Faery Born (Book One in the War Faery Trilogy) (9 page)

The girl wrapped her arms around Aethan’s waist as they galloped off.

The monster was right behind us as Radismus and I ran after him.

‘Wait,’ I called out. ‘Help.’

A look over my shoulder showed me it almost had us. I screamed in rage and frustration and turned to face it. I might have no weapon, but I wasn’t going down without a fight.

I could hear Radismus panting as he stood beside me. It was on us before I could formulate a plan, flowing over us, through us, beyond us. It kept slithering in the direction Aethan had disappeared.

I slumped to the ground and rolled onto my back. ‘Oh Dark Sky,’ I said. ‘I thought it had us.’

‘It was a memory,’ Radismus said, flopping down beside me. ‘Your memory.’

‘You’d think I’d remember
that.’

We lay there till our heart beats calmed and then we climbed back to our feet.

‘We need to get out of here,’ Radismus said.

‘Any ideas?’ I mean I know it was my mind we were in, but
he
was the teacher.

‘Let’s keep walking down the river.’

We made our way back to the river and continued the direction I had been walking. After a while, the landscape changed from wildflower-dotted fields to hard, rocky outcrops.

An older version of me than the last one, lay on the river-side of the rocks. She was peering through two large boulders. A couple of Border Guards stood not far from where she hid. They finished their conversation and then one of them turned and ran off into the trees. The other waited till he was gone before turning towards the boulders. It was Aethan.

‘I know you’re there,’ he said, ‘so you may as well come out.’

The girl had a disgruntled look on her face as she stood up. ‘I didn’t make any noise,’ she said. ‘I did it just as you showed me.’

‘It’s not a good idea to wear perfume when you are stalking someone,’ he said.

She blushed and looked at her feet. ‘But apart from that?’

‘Apart from that I wouldn’t have known you were there.’

Appeased, she smiled at him. ‘Will you teach me to use a sword?’

‘You shouldn’t even be here.’

‘You taught me to hunt.’

‘That’s different.’

‘How do you expect me to defend myself?’

He stared at her for a moment and then shook his head. ‘It’s dangerous for you here.’

‘Hence the sword lessons.’

‘I tell you what,’ his sudden smile lit up his face, ‘if you can watch me for a whole night without me knowing you are there, I’ll teach you.’

‘One whole night?’ she clarified.

‘One whole night.’

‘Well then, you had better start teaching me.’

‘I knew you were here.’

‘Ahhh,’ her smug smile threatened to split her face in two, ‘but you didn’t know I was there last night.’

‘Last night?’ His eyebrows rode up his brow.

‘When you and that blonde girl were doing
interesting
things with your mouths.’ I knew my voice well enough to know that she hadn’t been at all thrilled about it.

He flushed as he looked at her. ‘You were there?’

‘Ahuh. So pay up.’

He shook his head. ‘Insufferable youngling.’

‘A deal’s a deal.’

‘All right.’ He didn’t seem too pleased about it. ‘Be here tomorrow night and we’ll start.’

They shimmered and faded from view.

‘Huh,’ I said.
A blonde?
How many years ago had that been?

‘We’d better keep going.’ Radismus turned back towards the river.

He liked blondes?

I followed after Radismus, walking in silence.

Who was she? Was she still in the picture?

A line drawn in the dirt of the riverbank broke me from my obsessive contemplation of the blonde. The scenery around us had changed, but I was pretty sure that that was the line I had drawn.

‘What’s wrong,’ Radismus asked.

‘I drew this line when I first got here.’ I pointed at it.

‘Ahhhh.’ Radismus stared at the line for a few moments. ‘Well I guess we’re not going to get out of here by walking,’ he finally replied.

‘I guess not.’ I jumped into the sky as high as I could with my arms stretched out.

‘What are you doing?’ Radismus asked after my third attempt.

‘This is where I came through. I thought maybe I’d be able to jump out.’

‘Even if you could Izzy, I could never jump that high.’

‘Well it doesn’t seem to be working,’ I said. ‘Let’s keep walking while we think about it.

We continued down the river until we stumbled across another mini-movie of Aethan and me.

We were both holding wooden swords. ‘That’s better,’ Aethan said. ‘Now move your feet a little further apart.’

I shuffled my feet till they were shoulder width apart.

‘Does that feel more comfortable?’

‘It feels more stable,’ I said.

‘Right, so let’s begin.’

‘Wait,’ I said. ‘That’s it? You’re just going to attack me?’

‘What better way to learn?’

They faded from view and we continued walking.

‘So this is where you spend your nights?’ Radismus asked.

‘Guess so.’

‘Still don’t remember?’

‘I was hoping I would if you and Wolfgang were successful today.’

