by Jaclyn Weist
Louie pointed out a few of the spots. “See this? They are tainted by magic. Someone could have done this, but I’m guessing it happened when Oona took away the other gateway. Which means we may face this at every portal.”
“Of course.” I sighed. “Where’s the next one? I want to check them. Something has to work. We can’t just be stuck here forever.” I caught a warning glance from Louie. Oops. “And, of course, there are those stuck on the other side who need to come home. This isn’t cool.”
Donella nodded. “My son is stuck there. I would like him back.”
“I’ll make sure it happens. I promise.” I nodded toward Donella, and we walked back into the woods. Was there really another gateway so close?
“Hey, Louie? Where are we going?” Jared asked. He moved a branch out of my way and waited for me to walk past.
Louie didn’t say anything as he kept walking. I looked back at Jared and shrugged. The ground gradually went downhill, and we were soon in a small valley shaped like a bowl. Small pixies flitted about, giggling and laughing with each other. Louie put a finger to his mouth and gestured for us to follow him. Having dealt with pixies before, I was more than happy not to disturb them. We kept to the edges of the bowl until we came around to a large opening of a cave.
We walked in and continued several feet before Louie stopped, and I ran into him.
“Oh, sorry.” I blushed, thankful no one could see it.
“Stay quiet, but I want you to try to start a fire in your hand so we can have some light.” His whisper was rough and echoed through the cave.
Fire. Sure, I could do that out of thin air. “Um, how do you propose I do that? I’ve only ever started it from a candle.”
“Oh, right.” He shifted something around for a moment. “Here. Hold out your hand.”
I took the small candle from him and concentrated on it, pulling the old flame back to life. The burst wasn’t quite as powerful as the first time I’d done it, which hopefully meant that I was gaining control of my powers.
“So, what are we doing here?” I asked, looking around. The cave went far back into the mountain, and the walls were damp with condensation.
Louie glared at me and started toward the back of the cave. He didn’t speak until we’d been walking for several minutes. “We’re going to the next portal, but I’m expecting the same thing again. Oona knew what she was doing when she did this.”
“There’s another one so close to where we already visited? How many are there in this world?” Jared asked.
“Not many. I was surprised to learn about this one. It’s not used often because there’s something guarding it.” He stopped and held up a hand.
I looked around, trying to figure out why he’d stopped, but then I heard it. A scraping sound followed by heavy breathing. Whatever it was had to be huge. A low growl rumbled through the cave, making the walls shake.
Jared pulled out his sword and moved in front of me as a shield. I rolled my eyes, since I was the one holding the candle. With me in back, they couldn’t really see what was coming.
“Thanks for watching out for me, but I can do this.” I walked around both Louie and Jared and crept forward. The sound was getting louder, grating on my nerves. We turned a corner and found a large, open cavern. A light emanated from the center of the room. It lit up a pedestal with a small object sitting on top. I crept inside the room and looked around, but saw nothing that could have been causing the noise. The knowledge should have made me relax, but I knew the creature had to be around somewhere.
I walked up to the pedestal to find a ring. A large stone was in the center with several smaller different-colored gems surrounding it. “Louie, do you have a clue what this is?”
Louie eyed it suspiciously while glancing around the cavern. “No, and I don’t like that it’s here. This was supposed to be a portal.”
“I wonder why it’s here, then.” Jared moved to touch it, but jumped back when a loud roar shook the room, causing rocks to fall.
“Uh, maybe we should leave it alone.” I backed up and pulled out my sword to face a rather large Chimera. It had to be older than the one I’d seen earlier in the forest. I’d been able to tame the first creature, but with the size of the fangs in this one, I figured I’d rather not try to pet it. “Whoa there. Nice kitty.”
“On the count of three, I want you to grab my hand so we can get out of here. Got it?” Louie asked.
I looked between the Chimera and Louie. “You’re not the least bit curious to find out what that ring is?”
