Innocent Darkness (28 page)

Sometimes the Truth Hurts

Noli told him her tale as they sat under the giant tree. Parts of it sounded ludicrous even to her—and she’d lived through it. Would he believe her?

She twisted her hands and looked up at him. He had to.

Even though he told her not to, she left parts out of her story. Like the dreams where they kissed. Like Kevighn getting her drunk and taking off her gown.

Kevighn and V were so different, yet both drew her. Though she knew who to choose, she wasn’t entirely certain whom she preferred.

That realization made her stomach churn with guilt. “When Kevighn told me that eating faery food trapped me here forever, did he speak the truth?” Closing her eyes, she prayed it was just another one of the huntsman’s beautiful lies.

He put his hand on hers, quieting them. “I’m afraid so. We might be able to figure that one out, though. Right now it’s the least of our problems.”

“What? I only want to go home.” She sniffed.

V cupped her face with his hand. “What things did you eat? Again, nothing you tell me will make me angry, but you can’t leave anything out if we’re to solve all this.”

As always, he was the voice of reason. She had full confidence in his abilities to figure this out—whatever it was.

“Um,” she thought for a moment. “Tea, berries, little fancy deserts, soups, stews, porridge—all manners of things.”

“Anything… harder?” Trailing down her face, her neck, his fingers toyed with the chain of her necklace.

Her cheeks warmed and she looked at her lap, shoulders hunching. “I got angry with Kevighn when I overheard him speaking with the queen in his cabin. He brought out some sort of honey wine while he explained and I got a little … ”

Noli averted her eyes in embarrassment. Ladies didn’t do such things—and to think, V, her best friend, was an actual prince.

“You got a little tipsy, did you? Like we did the time my father had the dinner party?” His voice held no blame and his fingers ran up and down her arm in a feathery motion. “Ask James about the time we snuck into the great hall at the earth palace after a feast and decided to have a taste from every glass left on the banquet table.” V grinned. “I’ve never had such a headache in my life. Mum was so angry.”

Noli laughed, picturing the event as clearly in her mind as if it were a moving picture. “Where
is
James? I’m surprised he didn’t join you.”

“He’ll turn up eventually; after all, he’s the better swordsman,” he chuckled. “We couldn’t simply barge into the Otherworld without proof. James went to see if you’d run to your brother or to your friend Charlotte’s.”

“I miss her. I hope she’s all right. Her uncle is more dreadful than even Findlay House. He hurts her.” Noli shuddered. How could anyone do such things to their own niece?

“I’m sure she’s fine.” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “After you got tipsy, what happened?”

Would he be so calm and gentle when she told him? “Kevighn … he … ” She closed her eyes, as if that would change things. “He said things to me.” Things she found scary and exciting all at the same time. “Then he kissed me … ”

Memories of his kisses, his touch, choked her, cutting off her voice.

“Don’t tremble.” His arms tightened around her, bringing her close enough to lay her head on his shoulder. “Did … did you lie with Kevighn?”

“No. Of course not.” Her head popped up as she bit back disbelief and outrage. “What sort of girl do you think I am? I might be mortal, I might be a hoyden, but I’m no dollymop.”

“Shhh, I know, I know.” He covered her face with tiny kisses as gentle as spring rain. “You’re none of those things. I know of his reputation—though I’ve never heard of him having to get someone drunk. If anything, you should be proud you’ve resisted his charms.”

“He did get my dress off, so I’m not that good.” Shame burned her face and she averted her eyes. “When I ran away from him, I was in my underclothes. I got lost and the wild hunt found me. I met the queen in my corset and petticoats. Oh, what would Mama say about that?” Noli shook her head in despair.

Soothingly, he toyed with her hair. “No one will ever know but us. Certainly, I won’t tell. Though I have to say, meeting Queen Tiana in your undergarments must have been quite the sight. The wild hunt brought you to the palace and you met the queen, then I found you?”

“Thank you for rescuing me when you did, that game was dreadful.” Realizing what she said she put her hand to her mouth. “I’m not supposed to say that to you, am I?” She couldn’t recall what happened, but odds were it wasn’t nice.

“I won’t take advantage of you, but others might—you didn’t thank Kevighn or the queen, did you?” His brow furrowed.

