Never Let You Fall (The Prophecy of Tyalbrook) (38 page)

Over my cries I could hear Rioden’s voice trying to comfort me. “Skye, I doubt that they would have hurt her. More than likely they took her for leverage. My guess is that she was brought here. I couldn’t get a single trace of the Semvon anywhere around town before I went to the portal.”

I let his comment sink in but I felt numb - too numb to argue as Xander lifted me in his arms and carried me back to the cottage.

Once at the cottage, Rioden asked that Emeline keep me company while he met with Xander and Cillian next door. Xander balked at leaving me alone again, but I reassured him that I would stay put, and with the guards they placed outside the door he was convinced we would be safe.

I sat stoically on a bench and watched the flames leap in the fireplace while we ate some soup. Emeline stayed quiet through our meal, but finally tried to open up a conversation once she had placed our dishes in the kitchen area.

“Would you like to talk about your friends?” She questioned me timidly.

I began to deny her request, but then thought that talking about it may help my confused feelings, so I began to open up. I filled her in on how I had met Janelle and some of the fun things we had done together. It felt good to tell someone about her, but it also hurt. I don’t know at what point I began to cry, but once I did, I allowed the tears to flow freely.

“Rex was...he was just Rex. He was somewhat of a bum. He’s 25…or was 25, and had no real secure future going for him. He just worked here and there; picking up out-of-town contracting jobs doing mechanic work. But, he treated me kindly and Janelle too. I just can’t believe they would kill him,” I finished with a whisper.

Emeline let me go on for what felt like hours about my friends, before she was able to swing the conversation around to more cheerful things such as boys and what life had been like back home. She was a cheerful friend, and I was truly glad to have met her. She loved hearing about the modern technology we had in the other dimension, although she really didn’t understand it.

“So you could just pick up this box-thing and speak to whomever you wanted? You didn’t have to send letters and wait for responses for days, or walk across town to speak with people?”

“Nope, it’s called a telephone, and you would love it. Oh, and the computer. With that you could get on and talk to anyone around the world. It seems so strange to be here where we can’t just call the King and yell at him. Back at home, we would have already confronted him.”

“Oh, that would be heavenly. Why would you want to come here, then? Why didn’t you just stay safe in your dimension?”

I contemplated that for a moment. Except for perhaps fast food and a hot shower, I hadn’t really missed life at home too much yet. As I’d sat outside earlier watching the guys practice fight, I realized how wonderful and serene this life could be. The slow pace of life was such a change from the crazy, hectic world I’d always lived in.

“Well, I realized that the King wouldn’t stop hunting me down until I came back and faced my prophecy. Part of me would love to just run back home and go into hiding.” I spoke honestly, trying to put words to the confusion I felt. “Another part of me has started to love it here. I want to see where I came from. I want to see the Enchanted Forest and see the Castle. Then I think about what I’m supposed to be able to do, and the thought of bringing joy and peace to an entire Kingdom, and…well, it gives me a purpose I didn’t have before.”

I was startled to find myself feeling this way even after learning about the things that Rioden and Selene had done, and after learning of Janelle’s disappearance and Rex’s death. With all of the scariness of my past and unknown future I still
knew
I was meant to be here. It was time for me to start trying to figure out the prophecy on my own.

I stifled a yawn and looked over at Emeline sitting across from me. I wanted to trust her with my dreams about Griffin and the strange ‘white dream’ I’d had after my attack, but I was afraid it would be bad to bring her too deeply into the situation. I didn’t want anyone else to be hurt by the crazy happenings of my life.

Trying to act casual, I broached the subject of the elves.

“Emeline, you said that you’ve never met an elf, right?”

“That’s right. Cillian would never let me venture past the village, and they never travel outside of the forest.”

“Well what do you know about them? I understand they have magic. Have you ever heard any stories about them?”

“The stories we were always told were of their beauty. The faeries too. Some say that they’re actually foul creatures with rotting teeth and slimy skin, but that they use magic to mask their real image. But I think that was just to scare us kids. Magic seems to scare people who aren’t magical very easily.

“I know that they are immortal, or at least I’ve been told they are. I really don’t know much else, I’m sorry. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, I was just wondering. My prophecy mentions that ‘all creatures will love her’. I guess I was just wondering if that meant elves and faeries too.”

“Skye, I want to come with you to the castle.”

“What? No - no way!” I interrupted her. “I doubt Cillian would let you anyway, and I don’t want you to get involved.”

“But I’m already involved! You are my Princess. You can say that I’m your lady’s maid! It would make sense to them, and I can help counsel you or at least give you someone to talk to.”

“Emeline, thank you. I am so grateful for your offer, but I just can’t risk anything happening to you. I can’t be the cause of anymore deaths.”

I arose from the chair, deciding it was time to go to bed. The guys had been meeting for several hours already, and it irritated me just a teensy tiny bit that they had decided to keep me out of their plans. Tomorrow I would sit them all down and let them know that I needed in on everything. For the night, though, sleep was in order.

THIRTY - LOST

Skye

The aria of thousands of flowers woke me, and I was immediately aware that I was back in the Enchanted Forest. I found myself lying on a warm bed of soft green moss. The moon was high as usual, and glowed down on the forest floor; making everything shine with an ethereal beauty.

