Ch.14 Illusion

Chapter 14

Jasmeen and Mina were giving Birdie the silent treatment.

When she had returned from Wren's room the day before, Mina was laid out on the bed with a heat pack on her forehead. Jasmeen rubbed oil onto the woman's scalp to calm her nerves as the fear of Wren's brass baton still had the woman rattling in her boots.

"As if things weren't bad enough," Jasmeen muttered while Birdie stood around, not knowing how to help. "Now we have to deal with this queen."

"Jasmeen, I'm sorry," Birdie stepped forward.

"Not," the jinn held up her finger. "another word from you."

And with that, the conversation ended.

At dinner, Mina and Jasmeen quietly sat by themselves in the warm balcony air and ate while Birdie played with her food inside. She had no desire to speak to them, but their silence still stung.

The next morning, before the sun even thought about rising, Jasmeen pulled Birdie out of bed. Not that it was hard. The girl barely slept.

"It's four in the morning," Birdie said, checking the clock on the wall. "Sunrise is at five."

"Are you going to the prince looking like death herself?" Jasmeen hissed, keeping her voice down and not disturbing the snoring Mina.

Birdie blinked at the girl with her wide silver eyes before giggling.

"What's so funny?" Jasmeen asked, dragging Birdie to the bathroom.

"Death does not look like me," Birdie said. "She only wears Prada or Valentino."

"What's that?"

"It's...." Birdie let out a breath and shook her head. "Nothing."

"Get in the tub."

"The water is cold."

"Aw my poor princess," Jasmeen pouted to mock Birdie as she shoved her into the tub and began to dump the soaps.

"It's freezing," Birdie shivered.

"Good," Jasmeen filled the small pail with water and poured it over Birdie's head. "Wash your hair. I'll get your clothes."

Handing Birdie the pail, Jasmeen rushed out of the bathroom. Birdie sat in the dark bathroom soaking in the tub with her knees drawn to her chest as she stared at Jasmeen moving around the room.

"Hurry up," Jasmeen poked her head in and hissed.

Carefully, making sure she didn't slip on the unholy amount of soap the jinn had dumped into the tub, Birdie walked over to the shower and rinsed out the soap in her hair. She wrapped a towel around herself and walked over to the vanity where Jasmeen snapped her finger for her to sit.

"Hurry, put this on," Jasmeen said, tossing Birdie a maroon dress with gold clips on the shoulders and a ribbon around her waist.

Birdie did as she was told. She avoided looking at the mirror as she dropped the towel and slipped into the dress. When Jasmeen instructed her to sit in front of the mirror, Birdie kept her gaze low. She did not wish to see her own reflection. Her eyes would be too big, her cheeks would be too hollow, her skin would be too pale. Her hair would be too unruly. Birdie simply did not need the reminder of her appearance.

"Look up," Jasmeen tilted Birdie's head back as she applied a shimmering dust to the inner corners of her eyes. " And now a little bit of this."

Birdie said nothing as the jinn rubbed blush onto her cheeks and applied a stain on her lips. She stared at her fingers and picked at her nails as Jasmeen set off to do her hair.

"Up or down?" The jinn asked.

"Up," Birdie said.

"Down it is," Jasmeen yanked a comb through the silver locks before braiding the front pieces and pulling them to the back. "There."

"The braids hurt," Birdie reached up and touched her hair.

"I don't care," Jasmeen began to push her out the door. "Sunrise is in twenty minutes. Get out of here."

Before Birdie could respond, the doors shut in her face. Only the echo remained to keep her company as she turned and looked down the empty hall. Birdie's eyes began to scan her surroundings as her heartbeat picked up. She slowly turned towards the stairs that she knew would lead her downstairs...away from Wren's chambers.

Don't do it, Birdie told herself. Mina and Jasmeen will have to pay.

Her feet stopped.

But then again, if you find a way out of here and get home, you can bring them help. So you're really not leaving them behind.

Birdie took another step forward. Her silent steps marched towards the staircase with great speed. The morning wind shook hands with the night air in her hair as she let it flow between her locks. She was almost to the steps when a voice stopped her.

