by Dyan Chick
Now that I was moving, I realized the marshy area was farther than I originally thought. Cursing my decision, I considered turning back and hiding among the trees.
Then I heard the sound of soft rushing water and it was enough to make me continue forward. When I reached the tall grasses, I parted them and climbed inside the grove of cattails. The temperature dropped instantly as my sore feet sank into soft, soothing mud. I let out a long sigh of relief as some of the pressure and pain eased with each step.
As I approached the water, tears slid down my cheeks. This water represented hope, a chance of cleansing my wounds and a chance at survival. The river in front of me wasn't even a real river, it was barely a stream. But it had clear rushing water and I stepped right in the current without even pausing to consider how deep it might be. A few steps in, and the water rose to my knees.
I sank down, leaning my head back, and began washing off all of the dirt and blood. I pulled off my night clothes, which were nothing more than scraps at that point anyway, and laid them out on some stones to dry in the sun.
As I scrubbed the blood from the wounds, I noticed they were already healing. As confused as I was, I was grateful for the gift that seem to accompany my newfound heritage. Now wasn't the time to question the magic that was going to help me stay alive for another day.
I leaned back in the pool of water, letting the ripples rush past me and I thought back to my childhood. Had I always healed so quickly? I tried to think of a time I'd been sick or hurt, and I couldn't pinpoint a single instance. I remembered one winter, when Rose almost died from fever, and my parents separated us so I wouldn't catch the illness. Despite the fact that several children in our community died that year, including one of my best playmates, and Rose fought for her life in the weeks the illness took over her body, I never even had so much as a sniffle.
Nani had said that changeling children were stripped of their magic, but maybe some of it had survived in the human world, after all. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and said a silent prayer to whichever goddess would hear me for Nani. Please keep her safe.
Then, I opened my eyes and looked around. There was nobody there to keep me safe. I was going to have to figure out what to do next on my own.
Chapter Nine
I sank back into the cold, rushing water and ran my fingers through my hair, working out some of the knots. I was going to have to leave the water and find shelter before the sun set. Looking over at the tattered remains of my wet night clothes, I frowned. They weren't going to be much use to me even if they were dry.
I glanced around, hoping for some sign of civilization. Why did this land seem so desolate? Beautiful, yes, but apparently so sparsely populated that I hadn't seen any sign of a home or other being since my arrival. When I was flying, I recalled seeing what looked like fields and farmland, but I couldn't recall seeing the typical homes I'd seen growing up. Perhaps I'd been too high up to notice. Or too terrified.
With a sigh, I picked up my sopping clothing and pulled on the remains of my white pants. They only covered my upper thighs after I'd torn them and they were see through now, thanks to the water, but they'd dry on me just the same as they would on a rock. I was too cold to sit in the water and there was no way I was going to walk around naked. I gasped as I tugged my shirt over my head as the cold soggy fabric clung to my skin. My waist was exposed, but at least my breasts were covered. Not that anything was truly hidden under the sheer fabric.
Wrapping my arms over my chest, I waded through the water back to shore. Standing on the bank, I took a moment to try to orient myself. My best bet was to take the same path back that the bat beast had flown. I knew if I followed that route, I'd be exposed and in clear line of sight if the creature was still hunting me. Frustrated, I pushed the stuck strands of my long hair away from my forehead and dropped my arms to my side. How much easier would it be to just curl up into a little ball here and go to sleep? I wasn't sure how I was going to cross back to where I'd come from and there didn't seem to be anything around.
I looked at the stream behind me and knelt down, peeking at the flow of the water. It seemed to pick up speed as it raced away from me at a steady decline. It was possible the little stream would become a wider river. My education had been minimal, but I knew that where there was water, there would be crops.
I stood and brushed the dirt from my hands. There was no point in trying to get back to where I had come from. What I needed was a warm room and a hearty meal. That wasn't something I'd get from the middle of nowhere. Instead, I'd follow the stream. That way, if I got lost, at least I could find my way back to where I started. It wasn't a great plan, but it was the best I had.
As I walked, I peeked at the scrapes and injuries on my body. The scratches on my arms and legs were healed and the puncture marks from the claws were nearly healed. Being Fae was certainly not all bad. I might be ostracized from my family, though they brought that on themselves as far as I was concerned, and I might not have any idea what I was going to do, but I was alive. So I would walk until I found someone to take me in for the night.
After what felt like miles of silence, hoof beats thundered into range. My shoulders lifted and I turned toward the direction of the sound. I'd stayed in the undergrowth surrounding the stream and couldn't see the road, but I knew it had to be there.
Risking being seen, I peeked out through the cattails to see what was heading this way. It was a single rider, but I couldn't determine what he or she looked like.
I squinted into the sunlight, trying to make out the details of the rider silhouetted against the setting sun. Had it been a whole day already? Maybe time worked differently there.
I held my breath for a second, trying to decide if it was better to stay hidden, or approach the rider for help. I stared down at my tattered shreds of clothing and tried to figure out how many hours of sunlight I even had left. At the rate I was going, I would freeze to death the second the sun sank below the horizon.
