Chapter Fifteen – Pink fur and magical kisses
When Cadence’s magic pulled away, we were no longer in my home, and I could no longer feel her emotions.
“Oh, my God,” I immediately commented on the space we were in, avoiding any conversation about what I felt. It wasn’t something she intended to share with me, and I wouldn’t act like it was. “This is beautiful.”
We stood inside a log cabin sitting on a mountain I couldn’t name without more detail. The interior was perfectly cozy and matched the previous vibe of her home. All the furniture was carved from wood and covered in white fur.
I looked around, noting the three sets of doors in the back, the kitchen off to the left, and a set of stairs that went up to another floor. The place felt like my friend, luxurious yet simple, with plush furnishings set against clean, uncluttered lines.
Sire flew away from us to land on the table next to the massive windows that gave a view of the mountains. I knew she would love nothing more than to spend some time flying there. Maybe I would let her.
“There aren’t many people up here, so I figured this would be the best place to take you. At least this way, we can work on solving this problem without having to worry about too much outside interference.”
“I love this, Cadence. Thank you so much for bringing me here.” I rubbed my arms; the chill in the air was finally getting to me. It was beautiful, but the snow outside wasn’t for show.
“Of course. Just please, keep this to yourself.” She appeared with a knitted throw and wrapped it around me. “I come here when I want to get away from my family. None of them know about it.”
“I understand. I know how your family can be.”
“Thank you. I mean, I love them, you know that, but they are overwhelming. Lately, the pressure to conform to the ways of old has gotten terrible. Once I found this spot, I said I had to keep it secret. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I just felt like maybe they could get it out of you.”
“As powerful as your mother is, I wouldn’t doubt it.” I laughed. “Remember when I first met her, and she grilled me about your dating life? I swear, if my ability to feel her emotions hadn’t freaked her out first, she would have gotten me to crack!”
“The look on your face! I remember how she had you sweating. Still, my girl kept her mouth shut, and I swear I appreciated it—especially since, at the time, I was messing with that troll. My mother would have murdered me if she had known anything about that.”
“Funny how you get on Tay and her vampire thing, but you like trolls,” I pointed out her hypocrisy. “What do they say about the pot and the kettle?”
“That was different! And besides, trolls can’t take powers the way vampires can. It’s far more dangerous for us to be with them.”
“Hey, I’m just saying, both are taboo.”
“You’re right, and that’s why I’ve taken a step back from my hunky troll temptations. They’re just so damn strong!” Cadence laughed. “Damn a girl for liking a man who can toss her around!”
“That is fun, isn’t it? I mean, when I was with that she-wolf, we didn’t do more than hook up a few times, but dammit if it wasn’t a fun time!”
“See, you get me!” She laughed. “And now, I’m going to get you some tea. I can see you’re still cold, and I didn’t bring you up here to get sick. Let me light a fire first.”
“Thanks, Caddy. You don’t have to worry about me. I promise, my lips are sealed.” I looked around. “But what about Tay? You know she can’t hold water, and your mom is like her third best friend.”
“Oh, I know. I wish she wasn’t as close to my mom, but hey, we did grow up like sisters.
But I trust her to keep this secret to herself.
She’s been here once before. I swore her to secrecy as well.
It helps that she also uses this place to escape.
You know it's no better for her with her parents right now. If my mom finds out, hers will definitely know all about it, and then we’ll both be looking for another getaway. ”
“You’re both being pressured to perform.
” I couldn’t imagine the weight on my friends’ shoulders.
Their families were fae elites, which meant they needed to be the best at everything.
After meeting Cadence’s mother, I stopped complaining about mine.
Yeah, she pushed me to make better choices, but she never tried to dictate how my life should go.
She supported me in whatever I wanted to do, just as long as I gave it my all.
“And the pressure is getting worser!” She laughed.
“I swear, I’ve thought about flying up off this planet a few times.
There are ways, you know. One of the fae girls we used to know claims she left this world and went to a carbon copy, one where everyone was a magical being and didn’t have to hide who they were.
I almost believed her until she started talking about how big they were into wrestling. ”
“Wrestling? Like what you see on those professional wrestling shows on TV, or are we talking traditional stuff like sumo?”
“All sorts, I guess. Jumping off top ropes and then shifting into dragons. It was a big deal, according to her. To be honest, I didn’t ask many more questions after that.”
