by Dyan Chick
My brow furrowed. "Your highness?"
The woman I thought was the Magistrate turned and glanced at me. "You may call me Meryl, I've never been big on titles, but yes, I'm the Queen of the Fae."
A million questions raced though my mind. What was the Fae Queen doing in the human realm? What was she doing at a Fae Summit? What the hell was this summit? It had to be bigger than I thought since the queen was here. She was risking a lot to be here. But then again, as Tavas said, the Fae were never technically banned from our realm, only the Dark Fae. And she was smart, they weren't meeting in a magical city like Realm's Gate or one of the human cities with a large magical population. Cleveland had to be one of the least magical cities in the United States. That was probably why they chose it.
As my mind raced, I realized I was silently following the queen and her entourage. My friends were behind me and I wondered what they were thinking since none of them were speaking. Were they asking the same questions I was?
The group paused in front of a weather-beaten gray warehouse. The paint on the bottom of the building was peeling and rust was eating away at the exposed metal areas along the ground.
Luka dropped hold of the queen's hand and knocked on the massive door at the center of the wall. He paused, then knocked again, falling into a pattern of knocks and silences.
Vibrations under my feet raced up my legs, sending a rush of magic through me, catching me off guard. I stumbled back, then caught my balance. Every inch of my skin tingled. Whatever Luka was doing wasn't just knocking, he was using magic and it was strong. The whole space seemed to hum with magic, as if he'd flipped a switch that had been suppressing something.
"What's happening?" McKenzie whispered. For the first time on the journey, she sounded scared. Her tough exterior couldn't hold up to this.
"I think they just summoned something," I said. It was the only explanation I could think of for the magic that was sweeping through the space. There was a shift, as if we were no longer in the same world that we had been.
The Fae ignored our unease as they stared straight ahead, waiting. With a rattle, the massive metal door slid open and magic rushed out like a wave, washing over all of us. It wasn't unlike the feeling of when a ghost passes through you. Like ice water traveling through your very soul, then it was gone.
My heart raced as I blinked against the bright light of the interior of the warehouse. Once my eyes adjusted, I gasped at the sight in front of me. I expected a dingy warehouse. I didn't expect to be looking at a jungle. But that's what I saw in front of me. Thick trees, hanging vines, the sound of birdsong came from the distance and the fresh, clean scent of rain mixed with exotic flowers filled my nostrils. "What is this?"
"It's your challenge," Queen Meryl said. "We opened a portal to Faerie inside this warehouse. Tavas is in there. He's hurt and bleeding, which will draw the predators. If you can find him before they do, you can have him."
Alec moved up next to me. "We can do this."
"You misunderstand," Queen Meryl said. "She's the challenger, that means she goes in alone."
"You can't expect a mage to handle the Fae realm alone! We don't even know if her magic will work in there," Dima said.
"Plus, she used most of her magic to get us here, it's not fair," McKenzie added.
"There was nothing fair about Tavas's crimes. He's getting a second chance he shouldn't be getting." Queen Meryl looked at me. "The choice is yours, either you go in alone and you find him, or you leave now."
"What happens if I don't find him?" I asked.
"And how will she get back out of there?" Dima asked.
Queen Meryl took my hand and turned it so it was palm up. She dropped something silvery into my open palm. "You can only use this once. It will get you and whomever you are touching back to this place. If Tavas isn't worth it, you can return."
I looked down at my hand and stared at a circular pendant on a silver chain, then nodded at the queen. "Thank you."
"You sure about this?" Dima asked.
I clasped the silver chain around my neck and turned around to see my friends. "I have to try."
Before I could let anyone talk me out of it, I stepped across the threshold into the warehouse. Humidity dampened the air and my clothes stuck to my skin. I knew my normally wavy hair would be working its way into a lion's mane of frizz and wished I had a hair tie to pull it back. Tucking my hair behind my ears, I took a few cautious steps. My feet sunk down into soft earth and I wondered how far this space went. Was this a portal to the entire Fae realm or was this just a piece of it here? Fae magic was so unfamiliar to me that neither would be a surprise.
I turned around to ask the queen, but all I saw were more trees. Slowly, I moved in a circle, wondering if I had turned the wrong direction from the door. But the door was gone. I was standing in the middle of a humid jungle, full of whatever kind of predators they had in Faerie, searching for a wounded Fae that I didn't even like.
With a sigh, I looked up for anything I could use to find my way so I could at least travel in the same direction. The canopy of tress ahead was so dense, I couldn't even tell if it was day or night. It had been dark in Cleveland, but there was enough light in here to see around me. Did that mean it was daytime in Faerie or was there a glow to this forest that didn't exist on earth?
Either way, I was stuck in the middle of a darkened forest with no help to find an injured Fae that I wasn't sure I wanted to find. The only thing I had going for me was the fact that I had a necklace that could get me back to Cleveland. Awesome.
I found myself thinking of Hansel and Gretel, lost in the woods, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs. Wishing I had something to use as a marker. I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans. All I found was a quarter, which was of zero use to me.
