Into the Nightfell Wood Read online

  “Here, child.” The queen turned to her and produced a pair of crystal bells from the air. They rang with several notes at once as the queen handed them to her. “Go and make me a pretty song in your room. I will come and listen to it at dinnertime. Promise me you will obey the rules. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  Wynn glanced out the window. A gust of wind shook the trees of the shadowy woods in the distance. “I promise,” Wynn said.

  Raven tried to take her hand, but Wynn pulled it away. She followed him out of the queen’s rooms and back to hers, still thinking about what she heard. She had to find her brother.

  Wynn jingled the pretty bells for a while, long enough for Raven to fly off and boss someone else around. A pretty song wouldn’t help Elric. He was in danger. When everything was quiet again, she slowly opened her door. She tiptoed through the corridor, glancing every now and then through the narrow windows cut into the living wood. A gap opened up to her right and she turned. An arching bridge curved over the top of the leafy branches toward the heart of the tree. She hadn’t been this way before, but it led to the trunk, and the trunk had stairs, and it didn’t seem as busy as the main branch.

  She wasn’t supposed to cross the bridges without help. This one was very high, and it didn’t have rails. Wynn peered through the branches of the great tree. Each leaf was huge, at least the size of the roof of the hut where she had grown up. She took a step out.

  Immediately she looked down. Her head spun. The ground was so far below, it didn’t look like ground at all. She stepped back into the hall and heard footsteps and voices coming toward her. The fairies would make her go back in her room.

  There was only one thing to do. Wynn grabbed her skirts again and ran over the bridge. She watched her feet and tried not to think of how high up she was. The bridge sloped down, and she nearly lost her balance and fell forward, but she caught herself and stumbled, falling through the open doorway into the trunk of the tree. She skidded down a few steps before she picked herself up.

  Her heart was racing, but she made it!

  Now she needed to find her brother.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Elric

  “GOOD! FASTER, PRINCE ELRIC, DEFEND your weak side,” Master Elk Windlight commanded in his deep and booming voice. It carried across the arena.

  Elric gripped his staff harder and used it to parry the attack of the fairy boy he was sparring with. The muscles in his arms felt like they were made of gloppy mud, and his thighs burned with pain. His legs shook as he gritted his teeth and tried to find the strength to fend off the new attack. This was his first fighting lesson, and he didn’t want to let Master Elk down. They had been working since dawn without a break, and he was both hungry and exhausted.

  The sand of the arena shifted beneath Elric’s feet and his sweaty palms slipped on the polished staff. The fairy boy tried to dodge Elric’s next blow by floating three feet in the air, but Elric swung his own staff, and landed a strike on the fairy boy’s weapon. The crack of wood on wood echoed in the arena.

  “Zephyr, the prince is a mortal. You must fight like one too!” Master Elk shouted at the fairy boy with a commanding bellow that suited his rank as the captain of the queen’s guard. The air around Zeph’s shaggy mop of blue-black hair glimmered.

  With a flash of light, the boy was gone. A gust of wind buffeted Elric’s head as he fell face-first into the sand.

  Zephyr reappeared on Elric’s other side and laughed. “Remember the first rule of fighting: always keep your balance.”

  Elric grabbed a handful of sand and threw it at Zephyr. The lousy cheat. The fairy boy flicked his wrist and the wind blew the sand harmlessly to the side.

  “That was against the rules, and you know it.” Elric dusted himself off and picked up his staff even though his fingers felt too weak to hold it anymore.

  “Maybe.” Zeph chuckled. “But it was worth it.”

  Elric bent to catch his breath. He was the prince. The queen had determined he was ready to fight. This wasn’t a game. He rose up, swinging his staff in a quick arc to catch Zeph behind the knees. The fairy landed on his rump in the sand. He looked shocked at first, then his eyes flashed from warm brown to bright green. Zephyr crossed his arms over his belly and fell back in the sand, laughing. “Good one, Prince! I can’t believe I fell for that.” He floated up and dusted off his rump. “Literally.”

