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Another World in Arianna's Tale
Another World in Arianna's Tale
Another World in Arianna's Tale
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Another World in Arianna's Tale

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After a roller coaster of a year--moving, finding out she was adopted, discovering the existence of werewolves and faeries--Arianna didn't think her life could get any crazier. But isn't that precisely when things always get worse? Forced to deal with the loss of her father at the hands of the creature that had attacked her, Arianna finds herself seeking a bit of solitude only to be swept away to another world where she makes even more new discoveries and must fight her way back to the people she cares for.
Find out what happens in this next installment: Another World in Arianna's Tale

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 13, 2016
ISBN9781311050953
Another World in Arianna's Tale
Author

D. J. Humphries

I have been writing fiction stories for about as long as I have been able to hold a pen/pencil. My story files grew as I got my own computers, and I have carried them with me from one computer to another throughout the years. Despite my best attempts, I am always drawn back to the fantasy genre and find that I best understand my characters for those stories; I enjoy their travels and seeing where they take me probably as much as my readers will.Born and raised in the Metro Atlanta, Georgia area, I have been exposed to the Southern (U.S.) culture throughout my life. However, a recent move to Indiana has opened up my experiences even more and I have greatly loved the midwestern culture I have been experiencing! Writing (and reading) has always allowed me to explore other cultures, other worlds, and other lifestyles. My love of travel has not been fully realized, but I intend to use it to further my worldview and bring my readers even more fantastic stories!

Read more from D. J. Humphries

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    Another World in Arianna's Tale - D. J. Humphries

    Another World in Arianna’s Tale

    D. J. Humphries

    ©015 D.J. Humphries

    I would like to dedicate this book to my friends and family who have been so supportive during this journey. Taking a leap of faith is never an easy thing, but you all have certainly made it easier and more rewarding for me!

    Rewind

    For those of you just now tuning into the insanity that has become my life… let’s recap….

    I was just about to start my senior year of high school when I was raped by my mother’s new boyfriend… to say I’m not still traumatized by it, would be the understatement of the century. But my brothers and I moved in with my dad to get away from it all. Maybe that was the mistake… I don’t know… but somewhere, somehow, I seemed to have really pissed off Mother Nature, because everything got crazy after we moved. It turned out, my brothers weren’t my brothers, because I was adopted. Not only that, but they both liked me as more than a sister, and while my mind may have temporarily wandered, I could really only see them as my brothers.

    Then there was the absolute craziest, or so I thought at the time, when I figured out that most of the popular kids, the kids that had decided they liked me for some reason, were actually werewolves. Like I mentioned, I thought that was the craziest, but it turned out that most of the rest of the supernatural things I’d heard about are actually real, and a bunch of them lived in the town where we’d moved. And apparently, finding out about the werewolves and outing that I knew meant I was stuck in that stupid town forever… They didn’t trust that I could keep their secret, so the pack leader decided I was going to have to stay, oh, and that I couldn’t date the one werewolf that I actually liked, which turned into the two werewolves I actually liked, because they weren’t all pro-pack or whatever….

    In case you can’t tell, I’m getting a little angry even at remembering… and unfortunately, it just got worse… Turns out the guy that raped me was actually a troll and was intent on hunting me down for God knows what reason… he really hurt several of the wolves… but the pack leader kept it a secret when the troll showed up again in town, and thanks to that… my dad was killed… I have to thank the faeries at my new school for protecting me, for killing the troll when it tried to attack me again… even though they were only doing it because I was actually part fae myself.

    So now you’re pretty much caught up. My life went to hell in a handbasket and I’ve been struggling to stay afloat the entire time. It turned out since I’d used faerie magic, that my court, or whatever, was looking for me, so the pack and I decided that I’d do a blood tie with Alex, the pack leader, even though I really couldn’t stand him by then… Well, that was before I stepped outside by myself, and got kidnapped by some seriously powerful-looking faerie that barely resembled the faeries I had come to know.

    Chapter 1

    The first thing I realized as I started to wake up was that I seemed to be lying on a bed. Then I realized there were other people there, other people that were talking to each other and seemingly unaware of the fact that I could hear them.

    What would you have had me do then, hmm? It was a guy’s voice and he was angry. She was talking about doing a blood tie with a werewolf. We hadn’t found her because she was living with the werewolves and it was obvious she was going to be doing this blood tie soon. When she said she didn’t want to be fae, I just reacted.

    And got yourself beaten up by werewolves, another voice lightly scolded, this one was female and a little older if I wasn’t mistaken, The queen isn’t even home to heal you right now. It was irresponsible.

