Half Blood- Prologue- Ch.2

Half Blood

Stacey Cook

Prologue

Theirs was a coupling that was doomed from the beginning. They were destined to die as soon as they felt the first stirrings of love for each other. He was a werewolf of the pack Morrigu, and she was a water fairy that was well loved by the fey of the Tuatha De Danann. Few know how they met, but from that moment they became inseparable. Their names were Bridie and Keegan. They would be remembered always by those of their kind as a cautionary tale or as a legend of great love. Species of the supernatural were forbidden to ever breed outside of their own kind. This was a law punished by death. The couple attempted to hide away in the human world, wishing to escape the rules of their kind and bask in each other’s love. They managed for little more than a year when the combined armies of their kind came for them.

Were and fey joined together to obliterate the unsanctioned coupling. Their deaths were quick, but as their bodies slumped to the ground in death their hands remained clasped. When the last ember of life had extinguished from them, all those gathered turned to leave with heavy hearts.

The last to leave were two female werewolves. They both turned and looked back at the remains with tears falling silently from their faces. The older of the two was the mother of the man that had been murdered today by his own kin. The woman beside her was the man’s niece, barely more than a teenager she had worshipped him. Though they were a part of the Morrigu pack, they were now all that was left of their family. They turned to each other and hugged briefly then turned to leave. That was when they heard the gentle whine closely followed by the furious cry of an infant.



Evelyn and Arlana didn’t know what to expect from this little one as she grew. Would she be a werewolf or a fey? Her appearance gave no indication; she looked like any other beautiful human baby. Honey brown locks stuck up in every which direction and she had wide blue eyes full of curiosity. If they were to guess the child’s age it would be six months, but she already stood within her playpen when put down.

When the first full moon came, they decided to test the young tike. Evelyn carried the baby, lovingly swaddled in a blanket, out the door of their secluded home. She placed the baby in the playpen they had situated out in the yard. Soon the sun would set and the moon would announce its presence to the two-natured. Their search through Bridie and Keegan’s things presented nothing more than a few pictures, no papers that proclaimed a name for their forbidden child were found. Arlana joined Evelyn at the baby’s playpen with a bottle. If the young one didn’t change she could sleep the night away under the stars. They didn’t have long to wait. Evelyn and Arlana’s bodies began to gyrate with the shivers of energy from the moon’s influence. Their bodies were forced into a crouch from the spasms and they promptly accepted the transformation. As both had completed the change they looked up simultaneously to view the child, but the baby continued to bounce happily in her playpen as if they had just put on a show to entertain her. Each took their turn to hunt, and then both claimed an end of the playpen and lay on either side to sleep. They would be her guards that night and protect her from any possible harm.

The next day, they were awoken by the child’s impatient screams. Each grabbed a robe to cover their nudity and Arlana cradled the soiled baby in her arms as Evelyn prepared her bath. “She isn’t a were, or not predominantly. How will we know how to raise her?” Arlana asked.

“We will raise her as a human. We are all the family we have left.” Evelyn responded while reaching for the youngster. As she placed the bare child into the water the baby began to shake and Evelyn could feel the energy as it entered the little girl. The surprise made her drop the baby into the water. Evelyn jumped forward to pull her up before she swallowed the water, but the infant was already swimming up from the water with a brilliant smile on her face. She looked up at her grandmother and then dunked her body under the water and tried her best to move around in its shallow depth.

Two weeks later, the women prepared again for the full moon. This month they would have two full moons. It is an occurrence that happens about every two and a half years, called a blue moon. Everything was exactly the same as the night weeks before. They prepared the baby and slung their robes over the side of the porch in preparation for the morning. The two women stood side by side waiting for the moon. After they transformed Arlana turned immediately toward the forest to hunt, but was stopped by the bark of Evelyn, and a gentle whimpering. Amazed she turned back to see her little cousin had made the change after all. The little one’s blanket and diaper littered the playpen in torn bits. In the center of the playpen sat an adorable, black wolf pup. The beautiful blue eyes, they had become accustomed to, were now the shining golden color of her father’s.

Chapter One

The wind was crisp on Marella’s face as she crept out the back door and stopped at the bottom step of the porch to glance over her shoulder and slip her shoes onto her feet. It was about half past midnight and everyone had finally fallen asleep. She lingered for just a moment to see if she had been discovered slipping out, but the windows remained dark and the house quiet. A playful smile spread across her face as she imagined their surprise in the morning. They would be angry and accuse her of being careless, but her first adventure would be worth it. She had spent every day of her twenty years in or near this farm house, closely watched over by her loving grandmother Evelyn and her protective cousin Arlana.

