by Valia Lind
"It's more like it listens to my inner thoughts and takes them as their own. I don't have to tell it to create, I have to make a definite intention. We're one and the same, so it's not like I go around telling myself to do something. I'm not explain it correctly," I grunt, hanging my head.
"No, you are. I understand. It's similar to my wolf. We're two, but we're one. And it works. Perfectly."
Raising my head, I give him a small smile. Maybe he does understand. But it still doesn't help me find my dad.
"What are you suggesting?"
"I'm suggesting you try calling on needed information and see what happens. As long as you don't use your story spell casting."
At that, I sit up rigid straight. Of course he would know about that.
"Are you and Liam serious besties now or is this a fleeing thing?"
"I was thinking we're buds for life," that comes from the woods to our right and both Aiden and I jump to our feet immediately. When Liam steps through into our little circle, I do nothing but stare.
"What? Do I have something on my face?" He asks, snapping me out of my daze. I throw myself at him and he catches me easily, dropping whatever he was holding on the ground. I hear the thump from the impact. He cradles me close, before setting me gently to my feet.
"What are you doing here?"
"And why didn't I sense you coming?" I glance over at Aiden and find him staring at Liam.
"One, you didn't sense me because I've been cloaked. And two, I brought you supplies. You can't be fugitives from the law without proper supplies."
He points to the ground and that's when I notice a backpack and two swords. The items bring a huge grin to my face and I want to hug him again.
"How did you know where we were?"
"I followed your scent."
"What?"
"It's not that strange. You know Queen Amaryllis can sense your magic."
"Yes, which is why I haven't used it."
"Well, it's kind of stays around you anyway, like a scent. Because we're close, I can pick up on it, even when the queen can't."
"How is that possible, Liam?"
"Because he's royalty. Right?" This comes from Aiden, who is now sitting on the ground, going through the backpack. I glance between the two boys, before rolling my eyes.
"I hate that both of you know more about fae than I do."
"Well, I kind of have to," Liam replies, and I bump him with my shoulder.
"Does that mean Queen Amaryllis knows I'm gone?"
"I don't think so. I was coming back to you when I saw you speed out of the greenhouse. Ben was right inside and he explained to me what happened. It didn't take long to find Jade. She was hiding in Noel's room. People were harassing her to find you."
My poor friend. Once again, she's been put into a difficult situation because of her association with me. I have no idea why anyone wants anything to do with me after these things keep happening.
"She's a strong girl, Mads," Liam continues, clearly seeing the distress on my face. "She'll be fine. She packed the bag and Ben and Owen snuck over to grab some weapons. It's the best we could do. I had to get out of there before your headmaster shut down the school."
"He did?"
"Yes. He sent everyone to their rooms, putting in place a lockdown until dinner time. Giving people time to cool off. But I honestly think it's making things worse."
"How?"
"People don't do well being locked in cages," Aiden comments, and I realize he's been watching Liam and I as we talked. He must've found the items in the bag to his liking, because he gives Liam a quick nod.
"What do we do now?" I ask, feeling completely defeated. I'm the kind of a person that needs a plan. And I really don't have one.
"You do what you were planning on doing," Liam says, his voice firm.
Aiden leans towards me, his own eyes shining with determination. "He's right. We go find your dad. That's our priority now."
"Okay," I say, my heart full from the way the two are looking for me. "How do we do that?"
We stay quiet for a moment, each of us mulling over our next move. The only thing I keep coming back to is what headmaster said to me in his office. But I'm not quite sure how to use that to our advantage.
"Do you think you can call your dad to you?" Aiden asks, breaking the silence. At first I think he's reading my mind, but then I realize we were just talking about it.
"My sisters have tried that. So has Mama. I don't see how it would work for me and not them. I was hoping the—“ with Liam here, the library is once again a protected secret and won't let me speak about it. Aiden and I exchange a look and Liam props me.
"What?"
"Sorry, I was hoping for more information on it. From a specific source." Liam narrows his eyes at me but doesn't question further.
"But your sisters didn't know where to look when they did the spell, right?" Aiden continues, bringing my attention back to him. "Now that you know he's in Faery, maybe it'll work."
Glancing between the two boys, I can't believe I didn't think of that. But I guess that's why we have people in our circle. Sometimes they're just there to point out the obvious. But it doesn't meant that I can just do a spell.
"The spell is to call on a lost witch. There are variations of it in every culture. But dad isn't a witch. He's a watcher. They don't necessarily have magical powers."
"But they're blood, duchess," Aiden says, taking a step toward me. "There's nothing stronger than blood. You carry that part of him within you. Always. So is there a way to channel that part of your heritage?"
His faith in me is shining in his eyes and it's the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. There's no doubt there, just complete trust in my abilities and in me. He's thinking smarter than I, and it's irritating me, but also giving me hope.
"Why haven't I thought of this?"
"Because you're too close to it," Liam comments, pinning me down with his gaze. "We'll help you see the bigger picture."
"Which I am grateful for," I reply honestly, "But there's still the issue of me using my magic. The moment I do, the queen will descend. She'll probably throw me in the closest jail and throw away the key. I can't exactly help anyone if I'm indisposed."
