"Are you okay, Princess?" he asked again.
Chalcedony sat up. "They escaped, Djamel. They outmaneuvered me. I've spent my entire life studying how to be a great leader, and look at us. Our own dragons destroyed our camp. I should just let Madoc rule," Chalcedony said in one hysterical breath as she wiped tears away.
"A male can't rule," he said automatically. Like every male, he'd been taught to stay in his place and never question the rules.
"He has been," Chalcedony whined. "I'm nothing but a child."
Djamel picked her up and pushed her towards the closest tree. She cried out in pain as the rough edges of the bark cut into her back.
"What are you doing?" she asked, too surprised to continue crying.
"If you believe you are a failure, then you are."
"They're gone, Djamel." She wanted to curl up in a ball, shut out the world, and forget about her responsibilities and her failures.
"If anyone is to blame for the humans escaping, it's us. There has been peace for so long that we don't know how to fight as a unit." He looked away, hurt by the memory. He let her go and lowered his head. "I have failed you. We have all failed you."
It was one thing for her to give up, but Djamel giving up felt wrong. "Be quiet, Djamel. We can't both sit here and have a pity party."
The sun peeked over the horizon as Coal's dragon zigzagged through the air. Twice he'd thought they were going to fall, but the dragon would find some reserve energy and correct its course. To Coal's relief, Haline's dragon lost altitude and landed in a meadow full of wildflowers. Butterflies, bees, and other flying bugs hovered over the colorful foliage.
Coal dismounted and stretched his back and legs. Although blood had completely soaked the makeshift bandage covering his hand, it had stopped bleeding a few miles back, and the painful throbbing had died down to a mild ache.
His dragon sniffed the air and set its eyes on the bloody rag wrapped around his hand. It snapped at Coal. Barely avoiding the beast's jaws, Coal fell backward.
"Get back." Haline stepped between Coal and the dragon and stomped her foot. She didn't have a weapon, but the dragon cowered and backed away.
"They're hungry, and it smelled blood." Haline returned to Elizabeth and their dragon. She took off its saddle and pushed the animal into the forest.
"Are we in Queen Isis's land?" Elizabeth asked. During the flight, she'd lost her hair tie, and she kept pushing strands of hair out of her face.
"No, but the dragons are hungry and tired. If we keep riding, they're going to throw us."
Leaving the dragons on their own, the trio set off continued on foot. While they trekked through the trees, Haline taught them which plants were safe to eat and which were dangerous. In the middle of her lesson, Haline fell to the ground with a muffled scream. The shaft of an arrow stuck out of her leg.
Elizabeth screamed as if she had been the one impaled. Coal stepped towards them, but an arrow streaked past his face, stopping him where he stood.
Chalcedony's voice erupted from the forest. "Do not take another step, Coal, or you will be next."
When he saw the anguish on Haline's face, he moved anyway, an arrow released from within the forest landed by his foot.
Elizabeth sobbed as she knelt beside Haline. "Coal, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Lizzy. It didn't touch me." Coal turned in the direction of Chalcedony's voice. "Haline needs a healer."
Chalcedony and three of her soldiers stepped from the trees directly in front of them. "She'll get one."
"How did you find us so fast?" Haline asked jaw clenched in pain.
"You didn't scare away all of the dragons. Pick her up," she told Avonnah. "Let's go."
"Princess Chalcedony, you have entered my land without an invitation, and then you shoot one of my citizens. That is clearly an act of war."
Someone dropped out of the tree, blocking Avonnah's path. A human, Coal realized when he saw the man's ears.
"Haline." The man bowed as if he didn't see the arrow in her leg. He faced Chalcedony. "Princess, why are you here?"
Chalcedony straightened. "Royden, you have no power here."
"I am Queen Isis's shadow, and I have been granted the power to patrol her land and enforce her laws." The man had tanned, almost brown, skin with eyes the color of murky brown clay.
Chalcedony pulled Avonnah back and confronted Royden. "You're human, and have no power. You can't be a shadow."
