“She’s probably just weak. She hasn’t eaten anything in days and her body has changed,” Finn interjected, knowing that Kaeleigh and Chel both could rival him in any eating contest. They both had faster metabolisms than the average human.
Hunter brought over a ceramic bowl he had filled with a clear liquid. It turned gold when he combined it with a powder that he had ground with a mortar and pestle. At her cautious expression, he chuckled and said, “It’s an ancient remedy,” then looked down almost sadly, quietly adding, “from your mother’s side, in fact, that will cure what your body needs. It’s made from a plant that grows in both of your worlds and has already had a great significance to you, I believe.” He winked and added, “An orchid.”
Kaeleigh just stared at him with confusion, going through her mind, trying to figure out how he would know anything about the orchids that had followed her throughout her life up to this point. It seemed to only make sense that they would follow her into this new life as well. Her brain hurt from trying to make sense of too many things at one time and she took the bowl from him. After she drank all of the gold liquid, she smiled at Hunter and, well, everyone for that matter. “That’s good stuff!” Kaeleigh blurted out louder than necessary, surprising her friends surrounding her.
Laughing out loud, Hunter took the bowl from Kaeleigh’s hands. “I forgot, you are not used to anything other than mortal food and drink. It will wear off in a short time.” Taking the bowl over to the sink, Hunter chuckled to himself. Kaeleigh kept talking to her friends as they stared at her with mouths gaping. She was still talking loudly and was starting to slur her words.
Walking back to a chair near Kaeleigh and the fireplace, Hunter caught Chel’s gaze and she blurted, “Is she... Is she drunk?”
“In a matter of speaking, yes, but it will fade soon enough,” he said. “At least I hope that it does, we have much to discuss and little time.” Turning to Kaeleigh, he tried to get her full attention as she was looking everywhere but at him in a sort of silly daze. Chel was sitting on one side of her while Kaeleigh petted her friend’s arm. “Chel, why don’t you take Kaeleigh to rest in the bedroom, perhaps she can sleep it off faster,” Hunter said, suddenly deep in thought.
Chel helped a slightly unstable Kaeleigh get up and walked her to the back bedroom. She noticed Finn seemed agitated, as though he wanted to help but didn’t know if he should and couldn’t figure out what to do with himself. He kept eyeing Hunter and Daegan. Distrusting? Or observing? Knowing Finn, it was the former, but she wasn’t sure why he wouldn’t trust Hunter, so maybe it was both.
Before they had even gotten inside the bedroom she could hear Daegan asking Hunter what his plan was. Right when she was trying to listen, Kaeleigh started moaning about not feeling so good and Chel rushed her to the bed and grabbed a wash basin on the way in case she needed to be sick. Chel had been so worried about her friend, she was content to just lie next her on the bed and make sure she was okay.
⚔⚔⚔
Kaeleigh woke with a start, looking around, confused, at the small room she was in until the memories of everything that had happened since they entered Alandria came flooding back to her. Thoughts of her brief and unfair time with her mother brought unshed tears to her eyes. She smiled, seeing Chel asleep next to her. Her brave and loyal shifter friend. Kaeleigh almost chuckled at the thought of that and of everything. It seemed absurd at first, but then she realized that everything felt right and she felt settled knowing more of who she was and where she belonged. For the first time in, well, quite some time she felt rested and energized.
Kaeleigh stretched out her legs and rolled her ankles. She flexed her hands and fingers as she sat up in bed; rolled her shoulders and her neck. Every muscle felt strong and alive. She could feel the energy she had felt during that short period with her mother coursing through her veins. She looked around. The room was sparse with little furniture, just a bed and small night table with a large greatly used candle. Across from the bed there was a large trunk that looked as though it had seen better days and next to that an oval-shaped mirror in which she saw her reflection for the first time since her transformation.
