Princess of the Elves

by R L Medina

  Princess of the Elves

  Inner World Series Book 1

  R. L. Medina

  Moon Dragon Publishing

  Copyright ©2019 by R. L. Medina/Moon Dragon Publishing

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover art by Original Book Cover Designs

  https://www.originalbookcoverdesigns.com/

  Map by Anthony Medina (the husband)

  Contents

  Map of Feylin

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Thank you for reading!

  About the Author

  Free short story

  Acknowledgments

  Also by R. L. Medina

  Map of Feylin

  White Court: Court of Frost Black Court: Court of Shadow Green Court: Court of Life Blue Court: Court of Tides Red Court: Court of Flame Gray Court: Court of Fur

  For all the outcasts, who’ve ever felt alone and unseen. Your dreams, your voice, and your actions matter. YOU matter. Don’t let this world break you. Good is ahead.

  1

  Something was watching me. Or some things. I swiped the towel across the table furiously, ready to retreat to the back. Maybe I could hide in the bathroom until they left. No. I shook my head. Don’t do it. Don’t freak. I glanced at my cell. Just one more hour and I could leave. Escape the city and return home. Home was the only safe place from the shadows that stalked me.

  I felt exposed despite my layers. Early fall in Denver meant the weather couldn’t make up its mind if it wanted to be warm or cool. I glanced up to scan the room. My shoulders relaxed. Gone. Who they were—or what they were, I didn’t know.

  I didn’t want to know.

  It was just this feeling I would get. When I was little, I thought it was my father watching me. My own guardian angel. Then more eyes began following me. Watching and listening, but they never showed themselves. In middle school I was labeled a paranoid freak, so I stopped talking about my invisible ‘friends.’ Tried to be normal. Now, I just had to get through junior and senior year without drawing attention.

  I surveyed my work and headed for the next empty table. The Pixie Cafe was filled with students. People that I knew, but they didn’t know me. Not really. I locked eyes with Madison, behind the counter. Her brow furrowed in that familiar reminder. I wasn’t one of them.

  “Hey, Ren. I didn’t know you worked here.” A familiar voice startled me.

  I dropped the spray bottle. It hit the ground with a clang, making me wince. Bending down, I tried to calm my nerves. Relax. Smile. Say something. Don’t be awkward. I grabbed the cleaner and turned to face the bane of my existence. Axel Rivera.

  “Uh...you okay?” Concern etched into his perfect face.

  So much for smiling. I tore my eyes away from his.

  “Yeah. Thanks.” I cringed at the squeakiness of my voice. I was keenly aware of everyone watching the whole embarrassing encounter.

  Axel glanced at his two lattes and back to his group of friends. They watched us, grinning. My face flamed. It was no secret, no matter how much I denied it, how I felt about him. Had felt about him since first grade. Everyone knew about my crush. Even Ariana, his long-time girlfriend, who also watched us. Not grinning. Instead she gave me a pitying look. I would rather have seen her scowl. But she knew, everyone knew, I was no threat to her.

  “Well... have a good weekend.” He flashed me a quick smile and mercifully turned back to his friends.

  I watched him go, wondering what it would be like to be a part of their group. To belong. How did people find each other? The social code was a mystery to me. I never knew the right thing to say or do. Sammy, my only real friend, moved away nearly a year ago, leaving me to survive high school alone.

  Ariana’s eyes met mine, and I turned away. Way to look like a creeper. I carried the spray and rag back toward the kitchen. Madison watched me as I passed the counter, a smirk on her face.

  “That was embarrassing,” she called after me.

  I ignored her. She followed me into the back, close on my heels. Her eyes lit up like a hawk, ready to swoop in for the kill.

  “Ren? Well, what did he say?”

  I shrugged her off, not wanting to engage. It was the weekend, and I just wanted to go home and lick my wounds, not talk to her.

  “Whatever.” She pulled out her phone and started typing.

  I clocked out and grabbed my backpack from the locker. She ignored me as I walked out the back door.

  Taking a deep breath, I glanced around the courtyard. Empty. Mostly. A guy sat alone at one of the tables, scowling at a pile of notes and his laptop. I scanned the bushes behind him for a familiar furry head. Leaves rustled, and a gray cat appeared. King Louis, I named him. For his rotund belly and fancy air.

  I unzipped my backpack to pull out the treats I’d brought. He waddled up to me with a pleased meow. His eyes were trained on the package, his tail curling in anticipation.

  “Look, I got you a new flavor. Savory salmon.”

  He cocked his head and purred. As if to tell me my gift was acceptable. I opened the bag and held my breath as the fishy odor hit my nose.

  “Savory… stinky salmon,” I muttered, offering him one to try.

  His soft nose nuzzled my palm as he scarfed it down.

  Meow, He looked at me expectantly, ready for another.

