AN: So it freaks me out a little to post all of my novel on here, because I spent a good seven months writing it and I would rather not get it stolen…thanks to the two who reviewed me, I hope to get more and I'm still deciding how much I want to put on here! But I hope you enjoy :D
The next few weeks were easy enough and the same routine. I exercised Elvina without going into the forest again – I didn't want another attack, that scar was ugly enough – and was lazy around the farm. Killian was off busy doing things, and I didn't get a chance to see him much until the Saturday of the party – however, he did inform me that there were many people excited about the party.
Saturday morning awoke with birds chirping and a warm sun shining: the perfect day for a bonfire. I sat up and stretched, managing to pop my back which was my favorite thing to pop. After using the bathroom I clambered downstairs to find Killian and Zo waiting for me in the kitchen, eating breakfast.
"Mornin' guys." I let loose a huge yawn, shuffling into Killian's waiting arms. I planted a kiss on his lips even though I was severely conscious of my morning breath. "Wait down here while I go freshen up and then we can start setting up? Zo, did you get the food like I asked you to yesterday?"
Zo nodded and pointed to the counter, where bags of food sat waiting for the party tonight. I patted her on the shoulder appreciatively, and then ran upstairs to get dressed and ready. I figured today I would just wear sweatpants and a t-shirt, and then change into a dress or something tonight. I brushed through my unruly hair and didn't bother with makeup before brushing my teeth and heading downstairs.
"Okay. Let's get this party set up!" I clapped my hands together to get them psyched up for the party, and it worked. They both immediately stood and started talking about plans animatedly.
We decided that first we would go and get a lot of firewood from the barn, since it was a bonfire after all. We had a contest at who could lift the most, and Killian won by a nutshell with fifteen logs at once.
Once we got that finished, we set up a couple tables where we would put the food and punch and other items. We knew that someone would probably slip booze into the punch, but as long as I hadn't supplied it I wouldn't get in trouble.
It only took till about two thirty in the afternoon, leaving six hours until the party started. We decided to go trail riding. I took Elvina, of course, while Killian saddled Shadowfax and Zo saddled our prized stallion, Black Beauty.
We went on the short trail, the one that only took about two hours to complete, so that we would be back in time to bathe and brush the horses and then get cleaned up ourselves.
The woods were eerie today; I had a strange feeling of panic, a feeling that I was being watched. However, when I studied my surroundings intently, in attempt to find the thing that was unnerving me, I failed miserably.
The woods around me seemed to glitter and twirl with life. The trees were blooming happily, and the butterflies nourished themselves and the flowers around them.
We laughed and joked about random events during the year, and by the time I checked my phone again, it was five thirty in the afternoon. "Good thing we're almost back home, people will be arriving soon," I said to Killian and Zo, and they clicked their heels against the horses to speed them up to a gallop.
When we got back to my house, no one had arrived yet, but that was to be expected. Who wants to show up early to a party? You weren't perceived as 'cool' when you were the first one to show up.
Surprisingly, a lot of people were supposed to be coming. Even if I was on the bottom of the totem pole at school, everyone from these parts knew I threw a mean party because of the land my family owned, and everyone always showed up. You would think that would gain me some more respect at school, but apparently not.
I was inside getting the food ready (I was going to make some of my guy friends or Killian cook hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill) when Zo told me that there were people arriving.
"Okay! I'll be out in a minute," I replied, carrying the bags of chips and pop outside. We decided not to do the punch bowl, because I didn't want the thing getting spiked with drugs. I set down the food and turned around, greeting a couple of Zo's friends, Logan and Alison. They were acquaintances of mine, but I never really got a chance to hang out with them. They seemed pretty cool, though.
Logan didn't believe in a haircut, so his blond hair reached the middle of his back, and he wore a hippie band around his crown. His white-blue eyes were always out of focus, as if he were in a daydream all the time. His wore skinny jeans that he cut at the knee, and moccasins. His shirt always had Bob Marley on it. Alison was extremely tall, probably as tall as Logan, who was around six foot. She had boy cut hair, but it looked good on her. She was a very real person and told you how it was, and she had never lied in a day of her life.
"Hey Logan. Hey Alison. What's crackin'?" I greeted them friendly, and high fived Logan's outstretched palm. Alison pulled me into a tight hug, and I laughed in slight embarrassment. I would never get used to how loving the two of them were.
"Dude, I couldn't miss your party for nothin'. Zo told me about it, and I just knew I had to be here, 'cause that's where it's at." When Logan started talking, he never really shut up, which was one of the reasons why I wouldn't be able to hang out with him. I didn't know how Alison put up with it; she had been dating Logan for three years. They graduated this year and were probably not going to college for a while if that. Logan smoked too much pot and didn't have a job to get him anywhere. Alison, too.
