The Court of Outcasts

by Allison Rose

  Fable said we could go. He must’ve released his hold on the rest. Though they are all still altered in some way. I hope we can help them once we’re out.

  “We can get you out of here,” she told them with urgency, not entirely sure how they would react. “Will you come?”

  There was a moment of silence, then, one by one, they nodded stiffly.

  “It will have to be one by one once we get outside,” Briar warned. “I cannot shield them all at once.”

  Nola nodded impatiently. “Whatever. Let’s go.”

  After giving her an odd look, Briar turned and led them down the hall, across the balcony, and around the corner of the hall they had used to get in. There was no sign of Allora or Fable anywhere.

  The humans were rather clumsy climbing out of the window, but somehow they made it. Briar led each to the barrier at the place where they had crossed over, while Nola stayed behind with the others.

  Cameron was the last to go. He stood beside her, but Nola noticed him giving her a strange look.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Why?” he asked her, confusion apparent on his face. “Why did you do it?”

  “Do what?” Free everyone? Come to a strange world and risk my life in order to do so?

  Cameron only shook his head. Then Briar beckoned them from below.

  Nola took his helping hand, ready to be out of Faerie. I don’t know what has gotten into Cameron, but we can discuss it later.

  Cameron behaved as they navigated their way to the barrier. Briar kept his hand on both of them, looking a little strained from the magic it took to shield them.

  They stepped through the barrier together.

  It was like a blanket was thrown over Nola’s head. Her eyes worked to adjust to the dimness of the human world. She heard Briar’s sharp intake of breath as he let go of her arm and hands grabbed her arms from behind. She saw the other humans in a group surrounded by police officers.

  Cool metal was forced onto her wrists. She turned to search for Briar.

  But then a haziness clouded her vision, a sharp pain began in her head, and her body went limp as she collapsed to the ground.

  * * *

  The hard mattress provided little comfort as Nola stared at the cinderblock wall, knees hugged to her chest. A dull ache lingered in her head. She refused to look to the side toward the bars of her cell.

  I can’t believe I’m in jail.

  She could still picture the other humans standing with the cops, looking at her as if she were the enemy. Cameron’s words ran through her mind. Why did you do it?

  I tried to save them. What could they possibly think I’ve done?

  She practically shook with a combination of rage and fear.

  This is so unfair.

  And those who knew the truth were unlikely to be able to free her. She was in jail, possibly the worst place on earth for a faerie. Wherever Briar was, he could not help her.

  I wish I was back there. In Bliss. At least there I had Briar. Anywhere is better than here.

  “You’re awake.”

  Nola startled at the voice and the clank of the door as it slid open. She turned as a guard let someone into her cell.

  What? Since when do they just let people into your cell?

  Then her heart stopped as she looked up into the gorgeous, familiar face. Not just someone. Mark. The boy who glowed like a faerie.

  Now that they were face to face, Nola recognized the piercing golden eyes, the intelligence and unsteadiness in his gaze. Now that he had touched her mind, she recognized the feel of him.

  He’s definitely not human.

  “Fable?” she breathed, as the guard locked the door and left.

  He smiled. “I am called Mark in this form.”

  “How?” Nola managed.

  “Unlike my faerie brethren, I have grown close to the humans. Ingesting some of their blood has allowed me to create a sort of human version of myself.” His eyes glinted as he spoke and paced slowly in front of her.

  Nola’s stomach churned at the thought of him drinking blood. Though I suppose it’s not much different than drinking dead faerie. Then the fear set in. He has essentially made himself invincible. Nola’s fingers fisted in the scratchy blankets. She wanted to run, to be anywhere else, but she was trapped.

  He put me here. He must have. But why?

  “What do you want from me?”

  “You chose your faerie half.” He faced her, cocking his head to the side. “Even though it might kill you.”

  And? Nola waited for him to explain. When he didn’t, she nodded hesitantly.

  “I found this curious. And admirable.” Fable resumed his slow stride across the small space. “I wish to see you awakened.”

  Nola couldn’t help a shudder. What does that even mean?

  He smiled indulgently. “I wish to turn you faerie.”

  Hope spread through her before it was replaced by fear. No. There is no way he can do that. Right? And I wouldn’t want him to. Would I?

  She struggled with her conflicting emotions as Fable waited patiently.

  “Why?” she managed to squeak.

  “This scares you. But it is the only way,” he said, as if that was an answer.

  “Why do you care?”

  He was silent for a moment. “Your future will be greater than you know.”

  Okay, this is truly disturbing.

  “How?” she made herself ask past the tightening in her stomach. “And why am I here?” She shook her head as she remembered her current predicament. “Did you have me arrested?”

  “Do you wish me to soothe your fear?” was all he said in a soft voice.

  No. I want you to answer me! “Why am I here, Fable?”

  “I let the humans go free. They needed a story to tell their parents.”

  Fury made it impossible for Nola to speak.

  “And now I can see if he will try to rescue you.” Fable smiled again, proud of his plan. “My brother refuses to get close to others. You can imagine my surprise when he appeared at Bliss with you. It is for his sake and yours that I am doing this.”