    So I should have let her do the blood tie with a werewolf while living with them so we never would’ve been able to get her? the guy retorted taking in a sharp breath, She was already so connected to them that I just touched her and there was a werewolf at the back door. Crazy little guy….

    Just one of them got to you like this? the woman asked and the guy chuckled darkly.

    No… he got the door open and got her away from me and one of them got out of the door in wolf form before I got it closed again… it was a mess… but the blonde wolf got me, not the crazy kid… the guy explained with another sharp breath, Where is Rei? I really don’t want to keep watching her….

    She’s asleep, Kage, the woman countered, and I found myself wondering how you spelled that because she said it like kah-gay, And I’m not finished cleaning these wounds….

    She shouldn’t still be asleep and I don’t want to be here when she wakes up, Kage grumbled, I didn’t want to find her, and I sure as hell didn’t want to deal with werewolves to get her away, and I absolutely did not want to bring her here.

    Yes, yes, we all know you hate the halfling, Kage. Don’t worry, no one thinks you did any of that because you wanted to, she chuckled as he inhaled sharply again, You’re such a baby….

    Shut up, Kara, Kage hissed, Where is Rei?!

    She’s not asleep, you know, another male voice commented nonchalantly and I heard scuffling, She’s not completely conscious either, though.

    Where have you been, Rei? Kage demanded in aggravation and I felt the supposed bed I was lying on shift under the weight of someone sitting on it.

    I’m here now, so what does it matter? Rei rebutted coldly, Go on. I’ve got babysitting care under control.

    I heard feet and a door slam closed, which meant I really probably wasn’t in a cell.

    He’s in a mood, Rei… sorry, Kara apologized before I heard more feet and the door open and close gently.

    What’s your name, halfling? Rei questioned, tapping my leg, Did you keep your given name, Arianna?

    I didn’t answer, but I finally let my eyes open and shift around the room. It was a room like any other except it looked to be decorated with antique furniture and snow was falling from the white ceiling, but it just disappeared before it fell on top of me.

    I’m talking to you, halfling, Rei remarked, leaning over me as my eyes widened further and I choked back a gasp, Is your name Arianna?

    Yes, I managed to whisper. He literally glowed like sun on a fresh blanket of snow with his porcelain pale skin. His long hair was an icy blue that almost matched the huge wings at his back. Wings that stretched above his head and down beyond my view and yet they didn’t seem to touch the bed at all. His eyes were speckled white and icy blue and looked at me from beneath the strange crescent moon seeming to be carved into his forehead and filled with palest blue.

    Welcome to Faerie, halfling Arianna, Rei stated with a faint chuckle and I noticed the multiple silver hoops in each of his ears.

    I squeezed my eyes shut and searched my memory. I was really into mythology, so knowing the names around the werewolves wasn’t that big of a deal, but I hadn’t ever delved much into Faerie lore. I was searching for the few things I knew when I caught a whiff of food—it coincided with remembering not to eat or drink anything a faerie offered you and iron, iron was bad for faeries. I suddenly understood my mild metal allergy a lot better. There was also some partial memory about deals and faeries but I couldn’t really remember what.

    Are you hungry, Arianna? Rei asked and the food smelled delicious but I opened my eyes to look at him again and shook my head.

    No, thank you… I want to go home, I replied softly but he only laughed again.

    You are home, halfling, he countered, plucking one of the grapes from the plate and eating it.

    Stop calling me that, I muttered, pushing on the bed to sit up, "I want to go home, my home, where my family and friends are…."

    What werewolf were you about to do a blood tie with? Rei asked completely out of the blue, What did you know about them? Did you realize how dangerous a blood tie could be?

    I don’t see how any of that is your business, I uttered while he continued eating the food from the plate and my stomach growled.

    You’re welcome to eat something, halfling, he reiterated and I shot him an annoyed look, We know all about the werewolves and their abilities. Do you know what color string they were using to do the blood tie?

    My eyes briefly widened and he chuckled again. I’m not talking to you about that… I want to go back and I want to go back now.

    No can do, halfling, he dismissed shortly, Tell me what color the string was.

    No.

    I could find out for myself, he shrugged his shoulders and I actually glanced down to find him in swirled blue robes with no shoes on, Why aren’t you letting out your fae side little halfling?

    Stop calling me that! I blurted, finding my wrist in his hand before I even realized I had tried to slap him. He shoved me backwards effortlessly and I fell to lie amongst the pillows on the bed.

    You’re definitely Eira’s daughter… he sighed, picking another grape off the plate, You can eat our food and drink our drink because you are fae, Arianna. It won’t change you like it would a human.

