Chapter 15

" C larissa," Vaeril calls gently, but I still startle awake and look around as I try to work out where I am. Scrambling back, I glance down and realise I'm up in a tree.

"What—" I ask, confused as I run my hands through my hair and scrub my eyes, needing to wake up to process what's happening.

"Are you okay?"

I look over and see the flush on his cheeks and immediately remember the events of the last couple of days. Groaning, I brush my hair from my face and try to shuffle on the tree so I'm facing him, but I end up awkwardly leaning over his body.

"I'm fine, I should be asking you that." Lifting the water flask, I frown at its weight, and I open the lid and find that it's full of clear, fresh water.

"Look," Vaeril says, pointing towards our cloak-covered feet. There, resting on top of the cloak, is a small bundle of plants. I remember what he told me yesterday about a plant that could help pull the poison from his wound.

"What... is that the angel's breath you were talking about?" I query, as I carefully reach out and grab it, examining the plant and its small leaves. How had he managed to find it, and how did he get it without waking me? We're tied together, after all. "How did you get it?"

"I didn't," he replies, taking the now full flask from my hands and drinking deeply from it. "It was a gift."

"A gift? From who?" Glancing around us, I notice we are completely alone. How had someone managed to sneak past us and leave these ‘gifts' right in our laps without us noticing? "Look, there's something else here too." I hadn't seen it before, I was so focused on the plant and full flask.

Taking the wrapped leaf, I open it to find a small cluster of mushrooms, nuts, and berries.

"The sprites, I would assume, although it could have been the imps," he replies, taking a couple of the nuts and popping them into his mouth with a pleased hum.

"Wait, the what?" I just stare at him, sure he's joking and he's going to tell me he did this as some elaborate prank.

Did he say imps? Sprites? Like the creatures from fairy tales I heard the nannies tell the children at the castle? They're real?

"The sprites and—" He starts before frowning and turning to look at me. "They don't teach you about the other fae races?"

Lifting my sleeve, I show him my slave marks. "Slave, remember? My education was sorely lacking." Leaning back against the tree, suddenly famished, I toss some of the berries into my mouth. The sweet tartness of the fruit makes me hum in pleasure, and I take a couple more, enjoying the rich flavours. We sit in silence for a few minutes, enjoying our gift when a thought comes to me. "There are other races?"

"Many," he confirms with a nod.

I want to ask more, I want to know all about this world of fae he mentioned, but I know there will be time for that later. Right now, I need to get out of this tree. Last night I hadn't been too bothered by it, but for some reason, now fully rested, I would rather not spend any more time in it than I have to.

"Let's get on solid ground and I'll check your wound," I suggest, grabbing hold of the angel's breath to make sure we don't lose it in transit.

It takes longer than I would like to admit to get out of the tree, my ankle protesting the whole time, and I discover that getting down is far harder than climbing up. Once I'm finally back on the ground, I take a deep, calming breath and turn to see Vaeril kneeling before the tree. As he did yesterday, his palms are pressed against the bark and his mouth is moving as if he's speaking, but I can't hear anything. When he pulls away, he sees my quizzical expression.

"I thanked her for her shelter and protection." He says it like it makes complete sense. Arching an eyebrow, I shake my head, trying to suppress my smile at his comment.

"You thanked a tree?" Again, I try to keep the question light, he's obviously taking this seriously, but it comes out tight and high. He rolls his eyes, and I know I'm off the hook when I smile at him. Gesturing for him to sit, I search through the pack to find what I need for his dressing. "I'm going to check your wound."

He does as I ask, only wincing a little bit as he repositions himself before lifting his shirt. "I spent time with the wood elves, remember? I picked up some tricks."

Kneeling at his side, I remove the dressing and I have to fight to keep my face neutral again, but thankfully, he is looking around at the other trees. The wound looks much the same, but black lines are snaking away from it and up his body. They are only short tendrils at the moment, and I might not know much about wounds or poison, but I know this isn't good. Reaching for the flask of alcohol, I open the cap and pour a little onto the wound, trying to ignore Vaeril's hisses of pain.

I clear my throat, knowing I need to keep his mind off what I'm doing. "Are you telling me the tree can hear us?"

"It's more complicated than that," he responds, and I nod. All of this seems complicated to me—trees that can hear us, and magical creatures that leave us gifts. How my life has changed in such a short span of time.

"I'll take you to meet some of the wood elves when we get to Galandell," he continues, as I take the leaves from the angel's breath and try to pack them into his wound. I make another makeshift dressing and fix it in place with more strips of the dress from the pack. It will be unwearable when we finally get to our destination. I still don't know how he even managed to get a dress when he was locked up with male guards.

