Princess of the Elves

by R L Medina

  “How did it come in uninvited?” Grandmere asked, rubbing her arms.

  Des pointed his knife at me. “She invited it.”

  My eyes widened. “I did not!”

  He snarled at me, making me shrink back. His eyes flashed red.

  “This is what happens when you have too much power you don’t know how to use.”

  His words struck me. This was my fault? How? How had I done this?

  Grandmere clucked her tongue. “It’s not her fault. She’s never been trained.”

  He whipped towards her. “You and Aubri were fools not to.”

  Grandmere and I bristled. I didn’t care if he was some important assassin spy. He had no right to speak my mom’s name with such venom.

  The floorboards creaked and groaned. Grandmere fisted her hands and fixed him with a hateful glare.

  Her voice was dangerously soft. “You will not speak ill of Princess Aubri. Not in my home.”

  Des gave her a cold smile. “Are you threatening me, dryad? What are you going to do? Make a flower grow under my foot?”

  I glanced down at the shaking floor and back at Grandmere. I’d never seen her use her powers before. Would they be a match for an assassin? I hadn’t seen him use his powers either, but if he was supposedly the one to train me, did that mean I shared abilities with him?

  Grandmere stood her ground. She looked fierce even barefoot in her floral gown. Her nostrils flared, but her eyes never moved from Des. Des strode towards her, mouth spread into a viscous grin. My body went numb.

  “Stop.” My voice barely came out a whisper.

  Des turned back to look at me with narrowed eyes.

  “Stop,” I spoke louder. I took a shaky stand.

  “I’ll train with you.” My words surprised me. I immediately regretted them.

  Des’s eyebrow arched and Grandmere’s face softened.

  “Come with me.” Des motioned to the door.

  “Outside? Can’t we do it in here?”

  His eyes flashed.

  “I’ll get your coat,” Grandmere said and headed for the stairs.

  I hesitated, wanting to wait for her.

  “Are you coming?” Des growled.

  I took a deep breath and followed him outside. I shivered as the night air hit me, cutting to my bones. There was no way I could stand out there without my coat. Des paused and gave me a sharp look. He didn’t seem affected by the cold at all. Maybe Feylin was colder or maybe full-blooded elves had tougher skin. Before he could insult me, Grandmere appeared with my coat and gloves.

  “Thank you,” I stammered, taking them from her.

  Des sighed impatiently as I buttoned my coat. Grandmere handed a flashlight to me once I was done.

  I turned it on and followed Des through the garden. Where was he taking us? Fear gripped me as we made our way deeper into the mountain side. I looked back, wishing we were in the warm cabin. The spirit flashed through my mind. I didn’t want another one of those things showing up, but I wasn’t sure I was ready for this. To use my magic? Pain throbbed in my chest. What would Mom have done? Would she have trained me herself?

  The woods were dark and silent. Cold air swirled around us, making my nose and tips of my ears sting. My heart raced as I swept my flashlight all around. Des said nothing about my inability to see in the dark, but I knew he was thinking about it. Probably rolling his eyes to himself about my ‘halfling weakness.’ I didn’t care. There was no way I was trudging through the Colorado mountains in the pitch dark. The trees took on a different shape at night. Their branches became claws, reaching out to grab me. I glanced over my shoulder at Grandmere. Did the trees here have spirits like her?

  A lonely cry filled the air, prickling the hair on my neck. I shoved my one hand into my coat pocket and used the other to shine the flashlight around. My eyes scanned the shadows, trying to find the source of the noise.

  Des paused and stared ahead into the darkness. What did his elf ears hear that I couldn’t?

  “What is it?”

  He motioned for me to be quiet. My breath came out in little puffs as I watched him slink forward. He blended into the shadows with such ease, I couldn’t see him even with the flashlight.

  I turned back to look at Grandmere. She stood, wrapped in her poncho, looking unconcerned. In fact, she looked more comfortable here than she did back at the cabin. Being out in the woods suited her better. Not surprising, since she was a tree spirit. Did she look like the black animal spirit without her glamour? I shivered, remembering its empty eye sockets and gnarled black scales.

