The Vampire And The Orphan

“Fae?” Lettie whispered the word as the man got out from behind the bar. He swiftly went to the door and locked it.

What the heck was a fae?

“Sit,” he motioned to a table, “I’ll bring us drinks.”

Nathanial motioned for her to follow him, and she did. They sat at a small bar table. She pushed an ashtray that smelled terrible away from her. Nathanial noticed and took it away. He swiftly moved it to a table further from their noses.

Benjamin, she was assuming that’s who he was, returned. He had two glasses of the whiskey Nathanial usually drank, along with some bubbly drink he set in front of her. It was a light gold color.

“What is this?” She asked.

“She doesn’t drink,” Nathanial said at the same time.

“I haven’t yet!” Lettie looked at him, “doesn’t mean I don’t.”

Benjamin laughed lightly. It was a nice laugh. She felt a good vibe from him.

“It’s a little gin, with club soda and a lot of honey,” he sat down across from her, “fae love honey.”

Well, she did love honey; this was true. Ella caught her with her hand in the honey jar more than once as a little girl.

She took a small sip, the bubbles tickled her nose, and she giggled. It was tasty, though, so delicious! She happily took another sip.

“Thank you, sir!” She gave him a big smile.

“Aren’t you a charming little thing,” he returned her grin, “call me Ben, pretty girl.”

“Okay, then, thanks, Ben,” she giggled again.

“Can we get on with this?” Nathanial looked slightly tense, “How can she be a faery, they-

“A fairy!” Lettie cut him off, and eyes widened at that, “like in Peter Pan!?”

Benjamin laughed again at that, “not exactly like that.”

“They are extinct,” Nathanial mused, “how could she be?”

“That, my dear old friend, is the troubling question,” he looked from Lettie to Nathaniel, and then his curious gaze fell back to Lettie.

“One must’ve survived,” Nathanial mused, “managed to hide away. We’ve heard of it before. To this day, there are tales of fishermen seeing mermaids at night. Children seeing goblins in the dark and so on.”

“You don’t understand; the fae is much more than those other beings were.” Benjamin leaned in, “the lack of understanding was intentional. Knowledge of the fae and their importance to the species wars has been retold. The Order’s doing, of course.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll tell you the story as I know it, which is full of holes.” Ben offered, “it’s a long one, so prepare yourselves. I’ll make us a fresh round of drinks.”

He rose as she sipped the one in front of her. It was so tasty she couldn’t stop.

“Easy,” Nathanial gave her a warning look, “it will make you sick if you drink it too fast.”

“I put very little gin in it, Nathanial,” Ben assured him as he sat back down. “You’re quite protective of her.”

“She’s my charge,” Nathaniel said.

“How did that come to be?” Ben asked. “She is not related to the Odin bloodline.”

Well, that solved that question, Lettie thought.

“Some witchy intervention,” Nathaniel explained, “On her deathbed, the last Odin witch made me promise to return on a certain day. It put me on Lettie’s path. Lettie was told by a witch that watched over her which way to go.”

“Interesting,” Ben mused, “You’re not that old. You’ve been able to control yourself?”

‘Not that old!? He’s six hundred,’ Lettie thought; then again, Nathanial said Ben was over two thousand.

Nathanial tensed again, “I have excellent control.”

“I know this,” Ben agreed, “you had it even way back then. However, fae blood is alluring and delicious. The power it brings. It’s nearly impossible to resist and more so to stop. You did, though.”

“I didn’t -

“I know you drank her blood,” Ben cut him off, “I can feel the power coming from you. How did you stop?”

“I have a lot to tell you, but I need honesty too,” Ben added when Nathanial hesitated.

He looked at Lettie first and then spoke. “I have craved her blood from the moment I smelled it.”

Somehow this didn’t scare her; however, it did something... she felt a shiver run through her body.

“However, the duty to protect her overrides this urge. Tonight, I had to feed from her, and you’re right. At first, it was intoxicating, and I nearly lost myself.”

Lettie’s eyes widened; he did? The whole thing was so fast, though!?

