The town really wasn't big at all. One could hardly call it a town. It was more like a small village, a one-street wonder. Its cobblestone streets and wooden houses reminded Shade of European cottages with thatch and ceramic tiles for roofs. There were people scurrying about all over the place. The market was the main street, and the second floors of the shops were apartments with living quarters. Shade pulled her cloak around her, hoping the anonymity of the crowd would make her almost invisible. She stayed glued right behind Ursad, holding a corner of his cloak as they weaved their way through the streets of vendors.
The faeries dressed in any and every color, from vibrant to drab, but it seemed the brighter, the better. Some were without cloaks, showing off their slender, pale, perfect, and muscular bodies. Ears and necks were adorned with glittering jewels and beads. They had long hair in braids, with adornments of gold and silver. Most had eyes like Blythe, large and insect-like, but there were many who used glamour to appear more human. Some lived in a nearby human city and were just used to staying in their glamoured forms. Shade nodded in acknowledgment of Ursad's quick lessons on fey culture, whispered into her ear as they treaded along.
Shade scanned the faces in the crowd for her friends, without any luck. Something about what Ursad said began to bother her. No matter how hard she thought about it, nothing would come to her so she shook it off.
They passed by stands of fresh fruit and vegetables, collecting a bag full of groceries as they went. The day was fading quickly, and the late afternoon sun burned down on them as it was setting behind the houses. Ursad whispered the need to find shelter for the night and said he would take her to one of the local inns for travelers where they could freshen up. She was quiet and nodded again, too in awe of the folks around them to say anything. The air buzzed with noise and excitement.
The inn was nestled on the town's main street. Ursad checked in, paying the innkeeper behind a bar counter without so much as a glance from her. She was plump and had her long, red hair bound into a tight bun at the base of her neck. Long strands hung from it, loosened from its tightness from the arduous workday. The rest lay draped down her shoulders and back. Her locks were a fiery red with a touch of orange. Shade never met anyone with that color hair, at least not naturally. The woman wore a work apron over her plain-jeweled blue dress. After handing Ursad a key, she waved them toward a set of stairs behind the bar area. Ursad nodded and thanked her, motioning for Shade to follow. They ascended the stairs quickly before anyone could notice the unusual pair.
Reaching the room, Shade fell against the door as it closed. She sighed, happy to be out of the crowded bar. She felt like everyone's eyes were staring right at her, even though they probably weren't. She wondered if anyone knew who she was and what she was trying to do. After being ambushed and attacked twice in such a short period of time, she was starting to feel somewhat paranoid. I need to just relax. They probably weren't looking at me and have no idea who I am or what I'm doing.
"You all right, Shade?" Ursad stood by the window, watching the crowds swirling below. He glanced up at her, his green eyes reflecting the last streams of sunlight.
"Yes, I'm fine, just tired, I guess. I was just wondering what happened to my friends. I thought they might have found me by now, but I don't know where they are." She stared at the single bed in the center of the room. Pressing her lips together, she felt the blood rush up to her face. She kept her eyes low and knelt down to rummage through her backpack.
Ursad watched her, a small smile playing on his lips. "You can take the bed. I'll sleep on that couch over there." He motioned to the dark green couch with threadbare upholstery.
Shade frowned and shook her head at it, almost letting a laugh escape. "Wow... that looks mighty comfy! Not gonna fight you for it. It's all yours, Ursad," she said sarcastically, failing miserably to suppress a laugh.
Ursad rolled his eyes, but his smile widened. Shaking his head, he walked over to the couch, pushed on it to test its strength, and laid out on it like a large, lazy lap dog.
Shade continued to laugh and pulled out her pajamas. She headed to the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She was tired, but the joking recharged her. Relaxing her shoulders, she turned to stare at the mirror and study her own thin and pale reflection. The journey was taking a toll. The exhaustion seemed permanently stamped on her face. She was gaunt and more fragile than before, making her avert her eyes from the mirror. She didn't like her reflection anymore. Disturbed, she made efforts to avoid it.
