The wolf shuddered and dropped to the ground, then started convulsing. Bailynn watched with growing horror as the wolf shifted and transformed. The gore in her hands pulled free but the gash in the man’s belly lay open and bleeding.
“Logan!” Bailynn whispered in horror. All thoughts of the other wolves were gone. She threw herself on him and clung to him. The other wolves growled but it wasn’t until one grabbed at her foot again that she snapped.
Bailynn spun, twisting so abruptly her foot came free of its mouth with a tooth still clinging to her boot. It tried to retreat but she was on it, clawing and punching at it until it collapsed to the ground. Another leapt at her, biting her arm and trying to tear it free. She fell on it, stunning it, then used her other hand to shred its throat into bloody ribbons. The other four wolves were there, each seeking to treat themselves to a meal. She kicked and fought, even biting at times, until the last of the wolves lay dead or dying.
Bailynn bled from dozens of scratches and bites, some serious. She turned back to Logan and crawled back up against his body. He was still breathing but his breaths were coming in shallow gasps. Blood bubbled from his nostrils and ran down his cheeks. “I’m sorry, please forgive me!” Bailynn sobbed. She clung to him and shivered, suddenly cold. “No, don’t forgive me, I don’t deserve it… I love you, Logan. I won’t leave you. You were right…you were so right. The beast does need to be controlled. In all of us.”
Bailynn turned her head, sensing movement. The other wolves that lay dead were no longer wolves. Each of them had transformed into the body of a man or a woman. She stared closer through her blurred eyes and recognized them. Dexter, Jenna, Rosh, Jodyne, Will, Bekka, and finally Logan beside her. The original crew of the Voidhawk that she’d come to know as family. Except Willa and Jodyne were both gone, dead to the void. Xander and Keshira were missing, as was the more recent addition of Tasha. She’d never been close to them, not like the others.
“Never let passion blind you,” Logan whispered wetly.
Bailynn jerked, surprised. She turned back to him and watched him fade away before her eyes. When Logan was gone she looked and saw the others had disappeared as well, leaving her alone on the soft grassy ground.
She stared up at the night sky, noticing the waxing larger moon amidst the sea of glittering stars. She felt like howling herself, knowing it would do her no good. She stood up slowly, expecting aches and pains untold. She knew she’d lost a lot of blood, not to mention the muscles and tendons that the wolves had pierced and torn.
She looked down at herself and gasped. Her clothes and body were whole. What she’d just experienced may as well have been a dream. She spun around, looking again, and saw her spear laying on the ground. She picked it up and stared once again at her arms and hands.
When she raised her head again she saw a lone tree in the middle of the clearing. A person leaned against it, her human eyes failing to pick out the details. It looked familiar, sending a shiver of excitement through her. She ran towards it, holding her spear high and hoping it wasn’t just another test.
“Logan!” She gasped, coming to a stop before him.
He looked at her and smiled. “Bailynn,” he answered, then he opened his arms so she could fly into them. “Stay with me. We’ll be safe here, just the two of us.”
She clung to him, his words music to her ears even though something deep inside of her screamed that they were wrong.
“What? Stay here? What about Bekka?”
“Hush,” he admonished her. “You want me to do something for me, this is it. I want you. Here we can be ourselves. We can love one another and never worry about anything else. My curse, the elves, even the White Lady will never touch us again.”
Bailynn pushed him away. She stared at him with tears running down her cheeks. “So cruel,” she whispered. She turned and screamed into the night sky, “Damn you, Sarissa! Damn you all! This isn’t what I wanted!”
“You don’t want me?” Logan asked her, his expression one of hurt.
Bailynn turned and glared at him. Each passing moment made her anger fade until she swore. “I want you to be happy. I want to share my life with you, but I don’t want you as a possession. It’s not up to the Fayer to grant me my wish of having you, only you can make that decision.”
His eyes widened, threatening to break Bailynn’s heart again. “I do want you, Bailynn.”
She swore and looked away, only then remembering what she’d already been through. “You’re not real. Or not real enough. I won’t live in a land of make believe, surrounded by tricksters. Not while I know the people I love are out there.”
She turned away and stared at the hedge. “How do I get out of this damned maze?”
* * * *
Bekka found herself drawn towards the light that floated in front of her. She resisted it, forcing her eyes to the ground and anywhere else that didn’t include the wisp. In spite of her attempt at awareness she still gasped when she heard the voice speak to her.
“You are strong willed.” The speaker had to be one of the Fayer, it was floating upon the winds generated by the delicate wings on its back. Bekka stared open mouthed, awed by the simply beauty of the creature. It looked like a human, though she had trouble classifying it as a man or a woman at first. Below its radiant blue hair and sparkling blue eyes she saw the being wore no shirt, displaying small but prominent breasts on a lean and delicate looking torso. Her skin was decorated with paints and gems that sparkled, enhancing her nudity in a way that made her beyond beautiful. Skirts fell from its hips, obscuring the view of the Fayer’s legs.
“Pardon me, I’m—“
“Your name is Bekka, I know,” she said to her. “You are of mixed blood, an uncommon occurrence often not possible without the aid of magic. You are special, Bekka, but you don’t yet understand why, do you?”
