Shade stirred awake while it was still dark. The door was open, and there was only a sliver of light shining around the corner from the adjacent room. A queasy feeling overwhelmed her, and for a moment, it felt like she had temporary amnesia. Sitting up, she dangled her legs over the side of the bed. She was beginning to wake up a bit more and remembered why she wasn’t home. As she looked around at her surroundings, the events of the previous day rushed back to her.
Her cell phone was still working, and she grabbed it from atop her backpack on the floor beside the bed. Flipping it open, the bright screen hurt her eyes, and she squinted at the little digital clock. 5:15am. No wonder she felt tired. She was not used to waking up so early and had always been a late bird, rarely making it to school with more than a minute to spare.
Shade slipped to the edge of the bed until both her feet touched the cool stone floor. Bending down, she felt around in the dark for her socks and shoes. She wondered what she’d take for clothes on this journey. I can’t very well ask to stop by home to pick up some stuff. Well, maybe. Perhaps her mother would be gone most of the day. Shade would have to ask Ilarial if it were possible, or she’d be faced with an endless stench from not changing her clothes.
She slipped on her shoes and stood up, shaking her head and stretching her sore limbs. Nope, definitely must get some stuff from home. She walked into the main room of Ilarial’s chamber, where she’d first met the great oracle.
She was unsure of the coming events of the day, but she had her backpack, and she decided to examine her ’supplies’. I doubt there’s anything useful in here for a perilous journey. Shade sighed. She unzipped the bag and observed the contents: her schoolbooks, some snacks, her mp3 player, a dozen pens, pencils, erasers, a stapler, and a tube of lip balm. Other than her books and snacks, there was her notebook full of poems and stories she wrote when bored.
Emergency preparedness at its best.
Shade shook her head disapprovingly. She had to stop by her house, dump her textbooks and fill her bag with badly needed essentials. Running her hand through her matted hair, it caught in the frizzy knots from sleeping on it. She groaned. It was a frazzled mess. Hearing a swish behind her, she whirled around to see Ilarial standing at the doorway of the suite.
“I tried to be quiet. I did not want to scare you. Here, take these clothes. I know you need things from your house. I have already cast a spell on your mother. She will leave at seven am to run errands and shop with your siblings. She’s just fine and very happy. I will make sure of it.” She handed Shade a pile of light but luxuriously soft tunics and trousers. The material was smooth and felt like pajamas. Ilarial gave her a belt and leather strings to tie the tunics with. She also furnished some hard-soled leather shoes, which were also soft but surprisingly sturdy.
“Soap can take you to your house. He’s on his way. Do come back by ten am, as that is when they will be about ready to leave. Can I see your backpack?” She held her hand out for the pack. “I can help lighten the load with a shrinking spell. Anything you place in your bag will shrink hundreds of times its normal size and return to normal when you take it back out. Whatever you want, just summon it, and it will come straight to you. You can bring anything you wish.” Shade nodded in awe as she handed the pack to Ilarial. Ilarial whispered the spell softly and ran her hand over the bag, closing her eyes. When she was through, she returned it to Shade.
“There, see? It’s as light as a feather.”
Shade held the pack, and it felt very light, as though it was empty. She opened it, reached inside for one of her textbooks, and it appeared in her hand immediately though she couldn’t see anything inside the now darkened interior. “Wow! That’s amazing! I can put whatever I want, right? Does it have a weight limit? That’s just way cool!” Shade felt her excitement fluttering through her now, and her fatigue evaporated.
Ilarial laughed, “Yes, dear Shade, anything you can think of. A most useful spell, don’t you think? You could move your whole house in one trip.”
Ilarial smiled warmly. It was that same smile that felt like cozy hot chocolate melting the cold of winter away. She motioned for Shade to follow her into another bedroom. This one belonged to Ilarial and was centered in the middle of the house. It was layered with thick, clean but colorful blankets, and there were also a number of pillows. On the far side of the room was a rack filled with weapons. Silver knives, sharp stone arrows, and wooden-tipped ones filled the corner. There were also hatchets, axes, throwing stars, and daggers overflowing the rack.
“Please, choose some weapons. I find that if a weapon calls to you, it’s meant to be yours alone. Feel them sing to you, Shade. Touch the metal and the wood, and tell me what you feel. Please, take the ones that you like.” She motioned to the weapons as Shade gaped at them from the doorway. As Shade stepped closer and reached out to touch them, her fingers landed on an ornamental dagger. There were gems on the hilt, and they were glistening in the candlelight along with the blade of the dagger. The blue and blood-red jewels brightened as Shade’s fingers brushed the handle.
