Treachery

by E. A. Weston

  “It will only be for a few days there is an old camp by Hunters Lake…” he breaks off at my face. “What is it Reagan, do you not want to go?” his voice is strained.

  “It’s fine, when do I leave?” I ask, trying not to let my hurt show through.

  Reaching over he brushes his knuckles down my face, taking my chin between his thumb and forefinger, bringing my face close to his, he kisses me softly.

  “After breakfast,” he whispers.

  Nodding my head, I slide back down into the bed. Killian stays where he is on the edge unmoving.

  “Are you staying tonight?” I ask, watching as he braces his hand on either side of his legs. Pushing himself up off the bed he looks down at me, with sadness in his eyes.

  “Do you want me too?”

  Nodding, I pull back the blanket in a silent invitation, watching as he kicks off his boots and removes his training gear. Sliding in beside me he groans as his head hits the pillow.

  “You okay?” I ask, resting my hand over his heart.

  “Tired, so very tired” he whispers, wrapping me in his arms.

  Within seconds, he is asleep while I lay awake listening to his soft breathing. By the time the sun begins to rise my eyes are heavy from not sleeping but I wanted to hold onto him and memorize his face all night. I don’t want to wake him, I don’t want to leave him, but I remember what Avery had said to him, that our love could get him killed and that is one thing I do not want to happen.

  Closing my eyes, I listen to his heartbeat, swallowing down the dread, and fear beginning to consume me. I have no logical reason why I feel like this now but I steel myself against the onslaught of emotions.

  “I love you, Reagan.”

  My throat constricts, hearing his words and tears sting my eyes, “I love you too Killian.” His arms hold me tight as he lays a kiss on the top of my head.

  “I must go now princess, come to have breakfast with me in the square?” he asks, slightly begging.

  “Of course,” lifting my head, I smile at him and plant a long hard kiss to his mouth.

  After breakfast, Samiel and I are ready to leave. I say goodbye to the house of fairies, each one looking confused and sad. Nerida hugs me tight and Elvia slips a bottle of oil into my hand, smiling. I know it's the oil for the bath but can’t bring myself to look enthused so I just nod and thank her.

  Making our way through the grounds, I find Killian waiting at the edge of the tree line for us. Holding his arms out, I go to him wrapping myself around his body.

  “Be safe and stay with Samiel, promise me, Reagan.”

  “I promise,” I whisper to him, pulling back I take off my bracelet I made with the blue apatite stone and push it onto his wrist. He looks down at it confused.

  “Why am I wearing girls jewelry?” he smiles at me.

  “It’s not girls, it's mine and it holds a message for you.” Kissing his hand, I let it go, looking at him one last time.

  “I love you,” he tells me.

  “I know and I love you too.”

  Stepping away from him I walk towards Samiel. Killian catches my hand spinning me to him. His lips meet mine in a frenzied kiss before he pulls away hugging me tightly.

  “Be safe Reagan and don’t go doing anything crazy,” he smiles, kissing the tip of my nose.

  I can’t say anything so I move away again, not turning around. I walk to Samiel and keep going. My heart aches the further away from Killian I get but for some reason I know I have to go. He needs time without worry to train and be the fairy prince he needs to be. Samiel and I walk for a while, hours maybe, I don’t know I still can’t figure out the time here. Our silence is comfortable but the sun beats down on me, heating my skin through the leather gear.

  “Where are we going?” I finally ask, not really caring, to be honest.

  “We are going to Hunters Lake, it is about a day’s journey.” He answers and my thoughts drift back to last night.

  Killian looked so tired and worn out. I have to say he looked far better in Faircrest even if he did work in a nightclub. Walking through the soft grass my legs are beginning to ache, the mountains surrounding us are snow capped sending a slight chill down into the valley on the wind. Even still, the sun beats down on me.

  “Can we rest for a minute?” I ask, trying not to whine. Samiel locates us under a tree a few feet away. The minute I sit on the ground my eyes close.

  “Would you like some food?” he asks, rummaging around in his bag.

