Yes, I'm in love with a dead guy. Life sucks.
Chapter 5
I woke up and yawned, blinking away the last remnants of sleep. When I glanced at the alarm clock, I wanted nothing more than to role back over and fade into the warm seduction of slumber. School started in an hour and fifteen minutes. In order to get there on time, I'd have to leave in fifty. Thank God that it was the last day before winter vacation.
My thoughts drifted away as I busied myself, tidying up my room and picking out potential outfits to wear. It had been a week since I first met Theo. He'd become a regular in my life in a disturbed sort of way. At the moment, I supposed that he was wandering the darkness, searching for answers of his past. He often did that when I slept.
I shook the thoughts away and looked around my now clean room. It was spacious with a large oak computer desk, long dresser, and queen sized bed. In my quick scan, I noticed that one of the corners of the white, down comforter was untucked. My nose wrinkled in distaste and I quickly moved to correct the matter.
When finished, I strode over to the three potential outfits I had selected for school. It didn't take long for me to decide on a pair of suede boots, jeans, and a thick cashmere sweater. It was too cold outside for anything lighter and the weatherman predicted it would snow sometime later today. Perhaps we'd have a white Christmas after all.
I smiled to myself and left the room after running a brush through my hair. When I went into the cream colored kitchen, I immediately began on breakfast. Two pieces of toast slathered in grape jelly and a bowl of granola with milk were set out on the table waiting for me by the time Theo decided to make him appearance.
"My god! What happened to you?" Theo looked as if a steam roller had plowed over him.
"I ran into a bit of trouble. It's nothing for you to worry yourself over." I scowled and sat down at the table in a huff. Damn him and all his enigmas. He was constantly shutting me out of the crucial parts of his death. How was I supposed to help him if he refused to tell me what was going on?
Giving him the cold shoulder, I turned back to my breakfast and screamed. There, sitting on the edge of my cereal bowl, was a miniature, winged and darkly dressed person, swinging her feet in my milk.
She giggled once and flicked white hair over a tiny shoulder before kicking a piece of granola away from her foot. "Sorry I'm so late."
This was just great. She was acting as though it was normal to appear in a person's breakfast and greet them as an old friend. I shook my head twice in response, trying to discern if I'd completely lost it this time. There was a freaking pixie in my breakfast.
"What the hell are you, the death fairy?" I supposed that by now, her appearance shouldn't have surprised me. Oh well.
I let out a long, suffering sigh as she giggled again and stretched her gossamer wings. "You're pretty close actually. I'm going to be your assistant from now on."
Ri-ight. "If you get glitter in my cereal, I'm going to be pissed." Who ever said you needed a hallucinogen to hallucinate? Bah humbug, I say.
"So who sent you, oh wise and wonderful assistant?" I oozed sarcasm from every pore. When Theo walked around the table, I saw him glaring vehemently at my new and unwanted guest.
The cheeky grin disappeared momentarily off her face. Though, when I blinked, the death fairy was back to being abnormally cheery. "That's classified information, Lady." Of course that'd be classified information. I rolled my eyes and let the question slip, for now.
"Uh-huh," I took a bite of toast and chewed thoughtfully, "then do you have a name?"
"It's Faye."
I made a noise in the back of my throat and continued in awkward stride, "Well, Faye," I put emphasis on her freakish pixie name, "would you mind telling me why exactly I need an assistant?"
Faye's head bobbed and she flitted her wings, spiraling upwards until she was eyelevel with me. She scratched guiltily behind a pointed, delicate ear and looked at me sheepishly. "As I said earlier, I'm sorry for being late. I was supposed to get here a week ago when your ability first budded, but I was…detained."
"My ability?" I already knew what she was talking about and was just fishing for answers.
"Yes, you are able to see and communicate with the dead." I honestly don't think I could have given any creature a dryer look than the one I was giving Faye at the moment. Though, in retrospect, I was the one who asked.
Seeing my look, she continued, "You were not just given this ability freely, Miss. You are to use it to help Earth-bound spirits move into the afterlife. Also," she hesitated and nibbled on her bottom lip in worry, "there will demons, creatures that even heaven frowns upon, and possibly a war. You will need my help and guidance with all of this."
