He handed her a water skin and she quickly put it to her lips, nearly choking as warm, stale water filled her mouth. She was used to freshly gathered water, but swallowed anyway. “Thank you,” she said when she handed back the water skin.
He touched her wrists and she backed away. “Are you still hurting?”
“A little.” She could not see completely into his mind. Unlike her bond with Lief, trying to read another’s mind was like putting her hand in a murky pond and feeling stones on the bottom. If she wanted a speckled pink one, how would she find it if she could not see it? She could not see through the murkiness unless something moved and stirred things about, or if something surfaced on its own. She did not have the skills yet to know how to find things, so she did not try. But what she could see at the moment was something she had missed earlier. He was attracted to her, but did not wish to harm her. Rising to the surface of the murky pond was a brilliant light, almost glittering like stars. He was gentle and kind to his very core. No matter what thoughts filled his mind, no matter what he said, he would never intentionally harm her. He felt so badly about the wounds on her wrists that she was sure his guilt was what had stirred the waters and caused her to see the brilliant light before her.
She backed away from him, her heart pounding. If every fairy could see such things in humans, what did that mean? Was she looking at his very soul? His essence? Whatever made him who he was? Such gentleness surely did not belong to everyone. Did Lief know seeing such things was possible? If he did, he had never let her know. More than that, she realized she hadn’t been able to see Lief as purely as she was seeing the guard right now. Why was that?
The glittering light began to fade in front of her. The guard set down the water skin and stood. “I will get you some food. That should help you feel better.”
Filled with confusion and fear of what she had seen, she waited for him to return. He brought the food to her on a dirty plate and then untied her wrists and sat down to watch her eat. He called the meat mutton. It was tender, like a partially boiled vegetable, and tasted unlike anything she had ever experienced. Spicy. Sinister. She chewed and swallowed and chewed some more, sickened by the thought of what it was. But she was so hungry and it felt good in her stomach. She longed for Lief and wondered why she could not feel him in her mind. She understood distance would not affect their bond, so that meant he was choosing to keep himself detached from her. Or he was in danger.
A breeze blew through the camp. The other guards were busy eating and drinking. They acted as if they understood her guard was the only one allowed to talk to her and touch her. She did not dare enter their minds. Instead, she ate the food on her plate and looked into the forest where Aeline was most likely hiding. In the shadows, three points of light flitted about and then disappeared.
She dozed fitfully, unsure if she could truly fall asleep. Without Lief, she was an empty shell. She felt numb inside. When she closed her eyes, she saw herself as a small child in her mother’s kitchen. Her mother rolled out a piece of clay between her hands. “Long strips,” she said. “We will layer them one on top of another, each shorter than before until they form a hive.”
“For the bees,” Serina laughed as she rolled her own piece of clay. It was smooth and damp against her skin. Its smell was tangy.
Ellendia smiled. “For the honey. We will always have fresh honey.”
Then she saw the clay honeypot, years later, smashed to pieces on the kitchen floor.
You will see Aeline soon.
Lief!
Sitting up, she looked around the darkened camp. The guard was asleep beside her, his hand loosely gripping the sword at his side. He had retied her wrists and also her ankles so she couldn’t run away. In the small amount of light from the smoldering fire, she saw each sleeping guard. The king was still missing, as well as Lief.
Then she saw him in her mind. He was in another camp not far away, and he was trying to share a memory with her. The king had taken him on a walk through the woods with one guard following at a discreet distance. They had not traveled to find Aeline, but to talk. Lief had consented after several apologies from the king and a vague promise to release him and Serina as soon as they returned to camp. The king wanted to secure Lief’s confidence. He wanted to know more about the fairies and elves and what would happen with his child when it was born. He wanted to know everything.
