A Dark Faerie Tale Series Omnibus Edition

by Alexia Purdy

  “Ready?” Dylan clutched at her hand and gave it a firm squeeze. His eyes shined to see her looking almost normal and not deathly sick like she’d been in the infirmary. The magic Ilarial and the healer had done on the darkling’s mark had done wonders for Shade. It’d made it impossible to believe she would die in three days if the dark magic was left unchecked. Shade ran her fingers over the spot on her arm, through her coat, where the mark lingered under the fur. The coat was from Soap, and it was the softest leather, with layers of insulation to keep out the freezing temperatures. It had her sweating at the moment.

  “Yes.” She blew out a breath, hoping to calm her agitated nerves as she reached out to clasp Camulus by the hand. He was dressed with a coat, too, but not as thick as hers. It made her pause for a moment and want to ask him why he wasn’t so concerned about the cold when Dylan leaned in to whisper to her once more.

  “It will be over soon; your magic will be yours once more. It’s cause to smile, not grimace.” He winked and straightened. The sweet smile he threw her gave her a flutter inside her belly. A hesitant look passed over his face, and he hadn’t moved from his spot quite yet. “Shade?”

  “Yes?”

  “I have something for you.” He reached into the pocket of his jacket, built for freezing temperatures even though the cold rarely bothers the Teleen. It was going to be colder than any place he’d ever been. Better safe than sorry. Pulling out a small charm, he held it out in the middle of his palm. It shined like gun metal and looked tiny and fragile on his skin. It was a small metallic acorn-looking seed, complete with a fused-on loop to hang on a necklace or bracelet. He grasped her wrist and dropped it into her hand.

  “What is it?” She studied the tiny charm, liking the light, cool metal feel of it as she rolled it around in her palm. It vibrated with a familiar, earthly kind of magic.

  “It’s an Ancient Oak seed. I placed it on a loop so you can wear on your necklace. It’s kind of like a memory charm in that no faery or magical being can make you remove it.”

  Turning it around in her fingertips, she let its power infuse into her. It was good magic, fresh yet ancient. The only being she’d ever met that felt like old magic was Corb himself. But his was not so simple, not so innocent. “What do I do with it?”

  “I wanted you to have it, for whenever you’re in trouble or in need of sanctuary. You can plant it anywhere, and in an instant, it will grow into a gigantic oak tree. Once it’s grown, you can touch it and it will take you somewhere safe. There are hundreds of these trees throughout Faerie, so it can take you to one of many different places, anywhere one of these trees has grown.”

  “How do I know where it will take me?”

  “Easy, just imagine the Teleen Caverns. It’ll take you there immediately, faster than teleporting with Camulus.”

  “There’s one at Teleen? But won’t it take forever for it to grow?”

  Dylan shook his head, amused at her questions. “Yep, one Ancient Oak tree sits in the middle of one of the tallest, open caverns in the center of Teleen. You never got to see it when we were there. And don’t worry, it will grow within a minute. “

  “If I’m trying to get away from someone, won’t they be able to use it, too?”

  He shook his head, brushing away a wisp of hair which had fallen into her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. This little gesture made her insides turn into a fluttery mess and her face flush scarlet. “Nope, it offers sanctuary only. It will not work for another Ancient being, like Corb, or someone with dangerous intentions. It will never show anyone where it took you. Teleen will be safe for you. Just imagine you’re there, and there you’ll be.”

  Shade huffed, looking off into the distance. “Why would I ever want to go back there?” The place was hardly sanctuary for her.

  Dylan’s eyes darkened, knowing what she meant. “It will be safe. I swear it. Darren is banished from there. I made sure you will always have a place amongst my people. They’ll keep you safe and fight for you. Teleen will always be sanctuary for you and me.” He turned away, letting his memories run unchecked behind his eyes. She grasped the tiny seed in her palm, amazed at the amount of power that could be contained in something so miniscule.

  “Thank you,” Shade whispered, hoping she hadn’t insulted Dylan. She pulled the silver chain from her neck and looped it on. It fell alongside the two memory vials she had dangling on it. Fastening the clasp back on, she peered up to find Dylan watching her. “I love it. Thank you for giving it to me.”

