Echor cocked his head. “So humans lie to their children about their own generosity and gifts?”
I nodded. “More or less.”
“How strange,” Echor said.
“You have no idea,” Layla said. “Humans have a lot of weird customs. They actually think a fairy comes at night after their kids lose a tooth and leave them money instead.”
“No one actually believes in the tooth fairy,” I said. “Another story that kids are told.”
“More lies?” Echor asked.
I shrugged. “I suppose it gives children something to look forward to. Makes the whole trauma of losing a tooth seem…exciting.”
“But fairies have no interest in teeth,” Echor said. “It doesn’t even make sense. What would a fairy do with baby teeth?”
I shrugged. “Good question. I don’t have an answer for that.”
“Speaking of the fairies,” Layla said. “I’m presuming that my father used fairies to take the people to Earth?”
Echor nodded. “I was curious why the fairies would suddenly be working together with the king. For as long as I knew, we’d hunted fairies for sport. Why would they want to help us?”
“The fairies who were helping him,” I said, “came from Earth. They are narrowly focused on how humanity has threatened the planet. So much so that they don’t realize that backing Brightborn is like using poison to cure a cold. It’ll get rid of the cold, but the result will be far more devastating than ever intended.”
Echor nodded. “It makes sense. If they’d spoken to the fairies, who’ve lived here in New Albion from the time of the ancients…”
“That’s it,” I said. “If we can bring back fairies who’ve been severed from the Furies, they can testify to Brightborn’s misuse of magic! Even if we can’t get him convicted in the human courts like Tisiphone proposed, we may be able to present a case that conflicts with Develin’s testimony about Brightborn’s actions.”
“These fairies,” Layla said. “They’ve been hunted for so long. There just aren’t many of them. Those who remain, they’re notoriously hard to find.”
“They were,” Echor said. “Before the elves left. But since, I’ve seen a few buzzing around the city.”
“If we can capture one,” Layla said.
I interrupted her. “No, not capture one. They can’t be treated as prisoners. Let me speak to them. I’m human. They may be more willing to hear me out than they would an elf. No offense.”
Layla shrugged. “None taken. That makes sense.”
“After that,” I said, “we’ll head back to the giants. See if they’ve finished the ritual.”
“Echor,” Layla said. “Thank you. We’d love it if you came with us.”
Echor shook his head. “I’ll help you find a fairy. But my position has not changed. I’ve had a life consumed by chaos and war. For the first time, while it’s certainly been lonely, I’ve known peace. I wish you well in your battle for Earth, but my story ends here. I’ll enjoy whatever time I have in peace.”
“I can respect that,” I said.
Layla shook her head. “I can, too. I don’t like it. I’d love to have your support back on Earth. But I totally get it.”
“You don’t need my support, Princess,” Echor said. “I served in your grandfather’s court and your father’s.”
“As high priest,” Layla said, smiling. “I remember well. You used to be in charge of the prophecies.”
“I retired from service,” Echor said. “But technically, until a high priest dies, he retains his title. The current acting high priest is only acting as my proxy until I pass. Given the king’s plans, I’m not particularly inclined to pass on my title officially.”
“That’s been a long time,” Layla said. “I was just a young girl when you retired.”
Echor laughed and turned to me. “You should have seen her when she was a child. Cute as can be, and a force of nature!”
“Some things never change!” I said, winking at Layla.
“I’ll tell you,” Echor said. “That little girl could have conquered the world herself. She had the whole legion wrapped around her little finger ever since she was just a toddler.”
“I did not,” Layla said, shaking her head. “No more than any kid might.”
Echor shook his head. “Don’t listen to her, Caspar. She was unique. Strong-willed and confident. When other kids were playing and singing songs, she was studying, learning to read, then studying strategies of war in the archives. I think she picked up her first bow at the age of six.”
Layla nodded, laughing, “A good four years before most boys start training.”
