She blows out a breath. “This is going to be a lot, but try not to freak out, okay?”
“You’re really not making me want to hear this anymore.”
She laughs, but it’s forced and awkward. “Right, okay. People like me and Tristan, we aren’t the only type of fae.” She gives me a minute to absorb that. “There are light and dark fae. Tristan and the rest of us are dark, and then there are others who are light.”
All this time, I was under the impression there were just fae. Now there are different types? I can’t keep up with this shit. “There’s a difference?”
She taps her fingers against her thighs. “No, we’re all the same. We have identical abilities. We’re one race, divided because of politics—much like the humans. It’s all boring history.”
“I want to know,” I say without a thought.
She nods. “It all started with our ancestors many years ago. I’m talking the beginning of humankind. Since there were humans, there have been fae. Some are born that way, and some are transformed—either intentionally or by accident. This didn’t really start happening until the fae were forced to inhabit Earth after our world was destroyed during the last war. That was before my time. But it’s why some of the fae—from both sides—don’t look on the humans in the most flattering way. They’re jealous. The humans get to live in their own world, while the fae—we’re stuck here.”
I blink a few times, unable to form a coherent response. This is . . . a lot.
“Do you want me to stop?” she checks.
I shake my head. As overwhelming as this information is, it’ll give me a better understanding of this world I’m trying to wrap my head around.
“We used to be a single race of supernatural creatures,” she continues. “There were no light or dark, just fae. For the longest time, there were no leaders, but there were always a few who showed leadership qualities when conflicts needed to be handled. The fae, as one group, decided to elect several of these individuals to be the decision-makers of our race. There were four or five of them in the beginning, from what I remember reading. These fae were in charge of making laws and deciding the consequences for those who broke them.
“That was all well and good until the leaders started disagreeing with each other on things I don’t know about. Two, in particular, seemed to butt heads often. In fact, it got to the point where the other leaders started choosing which one they stood with, and alas, one race with several leaders split into those who followed one—the light fae—and those who followed the other—the dark fae.”
“Why light and dark?” I ask.
“Because after the fae had split into two groups, there was an agreement signed by the leaders from each side. The light fae were permitted to walk the human world during the day, and the dark at night.”
“Obviously that rule is no longer in place.”
Allison frowns. “Tristan’s great-great-grandfather, the dark leader at one time, decided he and his people were tired of living in the human world at night. The fae world was much like New York City. Always awake. The human world, it closes at night. And so, the dark fae fell into poverty. So Tristan’s grandfather breached the contract his ancestor created with the first light fae leader and started a territory war. If the dark fae were going to walk the human world during the day, there was going to be some pushback. Now, Tristan refuses to throw his people back into that life of not being able to attend school or hold whatever kind of job they want. It was a quality of life consideration.”
“That’s what the war is about? Sharing the human world?”
She nods but doesn’t add anything else.
“Can’t they come to a new agreement? Both sides are breaking the same rule now anyway, so doesn’t that make it irrelevant?”
“You would think so.” She pulls at a loose thread on her shirt. “I’m not actively involved with the politics. All I know is what I’ve told you.”
I let out a breath. “This war, the rules and responsibility, that’s a lot to put on one person.”
Allison raises a brow at me, her eyes widening slightly.
The tops of my ears burn once again. “I just mean, I couldn’t imagine being in that position, that’s all.”
“Well, the position you are in isn’t exactly ideal, either.” She presses her lips together. You’re sure there’s no way around it?”
My chest feels tight. “Without this placement, I’ll fall behind and won’t be able to look for a job until next semester ends.” My voice increases in pitch. Graduating late is not an option. It will shred my plan for the future into pieces. I’m in no position to take my time finding work after next semester is over. I need to start paying my parents back as soon as possible. Shortly before Adam got sick, they took out a second mortgage on the house to pay my steep tuition bill. I wasn’t all that involved with the process at the time, but the seriousness of the situation weighs on me now.
When my phone chimes from my desk, I slide off the bed and walk over to grab it. “Adam, what’s going on? Shouldn’t you be at school?”
“Yeah,” he mumbles. “I wasn’t feeling well, so Mom and Dad let me stay home.”
I bite my lower lip. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not dying,” he says with a laugh. “I have a headache, and my stomach is sick. I’ve been puking all morning.” Adam doesn’t mind making jokes about dying, considering he’s survived cancer and isn’t even thirteen.
“Why didn’t they take you to the hospital?”
“Because it’s nothing. Probably just a bug. You know my immune system sucks. Don’t worry about it, Roar.”
His nickname for me makes my chest swell with warmth. He’s been calling me that since he was old enough to talk. In the beginning, he couldn’t say my whole name but managed to learn part of it, and it stuck. “Get some rest, okay? If you’re not feeling better later, ask Mom and Dad to take you to the hospital, okay? Please?”
“Yeah, okay. Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.” I’ve been biting the inside of my cheek so hard it’s bleeding.
“Can you come home this weekend?”
I finally let out a breath and laugh. “Miss me already?” I tease. I’ve only been away from home for a few weeks.
“No,” he grumbles. “I’m just bored, that’s all. Whatever.”
I muffle a giggle with my hand. I won’t embarrass my twelve-year-old brother over the phone. No, I’ll save that for when I can see his face get all red. “I’ll see what I can do.” I wouldn’t mind taking some time away from the city before Monday. A trip home might be good for me.