Page 1 of These Deadly Dreams
1. Ellis
There are moments in your life that don’t quite seem real. I felt that after every interaction with Sam, my abusive, rapist ex-fiancé. I also felt that upon learning I had a beloved, a mate, and was soul-bonded. Now, I’m having that feeling again.
I’m not sure my limbs are connected to my body. It’s possible I’m floating, untethered to the ground under my feet. Or perhaps I’m dreaming and everything that has happened in the past few weeks was just part of my imagination. Maybe my subconscious hopes and desires have manifested this crazy dream world as a way to escape the nightmare of my life.
I mean, that would make more sense than it being reality.
If I were to sit down with someone and tell them my story, they would probably have me committed, and I wouldn't blame them. It’s hard for me to believe, and I’ve lived it.
“Harpy?” Kai echoes.
I look to my left, to my beloved. My dark and dangerous vampire. His gray eyes are trained on me, his usually pale skin even paler. The black strands of hair falling across his forehead stand out in stark relief against the white.
I look to my right, to my soul-bonded. My sweet and caring mage. His violet eyes are wide with disbelief. His hand squeezing mine almost painfully.
I turn and look behind me, to my mate. My reserved and secretive wolf. His icy blue eyes bore into me, like he can peel back the layers of my skin to see what makes up my insides.
The disbelief and uncertainty are palpable in the air. The silence stretches on, each second making it heavier and heavier. My bestie is staring at me like she doesn’t know who I am. Her great aunt is shaking her head, like she can’t believe she’s looking at something known to be dark, deadly, and horrendous.
“Bullshit,” Sterling spits from behind the couch, breaking the silence. “Harpies are myths. And even if they were real, there is no way Ellis is one.”
“I have to agree,” Cade said slowly. “Ellis is the opposite of what a harpy is. She is light and peace. Joy and love. She is nothing like a harpy.”
Harpy. A creature of fairytales. A bringer of death and destruction on wings of wind.
Aunt Madge shakes her head at the guys, but she looks at me when she speaks. “The portrayal of harpies in history morphed from the truth. It happened long before any of our times, and the truth has since been lost to history. A harpy’s job is to keep the balance between good and evil, but the means by which they do so is sometimes violent and horrendous.”
“Hold up,” Kai says. “You are seriously suggesting harpies are real?”
The look Aunt Madge gives Kai could freeze the blood of a demon. “Harpies are very real, boy. You’d do well to listen and learn.” Only once Kai nods his head in apology, does Aunt Madge continue. “Not much is known about the truth of them. Throughout our history, the majority of times harpies have had to get involved, have been to stop an evil force from gaining too much ground. The one time it was the opposite, where the force of good had to be stopped, is the reason harpies are so feared.”
Aunt Madge glances at her niece and without speaking, Allie knows to get her grandmother a glass of water. While Allie is in the kitchen, Aunt Madge continues. “The story is that the Star Elves were only years away from attaining true peace in the world. It had been a long and difficult fight, but the forces of evil at that time were on the verge of extinction. Unfortunately, a world without evil cannot exist. There must be a balance, or the world will fall to stagnation. Without something to struggle against, our world would collapse from within.”
Allie returns with a glass of water and Aunt Madge takes a drink. “A harpy named Maeryrea, was sent to stop the Star Elves from obtaining their victory. Unfortunately, the balance had been so far skewed in the favor of good by this point, the only way to bring it all back to equal, was to destroy the Star Elves. The entire race.”
“That’s why Star Elves are a myth. They used to exist, but no longer do.” Cade sounds amazed as he works through the logistics. “So, Maeryrea restored the balance, but got a bad rap because she destroyed an entire race of beings who dedicated their lives to good.”
“It wasn’t just Maeryrea that got the bad rap,” Aunt Madge clarifies. “That was the catalyst that turned all harpies into horrible creatures. But, they aren’t. They do what they have to to preserve the balance.”
“And you think Ellis is a harpy? A being meant to keep the balance?” Kai asks.
“I don’t think so,” Madge sharply. “I know so. Without a doubt, Ellis is a harpy.”
“I’m supposed to be the balance between good and evil?” I breathe. “How is that possible?”
“That is a good question, and one I do not have the answer to,” Aunt Madge replies. “What I can tell you, is that you were brought into this world to bring balance. A harpy only exists if there is a need.”
“But what need?” I ask, my voice taking on a shrill tone. "Shouldn’t I know these things if I’m a harpy?”
“Think about it, Ellis,” Aunt Madge says calmly. “You can’t look at your life and tell me there isn’t a need?”
I’m silent for a moment while I process her words. I mean, yeah. My life has been a living hell up until recently. But that is just my life. No one else was impacted, so how is there a need to balance good and evil?
“I’ve been saying something bigger is going on,” Cade says. “There’s more to Kennedy and Sam’s desires to get their hands on you than just to cause you pain.”
“Is it possible they know she’s a harpy?” Sterling asks quietly.
I rest my elbows on my knees and let my head fall forward into my hands. “I don’t see how, seeing as I had no idea I was one.” My words are muffled by my palms. This is all too much.