A Dark Faerie Tale Series Omnibus Edition (8 page)

“I could look like anyone you can dream of. Anyone you could ever want me to be.” His lips were mere centimeters from hers, arresting her breath with their proximity. He reached up to run his fingers down the curve of her cheek, making her step back as a surge of energy prickled along the line of his touch. It was enthralling and made her woozy.
What’s going on here?

Soap lowered his hand, still not changing back. He was radiant and glowed slightly, but it wavered. “I can use enchantments on anyone, so they’ll forget who they are or even what they’re doing. You stepped away. Why is that?” He contemplated his words as he intently stared at her. “I don’t seem to have absolute power over you, Shade. That’s very strange… unusual.” He continued to look at her, frowning at his thoughts, looking slightly unnerved. A moment later, curiosity gleamed in his eyes.

“Could you change back, Soap? You’re scaring me.” She stepped back, her eyes wide open. “What did you do to me exactly?”

Soap smiled and just as quickly blurred right back into his normal self. His long brown hair and green-gemmed eyes glinted at her. “Pardon, M’lady. I meant no harm. I won’t do that again, but you can see that my magic could be quite useful. Most fey and human alike can’t resist my charm. But, you on the other hand.…” He tilted his head, confused. “It barely touched you. It’s as if you’re immune to it or something. Amazing. Oh well, can’t have everything, right?” He turned away and continued as if nothing had happened. Shade took a deep breath and followed. She felt slightly enraged by his admission that he had tried to use magic on her. He never asked her if it was okay or not. Biting her tongue, she followed silently.

The forest seemed to stretch out for miles; twigs and leaves crunched under their feet, snapping and crackling as they walked. The noise seemed louder in the vastness of the woods and quiet of the morning. Shade kept her eyes on the forest floor, but she glanced up every so often to watch Soap’s long brown hair swinging in the cool breeze. He had tied it back with a leather string matching the color of his hair. She wondered who he was and why he was coming on this journey with her. She supposed it might be for her protection, but she was nothing to him. Why risk himself for her?

Her mind continued to race with questions. Why had he been alone as a child in this desolate forest?
He could’ve been killed, eaten alive by an animal.
She looked at the thick shrubbery around her and shivered at the thought.

Finally, they reached the forest’s edge and could hear traffic in the distance. For a brief moment, Shade had almost forgotten about the reality of her world. She’d been so mesmerized by Soap’s magic, charms and of Faerie itself. The road was not far from the woods, and soon they were walking in the direction of her house. Shade wondered if her mother had already left. She secretly wished she would run into her anyway, just to say hello, and maybe she could get a warm hug and kiss goodbye. The little things she would miss overwhelmed her. What if she didn’t come back? When they had reached her house, they stopped and examined the exterior.

The worn-down exterior consisted of bricks and old siding that happened to be partially dry-rotted. The house was old but comfortable; the rust-red exterior bricks were rough with age. Weeds clung to the base of the house. Toys and balls had been carelessly tossed across the yard. She smiled. Her little brothers and sister were loved dearly, but they were also spoiled rotten.

Their mother worked hard, especially now that she was a single mom. Somehow, there was never a lack of love to go around. Sometimes she did get a little absent- minded, with so much going on between all of them, but forgetfulness was forgivable. It made Shade’s heart twist with a hollow pain to think of her small, tight-knit family.

She was sure her mother was gone. The beat-up minivan was not parked in the driveway, and there were no crazy little kid screams filling the house, like usual. The place seemed eerily silent. Shade shook away her disappointment and started for the door, with Soap following closely behind.

Shade jingled her keys out of her pocket and turned the knob. No one came running to greet her when she swung open the door. The house was still and vacant. The usual noises echoing through the rooms flitted through her mind. She sighed and headed in, closing the door behind them. She turned toward Soap and nodded. “If it’s ok, I’ll gather my stuff. See if you can find any canned, non-perishable food we can take. And I’d like to take a quick shower,” she added.

He gave her a deep nod and smiled that iridescent smile of his. Gleaming white teeth flashed at her for a second.

Shade smiled back nervously, turned, and raced up the stairs. Her room looked pretty much the same. Because she was the oldest, she and her little sister didn’t share a room. It
was nice that her mother had agreed with her that she needed her own space. Her mom always asked a lot of her during the day, and it was nice to have some privacy at night. Of course, that meant Anna, her little sister, had her own room, too−lucky by default.

