by Alexia Purdy
From the darkness, a creature appeared, and I pressed into Clyde’s side. Tendrils of black-grey smoke swirled around it as though it had assimilated the shadows. Something desperately called to me, beckoning me forward. It felt familiar in a way, as though I’d known it from somewhere before, but I couldn’t put a finger on how.
My eyes widened, knowing full well this being hadn’t been there before.
The creature was a humanoid with hair the color of a moonless night. Delicate strands of black, crystal filaments pulled away from his face. His eyes were the same shade but with sparkling pinpricks of stars and galaxies within them. He was taller than me, and the long black robe he wore hid his figure within its folds.
“Star!” Clyde’s voice echoed behind me, but I couldn’t respond. The figure reached out and pressed the tip of his slender finger to my cheek, sliding it down to my jawline and across to my chin, where he let go. I froze, unable to move or speak.
I know you. You have forgotten me.
What was he talking about? I didn’t know him. I’d never seen him in my entire life! I swallowed back a knot in my throat, whimpering silently and blinking back tears forming in my eyes from straining against his magic. I knew I had to fight against him, but the urge to do so dissipated, leaving behind an odd serenity. I was mesmerized, entranced by this entity. He was so different. Human yet not. Was he one of the Others? I’d never asked Gideon or Clyde to explain what they truly looked like. What color skin, what type of faces and bodies they had. Something told me he was one, but not the ones Gideon had run into. This sentient being was different.
“Star!” Clyde’s voice cut off, and I wondered if this creature had silenced him. I struggled to look behind me, but my body didn’t respond. All I could manage was shaking from the effort to go against him.
Please don’t hurt him, I begged, speaking in my head since my mouth wouldn’t move to form words. The entity studied me curiously, and it felt like time was standing perfectly still. Even Clyde’s voice echoing in my head felt like someone had slowed down a record, slurring the sound. I trembled and felt a warm tear trail down my cheek as I blinked. All I could do was watch the Other step closer to me. His eyes drifted down to the red crystal pendant around my neck, widening slightly with great interest before he flicked his gaze back up.
If that’s what you want, consort, I will leave the inutile alive, unharmed, but you must come with me.
No, I won’t go with you.
He tilted his head curiously, watching my struggle as though it was unexpected.
You don’t remember at all, do you? I’ll help you remember.
The entity spoke to me in my head, a sensation which caused me dizziness. I tried to shake it away, but my legs went slack and crumbled beneath me from the sway. I couldn’t keep upright and felt as though my body wasn’t mine to control anymore. He caught me in his arms before I crashed onto the spikes of crystals below me. They hadn’t been there before. Where smooth river rock had littered the cavern floor next to the rushing water, now there were crystals everywhere, flashing brightly, alive with light, singing with chimes as they reverberated with sound.
The red crystal around my neck responded, heating up as it vibrated, chiming with joy. I wanted to join in the chorus, but my eyelids were far too heavy, and I let them close, diving into the welcoming shadows that carried us away as though they were alive.
***
Subtle chimes eased me from my sleep. I heard the trickle of water nearby and wondered how I’d gotten to my waterfall room. I shifted position but instead of grasping the sheet beneath me, my fingers slid through cool bunches of grass, followed by the telltale ripping of roots from the ground. The smell of cut grass filled the air along with a sharp scent of water and moss.
I sat up abruptly, gasping for air. Looking at my surroundings, my eyes widened in fear. I wasn’t by the river anymore. I wasn’t anywhere I could make out as familiar. Nothing about that place should have existed, but it did. I peered around at the flashing crystals of another cavernous geode room. It was far larger than the one in the Glass Sky City and the colors were far more brilliant. Each crystal glowed, lighting up the cavern as though I were under a kaleidoscopic sun.
A pair of glistening eyes watched me from nearby, amongst the columns of crystals. I scrambled to my feet, backing away. The creature’s pale skin reflected the flashing colors shimmering across the landscape of rocks. Nearby, a waterfall feeding a small stream gurgled, where green grass covered the ground.
