Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Islowly blink my eyes as I’m dragged out of the dregs of sleep.
I’m still on top of the blankets of my bed and the tome is open, weighing on my chest. I must have fallen asleep reading…
again. It’s dark, and a glance beside me tells me that the lamp has run dry.
I must have been out for a few hours at least. I set the book off to the side and sit up in bed to listen for the noise that woke me, but I hear nothing.
I look around the room expecting to see something off, but everything looks normal, as it was when I settled into my bed earlier.
It’s not until a flash from the window catches my attention that I shift my gaze.
There’s a slight glow emanating from outside.
I climb from my bed and walk to the window to get a better look. Little orbs of light—no bigger than the palm of my hand—bob at the edge of the forest, but I can’t see them more clearly than that from here.
Come play with me, they seem to say.
I get the sudden overwhelming urge to go outside and follow the lights.
I quickly change out of my nightdress and into the first tunic and leggings I find in my wardrobe, both black as the night.
I tie my hair back into a quick braid and slip on my boots.
I’m creeping through to the front door on light feet, not a single sound to alert Fleur.
The silence around me seems heavier than usual, as if the little lights are aiding me in sneaking out.
My hand hovers over the door handle before I get an impulse to grab a weapon or something to protect myself with.
I tiptoe back over to Fleur’s worktable and snag a small dagger she uses to trim flowers and tuck it into my boot.
Just in case, I tell myself.
Dressed and armed, I make my way back to the front door, slipping out into the cool evening.
I really shouldn’t be outside right now.
Especially on Samhain if the stories are to be believed.
But I’m curious. What are those lights? Is it a lantern?
Maybe it’s Tom coming back and trying to get me to sneak out?
Unlikely. All I know is that I need to follow the lights. It’s an urge from deep in my bones.
After a few paces, I reach where I thought I had seen the lights, but there’s nothing here now.
Am I going crazy? I do a quick turn and see them further into the forest now.
I pick up my speed, chasing after them as they move through the forest. Branches from the trees scratch at my arms and face as I run like they’re reaching out to hold me back.
The further I go, the more fog rolls in, shrouding everything from view.
They don’t stop until they reach a clearing.
There’s a small pool of water, shimmering under the moonlight as the slight breeze disrupts the surface.
I edge closer to the orbs and they suddenly throw themselves into the pool.
I drop to my knees beside the pool and peer over the edge, looking into the water, looking for a sign of the lights but there’s nothing there but darkness and the reflection of the moon.
The smallest of glows twinkle at me and I lean a bit closer before my hand slips on the bank and I tumble, plunging into the freezing water.
I twist looking for the light of the surface, but I feel like I’m being pulled further under by some force. I kick myself free and swim back towards where I think I’ve determined the surface is.
I gasp, pulling in deep breaths of air once my head breaks the surface of the water. I pull myself out onto the bank and reach to push the wet hair from my face but find that it’s… dry? I look down at my clothes to see that they are also completely dry. Well, that’s… strange.
I did fall in, right?
I push up off the ground and climb to my feet. Spinning in a circle, I take in my surroundings for the first time.
The grass is greener than it was before, the leaves on the trees more vibrant, the stars brighter. Everything here looks like a more saturated version of the forest. Although now that I take in more of the details, this is definitely not the same forest.
Oh no.
My stomach turns over with dread. I anxiously twirl with the ring on my finger.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I was in… Faerie. But no. That can’t be possible. It’s not real. I’ve been through that forest all my life and there’s never been a portal to Faerie before. I must still be dreaming. Or I’ve gone completely mad.
I pinch my arm and gasp at the sting of pain. Okay, so not dreaming then.
But the veil is thinnest today, a voice whispers in the back of my mind.
And it’s then that I realize I’m pretty sure I’ve well and truly fucked up.
I look around, trying to take in my surroundings in more detail at this point. I’m having some fucked up version of deja vu right now.
I stoop back down to the pool and stick my arm in, hoping maybe I can get back home the way I came, but nothing happens. I pull it out, and the lower half of my arm that I submerged into the pool comes out soaking wet.
Well, I guess it would’ve been too easy that way, huh?
I look at my reflection in the pool, seeing the frazzled appearance of my braid.
I use that to my advantage, pulling loose pieces around my face to hide my features, including my ears.
The one stand out from all my reading on the Fae, it’s that they all have pointed ears.
And if this is Faerie? Yeah, probably a good idea to hide the one feature that would get me immediately called out for being human.
I straighten back up, dusting the dirt from my leggings and take a long, slow look around trying to decide the best direction to go.
It’s clear I’m in a glade of some sort in the middle of a forest. The clearing is wide open grass with wildflowers dotted around bringing pops of yellows and pinks to the otherwise overwhelming green of the landscape.
The trees tower over the space, creating a ceiling of leaves that block all but some stray silvery rays of moonlight that peek in through the gaps.
I can see the stars twinkling brightly overhead. They feel so close here.
I spin taking in the paths that branch off from the clearing, leading away…
somewhere. They’re all so dark that I can’t see more than a few feet in.
It feels almost ominous. There’s one exception to the darkened paths, which is one where a bit more light pierces through the canopy.
