by Alexia Purdy
“We need a ride to the isolated area of Storm Rock Island.” Benton pointed toward the mist, and seemingly as a result of being named, the pointy rock emerged from the fog beyond. The jagged edges cut the clouds like sharpened daggers, ripping the sky as it overshadowed the area. It felt off… and the magic it emitted hit me then.
Camulus waved toward the island. “We’re unwanted.”
“But Storm Rock Island is known even to the humans,” I said. “The glamour can’t keep everyone away. I’m sure others have stumbled upon the faery territory there before.”
Benton nodded and pulled out the map Aluse had given us. “Yeah, but they don’t go near the part of the island we’re heading to. It’s part of Faerie and invisible to them. It’s at the southern end but undetectable to human and fey alike.”
He slipped the map back into the small sack he’d strapped to his belt. We had charmed our packs to hold way more than one would think they could. The shrinking spells came in handy when on the road.
“Sounds comforting,” I muttered. Nothing like treading into someone’s territory when they didn’t want visitors. “And this guy, the archiver of Faerie, he’s going to help us then, right?”
Benton gave me smirk as he pushed his shades up the bridge of his nose. Why he wore them when the sun couldn’t peek through the thick fog was lost on me.
“Only one way to find out.” He turned toward Camulus, who gave him a quick nod. “Shall we dance?”
I rolled my eyes and grabbed onto Camulus and Benton. Unfortunately, we had to hold on tightly to the elven-pixie man when we rode along with him, or we would become lost in the void forevermore. He could teleport anywhere in the world in a flash, but if you let go, you would be trapped in oblivion. Not a place I’d like to be, but it was worth the risk to save us miles of travel across treacherous water.
“Let’s get this show on the road.”
Chapter Five
Benton
We landed on the opposite shore, where the desolate, rocky coastline gave way to the rest of the eerily fog-enshrouded Storm Rock Island. It felt different there, off in more ways than the land we’d just stepped off of. I could feel its energy crawling across my skin like a thousand tiny spiders, tasting the edges of my aura, sampling my essence like I was a tasty meal. It sought us out and examined each one of us. It made my head dizzy. This was a foreign power I’d never experienced before. Maybe this archivist person was recording our images in some book laid out before him and was analyzing our every detail. Camulus had already disappeared, as though he didn’t want to stay around for the same treatment we were getting.
“You feel that?” Soap visibly shuddered and briskly rubbed his arms. He wasn’t impervious to the magic, and it was little comfort knowing he was just as vulnerable to its effects. His body shook from the intrusion. I was feeling the urge to do the same thing.
I nodded. “We’ve just been scanned.” I kept my eyes open, taking in the expanse of beach and feeling the crackling interruption of magic in the air. “At least it’s nothing too invasive, but it sure makes my spine tingle.”
“Yeah. Like a nice snap of a twig. What a treat.” Soap could charm anyone I knew into hopping on one foot and hooting like an orangutan, but toss some charms onto him, and he hated it with a passion. We spun around, taking stock of the forest engulfing the rest of the island. It was pathetically scrawny but filled with underbrush which would certainly tangle up in our legs and shoes when we walked through it. Sand was everywhere, sticking out from under the trees and mucking up the expanse of the shore in wet clumps and littered with driftwood, bits of seaweed, and trash. The sand snaked its way deep into the forest, rendering the place unusable for any kind of farming. Hardened rock lay beneath it. One fine, dirty mess.
“What do you think?” I asked.
The whole place felt uneasy, as if every rock and tree had focused invisible eyeballs on us. Shaking off this disconcerting feeling, I poured more magic into my shields, hoping to stave off the creepiness of the place.
Immediately, like a wave receding, the magic pulled away, satisfied with its taste of us. The release of pressure felt like a weight lifting, and we both sighed in relief. Whatever was there, the keeper of this isle did not appear to us, nor did anything else. He simply invited us to walk farther into the dark, beckoning forest and to our awaiting fate.
