The Beauty and The Fey

by Charlene Taylor

  Audrielle nodded. She would agree to anything, to save her sister. “And what is your name?”

  He glared at her again, the cruel lines of the skull like mask made him more intimidating. She noticed that the skin of around his eyes grew into the mask. It wasn’t a mask after all, it was part of his face.

  “ You may call me Admani.”

  “My name is Audrielle.” She bit her lip, then pressed on. “I have one more question.”

  He snorted but didn’t move.

  “How are you related to a Pegasus?”

  “The magic of the Wild Wood is twisted in a curse. It used to be that if a Fey was dying, they could temporarily take the form of their spirit animal, and it would heal them. Now, if a Fey is dying, they can either die and Ascend, or they can take the form of their spirit animal permanently.”

  “So she chose to take the form of a Pegasus?”

  “Foolishly,” he said with a slight sneer.

  “Maybe she feared death?” Audrielle said defensively.

  “No, she didn’t fear death. She chose to become a Pegasus so she could continue to search for her husband. He’s missing.”

  “That’s romantic.”

  He shook his head. “What did she think would happen when she found him? She a horse, a pet. He won’t love her in that form, not for long. And eventually he will fall in love with another woman and move on. She will be left alone, abandoned by the man she sacrificed everything for.”

  “And she probably knows that, but maybe to her, all that sacrifice is worth it if she knows the man she loves is safe and well.”

  “I can’t even imagine that kind of love,” he said curtly. “If I had to choose between checking on someone who would eventually abandon me, and Ascending, I would Ascend.”

  Audrielle smiled tightly. “Me too,” she confessed.

  Admani took a jar of water and poured it into the vase. As it touched the rose, the water turned dark red. He moved the vase to the fireplace mantel and the empty jar back into the cabinet. He glared at her.

  “Come with me, I’ll show you where you will stay while you work on this curse.” He led her out of the room and down another corridor. It wasn’t as immaculate as the room, but it wasn’t crumbling either.

  “Who else lives here?” Audrielle asked.

  “Wisps clean, care for clothing, take messages across the Wild Woods for me, and cook. They are invisible to mortal eyes. You won’t be able to see them before you break your curse or die trying.”

  “Thanks,” Audrielle said dully. She didn’t need the reminder of her impending death, or cursed immortality. She wasn’t even sure which was the worse option. She knew fey could only leave the Wild Woods on certain days, and under very specific conditions, which meant her life outside the Wild Woods was done either way. She would never have a chance at the quiet life she dreamed of, and she might never see her family again.

  “Human Girl.” Admani said impatiently.

  “Audrielle,” she said sharply. Just because he was helping her save her sister, didn’t mean she wouldn’t stand up for herself.

  “Same thing,” he said dismissively. He opened a door, and revealed a beautiful room filled with foliage, and bright flowers in bloom. “This is where you will stay, until…”

  “Until I break my curse or die, I know,” she said.

  “There will be nights when you are locked into this room, it’s for your own safety.”

  “You said that already, is one of the secrets that you like to repeat yourself?”

  Admani glared at her. “I repeat myself, because you look like a typical empty-headed human girl who doesn’t listen the first time they are given instruction.”

  “So do you think I’m stupid because I’m human, or female?”

  “Human, if you live long enough to become a fairy, you’ll find the females of my kind are intelligent,” he paused, then continued, “With the possible exception of Deleta.”

  Audrielle scoffed, annoyed with the realization he hadn’t actually answered her question, but if she pressed the issue, she would confirm in his mind that she really was stupid. She stepped into the room. Vines covered the walls, and flowers with blooms the size of curled up cat bursting from the vines. The furniture was made from twisted bark, topped with flat stones. The bed had four trees for bedposts and was topped with a thick mattress and blankets made from thick brown woven fibers.

  “More appropriate clothing will appear in the wardrobe tomorrow. For tonight, the sprites will bring you an evening meal. You will be expected to meet me for breakfast every morning. I will accompany you on your search until the afternoon meal, then you will return here until morning.”

  “I’ll be in my room most of the day?” Audrielle asked.

  Admani glared at her, his cold eyes and the firm set of his mouth conveyed his annoyance perfectly, she didn’t even need to guess at how the rest of his face showed the emotion. “I said I would help you. I even offered to escort you around the castle, so you avoided danger.”

  Audrielle nodded slightly, unsure of how he expected her to respond. Admani’s scowl deepened, then he stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. Audrielle heard the high-pitched rattling clicks of tumblers latching within the lock on her door. Audrielle stuck her tongue out at the door, the childish action made her feel marginally better.

  Audrielle looked around, if he was going to keep her in this room most of the time she was here, she may as well familiarize herself with it. She walked to the wardrobe, but before she could grab the handle, the vines twisted on the door and it swung open to reveal two dresses. The one on the left was a simple, soft, gray night gown that would fall to her mid calf. The second was a beautiful ball gown made of orange and yellow fabric gathered and cut to shift and catch the light like a flame. The bodice was made from a firmer material and was completely sleeveless, if she were to wear that dress, her arms and shoulders would be completely exposed.

