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dragon-knight1990 · 7 years

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From the Shadows Chapter 6

Aurora could hardly believe it. She was going to be studying mythology, Scottish faerie folklore, to be precise. Anyone who didn't know her would think she was being peculiar to get this excited about being a research assistant, but she didn't care. It was enough to get her mind away from Phillip, and that was what she needed. Every time her thoughts drifted to him and what he tried to do to her, she felt a pang of guilt. This was especially apparent whenever she ignored his many calls.

More than once, she considered blocking his number, and even filing a restraining order. The only thing that stopped her was that she would face retribution for such a drastic action. She thought that if she could hold firm in her stance to have no contact that maybe he would either get the hint or grow bored and move on.

She went to her classes that day and did her best to pay attention through the lectures. During her first class that day, she got the painful reminder that finals were just around the corner. The silver lining in that was that she was about to be very busy, and that she wouldn't be afforded any time to dwell on thoughts of Phillip.

As her final class ended, she received a text from a number she didn't recognize. Confused and concerned, she opened it.

"Meet me in the south parking lot. I am parked in the back. –Maleficent."

Her heart skipped a beat, and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. She didn't remember ever giving her number to Maleficent. It was possible that she did, and simply forgot. She shrugged it off and made her way through the crowds of students to the designated parking lot.

She found Maleficent leaned up against a sleek black car. She didn't recognize the make or model; cars weren't her thing, but it reminded her of a much less douchy version of her father's car. As she approached, she ran her fingers through her hair and pulled some of the wayward strands behind her ear. She felt idiotic for doing it; it was a nervous tick of hers.

"Are you ready?" Maleficent asked.

"Yeah. But where are we going?" Aurora struggled to not stumble over her words, and she felt her cheeks heat up as the blush hit.

"My cabin." The flash in Maleficent's eyes made Aurora's knees go weak. She played it off as she reached for the door handle. "Is that a problem?" The woman's red lips quirked into a mischievous smile, one that should have had Aurora running, but she didn't.

"N—no! Not at all!" She laughed nervously.

"Good," Maleficent purred and got in the car.

Aurora was surprised by how relaxed she was riding next to Maleficent. Normally, she would be a fidgety mess riding with near strangers. But Maleficent wasn't a stranger, she reminded herself. The woman had saved her twice now from horrible fates. And Maleficent had spent a great deal of time caring for her when she had nothing discernible to gain.

"How were your classes?" Maleficent asked, breaking the silence.

"Alright, I guess," Aurora replied with a shrug. "They'll keep me busy until finals." That was what school was becoming now, a distraction from the things she would rather stay swept under the rug.

Maleficent nodded. Aurora wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light, but she could have sworn that she saw the corner of the other woman's lips tighten into a frown.

They were silent for the rest of the drive. Aurora watched the scenery pass as they left the city and drove into the countryside. As she delved deeper into her thoughts, she wondered what sort of research she would be doing for Maleficent. Those were much more pleasant thoughts than the alternative; she felt a renewed excitement for what she might learn.

It was close to an hour before Maleficent turned onto a long driveway. Trees lined either side. Most of it was old growth with moss hanging down and ferns dotting the ground. Even in the daylight, it was dark. A doe dashed back into the trees as the car approached. At the end of the driveway was a cozy log cabin.

Maleficent parked her car in the garage next to the cabin and got out before it even occurred to Aurora that the car had stopped. The younger woman muttered her apology as Maleficent opened the door for her.

"We will go to my office," Maleficent instructed. "Are you hungry? I can also make us some tea while you get settled." She added as they walked into her home.

Aurora didn't register what was said; she was too focused on her new surroundings. The living room was the first room past the entryway. It was sparse. A couple black cushioned chairs sat in the corner with a tall lamp between them. Along the walls were bookshelves, lined with too many volumes for her to identify individual books. There was no TV, which struck as something odd to Aurora. The hardwood floor was covered with a red throw rug.

"This way, Aurora." Maleficent's voice broke her reverie.

Aurora's cheeks grew suddenly hot as she realized she was staring. She shuffled after Maleficent. They walked past a couple closed doors. Aurora wondered what was behind those doors, but she figured they were private, and she wasn't going to pry. The room Maleficent led her to was very similar to what she could only assume was the living room, but instead of arm chairs, there were two desks and computers.

