by E. A. Weston
The smell hits me first and I want to throw up, that stench of fish assaults me as we walk through the large kitchen. Fairies look at me as I limp through their workspace. Some of them look shocked at my presence and some look at me like I’m the stinking dead fish. The kid opens another door and we walk down the hallway, the floor is tiled, with surprises me. I was honestly expecting stones or dirt.
“We will get your feet seen to,” the kid says, opening the door to another small room. Stepping inside another fairy smiles at me and I sit on the stool that she points to. I watch her move quickly around the room then she bends down to take my feet in her hands. She puts them into a bowl of hot water and I wince, I watch her add a few drops of some liquid and she begins to mutter. After a few minutes, she grabs a towel and removes my newly healed feet to dry them. Once she is finished, she moves away from me.
“Thank you,” I tell her but she doesn’t turn around to acknowledge me.
“Come,” the kid says.
My feet feel amazing and I can now walk easier, which in turn allows me to take a good look around.
“Where am I?” I question him.
“The castle of course,” he smiles.
The castle? Killian’s castle! Wow. I really need to pay attention to what is happening now maybe I can get some information and find someone willing to get a message back to Killian or Avery.
You’re not in spy movie, Reagan.
Sighing, I follow this fairy through hallways and down another passage until we reach the most amazing staircase I have ever seen. The size alone could easily fit twenty people side by side. We walk up the first five steps to a landing, turning right we enter through massive double doors. The room is so extravagant it takes my breath away, my body slowly turns in a circle to take it all in. The size, the marble floor, and walls, have huge paintings hanging from them. Flowers like I have never even imagined before line the carpet we are walking along.
We approach a dais with two large chairs that sit side by side. In one of the chairs, sits an angry looking fairy, with dark hair and black wings. His eyes bore into me as I stop a few feet from him. The female fairy standing just behind his chair has her head down.
“Welcome, human,” He says.
“Human?” I question him.
He leans forward in the chair and his eyes glint at me, “yes human. Now tell me how you came upon our land?” he asks.
The kid beside me is staring off behind the chair towards the female fairy but he never makes eye contact with her. She keeps her head down as if she is avoiding even being here.
“By accident,” I retort.
“Accident,” he huffs, “tell me, how do you accidently happen upon our realm when it is protected.”
Shrugging my shoulders I give him my innocent face, “don’t know.”
I can see that I am starting to piss him off and something inside me wants to push his buttons further but then I remember where I am and that I have no one to help me.
“I was camping in the mountains,” I tell him.
“Ah, the mountains of the human world. Very magical places.” He says, leaning back into the chair and swinging his leg over the arm. His black eyes take me in as he ponders what he wants to say.
“Why were you with another fairy?” he questions.
“I just ran into him. I was walking through the mountains and then I found a beach and a guy,” I lie.
“Indeed,” he says. “Please allow me to introduce my mate.” Leaning forward he pulls the female fairy by the hand around to the other chair, forcing her into it. She sits down but never looks up, her posture reminds me of a porcelain doll. She remains quiet and still as he talks again.
“This is Aurelia, Princess of Avalon.” He smiles while waving a hand in her direction.
My eyes instantly go to her again. Aurelia, as in Killian’s sister, what the hell is going on here? I thought she was dead.
“Hello,” I say to her but she never responds.
“And you are?” I ask him.
With a slight laugh, he watches me carefully for a moment, “I am Connor, Prince of Avalon.”
Chapter 10
My heart beats very fast as I take in the fairy and his mate in front of me, Prince and Princess of Avalon, holy crap. Killian will shit a brick when he finds out what is going on here. I remember distinctly that he said his sister was named Aurelia and she was also killed when someone attacked his home, the castle.
“Tell me human, do you have a name?” his tone is condescending.
“Reagan, not a princess of Earth.”
Connor laughs at me, he looks down from his position while clutching his stomach.
“You are very amusing Reagan of Earth,” he laughs again. “Brokk,” he calls out and I watch the kid appear from nowhere.
“My Prince,” he says.
“Please take our guest back to her room and feed her, I fear she is fragile.”
“Yes, my Prince,” Brokk, the kid says.
“Oh and bring her some clothes. I do not like the human clothing.” With a wave of his hand, he dismisses us.
I follow Brokk out of the large room and up the stairs towards a room at the very top.
“So, from the dungeon to the tower? How very Rapunzel of you,” I sigh.
The kid looks at me, clearly confused but I just shake my head and tell him “never mind.” We arrive at a door and he opens it for me, ushering me inside. Stepping through the door, I find myself in a sitting room with a table in the middle of the floor and a sofa lining the wall.
“Come,” Brokk says.
He leads me through the room and into a bedroom, which has a bed by the far wall and a large window to the left. Brokk moves towards the far right of the room and into a bathing room.
“Please,” Brokk nods to the pool.
“What? I’m not getting in there with you here.” I tell him with my hands on my hips.
“You must bathe then I will bring new clothes.”
