Coal: Book One of the Everleaf Series

by Constance Burris

  "I'm sorry, I'm forgetting my manners. Come on in. My name is Deedee."

  "Why are we here, Chaley?" he repeated, hesitant to step into the woman's home. Chalcedony ignored his question, grabbed his elbow and pulled him into the apartment.

  The baby sat in the middle of the floor surrounded by toys. "Please excuse the mess. Between Elizabeth, her little brother, and my husband, who is a doctoral student at the university, I can't keep up with the housework." Deedee walked to the baby and picked him up. "What can I do for you guys?"

  "Excuse us." Coal pulled Chalcedony to the side of the room, facing away from Deedee and the baby. "Why did you glamour her? Whatever you're doing, drop it and let's go home."

  "She asked to come with us," Chalcedony said.

  "Who? The girl?"

  As if she read their mind, Elizabeth shrieked from behind them. "Fairy princess!"

  Chalcedony faced away from Coal.

  "Hi, Elizabeth."

  "What are you doing here?" the girl asked with unrestrained joy.

  "You said you wanted to come home with me, so I thought I'd ask your mom if it was okay." Chalcedony's voice was thick and sugary.

  The girl gasped, sounding as if she was choking on air. "Really? I can come to fairyland with you?"

  "Yep." Chalcedony nodded. "If your mom agrees."

  "Momma, can I go?" Elizabeth begged, pulling on her mother's shirt.

  "That doesn't sound like a good idea, Lizzy." Deedee's hands shook as she held the baby.

  "But Momma, please!" Elizabeth begged.

  "No, Lizzy," Deedee said, with a thin smile. The color had left her cheeks. Wrinkles appeared around her eyes. It seemed to Coal as if she'd had aged ten years in the few minutes they'd been there. "Besides, you don't want to put up with her. She's hyperactive. You'll be ready to bring her back after an hour."

  "We don't mind." Chalcedony touched Deedee's shoulder. "You look tired. With Elizabeth gone, you'll be able to get some rest."

  Deedee glanced around nervously as if she was thinking about running away, but whatever had been making her hesitate broke as she focused on Chalcedony again. "The two of them are such a handful. Elizabeth is so hyper, and I don't always have the time to give her the attention she needs."

  "Please, can I go?" Elizabeth pleaded. "Please?"

  "Yes, you can go." Deedee's eyes were empty as she stared straight ahead, hugging the wriggling baby tighter.

  Coal searched her face for some sign of resistance, but the glamour had completely pacified her.

  "Oooh, thank you! Thank you, Momma! I'll be good. I promise. I have to get my princess stuff. I'll be right back," Elizabeth said, running into the back of their house.

  "Chaley," Coal said, feeling as if he was a monster in someone's nightmare. "What are you doing?"

  "She wants to come." Chalcedony turned her back to him just as Elizabeth re-emerged from her room. "Are you ready?" Chalcedony asked.

  Elizabeth curtsied. "Yes, Princess." She gave her mother a hug. "Don't worry, Momma. I'll be extra good. I promise."

  "She'll be completely safe," Chalcedony said.

  "Bye, sweetie. I love you," Deedee replied. Her eyes never focused on Elizabeth. They were somewhere else, lifeless.

  Elizabeth and Chalcedony walked out the door and down the stairs. They never glanced back, but Coal did.

  He watched as Deedee held the restless baby. She glanced past Coal as if he didn't exist. The baby in her arms cried, and she cooed at him mechanically before she closed the door.

  He ran after Chalcedony. They hadn't made it far in the jumble of concrete buildings.

  "Chaley, what are you doing? It's against the human–fey treaty to take a human without permission."

  "I didn't take her against her will. She wanted to come."

  "But her mom--"

  "The treaty says humans can't be taken against their will or without royal permission," Chalcedony said. "You wanted to come. Didn't you Elizabeth?"

  "Yes." The child nodded.

  Coal grabbed Chalcedony's hand, forcing her to stop. "She's just a little girl. She doesn't know what she wants," he said under his breath so Elizabeth couldn't hear.

  "Let go of me, Coal," Chalcedony snapped, with barely disguised anger.

