Alex and Azalea_Prequel to the Underground Series

by Melody Robinette

  * * *

  Alex’s mind had been so bogged down by thoughts that he hadn’t seen her immediately. He’d been in the process of bending down to scoop water into his hands so he could accelerate the change from elf to man.

  When he heard her speak, though, he stopped, eyes moving until he saw her standing like a wood nymph in his forest. At first, his heart rose. He hadn’t expected to see her so soon. But then, reality crushed it back down when he realized what she was seeing.

  Him. As an elf.

  “Azalea,” he said in a quick tone. “I can explain.”

  Her mouth hung open, and her eyes were as round as they could be. She looked shell-shocked.

  “Explain what exactly?” she managed. “Who…are you?”

  Sighing, he moved lithely across the path of rocks leading to the bank of the lake.

  “Who am I, or what am I?”

  Azalea took a step back as he moved onto solid ground and he stopped walking. “I don’t even know,” she breathed. “I need to sit down.”

  “Okay.” Alex shoved his hands in his pockets, waiting for Azalea to look at him again. It seemed to unnerve her. “Do you want me to change out of this form so you’re not so freaked out?”

  She looked up incredulously. “You think changing from one form to another isn’t going to freak me out?”

  He shrugged. “Just a suggestion.”

  “So. What are you?” she asked.

  “I’m an elf… Actually, I’m the prince of the elves.”

  Her face turned white, but he'd already spilled his first and biggest secret, so he stumbled on. He told her everything. Everything. About the Underground and Arbor Falls, about his father and their fight, about his Power and how Wesley taught him how to use the water to change from elf to human form more quickly.

  Then he told her the ultimate truth.

  “But I’m leaving the Underground for good,” he said.

  It took Azalea a long time to speak. Her skin still hadn’t returned to its normal color. “Why?” she whispered finally.

  “Because I couldn’t be bound to that girl. I couldn’t be king. Because I’m in love with you.”

  At this, he expected a bit more of a smile, but she only frowned deeper, her eyes shining with tears.

  “I can’t do this,” she said, shaking her head and knocking the tears loose.

  “Because I’m an elf?” Alex said, hurt. “I can change that. Look.” He moved to the edge of the water, scooping up a handful and drinking it down. The transformation was quick. He felt it tingling over him. He watched the radiance of his skin fade until he looked normal. “See?” he said. “I don’t have to be that ever again.”

  He tried to move closer to her, but she kept taking steps back.

  “No. That’s not why,” she said thickly.

  “Then what is it? I can fix it.”

  “No, you can’t,” she whispered, more tears spilling down her cheeks. They were a constant stream now. “You lied to me, Alex. You broke that trust. I can’t be with a liar. My mother lied to my father about the man she was with. She lied all the time and told me not to tell. I had to keep her secrets from him. Then he found out about everything. He found out I knew. It’s been years, and he still hasn’t completely forgiven me for not telling him. I can’t be with a liar.”

  She turned quickly and dashed out of the clearing.

  “Azalea!” Alex called after her.

  But she was gone.

  21

  When it Rains…

  The ride back to Dublin was a long one. Azalea only stopped by the Kings’ long enough to tell them she was taking a cab on her own and that they should stay. Shayn and Zariah were already drunk. Joe and one of Wesley’s sisters were nowhere to be seen.

  Wesley tried to ask Azalea what was wrong, but she just shook her head, feeling the torrent of tears building up again. She didn’t want to cry in front of all of them. But when the cabbie took off towards Dublin, she let herself break. Just a little bit. He was probably horrified at toting a sobbing American girl so far, but she was past caring at the moment.

  Everything that happened between her and Alex flashed through her head like a movie montage. Everything he’d said, every touch, every kiss. They were all lies. She hadn’t told him about her mom and dad. She never told anyone about that. It wasn’t really her story to tell, she didn’t feel.

