by Kaylee Rymer
Weegel waved it away and held Ivy closer.
Another bright light formed in the centre of the circle, and then a tall, beautiful woman appeared.
Weegel gawked like an idiot.
The woman cocked her head to one side, raising a playful brow. She had a thin, wraithlike face, and bore a pair of giant gossamer wings. Her long, feathery hair flowed free about her head, and her oval eyes seemed to look straight into Weegel’s soul.
“Do you know who I am?” she asked.
Weegel blinked. “A really tall faery?”
She laughed. “No. I’m Morhianna. Fae queen?”
Weegel widened his eyes. Queen Morhianna? From all those old folk tales? According to legend, she’d shied away from humanity the moment they’d started to spread the earth, wanting nothing more to do with them due to their corrupt ways. But one day she’d return. A human somewhere would restore her faith, and she’d bring all her magic back to the world.
Morhianna giggled again, and it was as if she read his mind. “That’s right. The same queen.”
Weegel swallowed. “So... why are you here?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” she said.
He shook his head.
She smiled. “I’m here because of your friend.”
Weegel looked down at Ivy. She was a little more than a friend. He’d loved her and now he would never see her again. He sighed and brushed a hand through her hair. “I... couldn’t help her...”
Morhianna leaned down and lifted Weegel’s chin. He gazed into her eyes. The blue swirled like liquid, and he lost himself in her stare. It was like swimming in the ocean.
“Don’t cry. Her brave sacrifice is what brought me back.”
Weegel listened eagerly.
Morhianna went on. “I can give her life again.”
His heart thundered through his chest, and he started gasping. “You... you really can? H-how?”
“Her soul hasn’t left her body. It’s still attached due to her undying love for you.”
Weegel glanced at Ivy again. It was hard to believe she was still inside there, but he had to put his trust in the queen.
“Then do it. Bring her back!”
Morhianna held her hand out. “Now wait just a minute. There’s more you ought to know before I proceed.”
Weegel stopped and held his tongue.
“It’s not often I bestow the gift of life. I seldom even give it to my fellow fae. Death is irreversible, after all, except in certain circumstances.”
“So do it! What are you—?”
She put a long finger to his lips, and Weegel boiled with rage. The fae queen was really starting to grate on his nerves.
“Humans don’t realise it,” she said, “but inside them all is the potential for great magic. Really, really great magic. It can merely be awakened by love, bravery, or... sacrifice.”
Weegel raised his brows.
“Ivy has shown all three traits in her simple act to preserve your life.”
Weegel gazed down once again. Ivy looked as if she were simply sleeping.
“I was touched by her sacrifice in saving your life, a humble creature of fae origin. Who knew humans could extend their love so far?”
He breathed a sigh. “Yeah, who knew...”
Weegel had known the minute he laid eyes on Ivy she had the ability to love all. The way she treated animals with compassion was something to be admired. Of course, there were other kind humans too, such as his mother and grandfather, but Ivy would always be something special. She had won his heart. The heart of a thief.
Morhianna beamed and stepped back. She held out her arm, and a soft energy burst from her fingertips. It healed the wound on Ivy’s neck and then brought back the colour in her cheeks.
Ivy’s lashes fluttered open, and she drew a loud breath.
“Ivy?”
She peered around the forest until her eyes landed on Weegel. “Weegel,” she said weakly.
Hot tears poured from Weegel’s eyes, and he bent down and kissed her lips.
She felt warm once again, and Ivy leaned in to kiss him too, her strength slowly returning.
Weegel looked up to say his thanks to Morhianna, but the fae queen had vanished. “She’s gone.”
“Who’s gone?” Ivy asked.
He met her gaze again, wondering where to even begin.
Ivy gasped. “Your horn!”
Weegel reached up. His horn had reappeared. It was no longer a stump, and he laughed for joy. He hadn’t even noticed Morhianna had fixed his horn too.
He pulled Ivy into his arms, and her scent enveloped him once again. “Promise you’ll never jump in front of a killer she-wolf for me again.”
Ivy rubbed her nose into his hair. “I promise.”
They both looked to the lifeless woman lying across from them. Ivy watched her silent for a while.
“The king did send her in the end, but he’d sent her to capture me, not kill me. Why would the king want me alive?”
“To keep you prisoner, I suppose,” Weegel said
Ivy shook her head. “But I’m his enemy’s granddaughter, the father who shunned him. It’d be better to kill me. I’m a threat to him and his throne. What does he want with me?”
A dark prickle spread through Weegel’s arms. “Who knows, but somehow it sounds more terrifying than death.”
“I agree.”
A cold wind blew through the forest, Morhianna’s warm magic all but forgotten, and Weegel shuddered.
“Come. Let’s get back to the mountain.”
He helped Ivy to her feet and off they returned.
WEEGEL ROLLED OUT IVY’S map on the table. The circle denoting the location of the Blanket remained as clear as ever.
Their maps were fairly similar, except Weegel’s had a lot more landmarks, but his map still showed no signs of the Blanket.
“So, any ideas?” she asked.
“Well, I think I have a general idea of where it could be. This valley here is constantly covered in a mist,” he pointed to an area west of the mountain. “Humans have been known to disappear there. It could be that they disappear under the veil of this town. Chars-town had similar magic.”
“If not?”
Weegel drummed his fingers, and something Bannog told him in the shop returned to him. “We search for Westwind Isle.”
Ivy’s eyes widened, and she gave a nod. “And find my grandfather...”
“Exactly. I have a theory. If we go west, we may find the island. The seal blows west on your necklace. It’s a stupid plan, but what else do we have?”
“But wouldn’t we need a boat?”
Weegel smiled. “Maybe.”
Her eyes sparkled, and for a moment he thought she may give up on finding her aunt Elly, but she shook her head.
“No. My mind is already set. First, we try to find my aunt. I need to fulfil my mother’s wishes. Plus, Elly may be able to help us find Westwind.”
Weegel rubbed his brows. “I just hope we find her.”
Ivy grabbed a small pouch, rattled the contents, and set them free onto the table. Runic symbols lay on the top of each pebble.
Weegel had no idea what they meant, but Ivy appeared to understand them.
She laughed. “I can’t believe it. All this time, all I needed to do was open my mind, and the message would be there.”
Goosebumps spread across Weegel’s skin. “What?”
Ivy looked up, determined. “Oh, we’re going to find my aunt Elly, and very soon.”
The End
If you like this book, please leave a review. The only way I can decide whether to commit more time to these characters and this series is by getting feedback from you, the readers. Your opinion matters to me. I have only so much time to craft new stories. Help me invest that time wisely. Plus, reviews buoy my spirits and stoke the fires of creativity.
DEDICATION
I would like to thank my beta readers over at Scribophile for their excellent feedback.
; And also to my good friends Danielle and Steven who died too young.
Thank you for reading.
Author Notes
If you liked Her Ugly Monster, pre-order the sequel His Beautiful Princess which will be available at the end of September.
If you would like to hear about updates on prequels, cover designs and future stories, please join my newsletter
Or drop by my website (kayleerymerauthor.com) and join the pop-up link. If you have any comments, shoot me a note at ([email protected]). I am always happy to hear from people who’ve read my work. I try to answer every email I receive.
Please also follow me on the link below
Twitter
