Chapter Three

The inside of the cottage was as old-fashioned and farmhouse like as the outside suggested. Immediately before the doorway was a wooden stairway with a green rug stretching up the stairs. The first floor only had three sections; a kitchen/dining area on the right, a living room on the left with a large brick fireplace and what appeared to be a small section behind and under the staircase.

"Gaelle." Theodore took off his coat and placed it on a tall coat rack by the door. "Gaelle, meet our new pet!"

At first, I thought Gaelle was this strange looking sheep plopping down the stairs like a boulder. Three steps from the bottom, it slipped and tumbled the rest of the way, releasing squeaks of surprise with each impact, and landed, tiny legs sprawled, at the foot of the stairs. I gasped when it fell, but before I could help it, a woman picked up the little creature.

The woman appeared to be a maid dressed in gorgeous old-style clothing as if plucked from medieval times. She had dainty hands that brushed the fluffy creature with a soft touch, my eyes following her hands, noticing the cream coloured long sleeves she had pushed up to her elbows. She wore a long dress; the skirt was a light blue-green with a green corset shirt over the long white sleeve blouse. Her blonde hair was tied in an intricate bun, with a white bonnet fitted amongst it. Her skin was porcelain pale with a natural glow that helped emphasise her crystal blue eyes.

"Gaelle, this is Anya. Anya, this is Gaelle; the cook, the maid, the landlady, and basically the boss. She is and always will be the only woman I will ever fear." Theodor introduced. "Break her rules at your own risk."

Gaelle gave me a glance up and down before placing the strange sheep on the ground and holding a hand out to shake. I was in awe of her as I absently took it. "You have got to be the prettiest woman in the whole world…"

The slightest smile formed on her lips as she kneeled to my size and pinched one of my cheeks.

"Gaelle doesn't speak, hatchling," Theodore informed, "An incident a long time ago."

Gaelle let go of my face and tilted her head as she examined me, her hand running over the fabric of my white dress. When she saw that I wasn't wearing shoes, she frowned. My socks were white back at the auction, but I noticed they were brown from dirt and dust, and I was trailing small footprints on the rug.

Her blue eyes, before a lovely blue, now seemed cold as she turned a sharp glare at Theodore over my shoulder. I could feel its icy power cutting through the air.

Theodore made a nervous chuckle, "Okay, Gaelle, I know you're upset, but this isn't something to worry about," he attempted.

Gaelle stood straight; blonde strands of her hair seemed to pop from her elaborate bun and cast shadows over her face. She was approaching a small table by the front door.

This was the first time I had seen my owner in such a state of panic. "Gaelle, be reasonable! It's just dust. I can clean it later for you."

She opened a drawer, shuffling some things around in search of something, all the while Theodore shuffled uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "Gaelle, darling, this seems a bit of an overreaction, don't you think?"

She started taking something from the drawer. "Aye!" In one swift motion, Theodore picked me up and raced up the stairs. I gripped his shoulders as he clutched me. Despite his body language, he started laughing. I looked down the stairs to Gaelle, who had produced a magazine and was in the process of rolling it up, her glare still as potent as when we were at the bottom of the stairs. "I'll clean her, Gaelle. Look! I'm already on my way to the bathroom!" he called.

Despite her delicate figure, her hands scrunched the magazine so hard her knuckles turned white, and the pages start to rip. I was close to Theodore's chest as he held me, his heartbeat quickening at the sight of this over-the-top reaction to dust on the rug. "We're gone!" He started for the bathroom as Gaelle began ascending the stairs.

I saw her at the top as Theodore closed the door to the bathroom.

*

When Theodore said, "I'll clean her, Gaelle," I thought it was more along the lines of 'show me how to work the shower or the bath and leave me to clean myself.'

I was wrong.

By the end of it, I felt very clean but slightly violated. I sat in the bathtub, trying to hide as much of myself as possible as Theodore poured a bucket of water over my shampooed hair. My red hair was heavy on my face.

Despite how awkward I felt, Theodore handled the whole situation with a strange indifference. He had taken off his jacket, rolled up his long sleeves and kneeled by the bathtub to run a comb through my wet hair. My naked body didn't seem to bother him, and eventually, I just tried to be as indifferent as he was, but I never felt my blush die down.

