“What do you want?” Taliya demanded.
The man cocked his head slightly. “Don’t you recognize me, dear?”
“Stop calling me ‘dear.’”
He chuckled, and for just a moment, his eyes flickered yellow before returning to their natural color. What was that? An enchantment? A spell he was able to place on her without uttering a word?
“No,” Taliya said in answer to his question. “I don’t recognize you.”
He moved his head from side to side and rolled his shoulders. Then he seemed to … melt. His form shifted and twisted, and within seconds he’d become a dark, flapping creature. A bird with mean, yellow eyes. It swooped toward her, just as it had done this morning outside the wall.
She ducked down with a yelp, cringing as feathers swiped against her head. When she looked up, he stood before her once again in faerie form. A single word sat upon Taliya’s tongue: shapeshifter. She hadn’t expected to ever meet one. They were rare. An anomaly. And until now she hadn’t known they could shift into animal forms as well as other people.
“What do you want?” she asked through bared teeth.
“Money,” the man said simply. “Isn’t that what everyone wants?”
“Money?” Taliya spat the word out as if it were dirty. That’s what this was about? Nothing more than money?
“Do you have any idea how rich your father is?” the shapeshifter replied.
She didn’t. Not exactly. She knew his wealth amounted to a great deal, but she had no idea of the actual numbers. “There are plenty of rich fae out there. Why target my family? Or are we just the unlucky bunch you randomly selected?”
“Well, let’s see. There’s a party tonight, which makes it a little easier than usual to get in.” He tapped his chin. “Oh yes,” he exclaimed, as if suddenly remembering something. “There is also the tiny fact that your father is responsible for my loss of status and fortune.”
Taliya’s eyebrows pulled together. “What do you mean?”
“A business deal gone bad,” the shapeshifter said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “No need to go into the details. I’m sure it would all go straight over your pretty head. The point right now is that I’m holding you for ransom.”
“But you’re inside my house,” Taliya said. “It doesn’t seem like this is going to work out well for you.”
“True. But that’s because it was your thoughts that ended up directing us through the faerie paths and not mine. You must have been thinking very firmly of home, my dear.”
Taliya couldn’t remember what she’d been thinking of as they fell into the faerie paths, but if she could run past the shapeshifter and get to the door in time, she might be able to get away before he took her anywhere else.
“I wouldn’t try it,” the shapeshifter said as he watched her gaze stray past him. “You won’t get far, and I’ll have to hurt you, which I don’t want to do. Come with me quietly, and I’ll treat you well until your father hands over the ransom.” He held his hand out toward her. “This whole exchange can be civilized as long as you don’t—”
A splintering crash broke through the quiet as the music room door was blown open. Above them, two figures dropped from the ceiling—Nik and Sasha—as several guards rushed into the room, their glittering weapons raised. The shapeshifter reacted instantly. He tugged Taliya against his body. Using her as a shield, he spun around, shooting magic in all directions. As everyone around the room reacted—dodging, shouting, rushing forward—the shapeshifter pushed Taliya away. She caught herself against the edge of a chaise longue and looked back. He was writing the spell for a faerie paths doorway on the rug. Footsteps scuffled across the floor as everyone made a mad dash to get to him.
But they were too late. The shapeshifter leaped into the darkness and vanished a second before anyone could reach him.
Madness followed. The guards threw questions around, and suddenly Taliya’s parents were there too. Her father demanded answers from everyone, and her mother pulled her into a smothering hug. Someone shouted about a disturbance downstairs. As Taliya’s father hurried after the guards and her mother hovered anxiously, Marta ran into the room and Taliya found herself swept into another hug.
“Oh, Marta, I’m so glad you’re here,” Taliya’s mother said. “Please take Taliya to her room while I find out what’s happening downstairs.”
“Mom,” Taliya complained, horrified that she was being treated like a child in the wake of this security breach.
