Wattle gave a gulp and slunk over next to Aurus, where he curled up on a bed of moss and closed his eyes. Aurus eyed him for a moment before lying down facing the weasel.
The girls rolled out their blankets and snuggled close together. Octavia lay on her back, staring up at the indigo sky, where the first stars where beginning to twinkle.
Something woke Octavia. She took a second to steady her breathing before she rolled over. Ferren had been whispering her name softly into her ear; as Octavia turned her eyes upon her, the little mouse gestured. Wattle was standing next to her, his quick paws going through her satchel. She watched him silently as he took out the transportation box and examined it. He opened it but, finding it empty, returned it to the bag. He glanced around furtively, jumping violently as he saw Octavia looking at him.
“Oh, Key Keeper, you are awake!” he stalled, stepping back from the bag. “I was, um, looking for more honey cakes,” he announced, trying for a charming smile.
Octavia narrowed her eyes. “Really?” she asked, disbelieving. The was a rustle from the nearby bush. Wattle scampered back to his mossy bed and tightly closed his eyes. Soren appeared from behind the bush, eyes scanning the darkness. Looking satisfied that nothing was amiss, he resumed his post.
Feeling too sleepy to enlighten him, Octavia decided to talk to Evony in the morning about Wattle. Rolling over, she readily succumbed to sleep once more.
Chapter Nine
The Misty North
The sun warmed Octavia’s face and awakened her slowly; busy sounds around the campsite brought her fully awake and she sat up.
“Good morning.” Evony’s soft voice came from behind her. “Come, join us.”
Octavia turned around to see her sister, cousins, Evony, Soren and Aurus seated around a small fairy fire hovering above the ground, its flames burning with rainbow hues. Wattle didn’t meet her eyes as she passed him and took a seat next to Felicity. Evony passed her a cup of steaming peppermint tea, its aroma blowing away the last vestiges of sleepiness.
“What is the plan for today?” Octavia asked Evony, reaching for a slice of bread and a handful of juicy berries to share with Ferren.
“I estimate we should be at Misty Marsh soon; we will need to be careful as we enter the area – it is deeply into Nesrin’s kingdom, so ambush is most likely. Felicity, I will give you another archery lesson whilst the others pack up the camp,” Evony said, standing. She had braided her long teal hair, twisting it around her head like a crown. She stretched out her strong wings, soaking up the sun’s rays. Octavia caught Soren staring and hid a smile behind her cup.
Soren gave himself a shake and quickly stood to help pack up and tend to the unicorns, who had faded even more overnight, as Evony and Felicity headed further away from the group to practice.
“You, weasel, gather some water.” Aurus nudged the water bottles in Wattle’s direction. Wattle scowled and slunk off, tiny arms full of bottles almost as big as him.
“My compass – my compass is gone!” Martha cried suddenly, tipping her bag upside down and shaking everything out. Remembering Wattle’s night-time wanderings, Octavia’s eyes immediately went to the weasel, whose back stiffened as he finished capping the water bottles.
Beatrice rushed to help Martha look for the compass, who was starting to panic. Octavia felt a sudden sympathy for her eldest cousin; she had been struggling the most with being away from home and was clearly terrified at the thought of being stuck in Fairy Land. Her thoughts turned back to Wattle as he staggered back to the campsite with the bottles of water.
“I will get the princess,” Aurus said solemnly.
Wattle shuffled over to his bed of moss and sat, looking twitchy.
“You haven’t seen the compass, have you?” Octavia asked him. Yes, she wasn’t imagining it – he looked decidedly guilty.
Evony, Felicity and Aurus returned to the clearing, and Evony frowned as she watched the weasel’s reaction. He wouldn’t meet anyone’s eyes, and he wrung his little paws in agitation. Aurus gave a low grunt and stalked toward Wattle, who cowered in fright. As the stag towered over Wattle, words burst out, tumbling over each other in terror.
“I – I thought I could sell it at the Middling Market. I’m without coin now that I have been banished!” He retrieved the compass from the depths of the moss and held it out. With a cry of relief, Martha rushed over to grab it and clutched it tightly to her chest.
