Chapter 21

"Birdie, wait!" Nora wanted to tell the girl not to panic and just give her a second to explain.

"Is she....oh my god!" Birdie walked around the counter and looked After up and down. "It's a fey!"

Afet, too weak to understand anything happening, made a small whimpering sound in the back of her throat as her eyes adjusted on Birdie.

"You.....you're...." she held up her hand towards Birdie's thick silver hair.

"What's wrong with her?" Birdie took a step forward as she watched Nora struggling to hold Afet up.

"We need help," Nora said, balancing the fey on her shoulder and trying to hold up her weight. "Is your brother home?"

"Hayden isn't here," Birdie shook her head.

Her beautiful silver eyes were wide as saucers. She stared at Afet with wonder and curiosity, her feet slowly moving forward.

"Birdie, I need you to help me lay her down and then call Hayden," Nora said.

"Yeah..." Birdie couldn't take her eyes off of Afet's pointy ears.

"Birdie!"

"Sorry, sorry," the girl shook her head and stepped forward.

But as soon as she reached out to share some of Afet's weight with Nora, a force field appeared between the three. Birdie jumped back as Afet gasped and gripped Nota's hand.

"Birdie, go to your room," Heyder's voice was ice cold as he walked into the house with Ali.

"To her room?" Ali's eyes widened seeing Afet. "Send her to court. I'll have someone find Hayden and Maya and drag their asses there too."

"No, Baba. Wait!" Birdie turned towards her father.

"What the hell, Peanut?" Heyder turned his glowing silver eyes towards Nora trapped inside the force field. "You brought a fey into my house!"

"Mr. Heyder, we need help," Nora rushed. "Please just give me a minute to explain."

"Baba, it's a fey," Birdie pointed. "Look at her!"

"It's rude to point," Ali lowered the girl's pointing hand.

"Oh sorry," Birdie apologized.

"Nora, what is going on?" Small droplets of cold sweat began to appear on Afet's forehead as she stared at Heyder and Ali. "We have to leave."

"Not so fast," Heyder held up his hand. "You're not leaving until you tell me where the rest of you are hiding."

"No!" Afet began to panic. "Nora, open the portal right now."

"My house, my rules," Heyder stuck his hand through the force field and yanked the gold ring off Nora's finger.

"Mr. Heyder, please just listen to me for a second," Nora pleaded. "We mean no harm. We need help. Please, she's dying!"

"Baba, we have to help her," Birdie's worried eyes watched Afet grow paler.

"Ali, call the guards," Heyder said. "Have them bring the iron."

"No," Afet's voice shook.

She gripped Nora's hand with her weak cold fingers as her knees buckled. Nora wondered if she had made a huge mistake as she stared at the jinn standing on the other side of the forcefield. Her head began to spin as her eyes started to burn.

"Nora, I'm gonna need you to step away from her," Heyder held out his hand.

"No," Nora pulled Afet closer.

"We can't send you into the veil," Heyder's voice hardened. "Step away from the fey, Peanut!"

"I'm not letting you take her anywhere," Nora shook her head. "I came here because I need help. Not for you to lock her up. She's dying."

"Ali, grab her," the force field began to split in half as Heyder spoke.

"No!" Nora looked around in a panic. "Birdie! Please, help me!"

"Baba! Stop!" Birdie jumped forward. "Don't be such a hot head! Listen to her first!"

"Nora, listen to me," Afet pushed all her energy into her words. "Do not tell them where the others are. You have to keep them safe."

"Nora, I don't want to hurt you," Ali apologized as he reached into the force fields and grabbed Nora's arm.

"No," Nora tried to shake him off but Ali held on tighter.

"Come along," the jinn said as he began to pull her away from Afet.

The force field began to slice down the space between the two as Ali pulled. Afet held on as long as she could before her skin started to turn red from the soldering heat of the spell.

"No, no!" Nora struggled to free herself. "Stop!"

"Don't hurt her," Afet looked up at Ali directly for the first time. Her eyes filled to the brim with tears as she tried to hold on to Nora for as long as she could.

"Let go of me!" Nora screamed, ready to kick and bite if she needed to.

But all her protesting only made Ali swing her closer and hold both of her arms back. Nora leaned all her weight towards the force field, trying to get as close to Afet as she possibly could. Her face gleamed with tears as she pleaded with Ali to let her go. A few feet away Birdie did the same with Heyder, who was hell bent on keeping his daughter away from the fey.

Nora felt utterly defeated and broken as she watched Afet fall to the floor. Her own heart stopped as her knees buckled and she sank to the floor along with the woman. Ali tried to pull her back up to her feet but Nora was beyond cooperating. If he wanted to hold her up, he would have to do it all on his own.

