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The Feri Circle
Chapter 8
That night I dreamt of my mother, again. Although, I should really refer to her as Elle because that's what she called herself in the dreams.
"Hey you're back!" Elle said. She looked exactly the same as when I left her the other night. "What shall we do tonight? Would you tell me more stories about Prince Nickolas and his princess?"
The feel of the place seemed normal yet I couldn't stop thinking something was amiss. I walked up to the window and gazed outside. I could feel the breeze in my face and hear the ocean and the crushing waves below.
The sky, well, it looked like you're gazing at the night sky through a pair of sunglasses. A darker sky made the stars look like yellow smudges. There was something between the castle and the sky but I didn't know what.
"You like my view?" Elle asked. I felt she was more seeking my approval than asking my opinion.
"Very nice," I said without elaborating. She frowned at me but was quick to bounce back smiling.
I sat with her on the bench and I invented more stories about Prince Nickolas. I stayed by her side for four hours before I started fading like the last time.
"Bye Rye. Come back again tomorrow."
`Rye! Wake up, Rye,' I heard Wren's voice as I stirred awake.
`What is it?' I narrowed my eyes to slits. The sun wasn't up yet but the feri-lights overhead were already too bright.
You were talking in your sleep again,' he said, and it's quite annoying.'
I pouted. `You don't want to be in my bed because I mumble in my sleep?'
`Rye, you're half awake and you don't understand what I'm saying.'
`I'm awake! And what is wrong with me talking in my sleep? You snore.'
`Yeah but you're not a shifter. You don't hear like I do.'
`So what you're saying is that it's okay for you to snore while it's not okay for me to talk in my sleep.'
He gave out a frustrating grunt. `Forget it Rye. Go back to sleep.' He turned his back to me.
I giggled.
I edged close to him and pressed my body against his. I rubbed his chest and kissed his temple. `Are you mad at me?' He didn't respond. I whispered sweet things in his ear as I reached down and rubbed his semi hardened cock.
I'm not mad,' he finally said, but I'm tired and not in the mood.'
`You want me to get you in the mood?'
Without waiting for an answer I pushed him flat on his back and mounted him. I sucked on his bottom lip until he kissed me back. I felt his cock twitch against my ass cheeks. While the kissed deepened I pinched his nipples. He opened his mouth, gasping.
`Are you in the mood now?'
He nodded. I smiled. Since his cock found my opening without any help, I pushed down on it. Too dry, I pulled it out. I spat in my hand and reached behind me. I lathered him up before putting it back in.
`Fuck me, atsa,' I said. I wanted him to meet me halfway.
Slowly, he thrust upwards. I laid my head against his and held on to his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around me to steady me. He was gentle but very passionate. His laboring breath burned my neck as he spewed into my ass.
`I love you, atsa,' I said.
`Yes, me too.'
I rested my head on his chest. His arms were still lovingly wrapped around me. We stayed like this for a while. I listened as his heart returned to a more steady rhythm.
`You did that on purpose, didn't you?'
`Did what?' I said ironically.
He didn't reply but asked instead. `Tell me about your dream?'
I told him everything I remembered about the dreams. At the end he had this to say; `I don't think you're dreaming. To me it sounds more like one of your search visions. Maybe you were so engrossed by the idea of meeting your mom that you caught sight of Elle instead.'
I thought about it. But Wren's thoughts were influencing mine. If he was right then I have two important questions. Who is Elle? How are we related? Alas, it was too early in the day to dwell on such thoughts. So I quietly drifted back to sleep in my lover's arms.
`Have you seen Pitch?' I asked River as he was coming down the hallway. It was around midday and Helen had been complaining about Pitch again. Apparently he was inside the Citadel and Helen had been chasing him again. I'd checked the kitchen, the throne room, the common hall, he wasn't there. He couldn't have gone in the sleeping quarters because all the doors there are always kept closed.
No. He also isn't in the lounge. I just came from there,' River said. Have you checked the broom closet at the end of the hall?'
River was right. It's a possible hiding place for Pitch. He could have crawled between the grills above the door. It's large enough for him to fit through.
`I'll check it out. Thanks.'
As I approached the broom closet I heard rustling noises inside. Quickly I opened the door and stepped in.
Oh shit!' I nearly bumped into Reed. It was dark and I barely saw him. What are you doing ...?' I stopped midsentence because as my eyes become accustomed to the darkness I recognized Bron. Were they just making out?
Bron quickly adjusted his clothes. It was still too dark to see his face clearly but I was sure he was blushing.
`It's not what it looks like?' An equally flustered Reed said.
I snorted.
`Really, we were just looking for ... a broom,' Reed continued.
`I'm not that naïve Reed.'
I knew something was up with these two. But I never saw that one coming.
Rye, please,' Reed said grabbing my arm. His fingers dug in my skin. He was hurting me. Please don't tell my brothers. They wouldn't understand.'
I frowned at him. `You're hurting me.' Promptly he released me as if he just touched something hot.
`Are you ashamed of what we just did?' Bron asked in a hurt voice.
`Yes. NO! I just... it's too early to ... to tell them,' Reed stumbled over the right words.