  She glanced at the shelf above the dresses, where a masquerade mask made entirely out of flame colored feathers sat. She ignored the mask and pulled out the night gown. She tossed it on the bed.

  Next she searched the vanity, not at all surprised to find that every brush, comb, and cosmetic jar was made from entwined, living vines. When she grew bored of snooping through drawers, she moved to the balcony.

  She didn’t expect the balcony door to open, so no one could fault her gasp of delight as the door swung open. She carefully stepped outside. The floor of the balcony was made from milky stone, the railing from prism glass. The final rays of the setting sun struck the railing and threw tiny rainbows all over the milky floor. Audrielle looked at the sunset over a huge lake that came up to the western most wing of the castle. Her room was in an indent of the sprawling building, and there was a small patch of ground below it.

  Audrielle moved to the rail, to better admire the sunset, and noticed a thin web, nearly invisible, that extended in a bubble around her balcony. She reached out to touch it, but she couldn’t quite reach far enough.

  So you see the spell?

  Audrielle looked down. Deleta walked up the thin path between the lake and the building. She shook her mane and looked back up at Audrielle.

  “I guess. This net is to stop me from trying to jump off the balcony?”

  I don’t know why you would want to jump of the balcony. Deleta was dismissive. It’s too high up for you to jump down without injury, and not high enough to jump and end your life. The most likely outcome of jumping would be to break your legs, and that would make your current situation far more difficult.

  Audrielle smiled down at her equestrian friend. “I wasn’t considering either option. I want to live, and your brother is the only one who can help me reach that goal.”

  I’m glad to hear it. The spell is for your protection. While it’s true it will prevent you from leaving the immediate area surrounding your balcony, it’s designed to prevent outside forces from coming in.

  �
��Why does it look like a net?”

  So air can get in and out… Wait. You can see it’s a net?

  Audrielle shrugged. “Barely.”

  I was impressed you could see the spell, only the most powerful of the fey could see more than a faint shimmer in sunlight. You possess a Sight only an exceptional few have. When your transformation is complete, you will truly be extraordinary.

  “Will it I be strong enough to get rid of my curse?”

  Deleta shook her head. The curse will kill you if you are human or fey. Meeting my brother’s conditions is the only way to break the curse.

  “I was afraid you were going to say that.” Audrielle sighed, exasperated. “He was vague, what did he mean by ‘secrets’?”

  You will learn much during your time here, and most of those discoveries won’t be secrets, merely revelations to you. He means the things he conceals from his enemies, his allies, and from you.

  “Why does he want to hide things from me?” Audrielle asked, startled.

  That’s part of the secret. Now, it would be best if you went back inside and closed the door. You will be safest in your room. There are creatures who roam the night. Best they not see you, lest you become their prey, to be hunted and harassed.

  “But I’m safe here?” Audrielle asked.

  Perfectly safe, but why bring more trouble?

  Audrielle nodded. “Good night Deleta,” she said. She stepped back into her room and closed the door. Then, because she couldn’t stomach the thought of strange creatures peeking in through her window as she slept, she closed the curtains. She found a door next to the vanity, which lead to a bathroom. She had never taken a bath in a tub cut from a large chunk of obsidian, and considering how much blood covered her, she didn’t enjoy sitting in the filthy water, but she was cleaner than before. When she was done, she put on the night gown and curled up on the bed.

  Audrielle slept in fits, unable to fully relax after the events of the previous day. It was horrible to know that she was going to die if she couldn’t reveal three secrets and a lie, but it was somehow worse to know that even if she succeeded, she wouldn’t be able to live out a normal life. She couldn’t go back to college, she couldn’t even do more than occasionally visit her sister.

  What would life be like in this fairy land? She couldn’t even guess. Fairy stories were filled with the tricks and gifts fairies gave to humans, to teach harsh lessons or reward extraordinary behavior, but what kind of power would she even have? Would she even keep her humanity? Would she keep her memories and morals, or would she be some feral monster? She tried to comfort herself with the knowledge that regardless of her fate, her sister would live, but the joy of that victory could not quite dispel the fear of her bleak future.

  She stewed on her cycling fears until she fell into a light, restless sleep. When dawn lit the curtains, casting a purple hue through the room, she rolled off the bed, tired and irritated from the night before.

  When Audrielle opened the wardrobe, she found a beautiful dress with simple, elegant cuts and faint embroidery on the cuffs and collar. The flame colored ball gown and exquisite mask were gone.

  Audrielle dressed. The instant she was presentable, there was a sharp knock on the door.

  She stared at the door until there was a second knock.

  “Who’s there?” she called in a singsong voice.

  “Are you ready for me to unlock the door?” Admani called.

  Audrielle huffed. At least her warden had the decency to announce his presence.

  “I’m ready,” she called. She rolled back her shoulders and clasped her hands gently in front of her as the lock clicked and the door swung open.

  Admani glared at her, then his eyes widened. He approached her slowly, and Audrielle didn’t move as he gently brushed her hair away from her birthmark.

  “I don’t have makeup in this room, I can’t conceal it like I did yesterday,” she said defensively. Without a curling iron or hairspray, all she could do was brush her hair in front of her face, but it didn’t conceal the entire mark, and her hair didn’t stay in place.

