Fae Magic trilogy : (Alexandra Everest series)

by Jen Pretty

  As we came around a bend in the path where the rock face beside us dropped away, we were in a vast flat open area. In the distance, we could see a mountain that stretched up into the brown smog and disappeared.

  Armond sent Roman ahead to scout. He had been zipping ahead regularly on the journey so I thought nothing of it. When time marched on, and he didn’t return, I started to get nervous. One glance at Armond told me he was getting nervous too. The mountain sat ahead like a looming monster ready to rise and strike us all down, but that foreboding feeling I had all along was getting worse the closer we got.

  The tension in my body was rising with each step. It got bad enough that Puck sensed it through our weird connection and picked me up, transforming into a unicorn and stomping his feet. He was ready to race towards our foe and end this war.

  “Wait, Lex,” Armond cautioned.

  Thankfully Roman flashed back in front of us. A trail of dust his feet kicked up as he stopped was the only sign that he hadn’t just magically teleported back.

  “Thank fuck, Roman. Jesus, I thought that witch had abducted you.”

  “No way. I’m too fast for her,” he said smiling up at me.

  I slid down Puck’s side and into Roman's arms. He caught me easily and wrapped me up in a hug.

  “All right lovebirds break it up. What’s happening on that mountain?” Armond asked.

  “The witch is up there. About halfway up is a cave in the side of the mountain and trolls are patrolling. There are ruins, as you get closer you can see it must have once been a castle, but now it’s just rock and dirt. I had to keep running all the way around the mountain to come back so they wouldn’t spot me. That’s why it took longer than expected.”

  The feeling in my stomach was getting worse, but with Roman back, I could at least relax for a few minutes. I remembered the vision that Marick had shown me of a castle. This looked nothing like that. Maybe it had, at one time, long ago.

  “So, do we set up camp here or face her today?” I asked Armond. He had been dubbed our army general even though he was possibly the youngest of them all, apart from some of the hunters and a few of the shapeshifters.

  We were sitting ducks. If the trolls wanted to, they could just come down and attack us, but we would also see them coming.

  “Let’s set up camp. Who knows what waits for us in that cave and I’d rather everyone went in well rested,” Armond replied.

  My stomach was twisting and turning like the ocean in a storm. I could hardly eat and sitting still was almost impossible. I had no idea how I was going to sleep.

  Roman and I sat together on a blanket in the middle of camp. Daisy was curled up in my lap, but the tension was so thick around me even Daisy wasn’t sleeping. It felt like a waste of time, but there were unicorns, elves, and hunters sleeping, eating and relaxing. I would need them if I had to face the witch before the trolls were all dead. There was no way I could focus my will in a bunch of different directions. I was having a hard time focusing it at all.

  “Come on Lex, let’s lay down at least,” Roman said standing and scooping Daisy and me up off the blanket. He carried us to our tent and lay us back down. I set Daisy on a pillow and let Roman pull me in tight beside him. I squished my face into his shoulder and closed my eyes. We lay there in peace for a long time, and I must have fallen asleep because suddenly I was in my forest, back in homeland.

  ✽✽✽

  “Hey, Lex,” Luke said as I wrapped myself around him.

  “Hey, yourself. How are things?”

  “Fine. How are things in there?”

  “Ugh,” I replied, linking his arm in mine and dragging him over to a stump to sit down. “This place is horrible. It’s all dirt and sludge. No trees or grass or birds.”

  “That doesn’t sound very nice, no wonder the witch wanted the shifters land.”

  He had a point, but the witch didn’t need my sympathy after she enslaved the werewolves to control their land. She could have just lived in peace with them or on earth centuries ago when she started a war between the fae and the vampires.

  “I want this over with so I can come home, Luke. I want to sit in my giant tub and drink wine until the water goes cold.”

  “Almost done Lex, Margot has been watching your progress. She says you will be leaving for home soon,” Luke said as he shifted on the stump seat trying to get comfortable.

