by Skye Horn
“I need to go get some things together anyway. Camping in those woods can be dangerous.”
“Camping?” Thea’s eyes widened a little as she realized exactly what it meant to be going deep into the forest for training. Kieran just smiled at her.
“Don’t worry, Princess, I won’t let the werewolves get you.”
“Werewolves!?” Her voice was almost a squeak as Kieran left the room with Mica, both of them laughing.
Thea watched Kieran and Mica leave with a glare.
Just before school started each year, Thea’s father took her on a three-day camping trip. They roasted marshmallows, slept under the stars, and talked about what her plans were for the future. Each year those plans changed, but she’d loved those trips. Her mother was not much of a camper. She preferred to shower each night, so it became an annual father-daughter tradition that she looked forward to. She wondered what she would tell her father if they sat eating burnt marshmallows around a campfire now. Her life had consisted of change after change these past few months, leaving her so many things she wished she could say to him. She wished she could tell him about Kieran the most, though. Her father had always known Marcus wasn’t the one for her, despite his loving support of any and all decisions she made, and although Kieran had a rough exterior and complicated past, she knew her father would have approved.
“You look deep in thought,” Ethel said, finally sitting beside Thea.
It was true that Thea had completely forgotten that Ethel wanted to talk, distracted by memories of the past. She’d become lost in it as she often was.
Live in the present because moments don’t last forever, her mother had always told her. Thea knew this all too well now. So many moments that she’d felt would last a lifetime were hardly even memories now.
“I suppose I was just thinking about my parents,” Thea replied. “My adoptive ones, I mean.”
“Do you miss them?”
“Terribly,” Thea replied, fiddling with her fingers. “Ethel, I’m sorry for what I said to you. I had no right.”
Thea had wanted to say this the minute Ethel had left the room, but under Iris’ advice, she’d waited. Now, she no longer wanted to wait. She hated seeing Ethel so angry with her. She’d grown to look at the girl like a younger sister of sorts and didn’t wish to jeopardize that over anything.
“Oh…” Ethel’s eyes filled with tears and she threw her arms around Thea’s neck. “I feel so dreadful for how I’ve been treating you, Thea. You’ve been through so much, and if anyone had no right to act so selfishly, it was me. I should have been happy for you and Kieran, even if it is against the rules. Those rules are ancient, and they also say humans are not as important as Faeries! They’re the kind of rules that are meant to be broken.”
Thea brushed the tears away from Ethel’s cheeks, smiling.
“In my world, breaking the rules was the only way for people to free themselves from oppressors who claimed their way was the only way to live. Well, I think we could use a little of that rule-breaking here too. It’s time someone changed the way things were done. Although, I’m not sure Kieran agrees with me about that.” Thea couldn’t help the downturn of her lips.
Sometimes Thea felt that Kieran was open with her, like when she touched his wings or when he kissed her forehead, but she still saw the fight behind his eyes. He knew they weren’t supposed to be together according to their world, but would he ever be able to let that go? She wasn’t sure.
“Just tell him how you feel,” Ethel said, looking as if it were the simplest answer in the world. “Tell him you love him.”
Thea’s eyes widened at the word love.
Did she love Kieran? Did she believe she was his soulmate? The answer was yes, but could she say that out loud without feeling completely ridiculous? Again, she wasn’t sure.
“I don’t think it’s—”
“It is that simple,” Ethel interrupted.
The two girls looked at each other for a moment, and then Thea pulled Ethel back into a hug. Ethel knew what Thea needed to say. Now Thea just needed the guts to say it. She imagined being camped in the woods alone with Kieran would give her the perfect opportunity, but the entire idea of being alone with him made her feel like her heart might thump right out of her chest.
“You’re choking me.” Ethel laughed and Thea immediately let go with an apology.
“I’ve never been in love before,” Thea admitted with guilt. Sure, she’d loved Marcus, but she had never thought of herself as in love with him. He had definitely been in love with her. He’d wanted them to get married and have children and live happily ever after in a white-picket-fenced house, but that had never been her dream.
Ethel seemed to understand what Thea was saying and smiled.
“I haven’t either, but I’ve heard it’s pretty great. Plus, I’ve seen the way he looks at you. You have nothing to worry about.”
A knock on the doorjamb made them both look up. Mirielle stood there, holding something gold in her hand.
“May I interrupt? I have something for the princess.” They both nodded as she entered the room, sitting on the other side of Thea. The object concealed within her hand was a gold bracelet with a large red ruby. It sparkled a little when the candlelight flickered across it. “This will help you.”
“What is it?” Thea tilted her head at Mirielle as she held out her hand for Thea’s. She clicked the bracelet around Thea’s small wrist and patted the back of her hand gently. Ethel let out a soft “oh” as she examined it.
“It is an amulet, blessed by King Aragon and myself. We have prayed to the Goddess for your protection, and when in need, this amulet will return your strength.” Mirielle smiled at Thea, who looked at the bracelet thoughtfully. She didn’t know much about magical objects. Nor did she feel any different wearing it. But she trusted Mirielle and her great-godfather.