I had no idea where I was. How far had that creature taken me? He’d mentioned that I didn’t remember and that he would help me remember, and that I was his consort. I shook my head, confused by his words. I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake the fogginess of sleep away which clung like cobwebs.
“You sleep like a stone.”
I jumped at the sound of a young girl poised right next to me. She cocked her head to the side as she eyed me curiously. Her eyes were large, luminous almonds, a dark, translucent navy-blue color which reminded me of swirly marbles. I sucked in a breath, fighting the urge to back away from her as quickly as I could. She was so close to me, I could feel the heat of her skin on my arm. She looked like a daintier version of the man who’d taken me.
Maybe they were aliens. No, that was impossible. None of the stories I’d heard had ever mentioned such a thing. They didn’t appear all that scary, but their lack of a concept of personal space made me jumpy. It gave me the idea that they were a very touchy-feely kind of species.
This being wasn’t the same as the creature who’d taken me. I couldn’t truly tell if this was a female or male, but I was leaning more toward the effeminate. She sported an androgynous face with no apparent defining features, which differentiated her from the male sentient who’d kidnapped me. She also wasn’t wearing a robe, but wore a long, gauzy, shirtdress tied at the waist with twine wound from dead vines. She looked childlike and far smaller than her male counterpart. I inhaled slow, steady breaths as we stared at one another.
I studied the strange creature but couldn’t focus clearly. I rubbed at my eyes, the burn of tears and exhaustion drying them. The pain and burning heightened as I kept rubbing my eyes. They felt gritty, as though they were dried out raisins. Stepping backward, I stumbled. The girl’s long, glass-like filaments of hair flew up into the air as she jumped forward, grasping the front of my jacket and stopping my fall.
She pulled me up until I was standing again before letting me go. My eyes widened as I stared at her glassy eyes, straight nose, and bow-shaped lips.
“Who are you?” I asked, still blinking furiously.
We are the fae.
She didn’t speak aloud but rather spoke into my mind.
“The fae?” I breathed out, afraid my voice would fail me. “You’re one of them… the Others.”
I looked down at my jacket, where the creature had touched me, and it glistened like flakes of white crystal were smeared on my clothes. I swiped at it, but it remained, as though my jacket were now made of it. The creature’s skin featured the same glistening, shimmering crystals illuminating the cavern.
“Where am I?” I asked, confused.
She cocked her head to the side, a gesture I could see she made often. This time she moved her mouth and spoke, hoarsely at first, but slowly refining as she formed each word.
“Jarvin said he’ll be back soon.”
The voice sent shivers down my spine, like music playing and causing the surrounding crystals to chime along with it.
“Who’s Jarvin?” I asked.
Without answering, she reached out toward my red crystal pendant, lightly touching it with her slender fingertips. It was the same one I Megan had retrieved in the pool of the waterfall room. Its blood red surface gleamed as though lit from within, just like the other crystals in this place. Whatever made them glow affected all the crystals in the cavern.
“Where did you get those?” she asked.
I clasped at my neck. “My fri
end Megan gave me the ruby one. It’s from a crystal geode cavern like this one, but much smaller. The brass key isn’t mine.”
“The ruby totem protects you. You must wear it at all times.” The girl backed away, still examining me like I was a delicate bug to dissect. I swallowed, feeling under a microscope.
“What do you mean it protects me? Protects me from what exactly?”
“It keeps you shielded from trickery and magic.”
I grasped the crystal, taken aback. “But it didn’t protect me from that man who kidnapped me.”
“Jarvin? He didn’t kidnap you.”
“Yes, he did. He somehow hypnotized me and brought me here.”
“He said he wasn’t able to thrall you, so he made you sleep.” She scratched her hair as though we were having a normal conversation. I felt disgusted by her explanations.
“Where is this… Jarvin?”
“He’ll return soon.”
