The Emerald Staff

(Custodian Novel #2)

Alison Pensy

Copyright 2011 by Alison Pensy

This is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved.  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author.

Published by Laxsaro Publishing / April 2011

ISBN: 978-0-9825438-2-5

CHAPTER ONE

Halloween was just around the corner, and Faedra’s father, Henry, was arranging a Halloween costume party.  Faedra was mulling over what she could possibly dress up as.  Sitting on the swing and gazing up at the trees in her yard for inspiration was not helping the least little bit.  As yet, she still didn’t have a clue.

She had a good idea what her newfound friend Jocelyn was going to be coming as… herself. Although Faedra was slightly skeptical that people would have a hard time believing her wings were not actually real, Jocelyn was eager to take the risk.  And who was Faedra to stop her?

Let’s face it, who actually believes in fairies anyway?

She certainly hadn’t until a few short months ago.  And as for her Guardian, Faen, she had no idea who, or what, he would dress as.  He definitely couldn’t go as himself because no costume rental store could ever re-create his wings, even in their wildest dreams.

Closing her eyes, she leaned back and started swinging, enjoying the feeling of the breeze on her face and through her hair.  There would not be many more evenings like this before the cold and damp of winter crept in and claimed the land, so she was going to take advantage as long as possible.

She smiled.  The leaves were turning now, of their own volition this time and she took a moment to look around her.  The trees that lined the circumference of her yard glowed with ethereal radiance in the setting sun, and at that moment all was right with her world.  She shuddered at the thought that it could have turned out so differently if she hadn’t been able to recover a book the fae use to control nature.  The nagging reminder in the back of her mind that it had been stolen by none other than the fae king’s daughter as some kind of revenge was still there.  She couldn’t figure out what the revenge was all about.  She knew it had something to do with her, but as yet, no one, including the king, her Guardian, or her friend Jocelyn, had been forthcoming with any information whichever tact she used to try and wheedle it out of them.  She felt in her heart that they knew exactly what Vivianna’s motive was, but they were being tight lipped about it.  If it was one thing she had learned in the short time she’d known them, it was that fairies could be extremely stubborn when they wanted to be.  Well, she was a redhead with the temperament to match, and could be just as stubborn.  She would find out what Vivianna’s problem with her was, if it was the last thing she did.  And based on the fairy princess’s sword skills, it may very well be.

Faedra shrugged and let out a sigh before leaning back as far as she could, her arms outstretched from holding onto the ropes.  After a few more swings, she came to an abrupt halt in mid air, her head now pressing against something warm and firm.

She opened her eyes with a start and looked up to see a familiar face staring down at her.

“Faen.”

She smiled up at him.  He held onto the ropes, holding them so that she was almost horizontal to him.  Her head rested at right angles against his chest as he stood over her, his aqua blue eyes locked with hers.  He returned her smile with one of his own and walked forward until the swing was vertical. Taking his hands from the ropes he caressed each side of her face, and leaned down to brush his lips against hers in an affectionate upside down kiss.  She closed her eyes and reveled in the feeling his touch evoked.

After a moment, when Faedra’s muscles had all but turned to jelly, and Faen’s lips were starting to feel a tingle from the energy her emotions were building, he pulled away and took hold of the ropes again.

“What are you doing out here by yourself?” he asked.

“Thinking.”

“May I ask about what?”

Faedra sighed and pulled herself to sit up.  Faen gave up his hold on the ropes and moved around to face her.  She looked pensive.

“You look worried, Faedra.  Can I help?”

“I don’t know what to wear to Dad’s party.  I have no idea what to go as,” she blurted, knowing it wasn’t as if it were a life or death situation, but it was bugging her all the same.

“You are worried about that?” Faen asked, incredulous.  “You have your mythology tests tomorrow and you are worried about what to wear to a costume party?” Faen’s eyebrows pinched together, forming a frown.

After discovering on her eighteenth birthday what she was, Custodian for the Amulet of Azran, she decided to change from her previous choice of psychology to study mythology and parapsychology.  It dawned on her that with her first hand experience, there was every chance that she would be able to ace her grades.

“Yeah, I know it’s a stupid thing to worry about, but I also know that Amy and Zoë will look super cool, coz they always do.  And Jocelyn, well, Jocelyn will look like Jocelyn, and I needn’t say any more on that subject. Still I don’t have a clue what to wear.”

“If I may, Faedra, you seem to have your priorities somewhat muddled. You have a week left to think about what to wear but only tonight to brush up on your test.”

“That’s not helping either, Faen.  So, what is Frederick going as?” she asked with a wry smile.

“I am not telling you.  You will have to wait and find out.”

“That’s not fair,” she grumbled and stuck out her bottom lip in a childish pout.

“Come,” he said, a patient expression plastered on his face.  He held out his hands to take hold of hers. “If I promise to think of a costume for you, will you go upstairs and study?  Your grades are extremely important.”

She sighed again as she slid off the swing at Faen’s encouragement. “Okay, if you insist.”

“I do.”

Faen didn’t let go of her hand until they got up the stairs to her bedroom.  She wandered over to her desk and pulled her books from her backpack.  Faen lay on her bed on his stomach and rested his head in his hands, which were propped up on his elbows, and watched as she gathered her study materials.

“You have the test tomorrow, too.” Faedra stated when she noticed that he was watching her instead of burying his head in a book.

She started college as planned at the end of the summer, and her ever-faithful dog had joined her.  Only he spent his days in class as his alter ego, Frederick, and his evenings at home in his canine form.  It was a very strange situation.

“My dear Faedra, what I do not know about mythology is not worth knowing.”  He gave her a conceited smirk when she narrowed her eyes at him.

It was starting to get dark outside.  Her father was not yet home from work.  His company had given him a project a few months ago that needed him in their office to complete, so he had been coming home late each night.  This turned out to be very advantageous because he was not around to notice the fact that her dog was missing each day she was at college.  Faedra wondered how much longer she could juggle Faen and Frederick before her father became suspicious that the two of them were never in the same place at the same time.

She must have been studying for a while because it was pitch black outside when she heard the crunch of the gravel driveway made by her father’s car, and lifted her head to see him pulling up beside the cottage.  A few moments later he was calling from the dining room.

“Hi, Fae, I’m home!  You up there?”

“Yes, Dad.”

“Well, take a break for a while.  I’ve brought take-out.  Chinese; your favorite.”

“Thanks, Dad.  I’ll be down in a minute.”

Faedra watched as Faen gave her a wink before he blurred into his dog form.  She didn’t very often have Frederick around her home, for obvious reasons.  If Frederick was there, Faen wasn’t, and that would take a lot more explaining.  As far as her father was concerned, Frederick was still just a friend who boarded his horse at the same stables as her horse, Gypsy.  They occasionally went riding together.  Her father knew nothing about him going to college with her.  As far as she was concerned, that was how it was going to stay.

She put her pen down and pushed her chair back.  Wandering past her bed on the way to the door she scratched behind Faen’s ears.  She’d been doing it for so long, she was finding it an impossible habit to break.  He didn’t seem to mind though; as yet, he’d never brought up the issue.  She pulled her hands away when she caught herself doing it.

“Sorry,” she whispered.  Her cheeks flushed a little, and twinges of regret shot through her.  She missed the carefree relationship she had shared with her ‘dog’ until just a few months ago when she turned of age and he had revealed his true self.  She suspected that Faen realized this fact all too well.  Perhaps that was why he never protested when she still kept treating his dog form as her beloved pet.

“Come on, let’s go and have some dinner,” she said with a sheepish smile.  The shaggy white dog jumped off the bed and padded down the stairs behind her and into the kitchen where Henry was setting out the take-away boxes on the dining table.  The aroma wafted up to caress her nostrils and her mouth began to water.

“Have a good day at college?” her dad asked when she entered.

“Yes, thanks.  How about you at work?  How’s the project going?”  She leaned over and grabbed a prawn cracker from a bag on the table, then took another and offered it to Faen, who almost inhaled it he ate it so quickly.

“It’s going,” he sighed, “but not as smoothly as I had hoped.  It doesn’t look like I’ll finish it this week as planned.  But it should be done by the end of next week, just in time for the party.”

“Since you bring that up, what are you going as?” Faedra asked before putting another prawn cracker in her mouth and crunching.

“You’ll have to wait and see,” he said with a smirk.

“Oh, not you, too.”  She huffed out an exasperated breath.  “Frederick won’t tell me what he’s wearing either, and I haven’t got a clue what to dress as.”

“You’ll think of something, Darling.  You always do.”

She raised an eyebrow at him.  Isn’t that the truth?

“By the way, I’ve invited some people from the office.  I thought it might be fun for you to meet some new faces…” he hesitated, “well, one new face in-particular.”

Faedra watched as a flush came to his cheeks and her eyes lit up.

“You’ve got a girlfriend?” she asked with enthusiasm.

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far just yet, so don’t go getting all excited.”

Faedra beamed a big grin at him.  It was about time her dad found a companion.  He’d been on his own for much too long, as far as she was concerned.  Her uncle’s efforts at playing matchmaker had failed miserably, which only ended up making her father less inclined to want to try anymore.  This was exciting news, and now she couldn’t wait until the party next week.

“Well don’t leave me hanging, Dad.  What is she like?”

Henry’s cheeks reddened a little further.  “Well, she’s a little younger than me but that doesn’t seem to bother her at all.  She is beautiful, Fae.  I don’t quite know what she sees in me.”

“Oh, come on, Dad.  You’re not bad looking yourself, you know.  You would be a catch for anyone.  Come on, tell me more.”

“Well, we have been out to lunch a couple of times.  She is very sweet natured and she loves animals, especially dogs.”  He cast his gaze over to the dog relaxing on the floor beside them. “I’ve told her all about you and she can’t wait to meet you.  Oh, I do hope you like her,” he added somewhat pensively to his daughter, who was looking hopeful.

“She sounds wonderful, Dad.  I’m sure that I will like her just as much as you seem to.”  Faedra could hardly contain her excitement and wrapped her arms around her dad’s neck.  “This is great news, Dad.”

“Thank you, darling.  Now dig in before it gets cold.”  He waved his fork over the open boxes of Chinese food that were spread over the table.

Faedra put a little from each container on her plate and dug in.   She tried to savor every last bite before having to go and bury her head in her books again.  She was determined to ace her test tomorrow.  Her Guardian was right, she could wait until after her test to worry about her costume for the party.

CHAPTER TWO

Faedra was glad she put in that extra bit of ‘cramming’ for her test the evening before.   It was tougher than she expected it to be and knew very well that she would not have done anywhere near as well as she imagined she had, if she’d spent the time worrying about her costume, rather than studying.  Relieved that the test was now over and feeling confident that she had done her best, she followed the other students and strode with a smile out of the examination hall.   Bodies spilled into the hallway like a knocked over bottle of cola and hurried off in different directions, most with relieved expressions on their faces.

Faen was waiting for her across the hall when she exited.  He was leaning back against the wall, arms crossed in a relaxed manner over his chest and one foot resting up against the wall.  She still had a hard job getting over how good he made a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt look, and noticed some of the girls walking by turn their heads to look at him.  He didn’t even notice them; his attention was directed solely on his charge.

He gave her a warm smile, as he pushed away from the wall and dodged in and around the frenzied flow of students with a touch of inhuman grace, until he crossed to the other side where she was standing, waiting.  He had completed the test with an hour to spare, so he left his finished paper on the desk and quietly exited the hall, as instructed to do so by the adjudicator.  He knew he would find the test simple.  As he had told Faedra the night before, what he didn’t know about mythology wasn’t worth knowing.  He was, after all, part of what they were teaching.

He should be giving the classes, not taking them but he didn’t mind, as long as it allowed him to stay close to the Custodian, as was his duty as a Guardian.  Although he could try and convince himself that was the actual purpose, there was a much deeper reason he wanted to stay close to her and it now had little to do with her being the Custodian of the Amulet of Azran.

He caressed her chin with his fingers and tilted her face up, lowering his lips to hers.  His kiss, a simple sign of affection, lasted just a second.  But the statement was a bold as shouting it from the rooftops.  He didn’t care who witnessed his affection for Faedra in her world.  In his own, however, that was a different story.  It was very much frowned upon for a fae who held a position such as his, to be intimate with his charge.  If the king found out, he could be withdrawn from Faedra immediately and replaced by another Guardian.  Faen’s heart sank every time he thought of the possible consequences of his actions but their bond was too strong to resist.

“How did you do?” he asked over the din in the corridor, after pulling back from their kiss.  Constant chatter echoed off the walls.  All the other students that had just been released from their various tests were meeting in the hallway to compare experiences.  Everyone around them was either confident they had done well or worried sick that they had flunked.

“I feel confident about it, how about you?”

He raised a conceited eyebrow and answered with a wry smirk, garnering him a playful thump on the arm.

“Never mind, forget I even asked.” Faedra sighed, and raised her eyes heavenward.  Feeling just slightly jealous that he didn’t have to study any of this stuff.

The hubbub in the hallway started to subside as students made their way out of the building.  Faedra was thankful that the test was at the end of the day and they could now go home.

“Now that I don’t have any more studying to do, let’s go see Jocelyn.  I haven’t seen her for a couple of days thanks to all this revising.  It will be nice to be able to relax for a while.”

Faen took hold of Faedra’s bag, lifting it off her shoulder.  “Allow me, Ms. Faedra,” he said with a smirk.

“Don’t you dare start all that again.” She narrowed her eyes at him.

He gave her another smirk as his hand found hers.  They wandered out of the building and across the car park to where her car was waiting for them.

It didn’t take them long before they were pulling up next to the church.  The church where her friend, and Faen’s sister Jocelyn, kept guard over the portal to the land of Azran.  Jocelyn’s Border collie form shimmered into her fae form as soon as she saw them coming around the corner.

“Faedra,” she squealed with excitement, “it’s so good to see you!  How did the test go?”

“I think I did okay…” Faedra’s eyes started to glaze.  “Oh, no, not again…” She managed to turn to Faen, her eyes already full of pain, just as she started to drop to the floor.  Faen leaped forward and only just caught her in time before her body would have crumpled onto the gravel pathway.

“Faedra.  Faedra come back to me.”

Faedra could hear the soft anxious voice calling to her from a distance but she was rooted to the spot, powerless to move.  She was still in the churchyard, on the gravel path that ran behind the church.  But from her perspective, it was twelve years prior.

Bound by nothing physical, she watched as the redcaps beat her mother mercilessly, right before her eyes.  No matter what direction she turned her head the image was still there, as if it were attached to her viewpoint. Try as she might, her eyes would not close off the horror she was being subjected to.

She forced back the overwhelming need to cry with every fiber of her being at the scene of violence being replayed to her.  She set her jaw and features in an emotionless expression.  Faedra knew who was doing this to her.  She had recognized the cold heartless cackle that seemed to resonate just a few inches from her ear, and she’d be damned if she was about to show any weakness to the evil that she thwarted just a few months earlier within an ancient stone circle.

“She is not responding, Jocelyn.  What do I do?” Faen looked up at his sister with desperation in his eyes.

“She will not be able to break free from the torture until whoever it is decides to let her go,” Jocelyn responded.

She knew it was not what her brother wanted to hear, but he knew as well as she did, that this kind of magic was far beyond anything either of them had the power to block.

Jocelyn looked down at her brother with sympathy.  He was sitting on the ground holding Faedra’s lifeless body in his arms in the exact place where she had dropped to the floor like a stone.   It wasn’t the first time this had happened in the past few months since their battle at Stonehenge, and Jocelyn doubted it would be the last.  But it only seemed to occur when her friend entered the graveyard behind the church, where the portal to Azran was located.  This was where Faedra’s mother had been attacked, causing her death, and also where her body had been laid to rest.  Maybe Faedra’s strong emotional tie to this place gave the perpetrator the power she needed for this kind of magic.

It made Jocelyn sad to see her friend tortured in this way, but she knew it was breaking her brother’s heart having to watch it and having no power to stop it.

Faen looked from his sister back down to Faedra who was lying limp in his arms, and he felt helpless.  The only way he was sure she was still alive was because of the angry set to her features and the racing heartbeat he could feel beneath his hand.  It was silent proof of the pain she was being subjected to, wherever the petite redhead’s consciousness had been taken to.

Faen’s face flushed with anger as he looked up again at his sibling, who was still stooped over the pair with an anxious expression on her face.  Jocelyn felt just as helpless as her brother did.

“This has to stop,” the Guardian growled.  “I have to stop this, NOW!”  He looked further up ahead along the gravel pathway that ran behind the church.  He had an idea.

“Jocelyn, open the portal,” he commanded.

His sister drew her eyebrows together, confused at his request.

“But…” she replied.

“Now, Jocelyn!” Faen barked the command, making his little sister flinch at his words.  She had not seen him this anguished before.  He certainly had never raised his voice at her before this moment.  Straightening up she spun round, her black and white locks splaying around her head with the movement.  The younger fairy reached the portal within a few hurried strides.  Standing in the middle of the pathway, nothing but thin air in front of her, she reached out a hand, holding her palm up as though she were pressing it up against an invisible wall.  A mumbled incantation and the portal opened.  Jocelyn stepped aside.

“It’s open.”

“I will stop this,” Faen whispered to Faedra as he placed an arm under his unconscious ward’s knees and another under her shoulders, scooping her off the ground with no more effort than if he were picking up a piece of fluff from the floor.  He adjusted his arms so that Faedra’s head slumped against his shoulder and didn’t hang down awkwardly behind her.

“Where are you going to take her?” Jocelyn asked, as Faen strode up to the open gateway to their world.  The Land of Azran was just a couple more steps in front of him.

“Todmus.”  The name was stated with purpose a split second before he walked -- carrying the person he loved most in all worlds through the portal – and they disappeared from the World of Men.

“Hold on, wait for me,” Jocelyn said, making a cursory glance around her before stepping forward and following her brother through the portal, leaving the gravel path empty once more.

The sun shone bright and cheerful as they stepped into Azran, forcing Faen and Jocelyn to squint against the brightness.  It was dusk where they had just left, and all of a sudden they were plunged into the bright sunlight of a warm summer’s day.  It was always summer in Azran, apart from a few months ago when the Book of Anohs had been stolen and the land looked like a thousand winters had gobbled it up and spat it out.  Faen suppressed a shudder at that memory.

The water in the stream flowing beside them sparkled like it was filled with thousands of diamonds, but they had no time to admire the beauty of this place.  Faen had to find out how the dark magic plaguing his charge worked, and how to reverse it.  Prying that out of Todmus may be something of a challenge, but the blonde haired Guardian was relying on the fact that Todmus seemed to have a soft spot for the Custodian and wouldn’t want to see her suffering this way.  It was worth a try, he had nothing to lose and Todmus was his only hope.  He just hoped that he didn’t have to use any threats.  Faen did not like using threats unless there was danger to himself or anyone he was protecting.  He definitely did not want to use threats against someone he considered a friend.  It will not come to that, Todmus will want to help Faedra.  She is his friend, too.

Faen looked down at Faedra’s face at that thought.  A solitary tear had broken free and was rolling down her cheek.  A look of anguish was starting to replace the resolute anger disrupting her usually serene and beautiful features.  Her resolve was starting to crumble and he knew he had to get her back soon.  He had to admit he admired her strength, he doubted he would be able to watch his mother murdered over and over, and not go mad from the experience.

There was a rustle in the bushes and the Guardian’s attention was dragged from his charge’s face to the direction of the noise.

A tiny man with a squat face and big pointy ears emerged through the bushes.  He grinned from ear to ear as he spotted his friend, Faen.  Then his rosy cheeks paled and his kind eyes widened with concern when he took in what, or rather who, his friend was carrying.

“Mr. Faen, wh-what is ailing Miss Faedra?” he spoke with a worried tone, as he scuttled towards his friends, one of them being from the other world as he referred to her.

“ She is under a dark magic spell and I need you to reverse it,” Faen stated in the no-nonsense approach he used when he wanted something done, and done that instant.

Todmus stopped in his tracks and attempted to give the Guardian a puzzled look, one that Faen could see right through.

“I-I do not know what you are talking about, Mr. Faen.  I do not know anything about dark magic.  It is forbidden to practice in Azran, you know that.”

“Todmus, you do not fool me.  I know you have researched dark magic.”

Todmus stiffened at Faen’s accusation.

“Mr. Faen, I…”

“Todmus, I also know that you do not use it.  I know what happened to your family and that is the reason you have researched it, so that you can be prepared should anything horrific happen again.  Well, something horrific is happening right now and I, or rather, Miss Faedra needs your help.”

Todmus let his shoulders slump and he looked down at the ground, a battle warring in his head.  If he admitted to knowing how to use dark magic, he risked the consequence of being expelled from Azran, back to Drofoz.  A land ruled by a tyrant sorcerer.  A world where he had lost his family to dark magic.  But he could see, as plain as day, that his other world friend was under some kind of dark spell and suffering unspeakable torture.  Torture that he had seen before.

“Todmus.”

The commanding voice of Faedra’s Guardian snapped Todmus from his musings.  He snapped his attention back to Faen and met his eyes.  Eyes that were as agonized as Todmus imagined his were when he was watching helpless while his family was spell-tortured for some supposed secret they held against the crown.  It had been nonsense, of course.  Everyone in Drofoz knew that any allegations against them were purely made up so that the sorcerer could have some ‘fun’ when he was feeling bored.

“Your secret is safe with me.  I will not breathe a word to anyone,” Faen’s eyes were pleading now.  “I could have had you exiled long before now, but I know you are a good man.  I know you do not use dark magic, and I am asking you to help one of your friends.”

Todmus stared back at the fae friend he held in the utmost regard and held his breath for a moment.

“Please, Todmus,” Faen pleaded.

Biting his bottom lip in uncertainty, Todmus examined Faedra’s features.  He could see she was in agony.  The kind-hearted man could hardly bear to think of the torture her consciousness was being subjected to.  He had seen this spell many times before.  Although the physical body was not being ‘abused’, the consciousness could not differentiate between what it was being fed and the actual reality of the person’s surroundings.

He had to bring her back from this and stop it from happening again.  Todmus nodded his submission to Faen’s heartfelt request and gestured them to follow him through the bushes towards his home on the other side of the trail.

CHAPTER THREE

“Quickly, quickly,” Todmus prompted Faen and Jocelyn to hurry along behind him with a sweep of his arm in the direction of his home.  He scuttled ahead much quicker than should have been possible for a being of such short stature.

“Can’t let Miss Faedra suffer a moment more than she has to,” he mumbled to himself in front of them. “Poor, poor, dear. Must rework protection spell.  Oh, it’s been such a long time.  I hope I can still remember it. Oh, dear, oh, dear, this is bad.  This is very bad.” Todmus repeated, still mumbling to himself all the way back to his little cottage that was nestled against the tree line across the glade they had just entered after emerging from the bushes.  Faen glanced down at Jocelyn upon hearing Todmus’ last mumblings, his brow furrowed.  His little sister put a reassuring hand on his arm.

“She will be fine, Brother.  Todmus will remember the spell, he has to.”

The last time all three had been in this glade, a trio of beautiful white horses had stood in a row waiting to carry them to Azran City.  Today it was empty, apart from the array of colorful wildflowers that were in full bloom all around them.  Their incredible aroma was lost on the two siblings, who would have usually coveted the fragrant attack on their nostrils whenever visiting their homeland.  There just wasn’t a smell quite like it in the World of Men.  Not unless it was manufactured and sold in a bottle, and even then it smelled just a little too synthetic for their liking.

“Inside, all of you, quickly now,” the little man instructed the two fairies, upon reaching his cottage and opening the door.  He glanced around before following in behind them and closing the door.

Todmus lived in a quaint little cottage at the edge of the glade.  It had a thatched roof and white washed walls.  There were window boxes full of an explosion of color from flowers he had planted and tended meticulously throughout the year.  Faen and Jocelyn ducked to enable them to enter through the front door.  The ceiling inside was tall enough for them to stand up in, but only just.

The room they had entered took up the entire ground floor.  There was a large fireplace at one end that also doubled as a cooking range, with cooking implements hanging from a rack above the hearth.  The tiny kitchen was also located at that end of the room, and a small dining table was placed in front of the fire.  There was a chair and a bed towards the other end of the cottage.  But what caught Faen’s attention the most, were the shelves full of jars and candles, and all manner of other magical instruments that filled the whole wall on one side of the cottage.

Todmus looked around his home, his brow pinching in a frown.

“It pains me to say this Mr. Faen, but you will have to lay Miss Faedra on the floor as I have no furniture big enough for your size of being.”

“That is perfectly alright, my friend.  I am sure Faedra will not mind if the end result frees her from her torment,” Faen replied, as he repositioned a few pieces of furniture with his foot until there was a space large enough on the floor to lay his charge.

He bent over and carefully laid Faedra on the floor, then positioned himself beside her, lifting her head to lay it on his lap when he had settled.  He leaned his back against an empty space on the wall and looked down at Faedra’s anguished features, stroking a lock of hair from her face.  He watched in silent pain as another tear escaped from between her tightly closed eyelids and rolled down her cheek.

“It will not be long now, Faedra.  Todmus will bring you back to me,” the Guardian whispered, as he wiped away the tear with his thumb.  “I do not know if you can hear me, but hang on for just a few more minutes.  I will get you back, I promise.”

He looked over to where Todmus was industriously garnering various jars from different shelves, procuring the help of Jocelyn for the task.

“Pestle and mortar, Miss Jocelyn, if you please,” Todmus instructed his impromptu assistant.  “Let me see, what else?”  He rested his chin between thumb and forefinger, deep in thought for just a moment, examining the jars he was lining up along his workspace.  “Something else, what am I missing?” He paused, looking along his shelves for inspiration. “Of course, the blue candle.  Can you reach that for me?”  He pointed to a stout blue candle on one of the upper shelves.

Jocelyn plucked it from its spot and handed it to Todmus. He nodded a thank you as he carried on with his task.

“Now, let me see, do I have everything?  Bay, avens, mugwort, yarrow, rosemary…” His verbal revision slid into a mumble as he recounted the rest of the ingredients he had lined up in a neat row on his workbench.

Jocelyn and Faen watched, intrigued, as Todmus took a pinch of this and a drop of that and placed each ingredient with care into the pestle.  After only a moment had passed, he grabbed the mortar and started mashing the ingredients, all the while mumbling under his breath.  When the mixture was ready, he took a piece of charcoal, placed it on a heatproof container and lit it.  Then he took some oil from another bottle and anointed the candle.  This time he was mumbling a little louder as he smoothed the oil over the candle.  Jocelyn decided that must have been part of the spell.  She was so engrossed in what he was chanting that he made her jump when he thrust the pestle full of freshly mixed ingredients at her.  She took it and followed him over to where Faedra was laying, and to where Faen was sitting on the floor in Todmus’ cottage.

He stood the candle next to his other world friend and lit it.  Then he took some of the ingredients from the pestle and sprinkled them on top of the glowing block of charcoal.  The ingredients hissed and spat a little when they hit the heat of the charcoal.   As soon as they did, a soft glow emanated from the candle and enveloped the four of them as if they were now all encased in a bubble.

Jocelyn and Faen looked at the aura surrounding them in muted awe.  Todmus clapped his hands together once and muttered a ‘yes’ for success.  They waited with bated breath.  A couple of moments passed and nothing happened.  Todmus’ excited expression fell from his face, and his shoulders started to slump.

“Faedra, come back to me.” Faen whispered, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand. “Follow my voice, you can do this.”

The trio looked at each other expectantly.  All their attention was diverted in the next moment by a muffled groan and their eyes latched onto Faedra’s face.

“Faedra, you have to fight it.  Be strong, follow my voice.”

The Custodian’s eyelids flickered.

“That’s right.  You are nearly there.  Come on Faedra, we are right here.” Faen encouraged.

In the next heartbeat, Faedra’s eyes snapped open and she looked around, startled.  She made to get up, anguish still present in her eyes.  But Faen held her down.  He could not risk her leaving the safety of the aura.  Her eyes darted to Todmus and Jocelyn, then turned to Faen, confusion warring with coherence.

“There you are,” he whispered, as she made eye contact with him.  “You are safe now, we are in Todmus’ home.  He brought you back.”

Recognition seeped back into Faedra’s addled brain.  The voice like velvet, the liquid blue eyes full of concern.

“Oh, thank God,” she whispered as she pulled herself up and wrapped her arms tightly around Faen’s neck, tucking her knees to her chest.

Faen held her close as her body started to quiver, which according to Todmus was a normal reaction to this kind of mind torture.

“She will be her normal self in a few moments, but it takes a little while for the mind to separate reality from the invasion it just suffered.” Todmus continued.

They were still all enclosed in the glowing aura that surrounded them.  Faen looked at it again.  “What kind of spell did you weave my friend?” Faen asked Todmus, while smoothing down Faedra’s hair to comfort her.  He noticed that the shiver from her body was ebbing and he could only feel her quiver intermittently, but she still continued to bury her face in his neck.

“It is a protection spell.  We cannot move out of the glow until the candle has burned out.  Otherwise the spell will not be complete and Miss Faedra could be taken again.”  At those words, Faen felt Faedra’s body tense in his embrace.

“You are not going anywhere my little kenget.  We will stay right here until the candle burns out.  Do not fear Faedra.”

“Once the spell is complete, you will all be protected from whomever feels the need to use such despicable dark magic,” Todmus explained.

Faedra could swear she heard an angry shriek deep in her mind. Then the faintest whisper stroked at her consciousness.  You have not seen the last of me samtero kruwos.  Of that you have my promise.

The shaken Custodian shuddered.  She felt physically exhausted from her ordeal.  Every muscle in her body ached, even though she had not, in reality, used them.  But in her mind she had fought with every fiber of her being to get away from the situation; to try and move from the spot she had been rooted to.  All to no avail, until she saw a halo of light that had appeared in her peripheral vision.  As the halo had grown in size, the vision of her mother and the redcaps diminished, until she could follow the velvet voice she would recognize anywhere.  She had turned towards the halo, her muscles suddenly able to move, although, they had still felt gummy and sluggish.  The next thing she knew, she was lying on the floor with her head on Faen’s lap, looking up at her friends and Todmus.  Relieved beyond belief to be away from the gravel path behind the church and all the connotations it held.

When Faedra had fully regained the use of her brain, Todmus explained to the trio that the candle would take about an hour to burn down and that they all had to stay within the protective halo his spell had created.  Faedra, for one, was not going to move an inch if it meant she never had to suffer that torment again.

Todmus and Jocelyn joined the other two on the floor and settled themselves down.  Faedra was sitting upright now with her legs crossed, resting her head on Faen’s shoulder, she was so weary.

Up until this point, Faedra had not spoken, other than the ‘thank God’ she whispered when she first realized she’d been released and was being held by her Guardian in relative safety.  The young redhead had nodded several times when Faen kept asking her if she was all right.  She just hadn’t yet been able to find her voice.

Faedra listened to the others making conversation, passing the time by catching up on recent events.  Todmus was happy to relay recent Azranian gossip, and that had kept Jocelyn enthralled.  She missed out on a lot of the goings on in her home, and being a young fairy, she lapped up the gossip like a cat given a saucer of cream.

“She called me that strange name again,” Faedra blurted, interrupting the idle chatter.

Todmus and Jocelyn fell silent and looked at her in surprise; she had been so quiet until this point.

“Samtero kruwos, she called me that again.  Will someone please tell me what the heck it means?” Faedra continued, impatience leaking into her voice.

Todmus’ eyes grew wide when he heard the words, and the younger sibling avoided Faedra’s piercing gaze by looking down at the floor.  Faen held his gaze steady with Faedra’s when she turned her searching look towards him, although, she saw his brow furrow for a split second before his features returned to their usual calm expression.

“It’s obvious you all know what it means. Tell me!”

No one spoke.  Todmus and Jocelyn were still averting their gazes, as the atmosphere grew awkward.

Faedra’s eyes pleaded with Faen’s.  “Why won’t you tell me?  Why does Vivianna keep calling me that, and she does so with such hatred.”

“Vivianna did this to you?” Todmus asked, surprised.  “Princess Vivianna?”

“Yes, you didn’t know?”

“No, Miss.  But where would Princess Vivianna have learned such powerful dark magic and for what purpose?”

“That’s exactly what I want to find out, but everyone clams up when those two words are mentioned.” Faedra explained, exasperated.

A moment more passed in silence, so much so, you could hear a pin drop.  It was as though no one even dared breathe.

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?” Faedra asked the party at large.

Silence followed.

“I will find out, you mark my words.  I will find out what it means if it’s the last thing I do.”

Faen let out a resigned sigh at his charge’s declaration but said nothing at her outburst.

“If you know it is Princess Vivianna who is attacking you, why do you not explain to the king and have her stopped?” Todmus asked, as if it were only that simple.

“The king knows,” Faedra retorted.

Faen broke his silence upon seeing Todmus’ confused expression. “It is not that simple, my friend.  Vivianna has acquired the ruby staff.”

Todmus sucked in breath.

“Precisely,” Faen continued, “no one knows where she is.  She could be anywhere at any time.”

“Where…” Todmus began to say.

“We do not know where she got it. To everyone’s knowledge it had been destroyed thousands of years ago,” Faen interrupted him.

Todmus’ brows pinched together, then his eyes grew wide with fear as he remembered something he had long since pushed to the back of his mind. “No, it cannot be.”

“What can’t?” Faedra asked her small statured friend.  She didn’t like his expression one bit, and an icy tickle ran down her spine in anticipation of his answer.

There was a moment of silence again.

“Todmus?” Faen encouraged.  “What do you know?”

Todmus raised his eyes to meet Faen’s.  “The ruby staff belongs to Savu,” Todmus declared with a shudder.

Jocelyn gasped.

“Who?” Faedra asked at the same time Faen responded.

“Belonged, my friend, past tense.  Savu was destroyed along with it.”

“Who’s Savu?” Faedra asked again.

“No, Sir.  Savu was not destroyed.  Legend says that he was to appease everyone’s fears, but I read some ancient texts many years ago,” Todmus lowered his gaze, “texts that I had no business in reading, I admit.  But they stated that Savu was too powerful to destroy, no one back in those days had greater power than him and only someone with more power could destroy him.  So the leaders of the seven realms gathered, and together they were strong enough to find a way to incarcerate him for all eternity.”

“Excuse me, will someone please tell me who Savu is?” Faedra pleaded, as Faen’s expression grew dark.

“Believe me, Faedra.  You would rather not know.” Faen replied.

CHAPTER FOUR

The candle had burned itself out and the four cohorts moved themselves to sit around Todmus’ diminutive table.  Although, Faedra had to admit it was no more comfortable than sitting on the floor.  The only consolation was that they looked comical with their knees almost to their chests as they sat on the compact chairs that surrounded it.  Faedra had to stifle a giggle as she looked at her Guardian trying his hardest to look dignified but failing miserably.  He would not be amused if he thought she was laughing at him.  Todmus insisted that he make them all a cup of tea, and none of them were willing to offend him, especially after what he had just done for Faedra.

Faedra brought the subject back to the person called Savu.  “If he’s connected with Vivianna, and she seems intent on making my life a living hell, I think I have every right to know who this Savu character is,” Faedra insisted, not willing to let the matter drop.

“Was,” Faen corrected. “He has long since been wiped from our memories. Two millennia have passed since he walked the seven realms.  For most, he is nothing more than a legend, a ghost of the past.  In fact, I know very little about him other than he spread terror wherever he roamed.”

“So how would Vivianna have gotten her hands on the ruby staff if she’s not colluding with this, this… legend?”  Faedra’s hands motioned along with her words in their own expressive dance.

“Maybe she stumbled upon it by accident,” Faen said in a half-hearted attempt at an explanation.

“Yeah, and maybe I’m the next queen of Azran,” Faedra retorted, sarcastically.

All three looked at her, their expressions unreadable.

“What? That was a joke.”

An air of relief surrounded her three friends; it was subtle, but Faedra could sense it.  She was particularly sensitive to energy, especially after gaining her power.  Now, even a subtle shift in the emotions of those around her felt like they were being slammed into her.  As with everything, she was learning to control that, too.  She found that it did come in handy sometimes, though.  Faedra’s brow creased at her friends’ odd reaction.  Maybe fairies just didn’t have a sense of humor.  She shrugged it off and opened her mouth to speak but Faen cut her off.

“Come, we should be getting you home.  I believe you are assisting your father this evening,” Faen said changing the subject.

“Oh, of course.”  Faedra remembered.  “I offered to help him shop for Halloween decorations for the party next week.  Thanks for reminding me.”

“Ooh, can I come?” Jocelyn asked.  “That sounds like fun.”

“Sure, I don’t see why not.  The more the merrier.”

They all stood up and one by one thanked Todmus for his help and the cup of tea.   He walked with them until they got to the ornate archway that led to Faedra’s homeland.  Once there, Faedra turned and crouched down so she was the same height as Todmus and wrapped her arms around him in an appreciative hug.

“Thank you,” she whispered in his ear.

Todmus blushed at the show of affection and awkwardly patted her on the shoulder.

“It was nothing, Miss.  You are very welcome.”

Faedra straightened and turned toward her friends.

“Come back and visit me whenever you want,” Todmus said as they walked through the portal.  Faen clasped Faedra’s hand as they took the first step. She looked at their hands and then to his face.  He gave her a warm smile, which she reciprocated.  She knew he had to hold her hand or she would be appearing out of thin air on the other side.  This way, she was covered by his glamour.  She enjoyed the feeling of his fingers entwined with hers and secretly wished she could find more excuses to hold his hand.

With the next step she felt the crunch of gravel under her feet and they were standing once more on the pathway behind the church.  Faedra flinched and closed her eyes, it was a sudden unconscious reaction that took her quite by surprise.  She froze on the spot unable to move, terror flooding her veins like ice water.  Her hand had tightened to a vice-like grip around Faen’s to the extent that her knuckles were white.  After a moment, she felt a warm hand caress her cheek.  It only took her Guardian a few heartbeats to realize what was happening.

“Faedra, there is nothing here.  You are quite safe.”

Faedra held her breath and opened one eye by a slit just big enough to see through.  Faen was standing in front of her blocking her view.  She opened her eyes a little wider but all she could see were the contours of his chiseled muscles hidden beneath his t-shirt.  She leaned to one side to peek around his arm and puffed out a breath, closing her eyes in relief.  Faedra then opened them to look up at Faen as she relaxed her iron grip on his hand.

“You can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like having to watch someone you love beaten to within an inch of their life, and being powerless to stop it.”

“You are right, I have been lucky that no one I love has ever had that fate bestowed upon them.  I came close once, but that person fought back and won,” Faen confessed.

“Who?” Faedra asked, intrigued. Faen never mentioned loving anyone before but he was about two hundred years old, so it was inevitable that he had probably loved someone in his past.  She wondered what happened to that person or fairy and if he’d been taken away from them to look after her.  An odd twinge twisted in her gut, a mixture of guilt and envy.

Faen’s eyes shuttered.  “Maybe one day I will tell you.”

He turned away and led her down the gravel path back to her car, and Faedra sensed that was as much as he was going to say on the subject.  Jocelyn trotted along behind them, excitement bubbling from every pore over their imminent shopping trip.

“Hey Dad,” Faedra called down the aisle in the Halloween store they were rummaging through. “How about these?”  She held up a pack of Jack O’Lantern cutouts for his approval.

“Oh, yes, we should definitely get some of those,” her father replied.

“Ooh, these are cute, too,” Jocelyn, stated, holding up a pack of cutouts of a black cat with its hackles raised.

“Yes, we’ll have a pack of those, too,” Henry agreed.

“This is so much fun,” Jocelyn squealed with excitement as she trawled through all the Halloween decorations and accessories.  “We don’t ‘celebrate’ evil beings in Azran.”  She clapped her hand over her mouth at her faux pas, her eyes startled by the mistake.

Faedra’s eyes widened at her friend’s slip up and she looked over to where her father was, to see if he noticed.  His attention was focused on some ugly looking masks oblivious to the fact that Jocelyn just said something that would have sounded strange to most humans.  She continued her gaze around the store.  No one seemed to have paid any attention, so Faedra puffed out a breath in relief and eyed her fairy friend again.  “You need to be more careful what you say around us,” she whispered, a slight smile curving her lips so that she didn’t look like she was reprimanding the young fairy too harshly.

“Sorry,” Jocelyn said, a blush creeping across her cheeks.  “I forget where I am sometimes.”

Spooky music was playing in the background, which added instant atmosphere to the decked out temporary shop that was only there for about six weeks before Halloween.

“I love this music, Dad.  It really adds a great creepy feel.”

“We sell that, too,” a Goth-dressed sales assistant interrupted.  “Over there on that shelf there’s a whole load of them.  Although, if you ask me, if you’ve heard one, you’ve heard ‘em all.”  The nonchalance in his voice was undeniable, but Faedra had to admit he looked like he belonged there.  He was wearing black from his head to his toes.  His hair was dyed jet black, thick kohl eyeliner encircled his eyes, black lipstick covered his lips, and even his fingernails were painted black.

“Thanks,” she responded.  “Hey, Dad, how about some of this creepy music?”

The Goth rolled his eyes as he slouched his way back to the counter.  Faedra ignored him.  It was quite obvious this wasn’t his dream job, but she was not about to let some insipid guy dull her good mood this evening.

After about an hour of looking through all the fun Halloween treasures, the trio’s baskets were filled with decorations and other goodies, and they were rendezvousing at the cash register.

“You guys having a party or something?” the Goth drawled, as he scanned each of the items and put them into bags.

“Yes we are,” Henry replied, a hint of excitement evident in his voice, which made Faedra warm to her toes.  She was over the moon to see her dad so happy.

Ever since he mentioned his new girlfriend, Anna, Faedra was convinced he was almost floating around the house on a cloud.  She had not seen him act this way since her mother was alive and that memory was very faded now.  She was only six when her mother died, but she knew her parents had loved each other very much.  It had been a tangible presence in the house that she could sense, even at her young age.  She often missed that feeling.  The house still held a lot of love, her father loved her beyond measure but it wasn’t the same.  She hoped with all her heart that this new woman in his life would cherish him the way her mother had.  Anything less would not be worthy of him.

“Come on then, let’s get these bags back to the car and I’ll take you both out to dinner.”  Henry held his bag-laden hands up and pointed them in the direction of the exit.  Faedra and Jocelyn grabbed the rest of the bags and followed out behind him.

With bags safely locked in the trunk of the car, the three of them wandered toward one of the city’s many restaurants.  Shopping could work up an appetite and Faedra, for one, was now ravenous.

As they were entering the restaurant, she heard a familiar voice calling her name and all three turned in its direction.

“Hey, Frederick,” she responded with what she hoped sounded like pleasant surprise.  “Fancy seeing you here.”

Of course, she had planned this spot for him to meet up with them, and then she would persuade her father to let him join them for dinner.

“Dad, you don’t mind if Frederick joins us for dinner, do you?”

Her father narrowed his eyes for just a second.  He knew when he was being set up.  He hesitated for just a heartbeat, and then conceded defeat, knowing it would be futile.  The glimmer in his daughter’s eyes told him that much.  “Of course, not, darling.”

It wasn’t as though he didn’t like Frederick.  In fact, he couldn’t fault the young man at all, even though he had tried on more than one occasion to find something, anything, he could hold against him.  No, it wasn’t Frederick who was the problem.  It was that Henry was unwilling to admit his little girl had, almost overnight it seemed, turned into a young lady.  And the fact she was now interested in young men was par for the course.  Henry was just having a hard time dealing with it, that was all.

“Would you like to join us for dinner?” she asked the already redundant question.

“Thank you, that would be most kind,” Faen replied in his usual courteous manner.

Her father sighed inwardly.  Even the young man’s manners were impeccable.

They entered the restaurant and Faedra was relieved when they were seated without delay, as was her grumbling stomach.  The hostess led them to a booth and they settled in to wait for their waitress.

“I’m so glad you don’t mind me not having the party at the house,” Henry said after the waitress had taken their order.

“Mind, Dad?  Why would I mind?” Faedra asked.

“Well, I thought it would be fun to have it there.  The place is so old with lots of character, but I thought Anna had a very good point when she suggested we hold it in the city.  I mean, most of the people coming live around here, and we do live somewhat out in the sticks.  At least this way they can get taxis home without it costing them an arm and a leg.”

“And we won’t have to clean up afterwards, either,” Faedra admitted.  “I think the place you have booked has loads of character, too.  It will be perfect, especially after we’ve trimmed it up with all those decorations.”

“Actually, Anna picked the place.”

“It’s a good choice.  I can’t wait to meet her.  I bet next week is going to drag on.”

The new lady in her father’s life had persuaded Henry to hold the party in one of the many pubs in the city.  Most of them had a room they hired out for just such occasions.  And more to the point, most of the pubs were hundreds of years old with plenty of olde worlde character.

The city was a medieval city, after all, and once boasted a church for every week of the year and a pub for every day.  Faedra thought it quite amusing to see where people’s priorities lay in years gone by.  Things hadn’t changed much over the centuries either.  A lot of the churches were now defunct and housing anything from a puppet theatre to a nightclub.  The pubs, however, were still prevalent and the one Anna had chosen for their Halloween bash was aptly named The Murderers.

