His expression changed from annoyance to pity, and his gray eyes met mine with a searching gaze.
“Turn around,” he replied.
“What?”
“Turn around,” he repeated. “I want to show you something—I need to get dressed.”
Oh.
“Okay,” I muttered, turning to face the door, feeling uncomfortable and exposed without him in my line of sight. I heard him rise off the bed and pull on clothing. A few seconds later, he was by my side, his broad frame brushing up against me as he leaned forward to push open the door.
“You’re not going to like it,” he muttered, leading me down the hallway.
Serena
[Hazel and Tejus’s daughter]
I followed the Druid down to the basement with a certain amount of trepidation. The house was so silent and felt even stranger at night-time than it did in the day. The lamp I had picked up again once we left his room threw shadows everywhere, making me feel like I was being watched—like something was about to jump out at me at any moment. I kept close to the Druid, not wanting to be left behind as he strode rapidly across the basement floor and over to the opposite wall.
To my eyes, it was completely bare, but he placed his hand on a set of bricks, pushing against them. I heard a click, followed by a mechanical whir, and the wall started to part, opening up into another room.
My eyes widened in amazement as I observed its contents. It was windowless, but lights hung from the walls, making it slightly brighter than anywhere else in the house. It appeared to be some kind of laboratory; copper tables were laid out, covered with beakers and old-fashioned scientific instruments. There were quite a few potted plants and jars of herbs and other unidentifiable objects lined up against the sides of the room. In the center was a pile of ordinary-looking rocks, with a single, high flame blazing out of them steadily. I couldn’t see how the flame was being maintained; it didn’t look like there was anything to burn, but the flame didn’t even flicker, remaining perfectly constant as if it had an unlimited supply of fuel.
“The moment you crossed into Eritopia, the protective mists that surround this galaxy caused you to cease to exist anywhere but here.”
I turned to the Druid, confused by his statement. It was the first time he’d spoken since we left his room.
“I don’t understand,” I replied. “What mists? What do you mean we ceased to exist?”
“This land, all of the stars and planets within the region of Eritopia, are guarded by the Daughters – a group of creatures born for the sole purpose of protecting the way of life here. It is they who create the illusion—or magic, whatever you wish to call it,” he replied. “It was once used to protect us all, to ensure that Eritopia remained hidden from others. Now it is used to protect others, to ensure they do not come seeking this land and the evil it holds.”
“But what do you mean we don’t exist anywhere else?” I asked, furrowing my brow and wondering which one of us was being dense. “Obviously we don’t exist anywhere else…we’re here.”
“Let me show you,” he replied.
He reached out his hand and waved it across the center of the flame. He didn’t wince as the fire engulfed his skin, and after a few moments he removed it, unharmed. The flame started to widen, and dark shapes danced about in its center. I peered more closely, watching the shapes take form.
“It’s the fire star,” I breathed, recognizing the scene that the flame had produced. I saw the front of Sherus’s palace, the neat lawns and stone sculptures that decorated the entrance to the fae’s home. It was daylight. The debris of the party had been removed completely, and only some of the floral arrangements I dimly remembered from that night remained.
There were four figures standing on the terrace in front of the main door. I recognized Sherus, Nuriya—who was holding their baby boy—and Grace and Lawrence. Nuriya passed the child to Grace, who held it gingerly in her hands, her face lighting up as she peered down at the baby, murmuring soft coos at him and then laughing as the child grabbed her finger. Grace turned to Lawrence, and I could hear their voices as clearly as if they were standing in the room next to us.
“I can’t wait to have one of our own,” Grace said, smiling at her husband.
“Then let’s not wait,” Lawrence replied, his eyes serious and tender as he looked at his wife.
They were interrupted by Bastien and Victoria coming out of the palace, both carrying their overnight bags. They stopped to talk to the others, but I could hardly hear a word they were saying. It felt like my blood was rushing around my head so fast I’d almost gone deaf to everything apart from the panicked voice in my head that finally understood what the Druid had been trying to say.
We don’t exist.
I watched as all four of them were waved off by Sherus and Nuriya, moving toward Corrine and Ibrahim, who were waiting for them, presumably to take them back to The Shade. Not one of them had mentioned us, or even stopped for a moment to look around. The Hawk brothers messed around, all looking a bit worse for wear after their night of indulgence…but they all happily strolled toward the witch and warlock, with no mention of Field.
The vision vanished, leaving only the flame, still burning brightly in the middle of the room.
“What have you done?” I gasped, turning to the Druid in horror.
“What I needed to do to keep your brother and friends safe.”
I shook my head, not wanting to believe what I’d just seen. Maybe it was all a trick. Why would I trust some magic flame to show me the truth? The Druid could have manipulated the images and the voices, couldn’t he? He’d mentioned illusions before…maybe this was a trick he was playing to keep us subservient so that we didn’t go running off into the jungle and spoil his master plan.
“I don’t believe you,” I retorted, feeling sick. “This is bull—it’s impossible. You’re not powerful enough, and neither are these ‘Daughters’ you talk about…you couldn’t do this, not to witches, not to jinn. And what about the Oracle? She visited us, and you said she came here, but we all remember her!”
