Destiny of the Fae

Destiny of the Fae

by

Misty Nickels

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, or any other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations (40 words or less) embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by law

© Misty Nickels 2015

Graphic design by Misty Nickels (SILBLS Book Promotions)

Proofreading by Terra James (SILBLS Book Promotions)

Editing by Terra James (SILBLS Book Promotions)

Formatting by Misty Nickels (SILBLS Book Promotions)

All characters and events in this book are purely fictitious and any likeness to any persons living or dead is purely coincidental. This is a work of fiction. Any reference to existing locations or businesses are used fictitiously and should not be taken as factual information.

Acknowledgements

There are so many people I need to acknowledge here it’s probably going to take a minute. I almost excluded the acknowledgements section from the re-write of this book because there was so much controversy over the last book’s acknowledgements. I can only hope that I get it right this time.

I want to start by thanking my mother. Mom, even though you may never see this since you refuse to read my books because you think the main character is me, I love you so much. You have always been there for me even when I didn’t really deserve it. You have always been my rock and I don’t know what I would do without you. I know that I wouldn’t have made it this far without you. Thank you so much for everything that you’ve done for me.

Gary Bowers, my oldest brother. I am not sure if you know this, but you have always been my hero. I have always looked up to you. Overcoming everything that you have and still coming out on top is impressive to me and I can only hope to be half of the person that you have become. I really miss you since you live on the other side of the continent now! I hope someday you may move closer to home. Thank you for being such an inspiration to me and for being my big brother. I love you!

Randy Blevins, I love you, but you’re annoying. It’s hard to believe you’re my younger brother considering you’re taller than me. You always have been. Despite being annoying I have to say thank you for all of the help you have given me over the years. Without you there are so many things that I wouldn’t have been able to achieve, like a functioning vehicle! Live long and prosper brother!

Terri Scott, how many times have I made you a great-aunt? Do you feel old yet? On a more serious note, I want to thank you for always being there for me. You were the coolest aunt I could ever have. You always understood what was going on in my head, even if you didn’t agree with it. In the end, you always viewed things the same way I did. I can’t thank you enough for that. It’s important to feel like people understand you, and you give me that every day. Thank you for helping me through some of the hardest times in my life. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for you. I love you even if you do make me dye your hair and make pictures of Corey for you!

Steve Rutledge, I know you will also probably never see this, but thank you for always being like a second father to me. You were there for me when my dad wasn’t. He didn’t agree with me on anything, and I didn’t expect him to. The simple fact is that you were there in some of the times that he wasn’t. I love you. Thank you for everything.

Sherri Graybeal, I have also made you a great-aunt several times as you are Terri’s twin sister! You have so many grandchildren now, mine don’t even count towards your horde of kids. Thank you for always being there for me. You kept me and Jessy in line…for the most part. I enjoyed all of those years I lived with you. Thank you for letting me stay with you. I needed a friend and look how far me and Jessy have come. You were like my second mother and that means a lot to me. You took care of me when you didn’t have to. I will forever love you for the kindness you have shown me.

John Graybeal, you know with uncles like I was blessed with, it’s hard to know what an uncle is supposed to be like. You were like my dad. It’s crazy looking back on all of the years I lived with you and Shosho and Jessy. You fed me, made sure I had clothes, made sure I went to school and had a way home, and you took me on vacation. Some of the best memories of my life were made on those vacations. If it weren’t for you I would have never got to experience that. I miss those days. Thank you for doing all of those things for me that you didn’t have to do. Also, thank you for giving me away at my wedding since dad wasn’t there to see it. I know he was watching from heaven, but you know I would have been devastated if no one were to have given me away. I honestly felt like you didn’t want to let me get married, but you respected my choice. Thank you for letting me make my own decision. I love you.

Jessica Bowman, you have been my best friend since I can remember. I know I am hard to get along with. I am stubborn, my views on many things differ from most people’s, and I’m incredibly indecisive. I don’t agree with all of your choices, and you don’t agree with all of mine. After 30 years, I can see this is just how it’s going to be. We’re going to disagree with each other, get mad at each other, and not talk to each other for a while. I wish that the last part didn’t have to happen, but it does every time. Some of my best childhood memories are with you. I was with you for a lot of it and I wouldn’t change that for anything. IT was like an adventure to me. Whatever we did, it was always fun. And usually got us into trouble. Something else that stands out, was you trying to protect me. You tried to protect me from so many people, but in the end it was me that I needed protection from. My stubbornness mixed with the crazy thought I used to have that I could change people just didn’t mix well together. Maybe, you can help protect me from myself in the future. You gave me a nephew and a niece (I know we’re technically cousins, but it’s hard to look at it like that when we were so close growing up). I hope that Dezzie grows up to feel the same way about me that Joshie does. Thank you for being there for me since forever. Thank you for being my best friend, even if other people can’t see how much we went through together. We remember. That’s all that matters.

