Mystical Moments

What magic spells have stirred my soul? What life bestirs my heart?

~ Clay of Glennferry

May 10, 2009

Sunday morning, Mara woke up with disappointment nagging at her. Her fairy prince had not come and danced with her. “In other words, my dreams were normal,” she said, flinging back her covers. “What has gotten in to you, Mara? Since when did Aerrvin become a prince? Humph! And a fairy at that!” Laughing at herself, she went to shower.

She ceded to indulgence by wearing her tea-length dress to church. “It’s not that formal,” she said, admiring herself and the dress in the mirror.

In truth, it didn’t come close to the plain pencil skirts and blouses she wore all the time. The cream-colored lace floated airily over the pink silk underdress. The sheer cream-colored sleeves ended with the same palest of pinks in a long silk cuff, held together by little pearl buttons running up to her elbows.

“Oh, Mara, look what you forgot!” Mara surveyed her shoes. Her black heels were fine but clashed with the style. “I guess these will have to do,” she said, slipping on a pair of lightly scuffed white flats. Still shaking her head, she whisked up her lesson materials and went down for breakfast.

“I’m going to miss this,” Mara said to Jill, grabbing a fresh from the oven muffin and a banana before sitting down on the stool at the breakfast bar. “No more meals without thought.”

“. . . and preparation,” Jill added. “I believe we need to speed up those cooking lessons. Besides, you can be one of my best customers.” Changing the subject, she offered, “If you don’t mind being early I can drop you off before I meet the realtor. I don’t want to be late.”

Mara timed her bus route to get her to church right on time, but she loved being a touch early. “This way I can set up my classroom beforehand,” she said, heading down the hall.

Mara enjoyed teaching the 7-to-9-year-old class. Her lesson was about the travels of Paul, and as usual, she had a little craft for her students to do. She planned to teach the children how to make origami boats and then they would make sparkly glue dots on maps to show the path Paul took.

The organ music welcomed her as she entered the main chapel. To be an example to her students, Mara always sat near the front, often next to the youth pastor and his wife. The cozy old chapel glowed with golden oak throughout, made brighter yet as the sun shone in through the skylights.

As she sat, the youth pastor asked, “Somebody get married?”

“John!” Sarianne’s blotchy face darkened as she smacked her husband with a soft whap. “Mara, you’re beautiful today. Is there a special occasion?”

As the warmth of embarrassment rose to her cheeks, Mara explained her tea party invitation.

“Oh, it sounds awesome. You gotta tell me all about it,” Sarianne whispered before facing forward as the pastor rose to address the congregation.

When they stood to sing, Mara glanced behind her and did a double take. Aerrvin, and all of his friends, she assumed, from Ireland sat in the back row. In addition to Jaera and Gareth, who smiled when they caught her eye, there stood Button arm-in-arm with Aerrvin’s driver. Beside the driver stood two girls who resembled Button—only younger and slimmer—and another one of the guys Mara had seen working at the Craftsman’s Majick. Seeing them together, she realized he belonged in Button’s family too. Next to him stood a young woman with light brown hair who reminded Mara of someone, but Mara couldn’t quite place her. She gave Mara a cheery smile too. With a final glance at Aerrvin, who arched a carefully manicured eyebrow, Mara turned around to sing.

The hymn was a favorite, Rock of Ages. Mara joined the congregation with her clear alto. To everyone’s surprise, the voices from the back row carried throughout the chapel; the hymn became angelic. The chorister stood a little prouder, and tears slid down the organist’s cheek. Mara herself experienced a lump in her throat as she tried to sing the final lines and then gave up, as most of the congregation had—to enjoy those pure, sweet voices. She was sure the baritone was Aerrvin’s, and the tenor had to be Gareth.

“Heavenly magic!” Mara breathed as she sat down.

Pastor Mike gave a hearty welcome and invited the visitors to return anytime. When the sermon ended, Mara thought she’d greet Aerrvin, but the group left as fast as they could, shaking hands and excusing themselves while inching toward the door.

“Ah, well, I guess I will see them later,” Mara murmured.

****

After cleaning the glue off the table, Mara made her way to the exit. Sarianne caught her going out the door.

Sweeping her sandy brown hair behind an ear, she said, “Remember, tell me all about the party and the mansion. I’ve always wanted to go inside the O’ Shea House. And if you could slip it into the conversation, ask them to join the choir!”

“Sure thing,” Mara said with a hug. “I’ll see you next week.”

