Hudson let go of her hand. Anxiously, he wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. “Are you sure you want to know?”
“If we're going to see Morgan tomorrow, it would be helpful to know what to expect.”
Hudson couldn't meet her stare. His eyes focused on his hands and then down at the ground. “Morgan and I made a deal. Jamie was sick a few years back. We're not sure what was wrong with him, but the only way to heal him was to seek an elixir from the Seelie Court. There's a price for every favor—always a bargain to be made.” He refused to look at Lil. Her warm hand rested on his arm. “I made a deal that was stupid. At the time, I didn't think anything of it. I mean, Willow was in love with Rawlie, and I'd never met a girl who could take my breath away.”
“I take your breath away?” Lil asked, wondering if she was stupid in assuming it was her.
Hudson's ears reddened. “Yes, you do.” He reached for her hand. “I was stupid. Naive. I would have done anything to make Willow happy.”
“You loved her,” Lil said, beginning to understand.
“I suppose a part of me did. It was a boyish crush, but at the same time you do anything for your family. Rawlie had nothing to bargain for—or at least nothing he was willing to part with—so I made the exchange.”
“What did she want?”
“My first memory of true love,” Hudson said. “I hadn't been in love before, but when I am, she'll know. She'll take the memory from me.”
Lil's hand loosened on his arm and she gave him a hug. “That's awful. Does Willow know?”
“I don't think so. Rawlie does. I was angry with him when I came back. He should have been the one to go, since he loves Willow. At the time, I hoped she'd take the feelings I had for Willow, but it has to be reciprocal. It can't be unrequited love.”
“So, I shouldn't start having feelings for you.” Lil said, running her hand along the nape of his neck. “I wouldn't worry too much right now. I hear first loves suck. Especially the heartache. She's doing you a favor, taking away the good memories with it.” Lil was trying her best to put a positive spin on it.
“Do you think Fae are in your world?” His voice was soft, curious.
“I was wondering the same thing; I have no idea,” Lil said. There'd been stories of fairies, but they were just stories, right? “What are you thinking? If you come back to my world with me, will you be released of your contract?”
Hudson laughed weakly. “At least she couldn't get to me.”
Lil leaned in, dropping a soft kiss to the corner of his lips just beside his cheek. “Are you sure there's not another reason you'd want to come back to my world?”
Hudson pulled her into his lap. “I've always wanted to see a blue sky.”
Elfinland
Chapter 9
Lil found it nearly impossible to sleep. She wasn't sure what she was expecting tomorrow, but the warnings about the Seelie Court made it difficult to relax. The few short hours of slumber were filled with horrifying nightmares of being dragged away by creatures with sharp wings, coated in glitter, and long, colorful, shimmery hair. She doubted that would be their true appearance, but she awoke with a sheen of sweat coating her skin. She heard the commotion of the others getting ready. Her eyes darted to the window. The sun hadn't risen, but they were discussing leaving early.
Someone knocked on her door. “Come in,” Lil said, sitting up in bed and drawing the covers up around herself.
Willow pushed open the bedroom door and stepped inside. She looked fierce, dressed in dark boots and black pants. Her shirt reached mid-thigh and was royal blue with a lace edge on the bottom. A small belt rested at her waist, pulling the outfit together. If looks could kill, Willow was ready. “I thought you might want this today.” Willow placed the eternal suit on the dresser for Lil. “It's the least I can do, considering you saved Jamie.”
“The Fae . . . do they know about it?” Lil wondered if she'd even need it for today, but what harm could wearing it pose?
“They helped design it. Pesky creatures at times, but bright. You should wear it to the Seelie Court. Morgan might like seeing you in it. Besides, you never know when you might need the extra bit of help.”
Lil wondered what Willow meant by that comment. “Thanks, I think,” she muttered.
“I'm going to finish getting packed and grab breakfast. I suggest you do the same. We'll be leaving within the hour,” Willow said.
Lil dressed quickly. She wore the eternal suit and sword, hoping she didn't stand out among her new friends. It was hard not to feel at least a little self-conscious with Hudson always watching her.
“Let's go.” Rawlie gestured for everyone to follow him down through the tunnel to the nearest sanctuary with a portal to Elfinland.
