by Liz de Jager
Chapter Fifty-One
‘How do we get there?’
I look up at Dante’s question and shift uncomfortably in my chair. We’re in a small coffee shop near Piccadilly Circus, tucked away in a side street. The brownie behind the counter is doing her utmost not to stare at us and I admit that even if I wasn’t a Blackhart, accompanied by a changeling and werewolf boy, we would have made quite a group. The boys alone draw a lot of interested looks. They are attractive specimens and where Aiden resembles the bad boy rocker that would love you, break your heart and then leave you, Dante is more the sensitive tortured poet type with his melancholy eyes and strong features. Perhaps likely to compose poems about your heart, before breaking it too and leaving. And me? Me, I look like an extra from Megan’s favourite movie, The Lost Boys, wearing too much leather, black clothes and eyeliner.
‘We go through a gateway.’
‘You make it sound so simple,’ Dante points out. ‘I suspect it isn’t, though.’
‘Nothing is ever simple when dealing with the Fae,’ Aiden replies. ‘Cannot believe I lost my diamond to that cow.’
‘About that,’ Dante says, turning to him. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t stop to think. About the cost.’
‘Don’t worry about it. I’ll make you pay it back when we get out of this.’ His grin is cheeky and a light flush creeps across Dante’s cheeks. I have to bite back a smirk, because trust Aiden to find the most awkward moment to flirt with the hottest person in the room. Then he sobers and turns those blue-green eyes of his to me. ‘And we are getting out of this alive, aren’t we, Kit?’
My smile is bleak. ‘Of course. Just don’t get into trouble while we’re there.’
‘What forest was she talking about?’
Even as Aiden asks me the question I can hear the dread in his voice. Like me he knows exactly what forest Suola meant.
‘The Dark Forest.’
A visible shiver shakes him and he closes his eyes and turns away. At Dante’s blank look I lean forward and explain. ‘The battle against Eadric took place in the Dark Forest. Aiden and his pack fought there with Aelfric’s army. They came up against Eadric’s beserkers and other chimera-type monsters. These were hybrid monsters, created with dark magic and science to support Eadric’s cause.’
‘It was not pleasant.’ Aiden’s features take on a haunted look and I instantly feel bad for not considering what his pack went through in the Otherwhere. But then I was fighting to save Thorn on the island and getting the snot smacked out of me.
I jump when the brownie appears at the table looking nervous. She’s carrying a tray of fresh croissants.
‘My aunt sends these,’ she says, her voice soft, her liquid eyes on Dante. ‘She said they will sustain you on your quest.’
‘How does she know we’re on a quest?’ Aiden asks her, flashing one of his knock-out smiles at her. She reluctantly looks away from Dante to him and dimples the cutest smile back at him.
‘Oh, everyone knows. The phone rang about ten minutes before you guys came in. My cousin works at a bakery in Mayfair. She heard it from one of the knockers in that big old house the queen likes to hold meetings in.’ She drew a breath, slanting another shy look at Dante. ‘I’ve got some fresh coffee brewing so I’ll bring that out in a few seconds, along with some tea for you.’ With another smile at Dante she’s gone in a whirl of strawberry and cupcakes smells.
‘She quite seems to fancy you, mate.’ Aiden jostles Dante’s shoulder. ‘Really pretty. Those eyes and dimples. Also, she’s a brownie. I’ve heard that you . . .’ He breaks off when I kick him under the table and scowl at him. ‘What? I’m just going to say that if you date a brownie you’ll never go hungry. Geez, Kit. Get your mind out of the gutter.’
‘You were going to be rude about that nice girl, Aiden. You watch your mouth. I predict that one of these days you’re going to meet someone and she’s going to turn you to pulp. And I want front-row tickets to see that show.’
Dante tears his gaze from the pretty girl, who’s blushing wildly under his attention, and frowns at us. ‘Can we return to getting to the forest? How do we do that?’
‘I talk to Crow,’ I say. ‘I need to get to a park. It’s easier to summon him there.’
