“Are the other fae nice to you?”
I thought about her question. “Some of them, yes. But some are hard to figure out. Just like humans, I guess.”
She nodded. “And they just let you come here? How often can you come visit?”
I turned my body to face hers and I grabbed her hands in mind. “Here’s the thing, Tessa. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to come back. Malachi and I have a lot of work to do now, and we might be moving far away from here.”
“What? What do you mean? They can’t just keep you prisoner, Jade! I need you!”
“I know,” I said as I tried to keep my voice from shaking. “But I’ll send you money and I’ll try to write you as much as I can.”
“No!” she yelled. “No, Jade! You survived. You were supposed to die and you survived! You should be able to at least visit me!”
Tears welled in my eyes. “Trust me, I want that more than anything in this world.”
“GET OFF MY DAMNED PROPERTY!” Our father’s voice echoed through the entire house, loud enough that Tessa and I both jumped to our feet and ran to the door.
“Stay here,” I demanded, knowing she wouldn’t listen, as I swung the front door open.
My father, clearly drunk once again, was stumbling up the pathway to our house. Malachi and Serefin didn’t even flinch, but in the dim lantern light, I could see Malachi’s face. I had seen that look before. He was pissed off.
“I SAID GET!” he yelled again. “You have no business being here!”
“Father, calm down. They’re with me,” I interrupted. I walked past Serefin and Malachi to stand in between them and my father. Tessa stood still as night in the doorway.
Did he know they were fae? They were using glamour to hide their wings, at least. There was no way it was that obvious.
“I know who they are,” he spat. “And I want you to leave. All of you.”
I knew he was drunk. I don’t even know why I cared. But I clenched my fists at my side, hard enough that my fingernails could have pierced my skin. “We came to visit Tessa,” I said strongly.
Malachi moved behind me, but I didn’t take my eyes off my father. My skinny, old, drunken father.
“I don’t care why you came back here,” he mumbled. “Do you understand me? You aren't one of us any longer. Get back to where you came from.”
I couldn’t believe he was saying this. Where was the father that nearly begged me to stay not even a week ago?
“Father, I–”
“I DON’T WANT YOU HERE!” He yelled, but he wasn’t talking to the fae.
His eyes were locked on mine.
I was too stunned to move. How many times had my father said something like that? How many times had he sworn he hated me, or told me to leave this house? His words didn’t bother me. They were only a reminder of how much the man could drink.
But now? Every word sliced me like a sword.
“I thought you would be happy to see me,” I said. I tried to whisper, but I knew Malachi could hear.
My father laughed. Actually laughed. In fact, he laughed so hard he nearly fell over.
“You’re pathetic,” he said. “You’re pathetic, and you’re nothing but useless, used garbage–”
The next few moments played out in slow motion. Malachi moved with a flash, fast enough that I couldn't even react before he had my father on the ground, a foot on his chest and a sword at his throat.
“Say that again,” Malachi growled at him. I moved to stop him, but Serefin wrapped his arms around me, holding me back.
“Malachi, don’t!” I pleaded.
Malachi didn’t flinch. He stared at my father, who now cowered on the ground like a child.
“I said, say that again. Tell me that Jade–my wife–is useless, used garbage.”
The ground rumbled under my feet. Any glamour he had been using to hide his wings was long gone. His massive, black feathers towered around him.
My father stammered, but said nothing. There was no way he would say a word with Malachi’s sword touching his throat.
Tessa’s cry of terror filled the air. This finally made Malachi back away, leaving my father panting on the ground in front of us.
I turned and ran to Tessa, surprised that Serefin had let me. “Tessa, don’t be–”
“Stop!” she yelled, holding her hands up to stop me. “Don’t get any closer!”
“What? Tessa, I–”
“I SAID STOP!” Her voice was filled with fear and something else.