CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Aurora jolted awake, her eyes scanning her soundings as the sound of chirping filled her ears. Her heart raced as if she was stuck in a nightmare, but she could remember nothing.
Songbirds were perched in the trees surrounding them. Looking around, she noticed that she had woken before Eli. Sitting up, she stretched her tight limbs. Aurora watched the early morning rays trickle through the branches and dance playfully along the forest floor.
Slowly she waited for her heart to slow, allowing the birds and the soft rays of sunlight to calm her. For the briefest moment, she let herself feel at peace.
But as she stifled a yawn, the sudden panic and something overwhelming hit her, a nagging sensation that cut at her, though she had no idea why. She sensed it deep down. She wouldn’t experience the calm that had washed over her again, not for a very long time.
She looked down at the fire that was just embers, proof she had gotten several hours of uninterrupted sleep, a rare gift. As welcome as the rest was, the fact she hadn’t woken didn’t sit well with her.
Looking over to where Mikhai had been sleeping, her eyes widened in shock when she noticed he was gone. Glancing around, looking for any sign of him, Aurora quietly got to her feet and walked over to where his bedroll and pack had been. All was gone, and the only proof she hadn’t imagined the male was the flattened grass.
Something she noticed, a large rock was settled right where his head had settled the night previous; under it, a piece of paper protruded.
Crouching down, she picked up the rock and lifted the note. It read, ‘Turns out I have somewhere else to be. It should be no surprise that my attention is wanted by many.’ Aurora glared at the note in annoyance. She could just imagine the smirk on his face as he scribed the note, ‘Good luck as you travel through No Man’s Land. Prove to them you are just as valuable as we think you are. Keep an eye on the old man. He seems to have lost his edge. Be better, Princess. - Yours devotedly and lovingly, Mikhai.’
Aurora stared at the paper. Blinked as her head tilted, puzzled by his words. He had just left them? After all that pomp and posturing with Eli, the male just up and left?
Her first instinct was to wake Eli and show him the note, but she stopped herself. Eli had changed so much in such little time. He had shut down, locked her out, and she didn’t know what he would do, how this version of him would react.
Quietly stuffing the note into her pocket, she walked over to Eli and reached over, lightly touching his shoulder. He sat up quickly, kicking out, catching her legs with his, and taking her down. He moved quicker than she could, caught and straddled her, palming two daggers, ready for a fight. She raised her hands in surrender, showing Eli she was no danger to him. In the drowsy haze of sleep, he often took a couple moments to recognize where he was.
He must have been just as exhausted as she had been if he hadn’t woken at Mikhai leaving or hearing her walking around. Aurora preened at her ability to tread lightly; her ability much improved. It was something Eli had been impressed with when she was younger. Even then, no matter how stealthy she was, he could always hear her sneaking up on him.
He glared at her, his gaze cold until he registered whose throat he had his daggers to. With a sigh, his lips pulled briefly into a small smile.
“Sorry,” he said quietly, sheathing his daggers once again and moving away from her.
“Mikhai’s gone,” Aurora said, not surprised in the least by his reaction. She pushed to her feet. Taking a moment to dust herself off of dirt and grass that stuck to her clothing. She then reached down and picked up her pack, slinging it over her shoulder.
“What?” Eli’s voice became stronger, but it was still thick from sleep.
“He’s gone,” Aurora repeated. “I assume we bored him. Let’s face it, you have hardly been chatty, not really much of a travel companion.” Aurora kept her voice neutral even as the words had an edge attached to them.
Eli got to his feet and picked up his bag, slinging it over his shoulder, mirroring her. “He just left?” For the first time since leaving their cabin, Aurora saw a spark of life in Eli, “If he’s not tracking us we could go home, Aurora. I trained him, I would know if he was just testing us or not. It would only take an hour at the most to see if he was out there waiting, playing games. We could go home. Pack everything up and start somewhere new. A place they could never find us, the continent perhaps?”