Shade smiled, taking in the loveliness of the room. The quilt on her bed had pink and red patches in it. The walls of her room were a light shade of rose. There were also items in various shades of pink and purple scattered throughout the room. She loved to decorate and had tons of girlie stuff all around. She’d obtained most of her things from thrift stores, people at church or friends who had given them to her. Everything was a treasure to her.

She opened her drawers, began rummaging through the clothes, and stuffed some into her backpack. She riffled through her closet, found a pair of hiking shoes and grabbed them. After Shade finished throwing some towels, a pillow, and a few blankets into the backpack, she noticed a picture frame on her nightstand. All of her family was in the photo; it’d been taken at the park on a sunny spring day. Their faces were gleaming with laughter and flashing.

Shade picked up the little frame, feeling her eyes burn with tears. How she missed them already, and it was just yesterday that she’d last seen them. Her father was in the picture as well, her human father. She held back a sob and stuffed the picture into the pack. Reaching over to hook up her cell phone for a quick charge while she finished packing, she began getting things ready for the day ahead. She pulled a clean outfit out of her closet and laid it on her bed. Peering at her dresser mirror, she studied her hair, which was lying in tangled waves, glistening in the morning sun that streamed in from the windows.

What a disheveled mess!
She sighed and looked around once more.
Now for that shower!

She finished quickly, tossing her toothbrush, toothpaste, body wash and sponge into a Ziploc bag to stuff in her backpack. She ran her brush through the tangles of hair and groaned at the knots. She finally got them out, and the brush went into her backpack, too. She loved Ilarial’s spell. There was no need to worry about packing light with that! She pulled her hair back into a ponytail, since it was still sopping wet from the shower.

All set except for the water and food downstairs
. She listened for a moment for Soap, but he was awfully silent for cleaning out the cupboards. She shrugged, left the bathroom and went down the stairs.

Soap was standing by the kitchen window, which looked out at both the side yard and the front yard. He didn’t seem to notice her coming in. She paused and watched him. He seemed so serene. She wondered just how old he really was and how easily he could pass for a senior in high school; well, maybe not. She smiled at the thought of Soap in gym shorts and shirt. Not really a fitting look for him.

He was staring at her when she came out of her thoughts. “What are you smiling at? Do I have breakfast stuck to my face?” He blinked at her, baffled and furrowing his eyebrows.

Shade laughed and shook her head. “No, silly, I was just thinking about how you would totally not fit in at school. You don’t really look like a human teenager. How old are you anyway?” She glanced down at the pile of cans and water bottles piled neatly on the floor in the middle of the kitchen. She bent down and began shoving them into her pack.

“I’m about twenty in human years. No difference in fey years, really; that’s if you go from me being six years old when I was found. Anyway, that was what they guessed me to be. Who knows? I don’t remember anything before that.” He bent down to help her with the food. His long ponytail hung over his face as he kneeled over the pile.

“Wow, so you could be older or younger, huh?” He nodded, not looking up. They finished and stood. “Can you think of anything else?”

“I found flashlights for you. I don’t need them, but you might.” He tossed some at her; she caught them just in time and frowned at him.

“What do you mean you don’t need them? Do you see in the dark?” She pushed them into the pack.

Soap laughed. He had a contagious warm laugh that made her want to smile.

“No, we have witch light. We can all conjure it up if needed. I don’t even need witch light. Being part Teleen I just let some of my element of lightning glow out of me. I can see just fine with that. His handsome smile flashed back at her again.

Shade stared hard at the floor, frowning. “I don’t have any powers.”

Soap chuckled, finding her confusion amusing. “All faeries have powers, even half-bloods like you. Don’t underestimate yourself ever, Shade. It could be your undoing.” He looked at her seriously, his eyes flashed a light amber, like honey.

She could’ve sworn that he’d had green eyes before. They seemed to change into different colors every time she looked at him. It was intriguing. Shade gulped and nodded. What could she say to that? There wasn’t, so she just quietly agreed.

After they left, Shade locked the front door, stopping as she stared at its worn paint. She had a gut feeling she might not see it, or the rest of the house, again. It felt like butterflies knotted her stomach. She thought more now than ever about how much she would miss her family. She never got to say goodbye. Her hand reluctantly fell to her side from the doorknob as she turned toward the street.
Nothing like saying goodbye without a goodbye
.

