by Jarica James
I open my eyes to see the crowd silent, mouths agape in wonderment. The magic is still visible, the last remnants merely an aqua blue, shimmering light that is seeping into my body. Wanting to see more, I pull it from my center again, testing my limits. This time I watch my skin illuminate with power, then as if I’m taking from Faerie itself, it pulls in from the air around me and up through the ground below, before pooling on my fingertips and lightly swirling over my skin. The magic feels ancient and strong, this time foreign as it mixes with me.
Then I’m no longer in control. It all flows in and out of my body for several minutes, increasing in intensity until I feel like I might burst. As I reach the point of my vision blurring and feeling like I may pass out, I feel the pull stop and the magic calm enough that I can breathe and function again.
“Faerie recognizes you and is restoring and adding to your magic," Andras announces in awe. I’m too busy gasping for air and trying to not freak the fuck out to really process what he is saying, but the others heard. One by one the crowd drops to their knees, bowing low to the ground.
The only one who doesn’t is Jacob, but that calms my minor panic. If he did it too, it’d be way too much to process. They start to rise and I meet Allwyn’s gaze at the back of the crowd. He fixes me with an intense gaze, as if he is staring through my very soul. I can’t read the emotions behind it, which still unsettles me. But for now I’ll choose to believe he’s impressed by my badass abilities, instead of hiding something from me already. It always feels like he knows so much more about me than I do and only drops bits and pieces as he sees fit.
Andras stands from his bow and gives me an encouraging smile. “Now that you know how to get to the magic, you need to concentrate on the element you wish to use and connect with it. Start with the ground below you and picture in your mind what you intend it to do for you," he explains, gesturing for everyone to move back. Apparently, I’m just going to have to deal with having an audience while I make an ass of myself.
Not wanting to dive in without a plan, I focus on picturing what we need in my mind. The room has to be big enough for multiple people to enter, so I alter the image in my mind to suit it. The only thing above ground will be the descending stone stairs into the room below. A solid layer of dirt above it would keep the food colder. Finally, I pictured a smooth stone floor and stone walls, to keep our food from getting covered in dirt. It’s not the most artistic of designs, but it’s practical.
The ground next to me shifts and changes with a deep rumble, nearly pitching me on my ass. Steady hands behind me keep that from happening but from the crashes around us, not everyone is so lucky.
After the ground grows silent, I send thoughts of gratitude to the land in case Faerie truly is alive and finally open my eyes. At first my heart sinks in disappointment, no real change, then I realize I worked underground. A perfect rectangle is cut out of the earth, a set of stairs descending into the ground below. Disbelief nearly makes me stumble as I walk forward, heading down the stairs. At the end is a doorway. Pushing the door open, I take in the stone room. It’s only about six-foot wide and eight-foot deep, purple stone barely visible in the low light, but it’s cold enough to work for us. Even more so if we can manage to get ice down here.
Andras soon follows me. “My queen, I am beyond impressed,” he exclaims as he studies my work. “I’ve never seen someone successfully use magic this quickly before. I’m not even scared it’s going to collapse on us.” His nervous chuckle had us both looking up to the ceiling, but it’s too dark to see if it’s stable.
“Andras, do you have bioluminescent plants here?” I ask, thinking how dark it would be at nightfall if it’s this hard to see now.
“We have glowing mushrooms in the caves, along with glowing flowers in the Winter Lands,” he explains.
This time I don’t have to do much to pull my magic forward, I just remember how it felt and use that. In seconds, I feel it flowing through my body. The mental image is likely off, but I try to imagine the mushrooms he describes and try to grow them on the stone and dirt of the room. One or two won’t work, so I picture them lining the edge of the room and covering the ceiling
“Well done!” Andras cheers, breaking me from my concentration. Glowing blue mushrooms cast a soft blue light throughout the room, bright enough that we can see. Before I can process it, Jacob walks in, letting out a low whistle as he takes in my work. Seeing him has my pride and excitement flaring to life, and I run to him and throw myself into his arms.
