“Don’t sound so surprised,” he replied. “You’ve just come from a coal mine in Pakistan.”
“But, where are the beaches?” I was looking at Dash like he had to be wrong. Endless stretches of hot, red dirt was not what I imagined when I pictured this country. The sun was low in the sky, so I was guessing it was still morning, but the day’s heat was already intense.
Dash laughed. “You know Australia is mostly desert, right?”
I shrugged. It’s not like I’d gone to a human school and learned about this stuff. I’d seen pictures of Australia, obviously, but they had always depicted sandy beaches. How was I supposed to know there was a whole heap of desert in between them?
“So, what’s a dark elf doing all the way out here?” I asked, trying to move on from the fact that my knowledge of geography clearly sucked. I understood why they’d placed a prison in a coal mine, but I couldn’t for the life of me understand why anyone would ever want to live somewhere as hot as this. Not unless they were hiding, which I was beginning to guess must be the case with Dash’s elf.
“What’s a claus doing in a dead-end town in England?” he shot back.
“Touché,” I murmured. The elf was obviously hiding from something, just like me. I still didn’t know what though.
“Wait,” I added. “You said he owes you a favor. Like a favor, favor?” I glanced down at the golden tattoo on my wrist and rubbed at it. Ever since the tattoo appeared, the skin on my wrist had been tingling like it was burning, and I was more than ready to be done with it. The concept of a favor disgusted me, and I felt uneasy at the idea that Dash might be holding one over another being’s head, even if it were a dark elf.
“I helped him out a few years ago,” Dash replied. “So, no, not a favor like the one you got yourself roped into.”
There was judgment in his voice, and I could tell he was still annoyed I’d agreed to the favor in the first place. It’s not like I’d had much of a choice at the time though. We’d needed the information from the nameless one, and I knew Dash would have done the same thing if he’d been in my position.
From a distance, I’d thought the bar looked more like a run-down old shed, but as we drew closer to it, I saw that had been a generous assessment. It definitely wasn’t going to pass any health inspections, if they had such a thing so far from civilization. The roof over the small front verandah was hanging loose at one end, and rust encased the entire structure. It made The Rusty Gate look like a palace.
The door squeaked as Dash pushed it open, and the soft sounds of talking on a radio greeted us as we entered the bar. Only natural light that streamed in through the windows lit the place. It was a small relief to step from the arid desert into the shade though. A few tables and chairs were scattered around the room, and a small counter with two beer taps was over in one corner.
The floorboards creaked underfoot as we made our way into the center of the room. The light breeze from the rotating fan over by the bar brushed against my skin as I looked around. I couldn’t hear anyone nearby, and I wondered if perhaps Dash’s elf was out.
“Do you think he’s here?” I whispered. The sweet scent of magic still lingered in the room. It smelled a little like candy canes, which was a distinctively elfish scent. An elf had definitely been here, but the scent wasn’t strong enough for me to establish how long ago that was.
Dash glanced at me and nodded before clearing his throat. “Merik?” he called out.
The rattle of a door slamming sounded, and I could hear the soft footsteps of whoever had entered the building coming our way. An elf appeared in the doorway by the small bar counter, and he grinned when his eyes landed on Dash. “Dash, mate!” he exclaimed, walking toward us. “How’s it going?” The elf had a thick Australian accent, but I was more distracted by his looks than how he sounded.
He wasn’t as tall as most elves, and his golden hair was more of a dull, dirty blond. His skin didn’t have the flawless perfection of the rest of his kind, and he didn’t have the same beauty most elves had. His nose was a little too big and his eyes a little too close together. Even dark elves were known for their stunningly pure appearance, but Merik seemed rougher and dirtier, like the red sand of the outback had stained him.
If Dash hadn’t told me Merik was an elf, I would have found it hard to guess what kind of magical being he was by his looks. Even the scent of his magic was subtle and not nearly strong enough given the time of season.