"I may not possess magic, but I do have power." He cleared his throat, and approximately fifty human and elven soldiers stepped from the forest. From the surprise on her face, Coal knew Chalcedony had had no idea they'd been there any more than he had.
Royden continued. "The dwarf and the humans are guests of Queen Isis. You are unjustly persecuting them."
Chalcedony stepped to him. "You would risk war with me over these humans?"
"You would risk war with my queen?" Royden stepped closer, looking up at her. She towered over him, but he didn't care about the difference in their height. "You are a child. Go home. When you are older, perhaps you can return and teach me a lesson."
Like a predator debating on whether to attack or retreat, her gaze darted to Royden before they settled once again on Coal and Elizabeth. "Coal, are you sure this is what you want?"
"Chaley, Lizzy doesn't belong here. I have to take her home."
Chalcedony clenched her fists. "I told you I would take her home!"
"Leave, Princess. The boy refused your offer," Royden said.
She took a deep breath and then sighed noisily before she stalked back into the forest. Her soldiers hesitated for a moment and then followed.
Haline's low grunt drew Coal's attention away from where Chalcedony had disappeared. He ran to her. The arrow had completely pierced her right leg, and the leaves underneath were stained red from blood.
"Should we pull it out?" he asked Haline as he knelt beside her.
She shook her head--no--eyes closed, face strained.
"What do you want me to do?" Coal asked.
Royden bent down. "That looks painful, Haline."
She opened her eyes. "What game are you playing, Royden?" Her brows were pinched in pain.
"You're lying on the ground in the middle of a forest with an arrow stuck in your leg. You were about to get thrown to the weavers. You can be damn sure that what I have planned is better than what princess-stick-in-the-mud had planned."
She squinted through her pain. "What do you want? I can take care of this myself."
"Stop being stupid, and let me help. I can get the arrow out, and I can help get these children home."
"Don't go near those children!" she shouted.
Royden cocked an eyebrow. "We are going to the same place, Haline."
"Why are you even here?" She breathed in rapid, uneven breaths.
"Two human children defying fey royalty. How could I not come?"
"You need help, Haline," Coal interjected.
"Please," Elizabeth pleaded. "Let him help you."
She took a deep breath. "Fine."
"We're going to have to cut the arrow to get it out of your leg. It'll be better if we do it back in town. My doctor will give you something for the pain."
Haline nodded and didn't argue when a man inserted a needle into her arm.
"The convenience of human medicine is good for something, aye?" Royden ran a hand through his dark brown hair.
"Shut up and get me out of here."
He faced his soldiers. "You heard the lady."
Four of Royden's soldiers lifted Haline and walked into the forest. Coal and Elizabeth followed but stopped abruptly when Royden blocked their path. "By the way, I'm Royden, Queen Isis's shadow. There's a wagon waiting not far from here."
"I'm Coal, and this is Elizabeth."
"It's nice to meet you." Royden grabbed Coal's undamaged hand for a long, uncomfortable moment. "You're a beautiful boy."
"Thank you." Coal shook his hand free, feeling embarrasse
d.
"Your hand's hurt, Royden said, noticing the bandage on Coal's wrapped palm. "I'll have our doctor give you something for it." He gave Coal a pat on the shoulder before he walked away.
Coal stared at his bandaged hand and wondered why the man had acted as if he'd found a long-lost friend.
The wagon bounced and shook over the bumpy road taking them to Queen Isis's land. The jostling didn't bother Elizabeth, she dozed silently with her head resting on Coal's lap.
"What you're doing is brave," Royden said, sitting across from Coal and Elizabeth while Haline slept on a cot in the middle of the wagon.
Coal shrugged and tucked a strand of raven colored hair behind Elizabeth's ear.
Royden continued. "Two children escaping from the evil princess. It's inspiring."
"Chalcedony isn't evil. She's just doing her job." The man's admiration made Coal uncomfortable.
"You love her." Royden leaned back. "Love makes bitches of us all. But it's one thing to love and obey. It's another to love and do what's right. You're doing what's right, and you feel guilty about it. It's admirable."
Coal wanted to insist that he and Chalcedony were just friends, but instead, he asked, "Why are you helping us?"
