by Valia Lind
And then, after I think this won't work, I see it.
I open my eyes slowly, "I know where we need to go."
Chapter 6
The fae don't question me. Derek pulls Julian up to a standing position once more and then I'm the one leading the way. The air around us grows heavier, the smoke and ash from the fires dense enough that it's difficult to see past few feet in front of us. It's hard not to cough, but we try to do our best. It wouldn't do us any good to give up our position. I'm hoping if we can't see the creatures, they can't see us.
After what seems like forever, I feel it. Pivoting to the left, I pick up the speed, and then the smoke clears and there it is.
"Avery?" Derek says, looking at the large house in front of us.
"We're going in."
"Are you sure it's a good idea?"
I glance over my shoulder, and there's no hesitation in my voice when I reply with a, "Yes."
I think they'll argue farther, but they don't.
The building is a two story structure, with an almost Grecian architecture to it. There are long columns of what once was white marble on each side of the door, as well as imbedded into the front, beside the windows. Most of the windows are intact, from what I can see, and they are long and narrow.
The door opens without a creek, and I step in cautiously. The foyer opens up before me, with a large staircase in the middle, leading up to the second floor. Doorways are on each side of the foyer, leading to opposite side of the house.
I let my magic out, hoping it would tell me of any danger, but I don't feel anything specific. Granted, this is not something I've tried before, so I could be wrong. But I have to trust that the land lead me here for a reason. Looking over my shoulder, I motion the guys in.
Once inside the building the air isn't much better. We deposit Julian against the wall in the foyer and I drop down to my knees next to him to assess the damage. He's bleeding pretty profusely and it's not like I have a first aid kit with me. Wait, maybe I do.
I pull my bag forward, but when I rummage through it, there's no antibiotics or bandages inside. I guess that's not something fae pack when they go on a long trip. And of course I didn't think about it.
"I don't know how to help you," I tell him, and he shakes his head looking up at Derek. I glance between the fae, furrowing my brow in confusion. "If you have something to say, gentlemen, then out with it." The amount of secrets they keep from me is really astounding.
"It's not something I've done in ages," Derek comments, his full attention on Julian, like I'm not even there.
"I'm willing to take that risk."
The fae points to his jacket, the left arm completely soaked through with his blood. I don't even know what we'll see when we take it off. I realize I need to find a way to at least clean it, and since no one is sharing anything with me, I'll do what I can. We do have some water left over.
"Lean forward, Julian," I say, reaching for his jacket. He doesn't hesitate to obey, and with his lips right over my shoulder, I hear his sharp breath intake the moment he starts pulling his jacket off.
"The other side first," I say. Julian shrugs his arm out of the right sleeve, and then I gently move to help tug his left one off. The blood is heavy, making the material stick to his skin.
I have very basic first aide knowledge, just enough that I know it needs to be cleaned and pressure put on it, or it'll keep bleeding. It would be helpful to have one the healer witches here now.
Julian jerks from the pain, and I stop pulling. "I'm sorry."
"Not your fault," he replies, his teeth clammed together. He's more pale than even ten minutes ago, sweat dripping down the sides of his face. I manage to get the jacket completely off, and thankfully, he has a t-shirt under. His upper arm is a complete mess. I have to roll up the sleeve only a little, but it looks exactly like what it is. Like someone took a chunk out of his skin. The teeth marks are clearly displayed, and I can see almost all the way down to his bone. It looks even worse than I imagined.
“Avery—"
"Is your blood...bubbling?" I reach over to touch it, but he catches my hand in his other one.
"Troll bites can be poisonous."
That nearly stops my breath right there.
"I don't think simple pressure is going to fix this." I say, my heart heavy with the idea of losing Julian. Knowing that he can bleed out in my arms is all most too much to take.
"Isn't there some magic you fae have that will help fix this? No healing abilities?"
"Not unless you have shifter blood in you too, but even that is rare." Derek replies, and that gives me another idea.
"Is there something I can do? I have shifter blood, right?"
"It doesn't work like that, Avery," Julian places a hand over my own, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"Don't do that," I snap, yanking my hand back. "Don't look like you're over here, saying your last goodbye. There has to be something." I don't miss the way his eyes slide over to Derek's for a second, so I jump to my feet. Something passed between them earlier, and they didn't want to go into it. Well, tough luck. We're getting into it now.
"You. There's something you can do. What is it?"
Derek doesn't move away as I march up to him, only a few feet between us. He gives me a cold look, which makes him more fae somehow, but I'm not intimidated. Maybe I should be. But I'm already dealing with a lot. I'm not about to deal with their crap either.
"What. Is. It?" I repeat, this time a little slower. "Should I act it out too or can you understand the three simple words?"
His eyes flash, in annoyance or anger, I'm not sure. And I don't care.
"Your habit of keeping me out of the loop needs to end. Right here and now. Julian is dying. So whatever it is that you both," I turn and glare at Julian, before looking back at Derek, "are keeping to yourself, isn't worth it. Not if it makes him lose his life."
