Relics and Runes Anthology

by Heather Marie Adkins

  “I’ve had enough of surprise visits from so-called friends.”

  A man wearing a black shirt and pants with a black feathered mask comes over to Andrea. He bows to her.

  “Who are you supposed to be? Zorro?”

  Susan quietly walks away.

  “Will you do me the honor of a dance?”

  “Who are you?”

  “Or are you saving it for Wesley?”

  “He is going to Europe. What is the point of giving anyone the satisfaction of fiction?”

  The man tilts his head.

  “I’m sure you are like the others. You think we will marry.”

  “Will you marry me?”

  She laughs. “Tell me your name and I’ll think about it.” She turns away to find Wesley. When she looks back, the man is gone.

  Another man dressed in all black appears before her. A black hood covers his head. A black eye mask covers his eyes. She knows it’s not the man from before, yet she is more curious about this one. The man takes down his hood, exposing strawberry-blonde hair. He takes off the eye mask and she gets a good look at his green eyes.

  “Nips, you little devil.”

  “Nips? What made you call me that?”

  “I remember that being Wesley’s nickname for you. Because you like to nip at women’s asses.”

  “Oh.” He laughs then grows serious. “You know that man before me was Wesley.”

  “It wasn’t.”

  “Okay, don’t take my word for it.” He kisses her on the cheek and then grabs her ass. “Happy Birthday. I’ve been waiting a few years now to be allowed to do that.”

  She spots someone dressed in black going around the corner of the dining room. She runs to catch them. She comes around the corner and bangs into Wesley. “Nips was right. It was you.”

  “What?”

  “Did you mean what you said?”

  “What did I say?”

  “I’m sorry. I was mistaken.”

  “Noah is here? I must find him.”

  Andrea feels like her head is spinning right off. Her mother signals to her to come over. Andrea knows what this means. She comes before her mother and lowers her head.

  “Why are you sad?”

  “I’m not. What do you want?”

  “I want to talk to you about Wesley. We have been talking to his parents and we have come to a decision.”

  “You’re going to stop us from being friends again?”

  “Certainly not. We have decided to get you two hitched,” Michael says.

  “Are you insane?”

  “Wesley won’t mind. He’s fond of you. He is a fine match.”

  “Father? Please tell me that you are not for this? Tell me that it’s just Mother’s influence?”

  “Thomas and I have talked about it and he wants his son with you. I think that if you’re going to marry anyone, it should be someone that you at least like as a friend.”

  Andrea never guessed this. Never in a lifetime. “Wesley will not be okay with this. You realize that he is twenty-one years old and will not want to be attached to a teenager.”

  “It is settled.”

  “Mother, I beg you to reconsider.”

  “It is settled, Andrea. I will not hear anymore protest.”

  Andrea looks out at the garden where the fountain sits. Marie comes up behind her and grabs her. Andrea turns and almost shouts her anger until she sees Marie’s innocent face.

  “You aren’t enjoying your party.”

  “You want to see something cool?”

  “Yes.”

  Andrea brings Marie down the steps. To the garden.

  “Andrea, we can’t go in there.”

  “Yes we can.” She slips the key into the lock.

  “Where did you get that?”

  “From my father’s desk.” She unlocks the gates and waits. “You coming? I am leaving this place for good.”

  “Okay.” Marie walks in.

  Wesley looks all around the dining room for Andrea. He also notices that Marie is gone. He walks up to Marie’s mother. “Have you seen Andrea or your daughter?”

  “No.”

  “Maybe they went upstairs. Maybe Marie got tired.”

  Panic hits Marie’s mother and she rushes over to her sister Melanie.

  Wesley continues his search.

  Thomas yanks Wesley’s arm. “You were told to watch Andrea. Where is she?”

  “I don’t know. I got caught up talking to Noah.”

  “He isn’t supposed to be here. Even your best friend can’t obey orders.”

  Andrea sits on the base of the fountain. “See, it isn’t dangerous.”

  “But my mother says differently.”

  “They tried to fill my head with silly things too. But I know the truth. The fountain is a way to our hearts’ desire. It’s a way for us to leave behind our old lives and live new ones. Don’t you want to ride on the back of a stallion and a prince flies beside you?” Marie smiles. “Of course you do. I have done it. With Cornelius.”

  “Who is Cornelius?”

  “He’s the love of my life. He’s the fairy prince.”

  “I love fairies.”

  “And I am going to be with him again. The next time I go into the Vale I will be with him forever.”

  “What about Wesley?”

  Wesley grabs Noah and almost drags him out of the house. “Lovely that you’re here, friend, but you broke the agreement. Now, we have to send you back.”

  “Calm down. I had good reason to come.”

  “We have to handle this.”

  “What are we doing, Wes?”

  “Andrea is going into the Vale.”

  “Then we’d better quicken our pace.”

  Andrea picks Marie up and sits her on the base. “All you have to do is look into the water. But you must look past the water. You must see the other land. When you do, it is possible to cross into it.”

  “Andrea, we shouldn’t go.”

  “There is nothing that can hurt you there. Cornelius will protect us.”

