by Sarah Beth
But it was other things that changed too, that really made Wesley think he should’ve asked Elazar more questions. Even without moving a muscle, without standing up and testing it himself, he felt impossibly stronger. He was already stronger than the average human, being a werewolf after all, but this was different. He could feel his muscles breathing under his skin, tensing and relaxing, and knew that if he punched a brick wall, it would shatter. And the feelings he got from Abby were just as strong, just as powerful. She shone like a beacon in the darkest night, her light cutting through like a knife. She was the brightest star in the sky, and Wesley was pulled into her orbit.
In the safety of his mind, in the world that they had created between them, the light began to fade back. Colors dimmed and sunk back into the objects that they had come from. Sounds and smells dulled back to a normal impression. He wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting there, after the brightness had faded, but his breathing was so shallow he could’ve been asleep. Finally, taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes.
Abby sat before him, the only time he had ever seen her face so at peace was when she slept, and even then only sometimes. Sitting with her back straight, hands on her knees, her wavy hair cascading around her shoulders, he thought for the briefest moment if he had just imagined everything that had occurred.
He became aware of the room around him then, his senses slow to wake up. Elazar wasn’t close to them, rather off behind Wesley somewhere. He thought he heard dishes being set down on something metallic, a tray perhaps. But Wesley didn’t dare take his eyes off the woman in front of him. Her breathing was just as slow as his own, but her heart rate was at a normal pace. As if it was the most natural thing to do, he reached out with his mind to caress her own. Like a cool breeze meeting the warmth of a fire, he felt her mind open completely for him with no hesitation. A small smile growing on her lips. Bright green eyes opened a moment later, almost shinning with their own light.
He wasn’t sure he understood what just occurred, but he also didn’t care enough to ask. All he knew was that they had crossed over some bridge, some path they had been too afraid of taking until that moment. They were one person as they woke up from their trance, they just inhabited two bodies.
Chapter Twenty
Abby
It felt like waking from the deepest sleep imaginable. Her body slow to respond and her mind even slower to catch up. But the moment she felt his presence brush her consciousness, everything made perfect sense. She may have felt alone and hurt, after everything that they had learned since arriving at The High Forest — but none of that really mattered. What mattered was the warmth in her chest, the man sitting before her, and the dangers that stood before them. The past was just that, the past, and nothing would change it.
Sitting by the fire, a hot cup of peppermint tea between her hands, Abby regarded the Faye across from her with new eyes. She understood now why he was wary of believing her father’s words, why he didn’t want to tell her who her father really was. While in the trance, Elazar’s magic looked different from her own — colder, more of a mountain stream than a blazing fire. It made sense to her then, that he would be more closed off and less likely to spout out his secrets right away. Her father had been his dearest friend — he was just as hurt as she was that he did not confide in him about her existence. She had been so focused on her own pain, that she hadn’t even considered what it might have meant to her teacher too.
Wesley chuckled beside her, “I still don’t really understand what just happened, but I think I’m also okay with that.” She looked at him, noticing a bit of stubble growing, and a small smile on his lips.
Elazar hummed, lifting his own cup of tea to his lips. As he set it back on the saucer in his other hand, he inclined his head, “I would be surprised if you did, my boy. But I am pleased to hear that the experience was a good one.”
Before Abby was able to ask what had really happened, a servant came up the stairs to the left, a tray in his hand. She watched as he came towards them and bowed to Wesley, presenting a letter laying on the tray. “This just arrived for you, Wesley O’Bryne. I have been instructed to bring any correspondences with your Alpha to you immediately.”
Wesley set his tea on the table beside the couch, reaching for the letter with his brows drawn tight. Abby watched him open the letter, vaguely aware of the servant leaving the room without another word. Sitting close to his side, she was able to read the letter over his shoulder.
Wesley and Abby,
I wish I had better news for you both, as I hate to make you worry
when there is nothing that you can do. But things have escalated far quicker than we were prepared for.
Ira and I captured a vampire while out hunting. With his help we found a hideout where
the vampires and their allies have been staying. We found proof that a Faye is helping them.
I don’t know if there is anything you can do at your end, but we have to
find out who this Faye is and stop them.
I hope you are both well and that the answers you seek are there.
I will send word again soon.
Alex
Abby read the letter through twice before looking at Wesley’s face. His brows pulled so tight she was afraid that he’d strain a muscle. She could feel his anger and frustration rolling off of him in waves, overtaking her own feelings easily. With a hand on his knee, she told Elazar the contents of the letter. The Faye’s expression became graver the further into the letter she went.
Scrubbing a hand on his chin, Elazar made a noise in the back of his throat. “This is disastrous news, of that I am sure.” Turning to Wesley, he gestured to the letter, “I need to speak to the other Elders about this immediately. May I borrow the letter?”
Wesley grunted as he handed Elazar the note over the fire. Just as Elazar took the parchment from Wesley’s hand, Abby held her own hand out. “Wait, I don’t know if telling the Elders is a good idea.”