Louie hesitated before shaking his head. “No. It’s here for a reason. One, two, three, go.”
Jared grabbed his hand, and I grabbed Louie’s wrist so he could snap. The Chimera attacked just as I felt the pull and we left the cavern—and landed knee-deep in a swamp.
“Um, is this what you tried to do?” I pulled one foot out with a loud squelching sound.
Louie snapped his fingers again, and we ended up at the edge of the swamp. Large trees surrounded the banks, and insects flew around, biting at our arms. “Sorry about that. I must have been more distracted than I thought.”
“I guess so.” I looked down at the mud covering my pants and shoes. I tried wiping it off, but the mud only smeared. “How do we get this off?”
“Don’t. In fact, I’d cover your arms and hands—unless you want to be eaten alive by these bugs.” He walked over to a large branch and pulled it toward the swamp.
The smell of the stagnant mud made me gag, but if it kept the bugs away . . . I scooped mud off my shoes and covered my arms and neck, looking forward to a nice hot bath when we got back to the palace. I laughed at the thought of what Beth would say if she was here.
“Man, Megan, you’re looking quite beautiful. Swampy green is a great color on you. Oh, but you missed a spot.” Jared rubbed his thumb along my jawbone, sending a shiver through me.
“You’re looking pretty hot yourself.” I reached up and kissed him. “It’s the smell I could do without.”
Louie grunted. “If you two are done, I could use some help.”
Jared took my hand, and we walked over to the tree where Louie was grabbing more branches. Jared grabbed one from him, and I took another one from a tree next to it. The bugs continued to fly around us, so we had to swat at them every few minutes, but at least they weren’t biting anymore—which was good because we had to use both arms to carry the branches.
“So, what exactly are you doing? Building a fire?” I set the branch down next to the one Louie had dropped.
Louie gestured to a spot in the middle of the swamp. “There’s a portal. I’d send us to the spot, but the landing is small, and if we miss, you’re lunch for whatever creature is below. Besides, I already tried, and couldn’t get any farther than where we ended up.”
“Oh. Raft it is, then.” Jared lined up the branches while I searched for a way to attach them together.
Large vines hung from some of the trees, so I jumped to grab one that was just above my reach. Frustrated, I reached up and used my luck to make it grow just long enough that I could hold on to it. I yanked down on it, and the entire thing slid out of the tree. I had just enough time to jump out of the way before it landed on me.
“Oh, perfect. I was going to go back to the castle really quick for some rope, but this works better.” Louie walked over and pulled out a knife to cut a length of the vine. “We need a few more just like this.”
I pulled out my sword and sliced through the vine in a few more places, then dragged it over to the raft. The vine was stiff, so it was hard to weave around the branches. Maybe Louie should have gone back to get the rope. After it slid again, I growled and pushed my luck into it, making it more flexible and rope-like.
“While that definitely helps us, maybe you should use your powers for something less menial.” Louie chuckled. He whipped the vine around the last of the branches and stood, wiping his hands. With a snap of his fingers, the gaps between the logs closed so we’d
actually be able to stand on it. “There, I think we have it. You two find branches for steering, and I’ll lead the way.”
“Nice try. Megan will lead the way.” Jared glared at Louie.
I put my hand on Jared’s shoulder. “It’s fine. We’re bigger and stronger than he is, and he knows where we’re supposed to be going.”
Jared clenched his jaw, but nodded and pushed the raft out into the swamp, where Louie and I climbed on. The swamp made slurping noises each time we stuck our poles in to move forward. The water wasn’t deep, but the mud was, so the branches sank in each time, making progress slow.
The bugs that had left us alone on the shore were back with a vengeance and didn’t seem to care about the dried mud that covered us. Louie went from giving us directions to swatting wildly at the insects. I wanted to laugh at the sight, but I was worried one of them would end up in my mouth.