They walked silently in the direction of the forest, passing all the houses and buildings she knew. The day was brilliant and warm with a slight breeze. Some kids were playing in their front yards, hollering and screaming as they ran around. Shade’s ponytail tossed about her face with each small gust of wind.

She watched Soap walking ahead of her. His sword was still strapped to his back, and his long, golden-brown hair was swaying in the wind. She stopped, realizing how different they must look to everyone on the road. Most people don’t walk down the street in tunics and have swords strapped to their backs. “Um, Soap?”

He turned, stopping to look at her, and noticed the horror on her face. He quickly darted his eyes around and looked for any signs of danger.

She jogged until she caught up beside him. “Don’t we look unusual walking around in the streets dressed like Robin Hood and not wearing modern-day clothes? And your sword, why hasn’t it freaked out everyone passing us or driving by?” She watched him grin and relax. That smile was getting to be unnerving.

“We’re glamoured, Shade. I’ve extended glamour over both of us to appear like we’re just two teenagers walking along in grunge clothing. Besides Jack, I’m the only one who ventures out into the cities and gets to mingle among humans. The iron doesn’t even faze us at all.”

Shade listened closely, slowly beginning to understand this phenomenon.

He turned back and began walking again. “I kind of like wandering around the city, sometimes. It’s soothing to me andI like to watch people or just blend in sometimes. We must hurry, though. It’s already getting to be late morning, and the plan was to leave around ten a.m. I think we might be late.”

He began walking again at a brisk pace. Shade sighed, shook her head and scrambled after him.

Chapter Five

THE ENTOURAGE FILLED
the entranceway, with all their things spread out in massive mounds. It was almost time to leave the faeries’ dwelling. Everyone was stuffing bags or strapping last-minute weapons onto their bodies. Braelynn looked up from the many small bags of herbs and ground stones she and Sary had prepped, slowly arranging them in a medicine bag. The low hum of voices stopped as Shade and Soap approached the group. Sary and Stephen turned toward them and stopped sharpening their knives. Jack stood erect, ready to go. He gave them both a curt nod. No one seemed to know what to say to them.

“Guess your ears were burning, Shade, Soap. We were waiting for you,” Ewan said. “Here are your sleeping tent packs, and they’re all ready to go. Ilarial will be up in a moment. I’m sure she already knows you’re here.” Ewan’s deep voice boomed like a drum; it seemed to come from deep within him, like a belly laugh echoing in a large room. He walked up to them, smiling. His husky shoulders were wide, but he was not by any means fat. Shade smiled at him; he was big-boned and looked like a fluffy teddy bear.

“Thanks Ewan,” Soap answered. He was quieter now, within the group. Soap didn’t seem to volunteer much information about anything, now that she thought about it, Unless she pried it out of him. There would be plenty of time to ask him more about faeries and himself during the journey.

“Hello, Shade,” Ilarial came to stand by them, looking brilliant. “I’m happy to send you off with news of great weather to come, at least in the beginning. I sense good fortune for the start of your journey. I trust everyone is ready. Ewan will be your guide to the land of the Santirans. Your journey will be perilous, fraught with danger and a challenge to your endurance. Not many have ever traveled so far from the Guildrin mound. My heart and spirit are with you, Shade.” Ilarial motioned to her to come closer.

“Shade, you’re incredibly unselfish to aide us in our fight. Your entourage will take good care of you. They’ll teach you the ways of our magic; you may seem fragile and harmless, but the potential to be great lies within you. Now, I send you off, my friends. Good journey!” Ilarial smiled and wrapped her arm around Shade’s shoulders. Shade felt instantly alert and happy. Ilarial sure had a way with comforting others; she was like walking Xanax, Shade thought.

Ewan turned toward the group; everyone was stuffing the last of their items away into their charmed packs, and, like Shade’s, they appeared to hold many things. He cleared his throat and held his arms out above his head.

“Alright everybody, listen up, for this will not be repeated. I’ll be guiding you on the path to the Santiran lands; our stop today will be the Teleen caverns. Please stay with the group at all times. We start north until almost dusk. The Teleen are private people, and Jack has assured us of their complete cooperation. They will host us for the night. I remind everyone to keep their hands to themselves for, like Jack, they can electrocute with one touch. So, be wary.”

“Second, if we are separated for any reason at all, follow the North Star to the great hills of wild flowers. From there, you will find the great gate to the caverns on the northwest end of the valley. Please let them know who you are, and you will have safe passage. They have our names from Ilarial already. Good journey, everyone.” He nodded and bent to grab his own pack and slung it onto his back. He waved for everyone to follow.

