by ERIN BEDFORD
I thought for a moment and then asked, "Does it have something to do with these new names?" Carban peeked over his shoulder at me at my question. "I couldn't help but notice you all seem to be conflicted about what to call you. Hatter. Mercury. Tweedles. Coby. Carban. Even this Mop character. Why are you using fake names?"
"The Shadows."
I stopped in my tracks at the new voice. The other three stopped as well, but they did not seem confused. I searched around for the owner of the voice and found a handsome man leaning against a new by tree. He watched us with growing interest.
Dark blue eyes peered out of an aristocratic face. Long black hair hung to his waist and was braided to show off his pointed ears where long blood red rubies hung. His simple black shirt opened at the collar and his matching pants were tucked into knee-high boots. While he didn't wear a crown or royal clothing like the king and queen of the Seelie Court had, everything about him screamed important. Powerful.
"My prince." Hatter didn't release my hand as he dropped to a knee. Coby and Carban bowed as well but not as low at Hatter.
"Rise." The prince lifted a hand for Hatter to stand. "No need for such formalities here." He gave the twins a sardonic grin before turning his watchful eyes to me. "Alice Liddell, you have grown quite well."
"Uh... thank you, Your Highness. I would curtsy but..." I lifted my otherwise occupied hands with a sheepish baring of my teeth.
The prince gave me a curious look. "Why are you calling me Your Highness? You never do that."
My eyes widened. "Oh. We've met before?"
"Do you not remember?"
Hatter stepped forward, still holding my hand. "My apologies, Your Highness, but it seems our Alice has lost some of her memories. We have been collecting them." He gave me a secretive wink.
"Very well, then." The prince grinned. "I won't ruin it. Your Highness or Prince will do."
Not wanting to get detoured too much by the conversation, I asked, "And what of the Shadows?"
"Oh, yes." The prince moved from the tree and approached us. "There are a few in this world that do not follow the rules, and those who are deemed not fit to stay in our world are cast into the Shadow Realm. There they fester and fade until there is nothing more than a glimpse of themselves left." He frowned and rubbed his jaw line. "Unfortunately, it seems that some of them have escaped their prison and are wreaking havoc on both courts."
"They call you into the night by your name," Coby told me, whispering in my ear. "Only the strongest are able to break the seductive pull of their power. So, it is better to not let them know your name at all."
A chill went down my spine, and I hoped I'd never have to worry about resisting the call. I had enough on my plate without fretting over creatures I couldn't see or resist. If the Fae were scared, then I doubted a human would be able to do anything against it.
"Perhaps, I should have a name as well." I shot a look around the group. "For my own protection, of course."
The prince laughed. "Well, it wouldn't hurt, but seeing as you can't stay here for longer than a few days at a time, I think you might be alright."
That was the second time someone said I couldn't stay. It was beginning to put a chip in my overall plan.
"Why can't I stay?"
No one answered for a moment. Hatter broke the silence first.
"Humans and Fae age very differently, my love." His beautiful lips curved downward, and pain filled his eyes. "Our world does not run on the same time as yours. You might be alright for now, but after a prolonged amount of time in our world..." He trailed off as if he couldn't bear to tell me.
"You'd die," Carban said from a few steps away, and my head jerked in his direction. His face was stony as he spoke, no emotion in his voice what so ever. "Your internal clock would shift to match ours and then you would age normally in your world here. Your minutes would turn to seconds. Your days to years. And then," he snapped his fingers, "like that. You're gone."
AFTER CARBAN’S HEAVY REVELATION, I should have had a moment to think, to re-evaluate what I was doing and where I was going. Sadly, lady luck was not on my side.
No sooner had he said it, then a buzzing sound came toward us at a rapid pace.
“What is that?” I glanced around the woods, trying to find the source of the sound.
It took a moment before the prince cursed. “Faeries. Fucking faeries.”
The men tensed at the prince’s revelation and then, as if someone had signaled them, they broke out into a run. Coby released my hand, allowing Hatter to take me with him as we ran.