Wrapping my arms tighter around my chest to give myself the illusion of privacy, I climbed out from between the cattails and walked onto the main road.
I hoped the rider was a kind person or Fae or whatever. At that moment, my fate seemed to rest in the hands of the rider and the horse trotting down the road toward me.
I could make out male features now, dark hair and luminous skin. Definitely Fae. He had a strong build under a well fitted tunic. The black horse he rode was a powerful animal that would have been the envy of anyone in the town I grew up in. With every smooth stride, the creature's muscles flexed and rippled in the sunlight showing the shine of the well cared for coat.
The rider slowed as he approached me, and all too soon, I found myself face-to-face with a stranger.
"Are you lost?" The rider smirked. He looked like he was holding back a laugh.
"What makes you think I'm lost? Perhaps I'm just going for a walk," I snapped. I knew I should just ask for help. I was at the point where I should probably beg for help, but the way his eyes sparkled and his lips turned upward made me feel like he was teasing me.
"Well, you're making quite a statement in those clothes. If I didn't know any better, I'd say maybe you needed some help," he said, hopping off his horse.
I swallowed hard and nodded once, dropping my guard. I had already resigned myself to asking for help, it shouldn't be this hard to follow through. "I just arrived, this is all I have."
The Fae turned toward his horse, pulled something out of a saddlebag before returning to me. A moment later, a cloak was wrapped over my shoulders and the dark-haired Fae leaned in close while he fastened it around my neck. This close, I could see how smooth his skin was and how strong his jaw was. He smelled like sandalwood and lemon and part of me wanted to bury myself into his chest. That wasn't a normal reaction for me when I met a man for the first time, and it startled me.
I took a step back the second he dropped his fingers from the cloak and looked up at him through my lashes. He was he
ad and shoulders taller than me, once again making me feel small.
"I won't hurt you," he said. "My name's Ethan."
"Cassia," I said.
"Come on, I'll get you home," he said, offering his hand.
"I don't exactly have a home anymore," I said.
His brow furrowed. "You running from your master, husband, or father?"
I stopped walking and stared at him. "Is that something that happens often here?"
He shrugged. "Not really, but seeing as how you're alone with nothing, I have to wonder what you were in such a hurry to escape."
That made more sense. I sighed. "I ran from my wedding."
It seemed like enough to say. I hoped he would think I was afraid of the man I was to marry or wasn't in love with him. I occasionally heard stories of girls that would risk life on their own rather than marrying a terrible man. I never heard of those girls again, but I knew it happened from time to time. I wasn't sure what it said about me to him, but I had a feeling that keeping the fact that I was a changeling was probably the safest path for me.
Ethan looked like he wanted to comment, but he refrained. Instead, he offered his hand again and helped me onto his horse, then pulled himself up after me.
Strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling my back up against his firm chest. Heat rose to my cheeks and I shuddered at his touch as tingles climbed down my back. I'd never been this close to a male before and I wondered if this was a normal reaction for me to have.
He leaned closer, his chin brushing against my forehead. "Don't worry, I've got you."
Grateful that he seemed to mistake my reaction to his proximity as nerves, I nodded.
He clicked his tongue and pulled up on the reins, and the horse took off at a gentle trot down the road.
I watched the river alongside the road, noting that it was widening as we traveled farther. There was something reassuring about knowing that I'd made the smartest choice when trying to save my life.
Since arriving in Faerie, I'd felt in even less control than I had in my father's house. Knowing that despite my lack of education, I had made a strong choice, gave me a spark of hope. Perhaps I could make it work here. Maybe it would all turn out for the best.
Some of the tension spilled from my shoulders in response to my newfound optimism. Turning away from the river, I looked ahead and was surprised to see a sprawling home in front of us. I'd been so close to reaching something when Ethan had come along. It made me wonder where he was headed and which task I'd stopped him from.
Polished black stones the size of my head now lined either side of the road, leading up to an impressive arched black stone entryway.
Ethan clicked his tongue again and his mount slowed as we crossed under the arch.
I looked around in awe. I'd never seen anything so grand and it was just a preview of what was to come. In front of me, was a brick and stone home with dark green shutters and a long stone entryway up to a pair of carved wood doors.
Vines climbed along one side of the house with bright green leaves that reached toward the fading sun and a neat row of flowers sat in pots under them.
I was so taken by the beauty of the place that I didn't realize Ethan had dismounted until he picked me up and lifted me from the horse as if I were a small child.
I yelped in surprise as he set me down, then bit down on my lower lip to curb the sound. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he said. They were the first words he'd spoken since we started our ride and I had a feeling he was one of those rare men who preferred quiet.
"Where are we?" I whispered, suddenly overly aware of my own loud nature. "Do you live here?"
"No, I live in the Spring Court. This is my friend's home."
Before he could finish, the door opened and a familiar face walked through the door.
"Dane?" I asked.
"You've met?" Ethan asked, surprised.
Dane was tugging on a glove, but stopped when he saw me, causing the glove to fall to the ground. "We were just going back out to search again."
