“Lorelei, you don’t know what you have agreed to.” Adrius sat down next to me on the stump blanketed in moss. Once again he attempted to talk me out of my decision. The air between us resonated with tension. Two days had passed since the Beltane Fete, and it had been decided by Hawthrin and the King that it would be best if I left at twilight. I stared at him in the soft morning light. He looked amazing, freshly washed, casually dressed, his hair still damp from the shower. It fell in mocha waves around his perfect face. A perfect face, lined with worry and darkened by his severe expression.
The gauzy celadon gown floated around my legs in the breeze that tousled the neon leaves. I could not imagine a more breathtaking vision, apart from one. Moments earlier there had been a soft rustling of the leaves. And I knew he was here. I’d grown used to the feeling of him now. His presence had an electric charge that made the tiny hairs on my arm stand on end.
“It’s very unlikely things will go the way you think they will. A quest this important left in the hands of someone like you, how could it succeed? You’re rushing into things without thinking them through. And you have no real understanding of the threats that lie in wait beyond the boundaries of Mythlandria.”
He was angry and I couldn’t understand why.
“It’s an impossible situation even with help.”
My stomach did a somersault. It was one thing to have to face this task alone, another altogether to know he didn’t believe in me. I figured it would be dangerous, but there was too much at stake not to see it through. I had to get to my mother, and the only way to do that was to go through with what Zanthiel asked. And now, with knowing my father is still alive… But even knowing the danger before me, it was his complete lack of confidence in my ability to survive that bothered me. I lifted my chin.
“Then help me. Come with me.”
“I can’t do that. I’m needed here,” he said. His mouth was clenched in a grim frown. He stood up, his full height towered over me, and glared. “Just the journey alone will involve more physical activity than you’re used to. There are mountainous terrains, rocky cliffs.” He looked at me, one eyebrow raised. “You do know how to climb, right? Because if I remember correctly, you didn’t do so well when we arrived.”
Could he be a bigger jerk? I stood up just as fast, tilting my face upward to return his glare. “I get that you may be accustomed to rescuing damsels in distress and playing up the whole super hero thing, but I have always looked after myself, and it’s not like anyone’s counting on you to defeat the Ice Witch and save the day. I take it back. I don’t need your help.”
He winced ever so slightly behind his cool exterior. I’d had gone too far. If I wasn’t already so agitated, his reaction might have stopped me, but the words poured out. “So feel free tend to your princely duties here. I will be fine.” My head cocked to the side. “Perhaps you should take Taryn out to pick gooseberries in the Wyldewoods or something. Since I don’t see how someone who can’t even maintain peace within his own family could possibly help restore it to an entire kingdom.” Drawing a deep breath, I stopped, like an engine that had run out of gas.
I turned away, hiding the color creeping into my face and wandering towards the toadstool bench. I sounded like a crazy, jealous girlfriend.
When I turned around, he was watching me. His expression was unreadable again. If the Inner Eye necklace worked all the time with him, I could have listened to every thought passing by those intense eyes. Instead, I watched the corner of his mouth tighten as he frowned briefly and then returned to his usual state of calm.
“This is a deadly game. And you have been made a pawn. It’s an impossible task for the most skilled warrior among us, even with the full use of magic. And yet they want you to do this alone.” His voice trailed off. “It’s madness,” he said quietly, appearing to restrain himself as the small vein in his forehead pulsed. He looked away. “I’d prefer it if you didn’t go at all. We could find some other way.”
“I don’t understand. Hawthrin said everything would be fine. It seems unreasonable to expect me to just stay behind. I may not have magic powers, but if I’m really a descendent of the fey, you should understand that makes this situation as important to me as to you. The fact that I’m half-human doesn’t automatically mean I’m useless.” I held my ground, refusing to compromise.
He matched my glare. “Have I ever suggested that you were?” The pained look in his eye caught me off-guard. “It’s not your desire to find the skills you have that I object to. He spoke slowly, carefully, as if he wanted to make sure she understood. “I just will not allow you to risk your life to do so.” He moved closer, until I felt the warmth of his breath.
I couldn’t tell him about my plan to find my father, not without telling him about my encounter with Zanthiel. For some reason, I felt it was important that he didn’t know about it. Not yet.