Terrin Nickels (aka Terra James), we haven’t known each other but a few years, but in those few years I have found a good friend in you. You are one of my best friends and you’ve become like my sister. It’s crazy how alike we are. There are obvious differences, but if we were exactly the same I am sure we wouldn’t get along as well as we do. Thank you for showing me the ropes in the indie industry and helping me publish my first book, this book. Thank you for taking a chance with me and partnering with me to start our business together. Working with SILBLS Book Promotions has definitely been fun and a great learning experience. I wouldn’t trade it for any job! On a more personal note, thank you for the countless hours you’ve spent talking to me about life and things that I can’t seem to figure out. You deal with similar issues and it helps more than you will ever know to have someone to talk to. I would have gone insane without your support. Now, we’re writing a book together that’s coming out soon! I can’t wait! I am so excited! There you go taking another chance on me and slapping your name on a book alongside mine. You’re awesome! You are one of the best friends I have ever had. Seriously, like you and Jessy are the bestest best friends I have ever had. I’ve had other friends, yes, but they weren’t nearly as caring and supporting as you two. It’s probably my fault because I push people away, but that’s beside the point. Thank you for everything that you’ve done for me. I love you!

Andrew Hinton, you’re also annoying! I guess that’s what guys are for though. Aside from being annoying, you’ve been there for me plenty of times. Especially when my dad passed away. You helped me when I didn’t have a vehicle, when I had no one else. You let me stay with you and Jessy (although she probably would have bitch smacked you if you said no) along with my son. You didn’t have to do that, but I am very thankful that you did. Thank you for being a friend.

Lynn Bowers, you may also never see this. Doubt your eyes would want to view such vile words as are contained in this book! I wanted you to know that you gave me the inspiration to start writing. Of course, I have been writing since high school, but you gave me the drive to publish a book myself. I am glad I inherited the story-telling gene from the family. I think I would go crazy if I had to keep these stories in my head and to myself. You fall in love with your characters and they become like your children. The argue and bicker inside your head until you write their words down. I don’t think it ever stops. Of course, I have only finished one part of their story for this series and I know there are many more to come. I can only hope that I keep the inspiration to write. Also, I feel I need to address all of the help you gave me when I took my dream of owning my own business to the next level and opened a REAL thrift store. That was a huge step and you were there to help me along the way. It was one of the best experiences I have ever had and when I had a question I would ask you. The store wouldn’t have got as far as it did without you and for that I am grateful. Thank you so much for all of your help and for being there for me. I love you!

Dad, I know that you will never see this as you are no longer on this plane, but maybe you can see it from wherever you are now. I miss you. It’s been seven long years, almost eight. There’s not a day that has went by that I haven’t thought about you. Sometimes I still expect to walk into moms and see you sitting in your chair, but you’re not. I wish you had the chance to stick around longer and meet the twins. They would have loved you and I know that you would have loved them. After you chastised me for having more children, of course. If it makes you feel any better I am done creating little yard apes, as you would call them. I am satisfied now with four. It seems like a good number. I wanted to thank you for everything. For always helping me when I needed it. Even if it meant you wouldn’t get something that you wanted, you always helped me. Thank you for taking me fishing on my birthday every year. It was our thing and I miss it. I would love to go fishing with you even if it was just one more time. I know I will see you again one day. Until then, keep Wayne, D.L., Jim, Jackie, and Uncle Ruby company. I never got the chance to tell you how much I loved you. Just in case you didn’t know, I love you more than I love chocolate. That’s a lot.

To my children, I love you all more and more every day. I wasn’t whole until the day I seen your smiling faces or heard you say mom for the first time. You have made my life complete and there is nothing else in the world that I would ever need. I cherish the moments that we spend together because I know they won’t last long. I know that soon you will all be grown up and I won’t get to see the silly things you do as often. I know you will never see this or at least until you are much, much older, but know that I love you all more than anything. Never give up on your dreams.