Kaeleigh glanced at the mirror then looked behind her. Chel was still asleep behind her on the bed. Inhaling sharply, she turned back to the mirror and really looked at her reflection—was that really how she looked now? Smoothly getting out of bed, she stepped closer, reaching out, hesitantly touching the reflection, then bringing her hand back to touch her face to make sure the girl, no the Faerie—or was she an Elf?—in the mirror was really her. Slightly confused. Her mother had talked about being the daughter of the Faerie king, but she had been the daughter of an Elf as well. So I guess that makes me some kind of hybrid?
She had seen some of the changes occur after she crossed the Bridge of Revealment, but they were still quite subtle compared to this. Kaeleigh could still see her... who she use to be, but also much more. Her eyes grew wide as she brushed her still long, but much richer burnt umber hair with purplish lowlights from her chest to behind her. As she reached up to touch the little points at the tip of her ears, she paused to take note of her pearly white skin, just like her mother’s. Tears welling in her eyes, she was taken aback at how her eyes were wider... more feral... and the green, a deep cavern of emeralds glittered with gold that spilled from her eyes as she saw gold tears... just like her mother’s. Her chest grew tight with emotion. She looked like someone, several someones now. She belonged. She had family. She had heritage.
Taking a breath, she took in the rest of her face, noticing how defined her features seemed to be—high cheekbones, narrow nose, delicately defined jaw. Standing up straight and raising her head, she felt taller. Taking another step forward she realized that she was proportioned slightly differently than as a human—which I guess I’m not—but she didn’t feel awkward or gangly, but rather graceful and statuesque.
There was a rustling on the bed as she spotted her friend in the background of the mirror now sitting up in bed, quietly watching Kaeleigh. “This you,” she said with a hand flourish as if not sure of the right wording to use, “suits you.” Chel smiled at her friend.
Kaeleigh returned the smile, but couldn’t stop touching her face, poking and squishing her skin. “It’s hard to believe,” she whispered.
Chel started babbling, “I still see you, the you I’ve always known, but there just seems to be a deeper expression of you... like your insides, the person you were on the inside, showed up on the outside too.” She paused, trying to decipher if Kaeleigh was upset or pleased. “Are you okay, Kaeleigh?” she asked softly.
Kaeleigh nodded but spoke, “It’s just a lot to take in. I mean I see myself a certain way for eighteen years, then all of a sudden the image changes. I still feel like me, but I feel something new inside me too, something foreign, something powerful.” She turned to look her friend in the eye instead of talking to her reflection in the mirror. “I feel like there is someone else living inside my body... that sounds totally crazy, doesn’t it?” Kaeleigh sighed.
“You just have to learn how to fuse both parts of you together,” Chel said in her casual upbeat manner that Kaeleigh loved so much. It made her feel normal and not like some side show that just came from the circus. “Besides, Daegan thinks you’re hot,” Chel whispered with a giggle like they were in junior high again.
“What!?” Kaeleigh said with a blush she didn’t mean to let escape, but this was her best friend and it felt good and normal to talk like this again. After all that had been hidden and revealed to each other in recent days, there seemed to be a stress to their friendship that they didn’t ever have before. “Why would you say that?” Kaeleigh whispered and jumped on the bed next to Chel.
“Oh, wouldn’t you like to know?” Chel teased, conspiratorially rubbing her hands together waiting for Kaeleigh to prod her further, which she did... in her own way.
“It’s no big deal.” Kaeleigh tried to suppress the small flutters she was feeling i
n her chest as she shrugged her shoulders in a nonchalant manner. “I was just curious why you would think such a thing because I’m sure he would have no such thoughts. You’ve heard the way he treats us, especially me.”
Chel rolled her eyes. “Puh-lease! That’s a tale as old as time and you know it.” When Kaeleigh said nothing she expounded, “Come on, don’t tell me you don’t see it. He’s harder on you because he cares, whether he knows it or not, I suppose, but I see the way he looks at you when he thinks no one else is paying attention.”
Now it was Kaeleigh’s turn to roll her eyes. “Well, whatever. I doubt you’re right, but either way, keep your voice down. Chances are he can hear us talking, probably even whispering.” But before Kaeleigh could shut her emotions down, Chel caught the glimmer in Kaeleigh’s eyes and gave her an “I know I’m right” smirk, but changed the subject. They talked for quite some time about all the changes that everyone had been going through, and Kaeleigh told her all about her time with her mom. She was grateful to have Chel to talk to. There was one more thing Kaeleigh wanted to talk about with Chel before they didn’t get another chance.
