24. Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Four
Effie
I clench my fingers into fists, not wanting the receptionist to notice the constant tremble as it racks through my hands. The cream and peach lobby is brighter than I expect, and portraits of flying birds take up most of the space along the walls. This isn’t a good idea; I don’t even know if this is going to work. If I’m caught smuggling two humans into the fae side of a gorgon-run tavern, it’s going to end a lot worse than being turned to stone. I never thought this was where I would end up. I thought the day I left Myrr I would never have to return, and now, my magic is spent, having used too much in the forest, the rest absorbed by Demendia’s dome, and now I’m walking into a segregated motel attached to a tavern. A reception desk lines the back of the lobby with a lone attendant.
“Welcome to the White Sparrow Motel and Tavern,” the woman on the other side of the desk chirps, her diamond pupil rounding into a circle making her yellow eyes look welcoming as she plasters a broad smile across her face. Her long-pointed fangs gleam and her shoulder length hair resembles the color of grass. Two small cat ears stick from the top of her head. One of the prairie people, not quite shifter, not quite human. Brown diamond shape designs decorate her forehead over the light layer of white fur that covers the rest of her body.
“It’s nice to see one of the prairie people exploring the continent,” I smile brightly, taking the lead as the other two fall in behind me. Both of their eyes are wide as Astrid and Embla stare at the attendant. Em’s eyes get stuck on the fangs, and she starts to wring her hands harder than she already was.
“I found Neymeira’s prairie to be too quiet for my tastes, this small town has the perfect balance of quiet and bustle for me,” she says, her smile growing, “How’s this cute little group doing?” She smacks her gum twice before smiling again, her bright red lips a stark contrast to the cream uniform she wears, but somehow complements the green in her hair.
“We would like to get a room for the night.” I slide my identification card across the counter, the top part of my body leaning closer to block Astrid and Embla’s view. I’m not ready for them to know yet, I don’t want them to change the way they treat me. “The Baldur special,” I whisper and wink. I need a magical pick-me-up if I’m going to be of any use for the next leg of our journey.
The receptionist blinks at me once before glancing at the ID card in front of her and all the blood drains from her face.
“Your hi—”
“Shhhh,” I hiss cutting her off. “They don’t know,” I say under my breath, nodding to the two eyeing us with a little bit of curiosity and a lot of fear. The receptionist blinks at me once, snapping her mouth closed. She scrambles to her computer, her long pink nails clacking against the keys before she’s printing off three keys.
“I’ll see you tonight,” the receptionist says, her gaze roving over all three of the guests, a new hunger lights up her eyes like someone starved for physical connection. I accept the key. I just want to get the humans to the privacy of our room, and then I’ll deal with my magic.
“Room 301,” the receptionist calls to us as I lead the way to the pastel-rose metal elevator doors. It’s a short ride to the third floor. I give the hall a quick look over, noticing the first room on the right. I flick the light switch as the other two girls file into the flower covered room behind me.
“Great, a garden nymph establishment,” I mutter, rolling my eyes. They throw flowers everywhere. I meander into the middle of the room, taking in the space. This is so much bigger than I anticipated. More like an apartment I would find in Myrr.
“Dibs,” Astrid calls, and I follow her voice, walking into her bedroom to see her sling her bag onto the bed. The canopy bed is covered in a plush comforter with swirls of silver and purple.
I just have to keep her safe long enough for me to save her life. It should be easy right? Instead of stepping into the room, I continue down the hall finding a calming bedroom. The smell of lavender wraps around me, caressing me in a room of light purples and greens. I surprise myself as a small, but exhausted smile pulls at my lips.
I drop my bag onto the bed without hesitation. The soft purple comforter puffs around the bag and I sit next to it, my head dropping into my hands as I massage my temples. Am I really doing this? Going home for the first time in years, after I abandoned everything. Just because I’m going back doesn’t mean I’m going to stay in Myrr. I need to hurry this along and get back to the search for my mother. I push myself from the bed, walking into the bathroom covered in cool green and silver.
“What’s that?” Astrid calls and I make my way back into the living room to find her pointing at the large flat screen tv.
“It's a television, kind of like the movies I've told you about but smaller.” A smile stretches across Astrid’s face.
“Can you turn it on?” she asks, unable to contain her excitement. I find the remote waiting on the table in front of the couch and click the power button. I put on a simple cartoon before walking over to the phone stuck to the wall. I press the button and order a pizza.
“Now,” I say, clapping my hands together to get their attention. “There are going to need to be a few rules since you’re human . ” I cross my arms over my chest daring them to argue. “Under no circumstances are you to leave this room without me, and if dinner arrives with red berries don’t eat them.” I try to blaze with authority like Nonna always had. I run a hand through my messy locs wishing I had the time to do something new with my hair. But having magic, being able to protect us, is the first concern.
“Why can’t we eat the red berries?” Embla asks quietly from the other side of the couch. I find myself wondering if Embla will be able to accept this world, magic and all. Or did Demendia’s lies corrupt her too much to believe the truth?
“We call them fae berries, they boost our magic and our awareness. Kind of like fae coffee.” The simple explanation seems to ease Embla’s worries.
“Why can’t humans eat them?” Astrid asks, her curiosity burning behind her eyes. I move toward the door to the hall turning to face the black-haired beauty.
“The last human who tried ended up a smoldering pile of ash. Human bodies can’t handle the magic.”
Astrid nods, her attention turning back to the tv.
“I have to take care of something, I’ll be back soon. Don’t. Leave. The. Room.” I make eye contact with both, and in unison they nod before Astrid offers one last smile. I walk into the hall; the door closes behind me with a hollow thump. I know those two aren’t prepared for this kind of magic. I sigh, wishing I could go back into the room and watch movies with them all night. Instead, I have to get ready for the ritual I requested.
The locker rooms here are just as pink as the lobby. Paintings of various birds cover each wall. It's been a long time since I've participated in the ritual of power. I've always tried to avoid it, but I can't anymore. I can feel the excited thrum in the air as the others prepare for the evening. It's sacred to my people, and well enjoyed. I hate that I have to be involved in this. I always thought by the time I was as old as I am my mate would've come around by now. I wouldn't be able to recognize them if they smacked me in the face at this point. I huff my annoyance as I slam my locker closed, pulling the complimentary blood red robe tight around my body. I just need to get this over with.