The Roselands

Chapter 32

   Luckily the day of the parent reunions was sunny and pleasantly warm. The forest near the edges of the hybrid lands were shaded beneath the tall maple trees which dominated the majority of the Roselands. Crowds of hybrids stood around trestle tables which were covered in small delicacies and sweet drinks. If the hybrids weren't standing at tables or talking to others, they were waiting off by themselves, wondering and worrying if their parents would ever come for them.

   Sprite stood with me and Leer, hugging my arm as small tears accumulated on her lashes. Some random Peekeit hybrid had told her their story of how their father used to sell her to men and Sprite had busted into tears, knowing how the poor hybrid had felt.

   I could barely believe the Peekeit had been through that. Peekeit's were very human like, but the only thing that set them apart were delicate butterfly wings that sprouted like a Zytrey's wings from their backs. The wings were so thin that you could see right through them, but despite what the Peekeit girl had been through, her wings were undamaged apart from a small niche in the edge of one. Sprite and her had cried for nearly twenty minutes before I'd come over and distracted Sprite. The Peekeit was apparently named Joffie, an adorable name her mother had given her before her evil human father had stolen her away.

   "Can someone point me to the Faery hybrids? I may know one."

   Sprite gasped and looked over in the direction the voice had come from. I followed her gaze towards the area where adults were pointing adults to different hybrids. A tall blonde man with pointed ears and bright green eyes was talking to Leer. Leer didn't get a chance to point him anywhere before Sprite was sprinting towards them. "Daddy!"

   The man turned and smiled, rushing over and flinging his arms around her. "Oh Sprite! I was so worried. When your mother told me shed given you up I was furious. I went a little out of control and my power overwhelmed and killed her. I hope you weren't excited about seeing her."

   Sprite shook her head and then began telling him the story of what had happened after her mother had given her up. When she got done, she turned to me an  smiled, leading her father  over. "This is Zeek. The guy who saved me."

   Her father smiled and reached out to me. "Nice to meet you, Zeek. I'm Avery."

   As I shook his hand, I felt a similar thrumming in his presence that I recognized. It was the thrumming and vibrating I felt from the Roselands. As he released me, he seemed to notice my confusion and he chuckled. "Don't worry. It's not dark magic like the Roselands. It's merely normal magic."

   I narrowed my eyes and shook my head. "Is that what makes the Roselands vibrate like that? Dark magic?"

   "Yes. Remind me later and I'll tell you the story."

   Thyte walked up and nodded. You two run along. I need to meet my future brother in law."

   Avery chuckled and reached out. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Let's let our children get some time alone."

   Sprite blushed, but I took her hand and led her over towards our friends. Almost all of them had found their families. Jeepa was writing down what she wanted to say to her excited mother and sister, Zazil was chatting with his tiny adorable mother, and Blossom actually had a half Marhet brother who had wanted to meet her.

   Sprite stopped and shook her head at me, backing up to the tree behind her. "Let's let them have some time alone. They're probably catching up with their families and all."

   I nodded and sighed, putting my hands in my pockets awkwardly. "You know I really wanna kiss you, but with so many people around, plus your magical dad, it may not be ideal."

   She blushed and nodded. "Yeah."

   As she bashfully leaned against the tree, averting my eyes, I studied her. Everything about her was perfect. Her skin was flawless, her face was pretty, and her figure was so sexy and delicate.

   I gulped and looked away, knowing that I couldn't ask her about starting a physical relationship. I'd meant to ask her the night before, but I'd chickened out as soon as I'd met her eyes. It wasn't that I didn't want to start a physical relationship, it was merely the fact that I didn't feel right, asking such an innocent and fragile girl if I could do that to her. Sure, it wouldn't be her first time, but I wanted her to feel like I cared about preserving some of her innocence.

   She met my eyes and I went to speak, when slight movement to my left caught my eye. It was Dusty, sitting off to the side on a log at the farthest edge of the area.

   I gestured to Sprite and we walked over quietly. I sat down beside him on the right and Sprite knelt in front of him. He ducked his head and quickly wiped away fresh tears. "What do you want?"

   I could tell from the tone of his voice that he was holding back more tears and had a massive lump in his throat. Sprite cupped his cheek and shook her head. "We don't want anything. We just wanna know if you're okay."

   He nodded and looked away quickly, his ears flicking backwards in annoyance. "I'm fine."

   As he spoke, his shoulders shook and he couldn't hold back a sob. I sighed and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, hugging him tight to me while avoiding his antlers. "It's alright buddy. If it's about your family, we just wanna let you know that you're not alone. I see a lot of hybrids out here that probably won't have parents coming for them."

   Dusty sniffed and hiccupped. "I'm just sad about my dad. Why did he have to die?"

   "Because he was protecting me."

   All three of us whirled around to see a short frail woman, maybe in her early thirties or so. She looked so delicate that it seemed if someone were to touch her, she'd crack and shatter. She looked at Dusty and smiled. "You must be Dusty."

   He stared at her, wide eyed, his ears erect and completely still. The woman walked over and knelt down, touching his head. "Oh my goodness. You look so much like your father. With those big eyes and that thick blonde hair. You look just like him."

   Dusty laughed and leapt up, hugging her around the waist. "Momma!"

   Sprite smiled and led me off to the side towards a tiny babbling brook to the side. She sat down and sighed, staring at the water trickling over smooth river pebbles.

   I suddenly got my courage up and spat it out as fast as I could. "Sprite! Before I chicken out and end up having to rev myself up again, would it be too weird, too fast, or too scary for you if I wanted to start up a physical relationship along with our emotional one?"

   I bit my lip once I'd finished, knowing she'd smack me and tell me no because of every sexual disaster she'd been in since she was younger, but that's not what she did. She took my hand and squeezed it before moving into my lap for a close, tight hug. "Of course. I've trusted you this long, I think I can trust you with that."

   I smiled and let my breath out. "Well…I'm excited then."

   We shared a quick laugh before a loud commotion suddenly came from up in the reunion area. Screams could be heard and then I heard dad's bird screech, but it was cut off by a pain filled yell.

   We rushed up quickly and found a mess of chaos. Balckvein was trying to create order in the soldiers and Leer was trying to calm the panicked hybrids, but what I saw first made my entire body go numb with terror.

   Dad was sprawled across the ground, an arrow in his chest.