The Druid shook his head. “The Oracle was the daughter of an Ancient. She held within herself great power, enough to reverse the protection of the Daughters. There are no others that I have come across able to accomplish such a thing. In truth, I don’t exactly know how the Oracle managed to, either.”
I started to back away, wishing he would just shut up. I didn’t want to listen to another word he had to say.
“I told you that you wouldn’t like it, but it’s true, Serena.” His voice had become cold and unyielding, his face set in displeasure. “I know this is painful for you—”
“Do you?” I retorted. How could he possibly comprehend how painful this was?
“But perhaps it’s better this way,” he replied. “They are spared the pain of missing you. None of them would know you were ever born—there will be no trace of you back at your homes, no evidence that suggests you once existed.”
“Is that supposed to comfort me?” I roared, rage completely consuming me.
“Yes!” he shouted. “It is. There’s nothing I can do about this, and you’ll see it’s better this way. Would you rather look in this flame and see your family and friends devastated?”
I was speechless. How could he possibly think this was okay? That this was a better alternative? I knew my parents, and the others. Their overwhelming emotion wouldn’t be devastation—it would be determination, and they would have stopped at nothing to find us.
Now we didn’t even have a chance.
“I want to get out of here,” I replied, my breathing coming out in short rasps. I suddenly felt claustrophobic—the walls of the room felt like they were closing in on me, the heat feeling even more oppressive.
I turned and ran, leaving the Druid behind me. The entrance had been left open, and I pounded through it, needing to get outside of the house, just for a moment. I headed for the greenhouse, jumping through the smashed door and th
en coming to a stop outside. I leaned against the wall, putting my head between my legs and trying to catch my breath.
I knew I would have to tell the others. They would insist on seeing it themselves, and I simply couldn’t bear the thought of Vita or Aida seeing what I’d just seen—or Field, or Jovi. And especially not my brother.
It would tear them apart, and vanquish any trace of hope.
Vita
[Grace and Lawrence’s daughter]
I kept drifting in and out of sleep. The night was so hot that I couldn’t get comfortable, and Aida kept tossing and turning, making the bed creak and occasionally poking me with an elbow or leg. It was still the middle of the night, and Serena was either still with the Druid or had found another place to rest.
The heat was making my entire body itch, and so rather than try to go back to sleep once again, I got out of bed and went over to the open window. The night air was a little bit cooler, and I stuck my head out as far as it would go, smelling the sweet fragrance of the greenhouse and the overgrown lawn. I contemplated going down into the gardens, but after Serena’s experience that didn’t seem like such a good idea on my own. I decided I’d go and look for Serena, but first take an ice-cold shower.
The lamp was missing, so I had to rely on the moonlight. There was only a small window in the bathroom, but it was enough to see by. I ran the faucet, hoping that I wouldn’t disturb Aida. I quickly stepped under the water, my body jerking awake as the cold streams smacked the heat away. It was bliss.
I closed my eyes, letting the water scatter down on my face.
Once my body was numb, I stepped out, wrapping myself in the only threadbare towel we had. I sat down on the edge of the tub, just taking a moment to enjoy the sensation of my body feeling ‘normal’ and refreshed before the sticky heat consumed me again.
We were all in such a strange situation. It was still making my head spin, almost like I expected reality to assert itself at any moment. This house, the Druid, the incredibly captivating incubus, the repulsive, screaming creatures that had attacked from the sky…and strangest of all, the visions and the idea that the Oracle had passed over her powers to us. How could it all have taken place in such a short space of time? How could my world, and everybody else’s, have twisted inside out?
My mind drifted back to the vision I’d had earlier. It had been physically horrible—a twisting, sick feeling in my gut like I was about to vomit, my legs and arms becoming shaky and weak like they could no longer hold me up. The actual vision I’d had was even worse, more disturbing than I’d let on to Serena and the others.
I had seen the creatures Serena had pointed out in the painting, riding through the sky. The screams of their horses had been ear-splittingly loud as they had chased us. Ahead of me, on the ground, I had seen them all running—Jovi had been calling back to me, yelling at me to move faster, but it had felt like I was frozen to the ground, unable or unwilling to move. Then the vision had changed, and I was in a large room, Serena, Field and Jovi standing in front of me, their eyes wide in horror. I tried to call out to them, but only bubbles had escaped my mouth. I looked around, gasping for air as water filled my throat. Phoenix and Aida banged against a blue film that held us captive. My hair tangled in the thick water around me, winding its way around my neck, covering my eyes. I felt like I was drowning. My hand hit the wall and Serena’s palm met mine on the other side, helpless to stop whatever was happening to me…and then the vision had stopped.
Enough.
I stood up quickly, trying to shake the vision from my mind. It wasn’t real. It couldn’t have been real.
