"So you're telling me that I literally feed off the sexual energy of others?" I asked, wringing my hands in my lap. Bo smiled, and nodded.
"I know it sounds weird, and scary, but it's who you are, and if you give it time… you might start to love it."
"I doubt that," I said, quietly, thinking of faces I'd really rather forget. For most of my adolescent life I'd been kept prisoner in my own home under the pretense that I was being protected, but now I knew, it was the outside world that was being protected. I was monster, a demon, something to be kept away from.
"Hey," Bo said, putting a hand on my arm. "I know it feels wrong to accept yourself, but I promise you, this is where you belong. We're all like you here, this can be your home."
"Yeah," I sighed, "home has never been a comforting word for me."
"Well, it can be now."
I turned to Bo, "Are there any more of us?"
She looked down, "there was my mother, but she's gone now."
"I'm sorry," I said, "That must suck, losing your mom and all."
"I didn't really know her," Bo replied, looking out into the distance. "The only real family I've ever had were the people inside that room." This struck a chord somewhere deep inside me, and for some reason I leaned in to hug Bo. The moment I did I felt weird and silly, and Bo was surprised at first but then she threw an arm around me too.
"It still sucks," I breathed. "No matter if you knew her or not."
"What about you?" She asked, after I pulled away.
"What about me?"
"Well, from what I have heard you're parents aren't winning any awards this year."
I chuckled, but on the inside I wanted to cry. "They're… they're not bad people," I began, "They were just afraid."
"For themselves." Bo stated.
"For everyone," I said, turning to look at her again. "They're important people, and a very social family. Once they realized there was something wrong with me they couldn't risk putting everyone they knew in danger… so they locked me up. But hey, a mansion isn't that bad of a playground, I had my own gym and everything."
"But no friends." Bo said, her gaze was starting to scare me. Like she was reaching for more and if I wasn't willing she would take it from me.
I looked away. "Well what happens now?"
"That's the tricky part," she sighs, "I'm supposed to tell you that now you choose. You are either Dark Fae or Light Fae, and since you've just become self-aware the time for you to make a decision isn't much."
"What happens when I choose?"
"Well that's one thing I can't really tell you, seeing as picking sides has never been my forte."
"You mean you haven't chosen then?"
"No, but I don't really suggest that for you."
"And why not?" I asked, eyeing her.
"Because choosing a side means protection, you have to follow a code of conduct and legal things like that, but at least you'd have security. They can help you build back your life, you've just got to choose if you're good or bad."
"I don't have a life at all," I replied, bitterly. "I've never really been allowed one."
"Well this is your chance," She smiled, looking at me like she was going to suck all my feelings out again. "You know, you're very beautiful Lorelei."
I stared at her like an idiot. "You're not bad yourself," I said, warily, "although I'm sure you knew that."
"Oh no," she giggled, "I didn't mean it in a flirting kind of way. I just meant that you look different from other Succubi, you're beautiful but not in a seductive kind of way."
"Gee, thanks." I snorted.
"No!" She said again, giggling harder now. "Listen, listen, you're innocent looking, almost like a china doll."
It wouldn't be the first time I'd heard that. Growing up people would always comment on me, saying I looked like a doll, or a picture, or some type of fairy tale princess. It wasn't until I got older that I realized my looks brought less than innocent intentions. I'd had long, dark brown, hair my whole life, with really piercing green eyes, and it often set me apart. Girls hated me, boys liked me, and it wasn't until the night of my 13th birthday that I realized my body was nothing to be proud of. Not when the body of my first kiss lay dead at my feet. So being beautiful was never something I'd been proud of, why should I be? When my love would only ever cost someone their life?
Shaking away all the dark memories, I stood up. "How much time do I have before I've got to choose?"
Bo frowned, "a week."
"A week?" I huffed, "you guys really know how to let a girl get settled in."
"Speaking of that," Bo began standing up as well, "I figured you might want to stay with me and Kenzi for a few days? Until you decide?"