Evony pulled out a long wand that looked like a miniature version of her mother’s staff. Wattle shrank back, but instead of pointing it at him she waved it delicately in the air to create a golden chain which attached itself to the compass.
“It will be safer on you.” She lowered the chain over Martha’s neck and watched as Martha tucked it beneath her tunic. Wattle looked dismayed as the compass disappeared from his view.
Soren pulled Evony aside. “That weasel is not to be trusted,” he hissed in a loud whisper. Aurus snorted in agreement.
“I caught him going through my bag last night,” Octavia weighed in with a wary look at the weasel, who was straining to hear their conversation.
Evony turned her back on Wattle. “I agree we cannot trust him, but I think it prudent to keep him close,” she whispered back. Looking at the sun, which was climbing higher in the sky, she said more loudly, “Time to go.”
The party was once again led by Evony, with Martha following, giving instructions from the compass. They carried on over rocky ground until they entered a dark forest; mist hung low over the forest floor, and purple-spotted toadstools sprouted from the damp ground.
The compass in Martha’s trembling hand hadn’t moved since they entered the forest; they were truly in the north now. They pressed on, the trees growing closer together and obscuring the winding track.
The unicorns stopped and refused to go any deeper, the blooms on their coats now so faded it was hard to see them. Soren exchanged a worried look with Evony. Gesturing with her head, she led Ione over to a small clearing off the track, the others following.
“What shall we do?” Soren asked, rubbing a comforting hand over Ember’s trembling back.
Evony opened her mouth to reply, but a dazed look came over her as a rainbow shot through the wood, solidifying into a piece of parchment in her hand. The girls watched in bewilderment, Evony’s face paling as she read the note. She looked at Octavia and Felicity in concern.
“Your mother is at Castle Enfys. The Key Keeper tried to use some of the transportation dust my mother bestowed upon your family to send any boy babies here,” Evony told them worriedly.
Felicity gasped. “Is she all right?”
“I am afraid she is gravely hurt; the dust is not intended for human adults. Hevva is working to save her.”
“We must turn back – we must go to her!”
Evony gave Felicity a look of sympathy, but shook her head. “No, it is imperative now more than ever that we endeavour forth. We have one chance to get the flower and to end this!”
Felicity put a shaky hand on Octavia’s arm. “Tavi?” she murmured tremulously.
Octavia had been staring at the edge of the forest where the mist shrouded the landscape. An angry determination had befallen her.
“We go on. We finish what we set out to do. Mum is in the best possible care. We will serve no purpose by turning back now,” she told her sister. Ferren crawled out from Octavia’s tunic pocket and sat upon her shoulder, where she patted Octavia’s cheek in comfort.
“The unicorns cannot go on,” Soren reminded them in a sombre voice. The blooms had faded until they were almost imperceptible to the eye.
Evony’s gaze turned thoughtful. “Aurus, you will stay here with the unicorns,” she said.
He shook his great head. “I will not let you go on alone, Princess; I am sworn to protect you and the girls.”
Evony expanded her wings and looked at him. “I need you to stay with the unicorns. We will use Haf’s concealment dust to make our way through the mars
h and retrieve the flower. Afterwards we will come straight back and use the rainbow to transport ourselves out of here – I promise. I will not take any unnecessary risks. Please, Aurus; the unicorns cannot go another step.” Her tone brooked no argument.
Aurus breathed heavily and pawed the ground. He looked at the six unicorns in their pale state and finally nodded. “I will stay with them.”
Wattle looked relieved as Aurus agreed to stay behind, and smirked smugly.
Aurus glared down at the weasel. “If you so much as think about stealing from or betraying any one of them, I will find you,” he promised.
Wattle’s smirk vanished as if it had been erased.
The girls took their leave of their unicorn friends sadly. Octavia hoped they would see them in all their blooming glory again soon; they just had to get the flower, and get Mum believing once more. Easy, she thought wryly, stroking Ferren absentmindedly. The little mouse had taken to hiding in her tunic pocket, out of sight of Wattle.
