Fae Queen

by Jen Pretty

  When she finished speaking and before I could reply, I saw a flash of Helena on a mountain, being struck down by lightning. Unease curled in my stomach. I was about to tell her what I had seen but remembered that messing with fate made things worse. What could be worse than death?

  The look on my face must have alerted her to the mental dilemma I was trying to unravel because she spoke again.

  “I think you have found a new power, Lex. If so, do not worry about me. I have seen what will come too and am ready.”

  “How can you say that?” I asked.

  “Because I have lived a very long time and no longer wish to continue. I am glad that you have come before my end though. It is good to know the fae have a new queen and I hope you will care for Marick when I am gone.”

  “Of course, I will. But are you sure? Maybe there is something we can do to prevent this from happening.”

  “You know as well as I, that what must be, must be. Take care young Lex, live well.”

  And then she was gone. The sad looking fox shifter scuttled over and sat beside me, leaning into my side. I wrapped my arm around her immediately. The hunters started moving in when Helena’s magic dropped and a fox appeared, but Roman called them off, having met Marick before.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered to her.

  She lay down and set her chin on my leg. I didn’t know much about Helena, but I could tell she was a good person and essential to Marick. I rubbed her head and she closed her eyes. Tears fell, which looked strange from fox eyes, but the little girl inside the fox was mourning.

  After a while, I stood up and scooped the fox into my arms. I knew that in her human form she was frail and, beneath her deceptive fluff in her fox form, I could feel she was frail too. I took her back to the cottage with me, the rest of the crew tagging along behind. No one spoke although I knew they had questions.

  That night, I had a duck, a fox and a vampire in my bed. The vampire didn’t sleep, but the rest of us did, curled up like puppies, comforting the little girl who was losing someone close to her. Her tiny sobs barely ruffled the sheets, but her sadness was as big as a mountain and we could all feel the crushing weight of it. There is something about the sadness of a child….

  The next morning, I slipped out of bed to find Roman in the main living room. Everyone else was asleep except the guards on night watch who I could see out the windows.

  “Hi,” I whispered as I approached.

  He set down the book he was reading and raised a hand to me. I took his hand and curled into his lap. He put his arms around me as I rested my head on his chest.

  “I’m sorry, for not remembering you sooner,” I mumbled.

  “It’s not your fault, Lex. Stop apologizing,” he said, brushing my hair back from my face.

  I tipped my head up, and he leaned down to kiss my lips. I felt like we’d never had a moment’s peace and prayed someday soon we could spend whole days or weeks, or a lifetime wrapped up in each other. I wanted Roman forever.

  He broke the kiss and tipped his forehead down onto mine. The closeness felt good, but it made me remember running from him, being afraid of him and thinking he was a demon.

  Shame washed over me, and I closed my eyes. This man loved me and supported me. He saved me. Soon he would follow me back through the gates of hell to fight a monster who threatened us. He would fight beside me and be my strength when I needed it.

  I smiled up at him as he straightened.

  “Thank you.”

  He smiled smugly at me and winked.

  We stayed like that, wrapped up in each other’s arms. He read some more of his book, and I dozed on and off until the sun peeked through the windows and the house began to stir. Hunters cycled through the showers and the night shift guards staggered to bed. I would try to use my new magic after breakfast, but I didn’t have the luxury of time. I had to start heading back to the new land if I had any hope of saving Aldridge and killing the witch.

  I had another flash.

  Marick was chasing Daisy around and then pouncing on him. Daisy would flap and squawk, and then Marick would run off and Daisy would give chase. They were in a field, but I couldn’t tell if it was homeland or earth or the werewolves land.

  Then I saw a herd of horses, no, not horses, they were unicorns, ridden by men. As they came to a stop before me, I recognized two of the men. Snazzy and Clive were on unicorns too.

  “Time to end this,” Clive said as Puck scooped me up and shifted into a unicorn.

