by Jade White
“True,” she said, shivering as beads of moisture began to drip from her hair and slide down her neck. “But that applies to us as well. If you can’t see where you’re going, we might end up going in circles.”
“My hope is that by traveling toward the thickest concentration of power, we’ll be going to the source. Which, in this case, should be Afallach.” They could only keep going and hope.
Time passed strangely in the mists. The white blanket of cloud seemed to shroud them in silence, but at the same time, any sound they made was weirdly magnified and echoed through the fog in confusing and nonsensical ways.
Eleri was very cold and wet, and after a while, she was shivering so hard that her muscles cramped. She noticed that the air had become much darker. A flash of purple lighting lit the sky in front of them with a crack of thunder that drove the air from her chest. “This doesn’t seem right,” she said, but she doubted Carwin could hear; her own ears were still ringing from the crash of sound a moment ago. She flattened herself against his neck. The scales were slick with moisture, but they were still at least a little warmer than she was.
“Hold on, Eleri. I’m going to take us down. Maybe the lower air will be calmer.” Her chest buzzed with the giddy sensation of weightlessness as he dived, but she didn’t feel the same glee as she usually did.
The sky was growing blacker still, and now the fog had been replaced by rain, pelting her skin with freezing little pinpricks. She was too cold to even shiver. Another streak of lighting flashed through the sky, lighting the world in stark relief; the air seemed to shudder, and then she was falling.
There were only a few seconds in which to appreciate or comprehend what was happening. A scream clawed its way up her throat, and her eyes darted frantically. Through the gloom, she could just see Carwin below, his now human body limp as he fell. She cried out for him, her fear redoubled, but she knew there was nothing to be done. This was how they would die. Suddenly, the air opened before her eyes to reveal an expanse of brilliant blue. SPLASH!
Eleri plunged into azure water, warm as a bath and amazingly clear. It would have been a relief, except that she couldn’t swim. She flailed with her arms and legs, but her sodden clothes were dragging her down. A stream of bubbles issued from her mouth, glittering like diamonds in the sunlight slanting down from the water’s surface. The panicked pounding of her heart was the only thing she could hear, and her vision was starting to dim. Fighting the inevitable began to seem difficult and pointless. As the last of her breath drifted upward, Eleri felt a deep feeling of peace descend. The last thing she remembered was the sensation of being lifted by many hands.
**********************
When she opened her eyes, the sun was shining hot on her face. Her clothes were dry, if somewhat stiff. She sat up with a groan and immediately looked for Carwin, emitting an explosive sigh of relief to see him lying right next to her. Someone... or several someones, had rescued them; she could still see the furrows in the sand from where they’d been dragged up the beach. Even more amazing was that, from a cursory glance, it appeared all their belongings had been rescued as well, but what had actually happened was still a mystery.
She looked over at Carwin again. Besides being naked and covered in sand and salt, he didn’t appear to be injured. He was lying on his side, facing her, and she could see his chest rise and fall with his breath. Strands of damp hair had fallen across his face, and she pushed them back with an expression of mingled fondness and concern.
He was frowning in his sleep, but he stirred at her touch, and his verdant eyes blinked open. “Eleri!” Her name spilled from his mouth in a rush of fearful gratitude, and they both threw themselves into a fierce embrace.
“I thought for sure we were both done for,” she murmured against his cheek. “I’ve never been so scared in my life, which I feel like I’ve said several other times this month.”
“I don’t know what happened,” he said, gripping her as if he was afraid to let her go. “I thought I’d been struck by lightning. I remember falling into the sea.”
Eleri nodded. “You just... turned human, all of a sudden. I didn’t realize what had happened at first. I was just falling, but then I saw you below me. Someone rescued us from the water, but I don’t see anyone around. Nothing makes sense. It’s almost like your dragon scale stopped working, only… shouldn’t that force you into dragon form?”
Both of their eyes focused on the iridescent pendant around his neck, and he lifted it up to the light, frowning. “That’s how it’s supposed to work. I’m no expert on magic, but my best guess is that there is something about the magic here that prevents any of Ceridwen’s magic from working. I hope this means we have at least arrived at our intended destination.”
“I do so love it when our visitors turn out to be intelligent,” said an unfamiliar voice. They both turned to the speaker in surprise and saw what appeared to be a young man, with brown skin and brown hair, wearing little more than a loincloth and a necklace of seashells. He grinned at them with teeth that appeared rather sharper than was normal. “Welcome to Afallach, Eleri, daughter of Glaw of Abderderwen, and Carwin, son of Emrys.”
“Er... thank you?” Eleri said, recovering her ability to speak a few seconds before Carwin.
“Might I ask your name?” She remembered at least one thing from her nurse’s fairy stories, and that was to always be polite to obviously magical creatures.
“Dylan Eil Don at your service, my lady,” the feral-looking youth said with a slight bow. “My cousin Manwydan sent me to keep an eye on you as you approached the island. It wouldn’t do to have the champion of Ceridwen and his lady drown on our doorstep.”