"Going somewhere?'"

Growing very still and holding her breath, Birdie slowly turned to find Julian at the other end of the hall. His eyes narrowed and his mouth twitched.

"Prince Tamzin is this way," the man said, motioning to the stairs behind him.

"Right," Birdie nodded. "I just....I was lost."

"And now you're not," Julian waited for her.

With one last look over her shoulder at the service staircase, Birdie turned towards the guard and made her way to the other side of the hall. She distanced herself from Julian as she began to climb the stairs with him at her heels. The man did not say a word as he led her to the Prince's door and held it open.

"What am I supposed to do here?" Birdie asked.

"Prince Tamzin will let you know."

"You know his name is Wren, right?"

Julian's eyes narrowed and darkened. Birdie watched his nostrils flare before he grabbed her face and jerked her forward.

"You do not get to call him that name," the fey hissed. "He is the prince. You call him by his crown name."

Despite how her skin crawled and shivered from the fey's energy dominating her, Birdie placed her hands on the man's chest and shoved him with all her might. At First she feared Julian wasn't going to budge. His fingers tightened around her jaw, his nails digging in painfully. Birdy stepped back and collided with the door, her head banging against the metal frame, knocking the wind out of her. The fey's grip slipped and his hand dropped.

"Quiet," Julian hissed, raising his hand to strike.

Birdie flinched but didn't look away. Her eyes glared at the man before her as her hands turned the door knob, ready to get away. Julian stepped forward and pushed the door. Birdie held her breath as he put his hand on her back and pushed her into the room, shutting the door behind her.

The way the back of her head throbbed wasn't good. Birdie felt slightly dizzy as she stood still by the entrance and looked around the dark empty room. Wren's books were all over his table. A lamp was left turned on. The waterfall was still in the distance with no trace of daylight outside.

Birdie slowly made her way over to the sofa and sank down. With tender hands, she reached back to touch the back of her head, feeling something warm trickle down her back. When she pulled her finger back, her skin was stained red.

"Shit," Birdie muttered.

She began to look around the room for anything she could use to apply pressure to her wound. There was nothing beside books, furniture and odd brass figurines. Standing up, Birdie turned and made her way towards the bedroom, hoping to find something in the bathroom.

With one hand on the back of her head, Birdie slowly creeped inside the bed chamber. In the dim light, she could barely make out Wren in the bed. His face was buried in between pillows. The sheets were drawn to his lower back. His dark hair was messy and unruly just like Birdie's. She spotted his pointy ears. The sight of them still catching her off guard.

Careful as to not wake the fey, Birdie tiptoed into the bathroom. She slowly closed the door behind her and flipped the switch on the wall, filling the whole room with light. Unintentionally, Birdie's eyes fell on her own reflection in the grand mirror over the sink.

At first, Birdie hardly recognized herself. Her hair fell over her shoulders to her chest. The silver stood out against the dark maroon of the dress, making it look even brighter. Her shoulders were narrow and her skin was too pale, like always. Birdie looked away and shifted her gaze to the sink. She could see her awkward movements in the mirror from the corner of her eyes as she turned on the water and soaked a washcloth. Her fingers felt numb and her insides hollow as she let the cool water run over her hands. She could almost imagine she was standing under the Splendid falls. Her eyes closed and she tilted her head to one side.

Over the sound of the running water, Birdie did not hear the door open behind her. Wren stepped into the bathroom, knowing he would find the girl inside. He had felt her presence as soon as she had stepped into the room earlier. His sleepy eyes fell on her reflection in the mirror as she stood soaking her hands with her eyes closed.

Wren's eyes took a second to adjust to the bright light before they landed on her long silky hair that fell over her shoulder. Some of it stuck to the curve of her neck, making her pale skin and the silver locks look hazy...like a memory of a dream. The dark maroon of her dress was rich against her smooth pale skin. The two gold clips on her shoulder shimmer under the light like coins.

Suddenly, there was a loud gasp.

