Sapphires and Desires (The Gem Fairy Series Book 1) (4 page)

“If I follow you into the cave so you can show me whatever the heck it is that you want to show me, will you help me get home?” I ask him.

“Of course I will, you have my word.”

I gesture to the cave opening, “After you then”.

His lips turn up into a brilliant smile and he walks into the cave.

“You don’t happen to have a flashlight do you?” I ask him with doubt, I’m still not a fan of walking into a dark cave alone with this guy, or anywhere dark in general.

“You bet I do, it’s in one of my pockets here, one sec.” He says.

I suddenly collide with something hard. I’m sure it’s Damon’s back.

My assumption is proved correct when he says, “Jeeze, watch where you’re walking.”

“Well why the hell did you stop walking?” I demand annoyed.

“Because you asked if I had a flashlight, I’m trying to find it obviously.” A moment of silence... “Here it is.” Suddenly a small ray of light lights up a small path in front of us.

“You’re so annoying,” I tell him furiously.

“You’re the one running into me and firing guns at me. If that’s not annoying, then what is?”

I ignore him and change the subject. “So why do you have that huge blue necklace? Is it real? Did you like steal it or something?” I wonder out loud, making conversation so I don’t have too steep in my own thoughts.

He hesitates. “No, it was my wife’s. It’s my good luck charm.”

“You’re a little young to be married aren’t you?” I say and regret it as soon as it comes out. How rude can I be?

He laughs and I’m instantly glad that I didn’t upset him.

“I’m older than you think I am darling.”

“You look like you’re maybe 25. I’d say 25 at the oldest, actually.”

He doesn’t reply.

“Am I right?” I push, anything to keep this whole messed up situation from my thoughts.

“No, I’m older than that.” He says in a tone that ends my wonder. It’s almost as if he’s annoyed at me but is he not the one annoying me?

We soon pass the bed I’d woke up on earlier and I notice that it is in fact a hospital bed. What the hell?

“So you say that ‘it
was
your wife’s’ what happened?” I ask, again steering away from my own thoughts.

I hear him sigh. “She died a long time ago.”

It couldn’t have been
that
long ago. Unless he was one of those people you see on those posters in places that sell tobacco or lottery tickets and show pictures of people who look nothing like their age to justify why they have to ask for everyone’s ID even if you’re like old.

“I’m sorry to hear that. I lost both of my parents in a car accident when I was very young.”

“I also lost my parents at a very young age,” he tells me but it doesn’t seem to bother him.

“You must have bad luck,” I guess.

“You have no idea,” he laughs without humor.

The rest of the walk we are quiet. The only sound is of our footstep on the stone floor of the cave. It isn’t a long walk. Maybe half a mile.

Soon I can hear the sound of water running as if there’s a river inside the cave.

“We’re almost there,” he murmurs and I can barely understand him through his mumble and accent.

“I don’t see anything.”

“What do you hear?” He asks as though I’m dumb.

“Water.”

“Follow me. I said almost, not that we were at the end of our walk.”

After about a hundred more steps light begins to fill the cave and the sound of running water gets louder. The cave opens up and a pool of water sits on its floor. Natural springs send water hurling from the cave walls and into the small body of water.

“Holy crap,” I muse.

“Pretty isn’t it?”

“Very,” I reply caught up in the perfection of what sits in front of me. Who knew this was in Philly? “How come I’ve never heard of this?”

He doesn’t say anything.

I run up to the water’s edge and cup some in my hands. It’s cold but I don’t care, I throw it onto my dirty face and hair.

“Do you think I can drink this? God, I’m so thirsty.” My throat suddenly seems so horrendously dry.

“Hmm. I’m not sure. Let me start a fire and boil some for you.”

“Start a fire with what? Rock?” I ask him skeptically.

“Stay here. Don’t run away again. I’ll be right back.” He warns.

I nod. Like I’m about to run when I’m dying of thirst. God, I’m hungry too.

After a few minutes he returns with a stack of sticks. He throws them on the ground with a clunk and starts arranging them neatly.

While I wait from him to start the fire I jump into a shallow part of the water and wash my hair and body.

By the time I’m done, the fire is started and he has hauled in more wood.

“How’d you start that?” I ask him. “I don’t suppose you have some matches on you?”

“Magic.” He smiles.

As I approach the fire I notice that he has something small cooking on it. A rabbit?

“What is that?”

“Food.” He replies with a devilish smile. “Thought you might be hungry and if you haven’t guessed it already, there aren’t many supermarkets around here.”

“How did you find it so fast? I walked all day yesterday and didn’t see a single animal!” I shout angrily.

“Maybe because your walking is louder than a bull in a china shop.” He teases.

“You were following me?” I ask him cautiously.

“What if I was?” He smirks.

“You followed me all day, watched me walk for
hours
?” I demand.

“Yes, now eat.”

I’m not about to turn down any kind of food. I’m starving but this man in front of me owes me answers.

“And as for the water…” he says changing the subject and pulling out a small green knapsack from behind him and removing a large canister from it, “I’ll just dump this and then we can boil some inside of this little fella.” That hadn’t been with him all along had it? He must have left it here near the water and light.

“Isn’t that water in there already?” I ask hopefully.

“Uh no.”

“Well what is it then?” I ask.

He laughs. “It’s what you would call vodka.”

My eyes widen in surprise but I don’t say anything. Why would he have vodka? Whatever. Maybe he’s an alcoholic. A homeless man, maybe? It would explain the old green back pack and the fact that he’s hanging out in a cave.