  “Well, that’s good to hear.” I bit my lip trying not to say what I had been feeling in the pit of my stomach from the moment I got my memories back. Before I could swallow the words down, they came tumbling out of my mouth. “I think I’m going to lose someone.” As soon as I said it, I wished I could take it back. Like saying the words out loud gave them some power to activate and I was going to run out of luck.

  Luke just hugged me tightly and we sat like that for a while. The fact he didn’t say anything suggested he had already heard something from Margot about what I was about to face, but I didn’t have it in me to question him. I didn’t want to know. After seeing this world, I knew the witch would not stay here and who knew what havoc she would bring to earth. I had to fight her and had to win. Someone I cared about wasn’t going to be returning with us and that just made me want to turn and run right now -- head for home and hide under my blankets.

  “You should go, I’m pretty sure someone is trying to wake you up,” Luke said, releasing me from our embrace.

  “Yeah, ok. Keep your fingers crossed for me, ok?”

  “Always, Lex. Go get 'em.”

  I smiled as he faded away and then reality hit me in the face.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Not reality. It was Daisy. He was standing on my chest pecking my nose.

  “You dork, what are you doing?”

  He quacked loudly in reply, the camp was quiet, so I shuffled up and looked out the tent flap, quickly realizing everyone was frozen, but I wasn’t using my magic and Daisy was still moving around.

  “What the fuck?” I whispered. I looked around for Helena, but she wasn’t there.

  “Don’t bother trying to kill me,” a voice said from behind me. When I whirled around, I immediately drew my short sword.

  “I’m not here, you imbecile,” she remarked as I pointed my blade at her. “I just wanted to give you a warning,” she smirked as I tried to cut her down, but my blade just ran through the projection of her. She wasn’t here.

  “Why would I believe anything you have to say?” I asked scowling at the evil bitch.

  “Because I have taken a few liberties with your vampire,” her smirk was now a full smile with humour flashing in her eyes.

  “What are you talking about?” I asked, not taking my eyes off her for a second.

  “I destroyed him and remade him. My magic keeps him alive now. So, if you want him to stay that way, you best scurry on home and not come back.” Her amber eyes turned solid black and she lost all humour. Then she was gone and the rest of the camp came back to life.

  “Hey, Lex, you’re up!” Armond called from beside the bonfire that was cooking more food for the troops. My expression must have warned him something was wrong because he handed the mixing spoon off to another hunter and stood in front of me.

  “She g-got to R-Roman.” I stuttered. My eyes scanned the camp. I couldn’t see him anywhere. “Where is he?”

  “What are you talking about Lex? Lex?” But I was already gone. Running through camp, looking for Roman. She was lying; she had to be lying.

  Puck scooped me up and tossed me on his back as he shifted. The higher perspective gave me a wider view, and I spotted him sitting alone on the edge of the camp area. I pointed and Puck took me where I needed to be.

  I slid off his back and fell to my knees in front of Roman.

  “Say it’s not true. You just ran around the mountain. You said you didn’t stop,” I muttered almost incoherently. My lungs felt like they were full of lead. I couldn’t take a full breath.

  “I’m sorry, Lex. I didn’t want you to kn
ow. I thought if I didn’t tell you, it would be easier for you to do what you must do. What you still must.” His hands cupped my face and his eyes flashed bright red as a sad smile crossed his face.

  “I won’t,” I said shaking my head. “I can’t, Roman.”

  “Shh,” he said, stroking my hair and pulling me close. “You know what you have to do.”

  “I’ll find another way,” I promised.

  “There is no time, Lex. You must end this and bring Aldridge home. I am already gone. My body is only held together by magic now, dark magic. You have to let me go.”

  I stood abruptly. “No, fuck you, vampire. You will not leave me. I refuse. I will let the world burn around us, but you will live.” I turned and ran back to my tent. This was not happening. I started packing my things. I was taking Roman home. The elders or someone would surely have an answer. What if he died when I took him out of this world, away from the witch’s magic? I stopped and dropped my bag, crumpling down on top of it. This was the loss. This was the feeling in my stomach. The price I had to pay to save the whole fucking world was the one that would finally break me.

