by Angel Lawson
He tugged on the reins and slowed the beast’s pace. “It’s the flowers. You have to be very careful with everything here. Smells, food, drinks…anything can hold magic.”
“Like the honey flavored lip gloss?”
“Exactly.”
The thought nagged in my head but Liam spurred Camelot with his heels. “Why are you immune to all this?” I asked.
“I’m not, but I’ve had a lot of training for this kind of thing. Eventually you’ll get better at identifying risks.”
I tried to zero in on the scent that was making me so…amorous, but everything about this place overwhelmed my senses. I caught another scent. Tree branches hung over our heads, dotted with birds and large white flower blossoms. I inhaled and was struck by a wave of drowsiness. “Oh man, this place is crazy,” I said but wasn’t able to finish another thought. I scooted closer to Liam and wrapped my legs tight around his hips. My head dropped to his back. Okay, maybe a nap would make the journey faster and the effects less.
I dreamed of Liam’s cottage and saw ghosts of him as a child. He was with a woman—presumably his mother. They had the same dark hair. The dream shifted, and this time he jousted and fought in the front yard with a man who had the same intense blue eyes. A feeling of love and happiness filled my chest, replacing the ones from earlier. I felt grounded.
In the middle of chasing the hazy tail of the dream, Camelot came to an abrupt stop, jarring me awake. I heard the sound of Liam’s sword being pulled from the leather sheath, and a firm hand gripped my thigh and squeezed. A warning to remain alert and quiet.
I heard a man speak and I froze. “Do you have permission to travel this road?”
“Callum, is that you?” Liam asked. I fought the urge to look.
“Liam Caldwell?” The other man made a surprised sound.
“Yes, it’s me. How are you? Your family?”
“They are well.” I heard the sound of his horse’s hooves on the ground. “What are you doing here? The road from Ravenwood is closed.”
“Why would it be closed?”
I placed a hand on Liam’s back and felt his heart racing. But his voice did not betray unsteady nerves. A flash of the man filled my mind. Similar in age to Liam. Reddish-yellow hair. A thick beard of the same shade. He wore the crest of the Guard, just like I saw at the portal house. A co-worker of Liam’s? Was this a good thing?
“There was a breach in security at the portal yesterday,” he explained casually but then his voice tensed. “Out of your side of things, but you know that. That’s why you’re here.”
“Yes, I do. It’s under control.”
Callum’s horse shifted once again and I heard a tittering from up in the trees. Rows of birds sat on the branches. They looked like they were watching the scene unfold. “Who is that with you?”
“A prisoner. I’m taking her to back to the guard house.”
“What did she do?”
“A thief. I picked her up down the road, trying to escape into Ravenwood’s forests.”
“There is a notice for a human girl involved with rebel activity. That somehow she crossed the portal—that wouldn’t be her, would it?”
I gripped my own blades, terrified of being discovered. What would they do if they found me? Hand me over to Fiona? Eleanor? I needed to get to neutral land.
“This girl is Sidhe through and through; she used a cloaking spell to get into barns and steal food. She had couple of tools in her bag as well.” Liam spoke in his normal calm tone. “I need to get her processed and then back to the Otherside. Can’t delay too long—it was good to see you though.”
Liam kicked his heels into Camelot and we started off. I kept my face turned and held my breath as we passed by the Guard. I exhaled and released my grip on my blades, but noticed the tension in Liam’s back. He was still on alert.
“What?” I asked in a whisper.
“This isn’t over,” he answered. “Stay down.” We traveled forward another beat or two but a shout from the forest brought me to a sitting position. Soldiers poured from the woods. I heard a commotion behind me and looked back. Callum charged at me from behind.
Liam cursed under his breath and commanded, “Prepare yourself.”
In an instant we were surrounded by men in brown and green uniforms, atop huge horses. Camelot’s long, scaly tail swished defensively and my eyes were on everyone but especially Liam, trying to figure out how he was going to get us out of this.
