Queens of the Fae: Books 1-3

Chapter 4

Chapter Four

“Why am I doing this?” Brea mumbled as she followed Griff. He even had a name that sounded like one of those characters Myles used to pretend to be when they were kids.

Why hadn’t she read more fantasy books? Or paid attention to her best friend’s every word about the worlds he disappeared into every night? No, instead, she nagged him about all the reading he did and waited for the movies and TV shows to come out.

During the summer, they’d hang out in one of the fields with Captain America, alternating between riding the horse and sitting against the base of a giant oak tree at the edge of the property. Myles always had a book propped up in his lap while Brea busied herself picking at the blades of grass and imagining shapes in the clouds overhead.

But that was before.

Before some kind of power she couldn’t explain lived inside her.

Before she told anyone about the pointed ears and flashing eyes she saw amid crowds of people.

Before she killed Myles.

“You’re going too fast.” She struggled to keep up with Griff. They’d been walking for way too long, and her feet ached. “How much longer?”

“Oh, so you’re talking to me now?” Griff flashed her a grin. “Your protest didn’t last long.”

“I just want to know how far we have to go.” She tried to see the house in the distance, but as they’d descended into a valley, it disappeared from view.

“We’ve only been walking for half an hour.”

“No way, it’s been longer than that.” Her foot hit a small hole in the ground, and she pitched forward.

Griff caught her before she fell. “Graceful.” He laughed. “Just what I’d expect from someone raised in the human world.”

Brea righted herself and pushed away from him. “What does that even mean? There’s only one world.”

Griff shrugged. “Maybe for those with small minds. Do you have a small mind?”

“No.” She clenched her jaw. She may not have excelled at school or basically anything else, but she wasn’t an i***t.

“All right, Brea Robinson, let’s clear something up.” His eyes locked with hers. “I will not lie to you. That is my promise. So, when I tell you something, I need you to believe it.”

His voice held such sincerity she wanted to trust him, but she’d only trusted one person in her life, and he was dead.

She shifted her eyes to her ripped jeans, focusing on the patch her mom had sewn in the knee instead of buying her a new pair. Things like that reminded her who she was--a farm girl from Ohio with a history of mental instability.

Also, a girl with nothing to go back to.

“I want to believe you,” she whispered. She wanted to believe there was more out there than the life she’d been living. “I just…”

His fingertips brushed her chin and tilted her face up. “Look at me, Brea Robinson. You have questions, and I will answer them in time. For now, I need you to know you’re not imagining this.” His touch flittered along her cheek, and she swallowed, mesmerized by his swirling eyes.

“This is real.” The words released on a breath, as if breaking free of some deeper part of her.

She lived her life in lies, but as she breathed in the fresh air of a new life, a new… world?… she hoped this was anything but.

A smile tilted his lips, different from the wide grin before when he’d laughed at her. This time, there was kindness in his expression, an openness she couldn’t help but be drawn to.

He reminded her so much of Myles.

“So,” she swallowed as she tested the next words in her mind. “Two… worlds?”

He withdrew his hand and nodded. “You’re now in the fae world. It parallels the human world you knew.”

“But… how did we get here?”

“A portal.” He winked. “Magic.”

Her mind stuttered on that word, and Griff turned to keep walking.

She ran after him. “Magic?”

Glee shone on his face. “You have no idea.”

“What is magic?”

“Why does this place look like a freaking fairytale?”

“Why is it warm here when it was so cold at home?”

“And why would you bother bringing me here? I’m nobody.”

Griff grunted and turned to face her as they crossed the fields leading up to the small stone cottage that looked like it belonged in a storybook.

“I think I liked you better when you wouldn’t talk to me.” He pursed his lips.

She’d been peppering him with questions as they walked. It was the only thing preventing her from focusing on seeing Myles hit the ground. “Is it still the same day I was arrested?”

“No. You were arrested yesterday. You spent a day and a night in your cell before Lochlan tried to intercept my plans to get you out.”

“Are you going to answer any of my other questions?” Now that she’d let herself consider he was telling the truth, she needed to know more, to know she wasn’t crazy. Maybe she never had been.