“Look what I did! I’m a fae badass!” I yell and hug him hard. He dances me around in a circle before releasing me.
“You really are, Queenie. This place is amazing, and it’s only a glorified refrigerator. Imagine what we can accomplish over time,” he exclaims as he touches one of the mushrooms. “These are a nice touch,” he smirks. “You couldn’t help but be an overachiever, huh?” Having him here with me makes everything better. I don’t feel alone and overwhelmed.
I laugh at his teasing. “We needed light, what can I say? I’m a problem solver.”
“I’ll go have volunteers bring you the food, if you two would like to organize it?” Andras asks as he starts up the stairs.
“Perfect, thank you," I respond, but he’s already up the stairs yelling orders to people in the distance.
“He seems to have found his voice,” Jacob notes.
“It’s true, he’s been really amazing,” I agree, laughing as Andras’s yells fill the room. It’s a contrast from the timid fae we’d met in Silver Forest.
“How are you doing?” I ask Jacob. He smiles at me and shakes his head.
“Will you ever believe that I’m happy I came here?” I give a guilty shrug, he knows me too well.
“I’m glad I’m not dealing with this mind explosion alone. You’re the perfect prince for Faerie.” I link my arm through his and lean against him, balancing myself and soaking in his confidence for a moment.
“I am. We always knew I was royalty at heart,” he replies, holding his head high and marching me around like he’s a true royal gentleman. His theatrics have me laughing and relaxing even further. “At least I’m not the only human. I hope the others know it’s okay for humans to be here. I bet there are some mixed families.” He has a point.
“When we’re finished I’ll go find Allwyn and ask for the stone," I reassure him. We are quickly interrupted by a procession of helpful fae bringing down armfuls of goods. Then the last one carries down three folding camp tables. I set them up on the other sides of the room and we load the food on top. Some of the bigger items are stacked in the corners. Everyone files back out, with another round of bows. I can’t stand all of this bowing.
“Now all we need is the ice to keep it cool,” Jacob sighs, glancing around. “Maybe we can pull some from the entrance to Winter?” His words have me wondering if I can connect to the courts without actual being in them.
Just in case this majorly backfires, I pull Jacob to the entrance of the room and call my magic again, this time thinking of white snow and frosty winds. At first nothing happens, not even a hint of frosty air. Then slowly the air turns crisp and a cool breeze swirls around us. It’s a different kind of magic than before, this magic sharp and cruel, yet beautiful. It keeps building and I force it to calm before it overwhelms me, aiming it towards the center of the room instead. In my mind I picture a column of ice. This time I watch as the icy wind swirls to the spot, a cyclone of snow. When it’s task is done, I release it, a frosty twisted spire left in its place.
“Nice!” Jacob says like I just made something normal like coffee or something. I laugh at the nonchalance but turn and drag him upstairs with me.
“Let’s go find Allwyn before getting to work on food."
While we handled the cold room, Allwyn and his group were busy as well. At least ten large tents are set up in two rows. Someone had reconnected with their magic as well and formed a small cluster of trees on either side of the tents, probably so we have s
ome shade. They even went as far as having camp showers set up on the edge of the trees.
Working our way through the people, I finally find Allwyn near one of the front tents and stop him. “Allwyn, can you take me to the Spring place of power, and bring the communication stone?” I ask quietly.
He nods and motions to the man and woman who entered the portal with him, to come over. “The queen requires a moment in the Spring lands. Would you two like to join us as part of her guard?” he asks formally.
“I would be honored,” the man answers for them both and they lower themselves into another fucking bow.
“I’m going to make a law against bowing,” I growl to Allwyn before smiling at them. “Thank you, friends. Please call me Bella while we are working together. I’m not used to such formality. Your names?” They hesitate, gazing at me as if waiting for the punchline.
“I am called Serena, Queen Bella,” the woman replies. I guess it’s better than the usual greeting of my queen or your highness.