    I’m only half fae, I countered and he shrugged his shoulders, Why can’t I go back home?

    The queen wants to see you and the queen isn’t here right now, he stated, lying back across the other end of the bed.

    I don’t like you, I muttered and he chuckled, rolling onto his side to look at me.

    Little halfling, I’m not trying to get you to like me. I’m just on guard duty for a few hours until Yuki gets back and can take over, Rei chuckled, I don’t care if you like me or hate me.

    Why did you know I was awake when they didn’t…? I whispered and he chuckled again.

    They were too preoccupied with what they were doing, he stated shortly, Kage got pretty beaten up by your werewolf friends.

    He’s lucky only two of them got outside, I uttered, pressing myself up against the wall and reaching out to try to catch the falling snow, I wish more of them had gotten out….

    Why? You only woke up because you’re in Faerie. If you’d stayed in the human world, you would’ve stayed unconscious. You don’t know anything about us, do you?

    No… why do you all have such weird names…?

    They aren’t weird names. They mean things that represent us, for the most part, Rei answered before throwing a grape at me, You should eat something.

    No eating or drinking anything….

    I don’t know how you think you’re going to survive here without eating or drinking anything, he sighed, rolling onto his back, If you’re not going to eat, you might as well go back to sleep. I’m not taking you out of this room; that’s Yuki’s responsibility… you are Yuki’s responsibility….

    Why am I Yuki’s responsibility?

    There was a glow to him when he looked at me again, Go to sleep.

    Faerie was not going to be one of my favorite places… How could someone force me to do something just with words? Just when I had finally gotten free of my prison, just when we had finally gotten rid of the troll… I landed in a new prison. Sure, I had woken up in a bedroom, but that didn’t change the fact that I’d been kidnapped, given no real food options, and then put to sleep by some sort of magic.

    Why, Rei? a guy was asking when I started waking up again, Why did you put her back to sleep when I know she was awake earlier? I just asked you to watch her for a little while.

    She wouldn’t eat and she wouldn’t talk much, Rei countered, patting my leg, And she’s awake again just in time to meet you so what’s the problem, Yuki?

    I didn’t want to open my eyes, I knew I would see another fae and I didn’t want to, especially not the one that was supposedly responsible for me.

    It was two hours, Rei, Yuki sighed, "I’d expect something like this from Kage, but not from you. You were supposed to talk to her and make her feel a little better about being in Faerie, get her to eat something, be nice."

    You just said watch her, and I watched her sleep, Rei countered nonchalantly, She refuses to eat or drink anything, I did actually put some effort into trying to get her to, but she won’t.

    Rei, get off the bed, Yuki instructed and I felt the bed shift, Arianna… I’m not going to hurt you… but you really should eat.

    I’m not staying here, I mumbled without opening my eyes, I want to go back.

    Arianna… until the queen sees you, there’s no chance of you leaving here, I’m sorry, Yuki apologized softly and I felt cool fingers lightly brush across my forehead, Please stop this… you need to eat.

    I opened my eyes suddenly and was startled for a moment. What happens if I eat, Yuki? I queried and then let myself actually look at him. He was white, solid white from his long hair to his wings to his robes and pants, everything about him was white except his pale silver eyes. Even the symbol on him was etched in white: a snowflake where his left cheekbone met the far corner of his eye.

    Worst case scenario is your fae form comes out, he honestly replied, Which is something we’d all like to see anyway so it wouldn’t really be a bad thing.

    "I don’t want to see it! I’m not staying here!" I blurted, fully aware of the fact that I was sulking by that point but Yuki calmly sat down on the bed beside me.

    You’re half fae… but your fae side is hidden… no one here would be stupid enough to go against the queen’s wishes and take you back where you came from… so I don’t know how you intend to leave, he reasoned, watching me closely, Now… do you know anything about your fae form?

    Did I? Well, yeah, actually I did… Evan had shown me once what I looked like through his eyes when he’d shown me the werewolves… They slowly flickered back and forth between human and wolf forms, almost like holographic pictures… My flickering was faster, harder to see, but I knew what I looked like. I didn’t say any of that out loud, but Yuki was watching me intently and his head tilted to one side.

    What do you know? he gently pressed.

    I have wings up to about here, I motioned just over my head, And down to about here, I motioned to my knees, That are a blue-ish white color, and my eye, I pointed at my right eye, Looks like a snowstorm… and I have a starburst mark on my forehead, I pointed to the center of my forehead and found a wondering look on Yuki’s face while Rei just chuckled.