‘Crow is one of Aelfric’s foresters,’ Aiden explains. ‘He’s got a soft spot for our little girl, here.’
‘Shut up before I make you shut up,’ I tell Aiden but without much anger. I am just so tired, I crave my bed and a stretch of undisturbed sleep with no dramas. ‘I need to do this myself, so stay here and I’ll call you when I’ve spoken to Crow.’
‘Don’t you dare try and do this by yourself, Kit. You need us.’ Aiden’s voice is low and insistent. ‘You know I will come and find you, so don’t even think about doing the same thing as last year and leaving us behind.’
I nod guiltily because I know he’s right. ‘I won’t go anywhere without you guys, I promise.’
I stand up and grab one of the croissants from the platter. The brownie looks up as I head towards the doorway. She heads me off with a takeaway cup of coffee in her hand.
‘You’re brave,’ she says, her voice pitched low so that only I can hear. ‘But be careful.’
I take the cup from her and smile my thanks before pushing out of the shop. I flag down a taxi and ask him to drop me off at Hyde Park Corner. I could have walked the distance but I am in a hurry and it’s cold out; with the skies that incredible blue that hurts your eyes if you stare at it too long.
The driver doesn’t bother making conversation and I send Kyle a text to let him know what’s happened with Suola, and that our priority now is to get to the Dark Forest. I pay the driver and head into Hyde Park. Even though it’s a work day, the park is busy. Mums and nannies with strollers and little dogs in tow crowd the pathways, along with rollerbladers and ambling tourists.
I head towards the Serpentine but on my way there I collect a leaf, possibly a red oak leaf, I can’t be sure, and hold on to it gingerly. One of the benches is empty and I sit, removing a piece of chalk from my pocket. I write Crow’s name and then my own on the leaf and roll it tightly. It would have to do for now.
At the edge of the man-made lake I hunker next to a little toddler who’s tossing bread towards a group of fat ducks. I drop the leaf into the water and watch it bob for a few seconds, before it sinks.
I can’t tell how long it will take for my message to reach Crow, so I walk along the side of the Serpentine, enjoying my coffee and relishing the sunshine on my upturned face. I consciously let my magic rise just above my skin. I’m not too worried that anyone will see the weird glow around me. Humans with any kind of second sight or magical ability possibly number about half a percentage of the entire population. Admittedly, that’s still a lot if you think about it, but sometimes you have to live on the edge just a bit.
I become aware of someone keeping pace with me but off the main path. I look up and spot a flash of Crow’s dark hair as he walks behind one of the trees. I grin and hike over to him.
‘That was quick.’
I look up at him and smile. I can’t explain how I feel so comfortable with this wild Fae. His features are striking and he makes no attempt to use glamour to tone down his otherworldly looks. A few people actually stop and stare at him but he takes no notice.
He holds onto my shoulders for the longest time, just looking at me, before folding me against his lean chest.
‘Kit, what have you been doing to yourself? You look terrible.’
At my annoyed wriggle he chuckles. ‘Still pretty, but far too tired for someone as young as you. Come, tell me what’s been going on.’
He guides me further into the park, away from curious eyes and settles me on a bench before dropping onto the grass at my feet.
‘Tell your Uncle Crow everything.’
I roll my eyes at the phrase ‘Uncle Crow’ but I do tell him everything, including the part where we have to get to the Dark Forest. I also tell him about the building
where I think the children are hidden – the abandoned palace I dream about, where I run into Thorn.
‘Let me get this straight: Suola told you where to find the children?’
‘Not in so many words. She said we need to get to the forest and then said, the place you’ve been visiting.’ I sigh. ‘And that’s the only place I’ve been visiting. In my dreams.’
‘Do you remember anything about it? About the palace?’
‘It’s huge, ancient. Beautifully built, long passages. It looks and feels very romantic. It’s definitely in the forest because I remember seeing the forest beyond the town at the palace’s base.’
‘Does the town look inhabited?’