Eyebrows drawn together, Aurora stepped closer, her voice dropping to an almost whisper, “We would be safe? No worries of the Guild finding you again?”
Eli opened his mouth to answer her, only to shut it again. His jaw clenched, and she watched his hands tighten around the strap of his pack, “We could avoid them for a while. We’ll just have to move more frequently.”
More frequently than once a year?
Aurora sighed, trying to get rid of the tightness she felt in her chest, wanting nothing more than to go back to normal.
She looked at Eli, and he finally met her gaze for the first time since they had started the journey. She could feel her heart shatter a little. There was fear and sadness in those sage green eyes. Two things she had never seen him express before. She immediately regretted her wish for him to look at her.
She knew the truth.
They would be on the run, constantly watching over their shoulders, never able to stay anywhere for long. They would never be safe from the Guild.
If not for the threat from the male named Atlas, Mikhai’s letter alone was enough to tell her he expected her to arrive at the Guild. The last thing she wanted was either male looking for her.
Walking forward a step, she clasped Eli’s hand in hers, “I wish we could go home, go back to how we lived before all this. But you and I both know that’s not possible. Not anymore.” She squeezed his hand lightly, “They will never stop looking for you, and they now know about me. Mikhai has seen me as has Atlas and that dumb female. Even if I perfected a glamor and could alter my face and body, I have a feeling Mikhai would be able to sense me in some way after they found us again.”
There was something about that male. His eyes saw more than he said. He stripped you bare, seeing you in a way no one else recognized.
Taking a long deep breath in, holding it a few seconds before slowly letting it out, Eli squared his shoulders, and after giving her hand a gentle squeeze, she watched as the shutters fell once again. His gaze was emotionless, once again becoming ice.
“You’re right. They’ll never stop.” He swallowed thickly, the only tell that he was struggling with their new reality. “Are you sure you want to do this? Once you go into the Guild, you never get out. As you can see, I am proof of that.”
Aurora slipped her hand from his and nodded. “It’s not like we have any other choice, right? We’ve avoided this for long enough. I think it’s time we finally dealt with it. It is not going to stop, we face it and we face it together.”
The side of Eli’s mouth quirked up ever so slightly. But it was gone just as quickly that Aurora would have missed it if she blinked.
Aurora sighed, the male she knew was still in there, deep down. She smiled back at him, waiting for him to lead the way.
Aurora stood just off to Eli’s side and watched as he himself studied the forest in front of them. It appeared thicker and darker than the forest they had already passed through.
Eli appeared to be weighing their options as he looked forward. Finally, after a moment, he decided. Suddenly he walked forward, leaving Aurora to follow him. As she followed behind him, she could already feel a difference upon entering the darker, dense forest.
The air strangely felt heavier, each breath dragging through her lungs. There was a charge of something around them, with what she did not know. Aurora could not shake the feeling that with each step she took, something was being stripped from her. Panic immediately began taking root, and as she was about to reach out to Eli for comfort, the sensation began to fade. Irrational panic, again, began to rise within her, snaking its way from the pit of her gut around her spine and up her throat to choke her. In the distance, through a gap in the trees ahead, she could see rays of sun that escaped the clouds above them bounce off a body of water.
Aurora forced herself to take a deep calming breath in and a relaxed breath out. She worked to calm the hold the panic had on her. A quick glance in Eli’s direction showed he was oblivious or just so used to the sensation that it did not affect him. Whatever she was experiencing, she would deal with it on her own.
The trees looked thinner and sicklier. Like the surrounding darkness was slowly squeezing the life out of them. They reached the river bank a little while later, and the sensation she felt on their approach had grown again. Before them was a broad lake, the water in it calm and a beautiful shade of ocean blue. Across from her was what she could only assume was the border to No Man’s Land.
The effects of the magical buffer that ran along the edge of Spring felt thicker the closer to the edge of the Quartaine they got. Casting a quick glance Aurora’s way, Eli could see she was feeling its effects.