  Elric gritted his teeth. How was he supposed to be a leader—a prince—to the fairies when at every turn their magic put him at a disadvantage? He had to find a way. He was determined to reward the queen’s faith in him. Zephyr, on the other hand, hadn’t taken anything seriously all day.

  It had only been a month since Elric arrived in this realm. In that time he had made no friends. Most of the magic folk either treated him with deference or kept their distance. The morning had started off well, and he thought perhaps Zephyr was different from the others. Zeph was friendlier than most, and didn’t seem to mind the fact that Elric was a human boy from the Otherworld. But it was late, and Zephyr’s carefree attitude and pranks were wearing thin on Elric’s patience.

  It seemed Elric wasn’t the only one who was annoyed. Master Elk crossed his arms and glared at them both. “I’m glad to see this is all fun and games to you boys. Zephyr, I thought I told you to remain solid.”

  “Yes, Master Windlight.” Zeph shook the sand out of his hair. The raven feathers tied near his ear fluttered with the motion. “But if Elric is to learn how to defend himself in this realm, shouldn’t he anticipate fairy magic?”

  Elk’s thin braids slid over his shoulders as he leaned forward and brought his sun-browned face within an inch of the younger fairy’s. One of Elk’s dark eyebrows rose. There was something in the captain’s expression that made the hair on the back of Elric’s neck stand up. “It’s not fairy magic we are preparing him for.”

  Elk placed his hands behind his back. His long white robes swished around his legs as he strode in front of them. “That shield . . .” he said, pointing to the shimmering colors of the dome of light that protected the kingdom. “It’s fragile. And it is under constant attack from both the Grendel and his cursed reapers, and the elves. If the queen suffers another heartbreak, it could shatter. If it does, the darkling creatures of the Nightfell Wood will invade this land.” Elk began to pace, his feet lifting a small cloud of glittering dust with each step.

  “The Grendel has corrupted all of the wood. He has fed for centuries on the souls of the creatures that live there. Now they are all like him. The elves are treacherous and cunning. They are betrayers and thieves. They will stop at nothing to break the shield, and allow the monsters of the wood to invade.”

  The sunlight glimmered on the silver thorn branches that crowned Elk’s head. The captain stared down his broad nose as if his words were the law.

  Elric looked over at the shield and the woods beyond. He didn’t know enough about this world to judge what was good and what was dangerous. As he watched the shadows, dread stole through his blood.

  Elk moved in front of him, each step falling with careful and quiet grace. The man’s enormous shadow fell over Elric, bringing with it a slight chill. “Remember this, my prince—the Grendel seeks to break the heart of the queen, and her power with it. He will stop at nothing to find a weakness. He will send the foulest minions of his army to find you. The worst of them all, are the reapers.”

  Elric felt a heavy weight press down on him, and he leaned on his staff. He and Wynn almost died trying to find the Silver Gate, thinking they would be safe once they found it. Now they were in as much danger as they ever were.

  Zephyr, who had been hovering nearby, sank back to the ground and cast an anxious glance at the distant shield. “Is it true the reapers have been attacking the shield?”

  Master Elk turned to look at the shield. It seemed no more substantial than a bubble of air beneath water. “Yes. The fractures in the shield have been repaired. The Grendel knows there is only one way
for that to happen. He knows the queen has taken in a new child. His spies are everywhere. The reapers are here, and they are hunting for the new changeling.”

  He moved closer to Elric and loomed over him. “They will catch you and drag you back to the Grendel so he can leech away your spirit. You will become nothing but an empty shell, trapped for all eternity in the torment of the Dark One’s evil shadow. You must learn to protect yourself, Prince Elric. That is what I’m preparing you for.” His expression softened. “I made a mistake the last time. I thought I could protect the last changeling prince myself by watching over him personally. I didn’t warn him. He didn’t know the danger.” Master Elk looked away. “I won’t make the same mistake with you.”

  Elric remained silent as his teacher strode away from him. The sunlight returned and warmed Elric’s shoulders, but not his heart. From the moment he had found himself in the Between, he wasn’t sure how he should fit into this place. The queen had made him a prince, but in reality, he was still just a shepherd boy. He knew nothing about wars, or fighting, or being a leader.

