She could never use it like her sister could. It was bound to faery blood only. But, that was okay with Jade. She had her own elemental magic to consume. And it was just as good.
A twig snapped, sending her jetting to her feet. Her breath huffed and burned in her chest as she spun around once more to find the perpetrator. This time he walked slowly into her vision. This time he wanted her to see him.
“What do you want?” her voice cracked, suddenly dry with the tingle of fear that slowly embraced her. She licked her lips, wanting the desert in her mouth to go away, but it didn’t comply. Not with an ethereal looking man standing before her.
The faery stood just a bit taller than her. His waist-length deep brown hair and skin the color of pale cream shined in the sunlight. Almond eyes blinked back toward her, amused with her widening eyes and opened mouth. They twinkled and were the same color brown as his hair. Jade found it interesting that he looked very near human. She’d expected wings, translucent skin and bug-like eyes. Maybe more like the demi-fey who fluttered on their tiny, fragile wings with their sharp cornered eyes without whites. No, he was the size of an ordinary man, only more mesmerizing than any one she’d ever met.
He was dressed head to toe in dark rich leather, soft and worn with use. It enveloped his body, fitting snuggly against his muscles and giving him a warrior’s look. She gasped as he stepped closer, an amused smile played at the corners of his lips.
“Stop!” She pressed her back against the tree, feeling trapped yet amazingly curious about the faery man. “Don’t come closer, or I’ll…I–”
“Or you’ll do what?” he snickered. His eyes twinkled playfully, making her seethe as its effect made her fear chip away.
“You don’t want to know,” she gritted her teeth, hoping it was a sufficient enough warning. She readied her magic, letting it tingle on the tips of her fingers.
As if sensing it gathering, he paused, sniffed the air and glanced around. He refocused on Jade and gave her a warm smile, no longer approaching her. “Forgive me, elemental. I can be off putting.” A tilt to his head as he continued to watch her but she held her ground, stilled and readied to slam the magic onto him if necessary.
“What are you doing in Faerie, elemental? Your kind are not native here. You risk much by treading here.” He pressed his lips together, looking slightly concerned but it faded just as quickly. He edged over to the fallen log she’d just been sitting on, sank to sit on it and patted the other side for her to join him. When she didn’t move, he sighed and slid off his sword, propping it next to him and pulled out a sack which had been strapped to his back.
“Forgive me, I’m tired and parched. Been on the move all day and I do regret barging into your solace, but I must have some nourishment.” He pulled out a flask of water, uncorking it to take huge swallows. He then clasped it shut and pulled out a small sack, grabbing some nuts and berries out of it and shoveled it into his mouth.
Yuck, Faeries have no manners apparently.
With a mouthful, he offered her some of his sticky snack but she shook her head and waited. Hoping Evie was not nearby.
“I don’t bite, elemental. I am really quite harmless. You can put that fire away you got there. You might subsequently start a forest fire if you let it flicker a little more.” He nodded towards her hands. Jade pulled them up and stared in horror to see that her hands were afire, dripping slight embers to the forest floor without her realizing it. She quickly extinguished the flames and stomped the smoldering ashes with her shoes.
He gave her a haughty laugh, amused by her loss of control. “You know, if you wanted to burn me, I’ll be pretty vulnerable in a few minutes, being that I’m exhausted. Would you mind if I hung in your woods for a bit? It’s quite quaint actually.” He looked around and pulled a blanket out of the pack, laying it on the soft mulch of the ground and plopping onto it, using the fallen log to shelter one of his sides.
“Wh–what? Y–you’re going to stay here?” Jade stammered. He couldn’t linger around here−their house was just a few strides away. What if he discovered it?
He placed his head on his pack, one arm easing over his eyes. “No need to stutter. I’ll keep to myself, don’t worry your pretty little head about it, miss.” He nestled into the ground, sounding truly exhausted. After a few minutes of silence, she wondered if he really was just going to rest here for a bit. What did he want?
“Who are you?” she asked one more time, her voice sounded suddenly small and squeaky. She cleared her throat as she slid to lean against a tree once more.
