I whisper, “See? I told you so. We brought a little bit of Faerie here to keep this place alive. Do you want to touch it?” The air around us seems to spark to life with a building energy as if an electrical charge is about to go off. Then there is a loud popping sound that reverberates through the night around us. Wierd.
“Lillie Joanna! NO!” I’m shocked to hear my aunt call out from behind us.
Both of us startle and turn in unison to see my aunt racing toward us, her long curly auburn hair flowing behind her. She’s wearing a long flowing sage green gown. Where my mother has not aged a day over eighteen and looks no older than twenty, my aunt looks a bit older. As the Mother Druid, her aging is based on the needs of Faerie and her Druid Order. We don’t have any idea as to how long she will be with us or how she will age over time, but her looks have changed slightly, becoming more sharply defined and her emerald green eyes sparkle as she reaches us.
“You must be Daxell. I mean no disrespect, but you absolutely cannot touch those trees. It will undo all the majic that we have poured into this little majical sanctuary. Please, Lillie Joanna, back away from the trees. Daxell, until your majic is balanced, you cannot touch these dogwoods. I’m really very sorry.”
We both back away, but Dax asks the question that is bouncing around in my head, “What do you mean? Balanced?”
“Come with me, both of you.” She motions as she walks barefoot up the steps of the porch, her green gown swirling around her.
“Lexie? How did you get here?” I demand.
She laughs, “I may not be able to trace like the rest of you, which by the way is not fair at all, but I placed a warning spell on the trees to pull me to them if dark majic threaten them. Again, I’m really sure that you’re a nice guy, so this is not directed at you personally, but one touch would have undone everything.”
“I don’t understand. What are you talking about?”
Lexie smiles at the both of us, her emerald green eyes twinkling, and says, “Dark majic, of course. I see that the two of you need a lesson. Come along with me.”
We follow Lexie inside, she makes her way into the kitchen and grabs a bottle of wine from the wine cooler. Before I know it she has uncorked the bottle and poured a glass and is sitting opposite of us. She points a finger at me, “Lillie J, you should know better. We went over the rules, but I see that a refresher is in order. Daxell, you were born with a dark nature and that dark nature thrives in dark majic. Lillie, you were born with a light nature and that light nature thrives in light majic. The two of you are … conflicted and your dark and light natures are reaching for one another. I sense that neither of you will ever be truly balanced unless you find an opposite to bind to. There are many reasons that this could happen and as always life is complicated. That’s definitely an understatement, but if you want to know more, then maybe you should reach out to Clíodhna, she could help you both understand. Until then, Daxell, you are welcome to wander everywhere within our little dome of Eden but you must not touch those trees. Do you understand?”
“Aunt Lexie - ”
“Don’t Aunt Lexie me. I’m the Mother Druid and I know these things. I have faith that the two of you will eventually figure things out. Now, I’ve got to go. It’s a damn shame because this wine is excellent. Sammy and your brother will be by soon enough.”
Lexie begins to dematerialize right before our eyes and I sigh, “What the hell was that all about?”
“Your parents and your aunt and my parents are all about either saving us from one another or hooking us up.”
“I’m sorry, Dax, I would never have taken you to the dogwoods if I had known. I don’t think of your energy as dark majic.” I can sense that once again he is pulling away from me. Damn it! Sighing, I say, “Maybe we should head to bed. We have a lot to uncover tomorrow. I know that there is a darknet but I’ve yet to be able to access it. Maybe with your help, we can figure out what is going on with this new order.”
“You’re right, I think that sleep is exactly what I need.”
12
How Can I Be Right For Her?
(Daxell)
LJ’s aunt showing up at the very moment that I was going to touch the trees has brought me clarity. If something so simple as me touching trees powered by light majic can taint their spell, then don’t I need to step away? It left me wondering about how I could affect LJ. What the fuck am I thinking? I roll over and punch the pillow under my head for the hundredth time. It’s safe to say that I can’t sleep. All I can think about is getting as far from here as possible, but
