by R L Medina
B’Zahir stood, eyes on the queen who in turn was watching me.
I gaped at her. “You helped us… why? What are you even doing here?”
Her mouth curled into a sneer. “Looking for the elders. They’ve gone missing.”
Her words startled me. The elders missing? Did that mean Mom and the others were here too?
B’Zahir moved toward her. “Missing? When? How?”
She glared at him. “You expect me to believe you had nothing to do with this?”
A numbness filled me. “Do you think… it’s the abyss?”
Their eyes snapped to me.
“What are you talking about, halfling?”
I shook my head. “The abyss. Fae are vanishing.”
Her lips pursed, but she said nothing.
“If they’re gone… how are we going to reseal the barriers?”
They didn’t respond, but I read the dread in their eyes. What other chance did we have to stop the destruction now? I swallowed the lump in my throat and rubbed my bare wrist, glancing at the spot where my charm bracelet had been.
The gravity of our situation was too much to bear and the unknown whereabouts of the others chilled me to the core. My mind was only too happy to conjure the worst possible scenarios. I shook off the fear and scanned the forest, hoping for any sign of life.
“Princess, I’d like to return home. To Liberte. I must find my mother.” Sacha’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
I bit my lip and nodded, banishing any more dark thoughts. We would go to the town and find everyone. Safe. Alive.
The queen glanced at me and back to the Goblin King. I could feel the animosity between them brewing in the air.
I cleared my throat. “My mom… she and Aunt Maloret went to speak with you at the White Court. Did you see them?”
Her eyes slid to mine. “Well, I’m not in the White Court am I, halfling?”
“So that’s a no?”
She blinked at me, distaste written all over her features. Before she could voice her disgust, B’Zahir stepped between us.
“Why did you save us from the changelings?”
It was the question I had myself. If she hated us so much, why hadn’t she let them finish us off?
She lifted her chin. “What would your people think of you now? Not even strong enough to defeat a couple of changelings.”
I scoffed. “More than a couple.”
B’Zahir stilled. His fists clenched by his sides. From the corner of my eye, I saw Sacha move toward me, a hand ready on his weapon. Though I appreciated his loyalty, I knew I didn’t deserve it.
“Do not speak of my people.” B’Zahir’s voice was soft, but the power behind it thrummed through the air.
“We can’t focus on the past right now. Mom and Aunt Maloret were heading for the White Court for a truce. We must find a way to stop the abyss.” I turned my attention to the queen.
I didn’t dare mention Belle. Truth be told, I doubted the wisdom of her showing up and announcing her presence at all, but no one had asked for my opinion.
“A truce? After what you’ve done?” The queen’s eyes narrowed on B’Zahir.
He stepped toward her. “What I’ve done?”
I flinched as his body trembled with rage. His voice echoed through the trees. Sacha placed himself between me and the royals as they faced off. Dread unfurled inside me. I knew B’Zahir wanted justice for what the elves had done, but what happened in the past was done. Nothing he did would change that. We needed to figure out our current problem, and we needed to figure it out together because if not… I didn’t want to think about what would happen to everyone.
“Stop! We have to find the others.” The authority in my voice was startling.
When had I become brave enough or stupid enough to command the queen?
Her icy gaze fell on me, making me cringe. Unlike the other elves, there was something darker, more powerful inside her. Something so entirely not human that it was hard to meet her stare. Pale blonde hair hung down, framing her colorless face. She was a living ice sculpture, her features sharp and striking, a complete embodiment of her power.
A chill had set in. I didn’t know if it was from the queen’s magic or something more sinister. We still didn’t know what the presence of all the changelings meant. Had the abyss opened completely? Where had mom and the others gone?
“Lead the way, halfling. I have longed to see this… town my daughter has so foolishly guarded.”
I blinked in surprise. She’d never referred to Mom as her daughter before. With Belle returned, there was only a matter of time before the truth was revealed and what would the queen do then?