Shade stepped back with excitement in her eyes. “Wow, they feel like they’re buzzing under my skin! Is it magic?” She reached out and touched some of the throwing stars, which hummed equally as loud as the dagger. They were glowing with an eerie blue and green hue around the steel. She could feel the power radiating through the dagger as it made her heart race and her fingers tingle.
“Go ahead, Shade, take some and place them in your pack. You may need them sooner than you think. Your aim will be true. Your strength will increase a hundredfold with them. Just use them wisely and never in haste.”
Shade frowned at the ominous statement. She didn’t want to need to use any kind of weapons. Who would? Even so, she placed several stars, daggers, and a sword in her pack. All were small enough for her thin hands but big enough to do some kind of damage, if only she knew how to use them. She looked at Ilarial, pausing with slight fear rising to her throat.
“What if I don’t come back? What exactly are we going to go through that I’d need such an entourage and magical weapons? It’s freaking me out a bit. I’m just a regular girl. I’m really not the outdoorsy type. I don’t see why it has to be me.” Shade felt a tightening in her throat as panic set in, and it became hard to breathe. Pressing her lips tight into a flat line, she took a moment to gather her thoughts before she frowned and continued. “You need a half-blood, I know, but why me? I can’t be the only one on earth. Please don’t be offended, but I really don’t want to go!” Tears welled in her eyes, and she did her best to keep them from spilling onto her cheeks.
“Shade, I am truly sorry that you feel this way. I know it’s very overwhelming and confusing. I have foreseen that you and only you, can do this and come back alive. I have not told you this, but there have been others brought to me before, and they were not suited for this, even though they tried.” She paused, sighing deeply and stroking Shade’s hair. “Don’t underestimate yourself. You are strong and carry powers you have barely begun to explore. The warriors will help you and teach you how to use your magic and strength. Let them in. Heed what they say and show you. You are in the best hands now. I know you will come to know that this is not a curse but a blessing.”
Someone cleared their throat, and both Shade and Ilarial turned around. Rylan bowed his head as he entered, ready to take Shade into the unknown. “Soap at your service, Shade. Hello, Ilarial. It’s time to for us to leave.” He straightened and waited quietly.
Shade swallowed her tears and sighed. There was no turning back now. She gave him a weak grin and swung her pack over her shoulder. Running her fingers through her rat’s nest of hair, she suddenly wished she’d brought her brush with her, especially with Soap’s twinkling gaze lingering. She straightened up and followed Soap out the door as Ilarial waved a farewell.
The walk down the corridor seemed endless. Neither of them spoke, but they moved briskly on the stone floors. They soon passed the great ha
ll, now abandoned and silent. Soap was in the lead as they continued on to the roots of the tree where the entrance lay. Soap paused and called out the same words Jack had spoken to open the stairway.
“Endora, philis montie!”
The roots shook, and dirt sprayed down onto them, making Shade swat to keep it off her clothes. The grand stone staircase emerged from the earth walls and came together in a massive spiral. Light streamed in through the opening, and the stone steps sparkled in the sunlight.
“Wow!” Shade stepped forward in awe. It was unlike anything she’d ever seen before, brilliant and beautiful.
Soap grinned at her comment. “It is said the steps were made out of crushed diamonds and stone more than a millennium ago. Nothing else can compare to such a fantastic entrance. Our kingdom boasts the most incredible underground palace this side of the country.”
He took the steps two at a time and moved so swiftly that he looked as if he was floating like a feather. It appeared as though he was evaporating through the ceiling as he climbed the stairs. Shade struggled to keep up but finally cleared the opening. The morning air was thick with mist; all the leaves and flowers were wet with dew, glistening like rainbows. The air was fresh and clean out in the thick forest. She watched the gravel and rock swallow the staircase until there was nothing left on the forest floor but dirt and plants. It must be hidden by magic, she thought, turning to see Soap waiting patiently.
He picked a brilliant purple flower from a bush and smiled. “Here is a real beauty, so rare to find in the mornings. These mostly bloom at night.” He reached over to hand her the flower, bowing slightly. “A beauty for a beauty.” His long brown hair swept forward and swayed in the breeze, as the gold highlights shone in the sun and made his hair a brilliant honey brown, lush and loose.
