Blood And Breath

2

At first, I had refused my assistance—a lifetime of solitude and distrust made me wary of any newcomers. However, Rebecca had found a way to appeal to a softer side I had thought long dead. We worked for weeks honing her abilities to prepare her to fight against a formidable enemy threatening Earth. When they could not delay her fight a day longer, she and her escort, Lochlan, had returned to Earth. I was alone yet again but now changed. Before their appearance, I had believed myself to be immune to the longings for the life I had led before my exile. Weeks of companionship had proven me wrong. The reminder of what I no longer had became my new constant companion, one I could not seem to shake. “What you offer is a dangerous prospect,” I replied gruffly. I stepped forward out of the shadows, and a warm expression lit her face as she hurried in my direction. She had a compassionate soul that found purpose in aiding others. Perhaps admirable, but also a quality that would likely get her killed. I was not interested in carrying the guilt of her death. “Dangerous for whom?” she jested at my comment, but only because she had not lived a lifetime of punishment over defying Queen Guin. The Seelie monarch could be ruthless. The risks involved in opposing the Fae queen could not be taken lightly. “Dangerous for you. Helping me would be directly disobeying the queen. You cannot understand what you are offering.” “I’m not her subject. As of today, I am officially an autonomous nation of my own. I am the Queen of the Twilight Realm. I’m also my only subject,” she said with a wry grin. “Her mandates don’t apply to me, so if you’re willing to risk fleeing to Earth, I’m willing to take you there.” She looked at me in challenge, but I was too experienced to jump at an offer. Instead, I mulled over the implications of her words. Rebecca was not subject to Guin’s rule? Regardless, the queen would not look kindly upon her participation in my escape. Rebecca had to know this, yet she was willing to risk herself for me. Willing? Perhaps just naïve or ignorant even. It had been so long since anyone had acted on my behalf at their own risk that the concept was foreign. Selflessness was not a trait fostered by the Shadow Lands. Rebecca and Lochlan’s stay with me reminded me of what life had to offer. After weeks of unsuccessfully repressing that seed of longing, I could no longer avoid the fact that I craved more from my life. I was hesitant to involve Rebecca, but I knew no other way to get my freedom. I had not survived so long because of the goodness of my heart. If she was willing to risk herself for me, that was her choice. I was certainly not fool enough to stop her. “When do we leave?” “Now! Gather what you want to take with you, and we’ll go.” She smiled broadly, but I did not reciprocate. I had been in that life too long to give in to the premature excitement, but I did feel a sense of anticipation similar to the moment just before a kill. Would I walk away a champion? Or would this be the challenge that finally ended me? There was only one way to find out. I had few possessions but grabbed the things that might serve me well. As I did so, Rebecca attempted to explain her plans and the extent of the changes I would experience back on Earth. She used unfamiliar words that left me more confused than enlightened. The Earth I had last visited a thousand years earlier would be a far cry from the modern day, but I doubted the transition would be anything like the difficulties I experienced adjusting to the Shadow Lands. Thoughts of Earth brought to mind a lush and prosperous landscape that would easily provide for my basic requirements. We walked to a small clearing, and Rebecca raised her hands to open a shimmering portal to the Twilight Realm—a place between worlds where stars glittered above and below as far as the eye could see. From there, she opened another portal, this time to Earth. She and her mentor, Merlin, were the only two who could open portals to the Twilight Realm, which could be used to circumvent the magical walls the Seelie Queen had erected to prevent travel between worlds. Breath frozen in my lungs, I stepped through onto soft green grass. Rebecca closed the portal behind us. The sky was dark, but not in the same ominous way as the Shadow Lands. The brilliant moon, so much brighter than any on the other side, shone on nearby stones and illuminated the land around us. We stood in the center of a large stone circle, collapsed and eroded into ruins. I looked around in awe at the buzzing activity around me. All manner of insect and night creatures chirped and busied themselves openly, without fear of imminent death. The chorus of sounds around me was overwhelming. A breeze rustled the leaves on nearby bushes, and tall grass swayed to the gentle rhythm. The moving air engulfed my senses in the musky scent from the moisture in the soil and sent a shiver down my spine at the stimulation of all the fine hairs on my exposed skin. My heart pounded frightfully fast in my chest as I attempted to adapt to my new surroundings. Rebecca’s voice drew my attention back to her worried face. “I hate to leave you so unprepared, but I have no choice if we’re going to keep your escape a secret.” “I survived in the harshest landscape imaginable. I’m certain I will manage,” I offered distractedly. She looked up at me with a slight smirk that did not reach her dark eyes. “Welcome to Ireland, Fen. There’s a town not far from here called Strabane —you can stay there for a while until you adjust. When the sun rises, head in its direction—that will take you east. You’ll come across several small roads. Just keep going east until you hit a large road. You should be able to tell the difference; this road will be much wider than the others. Follow that road south, and you’ll pass a small river before you get to the town. Your leathers will stand out too much here, so you’ll need to change. Hopefully, you can find some modern clothes to … borrow along the way. Just before you reach the center of town, a red-roofed building provides lodging—we call them hotels.” She held out a fist wrapped around a wad of papers. “This is our money—it should be enough to get you started, and I’ll bring more when I come back in a few days. Tell the clerk inside the hotel that you would like a room for the week. He should take the money and give you a key to a room. I’ve also included a bunch of information in a letter to help you get adjusted. “I’m so sorry I can’t take you somewhere myself.