by Riana Lucas
Even though the rain feels good, it is inhibiting our progress somewhat. As we reach further up the mountain the terrain gets steeper, and now it is slippery. I decide to tell Holly to lead the way, so that she can clear our path for us. If she were to slip, no one would care. Maybe Reed would, but he would have to get over it. We walk for a while in silence, the only sound being that of our heavy breathing and the snapping of twigs that we step on. And the occasional threat from Holly, of course. Reed eventually makes his way to my side and begins talking. At first he speaks only of small unimportant things like the weather and the different trees and plants around us. I answer him with the smallest amount of conversation as possible.
Although I am feeling less embarrassed about earlier, I still feel a bit awkward so it is hard for me to carry on a productive conversation. Reed must sense this, so he changes the subject to something that attracts more of my attention.
“Poppy? Can I tell you something?”
“Yes.”
“I’m a little scared about going to the Unseelie Court.” I hear the embarrassment in his voice and know that it is difficult for him to admit this to me.
“There is nothing for you to fear, Reed. Once you are there, you will feel like you have come home. Your Faery side will recognize it right away. You will feel peace and you will be able to feel the magic. Trust me; you will really like being there.”
“But what if I don’t? What if I want to return home to my mom?”
“What a baby,” I hear Holly mutter under her breath in front of us. I place a spell around Reed and I so that she can no longer hear our conversation. Reed’s face flushes pink, because of her comment, and I really want to push her down the mountain. But I know he would insist on us collecting her once she reached the bottom and we are making such good progress. I really do not want to stop in order to retrieve her. I allow myself one quick fantasy though, one where I find her dead at the bottom of the mountain, and then I turn my attention back to Reed.
“That has never happened.” I look over at him, intending to further reassure him, but the uncertainty in his eyes stops me. I find myself saying instead, “If it happens to you, I will help you. I swear it.”
“Thank you, Poppy.” He sighs in relief and smiles at me.
This is a very powerful promise that I have just made and I am a little shocked at myself for having done it, but when I look at Reed again and see the calmness that has taken over him; the tension that has left his shoulders and the smile on his face, I know that I have done the right thing. He is a friend now and I will always protect my friends.
I am starting to relax once again; my thoughts from this morning swept away completely. That is until Reed changes the subject once again.
“So, what other mythological creatures besides Fae exist?” He asks.
“All sorts actually,” I answer him honestly, expecting another endless question and answer session about Faery Land. I was open to the idea, because we would be arriving soon.
“Pegasus?” he asks hesitantly.
And then I know where this conversation is really going. I come to an abrupt stop and realize Holly is continuing on, so I have my magic stop her. She turns to look at us and realizes we have a spell around us so she is unable to hear our conversation. She starts yelling outside our bubble, and thankfully the spell works both ways. She looks ridiculous outside our bubble waving and gesturing like a wild animal.
“What...What makes you ask…Why…?” I realize I am sputtering. I stop and take a deep breath. It does not seem to work. My breath still hitches and my heart beat speeds up. I look at him nervously, wondering why he would ask specifically about Pegasus’. Is it possible he knows about my dream? I shake my head at this thought. It cannot be possible. There has to be another explanation.
Reed is still watching me and I see a small amount of amusement begin to reach his eyes.
I take another deep breath to calm my racing heart before asking, “What would you like to know?” I try to sound nonchalant, but I know that I am failing.
“Do they exist?”
“They are believed to exist, but are extremely rare,” I tell him, and offer no more.
“Have you ever seen one?” I do not like the way he is watching me, judging my answers, so I begin to walk again. Holly has finally stopped gesturing and now is just standing there looking bored.
“No, I have never seen one. There are only very few rumored to exist. It would be very rare for a Faery to see one.”
He is quiet for a moment and then looks over at me seriously before asking in hushed tone, “Have you ever…dreamt of one?”
I stop again. My hands are shaking, my heart is racing, my breathing is labored and I am scared. I whisper, “How could you know?” I feel my face heat up with embarrassment again. I do not understand how it is possible for Reed and me to share the same dream.
“I knew it!” he shouts excitedly, pumping his fist into the air. I inadvertently released the magic holding our privacy bubble and I immediately hear Holly speak, apparently she has felt the magic leave our little circle.
“I am not an animal, you know. In my court I am a highly revered warrior. You should not be treating me this way! You have no right!” She sneers.
“Oh, shut up, ugly!” I yell back at her. I have completely lost my patience with her and have no desire to deal with her right now. I am still trembling and need to find out what is going on with Reed.
I pull on Reeds arm to ensure that he follows me further away from Holly. When I feel I have put enough distance between us, I stop and turn to him. I glare at him, trying to turn my confusion and fear into anger. He has a huge smile on his face. His eyes are bright with excitement. He does not understand what this means. I am not sure I fully understand what this means.
“Tell me exactly what you are talking about.” I say carefully.
“This is so cool. We were in each other’s dreams weren’t we? This Fae thing keeps getting neater and neater. We really did talk. You’re a great surfer by the way. That Pegasus was so cool, and--”
I suddenly cannot breathe and I get light headed. I am only partially aware of Reed grabbing my arm and then putting his hand around my waist to support me. He is saying my name in concern, but I am not able to answer him.
