by Valia Lind
"I thought you were a fire elemental," Julian comments, his face a mixture of confused and awed. He must not have seen my magic flair up last night, before the wings appeared.
"Up until a few months ago, I was." Derek doesn't comment, but he looks a bit proud of me. Or maybe I'm making that up.
"We have to move. We don't know how long the water will keep them at bay," he says, and Julian and I move immediately. I have no idea how the water knows what I intend for it to do, but it stays up, like a wall, as we run farther into the forest.
Magic has always been led by emotion, but now, it's like I have an extra layer of connection between me and it. This is something I'll have to ponder when I have more time. All three of us look like we've been through a ringer, but no major injuries, as far as I can tell.
It's a few minutes before I feel the magic drop off somewhere behind me. I'm not sure how I can feel it, but I know the water has receded.
"They'll be on us soon," I manage, as we run, "The magic didn't stay up."
Derek doesn't answer right away, as we weave and out of the trees. Between the fighting, and the fact that the forest adds an extra layer of exhaustion to our bones, I'm surprised we're moving this fast. But just when I think we might have a shot at this, something changes.
The air in front of us shimmers, like a ripple in the air, coming straight down from the sky. There's no time for us to slow down or change direction.
"Derek, what's happening?" I shout just as the anomaly swallows us whole.
I expect to fall through, but I'm still standing when the lights dissipate. Spinning around, my eyes zero in on Derek and Julian, and I breathe a sigh of relief. At least I'm not alone.
When I finally focus on our surroundings, whatever question I had on my lips dies.
We're still in the forest. I think. But everything is different.
The trees surround us just like they did before, except now, they look almost—rotten. Taking a step forward, I reach out to touch the bark, when my hand is snatched back. I look up to find Derek right beside me, his hand on my wrist.
"I wouldn't."
He watches me steadily, the hit of his fingers on my skin, and something passes between us. It feels almost like the comradeship we developed back at the cabin. But then, he drops my hand and it's gone.
"What is this place?"
Julian comes to stand beside Derek, as I ask, and the two exchange a glance. I expect one to speak up, but they don't. This whole secrets keeping shtick they have going on has got to stop. Exhausted, in more ways than one, I place my hands on my hips as I stare them down.
"Both of you need to learn how to speak up. Because if I have to continuously deal with these side glances, I'm going to start throwing punches." There's just enough annoyance in my voice to make it tougher than it usually sounds, but I try not to grin. "Well?"
"It's not that we don't want to tell you," Julian begins, as Derek makes the most un-fae snort I've ever heard. Julian and I both stare at him as if he's lost his mind. "Fine, apparently we don't want to tell you," Julian continues. "But having too much information, when we have no idea how your magic will react to any of it, is kind of dangerous."
"Good point, but there has to be a way around that. I'm not walking around this...wasteland blindly."
I can smell it now, the potent stink of rotting ground and trees and well, everything. It fills the air with heaviness unlike anything I've ever felt before. If I'm right, I think the very left over leaves on these trees are spoiled.
"Wasteland is a pretty accurate description," Derek throws over his shoulder, as he moves forward. Julian and I don't hesitate to follow, even though I'm more than annoyed with him now. Secrets get people killed. I've read enough of our history to know that. I need information.
"Okay cool. Now tell me where are we?"
"The forbidden forest."
"Is it forbidden because it stinks?" I can't help but ask, as we push past some bushes, that I try very hard not to touch.
Derek ignores my question, of course.
"It doesn't matter where we are, as much as when."
"Wait, what?" I freeze in my tracks, eyebrows raised. Derek and Julian do their whole side glance, as I roll my eyes.
"Don't freak out," Julian begins, which makes me a little more mad at him than I was a few seconds ago, "Don't let your magic react in anyway."
"Stop talking to me like I'm a child and tell me what's going on!"
"The forbidden forest is full of time loops," Derek says, waving a hand in Julian's direction, as if telling him to stand down.
"Time loops?"
"Yes. The concept is the same as a regular portal, except the destination is another time."
"So what time is this?" I wave my hand around the dying forest.
"A time when the Ancients win."
Whatever snide remark I may have had dies on my lips. I stare at the trees in front of us, cracked and weathered by a storm I haven't yet seen. The sap pours through the cracks, as of the tree itself is crying.
"Does that mean we lose?" I barely get the question past my lips, the tightness in my chest intensifying. Derek is in front of me in a flash, looking down into my face.
"No, this is just one possibility. There is no future that is set in stone. Every decision changes the outcome."
I look up at him, pushing the air into my lungs. I hate to admit it, but his presence is calming. It's been this way since the moment we went into hiding together. No matter how much I wish that wasn't the case.
"What choices lead us here?"
"That's the tricky part. We don't know. And we don't have a way to get out of here, unless we find another one of the time loops."
"So we're stuck here?" I manage to keep my voice from rising. The magic inside of me is twisting every which way, asking if there's a way it can help. But I can't exactly let it free, when I have no idea what it actually does anymore.