“Chel? Are you all right? We haven’t really talked about your time in the cave with those dark beings and the vines.”
Chel flinched at the mention of her kidnapping, not wanting to talk about it, but figured it would come up sometime. She fidgeted, barely looking Kaeleigh in the eyes.
She’s scared. Kaeleigh swept Chel up in a tight side hug and just held her. Chel’s shoulders started shaking as small whimpers escaped her. Kaeleigh couldn’t imagine what it would have felt like to be taken in the dark by something so scary, and not knowing where you were no less. Fighting back her own tears, she whispered the words that had been heavy on her heart: “I’m so sorry, Chel.”
“It was not your fault, Kaeleigh. None of this is. Remember that.” Chel stared deep into her friend’s eyes.
“You are so much stronger than you even know, Chel. We’re going to get through all this... somehow.”
Kaeleigh spotted a large antique-looking treasure chest at the foot of the bed. Immediately drawn to it, she got closer needing to touch it. Almost reverently, her hands glided across the top fingering each golden upholstery tack and the wide leather straps that secured the top to its bottom with large gold buckles. It hummed with a faint energy... her energy.
“What is it, Kaeleigh?”
“I think it was my mother’s. I can feel her.” Kaeleigh gently opened it. To her surprise, she saw clothing. Pulling each piece out and laying it on the bed carefully so Chel could see too. Chel was practically bouncing at the amazing find.
“These are beautiful, Kaeleigh! You should try some on.”
“What? No. These belonged to her.”
“Kaeleigh, we are going to need clothing to fit in here. It’s perfect. Oh, what’s that?” Chel pointed to some pants that definitely seemed to large for either of them.
“They must be my father’s. They lived here for a time I guess. Finn could wear them. He’ll need clothes too.” Kaeleigh reached in even further pulling out a tiny shift dress of light cream material. She gasped, clutching the piece of material tightly to her chest with tears in her eyes.
“Ah, Kaeleigh. It was yours wasn’t it?” Chel asked as she sat on the floor next to Kaeleigh giving her comfort like Kaeleigh had just minutes before been giving to her. “You could try, but I don’t think it’s going to fit this time around.” She looked at Kaeleigh with a considering look before her serious façade cracked causing Kaeleigh to giggle.
The girls looked over the articles of clothing trying to figure out what they should wear and trying on different items for several minutes. Then there was a loud noise that came from the kitchen, along with muted sounds of arguing, which made them jump up. They headed out of the small room that had brought a measure of comfort and normalcy, knowing they would have to face the reality of their immediate future once they crossed the threshold.
CHAPTER NINE
Elnye
In the Territory of Feraánmar
Maleina paced tightly before her throne. Agitation simmered just beneath the surface of her skin as she mumbled indecipherably to no one in the room. Her red hair was pulled tight at the top of her head with the length trailing down her back against the black backdrop of her fitted yet simple gown. Red lips were pursed tightly, pressing against her red-tipped fingernails where she rested her hands when she was in thought.
At the sudden sound of the large heavy wooden doors opening at the opposite end of High Court, she paused, turning her head in disgust at the interruption.
“My... My lady, the riders you summoned have arrived,” one of the servants announced, immediately dropping his head.
The look of disgust fell away only to be replaced by sudden intrigue and opportunity. “Send them in.”
As each of the riders, Ferrishyn warriors accustomed to missions outside of the territory, approached the throne they immediately took a knee, bowing their heads.
Looking down at them, Maleina motioned they rise. “I have a mission for you.”