This cannot be happening. How is this even possible? I am full Fae and he is a Halfling. It cannot be. These thoughts are the only thing that I can hear.
Reed finally grabs a hold of both of my shoulders and gives me a firm shake. I look at him in confusion, still trying to absorb this.
“Poppy! Snap out of it. What is going on? What’s wrong?” His voice is forceful, commanding, but I can hear the trace of fear. This is what snaps me out of it. I do not wish for him to be scared.
I shake my head and lift my hands to remove his from my shoulders. “I am sorry. I am fine now. Just give me a moment to think, please?” I look up to offer him a smile that I know he can tell is not real.
“You sure?” he is reluctant to release me, probably in fear of me fainting.
“Yes. I am sure.” I take a step back and look up at him in wonder.
Reed waits a moment but is unable to hold in his thoughts, “I gather this is a bigger deal than I originally thought. Not so cool that we shared a dream? Is that bad?”
I shake my head, “No, it is not necessarily bad. But I do not know what it is either. I have never heard of Fae sharing dreams with each other, much less with a Halfling or Human.”
“So this is new to you too?”
“Yes. When we arrive back at the Unseelie Court I will have to find out more about it, but I feel like it should be kept quiet.” I can feel myself gaining control of my body again, and am starting to feel steadier now that I have a plan of action.
“Why do you have to do it quietly?” he asks, and I have a hard time answering, because I do not wish for him to fear the Unseelie Court.
“If the wrong person found out, they could use it against us,�
�� I answer him as simply as possible, hoping he would not question me further. But naturally, he does.
“But how could they do that? I don’t understand.” He is looking at me intently and I offer the only response I can.
“I do not even know what is going on so I definitely do not know how it would be used against us, but in the Unseelie Court, it is always best to keep these kinds of things quiet. Just like in the human world, there are very bad Fae in Faery Land. If no one knows, the information cannot be used in a harmful way. For you or me.”
“Okay, I Reed, Halfling of the Unseelie Court, do swear to never tell a living soul that I have shared a dream with you, Poppy Warrior Fae of the Unseelie Court.” He winks and grins, “Pretty good huh?” He looks extremely proud of himself, as he should be. He is really a natural at being Fae. I wonder briefly how he managed to not draw attention to himself in the human world. He is anything but ordinary.
I cannot help but to smile and then make my own vow. He has also managed to use that uncanny ability of his to turn a bad situation into something to smile about. We are both so involved in what has happened that we do not realize that I did not form a new protection bubble and we definitely do not see the calculating glimmer in Holly’s eye.
Chapter 13
I decide to command Holly to follow us for the rest of the journey. The whole ‘out of sight out of mind’ philosophy was being used. I just did not want to have to deal with her for a while.
As we continue on our journey, I ask Reed about his life as a human. I knew it would be different than most, given his natural abilities as a Fae. He tells me about growing up with just his mom. We talk about his father some, but I can tell that he is uncomfortable with this subject. I feel guilty but I know that it was for the best to inform him that his father may still actually be alive. Not to mention the fact that he must have played a key role in Reeds upbringing. This is still something that plays heavily in my mind as well. There has to be some reason for this.
My thoughts are brushed aside once again as Reed changes to subject to questions about Faery Land and the two Courts. After a few more hours of walking and talking about various topics, we finally reach our destination. We are at the highest point of the mountain. I can feel the magic in the air, pulsing against my body, tempting and teasing my own magic. It is the strongest pull I have ever felt in the human world. It almost takes my breath away.
“So this is it, huh?” Reed asks from beside me.
“Yes,” I say in a hushed tone, scanning the mountaintop for any threats.
“Huh.” He grunts and looks around unimpressed.
I turn to him with my hands on my hips, annoyed. “I cannot help but to ask, what exactly does ‘huh’ mean?”
“Well, it’s just not what I expected,” he shrugs his shoulders looking thoroughly unimpressed.
“And what is it that you expected?”
“Well I guess I expected to step out of the woods and be in some amazing open mountain top overlooking the world. I expected maybe flowers and butterflies. Maybe a few wild animals frolicking in the sun. You know something all magical and stuff, not this.” He gestures wildly around us at the damp forest of trees.
“But it is magical. Can you not feel it?” I wonder if I have overestimated his abilities.
“Um, no. And it looks exactly like the rest of the forest that we have been hiking through for the last two days.” he says in a voice that sounds like he is disappointed.
I cannot help but to laugh. It seems to be time for another Faery lesson.
He narrows his eyes at me. “What? Why are you laughing? You’re not at least a little bit disappointed?”
“Reed, have you ever heard the saying ‘things are not always what they seem’?” I raise one eyebrow at him, mocking his previous use of human sayings.
“Yes. You know I have, but this is different. There is nothing here.”
“You have to open up your mind and body. You have to allow yourself to feel it. Once you do, you will know why this place is so special. It is not what we are able to see, but what we are able to feel.” A smile spreads across my face at the amount of magic pooled into this one area.