  “I’ve always wanted to see a real fairy.”

  “There are plenty of fairy children that you can play with.”

  “Okay.” She takes Andrea’s hand.

  Wesley and Noah reach the gates. Wesley tries to open it. It zaps him with a strong electrical pulse.

  “Safety measures?”

  “No. He’s here. He’s coming for her. You’ve got to help me get these gates open.”

  “How?”

  “Go around and see if there is a way in.”

  “What do you mean he’s coming for her?”

  “I made a deal to break a curse and in turn he gets Andrea when she turns eighteen. I’ve been so caught up with other things that I forgot about the deal. He wanted me to be distracted. Hurry!”

  Noah runs to the right. Wesley stares straight at the gates.

  Andrea puts her hand on Marie’s back. “There. Just stare into the water.”

  “I think I can see it.”

  “Good.”

  The water churns. Bright lights come up from the bottom of the water.

  Noah checks each section of the hedge. He stops when he notices the bright lights. “Wes!”

  Wesley comes around to join him.

  “The fountain has opened the Vale.”

  “We have to get in there.” Wesley tries climbing the hedge. “I can’t let her go into the Vale again.”

  Noah pulls on the hedge. He manages to break a piece. Wesley helps him pull apart more. They reach the inside of the garden.

  Andrea and Marie fall into the water.

  “Andrea!”

  “Did they?”

  “Yes. They are gone.”

  “Wesley, you can’t go in there.”

  “Stay guard.”

  “Wesley. You can’t go. I was able to keep them from hurting you last time but now you won’t be so lucky.”

  “I trust that you will be here when we get back.” Wesley
takes a deep breath. He dives into the water.

  He barely feels the transition from one world to the next.

  Wesley comes into the Vale. Andrea and Marie laugh in the distance. “I really hate this place.” The fountain glows behind him. Then the glowing fades and the fountain looks like any normal fountain found in a garden.

  He makes his way up a hill of flowers. He knows this path all too well. At the top of the hill he gets quite a view. Down in a valley sits a crystal kingdom. Andrea and Marie are already at the gates. “I am too late.”

  Andrea and Marie are welcomed by fairy guards with tanned skin and golden armor. “Good day to you,” Andrea says.

  Marie points to various fairies. “Why are the guards tan and these normal dressed fairies are pale?”

  “The guards need to look different from the rest because of rank. The royal court has the palest skin of them all.”

  Fairies nod and bow to Andrea.

  “They all know you?”

  “Of course.”

  “Where is Prince Cornelius?”

  Andrea brings Marie up a winding twisted tree branch path. At the very top sits the fairy court. A crystal sphere that constantly glows. The guards surrounding it are bigger than the gate guards. They block passage with their gold and silver axes.

  “I am here to see Prince Cornelius.”

  The one guard shakes his head.

  “I demand to see him.”

  “He isn’t here,” another guard says.

  “Where is he?”

  “We are not allowed to tell anyone.”

  “Can we meet the king and queen?” Marie asks.

  “No one gets in without a prior invitation.”

  Andrea and Marie walk away.

  “We can still enjoy the fairy kingdom.”

  “Yes.”

  Marie runs down the twisting path. Andrea follows. They walk around the kingdom trying nectar and fruits native to this land. Andrea feels little joy in watching her cousin be amazed at everything. Her heart longs for only one thing.

  Wesley gets as close to the fairy kingdom as he wants to, which is not very close. “Andrea, you just had to chase this dream again.” He turns and heads to the north.

  He steps down into a hole and feels along the dirt wall. “Now, where is it?” His finger stops. “Ah, there you are.” He pushes into the dirt. Bells rings. A door opposite him opens.

  “Yeah, what is it?” a goblin says. Yellow goop runs down from his eyes. Drool from his mouth. His greenish-brown skin is peeling.

  “Good day to you, Drevil.”

  Drevil almost chokes on his drool. “Your - -“

  “Don’t say it. Just get me into the kingdom.”

  “Which kingdom? These tunnels connect to them all.”

  “To the fairy kingdom.”

  “Why don’t you just walk up to the gates?”

  “Because I can’t.”

  “Why are you back?”

  “Andrea is in there. I need to get her back.”

  “Ah, come on, you know that this - -“

  “Don’t waste my time.”

  “As you say. Come on.”

  Marie has found fairy children and they are just as interested in her as she is in them. All the fairy children gather around Marie and attempt to lift her off the ground.

  “Be careful,” Andrea says.

  A guard comes over to Andrea. “The king and queen will see you.”

  “Oh. Marie?”

  “No. Just you.”

  Drevil lights the tunnel with a torch. “You want to be taken right under the court or under someone’s bedroom?”

  “What would be the safest place that I can go undetected?”

  “The dungeon. How can you not remember that?”

  “That’ll do.”

  Andrea is taken up to the court. She enters. The guard falls in behind her. She sees the king and queen sitting on their thrones. The prince’s throne to the left of his father is empty. The fairy king and queen has skin almost as white as snow. The king’s eyes are green and the queen’s eyes are dark like an onyx. The king wears only red silk while the queen only wears blue silk. Their crowns are full of the same gems with the king’s being slightly larger. A bright light fills the throne area making it hard for Andrea to see the king and queen clearly.

