11. ELOWAN
“UGH, I cannot shake the nausea,” Elowan dry-retched with an arm braced against a building wall in Soxis’s town centre. The thick night air of Faery’s Spring Court was almost a physical wall against Ellie’s senses. The jeers and shouts of joyful citizens flooded the town centre, doing the nausea that hung high in her belly no favours whatsoever. The smell of spices and cooked meats wafting through the humid air urged her to projectile vomit. Again.
It had been two hours since they all took a shot of Veritas. An hour and forty-five minutes since they took the antidote for it. They only endured fifteen minutes of interrogation. Fifteen measly minutes. It was no wonder people passed out or died from Veritas ingestion.
Zala, who stood a metre behind her was now back to her normal steely self – quieter in fact, if that was even possible. Regin was still flushed, pink warmed his cheeks, but he held it together with a firm hand on Ellie’s back. Soothing her between her bouts of groans and dry heaving.
“Let’s get a fucking drink,” Zala sighed.
“Finally, something we can agree on.” Elowan groaned again, straightening herself.
Zala brushed past Elowan without another word, storming ahead.
Elowan took that moment to reach for Regin’s hand. “Are we okay?” Elowan asked, peering into his light-purple eyes. The loose tendrils of his blond hair framed his face perfectly.
Regin reached out to cup Elowan’s face with his broad hand. His hands were calloused from working tirelessly in his workshop, but Elowan didn’t care. They were hers to hold. “Always.” Regin smiled, the corner of his mouth twitching just the slightest. It was his tell.
“But?” She could always read him.
“But I need you to know that I will love you no matter what. When you are at your darkest, I will be the light, Elowan. You can turn me away or tell me I am not worthy of you, and I will still shine just for you. I am yours to keep. You can tell me anything. Everything.”
His voice, deep and soft, ached with a pain she never intended to inflict. He was hurt that she didn’t, or rather couldn’t, tell him how she had been feeling since Cam’s death. An ache started in the back of Elowan’s throat. She tried to swallow it away. “It’s hard. You know me . . .” It was Ellie’s turn to start tearing up now. “It’s always been hard to tell you how I feel. I’m scared. I’m scared that you’ll leave me if I say the wrong things.”
Elowan leaned into his hand farther. Her lips wobbled.
“I won’t leave you. It’s not written in my destiny. You’re it for me. You’re the gravity that holds me together.” Regin’s voice quivered. He took in a breath before pulling Elowan into his embrace.
She leaned into his warm chest. His sweet smell nestled itself into her nostrils. His long blond hair shielded her eyes. And that’s when she crumbled.
“What can I do to make you realise that I will never leave you?” Regin said into Elowan’s hair.
“I don’t know.” Instinctively, Ellie tensed. Regin had never given her a reason to believe that he would leave. Never. But with her mother gone, her father unknown, her lower brain couldn’t help but equate their leaving to her existence. It was an illogical thought and an equally impossible one to rewire.
“It’s okay if you don’t know. We can work it out together.” He pulled back enough to wipe the tears from Elowan’s tanned face. “Now let’s go get a drink before Zala drinks the entire town under the table,” he said, laughing lightly.
Elowan took Regin’s outstretched hand and followed the wraith’s trail.
The Sleeping Rabbit. Soxis’s local watering hole. You could hear it from a mile away and as you inched closer, you could practically smell its sticky floors. It was mouldy eighty per cent of the time and packed to the rafters one hundred per cent of the time. Which only meant one thing. The drinks were good.
Thank fuck.
As Elowan stepped inside behind Regin, the crowd teaming inside the tavern cheered – a custom for the Sleeping Rabbit. For anyone who walked in, you had to cheer them on in welcome. It was sweet.
Playing cards, fanned among the grubby fingers of patrons, scattered and flew across tables. Coins clanged against tabletops as they met the eager hands of hopeful winners. The heavy thump of cups reverberated against wooden bar tops and tucked away from the chaos, was Zala, sitting in the shadows of a corner booth with two tankards before her. Like a predator lying in wait for the next kill, she was surveying. Watching. Looking for details.
