The traveling party was sleeping peacefully in the little corner of the woods. Eranna shifted her energy from the sleeping form of Titus, to that of Eladria. Revulsion and envy twisted in her chest as her eyes traveled luscious, brown eyelashes resting against high cheekbones, a pert nose, and a full, pink mouth. Locks of vibrant red hair fanned out beneath her head and thick. Deeper than her outer beauty was a quiet strength. It boiled just below the surface, waiting to be unleashed.
She couldn’t have that. If King Eldalwen got hold of his daughter, the seasoned warrior would no doubt turn her into a fierce fighter, unlocking the full potential of her power. It would be the beginning of the end for Eranna, but she was not going down without a fight.
Turning her eyes away from the mirror, Eranna reached for the cloth and quickly covered it. Ushma waited outside of the chamber, cowering as Eranna stormed back through the doorway.
“Your hunters await your orders, my Queen,” Ushma said as she followed her mistress through the winding hallway of her iron fortress. “Ruen has assembled them in the hall.”
Eranna turned left down the corridor leading to the hall Ushma had mentioned.
“Perfect,” she purred as she swung the doors open. The faces of fifty of the most frightening creatures in all of Fallada greeted her. The Minotaurs were hideous apparitions created by her Witches, with the bodies of strong males and the heads of horned oxen. They were unintelligent, great lumbering brutes, but they served their purposes well as trackers and ruthless killers.
They parted for her as she moved into their midst, watching her with shining black eyes as she held her hands up for silence. The light of a dozen torches cast an eerie orange glow over their deranged faces and the sounds of their snorts and heavy breathing echoed from the high, arched ceilings.
Ruen, the head hunter who could be identified by the three golden rings puncturing his wide nostrils, stepped forward.
“We are ready to serve you, my beautiful Queen,” he said, the deep timbre of his voice echoing through his massive chest. “What do you require?”
“Princess Eladria has been brought into Fallada by the Grimm Brothers and Titus, that treacherous Werewolf.”
The snorting and growling grew louder as the hunters expressed their mutual rage. Eranna smiled her pleasure as she grasped the beefy shoulder of Ruen.
“My hunters, I want the traitor brought to me alive, but as for Eladria … ”
Their breaths stilled in anticipation as every heart within the large hall skipped a beat. Eranna’s grin widened.
“Kill her!”
The roar that met her ears was thunderous as the eyes of every beast flashed red. Their stomping and grunting preceded them from the hall like a mighty earthquake, causing the walls around her to shake. Eranna crossed her arms over her chest and watched them go.
“Worry not, Ushma,” she said to the witch who had stood in the doorway, watching the entire exchange. “In me, Queen Adrah of Goldun has found her match.”
~*~
Titus halted midstride, his every muscle stiff as his eyes narrowed. Selena came up short beside him, confusion knitting her brows as she studied him. It was sunset and their group had made camp for the night. The Grimm Brothers refused to travel after dark, stating that this time of day was when Eranna’s minions were at their most powerful. They promised arrival in Goldun by the following afternoon, and as far as Selena was concerned, they couldn’t get there fast enough. Rose was not awake often, but when she was fits of delirium consumed her. The hallucinations, sweating, and mumbling were so bad that after they’d managed to get some water down her throat, Selena had begged the brothers to give her more of their sleeping potion. It was the only thing that seemed to bring her peace.
She and Titus had just left a nearby stream, where they washed their hands for a picnic dinner, when he suddenly became stiff, silent, and alert.
“What’s wrong?” Selena asked, only to be shushed by Titus.
She fell silent and he dropped his finger from his mouth while keeping the rest of his body perfectly still. His nostrils widened and he inhaled as he slowly scanned the line of trees surrounding them. Titus shifted his eyes toward Selena and she felt anxiety creeping up her spine at the fear she found in his.
“Minotaurs,” he said, his whisper snatched away by the wind. “At least six of them.”