  “Your majesties.”

  “Our son left here to find you,” the queen says.

  “Tell us, Andrea, has our son proposed marriage to you?”

  “No. He has said that he wants me to remain with him forever though.”

  “You realize how impossible a marriage between a human and a fairy is?” the king says.

  “But some of you are mixed.”

  “A mistake. We will not have our only son and heir to the fairy kingdom be mated with a human.”

  “Good queen, you cannot deny your son love.”

  “Do you love our son?” the king asks.

  “Yes.”

  “Which version of him do you love? Take care to answer honestly, my dear,” the queen says.

  “How much longer?” Wesley asks.

  “It’s been a while since I had to sneak someone into the fairy city. Especially you of all people.”

  “I cannot let Andrea spend too much time here. It’s dangerous.”

  “You should be more careful about how she runs away from you.”

  Drevil stops and knocks on the dirt. Sticks his finger inside.

  “If you lead me astray…”

  “We are here.”

  “Excellent.”

  Drevil takes out a mini shovel from his backpack. He shovels with lightning speed. The shovel hits something hard and loud. He brushes excess dirt off and reveals a metal door.

  Wesley goes to open it.

  “It’s locked. And you’ll need some light.” He rummages through his backpack and pulls out a huge set of keys. There must be a thousand keys of all shapes and sizes on the keyring. He also pulls out a small glass ball. He sorts through the keys until he finds the one for the door. He hands the glass ball to Wesley. “Just shake it a few times.”

  “I remember.”

  “Good. Now, if you need to get out of the kingdom without being seen, you’re going to have to be clever and find it on your own. This is only a one-way.”

  “I remember. Thank you, Drevil.”

  “You owe me, your - -“

  “Goodbye, Drevil.” Wesley goes in and slams the door shut.

  “Why do I get mixed up with fairies all the time?”

  “We are waiting for your answer,” the queen says.

  Andrea didn’t expect to answer a question like this. “I only know one version.”

  “Until you know our son truly, we cannot give this consideration.”

  Andrea looks to the king. “I agree with my wife. She is the sensible one.”

  The queen steps down from her throne. The bright light surrounding her remains as she comes to Andrea. “It’s not that I don’t like you. It’s not that I don’t believe you love my son. But until you know everything that he is keeping secret, I cannot allow you to be with him.”

  “What secret?”

  “I would allow you two to be married, but with who is after you, it will bring my son his death, unless you know his secret.”

  “I will not let anything happen to Cornelius.”

  The queen puts her hand on Andrea’s head. “You believe in too many fairytales.”

  “I best go and find my cousin.”

  Wesley shakes the glass ball and a bright light comes through. He navigates through the long glass tunnel that opens up to the dungeon pit. Giant glass cages that house all the wrong-doers and enemies of the fairies. He shakes the ball again and the light disappears. He moves along the walls. A guard comes. He hides inside a gap. He moves again. He makes it to a staircase and runs up it.

  Andrea watches a guard with a prisoner. The prisoner looks over at Andrea. Smiles. She runs over. The guard takes the prisoner down a s
taircase.

  “What is it?” Marie asks.

  “I know that prisoner.” Andrea goes downstairs.

  Andrea comes around a corner and bangs into someone.

  “Wesley!” Marie hugs him.

  “You followed me?”

  “We are getting out of here now. You shouldn’t be here.”

  “Cornelius is looking for me. I must find him.”

  “Andrea, I swear, if you don’t come with me right now I am going to make you regret it.”

  Andrea pulls Marie away from Wesley. “Did you know that our parents are gearing up for our wedding to be?”

  “Seriously?”

  “I think you two would make a cute couple.”

  Wesley smiles at Marie.

  “I am not leaving until I see Cornelius.”

  “Alright. Stubborn woman. I will take you to him.”

  “You don’t know where Cornelius is.”

  “As if you do. Now either follow me or you’ll end up ruining your cousin’s life. You know what I mean.”

  “Okay, Wesley.”

  “Cause a commotion, Marie. We need a distraction.”

  “What shall I do, Uncle Wesley?”

  “Don’t call me uncle.” He looks over at the fairy children. “Perfect. They are always getting into trouble.” He hands the glass ball to Marie. “When you get out there, smash it. Fairies do not like their dust being wasted. They’ll be all over you trying to collect it.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Oh, Marie, Wesley is a know-it-all.”

  Wesley doesn’t appreciate the sarcasm.

  Marie holds the glass ball close and walks out.

  “You should be thrown into the dungeon for endangering your cousin.”

  “You can’t keep me a prisoner.”

  Marie looks back at her cousin and Wesley. Then she smashes the glass ball down on the ground. Just like Wesley said, fairies rush to her and try their hardest to gather up the grey fairy dust that was inside the ball.

  “Now.”

  “What about Marie?”

  “I’ll grab her. Go.”