And that's really the big issue here. I probably would've tried a hundred spells by now if I wasn't worried about the queen.
"I actually have an idea about that," Liam comments, a glint of mischief in his eye.
"Well, don't keep it to yourself," Aiden says, giving the fae an annoyed look. Liam doesn't seem bothered. I can't figure out the dynamic between them, but as long as they're not full on battling each other, we're good to go.
"Remember how I said that my house is protected from the queen?" I nod, and he continues, "We have place, close to the border of the Winter Court. Well, it's Nolan's grandparents place. I don't think going to my house is smart. The queen will look for you there. But if we can get to the border, you can practice your magic there. It's very protected."
I study him for a full thirty seconds, before I reply.
"What are you not telling me?"
Liam's eyes stay steadily on mine, which doesn't take my suspicion away. Just raises it. When he can see I'm not about to budge, he sighs.
"Why is it you are never intimidated by me?"
"Because I know you're a softy. What's the catch, Liam?" I ask, placing my hands on my hips. He shakes his head a little, before replying.
"It's not that it's a catch, but it's a long journey. And we can't portal there. It would take you at least two days to get there. No one lives there during this season. They're with my parents, visiting the Summer Court."
"Two days isn't that bad," I reply, my mind already working on a plan. "Is there a village between here and there at which we can stop for supplies?"
Liam nods, "There are two or three. Depending on how straight your journey is. It's almost a straight shot from here. East."
I glance over at Aiden, who has stayed quiet during the exchange, but I
can feel his eyes on me even before I turn. He's letting me take the lead on this, and I can't even imagine how difficult that is for an alpha. I want to ask him a hundred questions as to why, but instead I just ask one.
"What do you think?"
"I think that I don't mind a two day hike through the woods."
Truly, that's all I wanted to hear. I'm not ready to do this alone, but I don't have to. Glancing back over at Liam, I give him a small smile.
"Point the way, cupcake."
15
We spend the next hour hashing out all the details. The hardest part of it all is that Liam can't come with us. The longer he's with me, the bigger possibility of us getting discovered by the queen. While Liam is cloaked from everyone else, royal blood is more easily tracked by other royals. Especially familial blood. Since the queen knows of our relationship, now that I've gone missing, she'll be looking at him. She's been looking at him this whole time.
"I'm sorry I've put you in this situation," I say, when it's time to say our goodbyes. He'll be meeting us at the village close to the estate in two days. First, he has to go back to the school and when the time is right, Jade will create a diversion for him to portal to us. We have one chance at this, and we're going to do it right. Well, as right as we can manage.
"You didn't put me in any situation I don't want to be in," Liam replies, taking my hands into both of his. I smile, even though all I feel is sadness and worry. I keep putting my friends in dangerous situations and they keep trusting me to get them out of these messes. "You'll find your dad, Mads. And then, you'll get back to the human realm and be with your family. I believe it."
"If you say so."
"I know so."
Stepping forward, I allow his arms to come around me and I hold on tight. Our friendship will always be risky, a witch and a fae, but it's a friendship that has taught me the most in my life. I will never take for granted all that he's done for me. He taught me that people aren't just the product of their heritage. They get to become whoever they want to be. If only they make the choice.
"I will see you soon, Mads," Liam says, stepping back. He gives Aiden a quick nod and then he's gone. I don't move, watching the place where he walked into the trees, until Aiden comes to stand right behind me. I can feel the heat off his body reaching out to me and all I want to do is lean back and find comfort. But now is not the time. Sucking up all my emotions, I resolve myself to what has to be done next.
"We have a few hours of daylight left. We should get going," I say, turning to face him. He's only a few feet behind me, and I have to look up to meet his eyes. When I do, I almost give into the urge to close the distance between us. Liam isn't the only one who has put his faith in me. Here stands an alpha, a boy who was my frenemy for weeks, who now is my closest companion. Life really doesn't turn out the way you plan.
Aiden doesn't comment on Liam's departure or the way he keeps looking at me. He reaches for the backpack at the same time I do, swinging it over his shoulder first. After a quick smirk, he hands me a sword and I strap that to my back without hesitation. Aiden's is already situated under the backpack, within easy reach.
"Are you ready for this?" He asks, when we turn in the direction Liam pointed us in.
"No. But that's been my answer to every situation I've been in so far."
Aiden smiles at that and then we're off.
It feels weird to be in the woods with him, so close yet so far away. Because even though he's right here, there's a distance between us that I've put in place. If I don't do that, I would want to hold his hand and that seems like a disaster in the making. I know eventually we'll have to talk about what happened between us before the plague came.
Neither one of us breaks the silence as we make our way through the forest. It helps having a shifter by my side, because even though I can survive and find my way on my own, he has an impeccable sense of direction. I don't need to cast any spells to help us out. Liam and him talked it out, with the fae giving Aiden all the information he may need to guide us to the right place.
