“Hey, Serephina, how far are we going today?” She seemed to welcome the question.
“We have another hour on Barlaam here, then maybe another hour or two walk. We can stop for lunch once we reach land.”
“Why are we not traveling farther than that? We will have plenty of time to cover more land before dark.”
“The weather will not hold out long enough for us to go much further.”
“Ahh, so you did notice those menacing clouds?”
“Yes, Lilly I did. Besides, there are some more people I want you to meet, some more to stand with us. I don’t think we were as successful back in Antiope as I had hoped.” She glanced at Leah as she spoke, who turned her head, ignoring the remark.
“What makes you say that?” Asked Shep.
“Just a feeling, and Elves usually follow their feelings,” Serephina replied.
“You will fill us in if you have any real ideas though right?” Shep asked.
“Of course Shep, I just don’t want to assume out loud, without all the facts.”
We rode the rest of the trip in silence. I laid my head in Shep’s lap, hoping to get a little rest before we made it back to land.
I don’t know how long I was out. I woke to Shep saying my name, rubbing my face. “Lilly, wake up, it’s the end of the line. Lilly come on honey, wake up.” I opened my eyes to see him only inches from my face. “How long was I out?” I asked as I got up to stretch. “I don’t know, about an hour I think. Time here is different than back home.” I knew that too well. “Wow, an hour. Thanks for letting me sleep, I guess I needed it.” I smiled up at Shep. “Come on, let’s get off this beast.” He hopped down first, raising his hand up to help me down. Once down I turned to Barlaam and thanked him for helping us. Though he couldn’t speak, he understood me, and by his expression I kind of thought he was saying you’re welcome.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“This is the island of Earvin. The island is a water island. It’s home too many streams and brooks and rains a majority of the time,” Serephina explained.
“It’s beautiuful,” I said while taking in hundreds of trees and flowers.
“Yes it is. The island is home to the largest waterfall in Neveah as well as a majority of Neveah’s little people,” She said.
“Littler than you?” I asked.
“Yes Lilly, much littler than me. My kind is situated on the west side of the northern hill,” she replied. “Neveah is full of different creatures Lilly. Some very large, others very small,” She added sweetly thought I could hear in her tone that I’d offended her.
“I didn’t mean to offend you Serephina. I was just curious. Sorry,” I offered and relaxed a little when she offered me her pretty smile.
“Is this where we are staying tonight then?” Shep asked.
“Yes, and we need to get moving before the rain begins to fall,” She said shortly before heading straight into the jungle like land. Leah was still very quiet, which concerned me, but I pushed the thought away for now. I would speak to Shep about it later.
We followed her deep into the island jungle. The plants were thick and varying shades of green. The island floor was covered in a thick slimy grass. I was glad I had worn my mother’s boots. They gripped the slippery grass nicely. We walked for some time before I realized we were being watched. “Did you see that?” I asked of no one in particular. Shep was casing the jungle, trying to see what I saw. He had heard it too. Leah just continued on, and Serephina laughed. “Well that’s reassuring. Whatever it is must not be dangerous if she’s laughing right Shep?”
“Yeah, I guess Lilly. Just stay close to me,” he answered.
“No problem,” I replied, holding onto Shep.
The rustling had been coming from above, now it was coming from the bushes around me. I tried to ignore the sounds and the gazes I could feel from unseeing eyes. We walked a bit further before I stopped, too frozen with terror to move. The rustling bushes beside me were now emitting a rumbling sound that did not sound friendly in any way. “What the hell is that?” I demanded from either woman. Shep, who had been walking behind me bumped into me when I stopped. He heard the rumbling as well and grabbed my waist, pulling me close to him. He was reaching for his knife when Leah rushed over. “No Shep. Put the knife away!” She urged him.
“Then would you mind telling me just what the hell is following us?” He demanded of his mother.
“This island is home to some very small folk, and though most of them can defend themselves without a problem, it’s nice for them to have sort of an island defender.” She stopped, thinking her answer would suffice. It didn’t.
