to believe a man who could be my uncle, instead of my grandfather?”
Suddenly he stood up and so quick I almost missed it two huge wings with glossy black feather grew from his back and filled the room. His wings had to be twice the size of himself.
Then I was pissed. Not at him, but my mom.
“So all of my life my mom lied to me? She never found the time to tell me, ‘Well you’re a half-demon?’ What kind of thing is that? And not to mention that I had a grandfather who looks old enough to be my uncle?” I said fuming, pacing the floor.
“UGH!” I said, throwing up my arms and landing in the chair.
“Well on her side she hated being one of us, but she fell in love with a human, your father I might add, and she stayed here because she thought that she needed to be with me. We had a fight a few years after you were born and your mother took you to the human world to live with your father. Her last request was that I never contact her again,” he said sadly.
“Oh,” I said. My steam finally gone and now it stated to sank in as I stared at his huge black wings.
He noticed me staring at them and came back to himself.
“So…my wings will look like your’s?” I asked. I reached out to touch them. As my fingers brushed over them, they flexed. They were soft.
“Yes or very close. Your mother’s wings were a bit darker. But they will be as big or bigger. But the females of the family, there wings tend to be smaller and more delicate looking. But they can fly as well as any other,” he said.
“Fly,” I said weakly. I was scared of heights.
He laughed then. “Yes fly, your mother loved to fly when she was younger.”
“Will it hurt?” I pointed at his wings. “The wings growing in for the first time?”
He looked as if he were choosing his words carefully as if not to scare me.
“Only a little,” he said.
“And how do you retract them?”
He paused and flexed his wings and they slowly pulled back into his back.
“Whoa,” I said.
“I think its best if you take a bath and go to bed. We can talk more in the morning.”
I nodded and the doors opened and a woman walked in. she bowed to me and said, “Right this way Young Mistress.” In a daze I told my grandfather good night, took an old-fashioned bath in a marble tub, and went to sleep in a giant old canopy bed.
“This has been one wild day,” I muttered before I drifted into sleep to the sound of soft rain.


Chapter Three
What?!


I woke up to the sounds of soft rain still tapping on the large with widow took up more then half of the wall of my room. It was in one of the towers carved out of the mountain. I pulled back the covers of the bed and walked across the long room to the window. I stared out and found myself amazed.
Surly you would have though you would be able to see the road and the gate into the forest, even the fence, but there was nothing. Nothing but thick ancient forest. Everything looked so small from up here. But you couldn’t see anything but forest and other mountains in the distance where the way to the city was suppose to be. It was as if I had crossed over into another world. And believe me It was breathtaking. It looked like nothing else I had seen before. No words could say how different or how beautiful it was.
The sun was raising and it seemed so perfect it could be real. Pinks and gold painted the skies.
My breath caught as a small little bird no bigger then my smallest finger, with wings a neon yellow and a body of neon pink and red, flew by and stopped to look at me through the glass. As it paused it blinked and chirped. And with a flip of it long it was gone.
I stepped back and laughed. “I could swear that thing smiled at me,” I muttered.
I stepped away from the window and spun around looking at the room as it passed in flashes of color.
“It’s so big!” I exclaimed. “The whole apartment me and mom lived in could fit in here twice! No three times!”
I fell laughing to the ground and felt a tear slip down my cheek.
“Mom, Grandpa…thank you,” I whispered, rubbing it away.
There was a knock on the door. I got up and went to answer it.
When I opened the door and maid bowed.
“Good morning Young Mistress,” she said.
She was the same one fro last night. She was young about my age and pretty. She long short red hair the color of a flame, and eyes a blue so light they were almost transparent. She was thin to and small, and had a good sized chest. Not to small nor to big like mine. She was wearing a funny looking maid outfit and cap.
“You’re the same one from last night,” I said with a small.
She nodded. “Yes, Young Mistress.”
“Oh stop it. Call me Fira,” I said grinning now, “I’m not really into the whole title thing, and I’m no the rich one. That’s my grandpa. Who are you?”
She was grinning too. “I’m Mira. A fire witch, though not a good one. I was hired to be your maid.”
“Forget about it. I don’t need a maid, but would you like to be friends?”
“Yes!” she said, her eyes lighted up. “I’ve never had a friend before!”
“I had one; a small boy was I was little to, but not anymore. It’s nice to meet you Mira.”
“Oh yes, you too. You best get dressed, the Master has called for you.” she said.
“Ok go tell him I’ll be down in a minute.”
“Will do,” she aid as she ran down the hall. I closed the door and went to my suit case. I chose a black tank top and a pair of short shorts. I dressed quickly and brushed out my hair and put on my make up.
I left my room and stared at the hallway. To say it was long was an understatement.
“Umm…” which way do I go?
“Young Miss, are you lost?”
I sighed in relief and turned around. A lady in her late forties with silver blue hair smiled at me. But that’s not what surprised me it was that she only came up to my knee and had beautiful silver wings.
I tried no the stare.