“Impressive,” I said, raising my eyebrows. “Mind if I ask why you retired so young?”
“I was in my prime, as far as sorcerers go,” Echor said. “Magic matures even as the body starts to decline. But when we had a chance to make peace with the orcs, the king decided instead to raid and pillage their villages. He took advantage of their goodwill to negotiate an end of the conflict, and I would no longer have a part in it. Just as I refuse to have a part in the king’s conquests on Earth.”
“We could use you,” Layla said. “If what you say of the other elves is true. A leader like you at my side could help me rally them to break league with my father.”
Echor pressed his lips together. “I appreciate the invitation, but like I said, my journey ends here. In peace, rather than at war.”
Chapter Thirty
“I think I should go after the fairies alone,” I said.
“Caspar, if any nightcrawlers show up, you’ll need my bow.”
“Echor,” I asked, “have you seen any nightcrawlers in the city?”
“I’ve only ventured out a few times,” he said. “But so far, I don’t think they’ve come here. There are still a few pockets of magic here in the royal quarter. I think it’s keeping them away.”
I nodded. “I’ll be fine, Layla. If the fairies are reluctant to trust elves, perhaps they’ll be more open to talking to me if I’m by myself.”
“It’s too risky, Caspar,” Layla said, shaking her head.
“But he is right,” Echor said. “You know how the fairies here are. They’ll avoid contact at all costs if you’re there. Besides, Princess, it would be nice to have a few moments of company before you depart. I’ve already been alone for so long.”
Layla nodded. “Caspar, if you have to, just fly. Don’t try to take on any nightcrawlers. You won’t be able to stop them.”
I smiled. “I know, Layla. I’ve got this.”
Layla hugged me and kissed my cheek. “Just be careful, okay?”
“Always,” I said. “When have you ever known me to act recklessly?”
Layla laughed. “Considering the first time we met, you charged an armed giant in an alley and got yourself stabbed.”
I bit my cheek. “Okay, you have a point. But at the time, I didn’t realize what I was facing.”
“If you did, would you have still done it?” Layla asked.
I stroked my chin. “You know, if I knew everything then that I knew now, you bet I would.”
“Even though it got you stabbed?” Layla asked.
I shrugged. “A knife to the gut is a small price to pay for meeting the love of my life.”
Layla blushed a little. “I love you, Caspar.”
I kissed Layla on the forehead. “I love you, too, Princess.”
Echor suggested that I try the royal quarters first. That’s where he’d seen the fairies before. There was still a little magic lingering there, so it was also the safest part of the elven city. Luckily for me, it was only a few blocks walk from Echor’s spire to the royal quarter. Turn right when leaving the spire and pass two more towers, and I’d be right in the royal quarters. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
The only problem was, without Layla’s palm print to access any of the buildings, I’d have to limit my quest to the courtyards surrounding the royal spires. Worst case scenario, I figured, I’d c
ome up empty-handed, and I could come back and get Layla to open up the buildings.
I was already a little tired from the flight. It took quite a bit of magic to get us here. But I wasn’t half as exhausted as I was before when we first arrived at the giants’ village.
Walking through the city was like exploring a ghost town. It was eerie and quiet. Every step I took sounded louder than it should. Only because I was the only living person there. I had air circling me, giving me enough oxygen to breathe, but I tried to keep it to a minimum to conserve my energy. I still needed to fly back to the giants’ village, and after that, I was hopeful that I’d be leading a contingency of giants back to the portal to Earth. If I needed another nap first, I’d take it. But with events continuing to progress on Earth, both my legal situation and whatever Brightborn was scheming in his effort to establish a global government, the longer it took to get back, the more complicated both situations might be.
It was easy to see where the magic still lingered. One of the courts, outside where I guessed the elven royals must’ve previously lived, had a few trees in bloom—beautiful, multicolored blossoms representing all the colors of the rainbow. From a distance, it looked like a Skittle tree.