“Ok, what sort of defender mother?” Shep snapped back, clearly irritated by his mother’s strange behavior and vague explanation. She let out a sigh. “It’s ok,” she spoke into the bush. “Come out, they can see you now.”
The rustling became louder until the creature appeared. He was bright red with hair like a lion. His tail was long and knotted. His face resembled a wolf with fanged teeth. His eyes were gold and the sight of him was frightening. Shep and I stood, frozen. We had seen enough here since our arrival to not panic, yet fear was still an option. “What is it?” I asked. “This is Zion. He is an Alphyn. He lives on the island with ten other Alphyn. Zion is the leader of their pack. They protect the island.”
Shep and I exchanged a glance. He slightly loosened his grip around my waist.
“He is as friendly as a dog, but fierce as a dragon. He will not hurt you. He just wanted a look at the chosen one,” Leah said, glancing back at me. “He is a protector of many things, including you Lilly.”
I didn’t have a response to this, but had the urge to reach out and touch the beast. I walked slowly toward him. I slowly reached my hand out until it found the Alphyn. I gently rubbed his head as he tilted it toward me, purring like a kitty. “Hello Zion,” I said gently. I glanced back at Shep, who was ready to pounce should anything go wrong. I turned back to Zion to find him gone. “Where did he go?” I was searching around me. “He went back in the jungle, to report to his pack on you. Seems he was pleased with you. He now believes the prophecy to be true,” Leah said, her tone sharp.
“I am not a chosen one or part of some prophecy. I have a job to do and will get it done. At least I will try,” I added, not as confident.
We continued to follow the elf and Leah. They were a good distance ahead of us, out of hearing range, but still visible. Shep came to my side, snaking his arm around my shoulders. I leaned my head into the hold. He started to whisper, “Is it just me or is my mother acting strangely since leaving Antiope?”
“I did notice it. She has been strange since coming face to face with her sister.”
“I think she is hiding something Lill, something big.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out.”
“How do you plan to do that? She is barely speaking.”
“I have an idea.”
“Care to share?”
“Not yet, but I will when I know more. Just promise to stay close to me Lilly, something just doesn’t feel right.”
“I’m not going anywhere without you Shep, danger or not,” I said and reached up to kiss him. “Come on, they are getting too far ahead now. We need to catch up.” We picked up the pace and were right behind them in no time.
After a few more minutes of walking, we exited the tall trees and dense foliage. The rain had begun falling hours ago, but the forest had sheltered us from the brunt of the storm. We emerged from our umbrella of trees barely damp, but became soaked very quickly. The shock of the rain had distracted me from the place I had entered. After getting my bearings and accepting the rain, I began to look around.
The area was vast and the same slimy grass covered the ground. I heard the sound of rushing water and turned to find the most magnificent waterfall. The falling water was stark white as it crashed into the sparkling blue pool below and to the right of the
falls stood a giant tree, much like a willow tree. The monstrosity reached the sky with vines drooping to the ground. The leaves that covered the vines were the color of emeralds and stood in contrast to the white waterfall and blue pool. There were several of the willow like trees spread throughout the land, but none as large as the one that stood by the waterfall. Flowers of varying colors of red were scattered here and there. Some stood lonely while others grew in large clusters. This place was paradise, but appeared deserted.
“Where are we? Why is it desolate? It’s wonderful here,” I rambled. Serephina and Leah laughed as though pleased with themselves. It was the first time I had heard Leah laugh since our arrival in Antiope. We had been traveling for only two days, but with the tension and the daunting task ahead it seemed more like months.
“We are not here alone,” answered Serephina, her long purple hair, drenched and stuck to her head.
“Ummm, then where is everyone? I don’t see any shelter here, and we will need shelter if this rain keeps up.” My clothes were soaked through and the rain was bouncing off my face. “It always rains here, that’s why it’s so vibrant. There is shelter here, come on follow me.” Serephina answered then set off toward the falls. Shep and I exchanged glances, both thinking she had lost her mind. She dropped into the pool of water and seemed to stay under forever. “Is she ok?” Shep asked, preparing to dive in and save her.