"Only for a short time," Julian speaks up, over Derek's shoulder. But my eyes are still on the fae in front of me. There's emotion in his eyes once more, a reassurance he's trying to show by letting down his guard. And I can't look away. I feel his presence in every cell of my body, and I feel calm.
"We should get moving though. We don't know what waits in these shadows." Derek finally says, and all I can do is nod.
Chapter 5
We've been walking for a while when the forest falls away suddenly and we find ourselves staring at the open landscape in front of us. And it's burning.
The heavy smell in the air comes from the fires that fill the space before our eyes. The forest should keep going, that much I can tell. But it's been cut down by the awfulness of the flames. And the sight breaks my heart.
Derek and Julian stand on each side of me, and when I glance at them, I see the shock and pain on their faces. This is their home in ruins. A future that's a clear possibility.
The flames cast colors and shadows across the scorched ground. Seeing no other way around, Derek gives Julian and I a nod, and we step forward. If anyone looks over and see us, we probably look like three avenging angels, walking through the hellfire. The guys stay on constant alert, their eyes darting in every direction. But I'm having a difficult time concentrating on anything, as I feel a sadness inside of me, more overwhelming than ever before.
With each step, it seems to weigh heavier on me. When the tears come, I have no power to stop them.
Derek notices right away. In a blink of an eye, he's in front of me, reaching for my upper arms.
"Avery, what is it? What's wrong?"
"I don't know," I hiccup over my words, trying to blink the tears away. As I raise my head, I feel the tips of my ears tingle, then a flash of bright light around us, before it's gone.
"Avery, your wings. It's your magic—“ Julian speaks up, before stopping abruptly. Because I feel it. It's not me crying, it's the earth beneath my feet. When my knees give out, Derek is there to catch me.
"She's so sad," I m
umble, leaning against Derek, as he wraps his arms around me to keep me against his chest. "Can you feel it? She's crying and burning, a thousand degrees of agony."
The space around us lights up once more, as my wings shimmer in and out of sight. But I can't stop the tears that pour out of me long enough to fight the magic or the pain. It's like my body isn't my own anymore.
"Derek, we have to move," I hear the urgency in Julian's voice, but it seems so far away, as if he's in another world and I'm still stuck here.
"Derek, now! We have to move!"
The urgency in Julian's words seem to reach through the fog and I raise my head, just as Derek pulls me up beside him. That's when I hear it. The stomping of feet. Turning my head, I glance behind us and I see them.
Trolls. Or what used to pass for trolls.
Derek half carries, half drags me along as we try to put more distance between us. There are many creatures that I've only ever read about, but these seem like they went through a mutation. With the way the land is around us, maybe I'm not that surprised.
Both boggarts and trolls hunt in packs and they seem to thrive in this forest.
The movement, and the danger at our backs, seems to have shaken me from whatever emotional stupor I've fallen into and I find my footing once more. Derek glances at me, as I begin keeping pace with him, flashing me a quick smile.
"They're too fast!" I shout, as I risk another glance behind. The worst of it is that we have no where to hide. The space in front of us is wide open, and mostly on fire. We'll have to go through all that to get to the other side. And we have no idea what's waiting out there.
"We need to—“ Derek begins, but whatever he was going to say is lost on me as something drops down on my back, bringing me to the ground.
"Avery!"
I hear the shouts, but I'm too focused on the weight on top of me. Twisting, I try to throw it off, and realize it's one of the trolls. He must've taken a running start and then leaped. He's only about half my size, but heavy. Like he's filled with rocks.
"Get off!" I shout, trying to drag him off me, but he won't budge. He scratches at me, and I raise my arms to block him, as I try to push him away. It's the weight of him that keeps him solidly planted on top of me, no matter how much I try to wiggle free.
Then, Derek is there, and the troll flies off, landing a few feet away. He's completely enraged, as he shouts, the spit flying all around him. Derek drags me to my feet once more and then, we can't run. The trolls are there.
"Here," Derek thrusts a sword into my hands and I grab it automatically. Here's hoping the few lessons I've had are enough. Derek is at my back, and so is Julian. We create a small circle, as the trolls surround us. Derek tries talking to them, speaking a language I don't understand, but it just causes them all to scream louder.
"Aim for their feet. Their skin is too thick to cut through easily," Derek shouts to be heard over the noise. "Cut at the ankles or over the toes. It'll slow them down."
There isn't much more to say after that, and even though I have questions, I can't ask them. The trolls jump at us and all I can do is swing my sword.
For creatures who are stocky and heavy, they seem to be very agile. My movements, and that of the guys, carry us apart as I try to do what Derek said. But it's not easy.
Between the screaming they emit, and the smell all around me, I feel disoriented. And weaker than I've been in a while. The fit of tears and pain I went through hasn't left, just diminished. All of this is too much. It's like every sense is being bombarded.
I swing my sword again, this time connecting with one of the trolls and the scream that leaves his large mouth almost sends me on my back. Instead, I push through and swing again, catching another one.
But the trolls keep coming. Their large teeth snap close to my skin, as if they want to take a piece of me. Which actually makes sense if they're rabid. Which they seems to be.
