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fillintheprompts · 6 years

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My father was head of a mob run by the meanest “mythical” creatures to ever step foot on non-magical land. My mother was a water fairy and beloved by all, including my father. My dad, however, was a shape-shifter who was hated by most. He and his gang of “shades” as they were called for being the only group talented enough to form to shadows, went around town murdering magical creatures who got out of line. Usually, it was other shape-shifters and the normal junkie wizard that owed him money for their last hit of fairy dust, but occasionally, he’d go against one of the council heads of the Seventeen Migrant Mystic Tribes. I was a child when he retired, but he loves to tell stories about his glory days.

It was always in the cards for me to marry a mystic, but my dad always said, “If it ends up being a butter baby, I’d rather you sleep with a mortal.” Butter babies are what he called the sun fairies that communicated with insects and arachnids. Their job was to facilitate peace between the groups so that less spiders were responsible for insect species extinction. They had butterfly wings. The point is, when I found love, I was relieved to find it in a handsome hybrid named Destan. His father was a water fairy and his mother was a siren, so we were both water/deception types and outcasts by our aquatic sides. The water types were always snobs about laying with deception types, even sirens, and our parents had disobeyed that rule.

We met in college and bonded at night when we could use our abilities without tipping the mortals off to our existence. Of course, we broke that rule often by passing notes in spheres of water. We were caught by mystic professors, but mortal professors were constantly confused by the water left on their floors when class was over. Some even banned water bottles for a few weeks. On graduation day, as they called my name to get my diploma, I was met on the other side of the stage by Destan, who got on one knee, opened a box to reveal a ring covered with diamonds and aquamarines, and said, “Anahita, would you do me the honor of being my wife?” I said yes, and we started planning our wedding and looking for jobs in our fields.

Finally, the day came for us to be wed at my father’s vacation house near the water. The water fairies, sirens, and shapeshifters came from the Advanced Mystic Plane to see our union, and my father, being the man he is, took the opportunity to unite with Destan’s mom to rub it in the faces of the water fairies. My mortal wedding would be later, to be legally wed by non-magical law, but this ceremony was about traditions and letting our mystic traits be present. Tradition states that when the bride and groom are on the altar, each shows their traits after saying “I do”.

I walked down the aisle in the dress my mom made for me. It was woven with the dust of affection fairies and the purest water that came from the lake off the shore where the wish-making nymphs played with their children. It flowed from the shoulders to the tips of my toes, which hovered off the ground as I approached the altar. The High Priestess took her bowl and poured the infinite waters over our heads until our hair was completely wet to symbolize the union to two minds. Then she went into the promising. When it came to be my turn, I said, “I do,” and let my wings up. I hadn’t seen them in so long, I’d almost forgotten the light blue color and the elegant spiral designs that carried the darkened gold color of the shapeshifter. I zoned out for his part of the promising, since it was just a repetition of what I’d just heard. He smiled at me before squinting to see something above my head. I didn’t turn to look because of the ceremony, but as he said, “I do,” the life left his eyes and screams could be heard in the crowd.

Destan fell, and I stood over him, trying to make sense of what I was looking at. Below me, the face of my beautiful hybrid Destan was illuminated by the greenish-blue of the sirens and the swirling of red and orange that could only belong to a sun fairy with communicative abilities. In the center of his chest, where mystical hearts are placed, was a familiar arrow. I thought back to my eighteenth birthday in the dead of winter when the newest water fairy babies were being born on the frozen lakes. My godmother, Aislinn, gave me a special gift. She was council head of the guardian angels’ mystic tribe, but also my mother’s guardian angel and best friend. For being head of a tribe, she had the ability to grant her own wishes, and as my present, she granted herself an arrow for me to shoot, which would land in the heart of my killer, three seconds before they’re supposed to create my demise.

As I pieced it all together and saw the giant bee stinger that was slowly falling out of the sleeve of Destan’s ceremonious jacket, I was pulled away from the altar by my mother and brought inside with the rest of the bridal party, guests, and catering staff. There were words coming from all directions as I sat silently. Everything that led to this point felt like a blur, and everyone was trying to figure out what I already knew by yelling hurtful words and accusations at each other. I couldn’t make any of them out until my mother rested her hand lightly on my arm and said, “Ana, my sweet Anahita, are you okay?”

“Ask Destan’s father to please extend his wings,” I said quietly.

“What,” my mother replied. “Anahita, I don’t understand.” This made me angry. How could she not have glanced at my fallen groom long enough to see what I saw. I stood and looked at Destan’s father.

“When I saw Destan on the ground, I looked carefully at him and at his wings, and they resembled a man who was half-sun fairy instead of water, so I ask again, Mr. Gonzalez, for you to extend your wings.” As I finished my sentence, I found myself only inches from his face. “Mr. Gonzalez, you are a mute man, but you are not hard of hearing. Destan’s mother make be gone from this world, but you are still hearing, so it is you that I’ll check.”

He looked shocked, but a look of embarrassment soon spread over his face. With his hands, he said, “Since he first called himself by that name in front of me, I’ve despised it. It is sun tradition for the father to name the child a name worthy of our tribe, and I chose Arun, not Destan. Arun is a good boy. I raised him to be a good boy, but after his mother was murdered, he got angry. He didn’t handle it well. So, he made this plan in his mind to get back at the man who did it. Nouvel Price. He went to him one day as a child and told him what he had done to us. He said he did it to protect his daughter, Anahita. So, Arun found you. He got close to you and played the long game. He was going to kill you in from of your father so that Nouvel would know what it was like to lose someone. He told me this morning right before the ceremony and placed a charged heat charm around my wrists so I couldn’t tell. Now that he has died, the charm doesn’t work. I am so sorry for Arun’s behavior. I know your feelings are real and I’m sorry for that too. I wish no harm on your family.”

“Thank you for the truth,” I told him. “You are always welcome among us.” I turned to my father who was holding my mom, as to shield her from the danger. She looked at him with shock and betrayal. Deception types are born with the ability to translate, but it is stripped away by the guardian angels, so that they have a chance at telling the originals from imposters without too much trouble. Water types, however, are able to keep their translation ability, since they can connect to the world through oceans without making trouble.

“Did you murder Destan’s mom,” I spoke quietly. He wrinkled his brow in confusion.

“What,” he asked, surprised. “Why would I do that?”

“Destan’s name is Arun,” I said. “He was half-sun fairy and you killed his mother. That’s why he wanted to marry me and that’s why Aislinn’s bow went through his chest. Tell me the truth.” He sighed heavily.

“I had to,” he said. “His mother was council head of the sirens. She was creating a case against me so I would be handed over to the nightmare realm. That would’ve left you and your mother alone. I have enemies, Ana. I couldn’t let them get to you.” My mom pulled away from him.

“I knew it,” she said. “You are nothing but a shape-shifting monster. That day you came in and your eyes weren’t right, I knew something had happened. You never shift to green unless you’re doing dirty work in public.” Tears fell down her face and wrapped neatly around her chin before falling to the ground. “My council head is here, Nouvel. She can’t let this slide.”

“Loire, my love,” he said, trying to hold on to my mother as she tried to put distance between them. “Don’t do this.”

“I, Loire Jameson, and my daughter, Anahita Jameson, hereby strip ourselves of the Price name and return to the good graces of the water fairy tribe.” Just like that, my mother and I held each other tight as we watched the council head step forward and take away the only man who ever truly loved me.

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