Fae Flower

by Michelle R. Reid

  My skin was burning and freezing at the same time, a painful combination that vibrated up my arms and sent panic buzzing through my head. The slightest twitch set off the pain again, like a hot hammer on my skin.

  Aeden growled in frustration and let loose rough Fae words. “I can’t move,” he agonized. “I can’t touch you. Kyna? Kyna, are you okay?”

  No, I wasn’t. But there wasn’t the time for me to agonize. Each second, McReilly took us farther from my home and closer to the Red Caps. I nodded, because I didn’t think I could talk just yet. I took a couple more long, shaky breaths. My fingers shook painfully against my chest. Now that I was a little calmer, I remembered that I shouldn’t have wrapped the burn up like this. But then again, I didn’t have any ointments to cool the burn either. I took one last moment to wipe my face against my knees, drying off my cheeks, hiccupping as I sat up.

  Aeden looked me over with wide, scared eyes. “Are you…” He swallowed hard and glanced at my lap where my hands rested.

  I shifted so he couldn’t see them. “I’m okay,” I insisted, even though my voice shook as much as the wagon. I glanced behind me at the wooden door between the back and the front seat. “McReilly put your Pearl in his breast pocket. If I can get it, then I can free you and we can get out of here.” Concentrating on what I needed to do helped distract me from my pain.

  “I should be the one doing this.” Aeden’s voice was heavy with self-loathing.

  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. But the thought of Aeden suffering any more at the hands of that horrible man and the haunting idea of what the Red Caps might do to me, was more terrifying and painful than anything right now.

  I glanced over my shoulder and forced a smile. “Don’t worry. I can do this. I’ve rescued hundreds of Fae in my life. I won’t fail now. Not when it means so much.” And it did. Aeden meant something to me. I didn’t know what yet. I didn’t know if I’d ever really get the chance to figure it out, but I wasn’t going to fail him.

  Aeden’s eyes widened.

  A true smile touched my mouth. Even in this situation, I couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was, his hair ruffled and falling into his face like a rowdy boy. The regal prince was gone, leaving behind someone … touchable.

  I shook my head and turned back to the door and reached for the latch. The wagon bouncing over the rough road didn’t help my already trembling fingers. McReilly was on the other side of this door, along with the Far Darrig. I had to get Aeden’s Pearl before they got me. I flipped the double-sided latch.

  The door swung towards me, pushed hard by the wind. I shifted out of the way but it still hit my knees painfully. I winced.

  “The hell?” McReilly turned in his seat.

  The Far Darrig was nowhere in sight.

  I launched myself at McReilly, hands clawing at his chest. My aching fingers latched onto his breast pocket. The coarse material bunched under my weight, then the seam split, tearing the pocket right off. Aeden’s golden Pearl fell down to McReilly’s lap then rolled off. It clattered down to the bouncing boards of the foot rest.

  McReilly yelled as he was pushed off balance. He slid off the front seat and landed on top of the Pearl. The reins in his hands jerked tight as he landed.

  The horses screamed as the bits tugged on their mouths and jerked their heads to the side.

  I landed with my stomach on the seat, sending a sharp pain through my ribs. My hands hurt so badly, they felt like they were falling off, but still I lunged forward, thrusting my hands around McReilly, trying to find the Pearl before he did.

  The Far Darrig crawled over my back, its tiny feet sending shivers up my spine. It grabbed my hair and pulled, forcing my head back as McReilly swore into my face. McReilly jerked his hip to the side, smashing my hands between the sideboard and his hip.

  The burns on my wrists flared and I screamed. Between the rough material of his pants and the wood, something smooth and round shifted against my skin. With all the strength I had left, I turned my hand and grabbed the warm Pearl.

  The horses let out another squeal. The bay horse on the left jumped and tossed its head just as the dapple on the right bucked back, hooves hitting the right wheel. The wheel broke. The beam connecting the horses to the wagon snapped, and the animals veered left as the wagon pitched right. The joist dug into the bumpy ground and hit a rock.

  The wagon flipped.

