Neveah Box Series (Neveah Box Set Book 5)

by Angie Merriam

  “Where did everyone go after the explosion?” Shep asked.

  “We have an underground room. We have never had to use it but we have had drills in the past. Every elf knows to go there should anyone ever think to strike our village. We are able to do a head count there.” Avery informed us.

  “Did you lose anyone?” I asked and was almost afraid to hear the answer. Avelon smiled at me which I found reassuring.

  “No, thankfully, a few were injured and everyone is shaken up a bit, but nothing serious,” she said and the relief was thick in her voice.

  “Did you two find the underground shelter?” Shep asked his mom. She shook her head no. “Actually we were separated after the blast. I found shelter in the first house I found and stayed there until Avery and Avelon found me.”

  “I went after them,” Denali said. I was not surprised, but everyone else gasped in horror. “Why would you do that on your own?” Karen asked. He smiled at the elf in amusement.

  “I am capable of caring for myself, but I appreciate your concern. I wanted to apprehend them before they made it too far into the forest.”

  “Who are you referring to? As far as I know, nobody saw whoever caused the explosion,” Alicia asked and again Denali regarded her with a sweet smile. I nearly found his response to the female elves condescending. Without missing a beat or acknowledging the daggers both women were shooting at him, he went on.

  “I am sure we all know who did this. Of course it was Kelsha. She surely had help and I am guessing that was her little Hybrid, Jax/Heren. The blast wasn't meant to kill anyone.” Karen opened her mouth to question him again, but he continued, not giving her a chance to speak. “I know this because we didn't lose lives out there. Everyone is alive and well. We are all here talking about it. That is how I know. It was meant to startle us. To startle you,” he paused, looking at all the elves. He made eye contact with each of them, willing them to understand his words. “They are counting on your retreat. Not standing with us. They hope you will back off if you are frightened enough.” He was serious as he spoke his last words.

  From all I had heard about the elves, I knew we needed them to fight with us. They were born to protect the land. They were very simple and very happy Creatures, but I was assured they were necessary to win the fight. I hoped they would not choose to back out on us, but I understood if they needed to. We all sat in silence as they looked amongst each other. They exchanged looks with their eyes, mouths, expressions. They were having a silent conversation that seemed to go on for a long time. Shep squeezed my hand reassuringly under the table. I assumed he was as worried about the elves joining us as I was. We needed them.

  The minutes were ticking by when Avery finally spoke. “We have come to a decision,” he began and had all of our attention. “We would never think of not standing with you Denali and I am slightly hurt that you would think so.” Denali had not said he had any doubts in them, but it was implied by the look he gave them and his tone when he spoke. I had learned that many emotions and thoughts could be relayed through a simple look or touch or movement of the body. This time was no exception. Denali nodded his head slowly toward each one of the elves. His face seemed to relax slightly.

  “Offending you was not my intention, please be sure, but I am well aware of the risk everyone is facing. I have faith in your abilities and have never underestimated your devotion to Neveah. I am happy to have you fight alongside of me.” My uncle shook hands with each of the elves while the rest of us watched him. I let out a breath of air unaware until that moment that I had been holding it. Fear of Denali offending the women elves, fear of them not fighting alongside of us was stressful, even if it was only a few tense minutes. The air in the room began to thin as we all breathed a little lighter.

  We stayed the rest of the day and night, discussing strategies and debating who would be stronger in a hands-on battle and who would be better suited to stay behind and care for the injured. One thing that was agreed on by all of us was that every able body in Neveah would be needed. In order to defeat Kelsha and her army, we would need not only soldiers, but Healers, care takers, transporters and informants. I went to sleep that night feeling accomplished and confident and safe in Shep's arms. Early the next morning we left our elf friends, next stop: Alvarie.

