The Elf Girl (24 page)

***

It was a little after five when I got back to the clearing. Aaliyah was patiently waiting for me with her basket full of fruit. I smiled and waved as I approached, still unsettled but feeling safer now that I wasn’t alone. However, I knew that it wasn’t safe for us to remain in the orchard.

“Aaliyah, I think I saw a fairy on the way back to the clearing,” I blurted when I reached her, knowing I couldn’t keep the sighting a secret.

“What?” she cried.

“I saw the tips of red wings, heard fluttering, and then I ran to you.”

Aaliyah’s eyes shone with fright. “This is dangerous, Ramsey. We should leave now. Come on.” She took my hand and pulled me through the orchard.

“What if it sees us leaving?”

“We will go around the outside instead of straight through the orchard,” she explained to me in a hushed voice. “We have to leave somehow. Just standing around is not a good idea.”

I nodded silently and followed her quickly out of the orchard. All the while, I was afraid the fire fairy would jump out to attack us. I couldn’t believe a being similar to one that took my sister was so close to my home. It unnerved me deeply.

When Aaliyah thought we were far enough away, she relaxed and slowed down to a walk. I sighed in relief and followed suit.

But even though the sun was shining and the birds chirping, I couldn’t pay attention to the beauty. I was still wary of the Element fairy.

Aaliyah, on the other hand, appeared to be worn out, probably from walking around the whole orchard. Her eyes looked tired and it seemed as if her arms were struggling to hold up the basket. Not feeling as tired, I took it from her to carry. She mouthed a
thank you
and smiled.

“So I met a gnome, Mac, who told me about the war,” I said, trying to get our minds off the Element fairy in the orchard.

“Everything about the war?” she asked.

“Yes.
Everything
,” I replied.

“Addison won’t be happy about that,” she warned me.

“Why is it so bad that I know?” I asked.

“She wanted an elf, particularly Queen Taryn, to explain things. You are new to this, Ramsey. We don’t want you thinking that all elves are awful because of Queen Taryn’s sister.”

“Look, it’s okay. Everyone does things they aren’t proud of, and everyone makes mistakes. I’m not going to be scared away that easily.”

Aaliyah took my hand and smiled. “Good.”

I nodded, but I wasn’t feeling so good. Sure, we had escaped, but seeing the Element fairy had suddenly made my dangerous situation very real to me. Now that I had seen one, I knew it was inevitable that I would meet more in the future, especially if I was to rescue my sister. I didn’t know how I would handle my fear, or if I would be strong enough to face such dangerous foes as the fae.

“I can tell you’re stressed, Ramsey. I can’t imagine what this must be like for you,” Aaliyah mentioned as we walked together into Birchwood City.

“I have no idea what to do, Aaliyah,” I admitted.

“You will. Believe in yourself and believe in Zora. If she said you could help her, then you can. I’ve said that before, and I’ll say it again. I see Zora in you, Ramsey. I see her gentle nature, her free spirit, and her courage. I will always be there to help you, and don’t forget that Addison and Stellan will be as well. Zora was like a daughter to me, and I feel as if you are one, too.”

Her kind, sincere words brought tears to my eyes. “Thank you, Aaliyah, for saying that. You have helped me so much today, with everything. I am so grateful.”

“I mean it,” she said, smiling warmly. “Thankfully, we avoided the fairy. I will have to speak with Stellan and Addison about it, though. It isn’t safe with Element fairies anywhere in the Realm, in Birchwood especially, because you are here. You need protection so you can find your sister and avoid being taken instead. Don’t worry, I will take care of everything. I advise that you just go home and rest for a while. It will help you to clear your mind and rejuvenate.”

“I will. Thank you so much, Aaliyah.”

“You’re welcome.”

I was relieved and thankful. It didn’t matter now if Addison had only brought me back for Zora, because Aaliyah was here for me. I knew she cared for me, and not just because of Zora. As I walked home, I knew talking with Aaliyah had been the right thing to do. I felt surer now of which direction to take. She had reassured me of my place here. My mind was at peace. Sure, there were many problems with my life now, but I knew I could overcome them. I just needed to figure out how. I laughed.
If only it was that easy to accomplish,
I thought to myself.

