Chapter 25 - End of Book 1

“Council member uh ...,” Zalli stumbled on her words.

Necalli’s last name seemed to escape her. The man raised an eyebrow up at her pause. She flicked her eyes to the side, inadvertently looking at the showroom.

Just as Necalli was about to say it for her, Zalli spat it out with sudden recollection.

“Ozoma!” He flinched at her outburst, but she only continued to speak, going at a fast tempo. “What can I help you with?”

The man placed his elbow above his head and leaned against her door frame.

“May I come in?”

“Uh, no. Now is not a good time.”

Zalli gripped the door handle still in her hand. Necalli brought his orange eyes down to the subtle flex of her forearm, then flicked his gaze back to the woman.

“Why? Do you have visitors?”

He spoke with disbelief in his voice. Zalli hardened her expression as she responded.

“Not-not really. I can’t right now.”

Necalli leaned further into Zalli’s door frame, which positioned him into a comfortable stretch. His button shirt pulled out a couple centimeters from the action, still tucked into his dress pants. He looked away from Zalli to stare at something random on the street. He spoke with a calm indifference.

“Please, it will only be a few minutes. I wanted to discuss with you about the council meeting from this morning.”

Crap. I don’t remember that, Zalli thought to herself.

An overwhelming sensation of dread overcame her mind as she scrambled to remember anything that happened before she was placed in her deep slumber. The most she gathered was that not a day had passed by. She could only guess a few hours had passed since the sun outside was high in the sky already.

With a need to get rid of the man, she spoke with a stern voice.

“Any discussion with you about policies is never quick. Plus, I am home. It will have to wait for when I return to the office. We can discuss business then.”

“But it’s the weekend. Office hours won’t be until Monday. Come now, I promise it will be fast.”

In his eagerness, Necalli surged his body forward. Zalli caught his action with a quick observation. She brought her hand up to his chest out of reflex and halted his forced entry. His foot did not even pass through the threshold as she held his torso in her hold.

“Ozoma, I know how the weekend works. Even more reason for us to wait until Monday, considering it is our time off,” Zalli said as she pushed his body back to stay outside her home.

Necalli clenched his fist from above. Zalli glanced up at it before returning her gaze to his face. He held a harsh expression with lips pressed into a fine line and eyebrows drawn down together.

“But, you see, the policy regarding trade with the Madrid development company. You need to change your stance on it. Some of their representatives are expecting an actual deal.” His eyes flicked away from Zalli, before he returned his gaze to her. “I gave them my word it would go through, yet it was your word that flipped the majority vote around. If you could just budge your position to allow at least something—”

“Council member Ozoma, please stop.” The council member moved closer to Necalli. She set herself up, ready to close the door in a swift movement. “Especially for that, I will not change my mind for a deal that is obviously to the benefit of that company only. Now, if you don’t mind. I would like to enjoy the rest of my time off.”

Zalli squeezed the door handle and swung the wood forward, but Necalli pulled his arm down from the frame and obstructed her goal. His palm slammed on the door and gave a loud smack. He lowered his head and spoke in a low voice, so only Zalli could hear him if anyone passed by.

“You’re going to regret not listening to me.”

“Why do you always threaten me in such a way?”

Zalli narrowed her eyes in her response, before she clenched her jaw.

“Threaten? Oh, no. It’s just a ...” He brought his gaze down Zalli’s body, then back to her face as he finished his sentence. “Considerate tip.”

Necalli lifted one corner of his lip up. His eyes narrowed into slits as arrogance steamed off his body. The young woman experienced her blood boil at his attitude.

As she spoke, she breathed slowly to calm herself. She had to restrain her actions or else she might plummet the man in front of her.

“Please leave before I report you for misconduct to the Conduct Officer.”

He flared nostrils. Not caring whether she hit him or not, Zalli closed the door on him while she gave her dismissal.

“Goodbye, Necalli.”

The young woman did not notice how Necalli pulled his head back at the use of his first name. It was not something she had done before, yet it felt natural for her to roll it out in her dialogue.