“I’m called Verenis. What’s your name, elemental?” he asked without getting up. His face was still hidden under his arm, blocking the light out. His breathing slowed to rhythmic and peaceful. Jade wondered if he’d fallen asleep already.
“Jade.”
“Now, Jade, what are you doing in Faerie?” Verenis rolled to his side, leaning on his arm as his eyes flashed toward her. A sea of earth drifted in them. It made her dizzy and wary of him, though his face was pleasant enough to look at and sent shivers down her skin.
“What do you care?”
“Heh, touché,” he smirked at her remark with his eyes dancing. She crossed her arms and frowned, feeling somewhat childish.
“What does it matter? What are you doing here, if I may ask.”
“Trying to stay alive.” The faery promptly shifted onto his back, covering his eyes again to cover them.
Nothing about him made sense. Jade had lost her patience and muttered her annoyance. He didn’t stir but softly snored as he drifted away into sleep. Jade watched him, unable to tear her eyes from his resting body. She wanted to ask him a thousand questions, but right now was not the time. She wondered if she would ever see him again after today. The thought of where Evangeline had run off to in the desolate woods had temporarily slipped her mind.
Chapter Five
EVANGELINE ENJOYED THE power that Faerie circled around her as it quenched her thirst. The headache was all but gone as the exhilaration of the land filled her to the brim. It was heaven. Pure and organic. Nothing in her human world compared to it. Now, nothing ever would. That, she knew was for certain.
The invasion of her private moment had jolted her out of the clouds. Jack hadn’t attempted to hide himself from her, and now stood in plain sight, watching her with utmost scrutiny. Evie felt naked under his gaze, not the kind where her clothes were being stripped away, but like she was a student in a class caught daydreaming and failing miserably. She brushed the self-conscious fear away like cobwebs that stuck to her skin and made her feel icky. He was intense and she knew she had to get to know him.
“You need to pull more of the earth’s energy rather than from the air. It’s sturdier, less volatile.” His voice sounded out across the tiny clearing they stood in. The sun streamed down the canopy in spikes, warming her face and throwing shadows across his chiseled one. Black, wispy hair fell across the cusp of his eyebrows, partially hiding his features. Stark, blue eyes stared back at her but a hint of a smile was nowhere to be found.
“What?” She was stunned. Not knowing what to do. The stranger approached her and held out his hand, showing how it burst into a wave of flames and cracked with electricity. It made her gasp and back away, unsure what to do. His eyes watched her calmly as his intrigue danced across his face.
“It won’t hurt you, I wouldn’t let that happen.”
“What are you?” Evie’s fear receded with his words, and traded places with curiosity. The flames danced along his skin in a vibrant blue-white. It was entrancing, called her like a moth to a light. She’d never met another faery, ever, and this man was one. A true and real faery. She unwittingly reached out to touch him, surprised when he pulled away, extinguishing the flame.
“I’m a Teleen. A fire and lightning faery−it’s what I’m made of.” He smiled, flashing a set of perfect white teeth. “Well, I told you my name. So…what, can I ask, is yours?” His eyebrow lifted in questioning.
“I’m Evangeline, but my sister calls me…”
“Evie?”
She furrowed her brow at him, wondering how it was that he knew that. “Yes, have we met?”
Jack shook his head as he gave a short laugh, clearing his throat and pulling of his pack strapped diagonally across his chest. “No, but I’ve seen you and that fire elemental witch at the edge of the woods over there. Didn’t mean to pry, just happened upon you two practicing one day, not too long ago.” He winked, sending a thrill through her. She felt her heart hammering away in her chest. “Evie is nice, I like it better than Vange or Angela.”
“Oh, thanks,” she stammered. Her focus was off completely, this strange being had tilted her world the moment he had walked into the clearing. She felt an odd attraction toward him, feeling her cheeks flush as she watched him pull out a flask of water and gulp down some mouthfuls. His movements were fluid and his physique was of someone who had spent many a day outside hunting or running. Not an ounce of fat on this one. A perfect man, in every way.
