Chapter Three #2
I step between Dericia and the vampire. “Hey, Reese, we’re gonna go home now, okay?
” She nods at me, her eyes no longer wide and a lazy grin on her face as she feels the effects of Amelia’s magic.
I gently remove the warlock’s arms from around her middle and he stares at me with an almost sleepy confusion.
Once I’ve lead Dericia away from the fae and we’re behind Amelia, she lets go of her magic and the two fae whip their eyes back towards one another.
“Fucking Made fae, thinking they can just steal humans away. You probably wanted to turn her, didn’t you?” the vampire asks. He doesn’t wait for a reply as he drunkenly swings a fist at the warlock.
The warlock tries to conjure some magic to defend himself, but the vampire hits him square in the jaw.
The warlock gives up on magic entirely, launching himself at the vampire, knocking him to the ground.
Others pounce on the Made fae, pulling him up off the vampire and throwing him back to the ground, where they start to beat on him.
Despite the news of the warlock attacks, I’m desperate to get the other fae to cool off.
My power ebbs to the surface, reluctantly dusting itself off.
I raise my hand, letting a dribble of power out.
The small fae mob show no sign my magic has any effect.
Not a single person stops what they’re doing. None of the onlookers step in to help.
Amelia tugs on my arm. “Let’s go.”
I turn my pleading eyes on her and she shakes her head. But I see her look behind me at the fight. Her eyes widen and she sends another wave of her power blasting at the group. They all slow to a halt, dazed smiles appearing on their faces and laughter bubbling up their throats.
Amelia and Dericia tug at my arms as I stand there, frozen. We should still help the warlock, shouldn’t we? Find his friends, maybe? “We gotta go, Bliss.”
As they drag me out of the club, I can’t help but shiver.
“Gross, I can’t believe I was dancing with a warlock,” Dericia says, shaking out her arms like she can somehow shake off any germs he might have left on her. “Ugh, what if he was like two hundred years old?”
“He seemed nice enough,” I say, though the warning all Born fae have been given echoes in my head. We’re taught not to interact with Made fae if we can help it. They don’t have our morals and many kill without remorse and turn humans against their will.
“Bliss, did you not see the ridges on his neck?” Amelia asks, shuddering. She feigns gagging.
I shrug and let out a yawn. “I guess we should probably call it a night, huh?”
“We didn’t find you anyone, though.” Dericia drunkenly pouts.
“It’s okay,” I say, just as a second later Amelia says, “No, it’s not.”
She turns to me, towering almost a full foot over me. “Bliss, your bond activation ceremony is tomorrow. You need to power up.”
“I’ll be fine, Mom.”
“Okay, fine, let’s go home and get some sleep,” Amelia says, throwing her arms around me and Reese.
“I still can’t believe humans aren’t allowed to attend the activation ceremony,” Dericia complains as we start the walk home.
“Don’t worry, I’ll record the whole thing for you,” Amelia says.
“You’ll do no such thing,” I shoot back, giving my sister the most threatening look I can muster.
“Oh yeah? Whatcha gonna do about it?”
“Don’t push me, Amelia, unless you wanna be bald again.”
Amelia lets out a shriek and pulls me under her arm, rubbing her hand over the top of my hair, stupendously messing it up.
“Why would you remind her of that?” Dericia snorts. “She didn’t talk to you for months after the Great Fae Nair Shampoo Tragedy of sophomore year.”
I grin, even though Amelia is still pushing my head down and can’t see me.
“Karma’s a real bitch,” I tease.
Amelia releases me and I stand up, smoothing my hair back in place and allowing Dericia to retie my pink ribbon, which floated to the ground in our tussle.
“How many times do I have to tell you that Todd Andrews kissed me? Not the other way around.”
“Because you were throwing your succubus charm around all day every day at school as soon as you got your period for the first time.”
“I didn’t know how to turn it off!” Amelia shouts at me, now pretending she’s going to push me out into oncoming traffic.
I laugh, remembering how awkward going through puberty was for us. Fae children tend to mature later, usually in our teens. Thankfully, Reese had already gotten her period, so she was able to help us through that part of things.
My best friend laughs. “You two always find a way to make me so glad I don’t have sisters.”
Amelia and I stop our bickering and look at her. “Um, excuse me?” Amelia says with a laugh. She points her finger at Dericia and moves it in a circle, motioning to all of us. “We, the three of us, are sisters. You are included in this, whether you like it or not.”
Dericia looks like she’s about to start tearing up out of joy, but then she huffs out a laugh. “Just as long as Bliss stays away from my hair,” she teases.
“Oh, I would never mess with your hair,” I say with feigned incredulousness. “You’d look super weird bald,” I add with a grin and a shrug.
“You take that back!” Dericia says, running towards me.
I yelp and scramble backwards, laughing my ass off.
“I’d look fucking amazing bald! I totally have the bone structure to pull it off!
” She runs after me, swinging her clutch at me, trying to swat my ass with it.
All three of us end up laughing so hard we run out of breath and end up falling to the sidewalk in heaps, trying to gulp down air.
“Fuck, don’t make me run like that, ever,” I manage to get out, throwing my arms around Dericia.
“We are never going to get home at this rate,” Amelia sighs, tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes.
“Let’s call Tay Tay,” Dericia shouts excitedly. She fishes around in her purse for her phone.
Amelia eyes me, suddenly looking sober. “Is that okay, Bliss?”
“Yeah, Taser’s cool,” I say.
“I just figured it might be weird between you two since he started dating Stacey.”
“Oh—” I pause. Taser and I had a bit of a friends with benefits things going for a while.
I’d feed off him, and he’d feed off me, drinking a bit of my blood after we slept together.
It was the most comfortable with a guy I’ve ever been.
“I didn’t even think of that. I thought you were asking because I don’t hang out with you guys as much these days. ”
“You avoid everyone from that crowd like the plague. Including us,” she points out.
“I’m not trying to avoid you,” I say after a beat.
“Things with Goddess’ Trance just weren’t the same, and I needed some space away from it all.
” Goddess’ Trance is my sister’s band. She’s the lead singer, and Dericia is their bassist. They’re incredible.
I smile at Amelia as she nods in understanding.
“It’s not an issue, I just feel weird. It’s not my world anymore, is all. ”
“It doesn’t have to be that way,” Amelia says, putting a hand on my arm.
Dericia pushes to her feet excitedly. “Tay Tay is on his way way!”
Amelia and I exchange a glance. “How many drinks did she have?” I ask.
Amelia grins and shrugs. We move past the previous topic, though I can’t help but hear her words echoing in my mind.
“She’s a fucking lightweight, our sister,” she replies, her meaning twofold. Dericia is no doubt also still feeling the effects of Amelia’s magic.
“Sisters!” Dericia yells out, the widest of grins plastered on her face.
We hang out for a bit before Taser pulls up in the band’s van, and we all shuffle into it. Before I know it, I’m tucked into my bed in my old room, with Dericia snoring softly beside me, and I smile to myself for the first time in a long time, feeling ever so slightly content.
Maybe some things can go back to normal after all.