I groaned. That told me nothing. “Are you one of the Others?”
“The Others? Yes, I believe your kind calls us by such a name, but we are fae.”
“Do you have a name?” I asked.
The girl leaned down toward the pool of water and began cupping water into her small mouth. She drank like this for several mouthfuls until I thought she’d forgotten I’d asked her a question.
“You may call me Fealty,” she finally responded, blinking toward me. “We do not give our true names lightly.”
“What are the Others doing here? I thought you kept to the deeper caverns.”
“I was told your group needed an escort to the deep prisons, but”—she narrowed her eyes at me—“your group had an inutile. He didn’t have a totem and was not fae. One such as he cannot come here.”
I was astounded how much her riddle-like answers confounded me. “What? What’s an inutile?”
“A useless male. We do not allow males into the deeper caverns. They are unmated, with no chance of finding a mate.” She looked away as though she could hear some indecipherable noise. I heard nothing.
“He isn’t a useless male. He’s my friend. I want to know if he’s okay. There was also another man with me who was dragged into the river. Would you know anything about him?”
She picked a few clovers from the grass, plucking each leaf slowly before crushing them between the pads of her fingers until they turned green from the juices.
“Hello?” I demanded. She had a ridiculously short attention span.
“The other man, did he have a totem?” she asked, turning my way once more and dropping the clovers.
“Yes, his name is Gideon Everlee, and this key is his totem. He’s been here before.” My hopes rose; she might know who he was.
“Gideon… I know this name, but I have not seen him in a long time.”
I could have sworn she blushed. I ignored it, wanting more information.
“How would I find him if he doesn’t have his totem?” I pushed a strand of my hair off my face, remembering suddenly that I was in quite a state after surviving the ravenous river. It was frustrating communicating with this creature. “You can do that, right? With your magic?”
“No. Not without a totem. Gideon Everlee… I believe his mother was fae.”
My mouth dropped open. “What? How would you know that?”
“His mother left us to venture the top world where she fell in love with a human and had a child. He visited us several times with her, but after she died, he didn’t come much anymore. Jarvin was quite angered. She was his promised, but she loved a human. That’s why I think he wants to keep you. He says he’s owed a consort.”
“What?” I shook my head. “That’s insane. Gideon’s mother was fae?”
“Now, you must come with me.” Fealty straightened and waved for me to follow.
“What? No. I can’t go with you. I need to find Gideon and Clyde. I need to get out of here!” My voice grew louder as my desperation rose. I couldn’t believe this. She had more answers for me, I was sure of it, but her riddles made me dizzy and confused me even more. “Help me find them, please, Fealty.”
She turned and looked at me pensively. She was about to say something but decided not to as she cocked her head once more to listen to another sound I couldn’t hear.
“Ah, he’s returned. Come. Jarvin awaits your presence.”
Chapter Thirty-three
Star
Fealty glanced over her shoulder, smiling widely at me. Her teeth were made of milky crystals, sharpened to points and terrifying. I made it a point to not stare at them, fighting a shudder.
“Come on. You’re a slow one, aren’t you?”
Her long, crystal-filament hair swayed in a thick braid that reached all the way to her bottom. The gauzy gown she wore exposed her thin arms and long, bare legs. Her skin was so pale she could’ve been made of marble. From what I remembered, Jarvin wasn’t pale. He had grey-black skin, black as night hair, and eyes like stars twinkling in the night sky. I frowned. He had been pale when he’d first emerged, but his skin had changed. I had a lot to learn about these creatures. I wondered if these two were related in any way.
I rubbed at my face, feeling the sleep still hanging on to me. Bleary eyed, I looked around. “Is Jarvin your husband?” I asked.
Fealty began to giggle, laughing as we continued. I frowned.
“Oh, no! I am not useful in that way. You are his consort. He told me humans were a bit slow to understand.”
I glared at her. What nerve.
“Did Jarvin bring me here?” I asked.