  I came back to the living room in a burst. Several hunters had gathered around me.

  “What did you see?” Victor asked. He crouched in front of me.

  “Uhm, elves on unicorns. A lot of them,” I said, rubbing my forehead.

  Victor looked at Puck.

  Puck laughed. “We gotta go pick up your elves,” he said, before turning and heading back towards one of the bedrooms.

  “We can’t leave until tonight. I need to use this magic,” I said.

  He just waved over his shoulder without looking back at me, walked into the bedroom and slammed the door. He was grumpier than usual these days. I didn’t have time to coddle him, not that he would let me. It was time to get to work.

  I got up and went to my room, dressing quickly, I grabbed a coffee and walked out to the clearing.

  I had to find something that I could will. Something I wanted. I tried making a flower bloom; apparently, I didn’t want that bad enough. I couldn’t think of anything I wanted at that moment, except to get back to the cottage and pack so we could leave this place and save Aldridge. I thought about the cottage and how much I wanted to go for half a second. I blinked. Suddenly I was standing in front of the cabin.

  Oh, this was going to be awesome.

  Shouting from the forest was all I could hear until I yelled “I’m at the cottage!” and half dozen hunters and a terrifying vampire came storming out of the trees.

  The vampire picked me up and nearly crushed me.

  “Holy shit, that was cool,” Roman whispered in my ear.

  “Please don’t do that again, Queen.” One of the hunters puffed as he bent over to catch his breath. “Armond will kill us if we lose you.”

  “You’re right, I’m sorry,” I said as Roman set my feet on the ground. “I think that’s probably enough practice anyway. I’d like to get going.”

  “Alright, Your Highness. We will send word to the rest of the hunters and be ready to go in an hour.” The hunter bowed and walked into the house.

  When Roman and I walked in, Puck was packed and ready to go.

  “About time, I’ve been ready for 20 minutes,” Puck said sighing heavily.

  “I told you I wanted to practice before we left,” I reminded him.

  “I knew it wouldn’t take you long. Your elf heritage is strong. Let’s get some more elves and go to war. All this sitting around is making me twitchy.”

  I rolled my eyes and went to my room to pack my things, but they were packed, and my bag was gone. Narrowing my eyes, I walked back out into the room. My bag sat by the door, guarded by an extra-large hunter with his arms crossed over his chest.

  “Did you pack my things?” I asked, striding up to him like he wasn’t a monster of a man.

  “Yes, your majesty,” He replied, bowing low.

  “And who said you could touch my things?” I asked him, hands on my hips.

  His eyes grew wide and he stuttered for a moment until Roman saved him by cutting in. “I told him to pack your things, Lex. Stop being stubborn. You are the queen. You have to let people do things for you.”

  “I don’t have to let anyone do anything for me, Roman,” I said, striding over and poking him hard in the chest. “If I want to pack my things, I will,” I shouted. The new magic flared, and my stuff flew out of my backpack and spread around the room. Shit. That was definitely my underwear on the back of the couch.

  Roman stood there, rubbing the spot where I had poked him and trying to hold in a laugh, but eve
ntually, it came out his nose and he snorted then burst out laughing. I couldn’t help it and started laughing too. Frig, this new magic was a bit weird. I snatched my underwear off the couch and began gathering up my things, stuffing them back into my backpack.

  “Let’s never speak of this again,” I said, setting my backpack down by the door where the stunned hunter was still standing.

  When I turned around Lacy had come out of her room. She came over and stood in front of me without speaking.

  “Hi, Lacy. Sorry, I can’t stay longer to catch up,” I said. She just took my hand in hers and got a faraway look on her face and then smiled. She could see the future of any person she touched, and it must have shown her what she wanted to see. I didn’t ask because I didn’t want to know. Her smile said enough, anyway. She hugged me, and I hugged her back.

  “Will you take care of Marick for me, for a little while?” The mourning fox and the broken fae might be a good match. They could comfort each other.

