Chapter 8
Togan and Mutah were arguing over what to put in a bag when Michael interrupted them. He knelt down beside the two bickering fae and said, “I just wanted to thank you for the help you gave us. We couldn’t have escaped without it.”
Togan and Mutah stopped what they were doing and looked at Michael, their cheeks going red and they shuffled their feet in embarrassment. “It was nothing really,” Togan said finally, “In truth, what you are trying to do will benefit us all. The woods are dying and those of us that haven’t been tainted will have to leave soon or we will die too. Just like so many of our friends have already.”
He looked sadly at his friend Mutah and the two fae went back to what they had been doing. Unable to think of what to say Michael went over to where James was sitting beside Billy and knelt down beside them.
“Do you think we can go now?” he asked Billy.
Billy put down the cup he had been drinking from and tilted his head as he listened to the sounds outside. Michael listened too but couldn’t hear anything beyond the noises from the little chamber they were in.
“They’re still hunting us,” Billy said eventually, “But I think they’re far enough away that we could slip out unseen.” He paused for a moment to look at the two boys. “There might be a small problem though.”
“Besides the obvious, you mean,” James said with a snort.
“The King knows where you are going,” Billy told them, ignoring James, “He’s going to be waiting for you, setting traps for you.”
“So what can we do?” Michael asked him.
Billy chewed his lip as he thought, “The King and Queen loath each other, ever since they were tainted. If we can somehow get them to fight they would be too busy with each other to bother with us. At least until it was too late.”
“How can we get them to do that?”
Billy smiled slyly, “Leave that to me. I know exactly what will get my parents the most worked up!”
Michael couldn’t help grinning back and stood up followed by the other two. Billy took the lead and was about to exit their hiding place when Togan tugged him back and held out a small leather bag.
“Take this,” the little fae said, “It’s just a little food and some water. Not sure if you will need it but we thought it best you take some.”
“Thank you,” Billy said with a smile, patting him on the shoulder.
He looked back at his friends and then carried on out the exit, looking warily around as he ran as silently as he could to hide in the bushes nearby until all three were there. The boys looked around, trying to see through the gloom into the shadows but it was too dark.
From the sounds they could hear the Huntsmen had moved away leaving this part of the woods silent and empty as any fae had disappeared from the threat of being captured themselves.
“This way,” Billy said as he led them out of the bushes and onto a barely seen path.
“What are we going to do about the King?” Michael asked as loudly as he dared.
Billy looked over his shoulder to the two boys and spoke quietly. “The Queen has her Court a bit closer to the Tree, away from the King’s. For the most part they ignore each other but there is one thing that both of them would fight for.”
“You?” James asked when Billy paused.
Billy looked at James with a sad little smile. “My parents wouldn’t fight over me. They would have to care for that.” He patted James on the shoulder when the boy started to stutter an embarrassed apology. “Don’t worry, I know it’s just the taint that makes them cruel. No, the one thing that would get them fighting is if we were to steal the Lunar Orb.”
“What’s that?” Michael asked.
“It’s an orb that was made from a piece of crystal that fell from the sky. It’s been in the royal family for generations and whoever has it is considered the rightful ruler. At the moment the Queen has it but if we were to steal it then she would suspect the King and go after him to get it back.”
“How will we steal it?” James asked.
Billy grinned over his shoulder. “Oh that will be easy! My mother relies on her magic to protect it but I’m immune to it – being her son and all!”
They continued on, moving as quietly as possible. Every now and then they had to hide when Huntsmen got close by but they remained undetected and moved on when the coast was clear.
As they continued on Michael became aware of a strange silvery glow through the trees ahead. He glanced at James to point it out then stopped as Billy grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side.
“That is the Queen’s Court up ahead,” he told the two boys, “I want you two to follow this path here.” He pointed to another barely seen path that ran to the right of them away from the silvery glow. “I’m going to go on and get the Orb. I’ll catch up with you as soon as I can. I just need to make sure I’m not followed first.”
“Where does this path lead?” Michael asked him worriedly.
“It takes a winding path around the Queen.” He thought for a moment and then added. “When you get to a tree with a twisted trunk that has two silver trees growing beside it, wait for me if I haven’t caught up with you by then.”
With one last grin Billy slipped off into the shadows and was soon invisible to the two human boys.
“How does he do that?” James wondered.
Michael shrugged in reply and moved off to the path Billy had pointed out followed closely by James. They hurried as fast as they could while trying to stay quiet and alert. The strange silvery glow grew brighter as the path turned towards it for a few paces before veering off again.
James was so busy looking curiously at the glow that he walked right into Michael who he hadn’t noticed had stopped to look at the glow too. James could tell that his friend was considering going closer and although he knew it was probably a bad idea he was just as curious as Michael.
“We could just take a peek?” James suggested.
Michael looked at his friend and then back to the silvery glow, biting his lip as he thought. “We shouldn’t,” he mused to James, “We could be caught and then what? We can’t always rely on Billy to help us.”
They stood pondering for a moment more before grinning at each other and stepping off the path to move closer. They took extra care to move even more quietly than before, creeping slowly and stealthily until sounds could be heard and then they could make out figures.
Ducking down where they couldn’t be seen they strained to see through the barrier of thick bushes that made a perimeter for the figures beyond. At first they could only see flashes of bright colours through the branches until they realised it was people dancing.
The dancers twirled and leapt as they moved around in a circle. Their clothes were bright and glittered strangely but it was the fae themselves that caught the boys’ attention.
Unlike the King and his Huntsmen who still remained their normal size, merely darker and more insect-like. The Queen’s fae looked as if they had been pulled and stretched so their limbs were long and thin, their necks appeared extra long as if they couldn’t possibly hold up their heads. Jewels seemed to cover them from head to foot glittering coldly in the light.
At first glance they appeared oddly beautiful but as the boys looked closer they could see the cruelty in their faces and the dead look to their eyes. If that didn’t convince them then the small group of untainted fae that huddled in the centre of the circle would have. The untainted fae were clearly terrified as they watched with large, round eyes the sparkling fae dancing around them. Every now and then the dancing fae would swipe at the terrified prisoners making them cry out in pain but Michael couldn’t see what it was they were striking them with and decided it would probably be better not to know.
Suddenly the music stopped and the dancing fae became still as they all turned towards the far side of the circle where Michael could just make out another fae different from the others. This new fae was taller and more splendidly dressed than the others in a flo
wing gown of rainbow colours and jewels. A crown of towering spikes was placed over her hair but what made her stand out from all the rest were her wings.
Giant butterfly wings of scarlet and white swept out from her back to frame her from head to almost the ground. As she moved they seemed to shimmer and leave odd dark trails in the air behind her.
Her face was breathtakingly beautiful and pale as marble. Her eyes were very large and pale, looking around with no emotion showing at all while her mouth was just a dark slash. She didn’t smile or even look at the other fae. Her attention was on the captive fae that huddled in their midst.
Michael looked at James and could tell his friend was as horrified as he was. As scary as the King was, the Queen was far worse. Just looking at her made them want to run screaming but instead they edged slowly backwards until they were far enough away that they could hurry back to the path and continue on to meet Billy.
A sudden outcry behind them made them realise that Billy must have managed to get the Orb. With a glance at James Michael began to run followed closely by his friend. As he ran he searched wildly for the trees Billy had mentioned while behind him a great din started as the Queen’s fae prepared for battle.
“There!” James cried, grabbing Michael’s shoulder to drag him off the path and to the trees.
They flung themselves to the ground between them and managed to hide as they waited for Billy to appear all the while the noises from the Queen’s court grew louder and more wild.
The Spirit Tree Page 8