“I’m Landon,” the man says with a nod. Allwyn gestures for us to follow and they form a triangle around me, with Allwyn as the front man. It’s so weird to have anyone guard me, but there’s a lot I’m finding I need to get used to.
“I have no idea what animals or dangers are around, but the journey should only be an hour long,” he informs us as he leads on. “Though I don’t know the exact location.”
When we cross the bridge, the world around us seems to shift. The air is heavy for a moment as we pass through, then we’re surrounded by the colors and scents of Spring. They aren’t subtle like on earth, but strong and overwhelming. It’s almost like Spring ran wild with plants until they were out of control.
The rain has cleared and a cool breeze blows through the land. It’s weird but I feel like I’ve known this court even if I’ve never been. The magic is muted, but beckoning forward and my body obeys.
Soon we reach the wall of trees blocking the majority of the land, but thankfully there’s still a path leading through them. The temperature drops even further as we move into the copse of trees.
As beautiful as it all is, the lack of noise is unsettling. There’s not a single sound from any animals in the area, a fact that sends a shiver down my spine. We knew Faerie was unbalanced, and this is just a stark reminder.
“The lack of noise," Serena whispers quietly. The silence is making us all want to whisper.
“It’s to be expected, the lands aren’t healed yet," I offer and Allwyn nods his agreement. We continue on until we break through the trees. Here the land isn’t as overgrown, in fact, it’s breathtaking. The land in front of us looks like a giant garden. Flowers adorn nearly every surface, from grass to ivy as it creeps up every tree it can. A stone wall separates the garden from the rest of the world, the purple peeking out from under the covering of green. A rainbow of colors swirls around until they converge in the middle of the land. Even better than the view, is the mix of florals and Spring rain.
In the middle of it all stands a crumbling, odd stone structure. It looks like someone made intricate pillars and folded them into the center where they touch. It resembles a stone bird cage, the backdrop of greenery and vines creeping up each column otherworldly. The entire garden feels magical, but this spot feels sacred. It thrums with an ancient magic that calls to me, just like the portal did on Earth.
Before investigating the altar further, I glanced around to take the entirety of the gardens in. They’re vast, spreading out as far as I can see. A path weaves around the stone structure and a pond, before it leads further into the distance, ending at a large gate.
“The Court of Spring is beyond those gates. It’s so odd to be home," Allwyn’s voice is choked with emotion and I don’t hesitate to walk forward and wrap my arms around his waist, hugging him from behind. He awkwardly pats my hand and I let go before I can make him too uncomfortable. I’m unsure if affection makes him uncomfortable, or if it’s just me or my new title, but I’m not going to push it.
“Let’s go, my Queen,” Allwyn urges us forward, a hand on my lower back again. If I wasn’t positive before, I know the moment we approach that this is the place of power. I can feel the power radiating off of the stone surface, the rocky structure warm to the touch.
What I thought was an altar, is just a low stone circle. I’m flying blind, but take a chance and let the pull move me forward until I’m standing in the middle of the circle. The amount of power I felt before was overwhelming, so I sit yoga style on the platform before this power can knock me down. My guards stay on the ground outside of the structure and surround it in protective stances, giving me space to do what I need.
Okay Bella, you’ve got this. Just feel the magic like before and let Faerie talk to you.
Gah, I feel like a crazy person.
Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes and clear my mind. The ancient magic is strong and draws mine out easily, mixing together and dancing along my skin. It’s enticing and heady, and I want more of it. But if the painful show I had earlier was muted, I wasn’t about to play with it now. Instead I try to focus on the land around me, the feeling of Spring and Faerie itself.
Faerie answers the call, the old magic harsh and unstable. But through all that, I can feel the land’s pain. I know I have to do something to change this, however I can. The doubts about who I am fall away and are immediately replaced by determination.