“Well, that was thrilling.” Soap rolled his shoulders back, looking much more relaxed and less wary. I knew it was just a pretense. He was as uneasy as I was. Any sane person would summon Camulus again to whisk us off this haunted island right away. His one job was to get us from one point to another then whisk himself back to the Scren Palace to serve my sister, Shade. It would have been nice if he’d stayed around to make sure we didn’t need anything else, but it wasn’t expected of him. Not that I blamed him for leaving. We were not part of anything sane anymore.
I hated being sent on a wild goose chase to find answers about things I didn’t really want to know or understand. Who really cared what Queen Aluse’s brother’s illness was? I didn’t. Not really. He had gotten himself into something deep, and here we were, trying to clean up the mess as usual. I was starting to feel like I didn’t owe anyone anything, and this was just off my good graces. If it wasn’t for Zena and Queen Aluse, I wouldn’t be here. I owed the queen for saving Shade’s life. And Zena? I owed her protection for wiping her memory. She could be anywhere, and I’d messed her up royally. How could I fix that?
Why didn’t one person have all the answers about crazy situations like this? More importantly, what if we found nothing on the isle? There was no guarantee the keeper of this place would cooperate with us. We were going off the slight chance that he had it in him to aid us in helping Queen Aluse and Zena. I was getting tired of being the hero. If I ever could have been called one before. It was vastly overrated.
Zena….
Her face flew into my head like a moth fluttering toward a light. I wanted to swipe it away, but it proved easier said than done. I hated the fact that I’d left her back in Las Vegas without any memory of me. I wondered constantly if she’d know who I was when we met again.
I hoped she would. I could stand for something to go my way. So many things had happened lately, my head was spinning. Things like Oran’s army taking my sister, Anna, away to the Unseelie Palace to marry that vile Unseelie King. My sister Shade and I had been left helpless to do anything to oppose it. Anna had figured it all out in a millisecond and allowed herself to be taken to save Shade from an unfortunate fate. I’d understood why she’d done it, but that didn’t mean I agreed with her. She was going to get a stern chewing out when I got ahold of that girl. She’d put Shade and me in an uncomfortable position. Still, I felt like I’d failed her. I didn’t want to fail anyone else.
Making our way into the thicket, I kept my eyes peeled, with sword in hand. My Empyrean blade was my only ally in this crazy world. Well… not exactly true. I peered over at Soap. He’d been a great friend too. We’d fought side by side to scrub the land of the Unseelie, and that had proven to me he was worthy of trust and friendship. Few people I’d met along the way had earned that from me; I could count them on the fingers of one hand.
A snap of a branch made us both jerk our heads to the right. A growl lifted into the air, vibrating from the throat of an unseen animal. My blade burst into flame as we both waited, listening to the wind and waiting to discover if our greeter was beast or man. I was hoping for the latter.
My hands squeezed the hilt of my sword. They were sweating as my heart beat against my ribs with urgency. Whatever was out there wasn’t friendly. It was probably a guard dog, but I was sure it was unlike any I’d ever encountered before. I hated dealing with the animals of Faerie. I’d take a few Darklings or Unseelie gloats any day over a faery beast. The sentient faeries were vicious and had no understanding of mercy, but I could beat them. The Faerie animals were much faster and usually had very sharp teeth that loved to gnaw on things. Things like arms and legs.
“What was that?” I asked, unable to stand the silence any more.
Soap shook his head, his eyes still scanning the surrounding trunks and foliage for movement. “Listen.”
I strained my ears to locate what he’d heard. I had excellent hearing, but I still envied Soap’s powerful faery senses. Didn’t matter though, I was just as powerful in other ways and could best a faery’s magic most days. I was hoping today would be one of those days.
A barely audible rustle of leaves farther ahead filled my chest with terror, but instead of running away, I took off running toward it. I was never one to scare from a fight, and the adrenaline coursing through me was a much-needed boost. I was going to get the beast first and had no plans on becoming its dinner.