Wren's eyes snapped up to find Birdie staring at him in the mirror as he stood behind her. Their gaze locked as the shock on Birdie's face melted to irritation.

"What?" She asked, narrowing her eyes as she ignored his shirtless chest.

How was it possible for his skin to look that smooth and hard all at the same time?

"What do you mean what?" Wren wanted to laugh but he pushed it down and glared. "You're standing in my bathroom."

Dropping the cloth in the sink, Birdie turned to leave. The bathroom was suddenly too small. Water droplets from Birdie's fingers spilled all over the floor and clung to her dress as she muttered under her breath and Hurried to the door.

"What happened to your face?" Wren asked, noticing the red marks along her jawline.

For a minute, Wren thought he saw a flicker of sadness in the girl's silver eyes. But he was too sleepy and she was too stubborn. Whatever it was, it disappeared as quickly as lightning.

"Courtesy of your guard, Julian," Birdie plastered on a bright fake smile.

"A little too early to be getting in trouble, don't you think?" Wren arched his brow and placed his hand on Birdie's arm to stop her.

"A little too much for your guard to hit me for saying your name, don't you think?" Birdie tried to yank her arm back, but Wren wouldn't budge.

"You're bleeding again," the fey's eyes fell on the narrow trail of blood slowly making its way down Birdie's neck and onto her shoulder.

"Oh look at that, you're a genius," Birdie mocked, reaching back and touching the back of her head.

"Turn around."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Now."

"Make me."

Birdie regretted her words instantly as Wren flashed forward and jerked her around to face the mirror. She struggled to free herself from his grip as he summoned his magic and grounded her, making her grow stiff.

"Let go of me," Birdie grunted, rigging her elbow into Wren's ribs.

"How did you manage to crack your skull before sunrise?" The fey asked, parting her hair and looking at the wound.

"Let go of me, Tamzin!" Birdie tried to lean away.

"It's Wren," Wren said, pulling her back.

"Will you let go of me if I call you Wren?" Birdie looked over her shoulder at the fey who was examining her scalp.

"There's a 50% chance I might," Wren said, his eyes narrowing as he wiped the blood off with the washcloth.

"Wren..."

Wren still and looked down at Birdie. His hand stayed in her hair as he waited for her to speak.

Birdie, out of breath from struggling against the invisible force grounding her, peered into Wren's navy blue eyes. His warm hand held the back of her neck as his other hand held her arm. She could feel his bare chest brush against her back as they both waited for the other to speak.

"Yes?" Wren was the first to break the silence.

"Can you please let go of me?" Birdie asked quietly.

Wren's eyes scanned Birdie's face.

"No," he said.

"What the fuck?" Anger flared up in those Silver eyes, making Wren want to burst into laughter once more.

"I guess I picked the other 50% chance," Wren said, moving his attention back to the blood in Birdie's hair.

"I can do it myself," Birdie huffed, trying to push him back with her elbow once more when she suddenly felt a wave of intense heat at the back of her head.

Her eyes widened and her mouth opened in shock as her whole brain shivered. Birdie felt as if she was struck by lightning.

"Done," Wren stepped back and released her.

Gasping, Birdie lunged forward and caught herself by the edge of the vanity. Her heart raced like a horse as she felt her whole body crumble and then rebuild.

"Wh...." Birdie lifted her gaze in the mirror. "What did you..."

"I healed your head," Wren picked up a fresh piece of cloth and wiped his hand.

"What's not what..." Birdie tried to catch her breath. "That's not what being healed feels like. What did you do?"

With a sigh, Wren dropped the cloth into the wash bin and took a seat at the edge of the vanity.

"I stopped the blood from clotting in your brain," he said. "And then healed the wound."

"I know what it's like to be healed," Birdie argued. "That wasn't it."

"Maybe no one with the same amount of magic in their blood as me has ever healed you before," Wren grinned. "Trust me, there's a big difference."

"Why..." Birdie reached up and touched her head.

"Why did I heal you?" Wren crossed his ankles and then his arms over his chest. "Because you were going to bleed into your brain."