There wasn't anything I could do, so I started to walk. Stepping over vines and broken tree branches, I made my way deeper into the jungle. My breathing was already heavy, the air seemed thicker here than it was at home. Though my lack of physical exercise probably contributed to my panting.
Part of me just wanted to call out to Tavas, but I knew enough from movies to know that it probably wasn't a good idea to alert potential bad guys to where you were. Meryl had never specified what kind of predators I was up against and I'd spent enough time with Tavas to know that the Fae were not always forthcoming in their words with you. For all I knew, there was a group of Fae on a hunting party out there searching for Tavas and he was the prey.
The thought sent a shiver through me. It was all too gruesome, but the stories of the Fae were the stuff of nightmares. I tried to tell myself that the stories I grew up on were about the Dark Fae, and these were not Dark Fae. So, maybe what I knew was wrong. But then, what kind of people let someone who is bleeding get killed by animals? What did you have to do to earn that kind of punishment? And what kind of animals are we talking about anyway? Was it something like a lion or a bear, or were there worse beasties in the Fae Realm? My stomach twisted into knots as my imagination ran wild. I pictured creatures with horns, and claws, and snouts that stood twice my height.
Nearby, I heard a crack and nearly jumped out of my skin. Looking toward the source, I caught a glimpse of a small animal as it scurried across the branches, shaking the leaves. It almost sounded like rain. I looked up to try to identify the creature. If it looked like something I was familiar with, maybe that would help me calm down.
As I stared up into the trees, I heard the rain-like sound of the branches intensify. Suddenly, a whole swarm of tiny, brown squirrel-like creatures raced over the branches, leaping from tree to tree. I covered my head with my hands as they flew over me, chattering and screeching as they did.
My heart raced as the jungle filled with the sounds of a swarm of these little beasts. Then, everything grew quiet. No more creatures, no more movement in the trees. Not even wind.
Behind me, I heard a low growl.
21
Heart thundering in my chest, whole body ten
se, I slowly turned around. My face twitched as I fought against screaming.
Its upper lip curled back as it growled, and I could see the rows of sharp teeth. Drool dripped from its long curved fangs. The eyes were slitted like a cat’s, and it had the ears and spots of a cat. Even on all fours, the teeth were level with my face. If it weren't for the sheer size of the creature, I would have called it a leopard. Well, that and the wings.
As if it knew I was thinking of them, the beast opened its wings, showing the impressive wingspan. Then, it threw its head back and let out a roar, sending spit all over my face and making my ears ring.
I wiped off my face with my shoulder as best I could without taking my eyes off of the creature. What was it you were supposed to do if you ran into a wild animal? I vaguely recalled something about bears, but I had no idea what it was. And this was not a bear. It could probably eat a bear.
"Nice kitty," I said, taking a few steps backward. "Nice kitty. I'm not going to hurt you."
The creature resumed its growling and with heavy steps, it moved closer to me. I looked around, wondering if there was anything I could use as a weapon. I'd defeated a giant spider with pure luck. If there hadn't been lighter fluid in reach, there was no way I would have survived. This time, all I had was trees and whatever magic was able to be accessed right now.
My go to was fire, but even if it took in the damp jungle, I was risking staring a fire I couldn't control. One that could potentially hurt the person I was searching for. Figuring the biggest beastie in the woods had found me, I decided silence was no longer my only option. "Tavas?" I tested the word out, afraid to shout and startle the creature.
It advanced again, moving closer to me. I continued stepping backward. I was running out of options. "Tavas!"
My words echoed through the trees, apparently startling a flock of birds who took to flight in a blue cloud, squawking and flapping into the air.
The giant leopard thing turned away from me, shifting its weight toward the birds.
This was my chance. Not wasting a moment, I turned and ran.
Behind me the sound of a roar pierced the air and I picked up the pace, leaping over a fallen log and batting leaves away from my face. There was no time to look back, I had to get away from that monster.
A stabbing pain dug into my side but I tried to power through. I pressed my hand against the pain and focused on my breathing. It didn't ease up. Feeling defeated, I slowed to a walk and risked a peek behind me.
My heart hammered against my ribs so hard it felt like it wanted to break out. Stopping, I looked all around me. There was no sign of the leopard creature. Blowing out a breath, I pushed my hair off of my sweaty forehead.
What the hell was I doing here? How was I going to find Tavas in this mess? Why did I even think I could do this?
Still gripping my side, I kept moving, wondering if it even mattered. The chances of me finding him here were miniscule. Especially if he was hurt and hiding. He could be buried under a pile of leaves right behind me for all I knew.
This wasn't going to work. I wasn't going to find him by wandering around. At this rate, I was more likely to get eaten before I ever found him. For a moment, I considered using the necklace to go back. But we knew there was someone watching us who could predict our plans. If we went straight into the mines to get the mages, they'd be waiting for us. We wouldn't stand a chance. If I could find Tavas, we might have a hope of helping these people and stopping whatever craziness the Dragon-Bloods had in mind.