CHAPTER FIVE

Faedra knew the week would drag on, and it did, which came as no surprise to her.  Quite often during her classes, she found herself drifting off, wondering what Faen would pick for them to dress up as for the party on Saturday.  This class was no different but at least they were nearing the end of the week.  She was so looking forward to letting her hair down and finally meeting her dad’s new girlfriend.

He had been floating around the house all week and it was driving her crazy.  She asked him on more than one occasion to invite Anna to dinner so she could meet her before the party, but for one reason or another, Anna had called to postpone or cancel at the last minute.  Well, it was nearly the weekend so the wait was almost over.

The bell sounded, making Faedra jump at the sudden noise that dragged her back to the here and now.  She had not focused on most of the lecture and knew she would pay for it with extra study time to catch up, but the thought of what the weekend would hold was more than enough to make up for that small penance.  Plus the fact, Faen was sitting right next to her and knew this subject matter all too well, she would just pick his brains later on.  She closed her books and slid them in her backpack, then rose to join the throng of students leaving the lecture hall.

She had almost made it to the door when she remembered her task.  As luck would have it, one of the girls sitting behind them was trying to hold Faen in a conversation, and he, being too polite to ignore her, offered his opinion on the subject.  Faedra saw her chance and took it.

“I forgot something, I’ll be right back,” she said to Faen, turning in the opposite direction.

“What is it?  I can get it for you,” he replied, trying to break free from the conversation he was being held in.

“No, it’s okay you carry on.  I’ll be back in minute.”

Faen narrowed his eyes at her, to which the Custodian gave him a cheeky wink.  He pinched his brow.  He turned to follow her but the girl carrying on the conversation held his arm, her expression expectant.

“So what do you think about the legend of the Unseelie?”  she asked.

He was reluctant but he turned back to face the girl at his side.  Now that was the question, wasn’t it?  Considering he had spent most of his life training to fight the Unseelie.  And now he was protecting the Custodian from them.  They were hardly a ‘legend’ but he couldn’t very well tell her that.

“I think they were a very cruel race.”

Faedra hurried down the aisle between the rows of seats curving in a semi-circle around the auditorium. She made her way towards the front where the professor was wiping the board clean ready for the next lecturer.  She stood quietly waiting for him to finish before she interrupted him.  He had his back to her and almost finished erasing the writing when he stopped mid-stroke.  Sensing someone was there, he turned.

“Excuse me, Professor,”  Faedra spoke in response to his questioning look.  “I would like to ask you a question.”

“Faedra Bennett, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Well, ask away my dear, I haven’t got all day.”

“Erm,” she hesitated.

The professor raised his wiry gray eyebrows waiting for her question.

“I wonder if you might know what something means,” Faedra continued.  “Two words I keep hearing and I’m not even sure what language they are, but I have a feeling it’s an ancient one.”

“Go on,” the professor prompted. Faedra had piqued his interest now.  Ancient languages were one of his preferred subjects.  In fact, he found himself rather passionate about them.

“Samtero kruwos, do you recognize it?”

The professor’s eyebrows shot up even higher, if that were possible, almost reaching the shock of smoky gray hair that crept down his forehead.  Faedra’s heart skipped a beat; it was obvious by the professor’s surprised expression that he knew what language she had just spoken.

He rubbed his chin.  “Where on earth did you hear that?”

Faedra hesitated, chewing on the inside of her lip. “Someone called me those words,” she revealed after a moment, but that was as much as she was willing to give away.

“Did they now?  Although, I find that hard to believe seeing that it sounds Proto-Celtic.  A language that hasn’t been spoken since around 800 B.C. so we believe.  I am part of the team currently working on the phonology of that long forgotten language.”

He eyed her with suspicion.  Wondering where a freshman would have come across a language that obscure, and who would have spoken it to her.

“Do you know what it means?” Faedra asked, hardly able to contain her excitement at finding out what her friends had been so eager to try and hide from her.

“Not off the top of my head, no,” he replied.

Faedra’s shoulders slumped a little.  So near, yet so far.

“But I can find out for you.  I will have to dig through my research papers.  It may take a few days.”  He took out a pad and pen from his briefcase and scribbled down the words.

“Thank you.”  Faedra turned and headed towards the hallway.

“Faedra,” the professor called after her, stopping her in her tracks.  She turned to look at him.

“I’d be most interested to know where you came to hear those words.”

Yeah, I bet you would, the young Custodian thought, but responded with a fleeting smile.

“Hmmm,” the professor mumbled as he turned back to finish his job of erasing the board.  It was obvious his student was going to remain tight-lipped on the matter.  Faedra breathed a sigh of relief that her professor decided not to press the issue, and continued on to the exit.

Thankfully, the short dark haired girl who had allowed Faedra her chance to slip away and ask the all-important question was still holding Faen captive.  It was a question she knew Faen did not want her to find the answer to, and that, in itself, bothered her more than she cared to admit.  She did not like the fact that her Guardian would keep secrets from her, but this subject had been a closed one, as far as he was concerned.  What was he trying to keep from her and why was it so important to do so?

“Found it,” she said, waving her pen in the air as she joined them.

Faen arched an eyebrow.  He had seen her pack the pen away before she got up from her seat, but he said nothing at her blatant untruth.

Halloween arrived, and not a moment too soon, as far as Faedra was concerned.  She, her father and Jocelyn were walking up the lane that led to the pub, laden down with bags of decorations and other goodies.  When they got to the entrance of the pub, they all stood for a moment and looked up at the pub sign.  This was sure to be a good venue for their party.  The sign had a couple of macabre figures wearing black cloaks painted on it, and underneath was the lettering The Murderers.  It was actually only a nickname for the pub but one that all the locals used more than its real name, so the sign was rare, as pub signs go, having a different name and picture on each side.

They filed into the old building where the landlord, who was standing behind the bar, greeted them.  He eyed their bags full of Halloween goodies.

“Mr. Bennett, I presume.”

Henry nodded.

“This way please.”  The landlord gestured for them to follow him with a sweep of his arm.

Anna had certainly picked the perfect place.  The pub dated back to 1530 but got its nickname after a brutal murder that occurred there in 1895 had closed the pub down.  It was reopened almost a century later, give or take a couple of decades, but the nickname stuck and now more people knew the pub by that name than its original.

Faedra looked around as they wandered towards the room they had hired for the party.  The pub was full of nooks and crannies and still had a lot of the original features of the old building.  It oozed character and atmosphere with its exposed beams and brickwork.  There were pictures of infamous criminals hung on the walls.  Old barrels with cushioned tops used for seats surrounded sturdy wooden tables nestled into intimate alcoves.

“This place is perfect,” Faedra said as she soaked in the mood of the location.  Her senses tingled.  There was an energy in the room; she could feel it but couldn’t quite place it.  It didn’t feel threatening so she shrugged it off.  It was hardly surprising with all the people who had come and gone over the centuries, she was bound to pick up on something.

“Feel free to decorate it as you want,” the landlord stated, “just make sure to take it all down when you’re done.”

“We will, thank you,” Henry replied.

The landlord nodded and left them to their own devices.

“Come on, Jocelyn, we’ll start over here,” Faedra said, clasping her hand around the young fairy’s arm and almost dragging her to one corner of the room.

After about an hour of pinning and tacking, the three stood side-by-side, hands on hips, and admired their handy work.

“That looks so cool,” Faedra said.

“Yep, I think we did a good job,” Henry replied, nodding his head.

“I can’t wait until tonight,” Jocelyn added.

“Well, come on then, let’s go home and get into our costumes.” Henry said, motioning the others towards the door.

Faedra still had no idea what her costume was.  She only hoped that Faen kept his promise and had one picked out for her, otherwise, she would be looking like the odd one out, being the only person at the party in normal clothing.

Faen didn’t disappoint.  No sooner had they parked the car in the driveway Faen’s shaggy white dog form came bounding over to greet them, wagging his tail.  Faedra got out of the car and scratched behind his ears.  When they entered the cottage Faen proceeded to nudge Faedra towards her room, much to her father’s amusement.

“Looks like he’s got something to show you,” her dad observed with a wry grin.

His daughter went with it and obediently climbed the stairs to her room, her beloved dog hot on her heels.

When Faedra opened her bedroom door her costume was lying on the bed.  She closed the door behind them and let out a little gasp of delight.  Lined up on her bed in a neat row was a claret red 1920’s flapper dress complete with rows of fringe that covered the entire length of it.  Next to that lay a red and black boa, a long strand of black beads, a pair of black stockings, and red cloche hat.  On the floor beside the bed was a pair of black satin Mary-Jane heels.  Her eyes widened in awe as they skimmed over the costume Faen had chosen for her and she whirled round to give her dog a hug but he was now in his fae form and dressed in his costume. She stopped dead and gaped, open-mouthed.

Faedra raked her eyes down the length of him.  He was wearing a double-breasted gray pinstripe suit, a black shirt with a white tie knotted at his throat.  On his head was a black fedora with a white hatband, and black and white spats adorned his feet.  He was even holding the obligatory violin case.  Boy did he look good as a gangster.

Faedra blew out a long slow whistle.

“Do you like it?” Faen asked, hesitant.

She was almost drooling, couldn’t he see that?

“Uh-huh,” she mumbled, a little lost for words.

“I thought we could go as Bonnie and Clyde.”

“I don’t think Clyde was ever that good looking,” she mumbled under her breath.

“Sorry?”

“I said, I’m glad Anna made that booking,” Faedra bumbled. “The pub looks great; it’s full of character, perfect for our party.  I’ll go and get showered so I can change into my costume.  It’s perfect Faen, I love it.”  She stepped over and planted a kiss to his cheek before grabbing her bathrobe and dashing out of the door towards the bathroom.

Faen did something he didn’t do very often, as the door clicked shut behind her, he smiled, a very smug smile.

An hour later Faedra had showered, put on her makeup and styled her hair in what she hoped looked like a 1920’s style from what she remembered seeing in the odd magazine over the years.  After putting on her stockings and flapper dress, she tucked her hair under the cloche hat that fit her head like a glove.  Throwing the boa over her shoulders she slid her feet into the Mary-Jane heels and the look was complete.  She wandered over to her full-length mirror and did a twirl.  Wow! I look like I’ve just stepped off the cover of a vintage copy of Vogue.  She felt like one of those silent movie film starlets.

She opened the door to let Faen in.  She’d never heard a dog gasp, wasn’t even quite sure if she’d imagined it, but as soon as the door was closed behind him and he had blurred into his fae form, she guessed that it hadn’t been her imagination.

“You look… amazing,” he whispered, “the 1920’s suits you.”

“Thanks, I could say the same about you, too.”

“Fae, are you ready?  We really should be getting a move on,” Henry called from the bottom of the stairs.

“Be down in a minute, Dad.”

Faen walked over to the window and eased himself out. Faedra watched as he lowered himself with grace to the ground and walked around to the front door.

The doorbell rang.

“Fae, Fredrick’s here,” her dad called up the stairs again.

The young redhead took one last look in the mirror and smiled. “Coming.”

Faedra greeted Frederick in a way that she hoped didn’t look like she’d just seen him a minute ago up in her room.

Her dad looked around, puzzled.  “Where’s Faen?”

“Up in my room,” Faedra dismissed. “You look great, Dad,” she said, changing the subject. “Gomez suits you.  I guess Anna is going as Morticia?”

Henry blushed a little.  “Thanks, darling, and, yes, she is, we are meeting her there.  Come on then, let’s get going.  We are picking Jocelyn up by the church, aren’t we?”

CHAPTER SIX

As they drove towards the city, lightning crackled across the sky up ahead in the distance

“Looks like a storm is brewing; that’ll add a nice touch to the festivities,” Henry remarked after a couple more bolts of lightning spread their electrically charged fingers across the night sky.

“I hope we make it inside before it hits.  Do you think it’s coming towards us?”  Faedra commented.  She was glad her hair was securely fastened beneath her hat.  She hadn’t yet got enough of a handle on her power in an electrical storm.  Her hair had a tendency to try on the afro-look for size, and, as yet, she hadn’t quite figured out how to control that aspect of it.

“It looks like it’s heading this way but we should have enough time to make it there before the storm does.”

Henry was right.  The storm didn’t make it to the city before they did, but only by a few minutes.  A short while after they wandered into the pub, the rain started and the thunder rumbled overhead.

Faedra wondered if anyone else had turned up yet and was not disappointed to be greeted by her uncle Leo and Nicki, or should she say Wednesday and Pugsley.

“You guys look great,” Faedra said wrapping her arms around them both in a hug.  “Now all you need is Lurch and Thing to complete the family.”

“They’ll be here shortly,” Leo replied with a smirk.  “A couple of mates from work are doing the honors.  And what do we have here? Bonnie and Clyde, and a fairy.”

Faedra’s heart almost went to her mouth at her uncle’s observation until she realized Jocelyn had purposely turned off her glamour and had come as herself.  It made Faedra nervous, but it was Halloween, so who would question it?  Hopefully, no one.

“That’s one very convincing fairy costume, Jocelyn.  I love the wings.” Nicki said with admiration.  Lifting her hand to stroke one of Jocelyn’s wings.  “Wow, they almost feel… real.”

Jocelyn blushed a little at the compliment. “Thank you, I think they are my best feature.”

Nicki gave her an odd look but shrugged it off.  Faedra cringed and linked arms with her young friend and guided her towards the bar.  “Let’s get you something to drink, shall we?”  She had a feeling it was going to be a long night, and this might not be the only time that evening she would have to deflect unusual comments from the young fae.

Within moments, the room started to fill with all kinds of characters. A group who her dad introduced as his co-workers were dressed as the full compliment from Star Wars.  Dracula made an appearance, as did Frankenstein’s monster along with his bride.  Faedra ran over to her two friends, Amy and Zoë, who had come with their boyfriends and had all dressed as pirates.  Zoë’s boyfriend succeeded in doing a very good impersonation of Johnny Depp from Pirates of the Caribbean.  Then Lurch and Thing turned up and joined forces with the rest of the Addams Family. Although, there was one person conspicuous by her absence but Henry assured Faedra she would be there soon.

The DJ started playing music and several people made their way to the dance floor.  The rumble of thunder could still be heard over the Time Warp.  It sounded like the storm was on top of them now and it added the perfect creepy feel to the party that the fake Jack O’Lanterns could only dream of creating.

A little while later, after Faen had swept her around the dance floor a couple of times, Faedra was deep in conversation with her group of friends.  Amy and Zoë were telling her what they’d been up to since she last saw them a few days ago.  Jocelyn was listening intently, just happy to be included in a social gathering, and Faen stood at her side chatting away to her friend’s partners.

“Henry, darling.”  The smooth voice cut across the room and carried above the music.

The velvet viciousness of it made Faedra’s blood turn to ice.  Even with her back to the owner, she knew exactly to whom it belonged.  She sucked in a sharp hiss, and all the color drained from her face.  Her eyes widened in sheer terror, and she froze, as if in suspended animation.  She had to hold down her body’s instantaneous reaction to heave, as nausea came over her in waves.

“Fae? You alright?”  Amy asked after noticing her friend’s sudden change in demeanor.

Faen and Jocelyn knew in an instant what the matter was; the young Custodian was most certainly not all right.  Faedra’s glass slipped through her fingers.  She had lost all feeling in her hands.  Faen caught the glass a split second before it could hit the ground and shatter, potentially spraying them all with Coke.

“Fae, what is it?” Zoë continued, concern on her face.

Faedra was stock-still, her mind whirling.  What was she doing here?  How did she know her father?  Oh, God, her father.  At that thought, the shock and fear turned to outright fury in a single heartbeat, the ice in her blood melted and started to boil instead.  How dare she go anywhere near my father.  The light bulb in the sconce beside her shattered and sparks rained down on her friends.

Her friends flinched at the tiny explosion and their eyes widened, a blue light reflected from them back at her.  Warm hands encompassed hers and curled her fingers closed.   She felt the warm breath in her ear from a whisper she could barely comprehend.

“Not here, Faedra, not now.”

She looked up at the face of her Guardian, searched his eyes and saw only compassion and concern there.  He still had his hands curled around hers, closing off the ability to use the power she wanted to throw at full force across the room.

Faen leaned in again, brushing his lips against her ear so only she could hear.  “There are too many people who could get hurt.”

“Whoa, Faedra, where did you get those glowy blue things? I want some.” Amy’s boyfriend blurted, snapping her back to reality.

What was she thinking?  She was standing in a room filled to bursting with family and friends and she had almost discharged her energy without even giving a second thought to the carnage she could have caused.  She turned to Amy’s boyfriend and gave him a nervous smile.

“Uh, will you excuse us?” Faedra said, grasping Faen by the arm and dragging him across the dance floor as far away from the recently arrived party guest as possible.

“Well, it explains why she persuaded Dad to hold the party here instead of at the house.  She wouldn’t be able to get past the wards.”  The young redhead hissed as she dragged Faen towards a darkened corner behind the DJ.

“What the hell is she doing here, Faen?” she asked as she peeked over Faen’s shoulder to make sure her father was still okay.  He was chatting with his Halloween family, his face a picture of happiness.  He had his hand nestled in the small of the woman’s back, looking like it was quite at home there, and Faedra thought she was going to be sick again.  Her stomach was not coping well with the vision unfolding in front of her.

“I am sure we will find out soon enough,” Faen replied, looking no less disgusted than she herself did.  “I doubt she will try anything here, there are too many people and it would bring her too much unwanted attention.”

“I want her dead, Faen.  If she threatens my dad, I’ll kill her myself, scene or no scene.”  The bulb above her flickered. Faen looked at it then took his charge’s face in his hands.

“Faedra, you have to control your power, you could do a lot of damage if you let it get away from you.”  His eyes held a strong look of concern.  Faedra could feel the tingling sensation of her energy crackling beneath his fingers and she saw the nervousness on his face.  She knew he could hardly blame her.  The anger that roiled off her in waves was more than justified, but in the same token she could tell he was trying to figure out how to keep this potentially deadly situation under control.  There were just too many people here who could get hurt, and she wasn’t one hundred percent sure that she had the power to control the anger held towards the person who had just joined the party.  She had to try.

Faedra held his gaze, her face feeling the comfort and warmth from his hands.  She felt at home there.  The crackling sensation beneath Faen’s palms ebbed away, and he blew out a sigh of relief.

“It’s okay, Faen.  I think I’ve got a handle on it now.” Faedra whispered, not taking her eyes from her Guardian’s.  She took a couple of deep, calming breaths and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to visualize dispersing her coiled up energy throughout her body.  It was working, until she opened her eyes again to see her father approaching them with his new girlfriend in tow.

“Oh, God.  Faen they’re coming over.  I don’t think I can do this.”  Faedra’s voice was a hushed shriek of desperation.  She watched her father jauntily lead the woman across the room.  She, in stark contrast to him, moved with the sleekness of a panther stalking its prey.  Her long black hair shone to perfection with a slash of silver running through it, and not a strand out of place.  Her flowing slinky black dress clung to every perfectly formed curve on her body, she made a perfect Morticia.  This woman exuded grace and power, couldn’t her father see how dangerous she was?

“Breathe, Faedra, you have to control your power.  I am right here with you.”  Her Guardian reached down and took hold of her hand, entwining his fingers with hers, and gave them a reassuring squeeze.

“But… she killed my mother, and made me watch countless times.  How can I possibly be civil to her?”

Her father and his guest reached them before Faen could answer.  All he could do now was provide moral support; his thumb brushed across his charge’s hand in an attempt to soothe her.

Her father was beaming with joy as he embarked on the introduction he had been eager to make all week long.  The woman by his side, the woman he had a loving arm around, gave Faedra a sardonic smile as she leaned into her father’s embrace.

“Faedra, I would like you to meet Anna,” Henry announced with obvious pride in his voice.

Faedra couldn’t do it.  It was taking every ounce of self-control she possessed from flooring the woman right there with all the energy she contained, and all the energy she could draw from the environment around her.  She just could not be nice to this woman.

“We’ve met.” Faedra replied.  Trying to mask her fury behind a blank expression.

Henry looked a little deflated for a moment but soon recovered.

“Hello, Anna,” Faedra almost spat the words at her dad’s girlfriend.

“You two know each other?” Henry asked, trying very hard to brush off the animosity he could feel from his daughter.

“Let us just say that we have the same interest in a certain book,” Anna replied, her sardonic smile turning to one of pure innocence when she noticed Henry looking between her and his daughter.

“Oh, is it one I would know?” Henry asked.

“I don’t think so, Dad.”

“Ah, one of those girlie vampire books?”

Faedra raised her eyebrows at her father in surprise, what would he know about girlie vampire books?  But her thought was quickly distracted.

“It is good to see you again, Faedra,” Anna continued, her voice like velvet but with deadly undertones.  She held out her hand in a show of politeness for Henry’s sake.

Faedra looked at the proffered hand like it was covered in cockroaches.

“Faedra, what on earth has gotten into you?  Stop being so rude, I brought you up better than that.  Anna is my guest and, as such, you will show her some manners.” Henry chastised his daughter when he realized from the look on Faedra’s face she would rather eat worms than shake his girlfriend’s hand.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“It is alright, Henry, Faedra must have her reasons.  I imagine it must be hard for her to see you with another woman after all these years.” Vivianna tried to make her voice sound understanding, and to Henry’s ears it was, but all Faedra could hear was the condescension that she knew was aimed at her.

The young Custodian narrowed her eyes at her mother’s murderer.  If she didn’t get out of here straight away, something bad was going to happen.  She could feel herself losing control of her power.  Faen had already dropped her hand; she was so electrically charged she’d shocked him.  She admired the fact that he didn’t even flinch, knowing the jolt must have hurt.

“Excuse me, I need some air,” Faedra said as she pushed passed her father and Vivianna, and headed for the exit.

“Faedra!” Her father’s voice was stern and reprimanding.

“Not now, Dad.”  Without so much as a backwards glance, she tossed her words behind her with as much insolence as she could muster.

“You better have a bloody good explanation for your behavior, young lady,” Henry responded, quite taken aback by how out of character his daughter was acting.

Faedra closed her eyes and dipped her head in shame for a split second.  She couldn’t remember the last time her father had the cause to be angry with her, and angry enough to swear either.  Of course, she could not explain her obvious aversion to his new girlfriend but that was the least of her worries right now.  As she picked up the pace to exit the room before she caused irreparable damage to life and property, she could hear her father’s flustered attempt at an apology on her behalf.  Snorting in disgust she lifted her head in indignation and kept on going.  She would never apologize to that woman even if her life depended on it.  Her anger was overwhelming.  If she didn’t discharge some of her energy soon she felt like she would explode, she was hanging onto it by the skin of her teeth.

“Faedra wait, where are you going?” Faen had stayed with her when she left, she could sense him behind her, but he’d had the good sense not to get close enough to touch her.  The energy aura that surrounded her was bright blue now. Luckily, only his fae eyes were sensitive enough to see just how much danger everyone in the room was in.

“I need to get rid of some of this…” she looked around to see if anyone was listening.  They weren’t.  “Energy.”

She burst through the back entrance of the pub and into a small courtyard.  The cold wind from the storm whipped around her.  She welcomed the chill on her face but it did little to calm the pulsing sensation flowing through every cell in her body.

Faen followed her into the courtyard and closed the door behind him.  It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the dark, but when they did, she could see they were alone outside.  The occupants of the pub could be seen through the windows that lined the back wall, but she doubted they could be seen from inside.  Faen stood a few feet away from his Custodian, and Faedra could sense he was still a little nervous of the power she was battling to control.

“If I can divert my energy away from this hand, can you glamour us?”  Faedra asked, holding out her right hand.  The warning tingle from her ring was weaker now that they were further away from the danger, but even standing right next to evil, Faedra had hardly noticed the ring’s presence, the force of her own energy had been so great.

“Yes, but what do you plan to do?”

“If I don’t unleash some of this energy, I think it will eat me alive.  I can’t control it for much longer.  There’s a thunder storm, no one will notice a few extra bolts of lightning.”

Faedra held her hand steady and closed her eyes.  She gritted her teeth and concentrated with all her might to push the energy up her hand and above her wrist.  When she was sure that she would not shock her Guardian, she opened her eyes and looked at him.

“It’s okay to touch me now, but please hurry.”

Faen took a step forward and stretched out his hand towards hers. He touched the tips of his fingers to hers and made them both disappear from any stray human eyes that may be watching.

“Okay,” he whispered.

It was not a moment too soon.  Faedra reached her left arm above her head and let go of her self-control.

Several bolts of lightning later Faedra crumpled to the floor, her energy expended.  Faen moved closer to help her up.  With his warm hands clasping hers, he pulled her up off her knees.

“Are you alright?”

Faedra looked into his concerned blue eyes and nodded.  He sighed in relief.

“You had me worried for the first time in twelve years.  I have never seen you so… out of control.  Are you sure you are alright?”

Faedra was finding her voice at last.  “I’m fine, Faen, but I have to admit I frightened myself.  I didn’t know I could wield such a force.”

Faen continued to search out her feelings through the gaze he lay upon her.  He was not convinced, she could tell.  She attempted a weak smile to allay his concern.

“Honestly, I’m fine.  Don’t worry.” She touched a reassuring palm to his cheek and he leaned into it.

Faen planted a kiss to her forehead then moved his hands to surround her and drew his Custodian into a secure embrace, as though she were a lost child that had just been found by her mother.  He closed his eyes and laid another kiss on her forehead.

Faedra soaked up the affection her Guardian was giving.  At that moment, the whole world could have disappeared and she wouldn’t have cared.  No such luck.

“Well, well, is this not a cozy scene?”

Faedra’s ring sent its usual warning tingle through her hand.  Her body went rigid in Faen’s embrace.

“I thought I might find you out here.  It would have been a shame if you had blown up this historic establishment.”  Vivianna moved out from the shadows where she could be seen by the light pooling outside from the windows.  Faedra wondered how long she’d been standing there.

“What do you want?” Faedra snapped, as she pulled out of Faen’s grasp and turned to face her enemy.

“You know what I want.” Vivianna’s voice was satiny smooth but no less venomous.

“I don’t have the book anymore, it is back in Azran being closely guarded.  It’s too dangerous for me to be near it, you know that.”

“My dear Custodian, you know it is not the book I wish to procure from you.”

“What use is the amulet if you don’t have the book?  It’s of no use to you without it.”

“Now, there is no need to go worrying your pretty little head about such minor details, that is my job.”

“I will never give you the amulet, I would rather die first.” Faedra cringed at her words even as she said them.

“Well, of course, you would.  That is the only way.”

Faedra shot an icy glare at the princess standing across from her.  She was trying to cover up how stupid she felt about her previous retort.

“You know what I meant.”

“Let me make this easy for you, shall I?  I will give you one week to make the decision.”  The evil glint in Vivianna’s eyes made Faedra’s blood run cold.  “You or Henry, it is that simple.”

“You or Henry, what?” Henry said as he walked out through the back door of the pub.

Faedra and Vivianna turned their attention to the newcomer.

“What’s going on, Faedra?” Henry asked, a wary look creeping across his features.

“Ah, Henry, how nice of you to join us.” Vivianna’s sickly sweet demeanor returned.

“Dad, please go back inside.”

“No, Fae I won’t.  Will someone please explain to me what is going on out here?” Henry asked, looking from Faedra to Faen to Vivianna, and back again, sensing the frosty standoff between them.

“Yes, why don’t you tell my father what is going on, Anna, or why don’t you tell him who you really are.”

“If I am to reveal my true identity, I think it only fair that your father does the same.”

Henry narrowed his eyes at Vivianna’s sudden change in character.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”  Faedra shot her father a puzzled look.  “Dad?”

“Oh, Henry, you never told her?” Vivianna’s, oh, so sweet voice would make scratching nails on a chalkboard sound like a symphony.

“Tell her what?”  He was starting to sound exasperated.

“Faedra, darling.  Henry is not your father.”

Faedra’s face paled and a look of confusion replaced the one of anger.  “What are you talking about?  Of course, he’s my father.”

The young Custodian’s eyes widened in disbelief as she watched her dad close his eyes and hang his head.  He didn’t even try to deny it, and blew out a sigh in a show of defeat.  When he looked up again an anguished expression clouded his features.

Faedra went cold, icy prickles of panic ran down her spine.  She searched her father’s face but he was avoiding her gaze.

“Dad?  Why aren’t you denying it?” She could barely get the words out, her throat felt like it had closed up.

“I wanted to tell you.  For so long I wanted to tell you, but I’ve always thought of you as my own little girl, and when your mother died, I just couldn’t ever find the words.  You’d already lost so much, I didn’t want to risk breaking your heart even more.  As you grew up, it got harder to tell you, until eventually the lie became the truth, and I was content to leave it that way.

You see, your mother was already pregnant with you when we met and she made it sound as if your real father were no longer living.  I was happy to take you on as my own daughter.  I love you with all my heart, Faedra, that’s not a lie.”

Henry brought his gaze to meet hers with his last words, and looked her in the eye.  Faedra was almost floored by the sorrow and remorse she saw there, and took an involuntary step back.

They stared at each other in awkward silence; even though it was only for a split second, Faedra felt as if time had stopped.  How many times in one year could her world be turned on its axis?

Vivianna broke the silence with her smooth but deadly voice.  Faedra hadn’t noticed the princess conjure the ruby staff but she now had her long slender fingers wrapped around it.  She held her other palm out and mumbled something under her breath.  A small round object appeared in her hand and Faedra saw her father’s eyes widen in disbelief.

“Here,” Vivianna said as she tossed the pebble-like object to Faedra.  Faedra caught it and laid it on her open palm.  It was a pebble but smooth as glass and black as onyx.  She looked up at Vivianna, confused.

“What is this for?”

“Make sure not to let it turn completely red.”

Faedra narrowed her eyes at her foe.  “Why?  What happens if it turns red?”

The princess gave a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. “Time is up.”

Vivianna took hold of Henry’s arm.  His expression changed to one of confusion when he turned to look at Vivianna’s firm grip on him.

“You have one week, Custodian.”  She rapped the staff three times on the ground.

Faedra saw Henry’s expression change again, to one of fear, as the tiny red laser lights encircled them and they disappeared.

“NO!” Faedra lunged forward but it was too late, they were gone.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Faedra stared for the longest moment at the empty space where her father had just stood.  The fear and confusion on his face now etched into her mind.  Her body went numb.  It felt like her brain had shut down, she couldn’t think of anything to do, anything to say.  No, this couldn’t be happening, not her father, too.  Where had Vivianna taken him?  With the ruby staff they could be anywhere, in any realm.

“Hey, you two, what are you doing out here?”  Jocelyn’s sing song voice cut through the silence in the darkened courtyard.  She looked from Faedra’s shocked face to her brother’s dumbstruck expression, and her smile fell from her cheerful face.  The young fairy took a step closer to her friend when she realized something was very wrong.

“Faedra?  What happened?”

Faedra looked right through her, still fixated on the space her father had occupied just a moment before.

Jocelyn turned her attention to her brother and questioned him with an expression.  He didn’t need her to speak the words to understand she was now directing the same question to him.

“Vivianna took Henry.”  Faen’s voice was blunt, expressionless.

His younger sister responded with a sharp intake of breath.

“With the ruby staff?”

Faen nodded.

Faedra’s consciousness started to creep back with the sound of Faen’s words.

Vivianna took my father.  She looked at Faen and Jocelyn as if seeing them for the first time.

Faen moved to rest a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but the young Custodian looked down at it then up at him with a dazed expression, and shrugged her shoulder away with a vicious jerk.  Her stunned gaze turning to a glare of hatred.

Confusion crept over Faen’s features, as cold angry eyes stared up at him.

“Faedra?” he asked with a hesitant catch in his voice.

“Get away from me!”  She didn’t even recognize her own voice it was so full of malice.  “I need to get out of here,” she mumbled to herself as she turned on her heel and headed back into the pub.  There was no exit through the back courtyard so she had to go through the pub to escape this nightmare.  She threw the door open with such a force that it banged against the outside wall, and started pacing down the corridor towards the front door of the pub.  Her steps quickened with every stride until she was running down the hall, trying to escape the demons in her head.

Lights flickered as she passed them and she could feel her body drawing from the energy there.  Anger was surging through her again.  She had to get outside before she hurt someone; she couldn’t concentrate enough to control her power this time around.  She reached the front door and flung it open, too, which earned her a disgruntled remark from the landlord standing behind the bar.  She didn’t care, she couldn’t think right now, she had to go somewhere she could think.

She burst through the door and exited into the lane outside, looking in both directions for a split second wondering which way to flee.  It was a pedestrian walkway, but there was not another soul to be seen in either direction.  She took off running up the lane but only got a few feet before her Guardian burst through the front door after her, followed by his little sister.

“Faedra, stop!” he implored.

She stopped and spun around to face him, fury flowing through her veins.

“Stay away from me!”

He took a pensive step forward but was stopped in his tracks by a bolt of lightning that struck the ground inches from his feet, shattering the brick-weave and sending chunks of cement flying in all directions.  Thunder rumbled above them.

Faen pinched his brows together and gave Faedra a questioning look.  “But I did not take your father, Faedra.  I did not do this.”

“Your kind killed my mother, now your kind have taken my father.  I never asked for any of this.  If it wasn’t for this stupid amulet, my mother would still be alive and my father would still be safe.  I would gladly give it to Vivianna, but I can’t even get the blasted thing off!”  She tugged at the amulet trying to pull it from her neck, the chain would not break and the clasp was sealed tight.

Faen tried to move a little closer to his charge while she was distracted with the amulet, but she noticed the movement.  She let go of the amulet and held her palms up.  The two bobbing blue energy balls that appeared there illuminated her face in an eerie glow.  Her eyes were cold and unforgiving.  Faen hardly recognized her.

“I warned you.  Stay out of my life!” she yelled as she turned her back to him ready to make her exit up the lane.

“Please, Faedra. This was not me, I…” Faen’s voice was heavy with emotion.  “Please do not leave.”

She stood still for a moment, emotions whirling inside her head like a tornado.  She didn’t turn to face him, didn’t want him to see the tears of pain now flooding down her cheeks.  She felt like someone had punched through her chest, grabbed hold of her heart and was wringing all the life out of it.  When she did speak her voice was barely a whisper.

“Your realm has destroyed my family.  I don’t want to be connected with that anymore.  Stay away from me, Faen, I mean it.”  Her voice was calm, and she couldn’t understand how she managed to sound so controlled when her heart was shattering and her body trembled with emotion.

A loud thunderclap ripped through the sky above them as Faedra took off in a dead run up the lane.  The bulbs in the street lamps shattered one by one as she ran past, leaving Faen standing alone in the dark.

He could hear the revelry inside the pub and looked towards the noise.  He flinched slightly when he saw Jocelyn standing in the shadows of the doorway.  He’d forgotten she followed him through the door.  A worried expression pinched at her usually serene features.

“She will come around, Brother, she is just angry.  You need to go after her.  You are her Guardian no matter how angry she feels; it is your duty.”

Faen turned his attention to the people who were laughing and chatting to one another inside.  They were enjoying the evening and looked so happy.  He wasn’t sure if he would ever laugh again.  Faedra may as well have aimed the lightning bolt straight at his heart because it now felt as shattered as the chunks of cement he stepped over before taking off up the lane and launching himself into the air.

Faedra walked through the front door of her house in a stunned trance.  She couldn’t quite recall how she managed to get home.  I must have gotten a taxi.  She clicked the door shut behind her and leaned back against it, her whole body still numb with shock.  She reached up to her head and dragged her cloche hat off, letting her hand flop back down to her side.  Her fingers went limp and the hat slipped out of them and dropped to the floor beside her feet.

Her eyes scanned the small living room.  Everything was in its place and it looked lived in and homey.  The furniture was well used and comfortable but she couldn’t even take a step forward to go and sit on the welcoming sofa.  Her gaze fell on a mug that stood, still half full of tea, next to her father’s armchair beside the fireplace.  She stared at it for a moment, and try as she might she could not tear her gaze away from it.  A vision of her father putting it down, half finished, before they left for the party swam in her head, and she finally gave up the fight and let her legs give way beneath her as she slid down the door and sat on the floor.

Tears welled in her eyes until the mug was nothing but a blur.  Her father was in mortal danger and she was at a complete loss to know what to do.  She couldn’t get the amulet from around her neck and, even if she could, it would be her life in exchange for her father’s.  Not that she wouldn’t give her life for his in a heartbeat, she would, but it would only delay the inevitable; he would still die, along with millions of others if Vivianna was intent on destroying the world’s food source.

She couldn’t think straight.  The thoughts swirling through her head were not making any sense, so she allowed the tears to flow down her cheeks.  She didn’t have the energy to try and hold them back anymore.

She drew her knees up to her chest and dropped her forehead on them.  A sob escaped, then another and another until her shoulders shook with the emotion now wracking her body.  She felt more alone than she had ever felt in her life before.  There was no life in the house, all she could hear was the sound of her own crying.

Faen sat in an upper limb of one of the trees that lined the Bennett’s driveway.  He had followed her home from the city, of course.  He was her Guardian.  He didn’t need his little sister to tell him that he needed to go after her.  Spurned or not, he would make sure she was safe until such time that he got reassigned away from her.  A thought he didn’t dare contemplate.  He was relieved when he watched his charge hail a taxi, and then he followed it back here to her home.  At least in the grounds she could not be harmed by any of his kind.

After finding a good vantage point to keep an eye on the cottage, he settled down on one of the branches.  He could see her inside through the windows of the living room.  He had never known the Bennett’s to close the curtains in that room and sometimes wondered why they even had them.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he watched the person he cared so much for slide down the door to sit on the floor.  He could see the pain on her face even from this distance.   His heart ached as he watched her wrap her arms around her knees and sob.  Eventually, she curled up in a ball where she sat, and cried herself to sleep.  He wanted so much to go to her and scoop her off the cold hard floor, carry her upstairs and tuck her into a warm bed.  He knew that was not an option right now.  She hated him, he had seen it in her eyes outside the pub.  Maybe if he could find her father, she would forgive him, maybe even learn to love him back.

He leaned his head back against the tree trunk and closed his eyes for a moment.  He was trying to think of a way to get her father back, but a solution to that problem was eluding him.  How could he possibly find him when Vivianna could have taken him anywhere in any realm?  A moment later he opened his eyes with a start and sat up straight.  Of course, why hadn’t he thought of that before?  His gaze focused back to the cottage and Faedra, she was still asleep on the living room floor.  He should be able to get back before she awoke, and the wards around her home would keep her safe until he returned.

He launched himself out of the tree and headed for the church, and the portal to the Land of Azran.  He needed to talk to his father.

CHAPTER NINE

Faedra felt stiff as her consciousness forced her to face the world again.  With a groan, she pushed herself up to a sitting position.  An obnoxious pounding hammered at her brain and she brought the heel of her hand to her forehead, keeping her eyes squeezed shut.

She was still sitting beside the door of her living room.  How long had she been there?  Cracking one eye open, she peeked out to look at the clock on the mantel over the fireplace.  It was 4:00 a.m.  With another groan, she scrubbed at her face with her hands and then raked her fingers through her unruly hair pushing it back out of her eyes.

For a split second, she couldn’t recall why she was sitting on the floor of her living room at four in the morning, still dressed in her Halloween costume.  For that split second, she was blissfully unaware of the turmoil she was about to feel.  Then she looked down and saw the black pebble on the floor beside her and reality slammed into her like a wrecking ball.

“Dad, oh, my God, Dad,” she whispered to herself as the memories from the party flooded into her brain.  She picked up the pebble, her eyes widening as she noticed the outer edge had turned a vibrant red.

She got up off the floor.  She had to do something, though, she admitted to not knowing what.  But something would come to her, it had to.  One thing was for sure she couldn’t do it dressed like a 1920’s flapper girl, not very practical for hunting down evil fairy princesses and rescuing fathers.  As she moved towards the door that led to the dining room, the blinking light on the answering machine distracted her.  At first, she was going to ignore it but something compelled her to stop and press play.

There was a tongue-in-cheek message from her uncle, sounding as though he’d had one too many drinks, telling her father off for leaving the party early with a gorgeous woman.  He hoped that his brother was having “fun” and did he realize that Faedra and Frederick had also left the party early ‘just a heads up, mate’.   Faedra shot a disgusted look at the answer machine as she deleted it.  Well, her father may have left the party early with a gorgeous woman but she doubted he would be having any fun, and as for her and Frederick, she couldn’t deny the empty feeling where her heart should be and decided it best not to think about that right now.  At least her uncle didn’t suspect anything was wrong at this point in time and that gave her a little leeway before she had to think of an explanation as to why her dad was missing.

The next message started to play.  “Err, hello, this message is for Faedra Bennett.  Faedra this is Professor Malley from the university.  I was going to wait until Monday but I have to admit to being intrigued, and… well, I wanted to talk to you beforehand.  I looked up what those words meant.  You told me someone had called you this and I have to wonder why someone would, especially in this language.  You see samtero kruwos, well, it means… half blood.  Oh, well, I hope you are having a good weekend.  I’ll see you in class on Monday and we can discuss it then.”

Faedra’s jaw went slack as she gaped at the answering machine in disbelief.  Suddenly, she knew exactly where to start her search and get some answers.

Faen stood at the end of the topiary-lined driveway that led to his parent’s house.  Although, to call it a house was an understatement.  The home he grew up in was noble and stately.  The gardens were pristine and well kept.  He hadn’t been home for a while and took a moment to soak in the grandeur of it.  Snapping himself out of his reverie, he started striding down the majestic sweeping driveway.  He could have flown, but, for some reason, he needed to feel the crunch of gravel underfoot and leave footprints behind.

He reached the front door, turned the large gleaming brass knob to open it and stepped into the marble entrance hall.   The stairs swept up in front of him and split in two at the top, leading to both sides of the living quarters.  He looked up to admire the ceiling.  The intricate gold leaf pattern was still as vibrant and beautiful as he remembered it.  He stood silent for a moment to see if he could hear any signs of life.  Memories of his childhood came flooding back; he used to love chasing his sister down those stairs and around the servant’s quarters.  His mother would scold him whenever she caught him but it was always worth it.

He blew out a sigh.  There was no sound of life from his vantage point.  Knowing his mother she would rather be outside on a day like this, tending her flowers in the beautiful garden she loved, than swanning around above stairs and being waited on hand and foot.  She had servants to do everything for her, but his mother loved to garden, it was her passion.  And if his mother were in her garden, then his father would be out there with her, reading a book and sipping on a mug of hot buttered rum, no doubt.

He didn’t waste his time by checking upstairs first.  Instead he turned to his left and headed for the kitchen, which led to his mother’s garden.  As he approached the open kitchen door, he could hear the bustle of servants moving pans and chopping ingredients.  An aroma wafted down the hall towards him; the delicious smell made his mouth water.  He realized then that he had not eaten for some time and his stomach growled to remind of that fact.

He leaned quietly against the doorframe for a moment, content to watch the servants bustle around the kitchen.  The kitchen was huge, not quite as big as the one in the castle, but not far from it.  Shiny copper pots hung from wrought iron racks suspended above the table.  Glass fronted cabinets lined one wall and they were filled with some of the finest china in the land.  Along the other wall stood the wide-open fireplace with racks for cooking meat, and next to that, was a big black cooking range.

He could see the housekeeper discussing menus with the cook at the other end of the kitchen and wandered over to them.  The housekeeper took a step back in surprise when she looked up to see him approach, and a wide welcoming smile lit her face.

“Master Faen, what a lovely surprise.  Oh, your mother will be so excited to see you.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Forbes.  Do you know where she is?”

“Oh, yes, Master Faen, she is out in her garden.  Said she had herbs to tend to.”

Faen smiled and inclined his head before making his way out of the kitchen heading for his mother’s garden.

Upon exiting the back of the house, he strode past the enormous old tree that was surrounded by a carpet of bluebells.  It had limbs coming out of the trunk from every conceivable angle.  Huge tree limbs grew along the ground and the look of them now sparked memories of the hours spent playing in its branches when he was a child.

He approached the archway of the walled garden in silence and leaned against the cool brick.

His father was right where he thought he would be, relaxing in a high backed oak garden chair, reading.  A mug of steaming brew standing on a little table beside him.  Faen smiled.  It felt good to be home.  He turned his attention towards his mother who was bending over a raised bed of herbs.

Janessa blew a breath upwards to try and dislodge an errant strand of hair that had escaped her immaculately coiffed do and fallen onto her face.  It didn’t work; the loose strand flopped back onto her face a second later to continue annoying her.  Distracted, she forgot to take off her dirty gloves before carefully pulling the strand of hair back and trying to tuck it away, leaving a smudge along her cheek in the process.  She took hold of the miniature trowel again and continued her weeding.  Her husband diverted his gaze to look over the top of his reading glasses and watched her for a moment.  He gave her a wistful smile and shook his head before returning his attention to his book.

She couldn’t look more out of place in the garden if she tried.  She was dressed in all her usual finery.  The beautiful dress she wore was the color of a full-bodied Merlot, with dainty matching slippers peeking out from under the hem of her full skirt.  She had on a bejeweled necklace that lay at her throat, but the whole image was completely destroyed by the big white apron tied about her waist that was smudged with dirt.  Faen smiled, that was his mother and he loved her dearly. The image brought back memories of growing up, where he spent more time in her garden than he did rubbing shoulders with fae society.

At that moment, Janessa noticed him standing in the archway and shrieked with delight, which made his father, who was just putting the mug to his lips, jump and spill his buttered rum down his clean white shirt.

