Fae Prophecy (The Fae Prophecy Series Book 1) Page 11

“Ride,” Thomas commanded and put his heels to his horse.

  We crashed through the thicket without paying heed to the branches scratching our faces or tearing our clothes.

  “Them’s more in ‘em bushes,” a yell went up from behind in the goblin’s thick accent.

  An arrow flew and lodged itself into a tree to my right.

  I ducked my head lower over the mare’s neck and cursed our luck.

  More in the bushes? It sounded like it hadn’t been us they had spotted and had we remained where we were, they probably would have passed without noticing us.

  The thick forest made for slow going with the horses. They struggled through the undergrowth and the low-hanging branches.

  The goblins chased us on foot and, although more at home underground, found the going easier over the terrain than the horses did. Their arrows flew dangerously close, and their yells and curses rang loud in my ears.

  Ahead, Thomas desperately looked for the easiest way through the thicket. Turning this way and that, his gelding stepped bravely through brambles, over boulders, and around holes.

  I followed, trusting Thomas to lead true. I had no choice, yet the anger built within me. After what Thomas had told me about the goblins, and how it had been them that had killed my cousin, I could barely control the rage.

  Something smacked hard into my back, and I cried out in pain. I turned and saw the feathers of an arrow. My nostrils flared, and the blood rushed to my face as I could control my anger no longer.

  “Enough.”

  A ball of blue energy burst from my palm, blasting into the forest behind me. I could see the goblins’ stunned knobbly green faces at the first blast. They cursed at me with their guttural voices, and I fired again.

  Boom, boom, boom. Like cannon shots, they echoed through the forests. All around me, trees lay flat and broken. The goblins were gone.

  “Dana,” Thomas took hold of my elbow, leaning across from his horse, “they’re gone.”

  I looked at him through lidded eyes. Dizzy and weak, I could barely hold on to my horse. I bent over the side and retched, emptying the meagre contents of my stomach on the forest floor.

  “It’s not much further to Oaktown. Do you think you can make it?”

  I nodded weakly.

  Thomas leaned over and pulled the arrow from my rucksack. “You were lucky.” He threw the offending missile into the dirt. “That could have hit you.”

  “I have a lucky charm.” I held up my shaking arm with Arianna’s bracelet.

  Thomas smiled and then rode beside me as much as he could through the thick bush until I felt a bit stronger.

  It took us longer to find the road than Thomas thought, and then it took us even longer to get to Oaktown. By the time we reached it, the sun had just set.

  The mill sat on the edge of a cliff overlooking the waterfall of the Amberwater River. The miller’s house and his barn sat further back, away from the spray of the falls.

  “Aye, the goblins have come through here several times,” Miller James told us. “They are trouble and best not meddled with.”

  James, a satyr, did not share Henry’s aversion to fae and welcomed me into his home. The miller’s barn was spacious and his feed grain of good quality. The horses ate well that night.

  Instead of a horse stall for us, the barn had a room for stable hands, which had beds in it, as well as a table and chairs. The miller’s wife had provided fresh linen, candles, wash-water, and dinner.

  I took some me-time before sitting down to eat. My hair flowed over my shoulders in a cascade of red curls after I took out all the knots. And, who would have thought that much dust could accumulate on your neck from riding?

  It felt good to be clean, and I needed to calm myself after what happened in the forest. Did I kill those goblins?

  Still not knowing what the magic was, or how to control it, worried me. I didn’t see the goblins after my attack, so maybe they fled. But, what if they didn’t?

  It was by now evident that the magic flared up when my emotions were at their highest. Or, when my need was greatest. I could also call forth the blue glow on my palm whenever I wanted to, but that wasn’t dangerous.

  What worried me was the effect the magic had on me. It made me question the safety of this magic. It wanted me to use it. It wanted me to be powerful. It frightened me.

  A little weak, but cleaner, I joined Thomas at the table. Stew and fresh bread, pie, juice, and fruit. My stomach growled in anticipation, and Thomas laughed.