Merik gripped Dash’s hand in greeting, and I was surprised to find Dash grinning in return. He looked happy to see the elf, which was surprising. Dash never looked happy to see anyone.
“And who’s this?” Merik asked, glancing in my direction.
“Clio,” I responded.
The elf looked me up and down with bright eyes. “You always did like the pretty ones,” he said, giving Dash a nudge with his elbow.
“You do, huh?”
“Clio and I aren’t like that,” Dash hurried to explain. He stumbled over the words, as though he was embarrassed by Merik’s insinuation.
I felt my face fall and my stomach tighten at Dash’s response. I didn’t like how quickly he’d dismissed the idea, and it left me feeling surprisingly hurt.
“Yeah, we aren’t like that,” I agreed, putting on a calm voice. Dash’s gaze flicked to meet mine, and I wondered if my words had stung him too.
“Maybe not yet,” Merik said. “But Dash here always gets the girl. Remember that time in Rio?”
Dash coughed uncomfortably, and his cheeks blushed red. “Clio doesn’t want to hear about Rio.”
I did want to hear about it, if only to make Dash more embarrassed. But apparently, Merik got the message from his friend because he nodded.
“Perhaps another time. So, what brings you both out here then?” Merik asked. “It can’t be the beer, because Dash already knows it’s piss poor.”
“We need your help.”
Merik’s face immediately became more serious. His smile slowly dropped, and his eyes turned somber as he returned Dash’s glance. “What’s wrong?”
“We need to access the Southern Realm.”
Merik continued to stare at him for a moment before his eyes suddenly lightened, and he let out a laugh. “Ah, you nearly had me there, mate.” He slapped Dash on the arm. “Seriously, what brings you here?”
Dash wasn’t smiling though. “I’m deadly serious, Merik. We have to go to the Dead Lands of the Southern Realm. We need to retrieve an object from the palace ruins. I wish I was joking, but I’m not.”
Merik shook his head. “I’m not sure if you’ve been sniffing petrol fumes, but it’s not like you two can just get a sleigh line into the Southern Realm. And don’t even think about asking me to go in there for you. You know I hate that place.”
“We’re not asking you to do that,” I said, interrupting. “And we don’t need your help getting to a sleigh point. We only need you to take us to the barrier. We have a way to get through.”
At least, I hoped we did. The nameless one had told us the Christmas star had affected the barrier around the Southern Realm in the same way it had damaged the one that protected the Northern Realm. The dark beings were clearly also aware, and we had to assume they’d be watching the sleigh points like the light beings were doing in the north. I figured it was probably a good idea to avoid them.
Merik scratched the side of his face, his gaze flicking between Dash and me. “I don’t think I even want to know how you plan to get through the barrier,” he said. “But, sure, I suppose I can take you to a sleigh point close to it. Just so long as I don’t have to go back there.”
“No, you don’t have to go into the Southern Realm,” Dash said.
Merik let out a breath, and his tense shoulders relaxed as Dash spoke. “Good, because I was about to start questioning our friendship.” He let out another breath, looking around his pub. “I shouldn’t have any customers till this arvo, so we should be fine to leave now. I have to go take a leak, but
then we can go.”
Merik turned and trailed back through the bar, leaving us alone as he went out the back door.
“How exactly did you come to be friends with a dark elf?”
Dash shrugged. “Most dark beings aren’t so different from the rest of us,” he said. “I helped him get out of a sticky situation with a krampus a few years back, and we’ve been friends ever since.”
“And what’s he got against the Southern Realm?” I asked. I was being nosy and would never want anyone to know the reasons for my own self-inflicted isolation from the North Pole, but I couldn’t seem to help my curiosity.
“Merik is a half-caste,” Dash replied. “His mom was an elf, but his dad was human.”
“Oh,” I replied, not needing to hear any more. I knew that many magical beings were purists and thought relationships with humans were unacceptable. They were even less understanding of any offspring that might result. I was beginning to understand why Merik had hidden away.