  Her dad had loved her mom so much. His eyes had sparkled when he looked at her. As if she were the most beautiful thing in the whole world. But her mom hadn’t cared. She’d had some early mid-life crisis and started going on benders with younger guys and telling Azalea’s dad that she was going out with some girlfriends.

  Her dad was a hospital nurse and worked the night shift, so he didn’t see her come home. He didn’t see her bring in guy after guy. All too young for her. But Azalea did. She saw everything. Her mom bribed her with clothes and dolls and pretty things. She told her if she said anything, it would be her fault their family fell apart.

  Azalea hated her for it. But she kept her secret. She lied to her dad when he started to get suspicious.

  Then he came home early one night after getting sick at work. He walked in on his wife in bed with a young college kid. Everything fell apart, just like her mom said it would. And Azalea blamed herself.

  She lived with her dad all through middle school and high school and had no idea where her mom had run off to. She didn’t really care. Her dad never talked about what her mom did, but sometimes he’d look at Azalea with narrowed eyes when he asked her questions and thought she might be lying. It killed her.

  Just like looking at Alex had killed her tonight.

  * * *

  Alex made it to Wesley’s house too late. Azalea had already taken a cab back to Dublin.

  “What happened, man?” Wesley asked him. “Did she freak out when you told her—” he broke off, looking over his shoulder into the living room. Shayn and Zariah were laughing too loudly to hear anything. “I mean when she found out what you are?”

  Alex shook his head. He knew Wesley was the one who had led Azalea to the waterfall boundary. He should be mad at him, but he wasn’t. He was too emotionally drained to be mad at anyone other than himself.

  “No,” he answered Wesley. “She freaked out because I lied.”

  Wesley’s head moved back at this. “Really? Hell, I lie all the time to birds. They don’t need to know who I really am, you know?”

  This didn’t make Alex feel any better.

  “Do you mind if I stay here for a little bit?” he asked.

  “Yeah, of course. Stay as long as you need,” Wesley said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Problem at the castle?”

  He was joking, but when he saw the look on Alex’s face, he stopped laughing.

  “I left,” Alex said. It still didn’t feel real. “I told my father I don’t want to be king.”

  Wesley cursed, shaking his head. Then he swiped a beer off the table and handed it to him. “Here. You likely need this.”

  Alex took it.

  * * *

  Azalea was startled awake by a knock on her bedroom door. She’d only had a few hours of sleep given that she had returned to the dorm around 2 AM and cried for another hour before drifting off. It was 6 AM now.

  Groaning, she rolled out of bed saying, “This better be good, Zariah.”

  Part of her wanted to see Alex standing there. The other part was glad he wasn’t. But neither was Zariah.

  “Peter?” she said blearily to her teacher, glad she’d fallen asleep in her clothes instead of a nightshirt. “What are you—?”

  “Azalea,” he interrupted. “I came early last night, but you weren’t here. I’m afraid there’s been an accident. Your father was in a car wreck and is in critical condition. We can arrange to have you flown out as soon as possible.”

  Azalea felt her knees weaken. Then guilt came because the first thing she thought about wasn’t her father. It was Alex.

  22


  Gone

  Alex woke to one of Wesley’s sisters poking him in the chest.

  “Hey, stranger,” she whispered. “Wes says you’re the prince.”

  Alex groaned in response.

  “Mom made breakfast—a full Irish. Your American friends made a nice dent in it, but there’s still some left. You hungry?”

  “No,” he answered, sitting up. “Where are the others?”

  “Wesley is driving them back to Dublin. They’re loading the car now.”

  At this, Alex shot up, rushing past Wesley’s sister and barreling out the front door. Wesley’s run-down station wagon was in the process of pulling out of the drive as Alex chased after it, waving his arms. The car slammed to a stop.

  He reached it, panting as he flung the back door open. “I’m coming too,” he said, pushing Shayn over. As their seat grew suddenly rather crowded, Joe groaned and crawled into the back to sleep off his hangover.

