by Alison Pensy
“Is everyone okay?” Faedra asked.
Faen and Jocelyn had conjured their swords, which they held out in front of them, sure and steady. Faedra's body responded before she even had a chance to think about it, and two purple balls, a mixture of electricity and fire, were bursting from her palms. She waved them about in front of her as she scanned the territory in all directions, except directly behind, knowing her back was covered.
“Okay here,” Jocelyn replied.
“And here,” Faen continued.
“Whoa, watch where you're pointing those things,” Etyran shrieked as he unwrapped himself and patted his sleeve where Faedra's fire had singed his coat.
“Sorry,” Faedra said, “but, in all fairness, I couldn't see where you were to avoid you.”
“Good point,” Etyran conceded.
All four looked around, diligently taking in their surroundings. They were standing under a tree in the middle of a lush grassy meadow. A huge bough lay on the ground to one side of the tree. The obvious casualty of a lightning strike.
The field was surrounded by forest-covered hills in all directions and Faedra felt as though she were in a coliseum of sorts. Just waiting for someone to let loose the lions.
When it looked like they were on their own, Faen and Jocelyn relaxed a little and lowered their swords.
“Well, that was unexpected,” Etyran said, breaking the tense silence.
Faedra turned on him. “What could possibly go wrong, hey, Etyran?” she snarled, her energy balls getting larger by the second.
Etyran gave her a wary look and put his hands up as he took a step back. “Now, steady on, Faedra. How was I supposed to know this would happen?” he replied, a nervous tone to his voice. He looked from Faedra to her energy balls and back again. “Err, you're not going to do anything hasty with those, are you?” He moved his gaze to the balls of flame and sparks in her palms.
Faedra could feel the fear flowing from him. She visibly shook her head and blinked, then looked down at her palms. “Ugh! I hate this!” she cried as she turned away from her friend and flung the balls into the field, as if flinging something slimy and disgusting off her hands. The balls hit the grass and exploded, sending clumps of sod flying and leaving two good sized craters in the dirt. She turned back to Etyran. “Sorry.”
“No worries, no harm done.” He gave her a warm smile, but she could feel the relief coming off him in waves and realized she had scared her friend. That was unforgivable. She couldn't bear the thought of her friends being scared of her. She had to get rid of Savu's power, but how? She had no idea, but made a vow to herself to find a way.
Faedra looked down and huffed out a breath when she saw the cypher wheel lying on the ground at her feet. She leaned over and scooped it off the grass before lumping herself down on the fallen tree limb. Jocelyn joined her.
The Custodian turned the wheel over in her hands and gave it a cursory glance before looking up at her Guardian and the Lightbender, who were now standing before her and Jocelyn. “This must be some sort of transporting device,” Faedra said. “Anyone want to hazard a guess as to where it brought us?”
Jocelyn shook her head. Etyran hung his in a mark of admonishment and Faen's expression was blank.
“No, didn't think so.” Faedra sighed.
“We could still be in the World of Men,” Etyran suggested. It was a fair assumption; the field they were in didn't look any different to any other meadow on Earth. But the sound of an otherworldly shriek above them at that precise moment, shot the idea in the foot. They all looked up to witness a hideous winged creature, unlike any they'd seen before, flying overhead. Its body was covered in what look liked snakeskin and its leathery wings beat a foreboding rhythm as it circled around the field, eying them with studious intent, before taking off over the trees. They looked back at one another.
“Not the World of Men, then.” Etyran said, running a hand through his hair and avoiding eye contact with Faedra.
“Yeah, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas, anymore,” Faedra mumbled.
“But, Faedra, we were not in Kansas to begin with,” Jocelyn remarked, looking perplexed.
“The Wizard of Oz?” Faedra said, but got nothing more than a blank expression from her young friend. “Never mind.”
“Why is it always me that messes up?” Etyran asked.
Faedra turned her attention from Jocelyn back to the Lightbender, only to see the look of dejection on his face.