I had a sudden urge to taste the rainbow. I was hungry. The tree had fruit. Small, round fruit resembling young apples that were not yet ripe. I didn’t know if they were edible, but they did look delicious. Tempting, but if they weren’t edible, I wasn’t prepared to handle diarrhea. Especially since I had no idea where the closest elven restroom might be.
I released my magic. The trees apparently provided enough oxygen to make the air breathable.
If fairies were the opposite of nightcrawlers, attracted to magic rather than repelled by it, this was where I’d find them.
I sat down at the base of the tree, leaning against its trunk.
I wasn’t sure of the best way to attract a fairy. On Earth, they’d mess with you if you used magic in an irresponsible way. They’d probably do the same here, but I didn’t want to give them any reason to see me as a foe. I was trying to attract their favor, not just their presence.
I thought about Ensley. Sure, he’d lived most of his life on Earth. He’d pulled his share of pranks on me, and for a time, he’d made my life a living hell. But he had been pure of heart. He’d sacrificed himself for what he knew was true—that Brightborn would be a scourge on the Earth and I offered the planet a better hope.
Somehow, if I could find a fairy here, I’d have to convince them of the same.
I released a few spurts of magic into the air—some of each element. Not enough to tire me out, but something that I hoped might at least get the fairies’ attention.
As I released my magic, it settled into the ground around me. The patches of grass, already green, expanded quickly. Grass doesn’t normally grow so fast, but like before when I'd charged New Albion’s ley lines, the whole place sprouted into life in seconds. Even just a little magic seemed to have the same effect, albeit on a smaller scale.
Surely, the fairies would at least appreciate the fact that I was enlarging what was in short supply—inhabitable, magic-infused land.
I heard a giggle in my left ear.
I turned. A small orb of green light floated there, the frame of a small, female fairy in the middle of it.
She looked at me with wide eyes as her pointy ears wiggled back and forth.
“Hello,” I said.
The fairy cocked her head. “Who are you?”
“A friend,” I said. “I’ve come from Earth. My name’s Caspar.”
“Trixie,” the fairy said. “You are a human?”
I nodded. “I am.”
“Why are you here?” Trixie asked. “This world is failing.”
“I know,” I said. “I’m sorry that’s happening. But I’ve come seeking your help. I was brought here by the Furies.”
Trixie scratched her head. “I’ve never met a Fury. You mean, the Furies are real?”
I nodded. “They do not know the elves. The elves have come to Earth.”
“The elves will destroy your world, Caspar,” Trixie said. “Even as they did this one.”
“That’s why I need you,” I said. “I need a fairy who can tell the Furies of the Earth the truth.”
Trixie shook her head. “I’m just a girl. A young fairy. Why would they listen to me?”
I shrugged. “Because you’ve seen things that the fairies on Earth haven’t. We need you, Trixie.”
The fairy buzzed around me. I extended my hand, and she rested in my palm. Then, she gasped.
“You have magic, human,” Trixie said. “More than you just cast here.”
I nodded. “I do.”
“Do all humans?” Trixie asked.
“As far as I know, I’m the only one.”
“So you are the one?” Trixie asked. “The one meant to heal the divide between our kind?”
I shrugged. “I haven’t heard that version of the prophecy. But I’m told that I’ve been chosen to unite all the races, all peoples.”
Trixie climbed up my arm and put her hand on my cheek. “I sense something else. Your soul is bound to…”
“To Layla Brightborn. And also, to one of the drow on Earth.”
Trixie yanked her hand away. “You’ve bound yourself to an elf? Why would you do that?”
“She’s not like the others,” I said. “Neither of these elves are. They are more like what elves used to be. A long time ago. When you all first came to this world.”
Trixie bit her lip. “I don’t know…”
“Have you ever met any of Earth’s fairies?” I asked. “Some of them were here, for a while, working with the elves.”
Trixie nodded. “They are… different than us. They would not listen to what we said. Why should these Furies be any different?”