“You rescued us, then?” Carwin asked with a raised eyebrow. “We’re grateful for that, though I would have preferred not to fall into the ocean to begin with.”
Dylan laughed. It had taken a moment, but Eleri remembered where she recognized him from. This was the son of Arianrhod who was born of magic and had dove into the sea before his mother could name him. He was a creature of the water, so she supposed it made sense. “Of course, you mortals aren’t fond of surprises. But the fog and the storm are part of the tests. You must prove your worth to approach the Well. As for the falling, Afallach is Manwydan’s domain. Only his power, and that of his household, can be manifest here. That is why I was sent. The failing of Ceridwen’s blessing was necessary, but not part of the test. Mortals call us fickle, but we abide by our rules, often better than they. My friends and I pulled you from the waves.”
Dylan gestured out to the ocean, and now Eleri could see them, their brown skin gleaming as they leaped and frolicked in the foam. Selkies. She wondered if the other tales about them were true.
“So, now what?” Carwin’s voice shook her from her musing. “I suspect that was only the first test of many, and we should not linger longer than is necessary.”
“There are more tests, yes, but there is no need to rush,” Dylan replied. His eyes sparkled merrily, shifting from gray to blue to brown in the span of a heartbeat. “Time does not pass the same here as it does in mortal lands. I’ve been instructed to lead you to a chamber where you can wash and dress, and to provide you with food. Tomorrow morning, you will speak with my Lord Cousin and discuss the trials to come. Please, follow me.”
Eleri and Carwin looked at one another and shrugged. There was little point in arguing. Even among the Tylwyth Teg, it was impolite to refuse hospitality, and they were both exhausted and filthy. Dylan led them down a path paved in sparkling pebbles to a sort of cottage. That wasn’t quite the right word. It was a house, but made of living plants woven together with bright cloth, seaweed, and coral. Yet despite this rustic construction, the inside was richly appointed with floors of marbled stone, thick rugs of green and blue, and a variety of comfortable-looking furnishings.
Dylan showed them inside with a wave of his hand. “I’ll have the servants bring your things here, as well as a meal.”
Eleri frowne
d. “Not that we don’t appreciate the offer, but is this one of those things where if we eat your food, we’ll be stuck here forever?”
“Clever girl,” Dylan replied, smiling with a flash of teeth, “but no. Afallach does not quite follow the same rules as other parts of the Otherworld, and you are here on an important errand. Our hospitality is provided without any obligation on your part. Eat whatever you like, and leave whenever you wish. We don’t want a conflict with Lady Ceridwen, after all.”
He left them alone then, and Carwin sank heavily into a chair. After a moment of peering around the room in disbelief, Eleri made her way over to him, and he pulled her into his lap without a second thought.
“What do you think? It seems almost too good to be true,” she said, looking up at him inquiringly. He braced his chin on one hand while the other toyed with the end of her disheveled braid, his expression both tired and thoughtful.
“I think, for now at least, we will have to trust Dylan at his word,” he said after a moment. “I cannot imagine any place other than Afallach which would possess magic strong enough to suppress Ceridwen’s blessings so thoroughly, and for all their reputation of mischief, the children of Don do not make promises lightly. Ceridwen would not take kindly to even Manwydan holding me hostage, so I’m inclined to believe our host about the food. However, right now, I’m much more interested in the promised bath. I feel like a pot halfway through scouring.”
Eleri laughed. “Either that or you’re about to be sent to the smokehouse, since you’re already nicely seasoned. I’m sure I look just as frightful.”
“You look lovely, even while encrusted with salt and with seaweed tangled in your hair,” he said, kissing her forehead with a smile. “But let’s see if we can locate the tub. And a jug of water before I die of thirst.”
They found a jug of icy water on the nearby table, almost as if it appeared at his wish. Watching Carwin drink made Eleri aware of how cracked and dry her lips were, and she took the water from him gratefully. “I suppose if we’re going to be doomed to spend eternity here, at least we’ll be doomed together,” she said, trying to make light of the shiver of fear she felt as she drank. But the water was cold and good, and she didn’t feel any more magical after drinking several mouthfuls, so she decided to hope for the best.
The bath was another unexpected surprise. Past the main room with the table and small hearth, there was a bedroom, furnished with a huge bed that looked so comfortable that Eleri was hard-pressed not to crawl in it right away, but past that, they found a sheltered alcove that seemed to serve as a washroom, and in the center of it was a small, rocky pool with steam rising from its surface. “A hot spring,” Carwin murmured with raised eyebrows. “Maybe the secret of Afallach is not that they trick you into staying, but that they spoil you so you never want to leave.”
“I am ready to be spoiled,” Eleri said with a wry grin. “Help get out of these things. They’ve gone all stiff in the sun.” Carwin laughed as he started to work the knot on the laces of her bodice.
“That is one thing you will never have to ask me twice.”
CHAPTER NINE
The water was almost too hot when she finally stepped into the pool. It stung against scratches she hadn’t realized were there. “Ahh,” she said, wincing and hugging herself.