“Then she touched my mind,” Nathanial said to which Ben’s eyes widened. “Once she did that, I forgot all else. She found me in memory of my most vulnerable time. I pulled away, and then that was that.”

“That’s... fae don’t touch minds,” Ben mused quietly, “you said at your most vulnerable memory?”

“Right before I was turned,” he confirmed.

“I did touch his mind, though. I felt him so deeply.” Lettie added.

“How? I mean, how did you come into his head?”

“I don’t know exactly,” Lettie frowned thoughtfully, “I felt something beyond what was happening.”

She felt her cheeks blush as she recalled the pleasurable feeling at first. “I wanted to see what it was, so I went to it.”

“Hmm,” Ben mused.

“What are your thoughts?” Nathanial asked.

“You pulled her into your mind,” Ben said.

“No, I didn’t -

“Not subconsciously,” Ben explained, “you two will figure this out on your own.”

“Figure what out?” Lettie asked.

“I don’t understand,” Nathanial added.

“In time, you will,” Ben left them both hanging with that. He sipped his drink down and poured another.

“Let’s get to the story. It’s a long one, and the sun doesn’t wait. I have a cellar under the bar. You can rest there during daylight tomorrow.”

Lettie still wanted to know more, but she knew who she was, which was more critical now.

“The fae. Or faeries, as they are also called, were the oldest creatures living on earth.” Ben started his tale, and Lettie settled in to listen.

“They were very much a part of the earth; from the beginning, they were here.” Ben explained, “over time, the earth became populated with other beings, creatures, monsters, animals, many different beings. Everything was at peace with each other, then.”

“That didn’t last.” Nathanial guessed correctly.

“There were what they called creators, more popularly known as gods,” Benjamin explained. “These beings existed outside of the earth as we know it. It’s hard to explain, as they are not physical beings. They battled amongst each other.”

“In the end, two remained. The creator in the sky, known as many things to many beings, and the creator under the earth, also known as the devil to most beings.”

“They despised each other, hence the separation,” Ben continued. “Anyhow, the creator in the sky was fascinated with the fae. They were free-thinking beings, unlike the other creatures that roamed the earth. He wanted to make something in their image, so he created humans. Humans then began to roam the earth as well.”

“It didn’t take long for this to pose an issue for the fae. Jael, the father of all fae, came to despise the humans. They had big appetites and killed beasts and plants to feed their tribes. He found them to be wasteful and disrespectful to the earth.”

“Jael,” Lettie whispered the name, and then she felt a strong shudder rip through her whole body.

“You feel his name,” Benjamin said, “Fae are all connected. Jael is or was immortal. As long as any of his bloodlines remain, so would he. If his bloodline died off, he would die as well.”

“If they were immortal, how’d they end up extinct?” Nathanial asked.

“Getting there,” Ben said, “and they weren’t. Fae have a natural life span of one thousand years. The father of the fae is the only one that is immortal.”

“A thousand years!?” Lettie’s eyes widened at that. “I’m going to live that long?”

“I can’t answer that,” he said softly, “You are not strictly faery; you are human too. I imagine that’ll shorten your lifespan.”

“How can you tell?” Nathanial asked.

“She doesn’t have wings,” he said, “also her scent is somewhat deluded.”

“I could’ve had wings?” Lettie whined at that. “How unfair.”

Ben chucked at that. “Anyhow, the humans were taking over. As I said, the fae inspired them. Unlike them, though, they didn’t have wings to fly. They also didn’t have magical abilities or the same connection to nature. At least most didn’t. I’ll get to that in a moment.”

“Magical abilities!?”

He smirked at that, “I enjoy your enthusiasm. I find it refreshing.”

“Thanks,” she blushed a little at that. It wasn’t every day she got a compliment from a two-thousand-year-old man. “Nathanial finds it pestering.”

Ben and Nathaniel laughed at that.

“I find all the questions pestering,” he corrected her, “not so much, you.”

“But you didn’t want another charge after all those years,” she pointed out.

“I offered, didn’t I?” He countered.