"No, no, no," Nora chanted. "Afet, open your eyes! Look at me! Please, just look at me."

Slowly, memories of waking up on a winter morning next to a still body began to choke Nora. she let out a scream as the pain from Lidia's funeral came crashing down on her lungs.

"What the hell are you doing?" Hayden's loud angry voice suddenly appeared somewhere in the room. "Get away from here!"

Nora felt the back of her neck prickle and her hands heated up like an oven. Her skin began to glow it's radiant blue, making Ali bite down on his molars and groan.

"Hayden! Get back!" Nora heard Heyder shout.

"Let go of her!" Hayden flashed forward and yanked Ali's hands off of Nora.

Instantly Nora fell to the floor and she began to crawl on all fours towards Afet. She was only inches away when Hayden hooked his arm around her and lifted her up.

"No!" Nora screamed again. "Let go of me!"

"Nora, stop. Stop!" Hayden tried to contain all her flying limbs.

"Afet!" Nora leaned toward the fey once more. "Please, open your eyes!"

"Nora, you can't touch the force field!" Hayden groaned. "Stop it!"

For the first time, Nora's eyes shifted off of the fey and focused on Hayden. Her face twisted in pain as she began to weep harder.

"Hayden, please," her voice shook. "Help her....Please, please. I'll do anything you say. Just please help her."

Hearing how broken Nora's words were, Hayden felt his chest tighten. His eyes shifted to the fey on the floor as his ears picked up his sister's sobs in his father's arms.

"Please," Nora begged.

"Baba, lower the shield," Hayden's eyes moved to his father.

"Have you lost your fuckin' mind?" Heyder shouted. "I am not lowering the shield with you and Birdie in the house with a fey!"

"Baba, look at her!" Birdie yelled over her father. "She's no danger to us like that!"

"Not another word, Birdie!"

"Or what?" Birdie snapped, yanking herself free from Heyder. "Let go of me!"

"Hayden," Nora gripped Hayden's shirt and turned his head to face her. "Please, help her."

"The women of his house have completely lost their mind!" Heyder yelled.

"Hayden, call mom," Birdie looked to her brother before raising her hand to take down the shield herself.

"Don't you dare disobey me, Birdie!" Heyder glared, his eyes pulsing a dangerous silver.

Birdie looked into her father's eyes as her hand started to glow. Her own eyes flashed silver as the shield around Afet melted away like ice under fire.

"Don't look at me. You're the one who raised these monkeys," Ali held up his hands as Heyder stared at his daughter in disbelief.

"That's it!" Heyder raised his hand to trap her in a force field of her own when Birdie leaped forward and landed beside Afet. "Oh you two are just hell bent on making my nightmares dance in front of me!"

"Maya!" Ali shouted as he spotted the witch rushing into the house. "Thank god you're home!"

"What is going on?" Maya demanded, her eyes bouncing around. "Nora, what's wrong, honey? Birdie, why are you on the floor? Who is that?"

"Oh good, you're home," Heyder positioned himself to summon a force field. "You grab Hayden and I'll get Birdie.

"No!" Hayden and Birdie shouted together.

"You two are not gonna win against the both of us!" Heyder pointed to himself and then to Maya. "Stand down. We've dealt with worse."

"Are you out of your mind?" Maya stomped over to her husband. "Lower your hand! What are you going to do? Blast your own daughter?"

"I'm not going to blast her!" Heyder yelled. "I'm trying to get her away from the fey dying on our floor!"

Maya gasped and whirled around.

"Yeah, now you get it," Heyder snorted. "Now, come on. Hands up, sweet baby. Time to kick some ass."

"What...." Maya stepped forward, her eyes glued on Afet and Birdie. "What's wrong with her?"

"She's dying," Nora said from Hayden's arms. "She gave up all her magic and strength to save the children."

"Mom," Birdie looked up, her eyes watering. "We have to help her."

"We don't have to do shit!" Heyder rolled his eyes.

"Heyder, cut it out!" Maya waved him off.

"Maya, no," the jinn groaned and tried to stop his wife as she kneeled down beside their daughter. "Oh fantastic. Let's all just die as a family."

"I don't wanna die with y'all," Ali said from where he stood.

"This....this is insane," Maya slowly reached out and touched the back of Afet's hand.

"Hayden, you have fey magic," Nora looked up at the boy holding her. "Please, heal her."

"Will that work?" Maya looked over her shoulder. "Hayden also has Jinn magic. Won't that do more harm?"

"I don't know," Nora shook her head, sobbing. "But we have to try something. She doesn't have enough time. Please."

"I can separate them," Hayden said.

