Realms of Mist and Ash: Fae Witch Chronicles Book 2

by J. S. Malcom

Esras’s eyes meet mine, dark brown with long lashes. Within his gaze I see an unspoken pain. “I'm sorry,” he says.

  I wonder if he means because of his brother, because he had to bring me back, or because I ended up here to begin with. Possibly, all of it.

  He turns the horse, flicks the reins and rides off.

  CHAPTER 30

  The thought of not having a bath, especially after Weylar crawled all over me, is pretty disgusting. But there's just no time for it when I get back. I feel bad enough crossing through the kitchen to see Helen and Lily already back at work, Lily not looking much better for her wash-up and quick nap. After all, they have no idea that Weylar just attacked me, and it isn’t like I can just blurt it out. So, I use the bathroom, splash my face at the sink, and drag our shared brush through my hair. If there was a mirror, I might take a look at myself, but we don't have that particular luxury. It's probably just as well.

  I start heading back, but don’t get far. I'm two steps into the hall when Raakel strides around the corner flanked by two men. She locks her eyes on mine and says, “Stop.”

  It's not like I have a choice, considering I'd have to bowl over three people to keep going.

  Raakel keeps walking until she's just inches away. “What did I tell you about touching my sons?”

  It's not lost on me that she says “sons.” I dare to correct her. “It was one of your sons who did all the touching. As in, he tried to rape me.”

  Raakel slaps me across the face. “Liar!”

  Enough is enough, and I react instinctively. I slap her back. Hard.

  She didn't see it coming, of course. I'm sure she's never thought it possible. She gasps, raising her hand to her cheek as her face goes scarlet with rage.

  “How dare you, you mongrel!”

  The men stare with narrowed eyes as they reach for their swords.

  “Fuck you, bitch.” I'm going down anyway, so there's no point in holding back.

  Raakel raises her claw of a hand above my head, and I brace myself for the agony to come. It doesn't happen. She lowers her hand and turns to her men. “Lord Ferndelm will decide her fate when he gets back. Take her away.”

  Raakel's men grab hold of my arms and start dragging me down the hall. Still, I can't quite resist the smile that spreads across my face. Once again, the torches in the hall keep flickering.

  CHAPTER 31

  As it turns out, there really is a dungeon beneath the house. This is confirmed when I'm literally thrown into a cell. I land hard on the stone floor, rolling to break my fall. I still come away from it scraped and bleeding from one knee and both elbows. My wounds sting like hell, but nothing seems broken. Of course, I might just be numb with shock.

  The fae men leer as I climb to my knees and pull my skirt down around me. I brace for the fight of my life. Then one of them says to the other, “You heard Lady Ferndelm. Luchtane will decide what happens to her when he gets back tomorrow.”

  It’s the first time I've heard Lord Ferndelm's first name, and I doubt these two would speak it in his presence. All the same, it suggests enough familiarity that I wonder if my punishment could involve getting thrown to these two wolves, or maybe the whole pack. But it sounds like whatever awaits me won't happen until tomorrow, so I have that much time to come up with something. In other words, I’m as good as dead. Or worse.

  One of the men throws the cell door closed. A smirk curls his lip as he looks back at me through the small barred window. “Good luck, sweetheart.”

  By which he means I'm doomed, of course. If getting sick is a punishable offense, I can only imagine what happens if you strike the royal bitch. And it's not at all fun to imagine.

  I turn away from the door to take in my surroundings. There's a plank attached to one wall that must serve as both bench and bed. And that’s it. The only other thing in the cell is a bucket. Nice. I can't wait. I can only hope it’s been emptied since the cell was last occupied. I go to the bench and sit, running my hands through my hair, as blood drips from my elbows onto my lap. I'm staining my skirt, another infraction to be added to my list of crimes.

  I don't look up as one of the men speaks to the other. “Think you’ve got this okay?”

  The other man chuckles. “Yeah. She's not going anywhere.”

  I listen as footsteps fade in the hall, telling me I'm down to one guard. Now, all I need is my magic, or my athame, and I might stand a chance. Well, other than the fact that there's a locked door between me and him.

