walking about as well, men and women both dressed
in the same tunics as Linden and Celeste. Were they some sort of
religious community? Or were they something else altogether? They all
had a strange look on their face and it took a while for her to
realise what it was.
Contentment. They were all content. Every single one of them.
Abigail's legs were like rubber, the after effects of Linden's touch
no doubt. She didn't no how long she stood there, her arms braced
against the wall taking deep breaths to calm herself. The desire was
slow to go and she felt as though her body had betrayed her. How
could she feel desire for Linden when she – when she –
but her mind refused to let her go there.
She walked away from the centre of town, wandering in and out of
deserted alleyways between the trees that all looked so alike she was
sure she would get lost. A sweaty hand was clamped over her mouth and
she was dragged backwards into another smaller alley.
"Ssh, don't scream," said a voice in her ear. "I'm
human. Like you."
The hand was removed from her mouth and she turned to face her
would-be attacker. Once he may have been a handsome man, but now his
face was drawn and haggard, once rosy cheeks were now grey, as if
life had left him but his body didn't know it yet. His clothes were
nothing but rags hanging on a skeleton with skin.
"I can get you out. You and your friend," he said.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Oh, no. You won't get me that way again. Have you told them
your name? I can't do anything if you've told them your name."
Abigail thought back. "No, I don't think so," she said at
last.
"Good, good," muttered the man. "And the food. Don't
eat or drink anything they give you. You're lost if you do.
"Okay," said Abigail. "That sounds easy enough."
"Oh, but it isn't," he said. "They are strong. They
can impose their will on you, making you drink even though you don't
want to. You have to be very strong to resist them. They can drive
you mad with lust, wanting no one but them. But you mustn't give in,
if you lie with them there is no way out."
"Oh no!" cried Abigail. "My friend. He's alone with
one of them. He might..."
"We must get him out quickly then," said the man. "Which
one is he with?"
"Celeste," replied Abigail.
"Celeste," he spat the name like a curse. "Oh, yes, I
know all of her tricks."
He took Abigail's hand and dragged her along the warren of narrow
streets until they came to the town square again. They waited a few
moments until Celeste emerged and walked away from the tree hut that
Caden was in. "Now!" he said and they both dashed inside.
Caden was sleeping peacefully, the ghost of a smile playing on his
lips and Abigail almost faltered, wondering if he was dreaming of
Celeste.
"No time!" muttered the man beside her. Between them they
managed to lift Caden and run out into the street again. But that was
when they were seen.
"Stop them!" roared Linden and a multitude of tunic clad
people rushed at them.
Abigail's anxiety gave her an extra boost and they ran as fast as
they could away from the town and out towards the forest. The thin
man seemed to know his way around and took them to a hideaway in a
small cave.
"We can rest now," he panted. He and Abigail laid down
their burden. Caden slept on.
"Won't they come after us?" asked Abigail, glancing round,
imagining she was still hearing the sounds of pursuit.
"Not here. It isn't part of their realm. It's a portal back to
your world. They can only come here once a year."
"What are you talking about?" demanded Abigail. None of it
made any sense and she was getting fed up. "Where are we?"
"I thought you knew," he said sadly. "We're in the
land of Faery."
"Don't be ridiculous!" snapped Abigail and stood up, pacing
the cave like a wild animal in a cage. "You're telling me that
those, that those people back there are faeries?"
"Yes," he said. On the floor, Caden stirred.
"Celeste?" he whispered and Abigail felt her heart sink.
"Celeste!" he shrieked
in the same tunics as Linden and Celeste. Were they some sort of
religious community? Or were they something else altogether? They all
had a strange look on their face and it took a while for her to
realise what it was.
Contentment. They were all content. Every single one of them.
Abigail's legs were like rubber, the after effects of Linden's touch
no doubt. She didn't no how long she stood there, her arms braced
against the wall taking deep breaths to calm herself. The desire was
slow to go and she felt as though her body had betrayed her. How
could she feel desire for Linden when she – when she –
but her mind refused to let her go there.
She walked away from the centre of town, wandering in and out of
deserted alleyways between the trees that all looked so alike she was
sure she would get lost. A sweaty hand was clamped over her mouth and
she was dragged backwards into another smaller alley.
"Ssh, don't scream," said a voice in her ear. "I'm
human. Like you."
The hand was removed from her mouth and she turned to face her
would-be attacker. Once he may have been a handsome man, but now his
face was drawn and haggard, once rosy cheeks were now grey, as if
life had left him but his body didn't know it yet. His clothes were
nothing but rags hanging on a skeleton with skin.
"I can get you out. You and your friend," he said.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Oh, no. You won't get me that way again. Have you told them
your name? I can't do anything if you've told them your name."
Abigail thought back. "No, I don't think so," she said at
last.
"Good, good," muttered the man. "And the food. Don't
eat or drink anything they give you. You're lost if you do.
"Okay," said Abigail. "That sounds easy enough."
"Oh, but it isn't," he said. "They are strong. They
can impose their will on you, making you drink even though you don't
want to. You have to be very strong to resist them. They can drive
you mad with lust, wanting no one but them. But you mustn't give in,
if you lie with them there is no way out."
"Oh no!" cried Abigail. "My friend. He's alone with
one of them. He might..."
"We must get him out quickly then," said the man. "Which
one is he with?"
"Celeste," replied Abigail.
"Celeste," he spat the name like a curse. "Oh, yes, I
know all of her tricks."
He took Abigail's hand and dragged her along the warren of narrow
streets until they came to the town square again. They waited a few
moments until Celeste emerged and walked away from the tree hut that
Caden was in. "Now!" he said and they both dashed inside.
Caden was sleeping peacefully, the ghost of a smile playing on his
lips and Abigail almost faltered, wondering if he was dreaming of
Celeste.
"No time!" muttered the man beside her. Between them they
managed to lift Caden and run out into the street again. But that was
when they were seen.
"Stop them!" roared Linden and a multitude of tunic clad
people rushed at them.
Abigail's anxiety gave her an extra boost and they ran as fast as
they could away from the town and out towards the forest. The thin
man seemed to know his way around and took them to a hideaway in a
small cave.
"We can rest now," he panted. He and Abigail laid down
their burden. Caden slept on.
"Won't they come after us?" asked Abigail, glancing round,
imagining she was still hearing the sounds of pursuit.
"Not here. It isn't part of their realm. It's a portal back to
your world. They can only come here once a year."
"What are you talking about?" demanded Abigail. None of it
made any sense and she was getting fed up. "Where are we?"
"I thought you knew," he said sadly. "We're in the
land of Faery."
"Don't be ridiculous!" snapped Abigail and stood up, pacing
the cave like a wild animal in a cage. "You're telling me that
those, that those people back there are faeries?"
"Yes," he said. On the floor, Caden stirred.
"Celeste?" he whispered and Abigail felt her heart sink.
"Celeste!" he shrieked
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