Toby
“We have to get to the Black Caves,” Lizzi said as the blinding light of the portal still made it hard for Toby to see.
“This wasn’t in the deal. I don’t want to get into that much trouble with my mom,” Megan said as her eyes met with Toby’s then Craig’s.
“Hey, Megan,” Craig said as if they were just stopping over to visit her.
Megan huffed as she turned and rummaged in a tall dresser behind her.
“I can see it now, more time with Dr. Greene explaining my misconduct!” Megan spat out more to herself than them followed by more mumbling.
“This is my portal pass…” Megan stopped and looked at them one by one. “You know if I am going to pay dearly for this, I want to come,” she said tilting her head slightly from side to side as she held the oval shaped clear disk in her hand.
“Fine, keep up,” Lizzi said as Megan smiled.
“What about the Mog?” Megan looked at Lizzi.
“He can be your pet.” Lizzi quickly answered.
“Actually he is mine, but we can share him,” Craig said smiling at Megan.
“Forget it, let’s just go and get this over with.” Megan flipped her blonde hair back and led them through the portal.
The beating sound of drums with other almost harsh sounding music was the first thing Toby noticed as the portal closed behind them. Several circular racks of clothes surrounded them with even more hung on the walls above them.
“Cas…I mean Megan, it is so good to see you. I was just going to leave since we are closed.” A woman wearing a long, silver coat and hair nearly a white-blonde pulled up so tight into a bun, it distorted her face. “And I see you brought…friends.” She raised her eyebrows.
“They’re not my friends,” she said in a reassuring voice. “We are trying to get to the Black Caves.”
The woman gave her a startled look. “Why would you want to go there?”
“I am on a scavenger hunt for a charity and I got stuck with them. It’s all to make good face.” Megan rolled her eyes.
“What charity?” She asked as Toby grew worried.
“Homeless Gnomes. Greenwood wasn’t considered an historic district and all of those ratty old houses were torn down and now Avalon will be expanding there.” Megan ended her excuse on an upbeat note. “The charity is trying to relocate them.”
“I see, well tell them you stopped by at Vine.” The woman nearly pushed them out the door.
Toby thought he heard her say something about animal hair and looked back at Craig and then Mike.
“There are homeless Gnomes. Really, I thought they lived in trees or something like that.” Craig jovially asked.
“That’s just great! Just great!” Megan threw her hands up in the air and ignoring Craig. “Now I looked like an idiot at one of the best clothing stores in Avalon.
“We don’t have time to worry about that, more important things hang in the balance,” Lizzi said taking the pass from Megan’s hand.
“Give me that and what can be more important than me?” Megan took the pass back and placed her hands on her hips.
“Avalon,” Lizzi said with her blue eyes fixed on Megan.
Megan flicked her blonde hair back and acted like it didn’t bother her. “Fine, let’s continue shall we.” Megan tromped off in her high heeled boots that clacked on the pavement. “There’s another portal over here.”
Lizzi looked up at Toby who smiled slightly at her before they followed Megan down a dark stairwell.
The short set of stairs opened to a large room filled with many different portals all glowing and twice as big as the one in Megn’s room that was more like a mirror. A circular glass booth sat in the center with a sign stating that the Portal Teller was unavailable and only prepaid passes were accepted. Megan didn’t seem bothered by that as she went over to a large map hung on the wall behind glass.
“It looks like if we take Portal 1 and then 7...we should be close. There’s no direct portal there.” Megan looked back at them and shrugged her shoulders.
“Mike don’t like portals,” The Mog who had been quiet suddenly said in a low tone.
“Well, I’m not walking there.” Megan said looking at Toby.
He had seen her stubborn look before. She was never good at giving in; she only wanted what she wanted. Megan must have had a strong spell on him for him to put up with her for so long.
“It will be fine and I will be with you.” Craig tried to reassure the animal.
“Fine let’s go,” Lizzi said stepping up to the portal with the number one painted above it.
Megan swiped her card through a slot that extended from the wall in a quick manner. The portal began to hum and grow in brightness.
“Enter the portal please,” a woman’s voice said in a calm tone overhead.
They stepped through it and into a darkened room. Toby’s eyes had a hard time focusing in the quietness. Suddenly the sound of glass breaking came from behind him.
“Sorry,” Mike said as Craig told him to be quiet.
“Where are we?” Lizzi pulled from her pocket a hand orillion.
The glow from her hand illuminated a room filled with tables, chairs and piles of books and other clutter. Lizzi held the orillion overhead and turned trying to find a door when Toby could see a curtain was off to the side.
Carefully he walked over and pulled it back to see the cityscape of Avalon. Its light made the room glow overpowering the light of orillion. They all gathered to the window in awe of the ice like city.
“Where are we? This isn’t where Portal 1 was supposed to take us!” Lizzi turned to Megan who stood with a baffled look on her face.
“What do you want me to do? I was just following the map,” Megan said with crossed arms.
“The map was right, but the portal was rerouted.” A woman’s voice pierced the darkness.
Toby could see a woman pale and thin, almost if the life had been sucked from her and she was nothing but a hollow shell.
“My name is Izett and we would love to have you as our guests.”