Bekka shook her head, too filled with awe to question her.
“I am Prin, of the Fayer. It was decided that I would be the one to liaise with you.”
“Liaise?” Bekka slipped out, surprised by the odd word.
“We have little interest in the affairs of most of the people of this world,” she paused to smile at the half-elf, “or those new to this world. We act upon that which interests or amuses us. You do so, but not so much to pull us away from our activities. Thus it fell to me to speak with you.”
“What activities do you have?” Bekka breathed, her heart quickening in her chest.
“Our affairs are private.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude,” Bekka blurted.
“It is no intrusion. You are a curious creature, else you would not have sought us out. You have so many questions, what interests me is which ones will you ask?”
The sorceress stared at the androgynous being, excited and frightened. She was allowed to ask questions, but Prin was right, she had so many! She’d come here claiming to want to know about her powers – why she was such a weak sorceress. Along the way she’d stumbled upon other questions, first the White Lady and then Haley. She sighed at the thought of Haley. Such a powerful and confident woman. Or was she? Logan claimed she’d abandoned them and she had no evidence to refute him.
“The Fayer are a long lived race, but I, too, have affairs to tend to.”
Bekka blushed. “I’m sorry. You’re right, there are so many things I want to ask, but I don’t know what you can do to help me. I came here seeking to understand why I’m not any good at magic. I know my magic is different than a wizards, but I’ve never had any proper education on it. When I’ve tried it didn’t make sense. Charts and stars and formulae…”
“You are a sorceress, your magic is wild and natural. There is no teacher and no rules to its use. When you become at peace with yourself and learn how to use it, you will do so. Indeed, your talents are not so different from those of my people. Many a wizard has been jealous of the natural power of a sorcerer.”
“Peace with myself…” It wasn’t a question, Bekk
a knew she was constantly at odds with herself. Things even she wanted didn’t make sense to her.
“You fight yourself,” Prin offered with a smile.
Bekka stared up at her and nodded, though she’d never shared it with anyone. Not even Willa when the two of them had been so close for that wonderful short time. She’d felt like she had someone then. Someone who thought of her as more than just a friend or a shipmate. Someone who needed her. It almost didn’t matter that Bekka knew Willa still loved Rosh so fiercely that he would always come first. Almost.
“There is no flaw in what you desire. The fault is in doubting yourself.”
“Others don’t feel that way,” Bekka let slip. She remembered the look and comments Rosh had made when she and Willa had spent so much time together.
“Where are the others now? Not with you.”
Bekka jerked as though struck. Prin was right. She was alone. Bailynn and Logan had come with her, but they’d found one another. Or they would soon, once Logan realized how special Bailynn was. She pushed the wave of irritation away. The lesson here was not envy or jealousy, it was that what mattered to her should matter only to her. She took a deep breath and nodded.
“All right, I’m ready then.”
“What are you ready for?”
“I’m ready to learn. Ready to accept that I am who I am and my life is what it is.”
Prin laughed, a delightful sound even if it sounded mocking to her. “You are what you make of yourself. You have a destiny, but it is up to you to define it.”
“What? You just said—”
“Accept who and what you are, yes,” Prin interrupted. “You are a free spirit, you may choose to settle with that or to do more. You may become whatever you wish, it’s a matter of finding what you want and seeking it out. You have sought us out, a feat few would attempt and most would fail. The answers you find in life lead only to more questions.”
Bekka snapped her gaping mouth shut. The way Prin explained it seemed so obvious to her. They were answers she’d known all along, yet never realized. She smiled. “You’re so wise, Prin. How can I ever thank you?”
“You already have. Are you ready for what comes next?”
“There’s more?”
“Yes, child, there is more. What comes next is putting what you’ve learned to use. The White Lady that troubles you, she came to us long ago seeking answers of her own. You are similar, yet you are not. The decision comes to you to decide if you will grow from this and continue or if you have reached your potential already.”
“I thought you said there was much more I—”
“It is one path, yes. One choice you might make. Prepare yourself, Bekka, the time of your testing is here.”
Bekka opened her mouth to cry out another question but a sudden lurching left her breathless and unsettled. She blinked, the soft white light was gone. In its place was a flicker of light from distant lightning. Cold rain slapped at her, chilling her instantly. She peered about in the darkness, looking for a clue as to where she was. Cliffs rose around her, trapping her in a small chasm between them. Behind and ahead of her lay darkness.
“They put me here for a reason,” Bekka reasoned. She rummaged through her pack for her cloak and slipped it on before heading forward into the dark chasm between the cliffs. She walked several dozen paces until she saw her path lighten ahead. Quickening her pace she emerged into an opening with cliffs towering around her.
She considered conjuring up more lights. Doing so would help her, but it would draw attention if others were nearby. Bekka was alone again, she had only her dagger and meager magic to help her. The light came from the sky, though it was covered in dark clouds that spat large drops of cold rain. The ground was uneven ahead of her, but not broken and overly dangerous. The cliffs circled on either side, trapping her in a bowl of sorts.