Regin waved to the wraith, who nodded back in acknowledgement, and then turned to the barman before him.
“What can I do ya for?” the bartender asked, his burly hands braced firmly on the bar top, a towel draped over his shoulder. He winked at Elowan.
She growled in response, of course.
The bartender cleared his throat and swiftly turned to Regin, who beamed with pride. “Two house ales, sir.”
“Coming right up.” The bartender moved with seasoned grace, pouring two tankards full of ale to perfection.
He handed them each a cup. Regin tossed him a silver coin in return.
“Thanks, chief. Next!” the bartender shouted over the jeering crowd.
Avoiding the sweaty armpits and musky-smelling patrons that danced around the room, Elowan and Regin made their way to Zala. Regin slid into the booth. Elowan slid in after him without a word. She was mortified that Regin had to hear her truth, let alone Zala. Zala who sat there with her arms crossed. Her piercing blue eyes narrowed on Elowan.
In true Zala fashion, the female of little words, she had managed to say everything yet nothing at all as she silently pushed one of her cups in front of Elowan. A peace offering.
Elowan nodded in understanding. It felt like Zala had finally understood where Elowan’s mind had been for the past several weeks. Elowan sputtering out her truth in front of her friends wasn’t ideal, but that was the way it unravelled. There was nothing to be done about it. And from that, Zala understood. Which was all that mattered, right?
Elowan felt like she finally had the chance to break the surface of water she’d been held under for so long. It was refreshing.
Elowan took the cup that Zala offered and raised it into the air. She looked to Zala, then to Regin and cawed, “Cheers!”
They clanked their cups together ceremoniously and downed the house ale.
It was crisp.
Tart.
Perfect.
Elowan flung her arm around Regin’s shoulder and kissed his cheek. Zala made a noise of disgust. “Get used to it Z, we’re in for the long haul,” Ellie laughed.
Zala just shook her head.
A barmaid, short with red curly hair waltzed toward their table with three more cups of ale. She plonked them down on the table, the liquid spilling on the sides.
“Oh these aren’t—” Elowan started.
“They’re on the house,” the barmaid said lowly, winking as she waltzed her way back to the bar. Tavern revellers called to her from all sorts of directions asking for more alcohol. To her credit, she nodded, acknowledging them all and moved to pour their orders.
Ellie looked to Zala who had begun sniffing all their cups. Checking for poison no doubt.
“Nothing,” the wraith stated plainly.
The buzz of the alcohol had finally started to settle and Elowan started to feel warm – it was one of her favourite feelings. “Well, cheers again then.” Ellie pulled her cup in the air. “To an eye-opening night.”
“To an eye-opening night!” Zala and Regin laughed.
As they downed the whole tankard, a flash of white underneath Zala’s cup caught Elowan’s eye. A piece of parchment. She waited until the wraith finished her drink before swiftly switching their cups.
Zala followed the movement.
“Might be worth getting us another round Z.”
The wraith nodded, gracefully slid out the booth and glided to the bar. Elowan picked up the cup, peeling the parchment from the bottom and clasped it in her hand. It was small and folded. Clearly it was meant to be a secret, but who was the messenger?
Elowan turned to Regin and whispered, “Just play along.” He squeezed her thigh underneath the table in response. The crowd in the tavern burst out in a cheer as more citizens piled in. Elowan took the moment to embrace Regin around his neck and pulled him in close so she could use him for cover. Regin wrapped his arms around her waist dutifully. She unfolded the small parchment behind his neck. From this angle, no one could see what she was doing. All they would see was a tipsy female getting handsy with a male.
The secret parchment read: Some freely fly above neutral waters. -O
Elowan immediately crumpled the parchment into her palm, drew back and kissed Regin passionately. He leaned in, breathing in her scent. She loved it when he did that.
