Chained Wings

---POV Reslinda--- I looked up at the school I called home for the last four years and sighed. Why do I keep coming here again? I asked internally. I just don't know why I always allow my family to have the final say. I sighed and pulled my bags towards the dorms. My name is Reslinda and I am a Fae. Not just any Fae, I'm the Queen's daughter...well...her youngest daughter. Throughout my life she has hated me, tormented me and used me as her personal punching bag. For what reason, you ask? None at all really. Just because I was born. I, the Second Princess of the Fae, is nothing but a nuisance to those I call family. When I was younger, I was brought to this place. As a Fae, we are immortal and we don't just stop aging at a certain point, we also look like children for much longer than many of the other supernatural - vampires, werewolves, gargoyles, nymphs, witches, warlocks, blah, blah, blah - that have different lifespans than us and different aging rates. The only ones that I can think of that age as slowly as us would be wolves and vampires, but fairies are the only ones I can think of that stay as children for as long as we do. We look like kids until we are around twenty. Between then and thirty-five, we change into adults and live among them. However, we are all technically adults at eighteen, and when our families think the time is right, some supernatural finish their training in places like Walray Academy. A finishing school for the high level supernatural. It teaches us how to rule or how to respect our rulers as their second and third in command. Werewolves are rare at these types of schools nowadays because they have learned to intermingle with humans and their flow of society. They also don't live to see their immortality on most occasions because of their instinctual need to fight, but the Fae still hold schools like these to their upmost standards. As do the vampires and many other creatures of the supernatural. I looked around my dorm. The suite with all of the good memories I have of life. No one is screaming and telling me I'm worthless. No one believes that I'm not good enough to be a part of the group. This was my space. This is where I rule and this is why I came back here. I pulled my bags into my room and started to pull everything out. The faster I got unpacked, the faster I could forget my family and the stupid week-long vacation. ---Phone Rings--- I looked down at the caller ID glowing from my phone on the bed and relaxed in relief. I had just pulled it out of the drawer and turned it on. I had one rule. When I was home, I never took my phone home with me. My personal life is my personal life and if either of my parents found out about it, it would be detrimental to my health and safety. ---phone conversation start--- I picked it up and held it to my ear, allowing the phone to answer for me. "Hello?" I asked. “Hey girl, you already at school?” Faith, I sighed in relief and smiled, hearing her voice again. No phone means no friends for a week. Faith is a vampire and she is over one-hundred and thirty years old, give or take a few years, so that makes her around twenty-five years old in human years. Confusing, yes, but when you don't look anywhere near as old as you are, it makes more sense to have two different ages. One for those who just don't get it and your real age. I'm the same way. I'm approximately twenty-five years old in human years and well over one-hundred years old, if we were actually counting, within the Fae timeline. My parents never went out of their way to care, but I know I'm at least that age because I have my wings and my powers have grown exponentially over the years. The Fae don't get their wings until they are at least fifty years old. I've had my wings for quite some time now. That and modern science and a finger prick can easily let me know how old I am. Either way, Faith has been my best friend ever since I came to this place and I am so happy that we found each other and are now roommates. Lima is my other roommate, but she is a gargoyle and has lived approximately fifty years and would be around twenty-three or twenty-four in human years. Yep, we are the oddest group of friends in this academy, but maybe that is a good thing. “Of course.” I said on the phone. She didn't need to tell me it was her. I knew by the tones in her voice. Just like in the human fairy tales - no pun intended - we are really in tune with different sounds of the musical variety, that and...amongst other things. “You know I cannot stay around my house for long. It doesn’t serve me well to get riled up over there.” “True. Are you going to head over to the cafe? My brother and I just got back. Sometimes I wish the Harvest Moon Festival would be longer than a week.” She whined. "I can't stand this place. I wish we didn't have to be here just because of our family name." I chuckled and pulled my last pair of pants out of my bag. Faith's family is the oldest family of vampires on record. Their father is the head of the elder council and the head ambassador for the vampire supernatural. But, to be honest, I've never met the guy. I don't know much about her family at all. All I know is her brother is the president of this place and makes it his personal mission to make our lives miserable because we enjoy a bit of...pranking here and there. “I wish it was shorter.” I mumbled. “Well, you don’t have to go to your place every holiday.” I laughed inwardly at her open invitation that she gives every year. The kicker is, I don't go home every holiday. "My family throws the best parties for the Harvest Moon Festival. It sucked that the Rogue Family couldn't be here this time around, but get this, Ayden Rogue got married. Can you believe it?!" Faith shouted. I thought about the person for a moment, then my eyes grew. "Ayden Rogue, next Head of the Werewolf council and King of the Western Territory, that Ayden Rogue?!" I shouted. "Yes! That's what I said. I guess it hasn't made it to the Fae kingdom." She said sullenly. "Tim actually went to the wedding with the Hybrid Royal Family. My brother went for our family. He really