by Julia Crane
What the hell does that mean? “Umm, okay.”
He pushed the large wooden doors open and a whole new world appeared before my eyes.
“Wow,” I whispered. “It’s beautiful.”
The sky was black, and the stars were several different colors: pink, purple, turquoise and more. Trees taller than I’d ever imagined with trunks as big around as houses flanked us on all sides but behind us.
I didn’t want to tear my eyes away, but Kallan was already way ahead of me. He noticed that I was lagging behind and walked back to where I stood. His fingers closed on my elbow to steer me away. As soon as he touched me, a shot of electricity coursed through my body. I pulled my arm back and looked up at him, stunned. He stared at me intently for a moment, and then looked away. I wondered if he had felt it, too. What did it mean? First, my wings move involuntarily, and now his touch sends surges through my body.
I decided to ignore my feelings. For now. “Where are we?”
Kallan smiled wryly. “This is the world you were born into.”
“But I mean, where are we? The sky doesn’t look like this where I’m from.”
“Just think of it as another dimension. There is only a thin veil between the magickal world and the real world. Which is why we are able to travel back and forth between them.”
“Everything is so much brighter here. Even in the dark, the flowers seem to glow, and the trees look like something out of a fairy tale. I half expect them to start singing and dancing.”
Kallan laughed, and the sound made my heart leap. He always sounded so serious. To hear him laugh and see his face come alive in the moonlight made me think there could be some good in him after all. I had to force myself to look away.
What the hell was I thinking? Adam was the only one for me. I needed to shake these crazy thoughts from my head. Besides, Kallan couldn’t stand me.
We walked forward towards a path lined with huge shrubs sprouting with beautiful flowers. The amazingly sweet smell drifted to my nose. I leaned down to touch one, but Kallan yanked me back.
“Don’t touch them.”
I blinked, surprised, and snatched my hand back. “Why not?”
“They’re poisonous.” He continued to walk forward, and I tried to keep up.
“Oh. Why would you have poisonous flowers?”
“To keep enemies away. Extra security measure.”
“Oh. The dark faeries have enemies?” There really was so much that I didn’t know. It was almost overwhelming.
“Doesn’t everyone?” he said with a chuckle.
The trees erupted into childlike giggles, and I snapped my head up. “The trees are laughing,” I whispered.
Kallan scoffed. “Not the trees, the piskies.”
I caught his eye. “The what?”
“Piskies. They’re like miniature faeries.”
“Oh, right. Azura told me about them. Are they dangerous?” I asked.
“No, they wouldn’t hurt anyone. However, they do like to play, and when you play with them, you lose all track of time. So don’t give in,” he warned. “When I was a young boy, I often got yelled at because of those little trouble-makers.”
I tried to imagine Kallan as a child, and it just wasn’t happening.
The trees giggled again, and I wondered what these piskies looked like. Maybe I’d find out someday. Sadness filled my heart once again. I didn’t belong here; this was not my home, no matter how beautiful or mystical it was. I longed to be back with my family and friends.
“We should get back,” I said solemnly.
Kallan met my eyes and nodded. “Very well, then.”
He escorted me to my room. At the door, I turned and faced him. “Thanks,” I said, trying to be polite.
“You’re welcome, but I’m not sure for what.”
“The walk. I didn’t realize how much I missed fresh air.”
“Oh. Sure.”
He was inches from me, and I had an odd desire to reach out and touch him, but I resisted. I bit my lower lip and looked at the door.
“It was a pleasure,” Kallan finally said, but his face was distant.
Without bothering to respond, I hurried inside the room.
I got ready for bed with my mind bouncing around, utterly confused by the past few days. The fey world was beautiful, and I’d be insane not to want to be a part of it. But not like this. Not captured, not forced, and definitely not without Adam.
The next night, we walked around the side of the castle and took a different path. “Where does this go?” I asked curiously.
“A fountain.” He didn’t offer any details.
“Man of many words,” I muttered. Even if I wanted to get to know him, I couldn’t because he wouldn’t offer anything. He didn’t even seem like he wanted to be with me. What was the point? The only good thing to come out of Varwik’s decree that we take walks together was I was able to escape my prison for a little while.
The further we walked, the better I heard the water in the distance. We soon stepped out of the woods into a circular clearing dominated by a giant, clear crystal formation that flowed water. The sun shone brightly, shooting facets of light through the combination of crystal and water. Three marble faery statues appeared to guard the crystal, their stoic faces facing away from the water and into the forest. The large, smooth rocks beneath my bare feet felt cool, and the mist of the fountain’s spray hit my skin. Its beauty left me speechless. I didn’t think I’d ever laid my eyes on anything so peaceful before.
I sat down on one of the low wooden benches surrounding the fountain and smiled. The sound of the water trickling was almost musical. I closed my eyes and lifted my face to the sun.
After a few minutes, Kallan said, “We should go.”
I didn’t want to leave the fountain. It was the most relaxed I had felt since I got to this awful place. “It’s so serene here. Can’t we stay a little longer?”
“We need to get back to the castle,” Kallan murmured, wrapping his long fingers around my elbow and propelling me to my feet.