"Thank you for doing this," I finally speak up after about an hour. The sun is setting lower now, casting more shadows through the trees. Even though I'm feeling awkward around Aiden, I'm also feeling exhilarated by his presence. I'm filled with a weird combination of emotions. It's getting more difficult to keep them to myself.
"I meant what I said, duchess," he says, eyes forward. "I'm on your side."
"I know," I swallow hard, not sure if this is the right place or time, but needing to clear at least some of the air. "But I also know that we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me. I'm responsible for a lot of this mess and I wouldn't fault you for blaming me."
He stops so abruptly I almost run into him. Turning to face me, there's so much intensity in his gaze, it steals the air from my lungs.
"The only fault here is the Ancients. No one asked them to mess with our lives. They could've woken up and lived peaceably alongside us. But their need for power, the same need that sent them sleeping last time, drove them to destroy our cities and target our forests and attack every single magical create known, in every realm. All you've done is try and help. I can't fault you for that."
The emotion behind his words, the way he's looking at me like he's willing me to accept each statement as my own truth, it sends my head spinning.
"You never blame me. Even when it's my fault."
I think of the spell that brought us here and made us prisoners of Faery. The whole school is now in an uproar because of the magic I used. And yet, Aiden isn't angry with me. He never was. From the very beginning.
"We all make mistakes when it comes to our magic, Maddie. You should've never been put into that situation in the first place. That's on the headmaster and the Elders. Not you."
Liam said something similar to me from the beginning as well. He was angry with the leaders of the school, just like Aiden seems to be now.
"Maybe I should've said no."
"Would you have though?" Aiden cocks his head to the side, studying me carefully. "When those who should know better tell you this is the way to go, the right thing to do, would you really have said no? Whether you like it or not, you protect those who are important to you. You do anything in your power to make sure your people are taken care of. That spell, while it wasn't what it could've been, is exactly that. You protecting those you love."
The moment he says that four letter word my mind is filled with him. For weeks now, I've longed to tell him exactly how I feel. I've been saving it, because it's a precious truth that I've never experienced for myself before. It's a gift I wanted to give him when he's conscious enough to receive it. But now, I just stare at him, in awe of his faith in me once again. My chest grows heavy, but I settle on a simpler truth.
"In all of this, I would be nothing without the people by my side. Thank you."
We stand frozen in time for a moment longer, the forest growing more rumbustious around us as the night falls. Then, as if we both come to a conclusion, we turn back to the path in front of us and keep walking. For now, these are the only words that will be said. No matter how much I want to say the others.
We stop for the night after finding a cave system, with a few openings. Aiden does his shifter thing and checks to make sure nothing is going to jump out at us, while I go through our supplies. My friends managed to sneak us some sandwiches, so I pull those out first. Unless I spell them, they'll be bad in the morning. So when Aiden comes back, I hand one over.
"I figured these would be good for now," I say, as Aiden unwraps his sandwich and takes a bite. We eat in silence for a few minutes, before I speak up again. "I'm assuming you didn't find anything?"
"Nothing. Not even any residual scent that might point to someone or something coming back."
"That's good. Do you think we should start a fire?" Already the temperature is dropping, the closer we get to Winter Court's border. When I traveled to see the Oracle, I was nowhere near the border and the ni
ghts were still colder than I expected. I can't really pretend to understand the way this realm works, or why it does the things it does.
"I don't think that's the best idea. Unless we go farther in, we're still pretty exposed."
And I don't want to go farther in. I want to have an easy out in case we need to pick up and run. I was already thinking fire would be a bad idea, but I needed to hear that out loud.
"Do you know how to make fire without magic?" Aiden asks after a few moments of silence. It's not an unkind question, but a genuinely curious one.
"I do," I reply, after I finish off my sandwich. The memory that springs up brings a smile to my face and I decide to share. "I was about six when dad taught me." Pulling the sleeves of my flimsy pullover down to my wrists, I settle in a bit more comfortably. Aiden finishes off his own sandwich, turning his full attention to me. "My sisters were always about the magic. Bri is the next in line to be the coven leader, and she's had to work extra hard her whole life. She didn't awaken her active magic till Mark came along." The idea of soulmates and their power instantly draws my eyes back to Aidan. And now I can't seem to look away. "Harper was always the adventurous one with magic. She loves to explore and more often than not, she would end up in some magic conundrum. Both of them stayed by my mama's side, but I was a daddy's girl.
He doesn't have the typical kind of magic. He comes from family of Watchers and that's how my parents met. He's learned everything about survival without magic, because he never wanted to be a nuisance to my mama. Not that he could ever be anything but the love of her life."
Suddenly, my cheeks feel wet and I don't realize I'm crying until I swipe at my chin. Lately, they've been coming more often. As if I've been holding it all in for so long, the cup has finally overrun and is spilling at the sides.
"He taught me how to live among the trees, how to find water and which way is north. He taught me basic self defense skills and how to love research. I love my magic, but I love the fact that I don't rely on it. When I was younger, sometimes I forgot it was even there. During actual magic lessons, I would do things differently, but mama never reprimanded me for it. Just reminded me that I am a child of both worlds and it's important to practice characteristics of both."
