by WB McKay
The dryads sat closest to their priestess, so we went to the opposite end of the table, putting me directly across from the priestess. Some trick of acoustics or magic made it easy to hear across the wide space. "You have a lovely tree," I said. I still wanted to slap her for the pouty look that was on Phoebe's usually jovial face, but I could only imagine Phoebe wasn't saying anything because she believed Yelena held answers for Owen. If Phoebe could stay quiet, I could, too.
Before Yelena could speak again, several more dryads entered carrying large platters of food I didn't recognize. From what I could tell, they were all fruit and vegetable based. I didn't recall Phoebe ever eating meat, so that appeared to be a dryad trait. It didn't make much sense to me that a spirit bonded with a tree would eat plants, but then again I wasn't an expert in other forms of magic or science. The food was placed on a long low shelf along one wall where there were stacks of ceramic plates and cups.
Ava stepped up beside me. "The food looks good," she said. I'd noticed her look several times toward the door, probably some leftover fear from her time trapped in a pixie pocket. The room wasn't small, but there weren't any windows, and our company wasn't hostile, but they weren't exactly friendly either. Nobody in Faerie was to be completely trusted. "Hopefully this won't take long."
"I won't let it," I said, giving her a reassuring smile. "Owen needs our help."
I piled my plate high, following the example of the dryads. Phoebe's food was magical. Literally. Her earth magic was particularly potent, and her cooking wasn't just delicious, it was also healing. My mouth watered as I stared at my plate, heavy with the anticipation of food on Phoebe's level.
I glanced over at Phoebe to see she was already eating. She didn't smell the food for magic poison, so I wouldn't insult our host by being caught doing it myself. I definitely paused before swallowing though.
It turned out my expectations for the food were a little high. While all dryads had earth magic, my taste buds quickly figured out it was a skill only Phoebe was cultivating.
The conversation during the meal was mostly among the dryads, and nothing that interested me. They discussed pest infestations, plant diseases, and disputes over territory. One pair talked animatedly about their training in the Tangled Vine. Their excitement gave away their young age like nothing else could in a society of women who never appeared over thirty years old.
When the food had mostly stopped moving from plate to mouth, I raised my gaze to meet Yelena's. "What do you know about Owen Kinney's whereabouts in Faerie?"
"You are entirely too direct for Faerie," chastised Yelena. "Were you raised directly among the humans?"
I smiled wide, irritating Yelena further, I'm sure. "Banshees," I told her. She sniffed her nose at that. I'm sure she thought that was worse. Banshees weren't popular among snooty fae. It was something that pleased my sisters. "I can be circumspect when there is time for it, but my boyfriend was kidnapped by a power hungry lunatic. Every minute Owen is with them is one more where his captors might decide he isn't worth the trouble. I don't have time for games today."
"You remind me of your mother," replied Yelena. It was my turn to be disgusted, though I could tell by her tone and expression that she didn't mean it as the insult it felt like. I was nothing like The Morrigan, my magic and appearance aside. She cared about nothing but herself and her agenda, whatever that was. As far as I could tell, the only thing she enjoyed was messing with the people that mistakenly believed she was worthy of worship.
I couldn't trust myself to be civil in direct response to her comment, so I rephrased my question. "Have you seen evidence of a dragon being taken through your forest as a captive?"
Many fae would consider avoiding such a direct question as cowardly, but Yelena sat quietly for several moments before responding. During that time, she focused on her subordinates. They all regarded me with something akin to admiration. It bothered me, so I looked at my companions and found much the same look on their faces. My hand inched toward the crown on my head, itching to pull it off and return to my unremarkable self.
Finally, Yelena spoke. "My scouts discovered a trail passing through Faruk, headed for Oscura. There appear to be four human-like forms, but they possess magic that conceals them from us. We are only able to notice parts of their trail where the magic has faded."
At the mention of Oscura, both Ava and Phoebe took a surprised breath.
"What is Oscura?" I asked.
"Oscura is the land covered in mist. It is home to the Orani people."