Over rocks and branches, broken tree trunks, and around large bushes we ran while the buzzing increased even quicker now. First, Carban went missing in the fog and then Coby. The prince had long disappeared with a flap of wings and an owl hoot. Only Hatter and I remained, and even that didn't last long.
"Oomph," I gasped as I tripped and hit the ground, my hand leaving Hatter's. In what felt like slow motion, Hatter turned to help me up but was swarmed by a pack of little bug-like creatures. I cried out and scrambled to my feet, but the moment I stood up, a part of the pack broke away from Hatter and came after me.
Not wanting to leave Hatter but also not wanting to die, I tried to lead the pack away, swatting at them as they nipped at me. "You nasty little buggers. Leave me alone." My eyes were closed tightly so I couldn't tell where I was headed, only that I couldn't hear Hatter or the woods anymore.
With a cackling wail, the insect-sized faeries dove at my legs, knocking me off my feet once more. I hissed as the ground scratched my hands when I landed in the gravel and dirt. At this rate, I'd have no skin left on my hands.
I threw my arms over my head without the chance to check out my injuries as I anticipated the next round of attacks. However, it didn't come. Slowly, I removed my hands and peeked up from the ground. They were gone.
Sighing, I moved to my knees and glanced at my hands. The cuts weren't as bad as I had expected. Only the top skin had been damaged. I'd have to get them cleaned as soon as I could though.
Looking up from my stinging hands, I searched for the faeries or even the slightest hint of where I was or where my companions had gone. Nothing. I recognized nothing.
To the front of me, dead grass and dirt patches pitted the ground. There was more rock than plants, and though there were trees and bushes, they were bare and twisted like they had been struck by lightning. It was as if all the life had been sucked out of the place, leaving nothing but a deserted wasteland behind.
Behind me sat the woods, in all their creepy darkness. Turning from the way I had obviously come, I stared down the path before me or what little there seemed to be of one. There was a weird light along the path even though the night sky was void of any kind of moon. I shivered at the ominous presence coming from the direction of the path. Did I really want to go it alone?
I could go back the way I came and hope that I ran into one of my companions, though they had warned me of going into the woods alone. There might be worse things in those trees than what I'd already met. Remembering the loud growl that had scared the birds from their trees made up my mind for me.
Sticking my hand in my pocket, I wrapped my fingers around the ribbon of the key, and made my way down the path, keeping a wary eye on the shadows in between the trees. Something made the faeries leave me alone. It couldn't have just been the horrible decor.
With each step I took, I was beginning to understand why.
I could feel eyes boring into me like an itch along my skin. I jumped when a branch near me snapped. My eyes darted to the sound as I searched around in the dim light for the culprit.
Finding nothing, I quickened my pace along the path. My feet moved even faster as more branches and twigs snapped beneath what sounded like little feet. Giggles echoed out in the dark at my rising fear.
I stumbled as a buzzing noise flew by, giving a vicious tug on my hair. I spun around, but nothing was behind me. There was more snickering, and then there was a
nother yank on my hair from behind me.
“Leave me alone, you faeries. I know you're out there. Just leave me alone!” I stomped my foot. I heard tiny peals of laughter at my display of emotion. They were playing with me. Well, I would show them.
I listened for the telltale sound of their buzzing wings. When it came close to me, I threw my hand out and prayed I hit something. My hand hit something solid, and a squeak followed. I searched around me for what I hit before landing on a small moving figure on the ground.
Not more than four inches tall was a small stick. No. Not a small stick, it was a faerie. Its skin was brown and grey like the bark of a tree, its wings thin skeletal spines with barely enough skin covering them to allow flight.
I inched closer to get a better look at it. Its arms and legs were as skinny as its torso, which wasn’t much bigger than my pinky. Its fingers were bone thin as were its toes, and its scowling face was as thin as the rest of it. It had long, wiry black hair and no clothes or any distinguishing gender parts. Razor-sharp teeth snarled at me, and its big black eyes bored a hole into my face.