  "No. You need to listen. Madoc will kill both of us if you bring another human to the fey realm."

  "Let go of my arm," Chalcedony commanded. "I know what I'm doing."

  They locked gazes, silently fighting each other.

  "We have to go. We've been gone too long." Chalcedony held Elizabeth's hand and sprinted away. Elizabeth ran with her, giggling as if she and Chalcedony were best friends.

  The trek took twice as long with Elizabeth with them. By the time they'd found their horses and reached the forest, Elizabeth was sleeping peacefully against Chalcedony's chest, as night had completely engulfed Everleaf.

  "Thank goodness she's finally asleep. She talks too much," Coal said.

  "She's just excited," Chalcedony replied, with a hint of exhaustion in her voice. "You were the same way when you first arrived."

  "I'm nothing like her."

  When they approached the night market, his stomach flipped. They'd always been prohibited from visiting the square after dusk. It was one of the few rules Madoc had imposed that both he and Chalcedony had followed. It was friendly during the day, but at night, the predators ventured out in search of prey.

  "I'm going to conceal myself. I don't want anyone to see me with Elizabeth." She brought the collar of the cloak to her mouth and spoke into it. A second later, she disappeared, along with Elizabeth and her horse.

  He didn't have to ask why she wanted to be invisible. Humans in Everleaf were forbidden without royal permission. And thanks to Madoc, they never gave permission. Chalcedony was abusing her power, and she didn't want anyone to know it.

  "Shouldn't we go around the market?" Coal looked towards the spot where Chalcedony had just been.

  "No," she said. "I'm tired. That would take too long."

  Coal bit his lip. "But--"

  "You'll be fine. I'll make myself visible again if you run into any trouble."

  Looking around, Coal's throat tightened with uneasiness while he remembered all of the horror stories told about this place. A moment later, hoof prints appeared in the grass, and he followed them into the market.

  Music and voices from all directions mingled in an uneasy cadence. During the day, vendors sold milk, eggs, cheese, and other harmless goods. Some even sold weak potions that contained more herbs than magic.

  Halfway through, he passed a group of fey completely covered in black clothing except for their eyes. They stood motionless behind an elven vendor.

  "Do you need a hired sword?" the vendor asked.

  "No," Coal answered.

  "I also have thieves," the elf said. "Is there something you have been coveting, human? I could get it for you."

  Coal shook his head and continued, wondering how many would accept the professional thief's offer. Further on, he saw an auburn-haired dwarf explaining to an elf how the poison-laced edges of her weapons worked.

  He covered his nose with his shirt when he passed the pungent dead bodies of elves, dwarves, and the torso of a giant at the butcher's booth. It was illegal to kill fey for meat, but if someone died, their family could choose to sell it to the weavers for experimentation or, as in this case, sell the cadaver to a butcher.

  "I smell humans," Coal heard someone say just as he'd passed the butcher's booth.

  A seven-foot-tall troll with green skin sniffed the air. The troll looked past where Coal knew Chalcedony and Elizabeth were, paused for a moment, and settled his gaze onto Coal.

  "Yes," it said, "I do smell human." He took one long stride and blocked Coal's path. He was shirtless, but he wore a pair of black pants that stopped before his ankles.

  "Let me pass." Coal tried to control his fear and his nervous horse. The troll answered with a wide, toothy grin. For an instant, Co
al saw himself strung up, lifeless and gutted, at the butcher's booth.

  The troll stepped closer and sniffed the air once again. "You smell good."

  The troll's breath reeked of rot despite his perfect white teeth.

  "You don't," Coal said.

  The troll snarled, distorting its features into something even more grotesque. Coal glanced ahead, clenching the horse's reins with sweaty hands.

  "That's royal property. Leave it be," said a familiar voice, startling both Coal and the troll.

  Coal recognized the black beast from a royal party two years ago. It had been the only pooka Coal had ever seen. Pookas resembled horses, except they had red glowing eyes and large ears that stuck straight out to the side. Sharp horns extended above his ears and arched backward.

  "This is the queenling's legendary human toy?" the troll asked.

  "Yeah, so leave it alone. The last thing we need is Madoc and the princess breathing down our necks."