“You guys ready?” Merik asked.
“Sure,” Dash replied.
I swallowed and nodded as I went to follow the other two through the front door of the bar and back out into the intense heat. We were one step closer to the Southern Realm, and I couldn’t help the nerves that were beginning to churn in my gut.
What would we do if we couldn’t get past the barrier? What lay beyond it if we did? I glanced down at the golden favor tattoo that wrapped around my wrist and clenched my hand into a fist. Even if it seemed like the obstacles in front of us were impossible to overcome, giving up wasn’t an option. For me, finding the chest of Bethalial and getting its contents back to the nameless one was a matter of life and death.
Chapter Nine
The tingle of magic rushed over my skin as Merik transported us to the sleigh point near the barrier. My eyes were squinted as we arrived, but they flew open when I heard the soft call of birds in the distance and the gentle trickle of water a little farther off.
My hand dropped from Merik’s shoulder, and my head reached back as I slowly turned around and stared in wonder at the place we’d arrived. We were surrounded by vast trees and foliage so dense I couldn’t see farther than a few meters away. A heavy canopy of leaves shrouded the sky from view, and everything was an intense shade of green—from the thick undergrowth of ferns and bushes that carpeted the floor to the moss that covered the huge trees and the vines that intertwined through the branches high above.
I’d never been anywhere near a jungle before, and I was in total awe of the place. It was so foreign to everything I knew, and I felt like I’d arrived in an alien world.
The jungle was just as hot as the Australian desert had been, but the humidity was suffocating, and the air was so thick I started sweating within minutes of our arrival. My hair was sticking to my neck, and I could feel my face was flushing bright red. I was already turning into a sweaty wreck, and if the humidity kept up, I felt certain I’d be well and truly cemented in the just friends category with Dash by the end of our trip.
“Where exactly are we?” I asked, turning my attention to Merik.
“The Amazon.”
“The Southern Realm is in the Amazon?” I struggled to keep the surprise from my voice. I wasn’t sure where I’d been expecting it to be, but it certainly wasn’t a jungle in South America.
Merik nodded before he pointed a finger toward the thick jungle in front of us. “The barrier is about a hundred meters that way, and once you’re through it, you’ll arrive in the Enchanted Forest.” he said. “There might be a bit of bush bashing involved, but it’s about as close to the Dead Lands as I could get you. Though I’m not sure how much good it’ll do you, as I’ve got no idea where these palace ruins are. You’re on your own for that one.”
I looked out into the jungle in the direction Merik had pointed. There was no sign of the barrier through the trees, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there. Only dark beings could sense the barrier around their home realm, and only light beings could sense the barrier to the Northern Realm. It was part of the magical protection that helped our realms remain off the map. The barriers were also equipped with a strong repellant magic that forced anyone who wasn’t meant to be in the area to unconsciously turn and wander in the opposite direction. If the barrier to the Southern Realm was fully functional, there was no way we were going to get near it.
“You sure you both want to go in there?” Merik asked. “I know I said the beer ain’t great, but we could easily go back home and have a pint. That would be much more enjoyable.”
“Unfortunately, not today,” Dash replied. “But I’ll stop by for a drink another time. Thanks for your help.”
“Anytime,” Merik replied. “And I’ll hold you to that drink.” He stepped back into the sleigh point and gave us both a wave. “Good luck. You’ll need it,” he added before disappearing as he transported himself back home.
“Well, that makes me feel better about all of this,” I muttered before facing Dash. The heat of the jungle seemed to be affecting him just as much as me. A light sheen of moisture dotted his forehead, but somehow, he seemed to make sweaty look sexy.
“I guess we better go find that barrier,” I said.
Dash nodded and started to make his way through the dense undergrowth in the direction Merik had pointed. I followed him, leaving a little distance between us so I didn’t get hit every time Dash passed through a bush. The undergrowth was so dense here that, even though only meters separated us, I almost lost sight of him several times.
