by Toni Cox
“We need to go,” she said between clenched teeth. “I cannot hold this spell for much longer.”
She did not wait for an answer. With a swish of her coat, she turned and walked away through the lightening mist.
“Come,” Thomas said, before walking off to catch the other horses.
I wasn’t sure if I was welcome, but I didn’t have any other place to go. Besides, I had come to see Arianna, whether she liked me or not.
“The horses are spent, Thomas, they can’t carry on for much longer.”
“We’re almost home. It’s not far from here.”
I stopped in my tracks. “Home?”
When had Arianna’s place become ‘home?’ Why did he live here? If she could do magic, she was not a shifter, so could not be his mother.
“Yes, now come. The spell will end soon, and the elf will be able to track us again. We need to hurry.”
Thomas didn’t even pause in his walk and had not noticed my pause. It seemed entirely natural for him that he lived here. Why had he neglected to mention it before?
The two Gypsies dragged their big hooves through the deep soil of the field, and I worried that once Arianna’s spell ended, the dark elf would be able to follow us anyway.
Thomas walked ahead now and talked to Arianna, telling her how we came to be chased by the dark elf. I wanted to voice my concerns about the hoof prints, but I didn’t dare approach them because of the dark looks Arianna kept throwing me over her shoulder.
My senses warned me again to run. This woman was more dangerous than Thomas gave her credit for. Either Thomas was as naive as I was, or he had brought me here on purpose for Arianna to deal with.
Neither idea sat well with me. Maybe I could find answers elsewhere. If what the councillor had said was true, then my father had his secrets, too. What made me think, then, that Arianna was the best choice?
Rising blood coloured my cheeks as my anger once more mounted. Who could I trust? Even those people I loved kept things from me and betrayed me.
Stuck in my own head as I was, I at first didn’t notice the changes around me. When I became aware of them, it was only because of the faint tingling of magic all along my skin and the absence of the smell of lemons.
I looked up and saw the world clad in shimmering brightness. The mist had receded, and in its stead, colourful light saturated the meadow we now crossed.
Fae magic!
My body drank it in, reviving itself. I could feel it coursing through my body, saturating every fibre of my being.
Up ahead, however, Arianna suddenly collapsed. Thomas caught her and carefully sat with her on the grass with her head in his lap. He spoke to her in whispered words.
Was the fae magic hurting her? What kind of being was she? Thomas had said she wasn’t a witch, and I now tried to think of what race would be so affected by our natural magic.
As I drew closer, Thomas helped Arianna to her feet.
“She let go of the concealment spell that kept us hidden from the dark elf,” he turned his head to me as he spoke, but draped Arianna’s arm over his shoulder and then slowly walked with her, “It took a lot of her strength.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I nodded.
“We’re home now. He won’t be able to find us here. The place is protected.”
Protected? Did Arianna put the fae magic around her home? How was that possible? She wasn’t fae.
I had never had this many questions in my life. Something was going on here that went against everything I had learned about magic, about society, and about legendaries.
We’d left the shimmer of the protective circle behind us now, and we crossed a lush meadow, heading towards a looming forest. A homestead stood on its edge, inviting us closer.
A chestnut horse whinnied when we drew near and came to the edge of its fence to greet the other horses. A goat followed it, but slipped through the fence and came to investigate our horses close up.
Although the dark pines of the forest looked intimidating, the homestead spread warmth, with its vegetable gardens, scarecrows, colourful flowers, and beautiful ornaments.
Thomas and Arianna disappeared through a green door into the thatched, white-washed house, leaving me alone in the yard.
It did not help my confusion that they left me alone, for this could have been my opportunity to run away. Yet, here I stood, rooted to the spot, holding onto my horse as if it were my lifeline.
When the gelding nudged me, I realised that the other two horses had wandered off towards the paddock, where Arianna’s horse waited for them. With a shrug, I followed them.
Everything about the homestead instilled quiet within me. I couldn’t explain it, but I felt safe.
The gate to the paddock opened easily, and I let the horses in. They greeted the resident horse with snorts and high-pitched whinnies, but then all settled down.
After searching for a bit, I found a brush and a rag and gave all the horses a good clean. Even the goat came for some attention.
Once I was done, feeling wholly more at peace, I looked around the homestead. Butterflies hovered over the meadow, bees buzzed through the flower gardens, and birds nested in the fruit trees around the area.
I realised then why I felt so at peace here. The whole place was imbued with earth magic. Fae magic. It permeated the very fabric of this place, just the way it did at home.
Shocked, I sat down on a fallen log that had been carved to look like a bench. Lavender grew all around in, shrouding the seat in a cocoon of purple.
It was difficult to feel anything but safe in this place, but I needed to snap out of this trance. I wasn’t safe here anymore.
What if all of this was about me? I had magic that threatened the kingdom. They accused my father of treason because he would not give me up. Now that he sent me away, they could put him back on the throne.
I shuddered. Maybe my father had sent me to the only place he knew that would be able to deal with my magic and also use my fae magic for their own purposes.