The bathroom was enormous compared to ordinary bathrooms. The ground and the walls were all tiled with teal green diamond shapes, each connecting to make patterns of ivy and small flowers stretching up the wall and the white ceiling. The bath was a large clawfoot bathtub, with a lot of legroom, under a long window, showing off the farmland sceneries. The pipelines and dials were gold-rust coloured, including the large shower in the corner and the sink on the opposite wall. As I felt the comb struggle through my hair, I stared at the mural painting into the tiles around the sink, giving off the illusion that it was the base of a tree that sprouted branches in all directions. The golden-framed mirror was clouded from the steam in the bathroom.

Theodore rose from the ground and went to the sink, looking through the drawers until he found a large gold hair clip. "I haven't seen Gaelle wear this for a long time," he stated. Returning to me, he showed off the accessory to me. In the small light, the claws gleamed like it was made from real gold; in the centre was a glittery red rose that opened and closed when Theodore opened and closed the hair clip. "What do you think?" he asked.

I was too bashful to give an answer and nodded. I quite liked it.

Theodore recombed my hair, gathering it in a bun and clipping it in place. "Not pulling or anything?" he asked.

I shook my head. "It's fine."

"I'll leave you to warm up and dry yourself off. I'll send Gaelle up with a change of clothes," he assured, standing.

I nodded a little too eagerly, hugging myself a little tighter. Theodore looked out the window of the scenery and opened the glass, small clouds of steam escaping to the outside before leaving the bathroom.

When I heard the door closed, I sighed and uncoiled myself, allowing my body to stretch out in the water. I let my mouth and nose go underwater and blew some bubbles. Theodore had drawn the bath with a lot of exotic oils and body washes, turning the water a light jade and leaving a tingly minty smell in my nostrils when I lifted my head again.

"Oh! It's cute!" someone cooed.

The sudden noise startled me as I jerked my head around in search of the one speaking.

"I love hatchlings! They're all cute!"

The voice sounded very tiny.

I saw a slight glimmer in the window. I thought it was a trick of the light, but pinks, greens and blues started moving around the open window.

I had seen these before.

They were everywhere in my life growing up. I saw them in flower bushes, black ones in the backs of cupboards, green and orange ones in trees, hanging off the backpacks of other students, one purple even consistently appearing and disappearing on the mobile of my crib when I was a toddler.

I didn't have a name for them, and I didn't have a description for a long time. But when I closed my eyes and focused hard on the colour, what it looked like, how it felt in my presence, the colours turned into real things.

I screwed my eyes closed and listened to the chirpy voices, remembering their sparkly colours and where they were floating around.

When I opened my eyes, I saw four winged creatures, their skin were different colours; one pink, two green and one blue. The two green ones were fluttering around above my bath, braver than the other two who sat on the edge of the window sill.

"They're called girls, Odina," the pink one chimed. She pushed herself off the window sill and descended to the edge of the bathtub, where she balanced on its edge and peered at my face. She had beautiful long pink hair laced with a strange natural glitter, the soft pink colour making her deep pink eyes pop. "When they grow up, they're called women."

The green ones mirrored each other in appearance. Their hair seemed to be made of layered leaves and wasn't longer than their pointed ears. "I know that, but-" When my eyes followed them around, the green ones seemed startled. "Oh my gosh! She can see us!"

The winged creature flew in front of my face, allowing me to see what I thought were clothes were patches of nature; tattered lily pads, large flower petals and bark. "Aren't you a special hatchling?" she informed, tapping me on the nose.

"I heard that Theodore was going to a black-market auction," the pink one cooed.

"Naughty," the other green creature chirped.

When the four giggled, it bounced around the bathroom. "Why wouldn't I be able to see you?" I asked.

"We're on a different level to human comprehension," the blue one droned rather sadly as she dripped off the window sill and slowly descended closer to the bathtub as if her wings were heavy on her back. "Human evolution can only show off so many dimensions," she purred. She landed on the tub's edge with heavy feet and melted against the side of the tub until she was sitting; she wore a skirt of blue tear-shaped petals. "You can only see about… four, I think. There are entire communities, creatures, magic on other dimensions your breed is unable to see." She laid down on the bath edge, resting her head on the pink creature's leg. "Humans who can see us are special. Surpassing their natural magic capabilities."

I frowned as the green-winged creatures started dancing on the surface of the bath. "I don't think I understand…"

"Theodore will explain it to you," the pink one assured, "Until such time, I'm Aine. This depressing one here is Aerwyna," she nudged the blue creature off her leg, "and those two are Odina and Rodella."

"My name is Anya," I replied.