  He smiled. The light had already returned to his features, making him even more handsome. “You ready to go The Great Divide?”

  She nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  *****

  AS SHE TOOK Camulus’s hand to teleporting far away from the Northern Realm, Shade already began to miss the Glass Castle and her friends. Why no one else was going was a mystery to her. What if they met extreme resistance? Only Dylan and Camulus accompanied her, and she found it highly unusual. It was starting to rub her the wrong way and made her wonder, as they spun to their destination, why it all felt so off. And why no one else had noticed it.

  A vision of white spread before them as it appeared suddenly in the whirl of the jaunt. She let go of her escorts’ hands and took in the vast landscape of pure, crystalline, white snow. There was nothing but an endless abyss of white. Her breath came out in puffs of vapor, and the subzero temperature was already permeating her clothes. She turned to see if Camulus was feeling it and was surprised to see him stepping away from them.

  “Camulus? Where are you going? It’s this way, right?”

  The elven-pixie nodded, but a look of distress filled his features. “I’m so sorry, Shade, Dylan.” He stepped back once more and stopped. Watching them with his fiery yellow-orange eyes as he bit his lip apprehensively, he looked destroyed somehow. “I never meant it to get this far. I must leave you now. Corb is waiting for you. Keep walking straight ahead, and you won’t miss the palace.”

  “Wait, what’s going on?” Shade stepped forward and smacked right into an invisible barrier. She placed her palms on it and watched as Camulus brought his own hands up to hers on the other side. It was like a thick plate glass window but completely unseen, and the snow and wind did not seem affected by it. She shivered and an understanding surfaced in her head.

  They’d been betrayed. Betrayed by Camulus and, possibly, Ursad. Shade nodded toward him as he whispered. “I’m sorry.”

  “I’ll be coming back for Brisa,” was all she managed to say as she turned away and headed toward the palace without looking back.

  Dylan was glaring at their former friend with murder in his eyes. She tugged at his coat and beckoned for him to follow. Knowing there was no other option, she treaded through the thick drifts of snow and ice, her gut twisted in fury. Dylan followed behind, saying nothing. The silence was welcomed, though; her head was full of anger. She feared the words she would say if she let Dylan know exactly how she felt about everything right now.

  The crunch of snow filled the air instead. They wore thick, fur-lined boots, but she could already feel her toes numbing up. She pulled her thick scarf around her mouth and nose, the frigid sting from the air already working its death magic on her skin. It was so cold, it hurt. The pricks of frostbite were already tingling along her fingertips as she hugged her arms against herself. She took a peek at Dylan, but he seemed unaffected by the freezing temperatures, though he still had on a thick coat. It was probably his Teleen powers that kept him so toasty warm. She would have snuggled up to him for warmth, but it was easier to walk single file through the snow.

  When she thought they’d never get to the palace, it sprung out in front of them as if it had been there the entire time. Shade guessed it must’ve been hidden my magic to not appear until one got close enough. It wasn’t a palace per se, but more of a large mountain with sharp peaks and glittering ice clinging to the sides. Black rock could be seen beneath the snowy, packed drifts, chunks of ice a
nd frozen spikes of icicles, but the entrance was nowhere in sight.

  Shade knew better. She could feel an overwhelming compulsion to walk up to the ice mountain and right into it. Turning toward Dylan, she hoped he’d had the same irresistible feeling.

  “This is it.” Dylan ran his eyes over the frozen palace. They studied the vast sculpture of ice with its multiple ringed formations, which hung over ledges and threatened to fall. Icicles held them up where they dripped off and froze into clear, hardened pillars. It was enchanting how water could freeze in such intricate ways. But its beauty held an evil that made her shiver from the inside out even more. “Do you feel that?” Dylan asked.

  Shade nodded and pointed toward the wall to their right. Making their way to it, they found it to be a sheet of perfectly flat ice, much like a mirror, for she could see a frosted reflection of herself staring back. It was framed with patches of snow, and no other part of the mountain’s base looked or felt the way it did there.

