Enchanted Revenge

by Theresa M. Jones

  Why aren’t there more rebels?

  As we walked away from it, I really looked at my surroundings. I realized that everything was blue, or a variation of blue. Greenish blue, light blue, dark blue, purplish blue, reddish blue, bright blue…everywhere. I thought at first it was just a reflection from the water, but then I realized that it wasn’t, everything really was just blue. It was like I had blue tinted glass coating my eyes, since even the Sprites had blue tinted skin.

  The building that we walked into looked mostly normal. It had black floors, and sky blue walls, but the windows were to die for. They were all stained glass. Some with water droplets, or rain, and one window at the far side of the room depicted an entire gorgeous scene. It was a thunderstorm with a raging ocean wave pounding against an island.

  “We decided that this base would be the best location for you to visit,” Lynn said, after turning to look back at us. “The majority of the rebel bases are under the water, places the Pixies would never want to go. We’ve gotten to the point where the majority of the Sprite civilization is in Lemuria. It’s the safest place for us in all of The Empyrean in this dire time.” Well that made sense, since the Pixies couldn’t touch this water.

  “So all Rita explained to me was that you have been tracking the Mortem, that you would need some assistance in leaving Ardennes, and that you would need sanctuary.”

  “Yes. We have been tracking the Mortem for three weeks now. We were on their trail when Lord Nettle intercepted us and decided we needed to be made quiet,” Alec answered. “It was only then that I realized the Mortem was even working for the lords. So, the more information you can share with us, the better.”

  “It used to be that the Mortem was composed of only Nymph. However, about 50 years ago they recruited a Pixie, and 10 years ago they somehow drafted a Sprite. They are so very lethal, and now that they have a Sprite, they can come into Muircadia and commit their crimes here as well.”

  “Have they been here recently?” Alec questioned her.

  “We just received word that they arrived in Muircadia only a few days ago. We have many men working on finding their location as we speak.”

  “Thank you, Lynn, for sharing this information. I would very much like to be part of your investigation.”

  “Of course. How long do you plan on staying?”

  “As long as it takes.”

  She nodded, “Very well. Come with me and we’ll find a place for you to stay.”

  She led us down a series of hallways, and then into an elevator that dropped us down, instead of going up, even though the building we were in seemed very tall from the outside.

  “We do have several dormitories available for persons of refuge. Do you request one bed or two?” She addressed the question to Alec, but she glanced at me when she asked it. I was certain my face was the reddest thing in the entire city at that moment.

  Most awkward silence ever.

  “Two will do. Thank you,” Alec answered, completely unfazed by the personal question.

  She led us into a room, and then said before leaving, “We’ll be discussing more at our meeting after dinner, right about eight in the evening. Alec, feel free to join us.”

  I ignored the Alec only invitation, as did he when he answered, “Of course, I’ll be there.”

  I sat on the bed trying to come to terms with everything that was going on in my totally messed up life. My parents were dead. I sighed.

  My parents. Were. Dead.

  I was in a fairy world. The leaders of this world were bad. They were dictators. I didn’t feel they should be called monarchs, as they were so cruel, unfair, and unfit to lead.

  They were torturing people, killing them slowly and painfully, and that was wrong on so many levels. The people that I was hunting, the same people who stole my parents from me, worked for these leaders.

  Now I sat in a rebel camp, which was dangerous and a little scary, but I felt compelled to stay with them anyway, to fight with them. I could still hear that girl’s screams in my ears, and just the thought alone almost brought tears to my eyes.

  I had never really felt a strong connection to people. Everybody usually felt different or other to me. I had always been the different one and just hadn’t known it. I had never had siblings or anything, and really the only people I cared about had been my parents.

  But for some reason I felt a connection to these people. To all the Nymph I had met in Ardennes. To Nona and Kerr. And now to these Sprites. I felt like I should help them.