“So what’s your big plan then, hmm? How do you suggest I get home? To my mother, who is dying, Adrius? If it’s not too late already.” A familiar knife of fear sliced through me.
“Stay here,” he said softly “Practice gaining the full strength of your powers from the safety of Mythlandria. Our borders are well-protected. We can keep you safe. I can keep you safe.”
In that moment, I wanted more than anything to agree to his perfectly sane proposal. To forget all about witches, faeries, and prophecies and stay here by his side happily ever after. But that dream had no chance at survival. Especially not while the very survival of everyone I loved was at risk. And it was growing more and more so with each passing moment. The rapidly cooling temperature confirmed it. Not that the burning fear in the center of my stomach wasn’t proof enough. Something more terrifying than I could image was coming, and I had some part to play in stopping it. I had to find the Faerie islands, learn how to access my powers if there really were any to access, and do whatever I could to put an end to the destruction. Or there would be no happily ever after for any of us.
“I get it. Her magic is unmatched,” I began quietly. “She’s killed thousands in an instant with the flick of her hand.” I swallowed hard. “That’s why I have to do what I can, Adrius. They need me. You need me. And if that means I have to go alone, then I will. I couldn’t bear to let Mythlandria fall, knowing there was a chance I could have helped prevent it.”
“How?” he demanded, pacing.
“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “But there is a lot I don’t understand yet.” Digging my heels in was something I was good at. I’d spent most of my life practicing defiance.
He searched my face for a brief time. “You are no good to anyone dead, Lorelei,” he said flatly.
“You know, your attitude about this isn’t so different from the rift between you and Julien.”
His eyes flashed. “It is a different matter entirely.”
“Not really. It’s been going on for ages and no one wants to take steps toward resolving it.”
Adrius flinched. “You don’t understand our ways,” he said, recoiling.
“I just don’t understand how you can continue a fight for so many years. I mean, what could be worth all of that anger and hatred?”
“Peace, love, harmony… that is the only way,” he said with heated sarcasm. “I wonder if that’s your humanity speaking? Let’s see… world wars, crime, famine — No, I don’t think it is.”
“You know, you like to think of yourselves as these superior beings. You’re not all that different from us. Aside from the magic. This could be anywhere.” I twirled a lock of hair around my finger, eyes narrowing. “You’re actually pretty average.”
“It’s interesting, the way you still use the terms you and us. Carefully placing yourself on one side instead of the other, never both.”
“I will always consider myself human, Adrius. No matter what answers or truths I find.”
This was getting us nowhere. We were on opposing sides, and there was no middle ground. I blew out a frustrated sigh. “I have a lot to do before I leave,” I said, focusing on a bright green acorn resting on the ground. “You should go, Adrius. I’ll be fine.”
He took a step toward me and stopped. Then without another word he turned around and stalked toward the briars. A path opened before him and sealed itself once he’d passed through.
****
If I’d had any idea there would be so many people coming to see me off I would have snuck away in the middle of the night. At the gates to the Wyldwoods of the Elsarian Realm, I stood next to Hawthrin, Julien, and the King, as all of Mythlandria looked on. They gazed at me with such faith in their eyes, I felt suffocated under the pressure of their collective expectations. How was this ever going to work? One of the Mythlandrian guards approached, and behind him was a beautiful white unicorn, it’s long wavy mane ruffling in the breeze.
“This is Ulyssius,” the King stated, gesturing to the majestic animal. “He will be your guide while you are on this quest.”
The unicorn lifted his head proudly, shook his silky mane and let out a soft snort.
I swallowed hard in a mix of awe and panic. The black unicorn Adrius rode was impressive, but I’d never expected I’d be riding one myself. “So tell me again what I do when I get there?”
The king’s eyes flashed impatience, but he answered in a voice slick with sweetness. “You will find the court of the Seelie Summer Fey. Their queen will undoubtedly be expecting you. From that point on, you will begin your training.”
“Yes, that part I remember.”
Hawthrin patted my shoulder then unrolled a parchment map. It was lit with glowing dots of light which moved slowly across the page. “Remember to stay on the path. Take rest once you reach Tiramont.” He pointed to a leaf shaped symbol on the map. “There is an Elven family there who will welcome you in and lead you to a porthole to the Faery islands. They can only lead you to the borders for now. Until the evil of Noctria has been destroyed, it is not safe for the members of the Elven council to wander the Wyldewoods unprotected. But they will be there to see you into the Seelie Court, and to gift you with their magic of protection.”