Shade quickly shoved the sleeping roll into her backpack and zipped it up. She watched everyone filing in behind Ewan and cut into the line to join him, right ahead of Soap. She glanced at him as she turned her head slightly, absorbing his cool, smiling eyes. There was so much behind those eyes that Shade wondered about. She wasn’t sure his overly happy exterior matched the soul within.

The forest floor crunched under their feet as they walked at a slow and steady pace. Some of the group was shifting into pairs while others chose to remain in single file. She looked over her shoulder to find Soap, and for a moment couldn’t see him. He had somehow snuck up and was walking beside her. He glanced over at her. Smiling, he lifted his eyebrows into a questioning look.

“What’s wrong, dear Shade? You looked mighty concerned.” He was now shoulder to shoulder with her.

She gave him another quick look before darting her eyes back to the trail. Often, she had to check for fallen tree branches, tangled vines and roots that impeded their pathway.
No wonder we’re moving so slowly.
“Um, nothing. Just nervous, I guess. Isn’t there a better way to travel than on foot? How far away are the Santiran Lands? I hope it’s not that far, I hate hiking…hey, why are you laughing?” Shade pressed her lips together, feeling the blood rushing to her cheeks.

Soap was chuckling. “Sorry, you just crack me up. My dear Shade, I meant no disrespect. You’re a breath of fresh air. I guess it can be enlightening, chatting about our peculiar lives. To answer your questions, yes, there
are
better ways to get around than on foot. We have to leave the Guildrin forest, for it’s forbidden to fly or travel any other way near the kingdom. Once we leave the trees behind us, we can fly, run fast, or travel by horse if available. We won’t have horses because there are none so close to an iron city. We can’t run because you wouldn’t be able to keep up, and we can’t fly because some of us can’t fly at all. That leaves one option: walking.” He kept his eyes on the path, swinging his short sword in front of him to slice off a branch that had swung back toward them.

“What about using a car? Or even an airplane? Why not go that way?” She felt utterly confused and not one bit satisfied with his answers. She was starting to wonder what was so great about being a faery if you couldn’t do regular things like drive, or ride in an airplane.

“No way would any faery ride in one those things. They reek of iron! Like I’ve told you, iron is deadly to faeries. If faeries stay around iron for long periods of time, they become seriously ill.” He snickered as he beat back another branch and walked along. He seemed amused and maybe a little frustrated that he had to explain the iron sickness again.

“But, you and Jack can tolerate it,” Shade replied. “Is it just you and him then? Plus, it doesn’t bother me at all either. Why? I’m part faery, supposedly. Is it because I’m part human?” She dodged a large leafy bush that was in her way just before it slammed into her chest.

“Yes, I suppose it’s because you’re part human, though not all halflings are so lucky. The fact that you’re half human, you get the best of both worlds. It’s the human part of you which allows you to escape from the dangers of iron sickness, and you can hide in the iron cities without any problems.”

“What else are the faeries vulnerable to?”

He furrowed his brows and seemed to pause for a second to ponder her question. His contorted features made her smile, realizing she’d never get over how amazingly handsome he was. She wondered if he had a girlfriend in this fairytale life of his. It made her glad he didn’t need glamour, even though none of them wore it at the moment, besides Jack. They were staying within the Guildrin forest until they reached the valley of the Teleen so no human interactions would be part of the trip. It made her wonder how big the forest really was. She had so many questions, she just didn’t know where to start.

“Well, if you think about faery stories, they can be quite useful in helping you defend yourself against the fey. Cold iron is toxic, as you know. People can fend the fey off by reversing their clothes. That works mainly against the more sinister creatures of Faerie. We also have an ointment of truth that humans can use to have ‘true sight’, unless a faery allows them to see past our glamours or tricks. Fire keeps most wild fey away; I guess they don’t like the burning carbon. I’m not sure, though. Not much of it bothers me, but anything not related to nature is pretty much an anti-faery charm.”

“I would always keep some sort of a memory charm on you to remember your way home. Those are impervious to spells any faery might throw at you to make you forget who you are and enslave you.”

“You don’t sound like a friendly bunch.” Shade snickered. “Honestly, I can’t see you guys being that bad.” She waved toward the other warriors and shook her head. “I just don’t get it.”

