Poppy (The Deadly Flowers Series)

by Riana Lucas

  “Halfling…”

  “Reed,” he says under his breath again.

  “…we will need food and water to take with us. Items that contain fruit or vegetables would be best for us both. I will gather the sugar and a few other items that might come in handy. Meet me out front when you have all of your items.”

  I turn to walk away, but he grabs my arm to stop me. I look pointedly at his hand on my arm and then back to him. He quickly puts his hands up in a surrendering position and takes a step back all while smiling. “Sorry, didn’t mean to offend.” He puts his hands back down before continuing, “We are paying for these items aren’t we?”

  “No. There is no reason to pay for them. The clerk will not remember us once we have walked out of the front door.”

  “But that’s stealing. Just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should.”

  “I do not have time for your human morals.”

  He gives me a sly look and grins before saying, “Oh, I get it. You don’t have any money. That’s okay. I’ll pay.” I start to argue but he quickly turns and walks away while yelling over his shoulder, “I’ll meet’cha up front when you’re done.”

  I grind my teeth and bite my tongue before I swiftly head in the direction of the items we will need. The quicker we are in the safety of the forest, the better.

  I get the sugar that we will use for our water. Most Fae are like plants in the way that we need fresh air, plenty of sun light, and water to survive. Adding sugar to our water helps our bodies to retain the water for a longer period of time. This is extremely useful in circumstances like the one we are in now. We can survive longer on less water. The Halfling’s mother must have been informed of this because he seems to have been drinking sugar water his entire life.

  That thought stirs the questions from earlier. It is odd that his mother would do this. I will need to find out more about who his father is. I was given only the basic information for the mission, but apparently his father had more than just his initial contact with his mother to give her information that would help the Halfling have a stronger and healthier life. Most Fae that mate with a human and produce a child are not even aware of any baby they may have produced. They do not continue contact with the human. It is fun and games for them. And the human is definitely not aware that their mate was a Faery.

  Although the Halfling was not aware his father was Fae, I am almost positive his mother was.

  This whole situation is proving to be much more interesting than I initially thought. A Faery who is somehow involved with the raising of his Halfling son…the portals closing…being hunted…and a Halfling that is much more skilled and intuitive to his Faery side than any other I have ever encountered. I will have to put more thought into this once we are safe.

  I finish gathering my items and meet the Halfling at the front counter. He has found several apples and oranges along with some dried fruits in packages, several bottles of water, and a few bags of trail mix which contain nuts and dried fruit. Although these items are not ideal, I know they are the best the store has to offer and will provide us with enough nourishment until we are able to get to Faery Land. We will also be able to use the natural resources the forest will provide us. I feel confident that between the two, we will be able to manage until the portals are open once again.

  I place my items on the counter also, which consist of individual packets of sugar that I took from the coffee counter, a map of the area, a lighter, and a newspaper. The Halfling looks at my items and then back to me.

  He whispers close to my ear, “A map, lighter, and newspaper? What do you need those for? I thought you were magical?”

  “I am.” I answer in a normal voice, “but you are not. If we get separated, you will need these items.”

  “I don’t like the sound of that. I think it would be best if we plan to stick together. You know strength in numbers and all that.” He says this carelessly but I know that the thought of being out in the woods alone makes him quite nervous.

  “I do not plan to split up, but one should always be prepared,” I assure him.

  “Okay, you’re right. I get the map, but what’s with the lighter and newspaper? Late night reading?” he laughs at his own sense of humor.

  “No. The lighter and newspaper will help you start a fire. It will get extremely cold at night and this will keep you from freezing to death.”

  “Oh, right. Good idea.” He takes another look at all the items, “So are we good? Can I pay now?”

  “Yes, if you insist.” I shake my head at the idea. Fae do not pay for things. We take what we need, when we need it. He will learn this eventually.

  “Thank you. Excuse me please so I can do this.” He says as he shoulders his way past me and up to the counter. The cashier is looking at us suspiciously, but I am not worried. Once we leave, she will forget us.

  The Halfling finishes paying and takes all of the bags. While paying for our items he turned his bright smile and charm onto the cashier so by the time we are ready to leave she is no longer suspicious, but giggling at the Halflings jokes. He turns back to me, maintaining his smile, and nods toward the door for me to proceed ahead of him. I do not like him trying to take charge, but will let it go for now. There are more important things that I need to be worried about right now.

  We step back out into the fresh night air and I can feel the temperature dropping. Although I am not very fond of the cold, it does not have the same effect on me as it would a human. I will not freeze to death or become ill. I will just be uncomfortable until the sun rises again. I am not sure how the Halfling will fare.

  “Halfling…”

  “Reed.”

  “…we need to get to the cover of the trees, then we will find a spot to camp for the rest of the night and I will see about getting you something to keep you warm through the night.”

  “Oh, but they didn’t sell coats or jackets in there. I looked.”

  “I know Halfling…”

  “Reed.”

  …I will magic one for you when I find a suitable tree to use.”

  “What exactly does that mean?”

  “Just come. You will see when the time comes.” I sigh, exhausted with all of the questions and explanations.