All eyes turned to me, jolting me out of my thoughts. I glanced around the forest, unsure which direction led to Liberte.
“Princess, if you allow me, I will gladly show you the way.” Sacha bowed.
He threw an uneasy glance at the queen before meeting my eyes again. His worry slammed against my barrier. Neither of us wanted to lead the elf queen to the town, but we were wasting valuable time already. We had to find the others.
I nodded to him and let him take the lead, expecting the others to follow. Our footsteps echoed loudly in the silence. The queen’s gown trailed against the forest floor, the scraping sound jarring. Why hadn’t she chosen something more sensible to explore the Gray Court?
“Does he know you are here? Did you come alone?” B’Zahir interrupted the silence.
She shot him a dark look. “The king has other matters to attend. I am the Queen of Feylin, and I fear nothing from the abyss.” The word ended with a hiss.
We fell into silence as Sacha led us forward. His fear grew the further we went, matching my own. B’Zahir brought up the rear, eyes trained on the queen. Though I still didn’t trust him completely despite the idea of my father being a part of him, I was thankful he’d come with us. Even without his full power, he was still a better match for the queen than Sacha or me. Her presence was unnerving and her non answers were not reassuring. If she was telling the truth about the elders that left even more problems.
The forest stretched for what seemed like miles. Without the dryads and the other fae, the forest felt like a graveyard. Silent and still. I forced down the worry stirring inside me. There was still a chance they’d survived. Grimera, Sacha’s mother, and all the others.
My eyes slid to the Goblin King. Was my father inside there feeling just as worried? The Gray Court had been his home. They were more his people than they were mine. His head turned to me, his dark eyes staring back at me. I turned away, fighting the urge to shudder. I’d grown comfortable enough with him, but his hulking physique and hard gaze still made me tremble. I didn’t think I could ever get used to the idea of him as my dad.
Sucking in a breath, I squared my shoulders and faced the path before us. Dread stirred in my gut. I used my power to wave it away, relishing the numbness that filled me instead. Whatever we faced next, I had to be ready for it.
5
My magic stirred within me, the familiar warmth spreading through my body. All at once, without warning, emotions flooded me.
Fear. Anger. Confusion.
I staggered under the weight of these emotions. My heart skipped. The others were here—alive.
We were too far for me to hear their thoughts, but the emotions were strong. I built a barrier against the onslaught.
Turning to Sacha, I smiled. “They’re here.”
He returned the smile, relief pouring from him. I glanced at our companions. B’Zahir met my gaze with an unreadable expression and the queen’s eyes narrowed, making me uneasy. Her presence worried me. Though she’d saved us from the changelings and claimed to be hunting the elders, I didn’t like the idea of leading her straight to town. She was still the enemy.
Pushing away my fear, I quickened my pace. My heavy footsteps echoed in the silent forest. I scanned the trees, hoping to see any sign of life. The familiar gray fog coated the mossy ground and
underbrush and above us giant red-gold leafy canopies stretched out, blocking the sky.
Sacha walked by my side, his thoughts and emotions leaking into the air. He was worried about his mother and his friends. Mom’s face flashed in my mind. Would she be here too? I tried to quell the fear stirring inside. I had to believe she was okay. That she had made it to the White Court and was working with the king now to come up with a plan.
B’Zahir strode forward, taking the lead. The queen stood behind us, scanning the trees. I glanced at Sacha who gave me a grim smile.
The air grew crisper as we neared the town. I spotted the familiar path and memories of my last time there flashed in my mind. So much had changed in such a short time. My eyes swept the trail to the buildings and pond. Where was everyone? The town was silent and empty and if it weren’t for the wave of emotions signaling their presence, I’d think they were all gone.
“Princess, if I may be excused. I must find my mother.” Sacha’s voice startled me out of my thoughts.