“Liam—“ I whispered, but my words were cut short by the sound of hoof beats and the sensation of being dragging off Camelot’s back. Liam drew his sword and lunged in my direction, but it was too late. The other soldiers had begun their assault.
“Fight him,” he growled at me, before charging toward his attackers on Camelot’s back. His blade shone bright as he sliced through the soldiers. They didn’t falter but continued with a fierceness I hadn’t seen since Eleanor’s men breached the portal.
While Liam fought a handful of soldiers, I struggled against the guard holding onto the back of my shirt. I gagged, the fabric choked me. He was too strong.
“Submit,” he commanded and I fell limp against his side, seeking air. His knuckles brushed against my skin and a quick image flew into my mind. A jagged scar over his left knee. A weak spot. It was all I had, all the information I could get, but it would give me the upper hand. I kicked back with all my strength and landed a blow against his knee. He cried out and stumbled, releasing me.
“It’s you. The Lost Queen,” he sputtered, getting his first good look at my face. “Have mercy on me.”
Another freaking queen? If Liam withheld information from me again… I pushed the thought away and focused on the man on the ground.
“Run if you don’t want me to kill you,” I said, holding my dagger over my head. I realized though, he couldn’t run. His knee was busted for good. I figured I should question him about this Lost Queen thing. Did he think I was Claudia? I turned to face him but was distracted by the grunts and the sharp clash of swords behind me. The guard on the ground couldn’t fight but he could distract me while the battle between Liam and the other soldiers raged on. I glanced back and saw he’d felled three men, but he four remained, circling him like a piece of meat. A gash of blood trailed down Liam’s arm and he favored his right leg.
“I will kill you if I see you again,” I said, lashing my blade in Callum’s direction. I missed on purpose but he shied away, realizing the truth to my threat. I spun and raced toward Liam.
“Stay back,” he barked, but there was no way I’d leave him to fight this alone.
“Yeah, right,” I said. “You know me better than that.”
I charged forward and punched the nearest soldier in the kidney. His body was thick, rippled with muscle, and my hit was as effective as I’d been against the punching bag at the gym. I doubled down, crouching for balance.
“What’s this?” he asked, eyes sweeping over me. “A thief isn’t worth a guard’s protection. Caldwell’s hiding you for a reason.”
“You talk too much,” I said.
“And you lack appropriate fear.” His eyes narrowed. “I imagine Queen Fiona will want to know why you’re fighting with your captor.”
“Caldwell doesn’t own me,” I said, brushing past the series of “mine’s” he’d thought during our earlier, personal encounter. “He doesn’t fight for me either.”
I swiped at him with my blades, barely grazing his arms and legs. He was fast, too fast, and I realized quickly I was out of my element. He slapped my hands and both blades fell to the ground. A vison flooded my mind and I barely suppressed a shudder. He didn’t just want to kill me. He wanted more.
“Feisty, eh? You must be something special if he’s willing to die for you.” Behind him heard Liam grunt as he took another punch. The solider took a step forward, copper blade waving back and forth. One move and he’d easily run it through me.
Back home, Colleen had instructed me to flee if I got in over my
head. Liam told me the same thing. Never take on an opponent that will kill you. From the look in this bastard’s eye, I could tell that was exactly what he planned to do—only after he’d done far worse.
He reached out with a giant, filthy hand and clenched it tight around my neck. He pulled me close and I turned away from his rank hot, breath. He’d obviously been drinking recently.
“Skinny, but it will do,” he grabbed the front of my shirt and tore at the fabric. The heat from his hand around my neck brought another vision. I shut my eyes to block it out, but it was inside my head.
Small villages. Girls. Women. All ages, all sizes. Bit lips, bruised skin. Dirty hands against clean flesh.
I shivered, seeing a series of faces, each filled with the same terror. The fear inside me twisted and burned, turning into something beyond my own rage. It multiplied into the anger of everyone he’d ever assaulted.
