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“No, lass, listen closely. A selkie!”
I blinked a few times and nodded my head. I’ll have to ask Morel about that later.
“The point being, we’ve always been surrounded by a little bit of mystery and legend. Your mother, bless her soul, had a wandering spirit. She couldn’t be held down to Scotland. Something in her soul pulled her over the waters and she followed her heart.”
Woah. This was not the tale I thought I would hear but now I was invested.
“I suspected it was the distance from her origins, Scotland, that made her sick but I didn’t put too much thought into it. Because truly it couldn’t be that simple.”
“She died of cancer,” I said matter-of-fact. I had time to grieve for her. It didn’t hurt as much to talk about it anymore.
Aunty Ainsley gave me a doubtful look over her teacup. “That’s what the doctors say, yes.”
She left the conversation at that and I was dumbfounded. What were the odds that my mother’s sickness was because she left Scotland, and it was her death as well as my father’s that led me back?
“I can sense some things, even in my old age, Fen. The man that has captured your heart is not one I would have expected but didn’t come to me as a surprise.”
My eyes widened in shock and I sat back, unsure of how much I should let her in on. Unsure if letting her know would put her in danger. I know Morel would never harm me, but would he harm her?
“Dinnae worry about me. I’ve lived my whole life here in Inverness. I’ve loved and lost and that is more than I could ask for when some folks never love at all.” She leaned in, placed her cup on the table and patted my hand. “Take it from an old woman who wished she could go back and change some things. Live your life, Fen. Don’t let doubts hold you back. Even if it doesn’t work out, at least ya know ya took the chance. And love…Love is always worth the risk.”
My eyes burned from tears and my face felt hot. She left the table before I could, giving me the privacy I needed to reel in my emotions.
She was right. What did I have to lose? The cabin was taken care of by Uncle Jerome back in the states and here? Here I had no attachments if what I’m interpreting from my aunt was correct. She was giving me permission to go. She didn’t have to know who to or where. She trusted my judgment and wanted me to fly free, to find my happiness.
After cleaning up the teapot and cups, I went to my bedroom and looked around. The old shabby chic decor was comforting, reminding me of my aunt in every way. The soft peach walls were serene as I stood there and stared at the window, watching the birds fly in the sky, reflecting over everything that had happened in my life up until now.
Did I believe in fate and kismet meetings? Perhaps. It was a nice hopeless romantic dream. I wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t, but one thing Iwassure of was my growing attachment to Morel, the bone faerie.
It was more than an obsession. He took over my every happy thought and gave me a renewed sense of excitement and anticipation for the days that came. The past held nothing for me but sadness and loss. The future—with Morel—held mysterious and intrigue.
Aunty Ainsley was right. I was going to take life by the horns and choose a path. I came to Scotland to make new memories and found so much more.
I went to my small table in the corner of the room and searched for stationary to write on.
I drafted a nice note that would give my Aunt closure upon my disappearance and folded it neatly, placing it in the middle of the table with her name facing up.
I would spend the rest of the day with her, sharing joy and laughter so that we would always have something to look back on in remembrance. Just like the trip here, I didn’t know if I was going to come back from where I was going.
I took in a deep breath and let out a relieved sigh. It felt good making a solid decision with no regrets or worries.
I turned and walked out my room, calling for my Auntie to take us into town in her little death trap one last time for a nice dinner at a restaurant.
Morel
All my greedydecisions led me to these tortuous moments. With each taste I stole, my hunger for her only grew and burned.
Each second felt like hours as I sat in this cave, scratching my skin until I bled just to feel something. But none of it could ever compare to the way she caressed me or sighed my name in pleasure.
I roared and slammed my fist into the wall, in denial that she only had one more night of payment before she could decide to leave me forever. After all, that was what our initial bargain entailed.
I could demand her submission and force her to stay with me but I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. I couldn’t bear to face her looking at me with distrust or disgust. I craved her laughter, her smiles…her joy like an addiction.
The sun chose this very day to take its time to disappear beyond the horizon. I needed time to go faster and I needed time to stand still once I had her in my arms again.
Unexpectedly, I heard her call for me through the realms. Just a whisper but clear as a sharpened blade ready to cut down its enemies.
Like the pathetic creature I was, I answered only to find myself tricked by the wisps that laughed and taunted me in the woods beyond my cave dwelling. I roared and shot out my hand, swiping the culprit down, squeezing her in my fist until blood spurt forth.
