July 1

"Who are you?" Gabriel was in utter shock, his voice trembled. He was a wizard it was true, but he'd never conjured anything like this. A woman stood before him, she was no ordinary woman, the dark violet wings coming from her back wasn't his only clue either.

"Me? I am July." She was obliviously annoyed, and had no problem letting this beast know it. July scowled at Gabriel and hissed at him as he tried to cross the circle he'd cast upon the earth.

The wizard smiled as he looked the lithe creature sitting on his floor and smiled.

He crooked his head to look at her. "July, you mean like the month?"

The girl shifted bringing her knees to her chest. "Yes." She said through barred teeth.

Gabriel, the wizard, could tell she was agitated and afraid. You would be too if you were suddenly in a place you'd never been. July didn't just stumble upon this strange place. No she was transported here by Gabriel.

"Why am I here?" July growled.

Gabriel continued to look her over, licking his lips contemplating her. She sat staring back at him for a while then she got angrier when he didn't answer her.

Her spine prickled with rage as she moved to stand.

"Why the hell am I here?" she shouted, stepping out of the circle with ease, the wizard took a few steps back

"Such a little hellcat.." Gabriel started to walk around July in a tight circle; this made July even more nervous. She continued staring at him her violet eyes seemed to pulsate with a mixture of fear and anger.

"You are here because my magick brought you here." Gabriel reached out to touch her face, she instinctively backed away snarling like a fierce creature.

"If your so called magick brought me here, then why didn't you know who I am?" July Scoffed at his reasoning.

"Because I simply conjured a fey I didn't specify what fey I wanted."

The two stood for several moments looking at each other like petulant children.

"You did not conjure me, I have existed in other places than this one." She stated proudly, glaring at him.

"I have not said I created you merely transported you" Gabriel knelt putting his hands on her knees; July did her best not to flinch as his sweaty palms slid to her thighs.

"You are to be mine." Gabriel's mouth twisted into a wicked smile.

July bit her lip. "I belong to no one." She sounded defiant

Gabriel moved in just inches from her dark red lips "you are mine now."

He kissed her hard. July was unsure of what to do so she went limp against him.

He pulled away and he was laughing. "In time my fiery temptress you will learn to please me."

July did learn. The wizard taught her just how to please him. Every night there was a lesson. She didn't really like his lessons but he told her it was her duty. That duty almost made her ill. At first it pained July immensely to learn Magick different from that she'd been born into.

Soon in time July did start to enjoy her time with the wizard. It was after he began teaching July the essence of all magic, the art of Alchemy.

She seemed to adjust rather well, although Gabriel did on some nights find her crying in the garden. Gabriel never asked her why she cried, he figured she would tell him if she needed too. July never sad anything, she would just wipe her tears and come inside and nestle down next to him.

July and Gabriel were soon in love and absorbed into each other, July's weeping on his moonflowers became seldom. He figured she must really miss her home; the only he could safely go there and back would be if his wed his faerie princess. When he finally got up the nerve to propose, July gleefully accepted. She explained faeries needed no ceremonies, just a pure showing of genuine love. Gabriel did his best to come up with a show big enough.

Since her coming July had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge of the world she now in habited. Knowing that the wizard found her every book ever written, which was quiet difficult but finally when he had done it he took July into the room blindfolded.

When she was begging to see her surprise Gabriel pulled the blind fold away. July stood staring in wonder spinning slowly looking at every inch of the room. July took her wizard's hand a squeezed

"You Gabriel Atter son of Petrus and Alexandria Atter have given me the world, for that I love you."

"Hello, my pretty one." That was his usual nightly greeting. July rolled over to face the door. The wizard stood there in his fine black robe, she smiled because even though he held July a captive he was still very nice and very understanding of her.

She smiled and pulled back her bed sheet, Gabriel climbed on her bed kneeling next to her.

"How was your day?" he asked stroking her hair in a most tender fashion.

"It was fascinating, I read in the library all day." She smiled slightly. Gabriel kissed her.

He touched her petal delicate skin; July felt the power he wielded under his skin. It felt like a leopard being kept at bay. She wanted Gabriel to let the leopard loose on her. Only when they were doing ritual magick did he even come close.

Something deep inside her propelled July toward his mouth she met it with her own. Their kiss was like July's fire magick when left unchecked could burn them.

***

July woke later to the sound of weeping; it seemed to be coming from the garden. She sat up quickly and bolted from her room leaving Gabriel sleeping peacefully. July flew out to the garden with lighting speed. She looked around the moonlight garden. She saw her. Moonlight seemed to both shield and caress the figure standing near the blood red roses. July watched curiously the visitor seemed to weeping while concentrating on the blooms.

July recognized this woman by her very shape and the pale orangey pink glow of her wings. July could not believe her eyes she flew as fast as her wings would allow her.

"Heath!" she called out in excitement.

"July?" Heath sounded so sad. July finally reached her weeping friend taking her into her arms a holding her close. "Oh Heath, I missed you!"

"Where have you been baby?" he asked in between tears, staring at her best friend resolutely, she would have to convince July to come home. July was missed by more than just Heathen.

"Here." July was happily covering Heath in kisses not stopping till she found her target. Heath's lips were soft and delicious like ripe raspberries. "I've been here with Gabriel."

Heath looked confused "What's a Gabriel?" July giggled kneeling at Heath's feet.

"Gabriel is a man." She looked up at Heathen her hair seemed black in the moonlight, July offered up a simple smile.

"You've gone missing over a man?" Heath melted at her friend's smile which kept no secrets like it once had.

"Not just a man, a wizard."

"He knows true magick?"

"Yes, he's very strong." July nodded. "I can feel his beast." July smiled even wider thinking about Gabriel sprawled out in bed sleeping.

"His beast?" This statement puzzled Heathen a lot, she had never in all of her life heard July speak in such riddles.

"You know Constellian?" July laid her head in Heath's lap.

"The felis guardian of our meadows, yes I know him" Heath looked confused again.

"Yes, I feel one of his leopards when I touch Gabriel."

"I must see this wizard."

"I will take you to him."

The two faeries fluttered arm in arm back into the wizard's house. Heath looked in wonderment at the wonderful things inside. "Come on." July pulled her friend along.

Gabriel was sitting up in bed looking rather bewildered

"I'm here." July called softly.

"Where did you go Queen Mischievous?" his voice was still heavy with sleep.

"Heathen came to find me." July cooed happily standing near the bed.

Gabriel turned his attention wearily to a blonde faerie whose red orange gossamer seemed to glow dangerously in the moonlight.

Heathen smiled at him, her eyes seemed to burn with curiosity.

"She's a fire faerie like me." July pulled Heath into the big four-poster bed.

"July hasn't been seen by any of us in many moons, our queens became worried, so I set out to find her." Heath stammered as she fell into July and Gabriel.

"Whoa July be careful with her." Gabriel's heart was pounding as he looked at the two lithe fire faeries to his left. He couldn't help but fear he had angered the queens in keeping July so long. He hadn't meant to its just that he grew attached so quickly.

At first glance Gabriel looked mean, but when Heath saw every inch of his face light up with absolute wonder as he looked at them. He was like a small child forced to grow up to soon.