“Shade?” Sary’s voice gently broke into her thoughts.
“Yes, Sary?”
Sary paused for a moment, studying Shade’s face before speaking. “When this is over, will you return to Faerie at all? Or will you want to forget this all happened? I wonder because, you see… I can feel your reluctance even now about completing this task. I know it’s a hard thing to ask of you, being that our world is so alien.” She sighed nervously before continuing. “But we need you more than you could possibly perceive or understand. I can’t even imagine what you think of all this, especially after everything that’s happened so far.”
Shade felt anxious and slightly guilty because she’d been so caught up in herself and hadn’t thought about the rest of the group. She hoped she hadn’t seemed too antisocial tonight; maybe it had an adverse effect on them. She let her eyes linger on the fire, thinking hard on how to answer Sary. It was so difficult to predict the future; she never thought this would be happening to her. She searched for the right thing to say.
“Sary, I hope you don’t feel like I could just say goodbye and be done with everyone so easily. You’ve helped me so much already. I have to admit that this new world is confusing to me. It scares me to death, and I don’t feel like I belong here. I don’t have the strength or the right training for this. Everyone has said I have magic in me, but I don’t know how to use it. How could I ever survive in your world? I just feel terribly vulnerable. I would love to visit you guys when this is all done, but I don’t think I could live here.
Sary was staring at Shade, an amused look dancing on her face. She started laughing so hard she almost fell off the log.
“What’s so funny?” Shade asked, annoyed at her reaction. She was definitely confused. What the hell could be so funny about what she had said?
Sary stopped and shook her head as she cleared her throat. “I’m so sorry, Shade. I don’t mean to insult you. I just never thought of our world as that different. It’s nice to get an outsider’s view. You’re right; how inconsiderate of me. Of course you don’t feel safe. Ilarial did tell us that it was our job to show you how to use your magic. You have more in you than you think you do. I am still baffled on how you managed to trap Darren in the mirror shards; he was bloody mad about it. I can’t say he didn’t deserve it though. He deserved that glass prison and more for what he did to you.” She paused, looking a bit more serious. “So how would you like your first official magic lesson?” She grinned, her eyes twinkling in the firelight.
“Oh, I don’t know, Sary. I’m kinda tired and was about to go to bed. Maybe tomorrow?”
“No, no, right now. I promise it’ll be a short one.” She watched Shade squirm uncomfortably. “How ‘bout it?” she pushed.
Shade pressed her lips tight in frustration. There’s no sense in fighting it, she admitted. “Ok.”
Sary jumped up and clapped her hands; and her vibrant enthusiasm cheered Shade up. “Okay then, pick up any stone–really it can be any one that you find. Come on Shade, just pick the first one that catches your eye,” Sary repeated when Shade hesitated.
Shade groaned but bent down from the log to study the ground. Searching the particles around her, she looked at each possible stone, but none seemed to stand out. Sitting up, she shook her head slightly, about to complain that she couldn’t find one, when a glint of rock flashed in the corner of her eye. She reached out toward the edge of the log and retrieved it. The grey and white stone looked slightly out place among the other white ones imbedded in the sand. Dusting it on her jeans, she placed it in the middle of her palm. “Like this one?”
“Yes, perfect! Now, take your stone and place your other hand over it. You have enough power within you; I can feel it radiating off of you like a fire.” Sary waved her hand at her to make her go faster.
Shade protested but did what she was told. Her hands felt cold in the night air, and the stone was cool in the center of her warm palms. About to give up, she stopped, feeling it get warmer on her skin. She opened her hands, her eyes widening with amazement.
The rock was glowing with a dim yellow hue. The heat was radiating to her fingers from it, feeling as if it should have burned her, but it didn’t. Shocked, she dropped it and cradled her hands on her chest. The sand puffed up around it like a meteorite landing. The stone lost its glow until it sat still and dusty once more. She peered up at Sary, who appeared pleasantly surprised.
“Wow, that was faster than I thought it would be. You just made your first light stone! You can make your own light with it and keep your hands warm too. It won’t burn you, if that’s what you are thinking. This comes in handy on a dark and cold winter’s night,” she said with smile. Bending down, she plucked the rock out of the gravel, holding it out to Shade.
