by Alison Pensy
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
After Faedra had replenished her energy levels by drinking nearly every bottle of sugar water she had prepared, she drove them to Salisbury Cathedral. It was an impressive building; the spire towered several hundred feet above them. She had read somewhere once that the weather vane on the top of the spire was the size of a donkey.
“This way,” Jocelyn pointed, and headed off in the direction of where she could sense the portal.
Jocelyn’s body had healed itself in the time it took for them to reach the cathedral, much to her brother and her friend’s relief.
Faedra was still holding on tight to the book, and Faen was scanning the area all around them as they followed the younger fairy to the portal. There was no telling where Vivianna could be. It wouldn’t surprise the Guardian if she turned up and tried to take the book away, and he wouldn’t feel comfortable until it was safely back in the castle and under some stronger magical bonds than last time.
Jocelyn came to a sudden stop, and made a sharp turn. “Over there,” she said. She reminded Faedra of a Bloodhound sniffing out a scent. “Here it is,” she stated as she came to a sudden stop on the path. Jocelyn recited an incantation and told Faedra and Faen when the portal was open.
“Get ready with your sword, Jocelyn. We do not know what awaits us on the other side,” Faen instructed cautiously. Jocelyn conjured her sword and Faen drew his from its sheath. He looked down at Faedra and gave her a wry smile. “As for you, my little Kenget, I believe you can hold your own. Energy balls at the ready?”
She smiled back at him, her eyes twinkling from the reflection of the ball of blue light that was now bobbing above her free hand.
“What does Kenget mean?”
He laughed. “It means Warrior.”
Faedra bopped him on the arm with her elbow. “I hardly think so,” she blushed. “Vivianna out-sworded me every step of the way.”
“Faedra, do not underestimate yourself. You had never held a sword before today and survived a fight against one of the best in our realm - Vivianna has been training since she was a child – and you are still alive to tell the tale. To be honest with you, I do not know how you did it,” he looked at her with pride. “I believe you will be a formidable Custodian,” his smile slipped and his eyes saddened. “I think perhaps, you will not need me anymore.”
Panic flashed across Faedra’s face. “You’re not going to leave me, are you?” Her energy ball fizzled out with her question.
He considered her panic-stricken face for a moment and a warm smile curved his lips. “No, Faedra, I will not leave you, unless you wish it. Shall we?” He motioned in the direction of the portal.
Faedra’s body relaxed and she smiled back at him, the ball of light reappearing in her palm.
The three of them stepped into the portal on full alert. A second later they were standing in a cobbled street in the City of Azran. People meandered past them, going about their business. Faedra closed her hand, Faen sheathed his sword, and Jocelyn’s disappeared.
Faedra looked around and noticed something that filled her heart with joy.
“Look!” she shouted as she pointed to a window box hanging on a wall nearby. “The flowers, they’re growing again.” They all wandered over to the window box. Bright green shoots were starting to poke their way through the soil. “It worked; the plants are growing. When I took the book from Vivianna, it must have broken whatever hold she had over it. We did it!” She shoved the book at Jocelyn and wrapped her arms around Faen’s neck to give him a hug. He picked her up and swung her around. A laugh escaped him as he got caught up in her excitement.
Her outburst had caught the attention of some passers-by, and suddenly gasps of shock and surprise were resonating all around them as people stopped to see. Faen eased Faedra to the ground and they turned to scan the crowd that was now increasing in number by the second with people looking intently at the book.
“They found it!” A man shouted from the crowd. There was silence for a few seconds, then the crowd erupted and surged forward. At first, Faedra thought they were in serious trouble, but as soon as she was scooped up and planted on a burly-looking fairy’s shoulder, and watched as the same thing happened to Jocelyn and Faen, she realized that these people were pleased to see them.
Cheers rang out down the cobbled streets and little children skipped their way in front of them. They were carried through the city until they arrived at the courtyard in front of the castle, where they were lowered carefully to the ground. The people who had been carrying them bowed and stepped back.
“Thank you,” they said.
“You’re welcome,” Faedra responded. She didn’t think it sounded quite appropriate under the circumstances, but it was an automatic response that was commonplace in conversation in her world, and was more habit than thought.
The crowd stood in silence as the three of them walked towards the enormous entrance to the castle. The plants in the courtyard were budding again, and fresh new shoots of life were replacing the brown wilted flowers.
The doors opened without Faen rapping on them this time. They walked through and headed towards the Great Hall. As they entered the Great Hall, the volume was deafening. It was still full of people, and their cheers upon seeing the three almost raised the rafters. The king stood waiting for them at the end of the room with a warm smile on his face.