“Yes, he brought you here to our home last night.” Fealty reached out to touch my pendants, but I flinched at her nearness. She froze.
I cranked my neck to look at my necklace. I had Gideon’s totem as well as my own red crystal tied with twine, hanging together. I’d kept Gideon’s totem but wished I’d given it to him before this journey had started. I pressed my hand to them and gave them a squeeze.
“This one belongs to Gideon. The ruby pendant is mine.”
Fealty peered at me curiously, making her look more human than ever.
“Gideon can’t come here without his totem, right?” I asked.
“Depends. He is part fae. He might not even need it to come back.”
This statement calmed me somewhat. I hoped she was right.
“Jarvin is waiting. I told him you’ve awoken.” She waved me to her, insisting I follow.
“I don’t even know who Jarvin is,” I said sharply, frustration making my head pound. I rubbed at my eyes, still slightly itchy. “Aren’t there other fae besides you and Jarvin?”
“This is our home here. Each fae claims their own caverns and territory. Different caves belong to different families. We usually don’t mingle much, unless there are marriage unions, deaths ceremonies, or births. Those three things rarely happen.”
I stopped, realizing she wasn’t using words to speak anymore. There was no sound coming from her at all now. I was speaking out loud by myself. She noticed my discomfort and smiled again. Oh, geez, those teeth….
“We speak telepathically. It takes a while to get used to. Speaking out loud is so primitive.” She wrinkled her nose as though using her voice was a nuisance.
I threw her an incredulous look. I couldn’t believe this. I had to be dreaming. Only a dream would tell me speech was primitive.
“What are you?” I asked.
“We are fae.”
“I know that,” I groaned, rubbing at my eyes. Why did they feel so gritty? “I meant, what are you compared to me? To the humans? Are you humanoid or did you come from space? Are humans and fae related?” I felt silly asking her such things.
“Humans and Fae are similar but we are from two different worlds.”
Fealty tilted her head to the side, studying me curiously. I almost felt her thoughts floating about her head like a halo. I blinked over and over, my eyes stinging and dry. What was wrong with them? My vision was getting blurrier by the minute.
“Are you all right?” she asked, her head tilting to the other side.
“My eyes, they hurt. They’re so dry, and everything is blurry.” I tried hard not to rub them, afraid I’d scratch my corneas to oblivion. Tears leaked from my eyes but failed to clear them. “What’s happening?” I asked, frantic with the irritation.
Fealty watched for a second longer before she reached to her side, where several pouches hung from a belt. She pulled something out of one and plucked the cork off of it. She appeared to dump some of it onto her palm, dipping her fingertips into it before reaching out toward my face. I flinched, unsure of what she was doing.
“I won’t hurt you,” she reassured me.
“What is that?” I dodged her attempts to smear it on my eyelids.
“It’s prism ointment. For your eyes. You’re not used to seeing our world, and it burns. This relieves the pain and allows your vision to work in our domain.”
Blinking hard, I wiped at the tears, smearing them madly across my cheeks. Whatever the medicine was, it couldn’t be as bad as the searing pain, could it?
“All right,” I said, allowing her to close the distance between us. If this stuff didn’t work, I was afraid I would definitely scratch my eyes out. She reached out once more and smeared the ointment onto my eyes. I blinked hard, wondering if she’d gotten it on my corneas at all. Almost instantly, a cooling sensation slid over my eyes, relieving the stinging pain completely.
I flicked my eyes open, looked around, and noticed the cavern was now lit up with far more than just the lights from the crystals high in the cavern’s roof. The walls shimmered, much like the geode room. The crystals made up everything, and I could see that the grass was made up of thin crystals as well, but it swayed in some unseen breeze and was soft to the touch. The water gleamed like blue crystals floated around in it, but I bet it felt just like regular water.
My eyes felt fine, as though they’d never hurt. I reached up to see if any excess ointment remained but pulled my fingers away to find that there was none. It’d absorbed immediately into my eyes.