  The troll frowned. "Damn. I was hungry." He wiped spittle from his chin as he moved from Coal's path.

  "There are dealers here who specialize in human meat." The pooka said to the troll before he turned to Coal. "You shouldn't be out at night, boy."

  Coal nodded. His heart was beating too fast to do anything more. He nudged his horse forward and made a mental note to start carrying a sword. He was "royal property," or so they called him, but he needed to take care of himself. What if the pooka hadn't been there? Chalcedony would have interrupted, but she had probably already cleared the market. He'd have been dead by the time she decided to look for him.

  From the corner of his eyes, he saw a group of pixies dancing in circles. All thought of danger disappeared as he watched. The pixies were slightly taller than most dwarves. When they flew, beautiful brightly colored lights trailed behind them, glowing in the night. They flew in circles, stopping periodically to sway their hips as patrons dropped coins into their coffers. Their bare chests were covered in glitter that shimmered while they danced to a flute played by a satyr.

  He dug into his pocket for a gold piece to throw into their cup.

  "Well, Coal. I never took you for one to be so easily fooled by pixie magic."

  Pulled back to reality by a familiar voice, Coal glanced down and saw Sara, a moon elf. Her hair glowed silver in the moonlight as she patted his horse.

  "Hi, Sara." He laughed, embarrassed. "I didn't know pixies were so beautiful." Coal finally understood why people allowed themselves to be enchanted by them. The pleasure of watching them dance outweighed the loss of a few gold coins. He started to glance back at the pixies, but Sara cleared her throat.

  "They are not beautiful, they're enchanting. There is a difference," Sara said. Her hair was pulled back, revealing the sharp tip of her ears.

  "You're right." Coal tried to clear his mind of the pixies by changing the subject. "You working tonight?"

  Sara was one of the few fey who hadn't teased him for being a human. Once, he tried to bring Sara and Chalcedony together, but Chalcedony instantly disliked her. If Coal was being honest with himself, he hadn't been surprised; Chalcedony didn't get along with anyone when they were younger, besides Madoc.

  "Yes. There's a full moon. It's a perfect night to scope out losers and vagrants. You know, I'll dance for you if you really want to give your money away. No cheap magic involved."

  Coal lifted his eyebrows and gaped. Sara's parents owned a booth that contracted out private dancers, but as far as he knew, Sara wasn't one of them.

  "Coal, you are easily distracted." Chalcedony appeared out of nowhere with Elizabeth still hidden underneath her cloak. He thought she'd left him and was on her way to Legacy.

  "I'm sorry, Princess," Sara said, head bowed. "I didn't know you were there."

  Chalcedony took her gaze from Sara and glared at Coal. "Let's go," she demanded before she rode away. The crowd had grown the instant she'd appeared, and it parted just as quickly as she passed.

  "She's just as friendly as she was when we were kids," Sara said, her voice laced with sarcasm.

  "I'm sorry. We're in a rush," Coal said, embarrassed by the way Chalcedony had ignored Sara.

  "Don't worry about it. You'd better go before you get in trouble." She patted his horse before gently pushing it away.

  "I'll see you later," Coal said, but Sara had already disappeared into the crowd.

  "Was that Sara?" Chalcedony asked once they'd left the market.

  "Yes."

  "Is that your girlfriend?" she asked.

  "You know Sara and I are only friends."

  "Why did she offer to dance for you?"

  "She was joking." I think.

  "I don't think she was."

  "How would I have a girlfriend without you knowing?" Coal asked.

  "I haven't been home much. There are probably lots of things you aren't telling me."

  Chapter Five

  Chalcedony stood before Legacy's entrance with Elizabeth's arms wrapped around her neck and the girl's legs clinging awkwardly around her waist.

  One of the two sentries at the door gasped when she saw Chalcedony carrying Elizabeth. However, both were immobile. Chalcedony cleared her throat, and the sentries quickly opened the door. They were just for show. Legacy wouldn't allow anyone to enter if they didn't have permission to be there, but soldiers who lost control as easily as these needed more training. Chalcedony made a mental note to have Djamel replace them.

  She stared at the open door. She felt like a child sneaking into the house, hoping her mother wasn't awake.

  "Are we going in?" Coal asked, eyebrows arched.

