Some Like it Hexed, page 7
And with that, she shut the door.
12
Callie
* * *
From the time we arrived in the fae world to the moment I was escorted out of my room and down the hall, it was nothing but a whirlwind of magic, judgmental fae shaming, and a lot of curiosity as to what exactly I was going to look like what it was all done.
I pulled on the clothes she had given me, the woman they called the Magic Maker, and ran my hands over the soft material. I had never felt anything so delicate in my life. The fabric was incredibly light, the pants were fitted but comfortable, a blouse similar to silk, and a suit jacket that sparkled when I walked. They slipped my feet into a pair of soft flats and then stepped out of the way so I could see myself in the mirror.
Almost immediately, my mouth dropped open. It was me. I could see that my forty-year-old wrinkles had been smoothed out, my hair straightened and glistening, and my skin was porcelain white like Willa and her aunt. I recognized my body and my face, but everything was so much more delicate. Even though she didn't change how I moved, my body had a grace that I never had in the earthly realm. I lifted my perfectly sculpted brow and turned from side to side, noticing that she had also taken a bit off the sides. Then again, every fae I had seen so far was petite, slim, and almost perfect in appearance.
"That's even better than liposuction," I mumbled to myself. "If you ever get tired of the fae realm, I bet you could make a killing on Earth."
The Magic Maker shifted her eyeglasses onto the top of her head and wrinkled her nose. "I've been there. It's not my cup of tea. I like it here with the fae better."
"Aren't you a fae?"
She chuckled and pushed a piece of her curly hair behind her ear. "I'm half-fae. The other half of me is a mystic."
Before I could ask her what exactly that meant, she started tugging on my clothes and stood back, nodding at me. "Try not to fiddle with your hands. Fae don't fiddle. And don't talk about humans. Or witches. If you don't know the answer to the question, just don't say anything at all. There will be plenty of people around you to make sure you don't get stuck. Luckily, fae lean more on their intuition than they do on their suspicions, and you have a strong fae feeling from the bracelet."
Nerves rattled in my stomach, and I suddenly realized that I would have to play a part. I was going to have to play a role that I knew nothing about. I wanted to protest, to tell her that it was pretty obvious I didn't know what I was doing and ask for help. But before I could, there was a knock on the door, and I found myself ushered out, following behind a guard toward another part of the castle.
"Where are we going?"
"Dinner with the princess," the guard said with a short, curt tone.
He definitely wasn't as friendly as the other fae, but I was just glad he wasn’t the guy I had accidentally beaten up. Well, maybe it wasn't accidental, but nonetheless, I definitely didn't want to run into him. As we reached what I could only assume was the dining room, the guard led me in. Thankfully, there weren't a bunch of other fae there. It was just Willa, her aunt, a man I didn't recognize, my uncle, Shade, Esmeralda, and Harry. They were all sitting around a large, long oak table with food spread across the center and candles lit all over the place.
Willa looked up and smiled, wearing something similar to mine but in a purple color. Her hair was no longer thoroughly dyed, and instead so blond it was almost white, but just three-quarters of the way down. The tips were a shimmering purple. The whole fae world felt like a glitter bomb had gone off, only it didn't stick to you and lay claim to your cheek for the next five years. She patted the seat next to her, and I hurried over, sitting down. She leaned toward me and whispered. "Look at you. A little magic, a little less spandex, and you look like you finally had a good night's sleep."
I rolled my eyes. "Try a lot of magic."
Willa grinned and shifted her eyes across the table. I followed her gaze and quickly pressed my lips together, finding Shade sitting there, looking slightly annoyed, his skin a fair white, his eyes blue, and his hair cropped short. It was blond like all the other fae, and his cheeks were suspiciously rosy. I wasn't about to call them out on it, though. He definitely fit right in, and while he was still incredibly handsome, I was more for the emo-witch look.