"That will be your desk while you work for me." Maleficent pointed to the far desk. She turned and left Aurora alone.

Aurora glanced through some of the book titles as she slowly made her way to her desk. The books that she glanced at were mostly what she would find in a metaphysics bookshop. She amused herself with thoughts of Maleficent being a witch.

"You will have access to all these books."

"Fuck!" Aurora jumped and whirled around to face Maleficent with her hand over her heart.

"I am sorry I startled you. I made sandwiches and tea." Maleficent placed the offerings on Aurora's desk.

"Erm—thank you." She settled at her desk and took a sip of the tea. It was very earthy with just a hint of honey and the aroma matched the taste. A small smile broke past what walls she had built, giving her pleasure at the taste away. She set the teacup down before reaching for a sandwich and nibbling on it. Food still upset her stomach, but she knew that if she didn't eat something, no matter how small, she would never hear the end of it.

"So where do you want me to start?"

"I have a list of books I want you to look at on your computer. Even the slightest mention of the fey, I want you to make a note of it."

Aurora frowned. The instructions were vague. She mentally shrugged it off, figuring that she would be able to start making sense of it all later. She turned the computer on, and the first thing she noticed was an email. She opened it to find that it contained the book list, just as Maleficent said. Further instructions were included on how the notes were to be recorded for her new boss, as well as permission to set up her desktop in whatever way suited her.

Aurora began searching the office for the first of the books on her list. Meanwhile, Maleficent was scribbling down notes herself.

That first afternoon was mostly quiet. Aurora lost herself in searching for small grains of information that she thought Maleficent could use. She worked well past dark, and didn't realize that she had fallen asleep at her desk until Maleficent was shaking her awake.

"Aurora?"

"Hn?" She blinked a few times before her sight returned. She yawned and stretched; her back cracked a couple times. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" She scrambled to her feet.

"It is quite alright. Why don't you spend the night here? I can drive you to school in the morning."

Aurora's mouth hung agape. "I—thank you for the offer," she managed, remembering her manners.

Maleficent smiled slightly. She led Aurora to another room and left her there.

She woke the following morning to find a foreign weight on her chest. When she opened her eyes, she found a black cat curled up and sleeping. A sleepy smile touched her lips. She stroked the cat's fur tentatively, and when the cat rolled over to reveal his belly, she scratched him affectionately. "Hello, pretty cat."

He purred and nipped her hand lovingly before jumping down. His deep blue eyes stared up at her, as though he expected something.

"Leave it to Maleficent to be a cat lady," Aurora chuckled to herself. She stretched and followed the cat into the kitchen.

There, she found Maleficent cooking eggs and making toast. When Maleficent turned around, she had a bemused grin plastered on her face. "I see you have met Diaval," she purred.

"Yeah. He was sleeping on me."

"Oh. I am sorry." Maleficent narrowed her eyes at the cat, who just meowed sardonically and flicked his tail a couple times.

"Oh, I don't mind. He's cute." Aurora was nearly tripping over her words, and she blushed as a result.

"Cute, huh?" The brunet clucked her tongue. "What have you done to deceive the poor girl?"

Diaval meowed as he wove between Maleficent's legs. His tail stuck straight up as though he didn't have a care in the world.

Aurora grinned at the sight. In that moment, at least, all her troubles didn't seem to matter. With the massive weight lifted from her shoulders, she sat down to enjoy the breakfast Maleficent placed in front of her. As soon as she was finished eating, Maleficent told her to get ready to go back to the university, which she dragged her feet through doing. Maleficent drove her back to campus, and she shuffled off to her first class.

The following days followed much of the same routine. As Aurora finished books, Maleficent sent emails containing more. The research was mostly tedious, especially as most of the books contained very little mention of the fey. Despite this, Aurora was still more than happy to delve into the endless list of books.

"You ought to devote some time to studying for your finals," Maleficent said one evening. "They're less than a week away."

"Shit!" Aurora had nearly forgotten that she still had her exams around the corner. "Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!"

"Relax," Maleficent chuckled. "You can study here."

Aurora blinked dumbly. She had only held a couple jobs while in school, but never before had a boss suggested for her to focus on her studies. It was why she had quit both of them; she just couldn't juggle all her responsibilities. "What about your deadlines?"