Elazar turned to her, a brow raised. “And why do you say that, Abigail?”
She sighed, laying her hand in her lap. “Because, we don’t know who this Faye is that’s helping them. It could be anyone. Until we have more evidence, I don’t think we should broadcast this.” She could feel Wesley looking at her, but could also feel his pride.
Elazar regarded her for a moment before sighing, the letter falling to his side. “As much as it pains me, I agree. But we will be unable to solve this on our own.”
Abby nodded, “I agree, but I think we should only tell the people we trust most.”
“And who do you trust most that is not in this room?”
With a sigh, Abby shrugged one shoulder. “Well, aside from the secrets she kept from us, I believe that Lady Neirdre is on our side. I also don’t think Soryn has anything against us, the fact that he is in your family aside.”
Standing from the couch, Elazar nodded. “I agree. I should hope that Soryn has made such an impression on you or I would be having a long talk with my nephew.”
Wesley stood as well, his leg brushing hers as he moved. “I need to respond to Alex, may I use your writing desk?”
Gesturing to the stairs, Elazar nodded briefly. “Of course, my boy. It is in the room off from the dining room.”
He nodded before turning to face her. He gripped her hands in his own and squeezed. A warmth bloomed where his hands touched hers, and it didn’t come from her own magic. “Will you be alright? I need to tell Alex of our plan.” He was worried about her, and she didn’t need to sense his feelings to know that.
She smiled reassuringly, squeezing his hands back. “Of course, you go. I’m going to head to the training field and find Soryn. I have some pent up energy that I need to release.” He hesitated but then nodded, walking off to the stairs.
Elazar regarded her for a moment before nodding once, and then he was following Wesley down the stairs. With a deep breath, Abby headed off to find Soryn. What a mess they found themselves in. Al
l she wanted to do at the moment was take Wesley and disappear alone for a while. They had just experienced something so intimate, she just wanted to curl up in his lap. But they didn’t have time for that luxury. She wondered if they would ever have the time.
~~~
Finding Soryn was easy. He was near the training grounds where she expected him to be. Walking closer, she could hear him telling some of his archery students to straighten their forms. As she got closer, she couldn’t see anything wrong in their postures.
She was a few feet away from him when he turned, his piercing blue eyes finding her instantly. “No dog following you around today?”
There was no malice in his voice, but even though he was joking, she still crossed her arms over her chest. She hoped the glare was as strong as she meant for it to be. “Why do you pick on him? You know it irritates him and he’s just starting to like you.”
He chuckled, setting his bow down on a table behind him. When he turned back to her, a smile was on his face. “Because he’s so easy to irritate. Life was becoming boring before you two showed up, I need to have a little fun.”
She rolled her eyes as she walked closer, looking past him as a Faye woman loosed an arrow, hitting the center of the target with ease. “If life was getting boring, why did you stay here? Why not go somewhere else for a while?”
He turned to stand shoulder to shoulder with her — although his shoulder came to the top of her head. They watched his student for a few minutes before he spoke again. “I did leave for a time, a couple decades actually, but something kept drawing me back here.” She watched the side of his face as he scrunched up his nose, but it didn’t make his face look any less regal. “Of course now that the Council is coming back here, I may just need to find a new place to stay for a while.”
“Why? Do you not like being where the High Council is?”
He sighed, crossing his arms over his slender chest, the thin silver armor gleaming in the sunlight. “It’s complicated...You’ll understand better once you’ve met them.”
She hummed, looking back out at the field. She was silent for a time, before half turning away from him, “I need to talk to you, but not where so many ears can hear us.” His brows pulled together before he nodded once. Grabbing his bow from the table, he strung it around his back before returning to her side. Together they walked away from the training grounds.
~~~
Entering the Glade always gave Abby a sense of peace, that nothing could harm her so long as she stayed within its boundary. She wasn’t sure if that was actually the case, but she liked the feeling nonetheless. There weren’t many places in her life that made her feel so utterly safe. Wesley’s arms around her could evoke the same feelings, however. Soryn was quiet by her side, choosing to let her lead, and she was grateful for it. She had planned to take him to her father’s home, but then the Glade called to her.
Lowering herself to the water’s edge like she had every other time, Abby looked at her reflection in the water. She could’ve stepped out of one of her favorite Tolkien movies or something, the way her dress and hair looked. The half-moon circlet that was placed on her brow every morning since their arrival caught the light. She kept forgetting to ask what it stood for, what meaning it had.
The water was pulling at her, like it did the last time she touched it. Power and emotion emanated from the gleaming surface and she couldn’t bring herself to ignore it. With a deep breath, she touched the reflection of her circlet on the water’s surface. The world around her spun out of focus.
She stood in the Glade but it was different somehow. It looked foggy and out of focus. Turning around she became aware of another person by the water, a male with long black hair and striking green eyes. He smiled at her when she met his gaze.
