by C. J. Abedi
The only things that surrounded me were tiny pebbles.
Gray ones, white ones, green ones.
Even black.
I used to throw similar stones across a lake in North Carolina with Teddy, watching them as they glided across the lake’s surface. They wouldn’t do much more than sting a little and surprise whatever came after me. Even so, I gathered as many as I could and put them down the top of the dress. Ironic that I was dressed in my Halloween costume, as the very thing the Dark Fae hated me for being.
The Light Queen.
I made my way toward the stream, searching for anything I could use as a weapon besides these measly pebbles.
But there was nothing.
It was becoming quite apparent that this playground placed me at a disadvantage in every possible way. It was hard to stay confident. It was hard to believe that I would make it out of this nightmare. For a second I wished for someone to help me, but then the fear of losing them to this madness, or to Alderon or the evil Puck, was enough to make me endure the hell on my own.
I was losing confidence and I hadn’t even come face-to-face with whatever was out here. Who was I fooling? I didn’t stand a chance. How could I? I didn’t even know what was coming.
If I hadn’t known that Alderon and Puck were watching, I would have cried my eyes out. But there was no way I’d let them see any weakness. I hunched over the flowing stream and cupped my hands together, then brought my hands up to my face and let the ice-cold water run over my eyes, nose, and cheeks.
I knew I would never survive if my emotions were this wound up. I needed to calm myself because it was the only way I’d be able to think clearly.
A moment later I felt a sharp stab of pain against my heart. It was a quick sting but enough to get my attention.
I saw a flash of Devilyn before my eyes.
He was here. I could feel his presence.
His energy.
And he was in pain.
The thought of anything happening to him filled me with such sorrow and sadness that it was almost paralyzing. I couldn’t bear to live in a world without him in it.
There was no way he could survive whatever Alderon had in store for him, even if he brought an entire army. This was no longer the land he or any of the other Fae knew. They did not know that Puck had just thrown all the sacred rules out the door, so that there was nothing standing in the way of them using any means to destroy the Light.
I prayed for Devilyn and I prayed we would survive this madness.
A rustling in the trees brought me back to my own predicament. Even though I knew Devilyn was near, I couldn’t dwell on his battle. Instead, I had to think of my own survival. I shook off my fears and rose. I needed to focus on the supposed skills Dana told me I possessed, even though I didn’t know what they were, let alone how to use them. I had to focus on the magikal energy that Devilyn had shown me.
The sky let out a crackling sound as the tops of the tall black trees began to sway back and forth. I looked up and heard Alderon’s voice ringing through the air, vibrating with energy and surrounding me with its intensity.
“Good morning, Caroline.” Alderon’s voice moved through the forest like the wind, touching me ever so gently. “It appears you’re very well rested, which pleases me, as we have quite an exciting day planned for you.”
“I slept like a baby,” I said defiantly as I looked around to see where his voice was coming from. “You should try the cage sometime—it might do wonders for your mood.”
The silence that greeted me was satisfying. There was no way I was going to let him know how terrified I was.
“Clever girl,” he said after a moment. His voice sounded like he was more than enjoying himself. I couldn’t stop the goosebumps that ran up my arms. “I see why my son is so enamored with you.”
“You know nothing about your son,” I returned.
“Oh, I beg to differ, dear girl,” Alderon said. “My blood runs through his veins. My thoughts tease him at night. My son, unlike the fantasy you’ve created in your mind, is just like me.”
“That’s your downfall,” I said. “Your constant need to discredit him. Devilyn is a man of honor. He’s a true King.”
I couldn’t stop my voice from faltering. Just thinking about Devilyn choked me with emotion.
“And you,” I said. “You are just a weak, hideous man who betrayed everyone he ever had in his life.”
I knew I was asking for more trouble but I didn't care. I waited for him to respond. But there was nothing. The forest became eerily silent. Everything seemed to stand still. And then it began—
“Little human,” Alderon’s awful voice vibrated through the land, causing the earth to tremble beneath me. “In our land we have many levels of darkness. Each enemy is treated differently depending on their indiscretions. Some leave slightly scarred and others are, well, not so fortunate. I thought at first to go easy on you, given my son’s affections.”
My heart stopped.
“But with those eloquent words you sealed your own fate,” he said. “Torture becomes you. You will die savagely. Slowly. And yes, after much thought, I do believe I will allow Puck to bathe in your blood.”
The ground beneath me began to shake like a high-magnitude earthquake.
Something was coming for me.
I had to hide.
My nightmare was about to start.
I held all the pebbles against my chest as I ran toward the embankment. The ground moved violently beneath my feet, making it hard for me to keep my balance. I thought about climbing one of the large trees, but now feared that it might topple to the ground.
Suddenly a large tornado of dirt and leaves started spinning rapidly in front of me. For a moment I was mesmerized as the tunnel spun around between the trees without touching a single one.
And that’s when the voice I loathed even more than Alderon’s spoke.
