by Alice Shaw
The party turned their heads sharply. Holger asked, “What’re you talking about? You feeling okay, bud?”
“You said that you fear these woods. I was just answering your question,” I said.
All four of us stopped dead in our tracks. A sharp chill ran up my spine. The cold, brash wind flowed throughout the trees’ leaves. A deep realization just set in.
“I didn’t say anything,” he said.
“You must have,” I protested.
Tristan held me close. “Where are we, Gorbins? What dark place is this?”
Gorbins turned his green head in confusion. “We must keep on the path. If we stop, we’ll confuse ourselves and get lost!”
I held onto Tristan’s hand tightly. We started strolling forward, though I wanted to run back to our peaceful little cabin, near the cemetery.
Gorbins carefully combed through the snowy path. “Ignore what you hear. The landscape knows us all too well,” he said.
Tristan was alert. His right hand was on his blade, just in case. “What about you? Do you hear voices?”
Gorbins let out a short laugh. “Even beings from the outer realms are subject to discomfort in these areas of the world.”
“Where are we, exactly? I never figured it out. You’d think a plane would have discovered these ancient lands by now,” Tristan said.
“I don’t know everything. It has been ages since I was given the keys to the library. I’m afraid that I can’t remember as much as I used to. I was kept in that prison for too long,” he said. “Here I am, growing older by the minute. Much has changed, yes. Even my speech has changed.”
A smile stretched onto my face. “We’re rewriting the history books. These are lands that have been sheltered by some strange darkness. Of course, no one has come here by plane. They wouldn’t have seen it from those heights.”
Tristan laughed, nervously. “I’m kind of scared, but this is totally amazing. I knew there was some crazy shit out there. I mean, I died once. I floated with my ancestors. But I didn’t know there were ancient cities and forests still intact.”
Gorbins laughed along with him. “Oh, son. There is so much mystery out there. Even I can’t keep up with it.”
“What grinds my gears the most is that the humans of our world have been silently rewriting the history books. How much do you hear about the fae, or the dwarves, or any of it? Tristan, you were celebrated for some magical deeds, but what will happen in forty years time? Will all magic be erased from the texts?” I asked.
Holger stomped his feet in agreement. “Dammit! He’s right. The shifters will be written out of the history books.”
“Not if we have anything to say about it,” I said, feeling pretty darn badass.
We were connecting the lost dots of time. How cool was that? We found what was once forgotten. I had to thank the goddesses above for giving me this gift.
I wrapped my arms around my belly. My child had to know the truth. The fae was real! The dark forests were out there. And there was more waiting to be found.
“Wait,” Tristan said, stopping.
“What is it?” I asked him. I was still lost in this idea of “vastness.”
“Where are we?” Tristan asked.
It was like we all snapped out of a strange daze at the same time. The beautiful trees that had once sheltered us now looked old. They were decaying.
“We were tricked!” Holger yelled.
Tristan took out his blade and protected me with his body. Gorbins jumped into Holger’s arms. I suddenly got the feeling that we were surrounded, but by what force?
“Now what?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Tristan answered, truthfully. “Please, just stay close. I can’t lose you. Not now. I love you more than anything.”
“I’m never letting go,” I said, grabbing his hand.
A dark mist surrounded us, and a shrill laughter followed. “The shadow master,” Tristan whispered, growling. He shifted into his fox form and screamed.
“Tristan! What’s happening to you?” I asked, still holding onto his shaking hands.
His teeth were clenched tightly together. One eye was open while the other was shut. He looked like he was in terrible pain. All I wanted to do was make him feel better, but I couldn’t.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t trust myself. Maybe you shouldn’t be near me.”
Distance means nothing.
The slithering voice pierced all of our ears. We fell to the earth’s floor, writhing in pain.
“Stop!” I screamed. “I am pregnant. Please, spare my child.”
Such gifts you were all born with. And you all hold wondrous fantasies inside your heads. History! Ha! There is nothing real about any of this. History is meaningless to the sands of time.