"A green mist? I remember seeing something like that when I flew over Faruk on my last trip. Are the Orani the people I saw flying around the floating mountains?"
"Yes," replied Yelena, looking like she was ready to bolt from the room.
In addition to the winged people and the floating mountains, I'd had a very bad feeling about what lurked there when I'd passed by. "What is the mist hiding?"
"None but the Orani know what haunts the mist." Yelena became intensely interested in straightening the flatware. "Perhaps not even them."
"Ooooh, spooky." I wondered if either of my friends were buying this. "So we head north, then?"
She raised her eyes to look at me skeptically. "Oscura is a place of extreme danger," she slowly explained. "Those that escape are never the same. You would do well to heed my warning."
"Consider it heeded," I replied. "Please keep an eye out in case Owen comes back this way. He would be under your protection if he came through here."
Yelena's neck twitched and her lips pinched tightly. As if under great strain, she finally said, "Yes." Her eyes widened. "I am a high priestess of the Tangled Vine. I am powerful enough to feel what you are doing to me."
"I…" I didn't know what to say to that. Oops? I hadn't meant to use the Fleece's power. My hold on the magic was questionable. But at the same time… "Are you saying you were unwilling to watch out for his well-being?"
Yelena shrugged, but it definitely wasn't casual. I'd offended her. That was fair. We could both just live with it as long as Owen was safe. Eventually, she said, "If he travels on his own in Faruk, we will know."
"Well, this has been special," I said, using the only benign word that felt true to my mind. "We'll be going now."
I didn't wait for the priestess to dismiss us. Phoebe and Ava were on my heels when I stepped back into the clearing. There was a new path through the vines that I hoped led back the way we'd come in. It was impossible to tell much about our location through the vines of Yelena's tree.
Phoebe and Ava fell into step beside me. "What she says is true," said Ava. It bothered her enough that I spotted a small crease between her peridot eyes.
"Ava, you're in danger of forming a real facial expression there."
She ignored that. "Anyone that I've heard of escaping the mist was a yammering fool for the rest of their days."
It was implied that there weren't many days left afterward. I glanced at Phoebe who nodded in agreement.
"An impossible situation. Oh, goody. It would be nice if that felt new." I smiled, but the two of them looked worried. "If you want to back out, I'll understand."
"Never," they said in unison.
That was the response I expected from Ava; Owen was her brother. I doubted I could ever convince her to turn back. Phoebe being there for me to this extent bothered me. If I didn't need her help, I would have sent her back. Maybe I should have anyway. I should probably have also sent back our dryad escort. "Looks like we have company," I said, pointing out the three dryads keeping pace with us through the thickets off the side of the path. "I doubt they're here because of Yelena."
"I agree," said Phoebe. "Yelena doesn't like me much."
"Yeah, I noticed that. Why?"
Phoebe shrugged. "I suppose it's because I was offered the post as high priestess of Faruk and turned it down. She feels inferior, though she was the best one for the job. I had no desire to engage in Faerie politics. I much prefer Earth. I can't imagine what li
fe would have been had I bonded with any other tree."
"Now you sound like Owen," said Ava.
"Yeah, she really does," I agreed.
"So, what's your story, Ava?" asked Phoebe.
"I have many stories. The most relevant to our situation is where I'm the unwanted weakling in a family of powerful dragons." Ava's tone was practiced and controlled. If you didn't know her, you'd think it didn't bother her.
"You're not a weakling." I wrapped an arm around Ava's shoulder. "Your magic is underappreciated, and your spirit overlooked by fools who don't know to consider it."
Ava slowly drew the knife from the sheath on her leg. "If you break into a motivational speech, I can't be held responsible for the actions I may take."
I grinned. "I can't help but notice that you didn't make a direct threat."
Ava scowled at me and put her knife away. "You're walking a fine line," she said.
"My favorite kind." I rolled my lips between my teeth, deciding that laughing at her scowl might push her a bit too far.
We made it back to the main path and I confirmed what I'd been thinking. "We're headed toward Siobhan's cottage. We should stop in."
"Siobhan?" asked Phoebe.