I close my eyes and think back. ‘No. Deserted, for sure. No movement and the houses look dilapidated.’ I watch his face and wonder how old he is. To my human eye he looks no older than say thirty, Uncle Jamie’s age, but I know he is far older than that. His sister implied as much. ‘Do you know it?’
‘Yes.’ His eyes are troubled as he looks at me. ‘I do, but it’s not a place we visit very often.’
I wait for him to continue talking and after a short while he does. ‘There is an abandoned town in the far north of the Dark Forest. It is an old place. Some say it dates from the Time Before Time.’
I blink. ‘Do you mean from the time of the Elder Gods?’
He inclines his head. ‘Yes, it is where Istvan’s many-times-great-grandfather reigned.’
I swear softly. ‘And why has no one destroyed it?’
‘There was no need. Once the Elder Gods were destroyed and Aelfric’s family took the throne for themselves, the village and palace fell into disrepair and no one really bothered with it much.’
‘Until now.’
He shrugs and leans forward, running his hands about an inch over the grass. The blades move and I watch in amazement as they grow right before my eyes until they reach his palm.
‘Until now. And you want to go there?’
‘I need to go there. If that’s where they’re taking the children.’
‘It’s going to be dangerous.’
‘I know.’ I sigh and sit forward so I can peer at his face. ‘There are three of us that need to get to the forest. Can you help?’
‘Yes, of course I will. It will be fantastic to have you back in the forest. The trees have missed you.’
‘You’re such a hippy, Crow.’
‘I don’t know what that means, but I’ll take it as a compliment.’
I laugh and hug him awkwardly.
Chapter Fifty-Two
It’s after midday when we meet Crow back at the Serpentine. He is easy to spot. He has a troop of little kids around him and he is letting them feed two squirrels that he holds carefully on either hand. When he looks up and sees us he gives us a nod and speaks softly to the squirrels. They chitter at him and scamper off into the trees, their cheeks packed with nuts. The kids complain loudly but their mums and minders sweep in and carry them off, thanking Crow for entertaining them. One woman hesitates and hands something to Crow. He looks down at the thing in his hand in a bemused way and when the woman blushes, he gives a slow smile and I can almost see her knees buckle.
She says something to the little boy by her side and they hurriedly follow the group moving away.
‘Look at you, Casanova,’ I say. ‘Making friends and influencing people. What did she give you?’
He opens his palm and I see a piece of paper there with her name and number. Aiden sees it too and laughs. ‘Crow, you old dog.’
‘What do the numbers mean?’ Crow asks, after he’s let himself be thumped on the back.
‘She gave you her mobile number. To call her? To make a date.’
The Fae forester shook his head. ‘I don’t know what that means.’
‘She wants to go out with you. Courting? To dinner? To have food?’
‘Oh!’ He looks at Aiden in surprise and hands him the piece of paper. ‘No, you send her a messenger and tell her I can’t do that. It wouldn’t be proper. Human and Fae do not mingle in that way, not any more.’ He notices Dante and takes a step back in surprise. ‘This is who you have accompanying you?’
Both Aiden and I look at Dante, who looks pale and worried, shifting under our scrutiny.
‘Do you know who he is?’ I ask Crow.
‘Well, no, but he’s not human.’ Crow inhales deeply. ‘Siren, possibly? And male. Interesting.’
Before Dante can be further mauled by more people being rude about his heritage, I introduce them. ‘Dante, this is my friend Crow. He’s one of the foresters in the Dark Forest. Crow, this is Dante.’
‘There is a story here,’ Crow says slowly. ‘One I feel I need to hear before I take you to the Otherwhere.’
Dante looks troubled as he explains what we’ve figured out about his heritage, including the latest on his mother being a Sidhe noble and kami.
‘You have the ring? As proof?’ Crow demands, and when Dante nods, Crow looks at me. ‘And you’ve seen it for yourself – it’s real?’
I nod. ‘Oh yes, it’s very real. The ring looks exactly as Eadric’s ring was described to me.’
