Bloodthorn Page 3

  “Is someone there?”

  I reached out with my magical senses, only to find a blurry area centered around a group of police cars. With chills prickling the back of my neck, I approached the cars. It was too dark to see anything, so I let my magic guide me. The air grew ice cold. I had to force myself to move closer to the cars. As I reached them, I found nothing, and even the magic I’d felt disappeared.

  Footsteps came from behind me, and I rounded, readying my magic in case something tried to attack. Once again, I found nothing.

  Behind me, the forest loomed, dark trees against a star-flecked sky. Deep within the woods, something moved. I focused and discovered a pair of reflective green eyes in the underbrush. Panic welled inside me.

  “Who’s there?”

  Almost as soon as they appeared, the eyes blinked, then disappeared. My heart pounded in my chest as I watched, listening for the sound of footsteps or breathing, but when nothing happened, I took a deep breath.

  “It was probably just a raccoon,” I said to myself, then turned away from the forest.

  I continued walking through the parking area, and soon the campgrounds appeared up ahead. Almost everyone participating in the festivities stayed here at night and during the weekdays. Making the two-hour drive from Galveston hadn’t been practical for me, so I’d opted for a vacation at the Ren Fest. It was a festival unto itself, though I usually avoided the parties.

  Still a little spooked from my encounter in the woods, I rushed through the lines of tents and camper trailers. I got a few hellos but mostly avoided the campers until I spotted my little silver trailer.

  My trailer sat away from the others. I’d picked this spot specifically because I’d wanted to be alone. There was a big empty field near my trailer, and beyond that was the forest. Most people didn’t want this spot, preferring to be closer to the action, but it suited me perfectly.

  I’d rented the camper trailer for the festival, resorting to borrowing money from my dear mother in order to afford it. It had been my abode for the last month, and it felt as homey as my apartment ever had—which wasn’t saying much.

  I found my keys, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. Shutting the door behind me, I sealed off the distant sounds of drifting conversations.

  My cat, Han Solo, greeted me with a mewl as he sat atop the counter, but he didn’t bother to jump down and brush against my legs as he usually did when we were back in the apartment. Typical cat. He hated it here.

  I found some lunchmeat in the mini fridge and made a quick sandwich for dinner. As I sat at the bar and ate my dry bread and cold turkey, my mind wandered over the day’s events. Who had I seen at the parade? The most logical explanation was that I’d seen a group of barbarians and they had reminded me of people I’d once known. My increased stress levels had caused my brain to misinterpret information.

  And then there was the question of my mirror box. Who had tampered with it? And why wasn’t I able to touch it? That bothered me. If I couldn’t touch it, then I would never be able to return to Faythander.

  Han finally deemed me worthy of his attention. He nudged my fingers, sniffing the lunchmeat, when my trailer lurched, making him hiss as he leapt off the bar. I grabbed the counter’s edge as a bright light flooded the room.

  What was going on?

  Thunder rumbled, making the floor shake and the lights rattle in their fixtures. I grabbed Han and ran for my door.

  As I pushed the door open and escaped outside, I stumbled, and Han saw his opportunity. He leapt out of my arms and scampered back inside the trailer as the world continued to rumble around me. What was happening? An earthquake? Did Texas have earthquakes?

  Finally, the rumbling stopped, and slowly, a thick fog gathered around the open field near my camper. Outstretching my hands, I felt magic in the gathered fog. Using my magical senses, I detected a faint pinkish color, but soon the pink mingled with blue, making a pale purple.

  Purple magic? Pixies used pink, and elves used blue, which meant that this magic was a blend of the two.

  Fairy magic?

  It was the only explanation. But what was fairy magic doing here on Earth?

  A flitting form flew past me, followed by a trail of purple sparkles that danced in swirls and eddies in its wake. I walked deeper into the fog, my heart pounding, my mind trying to make sense of the situation.

