Page 70 of Witch Unbound
“We follow Bixie.” Wren set off after the bouncing orb. “Hurry. Not much time left.”
We set off after Bixie, no questions asked.
She’d just saved our asses, and if she could bring back Bramble, then I’d follow her to the ends of Faerie.
* * *
The fae worldoutside of the dead forest was a mishmash of death and life. Strange purple and pink flowers with huge droopy petals bloomed on charred soil, as if the earth was fighting to live against overwhelming odds. Shoots of lush green grass pushed up out of the earth only to be strangled by a blanket of brown thorny vines.
This world was at war with itself.
But above us stretched a blanket of stars so bright it made my heart sing.
I glanced down at the rose brooch, still shiny and gold. We had time. I inhaled sweet, fresh air, allowing my muscles to unknot a fraction, because even though the world was silent, I sensed life, hidden and wary. Life and hope for Bramble.
We crossed a field and stepped onto a winding track made of pebbles that gleamed white in the moonlight.
Bixie zig-zagged ahead of us as if excited.
“Close now,” Wren said.
The track split and we took the left fork that led to a wall and a wooden door crawling with lush green vines that bloomed with a multitude of tiny white flowers. The sweet scent intensified, making me dizzy. Bixie shot toward the door and vanished through the wood.
Wren marched forward. “Bixie says Wren and friends welcome. Come on.”
He passed through the closed door.
Lauris didn’t hesitate in following, and I went after him with Rune right behind. The world seemed to tilt for a moment, and when it righted itself, I was in a paradise of color and light.
Long-stemmed flowers, petals open to soak up the moonlight, bordered a grassy expanse dotted with huge red-and-white-spotted mushrooms. A brook bubbled and giggled to the left, flowing around steppingstones that led to a rocky platform that wept with vines, the tips combing the crystal waters below. I wasn’t sure how far this grove stretched but it seemed to go on forever, spilling every which way into the night.
“Here.” Wren pointed at the carpet of blossoms. “Lauris put Bramble here.”
Lauris laid her down carefully. She looked pale and small, her wrists red and raw, her face criss-crossed with cuts. Her purple hair spilled across the blossoms, melding with the lavender and lilac hues.
A reverent hush fell over the grove and then hundreds of little lights shot out from behind trees and flowers. They surged toward Bramble and hovered over her in a cloud-like mass.
Lauris tensed. “What’s happening?”
“Lauris not worry,” Wren said. “Wait.”
One of the lights detached itself from the mass and drifted toward us, growing and glowing brighter and brighter until we were forced to look away.
When the light died, it took a moment for my eyes to adjust and focus on the figure standing in front of us.
The woman was slender and regal-looking, with a pointed chin and long fae ears that peeked out from golden tresses that fell to her waist. Her gown was a deep blue to match her eyes, and her tiny feet were bare and hovered a foot off the ground. I couldn’t see her wings but the blur of light at her back told me they were there, just maybe not visible to me.
“Who are you?” Lauris demanded.
She stared at him for a long beat and then drew nearer. Lauris held his ground as she raked him over.
“I could ask you the same question, but I wager you would not have a clear answer.”
Her voice was like the bubbling brook, and like a summer breeze, it evoked a longing to feel the kiss of sunlight on my face.
Lauris, obviously unmoved, glared at the woman. “It doesn’t matter who I am. Only Bramble matters.”
“Not entirely true.” She smiled slightly. “But at this time, I see your perception will have to stand.”
