Everwild (The Healer Series, #1) (21 page)

Willow followed the Fairy down the small path
of the cave and then was wrapped in sunlight. It took a moment for
her eyes to adjust, but Willow soon realized that this cave was not
a cave at all. It was the beginning of the Fairy Domain, where all
Fey of the Everwild lived. The cave opened up to a massive world.
In the center, a glistening castle made of ruby and gold stood tall
and proud. The sun shone down on the rolling land with lush green
hills, meadows, and lakes. Willow had entered a whole other realm,
an enchanted kingdom.

She followed Eeydyn down a cobbled stone path
and marveled at the beauty surrounding her. Flowers larger than
life bloomed and swayed in a quiet breeze. There were so many
different colored plants that painted the land. Soft music played
in the streets. Quaint but intricate houses were built both on the
ground and in the trees. The tall trees were nothing like those of
the Everwild. They were thick around with houses and bridges
expanding from tree to tree. Several Fey were doing their daily
duties. A gorgeous group of Fairy women bearing round baskets of
fruit looked her way and then gossiped to each other.

Eeydyn led her straight to the castle that
was bigger than a mountain. The Fairy guards instantly let them
pass through the golden gate. She was led through the courtyard
that had statues and beautiful garland flowers. When they came to
the door, Willow’s heart accelerated. Eeydyn turned to her and
smiled cockily.

“Welcome to the Fey Kingdom, Healer. Respect
us, and we’ll respect you.”

Willow snorted. “So what you did to Chase was
respect? He didn’t know it was your territory and you took him
prisoner anyway.”

Eeydyn looked at her sharply. “I’m a hunter,
Healer. I follow rules. I don’t make them. I enforce them.”

“Whatever,” Willow said under her breath when
Eeydyn opened the massive oak doors to the palace. Eeydyn heard her
and looked down, but didn’t say anything as he led Willow straight
into the lion’s den, better known as the Great Hall. A hubbub of
bustling activity encompassed her. The Great Hall was done in white
marble, with pillars leading to two thrones near the back of the
room. Fairies danced in their gossamer silk gowns as sweet music
filled the halls. Fairies were playing lyres and harps, violins and
horns, creating a soothing sound. There were two massive cheetahs
sauntering around and several deer were laying down on at least a
dozen piles of pillows that had been laid out for them and some of
the lazier Fey of the court. Drapes of the finest silks and fabric
hung between the pillars.

Eeydyn walked quickly down the hall and
approached two figures on the thrones. He kneeled and bowed his
head. “King Diazinon, Queen Eclipsia, Lord and Lady of Fey, I
present to you Willow Rose, the Witch Healer of Southwick.”

Eeydyn stood and stepped out of the way, and
Willow set eyes on the King and Queen of the Fairy race. Willow
first looked upon Queen Eclipsia. She was bedazzled in fire jewels
and seemed to be drowning in her puffy red dress. Her blonde hair
cascaded down from the expansive golden tiara sitting on top of her
head. Her radiant hair was tucked behind her pointy ears. Willow
observed her facial expression and the way her lips were drawn in a
tight line. She seemed edgy and nervous with her back straightly
erected against the throne. Despite her perfect posture and
restlessness, she was young and beautiful.

King Diazinon, however, was her complete
opposite. He was rough looking with thick shoulder length black
hair, a chiseled jaw, and was large, larger than any man. He made
the throne he was sitting upon look small. His crown had several
pointy metal spires sticking from it making his face seem more
elongated. He was graceful, but looked upon Willow with shining
black eyes. There was no iris to his eyes, no color whatsoever.
Just black. The paleness of the King against his black features
made him look sinister and dark. His ears were pointier than any
Fey she had seen thus far.

The next thing she saw threw Willow for a
complete loop. The King was holding a leash. Attached to that leash
was large black wolf with blue eyes. He looked intently upon her
and then on Diazinon and growled low. There was no doubt about it.
That was Chase! Then, she instantly thought of Declan. Where was
he? A tug of panic swelled inside her. What did they do to him? Why
wasn’t he here too?

