Journey into the Realm: The Stolen Child (Journey into the Realm Series) (30 page)

***

Upon returning to camp, Nathan, Tavis, and Aimee rushed to my side. Having heard about Ellie’s new position as dwarf general, the concern for my wellbeing was present in their expressions. They crowded around Eder and me like we were about to trade hot gossip. I supposed we were.

“How are you taking this?” Nathan asked.

Tight-lipped, I replied, “Not well.”

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Aimee whispered. “The dwarves say she’s joined the rebellion. I don’t understand how that’s possible.”

“It’s not,” Tavis remarked. “She’s playing some kind of game, and we would be fools to play along.”

“Just hear her out,” Eder advised. “You don’t have to like her, but you’ll understand everything once she’s told her story.”

“I’m sure I won’t believe anything she says, but I have to admit I’m curious to see how she’ll bend the truth,” I said.

We spread apart to face the fire fairy. Dwarves mingled about behind her, cleaning armor and mending wounds. Unlike us, they weren’t shocked by Ellie’s appearance. She was their commander. In their opinion, she belonged here.

I shivered. The idea of Ellie belonging anywhere remotely honorable was absurd. Still, I needed to hear in her own words how she had decided to join the fight against King Vortigern.

Eder stood apart from the group, whispering to Princess Glissarie. I wondered if the Princess had known about Ellie’s supposed loyalty switch. Had Eder told her sometime during our travels, or was he telling her now?

I felt bad for Rafik as he came to stand beside Tavis. He had no idea what was happening, considering he had never met or heard of Ellie. At least her story would clear some things up for him. Ziv trotted along behind him and settled in between me and Aimee. Grateful that he didn’t nuzzle my leg, I looked up and met Ellie’s dark gaze.

“You have an audience,” I told her. “Explain yourself.”

She pursed her lips. “I will never deny how terrible my previous actions were. I tricked the four of you into believing I was an elfen to gain Ramsey’s trust. I kidnapped her and handed her over to Finn. I murdered Stellan. I can never take any of that back, and I can never make it up to any of you. I can never make any of it better. But after that day outside Fire Prison, I decided I would never make it any worse,” Ellie told us. “So I changed.”

“And joined the rebellion to become a general,” I said slowly.

“Yes, I’m the leader of the dwarf brigade; how exciting,” Ellie mused.

“You shouldn’t sound so ungrateful. Joseph could have had you killed on the spot,” Eder chimed in. “Instead, he granted you mercy.”

“Joseph would never kill me,” Ellie snapped.

“Just like he would never kill King Vortigern?” Eder asked.

Ellie didn’t reply. I found the whole exchange to be a little odd. What did Joseph’s feelings toward King Vortigern have to do with Ellie? I mean, sure, Ellie was evil, but not as evil as Vortigern. King Vortigern was responsible for the war; Ellie was his pawn. There was a difference, right?

“So now that we know Joseph is insane, I am very confident in his ability to help us get King Vortigern’s crown,” Nathan said sarcastically.

I nodded in agreement with his statement. How could we trust Joseph if he trusted a traitor? It didn’t make any sense.

“It’s not Joseph’s fault,” Ellie said. “He had no choice.”

“He did; he just chose not to acknowledge it,” Eder replied.

An awkward silence followed.

“Enough,” Ellie said then, waving her hands. “I’m growing bored with this conversation. We need to move the camp so we aren’t discovered again. The Princess can make a magical barrier once I determine the boundaries. Let’s go.”

“Wait a minute,” I objected. “You haven’t said anything about what happened in the Flower Fairy Realm or how you managed to leave Vortigern’s service.”

She met my eyes. In mine, she must have seen hatred and skepticism. But strangely, she didn’t seem the least bit affected. “I’m glad you made it here alive,” she said. She turned away from us. “We’ll talk more once I feel we’re out of danger.”

I wanted to scream. How could she be acting like this? So sincere and incredibly arrogant at the same time? I was confused. None of what was happening made any sense to me. Back in the Woodland Fairy Realm, when Eder had explained my past, I believed for a moment that the confusion would end after that. That I would begin to understand my situation. That belief had vanished with Ellie’s appearance.