"It's ancient magic, Avery. Something that the royal blood possesses, but isn't exactly practiced," Derek says, his voice as cold as his eyes. There's more to it, of course. It's like pulling teeth with these two.
"Do you want Julian to die?"
There's a moment of silence, where the only sound is our breathing, and the drip of Julian's blood on the dark floor.
"I do not."
Three words, but they're the ultimate truth.
"Then, do something."
Derek gives me another long look, before moving to kneel near Julian.
"Are you sure about this?" He asks, looking the other fae in the eye.
"Yes."
I'm not exactly sure what I'm witnessing, but then, Derek takes Julian's mangled arm into his hands and closes his eyes. For a long time, nothing happens. It's the dormant part of the magic that's reawakening. I've heard of hidden or buried powers. Well, I also have one. So I wait, even as Julian begins to breathe heavier.
Then a soft glow illuminates Derek. He seems to be glowing from the inside out. I hold my breath, as I wait for whatever it is that's going to happen. The glow stays around Derek, and then, it seems to move into Julian. The moment it shift, Julian screams.
I drop down beside him immediately, but I can't touch him. I don't want to make it worse, whatever is happening.
"Derek, you're hurting him."
"I have to."
Horrified, I watch as Derek pins Julian down, the screams of the fae echoing all around us and then the glow burst from inside of Julian's wound and I fall back away from them. It seems to take forever, but then Julian stops screaming and the light goes out like a candle. He slumps down, completely knocked out, as Derek sits back on his heels.
"Derek, is he—?”
"He'll be fine. He just needs to rest."
Derek sounds like he's just run a marathon, and when he stands, he doesn't meet my eye, simply walks out of the room. Glancing over at Julian, I watch as his chest rises and falls and sigh in relief.
I stand and make sure Julian is laying down comfortably, before I go and fi
nd Derek.
I find him in one of the rooms down the hall. There's still furniture here, although I don't think I'd want to sit on any of it. It's covered in enough dust and decay that it would crumple under a feather of a touch.
Derek is standing near one of the long, narrow windows, his gaze on something outside. Not that he can see much. The ash and smoke has somehow gotten heavier.
"Are you okay?"
It's not the question I was going to ask, but it's out before I can stop it. I think I surprise him too. He turns to glance at me as I come up to stand beside him, and I notice he's a bit sweaty too.
"I'm fine."
"Is that a real fine or a fine that will stop me from asking more questions?"
"Well, clearly the latter isn't working."
I smile a little, despite myself. There's a softness about him right now, that I'm not sure what to do about.
The way he is surprises me on the daily. He's unlike everything I've ever learned about fae and I'm not sure what to do with that information.
"It's been a long time since I've done that," Derek finally says, looking back out into the ashy forest.
"Can you tell me what you did?"
At first, I don't think he will.
"I transferred some of my essence into him. Shared a part of me."
"Wait, I don't understand. I've never heard of that before."
"It's from old magic. It's how the rulers gained their power. They had an ability to heal their people. Wouldn't you want a king on the throne who could do that?"
"You sound bitter."
"Maybe I am."
"Your mother." I don't even have to ask, because I know that's what this is about. She's been the queen for a very long time. Longer than my human brain can comprehend. She doesn't seem like someone who had healed anyone.
"She would never and has forbidden me to do so. When a part of the essence is transferred, a part of your time is given away. I feel tired right now, but that will go away with time."
"Wait, you mean, you'll die faster now?" My heart squeezes at the thought, but I try not to show it. I don't need him seeing just how much that distresses me. And I definitely will need to deal with those feelings as well. Anyway.
"No one knows how much time is given away. Fae live for a long time. A little shorter isn't so bad."
There's almost a touch of sadness in his voice, but I don't think he'll appreciate me catching that.
"Is that why you were reluctant to do it?"
There's another long pause, before he turns to me and replies.
"No. Anytime I use my magic, the queen can tell. It's a spell—more like a curse—she put on me a long time ago. While I can prevent it when I'm in the human world, here? We're still in Faery. If she senses we're in the forbidden forest...it won't end well for us."
"She's tracking you?" When I think the fae have reached their limit on the mind boggling, there's another tier. Derek nods and I honestly don't even know what to feel about that. I have a hundred questions, but maybe now isn't the best time. I decide to change gears.
"You say we're in Faery, just in a different time—“
"Yes."
"Could you explain it a bit better? If we're stuck in a time and place that's a future possibility, does anything we do affect...anything?" I ask, trying to wrap my mind around it all.
"No. It's the future. As long as we don't magically alter anything that can track back to the past, we'll be fine."
"That almost makes sense," I say, sighing. This place is giving me a headache. I'm not sure if it's the weird magic, or if it's just the heaviness of the place, but I'm ready to get out of here.
"So how do we return?"
"We need to find a portal ripple."
"Like the anomaly that swallowed us and brought us here in the first place?" I throw my hands up in the air. "Of course, why wouldn't that be the way to go?"
"It won't be the same one. And—“
"What? Don't stop now."
"The ripples are many, which means so are the timelines. We might not end up where we need to be right away."
