Page 5 of A Kiss From a Faerie King

“Hey! Grab her. Get back here!”

“Lady Laurelle, come back!”

The guards shout after me, but my steps don’t slow.The Woodsswallow me up the deeper into them I get. I don’t know how far away the road is or if I’m even traveling in the right direction, but I don’t stop. My corset still constricts me, so I rip the laces off and let the damn thing fall behind me, never slowing my steps.

Metal clanks behind me as I careen sharply to the right.

“Stop running!” a voice calls from a few feet back.

My legs burn, and my feet are cut on sharp sticks. The cold air licks over my heated skin, and sweat pools along my spine. I take another sharp right and fling myself behind a large boulder.

Panting, I slap a hand over my mouth to silence my breaths. Metal footsteps continue past me as I sit still in the fading light. My thick shift is a mess. Shredded along the hem and the sleeves. I gently peel it away as I survey the damage to my feet and legs.

The cuts aren’t deep, but I must clean them before they fester. I sit in the dark until I hear an owl hooting overhead. The sun has fully set. The large, pale moon illuminates the forest. The stillness of it all is unsettling. No animals beyond the owl rattle the branches or bushes around me. I would think I was if it wasn’t for the feeling of being watched.

I don’t know how long I sit in the dark, but I know it’s not wise to linger. I need to make it to that village. The guards have missed me for now, but they could return at any moment.

Limping forward, I continue on the dimly lit path. The night air is cold, and I begin to shiver, remembering that I am half-naked. It takes only a few minutes of aimlessly walking before I realize I’m truly lost. The trees I’m passing seem like ones I’ve already walked by.

My shoulders slump. This is my first taste of freedom, and I will perish inThe Woodsbefore getting to fully enjoy it. The grass turns damp beneath my feet as I continue forward.

A breeze blows my curls into my eyes. First, it’s gentle, then more forceful. I let it guide me. It’s as ifThe Woodsare taking me somewhere, and I can only hope it's a way out—my heart lodges in my throat as my eyes adjust to the scene before me.

The tree line is thinning, and there is a clearing up ahead. My steps speed up. Have I reached the forest edge? Crossing through the tree line, I let out a groan. It’s just a meadow with dark trees surrounding it on all sides. The moon shines overhead and illuminates the open space. This isn’t an ideal place to be.

If the guards come upon me, there’s nowhere to hide. I go to turn and head back the way I came when something stops me. Slowly, I twist back around and blink my eyes to focus them. My feet move of their own accord as I take in the sight.

What I'm seeing doesn’t seem real. It looks as if it’s from another world.

A single flower sits in the center of the clearing. The thick blue petals glow softly, already covered in a glistening dew. It’s as if it’s made from crystals and sapphires the way it sparkles in the moonlight. It’s a siren’s song, luring me in. The bright petals are in three full layers, surrounding a bright-white center.

It seems to pulse, and as I kneel before it. The bloom casts my skin in a blue glow.

I’m transfixed, and even as the brightness burns my eyes. I wipe the tears sliding from my eyes as my hand extends towards it. Tracing one large petal with my fingertip, I shudder at the softness of it. What’s happening to me? Have I lost my mind in these woods? Did I hit my head in the carriage crash, and now I’m hallucinating?

Whatever is happening to me, I feel like a bug caught in a spider’s web. The pain in my legs and the fear of being captured by royal guards fade from my mind. All there is is this flower. My fingers trace along the velvet stem.

I want it—more than I’ve ever wanted anything. Something must’ve happened to me during the crash. Nothing makes sense, but the only thing I care about is having this flower. I shouldn’t pluck it. My intuition tells me it would be wrong, but I can’t help it.

I need it, I need it, I need it.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper toward the flower. It’s too pretty to be plucked, but I’m selfish. I want to keep its beauty all to myself. My hand grips the stem as I yank it from the ground. Its roots seem impossibly long, as if growing here for centuries. I pull it towards me, enjoying its sweet scent…before my eyes widen as the petals atrophy. They turn dull and brown before curling in on themselves. It’s only another moment before they turn into a cloud of dust that blows away in the night air.

“No!” I shout, my heart crumbling along with the bloom.

What have I just done? Why would I do that?

I don’t get to answer those questions as the ground below me shakes. The solid soil beneath my knees breaks away and disintegrates just as the flower's petals did. My scream is swallowed up by the dark abyss I’m sent tumbling down into.

2

EMRYS

My subjects could try the patience of the most even-tempered king.

The Great Oakknew in all its infinite wisdom that only a creature as strong-willed as myself could keep them in line. My power contains them in our realm far beneath the human world. Far away fromThe Woodsour beloved oak tree sprouted from below. Its gnarled branches reached through the soil to separate our two worlds. It wasn’t long before it became teaming with creatures from all manner of ilk. Flocking towards its ancient magic, they find their home amongst the dense foliage.

Deep beneath the ground,The Great Oak’sroots grow strong and feed off the magic from our realm. Whether the magic existed because of the oak tree or the oak tree exists because of magic is one of our greatest mysteries. Regardless, I’ve always been its keeper. My reign has been from the beginning and will continue until the end.

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