Lee Nickels, It just wouldn’t be right to leave you out. You have changed me in ways I didn’t think possible. When you found me I was broken and I didn’t think it was possible to be put back together. I don’t think I wanted to be put back together. Three years later and I am stronger than I ever have been. You played a part in this. The day you proposed to me I was so scared I almost didn’t say yes. Well technically I didn’t, I just gave you my hand so you could put the ring on my finger. You gave me the last two pieces of my puzzle. Alina and Jace. There are many paths my life could have gone down, and I am glad that it just so happened to be this one. Thank you for everything that you have done for me and my family. I don’t know what you seen in me, but I am glad you seen it. I love you!

There are many people that have touched my life, but I could write a book just thanking those people for helping to shape who I am today. If I missed you, it’s not because I am not grateful for everything that you may have done for me or that I don’t consider you a friend. It’s simply because these people are those that made the biggest positive impact on my life.

Many people helped contribute to the creation of this book without even knowing it. Some people even have a character modeled after them. Most of you already know who you are. Some of you don’t. That’s ok. If you don’t have a character yet, you will.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Prologue

The Dream

Sexy Stranger

Meet Cristian

The Date

First Kiss

Intruders

Meeting the Master

The Myers Witches

The Vampire Sheriff of District 3

Second Date

The Werewolf

To Awaken a Fae

Sleepover

Cassie’s Initiation Ceremony

The Awakening

Training…Sort of

The Vampire Queen

Another Fae

Mission: Retrieving Heaven’s Edge

I Should Have Killed Her

About the Author

Prologue

Elizabeth

Friday Night. August 28, 2015…

I was alone in the woods behind my old house. The house that I had spent the first eighteen years of my life in. I could see the house perfectly. I could see my bedroom, well my old bedroom. The light was on. I must be dreaming. I don’t live here anymore. I thought to myself. Everything looked and felt so real. I could see the definitive outline of the leaves and I could feel the grainy texture of the dirt beneath my feet. It was soft, but I could feel the rocks and the occasional harder clumps in the dirt.

I just brushed this off as having a vivid dream. It wasn’t impossible that I dream in super HD., was it? I could hear the steady thudding sound of boots not far away from where I was sitting in the woods. I was sitting just inside the tree line on my knees about 20 yards from my parents’ house. I receded further into the woods slowly, trying not to make too much noise, hopeful that the trees would conceal me.

I felt as if my heart was going to explode. The thudding continued to come closer. When the thudding stopped, I managed to attain the courage to glance out from around one of the towering oak trees to look at the house. Just under my old bedroom window, there was a lattice up the side of the house, which led straight to my window. As I looked at the house I could see a figure preparing to climb up the lattice. It was a tall man with a plaid shirt, jeans, and boots. His face was turned towards the house, but I knew who it was. It was Ben.

Ben and I had been friends since elementary school. We dated throughout college, but things did not work out as we had hoped and the relationship suffered. That is an entirely different story for a different time. This scene seemed vaguely familiar, but then again there were many nights that Ben climbed the lattice under my bedroom window. I stood up at my spot in the woods to get a better look. Craning my neck, I could now see into my bedroom. I watched as a version of myself ran to stand to the left of the window. I am dreaming unless I am in an alternate dimension where there are two of me! I said to myself chuckling nervously. I remembered the scene playing out in front of me…

This was the night that Ben and I had that fight. Of course, this wasn’t our first fight, and would not be our last. This was, however, one of the worst fights that we ever had. Ben’s sister Kayla had run away with her friend Lacy and we had gone after them. Lacy was the daughter of the governor of our city, Jeff Alexandar and his wife Barbara. After we found and picked up the girls and Lacy’s car we took Lacy home, then Ben dropped me off at my house. I didn’t think it was my place to say anything so I simply waved good-bye to them as Ben drove away to take Kayla home. I just assumed that he would text me once he was done with the lecture that he was bound to throw at Kayla. It’s not like she hasn’t already heard it all before anyway. I ran upstairs after telling my mom what happened and jumped on my bed. I sighed and sent Ben a text.

Is everything ok?

He replied…

She’s ok, don’t worry about it. We’ll talk later.