I needed to stop and think. Running in head first wasn't helping anything. My magic was still weak from teleporting, but there had to be a spell I could use. That's when I remembered how I got here in the first place. Tavas had come to me in a dream. He said he was watching me. Ignoring the crawling, violated feeling that spread through me, I starting pacing in a small circle. If he could see me, could I see him? Was there a way I could duplicate that? A way that I could reach out to him and find out where he was in all these trees?
There had to be a way to use the connection that I'd opened with Tavas to find him. But how do I make it work? I took a few steps, checking my surroundings.
I'd avoided learning any magic that had to do with mind control. After being abused by someone I trusted, I distanced myself from anyone who used magic to make others do what they wanted. Which meant any magic that required me to get into someone's head or let them in mine was something I had little to no experience doing.
Any magic that involved connecting with another person was going to require all of my concentration. It was not my forte by choice, and from what I remembered, if you were in someone else's head, you saw what they saw, leaving you vulnerable. If I was going to do this, I needed to make sure the leopard thing wasn't going to come back and have me for lunch.
Ahead, I saw a tree that had some lower hanging branches. It was possible I could climb up and find a way to wedge myself in the branches. It wasn't a great plan, but right now, it was all I had.
Climbing trees was harder than it seemed in the movies. Gripping the branch above me, I held on, but lost my grip before I could pull myself up. What did I expect? I wasn't an athlete and I had never climbed a tree before in my life.
I looked around again, hoping to find something that looked like it would hide me while I tried to connect with Tavas. The forest wasn't providing me any good options and as I stared around, I noticed that it seemed darker than it had been. How long have I been here? Probably too long already.
Shit. I slid down the tree trunk, setting on the ground at its base. There wasn't any more time. I had to try this and find Tavas. If the leopard or any other monster wanted to eat me, it was going to have at least a few minutes of an easy target. And at this point, I wasn't sure I had enough energy to outrun anything again.
I shook out my hands and took a deep breath. While I hadn't spent time practicing these spells, I'd at least read about them. We still had to take the tests on the spells in school, even if we didn't try them. I recalled the theory behind them, you had to build a connection in the spirit realm, the place that lingered between our world and the afterlife. It was probably the blackness that I'd entered when I spoke with James and when I had spoken with Tavas.
Thinking back to those meetings, I remembered how solid I had felt, how I could touch them while we spoke. It wasn't as intangible as I thought it was. Closing my eyes, I thought back to that place. My breathing was even, and I managed to shut out the noises around me, a sense of calm hung over me. I waited.
Nothing happened.
Tavas? I imagined seeing him and called to him in my head. Nothing.
After what I guessed was several minutes, I opened my eyes. Whatever I was doing, it wasn't working. The forest was definitely getting darker. There was no way I was staying here after dark. It was now or never.
Unsure if it would work, I closed my eyes again. And this time, I spoke the words for the seeking spell. The same spell I had cast in the divination room with the whole group of mages. I knew I didn't have the strength to make this happen on my own, but I had to try.
Cold spread through me and the darkness of the back of my eyelids was replaced by the darkness of what I now knew was the spirit realm. Hope fluttered in my chest. "Tavas?"
I walked around the dark space, my footsteps silent in the blackness. "Tavas? Are you here? I'm trying to find you. I need to know where you are."
"Morgan?" Tavas appeared in front of me, lying on the ground, a hand over a gaping wound on his side. His white button up shirt was soaked with blood.
I ran to him, dropping to my knees by his side. I reached out to his hand. Even though I didn't like Tavas, I could almost feel the pain he was feeling. Every part of me wanted to help him, it was like my insides were screaming but the sound wouldn't leave. "Where are you? How can I find you?"
"Open your eyes, Morgan," Tavas said.
"No, I'm not leaving you here," I said.
Tavas smiled. "Just listen to me for onc
e."
Jaw set in determination, I narrowed my eyes at him. "Are you really prepared to die instead of helping me?"
"Open your damn eyes," Tavas said again.
With a start, I opened my eyes to find that I was no longer leaning against the same tree. Instead, I was kneeling down in front of Tavas, and he was unconscious.
22
Cradling Tavas in my arms, I grabbed hold of the charm on the necklace. "Get me the hell out of here."
As if I were Dorothy, the world around me began to fade. For some reason, I held my breath and was still holding it when I materialized on the asphalt in front of the warehouse.
Still gripping Tavas, I looked around and saw Dima, McKenzie, and Alec sitting on a cement parking block nearby. The three of them ran toward me.
"Is he alive?" Dima asked.
"That's a lot of blood," Alec said, taking a step back.
"Can you help him?" I asked Alec. "I know it's been a while since you've eaten, but can you give him some blood? He's been hurt badly and I'm not sure what else to do."
"Will it work on a Fae?" Everyone knew that vampire blood had healing properties, but it didn't work the same for every creature. It was most effective on humans and sirens. Less so on shifters and mages. The theory was that the more magic you had, the less effective it was. And the Fae were known for their magic.
"I have no idea, but it's worth trying." I pressed my fingers on Tavas's neck. He had a faint pulse. "He's still alive, we might as well try."
"We have more of that stuff you used on us after the spider, think we'll need it?" Dima asked.
"Might as well grab it," I said. "Just in case."
"I'll go with you," McKenzie said.