Tristan managed to open his eyes. He stood up, quivering as the mist surrounded the whole forest. “Please. We don’t understand. What have we done?”
Gorbins jumped on Tristan’s back. “Don’t give into his words!”
Tristan closed his eyes again, sighing loudly. He held his temples with his fingers. Somehow, he had picked up a branch and swung it. It hit Gorbins in the chest and sent him flying.
I remembered when we first met. The hunter in the woods almost took my life. This seemed to echo that moment.
I am the end all, be all. I am the final chapter. I am the truth. Look into my heart, and we can finally become one.
Tristan fell to the earth’s floor. “The pain… I can’t control my body,” he said.
Gorbins slowly stood up. We both shared a glance. He nodded, knowing that I was aware of what was going on. Suddenly, I knew the truth. This moment was a twisted reflection.
I closed my eyes and retraced our memories together. There was the hunter that shot me in the arm. I remember placing the photograph of the fallen firemen, face down. I didn’t want him to know the pain I had experienced.
Tristan stitched me up. I remember looking in the mirror. I showed him the black, reflective pool in the woods. It all clicked.
No matter where you turn, you will lose sight of yourself. This dim obscurity will never leave your side. Does that trouble you?
The feeling was gut-wrenching, but I still somehow managed to lock eyes with Holger. I motioned for him to toss me my bag. I was pregnant, but there was a compelling light inside of me. I knew that to be true, more than anything.
Holger slid the bag my way. I reached inside and felt the smooth, cold surface of a small hand mirror. Within the dirt, a giant snake had emerged. It slithered toward us, destroying the earth’s surface in its path.
“Who is the shadow master?” I asked. “You must tell us.”
I must do nothing!
The massive snake writhed its head forward. It’s sharp fangs extended from its horrible head. The scales reflected green and red. It lurched back, poised to strike.
“I’m not scared of you. Your tricks do nothing,” I said.
Tristan winced. His body contorted. The beautiful fox I once knew was taken as the snake’s prisoner. “Ryan, no! Think of our family. Please, just obey him.”
“There’s no one to obey. There is no shadow master. Is there?” I asked.
FOOL!
A strike of lightning shot in my direction. Holger dived in front of me. His whole body fell limp from the smoldering whip. The snake’s teeth seemed sharper and much longer now.
Fear formed in my body, but I knew what I had to do. I pulled out the hand mirror and raised it in front of me. I made sure that terrifying snake looked directly into the reflective glass.
My voice rose with courage. “I’ll repeat myself. There is no shadow master!”
Tristan’s body fell with a loud thump. A harsh cry of pain rang out all around us. The snake’s sharp fangs retracted. His body coiled in defense. I brought the mirror closer to him. “I don’t wish to carry you any longer,” I whispered. “None of us do.”
I fell to the ground, slowly. The snake mimicked my act
ions. I turned the mirror around. I saw my face. For the first time in ages, I smiled.
“And I love myself for who I am,” I whispered. The snake writhed in agony.
What have you done? Your child will die! I will make sure of it!
Tristan regained control of his body. He took his blade and stabbed it into the snake’s body. Its tail flung high into the air. He removed the blade and stabbed thrice more.
“My child will live a strong and healthy life. He will know just how beautiful he truly is. He will grow up in a world that honors the past, yet paves a new road for the future. No more darkness. No more pain. No more doubt. No more shame,” I said, digging my hands into the dirt.
I shifted into my bear form. My big body worked up an incredible surge of energy. I ran forward and slashed the snake, ripping its fangs directly from its mouth. I watched as the serpent decayed into the earth.
Then, I felt a light shine onto my body. “Here, here!”
I opened my eyes and saw the crowned leader of the fae, sitting on top of a big mushroom. Her auburn hair swayed beautifully in the air. “Well done,” she said.
I felt the need to kneel down in front of the golden woman. She reeked of royalty. Her emerald wings were gorgeous. I felt honored to be in her presence.