"One of Owen's ex-girlfriends," said Ava. "Gnome. She helped them when they came here because of the charmed necklace."
"Gnomes aren't exactly powerhouses," said Phoebe, then glanced at Ava and winced.
"She might have information." I spoke quickly so we could avoid the awkward silence. It was hard changing the way you thought. The whole world valued overt magical manipulation above everything else, even those excluded by that very system. Phoebe had lived that way for longer than I could understand. "Siobhan has her hand in a lot of pies, both figuratively and literally. Learning more about the green mist before we go in would be good, especially if it's as dangerous as everyone says. Even if she doesn't have information for us, she'll have food. It's the better part of a day's walk from here. By the time we get that far, we'll be hungry and tired. Unless either of you would prefer camping in the wilds of Faerie and scrounging for food?" They shook their heads. "Besides, I owe the lady a favor. Let's just be sure I don't end up owing her another one before we leave the place." Who was I kidding? If it meant finding Owen, I'd owe her ten favors, gladly.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Our dryad followers disappeared a few minutes after we made it to a main trail. Between my faint memories, and Ava and Phoebe's knowledge, we'd managed to plot a course. I found myself pondering the dryads' behavior, including Phoebe's. Yelena had only been obviously affected by the Fleece when I gave a direct order. There was no telling what subtle influences might have happened without me noticing, though. Her underlings had been a bit more obvious, casting more than a few glances my way when they didn't think Yelena was watching. I had the feeling that I could have asked them to accompany us and many of them would have. The Fleece drew them to me, pulled on their loyalties. The thought was tempting, but I couldn't trust them enough for that. I didn't know how strong the crown's hold on others was, and I wasn't comfortable testing that bond. A little voice in the back of my head whispered yet.
"Phoebe," I said, drawing to a halt so I could look her in the eye. "You know you don't have to be here, right? This isn't your fight. You barely know Owen."
Her gaze flicked up to the crown on my head, making my stomach sink, but when her eyes locked with mine, they held compassion. "You're worried the Fleece is influencing me."
I couldn't help reaching up to touch the golden feathers above my brow. "Yes," I said simply.
"It's good that you worry, but we've been over this. I'm here for you, not for the Fleece." She squeezed my shoulder.
I hoped she was right. "I don't know exactly what this thing does, but I know I don't want it messing with my friends' heads."
"I'm convinced your intent has something to do with it," said Ava. "There have been times when I've felt its pull, but I don't feel it now."
"Great, another type of magic that I have to learn how to control."
"It has helped with your other magic," said Ava, gesturing at my new winged and feathered form.
"Yeah, that's something, I guess." I wasn't at all sure that it had helped. Everything felt clear in my head, but I didn't trust the Fleece and what it had done to me. "Let's get going. I don't want to get stuck out here at night."
We trudged down the path, watching butterflies in beautiful dayglow colors. I didn't dare wander off to see one up close. Who knew what dangers lurked off the path. I had no desire to have an encounter like Owen and I had with the maethe and her cat minions.
The hours ticked by, the forest occasionally giving way to a meadow covered in swaying orange grasses, or a damp swamp. The path wound through areas seemingly untouched by the hidden dangers that certainly lurked in the dappled shadows.
"That looks like a problem," said Ava, her nose scrunching up as she squinted.
What I'd assumed was a dense patch of forest that blocked out most of the light, was in fact an open meadow that was inexplicably as dark as night.
"You mean you don't know?" I asked. "You're our resident Faerie expert."
"I visited in my youth. Faerie is under a process of constant change as the movements of different varieties of magic pulse through it. Even if I'd learned most of this forest fifty years ago, it's been brand new three times over since then."
"A simple 'no' would have sufficed," I grumbled.
"Well, our trail leads right through it," said Phoebe. "Do we proceed, or turn back and find a way around?"
I shook my head. "There's no telling if there even is a path around it that won't take us days out of our way. We have to go through."
I pulled out my swords and Ava drew her knives. Phoebe's vines rustled beside the trail. In a perfect world, I could say we were being overly cautious. In reality, I'd have appreciated bigger weapons. There was little chance of something as strange as a patch of night in the middle of the day being benign.