Outside, Aerrvin’s sleek gray car gleamed in the diffused light; the driver motioned her to climb in while he opened the back door. Inside, Aerrvin glanced up in a leisurely manner from the small book in his hand. Butterflies danced in Mara’s stomach from the intense emotion his glance created.

“Hi, I noticed you didn’t drive a car and thought you would like a change from the bus.” His eyes sparkled as he appraised her appearance.

Mara offered thanks and climbed in. Never in her life had she sat in such luxury. Simply happy to be there, Mara sat mutely enjoying the ride. Aerrvin appeared comfortable without talking, so they rode in silence all the way to her house. Mara climbed out and turned to find the driver also exiting the car.

“Oh, sorry I, um, I didn’t think to wait. I’m not used to this sort of thing.”

“Not a problem, Love.” Aerrvin rested his open palm on her shoulder as the driver shut the passenger’s door. “I am sorry; I have neglected to introduce you to Bronwyn, quite an old family friend. He enjoys serving and gets put out if you don’t let him do his job.”

“Quite right, I do love being my best self, that I do,” Bronwyn replied. Then deftly so as not to startle, he returned to the driver’s seat and waved, trusting Aerrvin to make excuses.

****

And excuse him he did. “You need to forgive Bronwyn; he has many assignments from Button before tea time. And I have no preparations at all, so I thought I could keep you company. If you don’t mind?”

He smiled slyly, knowing very well that she thought of him almost nonstop.

Aerrvin did not trust the evil Elf, nor his followers, and wanted to keep watch over Mara at all times. He did not think it possible, but he was falling for the intriguing girl who didn’t seem to realize that she was not wholly who she thought she was. Maybe it has something to do with being in Human form, this quick action business, he thought. As a Fairy, it took him forever to decide on anything. Once, he took a week to choose what to wear to see his parents during Mid-Winter Festival. He literally stood there naked, until he made a decision! Now, here he was aware of Mara less than a week, and his emotional attachment sent him into fits of worry, hopeless devotion, and feeling overprotective. Is that love?

****

Happy butterflies danced in Mara’s stomach; spending the afternoon with Aerrvin seemed like a dream. As they headed up the walk, he slid his hand from her shoulder, down her arm and then lifting her hand, he rested it in the crook of his elbow. The seemingly courteous gesture sent a thrill through her. Mara remained unaware of Aerrvin’s addiction to tactile sensations and his inability to resist touching the lightweight fabric of her dress sleeves.

From the foyer, Aerrvin directed her toward the study. “I have not spent any time in here yet. Shall we?”

“Sure,” Mara agreed, grateful for his take-charge manner.

She never entertained on her own. Jill always instigated interaction, and before that, Mara’s mother had been the one to arrange sleep-overs with friends. Boyfriends had been rare. Not that she was unattractive; guys fell all over themselves trying to get her attention. She happened to prefer things like photography, or nature and solitude. Somehow she tended to push guys away, and eventually, they stopped calling. Negotiating relationships was not her thing. Ha, but Aerrvin has my full attention. Fates, please don’t let me push him away. Mara felt a bit guilty about begging the fates rather than pleading to God, but she wasn’t sure God cared about what boyfriend she had.

“Mara, I love the feel of your house! Did you do the decorating yourself?” Aerrvin asked, brushing the rough silk curtains for the joy of it, then he opened them to peer out the window.

Looking at him from behind and with a small surprise of delight, Mara noted Aerrvin had tied his smooth golden hair back with a length of delicate black lace. Mmm yummy, she thought.

Breaking her reverie, she replied, “Most of the house, but not this room. This den was my Uncle Rupert’s. When he died, my Aunt Lily kept it the same, even though she redid the rest of the house with the seasons. I decided to do the same. I love the warm, cozy, masculine vibe I get when I come in here. This is a picture of my dad and Uncle Rupert.”

Mara waved at a wall of photos and then pointed out a larger picture showing two men standing on deck, holding up their catch. “They loved fishing on the ocean, but mostly they sailed around the Sound whenever they got together.” Mara frowned, trying to shake off the weepy feeling she tended to get when thinking of her father. Oh, Mara, don’t fall apart now!

Experiencing her melancholy, Aerrvin directed her attention to the other photos on her wall. “Are these your ancestors?”

Mara nodded as Aerrvin took a sepia-tinted photo off the wall. The photo depicted a woman who resembled Mara; only her hair was smooth, and her skin tone appeared dark, especially compared to the man she stood beside.

“You favor her. Who is she?”

