Love, Adira

Adira Archer still remembered the last normal day she would ever have like it was yesterday. To be fair, it was yesterday. But it seemed like it was a hundred years ago. Yesterday, if someone had told her she was a half-fae with magic powers and a family she'd never met, she'd have told them they were insane and needed help. But now, she was thinking she was the one who needed help.

At least now, she knew why her mother had disappeared. It was all so obvious! Well, maybe not obvious, but if she thought about it, she remembered all the times she had felt a strange tingling in her back like she was just waiting to burst wings and fly.

Her mom had come back this morning. It was just sunrise when Adira felt her shoulder being lightly shaken. She looked up and there she was; a tall woman with almond skin and copper-colored eyes. She had her long, sleek, caramel hair pulled into a braid that ran down her back, and was looking down at Adira with the same expression Adira used when looking at a finished design. Pride.

"Hello again, daughter."

Adira had been terrified, shrieking at the strange woman. Her dad had stepped out of the shadows and explained. Her mom had left because the people of their small town were superstitious, and the fae, as the eldest of the town called them, were considered to be terrible omens, which brought death with them.

Adira's mom had left so that Adira wouldn't be ridiculed at school. She had instead watched over her from a distance. Now that Adira was 16, she was ready to be taken to the world of the fae.

"You see, Adira, the fae are able to hide in the human world, but not if they don't know how to conceal themselves. You've spent sixteen years without displaying your true nature. It would be much harder if you weren't half-human, but even with only half your blood being fae, you can't hide any longer. You will wreak havoc if you don't learn our ways."

Adira had talked over it with her parents. Her mother told her that it was her choice. Adira chose to go and live with the fae, even though it meant leaving the human world behind.

"Mother, I choose to learn about the world of the fae. I choose to know who I am." Adira told her mom, who nodded.

"At sundown," She told Adira. "You'll have to leave. You must decide what to do with the last day you have as a human. Once you enter my world, the human blood inside you will burn away. You will be fully fae, and cannot return to the human world until you have mastered your own power. Beware; Once the human in you is gone, it cannot be returned. Do you still wish to join me?"

Adira hesitated, just for a moment. Then she nodded. "I do. I want to join you and be a fae, Mom."

This was her last chance to see her friends, as she would no longer visit the human world, not until she had become a fully-fledged fae. She had to say goodbye.

Most of her goodbyes went smoothly. Her friends asked her why she was leaving, and she had just said that her dad wanted her to study at another school, in her mom's hometown. She told them the truth, just not the whole truth.

The only goodbye that was hard was with her best friend in the world, Liam. When she started, he had been listening, but his father had needed his help in their family machine shop.

"Sorry, Adi. Dad needs my help. I'll be right back." She had waited, and when he had finished, she tried again.

"Liam, the thing is, I-" A timer went off. Liam ran upstairs, and Adira heard him talking to his mom. He had to take his sisters to gymnastics class.

"Adira, do you want to come with us?" His sister, Kait, asked her. Kristy, Kait's twin had chimed in, saying that Adira should come to watch them. Adira agreed.

In the car, Adira tried to tell Liam goodbye, but the girls were too loud. Eventually, she gave up, trying to sit still.

They eventually got to the gymnastics class, and the girls ran inside.

"Listen, Liam, I really have to-" She began, but the coach interrupted her, saying that she needed Liam to help her teach the class.

She tried over and over, all the way until sundown, her deadline to leave, but whenever she tried to tell Liam, she was interrupted. She quietly asked him if he would drive her home, and he obliged.

"I'm sorry, Liam. I really have to go now." She told him as the car pulled into her driveway.

Liam grinned. "Alright. I'll see you on Monday at school." Adira breathed deeply.

"Well, actually-"

Liam's phone rang. "Hold that thought. I have to take this." Adira sighed as he walked away.

"I'm not going to come back." She whispered. She turned and ran inside, crying a little.

"Okay, what did you- Adira?" Liam looked around. "Adira?" He walked over to the front door, knocking lightly. Adira's dad opened it. "Uh, where'd Adira go? She was about to say something, but my boss called me, and by the time he hung up, Adira was gone."

Adira's dad looked at him somberly. "Adira's gone, son. She was trying to tell you; She's not going to come back for a long time. Maybe never."

Liam's phone gave him a notification. He pulled it out and looked at it. It was a text from Adira.

'Liam,' It said. 'I'm sorry to tell you like this, but I'm leaving. You were too busy, but I was trying to tell you all day; I'm transferring schools. Goodbye.' A separate text below it read, 'And please remember; No matter what, you'll always be my best friend.'

'Love, Adira.'