Evie pulled her eyes away. Held out her hands and called her flames into being, letting the fire flicker on her fingers. Hers was not blue, like his, but the orange/yellow of a normal fire. The colors danced across her skin, feeling warm and comforting as she maneuvered it.
She glanced toward Jack, bringing her brown eyes to meet his deep, blue sea ones. The moment felt suspended, even the air seemed to calm into an odd stillness that embraced them. The overwhelming scent of pine and mulch circled around, fueling the magic of the moment. They continued to stare, lost in each other’s eyes.
The feeling suspended time. Evie felt lightheaded and snuffed the flames out, breaking their connection. What was that? No man had ever held her in such a frozen shock. But, this was no regular man after all. The boys at school paled in comparison to him. The confusion he caused her made her want to run, but her feet were cemented to the ground and wouldn’t budge. Jack’s staring didn’t help either. It was like he could see all of her soul, every last bit of it.
“Well, it’s been a pleasure meeting you, Evie.” He smiled, picked up his pack and headed toward the edge of the clearing.
“Wait!”
Jack came to a stop, turned his head slightly and brought her into his periphery. The sides of his mouth twitched up and his eyes betrayed his eagerness to do just what she had asked.
“What is it?”
“Will I see you again?” Evie bit her lip, praying that the request didn’t make her look desperate or needy. She didn’t really expect anything, but the chance to speak with the Faery was just too good to let it fleet by without a word. To never see him again already made her insides ache. No, she had to see Jack again, even just to speak and ask him about Faerie. Just for a little while.
“Most likely, I’m usually out here everyday hunting around morning and late afternoon. It’s nice out here. It’s purely exhilarating in Faerie, you’ll see.” Jack closed the distance between her and held out a small blue orb, it shined in the late morning sun, swirling inside like smoke and lightning flashing within it. “Take this and just call my name into it, I’ll hear you.”
Evie held out her hand and he placed it gently into her palm, his other hand cupped hers underneath sending a jolt of pleasure up her arm and into her chest. Letting go, he turned and disappeared, running so fast that his body became a blurred streak as he vanished into the forest.
Evie was left breathless. Jack was fascinating in every way. She smiled to herself, knowing that his coming back was like hitting the jackpot. ‘Jack’ was just who she’d hoped to find, a faery with an affinity to fire, like her. A kindred spirit in a sense. How lucky could she have been? Breathing in deeply she turned her face up towards the warmth of the last rays of sun, peeking over the canopy of rustling leaves before the forest blocked it out. This was paradise at last. And it was finally hers.
Chapter Six
“I DON’T THINK that’s a good idea at all.” Jade protested as she paced the living room, finally tiring and flopped onto the lazy boy. The TV flashed along with the incessant laughs of some comedy show where the audience was live and their giggles permeated the soundtrack. Evie’s admittance of seeing a faery man named Jack for a few months had made her stomach knot up with guilt. She had a similar secret. So why was she so upset? She wasn’t the one about to go deep into Faerie on a journey to his home like Evie was.
“Oh come on Jade. I’m eighteen now. I can do it if I want to.” Evie pressed her lips together, annoyed with her older sister. She was still treating her with kid gloves, trying to keep her safe when all she needed was to let her go. She was going to visit the Teleen Caverns with Jack. With or without Jade’s approval.
“What if you get hurt? What if…” Jade swallowed the lump forming in her throat, stifling back a barrage of tears. “What if you never come back?”
“But I will come back, you know that!” Evie sighed, trying to form a smile toward her overly concerned sister. “Besides, Jack won’t let anything happen to me. I already visited his home in the Guildrin Seelie Court. It was fascinating! No one hurt me there. No one will.” She stood up and stared at her sister, wanting to know why she was so worried. It was would be a quick journey, he knew the way very well.
Evie’s heart fluttered at the thought of Jack. He’d been nothing but kind and wonderful to her. He’d taught her more about faery magic than she could’ve imagined. The time they’d spent together had made them realize how much their feelings had grown. It was unbearable to be away from him. He was her light, the only one that made the days right. The only one she would ever want.