  Another cry broke through the trees. I tore my eyes away from Grandmere and moved my flashlight ahead of us. I couldn’t see Des anymore. My mouth turned dry and my palms grew sweaty. Was this Des’s idea of training me? Leaving me to fend for myself in the woods?

  Out of nowhere, Des popped up beside me, making my heart jump out of my body. I swung the flashlight at him in a panic.

  “Stop,” his voice lowered. “Listen.”

  All I could hear was the heavy beat of my heart. I opened my mouth to tell him as much, but another pitiful cry pierced through the air.

  “What is it?”

  Des narrowed his yellow eyes at me. “Wolf spirit.”

  I gripped my flashlight tighter. “What does it want?”

  “You. You leave your mind open for it to walk in.”

  Grandmere laid a gentle hand on my arm. “The lost spirits want to come back. Their living kin don’t recognize them and don’t accept them. They are lonely, scared, and you are a channel for them to communicate to the living.”

  “I’m supposed to help them talk to their... family?”

  Des grunted. “No.”

  Grandmere shook her head. “They cannot come back to this world. They must pass on. If you let them use your powers to communicate to the other animals, they will possess you and never let go. They’ll use your body as an anchor to their old life.”

  The cry grew closer. An anguished wail that sounded nothing like a wolf or creature of this world. My hands trembled. Des ripped the flashlight out of my hands and turned it off. I squealed in surprise.

  He threw it down. I scrambled to my knees and fumbled for it.

  “Get up. You don’t need it.”

  “Renée, hurry,” Grandmere hissed.

  I clenched my eyes shut and steeled myself. I could do this. I took a shaky step up.

  “What do I do?” I looked to Des.

  In the dark, I could only make out his outline and those glowing eyes of his.

  “Shut your mind.”

  I stared blankly at him. The cold wind swirled around us, rattling the leaves. Another cry filled the air. It was getting closer.

  “How?!” My heart raced. Any moment it was going to be upon us. Would Des protect me if I couldn’t stop it?

  “Use your power,” he hissed.

  I felt the urge to slap him. How was I supposed to do that?

  “I don’t know how!”

  “You can do this, Renée. You’ve been doing it your whole life.” Grandmere’s voice was calm and soothing.

  What did she mean? Shut my mind. I had to keep it away from my thoughts. How? How? How? I thought about the little dog on the bus and it came to me. I pictured a giant door to my mind and slammed it shut. As quick as I could, I locked it with every kind of lock imaginable.

  I blinked against the darkness and listened for another sound. Was that it? Had I done it that easily? I turned to look at Grandmere and Des. Something large flew into me.

  I screamed.

  My body hit the cold ground, and everything turned black.

  6

  A ringing filled my ears. My eyes flew open. Grandmere and Des towered above me and behind them, the trees surrounded us. I shivered and tried to sit up. Everything felt numb. How long had I been out? The cold had worked its way past my layers and into my skin.

  “What happened?” My voice was strained. I pulled myself up to a sitting position.


  Moonlight shone through the tree branches, illuminating their worried faces. Well, Grandmere looked worried. Des’s expression, unreadable. I shook my head and hugged myself.

  Grandmere spoke first. “The spirits attacked you. Des scared them away.”

  I turned to him. “Them? There was more than one?”

  “Yes.”

  My fists curled, the skin burning at the movement. I needed to get warm fast.

  “You let me take on a bunch of spirits for my first time!” I tried to growl out the words, but my teeth were chattering too hard.

  Des shrugged. “Thought you could handle it.”

  Anger boiled inside me. I could have been possessed. How could he let me do something so risky? Mom would never have allowed that. That thought sobered me. Pain punched my gut. She should have been the one training me. Not him.

  Grandmere helped me to my feet, brushing off dirt from my coat. I huddled into her warmth and shivered.

  “I think that’s more than enough for one night. Let’s get you warmed up inside with some tea.”

  I gladly accepted her offer. Des shook his head at me, disgust on his face. I was too cold and tired to care. Maybe they would back off and let me have time to recover.