  I screamed, suddenly airborne, a sickening weightlessness in my stomach. The Far Darrig’s hands slipped out of my hair as it was flung away. I could hear McReilly bellowing, but I couldn’t see him or anything over the hair in my face. I landed flat on my back, all the air pushed out of my lungs, and rolled over the bumpy road.

  Finally, I came to a stop on my side. My whole body throbbed as bruises started to form over every inch. With a moan, I shifted to my side and turned my head to get some of my hair out of my face. I lay there, open mouthed, just breathing. Forcing air in and out of my lungs, no matter how much my ribs ached.

  The only thing that mattered was the soothingly warm Pearl in my fingers. As long as it was warm, Aeden was alive.

  Gravel crunched next to me, reminding me that there was someone else. My eyes cracked open as a shadow fell over me.

  McReilly lunged down, his hands closing over my throat.

  My eyes widened in horror as his fingers tightened, cutting off my air.

  His narrowed eyes were black with murder as he stared down at me. Dirt and blood smudged his wrinkled face and his lip was split. “The Red Caps wanted you alive,” he seethed, blood from his mouth dripping onto my dress. “I guess they’ll have to settle with you a little dead.” His grip tightened.

  My mouth opened, gulping like a fish as less and less air got to my lungs. “Ae … den,” I gasped, pushing out his name with as much air as I could muster. Even I could barely hear it. “He … lp!” Black spots started to dance in my vision.

  “That Fae—”

  The pile of broken wagon on my right exploded. Flames ten feet high erupted, burning hot as the sun. From the middle of the fire, Aeden stood up and looked at us, at McReilly, his Fae eyes glowing like a demon’s light.

  McReilly hissed a curse. He let go of my neck and pawed at my body, trying to find the Pearl. He grabbed my hand, trying to force it open.

  I clenched my aching fingers as tight as possible.

  Like a shooting star, Aeden surged out of the fire. He grabbed McReilly’s face with his right hand, ripped him off me in a blaze of heat, and slammed him onto the ground.

  McReilly screamed as Aeden’s flames lit him on fire. He clawed at Aeden but couldn’t seem to touch him or put out the fire.

  From this angle I couldn’t see Aeden’s face as he burned the human alive, but honestly, I didn’t want to.

  I covered my ears and looked way.

  Moments later, McReilly’s scream stopped.

  Something small moved next to the burning wagon. Slowly the Far Darrig sat up and shook its head like a dog. It looked around and flinched away from the bonfire. The wood popped and crackled. Suddenly, a dozen or so colored lights flew out of the fire like pebbles launched from a sling. All but one flew through the air, over the Fae forest and disappeared into the distance.

  A small black ball — a Pearl — zoomed up and over to the Far Darrig. The tiny Fae held out his hands and caught the Pearl. Immediately the Pearl absorbed into the Far Darrig, giving him his free will back. With a shrill squeal of joy, the Far Darrig jumped into the air. “Free! Free!” It celebrated.

  It spotted me and stopped. For a moment, it just stared at me, then a slow smile spread across its face. An evil smile.

  My eyes widened, shocked. McReilly was dead, the Fae were finally free. What more did it want from me?

  The Far Darrig looked just above me and its face slackened with fear. Its mouth opened, the start of that crippling high-pitched sound.

  Aeden leapt over me and grabbed the tiny Fae in his hands, cutting off the sound before it
could do any more damage. His hands lit on fire again, burning the Fae to cinders. A minute later, he opened his fingers and shook off the ash.

  Tears pooled in my eyes, watching how casually Aeden killed another Fae. The Far Darrig had been horrible, but how much of that had been by choice? “You killed it,” I whispered. I tried to sit up, but my muscles hurt too much to move.

  Aeden looked at me, eyes still alight with Sun Fae fury. The fire went out and he glanced to the side with a slow breath. “Yes.” He looked at the ash pile on the ground, frowning. “It enjoyed making me a slave. It’s Fae like that, that started the Fae slave trade and keep it going. Not many Fae have that ability, and those that abuse it are too dangerous to be around the rest that just want to live happy, free lives.”

  He glanced at the fire behind him. The flames went out, leaving a smoldering pile of wood and debris. He walked over to me and crouched down. He slid an arm under my back and helped me sit up.