He turned and gazed up at the cottage. “Have you ever wondered why they’re called fairytales?”

Her eyes widened. “You’re a fairy?”

“Never call me that,” he growled. “I told you this was the fae world. What did you think I was?”

She shrugged. “An elf.”

“An elf?” He ran a hand through his hair in agitation.

Brea barely knew this man, but she’d seen him as jovial and calm. Riling him up was fun. She crossed the stone wall encircling a small paddock in front of a barn. Hopping up, she let her legs dangle over the side. “Do you have any dwarf friends?”

“What? Dwarves don’t exist.”

“Sure they do. If elves are real, why can’t Gimli be hanging around here somewhere?”

“I don’t know who Gimli is.” His eyes narrowed. “I told you this is the fae world. Why would you think I’m an elf?”

She shrugged. “No wings.”

“Wings?”

“In the movies fae have wings. Like tinker bell.”

He stared at her, his jaw dropping open. “Tinkerbell,” he said the name slowly.

She nodded. “She’s a fairy.”

“I know who Tinkerbell is!”

“Wait, really? Is there a TV in that house?” A Netflix night was just what she needed to ignore the hole inside her, the guilt and doubt she’d felt since she woke up that morning.

Pushing away from the wall, she barged into the house, ignoring the thud of the wood as she let the door swing back in Griff’s face.

A small room greeted her, with stone walls and a matching floor covered in sky-blue rugs. Wooden chairs faced a giant fireplace where flames lit up the room and an iron pot hung over the fire.

A door opened to her right and an older man shuffled out, stopping when he saw her.

Griff entered behind her with a chastisement she didn’t hear as she stared at the new man with his pointed ears and intensely blue eyes.

She looked from him to Griff. “It’s not just you. There are more.” She practically fell onto a bench behind the oak table, speaking to herself. “I’m not crazy. I’m not crazy. I’m not crazy.” For the first time, she started believing her mantra.

Everything she’d seen as a kid… A realization struck her. “There are more of you in the human realm.” They were the reason she’d been at the institute.

The older man raised one eyebrow before moving to the fire to stir whatever he had cooking in the pot. Her mouth watered as she realized she hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast.

She pointed to the pot. “Is that for me?”

“Brea, this is Leith, a loyal servant.” Griff lowered himself into a chair with an exhausted sigh.

Leith offered her a kind smile before spooning the stew into a ceramic bowl and setting it in front of her. “Welcome to Fargelsi, Miss Robinson.”

“Far-what-see?” And how did everyone seem to know her name?

“Fargelsi is the forest realm.” Griff leaned his head back. “We just call it Gelsi.” He took a bowl from Leith. “Thank you.”

Brea poked at the stew with her spoon, not knowing what the chunks were. She’d never been picky, eating whatever cheap food her parents put in front of her. With a shrug, she dug in, shoveling stew into her mouth like she hadn’t eaten in weeks.

It was the best thing she’d ever tasted, but that was probably the hunger speaking.

Leith sat beside Griff and the two men spoke in low tones. The older man obviously deferred to Griff, but she wanted—needed—to know why.

Her mind drifted back to the police officer, the one who’d flashed her an unnatural look just like Griff’s before hiding his eyes. His hat had covered his ears, but somehow, she knew—he too was fae.

“That man…” she started, unsure of how to continue. “The one who…”

“Lochlan?” Griff’s gaze darkened as he shared an indecipherable look with Leith.

She nodded. “You… I can’t figure out if you saved me from him or abducted me.”

“The answer to that won’t change anything. You’re here.”

“And I’m guessing you won’t let me leave?”

He smiled in apology. “It’s too dangerous. And yes, one of those dangers is Lochlan. You will learn soon enough, Brea, this realm holds many perils, including the three rulers vying for power. Lochlan’s master is the Queen of the fire realm—Eldur.”

She pushed her bowl away, suddenly not hungry anymore as the reality of her situation struck her. “What do you want with me?”

Griff stood and crossed to the table to sit on the opposite bench from her. He reached out and brushed the back of her hand, sending a calming wave of energy straight through her. “It’s okay, Brea. I won’t let anything happen to you, that’s why my queen sent me to find you.”

