Seduced by Magic (35 page)

Cassia looked at her solemnly, her Elvin features ethereal in the waning light. “This is a door to Otherworld. At the midpoint of the bridge you will feel a barrier. Picture the exact location you wish to arrive at, and when you cross that barrier you will be there.”

“That's it?” Copper gestured to the bridge. “I just walk across and that's all there is to it?”

The witch nodded. “If you didn't have Elvin blood, I would need to escort you across. But you'll be able to travel alone with the faith that you will end up where you need to be.”

Cassia took two steps back. “Remember. Focus on the
exact
location you wish all of us to arrive at. We will be able to follow your energy.”

It felt as though Pixies were creating havoc in Copper's belly as she looked away from Cassia and her friends, and gripped the backpack on her shoulder with one hand while grasping the roughened bridge rail with her other. She started forward, one foot in front of the other. The dried mud from the large boot prints crunched beneath her jogging shoes.

The moment she reached the center of the bridge, everything around her was silent. It felt like she had earplugs stuffed in her ears, and her skin went numb. She couldn't feel anything, hear anything, and her mouth was completely dry.

Her heart raced faster as the air in front of her wavered
like the shimmering surface of a pool of water. She stepped through it, still feeling muffled and numb—

And found herself in bright sunshine, Zephyr riding on her ear. Copper blinked as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight. She was in the middle of a meadow.

Her
meadow.

Her chest seized. Not again! She couldn't be trapped again! She'd wanted to be just outside the meadow, not in the freaking middle of it—just in case.

She turned to run back across the footbridge . . .

And found herself face-to-face with the rock outcropping. No bridge, just rock. She had walked through the massive stones!

She backpedaled, knowing that she needed to get away from the rock wall to let the others through, so that they wouldn't bump into her.

Copper waited.

Nothing. Not a blur, not a whisper of movement. Nothing.

She waited some more.

A little longer.

And longer yet.

She walked back to the rock and placed her palm against it. Solid. As if she'd never walked through it.

“Crap.” She bit her lower lip before saying aloud, “Where is everyone?” Her stomach clenched, she bit her lip again, and gripped the strap of her backpack tightly.

Zeph answered her with an unhappy buzz.

Slowly she turned in a slow circle. It was warm, and felt and smelled like spring. Her body was no longer numb and she could hear the happy chirp of birds and the
gruuup, gruuup
of the ferret-toad things, who were apparently mating again. They were sure horny things.

Apple-tree leaves, grass, and dandelions ruffled in a gentle breeze and a huge forest lay beyond, a forest she hadn't been able to see too well when she lived here, because of the barrier. Her shoes sank into the soft earth as
her gaze and senses explored the meadow. Last night it must have rained because the air had a rain-washed scent. She caught other familiar scents, too, including apples and wet earth.

It was hard to believe she'd left this place only three days ago. She thought she'd never be back.

This time the grass was beneath her jogging shoes instead of her bare feet as she walked up to the apple tree. She pressed her hand up against the trunk. It felt rough against her palm, yet surprisingly comforting at the same time. Birds twittered from the tree as if telling her to leave their home alone. When she looked up she saw among the leaves and apples a nest with two bright red birds perched on its sides. She had never seen birds in the meadow before. That had to be a good sign.

Even though she was in the one place she thought she'd never want to be in again, somehow it felt like home. At least one home that she had come back to visit, but definitely not to live in again.

She continued to look around her. The rock outcropping was there—well, she'd just walked out of it,
duh
. The water from the small waterfall tinkled into each basin before flowing back into the ground.

So much emotion swirled through her.

Her throat ached and she felt the pain of her mother's death as fresh as when she had first learned of it. This was where she had been told her mother had passed on to Summerland. The rush of pain was harsh and the back of her eyes felt as though they were being singed from the hot tears that wanted to flood her cheeks.

And this was where she first met Tiernan.