Brokk leaves me alone and closes the door on his way out. Breathing a sigh of relief I bend down and allow my hand to dip into the water, it’s warm and inviting but I’m a little worried about being so vulnerable here. A knock on the door causes me to jump and a female walks inside holding a bundle of clothing in her arms. She puts them down on the floor before turning to leave.
“Thanks,” I call out and look for something to bar the door but there is nothing in here, except for the water and clothes. Stripping off quickly, I jump into the warm water and dunk below the surface. Once I wash myself with the bar of soap, I climb out waiting for the magic of the water to dry me.
Lifting up the clothes, I sigh at their transparency. Why do female fairies wear such revealing clothes? I’m not too sure what goes where so I do my best with a green piece of material, stringing it around my neck and trying to cover up my girly goodies.
“Reagan?”
Opening the door, I peek out to find Brokk waiting for me.
“What?” I snap at him.
“Dinner,” he smiles at me.
Stepping out of the room I braid my hair and follow the kid back down through the maze of this castle. We arrive at another huge room, set with two large tables that span the length of the room. There must be about two hundred fairies here and all their eyes are on me.
“You are most welcome, Reagan.” Connor’s voice calls out from the very top of the room. He watches as I approach and I find him leering at my body the whole way, he smiles at me when I stop in front of him again.
“Thanks,” I respond dryly.
“Please, sit and enjoy.”
Brokk takes my arm and leads me to a seat at the edge of one of the long tables while he sits beside me. Connor has a perfect view of me and it makes me uncomfortable.
“I’ll just have bread,” I tell Brokk.
“But why? The food here is delicious.”
“Yeah, it makes me sick, bread is fine.” I sigh.
Brokk doesn’t argue with me and
piles my plate with the rough sweet bread I have been eating since I came here. I refuse the wine and opt for water instead. I need to keep alert while I’m here.
“How old are you kid?” I ask.
Brokk smirks at me, “in human years?”
I nod my head while taking a bite of the sweet bread.
“I am seventy-five of your human years,” he answers proudly and I choke on the bread.
“Wow,” I mumble. I hope I look that young when I’m seventy-five. Brokk smiles at me again and his eyes travel to my chest.
“Hey, eyes up here buddy,” I tell him pointing to my own eyes.
“Is it not allowed for a male to admire a female in the human world?” he asks.
“Yeah it is but you look about twelve, so for you, no.”
Throwing his head back, he laughs at me. “You are quite funny Reagan of Earth.”
“Reagan, it’s just, Reagan.” I sigh.
Turning back to face the table, I glance over at the female fairy sitting beside Connor. She is as still as she was earlier and only takes small nibbles of food. I feel my heart hurt for her. She looks lifeless, sitting there beside that tool while he gawks at every female in the room. She keeps her head down and I can tell she is tired, and her shoulders droop as if the weight of the world is resting on them.
“Hey,” I say turning back to Brokk. “Who is the Princess?” I ask.
“The Princess is the Princess,” he replies.
“No, I mean, how did she become Princess?”
“Oh, she was born that way,” he says tilting his head a little.
“Oh okay, I thought once she was married to Connor she became a Princess,” I smile.
“No, they are not bonded,” he says.
I want to ask more but he turns to talk to the fairy on his left, leaving me to my thoughts. I can’t help but look at her again, if she is Killian’s sister then wouldn’t she want to know that he is alive too. Or maybe she doesn’t want him home maybe she has something to do with him not coming back here. I catch her glance at me for the first time since I arrived and all I see in her eyes is pain.
She quickly looks back down again and avoids me for the rest of dinner. I want to talk to her, to find out what is happening here, and why the hell does Killian think that she is dead?
After dinner, I am escorted back up my tower and hear the lock click into place from the outside. I’m not sure what these fairies think I will do to them to lock me up like this. I suppose if given the chance I’d try to escape and find a way to go back home. Walking over to the window I pull back the wooden shutters and stick my head outside. The sun is lowering over the water and I think of Samiel, the pain he must be in after the fairies hurt him so much.
My thoughts also turn to Killian, remembering our time together in Faircrest. How he followed me around and when I gave him that massage after the movie. How weird was that? But there was just something about him that pulled me towards him. Like two magnets being pulled together by an unseen force.
I watch the last inch of the sun dip below the horizon, blanketing the world in darkness and feel the pain in my chest throb again. I now know it’s because Killian is so far away from me that this bond we share is reminding me of him. It’s painful but all I can do is close my eyes against the onslaught of tears. The lonely feeling consumes me again and it feels just like the day after my parents never came home. Closing the window, I pull back the bed covers and slide inside. The dust is thick and makes me cough but I’m too tired and sore to care.
* * *
“Wake up human.”
The voice pulls me from my sleep before pulling me from the bed.
“Hey, what are you doing?” I ask, struggling to get away from the fairy holding my arms back.
“You’ll see,” he laughs in my ear before pushing me out of the door and down the stairs back to the dungeon. My feet hit the cold stone and I’m forced into a chair in the middle of the room.
“What are you doing?” I ask again.
