Journey into the Realm: The Stolen Child (Journey into the Realm Series) (19 page)

***

“I think we’re lost,” Rafik admitted some time later.

“What? I thought you knew the way,” Tavis remarked. “What kind of guide are you?”

“Tavis, calm down and let him explain,” I suggested.

“You see, the last time I traveled to the capital with the other soldiers, I made sure to remember a series of markers so I could find my way on my own if I ever needed to. There are eleven markers in all. We’ve already passed seven. I’ve yet to see the eighth and it’s been too long already. I should have spotted it a while ago.”

“Maybe you just didn’t notice it?” Aimee said.

Rafik hung his head, distress and embarrassment clouding his features. “I think that’s the case. I’m sorry. Everything looks the same. I must have lost focus.”

“Of course you did,” Tavis chided bitterly. “Now what do we do?”

“Hold on, Tavis. There’s no need to overreact,” Aimee said calmly.

“We’ll have to figure something out,” Elvina added.

“Aimee and Elvina are right,” I agreed. “I’m sure we’ll find the capital soon enough.”

“How can you be sure?” Tavis asked.

“No one can, but we will have to trust our instincts. It’s all we can do now, I suppose,” Nathan said.

“I believe I can still get us to Ellamara, but it may take longer,” Rafik explained.

“Then we’ll keep following you and hope for the best,” I decided.

Everyone nodded absentmindedly, although I knew the majority of our group wasn’t anywhere near confident or hopeful of finding the capital by nightfall. I wondered what it would be like to spend the night in the forest, just the six of us. What strange creatures would stumble upon us? What kind of vulnerability would we have? Supposedly, this Realm was filled with fae of all kinds. Although I hadn’t come across any but the willow dryad, I was certain of their presence.

An idea came to me then. “Do any solitary fae spend time here?” I asked, referring to fae other than the four main kinds of fairies who weren’t plentiful enough to have their own Realms. They usually dwelled in the Human Realm, but I knew they occasionally traveled to the Magical Realms. “What if we ask them for help?”

“Yes, quite a large amount of solitary fae pass through here compared to the other Magical Realms. No doubt they know where the capital is, but they are probably hiding,” Rafik informed me. “Like the Woodland fairies, they only reveal themselves at night. But they don’t use the cover of trees. They use a kind of magic every fairy possesses – whether or not they have the ability to perform spells – called Glamour. It can change their appearance or make them invisible altogether.”

“Brielle’s – I mean, Queen Brielle’s cousin, Emera, told me about Glamour during my time in Fire Prison when I was being held captive by Element fairies. She said I could access it to hide my wings, but that it was too advanced magic for me at the time,” I mentioned.

“Glamour is like a second skin,” Elvina began explaining. “An outer covering. By using its magic, fairies can become anything they wish to be and assume that appearance for as long as they are strong enough.”

“How does it work?” Aimee wondered.

“It’s complicated,” Elvina admitted. “You have to find the magic within you; that’s where it’s born. It isn’t something you learn. It’s something you discover.”

I nodded, making a mental note to explore this subject further in the future. Returning to the topic of the fae, I asked, “So does this mean we just have to wait until nightfall and then we can ask for directions?”

Rafik nodded. “The trouble is, we have no idea when that will be.”

“I guess we just keep walking until the sun turns blue,” Nathan suggested. He paused. “Did I really just say that?”

We all laughed. Suddenly, being lost wasn’t such a scary thought.

And then something happened. It was like removing a blindfold from my eyes, because I blinked once, and there was a drastic change to our surroundings.

There were fae…
everywhere
.

And by everywhere, I meant in the trees, on moss-covered rocks, hovering in the air, covering the grassy floor, and some so close to us that if I or my friends moved an inch we would touch them. I tried to count the numerous fae surrounding us, but I continually lost track. After the third time starting over, I gave up, realizing it was a hopeless endeavor.

“Wow,” I exclaimed, the first to speak.

“The sun is blue,” Tavis noticed, looking up. “Well, I guess it’s the moon now.”

“I can’t believe it happened so fast,” Nathan marveled.