"Why does that matter to you?" Birdie asked.

"My uncle paid good money for you."

"Your uncle?" Birdie narrowed her eyes. His answer made her back prickle with uncomfortable heat. "You don't call him dad?"

Wren looked up, his eyes hooded and his jaw suddenly tense.

"I was curious," Birdie said.

"Did you know that curiosity killed the cat?"

"What?" Birdie's heart stopped.

Birdie girl! Birdie heard her great grand-mother's voice in her head.

Suddenly, she felt the air in her lung choke her as her eyes began to sting. She was once again an old girl, running into Gemma's arms with tears in her eyes because Hayden had teased her a little too much.

"Come here," Rye had pulled her away from Gemma's comforting arms and turned her around to face those wild gray eyes.

"Look at me, Birdie girl," Rye held Birdie's chin. "If they ever try to break your arms, remind them that you have claws too."

The air was too thick to breathe. All the longing for her family that Birdie was trying to keep at an arm's length descended upon her like dark ink. She stared at Wren as the moisture in her eyes pooled and developed into fat tears.

"Are you crying?" Wren asked, arching his brow.

Birdie pressed her lips into a thin line and shook her head, "No."

"Yes, you are," Wren said.

"I want to go home," Birdie said, her voice thick with emotion.

"And where is home?"

"Not here," Birdie's voice cracked.

"If you tell me where your family is, then maybe I'll help you find them."

"You won't."

"How do you know that?"

"Why would you?" Birdie asked, feeling the tears in her eyes burn up by the anger in them. "I know what you are trying to do."

"And what is that?" Wren asked.

"You want to know why I look the way that I do," Birdie said. "You want to see my parents so you can satisfy your own curious mind."

"You have captured my curiosity, little bird," Wren chuckled. "I'm not going to lie."

"I'm not going to lead you to my family."

"I don't need them," Wren shrugged. "I just need you."

"Why?" Birdie asked. "What do you want from me? If it's something dirty then you can kiss your eel goodbye. Because I will cut it off and burn you to bits and pieces if you ever dare touch me."

"My eel?" Wren's face masked with confusion.

"You know what I'm talking about!" Birdie hissed. "I am not that kind of girl. And just because your uncle-father bought me does not mean you own me. I am not an object. No woman is. You are twisted and sick and just pure evil if you think you can just buy a being and turn them into your toys."

As Birdie spoke, she did not take note of the face that Wren had released her from his spell. She had moved forward and jabbed her finger at the fey's shoulder making sure her words sunk into his thick skin.

"That's how the word works, right?" Wren asked, not at all affected by Birdie's behavior. "We buy the beings we need and want to keep around us."

"No!" Birdie yelled. "That's not how the world works! People have their own will. People do not belong to other people. Slavery is wrong!"

"Who taught you all this?"

"No one had to teach me all this," Birdie snorted. "I have a brain! I think! I see! And unlike you and your kind, I have something called compassion."

"I know you do," Wren smiled. "That's why instead of telling you that I would punish you for disobeying me, I said I would punish Jasmeen and Mina."

"You asshole!" Birdie tugged at her hair. "Who do you think you are to punish me? Who gave you that right?"

"Are you always this loud?"

"I can be louder!"

"Yell as much as you want," Wren sighed. "No one will hear you. And even if they do, no one will come in without my permission."

"You're sick," Birdie said, taking a step back. "A fuckin' monster."

"Maybe," Wren shrugged.

"I should have slit your throat this morning when you were asleep."

"You couldn't have possibly overpowered me," Wren laughed. "Even in my sleep."

"You want to test that theory?"

"Maybe another day," Wren slowly pushed off the vanity and grabbed the towel.

He didn't wait around for Birdie or utter a word as he turned on the shower and began to untie the strings of his pajamas. Birdie cursed him under her breath as she hurried out of the bathroom and slammed the door shut. She could hear him laughing inside as she made her way over to the balcony in the bedroom.