Shade smiled, blushing pink, and taking the flower, she sniffed its wild aroma. “It smells fabulous! I’ve never smelled anything like it.” She looked up at the young man, her eyes widening. She felt different like a calm ocean had swept her away, and she was now floating gently. Her vision swayed for a moment as she shook it off, thinking it was just fatigue. These feelings were new to her, and she didn’t know what to do with them.
“Night-wind Tigerlily. It has a calming, sleepy effect but only when you smell it. It goes away almost immediately, but it helps calm the nerves and is good to have on hand if you suffer from insomnia. Stuffing a few of these petals in your pillow keeps you almost sedated. That’s not an effect you want to have right now, but it will relax you.” He winked and turned, his long hair swaying in the breeze. He walked through the shrubs, moving gingerly and skillfully, as only a trained soldier could. Shade followed him almost as if she was in a trance. This world was incredible so far. She hoped that whatever was out there would be just as thrilling and not terrifying.
They walked swiftly, dodging bushes and ducking under branches. The woods was brimming with life. Birds chirped and squirrels raced by, hurrying up the trees. The deer glanced at them as they walked past, and insects buzzed by, intent on unknown errands. Shade could actually feel the life around her, and it was like warm sunshine spilling onto her like never before. Why did the world seem so different this morning? She didn’t think anything had changed all that much. Maybe this was how the land of Faerie was all the time. It was a wonder she hadn’t stumbled upon it before.
Maybe it’s because I avoid the outdoors like a plague.
She observed Soap. He was graceful, dodging things quickly and maneuvering around like a nimble dancer. His body seemed to float around obstacles and trees, like the rustling of a flowing stream of air. She wondered again if he was wearing glamour at all. “Soap?”
“Yes, m’Lady,” he said as he looked over his shoulder at her while winking one of his gleaming green eyes.
“I was just wondering why you didn’t remove any glamour before. Do you wear one like Jack? Ilarial said you were part Teleen like him. Wouldn’t you have to wear glamour to not electrocute things?” She pushed a branch and let it snap back with a crack while she fired her questions at him.
Soap slowed and came to a stop, turned toward her, and stared intently. “Shade, I’m part Teleen, like Jack is. I’m also a shape shifter. I don’t need glamour to look human. This is me as I am. I can shift and look full Teleen, like Jack, if I wish, or I could change into a bird, lion, wolf, another person or faery, anything, even....” He paused. He’d been moving closer while he spoke and now stood almost touching her. He bent down slightly so that if either one of them stepped forward, they would bump faces. “I could even change myself to look like other people, other men or women, anyone you could think of or want me to be.”
She could feel his warmth radiating across the air and over her skin. It was hot and rippling. Her breath caught in her throat with him so near. He smiled. “Do you want to see?” His eyes widened with a sense of mischief dancing around in them.
She nodded, hoping she wouldn’t regret that decision. In a flash, the lines around him blurred like a steamy window. Now, before her stood a pale young man with jet-black, spiky hair and fair skin. Gleaming blue eyes shone back at her. His build was similar to Soap’s but slightly shorter and thinner, yet still taller than she was. Their eyes were almost level, and he stepped even closer, one hand reaching up and stroking her face. Shade felt her heart thud in her chest.
“I could look like anyone you can dream of, anyone you could ever want me to be.” His lips were mere centimeters from hers, arresting her breath with their proximity. He reached up to run his fingers down the curve of her cheek, making her step back as a surge of energy prickled along the line of his touch. It was enthralling and made her woozy. What’s going on here?
Soap lowered his hand, still not changing back. He was radiant and glowed slightly, but it wavered. “I can use enchantments on anyone, so they’ll forget who they are or even what they’re doing. You stepped away. Why is that?” He contemplated his words as he stared intently at her. “I don’t seem to have absolute power over you, Shade. That’s very strange… unusual.” He continued to look at her, frowning at his thoughts, looking slightly unnerved. A moment later, curiosity gleamed in his eyes.
“Could you change back, Soap? You’re scaring me.” She stepped back, her eyes wide open. “What did you do to me exactly?”
Soap smiled and just as quickly blurred right back into his usual self. His long brown hair and green-gemmed eyes glinted at her. “Pardon, M’lady. I meant no harm. I won’t do that again, but you can see that my magic could be quite useful. Most fey and human alike can’t resist my charm, but you, on the other hand.…” He tilted his head, confused. “It barely touched you. It’s as if you’re immune to it or something. Amazing. Oh well, can’t have everything, right?” He turned away and continued as if nothing had happened. Shade took a deep breath and followed. She felt slightly enraged by his admission that he’d tried to use magic on her. He never asked her if it was okay or not. Biting her tongue, she followed silently.