  Master Elk circled around to Zephyr. “You need to learn discipline if you ever wish to grow up. You haven’t even earned your second name yet after, what? Four hundred years? So I expect to see more effort out of you and less rule-breaking.”

  Elric stood straighter. “Captain, sir?”

  Elk turned his attention toward Elric, who suddenly felt nervous under the scrutiny of the fairy. “How can we possibly fight the Grendel? He is a shadow.” Elric remembered the troubles they had encountered on their journey to the Silver Gate, the howling winds, the disease, and death that seemed to follow them. He didn’t think the Grendel was real at the time, but Wynn believed the Grendel had somehow followed them, and she had been right about the Silver Gate. He needed to know the true nature of what they both were facing.

  Elk bowed his noble head. “The Grendel is not a shadow. Not in this world. He was a fairy once.” Elk crushed a clotted chunk of sand beneath his foot. “Our power is driven by laughter, music, and light. But dark creatures from the Shadowfields began to infiltrate the Nightfell Wood. As a powerful fairy, he swore he would defeat them and protect the elves who lived there. During his battles, he discovered the strength of fear, sorrow, and pain.”

  Elric knew the power of those forces. The lord who had ruled their village used fear to control everyone beneath him.

  Master Elk turned away from them, but his voice was no less resonant. “The Grendel became very powerful. When he defeated an army from the Shadowfields, he believed only he was strong enough to be king. But he was not given the crown.” Elk turned back, and his eyes glowed white and glittered. “The Grendel tried to prove the queen wasn’t strong enough to rule. He attacked her. In that moment, his heart and his magic became as black as the Shadowfields themselves.”

  Elk looked out at the Nightfell Wood. “Dark fairy magic is like a disease. Once it gets hold, it slowly poisons the rest of your power. But it is strong, and we have never had to face a dark fairy as powerful as the Grendel before. The light of our magic gets pulled into his shadow and lost. We have no power that can equal dark magic, but if we tried to use our own dark magic against him, we would become like him, poisoned and corrupted. We cannot destroy him. All we can do is protect ourselves against him.”

  “But surely the magic of the queen—” Elric began.

  Elk’s eyes flashed red. “The magic of the queen shields us, and in turn, we protect her. Since you are now tied to the queen’s heart as her chosen son, you must learn to protect your mortal life at all cost. That is your duty.”

  Elric twisted the toe of his boot in the sand. He didn’t like being called the queen’s son. He had only come here to save Wynn, and he had barely ever spoken to the queen. He was here to give Wynn a better life than the one she had in the Otherworld. He thought he had achieved that. But now he was looking toward a lifetime of always waiting for an attack.

  “Elric!” Wynn called from somewhere behind him.

  He jumped and spun around at the sound of his sister’s desperate voice. He dropped his staff and ran toward her at the edge of the arena. She was running with outstretched arms, already determined to hug him.

  “Wynn, what are you doing here?” he asked as she crashed into him and wrapped him in one of her tight hugs. He gave her a quick squeeze, then put her at arm’s length. Out of habit he scanned her, looking for anything out of place. “And what happened to your shoe?” he asked.

  “Elric! I found you!” She clapped.

  Master Elk swung his long cloak from his shoulders and wrapped it around Wynn, covering her head with the hood. “Princess, why are you outside? Does the queen know you are here?” His voice was hushed, but there was an edge of sharp command in it that made Elric’s blood run cold.

  Wynn looked at him with wide blue eyes. “My brother,” she said, her words soft.

  The Captain took Elric by the arm and led him a few steps closer to the palace but kept his body between Wynn and the wood. “Get her back to her room immediately. Keep her hidden,” he demanded. “Do it now. We will continue training in the morning, and hurry.”

  Zephyr crept closer. Elk grabbed Zephyr by the ear and tugged him back. “You still need to work on your healing magic.”