“Aeline tells me very little,” he said quietly as they walked along an overgrown trail. Lief’s boots were silent while the king’s and the guard’s steps frightened away every animal in the vicinity. “You must tell me what she refuses to tell me—I’m begging you.” He stopped and faced Lief. “I sense goodness in you, just as I do in your wife... just as I did in Aeline when I first met her. It is what attracted me to her when I found her in the forest. It was not her beauty, although she is very beautiful. It was not anything mysterious about her. It was her goodness, a sort of light within her. I knew my failing kingdom needed someone like her to give us back our strength—and she did. She sought light and goodness in others and brought it forward. The constant bickering ceased and every person in the kingdom fell in love with her as their queen. Then we discovered she was going to bear a child. She went out one morning for a walk in the woods near the castle, and when she returned, she was pale. She told me about a fire in the forest. From our window, we watched it spread and burn. She has never been the same since.”
Watching the memory, Serina’s stomach turned. The fire had been from Aeline killing Ellendia. Of course she had not been the same since. Such a deed was probably killing her.
Lief looked away, considering what he should say. Before he could answer, the king took him by the shoulders and looked into his face.
“All of you—your kind—can control the elements, can’t you? Aeline has shown me what she can do with fire. She can read my thoughts. She is more powerful than I can fathom.”
“Yes,” Lief said hesitantly, his suspicions aroused as he saw a deep thirst in the king’s eyes. “But I believe Aeline has also warned you not to tell anyone about her kind and what she is capable of.”
“Yes, many times.”
“Then what is it that you want from me?”
Releasing Lief’s shoulders, the king stepped back. The thirst in his eyes faded. “To protect my wife and child,” he answered. “Aeline tells me she was not supposed to come here. She told me one of you will come to kill her, but I do not think it is you.”
“No, it is not me or Serina.”
“Then who is coming?”
The memory faded and Serina scrunched her nose.
The king means well, Lief said as he sensed her confusion, but I do not trust him. He does not understand our powers and what they are to be used for in this realm.
I don’t understand them, either, she answered. All I know is that I must see Aeline.
Lief’s thoughts paused for a long moment as Serina held her breath and looked up at the stars. She did not like being tied up as she was. Her bonds hurt as she struggled against them, and she groaned in pain as she realized Lief was keeping her out of his head. His thoughts were as dark as the sky—the words he chose to share with her were the only points of light.
I am sorry to tell you this, Serina, he said with hesitation, but the king does not plan to let us see Aeline for a long time. He wants to believe we will not harm her, but he says he must make sure. He plans to take us to the castle where we will stay.
Tears slipped down her face. As prisoners?
Most likely. He does not mean to harm us. He only has Aeline’s safety at heart, but once we are in the castle, our magic will be useless. Many castles here in these lands are protected by ancient fairy magic to allow the humans to rule unimpeded.
But Verath is going to find her. Didn’t you tell him that?
It is useless—he would not understand. He thinks he can protect Aeline with his armies. He could never comprehend Verath’s power.
Grinding her teeth,
Serina tried to sit up using her elbows. She peered into the forest. The sprites had to be out there somewhere. They could untie her. She could find Aeline on her own. Once reunited, everything would fall into place. Together, they would figure out a compromise for when Verath arrived. Aeline was always so sure of herself, and that confidence spurred Serina’s hope.
The sprites are already on their way to you, Lief said as she struggled to sit up all the way. Once the king knows you have escaped, he will be hot on your heels.
Then I will hurry.
Lief was right. The sprites arrived within a few moments, and as quickly as fish darting through the water, they untied her bonds and led her out of the camp away from the sleeping guards. It felt too easy, but now that she had her freedom back, she gathered her strength and began searching for water she could collect in case she was pursued. She would not become a prisoner again.
The night air was cool on her skin as the sprites flew ahead of her, their tiny glowing bodies giving her just enough light to avoid tripping or tearing her dress on branches.
“I should have stolen a horse,” she said through gritted teeth. “What was I thinking?”
“A horse is too loud and troublesome,” Orla said, looking behind her shoulder. “We will take you straight to Aeline. We should be there by dawn.”