“I guess so,” she wasn’t sure why but now that made her blush! Maybe it was the yummy drink she was enjoying so much. It seemed to give her a bubbly feeling. She kind of liked it.

Ben looked amused as he rose to get the bottle. He refilled his and Nathanial’s drinks and sat back down. She started on her second drink as he poured.

“The fae, I don’t have all the details, had a special connection to nature. They can connect with every living natural thing; they can sense it, heal it, and some can even control other lesser beings. They could also manipulate the weather to an extent. They pull on the magical properties of nature itself to do different things.”

“Each fae differed in abilities and depended, of course, on age. Also, how closely they were related to Jael.”

“It was found after some time that some of the humans could access magic, as well. They also have premonitions and magical abilities the fae didn’t have. They were named witches and warlocks.”

“Jael didn’t like them at all, I assume?” Nathanial guessed.

“On the contrary, he became friendly with a young warlock. They found they could do things with their combined magic. This is why you and I exist today, Nathanial.”

“What do you mean?” He asked as he sipped his drink.

“I’ll get there. As I said, it’s a long story,” Ben said, “human females were able to mate and reproduce every year once they reached maturity. So even though they had a much shorter life span than the fae. They populated very quickly. Fae females can only have one child in their lifespan, and that’s it. After that, they don’t reproduce anymore. All the more reason for Jael’s fears. He felt they’d ruin the earth.”

“He wasn’t wrong,” Nathanial murmured.

“Right?” Ben nodded at him, then continued. “Not all witches and warlocks stayed true to the creator in the sky,” he said in an ominous tone. “Some sought out the power the devil would give them. They called this black magic.”

“This eventually gave the devil a footing into our world. He sent demons up. They possessed the monsters and creatures that walked the earth. They were quickly turning earth into hell in itself.”

“Jael had to work with the humans to save the earth. He called upon the creator in the sky for help. The creator sent down angels, powerful angels, to fight the demons.”

“This went on for a long time, but eventually, the angels won. They can create realms within our world—a world within our world, created by the angel. Once in, the only way out is if the angel opens it back up. They opened one of these and forced all the demons and monsters into it. They remain there to this day.”

“What if they got out?” Lettie asked with wide eyes.

“Only an angel could open that realm and let them out,” Ben explained, “there aren’t any left on earth.”

“I never heard this part of this,” Nathanial mumbled. He looked as fascinated as she was.

“By design,” Ben agreed.

“So everything should have been great. The demons were gone. The earth was safe.” Ben continued.

“But?” Lettie asked.

“But...” Ben smiled at that. “The angels were many things. Immortal, supersonic, and undeniably strong. This, coupled with their abilities to influence and read minds, made them a force beyond nature.”

“They were, however, not without any faults,” Ben surmised, “they were very impulsive and lustful. During the battles, they mated with humans. The beings the humans gave birth to were an angel-human hybrid. They had some of the abilities but not all. Their lifespan was short. Even shorter than that of a normal human. It seemed they couldn’t thrive in this world.”

“Because they weren’t meant to be,” Nathaniel guessed.

“Everything that is, or was, was meant to be or wouldn’t be,” Ben said, and Lettie could feel those words in her soul.

“So.. this leads to how you and I came to exist,” he looked at Nathanial. “A young hybrid, Lilith, became friendly with Jael and his warlock. The warlock’s name is gone with the times now...”

“Anyhow, Lilith wanted to achieve immortality like the angels. She, Jael, and the warlock found a way.”

“They realized it was the human body that was failing. It wasn’t strong enough to handle the angelic blood’s magical properties. The body wore out too fast. I am curious to know how exactly they came up with this. I am assuming many hybrids died while they figured it out.”

“In the end, they did, though. They drained Lilith’s blood until she was nearly dead and fed her the blood of an unknown angel. The warlock then killed her human body so it could be reborn. They buried her body in soil, and Jael called upon its healing magic to bring the body back as a new and better one that more closely resembled the angel. Vampires can turn humans, to this day, doing this.”

“Although they shouldn’t be,” Nathanial pointed out.

“Yet there are,” Ben gave him a look, “With Lilith, it took three days before she rose again and as an immortal.”