  He could always find joy in the smallest things. Here we had just survived a hair-raising ordeal, and he was laughing at my stomach. In the short time that I had known him, he had always maintained a positive outlook. Maybe I could learn something from him, instead of wallowing in my self-pity.

  “I am sorry I accused you.” And, I was, truly ashamed. “I should have asked questions first, instead of assuming the worst.”

  Thomas waved it away. “I told you, I probably would have reacted the same way had I been in your position.”

  “No, you wouldn’t have. I am a hothead, I admit it.” I graced him with a crooked grin, which he returned. “May I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “You said you were born an outcast. What does that mean?”

  “A wolf needs to belong to a pack,” he explained. “I was born a bastard. Without a father, you cannot belong to a pack.”

  “Does Arianna not know who your father is?”

  Thomas shook his head. “Ever since I have been old enough, I have travelled from city to city in the human world, searching the packs. I was never really sure if I wanted to meet him, but I always had to try.”

  I understood. I’d give anything to have met my mother. “That must have been hard, Thomas. I know what it’s like to grow up with only one parent. At least you have your mother.”

  Thomas’ face pulled into a rueful smile. His eyes were sad. “My mother died when I was two years old. Arianna took me in, promising my mother to raise me as her own. She has looked after me ever since and has been a wonderful mother. It’s one of the reasons why she encourages me to find my father.”

  Oh, Goddess, I really had a way of putting my foot in it.

  “I am sorry, Thomas.” I reached out and touched his hand. The gesture came from my heart, and only when he looked down at my hand with a smile, did I pull it away.

  I cleared my throat. “I only wanted to get to know you a little better. I didn’t mean to pry. You know, my mother died when I was born. I never knew her, and I’d give anything for her to hold me just once.”

  He reached out and touched my hand in return. His hand was so warm, and it remained there long enough to make me blush. “I am glad we could share that. No more assumptions.”

  “When I left the palace, I never would have thought things would be so different out here,” I told him, changing the subject and removing my hand from his. “I feel stupid and naive in this world. Even life within the city streets of Draeguard is not as complicated, or dangerous, as out here in the rest of Wiltera.”

  “You’re not stupid. Just not streetwise. Wiltera isn’t always dangerous. The towns are usually tranquil places, with good, hardworking people.”

  “It certainly has been dangerous enough since I’ve been here.”

  “Disputes flare up from time to time.” Thomas finished his food and pushed his plate away. “Why don’t you tell me about Draeguard? Being a fae stronghold, I obviously can’t go there.”

  “Pity, I’d love to show you.” My smile was genuine now. “Draeguard is a beautiful city. With close to sixty-thousand citizens, it’s the largest city in Wiltera. Did you know that?”

  He laughed. “I did.”

  “The entire city is surrounded by an enchanted wall. Only those with fae-sight can see it, but the further away you go from it, the more difficult it is to see.”

  “Is that why most people don’t know exactly where Draeguard lies?”

  I giggled. �
�Indeed. Only our fields are outside the city. Those give away our approximate location.”

  “I’d love to see it someday.”

  “If I were queen, I’d change the laws,” I said earnestly. “I know now that not all shifters are bad.” I winked at him.

  “The strife between legendaries goes back hundreds of years, Freckles. It is not going to be resolved by changing a few laws. I mean, would you like to be friends with the goblins?”

  Finished eating, I pushed my plate away, as well. “Well, maybe carefully with the goblins. But are they really all bad? What if there are good goblins and bad goblins, just like in any society?”

  “For someone who always assumes the worst, you have a lot of faith in people.”

  “All I’m saying is that we all live in Wiltera. Why can’t we get along? The humans have encroached so much on our space, why must we fight over the little we have left?”

  “It is a noble sentiment, and I would follow you if you were queen.” He gave a theatrical bow over the table.