Faedra followed etiquette as best she could before handing him the Book of Anohs. He bowed his head to Faedra as he took it; the room went silent.
“Our realms owe you all a debt of gratitude,” he spoke clearly and proudly so that everyone in the hall could hear. “But for now, I hope you will accept a ball in your honor, to be held this evening.”
Whispers resonated around the Great Hall, then the king addressed the crowd.
“Tonight I hold a ball, a celebration of life,” he stated in his commanding voice. “Everyone is invited.”
The volume increased to deafening again, then the king made a gesture with his hands and the crowd fell silent once more.
“Your Majesty,” Faen spoke with caution. “There is something more.”
The king nodded and gestured for them to retire to the library room. Once there, he sat behind his desk and rested his elbows on the rich mahogany, touching his fingers together.
“Your Majesty, it is about Vivianna,” Faen continued.
The king took a deep breath. “She did this, didn’t she?” he asked with a heavy heart. Faedra and Jocelyn looked at each other, eyes wide.
“Yes, Sire, how did you know?”
“I had my suspicions, but I tried to deny them. She is my daughter, after all,” he hung his head. “Where is she now?”
“We do not know, Sire. She had the ruby staff,” Faen answered.
The king’s head shot up and he narrowed his eyes. “Where would she have gotten the ruby staff? I thought it had been destroyed.”
“I cannot answer that, Sire,” Faen bowed his head.
“Well, there is nothing we can do about it at this moment,” he looked at all three intently. “You have done well. Our realms will be eternally grateful to you all. Unfortunately, Faedra, your realm will never know how you saved them. I am afraid most of your kind do not have minds open enough to absorb or believe what happened, so it is best they never know. Well, you had better go and prepare for the ball,” he clapped his hands, and the two fairies that helped them the day before appeared again.
Faen and Jocelyn turned to follow the fairies who were heading for the door.
“Hold on a moment,” Faedra piped up. She had some questions and thought she deserved some answers. After all, his daughter had just got through trying to make mincemeat out of her. She had some for Faen, too; he was not getting off lightly, either. She wanted to know what Vivianna had called her that made Jocelyn and Faen exchange such surprised glances.
Faen could sense the king needed time to absorb the
news about Vivianna, and now would not be the right time to be asking him questions. He took hold of Faedra’s hand and started to pull her with him. When she gave him a questioning look, he subtly shook his head.
“But…” she replaced the questioning look with one of annoyance.
“Not now, Faedra,” he whispered, and looked with concern at the king.
Faedra looked at the king, too. He was holding his head in his hands and was in obvious distress. She conceded that maybe now wasn’t the right time to start firing questions at him. It could wait until tomorrow, but she would get some answers, of that she was determined.
“I’ve got some for you, too,” she warned Faen as they followed the fairies through the castle.
“I am sure you do,” he replied stoically, but at that point he wasn’t quite sure how he was going to answer the one he knew without a doubt she would ask. He was, therefore, relieved when she didn’t say anything else; they walked in silence for the rest of the way to their rooms.
Faedra decided her questions could wait until the next day. She had to admit, she was getting excited about being the guest of honor at a fae ball.
The fairies escorted them up to the same rooms they had been given before, and they left them after announcing that if they needed anything to let them know.
“Faen,” Faedra whispered with a tinge of embarrassment. “I have no clothes to wear to a ball.” She opened her arms and looked down at her filthy, torn clothing that was still slightly damp from the downpour she had created just a short while ago in her world. Even if they were clean, jeans were definitely not suitable attire for a fae ball. She knew Faen and Jocelyn could just magic themselves a wardrobe at the flick of a wrist.
“Do not worry, Faedra. I have a feeling the king would have thought of that,” he gave her a warm smile.
Faedra’s eyes widened with excitement. “See you later then,” she said as she ran into her room and made a beeline for the bed.
Faen raised his eyes heavenward and shook his head, a big smile curving his lips as he headed to his room.
“Oh, wow, it’s beautiful,” Faedra gasped as she picked up the dress that had been laid out for her on the bed and held it out in front of her.
The dress was made of luscious silk damask in the most beautiful color of green Faedra had ever seen. The pattern woven into the fabric shimmered as she moved it under the light. The dress was full length. The bodice was laced in the front and had a square neckline with a panel of gold silk running down the front to the floor. The bodice nipped in at the waist, and the dress fell from there into a full, flowing skirt that was heavily petticoated. The sleeves were long and wide, shaped into a point that hung down from the wrists. Faedra held it up to her and ran to the mirror. She admired the dress for a moment twisting from side to side, causing the skirt to rustle as it swung with her movement.