Eli
Eli darted through Avalon like an arrow. He easily passed through the shadows of Duegar District and then to Embrota Forest, a dark and small forest that was slowly being developed into an upscale suburban area.
The caves could hardly be seen, only a small crescent shape that looked like an upside down black moon. Eli knew the caves were treacherous and had many deep crevasses and dead ends in its maze of tunnels.
Nonetheless, he entered feeling an invisible light was guiding him. Eli moved quickly, his feet barely touched the slick eternally moist ground. Water trickled into shallow pools that Eli leaped over without difficulty.
He felt his body was not his own, like a string had been attached to him and someone pulled on the other end guiding him. He held his orillion in his hand lifting it occasionally to see in front of him.
Suddenly, he enter a large room filled with dim light and two figures loomed in the distance. One stood tall and broad while the other hunched on the ground. He could hear their voices but couldn’t understand anything they said.
“Eli.” A voice came behind him.
Eli felt his mind was on one track and quickly he pulled out his palm scepter nearly stabbing Deravon.
“It’s only me!” He held up his hands in front of him. ”What happened to you? Did that Landmerrow poison turn you into some super Fae?” Deravon looked at Eli as they stood behind a large rock. “I’ve been following you and nearly met my death a few times keeping up.”
“Quiet.”
Deravon and Eli hid in the shadows when the dark, cloaked figure turned towards them.
“I know you’re here. Deravon…Eli..I’ve been waiting.”
Eli felt his heart leap into his throat as he pulled a dagger from its sheath. He stepped out and walked towards the figure cautiously. Several Landtowers were illuminated encircling the two fi
gures.
“Deravon you have done somewhat well, but your loyalty I question.” The man stepped closer to them and flipped back his hood. “Eli, it is nice to have you here, even though I don’t need you.” Orzan gave Eli a venomous smile.
“Go.” Deravon pushed Eli into the circle of lights.
“Traitor!” Eli turned to thrust his palm scepter towards Deravon when it flew from his hand and smashed against the cave wall into pieces.
Eli quickly tried to use his dagger when it to was too extracted from his hand as well. Deravon only shrugged his shoulders and smiled at Eli.
“It’s no use to try to …save the day, but if you cooperate maybe I can spare your pitiful life.” Orzan words was like sugar coated poison.
“I’d rather die.” Eli’s words felt like fire to his lips.
“It’s your choice; I don’t mind killing those who don’t see things my way.” Orzan turned and centered himself in the circle. “Loyalty, true loyalty is all I require for a perfect Fae world and that is what I will have.”
Deravon grabbed hold of Eli’s arms as a rolling mist filled in around them.
“Follow my lead.” Deravon whispered into his ear.
As soon as the mists encased them, they just as quickly dissipated. Eli found himself in a large glass, dome shaped room. It looked like he was inside a hollowed out diamond with brilliant colors dancing off one another. In the center was Orzan, a man that lay crumpled on the floor and behind Orzan and a sculpture of a girl made out of glass so clear it looked like liquid.
Eli looked at the sculpture as Orzan walked around it quietly. It was small in size and that of a young girl holding out her arms and looking down at her feet. Her mouth was open in a silent scream and her hair blew in an invisible wind. Eli tried to step closer, but Deravon pulled him taunt.
“It’s Lyssa, listen to me if you want her back.” Deravon whispered in his ear.
“Now, all we have to do is wait until Forthdawn. And by my watch we won’t have to wait long.”
“Tie him up Deravon to the Etherling and put them in the corner, their energy will only benefit me when they die.” Orzan laughed as he left the room.
“What’s going on Deravon?” Eli jerked his hands loose.
“I have a plan and like I said if you want your daughter alive and well then trust me.” Deravon had always been persuasive.
Eli looked at him for a moment thinking of Zoey as he let his eyes look at Lyssa.
“I want justice too. He killed my sister and your lover, Lyssa’s mother.” Deravon pulled the Etheling man alongside the wall.
Eli looked at Deravon and tried to comprehend what he just said. “Your sister?” Eli almost felt his throat tighten.
“Zoey was your sister and you knew she was Lyssa’s mother and I was…”
“Her father—she only shared that tidbit recently. The brother sister thing I knew, though we are not from the same mother.” Deravon looked him in the eyes. “That’s the truth and I suggest you play this little façade as a greater plan will be unfolding soon.”
Deavon looked out of the glass dome towards the sky just beginning to blush with dawn.
“Forthdawn is coming,” Deavon said looking back at Eli.
Lyssa
Lyssa felt like she was underwater. Her body was light and moved slowly as she walked through a forest of bare trees with curving fluid limbs. They had no bark on them but were smooth like skin and glowed dimly. A clear path of brick paved around the trees that seemed to melt into the whiteness above her. Everything glowed around its edges, like it was alive.
Lyssa followed the path until she came to a silver mirror with no frame, like it grew from the ground beneath it. From it spilled a silver liquid that made a narrow stream. Lyssa could see her reflection. She still looked the same as she remembered, but her memory was fading. She had forgotten why she was here and where she had come from.
“Lyssa.” A voice called from the silver mirror.
She peered into it when a face slowly formed until she could see it was Zoey.
People of Fae Page 37