He surveyed the area before him, and after a few glances towards the opposite shoreline, he walked until they reached a stone pillar; embedded in it was a mechanical lever. “This is the crank to raise the bridge,” Eli explained roughly. “When we cross, we enter No Man’s Land. There the magic of each Quartaine buffers against its own magical border, but none leaks through.”
Aurora said nothing as she trailed her finger over the surface of the pillar and along the arm to the handle.
“There’s something you need to understand before we cross to that island.”
Her brows raised, curious as to what he could possibly tell her. She turned her head towards him.
“This island is going to be different from the Quartaines in more ways than one. Not only do you have to be vigilant and watchful in case any of the creatures attack, but any and all magic there is void. It is what the Guild refers to as a dead zone. Glamors and all magic will be ripped from you. You will lean solely on the skills I have taught you. I want you to put this on.”
He handed her a dark scarf.
Aurora took it in her hands, her fingers running over the soft material as she processed what he had said. With a confused shrug, she began to wrap it around her neck.
Eli’s hand shot out to stop her, “No, it’s for your hair.”
Aurora tilted her head.
A sadness washed over Eli’s normal vibrant sage green eyes, making them look dull and lackluster. Like the light he had within him had gone out, but with a blink it was gone, and his mask was once more firmly in place.
“Remember how I taught you to tie your hair up and secure it away since you have always been so adamant about never cutting your hair?” Eli asked, watching her, “I don’t know what will happen, but a fight is a possibility. For the fact of prying eyes of the Guild, it will hide your identity until we are ready to introduce you to them.”
“You are to keep this secure around your hair until we’ve passed through and we are on the Guilds land, where we can insure its safe for you to remove the scarf.” Eli’s eyes turned to ice for a moment, speaking words to her that he would dare say out loud through his eyes.
Dread filled Aurora’s stomach as she realized what he was asking of her, but she understood. There was a side of her that no one could see. It was too dangerous.
Eli rarely demanded that Aurora do things that weren’t training, but she knew that what he was asking wasn’t a request.
“I understand,” she dipped her chin slightly, showing Eli that this once she wouldn’t argue.
Eli grabbed her shoulders lightly. He watched her searching for her to push back as she usually did. There was something in the way that he spoke to her that shut that part of Aurora off temporarily. She knew when it was vital to listen and when it was acceptable to push back. Right now she needed to trust Eli.
She was to do as he instructed her or there would be major consequences. Consequences that would make her regret all the decisions she had made thus far in her life.
Finding what he was looking for, he let her go and stepped away. Giving her space to gather her hair, she coiled it around itself and then covered her hair with the scarf. She had done this before. Eli had mentioned how having long hair was a good way to give your opponent the upper hand; it would be too easy to grab. After her refusal to cut her hair shorter than the middle of her back, Eli had taught her how to properly wrap her hair. She often braided her hair back, the scarf often squeezed her head uncomfortably.
Eli himself always had his dark shoulder-length hair tied back. Always ready for training or surprise attacks.
Eli watched her with the focus of a teacher watching their student. Reaching forward, he pulled the hood of her cloak over her head. Aurora let out an irritated huff from her nose. Eli just smirked in answer.
When he was satisfied all her hair was covered, he turned his attention once more to the stone slab that supported a crank, a rusted handle at the end of an equally rusted arm. “The island is neutral land, and the things that live here aren’t like anything you’ve seen before.” Eli took hold of the crank and began to turn it, “Stay close to me, and if we get separated don’t trust anything you hear. I don’t care if you hear me calling for you or if it sounds like I’m being attacked, you keep walking until you can find something you can climb. Make sure to climb high so you are out of reach of anything that can jump or climb to reach you.”
As rusty and neglected as the mechanism looked, it appeared to move with ease, and on each rotation, Aurora watched in awe as a bridge broke the surface of the water before them. Eli continued until the wood and rope bridge was fully raised. Aurora could feel her stomach tighten. A ball of anxiety wound so tight the sensation was making her sick. Whatever creatures the island was home to, it was obvious Yannis Maxton, ruler of the Spring Quartaine, was smart enough to keep his people safe by limiting access.