  “Just bread.”

  He takes out a loaf breaking off a bit for me then pours some water into a cup. We eat and drink in silence watching the grass sway gently in the breeze.

  “May I ask why the prince has sent you away?” Samiel’s voice brings me back from the brink of sleep.

  “Oh I don’t know why he just asked me to go,” my voice is small, and sad even to my own ears. Samiel looks at me with kind eyes as he nods.

  I think he let me sleep for a while because I don’t remember anything after that until now, being shaken awake.

  “We must go the night is falling and we need to make camp.”

  Standing, I dust off the seat of my pants and follow him. I don’t know if it’s just male fairies or warrior fairies but they don’t talk much at all. Walking through the dense forest at night is difficult. I can’t see much so I keep my path behind Samiel, following in his footsteps.

  The sun has sunk lower, hiding behind the western mountains. Samiel finally stops as the trees begin to thin out a little.

  “We will make camp here tonight,” he announces, dropping his backpack to the forest floor. It hadn’t occurred to me until now that we don’t have an actual tent with us. I watch as he unrolls a mat of braided leaves and vines to lie on. I really didn’t think this through. Deciding to make myself useful, I gather some twigs and sticks for a fire. Samiel watches me curiously as I make my fire pit. Once it’s ready, I take my flint out of my pocket and set the spark to the kindling sending flames licking over the surface.

  “You must be hungry,” Samiel announces, looking at me.

  “No not really, just tired and my feet hurt,” I laugh a little.

  However, he takes out some more of the bread handing me another chunk. “So how long have we to stay away?” I ask.

  “I do not understand,” he answers.

  “How long did the prince tell you to camp?” I ask, as my eyes find his.

  “He did not indicate how long Reagan.”

  I watch as he looks into the fire and I somehow don’t believe him, once again we are thrust into silence. I make myself comfortable on the hard ground and track the moon in the sky, it somehow looks bigger here, more blue too. I have never wished for my parents so much as I do right now. I watch the stars begin to peek out, as the sky turns from a blazing orange to a dark blue.

  “Do you like Avalon?” Samiel asks quietly. Turning, I notice he is lying down with his eyes closed and his hands on his chest.

  “I don’t know I haven’t seen much, so far it’s nice.”

  “You do not sound sure Reagan.” He smiles, still with his eyes closed.

  “No I don’t suppose I do, it’s strange for me. I can’t tell what time it is and I feel sick all the time like I am on a boat.”

  Samiel looks over at me, taking in my face in the moonlight. His eyes skim down my body and back up again.

  “I do not know much about humans but if you were mine, I would not be apart from you,” He says, then, closes his eyes again.

  My mind reels as I stare at him. I have no idea where that came from, but I have to agree with him, if Killian came home with me for the first time I wouldn’t have let him out of my sight.

  The next morning I wake to find Samiel roasting fish over an open flame. The stench assaults my nostrils making me gag. I can feel the sweat on my brow and wipe it off with my sleeve. Pulling myself up into a sitting position, I throw a killer look at Samiel, hoping that the fish will vanish. He catches my look and smirks h
olding the fish towards my face. Rolling over I retch, emptying my stomach beside my backpack.

  “Reagan!” Samiel grabs me by the waist lifting me away from my stuff and lying me down on his mat of vines. In a blur, he is gone and back holding out something to me.

  “Eat this,” he thrusts some kind of root in my face, with fresh dirt clinging to it.

  “No, leave me.” I moan, clutching my stomach and rolling to my side.

  “Forgive me, I fear I have made you ill.” He sounds sorry and scared.

  “I’m fine, I need water.”

  Reaching for the cup beside me I take a sip only it’s not water. It’s a bitter tasting tea and I expel that too. Waves of dizziness roll over me, I can just make Samiel out. His form blurring as he gathers our belongings.

  “We shall return to Tenebrosi,” he announces.

  “No, no I am okay. I promise, let's just rest for a few minutes more.”

