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She hadn’t expected to miss him that much.
Sure, they had become fast friends and her life in general had been so much more exciting ever since she had stumbled into the magical world. But the pit that formed in the depths of her stomach on the day he left to join his parents had been a surprise. And, rather than fading as the days and weeks went past, the void had only gotten worse.
Kyra had tried to ignore it at first. Dismiss it as something else. She was just bummed that the basketball season was over, she told herself. Or maybe it was the fact that Peter had been spending more time with Ruksy and had bailed on her multiple times.
But, deep down, she knew that wasn’t it.
When she closed her eyes, she kept seeing the same boyish grin.
The same handsome face.
She missed Darra and it had become impossible to deny it.
That was why she had finally come.
When he had first told her that he was spending the winter skiing in Europe she had been taken aback and had said something about wanting to snowboard. She hadn’t really meant it at the time—or so she had thought. She did own a snowboard (she had bought it on a whim with the money from her sixteenth birthday) but she had never actually used it. There weren’t too many places to practice in the area. The thought of taking it all the way to the Swiss alps was daunting, and mildly terrifying, and yet she had found herself packing her gear and concocting an elaborate cover-up to appease her stepfather. Kyra had felt a bit guilty about that—it seemed like half of what she had said to her dad during the past year had contained some sort of lie. But telling him that she was going to magically jump across the world using her secret powers to spend a weekend with the boy he had teased her about several months ago probably wouldn’t have gone over too well. So instead, she’d claimed to be going on a short school trip to New Zealand to hit the slopes there and used her powers (and Peter) to provide believable proof.
It had all gone off without a hitch and, with Imogen’s help, she had managed to navigate the exhausting magical jumping route that would take her to the Blackwell family chalet.
Quite infuriatingly, Darra did not have a phone, or even a laptop, with which to communicate. Most magical people were annoyingly behind the times in that respect. She’d only managed to get in touch with him once during his three-month absence and hadn’t been able to talk to him about her spontaneous trip. She’d trusted Imogen’s reassurances that neither he nor their parents minded random guests. That was a bit hard to believe, especially considering her tense history with Jared Blackwell, but Kyra had been feeling reckless recently. For some crazy reason Darra’s long absence seemed to be pushing her over the edge and she decided that seeing him in awkward circumstances was preferable to her state of restlessness.
And now she was finally here.
Standing on the steps of the most magnificent chalet she had ever seen (secluded winter mansion was perhaps a more apt description), waiting breathlessly for someone to answer her knock.
There was nothing for a long moment. The cowardly part of her briefly wondered if it had all been a mistake, if it was better to turn back. But, before she had a chance to talk herself out of it, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching.
Her breath caught in her throat as the door swung open.
Darra.
It was him. His blue eyes shining at the sight of her.
For the first time in a long while, the pit inside of her vanished.
“Kyra!” the boy exclaimed, his mouth opening in shock. “I…wow! This is…come in!”
Although he hadn’t managed a coherent sentence she could tell from his tone that he was genuinely excited to see her. Her fear that she would be an unwelcomed guest seemed unfounded.
“It’s freezing out there,” he remarked with the wide grin she had missed so dearly, “come on inside.”
She managed a few words of thanks, despite the sudden dryness of her throat, and quickly made her way through the threshold with her bags in tow. Darra helped her place them down before shutting the door and turning back towards her, his excitement palpable.
He looked just as he had when he had left, albeit with a slight flush on his cheeks from the cold. He was wearing a heavy jumper with a knitted pattern and a matching hat, perhaps indicating that he had just recently come inside. According to Imogen, he was quite the skier and she assumed he had been spending as much time on the slopes as possible.
“I’m sorry if I’m imposing,” she began before glancing around the elegant entranceway to the Blackwell chalet. The place appeared to be huge, and extremely opulent. Lily often hinted that Imogen and Darra’s family was wealthy, but Kyra had never felt it polite to ask. Clearly, the fairy had been right. The front hallway alone was nearly as large as Kyra’s entire house and she was pretty sure that the fountain she had just glanced at was gold-plated.
“I wanted to call before I popped in but you don’t have a phone and Imogen said the magic mirror we used for that call last month wasn’t getting through. She said it would be fine if I came by, but I totally understand if it’s not a good time or if…”
“It’s a great time, actually,” Darra cut in, still smiling. Kyra could have sworn that his cheeks suddenly grew a bit darker. “Mum and dad are away visiting friends in France for the weekend, so it’s just me holding down the fort. I was bracing myself for a lonely few days.” He paused. “Not that it’s much better when they’re here anyway.”
