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“Fawna bit her lower lip. Her long fingers dug down into her flesh to try and quiet the fire breathing into her wound. “I—I—I—I’m sorry Chaz, she stumbled. “I promised you I wouldn’t leave the cabin, but I heard a howl and I thought you might need help. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t talk, please don’t talk,” he cried. “You are so brave. I’ve got to get you back to the cabin.”
“I love you, Chaz,” she reached up and stroked his face with her hand. I just met you, but I felt like I’ve known you all my life. You’re the one I was always waiting for. Hoping for... I...I...”
Fawna went rigid before passing out. He scooped her in his arms and rushed her back into the cabin to tend to her wound. The gun had gone off when he dropped it fighting with Brock. It wounded her with the silver bullet meant to protect her from the beast inside him.
“If I lose her, I’ll never forgive myself,” he cried. He felt a queer, constricting ache under his heart. He placed her on the bed and examined the wound. It was bad. The silver bullets he’d had made were hollow point—bullets meant to expand and do more damage to the tissue. He meant to keep her from harm and now he was the one who’d cause the harm to come to her.
As he rushed to gather a bowl with water to wash the wound and a washcloth to place on her head, he couldn’t keep his tears from falling. He cursed his weakness for her, causing him to keep her with him instead of sending her back to the ranch.
He knelt down beside her, praying for her to be ok. Her pulse was so weak.“Oh, God, I can’t lose her.”
A bright circle of light entered the room. So bright, Chaz had to shield his eyes. Like the light of a thousand candles to the tenth power. The illumination grew. It became an incandescent vivid brillance. It took the shape of an ethereal being with long arctic white hair that floated around her—framing her delicate face. Chaz had heard tale of the Empathy Empress, but until now, he’d never laid eyes on her.
Tales of her beauty failed to capture the vision floating before him. Her face gleamed with softness and the tears that flowed down her cheeks froze upon her ivory skin like diamonds. Her big green eyes were full of instant understanding, as if she’d lived centuries seeing misunderstood aliens, giants ostracized as monsters, good witches burned at the stake and mankind feeding upon mankind. Her dress billowed as she floated, decorated with thousands of stars, pointed ones, round ones, bejeweled stars, ones that looked like flowers, stars made of many ringlets—each illuminated with a radiance so bright, her entire being glimmered.
“I’ve been waiting to feel your tears for a very long time, young man.”
Chaz Xanadu wiped his face, unaware until now that his tears were still streaming.
“I’ve killed her. I wanted only to protect her. I’ve failed her.”
“You haven’t killed her. Her wound is deep. But it will not be fatal. She is in the Empathy Slumber.
“Empathy Slumber. But that’s only for, for...”
“For Empathy Fairies. She is my daughter. She has powers she has taken care to hide from the world—powers she doesn’t understand—some she isn’t even aware of. I struck a bargain with her parents that I would never reveal her identity while she was in the Earth Realm.
“They didn’t want her to feel like she was different so they kept her adoption a secret. By agreeing to raise her, they helped me keep her from harm when her life was in danger. I promised I would never interfere until there came a time she would need my help. That time is now. Please. Let me reach her while she’s in her protective slumber. I promise all will be well. You are needed at the Cave of The Ancient Rippers. You have something they need.
He’d forgotten all about the heart he’d ripped from Brock’s souless chest. He had not failed his first mission. But if he lost his true love in the process—it would mean nothing. Sensing his feelings, she floated down and kissed him on the cheek.
“I have waited many years for true love to come to her. You have not broken your promise to her. Your actions have led her to her true destiny.”
When The Empathy Empress kissed him—he felt a warmth he’d never felt before. Like being inside a mother’s womb—safe and secure.
“Go, get the Ripper Case. I will send you to the Cave of The Ancients and once you have turned in your first kill, Rakawah Fee will send you safely back. He ran out to his horse to retrieve the encased heart—anxious to complete his mission and be back by Fawna’s side as soon as possible. He went back into the bedroom and The Empress of Empathy waved her wand—transporting him to The Cave of The Ancients. He left Crystal with Fawna—praying she could save her life.