Reaching up, she smoothed his forehead with her fingertips. “No, I didn’t thank them, but I forgot with you. I still see you as V, as my best friend, not some prince, even an exiled one. It still sounds so strange.”

“I only want to be V when I’m with you. Though I have to say,” his eyes met hers as a smile played on his soft, kissable lips. “I’d like to be a little more than your best friend.” Taking her hand, he kissed her palm, a slow, lingering kiss that left her gasping for breath even though his lips were nowhere near hers.

“What?” The word caught in her throat.

“Did you dream of me, Noli?” His lips brushed her ear, warm breath grazed her neck setting her skin ablaze. “I dreamt of you.”

“I did. They were … ” Her toes curled at the memory of her dreams, those kisses. “Pleasant.”

“Pleasant? I seem to remember them being far more than merely
pleasant.”
His green eyes danced in amusement as his hands caressed her body. Up and down, up and down. Rhythm hypnotic, they didn’t touch any special parts of her, but warmed her all the same.

“You … you dreamt of me?” It seemed wrong, wicked even, that two men caused her body to react so.

“I did. I think we actually dreamed the same dream. We’d be at your tree house and you wore only your nightdress, and we’d … ” His lips met hers, demonstrating the kisses they’d shared in her dreams. First his lips toyed with hers, as if greeting them, then it deepened, his tongue dancing with hers.

Noli’s eyes widened and she broke off the kiss, mind reeling. “We shared the dreams?”

V’s cheeks pinked. “Um, yes. I’m afraid I’m to blame. I tried to dream search for you, but you kept ignoring my questions and taking control. You liked kissing better than talking.”

The last dream came back to her and she stood, fists clenching. “You fiend. I cannot believe you.”

“I’m sorry.” V’s brow furrowed. “I didn’t mean to betray your trust. I needed to find you but you kept getting me … distracted. I still have no idea why you got so angry.” He stood. “I like kissing you, as well.”

He did? Her heart did a little dance of joy.

“So there’s no other girl?” Her belly flipped a little at the thought.

“Is that what you thought?” He blinked in surprise. “Um, no, there’s no other girl.” V closed the space between them. “There’s no girl but you, Noli. Promise.”

All the sudden it became hard to breath and it felt as if the ground had evaporated leaving her floating in mid air. Only her. V liked her.
Her.
Hoyden, car fixing, troublemaking her.

“You are forgiven.” The dreams were real? That, too, terrified and excited her as several different emotions swirled inside her like a tempest in a teapot.

He came up behind her and pressed his chest to her back, arms draping around her like a necklace.

“Why do they want me? What can I help them with? Would you tell me?” she asked.

“It might be easier to show you.” He took her hand and they went in a different direction. They walked and walked until he stopped short, pulling her towards him. “Careful.”

She looked down. They stood at a precipice. Instead of there being a river below them, or a crevice, there was … nothing. It reminded her a little of what lay outside the gates to the garden she originally came into. “What
is
that?”

“Wild magic. It’s what makes everything here—and what keeps us alive.” He gestured to the trees behind them.

“Wait.” Noli’s mind spun round and round like a runaway carousel. “Everything here is made of magic?”

“Just about. This is magic in its natural, wild state.”

“What?”

V laughed. “I’ll spare you from all that. Basically, the magic is sentient.”

“It’s
alive?
How can magic be alive?” She cocked her head, trying to understand the science behind it.

“It just is.” Taking her hand he led her away from the chasm of nothingness. “Like you and me, the land has to eat.”

Noli laughed. “What does wild magic like for breakfast?”

V’s arm snaked around her waist as he led her back the way they came. “Blood.”

“What?” Noli gasped.

“Every seven years a girl is chosen by the high queen’s huntsman. She’s always a special, mortal girl on the brink between child and woman, bursting with what we call the Spark. Usually, she’s plucked from some terrible situation and brought here to the Otherworld, to the high palace, where she’s plied with gifts and amusements. She’s treated like a princess. Everyone comes to see her; everyone wants to be her friend … ” His voice trailed off as they left the giant trees and made their way through a hedge maze. “In exchange for her life they give her the time of her life?” It seemed fair, in a twisted way, but something she personally wished
not
to experience.