As they shared this intimate moment, Elowan burned the parchment with a tiny wisp of her mana. Elowan pulled away for a moment to whisper, “Let’s dance.” To which Regin let out a small growl of excitement, pushing her out of the booth with two firm hands on her waist.
As if on cue, the concoction of stringed instruments and tambourines that played lowly in the background of the tavern grew into a joyous crescendo. Patrons stood up from their card games, their chairs screeching against the floor. They all took their cups and downed their alcohol. Burly males grabbed the shy females that had spent the night coyly admiring them from a distance, old friends grabbed new ones they had just met, and together, bright eyed and a little drunk, they all danced to the merry music.
Elowan took Regin’s hand and pulled him into the eye of the storm, giggling and jumping to the rhythm of the music. Regin bent back in laughter as Elowan pulled the silliest dance move she could muster. She loved the sound so much. How did she ever think life wasn’t worth living?
“Move!” Zala’s voice was a knife to the throat – all business, no charm. She pushed her way through the cheerful crowd with three tankards of ale in her hands. The crowd thankfully made way for the wraith. Made way? More like scattered.
“Finally!” Elowan shouted over the raucous. She took the two cups from the wraith’s hands and handed one to Regin who was still moving to the music. Elowan pulled an arm around Zala and hugged her lifelong friend as hard as she could. She leaned in and whispered into the wraith’s ear, “Some freely fly above neutral waters.”
Zala responded with a squeeze of Elowan’s shoulder.
She knew that Zala understood.
“Cheers!” Regin came in with his cup, he took them both in his arms and pulled them close. It made Elowan overflow with joy.
They danced and they cheered. Letting loose on the one night that seemed appropriate for them to. Even Zala let her hair down a little. She swayed lightly to the music taking sips from her tankard. It was the most fun the wraith showed in a while.
Elowan and Regin on the other hand, danced like two drunk idiots. For a moment it felt like nothing had changed. For a moment it felt like they were back to the good old days when it was bearable to hear Kaine’s name and when Cam was . . .
A ringing, soft at first, grew to a stifling climax.
Elowan stilled.
Then Zala stilled.
The strings of the band fell flat as the room too, grew silent.
The revelry grinded to a deafening halt.
Everyone turned to the front door of the tavern.
To listen.
One second.
Two.
The wooden door catapulted from its hinges, spraying shards of wood in all sorts of directions.
Then the screaming started.
The Fae closest to the door fell to the ground, supporting whatever body part had been pierced by free-flying shrapnel. Growling and yipping sounded near the door.
“Everyone, get back!” shouted Elowan. The patrons yelped, eyes wide as they moved swiftly away from the door. Some even scurried. Others helped those who were injured. Whatever had just blitzed the door into tiny shreds smelled of another world. Another realm.
Elowan pulled out her short spear from her belt, fastening it in her left hand. She pulled out Camrine’s short spear and fastened it into her right hand.
Slowly, she advanced.
She’d done this a million times. Walked straight into danger, that is, but it didn’t prepare her for what she saw growling, dark blood dripping from their maws.
Three hellhounds.
They pounced.
Chaos ensued as Elowan dropped to the floor with what had to be seventy to eighty kilos of solid muscle. The air in her lungs left her with a painful thump. Razor-sharp teeth shaped into a nasty growl, mere centimetres from her face, threatening to shred it into tiny unrecognisable piece. Terror filled every vein in Elowan’s body as the hellhound pinned her down. All Elowan could think of in this moment was . . . that this was the last thing her mother saw as she was mauled to death.
The hellhounds were like shadows. Their obsidian fur contrasted the bright red flames of their tails. Only their jagged demon teeth stood out from their fur – yellowy and plaque covered. As terrified as Elowan was in this moment, she knew could not let them run free.
Patrons of the Sleeping Rabbit screamed as the other two hellhounds terrorised them. Nipping and mauling those who were closest. A push of dark shadow matter sent the hellhound above Elowan flying to the side. It whimpered as it hit the ground. Zala.
“You okay?” the wraith breathed. She gruffly picked up Elowan by her shoulders.
