Wings of Shadow (The Underground Trilogy) Page 4

  She needed to keep him focused. “Wish, why are you in my room?”

  “I know that answer! I am your knight in shining armor, ready to rescue the poor damsel in distress.” He bowed, losing his balance and falling to the floor.

  “Um, don’t knights usually wear more clothing?” She couldn’t imagine him rescuing anything in that state. But her heart had given a little leap at the beautiful six-letter word: rescue.

  The door opened a crack. A pretty face peeked in. “Hurry! Shade will be back any moment. I barely convinced him to leave his post. The promise of my dance card being his tonight was the only thing that tempted him to fetch me a latte.”

  “A song for my Raine: Shade is smitten by the pretty maid; he asked for a dance, looking for romance. When the attention does fade, out will come his blade,” Wish sang, reaching a high note on the last word.

  The door opened, and the girl slipped into the room, carefully easing the door shut. Her eyes were fixated on Wish, who still lay on the floor singing. “What is wrong with him?”

  Meghan shrugged. “I have no idea. Is he drunk?”

  Raine shook her head, her long black hair gliding from side to side. She was the girl from the dance last night and still wore her plum-colored, velvet wings.

  “He was sober an hour ago when he came into the room. He is not drunk.”

  Raine began to examine the contents of the room carefully. When she came to the teapot, she sniffed it. “Bloody Faeries! They’ve added something to the tea.”

  “Poison?” Meghan kept peeking at the door. It was unlocked and so close.

  Raine sniffed again. “No, ‘tis some sort of drug. Human-made from the smell of it. The effects should wear off eventually, but we don’t have time to wait. You need to leave now. Shade must be on his way back.”

  Meghan felt sluggish. Her mind tried to catch up with the conversation. Raine certainly had an odd way of phrasing things. “Leave? You’re helping me leave?”

  “This is the bloody problem. Wish needs to help you escape. He knows the back passages better than anybody.” Her violet eyes widened. “Lord Killian would kill me if he caught me helping you escape.”

  “What do I do? Where do I go?” The other side of the doorway, the side that whispered freedom, called to her. Her need to flee was overwhelming.

  “Hurry! I’ll get you to the entrance of the hidden tunnel. Wish is going to have to guide you from there.”

  They supported Wish, holding him on each side. Once in the hallway, Raine closed the door, latched the deadbolt, and peered down the corridor. Every time Wish opened his mouth to speak, Raine clamped her palm over it. They wove in and out of the maze-like tunnels until they reached an enormous framed painting. Scenes of the evolutions of different species were depicted on the canvas. Raine reached behind the frame, and Meghan heard a small click. The frame swung open, revealing a hatch built into the stone wall.

  Wish kissed Raine on each cheek. He opened his mouth as if to sing another song, but Raine pushed him through the hatch before he could make any noise.

  Before joining Wish, Meghan turned to Raine. “Thank you for your help.”

  “You should be thanking me for the sacrifice I’ll be making tonight. Can you imagine promising the entire night to Shade?”

  Meghan threw her arms around Raine, and then peered into the hole. The opening began at knee-level, and she had to stretch her legs as she climbed into the tunnels.

  *

  The framed picture locked into place, and the weak stream of light pouring into the tunnel disappeared. Feeling around, Meghan found the oil lantern she had spotted moments before the door shut. Books of matches were tied to the bottom, and after a few fumbled attempts, a spreading light encircled her. Stone walls formed a cramped semi-circle, with a dark tunnel ahead. The passageway was low enough that Wish had to crouch, and the ceiling nearly grazed her own head.

  “This will make for a grand game of hide-and-seek. Do you think they will find us?” Wish asked, clapping his hands.

  “They can’t find us! We need to get out of here without being seen.” She considered leaving him, but knew the tunnels were complex. She grabbed his hand, pulling him behind her.

  They moved as quickly as possible, given the tight quarters. As the passageway broadened, she picked up the pace, and fortunately, Wish followed her.