“So, did you know the Southern Realm was in the Amazon?” I asked, as I climber over a fallen tree. Dash had simply leaped over it like it was nothing, and I was clearly lacking those skills.
“No. The location of the Southern Realm is a highly guarded secret.”
“I certainly didn’t expect it to be in the jungle. It’s so hot here.”
“Well, the Southern Realm didn’t have a frost go rogue on them and coat their entire realm in snow.”
“I suppose,” I agreed. After spending just a few minutes in the jungle, I was already starting to feel grateful Jack had decided to inflict his mischief upon our world. I definitely didn’t function well in hot weather, and the miserable gray days in England and the snow of the North Pole actually seemed rather appealing right now.
As we progressed farther, I started to frown as I began to sense magic up ahead. It prickled against my skin, and a rich scent, similar to the smell of roasted chestnuts, wafted through the air. It felt increasingly difficult to forge forward, and I had the strongest urge to turn and walk the other way. I wasn’t supposed to be able to smell the barrier’s magic nor should I have been able to recognize the repellant magic for what it was. The only explanation was that the barrier must have been weakened.
Dash slammed to a halt ahead of me and let out a curse as he reeled backward. A shimmer of magic crackled through the air in front of him before disappearing almost as quickly as it had appeared. I watched to see if I could catch another glimpse of the magic, but all I could see in front of me was the dense jungle continuing in to the distance.
“What happened?” I hurried to catch up with Dash. “Did you find the barrier?”
“Yes, and it nearly broke my nose.” His eyes were watering as he gingerly touched the sore spot. “I walked right into it.”
I moved to stand next to him, holding out my hand so I didn’t do the same as him and slam into the barrier with my face. As soon as I was at Dash’s side, my outstretched hand touched the barrier, and I could feel the intense buzz of magic under my fingertips. The magic of the barrier throbbed with power, and I tried to force my hand through it, but the barrier held firm. It didn’t seem like the Christmas star had affected its strength, but the fact I could sense the barrier at all was an indication it had.
“So, I take it we can’t just walk through,” I said.
Dash frowned and glanced at the invisible blockade in front of us once more. “The nameless one said the ba
rrier was affected by the star,” he replied. “And if the barrier were at full strength, there’s no way we could have made it this close, even with Merik’s direction. The repellant wasn’t powerful enough to stop us, so the barrier’s magic must be weakened.”
“Yeah, but it’s clearly not weakened enough. We can’t just wait around all week and hope that eventually it deteriorates enough so we can cross into the Southern Realm.”
“It shouldn’t take that long,” Dash replied. “The Northern Realm’s barrier was constantly pulsing between strong and weak. Perhaps this one will do the same. I say we wait and see if it weakens enough that we can cross over.”
“I don’t know.” My voice filled with uncertainty. “Do we have time to wait?”
“Do you have a better plan?”
“No.” I huffed out a breath and went to sit at the base of the closest tree, wishing I could think of a valid alternative that would get us out of the humid jungle quicker. Hideous sweat patches were developing on my top under my arms, and it was only a matter of time before there would be matching marks on my back and stomach.
Dash sighed and paced back and forth alongside the barrier. He kept reaching out his hand to try to penetrate the hidden wall, but each time, his palm was met with resistance. I decided to make my magic useful and summoned myself a portable handheld fan. It really didn’t help much with the heat, but it did make me feel a little better when Dash cast a judgmental look in my direction. If he was forcing us to wait, I was going to make myself as comfortable as possible in the meantime. If it took too long, I might just summon myself a pillow and a hammock to really make myself at home.
“They say that the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome,” I said when Dash had been pacing and trying his hand against the barrier wall for what felt like an hour. I was exhausted just watching him, but the shifter was relentless. He shot me another dark look but kept at it without saying a word.
Christmas Chaos (Christmas Magic Book 2) Page 9