Changeling - Part 5

Maya whizzed around to face the most stunning and exquisite man she had ever laid her eyes on. His skin was so chocolaty Maya was sure he would taste like it too, that it was so soft it would melt at her touch, but at the same time it didn’t. His hair was the colour snow must be before it is contaminated by the pollution of cities and humans. Indeed, it wasn’t anything human. And his eyes, by God, his eyes! As pure and precious as gold as well as the same colour with tinges of amber and honey and Maya felt herself being drawn into them �" like she too were sinking into sticky syrupy sweetness and the more she tried the harder it would be to get out.

 

She was lost for words. Her shaking had stopped. She was completely under his control.

 

Hypnotised.

 

That is until a tiny smirk appeared on his face; he wanted this and he liked controlling her. That sparked a fire that could have warmed even this depressed building. No one was in charge of her! How dare he come here, sneaking up on her, and think, in any way, that it was okay for him to smirk? How dare he come here telling her she couldn’t leave? That she had to go with him. How dare he be so utterly gorgeous and think that that gives him the right to sneak up on girls? How dare he?

 

So she glared. She was cold, miserable and at her wits end. So she just glared.

 

This seemed to surprise him because he broke the eye contact, but he was still too cocky for Maya’s liking, “There’s no need to be like that, Maya, one way or another, you’re coming with me.”

 

“I have had the worst day ever in the history of horrid days and if there is one thing you should be afraid of that’s an angry girl. We bite.”

 

“You’re going to be mine Maya, it’s inevitable, just come with me.”

 

And she almost did. He was so dreamy that Maya felt dazed every time she looked at him; something that perfect couldn’t be... real. Yet, there was something in his voice that was dangerous and she’d heard it before somewhere. The way he shaped his words, oh God, she wasn’t going to be... be... raped?

 

No, no, no. That couldn’t happen: it wouldn’t happen. But it was so dark and so far away from town, no one would find her.

 

Then the memory flickered: the day at the library, the way Daniel had spoken was exactly the same!

 

Then without thinking she burst out, “What have you done to Daniel? Who are you? Where is he?”

 

The stranger smiled, “I have done nothing to Daniel, and I simply put him in a safe place while I carried out my plan. I am Kel, your lover and Daniel is right here.” He waved his hand and the heavy shadows in the corner reseeded like clouds in a wind.

 

Daniel was there and he was fine. Tied up, bruised and dirty, but fine. Relief flooded through Maya, dousing the flame of her anger and she ran to his side, showering him in love and care, but he just shook his head again and again.

 

She turned to Kel, “What have you done to him?”

 

“A simple silencing spell, completely reversible, don’t you worry your beautiful head about it. Well, you don’t have to... if you come with me. Come with me and be my bride and Daniel will be fine, refuse and he will die. I think that’s an easy choice, don’t you? Didn’t you come all this way on a search to help him? Not even Cwenhild could frighten you off,” Kel said, incredulously.

 

“Cwenhild?” Maya asked blankly, stopping, only momentarily, to loosen Daniel’s bonds, “Cwenhild died two hundred years ago.” Then she said mostly to herself, “But since fairies are real, why shouldn’t ghosts be?”

 

“Cwenhild Bunlock was tied to this world as a curse for burning and torturing two of our people,” Kel said ferociously, “She is neither dead nor alive, she is echo of what once was, for she doesn’t deserve the peace of death.”

 

“YOU TOOK MY CHILDREN!”

 

The voice reverberated around the building, it emanated from the very walls themselves, casting off the dust that may have waiting there for decades. It blew Maya’s eardrums and she had the feeling Daniel wouldn’t be able to speak, even if he wanted to. The wail was so heartbreaking Maya could feel her own heart explode with emotion, or was that just the volume of the voice. The only one unfazed by this was Kel.

 

“We gave you equals in return!”

 

Materialising out of the dust �" or rather, the dust taking form �" was a young woman in a frock so old it should be in a museum, curls upon her head, which Maya knew would be red if dust had colour, and a look of pure hatred on her face, “Not my blood! I did not carry them with my womb, did not care for them in their infancy. They were trespassers on my family. NOT MY LITTLE LAMBS!”

 

Maya was still trying to take in what she was seeing; a fairy, a real life fairy, was standing there arguing with the ghost of Cwenhild Bunlock about a fabled affair two hundred years ago. The fairy, or Kel as he called himself, wanted to marry her in exchange for Daniel’s life and freedom. Once the knowledge had planted itself in her brain, she felt surprisingly calm. Her hands didn’t shake as she undid the last of Daniels bonds and her voice was level as she told him everything would be okay. It was almost as though she expected to wake up.

 

Meanwhile, Cwenhild and Kel’s disagreements switched to the problem facing her now.

 

“What gives you the right to betroth that girl?” Cwenhild asked.

 

“Love and desire,” Kel answered.

 

“Has it ever entered that thick head of yours that she does not return those feelings?” Cwenhild’s cheeks were becoming darker from the exhilaration, “You are forcing her to choose between the life and death of a friend. How could she ever love you?”

 

“How about we let her decide?”

 

They both turned toward her; Cwenhild with a look of worry and Kel with triumph. He knew he had won. How could she not go with him if it saved Daniel’s life? She had to be careful what she said though...

 

“For as long as you love me I promise to be with you.” Maya felt a tugging at her wrist and looked down at it, Daniel was holding her hand, begging her not to go, but she pulled away from him and towards Kel’s side. Please let me wake up, she prayed, believe me, I would never really do something this stupid. But, she remained where she was and where she would stay for the rest of her life, she realised.

 

Cwenhild faced her, “I tried, child, I truly tried to warn you off. You’re just too strong a person to be scared off by cheap tricks.” There was almost pride in the last sentence, before the dust dispersed and she was gone.

 

As Maya left with Kel, she felt a cold breeze on her shoulder, like a draft seeping though the walls.

 

Or a ghostly hand trying to offer comfort.