“We need to talk,” FayeLynn said when the three of them were settled. “Alvin and I are going on a trip.”
Pops didn’t seem surprised. “I knew you would have to go. Eventually.”
“You’re not upset?”
He grinned. “Upset? No. Jealous? Yes. A little scared? That too. But I understand that it’s something you have to do and you’re an adult now. You have to do what’s best for you and the baby.”
Emotion welled up from the deepest part of her soul. Her father was the most amazing man in any realm. “I love you, Pops.”
“Not as much as I love you.”
“Alvin will be with me the whole time and I hope to be home soon.”
“I hope so, too.”
When they got back into her car, Alvin said, “There’s only one thing left to do.”
“Go.”
######
The next morning, FayeLynn was nervous. Even though she and Alvin had been over it a dozen times, she was still worried she’d screw up and they’d end up in some other parallel limbo.
“It’s easy. Just take my hand and do what we practiced. We’re going together.”
She took a deep cleansing breath and let it out slowly. “I’m ready.”
Alvin began to chant. They’d practiced plenty but the sounds were still foreign to her ear, the ancient language of The Folk was lyrical and lilting, like an Irish lullaby. She held to his hand, allowed the words to wash over her. In her mind, she imagined her body shifting, moving in concert with Alvin’s. Just like he’d told her, she visualized a forest, filled with large, green trees, the sounds of birds, the smell of fresh air and a warm breeze. She tried to keep it her mental picture open and bright, but it wasn’t so easy. The deeper she fell into a trance-like state, the more the darkness tried to creep into the picture.
Alvin had warned her that The Realm wasn’t all sugar and spice, that just like any reality, it was a mix of dark and light, good and evil. She forced her mind to concentrate on the light in her imaginary forest and slowly, she felt herself moving. Her mind began to spin, the colors whirling and changing until she felt like she was looking through a mental kaleidoscope.
In the distance, she still heard Alvin’s chant and his hand was warm in hers. A deep feeling of blissful relaxation washed over her body, and she was floating. Instead of concrete pictures, her imagination filled with colors and lights and warmth.
“Open your eyes.” Alvin’s voice was barely above a whisper.
Her eyelids were still heavy, and she wasn’t ready to open her eyes just yet. She knew that when she did, this wonderful feeling would disappear like a puff of smoke.
“Whenever you’re ready,” he said, reading her mind.
At first his gift had bothered her a little. She wasn’t used to sharing everything with anyone and it made her feel naked and vulnerable but after she’d gotten used to it, it wasn’t so bad. In a way, it was comforting. Alvin could feel all her thoughts, and yet he still liked her. They’d gotten closer and closer and now she couldn’t imagine her life without him. The more she thought about him, the warmer his hand felt.
“Take a deep breath.”
The smell was completely different from the scents she was used to in Asheville. The Realm smelled like peat and juniper and fresh rain. It was damp, like the scent of mushrooms.
When she opened her eyes, she was a little surprised. Instead of looking like the pictures in her head, it looked more similar to the illustrations in the book her mother gave her. Dark and green and filled with climbing, twisting vines, the light in the forest was strange, casting shadows everywhere, and she shivered.
They were in a small clearing, surrounded by acres and acres of forest. The trunks of the trees were so large her arms wouldn’t reach a quarter of the way around. She wondered what was hiding behind them deeper in the woods.
Alvin placed his hands on her shoulders and it eased the anxiety a little. “I’m glad we landed here.” He stepped beside her and took a deep breath. “It smells like home.”
Except for the song of a nearby bird, the forest was quiet. Eerily quiet. The stillness was something she’d never heard in the human world. There, sounds were omnipresent. Here, she didn’t hear the hum of passing cars or the low buzz of electricity. It was disquieting and calming at the same time. FayeLynn looked from side to side but there was nothing in either direction she could use as a landmark. “Do you even know where we are?”
“Sure,” he said with a boyish grin. “We’re in the Deep Woods.”
