by R L Medina
Relief flooded me. Fearless was okay.
“Is that all you need?” the king asked.
She turned back to face him. “A rock. Any rock will do.”
I blinked. Dragon blood and a rock? For a sleeping spell? I didn’t know anything about casting, but those ingredients seemed strange to me.
“Then get it so we can begin.” The king frowned.
“I already have it.” Aunt Maloret held up a small stone. She smiled at us. “I always come prepared.”
The queen scoffed. “Then what are you waiting for? Begin your spell.”
Aunt Maloret gave her a mock bow and moved toward the throne. The snow leopards snarled at her. She waved her hand, summoning a shadow leopard of her own. It launched itself at the royal guardians.
Fur clashed with shadow as they wrestled. Their snarls echoed in the room.
“Enough.” The king slammed his fist down on the arm of his throne.
With a swipe of her hand, Aunt Maloret dissolved her shadow creature. She smirked at the haggard looking snow leopards.
“They started it.” She shrugged.
They hissed at her and retreated to their cushions. Aunt Maloret summoned her power and formed a tall table of shadow. She retrieved the vial and stone once more and placed it on the conjured table.
I moved closer to watch her. Her eyes shut and her hands moved in a blur as she chanted words. She opened her eyes and motioned for the others to join her.
The king approached first followed by B’Zahir and Belle. Their combined power filled the room, making the air feel dense. I sucked in a breath and backed up. From my spot, I could see them circle the objects, hands raised.
“The rest of you must combine powers and put this on your eyelids.” Aunt Maloret rummaged in her pocket and pulled out another vile.
Black swirled inside the glass.
The queen snatched it from her hand and uncorked it. She smeared some on her eyes first and then handed the vial to Mom next.
Mom repeated the action and held it out to me. The smell of the liquid made me gag.
“What is it?”
Aunt Maloret snorted. “You don’t want to know, dearie.”
I swallowed down the bile threatening to rise and poured the cool black liquid on my finger to place on my eyelids. Mag’s turn was next, and I had to calm her fear as I helped her with the vial. Aunt Cindra and Des took their turns and then Sacha last.
Uncle Mortemer shook his head and watched us, cursing under his breath. “I’m not going to the human world.”
Aunt Maloret shrugged. “Suit yourself. You’ll just fall asleep with everyone else here.”
His lip curled.
“The blood.” Aunt Maloret opened the vial and poured the gold liquid onto the table.
I gaped as it poured onto the marble floor, the sound loud as it splashed.
She grabbed the stone next and raised it above the table.
“Do it. Do it now,” Belle spoke.
Wind whirled around us. I looked around at their grave faces, fighting the worry creeping up. What if the spell didn’t hold? What if we didn’t make it back in time?
Aunt Maloret glanced at me. “Bring me back some bubble gum.” She smiled.
I nodded and swallowed the lump in my throat.
She slammed the stone down on the edge of the table, blocking the blood from falling for a split second. A boom filled the air, making my ears ring. Light flashed and dots swam in my vision. I blinked them away and stepped toward the shadow table.
The king stood frozen like a statue. A living statue. The others too. Even the guards were frozen in place. Chills crawled over my skin. I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to use my power. Would it have any affect now?
“Come, Renée.” Mom’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
Guilt pierced me as I turned away. They were counting on us. We had to find the creature and bring it back.
Sacha gave me a sympathetic smile. I wanted to reach out for him, feel his strong arms around me, but I didn’t dare act on that desire. Not with everyone watching.
“We must leave at once. Already, the creature has an advantage.” Aunt Cindra broke the silence.
I glanced around at our group and shook my head in disbelief. How were we going to manage? And what would happen when we all arrived in the Outer World? Would the GRIMMS come to investigate?
A sour taste filled my mouth. This was not going to be an easy task. Mag’s hand tugged at my leggings. I glanced down at her.
“Princess, you won’t leave me in the Outer World, will you?” Her little voice wavered.