“What the…?” Soap cursed behind me, and the loud scurry which followed told me he was already struggling to keep at my heels. I wasn’t going to let this thing hunt us. If I could help it, I was going to tear it down by slicing its head off, fangs and all, before it got to get a piece of us.
Around a copse of trees, I came to a halt, focusing on the brush. The trees and undergrowth grew thicker here, reducing visibility. The canopy blocked out the dreary light which barely made it through the fog covering the island. I was having difficulty seeing anything, but the creature was sure to have its sense of smell to aid it in the gloom.
Damn.
I listened hard, only hearing my heart pounding in my head and the short rustle of leaves as Soap came to a halt next to me.
“Don’t fucking do that again!” he snapped, sucking in breaths as he gasped for air. His face was red from the fury pulsing through him. I didn’t care. It was exactly what I needed to locate the beast. It had heard us and was now more excited to devour its meal. It’d be careless, and I’d be ready to incinerate it.
“Here, kitty, kitty.” I spoke softly, not wanting to interrupt the forest’s ambience too much.
Soap was probably rolling his eyes and shaking his head at my antics. Whatever. I’d been hunting on my own for a long time, and partnering up with others was still difficult for me, even with an adept partner such as Soap.
As if hearing my taunt, the creature rushed us from the side, shoving its massive body into my back and sending me flying shoulder-first into a tree. My entire left arm went numb, hanging uselessly at my side as I struggled to get back up. I’d dropped my sword on impact, and I spotted it several feet away, its flame extinguished.
“Benton! You okay?” Soap ran toward me, repeatedly glancing into the forest for the beast.
“Yeah, perfect,” I grunted, grabbing the hand he offered. My shoulder was on fire. The pain sent my head spinning, but I shook it off and grabbed my sword with my good arm. The lack of movement on my left arm concerned me. I was afraid I’d broken a collar bone or it had been dislocated. If so, yanking it back into place was going to hurt.
“Did you get a look at it?” Soap’s sword was pointed toward the trees, but I could see that his hands were shaking some. We were used to dealing with dark Unseelie creatures. This was an enormous beast of unknown origin. I’d never seen one like it.
“Yeah, right before he made me tree art. No, I didn’t get a lick of a look at it.”
My breath came out hard as I huffed past the pain. Holding out my sword, I listened as best I could over the pounding of my pulse in head. Leaves stuck to my clothes, and there was dirt smeared across my jeans.
Just wonderful. I couldn’t stay clean for one second anymore.
Soap tapped me on my good shoulder and pointed toward our left. The creature had circled around like a shark about to strike and was staring us down with its gleaming, golden eyes. I flexed my fingers around my sword, knowing I’d get just one chance to take it down. I’d have to hit it with all I had in one swift strike.
I stepped forward, ready to disembowel the beast, when a woman stepped out from behind a tree on our left.
Wait… what?
“Who are you?” Soap called out to her as he came up beside me. I was still wary of the beast out in the woods, but I doubted it would attack again. If it wanted to, it would have done so by now, and I couldn’t hear it moving anymore. This woman didn’t look one bit afraid. In fact, she looked awfully familiar to me, and I racked my brain trying to place her.
“Don’t worry; she won’t bite. She’s only curious.” The blond-haired faery held her hand out toward a shadow approaching her side. It was a large lion-like creature with the head of a bull dog and a mane extending halfway down its body. The hind legs were those of a bear, complete with sharpened claws that could tear away a head if it truly felt like it. It was three creatures in one, and it was three times the size of me.
No way was I petting that thing.
I focused on the woman, who was now lovingly stroking the fur of the massive beast next to her. I didn’t relax. Who could with such a nightmarish thing staring us down like we were its next meal?
I knew her. I’d met her before; I was sure of it. Her skin was still light but less pale than it had appeared when she’d refused to eat or groom herself in the Unseelie prison. Her long, light hair was now smooth and straight where it had once been dingy and tangled into ropes draping her tiny frame. Her features were now filled out and youthful, and bright life twinkled in her eyes as she looked at us and smiled.