"That's such a sweet name," Odina tutted.

Aerwyna made a content sigh, "Anya. Russian diminutive of Anna derived from Hannah, which means 'gracious' or 'bringing goodness' in the original Hebrew language."

Aine rolled her eyes as she looked at me, "Is your name Anya?"

I shook my head, "No. My name was Antionette Erin Hayhurst."

They all lifted their heads to me and tilted their head. "That's quite a long name."

"I like it," Rodella said.

"I like Anya better," Aerwyna commented.

"I'm sorry, but what are you?" I interrupted.

The four looked to one another in response, their wings fluttering. "Take a wild guess, child," Odina said, the patterns and outlines of her wings glowing.

"Sometimes we can do this." Aine flicked her fingers, making sparkles dance around her head.

"Couple of movies made about us," Rodella informed.

"And even more storybooks," Aerwyna sighed.

I frowned. "Fairies?"

All four of them released a handful of sparkles, each grouping disappearing by the time it reached the bathwater. "We're a bit smaller than people initially think," Odina informed.

"Are all of you fairies?" I asked.

"There are different types," Aine informed, "We've been nicknamed Fortune Fairies."

I tilted my head, "Fortune Fairies?"

The bathroom door opened, Gaelle walking in with some folded clothes in one hand and a towel in the other. She lifted her gaze to see me in the bathtub with the fairies, the winged creatures freezing in mid-air at the sight of the maid. Gaelle placed the clothes on the lid of a basket and delicately scooped up a broom resting against the wall in the corner of the room.

"That's us, ladies!" Aine announced.

The four fairies gave off their own playful squeals, the two green ones zipping over to Gaelle to tease her before darting out the open window. At the same time, Aerwyna placed a sudden kiss on my nose before following, leaving behind a strange tingly sensation on the tip of my face. Aine lingered by the window and offered a small wave, "Goodbye, Gaelle. Give our best to Theodore and congratulations on the hatchling!" she sang before too disappearing out the window.

Gaelle blew away from loose strands of hair before placing the broom back against the wall. Without a word, she walked over to me and leaned into the bathtub, pulling out the plug and grabbing the towel she brought in. The tub drained quickly, and moments later, Gaelle stood before me, holding the sheet out.

I stood up and stepped out of the tub. Gaelle wrapped the white towel around me and started drying me off quickly. The cloth was fluffy and warm against my wet skin, and her touch was gentle.

"Don't you like those fairies, Gaelle?" I asked.

Gaelle didn't offer me an answer. She just continued drying me off before turning to the clothes and patting them, silently indicating that I put them on, before exiting the bathroom.

It was nice to wear pants again, and the clothes Gaelle brought me were comfortable. I didn't know where the white dress had been taken to, but now I wore tan shorts and a red woollen jumper, and Gaelle had replaced my dirty white socks with matching red woollen ones. I had yet to receive any shoes.

When I opened the door, the hallway smelled like cinnamon. I walked silently down the stairs, peering into the different rooms for signs of Theodore or Gaelle. My eyes froze at the sight of the front door, the slightest thought of running away came to mind, but in the corner of my eye, I saw Theodore in the living room. He was sitting in a tall armchair, resting his cheek against his hand, appearing to be asleep.

My socks made my footsteps silent as I entered the living room. It was as if I had entered a cabin. The walls were pale brick, but every other colour in the room was warm and dark. The lounges and matching armchairs were a wine red, all the furniture in the centre of the room deliberately for the afternoon sunlight to stream through the neighbouring windows. The ground was a shiny wood, aside from a green spherical rug sitting under a large coffee table.

When I walked into the living room, it was warmer than the rest of the house. Behind my owner's chair was a roaring fireplace, the golden glow framing his sleeping form and armchair, and sitting on the coffee table was an elegant white tea set. I leant over the tea set and inhaled its scent; cinnamon tea.

"If you don't like the flavour, I can change it," Theodore informed. I jumped at his words, startled he was awake. He merely offered a smirk. "That was adorable."

I folded my arms, "I don't drink tea too much…" I mumbled.

"Perfect time to start then." He gestured for me to sit down.

I obeyed, sitting on the centre cushion of the lounge. I felt warm and comfortable, but this feeling alone made me shiver and anxious. I scanned the room, searching for something to distract myself, fearing if I didn't, I would throw up.

"Feel better after a bath?" Theodore asked.

I gulped, forced to pay attention to him. "Yes, thank you."