They left Aurus and the six silent unicorns in the clearing, and Evony addressed the remaining group. “Here is the plan. I will lead us to the edge of Misty Marsh; girls, you follow, with Soren and Wattle bringing up the rear. At the edge of the marsh we will use Haf’s dust to conceal ourselves. Beatrice, you will walk with me, using the dust my mother gave you to clear a safe path through the marsh.” She looked around questioningly; the rest nodded their agreement.
The trees had thinned out and the ground began to squelch underfoot, the mist clinging to their cloaks as they headed into the marsh.
“Beatrice, the dust,” Evony requested.
Beatrice put her hand into her satchel and retrieved the two bottles. She stared down at the similar bottles, confusion etched across her face. Octavia watched her cousin seemingly come to a decision and hand the slightly larger one to Evony, who started to sprinkle it over everyone.
They plunged on through the marsh. Evony used her wand to light the way as Beatrice sprinkled dust in front of them, but still the mist remained, obscuring their vision.
“I don’t understand! Why is it not working?” Evony whispered, sidestepping a large electric-green toadstool that glowed through the gloom.
Beatrice gulped nervously as the mist started to envelop them, cutting them off from each other. Soren kept a tight grip of Wattle’s tabard, as if fearing the weasel would sneak off.
A crack split the air and sudden static lifted the girls’ hair. Evony let out a shout and grabbed her bow. A laughing cackle surrounded the group; they spun around, looking for the source.
“Oh dear! Did somebody mix up their fairy dusts?” A sinuous voice asked with a laugh. “They can’t see me, but I can see them, oh yes.”
Octavia’s heart was in her throat. She grasped in the mist and felt a hand. “Fliss, is that you?” she whispered.
The hand grasped back tightly. They moved closer together; the swirling mist parted briefly, and in the milky light Felicity’s pale face was revealed.
A silver beam shot from Octavia’s left and lit up a circle around her feet; it pulsed, growing until it illuminated the ghost-like faces of the other girls, Evony, and Soren, who was clutching his wrist.
“That dratted weasel bit me,” he groaned.
“Princess Evony, welcome to my marsh. I am most honoured. Your dear mother would not have come,” a voice sneered. Gliding over the boggy ground came Nesrin, her face twisted into an evil smile, her raven flying behind her like a black shadow. The silver light was coming from her glowing staff.
The girls huddled together as Evony followed Nesrin’s progress with her bow and arrow. Soren glared at Wattle who stood, bowing reverently before his queen.
“Traitorous creature,” Soren hissed.
Nesrin looked at Soren. “On the contrary, this is my most loyal guard. He would do anything for his queen.” She gestured for Wattle to straighten, then frowned. “Although he failed to stop you getting this far…”
Wattle twisted his paws nervously. “My queen, I thought you would wish to deal with them yourselves; I know how much pleasure you will gain in seeing them fail,” he simpered.
Nesrin furrowed her brow further. “That is true. However, Taran will deal with you later,” she told the now trembling weasel as he looked at the raven, whose cruel beak curved ruthlessly.
On a sudden move, Nesrin aimed her staff at Evony. The beam of light fractured the crystal arrow into a thousand pieces. Evony dropped her bow and yelped. Blood glistened on her fingertips where the crystal shards had cut her. Soren went to draw his short sword, but stopped as Nesrin aimed her staff at him.
“Enough of this nonsense! I am tired of playing hide-and-seek with you!” she screeched.
She floated over to the girls and aimed her laser-like gaze upon Beatrice, who hid behind Martha. Octavia made to step toward her, but paused as Nesrin shot a dismissive glance her way before turning back to Beatrice.
“Poor child, always in your sister’s shadow. Trying to be important… but look at what you’ve done.” She glanced at the rest of the group. “You let my trusting niece sprinkle you all in revealing dust! You all glowed like fireflies walking through my marsh.”
Nesrin gave a harsh laugh, but Beatrice moaned in horror as the dark fairy’s words sank in.
“Don’t fret, my dear, you would do well in my court; you would be treated like a princess. I would mould you in my image and make you my heir.” Nesrin’s voice had taken on a mesmerising tone as she looked deep into Beatrice’s eyes.