If Arianna wasn’t a witch, she must surely be some powerful sorceress to be able to bind a fae and use her powers against her will. I cringed at the thought of Arianna doing that to me.
Maybe, Thomas had planned this all along. He had probably been waiting for a sign from the palace and then lain in wait for me.
“Ugh.” I hated the way my mind played tricks on me and made me believe everyone was out to get me.
With a lump in my throat, I knuckled my eyes. No, I would not cry.
“Caw.”
I jumped, and the magpie next to me shuffled its feathers. I eyed it warily. It returned my stare.
“What do you want?”
“Caw.”
I shuffled along the makeshift bench, putting some distance between the bird and me.
“Caw.” It turned its head and looked at me with one beady black eye, hopping closer.
“Look,” I waved my hand at the black and white bird, hoping to startle it, “I’m at the end of my tether. If you’re here to cause me harm, I will incinerate you.”
As if to prove my words, my right hand glowed blue. The magpie tilted its head the other way and stared at it.
“Caw.”
“Oh, Goddess, I have to get out of here.” I rose from the bench and looked over the garden.
The Gypsy horses were too exhausted to ride, but if I took the elf’s new horse, I could be far away from here before they even knew I was missing.
“Bye, bird.”
“Caw.” It spread its wings and flew straight onto my shoulder.
“What?” I ducked, but it clung to me and…rubbed its face against mine.
“Looks like Archimedes likes you,” Thomas said behind me, giving me a fright. “He doesn’t like anyone.”
“Caw.”
“Archimedes?” I held out my arm and the bird walked along it until it sat on my wrist.
“He’s Arianna’s bird and usually stays away from people. Even me.”
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br /> I thought I detected a hint of envy in his voice.
“Oh.”
“Arianna wants to speak with you inside. Come.”
Thomas turned, and I was left to follow him ~ or, run. I hesitated. Was I over-thinking it, or was I naive to believe it could be safe? I could be walking into danger, or I could be running away from the answers I needed.
“Are you coming?”
I raised my wrist, and Archimedes flew off towards the house. I had to try; I just had to be careful.
Soft light lit the interior of the house as we stepped through the green door into an enormous kitchen that adjoined an equally large dining room. The rest of the house hid behind closed doors.
Arianna sat at the central kitchen table, sipping tea. I could see the concealment spell had drained her, and I felt a little safer knowing she wasn’t at her full strength.
“Tea?” Thomas asked, and then went to pour me some when I nodded. I didn’t fail to notice the pensiveness in his eyes.
“Sit, girl.” Arianna motioned to one of the chairs.
Reluctantly, I took a seat opposite her. It was the first time I had an opportunity to really look at her, and I noticed how pretty she was. She couldn’t have been more than twice my age, even though I had thought her to be much older.
Arianna’s tied up hair looked dark, but with the light coming in through the window I thought I saw some red highlights in it. I would have given anything to have smooth, pale skin like hers.
“Dana,” Arianna’s voice was different now. Softer, friendlier, but also tinged with sadness, which worried me. “Thomas has told me about your troubles. I am very sorry to hear about your father and the attacks on your kingdom.”
“Thank you.”
“If you are attacked by dark magic, then it’s the elves you need to turn to,” Arianna continued. “They have been rising these past years, inciting hatred between the legendaries. You should take this information back to your father so that he can act appropriately on it.”
“Do you know what they want?”
Arianna’s eyes saddened. “It is not a question for me to answer, child. You can stay here for the night; you will be safe. In the morning, you need to leave and take the news to your father so that he can act swiftly. Thomas will accompany you to give you what protection he can.”
I found myself nodding, but then realised that it answered none of my questions. What about my magic?
“I will do as you suggest,” I finally managed to say, “but I was hoping you could help me with another matter.”
Arianna pushed her empty cup towards the middle of the table. When she looked up and into my eyes, I thought my heart would break with the sadness that clouded hers.
“No, Dana, I cannot help you any further than what I have helped you with already. Your very being here has already endangered your life, my life, and Thomas’ life. I will not risk any more.”
“But…”
“There is no ‘but.’ I cannot help you. Forces beyond your understanding have moved into play, and we cannot interfere with them any more than we already have. You need to leave and never come back.”
Chapter 10
Of all the things I’d worried about, rejection had not been one of them. It hurt the most.
It also confused me the most. Arianna had no interest in my magic, after all. All she wanted was to get rid of me as soon as possible. She’d given her bit of advice, and that was that.
Why had Thomas brought me here? What had made him think Arianna would help me? I guessed he thought she had the knowledge, but maybe she was scared, too.
Being sent away also meant I would not learn the truth about my mysterious blue magic. I would not be able to find out what it was or how to control it. But, if Arianna was not evil as I imagined her to be, then my father might not be the traitor I thought him to be, either.
Subdued, I followed Thomas down a corridor to a pretty little room where he said I could spend the night. A single bed with printed linen stood to one side, and the bedside table held a vase with fresh flowers.
“The bathroom is down the hall. There is shampoo and whatever you need.”
“Thanks, Thomas.”
