by Riana Lucas
Until…
”Please?” The plea in his soft voice causes my eyes to snap up to his.
When our eyes connect, I am immediately entrapped by the look in his. They are so bright and blue, staring down at me with such intensity that it takes my breath away. There is wonder, excitement, and what I think, no…what I hope, is love.
“Breathe, Poppy,” he whispers softly, a small smile tilting the corner of his lips up.
“I can’t,” I whisper back just as softly.
His eyes widen suddenly, causing mine to narrow in confusion. Then his smile grows, and I become more confused. Seeing my confusion, he explains. His words are light this time, but he still whispers, and the look in his eyes does not change. “You let your words slip.”
I feel my confusion reflected on my face. My eyebrows scrunch together, and my eyes narrow further. “Huh?”
Reed lifts the hand that is not cupping my cheek to the spot between my eyes. He presses his finger gently there. The slight pressure makes me relax my face again. “You said ‘can’t’ instead of ‘cannot.' Your use of proper speech and words are slipping.”
“Oh.” I do not know what say. I am so confused by his closeness and the fact that both of his hands are still touching my face that I cannot even form coherent thoughts, much less words.
He chuckles again, but then quickly becomes serious. His eyes bore into mine as his face moves closer to mine. He drops the hand that was rubbing between my brows, but it does not go far. Instead, it moves to the side of my neck. My breath catches from the feel of his large warm hand engulfing the side of my neck so intimately. My eyes begin to flutter shut as his breath touches my lips.
“Poppy!” The word is muffled and distant, so I try to ignore it.
“Poppy!” It is louder this time, more demanding, but it still does not break the spell.
Reed cursing and the sudden loss of his body heat as he moves back do, however. “Really?” Reed’s voice is frustrated and loud. It causes me to slowly open my eyes, allowing everything around us to come rushing back. The noise is suddenly loud in my ears; I can actually hear conversations around me. Odd how I could not hear any of that just moments ago.
Reed’s hands are still on my face and neck, but his body has moved back from me. The look in his eyes causes me to bite my lip to keep from laughing. I have never seen him look so dejected.
“This really is not funny!” he scolds me. My nervousness and excitement turn to humor and comfort. This is a Reed I can handle. I pat his hand playfully as I move around him. “Yes, it is.”
“Poppy?” The voice is closer and recognizable.
“Over here, Willow,” I call to her as Reed shoots me a mock glare. I cannot help but giggle at him.
“How is this funny to you?” He is still glaring down at me.
“It is not the situation I find so funny, but how cute you look right now.” I shrug as if my words were not a big deal, but this is actually the first time I have told Reed something like this. I can tell that he notices right away by the way his eyes immediately soften, and he moves closer to me again just as Willow rounds the corner.
“Oh! Umm…sorry!” She looks embarrassed and begins to back away.
I quickly catch her hand to stop her retreat. “It is fine, Willow. What is it that you needed?”
“Umm…well… Oh!” She shakes her head, pulling her thoughts together. “Your mother is here. She is ready to send us off.”
“Thank you, Willow. Will you let her know that I am coming?”
“Of course. She steps closer to whisper in my ear. “It’s about time.” Then she scurries away before I can correct her assumption. I glance at Reed, who is looking at me with a forlorn expression. I feel the same way.
“Ready?” I ask with false excitement.
“I guess,” he grumbles, not even trying to fake it as he begins to walk. He looks as if he is going to walk past me but then shoots his hand out and grabs mine. We make our way over to my mother as I replay what almost just happened, over and over and over again in my mind.
I cannot help the soft, wistful sigh that escapes my lips.
7
My mother is standing on a small platform in the middle of the room. It was not there before, so one of the guards must have placed it there for her. Although she is completely surrounded by her warriors, it is easy to see her because they each are before her on one knee, head bowed in respect. As Reed and I are approaching, she asks them to stand again. They do so gracefully, and as if sensing our approach, they part to clear a path so that Reed and I can easily make our way to the front of the group. We move quickly through the mass of fae to my mother’s side, just at the base of her platform. My friends are standing there as well.
Reed is still holding my hand firmly. I tried to release his hand when we began to make our way through the crowd, but he only tightened his grip, so I gave up. I glance at my friends now a bit self-consciously, but they are watching my mother. Thorne is the only one who glances my way, quickly winking at me before turning away again. This confirms my suspicion that I should have set Willow straight as soon as the words left her mouth earlier. News really does travel fast amongst the fae, and now who knows what everyone thinks is going on between Reed and me, because there is no doubt that they suspect something. I sigh because there is really nothing I can do, and then I realize that I do not want to. For the first time, I realize that I do not care what the others may think. So instead of worrying, I turn my attention to my mother.
When our eyes connect, she smirks at me. Great. She has heard something as well. The fact that Reed still has my hand in his probably only reinforces the rumors. Whatever. I shrug my shoulders and smile up at her. Her smirk turns into a more genuine smile before she turns to address her Court. Every single fae in the room is standing at attention, quiet and serious, awaiting the encouraging words of their queen. She does not disappoint them.