“I don’t know,” I said, nodding. “But I know that we have a better chance of saving our world with your help, Trixie.”
“My help? But if I went with you, I would be alone.”
“How many of you are there here?” I asked.
“Not many,” Trixie said. “Especially now that this world's magic has failed.”
“You could all come with me,” I said. “If not now, then after you come with me and see what I say is true. You could save them all, Trixie.”
Trixie scratched the back of her head, glitter flying out of her green hair as she did. “No offense, but we’ve often been deceived by the elves. Trusting others, particularly since humans and elves are not all that dissimilar, is not easy.”
“I get it,” I said. “I had a fairy friend before. He connected to me, somehow. He burrowed into the back of my neck. It’s how he knew my thoughts. He trusted me to the point that he tried to lead the fairies against the elves.”
“You said tried.”
I shook my head. “He failed. The other fairies, even though he was their king, killed him.”
“And this is supposed to be an attractive proposition?” Trixie asked.
“He didn’t have information he could use to appeal to the Furies. All he had was my mind, my intentions. But you are a witness to what the elves did to New Albion.”
Trixie pressed her lips together. “If I were to do this, you would have more power, too. Even after I left you. How can I agree to this if I do not yet trust you? And how can I come to trust you if I do not do as you propose?”
“I suppose you’ll have to decide for yourself if you can put enough faith in me to make it happen. The very fact that I’m here in New Albion suggests that what I told you is true. One of the Furies sent me here. Her portal remains open, awaiting our return.”
“I’ll do this, and if what you say is true, you’ll return so that I can bring the rest of my people back with you to Earth?”
I smiled, extended my hand with my pinky finger extended. “Do fairies make pinkie promises?”
“Do we ever!” Trixie exclaimed, wrapping herself around my finger. “It means i
f you aren’t telling the truth, I get to take your pinkie!”
“It what?” I asked. I would have yanked my pinkie away from her, but she was so wrapped around it there wasn’t any way, minus grabbing her with my opposite hand and pulling her off to stop her.
Trixie giggled. “I’m messing with you, human. What would I ever do with a human pinkie?”
I took a deep breath and exhaled in relief. “Good, I’m rather attached to it myself.”
Trixie cocked her head. “Was that supposed to be a joke?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Sorry. I know it’s not the best…”
Trixie snorted and started laughing. “’I’m rather attached to it myself!’ Oh boy! That’s a good one!”
“I know,” I said. “I’m something of a comedy genius.”
“I’d believe it!” Trixie exclaimed.
She’d soon find out that my jokes were lame, and at least on Earth, elicited more groans than laughs. But for now, I’d take it. I once saw a statistic that more than sixty percent of men believed they’d be great at standup comedy if given a chance. Every man thinks he’s hilarious. I’d had enough time preaching and hearing my jokes fall flat on the congregation to know better. If people laughed, it was at my expense when they saw how awkward I looked, starting to chuckle at my own jokes when no one else was laughing.
With the pinkie promise in the books—even if my fifth phalange wasn’t on collateral—Trixie burrowed herself into the back of my neck.
I felt a sharp pain, which was quickly assuaged by the fairy’s soothing, healing magic.
I didn’t have anything to hide. Not from Trixie. Not from anyone. In AA, I’d done a thorough fourth step. I cataloged my character defects obsessively. Then, as the steps indicate, I shared them openly with another human being. Now, I was engaged in the manner of living that the Big Book demands—rigorous honesty. Perhaps that was why, ultimately, something about that lawyer we’d hired rubbed me the wrong way. I didn’t want a pardon. I wanted an acquittal. I wanted the truth to be known, God’s honest truth to be out and in the light. Sure, I felt guilty about Fred’s death because I’m a human being. But I also knew, at the end of the day, it was Brightborn who was ultimately responsible.
Junkyard Dogma (The Elven Prophecy Book 4) Page 17
