“Where I’m from the devil is as scary as they come. Whenever you see her, you look terrified.”
Evver looked thoughtful for a moment. Turning her head to look out over the kingdom, she looked torn. I knew, more than likely, she thought she was protecting me. It occurred to me I was the worst kind of hypocrite. Here I was keeping things from her to protect her, and yet I was unwilling to let her do the same.
I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t help it.
“Aurora, I’m not sure if I should tell you. I found out only by accident. Part of me still wonders if what I saw was real.” Looking at the little girl I had grown to love so much, I could see the fear holding her back. I was familiar with it. How could I protect her if I didn’t know what it was she needed protecting from?
“It will be fine. Whatever it is, we can deal with it together.”
“Remember when I went out the other night to meet Cassius? I should have listened to you. On my way back I was trying to make sure no one saw me. I didn’t want any questions about where I had been. So I doused my candle and made my way back to your room in the dark. Halfway back, I heard something familiar. It is a sound that [I] will always know—fairy wings. A fairy was flying in the castle! I was worried they had caught someone new. I hid worried what would happen if the guards found me. I was so afraid that I hid under a side table.” She turned back to the window. I didn’t want to pressure her, but I was dying for the rest of the story.
“The light grew brighter and I was so frightened. I couldn’t believe it! Here, once again, I was going to be caught, all because I thought I knew better than someone I loved. It wasn’t the guards or even the Destroyers. It was Lote! She was flying.”
I couldn’t hide my shock.
I had always thought her wings were different from the others. They hadn’t clipped her wings. What did that mean? I knew my feelings of distrust weren’t far off for the aging fairy. I hated how Evver had to be the one to discover her treachery. This had to be even more of a shock to her than myself. Lote had been a trusted confidant to her and the rest of the castle staff. They had trusted her with all they had: their thoughts, their feelings, and most of all, their hearts. She had comforted them when they cried and laughed with them as well. The pain had to be overwhelming.
“Are you sure, Evver?”
She turned back to me; tears filled her large saucer eyes.
“Aurora, don’t you think I wish it was a dream? I have gone over and over it in my mind. Why wouldn’t they clip her wings? What did Lote trade for the chance to continue to fly?” She buried her head in her tiny trembling hands.
I often thought of that day in the south wing.
There was the strange way she looked at me, and then the fear her glance inspired deep inside my heart. I knew what she had traded. It was me. My whole body tensed. I tried not to show it to Evver. But it was all starting to make sense the way her fairy wings seemed different from all of the other fairy wings. How they always seemed ready to take off and fly. Now I knew. It was because they were.
I felt sick.
My brain was busy thinking of all the times we had talked in front of her—to her. Terror raced through me, had we ever talked about Cassius in front of her? I couldn’t remember. My heart was racing and I was starting to shake. No matter how hard I tried to fight it, my body was winning the battle. I dropped my head into my lap, trying to soothe my breathing. I was certain I was going to throw up. Not even the thought of spending time with Cassius tomorrow was enough to take the dread out of my soul. I felt her miniature fingers playing gently with my hair. She started humming a lovely tune.
It was familiar in some way.
I wasn’t quite sure, but it reminded me of one of the lullabies my grandma used to sing to me when I was very little. I couldn’t remember the words, but I still remembered the tune. It was so soothing. I would have thought it was impossible, but I fell asleep.
In my dream, I was still in Paradan but I was wearing my normal Oregon clothes.
I had on dark denim jeans and a green Ducks hooded sweatshirt. My high heels were exchanged for my comfortable Nike tennis shoes. My hair was pulled back in a plain pony tail. I felt comfortable in my skin for the first time since landing in Paradan. I was walking along the cobblestone streets in the town square. Life went on as if Tommit had never touched the beautiful land.
Fairies flew from vendor to vendor gathering the food and supplies they needed.