He closed the door behind himself, leaving me by myself for the first time in days. I took a look in the mirror on the wall and immediately regretted it. I needed a bath ~ desperately.
A knock on the door startled me. “Come in.”
I expected Thomas, but then Arianna stepped through the door.
“There is a dress in the closet for you.” She indicated the wooden wardrobe along the wall. “You can wash your clothes in your bath when you’re done and hang them on the line outside to dry overnight.” A semblance of a smile appeared on her stern face.
As unexpected as her statement was, I still managed a quick ‘thank you’ before she shut the door again.
The dress hung in the cupboard as she had said it would. Pretty, with a narrow waist, a full, long skirt, and of a deep green colour.
I took the dress and my entire backpack through to the bathroom. The water ran wonderfully hot, and Arianna had a selection of soaps and bath salts that not only washed away my grime but also soothed away my aches.
My clothes, balled up within my backpack for so long and after the dunking they received, smelled horrid. The ones I had been wearing smelled even worse. I dumped the lot into the bath.
When I was younger I had been taught to do menial chores ~ so I would know how they were done ~ and I was glad for it now. I stomped around the bath, kneading the clothes with my feet until I deemed them clean enough. Then I rinsed and wrung them.
The dress fit well enough, and I rubbed my hair as dry as I could with a towel, then put my red curls up with my clip. After hiding my backpack ~ which still contained the purple book ~ under the bed, I went back to the kitchen, carrying my wet clothes.
“Here, let me help.” Thomas rushed over to take the clothes from me. “You look pretty, Freckles. I think you have even more freckles today than you had before.”
Cursing my blushing cheeks, I led the way out of the kitchen, but not just to avoid Thomas’ compliments. The look on Arianna’s face at seeing me in her dress gave me strange shivers. Maybe, she didn’t like Thomas giving me compliments.
I didn’t have a lot of clothes, and we hung them up quickly. While I went back inside, Thomas went around the back of the house to feed the horses.
The more thought I gave it, the more convinced I was that Thomas and Arianna were lovers. The tenderness between them was unmistakable, and the look she gave me in the kitchen at Thomas’ compliment was anything but friendly.
The kitchen was empty when I entered, so I looked around. Interesting would not have been the word I would have used to describe this place ~ it was so much more than that.
Fresh and dried herbs hung from the ceiling rafters. Medicinal plants and flowers stood in pots on all the windowsills. Crystals, ornaments, and books graced every conceivable surface.
I gravitated towards the bookshelves in the dining room. Along the way, I noticed that the crystals and ornaments varied between fae, witch, and other races.
It left me wondering, again, what Arianna was. She certainly had powers, but where did she get them from?
The bookshelves held books on natural remedies, horticulture, wiccan magic, horsemanship, elven runes, fae folklore, and so much more.
As I was taking a closer look, I noticed other books, too, that delved deeper into the dark side of the magical world. Books that would have been outlawed in Draeguard.
I ran my finger down the spine of a book that looked vaguely familiar. The pale purple volume’s gold writing was too worn from use to read. Then it hit me ~ it was the same book as I carried in my backpack.
The door slammed shut to my left, and Thomas walked into the kitchen. I jumped, hiding my hand behind my back as if I had touched something forbidden.
“What did I tell you about slamming doors,” Arianna chided.
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I bumped into the bookshelf. How had I not known Arianna was standing there? How long had she been watching me? The blush crept up my face telling everyone of my embarrassment.
While Thomas apologised for slamming the door, I took a seat at the table in the corner of the dining room. Arianna went to the other side of the kitchen, while Thomas disappeared through a door into the corridor.
I watched Arianna as she prepared some food. She didn’t mention anything while she was busy, but I wondered what she thought about my snooping.
Thomas came back smelling of soap. He fetched some plates and then carried the food Arianna had prepared to the table. I hated to admit it, but the all-vegetable dish was one of the most delicious things I had ever eaten.
“Tell me, Dana,” Arianna asked after dinner, “are you interested in books?”
I looked up pensively. Why did she ask? Did she see me touch the purple book? Was she upset about it?
“Yes,” I answered hesitantly, “I love reading.”
“So do I.” She smiled at me over her plate. A proper smile. She was beautiful. “What is your favourite subject at school? Do you still go to school?”
She took me aback with her questions; so very different from her behaviour from earlier. “I have private tutors at the palace.” I cringed at how pompous that sounded. “My favourite subject is astronomy.”
“I love the stars,” Arianna gushed. “Did you know that this year is the year we have a rare planetary alignment? It only happens every ninety-eight years.”
“The Moonclaven. I know of it.”
Arianna’s eyes beamed with approval. I couldn’t figure her out. One moment she wanted me out of her home, the next she shot me glaring glances, then we’re making small talk about astronomy.
I decided to use the moment and push my luck. If she was in a good mood, maybe she felt inclined to talk to me about magic, too.
“My next favourite subject is biomagic.”
Arianna laughed. “Gosh, do they still use that term?”
“How else do you combine biology and magic?”
Thomas just stared at us.
“I love studying fae magic. Can you tell me how you shielded us from that dark elf? I have never seen anything like it.”