  Relief flooded though her. She was really going to escape! She could spend the rest of her trip in London engaged in normal tourist activities.

  And then, Wish began to sing. He not only sang, but bellowed the lyrics, which echoed through the tunnel.

  She clasped her hand over Wish’s mouth. “Shh! They’re going to hear us.”

  He continued singing, the words garbled against her hand. Her mind racing, she stomped on his left foot. It worked. The singing ceased, and Wish hopped around, rubbing his bare toes.

  “What did you do that for?”

  “Your singing was going to lead Lord Killian right to us. If he catches us, he will kill us. I know it isn’t your fault that you’re so loopy, but you need to focus.”

  “No more singing?”

  She began moving quickly again, lantern swinging back and forth. “Not now, anyway. When we’re free and safe, then you can sing as much as you want.”

  The tunnel dead-ended into another corridor. She paused, looked both directions, and rubbed her hand over her face. She saw nothing to indicate which way she should turn.

  Wish hummed to himself.

  “Which way should we turn?” She leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath.

  He continued humming, swaying from side to side.

  Placing her hands on each side of his face, Meghan said, “Wish, I need you to focus. Do you remember which way we turn?”

  He didn’t even look. “Of course, the path out always goes to the right.”

  “Where does the other direction lead?”

  “Why, back to the Underground, silly girl.” He picked her up and twirled.

  Megan’s breathing had slowed, and she had only the slightest hint of a stitch in her side. She turned to the right, hoping Wish had chosen the correct direction. He skipped ahead of her, still wearing his interesting turquoise wings. She struggled to make sense of this strange, underground world. Grown people, in costumes, alternated dancing and partying with dangerous games involving weapons and kidnapping.

  Wish stopped directly in front of her, causing her to trip. His hand caught her before she fell. She listened, but no one seemed to be coming.

  “We need to hurry.” She pulled on him, but he shrugged her off and reached into a rectangular niche near the top of the wall.

  “We’d better go in disguise,” Wish whispered, pulling out a bundle from the hole. He dug around further and pulled out a pair of shoes and a large black cape. He donned them and began to skip down the corridor again with the package and lantern. The small circle of light swayed up and down in rhythm to his skipping.

  Meghan hurried to reach him. Maybe Wish wasn’t useless. She hoped remembering the hidden clothing was a sign he would remember other important things.

  Finally, the passageway opened into one of the large Tube tunnels. Meghan squelched her anxiety and began to make her way along the narrow edge, taking care not to stumble into the gap where the rails ran. Her fingers brushed against the cast iron bands which lined that section of the tunnel.

  The metallic smell of the cast iron was so similar to the scent of her blood when it had dripped into the wine glass that she closed her eyes from the sheer force of that memory. Her body trembled, and her heart raced. She pressed against the cold metal wall, trying to force her feet to move, but they remained motionless, her body resisting her mind. A light suddenly shined in her face.

  “Wish, get that lantern out of my eyes. I can’t see anything.”

  His big hand grasped hers, holding it against the wall. “I’m afraid you aren’t going to like this.” He giggled.

  The light shined
more intensely, and a strong shaking sensation began, accompanied by an increasingly loud roar. A train zoomed past, so close Meghan could have touched it with a fully extended arm.

  “Wasn’t that an adventure? I always imagine a hurricane roaring by.” He planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek. “We simply must have more adventures together!”

  Wish continued to discuss new adventures, but she only caught brief snatches, as she focused her attention on not falling into the gap. Light filtered through the tunnel, and they made their way to a barely visible opening.

  Soon, she could see a platform lined with people. Wish continued spouting thoughts about sky-diving, dueling dragons, and snorkeling.

  She grabbed his arm. “Wish! Look at all the people. You can’t just appear on the other side of the tracks. Aren’t you supposed to be more secretive?”

  He scratched his head, paused for a long moment, then scrunched up his nose. The people all moved to the far end of the platform, peering at something underneath a bench, almost as if he had created some sort of illusion.

