Des'tai

[Manda]

How does one explain the feeling of guilt? Of disappointment? Could you say your heart feels as though it had fallen out of his place inside your chest into your stomach where it now beats? Or would you say the breath in your lungs completely evaporated making your brain know of no other action besides staring blankly around the room? Or, could the best possible explanation be you feel a deep, blank, empty nothingness filling your heart, mind, and soul?

Faye was without words in this moment and instead of knowing how she felt, she felt all of the above and then some. Her heart was heavy as she glanced from Luna towards the man standing next to her, his eyes locked onto her. She'd told him previously she would never leave him, but that was also when she believed she could never return home. Fate had turned the tables and she was being given a chance to return to the life she knew. Sure, it was a boring, uneventful life she was leading, but Earth was where her family was. The people she loved unconditionally.

Siofra, on the other hand, had transformed her into a new person, into a young, blossoming woman who wasn't so quiet and shy. Hell, she found she was more brave and resourceful than she probably ever would have been on Earth. Plus, Tyron was here. The man who was captivating her mind, body, and soul. How could she possibly walk away from him and whatever future they might have together?

“The answer is easy,” Tyron spoke quietly, folding his arms across his chest and shuffling his feet. “She must return home to Earth. It's where she belongs and is safest.”

“The decision isn't as easy as it sounds now is it Faye?” Luna spoke softly as she strode across the room and gripped Faye's hands in her own. “Let's head upstairs.”

Faye and Tyron allowed Luna to lead them upstairs where a glowing orb was found in the center of the house, one Faye remembered distinctly.

Luna took her position next to the Helath Orb and smiled brightly at Faye, “Do you return home to the family who raised you or do you stay here and forge a new life for yourself? Think of it as a fresh start.”

“What will I tell my parents if I return? Where will they think I have been?” Faye's voice, almost a whisper, called out to Luna.

“They believe you are traveling abroad in Europe. If you decide to return home, we will have to swipe your memory. Completely.”

“But, that means Tyron won't...”

“I won't have ever existed and I think that's best for you Katinar.”

It was Tyron's turn to try to talk some sense into the young blonde and as much as Faye felt her decision had already been made for her, she wanted to hear him out.

“Faye, you've brought quite a bit of excitement into my hum drum life and as much as I had hoped you could stay so I could show you what Siofra truly is like without having to duck and run at every curve and corner, Earth is a much safer place for your kind. The King may have called off his search, but if he catches wind of your scent...your looks, he'll know and...I can't bear to go through whatever that may bring.”

Gripping her hands into his, Tyron leaned forward and brushed his lips against Faye's, allowing her just a taste of something she knew she would yearn for the rest of her days even if her memories were erased.

“I can't stay and watch you leave,” Tyron squeezed her hands before dropping them and heading towards the entrance to the cottage.

Faye watched as Tyron's back retreated through the small space and out the front door, her heart sinking deeper and deeper into the depths of her stomach.

“We haven't got much longer Faye,” Luna spoke softly, taking the place of Tyron by placing her hands on her shoulders and ensuring her gaze was set on her and not the closed wooden door.

“I...I can't leave him Luna. I...I...” Faye spoke even softer than she had before. If the portal was open now, for whatever reason, why couldn't it be opened again so she could travel between worlds?

“I know. You love him,” Luna placed a gentle kiss on Faye's forehead. “Go to him marara.”

Leaning back on her heels, tears filling her eyes, Faye took a long look at the dimming orb before she wrapped her arms tightly around Luna.

“Will I ever be able to see them again? Speak with them again?” Faye mumbled into Luna's ear.

“Only time will tell,” Luna gave her a bit of hope and even though Faye wasn't sure how great of a possibility it was, she couldn't go home and yearn for a missing piece of her for the rest of her life. “Go,” Luna demanded quietly as she pushed Faye out of her arms and nodded her head towards the front door.

Taking a deep breath and wiping her eyes, Faye nodded her head and swallowed hard. This had been one of the hardest yet easiest decisions she'd ever made. On Earth, she was quiet, shy Faye Abernacky, but here in Siofra, she belonged which was something more than just being. Here, she was living.

Bolting through the cottage, the sounds of her shoes thudding against the wooden floors, Faye pushed through the front door and called out to the one thing she needed to survive.

“Tyron Thorn. Don't you walk away from me,” she barked into the darkness of the night. “I told you once and now I'm telling you twice, I'll never leave you.”

