Treachery

by E. A. Weston

  Needing to keep busy I take all of the clothes and food, bundling them into the bag Brokk left earlier. Once that is ready, I hide it under the bed. Not much of a hiding spot but, at least, its out of plain view. Night slowly crawls along and the sounds of laughter and music filter up to my room. I’m not sure what is happening but it sounds like a party of some kind. Resting on my side I try to sleep, drifting off here and there but in the back of my mind I know I need to be alert and sleeping is not really a good idea right now.

  “Reagan,” a sharp whisper has me springing into a sitting position. Looking around, I don’t see anyone. “Reagan,” the voice is a little sharper now coming from the window. Opening the wooden shutters, I allow the wind and Brokk inside.

  “What the hell?” I ask.

  He places his finger on his lips motioning for me to be quiet. He gently closes the shutters again and sits on the bed.

  “What’s with the party?” I whisper.

  “It is a pre-bonding ceremony. Connor wishes to celebrate his last days as an unbounded fairy,” he says with disgust.

  “Oh,” I answer. So a bachelor party for fairies, who would have thought. “We do the same thing,” I tell him.

  “It is disrespectful to your mate to act so dishonorably,” Brokk scowls. His jaw muscle bounces while he grinds his teeth.

  “Hey, so what are we doing?” I ask.

  “Waiting for the princess, she will be along soon,” he sighs. “Then it will be in your hands, Reagan.” Brokk looks at me with hope and terror in his eyes.

  “I have a plan don’t worry,” I assure him, but even to my own ears, it sounds more of a question than a statement.

  Chapter 22

  Brokk and I sit together in silence and darkness for a while until the sound of stone sliding against stone has us jumping from the bed, grabbing swords. We look all around the dark room trying to figure out what is happening.

  “Quick, where are my clothes,” Aurelia appears out of the darkness rushing toward us. Stunned, I just stare at her for a few seconds before snapping out of it and pointing to the bag. I watch as she quickly pulls on training gear throwing her dress on the floor. Brokk is gathering the staffs and we wait until Aurelia appears again.

  “Follow me, quietly,” she whispers.

  Brokk and I nod, he allows me to go behind Aurelia, who leads me toward a wall. I’m confused as we approach, watching her speak some fairy words the wall opens to reveal a small dark space. She slips inside lost from sight, Brokk pushes me forward until I enter the small hallway and he follows me.

  “Keep moving,” he whispers to me.

  Reaching out with both hands I feel my way along the stone passageway. Aurelia is silent and I’m pretty sure I’ve lost her but Brokk is right behind me prodding me every few seconds.

  “Steps,” he whispers, Just as my foot slips. Grabbing my elbow he helps me to navigate down the steps. They finally stop and we are edging along another dark passage.

  “How much further?” I whisper.

  “Quiet,” he hisses.

  Rolling my eyes, I keep moving and the sounds of music and laughter get louder. Brokk grips my shoulders, steering me along. I can see a small portion of light filtering into the passage. Finally, I can just make out Aurelia up ahead. She crouches low as she passes the light and turns to wave me on. Brokk taps my shoulder and leans really close.

  “Stay low,” he warns and I just nod in response.

  Moving as quietly as I can, I duck down like Aurelia did and swiftly move past the light. The room on the other side of the wall catches my attention and I stop to watch. Connor is sitting on his throne with a throng of female fairies all dancing around him. He slaps them as they pass and gropes one wearing a yellow dress. The room is full of his guards, all appear to be drunk and in various states of undress.

  Aurelia grabs my hand and pulls me over to her, hissing at me. Brokk quickly follows and we begin our shuffle through the small dirty passage. After more steps that feel like we are going underground we are finally able to stand up straight to continue on. We move silently and swiftly through the passage with Aurelia leading the way. I really hope she knows where this damn thing lets out.

  Brokk is staying close behind me and I can feel his breath on my neck urging me to move it. They seem to forget that I’m not as fast as a fairy and my human legs can only propel me at a slow rate. I remember the morning Killian took me running, that was wretched and I only ran for like two minutes. He carried me for the rest of the way, in his strong arms.