***

The dwarves resumed singing as we resumed traveling, but they were the only ones to make noise. Since Ellie was leading us at the front, my friends and I remained at the back, accepting her as our new guide because we had no other choice but unwilling to be near her.

Aimee healed the bruising on my hand from punching Ellie. My friends were impressed by my bold move, but now I knew better than to punch anyone again. It wasn’t worth the soreness. I would stick to attack spells in the future. Rafik spent the time cleaning his iron sword while Tavis sorted through what remained of his arrows. Glissarie and Nathan started talking about spells, but I didn’t have the heart to join them. I would have been too distracted with thoughts of Ellie.

Almost as if thinking her name was the same as saying it aloud, Ellie moved to the back of the group and said, “Eder, it’s your turn to lead. I want to speak with Ramsey.”

Stunned, I could only watch as Eder hesitantly left my side to take back the leadership role Ellie had stolen from him. Nathan looked like he wanted to abandon Glissarie and come to my aid, but I shook my head slightly. Part of me wanted to talk to Ellie. Maybe she would tell more of her story.

I regarded the fire fairy warily. Her frenzy of brown curls bounced as she walked. Her steps were light but deliberate, easily missing loose rocks and fallen branches. Her outstretched hand brushed against hanging vines as if she were caressing an old friend. Observing Ellie in her home Realm was fascinating. She had never had this much certainty in her movements when she posed as an elfen. She was comfortable here, and I worried how that sense of security might affect the rest of us.

“I noticed your wyvern,” she commented completely out of nowhere.

I cleared my throat. “Uh, yeah, I saved him from two griffins and he grew attached.”

“I can see that by the way he follows you everywhere,” she said, amusement in her tone.

I looked down at Ziv hopping along beside me and couldn’t help but smile. “His name is Ziv. He’s a good companion.”

“You don’t know much about wyverns, do you?” Ellie assumed.

I shook my head. “I don’t. Eder refuses to tell me anything because he thinks I should get rid of him.”

“You probably should, but I admire your courage in bringing him along. If raised right, he could be a good asset to the rebellion.”

I rolled my eyes. “Stop acting like a rebellion recruiter. It’s not believable.”

Ellie grimaced. “Believe what you want. But you won’t get rid of me any more than Eder will get rid of your wyvern.”

“Whatever,” I said, annoyed and uninterested in hearing more from her. “Are we done talking now?”

Surprisingly, Ellie smiled. “I really missed our banter. And no, we’re not done. I switched places with Eder so I could teach you about wyverns.”

“What makes you think I’ll listen?” I snapped.

“You will because you’re smart enough to know that you won’t get very far raising Ziv without some help,” she answered.

I sighed. Unfortunately, Ellie was right. I wouldn’t be able to provide properly for Ziv until I knew more about his species. I would have to bite my tongue and listen to what she had to say.

I nodded, granting Ellie the opportunity to start her lecture.

“The first thing you need to know about wyverns is their language,” Ellie began. “Wyverns are not very smart. Their value lies in their strength, size, speed, and skills in battle. That’s why King Vortigern uses them in the war. He exploits the fact that they are fairly dimwitted and rarely object to his orders. Most wyverns aren’t bright enough to notice they are being used.”

I couldn’t believe I was doing this – listening to Ellie casually speak about her former master and his mistreatment of magical creatures. Why had I agreed to this? She was a murderer. She had killed Stellan. I was allowing her to teach me about wyverns. I had to be insane.

“Wyverns don’t exactly speak with one another, or to any other kind of creature,” Ellie continued.

“Wait, what? They don’t speak at all? What about the squeaking? The wailing?” I asked.

She shrugged. “Just noise.”

I was completely amazed. “Then how do they communicate? I mean, when I talk to Ziv it seems like he can understand me.”

“Not the way you think. They detect emotions, not words. The tone of your voice,” she said.