  He thinks he is giving us a gift by testing us. The horror of it all was almost too much, but Nola forced herself to speak.

  “And if Briar doesn’t come for me?”

  “Then you will know he is too weak to be with you.”

  That still leaves me in jail for maybe the rest of my life.

  “And then how could you possibly turn me faerie in here?” Nola forced out.

  “By bringing you faerie remains.” He raised his eyebrows as if that were obvious.

  Nola’s heart pounded at the threat. He would turn me faerie in here, around all the iron.

  “And if I don’t want to be faerie?” Nola asked in a small voice.

  “You will,” he said with another lofty smile. “Search your mind. Find what I put there.”

  As if summoned, the guard appeared at the door, unlocking it and letting Fable out with a glassy-eyed look.

  Nola waited with her heart in her throat until he was around the corner before collapsing back on the bed.

  What am I going to do? How am I going to get out of here? What did Fable put in my head?!

  Some time later, she heard another click of keys near her door. She sat up warily to see a different guard.

  “You have visitors,” he said gruffly as he unlocked the door.

  I’ve had enough of visitors, Nola thought, but she dutifully dragged herself out of bed to face whoever it was.

  Chapter 26

  Kelty knelt in the soil beside her home tree, her palms flat to the ground. Rowan stood beside her.

  Please, accept them again, she urged the ara. All she felt was the usual energy that meant her own connection still existed.

  Kelty fought off the urge to scream. “I do not know what else can be done.”

  She and Rowan had looked all over for Fable. The cave where he had shown her the black magic was empty. They found no
traces of the black magic anywhere. The members of the court had reluctantly agreed to being magically examined by Kelty. They now sulked in different corners of her wood. Sometimes Kelty felt their watching eyes. Or a few birds hovered close before darting away.

  She was responsible for this, but they were still being infuriating.

  Rowan sighed. “There must be something. You don’t have any of the human magic left?”

  Kelty hissed. “It needed to be destroyed.”

  Rowan put up one hand. “I only meant it might have been useful.”

  Kelty sighed. “I disagree—”

  She stopped speaking and rose to her feet as she caught sight of the most elusive member of her court. Sayra entered the clearing and walked toward them.

  Rowan made no move to stop the other faerie as she leaned over to whisper into Kelty’s ear. “Come to me when you’ve found the answer.”

  The words sent a chill through Kelty. She said nothing as Sayra continued on forward and melted back into the wood.

  Kelty repeated it to Rowan in a whisper, the heat of him comforting her slightly.

  At least I am not alone in this, but it is getting more ridiculous by the minute.

  Rowan ran a hand over his face. “I do not know what to think of that other than she may be Fable’s pawn.”

  “She is affected like the others,” Kelty mused.

  “She is not of sound mind,” Rowan reminded her.

  Kelty desperately tried to swallow her frustration. “I can look into her mind. It might be the only way.”

  Rowan’s face turned stony. “That cannot be the only way.”

  “It is probably what he wants,” Kelty burst out. “Playing along may be the only way to the answer. He must have shown me that memory of Sayra for some reason.”

  “And you would give him what he wants?”

  A familiar voice pierced through the air. “I hate to interrupt…”

  Briar stepped into the clearing. His shoulders drooped, defeat plain in his expression.

  “Where have you been?” Kelty demanded, glancing behind him as she held her breath.

  She let out that breath in a harsh sigh when she did not see Nola.

  “She is not with you. Tell me she is alive.”

  Briar ran a hand over his face. “She lives. But she is in the human jail.”

  “The what?”

  “Where they keep prisoners and wrongdoers.”

  Anger sparked within Kelty, and Rowan placed a calming hand on her arm as she stepped forward. “How could you let that happen?”

  “I wasn’t prepared,” Briar admitted, fidgeting with the ends of his hair. “I knew it seemed too easy. I should’ve stopped to think—”

  “You will explain now,” Kelty cut him off. “In detail.”

  “There is no time.” Briar’s tone turned pleading. “We have to go save her.”

  “It was Fable that put her in this jail?” Rowan asked.

  Anger leaked into Briar’s expression. “Yes.”

  “Then we must be cautious,” Rowan reasoned. “Where is Fable now?”

  “I’ve looked. I cannot find him.”

  “You can tell us the tale on the way,” Kelty proposed. “Why a faerie would lock someone in a place so—we need to get her out.”

  “We have problems here,” Rowan reminded her with a pointed look. She turned to him, halfway between wanting to challenge him and thank him for reminding her.

  “What did he do?” Briar asked with dread in his voice.

  Rowan ignored him. “They will never forgive you if you leave to go to the aid of a human in their time of need.”

  Moon above, he is right. But Nola is involved with Fable because of me.

  “I can’t leave her there,” she reasoned. “And if Fable is near, maybe I can use the opportunity to confront him.”

  Rowan stared sternly at her in silence.

  “What did he do?” Briar repeated frustratedly.