Selena tried to recall her Greek mythology. Jake had told her that many of the creatures written about in myths and fairytales were a reality in Fallada, immortalized by those who had lived during the time when the two worlds were one. She felt acid rising up in her throat as she recalled her junior high school English class study on the Greek legends. Minotaurs were the stuff of nightmares and she definitely did not want to be around if one of them was about, let alone six.
“What do we do?” she whispered back, deciding to follow Titus’ lead and not speak loudly or make any sudden moves.
“You’re going to have to really trust me,” he said as their eyes locked once more. “I’m going to shift.”
Selena felt herself stiffen involuntarily as memories of Titus’ attack came rushing back to her mind. He reached out slowly to grasp her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said gently. “Never again, Selena, I promise. It’s the only way I can take them on and give you a chance to escape to camp. Warn the others and get away.”
Selena shook her head. “No!” she said a little louder than she’d meant to. “You can’t, you’ll be killed!”
He smiled and shrugged. “I’ll be fine. Just do it. As soon as I shift, they’ll be on me and you need to make a break for it. Run like you’ve never run in your life.”
It was then that she heard the sound of low growls from different points around them. The demonic glow of red eyes peered at them through the brush and foliage, making Selena’s blood run cold.
“Okay,” she agreed as she released his hand. “I’m ready.”
Titus closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, expanding his chest with the motion. In a flash, the sound of realigning bones and cartilage met her ears and Titus was bending and transforming, sprouting fur and dropping to all fours until he was a fearsome beast once again. Selena stood, mesmerized, unable to take her eyes off of the white-furred animal. He turned to her, his eyes burning red, and growled before nudging her leg with his muzzle. The roar of the Minotaurs echoed across the forest and threw Selena into action. She put all of her strength into a single burst of speed, propelling herself away from Titus and the menacing creatures.
Through the blur of trees ahead of her, she witnessed a sight that stole her speed and punched the air straight from her lungs. Behind her the sounds of struggles and growls assaulted her ears, while in front of her, six more Minotaurs held her entourage hostage. The Grimm brothers stood with Zoe between them and were surrounded by the members of the ship crew. Rose was limp in Jake’s arms. The Minotaurs circled them, rendering them helpless with massive, sharpened axes.
Their massive bodies rippled with hard muscle, their biceps like tree trunks. The hands gripping the axes were as meaty as a Christmas ham. Their grotesque faces were further mauled by various piercings: gold rings that punctured their nostrils, eyebrows, eyelids, and ears. A stripe of dark hair ran from the top of each one’s head to down between their shoulder blades. Long, curved, and pointed horns gleamed menacingly in the moonlight. Selena skidded to a stop, her every nerve on edge as the sixth beast, one sporting three dangling rings in his nostrils, came toward her.
Selena met Zoe’s eyes and felt her heart lurch at the fear she found there. Wil’s hand was on the butt of his silver pistol, but his expression told Selena that he was not stupid enough to try to fire. By the time he took one down, the other five would be on him in a second. She could tell that he was angry over feeling helpless. So was she. What was she supposed to do against six Minotaurs? She wasn’t sure, but for the sake of Zoe and the sleeping Rose, Selena knew she would have to
try.
The sixth Minotaur rested the staff of his axe on the ground and leaned forward, his glowing red eyes narrowed as he studied her. His nostrils widened as he chuckled, sending Selena’s head reeling as the stench of his acrid breath curled around her.
“Princess Eladria, I presume,” he said, the deep bass of his voice sending chills through her core. She refused to show her fear. Instead, she placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at the creature.
“My name is Selena,” she hissed.
“It does not matter what you choose to call yourself. By entering this realm you have sentenced yourself, and your companions, to death.”
“They haven’t done anything,” Selena argued, her voice wavering with fear. “Let them go.”
The beast laughed again. “You have yet to take the throne, and already you issue orders like a royal. I have a queen, little girl, and she is far more magnificent, powerful, and beautiful than you. You are no match for her.”