Jack had made it clear that he intended to marry her. He had told her how much he had felt compelled to be in the clearing that first day when they had met. Nothing short of fate had brought them together. For a Teleen warrior, there was never a question when matched pairs met each other, it was an instantaneous connection. That’s what had happened to them, there was no fighting it. Evie felt completely alright giving in to it. She loved him, and that was all she needed.
“Don’t act so innocent either, Jade.” Evie’s voice came out soft but accusatory. Jade’s eyes flew back up toward her, a flash of guilt slipped from them, but she quickly covered it up. It was too late. Evie had seen it and knew down right well what it meant.
“What do you mean, Evie?”
“Oh come on, that faery guy you’ve been seeing too, did you think I wouldn’t notice that? Did you think I would never find out? Who is he, Jade?” She glared at her sister, awaiting a response.
The look on Jade’s face was nothing short of shock as the color drained from her face. Jade looked away, her lips tensed as she contemplated her answer.
“Verenis, that’s his name. He’s a faery prince in exile.” Her eyes flicked back up in a panic. “Evie, don’t tell anyone, please! He’ll be killed. They’re hunting him.”
Evie knelt down next to her sister, a warm smile spread across her lips. Pressing her hand down onto Jade’s. “I won’t tell anyone, not even Jack. I promise.” Jade let out a sigh of relief and grinned back at her, tears lining her eyes. “But, I have to tell you, because I love you, and I’m worried for you too.” Evie paused, hoping the words would come out right. “Don’t see him anymore. Faeries are dangerous for humans. He’ll enchant you, trick you or hurt you if he wants to. Never underestimate him, Jade. Never. Promise me you’ll stop seeing him, please…”
Jade pulled her hand away from her sister, curling into the opposite side of the lazy boy. Her fear morphed into a slight distain, unsure how to answer her sister when she knew what she would do anyway.
“I can’t do that,” she whispered, closing her eyes and let the pent up tears spill down her cheeks. They splashed onto her clothes and the chair, leaving small drops of wetness where they landed. “Please don’t ask me to do that. Anything but that.”
Evie stood up slowly, and sighed with worry. The faery already had a grip on Jade. It was probably too late to break their
link. She closed her own eyes and wondered if everything would be alright. Maybe. Maybe not. There was no telling the future, not even with magic or superpowers. Not even a Faery can see such things. Some caught glimpses; the oracles she’d met could see many things. Nothing was for certain, that was the only certainty.
“Okay, just promise me to be careful, please Jade? Do that for me while I’m gone.”
Jade nodded, sniffled and rubbed her tear-streaked face. “Alright, I will.”
Evie leaned in for a hug, holding her older sister tightly. Evie felt as if she’d grown up these last few months. She was no longer the younger sister, the child. Faerie had changed them both in ways they’d never imagined it could. As they separated and Evie went to her room to pack some things, she knew it had already happened. Nothing would ever be the same for either of them. Nothing.
Chapter Seven
GRAY STONE OF granite and marble was everywhere. It composed the walls, the ground and the looming roof overhead. Only the caverns that were fed by waterfalls and springs shined in blue and gold light from the faery lamps surrounding the small lakes of water that rippled softly like pools of black ink. These were her favorite spots in the deep underground city of Teleen. The only solace she could find in the vast rocks and boulders.
The cool air that dissipated across the water felt fresher here and less claustrophobic than the windowless chambers of the stone rooms and halls. It was always cold too, much colder than she would’ve ever thought it could be underground. At least it was constant, like the thermostat was stuck on one setting only–ice cold.
Evie had returned here many times with Jack. This last time, she had returned to stay forever. There was nothing left for her back home. Verenis had made sure of that. She wiped away a lone tear that slipped from her eye and pulled her knees closer to her chest. The cool rock beneath infiltrated her warmth like ice, making her concentrate more on radiating her inner fire toward her skin to keep the cold at bay. At least her fire elemental power had come into great use here. The Teleen never were cold. Under the glamour they wore to look more human-like, they were pure blue fire and lighting, never made to feel the cold. Never without light and warmth.