Brightening at a new topic, Mara explained, “That is my great-great grandmother. We know very little about her, but her name was Tigerlily Wallace. She’s from Scotland. To me, she resembles an Indian and lived here—near the Sound among them, but she was not a Native at all. The man standing next to her was not her husband either. Aunt Lily told me once that she knew a few things about him, but she never had time to tell me before—before passing on.”

Aerrvin wandered back to the sofa. Smoothly, in a single motion, he removed his shoes and sat down with his knees drawn up to his chest; pausing all action to gaze raptly at Mara as if expecting a bedtime story. Mara laughed, remembering him sitting on the roof in the selfsame pose, watching the sunrise.

Mara picked up the picture from the desk and replaced it on the wall, muttering about dreams. She slipped her pair of flats off in two steps and sat in the other corner facing him, drawing her feet up to the side under her as she hugged a pillow. From her psychology class the year before, she knew it was a defensive gesture, but she felt exposed without it. His casual and open manner unhinged her in some way.

“Tell me more about your family. What were they like?” Sympathetic to her nervousness, he too took a pillow and fingered the loose fabric, enjoying the tactile nature of the silk on one side and velvet on the other.

Mara relaxed and told silly stories from her childhood.

***

“My dad even enrolled me in fencing!” she laughed. “He, of course, never had a son, so I did everything he’d wanted to do as a boy. I went hiking and camping, fishing and sailing. And of course, Aikido. I already told you about that first lesson. With college and work, the only thing I keep up is Aikido. Last year, I enrolled in fencing again, and I was better than when my Dad took me. Obviously, back then I was only ten years old.”

Losing control, Mara wiped a tear away. The next thing she knew, she was in Aerrvin’s arms, as he smoothed her curls away from her face, which wasn’t easy because the ceiling fan came on. Unseen to Mara, and at Aerrvin’s direction, the Wind Sprite—Miree Sihee—spun the blades to send a wafting breeze over Mara’s flushed face.

“Shhh,” he soothed. “Do you want to tell me more?”

Speaking into his cotton shirt, Mara told how her father and uncle experienced a freak sailing accident and how their bodies had never been recovered. “I was only eleven.”

Mara hiccupped, mentally took hold of herself, and pushed away. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to blubber all over your shirt.” She excused herself to freshen up.

When she returned, Aerrvin stood in the living room inspecting the fireplace.

****

Aerrvin had not seen the ward on Mara’s house the first time he had come over since it had not prevented him from entering. Knowing what to look for, he intended to inspect each door, window, and opening to ensure that they were all still intact, and to divine how they were crafted. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been surprised since the princess had lived there, but he found the wards quite complex. The corner pieces framing each window and door had well-executed ivy and holly carvings, as well as the Celtic knot drawn in Fairy Dust over the top of each carving. The doors held perfectly clear Elven kisses on each lintel. That is, perfectly clear to magical beings.

However, the most incredible thing was the maple mantelpiece. Each support holding the mantel contained a carved forest scene. Such fireplaces were so prevalent in many of the European homes he had visited over the years that Aerrvin had not noticed it at all; especially when he itched to sit in the enchanting chair! Even so, woven into the carvings were Elves, Fairies, Brownies, and Gnomes. Enchanting.

Of further interest to the prince was the shelf of the mantel boasting a long hand-carved chain of ivy and holly woven in Celtic knots the whole length. And the best part—the center bow of the mantel had been kissed by St. Nicholas himself.

“Why did I not see this before?” Aerrvin exclaimed softly to the invisible Brownie on his shoulder.

“Probably because you were blinded by the light in Mara’s gaze,” sniggered Seamus in the ear of the prince.

“What didn’t you see before?” Mara asked, coming up beside Aerrvin. She extended her hand to stroke the shelf while smiling again at witnessing him talking out loud to himself.

“The other night I did not notice the mantel. It is fantastic. Who carved it?”

Mara shrugged. “All I know is that my grandfather commissioned it as a Christmas gift for Aunt Lily.”

“Remarkable,” he smiled in awe. “I bet you leave quite a plate of cookies for Santa.” He faced her with the question in his eyes.

“Why, yes, I do!” Mara swatted him because she thought he might taunt her.

“He must surely love you,” Aerrvin replied with a warm, serious glow replacing the merry twinkle in his eyes.

