Journey into the Realm: The Stolen Child (Journey into the Realm Series) (12 page)

“I’m sorry, but Ramsey’s right,” Nathan voiced. I was glad to have someone speak other than myself. “The longer we delay, the more fairies and elves die in the war. You said you wanted the fighting to end. Please, help us accomplish this by allowing us to leave.”

This time I saw an emotion quite different from hostility in Queen Flora’s gaze: fear. Something Nathan said had frightened her. It made no sense to me because I thought he had spoken well, but I couldn’t ignore the Queen’s reaction. I also didn’t know what to do about it.

“Please, stay,” the Queen insisted. “We only ask for a few more moments of your time.”

Her argument had become considerably less convincing. She was desperate; I could hear it in her voice. Why did she so badly want us to remain here? Her position on the war matched ours, so why wouldn’t she encourage us to continue our journey? She had offered us the crown and we had thanked her. What more did she want?

“Maybe we can stay for a little while longer?” Aimee offered. I could tell she was trying to keep the peace, for which I was grateful, but I also didn’t even want to consider staying here with the way Queen Flora was acting.

“Yes, that sounds lovely,” Queen Flora replied quickly. “I promise it will not take long.”

Suddenly, a group of Flower fairies moved to surround us. They weren’t openly hostile but poked and prodded us until we moved forward. I didn’t know how to react. I considered moving to grab the crown and making a run for it, but I didn’t know the extent of Flower fairy magic, and the chance that Queen Flora could disappear into thin air before I could reach her was a risk I wasn’t willing to take. I had no choice but to move along with my friends, since Daur and Drasill gave no indication that I should do anything else.

I still wondered what their plan was. What good were they silent and invisible? Why were they still here if they didn’t want to participate? I was starting to grow angry with them. They were supposed to be our guides, and so far, aside from helping us find Honeysuckle, they weren’t doing a very good job.

Teeth clenched and sulking, I followed the Flower fairies toward the north side of Honeysuckle. With each step, I grew increasingly anxious. We weren’t supposed to be here. We needed to leave.

Run, run, run,
my inner voice urged. I couldn’t listen, however, because I couldn’t abandon the crown.

“Almost there,” Queen Flora said with forced cheer. She seemed wrought with unease, much like I was.

Unable to decipher her intentions, I looked ahead and scanned the area we were supposedly having our feast. I didn’t see any food or dinner preparations, but I did see movement in the trees, swift and nearly unnoticeable. I hadn’t imagined it. And I recognized the movement. I had witnessed it many times before: in the orchard, in the forest between Birchwood and Tarlore, even in the dark of night.

Element fairies were in Honeysuckle.

And Queen Flora and the Flower fairies knew it.

Instead of a feast, we were being lured to our deaths.

My sharp intake of breath drew Daur’s attention. He finally looked me in the eye, and when he did, I remembered his instructions.
“When I look to you next, go to the oak.”

“Guys,” I whispered urgently. “Follow me.”

“Why?” Tavis asked, his voice too loud, his confusion too obvious. “What’s going on?”

“What is the trouble?” Queen Flora asked, glancing momentarily to where the Element fairies hid.

“Just trust me,” I pleaded. “Follow me to the oak tree.”

“The oak tree? Ramsey, why would we –”

Before Nathan could finish his sentence, Queen Flora released a high-pitched scream that made me cry out in severe pain. My ears began to throb and I become disoriented, my vision hazy. It was a distress signal. Queen Flora was screaming for aid.

The Element fairies revealed themselves immediately. There were five in all: two earth, two air, and one fire. My gaze rested on the fire fairy as every ounce of breath was stolen from me. Dark images claimed my vision. Fiery memories licked at my mind, threatening to consume me. Tears sprang to my eyes, as emotions I had tried so hard to bury suddenly broke through with full force.

“Hello, Ramsey,” Ellie greeted, her expression devoid of any emotion. She looked nothing like the elfen she had pretended to be just over a month ago. Her wild brown hair curled in a frenzy about her head. Her dangerously short red dress clung to her bronze thighs seductively, her flaming boots hugging the skin of her calves. But she was missing one fire fairy characteristic I had come to recognize: the flames were gone from her eyes. Instead, they were a murky reddish brown, dull and empty.

I couldn’t reply; I couldn’t speak. The girl of my nightmares had entered my waking life. Memories of her harsh betrayal and Stellan’s cold-hearted murder flooded every inch of my body. I was overtaken with a grief so strong that I could do nothing but stand there as the Element fairies approached.

Again, Nathan spoke for me. “Stay away from her, Ellie. You’ve damaged her life enough.”