“Obviously I am,” Selena scoffed with false confidence, “if she felt the need to send you to kill me!”
A low rumbling growl rippled from the Minotaur’s chest. “You are foolish to mock my queen!” he roared. “And now you will suffer before you die. Bring the old woman forward.”
“No!”
Selena lurched forward as one of the Minotaurs wrestled Rose from Jake’s arms. She was abruptly brought up short by two of the creatures, who had crossed their axes in front of her in a blocking maneuver. A strong pair of hands grasped her arms and forced her to her knees as he held the staff of his axe to her throat. She ceased her struggles as the unforgiving wooden pole pressed against her windpipe.
The leader stood over Rose, his axe raised and his eyes gleaming with glee.
“You will watch each one of your cohorts perish before meeting your end, Eladria.”
He raised the axe higher and Selena felt panic ripping through her as she realized that they were all going to die. She wanted to close her eyes, but could not look away from the gleaming axe blade raised high over the Minotaur’s head. With one last defeated cry, Selena tossed her head back and screamed her anguish.
A rush of what could only be described as intense energy exploded in her chest and rippled out from Selena’s body in waves. A gale of forceful wind whipped around them, propelling all six of the massive creatures into the nearby trees. Selena met Zoe’s stunned gaze as her friend ran toward her.
“What did you just do?”
Before Selena could answer, the whooshing sound of massive wings rang out overhead, drawing the eye of every member of their party. Large birds of every breed swooped down upon them, twice the size of any bird Selena had ever seen on earth. Their loud screeching seemed to enrage the Minotaurs, who were slowly picking themselves up off the ground.
As the oversized birds drew closer the Grimm brothers, along with the bedraggled sailors, began waving their arms in celebration and whooping with joy. Selena looked back and forth between the celebrating men and the hovering birds in slack-jawed question.
Jake chuckled at her confusion and pointed toward the bird leading the flock. His smile was wide and his eyes twinkling as he uttered the one word that flooded Selena with hope.
“Faeries!”
~*~
Chapter Seven
The Faeries were nothing like Selena had imagined they would be. Disney had it all wrong and Tinkerbell was nothing compared to these magnificent creatures. Silver armor etched with tree branches and flowers adorned the torsos of both male and female Fae. They were tall, willowy creatures with luminescent skin and eyes that glowed in every shade of green imaginable. Gleaming silver headpieces in a variety of shapes boasted gems, jewels, and dangling strings of pearls, and covered hair that ran in various lengths and boasted a spectrum of color between pristine white and shimmering gold. Pointed ears showed beneath the helmets, but Selena was surprised to see that the Fae were wingless. Their garments and hair flowed about them as if possessed of a life of their own, creating a beautiful streak of glowing color and light as they swooped down overhead.
As they plunged down with various weapons raised and leapt from the backs of their birds, they engaged the Minotaurs in a battle that lasted only minutes. The ugly creatures were outnumbered and forced to retreat. The Fae did not give chase, but instead surrounded Selena and the others in a protective circle. Selena turned slowly, hypnotized by twenty pairs of green eyes set in angularly shaped, angelic faces. The largest male stepped forward and removed his helmet, revealing shining silver curls that tapered off at the back of his neck. He placed one fist to his chest and dropped to one knee in front of her. The other nineteen Faeries followed suit, falling to one knee and laying their weapons on the grass as one with their heads lowered and one hand fisted over their chests.
“Dude,” Zoe whispered as she took in the bowing Faerie circle. “This is too weird.”
The emerald green eyes of the male Fae who’d stepped forward met Selena’s and he stood.
“Princess Eladria, I am Rothatin, general of the Fae warrior class. We were sent by our queen to rescue you from the hand of the Minotaur. It is an honor to be in your presence.”
