Tales of the Fairy Anthology

by Catherine Stovall

  The forest was a blur of colors and nonsensical shapes as another round of bile came out, and this time, he didn't try to keep it down. Sliding down the nearest tree, he winced as his butt dropped onto the ground. His hands were shaking, and he didn't know how much longer he would be conscious. Wave after wave of nausea rolled through his body. His legs felt numb with each second that ticked by, and he fought with the lid on a water bottle from his backpack. He could feel himself panting to breathe as his hand shook, launching water all over him and the ground before making it to his mouth. Scott let it fall to the ground in order to do the next important task, a phone call.

  His strength felt depleted as he wrestled the phone from his pocket and brought it to his mouth. "Siri call mom.” He waited and prayed to stay with it long enough to get help alerted. The ring tone made him wince, the sound amplified to a piercing level.

  "Hello?"

  He opened his mouth to speak but sound wasn't working.

  "Scott, you butt dialed me. This is your mother speaking to your butt."

  "Mom, help. Poisoned I think. In the forest near the college. Quick, mom." His voice was raspy and his throat felt on fire as he eked the words out and ended the call, hoping his mom got the idea. He tried to tell Siri to call 911, but the pain was mind numbing and he gave way to the blissful darkness as his body slumped against the tree in the middle of a fairy forest.

  Chapter 3

  Her hands wrung together and her wings flitted nervously in the air. She had done the right thing all her childhood. Coming and going with each season as expected; she had only used her powers to help the creatures of the forest and harmed none. Bella had even accepted a betrothal to a man she knew only as a friend because it was her duty. Fairies followed the rules or they became dark. The darkness seeped into their very being. Their wings lost their iridescent glitter and became black as night, shiny as glass, and hard as stone; limiting the fairies ability to fly.

  The external changes were the simplest; it was their changing powers that terrified Bella. The power to grow and heal mutated into the power to control and manipulate. They could bring about death in waves are force their will on others.

  A shudder passed through her that had nothing to do with the cold air and all to do with the thoughts that consumed her. Fairies had one special gift up their sleeves. For one lunar cycle, they could become human and walk amongst man. It was a gift of age and a rite of passage to see the world through human eyes and learn what they know of the world. It helped them to grow and work their magic by understanding the minds of those who so often sought to destroy what lived within the trees. She had long since turned seventeen and received the ability to do it, but she had been waiting. Truth be told, Elerin had wished to do it after the festivities of their wedding day so that they might venture to lands further away and see new things at the start of their lives together. It had been the most romantic she had ever heard him be, and she’d vowed she would wait. Love or not, a fairy was only as good as their ability to follow the rules and as dark as their willingness to break them.

  She’d seen the number of arrows protruding from Scott’s neck and arms. As a fairy, she would never adequately be able to help him. But as a human…. She bit her lip, hoping the pain would distract her from her thoughts. Blood pooled on her lips, and the bitter metallic taste slipped inside her mouth. Blood was on her hands for her fascination with Scott and she couldn’t let him die because Elerin was stubborn.

  Not once did Elerin turn his head and look at her. His long blue-black hair swayed and blew as he flew, but he never gave her so much as a moment’s glance or a chance to explain. The desire to fly in the opposing direction and use her one chance to save Scott itched and festered within her, but it was Elerin’s words condemned her thoughts.

  “Do you know how I found out about your interactions with the human male?” his voice was layered with enough ice and sting to make the cool air around them feel as warm as a summer breeze.

  She held her tongue and did not answer. She may be nearing twenty, but Elerin was twenty-two, and she would not disrespect him with a flippant remark—no matter how much he earned one.

  “From the younglings, AnnaBeth and Marigold. They followed you after a game of Hide and Seek weeks ago. Followed you directly to him.”

  She could almost picture his emerald eyes aflame with anger as his voice rose, but still, he didn’t even flinch so much as a wing in her direction.

  “It took them weeks to decide if your interactions were breaking the rules, and I had to lie for you, Bella.” He turned then, his eyes holding all the venom his words flung in her direction. His hand wrapped around her wrist and tugged him into her.

  So often they’d shared such a position and kissed, but now his leverage was causing her pain, and she did her best to push him off. “Elerin, this hurts. Stop, and I’ll explain. I promise you, he and I had never interacted. I did like watching him, though. I won’t lie.”

  His mouth covered hers in a rough demanding kiss. While no fireworks exploded, she loved the way they fit together, and for a mere moment, almost let his caveman pursuit work.

  It’s now, Bella. Time to choose, live or die.

  Without another thought, she opened her hand and flung a gale force breeze at him. It was as warm as summer, but the force still shot him backwards and into a tree. His head smacked into the thick trunk with a sickening crack, and she flew to catch him as his body helplessly tumbled to the ground. She kissed him softly before flying him back to the safety of a tree branch.

  “Forgive me, Elerin, but I cannot allow that man to die.” Turning she flew from the branch in the direction of her people’s oldest healer, Amara.

