by Bea Paige
We walk out from beneath the bridge and up the mossy embankment. A gravel pathway leads to a gateway between two bent trees. Their trunks are twisted and gnarly, their branches joining together, curling around one another to form an arch above our heads. Ahead of us the pathway appears to lead into more forest, but I am not convinced. There is magic here, I can almost taste it. Ezra pulls on my hand and we walk through the gate. The moment we step inside, a city unlike I’ve ever seen unveils itself before us. There are dozens of buildings carved from white marble. Tiny green veins run through every surface, just like the vines that run through the earth beneath us, above us, and all around us. The buildings differ in size, but they are all beautiful and they all sparkle in the light. Trees grow out from every available gap, their canopies spreading out above us forming a natural roof. Abundant flowers trail across every surface. Some I recognise, like the white jasmine and purple clematis, some I don’t. But all are beautiful and alive. Lavender sprouts up from the floor in patches, and all around us fireflies swarm, lighting up the place in a multitude of colours. There are fae everywhere, the majority of whom are wearing robes not dissimilar to our own. Some have their hoods drawn up like us, others have theirs pulled back. Avery was right to lend them to us, no one gives us a second glance.
“This way,” Ezra says urgently. We walk across a large central square in the middle of which sits a bandstand built from a mixture of wood and marble. I wonder about the use of it, then I recall the memory Clover showed me of the people of Clan Terra singing in the fields. At least some of their traditions were not lost to the curse, it would seem.
“To the north of this square is an alleyway that leads through the back of the city. The inn we are looking for should be a few streets along from the point we pass through it,” Ezra says as we make our way across the square.
We move quickly, keeping our heads low. Ezra still has hold of my hand, he hasn’t let go from the moment we stepped out of the tunnel. As we make our way through the city streets, around us the fae talk, laugh. They seem happy, despite the curse and what it means for them. I see no sign of any sickness here. Nostra, Clover, Avery and Eldon, they all said that the forest was sick but from where I am standing this place looks far from it. More like alive, abundant even.
We pass through what appears to be the living quarters of the city. Single-story huts line the streets. These are wooden, rather than marble, but still very pretty. All of them are covered in more flowers, growing up the walls and over the roofs. I am tempted to look up, to see if there are more homes nestled amongst the trees, but to do so would risk being seen so I keep my head down.
“We’re here,” Ezra says after about five minutes. We are standing outside a double fronted wooden building. This one has two floors. It looks vaguely like a tavern you’d find in one of those western movies. I half expect a cowboy to come walking out. A nervous giggle explodes up my throat, garnering strange looks from some fae nearby.
Ezra pushes open the door and we enter. “What’s wrong with you? Do you wish us to get caught?” he hisses under his breath.
“Sorry, I don’t know what came over me. Nerves, I guess.”
Ezra lets out a breath. “I apologise, I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”
“Apology accepted,” I say, grinning under the cover of my hood. This is a first, Ezra apologising.
“So, how do we know which one is Solomon?”
“I’ll know when I see him,” I say, looking about the room. All the fae have their hoods pulled back. Clearly, wearing hoods up inside isn’t the done thing around here.
“Can I help you?” a voice says from behind.
Ezra squeezes my hand tightly within his. We turn. In front of us is the man Clover showed me an image of. “Are you Solomon?” I ask.
“That is me. And you are?”
“We are friends of Clover. She said that you would have rooms for us here,” I say, trying not to look at the fae nearest to us who seem very interested in our conversation.
Solomon’s eyes widen, but he recovers quickly, plastering a courteous smile on his face. “Ah, yes. I’ve been expecting you both. Your room has been prepared.” With that, Solomon turns on his feet and we follow him up to the second floor. As soon as we enter one of the rooms upstairs, he shuts the door, locking it quickly.
“You can remove your hoods. No need to hide from me,” Solomon says.
Ezra and I pull them down. Solomon’s mouth drops open.
“Well, if it isn’t Tolindo’s son. What a pleasant surprise.”
Ezra narrows his eyes at Solomon. “How do you know my father?” he demands.
