máthair will miss you. Your family have no idea that you are even gone.”
She licked her lips, and toyed with a curl of her long red hair about one finger, nervously. “They don't? Magic again?”
He nodded, head tilted rather arrogantly. “It would be nothing for us to erase their memories, should they discover your absence.”
Chelsea decided to stay just a little longer. This was an opportunity of a lifetime. If this turned out not be a dream, then she really had visited the Faery Realm, and would remember this for the rest of her life. That is, if they didn't delete her memories. She really hoped not! Her friends would never believe her though.
A little while later, she noticed again. “No-one is eating, but me.” Still. Why was there all of this food when only she was eating? What a waste. It was a feast too, wasn't it?
Finvara looked at the others at the table and then at the platters piled with fruits, nuts, and flowers. “We are not permitted to sup till the moon rises into the sky at its apex,” he explained softly.
She glanced up into the sky to see the position of the moon. “Midnight?” she guessed.
“Yes.”
Chelsea was confused. She had been eating. In fact, the prince, and the breathtaking woman sitting to her left, had often pressed food right into her hands and smiled as they watched her eat. “Why is that? I'm eating.”
Finvara’s lips tightened and his eyes became a darker gold as they bored into her. “This food has been gathered for you. Please eat. It would please us greatly,” he urged, his tone hard.
“I feel weird eating alone,” she protested boldly. If anything, the prince’s expression turned icier, and she shivered. Something wasn't quite right here. With him. With all these people. But she couldn't figure it out.
He watched her, fingers toying with the base of his golden goblet. Although he had not eaten anything, he had drunk from it often. The goblets were all refilled by Bogles whenever the Fae had emptied them. “We will all eat soon enough.”
Chapter 7
Chelsea was gazing into the fire of the huge pit when she heard a commotion behind her. When she turned her face, she saw that the large doors at the base of the tree were open wide to show the Seelie Realm.
She heard shouting then, and four Fae warriors in silver armour emerged from around the far side of the lake, dragging a girl between them. Her long white and red robes were being dragged through the dirt along with her slipper clad feet, her arms twisted up above her head painfully. One of the Fae soldiers had a painful hold of her long hair.
“Prince Finvara, what are they doing to that girl?” Chelsea cried in disbelief. She watched the beautiful silver-haired Fae struggle fiercely against the men as they dragged her through the portal into the Unseelie Court.
Once through, the prisoner abruptly fell silent, and tensed in fear. Her silver eyes darted around looking at all the creatures in the clearing, and at the Fae, who were staring at her from the great table. She sobbed as if in sudden realisation, and tears ran down her face.
Finvara looked on impassively. “She is one of our kind who fled through the portal to the other Court. The girl fell in love with a man from there, and her father asked that she be retrieved for the feast,” he told Chelsea quietly.
“If she’s in love, why can’t she stay with him?” she demanded. How cruel to drag her back like that! But where was the man she was in love with?
As if answering her question, she saw warriors in blue and white and gold rushing around the lake with grim faces, weapons drawn.
The warriors on the Unseelie side laughed and called out taunts, and others quickly pushed the doors shut. They clanged closed, right in the face of the other Fae, sealing them out.
The girl began to sob and plead loudly, but they still held her arms as if afraid she’d try to escape.
Chelsea’s upset gaze met that of the girl. Silver eyes went
She licked her lips, and toyed with a curl of her long red hair about one finger, nervously. “They don't? Magic again?”
He nodded, head tilted rather arrogantly. “It would be nothing for us to erase their memories, should they discover your absence.”
Chelsea decided to stay just a little longer. This was an opportunity of a lifetime. If this turned out not be a dream, then she really had visited the Faery Realm, and would remember this for the rest of her life. That is, if they didn't delete her memories. She really hoped not! Her friends would never believe her though.
A little while later, she noticed again. “No-one is eating, but me.” Still. Why was there all of this food when only she was eating? What a waste. It was a feast too, wasn't it?
Finvara looked at the others at the table and then at the platters piled with fruits, nuts, and flowers. “We are not permitted to sup till the moon rises into the sky at its apex,” he explained softly.
She glanced up into the sky to see the position of the moon. “Midnight?” she guessed.
“Yes.”
Chelsea was confused. She had been eating. In fact, the prince, and the breathtaking woman sitting to her left, had often pressed food right into her hands and smiled as they watched her eat. “Why is that? I'm eating.”
Finvara’s lips tightened and his eyes became a darker gold as they bored into her. “This food has been gathered for you. Please eat. It would please us greatly,” he urged, his tone hard.
“I feel weird eating alone,” she protested boldly. If anything, the prince’s expression turned icier, and she shivered. Something wasn't quite right here. With him. With all these people. But she couldn't figure it out.
He watched her, fingers toying with the base of his golden goblet. Although he had not eaten anything, he had drunk from it often. The goblets were all refilled by Bogles whenever the Fae had emptied them. “We will all eat soon enough.”
Chapter 7
Chelsea was gazing into the fire of the huge pit when she heard a commotion behind her. When she turned her face, she saw that the large doors at the base of the tree were open wide to show the Seelie Realm.
She heard shouting then, and four Fae warriors in silver armour emerged from around the far side of the lake, dragging a girl between them. Her long white and red robes were being dragged through the dirt along with her slipper clad feet, her arms twisted up above her head painfully. One of the Fae soldiers had a painful hold of her long hair.
“Prince Finvara, what are they doing to that girl?” Chelsea cried in disbelief. She watched the beautiful silver-haired Fae struggle fiercely against the men as they dragged her through the portal into the Unseelie Court.
Once through, the prisoner abruptly fell silent, and tensed in fear. Her silver eyes darted around looking at all the creatures in the clearing, and at the Fae, who were staring at her from the great table. She sobbed as if in sudden realisation, and tears ran down her face.
Finvara looked on impassively. “She is one of our kind who fled through the portal to the other Court. The girl fell in love with a man from there, and her father asked that she be retrieved for the feast,” he told Chelsea quietly.
“If she’s in love, why can’t she stay with him?” she demanded. How cruel to drag her back like that! But where was the man she was in love with?
As if answering her question, she saw warriors in blue and white and gold rushing around the lake with grim faces, weapons drawn.
The warriors on the Unseelie side laughed and called out taunts, and others quickly pushed the doors shut. They clanged closed, right in the face of the other Fae, sealing them out.
The girl began to sob and plead loudly, but they still held her arms as if afraid she’d try to escape.
Chelsea’s upset gaze met that of the girl. Silver eyes went
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