  Grandmere led me back to the cabin. Des followed close behind. My eyes landed on a speck of red light ahead. I stopped. What was it? An ember? It grew closer and closer.

  “What is that?” I asked.

  “Pixie,” Des replied in his typical cryptic manner. He ignored my questioning look.

  I stared as the form came closer. A teeny woman whose body glowed bright orange with fiery red dragonfly wings. Her big, black eyes stared back at me and her pink lips spread into a smile.

  She twirled in the air, making her long flame-like hair spin, and landed weightlessly in my open palm. I watched her in amazement.

  Des grunted at her. “Well?”

  With a huff, she held out her hand to him. He opened his palm as a walnut, bigger than the pixie herself, appeared and hovered in the air.

  “What is that?” I heard myself ask.

  Des crushed the walnut in his grip and pulled out a little parchment paper. Grandmere tried to peer over his shoulder, but he moved out of her line of sight.

  “It’s a summons,” he said, throwing the paper into the air. It disappeared into flames before I had the chance to grab it.

  “For all of us.”

  Grandmere turned her head sharply, eyes wide. “Her Highness can’t truly expect us to take Renée to her court?”

  “I can’t ignore her summons.”

  Grandmere frowned. “Surely you can persuade her.”

  Des’s eyes narrowed on her. “What makes you think I have any sway over the Princess of the Red Court, dryad?”

  Grandmere shifted uncomfortably. “You have her ear. That’s all.”

  My eyebrow arched as I looked from Des to her. His eyes flashed a dangerous red.

  The pixie blinked at me and glided closer. I tried to back away, but it was too fast. My eyes followed as she buzzed around me. Her dark, pupilless eyes unnerved me. She tilted her head at me and pulled at my hair.

  “What is it doing?” I asked Grandmere.

  Grandmere shrugged. “She’s curious.”

  “About what?”

  “Halflings,” Des grunted. I wasn’t sure if that was in answer to my question or just another insult thrown at me.

  The pixie twirled my hair around her body and laughed. Her laughter sounded like wind chimes.

  “Shoo! Go back to the Red Court.” Grandmere frowned, waving her hand at the little creature.

  With another huff, the pixie unwrapped herself and stuck her tongue out at Grandmere.

  Des sliced the air beside her with his hand, making her squeal. She flitted away, looking back at me once more before disappearing into thin air. The wide smile she threw at me, didn’t look friendly. It was more of a smug grin that left a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach. She was from my aunt’s court and had been sent to summon me. Would I be welcome among the other elves and fae? What would I find when I got there?

  “Pixies.” Des shook his head. I looked at him in surprise. For once, I wasn’t the target of his grumblings.

  “When do we leave for Feylin?” Grandmere asked.

  “Tonight.”

  Sadness spread across her face. “Will we be permitted to return?”

  Des sneered at her. I waited for his answer too. Surely, they would let me come back. This was my home. All I had ever known. Chills covered my skin. What would it be like there?

  “Why would you want to come back?” he hissed.

  Grandmere didn’t answer. She looked around at the woods, as if memorizing every detail. I followed her gaze. A wave of homesickness washing over me. I didn’t want to leave. It held too many memories of Mom. Mom. A thought struck me. What if it wasn’t too late to save her? What if my aunt could help me rescue her? A sliver of hope returned.

  Des led us back to the cabin in silence. My body thrummed with anticipation. The thought of following Mom’s trail kept my mind whirring. There had to be answers. There had to be a way and I would find it. I was too caught up in my plans to acknowledge Grandmere as she waved me over to the couch.

  Des cleared his throat. “Go use the bathroom before we go.”

  I blinked. “What?”

  He sighed. “Go use the bathroom. I don’t want you peeing all over yourself as we go through.”

  My cheeks flushed. “I’m not going to pee on myself.”

  “I’m not taking chances. Go. Then we can leave.”

  I looked at Grandmere.

  She shrugged. “Sometimes crossing the barriers can have a… relaxing effect on mortal bodies.”