“Yes, I don’t know what room to go to. You see I was suppose to meet my grandfather the Master and-”
“Oh!” she said. “Give me your hand then.”
I did and then suddenly we were in the office room again.
I saw grandfather, but he saw the lady first.
“Oh Jackie!-” before he could say anything more she patted my hand, smiled at me, turned and gave him a sour look and disappeared in a flash of silver light.
I turned to grandfather. “What was that all about?”
“That would be Jackie. She as old as this place and was the first servant here. She doesn’t like me. She’s never liked another person, besides your mother, of course.”
I shook my head. People. No, demons.
“Come in my dear. We have much to talk about.” he said with a wide smile. It was the same smile mom had. It feels as if you had your own personal sun to keep you warm and wrap its arms around you.
I smiled back, “Thanks.” I sat in the same chair I had last night and he did the same.
He sat back and looked over my face. “You really do look like her. I could swear you were her when she was younger. The only thing different is your coloring. It your father’s.”
“Mom never looked a day older then seventeen. When I got older people though we were twins. Guess I know why now. So I guess I’m no longer in France am I?”
“You looked out the window?”
I nodded.
“Well to answer your question, no. You’re in our world. It’s next to the human world. It’s what humans call a rift in space and time. But it nothing of what they think. This world was made by Magic as was theirs, but the Magic in their world is gone. Did you never know anything of this world were you were born?” he asked, staring at my intently.
“Well I guess I had some idea. I’ve always had dreams of my childhood, but I thought them nothing more then dreams. And mom though me Magic to. But I though it was just like what the humans,” I shook my head, it was already starting, “what people though was just witches.”
“Well you see not everyone who lives in this world is a demon or Eros. Witches live here to though they are nothing of what humans think. Oh and I should tell you everyone is very free about their true from. Of course each one has a human form, but they don’t use them much in this world.”
“I found that out this morning.” I said with a frown.
He laughed. “Oh Fira you are just like your mother!”
I smiled. “I’ve never been told that before.”
He stopped laughed, but he chuckled once. “I have something to talk to you about, ok?”
“Go ahead and shoot. After everything you’re doing for my I know I could never repay you.”
“Well first of all since you are the last family member I have you are the heiress of everything I have, and that means you get everything when I retire. And then there you need to go to school. Plus, everyone knows about you, but since they’ve never saw you but a few times when you were little, and on top of that you’re my heir, you will be very…popular. Since people haven’t seen you they will do what ever it takes to know you.”
I sat there, my hanging out like a half-wit. Then all I could think of was, “But I already finished school.”
He eyes widened in surprise. “You finished but you’re only fifteen!”
“Yeah, I was a bit smart.”
Then it hit me. Heiress!
He shook his head. “Well our school is a bit different then human schools.”
I couldn’t really talk. I nodded and cleared my throat.
“Well grandpa I was wondering if I have to work while I’m here,” I asked.
“For heaven sakes, no, my child,” he gasped as if the idea where surprising.
“Well then I would love to go to school, for you see I never when to school where I was with people my own age. It would be fun. Plus my birthday is in a month. I’ll be sixteen.”
He smiled. “The perfect age to start…” he said to himself. He said it so low I almost didn’t hear it.
What his he planning? I wondered.
“Good then I will have your stuff ready so you can start in a few days. The schools have dorms, but you can still live here. When your wings grow in you can fly here when ever you want. Oh and don’t tell anyone your wings haven’t come in yet. A crow demon that is born without wings is looked down upon, and a half human one as well. Understand?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said listening carefully. I didn’t know this world anymore so I needed to know all I could about it.
“Good. As one of the two most powerful families it’s your job, to know everyone you can. But I warn you now that there are some men who want you for your position, so be on the look out. I wish I didn’t have to put all this on you.” he said with a sigh.
I waved it away. “I don’t care as long as I get to be with you. Family is family no matter what.” I said with a firm nod.
“Like I said just like you mother.”
“Thank you, grandpa,” I said springing out of my seat and squeezing him in a hug. He hugged y back tightly.
“I’m sorry your mom’s gone. I loved her very much.”
“It’ll be fine. I have you and she is in a better place.” I said sitting back in my chair.
He nodded. “Yes you do, and if there is ever anything you need all you have to do is tell me,” he said giving me another one of those sunny smiles.
“Well I guess that’s about it. But I was wondering about your last name. Is it Silver or Cross?”
“Mom changed it to Cross after we moved. She ever told me why though,” I said.
“Would you like to change it back?” he asked.
“Yeah, I think its only right,” I said with a grin.
He nodded.
“Well then that’s it. I’ll have everything ready for your school to start soon and your name. Go have fun and look around the castle. You can go anywhere you want.”
“Great,” I said. I got up and saluted him before I opened the doors to leave.
“Oh!”
I turned to look at him.
“They are many men around here that are guards. They are all part of our clan, and are black crows as well. You’ll be able to tell because they will have there wings out. Later tonight the leader of the other Crow Clan will be here if you see them flying around. Then all know who you are of course, but it may be a surprise to see you.” he said with a big smile, like it was an inside joke.
