Chapter 27
NOT ALL SUNSHINE AND RAINBOWS
RAYA
“So, I was thinking…” Asher glances at me during our lunch break walk later that week, and I raise my eyebrows for him to continue. “Well, you mentioned wanting me to meet your roommate. We could do that tonight, maybe? Or this weekend?”
I stumble, unsure if I’m tripping over my own two feet.
That is certainly not what I expected him to say.
It’s been a pretty chill week, though Asher has been a little distant at times.
While I can acknowledge it’s probably a good idea, my brain rebels at the same time.
There are so many factors to consider; what will we all do, where would be best, do I include Reverie, and if so, that brings up a whole slew of other concerns.
“Raya? We don’t have to, I’m in no rush. But I know it’s been weighing on you, her not liking me.”
I shake the thoughts away at the concern in his voice.
“Yeah, you’re right. It’s a good idea, it just took me off guard.”
I’m quiet for a bit as I think it over, and he runs a hand along my back in silent support. Before I can make a decision, we loop around the block and are already heading back toward the office building.
“Okay.” I nod decisively. “Let’s do it. You can come over Saturday. I’ll talk to Zuri tonight, give her a heads up. Maybe we do a game day or something, that way it’s more lighthearted and chill.”
“Makes sense.”
“Okay, great. Cool. Perfect. So good. No worries at all.”
“Raya?”
“Mhm?” I look up at him with wide, innocent eyes.
“Talk to me, sunshine. What’s going on in that brain of yours?”
“Oh, no. Nothing. Well, I mean.”
I snap my mouth closed and take a deep breath through my nose, then glance around to ensure there isn’t anyone nearby. I tug Asher into an alcove to give us a little extra privacy.
“Okay. But… there’s something you need to know first," I say, glancing up at him as I twist my fingers together. He squeezes one of my hands in his to still the nervous movement.
“And what’s that?”
“I’ll tell you, but first you have to promise you won’t tell anyone.”
“Okay, promise.”
“No, Asher. I mean it.” I meet his gaze and hold it, steeling my spine. “You can’t breathe a single word to anyone. Not your friends, not your family, literally no one. Swear it.”
His eyebrows draw together as his eyes ping between mine.
“I swear it. I don’t have anything sacred to swear by, so I swear it on you, Raya. My sunshine, I promise I won’t disclose your secrets to anyone.”
My cheeks pink at the notion that I’m the most important thing in his world right now, but I don’t let myself get sidetracked. His eyes are clear and serious, with no hint of deception, so I take the leap and decide to trust him with my biggest secret.
“Technically, I live with two others. Zuri, as you know, is a vampire.”
Asher slowly nods once, his eyes not leaving mine.
“The other… is a sprite.”
Silence. I could hear a pin drop, but as it is all I hear is my heart pounding. Finally, Asher replies.
“A sprite? Raya, those have been extinct for… I don’t even know how long.”
I slowly shake my head, still holding his gaze so he knows I’m serious.
“Not all of them. There’s at least one, and her name is Reverie. She lives with us, and we take care of her. We keep her safe and secret from the world, to avoid putting her in danger.”
He stares at me. His face is blank and he doesn’t react, not one single muscle twitch.
“Ash?” I lightly touch his cheek with my fingertips.
“Is this supposed to be some kind of joke?”
I pinch my lips together. This is not going well. I reach up with both hands to cup his face, brushing my thumbs along the stubble of his jaw before I pull him down until he’s eye level with me. I ensure my voice is strong, quiet, calm, and clear as I speak.
“Hear me, Asher. She’s real. She’s alive. And she’s mine to protect. By sharing this secret with you, she’s becoming yours to protect, too. Please don’t tell me I’ve put my trust in the wrong person.”
My eyes flit back and forth between his, and I watch as the realization dawns on him, his face transforming.
His lips part, but no sound comes out, and his eyebrows can’t seem to decide if they want to furrow or chase his hairline.
Blinking rapidly, he pulls out of my grasp and turns around, shoving his hands into his hair.
Asher takes two steps away before spinning around to face me again.
“You’re serious.”
“I’m serious.”
He turns away again and bends over, resting his hands on his knees as he stares across the street. I chew on my cheek as I wait for him to come to terms with this information. It’s unbelievable; I know it is, and if I were in his shoes I probably wouldn’t believe it either.
Finally, Asher swipes a hand down his face and turns back to me.
“I won’t tell a soul," he says.
Zuri is less than thrilled when I broach the subject that evening.
“You want him to come here.” Her voice is flat as she stares at me in disbelief. “Where Reverie lives. In secret.”
“I…” I cringe. “I kind of already told him about her.”
“Uh, hello? I’m right here! And I think that’s great, I want to meet him!” Rev doesn’t have as many qualms about this as Zuri, as I expected. I probably should have checked with her first, though.
Zuri throws a glare at the excited sprite. “I know you’re here. That’s the whole problem.”
“Wh-what?” Reverie’s eyes fill with tears and she flies a few inches back at the verbal strike.
“Zuri.” My voice is harsh with ire, and wolf claws snap out of my fingertips.
Zuri throws her hands in the air. “That’s not what I meant and you know it!”