"I'd like that," I reply, and to my surprise, I mean it. Shouldn't I be repulsed at the thought of meeting more elves, the race that's killing my people in the war? Guilt rises in me again, but I try to push it away, focusing on the here and now. Sitting back, I admire my handiwork. "There, all done."

Nodding, Vaeril sits forward and pulls his shirt down. Placing everything into the pack, I shift and go to stand up, but his hand on my arm stops me. When I turn to look at him, his expression is soft, not something I see often from him.

"Why do you look so sad?"

Stunned, I simply sit and stare at him as I try to think of how to answer. I hadn't expected him to ask something like that, Vaeril isn't the type to talk about feelings. That's not to say he isn't kind, but he's much more closed off than my other friends. Friend, is that what he is? The pull in my chest whispers that he's something different, something more.

How do I explain what I'm feeling to him? That I feel like I've betrayed my race, and I'm confused about how I feel towards him? I forget he's an elf, someone I'm supposed to hate, who I've been taught is evil. I've left my friends behind, and I don't know where Grayson and Tor are, or if they are safe. Not to mention, Wilson and Jayne are still in the castle with the sadistic king.

"I miss my friends," I tell him softly, settling for the simplest answer, still hyperaware of his hand on my arm.

"The mountain man?" His voice is tight, and I remember my kiss with Tor the previous night. My cheeks flush and I open my mouth to reply but he beats me to it. "Or the magician?" For once he doesn't sneer as he speaks about Grayson, and I'm glad. I don't have the energy to defend my friendships.

"Amongst others," I reply with a shrug, before gently pulling away from him. His eyes shutter as I do so, and I instantly regret the action. "We should get going."

He nods and starts to stand, wincing at the pain in his side. Jumping to my feet, I offer him my hand to help him up. He stares at it for a moment like it's a snake that might bite him, then he just shakes his head and uses the tree to help him get to his feet. Frowning, I slowly pull my hand back, confused and hurt at his rejection. I don't really understand what's happened, but I think I've done something to upset him. Picking up the pack, I take a deep breath and paste on a fake smile.

"Which way?"

He glances at me, frowning at my smile before turning to look around us and closing his eyes for a second. When they open again, he points and starts to walk in that direction. His mobility seems much better today, but he's walking at a human pace, which is either because of the wound or because he's being kind so I can keep up with him.

"Are you coming?" he growls, not stopping as he starts heading through the trees.

Guess it's not because he's being kind then , I think with a shake of my head as I hurry to catch up.

We walk for hours. Time passes slowly in here, but I think it's early afternoon. Vaeril's struggling, but he won't stop or ask for help. When I've offered to aid him, he refuses, practically snapping at me, so I've taken to walking just behind him where I can keep an eye on him without him having a go at me for hovering.

"Stop," he snarls, glaring at me over his shoulder.

"I'm not doing anything." I'm trying to stay calm and not snap back at him, but he's making it difficult.

"I can feel you watching me like I'm about to drop," he retorts.

Guess he's figured that one out then , I muse with a sigh. Truthfully, I am worried about him and I want to check his wound again.

"We should stop for the night soon," I suggest, but he merely grunts in reply.

I've been carrying the water flask while we've been walking, offering it to him regularly, but as I lift it to my mouth now, I know we're nearly out again. There have been little offerings left along our route and I've been collecting them, sharing the nuts and berries with my companion. Every time I've found one, I make sure to say, "Thank you," hoping that whoever gifted it to us is still around to hear my gratitude.

We fall into a pattern over the next couple of days. I dress Vaeril's wound, we camp in a tree, and when we wake, our water flask is full and we have a leaf filled with food and a small pile of angel's breath. I dress Vaeril's wound again and we continue our journey.

The injury is getting worse, despite the angel's breath which initially seemed to be helping. We're back to walking together, his arm slung over my shoulders as I half drag him along.

"How far are we now?" I ask, praying to the Great Mother that it's not much farther.

"Not far," he replies, which is the same answer he's been giving me for days, except this time I can barely hear the words. I worry that, in his fever fogged brain, he's lost his way and we're actually travelling in circles.

I know he doesn't have long now, and if he was a human he would already be dead. This fear is the only thing that keeps me going. I'm starving, dehydrated, exhausted, and in pain. None of that matters , my inner voice keeps chanting.

He can't die, you have to keep going. He can't die.

Vaeril suddenly becomes heavy and drops to the ground, dragging me down with him.

"Vaeril!" I cry out, trying to untangle myself from him and rolling him over onto his back.