The King addressed her first. “Welcome to my
court, Willow Rose.” He had a deep voice that hinted false motives.
Willow was impressed, but really didn’t care. According to Eeydyn,
she was being accused of trespassing and aiding a criminal, who had
also become a really good friend. “How do you like my kingdom so
far?”

“It’s okay,” Willow said looking around (but
was really adamantly searching for Declan).

The King laughed strongly at her. “Okay? Just
okay, little one? Did you hear that, my love?” He turned to
Eclipsia. “The little witchling thinks our kingdom is okay.”

Queen Eclipsia looked down coldly upon
Willow. “Why ask her opinion? Her looks say it all. She obviously
knows nothing of beauty.”

A spike of pain hit Willow at that comment.
Willow was always self-conscious about her looks, and by the smirk
that was now on Eclipsia’s face, she knew she had hit a nerve.
Willow always considered her average looking with her strange
colored auburn curls and brown eyes. Her nose was straight, but
looked small when compared to her fuller lips. Willow quickly
pulled her shirt down and adjusted her hair awkwardly under the
Queen’s scrutiny, who quirked her mouth slightly when she received
the exact reaction she was looking for. Willow stopped fidgeting
when she realized she played right into the Queen’s hand.

“She’s had a long journey indeed, according
to the aura surrounding her,” Diazinon agreed. “Perhaps for your
bracelet, my love?”

“Oh, this old thing?” Eclipsia said darkly
and held out her right hand. It was a thin golden bracelet latched
around her wrist. A small gold chain attached the bracelet to a
gold ring around her middle finger. Willow recognized it. Her heart
dropped to the floor. It was her talisman!

“Hey!” Willow protested and started walking
up to the Queen. She ran into an invisible barrier, which stopped
her attempt at getting to her talisman. As if sensing she was near,
the talisman glowed on the Queen’s wrist. She pointed to it
accusingly. “That’s mine!”

“According to Hekate,” Diazinon said, “it is
my Queen’s.”

Willow turned her hateful glare towards the
King. “Hekate?”

“She came here a while back asking us to keep
this particular bracelet protected. For what, I asked her. She
simply said that one day, a witch may come searching for it and
claiming it as belonging to her. She said not to give it to you. I
asked her why, but she would not tell me. I figured it out…very
easily, of course. Hekate is, I must admit, a very powerful being.
She has our deepest respect. But to request the aide of Fey when
she cannot protect this precious piece herself got me thinking.
What purpose should I have in protecting a magical talisman of a
witch I do not know? I pondered on it and came to the conclusion
that Hekate had come to us out of fear. Hekate has no fear, except
one: to lose her power. This fear dwells among all those who
possess a great amount power. So it was simply that. Whatever witch
possesses this talisman must be more powerful than she,” Diazinon
chuckled. “Later on, word reached us that a Healer in a powerful
witch line was born. Healing is a quality Hekate does not have.
Hekate desires your power, but she does not want you to
be
powerful. And how does one stop a witch from not having all her
power? But not allowing her to have a talisman, of course.”

Willow grumbled and watched Eclipsia’s every
movement with her eyes, focusing on the beautiful talisman that was
hers. It called to her. Her magic within her tingled and came to
life. Her fingers itched to hold it. She wanted it--desperately.
That was hers! And once again, someone was keeping it from her. She
looked back at King Diazinon and silently pleaded to him with her
eyes to show her justice. But if it was as he said, if Hekate had
their allegiance, she would not be given the talisman willingly
from the Fey.

“Why would you be interested in helping
Hekate?” she asked with a sudden boldness.

“We respect her powers,” Diazinon said
deeply.

“But if you say I have powers that trump
hers, should you not respect me also and give me my talisman that
rightfully belongs to me?” Willow reasoned.

“Perhaps,” Diazinon said. “But your worth to
us must be proven. Tonight, we are having a ball. You will come and
get to know the Fey. You’re our guest after all.” Eclipsia’s mouth
twitched with displeasure and looked down upon the glowing
talisman. Her attitude was really starting to anger Willow. Her
talisman was within her grasp and she couldn’t take it. She decided
right then that she hated all Fey.

