by Tara Maya, Elle Casey, J L Bryan, Anthea Sharp, Jenna Elizabeth Johnson, Alexia Purdy (epub)
“Well, little one, what heeds you?” Smiling brought out deep wrinkles around his eyes and laugh lines that creased at his mouth. This man had a smile that showed he enjoyed living and had experienced many wondrous things. He started walking again when she had caught up, moving together in stride.
“I was just wondering why they call this the Haunted Forest. What do you mean it has ghosts? Will we see any? Will they hurt anyone?” She fired her questions at him all at once.
Ewan’s deep booming laugh echoed around them. The forest made no reply. “Slow down, miss, wouldn’t want to wake the dead, would we? Nothing to fear now. Yes, there are ghosts and spirits aplenty here, hence the name. But since we will leave this forest for the Great Teleen caves before nightfall, we will mostly miss them. They can harm you, but only if you let your fear overwhelm your mind. They’ll sense that and focus on you. So just ignore them; show no fear and stay calm. They will pretty much leave you alone.” He grinned down at her.
Shade liked him instantly. He was like a large teddy bear. At least he was nice; he made her feel warm and safe. “Do we have a long way to go to the caves?”
“I’d say two to three hours’ journey. We will hit the hills first and then the incline to the mountains of the Teleen. They live in massive caves that run for miles underground. You’ll be most impressed.” Ewan’s face stilled. He glanced at her, and his eyes intensified. “Miss Shade, may I ask a question?” He continued the trek forward, glancing frequently to assess each step.
“Yes, of course Ewan, feel free.”
“Are you all right with this, being the chosen one and all? Do you want to turn back yet?”
Shade’s eyes widened as she stared at him. She was scared. She didn’t want to go, but how could she say no? Her voice failed to answer.
“I thought so,” Ewan nodded, keeping in step with her, dodging the large tree trunks in their path. It was much easier to walk on the packed earth. It was dark and rich in color and remained smooth over the small hills of the forest floor. The previous shrubs and plants they’d had to cut down had been such a bother. The trees seemed to grow larger here, too, flat out gigantic.
“Ewan, I can’t say no. Something just tells me I should be here. I don’t even know how to explain it. It’s as if I’m being pulled involuntarily along for a ride I didn’t sign up for. I can’t unwrap myself from it. Besides, maybe I might find out who my real father is and more about myself, too. I do want to learn my faery powers, if I have any. That would be pretty cool. I have so many questions about things now and no answers yet, and I’m guessing this is the best way to find out.” She stared at the ground. She felt weary already and they hadn’t even gone very far.
“Understandable.” He winked and continued on.
Shade stopped in her tracks. The hair on her neck stood on end and a sense of being watched crept up her spine. Her eyes widened as they darted, glancing around them.
“What’s wrong, Shade, feel something?” Ewan stopped also, listening hard and signaling a full stop with his hand. Everyone crouched by the trees looked around, studying the woods as they stilled. Not one sound, not even the birds chirping, could be heard; the silence felt deafening, heavy and forlorn.
Shade still felt a twinge of fear. Her head shook, and the sweat began to bead along her forehead. What’s going on? It felt as if something hot was being poured over her, sticky as it clung like thick syrup. Her panic boiled up inside, tumbling out of control. What is this? What’s happening?
Ewan called out to the trees, “That’s enough of that now. The girl is harmless. She’s with us. We’re Guildrin Clan, en route to Teleen. Bring down your guard. We’re invited.”
Shade looked about, seeing nothing but tree bark and dirt. The wind gusts picked up and swooshed around her, bringing her hair to float about her like an aura. Shade’s breath failed her, and her heart jumped. The group unsheathed their swords, bows, arrows and daggers. They were readied and pointed.
Pointed at what? Shade felt something was near but couldn’t see anyone or anything.
“Back down, or we will fight.”
“You dare defy me, the Mistress of these woods? You should have asked me, not the Teleen, to pass. You insult my authority. Queen Zinara grows careless of her lands, and she forgets me. Forgotten, I shall never be.” The wind swirled around the group, sending everyone to their knees. “Beg forgiveness of your Queen, Lady Blythe, Dryad Queen of the Haunted Forest!”