  Suddenly, I'm overwhelmed with weariness, as if everything that's happened catches up to me in a single second. Of course, today alone I've already worked my ass off since daybreak, been attacked, nearly raped, then rescued, duked it out with Cruella De Vil, and then got thrown into a cell. It's been a long day, to say the least. I stretch out on my plank and lay there as my body throbs. I take one more glance out into the hall, where torch lights continue to slowly dim and brighten again, and then I close my eyes.

  *

  I wake up to darkness. Inky black darkness, both within the cell and the hall beyond. The torches aren't dim, or even sputtering. This time, they've gone out completely. It would appear that the Seelie have lost control of the magic, and this time all of it.

  I try to assess my situation. First of all, I must have slept longer than I thought, which could only mean one thing. The only reason all hell hasn't broken loose is because it’s the middle of the night. That part is good. Still, I tell myself it can’t have been this way for long, and that I can’t count on it lasting. I need to act now, and I need to act fast.

  As quietly as possible, I sit up and swing my legs off the plank, only with great effort not groaning in pain. My entire body hurts, both from my struggle with Weylar and my now scabbed and dried wounds. I listen, hearing nothing at first, the house around me seeming completely silent. But then I detect the sound of soft and even breathing. Yep, it’s coming from the hall. Apparently, my guard really was convinced I'm not going anywhere, since he's sound asleep.

  Now, I've got just two minor problems to contend with, that I’m locked in and effectively blind. I no sooner think it than her face rises within my mind, that of the woman who I instinctively knew to be a witch. I hear the echo of her words. Use your magic while you can.

  I call upon my magic, holding my breath as I break into a sweat. This is my only chance, I know. My last chance. Then I start to feel it, a tingling that spreads through my limbs, along with a surge of warmth in my solar plexus. Nothing is holding the magic back now, and I open myself up to the powers I have here. Suddenly, I stumble back as a rush of energy shoots through my veins. That warmth within my chest becomes a blaze. I hold out my hand, my heart pounding, as power arcs through me. Sparks shoot between my fingertips, lacing them together like an electrical web. With a sudden whoosh, an orange ball of light flares to life.

  I wince and rear back as it continues to bloom, expanding to fill the cell around me. It's nearly blinding, lighting up the stone walls and annihilating every shadow. Shit, it's way too much! I pull it back as quickly as I can, dialing it down to an orb floating just above my hand. Then even more, until it's not much bigger than a candle flame.

  I look around, my heart hammering in my ears. Did the guard actually sleep through that magical super nova? I force myself to calm down, willing my pulse to slow. By a miracle, he remains asleep. I need to make my move or forever wish I had.

  I go to the door, holding my breath in hope. Can the Seelie arrogance be so complete that they use magic even to lock their dungeons? I reach out and push softly to avoid making noise. The door inches outward, creaking just a little. Sweet. But that also means opening it wide will creak a lot. I'm about to go for it, when something occurs to me. I step back and grab the bucket. It's built of heavy, solid wood, and thankfully empty.

  Orb of light in one hand, bucket in the other, I swing the door open with my foot. Sure enough, the hinges groan loud. I start walking fast, just as the guard jerks awake. He's sitting on the
floor with his back to the wall, and his eyes go wide as he sees me. He reaches for his sword as I swing my piss bucket, clocking him in the head. He's stunned, but doesn't go down. He staggers to his feet as I will my power into the orb, causing it to flare like magnesium. The guard stumbles back, blinded as I swing my bucket again, this time connecting with his head even more forcefully. He slams into the wall, and I swing again, this time hitting a home run. He slides back down to the floor, slumped for a moment before toppling onto his side. Jesus, is he finally out? Nope. He groans something, so I kick him in the face. Twice. I remind myself to thank Sloane for her boots.

  I peer down at the fallen guard, my eyes slits of rage. “Fucker. What were you planning to do to me?”

  He doesn't move, but I kick him again just for fun. Then I drop my bucket and run.