  Magic vibrated across its surface like an electrical fence.

  Shade wondered what would happen if they touched it. Would they be allowed to enter? She stepped forward, hoping the proximity of the wall would tell her what to do.

  “Wait, it could be a trap!” Dylan tugged at her hand and shook his head. The more he studied the massive mountain, the more his gut wrenched from the bad feeling of impending doom he was receiving. This wasn’t good at all. He knew that no matter what they did, they had already gotten themselves into a very bad place.

  Shade watched his emotions run all over his face. Doubt had filled him already, and she tried to calm his fears, along with her own. “It’s okay, Dylan. I know.” She turned back to the sheet of ice and touched its smooth surface. “I know it’s a trap. It always was meant to be.” The moment her fingertips grazed it, the sheet of ice cracked, and a soft rumble behind it made her gasp. Her confidence waned as the noise faded, and nothing further happened.

  “I really don’t like the sound of that.” Dylan pulled out his sword and waited for whatever it was which would surely be coming to greet them now. The soft flurries of snow began to fall harder until it was so thick, the mountain disappeared into it. The sky and land were all cloaked in a brilliant white. There was nothing to do now but wait.

  The crack separated with a loud pop, and the door slowly pulled apart. It rained down the fresh layer of snow that had sat upon it, and the vibration sent thousands of icicles falling like daggers all around them. If they had been under an overhang, they would have been hit many times over. But the area around the door was spared the sharpened daggers. Instead, where the door once stood, there was now was an elongated hall that stretched into the mountain so deep, the end couldn’t be seen. Only darkness greeted them from the inside. But Corb would be there, so Shade had no option but to continue on.

  “Come on.” She waved toward Dylan to follow her, and they made their way into the maze of ice. The walls were smooth inside, but they were deformed by slight waves which rippled them like blown glass. They appeared almost wet from the shine that glinted back to them. Shades of blue ran along the walls in so many hues, Shade was left in awe by the icy wonderland of the palace.

  Behind them, the door slid shut with a loud resonating crack, leaving them in the hall, alone, without the company of the howling wind outside. Without the breeze and torrent of flurries, Shade didn’t feel so cold anymore. She sighed as they continued on, hoping whatever lay before them would not be the end of the road. The hall was lit by the filtered rays of daylight that made it all the way through the thick ice framing the walkway. She’d never seen anything like this place, and she hoped she would be able to regain her powers soon so she could leave it forever.

  “Trespass, trespassers… oh dear, no, no, no. Won’t do.” A small, crackling voice echoed in the passage ahead. They froze in their steps and held their weapons at the ready. It would have been too easy to just walk right in, right? Shade strained to hear the owner of the voice scurrying ahead in the dark with small, flighty steps that barely sounded on the hardened snow under their feet.

  “Show yourself.” Dylan stepped forward, narrowing his eyes to see into the black tunnel ahead. A gasp then a thud answered back. If Shade hadn’t know any better, she would have said that whoever it was waiting for them had jumped and run right into a wall of ice. “I won’t ask again.” Dylan called.

  “Ask, he says. No one does asking here.” The squeaky accent enveloping his words made it sound like he’d said “knowin’ duh askin’ har.”

  “And who says that?” Dylan continued to step forward, and Shade crept slowly behind him. Her sword was smaller than his, but it felt good gripped in her hands, even with gloves on. It’d been a long time since she’d gotten to use it in battle, but she had kept up the rigorous training with Soap to help heal her body and to keep flexible after her stint with the Unseelie. Now she’d give anything to slice at the little man or thing or whatever it was down the hall. The snow cracked and crunched under their boots, making it a little harder to hear the panicky steps of the creature.

  “The colorless, white spirit, the white spirit says. He says what goes.” Shade strained to translate the gibberish in her head and realized he must’ve been talking about Corb.

  “The white spirit? Where can we find him?” She blurted out.