“Thanks, Captain Obvious.” She yawned and her eyes watered. The trip to The Realm, even though it had only seemed to take seconds, had exhausted her. She felt like she could crumple to the ground and sleep for a month.
“We won’t make it far tonight. Let’s bed down here and get some rest.”
FayeLynn wasn’t a fan of camping. Her father had taken her once and she’d lain awake all night, anxious for the sun to hit their tent. While she loved the outdoors, sleeping outside made her feel exposed but tonight she was so tired, she was willing to lay down anywhere.
“I’ll grab us some water and get a fire started.”
“Maybe I’ll walk with you,” she said. She didn’t want to be alone. Being a city girl, the great outdoors scared her a little, especially in The Realm. She had no idea if the plants and animals were the same as the ones in Western North Carolina. “Are there bears?”
Alvin shrugged. “A few but they’re friendly.” He pulled the collapsible bucket from his backpack and flipped it open.
“I’m definitely walking with you.”
“Okay,” he said. “Let’s go.”
She followed him past several large trees, and then the ground started to slope downward. Glad she’d decided to wear her hiking shoes, she bent her knees and took the slope sideways. The sound of a bubbling stream floated up like a song.
“How do you know it’s clean?” she asked.
Alvin knelt beside the bank and allowed the bucket to fill up. “All the water here is clean.”
She had no choice but to believe him. Growing up in an area like Asheville, she had lots of outdoorsy friends who hiked and camped and even though she didn’t know much about it, she’d heard them discuss tablets that cleaned the water. “What if it makes me, or the baby, sick?”
“It won’t.” He rose and handed her the bucket so that he could climb up the creek bank. “Trust me.”
She’d thought trusting him would become easier. The decision to come to The Realm had already been made, and it was too late to change her mind. “I’m trying.”
They walked until they found a flat spot a short walk from the creek. After Alvin started a fire, he began to tie the tarp between two trees to form a makeshift shelter. “Tonight, we can eat some of the food we brought. Tomorrow, I’ll hunt.”
FayeLynn wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to stay awake for dinner. Her eyelids were so heavy. “I’ll make some soup and then I’m going to turn in. I’m bushed.”
“Traveling between realms isn’t easy.”
“It’s nothing like Doctor Who.”
“Who?”
“Nevermind,” she said. “It’s a television show.”
After they ate, they unrolled their mats and sleeping bags and lay down under the shelter of the tarp. “Try not to worry. I’ll take care of us.” Alvin took her hand. “Rest.”
The fresh air and the smells of the forest were magical and the calling of frogs sang her to sleep.
***
The next morning, while FayeLynn slept, Alvin got fresh water, built a fire and rolled up his sleeping back. Using the sun as a reference, he turned until he faced north. The trees were so dense that he couldn’t see anything but trunk after trunk lined up like soldiers. He needed a better vantage point, so he shimmied up a tree and sat on a sturdy branch. He wished he’d bought binoculars with the money they’d had left over at the sporting goods store, but he’d chosen to buy an extra hatchet. It migh
t come in handy.
If everything went according to plan, he and FayeLynn would go unnoticed until they were just a couple of miles from the palace. If it didn’t, they’d be in a world of trouble.
At the edge of the forest, he saw the sun glinting off a body of water. He’d guessed correctly. He knew exactly where they were.
The Realm still looked the same but it felt different. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it felt different. The light was paler and the foliage wasn’t as green. It was as if all the color had been leached out of the place and only the essence of it remained.
He didn’t know if the change was real or if his memory was playing tricks on him.
Alvin climbed down from the tree and sat on a flat rock near the camp. FayeLynn mumbled something in her sleep and turned over. They needed to get a move on so he couldn’t let her sleep much longer, but he knew she needed the rest. He poured some boiling water into the bowl they were sharing and added a couple of instant oatmeal packets.
It tasted like sawdust, but it would give them the calories they needed for the morning. He ate half the bowl and then decided to wake FayeLynn.