I looked down at Ziv, watching him carelessly hop in tune with my footsteps. “So what I say makes no difference if I don’t use any emotion?”

“Exactly,” Ellie confirmed.

“How does King Vortigern use them so easily?” I asked.

“He…No, I can’t say it.” Ellie shook her head. “Trust me, you don’t want to know.”

“Tell me. Now,” I demanded, feeling nervous.

“Absolutely not,” Ellie replied sternly.

I swallowed. “Tell me or I’ll say his name.”

She gasped. “
Ramsey
.”

“It doesn’t matter how many times I say his name,” I confessed. “He’s always on my mind lately. I can’t feel any worse. But you’re doing your best to forget him. I can tell.”

Terrified of losing her composure, she closed her eyes and nodded. “Fine,” she said, her voice so quiet I could barely hear her. “Vortigern gives his wyverns the blood of elves. So they will have a taste for it. So they crave it. Wyverns never forget their meals. As dependent beings, they rely on what’s given to them, what others tell them. That’s how they live.”

I felt sick to my stomach. I now feared the tiny green creature traveling with us. I would be foolish not to, no matter how much I already cared for him. “That’s why Eder didn’t want him with us,” I realized. “Ziv bit me when I first met him. He’s tasted my blood.”

“And he won’t forget it. Fortunately, he seems to like you more than your taste.”

“Yeah, fortunately,” I muttered, cradling my previously damaged hand.

The dwarves stopped moving. I looked questioningly at Ellie, who said nothing.

“This looks like a good area,” Eder voiced loud enough for everyone to hear. “We should set up for the night.”

Ellie nodded. Without a word, she left me to speak with Princess Glissarie, presumably about magical barriers to protect us while we slept. I watched her go with mixed feelings. Talking to her had been so easy, yet when I closed my eyes, all I could see was the stream of fire she had used to kill Stellan.

***

As darkness descended on our magically protected camp, I sat down next to Nathan on a log situated near a great fire. The dwarves had collected branches and kindling, forming a pyramid perfect for lighting, which Glissarie had then started with a fire spell. Ellie, who I had assumed would be the one to start the fire, was nowhere in sight.

Nathan held some kind of meat in his hands, ready to take a bite. My eyes narrowed in suspicion. He smiled amusedly and said, “It’s not rabbit.” Then he threw a piece to Ziv, who was in begging stance at his feet.

I exhaled with relief. “Thank God,” I said. “What is it?”

“Some kind of bird. The dwarves said they ambushed a whole flock of them and got every last one. For small, pudgy guys, they sure are fast.”

“I’ll say,” I agreed. “Poor birdies.”

“No, I’m sure they are proud to know their meat is filling our stomachs,” Tavis said, and Nathan laughed at his friend’s remark.

Tavis sat next to Nathan, Aimee on his other side. I looked around briefly for Rafik and found him settled between a few of the dwarves on a separate log. They were immersed in some kind of war conversation. Definitely appropriate dinner talk. I rolled my eyes.

Eder and Glissarie stood apart from the fire, sharing another whispered conversation. I wondered why they were being so secretive all of a sudden. Choosing not to concern myself with their strange behavior, I thanked the dwarf who handed me meat on a wooden slab and turned my attention to eating. The food was savory and delicious, just what I needed after living on nuts, dried meat, and vegetation for the last couple of days.

For the first time that day, I felt content enjoying dinner by the fire with my friends. Then Ellie chose to make an appearance, souring my mood.

“All right, let’s discuss our plans,” Ellie said, taking the unoccupied seat next to me.

Moving as close to Nathan as nature would allow, I fought the urge to punch her again. Then I remembered my throbbing hand and her fireballs, and decided against it.

“Ellie, I don’t think you want to do that,” Eder commented, taking his own seat with Glissarie on the log near ours.

“This log is full,” Nathan said, wincing because I was so close to him that he was now sandwiched between me and Tavis, who couldn’t move either or Aimee would fall off the log.

“Nah, I like this spot. And it would be roomier if Ramsey would stop acting like I was a contagious disease,” Ellie said, smirking at me like my hatred toward her was amusing.