The flowers that were serenading me swayed to the rhythm of their song. It was so peaceful, that I allowed myself to lay there and invited their lullabies to fill my soul.

I waited, expecting Griffin to show up. After a while of languishing in the music and rest, I pulled myself up and took in my surroundings. No sign of Griffin. To that point I’d never been able to explore the forest on my own, so I decided to meander over to one of the gardens, where I spotted some glowing golden foliage. They reminded me of what angel feathers would look like; soft, flowing golden feathers that swayed to the tune.

When I reached out to touch them, their softness tickled my fingers; the glittery tips leaving a trail of gold across my open palm. The purple tulip-shaped flowers nestled around the golden patch gradually changed their tune. I could have sworn that they stretched their stems towards my hand as I stroked the feather-like plant.

I reached out to tenderly stroke one of the glowing flowers, and it emitted a chime of bells that sounded suspiciously like a peal of laughter. I laughed along with it, completely amazed. The other flowers picked up the sound, and soon the meadow was filled with a joyful harmony.

“They love you, Princess.”

Spinning on my heel, I spotted Griffin approaching me from the west with a smile upon his face.

“There you are!” I called out, leaving my new flower friends. “I wasn’t sure if you were coming.”

“Of course I would be here; it’s why you’re here.”

“It is?”

“Yes. You can’t come here in your dreams on your own, without me bringing you here. I needed to talk with you.” His hands were in his pockets, and the look of stress that was written on his face worried me.

“What’s wrong?” I questioned.

“I need to tell you something. Are you ready to begin your journey?”

“My journey? What do you mean? What do you know?”

Griffin’s eyes glinted in the moonlight. He motioned for me to join him as he sat upon an oddly shaped, moss covered chair. As I stepped closer to him I realized that it was a log, and I sat next to him gingerly.

“I can read your fear, Princess. You are worried about going to the Castle, and about meeting with the King,” he stated with certainty.

“How…?” I stuttered, surprised at his knowledge of what had happened earlier that day. “You know that the King has requested my presence?”

He focused his gaze out across the lake as he spoke to me. “Yes, I’ve been filled in. You must go.”

“You were ‘filled in’? Magic, I take it?”

“Something like that,” he chuckled, which caused a spark of anger to flare up in my stomach.

“Whatever!” I spat out, increasingly tired of his half answers. “I was planning to go anyway, Griffin. Why do you want me to go?”

Sad eyes met mine as he quietly answered me, “It’s the only way you can save her.”

I felt my stomach flip at his remarks. Hesitantly I pressed him, “Save who?”

“Your…,” he shut his mouth as a loud crack sounded in the distance. Grabbing my hand, Griffin jumped up and pulled me into a sprint.

“You need to go to the Castle and ask to see your mother’s quarters. Hidden in a secret compartment in the wall, you will find a necklace…”

“My mother? Griffin, she’s been gone for fifteen years! Surely the room has been cleared!” I argued, trying to keep up with his long legs as we ran across the stone bridge.

The meadow was filled with an angry song now, and I could hear the deep resonate voices of someone calling after us. I was reminded of the Semvon that had chased me back at home, and fear gripped me.

“No, listen - the room is the same. Princess, you need to find the necklace and wear it. It will protect you from the magic that the King will try to use against you. You need to know the truth…”

We stopped and Griffin faced me with a look of urgency clear on his face. As he opened his mouth to speak, an arrow flew through the air and stuck him in the shoulder.

“Griffin!” I dropped to my knees to help him as he sank to the ground.

“Wake up, Skye! NOW! Wake yourself up, and go find the necklace. I will find you again soon. GO!” he thundered, as he started to fade from my vision.

Turning, I saw the glowing red eyes of the Semvon catching up to me. I squeezed my eyes shut and willed myself to wake. A hand grabbed the sleeve of my gown just as I bolted awake in my bed at the cottage.

“Oh, crap!” I leapt out of the bed and turned in circles, looking for the Semvon.

I was alone.

My heart still racing, I felt a pain in my upper arm and touched it. The sleeve of my nightgown was ripped and I could feel something warm popping up.

Blood.

They had reached me and injured me…in my dream! I had a flashback of watching an old 80’s horror movie with Janelle one time. The demonic razor-clawed killer had entered people’s dreams to take their lives.

“Dang that was too real for me!” I moaned, and then grabbed a cloth from the washstand and pressed it to my arm.

I wandered into the front room to find Xander sleeping on a cot in the corner. He must have come back and let Emeline leave to get rest. Disappointment that he hadn’t joined me in the more comfortable bed filled my heart. I swept it aside as I tried to recall what all Griffin had said.

A hidden compartment, a necklace from my mother, and I needed to save her. ‘Her’ who?

A sob fought to escape my lips when I recalled seeing Griffin’s face as the arrow pierced his arm. He had faded away – did that mean he was dead? No – I remembered that he was an immortal. I assumed that meant he couldn’t die at all, but maybe I was wrong.

I needed to get to the Castle, and I needed to see if I could find the necklace.

And then what?

I walked back to my room and dejectedly crawled into the bed. What was I supposed to do?? Nothing made sense to me yet, but at least I still had a job to do. I would get the necklace Griffin had spoken of, and then I would wait for him to find me again.