  “Why would you want to?” he breathed. “You’re…” he stiffened and stepped away from her. “You should wear your hair back, it’s unwise to have it in your eyes like that. This place is dangerous.”

  “I’ll wear my hair the way I want,” she said as she stepped around him and out into the hallway. He walked past her and led her away from her room.

  “You know, I should have a key to my room, so I can escape if there is a fire or something,” she said. As soon as she said the words, she realized they weren’t mere excuses so she could regain a small amount of control in this new situation, they were valid concerns. She could imagine her bed catching fire, and she would be trapped in the smoke full room, left to burn to death.

  “There are several magical protections on your room, the risk is minimal,” Admani said, without looking at her.

  “Or it’s more likely you don’t want me to find out whatever goes on at night and keeping me locked up is a good way to do that,” Audrielle muttered as they walked into the dining room.

  Admani froze, stopping so abruptly Audrielle smacked into his shoulder.

  She glared at Admani, her demand that he explain his sudden stop burned on her tongue until he slowly lifted his arm and pointed at the dropping rose. Audrielle stared as three petals fell to the table.

  “You have exposed the first secret,” Admani said. “Human Girl, you are far more intelligent than I realized.”

  Audrielle gaped at the rose, her breath hitched and her eyes burned. She didn’t even acknowledge his backhanded compliment. “The other two secrets won’t be so easy, will they?” she whispered.

  Admani shook his head.

  Audrielle wanted to run, to flee from the castle and the challenge. He had told her the rose would start to wilt as soon as she told him the first secret. She thought it would be like a normal rose, beautiful for three days, then slowly droop over the next few days, then petals falling after a week or so. She did not anticipate the rose would begin to die so quickly.

  Audrielle took several slow deep breaths and approached the table. When Admani did not move, she turned to face him.

  “Then I guess I had better hurry and find the next two secrets,” she said firmly. She was proud her voice didn’t tremble with the words and was oddly giddy when Admani gave her a small smile, with an expression that approached respect.

  Audrielle followed Admani down the stone steps. She was proud of herself for coming up with this plan. They would spend the morning exploring the sub level of the castle, where the dungeons were, then they would stop by the library to get enough books to keep her busy while she was imprisoned in her room. She would keep a positive attitude, she would find two more secrets, before the rose died.

  She figured a systematic search of the castle, literally from top to bottom, would be the fastest way to discover more secrets, and the time in her room could be best used doing research on the fey. Admani wasn’t supportive of her plan, but he didn’t object to it or offer an alternative plan.

  “Don’t speak, from here down, I have a prisoner who will steal your voice if given the chance.”

  “The dungeon is occupied?” she whispered.

  “Don’t. Speak,” he said slowly. “Flowers of the dung tree, and you wonder why I repeat myself.”

  Audrielle choked back the surprised laugh but failed contain her grin. She had never heard that curse before, but she did like it better than the predictable, and vulgar, human curses she knew.

  “Yes, the dungeon is occupied, but I won’t take you to the occupied portion, it’s far too dangerous. I will take you to another part.”

  Audrielle studied Admani’s serious mouth and narrowed eyes and wondered what it would take to see him smile. When his lip began to curl with impatience, Audrielle mimed zipping her mouth closed and shrugged.

  Admani turned from her and led the way down the stone steps. When they re
ached the bottom, there was a fork in the corridor. Admani walked down the left corridor. Audrielle stared at the right corridor and considered following it, to see what secrets that path held, but self-preservation won out and she followed Admani. The floor was badly damaged, making Audrielle painfully aware of her pinching shoes every time she stumbled on crumbled stone.

  When they reached the door at the end of the corridor, Admani gently pushed Audrielle against the wall and opened the door.

  Audrielle expected something dangerous, a chained monster or vile criminal. Instead, she saw a dock. She followed Admani through the doorway. They were in a cavern lit by glowing moss that crawled up the rocks and cast a green glow on the water that lapped against the dock. There were three boats tied to the dock, each made of living foliage and flowers twisted in a watertight design.

  Audrielle moves to try to get a closer look at the water when she noticed a fish or something that moved through the water and disappeared under the wood dock.

  “Don’t touch the water,” Admani growled.

  Audrielle nodded her understanding, and Admani let her slip past him. She crouched near the edge of the dock, ready to stand and sprint to the door at the first sign of danger.

  She watched as a small glowing circle of yellow light rose up through the water. As it neared the surface, the light revealed it’s form as a fat lily. The flower popped out of the water and settled on the surface. As she examined the glowing flower more began to rise to the surface. She watched the glowing flowers, fascinated, until her curiosity overwhelmed her.

  She stood and turned to Admani with an excited grin. She looked at him and pointed to the flowers. He stared back, clearly startled. She motioned to the flowers and nodded to him, trying to prompt him to explain the flowers.

  “We.. need to return,” he said slowly. “We still need to stop by the library. Follow me.”

  Audrielle looked back at the glowing lilies, disappointed. This may not have been the secret she hoped to find, but it was the best part of the castle so far, and she was sad to leave it.