“I am looking for the reason you came to Avalon,” Connor’s voice sounds from the doorway. Looking up, I find him leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed. He looks menacing and his face contorts in disgust when he looks at me, it’s not the same fairy I met earlier.
“I don’t have a reason, I already told you how I got here. Can’t you send me home?” I ask.
“No, I can’t. I need to be sure of what you say, after all, you are human, and humans tend to lie.” Pushing off the doorway he steps into the room, stopping only a few feet from me. He commands another fairy in their own language, then I feel the prick of a needle in my arm.
“Get away from me!”
“Now, now, Reagan. The truth will be told.” Connor smiles at me as he begins pacing around the dark cell. My body begins to float and I feel my eyes drift shut, I try to force them open but they refuse to cooperate and slide shut.
“Now, tell me what is your name?”
“Reagan.”
“Where are you from?” he asks.
“Faircrest.”
“When did you arrive in Avalon?”
“After graduation,” I mumble feeling the saliva drip from my numb mouth.
“What moon did you arrive on?” he questions and kicks the chair, rocking me.
“Don’t know.”
“I fear you are lying to me Reagan of Faircrest.” Connor’s voice sounds loud in my head.
“No, not lying,” I answer trying to fight the fog in my brain.
“Did you come alone?”
My mouth wants to say yes but head is screaming Killian, I want Killian. He asks again and I can manage to open one eye trying to focus on him. Taking a deep breath, I force the lie from mouth, “y-ye-yeah.”
“Reagan, I am a fair fairy, one who will give you a second chance.” He says.
My body begins to shake with pain, causing me to double over and cry out. I’m not sure what they gave me but I feel like I’m dying, sweat beads on my forehead and down my back.
“Let me go,” I pant out.
“What is it you humans say? Ah yes, goodnight.” He whispers into my ear before leaving me tied to the chair and slamming the door shut. My body convulses, sending pain radiating throughout. Tears finally fall from my tired eyes, dripping down my face and nose onto my legs.
I just want to go home.
Chapter 11
I feel small hands on my arms, pulling at me. “Wake up,” a female says. I don’t want to wake up, though, I want to stay asleep and pretend that my life is normal and I’m not in a dungeon in a fairy world.
“Please, you must wake up.” She says again.
“No, I don’t,” I sigh, keeping my head on my knees.
“Please,” she whispers.
Turning my head, I see the fairy princess kneeling beside me, begging me with her eyes to get up.
“Okay,” I whisper and try to sit up. My back hurts from bending over all night, her small hands lift my shoulder and she nods in approval when I finally sit up. “Why are you helping me?”
“I do not wish for you to be hurt,” She responds.
“Yeah, that makes two of us,” I laugh dryly.
She removes the ropes from my wrists and helps me to stand. “We must get you back to your rooms,” gripping my bicep she leads me through the door and up a different staircase. Once we arrive back in my tower, we walk into the bathing room.
“Do you have some of that fire bush stuff?” I ask.
Tilting her head she looks at me confused, “how do you know about that?”
Crap!
“Does it matter? Is that why you’re here, to become my friend and get information out of me? Well, it won’t work. I told your prince the truth now leave me alone.”
Pushing her away from me, I begin to strip off the green rag I’m now wearing.
“I am not here because of him and he is not the prince,” she snaps at me.
Looking at her I watch for any signs that she may be l
ying to me but I don’t see any. Her posture is tired looking.
“Okay fine, I met another fairy who gave me some of the oil from the bush and I liked the smell of it.”
“Yes, it is beautiful,” she answers sadly.
“What’s your name?” I ask. I want so badly for her to be Killian’s sister but I’m not sure if I should tell her that he is alive and well. At least, I think he is.
“Princess Aurelia of Avalon,” she answers with pride in her voice and for the first time she smiles.
“Well it’s nice to meet you Aurelia or should I call you princess?”
“No, you may call me Ari, all my friends do, but in private,” She adds on at the end.
“Sure, no problem.”
Climbing out of the pool, I dress in my own clothes and climb onto the bed. Ari watches me with her hands folded against her waist.
“Are you hurt?” she questions.
“No, I’m okay. Just sore and tired.”
“Of course, I will leave you now.”
“You don’t have to, you can stay if you want.” I smile at her.
Nodding, she takes a seat in one of the chairs from the sitting area and looks around the room.
“It has been an age since I have come in here.”
“How come? Don’t like the tower of doom,” I smile.
“No,” she shakes her head. “This was my brothers living rooms, he was killed many moons ago along with my parents.”
Her voice grows quiet as her hand smooths over the surface of the table. I swallow the lump in my throat and watch her. Samiel’s words echo in my head, “Do not tell anyone about Killian.” I’m sure he meant it but did that include a sister he believes to be dead?
“Tell me about him?” I ask.
“My brother,” she waves her small hand but she smiles as well. “He was my best friend, we did most things together. He was a most handsome fairy and nearly all of the females wanted to marry him but he never noticed. He told me once that he was waiting for his true mate, he did not want just any fairy.” She smiles.