Wings of Shadow (The Underground Trilogy) Page 7

  Avery faced her, lying on his side. “Thank you for trusting me.”

  The memory of those words—Trust me—ruined the sweet moment. Needing distraction, she decided to ask something that had been puzzling her. “During the meeting, it sounded like they were saying Charles Darwin came to Solas.”

  Avery nodded. “He did.”

  “But the Council members were talking as though he visited the village during their lifetimes.”

  “He did.”

  She sat up. “Darwin died in the late 1800s.”

  Avery looked down, rubbing his hands on his pants. “I forgot. You know almost nothing about us. The thing is, well… we live a little longer than humans.”

  “How much is a little longer?” Meghan glared at him. Kiernan had kept so many secrets from her. She couldn’t help feeling annoyed at Avery, even though she knew he was not to blame.

  “Typically, Fae live hundreds of years. My parents were married for many years before the Encounter.”

  “The Encounter?”

  “That is how we refer to Mr. Darwin’s visit. It was the first human-to-Fae meeting since Anya’s years.”

  Meghan wondered if she had been crushing on a one-hundred-year-old. She quieted the repulsive images forming in her mind. “How old is Kiernan?”

  “We are only twenty years in this world.”

  “We?”

  “Kiernan and I are twins.”

  She wanted to ask more. If Avery couldn’t even remember Kiernan, they must have been young when they were separated. There was something tragic about twins being raised apart. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness for both brothers.

  “… development happens on a similar timeline for faelings and human children. But when we enter the Grown Years, our mid-twenties, aging slows, and with each decade that passes, it slows even more.”

  She heard the tinkle of chimes in the distance.

  Avery rose. “The Council has made its decision. We must head to the cottage.”

  They walked back in silence, close, but not touching. With each step, Meghan could feel her body tensing. “Please let me stay,” she silently wished over and over.

  Avery appeared rigid, his muscles taut. She had been so focused on her own situation, she had forgotten what the Council’s decision would mean to him. He was willing to give up so much for helping her, and he barely knew her.

  The uncomfortable walk continued as they reached the village, where the streets were completely empty. Selena’s cottage remained lit. With a deep breath, Avery opened the wooden door and stepped inside. Meghan took a moment to steady the jitters that raced through her body, then she followed him.

  Selena sat in front of the hearth. She gestured for them to join her.

  “Grandmother, what was the decision?” Avery asked.

  Selena patted his hand. “The Council never ceases to impress me with the wisdom of its decisions. They realized the rule of the Divide was not frivolously broken, and as a result, you were granted full pardon.”

  Avery’s entire body seemed to loosen and unwind, fists unclenching, shoulders relaxing, back slackening. “Thank you, Grandmother.”

  “It was not my decision, as you well know. ‘Twas the Council’s to make.”

  “They came to consensus?” Avery asked.

  She shook her head, long silver hair flowing from side to side. “Alannah and Orin were the holdouts, but there was a strong enough majority to pass the resolution without their agreement.”

  His head drooped. “My mother stood against me?”

  Selena took his hands and stroked them. “Only out of fear, I believe. ‘Tis an enormous responsibility to be the leader of one’s people. And she still blames the loss of her son and husband on the last encounter.”

  “She was not the only one who lost somebody!” Avery stared into the fire. “And that loss did not make her wary of abandoning her other son.”

  Meghan listened, not wanting to interrupt. A burning question lay on her tongue, begging to be asked.

  Avery looked at her. “I have been so selfish, thinking only of myself and leaving you waiting.” Turning to Selena, he asked, “What about Meghan?”

  Selena approached her. “My dear, the Council would like to offer you refuge within Solas for as long as you desire. We are most contrite for our cold greeting upon your arrival.”

  Avery closed his eyes and murmured thanks. “Also not by consensus?”

  “The same holdouts,” Selena acknowledged. “The remainder of the Council agreed that it was important to be accountable for all of our people. If Killian has sought to harm Meghan, then the village must provide sanctuary.”