“Etyran, it's not your fault,” Faedra said, noticing the awkwardness in his posture. “I'm sorry I snapped at you. You weren't to know any of this would happen. I was just frustrated, that's all. Just for once, it would be nice to go out and enjoy myself without my world being turned upside down.”
“Faedra is right, you know. None of us blame you.” Jocelyn agreed. Etyran's face lit up at her words and Faedra gave Etyran a knowing smile.
“So, what do we do now?” Faedra asked.
“Well, out here we are sitting ducks in this meadow,” Faen replied. “I suggest we take cover in the trees and try and find out where we are. We have no way of knowing if this place is hostile or not, and until we find out I think it best that we try and stay out of sight.”
Faen held out a hand for Faedra and she took it with a smile as she allowed her Guardian to pull her up from where she was sitting. She tucked the cypher wheel back in the pouch that was still slung across her body.
Etyran offered his hand to Jocelyn.
“Thank you.” Jocelyn almost sang the words as she accepted Etyran's gesture. A rosy glow permeated Etyran's cheeks.
The four friends only made it a few yards towards the trees before they heard a noise in the distance. Faen held out his arm, stopping Faedra in her tracks from going another step forward. Etyran scooted Jocelyn behind him so fast she let out a squeak of surprise.
“What is it?” Faedra whispered, heart thudding in her chest.
“I hear something.” Faen explained. “Do you hear that?”
They stood silent for a moment, hardly daring to breathe. Faedra's ears were straining to hear whatever Faen had picked up.
A moment later, Faedra heard the soft thud of hooves in the distance. She would recognize that sound anywhere. A second later, two white horses emerged from the trees on the far side of the meadow. Their riders cloaked in blue robes that billowed out behind them like ripples on a lake. The horses cantered across the meadow towards them, prompting the four cohorts to take defensive action, once again.
Faen held his sword in front of him, as the riders closed the gap between them.
“Etyran, I am quite capable of looking after myself,” Jocelyn said, looking a little bemused. The young fairy extricated herself from his grip and conjured her own sword. Etyran's cheeks colored up, and despite the danger they could be in, Faedra couldn't help but smile and stifle a chuckle.
As the riders got closer, Faedra looked down at her ring. There was no warning tingle and the horses were nearly upon them now. The horses slowed to a walk before taking another few strides and came to a halt a few feet in front of the group.
The tension in the air was palpable, but still there was no warning from Faedra's ring. These riders were not there to hurt her, or her friends.
With almost synchronized precision, both riders pushed down their hoods to reveal their faces.
Faedra's eyes grew wide with recognition. “Hey, I know you!” she exclaimed. “You're the lady from Falconchase. I knew there was something strange about you in the pub.” Then Faedra realized something else as she sensed the woman's emotions. “You were following us around the city, too, weren't you?”
The woman did not respond to Faedra's outburst, but rather looked agitated, as she scanned the sky above them.
“There is no time to explain.” she said, bringing her attention back to the group. “He knows you are here. We must get you to safety before they come,”
“Who knows we are here?” Faedra and Faen said together.
“Yeah, and who are they?” Etyran chimed in, following where the woman was looking in the sky.
“And where, exactly, is here?” Jocelyn joined in the interrogation.
“As I said, no time to explain,” the woman repeated. “Now, follow us before it's too late.”
The two horses turned to go back in the direction they came from.
“Hold on a minute. We're not going anywhere with you until you tell us who you are and where you brought us.” Faedra snapped.
The lady from Falconchase turned her horse and gave a pleading look towards Faedra. “Please,” she said, desperation visible in her expression. “I promise I will explain everything when we get you somewhere safe.”
Another hideous shriek echoed from beyond the trees and all six people turned their attention to the direction it came from.
“Too late. Follow us if you want to live,” the lady threw the words over her shoulder as she kicked her horse and the two women galloped off across the meadow.
“Oh, that did not sound good.” Etyran said, stating the obvious.