Calling my magic forward, I focus on sending my magic into Faerie. This time I imagine the land healing, the balance restoring. It likely won’t touch the entirety of Faerie, but even if it gives a bit of relief, it’ll be worth it. The depths of my power are unknown, but I push. I throw every ounce of my stores into Faerie, never losing focus on healing her pain. Slowly my energy starts to ebb, but I don’t want to stop, the relief that starts coming through, too great. Eventually I feel myself slipping off of the stone circle I’m on, exhaustion stating to win. Apparently I pushed myself a bit too far, unable to stop myself from slamming into the stone below.
“Arabella!” Allwyn yells when he hears the thump of my body falling off of the bench.
“Did it work?” My voice is weak and wavering as he picks me up. Before I can even see if it’s had any effect, my vision goes black.
Jacob
The crowd that was previously waiting patiently for food is now getting worked up about something. I drop the spoon I’m using to stir on a plate and step out of the makeshift kitchen. At first I don’t see anything, but then I spot Allwyn carrying Bella in his arms. I don’t even think, I just run, trying to reach her as quickly as possible.
Please be okay, I need you Bells.
“What happened?” I scream when I’m close enough to be heard over the chaos. Allwyn doesn’t answer, he just tips his head to the side for me to follow. A fucking answer would be nice, you broody jerk!
After he passes through the doorway of the tent, I close it behind us and face him. “What happened?” I repeat through gritted teeth.
Please… Please test my patience a bit more. I could use something to let out my anger on. I may be cute, but I’m strong.
“I’m honestly unsure. She was at the point of power and was meditating, then she just fell over. I’m not sure if she knocked herself unconscious when she fell or she exerted too much magic at once.” He looks as freaked out as I feel, so I decide not to take my anger out on him… for now.
As she rests I watch her chest rise and fall. Her breathing is even and her coloring isn’t looking any more pale than usual, though with her new coloring it isn’t easy to tell.
“Will you stay with her? I need to finish cooking," I ask, as I give him a look of warning. Saying with my eyes, just how painful it will be if he hurts her in any way.
“I will always stay by her," he says in a serious tone, before sitting on the bed roll next to hers.
“Can I ask you a question?” I ask, giving him a curious look. He took to my best friend awfully fast, especially since he despised us at
first. Something about him just doesn’t sit well with me. He meets my gaze and nods.
“What are your intentions with her?” I asked bluntly. I’m not one for subtlety and despite my general outgoing and happy exterior, I protect my people, and Bella, she’s my person.
“I’m her personal guard, I’ll protect her with my life,” he says simply, like that answers my question at all. I forget sometimes, he doesn’t really understand subtlety.
“Okay, that’s clearly not what I mean. I’m well aware you are her self-appointed guard. I mean do you want to be with her?” I try again not to get annoyed. Breathe, Jacob. She’ll be pissed if you pummel her first real love interest.
“I’m her guard, of course I want to be near her. Imagine if I wasn’t when this happened,” he replies, clearly confused at what I’m saying. Holy shit, he can’t be this dense… right?
“Okay, let’s try this one more time.” I take a calming breath. “Do you want to be with her in a romantic sense? Be her boyfriend? Is that more clear?” His mouth drops open at my words and I see a slight blush in his cheeks and a flicker of unease in his eyes. That flicker is enough to make me not want him anywhere near her.
“Honestly? I want nothing more. It can’t happen though. She’s royalty, she needs to find someone who is equal to her station. That isn’t me. I’m not even near the same level as her.” I can see the vulnerability in his usually serious and guarded features, but I’m not convinced. Am I just being paranoid?
“We weren’t raised like that. She won’t care about stations. I’m just warning you now, if you try, you better be serious and you better not use her. She doesn’t need an asshole, she needs someone who boosts her confidence and helps her feel like the badass bitch she is. Is that you? If so then go for it. I’m feistier than I look though, don’t fucking hurt her," I warn with a hard gaze. He looks like he wants to laugh, then realizes I’m being serious. He nods his agreement and I leave him with his thoughts. I don’t give a fuck if he’s a trained warrior or guard… hell hath no fury like me when someone fucks with my bestie.