“Protection? What, like weapons?” Oh man, I seriously hope not. Just the idea made my palms sweat.
“Weapons will not aid you against your greatest enemy, Lorelei. The only thing that can truly bring you harm is yourself. It is one’s own self-defeating thoughts and behaviors that are at the hand of every downfall.”
I squinted up at him. “Do you ever speak clearly?”
“Whether you think that you can or that you cannot, you are right.”
“Think I’ve heard that one before,” I replied.
“Very good.” Hawthrin lowered his gaze. “And now that you know all you need to know, you can relax.” He smiled.
I followed his line of sight to my white-knuckled hand clenching the map. “Right.” You can do this, Lorelei, a voice whispered inside my mind. I inhaled a shaky breath and tucked the map into my bag, then surveyed the crowd that had gathered.
The night was illuminated in Mediterranean blue, as though lit from behind, yet not a star graced the sky. The air was crisp with the smell of winter. Twilight had always been my favorite time of day, and in this mystical place, it was even more so. There were faces and beings familiar to me from the ball and many others I’d never met before. But in the sea of faces, one was conspicuously absent. The only one I wanted to see.
Julien came up behind me and put his hand on my back.
“Good luck, Lorelei. May the spirits be with you. And if not,” he shrugged, “then may your death be quick and painless.”
I shot him a lethal sidelong glare. “Wow, thanks.” Deep breaths.
“Julien,” I whispered pulling him aside. “Where’s Adrius? I thought he’d be here.” Even in spite of our disagreement, I didn’t think he’d let that come between us.
He gave a short laugh. “I told you, Princess, when it comes to my brother, it's duty before everything else. Even you.” He winked.
The blare of trumpets filled the air and the gates slowly swung open, before I could change my mind.
Hawthrin stepped up next to me, a grandfatherly smile on his face. He extended his hand to help me onto Ulyssius. Taking all the help I could get, I tried mounting him once more and managed not to slide off the other side.
“Stay on the path. Ulyssius knows the way and how to escape the witch’s eye. Trust him. Trust in yourself. Know you can do this, Lorelei. That is the only key to your success.”
I mustered a weak smile. I was going to miss his Zen-like words of wisdom.
And Adrius, who had disappointed me beyond belief with his absence. I hated to admit I’d miss him most of all.
The uninhabited regions of the Nevermore stretched savage and wild… and not just the vegetation. Creatures lurked behind every rock, and even the tiny ones threatened to rip me apart at the slightest perceived provocation. My goal… Don't provoke them. Tucked away in my pack, nestled Hawthrin's magic vials along with the Faery islands map, and other necessary provisions, but that did little to soothe my tattered nerves. Why was I taking this on? No wonder Adrius thought I was insane when I willingly agreed to throw away my life. But I’d made insane choices for sane reasons. Accepting this journey was the only way I could save my loved ones.
The unicorn I rode beyond the safe borders of Mythlandria was an amiable companion, once we reached a truce and he developed a little patience with me. It took about five attempts to mount him and then another three for me to stay on his back… Definitely a city girl at heart. I was doing a pretty good job considering the last and only time I’d been on horseback was when Gran made me ride the ponies at the fair. I was four and wasn’t too fond of them then either. Pretty sure the feeling was mutual. But Ulyssius skillfully led me into the Wyldewoods of the Nevermore, letting me hold on tight enough not to fall off and break my neck. A serious possibility, considering unicorns were a lot bigger than horses.
The sky darkened and before long nightfall surrounded us. Up ahead, a candlelight glow flickered. Dismounting, I approached, eyes darting back and forth. I had no idea what to expect, and the potential for danger could lurk anywhere.
Hawthrin instructed me to stop at Tiramont’s first dwelling before nightfall, that I’d find many allies on my journey willing to take me in. I wasn’t crazy about the idea of just dropping in on strangers in this world, but the thought of a warm bed and a something to eat appealed to my groaning muscles and empty stomach. As near as I could tell, the map indicated I was in the right place, there was nothing else nearby. I inched forward, straying from the path to get closer to the moss-covered house nestled between the trees. Stick to the path and don’t ride after nightfall, those were the warnings. This wasn’t much of a deviation, I was only a few yards from the course I was told not to leave. Crazy as it sounds, something about this place called to me.