Fawna felt like she was flying—soaring high above the clouds. When she looked down, she saw The Empress of Empathy floating among them. Fawna flew down and sat beside her. She was the most beautiful being she had ever laid eyes on. “I know you. Once when I was four years old and had a bad fever, my mom was kneeling on the side of my bed praying for you to not let me die. I thought I was dreaming when light flooded the room and you appeared. My mom thought I didn’t hear her—but I did—and I saw you.”
“I know, my dear. I’ve had the privilege of watching over you all your life. Your parents kept you from harm by taking you in. I owe your safety to them.”
“What harm?”
“When I was young myself, a stalker made my life unlivable. He sent threatening messages, called me relentlessly in the middle of the night, even killed my Lead Empathy Fairy Lieutenant. The scary thing about it is we didn’t know who he was. When he threatened to kill my family. I had to send you off to keep you safe. Fawna looked up and saw diamond tears trailing down her mother’s porcelain cheeks. Her sadness pierced Fawna’s heart.
“I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that horror. It must have been terrifying.”
“I had to go into hiding for many years. One of the most scary things about stalkers is they have an agenda that’s completely made up—yet it becomes reality for them. And having a stranger stalk you brings a level of paranoia that almost suspends your ability to live your life. It’s unnerving knowing anyone out there can be your stalker. Even with all my magical powers, it took me many years to solve this frightening mystery.”
“So you caught him.”
“Yes, my dear. But let’s not waste our precious time talking of things past. I’m sure you have questions for me about your magical powers.”
“Why do books appear out of nowhere when I’m in danger?”
“They don’t just appear when you’re in danger, my love.”
“As Empathy Fairies, we perform a small task that keeps the Seven Realms a little more balanced toward good and away from evil.
“You have power to make books materialize to guide you toward the good in your life. It is a skill that improves with practice. You simply have to believe in magic and always tell yourself—I believe in Magic. I will find the answers I seek.
“I believe in magic. I will find the answers I seek.” Fawna repeated.
“Yes. Always believe in magic.”
“But if the books were to guide me toward good, why did Things Are Not What They Seem appear after I’d married Stephen? He was already gay.
“Sometimes, my dear Fawna,” The Empathy Empress told her, reaching out to brush a raven lock behind Fawna’s ear, “you misinterpret who or what the book is meant for.”
Even though it appeared well before you met Brock—he was not at all what he seemed. Because the owner of The Mesa Flying School knew Brock’s parents, he did not do a background check on him. Brock had been in several relationships where he threatened girlfriends, and their families. He had two unsuccessful suicide attempts including suicide by cop, where he tried to get the police to kill him. He was bad news, but he’d already fell through many cracks before he met you.”
Fawna absorbed what her mother had told her. She swallowed. “This magic thing is a little scary for me,” she admitted. “But it does explain why I’ve always wanted to become a pilot. Little did I know—I could already fly.”
“Before I had to whisk you away to safety, when you were very young, you’d soar among the trees. You loved watching Oscar blow white puffy clouds out of his pipe. Fawna couldn’t believe what she’d thought she’d only imagined actually happened. In Magic, you are in the Enchanted Realm. We are now in the FAE Realm.”
“What are the rest?”
“Alien, Animal, Monster, Ghost and Earth.”
“Wow. Finding out about Magic, New Mexico was one thing, but all this—there’s so much more. And I’m so thrilled to meet you—my mother. Now I have two.” She reached out and hugged her new mother and felt all the warmth she had been saving for her.
Fawna looked around. She didn’t even realize they had floated down from the cloud and were now floating in the Magic forest. Only it was different. Everything, the red rock mountains, the waterfalls, the trees that kissed the sky, the emerald colored grass were all illuminated. And there were rainbows glittering everywhere. Waterfalls that went down the mountain as well as up, zebras, peacocks and different types of birds, including the beautiful songbirds were rainbow-colored. And the rich red earth of Magic, glowed in the moonlight as if coated in neon. What Fawna thought were fireflies lighting up the realm were tiny fairies, flitting about sprinkling trails of neon fairy dust everywhere.