“Are there more then one color for wings in the Crow clans?” I asked.
“No just dark brown to coal black. You’re taking this very well,” he said.
“Believe me, better then I should. I was always known for my solid belief in only things that are realistic,” I said with a laugh as I left. And I was also known for being like a rock. No emotions.
I walked down the hall way and looked for a way outside to look at the gardens I had seen.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Finally found my way out side after going down millions, literally, millions of stairs, only to find out there was an elevator.
Trust me I was slapping my forehead.
All kinds of flowers grew. Some so big that they were as tall as the ancient trees. Other so small you could barely see them. All of them were so bright, but the one the got my attention were the size of a rose and every little black petal looked like a wing, with a spot of white, like a splattered drop of blood.
I touched one of the silky petals. I remember having one of them when I was little. Mom had saved it for me.
“Beautiful,” I breathed.
“Yes they are. They’re call ‘night lullabies’.”
I spun around so fast at my shoe got caught in a thick patch of grass and I fell back on my butt with a squeak of surprise. And when I looked up in to the face for the man who ad said those words, my heart froze. My mouth opened in shock.
The moment his silver eyes locked with mine his face show surprise, pain, then furious.
“Why?” he roared into the air. He put his hair in his hair. “Why must I be tortured with what is gone forever?! Why must I live in agony?!” he turned away from me. “Why must my mind make up these things?!”
It was the guy from my dream, minus the huge black wings.
I slowly got to my feet and went over to him.
I didn’t know who he was, but he seemed to be in pain.
I reached out my hand and pressed it to his cheek. He stopped moving, and yelling at the same moment. He opened his silver eyes and stared into my gold ones. He was tall, and had to be well over six feet tall.
“Are you okay,” I asked in a worried voice.
“You…you’re not real…” he grabbed my wrist.
I heard wings flying towards us. That would be the guards. They must have heard.
“Yes I am-” but I didn’t get to finish. I was pulled away and hidden behind several tall men with huge black wings.
One of them turned to me. “Lady Fira run to the house!”
I watched as the young man fight off three of the guards, and look at me.
I pushed through the guards, but a fight broke out. I squeezed in between the guards and the guy yelling, “Stop this!” to the guards. They did.
I turned to the young man. “And you! What was that all about! You can’t just do what you want Tain!” I touched my lips, “Sorry, that just slipped out.”
He stared at me, then he pulled me close and crushed my to his chest.
“Fira!” he whispered, “You’re alive!”
“I can’t breathe,” I wheezed.
He still didn’t let go. Finally after more then ten minutes of being crushed I was pissed. I didn’t know who in the hell he was, why he was hugging my, or even why he knew my name, or yelled at me.
I pushed him away with a go shove and looked at the guards. They of course who had done nothing stared with an open mouth at the guy who hugged me.
“When I done with this guy, I can guarantee you will be back to take care of you all,” I promised the guards darkly, and then I tuned to the other guy, “And you! I have no idea who you are, why you know my name, a why you yelled at me but it ain’t gonna be pretty. Who are you?” I poked him in the chest.
He looked down at me with eyes that still mirrored shock.
I knew then I wouldn’t be getting anything else out of him.
Facing the guards I said, “Go back to your duties.” turning to the other guy I growled, “Come with me.”
I started walking away and as I got to the doors he caught up and grabbed my hand. I tried to shake it off saying, “Let go of me!” but he said nothing and just followed my like a lost kid.
I sighed as I walked down the long hallways and up the stairs.
What in the hell am I going to do now? I wondered as we walked into the tunnel to the doors and the high ceiling hall with the painting. It was then I realized that grandfather was one of them painted there though he looked much younger.
He looks almost my age…
I shook my head and moved on to the doors. Two guards stood at the door, their wings folded behind them. They stood tall beautiful, and grim faced.
They bowed and opened the doors. Grandpa voice flowed out the doors and danced around me like a musical sound.
As I walked into the room I heard someone else talking with him.
“Yes, my granddaughter has come here to live with me. Ah! Here she is!” he said as he saw me. I still couldn’t see the other person.
Grandpa’s eyes widened as he saw the guy I pulled behind me.
I came to stand n the middle of the small resting area and pulled out the guy in front of me.
“Well hel-” the other person never got too finished before I ripped into my grandfather about the guy.
“Grandfather! Do you know this man? He has the nerve to take on look at me and start yelling like some mad man! What is happening around here! Not only do I still find the whole demon thing a bit out there, I am to be yelled at that I am not real? AGH!”
Panting I calmly weighted for an answer.
His shoulders started to shake and he laugh. The other man did to. I took a moment to look at him. He was young to like grandpa, but there was something that told me he was old and more powerful then he looked, but he was handsome too.
“Oh dear it seems thing didn’t go as I planned. The boy there my dear is this man’s grandson, the student counsel president of your new school, and you fiancé.”
I stood there frozen at what he said. I was so shocked everything else he said was lost on me.
I stared at the guy who had yelled at me, and who had been in my dream.
No…this isn’t happening…
“This is Tain Alexander Black. You will be going to school with him,” grandfather said with a wide grin.