I nodded at him and watched as he walked away. Left with the others, I squared my shoulders and glanced around. Why was everyone still in hiding? Did they think we’d come to harm them?
“Hello?” My voice bounced off the trees.
A cool wind whipped through the branches and a familiar translucent figure floated down to me. Relief flooded me.
“Grimera!” I threw my arms around her misty cold figure.
Shivers racked through me as she returned the hug. Releasing me, she wavered in the air before bowing to the others. Her fear spiked through me. It was the first time she’d seen the queen since she’d been imprisoned in the White Court.
I glanced at the elf queen, my fists clenched. I wouldn’t let her hurt Grimera. B’Zahir stepped forward and nodded at the dryad, who—to my surprise—bowed to him as well. With Sacha gone, it was just me and the two powerful immortal enemies. Now that Grimera was there, I could relax a tiny bit.
“What has happened in the Gray Court?” B’Zahir beat me to the question.
The queen watched us from a distance, her face a cold mask of disdain. I steeled myself as we waited for Grimera’s answer. Dread built inside me as her featureless face moved back and forth in distress.
My magic stirred, ready to ease her emotions, but I stopped myself before I unleashed my power. When had manipulating other’s emotions become so easy?
“It’s the changelings. They came from the abyss, altogether and started attacking. We fought them off as much as we could, but more and more kept coming. We had to retreat.”
She wavered in the air. “Not all of us made it.”
Her grief struck me, making my chest constrict. How many had we lost? How many more fae would we lose now if the elders couldn’t help seal the abyss?
“And the last seal?” B’Zahir’s voice boomed.
Grimera flinched. “The elves and unicorns that were holding the last line vanished. Along with many of the dryads.”
Another wave of sorrow crashed into me followed by a numbness. Her words echoed in my thoughts. If the barrier was broken and the elders missing what would we do now? Were we already too late to save Feylin?
B’Zahir whipped toward the queen. “If the abyss has finally cracked, we must find the elders and reseal this. Now.”
Her eyes lit with fury. “You dare to order me, goblin?”
An icy wind whipped around her, blowing strands of her pale blond hair against her face. B’Zahir stood his ground, his own power radiating from him. Grimera shuddered and shrank back, her fear pushing against my barrier.
I fought back my own wave of fear. Now wasn’t the time for them to fight. We had to find a way to save everyone. Nausea churned in my stomach as I thought of the outcome. Although I’d spent such a short time in Feylin, I had come to consider it a home… of sorts. The fae and forest creatures needed us and no matter what the elves had done, I didn’t want to see them destroyed either. Not in a war and not from the abyss. We were fighting an invisible enemy now, one that didn’t distinguish between lesser or higher fae.
It would destroy us all.
“I have been searching for the elders for days. We must assume at this point that the abyss has taken them.” The queen’s words were carried by the wind and swept along the tree branches.
The usual crisp vanilla spiced smell was gone. Left in its place was a faint rotting stench. Like over-ripened fruit. I didn’t know what it meant, only that it couldn’t mean anything good for the Gray Court.
My chest tightened. Where were Mom and the others? Did they know what had happened here? Panic flared and faded, quelled by my power. I couldn’t panic now. We had to do something.
Voices drifted from the town. All at once, the questions and worry assaulted me.
What was the queen doing? And the Goblin King? What was happening?
Pain spread through me, making me wince as I rebuilt my shields against the mental onslaught.
“What do we do now?” My voice sounded strange. Like someone else’s voice. Someone stronger and more confident than I felt.
They turned to me, their unnatural eyes unnerving me.
B’Zahir spoke first. “We must send word to the king and the other royals. With all our power combined perhaps we have a chance of halting the destruction.”
The queen narrowed her eyes on him. “How do we know you won’t attack us again?”
His nostrils flared. “You have my word. Unlike yours, it actually means something.”
Her lip curled, but she said nothing. Instead she turned her attention to Grimera.