“Me either,” I agreed. “Talk about the perfect moment….”

As I trailed off, a little dark-skinned man with a raggedy brown hat and a small satchel walked nimbly over and jabbed me in the thigh with a short stick, the highest point he could reach. I bent down to be eye level with him. If the books I had read in the Human Realm were correct, the little man was a brownie – a helper or a trickster to those who deserved it.

“Hello,” I greeted.

He didn’t reply. Instead, he opened his mouth wide and then scampered back into the crowd. Puzzled, I straightened and turned to my friends. “Why aren’t they speaking to us?” I asked.

“They are probably wary of elves because of the war,” Aimee said.

I nodded. The idea made sense. I tried thinking of a way to convince them that we meant no harm. I picked a nearby daisy and held it out to the crowd of fae huddling before us. “Here, take it,” I said, hoping they would appreciate the gift.

A moment passed, and then, giggling, a willowy little fairy girl with black eyes and dragonfly wings flew forward and took the pretty flower into her tiny hands. The girl was beautiful, but in a unique sort of way. She had skin the color of newly grown grass, wild and unruly black hair, and a wicked smile. But even though she had such a messy, feral look, she was perfect somehow, awe-inspiring.

She held the flower to her nose and breathed in the scent. Then, smiling even wider than before, she opened her mouth to speak. “Thank you, funny looking fairy,” she said sweetly, clutching the flower tightly to her chest.

“You think I’m funny looking?” I replied.

She giggled again, her laugh shrill and jittery. “Oh, yes. See, you have pretty golden wings, but you look like an elfish little thing.”

“Um, thanks…I think,” I replied. “I guess I am sort of funny looking.”

“Right you are,” the little fairy agreed. “Right you are indeed!” She twirled around in a circle, still holding onto her gift, and began to sing a series of
la la la’s.

“It’s so strange. These beings are brownies and hobgoblins…fae that long ago chose to remain behind in the Human Realm because they liked dwelling with mortals. But now they are here,” Elvina remarked.

“Because of Ramsey, I think,” Nathan said abruptly, and my hand found his immediately, grateful for his unfailing support despite his frustration toward me. “She’s meant to change everything. Maybe they want change, too.”

I couldn’t help but grin. These creatures, though they didn’t completely trust us, had left their lives back in the Human Realm to find me.

“But how did they know?” I found myself asking. “How did they know who I was?”

“We just knew,” a little hairy man, only a foot or so tall, said as he stepped forward out of the crowd. “Fickle, a hobgoblin at your service, Chosen Daughter.” He stood stock still, his little hairy hand covering his heart.

I watched in awe as others joined Fickle in the act. All eyes trained on me, I cleared my throat and tried desperately to think of what to say. I knew one had to be careful with the fae, for they were easily offended. “You are all…so very kind. Thank you,” I said. “Thank you for believing in me enough to come here.”

A nearby brownie who was not much taller than the hobgoblin nodded his head and said, “We came because even though we usually prefer the Human Realm over the Magical Realms, all fae are our brethren. We want to help stop the hurting.”

“Yes, yes! We want to help!” cried a few small fairies, much like the green girl with the daisy. Their wings were beating excitedly and their faces were bright.

I beamed at them. After everything we had gone through in the Mermaid and Flower Fairy Realms, witnessing this tremendous support was such a blessing. “You definitely can. You see, we’re lost. Do any of you know the way to Ellamara, the capital of this Realm?” I asked.

A few fae looked at each other, clearly puzzled by my question. Others shook their heads, and some looked down at the ground sadly. But one, a pale-skinned and stick-thin girl with messy aquamarine hair and green wings, flew forward, nodding exuberantly. “I know the way! I know the way!” she cried, her dark eyes shining.

She was a tiny thing, but only because she was so thin. Otherwise, her body was elongated and sinewy. I guessed that standing she was about two or three feet tall.

“Are you sure?” I asked, making sure that this wasn’t just some trick the fairy was about to play on us for fun.

“I promise! I know the way. I’ve been there before. It’s quite fun, really. Quite fun,” she expressed.