  Grabbing Meghan’s hand, Wish helped her across the gap and over the dangerous rails, while the crowd remained curiously engaged with the bench. They slipped into the station unnoticed. Wish relaxed his face, and the crowd dissipated.

  “Did you…?” Her question lingered, and she shook her head. Of course, he hadn’t. The stress of the last two days was finally catching up with her, causing her to imagine things.

  Studying the crowd, Meghan didn’t notice anyone from Kiernan’s twisted club. She hoped they had outfoxed Lord Killian.

  She turned to Wish. “What now?”

  He stretched, yawning, and sat on a nearby bench. “I think I shall take a nap.”

  “No, Shade and Chaos could show up at any moment. Where should we go?” She tugged on his arm, pulling him to his feet.

  “Train station,” he mumbled with another yawn. “Next Tube.”

  Within moments, the next train pulled into the station, and she guided him aboard. “We did it! We left that crazy place!”

  With the threat of the Underground gone, uncertainty replaced Meghan’s fear. Kiernan knew where she was staying. He could easily find her again in London. Returning home to Portland didn’t seem a good option; she needed experience abroad for her college admissions.

  A dozen questions came to her. “What should I do? Where can I go?”

  “Don’t worry. Your knight will transport you safely to the faerie village.” Mumbling about other adventures they could have, he leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes.

  “Paddington Station! End of line!” the speaker blared.

  She elbowed Wish, and he stumbled out the door and into the train station. Rays of sunshine streamed through the skylight-lined roof.

  Wish looked up. “Pretty!”

  She glanced around, peered down the platform, and looked toward the next one. Paddington was filled with people who rushed to and fro, making it impossible to watch for danger. They needed to leave—and soon.

  “Wish.” She breathed in, imagining herself filling with patience. “Where do we go next?”

  He pointed to the left. “Chug-a-chug-a Choo-choo! Our train just entered the station.”

  The sign on the side switched from “Cotswolds-London” to “London-Cotswolds.” She took a step to the left and reached behind her to pull Wish along. Her hand grasped empty air. Turning, she saw him ambling along to the right.

  “Where are you going? The train is here! We should get on.”

  He walked faster. She needed to make a decision. Should she board the train or follow Wish? But thinking about it, she really had no decision. She had no money, knew no one, and didn’t even know their destination. Still, the impulse to put as much distance between the Underground and herself was overpowering.

  She paused another moment before rushing after Wish. He had made his way to a counter at the far end of the station. Searching in his pocket, he pulled out a small stub and handed it to the bag attendant, who disappeared for a moment, before returning with Meghan’s backpack.

  “How did you…?” She threw her arms around him. It didn’t matter. Having her things, no matter how meager they might be, made everything better. And then there were the practicalities: passport, money, student visa.

  “Time to be cheetahs,” Wish growled, taking off running for the train. She tried her best to run after him, the framed backpack containing three months of belongings weighing her down.

  They raced to a train, and Wish pulled her aboard. The doors shut seconds after they entered the car. It wasn’t until the train began to move, leaving the station in the distance, that she could catch her breath.

  Meghan found a seat. As the train sped through the city, she turned to him. “Where am I going to stay? What am I going to do for the next few months?”

  Wish smiled. “Talk to the flowers, sing with the birds, hug the trees. And you are going to live amongst the faeries. Really, Meghan, it will be the best few months of your entire existence.”

  She wasn’t going to get any serious answers from Wish until the funky thing he had drunk wore off. She watched London passing through the window of the train. Her plans had changed so quickly, and all because she made the mistake of hanging out with the wrong guy.

  She rubbed her hands on her pants, trying to calm her worries. She had no idea where she was heading. Far was good, though. Meghan pressed her palm against the window. When she pulled her hand away, the window was smudged with black. She was still wearing the ash-stained clothing from last night.