“We need to get started,” he said, tapping her on the shoulder.
She groaned and opened her eyes. “Already?”
“Just a few days of walking and then we can rest until the baby comes.”
After she’d washed her face and eaten, they packed up the tarp and the sleeping bags. Alvin helped FayeLynn put on her pack and then he slipped into his. “Let’s walk.”
It took nearly an hour, but once they got into the rhythm of the walk, he said, “We need to start looking for the plants you and the baby might need for a healthy delivery.”
“I don’t know the plants here. What am I looking for?”
Alvin couldn’t imagine growing up in a world so removed from nature. So much of his childhood had been spent in the woods among the plants and animals that defined The Realm. Even though he’d grown up very privileged, The Folk valued understanding of the natural world above all else. Plants and animals were sacred. He knelt and peeled some Sphagnum moss from the ground. “This is an amazing plant. Not only does it absorb liquid, it’s acidic so it keeps bacteria from growing. We use it to dress wounds.” He held it out to FayeLynn.
“It feels like the finest velvet. It really works?”
“Sure. Warriors have used it for centuries to dress battlefield wounds.”
“That’s pretty cool.”
He grinned. “I’ll show you some other stuff.” He tucked a handful into one of his pockets. “Everything you need is out here.”
They walked for hours, sometimes talking, sometimes just enjoying the silence. It felt good to be home again. Not only had he missed his parents and the palace, he’d missed the place.
Over the next few days, they made good time. The weather was crisp and cool in the mornings and warm in the afternoon. FayeLynn was a pleasant companion, one who valued companionship and quiet. At night, they’d cook whatever small game he’d been able to harvest for dinner and then sleep until the sun rose in the morning.
The Dark Forest hid them well, and they walked for more than a week without seeing or hearing another person.
On the fifth day, it rained buckets all morning and after slogging through the wet leaves and puddles, Alvin decided to stop earlier than usual. “This looks like a good place,” he said, balancing his backpack on a boulder and sliding his arms out. They were in a circular clearing covered with moss. “Surely there’s some water nearby.”
“I’ll walk with you.” She took off her backpack and slipped off her shoes. Her feet were so swollen. She must be miserable, but she hadn’t complained once.
He helped FayeLynn out of her backpack and grabbed the bucket. “Stay here and rest your feet.”
“Sure? I don’t want you to have to do my share of the work.”
Alvin shook his head. “Positive. Don’t fall asleep until I get back. Keep your ears and eyes open.”
CHAPTER 7
FayeLynn lay on the moss, letting the cool, velvety softness of it soak into her bones. It was the first time she’d been comfortable all day. Her clothes were soaked and she was pretty sure she’d never be completely dry again. She listened to Alvin’s footsteps as they sloshed into the distance.
It wouldn’t hurt to close her eyes just for a minute. Being out in the woods for almost a week, her senses were sharper than ever, and she was confident she’d hear Alvin’s approach well before he reached her. She didn’t want to get busted sleeping but her eyelids were so heavy.
The next thing she knew, something sharp was pressing against her throat.
“Don’t scream,” he said. She recognized his voice immediately. It was the father of her baby.
She opened her eyes and he was standing over her, his sword pressing into her neck just beside the pulse point. His eyes were as hard as flint and his mouth was drawn into a thin line. She had no doubt that he’d draw blood with the slightest provocation, real or perceived. She bit her tongue, and the coppery taste of blood filled her mouth.
“Stand up. Slowly.”
FayeLynn was terrified, but she knew that if she had a chance to get away from him, she had to time it perfectly. She needed to buy some time until Alvin got back. He wouldn’t be gone long.
Following his instructions, she got to her feet slowly and stood in front of him. He looked so different from how she remembered. In the low-light of the crowded brewery, he’d been handsome, exotic. In the clean light of the forest, he looked menacing and dark. While he had some of the same features as Alvin—the icy blue eyes, the alabaster skin—he had none of the softness, none of the charisma. She wondered what she’d seen in him that night. He was creepy.