“No! She will not go with you!” Martha found her voice, shaking in her terror. She put her arms around her sister and held her close.
“No? I shall make her come whilst you brave souls deal with this!” Nesrin raised her arms, her black wings fully extending as she struck the ground with her staff. Silver lightning bolts zigzagged across the floor and a screech echoed around the marsh. A huge shadow flew overhead, circling.
Nesrin smiled coldly as she grabbed hold of Beatrice, stepped onto her black cloud – Wattle nimbly following – and vanished. Taran’s echoing caws fading away as they disappeared.
“Noooo!” Martha wailed, and she turned angrily on Octavia. “This is all your fault! You and your desperate need for adventure. I never wanted to come here in the first place, and look what has happened now – Bea is gone!”
Octavia felt the blood drain from her face as Martha’s words cut her deeply. Horrified at this turn of events, she stepped forward to try to hug Martha, who shrugged her off. As Martha did so, her foot came down heavily on a cluster of the green toadstools. A puff of vile-smelling green liquid shot up and hit her square in the face. She instantly buckled and fell slowly toward the spongy ground. Soren leapt forward to catch her, and a burst of the foul liquid covered him too.
Evony waved her wand in a swift pattern, which stopped their fall to the ground. They hovered like pale ghosts in the mist. Evony flicked her wand, and the two figures floated to her side; she gently lowered them to a large piece of bark.
Octavia and Felicity looked at each other in shock and fell to their knees beside the unconscious pair, Octavia clutching Martha’s hand desperately. Another screech, closer this time, split the air. Evony looked up apprehensively.
“We have a difficult choice to make. Your cousin and Soren have been hit by a slumbershroom. If they don’t get the antidote soon there will be no waking them,” she told the girls grimly. “We can leave and save them, but that will mean forgetting the flower – and not being able to save Otto, possibly your mother, and now Beatrice.”
Octavia gazed pensively at Martha’s still face, and guilt settled heavily upon her chest. Martha had been right; if Octavia hadn’t pushed for them to all go through the Fairy Door, then Martha and Beatrice wouldn’t be in this predicament. The need to save her cousins and all her family rose within her like a determined surge. It ran down her arms, causing her fingers to tingle with adrenaline. Slowly standing, her back straight and her head held high, she met Evony’s
curious gaze.
“What if we can do it all?” Octavia suggested with determination, “You and Aurus can use the rainbow and take Martha, Soren and the unicorns back to Castle Enfys. Felicity and I will go on and find the flower. I will send it back to Grandmother and Great-Aunt Clara; they can make Otto’s cure. Then we can regroup and save Beatrice together.”
Respect bloomed within Evony’s eyes, but she shook her head. “No. It is too dangerous; I will go on. You can take the others back.”
Octavia took a deep breath. “Princess Evony… I’m the one who has to finish it. I can feel it. It has to be me!”
Evony looked taken aback for a moment; then, finally, she nodded. “Very well, but after you have secured the flower, wait in the clearing. As soon as Martha and Soren are safe, I will ask my mother to send a rainbow back for you.” She looked at the two bottles, which had fallen to the ground after Beatrice had been whisked away. “At least we now know which dust is which. There is enough for you two.” She looked at Felicity, who was still staring at Martha in shock.
“Felicity, can you do this? Can you assist your sister? You will need to be calm and keep a steady hand; you will only get one shot at the wyvern.”
Felicity jumped as Evony addressed her. “Ye… yes, I can do it,” she stuttered, and then she took a deep breath.
Octavia watched a change come over her sister. A steely light shone in Felicity’s eyes and she stood. Reaching for her bow, she took out a single crystal arrow, ready to face what was coming.
Chapter Ten
Come What May
Octavia and Felicity watched Evony use her wand to float Martha and Soren in the direction of the clearing where Aurus waited. The princess turned back to give the girls one final nod before the mist closed around her like a curtain. The sisters were on their own now.
Octavia Bloom and the Missing Key (Through The Fairy Door Book 1) Page 8