  With every second she was in flight, the night grabbed the day and pushed the warm rays of the sun to sleep. She would freeze soon if the sun set completely, her body was not meant to handle the cold. In the distance, she could see the waterfall where the healers lived, the waters beginning to freeze. She raced past the other healers she saw, in hopes to find Amara in her home.

  Breathless, she pounded on the door until the elder healer pulled it back with a worried smile. “Bella, granddaughter, what is the commotion?” Her grandmother’s voice was as serene as the wind, and she felt her nerves calm, one of the effects of being a healing fairy.

  “Grandmother Amara, I fear I may have led to the unnecessary murder of a human.”

  Her grandmother said nothing, merely stepped aside, ushered her in the small home, and pulled out a chair. Bella chewed her lip, opening up the tear in her lip from before, and once again the taste of blood found its way onto her tongue.

  “Grandmother Amara, I promise you I had no dealings with the humans, but Elerin, he did not know. He acted only out of duty as a warrior. But he was wrong, Grandmother Amara, so very wrong.”

  “Bella, how could he be wrong? If you were spotted with the human, then surely you have broken a law.” She paused and walked around the chair where Bella was sitting. “And yet, your wings remain as clear as ever. Go on.”

  “I was fond of watching him. Grandmother Amara, he is quite beautiful. His hair is a deep chestnut and long enough to touch his chin and it’s always begging to run fingers through it. And his eyes, his eyes are as blue as the waterfall you live behind. I want nothing more than to look into them and see what secrets they hold. But, I swear on the spirits of the forest, I have never done so. Today, I fear he may have glimpsed me, but I have never interacted with him.”

  Amara was quiet, but her face betrayed her plans, and Bella let out the breath she had been holding. Her grandmother was horrible about projecting her emotions, and Bella could see the need to help heal etched all over her aged face.

  “You wish for me to heal him?”

  “Grandmother Amara, I wish to use my gift of being human to do so. I know I could not gather enough of the antidote in my smaller form. I should wish to save him enough to forfeit the ability to use this with Elerin. I cannot be the death of an innocen
t man.” The pleading in her voice reminded her of years in the past when her grandmother caught her and her brother sneaking treats shortly after her parents were killed in a raid by the dark fairies. It had gotten her out of trouble that day, and her grandmother’s sigh told her it did today as well.

  “Child you will be the death of me yet.”

  Chapter 4

  Bella’s smile was unavoidable, and she threw her arms around her grandmother’s neck, squeezing her tight for a moment before letting go. “Thank you. I fear he doesn’t have much time. Elerin was very thorough in his assault.”

  “Very well. Be sure to change back before the moon rises tomorrow night or you will forfeit your ability to return.”

  Her grandmother’s words stopped her breath, she had never heard of that before. She paused; the only sound in the room her beating heart, before she nodded. She may not have her parents, but she had her grandmother, brother, and Elerin—should he not hate her. She wouldn’t forget.

  “Close your eyes, Bella. Close your eyes and just feel. The magic knows what it needs to do.” As she did, she heard her grandmother shriek. “Not in here, Bella! By the spirits, what are you thinking?” Laughing, she ushered Bella outside, but not before slipping a piece of paper and a large vial in her hands. “Find these things and crush them together, mix with water and make sure he drinks every last drop. I’ve never cured a human, I have no idea how their size will react to any amount.”

  She kissed her grandmother’s cheek and quickly flew to the grass next to the waterfall. Looking one last time over the homes she had come from, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She waited for what felt like hours for the tingle in her body to let her know it had begun. She’d spoken to her friends who had had their day, and she knew what to expect. The tingling grew and grew until she couldn’t feel anything anymore. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel her body spinning in slow circles.

  Only when it stopped did she open her eyes. The gasp escaped before she could stop herself. Everything was so different, and yet, exactly the same. She had always been able to fly as high as she wished, but all the things looked smaller. The cold didn’t bother her now, and the wind was only an annoyance on her bare arms. She looked down and laughed. Her feet looked huge, and somehow, her clothing had grown with her.

  “Thank the spirits.”

  She unballed her hand, and the list in it was impossibly tiny. She sighed and squeezed her mouth shut to stop from cursing. She’d scanned it before walking outside, but she had no way of knowing if she’d seen it all or seen it right.

  “I’m sorry, Scott, I’m just going to have to try.” Her voice vibrated around her, it was deeper now, and she smiled because it sounded right, humans shouldn’t have the high pitched tone of a fairy after all. “Green moss, red mushrooms, peony petals, and dandelion seeds.” She did curse after saying the list. “It’s almost fully winter. How am I going to find things that bloom in the spring?”

  The moon was already halfway up the sky, and she looked around the small clearing. She had been in every inch of the forest and knew where everything grew best. It was a simple matter of taking a deep breath and getting to work.

  She didn’t waste any time. Gathering the moss proved the easiest, as it was growing on the rocks next to the falls. Fear held her back from the mushroom circle, and she ran through the forest in search of the petals and seeds first. She couldn’t believe how much exertion it took to run and couldn’t understand why flying didn’t. By the time she’d found both, the moon was high enough in the sky that fear for him gripped her. She needed to go to the mushroom circle, and she prayed Elerin wouldn’t be there to see her betrayal. She had no idea what color her wings would be when she returned, but she hoped they remained as they were.