  ~Chapter Seventeen~

  Our mission took us to Alvarie, home to the hundreds of fighter fairies that protected Neveah from the trees that towered above the land. I remember laughing at the idea of these little Creatures being called “fighter fairies”. It was a contradiction to all the fairytales my mother told me as a child. These were not the typical Tinker Bell fairies, no, they were fierce. Small, but fierce and well trained to fight.

  They lived deep in the forest and built their homes far up in the trees. The cluster of trees made it impossible for the sun to provide light and kept the fairies’ homes well hidden. Hundreds of fireflies provided just enough light to maneuver the village, but one had to know what to look for to find any of the tiny homes that were nestled in the trees above us. Luckily, Denali knew what he was looking for.

  He handed his bow and arrows to Shep and instructed us to wait for him. Before any one of us could protest or ask where he was going he was stealthily climbing one of the trees. His speed and gracefulness told me this was not his first time climbing trees. We craned our necks to admire his climbing abilities, all our mouths hanging open in awe.

  “Wow, was Denali raised with monkeys,” Shep asked, clearly amused and impressed with Denali's talent.

  “I guess so,” was all I could think to say. I was too busy watching him climb to the top. A few seconds later he disappeared into the tree. He was too high for us to see, and the leaves were in abundance the higher up the tree he climbed. We stood and waited for my uncle to return. Shep kept his arms around me, and I leaned into his chest while Leah paced quietly.

  As though Shep could read his mother’s thoughts, he said, “He will be alright, Mom.” She stopped pacing and looked at her son, the worry easily read on her face. Her eyes glossed over and Shep let go of me to go to his mom. He wrapped his arms around her and held her while she cried. Leah had been so strong. She never showed even a hint of fear. I am the first to admit that her courage and determination made me feel braver, like we could really win. Seeing her break down and admit her fear was hard, but I figured everyone deserved their moment of doubt.

  “It's going to be alright, Mom. I won't let anything happen to Dad, or you,” he whispered, and I knew he meant it. He would die protecting all of us if that is what was asked of him. The two of them, my husband and mother-in-law, were both so brave, so loyal. I went to them and wrapped my arms around both of them. I felt Leah's arms free themselves from Shep and wrap around my waist. Leah's sniffles slowed down, and her trembling body stilled.

  “I will keep us all safe if it's the last thing I do,” Shep said to both of us. Leah broke our little huddle, and I saw a smile on her face.

  “I'm sorry. I know we are all going to be alright, but I am afraid too. Thanks, both of you. Our group hug helped,” she said to Shep and me. She stood up on her toes and kissed her son on his cheek. “Thanks, son. I am so proud of you,” she said before resuming her pace. Thankfully, a few minutes later Denali came sliding down the tree. He approached us, his face serious. I was instantly worried that the fairies that had sworn to protect the land were too frightened to fight our new enemy. My mind was going in a million directions. My thoughts were spinning out of control with doubt and fear.

  “Is everything alright, Denali?” Shep asked and I was thankful that he did. I was also thankful that I was not the only one to notice Denali’s strange expression.

  “Yes, everything is fine. They will stand with us. We will meet them back at the compound in a few days’ time,” Denali said and I sighed, relieved.

  “Then why do you look so worried?” I asked, curious as to what was troubling my uncle. He looked from Leah to Shep to me as though searching for the
words.

  “What,” I stated more than asked. He was beginning to freak me out.

  “They are scared of Shep,” he began.

  “What? Why?” I was beginning to laugh at the absurdity.

  “They don’t want to train with him,” he finished as I laughed. I couldn’t believe what he was saying. Why would they be afraid of Shep? He had to train them. Surely, they knew that.

  “I understand,” Shep said. The sound of his voice stopped my laughter, and I looked at him, confused.

  “I worked closely with Kelsha. I trained her army. Those two facts are not going to be forgotten for a long time. How did you sway them?” Shep asked Denali.