She returned the dress to the bed, making extra care to lay it out neatly so that it didn’t wrinkle. She looked on the floor beside the bed to find a pair of silk slippers that matched the color of the dress to perfection and were trimmed with gold braid. At first glance, Faedra thought she saw what looked like a tiara, beside the dress. But when she picked it up to examine it, it was the wrong shape to fit on top of her head. She considered it carefully for a while, not quite sure where it should go.
It was beautiful, a band of delicate gold with a filigree pattern, which was open at the back and curved into a ‘v’ in the center from which a delicate gold pendant hung in a design that she recognized instantly. It was the same design as the center of Faen’s talisman that hung around his neck.
She stared at it in awe for a moment, and then it occurred to her where she would wear it. This piece of jewelry was to be worn on her forehead. She replaced it carefully on the bed next to the dress.
Faedra peeled out of her dirty torn clothes, folded them up and laid them on the chair. She was not looking forward to having to put them back on in the morning. A bath was waiting for her, just as before. She soaked in its soothing hot water for a while before getting ready for the ball. She was astounded by what had been laid out for her. Beneath the mirror, was an array of things she may need. There were clips and pins for her hair. The exact shades and types of makeup she used, and the brushes to apply them with.
“How do they know all this stuff?” she whispered to herself as she happily went about her usual routine of applying her makeup. She decided to pile her thick, curly red hair high on her head. Leaving the odd tendril to fall around her face and neck, which left her ‘fairy’ birthmark proudly on display. The dress and slippers fit her perfectly; she had no doubt that they would. She checked her appearance in the full-length mirror, and it surprised even her.
She chuckled at the corniness of it; she looked nothing short of a fairy princess.
“Finishing touch,” she told herself as she picked up the piece of jewelry off the bed and walked over to the mirror. She slid it onto her forehead, the ends nestled securely in her hair, and it rested comfortably above her eyebrows.
There was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” she called and turned just as Faen entered.
He stopped dead upon seeing her, and she heard a definite catch in his breath. He had exactly the same affect on her. They stared at each other for a moment in silence.
He was wearing a cream shirt under an overcoat that was made of the same material as her dress. The sleeves of his overcoat were slit almost from the shoulder and fell behind his arms. The collarless front came down in a ‘v’ and had one clasp holding it closed at the center. The overcoat came halfway down his thighs and the entire garment was edged with gold trim, as were the cuff and collar of his shirt.
He smiled and it took her breath away. “You look beautiful,” he said.
“Thank you. I have to admit, I feel like a princess in this dress.”
“It is not the dress that makes you a princess,” he stated as he walked over to where Faedra was standing.
She gave him a questioning look, thinking that was an odd thing for him to say, but he didn’t respond to her puzzled expression, so she thought no more of it.
When he reached her, she looked up at him and pointed to the jewelry on her forehead. “This was you, not the king, wasn’t it?”
“You do not mind do you?” he asked sheepishly.
“Mind?” she was surprised at his question. “No, why ever would I mind, Faen? It’s beautiful.”
He smiled. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Is this design like some kind of family crest?”
“Yes, I believe you could call it that.”
“Well, then, I’m honored that you think highly enough of me to allow me to wear it,” she said brimming with pride.
“Shall we?” he asked as he held out his arm for her to take. “Jocelyn is waiting for us in the corridor.”
Faedra took his arm and they walked out of her room.
“Wow, Jocelyn you look fantastic,” Faedra gasped as she caught sight of her friend. Jocelyn had traded her usual black and white dress for one that was a sumptuous purple velvet with a panel of shimmering lilac silk down the front. It also had a fitted bodice that laced at the front with a square neckline and a full skirt that flowed to the floor, but her dress was sleeveless.
“Why, thank you, Faedra, as do you.”
They could hear the music playing as they approached the Great Hall. They got to the doors and were announced by a very austere looking fairy. The music stopped and people ceased their dancing to turn and look at them. Faedra could feel her cheeks heat up. Faen took hold of her hand and they continued into the hall. Everyone they passed either bowed or curtsied. Faedra wasn’t quite sure how to react, so she kept nodding her head and smiling at everyone as they continued to where the king was sitting. When they got there, the king clapped his hands twice and the music started again.