`If this is how you feel, don't come near me again,' Bron said as he brushed past both Reed and me before he disappeared around the corner.
In the light coming from the doorway, I saw Reed's solemn face. I get that his brothers and he were raised to see leopards as the enemy; nonetheless he just made the biggest mistake of his life. I wasn't about to tell him. Some things are better left unsaid.
Shaking my head, I grabbed Reed's hand and walked him out of the broom closet. I couldn't find words to comfort him, so he left me standing there wondering about the chemistry between Bron and him.
`Hey. Do you know what's wrong with my brother?' River asked coming my way. He had Nick with him.
`What did you do to him?' Nick asked.
I huffed. `Why are you blaming me? He was like that when he came out of the closet.'
`He came out of the closet!'Nick said laughing.
I caught his meaning and I laughed too.
`What?' River asked oblivious to the joke. Unlike Nick he never interacted with the humans and their sense of humor in the human realm. There was no use in trying to explain it to him because he would never understand. I had the same problem with Wren the other day.
Nothing,' I said trying to be serious. So, were you guys looking for me?'
`Yeah. We found your bird. He's outside with Wren,' Nick said.
`Great,' I said walking away.
I'll come with you,' Nick said. River, are you coming?'
We looked at River. `Go ahead without me. I'm going to check on my brother.'
When I arrived at the over-hang I saw Pitch in Wren's lap. He lay unmoving on his back while Wren was putting a bandage around its left leg.
`What happened?' I said kneeling beside Wren.
`He caught his leg in a mouse trap trying to get away from Helen.'
`Is he going to be okay?' I asked concerned.
`He's a brave little soldier. He'll live.'
Once Wren was done, I took Pitch in my arm. I kissed him on the head and patted his back. `Everything will be okay, boy.'
`He's not a baby,' Nick said. But before I could answer back, one of Pitch feathers came loose in my hand. The moment I wrapped my fingers around it I felt the pull of a vision.
I went still as images flooded my mind. When they stopped, I found myself standing on a paved street. There were people around. Not many but enough to liven the place. A few of these people walked right through me as if I was a spirit. I noticed the men wore vests over long sleeved tunics that covered their leather pants. The women carried baskets in clothing similar to the Faraday sisters. There weren't any warriors around, thus giving the place a peaceful feeling.
"Three dozen apples, Mr. Calder," an attractive young woman in a brick red dress said close by.
"Sure thing, Lady Fae," the vendor said. Raising his hand a few apples flew from the cart and went straight for Lady Fae's waiting basket.
It's a witch town!
Just as two teenage boys materialized in sparks of blue lights in front of me a black bird flew over their heads. Pitch! I recognized him by the bandages on his leg. I quickly followed him. I didn't try to call him for I knew he wouldn't hear me. Dazzled by the scenes around me I soon lost him as he flew around a corner. Then abruptly, I was pulled out of the vision.
`What happened, Rye?' Nick asked alarmed. Wren also edged closer.
`Guys, I think I just found where Amegra might be.'
`Did you see her?' Wren asked after I told them about the vision.
`No but I followed the bird like my father said.'
That doesn't tell us much,' Nick said. Did you see a sign or something that tells us something about the place?'
`Yes. I believe it's called Wendal because there was a sign in front of a building that read "The great library of Wendal".'
`Wendal. I never heard of a town called Wendal,' Wren said with a puzzled expression.
That's because you know it by another name,' Nick said. Merk.'
`How do you know?' Wren asked.
`That's the last town I lived in before my family and I took refuge in the human realm.'
`Oh! What's your plan now, Rye?' Wren asked me.
`We go there.'
Alright,' Nick said we should leave immediately then. We've got only a few hours of daylight left to search for Amegra.'
In thirty minutes, everyone was ready to go. Nick suggested we travel incognito so we wore witch's type clothing with travelling cloaks. No one brought a single weapon so as not to antagonize the already suspicious people.
To further keep the illusion that we were witches, Nick would be the one to teleport us to Merk. Gathering around him, everyone joined hands. Within the blink of an eye we materialized in the exact spot that appeared in my vision.
Pitch was in my hands and I wasn't letting him go until Farren was ready. We had a plan. A simple plan that I hoped will work.
`Farren, you're up,' Nick said.
Farren opened his cloak and released his mergent. The white bird took to the air. Using the air current to its advantage it soared higher and higher.
When I looked at my friends, I realized I was the only one watching the bird. They all were looking in different directions to make sure Farren hadn't been seen by any passersby.
`Okay, Rye. Release your bird,' Wren said.
The moment I released Pitch he made a beeline for the countryside. Using Farren's guidance we followed him to the outskirt of town where there were fewer dwellings. After fifteen minutes Farren told us that Pitch had landed on the front steps of a far-off cottage.
Jogging, we arrived there twenty minutes later. To my surprise Pitch was still on the steps but he wasn't alone. Sitting next to him was a stunning mature woman with dirty brown hair in a white dress. She was also barefooted. When she heard us, she lifted her head and smiled.
Amma! I should have known Pitch would bring us to her.
Amma stood when we reached her. She glanced at all of us in turn before resting her eyes on Wren.
Wren's face blanched. He recognized her.
`Hello mother.'
...
End of chapter 8