Chapter 5 Ivy
Ivy
My breath ricochets off the cold walls as I run down a long, winding tunnel. I have no idea where it leads, and I don’t care.
I’m not safe here, and it won’t be long until I’m duped yet again.
That faerie…he tricked me, and I can’t believe I let him get the better of me. He’s nothing but a crook.
Never accept a favour from the Fae, no matter how tempting the offer may seem, because absolutely everything comes with a price.
It just reminds me of how alone I am. There’s no one left in this world who I care about, and I must be wiser if I hope to survive.
So, no more bargaining with the Fae.
A bright light shines up ahead, and I rush forth.
Finally. A way out.
Unfortunately, I almost topple over the edge of a cliff once I reach the light, and I rear back, chest heaving as I stare at the sharp precipice.
A sprawling valley lies beyond, stretching far and wide, an all-encompassing sea of mist and trees that hugs the grey sky. It's hopeless.
I am utterly trapped, caught in that wicked creature’s snare of sticky lies.
A biting wind almost knocks me off course, and I fumble along the wall with my hands, searching for the mouth of the cave.
Once I’m tucked away inside, I drop to the ground, wrapping my arms around my legs. The only thing I can do now is gaze wistfully across the stark landscape, wondering if my parents are out there somewhere…searching for me.
I know we’ll be reunited again, and I make a silent promise, hoping they’ll hear me.
I will find you, Mama, Papa. Mark my words.
It must be hours before he finds me.
Once again, I find no sympathy in his golden, fox-like eyes. Only cold indifference.
Mama once told me that the heart of a Fae works a little differently from ours. They lack what we call a conscience or empathy.
This wicked creature honestly sees no fault in his actions. He thinks he’s justified due to the lore of his people.
They never give freely. It’s just not in their nature, and in turn, they hate to be in debt to anyone. Hence why they seldom accept favours.
That's why they’re considered cruel by my kind. A faerie’s favourite pastime is to trick poor, gullible humans into doing exactly as they please—as I’ve had the misfortune of finding out myself. But a part of me always believed there were some good faeries out there.
There are three classes of Fae: Seelie, Unseelie, and Rogue.
I don’t know what category my new captor falls under, but I do hope it’s the merciful kind. Since he likes to trick poor girls into giving up their necklaces, I highly doubt it.
“Thought I lost you for a moment, princess,” he croons in that unearthly tenor, the one that shakes the marrow of my bones.
I refuse to look at him. Instead, I burn a hole into the dark ore of his mountain.
He glances at the cliff warily. “You… weren’t thinking about jumping, were you? I know I’m unbearable, but I never would have dreamed I’d be that unbearable…”
His small talk won’t work with me. If he thinks for a moment that he has any chance of clemency after what he did, then he can kiss my derriere.
More silence passes between us as I keep my eyes on the distant horizon. A strong gust of wind blows through the tunnel, so sharp that it almost blows out the flame of his oil lamp.
“Well, then…let’s show you to your room.”
That catches my attention, and finally, I meet his fox-like eyes. They glow in the dark, startling me at first, but I swallow my dread, speaking clearly, “My room?”
I can’t see his face since it’s bathed in shadow, but his eyes narrow with what I can only assume is exasperation. “Yes. As per our bargain. Did you forget?”
No. Of course I didn’t.
In exchange for my necklace, he promised me a bed and warm food. But if I had known what his kindness would have cost me, I never would have agreed to return to his cave in the first place.
But I didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. I was unconscious. He must have carried me up himself, and the thought makes my heart flutter.
Did he only save me just so he could trick me? I will never quite understand him. He’s an odd creature, a true enigma, and I curl my fists, refusing to meet his gaze.
He sighs, heading down the tunnel. “Let’s go.”
It’s getting harder and harder to resist his offer. Not that I expect much in the way of comfort, but better than sleeping outside in the woods. I haven’t slept in a bed in days.
I rise shakily to my feet, following him down the tunnel. I feel the walls closing in as we descend further into his lair, and I’ll probably never find my way out of this mountain again.
He walks at a languid pace, his oil lamp swinging freely. It causes shadows to dance across the walls, and it’s getting darker and darker the farther we go.
Several times I lose him, but it’s hard to want to be anywhere near him in this damp, cool place. I trip on a jutting rock, and he laughs, calling me a ‘clumsy human.’
He stops abruptly, and when I bump into him, I get a strong whiff of pine and woodsmoke. I jump back immediately, trying to maintain a safe distance.
That was a little too close for comfort, and it would be so much easier to hate him if he didn’t smell so pleasant.