Ewan slowly bowed his head, kneeled on the ground and signaled to the others to do the same. “Forgive us, dear Lady Blythe, Queen of the Dryads of Haunted Forest. We meant no disrespect. We ask to pass through your territory to the Teleen Caves. We had no knowledge of your return to these parts; afraid we were, as was your sister, that you had abandoned the Guildrin clan. We beg mercy of Your Majesty.” Shade looked up through her lashes to see if anything appeared. The wind made her blink constantly; her eyes watered from the whipping air.
Suddenly, the wind stopped. The change in the air felt even denser than it had before. Everyone looked up and gazed upon the Queen of the Dryads. She was perched on a large branch just above them. Her skin was pale and glassy white, as if she was made of porcelain. Her dark green eyes were large, so large in fact, that the whites of her eyes disappeared, and yet somehow they had a slit-like appearance. Her long dark blond hair draped around her carelessly in soft wisps down to her legs. It was like a cape, flying in some self-contained breeze. A crown of twisted twigs and angel’s breath lay on her head, spilling down like entrails in her hair. The sheer dress she wore was more like torn worn silk, swaying around her in the breeze and tied together by a belt of roped vines.
She looked just as a faery would, ethereal and almost unreal. Her skin glowed like moonlight reflecting on the surface of a pool of water. Shade gasped with amazement. She thought, at first, that it was glamour the dryad wore, but, she felt no such magic floating around Lady Blythe. Her magic was the woods, the trees, earth, plants and creatures. All were flowing with energy that was tumbling toward her.
The faery snickered. She tilted her head, studying the group and narrowing her large insect-like eyes. They filled Shade with dread. Her face morphed from angelic to a morbid malice. “You are pathetic. Forget me not; I won’t soon forget you, either. Give me the Halfling girl, and the rest of you can go.”
Shade’s eyes widened as she stood up and stepped back. She froze mid-step, as she couldn’t move and could barely breathe. A sticky, thick magic clung to her again, paralyzing her into place. Lady Blythe cackled wickedly above her and shook her head. “Yes, Shade, that means you. Either you stay or they die.”
“But why? What did I do? I don’t even know you. What do you want from me? I have no magic.” Shade felt frozen. Her legs didn’t work; nothing worked. She felt as if she were in suspended animation, trapped in the stillness, as one would be in ice.
“Your Majesty, Shade can’t stay here; she was sent by Queen Zinara herself on a quest.” Ewan spoke, not raising his head to the faery queen, as though doing so might offend her.
“Silence, giant. I don’t need your blubbering statements. I know quite well what Queen Zinara means to do. I don’t agree with her strange decisions, but I know this Halfling serves more than just one purpose.” She gazed at Shade, her lips thin and tense. Shade felt light headed from the intensity of it.
Trick her. Trick her into thinking you are only a mortal without powers. Trick her at her own game, Shade. Quickly! One inner voice yelled with urgency.
Shade came back to herself, still frozen but more clear-headed. The warmth of her guides and their voices swam in her head, helping her breath in her frozen body.
How do I trick her? She’d know if I’m lying; don’t they all? How?
Offer her yourself fully, they suggested. But trick her into giving you a riddle. We can answer any question. If you answer right, she must let you go.
Shade swallowed hard and peered up at the Dryad Queen, feeling her evil s
wirling around in the air.
“Lady Blythe, Your Majesty. Please, I’ll come to you freely. But, I was thinking, don’t you like riddles? You look like you might like them. How about a deal? If I answer it right, we all go free with safe passage through your land. If not, I’m yours with no fight. At least we can make it fun, you know?” Shade chuckled nervously and gasped while the air felt tighter and thinner, as if she were drowning.
Lady Blythe glared at her, contemplating her words. She drilled her sharp eyes into Shade. Shade’s offer had obviously caught her fancy. A moment later, a creepy, growing smile spread across her face.