‘This makes things very interesting indeed. Apart from you being Eadric’s son, the kami are powerful nature spirits,’ Crow explains. ‘They are what you might call divine spirits and in some instances they are revered as gods. I think that once we’ve found this Brixi and your missing children, we should look to reunite you with your mother’s family.’ He claps a hand to Dante’s shoulder. ‘There is no need for you to look so concerned. They would be proud to welcome you home.’
Aiden jostles Dante. ‘Huh, check you out. What do you feel like most? A divine spirit or a revered god?’
‘Shut up, Aiden,’ Dante says but he’s laughing, and it makes me feel so much better. ‘I’d like nothing more, Crow,’ he says. ‘Thank you.’
Crow shakes his head as if he can’t quite believe any of it. ‘Let’s get going.’
Crow gives us a curt nod and walks away from the Serpentine, towards the north of the park where there are more trees. ‘We’re going through the trees,’ he tells us. ‘They are easier to navigate. I will take you as far as I can. I warn you now that it’s going to be a strange experience.’
‘What do you mean we’re going through the trees?’
‘All forests are connected,’ Crow explains as we walk. ‘Wherever you find a small copse of trees, if you know how, you can travel between places. I’m taking you to the Otherwhere, to the Dark Forest, in this way.’
His smile is sweet and he clearly doesn’t understand the panic we feel when he places his palm against one of the large oak trees and just steps into it as if he’s opened a door to a house.
The sense of dislocation is tremendous. We pass through a dozen or more trees and I don’t know how far we’ve travelled but my body tells me it’s going to break if I don’t stop soon. The air around me is rich with the smell of undergrowth and the scent of night-blooming flowers.
Crow rubs my back as I heave into some bushes. Dante looks fine, though a bit wide-eyed, taking in the thick forest around us. Aiden looks completely rattled at being back in the place that holds so many bad memories.
‘We are literally on the other side of the world,’ Aiden says, taking deep breaths of air. ‘I can smell everything.’
Crow chuckles and passes me a canteen that he produces from somewhere. He walks towards the boys and claps them on the shoulders. ‘Welcome to my world.’ He gestures. ‘This is Alba’s beating heart, the Dark Forest. The place where mysteries are born.’
I roll my eyes and hand back the half-full canteen. ‘You really are a hippy. How far are we from the abandoned palace?’
‘Not far, as the crow flies.’
I groan, remembering him using the exact same phrase the last time I was here and how it took ages to get where we were going.
‘I have arranged with one of my friends to meet you here. She will be taking you further, as I
have reached the borders of my territory.’
As he is speaking, something large moves in the forest behind me and I scurry to his other side. A warning growl grows in Aiden’s throat but Crow holds out a calming hand.
I have never seen a bear in real life. They are frightening enough on TV, so when a giant bear the size of a truck comes lumbering into the clearing I want to turn and run and never stop. Crow steps forward until he stands in front of the bear.
The bear bellows at him, shaking its enormous head from side to side. Crow speaks rapidly in a language I don’t understand. The bear rears up on its hind legs and I am horrified to see how tall it is when it’s standing upright. It could eat all four of us and still be hungry. Just as I’m about to shout a warning, the bear starts shrinking and, as it does, it assumes a human shape.
I’ve seen Aiden change shape before. It was a peculiar and intimate experience and it startled us both. He’d been hurt in a fight and I’d thought his arm had been broken. The pain had been so severe that it triggered his change, much to the horror of the group of animal smugglers we were facing off against, and much to my own shock. One moment he’d been Aiden, howling in rage, the next he was fully wolf and angry. Afterwards he assured me that for him the change took a long time, whereas for me watching it seemed like mere moments.
The woman who stands before us is big, built along broad lines. She accepts Crow’s cloak, shaking out her long thick hair, and smiling at him in thanks.
‘It will be my honour to travel with you the rest of the way,’ she says. Her voice is as rich as honey. ‘Please call me Nura.’
Her hand when I shake it is firm. ‘I’m Kit, and these are my friends, Dante and Aiden.’
The boys each shake her hand as Crow ducks out of the clearing and comes back with a bundle of clothes in his hands.
‘As promised,’ he says, handing it to her.