“Hello Aerilaya, or I suppose I should call you Abigail.”
Shock rendered her speechless. It was one thing to see him in the Glade like the last time, but it was another thing entirely to hear his voice. And he was speaking to her.
His smile turned sympathetic, “I’m sorry, this must be such a shock to you...the Lady of the Glade seemed to think we needed to speak.”
Trying to release her tongue from the roof of her mouth, Abby swallowed. “But. How? You’re—.”
Sadness filled his eyes and for the first time he looked away from her face and out at the water. “Dead, yes. I think that’s why the Lady brought me here. To show you.”
Shaking her head, she couldn’t help the feeling of tears closing her throat. She had dreamed of this moment her entire life and now she was talking to her father but couldn’t even get words out. She wanted to ask him so many things. So many questions burned at the tip of her tongue, and yet nothing would come out.
He looked back at her then, a small smile pulling at the corners of his lips. “I wish I had something better to show you...my final moments were not my most spectacular.”
Her voice was thick when she managed to speak. “I don’t care. How is this possible?”
Waving a hand out over the water, a dry chuckle escaped his chest. “You’ll have to ask the Lady that. Magic is a fascinating thing but one that even I don’t fully understand.” He smiled at her then. A sweet smile so full of love that a sob threatened to overcome her. “Perhaps you will get farther in your studies than I did.”
Something was changing in the air around her, she could feel him slipping away. Panic filled her chest. No, not yet! There was still too much she wanted to say. She reached out for him but couldn’t move, her legs wouldn’t budge. His form became less clear, the color of his eyes dimming. She swore she could see unshed tears in his eyes.
“Forgive me for what I am about to show you. Remember me as I am now, not in the form you are about to see.”
She reached out, her hand outstretched as far as she could reach. “No, father, wait! Don’t leave yet.”
A tear slid down his cheek, but his smile was radiant. “Go to the house, go to your special room. There is something I left for you there….I love you, my sweet girl.” His smile was the last thing she saw before the Glade vanished and a dark alley was in its place.
She didn’t recognize the cityscape around her, not like she had when the two children ghosts showed her a vision from their past. This wasn’t that old, but it wasn’t in America either. She figured that out by the street behind her — a double-decker bus went by silently in the darkness of the night.
“You’re becoming increasingly nosey, Thaliyunn. And we can’t have that.”
A voice from deeper inside the alley brought her attention back from the road. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, but she still couldn’t see the source of the voice. But it sounded familiar, so very familiar. What she could see was a group of four vampires surrounding a man bound by some invisible force. The suit he wore was torn and ragged, his long black hair disheveled. She didn’t need to see his face to know it was her father.
He fought against his bounds weakly, but she suspected it was more to see how strong they were than to actually fight back. Why he wasn’t using his own magic, she didn’t know. Aside from a nasty scrape across his temple, he appeared unharmed.
She took a few steps forward, unable to help herself, but when she was five paces away she was stopped by an invisible wall. She couldn’t get any closer. The laws of magic still utterly confused her, but she understood the implication — she was just a visitor to this vision, she couldn’t do anything.
Her father shook a few strands of hair out of his face and spoke to the darkness of the alley. “You won’t get away with this. The Council may be daft, but they won’t allow a vampire uprising that would disrupt the very fabric of the world.”
A chuckle came from the dark, sending shivers down Abby’s spine. Where had she heard that laugh before? “We’ll see about that. At the very least you won’t be around to see it. You’ve caused enough trouble, I won’t have you getting in the way again.”
It happened so quickly, Abby hadn’t
even had time to yell out. One of the vampires that had been standing silently behind her father took his head between his hands and twisted it clear off. The sound of snapping bone and ripping tissue filled the otherwise quiet space. Her father’s body fell forward into the dirt, blood pooling around him.
Tears streamed freely down her face, but she didn’t cry out. What was the point? She was like a ghost, no one could see her or hear her.
“Leave the body, it will return to the earth before any humans find it. But take the clothing and dispose of it.”
The vampire who held her father’s head by the hair tossed it to the ground. It rolled a few feet closer to Abby, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at it. She would have collapsed to the ground if it wasn’t for some force holding her up. Why had he shown her this? Why did the Lady of the Glade want her to witness her father’s murder?
Blinking through the tears in her eyes, Abby willed the vision to show her who stood in the darkness. Slowly, as if the magic that held the scene together decided to aid her, the figure in the dark became clearer. It felt like she was struck by lightning. She knew that Faye.
Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Abby turned away as the vampires ripped the clothing off her father’s lifeless body. She had seen enough.
The Glade as she knew it came into view as she opened her eyes, but it was blurry. Tears were filling her eyes and spilling over, her cheeks wet to the touch. A sob escaped her lips before she could stop it. Only then did she notice the hands on her arms and Soryn’s voice speaking to her. But there was something else too — a consciousness waiting at the edge of her own mind. Not pushing itself in, but not leaving her alone either.