“Why how quaint. How did you know about my love of riddles? How delightful! Very well then, I accept.” Lady Blythe paused for a moment, looking pensive and scratching her chin. Her eyes danced with excitement as she cleared her throat. “I have one for you.” She jumped up and down as she filled with anticipation. “What can walk the earth at dawn, dances in the noon sun and then never again at dusk.” Her wicked smile snarled at Shade.
What sort of riddle is that?
A vampire, the voices offered.
What? Shade hissed back in her mind at the voices. A vampire? Really? This is ridiculous, I….
Trust us, Shade, please.
“Okay. Uh, I know that one. It’s a, uh, vampire. The answer is a vampire.” Shade’s breath whispered from her lips as the thick magic surrounding her squeezed the last bit out. The queen would have to let up on the air prison if she was to inhale once more. Nothing but silence came from the Dryad Queen. She’d fallen into anger, and her eyes flashed a luminous green fire. She was steaming and furious.
“How dare you trick me? You defiant fool! You’re pathetic to think you’ve seen the last of me. I have to let you pass now, but make sure you stay out of my way. I cannot be tricked twice. We shall meet again. I promise you that!”
Shade was hurled to the ground, coughing and gulping down precious air. Lady Blythe was gone as quickly as she had appeared. Nothing else was around, nothing but the dark woods.
“Is she gone?” Shade whispered. Her breath had still not caught up. “What did she want with me? And what the hell is she?” She brought her knees to her chest and sat rocking back and forth, willing her heart to stop racing and slowing her breath.
Jack knelt down, his hand giving her shoulder a firm squeeze. “Lady Blythe is who she said, Queen of the Dryads of the Haunted Forest. I really don’t know what she wanted from you.” He glanced up to where the dryad had sat not a moment before. “It’s quite strange; she disappeared decades ago and has not been seen until now. Queen Zinara had assumed she was dead.” He looked up at the surrounding warriors. No one seemed to have a clue as to what was going on.
“Unless the Unseelie have been working overtime and attempting to sabotage or stop us in our tracks. This feels like Unseelie treachery. How did you know, Shade?” He stood up, offering Shade his hand. She looked up at the handsome Teleen warrior, taking his hand as she pulled herself onto her shaky legs. Tears streaked down her face. The Dryad queen had scared her more than she’d realized.
“Know what?”
Jack looked at her intently, searching her face for something not known to Shade.
“That she liked riddles; you saved yourself—and us—with such a quick wit.”
“It wasn’t me,” Shade said, shaking her head. “My spirit guides are speaking to me, helping me. They gave me the idea and then told me the answer.” She coughed again and breathed in deeply.
“Well, quite a handy trick there. I hope they come in handy more often than not. Shall we continue?” Shade nodded, taking his hand and pulling herself up off the ground. “Everyone, make sure wards are up; we will not be caught so unaware again. Count us lucky she didn’t have an appetite for meat today.”
Shade’s mouth dropped open at Jack. He glanced at her and smiled. “Just kidding, she’s vegan.”
Shade groaned and straightened up. Shaking her head, she fell in line with the warriors, eager to leave these woods behind her.
Chapter Six
THE TELEEN HILLS were like large swells of waves, flowing with the greenest of emerald grasses. The blades of grass rolled and swayed lightly, caressed by the wind. The air flew in constant rushes, whipping everyone’s long tresses about them like tangled dancing ribbons. Shade’s own wavy brown hair looked to be the shortest of the entourage’s, except for Ewan’s. All the women’s hair seemed to be almost waist length, many with ornate braids, ties or thin ropes wrapped through like extensions. Most of the colors were unnatural; nothing a human man or woman would ever possess naturally. Waves of golden brown, reds deep as rubies, blacks as dark as midnight, and browns like tiger’s eyes flowed in the breezes. It was quite a dance of flashing colors.