Reverie has already zipped out of the room and is likely hiding under a blanket in her little jungle in my room. I pinch my lips as I shake my head at my roommate. She has a temper, and she means well, but it often comes out wrong.
“You can’t say things like that,” I drop the words in a low voice over my shoulder as I stalk out of the kitchen, heading to my bedroom to find my childhood best friend.
Reverie and I grew up together, ever since we found each other one day when my family was camping in Olympic National Park.
I was five years old at the time, and Reverie appeared only a couple years older than me.
It’s unclear where she came from or how she came to be, though.
She has vague memories of living in the forest alone before I stumbled across her.
I had wandered away from the campsite and was following a trail of moss.
I remember it being incredibly soft, and it led me to a hollowed out tree with glowing flowers, which is where Reverie had been living.
Her bright sapphire eyes peeked out and as soon as we made eye contact, it’s like our souls clicked together.
Best friends, immediately.
It was meant to be, and neither of us could stand the thought of leaving the other.
Naturally, I hid her in my backpack and took her home with me.
As children ourselves, neither of us knew she was such a rare creature, that all of her kind was thought to have died out, but we did know my parents wouldn’t want another person staying with us.
We figured she had to stay a secret, or my mom would say no, that she couldn’t come home with me.
So I snuck her in. She stayed in my room, and we would hide under my blanket at night, playing make believe and whispering for hours until we both fell asleep.
She craved nature, so I would pick pretty flowers and leaves from outside and bring them to her, and she’d weave them into my hair or create little fairy gardens under my bed.
My parents caught on after a few weeks when they noticed me sneaking food and plants up to my room.
They couldn’t believe it when they saw a real life sprite, and neither of us understood the significance of it at the time.
We were simply overjoyed that my parents agreed to let her stay, and from that moment on, we became inseparable.
The only time we were apart in the years following was when I had to go to school, but then I’d come straight home and teach Reverie everything I had learned that day, and so we grew up together.
Me, a broken shifter with no friends.
Rev, the last of her kind, who didn’t know anything about what she was.
We’re everything to each other, and our bond is unbreakable. Which means when she’s hurt, it breaks my heart.
I find Reverie exactly where I expected to, hiding under a massive leaf in her indoor jungle with a blanket wrapped tight around her.
“Hey, Rev,” I say softly, crouching down outside the ring of plants. “Can I pick you up?”
She sniffles, wipes her nose, then nods.
I scoop her up, blanket and all, and lay down on my bed with her.
Reverie tugs her blanket closer and peeks watery blue eyes up at me.
“She didn’t mean it, love,” I whisper, and Rev nods.
“I know, but still.” She swipes a hand under her eyes.
“Yeah. Still hurts," I say. “I’m sorry. And I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you about meeting Ash before telling him about you.”
Reverie tucks herself in closer and I carefully curl around her, pulling my blanket up over both of us and hiding us away from the world, like when we were little.
When Zuri knocks on the door later, I look to Reverie to decide if she’s ready to face her or not. Reverie scrunches her lips, then nods. I pull the blanket down and allow us both a moment to compose ourselves a little, then tell Zuri she can come in.
She cracks the door and peeks an eye through, seeing us cuddled on the bed together. When I wave her in, she opens the door further and steps through. Her eyes are red and puffy, and my heart hurts for them both.
“I’m so sorry, Rev," Zuri says, her voice cracking. “That came out so, so wrong. I love you, I didn’t mean to hurt you and I didn’t mean what I said.”
“I know," Reverie whispers, but doesn’t move from her spot.
“Can I lay with you?” Zuri is crouched by the bed, and Reverie nods, so she gently drapes herself on the side opposite me. Not touching either of us, but still close enough that we can all take comfort in each other.
“I hate being small. I hate being unseen, treated like I don’t matter, that I can’t have friends,” Reverie whispers. My heart cracks again.
“I can’t believe I did that. Reverie, I’m so sorry. I wish I could take it back. Can I explain what I meant? Because what I said…” she shakes her head, “it was all wrong.”
“Okay.”
“I meant that he shouldn’t come here because it wouldn’t be safe for you.
I care about you so much, the problem isn’t you, it’s him.
I don’t trust that family, and having both of you here is dangerous.
You are perfect, you belong here, with us, but I’m not willing to put your safety at risk like that," Zuri says, her voice strained.
Reverie and I are both quiet after she finishes speaking, and I wait for Rev to decide if she wants to say something for herself before I do.
“That’s not your decision to make,” Reverie replies, her voice small but mighty.
Zuri draws back, and I worry she’ll get defensive again, but then she slumps against the bed.
“It’s not. You’re right.” She pinches her lips as she stares up at the ceiling.
“I trust him, Z. He’s not like his family, and I know you don’t trust him, but do you trust me? I would never, never put Reverie at risk. I think you know that," I say.
She nods, her eyes glassy. “I do, Raya. I do know that. It’s just hard, I’ve hated him and his family my whole life. It’s hard to set that aside.”
“I get that, but please. You have to try," I say.
Reverie reaches out and snags a lock of Zuri’s hair, stroking it, and Zuri turns her head to look at us.
“I will. I’ll do better, I promise,” she says.