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After fighting our way through a patch of thorns that have both of us cursing under our breath, we reach a small clearing and I sigh in relief. I’m not made for intense hiking but the magic doesn’t care.
Unfortunately it’s short lived, the tugging sensation is now strong and painful. It feels like a rope is tied tightly around my stomach and keeps yanking me in new directions.
Gritting my teeth, I shift until I find the area that feels the strongest and follow it again. The walk is a bit neurotic as I constantly stop and shift my direction, but the closer we get to whatever it is, the more intense it is. I just want answers and we’ve come too far to go back now.
The pull stays strong, but the further I walk, the more lightheaded and dizzy I feel. At one point Allwyn puts his hand on my back to keep me steady and I don’t even bother to fight it.
Then all at once it tapers off. I try to find it again, but the moment I find the pull, my body goes rigid and my magic begins to rise to the surface.
“My Queen?” Allwyn asks in alarm. If I wasn’t in a weird trance, I’d answer him. When he realizes that, he tenses and crouches slightly in a defensive stance, looking around for danger. When nothing pops out, he walks in front of me, likely seeing the panic in my eyes. Before he can touch me or try and break me out of the trance, my legs propel me forward at an inhuman speed.
At least my body seems to know how to avoid the pain, so I’m not slammed into trees or tripping over roots. Allwyn jogs beside me and his head swivels like an owl taking in every inch of our surroundings. I’m so fucking panicked I can barely breathe, but I can’t stop myself no matter how much magic I try to throw at it.
After what feels like at least an hour of trance travel, we face a thick ancient tree. The forest is calmer here, quiet. No outside noise or animals can be heard, just the slight rustle of wind through the leaves. The tree itself is strange, almost like several trees have grown and twisted together to form it. A warm light surrounds it, making it stand out against the deep green of the forest.
All of that is forgotten quickly as my body continues to pull me forward and doesn’t show any signs of stopping. Oh my God! I’m going to be smashed into this tree!
“Arabella!” Allwyn screams as he tries to yank me away, but my body doesn’t slow down even for him. I can’t even close my eyes to avoid the impact, forced to watch my impending bludgeoning.
Just as I mentally prepare to be knocked out or killed, I feel a temperature change and somehow pass right through the bark. The inside of the tree is hollow and I’m standing inside the shelter of it. My body is released and I turn to see if Allwyn was able to follow me. He’s standing behind me in a fighting stance, relaxing when he realizes that I can move.
“My Queen?” He inquires. Needing the comfort, I walk toward him and take his hand. For once he doesn’t argue, simply giving my hand a squeeze. Feeling a bit more in control, I start to check out the room we’re in.
From the outside it was huge, but inside seems even more so. It's nearly the size of a normal cul-de-sac. It reminds me of Mary Poppins bag, magically expansive.
The tree may be hollow, but that doesn’t mean it’s empty. Someone turned it into a makeshift home. There’s a bed, a kitchen, a table, a giant ornate mirror and in the center of the room is a large circular rug tying it all together.
The mirror catches my attention and once I look, I can’t tear my gaze away. It’s almost eight feet tall and four feet wide. The outside is an intricate design of vines and flowers that twists around the frame. It’s all painted a bright silver with jewels inlaid into each of the flowers. It’s beautiful.
“My Queen!” A man’s rumbling voice booms in the silence. We both startle, looking around frantically but there’s no one but us here. “I have been waiting for many years for you to come. I am glad to finally meet you.”
“Show yourself!” I call, not letting go of Allwyn’s hand. If anything I’m crushing his fingers with mine.
The sound of air rushing through the room rushes past as a man finally appears in front of us. He’s dressed in a long, dark green cloak. He has the pointed ears of a fae, which I expected. He’s ruggedly handsome, with his chiseled features and broad shoulders. Despite the roughness to his appearance, he has kind, blue eyes. His shoulders are hunched forward in a bow while he studies my reaction.
“Who are you and why did your magic bring me here?” I demand in the most confident tone I can muster. He glances down at mine and Allwyn’s joined hands and raises a brow.
“I’m what you might call a gatekeeper. This is the location of the last portal to Faerie. The Princess of Spring and Prince of Winter came many years ago to confide in me. They were warned that the dark army was a day away and wished to hide their infant in the mortal realm. I was tasked with binding your magic and using my magic to give you a permanent glamour. You were placed with a human family and I’ve been awaiting your awakening. It was to be triggered when your royal instincts kicked in to protect your people. I assume that happened?” he asks, with a neutral expression.
“She took a bullet for me. We didn’t know each other then. In fact I wasn’t kind to her since I thought she was human.” He sounds ashamed so I give his hand a squeeze. I know his past couldn’t have been easy, and I’m not holding any grudges.
“That would do it,” he says as he studies me. “You are quite remarkable, and I think you are just what Faerie needs. You were created out of love, and your mixed heritage makes you one of a kind. It’s not only the mix of courts, but also the mix of royal blood that makes you strong and unique. Very few have survived Faerie, but you my dear, will restore it. It’s time to go home, are you ready?” I raise my eyebrows at him. Whatever I thought we’d find at the end of this experience, it was not to be asked to go to Faerie, let alone restore it.
Unable to process it alone, I turn to take in Allwyn’s reaction, which is much more controlled than I anticipate. He looks intrigued, with a hint of excitement. He also looks incredibly suspicious.
“We’re going to need to
know how you expect her to restore a land that rejected us," Allwyn’s somber tone is fierce when directed at someone else. It must be him in guard mode, and I can easily say I’m a fan.
“It was believed that you would have unique abilities. Your mother possessed the ability to alter the weather for a short time, as well as nature abilities. She was able to communicate with animals and could feel Faeries’ emotions if they were strong enough. Your father had control of Winter abilities, such as ice and shadows. You’ll probably have a mixture of those as well as rare gifts not known before. Either way, my Queen, you are the one who will bring balance back to the fae realm,” the gatekeeper finishes and raises both of his hands in triumph. But I’m not taking him at face value just yet.
“Are the fae the only ones who left Faerie?” I had heard legends of other creatures who lived in Faerie and had always wondered what happened to them. The gatekeeper looks sad for a moment before answering.
“Most couldn’t survive when the land became hostile. Other’s disappeared. Honestly I don’t have a good answer. We just don’t know,” he explains.
“How are we to survive and rebuild in a toxic land? We left for a reason.” Allwyn makes a valid point.
“That’s where the balance comes in. The reason the people worked so hard to save and hide you, was that your abilities should help restore the lands. They have had time to heal, and your nature abilities should help them along.” Now I’m skeptical. How can I restore anything?