The little fairy sounded sincere, so after my friends gave me the okay, I agreed and allowed the fairy, whose name was Clova, to show us the way.

I was surprised to see all the other fae following us as Clova led the way to Ellamara. They sure had been telling the truth when they said they were here for me, because they never once left my side. It was somewhat difficult to manage all of the tiny fae flying and hopping around me as I tried to fly with the rest of my group, but also very amusing. I had never seen such an interesting looking bunch. They were all quite colorful and seemed very young, like children with wings and lots of hair.

I giggled as I thought of all this, and, despite the willow dryad’s warning about temptations, I looked forward to our arrival in Ellamara, wondering what new and interesting sights I would see when we arrived.

***

“Welcome to Ellamara,” Rafik said a little while later.

I was startled by his words because the landscape hadn’t changed. Nothing in sight indicated a fairy city. Rafik had to be mistaken.

Sensing my confusion, he added, “Look at the grass ahead of you. See how it’s flatter compared to where we stand now? That’s from the Woodland fairies who dance here.”

I did notice the change in the grass. Instead of tall and fluttery, the green blades were matted down and tangled. But I still wasn’t convinced that Woodland fairies dwelled here. Nightfall had occurred long ago. If this was Ellamara, why hadn’t the fairies come down to dance like they supposedly did each night?

“I don’t understand,” Aimee said, echoing my thoughts. “Where are the fairies?”

“Step past the mushroom border,” a hobgoblin traveling with us instructed. “Then you will see.”

I looked down. Not three feet away was a line of mushrooms, a popular tool of enchantment used by fairies. Curious, I carefully stepped over the line. My friends followed eagerly. As my feet touched the other side, Ellamara was revealed.

The scene was both chaotic and elegant. At first, it seemed as though the dancing Woodland fairies moved in a frenzy, and it was a wonder they didn’t bump into each other. Looking closer, however, I noticed the fluid pattern each fairy followed. Studying their movements made the dance seem choreographed rather than spontaneous. Their bare feet tiptoed lightly on the soft grass, arms swaying with the grace of brush strokes on canvas. Their transparent wings, bright even amongst the shadows, moved in tune with each step.

The sheer fabric of their simple dresses and tunics billowed and flowed according to their movements. The colors were all reminiscent of the woodland: shades of brown, green, and gray. I could identify males and females by their clothing, but not by their hair. All the fairies had wavy tresses that fell well past their shoulders. Delicate flowers and leaves adorned their heads, some large enough to cover parts of their faces and others almost too small to detect.

Fireflies added a warm glow to the lavender shadows. They seemed to dance to the same rhythm as the Woodland fae, a combination of swooping patterns and nimble bouncing. Beautifully fervent music emanated from harps and wooden flutes, causing my fingers and toes to twitch with longing. I wanted to dance.

“How will we know the Queen?” Nathan asked, interrupting my daze.

“Maybe we should ask our fae companions?” I suggested, my heart stirring as the music changed to an even lovelier song.

“They seem to have disappeared,” Rafik noticed.

“Along with Elvina,” Tavis added.

This broke me out of my trance entirely. “What?”

“She’s not here,” Tavis repeated.

“Did anyone see her leave?” I asked, scanning Ellamara to see if she was dancing among the Woodland fae. Maybe the allure of her own kind had been too strong for her.

I saw plenty of brown-haired fairies who looked similar to Elvina, but none who came close enough for me to question. I knew her well. If she were truly part of the dance, I would be able to find her.

No one responded to my question, which meant no one had witnessed her departure. How had we all missed her disappearance? Where had she gone?

“I think our discovery of Ellamara is what distracted us,” Aimee mentioned. “She probably used the opportunity to slip away.”

“But why?” Nathan asked. “Why would she leave now?”

I tried to remember as many details as I could from our last conversation. She had admitted that she might be too tempted by the Woodland fae to resist them, but she had said nothing about disappearing altogether.

“Maybe she was feeling too drawn by the dance and believed running away was her only option?” I proposed half-heartedly, barely believing the idea myself.

