Chapter 27

"Where are we?" Cara gripped Hayden's hand in the dark as their heavy breathing filled the room.

"Hayden...." Nora looked around. "Did you...."

"What is this place?" Birdie shivered, feeling an odd chill run up her spin.

"What the hell, Hayden?" Nora hissed, flipping on the light. "You brought them to the island?"

"It's the safest place for all of us right now," Hayden held out his hand.

"Are you kidding me?" Nora began to sweat, her eyes running to make sure the door was locked.

"If we are anywhere else, Maaz will sense us," Hayden said.

"Well, now Afet and the rest of the feys will sense us," Nora sat Noor down on the bed and began to pace the floor.

"We should go back," Birdie looked around with unease. "Mom and baba might need help."

"No!" Cara shook her head. "Are you crazy? Going back would be putting them more at risk. We're barely trained. If we go there they will have to worry about keeping us safe."

"Wow, you're really smart," Nora stared at the demigoddess.

"Zeus blessed me with wisdom," Cara shrugged.

"Nora, is there any place on this island where we can stay for a little while without tipping off Afet or anyone else?" Hayden asked, walking to the window and peeking down to check the guards at the door.

"I... I don't know this place," Nora shook her head. "I can't think of anythi-"

"What is it?" Birdie looked up from where she had taken a seat beside Noor.

"There's a cottage," Nora's heart began to pound. "It belonged to my parents."

"Where is it?" Hayden asked.

"Outside of town," Nora said. "I've been there only once. I can portal us."

"Everyone, gather around," Hayden reached for Noor as the little boy jumped into his arms.

"Hayden," Birdie jumped to her feet and followed her brother. "Do you sense it?"

"Sense what?" Hayden asked, making sure Cara and Noor were together as Nora spun the ring on her finger.

"You don't feel the chill?" Birdie rubbed her hands over her arms.

"You are in the mouth of the beast," Cara looked over her shoulder. "There are more fey here than jinn."

"This is just temporary," Hayden put his arm around his sister and pulled her closer. "I won't let anything happen to you, Bird."

"I don't like it here," Birdie's eyes began to water. "I want to go back."

"We can't!" Cara grabbed her cousin's hand. "Snap out of it, Birdie."

"Birdie, I promise we will go back as soon as they send word that it is safe for us to return," Hayden said, feeling Noor's arms tighten around his neck.

"I think I got it," Nora said, staring at the portal she had just opened. "Maybe I should go in first to make sure it's the right place?"

"No," Hayden shook his head. "We go together."

Birdie, come here," Cara pulled her cousin closer as Hayden took Nora's hand.

Together, they all walked through the hovering portal, stepping out from the warm room and into the icy rain.

"It's just a head," Nora said, pointing to the dark structure up the road.

"You couldn't have opened the portal a little closer?" Cara lifted her feet from the mud.

"This was the farthest I had come," Nora apologized.

"Let's go, let's go," Hayden began to push the girls towards the cottage.

He handed Noor over to Nora as he turned and walked backwards to make sure no one was following them. Their feet tracked through the mud, picking up the soil and rain as they landed on the steps of the cottage.

"It's locked!" Nora groaned.

But no sooner had she said the words, Birdie held out her hand and blasted the metal off the door.

"Be careful with that," Hayden said, ushering everyone inside. "Using too much magic might tip them off."

"We shouldn't light a fire either," Cara said. "Someone from town might see light and get suspicious."

"I can't see anything," Nora complained.

"Here, I got you," Hayden stepped inside and held up his hand, making the palm glow.

"Curtains," Birdie pointed to the windows.

"Maybe they have blankets!" Cara began to look around. "Birdie, pull the curtains. Everyone help me find something to cover the windows with."

Hayden held up his hand and snapped his fingers. Noor watched in amazement as the large bookshelf from the living room and the china cabinet from the kitchen flew through the house to block off the two front facing windows of the cottage.

"Or Hayden can do that..." Cara muttered. "Alright, great!"

"How old is this palace?" Birdie snapped her fingers and the candles on the table lit up.