  I cried for a long time and then got mad and broke some things. Mostly Roman’s things which I realized later was wasn’t going to help. I needed to do something, but I was stuck. I couldn’t go forward and couldn’t go backwards. I was at an impasse.

  There was no way I could sacrifice Roman. Not while he was still walking and talking. I wanted to try and use my magic on him, but what if I killed him instead?

  The hush over the camp when I emerged from my tent was bone-chilling. Everyone was waiting for me to decide what we would do.

  It wasn’t fair. But then, when had my life proven to be fair? Roman stood in front of me, no expression on his face, arms at his side. He was resigned to the fact that he was already dead, but I wasn’t going to stand for that.

  “We go up that mountain, but we take that witch alive. Do not kill her.” I turned and glared at all the warriors around me. They all bowed their heads and then one by one dropped to a knee. Only Roman stood before me now; the rest faded into the background as our eyes locked.

  He saved my life so many times and I would find a way around this. I would protect him, and we would live happily ever after, damn it.

  Slowly the army rose and started quickly packing their things. We weren’t taking our gear up the mountain, but we would pack it up so we could make a hasty departure if we needed to.

  Once everything was tucked away in a neat pile, we gathered and started walking towards the mountain. Everyone was silent, but my mind wouldn’t shut up. I was having trouble putting one foot in front of the other without a solid plan in place to save Roman. There had to be a way. I had a shit ton of magic, why couldn’t I do this one thing?

  Roman squeezed my hand, pulling me back from my thoughts and I realized I was crying again. I wiped my face on my sleeve and took a deep breath. I could do this. We would keep the witch alive and make her fix what she did. We would save Aldridge and save the world. Bam.

  I took several quick breaths to get my adrenaline pumping; this was just like when Armond and I would go blasting into Vampire houses before the vampires and Fae formed a new alliance after the death of Joshua.

  I looked over at Armond and he must have been thinking the same thing because he winked at me. The hunters were all looking livelier than they had this whole journey. They lived for this.

  At the base of the mountain, we found the trail that led up to the cave. It was the same path Roman had taken to spy on the witch before she caught him in her web.

  This time, nothing stopped us, but they had to know we were coming. We weren’t exactly stealthy out in the open.

  “Do you think they are still here?” I whispered to Armond who had stepped up beside me.

  “They’re here,” Roman replied instead. His hearing was far superior, and for all I knew, he could have some weird connection to the witch. I wasn’t about to ask. I didn’t want to know.

  The hike up the mountain to the cave took more than an hour. It was rocky and steep, but we travelled as quickly as we could.

  “I think it would be best if we take them out the old-fashioned way, Lex. Just stop them and let the hunters kill the trolls and save your power for the witch,” Armond said.

  “Alright, but if the witch brings them back to life, I’m going to use my magic. I won’t leave people behind.”

  He just nodded, and we continued to climb the scrubby mountainside.

  Just as we neared the mouth of the cave, trolls started flooding onto the side of the mountain. Their greasy, dreadlocked hair and large frames blocked the view of the cave entrance. I pushed my magic out and stopped them all. Our army began the task of picking them off. They were fodder -- wasting our time so the witch could escape. The trolls needed to be taken care of before we moved into the caves. I wouldn’t let this be a repeat of the last run battle with her when we lost the king’s guard in a senseless battle. My army wasn’t fodder.

  Roman and I helped clear the way, but the hunters were the professionals here. They trained daily and swinging a sword was as easy as breathing for them. When my arms got tired, I sheathed my sword and watched until the last troll fell. Releasing my magic, I waited to see if they would rise. When they didn’t, some torches were handed out and lit before we entered the cave.

