Faerie Magic (Curse of the Fae Book 1) Page 2

  “What the ever-loving crock of horse shit is this?” I hoarsley choked out.

  I expected to see the stone walls around me. Ones that couldn’t be too high to grab onto and crawl out of the pond from.

  But they were nowhere to be found. In fact, the ledge I’d fallen from had disappeared. Along with Rock Creek park.

  Instead, I was staring at a very large body of water, with approximately zero stone walls. There was a darkened shoreline ahead, but otherwise, I was in the middle of freaking nowhere.

  How?

  I bobbed my head a few times. Okay, Cora. You hit your head harder than you thought. This is a hallucination. You’re alive and when you come to, you will be on the park ground. Not in a strange lake.

  I lost count of how many times I huffed out “it’s fine” as I swam toward the only shoreline I could make out.

  Slowly, even as my head seemed to grow heavier and heavier, the distance lessened and I was almost to the mysterious shore. When my feet hit the bottom of whatever I was swimming in, I awkwardly stumble-swam—well, flailed—onto the shore until I crawled to a stop. I stayed on my knees a few minutes, but my head dropped lower and lower until finally, I rolled over and lay on the grassy shoreline.

  I’d look around in a moment. For now, I needed to catch my breath.

  What the hell happened?

  There were trees visible in my periphery to my right, surrounding the body of water, but I couldn’t tell what the opening through the trees held to my left. The sun beat down on me, but not with the angry heat I’d been used to from this summer. Instead, it was neither hot nor cold. A strange in between that would most likely be welcoming, just not exactly comforting given my soaking wet state. And what time was it? It had been evening just a minute ago, but now the sun was out full force.

  I closed my eyes tightly as my head throbbed once and listened to my breathing. Birds chirped around me and the wind was gentle, rustling through the nearby leaves in a peaceful sort of way. But there was no noise. No horns blaring, no city symphony. Very different from the sounds I’d heard moments ago dancing on the pond walls.

  And for a moment, I didn’t want to go back. This dream-like state of quiet was a surprise, and even if it was a hallucination, remaining here in a mentally crazy state seemed better than going back anywhere near the hell that was Darryl.

  Once again though, despite the satisfaction the tranquil surroundings brought, the question irked me: how had I come here. The pond was small in the park. Beyond the Potomac, there weren't any bodies of water like this nearby home, not that I was aware of at least. I wasn’t an avid traveler, but I was ninety-nine percent sure that there wasn’t a nature-filled place like this within swimming distance of the city. And the pond was round, you could see the whole thing. Which made this lake even crazier.

  My head throbbed again, starting at the top of my head and shooting down my neck. I brought my hand up to it, rubbing in small circles. Finally, I dared to open my eyes, squinting at first as the bright sunlight accosted me.

  I blinked a few times but didn’t feel like I could move yet.

  A thudding sounded behind me. Steady and then picked up. Footsteps. And they were approaching fast. Before I could muster the strength to react, a snarling face appeared above me.

  A thin face with intense large beady eyes—and a sword.

  I brought up my hands next to my chest, holding them in surrender.

  “Get up,” the man snarled. His scratchy voice matched his fierce look perfectly. The long brown hair he donned hung quite nicely on either side of his face, framing a bushy beard.

  I swallowed and obeyed as best I could, all the while at the end of the pointed sword facing me. I wobbled onto two feet.

  “Look, I don’t know what’s going on here, but—”

  The sword came closer and I took a step back from the sudden movement. “Silence.” The man narrowed his eyes. “What are you doing on royal property?”

  I looked around at my surroundings more carefully.

  Not Rock Creek Park then.

  Not at all.

  “I was in Rock Creek and I hit my head. I’m not sure how I got here…” I trailed off, even more confused now. “Wait, did you say royal?”

  The man watched me as his lip curled up. “Is that a joke, where you’re from?”

  I shook my head. Did I walk into some sort of reenactment event I didn’t know about? That had to be the only explanation. I eyed the sword-wielding brute before me.

  Is that chain mail?

  Yes, chain mail. All over his body. I looked back to the water. The small pond I’d swum out of was anything but that. I squinted, half expecting something I recognized to reappear before my eyes. But nothing except a vast rippling blue body of water stretched behind me. I couldn’t see the other side of the water, but on my side, there were the trees I’d already seen, and then an open field that led to a hilltop with who knows beyond.

  I took a small step back. “I think I’ll be on my way now.” I didn’t know where I’d go, but getting far away from the annoyed man with a weapon seemed like it would be my smartest bet.

  His grin lit up his face, and his eyes went from annoyed to frighteningly playful. “Oh, it’s too late for that. Trespassing is a crime. You’re coming with me.”

  He lunged forward and hooked my arm with his hand. The sword was sheathed in a matter of seconds and he whipped out a smaller dagger. He held it close to my throat and my heart leapt as I struggled, until I felt the point connect with my flesh. Immediately, I froze.

  He pushed me forward, farther away from the water’s edge. “Hey, careful,” I said as he moved the dagger over my throat. It would have cut me had I not leaned my head back. “Don’t you need to read me my Miranda rights?” I questioned.

