You're Not the Only One With Secrets - "YNTOOWS" by Lucia Roberts (books that read to you .txt) 📖

As we ran, I could feel a slight pull on something deep inside me. Something guided me to her. I knew that I could trust this urge, so I followed it. Many times I fell as we jogged through the wood looking for her. I knew that things were not fully changed within me and I tried to hide this from Malachai. I managed to successfully until one of the cuts I got on my forearm refused to quit bleeding.

“Stop, Sairyn. You must stop moving; we must rest. You will end up hurt and then what use will you be when we find her?”

“I beg your pardon Sir Malachai. But, we must find her. I can feel her; and I can't help but believe that you may not find her in time without me. She is of more importance than I.”

He seemed a bit stunned but he nodded and we began again our search. We walked and ran and hunted for seemed like hours, but in reality, couldn't have been more than one. I was thanking the Goddess for letting me have a guide to her just as it died off. Suddenly I had no guidance. I was lost. I stopped abruptly and ignored Elder Malachai's inquiries. “Amaranth!” I yelled into the forest's depth. It echoed off the trees as I scanned frantically for any sign that give me a clue. How could the Gods forsake me now? I saw a glint of red on the ground a couple yards away and ran to it with Elder Malachai only feet behind me. It was her. And the damnded Centaur.

"What happened to her?!?" I yelled at him.

He looked up instantly. I knew he could see as well, if not better, in the dark as I.

As I stormed closer he stood up and possessively stood in front of Amaranth. He was a lot shorter in human form. But, then again, I suppose I am as well. We were pretty evenly matched when I was wolf and he was his other half.

“Who in the 7 levels of hell are you?” He asked. I scoffed. As if he had a right to question me, when I find him with an immobile Fall Faerie.

“I am Vishnu. Recently restored Lord Sairyn Arrowrept. Now if I were you, I would answer my bloody question and tell me what happened to this Faerie.”

She lay on the ground. She looked like death. Pale, with cuts all along her arms, legs, hands and face. It was enraging. Why did I let her go; ignore her calls? Why didn’t I assure her safety before I went to Malachai?

“I was supposed to go check on her tonight because she ran off to Malachai’s raving about you and your spider web of unbelievable ‘new found abilities’. He sounded disgusted as he said this and gestured to my returned body “and when she wasn’t home and I couldn’t find either of you I went searching. I found her here and was doing an inventory of her injuries when you showed up.” We knelt down on the ground together then; suddenly brought out of our power-plays and back to the situation at hand. “Her wings are not out completely, so they can’t be too hurt. She has minor cuts, but many of them. Nothing seems broken. She's movable.” I quickly willed my mind to doctor mode; overlooking everything as he said it.The Half-Man was right. She seemed well enough to move.

I went to pick her up in a cradle position but my right arm, the one with the cut, gave out almost instantly. I wanted to hit myself for nearly dropping her, even though she wasn't very far off the ground and I still had her upper body secure.

I turned around knowing Elder was behind me and before I did drop her for real, I handed her to Inteus with a scowl returning the smirk he wasn’t even trying to hide and began to walk back the way we came with one hand putting pressure on my cut. I put enough to hurt, but not enough to break my arm or do any real damage. He could carry her. She was light. I can take care of her when I am taken care of. I hated the sensibility of my nature, but, it came in handy in situations like these. I must not hurt myself to I can take care of her and then take care of the dragons.

I heard muffled sounds right next to me and a slight pulling on my shoulder. I knew I should get up; I had to get up. What if it was an attacker? I tried first to focus but my eyes were still closed. I got them to flutter open briefly. More murmurs from next to me and a stronger sense of nudging not only at my shoulders but now my waist. I had to wake up now. What was wrong with me? I remembered my fall as my eyes finally managed to open and stay that way long enough to survey a blurry face of Elder Malachai with the forest behind him. I fell back again and couldn't wake up; couldn't fight the black.

The next time I woke up I was in my old room at Elder Malachai's cabin, deep in the forest, that had it's familiar piney scent from my younger days. I looked around the room and tried to sit up. Within three seconds Malachai was there, holding food and drink to my lips, just as he did when I was young and sick. I finished everything he held to my lips and then tried to ask questions but he held his hand over my eyes and made me sleep with that stupid charm I could never hear; even as a child.

