Her Fae Lovers

Lola crawled off of Puca, grabbing his shirt to cover him up. She didn’t want Callie or Erik to see him like this as he struggled to breathe. She pulled her sundress on, pressing her back against the wall as she wrapped her arms around her legs. Her chest shook as she tried to hold in her sob.

She didn’t know if she’d killed Puca, but nothing she had done had helped the man she loved.

His breathing was shallow, gurgling with the water that had filled his lungs. Lola didn’t know that his connection with Merrow was the only thing keeping him alive.

The door creaked open. Lola couldn’t help the fear that ripped through her. She didn’t want to see Erik to be reminded that this was her fault.

Looking up at the woman, she put her hand over her mouth. Trying to hold back a sob she knew wouldn’t help her. The seelie queen may be a good guy, but that wasn’t what Lola had witnessed so far.

“He grows weaker.” Callista said, her brown eyes moving over Puca’s still form. A glimmer of something flashing in her eyes so quick that Lola barely caught it.

“I didn’t mean to hurt him, I just couldn’t stop.”

“Of course you couldn’t. It’s what Erik was hoping for. He couldn’t make your mother love him. There is no way that he could make you.” She said, moving to sit down beside the cell as she studied Lola. “Not when your heart beats for another.”

“What he was hoping for?”

“Of course, he didn’t think Puca would survive. I am glad he did.” The queen said, looking back at Lola. Ignoring her question. “You look so much like your father.”

“You knew my parents?” Lola asked, biting the inside of her cheek.

“I do, you look like both of them, but I see more of your father in you every time we meet.” She rested her hands in her lap as she looked down, “I care for your parents a great deal, I made them a promise that I would look after you and I have.”

“You keep talking like they’re not dead.”

“They are not,” Callista said as she looked up. Her eyes seemed inhuman as they changed colors to a shade that matched falling leaves from a tree. “Everything you think you know about their deaths is a lie.”

“You’re lying to me.” Lola said, glaring up at the fae woman. She had known that the fae were tricksters. This was sinking to a whole different level, to pull her dead parents into it.

“Everything comes with a choice, my dear girl. They knew that your grandmother would take care of you. The baby that was growing in your mother’s womb wouldn’t have survived in this realm. Just like the one growing in you won’t survive here.”

“No, you’re lying to me. My parents wouldn’t have left me and my mother wasn’t pregnant.” Lola said glaring at the floor, Callie’s words finally sunk in. “I’m not pregnant.”

“Yes, you are. The babe that grows within you is fae. Now I’m asking you to make a choice.”

Letting her legs fall to the side, Lola brought her hand to her abdomen. She didn’t feel pregnant. Not that she knew what being pregnant felt like. “What choice is that?”

“I’ll send Puca to the fae realm, he will heal.” She said, looking at the man on the floor before pressing her eyes closed. “But you will stay here.”

“He’ll survive if he goes to the other realm?”

“Yes, but your baby will not survive if it’s born here. Just as the babe your mother carried wouldn’t have survived.” Callista said.

“Then how come I survived being born here?” Lola asked as she looked over at Puca. She didn’t know if she could trust the fae queen. As she watched her lover struggle to breathe, she realized she didn’t have much choice.

“You’re not pure fae. Your sister is.”

“I don’t understand.” Lola said, looking away from Puca.

“Your mother cared for Erik. She wasn’t as strong as you are when it came to her korrigan.” Callie said with a shrug. “Puca doesn’t have much time left, you should make your choice.”

“Take him, please.” Lola said, hoping that she could find a way out of this. If the queen was right and she was pregnant. She needed to figure out a way to save the child, she just hoped the cost wouldn’t be more than she could pay.

“As you wish.” Callista said as she held her hand up a bright light formed flickering against her palm as she pushed it closer to them. It moved through the air wrapping around Puca’s body and Lola brought her hands to her mouth. She wanted to yell out, to tell Callie that she changed her mind. The thought of Puca dying was enough to keep her quiet as the light reached a blinding intensity and she had to look away.

Lola squeezed her eyes shut to try to keep the tears away. She didn’t want to cry in front of the Seelie queen. Puca would be okay, he would survive.

“It is done.” Callista whispered, leaning back into her chair.

“Thank you.”

“Everything comes with a choice, the way forward is sometimes behind you.” Standing, she smiled softly at Lola.

“Wait, are they-” She paused, trying to choose her words carefully. “Is my family well.”

The queen nodded her head as she moved to the door, “Yes, they thrive in our realm.”

Lola pulled her knees to her chest, closing her eyes. She felt more alone than she had since before she’d met the fae men. She just hoped the queen was being truthful, that Puca would survive once he was home. Lola would deal with the news that she was pregnant later. She had no idea which of the men the father was.

Or how they would react.

Placing her hands on the floor, she moved to stand, leaning on the wall as she tried to figure out what Callie had meant. With a sigh, she turned to look at the wall behind her. Taking in the peeling wallpaper, she leaned closer, picking at the shredded paper.

She could see the faint traces beneath the faded paper. Sliding her nail under it, she grimaced as a hard piece of the dried glue wedged underneath her nail. Drawing back her hand, she sucked the cut into her mouth. Her other hand reaching up to tug the strip down.

The designs were similar to the boxes throughout the room.

It was an enchantment.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Biting her lip, she pulled another strip of the paper off, letting it fall to the floor as the door creaked open.