  He waits for me to feel better before we start moving further into the woods. My body is hurting so much it is hard to stay upright. Just as I am about to give up and collapse, I spot the most beautiful lake I have ever seen. The water is crystal blue, reminding me of photographs of the Arctic ocean. Ignoring Samiel, I wander over to the edge and kneel down, dipping my hands into the cool water.

  “This is amazing,” I groan, splashing some water on my face.

  “No! Reagan, No!” Samiel’s shouting makes me jump. Turning, he skids to his knees beside me, grabbing my hands in his.

  “No you must never drink from the lake,” he shakes my hands as he speaks.

  “Why?” I ask because that water makes me want to climb in and float away.

  “There is a legend, Reagan and you must not ever drink from the lake.”

  His words are stern. Taking my hands, he pulls me up to my feet and walks away still holding my hand.

  “What is the legend?”

  Without a word, he grabs my waist and we are up in the air flying towards a clearing in the treetops. Samiel lands softly without making a sound and releases my waist. Looking around, I notice we are standing by the mouth of a cave and I can hear water trickling from somewhere. I follow Samiel into the cave, the walls are glittering with mica, giving the appearance of billions of stars. Running my hands along the wall, the stone beneath my fingers is smooth to the touch, surprising me.

  The cave grows darker the further we walk inside. Samiel uses fire magic to hold a ball of fire in his palm and giving us some light. The further we walk the louder the water sounds. Samiel stops by an opening before walking through. Following him, my eyes take in the black pool of water with a natural waterfall filling it up.

  “We can rest in here,” Samiel says, dropping his bag to the floor.

  I have never seen something so beautiful yet haunting at the same time, watching the water splash into the unknown makes me wonder just what is down there.

  “Samiel why is the water black?”

  “It is not black,” he smiles, “you will see tonight I will not ruin the surprise.”

  His smile lights up his face as he makes his bed for tonight. Looking around I notice a nook in one of the walls so I make my way over and claim the spot for myself. I will have a little privacy but I never thought to bring a sleeping bag. I swear I am losing all sense of myself in this place.

  “Are you comfortable,” he asks, glancing over at me.

  “Oh yeah, I just never packed something to sleep on,” I answer, giving him a half smirk. I watch him unroll his bed of leaves then walk over to me he whispers some fairy words, revealing a soft looking bed of vines.

  “Huh, why didn’t you do that last night?” I ask.

  “You were asleep within a blink of an eye,” he bows to me before turning to go back to his side of the cave. Well, he still could have managed to lift me while I slept. Crawling onto the bed, I sink into it groaning.

  “Are you ill Reagan?” he asks sounding concerned.

  “No this is so nice and soft and did I mention nice?” I sigh, rolling around a little to test out the whole thing. Samiel laughs at me, sending a melody throughout the cave, it’s not as sweet as Killian’s, but it's still beautiful. I wonder what Killian is doing. I can’t hear him in my thoughts anymore, and it hurts, physically. Turning over I rest my hands beneath my cheek watching Samiel, who is watching me.

  “Are you ready for a story or would you prefer to wait until this evening?” he asks, smiling at me.

  “You may begin,” I tease, causing another burst of laughter from him. He takes a dramatic cough clearing his throat then settles against the wall.

  “A long time ago the nation of Avalon had two King’s. Both Kings ruled for many years companionably. They were, after all, cousins and they each ruled one side. King Oisin ruled all that was West of the elder tree River, which included my home Fire Island,” he smiles.

  “King Darragh ruled everything East, including where we are right now, Hunters Lake and the surrounding lands. They both ruled for quite a long time side by side until King Oisin became distant and reclusive. After many moons of silence, a rider was sent to King Darragh on his bonding day with a message from King Oisin. Everyone assumed it was an apology for not being able to attend the ceremony but it wasn’t. It was a call to arms against King Darragh. After the bonding, King Darragh sent the rider back to Cer Valda asking King Oisin what was wrong with him.

  But instead of getting a response, King Oisin marched with an army of one thousand fairy warriors across the land to Valley of oaks ready for battle. When they reached the castle, no one was there to fight them off. King Oisin created a magic barrier to trap all those who lived within. He searched for his cousin for three moons until he finally found him here at the lake, alone.”