Soap laughed a deep, taunting laugh that made Shade glare at him. She hated being laughed at. Shaking her head, she continued on, ignoring his snarks. The other warriors were already a good deal ahead of them.

They remained in silence for a long time after that. No one spoke. Everyone silently hiked along, slicing down branches. Only the crunch of dead leaves and twigs filled the afternoon air. The birds twittered above, sometimes flying in groups with their wings flapping loudly. It wasn’t easy moving fast in the forest. Roots and uneven ground were plentiful, threatening every footstep with a fall, or worse, broken bones if one was not careful.
This situation is just a twisted ankle waiting to happen
. Shade gritted her teeth, concentrating on the loose rocks and roots that lay haphazardly across their path.

They finally came upon a clearing in the forest. The warriors paused, watching Jack and Ewan for a signal. Jack scouted the clearing’s edge and looked for any kind of movement. The rest of the group was hunched and hiding behind trees and bushes, waiting for the all clear. Shade perched herself behind a large redwood tree. The bark was rough and crumbled under her fingers. It felt warm under her touch, like there was life pulsating inside the massive trunk. She wondered why she could now feel the life all around her. Did it have to do with this forest being fey territory? She wondered if there was something new happening within her, or if they were all being affected by an unknown force.

She suddenly realized it’d been quite some time since she’d heard the voices in her head. She felt relieved, but it also felt like something was missing. Maybe she’d try what Ilarial had mentioned. Since she’d taken the medicine that Ilarial had given her to control the voices, it was easier to think. She thought now she’d try to speak to them with specific requests, and then listen for a specific answer. Ilarial had said this exercise would help her get to know the voices, and hopefully she’d learn to use her spirit guides to her own advantage.

Are we safe?
Shade waited, quieting her mind and listening for the response.

Yes,
they said as one
.

She jumped. The answer had come like a voice on the breeze or like someone whispering into her ear. She spun around but saw no one and glanced over to Soap who was behind another tree to her left. He placed a finger to his lips, signaling for silence, and turned back toward the front of the group.

Wow, a one-word answer.
It was enough to make her freak out.
Ok, well that was a good little exercise
. She watched Ewan give them an ‘all clear’ signal. Standing up, she shuffled back into line behind the warriors. Elated, she felt a renewed sense of peace inside.

The sun felt warm on her back as they worked their way across the field. They made sure to avoid the center of the clearing, choosing to avoid being too exposed. They were near the edge, and even though it would take longer to get through, it felt safer knowing cover was nearby. Shade inhaled the fresh air of the countryside. Flowers, pine trees, and deadened mulch were on the ground and mixed with dirt, but perfumed the air.

The forest was surreal compared to her usual reality of constant smog, exhaust, honking cars and the smell of iron in the city. Out here, none of that seemed to exist, and she let herself enjoy the beautiful afternoon. Dragonflies and ladybugs buzzed around her and disappeared into the forest. She wondered if they were close to a body of water with so many dragonflies about. She was surprised not to see any more of the tiny winged fey she’d encountered with Jack. There was no one else around.

Where is everyone? Are there more fey out here?
Shade wondered.

Yes, they’re watching, wondering who you are. Wondering why so many are treading the trails with you.

Shade smiled. The voice was gentle and did not scare her as the voices had before. It seemed like a light caress, a lover’s promise in a whisper. She knew then that it would never be like before; Ilarial had used the medicine to channel the guides to help her better understand them. The voices wouldn’t be an overbearing force on her ever again. She had to remember to thank Ilarial profusely for this gift.

Do you have a name? Is there more than one of you?

Yes,
the voices answered.
There are three of us that remain with you. Each of us will answer you in a specific situation. We each are helpful in certain things. I am Duende; the others are Astrid and Elaby. We are your spirit guides. There were more, but Ilarial has forced them away, for they’re too much for you to handle. We’re entrusted with your wellbeing, Shade. Ask us what you will, and we will always answer.

Shade shivered despite the heat of the sun. Their whispers were like the gentle chill of winter. The feeling prickled her skin, and was full of magic. She wondered if she’d ever get used to these changes.

The group re-entered the forest on the other side of the clearing. The cool cover of the forest canopy felt colder than it had before. Shade noticed how much darker it seemed on this end. It seemed quieter too; only a breeze rustling through the leaves broke up the silence. Even the forest floor was more barren, with packed, dark dirt and occasional twigs littered about.