Nova: Daughters of Darkness (12 page)

Nova woke the next morning a bit surprised and more than a little disappointed to have slept soundly all night long. A part of her had been hoping to see Drake in her dreams. Sighing, she threw off her covers and decided to face the day. Today was going to be a strategy planning day to figure out how to take down Felken and the rest of the demons Drake had unleashed on their world. Unfortunately for them, the little suckers spread like cockroaches and were just as hard to kill. Personally, Nova had to set her own game plan on how to handle Drake when the time came. Would he be fighting with them or against them? Everything was so unpredictable where he was concerned.

After showering and throwing on a pair of well-worn jeans with a gray cotton t-shirt, Nova quickly ran a brush through her long hair and went down to the kitchen to make some tea. Branna was already at the table with her sunglasses on and her hands wrapped around her mug like it was a life raft.

"Good morning, Bran. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were out drinking all night." Nova said.

Branna just grunted and lifted her mug for a sip, mumbling something about sexy fae in her dreams keeping her from a good night's sleep.

Nova giggled and put the tea pot on. "At least one of us is getting some action, even if it is in your dreams." she said with a wink.

Branna would have responded, but the object of her frustration chose that moment to make his presence known. Good thing he did, because she would have embarrassed herself with the explicit details of her dream. Instead, she did what came natural and turned the attention to Nova.

"How the hell can you be so chipper this morning? Shouldn't you be brooding for your demon?"

"Nope," Nova said, leaning back on the counter while her tea steeped. "I have decided I'm going to take this all one moment at a time. Drake did me at least one favor by kidnapping me."

Branna snorted and gave her such an incredulous look, there was no mistaking what she thought of that statement, even with the sunglasses on. Even Rían seemed to pause and look at her as if to say 'how can you say that?'

"No, really. He showed me not to take anything I have, my loved ones, my abilities, even my time, for granted." she explained.

Kyna, who had walked in while she was talking, agreed with Nova. "If you can take that one positive experience away from what had to be a terrible one, then take it. Not much else good came from it." she said offhandedly.

Rían, who had been observing the sisters as they spoke, was curious about one thing. "Nova, may I ask if you learned anything that can be of use to us when we track down the demon's minion, Felken?"

They all sat at the table, and Nova brought the fully steeped pot and mugs over for her, Kyna, and Rían. "Honestly, I was kept in my room most of the time, so I didn't get to hear any of their plans." She paused while she stirred the sugar and cream into her mug and took a quick test sip to assure herself it was sweet enough. "But Felken is angry, powerful and out for blood. He is everything that Drake tries to be; he's pure evil and kills with no remorse. His eyes are like death; black and lifeless."

"You said that he and Drake fought, and Felken was able to get away?" Kyna asked.

"Yeah, I mean, Drake definitely gave it all he had without actually killing him." Nova replied.

"Why not just cut his damn head off and be done with it?" Branna questioned.

"Why are you so bloodthirsty, Branna? Does all life have such little value to you or just the lives of non-humans?" Rían asked, needing to know the answer, since he was not human.

"I am bloodthirsty because these demons are a threat to me and mine, which means they wrote their own death certificates. And considering all the
non-humans,
" she emphasized sarcastically, removing her sunglasses to reveal her red rimmed eyes, "I have met so far are jerks, then it is no wonder I think so little of them." she finished, staring, refusing to look away.

"Sooo," Nova said, interrupting their stare down, "back to Felken and the demon army he is probably amassing to come kill us."

Kyna just giggled into her mug and shook her head.

"Right, so what we know is that he is powerful, angry, and out for blood." Rían recapped Nova's earlier comments.

"Mmm, yeah. When you put it that way, it doesn't sound like much, does it?" Nova said sheepishly, both embarrassed and bummed that she didn't have more to offer. No, she had been too busy trying to get it on with their enemy, who had kidnapped her, and was still feeling at a loss that she wasn't with him.

Rían reached over and patted her hand in an odd, brotherly gesture. He was not much older than her in human years. "Nova, no one is saying you should have done anything more or differently than you did. You were in a bad situation and handled it as best you could."

Nova gave a half-hearted smile and looked away.

Kyna sighed and stretched in her chair. "Have any of you seen Granda this morning?" she asked, checking the time on the ancient cuckoo clock hanging on the wall. "It's a little late for him to still be sleeping, isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's weird." Branna agreed.

"Actually, he has returned to Tir Na Nog at the request of my father. He sent word last night after you were all asleep, asking him to help with an urgent matter in our kingdom."

"Oh, I hope everything is okay?" Nova asked.

Rían ran his hands through his tousled blonde hair and said, "Nothing they can't handle, I'm sure."

Branna stood up, and waited until Rían's eyes met hers before saying. "I'm going to take a nice, long, hot shower. Ya know, try and work some of these kinks out of my muscles."
Think about that fairy boy
she thought to herself, while making sure she walked with a little extra swing in her hips on her way out of the kitchen.

Nova just shook her head, wondering how long they would all have to endure the thick tension between those two.

"He did leave a note to let you know he would be away," Rían said, pulling his eyes from Branna's delectable derriere, while taking the note from his pocket.

"Oh, good. I was worried he had just run off without saying anything." Nova replied, taking the folded piece of paper and opening it.

Girls,

I have been called back to Tir Na Nog by King Magnus. He has a troubling issue and would like my help in figuring the best course of action. I will return as soon as I am able. Tell Branna to tone down the sass, Rían is there to help and there he will stay until I return.