“Stand still,” he said. His voice made cold chills travel up her spine. “I want to look at you.”
He walked around her in a slow circle, using his sword to tap her butt, her breasts and finally her large stomach. “My son should be here in a few days.” He stopped in front of her, so close she could see the pores in his skin. Drake smelled like stale beer and burnt tar and it nauseated her. “It’s time for you to go with me.”
In a flash, he dropped the sword and grabbed her arm. Pulling it behind her and pushing it upward until it felt like it was going to snap off, he grabbed the other arm and then tied her wrists together. She was trying to stay calm but with each second, she was becoming more and more terrified.
“Don’t even think about,” he growled in her ear. “Even if Alvin could get here in time, he couldn’t stop me. He’s weak and powerless, just like you.”
FayeLynn listened very hard for the sound of Alvin’s footsteps but she couldn’t hear anything except the pounding of her heart. She couldn’t wait much longer to make some kind of move but her body was incredibly awkward. It took all of her self-control to not to lash out at him but she doubted her ability to get away from him.
She hated feeling so damn defenseless.
Drake grabbed one of her arms and roughly pulled her toward him. “Not a sound out of you. One peep and I’ll gag you. Got it?” He squeezed her just above the elbow hard to emphasize his point.
She averted her eyes and nodded.
The moss ended just outside the clearing and the small pebbles cut into the soles of her feet. She bit her lip and tried to walk as slowly as she could. With each step, her heart pounded faster. FayeLynn made as much noise as she could, stepping on every dry leaf, stumbling against every rock. She prayed Alvin would hear her.
When she saw the horse tied to a tree in the distance, she knew her time had run out. There was no way Alvin could keep up with a horse and without Alvin, she’d be in serious trouble. She took a deep breath and screamed as loudly as she could manage.
Drake shoved her down onto the ground and rolled her onto her side. He pulled her head back with her ponytail and got right in her face. His breath was foul and she shrank back. “Shut up, bitch. Ruin this, and I’ll have no
use for you. The only reason you’re staying alive after that stunt is because I want him.” He poked his index finger into her stomach.
There was no way this asshole was getting her baby. A surge of maternal instinct rushed through her and regardless of whether Alvin showed up in time to help, she was going to give Drake everything she could muster. Her instinct to keep her baby safe was the strongest thing she’d ever felt.
“Never.” She spat in his face. In response, he slapped her so hard white pinpricks of light clouded her vision, and she blinked to clear it. Her teeth rattled with the impact but instead of intimidating her, it made her even more determined.
“I’ll have my son. No matter the cost.”
He rolled her onto her back and realized too late that he’d made a mistake. FayeLynn had just enough room to land a devastating kick. Drake feel backwards, both hands cupping his groin. She rolled to her side and struggled to get up but her round stomach made it nearly impossible. There wasn’t much time. As soon as Drake could get up, he would and he’d make sure she didn’t have a chance to do that again.
Not only was he much larger than her, he was incredibly strong. In a fair fight, she’d have no chance. Alvin’s warning echoed in her head, and she knew time was of the essence.
Stumbling to her feet, she spied a large stick, and she picked it up. Even though it felt like hours had passed, it had only been a few seconds. Drake was still on the ground cupping himself. Armed with the stick, she moved toward him and hoped she’d be strong enough to knock him out.
Drake knew she was coming. He managed to scramble to his feet and charged toward her. The seconds crystalized, everything in super slow motion, and she gripped the stick as tightly as she could. Just as she raised it over her head, Drake crumpled into a heap on the ground. Alvin stood behind him, a large rock in his hand.
Backlit by the sun, he looked enormous, like some mythological god, and she could’ve wept with relief. “Alvin,” she said.
“Let’s go,” he said, stepping over Drake. “He won’t be out forever.”
Paranormal Magic (Shades of Prey Book 1) Page 64