Eli gathered his things and stood at the foot of the bridge, “I will go first. Keep vigilant and remember to use all your senses. You will be relying on your wits and training to keep you safe.” With that, he turned, stepping carefully onto the wooden slotted bridge. Gripping the thick rope handrails, he began to make his way across.
Aurora followed closely behind him, her hands trailing the rope, her steps landing in the wake of his ghosting pace. The closer they got to the embankment on the other side, the air they breathed began to feel heavier. Even walking became difficult. Each step slowed almost as if they were trudging through a muddy river bed.
Eli glanced back frequently checking on Aurora. When he noticed her struggling, he reached back and gripped her by the arm. He kept them moving, aware even though she wasn’t, of the creatures on the island who could be watching them approach.
“The magic here is meant to feel uncomfortable to walk through. It’s to scare away any fae whose curiosity is stronger than their will to survive.” He glanced back, obviously hoping his explanation would reassure her in some way. “It’s this type of magic and the creatures contained on the island that protects the Guild from being discovered by outsiders.”
Pushing forward, they were just a foot or two from stepping onto the island when the pressure from the building wall of magic almost became too much. Aurora’s teeth clenched against the pressure.
Only when stepping off the bridge and onto the worn and slightly overgrown path did the sensation disappear. Aurora stumbled forward, her momentum pushing her into her guardian.
Thankfully Eli still had a grip on her arm, using it to steady her before letting go. Aurora immediately sprang into a defensive position, moving automatically to grab her dagger.
Eli too, took a similar stance, palming two of his daggers, predatory focus in every line of his tense muscles. His eyes narrowed, and his arched ears listened for any incoming danger.
There was none...for now.
Aurora glanced over her shoulder, casting one last look in the direction of the bridge. A symbol of the life she was leaving behind.
Her shoulders tensed, searching over the surface of the water. It was then she noticed the edge of the handrail sink below the water”s surface, the last of the bridge submerged, gone.
“It operates on a timer. Once raised, there is a limited amount of time to cross before it begins its descent back into the depths of the murky water. It is a built in failsafe, a line of protection to stop any of the creatures from escaping should they catch a new arrival by surprise.”
Aurora was impressed. It made sense to include something like that if the island was as dangerous as it was suggested.
“We head east.”
It was clear that even after being gone for as long as he had been, his memory of the route through the magic-less island was still there.
Aurora followed after him, “You sure you still remember the way?” She asked, her voice raising slightly, the stress of their situation apparent from the pitch of her voice.
“You concentrate on not getting killed and let me worry about getting us there. The bridge to the island can’t be found by just anyone.” Eli’s tone was dark, and it was obvious to Aurora he was more concerned about their surroundings than he was about her jibes. “There are two magic boundaries, one before No Man’s Land starts, which we just crossed, and one at the end of it, which we will cross when stepping onto the island of the Guild.”
“Are you sure you aren’t overreacting a little with both daggers drawn? This place seems fine. Perhaps the Guild culled the monsters.”
Eli’s growl of frustration rumbled loudly as his head snapped in her direction, “Didn’t I raise you better than to assume such things, Aurora?”
She blinked twice as the cold claws of fear softly trailed down her back. He was right, and he had always taught her to be on her guard.
Staying close to Eli, Aurora found herself hyper-aware of each breaking branch, yelp, or call from an unknown creature as they made their way further into the body of the forest. It wasn’t long before a low, thin mist clung to the ground, the sunlight from above now muted from the tree canopy overhead. The air was still, not a breeze to ruffle the leaves cutting any and all sunlight from reaching through to the forest floor.
She already despised the place and wanted nothing more than to go home. She wouldn’t voice it though, aware it would only cause her to appear like a child.
No, she would not let her fear control her. Eli had kept control over his own emotions and had done so since leaving their cabin. She would remain the arrogant and confident nineteen-year-old she had portrayed herself to be when they left.