The Great Hall had been
decorated extravagantly. Lots of silver and gold banners with the royal crest emblazoned upon them hung from the ceiling. Twinkling lights were wrapped around the columns. Faedra’s attention turned to where the music was coming from. There was a group of musicians sitting to one side of the raised platform where the throne sat. A couple of older looking fairies with silver gray hair and neatly trimmed silver beards were playing mandolins. There was a younger fairy playing what looked like a flute and a beautiful lady fairy playing a harp. The music they were creating was truly enchanting. She then turned her attention to the people dancing. There were lots of different kinds of people dancing, probably from other realms, and they were doing a very good job of it. It was nothing like the dancing she had ever done. It involved at lot more movement and looked much more complicated as they twirled and stepped and twirled again.
“May I have this dance?” Faen interrupted Faedra’s thoughts.
“Oh, um…” She chewed on her lip as she watched the dancers swirling around with confidence and ease in front of them. “Faen, I can’t dance like that.”
The dancer’s timing and accuracy was something to behold. To be honest, she’d rather take her chances with a sword and Vivianna than make a complete fool of herself in front of all these people and the king.
“Do you trust me?” he asked.
“That’s a silly question, you know I do, with my life,” she replied with a panicked look on her face. She knew where this was leading, straight onto the dance floor.
“Well, in that case,” he held his arm for her again.
“I’m not going to get out of this am I?” she said with a disgruntled look in her eyes.
He just smiled.
Faedra grimaced, and after taking a deep breath, took his arm. She needn’t have worried, as soon as they stepped onto the dance floor, he made a movement with his head towards the musicians and they stopped the lively music they were playing, and started playing something soft and lilting. Everyone stopped dancing mid-stride and paired up to continue dancing to the slower tune without even skipping a beat.
Faen led Faedra around the dance floor with so much confidence, that she soon forgot her nerves and could only focus on the face smiling down at her. She didn’t even know how her feet were making their way around, nor did she care. The dance came to an end all too soon, and, for a moment, they stood in silence in the center looking at one another, completely oblivious of the people who were dancing around them.
“I need to show you something,” Faen said after a long moment, his eyes shining with uncertainty.
“Okay,” Faedra replied cautiously, wondering why he was looking uncertain. He very rarely looked uncertain.
Faen took hold of her hand and walked her out of the hall. Torches blazed along the walls of the corridor, lighting their way outside. The moon was out in all its silvery glory, shining its bright ethereal light onto the courtyard where they had stopped. They were bathed entirely in the moonlight now, out of reach of the golden glow from the torches in the castle. He turned Faedra to look at him and took both of her hands in his. She noticed a slight tremble there and gave him a puzzled look.
“Close your eyes, please,” he whispered.
She did as he asked.
“You may open them now,” he said after only a heartbeat had passed.
She did as he asked again, and instantly sucked in a breath. Her jaw dropped, she couldn’t find any words to describe what her eyes were seeing. She thought him beautiful before, but now with his wings outstretched before her, it made her want to cry. She took a step back but didn’t let go of his hands and could feel tears of emotion pricking behind her eyes as she absorbed the picture of beauty standing right before her.
His wings were silvery white, at least that is how they looked in the moonlight. All around the edges, they sparkled in gold. An intricate golden design intertwined its way throughout his whole wingspan, which was twice the size of Jocelyn’s, although, they were shaped similarly to his sister’s. She had noticed that most of the fairies she had seen had wings of different shapes and sizes. She hadn’t seen any that sparkled the way Faen’s did right now, though. Every inch of his wings glistened in the glow from the moon, and she could just imagine how much more vibrantly they must shimmer in the sunlight. Enchanting didn’t even begin to describe them.
“Breathe, Faedra,” Faen whispered after a moment.
Faedra brought her gaze to meet his. “Huh?” She was still speechless, it didn’t happen very often. She pulled in a breath. “You’re beautiful,” she whispered.
“Thank you,” he said softly with an incline of his head as he pulled her towards him.
She noticed his talisman hanging from his neck. “Your necklace, and my…” she touched the jewelry on her forehead, “it’s the same design as your wings.”
“Yes, it is.” He smiled at her observation.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to them, you know,” she whispered as she looked up at his wings again.
“Well, you will have a very long time to try.” He smiled again as he cupped her face in his hands.
She closed her eyes. His wings were emblazoned on the inside of her eyelids; they still sparkled there even when her eyes were shut.
As they kissed, Faedra was too distracted to pay any attention to the warm sensation traveling up her ring finger. Neither of them noticed the person lurking in the shadows, who was glaring at them with such an icy stare it could have frozen fire, nor did they notice the tiny red laser lights that encircled her before she disappeared.
EXCERPT FROM THE EMERALD STAFF
CUSTODIAN NOVEL #2 - AVAILABLE NOW