“Good grief, Nessa, are you trying to give me a heart attack?”  He gave her a mock scolding as he grabbed a cloth from the table and dabbed at his shirt.

“Faen, you are home!”  Janessa squeaked with excitement as she took off her gloves, rubbed her hands on her apron and moved towards her son, arms outstretched.

Faen pushed himself away from the brick archway and entered the garden, meeting his mother halfway.  She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight.

“Hello, Mother.”  Faen laid a kiss on the top of her head.  She only reached his chin in height.  “Mother, if you hold on much tighter, I think you may cut off my circulation,” he joked and looked over to where his father was getting up from his chair.

His father raised his eyes heavenward at Faen’s remark and shot him a knowing smile.

Suddenly a warm palm was holding either side of Faen’s face, encouraging him to divert his gaze back to his mother.  She gave him a smile that stretched from ear to ear.  Her cheeks were flushed from working with her plants, which just made her look even more radiant and beautiful.

“Let me look at you.  Oh, my darling boy, you have not aged at all.”

Faen chuckled at his mother’s outburst.  “Mother, I have not been gone that long.”

“Twelve years in the World of Men is a long time my boy.”

His father, who had now reached him, came to his rescue.  He clapped an arm around his shoulder.  “It is good to see you, Son.”

“You too, Father.”

After dressing in something more suitable, Faedra rushed down the stairs and headed into the kitchen.  She needed an infusion of sugar water and a lot of it.  Her legs were feeling weak and useless.  She hadn’t dared look in the mirror to see how gray her skin was.  She grabbed a tall glass from the cupboard, poured in a large helping of sugar and filled it with water.  After stirring until the sugar dissolved, she downed the whole glass in one long draw.

The familiar feeling of energy rushed through her system and she started to feel the strength come back to her limbs.  She grabbed a couple of empty plastic bottles and filled them with the same sugary concoction, threw them into a backpack and headed out the door, determination of finding her father coursing through her blood.

She arrived at the church just a few minutes later and parked her car in the corner away from the security lights.  She stepped out of the car and could feel the chill in the air that seeped through to her bones; winter was just around the corner and they were getting a preview this early morning.  She closed the car door with a quiet click and looked around, though why, she wasn’t sure; there wouldn’t be anyone around at that time in the morning.  She tiptoed across the gravel car park, trying to make as little noise as possible, stepped through the gate and started towards the portal.  Jocelyn was in her dog form sitting by the church, and Faedra stopped dead.   Realizing at this point that she hadn’t really thought this through.  Jocelyn may not open the portal for her; she had only given a thought to where she was headed, and not how she was going to get there.

The black and white collie stood up and walked towards her with pensive steps, her tail doing a half-wag with uncertainty.

Faedra took another step forward.  She felt awful inside.  Jocelyn had become a good friend and now the poor girl looked scared of her.  Faedra didn’t know what to say to her.  She swallowed hard.

“I need to get through the portal.”  Faedra’s voice was blunt and to the point.  It came out much harsher than she planned and she felt a pang of guilt at how cold she sounded.  The collie’s ears drooped and she put her tail between her legs.

“Oh come on, Jocelyn, don’t do that.”

The collie lowered her head submissively.

Faedra hung hers in shame, her chilly resolve melting by the second.  “Please, Jocelyn, I need your help.  I need to get through the portal.”

Jocelyn shimmered into her fae form and Faedra took a step back in surprise.

“Where are you going?” Jocelyn asked.

“I can’t tell you.”

“Then I can’t let you through.”

“Please, Jocelyn.”  Faedra pleaded with the young fae who was now deciding to be stubborn. “I need to do this alone.”

“Faen will have my hide if I let you go through there alone.”

“Well, Faen is not around anymore so he’ll never know, will he?  Anyway, when have you ever cow-towed to him?”

“Hmm.” Jocelyn chewed on her bottom lip for a second.  Indecisive.

“Jocelyn, you have to let me through.  I think I know someone who can help me get my dad back.”

“Who?”

“I can’t tell you that either.”

“You do not know anyone in Azran other than Todmus.” Jocelyn continued with an interrogation Faedra didn’t have time for.

“Jocelyn!”

“Oh, all right then, but on one condition.”

“What?” Faedra asked, apprehensive.

“I am coming with you.”

“No way.”

“Sorry, that is my final offer.”

Faedra glared at her, then an idea popped into her head and she wondered for a moment if she had the control to pull it off.  She decided she did, although, she wasn’t very happy about it, but at that moment she didn’t think she had much of a choice.  All that mattered was she get to her destination as soon as possible.  If she had to use unethical methods to achieve it, then so be it.

“Okay, you can come with me.” Faedra conceded, crossing her fingers behind her back.

Jocelyn gave Faedra her usual excited grin, and Faedra’s stomach did a flip flop at the thought of what she was about to do to her friend.

The second Jocelyn had repeated the incantation and told Faedra the portal was open, Faedra put a hand on Jocelyn’s shoulder and sent a short zap of electricity through her palm, knocking the young fairy out cold.  She quickly dragged her behind one of the headstones, propped her up against it and covered her with her jacket so that she wouldn’t get cold.  If Faedra had calculated it right, Jocelyn would only be out for a few minutes and could turn back into her furry form to stay warm, but just in case, she wanted to be sure her friend wouldn’t freeze to death.  She only hoped it wasn’t quite this cold in Azran because she had just given up her coat.

“Sorry,” she whispered to her unconscious friend.  “But I have to do this alone.”

She wasn’t sure how long the portal would stay open after the incantation, so she hurried back to the path and strode through.

Once on the other side, Faedra was now hit with the stark realization that she had no clue how to get the rest of the way.  She plopped herself down on a boulder, rested her elbows on her knees, and looked down at her feet, exasperated.

“Great plan, Faedra,” she mumbled to herself.  “Got a really long way didn’t you?”

The bushes rustled, she looked up with a start and lifted her hands, then cursed herself for being so edgy; of course, it was only going to be Todmus.  She’d never seen anyone else near the portal.

“Miss Faedra?” Todmus questioned, his eyebrows pinched together.  “Are you alright?”

“No, Todmus, I’m not,” she answered truthfully.

“Whatever is the matter, my dear?”  He shuffled over to stand in front of her, his ruddy face level with hers, as she stayed seated on the boulder, head in hands.

“Vivianna kidnapped my dad and I need to get to Azran City.  It’s really important, but now that I’ve gotten this far, I have no clue how to get the rest of the way.”

Todmus’ eyebrows shot up at her statement.  “Why would Vivianna have taken your father?”

Faedra lifted the amulet from where it hung around her and held it in the flat of her hand.

“Oh!”  Todmus gasped.  “You can’t give her that.”

“I know, even if I wanted to.  I can’t get the flippin’ thing off anyway.”  She dropped it unceremoniously like it was burning her skin.

Todmus glanced around and his expression turned from one of surprise to one of concern.

“Where is Mr. Faen?  You are not supposed to be separated from him.”

“He’s gone,” she stated with a heavy heart.  She hated to admit it but she could use his help right about now.  She reprimanded herself again; it was his people that got her in this mess in the first place, she didn’t need him to help her.  If only she believed that.

“Gone?  What do you mean gone?”

“I mean I don’t know where he is.”  It was the truth.  She didn’t know where he was.  She was a little surprised that he wasn’t keeping an eye on her from a safe distance. How could she blame him?  She told him to leave, she just didn’t expect that it would be that easy.

“Todmus, can you help me get to the City?  You must know a short cut.”

Todmus looked pensive.

Faedra’s eyes lit up.  “You do, don’t you?”

Todmus said nothing.

“Please, Todmus, I have to get to the City, it is the only lead I can follow to get my dad back.  You have to help me.”  She gave him her best lost puppy look and held her breath in anticipation.

Todmus looked around him, then fixed a worried gaze on her and spoke in a hushed whisper.

“I do know a way but I will only help you if you promise not to breathe a word about it.”

Faedra looked puzzled but agreed without hesitation.

“Of course, Todmus, you have my word.  I’ll not tell a soul, I promise.”

He leaned forward and took hold of her hand.  “Come with me, Miss.”

CHAPTER TEN

Faedra followed Todmus through the trail that led to the glade where his cottage stood.  Once in the open, he whistled.  Nothing happened for a moment and Faedra looked around the opening in anticipation.  Still nothing.  She looked down at Todmus who stood by her side and gave him a questioning look.

“Patience, Miss.”

She raised her eyebrows, about to ask him a question, when she heard something.  She turned to look at the opening again but it was still empty.  The noise grew louder and louder.  At first she thought it sounded like a helicopter, but knew that couldn’t be what this noise belonged to.  The soft whoosh, whoosh was getting closer and it was coming from above.  Looking towards the tree tops, she saw a dark shape approaching, skimming the top of the forest before swooping down to the glade and skidding to a stop just a few feet in front of them.  Faedra took a step back in surprise.

“Oh, he will not hurt you, Miss Faedra.  Will you Aesti?”  He reached up to pet the creature on its nose as it lowered its face to the little man.

“But, but, that’s a…that’s a Valkyrie’s horse!” Faedra exclaimed, taking in the beauty of the giant winged horse standing before them.  Its eyes flame red.  Its hair, mane, and tail jet-black.  It furled its wings to nestle along its flanks.

Todmus looked like he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.  “Err, yes, Miss, that is correct.”

“But, Todmus, where on earth did you get a Valkyrie’s horse?”

“Actually, Miss, they are not found on Earth, they come from Asgard,” he joked, trying to veer away from answering her question.  “Well, hop on.”

She gave him an incredulous look. “What?  You’re kidding right?  This is your plan to get me to the City?”

Todmus gave her a puzzled look.

“Todmus, I can’t ride that thing. He looks wild and there’s no saddle or bridle.  How am I supposed to control him?”

“Oh, you will not need to control him, Miss.  He knows where to go.  He will drop you at the City gates.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of, that he’ll drop me…from a great height.  And don’t try and change the subject.  How did you get your hands on him?”

“Well, err, that is a long story, Miss.”  Todmus averted his gaze again.

“I have no doubt that it is. You know what, Todmus?  You are just full of surprises.  I’m guessing that no one knows about him either?”

“Yes, Miss, and I would like it to stay that way.  Please promise not to breathe a word about him to anyone, even Mr. Faen.”  Todmus’ expression turned to one of concern.  Faedra guessed he was hoping he hadn’t just made a colossal mistake revealing Aesti.

“I already promised you, Todmus.  I will not breathe a word about this, getting my father back is much more important that telling anyone about a stolen horse.”

“Oh, Miss.  He is not stolen.”  Todmus looked affronted by her accusation.

“I’m sorry, Todmus.  I didn’t mean to offend you.  Will you tell me the story of how you came by him one day?”

“I may well just do that, Miss.  One day.”  He winked at her.  “Well, hop on then.”  He said again, gesturing for Faedra to mount the magnificent winged beast.

She stared at the huge hulking mass of horse that stood before them and sighed.

“Good Lord, Faedra, how do you manage to get yourself into these situations?”  She mumbled to herself as she psyched herself up to get on him.

The winged horse took a step forward until his nose was just an inch away from Faedra’s face.  He took a couple of cursory sniffs and then snorted.  Blasting warm air across her face, and blowing her hair back from her forehead.  Faedra took another step back, remembering how formidable they looked with the Valkyries sitting astride their backs at Stonehenge.

“There, you see?  He likes you.”

Faedra gave Todmus another incredulous look.  “Besides the fact that he has no saddle, how am I supposed to get on him?  He’s the size of a tank.”

“Aesti, kneel for the lady so she can get on your back.”  Todmus instructed the beast.

Faedra watched in awe as the stunning creature kneeled before her, an obvious invitation to mount him.  He even inclined his head in the same gracious manner that Faen did.

“Wow.”

“Go on, Miss.  You will be fine, I promise.  Aesti will not harm you, he will see you safely to Azran City,” Todmus encouraged, when he saw the look of hesitation on the young Custodian’s face.

Faedra took a tentative step forward.  She held her hand up to run her fingers along his neck.  His jet-black hair was like velvet under her skin.  She grabbed a handful of silken mane and swung a leg over his back.  She adjusted her position and once settled Aesti pushed himself up from his kneeling position, jostling Faedra a little as he did.  She clung onto his mane for dear life until she got her balance again.  She looked down at the ground and gulped; it was a long way down and he still had all four hooves planted firmly on the grass.

She gave Todmus a tentative smile.  Just as she was thinking that it wasn’t so bad, after all, Aesti turned and took off at a dead run across the glade.  Faedra shrieked and grabbed more of his mane.  She could feel Aesti spread his wings behind her thighs and he took off just before they reached the tree line, soaring high into the sky.  Faedra’s heart leapt into her mouth and her stomach did several flip-flops.

A scream of surprise mixed with delight escaped. Wind rushed through her hair as they ascended up and away.  She looked down to see Todmus’ shrinking form waving from the opening below them.

“Good luck, Miss Faedra,” he called.

“Thank you, Todmus,” she called back.

She gave him a hasty wave before clutching Aesti’s mane in a death grip.  It only took a few moments for her to get used to the undulating movement of the winged horse and she relaxed her grip on his mane.  A few moments more and she was just resting a hand either side of his neck.

They flew over the forest until they got to the edge of the valley where Faen and Jocelyn had launched her off the side last time she went to the City.  But this time the forest gave way to the beautiful fully restored countryside that was now alive with color.  Last time she’d been there it was brown and dying.  She had to admit to a little pride that it was partly due to her that this magnificent land was restored to its former glory.

She looked ahead and saw the City looming closer and her heart started to quicken.  She leaned along Aesti’s neck and whispered in his ear.  She assumed he would understand her so it was worth a try.

“Could you put me down inside the castle grounds?”

Aesti turned his head to acknowledge her request and then banked to the right and flew straight for the castle.

Faedra’s palms started to feel clammy, she hadn’t thought this part through either.  What on earth did she think she was doing?  To that, she had no answer, other than it was the only lead she could think of to try and find her father.

A short while later Aesti landed gracefully in the gardens to the front of the castle and Faedra slid off allowing him to fly away again before anyone noticed that a Valkyrie’s horse had just landed in the City of Azran.

“Thank you,” she said as she patted the side of his neck before he took off.

He inclined his head, unfurled his wings and in a few short bursts that ruffled Faedra’s hair with the wind he created, he was airborne once more.

Faedra took a deep steadying breath and headed for the entrance to the castle.

She wandered down the corridors trying to look like she had every right to be there, but as usual, she could see by the look on the inhabitant’s faces that it was anything but.  She knew she stood out like a sore thumb dressed in her World of Men clothing and cursed under her breath.

It wasn’t long before a couple of guards approached her.  She gave them a wary look, which they returned with a warm smile.

“May we help you, Miss?” One of the guards asked, as they fell in line on either side of her.

She tried not to look too intimidated by their presence but her insides were quaking.

“I need to see the king,” she stated in what she hoped sounded like a no-nonsense request.

“I am afraid that is not possible today, Miss.  He is not taking audience with anyone.  Maybe if you come back tomorrow.”

Faedra stopped dead.  The guards carried on for a stride or two, realized she had stopped and turned to face her, their expressions questioning.

It sounded so cliché and she cringed as she said it, but goodness if she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“Do you have any idea who I am?”   For effect she lifted the amulet from under her shirt and dangled it in front of their faces.

Their eyes widened and they looked at each other in surprise, then back to her.  She pinched her eyebrows together when she saw them crane their necks to either side and look behind her.  They looked back at each other, confusion creeping across their faces then returned back to craning their necks to either side of her.  They gave each other a bemused look and shrugged their shoulders.  Faedra couldn’t help herself, she turned to look down the corridor, too.

“What are you looking at?  There’s nothing there,” she asked after turning back from an empty corridor to face the guards again.  Faedra could feel her impatience bubbling under the surface, her energy starting to crackle.

“Will you take me to the king or not?” she demanded after the guards had returned their attention to her.

The guards looked at each other again and gulped.

“We are sorry, Miss, but he expressly stated no visitors today.  He is busy with an assignment in his library.

Faedra gave the guards the dirtiest glare she could muster and strode forward.  She knew where the library was and there was no way these two fools were going to stop her.

The guards crossed their spears and blocked her path. “Miss, we just told you, you cannot see the king today.”

Something snapped in Faedra’s mind and her anger flared to the surface.  She held her palms up to show the two bright blue energy balls now bobbing an inch above them.

The guards had obviously heard about her power.  The story of how she and her two friends had defeated Vivianna and returned the Book of Anohs was running rife throughout the kingdom.  They both took an involuntary step back, and a flicker of fear skittered over their faces.

“And you think you’re going to stop me?” Faedra asked the question that dripped insolence.  They didn’t answer her, just held their position.

“Look, I really didn’t want to be unpleasant about this but if you don’t let me pass, you give me no choice.”  She held up the balls poised to throw them.  The guard’s eyes widened and they stepped aside, slumping their shoulders in defeat.

“Thank you,” Faedra said as she stepped passed them.  She kept her energy balls alive, as she could hear their footsteps and mutterings to one another close behind her.  She didn’t look back though.  Anger seemed to take over from the nervousness she had been feeling just a few minutes before.  When she arrived at the library doors she stood and took a deep breath.

“Miss, you cannot go in there.” One of the guards said, much too loudly to be for her benefit alone.

She glared at him and burst through the double doors.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“Who am I?” Faedra demanded as she burst into the king’s library.

He looked up from his desk, startled for a second before regaining his composure.  The two guards scuttled in after her and flanked her on either side.

The king gave them both a questioning look.

“We are sorry, Your Majesty, but she forced her way in.”  The guard who spoke grabbed her by the arm.

The king raised his eyebrows.

Faedra glared at the guard and then down at the hand gripping her arm.  She tried to jerk it free but felt like she’d been clamped in irons, his grip was so firm.  She glared at him again.

“Let me go, right now,”  her tone was calm but deadly, as she opened up her free hand to show the orb of energy dancing above her palm.

The guard’s nervous face looked to the king for permission.  The king nodded to the guard and he released his grip.  Faedra could hear a barely discernable sigh of relief as he and the other guard stepped back from her and took their positions to either side of the door.

The king craned his neck to one side and looked behind her, much as the guards had done a few moments before in the empty corridor.  A look of confusion swept across his face.  She could tell he wasn’t looking at the guards.

“What?” she asked, looking behind her, wondering why everyone was so interested in what was there, which was nothing.

“Where is your Guardian?” The king’s voice was stern but Faedra could detect the concern it was trying to conceal.

“I told him to leave.”

“You did what?!” The king bellowed, bringing his attention back to her, making Faedra jump a little, but she stood her ground and held her gaze steady.

“I told you she should have a Guardian with her.” Faedra heard one guard whisper to the other behind her back.

“I told him to leave,” she repeated.

“And he did as you asked?” The king questioned, incredulous.

Faedra could see his jaw tick and the muscles in his neck tense.

“Why wouldn’t he?”

“Because he is your Guardian!  Do you have any idea how much danger you are in every moment you are without him?”

Faedra didn’t like his tone.  She was not his child to reprimand and she was not in the mood to take a telling off.

“I got here in one piece, didn’t I?”   The insolence leaked back into her voice.

The king looked annoyed at her insolence for a second, then his expression turned thoughtful. “Why are you here?”

“You owe me some answers.” Faedra demanded.

“I do not owe you anything,” the king replied, raising his eyebrows at her. “And need I remind you to whom you are speaking.”

Faedra shrugged with disrespect “You’re not my king.”

“But I am a king, and as such will be treated with respect.”  His voice was stern and reprimanding.

Faedra’s throat dried up, it started to feel like the Sahara Desert in her mouth.  Her bravado was slipping.  She wasn’t sure how long she could keep up this act of defiance, but she had to find some answers, for her father’s sake.

“Who am I?” she asked again, less demanding this time.

The king gave her a questioning look.

“Vivianna hates me so much, and I can’t understand why.  I have never done anything to her.  For goodness sake, I didn’t even know her or any of this until a few months ago, yet she seems intent on destroying my family…and me.”  Faedra’s voice faltered a little.  “She kidnapped my father last night and has given me seven days to hand over the amulet or she’ll kill him.”

The king sucked in a breath and hung his head in shame.

“She keeps calling me samtero kruwos.”

At the mention of those words, the king brought his focus back to meet Faedra’s gaze and his features softened a little.

“I know what it means,” she continued, sensing the king’s hesitation.

“And?” the king asked after a short pause, interested to see what conclusions the Custodian may have come to.

“I need to know why Vivianna hates me so much.  Why does she keep calling me half-blood?”

The king hissed out a sigh and closed his eyes.

“Tell me who I am.  I have a right to know!” her voice was rising again, frustration getting the better of her.

The king sat down behind his desk, and Faedra could see the indecision clouding his features.

“Sit down, Faedra.”

“I’m perfectly alright standing, thank you.”

The king looked at the young woman and saw the determination burning with ferocity in her eyes.

“Very well,” he conceded, as he steepled his fingers in front of his face, masking his features just a little.

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?” Faedra accused, after a moment passed and the king remained silent.  “I’ll find out, you mark my words.  I’ll find out why you people want to destroy everything I love!”  She turned on her heel to leave but only got a stride forward.

“She is your sister,” the king blurted the statement, his voice sounded laden with guilt.

Faedra stopped in her tracks.  She felt her knees buckle as the impact of what she just heard reached her brain.  It took all of her willpower to remain standing.  She turned with a hesitant step to face the king, a look of disbelief creeping across her features.  She opened her mouth to speak but no words came.

Her questioning eyes met the king’s intense gaze and he held them captive.

“Who are you?  You… are my daughter,” he stated, his expression neutral.

He waited for a response but when the only one he got was a look of shocked disbelief and silence he felt compelled to explain.

“My wife, Vivianna’s mother, died many years ago by human measure.  I met your mother when she made the rather unusual request to seek an audience with me.  I fell in love with her almost instantly, and to my delight she fell in love with me, too.  I was completely enraptured and broke a number of our laws when she fell pregnant with you.  We decided it would be safer for you to be brought up in a normal human environment and we ended our relationship when Henry walked into her life.

When you were just a baby she brought you here to show me.  Vivianna walked in on us and found out about you and our prior relationship.  She was angry beyond belief and swore vengeance in the name of her mother’s memory.  That is why you were warded until you turned of age; you could not have your Guardian at school with you.  I was hoping that Vivianna’s anger would dissipate over the years, but it just seems to fester and grow, instead.”

Faedra couldn’t take another bombshell, not today.  She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the imposing man sitting behind his desk looking at her with a mixture of pride and remorse.  She stood rooted to the spot and stared at the king, her real father.  After a moment she dropped her head, closed her eyes, and massaged her forehead, unable to think.

“This can’t be happening,” she mumbled to the floor.

She heard a rustle to her left, then a hand rested on her shoulder.  When she looked up, it was into the eyes of the king who was now standing in front of her, his face full of compassion.

“I am sorry, Faedra.  On so many levels.”

A feeling of suffocation crept around her like tendrils. The walls seemed to be closing in on her and she could feel her focus dwindling.  If she didn’t get out of there she was at major risk of losing control again, and pride would not let her do that in front of anyone.  She certainly didn’t want to injure anyone that may be within her presence, however accidental it would be.

She couldn’t hide the look of betrayal she felt.  Carefully moving her shoulder away from the king’s touch, she backed up a few steps.

“I - I…”  No words came.  The young Custodian turned and ran out of the library.

The king looked at one of the guards.  “Do not let her leave the castle. She is far too upset and could do much damage if her power gets away from her.”

The guard nodded and turned to leave.

“And for the love of Kernunnos, someone find her Guardian!” the king bellowed to no one in particular as he turned to his desk, made a fist and hesitated a second before slamming it down.  Various objects bounced off the surface with the force of his frustration.  The guards ran out of the door, gave each other a fleeting glance and headed in opposite directions.

Faen took a seat in one of the garden chairs surrounding an oak table and accepted the mug of brew his mother poured and offered him.  She poured one for herself and took the chair next to her husband, who covered her hand with his.  Faen did not miss the loving gesture between his parents and yearned to experience it with someone one day.  He knew with whom, he just didn’t know if it would be possible.

“Where is the Custodian, Faen?  Should she not be with you?” Janessa asked, snapping Faen from his thoughts.  He brought his gaze up from his parent’s entwined fingers to meet his mother’s eyes.

Faen took a deep breath before responding.  “She is at home.”

“But, Son, you should not leave a Custodian, you know that.”  His father’s brow wrinkled with concern.

“She is sleeping.  I will be back before she awakes; she is quite safe in the cottage, it is warded.”

“Nevertheless…” Faen’s father continued.

“Father, I need your help.” Faen cut in before his father could continue.

Faen recognized the ‘go ahead’ look in his father’s eyes and carried on.

“Vivianna kidnapped her father last evening.”

Janessa gasped.  “She did what?  Why?”

“She wants the amulet.”

“But the amulet is of no use to her now that the book has been recovered.” Faen’s father stated.

“I know but she insists that Faedra has seven days to give up the amulet or her father dies.”  Faen dropped his gaze to the table.  The hurt on Faedra’s face burning into his soul.

“Do you have any idea where she has taken him?” his father asked.

“That is why I am here, Father.  You see, she has the ruby staff.”

Janessa put her hand to her mouth in shock, her eyes widened with horror.  He could see his father’s features flicker with surprise before resuming back to his usual neutral expression.

Janessa turned to her husband.  “But, Rowan, I thought the ruby staff had been destroyed along with Savu.”

Rowan said nothing.

“Father, I remembered the stories you used to tell me when I was a child, that is why I am here…”

“Excuse me, Master Faen,” the housekeeper interrupted.

All three turned towards where she was standing in the archway to the garden.

“What is it, Forbes?”

“There is a Messenger from the castle to see you.  He says it is most urgent.”

“Thank you, Forbes, please send him in.”

She inclined her head and stepped aside to let the Messenger pass.

The thin gangly looking fae with huge outstretched wings scuttled passed the housekeeper, causing her to duck around his wing as he did.  She gave him a reproving look before turning and heading back towards the kitchen.

The Messenger scuttled up to Faen unable to conceal the relieved look on his face.  He was still out of breath when he started talking.  “Oh, Mr. Faen, thank Kernunnos, I found you.” His speech was rushed and breathy.

“Sit down, Messenger.  You look exhausted.” Janessa said, gesturing with her hand to the empty chair next to her son.

“Thank you, Madam.”  The Messenger inclined his head and took the last empty chair around the table.  He took a couple more deep breaths before continuing.

“It is the Custodian,” he said after catching his breath.

Faen stood up, sending his chair crashing backwards to the floor.

“What has happened?  Is she alright?”  Faen could feel his brows pinch together and a knot formed in his stomach.

“She is quite safe, Mr. Faen.  She is at the castle.  The king demanded we find you.”

“The castle?  What is she doing at the castle?” Faen questioned, trying to disguise the hint of panic in his voice.

The Messenger shrugged his shoulders.  “I know nothing more.  I was just sent to find you and send you back there.”

Faen looked at his mother and father who were trying, but failing, to hide their concern.

“I must go,” Faen said before running through the archway and taking to the sky.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Faedra sat with her back against the wall of one of the castle’s many turrets.  Her backpack had become a burden and was now propped up against the wall beside her.  She dare not take a sip of the sugar water held within it.  She was having a hard enough job reining in her energy, as it was, and didn’t need to add to it.  Her throat was parched, though, and she found herself wishing she’d packed some plain drinking water, too.

The cold stone wall was unforgiving against her back and she shifted a little to try and ease the discomfort.  Her knees were drawn up to her chest and she was resting her head on them.  Her arms hugged around her shins and she held herself tightly together, fearing that if she didn’t, she might just fall apart.

After leaving the king’s library she had run with no direction until she found somewhere quiet and secluded where she could think.  Only once she found a place, no helpful thoughts had presented themselves so far.

Her energy crackled within her; and using all of her concentration to control the power surging with her emotions was at least keeping her mind somewhat occupied.  What she wanted to do was blow something up, but that wasn’t going to help her father and it might just get her thrown in the dungeons, king’s daughter or not.

She was trying to digest all the information she’d been bombarded with over the past day or so, and was at a complete loss where to go next.  She rifled the time-pebble out of her pocket and looked at it.  The area of red was expanding and she didn’t have the first clue how to find her father and bring him back safely.  Had she ever felt this helpless before?  No, she didn’t think she had.  With a sigh, she tucked the pebble back into her pocket and dropped her head to her knees again.  A sense of desperation welling from the pit of her stomach.

Faedra wasn’t quite sure how long she had been literally holding herself together when she felt a breeze ruffle the hair around her face, and heard the soft beat of wings.

“Faedra?”  The smooth familiar voice caressed her ears.

She lifted her head from her knees to see Faen standing a few feet away on the other side of the turret, his face awash with concern upon seeing the desperation in her eyes.  She held her breath for a heartbeat, waiting for the anger to surge forward, but was relieved when her heart filled with relief and happiness upon seeing her Guardian.  She thought she had pushed him away, that he had actually left her when she told him to go.  But here he was, and she told herself she didn’t deserve him.  She wouldn’t have blamed him if he never came near her again after the way she’d treated him.  A weak smile crept across her lips and made its way up to her eyes.

“You’re here,” she breathed, barely a whisper, as if he would disappear if she said it any louder.

Faen smiled at her remark.  “Where else would I be?”

“I thought you left when I told you to go.  I wouldn’t blame you, I was so mean… I’m sorry.”  She hung her head and stared at her knees, shame rising to the surface.

Faen took a step forward and kneeled in front of her.  “It would take more than you being angry to get rid of me.”  His soothing voice acted like a balm on an inflamed sore.  “I followed you home and watched until you fell asleep.”

She looked up at him again. “But you weren’t there when I left this morning.” There was no accusation in her tone, just a stated fact.

Faen blew out a sigh of regret. “No, I was not.  I made an error in judgment.  I expected you would be sleeping for a while and I needed to see someone, I thought I would be back by the time you awoke.  I did not imagine that you would wake so early and journey into Azran.”  He leaned in and reached his hand towards her face.

“Don’t touch me!” Faedra shouted and jerked her head away from his hand.

Faen withdrew his hand with a sharp movement, surprised at her outburst.  Faedra couldn’t mistake the look of hurt on his face that he quickly tried to mask.

“I’m not safe,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion.

Faen pinched his brows together in an unspoken question.

“It’s hopeless,” Faedra cried, “I have no idea how to get my dad back, and I’m so upset I can’t control my energy.  I’m so charged up right now, I’m scared I’ll hurt anyone who touches me.”  A solitary tear escaped and trickled down her cheek.

Faen’s heart wrenched as he took in the look of desperation on his charge’s face.  He had to calm her down to the point that she could control her power.  He sat down on the hard stone floor beside her, resting his back against the wall of the turret, making sure to leave a little space between them.  He didn’t doubt that she could do him some damage, the energy in the air surrounding her was almost palpable.  He turned his head to the side and watched her.

Faedra rested her forehead on her knees again.  “I just want to be normal, I want my life back the way it was.  I want my dad back, and I want to go to college like a normal person.  Now I find out that I’ll never be normal because my dad isn’t really my dad…” she turned her head to the side to look at her Guardian, “your king is.”

She wasn’t surprised when Faen looked nonplussed by her revelation.

“You knew, didn’t you?” she asked.

Faen nodded his awareness of the fact.  “I guessed, yes.”

“How long have you known?”

“When Vivianna called you a samtero kruwos.  I could see no other reason for her to be angry enough with you to seek vengeance on the Land of Azran and The World of Men.  She is a very jealous person.  Ever since her mother died she has closely protected the attention she gets from her father.  I cannot imagine her ever allowing that attention to be shared.”

Faedra’s expression turned to one of shock, “Enough to make millions of innocent people suffer?”

“It would seem so.”  Faen’s voice was resigned.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Faedra, you already had enough to deal with, and it is not my place to tell you of your heritage.  That responsibility lies with your parents.”

Faedra’s voice cracked again, finding it hard to deal with the turmoil she was feeling.  Her eyes were pleading when she looked into Faen’s.

“So…I’m half human and half fae.  What does that make me, Faen?” She sounded disgusted by her own words.  “You don’t need to answer that,” she added, not giving Faen a chance to respond.  “It makes me a freak, that’s what it makes me.”

Faen looked at her for a second and gave a barely discernable shake of his head.  Willing to take the risk of getting shocked, he reached over and took her face in his hands, wiping away the solitary tear rolling down her cheek with his thumb.  His eyes searched hers.  A zingy feeling shot through his fingers and up his arms but it wasn’t as painful as he’d expected and he kept hold of her face, needing her to feel his support and dare he admit, love, flowing through his hands.

A smile crept across his features and he leaned in, placing a gentle kiss to Faedra’s lips, then pulled back.  Their eyes locked together and Faedra could feel her heartbeat quicken.

She felt like they were frozen in time, but after a few seconds Faen broke the silence.

“It makes you a princess. That is what it makes you.”

Realization crept into Faedra’s consciousness at Faen’s words.  She hadn’t looked at it like that before now.  Faen’s touch was having the desired effect.  She could feel herself calming down as she leaned into his warm caress and closed her eyes, her energy ebbing away with each heartbeat.  His presence alone made her feel safe.  Faen moved closer until their thighs were touching, and wrapped his arm around her.  She leaned into him, laid her head on his shoulder and sighed.  For the first time she felt like she was no longer alone in her mission.

“How did you know where to find me?” she asked after a moment of silence.

“The king sent out Messengers and one found me at my parent’s house.”

She sat up and looked at him, unable to hide the surprise on her face.  He had never mentioned his parents before and she’d never thought to ask, but of course he probably had a mum and dad, and a home that he’d grown up in.

“While I was watching you sleep and wracking my brain trying to think of a way to rescue your father from Vivianna’s clutches, I remembered some stories my father used to tell me as a child.  I went home to ask him for help,” he explained.

“Can he help us?”  Faedra asked, hope seeping into her heart.

“I did not get to ask him before the Messenger arrived and told me you were at the castle.  My first priority is to you, Faedra.  I had to make sure you were safe.”  He brushed an errant strand of her disheveled hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear.  “Now that I know you are, will you travel with me to my home so we may ask my father if he knows of a way to help us find your father?”

Faedra’s heart swelled with hope for the first time since her dad had been kidnapped.  She jumped to her feet and looked down at Faen who was still sitting on the floor.

“I take that to be a yes.”  He grinned at her change in demeanor.  The desperation had all but evaporated from her face and was now replaced with a look of hope and determination.

He got up from the floor in one of those fluid motions of his and leaned over to pick up her backpack.  He held it up.  “I have a feeling you may be needing this before we are finished.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Faedra sucked in a breath as Faen’s home came into view.  She had never seen a more regal looking house.  Though to call it a house was an understatement of massive proportions.

The long sweeping driveway was lined either side by intricately detailed topiary.  She never thought it possible to create such stunning designs in what were essentially hedges.

The house itself was immense. It had at least twenty windows in the front and there were a couple dozen spiraling chimneys scattered across the roof, grouped together in sixes.  A clock tower rose above the main entrance, and the face was deep blue with golden numerals.  The house was surrounded by other buildings.  Faedra imagined them being mews and gardener’s quarters.  The perfectly manicured gardens stretched out behind the house and she could see a lake in the distance.  The lawns looked like fluffy carpet and she yearned to walk barefoot over them and feel the cool softness under her feet.

“You live here?” she looked up and asked Faen as they flew closer to the house.

He shook his head.  “I grew up here.  I live with you.”  He gave her one of his earth-shattering smiles.

Faedra could feel her cheeks heat a little.  Of course, he did.  He had ‘lived’ with her for twelve years.  She suddenly felt very selfish, realizing she had never really given any thought to Faen’s life before he came to protect her.  He had been part of her life for so long she took it for granted that he lived in the World of Men.  But he wasn’t from the World of Men; he had a home in a different realm and she wondered if he ever yearned to go home.  She had never been away from home for long and couldn’t even imagine what it felt like to suffer from homesickness, although, she’d heard it was gut wrenching.

Faen landed a few paces from the front entrance to the grand house and lowered his charge to the ground.  She looked up at the façade and let her jaw drop.  It was even more impressive close up.

“Wow,” she breathed,  “just how rich are your parents?”  Her eyes widened and she looked mortified by her question. “I’m sorry.  That’s none of my business.”

Faen smiled again and scooped up her hand before leading her to the front door.

“Come, I will show you around after I’ve introduced you to my parents.”

He turned the big brass door knob and led her inside to the marble entrance hall.  Faedra’s eyes nearly bugged out with the finery of the room.

“This way,” he gestured towards the kitchen, thinking his parents would still be outside in the garden.  They turned to exit the hall.

“Faen!” Janessa called from the balcony above them.  They turned and looked up. She was holding onto the marble railing and Faedra saw a visible change on her face as relief washed over Faen’s mother.

“Oh, my boy, is everything alright?” Janessa asked as she swept along the balcony and down the long marble staircase towards them, her long skirts flowing behind her, rustling with her movement.  Her grace was not lost on Faedra who could not tear her eyes from the beautiful woman heading in their direction.  Rowan was not far behind his wife who was moving in a very animated fashion in front of him.

“Everything is fine, Mother,” Faen assured her as she reached them.

Janessa’s features were soft and loving as she cupped her son’s face in her hands for a second.  Releasing him, she turned to Faedra and smiled.  Her whole face lighting up with the warmth of it.

“You must be the Custodian.”

Faedra answered with a nod.  She was a little overwhelmed at seeing Faen’s parents for the first time and was slightly lost for words.

Janessa noticed their entwined fingers and gave her son a subtle but questioning look.  Faedra noticed the surreptitious glance, which made her feel uncomfortable.  She dropped her gaze to the floor and pulled her hand from her Guardian’s, getting the sense from his parents that it was not something he should be doing.  He took her hand straight back and gave her a reassuring smile when she looked up at him, then turned the same smile on his mother.

When his father reached them, he, too, gave their hands a glance.  Faen noticed his father’s fleeting expression and started the introductions to avert their attention.

“Mother, Father, this is Faedra.  Faedra this is my mother, Janessa, and my father, Rowan.”

Faedra held her free hand out in greeting. “Pleased to meet you Mr. and Mrs. …” She waited to be told their surnames.

“Actually, it is Lord and Lady, but please call us Janessa and Rowan,” Rowan said with an easy smile.

Faedra tried to hide her surprise at Rowan’s statement and kept her hand held out.

“Pleased to meet you, Janessa,” she gave a polite handshake to Janessa, “and Rowan.” Faedra offered her hand for him to shake.  Rowan took it and brought it up to his lips.

“It is an honor to have your company in our house,” he said.

Faedra felt her cheeks burn.  She was in the presence of a Lord and Lady and they thought it was an honor to meet her.

“Come up to the drawing room, my dear.  You must be weary after your journey.  I will get Forbes to bring us up some refreshments.  You, poor dear, you look exhausted,” Janessa said, gesturing for them to follow her up the stairs.

“Something sweet,” Faen requested on Faedra’s behalf.  Janessa gave her son a questioning look.  “Her gift, she manipulates energy,” he explained.

His mother gave him a knowing smile. “I will have Forbes bring up all the sweet rolls we have.”

Faedra and Faen followed several steps behind his parents.

“You never told me your parents were members of the nobility,” she whispered with a hint of scolding in her tone.

Faen shrugged his shoulders.  “You never asked.”

Faedra cringed a little.  He was right, she’d never asked, how selfish was that?

“So, what does that make you?” She kept her voice to a whisper, hoping not to insult her hosts.

“It makes me your Guardian,” Faen replied, avoiding the question.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”  She nudged him with her elbow to which he responded with a wry smirk.

Faedra sensed she wasn’t going to get that out of him either.  Good Lord he could be so stubborn.

They were led to the drawing room and Faedra’s jaw dropped once more as she absorbed the finery of this room, too.  The ceiling was painted with row upon row of what looked like Celtic knot work.  A marble fireplace had been carved with a scene full of fae and other creatures, some she recognized, and others she didn’t.  The walls were papered with muted yellows and a huge tapestry hung at one end of the room taking up the whole wall.  The vibrant colors were breathtaking and it depicted a handsome fairy with wings outstretched, sitting astride a rearing horse.  He had one hand on the reins and the other holding his sword, as if ready to go into battle.  She wasn’t quite sure how long she’d been staring at the work of art until she felt a warm breath by her ear.

“That is my father,” Faen whispered.

Faedra blew out a low whistle.

“That picture was commissioned after the battle to capture Savu.”

Faedra tore her gaze away from the tapestry to search Faen’s eyes.

He answered her unspoken question. “He was a Guardian, too.  He was one of the Guardians that brought Savu’s reign of terror to an end.  That is why I think he can help give us some information about the ruby staff.”

Forbes walked in carrying a tray full of drinks and sweet rolls and placed them on the low table between an exquisite looking sofa and two high backed armchairs.  The sweet rolls must have been warm because the aroma of brown sugar wafted under the young Custodian’s nose, making her mouth water with anticipation.  She hadn’t realized until now just how hungry she was.

“Please, take a seat,” Janessa said, gesturing for Faen and Faedra to sit on the sofa while Janessa and Rowan each sat in a high backed chair.

“Help yourself, my dear,” Janessa told Faedra when she saw her eyeing the rolls.  Faedra didn’t need asking twice, she grabbed a delicate china plate and placed a roll on it.  She savored the smell as she brought it closer to her lips.  The first bite was like a bolt of electricity surging through her veins.  The brown sugar hit her taste buds, the sweetness filled her mouth, and she let out a mewl of pleasure.

She noticed the conversation had stopped and opened her eyes that she hadn’t even realized she’d closed.  Three pairs of eyes were looking at her in amusement.

“Good?” Janessa asked, raising an eyebrow.

Faedra’s cheeks burned and the piece of sweet roll she was chewing nearly got stuck in her throat as she swallowed hard.

“Yes, thank you,” she replied rather sheepishly when she’d finished her mouthful.

Faen turned his attention back to his father.  “Father, do you know if there is any way we can track the ruby staff and find out where Vivianna may have taken Faedra’s father?”

Faedra stopped chewing the mouthful of food she had, and held her breath as she watched Rowan toss the question around in his head.  He pursed his lips and let out a sigh.  Faedra’s heart sank as she recognized Rowan’s expression as not being a hopeful one.

“There is only one way I know to track the ruby staff.”

Faedra’s heart lifted again.  She hadn’t been expecting that response, not from the look on Rowan’s face.

“But,” he added. “I fear the knowledge will do you no good.”

“Why not?” Faedra asked, forgetting her manners as she spoke with her mouth full.

“The only way to track the ruby staff, is with its sister…”

Everyone waited with baited breath.

“The emerald staff,” Rowan continued, looking at each of them in turn.

“How do we get the emerald staff?” Faen and Faedra asked at the same time.

Rowan let his gaze drop to the floor, knowing his words would hold such disappointment for his son and his charge.  He sighed.

“You do not,” he stated.

“What?  Why not?” Faedra questioned, not willing to let go of the only hope she had of finding her father alive.  Suddenly losing her appetite, she placed her plate and its half-eaten contents back on the table.

“Because it belongs to Draconis.”

“Oh, my,” Janessa whispered under her breath, and Faen dropped his head into his hand.

Faedra glanced at Janessa and Faen before looking back at Rowan.

“Well, why can’t we just ask this person if we can borrow it?”  Faedra asked undaunted by their response, and gave an expressive movement of her hands.

“Faedra, he is a dragon.” Faen said, as if that were the only explanation warranted.

Faedra shot him a questioning look. “So?”

Faen opened his mouth to answer but his father beat him to it.  “Dragons do not give up their possessions.”

“I wouldn’t be asking him to give it up, I’d only want to borrow it to find my dad.  I’d give it straight back.” Her voice was imploring, but she sensed it wasn’t the occupants of this room she had to try and convince.

“He will not give up the staff, of that I can guarantee.” Rowan said his face pulled into an expression of tight resolve.

“Well, I’m sorry, but I think it’s worth a try.  Let’s face it, time is running out and I don’t have any other options, do I?”  She shoved her hand in her pocket and pulled out the time-pebble, displaying it on the flat of her palm for the others to see.  “So…where do I find this Draconis?”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

It took some persuading but Faedra finally managed to convince Faen and his father that she would do whatever it took to find this Draconis, with or without their help.  They tried to explain to her that dragons were not at all like they were portrayed in stories in the World of Men, and they certainly didn’t take kindly to humans.  There was a long-standing hatred that dragons held toward humans, and Faedra couldn’t say she blamed them after Rowan had finished telling her the reasons why.  Humans had all but tried to wipe them out thousands of years ago, when all the dragons were trying to do was help.  But Faedra convinced them that she was bound and determined to do this and unfortunately, for Faen, where she went, he went.

They did have one thing in their favor, though.  Faedra, as she had just found out, was not entirely human.  Dragons had no quarrels with the fae, in fact, there was a mutual respect held between the two species.  The fact that Faedra wanted the emerald staff to rescue her father, who was human, could put a spanner in the works, but she would cross that bridge if she came to it.  Hopefully she could skirt around the actual reason for needing to borrow the staff but she doubted that.

Faedra was walking back down the hall after using the bathroom.  The drawing room door was ajar as she approached it but just as she was about to push it open with her hand, the slightly raised voices coming from the other side made her stop short.  She pulled her hand back and held her breath, as if the mere act of breathing would give her away.