Love ya lasses,

Granda

"Okay," Nova said, refolding the letter and placing it beside her tea cup. "Let's just handle one situation at a time. Granda knows what he's doing, and we have to figure out what it is we're doing."

"What does it say?" Kyna asked, running her hands worriedly through her pale blonde hair.

"Just that he will be back as soon as he can." Nova said. Standing abruptly, she took her cup and the tea pot over to the sink. Not so much because she was done but to give herself something to do. She felt as if her clothes were too tight, and she had the sudden urge to just rip them off.

"I, um," shaking her head as if to clear it, she continued, "I think I'm going to change into something a little more comfortable. I'll be right back." Nova left the room, leaving Kyna and Rían sitting there looking forlornly at the tea she had dumped and curiously after her.

Chapter 19

Nova ran up the stairs to change and found Branna sprawled on her bed, waiting for her. Branna lay there staring at the wall with a lost look in her eyes. Momentarily forgetting her irritating clothing and sensitive skin, Nova went over and sat beside her sister. They sat in silence for a while, Nova waiting patiently for Branna to assimilate whatever thoughts and emotions she had running through her head. After what seemed like hours, but was just minutes, Branna sat up and looked at Nova.

"Do you ever wonder 'why us' and not some other set of unfortunate sisters?" Branna ran her hands roughly down her face and then back up through her hair. "I mean, really? What was so special about us anyway? Why stick us with this impossible fate?" Now she was working herself into a temper tantrum. She stood up and began to pace around the room. "We can't run from it, and we have already proven that we can't face it alone. So, why make us deal with this shit in the first place!"

"Bran," Nova began gently, "We are who we are, and I for one am grateful to not have a mundane life living in the dark, not knowing things like demons and faerie folk exist."

The look on Branna's face at that statement was priceless.

"You have to be joking!" Branna threw her hands up in frustration. "Look at you, you can barely sit still you are so nervous, or lost, or whatever. I'm not even sure what you are feeling, but it's all because of
him
."

Nova realized Branna was right. She had been sitting on the bed, ringing her hands and adjusting her clothing, trying to escape the feeling that her skin was too tight. Was it because of Drake? Nova felt it when she said his name; even in her mind, the feeling of relief and completeness was palpable.

"I can't blame Drake for everything that has happened to us. The choices that were made long ago were never meant to bind us to..." Nova stopped speaking and her mouth formed a silent "O".

"Jesus Nova, are you okay?" Branna asked worriedly. She stopped pacing and went over to shake Nova out of whatever daze she had fallen into.

"No, um, I mean, Yes, Bran, I'm okay. I just thought of something." Nova jumped up from the bed.

"What?" asked Branna, but, Nova wasn't listening, she was already stripping her clothes off and hopping on one foot to get her pants off. "Nova, seriously, I know we're close, but what the hell?"

"Don't be a dick, Branna, just help me." she said, still scrambling to remove her shirt. When all her clothes lay strewn around the room, Nova standing only in her bra and panties, she turned and ran into the bathroom. Branna followed her in, curious to see what she was up to. She found her turning this way and that and lifting her arms, obviously looking for something.

"There, do you see it?" Nova said, pointing under her bra strap.

Branna leaned in closer to see what she was pointing to, and on her torso, in the space under Nova's arm, she saw a small symbol. It looked sort of like a butterfly but it was all sharp angles and edges.

"Okay, so you got a new tattoo?" Branna asked, a little confused as to why all the fuss about some silly little tattoo.

"No, Branna!" Nova yelled, almost hysterical. "I didn't get a tattoo! Drake must have put this there, but I can't remember it." she said, her brow crinkling as she searched for the memory that wasn't there.

"You can't remember getting that?" Branna asked skeptically. "Nova, tattoos aren't painful, but they're not a walk in the park either. It seems a little weird that you wouldn't remember being marked, especially on your side, it's a sensitive area."

Nova looked at Branna frustratingly. "Honestly, Bran, you think I don't know that?" she yelled even more. "This is just as confusing for me as it is for you. I honestly have no idea when he could have done this, but I know it was him."

Branna leaned in to examine the symbol again. "I wonder what it means?" she asked to no one in particular.

"I'm not sure." Nova answered, "But, I think it has something to do with the reason I am so restless and uncomfortable."

"Maybe we should ask Granda, he might know."

Nova looked away guiltily "Err, hmm. Maybe we could ask Rían instead." She suggested, walking out of the bathroom to get dressed, again.

"Why can't we ask Granda?" Branna asked, following Nova out of the bathroom.

"He had to go back to Tir Na Nog. Rían's father, the King, requested his assistance." Nova explained vaguely.

"Without saying anything? That's not like him at all." Branna said

"Ah, he, um, left a note, for me." Nova said hesitantly, hoping Branna didn't ask to read it. With her temper, the note would just set her off.

"Oh, okay." Branna said, not seeing any reason to read the note, and assuming that if there was anything important in it, Nova would have told her.

Nova breathed a sigh of relief. Fire witches were so unpredictable sometimes, especially her sister. "Come on, let's go see what Kyna and Rían can make of this." she said, pointing in the general direction of the mark on her skin.

Rían knew immediately what the symbol meant. "This is one of the oldest languages in existence. You say you don't remember getting this?"

Nova shook her head.

"I will assume then that he used an instrument from his home dimension."

"What kind of instrument?"

"I'm not completely familiar with his dimension's technologies, but I figure it would have to be a laser to be so precise and pain free."

Nova looked contemplative for a moment. "So what does it mean?"

"It translates roughly into one word...Mine."

Branna gave an unladylike snort and Kyna's face froze in surprise, while Nova just looked resigned.