Just then, I hear a yell and I turn to see Julian get taken down by three of them. They pin down his arms, as one takes a big bite out it. The scream shatters through every emotion I'm experiencing, and then my magic is there.
My feet propel me toward Julian the same moment I feel the rush of power. When I swing my sword at the creatures, it's fueled by the magic. I manage to get all three of them off, before Derek reaches us. We pull Julian to his feet, as his arm drips with blood.
The trolls seem to be multiplying. There's no way we're getting out of here. We need one of those ripples to show up now and take us back to our time. But then Derek does something that surprises me.
"Hold onto him," he says, pushing Julian towards me, and I just have enough time to grab him around the waist. There's not much distance between us and the trolls now and it seems the no matter how many we cut down, three take the place of one. Derek motions me back and I drag Julian with me, as I watch Derek take a deep breath.
Then, the fae kneels down, thrusting his hands into the dying earth. I can't see his face, but somehow, I think his eyes are closed. There's a moment of silence, as if the whole world is holding her breath to see what he'll do. And then, there's a roar.
The dirt seems to rise like a wave in front of Derek, rushing up and and up and up. He doesn't move, he doesn't speak, and then, the earth falls. The wave of dirt rolls, pushing forward, and I can't see the trolls anymore. All I see is descending dirt.
Derek stands, and without a backwards look, rushes toward us, grabbing Julian from me. I stare at the fae in awe, but now is not the time for questions. He pulls Julian away and I rush after him.
When I glance behind us, I see nothing but piles of dirt.
We move as quickly as we can, with Derek half carrying Julian. The heaviness of the land is pressing on my heart, and the strong emotions I experienced earlier are threatening to come up. It takes everything in me not to stop, not to slow us down. All I want to do is lay down in the midst of this dirt and weep.
For the loss of her magic. For the loss of her beauty.
My beautiful Faery.
My beautiful Faery.
My beautiful Faery.
"Avery!"
I glance up at Derek's tone, and the twinge of panic in it.
"What is it?"
"You went somewhere again. We have to keep going."
I don't even realize we stopped. These random spacing our episodes...I have no explanation for them and I wish there was a way I can control them. Especially right now. Derek waits for me to explain, but I just nod and rush off after him.
"Those were unlike any trolls I've ever seen."
"Just like the boggarts," Julian comments. He's covered in sweat, his arm bleeding again. He's still moving, as he leans on Derek, but this position compromises us. If we get attacked right now, I'd have to fight them off, and I have no idea if I'm capable.
"What do you mean?"
"There's something wrong with them. The species isn't how they used to be."
The Ancients. That's got to be it. They're messing with the natural order of things, and that includes the creatures that leave in these forests.
I'm on a rollercoaster of emotion and magical discovery. No one should be near me right now. Especially in a life or death situation. Taking a deep breath, I try to stay focus. If I let my mind wander, then I'll start feeling everything, and if that happens, we're in trouble. Well, more trouble than we've been.
"Do you have any idea where we are?" I ask, as I study our surroundings, looking for the next attack. The sight of the trees, rotting from the inside out, break my heart. There is no leaves on them, the branches bare and fragile.
"None of this looks familiar."
I was hoping that's not the case. Wherever the time jumping ripple dropped us, it's not familiar to either fae to be much of use. We're walking around blindly.
"Maybe I can try something," I say, the idea popping into my mind out of nowhere. Derek stop, depositing Julian carefully to the ground. Both of the fae looking at me in question, waiting for me to go on.
"Don't ask me what made me think of it, but can I feel the ground? And maybe search for something within it? I'm so connected to her," a tear slips down my cheek and I wipe it away quickly. "Maybe I can find something."
"Using your magic—“
"You just used your magic," I interrupt, because Derek can deliver another speech on my unstable magical abilities. I still have questions about him being able to do that, but now is not the time.
"It's not the same."
"No, it's not. I didn't even know you could do that. But something is telling me I can do this, so you know what, I'm not asking for your permission."
I drop down to my knees immediately, thrusting my hands into the ground. Derek is there in a flash, reaching for me, but I bat his hand away.
"It's too dangerous."
"You have to stop trying to protect me from everything." I look him dead in the eye. "I can't keep walking around on eggshells, waiting for my magic to do something else I've never seen before. This way, at least I'm trying to learn to control it. You have to trust me to take care of myself."
There is a lot of emotion behind my words, and if asked, I'll blame it on my connection to this broken land. But if I'm honest with myself, right here and right now, I need Derek to believe in me.
He stares into my eyes for a long moment, before finally nodding his head.
"I'll be right here."
He moves only a fraction of a foot away, staying on the ground near me. I glance over at Julian, who's watching me steadily and then, I let my magic dive.
It pours from inside my being into my hands and then into the ground. I close my eyes, pulling on that connection I feel to the land and on the magic that's been brewing inside of me. When the two are called up, I push my intention into the mixture. This is not the way I was taught to do magic, but it feels right somehow. So I let my instincts guide me.