I opened one eye and glared. “I don’t want to.”
“Well, you don’t have a choice. Now, let’s go.”
I was getting madder by the minute. “You listen to me, you jerk. I’m not one of your father’s servants. You can’t order me around.”
He pressed his lips together. “You seem to have forgotten that you are a prisoner here.”
“No. There’s no way I could do that,” I retorted, yanking my arm from his grasp. “The way I’m jerked around and yelled at all the time keeps me reminded.”
A brief look of sympathy passed through Kallan’s eyes, and then he looked away. “I don’t want you to get in trouble with my father. We’ve been out too long. Please, let’s just head back.”
“And what if I don’t go with you?” I planted my feet. If he wanted to drag me kicking and screaming, I could make it fun.
Kallan ran a hand through his dark hair, his eyes closing briefly. “There are consequences.”
“Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes. “I’ve already been kidnapped, what else could you possibly do?”
“I assure you, whatever my father would do wouldn’t be pleasant.”
“Everything is up to your father. Don’t you have a say in anything?”
He looked down and kicked at something on the ground with his foot. “No.”
“You should stand up to him.”
“Right.” He gave a short laugh, and then glanced back up at me. “Things are different here. Not like the human realm. We have a leader, and we have to follow what he says. Unfortunately, that leader happens to be my father.”
“You’re pathetic.”
Kallan drew a deep breath. “You’ve tossed that word out quite a few times. Makes me believe you’re nothing but a selfish brat.”
“At least I’ve never hurt anyone!” I screamed, shoving him with both hands.
“Neither have I!” he barked back, and a pained expression crosse
d his face. But then suddenly, he was gone.
“Kallan?” I stared at the space where he had been standing. When I didn’t get an answer, I laughed. “Good! With you gone, I can stay here longer.” I flopped back onto the bench and draped my arm across the back.
He grunted and invisible fingers grabbed my wrist. “We need to go.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Besides, you’re supposed to be spending time with me. What’s wrong? You have a hot date you’re missing?” I swatted at where I thought he might be with my other hand.
He caught it and became visible again. He was sitting right in front of me, holding both my hands. My breath hitched in my throat, I was so struck by his beauty.
“Why the attitude?” he asked.
“Why did you disappear?” I shot back.
Kallan cleared his throat, and one of his thumbs drifted over the back of my hand. It sent electricity through me. “Strong emotion can sometimes trigger it. It began when I was younger.”
“Oh.” I stared at him. He wasn’t perfect. Faeries could be flawed, so maybe there was a bit of humanity in him.
“Why are you being so difficult?”
My breath quickened, and my wings fluttered. I could get lost looking into his hypnotic eyes. Swallowing hard, I answered, “I don’t like being cooped up in that room. You don’t know what it’s like.”
After a long pause, he leaned a little closer. “I’m sorry.”
I bit my lip to keep from getting any nearer to him. Keep your head on straight, Rylie. He’s the enemy.
Oh, but how I wanted to kiss him. Just once to see how it felt. I could feel myself leaning towards him, as if I were in a trance. I wondered if that was possible. I felt such a strange pull towards him. No! No! No! my mind screamed, and I yanked my hands back. I had never been so attracted and repulsed by someone at the same time.
I hopped to my feet, brushing my palms down the front of my dress as if I could get rid of his touch. “We can go now.”
He walked me to my room and opened the door for me. “Have a good night,” he murmured, looking me in the eye.
I nodded and walked in, and I cringed as he shut it behind me. After a minute, I realized I didn’t hear the bolt lock. Curious, I went to the door and pulled on it. Sure enough, it opened. A shiver went down my spine, but I slithered out the door into the hall.
I took a few steps, expecting someone to catch me and throw me back. Nobody came. It was quiet, so I continued on a few more steps. When I made it down an entire hallway with no one in sight, I began walking faster, peering around corners and into empty rooms. It all looked so similar: long hallways, large, open rooms. The only thing different was the decor.
I came to a closed door. All of the other doors had been open. Curiosity got the best of me, so I peeked inside. It seemed to be a closet. As I opened the door further, something on the floor caught my eye.
My backpack.
From down the hall, I heard footsteps getting closer. I looked left and right, panicked. Where to hide? Eyeing the closet, I thought, What the hell? I hurried inside and quietly shut the door behind me. I hid all the way in the back, pulling my backpack closer. I heard the footsteps pass by, but I didn’t feel safe enough to leave the closet yet.
I unzipped the backpack. It was too dark for me to see anything, so I stuck my hand in the backpack and felt around.
My hand rested on my cell phone. I pulled it out of the bag and pushed the sleep button. The screen lit up, displaying ten missed calls. I tried to call home, but there was nothing but silence. I looked at the screen again—no service. Damn. Had I really expected there to be? I couldn’t even listen to the voicemails. But, ten calls before it went out of service…at least someone was looking for me. I turned the phone off and slid it into my bra.
I cracked open the door and peeked out. Seeing nobody around, I snuck out and continued to walk the hall. I had no idea where I was going.
“Hey!” I heard Lena’s voice behind me. “What are you doing out here?” she hissed.