Through the open window I could make out figures, a family of woodland elves, busily preparing an evening meal. Their humble surroundings were nothing like the posh lifestyle of the High Elves. Elyssium was a castle, after all. But there was something warm, comforting about this modest place. Like Gran’s little seaside cottage, it felt like a real home. They gathered around a large farmhouse table, engaged in conversation and laughter… mom, dad, and three kids. The picture-perfect family.
I stared, lost in thought as a piece of me began to hurt. I’d never admit it to anyone, the part of me that wished for a normal family — both parents at home, sharing meals, stories, and our lives, together under one roof. That was not my childhood. And it would never be. But this display made me long for the only family I had left… my mom. I even missed her insane need to control every aspect of my life. What I wouldn’t give right now to hear her tell me off for not doing my vocal runs, or for wearing white after Labor Day. I’d take it all without complaint, just to know she was alive.
The family in the window prepared to dine, and steaming plates of food lined the wooden table. I stepped closer, fuelled by more than hunger. I wanted to be surrounded by something normal, as close to normal as it got in a mythical world, one last time before my fate became obscured.
A small face peered out of the window, directly at me. I quaked and then froze when her questioning gaze met mine. She was ghostly pale, with soft blonde waves framing her round face and large sunken blue eyes. She stared silently through the round pane. I smiled and she continued to watch with childlike curiosity. The wooden front door creaked slowly open, the child still inspecting me intently. My gaze flicked to the door then back to the little Elven girl. A terrifying grin widened across her tiny face, morphing it into something hideous and evil. My eyes blinked then widened as her sunken eyes became black pits, her ashen skin sinking into hollowed cheeks. I wanted to turn and run, but I stayed rooted in place, watching the transformation. A bolt of fear ripped through me when the child’s pale face splintered, mutating into a smoky phantom form of a horned monster, defying description. Clapping my hands over my mouth I stifled a scream and backed away.
Violent missiles of red smoke pierced the air and the ground quaked and split open. Before I could blink, the house shuddered and then collapsed, swallowed up by the ground below it in a vat of bubbling lava. Horrified, I sucked in a gasp of smoky air scrambling backward away from the crumbling precipice… but the ground kept falling away, until it me gave way underneath me, collapsing beneath my feet. I screamed, plummeting down into the night and plunging with a splash into frigid water. Water seeped into my nose, and I struggled to get reoriented and fight my way to the surface. When the waves stopped churning, my feet bumped something firm and I realized I could reach the bottom.
It was almost impossible to drag myself to the shore and crawl up the embankment to solid ground with my bruised and semi frozen limbs. For a moment I laid there, coughing and spitting up water, trying to catch my breath.
What was going on? Was the house an illusion… and the people inside? The fall was real enough. The frigid soggy clothes clinging to my skin were evidence. But I couldn’t make out anything else in the darkness. Where was I?
Panic swelled as I climbed to my feet. I was lost, alone, and without the only guide I’d been given. Opening my pack, I retrieved the map, which amazingly enough was bone dry. Tiny lights flickered on various points, each moving along a broken path. What did they mean? I wanted to smack myself for not getting clearer instruction before leaving. Who goes traipsing off into a strange land without understanding how to read the magical map?
Okay, just stay calm. I took a deep breath, watching the lights which had begun moving in a jittery pattern across the face of the map. A cold gust of wind took my hair, tossing it around me, forcing me to hold tightly to the parchment. With it came a chilling voice. Something — or someone — whispered, “They’re coming.”
I spun around, looking and listening for the source. But what I heard next sent a blood curdling shiver down my spine. Drumming, wild calls, and maniacal laughter tore through the night, surrounding me. A chorus of howls erupted, growing louder and closer.
“Now what?” I muttered, growing cold with terror. Backing up, I retreated to the water’s edge, debating whether to chance surviving the icy current or making a run for it into the blackness of the forest. A hollow screech erupted from the water, making my decision easier. But as I reeled about to run — a black shadow approached me. My breath strangled in my throat, and I squinted into the night, my heart pounded in my ears. I was about to scream when a coiled horn appeared from the darkness, followed by a flowing white mane and a sleek equine body.