  Killing the Mortem, enacting my revenge, finding justice for my parents and their murderers. In this way I could both help myself and help them as well.

  Alec left the room and went into an attached bathroom. Just thinking about the bathroom made me crave a real shower. And then my stomach grumbled, and I realized I hadn’t eaten in probably 24 hours.

  That wouldn’t be my first priority though.

  As soon as Alec came back into the room I would demand he teach me more. I knew we were at an awkward place right now, what with me being completely and utterly infatuated with him and him apologizing for me kissing him…but I would put all that aside, and hopefully he would too. I needed to be able to defend myself.

  And I needed to kill these people.

  Chapter Thirty Four

  Ephemeris: A journal or diary. Most Fae don’t keep them, as the written word can be damning. Things written become permanent. Usually an Ephemeris is kept by the royals, lords and ladies, and record keepers, though always kept magically secured. It is very difficult for any Fae to lie, especially in the written word.

  That night after dinner, Alec was at that secret meeting or whatever that I hadn’t been invited to. You would’ve thought I would fall asleep quickly, considering the lack of sleep over the last few days, but I just had so much on my mind.

  It had been about an hour and half since dinner was over when I heard a knock on the door. I stood up, went to the door and crouched a little, not completely in my battle stance, but still ready for whoever was knocking, no matter what. And then I said, “Enter,” trying to sound just like Alec when he said it.

  Lynn walked in and shut the door behind her.

  “I just wanted to check on you.”

  “Oh, thanks. I’m doing well. Thank you for your hospitality, we appreciate all you are doing for us.” I told her, easily slipping into a plural and speaking for Alec as well.

  She handed me a cup and said, “I brought you some tea.” I took it and looked down at it, wary of what it might really be. “Don’t worry, it’s not made with water. It won’t harm you or anything.”

  I smiled as I thanked her and we walked to my bed to sit down to talk. It was warm, and tasted so normal and wonderful and filled with honey that it brought a pang of longing for home as it coated my tongue and slithered down my throat to warm my belly.

  “I wanted to ask you some questions, if that’s okay with you,” she asked, as she relaxed more on the bed, stretching back and crossing her legs under her arms.

  Immediately I was on guard. It was always scary when someone started out a conversation like that. I knew I wouldn’t lie, so it worried me what questions she might ask me.

  “Umm,” I mumbled. “Okay. Sure.”

  “I’m curious. Where are you from? You obviously are not from around here.”

  “I am Fae, if that’s what you’re asking,” I told her defensively. She just kept looking at me, like that wasn’t enough. And for some reason, I felt the urge to tell her more. “I actually grew up in the Mortal Realm, though. I don’t know if I’m allowed to talk about it. Alec has made a point of trying to keep it quiet. But I feel like I can trust you, and I want to be honest with you. Please don’t tell anybody.”

  “No, that’s fine. Your secret is safe with me,” she assured me, smiling. “We have each other’s backs around here.”

  “Oh, good.” It grew a little quiet then. Like, what was I supposed to say after that?

  “So…?�
� she encouraged.

  “So, up until just over a few weeks ago, I didn’t even know fairies were real. All I knew was the Mortal Realm.”

  “Wow,” she murmured, as she looked off in the distance. “I’ve only been to the Mortal Realm once before, and it was many years ago. I can’t imagine living there. I usually stay here, very close to Muircadia.”

  Then she looked back at me. “Do you know why you grew up there? Your parents never told you that you were fae?”

  “No. My parents,” I took a deep breath. “My parents never mentioned anything about this place.”

  “Interesting. And still now, they haven’t explained it to you?” She seemed truly confused and surprised by this. “When do you mature?”

  “My birthday is in a couple of weeks.” Saying it out loud made me realize just how close it was. It felt good to think I would be getting magic soon. I wouldn’t be defenseless.

  “Oh, very close then. That’s good. Maybe then they will explain your lineage,” she offered hopefully. “Have you asked them about it?”

