A Dark Faerie Tale Series Omnibus Edition (22 page)

Chapter Sixteen

“WAIT!” URSAD WHISPERED
urgently as he pulled Shade down behind some large boulders. She crouched next to him, reaching for her sword and quickly surveying the area.

“What? What is it? What do you see?” she asked. Her heart jumped in her chest as she waited, straining to hear a sound. The birds were singing, and the rustle of leaves swayed above them like an ocean wave. She saw and heard nothing, not a thing that would be considered off. Irritated, she turned toward Ursad, but he had a hand up to stop her from speaking.

“Look.” He pointed out in front of them. She followed his finger out into the woods and narrowed her eyes. The vegetation was thicker here, with small bushes, vines and flowers covering the forest floor. Tall grasses shielded the dirt from the sunlight and made travel just that much more difficult. Shade scanned the area but shook her head. “I don’t see anything.”

Ursad placed a finger to his lips, pointing again slightly farther to the right. “There, do you see them? Right there, in the rays of light the sun has cast near the stream.”

Shade looked again, not really expecting to see anything when she did. Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped.
Unicorns!
She watched the three creatures prance around the small stream. One was drinking the water, licking it up with its large, pink tongue; its coat was a shiny brown, with a stark white mane and tail. The other two were all white, like the crystal snow in winter. Their coats shone almost like diamonds. Shade exhaled a breath in amazement and smiled widely.

Ursad was also smiling, admiring the creatures with awe.

“Are they actual unicorns? I thought that they didn’t exist. Wow!” Shade turned back to watch them after Ursad nodded. One of the white ones nuzzled the brown one then also began lapping at the water. They neighed happily, unaware of the watchers before them. Their long legs moved gracefully through the tall grasses, and their glistening horns reminded Shade of the swirls of a candy cane stick. She felt an almost uncontrollable urge to touch one. Her fingers itched as she clenched her hands into fists and fought the compulsion to stand and walk straight toward them. She didn’t want to frighten them but didn’t know why she felt this way.

“Come on Shade; unicorns like their privacy. They’re a rare sight.  I’ve seen these three many times, but that’s only because I live near here. I thought you might like them. It’s quite a gift that they’re allowing you to see them, but we have to get going; it will be dark all too soon.”

Shade shook her head. “But I… can I touch them, Ursad? They’re the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Let me touch them, please!” she cried, her body trembling as she moved forward, filled with childlike excitement.

Ursad instantly had a hold of her arm and tugged, shaking his head. “Shade, look at me. Their beauty is unparalleled; it’s part of their appeal, but if a human touches them, it could prove fatal. They will charm you then stab you through the heart. Only a winged unicorn would ever accept a rider, and as you can see, these are not of that breed. We must move on, Shade! You’re bespelled; let it go, will it away.” He tugged harder.

Shade felt herself needing to walk toward them but followed Ursad until they were out of sight and the overpowering urge subsided. “What
was
that, Ursad? Why show me the unicorns in the first place, if they can kill me? Really, what was the point if you were just going to pull me away?” An overwhelming gloom stuck to her as tears glistened in her eyes. Her weakness seemed so obvious, and she hoped he wouldn’t laugh.

“The unicorns are gorgeous, yes, and they might seem harmless... but like the sirens of mythology, they lure you to your death. It’s best if you do not think of them anymore. I just thought that it would be good that you saw them, so you could see and feel the weight of their pull and just how dangerous they can be. If you had been by yourself, who knows what would have happened?” Ursad cut down some of branches around them as he spoke. The forest’s greenery thickened as they progressed. It was almost as thick as a jungle now.

“Well, thank you, Ursad. It’s weird to be drawn to an animal like that. I feel strange, like I’m waking up from a drugged sleep or like I’m hung-over. Not that I really ever have gotten drunk or anything like that… you know, it’s just an expression.”

Shade yawned and pulled out her flask of water. The cool, sweet fluid met her lips and always seemed to chase the sadness away. She felt instantly better, revived.
I wonder why my energy fluctuates so much.
It made her think about feeling drugged at Ursad’s cottage. A moment or so later she shrugged off her slight concern.
I’m probably not healed completely.
She was still shocked that she’d actually jumped into a raging, rushing waterfall.

“Yes. Not everything in Faerie is what it seems. Beauty can be evil and kindness can be a trap. Eating food from a Faerie could trap you here forever.” He paused, glancing back at her for a moment before continuing. “Dancing to music in Faerie could make you dance until you die. Sprites and pixies can be quite devilish and conniving. The faerie courts may be glamorous, but everyone has their own agendas at heart. Goblins can be kind or wicked, friend or foe. It all depends. Entire dwellings could be just under your feet and you wouldn’t even know it. Just remember Shade, trust no one and you’ll be all right.” He swung his machete like sword again, slicing the underbrush out of their way.

“Does that apply to you, too?” Shade chuckled, teasing Ursad but throwing him a playful smile. He continued to clear the underbrush without saying anything. She watched him, wondering what he was thinking. “So is it true, faeries can’t lie?” Shade dodged a fallen log and turned into the slim openings of the grass that Ursad had made.