The ward was exceptionally powerful; the only thing it would admit was Santa himself. Aerrvin had only seen Santa’s kiss twice before; his parents had received a wedding gift from the Jolly Old Elf with a blessing and a kiss, which in itself is a blessing. And Aerrvin had toured Santa’s workshop in his youth. The visit included a feast with St. Nicholas and his wife, whose name is never to be mentioned, and there in her kitchen floated the brightest kiss ever left by an Elf. It hung in the air directly above her table. Smiling at the memory, Aerrvin turned to Mara.

“And the chair?”

“Sit in it,” Mara’s voice dropped demurely.

Stroking the carving along the top, Aerrvin tried to prolong the ecstasy he felt, but finally gave in and sat down in one fluid movement; a smile lit his face. Even disguised in his Human form, he could see his unnatural glow.

Aerrvin sprouted wings twice as wide as he was tall, they flowed from silver to white while shooting Blue Fairy Dust all over the room. The chair had granted a long-held wish which Aerrvin had never shared. He was not sure if Mara could see the wings or not.

Sylvie complained about the Dust for a week!

When a Fairy assumes Human form, their aura is hidden, even from other Fair Ones. For one very powerful, magically, a Fairy can generate wings and fly as a Human. Mind you, Fairies do not have physical wings even when small. The wings are a manifestation of power and depending on a Fairy’s whim, they can have any shape or size desired. The color, on the other hand, cannot be controlled. One is either born with a color or gifted with one. Aerrvin had just been gifted with the power of a Blue Fairy.

****

Mara saw the magical transformation but denied it. You are going mad, girl. She practiced denying what she saw on a daily basis, so without a blink, but with some degree of enthusiasm she exclaimed, “You feel it?”

“Are you making him try out your mystical chair, Mara?” Jill asked, coming in from the back door with some papers in her hand. “I swear, anytime she meets someone new, she has them sit in the chair and tell her how they feel. Well, how do you feel, Aerrvin?” Jill concluded with a wink. She obviously could not see the wings.

Looking from Jill to Mara and back, he replied, “I feel like I’ve gone to the top of the world. This chair seems to emanate good karma. Is that what you feel, Mara?” Turning his gaze back to Mara with a satisfied glow suffusing him, he awaited her response.

Mara smiled widely and replied, “Yes, it does seem to put a spring back in my step after a tiring day. I love that chair. I’ve had several offers from the antique dealers when they come. The last offer was $17,000.00. It’s nearly as much as all the other antiques I have sold combined.”

Standing up and reaching out to Mara, Aerrvin as much as commanded her, “Never sell that chair.”

Looking up into his face Mara stammered, “Ah–um, no, I won’t. I am nearly done with school, and I thought I would sell some of Aunt Lily’s jewelry to start my studio.”

****

Realizing he was far too serious, Aerrvin gave her one of his practiced smirks. He kissed her on the top of the head and said, “I buy old jewelry, so I get first dibs.” Then he hid his wings once more.

“Tell me the history of this house.”

He behaved as though nothing at all had occurred, in truth, he was ecstatic with his new Blue wings.

“I’ve heard all about this,” Jill interrupted. “I’m going to get dressed for my first tea party. Be good!” she said with a waggle of her finger.

Aerrvin requested a tour of the house. In the basement, he discovered one of the wards on a window was missing. “What happened here? I don’t remember this being off the other day.”

Mara held up a corner piece for the window frame. “It split in two when I tried to pry it off. I want to paint the walls, and I thought it would be easier if I took the frame off.”

She showed him the two pieces together and apart with a sweet little pout. Aerrvin immediately went to the window and drew a few meaningless squiggles with his finger right on the glass, rather what would seem meaningless to Mara.

“No one wash this off,” he commanded to the air. Then quietly he whispered to Seamus, “Ensure the Brownie tunnels have guards.”

“No need,” replied Duncan, Sylvie’s father. “We have doubled the patrols since Mara moved in, and all is in good order, Your Highness.” Duncan stood behind a stone in the wall, so all Aerrvin saw was a glint from the harness he used in scaling walls. Mara went up the stairs shaking her head in dismay. Aerrvin soon followed, resisting the urge to reach out and take a handful of the lace swaying directly in front of his face.

It was 2:45 pm, still time to check the rest of the wards. Assuming Mara kept the jewelry in her room, Aerrvin casually linked arms with Mara and lightly stroked the silk cuff of her dress with his free hand.

Leading her to the next flight of stairs, he said, “I should like to see some of the jewelry you have for sale.”

“Well, I haven’t decided what I want to sell yet, or even if I will,” Mara protested weakly while holding tighter to his arm as they ascended the stairs.

