Faery Born (Book One in the War Faery Trilogy) (15 page)

A few more tears squeezed out of the corners of my eyes. Damn it. I didn’t want to cry, it just made me feel more stupid. ‘I realised I liked him more than he liked me.’

‘So he’s not very good at writing poetry.’ Mum sat down on the edge of my bed.

I shook my head. ‘It wasn’t that.’

‘Well what was it?’

I breathed out heavily. ‘Mum, I’m sorry. I can’t tell you.’

‘Thomas was right?’ Sabby asked. ‘A secret cult?’

‘It’s not a cult.’ I paused, half expecting the spasms again.

‘Did they
do
something to you? If they did I’ll, I’ll…’ Mum clenched her fists and stood. Her red face had a hard, determined look.

I placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back to the edge of the bed. I was going to have to change my tactic or blood would be shed. ‘He’s just not right for me.’

That was something she could understand. ‘Oh. Okay then.’ She sat for a minute while she contemplated my words. ‘Well then, how about I make us a lemon cake?’

‘With passionfruit icing?’

‘Is there any other type?’ She squeezed my knee as she hopped up, striding purposefully from the room.

‘You’re not going to tell me either?’ Sabby fixed her large, green eyes on my face.

I shook my head. ‘Sorry.’

‘Oh well, at least I get cake.’

It was the simplest form of magic, but in the Scrumpleton household everything had always been fixable with a pot of tea and a slice of lemon cake.

I wished with all my heart that it were still that easy.

I’d managed to avoid Aethan all day, but the time was fast approaching when I had to head down to the sleep room. I wasn’t looking forward to meeting his eyes. What would I see there?

I dilly-dallied long enough that the dungeon was already full when I arrived. I scanned the room hoping and dreading that he would be there.

Wilfred caught my eye and waved me over. ‘Aethan said to go ahead. He’ll be a few minutes late.’

He jumped onto a bed while I strapped on an armband. ‘So he is coming?’ I lay down on the bed next to him.

He lifted his head and stared over at me. ‘Why wouldn’t he?’

I shuffled a little to the side to give Scruffy more room. ‘Oh no reason.’ I mean
honestly,
was he not there on Saturday?

I screwed my eyes up, trying to squeeze the confused emotions out of me. Relief at his not being there, disappointment at his not being there. Relief he was coming, disappointment he was coming. I didn’t know how much more I could take.

I was surprised when I stepped into Trillania. I hadn’t thought I’d be able to sleep with that much energy running through me. Unfortunately it had all come with me. Confusion still reigned my thoughts.

‘You’re girlfriend’s a hottie.’

It took me a second to realise Wilfred was talking about Sabina.

‘Yep, she’s cute.’ I tried unsuccessfully to stop the next words from coming out of my mouth. ‘Did Aethan think she was cute?’

Aghhhhh.
Did I really say it?

‘I don’t know.’ Wilfred seemed to be honestly considering my question. ‘Did you?’

I spun around to see Aethan shimmering into view. ‘Did I what?’

‘Nothing?’ I screeched, but Wilfred said, ‘Think Izzy’s friend was cute.’

Oh kill me. Just kill me now.
Where was a goblin when you needed one?

‘I must say, I didn’t notice.’

Was he just saying that or was it the truth? Sabina was beautiful.

‘Are we ready?’ Aethan was acting as if there were nothing wrong. ‘Tonight we’re roaming. Rako’s asked that we stay near Isilvitania. The Australian Guards have reported larger than normal numbers of goblins in Trillania.’

‘Full moon?’ Wilfred scratched his beard and looked at the sky. It was never fully dark in Trillania, but a full moon would still be visible.

‘Not for another two weeks.’

Why was he acting as if nothing were wrong?

‘Wonder what they’re up to? They must have some sort of master plan.’ I’d never seen Wilfred look so serious.

‘They haven’t had one of those since Santanas was dealt with.’ Aethan turned his attention to me. ‘I think you’re ready to commute by yourself. We’re going to travel to the woodland where we saw the garden faery.’

I was ready to commute alone? He didn’t want to hold my hand.

I could feel the emotions swirling inside becoming more and more convoluted. Was he really that repulsed by me?

‘Close your eyes and picture the woodland. Imagine yourself there. You imagining it?’

I nodded my head even though I wasn’t even trying.

‘Now picture yourself there.’

Aethan and Wilfred shimmered from view. I stayed exactly where I was. The relief at being alone was immediate.

It only lasted for a few seconds before Aethan reappeared. ‘You didn’t picture yourself there.’

‘Sorry,’ I mumbled.

Couldn’t look him in the eye. Couldn’t see what was there.

‘Well come on.’ He reached out his hand and clasped mine.

