She closed my door behind her, and I was alone. I sat at my desk beneath the window and opened my laptop to check Facebook. Suddenly, I felt like I was being watched. I rubbed the back of my neck and scanned the tree line outside my window, looking for Azura—assuming that’s who it was. But I didn’t see her—or anyone.
Facebook only held my attention for so long. I pulled on a sleeveless nightgown and began to climb in bed.
There was a note on my bedside stand. I unfolded the paper and read the words. “I am unable to see you tonight. I will come to you tomorrow. There are many things to discuss.”
Fine by me. I had no desire to deal with her. I tossed the note in the garbage next to my desk and crawled beneath the covers. My last thought before I fell asleep was, If that hadn’t been Azura I felt watching…who was watching me?
*
My alarm went off in the morning, waking me from a wonderful dream—a flying dream, my favorite kind. I hated waking from it. They were even more real now that I had wings and knew what they felt like.
After my shower, I dressed in one of my new dresses, happy to find it fit perfectly. I threw my binder in my backpack and hurried down the stairs.
Dad and Mom were both standing in the kitchen, which took me by surprise. “Is everything okay?” I asked. It was rare that Dad was home in the mornings.
“Everything is fine,” Dad reassured me. “I figured I’d go in a little later today because I was there yesterday.”
“Oh, okay.” My shoulders relaxed, even though I wasn’t quite sure I believed him. I poured a bowl of cereal and sat at the table to eat it.
“I’m going to go,” Dad said, kissing Mom and walking over to me. “You look beautiful. Make sure to keep your phone on you at all times in case something happens.” He kissed my forehead and vanished out the door.
Once I shoveled the last spoonful of cereal into my mouth, I looked at my mom where she was still perusing the newspaper at the counter. “You’re gonna be late.”
“I’m going.” She smiled. “You okay? It’s your first day at school since…” Her voice trailed off.
Since I became a faery. I wanted to lie and tried to say I was fine, but the words wouldn’t come out. I really couldn’t lie. Sighing, I finally answered, “I’m a wreck. But I’ll be fine, Mom. I just have to keep telling myself that nobody else can see me like I do.”
Standing up, I put my bowl in the sink and gave her a hug. There was tension in her, taut like a string. I wasn’t sure which one of us was more worried.
“Have a good day.” She squeezed me tighter. “If you’re uncomfortable, call me.”
“I will. Don’t worry.”
She gave me a last searching glance, her fingers resting on my shoulders. “Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you to school? I have time.”
“No, I want to pretend I’m normal. I always ride with Sierra. It would look odd if I didn’t. And you don’t have time, you’re already running late.” I looked pointedly at the clock.
“If you’re sure…”
“I’ll be fine, Mom. Just get to work.”
She was out the door a minute later. Sierra would be there to pick me up in a few minutes, so I needed to hurry. I washed my bowl and picked up my bag, then looked around the house to make sure I wasn’t forgetting anything. I realized I left my phone in my room and ran up the stairs to get it.
Once I was back downstairs, I decided to wait for her on the porch. It was a beautiful day, the sun already high and strong, casting light through the branches of the trees. I locked the door behind me and sat down on the stairs to enjoy the breeze.
Almost immediately, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I got the feeling that someone was watching me—yet again. I stood up and looked around, but still didn’t see anything. When the feeling didn’t go away, I wished Sierra would hurry up, because the sensation was starting to freak me out. I should have just gone with my mother.
Oh, well. I’ll wait inside.
I turned and walked up the stairs, digging into my bag for my keys.
Suddenly, I was grabbed from behind, one strong arm wrapping around my chest and a palm slapping to my mouth. I tried to scream and spin around, but their grip was too strong and my yell was lost. This couldn’t be happening. Where the hell was Azura when I needed her?
“Stop struggling,” a harsh male voice ordered. He struggled to hang on as I bucked against him, but his hand slipped from my mouth.