  A large, hulking shape formed in front of me, and as I took another step forward to inspect it more closely, I realized it was a tent. As the fog burned away, I circled the tent. It was white and yellow striped, the kind of thing you’d see at a circus. Scanning the field, I wondered if perhaps the fog had disoriented me and I’d found my way to another section of the campsite. I didn’t remember seeing a tent so large among the others, but I hadn’t done much exploring.

  I found the tent’s opening. As I stood there, with the mist dissipating and my heart pounding, I listened, but heard no sounds inside the tent.

  Should I go in?

  There’d been so many strange happenings today, I wasn’t sure I could trust this. On the other hand, perhaps whatever was inside would give me answers to my questions.

  Inhaling deeply, I mustered my courage, pushed the flap aside, and entered the tent.

  Chapter Three

  As I entered the tent, the same fog I’d seen earlier formed inside, although now it was denser. A myriad of pastel colors sparkled within the cloud. Pinks and blues mingled and danced on invisible air currents. I felt the magic around me, filling me with energy, strengthening me.

  This was a powerful magic, a spell that no ordinary practitioner could accomplish. Sounds of flitting wings came from within the mist, but I couldn’t find the source until a portal opened in front of me and two fairies appeared inside it. As they came closer, I watched the fairies—a boy and girl—grow in height until they stood as tall as an average adult when they reached this side of the portal.

  Their wings disappeared as they crossed into this world, although their clothing didn’t change.

  I stood, my mouth agape as I stared at them. They didn’t speak. The girl looked young—in her teens, maybe. She had dark blonde hair that was slightly curly with flyaways that lent to her wild appearance. Her feet were bare, and her skirt was made of large white flower petals. She wore a pink-and-green top, also made of flowers.

  The boy was older than the girl—mid-twenties, maybe—and his clothing was more refined. He wore black boots and a black tunic, with silver jewels that lined his collar and cuffs. His hair was platinum blond, almost white, and it fell to his shoulders.

  Both of them had pale faces and stood on shaky feet, which I attributed to the crossing.

  “Are you Olive?” the girl asked in a tiny voice.

  “Yes,” I answered, confused.

  The boy spoke up. “I am Prince Terminus,” he said and dipped into a deep bow. As he straightened, he motioned toward the girl. “This is my sister, Esmelda. We are prince and princess of the Periwinkle Court.”

  “Fairies?”

  “Yes,” Esmelda answered. “We have traveled from Faythander to… to seek your help.” She took a deep breath. “I am sorry. I am unwell.”

  Prince Terminus took his sister’s arm and helped her sit on the ground.

  “The dizziness is caused by the crossing,” I said. “It should pass soon.” I looked up at the brother. “You said you need my help. Why?”

  “We have lost the Arrubicus—a starstone gem that is vital to our existence. We do not know who took it, but after seeking the counsel of the sky king, he advised us to find you here. We seek your aid in discovering what has been stolen.”

  I tried to wrap my mind around the situation. “My stepfather sent you here?”

  The princess showed me a ring she wore. It had a gold band that supported a red gemstone in the shape of a rose. “This is all that is left of our gemstone. The larger stone has been stolen, and without it, the fairies in Faythander are suffering. The Arrubicus has been taken to th
is world. You know this planet better than any other, which is why your stepfather sent us to you.”

  Prince Terminus spoke up. “Will you aid us in finding our lost stone?”

  “Well, I can’t just…” I paused, took a deep breath. This was all happening way too fast. Within the last year, I’d already saved the world twice, which meant I’d earned enough good karma to last me another decade at least. Maybe two.

  As I looked at the fairies, I realized they had sacrificed a great deal to seek my help. They had come to Earth, a strange and unfamiliar place, and had been forced to grow tall and—worst of all—lose their wings, which fairies hated. So for these two fairies to cross into my world meant the situation must have been worse than they’d told me.

  “Let me try to understand this a little better,” I said. “Your gemstone has gone missing and has been transported here to this planet. You do not know who took the stone, but since I have spent considerable time in this world—and because my stepfather recommended it—you’ve come to me for help. Is that all?”