Neighing horses sounded behind me and I turned to see Cormac mounted on a steed, leading a second horse toward us.
"Cassia?" he asked, pulling back on the reins to stop his progress. He dismounted, then led the horses toward us.
"We found the creature's nest, but you weren't there," he said.
"I got away," I said, then winced at my lame response.
"How?" Dane asked.
A cool breeze ruffled the damp fabric that clung to my skin and I hugged myself as I tried to repress a shiver.
"That can wait," Ethan said. "Let's get her inside and cleaned up."
I was grateful for Ethan's concern and when he set his hand on the small of my back to usher me inside, I didn't hesitate. I was too tired, too cold, and too confused to resist the temptation of warmth and comfort.
Chapter Ten
I tiptoed across slick wood floors as I walked through the stunning entryway. Columns of wood carved with maple leaf designs separated us from a sitting room arranged around an especially large fireplace.
"Upstairs, second bedroom," Cormac called as Ethan continued to escort me through the home.
I caught sight of a slender female Fae in a blue dress and apron. She lowered her eyes away from me and inclined her head in a slight bow. It was a strange sensation to be given immediate status based on the fact that I was walking with Ethan. At least, I had to assume it came from that. My clothing wasn't exactly showing that I was someone who should be bowed to. Though my family's servants were supposed to do the same, they'd always been so relaxed around me. I only saw the formal behavior come out when my father was present.
Taking my eyes off of the servant, I followed Ethan up a flight of stairs. My feet sank into the plush rug that ran the entire length of the staircase. It was a deep burgundy carpet that felt softer than the silk of my ruined wedding dress. I wanted to curl up on one of the stairs and sink into the quiet softness of the cushion.
By the time we reached the bedroom, exhaustion had set in and I stared longingly at the canopy bed pushed up against the back wall.
"Wait here," Ethan said.
I nodded, and as soon as he walked through the door, I made my way over to the bed and sat down. My limbs felt like they were filled with sand. Giving in to the exhaustion, I fell back onto the bed with my legs dangling over the edge. Not having to hold up my own body weight was a relief and I let myself sink into the soft bedding. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath in and realized that I felt safe there. I didn't know these people, but so far, they had only tried to help me. That was more than I could say about my own family.
My chest tightened at the thought. None of them were my family. I was alone. Emptiness swirled around my mind as I tried to grasp what any of this meant. I was a changeling. A Fae hidden from birth in a human household despite the fact that Faerie law didn't allow such a thing.
Pulling my legs up to my chest, I hugged them close to me and rolled onto my side. I had so many questions, but they were making me dizzy so I tried to clear my mind instead. I breathed in the scent of cedar and something sweet that I couldn't pinpoint.
Somewhere far away, I thought I heard my name, but I didn't answer. Instead, I took another deep breath then fell asleep.
I woke in a dark room, tangled in a pile of blankets I didn't remember covering myself with. My heart raced as I looked around the unfamiliar space. Then, I remembered I was in Faerie and I recalled sitting down on the bed while I was waiting for someone to return. Ethan. That was his name. My breathing slowed as I talked myself into releasing some of the tension I was holding in my balled fists. If the Fae males had any interest in harming me, they could have done so while I was sleeping. The fact that they hadn’t didn't make me trust them, but it was enough to make me hope.
I threw the blankets from me and realized I was wearing different clothes. My torn nightgown was gone, replaced by what appeared to be an oversized green tunic. Flutters fill
ed my chest as I realized it must belong to one of the males who lived here. I rolled the too long sleeves up, then looked around the room, wondering what I should do next.
Muted conversation carried through the closed door so I crept toward it. After my last encounter eavesdropping, my skin prickled in anticipation and fear as I carefully turned the doorknob. Holding my breath, I peeked around the open door hoping to hear some of what was being said before I announced that I was awake to the household.
The conversation ceased and I froze, worried I'd made a noise that had given me away.
"Cassia," Ethan's voice carried up to me. "You don't have to hide in there."
My face heated. How did he know I'd been standing there? I licked my lips and pushed the door open the rest of the way, determined not to let him know how uncomfortable I was.
I walked to the stairway to find all three Fae males waiting for me. I hesitated in my step for a second before continuing the descent. "How did you know I was awake?"
"After what you've been through we thought it best if I kept a closer eye on you," Ethan said.
The males moved aside as I reached the bottom of the stairway and I stopped in the middle of them. "What do you mean by that?"
He shrugged. "We all have different gifts, talents as it were. One of mine is the ability to forge connections with other Fae."
"Connections?" I asked, letting the word hang between us.
"I can sense where you are," he said.
"Is that necessary?" It seemed like a serious violation of privacy, though I could guess that most human men would wish for the skill to do the same. The idea of him being able to track me at all times made me want to head right for the front door.
"Don't even think about it," Cormac said, moving between me and the exit.
"And you do what, exactly? Read my mind?" I asked.
"No, I have no such gift," he said. "But you did get suddenly fixated on the door."