She walked as fast as she could. Hours passed and her breaths grew ragged. The sprites seemed incapable of exhaustion. Their wings beat fast, never slowing around twists and turns. The darkness should have frightened Serina, but Lief stayed in her mind as a comforting presence. He did not speak to her, and she guessed he had fallen asleep at some point after knowing she had escaped successfully. She focused on the sprites. Green, lavender, and gold. They reminded her of a spring morning covered in dew. It was on those mornings that she would walk with her mother down to the rose gardens. The heady scent of the flowers always made her giddy, especially when her mother walked ahead of her and sang to the soil, her voice as sweet as the roses. Serina choked on her pain, missing her mother terribly.
“We are nearly there,” Innocence said with excitement in her voice. “The last we saw her, she was bathing in the pond and singing to keep a warm breeze around her. She reminds me of you, Serina.”
“I don’t see how,” Serina said as she wiped sweat from her brow. “We are completely different.”
“Do not be so sure,” Nerida said with a laugh. “I believe your mother’s blood runs deeply in your veins as well as hers. You both sing the same way. You both look at the stars with the same longing. You both have the same darkness in your eyes.”
Serina stopped in her tracks.
“What did you say?”
“Darkness,” Innocence answered for Nerida as the three of them stopped and turned to face her. The air was so still that Serina could feel the breeze from their fluttering wings.
“I-I don’t have that darkness in my eyes. That has always belonged to Aeline.” She squeezed her eyes shut as she remembered acknowledging darkness within herself only a short while ago as she had looked into the night sky. But she had never once acknowledged that it was the same darkness inside Aeline. That was something different.
The sprites looked at each other and shrugged. “I supposed you see what you see,” Innocence said, “but it is there all the same.”
The sky began to lighten. Serina shook her head, dismissing what the sprites had told her. “Nonsense. Keep going, please. I must reach her.”
The sprites smiled and flew on. Around the same time the sun broke free of the trees, they reached a small pond at the base of a cliff. A tiny waterfall trickled down the rock face, gathering into the pond. The entire area was serene. With the morning sunlight filtering through the trees, the air looked warm and inviting.
“Where is she?” Serina whispered.
“Probably in the little cave over there,” Innocence said, pointing to a deep crack in the rock face not far from the waterfall. “That is where she sleeps and hides. I am not certain Verath could find her unless he was shown the way here. We only happened to find her the first time because we followed the king. He usually meets her in an area west of here.”
“We were lucky that morning,” Nerida said. “I suggest you wait for her to emerge. You do not want to frighten her.”
“I don’t have time to wait for her,” Serina said as she looked behind her shoulder. As soon as the guards found her missing, they would be after her. Someone would alert the king. She hoped he would bring Lief with him. So far, he was still in her mind, but still sleeping. It was barely dawn.
“Then be cautious,” Orla said. “She seems to be on the defensive every moment.”
“That sounds like her.”
Serina stepped forward, instantly aware of the noise her boots made on the rocky ground. Smooth pebbles dotted the soil, and they felt unstable as she stepped over them. She was uneasy. Would Aeline be happy to see her? She had traveled so far just to see her, speak to her, touch her. Ellendia’s death would stand between them, but Serina would try to dissolve it into nothingness. It was over. Her love for Aeline would overcome any wrongdoing. At least they would have each other now.
Reaching the crevice in the rock face, Serina leaned inside as far as she dared. It was cold in there... and black. So black it made her tremble.
“Aeline? It’s me, Serina. I-I’ve come to see you.”
A light flickered in the darkness. Fire. A whimper.
“You know she is dead,” Aeline’s voice came from the darkness. “Don’t you?”
“I know you killed... I mean, you were only trying to protect your child... it was a mistake, and you—”
A shriek filled the darkness. There was another flicker, this time brighter. “How do you know that? What have you done, Serina? You have joined Verath. You have come to lure me out so you can take my child. You will strip away my magic or kill me.”