“Please, Taliya,” her mother said. “There’s extra protection around that part of the house. You’ll be safe there while we deal with things downstairs. You can take your friends with you.”
Her friends. Who hadn’t yet said a word to her since they’d arrived in this room. Her friends, who were each still holding some form of glittering weapon. Her friends … whom she suddenly wondered if she knew at all.
And somehow, that was the most shocking part of this evening.
“Fine,” Taliya said quietly. “We’ll wait in my room.”
* * *
The moment Taliya closed her bedroom door, Nik turned to Sasha. “Why was it so easy to pull someone through that wall of trees? That shouldn’t have been possible.”
“I know,” Sasha said. “The decor people maybe. An inside job.”
“And didn’t anyone else see what happened?”
“I don’t think so. I was watching out for Taliya—obviously—but everyone else’s attention was on that silly ice cake. It was already burning, but the whole thing erupted just before Taliya was pulled through the—”
“You’re guardians,” Taliya whispered. Then she cleared her throat and spoke louder, her words an accusation this time. “You’re guardians. I’ve seen those weapons before. Only guardian faeries use them.”
Sasha and Nik looked at her now, and an appropriate amount of guilt appeared on both their faces. Their weapons vanished as they let go of them. “So, um, there are a few things we need to tell you,” Sasha said.
“A few things? You mean there’s more than just the fact that you’ve both been lying about attending normal faerie school? That instead you’re both training to be guardians?”
“Yes,” Nik said carefully. “There is more.”
Taliya turned to him, her frown deepening as her anger grew. “Is this what you were about to tell me earlier?” Ugh, and to think she’d been about to pour her heart out to him, hoping he might possibly do the same. But that conversation was never going to be about their kiss. It would have been all about his lies instead.
“You were going to tell her?” Sasha demanded. “And get us both into trouble?”
“Yes, because I’d rather be in trouble than continue to—”
“Trouble?” Taliya repeated. “Why would you be in trouble? You’d better start explaining everything right now.”
Sasha and Nik exchanged a glance before Sasha crossed her arms and said, “Well, go head, Romeo. You’re the one who wanted to lay it all out there.”
“Who the heck is Romeo?” Taliya yelled.
Nik held his hands up as if to placate her. “Okay, look. No matter how I try to explain this, it’s going to come out sounding terrible, so …”
“So?”
“So your parents have always been worried about your safety. Makes sense, since their first child—”
“I know about that,” Taliya said, waving his words away impatiently. “I might have been a baby at the time, but I know what happened.”
“Okay, so your parents wanted you to have friends, but they also wanted you to have … protectors. Not official bodyguards, because no one wants to be followed around by a guard, but friends who could keep you safe if a situation ever turned south. They decided that friends who were also training to be guardians would be the perfect fit. And both our parents actually know your dad through business dealings, so … that’s how it happened.”
Taliya blinked. “My parents went out and asked you to be my friends?”
/>
Nik nodded slowly. “Pretty much. But then we—”
“Don’t.” Taliya looked away from both of them, not wanting to hear any more. She swallowed and breathed deeply as tears began to ache behind her eyes. Suddenly, standing in a room with the two people who were supposed to be her best friends, she felt more alone than ever.
“We weren’t allowed to say anything,” Sasha added quietly. “Your parents didn’t want you to know. They wanted us all to just be … normal friends. They said that if we told you, they wouldn’t ever allow us back here.”
“Paranoid bastards,” Nik muttered.
“Nik!” Sasha hissed.
Taliya continued to stare at her bed, at the quilted pattern of the covers. She couldn’t think of a single thing to say. What were you supposed to do upon discovering that the people who mattered most to you were actually hired to spend time with you?
“Are you mad at us?” Sasha asked hesitantly.
Taliya couldn’t answer her.
“Told you we should have said something sooner,” Nik muttered. “A lot sooner.”
Taliya pressed her fingers against her temples and groaned. “This is so embarrassing,” she murmured.