To his right was Willa's aunt, who gave me an approving nod and continued eating. Willa sat back and tugged on my shoulder. "This is my uncle. Uncle Bailey is my father's brother, the youngest of the three."
I could see Willa in her uncle. They had the same grin, the same chuckle, the same glisten in their eyes. It was something I couldn't see in Willa's aunt.
He reached his hand forward and shook mine. "So, you've been the best friend all these years. I've missed my little Willa so very much."
"That's me, though sometimes I think I'm less of a best friend and more of a hazard for her."
Willa shook her head. "Never. She's taken excellent care of me, Uncle. But I am so thrilled to see you."
I could tell there was a special bond between the two of them, and I could tell from the roll of her aunt's eyes that she wasn't as fond of Uncle Bailey as Willa was.
Her aunt cleared her throat and set down her fork, waving to the servants waiting for her to finish. "I'm sorry to eat and run, Willa, dear, but I have many things to attend to. We'll be holding a royal ball in celebration of your return. We believe that the event and the news will help strengthen the faith of the fae in their leaders. Until then, enjoy your time, and let me know if you need anything. There will be several fae coming to your room tomorrow to begin preparations for the ball in several days."
Willa nodded, and I smiled, but her aunt quickly pushed back the chair without noticing and hurried from the room. The room almost lightened tenfold as her aunt left. I leaned back in my chair, looking at the food they had set in front of me, and whispered to Willa. "Please tell me that there isn't a requirement for giant puffy sleeves and shimmering hoop skirts at the ball. And please tell me I don't have to put on a corset."
Willa cringed. "No corset, but it's definitely a tradition to wear a big puffy dress."
I groaned, leaning my head back. "I thought I had outlived the trauma of the 80s puffy sleeves."
Willa patted my leg. "It'll all be picked out for you, don't worry. Now, eat. Your body isn't used to our realm. You're going to need to keep up with food. Besides, the fae have some of the best food in all the realms."
I lifted a brow. "I don't know… Have you ever tried old Ethel's pancake breakfast on Main Street?"
Willa laughed, and we all began to eat, talking amongst ourselves. It was nice, I had to admit. Even though I didn't fully look like myself, and I was trying to ignore the powerful waves of pulsating energy coming from my bracelet and palpitating through my entire body, I felt comfortable with friends. Maybe it was the fae, the calming magic that they all seemed to put out, but even Shade smiled and loosened up a little.
We stayed there for quite a while. I was a little bit confused about the time difference, but it didn't stop the yawning. By the time we got to our rooms, I was exhausted. When I went inside and locked the door behind me, I realized it was the first time I had time to take a good look at the place. It was beautiful. Everything was very modern-looking with clean lines and earth tones. The bed was enormous, and the mattress looked like a lumpy cloud sitting on a four-poster frame. I took off my fae suit and put on the pajamas sitting on the bed, shaking my head at how soft the material was. If they had material like that back on Earth, I would definitely broaden my wardrobe.
Climbing into bed, I rolled my eyes and groaned in ecstasy as I felt the softness envelop me. It was the most amazing mattress I had ever laid on. It literally felt like I had been wrapped in a cloud, while at the same time, everything was entirely supported. When I say it took me two seconds to fall asleep, I didn't even have time to think about it before I was long gone into a dream world.
I only wished that my dreams were as lovely as the comforter I had wrapped around me. But unfortunately, as I stirred in my dream state, I found myself standing in a large room, pillars jutting up in random patterns all around and the outer walls too far to see. I looked down at myself, finding I was dressed in a sparkling gown, only it looked like I had taken a run through the woods. The fabric was torn and dirty, and I reached up, feeling my hair pulled in all different directions.
In front of me, a figure moved, cloaked in a long black satin hooded robe. They didn't see me. Instead, they looked away as they shifted back and forth between the columns, making their way farther into the room. There was something inside of me, something that told me I needed to follow them. The energy pulsed on my wrist as I hurried along, trying to catch a glimpse of their faces. They slipped behind another column, but before I could follow, I was flanked. The enormously tall, robed creatures with red eyes that had attacked me in Rome came surging from all sides.