“Let go of me!” I yelled and slammed my head back at my attacker. It felt as if I hit foam instead of a body. I wished I could see what the attacker looked like.
“Try that again, and I’ll break off your pretty little wings,” a raspy voice threatened. “Move it!”
If he could see my wings, he wasn’t human.
I went dead weight, letting my body droop towards the ground. If I could stall, maybe Sierra would show up in enough time to call the cops. But instead of letting go, my attacker only held tighter and began to drag me towards the woods near my house where another figure was waiting.
The gravel scraped across my legs and lower back, sending pain soaring through my body. I wanted to cry, but I was too scared. I tried to clear my mind and think. My father had spent countless hours teaching me how to escape a stranger abduction. The closer and closer I got to the woods, the harder I struggled, and the more I forgot everything he’d ever taught me.
Finally, he stopped and dropped me to the ground with a jarring thud. I rolled over and leapt to my feet, turning to face my abductors, but there wasn’t anybody there.
“What the—?” What was going on? I spun around a few more times, but couldn’t see anyone. I couldn’t fight something I couldn’t see, so getting the hell out of there sounded like a good plan. I took off in a full out sprint towards my house.
I didn’t get very far before I was grabbed again. I let out a scream before something covered my mouth.
“Shut up!” the voice said again. Someone—or something—had me by my hands and someone else grabbed my feet. For an instant, I was weightless, and then we were moving. They hurried back towards the woods. For the first time in my life, I wished we lived on a busy street or had closer neighbors.
As soon as we crossed into the woods, it was like everything changed. The trees were greener than I ever thought possible and they towered over us, much taller than they’d ever seemed from my bedroom window. The forest was lush and thriving, filled with bird song and the chirp of insects. It would have been beautiful if I hadn’t been scared for my life.
I was tossed on the ground again and two people materialized in front of me. No—not people—faeries. Their hair and eyes were dark, and their wings were thinner and pointier than mine. They were closely similar in looks, and they had a dark aura around them, unlike Azura with her aura of light.
Dark faeries. My breath hitched. How could they have found me so quickly? I’d only been a faery for a day and half.
“This is an Aurorian faery?” one of them snarled.
“Pathetic,” the other agreed.
“Let’s get her back to the palace.”
They stepped towards me, and I let out a scream. I scooted backwards as I yelled, “Don’t touch me!”
“Feisty,” the shorter faery with beady eyes said.
“Pretty, too,” the other one commented with an evil grin.
“I’m not sure who you are or who you think I am, but I am not going anywhere with you.” My voice shook. I realized how ridiculous I sounded since they were clearly in control.
“I think you misunderstood.” The first man cackled. “You don’t have a choice.”
They leaned over me, grabbed my arms, and lifted me up as if I weighed nothing. They carried me deeper into the woods.
As scared as I was, I couldn’t help but be struck by the beauty of the forest. It was amazing how different things looked with my faery sight.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked through gritted teeth, my body
bouncing between them.
“To your owner, where you rightfully belong.” The taller faery sneered at me.
“That’s absurd! I don’t belong to anyone!” I thrashed again, causing them to pause and readjust my weight. When we were moving again, I said, “My father is going to kill you. I hope you know that.”
Apparently, they thought that was hilarious. Their laughter echoed through the woods.
The reality of the situation crashed down on me. I had been kidnapped and was on my way to an evil faery. I might never see my family and friends again. Tears spilled down my face. “Please,” I begged. “Just let me go.”
“No. We’re under strict orders to bring you in. If we don’t, we’re as good as dead.” I don’t know which man answered me; I was getting dizzy from being bounced around.
“They’ll never know. I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”
“They already know and are expecting our arrival. It’s not much further. Just do as you’re told, and it won’t be too bad.”
“Put her down!” Azura’s voice echoed through the forest.
My heart stuttered in my chest. Could she really save me?
The faeries stopped cold, and I struggled to turn my head and see my faery mother.