Ellie smirked and held out a hand, signaling for the other Element fairies to remain still. “I can see that.” She let some of her inner cruelty show in her tone. More and more of her emotions were surfacing. “Unfortunately for you, I’m not done with her yet. Neither is King Vortigern.”

“Is that where you mean to take me?” I asked, finally regaining my voice. “Or would you prefer to kill me yourself, like you did Stellan?”

Saying his name was painful, but worth it. I received the reaction I had been hoping from her. Guilt. It spread across her face like wildfire. It made her hesitate just long enough for me to act.

“Pulse,” I shouted, clenching my hands into fists and then opening them wide.

Ellie’s body contracted and twisted, as if an invisible force was squeezing her tight. I heard at least one bone break. She cried out in pain until the force released her. Free of the spell, she cursed and held her wrist, which now twisted at an odd angle, close to her body. Through gasps of breath she said, “You’ve been practicing.”

“Never knew when you’d show up to wreak more havoc in my life. Had to be prepared. I killed your worthless father; I could kill you, too.”

She smiled darkly. “But you didn’t kill me when you had the chance. You let me go.”

“Let’s just call that an error in judgment.” I readied myself for another spell…

…Just as Ellie nodded to the other Element fairies.

A wave of elements descended upon our group. Piles of dirt, streams of air, and shots of fire. I was afraid we wouldn’t be able to avoid the hit. Suddenly, Daur’s strong hands were pushing me out of the way. I just narrowly missed the attack.

“Head to the oak,” he said tersely. “Do not look back.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Drasill directing Elvina and Aimee in the opposite direction. I was about to call out to them when I realized where they were headed: the ash tree. I realized that the Tree fairies were offering us protection. They most likely controlled the trees they represented. I let Daur push me forward and then broke into a sprint to the oak tree. When I reached the tree’s base, I looked up and swiftly assessed its branches. It appeared easy enough to climb. I propped one leg against the trunk as I reached for a branch. Once both hands were holding on tight, I propped my other leg up and swung myself into the tree. I didn’t stop at the first branch. I climbed as high as I could until I found a suitable place to sit.

I looked down, unable to find Daur through the branches and leaves. Breathing heavily, I felt a stroke of fear for the rest of my group. Surely, Elvina and Aimee had made it to the tree. Drasill wouldn’t let them be killed. But what about Nathan and Tavis? I hadn’t seen them escape the attack. What if I had left them to die?

Before real terror could set in, I felt movement in the tree, and Nathan’s blonde head came into view, followed by Tavis’s. I watched with wary eyes as they climbed up the oak to join me. Nathan had dirt on his face and Tavis’s shirt had scorch marks, but physically they appeared unharmed. I reached for Nathan and hugged him tight. He could have died. We all could have. I felt a wave of guilt for doubting Daur and Drasill’s services. They had saved our lives.

“Are you all right?” Nathan asked, his lips moving against my neck as he spoke.

I released him and nodded. “I’m fine. You?”

“Some dirt hit me before I escaped the range of the blast, but I wasn’t hurt,” he explained, finding one of my hands and squeezing it.

“What about you, Tavis?” I wondered.

“My shirt caught on fire, but the flames didn’t reach my skin. I put the fire out just in time,” he said.

“Thank God,” I breathed. “We could have been killed.”

“We have the Tree fairies to thank for our lives,” Nathan said, voicing my thoughts. “Do you think they knew the entire time that the Element fairies were in Honeysuckle?”

Thinking back, I nodded. “They must have. Daur told me before we entered Honeysuckle to go to the oak the next time he looked at me.”

Tavis leaned on his branch until his back rested against the tree. He ripped off a few leaves hanging in his face so he could see me clearly. “Why didn’t they tell us sooner?”

I shrugged. “I have no idea. But they obviously remained invisible so the Flower fairies wouldn’t alert the Element fae.”

Nathan nodded. “That much I gathered. And we’re safe here?”

“I think so,” I agreed. “We’re in Daur’s tree. As an oak fairy, he’s probably able to instill some kind of protective barrier. Why else would he make us climb it?”

“I’m grateful for the protection, but what are we supposed to do now?” Tavis asked. “Elvina and Aimee are in the ash tree on the other side of the city. Are we just supposed to wait here and hope the Element fairies leave?”

“That seems unlikely,” I said. “Especially with Ellie leading them.”

Nathan squeezed my hand again. “I know it’s hard seeing her again.”

I swallowed and carefully withdrew my hand from his, mimicking Tavis’s actions on my own branch and leaning against the tree. Memories of Stellan were too fresh in my mind now for me to accept Nathan’s comfort. I reminded myself again that I needed to keep more distance from Nathan until I had time to think and heal. He quickly got the hint and retreated to his own branch.