Willow walked behind Rawlie through the dark passage. Jamie and then Arianna trailed right behind and Lil followed behind them. Hudson kept to the back, as he had the last time they were down in the tunnels, prepared for anything that might surprise them. Lil's eyes moved over the protection markings along the walls. They looked fresh, the ink a deep shiny black. She couldn't remember the drawings being as dark just days ago. “Do you have to repaint these regularly?” Lil asked as she walked quicker to keep up with Jamie ahead of her.
Hudson heard the question and said, “Once a month we take turns making sure the markings are secure. The other night it was my turn to add a coat of paint. What do you think?”
Lil eyed the walls with more curiosity than she had the first time. “What type of paint? Is it special?” She wondered what could keep Eilith away from all the sanctuaries.
“It is,” Arianna said. “We get the ingredients we need from the other sanctuary, who in turn get it from Morgan.”
Lil frowned. “Why don't you get it from Morgan yourself?” She didn't quite understand why there was a third party involved in the transaction.
Willow kept the pace quick as she glanced back to answer Lil's question. “They already made a deal with Morgan. Why allow her the opportunity to ask another favor of us? Besides, the sanctuaries are a part of a network that is bound together; we support one another in all our endeavors.”
“But they didn't help save you, or find Bray.” How was that support? Lil didn't understand how they could make arrangements with Morgan when it seemed she wasn't trustworthy. Why not just ask the other sanctuary for help? A hand rested on her back, Hudson’s, urging her to walk faster. It would be a few hours journey before they reached the other sanctuary and then found their way through the portal.
The mouth of the tunnel widened, and Hudson moved to walk alongside of her. “The sanctuary in Eldersburg is different.” He paused, choosing the right words. He kept his voice low, his hand still on her lower back. “We trade with them, and they share our portal with us. We offer them what we can, but our numbers are much smaller. We don't have many living with us. At one point, there were six of us.” A sad silence filled the air. “Eldersburg asked us once for help against Eilith when we had four in our sanctuary. Our numbers were small, and we couldn't risk what they were asking of us. They barely had a plan—or they refused to share it with us. We didn't fight alongside them, and now we don't feel right asking for their help.”
“How many are in Eldersburg?” Lil asked.
“At least a dozen at any time, sometimes more. They recruit from the sacred springs and bring the refugees back to Eldersburg,” Hudson said.
Lil tried to wrap her mind around it. “Do they have the same protections? Your and Rawlie's blood are the only ones that allow entrance inside your sanctuary.”
Hudson kept next to her as they followed the tunnel to the right at the fork in the passageway. The protections continued on the walls, but had grayed from months of being ignored. “They run Eldersburg differently. My mother, Rawlie's aunt, equipped our sanctuary for protection, making sure Eilith couldn't enter. The other property is less prepared in many aspects.”
“Is that why they wanted your help?” Lil guessed. “They thought you'd be able to defeat Eilith?”
“They knew we had Eilith's daughter living with us, but we wouldn't use Arianna as a pawn, like they wanted us to.”
Her eyes watched the protection markings change from gray to a deep blue as she drew closer to the entrance of the neighboring sanctuary. “Different paint?” Lil pointed, refusing to touch the wall in case it would have an effect on her.
“Definitely newer. Something superior they're not sharing?” Hudson said.
Rawlie glanced back at Hudson, Rawlie's cheeks reddened with annoyance. Hudson didn't sound too surprised.
Willow rested a gentle hand on Rawlie's shoulder. “Relax. Okay? Don't worry about what they have. Our protections work fine for our sanctuary.”
They slowed as the path sloped uphill. Lil kept quiet, conserving her energy. She had no idea what to expect of these people, let alone the Fae. Hudson's hand fell from her back. She missed the warmth and glanced at him every so often, wondering where he found the strength to come back and face the fairy queen after the deal he'd made years ago. Lil would be too much of a coward.
“You'll be fine,” he whispered in her ear, and his breath brushed against her skin as he leaned close. Hudson granted her a brief smile that quickened her heart. She'd never felt this for anyone in her life. Perhaps it was the forbidden aspect that made her desire him even more. He wasn't that much older than her, but he came from another world. She had no idea the consequence it could have on the universe. She did know the consequence it could have on Hudson though, and she didn't want to hurt him.