Mara’s room was to the right. Smiling at the beauty of her room in the daylight, he left her and went to the window, appearing to gaze out while checking the wards. The lacy curtains lay over the frames, so Aerrvin asked Mirri to flutter them. While Mara went to her closet, he added his own blessing of protection by kissing the lock on the window.

“Make sure you keep the lock on your windows secure,” he said opening the window and then closing and locking it.

“I do,” Mara replied, returning from her large closet with a jewelry case.

“Ah! A fairy!” she cried, as the wind swirled a seedpod into the room. “Catch it, and you can make a wish,” she added as she moderated her excitement. “At least, that’s what we do here in America.”

She blushed, causing Aerrvin to smile pleasantly in return. His violet-blue eyes sparkled in the light like jewels.

“Well, where I come from they are for sending and receiving messages. This one tells me it is time to return home,” he smiled ruefully at the bit of dandelion fluff and the invisible Wind Sprite who brought it; then he placed it on the dresser. “But first, let me see what you have.”

In the not-too-small chest lay a splendid collection of rings, brooches, and necklaces.

Picking up first one and then another, Aerrvin appraised each. “These are all in excellent condition, but they need to be worn to keep them in tip-top shape.”

****

Picking up the one Mara loved most but never wore; Aerrvin attached it around her neck before she could stop him. He said, “Never take this off. It suits you.”

The necklace comprised three delicate amethyst stones of equal size set in a silver heart encrusted with diamonds to fill in the shape. The pendant hung from a delicate silver chain.

Mara became inwardly upset because the last time she wore it, she couldn’t remove it for a month. She started to protest, but then sputtered to a stop, as she couldn’t think of a good reason not to wear it. In truth, ever since getting it off, Mara had been afraid to even take it out of the box; but with Aerrvin here, she felt peace. Standing at her mirror, she admired the gems as they sparkled against her pale skin. She knew she wouldn’t be able to remove the necklace quickly this time either.

“Would you please hold off on selling these, until I check my finances?”

“Yes, of course. I won’t need extra cash until midsummer anyway, if then.”

Thinking of past midsummer night escapades brought a wicked grin to Aerrvin’s face. Taking her hand, he started to say, “That reminds me…”

“Mara Lilyana Jamis! I am shocked! What are you doing with a young man in your bedchamber?” Jill mocked, holding her hand over her heart

Mara shrugged.

Jill wore a pale blue dress with a simple handkerchief hem, topped by a plain white shrug fastened with a satin ribbon. Sporting new white sandals with a low heel, and with her short red hair spiked just so; she presented a truly lovely sight.

“Very fetching!” Aerrvin complimented.

“Ditto. You’ve outdone yourself as well,” Jill replied, not realizing he had toned down his usual outlandish creations.

Today he wore a white peasant shirt with gathered sleeves, which Mara thought looked surprisingly like her bedspread. Looking more closely, she noted the sleeves did indeed end with a double ruffle of the very same lace as was on her bed. The shirt tied shut with a black, corded satin string. Left un-tucked, the shirt hung down to the top of his thighs. He wore slim black herringbone slacks. Mara recalled that when seen up close the fabric was actually black and a saturated purple.

She agreed it was unquestionably fancier than a stock boy in jeans and a long-sleeved pullover. Currently, he was barefooted as he wore no socks and his loafers were in the study. His feet were pure perfection. Her breathing quickened at the silly notion that feet were attractive, yet surely his were.

The phone rang, interrupting Mara’s appraisal of clothing and feet.

“Hello, this is Mara. Yes, I will tell him; do you need to speak to him?” She paused to catch Aerrvin’s attention, “Aerrvin, it’s Jaera. She sounds excited.” Mara handed him the phone and began packing up her jewelry.

“Hello,” Aerrvin answered, smooth as silk.

“Yes, I did. Well, because it didn’t say why, and I had something going on,” he twitched his eyebrows at both girls naughtily. “Why didn’t you say so?! Is the car outside or do we need to run?” Laughing, he hung up the phone, picked up Growly and gave him a kiss, and then grabbed both girls by the elbows and headed them towards the stairs. “I have a wonderful surprise I want to share with you. Can you come to my place, right now?”

Looking at each other in startlement, the girls stood at the top of the stairs as Aerrvin bounced in excitement. Finally, Jill said, “Well I’m ready. Where are your shoes, Mara?”

They arrived in two minutes at the Victorian house, known by some as the O’Shea Mansion.