life set in. “How could you keep all of this from me?”
“We are humans, Calliope,” he said. “Why would I tell you about Faylinn if I didn’t have to? When was I supposed to tell you? You wouldn’t have believed me even if I tried. I have no proof.”
“Oh, I don’t know.”
I really didn’t.
“Maybe. . .”
“I didn’t know what kind of an affect it would have on you. And obviously it wouldn’t have been pleasant no matter the timing.” He reached out and set his hand over mine on the table. “The forest calls to you as you call to it, and you can’t fight who you are anymore.”
My brow ruffled in confusion. “What?”
“Their world is starting to beckon for you,” he said gently. “That feeling you were trying to fight. Faylinn is calling for you to go home.” I didn’t want to believe him. Logic was in the boxing ring fighting against Dad’s confirmation. “I’ve been watching you watch the trees. I could see the yearning in your eyes. I was afraid that’s what it was, but I didn’t want to alarm you by forcing you to stay away from it. That’s why I figured a fence would help.”
Humorless laughter bubbled to the surface of my mouth. “I can’t be a part of that world, Dad. I’m a human. I live in the human world beside other human beings, my friends, you and Mom. I refuse to believe that I’m a fictional being.” I wouldn’t be freaking out right now if I didn’t really believe it could be true, but I was so mixed up in the head that I didn’t know what to believe anymore.
“Faylinn doesn’t know that. And we are not fictional. As faeries we are drawn to the forest. We are drawn to our home. Our kingdom.”
“Will I have to go?” I asked incredulously. That question instantly became the most urgent.
“I won’t make you, if you don’t want to.”
At least that was reassuring. “And there’s nothing I can do? I’ll turn into a faery?”
“We will have to wait and see. The abilities you have now might be the extent of everything. The Sight, your hearing, the pull. You still may be able to live in this world—not pleasantly mind you, but tolerably. You will feel that constant need to be out there. Every day.” He pointed to the borderline of trees.
I sighed, trying to alleviate the pressure weighing on my chest. It didn’t work. It wasn’t just that my world was crumbling down and everything I ever knew to be true was a lie. When the impossible became possible, nothing seemed impossible. Anything was up for grabs. Nothing was for certain. “What are we supposed to tell Mom?”
“Nothing,” he decided immediately, leaving no room for argument. “Your mother doesn’t have to know anything about this unless it becomes absolutely necessary.”
I nodded without question for some reason, wanting to obey him.
“I want you to stay out of the forest, but I know that’s not possible or fair of me to demand now.” He sat there, searching his thoughts for something—answers. . .solutions. “And I’d tell you to stay away from all other faeries, but I don’t know how possible that is. Declan and Kai,” he said. “What did they say to you?”
“Not much. They just kept arguing.” He chuckled softly and shook his head as if recalling old friends. “But because I could see them Kai didn’t know what to make of me. I don’t have my wings or whatever, so he just kept staring.”
“Do they know you belong to me?” I nodded. “And they didn’t mention anything else?”
I shrugged, going over our conversation in my head. “Just that Declan has been watching over me for a few years. I’ve apparently been able to hear them for a while without being able to see them.” Which really didn’t sit well with me now that I thought about it. What had they seen or heard during all that time?
“So your abilities are coming in gradually,” he concluded.
All this time when I heard a random twig snap or a tree branch shake, when I would hear low babbling
“We are humans, Calliope,” he said. “Why would I tell you about Faylinn if I didn’t have to? When was I supposed to tell you? You wouldn’t have believed me even if I tried. I have no proof.”
“Oh, I don’t know.”
I really didn’t.
“Maybe. . .”
“I didn’t know what kind of an affect it would have on you. And obviously it wouldn’t have been pleasant no matter the timing.” He reached out and set his hand over mine on the table. “The forest calls to you as you call to it, and you can’t fight who you are anymore.”
My brow ruffled in confusion. “What?”
“Their world is starting to beckon for you,” he said gently. “That feeling you were trying to fight. Faylinn is calling for you to go home.” I didn’t want to believe him. Logic was in the boxing ring fighting against Dad’s confirmation. “I’ve been watching you watch the trees. I could see the yearning in your eyes. I was afraid that’s what it was, but I didn’t want to alarm you by forcing you to stay away from it. That’s why I figured a fence would help.”
Humorless laughter bubbled to the surface of my mouth. “I can’t be a part of that world, Dad. I’m a human. I live in the human world beside other human beings, my friends, you and Mom. I refuse to believe that I’m a fictional being.” I wouldn’t be freaking out right now if I didn’t really believe it could be true, but I was so mixed up in the head that I didn’t know what to believe anymore.
“Faylinn doesn’t know that. And we are not fictional. As faeries we are drawn to the forest. We are drawn to our home. Our kingdom.”
“Will I have to go?” I asked incredulously. That question instantly became the most urgent.
“I won’t make you, if you don’t want to.”
At least that was reassuring. “And there’s nothing I can do? I’ll turn into a faery?”
“We will have to wait and see. The abilities you have now might be the extent of everything. The Sight, your hearing, the pull. You still may be able to live in this world—not pleasantly mind you, but tolerably. You will feel that constant need to be out there. Every day.” He pointed to the borderline of trees.
I sighed, trying to alleviate the pressure weighing on my chest. It didn’t work. It wasn’t just that my world was crumbling down and everything I ever knew to be true was a lie. When the impossible became possible, nothing seemed impossible. Anything was up for grabs. Nothing was for certain. “What are we supposed to tell Mom?”
“Nothing,” he decided immediately, leaving no room for argument. “Your mother doesn’t have to know anything about this unless it becomes absolutely necessary.”
I nodded without question for some reason, wanting to obey him.
“I want you to stay out of the forest, but I know that’s not possible or fair of me to demand now.” He sat there, searching his thoughts for something—answers. . .solutions. “And I’d tell you to stay away from all other faeries, but I don’t know how possible that is. Declan and Kai,” he said. “What did they say to you?”
“Not much. They just kept arguing.” He chuckled softly and shook his head as if recalling old friends. “But because I could see them Kai didn’t know what to make of me. I don’t have my wings or whatever, so he just kept staring.”
“Do they know you belong to me?” I nodded. “And they didn’t mention anything else?”
I shrugged, going over our conversation in my head. “Just that Declan has been watching over me for a few years. I’ve apparently been able to hear them for a while without being able to see them.” Which really didn’t sit well with me now that I thought about it. What had they seen or heard during all that time?
“So your abilities are coming in gradually,” he concluded.
All this time when I heard a random twig snap or a tree branch shake, when I would hear low babbling
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