The Thing About Kieran

Slipping into the warm water, Kayley waded towards the center of the pool. The water leaving her flesh tingling as she draws power from it. The heat from the water evident in the cool air around her. Relaxing, she slowly continues to wade in the warm water for a moment or two before floating on her back. The night sky full of hundreds of twinkling stars mesmerizing her as her mind wanders to thoughts of him... to Kieran.

She remembered the time they had spent together, nearly three years prior. Things hadn't always been so bad. They had spent hours playing in the large ocean located near his estate. The waves crashing over them, as they laugh. His arms wrapping tightly around her waist as their lips met in a warm embrace. Her stomach filled with butterflies at the memories of those early days. Sighing softly, her thoughts drifted to the first time they were intimate. His fingers brushing aside her wet hair as he wraps her naked body around his. Their bodies moving as one, under the moonlit sky, as the waves lap gently against them. They had made love several times that night, the night she knew in her heart, she was truly in love with him.

Rising from the warm water, her bare skin instantly covered in goosebumps as she poofs a thick, warm towel to wrap around her. Their conversation the night before echoing through her mind as she slips into the warmth of her house. She hadn't meant to hurt him. Her thoughts and emotions were as tangled as they had ever been. The pain of the past was a constant reminder of how many worlds apart he and her truly were.

Yes, she had loved him once. She'd be lying if she tried to say she didn't still feel anything for him. Even now, as she stood alone in her room, her body ached for his touch... just to feel his warmth. She'd always felt drawn to him. Yet as much as that was true, she couldn't... wouldn't just give herself to him. Not after everything... he had done... that she had gone threw.

Sighing, she poofed the towel to its rightful spot in the bathroom. Slipping into a sheer nightgown, she curls up in front of the fire with a blanket. Her eyes watching as the flames dance happily, reminding her of another life. A life she had struggled internally to forget... A life of hope... happiness... possibility. Gone in what now seemed like the blink of an eye...

When she had awaken at Niall's, his grim expression had spoken volumes to her. In that moment, as her heart shattered, she felt something else rise from its ashes. Hate. Hate for the one who had who had abandoned her... leaving her weakened and defenseless without a word. And hate for the one she blamed for stealing her from her life.... Kieran.

Closing her eyes, the warmth of the fire causes her cheeks to flush as she fights back the tears. She knew as short of a time in what could possibly be a long life for her, she would never forget those months of happiness. She also knew, she could never forgive either of them.

She never understood what had motivated Niall to tell her the truth about Kieran's bizarre and extreme behavior. Perhaps it was out of guilt, but as he explained the spell he had placed on Kieran, she noticed the pain on his face. It didn't excuse everything Kieran had done. He had always been arrogant, privileged, and at times cruel. But the spell had removed something from him, a filter that had once prevented him from acting out some of his darkest desires.

Her knowledge of Niall's interference only helped to further confuse the feelings stirring within Kayley. It was at her request that Niall had broken his spell over Kieran. She couldn't bear with the thought of him always coming after her. She had hoped that it would remove his desire to possess her, control her and to some point, it had.

It was nearly six months after her trial before she saw him again. The twins were escorting her during a visit to Faery. Lyric was always good for whispering jokes as a way to distract Kayley from the hateful remarks and watchful eyes of the other Fae. She had seen him only briefly, through the wide window at the local tavern. His arm draped around a pretty red head, laughing heartily as he drinks from his mug. She hadn't meant to stop, but she did. The twins, moved a step or two in front of her as she paused, before they turned to look back at her. It was in that moment, when his eyes locked with hers, that she felt that connection they had once had, stir once again. Blinking, she turned her head and moved towards Lyric and Zion. Ignoring the questioning looks on their face, she continued past them.

He appeared to her a few days later. She had stepped from her office in the shop to find him looking around curiously. Boxes filling the space, in preparation for the expansion she had planned. She froze where she stood. A feeling of unease creeping over her as his name escaped her lips, "Kieran?" He turned to face her and she saw for the first time, a trace of uncertainty on his face. They stood there frozen for several moments before he poofed away.