His face is red, and when I place a hand on his temple, I realise he's feverish. He lets out a pained noise, his eyes closed, and starts to mutter something. Lowering my ear to his mouth, I try to make out what he's saying.

"Must keep going...have to make her... safe."

Leaning back on my heels, I take a deep breath and screw my eyes shut for a minute, needing to push aside my panic. Think, Clarissa, think . My heart is pounding and I know he's dying, I can feel it in the pull between us.

"Vaeril, you are not going anywhere, stay with me," I shout, as I look around us. I have no idea where we are or how far away Galandell is, but I know I need to get there. Scrambling to my feet, I grab him under his shoulders and pull, dragging him in the direction we'd been walking. Tears roll down my face, but I don't care. I know something integral within me will break if he dies, and I'm not sure I would ever get over that.

What was the point in opening my heart and letting people in if they're just going to die?

I can feel I'm reaching my limits. My limbs shake, and as I trip over a root, I tumble to the ground in a heap. Pushing up into a kneeling position, I know what I need to do, it's the only option that's left. Bowing my head, I hold out my hands in the gesture of praise.

"Please, Mother, help me, guide me—I don't know what to do."

I feel her presence near me, but it's weak, and I remember what she said, that she wouldn't be able to help me here. I'm on my own.

"Miss?"

I spin at the unfamiliar voice, crouching over the elf to protect him from any potential threats. I can't see anyone, and I wonder if I was just hearing things when a throat clears, pulling my attention to a pile of brambles and twigs.

"Miss, are you okay?" The voice is scratchy and whispery, like they have not used it in a long time. The brambles start to move, and I see a pair of small, glowing orange eyes. My own eyes widen as the creature stands and takes a couple of steps towards me.

It comes up to about knee height on me, has thin, spindly limbs that I had mistaken for twigs, and the twisting brambles make up its body. It has pale, bark-like skin, and a sweet face with a button nose and pointed chin. Large, bat-like ears protrude from its head, which it tilts to one side as it examines me in return.

"Who are you?" I ask quietly, as I try to determine if the creature is friend or foe.

"I am Stix," he replies, a smile appearing on his face as he gestures to his stick-like limbs. I get the feeling he's not going to hurt me, and a thought strikes me.

"Was it you who has been leaving us food and water?"

He nods proudly before gesturing to the empty forest around us. "Me and my friends."

I feel like there are lots of small eyes on me, and I have to fight the urge to shudder over being watched. Smiling, I dip my head in thanks and hope it seems genuine.

"Then please pass on our gratitude." They've helped us ever since we arrived, and I had never even seen them. Vaeril moans behind me and I turn back to Stix. "My friend is very unwell, do you know how I can help him?" My voice sounds pleading, but I don't care, I need to find a way to heal him.

Stix takes another small, tentative step towards us, frowning down at Vaeril and crinkling his nose up in disgust. "High elves never do anything to help us."

Any hope I had suddenly dies at the look he gives the elf. Kneeling so I'm at the same height as the creature, I scrub my face, wiping away the tears.

"He's my friend, and without him, I'm lost and we can't get to Galandell." I don't go into any more detail or tell him that my heart feels like it's going to break with every second that passes.

My comment makes him pause as he tilts his head to one side again as he considers me. "If I help him, I help you?"

"Yes, please help," I plead.

There's another pause, and then he raises his branch-like hand to his mouth and makes a piercing whistle. Rustling fills the air, and creatures like Stix just seem to appear out of nowhere. They all vary vastly, the only aspect in common is their height and large ears. Some of them have skin that looks like rock, others have small, delicate horns, and a couple look like they are made entirely of leaves. Stix says something to them in a grinding language, and they all walk over to Vaeril.

"Stix, what are they doing?" I ask nervously, wondering if I should be worried or trying to get them off him. They don't seem to be particularly fond of the high elves.

"I take you to lake," Stix announces proudly, and seemingly as one, the creatures lift Vaeril and start slowly plodding through the forest. I hurry after Stix who appears to be leading the way.

"A lake?" I question, wondering how far away this lake is. Surely I would have heard it if it was close by.

How is going to a lake going to help us?

"Yes. Cave there, shelter," he tells me happily. "Tell the kelpie, ‘She's returned,' they'll get you nos weed. It will help elf."

I blink at the sudden influx of information, not understanding what he's saying. Shaking my head, I try to work through his instructions.

"The kelpie?" I have vague memories, old memories, of people talking about kelpies and watery graves, but when I try to reach for them, they slip away. Strange.

