Previously on "A Court of Fear and Ice"

The next day, the Night Court fairies take Lexi on a trip to the Crystal Waterfall. In the Forest of the Setting Sun, one of the most visited wooded areas in the Summer Court, she accidently calls Rian 'handsome muppet' in his face. The rest of the fairies immediately take advantage of it and make fun of the heir to the Night Court.

Chapter 33

We were half-way through the path to the Crystal Waterfall when I realised that I got quite thirsty. Remembering there was a small glass bottle with water in my leather bag, I reached into it and took the bottle out.

I was just about to drink when Zareen pointed at the ground and said, "I think that something fell out of your bag."

"Really?" I asked, stopping and looking down. There, I saw a piece of yellowish paper lying next to my right foot. "I don't know what that is. Maybe it belongs to Marella since it's her bag."

Having stashed the bottle in the bag again, I bent down and lifted the piece of paper. When I unfolded it, I came to realise it was the map I got in the bookshop yesterday. "Oh, I've completely forgotten about it," I murmured.

"What is it?" Zareen asked, coming closer.

"When we were in the bookshop, I got a map," I explained, showing her the piece of paper. "The fairy who gave it to me said that it was the fastest way to get to the Crystal Waterfall, but it didn't cross my mind to show it to you before leaving the palace."

The red-haired fairy extended her hand and said, "Let me look at it, please."

I gave her the map. "And? Is it of any use?"

"I don't know." Zareen shrugged. "I'm still reading it."

"What's wrong? Why did you stop?" Cerys asked, coming closer with Ciaran and Conri at her side. "Is everything all right with you two?"

I nodded. "We're fine."

"What are you looking at?" Rian caught up with us and glanced at the map over Zareen's shoulder. "What is it?"

"It's a map leading to the Crystal Waterfall which I got in the bookshop yesterday," I said. "It's supposed to show the fastest way."

Rian frowned. "There's only one way to the Crystal Waterfall and we're using it now."

"Really?"

He shrugged. "I've been wandering around this forest with our uncles for over ninety years and they have never used another way."

"Zar, I want to see it too." Cerys reached for the map.

"I don't need to remind you that I'm the eldest and I'm supposed to be the one looking at it now, do I?" Rian smiled and the map disappeared from Zareen's hand.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" she protested. "It was I who got it first, not you."

Rian winked, now holding the piece of paper. "I'm sorry. I'll give it back, I promise."

He unfolded the map.

"And? Is it of any use?" I repeated my previous question, fixing my eyes on Rian and the rest of the fairies who surrounded him.

"According to the map," he said after a while, still reading it, "there really is another way to the waterfall. All we have to do is go right instead of left and the winding path will lead us to our destination."

Ciaran pointed at the middle of the paper and asked, "Isn't that a wood-meadow?"

"I suppose so." Rian frowned again. "I didn't know there were wood-meadows in the Forest of the Setting Sun."

"You're not omniscient, big brother," Cerys said, flashing him a smug smile. When he glanced at her, she added, "Or should I say handsome muppet… Which do you prefer?"

I groaned. Not again.

"None. Just leave me alone, Cer." Rian looked at the map again. "I'm busy."

"I've heard there are still winged pixies in the forest. Maybe we'll encounter some of them on the way." Conri smiled.

"Oh, it would be lovely." Zareen smiled back. "I don't remember the last time I saw one."

"I think it was before Melly was born," Cerys said. "If I remember correctly, we were hiking in the Lunar Mountains and were about to camp near the lake when they came to us."

"What are winged pixies?" I asked.

"They are curious little creatures, no bigger than your hand, that live in the forests and protect the trees against any harm," Rian explained, looking at me. "They have translucent wings, and really sharp teeth, though they can't hurt anyone if they're alone."

Conri added, "But if there are lots of them… you'd better run."

"I see." I nodded. "What about the Lunar Mountains? Where are they?"

"They are in Illyria," Zareen said. "We often visit them during summer and spend a lot of time hiking and fishing."

"And fighting," Ciaran chimed in. "Literally and figuratively, of course."

I laughed quietly, imagining their literal and figurative fights.

"You don't seem like nature lovers to me," I said and flashed the fairies a smile.

Zareen shrugged. "There are things we prefer to hide from the rest of the world."

"The less they know about us, the better," Cerys broke in. "No one wants to reveal all their secrets, don't they?"

"Rian, are we using the new way?" Ciaran asked, crossing his arms and sighing. "You're the eldest, as you've pointed out before, so it's your decision to make, brother."