At the first light illuminating the place, Nora felt her breath catch in her throat. A sharp pain radiated throughout her body as she looked around at the dust covered furniture, books, and photo frames. She wanted to remember the place or feel some kind of a connection to what was in front of her.

But as she stood there staring at the abandoned home, Nora felt nothing. She was standing in a stranger's home. She knew nothing about how the carpets were chosen or how the hallways creaked.

Setting Noor down on his feet, Nora slowly walked over to the end table by the sofa. She picked up the framed photo of a young couple standing in front of the cottage in the bloom of spring. The woman's dark hair blew in the wind along with her dress as she held the straw hat on her head with a bright smile on her face. The man beside her kneeled by the flower beds, staring up at her with a look of amazement of his own. His hands were on the flowers, but his heart and soul were only paying attention to the women in front of him.

Nora felt her eyes water as she tried to wipe off the coat of dust on the frame. Her wet hands only made the glass dirtier, obstructing her view of the happy couple.

"Here, let me," Hayden said, quietly walking up to her and picking up a rag off the floor.

Nora let him take the frame from her and wipe it off. She cleared her throat and looked around to see if she could find anything else.

"These are your parents," Hayden said, looking at the photo.

Nora nodded, biting her lip.

"You look like your dad," Hayden smiled.

"His name was August," Nora spoke, surprised by how low her voice came out.

"I remember," Hayden looked back at the photo, the smile still on his lips. "And your mother is Wendlyn."

"Yes," Nora nodded.

"They look so happy."

"I hope they were happy," Nora wiped her eyes.

"I'm sure they were," Hayden placed the photo back and took Nora's hand. "Let's clean this place up, yeah?"

"What? Now?" Nora looked around. "We don't' have ti-"

"Shhhh," Hayden pulled her closer as a faint glow began to appear all over the room.

Noor walked over to Birdie and climbed onto her lap as the green light swiped through the cottage from the inside. Cara quickly jumped over to the freshly cleaned side and pulled off her muddy shoes. She threw them over to the other side and watched Hayden's spell clean them off.

"This place is beautiful," Birdie looked around as the wood began to shine, the flowers came alive, and the fallen books on the floor found their way to the shelves.

Nora's eyes flickered up to Hayden, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Hayden tucked back her loose hair, holding her close to his chest.

"Your parents must have left in a hurry," Cara walked towards the kitchen and looked around at the abandoned dishes and half cut veggies. Something dinged in the oven, making everyone in the room jump.

"Dinner is ready," Cara reached for the oven pits.

"What did you do?" Nora looked up at Hayden curiously.

"Our grandfather was a time travler," Birdie said. "We get some of his abilities. Like very little."

"Just enough to reverse back the age of this cottage a bit," Hayden smiled.

"This is how the cottage looked the last time there was anyone in here," Birdie said, looking around once more. "Oh, that's not good."

"What?" Nora frowned. "What is it?"

"Blood," Birdie pointed to the door mat.

Nora stepped around Hayden and rushed forward. The dim glow of the candles around the cottage provided just enough light for her to make out the blood droplets on the floor leading outside.

"Can you rewind time a bit more?" Nora looked at Hayden over her shoulder.

"Sorry, love," Hayden frowned. "If I do, then I will be trying to bring back the dead. This is the farthest the spell will allow without detecting life."

Nora looked back at the blood on the door mat. Her stomach churned, making her feel queasy and faint.

"Hayden," Birdie looked at her brother. "Any word from mom or baba?"

"Nothing yet," Hayden shook his head.

"Nora, your mom made soup," Cara called from the kitchen, lifting the lid on the pots and checking the oven. "And fresh bread."

"I...I'm not hungry," Nora took a small step back from the door mat. "Maybe Noor..."

"Are you sure?" Cara stared from the kitchen island. "If I never met my mother, I would want to taste her food if I was ever given the opportunity."

"Maybe in a bit," Hayden said. "Birdie, why don't you eat something. And see if Noor wants something too."

Filled with worry for her parents, Birdie nodded and stood up. She placed Noor on her hips and headed for the kitchen where Cara began to dish out bowls of soup and bread.

"Come here," Hayden walked towards Nora and took her hand. "What's wrong?"

"I don't feel anything," Nora confessed, her chest tightening and her heart shivering.