“Tell a lie? Well, faeries have a funny way of stretching the truth. Most, you’ll find, try to be honest. You can also frequently run into the type that gets off by messing with your mind.” Ursad paused, rubbing his arm and breathing slightly hard. He obviously wasn’t used to so much physical activity and most likely preferred to hang around his cottage as opposed to traveling. “We’re almost to the small faery town of Genoden. It’s about a half an hour away. When we get close, use the cloak that I gave you and pull your hood over your head. We don’t want any unwanted attention.” He continued through the brush as she pulled the cloak out.

It was dirt brown and very plain in design. The brooch clip at the neck was like the wing of a bird, the bronze shimmering in the sunlight. She draped it over her arm and hugged the bulk of it to her chest. At least this would definitely not make her stand out. Walking behind Ursad, she could hear him curse the hard labor, crunching on the fallen twigs and debris. She focused on what he told her about faeries and lies, but more on the part about unwanted attention. Her mind pushed on to the thought of Genoden and what possibilities lay ahead for her there.

“Fey have a funny way of stretching the truth,”
Ursad had just told her. The part about them messing with the mind alarmed her the most. As they traveled closer to the town of Genoden she didn’t think an old hooded cloak was going to protect her. Even so, Shade knew it was probable that she was going to get attention, wanted or not.

Chapter Seventeen

THE TOWN REALLY
wasn’t big at all. One could hardly call it a town. It was more like a small village, a one-street wonder. Its cobblestone streets and wooden houses reminded Shade of European cottages with thatch and ceramic tiles for roofs. There were people scurrying about all over the place. The market was the main street, and the second floors of the shops were apartments with living quarters. Shade pulled her cloak around her, hoping the anonymity of the crowd would make her almost invisible. She stayed glued right behind Ursad, holding a corner of his cloak as they weaved their way through the streets of vendors.

The faeries dressed in any and every color, from vibrant to drab, but it seemed the brighter the better. Some were without cloaks, showing off their slender, pale, perfect and muscular bodies. Ears and necks were adorned with glittering jewels and beads. They had long hair in braids with adornments of gold and silver. Most had eyes like Blythe, large and insect-like, but there were many who used glamour to appear more human. Some lived in a nearby human city and were just used to staying in their glamoured forms. Shade nodded in acknowledgement of Ursad’s quick lessons on fey culture, whispered into her ear as they treaded along.

Shade scanned the faces in the crowd for her friends, without any luck. Something about what Ursad had said began to bother her. "Why can some live in human cities and some fey can't?" she asked, thinking about Jack and Soap. She always wondered how they could get away with roaming the iron cites longer than the other fey, even if they were Teleen.

“As you might know, most can't stand the iron in the buildings; it makes them sick. Only a few faeries are immune; most wear extremely strong glamours, like shields, to survive. Being part human helps, and some type of faeries are made to withstand it."

"Like the Teleen faeries?" Shade replied with better of understanding of fey culture.

"Yes, exactly," Ursad answered with a firm nod.

They passed by stands of fresh fruit and vegetables, collecting a bag full of groceries as they went. The day was fading quickly, and the late afternoon sun burned down on them as it was setting behind the houses. Ursad whispered the need to find shelter for the night and said he would take her to one of the local inns for travelers where they could freshen up. She was quiet and nodded again, too in awe of the folks around them to say anything. The air was filled with noise and excitement.

The inn was nestled on the town’s main street. Ursad checked in, paying the innkeeper behind a bar counter without so much as a glance from her. She was plump and had her long, red hair bound into a tight bun at the base of her neck. Long strands hung from it, loosened from its tightness from the arduous workday. The rest lay draped down her shoulders and back. Her locks were a fiery red with a touch of orange. Shade had never seen anyone with that color hair, at least not naturally. The woman wore a work apron over her plain-jeweled blue dress. After handing Ursad a key, she waved them toward a set of stairs behind the bar area. Ursad nodded and thanked her, motioning for Shade to follow. They ascended the stairs quickly, before anyone could notice the unusual pair.

Reaching the room, Shade fell against the door as it closed. She sighed, happy to be out of the crowded bar. She had felt like everyone’s eyes were staring right at her, even though they probably weren’t. She wondered if anyone knew who she was and what she was trying to do. After being ambushed and attacked twice in such a short period of time, she was starting to feel somewhat paranoid.
I need to just relax; they probably weren’t looking at me and have no idea who I am or what I’m doing.

“You all right, Shade?” Ursad stood by the window, watching the crowds swirling below. He glanced up at her, his green eyes reflecting the last streams of sunlight.

“Yes, I’m fine; just tired, I guess. I was just wondering what happened to my friends. I thought they might have found me by now, but I don’t know where they are.” She stared at the single bed in the center of the room. Pressing her lips together, she felt the blood rush up to her face. She kept her eyes low and knelt down to rummage through her backpack.

Ursad watched her, a small smile played on his lips. “You can take the bed; I’ll sleep on that couch over there.” He motioned to the dark green couch with worn and loosely threaded upholstery.

Shade frowned and shook her head at it, almost letting a laugh escape. “Wow… that looks mighty comfy! Not gonna fight you for it, it’s all yours, Ursad,” she said sarcastically, failing miserably to suppress a laugh.

Ursad rolled his eyes, but his smile widened. Shaking his head, he walked over to the couch, pushed on it to test its strength and laid out on it like a large, lazy lap dog.

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 p
ushes 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 under
stand, 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?”