I woke a few times to hear what sounded like fighting or a man screaming; but every time I tried to wake up further or move I would feel sleep creep back over me and I was out again. I could have sworn I heard Inteus as well.... he was supposed to check on me. Is he here? I never found out though; I was out again.

I thought I was dreaming at first when I realized I couldn't move, I felt pinned as I was coming into consciousness. The nightmare was fading out to black as I struggled to come back to my body and open my eyes. I felt a vibration in my throat which could only be a scream of my own. I sat up as fast as I ever have only to be gasping to breathe and a shadow of a person leaving my room which was then covered as Elder Malachai came into my room. “What is that nightmare about Amaranth?” I was still trying to get my breath back. Instead of answering, I pointed towards the door. “Do not trouble yourself with that right now My Dear.”

My voice was scratchy as I whispered “He held me down when I was dreaming. I believe I have right to know who it was that has touched me in such a helpless state.” I knew it was a lame argument, but he was used to my feisty-ness. He sighed and shook his head. “Fine. How long was I asleep?”

“Four days.” He said quietly.

“Who was in my room?” I asked again as I lay back against my pillows; too weak to move very far.

“Come in.” Elder Malachai said to the person who had left the room so abruptly. Slowly the door creaked open and a man stepped into the room. A man I have never seen before but, yet, he seemed eerily familiar.

This man comes only a few feet into the small room. His posture is brilliant: that of a noble, brave, strong-willed man. He had black shoulder-length hair, bright eyes of a colour I could not see at this distance and fair skin that bore many scars. I looked from him to Malachai and back waiting for someone to say something. Elder looked at the man by the door, silently, and the man just shook his head. He refused to speak. Or look at me.

“Who is this?” I asked; begging for one of them to answer me. “Who are you?”

“Do you remember the day you came here, after Vishnu ran away, and you heard some strange things?”

I nodded. “You know there are many things that Fae are not allowed to do, anymore, that some of us used to be able to do if the circumstance called for it to be so.” He was taking so long. “One day, many years ago, a certain Fae misused this power. He hated that he could not control the dragons that used to be here for us. He thought he should have this ability over a Mixer, a Fae and Human baby, and when this wasn't so he used Magick to make this baby into an example for all Fae. He hoped to prove that Mixers were not ‘right’ and not meant to be, but this didn't happen. This Fae was eventually made an example of himself. However, this half-faerielet is the one we needed to find in order to let the last dragon, er dragons, survive and lead healthy lives protecting us as their Gods given right.”

I sighed. “So where do we find this heir? And don't we need Vishnu for this? Did you find him?”

“Yes, I've found your Vishnu, or rather, he found me.”

“So, where is he?”

“He came-” and then the man made an 'ahem' noise in his throat.

My eyes snapped to him immediately; almost thankfully after his silence. “So you can talk.” I said quietly to the shadow man.

“Yes.” I knew that voice... where did I know that voice? “I found Elder Malachai four days ago...”

He paused as my lips parted to protest and held his hand up for me not to speak. “and he used what he knew of the Old Magick to change me back. I am, well, you already know that.” He chuckled with a sarcastic tone. “I only held you down because of that damn nightmare and I did not want you to hurt yourself since you were sleeping in a small bed rather than” he held his breath before shaking his head and looking at the wall to his left as he continued “your own quarters or the carpet in the foyer.” He looked directly at me with burning eyes, as he walked over to my bedside so I could see him clearly, and then finished saying “Forgive me if that was forward of me.” And he turned briskly to leave the room. Typical Vishnu... I mean... wait... no... it can't… it can't be. And I blacked out again.

I thought I woke up once to hear the music of Vishnu's song fur before remembering that he no longer had such a thing. Another few times I thought I heard a door close, or saw someone sitting in the chair in the corner, but, I fell instantly back to sleep.

I was alone when I awoke this time. The room was dark. It couldn't be more than just a few hours from my last blackout. I hoped. I am convinced that blacking out took