"That's nice, Logan. Would you mind helping Killian get the food on the grill? He's strict vegan and hates touching the meat." I clapped my hand on Logan's bony shoulder and smiled sweetly at him.
"Food? Dude, I have the freaking munchies like no other! Where is that boy?" Logan took off towards the grill, where Killian looked at the food with disgust apparent on his face. I felt sympathy for him, and then turned to Alison.
"I need you to find Zo for me and tell her to get some of the logs on the fire. It's going to be dark soon and I want to get the flame pretty high before everyone else arrives." I smiled genuinely at Alison and she returned it, walking past me into my house in search for Zo. She wasn't much of a talker, which heightened my confusion as to how Logan and she could work out. I would never understand love sometimes.
I had forgotten to change before the party, so I took a step inside as more people were arriving to get into my party dress. It was quite simple, but really pretty. The black fabric was stretchy, and one of the sleeves was long sleeved, while the other was not. My left side was showing, and there were random cuts up the long sleeve. I pulled it on and checked my hair, slapping on some eyeliner while I was at it.
A ton of people had arrived while I was in my room, and the music blaring from my truck caused several of them to start dancing around the roaring fire. The fire was at least twenty feet high, which meant Zo had been found. I looked through the crowd of people for either her or Killian.
I spotted Zo making out with Derrick, the boy she had been talking about in the car, and I rolled my eyes. I would be the one dealing with the tears when he fucked her over, not him. Killian was nowhere to be seen.
Someone came up and wrapped their arms around my waist, and I felt Killian's dark hair tickle the back of my neck. I sighed in contentment and leaned into him; I had been so stressed about seeing Adrian that I had forgotten to enjoy myself and spend time with my boyfriend. Twilight stars started poking through the nighttime blanket in the sky, and the bonfire kept the place warm. "Come on. I think we need some much needed alone time," Killian whispered in my ear, causing chills to run up and down my back.
I nodded and turned to look at him. A devious smile curled his lips upwards, something that looked foreign on his lips. I looked at him suspiciously, but didn't question anything when he took her hand and led me to the edge of the woods. Zo tried stopping us, but I waved her away with a look that told her I didn't want to be messed with and Derrick pulled her into another make-out session.
The trees were strangely alive tonight, as if they were in anticipation for something and I kept feeling like I was seeing strange men in the shadows. It was unnerving; I hadn't seen anything in the woods in years, and to see it now freaked me out. However, instead of losing years of life due to stress over it, I turned to Killian and pressed my lips to his mouth.
He pressed me against one of the trees, and I felt a great pulse against my back, but I passed it off as the bass system coming from the party. I heard giggling from the tree cover above me, but I tried focusing on Killian. I shut my eyes and got into the moment.
"Adrian, seriously?" I felt someone shove Killian off of me, only when I opened my eyes Adrian was the one that tripped over the root and Killian was the one standing in front of me. I had never seen Killian so angry. I could literally see a fire burning in his eyes. Adrian grinned sadistically up at him, pulling himself up and brushing himself off.
"Nice to see you again, old friend."
"Sorry, I can't say I can say the same about you. How's Otundr treating you?" Cruelty coated the words sliding off of Killian's lips, and I stared at him, open mouth. How exactly did Killian know this man? I didn't know, and I wasn't sure I wanted to find out.
"Oh come on, old sport. Don't be like that. I simply could not take the Queen's bossing around a moment longer," Adrian said. Queen?
Killian looked sideways at me, and I gave him a look that suggested he had some explaining to do. He sighed, rubbing the nape of his neck. "Al? Could you see how the party guests are faring? I need to have a chat with my dear old friend, alone." When I tried to protest, he pressed his palm against the tree, trapping me between him. He bent his head to look at me, his eyes wide and innocent. "Please, Alea? I'll be back to the festivities soon." Adrian watched the whole ordeal with a faint smirk apparent on his lips and rolled his eyes once or twice.
I huffed. "Fine."
Killian nodded and kissed my forehead and then my nose. "Come on." He gestured to Adrian, his tone demanding.
I watched them disappear around the corner of one of the trails, and stared at what appeared to look like a garden gnome. It's tall, pointy red hat only reached the top of the small brush, and it stared at me intently, as if I were the most fascinating in the world. However, when I blinked it was gone. "You're going crazy, Alea, I swear," I muttered to myself, returning to the warmth of the roaring bonfire. Several of the people were still dancing and several of them were passed out drunk. So there was booze. I sighed. Kids these days were ridiculous.
Then, I heard it. The music. It couldn't be.
All of a sudden my feet were carrying me back towards the forest, and I had the overwhelming feeling that I didn't want to go there. I was heading towards the opening where my mother disappeared, all those years ago. I was crying and laughing at the same time. The warmth of the bonfire no longer warmed my back, and all the partiers ignored me completely.