“Ulyssius!” I cried almost shedding tears of relief. I raced toward him as the feral cries moved closer. I tried multiple times to climb onto his back, each attempt less successful than the last. The cries grew louder. He whinnied, giving an impatient snort, obviously as irritated with my poor equestrian skills as I was.
A sharp rustling in the bushes next to me was all the coaxing I needed to dissolve my ineptness. With one last leap, I was straddling his back, clutching his mane for dear life, as he shot off through the trees. Branches whipped by, stinging my arms and face, but I was too terrified to notice the pain. Ulyssius flew at light speed, and for a while I thought we had outrun whatever was after us. Then an arrow whizzed past my head. With a scream I ducked down, holding tighter as Ulyssius reared and galloped faster. An explosion of movement burst through the bushes next to us. He took a sudden turn at an abrupt angle and I lost my grip. Careening off his back, I flew to the ground, landing in some sort of net. It wasn’t until I tried to break free from the stickiness that I realized it wasn’t a net at all… it was a web.
I was suspended above the ground in glowing white filaments as fine as fishing line and as sharp as wire. The pounding on the ground beneath me sent me into a fit of thrashing. Pulling and twisting I tried to get free. But the more I struggled, the more stuck I became, and the more the wires sliced into my skin. I couldn’t see the swarming creatures gathering under me, but I could smell them. A foul odor I’d smelled before. A mixture of rot and decay blended with a pungent metallic stench too putrid to forget. Through my last encounter with those monsters, I knew the sweet, sickly, cloying smell reminiscent of fresh raw meat came from caps bathed in the blood of their victims… Which meant only one thing. Redcap goblins had me surrounded and I was trapped.
My last ditch attempts at breaking free were diminished by the realization this was the end. This was how I would die. But a split second later, I was cut free, dropping like a weight to the ground. My body hit, knocking the wind from my lungs with a pained grunt. A face, gnarled, pointed, and scarred, came within inches of mine. I held my breath to keep from vomiting. Then forced air into my lungs to keep from passing out.
“It’s alive,” it hissed, jabbing me with something sharp. I realized it was his claws. A cackling cheer erupted over the throng, and two more Redcaps came forward to drag me to my feet, while a third ripped away the bag I had on my back.
“I –I dont’ know what you want with me,” I stammered. “But I’m on an assignment from Mythlandria. The king won’t be thrilled to know you’re interfering with it.” I had no idea why I was talking. It was clear these wild beasts couldn’t be reasoned with. But hearing the sound of my own voice meant I was still alive. And somehow that small thing was incredibly comforting.
Another Redcap sneered, baring a crooked row of jagged canines, coming to needle points. “Let’s eat it now. Fresh human meat is better alive and wriggling.” He dragged a talon-like fingernail down my arm, piercing the skin, then shoved it in his mouth, a swollen tongue licking the blood clean. I whimpered and squeezed my eyes tight, trying to block both the pain and the salty smell of rust filling my nose.
“No. We take it to the caves,” another commanded.
I cried for help, but when I opened my mouth, there was only silence. Panic washed over me as I realized that I couldn’t speak or move. I’d lost muscle control from the neck down, my body still cocooned in the gummy webbing. Dragging me from my sticky trap, a goblin slung my limp body over its rancid shoulder and carried me into a cave, the others whooping and hollering on our tail. He dropped me on the ground, which reeked of death, and they scurried away.
Sensation trickled back into my limbs and I was able to turn slightly. I could make out a rusty cauldron in the corner over a fire pit with leaping green flames. Two torches were stuck in the dirt, casting an eerie yellowish light. Surrounding the pot were bloodied bones, feathers, and skulls blackened and charred. I had no idea when they’d be back, but I was sure it would be bad news for me when they were. No part of me wanted to stick around to find out what they had planned.
I wriggled to loosen the glistening threads binding my arms and legs, with no success, it only made them cut deeper into my skin. Twisting to my side I felt around for a rock or something I could use, patting the ground until a cold, slimy substance oozed between my fingers, dripping on my hand. I stopped searching and looked up into the frothing mouth of a Redcap with broken yellow canines and scars zigzagging across its atrocious face hovering above me. He stomped on my back, pinning me in place under the oppressive weight of his mangled boot.
“There’s no wheres to go. You’re as good as dead,” he cackled, snorting and spitting out phlegm. A glob of wet foam dripped onto the back of my neck and I shuddered.