“It’s ok, Shade, take it; it will only glow when you want it to. Remember, to activate it again, put it between your hands once more. It belongs to you and only you now, so keep it near.” She gave her a quick hug as Shade took it and stuffed it into her jeans. It was small and did not bulge out too much. “Good job! I’ll let you get to your sweet dreams now.” Sary jumped up and joined Stephen, who was calling out to her. They walked away from the fire and over to their tents, chatting quietly.
Shade let out a nervous breath. She’d been taken by surprise with the light stone, but she liked the idea of it. She fished through her pocket and brought the stone out once more. Reactivating it, it burned brighter this time in her palms and warmed her chilly fingers.
Staring at it for a moment before stuffing it back in its place, she rose and walked back to her tent.
Maybe, just maybe… I can do this after all.
Chapter Twelve
THE MURMUR OF voices amplified in the growing light of the morning. Shade moaned and wished she’d thought of bringing earplugs. Rolling over, she stuffed her pillow over her head, hoping to muffle the noise. It can’t be morning already! It felt like she had just laid her head against her pillow and closed her eyes. Hiking was definitely not on her cool list right now. Her muscles ached and burned.
“Shade, get up, we have to pack and get going. I brought you breakfast, you’re going to need it.” Shade felt her pillow fly off her face. Dylan stood crouched at the entrance of her tent, his lips tight with disapproval. He looked wide-awake, making her wonder how long he’d been up. Was it possible he didn’t need to sleep? He motioned to a plate of food and drink lying by her. In an instant, he was gone.
Shade blinked and rubbed her eyes. Stuffing the pillow under her neck, groaning and wanting more sleep, disappointment ran through her mind. Sleep was a pleasure of the past now, something she couldn’t quite remember having enough of. She glanced at the food he had brought; bacon and fresh scrambled eggs with a bread roll were still steaming. It looked amazing and smelled even better.
This coaxed her out of her warm bed as she pulled the food and drink toward her. Inhaling the savory aromas, she was amazed at how hungry she was. Slurping down the sweet, warm tea that Dylan had provided made her instantly feel more alert. She wondered what was in that drink; it was always so revitalizing. She’d have to ask someone. Besides, it was curious how they had managed to have bacon and eggs so fresh out here in the wild. Munching on the rich, thick slices of bacon, she enjoyed every bit.
Well, this is my one pleasure out here in this hellhole. Shade sighed, frowning at her empty plate, the food was gone much too fast. Good things just do not last around here. She stretched and fumbled through her bag, and pulled her brush, washcloth and towel out, hoping there was somewhere to wash up. She yanked on her shoes then wrapped the blanket around her like a cape.
Stepping out into the cold morning air was like being electrocuted. It stung her cheeks and sent a thrill down her body. Yaay, winter weather. She wondered how it seemed to be a different season every place they went in the faery lands. It didn’t seem possible it was spring back home.
Walking up toward the main fire, she looked around. She wanted to find and ask Braelyn
n or Sary where she could wash up, but Soap popped up in front of her instead. He grinned at her, showing off his pearly white teeth. “Where do you think you’re sneaking off to, young lady?”
Shade froze in her tracks, her face flushing and feeling guilty without reason to. Tilting her head, she gazed back upon his still smiling but suspicious face.
“I’m not sneaking off anywhere; I just want to get cleaned up. You wouldn’t happen to know where I could, um, go to uh, freshen up?” Her face flushed up scarlet once more under the cold air. Soap wasn’t the one she’d wanted to ask.
“It’s down that side of the hill a bit. It’s a large red tent. Girls on the right, boys to the left.” He winked, spun and trotted back to the camp. Shade gaped at him as he walked—no, skipped—away cheerfully. She shook her head. She couldn’t get over how strange he was. They hadn’t spoken much since they had arrived at the Teleen caverns, making her wonder if he was just being cautious with her, since it had been a Teleen who had attacked her. It was something she’d have to talk to him about later.