No! My new chance to start over…it was gone and ovarian instant…like a flame blown out…
And for the first time in my life I fainted.


Chapter 4
Forgotten Things


I was in my mom’s arms as she flew over the forest towards a large mansion.
“Remember Fira your job is to be friends with Tain, ok, honey? He been through a lot of bad things and hasn’t had anyone been nice to him.” she said holding me close as she landed just within the courtyard of the mansion.
Her beautiful tall and slim black wings shined in the sun as she retracted them.
She put me down and I scuttled around her to look at her back.
I stared at her with big eyes as she turned around to look at me, “Wow! Mommy’s wings are so pretty!” I chirped with a big grin.
My mom laughed. It was one of her laughs that made you feel as if you were silly. She grinned her famous grin the made you feel as if you had your own personal sun and tapped my nose as she picked me up again.
She walked up t the front door and it opened as she stepped on the porch. A man that looked in his late twenties stood there and smile at us. He was pretty to with long white blonde hair and even brighter cobalt blue eyes the looked as they were stars. He was tall and dressed in plain clothes, but he look so handsome that they looked flashy. He had the face of a noble born person with high cheek bone and fine facial structure. He looked like a model and seemed to shine.
“Pretty,” I said in awe.
He laughed and smiled at me. “Hello there, little one. You must be Mira’s little girl.” he had a kind voice. It was soft and deep.
I waved, to shy to talk.
“Why don’t you come in and have some tea?” he ask mom. “It’s been awhile.”
Mom nodded and stepped inside as he moved to let us in.
“I would love that and it has indeed been a while, Master.” mom said with a grin.
She sit me down as they talked for a moment, but I couldn’t wait any longer. I wanted to see the little boy mom promise I could play with.
I wondered off into the big house as mom told Master about dad.
I walked down a large hallway that lead to a bunch of sliding doors, but at the far end an open glass door lead to an outside garden. I ran out the door and jumped off the porch the wrapped around the entire back of the house.
“Wahh! Such a big house!”
I spun in circles. “WEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” I giggled.
I fell down and giggled some more.
A small crow circled my head.
“Caw!” it said.
“Caw! Caw! Caw!” I said back.
“Finn what is it?”
When I stopped and looked around I saw a small boy about my age, maybe four, peeking out from the open sliding doors of his room. He was in a robe.
He had long black hair tied back and silver eyes. He just stood there staring at my with the distant look.
“Who are you?” he asked.
I jumped up and ran over to where he stood on the porch. I climbed up on to the porch and ran over to him, giving him a big hug.
“So cute!” I cooed.
He gave me a startled look.
I stepped back but held on to his hands.
“Just the kind I like! I’m Fira! I came to be your friend!” I said with a big smile.
“Go back!”
I smiled at him. “Huh?”
“I don’t need a friend! So scram!” he said loudly, in a mad voice.
Then with that he slammed the door closed in my face.
I felt a small tear trace down my cheek. I sniffed a time or two and slowly walked away.
“I am a wing-less, jinxed crow…so you cannot come near me…” he said in a whisper, but I was to far away to hear.
I wondered back around the room I heard my mom talking to Master.
“How’s Tain’s health?” mom asked.
“Still no doing to well. His wings just won’t appear…”
“I see…”
“I heard that before he came to live with me, when he was still with his parents, people were nasty to him. And just like that the child’s hopes and will to live were taken from him. If he doesn’t have the will to live on…I can’t do anything for him…”
I stopped before I went into the room. Master sounded so sad. I run into the room and landed in his lap.
He looked surprised.
I put each of my small hands on each of his cheeks. I gave him a serious look.
“I’ll make him happy! Don’t worry! I’ll make him better.” I said seriously.
Master’s face softened, and he smiled gently at me, then he hugged me.
“Thank you, Fira. I leave him in your hands.”
“Okay!” I jumped off his lap and gave mama a kiss before I left the room running.
“What an odd child,” I heard my mother laugh.
I ran down the hall and back outside. His doors where open again and he was laying on a bed on a platform close to the ground.
As he heard the squeaks of the boards under my small feet as I ran he looked shocked and then mad.
“Why are you back? I told you I don’t need a friend!”
I stopped at the doors. “Yup, I heard,” I said as he stood up, “So I came back to be your bride!” I ran over to him and hugged him.
I let go and simply smiled up at him, sweetly. He looked surprised and blushed a little.
He sat on the porch as I played a game with Finn and used my arms as wings. He smiled at me when ever I looked at him and grinned.
“Huh?” Mama was standing around the corner looking at us, but we were having so much fun we didn’t notice. “Look’s like we worried for nothing.” mom said and left us alone.
After I while I sat next to him, but the big mountain next to the house caught my attention.
Tain sighed.
“What is it,” I asked.
“That’s the mountain where my grandfather goes to train. I wonder what the top looks like.”
“Okay let’s climb the mountain!” I said cheerfully throwing my arms in the air.
“What?!” he said shocked.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*


“I can’t climb anymore…! It’s so high…” Tain said panting.