Gaelle walked into the room, holding a large silver tray with steaming plates of food. She placed the tray on the table and set the small plates on the coffee table by the tea. Several different treats made my mouth water; fresh cookies, scones, brownies, little bite-sized tarts and ingredients for smores.

Without asking me, Gaelle poured a cup of tea and handed it to me. The glass was so hot against my fingertips I dropped it. Gaelle re-caught the teacup, as if expecting it, and guided my hand to hold the small handle on the side. Once I was sorted, she turned to Theodore and poured another cup for him. He thanked her and took a deep inhale before taking a sip.

Watching him drink the tea, I felt safe too. While the tea was hot, it was sweet and tolerable enough for me to enjoy.

"I know this is quite an adjustment," Theodore said, placing the teacup back on the coffee table. Gaelle grabbed a small plate and stacked some hot cookies on it. "And I'll try to answer your questions. You can think of it as a bedtime story if you want."

Gaelle passed the plate to me to enjoy, gently taking the cup from me and placing it back on the table. It's like they actually welcome me here… I thought.

I fitted one of the smaller cookies into my mouth; it had a jam centre.

"So, do you have any questions for me?" Theodore asked.

I recalled those fairies. "After you left me in the bathroom, some fairies came in through the window."

"Ah, the Fortune Sprites," Theodore chuckled, "Quite the characters, aren't they?"

"Are fairies normal around here?" I asked.

"They're usually in the country, yes. Fairies like being near nature and are attracted to new things. It makes sense they would say hi to you." He picked up one of the cookies and started munching on it. "You need to be careful of some fairies, though. In stories and folklore, fairies are these pure, good winged beings that can grant wishes and help people, and some of them are. But fairies have remarkably long lifespans and take an even longer time to mature." He waited until he swallowed the cookie to continue talking, "During a strange transition between adolescence and adulthood, fairies can turn into either a fairy or a faerie."

I blinked, "A fairy or a fairy?"

Theodore paused before spelling out the different ways of spelling fairy, to which I thought there was only one. He went on to explain to me they were often the source of fortune. When they're younger, they could accidentally cause misfortune to a person because, from their perspective, it was good. "An example would be… You're lost in a forest, and a fairy guides you to their fairy hollow for safety. Only it's deeper in the woods and further away from your home. From your perspective, that's unfortunate, but it's seen as a safe place from theirs. Another more common example is when you win a lot of money from the casino, but you get bombarded by charity folks pestering you for donations when you get home. Sometimes it could be plain bad luck, like dropping something made of glass or breaking your arm on a carnival ride."

Theodore continued explaining the concept to me, often forgetting I was twelve years old. I managed to understand that some breeds of fairies, like those who visited me in the bathroom, give off a tremendous amount of fortune. They have very little control over what kind of luck they provide people, but when they get older and gain control of their powers, the ones who spread good fortune are fairies and the ones who deliberately spread misfortune are a type of faerie.

"There are different types of fairies, though, Anya. But I'll explain them to you as they pop up," he assured me, drinking the rest of his tea.

"Why doesn't Gaelle like them then? Were they faeries?" I asked, watching as Gaelle repoured some tea. "She threatened to hit them with a broom."

"Once fairies mature, they usually go to different parts of the world; forests, cities, companies, people. Both types of fairies go to countrysides to mature, where they don't get into too much trouble until they fully understand what they are," Theodore informed, "Kind of like yourself, dear."

"Most of the fairies around here are shy; the only ones that are brave enough to talk to you are fortune sprites and fully mature fairies," he added as I drained the contents of my teacup. "Gaelle doesn't like independent magical creatures in the house. They run amuck usually if they have their own train of thought."

It was then I noticed there were many animal-like creatures around the room, some sitting in the chandelier light, others propped up on bookshelves eyeing the food and, one which surprised me once I noticed, a lizard-like creature sleeping in the fireplace flames. I gasped when it released a yawn, a small puff of smoke escaping its mouth.

"It's a good sign that you can see them."

I swallowed, unable to take my eyes away from the creature. "It is?"

He nodded. "It means you have magical qualities. It's rare for humans to have the Sight. Most forms of magic for you form in other areas, such as academic or creative pursuits. Some humans only gain glimpses into our world, Anya. To have one that sees it in its entirety is a powerful and wonderful sign."

"But a sign of what?" I asked.