“Move out of the way,” the shorter one ordered.
Azura laughed. “Not a chance.”
A strong wind kicked up around us. Leaves were blown around, tangling into my hair as it flew around my head. I could hear the creak and groan of the trees bowing to Azura’s power.
“Air manipulator—really?” Both men laughed. “Go ahead. Cause a storm. You’ll only hurt the girl.” They pushed me forward towards the mini twister, and I wondered if it had enough power to suck me in and kill me.
“Please help me!” I begged.
Azura narrowed her eyes and the twister grew larger. One of my captors sighed and held out his hand, allowing a surge of some sort to emerge from it and strike Azura. Her twister died out, debris sinking to the ground.
“Did you really think Varwik wouldn’t see you coming? He didn’t send someone with boring abilities. You’ll have to whisk us away in your twister to stop us, and that means she goes too.”
“They’re right. My gift could only hurt you,” my faery mother said through clenched teeth. “I’m going to go for help. I will do everything I can to make sure you are returned safely. I love you, my daughter.”
Then my only hope of escaping vanished.
Chapter Eleven
The faeries came to an abrupt stop.
“Honey, we’re home,” one sneered, pushing me forward so that I fell to my knees.
My palms hit the ground hard, sticks and leaves digging into my skin, and pain shot up my legs. I breathed through the pain, my teeth gritted. I snapped my head to the right and left, but all I saw was forest, a pile of stones, and a bushy-tailed red fox disappearing into the underbrush. There wasn’t another person or habitable structure in sight. What were they talking about?
The taller one stepped forward and started moving around the pile of rocks. The stones were huge and must have weighed a ton, but he tossed them around like they were baseballs. A large wooden door was revealed piece by piece—heavy, dark mahogany with black iron studs and an old-fashioned handle. The dark faery wrapped the hem of his black T-shirt around one hand and gave the black handle a good yank. The door creaked open.
The faery grabbed me by the arm and jerked me to my feet. “Down the stairs.”
A creepy stone staircase wound into the bowels of the earth, twisting into darkness. The steps were worn and dirty, the rock walls smooth but covered in cobwebs. Fear coursed through my veins as the faeries forced me to go first.
The air became cooler the deeper we walked, and it smelled musty and old. We passed intermittent torches, lit but not brightly, giving the narrow chamber an eerie glow. Each step felt like I was descending to my death.
At the end of the stairs was a long, confining hallway: a sort of underground tunnel of abrupt turns and dizzying twists. The walls pressed down on me. I wasn’t a fan of small spaces, and the fact that the faery thugs kept jerking me around didn’t help me any. We walked for so long that my feet began to ache, and I silently pleaded for the path to end.
A huge, intricately carved wooden door waited at the end of the tunnel—there was nowhere to run. I tried to put on a brave face, but I knew it was hopeless. All I wanted to do was crawl into the corner and cry. The entire situation was so absurd and unfair. What did I do to deserve this?
The door opened into a large, brilliantly lit room. Sunlight poured in from a ceiling made of glass, and living, green vines ran up the stone walls as if reaching towards the light. Somehow, even though we went down the stairs and through underground tunnels, we were aboveground again.
As we walked further into the room, a tall, rail-thin figure stepped out of the shadows. His hair was jet-black, and his eyes a deep, dark brown. His wings stood tall and proud behind him, inky and sparkling with edges that appeared frayed. He peered down at me with narrowed eyes from a craggy, unattractive face.
“She’s an Aurorian faery?” he boomed.
“She does bear the birthmark,” the shorter faery answered, his voice cracking slightly as if he were intimidated by the new man.
“I wonder at her ability.” He tapped his finger to his lip as he walked in a circle around me. One of his wings brushed gently across my arm, and I shivered—it was the first time I’d felt another faery’s wings. It was weird.