“I know it has been a long time, Ezra. Perhaps I have aged a little since we last saw one another,” Solomon says as he pulls Ezra into a hug, his green eyes dancing in amusement. Ezra looks at me stunned, stiffening under his touch. The awkward, one-sided hug ends pretty quickly.
“You father, Tolindo, was my friend. It’s me, Sol,” he says tapping his chest.
I watch Ezra’s expression change from one of suspicion, to shock, then surprise before finally settling on happiness. “Sol? It’s been…”
“Over a thousand years. Yes, Ezra, it has. Come, sit,” he says, ushering us to a table in the corner of the room.
Ezra is looking in awe at Solomon. “The last time I saw you, I was a young man, no more than nineteen.”
Solomon laughs. “Yes, at the time your father said you had fallen in love and had no interest in anyone else but your new love. Is this her?” he says, turning to me. I feel my cheeks colour.
“No,” I say quickly. “Ezra and I are…” I falter, unsure how to describe our relationship.
“It’s complicated,” Ezra finishes for me. “The girl you speak of was my wife, Thalia. She was killed the day the curse was cast, alongside my daughter Roseanna.”
Solomon reaches across the table and squeezes Ezra’s hand. “I am sorry. We have all lost so much. Your father?”
Ezra shakes his head. “He died a year or so after you left for the southern lands. We tried to send word.”
“It seems there has been great loss in your life too. I am sorry for it.” Solomon wipes a hand across his face. The bee tattooed onto his cheek glistens under his touch. I wonder if it is some kind of fae magic.
“I had no idea you returned to Ever Vale,” Ezra says.
“The day before the curse was cast my family and I returned. We missed home.” Solomon shrugs. “We were drawn into the earth just like everyone else.”
“Your family are here now?”
Solomon shakes his head. “They are gone, claimed by the sickness that plagues this realm.”
Ezra’s face pales. “I am sorry.”
“This sickness you speak of…” I start, not sure how to continue.
Solomon looks me in the eye. “You look about this place and see all the wonderous things and wonder what sickness plagues these lands, am I right?”
“Yes. Clover said that she stays because this realm is sick, she believes she has the power to help. Yet, I don’t see any signs of sickness.”
“Believe me, the sickness is here. Your friend, Clover, she is the key to curing it.” Solomon takes my hand in his. “I wish I could say more, but I can’t. Please do not be offended, there are things we cannot speak of to those outside of Clan Terra,” he says apologetically.
“We’ve been told that too,” Ezra says. “But what of the sickness, though?”
Solomon sighs. “You passed through the upper forest, did you not?”
“Yes.”
“For almost one hundred years, the Forest above has been slowly dying. Did you notice how very quiet the forest is, the lack of wildlife?”
“Yes, I did. I just thought it was to do with the magic or something.”
“It is, in a manner of speaking. The animals left because they know the forest is sick, that it is no longer safe for them to live amongst it.”
Solomon notices my confusion. “You saw the vine
s, too?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“The fae king, he was once an elder member of Clan Terra. Before the curse he was a good man, wise for his relatively young years. When we first arrived, he took charge, became our leader. But just like the vines that bind us to this land, all these years trapped here has made him twisted. He believes that to break the curse we must sacrifice our people to the earth. My wife, my son, they were two of his victims. An argument between us led to their murder.” Solomon takes a deep breath. “His belief, and that of the fae who reside in the city, is that eventually Mother Nature will break the curse once enough sacrifices have been made to her. Anyone found wandering in the forest is captured and offered to the earth. Your friends Rhain and Devin, that is their fate now.”
“How will that break the curse?” I ask, shaking my head in disbelief.
“It won’t. You see, the moment he began to sacrifice our people, the forest started to get sick. Murdering his own people is killing the forest. The fae king has caused this sickness, but no amount of persuasion will convince him that what he is doing is wrong. To truly understand what is happening and to find a cure, Clover must become fae. She is our only hope.”
“And what of the prophecy?” Ezra asks.
