Half Winter (chapter 2)

I hurried up to my room after dinner. Dodging all of Mrs. And Mr. Trevor’s questions was exhausting. I have never met a family of mortals so perky! All of them were so overfilled with happiness that it was sickening. They ask questions like:

Mrs. Trevor: “What’s your favorite color?”

Me: “I don’t have one.”

Mr. Trevor: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Me: “I don’t know.”

Melody: “What’s your favorite band?”

Me: “I don’t have one.”

Mr. Trevor: “Indecisive, aren’t we?”

Me: “I don’t know.”

Melody: “Do you have a boyfriend?”

Me: Gulp “Uh-“

Melody: “What’s his name?”

Me: “I don’t want to-“

Melody: “Is he cute?”

Me: “I didn’t say-“

Melody: “Where does he . . .”

Do you get what I mean? They asked many more questions that I have long forgotten because the answers were absolutely meaningless; but the family unit itself revolves mostly around intrusive comments and trust from what I have observed so far. But the thing that is killing me is their lack of boundaries. I could tell I was going to have a problem from the start.

I snuck into my room with a glance over my shoulder to make sure no one from the family was following me. I closed the door and started shivering immediately. It was freezing in my room. I brought my eyes up from the floor and could see-even in the darkness-that the French doors were wide open. My eyes then grazed the room and I saw an all-too-familiar figure stretched out in such a graceful way that I knew it wasn’t human. I quickly switched on the lights. My suspicions were confirmed.

“Gal, what are you doing here?” I asked. Gallagher propped his head up on his arm and looked at me.

“You know you’re a lot testier when you’re a mortal,” he said. I walked over to the French doors and closed them. When I turned back around to face Gallagher, there he was. I was face-to-face with him. A bit frightened, I fell backwards on to the French doors making an awful crashing sound.

“Drina, are you okay?” Mrs. Trevor called up the stairs.

“Yes,” I called back. I looked back up at Gallagher, who was in such a stance you would think he was anything but mortal. His head was cocked sideways and gave him the impression of a bird. I giggled slightly.

“What are you laughing at?” he asked. He always had a short temper. That unfortunately made me laugh even harder. “What is it?” he demanded.

I finally came to my senses and told him, “You looked like a bird when you cocked your head like that.”

“I don’t understand you when you’re human,” he sighed. He plopped down next to me gracefully.

“Probably because you aren’t one,” I replied sharply. He stared at me with such intense eyes I had no choice but to look away. I cringed when I realized what I just did. I gave him a sign of weakness, showing him that he was the higher authority.

“You know the laws, Deirdra. Don’t disobey them,” Gallagher threatened.

“And what laws am I breaking again?” I asked. I met his gaze with equal intensity.

“You know the ones,” he said leaning closer with a smirk on his lips.

“Remind me which ones,” I demanded.

“I am of higher authority here, being a full-fledged fey, but you Deirdra- you’re human,” he stated.

“Not fully,” I defended.

“At the moment you are,” he said.

I didn’t reply. He was right, and he knew that I knew he was right. That was what got me. I curled up into myself with a wave of unpredictable depression.

“Deirdra, look at me,” Gallagher commanded. I glanced up to find him just inches away. His cool breath tinkled the back of my neck. He placed a hand on my exposed arm. Chills erupted through my body, but he didn’t move it.

“You should go,” I whispered. His icy eyes stared straight into mine.

“I’ll help you,” he said, “I’ll help you find a summer fey. I don’t care that you are mortal, and you know that. I just can’t lose you.” He leaned in and kissed the top of my head like he was my father. Then he disappeared, leaving a cold draft of wind to take his place.