The water of the Splendid falls was starting to shimmer from the first rays of sunlight. The air was cool and crisp, reminding Birdie of the woods behind her house. She had spent many seasons in those woods, growing up with her brother and then taking Noor out there to show him the treehouse.

As the thought of Noor popped into her mind, Birdie began to wonder what he would think of all that was happening to her. He was fey himself. If he had grown up on the island, would he have been just as cruel as the rest of them?

Birdie couldn't imagine that. Noor was good, she knew it with all her heart. Nora and Haydne had filled that boy with love. There was no way she could imagine Noor any other way.

As she stood at the edge of the balcony, Birdie closed her eyes and tried once more to open her mind-link. He craved to hear the familiar voices of her family. But she was so desperate, she would take any voice over the silence and the hollowness.

"Come inside."

Any voice but that one.

Birdie slowly opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder. She spotted Wren rubbing the towel over his damp hair as he stood waiting for her. She had the urge to hurl something at him when the corner of his mouth curved up into a grin.

"Birdie," Wren held her gaze. "Come here."

"No," Birdie expected the fey to pull some kind of trick. She braced herself to be pulled forward but was caught off guard when Wren sighed and took a step forward.

"I wonder what you were like as a child," he said. "Never listening."

Birdie turned away as the fey came to a stop beside her. He once again leaned against the railing like he had in the bathroom and faced her. Birdie waited for him to speak but the seconds seemed to drag as he stood staring at her.

"Where are you from?" Wren asked, after the long pause.

"I already told you," Birdie said.

"No," Wren sighed, stretching his arm over his chest. "You lied to me."

"I did not," Birdie glared.

"You too pale to be from Deserati," Wren said, his eyes scanning her face. "And your hands..."

Birdie stilled as the fey reached out and took her hand. He gripped her fingers tightly to reveal her open palm as he ran a finger over it as if collecting dust off the surface of an old treasure.

"They're too soft," Wren said. "You haven't worked a day in your life."

"My parents kept me safe and in comfort," Birdie tried to pull her hand back.

"Oh I bet," Wren said, not letting her fingers go. "So why don't you tell me where they're really from?"

"You already did," Birdie said through her teeth.

"No, you didn't," Wren held her gaze, his eyes calm and his expression neutral. "You can lie....that's very interesting."

"I'm not lying," Birdie yanked her hand away. "How can I lie? I'm a jinn."

"You're saying one thing, but all the odds are stacked against you," Wren continued. "You are most definitely not from Deserati. You are able to stand before me, look me in the eyes and tell me to fuck off."

"Yes," Birdie said. "Fuck off."

"See," Wren smiled. "Someone from Deserati would never even dream of doing that."

"You think too highly of yourself," Birdie said. "Maybe people aren't as afraid of you as you think. Maybe it's all just an illusion. Maybe you're po-"

Birdie could not finish her words as she felt something slither over her bare feet.

She felt all the hair on her body rise as the unmistakable sound of a hiss reached her ears. Her body turned ice cold and her breathing labored as she looked down.

There, beneath her dress, a thick black snake coiled around her ankle. Birdie felt her heart stop. She was terrified of snakes...

Tears rose to her eyes as breathing became impossible. She was frozen in shock as the vile creature hissed once more and tightened it's hold. Her heart ached painfully as it tried to beat itself to death. Birdie opened her mouth to scream but she couldn't conjure up enough strength.

The snake's head rose as it's tongue flickered out. It began to slither up Birdie's leg, it's scaly skin rubbing against her own skin. Birdie felt her head sway as she grew faint and lightheaded. Her soul was ready to crawl out of her body and jump off the balcony if it meant getting away from the creature.

But as she gathered just enough air in her lungs to scream, the snake disappeared.

At first Birdie didn't believe what was happening. She didn't dare move out of fear that it might return. Her hands and legs shook as she began to hyperventilate.

In front of her, Wren pushed off the railing slowly and walked up to stand beside her. He lowered his mouth to her ear and said.

"That ... was all just an illusion."

Will Wren figure out where Birdie is from?