I admit I was a bit irritated by his response, but I understood that he wasn’t ready to talk yet. I was irritated at his response because I cared about Kayla as if she were my own sister. Ben’s mother and father were not the best of parents in my opinion. Ben’s mother, Laura Tanner, was a drug addict, somewhat of a criminal, an alcoholic, and had a problem running off with men she barely even knew.

Laura was not always like this. She was a great person when she and my parents were in school together. Ben’s father, Kevin Tanner, is not a bad person per se, but his job always kept him away from home. One day Kevin decided that his life was just too much work with all the traveling and decided that he was not going to come home. He worked for a big company that had something to do with the Internet and just decided to live where ever the company chose. He would send his children cards and money for their birthday’s but was never there.

After Kevin left, Laura spiraled downhill. It took a few years before she started deserting her kids, though. Ben was around 14 when Laura left the first time. She came and went whenever she pleased. My parents took care of Kayla and Ben when Laura was away. Ben’s older brother Adam was old enough to take care of himself, but never took any responsibility for either Ben or Kayla. The responsibility then went to Ben. Ben got a job working as an apprentice at a mechanic shop when he was 15 just so he could support himself and Kayla. He eventually became the manager of the mechanic shop our senior year and was very proud of what he had accomplished.

He and I agreed that although he had made it this far with his career, it was still not his responsibility to take care of his sister when she was almost the same age as him. It is difficult for an adult to raise a teenager much less a teenager raising a teenager. I replied to Ben’s last text,

Ok, I’m sorry.

After I sent the message I pitched my phone to the foot of my bed. I pulled my hair back off my face. I held my head in my hands because I felt like I was going to climb out of my own skin with a feeling that I didn’t understand. I was mad, upset, sad, and confused all at the same time. I walked over to my desk and started to check my email. My phone vibrated on the bed and I decided to ignore it.

After I checked my email I grabbed a book and threw myself back down on the bed. A while had passed since my phone had vibrated, and I was almost ready to go to bed when I heard rustling outside. The crunching noise sounded like someone walking through the flower bed. I heard the lattice hanging below my window start to creak. I knew the lattice was strong enough to hold a person because not only did I leave my house this way sometimes, people also entered this way much too often.

I walked over to the window ready to knock out whoever it was. I had taken a few Tae Kwon Do classes with my older brother and I knew how to protect myself. I stood in front of my bookshelf, which was to the right of the window in sort of an alcove because of the added window seating. I stood up against the bookshelf, hidden from the window, so that whoever it was wouldn’t be able to see me.

I could hear the lattice still creaking as someone was still ascending closer to my window. I heard the familiar sound of shoes brushing the metal framing around the window and the loud popping noise that it made. I then heard boots hitting the wooden seating in the window. Fuck! I heard the person say coming through the window. Next, there was a loud crashing sound as the person fell in the window head first.

I could see outstretched hands, reaching to brace the fall. I couldn’t hold my laugh as I could see Ben’s head on the floor as he continued to slide the rest of his body in my window, down the seat, and to the floor finishing with a soft thud. All the negative feelings I had built up from earlier events dissipated at the sight of him falling in the window. I still wanted to act like I was mad although I was laughing hysterically.

Funny. Ha ha. Ben said.

Of course, it was funny! He had just fallen through my window! He laid on my floor for a minute, trying to recover his ego I guessed. He finally regained his confidence and slowly stood up looking at me as I stood beside the window.

You were ignoring my texts. He said looking at me, confused.

Of course, I was! He was being an ass to me for no reason. I stood there, letting the smile slowly leave my face, and didn’t reply.

Why were you ignoring me Liz? he asked.

I wasn’t exactly sure why I was ignoring him. Of course, it was because of the mixed emotions I had, which came as a surprise. I wasn’t sure what to make of how I was feeling and I may have been taking these feelings out on Ben. I was frustrated and I guess I simply didn’t want to talk at the time.

I wasn’t intentionally ignoring you, for the most part anyway. I have just been having some crazy emotions running through my mind that I didn’t understand and I was a little frustrated because I didn’t know what to make of them. I didn’t know what to say to you so I just didn’t respond. I was also a bit irritated at the text you sent me. It was short and I interpreted it as a bit snappy. I said matter-of-factly.

Oh… I didn’t mean for the message to sound mean. I just feel like I am going to lose it you know? I am too young to be stuck raising my sister who is practically the same age as me. It’s just not right, and I have no idea what I am doing. I am 18, which I don’t think is old enough to be raising a 16-year-old. I just don’t know what to do. Ben said while sitting down in my window seat looking at his hands.