Her eyes drooped as she suddenly grew sleepy, but he hadn’t answered all of her questions yet. Shaking off the weariness, she sat up straighter. “I’m nobody, nothing. Why am I here with two fae trying to pull me into their world? And what could a queen possibly want with me?”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Brea Robinson.” He said her name like a blessing, and she couldn’t help but lean in, wanting to hear more, needing his words to calm her racing heart. “You’re everything.”

Brea woke the next morning with no recollection of how she got into the small barren room to begin with. The last thing she remembered was eating some kind of stew and listening to Griff’s mesmerizing voice.

You’re everything.

When he said it, she believed him. There was something about the beautiful fae that tugged on her limited trust, making her want to know him, to know his world.

A c***k of thunder ripped through the air, and her head jerked up off the feather pillow. Rain hammered on the glass panes of the window overlooking the barn. A sliver of sunlight breaking through the clouds cut across the dark wool carpet spanning the room.

“Fairytale, my butt,” she grumbled. If this was a fairytale world, the bed would have been as soft as clouds and she’d have been awakened by singing birds instead of a roaring storm.

Lightning flashed across the room, illuminating the tiny wooden bed, small table in the corner, and single chair.

That was it. No decorations or other comforts.

As she sat up, wild ebony hair fell across her shoulders and into her face. She searched the bed for the rubber hair tie she’d used to hold it back the day before, but it wasn’t there.

That was when she noticed it.

The sleeping gown.

Her hands grabbed frantically at the silk garment covering her small frame. Where were her clothes? “He undressed me.” Her cheeks flamed as she imagined Griff’s smooth hands sliding the faded jeans down her legs and his intense green eyes taking her in.

She jumped from the bed and searched the room for her clothes, finding none.

The white gown only reached mid-thigh and a chill raced through her.

She was going to kill him. Was murder acceptable in this new world? Maybe if she got arrested again, a human would come save her and take her home.

A strangled laugh escaped her lips at the thought. Griff abducted her after she killed Myles. The guilt she’d tried so hard to ignore, clawed at her, ripping through the shreds of sanity she had left.

She had to get out of here.

Sprinting the short distance across the room, she yanked on the cold metal door handle.

It didn’t budge.

She pulled again.

Locked.

Slamming her foot into the door, she tried to control the anger rising up in her. “Griff, you let me out of here right now.” He’d taken her from her home, turned her entire world upside down, and now locked her away.

Just when she’d started thinking he might be the good guy…

“Griff!” she screamed.

The door handle rattled seconds before Leith opened it. “Good morning, Brea.” He smiled kindly. “I thought you might like some breakfast.”

“Where’s Griff?” She crossed her arms.

“He had some business at the palace, but he’ll return soon.”

“The palace?” She swallowed.

He nodded. “Griffin is a loyal companion of Queen Regan of Gelsi. I’m sure you’ll meet her in time.”

A queen? Brea wasn’t the kind of girl to meet anyone important. But she didn’t say that. Her stomach growled and she pointed to the plate Leith held. “Is that mine?”

He nodded and entered the room to set it on the table. She was ready to attack the stack of perfect, fluffy pancakes covered in some kind of green berry she didn’t recognize.

“Try the Gelsi berries.” He winked. “You won’t regret it.”

He left before she had a chance to say anything else. Giving in, she slumped into the chair and took a tiny bite of a berry. A mixture of sweet and sour juices exploded in her mouth. “Oh, goodness,” she groaned, taking another bite.

Before she knew it, the plate sat empty and she wished there was more.

As the storm continued to rage outside, weariness clouded her mind. If Griff was gone, she might as well crawl back into bed and pretend for just a few more hours everything was as it should be.

“Myles!” Brea screamed, shooting up in bed, her chest heaving.

He was a prominent figure in every dream she’d had since arriving in the fae world. She didn’t know how long ago that was or why she just wanted to stay in bed. Dr. Cochran probably would have told her she was depressed, but she just felt so tired.