  I hear him sigh as well, but ignore it and continue into the shelter of the trees. We walk quietly, side by side deeper into the forest for about thirty minutes. Once I can no longer hear or smell hints of the human world, we stop to make a small camp. I lay my satchel with all of our other belongings next to a tree and walk in a circle around the area. I listen for unusual sounds and peer into the darkness for anything that does not seem right. Once I feel everything is as safe as it can be for now, I cast a spell that will help keep us hidden from anyone that may pass by on accident or that may be looking for us.

  I pull my magic from within and whisper the words under my breath as I continue in my small circle…

  Stay away

  Unwanted spy

  Keep us hidden

  From prying eyes

  I feel the magic leave me and settle around us as it produces a bubble of protection all the way around us.

  “You just did some magic didn’t you?” The Halfling had been looking around as well, seeming to be looking for potential danger. I do not need his help, but admittedly it is nice to know he is being vigilant as well. But when I started calling on my magic he slowly made his way to my side.

  “Yes. I cast a spell to help hide us while we sleep. I will need my rest, as will you and since we only have a few hours until day light, we will not be able to take shifts. This will keep us safe while we both have our guard down.” I think he will question this further, like he always does. So I am surprised when he gives me a slight nod of approval and makes his way to the area where I placed our belongings.

  He begins to take items out of the bags. I take a few steps closer to see what he is doing. He looks up and smiles, then continues his chore. He takes out two apples and one bot
tle of water. He opens the water and dumps three of the sugar packets into it before closing it again and shaking it. Once he is finished he looks back up to me.

  “We should eat and drink something before we go to sleep. It will help restore our energy quicker. When we wake up we can eat something small again and hopefully it will keep us going for a while tomorrow. While we eat you can tell me what the plan is.” He holds one of the apples up to me. I take the apple without comment and lower myself to the ground across from him.

  “Are you cold?” I ask just before I take a bite of my apple. It is sweet and juicy. So juicy that some of the liquid begins to trickle down the corner of my mouth to my chin before I can catch it with my other hand.

  The Halfling chuckles in amusement as I try to catch the juice, then answers before biting into his own apple. “No, not yet. But I probably will be once I lay down.”

  “I will make you a blanket. Will that be okay?”

  “Umm yeah, that will be perfect, but how will you make a blanket?” he asks not looking at me but instead at his apple. I smirk a little because I know he is more curious that he is letting me see, “You’ll see,” is all I say before I take another bite.

  We sit quietly finishing our apples and taking turns sharing the bottle of sugar water. I am actually beginning to relax and the Halfling is not annoying me for the first time today. I am thankful for the peace and quiet, even if it is only temporary.

  Once we finish our apples and water we sit there for a few more moments, both reluctant to get up or break the peace that has set in. But then I notice the Halfling shiver out of the corner of my eye and decide that I should probably get his blanket, start a fire, and then we should get to sleep.

  I stand up and walk over to the large oak tree that is within our protected bubble. The tree is old and strong and is full of lush healthy leaves. These leaves will make a wonderful blanket. I smooth my hands over the bark of the tree and allow my magic to reach out and touch the tree. I close my eyes as I allow myself to be surrounded by the calming white light as I did earlier when sending a message to Damien. I open my senses to the tree, willing it to hear my request. I feel the tree responding to my magic and agree to my appeal. I give thanks to the tree and slowly pull my magic back within myself, allowing my light to fade away. I take a step back from the tree and watch the magic happen before my eyes.

  Just at my feet, hovering about a foot off the ground, a pile of leaves from the oak tree have fallen and accumulated. They slowly begin to weave around and through each other forming an object. They begin to move faster and faster until they become just a blur of organized chaos. When they finally slow down, lying on the ground at my feet is a beautiful blanket made of leaves. The colors are deep and vibrant shades of green and brown and although it is made of leaves, it is soft and thick.

  I pick it up and turn to the Halfling with a smile on my face. Watching Fae magic and nature work together can be so beautiful. It is refreshing and humbling. It always brings a smile to my face.

  Instead of the usual amazement or happiness that I have come to expect from the Halfling, I am greeted with a look of determination. I hand him the blanket, studying his face intently to try and figure out what he is thinking.

  He takes the blanket and says “thank you” a bit distractedly. He looks over the blanket and runs his hands all over it feeling its texture, examining how the leaves intertwine with each other, and the different colors. He looks up at me again. “Can I do this?”

  I nod my head once before saying, “In time.”

  I give him a few more moments to look over the blanket before making my way over to the tree where my satchel rests. I sit down beside it and arrange my things so that I can lie down to sleep. In the center of our circle there is a small clearing that is free from all debris and is only packed dirt. It is the perfect place for a fire. I open the palm of my hand and place it in front of my mouth as if I am blowing a kiss. I envision a small warm fire as I blow across my palm. There in the center of our circle, where there was a clearing, is now a beautiful fire.

  “We should sleep now.” I tell him once I am situated.

