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...
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