“I can’t think about the past now,” I said, dismissing the subject. “We have to figure out what we’re going to do. I would say let’s try to run, but we don’t have the crown.”

Tavis nodded. “Daur disappeared right after Nathan and I reached the tree. Do you think he’ll come back?”

“I hope so,” I replied. “I don’t think we’ll be able to get out of this mess without his help. The Element fairies are going to wait us out. They have no reason to leave. They obviously have the Flower fairies under their control.”

“Hopefully Daur returns sooner rather than later,” Nathan muttered. “Until then, I suppose we should wait as well. At least up here we’re safe from the Element fairies.”

Nathan was right. Up here, I was safe from the Element fairies. Safe from Ellie.

But not safe from my memories…or the desire to make her burn like she burned Stellan.

Rage stirred within me. I didn’t know how I would quell it. I didn’t know how long I would be able to wait up here before I lost control. Before I ignored the compassionate side of me that once let her go and decided to kill her. I knew the idea was irrational. I couldn’t go down and take all five Element fairies by myself. But my yearning for revenge was strong, and a part of me didn’t care about the risks.

I feared it wouldn’t be long before I didn’t care at all.

I could see her. A few leaves and branches disturbed my line of vision, but I could see most of Ellie’s form clearly. Knowing how futile it would be to attack the protected trees, she kept herself busy by barking out orders to the other Element fairies and using the threat of fire to herd the Flower fae to the center of the city. The Butterfly fairies’ jittery movements made me wonder if they had expected this harsh treatment. Had Queen Flora and her subjects truly believed the Element fairies wouldn’t hurt them or abuse their power? What had Ellie promised to make them lead us into a trap? I closed my eyes and sighed, unable to fill the missing pieces of the situation. Hopefully Daur, if he ever came back, would be able to explain what was really happening.

When the Element fairies were stationed around the border and the Flower fae were hushed and still, I saw Ellie’s façade begin to drop. Her anxiety showed in the way she tapped her right foot against the ground. Her hands, clenched tight at her sides, gave way to frustration and hyperawareness. She was determined to keep her focus. Her control had slipped when the Tree fairies helped us to the protected trees, and that loss had shaken her. She hadn’t expected Daur and Drasill’s intervention. Her strategy had to be altered by their interference. But she wasn’t about to give up. I knew her well enough to understand her grim determination. She couldn’t fail again, let me go, let me win.

What she didn’t understand was that at our last meeting, I hadn’t won. I had lost Stellan. I had
lost
.

It was interesting, though, to finally have the opportunity to study her. This was the first time I had ever looked upon her true form from afar, completely unnoticed. I didn’t understand why she wasn’t looking up at me. She knew I was here. So why wasn’t she staring me down, threatening and intimidating me like I knew she enjoyed doing? Then again, maybe she preferred not to think about me. Maybe she wanted to separate me from her duty to kill or capture. Maybe she felt guilty. She had, after all, nearly lost her mind when she killed Stellan. Perhaps, since the event, she had begun to unravel.

I realized quickly that I was experiencing a fool’s hope. What did I think was going to happen? That Ellie would miraculously experience a change of heart and let us go, maybe even help us? I could recognize the absurdity in such a thought. This wasn’t a fairy tale or a movie in which the villain transformed into a hero and fought for good. Ellie, who I had once believed was more of a sister to me than Zora, had committed ruthless murder. She had taken someone from me, someone she had known was important. And despite her initial guilty and horrified reaction, she was still working for King Vortigern. She was still after me. That hadn’t changed, and neither had she.

Still, watching her held a kind of fascination for me. So many of her movements reminded me of the elfen I thought I had once known. The way her hands moved to rest on her hips. The way she pursed her lips when deep in thought. The way her slender figure seemed to sway with the wind. All of these were qualities of the Ellie I once trusted. It was difficult to see the two different portrayals as one being. I wanted so desperately to keep the elfen and the Element fairy separate, but that in itself was a ridiculous ideal. The elfen had never existed. Only the fire fairy was real. Ellie had not become the Element fairy. She had only presented an elfen disguise.

“What are you looking at?” Nathan asked quietly, touching my shoulder with the tips of his fingers. Lightly, so as not to scare me off.

“Her,” I said, not bothering to hide my interest, although I couldn’t bring myself to say her name.

For a moment, I feared he would react negatively and advise that I stop watching her. But Nathan was nothing if not understanding, if not realistic. He hadn’t changed since our first meeting. I had to remind myself that only I had changed.

“It’s eerie, how familiar she is, and also how foreign,” he remarked, echoing my exact thoughts.

“I know,” I agreed, unable to explain
why
this was, only that it was.