Elowan’s vision refocused with a shake of her head. “I’m fine.”
The bartender that served them earlier shouted over the pandemonium. “Everybody get downstairs! Now!” The crowd moved, trying their best to avoid the hellhounds.
From the corner of her eye, Elowan could see Regin helping the patrons who were most intoxicated and confused. They all headed downstairs to safety, Elowan hoped.
Elowan stood up swiftly, standing back-to-back with Zala whose two rapiers were now out and ready for action. “Hey, fido, come get some!” Elowan called out.
The three menacing hellhounds began to circle Elowan and Zala. They barked and growled, their hackles fully erect.
“A part of me thinks they’re cute.” Zala chuckled.
Elowan scoffed. “Of course you would.”
Elowan pulled back her two short spears, ready to strike, when the hellhounds snapped out of their trained aggression. In sync, the hounds turned their heads toward the front door as if they all heard the same thing.
“What the . . .” Elowan didn’t even finish her sentence when the hounds bolted out the front door, leaving a trail of blood in their wake.
Elowan ran after them.
Zala did too.
As soon as Elowan breached the threshold of the Sleeping Rabbit’s front door, she gagged. The smell of blood shot its way through her nostrils like nothing else, grinding her sprint to a halt. Elowan watched in terror as another twenty hellhounds ran past them from the town centre and out toward Heartsprung Hills.
She had no words to describe the carnage that the hellhounds left. Bloodied paw prints scattered themselves across the town’s pavement as if a war had been waged. Elowan traced the paw prints all the way back to the now silent town centre. In the distance, lifeless bodies slumped together. Limbs and innards were strewn haphazardly across the ground.
She whipped her head back to see where the hellhounds were headed. Just above a hill, Elowan spotted a deep-red, glittering portal. A portal headed straight for the Shadow Realm.
Without thinking, Elowan sprinted for it. The pack of hellhounds had started to stream into the portal. Elowan was so close. If she sprinted harder, she would be able to catch one or two of the last ones.
She pumped her arms and legs as hard as she could. She was just fifty metres away from the back of the pack now. The pavement of the town centre turned into brittle grass. The smell of ash and blood melded together as she ran. The portal began to shrink. No. Not yet. Elowan ran harder, trying her best to catch them.
“Ellie, stop!” It was Regin.
Harder. I’ve got to go harder. I can catch them.Elowan gritted her teeth and pushed herself. But she was too late. The last hellhound bounded into the portal and as the tip of its flaming tail crossed the border, the portal closed with a woosh.
Elowan fell to her knees, skidding to a halt. Panting. She was only two metres away. She could’ve stopped them.
And do what?a little voice inside her asked. She had absolutely no idea.
“Ellie, are you alright?” Regin shouted, worried. He fell to the ground before her and held her tight.
“I’m fine. I’m fine,” Elowan repeated.
“Don’t ever fucking do that again,” Zala said flatly. The wraith appeared into Elowan’s line of sight with an annoyed look upon her face. Zala crossed her arms then turned swiftly, quickly examining the grassed area where the portal had appeared, looking for anything notable.
Regin helped Elowan off the ground.
“I’m sorry, I just . . .” Elowan trailed off. She didn’t know how she felt right now nor the root cause for her failed act of valour. She was angry with the hellhounds, she hated them for what they did to her mother. She wanted them to pay for what they did to the citizens of Soxis. She wanted to know why they were doing it and who was tasking them to do what seemed like pointless slaughter.
Elowan’s gaze fell to the ground. The flowers that bloomed as they walked to Asteria Hold just earlier that day had wilted and greyed. She crouched down to inspect them further. Elowan brushed her hands through the grass. The grass itself had greyed and stiffened, withering away into meaningless particles with a slight touch.
Elowan looked out to the rolling hills ahead and what she saw lodged a sadness deep in her throat. The once beating heart of the Spring Court, the luscious Heartsprung Hills, was now dead. All life that had blessed the earth here had disintegrated into greyness.
The blight had finally reached Soxis.