“Embarrassing?” Sasha repeated. “But … why? Your parents should be embarrassed for arranging this. We should be embarrassed for not—”
“You guys aren’t even my real friends!” Taliya shouted. “You’re basically, like, employees of my parents. The only thing that could make this worse right now was if my dad paid you to hang out with me.” She lowered her hands to her sides, dread chilling her blood. “Please tell me he’s not paying you.”
“He is not paying us,” Nik said, his tone horrified. “And we are real friends, Taliya. Do you really think Sasha and I could have pretended all this time if we didn’t actually want to spend time with you?”
“I wouldn’t know, would I?” Taliya said as she crossed her arms tightly over her chest. “Apparently I don’t know either of you at all.”
“Well then,” Nick said. “Since we’re on the subject of secrets your parents have been keeping …”
“No.” Sasha turned to him. “Nik, it isn’t our business to say anything about that.”
“But it’s ridiculous that they haven’t told her! What do they hope to—”
“You know what they said. They’re worried she might—”
“They’re messed up! They’re controlling and overprotective, and Taliya’s going to find out at some point anyway, so we should just—”
“TELL ME!” Taliya shouted.
Nik faced her. He took a breath. “There’s another world out there, Taliya.”
Her expression didn’t alter. “Don’t give me nonsense like that, Nik. I’ve had enough.”
“A world without magic.”
She eyed him with suspicion. “What is this insanity you’re talking about?”
Sasha sighed, then said, “It’s true.”
“Our world,” Nik continued, “overlaps with a world that has no magic and is inhabited by humans. Kinda like us, but, you know. No magic. It’s sort of … common knowledge among most fae. Your parents, however, being totally backward and thinking you’d run off to this other world and never come back, decided you didn’t need to know about it.”
A humorless laugh escaped Taliya’s lips. “Another world? That’s preposterous. If it existed, I would know.”
Nik sighed. “I’m not lying to you, Taliya. I know I’ve been lying since the day we met, but I don’t want to do that anymore.”
Taliya swallowed. If this were true—if another whole world really did exist—then how could she have gone so long without knowing? How could her tutor fail to educate her about this? But her tutor had been chosen by her parents. And the only books in the house were the books her parents decided should be here. So maybe … just maybe … “But—that—how does that other world work without magic? How do people travel, or build their homes, or communicate, or … anything?”
“They have other means,” Sasha said. “Other technology. We can take you there. We can show you.”
Taliya began to shake her head. She wasn’t saying ‘no,’ she was just failing to process everything. She lowered herself to the edge of her bed and pressed her fingers to her temples once more. “I can’t take this all in. You’re asking me to believe the impossible.”
Sasha and Nik exchanged a few murmured words, then Sasha turned and left the room. As Nik sat on the edge of the bed beside Taliya, a question occurred to her. “How did you all know I was in the music room?”
Nik paused before answering, which wasn’t a good sign. “The, uh, ring you always wear,” he said. “It can be tracked.”
Taliya looked down at her right hand, at the ring her parents had given her for her tenth birthday. She tugged it off and let it fall to the floor. “Wonderful. My parents trust me even less than I thought.”
“Yeah, they’ve certainly taken overprotective to the next level.”
He didn’t say anything after that, and her mind was stuck trying to imagine a world that existed without magic, so they were quiet for a while. Eventually, after rubbing his hands nervously up and down his thighs, Nik said, “So I’m really hoping you won’t be mad at us for long. That you’ll forgive us for keeping your parents’ ridiculous secrets, and … and things can go back to normal.”
Taliya bit her lip and tried to figure out how she was feeling. “I don’t think I’m mad. I don’t know what I am. I feel betrayed, I suppose. And foolish. And … I don’t know. My world view has shifted. I can’t see anything in the same way anymore, not even you. I keep thinking … there’s another world out there.”
“And how do you feel about … us?”
