The Chase

40 Evie

Traveling magically was getting harder not easier. My head was spinning, I felt too warm as I threw up all over the floor and the shoes Ash had magiced up for me. Luca was there, whispering soothing words in my ear, holding my hair back and rubbing soft circles on my back as I tried to will the world to stop spinning so fast.

I was still groaning as Ash snapped her fingers, the mess vanished and either the shoes on my feet were also cleaned or she switched me into a new pair. I wasn't sure as I tried to center myself. Auris was there, looking like keeping the secret to how I was able to get out of the collar was literally going to make him explode. I glared at him, I felt too wretched to stop myself, or fake being polite right now.

He held his hands up defensively, "I think you'll figure it out soon, come with me- I pulled some books that mention Pixie's in the library already" He said, already heading out of the room. Luca held my hand, which allowed me a chance to focus on the pleasant tingles that bloomed anytime our skin touched. Vi'Ja had decided to curl himself loosely around my neck, his head curled up around my ear so he could see what I saw, and whisper in his strange snake language in my ear. He liked to be in Fae, I could feel the magic in the air, in the ground underneath us, everywhere all around. It must be like an all you can eat buffet for the greedy little magic borrower that was already so much a part of me.

I followed Auris, Luca beside me, Ash following behind. The room the gateway opened to looked more like an ancient well than anything else. The stone walls and floor had that feeling of just being old that couldn't be faked. The stones themselves had been in place so long that they wanted to stay as they were. "Auris she is starting to feel the stones." Ash said, Evie and I turned to look at her as she looked at Evie with adoration.

"Ash." The reprimand sharp, the aura around Auris had changed. Basalt was leading now, and the dragon was an authority too powerful to even dare ignore.

"Sorry," Ash chirped, "It's very exciting to be surprised like this." Ash was nearly skipping down the hallway behind Luca and me.

Basalt turned around, the whole way he carried himself was different than Auris. It was super weird to think of them as two people in one, I could even feel how strange Luca found him, them? I wasn't sure, Basalt interrupted my wild running thoughts, his voice so deep, so authoritative, even my rebellious streak wanted to get in line. "I apologize for Ash, she is young and inexperienced." He smiled, sincerely, again changing how his face looked. Like smiling wasn't natural to Basalt, "Though Ash is correct, You are a true marvel, as is your familiar." Basalt inflected towards me, I wasn't sure if he could see my familiar or not. Vi'Ja slithered around wildly, it didn't seem like Basalt could see him, or it could all be some strange complicated magical pantomime or custom I had no idea about.

The hallway ended in wide, double doors, Basalt or Auris flung both doors open with a flourish. Revealing a tall cavern of books. Sliding ladders scaling the towering shelves and rows of books. Glowing orbs seemed to hang around the space, following anyone moving around. To give light where needed, or congregating like a little sun up towards the ceiling when there wasn't a need for so many.

Luca and I had both stopped walked in sync with each other. He fit me, his emotions balanced me. He was more than I had ever thought could be real. I looked over and saw him close his mouth, the same time I did mine. Our jaws had literally dropped when we walked in here. Ash tapped us both on the shoulders, we moved hand in hand; step for step. A sturdy, elegant wooden table with an intricate scene carved along the edge was where Auris Basalt stopped, a stack of less than a dozen books on the table. "I am sure there used to be more books, but the previous dragon council was, misguided in their efforts to maintain power and control." He beckoned me to sit, pushing a stack of books my way. There really weren't that many considering how many books must be in this room.

I sat, my hands running over the leather, deep blue cover of the first book. It looked old. So many answers, so many things to learn just in front of me. I turned to Ash instead as she sat down beside me. Luca on my other side. I felt wrong. Everything was a such a mess, but here, in this little moment of time, I almost felt better than I ever had before. "Ash, my friends, Jody and their family, Sarah's cousins, are they ok?" I heard my voice go a little to shrill on the last word, I was worried and wasn't good at hiding it.

Ash's eyes went wide, she reached and took my hand. "I'm so sorry!" She blurted out quickly. "Yes! They are all fine now, I am so so sorry, I meant to tell you this morning when I went over to your home, but uhhh." She blushed, matching the pink color of the soft looking sweater she was wearing with a full knee length pleated circle skirt. "I got distracted, and forgot, Jody and their family requested to move into the dragon village and were approved instantly, and the Michi, Alicia and Kaylen are all here now, along with any feline shifters who need sanctuary. We've started a new community development, significantly more modern, and ummm" Ash struggled to think of how to describe the land the cat shifters wanted.

Auris interjected. "They want new and shiny. Very much not the aesthetic of Blue Willow, so there is a city block that had been unofficially controlled by a semi rouge Alpha, something had happened to him and the residents wanted to enjoy the backing of a pack. So some fresh, city developments, and a new suburban development on the far side of the pack lands. Blue Willow is the most diverse territory under one leader now." I saw one eye turn golden and look towards me. Before flickering back just as fast.

"Everyone is safe?" I asked, not believing that things could be so simple for me after everything. My phone vibrated with an alert. "That's all their new land lines, addresses, cell phone numbers in case you didn't have the newest ones. Everything. All those you care about are safe Evie, waiting to see you again when you are ready." Ash looked so sincerely worried. "I am so sorry I didn't tell you sooner." her bright emerald eyes bored into mine.

"I know now, and I know I can trust you." I meant it. I knew Ash was someone I could trust. Could feel it, could feel Vi'Ja also approve. I had a mate, I had friends, I looked eagerly at the stack of books, books that could tell me more about me. I had never known anything about where I had come from. I was abandoned with no identifying information, and from the medical records I had requested when I became an adult, it seemed like I had most likely been born outside of a hospital. The umbilical stump was ragged, and far longer than any hospital would leave for a days old infant.

Ash smiled, and got up from the table, asking someone dressed in a simple earthy colored robe to bring books on the universal crystals, as well as some other titles I didn't catch the names of as I pulled down the first book, and cracked open the cover to reveal a brightly colored illustration of various fairy tale creatures.

I turned the page, finding a table of contents, introduction, Genies, Ents, Welk, Selkie, Sirens, Orks, Trollicks, Gorgon sisters, Pixies. Bingo. I eagerly flipped to the page, revealing an illustration of a monster. A woman who was nearly just skin and skeletal bones was in the center of the painting on the page. Her skin, mottled, looking like death. A army of smokey snakes holding her up in the middle of the page, the painting making it seem like the snakes on the ground were slithering over the ground, while the ones in the air around her, looked ready to attack. Each snake in the form of a large cobra with the hood fully inflated.

The artist had painted the background to look like it was on fire, the death like woman had red burning eyes, her hair wild and unkempt around her. The author had painted a nightmare monster. I started to read the page following the horrible picture.

The most pesky Pixies, all effort had to be made to contain and limit their growth. Able to borrow almost any amount of magic, redirect and channel at will. Alone or able to form endless links of magic users. Pixies were not to be trusted.

The Dragon Council made it their mission to protect Fae and the world from the destruction the Pixie could bring. In only a few generations The Dragon counsil were able to render the Pixie population extinct, so that we could all enjoy peace together without fear!

Thank you Dragon Council!

I closed the book. Looking at Luca, I felt him react to the image, he saw that Pixies were monsters. I was a monster.