All her life they had told her how dangerous the world was and how they must always stick closely together, but Marella had never known anything bad or disturbing or even interesting to happen near their small farm. She had been home-schooled (for her own protection) and had only formed relationships (beyond her family) with the characters in her favorite books. It was time that she saw a bit of the world beyond the forest that surrounded her home, and talked with people outside of her small family. Also, some part of her realized that there was some secret about her life that her family had kept hidden from even her, that she had to discover. There had to be some reason she had been hidden away her whole life.

Marella restrained the urge to giggle as she reached the edge of the forest. The pack she carried with the bare essentials bounced happily on her back with each step she took toward her freedom. As she stepped into the line of trees she felt a shiver of energy soar down her body, like a life force that dwelled there had caressed her as she entered its domain in welcome. Giddiness overcame her and after the slightest of hesitations she ran full out through the forest. Not really having a destination in mind, Marella just ran with a wild abandon through the trees in as straight a line as she could manage. She felt as she imagined a dog would feel if he finally managed to break free of his leash. Her mind became a complete blank, no thought beyond ‘run’ and as obstacles came, she merely leapt over them and continued to run.

As Marella ran she felt the sting of the wind on her eyes and decided to try and run faster, and she didn’t slow until tears began to glisten down her cheeks. For some reason it felt unnatural to blink, and she didn’t do so until she slowed to a near walk. The exhilaration of her run made her heart beat an unsteady tempo against her chest, and she came to a complete stop, taking a deep breath to slow it down. The air that rushed into her lungs brought with it new scents, a suffocating smell of something burning and an overwhelming smell of wind blowing freely without trees to slow its graceful dance through the sky.

She had come to the end of the trees so quickly. Looking down towards the bottom of the hill she could see a fence blocking the busiest street she could imagine. The horrid smell came from this busy street as the automobiles that passed left behind them thin veils of smoke. Though most of her knowledge of the world came from books, they had not prepared her for this. She watched the people driving up and down the street quickly, focusing on the stretch before them; they looked like slightly more than zombies as they raced passed on their way to their unknown destinations. An urge to test her speed against such amazing machines burst forth and was just as quickly squashed as she heard the voice of her cousin Arlana in her head, “We don’t bring attention to ourselves. We stick together. Others don’t understand us and are dangerous. We have to remain hidden to survive. One day you’ll understand everything, but until that day you must stay with your family.”

Today would be the first day of beginning to understand, she would no longer hide. She would become a part of the world instead of hiding from it. A solid plan and a determined will would help her to succeed. First she would appease her curiosity about the world around her. There were things that she had read about that she felt a burning desire to see before she put her plans into action. The greatest of those desires had been to see the ocean. Marella pulled her pack around to the front of her body and riffled through it until her hand successfully emerged with the desired map. She quickly plotted out the directions she must take and took off running once again in the cover of the trees.

Marella ran for hours on end, always staying out of sight of the roads and houses. Being hidden was something she was an expert at, and by sunset that evening she had reached her destination. Miles away, the sea had announced itself with the scent of salty mist, sea creatures, summer, and life. It was more than could ever have been expected after reading about it. The scent of the ocean was intoxicating and pulled at some string within the depth of Marella. Absent now was her hurry to reach the water. She wanted nothing more at this moment than to treasure her introduction to this great water. Its wild cascading waves reflecting the dying embers of sunlight enthralled her. She came to an abrupt halt mere feet from the ocean foam reaching for the shore. So enthralled was she, that she didn’t notice the man standing a mere ten yards away watching her.

Marella walked slowly toward the water, the way a lover would walk toward a man to tempt him. With each step she took she became ever more aware of the graceful moves of the water, until her hips began to sway in rhythm with the waves. Taking a deep breath was like gulping down a mouthful of the salty water. As her toes first sank into the foamy waves, a vibration of energy swept through her. It was the most invigorating experience of her life, like there was a connection from her to each animal within the depths of the ocean. Each step she took, submersed more of her into the water, and made her more aware of her body. With a squeal of delight, she dived head first into the water.