  “Of course, I would love to. Come home soon, Lex.”

  She let go of my hand and walked back into her room, but the quick flash of a smile as she shut the door made me feel like maybe the years of torture she had endured at the hands of Joshua hadn’t completely broken her.

  Leaving Marick behind seemed heartless when she was already losing Helena, but I didn’t want to take the little fox shifter to the witch’s land and she would be safe here until I returned.

  A few minutes later the bus pulled up with Armond and the other hunters on it. I said goodbye to Marick and Evan and hugged Victor and Margot tight, then the rest of us climbed in the bus to head back to earth.

  We travelled back to my city after switching from the bus to the SUVs at the portal. The line of SUVs was super conspicuous as it pulled up in front of my condo. Clive slipped into the passenger seat as soon as we stopped, but before we pulled away, I made the hunter riding with us get me a coffee from my favourite coffee shop. There should be perks to being Queen. Then our train of black vehicles was off again.

  “You only need to drive out of the city to the north,” Clive told Armond who was piloting our vehicle, like usual. “It’s not too far to the entrance of the world we have built here.”

  “Is it a different place? Like homeland?” I asked.

  “Sort of, though it might not look anything like your homeland, your highness,” Clive replied.

  Sounded mysterious.

  It wasn’t long until Clive had us turn off at a dirt lane. The track was barely wide enough for the vehicle; really just two dirt tracks with lots of rocks and bumps.

  We parked in an empty field at the end of the dirt lane and everyone got out. We were a large group and I prayed we didn’t have to hike too far to get to the elves land. I knew how far the walk was from the road up the mountain to the portal that led to the werewolves’ world and I wanted to get going there today. We could at least get halfway up the mountain before dark.

  I wondered, as we walked, if I could use my new magic to get all of us to the portal in the blink of an eye, but thought I might end up blowing us all up. I snickered and everyone looked at me, but I just waved them off.

  Finally, Clive stopped beside a large rock and pressed his hand into it like it was foam.

  Right before my eyes, an entire town bloomed into being. Brilliant flowers lined the streets and ornamental trees, their tops sculpted into round balls on straight trunks, divided the lanes. The houses sparkled with glitter and the cars parked in driveways were all glossy and clean. It was a sharp contrast to the rocky terrain that had been there a moment ago.

  The sky wasn’t the same either. It was painted in pinks, oranges and reds like a sunset, even though the sun still hung high in the sky, lit up like an old-fashioned lollipop.

  As we moved into the city, people came out of their homes and small businesses along the main street to follow us. When we finally arrived in the center of the town, there was a large square with gardens and benches.

  Clive led us up to a small stage then took my hand and helped me up the steps. He led me forward as the elves of the town gathered.

  I looked back at Clive as he retreated and he winked at me. I took that was my cue and began to speak to the people.

  “Hello, my name is Lex. Uhm. I’m going to kill the evil witch and I’m hoping some of you might join me. I had a vision. So, looking for volunteers, I guess.”

  One by one, the people in the crowd put their fists over their hearts and bowed their heads. They were stone silent for a long minute and then one by one, they straightened.

  “Ok, so, I guess, any takers, follow us out?” I questioned, looking back at Clive who just nodded.

  “Good enough, then. Thanks,” I said awkwardly waving and turning back to the massive herd of people already following me around. Roman rubbed my arm and then took my hand in his.

  “Your Highness, we will need but an hour to pack,” Clive said. “Would you like to take a rest in our coffee shop?”

  “That sounds perfect, Clive. Thanks.”

  He led me to a small café, and I ordered a latte. I thanked the woman behind the counter, but she just stared at me, open-mouthed. I was not going to get used to being queen, particularly if it interfered with my ability to get a coffee in a timely manner.