“The prophecy, Clover, the curse, this sickness, it is all tangled up together. When Nostra came to us, many people believed what he said. But the fae king refused to believe him. A division formed between the king and his loyal followers and those who believed Nostra. The king has been looking for the great tree for some time. Thank the blessed Mother, Nostra’s magic is as powerful as it is. The king has never been able to find it.”
Ezra leans back in his chair, swiping a hand through his hair. “This is indeed quite a problem you have.”
“Yes, and it is why I sent Avery, Jael and Eldon to Clover. Myself and a few others used our magic to spell them into saplings. It was the only way they could leave the Forbidden forest, find the missing daughter of Clan Terra and bring her back. But you are not here to listen to our worries. You are here to rescue your friends and I am going to help you do that.”
“How?” I ask.
“You entered through a door to our realm. On it was a flower. What was it?” Solomon asks.
“A rose.”
Solomon smiles. “Of course, that makes perfect sense.”
“It does?” Ezra asks, looking puzzled.
“Yes.” Solomon stands and walks to a low cabinet on the other side of the room. He opens a draw and pulls out a silver box, bringing it back to the desk with him. He slides open the lid. Inside are some wooden instruments and little pots of ink.
“What’s this for?”
“This is the key to getting you out. Do you trust me, Accacia?”
I look from Ezra to Solomon, then to the silver box on the table. “Clover sent us to you, she trusts you and I trust her.”
“Good, take off your cloak,” Solomon says, picking up a decidedly pointy looking implement.
Chapter Fourteen
Ezra, Solomon and I stand on the edge of the city square. In a few minutes Rhain and Devin will be brought to the bandstand and their sentence announced. I feel a rising sickness curdling my stomach.
“Are you sure this plan will work?” I ask. Around us there are hundreds of fae people, all waiting to hear what the king has decided.
“I am certain it will prove enough of a distraction so that you can escape.”
“I hope so,” Ezra says, noticing the increasing crowd.
“You remember my instructions on how to open the door back to the surface?”
I nod. My skin is still stinging from the rose tattoo carved onto my upper arm. Solomon explained earlier that the door we must leave by will only reveal itself once I am marked with the tattoo. It is a key of sorts, and will open the same door to the surface that we entered by. Now, at the very least, I have a permanent reminder of my time here in the Forbidden forest. Of course, it will only serve as a reminder if we manage to escape. I push that thought down. Failure is not an option, there is too much at stake.
“Here they come,” Ezra says, and like the rest of the fae we watch as they are brought into the square.
Rhain and Devin walk calmly between two fae men and my heart squeezes at the sight. Their eyes are glazed, their hands bound in front of them. I instinctively grab Ezra’s hand.
“They are still under the king’s spell. You will need to break it, otherwise they will be going nowhere,” Solomon whispers urgently.
“How?” I reply.
Solomon doesn’t appear to hear me.
“How will I break the spell, Solomon?” I repeat, but the pounding of drums begins, and my question is lost beneath the ruckus. We watch as Rhain and Devin are brought to the bandstand. Around us the fae cheer as a man, who can only be the fae king, walks up onto the stage. He is younger than I had expected, several years younger than Solomon. Although none of the fae look anywhere near their one thousand years. Solomon looks no more than seventy at a push, the fae king around fifty. Unlike the vampires, they appear to age, just incredibly slowly. The fae king raises his hand and the drumming stops, as do the cheers. A silence descends as he steps forward, his crown of gold and silver flowers glinting in the light.
“People of Clan Terra, my fellow fae, I look upon you all. Mother Nature blesses you,” he says, throwing his arms open wide.
“As Mother Nature blesses you in return,” the crowd respond.
The fae king circles around Rhain and Devin, who do not appear to notice him at all. “These men of Clan Lux entered the Forbidden forest. They are trespassers and as such must pay the price. Mother Nature will be appeased, and we will be one step closer to breaking the curse.” He waves his hand. A bright flash of green light, flecked with black lightning, sparks in the air as a great rumbling shakes the ground beneath our feet. The fae in the crowd begin to chant words that I do not understand as a large crack begins to open in the ground. They seem completely unconcerned by what is occurring. Solomon turns to face me.