“Faen, you know this mission is reckless.” Rowan was saying, a hint of concern in his voice.

“Father, she is my charge and I must do whatever it takes to keep her safe and happy.  If that means risking a venture into Zutherindal to seek an audience with Draconis, then that is what I must do.” Faen’s voice sounded strong with resolve.

“Faen, your duty is to the Custodian, not her father.” Rowan continued.

“Faedra loves her father.  I could not see her go through that much pain again.  Pain caused by our race, I might add.  She never had any quarrels with our race and now she risks losing her father, as well as, already loosing her mother.  I will not allow this if I can do anything to stop it.”

Faedra could hear footsteps pacing.  She assumed Faen must now be standing and walking around the drawing room.

There was silence for a moment and Faedra felt a shift in the atmosphere seeping from the drawing room.

“Please tell me you have not fallen in love with the girl.” Rowan said, disapproval evident in his tone.

Faedra leaned in to peek through the crack in the door.  Faen stopped pacing just at the point she could see him.  She watched as he brought his gaze up from the floor and turned to face his father.  Her heart leapt to her throat.

“Oh, my dear boy, you have fallen in love with her,” Janessa stated upon seeing Faen’s expression.  Her voice was soft and compassionate, a complete contrast to her husband’s disapproving tone.

Silence followed and Faedra felt sure the thudding of her heart was loud enough to give away the fact that she was eavesdropping just behind the door.

“She is a Custodian, Faen!” Rowan stated, incredulously.  As though that very statement alone should explain everything to his son, and bring him back to his senses.

“You have no right to judge me, Father.”  Faen’s expression held steady but Faedra could see a tick of annoyance in his jaw.

“Do not dare bring your mother into this, Son.  I warn you.”  Rowan’s voice turned almost to a low carnal growl.

“Stop it, you two. Right now” Janessa intervened.  “I will not have the two people I love most in this realm fighting under my roof.”  Her voice was still soft but Faedra could detect a hint of sternness in it.  “Faen is right, Rowan. You do not have any right to judge him when convention never stood in your way,” she told her husband.

Faedra watched as she saw Faen give his mother a warm smile.

“But, Janessa, if the king finds out there will be serious consequences.” Rowan stated before turning his attention back to his son.  “You know it is forbidden, as a Guardian, to develop emotional relations with your charge.”  Faen’s father continued, his tone reproving.

“Faen, you have not…?” Janessa asked, but her son cut her off before she could finish the question.

“No, Mother.  We have not.  I cannot believe that you would think so low of me that I would do something like that out of wedlock.”

Faedra could hear a sigh of relief and she felt heat rising in her cheeks.  She wondered why he never tried to further their relationship.  She thought deep down that he wouldn’t want to get ‘involved’ with a human that way, and she’d been too unsure of herself to bring it up.  Now, she was getting all her questions answered without needing to ask them.

“Forgive me,” Janessa said softly, “but you have been in the World of Men for many years.  It is not impossible to think that you may have adopted some of their ways.”

“That is besides the point, Faen.  The king…” Rowan started.

“The king does not have a leg to stand on.”  Faen cut in.  “He broke several laws himself.”

There was silence in the room.  Faedra brought her hand to her mouth.

“Faen, this is treason you speak!  Have you lost your mind?”  Rowan’s voice was rising again.

Enough was enough. Faedra pushed the door open and burst in.  “No, he hasn’t.”

All heads turned to look at her, their faces stunned.

“Young lady, how long have you been standing at the door?” Rowan asked.

“Long enough.”

“Then would you care to enlighten us as to why our son speaks against the king?”

“Faen would never speak against your king.  He loves this land and all that it stands for.” Faedra said.

Rowan rubbed his chin between thumb and forefinger, an intense gaze studying their newest houseguest.  “We are listening,” he said after a moment.

“Faedra, you do not need to do this.” Faen stated.

“Yes, I do.  I won’t have your father think badly of you, Faen.”  She turned to face Faen’s father.  “Vivianna is not the king’s only daughter.  I found out today that he has another.”

Rowan’s expression was turning to one of impatience.  “You better have some very good evidence to back up your allegation, young lady.  Who would this supposed illegitimate child be?”

Irritation prickled down Faedra’s spine at being called illegitimate, she held her chin up and stood straighter in response.

“You’re talking to her!” she snapped.

Rowan’s eyes nearly popped out of his head and Janessa threw her hand to her mouth and sucked in a breath.

“That is preposterous!  Why would you make something like this up?”  Rowan’s face was turning an angry shade of red.

“Oh, you think I like the idea?” Faedra retorted, trying to push back her irritation. “Well, I don’t, but it looks like I don’t have much of a choice in the matter.  That is why I was at the castle today.  Vivianna kept calling me samtero kruwos.” Faedra noticed Rowan’s recognition of the words and his expression digressed to one of shock and surprise.

“Yes, that’s right.” Faedra continued.  “Well, my college professor found out what it meant and left me a message last night.  I came here to find out why Vivianna hated my family so much and to try and get some answers.  I was certainly not expecting what I learned.  The king confessed everything to me.  How he fell in love with my mother when she was a Custodian.  How she had become pregnant with me and that Vivianna found out about them and me.  That’s why she hates me so much.  Apparently what she is doing is nothing more than revenge against me and her father.”

The stunned faces of Faen’s parents looked back at her.  Faedra watched as Rowan, realizing his jaw was slack, snapped it shut after a moment with an audible clack of his teeth.  Faen put his arms around his charge and pulled her in against his chest in a show of solidarity and appreciation.

Faedra decided she was nonplussed by Rowan’s reaction and broke the awkward silence. “So, where do we go from here?”

Janessa looked to her husband for his response but he still looked like he was trying to absorb the information he just heard.

“Rowan?” Janessa said.  “The Custodian is asking you a question, dear.”

Rowan had his attention fixed on the tapestry hanging on the wall.  After a moment, his expression transformed from one of shock to one of contemplation.

He turned to his son. “Are you sure this is a path you wish to follow, Son?”

Faen looked into Faedra’s eyes, a reassuring smile crept across his face in response to the look of concern he saw there.  He looked up and met his father’s intent gaze.

“Yes, Father, I am quite sure.”

“In that case, there is only one way to get into Zutherindal and it will not be easy.”

***

Faedra watched Rowan pace back and forth for a moment, an air of expectation shrouded the room.  She cast a glance towards Faen’s mother to see her watching her husband with the same expectant look the Custodian imagined was plastered on her face, also.  Rowan came to an abrupt stop and Faedra brought her attention back to him.

“The only way to enter Zutherindal is through the Gatekeeper.”  Rowan’s face looked grave with concern as he turned his focus on Faedra.  The young Custodian could feel herself holding her breath with anticipation.

“The Gatekeeper guards the entrance to the dragon kingdom.  If said Keeper deems you worthy to enter, then he will allow you passage.  This is your one chance to journey into that realm, there is no other way in.” Rowan continued, emphasizing his last point.

Faedra swallowed hard.  She didn’t like the way Faen’s father had made it sound like they had a very slim chance of getting into Zutherindal.

“Even if you are allowed entry into the dragon realm, it does not, by any means, guarantee that you will be granted an audience with Draconis.”

Undeterred, Faen asked, “Where may we find the Gatekeeper, Father?”

Faedra alternated her attention between the two men as they discussed the matter at hand.

“He is located in the Alovison mountain range.”

Faedra watched the blood drain from her Guardian’s face.  Upon hearing Rowan’s reply she heard a gasp escape Janessa’s lips.

“What?” she whispered to Faen. “What’s wrong?”

“I told you this would not be an easy undertaking, Faen.  This mission is reckless, at best, suicide at worst.” Rowan held his features stoic.

“Suicide?   What do you mean suicide?” Faedra turned to Rowan, her eyes pleading.

“The Alovison Mountains have been overrun by redcaps.” Faen responded instead of his father.

Faedra found the nearest chair and slumped into it, burying her face in her hands.

“How many redcaps?” Her muffled question pushed through her hands and was directed at the floor.

“They have been growing in number for a couple of years now.  We do not know why they are descending on the mountains but we believe it also has something to do with the gateway to the dragon realm.” Rowan answered.  “We have been keeping watch but, as yet, the redcaps have not done anything.  It is as if they are just waiting.  For what we do not yet know.”

Faedra looked up at Rowan. “How many though?  Are we talking hundreds or thousands?”  She hated to ask, but found she needed to know.

“We do not know for sure, but we are guessing several hundred.  I do not believe that there are even thousands of those creatures left.  Although, for centuries now, we have not seen such a large concentration of them in one place.”

“Well, that’s just bloody great!” Faedra exclaimed, starting to let her frustration get the better of her.  She looked at the others who were staring at her with a mixture of concern and disapproval.  She knew why, and it wasn’t just because of her outburst.  She could feel her skin tingling with electric energy.  Her hair was probably starting to fly around her head because of the static building up; a sure giveaway that she was not controlling her power.  Faedra felt her cheeks flush.  She closed her eyes and pushed her power back with all her might.  If she didn’t rein it in at the very first sign, she may as well go and power up the nearest appliance, only they didn’t have them in this realm.

“Sorry,” she mumbled with a sheepish look, after successfully getting herself under control again.

“Young lady, if you do not release that, it will eat you alive.”

Faedra’s eyebrows shot up at Janessa’s surprising comment.  She was right, though.  Although Faedra had managed to rein it for now, it was starting to hurt keeping it so contained.

“Come with me, my dear.  There is a dead tree in the gardens that needs to come down.  We have been meaning to do it for some time, but now you can save us the job.” Janessa gave her son a not so subtle wink as she rose and took Faedra’s hand.

Faedra followed her out of the room and into the gardens.  It didn’t take her long to fell the dead tree and she felt a whole lot better for it.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Faedra straightened up from the position she held leaning on both elbows over the map on the table and looked at her Guardian.

Faen was also bent over the table next to her, studying the map spread out in front of them with studious attention.  Her movement distracted his thoughts and he turned his head to look up at her.  Her features were cloaked with both concern and appreciation.  He pushed himself off his elbows, straightened and turned to face his charge.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice whisper quiet; the two words laden with emotion.

“What for?” he asked, a slight crease forming between his eyebrows.

“For this.”  Faedra gestured to the map spread across the sturdy oak table with a sweeping motion of her arm. “For being willing to help me find my dad, and for standing up to yours on my behalf.  You didn’t have to do that, you know.  I don’t want you to fall out with your father because of me.”

Faen rubbed a thumb over his charge’s cheek.   Her eyes closed as she leaned into his caress.  The feeling of trepidation was her constant companion now and his touch helped ease it for just a moment.  Faen moved his hand, taking her chin between thumb and forefinger, and encouraged her head to tilt upwards.  She opened her eyes at the movement and looked into the deep liquid pools of blue that belonged to the most incredible person she had ever met.  A small curve crept across her lips, and she felt almost reticent in his presence at that moment.

“I would follow you to the ends of the earth, or any other realm you decided to journey to.”  Faen said.  “You still do not realize, do you?”

A look of confusion flashed across her eyes.  “Realize what?”

Faen took a breath to reply but was interrupted by the sharp sound of a throat clearing.  He turned to see his father standing in the doorway.  Faedra didn’t need to look, she knew who would be standing there. She stepped back from Faen’s grip, releasing herself with as much subtlety as she could muster, and turned her attention to the map, and her back to Rowan.  She knew exactly how he felt about his son’s feelings towards her and the idea of what they were about to attempt.  She just couldn’t handle witnessing that disapproval on his face anymore.  She felt bad enough putting his son at risk in the first place, because she knew he would indeed follow her to the ends of the earth, a fact she was selfishly taking advantage of and felt horrible about.

“Have you decided which route you will take to the mountains?” Rowan asked on his way across the room towards the table.  Faedra moved to one side giving Faen’s father enough room to join them at the table, but that was the only acknowledgement she gave him, pretending to be focused on something else as an excuse to keep her eyes averted.

“I believe so, Father, but I would like your input.  I think if I fly us over this range, we can land here and will be able to travel on foot the rest of the way.  If the redcaps are guarding the mouth of the mountains, we should be able to sneak passed most of them.  Faedra can then do her thing with the ones guarding the cave mouth and I will back her up.”  Faen was using animated motions over the map, pointing with his finger at different locations, giving his father a visual picture of the plan he and Faedra had been brainstorming together.

Faedra had to admit, she was terrified about having to come face to face with one redcap, let alone a possible army of them.  She did feel more comfortable with her power now and was much stronger and more in control of it than she was when she had her last encounter with the gruesome creatures.  Although that knowledge did little to quell the sickening feeling that lingered in the pit of her stomach.  She wouldn’t have the book to help this time and she had to rely solely on her own energy, unless they were lucky enough to have a storm just at the opportune moment.  Faedra had been tempted to coerce Faen to take her back to the castle so she could ask her ‘new’ father if she could borrow it, or steal the book if he refused, but decided it would be far too risky allowing the book anywhere near the redcaps, and, thus, Vivianna and whatever she was scheming.

They had to face the fact they had no idea what was really going on in the mountains, but the feeling was unanimous, it couldn’t be anything good.

Rowan interrupted her thoughts.  Reluctantly she turned to face him. “I’m sorry.  Were you talking to me?”

Rowan gave her an impatient look, “I said that Mrs. Forbes has been packing up some high energy food and drink for you to take with you.  You may want to go and see if what she is doing will suffice.  You will need to be able to use your power to maximum effect, I feel you will only have one chance.”

Faedra tried to push the anxious knot tying itself in her stomach to one side.  The last thing she felt like doing was eating.  She had no appetite, but if their plan had any chance of succeeding, she needed to rely on being ‘fully charged’ and would have to force the food down if need be.

“Thank you.”  She turned to head out the door, but when she got there, she realized she had no idea where the kitchen was in this labyrinth of a house.  “Err, where can I find the kitchen?”

After Rowan gave her the necessary directions, she headed out the door and strode off to find Mrs. Forbes.  She was actually quite relieved to be given an excuse to leave the room, knowing Rowan was not the least bit happy with her.  Not quite the first impression she wanted to give Faen’s parents, endangering their son for her own agenda.  She sighed and picked up her pace trying hard to shake the guilty feeling and leave it in her wake, but it had set up camp and wasn’t about to go anywhere anytime soon.  She didn’t want to put her Guardian in danger, but could think of no other way to get her dad back.  One thing was certain, there was no way she was giving up on her dad.  So far, this was the only way forward.

Her boots clunked with every footfall and reverberated off the cold stone walls lining the long flagstone corridor that led to the kitchen.  In stark contrast to the décor upstairs, this corridor was painted plain white, the flagstone floor adding just a hint of neutral color to the otherwise sterile environment.  She could hear Faen’s mother and another woman’s voice echo up the corridor before she reached the kitchen.  They both stopped and turned to face her when she made her appearance in the doorway.

Instead of looks of disapproval, as she had prepared herself for, she was greeted by two warm smiles.

“Faedra, Rowan passed on my message, I see.  Please, come sit and eat.  We have to build up your energy.”  Janessa gestured to a place beside her.

Faedra’s stomach growled but it was involuntary on her part.  She had never felt less hungry in her life, the inner workings of her digestive tract had other ideas though.  She gave them a half-hearted smile in return and wandered in, taking a spot on one of the long benches near the two women who were seated towards the end of the huge table that stretched almost the length of the kitchen.

Faedra saw her backpack on the table.  It had been half-packed with different kinds of food that she recognized as being high in energy.  The rest of what would become the contents of her backpack were still gathered around it on the table. Lots of sugary stuff for the quick burst she often needed and others high in carbohydrates used to sustain her energy over longer periods of time.  The two women knew their stuff, she had to give them credit for that.  How did they know what was needed to sustain the power she possessed?  She only figured it out by trial and error over the past few months since gaining it.

“How are you faring, my dear?” Janessa asked, placing a hand on Faedra’s forearm that was now resting on the table.  Her voice was full of compassion.  Faedra wondered how this woman could be compassionate towards the person who was about to put her son in mortal danger for her own selfish reasons.

“As well as can be expected under the circumstances, I suppose.”

“Here, drink this.  It will make you feel better.” Mrs. Forbes placed a mug of steaming brew in front of her, the twisting curls of vapor rose up to waft a pleasant flowery scent under her nose.

Faedra took a couple of deep sniffs, letting the aroma envelope her like a warm blanket. “What is it?”

“It’s herbal.  Go on take a sip, it will make you feel better,” Janessa encouraged.

Faedra did as she was instructed.  The flavor was unusual but not unpleasant.  She took another, sip then another.  With each one the feeling of trepidation that had her wrapped in its tendrils, slowly receded.  Calmness washed over her and she let out a deep relaxed sigh.

The two women looked at each other and exchanged knowing smiles.

“Wow, this is good.  I’m starting to feel relaxed for the first time since the party.  What is in this?” Faedra asked.

“Ah, now that would be telling.  It is Mrs. Forbes secret recipe, not even I know the ingredients.” Janessa said.

“Thank you,” Faedra said to Mrs. Forbes, who acknowledged her with an incline of her head.

“How do you know so much about the foods I need to eat?”

“You are not the first energy manipulator I have come across.” Mrs. Forbes replied.

“Really?” Faedra asked, wanting to know more.

“Really.” Mrs. Forbes responded but did not divulge any more than that.  “Besides, if you are to be of any use to Master Faen, you need to be calm, clear-headed and fully charged.  It is my job to oversee the well being of all those who are under this roof.”

“I do not know what I would do without her.” Janessa said in response to Faedra’s raised eyebrows.  The guilty feeling surged back into Faedra’s gut.  They were being so nice to her, and she didn’t deserve it.  She averted her eyes and stared into her mug.

“I’m sorry I dragged your son into this.  If there was any other way…”

Janessa put her hand up to silence Faedra.  “My dear Faedra, my son is a grown man, he is also a Guardian.  Just like his father before him.  Believe me, in the days of Savu I was scared for Rowan’s life every minute of every day, but it is something you have to accept when married to a Guardian.  It is no different as a mother.  Faen knows what he is doing.”

“It doesn’t make me feel any better though,” Faedra lifted her gaze to face Janessa, needing for Faen’s mother to see the sincerity in her eyes.

“He cares for you, you know.  More than he should as a your Guardian.”

“Yes, I know.  And I know that makes things complicated for him, too.”

“He is like his father, noble to the core.  I can see history repeating itself there, but that is another story for another day.  Do not feel guilty, Faedra, you have no reason to.”  Janessa gave Faedra a reassuring smile.  “Now, please go and tell my husband and son to come and join us, we will be dining here tonight.  You both need to eat and rest before your journey tomorrow and I feel a less formal atmosphere would be appropriate under the circumstances.  I always did feel more relaxed here in the kitchen than in the dining room.”

Janessa patted Faedra’s arm when the young Custodian gave her an unspoken thank you.

Faedra looked down at her plate a while later and a pang of guilt shot through her.  Mrs. Forbes cooked an unbelievable meal for them and Faedra had done little more than push the contents of it around for the past half hour.

“Faen, Faedra can have Jocelyn’s room,” Janessa said when everyone was finished with their dinner.  “It is made up and I am sure Jocelyn would not mind.”

Faedra looked down at the table, ashamed.  She wasn’t sure about that statement, considering what she’d done to her friend the last time she’d seen her.

“Thank you, Mother.”  Faen stood up and held his hand out for Faedra.  She dare not glance around the table before she took it, she couldn’t handle another disapproving look.  Instead, she looked up into the unfaltering eyes of her Guardian and smiled.  He was her island in a stormy sea.

“Come, we need to rest before our long journey tomorrow.”

Faedra stood up and faced Janessa and Mrs. Forbes, doing her best to avoid Rowan.  She didn’t need to look at him to know he was giving her a disapproving stare; his energy was shouting it from the rooftops. “Thank you for a wonderful dinner.”

“You are welcome, my dear.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Faen came to a stop halfway down a long, carpeted corridor.  Walls adorned with portraits and tapestries underlined the sheer elegance of the house.  The light from ornate sconces threw a soft glow over his features, highlighting just how handsome he was.

“This is your room.”  He gestured to the door they were now standing next to.

Faedra turned her gaze to the closed wooden door and puffed out a breath.  She knew all too well she was not going to be getting a good night’s rest.

For goodness sakes, Faedra, pull yourself together. You have survived a redcap attack, slayed half a dozen of them.  You beat an evil princess in a sword fight, and you’re about to go ask a dragon for help.  You can flippin’ well sleep on your own for once.  She waited a few heartbeats hoping her inward brow beating would work.  It didn’t.

She turned back to Faen, “Well, goodnight, then,” she said as she reached for the door handle and turned it.

Faen could see the anxiety shining in her eyes, there wasn’t much he missed when it came to his charge.

“Would you like me to stay with you tonight?”

Faedra’s look must have been one of surprise as Faen added quickly. “Just to sleep, Faedra.”

“What about your parents?”  Faedra couldn’t imagine his parents, particularly Rowan, being too happy about him sleeping in her room, especially after the conversation she’d overheard just a short while ago.

“Faedra, it is my duty to care for your well being both physical and emotional.”

“Just your duty?” The words came out before she realized she’d even said them.  Warmth flooded her cheeks; she pulled her gaze away and looked down at her feet.

Warm fingers lifted her chin, coaxing her head up until she met Faen’s intense gaze.  What she saw there stole her breath away.

“No, not just duty,” Faen whispered as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.  Eyes full of emotion, he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to her lips.

Electricity flowed from the heat of his lips on hers, sending liquid warmth to her core, melting away all the fear and anxiety that was building there.

She leaned into him, tangling her hands in his silken blond hair.  Faen deepened their kiss, and Faedra thought her legs were going to give way.  Faen must have felt it, too, and he scooped her up.

“I will take that as a yes then,” he said, voice slightly ragged. A smug grin was pulling at the corners of his mouth.

When no objection came, Faen pushed the door open with his foot and walked them inside, closing the door behind him.

The next morning came around far too quickly for Faedra’s liking.  Just for one second between her eyes opening and her consciousness waking, she was in heaven.  Still snuggled in her Guardian’s arms, warm and safe.  His even breaths fanning over her neck told her he was still asleep.  She smiled, remembering the previous evening. He got into bed with her after she’d changed into the pajamas Janessa left for her, tucked himself around her and held her all night. She had slept like a log.

She wished it could be the same every night, but when in her home, it was too risky for him to sleep in his fae form in case her father walked in for any reason while they were sleeping.  So Faen spent his nights in her bedroom as her lovable dog, although he graduated to sleeping on her bed after the ball, but it wasn’t quite the same.

Unfortunately, this moment couldn’t last.  Her dad needed her.

A little while later, Faedra was dressed and waiting for her Guardian to finish in the bathroom.

She stood by the bed and stared down at the time-pebble nestled in the flat of her palm.  The color was encroaching further towards the center, and the familiar knot made its presence known in her stomach.

“Hang on, Dad.  We’re coming,” she whispered.

She squeezed it in her hand before shoving it back in the front pocket of her jeans.

Faen emerged from the bathroom a moment later.  “Ready?”

Faedra gave the room a sweeping gaze and sighed.  It was a heavy-hearted sigh, as if she’d never again spend another night in the safety and comfort of a bedroom.  With a brief closing of her eyes to calm her nerves, she bent down to grab her backpack and swung it over her shoulder as she turned and strode towards her Guardian.

“About as ready as I’ll ever be.” She tried to hide the defeated undertone in her voice but it sneaked out.

“Come now,” Faen walked past her and opened the bedroom door. “We will be fine, you will see.  And we will get your father back.”

The sound of determination in Faen’s voice gave Faedra some much-needed hope.  She gave him a weak smile.

“Now let us go and talk to Draconis.”  He scooped up her hand and held it tight.   She could feel his support seeping into her blood.

Janessa, Rowan and Mrs. Forbes were waiting for them in the magnificent marble entrance hall to the house.  Janessa was doing a very poor job of hiding her worry but Rowan’s face was stoic, unreadable.

They walked outside into the bright morning sunshine, which momentarily blinded Faedra after being in the much darker innards of the house.  But a moment later her sight adjusted and she didn’t feel the need to squint anymore.

“Do you have everything?” Janessa asked, concern seeping into her voice.

“I believe we do, Mother.” Faen turned to the housekeeper.  “Mrs. Forbes, thank you for doing such a wonderful job packing Faedra’s pack.  There is enough in there to feed us for a week.”  He leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek and noticed a slight tinge of pink on the usually unflappable housekeeper’s face.

“You just come back to us safe and sound now, Master Faen.”

“We will do our best.”  Faen gave her a reassuring smile and turned to his father.

“Thank you for your help and advice, Father.  Without your guidance on this, we would not be as well prepared as we now are.”

Rowan responded with an impassive incline of his head.  Faen wasn’t about to accept that and gave his father a hug, whether the stern looking man wanted one or not.  Rowan brought one hand up in an uncomfortable gesture of compassion and patted his son on the shoulder.  When Faen released his father, he turned to his mother who was trying very hard to bite back her tears.  Something she had done countless times before when her husband had left on dangerous missions and she wondered if that would be the last time she saw him or touched him.

“We will be all right, Mother.  Just you wait and see,” Faen responded to his mother’s unspoken words.  He wrapped his arms around her and she almost bear-hugged him in return.

“I am just being silly.  I know you will come back to us safely.” Her voice was slightly shaky along with her smile.

Faen bent a little to plant a kiss on her cheek before turning to face his Custodian.

“We should be going.”

Faedra nodded in agreement a few seconds before Faen scooped her up in his arms and beat his wings, lifting them from the ground.  No matter how many times she’d flown with him, her stomach still did flip-flops for the first few moments.  She couldn’t quite work out if that was from being held against him or from being lifted above the ground; probably a little of both.

“We will be back before you know it,” Faen said to the departure party before turning and flying in the opposite direction.

Faedra rested her head against Faen’s chest and closed her eyes, as if that very action would block out all the worry and fear she felt.  Although it was a warm day, she felt chilled to the bone and Faen could sense as much.

Faen had timed their departure according to how long he and his father estimated it would take him to fly carrying Faedra.  They wanted to arrive near the mountains at dusk.  The plan was to drop Faedra off somewhere safe, a little way from the enclave of redcaps that had taken up residence around the mouth of the mountain.  He would then do a surveillance flight under the cover of darkness and from there, try to work out a plan of how to get them passed the redcaps and into the mountain.

Faedra had been silent for most of the several hours into their flight.  At times Faen thought she may be sleeping but each time he looked down to check, her eyes were wide open and taking in the surrounding beauty of the countryside they were flying over.

He had left her alone with her thoughts until now.

“Penny for them?”

She twitched a little.  She’d been so deep in thought, the sudden break in silence made her jump.  She looked up into the aqua gaze of her Guardian.  He smiled at the questioning look on her face.

“I believe, that is a human term:  A penny for your thoughts.”

She gave him a half-hearted smile. “I don’t think they are worth a penny.  I was mainly just enjoying the peace and tranquility before what I expect to be all hell breaking loose.  A bit like the calm before the storm.”

“With any luck, we will not need to use too much force.  I am hoping we can sneak passed most of them and just have to neutralize the ones guarding the entrance to the mountain.”

“I hope I don’t let you down.” Faedra admitted.

“You have never let me down yet; I do not expect this occasion will be any different.”

Faedra breathed in a deep breath. “Well, you certainly have a lot more faith in me than I do.”

A few more moments passed in silence, then Faedra’s thoughts took a different turn when she suddenly realized they had been flying for hours.

“Faen, you must be getting tired.  You are not used to flying with a heavy weight.  Maybe we should stop and rest for a few moments.”

Faen looked down to see the concern in his charge’s eyes.

“Do not concern yourself, Faedra.  We go through this in our training.  It is always a possibility that Guardians will have to fly their charges to safety, so we have to carry weights for long distances to improve our wing strength.  I am fine.”  He gave her a reassuring smile to cement the statement.

Fact was, his wings were starting to wane a little but he was not about to admit it, he had far too much pride for that.  And besides, his Custodian was beating herself up quite satisfactorily enough on her own without him giving her any more ammunition to use.

“We are nearly there, Faedra.” Faen said a while later.  When he got no response he looked down at the young woman in his arms.  Her eyes were closed, her head resting against his chest.  He noticed her breathing had evened out sometime before and suspected that she had finally fallen asleep.  Now her face was a picture of serenity, the wrinkle between her eyebrows, that had been a constant fixture on her features since her dad’s disappearance, was smooth and her forehead resembled porcelain, her milky-white skin was so smooth.  He almost didn’t want to drag her from the tranquility of wherever she may be in her dreams but they had to get ready to act.

He spoke a little louder, not wanting to startle her out of her slumber.  “Faedra, we are almost there.”

She stirred, opening her eyes.  A smile crept across her lips at the sight of him being the first thing she saw upon waking.

“Huh?” she murmured.

“The mountains, they are just up ahead.” He looked up and focused his gaze ahead of him.

Faedra turned her head following his gaze, then brought her hand up to scrub the last remnants of sleep and tranquility from her face.

The sun was starting to dip in the sky and up ahead in the distance loomed the majestic Alovison Mountain range.

“How long have I been sleeping?”

Faen could hear the chagrin in her voice.

“Not long… no apologies now, I am glad you were able to get some restful sleep.  You will need your energy,” he said when he could sense she was going to chastise herself for falling asleep on him.  Truth was, she admitted to herself, when he was close to her, it seemed to be the only time she could get a good peaceful sleep.

Faen spied a thicket just before the mountain range and decided it would be as safe a place as any to leave the Custodian while he went and did a sweep over the redcap’s encampment.  As he got closer, he made his way lower to the ground, finding an opening through the trees.  The sun was now dipping behind the mountains and when they got down to the ground, it was almost dark because the angle of the mountains was now hiding the sun, leaving twilight colors painting the sky.

The thicket of trees was dense and Faen lowered his charge’s legs to the ground with care.  He expected the weakness she would feel when her feet made contact with the earth.  His arm under hers, Faen steadied her for a few moments until she regained her equilibrium.

“My legs go like jelly after flying with you.  Why is that?”

Faen shrugged, then a mischievous smile curved his lips.

“I guess it must be the affect I have on you.”  His smile widened to show a row of immaculate white teeth.  It stole Faedra’s heart, he so rarely gave up a carefree smile like that and it lit up his face.  She wished he would let down his guard more often.

She returned his smile with a broadening one of her own.

“I guess so.”

A moment later her legs were back to normal and Faen stood in front of her and rested a hand on each of her shoulders, his features having resumed their no nonsense aura of seriousness.

“You will be safe here while I go and scout the area.”

Faedra nodded.

Faen turned to leave, his wings starting to beat as he did so.

“Faen.” Her voice sounded strangled, although, that was not her intention.

Still on the ground, he stopped beating his wings and turned to look at her.  A worried expression was scrunching her eyebrows together.

“Be careful,” Faedra whispered.

He took a step to stand in front of her and cupped her face in his hands, tilting her head up to meet his gaze.  He leaned down, brushing his lips over hers.  The softness of them making his eyes close.  He lingered there for a moment, the kiss soft but full of meaning, before drawing back and opening his eyes.  Faedra opened hers a second later and met his intense gaze.

“I will be quite safe.  I will return shortly.  Stay right here.”

Faen brushed his thumb over her cheek before turning.  He beat his wings and took off straight up through the trees.

Faedra slumped her body back against the big gnarly tree behind her, thankful for its support.  After a few moments she lowered herself to the ground and sat cross-legged in the soft moss surrounding the tree.  She kept her eyes and ears alert for any unusual sounds, and waited with bated breath for her Guardian to return.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Faedra had been sitting for what seemed like eternity.  The light was gradually fading, and, as it did, the thicket became alive with the noise of nighttime creatures.  Her eyes were doing a pretty good job of adjusting as the light dimmed but she was now becoming acutely aware that it was so dark she could hardly see her hand in front of her face; the moon was not high enough in the sky to make a difference just yet.  There was a rustle in the trees, and an uneasy feeling washed over the young Custodian.  She stood up, senses on full alert.  A light breeze was ruffling the leaves in the surrounding trees of the dense woodland copse.  Her ears had grown somewhat attuned to the sounds of the thicket but the noise she just heard was something different.

Her heart quickened and she spun around, obeying what her instincts were telling her to do.  Her eyes were straining to focus in the intense blackness that now felt like it was threatening to strangle her where she stood.  Ever since being attacked by a redcap behind the hotel on her birthday, she hated the dark.  Before that fateful day, she would never have dreamed she’d be standing, scared to death in a dark forest in another realm, waiting somewhat impatiently for a fairy to come and get her so she could tackle more evil creatures in the pursuit of trying to rescue her kidnapped father.

A little sigh of resignation escaped through pouted lips.  At times like this she longed to be seventeen again and blissfully unaware of anything more scary than a hamster.

There was another rustle and her heart threatened to hammer its way out of her chest.  She allowed herself to take a shallow breath, hardly daring to breathe, lest she give herself away.  But she had a feeling whoever was near, knew all too well she was there.  Now she knew what a rabbit felt like when being stalked by a fox.

Her mind scrambled to make a sensible decision out of the myriad ideas flashing through her brain.

She thought for one fleeting moment it could be Faen.  Maybe he just got turned around when it got dark.  Maybe she should be calling out to him so he would know where she was.  Who was she kidding?  If she called out, she’d be leading whomever it was straight to her, and she had a very good feeling it wasn’t her Guardian.

She could light the area with an energy orb, but again that would be tantamount to having a flashing neon arrow pointing at her head saying ‘Here I am, come and get me.’  She extinguished that idea, too.  Maybe she should have an energy ball at the ready, just in case.  If it were just an animal shuffling about in the undergrowth, it might bring attention to her if someone was nearby and not yet aware that she was there.  So far, she hadn’t seen any glowing yellow eyes, so that was a bonus.

She could feel her palms getting clammy with the stress of her indecision, and the icy prickle of fear snaked down her back.

Where are you, Faen?

The rustle in the bushes got louder as the perpetrator got closer.  Faedra held her breath, her pulse pounding like timpani in her ears.

“Allo, my lovely.  To what do I owe the pleasure of your sweet little arse in my forest?”

Faedra spun around upon hearing the heavily accented voice.  Was that a Cockney accent?  What was someone with a Cockney accent doing in the middle of a forest in Azran?  The thought distracted her for a split second before instinct kicked in and she summoned a couple of energy balls that were now bobbing above her palms lighting the area around her.

“Don’t come any closer,” she demanded, in what she hoped was an authoritative tone, but she had a feeling it probably sounded more of a pathetic squeak than the sound of someone to be reckoned with.  She gulped when she saw to whom the voice belonged.

The man was easily taller than Faen and built like a house.  A long dark coat hung from broad square shoulders and his muscular build could be determined even under the dark clothing he wore.  His features were rugged and there was a definitive angle to his jaw that was set rigid.  A stubbly overgrowth shadowed the lower half of his face but, even underneath all that, Faedra could tell this man was rakishly handsome.  For some reason, that fact made her even more nervous.  The light from her energy balls reflected in his bright green eyes adding an eerie glow to his already foreboding features.  His alert stance was held steady by heavy leather boots that were planted firm in the dirt.  There was nothing soft and rounded about this man, everything about him screamed proficient predator.  Faedra’s throat dried up, but she stood her ground even though the more sane part of her brain was yelling at her to run.

She could feel the blood drain from her face as the man’s gaze raked her up, down, then up again.  The corner of his mouth upturned in a calculating smile, eyeing Faedra as if she was his favorite dessert and he was about to take his first bite.

“An energy manipulator, eh?  Now that’s very interesting.  Bin a while since I sin one ‘o your kind.”

“What’s interesting?” Faedra asked, trying to keep the man talking until she could think of a way out of the situation.

He took a step forward, ignoring her question.  “Well, then, lil’ lady, you gonna tell me what you doin’ in my forest or am I gonna have to squeeze if from yer?”

“I’m warning you, don’t come any closer.” Faedra’s voice quavered a little as she held her palms up in what she hoped was a threatening manner.

“Or you’ll do what exactly?” The man taunted widening his calculating smile to reveal a row of immaculate white teeth.  He took another menacing step closer, stalking towards her with the finesse of a big cat.

“This.” She threw her balls of energy at the man and let her jaw drop when he disappeared a split second before they would have hit him.  Carrying on their journey until they exploded into the nearest tree.  Splinters of bark went flying every which way.

She spun around but he was nowhere to be seen.  She stood in silence for a moment listening for any sound that might betray the stranger.  When she didn’t hear any, she relaxed her shoulders, let her orbs fizzle, and puffed out a sigh of relief.  Then something struck her as odd.  She looked down at her ring, it hadn’t given her any warning that she was in danger.  She frowned at it and gave it a tap as if it were faulty.

“Now that weren’t very friendly was it?”

The menacing voice that was smooth as silk whispered in her ear, so close she could feel his warm breath on her neck.  She froze.  How had he managed to get so close to her without her seeing him or hearing him even move?  Before she came to her senses and could react, the man had taken hold of her hands. He put them palms facing together and held them above her head with one of his massive hands.  He knew what he was doing; she couldn’t use her powers with her hands bound in that position.  He had his other hand in the small of her back, pushing her against his body then he kicked her feet apart and stood between her legs so she couldn’t knee him in the groin either.

Faedra struggled hard, she couldn’t even use her head to butt him because it only came to his chest and that was rock solid, it would do her more harm than him. The more she struggled, the harder he pressed her body to his. Her heart sank, she felt completely powerless against this strapping goliath of a man.  Standing head-to-chest, leg-to-leg, he was forcing every part of her body against his.

“It’s interestin’ coz you are a very rare breed.  Not many inherit that power, so just who are you lil’ lady and what are you doin’ out here on your own?”

“Let me go,” Faedra demanded, “I’m not alone, and if you don’t let me go you’ll be sorry.”

The man chuckled at her empty words, and she could feel his chest move against her forehead.

“Funny,  coz I don’t see no one comin’ to yer aid right now.  I’d say it’s just you an’ me, all nice an’ cozy like.”

His mocking tone sent chills down Faedra’s spine.

Faedra was losing her resolve, she couldn’t think of a way out of the situation.  He seemed to have successfully stopped her from being able to defend herself and that thought terrified her.

“Are- Are you going to kill me?” She asked into his chest, not daring to look up at him. Her voice was shaky now.

“Kill yer?” he sounded surprised at her question.  “Now, whadda I wanna be killing yer for?” His voice softened just a fraction but it was enough for Faedra to notice and allow her some hope.

The frightened Custodian looked up at her captor.  The moon high enough in the sky now, it bathed the forest in an eerie silver glow.  Her captor’s face was shrouded with shadow but she could still make out his angular features in the silver light.

“What are you going to do to me, then?” she plucked up the courage to ask.

“Well, once yer paid the toll, I’ll let yer pass.”

“But…” she bit her lip not sure if she should finish the sentence or not.  “I, err, don’t have any money.”

“S’not money I’m after.  So that’s just as well then, innit?”

“What are you after?” Faedra knew she shouldn’t have said it as soon as the words passed her lips because her captor’s smile turned roguish once again, like the cat that got the cream.

“This,” responded the man as he planted his lips very self assuredly on Faedra’s.  She protested as best she could but the harder she tried to pull away the more intense he became.  As scared as she was, she was also angered at his intrusion which gave her renewed strength.  She tried to pull her hands free hoping the kiss would distract him, but he just squeezed his hands even tighter, probably bruising the skin around her wrists with the force.  His grip around the small of her back tightened, also, and he continued to push her into him with his other hand.

She was starting to panic now.  Was this man intending to attack her?  If he was, she didn’t think she would stand a chance against him.  She was just about to do the only thing she could think of and bite him through the lip when she heard a sound that made her heart sing.

“Let her go!”

Faedra’s heart soared when she recognized the voice of her Guardian.

Her captor’s body went rigid at the command, his lips pausing on hers but holding his position steady.

“I said. Let. Her. Go!”

The man pulled his lips from Faedra’s and, in that second, she could see there was recognition in his eyes just before he spoke.

“I’d know that voice anywhere.  Faen?” He turned, not letting go of Faedra’s hands but bringing them down from where he was holding them above her head.

Faedra gave the man an incredulous look.

“Faen, my man, is that you?”

She looked to Faen who took a hesitant step forward, sword still held out in front of him, ready to attack.  He adjusted his focus to take in the features of the man who was holding his Custodian captive.  Then recognition sparked in his eyes, too.

“Etyran?”

“Yeah, mate. It’s me, in the flesh.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“Etyran, my friend.” Faen thrust his sword back into its sheath as he strode towards Faedra and her captor.  Etyran dropped Faedra’s hands and stalked over to meet his friend.  Faedra rubbed her wrists and flexed her fingers as she watched wide-eyed with disbelief as the two men threw their arms around each other in a backbreaking hug and patted each other on the back with forceful slaps.

“It’s been a long time, mate,” Etyran said as he released his iron grip from Faen.

“It certainly has, my friend.” Faen gave his old friend a broad smile.

“You know this… this idiot?” Faedra questioned Faen with an incredulous glare.

Faen opened his mouth to respond but his friend beat him to it.

“Steady on, girlie.  A rogue I might be, an idiot I ain’t.  I’ll ‘ave you know I had the highest intelligence of all trainee Guardians at the Academy.”

Faen nodded his head as a sign of reiteration when Faedra shifted her bemused gaze from Etyran to him.

“You’re a Guardian?” Faedra asked in disbelief.

“Err, no, I ain’t.”

“Why is he talking like that?” Faedra directed her question to her Guardian as if the other man weren’t even present.  She could still feel the tingle of his lips on hers and wanted nothing more than to ignore him right now.  Something she was horrified to admit she was finding hard to do.

“With all of his intelligence, it was a pity he could not think with his brains instead of what was in his breeches.  Silly fool got himself exiled to the East End of London.” Faen explained with what Faedra perceived to be a measure of glee in his voice.

Faedra’s eyebrows shot up at the revelation.

“What did you do to deserve that?” Her curiosity got the better of her and she acknowledged the man with her question.

“Pissed off the king just a tad, that’s what.”

“He tried to seduce Vivianna.” Faen finished the explanation for his friend who seemed reluctant to be forthcoming with the information.

Faedra spluttered a laugh and her lips curled in a smug grin.  “Well, that was pretty stupid,” she said with condescension.  “But that still doesn’t explain why you’re talking like a Cockney.  Faen didn’t pick up an accent in all the time he’s been in Norfolk.”

“Well, it’s like this, missy.  The East End ain’t the easiest place to fit in with a posh accent y’know.  If I wanted to blend in I had to adapt a bit, seeings as I was gonna be spendin’ a bit ‘o time there an’ all.”

He looked at his friend, then back at Faedra, eyes widening as if some big revelation had just sprouted in his mind.

“Hold up.  You must be a bloody Custodian.”

“Oh, give the man a prize.” Faedra said, her voice laced with sarcasm.  She couldn’t bring herself to be civil to the man after what he had just done to her.

Etyran ignored her retort and turned to his friend.

“Faen, you jammy sod.  You got the Custodian?  How’d you get that gig?”

“Well, with you gone, I had no competition, graduated top of the class and, as you know, only the highest ranking gets the Custodian.”

“Blimey, if I hadn’t been exiled, she’d be mine right now.”  He turned back and wiggled his eyebrows at Faedra, who was looking repulsed by the idea.

“Hello, Custodian standing right here listening to every word.  Stop talking about me like I was some sort of possession.”

Etyran gave another of his roguish smiles.  “Oh, luv, we’d have had a bloody good time, I can tell yer.  Unlike with Mr. Stuffy Breeches here.” He nodded in Faen’s direction and Faedra noticed her Guardian stiffen a little at Etyran’s remark, even though she could tell it was the man’s attempt at being good-humored.

Faedra folded her arms over her chest.  She was not about to let this person offend her, or her friend.

“Firstly, whoever you are, I do not belong to anyone.  Secondly, Faen is perfectly capable of showing me a good time.”

“Oh, yeah, has he flown a 360 with yer, yet?”

“What? Err, no.”

“Faen, my man, you’re slacking.  What happened to the guy I knew at the Academy?  That Faen would’ve had her in a 360 on her first flight.”

“Actually, that wouldn’t have been a good idea on my first flight,” Faedra chimed in when she noticed the look of defeat on Faen’s face.  Then she turned to Etyran and gave him a scolding look like a teacher reprimanding a naughty schoolboy.

Faen decided to change the subject before his Custodian’s red hair got the better of her.  He hadn’t seen her lose her temper very often, but when she did, it wasn’t pretty, and the warning signs were starting to show.

“So, what in the name of Kernunnos are you doing here?  The king would have your head if he knew you had entered Azran without his permission.” Faen asked.

“Heard those grisly little blighters were congregatin’ in the mountains and thought I’d check it out.  Summut’s going on and I don’t like it one bit.”  Etyran paused and a crinkle formed between his eyebrows.  “Never mind ‘bout me, what the bloody ‘ell are you doing ‘ere.  Last I heard you’re supposed to be protecting Custodians, not puttin’ em in danger?”

“It’s a long story, and much as I’d love to stay and chat over tea and scones, we’ve got some business to attend to,” Faedra answered, as she took a couple of steps towards her Guardian, but Etyran stepped forward blocking her path.  She looked up and gave him an icy glare.

“Hold up, girlie.  Where you off to in such an all-fired hurry?  You ain’t going nowhere tonight, it’s too dangerous.”