“Yes. The problem I have is that Kevighn tricks these girls, deceiving them until the magic binds them. Once that happens, little can be done to reverse it.” The maze ended in a little grove with a grand tree in the center.

“Wait.” Noli stopped dead in her tracks, dread chilling her very soul. “Has the magic bound me? Is that what you mean by figuring it all out?” Her words barely eked out as her throat swelled shut with fear.

“Shhh.” He bundled her into his arms. “The magic hasn’t bound you, yet, though I’m not sure why—not that I want it to. But the time grows near and there’s still no girl. That makes things difficult for all of us. I don’t want you to be the sacrifice, but someone has to be, soon.”

Relief washed over her, but V sounded so concerned, looked so grave. He let go of her and approached the faery tree, though no little faeries darted about.

“I don’t understand,” she whispered, overwhelmed by all he’d told her.

“Let me show you.” Crouching, his fingers caressed the bark of the giant old tree. It was like the tree at Findlay, only much bigger and even more gnarled and twisted than her tree in Los Angeles. A few flowers grew around the base, but not quite like the garden at Findlay. Yet at the same time it seemed just as enchanting—perhaps even more.

“This is my faery tree, and my father’s before that,” he told her softly. “Without nourishment the land weakens. Eventually, like you and me, if starved, the land will die. Magic makes this world. If the magic dies, it all goes away. It will return to chaos, then fade into nothing.” He reached into a knothole. When his hand withdrew, it held something. A sad expression crossed his face. Noli crouched next to him. “Hold out your hands.”

She extended her hands and he placed something into it, still and cool.

“Right now the magic is weak, the land hungers and some of the weaker parts are fading away. We, too, will fade when the land does, even those of us who live in your world. Our magic is becoming erratic. Some creatures are sickening and dying.” His eyes fell to what lay in her hands and a somber feeling cloaked them.

In her cupped hands lay a tiny, pale wood faery. But she didn’t dance around like a drunken firefly. She didn’t even glow, her wings lifeless. The faery simply sat there unmoving in her green dress that resembled leaves, her bare feet peeking out. Her brown eyes pleaded with Noli to help, but she seemed too ill to do anything more.

Everything fell into place. Bile rose in her throat. “If I don’t die, everyone else will?”

He put an arm around her and one of his fingers stroked the golden brown hair of the faery in her hands. “If
someone
meeting the parameters doesn’t become the sacrifice soon, the entire Otherworld, and all the creatures calling it home will cease to exist. Not only will we all die, but the mortal realm relies on the magic that leaks from our realm into yours. That’s what gives you mortals your creativity. If our magic ceases to exist … ”

“Flying figs.” The epithet wasn’t strong enough for all at stake. “That’s what you mean by figuring it all out together?”

“You meet all the qualifications, but the magic hasn’t bound you—”

“If we find someone else, quickly, we can fix this?” But it would be too late for this little wood faery. Noli watched the life fade from the little creature in her hands.

“Yes, but,” V sighed heavily. “Kevighn had a lot of trouble finding someone this cycle. Usually the magic doesn’t fade, creatures don’t die, it’s a seamless transition.”

“Oh. Who would willingly die to save an entire world?” Her mouth clamped shut. How selfish she sounded.

He shook his head. “Don’t even think about it. I don’t want you to be the sacrifice any more than I want us all to perish.”

She nearly dropped the faery in her hands. “You would die, too.”

“I would, along with Elise, James, my father. I… I don’t think we need to trick the girls. But, no one else agrees with me.” Defeat crossed his face as his shoulders rounded.

“What do we do?” she whispered, hopelessness pressing down on her chest like bricks. “I don’t want you to die either. I don’t want anyone to die. I … I just want to go home.”

V stroked her cheek with this thumb. “We’ll find a way to get you home; we’ll find a way to fix the magic. We have to.”

But it was too late. The tiny faery in her hands was dead.

Plans

Kevighn watched the queen pace back and forth in her sitting room, that silly mechanical dog lounging in front of a purple fire. The arrival of that whelp of a prince dealt a blow to his ego—especially when Noli lit up when he appeared, sword brandished, like a knight in shining armor from one of those idiotic mortal stories.