When I finally walked through the door, it was near six, and I still had time before I had to be at Addison’s house. I walked into my room and sat down on my bed. Aaliyah told me to rest, but I felt as if I should be doing something.

After a few minutes of running ideas through my head, I went to the wardrobe and took out the bag I had brought from the Human Realm. For the first time since coming to the Elf Realm, I reached inside and grabbed my copy of
The Mysterious Guide to Fantasy.
I wanted to see if the guide held anything on Element fairies.

Unfortunately, the only section on fairies was very general. The descriptions reminded me of what Aaliyah told me of Flower fairies. Butterfly wings and flower petals weren’t going to enlighten me on the habits of my new enemies.

I shut the book, dismayed at the lack of information on Element fairies, and tucked it under my bed. Then I realized how tired I was, and finally decided to take Aaliyah’s advice and nap to pass the remaining time. What else was there to do?

I lay down on my bed and closed my eyes. I didn’t bother changing into a nightgown. I would be sleeping only for a little while. I hoped I would wake up in time for dinner, because there weren’t any alarm clocks here. I had closed my eyes for only a few seconds before I was dreaming.

Even though everything was dark, I knew I was dreaming because I could no longer feel the comfort of my bed, and I certainly didn’t smell my flowery and herbal scented room anymore. Instead, the smell was musty, and reminded me strangely of hay. There was even a faint scent of blood in the air. I was standing, instead of lying down. Was I having some kind of nightmare?

I braced myself for some man-eating monster or a blood-crazy vampire, but everything was silent. Then, like a lit match to my skin, the Mood Diamond resting on my chest started to burn. I could see it glowing at my neck. The fire was almost too much to bear. I could barely keep from screaming. Soon, my whole body felt insanely hot; images of flames flashed behind my closed eyes, shut tight to fight off the pain. My fists clenched to stop the spasms pulsing through me. What was happening? How could a dream be so painful? How could a dream be so
real
?

Finally, the pain began to ebb away, and I was able to open my eyes. I gasped, finding myself standing before my sister.

She was lying against a wooden wall, her eyes closed and her mouth slightly open. Her hands clutched the Mood Diamond tightly against her chest. The horror finally reached me as I took time to look at her closely. She was nothing like the beautiful memory Aaliyah had shared with me earlier that day. This view was the complete opposite. It was more terrible than anything I could have imagined.

Until I saw Zora, I hadn’t believed anyone could be any paler than I – or any other elf for that matter – could ever be. She appeared stark white, dead white. I sighed in relief when I noticed the slight rise and fall of her chest that told me she was still alive – although just barely. Dressed in brown cloth rags that hung limply on her thin frame, I had never seen anyone look so…well, anorexic was the best way to describe it. But this seemed even worse.

Zora had patches of dirt and grime from the tips of her shoulders to the ends of her toes. The patches looked like soot from a fireplace or some kind of burn. Several cuts that reminded me of lashes from a whip were still bleeding on her hands and wrists. Her pale hair was ragged and dirty. I realized with horror that she had severe burn marks on her neck, face, and upper arms. She was also sweating with fever.

I reached out to touch my sister. I hoped that if I touched her, I would wake up, like splashing a hand onto a reflection in a pool, and the terrible image of Zora would disappear. Maybe this would all go away, just a nightmare. Unfortunately, touching her didn’t wake me up. My hand rested on hers, and she opened her eyes slowly and stared into mine. The emerald irises were empty of their glow, replaced by fear, grief, and pain.

“Zora,” I choked. “Zora…what happened to you?” I was barely able to ask. The sight was just so horrible….

Tears fell silently from my eyes and ran down my cheeks. I wiped them away with my free hand, trying to appear stronger and more in control than I felt.

“I’m so sorry, Ramsey. I’m sorry,” she kept repeating, over and over again, her own tears leaving lines of pale skin where they washed away the grime.

Tears clouded my vision again. I blinked them back and shook my head. “You have nothing to be sorry for,” I assured her.

“Yes, I do. I should have found you sooner. I should have told someone…,” Zora trailed off.

