JOURNEY INTO THE REALM: The Spell Master (Journey into the Realm Series) (35 page)

***

By the time Stellan left, I was thoroughly exhausted.

I sat on my bed, but I didn’t feel like sleeping. I was half-Golden fairy. Element fairies were playing tricks and killing my friends in their attempt to reach me. Stellan was fighting in a war I was destined to end. I wasn’t with Stellan anymore. I was with Nathan.

I simply couldn’t believe all that had changed in such a short amount of time.

I needed to decide what my next move would be, and what I could do about the imminent danger from the Element fairies, but I was stuck. I didn’t know what to do. Eder said the choices I had to make would be difficult; nonetheless, they were necessary. Changes had to continue in order for me to face what fate had planned for me and the other Realms.

Even so, how would I know which changes to make? Where did I go from here? I still felt so lost….

I looked down at my hands, lying palm up in my lap. Were those elfen hands I saw? Or did they belong to a fairy? Would that make any difference as I fought to end a war?

I closed my eyes and tried to relax, but everything was still so confusing. I had my Spell Master, but he couldn’t save me from every peril. I was being watched. The Element fairies could attack at any moment, and all I had was a handful of spells in my defense.

What if they weren’t enough?

I released a lengthy sigh and was about to give sleeping a try when I felt something tickle my palms. I opened my eyes and realized I was holding a marigold.

Before I could marvel at the flower’s sudden appearance, I heard a knock at my window. I was startled but not enough to resist checking out the source. I held the marigold as I traveled across my bedroom floor.

Nathan was waiting on the other side of the glass.

I motioned for him to meet me at my front door. A few moments later he was standing in my living room.

“Thanks for the marigold,” I said, “but what are you doing here so late?”

Nathan sighed. “I just thought I should…I don’t know…stop by to make sure…I mean, you’ve had an emotional night and….”

He was obviously having a difficult time putting his feelings into words. But I knew him as well as he knew me, so I was able to decipher the jumbled phrase.

“You came to make sure I don’t regret choosing you,” I realized.

He shrugged. “I know I’m usually overly smug when it comes to how amazing I am, but….”

I laughed. “Okay, maybe I
do
have regrets.”

“Let me finish,” he said, his lips breaking into a smile. “Would it make sense if I told you that you’re the one elfen who makes me feel equal amounts of confidence and insecurity?”

“It doesn’t make sense,” I said, taking his hand, “but I feel the same way. Does that answer your question?”

He looked down to where our hands were clasped. “I think so.”

“Then come on,” I instructed, pulling him toward the couch.

“What are we doing?” he wondered.

“Sitting,” I told him.

“Sitting? Really?” He appeared unconvinced.

“Well,” I said, as we both sat down, “I’m too awake to sleep but too exhausted to do anything productive. And after being together for so long without actually
being together,
I suggest we take some time to appreciate what’s changed.”

Nathan raised his eyebrows. “And we’re going to do that by
sitting
?”

“Yep,” I replied. “Just sitting.”

Silence stretched between us. We didn’t move. We didn’t speak. We simply sat.

I soon realized how ridiculous this was. “Well, I guess you could at least put your arm around me,” I muttered, narrowing my eyes.

Nathan laughed. “You should have been more specific,” he joked, following my suggestion by pulling me closer to him. As I moved to rest my head against his chest, his arm fell around my shoulders. “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Sure,” I said, incoherently because I responded mid-yawn.

“I’ll be happy
just sitting
for the rest of my life,” he admitted, “if it means I’ll always be able to sit with you.”

I sighed. “A touching gesture, Nathan, but let’s think of other ways to be together. Sitting isn’t as fun as I thought it would be.”

“You know,” he began, “that was probably the most sincere phrase you will ever hear me say, and you’ve just ruined –”

I silenced his rant with a kiss. When I pulled away, his beautiful eyes were bright and unfocused. “Now that, Nathan, was an example of something better than just sitting.”

He grinned mischievously. “All right then, I retract my previous statement. I’ll be happy
just kissing
for the rest of my life if it means I’ll always be able to kiss you.”

I laughed as the nearness of him drew me in again, and I found myself silently agreeing.

***

The next morning I woke up lying on my couch, completely disoriented. Moments passed before I was able to recall the events of the previous night.