Kyra felt an instant wave of relief. Not having to face Jared and Amelia Blackwell was a nice surprise (it was no secret that they were not her biggest fans). It would be great to have some time alone.
Just the two of them.
Though she tried not to let her own cheeks flush at the thought.
“Is that your way of saying that you’re tired of your parents and missing us a bit? Does Darra Blackwell actually have a heart?” she asked in mock surprise, giving him a playful nudge on the arm.
The air felt oddly tense, despite the happiness that the unexpected reunion brought, and she found herself wanting to lighten the mood. They were always at their best when they were goofing around, relaxing and joking. But after a long time apart it might take some time to get back into their old rhythm.
“It’s a small heart, but it’s there.” He returned, sticking out his tongue. “And slightly bigger than yours, thankfully.”
She gave him another good-natured shove, her stomach fluttering oddly as she caught sight of his smile once again.
God, she really had missed that smile.
“I was just about to make some hot chocolate actually,” the elf continued, gesturing for her to follow him further into the chalet. “I’m sure you could use some after your journey. I know how much effort it takes to jump this far.”
He was right about her current level of fatigue and a dose of sugar sounded amazing right now. Without another moment of hesitation, she pulled off her snowy boots and returned his grin.
“Sounds perfect,” she replied, following Darra towards the kitchen.
There was no way to deny it, she mused as her eyes watched him round the first corner. Her entire body felt lighter and happier than it had been since winter began.
This was exactly where she wanted to be.
And who she wanted to be there with.
People often said that ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’—but, in her case, it seemed more accurate to say that ‘absence finally makes the mind follow the heart.”
xxxxxxx
“Seriously?! She went over the waterfall on an inflatable duck?” Krya could tell that Darra was holding back a laugh as he pictured his sister in the precarious situation she had just described.
She had been telling him about some of the adventures he had missed while in Europe and had gotten to one of her favourite stories. Imogen had been so confident that she could catch the enchanted boat that had been terrorizing swimmers but (as often happened) had launched herself into the situation without a plan. Thankfully, she had managed to magically jump out of the situation before falling too far—but not before conjuring a very large inflatable duck in lieu of a life raft.
“She was fine, obviously.” Kyra noted, a small smirk forming on her lips. “Her pride was the only thing that was seriously wounded.”
Darra snorted before shaking his head in amusement. “Immo’s pride can stand a few hits, I think,” he replied, thinking of his overly self-assured sister. “I’m sure she was back to being her irritating self in no time.”
There was fondness in his voice, as there always was when he poked fun at his sister. The two siblings loved each other dearly—despite their striking differences. Imogen’s focus and determination was a stark contrast to Darra’s laid-back vibe. And, as far as Kyra could tell, he was not much like his parents either. She had met Jared Blackwell, and heard many stories about his cold, work-obsessed and calculating character. His callous willingness to follow Orla was the entire reason they had come to Europe. By all accounts, Amelia Blackwell was quite similar. A distant socialite who had been happy to leave her children in the care of others for much of their childhood. Imogen often talked about the string of nannies they had been faced with and it seemed that the woman was often off galivanting somewhere. Kyra didn’t want to judge without even meeting her, but every story she had ever heard about Darra’s mother did not leave a pleasant impression.
And yet, somehow, he managed to be this warm, fun-loving person.
He loved to joke and laugh—and he hated taking anything too seriously. Kyra found that very appealing and always felt most at ease in his presence.
That was probably why she had missed him so much.
Her other friends all had many great qualities, but none of them were quite as charming as Darra.
“What is that look for?”
His question snapped her away from her thoughts and she realized that she must have looked a bit odd as she gazed at him appraisingly.
“Just thinking.” She answered vaguely, hoping that he couldn’t see the pinkness of her cheeks by the glow of the firelight.
They had been lounging in the sitting room for quite a while now, attempting to warm up after several hours exploring the nearby woods. She hadn’t worked up the courage to try her snowboard yet, but she had been keen for a tour of the beautiful grounds—and had been awestruck by the scenic mountains that surrounded them. It had been fun to explore and catch up, and they had not ventured back inside until the darkness began to fall.
“About me?” Darra replied, giving her a cheeky wink.
She tried her best to scoff in mock disgust.
“You? Never.” The girl shot back, wishing she could look away from that handsome grin. “Okay fine,” she began again. “Maybe I am.” She paused. “I was just thinking about how different you are from the rest of your family.”
As soon as the words left her mouth Kyra felt a pang of regret. She could see a bit of the light instantly fade from his eyes. Clearly, this was not one of his favourite subjects.