Chapter Two

As the sun made its slow descent bringing a cascade of colors across the sky, a young man stood and watched the giddy young woman. She was tall at 6’2” and her honey brown hair swept passed her waist in waves. She had a slender but athletic build, the body of a runner. With amusement, he watched her enthusiasm as she reached the waves. Her enrapture with the ocean instantly marked her as a kindred spirit and as she seemed to become hypnotized by the waves he became captivated with her.

He wished silently for a moment that she was like him, and then he wouldn’t be hiding back in the line of the trees, waiting for her to take her leave. The duty of watching the shore for messengers had been given to him for the day. Now finally, after an inactive day it was time for him to be relieved. He couldn’t go home until she took her leave.

With this thought he attempted to shake off his amusement by her and tried to think of how he could get rid of her. He had no desire to walk the long distance through the woods until he was out of sight of her before leaping into the welcoming waves to go home. Just as he was ready to give in to the long hike, she surprised him by leaping into the ocean fully clothed. As she surfaced with a brilliant smile, a clear exhibit of her joy, he realized she wasn’t human after all. She had transformed after diving into the water. He took a quick survey of his surroundings to assure him that no one was watching and followed her into the thrashing waves.



Swimming into its depths was as natural as breathing. The water around her body seemed to throb and dance, almost like it was feeding off of her. The very depths of the sea were open to her and she swallowed the water as she would a deep breath of air. Everything around her was so beautiful; she wanted to use every sense that she had on everything around her so that she could experience it in every way possible.

Just as she was reaching out to feel the texture of the swaying seaweed, Marella felt arms encircle her waist and drag her back towards the surface of the water. Her first instinct told her to fight the arms that cradled her rib cage, but it was almost like she recognized the feel of this person as impossible as that was. She allowed her body to go limp, as she waited to be introduced to this familiar stranger.

As they reached the surface, the first thing she noticed was that her honey brown waves had transformed into vivid blue strands that hung straight as an arrow around her body. Her skin looked, at first glance, like she had smeared glitter lotion all over herself, but on closer inspection she saw that it was more like the tiniest of fish scales. The person who had dragged her up from the water tightened his grip, as if he expected her to fight his hold on her, but she continued to relax against his firm hold as she examined herself. It wasn’t until she noticed that he was swimming back towards the shore that Marella began to push against his hold. She had no desire to go back to dry land yet. When she looked down to try and pry his arms from around her, she stopped her struggles as she realized his skin was a darker version of her own. His skin glittered, as much as her own, in the fading sunlight. Instantly, she wished that the sun would rise again to its complete height so that she could watch it glimmer in the full light. She had never before seen such an amazing sight. Is this what happened to everyone when they entered the ocean’s salty water? Marella turned as best she could to catch a glimpse of her captor’s face, so that she could look him in the face when she spoke to him. All she could see, however, was the back of his head. His hair fell about shoulder length and was as vibrant as her own, but where hers was a startling blue his was a shade of green that reminded Marella of a portrait done of the ocean during a storm.

“Who are you? Why are you taking us out of the water?” she asked. At the sound of her voice, he stopped swimming and turned to face her. He gazed at her face for a moment clearly amazed by what he saw before responding.

“It isn’t permitted. My name is Leith. You are of the Tuatha De Danann, right?” he seemed befuddled as he continued to look at her, and as he spoke Marella studied his face. He was ethereally beautiful, the fish scales covering his entire body as well as his face. He had high cheekbones, like hers, and his eyes seemed to glow from within. Leith’s face was all angular points and he seemed as regal as a prince from a fairy tale. Marella had to stifle a laugh with that thought. Just looking at him made her happy, like coming home.

Suddenly she was confused as she ran his question back through her head. Tuatha De Danann? Was that some foreign language? If so she had never heard it before. Cautiously she said, “I’m not as far as I know. Are you Tuatha De Danann?”

“Of course, I am. Wait… you have to be. We are the only ones who are one with the sea. But I’ve never met you before. Who are you?” he tightened his hold waiting for her to turn hostile. If her look was any indicator it would be soon. Her eyes had turned wary and suspicious. At her continued silence he said, “I’ve told you my name, the least you could do is return the favor.” After saying this he gave her a playful smile, attempting to lighten the mood. When she continued to stare at him, though not being quite so hostile about it he said, “How about we swim to the island and we can be alone to talk? You can tell me about yourself and I will tell you about Tuatha De Danann. How does that sound?”