  The town that the elves had made was so comfortable. I felt peace here; the ground was saturated with magic and it soaked into me like I was a sponge. It felt exactly like the werewolves’ world. It was a calm and slow magic even with people scurrying about.

  Eventually, a group started to form in front of the café where I sat. Probably 20 or so men and women, all young and fit. They looked like an army, with backpacks and blanket rolls. I raised an eyebrow to Clive when he came back over with a bag as well. He wasn’t a young-looking man though I figured he was probably fitter than he let on.

  “I promise I am up to the task,” Clive insisted at my doubtful look.

  “I have no doubt. Is this our army then?” I asked taking a closer look at the group. I had no idea how we were going to get across the world to Italy.

  “Yes, we are at your service, though we may have trouble reconciling with the unicorns. They probably won’t accept us back easily, after the way we left.”

  I glanced at Puck. He nodded once, confirming the elf’s suspicions.

  “Great, well, does anyone have a plan to get us all to the other side of the world?”

  The elves just looked at Clive, who smiled.

  “You can create portals now, Lex.” Clive said. “Perhaps now is a good time to give it a try? It’s easier to make them to a place you have already been. Making a portal to another world might be a lot to ask, but you should be able to make one to Italy, close enough to the portal we want.”

  “Make a portal? What if I make it on a cliff and we all die when we go through?” I asked. It seemed like a legitimate question.

  “We can tie a rope to someone and send them through first to be sure. If it makes you feel better.” He glanced at Roman. “Or send someone more durable.”

  I laughed, but Roman didn’t look pleased which only made me laugh harder.

  “Just picture where you want to go in your mind,” Clive continued.

  I took a deep breath and imagined the door to the werewolves’ world. The rocky landscape, rough scrubby trees that gave way to some taller trees near the portal.

  Slowly a small door began to shimmer in the middle of town. Its edges were not well defined yet, but the center was starting to come into view. It looked like an interior door in a modern house. All the others had looked like old house doors. Mine was glossy and white with inset panels. I thought harder about the door frame and it finally finished materializing.

  A perfect door, in a flawless frame, held up by nothing and standing upright in the middle of the town. The stark white contrasted wildly with the bright colours of the sky and flowers in the gardens here, but I had made a portal to somewhere.

  Well, that’s a
handy trick.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Funneling through the single doorway took some time. We were a rather large army now with the hunters and elves, but once through, Armond pulled out his hand-held GPS unit and led us through the rocky landscape towards the door back to the werewolves’ land.

  I was getting tired and finally allowed a hunter who had been begging me for an hour to carry my bag. Walking was easier without it, but I wasn’t about to start letting everyone do everything for me. I still carried my duck.

  The cuteness of the duck had nothing to do with it. His random sweet chin nibbles didn’t sway me. I was carrying him on principle.

  It had been a long day, though, and after stopping for a quick dinner, we finally made it to the door. I knew we wouldn’t want to be walking through the new land at night, with the threat of danger still high, so we decided to stay the night on earth, just outside the door. We would cross over in the morning.

  Setting up camp went smoothly and we made a massive fire to cook on. Some of the elves and hunters went out and killed a red deer and a wild boar. Once it was on a spit, the smells were intoxicating. Maybe not as good as Margot’s stew smells, but still downright delicious.

  “So, what do I need to know about the unicorns? Will they be hard to talk to?” I asked Puck as we waited for dinner to cook.

  His serious expression said I probably wasn’t going to like his answer. Puck always had a smirk on his face.

  “They will be pretty angry when the elves come back across the portal. You know the elves abandoned us when the witch stole the magic; left us there to rot, trapped as violent, bloodthirsty unicorns.” He was staring at Snazzy as he said it. I had felt some tension between them since the first meeting, but now I understood why.

  “The elves couldn’t have stopped the witch,” Snazzy jumped in. “We had no magic and barely saved ourselves. You unicorns went running off into the wilderness, wild as this boar,” he said, turning the skewered carcass so it would cook evenly.