Giants were playing double dragon hopscotch with several trolls and humans. It seemed unfair to me, seeing how long the legs of a giant are. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves. Walking along, I was surprised to feel so at home here. I felt like I had been out just for a morning walk instead of walking in a fairy tale land. I walked with purpose, as if I was headed somewhere special. My mind was blank but my feet were on a mission.
A beautiful fairy waved in my direction. “Good morning, Aurora.”
“Good morning, Nevit.” I replied with a smile. That was strange.
“Heading home?”
“I think so.” Not sure about anything now.
“Would you let Ember know I will be by, later today? I will be bringing some Macan eggs with me. I know they are her favorite,” she said with a smile.
“Of course I will. Have a lovely day.”
She nodded and then flew off in the opposite direction. I would never get over the beauty of seeing a fairy fly. They were so graceful, and elegant. My heart warmed, thinking of Evver and my family waiting for me.
Part of my mind was completely confused.
It was as if I was living another life in Paradan, and apparently I liked this life. I felt happy and free from any stress or pain. I wondered if Cassius was part of this life. I quickened my pace, hoping to find the answers that were eluding me. As I climbed the small incline leading me to the castle door, my feet seemed to suddenly be filled with sand. Every step I tried to take was slowed down to nothing.
The image in front of me started to change.
It was back to the wishing well on the hill in the real world, and my feet were working once again. I looked down into the well, and it had been filled with cement.
I screamed.
Chapter 18
I woke up in my bed, covered in sweat and all alone.
I started to sob. Not really sure why. Was I upset I was still here? Or was I relieved because I was still here? I wasn’t sure, and this made me sob even harder. I cried until there were no more tears left. It was then that I realized two things. First thing, I was in my bed. How had that happened? Evver was too small to carry me here. Who had she gotten to lift me? The thought embarrassed me.
Second was why would I be upset to be home and never be able to come back to Paradan?
After all, I had wished for it in the beginning. My dream had seemed so real. I wanted the life I saw at the start of my slumber. I wanted Paradan to return to its glory, before Tommit took control and ruined so many lives. Most of all, I wanted to be a part of it. My mind had been using my willingness to wed Tommit as the only way to save Evver and Cassius. What if there was another way? Could there be a way to bring him down and destroy the monster forever? I wasn’t sure. I needed to find a way, but it was growing harder and harder to distinguish those around me from those I could trust. There seemed to be plenty of wolves in sheep’s clothing surrounding me.
Maybe I would have to play along with the wolves…
I got up and washed my face.
There was going to be a new Aurora when I walked out of this room. I may look the same on the outside, but something in me had changed. I was tired of running from bullies. That was all Tommit, Drayben, and Lote were. They were just big bullies who were used to getting their own way. If enough of us fought back, then it might work. But who could I entrust with my thoughts? My stomach growled in protest. I had eaten too much when I had gone to dinner with Tommit. I should have a belly ache, but for some reason eating so much at dinner had i
ncreased my appetite. Perhaps it was my nap that had ignited my hunger.
I straightened my dress and used my fingers to smooth my hair. I was certain I looked a fright, but now I didn’t care much. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door. I was shocked. There was no one standing guard.
This was strange. First Evver was gone, and she never left my side these days. Now there was no guard. I was grateful, but I wasn’t going to go looking for my missing guard. There were lanterns lit down the hallways lighting my way toward the small kitchen.
The castle was so silent it was…eerie.
I found myself checking behind my shoulder for danger. My nerves were tingling. My steps were quick and quiet. I could see the opening of the kitchen and there was a warm light coming out, welcoming me in. It was a relief to find my way to somewhere familiar. I stepped around the doorway. My heart stopped.
Sitting at the table were Evver, Lote, and—Cassius.
Lote and Cassius were seated at the far end of the table. Evver was at the other end of the table and looking afraid. Cassius looked at ease. I was certain Evver hadn’t had a chance to share her shocking news with Cassius yet. He looked so at ease. I prayed he hadn’t said anything incriminating, linking him and Evver.