“We need to see Draconis, not that it’s any of your business.  And the only way to do that is to go through the Gatekeeper, who just happens to be surrounded by redcaps.”

“Are you stark ravin’ bonkers?  Draconis hates humans; he’ll kill yer, soon as look at yer.”

“Maybe, maybe not, but I have to try.  So if you’ll please step aside and let me pass, we’ll be on our way.”  She met his eyes full on. “I believe I have already paid the toll.”

His features softened at her remark and she could see what she interpreted as a look of remorse washing over his face.  Not only did his features soften, his accent did, too.

“Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot.”

“Oh, you think?” Faedra glared at him.

“Okay, I admit I was out of order.  I would have never done that if I knew you were a Custodian.”

“That’s no excuse!  You shouldn’t have done it to anyone. Anyway, I can’t stand around here debating the point, I’m running out of time.”  She pulled the time-pebble out of her pocket to show him. “See, we don’t have much of it left.”

“Flippin’ heck!  Where did you get that?  That’s dark magic, that is.  Who gave you that?”

“Like I said, it’s a long story, one I don’t have time for right now.”

“Look, if you’re determined to get to the Gatekeeper tonight I can help, but you can’t go now.” Etyran said.

“Why not?” Faedra and Faen asked together.

“They’ll be changing the guard shift later.  If you wait till then it will be the best chance you have of sneaking by them.”

“I’m listening.” Faedra said.

“I found this little shack when I first got here.  Come back with me and I can show you the best way in.  I’ve been studying the creepy little buggars for weeks.”

“Faen, what do you think?” she said peering round Etyran’s body to talk to her Guardian.

“Sounds like a good idea to me.  We could use all the help we can get.”

“Okay, then.”  She looked back up at Etyran and laid a palm on his chest, sending a short sharp zap through her hand.  “That’s for taking something that doesn’t belong to you.”

He lunged back with the force, and, to her surprise, his body flickered like the picture on a faulty television screen.  He leaned over putting his hands on his knees to steady himself and looked up at her, face still flickering.

“I guess I deserved that,” he said with resignation.  “Serves me right for messing with a manipulator.”

“What are you?” Faedra asked, horrified at what she was seeing and starting to feel remorse for zapping him, even though she knew she hadn’t used enough force to inflict pain, she just wanted to make him jump.  After a couple of moments he stopped flickering and stood up.

“The last of my kind,” he answered, his voice echoing with a soul deep sadness.

“That didn’t answer my question.” Faedra encouraged.

Etyran gave her a wistful smile, then held up his arm to direct Faen and Faedra.

“Come on, the shack is this way.”  He strode forward ahead of her.

Faedra noticed that his accent had all but disappeared now and he sounded more like Faen.  Her Guardian waited for her to reach his side.  They followed behind the dark and mysterious man who was now leading them deeper into the woods.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

It didn’t take them long to reach the shack Etyran mentioned.  It lived up to its description.  From its appearance, Faedra guessed it was a one-roomed cabin that had obviously fallen into neglect over the years.  The wood was rotting in places and the windows were boarded up in a shabby attempt to cover them.  There was no light coming from within, but then, why would there be, no one was home.

Etyran stepped onto the uneven porch dodging around a hole in the rotting wooden planks.  He waved his hand over the door with a fluid sweeping motion.   Faedra gave a curious look when she saw some symbols glow for a split second on the frame before they disappeared and the door creaked open.

“Welcome to my humble abode.” Etyran said as he motioned for them to enter. “Be careful, I put my foot through that the first time I came here.” He pointed to the hole in front of the door.  Skirting around it, Faen and Faedra walked past him into the shack.  Etyran did a quick glance around outside before he closed the door behind him and did another sweep with his hand over the door.  Again, the symbols glowed on the frame and he caught Faedra giving them a curious glance.

“Wards,” he stated, as if that were all the explanation needed.

Faedra nodded her head with understanding.  Wards were something she did know about, although, she’d never physically seen one. The symbols sparked her interest.  She wondered now what the symbols looked like that had been attached to her for the first seventeen years of her life.  Had they been present on her skin and she’d never known?

Once inside, he lit a candle on a table in the center of the room.  The windows on the inside had also been boarded up, but much more effectively this time.  No light was going to leak out through those.

Etyran moved over to the large stone fireplace that took up most of one wall and lit a fire.  The light from the candle and that from the fire drenched the inside of the modest little cabin with a warm welcoming glow.  Faedra felt her shoulders relax as she slumped down on one of the chairs around the table, allowing herself a few moments of calm.

The inside of the shack was sparse.  The only other piece of furniture that accompanied the table and chairs was an uncomfortable looking bed with a rickety wooden frame in the corner by the fire.

“How long have you been living here?” she asked, looking around at his mediocre living quarters.

“Just a few weeks.” Etyran replied.  “You must be thirsty, I’ll heat up some water.” He filled a pot with some water from a jug and hung it above the fire, then wandered over to join Faen and Faedra at the table. “Are you hungry?”

“It’s okay, we have enough food in this backpack to last a week, Faen’s Mum saw to that.”

“Ah, and how is the lovely Janessa?  I haven’t seen her for so long.” He directed his question to Faen.

“She and my father are well,” Faen answered.  “If she could see you now though, she would unleash Mrs. Forbes on you with a razor and a cache of soap.”

Etyran faked a horrified look then one side of his mouth quirked up in a lopsided grin.  “Don’t think she’d go for the rugged look then?”

Faen raised an eyebrow.  “You know my mother.”

Faedra took some of the food out of her pack and offered it around to the others.  After she swallowed a bite, she turned to Etyran.

“So, you were going to help us get past the redcaps.”

“Ah, yes.  The grisly little blighters,” he said in full Cockney.  “They swap their guard shift over when the moon starts to descend from its apex in the sky, so by my reckoning, that gives us another couple of hours yet.  I have been watching them for weeks and I think I know the best place to sneak you into the cavern.  Once inside you will only need to get passed four of them that are stationed in front of the Gatekeeper’s chamber.  I’d like to know why they see the need to guard it at all.  I can’t decide if it is to stop someone from entering Zutherindal from Azran or the other way around.  Very fishy business, if you ask me.”

“How have you been able to get close enough to find all this out?” Faedra asked, curious.

“Because of who I am.”

Faedra raised her eyebrows in question.

“I’m a light bender.  I can manipulate light or dark so I can appear invisible.  Comes in handy sometimes, I can tell you.”

“So, that’s how you disappeared right in front of my eyes when I fired at you.  I knew it couldn’t have been glamour because that doesn’t work on me.”

“Yeah, you have pretty good aim, you almost hit me.  I only got out of the way by a hair’s breadth.  Unfortunately, I don’t physically disappear.  My body was still there, I just gave the impression that it wasn’t.”

“Hmm.”

“Which brings me to the next part of my plan.”  He gave Faen a look that Faedra couldn’t quite work out and kept his gaze steady as he carried on talking.  “The Gatekeeper is so heavily guarded that I am going to have to take Faedra in alone, my friend.”

Faen’s eyes sparked with a possessiveness Faedra had never seen before.

“That is NOT an option, Etyran.  I cannot let her out of my sight, especially when she may be in danger.  You know that.”  Faen’s voice was full of conviction.

“Look, mate. I know this is hard for you to swallow but just hear me out.”

Faen held Etyran’s gaze steady with a steely glare. “There is no way the Custodian is going in there without me.  End of discussion.”

Faedra looked with amazement at her Guardian, she’d never heard him be so abrupt and inflexible.

“Faen, at least hear what he has to say,” she said covering his hand with hers where it rested on the table.

His voice softened when he turned and spoke to her. “I am not leaving you, Faedra.”

“Okay, but let’s just hear what he has to say.”

Faen closed his eyes for a second as if trying to compose himself.  “Very well, tell us your plan,” he said on the tail end of a heavy sigh.

“The easiest and safest way to get past the redcaps is to be invisible.  I know, I’ve done it several times now.  Faen, you know glamour doesn’t work on them.  They’re fae and if they get a whiff of us being there it could quickly turn nasty.  Why risk that if we don’t have to?”

Faen took a deep breath, considering what Etyran was planning.

“If you stand guard outside while we go in, we may need a distraction when we come back.”

“I do not like this.” Faen said his voice tight, his jaw set.

“How will you make me invisible?” Faedra asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

“You will have to be very close to me.  I think if you stand in front of me while I wrap my arms and my coat around you, and you keep your steps inside mine, I can bend the light around us both.”

Faedra felt Faen’s hand stiffen underneath hers and she turned to see him shifting uncomfortably in his chair.  His steely gaze still trained on the man sitting opposite them.

Faedra had to admit she wasn’t thrilled about having to be in such close proximity to the man who just a short while ago had kissed her like no other before him.

When Faen kissed her, it was gentle and loving but Etyran kissed her with a passion that nearly burned her to the core, even if she had been scared for her life at the time.  The first time Faen had kissed her, it had been with a sense of decorum.  The thought of Etyran wrapping his arms around her seemed a little too intimate for her liking, and it was obvious from the look on Faen’s face he was thinking the same thing.

“I won’t let anything happen to her, mate.  The Custodian is just as important to me as she is to you.” Etyran said.

Faen pushed back his chair with a forceful shove and stood up.

“Oh, I doubt that.” Faen growled at Etyran before spinning around and walking away from the table.

Etyran gave Faedra a confused glance.  She responded with a barely discernable shake of her head before pushing her chair back and walking over to Faen.  He hung his head, indecision clouding his features.  When Faedra reached him, he wouldn’t look at her, so she leaned down and tilted her head up until he had no choice.  When his gaze met hers, she could see the emotions warring there.

“Faen, if you don’t trust that he can keep me safe, then we won’t do this.”

He brought his head up and Faedra followed.

“Oh, I trust that he will keep you safe,” he spoke softly before turning a poignant stare towards Etyran.  Faedra followed his gaze and watched Etyran raise his shoulders and eyebrows, along with upturned palms in a silent question ‘what’s up?’.

Faedra moved her head until her face was in front of Faen’s, bringing his gaze back to her.

“What is it then?”

Faen looked at her for the longest moment and Faedra was unsure if he was going to answer her.

“I saw the way he kissed you.”

Faedra wasn’t expecting that reply but went with it. “Without my permission, I might add,” she said with a defiant glare towards the perpetrator.  Etyran dropped his gaze, a look of shame sweeping across his face.

She looked back at Faen who dropped his gaze, also.  Faedra rolled her eyes, there was way too much testosterone in the room for her liking.

“Faen, look at me.”

When he didn’t move, she repeated herself more sternly.  “Look at me.”

Faen raised his eyes to meet hers.

“Now, you listen to me.  It’s you I care about, not some Jack-the-lad who accosted me in the woods.  If he hadn’t been your friend, he’d have gotten much more than a friendly tickle in the chest.”

A gasp from the table made them both turn and stare.  Etyran was pointing his finger first at Faen, then at Faedra, a look of surprise on his face.

“You two? I mean you and her?  Oh, mate, I’m sorry, I’d never have…”

Faedra started to chuckle at the flustered attempt at an apology coming from the table and looked back at her Guardian, but the smile was wiped from her face when she saw the look in his eyes.  Hers widened a split second before Faen put an arm around the small of her back and pulled her tight to him.  He kissed her with a passion she’d never felt before.  The kiss Etyran had forced on her didn’t touch this one with a ten-foot barge pole.  She leaned in to her Guardian and reveled in the passion he was pouring into her. Her energy crackled all around them, making their hair stand on end and goose bumps flash up their arms.  When he finally pulled back, she just stared at him in disbelief, her breathing ragged and legs feeling like jelly. Well if that wasn’t marking his territory, she didn’t know what was.

Faen’s smug smile said it all but she wasn’t about to reprimand him for it, she was still reeling from his kiss.

“You do know that’s forbidden, right?” The silence was broken by the serious tone in Etyran’s voice, pulling Faedra back to her senses.  She and Faen turned and gave him a cold stare, to which he responded with a defensive hands-up gesture.

“Okay, okay, just checking.  Mate, you are treading on thin ice.  I mean look what the king did to me.  I know I was trying it on with his daughter but the Custodian is almost as bad.”

Faedra grinned at the statement and looked up at her Guardian. “I guess that makes me a double whammy then,” she whispered to Faen, her lips curving in a sly smile, prompting one from him.

“I believe we can continue making our plans now,” Faen said as he brushed his fingers over her cheek.

They walked over to the table and sat down.  Etyran gave them a curious look.

“Double whammy?  What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, I guess that’s for me to know and you to wonder about.” Faedra replied with just a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

CHAPTER TWENTY

After a couple of hours of strategizing, they had hashed out a plan to get to the Gatekeeper who would, hopefully, allow them access into Zutherindal to seek an audience with Draconis.  Faedra felt her mouth go dry as they left the relative safety of the shack and stepped out into the dark shadowy forest.  Etyran’s tall dark figure led the way through the trees.  Faedra kept close to her Guardian, subconsciously reaching out for his hand after only walking a few steps.  She twined her fingers around his and let the instant calm she felt wrap around her like a warm comforting blanket.  She wondered if she would ever be able to shake this recently acquired fear of the dark.  She pushed back the thought that she was once again going to be in the dark with those hideous creatures that caused the fear in the first place.  At least this time she would not be alone.

Faen looked down at their entwined fingers and gave her a reassuring smile.

“We will not let anything happen to you,” he whispered.

“I know.”

The trail they were walking became narrower the deeper they journeyed into the forest, until it became a single-track, barely trodden path.  Faen guided Faedra to walk in front of him by placing his palm to the small of her back, the movement sandwiching her between him and his exiled friend.  Although Etyran was doing his best to push the thick brush and low hanging limbs out of their way, the odd branch would spring back, and a couple had caught Faedra in the face.  She could feel the brambles snagging at her clothing and understood why Etyran chose to wear a long thick coat, it was perfect protection against the dense thicket they were fighting their way through.  After several more slaps in the face with low flying branches, Etyran came to an abrupt stop.  So abrupt in fact, Faedra slammed hard into the back of him.  He didn’t move with the force of it and she felt like she just walked into a brick wall.

“You could at least warn me…” she started to protest but Etyran spun round, clamped a hand over her mouth, and put a finger to his lips with his other hand.

Faedra’s eyes grew wide and she tried to settle the nauseous feeling stirring in the pit of her stomach.  She held her breath and nodded to let Etyran know she wouldn’t breathe another word.  He withdrew his hand and mouthed a ‘sorry’ to her.

Faedra heard a metallic clanking up ahead and her blood turned to ice.  She would recognize that sound anywhere.  A second later she could hear the gravelly conversation as a couple of redcaps walked past them just a few feet ahead of where they stood.  She was sure the pounding of her heart was so loud it would give them away, but to her relief the hideous creatures carried on walking, oblivious to the three cohorts hiding close by in the brush.

Etyran turned back to Faedra and Faen. “We’re close.  The base of the mountains is just up ahead.  We have to get closer so that we can see when the guards are changing shift.  There is a place nearby that makes a good vantage point.  Follow me and keep extra quiet.”

Faen and Faedra nodded their understanding and followed behind Etyran as he progressed forward.  It was incredibly hard to be quiet when trying to force yourself through the brush.  Faedra was certain they would be heard and captured before they even got to the foot of the mountain, but luck must have been shining down on them that night because no more redcaps made a patrol of that particular area before they got to Etyran’s vantage point.

They made a short climb up and over some large boulders.  From this point, they could peer over and look down at the entrance to the mountain, the boulders being tall enough to keep them from being seen from below.

“I guess we should try to see if I can wrap the light around the both of us before we go down there.” Etyran said in a whisper.

“What do you mean you guess you should see if you can?  I thought that was a given.” Faedra uttered, a little perturbed by Etyran’s revelation.

Etyran gave a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. “Never tried it before but I’m sure it will work okay.”

“Don’t you think it would have been a good idea to try this back at the shack, instead of out in the open where we’re like sitting ducks?” Faedra snapped, doing nothing to hide her annoyance.

“Well, yeah I guess it would’ve been a good idea if I’d thought of it back then.”

“Oh, that’s just great.  What if it doesn’t work?  Our whole plan hinges on you being able to do this.” Faedra was finding it hard to keep her voice to a whisper at this point.  Her frustration was bubbling to the surface.  At times like this, her power was a severe disadvantage because it was something she had to keep a constant rein on when her emotions started to peak.

“Don’t you worry, little lady.  If it don’t work, I’ll figure something else out,” Etyran said giving her one of his roguish smiles.

Faedra blew out a sigh and plonked herself down on a nearby boulder.  She buried her head in her hands and closed her eyes. “Oh, God, we’re going to die,” she mumbled to the ground.

A second later she felt fingertips lifting her chin.  She opened her eyes to see Faen squatting down in front of her.  He didn’t need to say a word.  His eyes spoke volumes and told her everything she wanted to hear.  How the plan would work, that he wouldn’t let any harm come to her, and that they would get her father back.  She smiled at him.

He took hold of her hand and eased her up off the boulder.  “Come on, let us see if Etyran’s plan will work.”

With just a hint of hesitation she walked over to Etyran. “Okay, what do I need to do?”

“Give me a hug.”

“What?” Faedra gave him an incredulous look.  It was a look she’d been perfecting over the past few months.  Did she hear him right?  They were about to risk their lives and he wanted a hug?

“You have to be as close to me as possible for this to work.  I can only bend the light around myself, so you have to be one with me.”

Oh, she didn’t like the sound of that, at all.  She rolled her eyes in what she hoped was a look of nonchalance, in an attempt to mask the uncomfortable feeling that was stirring at the thought of being that close to him.

Etyran opened his coat and Faedra stepped forward, with just a hint of reluctance, until she was pressed up against him, then wrapped her arms around his back.  He wrapped the flaps of his coat around her and encircled her with strong, powerful arms.   She felt caged but not in a prisoner-like way. It was more of an ‘I’m safe in here and nothing can get to me’ kind of way.

She looked up at him. “Now what?”

“You’ll have to lean your head against my chest.”

Faedra raised her eyebrows, the uncomfortable feeling rising in her insides.  She heard a groan from her Guardian as she laid her head on Etyran’s chest, and pulled her head away again to look up at the man.  He had her in such a tight hold she couldn’t move round to see Faen.  But she knew straight away what had caused the uneasy groan from her Guardian.  Etyran was looking at Faen with what she could only describe as a smile that screamed intense male smugness.

The uncomfortable feeling flared into anger at that point and she let go of her grip around his back and placed a palm on his chest.

“Stop it.  Right now,” she said in a whisper laced with warning.

“What?” Etyran’s expression turned to one of mischievous innocence. “I was just giving him a hard time.  We used to do it all the time at the Academy.”

“Well, don’t.  We’re already having a hard enough time as it is, we don’t need you adding to the mix.”

“Alright, alright,” he over emphasized to Faedra, then looked up at Faen. “Sorry, mate.  No hard feelings?”

Faen looked like he was biting his tongue, his jaw tight.  Faedra thought he looked as uncomfortable as she felt about this whole arrangement.

“Let’s just get on with it, shall we?”  Faedra said as she put her arm back around him and once again rested her head on his chest.

“Okay, ready?” He asked.

She nodded against his chest.  In the next second she felt the most unusual sensation running through her.  It felt like she had just dipped her toe on the still surface of a pond, but instead of the ripples flowing outward from the intrusion in perfect symmetry, they traveled up her body until she felt as if every fiber of her being was fluid.  The rippling sensation flowed in waves and it took her a few moments to get used to it.

“Oh,” she whispered. Her balance waning just a little as she tried to get a handle on the feeling.  Etyran tightened his hold on her in response, to steady her.

“It takes a bit of getting used to the first time,” he admitted.

“Does it feel like this all the time you are bending the light around you?”

“Yes, but I’m so used to it now, I’d forgotten how uneasy it can make you feel.”

Remembering why she was snuggly-pressed against the hard planes of Etyran’s chest she asked, “Faen, can you see us?  Is it working?”

To her relief he responded in the positive.   Her Guardian could not see them; they were totally invisible to his eyes.

She blew out a sigh of relief and eased herself away from Etyran’s hold, shooting an uneasy glance in his direction.  She thought she saw disappointment flash in his eyes as she stepped back from him, but it was gone in an instant and replaced with his usual roguish demeanor.  She shrugged the thought off.  “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet, we haven’t got you in and out to see the Gatekeeper in one piece yet.”

Faen stepped over to them and they all turned to peek over the boulder they were hiding behind.

“It won’t be long before they change the guard,” Etyran said.  “We better make our way down there.  Follow me and be as quiet as possible.”

Faen and Faedra nodded in agreement.  They followed Etyran until they were as close as they could get to the redcaps without being seen.  It made Faedra’s skin crawl to be this close to the grotesque creatures that were busying themselves with guarding the entrance to the mountain.  But if this was going to work, she had to control her feelings towards them.  She couldn’t afford to let her emotions get the better of her and risk their plan of getting to the Gatekeeper unseen.

A few moments went by and the redcaps stopped their patrolling and she could hear noise coming from up ahead.  The redcaps that were standing by the entrance moved off ahead to greet their replacements.

“Now,” Etyran whispered, opening up his coat to allow Faedra to get close to him.

Faedra stepped in and wrapped her arms around Faen’s friend just as she had a short while before.  Her heart was pounding and her throat had dried up.  Etyran wrapped his arms around her until she was snuggly cocooned against him.

“Faedra,” he whispered.

She looked up at him, eyebrows raised in question.

“Calm down, I can feel your heart pounding.  I don’t need an accidental shock in there, it would blow our cover.”  He sounded compassionate but Faedra could see the concern in his face.

She turned to seek out her Guardian knowing he was the only one capable of calming her when she got like this, as much as she hated to admit that fact.

Faen saw the fear in her face and stepped towards her.  He took her face in his hands and focused on her eyes.  He could feel the telltale tingle running through his fingers that warned him she was having a hard time controlling her energy.

“Faedra, breathe for me, take a big deep breath.”

She nodded and did as he asked.  Concentrating on his eyes, she pulled on his calming energy through his fingertips and into her cheeks.

Faen could feel the tingle recede from his fingertips as she took another deep breath.

“Good. Now Etyran will not let anything happen to you, and I will be waiting for you right here when you come back.  You can do this, Faedra.”

Faedra nodded her head again.  Her throat was too dry to allow any speech so she didn’t even try.  She knew she could trust Etyran.  She knew her Guardian wouldn’t let her go through with this if he didn’t trust his old friend to get them out in one piece, but nevertheless, she felt almost bereft when she felt the ripple go through her and knew that Faen could no longer see them.

“We need to go now,” Etyran whispered.

She looked up and nodded her head in agreement, tightening her hold on him.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Faedra swallowed hard and let her eyes close for a long second as Etyran started moving towards the mountain’s entrance.  She put her feet on his as instructed by him earlier, and it reminded her of why she was doing this crazy stunt and putting others in danger, too.  This was how she used to dance with her father when she was a child.  He would dance her around the floor with her feet perched on top of his.  She swallowed down a lump and bit back a tear at the thought.  She had to be strong if she had any hope of rescuing her dad.

It quickly became obvious to Faedra that Etyran knew what he was doing, and she was thankful they had bumped into him in the forest.  His close observation of the redcap’s operation was key as he scooted them past the disgusting creatures, using their distraction when changing shifts to the pair’s advantage.  It only took a few moments to make it to the mouth of the mountain but to Faedra they felt like the longest moments of her life, moments filled with tension and anxiety.

She held her breath as one redcap marched so close to them she almost brushed it with her elbow.  The redcap must have sensed something was close, because it looked around disconcerted for a moment. Faedra and Etyran froze on the spot, not daring to breathe or move lest they arouse more suspicion.  If the redcap reached out, it would have felt them standing right next to it, but after a few seconds, it shook its head, turned, and carried on patrolling in the opposite direction.

***

Once inside the mouth of the mountain, Etyran leaned up against the wall and let out a breath, even his steady resolve was momentarily shaken.  Faedra leaned into him trying to control her energy.  The adrenaline pumping through her system was starting to make her shake and her heart was threatening to pound straight out of her chest and into her partner-in-crime’s.

“That was close,” he whispered, then looked down as he felt Faedra shiver against him. “Are you okay?”

Faedra shook her head into his chest but no words followed.  The encounter she’d just had, being that close to a redcap again, had shaken her to the core.  Memories of what happened behind the hotel played a big factor.  Fear mixed with adrenaline was not a good combination if you possessed a power like hers.

Etyran could tell she was starting to lose control.  Where her hands were clinging to his back he could feel a distinct tingling sensation.  If she didn’t keep a handle on her energy, she could accidentally shock him, blowing their cover and they’d be in serious trouble.  He didn’t want to contemplate that scenario at the moment.

He looked both ways along the dark stone cave, lit only by a few torches dotted sparsely along the cave wall.  He couldn’t see any guards but he knew they patrolled this corridor, he’d seen them come and go from the mouth of the mountain enough times on his scouting missions.  To the best of his knowledge from observing their routine, he approximated there were four inside the mountain at any one time, which meant one could immerge from around the corner at any second.

Faedra shivered again, her head still buried in his chest.  He had to calm her down, and sooner rather than later; the tingling in his back was getting stronger.  Etyran wasn’t sure what to do.  He didn’t have much experience with the female variety.  Everyone thought because of his looks, he had his fair share of the ladies, and he was happy to let them think it.  Who was he to argue?  If the truth be told, though, underneath all his roguish bravado, he was actually quite intimidated by women, especially the one he held in his arms at that moment.  The Custodian was the most important and treasured human to the fae realm.

He thought for a quick moment about how his friend Faen had calmed his Custodian a little while before.  His touch had been so natural, so warm, and Faedra responded to him in a way that had Etyran fighting a twinge of envy.  Etyran didn’t know if he was even capable of such compassion, it was not something he’d needed to use before.  The tingle in his back grew stronger and was a powerful reminder that if he was going to learn about compassion, and calm the frightened girl in his arms, he better be quick about it.

He moved a tentative hand up to her head and stroked her hair in slow soothing strokes. “Shhh,” he whispered against the top of her head.  “You need to calm down.  Your dad needs you right now.  I need you right now. You can do this, Faedra.  Take a deep breath and concentrate on holding in your power.  I can feel it on my back.”

Etyran felt her stiffen just a little.  The movement was so subtle that if they hadn’t been more or less glued together, he wouldn’t have noticed.  A moment later her shivering ebbed, then the tingling sensation died down.  He could feel it being pulled away from him as she drew it back into her hands.

***

It surprised Faedra when she felt Etyran’s hand on her head, smoothing her hair.  She tensed slightly at his touch, knowing it wasn’t her Guardian’s, but then was grateful when it delivered the same calming response.  She concentrated on her breathing and the reason they were there.  She could feel herself regain control of her energy and pulled it back from her hands, up through her arms and into her core like she was reeling in a watering hose on one of those wheels.  In fact, she imagined doing just that and found it made the process easier.

Once she had her power under her control again, she glanced up and gave Etyran a sheepish look.

“Sorry,” she whispered. “I’ve only had this power a few months and I still don’t have complete control over it yet, especially when I get frightened or angry.  Right now, I’m both, so I have double the concentration to contend with.”

Etyran met her gaze and held it for a few long moments, then brushed an errant strand of hair from her cheek.  “No harm done.”

Faedra could feel her cheeks heat up at the intimate touch and quickly averted her eyes.

“I’m not sure how far down this cave the entrance to Zutherindal is, so we will just have to keep going till we find it,” Etyran whispered breaking the awkward silence that followed his intimate gesture.  “Are you ready?”

Faedra didn’t look up.  She whispered her answer into his chest. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”  She wasn’t really ready, wasn’t ready for any of this, but what was she supposed to say? No thanks, I think I’ll go back home now and leave my dad to suffer at the hands of an evil fairy princess.  Thanks for risking your neck and all, but I’ve had enough fun for one day.

They started along the cave corridor.  Faedra found she was having to have complete faith in the man she was glued to that she’d only known for a few hours.  Given their introduction, she had to give herself credit for trusting him as much as she did.  She was moving backwards as Etyran moved them forwards along the cave, and she couldn’t see a thing, which to her mind was probably for the best at this juncture.

It seemed like they’d been moving for a while when Etyran came to an abrupt stop.  Faedra felt Etyran stiffen and in an instant her heart raced again, causing her energy to start snaking from her core through her limbs towards her hands.  Why was it such an ordeal to keep her energy reined in?  She imagined the hose reel again and started reeling it back to her core.  This was using immense concentration and she wasn’t sure how long she could keep this up without imploding; not a pleasant image.

A second later, she could here the metal clanking of footsteps a little way ahead and realized why the abrupt stop.  One of the redcaps was headed their way.  Etyran backed her up against the wall, getting them as close as possible to the cold stone without crushing her beneath him.  They stood in silence as the clanking got closer.  After what seemed like an eternity of holding her breath, the clanking noise got nearer and nearer, then passed them by close enough that she could smell the stench it left in its wake.  She resisted the urge to gag; the urge to live overwhelming it.  Etyran pushed them away from the wall and they started moving forward again.  This happened twice more in what seemed like regular intervals on their journey through the cave.  With each time, she felt herself getting more and more coiled like a spring.  She’d been keeping count, though, and so far, if Etyran’s guess was accurate, that meant three redcaps down, one more to go.  They must be getting close to the Gatekeeper now.  It felt like they’d been walking for miles and her body was starting to ache.  Keeping your balance on someone’s feet was not as easy as it looked.  It required the use of muscles she didn’t even know she had.

Just as she’d finished her last thought, Etyran stopped again.  This time though, he didn’t press them against the cave wall.  He stood silent for a long moment then looked down at her.

She looked up.  “Are we there?”

“Yes, it’s just up ahead.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” She let out a small sigh and her body relaxed just a little.

“There is one small problem though.”

Her blood turned cold when she saw the look in his eyes.  Why could nothing be easy?

She didn’t want to ask but obviously needed to know so she jumped in feet first.  “What’s the problem?”

“You know I said I thought there were only four redcaps patrolling the inside of the mountain, so by my count there should only be one left now?”

“Yes,” Faedra replied, the single syllable word laced with caution.

“Well, I was wrong.”  And with that remark he shuffled them around, being as quiet as possible, until Faedra could see what he meant.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Faedra sucked in a sharp breath and her eyes grew wide.  She choked back a swear word that burst through her thoughts after seeing what stood before her.  Would she not get a break on her quest to find her father?

Standing guard in neat formation across the entrance to Zutherindal were ten grisly looking redcaps.  They left nothing more than a few inches between them, nowhere near enough room for one invisible person to squeeze through, let alone two.

Faedra’s heart sank.  Whoever was guarding the entrance to the realm of dragons, was determined that no one would get through that shouldn’t, but why?  She dropped her forehead to Etyran’s chest in defeat and exhaled a sigh that left her deflated.

“Now what do we do?” she whispered into his chest.  It was more of a rhetorical question.  She wasn’t really expecting an answer.  The odds seemed so stacked against them.  Even if she used her power, she couldn’t take them all out before they realized what was going on and she didn’t like their chances against ten trained killers.  If she was being honest with herself, she didn’t even know if she possessed enough energy to kill them all.  She’d only killed six in one go before and that was with the help of a lightning bolt.

“I have an idea,” Etyran said as he backed up the dimly lit cave corridor until they rounded a corner and were out of view of the redcaps.

Faedra waited, her expression heavy with expectation as she watched her companion mull the thought over in his head.  After a moment, he closed his eyes and sighed. “No, it’s not going to work, it’s too dangerous.”

“Tell me,” Faedra insisted.

“There’s no point.  It won’t work and I won’t put you in that kind of danger,” Etyran replied in a somber tone.

“I think you should let me be the judge of that, don’t you?”

“No, I don’t.  I promised Faen I’d keep you safe.  I’m not going to stick you in front of that mob with a 50/50 chance that my plan might work.”

“Ahh, so it involves me going out where they could see me?”

“Faedra,” Etyran warned.  “No, I’m not going to ask you to do it.”

Faedra was quaking in her boots at the thought of being exposed to all those killing machines standing guard around the corner, but her desire to save her father was overwhelming her fear for herself.  She dug out the time-pebble from her jeans pocket, looked at it and swallowed hard.  The time-pebble was half covered in red now, which meant they only had a few days left to find her dad before Vivianna did goodness knows what to him.  She shuddered at the thought.  They had to get to the Gatekeeper; it was the only option available.

She held the pebble for Etyran to see.  “Please, tell me your plan.  I don’t have much time left.  This is the only chance I have to find him and get him home safely.  Please.”

Etyran looked at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable.  Faedra’s heart pounded.  Partly out of fear for what his plan entailed, and partly out of fear that he may turn them around and go back to the safety of the forest where her hopes of finding her father would be dashed.

After what seemed like an eternity, Etyran’s shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Faen is going to kill me if I allow you to do this,” he whispered.

“Well, if it all goes to plan, he’ll never know, will he?  And if it goes wrong, the redcaps will probably do the job for him.”  She was trying to sound lighthearted about it but it didn’t come out that way.  “So, what’s the plan?”

***

A few minutes later Faedra wandered around the corner and headed straight for the redcaps.  Her stomach was knotted so tightly she wondered if it would ever work again, but she plastered a confident smile on her face and strode with purpose towards them.

They all shifted their gaze to her when she came into view, making the move look as if it were synchronized.  She swallowed hard and kept the smile plastered on her face.

“Hello, boys,” she said, hoping the cockiness would mask her fear. “I seem to have gotten myself lost.  I don’t suppose you could show me the way out, could you?”

For a moment there was stunned silence, and the only thing Faedra could hear was the pounding of her blood in her ears.  Then in the next second, five of the redcaps broke rank and started to charge after her, their axe-like weapons pointed straight at her.

She turned on her heel and prayed that the difference in height and the fact they were wearing heavy metal boots, meant she’d have no trouble out-running them.  That was the plan anyway.

She disappeared around the first corner and threw a glance over her shoulder; relieved to see they were having trouble keeping up.  She could hear the clanging of their boots but she was increasing the gap between them with every stride.  Her heart was pounding with such ferocity she hoped it wouldn’t explode inside her chest.  As she increased the gap further, she began to feel elation at the thought this plan may actually work.

She sprinted around another corner and Etyran came into view.  He was holding his coat open with arms outstretched, waiting for her.  She sprinted towards him and used him to stop herself as she slammed against his body.  He stood so solid he hardly moved when she rammed into him.

He wrapped his arms around her in a tight cocoon and backed them against the wall.  Faedra felt the now familiar ripple telling her they were invisible again.  She did everything in her power to calm her breathing and steady herself.  She couldn’t let her power seep out now, but the adrenaline surging through her veins was almost beyond her control.  Almost.

She and Etyran held their breath as the sound of clanging metal got closer and closer.  She didn’t dare look to see the redcaps charge past them without hesitating, which meant they didn’t see them standing in the shadows.

When the coast was clear and they could hear the sound of metal boots fade into the distance, Etyran pushed them away from the wall.

Faedra gulped in a deep breath and smiled in triumph. “It worked! I can’t believe I did that but it worked!  We got rid of half of them!”

Etyran smiled down at her.  “Let’s go get the rest of them, shall we?”

Faedra nodded. “This plan might not be as easy to carry out, but I’ll give it my best shot.”

“That’s the spirit.”

Etyran walked them back to where the remaining redcaps were standing guard.  They had not moved from their posts even after Faedra’s surprise appearance.

Faedra’s heart started to pound as they got closer to the creatures, she wrinkled her nose as the stench that rolled off them hit her nostrils.  Being this close to them was not doing anything for her resolve.

She was standing with her back to Etyran this time.  It was much more awkward to balance that way and it meant that she couldn’t be as close to him as when she was ‘hugging’ him, but they needed her to be this way to carry out the next part of their plan. They both prayed that he could still wrap the light around them successfully.  It must be working because the redcaps gave no indication that they could see them.

Etyran positioned them close enough in front of two of the creatures that all Faedra had to do was reach out both of her hands.  Etyran held her tightly around the waist so that she couldn’t lean too far forward.  Faedra carefully pushed her hands through the overcoat that was wrapped around her.  Biting back the feeling of disgust, she laid a palm on each of the redcap’s chest and sent a sharp pulse of energy into each creature.  Withdrawing her hands so they were out of sight, Etyran moved backwards out of the way.

The two redcaps dropped like stones to the floor rousing the attention of the other three.  They moved from their neat line to see what had happened to the two on the floor.  One of the remaining redcaps scanned the area, a look of suspicion in his beady black eyes.  It sent chills down Faedra’s spine when his gaze seemed to linger on them for a fraction of a second longer than he looked anywhere else.

Etyran backed them up a bit more until they were beyond the wielding range of the axe weapons.  The plan was to create enough of a diversion that they could then sneak passed the remaining redcaps without any further intervention.

They almost made it, too, but one of the redcaps decided there was nothing more he could do for the other guards and repositioned himself just as Faedra and Etyran were making their way past his post.

They froze on the spot just inches away from the redcap in question.  The redcap looked around as if sensing something was there, then it tilted its head back and sniffed the air with loud snorts through its nose.

It called to the other two that were still attending the guards on the floor.  They turned their heads and looked straight at Faedra and Etyran, although, Faedra was pretty certain they were still invisible or they surely would have been skewered by now.

The other redcaps moved towards where they were standing, and, probably without knowing it, they had boxed the two against the wall.

The redcaps looked at each other, nodded and took a step forward.

Etyran moved his mouth so it was almost pressed against Faedra’s ear.  “You take two and I’ll take the third,” he whispered so low Faedra could hardly hear him.

She acknowledged him with one nod of her head.

“Now!” came the sharp whisper as he let go of her, unwrapping her from his coat.

Faedra didn’t have time to think about it, she just held up her hands and fired balls of energy at two of the redcaps.  It knocked them backwards, but because Faedra was in a bit of a panic, the energy hadn’t been strong enough to knock them out.  They got up and surged towards her, pure fury distorting their features.

Faedra mentally cursed herself for not getting it right the first time and had only a few seconds to calm herself and concentrate.  The redcaps got close enough to almost touch her when she fired a couple more at them. This time they fell to the floor like rocks.  She turned to see where Etyran was and if he needed help.  He was skillfully dodging the last remaining redcap’s weapon.  It lunged forward using the spear end and almost skewered her temporary guardian.  He managed to dodge out of the way in a split second.

“Go invisible!” she yelled.  Her exclamation startled both Etyran and his attacker.  Etyran gave her a look as if to say ‘Duh, why didn’t I think of that?’ a split second before he disappeared from view.  The redcap swung his weapon with renewed vigor in all directions.  Thankfully, Faedra did not see that it made contact with anything.

After a few more swings of the weapon, the redcap straightened up and decided to turn his attention on her instead.

It didn’t get very far; Faedra was ready for it this time.  The energy ball hit it square in the chest.  It gave her a bewildered look before its eyes rolled backwards in their sockets and it fell flat on its back.

“Nice job,” a voice whispered close to her ear.

She smacked her hands together a couple of times as if slapping the dust off them.  “Thanks.”

Etyran ‘unwrapped’ the light around himself until he was visible again.  It looked like he was peeling the wrapper off a chocolate bar.

They glanced around at their handy work for a moment before Etyran took Faedra’s hand in his and led her towards the large opening.

“Let’s go see the Gatekeeper.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Faedra followed behind Etyran as he led her through the opening in the cave.  She wasn’t quite sure what she expected the Gatekeeper to look like.  She’d seen enough unusual creatures recently to not be surprised at seeing another.  She hadn’t however seen a dragon in person before so she was keeping an open mind. Faedra hoped Draconis wouldn’t be so angry to see her that he’d burn her to a crisp before she could even say ‘hello’.

Once they rounded the corner, they entered an immense cavern.  It was lit with dozens of torches along the walls.  Faedra gaped in awe as she allowed her eyes to scan the ceiling above them.  It was home to the most stunning stalactites she had ever seen. The glow from the torches lit the cavern in sumptuous hues of amber and gold.

Faedra didn’t even realize they’d come to a stop; she was so mesmerized by the beauty of the cave.  She also didn’t hear someone clearing their throat to get her attention until they did it much louder the second time.

Snatched from her daydream, she came back to reality with a start, realizing where she was and what she was there for, and turned her attention to Etyran who was looking down at her a little perplexed.

“Sorry,” she whispered, a soft flush sweeping across her cheeks.

“No need,” a gravelly voice replied from a little way inside the cavern.  “It is rather beautiful.  I find myself gazing at it in wonder sometimes, and I’ve been here over five hundred years.”

Faedra and Etyran’s gazes followed to where the voice came from but could not see to whom it belonged.  The shadows cast by the torches created a curtain of darkness concealing anything behind it.  Etyran could sense the Gatekeeper was surveying them before showing itself, but before he could question its owner, they saw a large shape move within the shadows.  With another few steps, the creature stepped into the light and showed itself.

Faedra went to take an involuntary step backwards as the immense dark red dragon came into view. His scales shimmered in the light cast by the flames from the torches, making it appear as if its whole body was on fire. Etyran, who was still holding onto her hand, squeezed it and held her in place.  The dragon would see it as an insult if she backed away from him, especially, as she was here to ask for his help.

“Lightbender, you bring a human before me?” the dragon questioned, a mixture of curiosity and disbelief in his tone.

The dragon stepped forward until he was standing just a few feet in front of them.

Faedra quivered inside but stood her ground; not that she had much choice, Etyran was holding her in place with his cast iron grip.

“Gatekeeper, we need passage into Zutherindal.  The human seeks an audience with Draconis,” Etyran explained.

Faedra wasn’t too happy about being called ‘the human’ as if she were a soured piece of meat, but let it drop.  She decided she was in no position to gripe about it right then. At that moment, she’d be happy if she got out of there in one piece and not burned to a crisp like the Sunday dinner she’d once attempted to cook.

Etyran’s statement was followed by a gaping silence that filled the cavern with its emptiness.  Then in the next second, incredulous laughter echoed off the walls, so loud it made Faedra’s ears ring.  She put her free hand up to her ear to soften the noisy blow.

“Have you lost your mind, Lightbender?  You have the audacity to ask such a thing?  You know the history between dragons and humans.”

Etyran opened his mouth to speak but Faedra beat him to it.  She was quaking in her boots but she thought if she could at least ask him nicely, she’d have given it her best shot.  She stepped forward and tried to mask the tremble in her voice.

“Sir, I have been told of the history between our two races and I am sorry for the way you were treated by us.  I know one apology doesn’t make up for years of wrong doing but, I ask with the utmost respect, if you could please allow us to enter Zutherindal.”

The dragon seemed to regard her with curious interest. He brought a large taloned claw up to his chin and rubbed it.  Faedra stayed where she was even though she wanted to run.

The dragon lowered his head until his face was level with hers.  It took every ounce of her self-control to stay put.  His fierce green eyes pierced into hers, searching their very depths to her soul.

“Little one, I am curious.  It was no mean feat for you to get this far in your quest, so the reason must hold great importance.  Why would you need to seek an audience with our ruler?”  His voice was softer this time.

“Someone has kidnapped my father and she’s given me a week to hand over this, or she’ll kill him.” Faedra lifted up the amulet to show the dragon, to which the dragon raised an eyebrow in recognition and brought his claw up to rub his chin again.

She also dug out the time-pebble that was getting redder by the hour.  “You see,” she said, “I don’t have much time left.”

The dragon also raised an eyebrow at the time-pebble, seeming to recognize it for the dark magic it held.

“Hmm,” he pondered, “but you still haven’t told me why you need to speak with Draconis.”

“The person who took my father did so with the ruby staff.”

The dragon stood up straight raising his head in surprise at her statement. “The ruby staff?  But that was destroyed when Savu was.”

“That’s what I’ve been told, but I assure you it is still very much intact, and the only way I can find my father is to borrow the emerald staff from Draconis.”

The dragon rubbed his chin again.  “If I allow you to walk through to our realm, Draconis will surely see you dead before you speak.”

A cold shiver ran down her back and she dropped her gaze to the floor. “I have to try,” she whispered.

The dragon took a moment in thought, pacing back and forth in front of them.  After what seemed like an eternity, he finally spoke.  “It is against my better judgment, but I will allow you passage to Zutherindal.  Let it be known I cannot guarantee your safety when you set foot on our soil.”  The dragon gave Faedra a grave look as he spoke which made her throat dry up again.

“That is all I ask, thank you,” she said.

The dragon inclined his head in acknowledgment.  “Follow me then.”

He led them to a sealed archway in the rock wall and stood before it.  After uttering some incantation in yet another language Faedra had never heard before, the rock within the archway turned to a luminescent liquid and started swirling in mesmerizing patterns.  To Faedra’s surprise, the dragon stuck his head and neck into the liquid until only his body and tail were visible.  She looked down the length of him and watched his tail slowly swish from side to side.

“He’s probably talking to the Gatekeeper on the other side,” Etyran whispered in her ear.

Sure enough, a moment later the dragon pulled his head and neck back and turned to the two travelers who stood beside him waiting in anticipation.

“I have talked to Alaris on the other side.  He will see you safely to Draconis but I cannot secure your safety after that point.”

Faedra nodded her understanding.  “Thank you.”

