A mention of Faerie Courts

We meet Hazrael, and learn a thing or two about Miss Fayette.

‘Though I have closed myself as fingers,
You open always petal by petal myself as spring opens’
-E.E. Cummings, “Somewhere I have Never Travelled, Gladly Beyond”

 

    Chad stumbled into the alleyway through the hard rain. He looked up at the sign, grateful that the rumors were true. That it wasn’t really some sort of gossip going on through the school. The Faerie girl who could grant your greatest desire.
    He tried smoothing his hair, hoping that the rain didn’t make him look too bad. Taking a deep breath, he shoved the door open.
    It reminded him of a gypsy’s store, like a mysterious fortune teller, and the smell of sugar and vanilla was intoxicating. He was expecting a gypsy woman, but with Faerie wings or something. Instead he got a young man with thick blonde hair and dark sapphire eyes, his skin tanned like he had spent many days out in the sun. Chad didn’t like to admit it, but he was quite possibly the most handsome man he had ever seen. There was an aura of arrogance around him though, and his eyes seemed cruel. Dressed in a nicely tailored outfit, he looked out of place in the mystical room.
    “Oi, boy, shouldn’t you be at school?” The blonde man asked him.
    Quickly Chad nodded. “Yeah, what of it? I came here for the Faerie that can grant wishes, is that you?”
    The man snorted. “Pfft. No. I’m not even a girl,” he stated darkly. “Let alone one to give you wishes. You’re skipping school for what? A girl not going out with you on a date?”
    “Hazrael, be nice to my customers,” a feminine voice snapped.
    This one was petite in height and weight, and had long, pale hair that was tied up in a high ponytail, and had thick stripes of violet dyed into it. Bangs were parted to frame her rounded, childish face.
    “Sorry,” she said with a sad smile. “Hazrael is part troll, so naturally he tries to fit the stereotype,”
    The man snorted, and plopped down on an overstuffed sofa along the wall, stroking a fat pig that was a pink color and had three large black blotches on its back, and one big one on its left eye.
    “So, what can I do for you?” She asked. “My name is Fayette, by the way,”
    “I was told... You could grant any wish, any desire,” Chad answered quietly. “I need your help, Miss Fayette,”
    “Oh, formal now are we?” The man snickered. “Miss Fayette... I like it,”
    “I’d shut up Hazrael, or you’re not going to like the results,” the one called Fayette growled lowly. She looked at Chad and smiled again. “Please continue,”
    “There’s this girl I know, Casey, I grew up with her and all. But-”
    “Ha! I was right!” Hazrael laughed on the sofa. The pig gave a small oink in reply, and it’s curly tail started to wag a little, but nothing more.
    “Hazrael shut the hell up. Now. Or I’ll tell Dearka that what I want is you on a platter. You know just as well as I do that Dearka will kill you and serve you to me on a platter,” Fayette snarled, a surprising severity was laced over her voice that suddenly made her sound far older then she looked.
    The man glared at Fayette, silently steaming in the sofa. Chad wasn’t sure who Dearka was, but apparently whoever he was held great sway over Hazrael.
    “I’m sorry, please continue,” Fayette sighed.
    “Any way, Casey and I grew up together. We were really close but... She got in an accident recently, and she lost her memory. She has no idea who she is or where she is. She hates herself, hates not knowing. She tried committing suicide last week,” he felt his eyes growing watery, and he clenched his fist, trying hard not to cry. “Please, Miss Fayette, please return her memory to her. I’ll do anything, just please,” his throat tightened, and his plea sounded more desperate then he intended it to.
    Fayette stared at him with glassy eyes, like those of a doll. No emotions, no feelings, simple violet pools that stood out against her stark skin.
    “Is she really this important to you?” She asked him.
    He shakily nodded, feeling hot tears spill down his cheeks.
    “I understand you’ve come here on nothing but rumors. What you ask is a lot of me. Do you know what my price is?” She now inquired, now standing up.
    “I don’t care what it is, I’ll pay it,” he quickly said. “Please, just please help Casey!”
    She walked over to Hazrael, kicking him in the shoe lightly. “Go get the large white jar in the back room. The one labeled Meme,” she stated.
    He grumbled his lip curling back as he stood up, and the pig squealed slightly at the sudden shift in the coach. It rolled off the sofa and trotted over to a kennel in the corner of the room, which was stuffed with quilts and pillows. Chad stared curiously at it, confused as to why such a large pig would be in a place like this.
    “Arkan Sonney, or lucky pigs. Where I come from there are loads of them, most of them are slaughtered for our revelries, but I took a liking to this one and decided to keep it for myself as a pet. His name’s Spot for the time being, until I can come up with a better name,” she then shrugged.
     Hazrael came back holding a large jar that was shaped like an elephant, on its side on a piece of duct-tape was written ‘Meme’ in golden swoopy letters. She took the jar from him, and set it down on the table. Taking a small pinch of the white power, she put it in a small zip-lock baggy.
    “I can help Casey, but I’m not too sure you’ll be keen on paying it,”
    Chad swallowed. “What’s your price? How much?”
    “My price is and always will be your greatest value. This stuff will restore her memory, all you have to do is sprinkle it on her food, but there is one thing she will not remember,” Fayette said, quietly.
    “What won’t she remember?”
    “You. Your greatest treasure is your relationship with her. When she recovers her memory, she won’t know who you are. That is my price, are you willing to pay it?”
    It was like all the blood drained from his body. He stared at her, and there was silence in the room, save for Spot’s piggish noises.
    Eventually, he forced himself to smile. “Well, its not like she knows who I am now anyway, right?”
    Fayette smiled softly, and offered him the zip-lock bag. Hazrael gave him a slight nod, a small smirk coming to his lips. Chad gave them their thanks, and left the building and into the cold rain, yet his face was hot with tears.