His sudden appearances had started to become a common occurrence. Each time leaving her more confused than the last. Now she sat in her room, in front of a fire, contemplating what it all meant. He had said they were fated to be together and yet had admitted to interfering in her life, time and time again. She had been surprised when he said he loved her. She hadn't said the words in return and she knew it didn't go unnoticed. She cared for him, she knew that much for sure. What was going on between them was merely physical. Without trust in him, she couldn't give herself fully to him. After all he had done... how could she possibly forgive him... trust him... love him?

Rubbing at her temples, she rises from her spot in front of the fire and crawled into her large, comfortable bed. Her head swimming with an infinite number of conflicting emotions. Closing her eyes, she focused her thoughts onto that first night on the beach. A small smile curling her lips as she drifts off to sleep.

The Turning of the Tides

As Niall began to speak of the state in which he found her, she felt a chill hit her heart. Holding up her hand, her voice growing calm with a hint of ice, "Enough. I don't want to hear anything else."

Startled by her words, Niall stopped mid-sentence. Seeing the seriousness on her face, he nodded. Sympathy scrawled across his face as he saw first hand her very being shatter. He moved to sit onto the edge of the bed, wrapping his arms around her frail body and pulling her close. As the tears streamed down her cheeks, his hand stroked her hair soothingly, unsure of any thing else to say or do.

Shaking her head, she pushed away the memory. Her attention focusing on the shop. The holidays were over and school was back in session, so the shop was pretty quiet. She was happy with the expansion she had added six months earlier. It had helped keep her mind off things.

She had stayed with Gwen for a few months after Niall had destroyed the house she had once thought of as home. After what seemed like forever, she finally settled on a new place that lay on the outskirts of Shreveport, overlooking the Red River. She opted to decorate it the human way as a way to keep busy in her spare time. Anything that kept her busy, helped control the deep seated anger she had built up inside.

Once she was healed, she had begged Niall to help train her. At first he was reluctant, but after a few weeks he realized she wasn't going to back down. She met the twins, Lyric and Zion soon after. Lyric would assist in helping Kayley further in her training and harnessing of her magic, while Zion would help her learn to physically defend herself. She was surprised when they recognized her and it wasn't until she was informed of their part in her rescue, that she was able to piece together why they looked familiar.

When she explained her reasoning to train, they too, expressed the same concern Niall had. This only further enraged Kayley. Had she been full Fae, she'd have started her training years ago. Gritting her teeth, she hated to admit to herself, that it wasn't her blood that had them concerned. It was the driving force... the very events that led to her decision and resolve. She didn't... couldn't understand why they would hesistate. Her punishment had worked. She had learned her lesson, once and for all. They had been right and she had been naive. She now understood her place in the two worlds, she understood the need to keep the lines drawn.

They had all been correct and now she would carry the scars on her back forever as a reminder. Niall had offered to have a healer remove them, but as her eyes looked down at her trembling hands all she could manage was a simple, "No." It had been six months since that day and sometimes she still caught the look of sadness that crossed his face when he saw them. She knew he felt guilty for her pain, regardless of his personal opinion on the situation that led up to their making.

Her strength surprised him and in a way, left several in awe of her. When she traveled to Faery, she didn't lower her head in shame, or cover her scars. She ensured they were visible for all to see, her own form of a scarlett letter proudly displayed. Even amongst the whispers and snide remarks, her chin remained raised and face polite. Her name was becoming widely known in the Fae world. Not only for her ability to maintain a public face, but for the rumors that were circulating of her training and how she was using her new found knowledge.

Looking up at the clock, she nodded to Gwen to indicate she was leaving. Poofing back to her home, she dressed specifically, carefully. Looking in the mirror, she saw just how much the year had changed her. She had grown up and was persuing the destiny she was born into, fighting in the trenches. The War: Fairies versuses Vampires. Fingering the silver chain around her neck, she felt no remorse as it hung between her breasts. Each tiny link representing a kill, a success of removing her natural enemy from being a threat to anyone else in the Human Realm... A sly grin curling her lips as she entered the bar, her eyes falling onto her next victim...