“Your Highness,” I said.
Holger cleared his throat and said the same, though it came off as a bit more awkward. Gorbins merely laughed and hopped onto the mushroom next to her.
“The amount of crap I had to go through on this quest was astounding!” he yelled.
Tristan snorted loudly. “Gorbs! Have some respect!”
“Respect? What in the heavens are you talking about? I have none!” Gorbins stuck his tongue out at us. My jaw dropped. I was shocked!
“She is royalty,” I whispered.
The fae frowned. “Yes, Gorbins. I am royalty. Why don’t you ever treat me as such?”
Gorbins snickered. He was utterly rude. “Royalty. Ha! This land was my home too, yes. Remember?”
“You left us a long time ago, Gorbins. You can hardly call this your home,” the fairy queen said.
“Wait. Back it up here,” Tristan said.
“Gorbins is a freakin’ fairy?” I shouted. I couldn’t keep it back. It was flabbergasting.
“I am whatever I want to be!” His face turned red with anger.
“Alright, alright. Calm the heck down,” Holger said. “So he’s a fairy. So what?”
“Where the heck are his wings?” Tristan asked.
The fairy queen giggled to herself. “Yes, he does look quite like a frog, doesn’t he? That’s what he gets for leaving our extraordinary land.”
All three of us looked at one another. Within three seconds, we were rolling in the mud and howling with laughter. It was too hard to hold back.
“Hmph!” Gorbins tapped his feet eagerly on the giant mushroom. “Fine then. Stay here, yes! You can make a fine existence in the fairy queendom.”
The fairy queen managed to stop giggling. Gracefully, she floated down to the earth’s floor. She took a bow before fully introducing herself to us. “I am Rhiannon, queen of the Lilly-Shae queendom. We have been expecting you.”
Her tiny hands moved on top of my baby bump. She smiled and placed her ear on top of my stomach. “Oh, he’s going to be so wonderful,” she whispered.
“I know it,” I said.
She took my hand and led me through the large green leaves. Inside, a magical land lay in front of us. It was more beautiful than anything I had ever seen before.
“Wow,” Tristan muttered. “I can’t believe it. This place is better than Frisky Pines! Oh, can we just live here instead?”
Gorbins laughed. “Yeah, right! You want to live here? Fairies only, yes,” he said.
Rhiannon frowned. “I’m sorry, but he is right. The land was only built to house us. I’m afraid that the air is much to thin for shifters. Don’t worry, though. We’ve adjusted the oxygen levels today. The spell should last enough time for you to rest and get back home.”
The grass was greener than any village on the map. Gorgeous nymphs sat on rocks, laughing and drinking wine. In the center of the city was a giant mountain, holding up a magnificent castle. Rhiannon smiled, pleased with herself.
This place was a vast contrast to the dark dwarf caves we had found ourselves in over nine weeks ago. Holger ran up beside the queen and bowed awkwardly while moving. “Queen Rhiannon, may I ask you a question?”
“Of course,” she said. “I’m sure that you have many questions you want answered.”
As we walked toward the quiet villages below the brightly lit mountainside, Holger asked about the dwarves. “What happened to the dwarves? And what was the darkness that we saw back there? Is it gone forever?”
Rhiannon stopped for a second, placing her finger against her pink lips. “The darkness will never fully disappear. It will assume new forms. It’ll trick us into doing things we never thought we were capable of doing. And it’ll do its best to wreak havoc on our loved ones. We all share that darkness, but that doesn’t mean we can give in to it. We have to stay vigilant. Always,” she said.
“And the dwarves?” I asked. “What happened to them?”
She scrunched up her small face. “Oh, the dwarves are such a nasty bunch! They were forced out of their caves long ago. I have no doubts that they have found new, elaborate, and very dangerous pathways to build. Yes, they were the ones who sold our beloved Gorbins out.”
“But Gorbins thought it was me,” I said, starting to feel sick.
I breathed in deeply. This was the first time I had started to experience any nausea from my pregnancy, and it hit me at the worst time.