Frist, the Prince of Velaris frowned, but then looked at me. "Do you want to find out if your friend from the bookshop was right?" he asked, folding the map and giving it to me. "After all, you are the one who got the map."

"She's not my friend," I said and grabbed the piece of paper. "I met her in the bookshop where we talked about the bookshop and then we went our separate ways." I huffed. "But answering your question… Yes, I want to find out if the map is right."

Rian smiled. "Good, it's decided then. Let's use the new way."

###

Much to my disappointment, the new way looked almost like the old one. Though the path was winding lazily among tall deciduous trees, resembling a long and enormous snake that was taking its time to guide us to the waterfall, everything else seemed the same. Trees, bushes, stones and rocks, the sun in the sky, then more trees, more bushes, more stones and rocks, more sun in the sky.

Over and over again.

I was even more tired than before and all that birdsong was driving me absolutely crazy. Of course, I didn't forget to inform my fairy companions about that, and I did that more or less every ten minutes.

Surprisingly, all of them were enjoying themselves. Reminiscing the Lunar Mountains and the time they had spent there, the Night Court fairies chattered and joked as if they were strolling happily on a lovely Sunday morning. I, on the other hand, felt like I was taking part in a freaking marathon whose ultimate purpose was to exhaust me completely.

After several hours, or even days, of walking in that damn forest, I completely ran out of water. It was true that I had been drinking small amounts from the beginning, and passed water a couple of times (which was rather odd with the fairies' super hearing, though I managed to do that), but I thought that by the time we reached the waterfall I would be able to refill my glass bottle. No such luck.

To make things worse, I was fully aware that for the rest of that bloody journey I would have to do without water, and it would definitely kill me. Unless, I glanced at Rian and his wicker basket, someone helped me out.

"Rian," I said, coming closer to him and smiling sweetly, "is there any chance that you have a bottle of water in that basket of yours?"

He shrugged, not looking at me. "Maybe."

"So… would you be so kind and give me one? Please?" My smile had become even sweeter.

Still not looking at me, he asked, "Why would you need a bottle of water, lovely Alexandra?"

"Why would I need a bottle of water?" I repeated and then huffed, feeling really annoyed. "Because I'm thirsty? Why else?"

Rian shrugged, and finally fixed his eyes on me. "There could be different reasons."

"Do tell me, oh mighty Rian," I said mockingly, "why people need water. Come on. I'm listening."

He laughed quietly, but then frowned and started enumerating, "To swim, to water plants and animals, to wash their clothes, to cook meals, to rinse dirt off their hands, to clean their teeth."

Sighing loudly, I said, "I don't have to remind you that you drank my juice at Marella's party, right? You owe me something."

"Ah, yes." Rian gave me a small smile. "I had never seen anyone to be so happy to see me."

"See?" Again, there was a sweet smile on my face. "I would be as happy as I were at the party should you give me a bottle of water."

He glanced at me, but said nothing.

"Fine," Rian murmured after a while. Then, he extended his hand and the next second there was a glass bottle in his hand. "There you go," he said, giving it to me.

"Thank you." I took a sip and stashed it in my bag. Thankfully, Marella's bag was big enough to fit two bottles.

Rian snorted. "You do realise that a simple thank-you wouldn't be enough, honey. You need something more valuable to pay me with, even for water."

I pondered over his words, and then said, "All right. What about this… In exchange for that bottle of water, I won't tell anyone that you ate a piece of that white cake when no one was looking." I crossed my arms and gave him a cocky smile. "Sorry, when you assumed no one was looking."

Booyah, I thought. Checking you out, even from time to time, has its perks.

Rian stopped abruptly.

"Were you watching me?" he asked with a blank face.

Still crossing my arms, I came to a stop and faced him. "Maybe."

The wicked smile he gave me made my heart skip a beat. Without saying a word, he leant closer and I immediately noticed those flirtatious sparkles in his blue eyes that I saw in the mountain residence when we first met.

"In that case, I'm willing to share it with you," Rian finally whispered and then lifted the lid of the basket. "No one will know that we ate the cake together."

"And if they will ask for it?" I asked, peeking inside the basket.

He shrugged. "I will think of something."

When our eyes met, I nodded.

"I want the bigger part of the cake," I said.

Rian chuckled, closing the lid of the basket. "Very well. I suppose it's going to be our second little secret."

"Second?" I frowned. "And what was the first one?"

I didn't really remember.

"Before our tattoos started shining in Velaris, we talked about a certain sex scene that took place in a cabin," he explained with a smile. "And I assured you that I didn't tell my parents about it."

"Ah, right. I remember. Me and my big mouth," I murmured.

Rian laughed.