The forest seemed to stretch out for miles. Twigs and leaves crunched under their feet, snapping and crackling as they walked. The noise seemed louder in the vastness of the woods and quiet of the morning. Shade kept her eyes on the forest floor, but she glanced up every so often to watch Soap’s long brown hair swinging in the cool breeze. He tied it back with a leather string matching the color of his hair. She wondered who he was and why he was coming on this journey with her. She supposed it might be for her protection, but she was nothing to him. Why risk himself for her?
Her mind continued to race with questions. Why had he been alone as a child in this desolate forest? He could’ve been killed, eaten alive by an animal. She looked at the thick shrubbery around her and shivered at the thought.
Finally, they reached the forest’s edge and could hear traffic in the distance. For a brief moment, Shade had almost forgotten about the reality of her world. She’d been so mesmerized by Soap’s magic, charms, and of Faerie itself. The road was not f
ar from the woods, and soon they were walking in the direction of her house. Shade wondered if her mother had already left. She secretly wished she would run into her anyway, just to say hello, and maybe she could get a warm hug and kiss goodbye. The little things she would miss overwhelmed her. What if she didn’t come back? When they reached her house, they stopped and examined the exterior.
The worn-down exterior consisted of bricks and old siding that happened to be partially dry-rotted. The house was old but comfortable, the rust-red exterior bricks rough with age. Weeds clung to the base of the house. Toys and balls were carelessly tossed across the yard. She smiled. Her little brothers and sister were loved dearly, but they were also spoiled rotten.
Their mother worked hard, especially now that she was a single mom. Somehow, there was never a lack of love to go around. Sometimes she did get a little absent-minded, with so much going on between all of them, but forgetfulness was forgivable. It made Shade’s heart twist with a hollow pain to think of her small, tight-knit family.
She was sure her mother was gone. The beat-up minivan was not parked in the driveway, and there were no crazy little kid screams filling the house, like usual. The place seemed eerily silent. Shade shook away her disappointment and started for the door, with Soap following closely behind.
Shade jingled her keys out of her pocket and turned the knob. No one came running to greet her when she swung open the door. The house was still and vacant. The usual noises echoing through the rooms flitted through her mind. She sighed and headed in, closing the door behind them. She turned toward Soap and nodded. “If it’s ok, I’ll gather my stuff. See if you can find any canned, non-perishable food we can take. And I’d like to take a quick shower,” she added.
He gave her a deep nod and smiled that iridescent smile of his. Gleaming white teeth flashed at her for a second.
Shade smiled back nervously, turned, and raced up the stairs. Her room looked pretty much the same. Because she was the oldest, she and her little sister didn’t share a room. It was nice that her mother had agreed with her that she needed her own space. Her mom always asked a lot of her during the day, and it was nice to have some privacy at night. Of course, that meant Anna, her little sister, had her own room, too−lucky by default.
Shade smiled, taking in the loveliness of the room. The quilt on her bed had pink and red patches in it. The walls of her room were a light shade of rose. There were also items in various shades of pink and purple scattered throughout the room. She loved to decorate and had tons of girlie stuff all around. She’d obtained most of her things from thrift stores, people at church, or friends who’d given them to her. Everything was a treasure to her.
She opened her drawers, began rummaging through the clothes, and stuffed some into her backpack. She riffled through her closet, found a pair of hiking shoes, and grabbed them. After Shade had finished throwing some towels, a pillow and a few blankets into the backpack, she noticed a picture frame on her nightstand. All of her family was in the photo. It was taken at the park on a sunny spring day, and their faces were gleaming with laughter and flashing.
Shade picked up the little frame, feeling her eyes burn with tears. How she missed them already, and it was just yesterday that she’d last seen them. Her father was in the picture as well, her human father. She held back a sob and stuffed the picture into the pack. Reaching over to hook up her cell phone for a quick charge while she finished packing, she began getting things ready for the day ahead. She pulled a clean outfit out of her closet and laid it on her bed. Peering into her dresser mirror, she studied her hair, which was lying in tangled waves, glistening in the morning sun that streamed in from the windows.
What a disheveled mess! She sighed and looked around once more. Now for that shower!