Darra shifted on the couch at for a moment before glancing towards the roaring fire.
An uneasy silence fell and, against her better judgment, Kyra began to fill it.
“I mean, Imogen is, well…Imogen. And your parents seem so serious and business-like. And then there’s you.”
She trailed off as he looked back towards her, his eyebrow raised.
“The lazy incompetent one?”
“No!” Kyra quickly clarified. She hoped that he didn’t actually see himself that way. Sometimes she still found it hard to tell when he was joking. “Easy-going and fun. Funny and warm and always the best to hang out with.” She paused, wondering why she had opened up this can of worms. “Not that Imogen isn’t fun in her way. But…you know what I mean.”
She hoped that she hadn’t overstepped.
Thankfully, Darra smiled once more.
“It’s okay Kyra, I do know what you mean.” He replied reassuringly. “And it’s actually kind of nice to hear you say that.”
There was another short silence.
“In the magical world,” Darra began again, a slight hint of seriousness in his voice now, “a lot of people make assumptions about my family. You might not know this, but back before the eleven and fairy worlds were unified, the Blackwell’s were in charge. My ancestors gave up power willingly, and it was a very long time ago, but there has always been a bit of a distance between us and everyone else for some reason. I never really figured out why but, when I was little, the other kids tended to keep their distance. I always knew that they were whispering about me, and Immo always said that they were just jealous—but it still sucked. People still see us as pretentious and arrogant. Obsessed with money and power. And I guess some people in my family kind of are. But that’s not me.” He gave her another warm smile. “I love that you never had any preconceived notions, Kyra. You’re one of the first people who ever really bothered to get to know the real me.”
This was not the direction Kyra had been expecting and it took her a moment to absorb everything he had just said. Several follow- up questions were swirling in her head (in charge? Had they been royalty or something?)—but most of those things were secondary.
She hated the thought of him feeling so alone. And it was hard to picture him feeling so isolated, despite his outgoing nature. She could tell that his childhood memories, and the legacy he carried, still weighed heavily on him.
“Darra, I’m so sorry.” Kyra paused, suddenly feeling very away of his nearness to her. Impulsively, she reached out and put her hand on top of his. It instantly felt as if she was on fire and she could hardly believe her own brashness. There were only inches between them on the plush grey couch and her heart began to pound. She wasn’t sure what had driven her to her sudden action and she wasn’t sure how she managed to continue in a steady voice.
“I meant what I said,” she went on, her hand still on top of his “you’re a wonderful person and things haven’t been the same since you left. I missed you more than I thought possible. I never thought I’d go halfway across the world for anyone….and yet here I am.” Kyra hesitated, wondering if she should continue and worried that she had already opened the floodgates. “Your family doesn’t determine who you are, and it certainly doesn’t determine how I see you.”
Thankfully, Darra didn’t pull away as she spoke. Their hands remained in place and he seemed to lean ever so slightly forward, his face turning towards hers.
Despite her better judgement, she found her eyes looking towards his lips. She wanted to keep moving forward.
She wanted more…with him…
She had wanted it for longer than she had realized.
And, for a moment, it seemed as if he wanted more too.
But then she felt him pull back and the electricity that seemed to swirl around them fizzled. His hand now away, she watched, surprised, as he suddenly pulled off his woolly hat and tossed it onto the ground. He’d been wearing it ever since she had arrived, which was a bit odd now that they were indoors. But she hadn’t really given it much notice up until that point.
His hair was sticking up in all directions, accentuating his pointed elven ears—and her gaze instantly shifted.
He did have some things in common with the rest of the Blackwell’s, she supposed.
Things that would always create a bit of an unwanted distance between them.
For the entirety of their blissful afternoon, she had nearly forgotten about some of their differences. Did she prefer pushing such things out of her mind, she wondered silently? That was an uncomfortable thought.
She shifted in her seat as her heart continued to beat rapidly in her chest.
“I appreciate that, Kyra.” He said earnestly, his voice softer than it had been before. “But we both know that family does determine some things. I’m glad you came, and I’m glad we’re friends—but I’m still not who you want me to be, am I?” He paused, his blue eyes locking with her brown, “I can’t be.”
“Darra, what—” the girl was taken aback. As far as she knew, mind reading was not a magical trait he possessed, but it seemed as if he could see inside of her. As if he could sense the thoughts that she didn’t even want to have.
Before she could form a coherent sentence or even gather her composure, he continued.