I jerked it away, stumbling to the side. ‘You don’t have to do this,’ I said.

‘Do what?’

‘Be so nice to me.’ I shook my head.

‘Ahhhhh.’ He ran a hand through his hair. ‘Is this about Saturday?’

‘Don’t worry, I worked it out.’

I couldn’t believe I had been stupid enough to believe someone like
him
could have been interested in me. The humiliation rose like a high tide, threatening to drown me.

‘Izzy.’ He reached out and took my hand again. ‘Don’t do this.’

I stared at my feet.

He tugged on my hand. ‘Look at me.’

I lifted my eyes to his knees, then his waist. Up his chest to his neck. I stopped there for a second before propelling them the last few inches. I stared into the depths of those eyes and soaked in what I saw.

Concern tinged with… what was that? Was it pity?

I ripped my hand out of his and spun, running towards the trees.

‘Izzy.’ I could hear him coming after me.

‘I can’t,’ I gasped. ‘I can’t.’ My heart pounded erratically. My lungs laboured to bring in air.

The shame. Oh, the
shame.
It was too much.

What did he think of me, so keen to have him court me? So happy to have his attention.

‘Izzy.’ He was gaining on me.

I couldn’t let him catch me. Couldn’t look into those glorious eyes and see what he really thought.

He was right behind me, his hand brushing my arm as he tried to grab me. I had to get away. I closed my eyes and pictured myself anywhere. Anywhere but there.

The sound of him disappeared and I opened my eyes. Trees crowded around me on all sides. Nightmare Forest. I thought of the buffos, and the slug-like monster I’d seen in my memory and I willed myself away.

This time when I opened my eyes I was by the sea. Salt air pushed my hair off my face. That was more like it. Now I could pretend the water on my cheeks was from the ocean.

I sat on a rock and stared out to sea. The water emulated my mood. Dark and stormy. The wind swirled around me, tugging at my clothes. My feelings swirled inside me, knotting to a hard ball. The pressure was unbearable. I had to do something to release it.

I pictured myself in my war uniform. The fur of the vest was soft against my skin, the leather snug. I strapped daggers to the outside of my thighs and sheathed a sword across my back. I conjured up a bow and a quiver full of arrows.

A mount. I needed a mount. For tonight a horse would not do. I needed something stronger, faster,
more dangerous.

Without knowing what I did, I sent out my mind and scoured the land until I felt her. There. In the north.

Come,
I called,
tonight we hunt.

I felt a pressure on my mind, powerful and curious.

Come,
I commanded.

Her deep-green scales gleamed almost black in the light of the stars as long sweeps of her wings propelled her at breakneck speeds. Her shadow stained the ground beneath her as she raced towards me. She threw her head back and let out a roar, then slowed to circle lazily overhead.

She was magnificent in her maleficence. Talons like steel. Teeth like spears. Her sinuous body covered in armour. She fluttered her massive wings as she craned her neck down to stare at me with glittering, intelligent eyes. Then she snapped her wings to her side and dropped soundlessly from the sky, landing in front of me like a cat.

Those eyes bore into mine, testing me, probing me. I stood straight and strong and willed her to do what I commanded. I willed her to be mine.

Finally she shook her head and rustled her wings, lowering herself to the ground. I climbed onto a wing, making my way up her armoured body to the base of her long, scaly neck. Steam curled out of her nostrils as she watched me sit.

Once I had my thighs clasped tight, I raised an arm and pointed at the sky. ‘Fly,’ I shrieked.

She ran awkwardly; one hop, two hops. I jerked in my seat. And then she stretched her wings out to the sides and thrust them down. We swept into the air, rocking gently between each flap of those massive limbs.

I had to do something with my cacophony of feelings.

Someone had to pay. Someone had to suffer. And I knew just whom those somebodies were going to be.

I leant forward in my seat as we raced across the sky, and I scoured the land for goblins.

***

For a while all I saw were dreamers; dreamers with the occasional Border Guard skulking surreptitiously in the shadows. The dreamers were unaware of our passing, but the Border Guards clutched their weapons as our shadow darkened them.

But I had other game to chase. I pictured Isilvitania in my mind and pushed it out to Emerald. She snorted a stream of fire and changed course. The sky wavered and where clouds had been, only stars shone.

I felt a surge of triumph as my power boiled inside me. They were here. I urged Emerald to the left and lay forward onto her neck.

Fire. In the distance. We sped towards it. A low wooden structure attached to Isilvitania castle was in flames and goblins and guards fought in its light. The clash of their weapons reached me over the noise of the wind.

Bands of orcs attempted to scale the walls of the castle, and a couple of trolls lumbered through the trees. There were so many goblins. Too many for the Guard to handle. What were they all doing here?