A few minutes later we came to the mark I had made.

‘We must be going in circles.’ Radismus sat next to the river and trailed his fingers in the water.

‘It would appear so.’ I tossed a blade of grass onto the surface and watched as it disappeared into the distance.

‘Radismus,’ I said.

‘Yes Izzy.’

‘How deep do you think this river is?’

He picked up a small stone and threw it into the water. We could see it disappear below the surface, heading towards the bottom.

‘Deep,’ he replied. ‘What are you thinking?’

‘I’m thinking we go for a swim.’

He clambered to his feet and stared at the river. ‘Okay,’ he finally said.

I held out my hand. ‘Don’t let go.’

He grasped it tightly and looked at me. ‘On the count of three?’

Nodding my head I said, ‘One.’

‘Two,’ he continued.

‘Three,’ we both shrieked and, holding tight to each other’s hand, we jumped into the deep, cold waters of my mind.

***

The river was powerful. I clutched Radismus’s hand as it swept us up in its current, and tumbled us with its turbulence.

Floating easily, we raced along the riverbank. Rocks gave way to forest, which in turn gave way to wild-flower dotted plains. Just when I was beginning to think we were travelling a loop, Radismus squeezed my hand.

The water, previously a dark blue, was starting to lighten. The way ahead was brighter, the water warmer. Perhaps it was time to get out. I started to swim to the side, but now the riverbanks were gone. Water stretched as far as I could see.

The light blazed brilliant, like a volcanic explosion, and a wall of fire appeared before us. I heard Radismus scream as we raced towards it.

The water glowed and boiled, bubbling against my skin. The fire reared into the sky before us. I shut my eyes as the merciless river swept us through.

One second of blazing agony as the fire flashed over my skin, then the pain was gone. All that was left was a tingling sensation. Effervescence swaddled me.

I felt Radismus spasm, his grip on my hand loosening as his body convulsed. And then he was gone. I tried to contain my panic as I searched for him.

The tingling on my skin was a distraction. It danced and twirled along my nerve endings, causing me to quiver and shiver. It soothed me and stimulated me at the same time, sending tendrils of power thrilling through me. It swirled around me and within me, glorious, divine; both strange and familiar. And that was when I realised, I was bathing in my power.

I whirled faster and faster through the brilliant vortex, tumbling and turning, until finally the river burst, like a raging torrent over a dam wall, and I fell and I fell and I fell…

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Wolfgang’s worried face peering into mine.

‘You’re all right?’ he queried.

I nodded. ‘Radismus?’

‘I’m fine,’ Radismus said from behind me.

‘You disappeared when the river swept us through the fire.’

‘I regained consciousness.’

‘You entered the water?’ Wolfgang asked him.

‘It was the only thing we could do to get out. We were lost in Izzy’s memories.’

Looking thoughtful, Wolfgang sat back on his haunches. ‘You touched her power?’ he finally asked.

‘Briefly,’ Radismus replied.

‘What does that mean?’ I asked.

‘I’m not sure,’ Wolfgang said. ‘What’s done is done and only time will tell.’ He looked at the clock on the loungeroom wall. ‘Speaking of time, the Prince will be here soon.’

‘Pardon?’

‘Ahh. Silly me. I seem to have forgotten to mention it. Prince Aethan has requested the pleasure of your company.’

‘He’s coming here? To see me?’ I leapt off the floor and dashed for my room. Aethan was coming. Here. Soon. And I had nothing to wear.

Part of me was a little pissed, what with him just ‘requesting my company’ and all that. It would have been nice to be asked if I were free. What if I’d had plans?

Ahhh – who was I kidding? If I’d had plans I would have cancelled them.

I raced straight to the mirror hoping Sabby was in her bedroom. I pictured her mirror, where it hung over her dressing table and then I willed myself into it.

‘Help,’ I shrieked.

‘Izzy?’ Parts of her face became visible. I could see an eye, half her nose and part of her mouth. ‘You broke my mirror. How did you break my mirror?’

‘I have an emergency.’ I broke her mirror? Dark Sky, I couldn’t even make a simple spell work the way it was meant to.

‘Did you use your wand?’

‘It doesn’t make any difference.’ I was useless with or without my wand.

‘Hang on.’ She mumbled under her breath and flicked her wand and suddenly I could see all of her face. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘Aethan’s coming and I don’t know what to wear.’

‘So you need to know what the proper clothing etiquette for a witch courting a Fae Prince is?’

‘Yes.’

‘Hang on and I’ll consult the Witch/Faery Courting Handbook.’

‘There’s a handbook for that?’

‘I was being facetious.’

‘Not helping.’

‘Wear something nice.’