[laura]

Luna watched from the porch as Faye disappeared into the darkness, chasing after a life that had been waiting for her since time began. She’d known from the beginning what the young human’s decision was going to be – Earth or Soifra? Her family or Tyron? The answers had been clearly visible in her eyes, long before she spoke the words. Luna smiled to herself; for not abandoning them, she’d repay her in kind and supply her with a gift no one else could give. Some day soon.

Rune stepped out of the shadows, his stare fixed onto the direction Faye had just taken. “It seems unfair. That they should forget her so easily.”

Luna turned to him and smiled softly. “They can not forget someone who no longer exists.”

He frowned. “But I thought you said – “

“That version of Moira doesn’t exist anymore, but another does.” Happiness shone in her eyes as she spoke. “This one is without scars or bruises from her hardships. She isn’t hollow from isolation or hardened from a lifetime of death. No, the Moira I see… smiles often and has never felt the touch of loneliness, she’s surrounded by family – parents who adore her, brothers who idolise her,” Luna shot Rune a quick glance. “And a cousin who would kill her for.”

“Cousin?”

“Brothers through friendship, not blood.”

As realisation took hold of him, Luna patted the younger elf on the arm. “Come, my mate wishes to speak to you about your new job role. The uniform is quite fetching.”

---

He’d just broken out into a steady jog when Faye’s voice called out across the forest, bringing him to a halt. Tyron turned, frowning into the direction of the running footfalls. For a moment he toyed with the notion that the voice he’d heard was in his mind, a figment of his imagination, but when a flash of blond caught his eyes a moment before she barrelled into him, he knew what he’d heard had been real. Her light, flowery scent hit him in a wave as her arms locked around his neck. “Don’t ever walk away from me again, okay?”

Tyron slipped his arms around her waist, lifting her up off her feet. “What are you doing, Faye? The portal will close.”

She lifted her head to look at him. “It’s already closed, Ty.”

“I don’t understand,” But despite his words, he found himself gripping her tighter. “I thought you wanted to go home. What if you can’t now? What if – “

Faye cupped her hand over his mouth, silencing him. “What I want is to stay here, with you. I’ll worry about the details later.”

“Faye,” He muffled against her hand. “I don’t want you to regret this.”

She moved her hand, only to rake it through his hair. “Of all the things I’m going to feel, regret won’t be one of them.”

Before he could protest any further, Faye dropped her lips onto his, silencing him with a kiss. It was only then that Ty let himself embrace the happiness and excitement bubbling away inside of him – she wasn’t leaving him after all.

Spinning them around, Tyron started back on the path toward the city, his new life securely in his arms, her excited giggle sounding in his ear. “Where are we going?”

“We’re going home,” He told her simply. “We’ve got a lot to do.”

[Manda]

[Manda]

Feeling the brush of his lips on my forehead sends tingles through my entire body. He's been awake for a short while to shower before heading to Roch Bar for his shift. Blinking my eyes open, I'm greeted with his hazy gray gaze, a small smirk dancing across his lips. He's handsome and I feel my cheeks lift up as my lips curl into a soft, lazy smile. I've been dozing in and out of sleep since he woke up.

“I need to go Katinar. You should get going too, Luna is going to wonder where you are,” he leans down and whispered gently into my ear.

I know he has to go and I know Luna is waiting for me. If I'm ever late, she calls to me in my mind. The first time scared the life out of me. Luckily Rune was with me because I nearly screamed out in terror. I've never heard another voice in my mind besides Tyron's and when that happens, I'm prepared for it.

Pushing my bottom lip out, I groan a small mewl, “I don't wanna go!”

Yep, I'm pouting. I wish we could spend all day everyday wrapped in each others arms. The first few nights were rather awkward. I'd never knowingly fallen asleep in a man's bed before so when Tyron crawled into bed and assumed I'd jump in with him, the moments that followed were uncomfortable. He slept on the couch, but eventually I found I yearned to have him next to me and we've been sleeping side-by-side since. He's been such a gentleman knowing I'm not ready to do more than sleep in his bed.

“Faye...Luna will send out a search party for you,” he explains quietly before brushing a soft kiss against my temple. “Come on. We've all been really reluctant about letting you travel there alone, but the first time you're late she won't let you wander through the city without Rune accompanying you.”