"That's understandable," Hayden said gently. "This is a home you've never known."

"But I should feel something, no?" Nora looked around. "Some kind of connection. This...this just feels like I'm in a stranger's home."

"I hate to break it to you, shona. But you are," Hayden frowned.

"I don't know," Nora shook her head. "I just....I thought I would feel something."

"Don't let that discourage you," Hayden kissed the top of her head. "Take your time and look around."

Nodding and taking in a deep breath, Nora held up her head and cleared her throat. Together they turned towards the kitchen and walked forward hand in hand.

"So what do we do if Afet or anyone finds out we are here?" Cara asked.

"Afet won't hurt us," Hayden shook his head. "She needs us."

"What about the rest of them?" Birdie asked, handing Noor a slice of bread.

"They will listen to Afet if she tells them to stay away," Nora said.

"Are you sure?" Birdie asked.

"Birdie is right," Cara frowned. "My grandpa says hate is a very powerful thing. It can make a man disobey even his most beloved leader."

"I don't know how they will react," Nora ran a hand through her hair.

"Well, we need to know before Hayden and Maya go in," Cara said. "There's so many things we have to think about. Assassination attempts, rouge guards, walking into a trap. Even if Afet promises us safety and protection, how can we be sure her second in command won't stab us in the back along with her?"

"Cara," Hayden said calmly. "There is a child at the table."

"Hayden, please," Cara rolled her eyes. "He's not an average child. He's probably seen more deaths then Birdie."

Noor turned towards Birdie as he bit off a piece of bread. She leaned forward and pushed back his dark locks to admire his green eyes.

"I say we go nowhere until our parents send word," Cara looked at Hayden. "We don't leave the cottage and we barricade it with protection spells."

"That will raise suspicion," Hayden rubbed his forehead. "This cottage has been empty for years."

"What about the palace? Is that an option?" Cara asked. "I'm sure Uncle Maksim already knows what's going on."

"We can't risk Maaz shifting his attention to the palace," Hayden shook his head.

"Hayden is right," Birdie frowned. "As much as this island gives me the creeps, the boundary around it is throwing Maaz off our trail."

Cara nodded slowly.

"Nora," Hayden looked to the girl who stood beside him silently. "I think you should return to your room with Noor."

"No," Nora shook her head immediately. "I'm not leaving you all here."

"No offense, but you can't really help us," Cara said quietly. "You don't have magic that you can use at will or combat training. You'll be a liability for Hayden if you are here."

Nora felt her heart pinch with pain as she stared at the girl's truthful gray eyes. She resembled her mother so much in that moment that it shocked Nora to realize it was Clare who had spoken the words to her.

"Cara, please," Hayden's jaw tensed. "Nora is not a liability."

The girl did not reply. She went back to picking through her soup and fishing out all the pieces of chicken and dumping them into Birdie's bowl.

"You need to go back," Hayden turned back to look at Nora. "In case Afet is there or anyone else. I'm sure they will be looking for Noor soon."

"What are you going to tell them when they ask how he was healed?" Cara asked, frowning at the look Hayden threw her. "What? You gotta plan for these sorts of things! I'm asking important questions."

"I don't know," Nora shook her head. "Noor was so ill when I took him out of the infirmary."

"And now he's returning as the picture of health," Cara smiled at the little boy. "That's gonna raise a lot of questions."

"Maybe you shouldn't go then..." Birdie looked up at Nora. "I think you should stay."

"And what's going to happen when Afet is looking for her?" Hayden asked.

"I don't know!" Birdie clicked her tongue with irritation.

"I want to stay."

Everyone turned as Noor's little voice filled the room.

"Awww, my baby," Birdie picked him up and placed him on her lap.

"Nora, I want to stay here," Noor said, looking at Nora from Birdie's lap. "I don't want to go back."

Nora's chest tightened as she stared at the little boy. His eyes were once again filled with anxiety. He looked at her through his lashes, begging her to listen to him.

"We'll stay," Nora nodded.

"Nora, I d-" Hayden tried to reason with her but Nora wouldn't have it.

"No," she shook her head. "I'm staying here. With you. I thought we agreed we wouldn't leave each other anymore."