"We have a deal then." I extended a hand towards him and added quickly, "But no tattoos this time, Rian."

He made a face, but eventually took my hand. "Fine, no tattoos. Though I'm not used to such deals, honey."

"I know." I flashed him a smile. "Pleasure doing business with you."

Then, we walked in silence, listening to the birds above us.

"By the way," Rian said unexpectedly, "what have you done with my sister?"

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"She brought a big octopus yesterday and burnt it in the House of Wind. Was that a ritual you practise on Earth?" he asked.

Suddenly, the image of the giant red octopus from the Mallastrina Market flashed before my eyes. I remembered that I felt bad about its death and said it aloud, but I didn't have the faintest idea that the Night Court princess bought it and later burnt. Still, it felt good to know that no one ate that poor octopus.

I looked at Cerys's back while she was walking with Ciaran at her side. "No," I said quietly. "We don't have such rituals on Earth."

"So what was that?" Rian asked.

My only answer was a quiet, "Ask Cerys. She burnt it, not me."

From the corner of my eye, I spotted that he glanced at me but stopped asking questions. I was glad that he didn't want to talk with me as I wasn't in the mood anymore.

###

"All right. Let me make this clear," I said aloud after listening to Conri who had been trying to explain to me what a pixie looked like. "They are basically tiny people with short green hair, pointy ears, brown skin that looks like tree bark, and transparent wings. They are also covered in sparkling dust and wear leaves as their clothes."

He nodded. "Exactly."

"So they look like some kind of tree elves to me," I added.

"What?" Conri frowned. "Elves? They're pixies, not something called elves."

I let out an exasperated sigh. "Listen, fairies, elves and other humanoid magical creatures are basically the same thing on Earth. Or at least that's my opinion." I rolled my eyes and went on, "They all have magical powers, and the thing that tells them apart from people is their extraordinary appearance. They are incredibly beautiful and sexy, have pointy ears, and wear medieval clothes." I glanced at him and his cousin who was walking next to us. "Like you."

"Lexi, I'm not quite sure whether I should be flattered or offended," Rian said, giving me a doubtful look. "And for that matter, it's not the first time today that you've used a peculiar expression which made me feel this way."

I blushed when I thought about the 'handsome muppet' thing from earlier.

"Sorry," I murmured.

"If we notice any pixies on our way, and I hope we will," Conri said, "I will show them to you myself. Even if I would have to lift you. Again." He smiled.

I stopped. "No, you wouldn't. I'm not going to fly with you ever again."

Rian and Conri laughed.

"Come on, he won't drop you," Rian added, coming to a stop and turning around. "He's a good male. I can assure you that he's also an excellent flier, and everyone feels safe with him. Flying with me, on the other hand, is a completely different thing. I'm sometimes unpredictable." Rian flashed me a broad smile.

Conri put an arm around his cousin and said, "There were even cases when he dropped the one who was flying with him."

"Maybe once or twice," Rian murmured.

"But don't tell anyone, Lexi," Conri whispered and let go of Rian. "It can ruin all the lies he's been spreading about his perfect flying."

Rian looked at his cousin disapprovingly and asked, "Are you with me or against me, Con?"

The only answer was Conri's chuckle.

"I think I will stick by Cerys," I said, frowning and crossing my arms. "She seems more reliable than the two of you, and she hasn't made any suspicious attempts to drop me when we were flying."

When I turned around to tell her about the outcome of our conversation, I saw that she and Zareen were standing next to Ciaran. With a serious face, the Night Court princess was cupping her brother's cheek and talking quietly with Zareen. At the same time, she kept looking at Ciaran's face as if something was wrong with it.

Both worried and curious, I decided to approach the three fairies and find out what was going on.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, coming closer. I heard that Rian and Conri followed me.

Cerys seemed worried as she said, "I'm not sure. Ciaran claims that something got into his eye, but I don't see anything. I've tried to heal him, but the sensation doesn't want to wear off."

"Let me try, Cer." Rian walked up to his brother and put his right hand on Ciaran's forehead. "Close your eyes," he added. "It might prickle a bit."

Suddenly, bright light sprang out from his hand and covered Ciaran's head. Surprised, I couldn't take my eyes off the two fairies. A few seconds later, it all disappeared, and the faint metallic scent was the only remnant of Rian's magic, but soon it was also gone.

"Better?" Rian asked, looking at his brother with concern.

The second fairy blinked a couple of times, before saying, "Better."

"It could have been dust." The Prince of Velaris peered into his face one more time and then straightened up. "I do hope it's gone, but when we'll return to Adriata, go see a healer." He patted him on the arm.