A second later, the hideous winged creature that did a fly-by a short while before, came looming over the trees, followed by several more of the same.
Faen scooped Faedra up before she had a chance to protest, something at that point in time she had no intention of doing, and took to the air in the direction of the two horses.
Jocelyn took to the air and turned to Etyran. Knowing he couldn't fly, she hovered above the ground looking between her brother, the winged creatures, and the Lightbender. Indecision plaguing her features
“Etyran...”
“Don't worry about me, just get out of here,” he shouted, before disappearing. “I'll catch up to you in the woods.”
She gave the space he had just occupied, one last fleeting glance before turning and sped across the field to join her brother.
Faen and Faedra saw the two horses disappear amongst the trees and were getting closer themselves. Unfortunately, they weren't fast enough. The winged creatures beat them to it, swooping down and blocking their escape route.
Faedra watched in horror as the lead creature flapped his wings to slow him down before reaching out a taloned claw to swipe at Jocelyn, who had caught up and was now just ahead of them.
Jocelyn was catapulted sideways by the swipe and went swirling out of control until she hit the ground with a bone-breaking thud.
“Faen, Jocelyn is down! You have to turn around! We have to help her!” Faedra screamed as she looked down at her friend, whose body was now slumped on the ground behind them.
“My duty is to you,” Faen said, his voice stoic.
“What?” Faedra asked, averting her gaze to her Guardian, who's expression was on total lock-down.
Faedra's stomach lurched as Faen made evasive maneuvers to dodge another of the hideous creatures who was attempting to take a swipe at them, too.
“Put me down!” Faedra yelled, trying to squirm free from Faen's ever tightening grasp.
“No.”
She looked back to see the creature that hit Jocelyn had landed and was now standing over the young fairy’s body. Jocelyn struggled to push herself up onto her hands just before the creature swiped at her head, knocking her back to the ground.
“Put me down, NOW!” Faedra screamed again, but this time didn't leave anything to chance. She sent a crackle of electricity through her body, shocking Faen into dropping her.
It wasn't until he let her go, however, that she realized just how high up they were. And she couldn't fly.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Faedra went plummeting to the ground, muttering expletives as she did. She scrunched her eyes shut just as she was about to make impact with the hard earth.
“This is going to hurt,” she groaned.
She felt her body get tugged and came to a sharp stop. Well, now she knew what it must feel like on the end of a bungee rope after flinging oneself off the side of a ludicrously tall bridge. Even with all her powers, she still couldn't understand why anyone in their right mind would want to do such a thing.
When the ground didn't come up to smack her in the face, she opened her eyes a crack and found herself dangling a couple of inches above it, a blade of grass tickling her nose. She craned her neck upwards to find her Guardian hovering above her, hanging onto her ankles with a rather pained expression on his face.
“I swear, Faedra Bennett, you will be the death of me,” he said rolling his eyes heavenward.
Faedra gave him a cheeky grin and was about to throw out a witty retort, but her eyes widened as she saw one of the winged creatures fly up behind him, talons extended, ready to strike.
“Maybe, but those things definitely will!” Without hesitation she brought up her hands and shot a stream of intense fire past Faen's ear, slamming the creature square in the chest. It went reeling backwards, shrieking in agony before falling to the ground consumed in flames.
“Thank you,” Faen said when he turned back from looking at the smoldering creature behind him. He cast his gaze down at the Custodian, who was still dangling just above the ground.
“Any time,” Faedra said. “Um, you can put me down now.”
“Oh, yes, of course.” Faen gently lowered his charge to the ground.
Upon reaching Terra firma, Faedra rolled over and jumped back up. Faen, who was now on the ground, stood beside her, taking a defensive position.
The creature that Faedra just killed must have been the one that was attacking Jocelyn because when she spun around to attack it, it was gone. Instead, two more were swooping in from above.
“God, those things are ugly. It doesn't look like they're dragons, though. I haven't seen them breathe fire,” Faedra surmised.
Faen pulled out his sword and held it up.