I heard the front doorbell ring. ‘Here’s here. Oh Great Dark Sky he’s here.’

‘Huh.’

‘What?’

‘I would have liked to have been there, that’s all.’

‘Next time. I promise. Gotta go.’ I let her end the communication spell.

Mum came up the stairs and started ferreting around in my wardrobe. ‘Here.’ She passed me a long, flowing dress.

‘Not too much for this time of day?’

‘Oh, I don’t think so.’ She glanced back down the stairs.

‘Oh no. What’s he wearing?’

‘It’s not so much him. It’s his entourage.’

‘Entourage?’ My voice shot up an octave and sweat broke out on my forehead.

‘Well, you know how I said courting him would be similar to dating?’

‘Yes.’

‘I was half right.’

I sat on the edge of my bed and put my head between my knees. ‘Can you tell them my arm’s too sore?’

‘You don’t need to do this. Just say the word and I’ll tell them all to go away.’

I was
so
tempted to say the word. But then I remembered the feel of his body pressing into mine. And although
that
thought didn’t help at all with the nerves, it did make me think that perhaps this might be worth it.

I stood up and pulled the dress over my head. Then I checked my hair. It was clean, which was about all I could say for it, but considering the state of it the last time he had seen me it would do. ‘Let’s go.’

Mum nodded and led me back down the stairs.

‘Where’s Grams?’ I couldn’t believe she would miss a shindig like this.

‘Haven’t seen her all morning.’

I sighed. One less on my team.

Wolfgang was waiting for us at the foot of the stairs. He took Mum’s hand and said, ‘Prunella Babcock, I have the great pleasure of introducing you to Prince Aethan Gabrielle.’ He swept his hand gracefully toward Aethan.

I had a sudden urge to bolt out the back door, through the paddock and all the way across the country, but then Aethan moved into my view and I decided I might stay.

He wasn’t wearing his normal fur and leather (which was lucky, because they revealed
way
too much muscle to allow my brain and my mouth to co-ordinate) but he looked every bit as devastating. A cream shirt, open at the neck and tucked into dark pants, was partly covered by an ermine-trimmed cape. His dark hair looked wild and rumpled and I wondered if it felt as silky as it looked. But it was his eyes that captivated me the most. Midnight blue, they captured mine while I struggled to remember how to breathe.

He released me from his gaze, sweeping Mum’s hand up in his and bowing his head. ‘Ms Babcock,’ he said in his rich voice, ‘I ask your formal permission to court your daughter Isadora.’

Mum bowed to him and in a stiff voice said, ‘Prince Aethan, I give you my formal permission to court my daughter Isadora. Please may I present her to you?’ I gather that Wolfgang had been giving her etiquette lessons while I had been upstairs freaking out.

Then they both turned to look at me. ‘Isadora,’ said Mum in that stilted voice, ‘may I present Aethan Gabrielle, Prince and second heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Isilvitania.’ She really wasn’t helping with my nerve issues.

And then I realised that I seemed to be the only one there who didn’t know their lines.

Ah buzznuckle.

Mum took my hand and placed it in Aethan’s.

‘Hi.’ My stomach was tap dancing and my heart was keeping time. I didn’t know where to look or what to say. I wanted to be as close to him as possible and as far away at the same time. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, and I didn’t know how I was going to behave normally.

Queen Eloise saved me from the excruciating moment. She strode through the front door and said, ‘Shall we retire to the garden?’ I hadn’t realised till that moment that a group of faeries was clustered outside the door.

‘Oh, ummm, sure,’ I mumbled.

Aethan offered me his arm and we headed for the path to the field. A quick peep over my shoulder revealed that everybody was following us.

‘Seriously,’ I said to Aethan, ‘they’re all going with us?’

‘I’m afraid so,’ he said. ‘All part of the courtship deal. They are assuring that I do not ruin your virtue.’

I felt my cheeks erupt into flame.
Ruin my virtue?
I had a feeling I might enjoy that.

Had we been doing ‘interesting things’ with
our
lips?

‘So do we… at night…’ I squirmed in embarrassment.

‘You really don’t remember anything?’

I shook my head, risking a quick glance up at him.

He looked down at my glowing face and grinned. ‘It’s nice having you on the back foot for once.’

I narrowed my eyes as I stared at him.

‘Normally I can’t shut you up.’

I wasn’t sure if talking-too-much was such a great attribute, but he didn’t seem to notice my wince.

The field opened up before us. Someone, I’m guessing it was the faeries, had decorated the meadow. Ribbons and bells moved in the breeze, twirling and tinkling gently. Brightly coloured pavilions made of the softest silk had been erected over rugs littered with cushions and small tables.