  Mouth dry, Chalcedony nodded and shifted Elizabeth to her other shoulder. The girl moaned but stayed asleep.

  They were almost to the stairs that led to her room. For a few blissful moments, Chalcedony thought she'd get through the night without having to deal with Madoc.

  "Child, you almost missed the door." A familiar voice in the darkness stopped Coal dead in his tracks.

  "We made it in plenty of time," Chalcedony said.

  Madoc sat in a chair in the far corner of the dark room with a book in his lap. His eyes were incredible, even for an elf. He could read in complete darkness, where most elves only made out shapes.

  "What do you have in your arms?" Madoc asked. He snapped his fingers, and the fire lamps came on.

  No point in lying. Chalcedony shifted so Madoc saw Elizabeth.

  Suddenly, he was standing right in front of her. She had never seen him move so fast. But that was Madoc. He never let you know what his true strengths were.

  "This is the reason you were so anxious to go to the human realm? You wanted to steal a human child?" he asked. The words came so quick she barely understood him.

  "I didn't steal her. She wanted to come."

  Madoc pointed a finger in her face. "That does not mean you take it home with you. Humans are not allowed here unless royal permission has been granted."

  Chalcedony took a deep breath. "I give the royal permission." She walked up the stairs to her room.

  "You are not above the law, Chalcedony!" Madoc screamed.

  Chalcedony stopped, waiting to see if Madoc had awakened Elizabeth. He hadn't. She snored as if she were in her own bed instead of being held awkwardly in Chalcedony's arms.

  "I did not break any laws." She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Madoc so angry. He'd always told her that anger was a sign of weakness.

  "Chalcedony!"

  "Madoc, I'm tired," Chalcedony whispered. "We can argue about this tomorrow."

  "This won't take long."

  Chalcedony grimaced. His tone had changed. He sounded more worried than angry. Damn. It was much easier to walk away from anger than concern. "Coal, will you take Lizzy to your room until I come for her?"

  "Of course, Princess," Coal said, as though he were a servant. She hated when Coal changed in front of Madoc. He seemed to fold into himself and become a shadow of the person he truly was.

&nb
sp; Once Coal and Elizabeth were gone, she moved to the chair next to where Madoc had been sitting. He followed and sat beside her. She forced herself not to buckle underneath the steely gaze.

  "Chalcedony, you're about to be queen. Instead of becoming more responsible, you are becoming reckless. If you want to delay your coronation for a year or so, we can probably--"

  She cut him off. "We can't delay my coronation. The other queens are waiting for me to slip. A delay would be the sign that they're looking for." Chalcedony paused, willing her breathing to slow. "I'm fine."

  She wasn't fine. She was scared. Scared to lead. Scared she would never be as good as her mother. Scared to lose her best friend. But she couldn't tell him. Madoc, despite his concern for her, only cared for Everleaf. He didn't understand fear. He didn't understand loneliness. He only existed to serve.

  Chalcedony stood. "I'm fine, Madoc," she repeated. "I know it was irresponsible to bring another human here, but you said Coal has to leave. He is my only friend. I can't give him up without having something else to take his place." Chalcedony waited to see if Madoc would disagree. When he remained silent, she continued. "I've learned a lot over the past few years. I've excelled at every task you've given me. I'm ready to be queen. I'm ready to lead. You don't have to worry about me."

  She wasn't ready to lead, but she wasn't strong enough to admit it out loud.

  Madoc stood, book in hand. "Ready or not, you will be queen. The mystery is whether you will be the last of your line to rule."

  She fought to hold his gaze while she kept her voice from trembling. "I will be a great queen."

  "Not if you surround yourself with humans. They are weak and will make you weak," Madoc said before he walked away.

  She opened her mouth to refute his words, but he was gone before she thought of something to say. He didn't know what he was talking about. She needed something other than duty. Coal had been the only person in her life who didn't make her feel like she was supposed to be something more than what she was. The girl would make losing Coal easier.

  Coal awoke with the awareness that he'd overslept and was late for another session with Grigory. He rolled over to find Elizabeth and Chalcedony sleeping in his bed. The memories of traveling to the human realm and bringing back Lizzy flooded back.