The dragon held his arm out to direct them though the archway.  Faedra’s stomach did a flip-flop as she took a step forward.  She held her hand up to the wall and, after a moment’s hesitation, reached out to touch it.  She was surprised to find that it didn’t feel like liquid at all.  It was more like a cool mist swirling around her hand.  She withdrew her hand and looked down at it, then took a deep breath and looked at Etyran who gave her an encouraging, barely discernable nod and a warm smile.  Just as they were about to step through, the dragon spoke again.

“Custodian.”

Faedra turned. “Yes?”

“Good luck.”

Faedra gave him a hesitant smile before stepping through the swirling liquid with Etyran close by her side.

Once on the other side, Faedra did a quick glance down her body.  It was a stupid thought but she needed to check and make sure she was still in one piece.

“So, you’re the Custodian.” Another gravelly voice interrupted her thoughts.

Faedra looked up to see a stunning royal blue dragon this time, whose emerald green eyes were no less intense than the other Gatekeeper’s had been.  She couldn’t be sure, but this dragon looked like he was sneering at her with intense dislike.  As soon as he finished raking his gaze up and down her body, he whipped around, almost swiping them with his tail.  If it hadn’t been for Etyran’s quick reflexes pulling her back a foot or so, the dragon’s tail would have surely hit Faedra in the side of the head.

“Follow me,” the dragon ordered as he marched out of the smaller cavern they were now standing in.

“A human in Zutherindal, I’ve never seen the like in all my years,” he grumbled to himself as Faedra and Etyran followed him down a dimly lit corridor.  Then he stopped suddenly and swung his immense neck and head around until he was inches away from Faedra’s face.  She sucked in a breath and stared at the dragon, eyes wide and frozen to the spot.

“Suicide mission, that’s what you’re on!”  He stared at her for a long moment, eyes searching into her soul just like the other dragon had done. Then he raised an eyebrow and just as swiftly turned his head and neck to face the front, and started moving forward again.

Faedra let out the breath she’d been holding and continued on behind him.  She was hanging onto her resolve by the skin of her teeth.  Inside, she felt like a gibbering wreck, but all the while was imagining her father going through much worse at the hands of Vivianna.  That thought was the only thing allowing her body to put one foot in front of the other.

As they journeyed further along the corridor, Faedra noticed the walls changed from carved out rock to neatly laid brick.  They must have walked from a cave into a building of some sort.  The further they walked, the more elaborate the décor became.  The wall torches were made of wrought iron with decorative scrollwork. There were now tapestries hanging from the walls.  The stone used for bricks was pale in color bringing a lightness to their surroundings.  They started to pass big wooden doors, all of which were closed thus far.

The dragon turned a corner and they followed behind for several paces more before it came to a stop in front of a set of huge double doors that seemed to take up the whole wall.

Alaris rapped hard on the doors and Faedra heard a sound from the other side.  This was it; they were at their destination. In a few moments she would either be toast, literally, or she would persuade the dragon to loan her the emerald staff.  She focused on the outcome being the latter of the two options and tried to quiet her pounding heart.  She didn’t think even her energy could outdo a dragon.

The doors swung open revealing another cavernous room that was lit with numerous blazing torches lining the walls within.

“What is it Alaris?” A loud, irritated voice boomed.

Faedra and Etyran were still standing behind the dragon at the entrance to the room and neither could see to whom the voice belonged.

“You have, err, guests, My Lord.”

“Guests? Guests?  I didn’t invite any guests today.  Send them away!” The irritated voice boomed again.

“Begging your pardon, My Lord, but I have a feeling you would want to accept an audience with this particular guest.”

“Hmm, indeed?  You have piqued my interest.  Oh, very well, send them in.”

The dragon walked inside the room and stepped aside revealing Faedra and Etyran.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Faedra’s eyes grew wide with a mixture of fear and awe as she took in the view before her.  Draconis was standing on a dais at the end of the room.  His onyx black scales shimmered in the light from the torches.  His immense stature towered above that of the two other dragons she’d seen that day.  When shimmering emerald eyes lay upon her, his gaze mirrored hers. Disbelief.  In the next second, he let out an ear splitting roar, forcing Faedra to clap her hands over her ears.  His gaze turned to hatred in the next second and Faedra’s heart almost stopped with fear.

“What is the meaning of this?” Draconis bellowed at Alaris. “You dare to let a human enter my realm?”

“The Gatekeeper deemed her request reason enough to allow passage through, My Lord.” Alaris remained calm, even though it looked to Faedra as if Draconis was about to rip him to shreds.

“No reason could be enough to allow a human into our realm.  I’ll end this farce before taking another breath.”  He rose up and with just a couple of fluid movements, was towering a few feet away from the terrified Custodian.  He raised a claw with long lethal talons outstretched and ready to strike.  Faedra scrunched her eyes closed; this was it, she was about to meet her maker.

“Wait!” Etyran yelled, and stepped in front of Faedra without a thought for his own safety.

Draconis hesitated, still poised and ready to strike.

A moment later when Faedra realized she was still intact and breathing, she cracked open an eye to see Etyran’s body in front of her.  For a split second it gave her hope.

“Out of my way, fae.  I have no quarrel with your kind.” Draconis commanded.

“No, I am sworn to protect her.”

“Then so be it, you give me no choice.”  Draconis started to swipe with his huge taloned claw. Faedra scrunched her eyes closed again and her whole body tensed up in anticipation of the strike.  After a few heartbeats when nothing happened, she dared herself to again open one eye, then a few seconds later the other. When she let her gaze wander up, she was surprised by what she saw.  Draconis had stopped his lethal swipe just inches from her head.  His claw was frozen in mid-air and a look of confusion swept across his face.  He took two loud sniffs of the air before slowly lowering his claw.  He then turned his attention on Faedra, his intense emerald eyes bore into hers.  Faedra was frozen to the spot; she couldn’t take her eyes off him even though her body was screaming at her to make a run for it now while she had the chance.

Draconis brought his head down until his face was just inches away from the young Custodian’s.  It took everything she had to not close her eyes and expect the worst.  Maybe he’d decided to grill her like a kebab instead.

He sniffed the air around her again, his exhalation blowing her hair and fanning her face.  It was not fiery hot as she’d expected but pleasantly warm instead.

“Interesting, very interesting,” Draconis mused after a moment of internal speculation.

He moved around her, inspecting her from every angle until he was standing on the other side of her where he sniffed again.  Two loud snorts echoed around the cavernous room.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” he asked, his voice much softer now.

Faedra gulped as she looked into his eyes again.  “Um, what do you mean?”

“You, little one, have fae blood running through your veins, and if I’m not mistaken, royal blood at that.” Draconis stated.

Etyran turned and gave her a questioning look.  She glanced at him but didn’t respond to his unspoken question.

Turning her attention back to Draconis she said, “Yes, I know.”

“What? How? Why didn’t you tell me?” Etyran spluttered, completely taken by surprise.

“Well, this changes things somewhat,” Draconis said as he backed away from the two.  “ I find myself in a very unusual position.  On the one hand, you are half fae and we have no quarrel with your kind.  On the other, you are half human and I should kill you where you stand.”

“Um, actually, Sir, I’m a little more that half fae, I come from a Celtic bloodline that were originally fae, as well,” Faedra said, hoping that the extra one or two percent over half would help sway his decision.

“I thought fae were forbidden to bear children with humans.” Draconis mused.

Faedra sighed. “Try telling that to my father.  He made the rule so I guess he thought he was entitled to break it.”  She couldn’t quite keep the sarcasm at bay.

“What?!” Etyran said, as the relevance of Faedra’s statement sunk in.  “Oh, that’s just bloody great, he’s going to kill me this time.  I would never have agreed to bring you here if I’d known.”

“That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you.  And, anyway, I only found out yesterday, so it doesn’t really count.”

“Doesn’t really count!?  Are you out of your mind?  You know what the king did to me last time and I was only trying it on with his daughter, not letting her risk getting bloody killed!”

“Oh, calm down!  What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” Faedra retorted.

“Calm down? Calm down?  You’re a bloody princess and I nearly got you killed.”

“No, you didn’t.  It was my choice to come here not yours, remember?”

The sound of someone clearing their throat eventually got the attention of the two arguing so they shut up and turned to look at Draconis.

“I have no desire to start a war with the fae, Princess.  You will come to no harm in my realm.”

Faedra cringed at being called a princess.  That whole dynamic hadn’t even had the slightest chance of sinking in yet and it made her feel very uncomfortable.

“Thank you,” she replied, “but I’d prefer if you didn’t call me Princess.  I’m really not.”

Draconis inclined his head. “Oh, but I’m afraid you are, little one.  So you better get used to it.  Anyway you must have come here for a reason.  Why did you risk your life to seek an audience with me?”

Faedra shuffled her feet for a moment trying to find the right words to use.  Then she took a deep breath, lifted her chin high and forced herself to look into the eyes of the creature that almost took her head off just a moment before.

“I have come to ask you if I may borrow something of yours,” she started.  “You see my father has been kidnapped…”

“The King of Azran has been kidnapped?” Draconis interrupted.

“No, the man I grew up thinking was my father.  He is kind and loving and he’s all I’ve got left after my mum was killed by redcaps when I was six.” Faedra bit back a tear that stung behind her eye.  “It’s a long story but Vivianna found out about me, got in a major jealous rage and kidnapped my dad as revenge.  She has given me a week to hand over this or she’ll kill him.” She showed him the amulet to which he raised an eyebrow in recognition.

“I can’t hand over the amulet for obvious reasons, so I need to try and rescue my dad but I don’t have much time left.” She dug out the time-pebble from her pocket to prove her point.

“Little one, what could I possibly possess that could help you rescue your father, and that you would risk your life coming here to borrow?” Draconis asked.

“She took him with the ruby staff.”

Draconis lifted his head in surprise. “No, that is not possible, the ruby staff was destroyed along with my brother.”

“I assure you, Sir, it is very much in one piece, I have seen it with my own eyes.   The only way I can find my dad is to borrow the emerald staff, and I’ve been told that belongs to you.”

Draconis paced back and forth a few times, rubbing his chin with one of his claws.  After a few more paces, he stopped in front of Faedra and lowered his head until it was level with hers.

“You are correct, I do possess the emerald staff, but as you also probably know, dragons do not lend their possessions without getting something in return.  I will let you borrow the emerald staff but you must first do something for me.”

“Anything,” Faedra blurted without thinking of the possible consequences her words could hold.

“I need you to retrieve an object for me from your world. I did something very foolish in my younger days and it turns out that foolishness could cost me my kingdom.  You see, I lost my mate.  My brother Savu killed her many years ago, so the hope of producing another heir is remote, but I did produce an heir about nine hundred years ago.  Actually it is just an egg until it incubates and it cannot do that unless the temperature is very high.  So I am fairly certain that it is still viable, temperatures do not get hot enough in the World of Men.”

“You want me to find an egg, that could be hidden anywhere in my world?”  Faedra’s heart sank.  Needle in a haystack was an understatement in this instance. “How did it end up in my world, anyway?”

Draconis gave Faedra what she thought was a sheepish look, if it were possible for a dragon to look sheepish.

“I lost it in a bet.”

“You did what?” Faedra and Etyran exclaimed together.

“I told you I was foolish,” the dragon shrugged it’s enormous shoulders.  “But I can give you some information that may help you find it.”

“Nine hundred years on, I doubt it,” Faedra mumbled to herself, losing any hope of borrowing the emerald staff by the second.

“I lost it to a man named Ralph de Gael.”

“That’s it? All I have to go on is the name of a nine hundred year-old man?  Can you at least give me some idea of where in the world he may have lived?”

Draconis looked thoughtful for a moment. “I remember he had just inherited a castle at the time.”

Faedra closed her eyes in defeat and blew out a sigh.

“Find me the egg and you can borrow the emerald staff.” Draconis said as he turned his back on them and walked towards the other end of the room, dismissing them as effectively as if he had shown them the door.

Alaris stepped forward and motioned for them to follow.  Faedra’s feet felt like lead as they followed the blue dragon back towards the gateway to Azran.

Once they stepped through the swirling doorway into Azran, the Gatekeeper greeted them on the other side.  Up until that time, Faedra hadn’t given a thought to how they would get back to the entrance.  It was hard enough to get in, but surely the alarm would have been raised by now and the redcaps would be even more alert than before.

“You are still alive then,” the Gatekeeper noted, unsurprised by her re-appearance.

“You knew, didn’t you?” Faedra questioned.

“I was pretty certain, yes.  I would never have allowed a full-blooded human through the gateway, no matter how compelling her request.”

“Thank you.”

The Gatekeeper inclined his head.

Faedra turned to Etyran, her expression weary. “How on earth are we going to get out of here?  I hadn’t even given that a thought until now?”

Etyran opened his mouth to answer but the Gatekeeper beat him to it.

“If I may offer my assistance,” he said.

They turned to look at him, waiting in anticipation.

“There is another way in and out of this cavern, one that those nasty little creatures know nothing about.”

“There is?  Where?” Faedra asked.

The dragon looked up, and Faedra and Etyran’s gaze followed.  The cavern was immense, Faedra couldn’t even see where the ceiling was.

“But how are we going to get up there?” she asked out loud then turned to Etyran. “You can’t fly can you?”

Etyran shook his head.

“I can,” the Gatekeeper stated.

Faedra’s eyebrows jumped a notch as the ruby red dragon turned his body towards the two travelers who were looking stunned.

“On you get,” the dragon stated as he crouched low.

Faedra flung a nervous look in Etyran’s direction before he pulled himself up and straddled the enormous scaly back just in front of its wings.  He then turned and held his hands down for Faedra.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she mumbled as she took hold of Etyran’s hands and was pulled up onto the dragon’s back to sit behind him.

“Hold on,” Etyran whispered.

“Ready?” the Gatekeeper asked.

“Yes. No.” Etyran and Faedra said at the same time.

Faedra let out a little squeal as the dragon took off.  She grabbed hold around Etyran’s waist before she had a chance to tumble backwards and roll down the dragon’s tail, and clung on for dear life.  She didn’t quite know what he was holding on to, as the dragon’s scales were smooth as silk, but Etyran stuck to the dragon like glue, even against the strong force of the dragon’s wings sending them skyward.

Faedra couldn’t quite believe the height of the cavern, it seemed never ending.  The soft whoosh, whoosh of the Gatekeeper’s wings as they beat rhythmically seemed to calm her raging nerves, and, after a few moments, the dragon slowed and came to a stop on a ledge high above the cave floor.  For the first time in what seemed like an age, Faedra could see the stars again.  It was still nighttime outside so they still had the cover of darkness to protect them.

“This is as far as I go, I’m afraid,” the dragon said.

“Thank you,” Faedra replied.

“You are welcome.  Good luck in your quest, little one.” And with that, the dragon turned and launched himself off the ledge.  Faedra watched him glide downwards until she could no longer see him, then turned and took a good long look at where they were.  She never thought she would be so grateful to see the stars twinkling above or have the cool night breeze caress her face as it did at that moment.  She looked down from the craggy outcrop they were standing on and could see tiny dots of light down on the ground, she assumed they must be the redcap’s torches.

“How on earth do we get down there?”

Etyran pointed down the side of the mountain. “See that little dot behind the piece of rock that juts out where the entrance is?”

“Yes.”

“Well, that’s Faen, so all we need to do is get his attention, then he can fly up here and get us.”

“And that’s your plan?” Faedra retorted sarcastically.

“Yep.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Etyran put his fingers in his mouth and blew out an ear-splitting whistle.

“Are you crazy?” Faedra said in a harsh whisper. “You’ll draw every redcap’s attention for miles.  Do you want to get us killed?”

“Settle down, little lady.  Yes I’ll draw their attention, but they can’t fly and Faen can.  He’ll get up here much quicker than they will.”

“But he might not be quick enough to get me somewhere safe and then come back for you.”

“He won’t need to come back for me.”

“What do you mean?” Faedra asked, eyebrows forming a frown. “We can’t just leave you here.”

“Yes, you can, and you will.  I’ll make my way down the mountain, they won’t be able to see me, remember?”

“You’re not coming with us?”

“No, my place is here for right now.  I want to keep an eye on those creepy little blighters.”  He gestured with his head in the direction of the redcaps. “Still have no idea what they’re doing here.”

Faedra looked down the mountain and saw some torches clustered together that started to move up the rock-face.

“We need some of those light balls of yours,” Etyran instructed.  “He’ll never find us on the side of this mountain, otherwise.”

Faedra nodded and, a moment later, a couple of blue orbs were bobbing above the palms of both hands.  Etyran blew out another shrill whistle, while Faedra waved her hands about creating pretty neon patterns in the inky night sky.  A few moments later she could see pearlescent wings flapping in the distance.  With each beat they brought their owner closer and closer, guided by her light show.  Faen eventually reached the ledge, and the two took a step back so that he could join them.  He landed gracefully on the craggy outcrop.

He took one look at his Custodian and grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her in an unprecedented show of relief and joy.  Faedra let out a startled squeak as he almost knocked her off balance with his enthusiasm.  She reciprocated the hug, her emotions a mixture of shock at his unusual display of compassion, and relief that he was by her side again.

Etyran took a step back and averted his eyes, deciding that his feet were all of a sudden much more interesting to look at.

“Thank Kernunnos you are okay,” Faen whispered as he pulled back and looked at the stunned face of his charge before wrapping her in his arms again.

“I told you I’d look after her, mate,” Etyran piped up.

Faen released his grip on Faedra and turned to his friend.  “Thank you, my friend.  I owe you.”

“Nah, don’t mention it.  We had fun, didn’t we, girlie?” he aimed his question at Faedra who raised her eyebrows in disbelief.  She decided it best not to answer.

Faen gave her a curious look. “Where is the emerald staff?  Did Draconis not have it?”

Faedra blew out a disappointed sigh. “Oh, he had it alright, but he’s a dragon, and, apparently, dragons don’t lend their possessions without getting something in return.”

“What does he want in return?”

“He wants me to find an egg.”

“An egg?”

“Yep.”

Etyran turned his attention over the ledge they were standing on.  “Mate, she can fill you in on the details on your way back, but, right now, you have to get her out of here.”  He could see the trail of torchlight snaking its way up the side of the mountain.  Faen peeked over the edge and nodded.  He then turned, scooped Faedra up in his arms and moved to the edge of the ledge.  “What about you?”

“Don’t you worry about me,” Etyran replied with his signature roguish grin.  “You need to go find that egg.”

“Thank you,” Faedra said, giving him a long meaningful look that spoke volumes.

In an uncharacteristic gesture, Etyran inclined his head in a very old worldly manner. “My pleasure, Princess.  Now go find that egg and rescue your dad.”

Faedra gave him a mock evil stare before Faen launched them off the side of the mountain.

“You told him about your heritage?” Faen asked as he flew them away from the mountain.

“In a roundabout way.  Draconis could tell I was half fae just by sniffing at me, which was lucky, coz he was a few seconds away from killing me for being human.”  Faedra was actually quite thankful, at that point, that she was the product of a fling between her mum and the fae king, though she was still having a hard time digesting the fact she was a princess and, even more so, that her half-sister hated her guts enough to try and kill her.

Faen held her closer when he noticed her stiffen a little.  “So, tell me about the egg.”

Faedra dug out the time-pebble from her pocket.  Even though she couldn’t make out the color variation in the dark, she knew she was running out of time to find her dad.

“Draconis lost his only heir in a bet about a thousand years ago to a man named Ralph De Gael.  He wants me to find it and take it to him before he’ll lend me the emerald staff.  The only clue he could give me was that the guy just inherited a castle at the time.”

“Why did he bet his only heir?” Faen couldn’t help but be bemused at her statement.

“All he said is that he was young and foolish at the time.  Savu killed his mate so there is not much hope of him creating another heir and he said he could lose the kingdom.”

“Dragon lore can be very convoluted, at times.” Faen responded.

“All I know is that I need to get online and see if anything comes up when I do a search on this guy.  Is it going to take long to get home?”

“Be assured, Faedra I will fly us as fast as I can.  You must be exhausted.  You should try and get some sleep while you can.  I have a feeling that we are going to be very busy as soon as we get back to the World of Men.”

Faedra hadn’t thought about being tired until her Guardian mentioned it.  She couldn’t think how long it had been since she last slept.  The sky was changing color on the horizon in preparation for welcoming another day, and her eyes were starting to feel very heavy.  Maybe she would just rest her eyes for a few moments.

The next thing she knew, Faen had landed and was waking her as he lowered her legs, allowing her feet to make contact with the lush green grass in front of the portal that would take them back to behind the church.

She rubbed her eyes and looked up into the face of her Guardian.  Then she remembered something and her cheeks drained of all color.

Faen frowned. “What is the matter?”

“Um, I kind of had to, um, knock your sister out.” Faedra admitted rather sheepishly.

Faen tried to hide a smile threatening to curve his lips.

“I had to.  She insisted on coming with me and I didn’t want to put her in any danger, so I kind of zapped her and leaned her up against a head stone.  Oh, God, she’s going to kill me, isn’t she?”

Faen lost the battle and not only smiled but laughed as well.  “I dare say she will get over it.  I have to admit, there has been the odd time I would not have minded doing that myself.”

Faedra dreaded the thought of having to face Jocelyn in just a few seconds as they stepped through the portal.  She held her breath looking sheepish as she felt the crunch of gravel under her feet and knew they were back behind the church.  To her surprise they weren’t greeted by an angry young fairy, which caused Faedra relief and concern all at the same time.

“I left her over there, Faen, I promise.” She pointed towards a large granite headstone where she had leaned the young fairy before heading through the portal.  “Where is she?”

“Do not worry, Faedra, she has probably gone back to the house to wait for you.”

“But why would she wait for me there?  She knows I would have to come back through this way.”  Faedra started to worry a little more.

“Not necessarily, there are more portals to Azran than this one.  For all she knew, you could be coming out of another,” Faen reassured her.

“Okay, I just hope she’s alright.  I feel awful enough at knocking her out, I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to her.”

“She will be fine.  Is your car here?”

“Yes, let’s get back to the house so I can look up that guy.”

As they headed towards the car park, something prompted Faedra to look towards a stand of trees.  She was almost certain she saw the vicar pull his head back behind a tree trunk when she looked in that direction.  She wondered if the vicar had seen them appear from nowhere, but didn’t have time to worry about it right then.  She had to find out if Ralph De Gael did in fact exist at one time, and, if so, on what corner of the planet.  His name sounded French which gave her a bit of hope.  In the big scheme of things, France wasn’t that far away.

Faedra gave a fleeting thought as to how empty the cottage was when they walked through the door, but didn’t allow herself to dwell on it.  She could see the blinking red light on the answer machine as she dashed past it on the way to her bedroom.  She wasn’t about to stop and listen to any messages.  They were probably all from her uncle, anyway, wondering where she and her dad were.

Once in her bedroom, she scooted around the bed to her desk and fired up her computer, tapping her fingers on the desk with an impatient air while she waited for her pc to whirr through the start-up cycle.

“Come on, come on,” she whispered testily, as if her words would have any bearing on the speed of her pc.   She could feel Faen’s presence just inches from her back as he looked over her shoulder.  His nearness gave her some much-needed comfort, especially, in the event that she couldn’t find anything on this man?

“At last,” she sighed as she clicked onto the Internet and typed “Ralph De Gael” into the search engine.

Within seconds several sites with his name were listed.  Relief washed over her.

“Well, it looks like he definitely existed,” she said to Faen as she clicked on a site that looked promising.  “It says here that he was born around 1040 and was the Earl of …no way!”

“The Earl of Norway?” Faen asked, not realizing Norway had Earls.

“What? No, he was the Earl of East Anglia.  He lived right here in Norfolk. Oh, I can’t possibly be this lucky.  It says that he inherited a castle from his father-in-law.  You’ll never guess which one.”

Faen raised his eyebrows waiting for her to tell him.

“Norwich Castle!” Faedra shrieked with excitement.  “The egg could be hidden right here in Norwich Castle!  It has to be there, it just has to be!”

She looked at the time and shoved her chair back from the desk so hard Faen had to make evasive maneuvers to save his toes from being rolled over.

Faedra looked up at Faen who was hovering a couple of feet from the floor and wrinkled her eyebrows in question.  “What are you doing up there?  Come on let’s go, they should still be open.”

Faen looked heavenward as he lowered himself to the floor and followed his excited charge out of the house to her car.

Leaving a spray of gravel behind them, Faedra made a hasty exit up the driveway and headed towards the city.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

“I think they close at five; we’re going to make it just in time,” Faedra stated as they walked towards the castle with ten minutes to spare.  The castle, in its modern day role, acted as a museum and was open to the public.  Faedra visited it on a school outing once but never paid it much attention beyond that.  It was always just there, standing tall and proud in the middle of the city.  People walked past it every day, probably without giving it a second glance, but she was paying attention now and all of a sudden the castle seemed much much larger than she remembered.  The majestic pale stone building was perched high on its mound and seemed to loom over her, taunting her with its secrets, secrets she was sure it wouldn’t give up without a fight.

Her throat went dry, she hadn’t given the first thought about how she was going to find something so small in something so big.  Something that could have been found by archeologists a long time ago.  No, she couldn’t think that way, it had to be in there somewhere, it just had to be.  She dug out the time-pebble and checked the color.  She still had time, but not much.

They crossed the bridge that led to the museum’s entrance, stopping outside the huge revolving oak and glass door, and looked at the fee schedule.

“Oh, no, I left in such a hurry I didn’t think to bring any money with me,” she said, dismayed.  “Faen, do you have any money for the entrance fee?”

He gave her an odd look, “I am fae, we have no need of money.”

“Course not, silly me,” Faedra retorted.  “Much as I hate to do this you’re going to have to glamour us then.”

“As you wish, but I think it best if we do not disappear right in front of the door, the lady behind the desk is watching us.”

“Good point.” Faedra said as Faen moved her to one side and did a quick look around to see if anyone else was watching before he cloaked them with glamour.

It was a tight squeeze for both of them to fit into one of the compartments of the revolving door but they managed it and shuffled their way round until they were inside.  Faedra noticed the clerk’s eyes grow wide.

“Joe,” she said to the security guard who was standing a few feet from the desk. “That door just moved on its own.”

Joe tossed a nonchalant glance towards the door. “Probably just the wind, nothing to worry about, there’s obviously no one there.”

“Probably just the wind?  The leaves aren’t even moving on that tree outside, and it’s because there’s no one there that’s creeping me out.” The clerk was starting to sound a little panicky at that point.

Joe leaned to one side so that he could see the tree to which the clerk was referring, and gave a disinterested shrug when he saw the leaves were unmoving in the calm afternoon air.  “What do you want me to say, that the place isn’t haunted?  It’s nearly a thousand years old, Mary.  To be honest, I’d be more surprised if things like that didn’t happen.”

“Oh don’t say that, it’s my turn to check the ladies loos before lock up tonight.  I’m sure I’m being watched in there.”

Joe gave the woman a knowing smile before turning to leave. “Well, I best go and do my rounds.  Make sure the dungeons and battlements are empty before we close.  Last thing we need is someone to die of fright after being stuck in the dungeons all night.”  He gave a chuckle as he walked away.

Faedra noticed the clerk shudder as she looked down at her watch.  At least they knew where not to hide until the museum closed, not that it really mattered.  As long as Faen had them in glamour they could stand in a corner until the place was empty and no one would know.  Which is exactly what they did.

After the announcement over the loudspeaker that the museum would be closing in five minutes, visitors started meandering past the two on their way out, chatting to one another about what they’d seen.  Faedra and Faen waited a while longer and watched as the security guard named Joe held the door open for the employees to leave and locked it up behind the last one.  He then made his way past them, down a corridor and into a room, muttering something to himself about putting the kettle on and watching the soccer match on TV.  He shut the door behind him.

As soon as everyone had gone, the castle was blanketed in an eerie silence.  It was now dark outside, made even more noticeable by the fact that the bright lights suddenly dimmed, casting ominous shadows everywhere.  Faedra gathered her nerves for the task ahead of them.

“Much as I hate to say this, I think we are going to have to go into the dungeons.  It’s probably the oldest place in the castle, so I think it will be a good place to start,” Faedra whispered as she looked up at the signage on the wall.  “Looks like they’re down that way.”

Her feet dragged a little on their way down the corridor where the site map had shown the dungeons to be located.  Dungeons by their very nature were dark and damp and she didn’t relish the thought of exploring one after hours.  They found the entrance to the dungeons and Faedra followed her Guardian down some steps and through a door.  The musty smell that greeted her nostrils indicated they’d arrived at their destination.

There were no lights on and even her energy balls weren’t bright enough to light up the foreboding, all consuming blackness.  In fact, the glow from her balls seemed to make matters worse as they cast an eerie light over torture implements and chains that hung from the walls in the first room they entered.  She gave an involuntary shudder.

“There must be a light switch in here somewhere,” she said to Faen who was brushing his hands along the wall searching as she spoke.  They stepped into another room and the dank musty smell grew stronger.  Faedra could make out low arches with bars imbedded in the stone, creating tiny cells.  Behind one set of bars she could distinguish the silhouette of a mannequin sitting on some straw on the floor.  It was just a little too life-like for her liking.  Behind another row of bars there was a set of shelves that were home to six death heads.  Wax castings of the faces of people who had been executed.  She shuddered again realizing these molds were of actual people who had been hanged for some terrible crime they’d committed in the past.

She looked for Faen who was still trying to find a light switch.  “I don’t think there is one down here, it must be up in the security guard’s room.  He probably controls all the lighting from in there.  I will go and sneak in and turn it on.”  He moved to leave.

“You’re not leaving me here on my own,” Faedra stated and turned to follow him.

“Well, that’s just bloody charming, Stafford.  Looks like our company’s not good enough for the little lady,” a gruff voice echoed through the darkness.

Faedra froze.  “Who said that?”

Faen stopped. “Who said what?”

“You didn’t hear that?” she asked.

Faen shook his head. “Hear what?”

“Hey, Stafford, the little lady can ‘ear us, we can have some fun with this one,” the gruff voice spoke again.

“Faen, tell me you heard that.” Faedra said.

Faen shook his head again.

“Someone is down here.”  She moved her palms around in the darkness trying to see if anyone was there but all she highlighted with her blue orbs were the death heads behind the bars.  It was then that she noticed the name inscribed on the stand of one of them, Stafford.

Faedra swallowed hard and leaned in for a closer look.

“What you doin’ down ‘ere, anyways?  This place closed up a while ago.  Oh, good Lord, don’t tell me you’re one of them nut jobs that wants us to scare ‘em half to death all night?”

Faedra jolted upright and took a step back.

“Oh, don’t look at us like that, we ain’t gonna hurt ya.”

There was a soulful groan.

“Oh, cheer up, Stafford.  Would it kill yer to be nice and live a little?”

A more educated voice retaliated. “How can I, you idiot?  I’m dead.  Killed way before my prime, I might add.”

“Well if ye hadn’t gone an’ raped and murdered that young girl you wouldn’t have been executed, now would ya?  So don’t call me the idiot, you grumpy old sod.”

Faedra looked aghast at the death heads that were having a conversation with each other right in front of her eyes.

Faen nudged her on the arm, making her jump, “Can you still hear someone talking?”

“Yes, it’s those guys.” She pointed to the death heads that were now arguing amongst themselves.

“Unsavory looking characters,” Faen mused.

“Hey, watch who you’re calling unsavory, pretty boy.” Stafford grouched.

A wry smile curved Faedra’s lips “He wasn’t happy about you calling them unsavory,” she told Faen.

The death heads carried on with griping amongst themselves.  Then Faedra had a thought.  Maybe they could help her.  They must have been here a while, maybe they saw something.  She cleared her throat in an attempt to get their attention.

“You’ll have to excuse Stafford, girlie, he’s a grumpy old buggar at the best of times, but then I guess most murderers are,” the gruff voice said.

“So which one of these heads are you and why were you executed?” Faedra asked.  She thought that people only got executed for being a murderer and, therefore, assumed they had all been murderers at one point.

“Pardon me, where are me manners?  Hardyman’s the name, up here on the top shelf, far right.  All I done was a little bit of fraud, that’s all.  Nothing major and they strung me up for it.  Lived in the wrong era that’s what.  Wouldn’t get more than a few years nowadays, I bet.”

Faedra raised her eyebrows, she had to admit it was slightly surreal having a conversation with a talking wax head.

“Anyway, little lady, you din’t tell us what you’re doin’ down here.” Hardyman asked.

“I’m looking for something.  It was probably hidden a long time ago and I guessed this would be the oldest part of the castle, so I thought the dungeons would be the best place to start looking.” Faedra explained.

“Ah, now that’s where you’d be wrong.  This part was built a long time after the original part of the castle, so that pretty tour-guide tells everyone several times a day.  People think this is the oldest part, but it ain’t.  Wasn’t built till the 1200’s see, and only then as a storeroom.” Yet another voice joined the conversation.

“Did anyone ever tell you you’re a bloody know it all, Thomas?”  The voice Faedra recognized as Stafford grouched again.

“Don’t mind them, luv.  What is it that you’re looking for?” Hardyman asked.

“An egg.” Faedra answered.

“An egg?” a chorus of voices replied.

Faedra sighed. “Yes, an egg.  It’s a dragon’s egg, if you must know.”

“Now I know you’re pulling my leg.” Thomas said.  “Everyone knows dragons don’t exist.

“Really?  Well, I’ve just been nose-to-nose with one and he wants his egg back. I’m the one who has the honor of finding it so that I can borrow something from him in return.”  Faedra wasn’t quite sure why she was explaining everything to a bunch of criminals, a bunch of dead criminals, at that.

Silence fell in the dungeon and, after a moment, Faedra decided to continue.

“Look, apparently this dragon lost the egg in a bet with a guy called Ralph De Gael.  He used to own the castle about nine hundred years ago, so if you know what part of the castle is the oldest, it would help me out.”

Silence continued for a moment.  Faedra sighed at the lack of response.  “Come on, Faen, it’s obviously not down here.  We’ll have to look elsewhere.”

They turned to leave.

“Hey, hold up, little un’.  We was just thinking.” Hardyman broke the silence followed by some moans of agreement from the others.

“Molly might know.” Thomas piped up.

“Good idea, Thomas!  Molly gets to wander all over the place; she might be able to help the girl out. Molly! Hey, Molly, you about?” Hardyman called.

A moment later, a lady’s ghostly white head poked through the stone wall behind the bars where the death heads sat.

“What is it, Hardyman?  I’m busy,” she said.

“Busy? Busy doin’ what exactly?” Hardyman retorted.

“None of your business.  Now what do you want?”

“This young girl is looking for an egg that old Ralphy hid in his time and we thought you might be able to help.”

Molly turned to face Faedra and her stern features softened when she saw her.

“Well, well.  She can see us?”

“Seems like it.” Thomas replied.

The rest of Molly’s body floated through the wall and then through the bars until she was standing before the wide-eyed Custodian.

“Well, I’d say you are in luck, little lady.  Just so happens that one of Ralph’s kitchen boys lives here, as well.  There’s a good chance he may know something about this here egg of yours.  We’ll have to go up to the keep though, he died long before the dungeon was built, can’t come down here.  Follow me.”

Molly floated off in front of Faedra and Faen.  Faedra turned to the death heads before she walked out the door.  “Thanks.”

A chorus of ‘you’re welcome’ and ‘don’t mention it,’ rang out as they exited the dungeon.

They followed Molly up one set of stairs along a corridor and up another set of stairs.

“Do you mind me asking why you’re here?” Faedra asked as they wandered down the corridor.

“Executed for killing my drunken abusive husband,” she stated nonchalantly. “Much good it did me, I might as well have let him finish the job, coz I didn’t get to live much longer after I’d killed the old sod, anyway.  Funny old world, really.”  At that point Faedra thought Molly was speculating more to herself than talking to Faedra.

They followed her up another set of stairs where she stopped at a set of heavy wooden double doors.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Molly’s misty apparition disappeared through the door.  A moment later she stuck her head through the wood and said with a hint of irritability “Are you coming?  I haven’t got all night, you know.”

Faedra gave Faen a look of astonishment, then realized he couldn’t see Molly.

“She wants us to follow her through the door,” Faedra explained.

Faen obliged and leaned forward to open the door for them.  They stepped through it into the immense keep of the castle.  Suits of armor were on display and the subtle lighting cast menacing shadows in their wake.  There were medieval weapons of all descriptions adorning the walls, and various exhibits of how the castle would have looked when it was originally built.  The inner walls of the keep were made of rougher hewn blocks of stone, unlike the newly renovated outer wall.  This is what Faedra imagined a medieval castle should look like.  A wooden balcony jutted out about half way up the wall and stretched all around the inner wall, allowing visitors to wander round and look through the tiny slits for windows.  They moved a few paces further into the room, and with every footfall were greeted with a groaning creak from the wooden floorboards below them.

Faedra’s attention was brought back to the here and now when she heard Molly calling out.

“Oswulf, Oswulf, you about, lad? Show yourself.  You got visitors.” Molly said in a calm soothing manner.

A moment passed and no one appeared.

“Lad’s a bit shy,” Molly explained before trying again.  “Come on lad, they aren’t here to hurt you.  Young girl needs a bit of help, is all.”

Oswulf appeared behind Molly and cautiously leaned to the side to look Faedra and Faen up and down with scrutiny.

“Oswulf, come on, lad, I told you they won’t hurt you.” Molly cooed again.

Faedra caught Molly’s attention. “What is it, luv?”

“He’s behind you,” Faedra whispered not wanting to scare off the nervous looking boy.

Molly turned around with cautious steps, obviously not wanting to startle the boy, either.  “There you are, m’boy.”

“You called, M’lady Molly?” Oswulf whispered.

“Oswulf, this young lady wants to ask you a question about the time when you lived here.”

Faedra noticed Oswulf swallowed hard before he took a step toward them.  Molly moved to one side out of his way.  The young kitchen boy was dressed in ragged, worn clothing.  It looked like nothing more than sack-cloth adorned his body.  His skin was dirty from his face down to his bare grimy feet and Faedra wondered if he had ever seen a bath.

“Yes, M’lady,” Oswulf addressed Faedra.

Faedra smiled in an attempt to calm his nerves. “Oswulf,” she spoke softly, “I am looking for something that was given to your master, Ralph De Gael.  It was an egg, a dragon’s egg to be precise, so it would be about this big.” She gestured with her hands the approximate size of the egg.  “Did you ever see it?”

Oswulf shook his head “No, M’lady.”

Faedra’s shoulders slumped.  She looked around the mammoth keep of the castle and wondered how she would ever find it, or where to even begin looking.  A moment of silence enveloped them as Faedra’s desperation grew.

“But I do remember his Lordship acting very strange one night,” Oswulf said.

“Really, what did he do?”

“Well, it was one winter’s eve.  I remember that because I was glad to get the spit-turning duty that night.  It was about the only way I could keep warm in the winter.  It was late at night, probably early morning, as I could hear everyone snoring around the castle.  I noticed that it was odd because his Lordship came in and ignored the guards that were sleeping on duty.  Usually if that happened he’d have hauled them up and given them a whippin’ but he crept past them as if not wanting to wake them up.  Now that I think about it, he was carrying something under his arm.

He didn’t pay me any heed, mind you.  The only time he did that was if I fell asleep at my post, then he’d tan my hide.  I watched him cross over to the well then he threw his leg over the side and shimmied down the bucket rope.  I could hardly believe my own eyes.  Only the lowest kitchen boys go down the well to sort out any problems.  I was so surprised that I left my station to peek over the side of the well to make sure he was all right.”

“What did you see?” Faedra interrupted.

“Nothing,” Oswulf replied.

“Nothing?”

“It was too dark, I couldn’t see anything, but I did hear a scraping sound like stone on stone.  I didn’t wait to see the master come back up.  I went back to my station and continued turning the spit.  He would’ve been angry to see me away from my post and, the last thing a lowly kitchen boy like myself wants to do, is anger his Lordship.  A few minutes later, he comes back up and he doesn’t have anything under his arm anymore.

Not long after that, the castle was besieged and his Lordship went to get help, leaving M’lady to defend the castle.  Now she may be the most courageous woman I’ve ever seen but defending a castle against an army is not woman’s work.  She was able to make an agreement with the enemy, though, and they let us go.”

“If they let you go, why are you still here?”  Faedra asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

“Not long after we left, we went through a village that had the pox.  I got it and that was the end of me.  Then I turned up back here, never have figured out why.”

Oswulf led Faedra and Faen over to the well.  They all looked down and could see the tube of stone disappear into the belly of the earth.  Faedra groaned.  The opening to the well was at floor level and had long been covered over and sealed off by a strong metal grid that allowed people to stand over it and look down, if they dared.  It was also popular to drop money through the grates and make a wish.  Right now, Faedra doubted her wish would come true as she could see no way of getting down there.

“Faen, I don’t think my energy is strong enough to blow up this grate, and even if I could, it would probably make so much noise the security guard would be here in a flash.”

“What do ye want to be blowing it up for?  There’s a gate downstairs,” Molly chimed in.

Faedra’s eyes lit up “There is?”

“Well, how else do ye think they’re going to get the money out?  Those steps over in that corner take you downstairs.  You can get in the well that way.”

Faedra took off running to the corner of the keep, Faen followed.  She took the worn stone steps two at a time and jumped the final ones, hitting the hard stone floor with a thud.  It looked like a basement down there.  There were ruins of the original stone pillars that would have once held up the castle, more exhibits, and a metal grill with a gate making up half of the well wall.  She ran up to it and gave the gate a tug and almost screamed with exasperation.  It was locked with a heavy-duty padlock.  She took the padlock in her hands and rattled is against the bar.

“Aarrgh.  When is someone going to give me a break?” she yelled as she let go of the lock in disgust.  She put her hands around the bars, rested her forehead on the cool metal and peered down into the belly of the castle.  A chain hung down the middle, she assumed it was attached to the bucket that collected the coins.  She could only see a few feet of it before it disappeared into the darkness of the well.

“It’s down there, I just know it is,” Faedra whispered to herself.

Faen crossed over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.  She felt his warmth through her clothing, from there it snaked its way straight to her heart.  She turned and looked into the eyes of her Guardian.  No words were necessary; she could see the compassion flowing from those deep pools of blue.  After a moment, she dropped her head and rested her forehead on his chest, trying to clear her mind and think of another way to get down the well.  He felt a crackle of static as her skin touched his chest.  He raised his hand and stroked her hair, knowing that was one of the best ways to calm her energy.

“I know where the key is,” Molly said.

Faedra turned towards the friendly ghost, not moving away from Faen. “You do?”

“Yes, it is in the control room.  All the keys for the castle hang on a board above the security guard’s desk.  They’re all labeled so it shouldn’t be too hard to find.”

“What is it, Faedra?  Is the ghost talking to you again?” Faen asked.

“Yes, she says the key is in the security guard’s office,” Faedra replied, hope blooming once more. “Now we just have to think of a way to get the key without alerting the guard.”

“Oh, that’s easy, luv.  He may not be able to see me, but I’ve had me fair share of fun with him, nonetheless.” Molly snickered.

Faedra narrowed her eyes, “Like what?”

“Oh, you just wait and see.  I’ll get him out of the way for you long enough so you can get the key.”

Intrigued, Faedra took hold of Faen’s hand before following Molly back up the steps to the keep and then down the corridor to where the control room was.

“Now, you two hide somewhere, while I go an’ work my magic with the fuse box.” Molly instructed, a devious grin developing with her words.

“Faen, can you glamour us?” Faedra asked.  In an instant they disappeared from view.

“Oh, that’s clever,” Molly said.  “I thought I was the only one who could do that around here.  I’ll just be a few minutes; you’ll know when to move in.”  She snickered again as she floated off down the corridor and around a corner.

They didn’t have to wait long.  A few moments later the whole place went black as all the lights went out and they were standing in a pitch-dark corridor.

Faedra heard an expletive from behind the door they were standing beside.  A second later, the door flew open and a beam from a flashlight made staggered patterns in the dark.

“Bloody fuse box!” The guard griped as he stomped off down the corridor in the same direction that Molly had gone a few moments earlier.  “That’s the third time this week.  If I miss seeing a bloody goal, I’m not gonna be happy.”

Faedra grinned as she watched the beam from the flashlight disappear around the corner.  No sooner had he disappeared out of view, she had an energy orb lit and bobbing in the palm of her hand.  They snuck into the office and found the board of keys above the desk.  Molly was right, they were all labeled, but there were a lot of them.  Faedra held the orb high and started at the top working her way from left to right.  A few rows down, she saw it. ‘Well Gate’ was on the label below a sturdy looking key.

“Gotcha,” she whispered while reaching up to grab the key from its hook.  “Come on, Faen, let’s go.”

Her excitement made her blood pound through her chest as she took the several sets of steps two at a time until she got back to her destination.

The lights were still on down below the keep and she silently thanked Molly for leaving those alone.  Relief filled her heart when the padlock ‘snicked’ and sprung open.  She climbed up onto the rock wall and crouched to get through the small hole the open gate had created.  A hand grabbed her arm.  She turned to look at her Guardian, a confused expression forming across her face.

“You are not going down there,” he stated, his face all business now.

“What do you mean?  Of course, I am.  I have to get that egg.” Faedra argued.

“I will go, it is too dangerous.”

“You can’t, Faen, your wings won’t fit in that little hole.”

Faedra could see Faen’s face go dark with anger.  He knew she was right and she could see a battle waging war on his face.  There hadn’t been a situation before now where his wings would be a limiting factor.  He was now faced with having to let his charge go down a well, who knew how many hundreds of feet deep.

She put a reassuring hand over his, “I’ll be fine, Faen.”  She eased his hand off her arm and took hold of the chain that hung down the middle of the well.  Before she had a chance to ease her body into the stone tube, Faen grabbed her again.

“Wait.”

“Faen, I’ll be fine,” she said, trying to bite back a spike of irritability.

“Look.”

She followed his gaze to something above her.  A winch.

“They must use that to bring the bucket up.  If we bring the bucket up, you can stand on it and I will winch you down.  It will be much safer.”

“Good idea,” she admitted, relieved that she wouldn’t have to shimmy down a chain.  She’d never shimmied down anything before and wasn’t a hundred percent happy about the idea.

She let go of the chain and eased herself back to the floor.  Faen pressed the button on the electric winch and the chain started to move.  A few minutes later the bucket appeared, full of pennies and other coins.  They pulled it through the opening in the grill and emptied it on the ground to lighten the load.

After taking a deep breath, Faedra eased herself back into the stone tube of the well, hooking one leg over one side of the bucket handle and the other leg over the other side until she was sitting astride the handle.  She sat still for a moment, testing the strength of the chain.  Faen lowered her a few feet, making sure he could still reach her and tested the winch to see if it was strong enough to pull her up again.  To his relief, it did so without too much grumbling.

“Okay, it looks like it will work.  In the name of Kernunnos, be careful,” Faen pleaded as he leaned in and planted a delicate kiss to her lips.

Faedra closed her eyes at his touch.  He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.

“I will, I promise.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Faedra hardly dared breathe as the bucket descended down the well.  She had an orb in one hand and white knuckled the chain with the other, clinging on for dear life.  She had no idea how deep the well was but was sure it must be a good hundred feet or more. Counting her blessings that she couldn’t actually see the bottom she tried a deep breath to calm her nerves.  It didn’t work.  The lower she got, the staler the air became.  A green fuzz now covered the wall and her lungs were starting to revolt against the air that was cloying and dank.

She coughed.

“Are you all right?” Faen called from above.

Faedra looked up to see the beautiful face of her Guardian looking down at her, a halo of light from above him making his blonde hair shimmer like gold.

She did her best to clear her throat.  “I’m fine,” she croaked.

So far, she hadn’t seen any stones that looked like they’d been dislodged and she was hoping it wouldn’t be all the way to the bottom before she found what she was looking for.  She looked up again to get a sense of how far down she was.  Faen’s face was becoming a blur as the distance grew between them.  A shudder ripped through her body.  The light above was becoming smaller and smaller.  She felt as though she was being wrapped in a damp dark blanket and she didn’t like that feeling at all.  The color of her orb made the closeness of the stone tube even more oppressive, casting eerie shadows on the wall.

Every few feet she pushed herself around in a circle using her feet on the wall, allowing her to scan all the stones with the light from her orb, then she would go back the other way so the chain didn’t get twisted.  After what seemed like forever, she was doing the usual routine, moving herself around the wall when a stone moved beneath her foot.

Her heart leapt to her throat when she heard the loose stone scraping against its neighbor as she wiggled it underfoot.

“Stop the chain!” She shouted up to Faen.

The chain stopped.

With shaky hands, she leaned forward, locking the chain under her arm for safety; she still had to keep one hand free for her orb.  She drew the light closer to the wall and could see the missing mortar around the loose stone.  Grabbing hold of the stone, she wiggled it again.  Loose dirt and dust fell from its resting place, undisturbed for hundreds of years. A few more wiggles and she eased the stone free. Faedra lifted it away from the wall and went to place it in the bucket so she could replace the stone after she’d retrieved whatever was hiding behind it.

She let out a little shriek as the damp slimy stone slipped from her grip and plummeted down the well.  One one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand, just how deep was this well?  Her stomach knotted when she finally heard a soft splash as the stone hit the water below her and realized that the flimsy metal bucket was the only thing between her and what would probably be a lethal fall.  If she made the same mistake with the egg, she wouldn’t get a second chance.

Faedra took a couple of deep calming breaths before she leaned in and felt around the inside of the hole with her free hand.  After a few seconds of touching around, her heart missed a beat as fingers made contact with a smooth shell. They continued feeling around the egg trying to ascertain how big it was.  Not too big, but would need two hands to hold safely.

“I found it!” She shouted up to Faen.

With fingertips clamped securely around the egg, she eased it towards her.  This time she wasn’t going to make the same mistake she had with the stone. Although it terrified her to do so, she prepared herself for the sickening sensation that would ensue, and snuffed out her orb.  Fighting her fear in the pitch black, she placed her other hand around the egg, caging it between her fingers and palms.

After wiggling it out of its hiding place, she put the egg in the bucket with extreme care.  She wasn’t about to risk it slipping from her grasp.

“You can bring me up now, Faen.”

The winch whirred into life again and relief washed over her.  She looked up and  watched Faen’s face get closer and closer.  She was nearly home free, or so they both thought.  A sharp jolt shot through the chain, her stomach lurched as she came to a sudden stop.

“What happened?  Why did it stop?” Faedra asked, anxious.

“I do not know.  I think the motor may have burned out.”

Faen tried pushing buttons but nothing happened.  A creak from the chain sparked concern.

“Faedra, it is not working.  You will have to climb up the chain.  I do not think it will hold you much longer.”  Was that a hint of panic in his voice?  Faedra’s throat went dry.

“I can’t climb up the chain.  I’ve got nowhere to put the egg.”

It was far too big for any of her pockets.  Why hadn’t she brought her backpack?  How stupid was that?  What did she think she was going to carry the egg in once she found it?  Truth was, she hadn’t been thinking.  All she had was tunnel vision to get to the castle with no preparation for what she may encounter once there.  She could kick herself for being so stupid.

Another creak.

“Throw the egg to me,” Faen called down.

“What? No!  Are you crazy?” Desperation was audible in her voice now.

“Faedra, it is the only way.  I will catch it, I promise.”

She looked up, gauging the distance.  She was only about ten feet below her Guardian.  Tears of fear and anger welled in her eyes.  Her heart was pounding.  How could she be so stupid to have come this far and not have something to put the egg into to keep it safe?

Faedra closed her eyes for a second before reaching into the bucket and picking up the egg.  Now her stupidity could cost her the egg if her Guardian dropped it.  Did she have that much faith in him?  She was literally holding her father’s life in her hands and was about to toss it away.  What if she didn’t throw it properly and it hit the wall and smashed; it was so narrow in the well.

Another creak.

“Faedra, you have to throw me the egg, the chain is getting weaker.”  The urgency in Faen’s voice was not lost on her.

“Please don’t drop it, please don’t drop it,” she repeated in a whisper as she held the egg and tried to figure out the best way to throw it straight up without having much elbowroom to maneuver.

“Okay, I’m going to throw it on the count of three.”

“I am ready.”

“One.”

Her heart pounded.

“Two.”

Waves of nausea took hold.

“Three.”

She threw the egg as accurately as she could and closed her eyes not daring to look.

“Got it!”

Her body relaxed and she felt her muscles uncoil.

Another creak, louder this time.

“Faedra, climb up the chain, now!” Faen yelled.  Faen never yelled.

Faedra eased herself up until she was standing on the top edge of the bucket, straddling either side of the handle.  She had never shimmied up anything before and wasn’t quite sure the best way to do it.  There was only about ten feet to go, less now that she was standing, but those ten feet felt like she was climbing a mountain.

“Keep coming; you are nearly there,” Faen encouraged.

Another jolt and the chain dropped a couple of feet.  Faedra screamed and held on with every fiber of her being.

“Oh, God, I’m not going to make it.”

“Yes, you are, you just need to move a bit faster,” Faen replied, his calm voice masking his panic.

A rush of adrenaline flowed through Faedra’s blood stream, coursing its way into her muscles, making her stronger for the precious few moments she needed to get herself to safety.  She hauled herself up the chain, egging herself on as she did, telling herself she could do this, she would do this and make it out alive.

She looked up, just a few more feet.  Faen was hanging over the edge, his hands outstretched.

Another foot, and another.

“Grab my hand,” he instructed when Faedra got close enough.

She wasn’t sure she could hang onto the chain with just one hand and hesitated.

Another groan from the chain.

“Grab it NOW!” Faen yelled again, his voice full of panic, shocking her into submission.

She did.  Faen clamped his hand around hers just as she heard a snap and the chain in her other hand went slack.  She let go of it and could hear the bucket rebound off the walls for several long seconds before a splash at the bottom confirmed its arrival.

It took a couple of seconds for her brain to comprehend the fact that she was dangling over a chasm more than a hundred feet deep and being held only by a hand, her Guardian’s hand.  She glanced up and saw the strained look in his face and the fear in his eyes, which probably mirrored her own.

“Don’t drop me,” she whimpered, a silly comment to make under the circumstances.

“Give me your other hand,” Faen grunted.

She did as he asked and felt immediately more secure.

“I am going to pull you up, hang on.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not intending to let go.”  She shot him a pathetic smile, an attempt to ease her nerves.  It didn’t work.

The rough stone scraped at her clothing as Faen slowly pulled her up the side of the well.  She felt the edge of the opening and saw Faen had now braced his feet against the outside of the wall.  Another tug and she was pulled to safety.  The force of her extrication made Faen fall flat on his back on the floor and she tumbled face down on top of him.

Faen took her face in his hands and bore into her soul with his eyes.  After seeing she was okay, he kissed her all over her face and then wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.  That was quite all right with Faedra, she probably couldn’t stand at that moment anyway, sure her legs had turned to jelly.

“Quite apart from the fact that you two should get a room, I was wondering, are you going to stay like that all night?”

Faedra looked up to see Molly peering over them and gave the ghost her best ‘what are you talking about?’ expression.

“The ghost again?” Faen asked.

“Yes.”

“It’s just that Joe makes ‘is rounds about now and I don’t think he’d be very ‘appy to see you two sprawled on the floor.  Even less ‘appy to see you stole castle property, and busted the coin bucket.  That’s gonna take some fixin’, that is.”

Faedra pushed herself into a kneeling position and looked down at her Guardian.  “Molly says the guard is doing his rounds, we need to get out of here.”

Faen pushed himself up on his elbows and looked around, curious.  “Why can I not see them?”

“I don’t know, but we don’t have time to find out.” Faedra got up from the floor and grabbed the egg that Faen had placed to the side of the iron grille.

“Thanks for all your help, Molly, Oswulf,” Faedra said with a smile.

“Been a pleasure, young ‘un.”

Oswulf bowed his head.  “I hope your quest is a success, M’lady.”

They walked up the stairs that led back to the keep and started to cross the creaking floorboards.

“Who’s there?” A gruff voice called just before a beam of light hit Faedra square in the face.  She lifted her hand to shield her eyes.  She looked around, Molly and Oswulf had disappeared.

“Bloody kids, how’d you get in here?  Oi, what you got in your hand? You’ve been stealing.” Faen had forgotten to glamour them.  The security guard could see them both.

Faedra wasn’t quite sure what or who guided her, but she took hold of Faen’s hand and made a dash for the staircase that led up from the keep.

The security guard ran after them. “Won’t do you any good running up there, that leads to the battlements.  There’s no escape from the battlements.”

Faen and Faedra exchanged knowing glances and raced towards the door.  The brisk night air slapped Faedra in the face as they pushed through the door.  The lights of the city sparkled all around them.

They could hear the security guard stomping up the steps close behind them.

“Got you now! You’ve nowhere to run up there,” he said, a smug tone cutting through the darkness.

Faen scooped Faedra up and continued running along the battlements.

The security guard burst through the door just as Faen launched himself off the end of the battlements, cloaking them with glamour, leaving the security guard staring up into the darkness scratching his head.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

As Faen circled the castle, Faedra looked down at the security guard who stomped his foot before turning and heading back down the stairs to the keep.  She giggled and felt Faen’s chest rumble with his own laughter, and clutched the egg to her chest feeling very satisfied with herself.  She had a feeling Draconis was going to be happy to see her this time.

She looked up at Faen who was concentrating on where he was going.  When he felt her shift, he brought his eyes down to meet hers and smiled.  Faedra’s heart did a little flip-flop; his smiles always had that effect on her.

“We need to go and get my backpack before we go back to Azran.  I was stupid to leave it at home.  I seriously need some sugar, too, I can’t remember the last time I had some and I’ve used a lot of energy.  I can feel myself getting weaker.”

Faen gave her a look of close inspection and could see the dark circles starting to form under her eyes.  He picked up the pace a little.  He couldn’t go too fast; he also needed to preserve his energy.  He had a lot of flying in front of him before this quest was over.

***

Faedra gulped down a bottle of sugar water as soon as they got home, which made her feel a lot better.  She still couldn’t quite get used to the sensation of being ‘plugged in’ as the energy flowed and hummed through her body.

She grabbed some snacks for herself and Faen, and unceremoniously stuffed a chocolate bar in her mouth.  Working with her mouth full, Faedra grabbed the softest towel she could find in the airing cupboard and wrapped the egg in it, then carefully placed it in her backpack.

“Okay, I’m ready,” she announced after making sure the egg was safe and secure.  She slipped the backpack over one shoulder on her way out the door.

“I think the vicar’s going to start to wonder why my car is always parked in the car park but I’m never anywhere to be found,” she mused out loud on the drive over to the church.

Faen didn’t respond, he was looking out of the window deep in thought.

“Penny for them,” Faedra asked.

No response.

“Faen?”

He turned to look at her. “Yes?”

“You were miles away.”

“No, I was not. I am sitting right next to you,” he said, his expression was one of confusion.

“It’s a figure of speech.  So, where were you? Figuratively speaking.”

He looked at her profile for the longest time.  Faedra turned for a second to see him gazing at her, his eyes heavy with unspoken thoughts.  She turned back to look at the road.  When she turned again a few seconds later, he was still looking at her, which prompted an uneasy sensation to wash over her.

“Faen, what is it?”

He was silent for a moment more.  When he spoke, his voice was full of indecision.

“I have a decision to make, but I have no control over the outcome.  I am not sure if I could survive the consequences if the outcome is not what I hope for,” he admitted as they pulled into the church car park.

Faedra turned the engine off and turned to look at her Guardian.

“What kind of decision?” she asked.

He looked away.

“Faen, what kind of decision?”

After a pregnant pause he replied, “I cannot tell you right now, I need more time to think about it.”

Faedra felt her stomach knot, she didn’t like the way he was talking.  Maybe he had enough of chasing around both worlds after her, trying to keep her safe, while she herself was reckless.

“You’re not going to leave me, are you?”

He brought his hand up and cupped her face.  His awkward smile made the ball in her gut lurch even more.

“I hope not.” His words were barely a whisper.

He held her gaze captive for a second more before looking away.  When he pulled his hand away, Faedra felt as if it stole a tiny part of her along with it.  He got out of the car and shut the door with a soft push.

Faedra undid her seat belt, groped around for her door handle and hurried to get out of the car.  She wasn’t about to let this subject drop.  She stood up and looked over the roof of her car at Faen.

“What’s that supposed to mean, you hope not?” she questioned, trying to hide the quiver in her voice.  She’d only known the ‘real’ Faen for a few months, but now that he was in her life, she couldn’t imagine being without him.

“When the time is right I will tell you.”

“Tell me what, Faen?  You can’t just drop a bombshell like that and not expect me to want an explanation.”

Faen looked as though he were about to speak, but he thought better of it and started to walk across the car park toward the back of the church.

Faedra felt panic surge through her body. “Look, I know I said some pretty nasty things to you,” she called out after him. Stay out of my life echoed through her head and she cringed. “I’ll understand if you don’t want to be my Guardian anymore.  I guess I deserve it after the way I treated you.”

Faen stopped and hung his head.

Faedra could see his back heave as he let out a sigh.  She swallowed back the lump in her throat and stood frozen in time, waiting anxiously to see if the man she loved would turn to face her.

The man I love! The thought slammed into her and took her breath away.  If she was being honest with herself, she’d loved him from the moment he took her hand and whisked her around the dance floor at her birthday party.  Now she felt like he was slipping away from her.

After a moment more of silence and no response from her Guardian, she tried to shake the thought from her mind and get back to the task at hand.  Her dad still needed her and there wasn’t time for this.  She leaned into the car, grabbed the backpack from the back seat and slung it over her shoulders.  After taking a deep, steadying breath she strode toward Faen who was still standing with his back to her.

She lifted her chin as she approached him.  When she was level with his shoulder, she whispered as she walked past, “If you don’t care about me anymore, the king will have to find me another Guardian.”  Her heart cracked as she said the words.

She only got another step forward when a hand grabbed her wrist jerking her around to meet a fierce gaze.

Faedra swallowed.

“Is that what you think?” he asked.

“That’s what it looks like,” she replied rather more sheepish than she would have liked.

“So help me, Faedra.  I love you, and that is the problem.”

Faedra stared at him, a feeling of stupidity welling within her.  Hadn’t she heard as much when she was listening outside the door at his parent’s house?  How could she have forgotten that so soon?

Faen continued.  “I do not want to be just your Guardian anymore, but it is forbidden.  If the king finds out, he could take me away from you.  To make the situation even worse, he is, also, your father.  He would probably extradite me to some far flung realm and I would never see you again.”

Faedra hadn’t heard any of the latter of what Faen just said.

“You love me?”

“Faedra, did you not hear a word of what I just said?” Faen asked giving her shoulders a gentle shake to regain her attention.

She nodded, trance-like. “You love me.”  She brought her hand to his face and stared into his liquid blue eyes.

Faen softened at her touch and smiled.  “I do,” he whispered, before tipping his head and planting a gentle kiss on her lips.

After a moment, Faedra pulled back from their kiss, determination sweeping over her.  “You leave my father to me.  He’s already lost one daughter; I doubt he will be in any hurry to lose another, especially after just finding me.  But right now, we need to go and rescue my dad.” Faedra took hold of Faen’s hand and they continued on to the portal, her heart skipping a merry beat all the way.

Once they were on the other side of the portal, Todmus came scuttling through the bushes to greet them, as he always did.  The torch he was carrying illuminated the little man’s face with a soft warm glow.  He gave them a large welcoming smile as he got closer.

Faedra was relieved it was nighttime in Azran.  They wouldn’t have to waste precious time waiting until dark before they could carry on with their mission.

“Todmus?” Faedra asked, “I need to ask you a really big favor.”

“Anything, Miss, you know that.”

She leaned in and whispered, “May I please borrow Aesti again?”

Todmus hesitated and looked passed her to Faen, concern clouding his features.

“It’s okay, Todmus.  Faen won’t give your secret away, I promise.” She turned to Faen. “Will you?”

“What secret? Who is Aesti?”

“I’ll tell you if you promise to keep him a secret.  It will save us a lot of time and you a lot of energy getting back to the Alovison Mountains.”

“I have a feeling I am not going to like this, am I?”

“Probably not, but please do it for me.  We don’t have much time left.”

She pulled out the time-pebble and held it in the flat of her hand to prove her point.  Only the thinnest sliver of black was now visible in the stone.

Faen contemplated her request for a second but knew the moment he looked into Faedra’s desperate eyes, he was defeated.  Who was he trying to kid anyway? He would do anything for her.  He was already breaking the strictest law by falling in love with her.

“Alright, you have my word old friend.  Your secret, whatever it is, is safe with me.”

Faedra could see Todmus chew on his bottom lip and waited with bated breath for his decision.

“Very well, follow me,” he said as he gestured with his hand for them to follow him through the bushes to the glade where Faedra was first introduced to Aesti.

They stood side-by-side in the darkness, illuminated only by the flame from Todmus’ torch. Faedra flinched slightly when Todmus blew out his ear-splitting whistle. Faen looked down at her and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Within minutes they could hear the soft whoosh, whoosh of Aesti’s wings, this time though, the only part of him they could see were his flame red eyes burning bright against the dark night sky.

Faedra watched Faen’s eyes look to the heavens when he comprehended what was flying towards them, and then noticed Todmus give him an uncertain look.

“Todmus, do the Valkyries know you have one of their horses?  On second thought, do not answer that, I think it best that I do not know.” Faen said as the winged beauty came to a sliding stop just a foot away and blasted Faedra in the face with a warm welcoming snort.

She reached up to run a hand down the length of its velvety face.  The look of its fierce red eyes shining in the darkness, no longer perturbed the young Custodian; she knew their owner was going to help, not hinder.

“Thank you, Todmus” Faedra said as Faen helped her up on top of the beast and then got on behind her.

“Be safe, Miss,” Todmus said as the winged-horse turned and galloped down the glade before taking off, barely missing the trees that surrounded them.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

“Take us to the Alovison Mountains,” Faedra whispered to Aesti as they were taking off.

Aesti banked to the left, then straightened once he chose his course.

“How long have you known about this?” Faen asked after a few moments of silence.

“Not long.  Todmus took pity on me the other day when I came through the portal and needed to get to the castle.” Faedra sighed and closed her eyes, remembering the fateful encounter with her real father that would change her life forever.

Sensing the reason for her heavy sigh, Faen said. “Having two fathers who love you is not all bad, you know.”

Faedra didn’t respond, she was still trying to get to grips with the fact that her life had basically been a lie for eighteen years.

The two sat quietly after that, waiting for Aesti to arrive at the mountain range.  She wasn’t sure how long it would take to get there, but was hoping it wouldn’t be too much longer.  The sky was starting to change from inky black to deep ochre on the horizon.  Dawn was just a few minutes away and she hoped they could get there under the cover of darkness.  Thankfully, just as she was thinking it, the mountain range loomed tall and dark up ahead.  Now they just had to find the hole they escaped from last time and they’d be set.  Although, looking at the immense size of the mountain range as they drew closer, she wondered how they would ever find it in time.

Faedra asked Aesti to do a sweep back and forth along the rock face.  They worked their way down from the top, eyes straining to find the tiny hole in the monstrous mountain range.  The looming sunrise was working to their advantage now.  Even if the redcaps did spot them, they wouldn’t be able to get up the side of the mountain quick enough to be of any threat.

A couple of sweeps later and Faen spotted the cave opening.

“Over there, Aesti.  Do you see it?” he said pointing towards the spot.

Faedra was sure Aesti’s hulking head gave a nod as he turned toward the opening in the rock face.  A moment later, the winged horse landed gracefully on the ledge and furled its wings.

Faen slid off Aesti’s back and held his arms up for Faedra, easing her off the horse’s back and placing her on her feet.  Faedra ran a hand down Aesti’s silky neck.

“Thanks.”

The horse inclined its head then he turned, unfurled his wings once more and threw himself off the ledge like a fearless hand-glider.  Faedra watched in awe of the beautiful creature as he flew out of sight.

Faen took hold of Faedra’s hand and she turned her attention back to her Guardian.

“Ready?” he asked.

“As I’ll ever be, I guess.”  She gave him a half-hearted smile.

Faedra had to admit she was not looking forward to coming face to face with Draconis again, but hopefully this time he would be much happier to see her, considering the package she carried in her backpack.

Faen scooped her up in his arms and launched himself off the other side of the ledge just like Aesti had done moments before.  Faedra’s stomach did its usual summersault, and she wondered if she would ever get used to it.

They flew down the long cave in a graceful spiral, the light from the bottom that started as a tiny dot got brighter as they approached the floor.  Faedra could see the Gatekeeper now, he was looking up at them, his eyes narrowed.

“Halt, who goes there?” he bellowed, a curl of smoke escaping his nostril.

“It’s me, the Custodian,” Faedra called, hoping he wouldn’t turn them into a flying kebab before she got a chance to get her hands on the emerald staff.

The dragon’s eyes widened with surprise as they drew closer.

“Well, well,” the Gatekeeper said rubbing his chin with thumb and forefinger.  “I have to admit that I was not expecting to see you again.  Do you have it?”

Faedra patted her backpack. “In here.”

Faedra could swear she saw the dragon do a little wiggle of excitement, then he smiled, or at least she hoped it was a smile.  A long line of shiny white, and extremely sharp looking, teeth gleamed from beneath his scaly lips only inches from her face.

“Young lady, I doubt you have any idea of what you have just done for our realm.  Come quickly, I will escort you myself.”

The Gatekeeper opened the swirling gateway to Zutherindal and guided Faen and Faedra through with a gesture of his enormous claw.

They stepped through only to be met by the grumpy blue dragon who greeted them with the same expression the Gatekeeper just had.

The Gatekeeper poked his head through before his body followed. “It is alright Alaris, I will escort them to Draconis,” he said before Alaris could get any words out.  “Please guard the gateway while I am gone.”

The blue dragon grouched but shuffled through the gateway all the same.  Faedra turned to see his tale disappear through the swirling luminescent liquid they had just walked through.

“This way,” the Gatekeeper spoke with urgency.  “No time to lose.”

Faedra and Faen followed him in silence.  The passage she walked through just a short while ago was prompting a knot to tie itself in her stomach.  She knew Draconis would be pleased to get his egg back, but now it suddenly dawned on her, what if he didn’t keep up his end of the bargain?  She would have wasted all this time for nothing.  She dug out the time-pebble from her jeans prompting the heavy feeling in her heart.  The tiniest sliver was all that was left.

“We will find him,” Faen said.

Faedra looked up, suddenly snapped from her thoughts by Faen’s declaration.  He was looking at the pebble.  She could tell he was trying to mask his concern.  Over the past few months, she’d gotten to know him fairly well and could tell when he was concerned or worried, even when he tried to hide it.

“I hope Draconis doesn’t back out on his side of the bargain.”

“A dragon’s word is his oath.  He will not back out.  If he promised you the emerald staff in return for the egg, he will give it to you.”

“You obviously have a lot more faith in dragons than I do,” she whispered.

The Gatekeeper cleared his throat “He is correct, my child.  If Draconis promised you the emerald staff, he will give it you.”

Faedra felt her cheeks warm a little; it was obvious the dragon had overheard what she said to Faen.

“I didn’t mean any disrespect,” she said to the dragon.

“No need for apologies, my dear.  There has been a frosty standoff between dragons and humans for nearly a thousand years now.  It is understandable that you do not trust us anymore than we trust you.”  The red dragon turned his head and gave her another toothy grin then turned back again without breaking stride.

All too soon they were standing outside the doors that led to Draconis’ chamber.  Faedra’s heart was in her mouth, and it was all she could do to keep from being sick.  The anxious waves of nausea flooded her senses as the Gatekeeper took hold of the gothic styled wrought iron handles and pushed down.

The doors swung open.

“Arin, what are you doing here?  Who is guarding the gateway?” Draconis boomed from inside the room as the red dragon entered.

“Grouchy as ever,” the Gatekeeper whispered back to Faen and Faedra, giving them both a wink before turning back to face inside the room.

Faedra smiled, she was really starting to like this dragon.

“I have a couple of surprise visitors for you,” Arin announced.

“How many times do I have to tell you guards, I do not want any visitors!” Draconis bellowed, rattling the iron sconces in their mountings on the walls either side of the doorway.

Faedra swallowed hard.  She could not yet see the enormous black dragon taking up residence in the cavernous room, as she and Faen were still standing behind the red dragon whose bulky body was filling most of the doorway.  But she could just imagine his expression from the first time she’d been in his presence.

“I think you will make allowances for these visitors, my Lord,” the Gatekeeper said as he stepped into the room and moved to one side, leaving Faen and Faedra standing in the entrance.

Draconis narrowed his eyes as his gaze fell on the Custodian.  “You again,” he hissed then moved his gaze to Faen. “Are you collecting fae, Custodian?” he asked sarcastically.  Even through her fear his comment made her bristle a little and she squared her shoulders at him.

“You are trying my patience, Custodian?” he said waving a nonchalant claw in the air. “You cannot possibly have found the egg in such a short time and I told you I will not loan you the emerald staff without it.”  He turned his back to them effectively brushing them off.

Faedra could feel her temper rising.  How dare he brush her off so quickly.  She grabbed the egg out of her backpack and held it out.

“If I wasn’t so desperate to find my dad, I’d smash this bloody thing all over the floor!”

Her hands were shaking with anger and it was all she could do to hold the egg without dropping it.  Faen put a steadying hand on her forearm and gave her a look of warning.  It wasn’t a good idea to be rude to a dragon, especially the head honcho dragon.  She ignored his look, continuing to hold the egg out over the cold flagstone floor.

Draconis turned sharply, took one look at the egg and moved toward her so fast Faedra could hardly track his movements before his face was just inches from hers.

“You found it,” Draconis’ shocked whisper was so close to Faedra she could feel his warm breath on her face. His demeanor changed. When she looked into the dragon’s eyes, they were much softer.  The hard lines on his face softened, too.  To Faedra’s utter astonishment a tear welled in the deadly creature’s eye and slid down his face, leaving a silvery shimmer along his jet-black scales on its descent.

“I never thought I would see the day that my child was returned to me.”

Draconis held out his upturned claw.  A tingle of anticipation hung in the air.

Faedra’s heart melted when she saw the obvious love that Draconis showed toward the egg still held in her hands.  She placed the egg carefully in the palm of the dragon’s claw, which was softer than she imagined it would be.  The egg nestled securely within its father’s grasp as Draconis closed his claw around it.

“Thank you,” he whispered again.  “You will become a legend in our realm.”

Faedra smiled.  She didn’t care about being a legend anywhere, all she cared about at that moment was getting her hands on the emerald staff and finding her dad alive and unharmed.  As if Draconis could read her mind, he turned, placed the egg on a sumptuous red velvet cushion that sat on his dais and moved over to an ornately carved wooden closet.  He turned the handle and opened it. The inside was lined with thick forest green velvet, and nestled within its walls was the emerald staff.

Draconis reached in, took hold of the staff, and carried it toward the Custodian in both hands, as though he was carrying a prized sword and was about to knight her with it.

“If I may have it back when you have completed your quest,” he said as he handed her the staff with a bow of his head.

Faedra sucked in a breath as the wood from the staff touched the skin of her outstretched palms.

She could feel the palpable energy from the staff running through her fingers and up into her arms.  It was intricately decorated just like its sister the ruby staff, but with gems of sparkling emeralds emblazoned down its length.  Mesmerized by its beauty, it took her a few seconds to comprehend that she was now holding the only hope she had of finding her dad alive.

Snapping herself back to the here and now, she looked up at Draconis.  Now it was her turn to have watery eyes.  “Thank you, I will return it, I promise.”

“I have no doubt that you will.”  He turned and moved towards the egg, stopped and looked back.  “I hope you find your father.”

She gave him a weak smile in response.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Faedra and Faen still stood in the doorway of the great hall where Draconis was now cooing over his egg, completely ignoring anything else around him.

“Do you know how it works?” Faedra asked Faen.

“Just think of where you want to go and it will take you. Make sure you wait until I have my hands on it before you do or you will leave me behind.”

“I think we should pick up Etyran on the way, don’t you?  He will come in handy if we need to disappear or if we need an extra pair of hands in a fight.”

Faen gave a curt nod. “I agree.  Let us go find him.”

They stacked their hands up the shaft of the emerald staff and even though she only needed to think the destination, she wasn’t taking any chances and spoke aloud. “Take us to Etyran.”

Tiny green laser lights shot out from each of the emeralds and encircled them.

“Oh, my God, this is it,” Faedra said as she watched the tiny green lights dance around her and felt a lurch in her gut similar to when she’d ridden the Nemesis roller coaster at a theme park years ago.  A split second later, they were no longer standing on the cold flagstone floor at the entrance to a cavernous ornate hall, but, instead, were standing on a patch of dirt surrounded by gnarly brush.  They looked around and then their eyes were drawn downwards to see Etyran lying on the ground in front of them.  He was looking through an opening in the brush with a pair of very modern binoculars. Faedra thought it odd to see him with a pair of binoculars and figured he’d smuggled them into Azran from his exiled home in the World of Men.

“Hi,” Faedra said, her voice slicing through the eerie silence.

Etyran flung his head up in surprise and got his hair tangled in the brush above him then promptly disappeared from view.

Faedra reached out her foot and tapped his leg where she knew he would still be lying invisible on the ground.

“It’s just us,” she said, amusement making the sides of her mouth curl.

Etyran showed himself again, he was trying fruitlessly to free his hair from the brambles he’d got caught in so he could turn over to see them.

“In the name of Kernunnos, are you trying to give a man a heart attack?” He grouched, unable to look at them until he could free himself.

Faedra let go of the emerald staff leaving it in Faen’s capable hands, kneeled down next to Etyran, and proceeded to untangle his golden brown locks from the thorny brush.

After a few moments Faedra managed to detach most of the Lightbender’s hair from the brambles, enough that he could now sit up and see his two friends.  He gave Faedra a warm smile.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon.”

“Look what we got,” Faedra said, directing him with gleeful eyes to what Faen was holding.

“Well, I never, you found the egg.”

Faedra responded with a smug smile as she freed the last tangle of hair from the brush and helped the exiled Guardian to his feet.

Etyran brushed the dirt off his clothes then brushed his hands together, sending plumes of dust to swirl around them.  “So, what are you doing here?”

“We stopped on the way to see if you’ll come with us.  We may need another pair of hands and your ability might come in handy.  We don’t know what we’ll find when get wherever it is we’re going.”

“Are you kidding me?  Of course, I’ll come.  You know me, always up for a bit of a ruckus.” Etyran said showing his immaculate smile.  Faen smiled at his old friend and rolled his eyes.  One thing was certain, if trouble didn’t find his friend, Etyran went looking for it.

“Well, here goes nothing,” Faedra said as she put her hands on the emerald staff Faen was already holding and waited until Etyran had his hands firmly gripped around it too.

She gave her Guardian a hopeful smile and breathed in deeply to steady her nerves.  It didn’t work.

“Take us to the ruby staff.”

The tiny green laser lights encircled them again and Faedra felt the now familiar lurch in her gut.

I’m coming, Dad.

No sooner had she finished her thought, they arrived at their destination.  And much to their surprise, they were now looking around an all too familiar corridor.

Faedra’s eyes widened as troops of guards came charging past them and turned the corner up ahead, met by guards who were coming from the opposite end of the corridor. Then they marched through a doorway and disappeared out of sight.

“What are we doing here?” Faedra asked.

Faen shrugged his shoulders.

“I can’t be here.” Etyran exclaimed before turning tail to leave in the opposite direction of the guards.  Faedra grabbed his arm and was about to do some serious begging when a familiar voice echoed down the hall.

“Vivianna, you must reconsider.  Why are you doing this?”

“Just give me the book, Father.”

“You know I cannot do that.  Even if I wanted to, I do not have access to it.”

“You are the king, do you really expect me to believe you cannot access the Book of Anohs?”

Faedra’s blood froze and she grabbed Etyran’s arm even tighter as pieces of the puzzle started falling into place.

“I somehow think he has bigger fish to fry right now,” she said, pleading with her eyes for him not to leave them.  “Do that invisible thing, he won’t see you and it’ll give us an advantage.”

Etyran gave her a considering glance and nodded before he disappeared from view.  Faedra still had hold of his arm as another group of guards came charging past them and they all backed against the wall to avoid being trampled.  Once the guards had passed, the three turned and ran along behind them into the castle’s great hall in Azran.  What they saw next prompted Faen to pull Faedra back out of sight behind one of the enormous stone pillars that held up the roof.

Faen and Etyran stood either side of her and wouldn’t let her go any further.

The hall was now full of soldiers, surrounding four people who stood in the middle.  One of which, was her father, the kidnapped one.

The king was pleading with his daughter to let Henry go and Vivianna was standing hands-on-hips with a very defiant look on her face.  Faedra’s heart skipped as she saw her dad being held hostage with a knife to his throat.  His captor was a tall, strikingly handsome man with jet-black hair and dark olive skin.  He wore an immaculate black tailored suit and looked like he’d just walked off the cover of GQ magazine.  He definitely didn’t fit the image of a kidnapper.  Her dad looked terrified but from this distance, she could not see any evidence that he’d been harmed.

“Savu.” Faen and Etyran hissed together.

“What?  Where?’ Faedra asked looking first at her Guardian then at the thin air Etyran was occupying.  “I thought Savu was a dragon.”

“He is,” they whispered together.

“I don’t see any dragons.”

“Dragons can take human form, if they so desire,” Faen explained.  “Savu is the one holding your dad.”

Faedra looked back at the man who was holding her dad and could feel her anger start to roil.

“Let me go,” she said to Faen and Etyran.

“Faedra, you cannot go in there, we need to think of a plan first,” Faen replied.

“He’s right, luv.  You can’t just go in there energy balls a’blazin’.  You don’t have any idea how powerful Savu is.  He could transform you to ash in seconds,” Etyran continued.

Fury was boiling within her now.  She couldn’t bare to look at her dad being held at knifepoint, any longer.  Her energy was building, and within a few seconds, both the men restraining her let go with an audible yelp of pain.

She stepped out from behind the pillar and strode forward, the rage boiling within her blocking out all reason.  The only thing she could think of was rescuing her dad.

“Faedra, I beg you do not do this,” Faen pleaded.  He was walking backwards in front of her, knowing full well that he couldn’t physically restrain her lest he get electrocuted in the process. “You do not have the power to defeat Savu, none of us do.”

Faedra looked straight through her Guardian, as if he weren’t even there.  The expression in her eyes scaring even him.  When he realized there was nothing he could do to stop her, he stepped aside.

“Let my dad go!” Faedra yelled as she neared the gathered group in the center of the great hall.

Some of the guards parted to let her through when they looked round to see her storming towards them with a look of thunder on her face.  A picture of her must have been circulated amongst the troops now, as they all seemed to recognize her, unlike her encounter with a couple of them a few days before.

The gathered group in the center fell silent and turned to look at her.  She could sense Faen and Etyran flanking either side of her and that made her just a little more confident.  She may look like the coming of World War III on the outside but on the inside she was quaking like a leaf caught on a stiff autumn breeze.

She noticed the hair on the guard’s heads closest to her rising with the static electricity she was generating.  The guards took a couple of steps back from her on either side, looking more uncomfortable with her than with what was transpiring in the middle of the hall.  Controlling her energy was going to be her next concern.  She couldn’t care less if she blew away Vivianna and Savu, but to hurt her dad, or any of her friends in the process, was unthinkable.

“You’re early,” Vivianna’s silken voice cut through the silence like a knife.  “I wasn’t quite ready for you yet.  How did you find us?”

“Looks like my poor excuse for a brother helped them,” Savu hissed with contempt as he cast his eyes over the emerald staff Faen was holding.

“Well, no matter, it is not going to affect our plans.” Vivianna gave Savu a smug look before returning her gaze to Faedra.

“I said, let my dad go,” Faedra repeated, the lack of control over her energy causing an audible crackle in the air around her.

Vivianna held out her hand, palm up and wiggled her fingers.  “The amulet first.” Her voice was so sickly sweet it made Faedra want to gag.

“Not going to happen.”

Vivianna raised her eyebrows and gave a little devil-may-care shrug. “Well, in that case, I guess daddy has to die.”

“If you kill my father you’ll lose your only bargaining chip.  I can’t see you doing that, somehow.” Faedra’s stomach was hardly able to keep its contents down.  She was so sick with fear hoping her double bluff would work.  It was taking every ounce of strength she possessed to keep her exterior calm and cool; inside she felt like a volatile time bomb with only a few seconds left on the clock.  Savu pushed the knife harder against Henry’s neck causing her dad to go up on his tiptoes to evade the blade from slicing his skin.  Faedra took a step forward ready to create merry hell in the hall when she saw the subtle look Vivianna gave Savu and he loosened his hold a fraction.  Henry relaxed the tiniest bit in response, and the stalemate was allowed to continue for a while longer.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

The tension in the great hall was rising.  Vivianna started to pace back and forth in front of her hostage and her father, chin resting between thumb and forefinger calculating her next move.  Faedra didn’t take her eyes off her dad, who looked back at her with question and confusion in his eyes.  She could hardly blame him, he didn’t belong in this world, had no idea of its existence until a few days ago.  Heck, she’d only been introduced to it a few months ago and was still having a hard time getting to grips with it.

The tense standoff between her and Vivianna was not good and she knew it wouldn’t last for long.  Vivianna was sure to make a decision about her next move very soon and Faedra wanted to be ready.  Although, at this point, Faedra had her doubts that Vivianna was the one pulling the strings anymore.  She stopped looking at her dad after giving him her best ‘it’ll be all right, Dad’ look, and turned her attention to her adversary who was still pacing back and forth.  In that instant, she wished her power allowed her to read other people’s thoughts.

She was distracted by a “psst” noise coming from somewhere behind her.  Her eyebrows pinched together as she looked around and noticed Faen had turned his head to look, too, but they couldn’t immediately see anyone else in the hall.

“Psst.” The noise was a little more insistent this time.  Faedra scanned the hall and caught a glimpse of black and white hair and half of a very pale face peeking out from behind one of the massive stone pillars towards the back of the hall.

“Jocelyn?” she mouthed.

The young fairy crept out from behind the pillar chewing on her lower lip as she tiptoed towards her brother and Faedra, eyeing the goings on in the center of the hall with caution.

“What are you doing here?” Faen and Faedra whispered together, trying not to bring attention to their newest member to the standoff.

“When I woke up in the graveyard, I came straight here to see if I could find you,” she explained to Faedra.  “I had a feeling you would be coming here, but when I arrived, they told me you had already been and gone.  I went back to your house but it was obvious no one had been there for a while, so I made my way back here thinking you would show up at some time.  When I got here, this is what I walked in on.  I overheard them talking about some plan they have to rule the seven realms together by getting their hands on the book and the amulet.”

“Sorry about knocking you out,” Faedra said, heat rising in her cheeks as she flicked her gaze between her friend and her father.

“Do not worry.  I understand why you did it.”  Jocelyn gave her a warm smile.

“Jocelyn, it’s too dangerous for you to be in here.  This is not your battle,” Faedra said.

“I am not leaving you, and if those two are trying to rule over Azran, it is my battle.  This is my home, too.”

Faedra couldn’t help but smile at her friend who was ever the courageous little fairy.

“Well, you need to stay behind us then.  I have a feeling this is going to get nasty,” Faen told his sister.

Jocelyn did as she was told but bumped into Etyran when she moved over.  She gave Faedra an odd expression before moving back from the Lightbender who was still invisible.

“I’ll explain later,” Faedra told her.

“Jocelyn, is the portal still working in here?” Faen asked.  “I know there used to be one in here a long time ago but heard rumors that the king closed it for security purposes.”

Jocelyn closed her eyes and mentally scanned the room.  A few seconds later she opened them again.  “Yes, there is, it is over there.”  She gave a pointed look to where she could sense the portal.

“Can you open it?” Faen said.

Faedra gave him a questioning look, unsure where his request was headed?

“In case we need a quick exit,” Faen answered her unspoken question.

Faedra gave a subtle nod of agreement.

Jocelyn reached out with her mind again.  “Yes, I can but it would not be wise to do it now.  Vivianna and Savu are powerful enough to sense it opening and that would take away the element of surprise.”

“Little sister, you are a clever young thing.  Sometimes I do not give you enough credit.”

Jocelyn glowed with pride at her brother’s words.

“Enough!”  A sharp voice penetrated the silence.  Faedra flinched at the sudden outburst and turned her attention back to the man holding her dad.

“I have waited long enough!  Hand over the amulet this instant or I kill the human you view as your father.” Savu spat out with contempt.

Faedra’s heart leapt to her throat, blood pounding so hard in her veins it was a wonder the whole hall couldn’t hear it.  It was only a matter of time before the standoff had to end, and that time was now.  She took a step forward.  A hand circled her arm and held her still.  She looked down at Faen’s hand, knuckles white, and then looked up to meet his burning intense gaze.

“What do you think you are doing?” he asked.

“I can’t let them kill my dad.”

“You cannot let them have the amulet either.”

Faedra closed her eyes and hung her head for a second, decisions warring within her.

When she opened her eyes, Faen could tell she had made up her mind.

“Please let go of my arm, I don’t want to hurt you.”

Faen hesitated even though he knew she could zap him away from her at any second.  Her power had developed to the point that she no longer needed just her hands to manipulate it.

“Faen, please.”

Unspoken words flooded between them in the split second before he let her go.

“Thank you.”

Faedra walked towards the middle of the hall and smiled at her dad.

“Faedra, what are you doing?” Henry’s husky voice penetrated her brain.

“Silence human!” Savu snapped, pressing his knife into Henry’s neck.

Faedra averted her attention to Savu, eyes cold with hatred.  “Let my dad go and you can have your precious amulet.”

“Faedra, no!” her dad squeaked through constricted vocal chords.

“It’s the only way, Dad.”

“Give me the amulet and I will release your father,” Savu said with a sneer.

“It doesn’t work like that.  You will have to take it from me, but I will not let you have it until I know my dad is safe.”

Vivianna leaned in and whispered something in Savu’s ear.  He listened intently giving a knowledgeable nod towards Faedra when Vivianna had finished.

“Ahh, I see,” he said.  “Well, this should be fun.”

Faedra’s stomach lurched, as the realization she’d just signed her own death sentence finally sunk in.  It was the only way to free her dad.

Savu had an evil gleam in his eyes as he looked at her, and without giving her dad a second look, shoved him away like a diseased leper.  He stumbled and fell on the floor.  Faedra made to take a step toward her father but something hit her in the stomach.  In the next few seconds it seemed to Faedra like everyone was traveling in slow motion.

“I’ll take that amulet now,” Savu said.

His hand was raised and burning hot flames were shooting out of his fingertips hitting Faedra in the stomach.

Faedra screamed in agony as the flames burned through her clothing and into her flesh.  She couldn’t move, she was being held by an invisible force and could tell it was Savu holding her with his other outstretched hand, a trick the redcaps used that she’d been subjected to a few months earlier.  This was it, she thought, the end of her life.  She prayed that the others could defeat Savu and keep hold of the amulet.  It broke her heart to give it up so easily but couldn’t bear to see her dad die because of her.  She had to see him get to safety and this was the only way she could think off.  She looked over to see him picking himself up off the floor, horror and sadness in his eyes as he looked at his daughter being burned alive for something he had no idea existed, and was helpless to do anything about.

Vivianna looked on with glee.  Faedra prayed for the end to come, she couldn’t bear the pain any longer.  Just get it over with.  She knew her eyes were pleading with Savu to end her swiftly, but the mirth she saw when she looked at him made her realize he was enjoying himself and was not likely to show her any mercy.

In the next second, a door opened in her mind.  As it did, the pain from the flames dissipated and she could no longer feel the burning anymore, instead her body was absorbing the heat, storing it, molding it.  She looked down at her stomach, the blisters were dissolving and the skin was healing.  Her head shot up to look at Savu, surprised by this new development of her power, only to see his eyes widen in surprise, too.  But just as she realized what she could do with the revelation, she heard a commotion behind her.

“Jocelyn, now!”

It was Faen.

The next instant she was being picked up by invisible arms, wrenched from the force Savu was holding her with, and was being thrown towards the area of the hall Jocelyn acknowledged had a portal.

By the time her brain registered what was going on, she only had time to scream a few words.

“No, Faen, don’t!”

“Lock down the portal now!” were the last words she heard before landing in a rough heap on the hard ground… somewhere.

“Goddammit, Faen!  I know how to defeat him!” Faedra screamed up at the blue sky that was now above her.

“Young lady, please be mindful of where you are.”

Faedra looked up, squinting at the person towering over her.  It took a few seconds to focus with the sunshine in her eyes.  It was a priest.

Then she heard voices mumbling all around her.  Averting her gaze from the priest, she looked around to see she was surrounded by people milling about on the grass. They were looking at her with perplexed expressions and mumbling to their friends and partners.  Some were pointing at her, others were looking around them in confusion.

Another look around and she recognized the place she’d been unceremoniously dumped into.  She was sitting smack dab in the middle of the Labyrinth in the courtyard of the cathedral.  Enclosed on all four sides by cloisters that were also filled with tourists visiting the historic landmark.  They also seemed intrigued by the fact that she appeared out of nowhere, and proceeded to yell at the top of her voice to no one in particular.

“Oh, that’s just great, Faen.  The cathedral, really?  You couldn’t find somewhere a little less conspicuous?” she muttered, trying very hard to keep her anger at bay so she didn’t shock anyone.

She dragged her hands through her hair then flung her arms to the ground with an exasperated sigh.

“Are you alright?” the priest asked as he offered her a hand to help her up off the grass.

She looked up and gave the priest a sheepish grin as she pulled back her emotions and accepted his offered hand.  She hauled herself up off the ground, dusting down her jeans and straightening her jumper, what was left of it.

The priest’s eyes widened with shock as he looked down at the charred clothing that no longer covered her midriff.  She followed his gaze and saw the gaping hole that used to be her jumper and t-shirt.

“Had a problem with the iron,” she muttered, her voice prompting him to regain his senses.  He looked up at her again.

“Where did you come from?  Who were you talking to?” he asked.

That did it, she had to get out of there and get back to Azran castle. The knowledge she could defeat Savu was eating away at her.  What if that monster had already killed everyone in the hall; would she be too late to save her dad and her friends?

Turning on her heel, she left the priest and all the tourists looking dumbstruck as she jumped through one of the cloister archways.  The sound of her boots landing on the stone floor of the ancient corridor reverberated off the walls with an odd echo.  She pinched her brows together and looked behind her.  Nothing there but more stunned tourists, so she stomped towards the entrance to the cathedral building, startling a couple of elderly sightseers who she nearly knocked over in her haste.

When she came to a stop at the door, there was one footstep too many, causing her to look behind her again.  The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, but there was no one following her.  All the people in the cloisters were rooted to the spot, eyeing her as if she were a raving lunatic and not someone they cared to get too close to.

She reached for the old iron doorknob and swung the heavy oak door open, gaining entrance via a couple of foot-worn steps to the immense grandeur that was the inside of the centuries old cathedral.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

As Faedra stomped along the nave towards the exit, she barely noticed the sun spilling in through one of the largest stained glass windows in the country.  Any other time, the stunning beauty of the colors and design would make her stop and stare in awe.

People were milling around in here, too.  Talking in hushed voices and pointing with wonder at the various aspects of the ancient architecture.  All sound inside the cathedral was muted, except for her footsteps, which seemed to be making more noise than usual, even given the nature of the flagstone floor she was walking on.

A familiar tingle along the back of her neck made her stop dead, and something, or rather someone, smacked right into the back of her with an audible ‘oomph’ causing her to jerk forward and almost lose her balance.

Faedra spun on her heel, grabbed two handfuls of leather trench coat and pushed the invisible stalker into an alcove…hard.

“Oh, buggar, foiled again,” a voice whispered.

“I knew it.  Etyran!” Faedra said in a harsh whisper.

“Now, I can sense you’re a bit upset, Faedra, but hear me out.”

“A bit upset? A bit upset?  Faen put you up to this didn’t he?  Oh, for crying out loud, Etyran!  Show yourself so it doesn’t look like I’m losing my temper with a 900 year old piece of masonry!”

Etyran’s image solidified in front of her eyes, and Faedra fought back the urge to slap the sheepish grin off his now visible face.  Instead she pushed him back against the wall with a frustrated shove.

“Argh,” she grunted.

“Why are you so mad?” Etyran asked.  “I saved your life.”

“I didn’t need you to save my life.  I wasn’t dying!”

Faedra paced back and forth in front of him, fighting to keep her anger to a dull roar.  After a few beats, she turned to face him, causing him to edge back into the wall even more, eyes wide.

“Faedra, your eyes are doing something weird.  You’re not going to blow me up, are you?”

Faedra closed her eyes and bit down on her anger until the energy coursing through her veins coiled into a very tight spring in the pit of her stomach; so tight, she wasn’t sure how long she could hold it.  She jabbed him in the chest with a finger.

“Ow.”

“I know how to defeat him.”

“What?  Who?”

“Savu.  Who else would I be talking about?  Because of you, there are people left defenseless in that hall, and I know how to defeat him.”

“How?”

She looked at him, exasperated.  “Come on, we need to get back there.” She started to turn away but Etyran caught her by the arm.

“No way.  Faedra, my orders were clear.  I’m to keep you here…safe.”

Faedra gave him a twisted but amused smirk, spitting out a humorless chuckle and looked down at his hand. “Oh, and you think you’re gonna try and stop me?”  There was a two-beat pause and Etyran let go.  “No, I didn’t think so.”  She carried on towards the exit leaving Etyran in her wake.  “I need to get to the church,” she muttered to herself.

“Wait.  Faedra!”

She carried on without hesitation until she was several yards ahead of him.  Etyran broke into a fast walk to catch up to her.  “In the name of Kernunnos, Faen will have my hide for this, not to mention the king, and he’s already gunning for me,” he grouched to himself as he caught up to her.

Faedra picked up her pace once outside the cathedral and made her way to Castle Meadow where the buses picked up and dropped off their passengers. Etyran didn’t leave her side, but she decided not to acknowledge him.  If it weren’t for him, she would have defeated Savu by now and everyone she loved would be safe.  But now, she was having to swallow the distinct possibility that everyone she loved was dead.  It was all she could do to stay in the here and now and not collapse into a gibbering wreck.

She scanned the bus stands as she walked down Castle Meadow, eventually finding the one where the bus would pick her up and take her back home so she could get to the church and back into Azran.

“Oh, crap.” She looked around, deflated.  “This can’t be happening to me, not now.”

“What’s wrong?” Etyran asked.

“I haven’t got any money on me.  There’s no way the bus driver will let me on without any money.  How the heck am I going to get back to the church?”  By this time, her eyes were starting to glisten with the unshed tears she was fighting to hold back.

“No problem, my lady, unless you’re opposed to being a stowaway,” Etyran said with a smug air as he opened up his coat.

Faedra gave a curious glance at his strange gesture until she remembered what they had done in the mountains.  Her eyes widened with understanding and a crafty smile curled her lips.  She looked behind him at the row of shops, saw what she was looking for and grabbed the Lightbender by the arm, dragging him with her to an empty recessed doorway.  Once inside, she nestled herself against Etyran’s body like before so he could turn them invisible.  He walked them back to stand at the end of the queue waiting to board the bus that just arrived.

While the bus driver was taking a lady’s fare, Etyran scooted the two of them past her.  The two scurried to an empty seat at the back of the bus behind a young girl listening to her MP3, nodding her head to the beat of the music playing in her ears.

“So, tell me, how do you plan to defeat the most powerful being in all of the seven realms?” Etyran asked once the bus was underway.

Faedra looked around to make sure they weren’t being listened to.  The only person close to them had tinny music pumping out of her ear buds and continued nodding her head to the music.

“I’m an energy manipulator.”

“Yes, and?”

“Well, fire is just another type of energy, right?  When Savu hit me with his dragon-fire, I was in agony for a few seconds, it felt like I was burning alive.” She shuddered at the memory.  “Then something happened and my body just…took over.  I don’t know how, but I started to absorb his energy.  If I can get him to fire at me again, I think I can suck all his energy from him until he ends up a shriveled lifeless heap on the floor.  There’s one problem, though.”

“And that is?”

“He knows I can do it.  I saw it in his eyes just before you played hero and threw me out of Azran.”

Etyran gave her his best puppy dog ‘I’m sorry’ eyes.

Faedra sighed, leaned her head against the cool glass, and stared out of the window at the neighborhoods they drove past.  The rest of the journey was spent in silence.

They have to still be alive, they just have to be.  Faedra wouldn’t allow herself to think of any other outcome but saving the people she loved.  She couldn’t bear to think about the consequences if she didn’t.  She would be completely alone in the world and didn’t think she could handle that.

Half an hour later, the two of them were hightailing it down the path from the bus stop to the church.  Faedra almost had to skid to a stop as she came to the gate. She grabbed hold of the old wooden gate to stop her from overshooting the entrance and catapulted herself up the path.  Gravel crunched under foot as they made their way behind the church.

When they arrived at their destination, Faedra muttered the incantation to open the portal.  She took a step forward only to find herself still on the same path behind the church.

She gave Etyran a confused expression, to which he answered with a shrug.  Not to be defeated, Faedra repeated the incantation louder.  Still nothing but the gravel path beneath her feet.

Third time lucky.  Her stomach knotted with fear as she shouted the words again.

“It’s locked.” A familiar voice said behind them.

Faedra and Etyran spun round to see the vicar standing there.

“Vicar?” Faedra asked, askance.

“You can’t get through, my dear.”

“You know about…?” She pointed to where the portal should be.

The vicar nodded in reply.

“But how?  When?  You’ve known all along?”

Another nod in response.  Great, now he lost his tongue?

“What do you mean it’s locked?” Faedra asked, still a little dumbstruck that the kindly vicar was in on her secret all along.  Was he even a real vicar?

“All the portals locked down the minute you escaped.  No one gets in, no one gets out.  It’s the only way to keep the book and the amulet apart.”

“But everyone I love is in there and I’m the only one who can save them.” Faedra cried as tears welled in her eyes.

“If Savu has resurrected himself, there is no saving anyone, Faedra,” the vicar spoke in a somber tone.

“You have to let me in there, I know how to defeat him.”

“Faedra, it took all the power of the seven realms to defeat him last time.  What do you think a young thing like you can do?”  His tone wasn’t mocking or accusing, just resigned.

“I know I can because I just survived his attack.  He tried to burn me alive but look.”  She pointed at the big burn hole in her clothes and the flawless skin that peaked out from underneath.  “If you know anything about Savu, you know that there should be a gaping hole where my stomach is, but there’s not.  I know how to defeat him.  I have to get back in there.”

Emotions were getting the better of her at this point; she was tired and her heart was aching over what may have become of her loved ones.  Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.

“You have to believe me, I have to find a way in there,” she pleaded.

The vicar gave her a thoughtful look and cast his gaze over her bare midriff once more.

“For what it’s worth, I believe she can do it,” Etyran said.

The vicar gave them both a long considering look and puffed out a heavy sigh, his decision made.  “There is a way, but if you are wrong, Custodian, you could put the seven realms in great danger.  We’re talking billions of innocent lives lost if Savu gets his hands on both the book and the amulet.  Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Follow me, I have to find it.  I’ve never had to use it before, so goodness knows where I put it for safe keeping.”

Faedra and Etyran exchanged glances as they followed the vicar back to the rectory.

“So who are you anyway?” Faedra asked as they followed him along the gravel path to his home.

“I was stationed here to keep an extra eye on you, and your mother before you, and her mother before her, well, all the Custodians, actually.”

“But that’s donkey’s years.  Don’t people notice that you never get any older?”

“Oh, I change my appearance to age over the years, and then every few decades I start over with a new face.”

They reached the door and followed the vicar through the house into what looked like his study.

Faedra’s eyes widened at what greeted them.  Bookshelves were overflowing with books and papers.  Every conceivable surface was piled high with more books, and paperwork spilled onto the floor.

The vicar waded through the sea of papers and rounded what must have been his desk, although, it was completely submerged with clutter.  He scrubbed his face with both hands and muttered.

“Where did I put it?  Where would I have put it?  When was the last time I even saw it?  Hmmm, three hundred years ago, yes, that sounds about right.”  He looked around the room drumming his fingers on the top of a book as he did so.

“What are you looking for?” Faedra was almost scared to ask.

“Hmm? Oh, sorry, dear,” the vicar broke from his thoughts and wandered over to a stack of dusty books balanced precariously on a table in the corner of the room.  “A code.”

“A code?”

He carefully plucked a book from the bottom of the pile and blew on it, sending a plume of dust in Faedra and Etyran’s direction.  “Yes, dear.”  Then he held the book upside down by its cover and wiggled it so the pages fanned out underneath.  When nothing fell out, he placed the book on the top of the pile.

“Not in that one,” he said as he started scanning the books on the shelves beside him.

Faedra sneezed.

“God bless you,” the vicar said.

“Thanks.”

Faedra sighed and looked around at the disarray that was the vicar’s study.  If he had to go through every book, Azran would be in tatters by the time she got back there.

“Can we help?” she asked.

“No, no, I’ll find it in a minute.”

She very much doubted that.

He scanned another couple of shelves.  “Ah ha!  There you are,” he said as he pulled a book out from between two others and did the same thing with it.   Faedra spotted the title, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She rolled her eyes at the irony.

An envelope fell out from between the pages and the vicar bent over to pick it up.  He held it out to Faedra.  “There you are, my dear, the king gave me that when I started here.  Just in case there was ever a time when the portals were on lock down but I needed to get word to him if anything untoward happened to the Custodian.  That code should open the portal.”

Faedra looked at the envelope that still had the royal wax seal on it.

“You never opened it?”

“Never had need to until this day.  Faedra, until you came into the world, things between Azran and the World of Men were as smooth as a baby’s bottom.”

Faedra raised her eyebrows, then looked down at the envelope and tore it open.  When she pulled out the card and read it, her eyes raised to the heavens.  “You’re kidding, right?”

The vicar looked perplexed.  “Sorry, my dear, I don’t know what you mean.”

She turned the card to face him.  “Open Sesame?”

The vicar stifled a smile.  “Well, the king always did have a sense of humor about the way humans regard magic.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Within minutes, they’d run back to the path behind the church.  With a disbelieving tone, Faedra said aloud “Open Sesame.”  She wasn’t sure if it worked or not and was just about to take a step forward when Etyran put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

“At least let me go through first and make sure the coast is clear.”

“Good idea.”  She stood still and watched the Lightbender disappear in front of her eyes before he stepped through the portal.  A moment later, he poked a now visible head back through and gave her the all clear.

“Good luck,” the vicar said.

“Thank you.”

Faedra stepped through and met Etyran on the other side.

“Let me guess,” a familiar voice said, coming through the bushes.  “Todmus, can I please borrow Aesti?” he put on a mock female voice.

Todmus appeared a moment later from the parting in the bushes that led to the opening on the other side. “I had a feeling I’d see you sometime soon.  Didn’t think a lock down would be able to keep you out.” He gave Faedra a tender smile.

“Have you heard anything from the castle?” Faedra asked.

“Only that there must be something pretty heavy going on if all the portals got locked down.  I had a feeling it might have something to do with you.” He gave her a wry grin.

“Hey!  None of this is my fault.” Faedra said in her defense.  “Savu took the king, my dad, Faen and Jocelyn hostage.  Not to mention all the guards.”

Todmus let out a heavy sigh, full of dark memories. “If you are correct and Savu is back, then he has the whole realm held hostage.  If I were in my right mind, I’d escort you right back to the World of Men.  If he gets hold of that amulet, we’re all done for.  But something tells me you have a plan, and, to be honest, I think you are probably our best hope right now.  I just pray you know who you’re going up against.”

“I have a rough idea.”

“Go on with you, he’s in the clearing,” Todmus said, nodding his head in that direction.

Faedra leaned down and took the little man’s face in her hands. “Thank you, Todmus.”

Todmus smiled but didn’t say anything.

“This way,” Faedra said to Etyran as she started through the bushes.

“What is Aesti?” Etyran asked, following close behind her.

“You’ll see.”

They entered the clearing and Etyran blew out a low whistle.

“Yeah, I know, cool isn’t he?” Faedra responded.

Aesti stood tall. Ready for action, he pawed at the ground, impatient.  Flame red eyes glowing with a fierceness Faedra now respected.

He snorted as she stroked a hand down his face.  “Hey, boy, please will to take me to the castle again?”

Aesti kneeled on one front leg, lowering himself enough that Faedra could mount him with ease.

She looked at Etyran who was staring at the horse with wide-eyed reservation.

“Come on, get on.  We can’t waste anymore time.”

“You’re joking, aren’t you?  I’m not getting on that thing.” Etyran said, fear now visible in his eyes.

Faedra looked at him and shrugged her shoulders, she didn’t have time for this.  “Fair enough, I’ll go without you.”

Aesti rose up to his full height again and started to turn.

“Wait.  Just wait a minute.” Etyran looked hesitant, chewing on his bottom lip. “Okay, I’ll come with you, but that thing better not throw me off.  I don’t have wings, remember?”

Faedra rolled her eyes. “Well, duh, neither do I?  Get on you wuss, Aesti’s not going to hurt either of us.”

Etyran took a reluctant step forward eyeing the winged beast with caution.

“How did Todmus get himself a Valkyrie’s horse anyway?” he asked as he mounted and settled in behind Faedra.

“I’m told it’s a long story,” she replied.  “Okay, Aesti, we can go now.”

Aesti turned, galloped down the clearing and took off just before the trees.  Etyran gave a little squeak of surprise, which made Faedra stifle a giggle.  Until this moment, she wouldn’t have thought the strapping great hulk of a man could be scared of anything.

“You can stop that,” Etyran said.

“Stop what?”

“Laughing at me.  It’s not my fault I’m scared of horses.  One nearly trampled me to death when I was a kid.  Although, looking back, I was partly to blame.”

“Hmm, why does that not surprise me?” Faedra retorted.

“Now, now.  I was just learning how to control my power and I spooked the bloody thing when I appeared out of nowhere right in front of it.”

Faedra smiled but didn’t say anything more.  The two rode in silence for a while until Etyran spoke up again.

“So, do you have any idea how you’re going to get Savu to use his fire on you if he knows you can use it against him.  He’s not stupid, it won’t be easy to lure him into a trap.”

“Yeah, I know, I’ve been thinking about that, too.  I was hoping something would come to me before we got there, but, so far, I’ve got nothing.  You got any ideas?”

“Sorry, no.”

Faedra sighed and looked around at the scenery flying by.  Then she stiffened to attention.  “Of course, urgh.  Why didn’t I think of that before?  Aesti, change of plan, take us to the Alovison Mountains.”

Aesti looked back and nodded his majestic head then banked right to change direction.

“In the name of Kernunnos, Faedra, why are we going back there?”

“I have an idea.  I just hope he will help us.”

“He who?”

“Draconis.”

As Azran castle came into view, Faedra bit back a curse.  The courtyard they were planning to land in was crawling with redcaps.  This was not good.  She looked back at Draconis, who was flying close behind them, and pointed to a stand of trees not too far away.  He nodded his understanding and followed their descent behind the trees.  They needed to discuss another way of gaining entrance to the castle.

Faedra thanked her lucky stars that Draconis didn’t hesitate to help when she asked.  He wanted to see his brother dead just as much as Savu wanted the same for him.  And if Savu did gain control of Azran, he would surely go gunning for Draconis next, in a bid to conquer Zutherindal.  That’s probably why the redcaps were patrolling the mountains.  But Draconis had his heir back now, and he was not going down without a fight.

“I didn’t see any redcaps on the roof as we passed.  If we land on the other side of the turrets to the courtyard, they shouldn’t be able to see us,” Faedra said.  “Draconis, would you allow us to ride on your back?  I don’t think Aesti will be able to land on a turret.”

“Of course, little one, it would be my pleasure.”  Draconis inclined his head to the Custodian.

“Thanks.”  She turned to the winged horse. “Aesti, you stay here in case we need you.”  The horse understood the request and also inclined his head in response.  She patted the side of his neck.

“Well, let’s hope this works,” Faedra said as she climbed aboard Draconis.

“I’m guessing the king and your dad must still be alive,” Etyran said as he climbed aboard the big black dragon behind Faedra.

“What makes you say that?”

“Look around you.  They obviously don’t have their hands on the book yet, everything is still flourishing.”  He swept an arm around to demonstrate that the trees and plants were all in full bloom.  “That means they still need bargaining chips, and my money would say they know you’ll be back as soon as you can, to try and rescue the people you love.  My bet is that they have everyone in there alive and well, just waiting for you to return.”

Faedra allowed her heart to fill with hope at Etyran’s words.

“Ready?” Draconis asked.

“Ready,” his passengers replied.

Draconis flew a large low loop around the castle to avoid being seen and then made a beeline for the backside of the turret facing the courtyard.  His sharp talons dug into the stone as he carefully walked down the side of the wall until they were standing on the roof.  They made their way across the roof to a heavy wooden door.

“Well, I can see I’m not going to fit through there dressed like this,” Draconis said, giving Faedra a crooked smile.  “Please excuse me while I change.  I don’t usually do this in public, but it looks like I’m all out of dressing rooms.”

Faedra gave Draconis a bemused look, then her eyes widened as he shrunk down to the size of a man and changed into human form right in front of her.  Fully dressed to boot.

She sucked in a breath and took a step back.  Draconis in his human form was the spitting image of Savu.  The only difference being that Draconis had kind eyes, a vibrant emerald green, whereas his brother’s were nothing more than black pebbles of onyx, cold and soulless.

Draconis noticed the recognition and fear in Faedra’s eyes.  “We are twins; I am older by just a few minutes.  Savu could never accept the fact that I was born first and, unfortunately, his hatred and anger made him stronger.”  He gave Faedra a somber look.  “I only pray this idea of yours works, Faedra.”

Faedra puffed out an anxious sigh and gave the dragon a weak smile. “Me, too.”

“Okay, so this is how we are going to do this,” Etyran said.  “I’ll go first.  I’m the only one of us who knows their way around the castle.  I’ll also be able to see if the coast is clear without anyone seeing me.  I’ll wave you on when it’s safe.”

“How will we be able to see you wave us on if you’re invisible?” Faedra asked.

“You’ll see.” He gave her a cheeky grin before disappearing.

“Be careful,” Faedra said as the door to the castle opened, seemingly of its own volition.

Faedra waited by the open door with bated breath.  The stone steps disappeared into the spiral staircase below her.  She couldn’t hear a thing, not even the faintest footsteps, but didn’t dare take a step onto the staircase until she got the all clear.  Draconis stood back to back with her, scanning the rooftop for possible signs of life.

A few moments passed and she nearly jumped out her skin when a voice whispered in her ear; she could feel a warm breath fan over her cheek.

“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” she reprimanded Etyran as best she could in a soft whisper.

“Sorry.  Well, on first appearance, there doesn’t seem to be anyone guarding the upper corridor but that could change quickly.  Follow me down the stairs and wait at the bottom until I give the next signal to carry on.”

Faedra thought it a tad ironic to be ‘following’ someone who was invisible but nodded in agreement.

When she and Draconis got to the bottom of the stairs, they waited as instructed.  Faedra braced herself for another whisper in her ear but none came.  Instead, her eyebrows rose to the ceiling when she saw a disembodied hand at the end of the corridor waving them forward.  So that’s what Etyran meant when he said ‘you’ll see’.

They stepped out from the stairwell and crept down the corridor as quietly as possible.  Faedra wished at this point she were wearing slippers, but no such luck, so she did the best she could with her clunky boots on the flagstone floor.  Why couldn’t the king carpet his castle?

They went through the same routine when they came to the end of that corridor, and two more like it.  In fact Faedra was starting to get a little unnerved that they hadn’t yet seen any evidence that the inside of the castle was being guarded by redcaps at all.  But she couldn’t possibly be that lucky, and refused to be lulled into a false sense of security.

Sure enough, as they made their way to the end of yet another corridor, the disembodied hand gave a sharp motion to stop.  Faedra and Draconis came to an abrupt halt, causing Faedra’s heart to do a little jig in her chest for the umpteenth time that day.  A moment later, Etyran returned from his reconnaissance with a pretty bleak report.

“We’re going to have to think of another plan.  The corridor leading to the great hall is teeming with the ugly little blighters on both sides of the door.  There’s no chance we’re getting in that way.”

“What about through the library?” Faedra asked.

“Uh-uh, that’s heavily guarded, too.  I say we get the heck out of Dodge and think of something else.”

Faedra shook her head. “No way.  There is not a chance I’m leaving everyone I love in there with that monster, especially now that I’m so close.”  She slumped back against the hard stone wall and sighed.  “Think, Faedra.  Think,” she whispered to herself.

A moment later a cunning smile crept across the young Custodian’s face as she looked up at Etyran and Draconis.

“Uh oh, I’ve seen that look before and it’s not good.” Etyran said.

Draconis raised an eyebrow as he looked over to where the Lightbender’s voice came from, and then back at Faedra.

“Okay, little missy, hit us with it.” Etyran said.

“Well, I doubt very much that Savu would have ordered the redcaps to kill me on sight, he wants the pleasure of doing that himself.  So, with that in mind, getting into the hall is quite simple really.”

There was a beat of apprehension from Etyran, and Draconis gave her a questioning look.

“Oh, you’re not going to do what I think you’re going to do?” Etyran questioned.

Faedra pushed herself away from the wall and strode towards the end of the corridor.  “We need to get into the hall to execute our plan.  What does it matter how we get in there?”

Etyran hung his invisible head and patted Draconis on the shoulder.  “I tell ya, mate. That girl is going to be the death of me.”

“She wears the title well, that is for sure.” Draconis replied, as the two walked to catch up and rounded the corner after the Custodian.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

“Hello, boys, remember me?” Faedra announced upon rounding the corner and was now standing in plain sight.

The redcaps all turned their heads in one fluid motion, and for a split second seemed to stare at her in astonishment.

She felt Draconis and Etyran standing either side of her.  “Take me to your leader.”  With a smirk, she gave Etyran a sideways glance even though she couldn’t see him.  “I’ve always wanted to say that.”

Etyran groaned, and she could sense he was shaking his head in disbelief.

A second later she and Draconis were grabbed roughly by grotesque sinuous hands on either arm and were being dragged down the corridor towards the great hall.

Please let everyone still be alive. They entered the great hall and Faedra’s heart swelled.  Everyone she loved was still alive and well.

The instant Faen saw her, he made a step in her direction but was shoved back hard by the redcap standing guard over him.  Jocelyn also had her own redcap but she seemed unharmed.  She gave Faedra a warm smile but didn’t move.  Savu was still holding her dad captive, and Vivianna and a redcap were guarding the king.

“Faedra, what are you doing here.  I got you to safety.  Why would you…?” Faen exclaimed before being cut off by Savu.

“Silence, Guardian, there is nothing you can do for her now.  Looks like you’ll be out of a job in just a few moments.”  Savu sneered at Faen, then gave a satisfied smile when the redcap guarding him poked Faen in the chest with the end of his axe-like weapon to silence him.

“And you, Brother.  I would say this was a pleasant surprise but I would be lying.  I might have known you would be involved in this.  You always were a meddlesome son of a…”

“Now, now, little brother.  There is no need for name calling.” Draconis responded, cool as a cucumber.  Savu glared at his elder twin with murderous intent.

“Let everyone go and you can have the amulet.” Faedra spoke, regaining Savu and Vivianna’s attention.  She saw Faen struggle to get to her again, only to be manhandled into submission.  Faedra tried not to retaliate.  For the plan to work Savu and Vivianna had to believe that her captors subdued her.

“It is a little too late for that, my dear.  You had your chance.  I do not have to let anyone go, not now I have you restrained.  And I can take the amulet from you, just like taking candy from a baby.”

Faedra put on an act of struggling against the creatures that restrained her, causing Savu to widen his malicious grin.  Good, she needed to keep his attention on her and Draconis.

“Vivianna, you know what to do.  Unfortunately, it seems I am unable to have that particular pleasure but I am sure you will enjoy yourself.  Consider it my gift to you.  At least it will not be a total loss for me. My brother has kindly saved me the trouble of going to him.

Vivianna picked up her sword and sauntered towards Faedra, malice plastered all over her face.

“Savu, you chicken-livered runt.  I should have dealt with you when I had the chance.” Draconis taunted.

“Oh, silence, Brother.  I will deal with you in a few moments when I have the amulet.  Vivianna get on with it.”

Faedra locked gazes with Vivianna, as she stalked with the grace of a cat towards her.

“You always were a sniveling little brat.” Draconis spat.

Savu glared at his brother and fury boiled within him.  Faedra could feel it, and she prayed his temper was as short as Draconis described to her earlier that day.

Keep going, Draconis, you’ve nearly got him.

Vivianna stalked closer, taunting Faedra with a slow swing of her sword.

“Mother hated you, she told me how much she favored me over you, how she wished you’d never been born.” Draconis taunted.

“Enough!” Savu screamed, causing Vivianna to stop her stalking and turn to look at her partner-in-crime. “I may not be able to kill the girl but I will have no trouble with you.”

At last.

Savu held out his hands and threw a stream of intense flame at his brother.  Faedra sent a sharp jolt of electricity down either arm causing her captors to let go with shock and surprise.  She jumped in front of Savu and was stunned by the split second of searing agony that ripped through her body.  Then the familiar door in her mind opened up and her body took over.

“No!” Savu screamed when he realized what was happening.  But there was nothing he could do. Faedra had locked onto his energy and was sucking it into her body as fast as it would let her.

Vivianna stood in stunned disbelief, looking from Faedra to Savu and back again.

The redcaps murmured to one another and seemed disoriented now that their master was incapacitated.

“Don’t just stand there, you idiot,” Savu shrieked at Vivianna, snapping her out of her shock.  “Kill the girl!”

Vivianna held her sword up and moved closer to Faedra, not seeing that Faen was overpowering his now confused guard. He moved so fast Faedra couldn’t track his movements and, in the next second, he had removed Vivianna’s sword from her grip and had her hands held firmly behind her back.  She struggled against him, to no avail, and could do nothing else but glare at her half-sister in disgust.

Seeing that Vivianna was no longer a threat, Faedra concentrated on her part of the plan.  She could feel her body fighting.  It was fighting to keep control of the immense power she was absorbing and hanging onto consciousness by a thread.  She had to beat him.  If she could suck all his energy from him, he would die.  She had to hang on; there was no other choice.

She could hear a shrieking somewhere in the distance.  Though her vision was becoming blurry with a red haze, she could make out a figure at the end of the stream of fire writhing about in what looked like agony.  As her legs started to give way, a pair of hands reached around to hold her up.   There was only one other person in the room who could withstand the heat of dragon-fire.  Draconis.

“Not long now, little one.” She heard the whisper in her ear.  “You are nearly there, just hold on a few more seconds.”

“I-I don’t think I can.”

“Yes, you can, Faedra.   The safety of the seven realms rests with you.  Don’t give up now.”

Faedra felt her consciousness slipping through her fingers.  Oddly, she couldn’t feel the intense heat that was being thrown across the room.  Her body felt warm but not unbearably so, but there was a roar so loud inside her head she could hardly hear herself think.  She wondered where all this energy was being stored, but her body seemed to know what it was doing, so she concentrated on staying alive.

Everyone else in the hall, including the redcaps, was now shielding their eyes and faces with lifted arms, still trying to catch a glimpse of the spectacle unfolding before them.  The intense heat was now pushing them back further and further away from her, shock visible on most of their faces.  Only Draconis remained, holding her steady.  She sought out Faen, she needed to see her Guardian.  He was still restraining her sister, but he was looking at her with a myriad of emotions visible in his expression.  She gave him a weak smile, which he returned.

After what seemed like hours, but was only mere moments, there was one last shriek of agony.  Then silence.  The roar stopped, the fire stopped, her body collapsed, and she felt herself being scooped up.  Unconsciousness was now just a hairbreadth away.  Vision blurred, she looked up at Draconis.

“I’ve got you, little one,” Draconis whispered in her ear.

“Did our plan work?”

“Yes.”

She offered him a weak smile before blackness took over and she slumped against his shoulder.

Faen shoved Vivianna into the grasp of one of the king’s guards.  “Hold her and do not let her go!” he demanded.

The guard nodded his understanding and, even as Vivianna glared at her new captor and wriggled in disgust, the guard just clamped down even harder.

“Let me go, you moron,” Vivianna shrieked, in an attempt to intimidate the guard.

The guard looked over at the king who gave him a very stern shake of his head.

“I work for your father, not you.  Right now he seems to want you restrained.” The guard told her with obvious glee in his voice.

The king looked toward his other daughter being held by Draconis.  He could see the worry in the dragon’s eyes but took a quick detour on his way to her.

“Take her below, I’ll deal with her later,” he told the guard restraining the princess.  He gave Vivianna a fleeting look that held disappointment, betrayal, and a myriad other emotions before turning and striding towards the young girl who just saved all their lives.

By the time the king got there, Faen had already reached the others who were now surrounding Faedra and Draconis.

“Don’t!” Draconis said as Faen reached out to touch his charge.

He pulled his hand back with a jerk of surprise and a look to match.  It was then that he absorbed the emotion in the dragon’s eyes.  Something was wrong, very wrong.

Grave faces looked first down at her then up at Draconis.

“She’s too hot.  If any of you were to touch her, she could sear the flesh straight from your bones.  Her body is fighting to absorb all that energy.

Faedra’s skin was bright red, as if she’d been sunbathing all day without applying any sunscreen.

“We need to find somewhere cold enough to cool her off, but there is no guarantee she will survive this. Only time will tell.”

“There is nowhere that cold in Azran,” the king said gravely.

“I have an idea,” Faen said.  “It will require the use of both the ruby and emerald staffs, with your permission, Draconis.”

“Of course, Guardian.  I have grown quite attached to this young lady.  She has the heart of a dragon, anything I possess you may use if you think you can help her.”

****

“You are in love with her, are you not, Guardian?”

Faen’s throat constricted as the words fell from the king’s mouth.  He’d been dreading this moment from the first time he stared up into the tear soaked eyes of the little girl with red curls that tumbled around her shoulders and down her back.  He longed for a devil-may-care response to the king who was standing beside him, looking down at the lifeless body of his daughter, but was betrayed by a strangled croak instead.

“Sire?” He closed his eyes, horrified by the knowledge that his voice gave him away.

The king brought his gaze up from his daughter and turned to look at her Guardian.  Faen knew he’d been discovered and the respect he held for the king forced him to meet his gaze, to suffer the consequences he was about to be dealt.

“I used to look at her mother exactly the same way,” the king mused.  “Does she feel the same way about you?”

Faen swallowed hard but didn’t look away.  “Yes, Sire, I believe she does.”

“Hmm, like mother like daughter.  Only in this case, she will age at about the same rate you will.  Well, young man, it looks as though I am going to have to bend the rules this one time.”

Faen’s heart pounded, he hardly dared breathe.  “Sire?”

“I want my daughter to be happy.  Kernunnos only knows where I went wrong with the first one, and I do not want to make the same mistake twice.  I cannot lose another daughter.  If you are the man to make her happy, as well as the one to keep her safe, then so be it.  You have my blessing.”

Faen’s jaw dropped.  There wasn’t much in life that shocked him, but the king had rendered him speechless.

The king gave him a wistful smile.  “You are welcome, young man.  Now, I must take my leave and send my replacement.  Azran will not run itself forever.  Inform me if there are any changes in her condition.”

“Yes, Sire.”

Faen bowed his head as the king rapped the emerald staff on the floor and disappeared.

He sat in the chair next to where Faedra was sleeping, elated over what the king  just said, and took hold of her hand.  He rubbed his thumb idly over the back of her hand, amazed at the warmth her bare skin was emitting in the frigid cold of the cavern.  His heart was singing until a movement in his hand turned that singing to pounding instead.

Faedra broke free from the deadest sleep she’d ever experienced and cracked her eyes open little by little.  Her vision was blurry at first but within in moments she began to focus.  The ceiling above her was craggy rock, she looked to one side and saw more craggy rock.   She shifted her gaze in the other direction and looked up into the eyes of her Guardian.  His face lit up with the brightest smile she’d ever seen.  He was sitting beside her wearing clothes that one would wear in Antarctica.

“Welcome back,” he whispered.

Her throat felt as dry as the Sahara Desert but she managed to croak,  “How long have I been asleep?”

“Three weeks, two days, sixteen hours, and twenty four minutes,” Faen replied, then added, “your time.”

She could feel the cold hard rock beneath her and started to push herself up onto her elbows so she could take a better look around.  Her body protested at the movement and she winced.

“Where am I?”

Torches burned on the walls of what looked like a cavern.  Her eyes scanned the room to see a couple of beds with heavyweight bedding and a small fire burning in one corner, far enough away that she couldn’t feel any warmth from it.

“The Arctic Circle,” Faen replied.

“The Arctic Circle?  What on earth am I doing here?  Come to think of it why am I not freezing to death?  I’m wearing next to nothing.”  Then she looked down and noticed that the hand holding hers was ungloved, even in the freezing temperature.  But she felt cozy and warm.

“After you absorbed all of Savu’s energy, we had to get you to the coldest place we could think of or you probably would have died.  Your body was burning up and we had to cool you down quickly.  For the first couple of weeks you warmed this whole cavern and we didn’t need all these clothes.  Draconis would take you outside for hours at a time to lay you in the ice.  Last week we noticed it getting colder and colder in here and that was when we grew to hope you were getting better.”

“Who’s we?”

“Everyone. Your dads, both of them, Jocelyn, Etyran, my mother and father, and Draconis. We’ve been taking it in shifts, especially since it started getting cold. Draconis loaned us the ruby and emerald staffs.  We keep the ruby staff here and go back and forth with the emerald staff.”

Faedra sat up with a start, the memories of what happened in the great hall slamming back into her brain with ferocious intent.  “My dad, is he okay?”

Faen smiled. “He is fine.  Everyone is fine… thanks to you.”

“What about Vivianna?  What happened to her?”

“She is locked below Azran castle.  The king stripped her of all power and employed the strongest ward caster in all of the seven realms.  The walls and door to her cell are now covered with the most powerful containment wards ever created.  I do not think she will be getting out any time soon.”

“Are you sure?” Faedra asked, unconvinced.

“As sure as any of us can be.  To all intents and purposes, she is little more than a mortal now and you killed her most powerful ally.”

“Well, I’ll not be letting my guard down for a while.  As long as that woman is alive, I can’t trust that we’ve not seen the last of her.”

“I am sure your father will do everything in his power to keep her contained.” Faen said, smoothing his hand over Faedra’s hair.  It had started to fly around her head with static electricity.

“Speaking of your father, the real one that is, he was just here.  He knows about us.”

Faedra’s eyes grew wide with concern.  “He does?  How?  He can’t take you away from me.  I won’t let him.”

Faen brought his hand around to caress her cheek. “Do not worry.  He gave us his blessing.”

“He did?”

“Said he did not want to make another mistake and lose another daughter.”  He leaned in closer to her face.  “So, I guess that means I can do this as often as I like now.” His whisper fanned over her face, warm and sweet.

“Do what?”

Faen gave her a smug mischievous smile. “This,” he said before covering her mouth with his own.

As he deepened their kiss, the fire in the corner roared to life sending flames high enough to lick at the ceiling of the cavern.  Startled, Faedra and Faen broke from their embrace to gape at the towering inferno.

The out of control flames were dangerously close to setting the bedding and furniture alight.

“What the…?  How?” Faen said, standing up and drawing his sword, looking all around the cavern for an intruder.

Faedra put her hand on his arm.  “Don’t worry, I think I know,” she said, before closing her eyes and concentrating.  A moment later the flames subsided until they were crackling as before in the fire pit.

“Well, that’s just great,” Faedra said, despondent.  “Looks like I’m not going to be able to enjoy a simple kiss for a while.  Not only do I have to worry about electrocuting you, now I have to worry about burning you alive and setting our house on fire.” She huffed out a sigh.

Faen looked down at her and offered his hand.

Faedra took it and eased herself up off the stone with his help.  He placed both of her arms around his neck.

“I am willing to take that risk if you are.”  He gave her a boyish grin that would have melted her in a previous state.

Now she would be the one doing the melting.  She matched his smile with one of her own and her heart soared.  Of course, this incredible man would always be at her side no matter what; why would she even have doubted it?  She hugged him for all she was worth.

After just a few seconds, Faen pushed her back a little to which Faedra’s joyous expression changed to one of hurt, until she noticed the sweat pouring down his face.

“I need to take this coat off or you will have baked Guardian on your hands.”

Faen removed his thermal clothing discarding it to the floor and hauled his Custodian into the hug of her life, then angled his head and gave her another passionate kiss.

“Okay, you two get a room.”

In response to the unannounced visitor, Faen and Faedra pushed each other apart as if they’d just been discovered doing something they shouldn’t.

“Dad!” Faedra exclaimed when she recognized his voice.  She moved across the room to where Henry was standing, holding the emerald staff, with a smile that split his face in two.

He laid the staff on the floor and held his arms open for his daughter.  She slammed into him, nearly knocking him backwards.

“You’re okay,” Faedra said when they finished their hug and she stepped back to look him up and down.

“And so are you.  Thank goodness.  I’ve been worried sick about you, young lady.  What did you want to go pulling a stunt like that for?” Henry said.  “Next time, you need to listen to your Guardian.”  He looked over at Faen and gave him a wink.

Faedra then realized that her dad knew Faen as Frederick.

“Um, yeah, about that,” she started.

“Don’t worry.  Faen had plenty of time to bring me up to speed over the past few weeks.  But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear your side of the story.” He gave her a cheeky grin.

Henry threw a fleeting glance around the cavern “Well, I don’t know about you, but I think it’s about time we got out of this place.  What say we all go home?”  He bent down to pick up the emerald staff and took hold of his daughter’s hand.

Faen grabbed the ruby staff and walked over to Faedra.  He slid his hand around her waist.  “Home it is.”  Then he rapped the ruby staff on the floor and the three disappeared, leaving the cavern empty once again.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It takes a lot of people to bring a book to life and mine is no different.  With that in mind I am going to mention each and every one of the wonderfully supportive network of people who helped me.  So, if you are sitting comfortably, I shall begin.

My wonderful beta-readers (in alpha order). Alyssa, Andi, Artemis, Carina, David, and Jos.  Your feedback and ideas helped me mold and shape the story into what it is today.

Marisa Wagner, my awesome editor.  Your attention to detail is amazing. You took my words and made them sing.

The talented Lindsay Mercer, who stepped up to the plate last minute, when I needed a black dragon and did an amazing job with the cover art.  Thanks also to Ginny, who found her for me.

Some of the names, both character and place, were the creation of Whitney, Micayla, and Morgan.  Who came up with some totally original words in response to a competition I ran.  So original, in fact, they can’t be found on Google…not yet anyway.

Jen, who let me use her library of books, once again, so I could make the magical elements as factual as possible.

The Interpretation Team at Norwich Castle, England.  Team manager, Ian Flint paired me with the very knowledgeable Marilyn Taylor, who took me on a private tour of the dungeons and keep, and answered all of my wacky questions without batting an eyelid.

And last, but by no means least, my soul mate.  Your never ending love and support knows no bounds.  I love you.

Thank you to you all.

About the Author

Alison Pensy was born and raised in England.  She grew up near a medieval city, which is where much of the inspiration for her books comes from.  Moving to the States in 2001, she eventually settled near a small town in mid Missouri with her menagerie of animals.

Alison also runs her own tax and accounting business and started writing when she became so fed up with the real world, she decided to create her own.

Please visit her website at www.alisonpensy.com.  She loves to hear from her readers, so feel free to leave comments or ask questions.