I reached between them as they pulled and shook me, trying to call out for the cloaked person, but nothing escaped my lips. I shoved, feeling my energy trying to erupt from the bracelet, but the red-eyed beings were too much. The cloaked person disappeared into the darkness just as I was overcome by the shrouded figures.
My eyes immediately shot open, my breath heavy in my chest. I fully expected to see nothing more than darkness in the room, but to my surprise, the windows were open, and the sun was shining inside. The dream felt like it had only taken a few seconds, but my body was well-rested, and it was definitely morning. Something rustled behind me. I turned over in bed, pulling the blanket up around my chest. One of the fae servants was hanging up an outfit for me.
She curtsied to me, and her eyes went to the floor. "I'm sorry. Breakfast is ready, and the others are on their way there right now. Princess Willa sent over a hand-picked outfit for you that she thought you'd be more comfortable in today. I will wait outside and if you need anything, let me know."
I nodded and smiled at her, watching her leave the room. Why didn't they wake me up earlier? There was no way that I could get ready that fast. If they were already on their way to breakfast, by the time I brushed my hair, put on makeup, and got dressed, they'd be done. I figured I had no choice but to make do, so I pulled the covers back and got out of bed, stretching my shoulders and my back. I hadn't felt that good in an exceedingly long time. I definitely didn't feel forty, and in fact, didn't even feel twenty. I could definitely get used to that.
I hurried over and took the clothes, smiling at the outfit that Willa had sent. It was a pair of black riding pants, which I assumed was the closest thing she could find to yoga pants, a white flowing blouse, and a pair of knee-high brown boots. I tossed my pajamas onto the chair and quickly got dressed, preparing myself for the mess I usually was in the morning when I looked in the mirror. I would say that my normal morning appearance was somewhere between zombie and Medusa.
However, as I dipped in front of the mirror, I chirped in the excitement. I had forgotten completely about my fae appearance. Apparently, fae could sleep all night and not have a single tangle in their hair or smudge of makeup. It looked like I had spent hours getting ready.
I could definitely get used to that.
By the time I made it to breakfast, Willa's aunt had already left, and Willa was finishing up. Shade and my uncle were sitting at the table, on the other end, chatting to each other. Willa took a quick sip of her coffee and patted her lips as she stood up, reaching her hand for me. "I'm sorry I couldn't wait. I have so many things that I have to do today. But the three of you will be shown to the library. I figured you could start there with your research, and I'll join you as soon as I can. I don't really have control over these things right now, but after the ball, things will settle down."
My heart did a little patter of excitement. "Please tell me the library here is just as amazing as the rest of the castle. I'm talking puts Beauty and the Beast to shame. I'll never want to leave. You're gonna have to build a restaurant inside and put a cot in there because it's that good."
She leaned in and whispered with a big smile. "It's even better. In fact, I spent many, many years there in the fantasy creature section as a child. It was always my favorite. There was this one book that I literally read so many times that my father had to magically rebind it so that it could stay on the shelf. I think it was called The Lore of the Mystics. They were stories about these amazingly powerful beings that were very prevalent long before I came. By the time I was born, though, there was mostly just mixed blood and a few of the older mystics left, but they've died out since. The woman who helped you was part mystic. It was a great book."
I leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Go do princess stuff, and thanks for the clothes. And by the way, I saw how easily I got up, and my hair was done… I'm on to you."
One of the guards cleared his throat, and Willa chuckled, sticking out her bottom lip to me and waving as she hurried off after him. Alabaster and Shade were already standing up, readying themselves for the library. I didn't want anybody to wait on me, so I grabbed a croissant off the table and took a sip of water.
"We can wait for you," Shade said.
"Nope, I'm good. I don't usually eat breakfast anyway. Besides, I'm being escorted to a fae library. That's worth missing like a week's worth of meals."