Once she locked her door, Zalli leaned against it with a beating heart. She stayed there and waited to hear when Necalli would leave. From the other side, she heard him curse to himself. Then, the muffled sounds of his dress shoes hitting the concrete ground grew faint.

She placed a hand over her chest and wavered in her spot. Her heart was taking some time to slow down to its regular tempo. As she stood, she recalled some tidbits about the meeting Necalli mentioned to her. It was not a complete memory, but she could figure out why she said to him she would not change her mind.

In her research of the company, she discovered they aimed to build luxury homes she knew would not be affordable to the local people. Although the proposal predicted a local economic boom, Zalli voted no.

She investigated their projects in other areas of the country. In her review, she searched for the effects they had on the societal infrastructure. Zalli discovered those towns changed over a few years to cater solely to the upper class. Public transportation became less accessible, pricing on basic goods increased, and many of the locals left to live within their means. In the meeting, she stated as such and could convince the majority to vote no.

Once the vote was finalized, Necalli’s grim expression from across the room told Zalli he would seek her out later on. Other details from that morning were still hazy to the woman. Eventually, her head hurt from the amount of concentration she had to use.

With a shake of her head to remove the tension, Zalli pushed herself off the door and headed to her room. As she passed her living room, she gave it a longer glance. Some things still seemed misplaced and eerie. Yet, it was also in an odd transition of feeling familiar to her.

When Zalli reached her closed door, she heard Tepi and Yoltzin arguing about something. What they were saying was indistinguishable for Zalli, so she brought an ear to the door. Words like “idiot”, “annoying”, and “useless” were all that the council woman could pick up on.

With eyebrows drawn together, she entered her room in a dash. On the ground she witnessed Yoltzin laying down with his hands behind his head. He crossed his ankles in his relaxed position. Tepi’s cheeks were slightly red from exertion and she stood with one hand on her hip while her other hand pointed at the fae.

“What’s going on?”

As Zalli asked her question, both Fae turned their attention to her. Yoltzin gave her a captivating smile while Tepi opened her mouth to respond to her friend.

“I don’t understand how you stand him! I only thought to question why he tried to infiltrate your mind—to get any information out of him! And he is over here being an annoying hijo de–!”

Tepi lowered her accusing hand and walked away from him. The man only shrugged his shoulders. Zalli carried a calm expression as she let go of a small breath. She sauntered over to Yoltzin and crouched to make eye contact with him.

“What shall I do with you?”

She asked her question with a curious quirk of her head. Yoltzin adjusted himself to lie on his side. As he responded, he held his head up with one hand.

“Anything you want, amor. Although, to recreate our night together is at the top of my list of suggestions.”

The fingers he rested on his thigh tapped in succession. The movement caught Zalli’s attention, but she refocused her gaze on Yoltzin’s face. She gave him a blank stare.

“Should I just kill you to make my life easier?”

Her icy voice held no effect on the fae. He only bit his lower lip and moved his head closer to Zalli.

“If you have it in you, why not? I’m okay with you roughing me up.”

“Ew! No flirting in front of me, please!”

Tepi poked Zalli’s back from behind her when she spoke. The young woman turned her head over her shoulder to throw an apologetic frown at the fairy. Then she asked Yoltzin a different question.

“Why do you want the kyanite gemstone? What can you possibly do with it?”

“That is what he has been after?”

Tepi replied first to Zalli before Yoltzin could say anything. Zalli glanced at Tepi and pursed her lips. When she looked at Yoltzin, she clenched her jaw and asked her question to the fae again.

“Is that not true?”

He turned to lie on his back. He placed his interlaced fingers across his stomach and released a sigh of boredom. Yoltzin took his time to respond.

“Yes, it’s the kyanite I want.”

“Why do you want the Kyanite?”

Zalli asked a second time. Yoltzin still did not answer her question, but he gave a knowing look to Tepi. The young woman caught on to the glare. Zalli turned her body to the fairy while Yoltzin closed his eyes to signal the end of his participation. She asked Tepi her next question.