"It's not like I've got anywhere else to go." Bo led me back into the room we'd first encountered each other, I was surprised to see all the same faces that were in there before. They must have been waiting for hours. I saw the doctor, Dyson, and Tamsin, and a bunch of other faces I didn't know.
"Hi there," a girl with dark hair and heavy eye makeup said as she approached Bo and I. "I'm Kenzi."
"Hi," I smiled, still trying to ignore how weird this entire situation was.
I could sense the doctor looking at me, I shot her a hard stare, but soon realized it wasn't me she was looking at, it was Bo. She walked over to her and grabbed her hand, leaning in to whisper in her ear. Oh, so that's why she was so excited for Bo. Tamsin came up to me next, "Hey kid." She said, and I could tell she was trying not to look in the direction of the two I'd been looking at. "Sorry for earlier, I hope I didn't freak you out too much."
"No, not that much," I laughed, "Thanks for, saving me, I guess?"
"No problem, saving Succubus' is sort of my thing." She shrugged, and I could see the tips of her ears go red. Everything was starting to make a lot more sense. "So any ideas on which side you're going to choose?"
"No, actually," I said looking down, "I have no idea. Dark or light, I just want to come out of this still being, well, me I guess."
"How about I come find you this week and show you around, being dark doesn't necessarily mean bad, it just means less rules." She smiled.
"You're dark?"
"And proud." She smiled, "don't let these guys brain wash you into thinking all dark fae are evil."
I smiled at her, "I'd actually love that."
"Lorelei," Bo called, from her place beside the doctor, "I want you to meet some people, come on."
I turned to signal bye to Tamsin when she caught my arm. "Don't… don't' trust the doctor, ok?" She whispered, "Lauren is just out for herself, and she's possessive to the point of recklessness."
My blood turned cold, that was the second person to insinuate that I should keep my distance. "What do you mean?" I asked, urgently. I was about to go home with these people, and if the affection I was seeing between Bo and Lauren was any indication, I was sure Lauren would be there to.
"I can't explain everything now, just keep you're distance." She let go of me, and turned away. Taking a deep breath, I turned back to the others. I tried to tell myself not to worry, that Tamsin's warnings must have come more from her apparent jealousy than actual fear.
"Lorelei, this is my girlfriend Lauren." Bo smiled grabbing the blonde's hand.
"Yeah," I breathed, "We sort of met."
Lauren looked at me, and I could see she was trying to gauge whether or not I'd remembered Dyson's words. "It's nice to meet you, Lorelei." She went to shake my hand, and I begrudgingly gave it to her.
"Likewise." I said carefully.
"And this," Bo grinned, gesturing to a small man to the right of her, "Is my grandfather, Trick."
"Hi," Trick smiled reaching out to grab my hand. I much more willingly obliged to this handshake. "It's good to have you here, Lorelei, I hope you find yourself at home in our world."
I gave a half-hearted smile. "Yeah, I hope so too."
"Bobo," Kenzi said coming up behind us, "I've got a date night with Hale, so you two can have the place all to yourselves."
"Oh that reminds me," Bo said, "Lorelei, Hale, is the Ashe. Or in other words, the leader of the light fae. You should have a talk with him when considering sides."
"Noted," I sighed, bringing a hand up to my temples. Everything was becoming a bit overwhelming, the choosing sides, the warnings over Lauren, and I still couldn't shake the feeling of guilt over how my parents must be feeling right now.
Bo must have noticed because she put a hand on my arm to guide me away. "Come on," she said, "lets go get a drink."
"A drink?" I snorted, "I'm 18."
"I know," she smirked, turning around to look at me.
"Oh," my smile started to spread, "I think I like where you're going with this."
"Let's go out and get you a life, baby fae." She laughed, whirling around and leading me through the door. For the first time since I'd left my home, I began to feel sort of happy, maybe even safe.