  “I don’t know how to thank you,” Meghan said.

  “There is no need.” Selena rose and handed her a hand-pressed sheet of paper. The thick, rough texture felt unfamiliar. Meghan focused on the words scrawled across the paper.

  While I would have loved to say goodbye

  I greatly feared that I would cry

  So this must be our parting lullaby

  Wish

  “Wish left without even saying goodbye?” She had so many things to thank him for.

  Avery looked apologetic. “That is what Wish does. He comes in and out, like a feather blowing on the wind. Sometimes, he blows toward the Underground and sometimes he blows toward the village.”

  Selena patted Megan on her shoulder. “He will blow back with time. He had a valid reason for leaving with haste. Killian musn’t learn that he was involved with your escape.”

  Selena opened a small wardrobe carved from an old tree trunk. Knots and whirls covered the polished surface. She removed bedding from the cabinet and handed it to Meghan.

  “Where should I sleep?” Meghan asked.

  Selena indicated a ladder leading up to the loft. “My old legs no longer enjoy that climb. The loft is yours for the length of your stay. My chamber is in the back.”

  Meghan looked toward the rear of the cottage. While the entire house only had one room, she noticed a little nook, just large enough for a single mattress. Selena had hung a hand-woven cloth panel that could be drawn for privacy.

  “I appreciate you letting me stay here.”

  “I know you do, my dear. And I will enjoy your company over the upcoming weeks.”

  Avery departed, and Meghan made her way up the ladder to the tiny loft. Her backpack had been left on the wooden floor. A bare stuffed mattress, appearing handmade, lay on the wide, gnarled floorboards. She put on the clean bedding and prepared for bed.

  Sinking into the pillowed softness of the mattress, she looked up at the thatched ceiling. The air was infused with the smells of fragrant flowers and herbs. She breathed in the perfume, and drifted to sleep.

  The Queen’s Abode

  ~ 9 ~

  The weeks glided by. Meghan soon adapted to the routine. As the village was self-sustained, everyone had a job to do: growing food, gathering fallen wood from the nearby forest, spinning and weaving fabric, or tending the sheep. All did their jobs with untiring perseverance and unrelenting cheerfulness.

  She had been assigned to apprentice with Selena, helping her care for the flowers and vegetables, harvest the herbs, and extract healing remedies. Meghan loved her daily responsibilities. Being raised in a city, she had never gardened. Tending the plants, learning the names of each flower and herb, and spending her days in the outdoors underneath the autumn sun filled her with contentment.

  “You are going to trim that poor bush into nothingness,” Selena chided, her voice soft.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to harm the poor elderberry.”

  “My dear, ‘tis a hawthorn bush. Do you see how the berries are larger and reddish in color? The elderberry produces tiny indigo-colored berries.”

  Focusing, Meghan recited, “The elderberries are used for treating influenza and other infection, but the hawthorn berries are used for circulation problems and heart health. Right?”

  A smile spread ac
ross Selena’s face. “You are learning, Meghan. You are an astute student and an excellent tender of the gardens… when you are not daydreaming.”

  “I love this. I wish herbology was an actual field of study at the university. I still don’t know what to major in.”

  “It will come to you in due time, my child.” Selena bent to pick up the trimmed hawthorn twigs. “Today, I want to show you another use for the hawthorn—one that infuses magic within the branch.”

  “Magic?” She gasped. Until that point, everything they had done in the gardens had been grounded in science: best growing conditions, genus classifications, the practical uses of differing species. But magic hadn’t been introduced.

  “Hawthorn is known for its protective qualities. It is the protector of the vulnerable and the weak.”

  Her perfect day in the garden was nearly ruined with the reminder that Lord Killian remained a threat. “Am I really safe here?” she asked for the hundredth time.

  “You are safe within the village boundaries, but you would be vulnerable if you were to leave. Creating a charm from the trimmed hawthorn branches may help to decrease that risk.”