Copper swallowed and tried to turn her mind to other things. Her gaze rested on the meager shelter that she had shared with Tiernan before they left, and her chest seized. This place was where she had fallen in love with him.

Copper forced her thoughts away from him. She stared
at the part of the rock outcropping she had just walked through. Her friends. Where were they? Zephyr buzzed his concern, too.

The bushes at the Faerie mound were still, no Faeries were collecting nectar, and no Faerie children were playing tag among the flowers. No Pixies, no Brownies, not even the Undine was there to greet her.

It felt so incredibly lonely.

Copper sighed.

She dropped her pack beside the apple tree and walked to where she knew the shield had always been. Holding out her hand, she took a step forward, then another step, then passed right through where the barrier had stood. She continued to walk around the meadow, testing the air for the barrier. It wasn't there!

A huge rush of relief left her chest and she grinned. She bounced up and down on her toes, her earrings jangling. She'd done it! Before she left she really had set them all free!

She whirled around to head back to the tree and came to an abrupt stop. The Faerie queen, Riona, along with several other Faeries, a few Pixies, and a couple of Brownies, all of whom she recognized, were gathered around her backpack. They were all looking at her as if expecting something. To her side she saw the beautiful Undine rise from the water.

Riona flitted away from the others, the lavender dust from her wings sparkling in the sunlight, and the scent of roses accompanying her. “Welcome back, Copper.” The naked Faerie perched on Copper's shoulder, crossed her legs, and swung her foot. Zeph gave a buzz of greeting from Copper's ear.

She smiled at the Faerie queen. Copper went over to the odd group of creatures that normally didn't have a patient cell in their bodies, but now were uncommonly still—maybe Riona had cast a spell on all of them. With the
Faerie queen on her shoulder, Copper knelt and settled on her haunches in front of them.

“It's good to see you,” she said and did her best to smile. It was so hard when the situation was so dire.

The Faeries bowed, the Pixies jumped up and down and clapped their little hands, and the Brownies made little grumbling noises. It occurred to Copper that she could offer them all a little treat as they'd done for her so many times.

“I've got something for each of you.” Copper retrieved her pack from between a Pixie and a Brownie who had been shoving one another, then dug out the paper bag of sugar cookies.

The cookies were slightly warm, and huge compared to the Pixies and the Faeries, but the Brownies handled them all right. As a matter of fact, they munched down on the treats so quickly that in mere moments all that was left of their own cookies were crumbs. They even made sure to lick the crumbs from their fingers and to snatch them up from the grass. Copper gave them each another cookie, which they took with greedy little hands.

Copper kept glancing at the rock outcropping, hoping to see her friends walk through. Had they been transferred somewhere else?

Riona fluttered to Copper's hand and broke off a small handful of cookie and delicately ate an itty-bitty piece of it. “This human food—delicious,” she said. “We will take our portion back to our Sidhe to share with the others of our kind.” She waved her hands like a maestro conducting a symphony and all of the Faeries' cookies disappeared, along with the Faeries who had greeted Copper. Queen Riona stayed.

Riona stood on Copper's backpack as they watched the Pixies vanish into the greenery with their own cookies. The Brownies trundled away, looking pleased and full.

Copper pushed herself to her feet and carried a sugar cookie to the Undine who graciously took it with a bow of her head. “It is good to see you again, dearest Copper,” she said in a voice like water trickling over stones. She sank down into the shallow basin of water and disappeared, cookie and all.

When Copper made it back to the apple tree to wait for her friends a little longer, it was just her, Zephyr, and Riona. While Zeph went to pollinate a few flowers, Copper sat cross-legged on the grass beside the Faerie queen. Riona was perched on the smooth rock that Copper had sat upon so many times before.

“So everyone was able to go back home?” Copper asked.

Riona was still delicately nibbling on the remaining cookie. “The barrier went away the moment you went back to your world. We still live nearby, but we are free to come and go as we please.”