She finished quickly, tossing her toothbrush, toothpaste, body wash, and sponge into a Ziploc bag to stuff into her backpack. She ran her brush through the tangles of hair and groaned at the knots. She finally got them out, and the brush went into her bag, too. She loved Ilarial’s spell. There was no need to worry about packing light with that! She pulled her hair back into a ponytail since it was still sopping wet from the shower.
All set except for the water and food downstairs. She listened for a moment for Soap, but he was terribly silent for cleaning out the cupboards. She shrugged, left the bathroom, and went down the stairs.
Soap was standing by the kitchen window, which looked out at both the side yard and the front yard. He didn’t seem to notice her coming in. She paused and watched him. He seemed so serene. She wondered just how old he really was and how easily he could pass for a senior in high school; well, maybe not. She smiled at the thought of Soap in gym shorts and shirt, not really a fitting look for him.
He was staring at her when she came out of her thoughts. “What are you smiling at? Do I have breakfast stuck to my face?” He blinked at her, baffled and furrowing his eyebrows.
Shade laughed and shook her head. “No, silly, I was just thinking about how you would totally not fit in at school. You don’t really look like a human teenager. How old are you anyway?” She glanced down at the pile of cans and water bottles stacked neatly on the floor in the middle of the kitchen. She bent down and began shoving them into her pack.
“I’m about twenty in human years, no difference in fey years, actually. That’s if you go from me being six years old when I was found. Anyway, that was what they guessed me to be. Who knows? I don’t remember anything before that.” He bent down to help her with the food. His long ponytail hung over his face as he kneeled over the pile.
“Wow, so you could be older or younger, huh?” He nodded, not looking up. They finished and stood. “Can you think of anything else?”
“I found flashlights for you. I don’t need them, but you might.” He tossed some at her. She caught them just in time and frowned at him.
“What do you mean, you don’t need them? Do you see in the dark?” She pushed them into the pack.
Soap laughed. He had a contagious warm laugh that made her want to smile.
“No, we have witch light. We can all conjure it up if needed. I don’t even need witch light. Being part Teleen I just let some of my element of lightning glow out of me. I can see just fine with that.” His handsome smile flashed back at her again.
Shade stared hard at the floor, frowning. “I don’t have any powers.”
Soap chuckled, finding her confusion amusing. “All faeries have powers, even half-bloods like you. Don’t underestimate yourself ever, Shade. It could be your undoing.” He looked at her thoughtfully, his eyes flashing to light amber, like honey.
She could’ve sworn that he’d had green eyes before. They seemed to change into different colors every time she looked at him. It was intriguing. Shade gulped and nodded. What could she say to that? There wasn’t anything, so she just quietly agreed.
After they had left, Shade locked the front door, stopping as she stared at its worn paint. She had a gut feeling she might not see it, or the rest of the house, again. It felt like butterflies knotted her stomach. She thought more now than ever about how much she would miss her family. She never got to say goodbye. Her hand reluctantly fell to her side from the doorknob as she turned toward the street. Nothing like saying goodbye without a goodbye.
They walked silently in the direction of the forest, passing all the houses and buildings she knew. The day was brilliant and warm with a slight breeze. Some kids were playing in their front yards, hollering and screaming as they ran around. Shade’s ponytail tossed about her face with each small gust of wind.
She watched Soap walking ahead of her. His sword was still strapped to his back, and his long, golden-brown hair was swaying in the wind. She stopped, realizing how different they must look to everyone on the road. Most people didn’t walk down the street in tunics or have swords strapped to their backs. “Um, Soap?”
He turned, stopping to look at her, and noticed the horror on her face. He quickly darted his eyes aro
und and looked for any signs of danger.
She jogged until she caught up beside him. “Don’t we look unusual walking around in the streets dressed like Robin Hood and not wearing modern-day clothes? And your sword, why hasn’t it freaked out everyone passing us or driving by?” She watched him grin and relax. That smile was getting to be unnerving.
“We’re glamoured, Shade. I’ve extended glamour over both of us to appear like we’re just two teenagers walking along in grunge clothing. Besides Jack, I’m the only one who ventures out into the cities and gets to mingle with humans. The iron doesn’t even faze us at all.”
Shade listened closely, slowly beginning to understand this phenomenon.
He turned back and began walking again. “I kind of like wandering around the city, sometimes. It’s soothing to me, and I like to watch people or just blend in sometimes. We must hurry, though. It’s already getting to be late morning, and the plan was to leave around ten a.m. I think we might be late.”
He began walking again at a brisk pace. Shade sighed, shook her head, and scrambled after him.
Chapter Five