Up ahead, the water began bubbling in one spot. Something slowly rose out of the water with a large sucking sound. A large creature with rows of sharp teeth appeared, making my stomach clench in fear
“Row faster,” Louie called, his eyes wide.
“We’re trying. This swamp isn’t exactly easy to get through,” I shouted back.
Jared pulled out his sword. “Is there anything you can do to help?”
I turned to the back and pushed one hand toward the raft and another one toward the water. “Louie, will it knock us into the water if I use magic here?”
“Only one way to find out, and you need to do it now.”
I pushed hard and our raft shot forward, knocking Jared and Louie down. I barely managed to stand. Jared scrambled up and grabbed his sword. We shot past the creature, causing it to scream in anger. It raised a scaly arm with inch-long claws and swiped at us. I had to jump back, causing the raft to lurch.
“Hold on.” Fear seized me as I tried to push the raft farther, but something was in our way. “Louie, what’s going on?”
When there was no answer, I turned to find Louie lying on his back, his eyes staring at nothing. Jared leaned down to check his pulse.
“He’s alive. Stop this thing. I think we hit that barrier Louie was talking about.”
I rounded on the creature and clenched my fists in anger. Electricity flowed around my fingers, and I threw the ball of light with everything I had. It sizzled as it flew through the air, but went out when it touched the creature. I shot again and again, but it had the same effect.
“Megan, do something else. That’s not working.”
“I see that.”
The creature roared again, and moved toward us swiping its arms as it went. I pulled on my luck and focused on his feet or whatever was holding it up and tried to make it trip like I’d done so many times before. When my luck tripped the creature, the water and mud held it up so it could continue forward.
I pulled out my sword and shot energy into it, something I’d never tried before. It crackled as I moved forward and swung at the creature. A white electric bolt flew out of the sword and hit the creature, making it scream in rage. Finally. Something worked. I continued shooting off the bolts until the creature smoked. It shrieked in agony and slowly sank back into the water. It wasn’t dead, but hopefully, it wouldn’t come after us again.
“That was … you looked … wow. Remind me never to make you mad.” Jared turned back to Louie.
“What do you mean?” I could still feel the adrenaline flowing through me as I knelt down next to him. Louie seemed fine, but he continued to sleep.
Jared shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s do what we need to and get out of here. Louie needs help.”
I stared at Jared for a moment before standing and grabbing the pole. Jared joined me in pushing forward until we came to the small island in the middle of the swamp. This fairy ring was much smaller than the one we’d seen in the forest.
“Do you want to try to travel with me?” I stepped onto the island and into the circle.
Jared shook his head, but wouldn’t meet my eyes. “I’ll stay here with Louie to guard him. Besides, it probably won’t work with both of us there.”
“Okay.” I stood in the center, trying to ignore the hurt. What had he seen that had made him want to avoid me?
Instead of wishing to make the portal work, I tried to focus on my luck this time. The pull was slightly different than before, but again, only my head seemed to move while the rest seemed grounded in the fairy stone.
This time, I was in a forest that had been burned with what had to be massive amounts of heat. Some of the trees looked almost melted. An old brick building sat in the distance, and I was shocked when I realized I knew that church. I’d fought a grey man there just months before. I tried to turn my head, but nausea hit, and I bent over in pain. The pulling feeling came back and I was on the small island again. The nausea was worse here, and I lost everything I’d had to eat that day.
“Megan!” Jared put his arm around me and brushed my hair out of the way until I was done. He helped me up and pulled me into a hug. “What happened?”
“Castlemorris is gone. At least according to this portal, it is.” I coughed and pulled away from him in case I needed to throw up again. “All of it. The only thing left is the church, and even those bricks were melted. I didn’t even know that could happen.”
Jared helped me back onto the raft so I could sit next to Louie. “Look, I know this is the worst possible time to ask, but can you try to get us home? Louie is unconscious, and I’ve heard more growls from around us.”
