by Lynn Landes
“It’s you!” Caderyn gasps. Porcelain skin begins to turn gray as the veins turn black, spidering towards her heart. The sound of her stuttering heart fills Caderyn’s ears. Jazmin watches in shock and slowly hangs up the phone.
Caderyn, the roots are firmly planted, guarding secrets hidden deep. Only the water of life can free him! She hears the Fae Queen say in her mind.
“I don’t know what that means, but I will save him!” Caderyn promises fiercely. The queen reaches up and touches her face in relief. The spot on her temple burns for a moment and a tiny silver rose appears. A green vine trails above her eyebrow and down into her hair.
“Thank you, little warrior!” Just before her heart stops, she looks at Jazmin and smiles as she turns to sparkling mist. A powerful wind blows through the shop, and the windows explode outward, freeing the mist.
Caderyn picks up the dagger and stands, wiping her tears she grabs her friend pulling her along. “We have to go now!” She stuffs the dagger into her bag, and they run.
Chapter 5
Silence fills the jeep as they both absorb the death of Fairy Mary, or rather the Fae Queen. Caderyn drives aimlessly, finally stopping at a rest stop.
“Jazmin, I’m so sorry that you’re involved in this,” Caderyn says, resting her head on the steering wheel.
“She spoke to me, Caderyn,” Jazmin says quietly. “I heard her voice in my mind, and she said, ‘The key can be found under the silver tree.’ She said true sisters are a gift from the heavens. I will not lose you, as she did her brother.” Caderyn reaches out and grips her hand.
“I love you too, Jazmin, but I have no clue how to keep this promise. Where is this silver tree? How do we fight something we know nothing about?” Caderyn asks frustrated.
“Exactly, we need to do some research. Keep that blue ball in the box for now. Let’s go back to my place. Whoever killed her, could trace you through your credit card and your place is not safe.” Jazmin says.
“I do not even want to know how you know that,” Caderyn snaps.
“Easy, I dated a cop for a few months. I should call him sometime, the things he could do! Mmm, I definitely should call him later.”
“Really, Jazmin!” Caderyn scolds, laughing with her friend.
She pulls back onto the road and slams her brakes, skidding to a stop when the massive beast step out of the woods. “Look Jaz! Isn’t he beautiful?” A large white stag pauses to look at them.
Jaz looks at where she’s pointing, “I don’t see anything Cadie. Tell me what you see?”
“How can you not see it? He’s enormous!” With a glance at Jazmin, she turns to look, but he’s gone.
“She said that others would help,” Caderyn whispers and whips the jeep into a parking place cutting the engine. “I have to follow him.”
“Damn, this day is getting weirder by the second.” Jazmin reaches into her bag and pulls out a small snub nose revolver. With confidence, she checks for ammo and looks at the shock on her friend’s face. “It won’t stop a buck, but it will scare off a drunk pervert,” she says with a wicked grin.
“You’re nuts.” Caderyn shakes her head and climbs out of the jeep. “He went this way.” Just before she steps through the trees, she looks at Jazmin.
“You don’t have to come.”
“And let you have all the fun. We do this together, sister. Come on.” Jazmin replies slipping the gun into the back of her jeans. When they step into the woods, it feels immediately as if the trees surround them. The sun’s rays shoot through the branches illuminating the darkness within. She hears the sound of birds chirping and sees the stag once more at a distance.
“I see him,” Caderyn says and quickly follows. Jaz must run to keep up. The stag moves deeper into the woods, and the girls struggle to keep up, as the brush grows thicker. Caderyn follows the enormous deer, excited to see where he is leading them. As they push through some thick bushes, a clearing opens before them.
“This is better,” Jazmin says as she stares up at the blue sky. A soft mist begins to fall, and she feels at peace. “Look Cadie! A rainbow!” Jazmin calls out laughing. Entranced, she falls quiet and stares unmoving.
Caderyn sees what her friend cannot. A wall of mist is moving towards them, and she knows they’ve found her. They stand on the other side, tall, elegant and deadly. She has seen this before, in her dreams. Only this time they come prepared for War. Silver and gold armor with weapons, all trained on the two humans who approach the Vale.