Alabaster chuckled, and Shade rolled his eyes. "What is it with girls and libraries?"
As we followed along behind one of the servants, I tapped him on the shoulder and leaned in. "It's because we're smarter than you. We understand that there are big words that boys have a hard time reading."
Alabaster let out a very jolly laugh that echoed down the hall. Shade turned and looked at me as we followed along, narrowing his eyes. I was struggling to tell whether he was flirting with me or just joking around. Shade was still just as hard to read as a fae as he was as a witch. That was definitely not something they had changed.
We rounded the corner and came to a stop as the servant pulled open the two doors and stepped to the side, putting his arm out. We slowly walked around the corner and into the library, my face stunned and my arms falling limp at my sides. I had never seen anything like it before. The walls were covered in shelving, and there were at least four floors with a dome ceiling at the top. There were tables sparsely set around the room, and at the back were even more rows of books. I couldn't even tell how far back it went.
Rubbing my hands together, I nudged Shade to the side. "Now, this is more my speed."
13
Callie
* * *
We spent hours at the library that first day.
I probably walked ten miles and had only just begun to understand the sheer number of books on the first floor, let alone the entire place. I had my speed walk on, weaving and bobbing through the stacks, pulling down books, and forcing myself not to ooh and ahh at every title I came to. The mall walkers of America would have been proud of me.
Alabaster, Shade, and I tackled the bottom floor, all different sections, all looking for the same things. We were researching the stone to understand more about it, what it did, and the powers it held. We were also looking for the King Collector or any kind of creature that resembled him. Of course, we really didn't know much about what he looked like except for my small memory of him, but we knew what his cronies looked like.
There were stacks and stacks of books about the different magical creatures, dark magic, and everything in between splayed out on the tables. However, after hours of research, we still had no idea who the King Collector was or where he might've come from. We were coming up completely empty, which didn't make any sense to me. Either a whole new level of being was created without anyone knowing it in any of the realms, or there was something much more common about the King Collector than we realized. Either way, Shade was getting antsy, and I could tell he wasn't the kind of guy who was satisfied with doing research in the library.
Walking out of one of the stacks, reading a book, I glanced up to find him pacing the floor, seemingly talking to himself. I stopped and raised a brow. "I know that we're free to use the library, but I'm pretty sure that Willa will be pissed if you run a hole in the carpet. You might want to relax."
Shade stopped and glanced up at me, realizing he was talking to himself. He chuckled and let out an exhaustive sigh. "I can't look at another book. I now know every creature ever born in any realm outside of Earth. Not a single one of them has anything to do with the King Collector. And if they do? We don't know what it is. I feel like I'm just wasting time here." He grabbed his lightweight jacket from the back of the chair. "I'm gonna do some research on my own out in town. I'll let you know if I come up with anything. If you find anything in those books…"
I nodded. "I'll let you know. Be safe out there."
He gave me a half-smile and then turned and walked from the library. I looked back at Alabaster with my hands on my hips. "Well, I guess it's just the two of us."
But Alabaster wasn't paying any attention to me. He was standing there, mumbling to himself like a crazed professor. I couldn't even understand what he was saying. He glanced at me and put up his finger, hurrying from the room after Shade. I blinked, finding myself standing alone in the library, surrounded by open books, abandoned for a more exciting version of research. With a sigh, I grabbed a stack of the books and started toward the shelving, figuring I could at least put things back the way they were when we had found them.
I started out with a stack of Shade's books and paused as I passed the children's section, remembering what Willa had said about her favorite book. I knew it was wasting time, but I didn't know a lot about Willa, especially her childhood, and I felt like she wouldn’t have told me that if she didn't want me to look for it. I set the stack of books on a small table and walked into the more whimsical area that looked to be decorated just for Willa. There were cutouts, floating in midair, almost dancing around above my head. They were all ballerinas and princesses, and if I listened close enough, I could hear faint giggles coming from them.