“Allow me to make the introduction, Light Queen. Caroline, please meet Sheytan. Sheytan, Caroline,” Puck’s mad voice reverberated through the forest. “Sheytan’s known to be quite the Devil amongst us Fae. He’s a real lady killer, if you know what I mean.”
I watched as the creature called Sheytan began to spin faster and faster, moving closer to me. I stood my ground, focusing on maintaining my balance.
“My dear, brave, foolish girl,” Puck shouted with laughter, no doubt watching my every move.
But I waited. And then just as fast as the creature spun, it came to an abrupt stop. As the dust and leaves began to settle, a large animal that looked like an enormous bobcat took shape. Its fangs hung like sharp daggers out of its mouth, and it stood well over eight feet above my mere five foot six inches.
I couldn’t help but take a slight step back.
“I see we’ve gotten your full attention,” Puck shouted joyfully.
I didn’t hesitate.
There was no time.
So I turned and took off running.
“That’s it,” Puck continued. “Run, Light Queen. Run. Go as far as your mortal legs will take you. I do love to watch a good chase.”
I ran into the woods as fast as I could. There was something different now about my gait. Something had changed. I was moving faster than I ever had. The trees zipped past me at a pace that was not normal. I glanced back for a second and saw that Sheytan, too, had been caught off guard, clearly not expecting me to gain such traction in such a short amount of time.
But he quickly brushed off his shock and caught up to me so we were soon running next to each other. I tried to focus ahead, planning my next move.
I didn’t see him move from my peripheral vision, but he had, and the next thing I knew he threw his large body into mine. The impact was excruciatingly painful and caused me to fly through the air. I missed hitting a tree by inches. My body landed with a thump on the ground, feeling as though I had been hit by a bullet train.
I stood up shakily and prepared myself for another attack, but the Sheytan was n
owhere to be found. Instead an ethereal creature hovered over me. It resembled a large butterfly, but it was made purely of Light. The bright rays illuminated the surrounding area, shielding me from seeing anything beyond it.
The creature’s wings swayed rhythmically in the air and soothed all of the throbbing pain in my body. Within moments the aches were gone. I found myself reaching out and placing my hand on its alien-looking face. The largest dark eyes I had ever seen stared back at me, with only the faintest smile. It leaned into my touch and began showing me what it saw.
There were flashes of the Dark Forest. I saw the being flying through the sky, lighting the darkness. Looking down on everything. Looking down on my attack.
I then saw myself, the way I was right at that moment. Touching the creature. I saw Sheytan searching for me, unable to find me as this being of Light shielded me. And then the creature began showing me images of what I assumed was sure to come.
I saw myself falling against a tree.
It was actually one I recognized from childhood.
The great tree symbolized Roanoke’s entire history and marked the location of the disappearance of the villagers from The Lost Colony. My body was pale, like I was on the verge of death.
Suddenly I heard Devilyn shouting in agonizing pain, and then I saw nothing.
Only stars.
As if I was flying through the universe.
I drew my hand back.
“What are you?” I asked softly.
“I am the Will o’ Wisp.” The creature stared into my eyes, speaking telepathically.
“Are you my friend?” I replied uncertainly.
“Yes, Light Queen. Your friend. Ally.”
The creature spread its illustrious, iridescent wings, leaving a sight that was truly magnificent. Its veil-thin wings sparkled with an incandescent light that strangely soothed my soul.
“Until your very end.”
My heart thumped loudly. My very end. I wondered what the Will O’ Wisp knew.
Don’t think about it, Caroline. Dwelling on the unknown will only slow you down and cause you more pain. And that’s exactly what they want. They want to see your fear. They want to break you.
I wouldn’t let them. No matter what.
“Follow me, Queen of the Light.”
Seeing that I had no other choice, I complied.
“What is your name?” I asked as I allowed the creature to lead me through the forest, shielding me from harm with its light.
“Willow.”
“Where are you taking me, Willow?” I asked.
“You will soon see,” he replied.
We moved through the forest easily. I felt safe with Willow, but I wondered where we were going and what would await me when we got there.
Within minutes we reached a glen filled with black flowers blooming from every bush for as far as my eyes could see.
“You will be safe here,” Willow said as he rose up in the sky.
“Wait!” I called out, looking up as his light began to dim. “Where are you going?”
But there was no answer.
As quickly as he had come, he disappeared into the sky. Taking in a deep breath, I began surveying my surroundings. The black flowers circled me like a ring. Maybe this was part of the protection Willow mentioned, I thought to myself.
But I didn’t know.
I did not know much of anything.
Despite being a member of the Fae, I was almost completely ignorant. I didn’t know my way around the forest. I didn’t know the scope of my powers. And even worse, I had no idea what lay ahead.
So I decided to wait.
Time passed.
But nothing came.
No sign of the Sheytan, or any other creature. No sign of Puck or Alderon. The deafening silence only made me wonder. I walked up to the flowers and studied them. They looked like hydrangeas with black veins, the leaves and stems pulsing with life. Even though they were beautiful, I suspected some sort of magical spell would befall me if I accidentally made contact with one.
