One thing I knew for certain, though I was curious - who wouldn't be - I didn't want a part in any of it. No matter what Ana thought it was too big for me. The whole political battle between the rebels and the Tribe, and the battle between good and evil. The only reason I could see I was a part of it was because of my connection to Breandan. After all, no long lost relative had come forward to claim me.
The macabre tone of my thoughts had me scrambling around my own head for a distraction. "Uh, the way you talk," I said, "you consider yourself part of the fairy rebels?"
She snorted. "The gods created the Source and we all came from that. I don't care they look different to me. We're made of the same basic stuff."
"But you're human," I said stubbornly taking in her normal ears, skin and lack of other limbs. There was no glamour over her; I'd looked hard for it.
"If you want to get technical about it I'm the white witch, but for the most part yeah, human. You are most definitely fairy."
"So it's true then. All witches are bad? Barring you, I mean."
Sadness flickered across her expression. "Fairies are magical. It is the essence of what they are, and for the most part it protects them from influences that can rot a person to the core - jealousy, greed and spite to name a few. Humans who can touch the Source, witches, do not have these natural safeguards."
"What makes you different?"
"The same thing that makes you different." Her eyes lingered on my wings. "The will of the gods."
Stunned by her knowledge I pried without thinking. "How old are you?"
"Fifteen."
I thought back to when I was fifteen three years before. Trying to work out why my body was so developed, and why I didn't want the boys to touch me like the other girls did. I compared myself to this powerful girl and cringed. I went to pull my hood up but at Ana's stern look I rested my fingers on the fabric, and my stomach clenched.
"I am in so much trouble. I don't think I can do this."
She glared at me with a face of thunder. "You know what, this 'oh no poor me' routine has to stop, Rae."
"What?" I wailed. "I have a right to be upset."
I raised my palms helplessly and swallowed the excess saliva building in my mouth.
"You don't have time to mope, or be worry about what's coming, because it's already here. Sorry to be the one to break it to you, but it's crunch time. I wish you had more time to prepare, I do, but fact is you don't. You need to face who you are and accept your place beside Breandan. The Tribe has stolen the amulet of protection. They grow more powerful, and now they have one of the four. In many futures you try to run but trouble finds you. If you don't accept this-"
Clamping a hand over my mouth, I leaped up and dashed into a corner before emptying my stomach onto the ground. I heaved until nothing but clear, acidic liquid dribbled from my lips. My mind scuttled over everything and I retched, puking air. Leaning my head on the cool stone I clung to the trailing ivy rooted to the wall, and breathed in the light scent from flowers sprouting in-between the gray bricks.
Pushing away from the wall I swayed back over to Ana. I let my legs give way so I was seated, leaning forward limply.
"Chew this." She pushed something green into my hand.
I stuffed it in my gob and chomped down. A clean taste exploded in my mouth, down my throat, and into my belly until the nauseated feeling subsided. I spat the wad of green out of my mouth and raised it in my upturned palm.
She motioned to the lump of weedy grass. "I laid a spell to help you."
With bigger things to be upset about then a bit of magic, I tossed it and pushed hair out my eyes. "How am I supposed to react to this?" Thinking on it I came up with nothing. My wings flexed behind me and I sighed. "This is too big for me, it was too big when I found out I wasn't human." My hand drifted to touch an elongated ear; it twitched beneath my touch. "You're telling me that I have to be with Breandan or he and his brother will fail in their quest to overthrow Devlin. I don't even know why they are against him."
Though I could guess. Devlin seemedcruel.