didn't want to make a big deal out of it. He didn't even bring a date. I told him he's gonna have to try harder. The aloof and icy personality won't be hot forever, you know?" I snorted, trying to hold back a laugh. "Oh, I know. But we both know there is no way he would even bother with all of that." "Yeah, I guess so. He's more preoccupied with making our lives miserable." I giggled along with her. Sometimes I think she can read my mind. "But seriously though. Please don't force yourself to go home if you don't have to." There goes that momma bear tone of hers. Always protecting me. “You know those are the rules. They want to make sure I’ve kept my end of the bargain. I've avoided them since I enrolled here, I can't do that forever.” I started. “Becoming a more refined young lady.” We said mockingly together in my mother’s nasally tone. “Come on Res, don’t always let your family bring you down. I’ll be there for you, no matter what. Love you lots. See yah in a few.” Faith said happily. “I won’t, I promise.” I smiled even though she couldn’t see me. "Okay, I'll hold you to it. Byeeeeee." She called before we both hung up the phone. I plopped onto my bed and let my phone fall out of my hands, plopping on the pillow. ---phone conversation end--- I was already done putting all my clothes and shoes away from that hellish trip back home and now I had nothing left to do but wait for my friends to get here. Impatiently, I might add. I turned toward the nightstand and smiled at the gift I had finally finished for…for him. I blush beet red as I remember how good he makes me feel. How much I desperately wanted him and how–. ---Phone vibrates--- ---text conversation start--- I looked down at my phone and saw a text message notification. I pulled it open and gasped. “6:30pm and don’t be late.” I bit my lip and nodded at the phone. “Anything I should wear, sir?” I asked and waited for him to respond. Only a few seconds later, another message came through on the screen. “Red and black, easily accessible, and don’t forget your collar.” Man of few words, but nevertheless, even without hearing his voice, I knew my body ached for him. I swear I could hear the base in his voice even through the text messages. It warmed my heart. Other than my friends, he’s the only one I can depend on. The only one I can completely release control to. I am voluntarily his and I’m so happy that he’s mine. I glanced back at the box again and took a deep breath. At least I hope he's mine.... We've been exclusive for so long.... I grazed my hands over the digital keys and quickly sent back a response. "Yes, sir." ---text conversation end--- I felt my whole body tingle when I realized I would see him tonight. It has been a week, but as the months go on, he is getting more and more greedy. I love it. I took a deep breath and decided to stretch my legs. Being stuck in my room all day and night for the last seven days has made me antsy for…I don’t know…sunlight. I pulled myself off my bed and walked out the room in my black and white converse, dusty gray jeans and blue bandeau. It was comfortable and it let my wings free. I let them out today and the vibrant red, brown and orange feathers of mist showed strongly behind me. I was enjoying the fresh air for a bit, then I decided to cut through some buildings heading toward the cafeteria, and once I made it around the corner, I was met with a slap in the face. I wanted to believe that my parents had good intentions at heart by allowing me sanctuary here, but every time this thought crosses my mind, I remember that is too far from the truth. “Get her wings!” One of them called. I winced in pain, feeling the students attacking me with determination. It was almost like a hit was thrown on me, but I know better. Just seeing me alone was a good enough reason to pounce. Then I smelt it. Blood. I smelled my blood. “You don’t deserve to be a fairy…. Disgusting Fae! Friends with the devil and a rock. A fairy cannot fall any lower!” Another one growled. “Why don’t you just stay with your own kind?!” Another shouted in my ear. All the while, they were punching, kicking and pulling at whatever they could grab. However, the physical contact didn’t hurt compared to how I felt for my friends. Why did they always go for Faith and Lima? We became friends shortly after arriving here. Ever since, we have gotten death stares and, well…jumped for no reason other than the fact that we were friends with each other. Apparently, at Walray Academy, the school for the supernatural, it is a cultural taboo to intermingle with those outside your species. Sucks for them that we never cared. I don’t understand how we have made it this far together without cracking, but every year I get closer and closer…. I mean this nonsense, was becoming a regular issue. They don’t even care about our family lines anymore. Especially mine and Faith’s. Unfortunately for them, I won’t stoop to their level. I will not give them the satisfaction. I tucked my head down and clamped my wings shut, sealing them inside so they didn't get permanently damaged. The kicking and pulling pursued and I stuck it out. I didn’t get a good look before I hit the ground beneath me, but I could tell they were pixies and werewolves this time. I’m surprised the recruited the wolves for anything. They usually stick to themselves more than any other species on campus. I guess I’ll have to talk to Tim about this. After a while, they stopped to catch their breath and the initial attacker groaned. “Ugh! She is no fun! She’s not even screaming!” “What…the…hell?!” Within seconds, bones were cracking and whimpers, howls, and screeches echoed through the small, shaded alleyway connecting the – from the smell of it – Potions room and Training Grounds. “Touch her again and the hospital will be the least of your problems! Disappear!!” It was Faith. Thank the goddess, it was Faith. I sighed in relief and turned on my back to see them all scatter to their feet and drag those who were knocked out behind them. Thankfully, some creatures are still scared of her. The sad part is, I wish it was enough to at least keep them at bay.