"Nasty creature." Stix shudders, and a couple of the other creatures behind us make noises of agreement. "But weed is deep, deep down in lake. Humans have little lungs, not able to make the swim." Now that Stix has started talking, he seems to have become quite chatty, and I'm beginning to get used to his scratchy, whispery voice.

He continues to talk, telling me all about his life and that of his friends. I learn that these creatures are forest imps and believe the high elves treat them like lower class citizens. I sympathise with them, and although I fear for Vaeril, Stix is able to keep me entertained during our journey to the lake.

When we arrive, it takes my breath away. It's beautiful here, with birds singing as they fly above us. The trees have thinned away, and the ground slopes down gently towards a large lake. There is a tall cliff on the other side of the pool, a waterfall cascading over the top of it.

"Cave." Stix points towards the cliff and we start heading towards it. I want to sprint, to hurry and drag the elf there, but the imps keep up their slow and steady pace.

Eventually, we reach the waterfall and the imps carry Vaeril behind the curtain of water, disappearing from sight. I start to follow, but a tug at my skirt pulls my gaze from where Vaeril vanished to my chatty companion. "Make sure to tell the kelpie what I said, otherwise she'll drown you," he tells me happily.

Lovely, sounds promising, I think, as I take a deep breath, watching as the imps file out from behind the waterfall. A thought comes to me as they all start walking away, back towards the forest.

"How do I find her?"

Stix turns around from where he's plodding away. "Call her. They are curious. Don't get summoned often," he responds with a shrug, walking backwards.

"Thank you, Stix, thank you so much," I say graciously, knowing I wouldn't have made it here without his help.

His whole face lights up like I've just made all his dreams come true. "Pleasure, friend." He waves, continuing to walk backwards as if he's being pulled to the forest—perhaps he is. Once he's out of sight, I turn to head behind the falls when a gust of wind brushes past and whips around me, caressing me as it swirls until I'm inside a twisting circle of wind. I should be worried, but for some reason, I'm not.

"Welcome back, Alina," a whispered voice calls, and as quickly as it appeared, the wind vanishes, leaving me out of breath and slightly elated.

Welcome back ? Why did they call me Alina? That's what Vaeril calls me, no one else knows that name , I muse, as I jog to the falls. Sure enough, when I get there, I see a thin gap between the crashing water and the cliff face, and about halfway in, an opening that I assume is the cave.

Squeezing through the opening, I take a relieved breath when I see Vaeril lying at the back of the cave. I hurry over, take off my cloak, and ball it up, placing it under his head. His eyes suddenly shoot open, making me gasp as he reaches out for me.

"Clarissa—Alina?" His eyes dart around the cave and his brow glistens with sweat, and I know he's not really seeing me as his eyes skim past me.

"I'm here," I reply, taking hold of his hand. "I need to go find something that will help you—nos weed," I explain, as I brush some of his hair from his forehead, untangling it with my fingers.

"No, the kelpies will get you." He abruptly lurches up, and I have to push him back so he lies down, soothing him with my hands, stroking his arm.

"It's okay, I'll be back soon," I promise, releasing his hand and wincing at his pained noise as I stand up and make my way to the entrance of the cave. I hate leaving him like this, the noises he's making break my heart a little, but I will be hurting a whole lot more if he dies.

"No—"

Glancing over, I see he's trying to push himself up, but he doesn't have the energy. I steel myself and hurry along the edge of the rock until I'm past the falls.

Taking a deep breath, I walk alongside the lake, searching for a good place to do this. I don't want to be too close to the cave in case this all goes wrong, but I want to have it in my sights so I can see if he tries to leave or if anyone else attempts to go in. I get the feeling I'm being watched, and a part of me is warning me not to get too close to the edge.

"Kelpie, I wish to talk to you," I declare loudly. I'm not sure what I'm looking for, but when silence greets me, I wonder if I've been duped. I lift my foot to take another step closer to the lake when the water suddenly ripples in the centre as two pointed black ears poke from the surface, followed by two glowing amber eyes. Instantly, I put my foot back down, standing my ground.

When it realises I'm not going to move any closer, it rises farther out of the water as it glides closer to the shore. Its upper torso is out of the water now, and I see that it looks like a horse, except this creature is angry. No, anger doesn't cover the level of darkness this creature has. I can feel its rage as it watches me, and it speaks to that part of me that is always angry, the fury difficult to contain.

"I need nos weed, my friend is hurt," I explain, but as its eyes narrow on me, I know it's not going to help me. With a loud, screeching neigh, its front legs erupt from the water before it plunges down into the depths of the lake.