"We're not le-"

Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door.

Everyone froze. Their eyes and ears were alert as they looked around at each other.

"Nora?" Came Afet's voice. "It's me....please open the door."

Cara shook her head.

"Nora, I know you are in there with them," Afet said. "Please, let me in."

What do we do? Nora opened her link to Hayden.

Hold on.

"Nora, please," Afet begged. "Open the door."

Birdie looked at her brother, Hayden?

"I'm coming in, Nora," Afet said, taking in a deep breath. "I mean no harm, my dear. You know that, don't you?"

Nora looked at Hayden as the door knob began to turn.

"And this is why you shouldn't blast off the locks on doors, Birdie," Cara hissed.

"I'm sorry, but was there enough time to pick the lock?" Birdie glared back.

"She's a fey," Hayden said calmly, stepping in front of Nora. "She could have blasted it off herself if it was locked."

"Nora," Afet gasped, stepping into the house with a gust of rain and wind.

Her hood fell off her head as the lander she carried swung back and forth from the sea storm outside. She stood on the bloodstained door mat, dripping mud as she stared at the crowd inside the cottage.

"Afet..." Nora tried to rush for an explanation.

"My goodness," Afet paled. "Why didn't you tell me they were here?"

Nora closed her mouth and swallowed the tightness. She watched Afet close the door and walk in, taking off the cloak and her muddy boots.

"I haven't spoken to the people in town about Hayden yet," Afet said, rubbing her hand on her dress. "It isn't safe for you all to be out here. You should have at least let me know so I could have send help if any of the elders got wind of you here."

"We.....just arrived," Nora said. "A few minutes ago."

"Is that Noor?" Afet looked around Hayden's broad shoulders at the small child on Birdie's lap. "My goodness.... What....what happened to him?"

No one said a word.

Afet looked around at the silent faces as she waited for an answer.

"Was he...." she looked at Hayden. "Did you...."

Hayden slowly nodded his head.

"So it worked," tears rushed to Afet's eyes as her gaze shifted back to Noor. The candlelight shimmered in her tears as the tips of her cheeks warmed and her face gained some color.

"Not really..." Nora hated to be the one to shoot down the hope in the fey's eyes.

"What do you mean?" Afet's voice cracked.

"There are some complications," Hayden said. "I'm not sure if i will be able to heal all the children."

"What is it?" Afet's face fell and her face paled once more. "Please, you are our last hope."

"Afet," Nora stepped around Hayden. "What do you know about the jinn who were kept as slaves by the high bloods?"

"I..." Afet looked confused by the question. "Not much...that was all before our time. Even before the elders on the island."

Then maybe they don't know about the feeding, Nora stared at Afet as she spoke to Hayden.

And we sure as hell shouldn't tell them, Cara chimed in, connecting to her cousin's link.

"Why are you asking about the high bloods?" Afet wondered.

"We want to make sure no harm will be done to Hayden or to my mother," Birdie spoke for the first time since Afet had entered the room. "I can sense the fey magic on the island...it's not pleasant."

"I swear to you nothing will happen to your brother or to your mother under my watch," Afet stepped forward. "My priority has always been to save the children. I do not care for whatever history our people have shared. I do not want to go down the same path. I want to build a new path. A new world where we all can exist together."

"But that doesn't change the fact that we are natural enemies," Birdie frowned.

"I would like to think we are not mindless animals," Afet said. "We are beings of emotions and compassion. We love and we protect. Just because we are pit against one another by nature doesn't mean we have to give into the hate and prejudice."

"Look at you right now," Afet smiled, her eyes moving to Noor. "You're a jinn...holding and feeding a fey child."

Birdie slowly looked down at the boy in her arms.

"Don't you all see how we can end the divide between our people? You're already doing it," Afet pleaded. "Please help us."

"We want to," Hayden said. "We never said we didn't want to. But there are drawbacks for us."

"What is it?" Afet asked.

"Hayden is half jinn," Nora spoke up. "When he's healing....."

Nora, don't say anything, Cara grind her teeth.

"What if the children get some of the jinn magic?" Nora finished. "That can be harmful to the children. That's what we are afraid of. How do we ensure they do not get any jinn magic from Hayden? Because again, it is very important to us that the children are safe."