A group of dreamers played cricket on the green while more looked on. They were oblivious to the fighting going on around them. A troll lumbered from the trees with a huge club dangling from his hand. He surveyed the players while he tossed his weapon from hand-to-hand.

Emerald and I flew over the top of the melee, banking in a wide arc back towards it. My skin felt ripe, ready to burst as the power arced inside. I drew it out, wrapping it around me like a cloak, and then we attacked.

Emerald lowered her head and swept her wings back as she dived towards the ground. She let out a stream of fire as we roared past the orcs. I hooked my feet behind a couple of her scales and knelt on her neck, fitting an arrow to my bow.

Flaming orcs fell from the castle walls, shining like beacons in the half-lit night. I released my arrows with a breath of power, speeding them towards the troll. They lodged in his neck and he dropped his club, looking around in bewilderment.

‘Dragon,’ one of the dreamers screamed, pointing into the sky. The rest of them stopped their game and stared open-mouthed at Emerald. They stood like that for a few seconds before the adrenaline hit their blood stream. You could tell when it kicked in because half of them started screaming hysterically and running towards the woods and the other half just disappeared.

Oh great.
Totally unaware of an army of goblins and a big, fat troll, but throw a dragon into the mix and they got all hysterical.

I was
so
going to hear about this from Rako.

Emerald banked again and attacked from the other side. I could see the goblins, some attacking Border Guards and others chasing terrified dreamers through the trees, and my anger expanded exponentially.

Arrows weren’t going to be very effective at the speed we were going. I knew I had lucked in with the troll. And even though Emerald’s fiery breath was a deadly weapon, it wasn’t enough.

I reined her in with some pressure from my knees and she hovered, the flapping of her wings fanning the fire to a new height.

I took all my humiliation, all my sorrow and I channelled them into my anger. I pointed at a goblin pursuing a woman in a baby-blue night dress. ‘Take that,’ I screeched.

Even
I
got a fright when the lightning bolt lanced from my fingertips. It pierced his chest and he dropped to his knees and then toppled to the ground.

Border Guards and goblins alike stared up at Emerald and me. I recognised Jared and one of his trainers, Brent. Isgranelda had a look of shock on her face as she shielded her eyes from the fire and gazed at me. A dark slash coloured her right cheek. Then her mouth curled into a triumphant smile and she threw back her head and laughed.

A goblin lifted a crossbow and fired it towards us. Emerald hissed as it bounced off her scales. She reached out her neck to blast fire onto him. He shrieked in pain and dropped to the ground, rolling over and over.

‘Izzy.’ Aethan dashed from the trees and waved his bow at me. ‘What are you doing?’

What was I doing? I was damned well saving their arses, that’s what.

Another bolt slammed into Emerald, wedging in the soft tissue under her arm. She bellowed in pain and flapped higher into the sky.

Leave,
I said into her mind.

More bolts followed. One nicked the side of her neck, spraying black blood over me.

‘Go,’ I yelled at her.

She shook her head and snarled; spitting fire and fighting against my mental command. Anger won out. Her roar resounded off the walls of the castle as she nose-dived towards the goblins.

Bolt after bolt slashed towards her. Some bounced harmlessly, but others buried themselves deep between her scales. Fire poured out of her and over them, but still they shot.

‘Stop,’ I screeched, pulling back on her neck.

A bolt lodged into her belly and she let out a huffing grunt. She turned to stare at me and then eyed an arrow that was wedged in her neck.

Help me.
Her silent command boomed into my mind, almost blasting me from her back.

I shuffled up her neck while she wheeled in the sky. ‘Fine,’ I said, ‘we’ll go out together.’ She snorted her approval as I worked the arrow from under her scale, and I wasn’t sure if it were for the relief from some of her pain, or for my mental image of us going out in a blaze of glory.

This time as we approached, the Border Guard stopped its forward attack and danced away from the goblins. Emerald sent her fire into the gap they had provided, flambéing the entire front row of goblins.

Lightning danced from my fingers as I speared warrior after warrior. Laughter bubbled on my lips and I threw back my head and let out a triumphant shout.

A troll smashed into the back of the Border Guard, swinging his club and arms with equal effect. He lifted them bodily into the air, tossing them aside like rag dolls.

Emerald raced into the sky, spinning as she went. Higher and higher she climbed, pushing me back against her shoulders. I clasped my limbs around her neck and prayed. Finally she turned, swooping back towards the earth.

If I had thought she had gone fast before it was nothing compared to what she did now. With her wings tucked in and her neck stretched out straight, the wind whipped over us. I pressed my face against her scales and exulted in the feel of the speed.