“How far is the city from here? And do you know where my phone is?” I ask him while ringing out my wet hair onto the rock floor and sitting down across from him at the fire, clutching the gun in one hand. I’m oddly at ease. I don’t feel like running or throwing rocks at his head to get away. Maybe it’s because I’m too tired to care much, I mean it’s not like he’s going to stab or rape me…I hope. If he was he probably would’ve done it while I was asleep and he surely wouldn’t have given me a gun.

“The city?”

“Philadelphia.” I answer as though it’s obvious.

He sighs. “I have no idea where that is.”

“What? How? It can’t be far from here. You mean you don’t know how I got here? Do you at least know where we are right now?” I feel angry and terrified tears escape my lids. I’m so lost.

He stands and takes a swig from his canister before dumping it and filling it with water.

“You’re here because you sort of died. Here is called the Amber Evers. You are very far from home.”

“I thought you said you didn’t know where Philadelphia was? And I don’t know if you noticed but I’m very much alive.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s say that I am dead. Which I don’t believe.” This guy is totally busting my metaphorical balls. He definitely seems like that type of guy too. “Where are my parents? They’re dead. Why aren’t they here?”

“That’s not how it works. You’re not dead.”

“Well how does it work then? You just told me I was dead.” I demand irritated. This guy has had too much vodka.

“You aren’t in heaven or hell or anything like that at all. In a way you’re still alive. I said you sort of died not that you are dead.” He corrects matter of factly.

“Thanks for clearing that all up.” I shout at him irritated. Wow. Touchy today, Laytah? Calm down. It’s probably not this guy’s fault that you’re lost in a damn forest.

“You’re welcome.” He says and doesn’t elaborate.

“Well?” I ask.

“What?”

“Explain to me what the frig is going on, if you claim to know!” I stand up as he sits back down and rests the full canister on one of the logs. “I’d like to know the
real reason
that I’m here.”

He raises his hands in surrender. “When you crashed into the river and died it broke the ward blocking your fae genes. Which is why you’re in the Amber Evers which is in Andaglon which is the fae world.” He says calmly while using a stick to turn over the fried animal in the fire.

“Oh so you’re crazy?” I say shoving my finger in his face. “That’s
great,
just great. Wow. I’m lost in a forest with a crazy guy.”

His eyebrows go up. “I’m far from crazy. You don’t even know what you are let alone who you are, do you? Your parents died before they even told you.”

I’m sure my mouth is wide open as I gawk at him. I am standing before a crazy guy that probably lives in the woods. He’s probably an escapee from a Philadelphia prison for heaven sakes or psych ward.

“Interesting.”

“Screw off you crazy ass!” I shout and pull my gun from my pocket. “Tell me why I am really here? How did I get here?”

He stands up with his hands in the air. “Calm down. Supper is ready. Let’s talk.”

I take slow steps backwards. ”Yeah right. I’m done talking with you. I’ll find my own way back home. Just tell me how I got here.”

He shakes his head and he takes a few slow steps forward. “I already did. You’ll starve out there or get killed if you go out there alone.”

“I’ll be fine.” I take some more steps back from him and get ready to run.

He moves towards me all too fast and I react just as quickly out of fright or shock by pointing my gun at his chest and pulling the trigger. The gun’s sound echoes loudly in the cave multiple times and its bullet collides with its target.

My hand flies up to my mouth which gapes. My other hand drops the weapon and it falls and crashes into the ground with a clatter.

Damon’s hand flies up to cover the hole in his chest and he coughs up a mouthful of blood.

“Shit!” he cries stripping off his jacket quickly and falling to his knees.

“Oh my god I’m sorry I didn’t mean to! Here let me help!” I volunteer before giving my brain a chance to think rationally and send me running off. I can’t let him bleed out and die can I? Even if he was about the attack me or something.

I rip the bottom of my gown off. Not enough that it shows my underwear but almost.

“I should have never given you that gun. You ruined my jacket.”

“I know I’m so sorry-“ Wait, what? He’s worried that I ruined his jacket? He’s bleeding like something else, I probably almost hit his heart and he’s worried about his jacket? You can say crazy again.

“What’re you doing ruining your dress thing?!” He hollers through pain and spits out some more blood.

“You’re bleeding let me wrap this around you. Do you have a phone to call 911?” I ask him panicking. I’m not a huge fan of blood.

“Oh Christ your supper is burning. Go pull it off the fire will you?” He asks irritated.

I ignore him and scrunch the stray piece of my gown into a ball. “Press this to it.” I say and shove it into his free hand.

He smirks. “I best get the bullet out first wouldn’t you say?”

“Let the professionals do that!” I cry and try to knock his hand out of the way as he digs his fingers into his chest.

Just imagining the pain that gesture would cause makes me wince and grit my teeth. He lets out a harsh growl and then throws a tiny piece of metal to the ground. Oh hell he actually did it.

“Oh my god, we have to get you to a doctor. Cover that up.” I shout and point to the wound.

He waves me off and strips off his black t-shirt.

“That was a silver bullet you know. You could’ve killed me if that hit my heart. Christ.” He cusses and spits out more blood. Then he stands up and walks over to the animal burning on the fire and kicks it onto the floor out of the way of the flames. “It’s your fault if that’s charcoal.” He says shaking his head and pointing to the animal.

I roll my eyes and sigh. This guy is completely nuts. What do I do? Too bad we don’t still have that vodka, we could sterilize the hole. I mean, what else can I realistically do? We’re in the middle of nowhere and he won’t tell me how to get out of here.

He walks over to the water and drops his shirt into it before removing his pants and jumping in.

Great, so what if he passes out from blood loss in the water and I can’t get him out and he drowns?