  “Oh, why was he alone?” My interest in the story makes him smile at me.

  “Well, King Darragh did not want to fight his brethren. He wanted to come to a peaceful agreement and ask why his cousin came to feel this way. King Oisin refused to speak to his cousin and roared a wild battle cry. All one thousand warriors rushed forward to attack King Darragh, who stood with his arms outstretched and waited. Once the Warriors were close to him and the lake, he asked the Goddess to help him. For if he were truly the rightful King then allow him to defeat these warriors but if he was not meant to be then, allow his life to be taken.

  The warriors grew closer and King Darragh drew his sword. He battled the Warriors for seven moons but he still had strength. On the eight moon, only the two Kings were left standing. King Darragh tried again to reason with King Oisin but he refused to speak.

  “So be it” King Darragh sighed and raised his sword above his head. Both Kings battled for three moons, whereupon the break of the fourth sun, King Darragh delivered the final blow to his cousin. Sending, his sword through his heart.”

  Samiel watches me for a few minutes and we are both silent.

  “But why can’t you drink from the lake?”

  He smiles at me again and continues, “Once King Darragh defeated his cousin he fell into a mournful state. He began to question himself and doubt crept into his mind. He wandered through all the bodies of the warriors and cried for their souls. He was lost and despair grew in his heart. It is said that on the tenth moon, the Goddess came to visit King Darragh. She relieved him of his sorrow and set all the warriors to float on the lake, setting them alight on a pyre seen far into the distance. The Goddess remained with King Darragh until nothing but ash remained on the water. She affirmed that he was the true ruler of Avalon and forbid any other fairy bloodline to rule. Once King Darragh returned to the castle, he declared Hunters Lake a sacred burial ground and forbid all fairies from entering or drinking from the lake.

  The lake runs with the blood of his fallen fairies and the ash of their bodies. So we do not enter the Lake, ever.”

  Once he finishes telling me the story, I can feel the goose bumps rise on my skin. The sky outside has grown darker and I can see the stars beginning to peek out agains
t the black sky. Samiel stands up and begins to remove his clothing. My jaw drops and I quickly avert my eyes.

  “What are you doing?” I ask.

  “Come, Reagan, this is the surprise.”

  Opening my eyes, I find him waist deep in the black water. He closes his eyes and tells me to come into the water. I have no idea what will happen but my curiosity wins out. Stripping off my clothes I slide into the water and bend down until it covers my chest.

  “Okay, I’m in.”

  Samiel opens his eyes and smiles at me. “Now watch,” he points up to the hole in the rock and I move closer so I can see. After about five minutes the moon reaches the hole and a brilliant blue light shines into the cave, illuminating the water and walls. My eyes widen as I look all around at the walls, sparkling like thousands of stars.

  “Wow, this is amazing,” I whisper.

  “Yes, it is.” Samiel smiles at me.

  Returning his smile I look around again, noticing that the water is crystal clear and you can see all the way to the bottom. My feet. My legs.

  “Oh shit!” Covering myself with my hands I try to find a way to get out without Samiel getting an eyeful.

  “You do not need to hide Reagan, you are very beautiful.” He says while looking up at the moon.

  “Yeah thanks but I’m also with Killian.”

  “Of course, please enjoy the water. I will leave you to bathe alone.” Climbing out, he struts to the cave entrance. My heart thuds in my chest and I sink down into the pool, my body submerges but I feel comfortable and warm. I really don’t know how long I stay under the water but I feel fine until Samiel is pulling me out by the armpits.

  “The Goddess, what are you thinking?” He asks, looking scared.

  “What?”

  “You have been submerged for too long, I feared you drowned.”

  “What? No, it was like a minute or something,” I answer. Only now I realize we are both naked and he is bending over me. “Excuse me,” I mumble pushing he chest to move him away. Frowning, he grabs my clothes and hands them over.

  “You are strange,” He sighs.