  Elric tucked Wynn under his arm as they marched back toward the palace. “What is wrong?” he asked. He still couldn’t believe she made it to him on her own without getting caught.

  “Danger,” she said, pushing back Elk’s heavy cloak, but he tucked it back up. “They want the Grendel to see you.”

  Elric’s mind tried to puzzle out what she was attempting to tell him. She must have heard something very upsetting to try to find him so far from the palace. “What did you hear?” he asked.

  “They want the Grendel to see you. Hide me,” she said, still upset. “No fighting.”

  They passed under the enormous stone archways of the rock towers, and the high branches of the palace tree. They still had to go through the gardens to reach the doors to the throne room in the trunk of the great tree.

  “Wynn, I don’t understand,” he said. She flapped her hands in response and walked around in a short circle. Wynn only did that when her emotions became too overwhelming. She wouldn’t be able to tell him what had upset her in this state. It would also be more difficult to lead her to her room. “Look at the gardens. Aren’t they pretty?” he asked, to try to distract her.

  Flowers bloomed in swirling arcs and circles of color. He glanced around for someone but the gardens were surprisingly empty. That was odd. For the past few days the palace had been mostly deserted too. But he had to focus on his task and find a way to lure Wynn back to her room. “Have you seen Mildred?” he asked.

  Wynn shook her head and looked even more upset. “Mildred is not in my room,” she answered, her words so unclear he almost didn’t understand them.

  No, she wouldn’t have seen Mildred lately; the hen didn’t like climbing the stairs. Mildred was getting fat staying in the kitchens. The first few weeks in the Between, he took Wynn down to the kitchens to visit her, but he hadn’t done it in several days. He knew Wynn probably missed her bird. If they stopped by the kitchens, he could pick up Mildred and carry the hen to Wynn’s bedroom so she could play with her chicken.

  “I can be a prince too.” Wynn flopped down on the ground. “I don’t want to be the princess.”

  Elric tried to pull her up, but it was no use. “Wynn, what is wrong?”

  “Stay in my room,” she said as she wiped her nose on the sleeve of her delicate dress. “I don’t like it.”

  Elric still wasn’t sure what she was trying to tell him. “It is better here in the Between. We have plenty to eat, and warm, safe places to sleep.” Elric picked up a rock from the path. “Do you remember when we had to sleep on the hard ground in the snow and we were so cold and hungry?”

  Wynn looked away.

  Elric wasn’t sure what to say. He knew she was bored.
He couldn’t help that. He could set her on useless tasks just to keep her occupied, but he had a feeling she would know what he was up to. Wynn had an uncanny ability to see right through him. Besides, what could he possibly ask her to do that wouldn’t get them both in trouble? Clean her room? “Everyone here wants to keep you safe and happy,” he said. “We all love you.”

  She looked up at him, but she didn’t say anything.

  A sudden gust of wind nearly knocked Elric over. Zephyr appeared in front of him, his eyes burning bright red and yellow. “A darkling creature is attacking the shield to the west of the arena. I think it’s a reaper!”

  Elric’s heart leaped in his chest. He jumped up, and Wynn followed.

  “Come on, we have to hurry,” Zephyr said as he grabbed Elric’s arm and pulled him down the path. “Master Elk needs you there.”

  “Wynn, stay here,” he ordered. He didn’t want her crossing any bridges without help, and the garden was both sheltered and safe.

  “No, they want to see you,” she protested. “They want the Grendel to see you.”

  He took a step away from her, even as he held his palm out to stop her from following. “You’ll be safe right here in the garden. I’ll be back in just a moment. Promise me you’ll stay here and wait for me. I’ll come for you as soon as I can.”

  Zephyr disappeared again. Elric gave his sister a desperate look.

  “I promise,” she said. She flopped down in a pile of her silky skirts and crossed her arms. Elric gave her an approving nod and broke into a run. Master Elk had called for him. He glanced back to his sister.

  She picked a flower and lazily plucked at the petals. She would stay until he could return for her, and then he would make sure she reached the safety of her room. “I promise I’ll come back for you,” he whispered to himself as he turned and ran.