Court of Ivy and Desire

What does this mean for us?

Maya

The next morning I woke up with a smile on my face. Despite learning my family's hidden secret, I felt better. I laid in the bed savoring the warmth of Trey's body next to mine. I never thought we would make it to this point. Me, being  intimate with a human. I stared at the ceiling, my thoughts swirling like autumn leaves caught in a gust of wind. The sunlight filtered through the thin curtains, casting delicate patterns on the walls. I kept replaying the events of the previous night over and over in my mind, each moment, each touch with Trey  was etched into my brain. It had been a night of passion, a connection that ran deeper than I had ever imagined. But I still wondered where we stood with each other. We both have our trauma, but I didn't expect to find so much comfort in him nor did I expect to be so comfortable with him. I wanted to hate him, but instead...instead, I... I don't know, well I do, but its scary to admit in the midst of another  possible war between our kinds. 

I turned my body in his arms, watching Trey as he slept peacefully. His chest rose and fell with each breath he took. I laid on his chest listening to his heart beat. It was the most beautiful sound and I couldn't ignore the feeling that something had changed between us, something deep yet unknowing. Our relationship had always been intense with a mix of flirtation and tension, but last night had taken it to another level. I sighed softly, careful not to wake him.

 Another factor was that I knew Trey was hiding something from me. I had sensed it for a while now, especially when he somehow is able to come save me right on time. I wondered how he knew I was in trouble and how he'd get to me so quickly. Was he a vampire too? Maybe a hybrid of werewolf and human. There were other things too like the way he sometimes seemed distant, lost in his own thoughts or when he looked at me with an intensity that made my heart race, but then he would pull back, as if he was afraid of letting me see too much of him-the real him. I tried to ignore it plenty of times, to focus on the good moments between us and on the quest of rebuilding my kingdom, but now it felt almost impossible to push aside. Then I thought about his words last night. He wanted to tell me something but I cut into him so harshly. I graze his cheek with my knuckle as I admired his features. 

But reality checked into my mind. I needed to focus on the task at hand if I want to have any kind of life that I visioned for myself. A light knock on the door made me get up and I opened it to see Elara standing there with an unreadable expression. Her eyes peeked around to see a sleeping Trey in my bed. She slightly smirked but quickly hid it, hoping that I wouldn't catch it. Jokes on you, homegirl, I did.  

"Aurora wants to see you," she stated as she cleared her throat. 

"Now?" 

She shook her head. "Right now." 

I grumbled but told her I'll be down soon. I knew she wanted to discuss my new found fairy abilities and honestly it would probably be best. I had been anticipating this conversation with both a little curiosity and uncertainty. I never noticed that there was something different about me until recently. But I thought it was due to the loss of my family and maybe that's what triggered these unfamiliar abilities. My aunt had promised to help me unlock those secrets, to guide me in mastering my abilities. It was an opportunity I couldn't afford to miss, even if I was mad at being lied to.  I dressed quickly, pulling on a simple blue dress that allowed for ease of movement, and then paused to look at Trey one last time before leaving the room. 

The hallway was quiet, the only sound the soft creak of the floorboards beneath my feet. I made my way to the kitchen, where the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee greeted me. I poured myself a cup and let the  the warmth of the mug bring me a small comfort. Taking a sip, I allowed myself a moment to savor the flavor, grounding myself in the present before heading to meet with my Aunt.