The other Redcaps came back, gathering around me, their hungry cries fueling my despair.
As I lay there, my hands half-buried in rotting innards, waiting to die, one thought plagued me. Adrius. I wouldn’t get to see his face again, to tell him how much he meant to me. It struck me as odd the person I was going to miss most of all in death was the one person I could never actually have in life. The goblin pushed on my shoulder with his boot, rolling me onto my back.
The largest Redcap approached with a cleaver, and a hungry gleam in his soulless obsidian eyes. I bent my head, curled into a fetal position, and shut my eyes. Mom, I’m so sorry.
An icy breeze brushed past me and the scent of thyme momentarily replaced the stench. Then a splintering crack echoed in the cave, and I jumped. A collective hiss snaked through the horde. The sounds of scuffling and scurrying filled the air, amid animal cries and shrieks. But these were not the festive yells from before… this was the sound of fear.
I opened my eyes, not sure I wanted to know what had the deadliest creatures I’d met so far scared out of their wits.
“It’s the eye, ‘tis. This one’s got it!”
They stared, faces twisted with fear and anger. “What’s she doin’ with it.”
“Fools! She’s the One. The half-breed the queen talked of,” he snarled. “They’ll be lookin’ for ‘er soon 'nuff.”
“Even after we feast, ‘er bones will tell the tale. They hold the memory of The Inner Eye.”
I wasn’t sure what they were talking about, but whatever it was seemed to have stopped them in their path. Then I saw. The necklace I’d so carefully kept concealed had fallen to the ground, radiating blue green swirling light in the dimly lit hovel.
I was still alive. And in one piece. For now. I tried to pick up the necklace, but my muscles still felt like lead… heavy, numb, and impossible to control.
The Redcap with the longest talons approached me cautiously. “It can’t be eaten.” He scowled. “Must give its soul to the Ice Witch. Only then can we feast on her flesh in peace.”
“Into the cage with ’er,” some hollered.
He stalked toward me, a blade hovering above his head. I screamed, trembling hands flying up over my face, as he swung the blade, and sliced the filaments binding my hand and ankles. Then once again, I was airborne, carried by the foul beasts to my next holding place.
“Where are you taking me?” I groaned, my voice broken and raspy yet audible. I was covered in scrapes and bruises which didn’t hurt as intensely as they should because of the numbing effect of the webbing. I was almost thankful for that. They’d heal soon enough, but the process was never pain-free. My healing gifts had never prevented me from pain.
Either they were ignoring me or didn’t hear me, but it wasn’t long before I discovered our destination. The entrance to a tunnel lay open like the gaping mouth of a whale, a minefield of stalagmites and stalactites lined the ceiling and floor, tearing my clothes and scoring long scrapes across my skin as they carried me into the gloom. In the center of the round, dim space hung a cage, thorny vines, interwoven to form an impenetrable enclosure. There was no doubt in my mind where they were going to put me. Calloused hands with taloned-fingers groped and shoved, thrusting me into the confine barely large enough for a child.
Barbs tore at my face, tangling in my hair, making even the motion of breathing unbearably painful even with the lingering anesthetic coursing through my veins.
The one who seemed to be the leader of the clan crawled forward, jabbing my back with a stake. The cage swung perilously. I flinched and a thorn bit into my shoulder.
“By flame and light of the full moon shall we bleed her? Only then can her soul be released and her flesh consumed.” With that, the torch light faded as the last of the Redcaps retreated to their cave.
They left me hanging alone in the dark for some time. I had no idea how long. My body was stiff and aching from being contorted in such an unnatural position, but I dared not move. Caged and drugged by whatever poison they laced their weapons with, my thoughts circled around and around, desperate to find some way out of this nightmare. No one was coming. There was no escape, and no way out. The Redcaps’ fires burned higher and brighter through the tunnel and I knew the only possible ending was death. As disturbing as that realization was, it wasn’t as awful as the debilitating knowledge that my death would result in the death of countless others as well.
I closed my eyes, giving in to sudden tiredness tugging at me, but the approaching muffled footsteps kept me awake. The nearly silent steps came closer and closer.