Marella realized that she couldn’t remain distrustful of everyone she met, not if she wanted answers. And it seemed as if this man had just the answers she most needed, answers about her. “You’ve got a deal. Lead the way and we’ll go to this island. But I also have some questions.”

“I doubt you have as many as me at this moment. You ask and I’ll try my best to answer. Let’s go.” Leith dived into the water and swam away so quickly that Marella was hard pressed to catch up with him. She watched sulkily as they passed many things that amazed her in the water that she wouldn’t currently get the chance to explore. Moments later they were leaving the water and trudging up the shoreline of the small island, apparently devoid of all life beyond small animals. Marella felt a sadness wash over as she left the water behind. The ocean had heated her blood and the coolness of the breeze quickly began to dry the beads of water off her skin, her clothes however remained drenched, of course. It was at this moment that she realized she had left her pack, with all her possessions inside, on her back when she had leapt into the water. All her belongings would be waterlogged if not ruined. She muttered an expletive under her breath and turned to find a spot to sit, pulling her pack off her back as she walked and dropped it to the sand at her feet.

“So I guess we start with my name, right?” she said not quite as comfortable talking to this strange man now that they were out of the comforting waves. Their skin was slowly changing back to normal. Hers was a deep tan, his was a pale ivory. His physic was thin, but his moves were graceful and swift, almost as if he were still in the water.

He nodded and said, “That was the deal.” ,with a teasing grin on his face. Leith watched her skin alter as she had watched his moments before. Something was different about her, though he couldn’t pinpoint it, it waited for him tauntingly.

“My name is Marella. And you said your name is Leith?”

“Yes Leith, it’s a family name. Marella? Is that a family name too?” he eyed her waiting for her answer impatiently, but trying to keep the illusion of calm. He wished he could just ask his questions, but something told him to be cautious.

“I’m not really sure; my grandmother gave me the name. I know it’s supposed to mean the water … something. “

“Actually, no, it means ‘shining sea’. It’s a beautiful name.” he said the latter quickly as her eyes looked at him curiously. Then asked, “Was that not your mother’s name then?”

Her eyes continued to narrow; she didn’t like so many questions. “No, that wasn’t her name. So what is this Tuatha De Danann?” she needed more information before she gave anymore.

He was having essentially the same type of feelings. “It’s who and what I am. So what are you if not Tuatha De Danann?”

Marella jumped to her feet and spun around to stare down at him. “This will take forever if we don’t just answer each other’s questions! Let’s start with you answering mine.”

He stood as well and glared at her in return. “I agree… with half of that at least. You avoided my question first.”

For the first time ever Marella had to tip back her head to look into someone’s eyes. Stormy green waves danced within his eyes, and she felt nearly hypnotized by their movement. For a moment it felt as if the ocean was calling to her through his eyes. She fought the urge to shake her head in an effort to dislodge the disturbing thought and focused on her irritation. She smirked up at him after that childish remark, “What are you three? Anyway, my first question didn’t count. You had already told me, I was just making sure I heard you correctly. “

“Fair enough. Though what I said was true. Tuatha De Danann is the name we are known by. It is what I am. We live separate from the humans, in the world of fey. So, if you aren’t, what are you?” he stared into her eyes expectantly now.

“Fey? You mean like fairies?” as she asked this she looked at her now normal skin then back at Leith, “I’m a fairy?”

“Are you honestly telling me you don’t know what you are? How is that even possible?”

A fascinated light now sparkled in Marella’s eyes. “I was only told I was different, and to trust no one. A fairy?” she couldn’t allow the fact to leak into her mind. It seemed impossible and at the same time like a wonderful truth that had hidden from her until this moment.

Leith continued to watch the facial expressions as they shifted across her face like a mirage: wonder, doubt, amazement, bemused. Could she really have spent her entire life not knowing what she was? He couldn’t understand how that was possible. The more he studied her face the more familiar her features looked, but he knew he had never seen her face before. Who could she be? And how could she have survived without entering the land of fey, which he was certain she hadn’t? Marella didn’t even know what she was. Suddenly he thought of a new question, “Who raised you?”

With her mind a million miles away, she answered automatically, “My grandmother and my cousin, Arlana. They’re the only family I have left since my parents were murdered.”

“Murdered!? Who killed your parents?” he was so shocked by her answer he forgot to be careful not to spook her.

