Fairy Bond

Chapter Twenty-Three: So damn stubborn

Autumn's P.O.V.

"It was easy to manipulate you with a spell, once you showed me your true colours," Orin says.

I glance over to Jade, who seems to be frozen in her confusion.

"Although I must say, I've never ever seen a Kindred break a spell, with something as simple as a touch," the curiosity behind his multi coloured eyes, burns like embers in Jade's direction.

I step away from Orin and in front of Jade so I can block his view of her. I don't want him looking at her with any kind of emotion in his eyes. No, I don't want his orbs even on her, gazing at her, or sneaking a peek at her. I don't want him to be able to remember her face, just in case he decides to come back and kill her.

"If it wasn't for that simple touch, Ace would be a corpse right now," Orin continues, like the fact that taking a life means little to him.

I don't entertain his delusions.

"Why would you want Autumn to kill Ace?" Jade asks, breaking out of her stupor.

"Autumn should know better than to let Hunters who threaten her, walk around freely," the tone in Orin's voice suggests that he is disappointed. Not that I care.

"Shouldn't that be my choice?" I ask while trying to retract my wings but something stuck in them makes it hurt too much. I reach over and feel the glass shards still stuck in them.

"Choice?" Orin raises his eyebrow, "the kid turned you in, in the hopes that Jade would have to finish you off. He is too much of a coward to do it himself."

"He isn't a Royal and that means he isn't supposed to know of Fairies yet? If he tried to kill Autumn himself my mom and Mr Porter would lose their ability to sense Fairies. " Jade defends him. In fact she is defending her whole family. It bothers me a little more than it should because it sounds like she wants them to have this ability so they can kill more Fairies.

"They know this and would never risk their powers," she adds and then looks at me with deep worry buried in her eyes.

The lack of contact between us suddenly becomes visible and I take hold of her hand. My whole body seems to relax at her touch even though Orin is shooting daggers at us.

"Why is it that way?" I ask. Both Orin and Jade look at me with their brows furrowed together.

"Why do Royals get told at 16 and the others have to wait until they're 21?"

Jade focuses her attention to the grey haired man, like she wants to know the answer as well. Orin grabs his chin between his index finger and thumb, stroking the former as he tries to remember.

"Foster's direct bloodline somehow activates the power quicker. Jade over there could sense Fairies since she was about 14."

I look at Jade and it's like I'm seeing her in a new light. She could sense our kind at such a young age and yet she hasn't done anything to harm us.

"But if I 'activated'", Jade air quotes the word, "at 14, why not just tell me then."

"It has something to do about allowing a normal childhood for as long as possible; not all Fairy Hunters are keen on their children losing their innocence and16 is the age the previous Royals started asking questions."

I see the questions practically dangling from Jade's eyes so I decide to change the subject. I don't have anything against the fact that she wants to know these types of things, God knows I would love to find out about my own heritage, it's just that I have a little less than two weeks to spend with her before I go over to the Fairy World and never see her again. Call me selfish but I want to soak up as much of Jade as I can before then.