“She’s fine,” assured Leah. “Elves can hold their breath for a remarkable amount of time.” We stood and waited. When she finally surfaced her face was glowing like a child and she was urging us in. “Come on! What are you waiting for?”
“You want us to jump in the water?” I asked.
“Yes, you’re already wet.”
“I didn’t follow you here for a swim in a pond.” I was getting irritated.
“You said you wanted shelter right?”
“Yeah, of course, I didn’t mean under water, I meant out of the falling rain!”
“Lilly, trust me please.” She was flashing her giant green eyes at me. She was attempting to charm me into jumping in. Just as I was ready to tell her to kiss my ass I heard a loud splash, then another. I looked around to find Shep and Leah gone. I turned back to the pond just in time to catch their heads breaking the water’s surface.
“What the hell are you two doing encouraging this little thing?” Anger flashed across my face. The three of them laughed, mocking me. I dropped my pack on the ground and sat on it. It was wet, but I didn’t care. So was I.
I watched as they splashed around and my irritation grew. “Ummm, excuse me but have you all forgotten what we are doing here?” My annoyance was the greatest with Shep. What a traitor I thought before telling him as much. The wider his smile got, the angrier I became.
“You’re awfully cute when you’re pissed off Lill.” He dove under water just as I was about to chuck a small rock at him. I turned my back on the three of them. I would have gone off on my own if I had any idea where to go. Unfortunately, I was at the mercy of the little elf girl, so I stayed put, pouting. I had been successful at tuning them out when I felt Shep’s wet arms scoop me up. “Come on Lilly!” He was carrying me to the edge of the water. I was kicking and cussing him. He ignored my protest and tossed me into the water. I swam to the surface shooting daggers at him with a single look. “Are you happy now?” I asked, refusing to swim in that damned pond. I was not there for a good time. I wanted to find my mother and go home. If I put an end to Jax in the process, great!
Shep dove back in the water, swimming over to me. “You gotta admit the water is great.” His arms wrapped around me, his mouth meeting mine. I tried to resist, he was too good though. A loud noise came from Leah. “Ummm, there are some things I don’t wish to see and that is one of them,” she said, attempting to sound disgusted.
“Sorry mom got caught up,” Shep replied with a laugh. Serephina had been at the edge watching the event transpire. At times, I thought she was studying me, trying to figure me out. I just ignored the thought and swam around a bit. They were right. The water was refreshing, but it didn’t change the fact I was ready to push on and find shelter from the rain.
“okay, you guys got your way, I’m in the water. Can we get out and find dry shelter now please?” There was a hint of pleading in my voice. “Of course, follow me, it’s behind the falls,” Serephina exclaimed, bracing herself for my brash come back. She almost looked afraid of me now, and I felt truly bad about it. Maybe I had been a little hard on her. “Lead the way Serephina,” I said. “Wait, what about our things?” I asked. “Don’t worry about it,” she replied and for once I didn’t argue with her. She dove at the base of the falls and we dove after her. The water was crystal clear, and I could easily see Serephina under the water. We swam until I could no longer hold my breath. I broke the surface, hoping I would end up on the correct side of the falls. There was just enough space in the small cavern opening for me to take a breath of air. The other three heads poked out of the water.
“You okay?” Came one of the female voices.
“Yeah, just needed a breath of air.”
“It’s not much further, you ready?”
“Yeah,” I responded before I sucked in as much air as my lungs could hold and dove back in the water. I followed Serephina a little further. She was right we didn’t have far to go. I broke the surface with air to spare.
When I opened my eyes and wiped the water away I was assaulted by a million twinkling lights. I followed Serephina to the edge of the water and climbed out. The air was warm but dry and the slimy grass on the other side continued into the cavern. In the center of the enormous room was another willow tree that was emitting sparks of light in the otherwise dark cave. We crawled out of the water in time to see two large birds swoop down. Our backpacks in their claws. “Told you not to worry,” Serephina spat, clearly pleased with herself. She had a little bounce in her step as she approached the weeping tree. My little Aria had flown in behind the messenger birds. Perching herself on my shoulder.