Marella seemed to realize her mistake instantly, and dodged his question by asking, “Can you tell me more about the fey? … I mean our kind… you know what I mean.”

“Sure, but after… you’ll explain. There are two main types of fey. There are the land fey that live in fairy mounds and gain their magic by the powers of the earth, of nature. The water fey- like us- gain magic from the wild waters- oceans, rivers, and lakes. Long ago there were quite a few of our kind, but each year it seems there are less of us,” Leith’s voice saddened as he said this last part, but it lasted only a short time before he looked at her and asked, “Did you have something in particular you wanted to ask? We’ll be here quite a while if you want a complete history.” He said this with a deep chortle.

“What did you mean earlier when you said it wasn’t permitted? Did you mean to swim in the ocean? If so, I don’t think I’ll like being a fairy. It was wonderful, more wonderful than I could have imagined. And where is fairy land?” Marella asked.

He looked affronted by her last question, and then laughed it off shaking his head. “It’s not fairy land. The land of the fairy is guarded by magic so that only we can enter. The water fairy underwater home is called Shayla, which basically translates to fairy palace. And we are allowed to enter the ocean, but not where a human could see us like you did. We have to be more careful than that. We try our best to stay hidden from the humans. They have all but forgotten about us now. We are nothing more than stories to them.” He smiled at her and asked, “Now may I be permitted to ask a question?”

“Ask away”, she replied.

“How did you grow up outside of fairy? And what powers do you have?”

She suppressed the urge to shut down. “We have a small farm and, like I said, I grew up there with my grandmother and cousin. There’s not really a lot to tell. You’re the first person I’ve met. I was always supposed to stay hidden on the farm, away from humans as you say and any other thing out there. My family always seemed afraid of something. And one day I decided I didn’t want to hide any more. So I snuck out after they fell asleep last night. If they’re right and I’m killed like my parents, at least I’ll have lived first. I don’t know anything about powers. I can run fast. Faster than my family can. Does that count?”

“No, that’s not really what I meant.” Leith moved closer to her, staring into her eyes. They were more of a golden color than brown and nearly glowed in the darkening light like a cat’s. “Everything about you is fey, but your eyes are different. I’ve never seen a fairy with eyes like yours. It’s like they’re almost animalistic. Was your father a land fairy?”

“I honestly don’t know. The only thing Gran and Arlana told me were their names. They never distinguished what they were.” Marella grew uncomfortable under his direct gaze and turned to look at the steady waves crashing forward. The tide was coming in, and each wave seemed to get closer. As if, it were reaching for them and trying to pull them back into its depths. She continued to watch the water, even when he spoke again.

“So what were their names?” he asked.

“Yeah, I guess you might have known them. My father’s name was Keegan and my mother was Bridie. They were supposed to have died not long after my birth.” Leith jumped to his feet once again and pulled her toward him until she was directly before him. His eyes narrowed in suspicion and annoyance.

“What game are you playing? If Maddox were to hear you spreading such lies you wouldn’t like the punishment. I can guarantee you that.” Leith’s voice shook with anger. Believing that she could have been brought up outside of fairy had been one thing, but who did she think she was, telling people such lies. He was one of the few that knew the details of that tragic story. Maddox would, indeed, be angry if he were to hear about the tale this young woman was telling. He mourned still for Bridie.

Marella knew she should have heeded her family’s words. Look at his reaction to her parents’ names. She should have forgone this trip. She should have been more watchful of those around her. Cold slivers of fear now gripped her body and she wished she had never left her safe haven with her grandmother and Arlana. Would they be looking for her even now? “Please, let go. I was mistaken; those aren’t their names at all.” The surprise of him grabbing her had turned her eyes into small round mirrors of her fear. She tried to maneuver herself out of his grip and reach the comforting waves that had moments before seemed like better than a second home. Like a true home.

Despite her struggles, Leith kept a firm grip on her shoulders. He could clearly tell she was frightened, but of what? Was she afraid of being punished for her lies or did she truly believe her fanciful story. “I hate to do this, Marella, but you’ll have to come with me back to fairy. At least until we get to the bottom of this.” At his words she began to more vigorously struggle against him. Marella twisted her body, so that Leith had to move his hands from her shoulders to her slim waist, attempting to get a better grip. That second of fumbling was all it took for Marella to gain her freedom. She ran back to the water and glided back underneath its surface before he could stop her.