I stuck a finger out toward it, and it gnashed its sharp little teeth at me. I jerked my hand back with a small scream, causing the winged creature to snicker.
Growling at my own cowardice, my hand shot out and snatched the little shit up. It waved its fists in alarm, its voice a high-pitched noise as it yelled profanities at me in a language I didn’t understand. I brought the creature up to eye level and frowned.
“Could you calm down for a moment, please? You are throwing quite a fit, and I do not have time for you. I have to find my friends.” I glared at the buzzing coming from the branches. Their little bodies and shiny black eyes became clear to see now that I knew what I was looking for. “Oh, hush now. You are worse than my little sister, and that is saying something.”
I released the faerie, but my little speech had only antagonized it further. It sank its claw into my hand, and when I shook it, it bit me. With its teeth still in my hand, it grinned up at me. Tears filling my eyes, I struggled to get the creature to release me.
“Now that's not very nice. Let go.” I grabbed its tiny body and tugged on it. It didn't so much as budge. Then I grabbed its wings. The moment my fingers took hold of them, it released my hand with a pop.
Then the horde hiding in the shadows decided they'd had enough waiting. They poured out of the trees and came after me. This time, I did the smart thing. I ran.
A hundred faeries chased after me, their little wings making that horrid buzzing sound as they flew. Thankful to not have a long skirt to hold me down, I raced down the pathway, searching for an end to the madness. After a few moments, my lungs began to burn, and my legs ached. I wasn't going to last much longer, and there was no end in sight.
What was I going to do? I couldn't die here. I had so much left to do. So many questions unanswered. My family would forever be searching for me with never getting an answer. Then there was Hatter and the twins. What would they do when they found me? Eaten to bits by faeries.
"Fucking faeries," I breathed out harshly and let out a laugh though it pained me to do so.
Then an unexpected sound of panic came from the horde, a collective cry of fear and outrage. I didn't dare pause to look back though, in case it was a trick.
A familiar voice reached my ear. "Alice. Alice, stop."
My footsteps slowed. My head turned slowly, and my eyes locked with Coby's at the same time I slammed into a hard body. Letting out a hard breath, I grabbed onto whatever I'd run into to keep from falling as strong arms wrapped around my waist, drawing me closer.
The familiar scent of leather and musk filled my senses and my eyelids drooped. I peered up at Carban with a loopy smile. "Hello."
Carban's jaw clenched, and he released me. "You can stop running now. We got rid of them all."
"Oh, alright," I murmured, not moving away from him. I'd never realized how pretty his eyelashes were, how good he smelled. I wanted to rub my face against him like a cat.
All of a sudden, Carban pushed me away. I stumbled and almost fell. Shaking my head to clear it, I didn't chastise him for it. Slowly, twisting on my heel, I faced Coby.
"How did you get rid of them?"
"Fire." Coby held up a torch burning with a blue flame. "Reaper fire. A pain in the ass to get but it works every time."
"The Veil of the Faeries is the graveyard for dead Fae. The Reaper comes collecting every few days. Only he can keep those nasty bugs in line," Carban explained, moving to his brother's side. "We shouldn't dally here. They'll come back or worse… the Reaper will."
My mind whirled as I processed this latest bit of information, but before I could ask more questions, they were walking away. I scurried after them, reaching for Coby's hand.
"You don't need to hold my hand now, Ally." He paused and then gave me a flirty smile. "Not unless you want to of course."
I met his gaze and then, without really thinking about it, took his hand. "So, where to now?"
The twins exchanged a silent question and then Coby nodded. "The Cat's home isn't too far from here. We'll go there and then the palace. We can use his looking glass to skip the rest of the nonsense of this side."
"The cat? Where's Mercury? And what do you mean this side? Isn't your side this way too?" I asked, trying to keep pace with them as we headed down another path and what seemed to be back toward the woods.
Carban decided to speak to me this time. "Each court has their own dangers. We are better equipped to handle our own."