Chapter 6
A soft wind blows, and Caderyn finds the courage to take a step towards the Vale. When she’s a breath away, she speaks.
“I am Caderyn. I was sent by your queen to save her brother.” No one speaks they simply look at the miniscule female. “Her final thoughts were of him. I promised to help free his body from the shadow who torments him, but I don’t know how. His time is growing short. Will you help me?”
One powerful male steps through the mist and Caderyn backs away, grabbing Jazmin’s arm. The moment they connect, a brilliant light flashes from her hand and the Fae gasp in shock. Caderyn pulls Jazmin behind her and waits.
Jazmin looks around, and her mouth falls open in astonishment. She shakes off the spell and sees him. His brown eyes meet hers and Jazmin trembles. When she looks past him, she sees an army ready to place blame.
“She said you would help me,” Caderyn starts to say again, but she is interrupted by the large male before her.
His dark eyes flash as he speaks. “We know who you are,” bowing before her, “you are the Fae Queen.”
Jazmin pulls Caderyn’s arm and whispers, “Caderyn we should go now before the hunter catches up to us. This is crazy.”
In a flash, his powerful body is before her. He is tall and muscular with long dark hair and the pointy ears that signify his race. Her pulse races as he smiles at her.
“Run, if you want human,” he says, leaning in to smell her. “But if I can smell the stench of your fear, then so will he!”
“Stench!” Jazmin forgets her fear and takes a step forward; hazel eyes flashing and pokes him in his rock-hard chest. “I’m not the one hiding behind a fog, Fairy! I may live, laugh, and hurt, but I never hide!”
“Enough!” Caderyn steps between them, “I feel him, and he’s fading. I have to find him! Turning to the Vale, she begs, “Hear me, now! Help me or don’t. I will save him! I’m not a queen, but your true King needs you!” Caderyn’s voice breaks as she struggles to contain her emotions. The wind blows Caderyn’s hair back, and the small rose tattoo and vine sparkles, catching the attention of the Fae. The sound of all the Fae snapping to attention rings out. Dark eyes watch as Jazmin comforts her friend.
“I am Bastian, Master Guardsmen. I will help you.” His face struggles to hide his surprise, “You bare the mark of The Fae Queen. She gifted you her power. I can teach you how to control it.” Gesturing at Jazmin, he says, “This human has no value, she needs to go.”
“NO!” They say in unison.
“Jazmin is in danger because of me.” Caderyn snaps, “Your queen thought enough of her, to speak to her. The Shadow that holds your Kings body has targeted her. He thinks that she is your Queen. I will not abandon my sister.”
“Very well, she can enter the Vale with you,” he says frowning at Jazmin.
“Do not enter the Vale! Tell no one about the globe,” a strong male voice orders and Caderyn jumps in shock. When his voice flows over her body, her heartbeat speeds up, and her soul sighs. She has found her twin flame! The other half of her soul! She looks around for the owner.
“I have to follow your Queen’s orders.” Caderyn backs away slowly, “I can’t stay here.”
“Cadie, they can help us.” Jazmin looks at her friend, “Where will we go?” she asks as confusion clouds her mind.
“I will be your constant companion and your guide. Do not fear the unknown Caderyn. Trust me,” the voice says quietly.
With a soft smile, she says, “You should s
tay with them, Jazmin. You will be safe here, but I have to find him.”
Jazmin puts her body in front of Bastian, to protect Caderyn. “You can’t be serious! They don’t want me here. I’m staying with you!” She tosses her blonde hair over her shoulder and glares at the large Fae.
“My Queen,” Bastian says not bothering to hide his disgust, “If you will not stay, then I will be your guard.” He turns to the Vale, gives a wave, and the mist begins to fade.
“We do not need an Elf to protect us. Besides, you will stand out like a sore thumb,” Jazmin says with her hands on her hips.
“I am no elf, human! I can show you the difference if you wish!” he quips back.
“Okay, children, let’s play nice,” Caderyn says hiding a smile, as she begins walking back to the car.
Bastian watches as the mist slowly fades, and when the first note floats through the mist, Jazmin turns and stops. Caderyn steps beside him feeling the music in her soul.
