“She isn’t an Etherling—she’s Fae.” Zoey followed him with her eyes. “I did what I had to do.” Zoey let out a sigh as Eli leaned against the wall and looked out the window.
“I never had intentions of taking it to the Isle of Stars—at least not at first. The Muses’ would’ve caught me before we even made it there. I went to the Etherworld, a place they would dare not go, at least not right away. I bought time by doing so. I have been collecting relics for a long time and the Everspell can bring our beliefs and just way to the Faes.” Zoey slightly smiled at Eli who glared at her over his shoulder. “Everything hangs in the balance and what the Muses’ took from me I can never replace, but I also don’t have to let them win.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me?” Eli asked stepping closer. “You could have just told me.”
“The less you knew at least at the time, the better. I know it was no paradise, but prison was much safer than running from the Muses’.” Zoey swung her legs over the bed exposing her soft looking flesh of her thighs. Eli quickly looked away. “The last thing I wanted was to hurt you and now I can only hope you understand.”
“Why her? Why the girl?” Eli asked staring out the window with the sun quickly rising past the horizon.
“She is a vessel and I thought the Muses’ would never have found her.” Zoey slowly stood up. “We have to get her Eli and I need your help.”
Eli looked at Zoey who had more strength in her eyes than her barely standing body. She stood slightly bent as a little blood began to stain her white shirt.
“You’re bleeding.” Eli rushed to her and helped her lay back down.
“Eli,” Zoey said weakly. “We have to get Lyssa, the Muses’ have her. They made a portal right after we were attacked by a Drake. If she falls into the wrong hands…”
“Don’t worry.” Eli lifted her shirt just enough to see her wound.
He had helped many fallen sentries that got hurt patrolling the Borderlands. But Zoey wasn’t a fellow sentry, she was something more.
Beside the bed was a gray-green bottle that had dust in it that Elijah used before and had instructed Eli to use more if needed. Gently, he sprinkled it over her stitched wound. He could see the paleness of her skin that was so soft under his touch. The dust glittered against her skin that was smeared with blood. Zoey closed her eyes tightly and gritted her teeth.
Eli then laid a cloth over it and put her shirt back down. She then slowly relaxed as she gazed at Eli.
“Thank you,” she simply said.
Eli nodded. He poured from a pitcher a glass of water and gave it to Zoey.
“You’re really good at this,” Zoey said tenderly brushing her hand across his forearm.
“It’s nothing. I’m only filling in for Elijah.” Eli tried to say in a cool tone.
“So you think the Muses’ have Lyssa?” Eli asked.
“Yes, we tried to defend ourselves, but Orzan was more powerful than I remembered. And I thought I heard several voices coming from him like he was possessed. What is Elijah doing in trying to find her?” Zoey asked trying to sit upright.
Eli looked over at the table and remembered Elijah saying if Zoey tried to get up to give her what was in the blue bottle. He refilled her glass and secretly put the two drops as instructed into the clear water.
“You don’t understand, Eli, how important this is. Lyssa has no control over the Everspell. She needs the key. The key you took from the museum. It opens something that is essential in the extraction of it. If the Muses’ try to take it from her they will kill her.” Zoey grew pale with each breath she took as sweat beaded on her forehead.
“Here,” Eli said, holding the glass to her pale dry, lips. “Drink this and you will feel better.”
“Where’s the key?” Zoey asked setting her head back onto the pillow.
“It’s at the Museum, I never managed to actually take it before being caught,” Eli said, placing the glass back onto the table.
“I’m sleepy; you gave me what was in the blue bottle didn’t you?” She said as her eyes opened and shut. “You were sneaky—use that sneakiness to get the key back.”
Zoey let her eyes close one last time and slept soundly as Eli gazed at her wondering how he was going to do that.
Lyssa
“You are lucky my son got there in time,” Elsa said taking a sip from her glass. “And if you’re wondering about Zoey, Toby and Deravon they are fine and here with Sean.”
“You have been watching me for a while,” Lyssa said feeling violated from being spied on, but also glad or she might still be with the Muses’.
“Not that long. I have only seen bits and pieces, just enough to know that you are here and at the time, in great danger. That is why I sent my son.” Elsa’s smile seemed to comfort Lyssa.
“What about Gwen and do you know where my dad is then?” Lyssa asked hoping she had news of them.
Elsa sat her glass down and started to say something when the door flew open.
“The Council is coming!” The boy who was here earlier said looking at Lyssa.
The boy shut the door behind him with his now greyish eyes staring almost repulsively at Lyssa. She felt a cold wave fill her causing goose bumps to rise over her skin.
“I can’t take her now. They will wonder where I went,” he said removing his eyes from Lyssa.
Elsa didn’t say a word, only smiled tensely at Lyssa and took her by the arm back into the bedroom.
“Lyssa, everything will be fine. Just stay in here until I come and get you.” Elsa closed the door behind her.
Lyssa stood halfway to the door trying to listen to the muffled voices. She wondered what this dreaded Council was and why the boy had looked at her in such disgust. She then heard the front door open and close. She heard a set of footsteps followed by several more as the door shut behind them.
“Good day seeress,”a male voice said. “Any news on the Everspell?” His words had a dark undertone to them.
“No.” Elsa answered sharply. “Like I said before, seering doesn’t always work when you want.”
Silence filled the air as Lyssa heard the footsteps coming closer to the door. She stepped back quietly.
“You don’t understand we need this to work for us right now and I think you have the capabilities to make it happen. Oh, Elsa I have seen your work—I have complete faith in you,” Another male voice said in a much smoother tone than the first and dripped with sweet venom.
“She said she tried,” the boy said in a stern voice.
“I didn’t tell you to speak, but since you are, where is the Etherling? Was she at the Muses’?” The smooth voice asked.
“I couldn’t find the Etherling. The Muses’ must have her hid.” His reply was quick and convincing, but the tense length of silence that followed said otherwise.
“If you weren’t one of the King’s sons I would have your head and put it on a pole as an example for the rest. We can’t afford to fail!” A heavy fist landed on the table making the dishes rattle and Lyssa jump.
“Look for her again, and I do hope you find her because it won’t be good to come back empty handed.” The door slammed behind him and silence filled the room.
Lyssa stood frozen to the floor and stared at the door. She could hear Elsa speak in a low murmur and wondered what was going on when the door slowly opened.
Elsa smiled at her. “I’m sorry you had to hear that and I wish I could explain more things to you, but your safety is compromised and my son will take you to the Rebels now.”
Behind her the boy gazed at her like a hawk looking for its prey then quickly looked away when their eyes met.
“Lyssa you have a power that has been lost to myth for centuries and now everyone is seeking you out. I know Zoey and the Rebels, they are allies to us as our own race is facing a new leader and our peaceful ways are dissolving. They want war with the Fae and you are the catalysis for it.”
>
Lyssa stood with her arms wrapped around her as her head began to throb. The Everspell that Zoey had lovingly placed in her wasn’t a gift, but a curse. She felt furious at Zoey, but pushed it away because she couldn’t do anything about it now.
Elsa smiled at her as the boy, whom she still didn’t know his name, turned and in one brisk movement, put on a heavy-looking, black cape that swirled around him. There was something about him that seemed familiar, something distant, like his eyes had met hers before.
Suddenly, sweat began to run down her back and bead on her forehead. Her stomach churned and bile rose in her throat. She quickly turned looking for something to empty the contents of her stomach into. An empty bowl sat near the bed and she ran to it, hunched to the floor and threw up thinking the whole time about the boy seeing her do this. She felt more embarrassed than sick.
People of Fae Page 19