  My snarky attitude that came out whenever I was cornered wasn’t something I needed right now. But No-Way-Out Cora was not quite so generous or good at thinking rationally.

  “You’ll stay quiet until we’re in the keep.” He drew me closer to his body as he walked, his grip tightening. “If you know what’s best for you.”

  I followed his instructions this time. I’d been arrested twice and had learned the hard way that doing what you’re told works out far better in the long run. I’d just never been arrested by an officer wearing chain mail.

  I straightened myself up and tried not to let fear slip in. There had to be a reasonable explanation for this. For all of this.

  It could all be a dream. Which was the theory I was hoping was the correct one.

  The trees parted as we crested the top of the hill, revealing a long path that led down to a town of some sort. I gazed into the distance, following the road as it led through the village past the town. From our vantage point, the vastness of this place was evident, and the strangeness. I couldn’t hide my surprise and I sucked in a sharp breath.

  As I took in the large turrets in the distance, with beautiful flowers surrounding the building that had caused my shock, my mouth slackened and hung open.

  Now I knew this had to be a dream. That was all there was to it.

  Because the last time I checked, there were no overwhelmingly large stone castles anywhere close to where I lived.

  The chain mail-clad guard behind me shoved me through the streets by the tip of his sword as my confusion grew.

  Swords, chain mail, castles. I hit my head harder than I thought. I pinched my arm a few times as we walked, progressively squeezing harder and harder, hoping it would jolt my body awake. But it was no use.

  For now, it would seem I was awake. Just in a strange, crazy town somehow.

  We walked through the streets of the village, the looming castle peeking through the hustle and bustle even if it was fairly far in the distance. It didn’t tower over the village we were in, but it was close enough to walk to. The people here milled about around me as if seeing a woman held at knife point was no big deal. A few who were closest to us scampered with their heads down, eyes trai
ned on their task at hand; they weren’t going to interfere.

  Cops must not be liked very much here. If they all treated people the way this one had treated me, I could see why.

  The guard shoved me with his non-weapon-wielding hand toward a stone archway perched in front of a stone building. I glanced around to find that many of the buildings were straw or other dirt-like materials. Only a few beyond the castle had any substance to them. Of course the one I was being led to was more fortified. Escaping in a run seemed unlikely.

  A wooden door barricaded the entrance and the guard at my side pounded his fist firmly against it. He still hadn’t read me my rights, a fact that I would make sure my lawyer heard to hopefully get my sentence down. Though, I hadn’t actually done anything wrong in the first place that would deserve punishment, so I wasn’t sure what the sentence could be.

  The door swung open so quickly that I jumped. The guard blocked me from moving too far and wordlessly shoved me inside. Before I could grunt out a retort, he disappeared and the door shut behind me. The room was dark with only small glowing lights around the upper parts of the walls. I squinted. No, not lights. Lanterns. Lit with fire along the stone wall.

  “Hello?” I called.

  I moved forward slowly, unsure of what to expect. The room I was in narrowed into a hallway.

  “Only one way to go,” I mumbled to myself as I moved forward.

  I ran my hands along the cold stone on my right and finally saw additional light up ahead. As I approached, I noticed another looming archway leading to a large room filled with people. There was a desk blocking my entrance to the room and an older woman sitting at it. She didn’t look up at me as I approached, standing directly before her.

  A large book and some scattered papers seemingly strewn haphazardly lay in front of her. That was when I noticed she held a quill. A freaking quill.

  She seemed in some sort of position of authority. Obviously this was booking, or something like it, but she wasn’t dressed in a uniform of any kind.

  She pushed her tiny glasses down her face and curled her lip in a sneer at me.

  Now what have I done?

  “You want to give me your name, or are you going to waste my time standing here gawking all day?” she asked.

  I put my hands on my hips, prepared to give her a piece of my mind because I was at my wits’ end. What’s the worst that could happen now anyway?

  Before I could open my mouth, she spoke again, this time snarling. “Name and race.”

  “Race? What is this a census?” I asked.

  She pushed away from her table and rose. The woman was a good foot and a half taller than me, and that was saying something since I was almost six feet myself. I regretted my tone immediately as she stood to her full height and pressed her shoulders back.

  “Watch your little mouth and answer my questions.” She articulated her words with a force that was beyond a doubt a threat, even if she didn’t say it specifically.

  I didn’t want to cower. But her sheer height alone was terrifying. How on earth could anyone be that tall?

  “Coraline Fray,” I answered. I couldn’t help being a smart-ass in my own way though. “And I’m human.” There, figure out my race on your own, I chuckled.

  The woman wrote my answers, completely unfazed by the fact that I hadn’t actually told her my race. I frowned as she scribbled into her book without giving me another verbal lashing.

  “Gerard!” she shouted.

  She picked up some of the papers and stamped an odd-shaped waxy figure onto the documents a few times, watching my confused expression the entire time.

  My eyes widened at her venomous glare.

  Another man decked in chain mail appeared. He stood with his arms crossed behind the crotchety, gargantuan woman in front of me. She leaned to the side and opened the metal gate next to her that had extended out past her desk, unblocking the way inside.