“Send word to the king at once. All the royals to the Gray Court.”
Grimera bowed and glided away to obey the command. I stood awkwardly with the others, worry creeping in once more. We still hadn’t heard from Aunt Cindra’s court. What if… what if they’d already been obliterated? The morbid thought struck fear within my core.
Pushing away my emotions, I steeled myself and followed Grimera, not bothering to wait for the queen or B’Zahir. My boots fell heavy on the dirt path, filling the silence of the forest. Grimera paused and glanced back at me with a nod.
Her relief and joy at seeing me unharmed hit me and made me smile. It was getting harder to remember her as the glamoured human grandmere I’d known her to be. Her dryad form had become more and more familiar and I was glad she’d been freed of her human shell.
She glided through the air and stopped outside a small cabin. I caught up to her and knocked on the door, wondering who we’d find in there.
A muscled tanned elf opened the door and bowed, waving us in. I stepped in after Grimera and stopped short.
The cabin was filled with elves, fairies, and pixies. All their eyes landed on me, making me squirm. In unison, they bowed to me. I blushed and tried to wipe the embarrassment off my face. I still hadn’t gotten used to being treated that way. A part of me—the old Ren—was mortified at all the attention.
My eyes met a familiar pair of hazel ones and widened in surprise. Sacha bowed along with the others, his mom by his side. Although she bowed in acknowledgment, I noticed the hardened chin and lack of smile. I averted my gaze and tried to ignore the sting of her disapproval. The temptation to read her guarded thoughts was strong, but fear kept me from using my power on her. Whatever she thought about me, I doubt I really wanted to find out.
“The queen has ordered word to be sent to the White Court at once. Who will go?” Grimera broke the awkward silence.
Voices murmured their surprise, and I had to focus on rebuilding my shields to keep their thoughts and emotions at bay.
“I will do it,” a fairy volunteered.
The room fell quiet as she bowed before Grimera and I then flew out the cabin. As I turned to watch her leave, I was surprised to find the queen and B’Zahir nowhere in sight. Had they left? Surely, they wouldn’t have just left the Gray Court, not after what we had learned.
“Princess, what are we going to do?” An elf woman broke through
my thoughts.
My gut clenched as I turned to face her. They stared at me with expectation and the weight of their eyes made me want to melt into the floorboards. My throat turned dry.
“I… I don’t know.” I cringed at the despair in my tone.
Their faces fell, worry and fear filling the air. Guilt tore at me. What could I say to them? The idea of using my power to wipe away their emotions flashed before me, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
My eyes met Sacha’s. He gave me a nod of encouragement which only added to my guilt. Had he remembered what I’d done?
Heat flushed through me as they continued to watch me from their spots. Multiple beds were spread along the cabin, but not enough for all of them, making me wonder who actually lived in it.
Before they could ask me any more questions, the door burst open. I jumped as B’Zahir stepped through. Gasps and murmurs rose as he scanned the crowd.
“You must all leave the Gray Court at once. Flee to the Black Court. Now.”
Fear erupted as the fae reeled from his words. Dread filled my gut.
“Why? What’s happened?” My voice was drowned out by the trembling voices and whimpers.
B’Zahir met my eyes. “The abyss is open. It cannot be stopped. Not in this court. Destruction is coming.”
Terror gripped me. My own emotion heightened by the emotion of the others. My head spun as I fought for control. Using my power, I shoved away the icy fear. All at once, the fae hurried out. I stepped out of their way and waited for Sacha and his mom.
Once outside, more fae poured out from the little cabins and shops. Was this everyone? A sour taste filled my mouth. This was all that was left of the Gray Court.
My eyes landed on the towering figure of the elf queen as she stood in the center of the town, gazing coldly at the fae around her.
Grimera’s cool touch startled me.
She inclined her head toward me. “Princess, where is your mother?”
Worried filled her voice.
“I think she’s in the White Court. They went to speak to the King.”