  “I won’t be queen for a long time. My main aim right now is to put my father back on the throne.” It felt like so much time had passed since they threw my father into the dungeon, but it had only been a week. I needed to get back to him. “We need to get the information we have to the councillors. Or, whoever will listen to us.”

  “We will,” Thomas assured me. “We’ll ride through Clover Hill tomorrow and, if we hurry, we can be at the gates of Draeguard by nightfall.”

  “What will you do then?” I asked him.

  “I’ll return home, I guess.” Thomas looked down, pretending to dig some dirt out of a fingernail, but I didn’t fail to see his eyes misting over.

  “You know what?” I chuckled, thinking of a way to distract him. “If the palace servants could see me now.”

  Thomas looked up at me.

  “Alone. In a barn. With a boy. At night.” I laughed. “The servants wouldn’t know what to do with themselves. Oh, and the gossip. Thomas, you have no idea how strict palace rules are. This,” I indicated our little intimate dinner, “would definitely not be allowed.”

  “Well, in that case, I am glad I could help you break the rules.” He laughed with me.

  “Oh, I have never been one to obey the rules,” I bragged. “Several servants asked to be placed elsewhere, especially when I was still younger.”

  “You were that bad? I don’t believe it.”

  “I used to sneak out all the time. I’d skip class, hide from the servants, or leave the palace to play within the city. It drove my father mad, but I think he liked it that I was so independent.” I tilted my head sideways, lips pursed. “Or, maybe that’s just what I kept telling myself.”

  One of the candles flickered, and Thomas looked up for a moment, listening. When he didn’t hear anything, he brought the candle closer to us.

  The lack of crystal lighting had worried me at first, but tonight I enjoyed the simple candlelight. Thomas really had the most amazing amber eyes.

  “What is the worst trouble you ever got yourself into?” he asked, chin propped on his hands.

  “Without a doubt, that time I broke into the vault.”

  “The vault?” He looked suitably impressed.

  “Our moonstones are kept in the vault. As children, we’re only taught about them from books, but I was fascinated with them. Being the princess, I knew where they were kept, so I went to take a look.”

  “What happened?”

  “I swear, I just wanted to look. Once I evaded the guards and slipped through the bars surrounding the vault, the stones called to me. I couldn’t help it. Without thinking, I walked right up to them and touched one.”

  “I guess that wasn’t allowed.” Thomas had a gleeful grin on his face.

  “No,” I drew the sound out, “they are holy. They are the source of our fae magic. When they found out what I did, I was grounded for a month.”

  Thomas’ laugh rang loud in the little room, and I was sure it startled the horses, for we heard noises from the barn. “You’re such a rebel.”

  I was glad Thomas and I had that evening to talk freely with each other. Assuming the worst of him had put me at a disadvantage and gotten me into nothing but trouble.

  As we settled down to sleep, I thought about my words and the fact that I was alone in a barn, with a boy, in the dark. I did trust him more now than I did before. I did feel safer with him.

  My eyes closed of their own accord, and I realised how tired I was. The bed was narrow and hard, but right now, it felt like heaven to me.

  ***

  We woke to a knock on the wooden door of the room.

  “Thomas, wake up. You need to leave.”

  We roused ourselves at the miller’s voice. I felt rested, even though it was still dark outside; there was barely a glow from the sunrise through the window.

  “I wonder why he wants us to leave so early.”

  “I’m sure James has his reasons. I have known him for many years, and he has always looked out for me.”

  We packed our few things and then got the horses ready. The miller said good-bye and left the barn.

  “You’ll be home by tonight.” Thomas smiled at me. “Are you ready?”

  I grinned back at him as I mounted my horse. Finally, I got to go home.

  The barn door burst open with a crash, and a horde of goblins rushed in. The mare shied wildly to the side. I lost my seat in the saddle and tumbled to the floor.

  The goblins spread out, surrounding us. With rough hands, they grabbed me while I still lay on the ground and bound my arms behind my back before I could react.