I spun around and faced her. “I’m just taking a walk.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Looks like you’re trying to escape. That’s a sure way to get yourself killed.”
“If that was the case, I’d be running.” I sighed. “Do you have to take me back?”
She nodded. “We’ll take the long way.”
I followed Lena as she led me down a different hall. “The library is on the right. Full of books from the human world as well as our world. Living area on the left.” She kept on walking. “Sewing room, where all the clothes are made.”
“Who makes the clothes? The dresses are amazing.”
“Servants.”
Of course. Probably light faeries that owed Varwik something.
“Further down is the kitchen, which connects to the dining room we eat in. Varwik’s quarters are on the other side of that.”
“And Kallan’s?” I felt heat rise to my cheeks.
She glanced over at me, one dainty eyebrow raised. “There as well, down the hall from his father’s.”
I wondered if he was asleep and what his room looked like. I quickly admonished myself and touched my bracelet, visualizing Adam’s face.
“What do faeries do, Lena?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”
“School? Work? Is there a whole faery town out there?”
Lena chuckled. “Of course. There is a whole village. But Varwik won’t let you off the palace grounds until you’ve accepted your fate and married Kallan.” She paused, as if considering her words, before she continued. “There’s work to do, most of it out in nature. You’ll learn more about that later. Right now, it’s time to get back to your room.” She turned a corner and stopped in front of the door.
Startled, I stared balefully at the cell where I’d spent the last five days of my life. We’d gotten there so fast.
“Thanks for the walk.” I opened the door and went inside.
“Don’t ever leave your room again without an escort.”
This time, I heard the lock clang into place.
The next morning, I got up and in the shower before Lena had a chance to come harp on me. I let the water run down my wings, making them tingle in the intimate way I had come to love. I was able to relax, if only for the moment.
I stepped out on to the plush gray rug, wrapping a towel around my wet hair. With the hand towel from the sink, I dried off the mirror so that I could see myself.
I ran my fingers around the outside of my ears; the points seemed even pointier than usual. It still felt weird. My fingers traveled to my birthmark, which glowed a little, letting everyone know it was there. It was like a having a gigantic pimple waving a flag on the tip of your nose. I wondered how long it would take for me to get used to the changes.
I flapped my wings a few times, letting the droplets left on them hit the walls. They were beautiful, even if I did wish they were on someone else. In this faery world, I didn’t have to use glamour. I was free to be who I was. The person staring back at me in the mirror was who Kallan saw. But not who Adam saw. What would Adam think if he saw me like this? Would he still love me?
A rap on the door brought me out of my daydream. “Just a minute,” I called.
“Hurry up, Oleander. They want you there for breakfast today.” It was Lena.
I grabbed a short blue dress from the closet and stepped into it. Then I brushed my hair up out of my face, using a clip to hold it in place. On the bright side, it was a nice change of pace not to have to use makeup. Shower and go. I’d been missing a great thing.
“Good choice,” Lena said as she looked me over.
“Where are shoes?” I asked her. “I’ve been barefoot for days.”
I had actually startled her. She blinked. “Most faeries don’t wear shoes.”
Right. Being barefoot definitely made me feel more like a faery. I sighed and motioned to her that I was ready.
“I think I know the way by now,” I to
ld her as we entered the hallway, and Lena pulled my door shut.
“It’s my job to escort you to the dining hall and be there in case you or Varwik might need something.” This time, she linked her arm in mine instead of grabbing my bicep. Just that small touch of humanity made me feel a little better.
I heard raised voices as we reached the dining room, and Lena paused, her arm falling away from mine. We were silent for a moment, both of us straining to hear through the double doors.
“We’re not compatible, Father. She’s a light faery, and I’m not. She has an entirely different life out there. She didn’t grow up here. She doesn’t know our ways. We have nothing in common.” It was Kallan’s voice, highly agitated.
“Then show her our ways,” Varwik grumbled back.
“Neither of us wants this. What about me? What about what I want?”
For some reason, I felt a rush of pride that Kallan was standing up to his father. Maybe our talk at the fountain had opened his eyes.
Varwik’s tone was furious when he answered. “Are you talking about the faery girl you had your eyes set on recently?”
“What if I am?” Kallan challenged.
“She’s not right for you. She’s not good enough for our bloodline.”
“And Oleander is? Give me a break.”
“If you do not marry her, I will be forced to kill her. You do understand that, right?”
A long pause followed. “Yes, Father.”
Rage filled me, and I shoved open the door, brushing off Lena’s startled grasp on my arm. I cleared my throat as I barreled into the room. “It’s not polite to talk about your guests without them present,” I said sarcastically.
Lena rushed in behind me, her face stricken. “I’m sorry, my lord. I tried to stop her from entering.”
Varwik held a hand up to Lena and studied my face. “I’m sorry you had to overhear that.”
It wasn’t worth answering. He wasn’t going to apologize for being a heartless beast, and Kallan wouldn’t apologize for being in love with someone else at the risk of my own life. I sat down and looked around the table at the huge selection. It was enough to feed an army, not four people. If I focused on breakfast, maybe I wouldn’t cry. I grabbed a croissant from one of the baskets, and piled eggs, sausages, and potatoes onto my plate.