“What of Chase and my warlock?” Willow asked
watching Chase. He looked completely defeated and in agony. The
King was obviously not allowing Chase to shift to human form so he
could speak. It must be torture for him not to change forms on his
own, like he was trapped within himself.

“What is he to you?” Diazinon questioned and
looked down upon the wolf.

“A loyal friend,” Willow said without
pausing.

“And the warlock?” he asked quietly.

“Um…” She paused, unsure how to answer.
Diazinon’s eyes sparkled for a split second. She ended up saying,
“He’s also a friend.”

“The warlock will be there tonight,” Diazinon
decided and nodded to a couple Fairies behind her. They left the
hall quietly.

“But Chase!” Willow protested, “He didn’t
realize he was in your territory. He didn’t know the boundaries
were expanded according to the truce! I didn’t know curing someone
in need was a problem. But King Diazinon, it is my nature, my
calling to heal. Surely you wouldn’t punish those that needed to be
helped? It was simply a misunderstanding! That’s cause enough to
pardon us…please,” she added.

The King regarded her with his strange black
eyes, increasing his frown. His eyebrows furrowed in fury. “You
have not earned the right to voice an opinion such as that, but it
is acknowledged. It is true Chase did not know he crossed our
lines, but that ignorance is exactly why we need to punish him, to
send a message. Especially to nosy, arrogant, selfish werewolves.”
Chase uttered a low growl and Diazinon tightened the leash around
his neck. “Do not interfere in our ways. Now go,” he nodded to
someone. “Kalista will take you to your room and prepare you for
the evening.”

“But—” Willow started to protest, but the
King and Queen had vanished. A small, dainty Fairy her size
approached her.

“Follow me Healer,” she said sweetly and led
her out of the Great Hall down another corridor. This was going to
be a long night.

Kalista led Willow to a large bedroom. In the
middle were steaming baths and Fairy women were bustling about and
giggling. Aromas of flowers now greeted her. The ceiling was high
with the roof made mostly of glass so that the sun brightened the
room. They were barefoot and wore the same gown as Kalista. A
harpist was playing sweet melodies in the corner.

“King Diazinon requests that the Healer be
cleaned and polished. Ready her for the ball,” Kalista ordered the
women, who nodded and regarded Willow like she looked hideous. Her
self-consciousness crept in again. All the Fey here were blonde and
had the perfect, slender figure flowing elegantly across the
marbled floor like specters. Their strange pointy ears poked out of
their hair. She found herself marveling at their unnatural beauty
once again. Kalista left her to the bathing room.

She was instructed to take off her clothes
and get into the bath. After protesting several times, she finally
relented when they threatened to turn her into a mouse for her lack
of courage. Willow sat in a warm bath and the women immediately
surrounded her. They poured scented oils in her hair, and washed
her skin with lavender soap. She felt exposed, allowing these
strange women to see her nakedness. Her cheeks flared with
embarrassment, but the women just laughed it off and told her not
to fret. They massaged her shoulders and worked out the tension in
her muscles. Willow had to admit it felt pretty good to be
pampered.

After the bath, she was led into another room
to change, where she was placed in the most beautiful gown she ever
saw. It was white silk of the finest threads and had light green
and gold leaves and tendrils throughout the entire length. The gown
flowed past her ankles to form a train and whenever she moved, the
light caused it to shimmer and glow. The color of the gown made her
red hair pop out dramatically. Shockingly, the dress formed to her
slender body in a way that showed the subtle hourglass shape she
never thought she had. The Fey women played and cooed over her hair
until it was done in the tightest spirals she’s ever had before.
They curled down to the center of her back, hiding some of the bare
skin back there. To top it off, a silver necklace was placed around
her neck to match the gown.

The primping and polishing took most of the
day, so by the time the Fairies were done with her it was time for
the ball to start. Willow felt beautiful on the outside, but on the
inside, her nerves and worries were overwhelming her. She needed
her talisman, but the Fairy Queen possessed it. How she was able to
wear it in the first place was baffling. Emerson had told her that
a witches’ talisman could not be on another magical being for too
long as it would start to reject them. Perhaps the Queen just put
it on when Willow arrived and took it off shortly afterwards. Or
maybe this rule didn’t apply to Fairies. They never played by the
rules, anyways.