My eyes flicked to the trees above us, branches laden with birds. My head leaned back and I screeched, inexplicably calling them into my service. They cried and cawed in response flying through the air, diving toward the soldiers. The pig that held my neck dropped me at the sight of the birds and I saw the flicker of fear cross his face. He looked back at me, mouth agape and realization struck.
“You—“ he said, but the sound of his voice was drowned out by the thousands of birds coming our way. The soldiers pummeling Liam released him and gaped at the sky. He fell hard to his knees. Blood dripped from the tip of the sword at his side.
“Liam!” I ran toward him, toward the birds, but they parted, leaving me clear passage. The men cried, the first birds making their attack—gouging eyes and pecking exposed skin. Their screams echoed through the woods, but soon the only sound was the incessant beating of wings.
I gathered Liam up and called out, “Camelot!” The beast came running to our aid and bowed to her knees so Liam could get on her back. We raced down the road, Camelot blazing our trail. I had no idea if she knew where we were going but we had to get away from there. She veered off the road following a sense of direction I didn’t understand. Just before we disappeared into the thick green forest, I looked back and saw a cyclone five stories high, spiraling downward. The birds would take care of it.
The sound of screams and beating wings rang in my ears long after we’d left the road and entered the woods. The ambush had almost been the end of us, or would have if the birds hadn’t intervened.
Under the canopy of trees it was shady and cool. Regardless, Liam’s wounded body burned hot. The fuzzy echo of flapping wings was replaced by the overanxious beating of a heart, pressed tight against my chest. Liam held onto Camelot’s saddle with the limited strength he had left. I cradled him against my chest and as we traveled, I healed him with my hands and mouth.
We’d followed the same path for quite a distance when we reached the river. The sound of Camelot’s hooves sloshing through the water roused Liam from his haze.
“Better?” I asked.
He turned and touched my cheek, no doubt smearing dirt across my face. We were both filthy. “Yes, thank you,” he said, now holding my face in his hands. He leaned forward and kissed me. When we parted he asked, “Did you do that back there?”
I nodded. He looked as confused as I felt. “I think so. Who were those men? We’re they part of the rebel group you spoke of?”
He didn’t answer but said, “Hopefully there were no survivors. If that kind of information got out…”
“What? What would happen?”
“I don’t know exactly, but I doubt it will be good. There’s a reason I wanted to keep your abilities concealed.” He picked up the reins. “I do know we need to get to safe ground and then get you back home.”
“It’s getting dark.”
The sun slipped behind the trees. “Camelot took us the right direction. There’s shelter ahead. We’ll be safe for the night.”
The beast trudged across the river, wading deep enough for our feet to get wet. Twilight was in full effect as we dismounted, and Liam secured Camelot to a tree close enough to the water for her to drink.
“This way,” he directed, heading down a small, overgrown path.
“Where are we going?”
“I told you, somewhere safe.” He grinned in a lame attempt to reassure me. I wove my fingers with his, feeling the bond hold tight. We came to a wall of thick growing bamboo. “Just through here,” he said. He twisted to the side, squeezing in between the shoots. I copied his movements, searching for fresh air in the muggy trees. A firm yank on my hand pulled me out, and the cool air I sought met me on the other side. I took a deep breath before stopping short in surprise.
“This…what is this? It’s beautiful.”
We’d emerged in a green valley of plant and animal life. All around us stood a sanctuary of soft mossy ground and smooth boulders. A small creek ran through the land and vines with pink and red blossoms hung from the trees. Across the water I saw a woman with long blonde hair tied back in complicated braids. She spotted Liam and smiled.
“Liam,” she called. She strode over and looked between the two of us, eyes lingering on our gripped hands. I found myself tightening my hold, which only earned me an amused glance from Liam.
“What a surprise!” the woman said. She had tiny features and perfect skin. She came closer and her smile was replaced with a look of concern. “You’re injured!”
“I’m okay,” Liam assured her. He gave her his weapons and gestured for me to do the same. Reluctantly, removed my blades, hesitant even with Liam’s direction. “But we do need rest and sanctuary.”
