Wings of Shadow (The Underground Trilogy) (17 page)

Raine scurried down the hallway, and Wish led them in the opposite direction.

“The escape was brilliant,” Kiernan said. “Stealing their artificials! Father had no idea he was sending us off with our rescuers.”

“How did you get Shade and Chaos’s wings?” Meghan couldn’t imagine Wish overtaking either of them, even considering his height.

Wish beamed. “Sleeping draught. Raine concocted it and slipped it into some baked goods. They could not resist.”

Avery added, “Wish and Raine freed me from my ‘guest chambers’ so I could cause a commotion.”

“Father is going to be furious when he realizes what happened. It is not often that somebody bests him.”

Avery agreed. “We need to make good time out of here.”

“I have been thinking about our escape. Lord Killian will send every Fae to watch the train stations. I think we should make this journey by foot,” Wish said.

Kiernan tried to keep up their pace, but his body was still weak. Avery and Wish moved in to support him.

“How far do the tunnels go?” Meghan asked.

Wish pointed. “That track is no longer used, but it runs through the outskirts of London. We can stay on it until it ends, then take a path back to the Cotswolds.”

Kiernan shook his head. “We need a place to hide. Father is going to be on the war path.”

“A hidey-hole? I have the perfect place in mind!” Wish bounced up and down, stopping only when he saw he was jostling Kiernan.

Meghan eyed the straight path leading through the tube tunnels. They had a long trip ahead of them, but would soon be free.

*

The exhausted foursome approached the cottage as the sun reached its apex. They had walked throughout the night on the abandoned tube rails leading underneath London and spent the morning rambling across the English countryside. Avery and Wish half-carried Kiernan the entire way. A stone cottage appeared just as their last reserve of energy had extinguished.

It appeared abandoned; the thatching had disintegrated, leaving gaps and holes in the roof. Kiernan listened for a moment before opening the door. Meghan followed, stepping onto the earthen floor of a cramped room with a large hearth spreading across one wall. Hand-crafted wooden furniture, wearing thick coats of dust, dotted the room. Cobwebs hung from every surface, so profuse they hid what was underneath.

“Wish, you really pulled through, my friend!” Kiernan playfully punched him on the shoulder.

Avery nodded. “This really is perfect. No metals, either. It will give us a chance to detox from being in the city.”

Wish could not stop smiling. “I’m so excited to finally use this place! I came across it on one of my adventures and knew it would be the perfect secret hideout. We needed a hidey-hole, and we’ve found one!”

Meghan was tired and very sore. Her human stamina seemed lower than the energy level of the Fae. When she returned to Portland, she really needed to get into better shape.

She sat, her head drooping. Avery folded the moth-eaten quilt that covered the wooden bed, and threw the soiled bundle to the floor. He brushed off the sheet that remained, helped her into the bed, and covered her with his sweater.

Meghan closed her eyes, needing no further encouragement, and fell asleep immediately.

~ 15 ~

A gentle, but persistent, poking pried her from slumber.

“Food, food, food,” Wish sang, the poking becoming more obnoxious than playful.

She opened her eyes, then sat quickly, peering around. The little room had been transformed. A fire crackled in the large hearth, the cobwebs had been eradicated, and hand-dipped candles lit the room. On the floor, neat piles of soft moss and lichen formed mattresses. Someone had located an old clay pot which steamed and bubbled, giving off a delicious aroma.

“Wow! Which one of you has been so busy?” Meghan asked.

Wish threw out his arms. “We all worked together. You are witnessing the magic of cooperation.”

The evening passed quickly. Avery had cooked a delicious stew from collected roots and vegetables he had discovered in the abandoned garden.

“Mmm, this is super yummy.” She savored each steamy bite. Her stomach soon felt as recovered as her rested body. Her mind drifted to the dangers they had barely escaped. “Are we safe here? I mean, the fireplace is going. The candles are lighting up the windows. It seems obvious that somebody is here.”

“Wish protected the cottage himself. It’s glamoured to still appear vacant, to hide all signs of life,” Kiernan explained.

“His magic is stronger than ours,” Avery added.

She looked at Wish. He had the strongest magic? She opened her mouth, as if to say something.

Wish stood up. “Now, comes the very best part—the slumber party!”

Kiernan added a log to the fire, looking bored.

Avery, on the other hand, appeared confused. “A party while we sleep?”

“No, a party that happens instead of sleeping—a human custom. I have always wanted to experience the joy of a slumber party, but never had a human to slumber party with!” Wish beamed at Meghan, unable to withhold a small bounce.

She shook her head at the utter ridiculousness of the tall Fae bouncing up and down in excitement at the thought of having a party typically reserved for young girls. She hadn’t been invited to a slumber party since she turned thirteen, but she liked Wish and didn’t want to disappoint him. How could she reject his absurd idea as he pleaded with those puppy-dog eyes? Meghan felt herself nodding in agreement and wasn’t surprised when Kiernan and Avery also agreed. Despite the silliness of Wish’s idea, his enthusiasm was contagious.

Avery approached the new task with a positive and open attitude. “So, how does this sleeping party work?”

Even Meghan wasn’t sure how to proceed. “I haven’t been to a slumber party in a really long time. But when I was younger, a bunch of girls would get together and try to stay awake the entire night by painting nails, giggling, and talking.”

Avery blinked a few times. “Since painting nails and giggling are not options, what were popular sleeping party conversation topics?”

Uncomfortable with the question, Megan tried to think of a way to change the topic, but Wish interrupted, “I want to hear about slumber party talk, too!”

Kiernan looked amused at Meghan’s discomfort.

“Um…,” she hesitated. “I have only been to slumber parties with girls, so we talked about…, well, boys. What girls liked which boys, and which boys liked which girls.”