“Thank you, Mirielle.”
“It won’t work forever, but it should help you if you are ever feeling like your magic is controlling you, rather than you controlling your magic. Sometimes our children wear these when they are first learning how to control their gifts.”
Thea tried not to think about the fact that she was an adult needing something a child used, and just let herself be grateful. She knew her body was drained from the magic, and she had a lot to learn, so she would take whatever help she could get.
“How is it that I can control all four elements?” Thea asked. “I heard you all saying it wasn’t normal.”
“I really don’t know,” Mirielle said and lowered her head. “There is no recorded history of anyone having that type of power besides Ainé herself.”
She paused as if trying to understand something else, watching Thea closely. Thea shifted uncomfortably beneath her blanket while she waited for Mirielle to decide what she would say next. Ethel stared, wide-eyed determination not to get kicked out of the room shining in her eyes. They both knew there was more.
The burden of living up to the expectations of everyone crept back beneath Thea’s skin as she waited. All of these people expected her to defeat her father and take her place on the throne, but how could she do that if she could not even manage to not pass out every time she used magic?
“You’re not a seer,” Mirielle finally said. Her hands were now folded into her lap.
Thea ticked her head to the left slightly. The thought of being a seer had crossed her mind, but everything Kieran had told her about seers, plus what she’d seen with Mirielle and Aragon, made her feel like there was more to it than that. There was something different about the way Ainé spoke with her versus how she spoke with them.
“Seers start receiving visions from the Goddess when they are children, but she never speaks directly to us. It’s never conversational.” She furrowed her eyebrows slightly and Thea thought Mirielle might be a little jealous of what was making Thea feel like an absolute madwoman.
“Maybe I’m just a late bloomer and living without magic for so lo
ng changed the way it affected me.” Thea shrugged because she didn’t know if that explanation even made sense. When Ainé spoke to her, it was not to give her visions of the future. Most of the time the words were guidance to help her along in her journey, something she was growing weary of trusting the further along she came.
“No,” Mirielle said, unaware of Thea’s continuing thoughts. “This is something different. She blessed you with these abilities, but the fact that you are speaking with her directly may have something to do with why you can access all four elements. It seems you are existing, in some ways, on the same realm as our Goddess.”
“Okay, so she’s trapped in the same prison world as her sister and communicating with me—but why? Why me?”
A knock sounded at the door, interrupting the many questions about to explode off Thea’s tongue, and Kieran poked his head into the den.
“We need to get going while the coast is clear. My aunt packed you a bag, and I managed to convince Faylon to wear a blanket for your sake.”
“I’m surprised he let you anywhere near him,” Thea teased but her shoulders instinctively relaxed when Kieran entered the room. Mirielle watched her with a small, knowing smile.
“Remember to let the amulet help you. If you fight it, it won’t work.” She patted Thea’s hand one more time and then stood up. “I feel I will see you both fairly soon, but stay safe and out of sight for as long as possible.”
Mirielle hurried out of the den.
“Are you ready, Princess?” Thea mimicked Kieran’s voice, winking at him.
“Oh no, I’m becoming predictable!” He chuckled and nodded his head toward the front of the house. “I’ll meet you out there. Come on, Ethel. I need your help.”
Ethel frowned, obviously having more questions for Thea, but followed Kieran out of the room to leave Thea with her thoughts. Thea realized how quickly things had changed. Searching for her adoptive parents had led her to a life she’d never known existed, but now that she was here, she felt the weight of it all.
So many people expected her to save the world and then lead it. And now, on top of that, it appeared the Goddess also expected something out of her, since she’d given her these special powers that she had absolutely no idea how to control.
She felt frustrated by the lack of information she was receiving from someone who was supposed to be far more powerful than herself. However, Mirielle had said Ainé was trapped. Thea wondered if that was why she didn’t assist her more in this journey.
You can do this on your own, she reminded herself.
She could hear the voices of the friends she’d made along the way drifting through the open cottage door and smiled, knowing she wasn’t alone, as she headed out the door of the cabin and on to the next adventure.
Chapter 14
Kieran realized after a couple of days that Thea didn’t have any experience camping for an extended period in the woods. She could perform the basic tasks, like putting up a tent or starting a fire—although he wondered if she’d used magic to start the fire. She cooked decently as well, but overall, Kieran did most of the work as they moved deeper into the forest. They travelled only at night, which made the journey longer than usual, but when they arrived and the coast was determined to be clear, Kieran felt more than a little relieved.
He relaxed with the realization that this plan could actually work, and Thea relaxed with the realization that they could finally stop setting up and tearing down their campsite. Tension and exhaustion radiated from both Kieran and Thea, leaving very little opportunity for conversation. As they camped, one person would sleep for a few hours while the other stood guard, which Thea had never once complained about. Kieran wished he could stand guard at all times, but if Thea was serious about learning the discipline and routine of a soldier. This type of training was as necessary as the physical training.