  Kelty turned her attention to him. “He cut off the Court of Outcasts from the ara. Did you know anything about that?”

  His wide eyes gave her the answer before he said it. “No. I did not.”

  “If Nola is somehow tied to this, how can I call myself ruler if I did not investigate?” she addressed both of them.

  “That place is most likely filled with iron. You may be walking to your death,” Rowan argued.

  “There must be a way.” Kelty’s mind was already spinning with possibilities to influence the humans that worked in the building. It would take a lot of effort, but it could be done.

  “Just tell the court you are going to find help and let’s go,” Briar urged.

  Kelty and Rowan exchanged a surprised look at the simple solution. When he shrugged, Kelty called out for Lark.

  After a moment, the faerie reluctantly flitted down to where they stood.

  “We are going to find a way to save you all. We will be back. I promise.”

  Lark’s expression remained closed off, but she nodded slightly when Kelty finished and took off into the air again. Kelty knew she would fill the others in. They didn’t trust her now, but they would stick together, and they would wait for her to fix this. They would have to. It was the only way.

  When Kelty turned back, Briar was already taking off on dark wings in the other direction.

  This time, she thought with determination as she spread her wings to follow, we take him down.

  Chapter 27

  The guard guided Nola through the halls in handcuffs. This situation seemed so much more mundane than what she had witnessed the past few weeks. She struggled to adjust, worrying over who the guard was taking her to meet.

  It has to be a human. No faerie would ever go this far into the jail. Well, except maybe Fable.

  She knew she should search her memory for whatever Fable put there, but every time she did, a fresh wave of panic swept over her and she had the urge to cover her ears, as if that would silence her thoughts.

  The guard led her to a metal door and let her inside. Her parents sat on the other side of a table.

  Nola froze. Crap. I am not ready to see them. Though she wanted to rush forward and hug them, despite the tension between them before Bliss, she knew she looked a mess. And she didn’t have a story to tell them.

  Both parents rose to their feet. Tears fell from her mother’s eyes. She looked like she was trying to keep them in check but failing. Her father’s expression was somehow relieved and furious at the same time.

  I can’t blame him. I never thought I would end up in jail either.

  The guard removed her handcuffs and left the room. Odd, Nola thought, as her mother swept her up in a hug.

  “We were so worried,” her mother said. Guilt spiked through Nola.

  “Where were you?” her father demanded.

  Crap. Think, Nola urged her tired brain.

  “What charges am I arrested on?” she asked them to buy some time.

  Her mother pulled back. “They haven’t told you? Well, that isn’t right. You have every right to know—”

  “Mom,” Nola broke in quietly. She sank into one of the chairs surrounding the table.

  “Kidnapping,” her father answered her bluntly. “Among other things.”

  What? Nola blinked at him. The urge to laugh bubbled up inside her again. How on earth do they think—and who do they think I kidnapped?

  “Those teenagers.” Her mother nearly spit out the word. “They are saying you took them to that field, to a secret underground place, and drugged them and wouldn’t let them leave.”

  Great. How am I going to get out of this one?

  “And do you believe that?” she asked her parents.

  “We don’t know what to believe,” her father said harshly.

  Her mother only looked down at the table.

  Well, that hurts, Nola thought. But it might be better they aren’t near me at the moment anyway. Tears pricked at her eyes as she straightened her shoulders.

&
nbsp; “I did no such thing. I was the one who was held prisoner. And now I’m being framed for it.”

  Nola’s parents stared at her blankly. Then her mother leaned forward, placing her clasped hands on the table. “And who is framing you?” she asked.

  Nola winced internally. “His name is Mark.”

  “Mark,” her father repeated. “Does he have a last name?”

  Of course not. “I do not know, Dad.”

  “Did he…violate you?” her mother asked.

  Yes. In a way. “No, Mom.”

  “We’ll get you a lawyer,” her mother offered.

  Nola sighed. No lawyer can help me out of this.

  “No. It will cost too much money. I’ll find a way out of here.”

  “You can’t be serious.” Her father gave her an incredulous look.

  “Look, I got myself into this mess. I don’t want you guys to be involved. It—it could be dangerous.”

  Her parents were silent for a moment.

  “You don’t want our help?” her mother asked slowly, pain in her eyes.

  No, I don’t. Nola steeled herself and said the words that she hoped would get them to leave all of this alone.

  “I don’t want to be a burden to you anymore. I can handle this myself.”

  “Nola—” her mother started.

  “She is nearly seventeen,” Nola’s father broke in. “She can make her own choices.”

  Leave it to the Scientist to make the practical choice.

  It was what Nola wanted, but the hurt surfaced nonetheless.

  Her mother looked to him, biting her lip as if to keep it from trembling. She said nothing as she slumped back in her chair.

  Nola nodded, not trusting herself to say anything.

  They stared back at her as if they didn’t know her at all.

  This is for the best, Nola told herself, swallowing tears.

  * * *

  Nola half expected Fable to show up again in her cell after the meeting with her parents. He didn’t⁠—which left Nola with plenty of time to think.