  I gasped and leaned my aching, spinning head against his chest. When my vision finally cleared, I lifted my hand, burns radiating up from my wrists, and forced my fingers open. “Here,” I whispered, presenting his Pearl.

  His fingers slowly skimmed over the burns on my wrist, a breath away from the pulsing skin. He frowned with guilt. “Such a high price,” he muttered and took his Pearl. It absorbed into his skin. He closed his eyes and shivered, like a cold bucket of water was tipped down his back. When his eyes opened, the glassy, dull look was gone, replaced with the fire of life I loved to see in his eyes.

  I breathed a sigh and sloughed all my weight onto him, knowing that he’d take it. I was so tired. Everything hurt, from the top of my head to my toes. My dress was torn in several places, and I was covered in dirt and scabs. But all that mattered was I needed to sleep. The buzzing need tingled over my scalp and made my eyelids so heavy.

  “Kyna?” Aeden whispered and shook my shoulders. “Kyna?”

  “Sleepy …” I mumbled, trying to answer him as best I could, even though my tongue felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. “Hurts …”

  He slid a hand under my thighs and stood up, holding me tight to his chest. “It’ll be okay, Kyna,” he promised. “I’ll protect you.”

  I sighed and snuggled into his warm chest. A weightless feeling came over me, different from the wagon ride. There was something soothing about the subtle rise and fall. Safe. I was safe. With a small smile, I gave in to the darkness.

  Chapter 10

  It was quiet when I awoke, but I lay there a moment with my eyes closed, enjoying the chilly air on my face and the smooth material around me, warm and cool at the same time. Slowly, my eyes opened and the world came into focus. My mouth parted in wonder as I took in the beauty around me.

  I was in the finest bed I’d ever seen, between layers of white Fae Silk. The headboard was made of delicate white wood, twisted together with clear crystals held in the branches. A matching chair sat next to the bed. Several side tables and wardrobes lined the room. The walls were white with trees embedded in them, growing tall, their tops swaying in blue sky, the green leaves the only ceiling. It was odd how the bottoms of the trees were so white, but the tops were a normal brown with green leaves swaying.

  Curious, I slipped out of the bed. It wasn’t until I was standing that I noticed that nothing hurt. Shocked, I looked at my hands. The burns and every injury were gone. Even the calluses I’d gotten from day-to-day work were gone, leaving only the softest skin. My tattered clothes were replaced with a sleeveless white Fae Silk dress that fell to my knees. I pulled at the material, awed.

  Where was I?

  I glanced at the dome-shaped door on the other side of the room. I had to be in a Fae building, but would it be rude of me to walk around without permission?

  The chill of the air sent a shiver up my back. I cringed, grabbed a blanket off the bed and wrapped it around me. If it was so cold here, why were the trees so green on top? I walked barefoot over the chilly dirt floor to the wall and leaned close to a tree. My jaw dropped open. The tree was coated in a clear layer of ice. Gently, I touched my hand to the cold and my eyes widened. I could feel it. The tree was alive and healthy inside the ice.

  It was like the ice was a barrier, protecting the tree. Just above my hand, a node formed and grew on the tree as I watched. The ice bulged and stretched as the node turned into a small branch. A bud grew on the end of the tree, peeking out of the ice cocoon. The bud burst open, revealing a pink blossom.

  “Wow,” I whispered, awed by the flower that grew before me in less than a minute. “Thank you for showing this to me,” I said to the tree. “It’s lovely.”

  The door opened.

  I jumped and turned, gaping at the Fae woman who walked in. A Frost Fae, the most elusive Fae in the world, her hair, skin, and eyes all white.

  She saw the empty bed, gasped in shock and turned to look around the room frantically. When she spotted me, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

  I smiled and waved. “Hi.”

  Without a word, she left the room in a single step and slammed the door behind her.

  Well, that wasn’t what I was expecting. Then again, I didn’t know what to expect in a Frost Fae building. I’d never been to one — or inside any Fae settlement — before. From the look on that Fae’s face, they weren’t used to humans either. Maybe I should sit down? Would that make me less intimidating?