I noticed Nathan’s absence as I sat up to embrace the arrival of a new day. I wondered when he had decided to leave, where he was now. I shrugged and headed for the kitchen, deciding that a cup of tea was in order before I addressed any concerns.

I sat down at my table once it was ready and blew away the steam. Raising the cup to my lips, I was about to take a sip when there was a knock at my door.

“Come in,” I called, too lazy to get up again.

The door opened. “Hey,” Nathan greeted, a little shyly, as he joined me in the kitchen.

“Hi,” I replied, my voice sounding much the same way.

Last night we had declared our love for one another. Naturally, we were a little uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry I disappeared,” he said, claiming the unoccupied seat next to me. “I had to run home and get something.”

“That’s all right,” I said. “Thanks for knocking. I know it’s not the usual elfin custom.” I placed my cup down and looked at him expectantly.

His eyes narrowed. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Well, what did you get?” I asked.

His features relaxed. “Oh, right. Something for you,” he said.

“A present?” I inquired, the corners of my lips pulling up in a hopeful smile.

“Yes.” He fished in his pocket and removed a blue velvet pouch. “Here,” he said, as he handed the bag to me. “I was going to give it to you Christmas day because I know you still celebrate your human holidays, but after last night…I didn’t want to wait.”

My curiosity grew as I held the pouch in my hands. “Should I open it now?” I asked.

“Go ahead,” he encouraged.

I smiled and drew the string until the hole was wide enough to reach in with my fingertips. Pinching the end of a thick string, I pulled it from the pouch and dangled the present before my eyes. Attached to the black string was a golden key, so shiny I could see my reflection, hazy and golden, reminding me of the dreams I shared with my mother. My fingertips ran over the smooth exterior, marveling at the sheer beauty of what used to be an ordinary, rusty key.

“This is the key we used to open the trunk,” I realized.

Nathan nodded. “The gold coating is real. I used a spell. I added it because gold is sort of your color now. And I chose the necklace idea because I wanted you to be able to keep it with you always; the key revealed such a significant part of you. And I hope having this will remind you that change isn’t always terrible.”

“It’s beautiful,” I said softly, clenching it tightly in my hands. “
Ridiculously
beautiful. It’s probably the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever received. I’ll remember what it signifies, and every time the golden light catches my eye, I’ll think of you.”

Nathan gently took the necklace from my grasp and slipped the string over my neck, his fingers grazing the bare skin of my collarbone. I loved that his touch no longer made me feel guilt, only happiness.

I toyed with my new jewelry piece, noticing the way it rested perfectly against my skin. I didn’t think I could ever love Nathan more than I did at that precise moment. Every emotion swelling in my heart was meant for him and no one else.

***

Nathan left a while later to run a few errands for his mother. He asked if I wanted to come along, but I told him I was still too tired to leave the house.

In reality, I had to do something that I could only do alone.

I yearned to sit forever, just thinking of him, because it would keep me whole and intact, blissful and content. But I knew what I had to do, and it didn’t involve making gaga eyes at my beautiful new present.

I ventured into my room and found the note from Aditi. Nathan’s present had reminded me of the orchard, which had in turn reminded me of the note. Now that Stellan was gone, it was time I deciphered its meaning.

***

Although I was wary of what I would find in the orchard, I couldn’t deny its beauty as I brushed past the fruit-bearing trees. This place had always called to me. Ever since coming to the Elf Realm, I had considered the orchard a sanctuary.

I didn’t know what I was looking for, or if I was even heading in the right direction, but I decided to trust the note and my instincts, and hoped they led me down the right path.

I also hoped I wouldn’t run into any Element fairies.

As I zigzagged my way around the trees, I noticed the wind pick up a bit, the branches of the trees beginning to sway. Remembering my encounter with Lura last June, I thought at first that a wind fairy was the source. Then I realized how calming the breeze was, how serene, and I knew nothing terrible was afoot.

Then, out of thin air, three beautiful creatures appeared before me. They circled me, forming a triangle, and began to dance.

They were female, with light brown hair falling in curls over their shoulders and laced with stunning purple flowers. They wore simple tan dresses that fell to the ground and billowed out like waves as they danced, their bare feet padding soundlessly against the vibrant grass. Completely enchanted, my eyes followed their graceful movements with a longing that I could only describe as envy. I yearned to be just like them. To float, feeling so carefree that no trace of uncertainty could reach me.