I kept my head between my knees until my head cleared. “I don’t even know where to start, because unless those portals work between places in the fairy world, there’s no way to get back. No one has taught me to teleport or whatever you call it here.”
“Well . . . what if we just tried to transport back to the castle? Oona made it so we can’t travel out of here, but what if we can still use it from place to place in the fairy world?”
I blinked. “I hadn’t even thought of it. I guess we can try.”
I stood, having to catch my balance using Jared’s shoulder. He picked up Louie, and we stepped into the circle together.
“You can do this. I know you can.”
“Thanks. We’ll see if you’re right.” I closed my eyes and concentrated on the front of the palace. Once I had a clear picture, I pushed down on the fairy ring and made a wish to move.
The feeling of being pulled was strong, and I could feel Jared and Louie jostling next to me. We landed hard and fell over. I was able to open my eyes just long enough to see the palace sitting in front of me. Then blackness settled in.
MEGAN
The white walls of my bedroom were beginning to drive me crazy. I’d awakened in this room after being unconscious too many times to count. I pushed up and instantly lay back down again. I’d hoped the nausea would be gone. I closed my eyes and concentrated on taking deep breaths until the sickness passed.
I slowly sat up and kept my head down until I was sure I’d be okay. The clothes I was wearing when I collapsed had been changed to pajamas, and my skin was now clean. My face burned in embarrassment as I moved over to the wardrobe. It was full of gowns made of fine silks, and the colors ranged from gold to dark red. My jeans were nowhere to be found. I sighed and slipped on the red gown, then put on some slippers, missing my boots even more.
There were no ribbons or bands to pull my hair back, so I had to braid it to keep it out of my face. As soon as I opened the door, two guards barred my way.
“Excuse me, I’d like to go find my friends. I need to see how Louie is.” I glared at one of the guards, but he wouldn’t move. “Look, I’m the queen. You’re supposed to listen to me, right?”
The guards glanced at each other before shaking their heads.
“Only when our orders aren’t from the king,” one of the guards said.
“Jared?” I asked, surprised. “Why would he make me stay in here?”
The guard snickered. “Jar
ed’s no king. We meant Puck. When you two deserted us with that traitor, Louie, we made him king.”
My eyes narrowed, and I could feel my hands sparking again. “And who gave you permission to do that?”
The other guard gulped before answering. “We didn’t know where you were. Puck insisted you had turned on us. It was the only option.”
“Out of my way. Now.” I pushed them, causing a shock to go through their bodies. Seriously, I needed to learn to control this magic. I stalked down the hallway toward Adam and Jared’s room, then pounded on the door.
A few moments later, Jared opened the door. His hair was messed up, and he looked like he’d just awakened. “Megan. You’re okay.”
“Not really. They just told me Puck is the king.” I clenched my fists.
“What? How did that happen?” The anger in his eyes matched what I felt. He opened the door wider, and I noticed that he was only in boxers.
My face burned, and I covered my eyes. “Um, Jared.”
He yelped and slammed the door. A few minutes later, he opened the door again, wearing the uniform they’d given him. And man, he looked good in it. “Okay, so tell me what happened.”
“They said we deserted them with Louie, so Puck made himself king. They called Louie a traitor.”
Jared pulled me into his arms. “Hey, it’s okay. Calm down. We’ll fix this.”
“I’m fine. I’m just ticked that Puck could turn on us like this.” I hugged him back and pulled away.
“Look down.” He pointed at a spot near my feet.
There were two burn marks in the floor. I looked up at the ceiling, but didn’t see what could have caused it.
“That was you.” Jared took my hands. “You need to get this under control before you do some major damage. Yesterday, when I saw the way your eyes flashed red—”
“Wait—what?”
“They flashed red while you were fighting that creature. It was like the magic was taking over you or something.”
I stared at him for a second. “They did?”
He nodded. “And they did it again right as you shot the bolts out of your hands. Come on. We’re going to get you some training while I figure out how to get rid of Puck.”