I frowned. “What? Of course not, Mag.”
The queen’s eyes narrowed on me. I met her glare and fought the urge to flinch. If she tried to lay a finger on my friend, I’d… well, I didn’t know what I could do, but I’d find a way to stop her. Maybe the GRIMMS would arrest her and we wouldn’t have to worry about her killing us all.
“This way.” The queen lifted her chin and led us out of the throne room.
Sacha and Mag flanked me as I followed. I glanced back at the others frozen in place. Worry gnawed at me. I hated to think of them stuck there like that. What if we never found the creature, and they stayed frozen forever?
“Renée?” Mom’s voice broke my thoughts.
I turned away and followed her.
The castle was silent. I cringed as we passed more frozen guards and servants. Their vacant eyes stared at us, making my skin crawl. Mag clutched my hand tighter, her little body trembling.
I glanced down at her, worried I’d made a bad decision in bringing her with us. What if she got hurt in the Outer World?
“I thought your portal was in the gardens.” Aunt Cindra’s voice echoed ahead.
My head snapped up. She walked side by side with the Queen, her brows furrowed in suspicion.
The queen sniffed. “I have more than one portal.”
We fell back into silence as she led us through the vast halls and rooms. My eyes roamed over all the breathtaking décor and I couldn’t help but wonder if we’d ever see it again. Try as I might to stay positive, my negative thoughts swirled in my mind.
Each new room and hall was just as opulent as the last. When at last, she paused outside a locked door, I was glad for a break from the lavishness. The queen raised a hand over the door and chanted something indiscernible.
The door opened with a clang that made Mag jump. I squeezed the little brownie’s hand as we entered after the others. It was a surprisingly a small, simple room. Not one I’d expect to find in the Palais de Glace. In truth, it looked more like a closet than an actual room. Blank stone walls and floor and in the middle a long, floating mirror.
The portal.
We shuffled in, making room for everyone. The air grew warm as our bodies huddled together. Sacha stood behind me, so close I could feel his hot breath on the back of my neck. I flushed, hoping the others didn’t notice my discomfort.
“Where will this portal lead?” Aunt Cindra asked.
The queen turned to her. “Where did the Raj’ani go?”
Aunt Cindra glanced at me. “Who was the last to travel through that portal before the creature?”
Mom shifted beside me. “Renée.”
All eyes landed on me. Heat spread across my face.
“Well?” The queen glared at me.
I gaped at her. “How should I know where it will go? Aunt Maloret’s portal took me back to… the cabin.” My eyes flicked to Mom.
She flinched under my accusation. Though I knew why she’d done it, it still stung that she’d tricked me through the portal.
“Is that where that pesan was hiding all this time?” The queen fumed.
She was referring to Belle, I realized. Her eyes darkened, making me shiver. I could only imagine what retribution she had in mind for the poor elf.
“I’ve never been there so someone else will have to direct the portal.” She sniffed.
“I will do it,” Mo
m spoke up.
She strode toward the mirror and released her magic. I blinked in surprise. Did I have the power to do that?
“But how do we know the Raj’ani went there? I haven’t felt any more messages from it.”
Aunt Cindra’s lips pursed. “The creature cannot change a portal destination. It cannot control where it goes.”
My nose scrunched up. “Oh.”
“It’s ready,” Mom announced, taking a step back.
I sucked in my breath as the mirror turned bright blue. Power emanated from it, making Mag tremble. I used my power to calm her as well as my own racing heart.
This was it. We were about to leave Feylin. I glanced around one final time and steeled my nerves.
We would return.
The queen disappeared into the mirror first, followed by Aunt Cindra and Des. Mom held my hand, and I held Mag’s as we stepped in after them. Sacha followed behind.
Lights flashed around us. A whirring sound echoed in my ears as pressure built in my head. I clenched my eyes shut and squeezed Mag’s hand. Fear and worry swirled inside me.
I’m coming back. Promise.
Everything turned black.