We were covered in dirt and dust from climbing all the way up to the mountain top and we were almost there. I was tiered, but I want to get to the top.
“You can do it! You can do it!” I cheered him on.
“We don’t have wings…” he panted, but kept up just behind me.
I could see the top so I grabbed his hand.
“You can see the top!” I said excited.
“We…can’t do it…” he panted.
“We’re almost there! You can do it!”
And then we were at the top. The forest and mountain spread out before us under the beautiful light of the golden sun set. The sun shined dark gold and orange.
“Wow…so pretty!” whispered. He squeezed my hand.
“I managed to climb…to the top…”
“With me!” I said with a smile.
He looked at me with a daydream look.
He reached out and put both of his hands on my cheeks and leaned in and kissed me on the lips.
“Thank you, Fira…” he whispered.
What was that?!
I covered my face with my hands to hide my sudden blush and the rock beneath my foot gave way.
I fell backwards.
“Wahhhhhhh!”
“Fira!?” Tain called in shock. Then he leaped off the cliff toward me, his hands reached out to caught me.
“Tain!”
Then suddenly only a split second after he leaped off, two big beautiful black wings appeared from his back. He winced as they did, but still came for me.
He has wings!
Then he had a grip on my wrist.
“You have wings! It’s great!”
He winced again beating his wings. “I can’t…support two people…it’s to…heave…” he panted.
I needs wings too!
There was a ripping sound from my back, and it felt as if someone had pour boiling water over my back. I bit my lip against the urge to scream in agony.
“Then I’ll fly too!” I said and bit my lip again.
I felt the ripping this time and it felt as if my bone broke my skin and grew out in a matter of seconds. Then I had to big white wings on my back covered in blood.
I grabbed his sleeve and tried to pulled up beating my wings. With each trust of my wings, I want to scream, but I cried instead.
I tried desperately to pull him up.
“…I can’t hold...on either,” I cried and then we dropped from the air like stones.
“Wahhhhhhh!” we screamed as we fell. The pain was getting worse.
We landed in a bunch of bushes and soon Tain fell asleep as the sun sat.
“Hold my hand…” he whispered in his sleep. I took his hand, but even the small movement made my small body want to give up. I squeezed his hand. And soon I was nodding off as well.
Mommy was flying over and saw us, but I was too weak to move or she landed and took us out of the bushes.
She looked us over and I was slipping into sleep as she took each one of us in an arm and flew up into the sky.
“Mommy Fira wants to marry Tain…when I get older…” I mumbled.
“Huh?”
I let the soft caress of the cool breeze lull me to sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*
My head pounded and I covered my head with the blankets to block out the light coming from somewhere close.
What? Another memory dream? I wondered.
So it is true I do know him, or I did when I was little.
“Mommy Fira wants to marry Tain…when I get older…”
I blushed and pull the blanket even closer over me head. Why did I have to remember that?!
I laid there for a while and then got out for the bed. I was still in my shorts and tank top, so that was good.
I rubbed my pounding temples.
It feels like a hang over.
Then I remembered what had happened. I shot straight up from where I was sitting on the bed and looked around. I was in my new room. I looked around to see that no one else was in the room and I hurried to the first room I had met Grandpa. I paused when I was in front of the closed door and laid my head against the closed doors. I heard the voice within. They were Grandpa, Master, and Tain.
“She hit her head pretty hard,” Master said.
“She’s just like her mother,” Grandpa sighed, “I can only hope that she wants to stay now, I’ve been very lonely since I was left in this big place alone.”
“You will not be lonely anymore. She is a kind girl and I’m sure she still loves you very much,” said Master.
“Lord Adrian I ask that you entrust her to me. I’ll take good care of her, and protect her no matter what.” This one was Tain. I gritted my teeth.
Knocked on the door.
At once the talking stopped and someone got up to answer the door. It was Master.
He blinked in surprise and then smiled warmly. “Come on in Fira.” he said.
I walked in and nodded my thanks. He went back to where he had been seated and they all stared at me.
I walk over to where they were sitting and bowed to them.
“I would like to say I’m so very sorry for what I have done. My temper ran off with me and I beg you to believe that it doesn’t happen often. The things I said were rude to ever one. But you see I don’t remember my childhood much. Only bits and flashes from dreams.”
“Please sit Fira,” Master said, “We understand and its fine, you did nothing any normal person wouldn’t do when they don’t know what’s happening. You have nothing to apologize for.”
I sat down and smiled at him. “I remember you a little when you use to talk to mom.”
He smiled sadly and nodded.
“Fira I’ve been meaning to ask you, not to bring up painful memories, but how did Mira die?” Grandpa asked.