But these steps were different. Not the shuffling of Redcaps who dragged their deformed feet when they traveled. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. Whoever was in the darkened cave was now right behind me. There was a violent tug on the cage. I opened my mouth to scream but a hand quickly covered it. Biting down, I struggled to move away, a near impossible feat in my thorny prison.
A voice whispered so close to my ear I could feel the warmth.
“Shhh… don’t say anything.”
I gasped. “Adrius!” It was hard to focus; my thoughts were fuzzy, keeping my panic and elation equally sedated. But staring into those eternal eyes, I knew it was actually him and not some drug-induced apparition. I smiled. The sight was like a life-raft to a drowning victim. His eyes darkened briefly as he looked at me, taking in the gashes and purple bruises marring my skin, but then silently he raised his index finger to his lips. Taking a slow steady breath I remained as still and soundless as possible, determined not to do anything to get either one of us into more trouble.
With one swift slash of his glowing blade, I was cut free. Kneeling on the ground, I rubbed life back into my cramped legs, glancing up just as a group of Redcaps skulked in.
“Adrius, watch out,” I cried, a second too late. He’d spun to face them, but before I could warn him, an arrow pierced his leg, I watched helplessly as one knee crumbled to the ground.
“Run, Lorelei,” he ground through clenched teeth. He rose, limping slightly on his injured limb.
I stared at him, shaking my head. “No, I’m not going to leave you here.”
“Go. Now! The path is clear,” he insisted, arrows deflecting off his blade and shattering to the ground.
I searched wildly for something to use as a weapon. Retrieving my pack the Redcaps had left behind, I hunted inside for something useful then scrambled back down the tunnel to retrieve the necklace. The Inner Eye was on the ground pulsing violet rays of light. Grabbing it, I raced back to Adrius still battling Redcaps; I slipped it over my head and tossed the pack across the room to divert their attention, enough for Adrius to get out.
“Lorelei, don’t —” His voice faded as black shrieks of hatred and anger filled my ears. Immediately the Redcaps stopped their attack on Adrius and stalked toward me as though compelled.
I tried to run but I wasn’t fast enough. Rushed by the grunting desperate creatures, I had no idea how many, they climbed over me, pushing me to the ground, holding down my arms, clawing and biting my legs. I screamed, kicking and bucking. One reeled backward with a cry when my foot slammed into his chest.
There was a flash of light followed by a thunderous rumble. The Redcaps backed away from me, their eyes wide in terror. I followed their petrified stares. Adrius stood over them; his sword held above his head was glowing with swathing green smoke, sending radiant tendrils of fire into the ceiling of the cave. Another ground-tremulous-crack sounded in the hollow and chunks of rock crumbled and fell.
The Redcaps began to scatter, racing away on all fours, skittering up the walls, across the falling ceiling, toward the mouth of the tunnel.
I reached for my pack as Adrius pulled me off the ground and out of the collapsing cave with lightning speed. Before I knew what was happening we were standing outside watching the remains of the cave crash to the ground amidst hollers, screams, and a mushroom cloud of dust and cinder.
When only a mound of rubble remained I whirled to Adrius, in amazement. “I can’t believe you found me.” Without thinking, I flew into him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He smelled like the forest and rainy nights and… life. A breath of fresh air to chase away the Redcap stench of death I’d been inhaling. “I knew I’d have good luck on this trip.”
“Good luck? Really,” he said, pulling free from my clasp to sheath his sword. “It’s great to see you’re still in one piece, Lorelei, but the luck you live by isn’t what I’d call good.” He grabbed my pack and yanked it open. “They’ve taken the map,” he said, tossing it on the ground and meeting my confused gaze.
“What does that mean?” I asked, knowing it wouldn’t be good.
“It means the map to Faerie is on its way to the Ice Witch.” He scowled.
I took in the crumbling remains of the cave. How could any of the Redcaps survive that?
“After your little stunt, and the goblin scum got his hands on the map, I had to either go after him and save it… or save you.”
My stomached tightened as I watched his sullenness escalate to anger.
“Isn’t there some way I can get it back?”
A smirk crossed his face, but it was dark and humorless. “Of course there is.” His tone dripped sarcasm. “You stroll into Noctria and politely ask her to return it… and she’ll have your soul infested with evil before your tortured body can scream for death.”
I stared at him horrified, afraid to say anything else.