  CHAPTER 32

  I wander through the downstairs halls to find it’s the same everywhere, pitch black and silent. So far, so good, although I have no idea how long my luck will last. Just as I have no idea how this deal works. I suspect it involves that alcove Fashenan showed me, something to do with that globe. Past that, I have no idea. Still, one thing is for sure. The Seelie are experiencing a total magical blackout. Could this be the first time?

  Either way, what kind of idiots would rely on magic for everything? Even as I think it, I know the answer. The kind that grow lazy and increasingly arrogant over time. The kind that think they can hold onto power forever. My mind suddenly flashes to that woman Cade went to see. Revlen. Her plan might not be half-bad. Maybe the rebels really can use the Seelie reliance on magic to their advantage. Now, though, I'm on my own and up against a ticking clock.

  Part of me thinks I should get the hell out while I can, if I can open a rift here in this house. Still, I can't just leave Lily, Helen and Mitch. I need to help them while I can. I keep moving, striding softly past the laundry and storage rooms. I’m almost to the bedrooms when a light appears ahead of me in the hall. My heart leaps in my chest, and I freeze. I watch it draw closer, and I realize that what I’m seeing really is a candle flame. Where she got a candle, I have no idea, but it’s Ellie walking toward me.

  She stares at the orb above my hand, her eyes growing wide. She whispers, “Megan, is that you?”

  I whisper back, “What are you doing down here?”

  “Looking for you. You can get us out of here, can't you?”

  Maybe Ellie saw me slip through the rift when she was caught trying to escape. Or maybe she heard her captors discussing it. I don't know, but there's no time to go into it.

  “Yes, I think so. Maybe. First, we need—”

  The hall around us suddenly goes bright, the torches flickering to life as my magic starts to weaken. Seriously? You have to be kidding me! In that same moment, someone starts blowing a whistle. It’s coming from down the hall, and definitely meant as an alarm. They must have found the guard. I look around, panic setting in, as footsteps pound the floor above us. There’s nothing I can do now to save anyone, including myself. With my magic compromised, my only chance is to try making it across the wasteland. I’m boxed in now, and there’s no other option.

  I turn to Ellie. “I need to go.”

  I run toward the stairs and she falls in beside me. “I’m coming with you.”

  There’s no time to explain as we run upstairs into the kitchen, and it’s too late to stop her. We run out the back door as a man calls out, “Stop! Now!”

  It must be the other guard, because the whistle sounds again. Within seconds, men call out across the yard. I glance over my shoulder to see the back door opening.

  Weylar’s voice rises above the rest. “Is it that mongrel bitch?”

  “Yes, sir,” a man calls back. “She escaped!”

  “Find her, and kill her!”

  We run toward the gardens, the moon bright above us in a cloudless sky. That’s great, as far as being able to see where we’re going, but it also means we can be easily seen. “Stay out of the open,” I say. “We need to make it to the border. Then we might have a chance.”

  Ellie’s voice comes back to me desperate and confused. “But I thought you could do what they do. I thought you had...”

  Her words trail off as we keep running, and I understand why. She’s neither witch, fae nor half-blood. She’s just a human girl who got trapped here. In her reality, magic doesn’t exist. The fae have powers, but she doesn’t know what to call them.

  “Usually, I do,” I say, puffing my words out as we run. “And, yes, it’s magic. We need to get far enough away so I can use it again.”

  Even then, I’m far from sure it will work, but there’s no point in telling Ellie. For all I know, by deciding to put her faith in me, she might well have signed her own death warrant. We won’t find out what happens until, maybe, we make it far enough away.

  We keep running with everything we have, our breaths coming in short gasps. We pass the series of gardens with their topiaries looming in the night, but somehow things look different now. Like they’ve shifted. But it was that way last time, I realize, when I saw that ridge and field of grass for the first time. For all I know, these grounds might change every night, magically sprouting new features to please the owners. Quite possibly, but it doesn’t matter now.