He leaned in so close that I could feel his breath on my skin. Strong fingers pinched my cheeks, and he turned my head to the left. With his other hand, he ran his long, skinny fingers over my birthmark. Then he poked at it like it was a button and something was going to turn on. “You bear the mark. What is your name?”
I didn’t answer.
He grabbed me by the hair, and I let out a shriek. The man asked again, his words slow and enunciated. “What is your name?”
“Rylie.” My voice came out a squeak, and I flushed from head to toe. I wanted to appear strong and brave, not as if I were ready to melt into a puddle at his feet.
“That’s a human name.” He frowned. “What is your faery name?”
I squinted at him, wishing I could say something angry, and muttered, “Oleander.”
His eyes widened, but he didn’t remark on it. “Who are your parents? Your real parents?”
“I only know Azura. She said my father left.”
He let go of me and turned towards the two goons that had brought me here. “Let Varwik know immediately.”
They both bowed, and then scurried off.
Looking me over once more, he said, “She hid you well.”
I didn’t answer. My heart was racing, and my palms were sweaty. Obviously, I wasn’t hidden well enough, or I wouldn’t have been standing in a strange place with people out to kill me.
His gaze was contemplative. Mine was probably furious.
I cleared my throat, uncomfortable beneath his observation. “What do you want from me?”
“I’m not sure yet.” He turned and yelled, “Lena!”
A lady appeared in the doorway as if she had been waiting just outside. I’d know that white-blonde hair anywhere. She was the faery I had seen at the mall.
It all made sense now. She had seen me, seen my birthmark, and told the dark faeries. I could feel the blood draining from my face. This wasn’t good. Her aura and wings were definitely lighter than the others, indicating she wasn’t a dark faery. So that brought up the question…why would a light faery be here?
“Yes?” Her purple and white wings fluttered ever so slightly. Her beauty reminded me of that of an angel—pale skin, pale eyes, ethereal and slight.
“Take her to her room. She needs to get cleaned up before we bring her to Varwik.”
Lena’s blue eyes met mine. She nodded to the man, a movement that was almost a bow, and then grabbed my arm.
“Where are you taking
me?” I asked her as she dragged me through the door and down a long hallway. Panic had begun to set in again. The ceilings soared high and the walls were made of huge blocks of stone, impenetrable like a fortress.
“Shut up,” the light faery snapped, shaking my arm.
“No!” I barked, digging my heels into the ground and forcing her to stop. I was fed up with being pushed around; my arm was going to be nothing but bruises by the time the day ended. “I will not shut up. You people grab me from my home and drag me wherever it is we are, and I’m not supposed to ask questions? Now, where am I?”
“Varwik’s castle,” Lena answered, her eyes wide, and just a little impressed, I think.
Varwik. I recognized the name from Azura’s story about the dark faery that made the deal with my father. What was with these people and their strange names? “So, who is Varwik?”
“Why, he is only the most powerful dark faery, of course,” she said, like I was supposed to know who he was.
“Who did I just meet?”
The girl rolled her eyes. “That was Kyro. He’s one of Varwik’s advisors.”
Lena began pulling me along again, her nails digging deep into my skin. Instead of fighting, and probably making myself bleed, I let her.
We came to a stop in front of a doorway. Smiling, she said, “Welcome to your new home. Take a bath and change. There are clothes in the closet. I will come for you later.” Then she pushed me in and slammed the door. I heard the bolt slide into position.
I was locked in.
“Hey! Let me out!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, as I banged on the door. “Do you hear me? My father will track you down. He’s a detective, you know!”
I don’t know how long I pounded on the door and yelled. Eventually, my voice grew hoarse and my hands ached. I fell against the door and slid down the wood until I collapsed into a heap on the floor. Pulling my knees up to my chest, I cried.
When I had no more tears to shed, I stood and found my legs were a little wobbly from all the walking and injuries. I steadied myself with the door. The room was large, but the furniture sparse. A tiny twin bed was in the back left corner with a tan blanket and pillow. I was so tired that it looked inviting.
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