Ciaran nodded. "I will. Thank you. Both of you."

Cerys flashed her brother a reassuring smile and then said, "Don't mention it." She glanced at the rest of us and asked, "Are we ready to go? There's a waterfall waiting for us and we can't be late, can we?"

I shook my head. "Nope."

We were just about to hit the road again when Zareen stopped abruptly and grabbed Conri's arm, making him come to a standstill. The movement was so rapid and unexpected that I couldn't react fast enough and bumped into his back.

"Sorry," I murmured.

"Wait!" Zareen whispered, looking nervously at the trees around us. "Listen."

Freezing, I held my breath and waited for the fairies to get the lay of the land as their senses were way better than mine. And besides, I was a bit too scared to move.

"I don't hear anything," Conri said quietly, glancing at the red-haired fairy who was still grabbing his arm.

"Exactly. There is no sound," Zareen added. "No birdsong, no wind, nothing."

Cerys frowned. "I don't like it."

"Neither do I," Rian chimed in, approaching me and pushing gently towards Ciaran and Zareen. "Stay here, Lexi," he said. "Don't go anywhere. They will protect you should anything happen."

My eyes popped out. "You think something will happen?"

"Maybe, maybe not." He shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I like being prepared."

I noticed there was a curved blade in his hand and it was the one he had in Velaris when Bryaxis attacked us near the second library.

"The three of us will have a look around," Rian added and then fixed his eyes on his brother. "If we don't return in five minutes, make sure they both get to the palace and come back to find us."

Ciaran nodded. "Understood. We will hide between the trees."

Not waiting for Rian's answer, the dark-haired fairy headed towards the forest behind us, and the only thing left for me to do was follow him. I glanced over my shoulder at the fairies, hoping they wouldn't get into trouble. Hell, I hoped I wouldn't get into trouble as that would be terrifying, even with Ciaran at my side.

When we drew away from the path and hid between some silver birches, I noticed there was just me and Ciaran. Though Zareen was supposed to come with us, she was still standing next to Rian, Conri and Cerys, who suddenly got interested in something lying in the grass.

"What are they talking about?" I asked, pointing at the four fairies. "I can't hear them."

Frowning, Ciaran said, "My sister found something on the ground. It's probably a dead winged pixie."

"Really?"

He nodded.

"Do they know why the pixie is dead?" I asked, swallowing hard. "Did someone kill it?"

"No. Rian believes it was burnt," he added and looked around. "But it's impossible for it to get burnt in this forest. There are too many trees for the sun to harm it. If the pixie had ended up in that wood-meadow," he pointed his thumb behind us, "then it would have been more possible."

I turned around and saw an open area with almost no plants but lots of rocks. "Why is there a wood-meadow? Aren't forests supposed to be covered in trees and bushes?"

Ciaran shrugged again. "I don't know. Maybe someone had created such a wood-meadow to build a hut, but had completely forgotten about it. I think we should ask Uncle Tarquin after returning to the palace."

Observing the rest of the Night Court fairies, I realised that all of them were now armed. Rian had his curved blade, Cerys and Conri were wielding bows, and Zareen got herself a long and thick stick. I glanced at Ciaran and only then did I notice that he was holding a silver dagger.

"Why do you have a dagger?" I asked quietly, pointing at it.

He shrugged. "Just in case."

Oh, boy, I thought. It is getting serious.

Out of nowhere, the fairy's nostrils flared slightly.

"Wait here," he said and turned around, taking no more than four steps before he squatted and started staring at something on the ground.

Furrowing my eyebrows, I disobeyed his order and approached him.

"What is it?" I asked, but didn't squat like him.

"I told you to wait there, didn't I?" Ciaran sighed loudly, not taking his eyes off the ground. "I've just smelt a rather strange scent. It was… quite unpleasant," he explained.

I looked around. "What was it? Another dead pixie?"

Ciaran swept aside some dried leaves with his dagger and said, "No, I don't think so. But I'm not entirely sure."

"Why do I have a feeling that the whole situation is way over your heads?" I asked, crossing my arms and giving him a doubtful look. In response, the fairy only snorted, still looking at the leaves. "Just as I've thought."

Feeling slightly tired, I decided to relax a bit. Since we weren't going to continue our trip to the waterfall for now, they wouldn't mind if I sat down and rested my feet for a while. That's why I headed towards one of the nearest rocks.

"I'm going to sit there," I said and walked right past Ciaran.

"What? Don't go there!" he shouted, but it was too late.

I was already standing next to the rock.

"Fuck," Ciaran whispered, staring at me with an uneasy look on his face. "What have you done, Lexi?"