As Kiernan smirked, Meghan protested. “Hey, I was twelve years old!”

He approached her. “No, I like the idea of slumber party conversations. So, which boy do you like?” Leaning closer, he whispered in her ear, “Or should I have said ‘boys’?” As he stared at her, waiting for her response, Meghan grew very flustered. She wondered if she knew the answer to his question.

Avery stepped in. “You are making her uncomfortable.” He proceeded to pull dried ears of corn from a sack. “I found these hanging from a rafter. Is anyone hungry for popcorn?”

Meghan smiled in relief. Avery was always there to provide support when she needed it. She appreciated his kindness and friendship. Kiernan made her nervous with his intensity and passion. Yet, he had suffered so much. Once again, Meghan tried to avoid thinking about the two brothers, feeling more confused than ever.

*

The tension was thick as the popcorn popped and crackled in the old clay pot. While Avery tended to the snack, Kiernan glared at him.

“So,
brother
…” Kiernan sneered as he said the word. “We finally meet.”

“I wish it had happened sooner.” Avery looked away from the fire and met Kiernan’s eyes.

Kiernan ignored the kind words. “I hear you have led the charmed life in the village. Must be nice.”

Avery removed the popcorn from the flames. “This could be a new start.”

Kiernan whispered his next words, but they still floated across the room to her. “Just remember, I met her first.”

After finishing his bowl of popcorn, Wish bounded from the floor. “And now, it is time for slumber party games!” He put an empty bottle on the table. The bottle was an old-fashioned glass soda bottle, which looked as though it had been tucked away a half century ago.

Meghan groaned, anticipating what was coming next. Upon hearing her complaint, Kiernan moved from his seat by the hearth, growing more interested.

“So, Wish, tell me about your first game.”

“According to my research, this is one of the most popular party games for teenagers. It is called ‘Spin the Bottle.’”

Kiernan turned to her. “I am intrigued by how to play. Will you teach me the rules?” While his words sounded innocent, his blue eyes twinkled with mischief.

She shook her head. “Play among yourselves, if you’d like, but the human’s going to pass on this particular game.”

He didn’t give up. “The rules, Meghan?”

“Well, somebody spins the bottle, and that person must kiss whoever the bottle opening points to.”

Avery’s eyes opened wide. “Yes, a new game sounds much better.”

Kiernan was persistent. “One round of Spin the Bottle, for Wish?”

“Go ahead, and play one round. I’ll be happy to watch and make sure everybody is following the rules!” Meghan winked at Kiernan.

The three Fae boys decided to switch to a different game, although both Kiernan and Wish looked disappointed.

“Everybody has to agree to play the next game.” Wish pouted. “No excuses, no backing out. This is a slumber party, after all.”

They agreed. For all of Wish’s oddities, Meghan liked him and wanted to indulge him regarding his whimsical ideas.

“So, what is this next game?” Avery asked.

Wish bounced up and down twice before shouting, “Truth or Dare!”

Meghan couldn’t hide her groan. The slumber party was deteriorating very quickly. She had promised she would play, though, so she might as well be a good sport.

Wish twirled around in excitement and explained the rules. “So, Avery, truth or dare?”

“I think I will try… truth.”

“Tell us one of your secrets, something you’ve never shared before,” Wish requested.

Avery looked down at his lap. “I have always secretly desired to live amongst the humans. Not forever, but perhaps for a year or two. I knew there was never a way I could share that desire with my mother.”

Kiernan stared at Avery. “Why? What is
our
mother like?” After a moment’s pause, he added, “I have often wondered.”

“Well, you probably know she is a strict isolationist. She does not believe in any interaction with the outside world. And, she has ruled for so long, orders come far more naturally than does empathy.”

“And yet, you convinced her to allow Meghan into the Fae village.”

“And was nearly disowned for doing so,” Avery said. “Kiernan, I will not lie to you. It will be hard to convince the queen to allow you passage into Solas. Her mistrust runs deep.”

Looking bothered, Kiernan turned to her. “Truth or dare.”

She didn’t trust herself to truthfully answer any of his questions, and in his current mood, she feared he might make an especially obnoxious inquiry. “Dare.”

A smile lit his face, causing her stomach to drop. What was he planning?

Kiernan moved her hair aside and murmured in her ear, “I dare you to play one round of Spin the Bottle with me.”

His breath tickled the hairs along her neckline. She should have anticipated such a request, but she wasn’t going to be the first to break the rules, so with a sigh, she picked up the bottle. She hesitated, then placed it on the weathered wood of the table and spun. The bottle, of course, pointed to Kiernan. When she leaned close to kiss him on the cheek, he stopped her.

“I will collect later when we have more privacy,” he whispered.

Her cheeks blazed red. “It’s now your turn, Kiernan. Truth or Dare?”

“For you, Meghan, it will always be truth.”

“What do you desire more than anything else?” she inquired, curious about his answer.

Kiernan’s face darkened, and he wordlessly stared at the large tangerine wings rising above Avery’s head and Wish’s tiny turquoise wings, which never stopped fluttering. “Wings.”

“Oh, come on! That’s the best you could come up with?” she snapped. The stress of being kidnapped and imprisoned had been released, directed solely at Kiernan.

He stormed from the room. Wish looked troubled. “He was being honest, Meghan. Having wings is one of Kiernan’s greatest desires.”

“But all Fae have wings! The Underground Fae chose to cut them off!”

Avery shook his head. “I do not know any Fae who would choose to cut off his wings. They are the center of our magic, and hold our very Fae essence. Wings are very sensitive to the human pollution building within this world. Even in the village, our wings show the first signs of any toxins or poisons that might have crossed the boundaries of our land. Look at my wings after spending only a few days in the Underground.”