  “Oh, yay!” Zariah said, turning around in her seat. “I’m so glad you’re coming. Azalea looked really upset last night.”

  Alex tried to smile but grimaced instead. He hated that he was the reason for upsetting the one person that usually made everything better for him.

  The drive to Dublin felt like it took forever. His mind scanned every known word in his vocabulary, looking for the best combination. What was he supposed to say to her? I’m sorry I’m an elf. No. I’m sorry I lied about being an elf. Better. Listen, I’ve never done this before. I’d never been in the Outside or met the most beautiful human girl in the entire world, and I just said what I thought I should. I’m sorry, okay? I’m so, so, so, so sorry.

  This was why he couldn’t be the king. He didn’t know how to speak under pressure. His words jumbled into a mess of letters. Sighing, Alex pressed his forehead against the window and watched as they sped by rolling green hills and tiny little towns. There weren’t many trees in Ireland. At least, not in the places Alex had seen. The stretch of land between Blarney and Dublin. It looked nothing like the Underground.

  But he still found it beautiful. Elves always made the Outside seem so ugly and unappealing. It really wasn’t. He loved it all. He’d have no problem making it his home forever. Except…

  He hadn’t wanted to leave things with his father like that. And he hadn’t said goodbye to any of his friends. None of that felt right. But the way he’d left things with Azalea felt more pressing. More immediate. Besides, it was evident his father needed to cool off a bit before he saw his son marching back into the kingdom.

  Wesley pulled up to the dorms and Alex was the first out of the car, not waiting for the other three to follow him. He ran full-speed to the dorm, pounding on the door of the one that housed Azalea. He knocked three times and waited. Not patiently. Then he knocked again.

  Maybe she’d looked out the window and seen him. This was going to be harder than he thought. By the time Zariah, Shayn, and Joe arrived at the door, he’d already knocked twenty times.

  “If you would’ve waited, we could have let you right in,” Zariah said, pushing Alex gently aside as she stuck the key into the hole and turned. He was practically bouncing from anxiety, letting Zariah walk ahead of him. She was tired and dragging, which meant she was walking slowly. A nervous hum of energy pushed Alex forward, following Zariah a few inches too close.

  “Azalea!” Zariah called out. “Someone is here to see you!”

  She knocked on Azalea’s door as she passed before going to her own room. Shayn and Joe did the same. He could practically hear all three of them simultaneously collapse onto their bed.

  Azalea still hadn’t answered the door. Alex knocked again, more gently this time, hope and trepidation battling against one another in his core.

  “Azalea?” Alex said eventually. “Please come out and talk to me.”

  He wanted to apologize then and there, but he didn’t want the others to hear. He didn’t want to embarrass her in front of her friends. So he just knocked again.

  A small gasp could be heard from Zariah’s room, and she walked into the hall, holding a small piece of paper and wearing a thunderstruck expression. She had tears in her eyes.

  Alex looked at her in question.

  “You can stop knocking,” she said quietly, holding up the piece of paper. “Azalea’s gone.”

  23

  Father, Daughter Playtime

  Vyra awoke to find her father glaring down at her. She sat up in bed. She didn’t like to feel cornered or surprised. Having the upper hand was essential. Her father was the one who had taught her that. Now he was the weak one.

  “I know what you’ve been doing,” he growled. Then he picked her up by the arm, tugging her forcefully off the bed. “You stupid girl,” he spat. “You’ve angered the Warriors. They know it was you who killed those elf children. They’re planning a mutiny. I hope you’re happy. You’ve put this entire island in danger.”

  He pushed her backward, and she flew into the pile of dolls in the corner of her room. She didn’t cry, though. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d cried.

  No. She was just angry.

  “I am happy,” she answered, sending a jolt of purple electricity into her father’s chest. He hadn’t been expecting it. His hand flew up as he stumbled back, eyes going wide. “I’m happy I’m actually doing something about those pathetic elves. You and the rest of the Atrums are a bunch of cowards,” she shouted. “Hiding from the Warriors and taking out your frustrations on the warlocks because you still want to be feared, but not enough to get hurt.”