“I'll take care of them, Faen. You go get Jocelyn.” Faedra said, raising her palms to the sky.
Faen looked uncertain. He was supposed to be the protector, not the protected.
“Faen, I've got this. Your sister needs you.”
She could see the look of hesitation in his eyes. “Go!” she snapped.
He gave her a stern look, but inclined his head before turning towards his sister.
Faedra let the incoming creatures have it with both palms. They met the same fiery end as the first one did, by dropping out of the sky and landing in a heap of smoldering flesh on the ground several feet away. Faedra wrinkled her nose and wafted her hand in front of her face to ward off the stench of burning flesh.
“Maybe this power isn't so bad after all” Faedra mumbled to herself, slapping her hands together gesturing a job well done.
Faen kneeled down to pick up his sister and was met by Etyran who unwrapped himself as he got to them.
“Is she alive?” he asked between pants.
Jocelyn groaned.
“She will be fine,” Faen answered.
Faen scooped up his sister and gave Etyran an odd look as the Lightbender leaned in to place a palm against her bruised cheek.
Jocelyn's eyelids fluttered before they opened wide and she looked around startled.
“Thank Kernunnos, you're okay,” Etyran said with a smile when her eyes flitted around and met his.
“What are those things?” she croaked, as she watched Faedra fire roast another couple from the sky.
“I do not know, and we do not have time to debate the question now. We need to get out of this field.” Faen beat his wings and took to the sky. “Etyran, grab Faedra and drag her into the forest, will you?” he called as he flew towards the trees.
“On it!” Etyran called back. He started to run towards Faedra, wrapping the light around him as he did, and grabbed her by the arm on the way through.
“Flippin' heck!” Faedra shrieked as a vice like grip encircled her upper arm and dragged her forward with determined force. “You're never going to warn me before you sneak up on me, are you?”
She heard Etyran's cheeky chuckle. “Now where woul
d the fun be in that?” a bodiless voice answered. “Come on, we have to get out of this field and under some kind of cover.”
“You've got no argument from me on that one.” Faedra picked up her pace. She could hear more shrieks in the distance. Winged reinforcements were going to be there any minute and she wasn't quite sure how many creatures she would be able to torch in such a short period of time. Truth was, this was the first time she'd purposefully used any of the power absorbed from Savu. She had spent the past six months trying to keep it from consuming her, everyone, and everything she loved. Keeping the power under control was painful. But now, for the first time in six months, the pain of keeping something that strong under wraps was gone. She felt freer than she'd felt in a long time. What else could she do with it? What if she used too much of it? Would it drain her like her other power did? She didn't know the answers to any of those questions, and she didn't have any food. The last thing she expected to happen on a treasure hunt was being catapulted to the middle of a field in another realm. Although, she chastised herself, she really should have learned by now.
Faen and Jocelyn disappeared into the forest about a hundred feet ahead of her. Etyran loosened his grip on her arm and slid his hand down until he caught hold of her hand, propelling her forward with every step he took.
“We're nearly there, only another few yards.”
The edge of the forest was getting closer and closer. Faedra heard another shriek, nearer this time, and looked up. The sky was still clear above them. She looked back to the forest, amazed that her lungs weren't burning with the effort of running. Etyran made it first and wrenched Faedra out of the field as he did. She looked up to see the skull-like face of another winged creature fly over the trees just as she was dragged under the cover of limbs and leaves. They continued running a few more yards into the dense forest before they came to a stop. Etyran unwrapped himself and Faedra leaned forward, putting one hand on her knee to balance herself.
As her breathing returned to normal, she looked up and scanned the area. Faen was a few feet ahead and lowering his sister to her feet. She was recovering from the beating she received in the field, and the bruise on her cheek was fading fast. Etyran dropped Faedra's hand and ran over to her. He stopped just inches away, hesitated, then pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. Jocelyn's eyes widened with surprise and she let out a little squeak as she got pulled into Etyran's embrace. She looked tiny in his arms.
