***
Blinking her eyes, Shade glanced around slowly in the grey fog of dawn. The group had remained on the rocky shelters of the Raven Queen’s domain. Sitting up, she glanced around the silent camp. The fire had long since died, but a wisp of smoke floated up from it. Shade turned back in the direction of her grandmother’s house. The thick fog covered the forest and the land beyond, with only the sharp points of treetops protruding from the clouds.
She pulled out her blanket, the same one Dylan had given her and wrapped it tightly around her body. Her breath puffed out in the cool morning air as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She waited for the rest of the group to rouse. Her sleep had been fitful, and the memory of her spirit guides’ words had left her exhausted as if she hadn’t slept at all.
The moist air clung to her skin and hair as the mass of clouds rose around them. Everything felt wet. She wondered how the Raven Queen Aluse could like it up here. There was nothing but hard rock and wet air. At least, it was safe. There were no routes that led to these shelters. They were so high up, the air felt thin and left her out of breath. Her stomach rumbled under the blanket as she remembered she hadn’t eaten in almost a day. She pressed her lips together. She didn’t have much to eat with her and wondered if the Ravens and winged-fey had anything to munch on up there. They have to eat too, right? She smiled, feeling less glum as the sun rose over the horizon.
As if Shade’s mind were on display, Queen Aluse came striding out of the entrance to one of the cavern shelters with a plate and cup in hand. She came to sit next to Shade, smiling at her as she placed a heaping plate of fruit, berries, and strips of meat in front of Shade along with a cup full of water. Aluse motioned for Shade to dig in as she scanned the horizon. Her black hair seemed to absorb all the light into it, it was so dark. It touched the ground as she sat with her legs folded Indian style. Her wings also scraped the ground but remained folded tight to her back in a mass of feathers, soft looking and shining an oily black. Shade fought the urge to reach out and stroke them, popping a few grapes into her mouth instead and savoring the juices.
“Your grandmother Lana was quite a woman.” Aluse turned toward Shade as she spoke, smiling with eyes which glinted a deep onyx. “She was my dearest and oldest friend. When she was exiled to this valley, I moved my flock here to oversee her safety and to keep her well-fed. Aveta stuck her in that bubble and left her for dead after finding out they couldn’t kill her. She was that powerful.” Aluse sighed, turning back to the glowing horizon. The clouds seemed to dissipate with the arrival of the sun. A slight heat began to warm Shade, and she let the blanket loosen around her. The Raven Queen didn’t even seem to feel the cold at all.
“It’s cold, isn’t it? I’m sure you feel it more than we do since you’re part human. If it gets cold enough, we’ll feel it too. I’m afraid there are dark and colder days ahead of us, Shade. As Aveta grows stronger, her powers of winter and frost grow, too. She will bring death and starvation to our kind. We will have to flee south for the first time in millennia.” Her face had gone blank staring out across the valley. The Queen’s own uncertainty leaked out onto Shade, like a mood passing through her.
She pulled the blanket back around her as she polished off the plate of food and gulped down the water. That stupid Queen Aveta is ruining Faerie with every move she makes, she thought. “It must be nice to be able to fly, though,” she said, waving toward Aluse’s wings.
Aluse smiled, nodding. “Yes. If not for that, I’m sure my people would’ve succumbed to her treachery.” She stretched her arms out and let her wings extended out behind her. Standing up, she looked back down at Shade. “We are with you in your fight, Shade. Just let me know if you need anything at all, I mean it. I owe much to Lana, and now this is the only way I can repay her. I’m so privileged to have gotten to meet her granddaughter.”
Shade nodded, smiling up at the beautiful queen. “Thank you. I truly appreciate it,” she said as the Raven Queen gave her a quick nod and turned back toward the shelter caves.
Shade watched as the rest of the Ravens roused, came out of the caverns and went about busying themselves. They ruffled their feathers and flew out in pairs to go scouting. They were gorgeous, and she envied the way they could fly. She would love to be able to fly. It seemed like it would be a useful ability to have here in Faerie.
Soap finally roused and came to sit next to Shade, occupying the spot Aluse had abandoned. He smiled as he glanced her way, running his hand through his loose hair. Shade thought he could pass for a model if he wanted a career in the human world. Her thoughts wandered to their kiss back at the Glass Castle and made her wonder if he ever thought about it, too. He had stuck with her through her rejection, and yet here he was, still smiling.
“Soap, I’m gonna go home. I have to make sure my family is okay.” She paused, studying his emerald green eyes. She was pretty sure he would do what she asked but felt a bit selfish for thinking so. “I would like it if you came with me.” She picked at the blanket as she waited for his reaction.
“Yeah, no problem. I told you once, and I still mean it, Shade.” His face turned incredibly serious as his eyes flashed with a ring of yellow surrounding his black pupils, embedded in the lush green. “I’ll follow you wherever you may go. I will always be there.”
She nodded and pulled her eyes away from his handsome face. She leaned her head on his shoulder as he pulled her closer with his arms around her shoulders. He was radiating warmth, making her feel sad and safe at the same time. Somehow she knew he was telling her the truth.
She gave in to his hug, closing her eyes. Her exhaustion swam along her body, making her want to curl back onto her mat and sleep the day away. She fought it with all her strength and pulled away from Soap as she stretched and stood up. Looking down at Soap, she saw that he didn’t seem surprised at all when she’d pulled away. She studied his incredible eyes. They were full of so many unsaid things, things she was sure she couldn’t deal with right now but made her want to ask him about. Instead, she turned away and went in search of Camulus, hoping to hitch a teleport ride home.
Chapter Seventeen