"Like I said, you're inspiring. But why is the girl in the fey realm? It's forbidden to bring humans here against their will."
"Lizzy wanted to come."
"She wanted to come, huh? Then, she just changed her mind. Imagine that from a child. Don't worry," Royden said. "You're doing what's right. It's a horrible thing to send a child to the weavers." Royden grinned. "How do you think Chalcedony looks now that the two of you have escaped?"
Choosing not to answer the question, Coal leaned back and closed his eyes, hoping Royden would take the hint and leave him alone.
Coal patted Elizabeth gently on the shoulder. "Wake up. We're here."
Elizabeth sat up, wide-eyed and alert.
Royden stood outside the wagon, with a hand extended, waiting to help them step down. Elizabeth looked from Coal to Royden and then back to Coal.
"You go first," Coal said. "I'll be right behind you."
Once Elizabeth was on the ground, he followed.
"Are we in the human realm?" Elizabeth asked.
"No. This is Selene, the most beautiful land in all of the Fey Realm, and right now, you are standing in front of Queen Isis's home." Royden's face was lit up with pride.
Queen Isis's house was built of brick and concrete, and it was unlike anything Coal had ever seen in the fey realm. "This is your queen's house?" Coal asked, unable to fathom a queen living in a human dwelling. No wonder Elizabeth had thought she was home.
"Yes, I built it myself," Royden said.
"Why would you want this instead of a tree?" Coal asked. "Trees warn you if there are invaders."
"Humans have amazing ways of protecting their homes without the use of magical trees," Royden retorted.
Coal shrugged and followed Haline as Royden's men carried her out of the wagon. The doctor, who had been walking beside the stretcher, put a hand on Coal's chest to stop him. The doctor had icy blue eyes and patches of blonde hair above his ears. "We need to extract the arrow. You'll only be a distraction."
Coal tried to step past the healer. "I need to make sure she's okay."
Royden grabbed Coal's shoulder and pulled him away from the stretcher. "You can trust Dr. Jold. He's not out to hurt her."
"If we were," Dr. Jold said, "do you really think you could do anything about it?"
Coal shook himself free from Royden's grip and shoved the doctor.
Dr. Jold stepped back. Coal pushed the doctor again, and this time Coal saw fear in his eyes. Good. That's what he was looking for. "If you hurt her, I'll hunt you down and kill you."
He owed Haline. The dwarf was crazy, but she'd gone out of her way to help him and Elizabeth.
Royden stepped between Coal and the doctor. "Jold is an ass, but he's good. She'll be fine. Apologize to our guest, Doctor."
"I apologize." The doctor said, rubbing his chest. "I better go so I can take care of her."
"He is skilled and loyal. I promise you, Haline will be treated like royalty."
Coal watched the doctor walk away and fought the urge to follow. Elizabeth stepped next to him and grabbed his hand.
"Relax," Royden repeated, patting Coal on the back. "Let's go meet my queen."
Royden entered the house, opened his arms wide, and said, "Honey, I'm home."
A short, curvy elf ran toward Royden, wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a deep, long kiss. Coal watched amazed. He had never seen a human and a fey together.
"Coal and Lizzy, meet Queen Isis," Royden said after they separated.
"It's nice to meet you both," Queen Isis said. Her glossy black hair was streaked with red, and her teeth were even and straight. They weren't sharp like Chalcedony's and the other elves he knew. She wore jeans like Coal had worn to the human realm. If it weren't for her pointy ears and red eyes, she'd look completely human.
Coal stopped gaping and bowed. Elizabeth was about to bow, but Queen Isis stopped her. "You guys don't have to bow to me. I'd be honored to shake your hand."
Elizabeth didn't hide behind Coal like she'd done with Royden, but she didn't take Queen Isis's hand either.
"She doesn't like meeting new fey," Coal said.
"I wouldn't either if the last time I'd met a fey I was taken away from my home." Queen Isis bent on one knee and took Elizabeth's hand. "I promise Royden and I will help get you back home."
Elizabeth nodded and gave Isis the first smile Coal had seen from her since Haline had been shot.