  “One does not find what is all around them. It finds you.” The miniature goblin slipped forward into their vision. Its large eyes were pure green, no whites, no pupils to define them. The stretched skin on its face folded and became loose and wrinkly around its arms and thin, exposed legs. It wore fur-lined boots on its tiny feet and a coat that reached its waist, but it pants were torn and soiled and looked as though they needed a thorough washing. Its tiny ears protruded from the sides of its head like sharp arrow tips, and his tiny mouth seemed like a hole with its thin lips circling into an ‘o’ at them.

  Dylan paused, apparently surprised at its size. He sighed but didn’t put his sword away. Shade could see that he’d thought the goblin was not a threat at all. She felt otherwise; her skin tingled from the magic that vibrated all around them, from the ice, from the air. It was all alive, and she knew it.

  “Will you take us to this white spirit you speak of?” Shade stepped closer to the goblin, very sure that it was some sort of exiled sluagh from the blackened fingertips and burnt-looking cheeks. Why was he here? He obviously wasn’t built for the cold. Yet here he was, guarding the entrance to The Great Divide.

  His eyes widened and filled with horror at her suggestion, giving her a quick shake of his head. “No, no! White spirit won’t be pleased. He said don’t let anyone in. No one.” It turned to skip away, but Dylan and Shade threw each other a mutual look and gave chase.

  “Wait! Take us to him. We won’t hurt you if you do,” Shade offered.

  A cackle responded as he led them quickly to the end of the tunnel where it split into two and led into other turns in both directions. They ran to keep up with him. For such tiny legs, he was insanely fast, and they were both soon heaving, almost exhausted from his tireless scurrying.

  It was an ice labyrinth—a place to get lost and die and never be seen again. That was why there were no guards. Why bother with guards when an intruder could get lost for weeks in such a vast labyrinth? It was endless, and they soon realized they’d lost their little troublemaking goblin. It’d been a trap, and they had fallen for it easily and willingly.

  “Damn!” Dylan swung his sword across the neck of one of the ice sculptures of a mermaid. It seemed out of place somehow. Her long flowing mane remained as it twirled around her scaly tale and covering her breasts with its curls. It was a beautiful sculpture, and Shade grimaced as she watched Dylan destroy it.

  “We’ll get there; no need to lose our heads.” She chuckled at the cliché but cleared her throat as his eyes shot back to her. “Okay, so we’re lost, but isn’t this something? A labyrinth of ice! Who would’ve known how easy it would be to freeze out your oppo
nents by getting them lost within these endless walls? I have to say, I’m impressed.”

  Dylan ignored her and sat on the ground, pulling out several pieces of wood. He placed them in a small hole he began to dig, hollowing out the packed snow underneath. He lit the wood with his own fire powers, and a warm, crackling flame filled Shade’s vision as he sat in front of it on his knees. He looked contemplative, as though something was bothering him greatly.

  “We don’t have time to be lost,” he muttered. “Come here, get some warmth. I’m going to quickly check out each route and see if I can figure this maze out.”

  Shade crouched near the fire and felt its heat radiating sweetly across her wind-burnt skin. She watched him as he dropped a couple more logs down out of his pack, finding it funny that only Dylan would think of packing firewood. As he strapped his pack back on and picked up his sword, he turned toward her once more with a reassuring nod before he walked away. The ice cavern swiftly swallowed him up, and he disappeared from her sight.

  The hollow sound emanating from the rigid walls made her fill with a swift rush of fear. It was so vacant here, so unlike any palace she had been in. Even the Unseelie castle had not felt so abandoned, so barren. The cold hovered just beyond the reach of the crackling fire, still infusing itself into her back and any part not exposed to the flames. She rubbed her hands together and hoped Dylan would be back soon.

  “Hello, Shade.”

  She gasped and jumped to her feet, fingering her sword with shaking hands.

  Corb.

  He stood right in front of her, just on the other side of the fire. His long, colorless hair was loose and the single, large lock of black snaked down his shoulder, contrasted against the rest of his mane. His skin was still as pale as snow—he’d blend in so well outside in the white-out of the snowfall. Mother of pearl eyes blinked at her as he waited for her to answer him. When she didn’t, he tilted his head, letting a smile play upon his lips.