  “We are almost there,” Aurelia whispers.

  I notice the passage has turned into a dirt tunnel with roots hanging from the ceiling and wet patches running down the walls.

  “Where is our destination?” Aurelia whispers over her shoulder to me.

  “Oh, I was thinking we could go to Tenebrosi,” I tell her, crashing into her back because she suddenly stopped.

  “Tenebrosi?” she questions.

  “Keep moving,” Brokk whispers.

  We start walking again but Aurelia keeps looking back at me. I don’t say anything else as we continue. Eventually, the tunnel turns to stone again and Aurelia whispers the words allowing the stone in front of us to slide open a little.

  “You must push through,” she says, slipping her petite frame outside. Okay, Reagan, you can do this. Suck it in and push. Taking a deep breath, I turn sideways preparing to squeeze myself between two massive chunks of rock but surprisingly I just slip out without touching anything. Aurelia waves at me from behind a tree and I run over to the tree beside her. We watch Brokk push himself out of the rocks before it closes with a scratch.

  Brokk stops still gripping the hilt of his sword. He gives Aurelia a nod and they both look at me. Brokk grabs me into his arms and they begin to run. The trees move by in a blur causing my eyes to lose focus and my stomach to lurch.

  “What is happening?” I ask.

  “Guards,” Brokk whispers.

  Holding tighter, I close my eyes hoping to hear something. Faintly in the distance, I can pick up crunching and voices hissing at each other.

  “Where are we?” I whisper, daring to look around.

  “The forest of lost souls,” he answers.

  Brokk skids to a stop behind a large boulder, setting me down on the ground. I notice a cluster of fire bushes growing around the rock and frown. Haven’t I been here before?

  “Hey, where are we now?” I ask.

  “The Romloc,” Aurelia whispers. “We can rest for but a moment,” she looks around us. Pulling her arm, I move closer to her.

  “This is where I came into Avalon,” I whisper.

  Her eyes widen, “no, you can’t have,” she answers. “It is for the royal family only and besides the portal will no longer open.”

  “I did,” I nod. “Trust me,” I tell her.

  “We must hurry they are getting closer,” Brokk appears beside us, looking between us.

  “It will open Aurelia, trust me,” I tell her.

  Shaking her head she glares at me while Brokk is staring at us.

  “We must hurry,” he hisses again. “Which way are we going?” he asks Aurelia.

  “I can’t,” she whispers, looking at me.

  “I don’t want to but we have no choice. Do you want to bond with Connor?” I ask.

  Shaking her head tears well in her eyes, she grips the small dagger in her hand holding it up but Brokk grabs her.

  “What are you doing?” he asks terrified.

  “We are leaving Brokk, you do not have to follow,” she tells him.

  “I am your guard, I will follow you wherever you go,” he answers.

  With a nod, she slices her palm and whispers words that I don’t know but I know what Killian said from the other side. My whole world is crumbling too and she doesn’t know it. I hope this won’t affect Killian in any way because right now I want to slap my own face and run away. I watch as the air shimmers and Brokk gasps with wide eyes toward Aurelia. />
  “Please don’t,” she begs him, placing one foot through the shimmering air. “Come, follow me.” She steps through leaving Brokk and I standing In Avalon.

  “What have you done?” he glares at me.

  “Nothing only she can do it,” I answer as two guards crash through the trees about twenty yards behind us. “Go, go,” I push him through the portal and jump after him praying that we end up back home.

  Aurelia quickly closes the portal as the guards reach it they look stunned and scared as they begin to fade away. Pain laces through my body making me fall to the cold, hard ground.

  “What is the meaning of this?” Brokk shouts.

  “Brokk please, just wait,” Aurelia whispers as she looks to where the portal stood. Tears stream down her face and her body shakes. Standing on my own shaky legs I look around, I’m not sure where we are because it’s nighttime. All I see is green grass and trees; we could be anywhere.

  “Where are we?” Brokk asks.

  “The human realm,” Aurelia answers, lifting her chin. “We must find shelter at once,” she says to Brokk’s stricken face.