The fact that this one is better lit than the others puts me at ease.
It seems to be my best bet at attempting to not get any more lost than I already am.
Decision made, I head off towards that one.
As I draw near, I can see some thick tree trunks and rocks jutting out at odd angles, making for a slightly treacherous path, but if it stays this well-lit, it shouldn’t be a problem.
At least I decided to wear my boots and not the canvas slippers.
Just as I’m about to step from the clearing onto the path, I hear voices floating my way on a breeze from one of the darkened paths on the opposite side.
I probably shouldn’t head towards what I’m positive is a gathering of Fae, but there’s some instinct deep inside that urges me away from my current path and towards them.
Like maybe that’s the way that would actually get me home.
I debate ignoring it, but that instinct is so insistent, like there’s a string threaded through me, tugging at my gut until I listen.
I’ll likely regret this decision later, but I take a step towards the voices and that tugging begins to subside, like slack in the rope. Hopefully this is leading me towards a working portal back.
As I walk through the forest, the trees start to lose some of their radiant coloring and become grayer, and far less leafy.
The moonlight tracks in much brighter than it was back in the clearing, lighting my path better than I expected.
And aside from the odd gnarled root here and there threatening to trip me up, the path is mostly clear.
The voices grow louder as I draw closer, and I start to see bright orange lights flickering in the distance and the smoky scent of a fire wafts my way. Bonfires.
Of course.
It’s Samhain and the whole of the realm is likely out celebrating. I’m close enough that I can start to make out the fires better, and the shadowy shapes of Fae gathered around them. I tuck myself behind the nearest tree and watch for a moment.
Maybe listening to my gut was a bad idea…
There are several bonfires dotted around what looks to be a massive garden. Dozens of Fae are scattered around the fires dancing, drinking, and eating. It looks like… fun? The complete opposite of the solemn and contemplative way we pay homage to the holiday.
I quickly dart from my current hiding space and duck behind a closer tree to get a better look.
Drawing closer may not be the wisest move, but when else will I ever have a first hand opportunity like this to learn more about them outside the ghost stories that are shared around campfires and hearths back home?
The excitement at the prospect buzzes over my skin, but I tuck myself closer into the trunk to ensure I won’t be spotted.
One of the first things I take notice of is that the Fae are tall.
So tall. They must be close to six feet at a minimum.
Including the women. And they’re all so lean with clearly defined muscles, I’m almost envious.
The women exude poise and grace as they sway their hips and limbs to the rhythm of the sultry music carrying over the celebration.
I was lucky enough to not trip over a tree root and land on my face on my trek to get here, let alone be able to dance like that. I’m in awe of them
And the men. Well, I think it’s safe to say I’ve never seen anything quite as handsome as the way they look. They’re all muscle and brawn and man.
They’re also far too well-dressed to be partying in a forest, the women wearing sparkling gossamer gowns in deep blues, purples, silvers, and blacks. The men wearing finely tailored tunics of similar shades, almost like a dress code.
I take in the rest of the area around the garden and notice a slate gray stone staircase at the very back of the garden that leads up to a terrace connected to a massive, ornate building.
The entire back wall of the terrace is made up of floor to ceiling windows.
It’s so well lit, that even from this distance I can see the elegant onyx chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and the swarms of more Fae twirling around what must be a ballroom.
My knowledge of the world, and realms, is limited but even I know enough to put the pieces together that this is likely a palace. I mentally leaf through the tomes I’ve read on the Fae trying to see if I can come up with some idea of where I am before I make the decision to venture further.
The two strongest families are the ones that rule over the realm: the Seelie and the Unseelie… blah blah blah… The Seelie are said to be more benevolent than the Unseelie, their malevolent counterparts.
The accompanying image flashes in my mind: a golden, verdant landscape juxtaposed against a decaying gray scape.
Now, I know it’s the middle of the night so it’s going to be dark regardless, but looking at the foliage around me, I’m beginning to think I’m not in the land of benevolent Fae.
The trunks of the trees themselves are even tinged with grays and blacks, instead of their usual wood brown.
There are no leaves on the trees making the branches look like skeletal hands, reaching out to grab unsuspecting victims. It all looks sinister.
Looking back to the palace, I notice all the blacks and grays on the stone exterior.
The dark and enigmatic atmosphere it portrays.
Oh, fuck me.
This is the Unseelie court. The one place I really shouldn’t have wandered into. I shouldn’t be in Faerie at all, but the Unseelie Court? They’re supposed to be the worst of the worst. The Fae of nightmares. The most ruthless and brutal of Fae.
Why, Gods, couldn’t it have been the Seelie Court?
But the thing is, the more I watch them from this distance, they don’t look all that ruthless or brutal. In fact, they look beautiful and intriguing… Maybe I’ve lost my mind or hit my head on my tumble into Faerie because now I really need to get out of here.
I start to slowly back away, hand flexed at my side ready to reach for the blade in my boot if needed–not that I'd know how to properly wield it–keeping my eyes trained on the Fae in front of me.
But in doing so, I don’t notice the one standing behind me until he speaks.
“Now, I know for a fact, you don’t belong here,” the dark, smoky voice says from behind me, malice dripping from every word.