  “That is basically it,” the princess answered. “But what my brother has forgotten to mention is the consequence of what will happen if we do not find the stone.”

  “Why? What will happen?”

  “We will die—and if that happens—all plants and creatures will eventually die with us.”

  “You’re sure about that?” I asked.

  “Yes. Fairies are Faythander’s caretakers. Our magic is unique. It works in harmony with nature—but it is also a symbiotic relationship. The Arrubicus absorbs negative energy, which in turn fuels the gemstone and makes it impossible for us to use dark magic. If the stone is destroyed, dark magic will be released exponentially—making it impossible for fairy magic to exist. Faythander will become a place of darkness. All creatures, plants—every living thing—will die.”

  “I see,” I said. Refusing to help them now was getting exponentially harder to do. “Why is the gemstone here on Earth? Can you tell me anything about who took it or what they plan to do with it?”

  “Please,” the princess said. “We do not have all the answers, but our protectors will arrive soon, and they can explain more. We have created this place to shelter us during our time here on Earth. With your help, we will soon find the gemstone, and then we will request no more of you.”

  She spoke with a hint of panic in her voice, and her eyes took on a pain-filled expression as she turned to her brother. “I must rest,” she told him. “The crossing—I am still unwell.”

  Terminus glanced up at me. “How long do the effects of the crossing last?”

  “In most cases, not long,” I answered. “She should feel better soon. However, neither of you are accustomed to being tall, nor are you used to moving around without your wings. That may take some getting used to.”

  “Then I will do what I can to make this place more comfortable for her,” he said. He closed his eyes and began to sing. His voice, barely above a whisper, reminded me of wind rushing through willow boughs. The song conjured images of quiet ponds at evening time, with fireflies reflected in the dark water. Soon, a fog gathered around him and spread throughout the room. I felt magic in the fog, and goose bumps prickled my skin as it touched me with a warm, energetic embrace.

  Shapes appeared in the mist. A silver tree grew in the center of the tent. As Terminus sang, its branches spread overhead and then dipped and curved toward the ground, forming separate rooms. Vines wrapped the tree limbs and tiny orange flowers bloomed, filling the room with their perfume. Soft lights twinkled inside the flowers, casting the room in a luminous glow. Red roses and yellow daffodils sprouted from the ground and bloomed around us. They grew until they were as large as beds.

  The song ended before I was ready. Since fairy magic could only be used for good, it was undeniably the most untainted magic in Faythander, and its simplicity gave it power.

  Terminus laid his sister on one of the roses. She sank into its petals, and then a small smile creased her mouth.

  “You have brought me home?”

  “No, of course not. But this is as close to home as I could manage.”

  “You have done well,” she said.

  “It’s beautiful,” I said as I ran my hands over one of the frilly daffodil petals. I wandered the room, staring at the tree limbs overhead, feeling warmth from the fairy lights on my skin and the softness of the grass beneath my bare feet. I wandered from one room into the next, surprised to find flowers of all varieties in the separate chambers. Sunflowers as large as dining tables sprouted in one room, while the next was filled with giant blue hydrangeas. In another room, I found tulips in a rainbow of shades from red to indigo.

  As I inspected the flowers, the thought struck me that the fairy prince must have made these rooms with a specific purpose in mind. But what did he plan to use them for? I walked out of the tulip room into the last room, expecting more colorful flowers. Instead, I found it robed in black vines. They grew along the floor and ceiling, and in the far corner, the vines created a hammock.

  Odd.

  I entered the main chamber once again to find the princess asleep on a rose. She looked so tiny on the huge flower, and I realized she couldn’t be much older than fourteen or fifteen. Her brother stood watch near her.

  “Terminus,” I said quietly as I neared him. “What are all the different chambers for? And why is one room all in black?”

  “The rooms are for our protectors.”

  “Who are your protectors?” I had a sneaky suspicion that I wasn’t going to like his answer.

  “The Wults,” he answered.

  Yep. Didn’t like it. Didn’t like it at all.