  “They agreed to help but not train with you. They are aware that your knowledge is invaluable and they need to learn what you know so they are sending their strongest fighter, Hadrian, to train with you. He will be the messenger. He will train with you then go train his people,” Denali said in a tone that was laced with finality and disappointment. I thought the whole thing was crazy, but had to admit I understood their hesitance. A glance at Shep told me he truly understood as well and was not hurt or offended by the tiny fighters. If I knew Shep, he was thinking of ways to gain their trust again. His face was twisted in concentration, and I knew if anyone could change the fairies’ minds about Shep, it was Shep.

  Denali was pacing slowly. This was not the response he was hoping for, but he said nothing further. After a few minutes of his pacing and awkward silence, Denali finally broke it and quietly said, “Let's go.” And we followed.

  Over the next day and a half, we visited the village of Carmentis and the small town of Vadoma. Carmentis was very small. Cozy little houses were scattered amongst the towering trees and the moment we entered the village, I felt a sense of peace. I found comfort being in the village with Special’s that possessed my same ability. On my first trip to Neveah, I met a few members of my family. This time I met more. When Healers came to join the first fight, I was introduced to aunts and uncles. My father had six brothers and five sisters, all of whom, with the exception of Vivianna, lived in Carmentis. I had been so preoccupied with finding my mother and stopping Jax that having another set of grandparents never crossed my mind. I honestly had never considered my father’s parents until arriving in Carmentis. Denali led us to a tiny little cabin at the edge of the village.

  “Who are we visiting?” I asked Denali, and he gave me a look of surprise.

  “Your grandparents, Lilly,” he responded.

  “Oh, well, I guess I should have known. With all the fighting I haven’t even thought about my father’s parents,” I said shyly. Denali nodded his head in understanding.

  “They have been waiting to meet you, Lilly, but as you said, all the fighting has made that difficult. They will be pleased to see you now,” he told me, and I wondered when he had time to be in contact with them. We were so busy. I didn’t give it a second thought though, we were here now, and I felt excitement and nervousness creep into my bones. Denali knocked on the door and a few minutes later I was standing face to face with a little woman. Her eyes flashed green, and her auburn hair was tied in a knot that sat nicely on top of her head. Her porcelain face, though lined with age, was soft and friendly and when her mouth curved into a welcoming smile, I felt a rush of love from the woman.

  “Hello, Lilly,” she said as she extended her arms to me. I went to her and was swallowed up in her embrace. I felt her body tremble slightly and thought she was crying. The closer she held me the more she trembled until she finally broke away, laughing a nervous laugh. “I’m sorry, dear. I am just beside myself right now. I have longed to meet you and here you are.” She looked me up and down and smiled, apparently pleased with me.

  “You look so much like your father and your aunt Vivianna, a beauty, just like them. Please come in,” she urged and stood to the side allowing us in.

  “Mrs. Mender,” Denali began before she promptly cut him off. “Please just call me, Ruby,” she said before smiling again at me.

  “Ruby, please meet Shep and Akayleah. Shep is,” Denali tried before he was cut off again.

  “Oh, I know who you are,” she exclaimed before taking them each in a hug of their own. “Enough with the formalities come meet your grandfather. He has been waiting for you.” She bustled off with us following closely behind her. We ended in a sitting room that was demure but stately. The house was small but what it lacked in size it made up for in comfort. The décor was simple, but the giant pillows tossed all around the floor and the fire burning in the stone fireplace gave a feeling of warmth and invite.

  I saw him, sitting near a window, his back to us. His head was covered in silver hair and left me wondering what color it had been before age took over. I assumed red, since that seemed to be a family trait.

  “Able, we have company. Come meet your granddaughter,” Ruby said, and the man promptly turned at the sound of her voice. I saw my father in him, a little older with lines framing his eyes and mouth, but there was no denying the parentage. He came to me and encompassed me in a hug, much like Ruby had when I first arrived.