There was a rustle behind Serina, and she turned to see the sprites whispering quickly to each other. Fear filled their faces.
“N-no, you don’t understand, Aeline. I’ve come alone. I had nothing left in Lisadar, so I decided to come find you here in the human realm. I only want to be with you. I forgive you. I love you. I know this has all just been a misunderstanding.” She choked on her words as she clutched the edge of the cold crevice.
“Then you have not joined Verath?”
“No. He punished me. He—” She couldn’t make herself tell Aeline about what Verath had done to her. Bonding with Lief had altered her feelings for him. She knew he meant well, and she felt indebted to him, in a way, for creating Lief. She could hardly sort through her feelings for him, especially at the moment. Allowing them to surface felt like a betrayal to Aeline, and the strangest thing of all was that she was sure Aeline could sense that betrayal.
Silence filled the darkness now. There was no movement, no light, nothing.
“Aeline?”
The sun faded behind darkening clouds, making the darkness even thicker. Serina looked behind her shoulder at the sprites. They had stopped whispering and hovered in silence. Innocence shook her head, her eyes growing wide as a burst of heat and light knocked Serina away from the crevice. Her lungs expelled air. Her heart jolted. There was no ground beneath her feet, and then with a deafening impact, she hit the smooth stones. Fire surrounded her. Something clicked in her mind.
Fight.
Was that Lief? She could not tell.
Fight.
It didn’t matter who it was in her head. The fire was too intense. Faster than she thought possible, she gathered as much water from the pond as she could and pulled it into a ball. She tried to gather more, but her mind was in a frenzy. What was Aeline doing? Her own sister was trying to kill her. Not that she hadn’t seen this coming.
She murdered her own mother, you fool!
She still couldn’t tell if it was Lief. She ached for him. She was a fool. The darkness in Aeline was full-force. She would stop at nothing to protect herself and
her child.
Fight.
The fire had caught her dress, and she quickly put it out with some of the water. Then, with as much strength as she could, she stumbled to her feet and hurled the ball of water at a fiery figure on the other side of the pond. It was Aeline, that was certain. She was a column of light, her dress as bright as the sun, her black hair as wild as a flock of ravens. She was just as beautiful as Serina remembered her.
For a moment, Aeline’s eyes went wide as the water raced toward her. She raised her arms and conjured a fierce wind to shatter it into mist. Two elements. Twice as much power.
Shocked, Serina stumbled backward. Everything inside of her fell apart. She could not stand up to such strength, and deep inside herself, she knew she did not have it in her to harm Aeline.
“Serina!” the little sprites screamed as more fire shot toward her.
She was too late. There was not enough time to gather more water. Before she could duck, the sprites began circling her body to create a protective barrier between her and the elements. It didn’t surprise her that they could do this. Genevieve had said they would provide protection, after all. Their colors swirled into a bright light, through which Serina watched Aeline lower her arms. Her face was rigid with anger, a deep red.
“Why are you doing this?” Serina yelled. “I did not come here to harm you.”
Aeline narrowed her eyes. “I do not trust fairies. How can I trust you when our mother came here to kill me?”
“She tried to kill you?” Serina’s heart seemed to stop. It couldn’t be true.
“Yes, she did. She told me Verath commanded her to kill me, and then she confessed her love for him—her deep, unyielding devotion to a fairy so evil he would make a mother kill her own child.” Her voice lowered into a growl. “I will never trust a fairy again—and you will die, dear sister, just as she did. I cannot afford to trust you.”
The world fell still around Serina as the sprites kept circling her, but she could see they were slowing. They could not protect her forever. She wasn’t sure she wanted them to. Her heart was shattering, and it took all her strength not to cry out in pain. She had suspected her mother had feelings for Verath, but she would not have guessed those feelings would turn so treacherous. The more she understood the nature of love, the more confused she became. None of it made any sense, and yet she could not deny its existence inside her own heart.
Bonded: Three Fairy Tales, One Bond Page 37
