Faery Worlds - Six Complete Novels (165 page)

Shade continued to laugh and pulled out her pajamas. She headed to the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She’d been tired, but the joking had recharged her. Relaxing her shoulders, she turned to stare at the mirror and study her own thin and pale reflection. The journey was taking a toll; the exhaustion seemed permanently stamped on her face. She was gaunt and thinner than before, making her avert her eyes from the mirror. She didn’t like her reflection anymore. Disturbed, she made efforts to avoid it.

It seemed like a chore just to put on her soft flannel pajamas. She suddenly felt drained again. Closing her eyes, she thought about everything and everyone. Ursad had turned out to be a good friend, but she worried about her other friends.

Where are they? Are they even looking for me? Maybe they think I’m dead and have retreated to the Guildrin caverns after all,
she thought, almost feeling defeated.
And what about Dylan?
Her mind pressed with urgency. She wondered if their blood tie affected him when they were separated. She hadn’t felt anything at all but hoped he was at least okay. She sighed, feeling a slight ache in her chest for her friends. Even Dylan’s annoying presence was missed, making her feel his loss even more.

Shade scratched her head and squeezed her eyes shut.
Darn that Blythe! What the hell does she want with me?
Shade’s eyes flew open, remembering what the Dryad had said about dragging her to the Unseelie’s Queen. What did
she
want with her? They probably wanted the magic of the Santiran fountains for themselves. Why else would they even bother with her?
Maybe they just want it to have some sort of advantage over the Guildrin court.
Shade moaned, rolling her head around and massaging her neck, easing out some knots.

She looked back at the mirror and felt an odd sense of déjà vu. Reaching her hand out toward the smooth surface made her heart race before she abruptly yanked it back. The mirror did nothing; its hard surface lacked the ripples of Darren’s mirror. Nothing but her careworn face stared, but her feelings of shock and fear were evident.

I can’t believe I’m afraid of mirrors now.
She was scaring herself. Darren was far, far away now. No one knew where she was, especially the one with the powers of mirror travel.
He can’t hurt me now.

She clicked the door open and walked back into the large room, their sanctuary for the night, dropping her clothes into her bag before walking toward the windows. Ursad must have opened them. A soft breeze poured in, lifting the curtains up like floating ribbons. She could hear the murmur of the crowd outside with a random shout or two every now and then. Shade stood just inside the window, afraid to peek outside. The sweet gusts of air caressed her cheeks, sweeping her now loose hair up into a streaming mass, tickling her neck. Closing her eyes for a moment, she relished the peace in this busy place.

“They wouldn’t understand you. You and I have that in common. No one out there understands. We’re different, but that makes us the same,” said Ursad quietly.

She turned and studied Ursad, who was sitting on the couch watching her. They had yet to turn on the lights in the room, but his emerald eyes shone like two green beams of light. He stared intently into her face as their eyes met. Ursad then stood and walked toward her, but she didn’t move from the spot, even when he came face to face with her.

Shade examined his very human hands as they reached up to cup her face. The blood rushed to her face, but she couldn’t look away from his piercing eyes. She reached out and stroked the rough, bark-like skin on his face, running her fingers over the bridge of his nose and down over the softness of lips that remained. Glancing up, she took in the very human eyes that were staring back.

He was a man trapped in a shell that was not his. She could feel the deep resonating hunger and fear that ran through him as they touched. Something like sadness filled her inside, like she could feel him drowning inside of himself. She pulled away, searching for air to quench her burning lungs. His intensity was suffocating. Immediately, she felt like she was waking up from a dream. Groggy and confused, she backed into the bed and sat, looking back up at him. Inquiring with her eyes for answers, her head filled with suspicion.

“Ursad, are you using magic on me?” Shade waited, looking at her new companion, hoping to hear something comforting come from his mouth. His head dropped down as his gaze fixed onto the worn floorboards. The grain of wood snarled and wove through every plank, the veins of a long-dead tree. Ursad backed away and slipped onto the couch, his face still and calm.

“I’m sorry, Shade. I couldn’t help it. I thought I could make you stay with me back at my place and here, too, but I can see that my magic is not strong enough to work against you. Your power, it pushes against mine so easily. I−I’m so sorry, Shade; I didn’t mean to ever harm you in any way. I hope you believe me. I just can’t be alone again.” His face hung down and his hands came up to cradle it as he sank to the floor.