“I didn’t even see her step over the border with us,” Tavis revealed. “I don’t think she ever did.”

“I did notice our fae companions begin to depart after the hobgoblin told us about the mushrooms,” Nathan recalled. “They were a large group. She could have blended in while we weren’t paying attention.”

“In the end, it doesn’t matter how she left, only that she did,” Rafik stated. “The question is, what do we do now?”

My heart began to pound for a reason other than the beautiful music. The fairy Brielle and Eder had assigned to guide and protect me had left without warning. Now we stood before the Woodland fairies totally unprepared. Four elves and one half-elfen, half-fairy. How would we know what to do? What to say? Where to find the Queen?

I took a deep breath, collecting myself because worrying about Elvina wouldn’t put the crown in my hands. We needed to move past the subject and think of a new plan. “Rafik, do you know anything about Woodland fairy customs? Anything at all about how we should approach them?”

The elf soldier shook his head. “Soldiers aren’t allowed much contact with the Woodland fae. The battalion leaders reminded us of the rule often. They suspected we would ignore our duties if we let the fairies persuade us to dance.”

I sighed. “Okay. Then let’s start asking questions. Stay together, resist the dance. We’ll move as a group, and we won’t stop until someone gives us the location of Queen Ella.”

My friends nodded in agreement. Elvina wasn’t here to gift us with Woodland fairy knowledge, so we would have to rely on good old polite interaction to get us through. I was a little nervous to head into the fray of dancing Woodland fae, but since they weren’t approaching us, we had to go to them.

“Could you please help us find Queen Ella?” I asked the first fairy I made eye contact with. She smiled and tousled her auburn hair but said nothing in response. “Okay. Thanks anyway,” I muttered sarcastically.

Nathan was the next to try. “Do you know where the Queen is?” The fairy he asked stopped moving and blinked once before he rejoined the dance, the fabric of his green tunic billowing as he glided away.

I hoped Aimee would have better luck as she asked the same question to another fairy. Creatures of any kind usually responded eagerly to the healer’s warmth. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for this Woodland fairy, who bowed and shook his head, which I found rather odd.

Did these fairies truly not know the location of their Queen, or were they choosing to ignore us? I couldn’t tell by their strange attitudes. Their actions didn’t make sense. Why couldn’t they speak?

“Rafik, suppose you mention that you’re a soldier,” Tavis recommended.

He nodded. “That could work. I’ll give it a try.” He moved in direct line of three approaching Woodland fairies. Upon noticing his presence, the fairies slowed to a halt and watched him with round eyes. “My name is Rafik, and I am an elf solider stationed in your Realm to protect you. I must see the Queen.”

The three fairies giggled and shook their heads. “The elves are not our protectors,” one said.

“Of course they are,” Rafik replied, looking rather offended.

The second fairy placed her dainty hand on the elf soldier’s arm. “You are quite mistaken. The Element fairies protect us now.”

“And we serve them happily in return,” the third added.

I felt everything inside of me turn cold. Unlike the Flower fae, who were threatened into submission, these fairies actually believed the Element Fairy Realm was their ally. How would we convince them otherwise? What proof did we have?

“Now that you understand, will you dance with us?” the first fairy asked Rafik, taking his other arm.

With a fairy on both sides and the last standing directly in front of him, Rafik was cornered. He opened his mouth to respond but I could tell he didn’t know what to say. Sensing his need for aid, I moved to stand between him and the third fairy. “We don’t have time to dance,” I said. “Regardless of what you believe, we need to find Queen Ella.”

“I am afraid we cannot help you,” the second fairy said. “Now if you will excuse us, your elf friend would like to dance.”

With quickness I hadn’t been prepared for, the third fairy moved past me. Completely surrounding Rafik, the three Woodland fae began to dance. It wasn’t long before a suddenly dazed Rafik started to follow along. His face was devoid of expression, except for the slight upward turn of his lips.

“We have to snap him out of it,” I told my friends. “We can’t let them give him any fairy food.”

My friends didn’t answer. Frustrated that they weren’t taking this as seriously as I was, I turned to repeat myself and realized the reason for their silence.