She saw a towering column of rock ahead of her. It wasn’t as tall as the cliffs but still stood easily forty feet high. She stopped, realizing the dark spots on the side facing her weren’t caves but windows. The pattern and uniformity of their placement confirmed it. Someone had made a home out of the spire.
Bekka’s hand fell to the knife at her side. This, then, was the test the Fayer had given her. She shrugged her pack into a more comfortable position and moved forward towards a dark spot at the base that she was sure would lead to an entrance.
The darkness was impenetrable even when she stopped a few feet away from it. She stared at it and sensed the dark magic that fed it. Bekka tried to think of something to combat it or dispel it, but her understanding of magic seldom went outside of illusions and parlor tricks. She frowned, then drew her dagger and probed at the darkness. When she pulled it back it seemed unharmed. The sorceress glanced over her shoulder, wondering at the wisdom of her course.
She screamed when boney hands grabbed her and pulled her into the dark.
Chapter 8
Logan’s journey ended when the wisp faded away before him. He looked around, breathing through open mouth after the exhilarating run. He was surprised to see mighty trees that stretched high into the sky and blocked out the stars above. More surprising was the figure that was suspended in mid air by the rapidly flapping wings on his back. He wore a white loin cloth to match the stark white color of his hair and eyes.
Logan sniffed the air, testing it. The Fayer smelled no different from the trees and ground around him. He sat down at stared at him, cocking his head to the side as though that might give him a better perspective.
“Given up life as a man so easily?” The Fayer asked.
Logan snarled lightly, then stood up. He pulled back on the wolf, finding for the first time it went willingly. A few moments later Logan picked himself up from his hands and knees, momentarily forgetting he was nude.
“Makes no difference to me,” the Fayer said with a shrug. “But this makes it easier for you.”
“What’s easier?” Logan asked.
“Understanding yourself. Deciding your fate.”
Logan’s expression wasn’t so different from the curious look he’d given the Fayer as a wolf a few moments before.
“I am Teyero, of the Fayer. You amuse us the most, among your companions, for the double life you live.”
“My curse?” Logan asked after a moment of fighting down his anger at the Fayer’s accusation.
Teyero chuckled. “Is that what you call it? Most beings would title it a boon, especially when they receive something they’ve asked for.”
“Asked for? I didn’t—“
“You’re equal parts delusional and ignorant.”
Logan felt the hair raise on his arms and neck. He failed to bite back the growl that rumbled in his throat.
“Be calm, the only harm you can do here is to yourself. You’ve tricked yourself into forgetting your past. Will you continue to live a flawed and false life, or will you face the truth?”
“Of course I’ll face the truth!” Logan snapped. “I’ve always been truthful.”
Teyero chuckled again. Logan clenched his jaw, knowing that he was being mocked. “Do you know of any healers from your order that could do what you’ve done recently?”
Logan’s mouth opened to respond. He remembered hearing of Willa’s healing that his father had done when she was all but a corpse wasted away with infection. She’d lost her hand in the process, lessening the miracle. Even thinking about it Logan felt that he could have banished the sickness from her and saved her crippled hand. He closed his mouth and shook his head, then remembered some of the legends of his order.
“There have been priests in my order that could do such things.”
“Not priests, healers.” Teyero corrected.
Logan bristled. “Do not besmirch my religion.”
“Your deity may or may not exist, but its powers do not expand beyond the world on which you lived. Acaros, was it? You are a sorcerer, much like your companion. You draw your magic from yourself, using it to restore and to fortify.”
>
“If that’s true why haven’t I been able to do so all along? Why did my powers waver after I was cursed?”
“You haven’t accepted who you were. Are you willing to now?”
Logan’s eyes narrowed. “Why would you help me?”
“Because my people are amused by you. We wish to see who is right. What fate will you choose, a petty life gone in a blink to us, or to rise to something greater.”
Logan scowled. From what they’d heard the Fayer were a powerful race, but they were also rumored to have motivations entirely their own. “My friends, Bailynn and Bekka, what of them?”
“They face their own ordeals. Whether you meet them again or not is a choice that is entirely yours.”
The healer’s scowl deepened. “Show me this truth then.”
Teyero smiled. The wisp reappeared, floating into Logan’s point of view. It came closer until Logan realized it was headed straight for him. He turned to face it and held up his hands to ward it off. It kept coming, running into him and shocking the breath out of him with the force of a stroke of lightning.
* * * *
A younger Logan stared at the barn ahead of him. It seemed a normal enough scene, aside from the occasional noise coming from inside the building. The noises were disturbing – the farmer had gone into the barn as the sun set and between his groans and the sounds of something crashing into the walls and stalls of a barn, Logan knew his time was near. The full moon lit the small farm bright enough that Logan needed no torch or lantern. It was more than convenient, a full moon was necessary. He needed it in order for Logan to be certain of the cursed being within.
The church had sent him to help the rural village complaining of missing livestock. By the time Logan had arrived the livestock hadn’t been the only ones missing – on the last full moon a farmer’s son was returning from town but never made it home. Logan knew he should have sent word to the church, he was within his jurisdiction to deal with minor concerns, but once human lives were at stake a more senior member should have been involved.
Voidhawk - the White Lady Page 10