It was then that I saw a milky white arm hidden among the black vines. At first I jumped back, half expecting something to attack me. When nothing did, I leaned forward and looked closer.
Katya.
From afar she appeared sound asleep, but at a closer glance she looked lifeless until several moments passed and I saw the slow and subtle rise and fall of her chest. She lay in the bed of black flowers, seemingly shielded from the outside world. Four small black leaves held her body off the ground, and as if sensing my presence, they began shifting, slowly moving her forward and out of the bushes until she was right before me.
“Katya?” I whispered.
But she didn’t open her eyes.
Was this yet another trick, or was she under some type of spell?
Be brave, Caroline.
I stepped closer to her and lightly shook her arm.
Again, nothing.
“Katya,” I said. “It’s Caroline. Please wake up.”
Katya’s face immediately reacted to the sound of my voice. The muscles in her face began to strain, clearly showing signs of distress. I knew deep down that she hated me because of her love for Devilyn. She had said many times that she would stop at nothing to see me out of the picture. But regardless of her hatred toward me, for a reason I couldn’t explain, I didn’t feel the same way.
Watching her in this state, seeing her in pain, made me feel so sorry for her. In that moment I realized we had a lot in common, we were both prisoners, physically and emotionally. To love someone and not have it returned was not an enviable situation. And then to be further punished for it was an even greater heartache.
“I’m sorry,” I told her. Leaning forward to whisper in her ear. “I’m so sorry that your heart was broken,” I went on. “I know you love him. I can’t blame you for that. How can you not love him? He’s everything.”
I thought of Devilyn’s handsome face and the intensity that radiated off him that was so spellbinding.
“My wish for you is to find someone who loves you the same way in return.” Katya’s face reacted to my words and her chest began to slowly rise up and down.
“I don’t understand what is happening to you,” I continued. “But I hope that you’re not in any pain.”
I placed my hand on her cool forehead.
“I would have liked nothing more than to be your friend, instead of your enemy,” I told her. “You need to know that I didn’t ask for any of this. It just happened. I know nothing of the laws or rules that govern the Fae. If I had known, everything would be different.”
Her face began heating up under my touch. So I continued on.
“Hatred is such an awful emotion, and I won’t let it destroy me. So I don’t hate you, Katya. I understand why you did what you did. It was all out of love.” I drew in a deep breath. “So I-I forgive you.”
Tears began slipping out of my eyes, and there was nothing I could do to stop them.
I took a shaky step away from her. The black vines began to slowly disentangle themselves from her body, releasing her from her prison. Once they were all gone, the leaves gently placed her down on the ground.
After a moment, Katya opened her eyes.
“Where am I?” she said as she began sitting up.
I had forgotten just how beautiful she was with her raven hair and dark eyes. There was no doubt that the Fae were exceptionally gifted in the looks department, but Katya was exquisite.
“We’re in the Dark Forest.”
She jumped at the sound of my voice and quickly stood up. She slowly took in my appearance, which I was sure must have been haggard.
“How did you get here?” she said, her expression giving nothing away.
“Puck,” I said. “And Alderon.”
Surprisingly, her eyes narrowed in fury when I said Alderon’s name.
“And Devilyn?” she asked me coldly.
“I don’t know where he is,” I said. “Alderon took
me from a Halloween party and brought me here.”
“Took you?” Katya asked sharply.
I nodded.
“So you escaped them?”
“No. They put me out here, in the middle of the forest. Intending to torture me before they kill me.”
Katya turned away from me.
“So they are watching us?” she spat out. “They know we’re together?”
“I don’t think so. Whatever this is, I think it’s shielding us from their view, but you would know better than I do.”
“We are protected, but not for long.” She looked me up and down. “Why did you say those things to me when I was under the spell?”
“You could hear me?”
“Yes.”
“I only say what I mean,” I replied. “And I wanted you to know that I don't despise you, regardless of how you feel about me.”
She turned slightly, showing me her beautiful profile.
“Your light pulled me out of the spell Alderon placed me under,” Katya admitted.
“He did this to you? Why?” I asked.
“He believed I betrayed him,” Katya spat. “His hypocrisy is unparalleled. He has spent his life betraying our people.”
“Well, I’m glad my light was able to reverse his spell,” I said. I meant it.
“Are you?” she asked sharply as she turned. “I could destroy you now. Be done with it.”
“You could.”
“Aren’t you afraid?”
“Strangely, no.”
And I wasn’t. Death seemed unavoidable at this point. It was only a matter of which way I would go.
For a moment I thought I saw a flash of respect cross her eyes, momentarily betraying her hatred, but it was gone as quickly as it came.
“You saved me from an eternity in a dark sleep,” she said to me. “For that gift, I will take you to the edge of the forest, but what happens to you after is up to the Fates.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
She stared at me for a long moment before nodding.
“Come here,” she ordered. She leaned down and broke off a few of the vines from the bushes.
“What are you doing?” I asked, staying put.
“Hiding you,” Katya said as she held her hand out to me. “We don’t have much time, so you need to come here.”