“Do you know why he would want the kyanite?”

Zalli stood to her full height and crossed her arms. Tepi pressed her hand against her cheek and looked down. When she brought her gaze back to Zalli, she nodded her head only a couple of times. Zalli brought her palm to face the ceiling and rested her elbow of the same arm against her other hand.

She waved it side to side as she asked, “Well?”

Tepi hugged herself. She rolled back her hunched shoulders and took a step forward to reply to her friend.

“I am not allowed to tell you why, but—,” Tepi looked down at Yoltzin. Her eyes wavered, but she brought her gaze back to Zalli. “Considering the situation and our friendship, I will say it.”

“... Okay.”

Though Zalli paused from hesitance, she made her eyes soft and pressed her lips together as she waited with patience. Tepi took a deep inhale with her nose, and spat out her knowledge.

“Well, each gemstone has its own properties—your race has already figured out that much.”

“Uh-huh.”

Zalli nodded her head in encouragement. She thought back to what she knew about the gemstone herself. Anytime someone would visit the small shrine in the showroom, there were always reports of their energies feeling refreshed and rejuvenated afterwards. People in the town knew the crystal helped anyone meditate and clear their minds.

Tepi gnawed on her lip, but continued on.

“But some properties of gemstones are kept as a secret. Some things humans are not allowed to know. Especially when it comes to the magical abilities of a crystal.”

“Magical abilities?”

Zalli quirked an eyebrow as she asked her question. From behind her, Yoltzin spoke with abruptness.

“Just spit it out already.”

His eyes remained closed. His body made no imperceptible movements; it was as still as if he was sleeping again.

“You can tell her then, if you’re going to be so impatient about it.”

Tepi scrunched her nose at the fae as she jutted her head around Zalli with an accusatory tone.

“What, tell me what?”

Zalli spoke with urgency as she turned back to Yoltzin and gave him her attention. He replied to her with a waving gesture of his hand moving in random arches.

“Kyanite can also develop metaphysical abilities. Something grand like psychic powers or as simple as your intuition.”

Yoltzin lifted himself into a raised position with both of his elbows carrying his weight. Zalli used her free hand to point at the man. She took a step forward as she gave him her accusation.

“You want the kyanite to enhance your dream powers!”

“No, I told you already, that is not my actual power.” Yoltzin surged upward to go into a sitting position, but stopped himself. He placed his palm up to the top of his imprisonment with a pout. “Can you please rearrange this format? Being forced to stay in one position for a long duration of time is barbaric.”

Zalli exhaled a quick breath through her nose. She rolled her eyes, then flicked her hand to make her force field taller, but with a narrow base. The walls near the fae propelled his shoulders up and scrunched his legs in. With a swift change, he could sit in a comfortable position without letting the walls knock him around further.

Yoltzin quirked an eyebrow at the young woman. He planted his feet and rested his forearms on his knees. When he spoke to Zalli, he pushed his hair back and reclined against the side of Zalli’s bed.

“I want your town’s precious crystal. Consuming a large piece is easier than constantly searching for small pieces of jewelry.”

“You’ve been eating it?”

Tepi spoke with incredulity in her voice. She stepped around Zalli and brought her head back with a curled lip.

Zalli glanced at the fairy. The hand she had been using to gesture fell limp by her side.

“Is that not normal?”

“No.”

Tepi spoke with a wrinkled nose. Zalli looked at Yoltzin with wide eyes.

“Why are you eating it?”

The fae pressed his lips together as he looked away. Then he brought his eyes back to the two women in front of him. He protested with a need to justify his motives.

“So it stays in my system longer.”

Yoltzin said it as if the answer was obvious. Tepi shook her head. She responded to him with a small grimace.

“You are so weird.”

“Ah, weird or not. That means we cannot keep him here. It will only leave him closer to the kyanite.”