And he's right, as usual. The first two weeks, Rune followed me like a hawk every where I went. I couldn't even use the bathroom for too long without him tapping on the door and making sure I was alright. It wasn't until I locked myself in a small pastry shop's restroom before I got my way. The shopkeeper, who seemed to know Rune, was so pleased he'd found such a beautiful elf to mate with. This elf couldn't have been a familiar such as Rune or she would've been able to read his disdain for me. I am a human and as much as he wants to see Tyron happy, he and Luna have what they thought were hushed conversations about the dangers I was putting everyone in. So, since this shopkeeper had seen Rune and I enter every day so I could grab a bite of breakfast and thought we were a couple, I decided I needed to be able to travel alone. If this friendly elf saw me showing up with Rune in the mornings and then Tyron on his days off, huge problems would arise and we couldn't have that.

“When do we get a day to ourselves?” I whined again, wishing we could just have a few days to ourselves. Sure, we have the evenings sometimes if Tyron doesn't need to work a double at the bar, but we haven't had a few days off to go see the sights like Tyron keeps promising. Don't they have weekends in Siofra like we do on Earth?

“Soon enough. I just have to keep up appearances for a while longer. I did go missing for nearly two weeks and almost didn't get my job back,” Tyron explains for what feels like the fiftieth time. “You know this Faye. Now, get out of bed before I have to drag you out,” he jokes playfully as he tugs the blankets away from my face. I attempt to growl but he dips down and captures my lips in a sizzling kiss. Most of our lip-locks are just as intense as they were the first time, however my new essence pendant Luna created for me not only makes me appear as an elf, but it also keeps the skies from becoming it's own firework show. It's a relief to be able to kiss Tyron without the entire world knowing.

Tyron allows a deep groan to travel up from his lungs and into his throat, telling me he'd rather crawl into bed and stay with me all day, but he has responsibilities and so do I.

“Okay,” I sigh in frustration, “I'm getting up!”

As soon as I agreed to crawl out of bed, Tyron easily pulled the blankets completely away and raked my body over with his eyes. Luna had given me some clothing and as much as I hadn't wanted to take them, I didn't have much of a choice. Of course, the outfits she gave me were much more appealing to a man's eye. The night-gowns were very sheer and nearly see-through so I usually tried to get dressed and crawl into bed before Tyron could get a glimpse. I didn't want to give him false hope. I knew Tyron would be the one, but I still wasn't ready. The whole thought made me very nervous.

“Quit,” I demanded, folding my arms across my chest and giving Tyron my most evil eye.

“An elf can appreciate the beautiful creature in his bed, can't he?” he wiggled his brows suggestively which always made my cheeks bloom bright red.

“I'm not a creature Ty, I'm a human,” I continued to pout.

“I can appreciate the beautiful woman in my bed, can't I?” he corrected himself, a small smirk creeping onto his lips.

“Go!” I demand, finally getting frustrated with the attention he's giving me as I kick my legs out and scramble out of bed, skirting my way through the room into the bathroom.

“I need a kiss goodbye Faye,” he calls moments later through the bathroom door, his voice sounding happy and playful. I can't help myself when he's in such a good mood. I find myself grinning and sighing happily myself. We've come such a long way in such a short period of time, but it's so easy to be happy and to...love him. Yes, I love Tyron. Have I told him as such yet? No. I'm not sure he's ready to hear it so I keep it to myself, but I hope he knows.

Pulling the door open before he has a chance to use his essence to do it himself, I stick only my face out, eyes squeezed closed and my lips puckered up. He knows I'm not really angry, but this is one of the games we play. I pretend to be mad and he plays along.

Suddenly, I feel his hands on my waist and he pulls me completely through the door way. Dabbing his lips on each side of my still puckered up lips, he eases me into relaxation and I melt into him.

“Come. On. Faye,” he whispers against my lips as he dabs them with his own between each word and I easily give in. And for a few brief moments, we are the only two people who exist in this world. His tongue dances with mine, his body pressed against my own as we enjoy one another. I can tell he's growing eager to complete the circle of elf-mating as he pushes me against the door frame, his hands traveling down my back and gripping onto my bottom. I have to refrain from breathlessly moaning out as to not encourage him. I want it too, but I'm simply too nervous. I have to break this moment.

“Go,” I finally pull away even if my eyes are still closed and my words a soft whisper.