“It’s okay, Kyra, I understand. And, like I said, I’m glad we can still hang out and have a great time. Today has been fun.” He paused. “But neither of us should forget the reality of the situation. It’s hard not to sometimes. Well, for me it is anyway. When it’s just the two of us having a great time together sometimes I still think…but all I need to do is look into a mirror and remember.” The boy paused again his gaze still unwavering as a sad smile crossed his face.
Kyra was still trying to process the sudden shift in the conversation. She wasn’t entirely sure how her complementary appraisal of him had led to this, and she wasn’t entirely sure what he was talking about. She had a pretty good guess, though.
There must have been something about her that had shifted when he took off his hat. Something subtle and unintentional, but there nonetheless.
He was right—she did sometimes forget reality when they were together. He wasn’t the elf with a family legacy and she wasn’t the human tri-ling who didn’t belong. They were just Darra and Kyra. Like they had been today. It felt wonderful to let all the details fade away and simply enjoy each other’s company.
But that wasn’t real life.
Real life was far messier.
But, as she sat near the roaring fire of the chalet, everything else seemed to matter less than it had before. She was thousands of miles from home and yet she felt more at home than she had since he left. They may have been different, and perhaps things would never be easy—but she hated the thought of letting anything come between them.
Her hand tingled where she had touched him only moments ago and she longed to reach out again.
Perhaps she had missed her chance, she mused with a small frown on her lips. She had been confused and overwhelmed when he had first asked her out several months ago and she had turned him down. Now, it seemed, his thoughts had shifted. Just as hers had shifted in the opposite direction. Maybe he had convinced himself that their differences were too great. Perhaps his father had even gotten to him, persuaded him that he was destined for ‘better things.’
“Do you really think I care what you look like?” She asked, needing to know more. “Do you think I’m that vain?”
She tried to force a smile. It was, frankly, absurd to have to make such a statement. Kyra Glenn wasn’t known for her vanity—and, that aside, Darra was one of the most handsome guys she had ever met. Ears and all. The idea that anyone would turn him down because of his looks was crazy.
“You’re annoyingly attractive, Darra,” She continued with a hint of her old playfulness. “You know that. Everyone in the magical world knows that.”
Unfortunately, he did not return her slight smile. Instead, he looked down towards the hardwood floor.
“I’m an elf, Kyra.” He said in response, a small sigh escaping. “A full-blooded one-hundred percent elf. With glowing fingers and pointy ears.” As he looked back up, she could see the sadness in his eyes and Kyra wondered how long he had felt so burdened by this simple fact. She hated to think that she was the cause of his unrest.
To her surprise, he gave his head a slight shake, activating the charm that gave him a human appearance. His ears were small and rounded now, and any onlooker would now think that he was a completely average guy.
Kyra found herself starring for a moment—wondering if, deep down, this was the version she preferred. It would be easier, certainly, if this was simply him.
But easier didn’t mean better.
All she wanted was Darra.
The real Darra.
“This is just an illusion.” He noted, the sadness still evident in his voice. “Magic. I can pretend to be human for a bit, but I can only keep up the charm for a few hours at a time. It feels…weird. And it starts to get uncomfortable if I don’t change back.” He paused. “The longest I’ve ever managed it is twelve hours, and that really sucked.”
Kyra was surprised—she’d never really given it much thought and had assumed that her friends could easily shift back and forth without consequence. But, apparently, it wasn’t that simple.
“I…I didn’t know that.” She began honestly trying (and failing) not to look at his ears. “But Darra, it doesn’t matter. I know you think I care but I don’t. I…” She hesitated, choosing her worlds carefully. “I like you. The real you. As more than just a friend. And I’m sorry it took me so long to realize it.”
Her voice grew softer as she spoke but she was proud that she managed to get out the words she had been bursting with all day. She’d had known it was true for a while now and seeing him today had only confirmed it for her.
Kyra Glenn had fallen for Darra Blackwell, and there was no denying it anymore.
She could only hope that he still felt the same way.
“Kyra—” there was emotion in his voice as he looked towards her, frozen in his spot. The girl did her best not to waver under his gaze, but she could feel herself begin to shake from within. There were few things that were harder than laying one’s feeling on the line and waiting for his response was a strange sort of torture.
She held her breath as he finally continued.
“I’ll never forget how terrible it felt when you lost your powers,” he began quietly. “I never told you this but, the day after it happened, I was standing by the docks as you jogged past. And you nearly ran straight into me because, to you, I was invisible.” Darra looked down towards the floor, briefly lost in thought. “I never stopped thinking about you. I probably never will. But I’ll also never forget that feeling. I’ve felt so close to you ever since we met—and yet we are literally worlds apart.”