  I walked back over to the bed, still awed that I could even move after being flung from a wagon like that. I’d heard of the miraculous abilities of Fae nectar, but I’d never touched it before. In fact, Mama and I worked so hard to make sure other humans stopped using it, so the thieving of Fae nectar would stop. But even I had to admit, none of my tonics could have done this.

  I sat down on the bed and looked at my hands again, wiggling my fingers, amazed at the smooth skin.

  There was a soft knock on the door.

  I jumped and pulled the blanket closer around me. “Come in.”

  The door opened and Aeden stepped inside. He held a silver platter piled high with various fruits and leaves. His eyes flicked over my face, searching. He must have been satisfied with what he saw because he sighed, a relieved smile touching his lips. “You’re finally awake. I was worried. My healers didn’t really know what to do to help you. They told me you were fine, just sleeping, but they specialize in animals, not humans.”

  I smiled, both amused and confused if that classified me as an animal or not. Then I blinked, focusing on his other words. “How long have I been asleep?”

  Aeden walked over to me and set the platter down on the bed next to me. “It’s been almost a day since,” he paused, “that happened.”

  My eyes widened. “A day? Oh no. Mama and Heath must be worried sick.” What if I ruined the wedding celebration? Poor Heath! And Mama must be going mad fretting over me, after the Red Cap attack the night before. I jumped to my feet then paused, startled when it brought me almost chest to chest with Aeden.

  Aeden looked down at me, equally surprised. He cleared his throat, put a hand on my shoulder and gently pushed me back to sitting on the bed. “You should eat first.” He motioned to the platter. “We don’t really know what humans eat, but these are all edible.”

  I glanced down at the platter. Yes, it was all edible, but my uncle would call it ‘rabbit food’ under his breath.

  “As for your mother, I’ve sent someone to your home to tell her that you’re fine,” Aeden said.

  Some of the weight seemed to lift off my shoulders. “Thank you, Aeden.”

  He pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down. “No, I should be the one thanking you. I could do nothing but kneel there while you suffered for me. Because of me.” His face tightened and he looked away. His hand fisted tight for a second, then relaxed on the arm rest. “That was a very brave and, honestly, stupid thing you did. But we’re both safe because of you.” He smiled at me, eyes soft. “I owe you my life, Kyna.”

  My heart was beating so
hard, I could hear it in my ears. Heat seared my cheeks. I looked away, horrified that I couldn’t cover my blush unless I threw the blanket over my head. But even that was too undignified. Maybe.

  I bit my lips and tried to save face by picking out a red berry from the platter. “Well, you saved me too. I wouldn’t have been able to get away if you weren’t there. So, I should thank you, as well.” Carefully, I bit the small fruit in half, popped the pip out and put in on the platter, then ate the rest of the fruit. At home, I would have put the whole fruit in my mouth and then spat out the pip, but that seemed inappropriate in front of Aeden.

  As I chewed, the question that had been nagging at the back of my mind came to the fore. I swallowed and looked up at him. “How did you know McReilly was kidnapping me?”

  “I was actually already there, at your ranch. When I saw something was going on — a celebration of some sort? — I decided to wait till after. Then you ran off. I decided to follow and, well.” He opened his arms wide. “You know the rest.”

  I nodded. “But why were you there?” I won’t lie, a strong part of me wanted him to say he just wanted to see me. That he was willing to wait for hours just to talk to me.

  “Ah.” Aeden nodded slowly and swallowed hard, like he was suddenly nervous. “I was actually there to, ah, come get you.”

  My hand paused, fruit halfway to my mouth. That was not what I was expecting him to say. “Come get me? Get me for what?”

  Aeden shoved a hand roughly through his hair. “I was going to take you to Lasair.”

  “Why?”

  He sighed and dropped his hand. His features smoothed, like he was hiding behind a royal mask. “Because I know why the Red Caps want you. I came to take you away. Even with all those Fae charms layered over your family’s property, no human is strong enough to protect you from the Red Caps. You saw what they did to your house. But we Sun Fae can protect you. We would do anything to make sure they don’t get you.”