  Thomas growled, drawing his knife, and fought them as best he could. There were so many. They overwhelmed him. Soon, he, too, was bound.

  I’d never seen them up close. The goblins’ knobbly, green-tinged skin felt strange to the touch, and I cringed every time one of them handled me. I didn’t dare look in their faces, for the tusks sticking out of their bottom jaw frightened me.

  The goblins gagged us, then heaved us onto our horses, before tying us tightly to the saddles. There’d be no escaping this. There’d be no going home today.

  Some goblins searched through the barn, probably looking for our belongings, but found nothing but our two backpacks which we carried on our backs.

  Tied as we were, the goblin who kept giving orders told the others to let us carry them for now. They would get them soon enough.

  I struggled to understand all their words, even though they spoke English. Their guttural sounds made it difficult.

  My magic simmered beneath the surface, and I willed it to bubble over. If only I could break the bonds.

  “Let ‘em march,” the goblin ordered, and they led us out of the barn.

  The fresh early morning air cooled my sweat as we stepped outside, but it did little for my panic. I looked at Thomas, and I could see his jaw muscles working in agitation.

  Out in the yard, a goblin had a knife to the miller’s wife’s throat. When the goblin saw us, he pushed her away, and she stumbled, then ran to where her husband waited anxiously by the side of the barn.

  We crossed the yard, and the goblins took up the reins of their waiting oxen. They lowed and threw themselves into their harnesses, pulling the wagon.

  I felt ill. My head spun at the sudden turn of events. I thought it could not get any worse when a rider appeared out of the forest.

  The dark elf’s face pulled into a sneer at the sight of us, trussed up on our horses.

  Chapter 14

  The elf led us back into Raven Hall Forest. I glowered at his back, letting the anger flow through me.

  I couldn’t direct my magic, and it was a feeble attempt at best, but the forest around the elf sporadically threw leaves and twigs at him.

  The blue magic bubbled and fizzled around my hands, but it would not grow stronger. Was I still too weak from yesterday? Could I not use it two days in a row?

  The dark elf only laughed at me, expos
ing his pointy black teeth. I had never noticed how pointy they were. I also saw that he had much pointier ears than the light elves I had seen in my textbooks.

  The elf looked all too pleased with himself, while we sat on our horses, bound and gagged. I could do nothing but glare at him. Tears stung my eyes, and I wanted to rip his eyes out of his face.

  The light strengthened as we rode. The road through the forest remained empty, and we encountered no-one. Hours passed within the dark confines of the creepy forest.

  I tried to recall what I had learned about Raven Hall during my lessons. It was the third-largest forest in Wiltera. It was also the oldest. If I remembered correctly, there was nothing else significant about the forest, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that it harboured ill-will towards me.

  The forest did not respond as actively to my fae magic as other forests would have. At first, I thought it was because I was bound, but soon, the forest stopped responding, and nothing I tried could get it to listen.

  I may have felt silly about my comment about geography, but because of my lessons, I also knew the size and layout of the forest. Although it was difficult to tell which direction we were going because of the thick canopy overhead, I guessed we’d traversed almost half of Raven Hall already.

  The light began to fade, and still the elf didn’t stop. My arms hurt, bent at the odd angle behind my back. My stomach growled. The list went on, but I was sure Thomas felt the same.

  Only once it was completely dark, did the elf call for a halt. He did not concern himself with us, but let the goblins take care of us.

  They took us off the horses and, to my surprise, let us see to our needs ~ under guard, of course. Then, they bound us to a tree. One of the goblins saw to our horses, and I was surprised again to find that he knew what he was doing.

  They lit only a few torches, and the night passed in dark agony as we tried to find the most comfortable position against the tree. The elf came past several times as I tried to revive my magic; the blue glow in the dark was giving away my secret.

  By morning, swallowing hurt, and I would have given anything for a sip of water.

  We were put back on our horses and tied to the saddles. The dark elf rode passed me and patted me on my thigh. I recoiled, but couldn’t move much.