“No. Not anymore.” Kyra replied, shaking her head firmly. “I may have been born and raised in a different world, but things are different now. I feel like the luckiest girl on the planet for becoming part of the magical community—and for meeting you. With the orb gone, there is no going back now, right? I’m stuck with these powers and you’re stuck with me.” She paused. “I mean, if you want to be.”
She gave him a playful smirk and, much to her relief, he soon returned the slight grin.
“Being stuck with you sounds good to me.” He replied, the smile slowly widening on his face.
After a short pause, Darra shook his head once more and dropped the charm he had used to illustrate his point. The seemingly average boy in front of her was replaced by the handsome elf she had been unable to get out of her mind for months. When she closed her eyes at night, she realized with a this was the face she always pictured.
The face that she wanted to see every single day.
She could not help but smile up at him and she felt her relief and excitement grow as he finally took her hand in his own.
“Can…can I kiss you?” Darra asked softly, his cheeks flushed in the glow of the dimming firelight.
Instead of answering Kyra simply leaned forward.
Their lips met.
And, for a moment, nothing else mattered.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Epilogue—Seventeen Years Later
“Adrien! Boots off inside! How many times to I have to tell you?”
Thirty-three-year-old Kyra Blackwell rolled her eyes at the sight of the large puddles her son had created in the chalet’s pristine living room. They had just come back from a long day of skiing near the Blackwell estate and she was too tired to deal with her son’s messes.
Life with an active seven-year-old (and his equally active younger sister) could be a lot some days—but the woman knew that she would not change it for the world.
She loved her husband and children, and she loved the life they had created for themselves. Despite the trials and tribulations of parenthood.
When she had been younger, it would have been impossible to imagine her current existence. Her husband’s family had gifted them with several beautiful homes across the globe (sure, they would never be her biggest fans, but they wanted the best for their son and grandchildren), she had every luxury one could imagine and she was lucky enough to work alongside Darra as a DMI operative.
Needless to say, there was rarely a dull moment.
Magic was a part of her daily life now and she was currently navigating the upbringing of her two magical children. Somehow, the combination of Darra’s genes and her odd hybrid status had gifted them with two very elven little ones who had no trouble fitting into to the magical community.
There was no looking back now and none now questioned her place in this world.
Kyra crossed her arms as her son marched back into the room, letting out several loud huffs as he looked towards the puddles.
“Mum!” He protested, a pout on his rosy lips. “You said I could play out back!”
She had no idea how he had the energy to go back outside after their long day but she had, indeed, told him that he could continue to play out in the snow.
“Yes, I did,” she agreed. “But I didn’t say you could run over the carpet with your sopping wet boots. Take them off and tidy your mess. Then you can go play.”
Adrien mumbled something about not having any fun but he decided not to push it further. Hastily, he took of his boots and waved his glowing blue fingers in the direction of the water, instantly making it disappear.
“Better?” He asked with a bit more attitude than she would have liked.
“Yes.” She nodded, uncrossing her arms. “Now go play until dinner.”
The boy picked up his boots and quickly dashed towards the back of the chalet, eager to get back into the fresh coat of snow.
With a shake of her head at his boundless energy, Kyra flopped onto the old grey couch and let out a long breath. She was definitely feeling the exhaustion of the long day and it was nice to have the warm glow of the fire to heat her up.
The silence was rather nice too—but it was short lived, as it often was. Less than a minute later she heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming up the hall and she smiled as her husband’s lean form appeared in the doorway.
His hair was a mess from their day out, and his cheeks were rosy from the cold and sun. To her, there was no more handsome sight in the world.
“Ella is asleep.” He told her as he took a few long strides and flopped down beside her on the couch. “I know it’s late for a nap but I figure she needs it after all the skiing.”
Their four-year-old had spent a record amount of time on the slopes that day and it was not surprising that she had passed out. It was probably a good idea to let her rest a bit before dinner.
“Sounds good.” Kyra agreed before giving her arms a stretch and leaning down to snuggle against his shoulder.
She still loved these simple moments. When all was well and they could simply be.
It was impossible to keep a wide smile from spreading across her face.
She could still remember the first time they had sat together on this very couch. It was a little worse for wear nowadays, but she insisted on keeping it in the chalet—right were it had always been.
This spot would always have a sentimental place in her heart.
This was where it had all—finally—begun.
Darra placed his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer as they watched the fire crackle against the stone.
“Kyra?” He asked, his voice full of warmth and affection. “Can I kiss you?”
She felt the warmth spread through her.
They were just Kyra and Darra, and this was how it was supposed to be.
“Always,” she whispered back.