“Hello, we’re here,” she called out in her bell voice. “Who is she talking to?” Shep whispered in my ear. “No idea, though I am sure it will be unbelievable to us,” I whispered back, giggling. “Huh, yeah, everything seems unbelievable right. Maybe we should just start believing. We won’t have to live with a constant state of shock on our face.” He was right, no point in being shocked about anything. Leah turned back shushing us. “They might be afraid of you two, approach them timidly,” she ordered. Shep and I exchanged glances. Every time she spoke it seemed odd to us, having lived in her silence all day.
“All day.” I thought it had only been one day, that wasn’t even over yet. It seemed like we had been traveling for weeks. Leah’s odd behavior made the time creep by. I racked my brain for a clue that could lead me to the answer of Leah’s silence, but nothing came to mind. I was in my own world when the tree shook and the lights grew brighter.
Out from in between the branches flew tiny creatures. They had bodies and faces of humans, with wings and skin that shone brightly. They looked like they were glimmering with light. There were at least one hundred of them, all of varying sexes. Serephina’s face lit up at the sight of them as did Leah’s and Shep’s. They were beyond beautiful, indescribable. Three of them fluttered over to Serephina and spoke in voices much too big for their bodies.
“Serephina, you made it. I hope no trouble came to you on your journey,” said one of the women. She was magnificent with jet black hair and shiny blue eyes. Her body clothed in a tiny amount of silk, just barely covering what was necessary.
“No, not much anyway. Jax came to look for us, but we left long before his arrival.” She lowered her voice to almost a whisper. “Although I think we have run into an unforeseen problem,” she said and as she glanced back at Leah. So clearly, the little elf knew Leah’s secret. I made a mental note to discuss this matter with her, if we ever had time alone. Leah, visibly uncomfortable, made a point to move and pick up the
packs, interrupting the conversation. Shep stood oblivious to what was being said and his mother’s reaction to the words. He was still standing, gazing at the magnificent tree and its inhabitants.
I snapped my fingers in front of his face. “Shep, hey, snap out of it.” He shook his head as though he was trying to make the place disappear. “Yeah, okay Lilly, what’s the plan?” He asked, still in a daze. “I don’t know yet, Serephina has been discussing matters with that tiny creature,” I said, pointing. He nodded, letting me know he was following me. I approached Serephina, intending to introduce myself. “Hello, my name is…” and the little flying thing cut me off. “I know who you are Lilly. You do resemble her.” The thing was eyeing me up and down. “My name is Nina. You are in the home of the Asrai Fairies.”
She fluttered over to the other three Asrai. “This is Chloe, Maddie, and Lyssa. They will show Serephina, Leah, and Shep where to go. Lilly I’d like you to come with me.” She turned giving instructions to show the guests their sleeping quarters, and to feed them. All three little figures shook their heads, very enthusiastic about their task at hand. Nina flew back to me. “Follow me Lilly.”
Standing at the water’s edge, I had missed how large and elaborate this underground haven was. My traveling companions had disappeared in search of food and rest. My leader led me around the glowing tree revealing dozens of tunnels that shot in every direction. None of them stood dark though. In addition to the glowing Asrai, there were also thousands of fireflies lighting up the cavern.
Nina turned down the tunnel furthest away from the glowing tree and though it wasn’t completely dark, it was not as brightly lit as the other tunnels. I ran my hands along the rock walls for added support. The walls were damp and cool, a stark contrast to the warm, dry air outside of the tunnel. Nina had not spoken since she ordered me to follow her. The silence made me nervous.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked her, trying not to sound panicked. I felt fairly safe, but if I was being honest, there was a little bit of fear hiding somewhere inside me. “There is someone who would like to meet you. I think you have some questions that she can and will answer.” I thought this over for a second. “Why did you split up my traveling group? Shep is my husband, he could’ve come.” She turned quickly and was inches from my face. “No, the information you are to be given is for you and you alone. And although the Asrai fairy is not fearful of man, the same can’t be said for the Fey Fairy.” I wasn’t sure how to respond to this, so I just stayed quiet and followed Nina further into the ground.
Neveah Box Series (Neveah Box Set Book 5) Page 15