“And you don’t believe her?” I frowned. “Why not? Have you ever listened to scientists talk about timelines and how they’re all happening at the same time, parallel? Maybe she didn’t just go to another world. Maybe she went to another realm, one running parallel with ours.”
“Shontae, please.” She laughed. “Maybe your wonky magic is messing with your head now.”
“Well, even though I was left in the dark, I’m glad you have this place.” I took a deep breath, loving the calmness. “It’s so peaceful here.”
“Yeah, and how do you feel?”
I took a deep breath. “The only feelings I’m feeling are my own.”
“Good!” She clapped. “Now we can figure out what’s going on with our walking mood stabilizer.”
“You know I hate when you call me that.”
“Is it not true?” She winked at me while adjusting the logs for the fire. “It’s not a bad thing. You never use your power for evil.”
“Still.” I shrugged. “Just reminds me of something my therapist said to me.”
“What did she say?” Cadence stood after she got the fire going.
“Okay.” Tayvion popped into the space. “I got here as fast as I could. I think I got everything on the list. Just let me know if there is anything I’m missing.”
“Thank you.” I helped her with the bags she carried.
“How are you feeling? Any better now that you’re all the way out here?”
“Much better. No one is around to unknowingly slam me with their emotions.”
“Yes, I can't believe any of this is happening.” Tayvion rushed me and wrapped her arms around me, patting my head like a child. “My poor baby! Caddy, have you figured out what went wrong yet? Isn’t that your job?”
“My job?” Cadence scoffed. “Don’t make me kick you out of here. Besides, we were waiting for you to get here, because Lord knows you’re going to want a recap, and we don’t have time for all that.”
“Whatever.” Tayvion finally unhanded me. “So let’s begin.”
“Well, I do have a theory,” Cadence offered, and the two exchanged pursed lips. “Our dear friend here has only had one new addition to her life. One magical being with apparently powerful lips.”
“Likosa,” we said simultaneously.
“You can't be serious,” I huffed. “You think this is because of her?”
“Girl, you said you've been feeling out of whack since the moment you met that woman. Why wouldn't that be the obvious answer?” Cadence walked over to the little bar a few feet away from the fireplace and started the kettle for tea.
“I don't know; maybe I had something bad to eat. I don't want to just immediately jump to blaming her.”
“That’s fair.” Cadence said. “Let's explore the other options. Maybe the plane ride did it. Maybe seeing your ex-girlfriend did it. Hell, maybe your new neighbor did it. Who else have you spent any significant amount of time with?”
“No one.” A frustrated sigh escaped my lips.
“She's been the only other person besides us and a handful of our other friends who's been able to protect herself from you, emotionally speaking, correct?” Tayvion asked.
“Yes.” I nodded. “It didn’t even feel like she was trying all that hard, unlike other people, who I can tell have to concentrate on doing it.”
“And she also says she came here knowing who and what you are, wanting you to help her by using your abilities, right?” Cadence followed up Tayvion’s question.
“Also, yes.” I nodded. “But—”
“But what?” Tayvion snapped her fingers in my face. “I don't know why you're trying to deny it. It's so obvious. Likosa is the reason your powers are acting up, and we need to get her ass over here so she can help us figure out why.”
“How exactly am I supposed to get her to the top of some mountain, Tayvion? I don't even know where I'm at.”
“Girl, you cannot be serious.” Tayvion looked at Cadence. “Is she new here? She thinks the powerful mystery witch needs coordinates to find her! It’s like she doesn’t know how any of this works!”
“She’s upset.” Cadence worked on the tea. “Give her a break.”
“I'm telling you, there's something up with that woman. And I'm excited to meet her.” Tayvion grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around herself before sitting on the couch. “Get to it, Shon. Call that woman over here.”
“Chill.” I pointed at her.
“What did I do?” Tayvion shrugged. “Oh, and Caddy, extra honey in my tea please.”
“Who said I was making you tea? You’re perfectly fine, Tay!” Cadence snapped at her. “Get up and add as much honey as you want to your cup.”
“Oh, that’s messed up! Shon is fine now!” Tayvion whined. “Just look at her! She don’t need any special treatment.”
“Just throw me under the bus, huh?” I laughed at Tayvion, who groaned as she got up from the couch. “And listen to me, even if we get Likosa here, it's not so you can interrogate her; it's so we can figure out what's going on with my powers.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you're gonna call her or not?” Tayvion sucked her teeth. “Big girl panties time!”