She blinked. “Us?” With all that had happened and all that had been revealed, she’d almost forgotten that the only thought occupying her mind before the party began was Nik and the kiss they’d shared. “Um …”
He shifted slightly to face her. “When I said I wanted to tell you something earlier, it wasn’t just about all the secrets. It wasn’t just about Sasha and me being guardians and about the existence of a world beyond our own. It was also about … us. You and me. And the kiss on the stairs.”
She found herself wanting to smile, but she pressed her lips together because this didn’t feel like a smile-appropriate occasion. “I would like to talk about that too,” she said. “But not right now. Maybe in a few days when everything you’ve told me tonight has sort of … sunk in.”
“Okay,” he said.
After another pause, she asked, “Do you know a lot about that other world?”
He nodded. “Many of my assignments take place there. Humans need protecting too.”
“Will you take me there? Show me what it’s like?”
“Yes, of course. I’d love to.”
She looked at him, reframing him in her mind based on everything she’d learned tonight. Guardian, protector, fighter—and still a friend. She smiled, reached for his hand, and carefully wove her fingers between his. “Thank you.”
* * *
Later that evening, after all the guests had left and guards were stationed at almost every corner throughout the house, Marta helped Taliya into bed. Taliya knew it was only her imagination and her excitement-induced exhaustion, but as Marta leaned over to kiss her forehead, she could have sworn she saw the woman’s eyes flicker yellow before returning to normal.
Want more magic, intrigue, action and romance from author Rachel Morgan? Start reading her bestselling fantasy series for FREE!
www.rachel-morgan.com
—ABOUT THE AUTHOR—
Rachel Morgan spent a good deal of her childhood living in a fantasy land of her own making, crafting endless stories of make-believe and occasionally writing some of them down. After completing a degree in genetics and discovering she still wasn’t grown-up enough for a ‘real’ job, she decided to return to those story worlds still spinning around her imagination. These days she spends m
uch of her time immersed in fantasy land once more, writing fiction for young adults and those young at heart.
RUNNING TOWARD ILLUMIA
Angel Leya
Chapter One
Astrea stalked the pure white creature, wondering how she would live with herself if she caught it. Unicorns were a rare sight in the Mist. This was the first one she’d ever seen. Vapors swirled away from its glittering silver sword of a horn, as if it had the power to dispel the fog entirely.
A red curl tickled her forehead, sticking to the sheen of sweat. The mud caked on her pale skin was starting to dry and crack, and she longed to scratch it off, but she didn’t dare move a muscle and spook her prey.
Her lungs strained against the warm, wet fog. Taking another careful step forward, Astrea gripped the reed, already loaded with a poisoned dart. She was close enough now, the musty smell of sweaty hide ambling through the still air. Its flank twitched, silky white tail slapping away flies.
Silently, she lifted the reed to her lips, her cheeks filling with air. One shot. She wouldn’t have time for another. Her hand shook. Stay true. For the tribe.
“What was that?”
The voice echoed in Astrea’s ears in an odd sort of way. She tensed, willing herself to pick up on the approaching footsteps, but the forest yielded no unusual sounds. If one of the youngers spooked the unicorn, that would be the end of it. Her face grew hot, her lips and grip tightening, but no further sound came.
The pure white head came up, ears swiveling, big blue eyes trying to penetrate the dense forest and murky air. Astrea said a silent prayer. Please don’t go. The unicorn grunted, then dropped its head to continue grazing on the patch of mushrooms it had found.
No more stalling. Astrea breathed in through her nose, then released the air stored in her cheeks. The dart found its mark in the unicorn’s flank, and the eyes bulged as the unicorn took off. Astrea raced after it. The unicorn wouldn’t make it far, but if she lost sight of it now, she might never find it in the layers of fog and forest. The poison wouldn’t kill the creature – only put it to sleep for a while.
That Moment When: An Anthology of Young Adult Fiction Page 41