Squeezing my hand in reassurance, Coby said, "Hatter will meet us at the Cat's home. We've already sent him a message through the trees." He waved a hand around us as we stepped back into the woods for what I hoped would be the last time.
"And the cat?" I urged, wanting to know if the cat was the same one from my dreams, a cute little pink and purple ball of fuzz that rudely directed me through the forest.
"Cheshire will host us for a time, if he is so inclined." Coby gave me a lazy grin and then said nothing more about it.
“IS IT MUCH FURTHER?” I gasped, my feet pulsating in my shoes. “We’ve been walking for hours.”
“It hasn’t been that long.” Carban threw over his shoulder at my whining.
I made a whimpering sound, barely hanging onto Coby’s hand. Carban huffed and, before I could say another word, scooped me up into his arms.
Letting out a small eep, I looped my arms around Carban’s neck. His bright green eyes locked with mine, exasperation making his eyes roll. “Better?”
I shifted as I got used to his arms around me. With a soft sigh, I smiled. “Yes. Very. Thank you.”
Coby chuckled. Coming up to his brother’s side, he tickled my ankle. “If I’d known that the only thing I needed to do to get you in my arms was to offer you a lift, I’d have started with that.”
I threw my head back and laughed, jiggling my foot out of his grasp. “Stop it, already. Just because Carban is carrying me doesn’t mean I’m going to kiss him…” My words trailed off as my eyes met Carban’s and then dipped down to his lips. My tongue darted out to wet my lips before I breathed, “… again.”
Wrapped in his arms, his scent enveloping me, I found myself leaning up toward him. Carban’s eyelids dipped, his mouth parting. My fingers curled in the nape of his neck as I lifted my face.
“We’re here.”
Coby’s voice broke the spell, and Carban dropped my legs, pushing me away from him and into Coby’s arms. Baffled by what had just happened, I clutched Coby’s vest and watched Carban walk away from us and toward a clearing.
“See?” Coby groused. “He grumps and growls and almost gets a kiss. I have been nothing but lovely, and I don’t get shit.”
I sighed and patted Coby’s chest. “I admit. I haven’t been very fair to you. You have been perfectly lovely, especially compared to your brother.”
“Too true.” His full bottom lip poked out, and he looked so adorable pouting like a ch
ild.
Pulling my lower lip into my mouth as I fought back a smile, I lifted my finger up to his mouth. His lips parted, and his tongue darted out to taste me before he pulled my full finger into his mouth, snipping at it before sucking on the tip. A rush of emotion rolled through me, and I pressed up on my toes to replace my finger with my lips.
The hand on my waist moved to the back of my head, pressing me closer to him and his delectable mouth. Kissing him was nothing like kissing his brother. Where Carban had overwhelmed me with passion, Coby took his time.
His mouth brushed against mine, once, twice, and then three times. He teased my lips until I was begging for him to give me more. I clung to him, pressing my chest against him, pulling him until we were practically one.
“If you’re done, the cat will receive us now,” Carban growled, a bit more aggressive about it than was needed.
“My apologies, brother.” Coby smirked, releasing my mouth and then tipping up my chin. “I got distracted.” A matching grin on my lips, I couldn’t get enough of him.
Rolling his eyes, Carban turned on his heels and marched back into the clearing, not waiting for us to follow. Giving Coby a small peck on the cheek, I took him by the hand and led him after his brother. “Come on.”
The clearing itself was untouched by the fog which seemed to fill the rest of the forest. It cut off just at the tree line, creating a perfectly circular outline of milky white.
While the tea party had a sort of ominous lighting, in this clearing, it was like the clouds had opened up just enough to illuminate the area. In the middle, sparkling in the sunlight, was a large willow tree. Its long, fuchsia vines were covered in bright violet leaves. They hung all along each side and reached down to brush the ground.
I gaped at the vines, marveling at the sight before me. Carban pushed through the vines without a thought. The vines rippled and whispered, even though there was no wind to move them, and then the vines pulled back, opening like a curtain. A lone vine whipped inward as if to welcome us inside.