“What is that music?” Jazmin asks softly. He turns, and the pain in his eyes strikes her heart.
“It is called Ode to the Fallen. They mourn the passing of our Queen.” He turns away, closing his eyes, and lifts his face to the music.
Caderyn listens to the music for a moment, and hears the King’s voice, “Thank you, for not letting her die alone.” Sadness fills her heart, and she doesn’t know if it’s his or hers. The loss she feels is gut-wrenching. Her tears roll freely, and Caderyn walks fast, trying to escape the pain.
Jazmin watches her friend and faces the Fae in front of her. His beauty is shocking, and she feels drawn to him. Tall, and lean, long dark hair, and dark eyes, and she wonders for a moment what he would taste like. ‘Jazz he’s from another… God, she doesn’t even know what he is! Cadie needs protecting, and she has no one else. Time to set some ground rules’, she thinks.
“Bastian, I am sorry for your loss, but Caderyn is special, she feels things deeply. I will not let you hurt her.”
His dark eyes pierce hers, and he looks her over. His eyes start at the ground and flow up her body, and she reacts as though he were touching her. Her desire is intense. “What could you possibly do to me, human, I am immortal.” As he flows past her, he stops beside her and whispers in her ear, “Do not threaten me, you are impotent against my race.”
Her hazel eyes fill with outrage, “Who...”
Caderyn’s scream splits the air, and they both run. Bastian is gone in an instant, and Jazmin struggles to make her way through the brush. When she pushes through the brush near the parking lot, she finds Bastian with his sword drawn, trying to locate the source of his queen’s fear. Caderyn is on the ground.
“Cadie, what is it?” Jazmin asks falling to her knees beside her on the ground.
“He’s hurting him again. I can feel it.” She moans doubling over in pain.
Bastian is stunned. “You can feel it? You’re linked to him?” He picks Caderyn up and looks at Jazmin, “Hold my arm Jazmin and picture your home.”
“Wait! Jazmin, get my bag!” Caderyn says desperately. Jaz runs to the car and grabs the bag from under the seat. When she turns, she finds Bastian waiting behind her.
“Oh my God! Stop flashing around! I could have shot you!” Jazmin snaps.
“We must go, grab my arm!” The moment her hand touches his arm, they are surrounded by light. He moves quickly through space, arriving in her living room.
Jazmin gasps and clutches his arm as time and space swirl around them. “Amazing!”
They arrive in her apartment, and Jaz quickly lets go, embarrassed. A blush covers her cheeks, and she avoids looking at him. “Put her down on the couch, I will get a blanket.”
Bastian watches her move away and gently places the Queen on the couch. “My Queen, how long have you had this connection?”
Jazmin comes back in and helps prop her up and gives her a cup of water. “Here, this should help.”
“Thank you, Jaz. The pain is fading now,” Caderyn hesitates not sure what to tell him. Can he be trusted?
“Tell me his name. I don’t even know his name,” she pleads, ignoring his question.
“His name is Drake. He is the King of the Fae. The first and the only,” he replies.
“Drake,” she says, trying the name out, then smiles. ‘Drake, can you hear me? Caderyn calls.’
“I hear you, my queen,” he replies. “You can trust Bastian, he is pure of heart.”
Caderyn sits up and puts the cup down. She leans forward and says, “Drake says to trust you. So, I will.”
Shock flashes across his face for a second, and then his immortal mask falls back into place. “Where’s he being kept?” Bastian demands. She’s shaking her head before the sentence is finished.
“I don’t know, Bastian. I only get feelings, images, and dreams.” Frustrated, she tells him about her dreams. “Each time I get close, I wake up. The last time he was so close, I could almost touch him.” She reaches out a trembling hand as if he is standing before her.
“I don’t understand any of this!” Caderyn says to both of them, jumping up in frustration. “Why me? I am not a queen! I’m a landscape designer, that’s all! Now, I am seeing things that can’t be real, and hearing voices in my head!”
“Drake is your mate, Caderyn. The Fae only have one soul mate. We are immortal, and some never find their match. Your connection is strong because you are his,” he tells her quietly.
“That is a nice thought, Bastian but I am not his mate, I don’t even know him! Who is this Shadow and why does he have my Drake!”