It seemed like a chore just to put on her soft flannel pajamas. She suddenly felt drained again. Closing her eyes, she thought about everything and everyone. Ursad turned out to be a good friend, but she worried about her other friends.
Where are they? Are they even looking for me? Maybe they think I'm dead and have retreated to the Guildrin caverns, after all, she thought, almost feeling defeated. And what about Dylan? Her mind pressed with urgency. She wondered if their blood tie affected him when they separated. She didn't feel anything at all but hoped he was at least okay. She sighed, feeling a slight ache in her chest for her friends. Even Dylan's annoying presence was missed, making her feel his loss even more.
Shade scratched her head and squeezed her eyes shut. Darn that Blythe! What the hell does she want with me? Shade's eyes flew open, remembering what the Dryad said about dragging her to the Unseelie's Queen. What did she want with her? They probably wanted the magic of the Santiran fountains for themselves. Why else would they even bother with her? Maybe they just want it to have some sort of advantage over the Guildrin court. Shade moaned, rolling her head around and massaging her neck, easing out some knots.
She looked back at the mirror and felt an odd sense of déjà vu. Reaching her hand out toward the smooth surface made her heart race before she abruptly yanked it back. The mirror did nothing; its hard surface lacked the ripples of Darren's mirror. Nothing but her careworn face stared back, but her feelings of shock and fear were evident.
I can't believe I'm afraid of mirrors now. She was scaring herself. Darren was far, far away now. No one knew where she was, especially the one with the powers of mirror travel. He can't hurt me now.
She clicked the door open and walked back into the large room, their sanctuary for the night, dropping her clothes into her bag before walking toward the windows. Ursad must have opened them. A soft breeze poured in, lifting the curtains up like floating ribbons. She could hear the murmur of the crowd outside with a random shout or two every now and then. Shade stood just inside the window, afraid to peek outside. The sweet gusts of air caressed her cheeks, sweeping her now loose hair up into a streaming mass, tickling her neck. Closing her eyes for a moment, she relished the peace in this busy place.
"They wouldn't understand you. You and I have that in common. No one out there understands. We're different, but that makes us the same," said Ursad quietly.
She turned and studied Ursad, who was sitting on the couch watching her. They had yet to turn on the lights in the room, but his emerald eyes shone like two green beams of light. He stared intently into her face as their eyes met. Ursad then stood and walked toward her, but she didn't move from the spot, even when he came face to face with her.
Shade examined his very human hands as they reached up to cup her face. The blood rushed to her face, but she couldn't look away from his piercing eyes. She reached out and stroked the rough, bark-like skin on his face, running her fingers over the bridge of his nose and down over the softness of lips that remained. Glancing up, she took in the very human eyes that were staring back.
He was a man trapped in a shell that was not his. She could feel the deep resonating hunger and fear that ran through him as they touched. Something like sadness filled her inside like she could feel him drowning inside of himself. She pulled away, searching for air to quench her burning lungs. His intensity was suffocating. Immediately, she felt like she was waking up from a dream. Groggy and confused, she backed into the bed and sat, looking back up at him. Inquiring with her eyes for answers, her head filled with suspicion.
"Ursad, are you using magic on me?" Shade waited, looking at her new companion, hoping to hear something comforting come from his mouth. His head dropped down as his gaze fixed onto the worn floorboards. The grain of wood snarled and wove through every plank, the veins of a long-dead tree. Ursad backed away and slipped onto the couch, his face still and calm.
"I'm sorry, Shade. I couldn't help it. I thought I could make you stay with me back at my place and here, too, but I can see that my magic is not strong enough to work against you. Your power, it pushes against mine so easily. I... I'm so sorry, Shade. I didn't mean to ever harm you in any way. I hope you believe me. I just can't be alone again." His face hung down, and his hands came up to cradle it as he sank to the floor.