“Ursad, how could you? What do you mean now and back at your house? What did you do? What have you
done
?” She glared at him, unmoving and dark. When he didn’t respond, she ran over to him, but managed to hold herself back. “What did you do, Ursad? Answer me!” She pulled at his arm, making him look at her once more. Green-tinted tears spilled down his rough cheeks, glinting in the dim light.

“Shade, please don’t be mad. I thought you were just a human. I couldn’t have known that you were part faery! I would have never tried to trap you if I knew that. That’s probably the whole reason it didn’t work.” His fear leaked into his voice.

“What do you mean?
What
, exactly, didn’t work?” Shade had started to back up now, afraid to know what he would say next.

“When humans enter the land of Faerie, they can be trapped here forever, especially if they eat something, food or drink, from a faery. If the faery who gives a human food or a drink wants them to stay, and the human eats what is offered, they belong to that faery forever, or until the faery lets them go. I thought if you ate my enchanted food, you would not be able to leave, and stay longer… and I wouldn’t be alone anymore.” Ursad pulled himself up and knelt on the floor before her, grabbing her hand and rubbing his cheek against it. “I swear I would never harm you! You have to believe it, Shade. Please don’t go. I just wanted someone to talk to; no one ever looks at me like you do, without disgust, without judgment. I wanted it to stay like that forever.”

Shade backed away out of his grasp, pressing against the footboard of the bed as she sank to the floor. Her sobs poured out as she curled up into a tight ball, hugging her legs to herself. He crawled toward her but stopped when she held her hand up and he froze.

“Don’t touch me, Ursad.” Shade sniffled and wiped her tears on her sleeves. She glimpsed up at him. He was sitting on his knees with his head hanging down, a beaten man. He was hard to figure out, looking small and harmless in his hunched-over defeat. She huffed, wondering what she was going to do. It seemed it wasn’t going to stop, all the hell she’d gone through the past week, and it wasn’t going to get any better. The tricks, treachery and lies were everywhere. At least Ursad hadn’t tried to kill her, but what of his betrayal?

What if it had worked and she had become his slave? She shivered at the thought and held back her last sob. She felt violated and needed time to think. “Are you done then, trying to mess with me?” Shade asked after a few moments. “Like you said, your magic doesn’t work, right? You can’t keep me here; you don’t own me.” She wiped off more drops of tears, watching him, and waiting for his answer.

Ursad’s eyes were wide with surprise and fear. “Yes, I−I promise; I’m done. I would never try to hurt you. Please understand, it was foolish of me to try any magic on you when you have been so kind to me.” He reached into his coat and brought out a soft, baby blue handkerchief. He crept toward her and held it out, trying not to get too close.

Shade snatched it from him and watched him jump back, concern and relief both flashing across his face. “You better not try it again. I can feel it every single time. I guess I am part faery after all.” She paused and looked at him before letting out a laugh that made him jump. “It didn’t work. So it was for nothing, and I have nothing to fear from you at all.” She blew her nose and stood up, frowning as he pulled himself back up onto the couch and sat, wary of her.

“Tomorrow, we’re going to the Santiran Fountains, Ursad. From there, you’re on your own again. Just take me there and we’re done. The maps you showed me, they’re correct, right?”

He nodded sadly.

“Okay, then. I want to get some sleep now. So goodnight. ”

He nodded again and pulled a blanket from the arm of the couch before lying down and folding his arm for a pillow.

Shade slid down into the sheets and pulled the pillow around her head. She pressed her face into it, wishing she could dig her way into the fluffy feathers of it and fade away into the softness. She reached over and turned off the lamp by the bedside. Staring out into the darkness now covering the windows, she gazed at the soft moonlight, a small beacon from the outside world. The curtains danced in the gusty, warm breeze. It was spring now in Faerie, constantly changing with the hours. She’d never get used to the weirdness of this place.

Drifting off to sleep, she listened to sound of Ursad’s slow and rhythmic breathing. Cocooned in her warm blankets, she slipped away into dreams.

Chapter Eighteen

“SHADE.”

“Who’s there?”

