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Chapter 8 Darton High School

            The next morning Donella and the Nesworths woke the Elite Fairy Students to help with chores around the farm. When the chores were finished, everyone gathered in the dining room of the Nesworth house for breakfast. The meal was filled with excited chatter of what the fairies were expecting from their first day of human high school.            

            When the table was cleared, the fairies collected their school supplies and headed toward the bus for the twenty minute drive to Darton High School.

            The school as a buzz with students getting to their first period classes and the fairies felt a little over whelmed with all of the activity that was going on and the excitement of finally being at a human high school.

            Iris was loving every minute of the experience that was unfolding before her but she was a little annoyed at the pulsation on her ring finger of her right hand.

            Declan, who could not be found after breakfast that morning, had left her a ring on her dresser with a note saying, “This is from your parents. They would like you to wear it while at school so it could bring you good luck and a little reminder of your beautiful home, Elysia.”

            She slipped the ring on her finger and marveled at the uniqueness of it. It was a very pretty purple iris flower, the one she was named after, and the band looked like a braided stem. It was a real flower just touched with magic. In Elysia, it was traditional for Raes to made their own jewelry out of flowers and their own magic. This iris was shrunken down so it wouldn’t look gaudy or too big on her finger. She hadn’t noticed the slight pulsing feeling until now.

            She tried slipping the ring off of her finger but the ring wouldn’t move and she heard a voice in her head say, Stop Iris you have to leave the ring on!

            Iris stopped in her tracks. What was that?

            It was me Iris, Declan. I am the ring.

            What?!

            I promised your father that I would keep you save and watch you during this trip. I promise that I will not interfere with your day and when I am positively sure that you will be safe I will not turn into this ring again.

            Do you promise?

            You have the word of a drake Iris.

            There was no denying the fact that Iris was a little mad that she was basically being spied on but soon her mind shifted to something else.

            “Hi my name is Brianna but you guys can call me Bri and this is Warren and Jace. We will be your guides today,” said Brianna Collins, one of Mrs. Nesworth’s students. She was friendly and shook everyone’s hands as she learned the names of the fairies in disguise.

            Jace came to Iris and extended his hand in a friendly gesture, “Welcome to Darton High.”

            Iris was surprised she could find her next words because she was captivated by his blue eyes that in the lighting looked gray, “Thank you. I’m Iris.”

            “Jace O’Leary. It’s nice to meet you.”

            “It’s nice to meet you too,” Iris smiled at him and he returned the favor but she could see the sadness in his almost gray eyes.

            Why is he so sad? She thought to herself.

                Do you want me to read his mind for you?

                She was startled by Declan’s voice in her head. She had forgotten that he was wrapped around her finger.

                Drakes have this unbelievable ability to read the mind of anything on the planet at any time they wanted to. Raes could read the minds of others as well but they needed to be touching their subject. Raes and other Raes, Drakes and other Drakes, even Raes and Drakes were able to communicate through their minds and could also block each other out if they wanted to.              

                No. I want to make friends here without magic.

                As you wish my Princess.

                Declan…

                Oh that’s right you don’t want me calling you Princess in this realm. I won’t call you Princess here.

                Thank you.        

                From then on the school day went on as normal for the human students and the Raes quickly settled into the flow of the school with help from Bri, Jace, and Warren. Except Iris couldn’t take her eyes off of Jace. She was very good at hiding it because her best friends and cousin didn’t notice.

                On the walk home Bri, Warren and Jace talked about the new students they met and were going to spend the rest of their senior year with.

                “Is it just me or does Iris look very familiar?” Bri asked.

                “She looks like my sister,” Warren said bluntly.

                Jace nearly stopped walking. When he first laid eyes on Iris he knew she reminded him of someone and he had felt sad and yet happy at the same time but he couldn’t put his finger on whose memory was making him feel that way. And once Warren said it, there was no denying the fact that it was Shaylee he saw when he looked at Iris. Instantly he felt a flood of emotions: sadness, happiness from the memories her image stirred, and something else he hadn’t felt in a very long time, the feeling of being attracted to someone. Immediately he fought the feelings. He had sworn to himself that he would never feel that way again about another girl, not after Shaylee passed. She was too special to him. He truly loved her and his heart felt like it had shattered when she took her final breath in his arms. He couldn’t love anyone ever again. He wouldn’t let himself fall in love. He didn’t want anyone except Shaylee.  