No wonder these creatures can trick us so easily.
He regards me strangely, and again, I don’t meet his eyes. He likes to stare at me a lot, I’ve noticed, and I find it unnerving.
“You’re not very graceful, are you?”
I hold my tongue, refraining from what I really want to say. Quite frankly, I don’t like him. I’m afraid of him, much to my chagrin, and that bold girl with the knife has long gone now—she drowned in that icy marsh with the kelpie.
He snorts, vanishing into a cave that I hadn't noticed before.
I gulp, stepping away. I can’t go in there…
He pops his head out again. “Well?”
I fight the urge to run back up the tunnel. Maybe I should have jumped off the cliff after all, but it’s too late for regrets now.
Once I step into that cold, black cave, I will never come back out again.
The faerie materialises before me, and I yelp, fumbling my way backwards. I didn’t even see him coming; he’s such a sneaky devil.
With quick reflexes, he snatches hold of my arm, stopping my fall, and despite how frightened I am, I find his gaze.
His fingers are like a vise on my wrist, and I can feel how strong they are. If he wanted, he could snap my arm like a twig.
I can’t stop staring at his hand as he continues to hold me fast. He wears brown leather gloves with holes at the tips of his fingers.
My heart pounds. They’re for his claws…
With a scoff, he lets go of my arm, stepping into the cave. “When you’re done yelping and tripping, come inside.”
He may have saved me from my fall, but he’s still my enemy. I can’t forget that.
Never let your guard down.
Finally, I follow him inside, stopping dead in my tracks. My skin grows cold all over when I spy a large animal in the middle of the cave.
For a moment, I think it’s the black wolf—the one that chased me all the way to the north.
I still don’t understand what happened to that creature, or Belle, for that matter. Both horse and lupine just seemed to vanish into thin air.
Then light washes over the cave, and I find myself gazing at a pile of furs. The black pelt of a wolf lies on top, and I also spy a bobcat, a bear, and a deer pelt, too.
“Well, sweet dreams.”
The faerie takes his leave, and I stop him. “Wait.”
He pauses at the mouth of the cave, giving me the profile of his face. “Yes?”
I suck in a breath. I have no idea what to say. I guess I’m still a little stunned; I thought he was leading me to a cell.
The Fae enslave humans and keep them as prisoners. At least, so I was taught.
“Is this where I will sleep?”
He gives an exasperated sigh, leaning against the wall to cross his arms. “Obviously.”
I glance at the pelts. “On the furs?”
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
I shake my head. “N-no…”
“Well, then, go to sleep.” He moves for the exit.
There’s not even a fire pit in here or anything to keep me warm. The furs are all I have.
“But… what about the cold?”
“Not my problem.”
Anger writhes inside me, hissing like a pit of threatened snakes, and finally, I lose my nerve. “My necklace was worth more than this!”
The faerie spins, and I flinch when I meet those flaming eyes. “If you want more, then you’ll have to bargain for it. So, pay up or shut up.”
I press my mouth into a line, eyeing him evilly. I really do hate him, and obviously the feeling is mutual.
With a roll of his eyes, he moves back towards the tunnel.
“Monster,” I mutter under my breath.
He's in front of me before I can so much as blink, and I scream, falling back onto the furs. How on earth did he move so fast?
My heart thrums in my ears, and I wish I had something, anything, to protect myself. Something made from iron, preferably.
The creature doesn’t speak. He just glares, baring his teeth and those terrible fangs. His claws are extended, and I scramble on the furs, trying to get away from him.
His pupils have narrowed to slits, and it’s like gazing into the eyes of death. Shadows rise around him, stretching towards me like talons, and a dreadful lump sticks in my throat.
So, I wasn’t imagining things before. He really did summon shadows. I’m no match for him after all.
“What did you say?”
His voice is cold liquid trickling down my spine, freezing my muscles in place. But I still hold my head high, meeting those murderous eyes. “Monster.”
He takes a moment to respond. Then he whispers, making the hair rise at the back of my neck. “I’m not the monster here.”
I don’t reply. I just continue to stare at him, struggling to breathe. My laboured breaths fill the cave, and I’ve never felt so helpless.
With a final growl, he jerks away, taking his shadows and his pine and woodsmoke scent away with him.
He didn’t even leave the lamp. Now I am left in total darkness.
I lie down on the furs, trying to get as warm as possible. It’s too dark, and if only I could convince myself that monsters aren’t real.
But one just left this cave…
Despite how scared I am, sleep still finds me. It’s been an exhausting day—no, an exhausting week.
I dream about wicked faeries throughout the night.