"You have a beautiful smile, Lizzy," Queen Isis said, making Lizzy grin wider. "Let me show you where your rooms are?"
"Yes," Elizabeth said.
"Wait. We need to make the rest of the journey to the door. It opens tomorrow night."
"I am not Chalcedony. I let my people travel freely from this realm to the other. Everyone here knows where it is."
"At every opening, there is a large party with travelers and their families. Believe me, you won't miss it," Royden said.
"It's against the treaty to let humans and fey travel between the realms," Coal replied.
Queen Isis and Royden exchanged a look before Queen Isis said, "I didn't sign the treaty. As long as we behave ourselves, I don't see why we can't go there. For that matter, I don't understand why the realms are separated."
"Humans and their technology don't mix well with fey and our magic," Coal said.
Royden cocked an eyebrow. "Our magic?"
Coal fidgeted. "Well ... magic."
Elizabeth yawned.
"Sleep tonight, Coal," Queen Isis said. "I promise Royden will show you to the door tomorrow."
Baby dolls with pale skin, blonde hair and blue eyes covered the bed the room designated for Elizabeth. Queen Isis beamed with. "As soon as I heard you were coming, I had it decorated for you. What do you think?"
A large teddy bear sat in the corner of the room with half a dozen smaller bears surrounding it.
Lizzy shrugged. "It's okay."
Queen Isis frowned, but then it quickly disappeared as she turned to Coal. "Your room is right next door. I'll show you."
"No. We're not being separated," Coal said.
"Since you're a boy, I thought it--"
"We're not separating," Coal repeated. He was in charge of Elizabeth now. Like Haline, he wasn't sure if he trusted Queen Isis and Royden.
"I understand. I wasn't thinking about it from your point of view," Queen Isis said. "Okay, I'll leave both of you alone to rest."
"She's pretty, huh?" Elizabeth asked Coal once they were alone in the overwhelmingly pink room.
"Yes," Coal answered.
"I'm glad she's a queen and not a princess like Chalcedony. I don't like princesses."
"They aren't that bad, Lizzy." He yawned and lay on the bed. "Go to sleep. We'll go check on Haline tomorrow and then, you're g
oing home."
She snuggled next to him.
"I wish I were home now," she said in a low, sleepy voice.
"Me, too," Coal said, wondering if he'd ever be able to return to Legacy.
Chapter Sixteen
Chalcedony sat cross-legged in the grass in front of a small pond. She imagined she looked patient and calm, but that was the opposite of how she felt. Madoc had used a dragon and flown to the edge of Queen Isis's land as soon as he'd heard Coal and Elizabeth had escaped ... again. He'd been lecturing her for the past fifteen minutes. Normally, they would be indoors so her soldiers could pretend not to hear her getting scolded, but she hadn't bothered to set up camp since the dragons had destroyed most of the tents.
"I think you're failing on purpose," Madoc accused. "You don't want to succeed because when you do, you'll have to punish them."
Chalcedony stood. She had been taking her reprimand calmly until then. He hadn't said anything she hadn't already berated herself for, but accusing her of letting Coal escape on purpose crossed the line.
"I would never waste time and risk the lives of my soldiers on something I didn't plan on winning and seeing through to the end. Listen up!" Chalcedony shouted although she knew everyone was already listening. "Does anyone feel like I have been too soft on Coal and Elizabeth?" After no one spoke, she said, "There will be no repercussions for being honest. In fact, I need the criticism. What am I doing wrong?"
"Princess, you've worked hard to track down those children. The humans just seem to have luck on their side," Jin said. He had been appointed by Madoc, but Chalcedony and the entire army knew he was really there to spy on her. It felt good to hear him speak on her behalf.
"Is this how everyone feels?" Chalcedony asked. "We've been unlucky?
"Luck. Is that what wins battles?" Chalcedony paced in front of the soldiers, raising her voice. "I refuse to believe that luck determines winners. What about skill and determination? Coal's allies have all of these qualities. I refuse to admit defeat based on luck. I refuse to accept they are smarter, more skilled, or more determined than we are."
Coal: Book One of the Everleaf Series Page 15