“A month or so ago on a rainy day I was running late for work. I left after taking care of mom because she had been sick. But I forgot my umbrella and mom notice this. She raced out after me, even though I told her to stay in bed no matter what. I was waited from the light to change so I could cross and I was covering my head with my coat. It showed I could walk so I started across. I heard someone calling my name and turned around half way across. It was mom in her wet clothes running with my umbrella in her hand calling me. But then the light changed and I heard a horn. I turned to see a huge truck coming fast and there wouldn’t be enough time to run. Mom screamed my name and ran fast towards me. She pushed me and I fell over rolling on the ground watching as the truck mowed her down. As I crawled over to where the truck had stopped, the only thing I could see of her was her arm from under the truck. In her hand was still the umbrella. And blood flowed in rivers from under the truck mixing with the water on the ground. The entire front of the truck was covered in her blood. I was even sprayed with it. The tiny scarlet drops glistening in the rain over everything. I had screamed, and people had to pull me away, because I tried to free her.” I said wiping away the tears in my eyes.
They sat stunned and then I saw tears in Grandfather’s eyes.
I continued on. “They said she was still alive under the truck, but I don’t know because I was taken away to the hospital first. I was told she called out my name and her last words were, ‘tell Fira I love her, and someone will come to take care of her’. That’s it I don’t remember anything after that. I threw my self into my work so I could pay for the funeral. It too all the savings we had saved over the years, my birthday money, and the food money for a few months. If you hadn’t sent that letter I would have been living in the streets working. Everything happened so fast and so close to my sixteenth birthday. That’s it,” I said wiping away more tears and shaking.
They were all looking stunned, pitiful, and shocked.
I closed my eyes and felt Tain left me out of my chair to sit on his lap. I pressed my face into his chest and cried. To let out the grief I had hidden inside.
When I was done I pushed away and sat back in my chair.
“I’m so sorry,” Master and Grandfather said.
I nodded and after that the talk turned to things of life here in the Monster World and the school would be going to.
I went to bed dragging myself, and I fell into the bed before I fell on the floor. I fell asleep in my clothes and I couldn’t have been more comfortable.


Chapter Five
Escort


The sun rose slowly as I sat watching it from the window. Stream, rays and splashes of gold, orange and pink the sky and made the huge dark forest below look inviting. Everything was so knew and last night hadn’t been what I thought it would be.
I sighed. I was so going to end up killing someone.
I turned away from the window and looked at the room. Is was so big, but the only thing I could think of was, this is where mom grew up.
I felt uneasy here, but it still felt like home.
Home…a place to call my own. I now have people who need me and a place to call own.
I heard the bells of afar off church and quickly dressed and ran down the stairs to the dinning room. Grandfather was ready there.
When he heard me come in he looked up and grinned.
I grinned back and sat down.
“So what are you so happy about?” he asked taking a drink of his tea.
“Well I was just thinking of how great it is to has a place to belong, you know? Even with mom it felt more like a temporary place.”
He nodded. “Yes. I know what you mean.”
He became silent for a awhile and then lit up.
“Oh you get to leave for school today! You and Mira that is. You uniforms came last night and I had then placed in your dressing room!”
He grin was blinding.
I felt my mouth drop open. “You didn’t!”
He nodded and took a drink of his coffee.
“Oh my god,” I said jumping up from the table and racing for the elevator. It took to long and I raced up the stairs two at a time. When I reached my room I threw open the doors and ran to the dressing room. I opened the door and froze, then slowly walked in.
It was the first time in three years I had gotten any new clothes.
I reached out slowly and touched the silk skirt of the school dress. It was black and had blood red lace along its edges. It was cut just above the knees and had a corset the would be placed around the middle to make the waist appear small my a girl’s chest larger, not that I needed that, thank you very much!
But I felt my eyes water and I wiped at them furiously.
I took the dress off the hanger and held it to my chest looking in the mirror and twirled. It was so pretty and I looked more like my mom I thought.
“Oh my god!” I heard Mira scream as she ran in. she ran up to the other dress and snatched it off the hanger and did what I had just been doing.
“It’s beautiful! I’ve never had anything so pretty! What about you Fira?” she asked looking me over with the dress in front of me.
I smiled wistfully. “This is the first new thing I’ve gotten in over three years.”
I touched the smooth silk.
“You mean your wearing the same clothes you have been for three years?” she gasped.
I nodded looking in the mirror. I spun around laughing.
“Can you imagine? Me a high school student?” I asked her.
I sat the dress down in a chair and took her hands pulling her with me and danced.
“What do you mean? You didn’t go to high school?”
I stopped spinning and sat down with my hands in my lap, with my head bent, staring at the floor.
“I never had the chance to go to high school, because I had to work so we could pay the bills to live.”
She sat at me feet and looked up into my face, her eyes filled with a deep sadness.
“You didn’t even go to school, so you could live with your mom?”
I shook my head. “It wasn’t like that. I graduated from school when I was twelve so I could work with mom. We need everything we could get.” I looked up and smiled. “It’s all fine now, I can go to school like a normal kid.”
She smiled. “Well I’m glad I have you here with me. I’ve never had a friend before. Because I could use my magic right I was always looked down on. You don’t seem to care even though you’re a powerful Crow Demon!”
“I have a secret to tell you. I’m half Crow Demon and half human. Oh! And I don‘t have wings,” I said with a smile.