  Soon we come to a bridge spanning a pond. We keep running, our feet clattering across wood and our silhouettes flickering on moonlit water. Behind us, I hear barking dogs and the unmistakable sound of hooves pounding the earth. They’re chasing us on horseback, of course. Despite our head start, we don’t stand a chance. Even if we make it to the border, or past it, they’ll run us down. I glance over at Ellie’s terrified eyes, and I know that she’s thinking the same thing.

  Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a horse is upon us. I hear it closing in fast. The rider swoops in from behind, then cuts in front of us, his horse rearing up in the light of the moon. I stop short, gasping for air, as the horse settles back onto four legs. Ellie stumbles against me as she too comes to a stop.

  A strong hand reaches down and clamps onto my wrist, another onto my forearm. I’m swung up onto the horse, then Ellie is too. Esras glances back only once. Then he spurs his horse forward, and we shoot through the night.

  CHAPTER 33

  We keep riding across the landscape, as the sounds of horses and dogs start to fade. I breathe a sigh of relief at realizing that, somehow, we’ve veered away from those chasing us. Then a shadow flickers across the land, and a chill ripples through me. I look up to see the dragon flying toward the barking dogs, its massive wingspan a silhouette across the moon.

  “My father’s men will follow it,” Esras says, “but it’s lost track of you now.”

  Images come back to me, of that man being chased through the wasteland, the dragon screeching and flying in low. Of the times the same beast has so easily spotted me from above, swooping in as if out of nowhere. “How is that possible?”

  “It can’t come after a noble,” Esras says. “Effectively, it can’t see you now.”

  I have a million questions, but the implication is clear. Like the magic of the ley line, the dragon too must be held captive. It serves its Seelie masters, and some spell or charm must protect them. Esras doesn’t offer more. Instead, he leans forward and flicks the reins to make his horse go faster.

  None of us speak again as we clear the grounds and burst forth onto the Barrens. Ellie keeps her arms locked around me as I gaze across the plain, where moonlight shines on the white expanse. I see those who were pursuing us again, tiny forms in the distance as they too streak along. Out here, I'm sure they'll spot us soon. If they haven't already.

  Esras urges the horse to pour on one last burst of speed. Somehow, we charge ahead even faster. Each moment feels like a year, as if time itself has become frozen, suspended like the land surrounding us. We keep riding through the vast white void, our shadow cast long by the moon. There’s just the sound of the wind against my ears, the horse’s hooves pounding the earth, and the bea
ting of my own heart. The dragon circles in the distance, flying low and then up again as it searches. But the men follow different instincts. As I feared, they’ve seen us, and their unbroken line bears down fast. At the sight of them, fear strikes my heart in a different way. Not for just me and Ellie, but for Esras too. What will happen if his part in this is discovered? He betrayed his family, his people, to save us.

  We’re close now to where the Barrens end, and magic starts to thrum through my veins. With each moment, it grows stronger, part of my essence returning. I glance back at Ellie, her face drawn with fear.

  “We’ll be okay,” I say.

  She nods, but says nothing, and I realize that she’s crying. With hope, from fear, or possibly both. I can only imagine how much she’s been through.

  “I met your parents,” I say. “I promised to get you back.”

  Her arms lock around me tighter, and she buries her head against my neck. Am I making a promise I can’t keep? Possibly, but my instincts tells me otherwise. I’m either going to get that girl home, or die trying.

  Finally, we make it to the forest, where I expect Esras to stop and leave us on our own. Instead, he pushes on into the woods, the horse beneath us trotting along paths I can’t see until we reach a clearing between trees. There, Esras stops and dismounts. He helps us down one at a time, and then turns his attention to me.

  “This is where you left last time,” he says. “So, I guess it must be far enough.”

  I gaze around, realizing that it’s true. Even in the night, I recognize this spot. I remember Esras’s eyes finding mine just as Cade yanked me from this realm.

  “Will you be okay?” I say.

  He nods. “I’ll be fine, but you need to go.” He presses a bundle into my hands and says, “Cassie, I believe these are yours.”

  My mouth drops open in shock.

  Moonlight gleams in Esras’s eyes as just the hint of a smile tugs at his lips. “It is Cassie, right?”