“Yeah, a disease filled with evil,” I muttered.

“Aren’t all diseases evil?” she retorted.

I snorted in disgust then reluctantly gave Nathan a little more room. Now I was too close to Ellie. I could smell smoke on her skin. I looked into the fire and saw Stellan’s face in the flames. I closed my eyes. No matter where I looked, he was everywhere.

“Right, where were we? Ah, getting to the rebellion. Right now we’re stationed a few miles away from Etain, shrouded in jungle trees. That won’t be the case soon. To reach the rebellion, we have to travel across an open valley that stretches for fifteen miles, which we must do under the cover of night. The trek will be exhausting, especially for the dwarves, so we will use tomorrow to rest and begin traveling at dawn the following morning to cover the distance between here and the edge of the trees. With good time we should reach the valley by dusk.”

Ellie stood up, spread her wings, and disappeared from the fire. The conversation, if one could call it that, was over. And she hadn’t once mentioned anything about finishing her story. I wasn’t going to accept her presence until she told me the details behind her switch from Vortigern’s side to ours. Leaving my friends by the fire, I stood up and ran after the fire fairy, hoping no one would follow me. I needed to confront her alone.

Near the edge of the protective barrier, I found Ellie sitting with her back against the trunk of a palm tree. She was staring off into the distance, something I recognized in myself. Her expression was clouded with grief.

“That happens to me, too,” I told her. “I see memories in the trees, in the sky, in the dirt. Everywhere. I haven’t been able to stop them from haunting me. Have you?”

“Go away,” she mumbled.

“No,” I said. “Not until you look me in the eye and tell me why you’re here. And I don’t want any of your ‘I don’t want to make things worse for you’ crap. Tell me the real reason or I swear I’ll kill you.”

Ellie stood, flames suddenly dancing in her eyes. “You think you could really do that? Kill me?”

I clenched my hands into fists to keep them from shaking. “Absolutely.” I was grateful when my voice didn’t tremble.

Her smirk lit a fire in my gut. “As part elfen, you really take advantage of being able to lie, don’t you?”

We stood face to face, both stubborn and dangerous for different reasons. We were evenly matched, but one of us would back down eventually. I was going to make sure that someone wasn’t me.

“Tell me why you’re here,” I repeated stoically.

Ellie looked away from me for a moment, clenching her fists at her sides. I could tell she was struggling with herself. She didn’t know whether to avoid my request again or give up and reveal the truth. I waited for her decision, my impatience suppressed only because I knew she couldn’t delay her explanation forever.

Her gaze returned to me, smoldering and troubled. “Killing Stellan destroyed me,” Ellie admitted. “And when I finally put all of the fragments of myself back together, I no longer felt like Vortigern’s perfect soldier. I knew I wouldn’t be able to kill for him again. So I sought out the rebellion, and Joseph agreed to take me in as long as I agreed to pretend I was still working for Vortigern. He wanted to make sure I was part of the group of fairies sent to ambush you in the Flower Fairy Realm so you wouldn’t be captured.”

She sighed. “When I returned empty-handed to Vortigern, I thought I could convince him that I was still his subject. But when I looked at him, I saw Stellan die…and I saw your face the moment he did. I couldn’t take the guilt any longer. So I told him I was done. He had his reasons for not killing me – which I’m not interested in explaining to you – but he called me a disgrace and banished me, so I made the rebellion my permanent home.”

Silence flared between us. I didn’t speak because I could tell she wasn’t finished. I waited.

In a much smaller voice, she said, “I changed sides for my benefit alone. I could care less about the outcome of this war and your destiny. I don’t have any goals or passions or opinions. I just want to stop being haunted. That’s the truth.”

“I was destroyed, too, you know,” I said. “By his death.”

“I know you were,” Ellie muttered.

“I don’t pity your foul memories. You deserve them for what you did. You deserve to be haunted.”

Ellie nodded. “I know that, too. And believe me, I still am.”

“Don’t ever say his name again,” I told her.

My footsteps back to the fire muffled her response.