  “I almost forgot.” Wish clapped his hands. “This present is for you!” He handed her the package, black paper tied with fancy red ribbon.

  She opened it and found a new set of clothing. The style was different from what she typically wore, but the leggings and tunic top were made from a high-quality material and sized to fit her perfectly. Anything was better than spending one more day in dirty clothing.

  “Ooh… pretty!” Wish shrieked.

  “Shh! I’ll be right back. I want to put these on.” She made her way to the tiny train bathroom. She managed changing in the cramped space and discarded her ruined clothes in the bathroom bin before splashing water on her face.

  Meghan wobbled as she made her way back down the aisle, grasping seat backs to steady herself. A loud sound filled the air as she grew closer to her train car. Upon entering, she found Wish lying across the seats, snoring loudly.

  Meghan-on-the-Wold

  ~ 5 ~

  An hour had passed since Meghan boarded the train, and Wish’s wheezes and snuffles still resonated through the train car. She had scooted him back to his side of the seat, but his head slumped onto her lap, his wings still covered by the black cape.

  “Oxford Station,” the speaker blared.

  The gray-haired woman across the aisle gathered her belongings.

  “Excuse me, but how long does it take to get to the Cot... Cot…” Meghan struggled to recall the name from the train’s sign.

  “The Cotswolds?”

  “Yes, that’s it!”

  The woman stood and pulled on her gray woolen coat. “It’s just over an hour from here, two hours outside London.”

  “Thank you.” Meghan smiled as the woman picked up her small suitcase.

  “Never been?”

  She shook her head. “I… I just arrived in London a few days ago.”

  The woman patted Meghan’s hand. “Oh, you’re going to love it. Picture-perfect little villages hidden in the English countryside. The whole area has been protected by our conservation laws so the authenticity of the villages has been preserved.”

  “Is it safe?”

  “One of the safest places in England. Aside from the sheep and the village residents, the only people you are likely to encounter are other tourists. Enjoy your holiday!”

  After the woman departed, Meghan tried to awaken Wish. She had no idea at which station to disembark. “Wish, wake up,
” she urged, poking and shaking him.

  He ignored her attempts. Finally, she pinched his arm.

  He shot upright, looked around the train, and then gaped at her. “Where are we? Did I actually rescue you? Why don’t I remember anything?”

  “More like, I rescued you.” She rolled her eyes. “At least you were able to direct me to the right train. We’re an hour outside of the Cotswolds.”

  He rubbed his temples. “Ooh, I have an awful headache. I remember sneaking into your room and having a cup of tea. Why don’t I remember anything else?”

  “I think they drugged the tea.” She looked away. “I sort of tried to escape up the chimney, but it didn’t go well.”

  “I heard.” Wish laughed. “Rumors spread fast down there. Escaping into Lord Killian’s chambers… you couldn’t have had worse luck.”

  She spent the next half-hour catching him up on their flight from the Underground, detailing his antics along the way. He seemed sober again. Relief washed over her. She had to stay so strong during the escape, and she was tired. Tired and ready for somebody else to take over.

  Wish slumped lower and lower in his seat. “Kiernan is going to be furious with me,” he muttered.

  “Who cares if he is?” She scowled. “What’s up with that freaky place? The costumes, the hidden club, the blood-drinking? Was Kiernan really going to k-kill me?”

  He ignored her questions. “Nice outfit.”

  “I forgot to thank you for the clothes. They fit perfectly.”

  He shook his head. “They weren’t from me. I was asked to deliver the package to you. I remember that much.”

  Meghan startled, for if Wish had not given her the clothing, who had?

  “Your gift was from Kiernan. As much as I would love to claim the role of the valiant hero, rescuing you was not my idea. Kiernan asked me to take you from the Underground.”

  Meghan gasped. “Kiernan asked you…” She struggled to put her thoughts together into a coherent sentence. “Why would he do that? I heard him sharing his plans with his father: keeping me imprisoned and drinking my blood every night. Why would he just let me go?”