"Will jinn magic harm the children?" Afet looked at Hayden.

"Yes," Hayden nodded. "When I healed Noor, by accident a bit of my jinn magic slipped and it was not good."

Birdie and Cara sat quietly biting their tongue as Nora and Hayden lied through their teeth.

"I...I never heard of jinn magic harming feys," Afet shook her head, her eyes confused.

"You said so yourself," Birdie jumped in. "There was so much the high bloods did not tell you all."

Afet looked up at the silver haired girl.

"What if this was something they didn't want you to know either?" Birdie asked.

"It makes sense," Cara said. "They kept jinns as slaves. If the jinns found out their magic could harm the fey, they would rebel."

"So what do we do?" Afet asked. "How did you heal Noor?"

"In parts," Hayden said. "I can heal the children bit by bit. I can't not heal them at one go or my jinn magic will mix in with my fey magic."

"Is that....is that how you healed Noor?" Afet asked.

"Yes," Hayden nodded.

"Are you sure it will work?"

"Yes," Hayden confirmed. "But we also have one more condition before we agree to start."

"What is it?" Afet asked.

Nora and Birdie looked at Hayden as they wondered what he was up to.

"Keep the shield around the island," Hayden began. "But allow access to medical aid from the palace."

"Outsiders?" Afet looked uncomfortable.

"Yes," Hayden said. "Your people need help and resources. I can not get to every child at once. Let the doctors do as much as they can before I can help."

Hayden, what are you doing? Birdie asked.

We need our people on the ground, Hayden said.

We're outnumbered here, Cara added. I'm with Hayden. Bring in reinforcement from the palace. Just in case we need them.

"The elders," Afet's hand shook slightly as she rubbed her forehead. "It's going to be difficult to convince them to welcome you to the island. But I don't know how they will react to outsiders."

"Afet, we can't do this alone," Nora pushed. "You already know how much we need the resources and support. The nurses and doctors are overwhelmed."

"I know, I know," Afet nodded, hugging herself. "Udara...she wouldn't allow this."

"You're not Udara," Nora reminded her. "You want change. And that is not going to come by following old rules."

The fey slowly nodded her head, "I...I know....but it's going to be difficult."

"But not impossible," Hayden said. "You are their leader. Stand your ground."

Afet's eyes filled with stress and worry. Her hand trembled as she slowly took a seat at the table.

"I have to do this," she said, more to herself than anyone else in the room. "I have to do this for our people."

Noor, who had been as quiet as a mouse on Birdie's lap, began to reach for Nora. His hands were cold and his eyes were weary as he gripped her hand and held her close.

"We don't have much time," Hayden said. "You need to talk to your people now. Tell them this is how it will be under your reign."

"They won't like that," Afet shook her head.

"Then they can leave," Cara said. "They can either accept the help you are giving them or they can leave the island and look for help themselves."

Afet slowly looked up at the dark haired girl standing behind the counter. Her gray eyes were hard and wise beyond her years. They looked like a still sky right before thunder cracked through it.

"I don't think we have met yet," Afet said.

"I'm Cara, daughter of Ares and Clare."

"Ares..." Afet tilted her head slowly. "You're an Olympian."

"Yes," Cara nodded.

"I've never met an Olympian before."

"I have never met a fey before."

"Afet," Nora called the woman's attention back. "The elders."

"Right," Afet nodded. "I....I will speak to them. If this is our only way then they have to bend."

Hayden slowly nodded.

"Until then," Afet looked up. "I suggest you put up boundary spells and stay in the cottage. I will send you some guards to patrol the perimeter."

"No need," Hayden shook his head.

"Please," Afet said. "If the people don't see palace guards and just the boundary spell, they will get spooked."

"We can take care of ourselves," Birdie said.

"I don't doubt that," Afet nodded. "But we have to assure the people you are here to help."

Nora looked at Hayden. She watched as he slowly nodded his head and agreed to palace guards around the cottage.

"I will speak to my people at first light of dawn," Afet rose to her feet.

"And I'll tell King Maksim to ready his men," Hayden said.  

Will their plan work?