Becoming Fae

Blaine

My head was pounding.

I deserved it, but it didn’t hurt nearly as much as the hole in my chest.

I stood up after Immail spoke the words for a demon burial fit for a queen, and stood beside Fae and Mal. They looked happy. Peaceful, like they wanted to be. It looked like makeup had found its way to their face, giving them a faint rosy look and the illusion that they really were only sleeping.

“I lost my sister,” I said, my voice breaking. “And I lost another brother.”

My throat tightened until I couldn’t breathe, and Ben put his hand on my shoulder with a look.

“We all lost so much,” he said. “A daughter and a son, a sister and a brother, a friend and one hell of a queen. Her reign might not have lasted for very long, but she did what any great leader would do and protected her people. She saved us and stopped another war from tearing the Sidhe apart in just a few moments.

“As much as we’ve lost in Fae and Mal, they’ve given us more,” he sniffed and squeezed my shoulder. “She showed me the meaning of bravery and embracing the things that make us different because our differences make us stronger.”

“She taught us about acceptance,” I added. “And forgiveness and how having a bit of faith in someone else can change so much. She was also annoying and had the worst names for things and couldn’t swear for shit.”

Ben snorted and rolled his eyes.

“And although we didn’t much care for Mal in the beginning, he showed us how to be strong and hold steady when things got so hard,” I closed my eyes. “His devotion to Fae wasn’t because of their Bond. He truly loved her and for some reason, she loved the idiot just as much.”

“They were our family and as much as it will always hurt without them, they’ll never be completely gone,” Ben cleared his throat and patted my shoulder before steering me back to our seats.

Mary and Quinn stood up, then and my heart broke, seeing the pain on the queen’s face. They walked over and Quinn put his hand on Mal’s shoulder while Mary bent to kiss Fae’s cheek. I looked down, not wanting to see the heartbreak. I’d seen it with my own mother when Zane... I couldn’t bear to see it again.

Her gasp had everyone looking at her in alarm, though. Quinn’s wings, meant to be silent, hummed as he rushed to her side, but she pushed his hands away and held Fae’s face.

“She’s warm, Quinn,” I heard her say.

Ben and I looked at each other for a moment before we were up and standing by as Mary felt Fae’s cheeks and then dropped her head, pressing her ear to her daughter’s chest. A boom echoed above us and then the stone roof of the crypt shattered. I dove for Quinn as Ben grabbed Mary. Immail and Rollie were suddenly there, shielding us from the debris with their stronger demonic bodies and wings.

Through the dust, I saw white wings spread high and wide and bright golden light as Harmon held his hands over Fae and Mal’s bodies. I let Quinn go and jumped up in time to catch the fool when he collapsed, and I smelled singed feathers and blood.

“She’s going to haunt you if you die,” I muttered to the Celestial as he heaved like he was out of breath and shook violently like he was in shock.

“No, but I will have a few things to say about it.”

No.

No, it can’t...

Fae

Dying sucked.

I mean, living was a pain in the butt, but dying was horrible. It hurt and it was cold and uncomfortable before the whole eternity thing started.

But coming back to life really sucked.

It pinched and burned and prickled and every other unpleasant sensation you could name, plus more. The first thing I did when I felt my eyes open was reach for Mal’s hand, desperate. I breathe out in relief when I felt him squeeze my fingers in time to hear Blaine telling Harmon that I was going to haunt him if he died.

“No, but I will have a few things to say about it,” I said and rolled to the side, seeing Mal’s green eyes and happy smile.

“Fae?” Blaine whispered.

“I need my service hound,” I groaned, feeling heavier than I had in ten years. Well, three days, but ten years... So confusing.

I heard scrambling before hands lifted my shoulders, sitting me up.

“Baby?” Mom looked at me, crying. “My baby girl.”

“Hi, Mom,” I smiled, closing my eyes as she hugged me hard enough to make my bones pop.

“My little girl is alive!” she wailed, and I struggled to lift my hands to hug her back.

“Fae!”

I opened my eyes and saw Dad rushing over, pausing to grab the front of Mal’s shirt and dragged him over, holding all of us.

“You could try to be less rude, Dad. We did just give up a sweet spot in eternity to come back, you know,” I chuckled, and Mom cried louder. “You’re choking me a little.”

“I’m never letting you out of my sight again, Faella Lansing,” Mom sobbed.

“Pretty sure you’re not going to be able to stick to that in a few months, Mom. I have a little brother coming, and I have it on good authority that he’s going to be a handful,” I laughed, and she gasped pulling back in shock.

“How-?”

“Dark Papa,” I grinned and looked at Immail. “Your dad said hi.”

“You-,” he blinked in shock.

“And the Mother wanted to tell Netiri that Her blessings were never taken from her because of your Bond,” Harmon groaned.

“Gods, coming back from the dead is exhausting,” I groaned and sank against my mother. “And I’m starving.”

Ben

I should have known something impossible was going to happen. This was Fae, after all. She kind of has an impressive track record for breaking the limits and boundaries of what should and shouldn’t be possible. Returning from the dead? Sounds like it was a very Fae thing to be done.

She looked exhausted and weighed down but considering that she had been dead just a few hours ago, I wasn’t going to judge. In the time that they had been alive, Fae and Mal had managed to eat enough to make up for the missed meals over the past few days and, aside from what had been spoken in the crypts, they said nothing about what they experienced, and I could tell that their time in eternity had changed them somehow. I didn’t care, though. They were back and alive and none of us were taking that for granted.

Fae, Mal, Harmon, Rollie, Immail, Netiri, Blaine, Glitter, Mary, Quinn, and I were all taking up space in one of the larger rooms in the palace. I didn’t care to ask what it was so long as my sister was here. The non-biological one.

“Tell me what happened?” I heard Fae whisper after we had all gone to bed.

I peeked around and found her sitting next to Blaine who had his head in his hands while she hugged him sideways out side on the patio.

“I can’t,” he choked.

“I’m going to annoy you until you get it out of your head, you know,” she laid her head on his shoulder.

“He needs this,” Mal spoke, and I turned my head to see him watching them, too. “She told me what she saw when she died. The guilt and pain on his face before everything ended. She needs it, too. It’s bothered her.”

“You seem... different. Both of you,” I said, and he smirked softly before looking up at the ceiling.

“Immeasurable happiness and bliss tend to be a death-altering experience,” he said, and I snorted.

“Fae?”

“Yeah,” he chuckled.

“Glad to know she didn’t stop with her horrible and cringe-inducing names,” I said.

“Knowing where it comes from, I don’t think it’ll ever go away,” he laughed.

“Why does that scare me a little bit?” I smiled into the darkness.

“Oh, it’s terrifying,” he laughed again. “But I can’t wait to start living again.”