"No!" I shout and, in my desperation, I hurtle towards the silent lake. The only indication that the kelpie had ever been there are the ripples that brush up against the shore. Reaching the water's edge, I fall to my knees. "She has returned!" I shout, my voice breaking.

I'm not sure what I expected to happen, but when the kelpie's head pops up from the water only two feet away from me, I have to stifle my shout of surprise. It's so close, I can see its rippling mane moving on a phantom breeze. A primal part of me is screaming to move back, to get as far away from the lake as I can, but as I lock eyes with the creature, I know it's not going to hurt me.

Two sets of ripples have me looking past the kelpie to see two smaller ones have joined it, their jet-black heads bobbing from the water to stare at me with their glowing amber eyes.

"She has returned," I say again, my voice ragged.

As if by some silent signal, the three of them dip their heads in my direction. One of the smaller creatures disappears under the water, but it's the big one I'm watching. Slowly, oh so slowly, he moves towards me, his body raising from the water the closer he gets. I don't move, staying completely still. This close, its tall, towering over me where I kneel on the shore.

Lowering its large head, he stares at me with his amber eyes. I can feel its rage, but it's no longer aimed at me. I don't know what compels me to do it, but I reach up and rest my hand on the creature's nose. It doesn't feel like any horse I've ever touched, more like the feeling you get when you rest your palm on the top of water. It's cool to the touch, but not quite solid, like if I tried to grab it, I would have only a handful of liquid. It lowers its head again, coming close to my face, and I jerk back, pulling my hand away. It instantly freezes, and against my better judgement, I don't move when he tries again.

He presses his forehead to mine, and I suddenly get flashes of images in my mind. No, they're memories, not my memories, but the kelpie's.

There's a girl standing by the lake, calling out to us. Our rage and insatiablehunger wants us to gallop through the water and pull her in like we've done to so many others.

Down, down, down we drag them. Their screams are muffled by the glorious liquid, and the only things escaping their mouths are bubbles as they waste their precious oxygen. Their terror fuels us, stoking our anger. We will have our revenge.

The girl is skinny, won't be much to feast on, but her fear will be ripe. There's something about her, though, that calls to us, something that overrides the never-ending hunger. This is why we reveal ourselves, curious, only to find she wants our help. Why would we help a human when they have done nothing for us? That rage rises again, and I rear up out of the water before diving back into the dark depths. I spared her life because of that curiosity, that is the only gift I will give her.

"She has returned!"

The words, though muted through the water, make me freeze. Immediately, I turn and gallop back to the surface until I am almost nose to nose with her. If she has returned, she will help us get our revenge.

Breaking out of the memory, I fall back against the hard ground, shaking my head as I adjust to being back in my own head. The kelpie's thoughts are horrific, their hunger is insatiable and their rage… The images of people being dragged to their watery grave will reappear in my nightmares.

"Revenge, what revenge?" I manage to bite out.

Lowering its head towards me, I take a deep breath and prepare to re-enter its thoughts.

We're galloping through the water, my brothers and sisters behind me. The weather is warm today, so the water is calm other than the eddies our movements create. We continue through our territory when we feel it — a wrongness in the water. Throwing back my head, I neigh and speed towards the feeling, my siblings trailing close behind. That's when we see it. There is a barrier, cutting us off from the rest of our territory. I can hear my mother on the other side of the wall. Snorting, I prepare to jump over it, no wall has ever stopped us before, but my body seizes as a sharp pain attacks my frame. I try again and again, but each time I am stopped.

I don't fall back this time as the kelpie pulls away, and I understand where some of the creature's anger is coming from.

"A dam," I whisper, rubbing my arms as I remember how pain assaulted the kelpies when they went too close. "It must be protected by magic." I'm speaking more to myself than anyone else, but the creature nods its large head in agreement. "I'm sorry. It's awful you have been blocked from your territory and family."

A smaller head pops up from the water next to its larger brother, and I see something in its mouth as it cautiously approaches me under the watchful gaze of the large stallion. Arriving at the shore, it opens its mouth and drops a pile of green weeds. Nos weed. I reach for it, looking up, and I see the two smaller creatures have already disappeared and the larger one is slowly backing into the water.

"Thank you," I whisper, knowing he can hear me before he vanishes entirely.

I sit for a moment longer, looking out over the lake before a sense of urgency fills me. "Vaeril," I murmur, as I push to my feet, forcing myself to run as fast as I can. I can feel him fading. My lungs sting and my legs burn, but I don't care, the only thing that matters right now is getting to my elf.

Hurrying past the wall of water, I sprint over to Vaeril's side before letting out a cry of pain as I stare down at his lifeless body.