  I smiled. Animals I understood, better than people. They didn’t care how dorky I dressed or how quiet I was. As much as I had begged for a pet, Mom never let me have one. It didn’t make sense because she was a vet’s assistant and loved animals as much as I did.

  Grabbing a handful of the fish shaped delicacies, I laid them out for him. “So, what about you, King Louis? You have plans for the weekend?”

  He ignored me, content with his goodies. I stroked his back as he ate.

  I snorted. “Sorry, don’t mind me. Enjoy your snack.”

  “Talking to a cat? Really? That’s just sad.” Madison’s voice startled me.

  She clucked her tongue, feigning pity. Heat flooded my face. Why couldn’t my senses alert me when someone was actually there? I kept my eyes on the ground, willing her to go away. It was these moments I missed Sammy the most. She would have had a comeback ready.

  Madison scoffed and walked past us. King Louis hissed at her, rubbing himself against my legs.

  I sighed and patted his head. “Thanks, buddy.”

  The guy at the table glanced up. I averted my eyes and adjusted my backpack. Time to go. I gave King Louis a few more strokes and treats and headed for the bus stop. His eyes followed me, and I got the sense he was worried about me. I almost laughed out loud. A cat was worried about me? Whatever weird sixth sense I had, I didn’t know how to turn it of
f. I learned early not to talk about it with others. Normal people couldn’t understand animals. Not the way I did.

  I made my way through the crowd, heading for the bus stop. As I rounded the corner, I felt eyes on my back. I paused. My chest tightened as I tried to discreetly turn my head. No one was there. No one was ever there, but the feeling persisted. It’s nothing. Just keep walking.

  People brushed by me, eager to make their way home. I shook my head, waiting for the shadows to leave. When they got their fill, they disappeared.

  What was it about me that intrigued them? I was nothing special.

  I kept my head down and continued walking.

  A young couple sat on the bench. Typical, trendy college students. Wrapped completely in their own little bubble. They looked like the perfect North Face models with their outdoorsy clothes and dazzling smiles. The guy was all over the girl and she was loving it. I blushed, looking away before they noticed me standing there like a creeper. Being a loner, I didn’t have any experience in romance. I wasn’t exactly on the school’s hottest list.

  In high school there were rules to beauty. If you were big, you had to be big in the right places and have good lips, or eyes, or hair. You could be skinny as a stick and considered beautiful, if your face and hair made up for it. I was all elbows and knees and I had freckles. Not the cute kind. My face looked like a toddler’s attempt at dot art, and they didn’t stop there. There were freckles in places I’d never let anyone see. Makeup only made me break out, so I had to go natural. If I had been a redhead, maybe it would have been excused. I could pull off an Anne of Green Gables look, but my hair was straight and stringy, and a boring brown, that matched my eyes.

  The bus approached, squealing to a halt. I shifted my backpack up higher and let the couple push past me. Avoiding the passengers’ eyes, I headed towards the empty seats in the back.

  I watched the familiar shops and restaurants pass by, not really paying attention to them. As the buildings grew older, I pulled out my phone to let Mom know I was almost home. Eyes drilled into me. I paused. It wasn’t the same feeling I usually got. These eyes didn’t feel unfriendly or strange. Looking around, I found their source. A fluffy dog poking out of a lady’s bag. Its large, dark eyes blinked at me. He was anxious to get off the bus and return to his favorite spot on the big soft thing. An image of a sagging red couch popped into my mind and disappeared. I gasped. That had never happened before.

  A man turned to look at me. He wasn’t the only one. The dog’s owner, a middle-aged blonde, frowned at me. I stared at the dog, waiting to see if more images would appear.

  It cocked its little head at me. Rude.

  My heart stopped. I looked around to see if anyone had heard what I had. The older man opposite me scowled. No one else was paying attention. What was wrong with me? I could talk to animals now? I hadn’t imagined it. I could still hear the word, spoken in a strange, small voice clear as day.

  Uh... I’m sorry?

  The dog stared at me. It's rude to read minds without so much as a sniff or a scratch first.

  I nearly bolted from my seat. Before I could respond, I heard and felt what sounded like an invisible door slamming in my mind. A nervous chuckle erupted from me, drawing another glare from the man across from me. Crazy. The word, in my own voice, popped into my mind. I was going crazy. I shook my head. No. I didn’t want to hear voices. The shadows were bad enough, but now voices?

  My chest tightened and my head spun. Oh, no. No, no, no. Hold it together.

  Almost home. I grabbed my charm bracelet and closed my eyes, trying to concentrate on breathing. The silver unicorn felt solid and smooth in my sweaty grip. I took a deep breath. In and out. Only seconds away from panic. My hands shook and my body tensed. Everything seemed to close in around me. I couldn’t breathe.