They were no longer with me.

My eyes darted frantically around the city. One by one, I spotted my friends in the clutches of Woodland fairies. Seemingly content, they all danced in a haze as if they had never known anything else. They had been pulled into the dance and now I was alone.

The process had occurred too rapidly for me to interfere. My friends had said nothing of trouble or temptation. They were whisked away before they had a chance to react. Panic swept through me, loneliness seizing my heart. How would I ever get them back on my own?

As I tried to develop a plan, a few of the Woodland fairies realized they had missed claiming me for their dance. Sweeping forward, they held out their hands and beckoned me to them. “Dance with us,” they requested in perfect harmony.

Their tantalizing voices drew my focus. I only had to say yes, and then I could experience serenity and pleasure. I could lose myself and my purpose. I could forget about Stellan’s death, Ellie’s betrayal, my own insecurities. I could stop feeling so guilty, so responsible for everything and everyone in my life.

Believe me, I wanted that. But I wouldn’t find true freedom in a trance. Freedom was something I would have to work a lot harder to deserve. What the Woodland fairies were handing me wasn’t a blessing but rather a life sentence to live as something other than myself. I wasn’t about to agree to that.

Fearing for my friends but knowing this was the only way to maintain my sanity, I turned and fled.

I could hear the whoosh and flutter of diaphanous wings as the Woodland fae chased after me. I knew looking back would probably discourage me, so I kept my eyes forward and continued to sprint out of the city. I passed the line of mushrooms, not caring if I disturbed the border by squashing a few. My mind was consumed by thoughts of escaping.

Knowing I wouldn’t succeed if I stuck to running, I released the golden wings I had furled upon entering the city and shot forward into the air. They beat in sync with my heart, fast and frantic. I was terrified of being caught, fearing that their touch would send me into the same trance that trapped my friends.

Daur had told me that extreme anger or joy would bring a Golden fairy immense power. I knew it was dangerous to access my dormant magic for fear of losing control, but I couldn’t let the Woodland fairies overtake me. If I was captured, every hope of stopping the war would die as soon as I was pulled into the dance. I couldn’t let that happen. I had to be stronger than them.

Joy was an emotion I had no chance of feeling in my current state, so I began to focus on anger. I was angry at these Woodland fairies for chasing me. I was angry at my friends for succumbing so easily. I was angry at the entire city of Ellamara for believing that the Element fairies were their allies. I was angry at Elvina for deserting us when we needed her most.

Above all, I was furious with Eder, whose meddling and interference hadn’t stopped my friends and me from being captured and nearly killed numerous times throughout this journey. If he had really wanted to help, why couldn’t he just have traveled with us? Maybe then none of the horrible things we faced would have happened. Maybe we would have already made it to the rebellion.

Yes, Eder was the true source of my anger. And there was a lot of it. Enough to bring my dormant magic to the surface of my skin. I could feel myself glowing and vibrating with intense power. All I had to do was release it.

I screamed.

Everything turned bright and silent all at once.

I couldn’t hear myself breathe because I was no longer breathing.

But I was moving. I was flying at a speed I had never believed possible until now. It was a wonder I didn’t collide with any trees. I had no control over my body’s movements.

The moment passed quickly. My feet touched the ground and my wings furled back into my skin. The glow turned off like a light. I stood alone, my body humming, and I felt nothing. My emotions had been expelled with my Golden fairy magic.

I couldn’t speak; I couldn’t move. I felt frozen in place. I wasn’t tired, just empty. I had nothing left to give.

The earth began to tremble, the leaves high up in the trees quivering noisily. I knew I wasn’t the reason. My magic had ended. I wanted to figure out the source, but something within stopped me from caring. I remained still.

It was all a blur when the creatures came into view. They moved too fast for me to focus. Their heavy bodies made a deafening noise. Despite the chaos, I knew. I knew what they were.
The beasts
.
Centaurs.

Half-human, half-horse, these were the majestic creatures the willow dryad had described. Most rode past me without hesitating, hooves thunderous against the ground. But one reached out. Rough hands grabbed and carried me forward.