  He looks up from his blanket and stares into the bright flames of the fire for a moment. He opens his mouth to say something, probably a question on how I did that, but thinks better of it and gives his head a small shake. “Yeah, we should. What is the plan for tomorrow?” He asks instead, as he to finds a place to sleep on the other side of the fire and starts to arrange his blanket.

  “We will get a good night’s rest and tomorrow we will stay one step ahead of whoever is hunting me while we await Damien’s return message. He will give us instructions on what we should do or where we should go. Until then…we stay alive.”

  The Halfling looks at me for a moment before saying with a smile, “sounds like a plan to me.” He lies down and pulls his blanket over himself.

  I close my eyes and begin to drift off to sleep. Just before I am completely asleep I hear the Halfling whisper “Good night, Poppy.”

  “Good night, Halfling.”

  “Reed…”

  “Good night, Reed.” I whisper so soft that I know he does not hear.

  Chapter 7

  Before I even open my eyes, I can feel the sun peeking through the tree tops and shining down on me. The birds are chirping and the air is warming after the cool night. I take a deep breath, enjoying the feeling of waking up with nature surrounding me. I slowly open my eyes, giving them time to adjust to the bright early morning light. I sit up and stretch my arms over my head as I take a look around.

  The fire from the night before has extinguished like I knew it would once dawn approached. The Halfling is still asleep on the other side of our camp, resting rather peacefully for someone so nervous about being here in the first place. I take note that our bubble is still up and strong. I cannot feel any indication that anyone came near us while we slept. I breathe a small sigh of relief. Hopefully we lost the assassin and they will not catch up to us.

  While the Halfling is still sleeping and we have a moment of relative safety, I decide to find a stream or lake to bathe in. I still feel the sticky saltiness from the beach yesterday. It is itchy and it is drying out my skin. It has become extremely uncomfortable.

  I close my eyes and listen intently for any indication of running water. I finally hear a faint trickle and gurgle telling me that there is a running stream nearby. I grab my satchel so I can change my clothes. The ones I am wearing are covered in salt and sand. I should be able to wash them at the stream. The anticipation of bathing in a natural stream in the middle of the forest brings a smile to my face for the first time since this mission started. As I head toward the direction of the water source, I listen to the birds chirp and take in the wonderful smells of early morning. It is so clean and calm and quiet here.

  I reach the stream which ends up only being about a fifteen minute walk from our camp. The stream is narrow, only five or six feet across, but it appears to be fairly deep. The bank on either side of the stream is covered in small pebbles that flow down into the bed of the stream, keeping dirt and other debris from getting into the water. Because of this, the water is clear and very clean. My excitement builds at the thought of feeling the fresh water on my skin. Not being able to wait, I quickly slip my shoes off and dip my toe in the water, testing the temperature. I know it will be cool, because of the air temperature last night, and I am not disappointed. The chill sends of shiver up my spine.

  Normally I would just wash the filth from my exposed skin because of the Halfling, but I know I am far enough from the camp to guarantee my privacy and I am not sure when I will get the next chance for this, not to mention the itchy feeling on my skin is growing increasingly more annoying.

  I remove the extra clothing from my satchel and lay it on nearby rock so it will be ready when I am finished. Then I wade into the stream still in my clothing. The coldness sucks the breath from my lungs but I press on, knowing once my body adjusts to t
he cool temperature, it will be worth it. I wade into the middle of the stream where the water reaches my waist. I take a deep breath and quickly lower myself the rest of the way in, until my head is completely submerged. The water is cold, but so refreshing. Once my body has adjusted fully, I pop my head back above the surface, but stay crouched so the rest of my body remains under the water. I quickly remove and wash my clothes, then toss them to the bank. I feel around with my foot on the bottom of the stream for a stone just the right size. When I find it, I use it to rub over my skin like a bar of soap. It will help wash away all the salt from my skin. I do the same with my hair. I wish, for just a moment, that I had thought to grab some herbs and flowers to make a soap, but this will have to do for now.

  Once I am done, I quickly move out of the water. I wave my hands down my body to dry myself with magic, then put my clean clothes on. Once I am dressed I take a moment to enjoy my cleanliness. I feel refreshed and vibrant once again. I pick my clothes up from the bank and lay them out on the rock where my clean clothes had been. I could dry them with magic, but I have time and sun dried clothes always have a fresh earthy smell that I love when I put them back on.

  I sit down on the bank and tip my face up to the sky enjoying the warmth of the sun on it. As I am re-braiding my hair, I take time to allow myself to think about home. Although it is my home, there is nothing there that attaches me to that place. It is just that…a place where I sleep and train. My distaste for the human world is the main reason for my dissatisfaction over the portals being closed. I do not truly miss the Unseelie Court. The only thing I really miss right now is Rho.

  I can imagine her pacing back and forth in my room, awaiting my arrival. I told her not to worry, but I know that she will. She is probably pulling her pretty pink hair out by the roots, wondering what is happening. Being the gossipmonger that she is, I know she is aware of the portal situation. I just hope she does not do anything drastic, like form some sort of search party, or get herself into trouble by bothering the King with her worries. I know Rho too well and know that these are things she is capable of. She is a true and loyal friend. She would do anything she felt necessary if she thought I was in danger.