  I frowned and threw off my coat before heading upstairs to the bathroom. Grandmere and Des watched me leave. As soon as I reached the top, I heard them start arguing, their voices hushed. I paused, trying to listen.

  “How are we supposed to hide her in the Red Court? The King and Queen will find her. It isn’t safe for her.”

  “Isn’t that your problem, Grandmere? I’m bound to my oath.”

  “No. I can’t allow this. Princess Aubri wouldn’t want this...”

  “I don’t give a goblin’s teat what Aubri wanted. I’ll take the girl with or without you, dryad. And we both know you can’t stop me.”

  Fear uncoiled inside me. I knew well enough to know that his threat wasn’t idle.

  Their voices fell silent.

  I trembled and scurried the rest of the way into the bathroom, shutting the door shut behind me. My eyes landed on my reflection in the mirror.

  Hair messed up from my hood. Red tipped nose and cheeks that highlighted my freckles. A memory flashed through my mind. Three Christmas’s ago. Mom stood behind me, braiding my hair. Her green eyes watching me in the reflection. Sad and pensive. She didn’t say it, but I could sense that something was wrong. There was a shadow over us that I couldn’t ignore. I’d started to question her, but then stopped. My mind had randomly jumped to happier things.

  A cold chill washed over me. I realized now it wasn’t random. Mom had done something to me. Forced away my fear and curiosity. She’d done it again and again over the years. My own mother. Manipulating my thoughts and feelings.

  I braced myself against the cold sink, feeling sick to my stomach. It hadn’t stopped there. More memories flashed back. Memories of Mom that were revealed in a new light. The truth of it shook me to the core. Was this what my magic would do? Control people?

  “Renée?” Grandmere’s voice pulled me back.

  I straightened and pulled my hair back with trembling hands. My emotions warred inside me and I felt ready to explode. The worst part was I didn’t know what to feel. Angry, scared, surprised? Mom wasn’t here to control my feelings and keep me from panicking. It was up to me now. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and counted just like Mom had taught me, but the emotions continued to roll through me.
/>   “Renée?”

  Grandmere’s steps sounded closer.

  I took another deep breath and squared my shoulders. Just outside the door, I sensed her worry. Worried my magic would be too much for me to handle. Well, that made two of us. I locked away my emotions as best as I could and opened the door. Her eyes met mine, searching. I looked away and headed for the stairs, feeling unnerved by her presence. Had she known? She must have known what my mom’s power could do. How she used it on me.

  “I’m ready.”

  She gave me a smile I knew she wasn’t feeling. Closing off my own emotions seemed to have opened hers up to me. Like water streaming from a faucet, I could feel her excitement at returning home, fear for what would happen to me, and worry it would end horribly. Images of a forest I’d never seen popped into my head. I stopped.

  “Renée?”

  I shook my head. “I can’t stop it. How do I make it stop?”

  She frowned at me. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  Des stood at the bottom of the stairs. “It’s your thoughts. She doesn’t know how to block them.”

  Grimera gave me a surprised look. Abruptly, I felt myself pushed out of her thoughts. I took a steady breath and looked from Des to her. I couldn’t hear any more voices and I hope it stayed that way.

  “So… how do we get there?”

  Grimera held out a shiny blue pendant to me. “Portal.”

  I gave her a questioning look. How was this supposed to work? I took it from her with trembling fingers and closed my eyes, bracing myself to be whisked away. After a minute, I opened my eyes to find Grimera and Des staring at me.

  My cheeks flushed. “It’s not working.”

  “Ordinaire,” Des muttered under his breath.

  I glared at him. I was getting tired of his insults. Like it was somehow my fault I’d been born a halfling.

  Des reached his thin, gaunt hand for it.

  “Wait. Let her try again,” Grandmere broke in.

  Des sighed and withdrew.

  “I don’t know how,” I protested.

  She gave me an encouraging smile. “Just clear your mind and wish yourself away.”

  Yeah. So easy. I groaned and clutched the pendant. I tried to push away all my emotions and questions, focusing on the twinkling blue stone. Willing it to take us. Take us home.