When they finally reached the lakeside, Kieran watched Thea’s amazement grow. The trees and wildflowers had fascinated her since the day she arrived, but the lake was more beautiful than any forest grove. The water glistened as if someone had sprayed thousands of crystals across its surface in both the sunlight and moonlight. As soon as they arrived, Thea went straight to exploring, the same way she’d done at every other place they’d stopped. When she came to the spot between the trees known as the Threshold, he paused to watch her. He saw the way she stared at the space, seeing what no human eye could, as if called by the buzz of her world beyond it. Kieran didn’t hear the calling anymore, because everything he wanted was right in front of him, staring at a world she no longer belonged to. It made his heart ache at the idea of her wanting to return.
“This is where you came through,” she said quietly. Her hand reached out to touch the soft glow in the empty space, but Kieran quickly snatched it away. He automatically felt selfish.
Who was he to keep her from her heart’s desire if that desire was to return to the place where she’d grown up? She jumped, clearly surprised by his sudden touch, and looked at him with wide, wondering eyes. They were beautiful and curious, but they made his heart ache.
“Now that we’ve discovered how powerful you are, I thought you might open the doorway,” he said quietly, dropping her hand with a look of shame. “I shouldn’t have stopped you.”
Thea took a visible step back from the Threshold and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
“You think I want to return? To leave you?” she asked and then quickly added, “And Ethel and Iris? Mirielle and Mica? My great-godfather?” Her cheeks blushed.
“I would understand it if you did,” Kieran said with conviction. He knew that they had done nothing but ask her for the impossible since she’d arrived. She hadn’t had a chance to even enjoy the beauty of this land, let alone learn to call it home. Any sane person would want to return somewhere safer after all of this madness. He’d even secretly wondered if that was why she’d requested to come to this place of all places.
“My mother used to say that home is where the heart is,” Thea said quietly, no longer looking at Kieran. “I know it sounds silly, but I have nothing to go back for. The only thing left there for me is memories. Here, I have a family and something to fight for.”
She walked back to where Kieran had unloaded the mare who carried their supplies and began unpacking their tent. He watched her as she looked for the perfect tree to tie the shelter up to and then tied it as if she’d been doing it her whole life.
“You’re getting better,” he mused.
“If only tent-pitching would help me defeat my father,” she replied, but her voice had lowered an octave and he knew she was upset. He didn’t know if he should ask her what was wrong, or if he should just let her continue to take her frustration out on their supplies.
“I’m sorry that this is your life,” he said finally. “You deserve better.”
“I’m sorry that I didn’t have this life from the start, but I’m not sorry that this is my life,” Thea said, glancing over at Kieran where he had lit a fire. The moonlight cast shadows across her face, shielding her expression from him. He focused and sent a breeze of warm air toward her, tickling her cheek as it brushed her hair back. She smiled, but only slightly.
“I’m terrified that one day I’ll wake up and find out this was all a dream.”
“Me too,” he admitted as the fire grew, warming his hands.
Kieran watched as the rolled-up canvas grew into a shelter and fed the fire without fear of anyone seeing them. He knew no one had followed them, but the fire would have to keep them warm while he reserved his magic for Thea’s training.
“So,” Thea said as she came to sit beside him in front of the fire. “What now?”
The silence that had stretched between them seemed to melt away as she rubbed her hands together, warming them in front of the fire. She’d pulled her fur cloak off, hanging it on a nearby tree branch, and Faylon had gone to graze on the fresh hay Thea had piled up for him and the red mare. Kieran wanted to look into Thea
’s starlit eyes and tell her that things would all be okay but didn’t feel he could say that honestly. He knew she was nervous about her magical training. In fact, he was also nervous about her training. The idea of her even needing to fight the king made him sick to his stomach. He wished he could protect her from it all, but all he could do was prepare her.
“Now I’m going to teach you how to control your magic so that it doesn’t kill you,” he finally said. His eyes lowered to his own hands, and he remembered the days when he’d trained to be a part of King Aragon’s army. It had taken months, but they didn’t have months now. In fact, he had no idea how long they had before the king found them or before Morrigan made her next move. Rumors had come from the Northern Kingdom, Gimmerwich, that the creatures of the darkness had been trying to get past their walls. It was the first time King Malachi had moved against their kingdom.
“So, what first, Captain?”
Kieran lifted an eyebrow at Thea.
“Captain?”
She nudged her shoulder against him and pretended to salute. He didn’t know why her joking upset him, but it did. He looked at her, his frown deepening.
“This is serious, Thea. You could die.”
Her face fell, and he realized that hadn’t been the right thing to say as she folded her hands in her lap.
“You think I don’t know that?” She laughed, but it was not out of humor. He heard the anger behind her tone. “You and Iris seem too scared to teach me how to use this magic, but I feel like I’m going to explode! It’s like it’s tearing at my insides, begging to be used. You don’t think I know that my father wants me dead? I do. It’s a kill-or-be-killed situation. I already lost one person because I wasn’t strong enough.”
Kieran winced. He hadn’t meant to upset Thea, but her words had been sharp. She’d obviously been bottling things up for a while now, and he felt sure he could use that pent-up frustration to help her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the fire, toward a clear spot near the lake. She protested, but followed anyway.