I turned toward the small hand basin, running the tap and splashing my face and wrists with cold water. When I had calmed down, I turned the faucet off and looked up at my reflection in the small, cracked mirror on the wall. I looked pale—paler than usual, but that might have been the moonlight. Dark shadows circled my eyes, which were red-rimmed and scratchy.
A cloud moved in front of the moon, and the light dimmed. My face suddenly looked distorted. I thought it was another trick of the light, but then my reflection started to flicker and blur. I shook my head, thinking I was hallucinating. Then, backing away from the mirror, I tensed, struck by an absolute and total fear.
There was a face staring back at me.
It was a woman, with eyes that had the palest blue irises they looked almost completely white. Her hair moved around her as if it was underwater or caught in a gentle breeze—it, too, was white. The impression was like a photograph that had been in the sun too long, all of her features bleached to a strange ethereal nothingness.
The woman in the mirror opened her mouth, and I heard a voice inside my head, so quiet and breathless it was like one continual hush or whisper.
“Vita? Is that you?” the woman asked. “Can you hear me?”
I stared at the mirror open-mouthed, too shocked and horrified to formulate a reply. It took me a few moments before I could croak out a reply, but before the words left my mouth, the image started to flicker again. The woman’s eyes widened in horror—and perhaps pain? The next moment, the image gave one last flicker and vanished completely.
“No!” I cried out, my hand reaching for the glass, as if I could drag her back. But she was gone, and it was only my own stricken face that stared back at me.
I stood still, panting as adrenaline coursed through me. The woman I’d just seen perfectly matched the description of someone who had been described to me countless times as a child…and the only thing that made any sense at all was that I’d somehow just managed to meet the Nevertide Oracle.
Hazel
We said our goodbyes to my family, Corrine, Ibrahim and the rest before heading toward our treehouse. I leaned my head against Tejus’s arm as we walked, relishing the peace and quiet of The Shade after the party. It had been so much fun, but in true fae style, it had been a party of excess, and though I had loved every moment of it, I was glad to be home.
“I swear Varga and Elonora have grown so fast…I keep thinking of them as toddlers,” I sighed, recalling Ash and Ruby’s children at the party. They had seemed so grown up—how had the time gone so quickly?
“I know,” Tejus replied. “And Varga is more like his father every day. I wonder if he’d like to stay in The Shade for a while? He did mention it. Be good for him to train with Ben, Caleb and Derek. We could do with some fresh blood.”
“More warriors to train?” I asked, smiling. My husband and my uncle Benjamin had done a good job at getting the Hawk boys and Benedict in good shape over the years, and I supposed it did make sense for Varga, and Elonora if she wished, to train with the others.
“Always,” he replied.
We walked along in silence, my body moving closer to my husband’s as I anticipated getting into our home and enjoying some alone time. My mind drifted to Nuriya and Sherus’s new baby boy—how delighted Nuriya had been to become a mother, and how she deserved such happiness after so many trials in her long life.
“Tejus,” I murmured softly, my heart pounding in my chest as I tried to form the words—words I had been contemplating for a while now. “I want to change. Back… I mean, into just a sentry.”
He stopped walking and turned to me, his dark eyes shining.
“Does this mean what I think it does?” he asked, his hands running up my arms till his fingers brushed against the back of my neck. A delicious shiver flew up my spine.
“Yes.” I nodded, biting my bottom lip as I waited for his reaction.
“Thank God,” he replied, drawing me closer into his arms. “I can’t wait to start a family with you, Hazel,” he murmured into my hair.
He drew me into a kiss, my body crushed against his as he lifted me off my feet with the force of his embrace. My hands tangled in his hair, feeling the muscles of his shoulders beneath his shirt. I couldn’t wait to start the baby-making process—I was going to love every single blissful second of it.
“So, shall we start practicing now??
?? he asked, breaking away and smiling down at me.
“Right now,” I replied with a grin.
He carried me all the way to our treehouse apartment without stopping, but for once, even his vampire speed didn’t seem fast enough.
* * *
Feeling calm and loose-limbed, I padded into the kitchen to get a glass of water. I stretched, yawning, a warm glow spreading throughout my body as I anticipated the talk I’d be having with Corrine tomorrow. I didn’t really know why Tejus and I had put it off for so long… I guessed because there was really no hurry. We had all the time in the world to have children, and it was nice to enjoy our married life together, just the two of us. But it was time. Seeing Nuriya’s happiness and Ruby’s—how she and Ash made such great parents—I couldn’t deny Tejus and myself the same gift any longer.
Filling the glass, I turned away from the sink and looked over at the immaculate, still kitchen. I frowned. Something didn’t feel exactly right. But I couldn’t put my finger on what it was…perhaps something was missing? I walked into the hallway, wondering if I’d left anything behind at Sherus and Nuriya’s home, but both our bags were by the door, and I’d meticulously repacked the few things we’d taken with us.
Strange.
I shrugged. Whatever it was—a toothbrush, or perhaps some jewelry—I could just contact Nuriya and ask her.
It couldn’t have been that important.
* * *
Ready for the next part of the story?
Dear Shaddict,
I hope you enjoyed A Gift of Three!