  Her father cursed at her, calling her a long string of names one wouldn’t think a father should say to a daughter. But none of them hurt her. She’d built up an iron-clad wall long ago. After all, her mother always said she was wise beyond her years.

  Her father moved forward, his hands outstretched. She wasn’t afraid of him. His Power was useless. Utterly useless. He could breathe underwater. Not the best defense in Vyra’s opinion. Sending another string of beautiful electricity—the color of her eyes—she watched as her father collapsed onto the ground this time.

  Vyra laughed at him. He looked like a miserable beetle knocked onto its back. She strolled casually forward until she stood right above him, looking down. “If you get in my way,” she said in a low voice. “I will kill you.”

  His face turned red like he wanted to yell, but he had fear in his eyes too. So he didn’t.

  She laughed again.

  “That was fun, Daddy,” she said with a giggle, patting him on the forehead with a shock. “I miss playing with you.”

  With that, she left the room, floating like a ghost in her white nightgown. Padding out of Bluff Bastion, she walked until she found her unicorn.

  The black beast dipped its head in what looked like a nod, kneeling down so she could climb onto him. “It’s time to visit Arbor Falls again,” she said to him. “But, this time, we’re bringing more of your friends. Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

  24

  Unicorn Stampede

  It took three passes of the note Azalea had left for Zariah for the words to fully sink into Alex’s brain. Her dad had been in an accident. He was in bad shape. She was flying home today. She was sorry she couldn’t say goodbye.

  Zariah moved past a stunned Alex and opened Azalea’s door. All of her things were gone. Her room was empty.

  Alex took one look and bolted from the dorm. He ran until he made it back to Wesley’s car. Smoking what Outsiders called a cigarette, he leaned back against the hood.

  “Alex? What are—?”

  “I need your help, Wes,” Alex interrupted. “Azalea’s gone. She’s flying home today.”

  “You’re going to chase after her, aren’t you,” Wesley said with a slowly spreading grin.

  “Yes. But, first, I need to go back to the Underground. One last time.”

  * * *

  Vyra rode atop her unicorn, feeling much taller than she was. Her chin tilted up with pride. The horde of anim
als in her wake made her feel like a battle leader. She liked to daydream. One of her favorites was of a dark army of creatures that did her every bidding. Dark, evil, soulless creatures without fear or morals. Unlike her father and mother and the rest of the pathetic Atrums on Alder Island. Creatures who were built to kill. That was her dream.

  Right now, though, she’d have to settle for unicorns.

  It was that time of morning where the elves of Arbor Falls were emerging from their tree homes and going about their lives, walking through the town, without a worry. Without a care. Without a unicorn horn stabbed through their chest.

  She intended to change all that. Especially the latter.

  “Ready?” she whispered to the beast on which she rode. “Go.”

  * * *

  Wesley had been holding back on him. His car could go much faster than he’d been driving. They practically flew back to Blarney.

  “Hope you’re sure about this,” Wesley said as he pulled up to Blarney Castle. “It’s a big decision.”

  “I made up my mind about this a long time ago,” Alex said. “Wait here. I’ll be back.”

  Nodding, Wesley took out a cigarette and lit it, reclining his seat.

  Alex ran faster than he’d run in…well, probably ever. An unexplained feeling of dread built up in his stomach until he felt it coming out of his mouth, choking him. Was he afraid of his father? Or was he afraid to say goodbye to the Underground forever? Either way, it was fear that drove him forward. Fear of losing Azalea.

  The waterfall boundary waited for him, calm and silent and peaceful. The opposite of Alex. He barreled over the stepping stones and practically dove through the sheet of water. He came out on the other side gasping for air. But he didn’t allow himself to stop. There wasn’t time to pause.