16
A bright light glared at me. I blinked, trying to adjust my eyes. My head spun and my body felt numb. Thoughts swirled in my mind, all jumbled together. Where was I? What happened?
Somewhere in the distance a groan echoed. I held a hand to my head, trying to clear the fog. Pain shot through me at the movement. Dizziness followed. I spread my hands against the ground, surprised to find it solid and smooth.
Wood? A gasp escaped me. The cabin? I whipped my head too fast, wincing as pain speared my temple. Beside me, Mag and Mom were sprawled on the ground. I didn’t see the others.
Mom stood first and reached a hand to help me and Mag. I stifled a groan as I slowly rose to my feet. Mag followed. I glanced around at the familiar living room. Sunlight streamed in from the window, but there was a chill left in the air. Was it still winter, or spring now? Had I missed the new year already?
A heavy sigh broke the silence. I turned to find the others standing behind us. The Queen’s lip was curled in distaste as her eyes roamed over the sparsely furnished room. So different from her luxurious castle. Even Aunt Cindra seemed dismayed at the accommodations. Her gaze was trained on the old cuckoo clock planted against the back wall.
Sacha and Mag took everything in with an excitement and curiosity that made me smile. Despite our troubling circumstances, I couldn’t help but feel eager to introduce them to everything in the Outer World. The sights and the food. My stomach rumbled. I bit back an inward groan. What I’d give for a heaping plate of cheesy fries and a soda.
Mom brushed off her leggings and glanced at me. “It feels like another lifetime ago.” She gave me a sad smile.
“Yeah,” I agreed.
We stared at the couch lost in our past. How many times had we curled up with Grimera and read story after story together? I could almost smell the fruity tea Grimera used to make for us and the vanilla hand lotion Mom loved.
“You should have stayed.” The queen’s cold voice broke my happy memory.
Mom stiffened. “I intended to.”
“So… what are we going to eat?” I interrupted.
They stared at me.
“Eating? We have a task to do.” Aunt Cindra frowned.
“Renée is right. We should eat and rest. We’ll have better luck searching after we’re all rested.”
I flushed, realizing my mistake. They were elves. They didn’t need food—not like humans. Once again, I was the weak one. Even in my own world.
“It hasn’t even been that long since the last time she ate,” Des scoffed.
“No, but we don’t have any kind of lead on the Raj’ani yet. We’ll have to wait for Renée to receive another message,” Mom defended me.
My heart sank. What if I’d lost my connection to the creature already? We couldn’t wait around on me. Not while those left in Feylin were counting on us.
“Why would the halfling receive a message?” The queen scowled at me.
I fought the urge to flinch under her icy blue glare. With Belle now gone, I remained her least favorite person and the most likely target for her violence.
“The Raj’ani broke into her mind and left a way for us to track it,” Aunt Cindra spoke up.
She continued to scowl at me. “Why would it do that?”
Mom shook her head. “Whatever it did to control Renée, left a mind link between them. We just have to wait for Renée to tap into it once more.” Worry edged her words.
Though she didn’t voice her concern, I realized that the fear of me going crazy was real. If I tried to access another message from the creature, there was no guarantee my mind would be protected should it try to control me once more or damage me—permanently.
“I will perform a locating spell,” the queen announced.
She raised her arms and power blasted around her in icy tendrils. I gaped in wonder at her. What else could she do that I couldn’t? Her magic wasn’t limited to ice. No, her thirst for power and penchant for violence had rewarded her with a great many abilities and skills. Some, I could never even hope to achieve.
Her lips pursed together. “There are too many powerful beings moving at once. It’s hard to say which is the Raj’ani.”
Aunt Cindra’s eyebrows arched. “Too many powerful things? Here? What are they doing here?”
Mom gave her a flat look. “Not every fae or extraordinaire chose to leave the Outer World. There are many powerful beings here.”
Aunt Cindra blinked at her. “I don’t know why they’d choose to stay here. With all the… humans.”