Every time she woke, she found a plate from Leith, but she hadn’t seen him since he brought the first meal. None of the meals since had anything like pancakes. Instead, he seemed to think she could live on nuts and fruit. No matter how good the fruit was, it was never enough.

More than anything, she wanted a hamburger.

But something told her she couldn’t just ask Leith to head over to Wendy’s.

“Ughhh,” she sighed. “I want a Frosty.” Instead, she ate what he offered.

Each time she tried to open the door, it was locked, but the anger she’d been known for didn’t come. In fact, few emotions did. It was almost like her world of vibrant colors had turned into shades of gray.

She’d even tried summoning whatever that light blast thing was so she could get out of this room and away from the people imprisoning her, but to no avail.

Each day Griff didn’t return was another she hoped he never did.

He told her to trust him, that he’d never lie to her.

But this room was a prison just like her room at the Clarkson Institute and the actual prison cell she’d occupied before Lochlan showed up.

She sniffed the sleeping gown she’d been wearing since that first night and wrinkled her nose. Her hair was matted across the back of her head.

And still, the storm outside raged on, never ending, never quieting.

Lying on her bed, she rested her head on the pillow and tried to summon some kind of sadness or fear or guilt. Just… something.

It didn’t come.

“I want to go home,” she whispered to herself. She wanted to return to a mom who gave up on her, a dad who didn’t understand her, and classmates who ridiculed her.

Yet, that desire for normalcy was an abstract feeling, not one she could grasp or hold on to. It was always just out of reach.

“I hate you, Griff whatever-your-last-name-is.”

Even those words had no power behind them.

Wherever she went in life, she was a prisoner, held down by her circumstances. The world she’d known didn’t exist for her anymore, yet neither did this one. It couldn’t.

So, why had nothing ever felt more real?

In this world that was nothing more than a fairytale, why did her prison hurt more than it had before?

Her appetite gone after so many days in the same room, Brea knocked the plate from Leith’s hands the moment he appeared.

“I can’t eat any more of that stupid fruit.” For the first time in days, her anger returned in small waves.

Calmly, Leith bent to clean up the mess, and Brea saw her chance. She darted past him into the main room, searching for a way out. Lunging for the front door, Brea stumbled into a world recovering from the storms.

A spotted horse lifted its head to regard her, and she met familiar brown eyes. No, not familiar because she knew the animal, but only because horses were one of the few creatures she understood, and riding was one of the few activities she’d ever been good at.

Considering her options, she looked from the horse to the path leading away from the cottage. Making a quick decision, she climbed over the low stone wall and approached the horse.

“I’m a friend,” she whispered. “Please help me get out of here.”

The horse stamped its foot and neighed.

“Stop!” Leith yelled.

As if that word held power, Brea’s limbs immobilized, stuck in a current that threatened to drag her under.

She tried to free herself, to get away, but the servant approached with sad eyes. “I’m sorry, Brea, but I have orders. I can’t let you leave.”

“You can’t keep me locked away forever!” she screamed. “What does Griff want from me?”

His expression told her he wanted to answer, or maybe even that he wanted to let her go. Instead, he drew a circle in the air with his hand, and Brea’s entire body turned, moving closer to the house.

“I cannot disobey orders.” He lowered his gaze. “Not even for you.”

What did that mean? She tried to ask, but her lips wouldn’t move as the invisible force pulled her back into the room she thought she’d escaped. Leith stood looking at her as the door shut, but he didn’t say another word.

The power released Brea, and she slumped against the door. Banging a fist weakly against the wood, she called out. “Please. Let me go.” Her knees gave out and she sank to the hard floor. “Please.”

A rattle sounded, but the door didn’t open. Instead, a slot appeared at its base and a new plate of fruit slid through the opening. Brea lowered herself to her side and picked at the fruit, knowing it wouldn’t fill the emptiness inside her.

During her long nights locked up at the Clarkson Institute, she’d known there was someone waiting for her to get out, someone who cared.

Now, she was totally and utterly alone.

The only person left to save her was herself.

If this was a fairytale, Brea Robinson had to be both the damsel and the knight, because there was no one left to come for her.