“My warriors. My friends. My family. Today you will embark on the mission that we have been waiting for our entire lives. You will go as one into the early morning, you will storm the Unseelie castle, you will fight with all that you have, and you will win the battle against our enemy.”
The crowd roars their agreement. Queen Lily raises her hand; it is met with immediate silence.
“I have complete faith in each and every one of you. You are my strongest, fiercest, smartest, and bravest warriors. May the faeries of the past protect you and bring you home safely. Good luck to you all!”
Another roar sounds, this one impossibly louder. My mother steps to the edge of her platform. A guard quickly extends his hand for her to take, helping her gracefully step down. A small female fae takes her place. Without being prompted, the crowd settles down once again.
This fae is not like my mother. She is petite, with soft features, pale skin, bright orange eyes, and shoulder-length bright orange hair. I can tell right away that she is a healer. She will cast a spell of protection and bravery over us that will stay until we return home. It will not protect us completely, but will act more as a coat of armor would by adding an extra layer of protection.
She raises her cupped hands up in front of her as she recites loudly so that all can hear.
“As the battle approaches
You will be brave
Sending the enemy
To their grave
Protect these warriors
Safe they remain
Until they are home
Once again.”
When she finishes the spell, her hands come closer to her face. She purses her lips as if blowing a kiss then she blows the spell along with magical dust into the air. If it were not for the fact that this was fae magic being used, the dust would only spread a short distance. But this is faery magic. The dust blows high up into the air, shimmering and sparkling like crystals. It fans out above the warriors like a cloud before sprinkling down on them just like tiny raindrops.
The sight is enchanting. I never seem
to grow tired of the magical aspect of being a faery. It almost surprises me every time I see something so beautiful and magical like this. When there is so much bad still out there in the world, it is easy to forget the good things.
I can tell that Reed is just as enchanted as I am when his hand squeezes mine. I glance over, but he is not looking at me. He is mesmerized by the sight of the magical dust raining down on us. His eyes are sparkling like the dust and his smile is bright. He looks like a little kid in a candy shop. It is rather cute. He must have sensed my thoughts because he eyes snap quickly to mine. “I am not cute. I am a man. Men are not cute, Poppy,” he growls.
“Well, you are,” I snicker, causing him to lose his glare and chuckle as well.
“You are too.” He taps the tip of my nose with his finger causing me to blush. Then he turns his attention back to watch the rest of the dust fall. He is so at ease with me and whatever is going on between us that it makes me jealous. This playfulness between the two of us is still so new to me. I am still not sure how to act or what to say sometimes. He does not seem to have a problem with it at all.
He does not look over at me, but his thoughts whisper into my head. “Because it’s with you, Poppy. When I’m with you, I always feel comfortable and at ease. There’s no reason for you to be nervous. It’s just me.”
“Oh.” I let out a breath, still unsure of what to say or how I should feel. He makes it sound so simple. Thankfully there is no more time to address what he has said to me. The warriors around us begin to shuffle about. The last of the spell has been cast, and they are making their way to the front doors.
The time has come to depart. The queen is standing patiently at the front entrance where she will bid goodbye to each and every warrior as he or she passes. It can be a long process, but a necessary one. Giving praise and encouragement individually shows just how much the queen cares about her people. When going into a battle such as this, that is something that is not taken lightly.
As I watch the warriors begin to line up, Reed finally releases my hand. It is time to get our minds where they should be. Whatever is going on between the two of us and whatever is going on here at court is put to the back of our minds. Our focus must be on the task at hand.
That task being to make our way to the Unseelie court, undetected. Stealing into the court, defeating the Unseelie, and killing Damien once and for all. This is our mission and must be our only thoughts.
It is also time I take my place at the front of the line and in front of my army. I weave and wind my way through the warriors to the front of the group just inside of the castle doors, to my mother’s side. I turn to look at her, but something in my peripheral catches my eye. I turn my attention fully to the grounds in front of us, and the Faery Forest beyond. My mother, noticing the shift in my attention, turns as well. We both wait patiently and quietly.
I can sense them before I can see them. There is a change in the air around us. It is tinged with unease and bit of violence. I can feel my warriors behind me begin to stir, feeling the change as well. Before I can turn to reassure them, I hear Gideon doing just that. I return my attention to the forest, allowing Gideon to step up as the second-in-command that he is and explain in detail the situation that arose just hours ago.
My head tilts to the side, eyes narrowing as if I can bring our new allies out quicker if I just focus harder. A moment later the first unclaimed, Skye, steps out of the Faery Forest onto the grounds of the Seelie court. He looks just as he did hours ago when he was here seeking the cure and offering his help. His hair is black like the night sky, which is probably where he got his name, and it is still tangled and dirty. His clothes are still wrinkled and messy as well. The only real difference about him now is the two sword hilts sticking up behind his shoulders. I had not realized it at the time, but he was not armed when he came before. None of them were. This realization makes my opinion of these unclaimed fae and their leader rise. That was a brave and extremely respectful act. With this thought, I continue to watch as he approaches. I can see that his eyes are different now. Where they were cautious and even friendly last night, now they are determined and confident. He does not question his place here now, nor our acceptance.