“All of that is in the past now. It doesn’t matter. What matters is getting you away from here. Come on.” I grabbed her hand as gently as I could and started to pull, but she wasn’t trying to get up.

“I can’t leave, Ramsey. This is only a spiritual connection, a vision…a glimpse. You aren’t here with me, and I’m not there with you. You are still in your room. I connected with you using the diamond. It took a while…but it finally worked.”

“Then what can we do?”I asked her.

“Find me, Ramsey. Look around and remember this place. Then come for me. You must hurry. I don’t have much time left before they finish me. The Element fairies want to learn your secret, but I won’t tell them. I promise, Ramsey,” she said, her eyes fierce and determined, appearing more alive than before. “I will die before I tell them anything about you. But as soon as they realize that, they will kill me.”

“That won’t happen. I
will
come for you,” I promised her. Then I had an idea. “What is the secret, Zora? Please tell me now. Maybe it can help save you.”

Before she could respond, I heard the clanging of a door opening. I tried to find a place to hide, but tripped in the darkness. Trying to steady myself, I allowed one of my hands to fall on top of Zora’s Mood Diamond. Suddenly, the scene changed. I was still in the room, but now I was sitting against the wooden wall. Pain came at me in great waves. I looked down and gasped in shock at my hands, covered in slashes and my knuckles raw, blood oozing slowly. The smell made me queasy. I could tell right away that they were not really my hands. They were Zora’s hands. The Mood Diamond had connected us further. I was seeing through Zora and feeling what Zora felt. I struggled to stay conscious. The pain was making me dizzy and weak.

A dark figure fluttered through the door. His red wings glistened like the blood from Zora’s hands. His thick dark hair flowed from the wind his wings created as he flew over to us. I knew right away he was an Element Fairy, and his element was fire. Was he the fairy I had seen in the orchard? I wasn’t sure.

The fairy was dressed in a red peasant shirt and ragged, cut-off red shorts. His feet were bare, his arms toned, and I could see his muscles tense as he saw the horrible state of my sister. He was terribly beautiful, both attractive and menacing. He reached a hand down and caressed my – I mean, Zora’s – cheek. I could feel Zora’s body stiffen. Just the nearness of him made me feel cold. Although his looks were striking, I could detect the cloud of darkness that surrounded him, a warning not to be deceived by his beauty.

“You poor thing, I didn’t know my friends and I had harmed you so badly. I am sorry about this, really sorry,” he said darkly.

“I find it hard to believe you are sorry,” we seemed to say together.

It was weird because even though I wasn’t thinking of the response, I still knew what to say. Everything Zora thought and said, I did as well because of how close we were connected. Unfortunately, every word brought on more pain and burning.

“Zora, you know what we want. All of this can end if you just tell me about your sister. We know she is valuable.”

“How could you possibly know anything about my sister?” Zora challenged.

“Ah, Zora, you are so naïve,” the fire fairy said with a hearty chuckle. “You have no idea what happened to them, do you? You have no clue as to what happened to your parents.”

Chills ran through us. Fear settled into the pit of Zora’s stomach. I could feel her unease and worry. She and I both were expecting the worst.

“You see, Zora dear, when your parents abandoned you it wasn’t long before they were caught…by my soldiers.” He strode forward and knelt down in front of us. Cupping Zora’s chin in his hand, he grinned maliciously. “You want to know how I know about your sister? Why she is so valuable to us?” He paused, obviously for effect. I waited with grim anticipation. “Well, your father told me so…before he died.”

“No,” she whimpered, shaking her head. But she knew, just as I did, that the fire fairy wasn’t lying. Hearing the news saddened me, but I couldn’t feel heartbroken. I hadn’t truly lost my father, only the hope that we would someday meet again. Zora’s despair went deeper. She had really known him. I hadn’t. I didn’t remember our father the way she did, and I was too busy concentrating on the immense pain I was feeling to feel much else.

Zora started shaking, but her sobs were barely audible because of the pain her movement was sending to the both of us. The agony clouded my entire mind, engulfing me. When it was finally too much to bear, Zora fell silent, unmoving. Anymore stress on our bodies, on our hearts, and we would surely break. She had to stop grieving, because if she didn’t, we would die.