  I looked down. I refused to let even a single tear escape. Not now. Not in front of this stranger, a leader of the freakin rebellion. I would not cry.

  “The Mortem killed them.”

  “Oh…” she murmured as she looked down. Then she reached forward and placed her hand on my knee. “My condolences.” The sincerity in her voice was nearly my undoing. I almost broke down and cried all over, but I knew that if I started again, I wouldn’t stop for a long time.

  “Unfortunately, the Mortem has taken a loved one from most of us. For some of us, they have taken all of our loved ones, and left us completely alone.” I knew in that moment we shared a common pain. They had stolen from her too.

  We stayed quiet for a few minutes, thinking of and missing those we have lost. Loving them, even as they are gone. Mourning them. Wishing things were different, but still knowing they couldn’t be. And swearing we would avenge their deaths.

  She took a deep breath and then looked back at me. “So, do you have everything that you need?” she asked, effectively changing the subject and taking my mind off my parents.

  “Yes I do, thank you,” I said, as I looked over at the little dresser where I had placed the abscondita and started to take out some of our belongings.

  Her eyes followed mine, then she stood up and walked over to our things, picking up something of mine.

  “Where did you get this?” she demanded.

  I walked over to her, and took the ephemeris back from her. “It was my mother’s.”

  “Your mother’s?” she asked again, seeking confirmation.

  “Yes.”

  “It’s very rare. Most fae don’t keep them. I’ve only ever seen one once before.” She looked longingly at it. “Do you know what it is?”

  “Yeah, of course. But I don’t know how to open it.”

  “Usually they can only be opened by the author or by someone the author trusted. If it was your mothers, you should be able to, it’s just magically bound.”

  “Right, and I don’t have my magic yet.” Go freakin’ figure.

  “Well, maybe we can do it together,” she offered. “I didn’t know your mother. But I do have magic, and if you hold it, maybe together we can open it. I’ve never read one before.”

  She assured me, “I’m not asking to read it, don’t misunderstand.” Her eyes begged forgiveness and understanding. “But I would love to help you open it and just look at it.”

  I probably should’ve been more cautious. I didn’t know her, I didn’t really know if I could trust her at all. And already, I’d told her things I hadn’t told any other fae, other than Alec. But, I was too hopeful it would work.

  “Okay,” I said, hoping my excitement didn’t show through as much as hers did.

  “Hold it out in front of you. I’ll place my hand on yours, and the other on the book. Okay?” I nodded, and she did as she said.

  Then she closed her eyes and I could feel her magic flowing around me. It wasn’t like Alec’s. It wasn’t warm and sunny at all. It was almost cold, but not in a bad way. It was that first glass of ice cold water you get after sweating all day in the middle of the summer. Refreshing, cool and crisp.

  I welcomed it wholeheartedly. Let it rush over me, and flow down my head, down to my fingertips.

  And then she whispered, “Go ahead. Open it.”

  So I did. And just like that it opened.

  The first page read:

  The Ephemeris of Norleen Volante

  “It’s blank?” Disappointment clouded her comments.

  “Blank? No, see?” I tried to show her the first page.

  “Hmm?” she murmured, the wheels in her head obviously spinning rapidly. But I didn’t press it. There had to be a reason I could see it when she couldn’t, even when she had magic and I didn’t.

  The only question was, who the heck is Norleen Volante?

  Chapter Thirty Five

  Guano: A discarded muscle from a tipped coral, most often a blue tipped coral. It is usually cooked and eaten, as it is very nutritious, filled with protein, and tastes similar to beef steak. Very plentiful in Muircadia.

  Alec never returned that night, which ended up being okay for me because I stayed up all night reading that diary. It was fascinating.

  The journal started out when this woman, Norleen, was almost 300 years old and falling in love with the Sylph Prince, heir to the throne of The Empyrean. Talk about a love story. She was a nobody, just a guard, but then they met, and it was like it was always meant to be. And I wondered if the fae believed in fate. She came from humble origins and became the freaking Queen of the Empyrean!