She just stared at me with wide eyes. “No wings,” she mouthed.
I rolled onto the floor laughing. “If think this is a shock just wait tell I tell you some other things. But I guess we have to pack for school.” when I could stop laughing I got up and dusted myself off.
She hopped up to. “Nope you don’t have to worry about that. The Master had everything new packed for us last night. We just have to wait for your escort to come and pick you up.” she said brightly.
I felt my brows go up on their own accord.
“Escort?” I asked incredulously.
She grinned a cat’s sly grin. “Didn’t know about that yet did you? Not only are you from one of the most powerful families, but one of the richest. You will have a personal guard now with you all the time or watching over you. You will never be alone anymore. But they don’t count, only I do, right?” she asked.
I hugged her. “Of course. No one will closer to me then you.”
“Good. Now I have to tell you this school is only for the rich, noble, or royal families of the Monster World. Someone like me could never get in if not for you. Thank you!” she hugged me even tighter.
“Why only them?” I asked.
“You have to have a lot of money, power, or influence to get in. Or you have to be a genius.”
“Well that sucks! What happens to all those that want to go to school?”
“They go to the lower schools. It’s like in the human world. There are public schools for the poor, and private for the rich.”
“Humph,” I snorted, “What a load of crap!”
“Yup,” she agreed and then jumped up, running to the window.
“What is it?” I asked getting up and coming over.
“Don’t you hear it?” she asked excitedly.
I listened and heard nothing but the pounding of wings in the distance.
“Hear what?” I asked.
She looked at me with a frown of disapproval. “Do you know nothing at all?”
“Nope,” I said bluntly, “Not a thing.”
“Well that sound of wings is your escort. Probly members of your clan and a few others! Come on get ready! They’ll be here soon and we have to be quick!”
She took off out of the room and I called after her. “Hey Mira! The dress! We have to change!”
She came right back in a blushed as I held up her dress for her.
She blushed. “Opps.”
“Hmmm-hmm,” I said.
I slipped out of my cloths and looked down at my bra and underwear. Both plain white and it seem like a shame to where them with the dress.
I sighed and slipped the dress on. It fit like a glove. Molding to my every curve.
“Nice,” I muttered. And was I put the corset around my back and tried to tie it up I couldn’t get it tight enough.
“Here let me help,” Mira said. “Take a deep breath and hold it.”
I took a deep breath and held it as she pulled the ties so tight I thought they would crack my ribs, and tied it off and the bottom with it blood red ribbon.
I breathed out and winced.
“You’ll have to get use to that. All the dress you’ll have to wear for parties and other things with have either an outside or inside corset,” she said patting my back.
She came around front to look at me. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look hot! You have a body any girl would kill for.”
I looked her over in her dress and noticed her lace was white.
“Why is your lace white?” I asked.
“Well that’s because we’re in different ranks. Your royalty while I’m in the noble school class.”
I frowned. “Oh.” she looked pretty in her dress. Not curvy like me, but slim and elegant. “I would rather look like you.”
Instead of answering she took my hand now and pulled me along after her as she ran down the stair.
“What are you doing!” I yelled.
“We have to hurry! They’ll be here soon! I want to look at all the hot guys!”
“Why,” I asked.
We stopped on the stair and she looked at me for a long moment, then started to shake her head.
“I have a lot of thing to teach you. The center of a teenage girl’s life isn’t work or school be boys and her social life! We have to start building ours now! You see I was always to book worm, and really smart, but looked like a geek. Over the summer I’ve changed in looks so I can start the life I always wanted. You how ever have to give up on work. Now you have a life to build.”
“Um…really?”
She glared at me, all serious. “Yes. You must. Our looks allow us to appear older and beautiful than other girls our age. That’s gives us maturity, so we must use it to our advantage. We have to be cool and calm, not bubbly and bouncy. Got it?” she asked.
“You mean like I am now?” I asked raising an eyebrow.
She smiled. “Yes, but you have the stick in the mud factor, so lighten up just a tad and you’ll do find. Now come on!”
We flew down the rest of the stair and ran to the main hall of the castle.
Grandfather stood there at the open giant entrance doors. He turned around and smiled sadly at me.
I hadn’t had enough time with him yet, and I found myself sad to leave him already.
He held out his hands for me and I went to him placing my hands in his.
His handsome face showed his pain and sadness.
“I’ve only had you for a short time, but you must go. We’ll see each other though. You look so much like you mother. Young and beautiful.”
A tear slipped free and he wiped it away.
“I just got you. I don’t want to go yet.”
He smiled. “I know, but you won’t be alone. You’ll have Mira and Tain, and you’ll make many friends.”
I pressed his hand to my cheek and smiled. “Thank you for giving back my life. You have no idea what I means to me to have you and a place to belong. I’m sure mom’s happy we have each other. I’m ready to take my place in the family.”
His smile gentled. “You make this old man happy.”
I laughed, smiling, and smacked his chest playfully. “You’re not old! You’re just horrible.”
The sound of wings were so close now I could feel the wind coming from them as they beated.
