Page 29 of Demure
She had just finished braiding her hair in the mirror when Aodhan’s face peeked around the bathroom doorframe. Even though she was now aware of his talents, it still made her heart skip a beat with how quickly he appeared and disappeared.
“Good morning.” He smiled as his eyes roamed over her outfit. “You look absolutely breathtaking.”
Sierra blushed at the compliment. While she always received them in the US, it was different when the compliment came from someone you were romantically interested in.
“Are you ready?” Aodhan asked. Sierra nodded and left thebathroom, coming to stand in front of the door to her apartment with Aodhan just a step behind her.
“Are we walking or…”
“Yes, we will walk. While I can shift myself and things, most Fae can’t shift people. Only very powerful ones, and even then, not far and only within the Fae realm.”
Sierra slid her feet into her boots. “Interesting.”
“Very. And since magic has been disappearing, I haven’t heard of anyone who can shift people or other Fae in a long time.”
Sierra slid her arms into her jacket and her purse over her shoulder. Aodhan took the lead and held the door open for them. Sierra locked it, and they headed down the stairs.
“So, tell me more about your place,” Sierra asked once they were on the sidewalk, wanting to be prepared for what she was about to see.
“Well, it is very hard for my people to find homes here since we don’t have personal public service numbers like other Irish residents do. We also frequently don’t have bank accounts or credit histories, and very few landlords are willing to rent to us without these human things.”
“Oh.” Sierra hadn’t thought of that, as she, even on a student visa had been issued a public service number so she could get healthcare while she was here. She hadn’t even considered how hard it would be to live here without one.
“As a result, we almost always have to stay with other Fae that have relocated here with a human partner, or in a place owned by a Fae family for hundreds of years, before public service numbers were invented.”
They turned the corner. “Makes sense. So, who do you live with?” Sierra looked up at Aodhan, but his eyes remained straight ahead.
“An old friend of my family, Braan. He came here about a decade ago to be with his human wife, Kaye.”
Sierra was quiet for a moment. “But won’t she, you know, die long before him?”
Aodhan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye before looking forward again. “There are many complications when a human and Fae fall in love. The main one is the aging; the second is that the human world can be tough for a Fae to reside in permanently, and many humans don’t ever feel fully comfortable in the Fae realm, even if they live their whole lives there. But,” he took a breath, “when you agree to date someone, there is no guarantee they will live the same amount of time as you will anyway. You could fall in love with a human your exact age, and they could die tomorrow. Time is never promised, and it’s not worth not enjoying the person you love because there is a risk that they might die before you.”
Sierra had never thought of it that way, but Aodhan was right.
Aodhan cleared his throat. “As for Kaye and Braan, Braan was over 60% through his lifespan when he met her. While she will still likely precede him in death, it may only be by a few decades.”
Sierra was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed that they had come to a stop in front of a large house, something which was uncommon in the Dublin city center. It was built of brown bricks and looked to be at least a few hundred years old. Vines climbed up the side of the house, and empty flower boxes lined the windowsills of the white framed windows. The curtains in all the windows were closed, ensuring that no one on the street would be able to see what was going on inside.
“Are you ready to go in?” Aodhan turned to face her.
Sierra looked from the house to Aodhan. “Almost. I wanted to ask one thing more.” Aodhan’s eyes bore into hers, and Sierra took that as permission to do so. “Is there any way for a human to become Fae? Or vice versa?”
Aodhan froze. Sierra could tell he knew the answer, but instead of opening his mouth, his eyes searched her face, clearly scavenging for a way to avoid answering the question.
“You promised not to lie to me.” Sierra reminded him.
Aodhan let out a breath, “I’ve heard rumors…that humans can become Fae, but it is very complicated and rare.”
“What do you mean?”
“For a human to become Fae, they must petition Mother Nature, also called Gaia, that they are needed for a purpose and that being human would impede that purpose. Mother Nature has the final say, and she may or may not make the change. If it is discovered you asked for selfish reasons, she could also leave you with a curse.”
“Do you know anyone who has been changed?”
“No.”
“But you just ask?”