“Lilith is also the head of, The Order.” Nathanial mused.

“Correct,” Ben agreed, “and never should’ve been given such trust.”

Nathanial raised his eyebrows at that. Lettie had the feeling he always followed the rules of The Order.

“Lilith was as strong and fast as the angels were. She also possessed mind-controlling abilities. However, it was limited to humans only. She hadn’t counted on what she needed for sustenance.”

“Human blood,” Nathanial guessed.

“Jael and his warlock slipped that into the spell,” Ben explained. “He figured he could kill off the humans, and she’d owe him.”

“A win-win for him.”

“Would’ve been,” Ben nodded, “but then they had a spat. They say Lilith loved Jael, but he loved another. I always thought those rumors silly until now.” He looked at Lettie when he said the last part.

“Once Jael and Lilith’s alliance went sour. Things began to escalate quickly,” Ben continued. “Lilith discovered the magical blood of the fae made her even stronger. She began to hunt them.”

“Because they don’t populate fast, this put them in danger quickly,” Ben explained, “Lilith was turning people at an accelerated rate. Then turning them unto fae blood.”

“She killed all the fae?” Lettie asked with wide eyes, her people. She felt it then, a pain in her heart for the lives lost.

“Nearly, the creator in the sky got wind of what happened to his perfect humans. He was furious. He banished every remaining angel from the earth down to hell. This didn’t stop the vampires that already were though. So he cursed them. They could no longer walk in the sun. If they tried, they’d be burnt to a crisp.”

“This helped settle some tensions but not all. Jael and Lilith’s feud intensified after that. He was nearly down to no one. He and his warlock did something to counteract the vampires. This is a tale lost to time, but somehow Jael created werewolves; I don’t know. The wolf’s purpose was to protect his fae, above all else.”

“Not humans,” Nathanial said in a stunned voice.

“The Order, let them believe it was for the humans.” Ben nodded.

“So.. ” Ben took a deep breath; he looked winded as he told the age-old tale. “This led to a war among the species. Nathanial knows this part. This war went on for a very, very long time.”

“Then the infighting started..” Nathanial prompted.

“Yes, but what mattered more is what happened to the face,” Ben said, “Lilith hunted down the last one. She took them to a public clearing and called Jael out. She demanded he works with her or perish. He refused. She killed the last faery, and hundreds of witnesses saw Jael disappear, right in front of their eyes.”

“When a being as old as the earth itself was no more. It was huge. It caused a ripple of chaos throughout the world. Lilith committed a crime against nature in what she did to Jael. She claimed she knew a witch that had a vision. She claimed Jael would rid the world of everything but his kind if she didn’t do this.”

“Not everyone believed her. The infighting started then, yes, because the world was a chaotic mess.”

“That’s when the supposed prophecy of the world ending in flames came to be. Then, The Order was formed, and eventually, everything calmed.”

He sat back after telling his tale and finished the last drink.

“Wow,” Nathanial whispered. “So, did Jael fool her? Or did she fool everyone?”

“I don’t know,” Ben mused, “I would imagine if Lilith or anyone in The Order learned of Lettie, it wouldn’t be good.”

“How do I keep them from finding her? What do I do?” Nathanial asked.

“I wish I knew,” Ben said. “I don’t have a clue. You can trust me to stay silent, though.”

“She lied about the story of everything,” Nathaniel mused, “I was told something much simpler. It was the wolves and vampires mostly, fighting for power.”

“She knew she needed to simplify it to get people to follow.”

“So she didn’t establish, The Order for peace?”

“I doubt Lilith cared about peace,” Ben said, “She had her plan. If we knew the actual prophecy, not the made-up one, that would help.”

“How would we ever find that? That witch is long gone.”

“Good question,” Ben sighed, “I wish I knew.”

“Sun is coming up soon. I must get home. Please help yourself to the cellar for the day. I’d like you gone by sunset. I’ll remain quiet. However, I won’t put myself at risk with The Order. I hope you understand.”

“Of course we do,” Lettie said sweetly, “We’d never risk you like that.”