We edged slowly toward the encroaching night, watching for changes in the darkness. Any second I expected to see the sunlight glint off a set of sharp teeth and claws, or a black tendril of magic reach out to grab me. The darkness was a wall that loomed in front of us like impending doom. It was impossible to make anything out clearly from our position in bright sunlight.
We drew to a stop at the edge. When I could stand the anticipation no longer, I poked my sword into it. Nothing happened. Good sign. "Well, that's about all the time I have for being afraid of the dark today. Let's go."
Stepping from the day into night wasn't just a change of light. It was a complete sensory overhaul. The smells were the first thing I noticed. They were enchanting. Night blooming flowers, dew on grass, the unique scent of green things in moonlight, and weaving through it all were magics I couldn't sort out.
My hands clasped tight around the grips of my swords, but the tension in my shoulders eased. "It smells so..."
"Amazing," finished Ava.
"And it's so beautiful, too," said Phoebe.
When I scanned the field in front of me, I was shocked by the lack of darkness. It was definitely night, but light came from everywhere. The moon shone in the sky, bright and impossibly large. Colored puffs like dandelion fluff drifted on the air, emitting every shade of light. Small fae floated from glowing flower to flower, trailing sparkling dust. There were wisps, sprites, and a few others I couldn't identify.
The sound took me next. The night was alive with a chorus of chirps, whirs, and full vocal arrangements, accompanied by the rustle of leaves and grasses. It seemed that every living thing in the meadow had a song it needed to share, and they blended together into a symphony of such beauty that I could feel tears trickling down my cheeks.
When I turned to Phoebe and Ava, I was glad to see I wasn't the only one getting weepy. I'd never been the type to cry when I was in pain, let alone when something was happy or beautiful. Ava had put one of her daggers away so she
could cup one of the colorful puffballs in her hand. Phoebe was smelling a purple flower that reminded me a lot of jasmine with a hint of vanilla.
Without realizing it, we had made our way to the center of the field. Having seen nothing more dangerous than I would find during a stroll on Earth, it felt ridiculous to have my swords out. I slid them back in their sheaths.
"You have to try one of these fruits," said Phoebe, plucking a berry from a nearby bush. The leaves on the bush made a musical tinkle as the branch snapped back into place. The fruit Phoebe held up to my face swirled with different shades of purple and blue, never settling. It looked like a planet bathed in darkness. I opened my mouth and Phoebe placed the berry on my tongue. It was pleasantly cool, as if it had been refrigerated. My teeth pierced its flesh and a ripple of sensation flooded my body; it left my scalp tingling. It was only once I'd swallowed that I registered the taste of mint-chocolate ice cream. I could eat a whole bucket of them, but Phoebe had moved onto the next berry bush, and Ava was tugging me forward. Berry after berry exploded on my tongue, the flavors more vibrant than anything I'd ever eaten in my life. One even tasted like a cheeseburger with smoked gouda.
I don't know how long we ate and laughed and marveled at the amazing beauty of the magical field. After a while, I grew tired and found myself stretched out on the most comfortable patch of ground that ever existed. It was softer and warmer than the bed in my apartment. "Phoebe, I want to bring this ground home with us and put it in my bedroom."
Phoebe's only answer was a blissful moan. She was on my right side. Ava was snuggled up to my left arm, a peaceful smile on her face. We shouldn't have been resting. Some part of my brain knew that. There was something important we were meant to be doing. If only I could remember what it was. Then again, if it were important, I wouldn't have been able to forget it. I wish Owen was here.
"Owen!" I shouted, my body jerking but not immediately moving. "Owen," I growled, and this time the ground released my back with a wet sucking sound.
Phoebe and Ava were already mostly submerged. My feet were buried beneath the soft ground and covered over with sweet smelling grass. Even with my mind clear, the scene around me was breathtakingly beautiful. It was designed to draw people in. I had a strange feeling that some hideous beast lurked beneath the ground, but I had nothing to strike, no enemy to engage. If fighting was out, then it was time for the other thing.