                He had trouble sleeping that night. His dreams were haunted by memories of his lost love. He dreamt of them riding out into the mountains side my side. Shaylee loved to ride her horse Braine and Jace loved watching her ride. She had such a way with that horse, he couldn’t describe it. It was like she knew what the horse was thinking and the horse could read her rider’s mind. They were such a team it was incredible. In his dream they had just ground tied their horses at their favorite spot, a piece of the forest sitting on a cliff overlooking the valley below. They could see the stable to their left, the other mountains painted with different colored wildflowers to their right, and the crystal blue river that cut across in the middle. Shaylee had packed a picnic and while Jace ate Shaylee read him an original story from her story book like she always did. One of her favorite hobbies was to write stories. She excelled at writing about fairies as if they were real. He applauded her after she finished reading aloud her newest love story between a fairy girl and average American boy when a dark storm cloud threatened to ruin the bright and sunny day.

                She took his hand and said, “I have to tell you something.”

                He saw the uneasy look in her eyes, “What’s wrong?”

                “I’m dying.”

                With those words Jace’s world seemed to stop. The sky went dark and rain poured down on them. Lightning slashed across the sky making the horses scream and run in fear. The thunder was so loud that it made the ground shake. As the rain was hitting Shaylee’s skin she slowly faded way like a hologram projection slowly being turned off. Jace was screaming for her to come back, not believing that what he was seeing was real.

                He woke up breathing heavily. He turned on the light on his bedside table and took hold of the picture of his beloved girlfriend he adored.

                “Why did you have to leave me?” he whispered to the picture.

                He put the picture back in its place and his eye caught something shine from the moonlight that came in from his window. His gaze fell onto the necklace she had given him when she found out she was dying. It was a silver circle with Celtic waves and knots. He picked it up and traced his fingers over the pattern. It was the same one that was carved into Shaylee’s head stone.

                “It’s the symbol of the Raes,” he could hear her voice telling him in his mind. “They are the fairies that are the most like humans. They have strong magic but they are mortal. Every single Rae is given one of these necklaces when they are born. Legend says that this is the source of their magic and if a human who believes in them wears it, the Raes protect them. It’s said to hold unbelievable powers. I’m told it gives strength to the person or Rae who wears It, heals the wounded, and that it helps Raes and humans stay connected to their loved ones. Living and dead.”

                She had wanted him to have it to remember her by. She told him that he didn’t have to wear it because she knew that he didn’t believe in fairies, and that she wouldn’t be insulted if he didn’t wear it. He had kept it by that picture since she had given it to him. He was always afraid of losing it because the chain was so delicate and flimsy looking. He didn’t want to have it break and lose the pendant. He told her so and she laughed informing him that the chain too was enforced with magic and that he would never lose the pendant. He tried putting both the picture and the necklace away in the draw numerous times but he could feel something telling him to put the two items back in their place. He always did. And every time his heart ached for Shaylee.

                “I’m never going to get over you,” he said as he laid back down.

                He fell asleep and didn’t notice that the pendant began to shine.

***A FEW BLOCKS AWAY***

                Warren woke up from a slight burning sensation on his chest. As he sat up in bed he looked down at the Rae pendant he always wore. It was shining so bright that it was hurting his eyes. He moved it with his fingers so that it wouldn’t burn his chest. He ran into his parents’ room and found them to be awake too. They each wore the same necklace and theirs were glowing brightly too.

                “What’s going on?” he asked frantically, shielding his eyes from the light.

                “We don’t know exactly baby,” his mom answered.

                “I think it’s time to tell him,” his dad said cryptically.

                The phone rang and his father answered it.

                “Yes, ours are glowing too. Something is about to happen. I just don’t know what. Are you going to explain it to Brianna?” After a pause Warren’s dad said, “Yes Phoebe and I are going to tell him now.”

                He hung up the phone then said to his wife and son, “The Collins’ pendants are doing the same as ours.”

                “What’s going on?!” Warren raised his voice.

                “Honey sit down and relax and we will explain everything to you,” his mother said resting a gentle hand on his shoulder. “It’s going to be hard to hear and you might not believe us when we are finished but in time you will. You will believe just like your father and I do. Just like Shaylee did.”