‘I hope you don’t mind,’ Aethan said. ‘After yesterday I wasn’t sure if it were appropriate.’

I glanced around. ‘You’re expecting another attack?’

‘No. I mean using this space for merriment, so soon.’

‘I think it better that we embrace life and not let evil dictate what we do.’

‘Touché.’ He took me by the hand and helped me lower myself to a cushion. Scruffy immediately burrowed into a pillow on my right, turning around a few times before collapsing onto his back with his legs in the air.

The crowd dispersed evenly around us and a rumble of conversation started. At least they weren’t all staring and waiting to see what we would do. I didn’t think I would survive that.

I cleared my throat and looked back at Aethan. ‘So here we are.’ I tapped my hand on one of the pillows and looked back out to the field. I was officially the Queen of Awkward.

‘I wish I could help you remember,’ he said, ‘it would make this all so much easier.’

‘You said that,’ I sat up straighter and leant toward him, ‘when your mother came to the house. You told me things would be easier if I could remember. What do you mean?’

He stared at me for a few beats and then glanced down as he plucked a blade of grass. ‘I can’t tell you.’

‘Why?’

He lowered his voice. ‘There are things that will become known to you once you join the Border Guard. Until then I cannot mention them.’

‘Once I join?’

‘Once you have sworn your oaths you will be told.’

‘But,’ I said, ‘I already know.’ It was a long shot. ‘When we are together at night, I already know.’

‘You guessed some of it, but there are still things you don’t know.’

I slumped back into my cushion. It was only one day till I signed up, I could wait till then.

A Fae woman stepped gracefully into the space in front of us. With her long, swan neck and her full lips and cheekbones, she was so beautiful I felt deflated in comparison. ‘Pray Aethan, do tell us how you met this adorable creature.’ She fluttered her long lashes at me.

‘Izzy, this is my elder sister, Isla.’ He didn’t seem very happy about her intrusion.

‘I am sure there will be plenty of time to get to know each other, but for now I want to know how you met.’ She was even prettier when she pouted.

‘Don’t ask
me,’
I said. I was pretty sure I knew, but was looking forward to hearing Aethan’s interpretation of the event.

He pressed his lips together and then let out a small sigh. ‘We met about six months ago.’

‘Yes but where?’ She pressed her hands together and leaned toward us.

‘Isadora stumbled into my dream.’ He looked at me. ‘It’s common amongst untrained dream-walkers.’

‘Details please.’ The look in her eyes belied the sing-song quality of her voice.

‘We started talking and that was pretty much that.’

I knew we’d met earlier than that. Was it the lie that caused the tension around his eyes or his sister’s interest in the subject?

‘Oh Aethan.’ She threw back her head and tinkled out a laugh. ‘You’re so unromantic. Isadora you will have to teach him how to write love letters and pretty poetry.’ She leant over and ran a hand down the side of my cheek. ‘Such a lovely face. He shouldn’t have trouble finding things to write about.’

Still laughing, she stood and made her way to Queen Eloise. She bent low, her voice a murmur as she whispered in her mother’s ear. Queen Eloise let out a laugh and clapped her hands. ‘What a good idea,’ she said.

I felt Aethan stiffen at my side as she rose to her feet. ‘Isla has had the most ravishing idea,’ she said to the group of faeries. ‘When next we come, Aethan is to read us a poem. A love poem, written for Isadora.’

I cringed back into the cushion. Oh Great Dark Sky. A love poem? I could feel myself starting to spontaneously combust at the mere thought of it. How was I going to handle him reading me a love poem? I groaned as I remembered I had promised Sabby she could come next time. I was
never
going to hear the end of it.

A look at Aethan’s face showed the horror I was sure was on mine.

Hmmmphf.
It was one thing for
me
to be embarrassed by the thought of him writing me a love poem; it was another thing entirely for
him
to be.

As I cleared my throat and opened my mouth to say something, anything to change the subject, Queen Eloise clapped her hands again. ‘It is time for us to depart. Aethan, say your goodbyes.’

He helped me to my feet and then bowed low over the hand he still held. ‘Till next time.’

His lips scorched the back of my hand as they touched my skin. I found myself wondering what they would do to my neck. Thoughts like that did nothing to quell the fire which had set up camp on my cheeks again.

He joined the group of faeries and I watched as they took a couple of steps before disappearing from view. ‘Neat party trick,’ I said to Scruffy.

‘One that you will no doubt learn,’ Mum said as she came to stand by my side.

As we walked back to the house it wasn’t their method of travel I thought about and it wasn’t the conversation with Isla or the thought of the humiliating poem. I wondered what it was like meeting him at night when there was nobody else to see. I shivered as I thought about the feel of his lips on my skin and I hoped I would remember soon.