  Home. I needed to get home. I wanted to bolt for the doors and rip them open. Instead, I hummed to myself, tuning everything out. The voices. The eyes. The pounding of my heart. They fell away as I focused on the soft notes of the song my mom had sung to me since birth. A folk song in her rural French dialect. My skin grew clammy as the panic subsided. Lost in my head, I barely registered that the eyes of my lifelong shadows fell on me once again. Only the blaring announcement of the bus driver brought me out of my song.

  The shadows followed me as I grabbed my bag and hopped off. But they wouldn’t follow me home. For whatever reason, I couldn’t sense them there. Home. My favorite place. A chill set in as the sun lowered. My thoughts swirled as I made my way towards our block. What was happening to me? Would it stop?

  2

  I rounded the corner, nearly colliding with someone. Mom. A storm of emotions played on her face. Surprise, relief, anger. Oops. I’d forgotten to text.

  She grabbed my arms and pulled me into a tight embrace. “Renée! You didn’t text me.” Her accent was thick. A sure sign of her concern.

  I winced. “Sorry... I forgot.”

  Her forest green eyes searched mine, making me feel small. Already she could tell something was up. There were no secrets between us. She knew about the shadows that followed me, assuring me it was just my imagination. But this… talking to animals? I didn’t know how I would bring that up. Would she still say I was perfectly normal?

  Wordlessly, she led me down the street, a hand on my back as if I’d disappear if she let go. She was always overprotective of me, but this was something more. I scanned her face. Her brows furrowed, and her lips set in a thin line. Something was wrong. I willed my heart to slow down and pushed my dark thoughts away.

  She caught me looking at her and her face softened into its usual smile. Her high cheekbones and upturned nose gave her an aristocratic look, but she was the most down-to-earth person I knew. Usually. I tried to find myself in her, but we looked nothing alike. Unfortunately, I didn’t inherit her flawless beauty. Whoever my father was, he was the one I had to thank for my pale freckled face, and bony body. What had she seen in him?

  “How was work?” Her accent was muted now, an effort to sound casual, but I could tell she was still worried.

  I shrugged. “Fine. I survived my first week and they haven’t fired me yet.”

  We fell silent as we walked past the graffitied buildings and rundown businesses. Our apartment loomed in the distance. I shivered as I pulled my plaid jacket tighter. It was too small and didn’t button, but my favorite hoodie was lost somewhere in the mess of my room.

  Mom took off her cream-colored scarf and wrapped it around my neck. I gave her a grateful smile and touched the soft cotton material. It smelled like her. Vanilla and warm spices. The color highlighted her auburn hair, but on me it just looked drab.

  Streetlights blinked on as we made our way past the parking lot of a long abandoned fast food place. A group of guys, slightly older than me, stood against the metal fence. They leered and called after us, making my cheeks burn in embarrassment. I shrank into Mom, wishing I could disappear into the sidewalk. There was no doubt, they wanted her attention, not mine. She held her head high and pushed me past them, without so much as a glance their way.

  If only I had an ounce of her confidence. I tried to match her strong strides, but it felt awkward. Like a baby giraffe taking its first steps. I snorted at myself. Were they still watching us? I didn’t dare look back. I let out a breath as we climbed the stairs up to our apartment.

  Finally, some peace.

  A plate of freshly baked brownies greeted me as I opened the door. My senses flared to life. Sweets usually accompanied bad news. The better the treat, the worse the news and double fudge brownies were my favorite.

  My head whipped towards Mom, waiting for an explanation. She gave me a bright smile, ignoring my silent question.

  “What is that?” I sent her an accusing look.

  Mom walked past me and sat down at the table. She motioned for me to sit.

  I didn’t budge.

  She cut two pieces out and slid them onto plates for us. “I made brownies.”
>
  I set my backpack down by the door and pulled off my jacket to hang it against the chair. My palms grew sweaty as I sat down. Something was different. I could almost sense a shift in the air, and it terrified me.

  “We’re going to Grandmere’s.”

  I blinked. We always went to Grandmere’s for my birthday. Grandmere didn’t drive, so we made the two plus hours to her every birthday and holiday.

  “Tonight.”

  My jaw dropped. Tonight? My birthday was a month away. “Why? What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing is wrong. We haven’t visited in a while.”

  “But we always go for my birthday. Why are we going now? What about work? I’m supposed to work Sunday.”

  “You’ll have to call out for work.”

  “I can’t call out! I just started this job.”

  Mom squared her shoulders and stared at me, one eyebrow arched. My heart sank. There was no arguing with that look. It wasn’t fair. I took a bite of my brownie and swallowed it down with the lump in my throat. She touched my arm and gave me an apologetic smile. I sighed, letting go of my frustrations. If Mom needed this getaway, who was I to complain?

  “It’s just for the weekend?”

  Her smile faded.

  “Mom?”

  She shook her head. “Until your birthday.”

  I shot up, banging the card table on my way. “A month? Why? What about your job? What is going on?”

  Mom sighed and clasped her hands together. “Renée trust me. I think it would be best for both of us to get away from the city. Just for a little bit.”