“Of course.” She looked at me. “I’m Merida. Welcome to the valley.”
“Thank you.”
“You look weary and wounded. Please, follow me so you can clean up.” She whistled a long, clear tune. A half-dozen blonde, blue-eyed women appeared at our sides. “The others will assist you immediately.”
I looked to Liam. “What is this place?”
“Sun Valley, home of the Sidhe Maidens,” he replied, helping me up a large rock. “It’s a place of refuge. Neither Fiona or Eleanor can enter here. Neither can their men.”
“Why can you?”
“These women are like me—servants of the land.” He raised an eyebrow. “Plus they like me.”
Instantly we were surrounded by women, a half-dozen at least, tugging me away from Liam. “Wait, I want to stay with him,” I argued.
“Just go,” he said, eyeing the women closest to him. “Ariana, I’ve missed you.” Jealously flared in my chest, but I had little choice. We were dragged in opposite directions. I tried my hardest to ignore his laughter and their hands on his body as we parted.
The Maidens went right to work, reaching for my tattered clothing and leading me to a spring of warm water. “Let us do this, Miss,” one said, as I fought against them.
“It would be an honor,” said another. Her voice was kind but strong. Determination shone in each of their eyes. In a heartbeat I was stripped bare and I moved to cover myself. I grabbed the hand of the Maiden coming after me with a scrub brush. A sensation of warmth and security washed over me, and all of my modesty disappeared.
“Oh,” I mused, realizing quickly that caring for others was their gift. And I was their newest patron.
I entered the pool of water by going down steps made of stone. Pebbles lined the floor. The Maidens went to work, scrubbing my hair into a lather with the most delicious smelling soap. The water soothed my aching muscles, unraveling the knots and tension in my shoulders and back. I wasn’t even aware I’d felt so bad. All of it disappeared under the bubbling surface. One Maiden poured clean water over my head while another combed through the tangles. My black hair was in sharp contrast to the lightness of this place, but their eyes held no judgment, just servitude.
When my bath was completed they wrapped me in soft, hand-woven blankets and gave me clean clothes to wear.
“This is for me?” I asked, holding up the gauzy white dress
. It was similar to their own, but nicer, as theirs were made for work.
“For the night, while we repair your other clothing.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
The Maiden smiled and held up a glowing lantern. “Will you follow me?”
I had little choice, so I followed her across a path of flat stones. Full night had come to the valley and in the dark we passed a garden of vegetables, ripe and fragrant. Along the way, I saw small groupings of women and girls, eating and conversing together. I never saw any buildings or homes. They gathered on blankets surrounded by candle light or lanterns.
She turned abruptly down a path with a sandy trail and I trotted to keep up. We passed other trails that led in various directions and I asked, “Where do those lead?”
“This is the way to our sleeping areas. We don’t have rooms, exactly, but we can offer comfort to weary guests.”
We came to a dead end and she held her arm out to reveal the sight ahead of us. I gasped in awe. “It’s lovely,” I said, taking in the area beneath an enormous tree. Small lanterns hung from the branches, casting the area in a soft yellow light. Sheer fabric gave the impression of walls, but they were filmy enough to see a padded mattress at the base of the tree and pillows that lined the edges. A tray made of vines held food and drink. “This can’t be for me.”
I turned to get her reply but she was gone—the fringe of her dress disappearing behind the grass and into the dark. I heard the sound of metal clinking and faced the tree. Liam stood underneath the boughs in a pair of white linen pants and a loose tunic. In his hands he held the decanter of wine and a silver cup. He offered it to me.
“Where did you come from?” I asked, taking the cup. I sniffed and inhaled the rich scent of wine.
“I was waiting for you.” He wrapped an arm around me. Wow, he smelled as clean as I felt.
“Is this safe?” I asked, holding up the cup.
“The Valley is a sanctuary. No outside magic is allowed. If you’re allowed entry, then you will be protected the entire time of your stay. So yes, all food and drink is safe.”