  The feeling of déjà vu was intense. The cave was exactly like the one I had found her in last time, but this time, the paths were much more complex. We hit several dead ends and had to turn back before we finally followed a tunnel that led upwards and found what we had come to see.

  Aldridge was hanging by his wrists against a wall, still alive, but he looked like shit. His clothes were dirty and torn and his slim frame was now concave. It was obvious that he hadn’t really received any care while in the clutches of the witch, but he would make it.

  “Someone get him down,” I said as I grabbed a torch and walked towards the far side of the room. There was a hidden crevice in the wall that opened to another tunnel. I squished through, Daisy, Puck and Roman behind me, but the hunters were too large to fit between the rocks.

  “Lex, wait. We can find another way around,” Armond called.

  I looked at him for a moment, then walked back through and wrapped my arms around his waist.

  “I’ve got to do this,” I said into his chest. “This is why I came here.”

  “Lex, are you sure this is the best plan? We can help.”

  I smiled sadly at him. This was going to be a battle of magic. The hunters were excellent fighters, but they would just be sitting ducks when the magic started flying.

  “I need your hunters to take care of Aldridge,” I said.

  Armond took a deep breath and pointed his finger at me. “You better come home.”

  “I will,” I promised. He looked past my shoulder at Roman for a moment. Something silent passed between them before he turned and led his hunters back out of the cave. A couple of the large men wrapped Aldridge’s thin arms around their shoulders and they moved to follow Armond. The agony on Aldridge’s face and his slow stiff movements made my rage rise.

  The elves and unicorns who fit through the gap flowed in behind us, but our army was down to a few dozen now. Daisy waddled along behind me and our solemn procession crept towards the top of the mountain.

  There were no forks in this cave. It was nearly straight and inclined towards the top of the mountain. The walls were smooth and the ceiling high, like it had been carved unnaturally. The soft flicker of the torches drew shadows on the ceiling giving me the feeling of being watched. Finally, we saw a stream of daylight ahead.

  The cave narrowed so we could only walk single file through the opening.

  As I emerged behind Puck, the view was breathtaking. The murky clouds spread out below us like a puffy blanket and we had finally found the sun. It was as bright as mid-day earth on the top of this mountain and lush greenery covered the ground. Birds twitte
red about in willowy brambles. An oasis in this dead world.

  I followed a small gravel trail through an orchard of apples, lemons and orange trees. The trail was lined with flowers of every colour and size, some listing towards me menacingly and others with jagged leaves that looked like serrated blades.

  “You can’t stop me,” said the witch as I finally caught sight of her. Her ebony hair floated in the still air. Her magic hung like a haze around her, making her look ethereal and unearthly. She had caused so much destruction and death, and for what?

  “If I go down, so does your bloodsucking lover!” she screamed as she lashed out with her magic, forcing everyone back. It burned like the intense heat from a fire, but she had nowhere to go. I pushed back with my magic and felt her trying to open a portal. It was coalescing before my eyes.

  I slammed all my magic out to stop time. Everyone froze this time, even Roman. The thought crossed my mind that he could no longer move when I stopped time because he was already dead, but I forced all thought out of my mind. Opening to my new magic, the one that had let me build a portal back on earth, I willed her portal out of existence just in time, and the witch screamed again.

  “You don’t get to run away this time!” I yelled back. It was just us now. I couldn’t risk anyone else getting in the line of fire.

  I ran at her and tried to will her to the ground with my new magic, but she just launched more heat back at me until I had to stop. The heat was so intense, it felt like I was already on fire, but my magic pushed forward, shielding me from the worst of it. She raised her arm and the sky behind us went black as something poured out of the small crack in the mountain that led to the caves. As the blackness approached, I realized it was thousands of bats. They began to shoot towards my army and dove at them, slicing and biting at the skin and hide of the men and woman who had come to protect me. I released my magic and the army began to fight off the flying rats. The elves swinging their swords in the air and the unicorns rearing to smash the bats beneath their hooves but more kept coming in a never-ending river of black.