“Shade, it’s us, your spirit guides. You must hurry! The Unseelie court moves to stop you. You must get to the fountains tomorrow and retrieve the magic waters quickly!”

“
What then? What do I do with it? Where do I go? How do I get back to the Guildrin Caves?”

They smiled at her with their ethereal faces and smooth hair infinitely suspended in midair, like there was a silent unseen wind that blew just for them.

“You will know. Dylan is waiting for you; he needs you, Shade. You and only you can save him.”

“Where is he?” Shade furrowed her brow at the sisters, worry permeating her thoughts.

“Just follow your path; it will take you straight to him. Remember, when all is dark, you are your own light. Don’t forget the stones Ilarial gave you. They can make a path where none can be seen.”

Shade looked at them, her face filled with confusion. Why is it they never made sense? Their faces left no hint of what exactly they meant. She shouted out to them, but her voice was gone. They shook their heads and smiled, waving a goodbye. Shade screamed to them but felt the grey and the darkness grow around her, obscuring them from her sight.

*****

SHADE WOKE WITH
a start, her heart drumming in her chest. Her pillow was stuffed and wadded into a ball under her head as she laid on her stomach. She looked around the dark room. The moonlight was dim now, dark grey misted across the room; it was probably near morning. She sat up on her elbows, looking toward Ursad, fast asleep on the small couch by the wall, gently breathing.

The short rays of dawn mixed with moonlight as the minutes ticked by. Stretching, she stood up and shuffled over to the open window. The streets were quiet; only the occasional person with baskets or a pushcart filled with fruit meandered about. The morning market was prepping itself for the needs of many. Shade breathed in and felt a sense of peace filling her with each inhalation. She turned and grabbed her bag before heading to the bathroom.

When she emerged, the soft sunlight filled the windows. She had showered and brushed her long hair into a ponytail. Her fresh jeans and hoodie were worn over a t-shirt to keep the morning chill out. She pulled on socks and sneakers and tied her laces. Shoving everything back into her bag, she glanced at Ursad, still fast asleep on the couch. His soft snores told her that he was definitely out, making her grin and shake her head. She was ready to go, and he was out like a light. It was hard to be angry with him when he looked like that, innocent and peaceful. However, she wasn’t ready to forgive what he had done.

She looked at the pile of maps on the small table next to the couch, scooping them up and placing them into her pack. Donning her cloak, she headed toward the door but stopped. She turned and watched Ursad sleeping, dead to the world. Leaving her pack by the door, she approached him, staring at his rough face and soft eyelids. He seemed so calm and almost handsome, deep in sleep and dreaming.

She wondered what he saw behind his lids, in a world that was his alone. She hated to leave him like this, without a goodbye, but she had to go. His intentions had not been honest, and she couldn’t tolerate that. Deep in her thoughts, she squeezed her eyes shut. Shade liked him, but felt betrayed by his magic. It hurt that he’d done such things without her knowledge. He could’ve been so much more than just a friend. Flinging her eyelids open, she knew what she had to do. Bending down, she let her lips glide softly over his still very human-like ones. One lonely kiss for the road.

She stood back and saw that he had not stirred, that he remained oblivious. She silently wished him a goodbye as she left the room. At the door, she swung her pack onto her back and shut the door softly behind her. As it clicked, she never looked back again, but she’d forgiven him after all.

The streets had filled up quickly; she pulled the hood of her long cloak over her face, hiding her hooded sweatshirt and jeans effectively enough. She took a look around and watched the people scurry by, none of them giving her a moment’s glance.

Well, I’m alone again.
She breathed in deeply and walked toward the edge of town, feeling her newfound determination filling her with purpose.

Shade felt no fear and embraced the anonymity of the crowd. It was a most welcome protection. As their magic swirled around her, she drew it in for comfort. She continued to weave around the people and made it to the edge of town. Walking along the road, she followed it until the town fell out of sight. Now she truly was alone. The gravel crunched under her feet, and the leaves of the trees rustled franticly in the breeze. Pulling out the maps she’d taken from Ursad, a feeling of regret washed over her as she thought about the way she had left. After what he had done to her… no, leaving was the only way she could forgive him. If this whole experience taught her one thing, it was that forgiving wasn’t the same as forgetting.