“The time is now,” he says, pulling back the hood to his robe. “You have but a few minutes to get out of here. I wish you well.” He pats Ezra on the back and shakes my hand. “Make haste,” he urges. I am caught for a moment by the bee tattoo on his face. It seems to light up from beneath his skin.
“Go,” he says, and this time we don’t hesitate.
Ezra and I move forward through the crowd just as a loud buzzing fills the air. It is so loud that it drowns out the sound of the fae chanting. I look at the back of the crowd to see a huge cloud of bees moving towards us. There must be thousands of them, more. My eyes stray to Solomon, the tattoo on his cheek is pulsing in the light. I watch as the bees swarm around him, his fae magic allowing him to control the insects he loves. To have such magic is a rare gift amongst the fae and the only reason he was not sacrificed alongside his wife and son.
Ezra pulls me through the crowd as the people begin to scatter. The bees move with purpose, some of the fae are being stung, but not one flies towards Ezra or me. It is chaos. The ground stops moving now the chanting has ceased. I look up at the king, who is staring at Solomon, his face filled with rage. He shouts something above the din to the fae men who brought Rhain and Devin into the square and together they run towards Solomon.
“Now,” Ezra says, and we both sprint up to the platform. Ezra pulls his small silver knife out and cuts the vines from their wrists. “Come brothers, we have no time,” he says, shaking Rhain, then Devin’s shoulder. They remain standing where they are. “Why aren’t they moving?”
“Solomon said they were under a fae spell, that I must break it. But he didn’t say how. What do I do, Ezra?”
“I don’t know, but you better think of something quick,” Ezra says, pointing towards the fae king who seems to be conjuring magic of his own. A man steps up onto the platform behind us and raises his hand. Ezra ducks as a bolt of green light flies towards him, then he leaps in the air, tackl
ing the man to the ground.
I look at Rhain, then at Devin, the pounding of my heart loud in my ears. What do I do? If I don’t snap them out of this spell, we will all perish here today. In the commotion, Ezra has dropped his knife. I lean down to pick it up, an idea forming. Grabbing Devin’s hand, I cut into his palm, then slide the knife across my own skin, remembering to repeat the chant required for the Binding to work.
Blood of mine,
blood of yours,
combine as one.
From this day forth,
until it is done,
this piece of my soul I give to thee
willingly,
in exchange for your own.
Blood of mine,
blood of yours,
we bind as one.
I stand back, trying not to listen to the sounds of Ezra fighting behind me. I shake Devin’s shoulders, leaving trails of blood on his clothing.
Devin, WAKE UP, I scream silently, hoping he can hear me. Devin, damn it, WAKE UP.
Hey, no need to shout so loudly. I can hear you. Devin’s head snaps up, his dark eyes focussing on me. “It’s about time,” he says, shaking his head.
I throw myself into his arms. “Thank goodness you’re okay.” For a split second, whilst the chaos ensues around us, I allow myself a moment to relish the feel of him in my arms. Time slows, the noise lessens, my heart beats faster. “Devin,” I whisper.
I’m okay, Accacia. We’re okay.
The moment is gone as Devin whirls with me in his arms just as bright green sparks of magic whizz by our heads. “There’s no time. I need to help Ezra, and you need to wake Rhain up,” he says, letting me go. I nod my head, raising the knife. He pulls on my wrist. “That won’t work on Rhain.”
“Why? It worked for you.”
“You’ve undergone the Claiming. Your bodies are connected in a different way. Kiss him, Lights damn it, and wake Sleeping Beauty up,” he says, before rushing to help Ezra fight off more fae.
Rhain is staring off into space, the indigo-blue of his beautiful eyes glazed and unseeing. I step up to him and, whilst all hell breaks loose around us, whilst the bees swarm around the fae people, whilst the king and his henchmen try to stop Solomon, I kiss him fiercely. The result is instant, urgent. His eyes snap open, just like Devin’s had.