    Why do you know what you look like? Rei inquired, but Yuki’s eyes darted around to catalogue what I had said before he lifted his finger to point at my left eye.

    What about this eye? And your hair? he pressed and I hesitated, I didn’t know what they knew about my father, but I got the feeling a faerie in Faerie would probably relate my hair and eye color back to something.

    Why does he keep calling me halfling? I evaded not so discreetly.

    You’re Eira’s daughter, but you’re not a full-blooded faerie, Yuki replied with a tilt of his head, We had assumed you were Reid Gray’s daughter, but now I am feeling as though we should look further into that. He saw me flinch at the mention of Dad’s name, and his eyes narrowed in brief confusion.

    The ones seeking her… said her human father had been killed by a troll that was hunting her, Rei reported softly and my eyes briefly shifted to him as I forced myself to ignore the painful thump of my heart.

    Tell me more about this place… what is okay and what isn’t? I pressed and suddenly remembered something else, Faeries can’t lie.

    No, we can’t; can you? Yuki queried and I shrugged my shoulders.

    Sure.

    "Really lie or just bend truths?"

    I can lie, I stated with another shrug, I don’t do it a lot, but I can.

    His eyes darted around and landed on the ceiling which he pointed to, Tell me that ceiling is black.

    The ceiling is bl… My eyes widened because I couldn’t say it, there was no logical reason for my throat to close up so I tried again, The ceiling is b….

    What have you lied about? Yuki questioned with this calculating look in his eyes.

    Lots of stuff… I guess generally stuff I really believe in… like keeping a secret from someone especially after they’ve continuously pestered me about it… I considered thoughtfully, I don’t know… I know how to lie… but I don’t do it much….

    Your father wasn’t human, Yuki decided seriously, What color is your left eye and your hair when you’re in your real form?

    "I’ve never seen me in my real form," I retorted and his eyes scrunched.

    One of the werewolves did then, and told you about it?

    This is why I just put her back to sleep; she just isn’t being helpful about anything, Rei interjected and Yuki spun to face him, "Just make her fae form come out."

    No, Yuki hissed back, That’s why the queen left me in charge of her and not you. I’m not going to force her to do anything,

    See? Rei commented, turning his attention to me, Faeries can bend truths all they want to. That’s not the whole reason the queen made Yuki responsible for you.

    I think you can leave, Rei, Yuki tersely stated but my gray eyes darted from Rei to Yuki.

    Why are you responsible for me? I asked, thinking about what I’d said before adding, What is Rei referring to about you being responsible for me?

    Please don’t worry about that, Yuki requested softly and I realized I wasn’t going to get any answers from him, turning my attention back to Rei.

    Tell us who your father is and I’ll tell you what the queen has done, Rei bargained with a grin on his lips.

    My left eye is a crystalline, icy blue… and my hair is just a little darker than it is right now, I admitted, watching them closely and catching the distinct realization in both of their faces.

    Your father is a dark knight? Yuki inquired with wonder in his voice, Which one?

    I had heard… that it’s a bad thing for a fae to be with a dark knight… I hesitantly revealed and Yuki smiled softly.

    "It used to be frowned upon, it used to be illegal, but it’s relatively commonplace these days… and no one will do anything to you, he assured, but I bit my lip in contemplation, It’s all right, Arianna; you’re safe here."

    I found my eyes darting to Rei again and he chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. Are people going to treat you differently? Yeah. Are they going to treat you worse? Maybe, but doubtful. It’s more frowned upon to have relations with a human than it is with a dark knight. And no harm will come to your father either, Rei seemed to be counting off the questions in his mind, And there’s no way anyone would hurt your mother… Does that cover it?

    Dolan Rider, I revealed with a knot in my stomach, especially when I saw the flash of shock in Rei’s eyes followed by a similar shock in Yuki’s.

    You’re going to come into your powers on your eighteenth birthday anyway, Rei began despite the look Yuki shot him and the intense cold that filled the room, We would’ve found you then if we hadn’t found you now. The queen chose you a powerful suitor and advisor.

    Suitor…? I repeated, my eyes darting to Yuki as I realized the snow falling from the ceiling was becoming more of a blizzard by the second, You’re trying to keep me here….

    You belong here, Yuki quietly remarked, You’re not even half human like we thought you were… I have to wonder why Eira and Dolan put you in the human world instead of raising you here….

    Whose room is this…? I quietly questioned and Rei chuckled before pointing to Yuki.

    Yuki means ‘snow’… this is Yuki’s room, Rei told me, smiling slightly, Why do you keep looking to me for answers?