  They moved inside the cottage. Selena showed her how to bind the cuttings into a circular amulet. They wove angelica, bay laurel, and heather into the hawthorn twigs for extra protection. Selena hung a tiny crystal from the top of the amulet, and then chanted words from what she called “The Old Language.”

  When finished, Meghan looked at the pretty craft that smelled like Selena’s cottage. She was skeptical about whether the charm would work, but it would be a nice keepsake of her time in the village.

  She carried it up to her bedside. After tucking the amulet away, she climbed down the ladder to find Selena still sitting at the table.

  “We have time for one more lesson today,” Selena said. “You have been worrying far too much about Killian and his crew. I have an idea that will help.”

  Meghan leaned forward and clasped her hands together. “Another spell to keep me safe?” The idea of Fae magic intrigued her. She knew they could tap the Earth’s power, but enchantments were rarely seen within the village.

  “I’m afraid not. No, ‘tis a different power that we will be gleaning today.”

  Selena bowed her head for a moment, then spoke. “When Kiernan brought you down to the Dark Fae’s city, what sort of feelings were you having?”

  Meghan’s cheeks blazed. “I… I was excited to spend time with Kiernan, and…”

  “Go on, my dear,” Selena encouraged.

  “And there was a part of me that felt it was a bad idea to cross the tracks and follow him.”

  “Yes.” Selena’s eyes gleamed. “But you followed, anyway.”

  Meghan looked down at the table. “I thought I was just worrying too much. And I really wanted to spend time with Kiernan.”

  “Meghan, ‘twas your intuition telling you to leave. By honing this, it will become your sixth sense, a guide as strong as your hearing and your sight.”

  “By following my hunches and gut reactions, I can keep myself safe?” Selena’s advice seemed too easy.

  “If you learn to listen to your intuition, ‘twill guide you right every single time.” Selena brought out several bunches of herbs, sharing how each helped with developing her perceptiveness.

  They spent the next few hours on focusing exercises to clear Meghan’s thoughts and help her to listen within her mind. By the end of the afternoon, Meghan was feeling more confident about protecting herself.

  “Look at the time! Why not clean up, my dear? Avery is sure to be here soon.” Selena put away the baskets of supplies.

  Avery had come every single evening after they had finished their work. He had taken her to his favorite places around the village and introduced her to the other Fae. With each passing day, she found herself looking forward even more to his nightly visits.

  Meghan’s last duty for the day was refreshing the water supply in the cottage. She made her way to the old stone well, which sat at the far end of the garden. She released the bucket, sending it tumbling down to the water. As she was about to haul it back, a hawk soared into the garden. The bird landed on the edge of the well, a finger’s reach from Meghan. She kept her body still and tried to quiet her breathing.

  The hawk stretched its wings, red feathers blending into a tawny background. It cocked its head and screeched. Meghan flinched, but then peered closely. The hawk lifted a leg toward her. Yes, there was definitely something tied around its leg. She remembered the message Wish had sent and wished the bird were as tiny as the one he had chosen. The bird waited, leg held aloft.

  Meghan hesitated. She lifted her hand, moving it closer to the bird. She hoped the hawk wouldn’t attack. She slowly reached underneath the razor-sharp beak, fingers scraping the tops of its knife-like talons, and freed the paper. Miraculously, she had retained all of her fingers. With a final screech, the bird lifted into the sky, soaring out of the garden.

  “A Harris Hawk? They often act as messengers,” Avery said.

  Meghan jumped. “Nope, no message, just a lucky sighting. I didn’t even know what kind of bird it was.”

  She stuffed the paper in her pocket, not knowing why she was being secretive, and began to haul water from the well. Before she could turn the handle one full circle, Avery gently pushed away her hand. He wound the handle far faster than she could. He soon had a full bucket of water and headed for the cottage.

  She followed him, still wondering why she hadn’t shown Avery the message. Before she could sift through her thoughts, they reached the door.