"Ursad, how could you? What do you mean, now and back at your house? What did you do? What have you done?" She glared at him, unmoving and dark. When he didn't respond, she ran over to him but managed to hold herself back. "What did you do, Ursad? Answer me!" She pulled at his arm, making him look at her once more. Green-tinted tears spilled down his rough cheeks, glinting in the dim light.
"Shade, please don't be mad. I thought you were just a human. I couldn't have known that you were part faery! I would have never tried to trap you if I knew that. That's probably the whole reason it didn't work." His fear leaked into his voice.
"What do you mean? What, exactly, didn't work?" Shade started to back up, afraid to know what he would say next.
"When humans enter the land of Faerie, they can be trapped here forever, especially if they eat something, food or drink, from a faery. If the faery who gives a human food or a drink wants them to stay, and the human eats what is offered, they belong to that faery forever, or until the faery lets them go. I thought if you ate my enchanted food, you would not be able to leave, and you would stay longer... and I wouldn't be alone anymore." Ursad pulled himself up and knelt on the floor before her, grabbing her hand and rubbing his cheek against it. "I swear I would never harm you! You have to believe it, Shade. Please don't go. I just wanted someone to talk to. No one ever looks at me like you do, without disgust, without judgment. I wanted it to stay like that forever."
Shade backed away out of his grasp, pressing against the footboard of the bed as she sank to the floor. Her sobs poured out as she curled up into a tight ball, hugging her legs to herself. He crawled toward her but stopped when she held her hand up and he froze.
"Don't touch me, Ursad." Shade sniffled and wiped her tears on her sleeves. She glimpsed up at him. He was sitting on his knees with his head hanging down, a beaten man. He was hard to figure out, looking small and harmless in his hunched-over defeat. She huffed, wondering what she was going to do. It seemed it wasn't going to stop, all the hell she'd gone through the past week, and it wasn't going to get any better. The tricks, treachery, and lies were everywhere. At least Ursad hadn't tried to kill her, but what of his betrayal?
What if it worked and she became his slave? She shivered at the thought and held back her last sob. She felt violated and needed time to think. "Are you done then, trying to mess with me?" Shade asked after a few moments. "Like you said, your magic doesn't work, right? You can't keep me here. You don't own me." She wiped off more drops of tears, watching him and waited for his answer.
Ursad's eyes were wide with surprise and fear. "Yes, I... I promise. I'm done. I would never try to hurt you. Please understand. It was foolish of me to try any magic on you when you have been so kind to me." He reached into his coat and brought out a soft, baby blue handkerchief. He crept toward her and held it out, trying not to get too close.
Shade snatched it from him and watched him jump back, concern and relief both flashing across his face. "You better not try it again. I can feel it every single time. I guess I am part faery after all." She paused and looked at him before letting out a laugh that made him jump. "It didn't work, so it was for nothing, and I have nothing to fear from you at all." She blew her nose and stood up, frowning as he pulled himself back up onto the couch and sat, wary of her.
"Tomorrow, we're going to the Santiran Fountains, Ursad. From there, you're on your own again. Just take me there, and then we're done. The maps you showed me, they're correct, right?"
He nodded sadly.
"Okay, then. I want to get some sleep now, so goodnight."
He nodded again and pulled a blanket from the arm of the couch before lying down and folding his arm for a pillow.
Shade slid down into the sheets and pulled the pillow over her head. She pressed her face into it, wishing she could dig her way into the fluffy feathers of it and fade away into the softness. She reached over and turned off the lamp by the bedside. Staring out into the darkness now covering the windows, she gazed at the soft moonlight, a small beacon from the outside world. The curtains danced in the gusty, warm breeze. It was spring now in Faerie, always changing with the hours. She'd never get used to the weirdness of this place.
Drifting off to sleep, she listened to the sound of Ursad's slow and rhythmic breathing. Cocooned in her warm blankets, she slipped away into dreams.