My eyes met hers. She flushed, realizing she was talking about me. I was part human. The queen moved toward the door, not bothering to tell us what she was up to. We watched as she left and slammed the door behind her.
“Uh… should we let her go?” I turned to Mom.
Mom bit her lip, clearly just as worried as I was. She looked at me and shook her head. “Too late to stop her now. Maybe the GRIMM will catch up with her.”
I flushed. I had the same thought. I didn’t think the GRIMM agents would be unnecessarily aggressive in tracking our movements, but after my last trip, I’d seen how seriously they took their jobs. I was half surprised none had barged in to interrogate us already.
“Have you seen anything? Heard anything?” Aunt Cindra’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
Blinking at her, I shook my head. “Nothing yet.”
Disappointment clouded her face. She shared a look with Des and pursed her lips. Tension rose between them. Though I couldn’t read their thoughts, I sensed their emotions.
Regret. Anger. Hurt… and love.
I built my shields stronger against their wavering feelings. Eventually, they’d have to discuss what had happened and come to reconciliation. They were bondmates, whether they wanted to be or not and now without her court to oppose them, I didn’t see why they couldn’t finally be together.
“Renée, why don’t you show Sacha and Mag around?” Mom nodded toward the little brownie and elf.
I arched my brow at her. Was she trying to get rid of ‘the kids’ so the grown-ups could have a real discussion? She ignored my questioning look and smiled brightly.
“I’m sure Sacha and Mag have many questions and would love a tour.”
Yeah. Yeah. I get the hint.
Thank you. Her voice in my mind startled me. I scoffed. It was the first time we’d used our shared power to communicate telepathically. Something that would have seemed so insane to the old Ren now felt like something we should have been doing the whole time.
Pushing away the thoughts, I turned to Sacha and Mag. “You guys want the whole tour?”
Sacha smiled at me, his usual full dimpled smile replaced with something smaller and… sadder. My gut clenched at the sight. Mag squealed with delight and nodded emphatically. A trickle of guilt
filled her, sobering her expression.
I frowned. “It’s alright, Mag. It’s okay to be happy.”
She nodded at me, but the light had been extinguished from her eyes. Pity ripped into me. My friends had lost so much. I bit my lip and squared my shoulders. I couldn’t bear to see them in so much pain. No. Even with the end of the world looming over us, I would make sure they found some happiness in the Outer World.
“This way!” I chirped, leading them straight for the kitchen.
I glanced back at Mom who gave me a knowing smile. Guilt struck me like a brick. She hadn’t been trying to get rid of us, she’d sensed their need—and my need—for distraction. For too long everything had been doom and gloom and one life or death situation after another. Now, for a very brief moment, we were safe, and I wasn’t going to waste any of that time.
The tour took much longer than I’d anticipated. Both Sacha and Mag drilled me with question after question and by the end, I had come to the realization that human culture really was just as strange as I found theirs.
Returning to the Outer World had been a shock at first, but the longer I was there, the more I remembered it… and missed it. This had been my home and deep down, it still felt like home though it had changed. Or rather I had changed.
I took my guests through the gardens and bird sanctuary only to find the plants dead and the birds long gone. When Mom called us in for dinner, she’d given us news that a GRIMM agent had already come and gone, leaving her with a warning that we were not to do anything ‘magical’ during our stay.
She hadn’t mentioned the Raj’ani. Apparently, she claimed that the GRIMMS would take over the case if they found out.
Des and Aunt Cindra had gone outside to explore, and we didn’t see them back until the sun had begun to set. Dinner was a strange affair. Mag and I ate the vegetable soup Mom had made while Sacha watched, assuring us he wasn’t hungry. Mom, Des, and Aunt Cindra sat in the living room, their hushed tones drifting to us.
Not long after night set in, Mom ushered us to bed. Mom and I in our old room joined by Mag. Aunt Cindra and Des in Grimera’s old room, and Sacha on the couch. We hadn’t left a room open for the queen, unsure if she was returning or not.