  It was epic.

  Some of the journal was about the life and events in the royal house. And a lot of information about Kamalani, which I still hadn’t even seen yet.

  Craziest of all, Norleen was a Pixie. With everything I had been told since being here, I understood that the different breeds didn’t mix. Not only was it looked down upon, a taboo, and not only did it risk the children being spoiled or magicless, now it was even forbidden by law.

  Even in the journal, she writes about her own fears of dating a Sylph.

  I fear the day we conceive, if we are so blessed. The circumstances would be shrouded in darkness and terror, forbidding happiness at the wondrous occasion.

  What if the child developed wings? Mother and Father would shun us, abandon us to the nether. They would bid us farewell, hoping we would venture unto the Outer Realm.

  What if the child could wield fire, but not take to the sky? He would easily be welcomed by the Pixies, but what of the Sylph? If he never could soar through the heavens…If he would be forever grounded…He would never become heir to the throne in Kamalani. He would be rejected by his own people, and stripped of his title and birthright.

  How could I ever ask this of my Prince? How could I ever imprison my own child to such a fate?

  Yet, her love for him essentially overshadowed those fears. Especially since they didn’t plan on bearing children for at least a century! That’s right, these crazy fae wanted to get really stable before they had children. It still boggled my mind to believe that someone could live to 1000 years old!

  The journal went on to say that things in The Empyrean were successful. Things in Ardennes were overly abundant, the most flourishing it had ever been. Muircadia was bubbling with more than enough water and resources for the Sprites. And, as Muircadia fed the rest of The Empyrean with nourishment, that only helped to create copious amounts of sustenance for all the Provinces. And Vesuvius, her homeland, was the most fruitful it had ever been.

  It wasn’t just the boring duties of a royal. She also wrote about relationships within the palace. Scandalous situations where maids fell in love with lords, and a dux who had a mistress. It was so much information. I felt like I was reading the script to one of those drama filled soap operas my mom used to watch.

  Riveting.

  When the
door opened, I was so taken aback that I literally jumped off the bed, not expecting anyone to walk in, completely forgetting where I was or what was going on around me, absolutely enthralled in the story I was reading.

  But it was only a very sleepy looking Alec.

  “Oh, you’re awake?” he said, surprised. He was starting to get bags under his eyes.

  But I was upset at him for being gone so long, especially without me, so I mimicked his tone.

  “Oh, you decided to come back?” The sarcasm easily dripped off my tongue.

  I went back to the bed and reopened the ephemeris, getting back into the story, and tried to ignore his presence.

  He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry.” But I didn’t answer him, and apparently he couldn’t take a hint, since he came around and sat down on the bed next to me. “Can we talk?”

  I took a deep breath, blinked slowly, and looked up at him.

  “I’m kinda in the middle of something right now.”

  “Oh.” He pulled back, the familiar mask shrouding his face once again. “That’s fine, I have, um, something I need to do anyway.”

  He stood up and left. I knew I shouldn’t have been that mean to him. I knew he was probably doing something important, and he really didn’t have to answer to me or tell me where he was, but that was the second time he disappeared, coming back hours and hours later, without letting me know if he was even alive.

  Not to mention, I still didn’t know where we stood or what was going on with us. And to be honest, I was still pretty hurt that he apologized when I kissed him, especially since it was the best kiss of my life, and I had felt so 100 percent connected to him in that moment.

  I don’t have much pride, not really, I never have…but kissing someone and opening up your body and mind and heart to another, just to be pushed away time and again was painful. I couldn’t take any more pain. My heart couldn’t do it anymore.

  As I thought about it a little more, I couldn’t get those deep bruises under his eyes out of my head. I realized when I had slept on the flight over he had been flying both of us. And I know he hadn’t slept the day before. This would be the third day without sleep for him.