As he gets closer, I see more and more unclaimed fae step out of the forest behind him. As this happens, the murmur behind me begins to grow louder. I can tell that my warriors are not concerned, though. Gideon has explained their presence, as well as their intentions, and my warriors have accepted my decision. The murmurs are out of excitement and anticipation. Our already favorable odds have just increased.
By the time Skye reaches the entrance of the castle, there are twenty-five or thirty unclaimed fae standing behind him. They are just as disheveled as he is, but they are heavily armed and not hiding their determination. They make an extremely intimidating group, one that will surely send the Unseelie running.
When the group has closed the final distance between us, Skye takes a knee in front of my mother and me, bowing his head in respect. His warriors follow his lead, each of them bowing as well. I wait for my mother to release them. When she does not immediately, I tilt my head toward her in question.
“This is your army and these are your warriors, my daughter. They are awaiting your lead, not mine.”
“Oh. Sorry.” I cringe as I turn back to them quickly, clearing my throat. “You may rise, warriors.”
They do as I ask, standing as one unit. Skye is facing me once again, and although his face is still serious, his eyes are smiling at me. I am sure it is at my faux pas, but Reed must not feel the same way. I feel his mood instantly change to one of possessiveness as he moves to my side. This causes Skye to smirk. I roll my eyes at both of them but otherwise ignore their childish behavior.
I address the entire group when I speak again. “Thank you, warriors—” my voice rings out, clear and loud for them to hear “—for joining us in battle against the Unseelie court. With all of you by our sides, we are sure to come away victorious!”
The unclaimed warriors cheer, as well as the warriors of the Seelie court. I step to the side so I am able to view both sets of warriors. They are a strong group. They are such a force to be reckoned with that the Unseelie fae will not know what hit them when we are finished with them. This thought makes me smile with evil glee. The anticipation of the upcoming battle starts to encompass me once again, taking over completely. My inner warrior is fighting to be released. I do not hold it back.
My mother, seeing the change and knowing that the time has finally come, motions for the unclaimed to move through the doors, into the castle walls. They look at her with unspoken questions but do as she asks. Once they are inside, and my warriors are lined up, my mother moves in front of us once again. She motions with her hands, indicating for us to begin to move toward her.
I start the procession.
I walk toward my mother, Reed waiting a few steps behind so that her words will not be heard by others. She remains stoic and regal as she pulls me in close, hugging me tightly. “Be safe, my daughter. May victory be swift so that you can return home to me once again. I love you.” Her words are whispered. I can hear her fighting the tears.
I fight my own when I answer. “I love you too.” I squeeze her once more then move quickly through the door to wait outside for my warriors.
Reed is next, followed by each of my friends. She pulls them each into a tight hug with her usual whispered words of encouragement and faith. They each come to stand beside me as we wait. Once the other warriors begin to file out, she nods at each one. She is sure to make eye contact with each one, murmuring soft words to express her encouragement. The unclaimed wait until last, surprised at first by receiving the same treatment from the queen. After the first few are greeted, the rest seem to relax and accept the queen’s encouragement eagerly.
Once my warriors are outside of the castle walls, my mother turns to us one last time.
“Be well, my warriors!” Then she is gone.
/> I immediately turn to my warriors, who are now patiently awaiting my orders.
“You know my command. Do exactly as we have trained. I will lead, and the unclaimed will bring up the rear. Shimmer to the edge of the Unseelie territory in the Faery Forest, and we will move out from there. Remember to stay quiet and alert. We want to catch the Unseelie completely off guard. The element of surprise is what we are going for. Let’s get in, get out, and get home.”
There are nods and grunts of approval as well as compliance. With one last glance, I turn toward Faery Forest and shimmer into the battle I having been waiting a very long time for.
8
When I land in Faery Forest, Reed is to my right and Holly to my left, both having shimmered right along with me. I can sense the others shimmering in all over the forest around us as well. I do not need to wait for any of them; they know what to do. I begin making my way through the forest toward Unseelie territory. We are not far, and my anticipation is encouraging me to move faster and get there quicker, but I know that it is not safe to do that. We must move at the same painstakingly slow rate we used when we came to rescue Reed and Rho. It is a slow torture, but a necessary one.
Staying alert, I force my senses to stretch out as far as possible so that I may detect a threat as quickly as it forms. So much of this mission relies on our ability to get to the Unseelie castle undetected. If Unseelie fae were to sense us before we sensed them, it could turn the odds in their favor. If there are any Unseelie around, they must be found first and killed so they cannot alert anyone of our approach.
To my surprise, I immediately sense something in the forest with us, but just as quickly I realize that it is not a threat. I glance at Reed and Holly, noticing that both of them have sensed the foreign presence as well. Reed knows what it is just as quickly as I did, but Holly’s back is straight, her bow and arrow ready to kill whatever threat is lurking. She is unable to sense Dash the way that Reed and I can.