"Cool. This is getting better by the minute."
"We'll get out of here, Avery." Derek's voice is full of conviction, and yes I do believe him. Especially considering fae can't lie. But I'm still frustrated by the whole thing.
"I need a minute."
He opens his mouth to protest but then doesn't. Smart fae. He's learning.
The emotional weight of this place is really getting to me all of a sudden, so I leave Derek standing near the window and walk back out into the hallway.
I'm restless.
I'm confused.
I'm sad.
That last one is purely because of what I just learned about Derek and I don't want to keep feeling sympathy for the prince. Ever since I've known him, he's done things that are questionable. I'm sure he's done plenty of other things I don't want to know about as well. But somehow, I'm still drawn to him. To this side of him.
The protector.
And that's dangerous. I had to walk away from him or I wouldn't done something I regretted. Like reaching over and holding him close, somehow thinking my touch could protect him from his monster of a mother. Or maybe he can protect me from the reality of this place. I'm all over, up and down, side to side, trying to control all of these emotions and thoughts.
It doesn't seem to be working.
Chapter 7
I end up upstairs. After checking to make sure Julian is still resting, I take the grand staircase to the second floor. I'm not really looking for anything specific, I just need a moment to clear my head.
Everything has been happening so fast and the toll it's taking on me, it's not something I can even describe to myself.
One minute, I'm strong and ready to take on the world.
The next, I want to weep my heart out.
My mother would probably call it hormones. The shifter gets those mood swings real bad, especially in the early years. But this seems like more somehow.
I must find a way to keep a lid on the madness going on inside of me. There are creatures all around us that are waiting to pounce. Julian will hopefully wake up soon. Derek is—well, Derek. I need to hold my grip on reality or I'll be even more useless than I was in the forest with the boggarts.
I really do need to learn more fighting skills. Even with what Derek taught me at the cabin, I'm still too rusty to be of much use.
There are a few doorways in front of me, and none of them seem to have doors. I chose one at random, curious about this place, but mostly just needing the space to wander.
The room is in shadows, only one window present on the opposite wall. There's also what seems to be a fog all around me, and it reaches for me before I realize what's happening. There's a ripple and then I am through.
When I step out of the fog, my surroundings are completely different. Twisting around, I try to look back, but there's just a sheet of white behind me. The doorway is gone and so is the house.
"Derek! Julian!" I call out, but the only answer I receive is my own echo. I try to reach back through the white, but then even that disappears and there's a forest there. Seeing no other option, I move forward.
The trees are no longer dying, and the ground beneath my feet seems fresher somehow. This place feels just as dangerous as the wasteland I left behind, even though I don't smell the ground burning. It looks almost serene, but I know better than to trust that. Looks can and often are deceiving.
These time jumps have to have a way out. I can't be stuck in this constant loop. A movement catches my attention and I swerve in that direction immediately. I'm not about to call out a hello, but I will see if someone other than me is actually here.
The fog dissipates suddenly, and I find myself in a courtyard. It's similar to the one at Queen Svetlana's castle, but also different somehow. The trees here are larger, reaching so high into the sky that I can't see it. The flowers bloom in the darkness, but they grow right out
of the tree bark, instead of the ground. The space around the trees is lost to the darkness, so I can't see the shape of it.
I move forward, but then stop. My feet are cocooned in something and when I glance down I find myself in a pink ball gown. My hands roam over my body to see if it's real, and it is. The skirt is full and cinched at the waist. The front is low cut and my shoulders are bare. My hair is down, falling in soft waves over my back and I'm spotless. As if I didn't just come from a raging fire forest.
"You're here."
The voice snaps my head up and I squint through the darkness to find the source of it. I know it, even without having to see him.
"Derek!" I pull up my skirt, rushing towards him as he seemingly materializes from the shadows. He's standing near a tree, and when I reach him the glow from the flowers illuminate his face. He's dress in a dark blue suit, his hair tousled in that sexy way of his and he's just as clean as I am.
"I didn't think you'd show." He continues, when I stop in front of him. My brows furrow in confusion as I look at him. There's genuine emotion on his face, something that nearly takes my breath away. He is never so upfront about them and that's when I realize this is not the Derek of now. It's the Derek of whatever time this is.
And I'm not me either. I'm whoever he expects I am and I can't resist to play along.
"Why did you think I wouldn't?"
He doesn't answer right away, his eyes doing a slow sweep over my face, before he glances down at the dress. When his eyes meet mine again, there's real appreciation in them and it makes my chest hurt. Derek has never looked at me like this in real life. Or my real life I suppose. He takes a step forward, reaching for my hands. Taking both of them in his, he pears into my face, his eyes intense on mine.
"I know things haven't worked out how we planned them. But you have to also know that everything I've done was to protect you. I would never—“ the sadness in his is almost tangible, and his grip on my hands is tight. "Killing them was the only way. You have to know that. They were holding you back. But no more. We can rule now. Their blood is on my hands, but her blood is on yours. We're the perfect match, don't you see? We're—“