"What?" Heyder looked up, his eyes skeptical. "Since when?"

"Since I marked Nora," Hayden said, pulling up his sleeves and stepping forward. "I can heal her."

"No, wait!" Maya stopped him. "I'll do it."

"Maya..." Heyder's eyes widened, not liking the plan one bit. "Do you understand what you are talking about? You want to heal a fey in our home. With our children around."

"You don't think three jinns, a witch supreme, and a fey hybrid can take her out if she tries to do anything?" Maya arched her brow. "Are you scared, Heyder? Of a dying woman?"

"Ha. Ha," Heyder rolled his eyes. "Go ahead and make fun of me for trying to protect you all!"

"She would never hurt you," Nora jumped in. "I know her. And I give you my word."

"You also gave me your words that you would break the charm when you found the feys," Heyder shorted. "I'm a little beyond trusting your words, sweet pea."

"I trust her words," Hayden said.

"Me too," Maya nodded. "I don't; want anyone dying on my hardwood floors."

"That's the least of our worries right now," Heyder shook his head.

"Baba, please..." Birdie cried. "We can't let someone die like this. We might even change her mind about killing us."

"Oh that's comforting."

"Birdie, step back," Maya began to tie up her hair.

"Mom, let me do it," Hayden said.

"No," Maya shook her head. "You have jinn magic. I don't. We don't know what you can do. It's safer for me to try."

"Are you sure this will work?" Birdie asked her mother.

"Nora said she gave her magic and energy to the children," Maya said. "So if i share my energy with her, that must do something."

"Might fry her insides," Ali muttered. When he caught Nora's horrified eyes he quickly added, "I'm just thinking aloud. Maya is fey and witch magic. I'm sure she will be fine."

"Okay," Maya cleared her throat. "Heyder, stand guard."

"Why?" The jinn snorted. "I thought we were safe. She's a dying fey. What harm can she do?"

"Fine, then get out," Maya turned away.

With a low growl and dramatic eye roll, the jinn switched to his true flames and hovered behind Maya. Seeing him, Ali shed his human form and also took up position. Nora's wide eyes watched them as she tried to step closer to Hayden, but he held her off.

"I need you to stand behind me," he said, looking down at her. "Don't' try to touch me or anyone."

"What...why?" Nora asked in confusion.

Hayden took a few steps back and took in a deep breath. Nora suddenly understood why he told her to stay back as he shifted into his smokeless flame.

Stay back, okay? Hayden opened his mind-link.

Nora slowly nodded.

"Everyone ready?" Maya looked around.

Heyder gave her a thumbs up. Ali cracked his neck and Birdie began to tie back her hair as well.

Nora wished she had a better view of whatever was happening but she did not want to push her luck. If she needed to stay behind Hayden and hide in order for them to help Afet, then so be it.

Through the leaping blue flames on Hayden's arm, Nora watched Maya take Afet's limp hands and hold in between hers. The witch took in a deep breath as the air around her began to shimmer like heat waves. Her eyes closed and a soft glow began to ooze out of her skin like morning sunlight.

Nora held her breath and prayed to the gods for it to work. She couldn't stop thinking about Lidia's funeral and how alone she felt sitting by the casket hearing the same words of heartfelt sadness from the friends who had come to see the woman one last time. Nora could not bear to ever do that again. Her sanity and heart were hanging by a very small piece of thread. One more heartbreak and Nora swore she wouldn't make it out alive.

Is it working? She asked Hayden through their link.

I think so....Hayden replied. Her breathing is better.

I want to see.

Nora, no-

Very carefully, Nora walked around Hayden, avoiding his flames and dropped to the floor beside Afet.

Frustrating, isn't it? Heyder looked at his son. When all you want to do is keep them safe but they don't fuckin listen to a word you say.

Hayden clenched his fists and groaned. He wanted to yank Nora back to the spot behind him but he knew he couldn't touch her without setting her on fire.

Just stand watch, Heyder said. Be ready in case anything happens.

Nodding, Hayden locked his eyes on Nora. He watched her take Afet's head and place it on her lap as Maya cautiously channeled her energy into the women. Birdie flickered her hand and the throw off the couch floated through the air and appeared over the fey's body. Nora thanked her and covered Afet's body. After a few minutes, when Afet's eyes started to move, Heyder looked at his wife.

I think that's enough, He said. Let's save the rest after we know more about who she is and what she wants.

Not a bad idea, Maya said, slowly cutting off her feed.

I never have bad ideas.

Getting arrested by pixies, Ali reminded him.

That was a brilliant plan!

Waxing the court floor and laughing at the elders slipping and sliding.

Another great idea, Heyder turned towards his friends. Aren't you happy they don't come to court anymore?