I momentarily disregarded the fact that Faye was telling me that the creepy-crawlies from under my bed were real and asked, "What do you mean there will possibly be a war?"
She looked worried again and rung her tiny hands. "I shouldn't really be telling you this, not yet but—"
"Then don't." It was Theo who spoke, his voice a low and menacing growl. It shocked me to hear him so fearsome and I couldn't help but wonder why he was so adamant about my lack of knowledge.
Faye tittered nervously and flew into my hair. "Y-yes, of course, milord."
I shot a mean look at Theo. The poor fairy was quivering from where she clung at the hairs at the base of my nape. Although she may have popped in unannounced and unwanted, the pitiful creature was only as tall as my shortest finger and obviously scared very easily.
Reaching for her gently, I pulled Faye away from my neck and sat her onto my shoulder. "There, there," I tried to sound as soothing as possible and had the inkling that I probably sounded ridiculous, "It's alright. See? I'll protect from the big ass that's sitting over there."
I rose slowly from my seat, letting the fairy brace herself as I moved, and dumped my now soggy granola into the sink. So much for my breakfast.
Shrugging thoughts of my ruined food away, I trudged out of the kitchen, sniffing indignantly at Theo as I walked by.
Theo was going to be getting the cold shoulder for the next few days at the rate he was going, asking for my help, then disappearing from the darkness later only to shut me out and pick on things smaller than him. I'd always sort of fancied myself as a defender of the weak.
"Lady," my newest friend paused from my shoulder, "are you sure it's alright to talk to him like that?"
"Who are you talking about?" I asked and added absentmindedly, "And call me Cat. Everyone who knows me informally does."
"Milord, Lady Cat."
"You mean Theo?" I let the Lady bit slide. "Why wouldn't I be able to address him the way I did?"
Faye shook her head anxiously and glanced around as if something was out to get her. "No reason, L—"
"Cat." I interrupted and demanded firmly. "Just Cat."
But then it dawned on me and I stopped walking, turning my head to look Faye straight in the eye. It was the first time that I'd come to realize that my new assistant knew something about Theo, something very important. That must be why she was acting so uneasy.
I turned back away and continued out the front door, grabbing my school books, and gliding towards my old bomber. It also occurred to me that she probably wouldn't talk with Theo within hearing distance.
Climbing into the driver's seat, I slid the key into the admission and revved the engine before tearing out of my driveway. "So how do you know Theo?" I threw the question out casually, hoping to coax some answers from her.
"Well, Milord he…" she was glancing around nervously again and lowered her voice. "He is not exactly an Earth-bound spirit."
"Ah," I said it as though I knew exactly what she was talking about even though I hadn't a clue.
Faye seemed to feel more at liberty to speak now that it was just the two of us. "You will have noticed that you can touch him?" she queried, rushing.
I nodded, keeping my eyes on the road. I had thought that to be strange. "Yes."
"Well, that is impossible of mortal souls even with your incredible ability. Your Theo, Milord, is not human nor was he ever once one."
I wasn't sure if I was in denial or if the information hadn't really fazed me, but I spoke slowly, contemplating. "Then, what exactly is he?" I waited as my question hung heavy in the air. My tongue felt thick in my mouth and my stomach on edge.
She said it simply, as if it were an everyday fact. "He is a demon."
Quick Note: Sorry it took so long to get out. I've been suffering migraines for the past week and couldn't bring myself to write. Well, anyway, on to the good stuff. Theo's a DEMON! Ha! Bet you weren't expecting that! Okay, yeah, I'm done being childish, lol. This chapter could have gone on and on, but I felt that it was a good place to stop. I just hope you guys aren't upset and turned off by the fact that there's a major hitch in the relationship. Ah, well, all in good time. Patients, my dear readers!
Chapter dedications: HawkDancer, Nestle, Foreverswimming, Rose Jameson, Midsummer Circle, Annihilate.My.Mind, Y12bue12, Queen Anabella, the ghost of christmas goth, and Wyvernwings--You guys make this story worth writing!