She turned back in the direction he had pointed her, gripping her supplies. Approaching the bathroom tent made her stop in confusion. It didn’t look like anything special; the flaps were wind-worn and faded. She wondered how it was even big enough to hold two dressing rooms, let alone anything close to a washroom. She shrugged, too tired to contemplate it for long, and willed herself to get moving.
Inside, she was shocked at how warm and humid it was. The scent of flowers blooming in the springtime permeated the air, and the tent was definitely much bigger than it appeared on the outside. It even had a foyer with a table and hanging mirror. To the right of the wooden table hung a red curtain, and beside it a blue curtain. She supposed the colors were to separate the women and men.
Heading through the red drapery, assuming it was for women, she followed the hallway as it turned toward the left. At the end it turned again to the right and opened onto a large room filled with mirrors on one side. On the other side were stalls with toilets and two showers next to them.
This reminds me of camp, only better. Shade was impressed but not curious enough to wonder for long how it was all possible; she was just grateful it was here. She laid her stuff on one of the chairs and pulled it near one of the shower stalls. She was definitely surprised to find actual flushing toilets in the stalls. Really, I can’t believe the faeries have all this. She just shook her head in disbelief and undressed, stepping into a shower stall. Soap, shampoo and conditioner were provided, and she was thankful the water was hot. The steaming spray felt exhilarating on her skin and eased her aches. All too soon, she stepped out of the stall, dried her body and hair, and pulled on her fresh clothes. Running the brush through her tangled hair, she gritted her teeth then pulled it back into a tight ponytail.
Her reflection stared back at her from the mirror. For the first time since the attack, she saw her face. It made her suck in her breath. Her face was covered with small, healing pink lines, like spider webs, all across her right cheek. She looked down at her arms where she saw more of the same thin scars. They’re all over me…. Tracing them with her fingers, she found them smooth and a soft pink, nearly invisible to anyone who wasn’t really looking.
She studied the mirror for a bit longer to make sure it didn’t ripple or look magical in any way. A shudder ran through her as she did her best not to be reminded of Darren. Turning away when she was satisfied it was just a normal mirror, she gathered her things and grabbed the blanket Dylan had given to her the night before. She wrapped it around herself, realizing she was in dire need of a coat. The weather here is so annoying. She didn’t want to think about the scars, at least not yet. In a way, the blanket served like armor, covering them up and hiding her skin away. For that, she was grateful. Bundling up her old clothes in the towel, she turned to leave and ran right into Sylphi. Shade gasped, stumbling back with her eyes wide, regaining her balance.
“I’m so sorry, Shade, did I frighten you?” Sylphi sneered slightly, studying Shade with inky black eyes. Her dark hair was down and a bit tousled, like she had just rolled out of bed. However, it still managed to have some shine. She also held a bundle of clothes and a towel in her arms, pressed to her chest.
Shade gave a small, nervous laugh. “Oh… hello, Sylphi. No, well, maybe just a little. How long were you standing there?” She tried to swallow her anxiety and stand a bit straighter. Nothing about Sylphi made her feel warm and fuzzy. The girl radiated iciness like an open window in the late winter.
“Not for too long, really; I was just going to freshen up.” She smiled her sickly, sweet smile, batting her eyelashes innocently. Her eyes were so dark, it was like staring into a pair of black holes. She continued to stare at Shade with her intensely black eyes and didn’t make a move to get out of the way. A chill ran through Shade, but she pressed her lips tight, attempting to smile back at the faery. The sight of her was unnerving to say the least. “Well, ok, I was just leaving. See you later.” She had to side step a bit to get around Sylphi, who was still not budging from her spot.
“Why don’t you just go home, Shade? No one really wants you here.”
Shade hung in mid step as she listened to Sylphi’s icy voice. The woman was still not moving but slyly snickering. “You’re too weak for this quest. Why don’t you give up before you fail miserably? No one wants to be out here in this forsaken wilderness with you anyway. Do us a favor and quit already, half-breed.” Sylphi hissed through her teeth, a menacing twinkle lingering in her gaze.
