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Sera in Faeland
SERA
Iturned in a slow circle to take it all in, unable to make sense of what had happened to me. It was as if the ground were spinning beneath my feet. Tears stung my eyes, and my heart raced faster with each beat. With mounting horror, the realization sank in that I wasn’t home; I was in a different world. How could this be? The portal had brought me here instead of back to my shop, Charmed Brews, despite the clear image shown through the opening.
I knew the answer. The fae Taneisha had kidnapped me and brought me here, wherever here was, against my will. I still had the auto-refilling canteen slung over my shoulder, but my clothes had been changed by the fae yet again. Now I sported a light green long-sleeved shirt with delicate embroidery running down the sleeves, comfortable dark brown hiking pants, and sturdy but stylish forest green boots. All were meticulously crafted, and while the understated style was one that I didn’t recognize, I was comfortable in it.
Taneisha had deceived me. Again.
“You promised to send me home, you dirty trickster,” I spat out.
How could she do this to me? I thought she respected me. Liked me, even!
Desperately searching for some way out of this nightmare, I called out. “Emrys! Franc! Caden! Marcos! Liam!” I yelled, my voice hoarse with emotion. Were they worried? Had they noticed I was gone? Had they searched for me? My stomach twisted as I stood there. The speed of my heartbeat increased, almost to the point of pain.
But all I heard was a croaking frog and the sound of wind rustling through the trees. I was in another world—and with no way to portal on my own—no way out, no way home. Alone.
I exhaled hard and tried to swallow the panic that rose in my throat. Where was I?
I knew at once that the land I stood on was enchanted. This was faery. Entirely unlike anything I had ever seen, faery looked as if they had made it from butterfly wings, cobwebs, honey, and sunlight. Spears of light fell through the forest in shafts and brushed the forest floor in glinting bars. Light streamed through holes in the canopy and fell on a multi-hued carpet of moss, ferns, and flowers.
I had read about faery back at the academy, but beyond my portal crossings in Taneisha’s demesne, I had never stepped foot into faery proper before this.
“To be fair, I haven’t not sent you home yet,” Taneisha replied.
I turned around and found her standing behind me. She focused her brown eyes on me. Her expression was serene, her face smooth and beautiful. Her dress was emerald green with a golden sash that wrapped around her waist. She moved across the ground with a gait that made me think of a slinky cat or a fox, or perhaps both.
How could she have done this to me? I studied her eyes, but I found no remorse or guilt. Instead, they sparkled with amusement, as though she were telling a delightful secret instead of destroying my world.
I tried to sound demanding, but when my words came out, I heard the tremor in my voice. “The posse finished your quests. It’s time to send me home, fae.”
Taneisha’s voice sounded accusing, as if I’d wronged her. “I said I’d send you home and I will as soon as I’m done with you.” Her eyes narrowed and her lips twisted into a mischievous smile.
Done with me? I wondered. What was Taneisha talking about? My jaw clenched as the fear in my gut transformed into fire through my veins. “Do my mates know what you’ve done?”
“No! Of course not. As far as they’re concerned, you walked through the portal. They even saw you walk into your shop before the portal closed. I have to thank you for asking them to give you a bit of time to yourself. That was just what I needed to keep them from becoming difficult when I separated you from the pack.”
That I’d played right into her hands deflated me. “Are my guys safe?”
Taneisha drew back, appalled by my question. “Of course, silly. Your mates are back at Velvet planning a massive remodel even as we speak.”
At least I could take comfort that my mates were safe, but for how long? Eventually, they’d come looking for me, but for now, I was stuck in faery with the vexatious Taneisha.
“That’s some comfort. So, what’s all this about? Payback for me helping the guys win back their legacies?”
Taneisha’s laughter was bright, musical, and made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “No, of course not,” she said. “You’re so serious! You think I did this out of spite? No, my dear. I have other plans for you.”
The fear in my gut changed from suspicion to anticipation. I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath. When I had calmed down enough to trust my voice, I said, “What sort of plans?”
Taneisha’s eyes twinkled in excitement as she stepped closer to me and whispered confidentially. “Simply a road you need to travel. It’s so simple, I assure you. I need you to travel to a magical fountain and retrieve a potion for me.”
A familiar sensation crept up my spine. “If it’s so simple, why don’t you do it?”
Taneisha tilted her head to the side, as though she were trying to understand a tough concept. “It’s not that I can’t do it, it’s that I don’t want to. Having you do it is much more fun.”
I snorted. “No kidding. So you want me to be your errand boy?”
Taneisha grinned and nodded. “Indeed, I do. And in return, I will send you home.”