  “I’m going to get cleaned up.” Meghan scrambled to the loft, eager to read the note in the privacy of her room. She unwound the small scroll and found a few lines of elegant handwriting.

  Please join me

  In the Forest Clearing

  Tomorrow’s Eve

  No signature. What should she do? So far, she had been open about everything with Avery. She wondered if she should share the message during dinner, but then realized that the letter presented a perfect way to practice honing her intuition.

  Grabbing a handful of peppermint leaves from the stash of herbs she had been accumulating, Meghan sat on the mattress, focused her vision on her amulet, and opened up her mind. She crumpled the dried greens in her hand and breathed in the sharp, minty aroma. Keeping the letter private felt right and safe. She wished she knew who had sent it, but Selena’s advice was helpful. If she was going to be safe, she needed to listen to her intuition. Perhaps she could begin with the invitation.

  The sounds of wooden plates clunking onto the table brought her back to reality. Meghan rushed down the ladder and went over to sit at the table.

  Avery stared at her. “You look very, um… comfortable tonight.”

  Meghan glanced down at herself. From the excitement of reading the letter, she had forgotten to clean or change. Her clothes were spotted with dirt from the garden, and her nails were black with grime. Avery reached over and pulled a stray hawthorn twig from her hair, then handed her an envelope.

  Inside was an invitation on a single sheet of paper. Handmade, with flower petals throughout, the page was thinner and of a higher quality than any paper she had seen in the village.

  Your presence is required

  At this Eve’s Sundown Meal

  Queen Alannah

  “My presence is required? I have to attend?” Meghan questioned.

  Selena looked at the invitation and nodded.

  “But Queen Alannah hasn’t spoken to me since the night I arrived.” Meghan wondered about the coincidence of receiving two invitations in such a short time span. Could the queen know about the message from the hawk?

  “You should wash, my dear. You would not want to keep the queen waiting.”

  Meghan hurried up the ladder. She rushed to the hand basin and poured water over her hands. Using the lavender-infused bar of soap, she scrubbed her soiled hands and splashed water on her face. She fished out
the one fancy dress she owned from the bottom of her backpack and smoothed it as best she could. She had a few minutes to think as she dragged a brush through the snarls in her hair.

  She compared the two notes. Meghan had seen only handmade paper used in the village, but the scroll she took from the hawk was typical manufactured stock. The Fae kept reassuring her that Lord Killian would not come into the village, so that left two possible senders—Wish or…

  “Hurry, Meghan! We are already late,” Avery called.

  She hid the scroll under her pillow and quickly climbed down the ladder. Meghan followed Avery out the door, hoping dinner with the queen would be more pleasant than her meals with Lord Killian.

  The moon was bright as they passed through the village. Avery led the way to a large cottage. The outside was rich with hand-carved details. The stone windowsills displayed etchings of beautiful flower gardens, the roof was one of the few made of limestone tiles, and the walls were perfectly laid, not a stone out of place. He knocked on the door, a thick slab of walnut displaying carved scenes of the village.

  An older Fae with wings the hue of cornflowers opened the door. “Welcome to the queen’s abode.” He bowed and gestured for them to come inside. The house was much larger than the other homes she had visited. While most of the cottages were similar to Selena’s, with only one large room, this house was divided into separate chambers.

  They entered a long narrow room. An oak table, large enough to seat fourteen, filled the majority of the dining hall, and three table settings had been placed on the far end of the table. Avery pulled out a chair for Meghan, and then sat across from her. A moment of awkward silence followed.

  “So, you really live here?” Meghan asked. Avery seemed so down-to-earth. She couldn’t imagine him being raised in this palace of a cottage.

  Avery nodded. “It is traditional for Fae to remain with their parents until they wed.”

  “In my city, people move out when they finish high school.”

  “The problem with the young moving out at so tender an age is that one never knows what sort of trouble they may get into.” Queen Alannah stepped into the room. Nodding to Avery and Meghan, she sat at the head of the table. “Have you thought about how your mother must be fretting, after not hearing from you all these weeks?”