"Afet..." Nora's small voice stopped all conversation around the room.

Heyder and Ali took up their stance once more as the fey filled her lungs with a deep breath and opened her eyes.

"Nora...." Afet peered up at the crying girl. "Wh- what happened?"

"Maya healed you," Nora said, helping the woman sit up.

"Wh-what?" Afet asked, nervously. "How is that.....how is that possible?"

As the fey's weary eyes turned towards the witch, Maya slowly held up her hand, showing off the sparks that flew through her finger.

"That can be...." Afet said in disbelief. Her frail body slumped towards Nora for support as she tried to process the energy running through her veins. "How is that possible?"

"I played around with fey magic when I was younger," Maya confessed. "The spell book was bound with a fey spirit. When I opened the book...."

"The spirit inhabited your body," Afet finished.

"Yes...." Maya nodded. "I'm a witch by birth."

"Your fey..." Afet held up her hand as if she could see the energy coursing through her blood. "The spirit you carry...."

Birdie looked at her mother and then at Nora. Hayden, Heyder, and Ali all hovered behind them, their ears sharp and on alert.

"You're high blood," Afet lowered her hand and looked at Maya.

"Wh-what does that mean?" Maya asked.

Afet's eyes flickered towards Birdie, "Is she your daughter?"

"Yes," Maya said, taking Birdie's hand.

"And you had her with the spirit?"

No, with me, Heyder said.

"Her father is a jinn..." Maya pulled Birdie closer. "But yes, I had both my children after the spirit was inside of me."

"Both...." Afet looked around at the three jinn.

"Hayden?" Maya reached for her son.

Nora's eyes lifted along with Afet's as Hayden switched back to his human form. He slowly lowered himself on one knee beside his mother.

Curious and intrigued, Afet held up a hand. With great bravery, she leaned forward slightly as Hayden held up his hand too. Nora and Maya watched as the blue glow from each hand pulled at the other.

"You're fey too," Afet said, looking up at Hayden. "But you carry jinn magic, I can feel it lingering."

"Yes," Hayden said, lowering his hand.

"You're the one who marked Nora," Afet looked at Nora and then at Hayden once more.

"Yes," Nora nodded.

"How...how is any of this possible?" Afet shook her head.

No one knew what to say as the fey sat on the floor with Nora's arms around her. She stared at her hands, as if not believing she was truly alive. Her eyes flickered up towards Hayden and Maya several times before she turned her attention to Birdie.

"May I?" Afet held up her hand.

Heyder immediately took a step forward and appeared beside his daughter. He kneeled beside her just as Hayden did and was ready to strike if the fey dared do anything to his Birdie.

"It's okay, baba," Birdie assured him as she scooted forward.

She held up her hand and let Afet approach her slowly. The fey's eyes danced over Birdie's silver hair and eyes as she slowly leaned forward. Immediately, as their hands neared each other, angry currents started to appear as they were the same ends of two magnets, ready to repel each other.

"This is incredible," Afet whispered. "You're a jinn....but you look like a fey."

Birdie slowly nodded her head.

"I've never seen anything like this," Afet shook her head and pulled her hand back. "Jinn and fey children do not survive."

"But here we are," Hayden said.

"How is this possible..." Afet's eyes were bewildered.

"We do not know," Maya said. "We were told none of our children would survive. But they both are here against all odds."

"There's so much..." Afet shook her head. "So much the high bloods did not tell us."

A shudder ran through the fey's body. Nora's hands tightened around her, making sure she did not fall over.

"You're still not fully healed," Maya said, helping to hold Afet up. "I would like for you to stay and rest for a few before you head back."

"Maya," Heyder, who had returned to his human form, said his wife's name with disapproval.

"Please," Afet said quietly. "I mean no harm....you saved my life."

Maya nudged her husband to stand back.

"And if Nora trusts you then I do too," Afet reached for Nora's hand.

"But we don't trust you," Heyder said.

"Then we will leave."

"No!" Birdie spoke up. "Please....don't go....I have so many questions."

"You're staying," Maya said. "Birdie will show you to your rooms upstairs. Please, my daughter has never met a fey. I've never met a fey. I'm sure there is plenty we can learn from each other."

Afet's eyes flickered to Ali and Heyder.

"They won't do anything," Maya promised. "You have my word. You're a guest in our home and we do not attack our guests.....right, Heyder?"

"Damn it," the jinn jumped to his feet. "Why did you have to go and declare her a guest?"

"You're safe here," Maya ignored her husband and assured the fey.

"Nora?" Afet turned towards the girl.

"I trust them," Nora said. "Even Mr. Heyder."   

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