  The papers she stamped were gathered and she held them above her head. Gerard took them.

  “Get inside,” she said.

  The minute I walked by her, Gerard grabbed my arm as if I was about to bolt.

  “Hey, watch it,” I said.

  I struggled, refusing to go quietly, but he shifted me in front of him and gripped the back of my neck with his hand.

  This was beyond inappropriate. My lawyer was going to have a field day. Even if it was a state-appointed nobody. Anyone could win this one, hands down.

  He paraded me down a corridor, leading me to the front of a long line that was already gathered. There was evident disdain on the faces of those I passed, especially—

  Wait.

  I narrowed my eyes. There was a little person on the other side of the glare that stole my attention. A little person with…wings? And really realistic looking ones, they were shaking as she tapped her foot, watching me pass.

  I shook my head and closed my eyes for a minute. That wasn’t possible.

  Gerard shoved and jostled me through a row of waiting onlookers. A hairy ogre of a man caught my stare next. Complete with a nose too big for his face and a purplish wart under his right eye. He snarled as I was paraded past him.

  The farther down the trail of people we went, the more unbelievable-looking things I saw. More wings, beings too tall, too small. Each time I caught sight of another one I shook my head harder and harder.

  A concussion. I had to have a concussion. Was hallucinating part of the side effects? Because this concussion was surely acting up and causing me to see things.

  What did the police here do? Raid a circus sideshow?

  We finally approached another desk and I slumped forward as Gerard shoved my neck, hard. The pounding of another stamp thudded the table close to my face, and I pulled myself up, glaring at the guard who had just brought me here. How many of these stamp-happy women would be on the agenda for today?

  I inhaled deeply, preparing myself for another attitude du jour. The woman stamping away hadn’t looked up from her book yet, so at least there were no snide glares my way. Yet.

  Gerard the guard placed my papers down on the table next to where the woman was writing. She waved her hand up, still scouring her book as she wrote. “That’ll be all, Gerard. Leave her here.”

  He huffed, clearly unappreciative of being dismissed without so much as a look. I snorted and that caught her attention.

  She set down her quill, dropping it dramatically and making her annoyance evident, as raised her eyes to mine. She inhaled sharply, quirked an eyebrow at me, appearing fully prepared to give me a lecture for inserting myself where I didn’t belong.

  But suddenly, she froze.

  Her mouth hung open and she stared at me, searching my face silently as my discomfort grew.

  She gasped.

  “It’s you! Finally!”

  Chapter 3

  My heart thudded in my ears as the woman's wide eyes scanned me like I was the answer to her prayer.

  I gulped. Surely she was speaking to someone else. I slowly peeked over my shoulder. But no one was behind me except the Ringling Brothers crew watching me impatiently.

  Leaning forward toward the lady, I stole one more glance over my other shoulder, just in case I’d missed something before engaging her. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “Do I know you?”

  The crease line between my brows ached from frowning so much in the past hour between the chain mail cops, the castle, and this dungeon check-in process from a Hitchcock movie.

  The energy the woman in front of me had exerted at her excited declaration deflated instantly and she instead flashed me a sad sort of smile. “My apologies, dear. Of course you don’t.” She added an awkward wink to her statement, which really sent me squirming.

  Had I said “what the hell” enough in my head since arriving here?

  Still, maybe I’d found someone who could tell me what was going on.

  I leaned farther forward, placing my hands on the solid wooden table she was sitting at as she organized and
adjusted the papers the guard had given her.

  “Look, I have no idea where I am. I don’t know why I was taken here. Do you think you could tell me what’s going on?” I squinted as I tried to read the papers in front of her. All I caught was my name scrawled along the top before she lay her arm down on top of the rest.

  She gave me a terse smile. “I’m not sure what you think is going on, dear. But you’ve been picked up for trespassing on royal territory and brought in for sentencing. What did you think would happen if you went traipsing around Medeis Lake?”

  I fidgeted but stood my ground. “Medeis Lake? Should that mean something?”

  Frowning, the woman blinked a few times before giving me a once-over and then scanning her papers again.

  Her silence gave me more time to try to convince her to tell me something. Anything. “I just don’t know how I got here. I think there’s been a serious misunderstanding. Since you recognize me, maybe you could help me.” I excitedly reached out to grab her hand. “We could talk—”

  Before I could grasp her, the woman scratched her nose and raised her gaze away from her papers and focused on me solely. “I don’t have any idea who you are, child. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get this done so I can continue with the others that have been waiting patiently.”

  “Yeah, get outta the line,” a raised, high-pitched voice screeched behind me. I didn’t bother turning around.

  The woman at this station went from excitedly knowing who I was to blowing me off. Why?

  She jotted down a few more notes on my papers before switching to her notebook and scrawling some illegible chicken scratch there as well. Then she pushed back from the desk and gathered the papers into a thick red envelope and tied it shut with a golden tassel.

  “Follow me.” She turned on her heel so quickly, I had to jog to catch up.

  She pushed through a wooden door behind where she had been sitting. Once more, I stared in awe as a narrow door opened into a massive room. Only this one looked essentially like every court room I’d ever been in. The only difference here was that the back row was filled with additional strange-looking people.