Well, heard that one before…
Shade glared at her in disgust. Shaking her head, Shade sneered right back. “I’m not a quitter, Sylphi. I need to do this, and nothing you say will change my mind. I don’t believe you have to be here, though. You came by choice, remember? So did I… maybe you should go home.” She dodged Sylphi and stepped hurriedly through the doorway, ignoring Sylphi’s snide laughter.
I wonder what the hell her problem is.
The cold air slapped her hard once she left the facilities tent, and her hair felt instantly frozen. She didn’t stop, though; she hurried as fast as she could to her own tent, or what should’ve been her tent. All she found was Dylan sitting on the ground, patiently waiting next to her pack.
“What the…? Where’s my stuff? What’d you do with my things?” Shade felt her anger tipping the scales and tried to grab a handle on it before hollering at him. She breathed in slowly and deeply, averting her glare away from him. It wasn’t his fault that Sylphi had such a strange effect on her; she felt discombobulated. Her breath steamed like clouds floating out her nose and mouth.
He rolled his eyes almost as impatiently as she had jumped on him.
“Well, Dylan?”
“Ok, calm down. I, so graciously, put away your things for you, since you were taking so long in the bath. We’re leaving in just a few minutes, by the way.” He stood up and held out her pack, dangling it from his fingers.
She snatched it from him with her free hand, biting her lip as he walked off to the main camp without another word. She sighed, realizing she hadn’t even bothered to thank him. Why did it seem they clashed over everything? If they were going to be forced to spend so much time together, this would definitely have to stop. Kneeling down, she opened her pack and pulled out a sack for her dirty clothes. She stuffed them in and shoved it back into the pack.
This will just have to do until we reach the river. The clothes had a slight odor and they needed a wash badly. Shade marched down the path to the main camp, joining the rest of the group. Ewan was already waving his arm around to capture everyone’s attention as she chose a large boulder to sit on and rubbed her sleepy eyes. It’s already been a long day, and it’s only the butt crack of dawn.
“Alright, is everybody present? Soap, Jack, Braelynn,” the brawny man glanced about, squinting his eyes at the group. “Where’s Sylphi?” Heads whirled around and searched the group.
“I just saw her in the bath tent. Sh
e’s probably still there,” Shade muttered.
“I’m right here.” Sylphi stepped out from behind a tree and smiled at the group. Her hair was dried and slicked back into an even tighter ponytail than Shade’s. She looked radiant in the morning sun, all dressed in white furs with her pack strapped to her back. She waved at Shade, a sly smirk on her face. Shade frowned back, but not as confidently. She wondered how Sylphi had bathed, dried, clothed herself, packed and made it to the group so fast. It’s probably a fey thing.
“Alright, that should be everyone. We are heading to the great rivers. We will be getting wet, by the way. Shade, see Braelynn for water repellant charms so your stuff doesn’t get soaked,” he added as a side note, and then continued on. “We will be camping in the middle of the river lands. It’s made up of seven rivers that wind, turn, and meet together at the Pacific Ocean. The rivers are pure Faerie territory, close to human towns. There is to be no wandering across the borders, because the iron cites are too close to us along the coast.
He held up a large piece of parchment with a drawing of the rivers. They were vivid blue lines that twisted and curved around the vast green areas on the map. He pointed out the boundaries and again warned of the dangers of wandering too near a human city. Shade stared at the map, utterly confused. It looked so unfamiliar. If her sense of direction was right, they had to be near the coasts of California and Oregon. She didn’t recall seeing such a tangle of large rivers there before. This revelation had her waving down Ewan.
“Those rivers are not on ordinary maps. You said it is purely faery territory? Does that mean that the river lands are hidden from humans?”
Ewan nodded, smiling at her curiosity. “Why yes, Shade, aren’t you just sharp as a knife this morning. Yep, human maps look quite different from faery maps, but we have the real world maps. Mortal’s maps are only splices of the actual world. They don’t know it, but there are vast areas of fey lands that are protected by enchantments and wards. So in essence, the land looks a lot smaller to them than it is.” Ewan continued on, letting his finger trace along the borders on the paper. He then quickly rolled up the scroll map, ordering everyone to prepare to leave.