The music seemed to wrap my legs into chains of invisible rope; no matter how much my mind screamed to run, I just could not stop walking. The tears had ceased from running down my cheeks, but I did not have the will to wipe them away so they hardened into salty lines on my face. The music got louder, as if the very trees were its loud speakers.
I wasn't sure what was driving me to move forward, but no matter how many times I tripped or fell over an ancient root, my feet refused to stop moving. The logical part of my brain was on overdrive, struggling to process some sense from what was going on, and failing miserably. There was light coming from between a set of trees, but it was a color not in our color wheel. To me, it looked like a shade of purple, but somehow I knew if someone else happened to glance at that light they would not see purple. It was as if your eyes were wired to your destiny and past, and that is the color that you saw.
Fear swelled up in my chest as my being drew me closer and closer to that light, yet, I knew that whatever it was, it would not hurt me. I squeezed my eyes shut; I wasn't sure I wanted to see what was behind the cover of those trees. Finally the brightness of the purple light was too much to bear, and I opened my eyes. The sight left me speechless.
Things that only showed up in fairy tales where dancing around a circle of mushrooms of a perfect white color. The mushrooms seemed like they were glowing, they were so bright. The laughter from the surrounding beings was magical in my eyes, and I instantly took a step forward. The full moon reflected their unique beauty, and I could do nothing but stare. Pixies, gnomes, little nude creatures with wings, and creatures I couldn't even name were laughing and dancing around this mysterious circle. Someone started to sing, and my head whipped in the direction of the familiar voice.
My head swam with confusion. What was Killian doing here? A couple of what the legends called pixies. They covered in moss green skin, rode toward me on gorgeous white horses which were dressed with thin pieces of ribbon in their manes. They were about human height, if not the height of a small child, and very slender. It was almost scary how very thin they were. Their eyes were completely black; you couldn't tell the difference between their cornea and the pupil. Transparent wings were sprouting from their backs, and their smiles were entrancing. One of the pixies, whose glittery eyes were particularly slanted at the temple, pointed a perfectly manicured hand in my direction and then curled backward, indicating he wanted me to follow him. I did not disobey. Something was stirring in the pit of my stomach, and there was a strange tingling in my fingertips.
"Come little huuuman." A deep voice came from the blanket of darkness and trees and my mind seized in immense horror. It was a fear that I never felt before, the voice of this unseen creature physically paralyzed me with fear. I could not move. The others must've not seen him either, because no one turned when he spoke. I could not see him at all, but I knew where he stood by the direction of his voice. "Go on," he spoke again, and I started to shake violently in terror. "Just step into the circle, and all this will become just a dream."
Chapter Three
The voice quieted after that, but the fear never went away. Once I had stopped paying attention to the pixies they got bored and rode around the circle, setting their lips to the wooden flutes that were stored in their pockets and playing along with Killian's voice.
My emotions were on overdrive. Everything about me was on a higher level. Tears were streaming down my face as extreme sadness swelled up in my chest. Every time Killian opened his mouth and unleashed that godly, otherworld music, I wanted to throw myself at him and tear his clothes off.
Then, his gaze caught mine. I saw a mixture of emotions there: happiness, horror, lust, sadness. I tilted my head to the side, a goofy grin pulling the corners of my lips up, my fear nearly forgotten. He didn't return the grin, like he usually does.
Instead, his eyes widened slightly, but he never stopped singing. The others were glittering with life and beckoning me to their circle. Their graceful movements fascinated me, and I took a step towards the magic, despite the fact my conscious was screaming no.
"No! Not my baby!" Something slammed into my side with such a force that I was knocked sideways and hit my head on a rock that was jutting out of the ground.
Everything started turning fuzzy as I lost consciousness, and my mom's face filled my vision. Her face was a mask of concern, and I struggled to speak to her, reach out to her, anything. Unconsciousness finally decided to take over.
I woke up in the same place, but it was dark and there were two people whispering over me.
I recognized Killian first. He was gripping my hand, hard, and I could feel the lack of blood stinging my fingertips. I grimaced, uncomfortable by the pain. His face was twisted into an expression of worry and guilt. I tried to smile, to reassure him, but all that left my lips was a groan.
"Stupid, stupid girl. I told you not to follow me," Killian whispered, his voice cracking slightly. "Now everything is about to change." I tried to be angry with him for calling me stupid, but my head was pounding too much for that.
There was a face behind him, but I couldn't make it out. The bruise on my head was going to be massive. Oh crap, what was I going to tell dad?
I turned from the face behind him and stared up at him, definitely not all there yet. I most certainly didn't trust myself to speak. I took my free hand and pressed my palm to my forehead, emitting an even louder groan than before.