  “The…but…human,” he asks.

  “Come, we must hurry,” she says beginning to walk away.

  “Hey wait,” I call out walking after her. She gives me a sad look and allows me to take the lead. We walk for a while before I see some streetlights, which I head toward. If there are streetlights, that means there are people at least. Brokk is talking a mile a minute at Aurelia, who is answering in curt tones but I’m too busy to care because we just stepped into a parking lot and I almost faint from relief. There sitting in the corner is a sleek blacked out car.

  “This way,” I whisper against the tears lodged in my throat as I run toward Killian’s car. I’m in Faircrest! Holy crap how did this happen? I don’t care I’m home. Reaching the car, I pull on the handle opening the door. Both Brokk and Aurelia stare at me wide eyed.

  “Get in,” I command, sliding behind the wheel. “Please start. You cost a fortune so the least you can do is start okay,” I say to the car.

  Brokk and Aurelia are still outside looking at me. Climbing out I open the doors and point. Once they are inside, I close the doors and run back to the driver side.

  “How did you see this?” Aurelia asks.

  “What?” I answer as the car purrs to life bringing a smile to my face. In the cup holder, I notice Killian’s phone. Pressing the button nothing happens, but that’s okay because we can go home. Pulling out of the parking lot I steer us toward the freeway and I will admit, my driving skills are a tad rusty but I soon feel good behind the wheel.

  “Where are we going?” Brokk asks, gripping the seat for dear life.

  “Home,” I smile, pressing the gas.

  Pulling off the freeway I slow down as we drive through Faircrest, the clock on the dashboard reads 3.11am as I pull into the gas station. Opening the center console I dig out the cash Killian has stashed for emergencies.

  “Okay stay here, I’ll just be a minute,” I tell them and jump out. In the store, I grab some essentials, milk, water, eggs, and a frozen pizza. It will have to do there’s not much else in here. I put everything in the trunk and take off to the apartment.

  “Is this your dwelling?” Brokk asks with a hint of nervousness.

  “No, my boyfriends but he’s not home so you will be okay,” I tell them.

  They both follow me through the garage and up the stairs to the door. My heart is pounding as I turn the key in the lock and open the door on memories that feel like a lifetime ago. Brokk and Aurelia are still speaking in fairy back and forth as they enter the apartment. Turning on the lights I bring them into the sitting room kitchen area, Brokk stands in the center of the room and Aurelia hovers by the door. I put away the food and turn to them.

  “How did you see the human vehicle?” Aurelia asks.

  “What do you mean?” I look at her tense posture and folded arms.

  Brokk moves closer to her “there was fairy glamor on that…that thing but you saw through it, how?” she asks.

  “Oh,” is all I can say because I didn’t know Killian even put a glamor on it. I suppose though it would have been stolen if he didn’t. “I told you a fairy brought me to Avalon.”

  “What fairy?” Brokk asks. “You told Connor you happened upon Avalon, was this a lie?”

  “Yes, Brokk, of course, it was a lie,” I sigh, but before I can take another breath, the tip of his sword is pressing into the hallow of my throat.

  “Whoa,” I gasp, holding my hands up. “What are you doing?”

  “Tell me who is this fairy,” Aurelia asks. Her hands are clenched into fists as she stares at me. “I kept you safe at my home and you dare to trick me to bring you back to the human world!” she shouts.

  “I didn’t trick you, Aurelia, I promise I didn’t,” I answer around the sword.

  “Then tell me who,” she says.

  “I can’t, I promised I wouldn’t and you will hate me if I do tell you,” I plead.

  “Too late,” Brokk growls leaning closer to me. His eyes are blazing with anger and the sword presses in more.

  “Tell me now Reagan or I fear I will end your life. I do not wish to do so but I will,” Aurelia says.

  Tears well in my eyes as I look between the both of them, I thought I was doing the right thing bringing them here, to safety.

  “Okay,” I nod allowing my tears to fall because I know what I am about to tell her will break her heart too. Brokk releases me and steps back to wait beside Aurelia. She is watching me with hurt filled eyes.