Upon approaching the guarded entrance of Eldersburg, Rawlie knocked on the secured door. There was no way in without someone inside opening it for them. A few minutes passed before Rawlie raised his hand to knock again, but before he got the chance, the lock switched back, sliding through the latch, and the door creaked open.
“You're early,” a female voice answered on the other side. “Come in,” she said, stepping aside, watching as the six of them stepped through the door. She wasn't much older than Jamie, and no taller. Her short, black hair was tied behind her head and did little to add any maturity to her. She secured the lock behind them and reached for a torch on the far end of the wall. She carried it with her up the stairs and led them farther into sanctuary. “We weren't expecting you for another month,” she said to Rawlie. “Has something happened?” Though she was small in size and rather young, she carried herself well.
Lil watched from afar, wondering why they would let a child guard the door.
“You could say that,” Rawlie said. “We need access to the portal. We've come into some trouble and need help from the Seelie Court.”
Her small head bobbed. “Oh, I see,” she said and led them to a foyer. As they stepped out onto the floor, Lil realized the building looked almost identical to the sanctuary they had just left. “Maybe you should talk to Jayden,” the young girl said.
Rawlie shook his head. “I would if I thought it would help, but I don't want to bother him.”
“All right. I'll take you to the portal, then,” she said, leading them through the heavy set of doors that held no protection marks to keep outsiders from passing. Lil examined the long hallway. There were no markings on the inner walls of the sanctuary either. The structure itself seemed similar, but Lil wondered what else it lacked.
The young girl led them to the main entrance of the building, up the elegant staircase and to the second floor. She fished into her shirt, pulling out a key attached to a necklace. She unlocked the door and left it open. “I'll wait here for your return.”
“No need,” Rawlie said. “If we succeed with Morgan, we shouldn't be passing through here again.”
“As you wish.” She smiled and gave a weak nod. She watched as they entered the small room, which was not much larger than a closet. Rawlie turned the portal on.
Rawlie and Willow stepped through first. Jamie hesitated briefly, before taking Arianna’s hand and walking with her through the portal. Lil followed, holding her breath, afraid there'd be no air in the translucent purple substance that shimmered and hummed. The journey took a fraction of a second, Eldersburg giving way to Elfinland. Lil glanced around and saw Jamie, Arianna, Rawlie, and Willow. “Where's Hudson?” A slight panic edged her voice.
“Relax.” Willow rested a hand on Lil's arm. “Time works differently in these parts of the world. He'll be here in a minute.” What had seemed like a journey of a fraction of a second took minutes in Elfinland. Hudson stepped through just as the portal disappeared behind him.
“What's everyone staring at me for?” He reached for Lil's hand.
Willow smiled. “Just waiting on you, that's all. Come on.” She trudged through the softly packed snow as they edged deeper into Elfinland. From Lil's perspective, it didn't look that different from a winter landscape, except it wasn't cold like it should have been. Her feet crunched snow, but the air was warm, comfortable. As they walked farther into the forest, the snow disappeared and flowers bloomed across the forest walls.
“How is any of this possible?” Lil asked, reaching out to touch a bud, but Hudson yanked her arm back.
“Don't touch that! This world is filled with trickery. You make one wrong move and you might be stuck here.”
She wouldn't have been scared, but then she remembered his story from last night and what he had to offer Morgan. It unsettled her. Who would demand such an act? Who could be so cruel? “I'll keep my hands to myself.” She followed the others through the lush forest, amazed at the way it had changed from winter to spring in a matter of seconds. Surrounded by spring, she glanced back behind her, and saw the snow just a few feet away. It hadn't been her imagination.
Together they traveled through Elfinland to the Fairy Queen Morgan. Once they got to the Seelie Court, Rawlie stopped and looked back at Lil and Jamie. “Remember not to speak unless spoken to. Let us do the bidding.”
Lil was afraid to say anything to Morgan. She was content with keeping in the background. After the change she saw in the forest, she thought it best to keep to herself. This place was beyond strange. Jamie didn't argue either. His eyes were wide, lost in thought.