Eli stared into the darkness of the forest. The mist looked alive, twisting around tree trunks and slithering over the forest floor. Aurora’s stomach twisted once again. She didn’t like the feeling No Man’s Land seemed to possess.
He had said there was no magic here, but something felt off, and Aurora wondered how it was possible for certain lands to have zero magic and others to have magic roaming free.
Aurora searched within herself for the quiet magic that had always flickered within her. Magic that allowed her to glamor whenever she wished. She possessed enough magic that it allowed her to change her appearance in small ways. Not all fae were gifted with it.
When she looked for it now, it was gone.
No, not gone.
Asleep.
She could still feel it, but she had to concentrate harder than she ever had to before. Her magic being dormant felt familiar, like she had experienced it before in some other way.
Shaking off the confusion she looked towards Eli, “Are you sure we are going to make it to the Guild alive?”
“If all the Guild members died because of what’s in this forest, there wouldn’t be a Guild, and if you can’t defeat an opponent without magic, you shouldn’t be in the Guild in the first place,” Eli responded.
Aurora followed behind him as Eli spoke quietly, her eyes scanning the tree line for any threat, “To the Guild, magic isn’t something you need. If you happen to possess it, they’ll take advantage. Magic wielders are trained to master their gifts. In the Guild’s eyes, it’s just a bonus. Even so, there are plenty of members that don’t have strong magic or magic at all, and they are still just as talented. Magic doesn’t give or take any person”s value; your skill set does.”
Aurora said nothing in response as she continued to walk at Eli’s side, the Guild couldn’t be too bad if they didn’t see magic-less fae as less valuable, but Eli had avoided his home for many years on purpose. Her hand held tightly to her dagger as they walked deeper into the unsettling forest. Rays of the sun that snuck through the dark forest made the stone on her dagger sparkle slightly. A feeling of familiarity and calm washed over her for a moment. Things were changing, but her dagger made her feel grounded and in control.
The two were quiet. For once Aurora had nothing to say, scared that any extra noise would attract an unwanted visitor. Eli led them through the forest, walking straight for a while before he changed directions again. Aurora couldn’t predict the pattern he was walking in, but she assumed it was so they couldn’t be tracked by the creatures he insisted lurked nearby.
They could barely see through the tree canopy overhead, but with what glimpses they could manage, they noted how the sun had now set, and a bright moon had risen in its place.
Even with the darkness, Aurora noticed she began to feel comfortable maneuvering in the forest. Not enough to put her guard down, but she could walk confidently through the trees. She didn’t flinch at every little noise; she was aware of them. The mist twisting around her legs and reaching up, touching her hand every now and then didn”t bother her as much. She began to understand the darkness and the odd screeches she could hear in the distance. They sounded like pained calls, begging for something. She couldn”t tell what they were desperate for. Shaking her head to clear it, she focused on walking at Eli’s side.
All the thoughts that swirled in her mind stopped when Eli reached his arm out, stopping Aurora. She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but she was quickly interrupted by Eli putting a finger to his mouth, silencing her. He shook his head, telling her to keep quiet.
Confusion knitted Aurora”s brows together. She watched as Eli slowly cocked his head. His focus turned to the forest ahead.
A couple moments later, the forest fell silent. The birds and insects that dared to live within it became still.
A stillness that troubled Aurora.
“Get ready,” Eli whispered.
Aurora’s eyes widened, her voice a soft whisper laced with fear, “What? Why?”
Eli’s sage eyes snagged on Aurora. He smirked, arrogance taking over his handsome face, but it never reached his eyes; they were dark, dancing with mischief.
Aurora’s stomach flipped. He wasn’t making her feel any better; her fear was only growing stronger.
“Unless you want to die here, I suggest you be ready to fight, Aurora,” his voice was barely a whisper.
He walked a couple paces from her, distributing his body weight between both his feet. He took a slow, deep breath before letting it softly whistle past his lips.
“Remember everything I taught you and control your fear. They can smell it.”