“Aurora!” Evver shouted jumping out of her chair. Suddenly all eyes were on me. I felt like I was interrupting.
“Hi. Sorry to interrupt. I was hungry.” I started looking around the room for something to eat. I willed my hands to become busy, so that I wouldn’t use them to reach out to Evver or Cassius. My eyes searched around the room, and I looked in every direction except the table.
Evver was to me in a quick moment.
“Here, let me get you something.” Her hands were shaking and I looked into her eyes, praying she would calm herself.
“So, Cassius you were telling me why you were here.” Lote’s voice rang in my ears.
“I was just telling the girl here, I can’t recall her name, I am going to need a lunch packed for Miss Aurora, tomorrow. Her riding lessons start in the morning. I promised King Tommit I would have her riding like a professional by week’s end. I would hate to let the King down. So I thought I would save time and have lunch ready to go with us in the morning.” Relief flooded me.
“What an excellent idea! It would be great if everyone thought ahead like you. Now, I will be going, so you may arrange it. Good night, Aurora, Evver, and Cassius.” She stood up and her wings made the smallest of movements as if they were fighting to take off. My stomach tightened thinking about it. I knew our charade would have to continue. I worried she would pop back in to check in on us.
When we were sure she had made her way far from the safety of the warm kitchen, we spoke.
“Evver let’s go. I don’t want Lote returning and finding us still huddled together.” I turned to take a single glance at Cassius. I wouldn’t allow myself anything more. When I looked in his direction, my stomach dropped. He was looking at me and he looked so hurt. I hated putting any of the pain I saw in his eyes. It was for the best. I couldn’t have him linked to me or Evver more than he was already going to be. He recovered quickly.
“I will see you tomorrow morning, Miss Aurora.” His tone was cold and sent ice cooling my blood. My heart was caught in my chest.
“Good night.” Were the only words I trusted myself to say out loud. My gaze lingered on him for a moment longer, and then I grabbed Evver’s arm and dragged her out of the room. I didn’t give her a chance to say goodbye or to worry about my growling stomach. Without a word I continued to drag her through the hallways of the castle. Making a beeline for my bedroom, I was focused on getting her to somewhere safe. Right now it was the safest spot I knew. I could see someone coming, hear someone at my door and I could see the entire kingdom from my window.
I knew Evver had to be wondering what was going on.
She was still shaken up from our encounter with Lote. So was I. Cassius had played it cool but I wondered if Lote was still suspicious. It terrified me to know she could fly. It just showed me that she was not what she appeared.
Lote looked like a kind and caring mother figure.
She went out of her way to help everyone in the castle, putting herself in the middle of everyone and their problems. Now I knew it was just her way of keeping tabs on all of us. Because of her, I was being forced to marry the despicable Tommit. I would bet my life that she was the very reason Drayben knew so much about my affinity for Evver; it was simply because of Lote. I couldn’t risk her having any idea Cassius was anything other than a stable boy.
We rushed inside my room and shut the door.
We were both gasping for breath. It took us a few minutes to relieve our lungs of the pressure from our run through the halls. I walked over and sat down on the large window seat. Looking out the window, I could see they had lit the torches for the night while I was away. It really was a beautiful sight. Evver sat across from me. We sat in silence for almost twenty minutes before she spoke.
“I’m sorry.” Her words brought my head up with a snap.
“Sorry? Why? What happened?” My mind was already playing a wicked game of torture, with images which would end the lives of those I loved. My muscles tightened. I worried they would burst.
“For leaving you. If I would have just stayed here, then Lote wouldn’t have found me and Cas.” She looked incredibly guilty and I could see it weighed on her heavily.
“What happened before I got there?” I asked, terrified of the answer.
“Cassius had just arrived. He was there to make arrangements for tomorrow. I couldn’t believe it when he told me. I wanted to laugh when he told me that Tommit insisted on Cassius spending time with you. If he only knew….”