“I promise, once you get past the initial shock, it’s more than worth it,” Carwin said. He was already submerged up to his neck with his head thrown back, a look of rapturous relaxation on his face.
Steeling herself, Eleri plunged the rest of the way into the steaming pool and found that he was right. It only took a few seconds for her skin to realize she was not in danger of boiling alive, and then the warmth oozed its way into her tired muscles, erasing tension she hadn’t even known she’d been holding.
She pushed herself in Carwin’s direction and sat beside him on a ledge of smooth stone. He draped his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned her head against his chest. “This is almost too relaxing,” she said, yawning so hard she felt her face might crack. “I could fall asleep and drown without knowing it.”
“I won’t let you drown,” he replied, chuckling and pressing a kiss to her temple. “I suppose we shouldn’t just lounge about, though. I wonder where they store the soap?” Just as before, as soon as they started looking for it, a variety of soaps were right there at the edge of the pool, which Eleri could have sworn was empty only a moment before. There were bars of pure white that smelled of honey and apples and jars of creamy substances that had the aroma of flowers or herbs. They both spent several minutes smelling and testing them to figure out what they were for.
“This one smells nice,” Eleri said, rubbing one of the creams between her thumb and forefinger and finding that it made a rich lather. It had a bright and fruity scent unlike any fruit she’d ever eaten. “I think it’s soap?” she said, somewhat surprised. In her experience, soap came in hard, flaky bars.
Carwin hummed appreciatively. “Would you like me to wash your hair? You’ve managed to get it into quite a tangle,” he said, picking up a damp lock that was snarled with seaweed.
“That would be lovely,” she said, ducking under the water to wet her hair. She’d always liked it when the servants had washed her hair, back what seemed a lifetime ago when she’d been just another noble’s daughter. There was a lot about her former life she did not miss, but with hair that fell nearly to her waist, washing it herself was actually a bit of a chore.
Plus, she would never pass up a chance to have Carwin’s hands on her. He massaged the soap into her scalp, which was such a pleasant sensation she felt like she might melt into a puddle at his feet, and then he began to carefully work the worst of the tangles from her hair. She could see long strands of seaweed with attached clumps of hair floating past her as he worked.
Finally, she submerged herself to rinse out the soap and tied the now somewhat tamed mass into a quick knot at the base of her neck. “Now, you’ll have to let me return the favor,” she said as she turned to him, smiling.
“I doubt I require aid, but I’m definitely not going to say no.”
“Get your hair wet, then, sir,” she said with a wide smile. “You’ll probably have to sit on your knees so I can reach your head properly.”
“My father always told me women would bring you to your knees if you let them, and now I know he was right,” Carwin said playfully before ducking under the water. Eleri shook her head, but she knew he was teasing to try to get a rise out of her, so she simply arched at eyebrow as he seated himself in front of her.
Even kneeling, the top of his head came almost level with her shoulders as she slid her soapy hands into his hair. It was true that his was not nearly as tangled as hers had been, but she could tell that he enjoyed the sensation of her fingers rubbing his head.
“I don’t remember washing ever being quite so pleasant before,” he said with a sigh, leaning back to smile up at her. Even as silly as he looked right then, with his head upside down and his hair full of bubbles, she found the sight of his smile almost dazzling.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” she said, leaning down for a kiss, just a playful peck on the mouth. But once their lips met, it felt like it had been such a long time since they had really kissed. It had probably only been that morning, but almost dying made it seem like much longer, and when she kissed him again, she lingered over it, paying special attention to every sensation.
It was a juxtaposition of opposites: the tender touch of soft lips followed by the insistent press of his mouth as the kiss grew deeper, and a gentle indrawn breath when his mouth opened in invitation, while strong fingers gripped the back of her neck to pull her close. The feeling of his tongue inside her mouth should have been familiar, but from this angle, the textured upper surface of his tongue met hers with a scintillating thrill that was wholly new.
The stone was rough against her bare back, but the soap on her hands made his skin slick when she slid her fingers down his chest. He only
broke the kiss so he could turn to face her, massaging her pert breasts with his hands and capturing her mouth again.
But then his lips and his fingers moved lower. He kissed her neck, his teeth nipping at her skin until she moaned out loud while his hands glided over her abdomen, raising trails of goosebumps in their wake. Then his mouth was on her breast, his tongue tracing the outline of her nipple until it was rigid, and meanwhile, his fingers were gliding down the insides of her thighs. She shivered with pleasure and anticipation, and he put his head under the water.
Surely, he wouldn’t?
In the midst of the hot water, his tongue was a jolt of blissful coolness between her legs that made her shudder and grip the edge of the pool for support, but only for a moment. He surged back to the surface with a gasping breath, but his expression was at once mischievous, wanton, and smug.
“Proud of yourself?” Eleri asked in a breathless and somewhat squeaky voice.
“Quite,” he replied, pulling her fully into the water with him. “But I don’t think this is quite the right place to continue. Too much hot water will make you light-headed.” She wasn’t inclined to argue, but she didn’t have much of a chance. He was already carrying her out of the water and into the bedroom.
