“Yes, I truly am that stupid. I do not know what to do.” And he probably did belong in Bedlam.
The cat crouched down, wiggled her hindquarters, and launched herself at his chest. Sharp claws hooked into his lapels.
“What?” Darcy grabbed at the cat before she tore the fabric. She immediately relaxed in his arms and began to purr. The ground melted under his feet.
Part II – Faerie
Chapter 4
Had he lost consciousness in the faerie ring? What had happened after Pepper jumped up at him?
Darcy was no longer in the glade in the grove, but wherever he was, it did not match his expectations for Faerie. None of the old tales had mentioned a forest so misty he could barely see twenty feet in front of him. There was no path or sign of habitation. Pepper had vanished.
This must be some wild part of Faerie. All he needed to do was to find his way out of the woods.
What had his father always said he should do if he lost his bearings? Find the nearest water, and follow it to civilization. Darcy reached out his senses and found...nothing. No water. No fire. No elements. It was as if he had suddenly gone deaf, disconnected from the world around him. Was this what ordinary people felt like?
But he still needed to find his way out of the forest. How did people without elemental powers find the nearest water? Go downhill, that was it. Downhill would lead to a stream, and a stream would lead to civilization. At least it would if there was any water in this strange world. The ground here seemed level as far as he could see in the mist, but perhaps he could find a slope.
He set off, choosing the route that seemed clearest. Occasionally he stopped to call Pepper’s name. He trudged for what seemed like hours, until his feet were sore and his legs were tired, but when he checked his watch, he found it had stopped around the time of his arrival in Faerie.
Surely there must be a hill somewhere. Perhaps he had beenwalking in circles all this time. How could he rescue Elizabeth if he could not even take care of himself? Would he wander in this mist forever?
Hunger gnawed at his belly. He had a little food in his pocket, but he did not eat it. He might need it more later if his strength began to fail him.
Perhaps a little rest might restore him. He sat down by the roots of a tree, leaning back against its wide trunk and stretching out his legs. What a relief to be off his feet! His boots had not been meant for a walk of this duration. He closed his eyes.
He awoke with a start, tree bark digging into his back. How long had he slept? He had not meant to fall asleep. The mist was still all around him, and silence was everywhere.
Silence. Complete silence. No animals rustling in the underbrush, no bird calls. He picked up a twig and snapped it in half. Still no sound.
It must be glamour. What a fool he had been not to see it! He closed his eyes and passed his thumbs over his eyelids, reciting the spell for clear vision.
When he opened his eyes, the sun was shining, and he stood beside a country lane. The grass was a little too green, and the air seemed to sparkle. A cluster of oddly shaped dwellings sat further down the lane. There was something not right about the horizon. The fragrance of gardenias was everywhere. This was more like the stories of Faerie.
Pepper clawed at his leg. She looked larger here, more like a small wildcat than a mouser, but otherwise she was unchanged. He felt an absurd gratitude at the sight of the familiar cat in this strange place.
Darcy detached her claws from his trousers. He had already wasted far too much time. “Pepper, can you take me to Elizabeth?”
With a swish of her fluffy tail, she rubbed against his boots and sauntered off behind his back. When Darcy turned to see where she was going, he spotted Elizabeth on a nearby hillock, sitting on the ground with her arms wrapped around her knees.
Thank God! The rush of relief robbed him of words and the ability to think. His pulses thrummed as if to sayshe is alive, she is alive. Darcy’s legs had already started carrying him forward before he consciously decided to move.
He ran to her side. “Elizabeth!”
She did not react, not even looking in his direction. He waved a hand in front of her face. She continued to gaze off in the distance.
He knelt beside her. With his fingers on her temples, he drew his thumbs slowly and lightly across her eyes, repeating the clear vision spell.
Elizabeth started, her gaze suddenly meeting his. “Mr. Darcy! What are you doing here... And what are you doing?” Her last words were pointed.
He snatched his hands away from her face. It must have looked to her as if he wanted to kiss her, and for once that had not been foremost in his mind. If he ever had the chance to kiss her, he wanted her to be an active participant.
“Forgive my presumption. You were trapped in glamour, so I put a spell of clear vision on you.”
Her lips pursed suspiciously. “A spell?”
“Were you trapped in a forest? It was glamour, and my spell allowed you to see through it. That is all. There is no binding attached, nor any other spell. I will swear to it on my mother’s grave if you wish.” The words poured out of him. What if she ran away from him as she had fled Lord Matlock?