⚔⚔⚔
In the fortress, there was a library set at the end of one of the wings. It wasn’t large, but it was the most comfortably decorated room. It was named the library only for the limited amount of leather-bound books that were barely held together along with a pile of scrolls containing the histories of the territory of Feraánmar. Warmth was coming from a large smooth stone fireplace set against one of the walls. Sitting in the high winged-back chairs in front of the fire, Wren sipped from a large silver goblet, staring in silence. In the other, Rheina sat sideways with her legs dangling off the arm. In her hands she held a tablet on which she appeared to sketch something. Only it didn’t look like much other than angry dark lines surrounded by various shading. She would pause, look bored, then go back to her tablet. Halister leaned casually, feet crossed at his ankles, against the wall next to the window, looking out at the gardens. He was thoughtful, yet something in his demeanor seemed tense in anticipation.
The door flung open. Wren and Hal turned to see who had entered while Rheina appeared to care very little. Maleina strolled in, taking in her surroundings.
“Come join us, dear.” Wren smiled warmly offering his chair to Maleina, who walked past him.
Without pleasantries she announced, “I am concerned about our Daegan. I had sent him out in search of a human and he has not yet returned home. I fear he may have encountered some trouble along the way.”
She walked over closer to Hal and as she approached, he saw something cunning in her eyes. “Yes, it has been quit some time, Mother.”
“I am sending out a search party to find him and escort him along with the human, assuming he found it, home. Halister, I would like you to head up the mission in finding him. You know him best and the routes he would take. The riders will be ready and waiting for you at first light.”
“Yes, Mother.” Halister bowed his head then stood a little taller, filled with purpose and hope for the possibility for adventure.
⚔⚔⚔
Rheina leaned against a wall in a dark space near the back of the stables, a place she had grown quite familiar with in recent days. Taking in a deep breath, she felt oddly peaceful amongst the animals in the stable, and the smells didn’t bother her at all. She knew it was time and she knew who she needed to talk to.
“Rheina,” a voice whispered not too far from where she was. “Where are you?”
“I’m here, Hal.”
She moved slowly out of the shadows. Rheina knew what he would see; her brother was more observant than he let on. She hadn’t been sleeping lately and there were dark circles under eyes. The dreams, or the visions, she had been having just wouldn’t leave her alone. It was time to tell him.
A beam of moonlight hit her from a crack in the wall and illuminated her. Hal searched her face slowly, taking in what he saw, but didn’t react. She loved that about him.
“Going
for an evening ride, sis? You know I don’t like to ride in the dark,” he asked, knowing she didn’t really want him to go for a ride. “You know, I meant to ask you about the guy you were talking to at your party the other night.” Hal waggled his eyebrows at her playfully. “Who was he, Rheina? I haven’t seen him in Feraánmar before.”
Casually she replied, “He was no one.” At Hal’s raised eyebrow, she relented. “Fine. He is from somewhere else—that is all I will say on that matter so don’t push me. His name is Valus and he is necessary.”
She stared at him directly, daring him to say anything further, but all he did was nod. Rheina’s eyes softened, but her direct gaze did not. “There are things you need to know. I’m having dreams—nightmares really—of the battles of the past and thoughts and visions of things I know are yet to come.” Rheina paused, searching her brother’s face and eyes for disbelief or judgment. When none was found, she took a deep breath and continued, “I don’t understand it all. Most of it doesn’t make sense to me until it plays out right before me just as I saw it. Anyway, I need to give you a warning: there is evil here and I see more hidden in the shadows of mountains... but it is coming.”
CHAPTER TEN
“She’s not ready for that yet!” Finn whispered angrily at Daegan.
“She needs to be ready. We are out of time!” Daegan shout-whispered back.
Testosterone was thick as both Finn and Daegan apparently faced off in some kind of whisper war in the small kitchen, undoubtedly trying not to wake the girls. Hunter was there, listening, but focused intently on something he was working on that apparently didn’t involve either of them. It looked like he was adding some roots, herbs, and a flower or two to a large mortar and grinding away. Both Daegan and Finn were not backing down from whatever it was they were arguing about, their stances strong and engaged, their eyes locked onto the other’s in a not-so-subtle power struggle trying to force the other to back down. From the looks of it, Finn would have been about to lose if Kaeleigh hadn’t interrupted them.
Veiled Shadows (The Age of Alandria: Book Two) Page 7