Copper smiled and felt another swell of relief in her chest. “I'm so glad.”

But then that smile and relief disappeared as it hit her again that she was alone. None of her friends were coming through the barrier. And worst of all, Silver was in danger.

Riona braced her hands on the rock to either side of her and looked up at Copper. The queen's black hair was lying over her shoulders, covering her perfect little breasts. Her amethyst eyes were wide and serious.

“Your friends . . .” Riona started slowly.

“You know what happened to them?” Copper said. “Why didn't they come through with me?”

The queen delicately cleared her throat. “Balor blocked their way. He wants you alone, without the defenses of your companions.”

Copper's body went limp and she slumped against the apple tree. “Oh, goddess.”

“Although your sister is in trouble, you cannot go by yourself,” Riona said softly. “It could mean your death, as well.”

Copper dropped her hands to her lap. “Excuse me?”

“Our seer . . .” Riona shifted on the rock. “Suffice it to say that we know some of what would lie ahead of you if you made this journey alone. I wish we could be of assistance, but as you know, the Fae cannot tolerate being deep within the earth. It would kill us.”

This time it felt as if Brownies were nipping at the inside of Copper's belly,
hard
. “Are you saying that Silver is in danger, but that you don't think I should go after her?”

Riona sighed. “She will soon be at the door. We do not know if she will be injured enough to die, or if she will survive.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Copper jumped to her feet. “You're telling me my sister could
die
and I'm not supposed to do anything about it?”

The Faerie queen stared solemnly at Copper. “You could die, as well.”

“It doesn't matter what happens to me.” Copper got back down on her knees and grabbed her backpack. “What matters is that I save my sister.”

“There is no one who can help you.” Riona's voice was pleading. “The Mystwalkers cannot live far from water, the Shanai and the D'Danann are too far away for us to contact in time. I can send word, but the only way they could make it is if they use the Elvin transference point, and the D'Danann and Elves do not speak to one another. As for the Elves assisting you, those of pure Elvin blood cannot go belowground or they will become Dark Elves. And as I said, none of the Fae can help. Only the D'Danann could if they were near enough. But as it is, I doubt they will be here in time.”

Riona fluttered beside Copper while Zephyr zipped to
her ear as she stood and slung her backpack over one shoulder. She headed to the side of the rock wall that she had always dreaded going to.

“Please.” Riona's voice was urgent. “Do not do this alone.”

“I don't have a choice.” There was no one to help her, and there was no way in hell that she was going to let her sister die. “I've got to find her, and I have to save her. I
will
save her.”

When Copper reached the Drow door, she took a deep, deep breath. Then without any further hesitation, she stomped on the door five times.

While Copper waited for the door to open, Riona gave her a feather-light kiss on her cheek, then moved to hover in front of her and sighed. “I will send word to the D'Danann, but I do not know if it will make a difference.”

Copper sucked in a breath. “A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.”

“Good luck, Copper Ashcroft.” Riona fluttered her wings so that Faerie dust sprinkled over Copper's head and shoulders. “May the goddess be with you.”

The door began to screech open at Copper's feet. The Faerie blew her one last kiss, then was gone in a blink of an eye.

That horrible nails-scratching-chalkboard sound grated along Copper's spine as the stone door moved. She shuddered when it finished and the door was finally open. The steps leading deep into the darkness were barely visible. She withdrew her wand from her pocket with her free hand and the crystal at the end began to glow its golden light. She hitched the pack up a little higher and started down the stairs.

It was dark by the time the messenger arrived to tell Darkwolf that he had met Garran at the pier. The messenger, a demon in a young man's shell, handed Darkwolf a parchment filled with magic. Darkwolf closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Yes . . . the magic-infused paper would lead him directly to the door.

Triumph filled Darkwolf as he opened his eyes, but much of that triumph was forced through him by Balor's eye. Part of him was reluctant, because of what he would have to do with Silver. He would ensure she would not be killed, but he feared harming her.