  “You should sit down,” I point to the couch. Wiping my face, I plug Killian’s phone in to charge and then power up the computer. Brokk refuses to sit and paces by the door.

  “Tell me of the fairy,” Aurelia says.

  “Okay, but I have to tell you, you may not like what I have to say,” I warn her.

  “I will decide if I wish to like your story,” she answers.

  “Fine, a few years ago my parents went missing and I had to move out of my house. I lived with a woman and her son, she gave me a job, and I went to college. There I met Alex, she is a great friend to me, but she is always pushing me to go out and have fun. A few months ago we went to a nightclub, it was a costume party and I dressed up as a fairy. I had an old costume from when I was a child…”

  “This does not tell us of the fairy,” Brokk interrupts.

  “I’m getting to it,” I sigh. “Anyway, at this club one of the guys that worked there was a little intense with me. At first, I didn’t want to get involved with him but over time, I found myself drawn to him and slowly fell in love. He is kind and caring, and would do anything for me,” I tell them swallowing my tears. “He loves me so much and one day he told me about where he came from and what he really was. A fairy, I didn’t care though because deep down I knew that I loved him, I just couldn’t see it at that time.

  “Finally, I decided that after all he did for me I could give him the one thing he has always wanted, to go home, back to his fairyland. So, after my graduation, I told him how much I love him and how much I wanted to spend my life with him even if it is in another world. He brought me to that forest and cut open his palm asking to go back to Avalon and we did, we stepped into the fairy realm,” I whisper.

  “What is his name, Reagan?” Aurelia whispers.

  Lifting my head I look at her as tears fall down my face, I miss him so much and now to tell the story in a brief way brings all the emptiness forward making me miss him even more. Aurelia is holding her breath waiting for me to say his name her eyes are brimming with tears also.

  “Killian, it’s your brother,” I tell her.

  “Lies,” Brokk shouts. “Prince Killian was killed when Connor stormed the castle,” he says angrily.

  “No, he wasn’t, he was with his mother,” I answer. “She died in his arms,” I tell Aurelia, who is now crying.

  “These are lies princess. I beg you, do not listen, th
is human is deceiving you,” Brokk gives me a look of hatred, his eyes flashing.

  “I’m not telling you lies,” walking over to the phone I check the charge. There is enough battery for me to open the photos. “Here,” I hold out the phone so they can see Killian and me at my graduation. Aurelia grabs it from my hand staring at the picture of her brother.

  “How can this be?” she cries.

  “Your mother begged him to leave, she said that both you and your father were dead,” I answer.

  “He is alive and has been in the human realm all this time,” she whispers.

  “Yes, he couldn’t get back to Avalon,” I answer.

  I open the photo files on the computer to show her all the pictures Killian had taken of us, he took more than I even knew. His smiling face pops up on screen with me in the background making a mess in the kitchen. I can’t help but smile at it and run my fingers over his face.

  “You love my brother?” Aurelia asks.

  “Yes, I do,” I nod. “He doesn’t know you’re alive,” I tell her.

  “Yes, I fear no other fairies know of my existence. Connor held me captive for a long time.”

  “Aurelia,” I turn to her. “There’s more, Killian is at Tenebrosi that’s where we went but there is also someone else there too.”

  “Father?” she gasps.

  “No, no sorry, not your father,” with a heavy sigh I look at her and tell her. “Avery.”

  She drops the phone to the floor staring at me in shock. Brokk begins to shout in fairy as he paces the room, knocking over the table on his way.

  “No, no,” Aurelia cries.

  “Yes, he is there I talked to him. In fact, I danced with him on my birthday,” I nod.

  “Please, do not tell me this,” she stutters. “I fear I will not survive if this is a lie.”

  “I’m not lying Aurelia, you have the proof in front of you,” pointing to the phone and computer, I tell her “why would I?”

  “I do not know,” she answers.

  We sit in silence for a while the minutes tick by without any movement from the three of us. Brokk has finally stopped pacing and has taken a seat beside Aurelia. She is staring at the floor, almost stone-like in her posture. The morning sky is beginning to dawn in the distance and my eyes are heavy with sleep.