    Because you’re telling me the truth… not what you think I want to hear, like some people, I grumbled, And you seem to enjoy tormenting him…. Rei actually laughed and my eyes darted to him to find the faintest glow around him. Why aren’t you guys anything like the faeries I met at home?

    You probably met exiled fae… or the descendants of exiled fae… Yuki considered, but he was still annoyed when he looked at Rei, Which I don’t understand how she had a chance to meet them and yet we couldn’t find her.

    I met Ty over a month ago, I interjected with the faintest smirk on my lips. Anything that could annoy them seemed like great ammo to me. I’m pretty positive he’s known what I was, or at least had an idea of what I was, since I met him. Yuki did not like that… the snow was getting heavier, and I could actually see little puffs in front of me when I exhaled. How long have you guys been looking for me?

    The queen sent trackers out after you months ago, Yuki muttered, Obviously not good enough ones… you’re fae… you can’t possibly blend in that perfectly to the human world… you can’t possibly turn off everything about you that is fae.

    "What is that supposed to mean?" I grumbled and his silver eyes finally shifted back to me, but they were distant, thoughtful.

    I’m still really curious what color the string was between you and the werewolf they were going to do the blood tie with, Rei interjected suddenly and I flinched, You had a white string, didn’t you?

    Rei, leave her alone, Yuki insisted, running his hand over his head as the snow settled back to a gentle falling and the room warmed back up.

    Don’t you want to know who she had a white string to? That’s a pretty rare thing, Rei instigated and Yuki shrugged.

    I’m curious, but you have to quit pressing her, Yuki ordered, I won’t let you push her like that….

    Since you know so much about werewolves, what does a white string mean, exactly? I questioned which made Rei chuckle.

    Tell me who you’ve got a white string with and I’ll explain it further, he coyly bargained again, and he had told me earlier, but still I hesitated.

    Why don’t you tell me what it is and then I’ll tell you who, I countered and Rei shrugged.

    Promise? I only nodded. A blood tie with a white string would pretty much turn you into a werewolf. You’d be in tune with the pack, you’d be able to change into a wolf, you’d probably acquire a power, depending on how strong the werewolf was that you were tied to. So who is it?

    The pack leader, I quietly admitted and he shook his head in amusement.

    Arianna, please eat, Yuki interrupted, holding out a plate of fresh fruits to me, If you do happen to change into your fae form, I’ll be happy to teach you how to change back to this form if you want. My eyes darted from the fruit to Rei who shrugged.

    You’re already part of Faerie. I think he’s probably right and that’s all that would happen to you; but the only way to know for sure is to try it, Rei stated and I bit hard on my lip, picking what looked vaguely like a grape, except its bright blue color, off the plate and holding it between my thumb and forefinger for a long while.

    I just don’t trust it, I decided, setting the fruit back on the plate, My instincts say not to eat or drink anything… they say not to trust any of you….

    So you will trust our most hated enemies… but not your own kind…? Yuki murmured thoughtfully, slowly shaking his head.

    You keep avoiding telling me things. Why should I trust you? I countered coldly, heading toward the door of the room only to have Rei step in front of me with a smirk on his lips.

    Not without him, he motioned over my head towards Yuki and I groaned.

    What am I avoiding telling you? Yuki pressed as I paced over to the desk, my fingers trailing across the chilled white wood.

    You said I couldn’t turn off everything about me that is fae… what did you mean…? I whispered, flinching when Yuki moved toward me.

    You emanate fae power… you cannot turn that off entirely. Someone would have noticed… you should not have been able to hide from us for so long… Yuki quietly explained as I laughed and shook my head.

    Even hiding amongst your most hated enemies? Though, at the time, I didn’t realize I was doing that… what kind of powers do I have?

    How long have you been living with the dogs? Rei suddenly wondered as I tensed, my hands curling into fists at my sides.

    I’ve been with the werewolves for a couple of months, I guess… I uttered with a shrug, What kind of powers do I have…?

    Why don’t you tell us? Rei coyly rebutted as he leaned against the door with his arms crossed over his chest. I glared at him out of the corner of my eye.

    What? You’re going to tell me that my ability to know when something’s wrong is a fae power? I pressed, And why are you still here when you don’t want anything to do with me?

    Rei’s eyes flickered with amusement, but he barely shrugged his shoulder. What do you mean you know when something’s wrong?

    I sighed as I fell to sit on the stool in front of the desk. I get feelings when something is wrong with the people I’m closest to… I can trace it back to the person… when my… I shuddered and pulled my knees up onto

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