“Hello, Benton. I’ve missed you! And Soap… I’ve been waiting for you both to arrive for eons! It’s incredibly dull around here, as you might imagine. I knew you’d come sooner or later.”
I eyed her up and down, studying every inch of her beautifully chiseled face. I knew her… yep. Definitely. But she wasn’t the same woman I’d met before. No, this was an entirely different type of creature, and the magic flowing off her in terrifying waves made my hair stand on end. There was no doubt that her change had not been a good thing. She reeked of evil and malice, discharging it into the air like an overwhelming perfume ready to suffocate an asthmatic.
“Rowan?” My question hung in the air, and I could feel her magic swirling in response to the name. Only Ancients felt this old and could corrupt all near them. There was only one Ancient I had met this close up, and it hadn’t been a pleasant experience then nor now.
She nodded, her sweet smile morphing into a wicked grin as she tilted her head at us, amused. “I’m glad you’ve not forgotten me, Benton. I have much to show you my dear, sweet elemental.”
Chapter Six
Rylan
I stared at the fair-haired beauty, Rowan. I’d met her briefly at Shade’s wedding, but she wasn’t the same stunning woman I looked upon now. No… this woman was enchanting, and it was impossible to look away. No one could ever ignore her presence, even if they wanted to. Man or woman.
It was unsettling how strong of a pull she had, but it was to be expected. She was, after all, the Spring Ancient of the Land of Faerie. There were only four Ancients of Faerie, and she was one of them, sister to Kilara, the Summer Ancient, who’d disappeared.
“M’lady,” I bowed before her, and Benton did a quick knee jerk version of mine.
“Rylan. It’s good to see you again.” She leaned toward the beast and whispered in its ear then gave it a pat on the head. It eyed us for a moment more before diving back into the tangle of trees and underbrush.
“Is that your pet?” Benton’s mouth could catch flies the way it hung slack. He was in utter shock from the power Rowan had over the beast. I didn’t blame him. I was pretty surprised myself. I offered to pull his arm back into place, for the dislocation was clearly causing him agony. He nodded and braced for the movement as I quickly jerked his arm back into its spot. He paled with the pain but never whimpered. I was afraid he would pass out, but he merely reached into his pack and pulled a small vial of painkiller milk, drank it down, and tossed the bottle to the side.
“He’s a creature of the old world. A Vitla. They are rare creatures and quite sensitive. He’s the last of his kind, actually. You mustn’t hurt his feelings, or he could d
estroy half the island.”
I swallowed hard. “That sounds great.” There was no way that thing was sensitive. She was pulling our legs.
“Aluse, the Raven Queen sent us here,” Benton said. “We need to see the record keeper of Faerie. Would you know where we could find him?” He was already back on the subject at hand. It was good he was there. I failed at refocusing onto the task like he did. His was a one-track mind.
“I know. I’ve waited here for you.” She began to walk toward the right, her long white dress swishing over the layer of dead leaves scattered across the forest floor. Branches reached out to snag her skirt but seemed to pull away the moment they touched the silken fabric of her dress. She was a sight to behold.
“Well? Are you coming?” She called out without looking back. Benton and I glanced at each other before falling into a jog to catch up with the spring beauty. I hoped we weren’t going to find any more creatures like the Vitla. I could do without seeing one of those things for the rest of my life.
“Miss Rowan?” Benton was now at her side, breathing hard and sweating. She didn’t look one bit fatigued. In fact, she looked as fresh as a daisy as she continued her wide strides through the forest. Even the trees seemed to shift out of her way before again closing in behind us. This entire island was deceiving. It appeared dead and abandoned, but underneath that facade, it was very much alive and thriving.
“Yes, Benton?”
“I was wondering… are you the record keeper?”
She shook her head. “No, but he is waiting for you too.”
He nodded his head and looked back at me. This whole thing was sounding fishy to me, and I threw him a shrug in reply to his questioning look. Neither of us knew what was going on or why this Ancient of Faerie would be on the island, of all places. I hoped whatever happened next didn’t match up with the growing dread in my stomach.