I looked out the doors and saw that a group of more then twenty men were about to land in the courtyard.
When they land all I could do was stare at their wings. All dark shade of brown and black, all but one pair so black that shined with blue tint.
Tain’s wings.
I suppressed a shiver.
Tain and eight other wore black suit that had the same design as the dresses so they had to be the uniforms for the males at the school. Each one had a red silk handkerchief in their front packet warning everyone that they were Royal Class.
And damn them if they all weren’t all so good-looking!
“Wow,” I heard Mira whisper behind me.
I looked each on over, as they retracted their wings.
Their was Tain of course. Super tall, super beautiful, well muscled, lean, long coal black hair like mine, silver eyes and a wicked smile.
Then the men next to him. Just as tall, not as good looking, but still super hot, well muscled, lean, short choppy white hair and violet eyes. He gave off the air of a cold person. Beautiful, but cold.
The next was a shorter version of the last one, but had long hair bound back.
Brothers, I thought.
Another one stood next to him he was shorter then Tain at about six two, lean, well muscled a longish hair style were his dark gold hair covered one of his gold eyes.
The next one was about eighteen, with short light brown hair, dark green eyes, glasses and just as tall or taller then the others.
The other three were the shortest in the group, but all had dark brown hair. One had green eyes, another red, and another the color of ice. They seem to look alike, but didn’t seem to be brothers.
Why did Mr. Fancy Pants Crow bring all his cronies? I wondered as they all followed Tain as he walked up and greeted my grandfather.
“Master, it is good to see you again,” he said with a low bow.
Grandfather laughed, “Always the one with the manners.”
Something in me snapped. I was standing next to grandfather and he hadn’t greeted me.
Wait…why do I care if he does or doesn’t? I hate him anyway.
I smiled coldly at him as he talked to grandfather, not even glancing my way once as he did.
I looked pass him to his followers. They all stared at me with looks ranging from excitement to question.
I raise an eyebrow at them as I stared at them coolly, like a queen might a servant in her way.
Then I looked at the men who were old, maybe early twenties in leather armor, who still had their wings out, holding swords.
Armed escort and guard I see.
Finally Tain turns to me with a greeting of, “My dearest little one,” and bowing over my hand to kiss my knuckles.
I glared at him. “Nice of you to finally notice me down here.”
He stood up and chuckled. “What a delighted little wild flower you are. I can’t wait to get to know you better again. You look stunning in your dress.”
I snorted. “Yeah. Where did you get that line? That’s something you could say to any girl.”
He grinned. “There’s the Fira I know.” he looked to grandfather. “Master it is time for us to go before we’re late.”
Grandfather nodded and grinned at me.
I pulled my hand out of Tain’s and took Mira’s.
“So how do we get there?” I asked.
“We fly, of course,” said the younger brother with the long white hair and violet eyes.
“Well I…sorta can’t fly,” I mumbled at them.
“What did you say, my lady?” he asked.
“I can’t fly!” I exclaimed and then clamped my mouth shut.
“Well then it can’t be help,” Tain said with a grin and then scooped me up in his arms princess-style.
“What are you doing!” I squeaked, reaching down to make sure one could see my underwear.
“Alsh take Ms. Mira for me,” Tain called out to the older brother with choppy white hair and he scooped up Mira like Tain had done to me.
They stared walking toward the edge of the courtyard and road that led to a Cliffside.
“And Fira! Remember! Watch out for men!” grandfather yelled as one the men jumped off the cliff and spread their wings and soared into the air.
I looked at the land hundreds of feet below and everything started to spin.
“Fira? Fira! What wrong?” Tain asked in a worried tone.
Everything was fuzzy and flashed before me eyes.
“I can’t…afraid of heights…fear…” I said dizzily and then everything went black.Chapter Six
School


I woke to the steady beat of my heart and kept my eyes closed as I listened to it, but slowly things started to piece together, and the beating of my heart seemed to loud to my own ears.
I frowned, opened my eyes and screamed.
I put both of my arms around the nearest object in a death grip and that happened to be Tain’s neck.
“Oh my god! What do you think your doing?! We’re so far up that we could die if we fell!” I whimpered in fear.
He chuckled.
The nerve of this man!
“You have nothing to fear. I will not drop you my princess. And it might be best if you hold on as tight as you can though,” Tain said with a snarky grin.
I thought about what he said and realized what he meant.
When I was holding on to him like this my entire body was pressed up against his.
I blushed and squeezed his neck.
He made a choking said as he tried to laugh and he used one of his hands to loosen my death drip on him.
“If you don’t behave I will drop you,” he threatened as I looked sideways into his silver eyes. I saw the glent in his eyes and my fear of heights and falling to death won me over. So I closed my eyes, pressed my face into his chest and held on tight.
“That’s a good girl,” he said appraisingly.
“Master Tain? Has she woken up yet?” I heard Mira call from somewhere close, but I didn’t dare open my eyes and look around like I had last time.
We had all been flying hundreds of feet over a huge lake surrounded by the mountains and the forest.

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 05.02.2011

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