“What about Lote?”
“Well, Cassius had just finished telling me about the riding lessons when Lote showed up. You should have seen her. She put on her sugary act and wanted to know all about Cassius. I prayed he would know better, see through her act, when I couldn’t. Just then, you showed up. It was an answer to my prayer. One look at you and Cassius could tell something was up with her. I am just so glad he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut.” She smiled. I was certain she was thinking about how she had just pulled one over on Lote.
It relaxed me for a minute to see her smiling like that. It was so rare these days to see her experience even a moment of joy.
I wished I could give her a million moments like this.
Chapter 19
Tiden stoked the fire.
It was going to be another cold night. Thankfully, tonight they would finally be sleeping next to a roaring fire. They managed to make it out of the troll forest, otherwise called the Breko forest, a couple of hours ago. Traveling at night had been their risky plan to avoid the Destroyers and Cronan’s thugs. Passing the border into Fara was a relief. Tiden decided they should get a few hours of sleep before trying to head into the capital. Tiden wasn’t worried about the welcome he and Trix would be getting from King Calas.
After Tommit, what more could he do to them?
Trix was fast asleep.
She had flown most of the way. Tiden offered to carry her, but she refused.
Trix was a strong fairy and she wanted to prove her strength to the larger-than-life Giant. He was concerned about her. She was running on fury. Tiden didn’t know her story, but he could see the effects of her past. Tiden’s story was known by most. There were looks of pity and sadness whenever he joined a group of others. He was a warning to those in hiding to stay hidden and vigilant at every moment.
He looked down at Trix.
The fire was causing rainbows to dance on her skin. It made him smile. Very few things made Tiden smile these days. He loved the way she was ready to charge into battle. There was no concern for her own well-being. Tiden was an only child. It was hard for him to get close to anyone after his parents had been killed. When tiny Trix had volunteered for the dangerous mission, he couldn’t let her go all alone. He had alread
y grown a great fondness for the miniature girl. She had a snarky attitude and instead of upsetting him, it only made him laugh.
Trix would try to act annoyed, but then she would end up laughing as well.
Neither of them had any family left.
It was something which bonded them before they even spoke. It was painful for each of them to speak of their past, so they agreed to focus on the future. Tiden wanted to sleep but he also didn’t want to leave Trix unguarded. She may be older than him, but he still felt like he was responsible for her. Watching her sleep, he couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if they failed. So much of Paradan had already been destroyed by King Tommit’s hand. If they botched this, then there would be nothing left if Tommit had his way.
His eyes grew heavy, and as much as he fought the weariness that was quickly overtaking him, he was soon fast asleep.
*
Trix had been awake about an hour.
Tiden was still sleeping, and she decided to let him sleep a little longer. She walked around and found some Raiy berries at a nearby brook. She gathered the berries for a small breakfast, and then she refilled their canteens. It was easier for her to get by with a little food, but Tiden needed hundreds of pounds of food a day to keep up his full strength. He had been getting by with less than ten pounds of food a day. They were carrying some, and foraging for the rest. Trix watched him sleep. He reminded her of her baby brother, but much larger. Erax was only a year old when the Destroyers found their family's hiding spot. Trix was out gathering food. Her father had been wounded and was healing at home. Her mother was taking care of him and Erax. They had no clue what was happening when the walls of their home were being torn down.
Destroyers had used their grappling hooks and brute strength to pull the walls of the wooden hut to the ground. When Trix returned, less than an hour later, there was no sign of her family and her home was left in shambles. With a broken heart, she went into hiding deep, deep into the Echo forest. She had lived a life in exile for the past two years. During this time, there had been almost no contact with anyone. Trix had grown hard, steel walls around her once tender heart. Spending this forced time with Tiden was the first time she had been around anyone since her family had disappeared. She could feel those walls crumbling. It was scarier to her than facing King Calas and his entire army on her own.