Selena stuck one hand out to the Fae, who towered an entire foot over her. “Uh, yeah, nice to meet you Rothatin. This is—”
“I know the members of your party,” he interrupted with a gleaming, magnetic smile. “Our queen is wise and all-knowing. She has been watching your journey with great interest and is anxious to meet you. We will provide an armed escort the rest of the way to Goldun.”
“Wait!” Selena cried as Rothatin turned toward the trees, where the flock of massive birds awaited their masters. “What about—”
“General, we’ve found the traitor!”
Selena whipped around to find two more male Fae, both holding Titus by the arms and dragging him toward their little circle. He had shifted back to his human form and besides his tousled hair and a little blood running from a cut on his forehead, be seemed to be unharmed.
“He is not a traitor!” Selena defended, glaring at the Faerie that had made the accusation.
Rothatin’s jaw hardened as he brushed past Selena and walked to where the two warrior Fae had forced Titus to his knees. He looked up at the approaching general silently, his blue eyes as calm as a still river.
“You know little, Princess,” Rothatin said, his eyes never leaving Titus. “This boy will be made to pay for his crime against you and Queen Adrah.”
“He saved my life,” Selena countered, refusing to be intimidated by someone who went flying around on …. good Lord, was that an owl? Selena shivered and avoided the sharp, yellow gaze of the predator bird and focused on Rothatin. “Doesn’t that count for something?”
Rothatin’s lips pursed as he glared at Titus, his emerald eyes cold and hard. “We will leave that up to Queen Adrah. For now, your grandmother is in need of her help, is she not?”
“How did you know that?”
“The queen of Goldun is all knowing,” interjected Wil as he stepped forward to scoop Rose’s still form from the ground. “Stop questioning the man … er, Fae … and let us be on our way, Eladria.”
Selena blew her bangs out of her eyes, deciding that it was a waste of breath for her to continue to ask people to call her Selena. With another glare at Rothatin, she moved back toward Wil and Jake, who had started rounding everyone up and directing them toward the waiting chariots.
“Very well,” said Rothatin. He whistled for his owl, and the massive bird swooped from its perch in a tree to his master’s side. It dropped to the ground and Rothatin climbed onto the creature’s back as the other warriors whistled for their own rides. Selena found Titus, seated on the back of an eagle the size of a Mack truck, with his arms shackled behind his back. A powerfully built Fae female was seated on the bird behind him. Selena gave him a tiny smile.
“Don’t worry,” she said with a reassuring nod. “I’ll have you out of those handcuffs in no
time.”
Titus’ sad smirk told Selena that he didn’t believe it. She squared her shoulders and raised her chin to show him she meant business. Queen Adrah sounded like a reasonable woman. She would go to her and tell her about Titus’ bravery against the Minotaurs. If that didn’t work, well, there was always begging.
Selena joined Zoe, Rose, and the Grimm brothers in their horseless chariot. Once they were surrounded by their escort, Rothatin lifted a white horn to his lips. The instrument hung from a leather strap that went across the Faerie’s wide chest and was edged in gold.
“First a fight and now music?” Zoe snorted. “These people are very entertaining.”
Selena giggled as Rothatin lifted the horn to his lips. The sharp sound of the instrument bellowed over head and suddenly Selena felt the odd sensation of floating. Zoe gasped.
“Holy crap, we’re flying!”
Selena tore her eyes away from Zoe’s shocked expression and looked over the side of the carriage. Sure enough, a substance that Selena mentally dubbed ‘stardust’ was shimmering around the vehicle in a pinkish haze and seemed to have lifted them clear off of the ground. They were steadily moving upward, and within seconds the trees that had once towered over them were now beneath them. Selena gripped the side of the carriage and held on for dear life.
“You’d think they would install seatbelts in this thing,” she muttered as Zoe grabbed onto her waist and held on tight.
“You think that Faerie cloud will protect us if we fall out?”
“I don’t know, Zo, why don’t I push you and we’ll find out.”
Daughter of the Red Dawn (The Lost Kingdom of Fallada) Page 8