Rhiannon continued. “Yes, the darkness can play tricks on the mind. It tries to drive us apart when we should be banding together. It’s unfortunate,” she said.
“Tend to your mate,” Rhiannon said. “He’s going to need you. He’ll be due fairly soon.”
I held myself back from vomiting in front of our highness. But right when she showed us our huts, I high-tailed my butt inside, toward the nearest toilet.
My alpha ran after me, petting his hand down my back as I puked my brains out.
“Dammit,” I sighed. “I didn’t want you to see me like this.”
“Omega, I’m honestly surprised that you lasted this long without chucking up everywhere,” he said, smiling.
I wiped my face off and placed my head against the golden toilet seat. “Ugh. How many more weeks again?”
“It shouldn’t be too long now,” Tristan said, kneeling down beside me. He kissed shoulders and laughed.
“What’s so funny?” I lifted my head from the toilet seat and sat back against his chest, trying to catch my breath. I was starting to feel better again, but I was tired out.
“I’m just so relieved, big bear. Now, we can get back and start our lives together,” he said.
“Finally,” I muttered.
I smiled and closed my eyes. Knowing how hot I felt, Tristan blew cold air onto my forehead with his mouth to cool me down. “You treat me so well,” I whispered. “I’m very fortunate.”
He wrapped his arms around me. He kissed the side of my head gently. “I’m luckier,” he said. “You’ve given me hope.”
Before we moved our tired bodies onto the bed, I thought about my home in the south. I had lived there for so long at this point that it was hard to imagine living anywhere else.
But the more I thought about it, the less appealing it seemed. “Hey, I want to ask you something,” I said.
“Yeah?” One eye peered open.
“Can we get a house in Frisky Pines?” I asked him.
Both eyes opened. His eyebrows rose. “Frisky Pines? Really? You’d want that? I thought you loved the south.”
“I loved my home because it was my home. Now that I’ve been away from it for so long, I feel like I was just making excuses for being a homebody,” I said.
He laughed and rolle
d toward me. “Shit. I like being a homebody,” Tristan said.
“Well, I still want to spend most of my days with you locked in our room together. Talking to your friends on the tablet was refreshing. We’re having a baby. I want to be around other families. I want to be in a real neighborhood,” I said.
He nodded. “It would be cool to be in the same neighborhood as everyone again. Our baby could grow up and play street hockey with the kids. They could explore and make up their own fantasies in a safe place. Big bear, I’m all for it. Whatever you want. It’s yours.”
I turned around so that he could spoon me to sleep.
“Thank you, alpha,” I whispered.
From here on out, life was going to be perfect.
Chapter 10
Tristan
“Tristan, wake up. Do you hear that? It sounds like harps!” Ryan was already sitting up in bed, reading one of his favorite books. The sound of music was indeed in the air this morning.
“Where’s it coming from? It’s so beautiful.” I walked toward our window and opened it. The air outside smelled of lilies and other unusual and dainty fragrances. I exhaled with pleasure.
“I love this place, Tristan. Do we have to leave?” Ryan pouted.
“I know. It’s incredible here,” I said.
I opened the front door and peered outside. The fae were on their instruments near a small fountain. They sat and played intently. The queen was sitting on a hill above them. When she was us, she waved.
She floated over, toward us. “You’re awake! How did you sleep?”
“We slept delightfully, Rhiannon. I have to admit to you that we don’t ever want to leave this place,” I said.
Everything felt warm and cozy here. It was indeed a heavenly experience. The fairy queen smiled. A few of the harp players giggled to themselves. “Well, I suppose you could come back to visit when the cub gets a little older,” she said.
Ryan popped his head out of the window. “Seriously? We can?”
The fae giggled, endlessly. “Yes, but only if you promise to keep the light within your heart glowing. I’d quite like to see your baby after its born.”
Ryan hopped out of the window, nearly stumbling into the soft grass. He ran as fast as he could to hug the queen. “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!”