I thought he was going to cry and that was not like Ben. Ben wasn’t one to express his feelings, like most men. I studied his face for what seemed like forever and found myself walking towards him. I took his head in my hands and he stood back up and laid it on my shoulder. I held his head with one hand and caressed his hair with the other. He put his arms around me and we just stood there. I didn’t want to let him go. He had been my friend for so long and I had seen him go through everything. We had grown so close over the years. We had a silent understanding of each other and honestly I couldn’t imagine what he was going through trying to take care of Kayla especially as she was growing into a woman. He was my best friend, apart from Cassie and Erika of course. He was my best male friend, I guess I should say.

Cassie and Erika were my best friends. Cassie and I had been friends as long as Ben and I had been friends. Of course, Cassie was also my cousin, so that would obviously make us even closer. I didn’t become friends with Erika until middle school. We had all grown up together. My personality clicked well with Cassie’s. Erika simply had a personality that one either liked or hated. There was no in between.

Ben lifted his head and placed his chin on top of my head. I could tell he was crying silently. My shirt was wet where he had just removed his face. He put his hands on the top of my back and locked them around me. I put my hands around his waist and did the same, burying my head in his chest.

We held each other so tight. As if to squeeze the pain from each other. I wanted him to know that I would always be there for him. We stood in silence as we quietly understood each other. After what seemed like an eternity he pulled away from me a bit to look me in the eyes. His eyes were red from crying and his cheeks were wet. I let go of his waist and moved a hand up to his face to wipe away his tears. He closed his eyes, brows pinched; his pain broke my heart into a million pieces.

This was a strange feeling. I had always been saddened by Ben’s situation but this was much different. I wasn’t only feeling sadness, but also this extreme need to make everything better. I wanted to take all his pain away and I didn’t know how to do that. He opened his eyes and looked at me again. The pain was still evident there.

We stared at each other and I could see him slowly coming closer to my face. I didn’t know what to do. I almost panicked. I thought about asking him what the hell he was doing, but I knew. I didn’t have to ask. I wanted to run away. I didn’t want this to happen. I was terrified that if we did this that it would ruin our friendship that we had built with so many years together.

I found myself involuntarily moving closer to him as well. Why was I moving closer? I thought that I had no feelings toward Ben in that way? Apparently, my body felt differently. My heart had plans that were much different than my brain. I knew it was going to happen so I just closed my eyes. My lips parted against his. When his lips touched mine, a scorching fire seared through my lips, traveled to my head, then started going lower. I felt desire for Ben, but this wasn’t the right time for those feelings.

His lips felt like home and made me feel as if my kiss could erase everything that was bad in his life. I could feel his muscles relax a bit. The tension and sadness lifted a fraction and the kiss seemed to last forever. He pulled away from my lips slowly. His face still close. He looked me in the eyes as if to make sure what he had just done was ok. He should have already known since I didn’t fight him. I smiled at him to reassure him that it was ok. I thought I had almost seen a smile as he took me back into his arms.

We stood there just holding each other. I whispered, I’m sorry. He looked at me confused.

No, Liz that was my fault. I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I just sort of thought it was the right thing to do in the moment.

Not for that. There was definitely nothing wrong with that. I wasn’t exactly expecting it, but that’s another discussion. I’m sorry for everything that you have been forced to go through. You and Kayla. I just want you to know that I will always be here for you no matter what. I said.

He looked me in the eyes.

I know. He had a simple reply, but that was enough for me. He kissed me on the forehead and told me he had to get back home because Kayla was alone, in her room, mad at him. He was probably afraid that she would try to run away again. He disappeared out the window and he must have walked because I know I would have heard that old truck start up….

I watched as the entire scene replayed right before my eyes. That was one of the best moments of my life, even though it all began with a fight. I guess sometimes fights can make things better because it is, in fact, a form of communication. Things are definitely being communicated during a fight, even if it is being communicated negatively. I don’t think anything can be solved with fighting, but it may be a means to an end. Fighting also does not have to involve violence. There was no violence in this fight, and come to think about it, there was no end. No solution. I was not satisfied with the outcome of this event, but I will go into that later.

This fight was when I realized that I had feelings for Ben, more than I had ever expected. Apparently, he realized it too that night because he wouldn’t have kissed me otherwise. I watched