  “It’s wonderful to meet you, Lilly,” he whispered, and he too had tears in his eyes. I silently cursed Kelsha and Jax for causing a war that kept me from getting to know my family properly. I was sad to know that the threat to Neveah and all of the people was the thing that brought me to my family. I felt cheated for having not known my family and for the first time, I was angry with my mother. I loved her, and I understood her reasons for staying away from Neveah. I understood that not knowing what I had here was best for me. I couldn’t miss them if I didn’t know they existed, yet I wish I had known them.

  We sat with my grandparents, Able and Ruby and immediately got down to business. They questioned Denali about Vivianna’s health, and he assured them that she was well. We discussed the problems we faced and what it would take to fix their world. They agreed, quickly, to sending Healers to the compound, however, they would not be able to go. They were both advanced in age and felt as though they should stay behind. I could see fear of the future and sadness in their eyes. I was sure they were once vibrant people, but the death of their son and the future of their home hanging in the balance had caused them to lose some of their vibrancy.

  Unfortunately, we were not able to stay long with my newfound grandparents. We had to make it to Vadoma by nightfall. As much as I wanted to visit with Able and Ruby, I wanted to get back to my son sooner than later. The goodbye was bittersweet. I hugged both of my grandparents tightly, willing them to feel the confidence I tried to feel in myself. I wanted to tell them all would be alright, and the evil sweeping through their land would be stopped. Assure them their people, and their daughter would be safe, but I couldn’t promise our victory. I sincerely wanted to believe we would win, but it would be a challenge, and people will die. Instead of making promises I might not be able to keep I tried to make my hope of the future tangible and passed it to them when we said goodbye. I promised to return once the fight was over. I wanted to get to know them, and they said the same thing. So, with sadness, I told my grandparents goodbye mere minutes after having met them.

  “We have to win this, Denali. I have to come back and get to know my family here,” I said as Shep followed close behind me. His hand gently squeezed my shoulder just enough to let me know he was there for me, not physically but emotionally and I was grateful.

  “I know, Lilly. I know,” was all Denali responded with. Minutes later we were Vadoma bound.

  The trip to the rather large town of Vadoma, where an eclectic mix of Special's lived, was quick. It was Vadoma where we slept before making our journey home. Vadoma was the largest of places we had visited so far and gaining the help of the people there was important to us. We followed Denali to a large building that boasted a sign that read “SLEEPING QUARTERS AVAILABLE.”

  “Wow, Neveah has motels huh?” I said offhandedly and was surprised when Denali asked what a motel was.

&nb
sp; “Well, in the Ordinary World we have large buildings with separate rooms that people can rent for a night. Most people use them while they go on vacation although some people live in them,” I explained and for the first time in days he smiled a small smile.

  “Then yes, Lilly, this is a motel, though we don't have a name for such establishments. There are very few in Neveah, but Vadoma, being so large has a large amount of Special’s and Creatures travel through,” Denali explained and seemed proud to be able to connect with me and the Ordinary World, even if it was only over a motel.

  “Come on, let's go inside,” Shep suggested, and we followed. We were shown to our rooms by a lovely girl with electric blue hair that matched her electric personality. Before retreating to our private room, Denali stopped us. “Two hours, that’s it. Rest up, wash up, whatever you need to do but we have to meet with the leader of Vadoma and we cannot be late.” We all shook our heads in response, indicating that we understood.

  Shep shut the door behind him. I heard the lock click and smiled to myself. I decided to play hard to get and didn't acknowledge the locked door. I dropped my pack on the floor and sat down on the bed, letting out a loud sigh. I untied my boots before kicking them off and lying back on the bed. The room was comfortably decorated. The bed was nothing more than fabric and feathers, but it was the softest bed I had ever laid on. The walls are stone like the rest of the building, and candles lined the windows and tables for light. There was a tub in the corner with its own faucet. We just had to pump the water. Shep, always more tidy than me, was carefully removing his boots and placed them nicely by the door. He was playing too.