"What deadlines?" Maleficent raised a brow in the way only she could. It was one of her many expressions that Aurora had put an effort into memorizing.

"Publishers usually—erm—they want manuscripts by a certain date." The more she spoke, the more Aurora realized that she was digging herself into a hole.

"I set my own deadlines. I can always adjust them as necessary, as I do not rely on grant money."

Aurora clamped her mouth shut and grabbed her schoolbooks. She refused to look up at Maleficent as she pretended to study. Her mind was filled with thousands of thoughts, and none of them had to do with her studies. She flipped through the pages periodically. No matter how hard she tried, she simply could not get into her studies.

After what felt like hours of staring at the same page, she finally gave up. She slammed her book closed in her frustration.

"What's wrong?" Maleficent's soft voice startled her, and she jumped. The frown that crossed Maleficent's face was enough to cause her guilt. "Sorry," the older woman murmured.

"It's not your fault," Aurora responded quickly. She glanced away; ashamed for how easily she startled these days.

"Are you finding it difficult to concentrate?" Maleficent inquired, breaking the younger woman's train of thought.

Aurora pursed her lips into a sour frown. This woman seemed to know her better than those who knew her all twenty-two years of her brief life. She couldn't help but wonder at that for a moment. It did seem odd, but then so did most things she found where Maleficent was concerned.

"Come. We should break for tea."

Aurora followed Maleficent into the breakfast nook that sat off the kitchen. She watched, deep in thought as Maleficent bustled about to prepare their tea. Their afternoon tea seemed to follow a ritual: Maleficent would find the particular blend she was looking for (it was always loose leaf; one time Aurora asked why she didn't use bags, and Maleficent gave a haughty response that became a full on rant), explain the significance of the blend, as well as find the perfect cakes to accompany it, milk and sugar were sometimes offered, but only for the darkest blends. That day was such a blend. Baker's Street, Maleficent named it.

"Do you ever drink coffee?" Aurora dared to ask.

"Oh, heavens no!" Maleficent scoffed. She placed her free hand over her heart and looked affronted. "Not unless offered by a host, and that is only out of politeness. One must follow the rules of hospitality, after all." She sipped her tea, but only once Aurora had.

"Rules of hospitality?" Aurora arched a brow. Out of all Maleficent's little idiosyncrasies, this one seemed the most eccentric yet.

"Why yes. You know, the fae are said to follow the very same rules, according to folklore, that is." Aurora watched as Maleficent's eyes lit up with excitement. She leaned forward to listen to the older woman explain to her what she meant. "Those who follow these rules never enter a residence without being invited in by one who resides there. When visiting, always accept what is offered. If one is hosting, they are supposed to offer their best luxuries to their guest. It's simply expected."

Aurora couldn't help but smile as she listened to Maleficent's passion in the subject. The way she spoke, it was almost as though she believed exactly what she said. But Aurora knew better; fae and all the other fantastical creatures from mythology were nothing more than myth.

Their quiet moment basking in the other's company was interrupted when Aurora's phone began buzzing. She dug the offending thing out of her pocket, and glared at the caller ID that read: Dad. She swiped the answer icon to the side and in the most pleasant voice she could muster, said, "Hi, dad."

"Aurora, I need you to come home this weekend," Stephan said sternly.

She blinked slowly as she processed his words and the clipped tone he was using. Her heart raced at the thought of returning home on such short notice. Something was up, and she didn't like the implications that meant. "What's wrong, dad? I have my finals next week, so I have to study."

"Come home," was all the explanation she got before he hung up on her.

She stared at her phone, dumbstruck by her father's terseness. Her heart continued to pound in her ears as she thought about what could have happened to make him demand that she return home with her exams looming just around the corner.

"Aurora?"

She looked up and guessed that wasn't the first time Maleficent tried to get her attention since her father called and hung up. Her mind was blank.

"What's wrong?"

"My father—he wants me to come home this weekend." Her own voice sounded foreign to her ears.

"Did he say why?"

Aurora shook her head. Whatever it was, she had enough sense to dread it…

#From the Shadows #Chapter 6 #Maleficent #fanfiction #this chapter is rated T #fluff

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