He paused, perhaps considering how to word it, before saying, "Your magical potential, my dear." He turned his head to the open window, looking to the farmlands as he said, "You'll find a lot of strange things out here, Anya. Things I imagine you've been told to suppress in your old life."

At the mention of my old life, I turned away from him, dropping my gaze to the floor. "You bought me for five million dollars," I stated. I managed to return eye contact, "Why, though?"

Again, Theodore paused. "Forgive my frankness," he began, "But the moment I heard you were on sale, I knew we belonged together."

The matter-of-fact way he said that surprised me. "Belong together?"

He nodded, "Yes." He leaned forward on his knees and offered a smile, "I bought you intending to make you my apprentice, Anya."

"Apprentice?" I asked.

"A mage's apprentice," he clarified, "With your potential, you will be capable of doing great things. You just need someone to help you harness them, and that's where I come in."

I withheld a snort.

"You told me a mage is like a wizard. You'd be training me to be a wizard?" I asked.

"There is a slight difference, I will admit," Theodore informed, "We draw from the same natural energy source. But a mage is also a scholar. A mage is a creator of spells, whereas a wizard is simply a user. We pave the way to advancing wizard practises." When he spoke, his red eyes gleamed in delight, as if he loved talking like this, "My intention is to not only teach you how to use your magic but to control it, to harness its full potential, to learn about as much as possible and make you a force to be reckoned with."

"But why, though?" I interrupted, "What do you get out of this?"

When I asked, hesitation formed, but only for a split second. It was enough for me to notice. No one ever helps another person unless they get something out of it unless it benefits them. Not adults, not caretakers, not kids, not family, not friends.

"You have a special kind of magic," he admitted, "They call it Factorum Magica, meaning Factory of Magic. By merely existing, you can create and emit an endless amount of magical energy, magical energy your body could never withstand or be able to use. You could take it from other sources and wield it as your own or distribute it to other magical creatures for their use. You're an invaluable asset." He picked up his teacup and made a shrugged gesture, "Besides, name a great mage who never had an apprentice."

He leered at his own joke, and while I thought it was funny, I didn't have the energy to smile.

"Apprentice…" I mumbled the title a few times. Each time I did, it felt strange on my lips.

"Yes, my apprentice." Theodore rose from his chair and stood near me, looking down at me with kinder eyes. "There would, however, be certain requirements you would need to meet."

I made myself maintain composure. I had heard this tone before. Caretakers and relatives had been spitting these phrases at me for years. They would list the things I was expected to do, something I wasn't allowed to do.

You will go to school, then come home, no detours.

Stay in your room and out of trouble.

Do not touch this.

Do not touch that.

Stay away from my children.

Stay away from your cousins.

Doors will be locked at 9:30pm.

You will do what I say when I say, no questions.

No crying.

No screaming.

No acting strange.

None of that weird hocus pocus stuff you've got going on.

I blinked, feeling my mind begin to spiral as Theodore spoke, "As a human, you are more susceptible to most forms of magic, be it physical or mental manipulation. Because of this, you'll need to exercise, become fitter and such. This would also help with control of your own powers."

I listened carefully, surprised I hadn't heard the word 'no.'

"I will be teaching you certain things as a mage apprentice. This may involve spontaneous excursions and trips to places. You'll need to be ready sometimes at a moment's notice. I like to be quick," he informed.

Nothing he was saying was at all what I expected.

"All that being said, you would still have certain freedoms, independence at times. I encourage you even to maintain certain interests and hobbies and such. Moreover, I wish for you to express them with Gaelle and myself, to tell us about yourself." He leaned over close as if making sure I was listening, "You seem surprised."

I didn't mean to look so stunned, but I couldn't relax my face as I said, "I'm… use to being on a short leash," I said.

His smile saddened slightly, and I thought for a moment, maybe he understood my surprise, could grasp why all this freedom for me was so shocking, but the thought quickly diminished as he said, "Just because I'm your Master doesn't mean I'll be ordering you around constantly."

"But I don't have any right to refuse, do I?"

There was a moment where his stare turned expressionless as he made a deep, comical chuckle. "Ha-ha, no." I felt his hand press against the top of my head, a gentle touch that felt more powerful than a hug to me. "You're family to me now, Anya. It will be my job to care for and protect you now. You can depend on me."

I looked up, past his hand and to his face, "Family…?" I breathed.

"Now!" Theodore clapped his hand together and said, "Shall I show you to your room?"

I blinked out of my trance and gave him a quizzical look, "My room?"