“Thank you, Lettie,” he gave her a handsome smile as he gently took her hand, “it’s been a pleasure. He kissed the top of her hand softly, causing her blush to deepen.

“Good to see you again, Nathanial,” he looked at him next, “be well.”

He blurred away so fast it was like he nearly disappeared into thin air!

“Oh my gosh,” she mused softly, “I’m a faery.”

“I guess you are,” Nathanial agreed.

“What now?” She asked.

“I don’t know,” he mused, “we have some answers. I guess that’s a start. We know there is a rebellion forming against The Order.”

“We do?”

“The night I found you, that vampire pretty much said it.” He grabbed the bottle of booze Ben left out. “Let’s get down to the cellar.”

“I should’ve asked handsome Ben for one more,” she slurped the rest of her drink down, “these were so good!”

“I think you’re a little drunk, Lettie,” he smirked. She followed him as they walked down the stairs.

“I’m not!”

“Then why were you all red when Ben kissed your hand?” He teased.

He opened a big heavy door. They walked into an old dusty-looking cellar. The floor was grey concrete. The walls were concrete blocks. They were covered in cobwebs and dust. An orange and brown couch sat in the center of the space, facing a television. The room was filled with tons of boxes and other junk.

“I didn’t blush!” She denied.

Nathanial rolled his eyes, “Please. You were crushing on him!”

“I just never had attention from a handsome man like that,” she protested.

“That’s the second time you called him handsome,” he pointed out.

“Well, he is!” She shrugged, “maybe not as handsome as you are, but more charming!”

“Charming is overrated,” he scoffed.

He leaned down to examine the couch. She watched as he pulled out a hideaway bed from it.

She walked over and climbed in. The drink did make her head a little dizzy, and she wanted to lie down. The springs creaked under her weight as she settled in. It had a slight musty smell to it, but it was something. Still better than the old beds at the orphanage.

Nathanial moved towards the corner and leaned into it.

“You’re not going to stand there all night- er, day, are you?” She asked.

“No, I plan to sit at some point,” his lips curl into a smirk.

“Get over here!” She patted the bed next to her. “You drank my blood, and I invaded your brain. We can share a bed.”

He let out something of a laugh and then finally joined her. The bed creaked even louder under his weight.

“I’m sure you’d prefer Benjamin,” he tried to sound teasing, but she caught a hint of something in his voice.

“Nathanial! Are you jealous!?”

“No!” he scoffed as if that idea was insane.

“Are you lying?”

“No more gin for you, little lady,” he said, not answering her question. “Get some sleep. It’s been a long night.”

A small smile found her face. He was jealous.

“I don’t know if I can sleep after all that information,” she admitted after a bit.

“It was a lot to take in,” he turned to his side to face her, and she did the same. “We didn’t ask about the cloud thing.”

“The story so enthralled me, I forget.” She frowned, “do you think he’d have known?”

“I don’t think so,” he said quietly, “it must have something to do with Jael.”

“Ella’s voice warned me not to let it near me,” she said, “if it was Jael. I wouldn’t be in danger, right? He’d need me alive so he can live? Maybe if I let it catch me, he can tell-

“No,” Nathanial said quickly.

“That’s assuming you’re the last fae. We don’t know that you are. We also don’t know what that thing is!”

“I guess that’s true,” she mumbled.

“I’m not taking any chances with your life, Lettie,” she met his emerald eyes with her hazy violet gaze. “I will keep you safe, somehow.”

“Do you regret making that promise now? This is a lot more than you expected.” She looked down as she said the words.

His hand touched her chin and raised it so their eyes met again. The seriousness in his eyes took her aback. “No, I will never regret my promise to you. I didn’t make it out of obligation. I made it because I wanted to.”

“Thank you, Nathanial,” she said as she choked back the emotions.

“No need to thank me,” he rolled over to the other side, “now get some sleep.”

“You’re right,” she said as she closed her eyes.

“About what?”

“Charming is overrated,” she said softly, “I much prefer sincerity.”

“Goodnight, Lettie,” he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice.