Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
The fact that I’d managed to truly delay us caused me to feel wonderfully giddy. I’d actually beaten the Dark Raider at his own game, and that realization made a swell of triumph fill my soul. Suppressing that response, I forced my lips to stay pressed into a tight line as we glided on an enchanted carpet to Lemos.
Jax sat beside me, Phillen and Lander behind him. Bowan, Lars, and Trivan had all shifted back into stag form and pranced behind us. We were traveling much slower than we had while all of them had been running at full speed, and since Jax planned to let me rest for an entire night, with any luck, Guardian Alleron would now have a chance to reach me.
Wind flowed over my cheeks as I contemplated the night ahead. I knew that my situation was still precarious, and that at any moment, Jax could change his mind and insist that we move despite my state, but I didn’t think he would .
If I wasn’t such a rare creature, Jax probably would have carried on even if I’d been bleeding and all of my limbs had been broken. But the fact that he was changing his plans to ensure I returned to full health solidified how much he was counting on me to find whomever he was seeking. Even if I never could with my collar in place...
I peered up at Jax, curiosity filling me. He stood over me, staring ahead. His all-black attire hid his identity completely. From his actions, it was obvious he was desperate to find whomever he sought, so much so that he was going to great lengths to secure my power. And I couldn’t help but wonder who it was. A lover perhaps. Or maybe it wasn’t someone he cared for at all. Maybe vengeance was what drove him. Perhaps he was seeking a fairy who had wronged him, and the moment he found them, he would send them on a brutal journey to the afterlife, just as he’d done to poor Mushil, who’d never done anything untoward nor deserved that kind of punishment from anyone.
Closing my eyes, I glanced away. Wind blew over my cheeks, and fresh pain twisted my heart. The Dark Raider might care for whomever he desired to find, but he hadn’t cared one bit for my dutiful guard.
Heart hardening, that reminder reaffirmed that escaping him was the smartest option. One way or another, I would find a way to free myself tonight. I wouldn’t be another victim of the ruthless Dark Raider too.
Rooftops in Lemos soon appeared. They rose from the Wood, above the tree line, and hinted at a blend of stone, beamed siding, and slanted peaks. From what I could see, the small city was a bustling blend of the Wood, modern roads, and creative architecture. Gnarled branches wove through many of the homes and shops. Leaves sprouted from siding. Moss-covered bark climbed over roofs. The city’s constructors had obviously welcomed the Wood versus deterring it when they’d built this town.
I’d heard of Lemos over the seasons. It was mostly known as a laboring city and produced some of our kingdom’s finest wheat, but it wasn’t until we crested a large hill that I finally saw the crops sprawling north of the city. Acres and acres of rolling hillside were covered in swaying stalks that shimmered in a rainbow of colors.
Yet those very fields were why I’d never visited this area before. The fae who lived here weren’t lordlings, and they weren’t wealthy, which meant they held no interest to Guardian Alleron since they couldn’t afford his hefty fee even if they wanted to use his lorafin.
Jax muttered a command, and the enchanted carpet slowed as we began to descend the hill into Lemos. “Bowan, a glamour if you would.”
I pushed up just in time to see the three following us in their stag form shift back to fae and leap onto the carpet. In my next breath, a dose of magic altered all their appearances.
Their black disguises and ebony clothing morphed into one of normality. Before my eyes, the masks disappeared, the head scarves obliterated, and the dark clothing transformed. In a blink, all of them were fae wearing simple, laboring wear, and all of their faces morphed into fae males I’d never seen before.
And then my gown changed too. Even though I still felt my bulky skirt’s numerous layers of tulle, my gown morphed into a simple home-spun dress. Nothing about it screamed for attention. It was a simple frock that any fairy could be wearing.
I seethed inwardly. Now, I wouldn’t draw attention at all in Lemos.
Phillen laughed when his trousers turned baggy and worn. “My da used to wear pants like these.”
Dammit. So Bowan is quite adept at glamours. Good to know.
Even though all fae could create glamours, some were more adept at it than others, and considering Jax had asked Bowan to do it, meant Bowan likely produced the strongest glamours in their group.
But I was under no illusion that what I was seeing was even remotely close to their true features. Despite their builds staying the same, all of their ears got sharper or longer. The noses that had pushed against their masks had either lengthened or shortened. Not even their hair remained true to their inherent coloring .
Jax’s dark locks changed to a rusty brown. Phillen’s turned as red as Lars’s, yet the natural redhead shifted to being blonder than Trivan. Bowan and Lander remained brunettes, yet Lander’s shoulder-length hair shortened, and Bowan’s grew longer. And Trivan was behind them all, so I couldn’t even see what he’d changed into.
It all happened so fast. As soon as their appearances finished morphing, I struggled to remember who’d turned into what.
I grumbled and lay back down. If I’d had any hope of understanding their identities before, I knew now I never would. Six strangers surrounded me.
“What’s the matter, Little Lorafin?” Bowan asked in an amused tone. At least their voices hadn’t changed, yet my grumble grew. “Don’t like what you see?”
I peeled my eyes open to see him grinning down at me. His new face had a lovely smile, although the one I offered in return was anything but sweet. “Not at all. I was simply pondering why the feared Dark Raider would feel the need to hide.” I slid my attention to Jax. At least I could identify him in the group. “Are you afraid of being arrested in Lemos, Guar...I mean, Jax?” I batted my eyelashes, my tone like honeyed syrup.
Jax shrugged, not rising to the bait of my intentional slip-up. “Not really.”
“Then why the glamours?”
“As you pointed out, without them, our dark disguises are rather noticeable, meaning we could be pursued by the kingsfae.”
I pushed to sitting again, gasping when pain sliced through my stomach. In a heartbeat, Jax was beside me, propping me up.
He glowered. “You need to quit doing that.”
“Quit doing what?”
“Hurting yourself.”
“Ah, so you would like me to quit existing.”
His forehead furrowed, or rather, the male identity that he’d taken on frowned. “Is it always this painful for you? Is every day like this?”
I lifted my shoulders. “Sometimes, yes. Other times, no.” And that’s not even a lie.
His gaze captured mine. The same cerulean eyes that I’d first seen upon waking this morning held firm. At least his eyes hadn’t changed. “Does your magic hurt you intentionally?”
“No,” I answered honestly, and truth be told, I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t thought of another lie to spill, anything to keep him thinking I was always this fragile. “It’s the collar that does it.”
“So, your guardian is the one responsible for the pain.”
“How do you figure?”
“He created that collar, did he not? Therefore, he’s to blame.”
My heartbeat quickened when I thought of what I’d done when I was only five. “Only because I’m a threat to everyone without it.”
Air billowed against my cheeks as the breeze picked up, yet Jax didn’t look away. “Is that what he told you? That without his control and collar, you’d be lost without him?”
My brows pinched together just as the carpet slowed when we entered the outskirts of the sprawling town. “How would you know? Are you saying I’m not?”
“If you’ve never been without it, not truly, how could you actually know if it’s needed?”
I arched an eyebrow, but I had no intention of telling him what I’d done seasons ago. Instead, I said sarcastically, “And is that what your scholars told you? That lorafins don’t need to be caged?”
But his voice remained calm when he replied, “They told me that only a lorafin can interact with the all-knowing semelees, and only a semelee can confirm if a missing fairy has entered the afterlife, and if they haven’t, then only a semelee can reliably tell me where they are.”
I had a feeling he was desperately hoping whomever he sought was still alive, but I still didn’t know if it was love or vengeance that drove him. Regardless, that buzz of curiosity filled me again.
The carpet zoomed faster down a street and pulled my attention from Jax. We passed a few shops, but then the carpet flew behind them to a quieter lane.
We came to a stop at the back of a building. Before I could say anything further, Jax hopped off the carpet and nodded briskly toward me. “Keep her here. I’ll get rooms.”
Phillen inched closer to me, and the remaining four fanned out. It wasn’t lost on me that they had me surrounded. And since Jax had commanded the carpet to the narrow street behind the inn, there weren’t any siltenites and wildlings around to see my arrival.
“What did he mean by that?” I asked Phillen despite knowing I should shove my curiosity to the far edges of the solar system. “What he said about wanting to know if someone’s entered the afterlife? Is he worried whomever he’s looking for has died?”
Phillen shrugged. “Suppose you’d have to ask him that.”
My nostrils flared, but I figured it was probably for the best. The less I knew or cared about who Jax sought, the better.
The sound of fae walking not far away drifted toward us, even though I couldn’t see them, and the five moved in even closer to me.
I snorted. “Afraid I’ll run? Or cause a scene?”
One of the males grinned, and when he spoke, I knew from the teasing tone that it was Bowan, the male with brown hair and an earring. “Please do. Then I’ll be tasked with catching you.” He waggled his eyebrows. “I’ll happily tackle you to the ground.”
Huffing, I ignored him as I contemplated what to do next. I’d successfully delayed us from leaving Faewood Kingdom, and now, if only I could cause a big enough scene to bring attention to myself, perhaps someone would alert the kingsfae, and I would be able to escape in the commotion.
But before I was able to come up with a plan, Jax was back, and he was dangling three keys on his finger. “Two to a room, but one will have to have three.”
“Let me guess, you’ll be sharing with the lorafin.” Bowan grinned.
Jax gave him a side-eye. “There’s food and drink in the salopas below the rooms. It’s mostly empty right now. We’ll eat, then retreat to our chambers. It’s bound to get busier once evening approaches.”
“So you are afraid of being spotted,” I taunted.
He arched an eyebrow at me, but instead of replying, he scooped me into his arms and hefted me off the carpet.
The abrupt feel of his arms enclosing me had my breath stopping. He carried me as though I weighed nothing, then kicked the door open to the inn and carried me across the threshold.
Lingering scents of smoke and fire from the night before permeated the air, and the low ceiling didn’t allow much natural light in. The salopas was dimly lit with wood flooring and wood paneling on the walls.
As Jax had said, it was mostly empty. He proceeded down a short hall to the eating area. A lone employee stood behind the bar, and a young wildling female sat at a desk at the front door. Curved horns rose from her head. It was all I could see since her nose was buried in a book. She didn’t even glance up when Jax carried me to a table in the corner.
The other five males were right behind us, and when they all crowded into the table, they cornered me—quite literally—and I knew they had no intentions of letting me out.
Jax signaled the bar employee over.
A large wildling male lumbered to our side, the floor vibrating with each step he took. He was a fusterill, a giant among the wildlings. His feet were so large that half of my leg could have fit in one of his shoes, and he had to stay stooped to keep from constantly hitting his head against the ceiling. How uncomfortable to work in an accommodation like this.
“Bit early for supper. What brings you lot in today?” he said by way of greeting.
“Just passing through,” Jax answered easily.
“Actually, I—” As soon as the words left my mouth, a wash of magic shimmered over me, and my voice disappeared .
I gaped like a fish, sucking air in and blowing it out, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t speak .
“Seven rounds of food, of whatever’s easiest to make,” Jax told the male without missing a beat.
I clawed at my throat, and my magic rattled inside me. Baffled disbelief barreled through me like a racing wildfire.
The fusterill eyed me, concern growing on his face, but Bowan made a comment about the upcoming Matches, drawing his attention away from me.
I tried to speak again. Nothing. I was mute. And then it hit me. Sensory magic ...Jax was using sensory magic on me. Speech could also be manipulated by those who wielded sensory magic, although such an ability was uncommon due to the amount of magic it took. But that was a trait of Ironcrest fae, not Faewood or Stonewild. Where in the realm is he from?
The wildling employee glanced my way once more, frowning anew, but when none of the males showed any signs of concern, and I couldn’t scream that I’d been abducted, he listened to the rest of Jax’s order before turning and ambling back to the kitchen.
Panic began to cleave through me, and my collar was shaking so violently by the time the fusterill ambled away that my magic was on the brink of combusting.
Jax leaned closer to me, angling his body so I was blocked from view. “Your lost voice is temporary.” He shifted closer, and his pine and spicy scent clouded the air around me.
And Goddess Above, he still smelled so good .
It made me hate him even more. I bared my teeth and despised myself for craving my captor’s scent.
But even though my chest was rising swiftly, and I was glaring daggers at the Dark Raider, he didn’t seem concerned. I was pretty sure if looks could kill, he would be dead.
He sighed and finally said, “I couldn’t have you screaming that you’d been abducted now, could I?”
The strength of his magic caressed me in a warm cloud, and if I hadn’t wanted to spit nails, I would have marveled at his ability .
Phillen leaned back on the bench, the seat groaning in protest. “Count yourself lucky, lovely. If Jax had wanted to, he could have taken your sight and sound too.”
My eyes went wide, and I again tried to speak but couldn’t. Jax controlled two senses and speech. Even for a powerful Ironcrest fairy, to command more than one or two senses was unusual.
Unease filled me again, making me want to retreat inward. I needed to get back to my guardian and away from the Dark Raider.
Glittering blue irises narrowed when my shoulders folded together. Jax inched back, putting several inches of space between us. “I’ll remove my magic, but this is your only warning. If you cry out, cause a scene, or try to attract attention to us, I’ll rob your voice again just as fast.” His tone lowered. “Understood?”
I nodded, and even though I tried to stay strong, I began to tremble. Fear cascaded through me, and my magic tried to rise. Tried to come to my rescue. After all, I was a lorafin, a magically rare creature with the ability to venture to the Veiled Between. I wasn’t caged by the magic of the four kingdoms, and I wasn’t a pawn to be played with.
Yet, a pawn was all I’d ever been.
A violent rattle came from my collar, and a silent yelp left my lips.
Jax scowled at my collar. “Remember. Stay quiet.” Another wash of his magic caressed my skin, and when I opened my mouth a second time, a new lightness filled me.
My voice was back.
“You...have elemental power and can control multiple senses and speech? And you’re likely a shifter too?” My mouth opened and closed, and I clasped my trembling hands. “What in the realm are you?”
Jax shrugged. “I’m a fairy just like you.”
“No siltenite fairy that I’ve ever met has had that many abilities from that many kingdoms.”
Trivan snickered and sprawled a leg out of the booth onto the floor. “You haven’t even seen half of it, Lorafin.”
Before I could ask more, an enchanted serving tray floated toward us. Magic held the tray aloft. Seven pints of beer and plates of steaming pasta with diced hen in a creamy sauce sat on the tray. When it reached us, the enchantment lifted everything and glided it to our place settings.
“What are you?” I hissed at Jax again, just as the steaming plates of pasta filled the air with its rich aroma.
“I told you, a fairy . I’m not a rare lorafin like you. I don’t command otherrealm power. I simply was born with more magic than others.”
For a moment, I couldn’t reply. All of the males dug into the food and drink, but the reality of what he’d just revealed barreled through me. No wonder he was so feared among the kingdoms. With that kind of magic at his disposal, he could literally make a fairy completely defenseless .
That kind of power was godlike.
Bowan laughed. “I wish I could capture your face in a portrait right now.” He laughed again before forking another bite of creamy pasta. “It never gets old when fae learn what he’s capable of.”
Lander nodded at Jax and said in his monotone voice, “Best to keep that in mind, Elowen, just in case you’re thinking of trying to make a run for it.”
Lars’s gaze darted between all of us, but he remained silent.
I sagged on my seat, the food in front of me forgotten.
Jax continued eating, yet I knew in that defeated gesture, I’d just given myself away, basically telling all of them I’d been hoping to escape.
But can I? Despite delaying our journey, I was no closer to freedom, and if I couldn’t call for help or cause a scene, then my chances at making a break for it were next to nothing.
In other words, I was entirely dependent on Guardian Alleron finding me and saving me.