“Unfortunately,” he said slowly, watching my reaction. “If your insane plan includes staying alive we have to retrieve the map. Not only can’t we get to Faery without it, but it’s a direct map to you. Octãhvia won’t need the ice she uses as a seeing glass in order to find you. Which means killing you will be that much easier. If your luck takes a turn for the better, that’s all she’ll have planned for you.”
“Can’t we get another one?” I asked, more than a little freaked out by his sudden despair. My question was met with dry, brittle laughter.
“No, we can’t get another one,” he scoffed. “There is only one. It cannot be replaced. And it cannot be destroyed. You can rest assured Octãhvia will not let it go without a fight if it reaches her. She’s been anxious to wage war on the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Theirs is an ancient never-ending feud. A war between the witches and fey will not end well. For any of us,” he said, his lips drawing tight.
"A war over what?"
A moment of silent communication passed between us. He saw I knew he was keeping something from me and I saw he wasn't going to say anything more about it. Not now.
Perhaps because of the fury rolling off him in waves… fury I’d caused, I let it go. Under my lashes I focused on the ground. “Adrius, I’m sorry. I didn’t know what else to do,” I whispered. “I thought they were going to hurt you, and I couldn’t bear — I had no idea they would take the map to Octãhvia.” My voice faded.
The wind whipped through the branches, tousling his moonlit hair. It was colder now than inside the cave and goose bumps spread up my arm where the fabric had been shredded by thorns.
With a sigh he ran his hands through his hair. “Don’t worry about it now.” He reached under my chin to tilt my face up to his. When I looked up he was examining my wounds, with a pained expression. “Does it hurt much?” A thread of concern wove through the anger in his voice.
I shook my head slightly, but he continued to stare, watching as my injuries slowly healed.
“I really am sorry,” I repeated, still feeling guilty for my impulsiveness. Because of me things were suddenly far more complicated. And they were already too complicated to begin with.
“Haven’t we already been through this?” His voice softened, sounding more like his normal self. “It will be okay. Are you sure you still want to continue with this senseless quest?”
I gave him my patented, raised-eyebrow stare.
“I know, I know,” he said. “You have to. But things are far more difficult now than when you left. No one would fault you for changing your mind.”
“I can’t,” I said softly.
“Then you should hold on to this.”
Withdrawing it from its ornate jewel embedded sheath, he handed me a gold-hilted sword, very similar to his.
My mouth dropped. I frowned, shaking my head, but he cut me off before I could add words to my protest.
“If you’re going to survive this, Lorelei, then you need protection.”
“But I could never use it.”
“You may not have to. Or you may find you have no other choice. Already it could have come in handy, and you’ve barely even started this journey. Take it.”
His gaze narrowed when I folded my arms in refusal. “I forged it myself especially for you,” he added.
That melted my resolve. A sword he’d made himself, for me… Reluctantly I held out my hand to take it. I hated weapons and any kind of violence that went with them. Yet there was an undeniable awe about something he had created from metal and fire into an object of such deadly beauty. I felt a strange surge of power holding it, and it unnerved me. With a squeeze of uneasiness I sheathed it and let him strap it on to me. “Thank you,” I said finally. “I appreciate the thought.”
His eyes fell to the gemstone necklace dangling from my neck. I’d managed to escape the Redcap ordeal with it intact, and forgot I was still wearing it. A shadow crossed his face and then he reached out and carefully tucked it inside the collar my shirt.
“You should keep this somewhere safe and unseen,” he said, avoiding my gaze. Everything about his arrival here was cryptic. He still hadn’t explained how he found me. He looked up, as though hearing my unspoken question. My thoughts were probably an open book to him right now. I was too exhausted to keep them hidden.
After a long moment he finally smiled. “Alright,” he sighed, moving away from the ruins. “Then we better get moving.”
I grabbed his arm, pulling him back. “Adrius, I appreciate the save… again.” I was losing track of how many we were up to. “But you’re not obligated to go with me. Nothing has changed.” It wasn’t my intention to put him in danger because I’d made this decision. “I don’t have a choice in this, but you do.” My hand fell away as I saw the look in his eyes harden into something else.
“Funny,” he scoffed. “You actually believe that, don’t you?” Picking up my pack he handed it to me, ignoring my silent confusion.
He exhaled a tired sigh. “It would be just your luck that in order to save your life we have to take you into the land of death.”