Jazmin steps to her taking her hand, “Cadie you just called him yours. You only have to dare to believe it. You have the answer in your heart.”
“Are you nuts? I don’t believe in fairy tales, unlike you. Reality! Jaz, that is what I believe in,” Cadie yells out, stomping away.
“When we are together, I will show you the difference between fantasy and reality, my Queen,” the King promises.
Caderyn ignores the way her pulse jumps at his promise, and snaps back, “Stop calling me your queen! I don’t even know you!”
Bastian listens and smiles, “Caderyn, the Fae are immortal, as old as time itself. There are many branches of our family tree, fairies, elves, leprechaun, pixies, too many to list. Some dark and some light. Some believe we are descended from angels. The shadow was a Fae of the Light, and when he turned dark, he was pushed through the Vale. He has never forgotten his hatred of us.”
His rage boils, and the shadow seeps from Caderyn’s bag beside the couch, where Jazmin sits listening. The shadow longs to destroy the new Queen. So, intent on the story, they do not see the danger until it has completely enveloped Jazmin.
One minute, Jazmin is on the couch, the next she second, she’s standing in a field reliving the past.
Strong hands hold her arms behind her, as two young girls fling their tiny arms around her legs, crying for their mama.
“Nooo, let us go with him! We belong together!” Jazmin screams, but the voice she hears is not her own.
His back is to her, as the guardsmen drag him to the Vale, he’s struggling as he yells back, “Wynn! It will be okay! I will prove my innocence!”
The Queen walks over, pulling a bronze dagger, and slices a hole in the Vale. With a flick of her wrist, her power immobilizes him and lifts him into the air. The Queen ignores the pleas of his family; she must protect the Light. Without another thought, she throws him through the Vale. The rip closes as though never there. The guardsmen release Jazmin, and she runs trying to break through the barrier. He’s on his knees crawling towards her, and her screams rip through the night. He’s yelling at her, but she is beyond hearing.
In her desperation, Jazmin runs at the Queen attempting to grab the bronze dagger. Her only thought is to open the Vale to get to him! Jasmine’s scream stops short as the Queen shoves the blade into her heart!
Bastian sees the mist around Jazmin and tries to break through to save her, but his power is no
t strong enough. Caderyn screams and runs at Jazmin. Her hand breaks through the mist, and she pulls Jazmin free! The mist falters at Caderyn’s touch, and Bastian is able to call on the power of the Fae and attack the mist. The Shadow screams in frustration and returns to his portal.
“Bastian, help me!” Caderyn calls.
Jazmin’s heart is broken. When Bastian approaches her, she backs away in terror. “Let me go to him, he needs me!” she begs with her hands to her heart. When she lifts her hand, Bastian sees the blood, and horror fills his mind.
He murmurs a spell, knocking her out and she falls over. Bastian ignores the screams of his Queen. He lifts Jazmin, and snaps, “I can help her. Give me room!” Stomping down the small hall, he places her on the bed and orders Caderyn out.
“Drake, what do I do? He keeps attacking us through the globe, but it’s my only link to you!” she asks terrified.
“You do not need it Caderyn. We are one. The globe is only a pawn of the Shadow. Destroy it with the dagger!”
She runs to her bag and dumps the contents onto the floor, the globe falls free rolling out of the box. Caderyn snatches the dagger from the floor and the globe flares with a bright blue light. It begins to pour out and take the shape of a man. She does not scream for help because Drake is with her, he begins to chant, and she feels the power of his spell inside her mind. Her voice joins his, and together they plunge the knife deep into the spot where his heart should be.
A roar of pain erupts from the creature and Caderyn drops to the floor, smashing the hilt of the bronze dagger into the glass globe. The globe explodes upon impact and Drake uses the last of his strength to shield Caderyn from the explosion.
She feels him around her, inhales his scent into her soul and her spirit rejoices to be whole at last. When he starts to fade, from her, she calls out to him, “Drake? Don’t you dare leave me!” she demands.
“Yes, my Queen, but I fade. Hurry,” his husky voice orders.
“Drake, tell me how this is possible? I don’t understand how I could feel like this for someone I’ve never met,” she asks, hoping to keep him with her a little longer.