Shade felt a twinge of jealousy. Nothing but human light brown hair danced on her head, nothing fey-like about it. It made her wonder what she had that resembled the fey at all. Maybe she had turned out to be more human than fey. Maybe they had the wrong girl after all. It could be she had no magic besides her spirit guides. She couldn’t perform glamour or heal anything, let alone fight or enchant like the Dryad queen.
Shade shivered, recalling the queen’s cold stare and the ice-cold prison of air that had kept her tightly within its grasp. It had made her want to faint from a lack of oxygen. It was not something she cared to remember.
Her legs burned with the constant strain of hiking up and down the hills. The hills appeared smooth with grass but were rocky and uneven. Her tennis shoes weren’t made for such rigorous hiking. She paused, leaned over and placed her hands on her knees. Her lungs ached with effort, and breathing felt like a burning torture. A faint metallic taste clung to her mouth as she coughed up spit. She was not a fan of the physically gifted. Her idea of a good time was curling up on her bed with a thick book. There was no way she would’ve voluntarily done anything that resembled hiking before this. Her idea of camping was a campsite where you could walk to your car and a public restroom. It had been as close as she got to being outdoorsy.
This sucks.
“You all right?” Soap paused just ahead of her, craning his neck to see her face.
Shade’s cheeks were pink with heat from the strain. She swallowed her blood-tainted saliva and nodded. I can do this, no problem. Just breathe Shade, breathe. The problem was that she didn’t quite believe herself. Turning toward Braelynn, who had also come to a stop by her, she attempted a weak smile for the sorceress when she gave Shade a gentle pat on the back.
“The trail will be hard; not just for you, but for all of us. In time, you’ll grow accustomed to the rigorous terrain. Are you having trouble catching your breath? I have a potion you can take for that. It’s kind of like asthma medicine. Most faeries don’t have that kind of trouble, but I prepare treatments for all kinds of people.” Shade grinned, feeling at ease with the kind warrior. “I knew it was a possibility with a human coming along. Let me know if you need it,” Braelynn offered. She grinned back and moved to continue to trek in the direction of the others.
Shade sighed and closed her eyes. She knew Braelynn was being kind, but her words made her feel a twinge of inferiority, being human and all. She wondered how all of the fey felt about humans in general. Stereotyping was probably not just a human trait, and she wondered if the group thought she was weak. She hoped not.
She straightened up, took a deep breath in and attempted the hill again. The afternoon sun burned down on her, and her hair felt afire. Peeking into her backpack, she remembered her baseball cap, which she’d stuffed into it earlier. It came to her fingers as quickly as she thought it. She was never going to get used to how cool that was. Shade zipped up her backpack and pulled the cap over the wavy strands that now fell away from her ponytail. She was glad she’d remembered to bring it; her head was thanking her for it.
Shade was about to ask someone if they were getting any closer to the mountain caves of the Teleen when she heard Ewan’s booming voice echoing back to her.
“The mountains are about a mile away, not too far. We’ll be eating dinner in no time.” He chuckled back toward the group and patted his belly.
Ewan wasn’t the only one thinking about food. Shade’s stomach had been protesting for the last hour. She had snacked on a granola bar, but it’d gone straight through her. She’d worked up an appetite for something a bit more substantial before her body began to turn on itself for dinner.
The last mile seemed to drag on more than the last five. Shade’s back and shoulders ached from carrying the backpack. Although it wasn’t too heavy, any kind of weight seemed to get old after carrying it for a while. She was not cut out for this hiking crap. Being sweaty, thirsty and, worst of all, having a thin layer of dirt that clung to everything and her skin, made her cranky and exhausted. There were streaks across her face from the mixture of sweat and dirt. Her hair frizzed out from under her cap, and some of it was stuck to her moist neck, which was itching up a storm. She suspected she had a blister or two forming on her feet, and her knees felt like they were going to fall apart.
Gritting her teeth, she rounded one of the last hills and gasped. The mouth of a cave roared above them. It was pitch black and very wide. The dirt and grass continued into the cave until the blackness swallowed it up. The wind howled over the hole, wailing eerily. To Shade, it did not seem like anyone lived there. This can’t be it.