  “Why are the Wults coming?”

  “Because long ago, in a different age, the Wult king stole a fruit from a fairy-flower tree, and by accident, he fed it to a bog-beast. The beast would have killed the Wult man, but the fairy queen took pity and saved him. In exchange for his life, the Wult promised protection to all fairies in any time of need. Whenever called upon, the Wult king must serve the fairies.”

  “Wult king?” I hadn’t heard him correctly. Surely I hadn’t.

  “Yes, the king and his court will arrive shortly.”

  This was bad.

  No, this was world-ending, sky-is-falling, pull-the-trigger and drop-dead horrible bad.

  “Terminus, I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can help you any longer. If the Wults are coming, then you should have no trouble finding the missing starstone. Wults are excellent trackers, and I’m sure it will be returned before tomorrow evening. If you will excuse me.”

  I turned for the exit, but Terminus stopped me.

  “That is not all,” he said.

  “What do you mean?”

  He glanced at his sleeping sister. “I will tell you outside.”

  He led me through the tent’s front flap, our feet crunching over dead leaves as we walked toward the forest. From this perspective, the tent looked like a giant lantern, casting shades of white and yellow over the uneven ground around it.

  When I’d come to the Ren Fest, I certainly hadn’t expected this. Or them. Or him. What could I possibly do to avoid that man?

  We stopped at the edge of the tree line. Terminus’s silver eyes darted around the field. He looked as if he wanted to take flight but was stuck with walking as his mode of transportation.

  He turned his attention to me. “I did not want to speak of this in front of my sister, which is why I have brought you out here. Are you familiar with the bloodthorn?”

  “No, I don’t believe so. What it is?”

  “He is a creature from a place our people fear. We are forbidden from speaking of this place, for its name is a spell word of the most powerful sort. We call it only ‘the undiscovered land’. Several weeks ago, this creature was spotted on the outskirts of our village, and shortly thereafter, our starstone was stolen.”

  “You believe it was the bloodthorn who took it?”

  He nodded. �
�I am almost certain of it. However, my sister knows none of this. My people fear the bloodthorn and those like it more than anything else. They are our mortal enemies. I did not wish to frighten her by revealing this knowledge.”

  The wind picked up, howling through the trees and making the branches creak. “Do you believe the bloodthorn is here on this planet?”

  “Yes, I believe he has traveled here in order to hide the stone from us.”

  “But what does he want with the fairy stone?”

  “The explanation is rather lengthy, but suffice it to say, the stone collects negative energy. As you know, fairies do not wield dark magic. If a fairy were to conjure a dark spell, the Arrubicus stone would absorb the energy, thus negating the spell. The stone is capable of storing limitless amounts of power, and the consequences of unleashing that much dark magic would be devastating.”

  “I agree.” I glanced at the woods, barely visible in the moonlight, wondering if perhaps I’d already seen the creature earlier in the evening. “So, this stone would be very valuable to certain people, especially to creatures of darkness. Terminus, what does the bloodthorn look like?”

  He shook his head. “We do not speak of such things,” he said, his voice hushed.

  “Then how am I to find him?”

  His gaze seemed to pierce straight through me. Purple sparks danced through his irises, reminding me I was speaking to a fae creature, a magical being of Fairy.

  “You will know. When the time comes, you will know.”

  His words sent shivers down my spine.

  “They were like us once,” he continued, “pure and good. But somehow, they became tainted. Now, they remember nothing of the old ways.”

  “Were they fairies?”

  “I cannot say for sure, but the bloodthorn and those like it come from the undiscovered land—a place of great evil.”

  I pondered his words. I’d never heard of the undiscovered land, but for some time now, I’d suspected there was a hidden land—perhaps an island or underworld—somewhere on Faythander. My godson had been captured by the Regaymor, and I still wasn’t sure where they’d come from. Geth, the now-deceased goblin leader, had taken me to a dark plain where he’d kept the pixie Mochazon. Did the Regaymor come from the undiscovered land? Was that where Geth had taken me?