They were nymphs, spirits and protectors of the forest, which explained their hazy, almost transparent, forms. Each wore a necklace of flowers, a combination of Aloe Vera and Blue Water Lily, which created a charm to keep their essence alive. All nymphs were the spirits of fairies and dryads. To linger among the living, they had to wear the charm; otherwise, they would move on to Heaven or the Otherworld or wherever their souls found peace.

I had needed to borrow one of the charms last June before saving Zora, when the last spiritual connection we shared with the Mood Diamond left me with severe wounds from the Element fairies. The charm kept me alive until I was healed in the palace, but still, I often wondered how long I could have worn the necklace before I began the transition to nymph. Would the transition have completely changed my essence, or would I have discovered my Golden fairy heritage sooner? I pondered this as my eyes followed the dance.

Eventually I remembered my reason for coming here. “Are you who I should be meeting?” I asked them.

They didn’t reply; they only began to nod and laugh beautifully as they continued their dance. One nymph twirled a finger through my hair as she passed.

“Care to elaborate further than laughing and nodding your heads?” I asked, eager to actually learn something during this encounter. The dancing was lovely, but I had priorities.

“We may not say much, Chosen Daughter, for it is not our place,” said another.

I was struck by their name for me. “The nymphs in Tarlore called me the same thing. The Chosen Daughter. What does it mean?”

One nymph placed a flower in my hair and said, “It means you are destined for greatness, not just in this Realm but in all Realms.”

“Is that all? Who has chosen me?” I wondered.

“We are not here to answer those questions. You must find the answers on your own,” said the first nymph.

“What
are
you here for?” I asked, already annoyed by their vagueness.

“To warn you, of course!” one nymph said with a flick of her hair, as if I should have known.

“Warn me about what? Who sent you to warn me? I never thought nymphs resided in this orchard,” I remarked.

“Oh, no, we do not. We are from Tarlore. We were sent here by a very special helper of yours,” a nymph explained.

“Who?” I asked again.

“We cannot tell you. We were told not to reveal that information, only to warn you of what is to come,” the third nymph explained.

“And what is that?”

The nymphs abruptly ended their dance, as if the music in their souls had suddenly ceased. They joined hands and stood facing me, their expressions now grave.

“The Element fairies are close, Chosen Daughter,” the first nymph warned. “You know this.”

“And soon you will have to face them again,” said the second.

“You know there is a bounty out for you. Any Element fairy who delivers you to King Vortigern, dead or alive, will be rewarded. This incentive makes many eager to test their strengths against you,” the third explained. “But there are fae here who have no need for a bounty. Their sense of duty is what drives them. They have been watching you all along, and soon they will strike. Keep a watchful eye because the threat is near.”

“Does that mean they know my secret?” I asked. “Are they ready to strike because they’ve learned all they can?”

“We do not know. We came only to deliver this one message. That is all,” the first nymph told me.

I nodded, though it was difficult to remain calm while fear slowly spread through me. “Can you tell me any more of who sent you?” I asked.

“You know of him, Chosen Daughter. He is protecting you, a distant figure from your past, one that will resurface to play an important role…once you meet again,” the second nymph explained, her voice angelic and lovely, almost enough to pull me toward her in submission.

Suddenly it hit me, and I knew who had sent me the note about the orchard, who had sent me here. After months spent waiting, contact had appeared in the form of a hallucination brought on by a potion and a one-word note – complete with three beautiful, if not a little immature, nymphs who made me dizzy from their sweet perfume.

“Eder,” I whispered, not sure if the nymphs understood. But they knew he was the source already; they just weren’t allowed to admit what I had discovered.

“That is all we are allowed to say,” the third nymph went on, as if I hadn’t said his name, hadn’t said anything at all. “Now hurry, Chosen Daughter; the orchard is no longer safe for you. Element fae are lurking. You must prepare yourself.”

“How?” I asked

Unfortunately, the nymphs had already faded away, blown with the breeze back to Tarlore. No longer required to be here, I chose to follow my instincts.

I ran back to Birchwood to find Nathan.