    “Mom...?” Casey murmured. “Dad?”
    Her parents gave a gasp in shock. She remembered them! Chad watched from a distance, his eyes downcast as they hugged her. “I remember! My memory’s back!”
    Chad swallowed, his throat felt thick. Her parents knew that he had went to see Fayette, and they were now eternally grateful to him. They were in the hospital. Casey was sitting in the bed, wires attached to her arms, and she had just finished a bowl of chicken noodle soup.
    “But how...? Just yesterday I barely had any idea who I was, let alone anything about me, or you guys for that matter,” she whispered.
    Her mother walked over, and took him by the hand and lead him over to Casey’s bed.
    “This nice young man here went and got some medicine to get your memory back,” the older woman said, her eyes wet with tears.
    Casey looked at him quizzically, then smiled a dazzling smile to him. She offered her hand out to him. “Thank you. I’m sure you already know by now, I’m Casey Smith, who are you?”
    Chad gave a soft smile, and took her hand in his.
    “Chad, Chad Myers,”
    
    “Well, weren’t you just the caring Faerie today?” Hazrael spat from the sofa. “Threatening Dearka on me, what’s gotten into you?”
    Fayette sat at her table, eating pieces of what looked like grapes, they were blood red in color and their insides where pure black, and each fruit was the size of a fifty-cent piece. She ate one at a time, her violet eyes uncaring. “Nothing at all, I just simply got tired of your interrupting and your trolling. Its rude, and gives off bad waves to customers, yes?”
    “Still... Dearka?”
    “Do you honestly think I’d go as far as bring in Dearka because you’re being an a*s?” She sighed heavily, popping another grape into her mouth. “Please, its not worth the effort. I thought you knew me better then that,”
    “I dunno. I’ve seen you do some pretty nasty stuff before,” Hazrael replied. “And I can see you bringing in Dearka as a punishment,”
    “No worries, I don’t like Faerie flesh,”
    “Good to know. But you know I like it,” he suddenly grinned wickedly, revealing large canines on his top and bottom teeth.
    “And that's why I’m usually thoroughly disgusted with you,” she replied, now taking a sip from her glass, the liquid was a thick as tar, and purple in color.
    “Usually? So not all the time?” Hazrael asked, suddenly looking interested.
    “There are days where I prefer you over Kellen,” she said simply. “Ordinarily you’re not too touchy feely, unless it’s the Summer Solstice,” she shuddered slightly, as if remembering a horrid memory.
    Hazrael merely smirked. “What? I’m of the Bright Court, my emotions are naturally more volatile,”
    “Tell that to Kellen. He’s of the Dark Court and he’s more whimsical then you are,” she growled.
    “Honey, I’m home!” Kellen stepped through the front door, his hair dripping wet from the rain.
    “Speak of the devil,” Hazrael smirked, grinning again.
    Kellen danced over, and wrapped his arms around Fayette, giving her a kiss on the cheek, then he gracefully danced into the back rooms, presumably to freshen up. As he danced though, pale flowers appeared out of nowhere, as did the feathers of birds. They floated down upon him like it was raining. Hazrael watched unamused, though he would admit that the boy was good a Glamour. The moment he left the room though, the petals and flowers turned to curdled leaves and thorns, leaving a mess on the floor.
    “See what I mean?” Fayette replied dully. “Far better Bright Court material then you,”
    “So it would seem. He’s not a very good ambassador for the Dark court, is he?”
    “Maybe you two should switch Courts?” Fayette merely smiled gently, looking over at the half-troll as she popped in another grape.
    “I like my Court just fine, thanks. Decides, its not as if I spend that much time there anyway. I’m usually out here taking care of you,” Hazrael drawled, leaning back into the sofa again, propping one of his feet on the top of a large cat statue.
    “Cuz, you know. That’s such a chore,” the young girl replied dully.
    “It is so,” Hazrael answered. “After all, a meek little thing like you could get into all sorts of trouble. What if Kellen decided to go back to his roots and tried to... I dunno, eat you or something? What then?”
    “I seriously doubt that Kellen would dare try to hurt me, not after the number I did on their king a couple hundred years back,” she murmured, eyeing an odd shaped grape. She merely shrugged, and popped that one into her mouth too.  
    “Wait, you fought with King Lucius?”
    “Its not a feat I’m exactly proud of,” she said, eating another grape. This one was a bit big, and when she bit into it black juice squirted from her lips. “After all, it sort of got me on bad terms with him. Now, if you excuse me, I have some love potions I have to mix up. The upper-crust of Fay and human society seems to favor those,”
    She stood up, and turned and left. Hazrael quickly sprang to his feet.
    “Hey don’t leave me with a cliffhanger? What happened between you and Lucius?”
    Fayette sighed heavily, and whirled around. And she was face-to-face with the half-troll.
    He stared down at her with azure eyes, looking at her like she was some sort of meal. Fayette merely smirked.
    “Do you really want to know what happened between me and Lucius?” She murmured.
    “I do,”
    “I mean, do you really, really want to know?” She asked again.
    He nodded.
    “I do,”
    “What are you willing to give up to me in return?” She asked. “Just because you’re my minion doesn’t mean I don’t charge,” she smirked wickedly.
    He glared at her, and she promptly twirled around and went into the back of the shop.

 

Author's Note

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