He rubs his hands together in anticipation while saying, “All right! Does this mean I finally get another magic lesson?”
“Oh great!” Holly says sarcastically from behind us. “Now we have to stop to teach the Halfling magic. Will this day never end?” She is glowering at us, clearly unhappy.
“You know,” I say casually, withdrawing one of my daggers and running my finger tip over the sharp edge while smiling at her. “I could end this day for you right now if you wish.”
“You could try.” She sneers in challenge.
I take a step toward her before Reed reaches out and grabs my arm. “Now, now girls. We were having such a pleasant day. Do you really need to kill each other?” He glances at Holly, but looks more intently at me.
“Yes.” We both say this at the same time with equal amounts of hatred in our voices.
“Come on, Poppy. You would be acting the same way if you were someone’s prisoner. Can you really blame her?”
“No, but the key to that is that I am not the prisoner. I can do as I wish. And I wish to kill her.” I say sweetly.
He just laughs and pulls me away from Holly. “Tell her to stay.” He mumbles as we put some space between us.
I look over my shoulder at her smugly, “Stay and no talking.”
She growls back at me but is not able to move or speak actual words. I delight myself in listening to her attempt to speak against my spell. She sounds like a dog with its mouth taped shut.
Reed is still laughing and I can tell that he is excited and although that is not what I had intended, I do not want to let him down. “We have a few moments, so yes, we can try a lesson.” I hold my hand up to cut him off as he begins to speak, “We do not have long and you have to listen to me. Do what I tell you to and when I say we are finished, you must not argue. Agreed?”
“Agreed, now tell me what to do.” He says eagerly.
I smile at his willingness to learn and excitement over the Fae. I hope this means he will make a smooth transition into his new life in Faery Land. I told him I would help him return to the human world if that is what he wished, but I know that it will prove to be more difficult than I led Reed to believe. The King does not like to lose, and in his eyes, allowing a Halfling to return to the human world; that would be losing.
I shake the thoughts away and return my attention to Reed. “We are going to try this differently this time. I would like you to try and find the magic yourself.”
He gives me a disbelieving look, “Oh man. You know I can’t do that, Poppy. Last time I lost it as soon as you let me go. I can’t get it on my own. It’s only my second try.”
“Yes, but you know what you are looking for now. You know how it feels. Trust me.” I give him one of his famous winks before continuing. “Now, stand straight, shoulders back. Relax your arms down at your sides. Tip your head back and shut your eyes. Take a few deep breaths and then just relax.”
Once he has done this I take a step back to give him room. I give him a moment to become relaxed before I continue with my instructions. I recall how Rho taught me to connect with my magic and try to instruct Reed the same way she did. “Listen to what is around you. Smell what is around you.” I pause for a moment and watch him take in another deep breath. “Now, feel what is around you.”
I am quiet now. I concentrate myself. I try to feel the magic flowing around me without interfering. After a few moments, I feel it intensify and begin to move toward Reed. I smile excitedly but remain quiet.
Reed sucks in a sharp surprised breath and although he keeps his eyes closed, I see his eyebrows shoot up. He is feeling it.
I feel such happiness at this. Reed has become a very important friend over the last few days and I feel such joy that he is able to do this on his own, but I also feel pride in myself for having the
patience to teach this to him. I have always only been a warrior. I did not think of myself as anything else. I was cold, fierce, and I lived to serve my King.
This mission to the human world has taught me so much more. I am not cold, but I am fierce. I do live to serve my King, but I also live to help and protect my friends. I may not have many, but I will always be loyal to them. I am more than just a Warrior Fae and I am proud of this. I look back over to Reed and see him staring at me with such an intense look in his eyes that I suck in a breath and feel a sharp pain in my stomach.
We continue to stare at each other for a few minutes. I am not sure what is going on. I have never seen this look on his face before. I am honestly a bit scared. I don’t know what he is feeling. Usually Reed is so easy to read. But now I am completely confused.
“Reed?” I ask quietly and hesitantly. “What is it?”
“Poppy,” he breaths out so quietly that I almost don’t hear. “That was…” he shakes his head and steps closer to me. “That was the most amazing thing that I have ever experienced.” He is still whispering as if speaking louder will make it go away.
“Yes. I know,” is all I can manage to say.
“Thank you, Poppy.” He reaches out and pulls me to him for a tight embrace. I gasp in surprise. I have never been hugged before. I have never felt another living being this close to me before unless we were in battle. Rho has never even hugged me. She knows that I have certain lines and although we are close, I have never given her any indication that she could cross them. Reed has yet to acknowledge my boundaries and he certainly has no problem stepping past them.
I begin to push away instinctively, but feel the slight tremor that is coursing through his body and realize that the magic lesson has shaken him up. I find myself wrapping my arms around his waist and hugging him as well. I want to make sure that he is okay. I do not like the idea that he is scared somehow by this. His body is so warm, that I find myself closing my eyes and listening to his heart beat.
“I’m sorry,” Reed finally says and pulls himself away from me. “I know you probably don’t want to hug me, but I just didn’t know what else…” he trails off, looking embarrassed.