Zalli sat on the nearby nightstand as she gave her declaration. The small lamp on the compact dresser wiggled from the action.

Tepi placed a hand on her hip. She took a few steps away with her palm underneath her jaw. She wriggled her lips, then gave Zalli a proposition.

“What if we imprison—” Tepi froze and stared at Yoltzin. She grabbed Zalli’s arm, then pulled her into that hallway. They kept the door open, but Tepi continued what she had to stay in a hushed voice. “What if we imprison him somewhere in the nearby forest?”

“We would have to keep constant guard. And we would need help from Ezi and Xilo, too. I don’t think we can ask them to do that.” Zalli shook her head. “Don’t you have your own authorities that could take over?”

She placed her hands on her hips. She waited for Tepi’s reply with an expectant look.

“Ah, not really. It’s a bit of a free for all in conflict management between us and humans.” Tepi clasped her hands in front of her as she thought of something else. “What if we drop him off somewhere far away?”

“Only for him to return at any moment and try again? I don’t think I want to look over my shoulder my whole life.”

The young woman rubbed the back of her neck. She looked to the side and narrowed her eyes. Tepi provided another idea to her.

“Maybe ... maybe we should put him to sleep again. Trap him in his own dreams for eternity.”

Zalli paused. She snapped her focus to Tepi and pressed her lips together. She spoke with a resolve.

“Then we could hide him in the forest. Chain him to a tree and hide him away.”

She looked at Yoltzin while Tepi offered her knowledge to their dilemma. The fae hung his head down between his knees.

“Since he is not an actual dream weaver, that means he got a dreaming potion from someone. We will need to get one of our own.”

Sensing eyes on his body, he flicked his head up to make direct eye contact with Zalli. She twisted her head away and sensed a blush growing on her face.

“Alright, let’s do that.”

Tepi raised her eyebrows at Zalli’s reaction, but said nothing about it.

“I will talk to the girls about it. Once we figure out where to start, we will come back and move from there.” Tepi flashed in front of Zalli and transformed into a small green orb. “Are you going to be alright here with him?”

Her glowing form bounced around as she hovered before Zalli’s face.

“Yes.” Zalli flicked her gaze back to Yoltzin, but she only saw a blur of his form before she returned it back to the fairy. “Are you going to be okay leaving like this?”

“Oh yeah, it’s becoming the evening, so I will probably be mistaken as a firefly.” She circled around Zalli, then hovered in front of her again with a realization. “Wow, I can’t believe only some hours have passed. When I arrived to visit you, it was noontime. Anyway, I will try to check in on you tomorrow. Be careful.”

“Yeah, you too.”

Zalli waved goodbye to her friend. Tepi zoomed away to find a cracked window to sneak through, leaving behind the young woman with the fae.

She brought her free arm to match its counterpart on her hip and dropped her head back with a silent groan. Zalli forced a quick breath out through her mouth and entered her room.

Yoltzin spoke to her first. He remained in a similar sitting position Zalli left him in, but one knee was resting on the ground this time.

“Do you need to imprison me? What harm am I actually going to cause? I can even promise to leave town if you just let me free.”

Zalli narrowed her eyes.

“You don’t seem like the type to just suddenly give up. And considering your lack of respect for boundaries, I don’t think it would be wise to grant you freedom. Who knows what else you have done to others?”

Yoltzin tilted his head. He raised his eyebrows with an expectant look.

“That’s one way to say you don’t trust me. Then, I’ll find a way to convince you to hand the kyanite over to me.”

“Those who seek power are the ones we should make sure are never entrusted with it. I will never give you the gemstone.”

The fae tilted his head in the opposite direction. He gave Zalli a devious smile and spoke with mirth.

“We will see about that.”

Zalli bit her lip with a stern expression. Then she left her room at an urgent pace and searched for an open space of wall far away from Yoltzin. The woman leaned her head on her overlapped hands she placed on the wall. She sighed with a soft resolve and whispered to herself with closed eyes.

“This might just be a long weekend.”

To be continued ...