  None saw her at the mushroom circle. She wasn’t forced to stare at any of her friends or face Elerin as she added the final ingredient into the concoction. Without wasting a second, she ran as fast as her legs would carry and her lungs would let her. Coming to the spot Scott had been, she cried out. He was collapsed under a tree and she could hardly see the rise and fall of his chest.

  Falling to the ground she tugged his upper body into her lap before uncorking the vial and tipping it to his mouth. The mixture slid off his closed lips and tears filled her eyes. She used her index finger to push his mouth open and poured the contents inside. Sitting back, she waited alone with her thoughts of what was to come for her and Scott. She couldn’t leave him. She had to know if it worked, and she had no idea how to explain herself when he awoke.

  Chapter 5

  His head was pounding and he was thirsty. He groaned as he shifted, wondering why his bed felt so awful. His eyes opened and he bolted upright, he was outside in the forest he had been shooting in earlier.

  “Don’t be alarmed. You are healed.”

  The voice he heard was lyrical, like small bells chiming. Healed? What was she talking about?

  “Healed?” Scott flinched at the rasping of his voice and the razor sharp feeling in the back of his throat as he spoke. Turning his head to look at the female who claimed to have healed him, his breath caught in his throat, she was stunning. Her hair was as white as snow and delicately curled around her shoulders, her nose was small and pixieish for her face, and he swore her eyes were so grey they flashed silver. He shifted uncomfortably, this time trying to conceal his lap and not in pain. He felt like a school boy, but she was amazing, and he couldn’t help it.

  She nodded and the action was as delicate as she was. “Yes. You do not remember being sick do you?” She arched a brow, and as he shook his head, the images slammed into him.

  “Poison.”

  She nodded again, and while he looked at her, realization crept into his mind. He pulled away from her. It wasn’t possible, was it? He never would have realized it, but he had been tracking a tiny glimmering white creature. Then this girl showed up and healed him from an impossibly small arrow attack.

  “You. You’re the bird!” His shout made her flinch, and he was about to apologize when his phone rang on the ground next to him.

  Mom! Crap I must have scared her to death. “Mom?”

  “Scott Benjamin Kingsley, where the hell have you been?” her voice was shrill and hurt. She was loud enough that he pulled the phone away from his ear. “It’s been hours since you called me and told me you were poisoned. You better have a damn good explanation for this.”

  Unable to help himself, he laughed. He was old enough to have rent and a car payment, but she still made him feel like he was eight when he was in trouble. “Sorry mom. I ate some mushrooms I found growing near a photo site. I thought I was going to die, I swear. But then I got sick and took a little nap, and I feel better now. Sorry about that.”

  The girl cocked her head to the side as he spoke, and he kept trying to force the idea that she had been the creature he’d been obsessed with finding for the past few months, but he couldn’t.

  “How you ever made it through college is beyond me.” his mom grumbled before disconnecting the call.

  He looked at the girl, and he knew in his gut he was about to have his world turned upside down. “You’re the creature that I saw today. That I’ve seen every day that I’ve come to this spot.” He reached out to run a finger down her face and make sure she was real. When his finger brushed her cheek, he felt a crackle of electricity and she pulled back.

  Abject fear played across her face and he felt bad for touching her. But he was going crazy and if he touched her, maybe his hand would have gone through her. Maybe he’d just be dreaming from the poison from earlier. But he’d touched her, it was real enough now.

  “You’ve seen me multiple times?” her voice waivered, but all he could focus on was her lack of denial.

  “Holy shit.” He raked his hand through his hair, but it did no good, the front pieces fell back in front of his face. “It’s true then? You’re not a bird but a…a what? You can’t be a fairy, they aren’t real?”

/>   Red dotted her cheeks and she crossed her arms over her chest. “So you believe I was something tiny and in the air today and other times, but don’t believe in fairies? Typical humans, you believe in nothing that you haven’t seen a million times.” She pushed off the ground to stalk off into the forest, and he jumped up, ignoring the dizzying sensation to run after her.

  “Wait please. I’m sorry. Cut me some slack, you’ve clearly known about me, and that gives you an upper hand.”

  She didn’t turn around.

  “You’re beautiful. Did you know that?”

  She stopped then and he grinned. Perfect. “I’m Scott.”

  She turned, “I know. I’ve seen your name on your bag. I’m Bella.”

  She didn’t extend her hand for him to shake, and he wondered if it would be difficult to get her to tell him anything.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Bella. You have to realize I have a million questions. I thought you were an unknown bird or something cool to look at. But a fairy?” He let out a low whistle. People were going to think he was crazy cakes.

  “No! You can’t ask questions. Knowing anything will end you up right back where you were, and I can’t use the magic to be human ever again.” Her hands flew to her mouth and she gasped. “No, no you can’t ever repeat this. I never should have come here. I should have healed you and left, or just never come at all. I’ve broken so many rules in a matter of seconds.”

  Even her babbling sounded beautiful, and she turned on her heel, taking off before he realized it.