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“Do not be afraid,” she said. “We are going to a better life where we will be protected and cared for.”
He pulled his hand away from hers and gave her a look of disgust. “Don’t be foolish. We are going to be worked to death and treated worse than animals. You’ll most likely end up under some light alfar that will only view you as a means to relieve himself every night,” the young boy spat.
The girl looked shocked as her mouth fell open in disbelief. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. They don’t treat humans like that. Not in the light court. They will be kind to us all. We are lucky to have been chosen.”
“We’ll see if you’ll be saying that a week from now after you’ve been worked to the point of exhaustion and screwed by half the court,” the boy said.
“That’s enough,” I interrupted. “Keep your opinions to yourselves, all of you.” They all looked at me with anger, but the bickering stopped.
As we approached the border, I could feel a slight humming vibrate through my bones. It was as if small shots of lightning zapped along the surface of my skin. I peeked out of the wagon but could not see a physical barrier. I watched as the alfar in the front was the first to step across the invisible fence on top of his steed. A shimmer of yellow and white light rippled as the horse split through the shield. As we approached next the male guiding our wagon laid a hand on top of our wooden carriage. A slight shimmer slid across the wood as we crossed the protective border without issue.
Immediately after we were out of The Frey, the air seemed to smell cleaner and fresher. We all peered out of the wagon at the beautiful, lush forest. Trees stretched fifty feet into the sky and their trunks were so thick around that I wondered if they had been here since the beginning of time. The late afternoon sun peeped through the dense canopies of the trees lining our path.
We continued on the dirt road for the next two hours before we finally stopped to make camp. One of the alfar warriors told us that we would reach the light alfar’s kingdom, Urial, tomorrow after breakfast, but we would stay here for the night. We helped unload the wagon of supplies and food. I watched closely as one of the alfars spun his hands around in a rhythmic motion and tents and a campfire instantly appeared. We gawked at their magic. I had never seen actual magic performed. How easy life would be if I had even a sliver of their abilities? The six young girls clapped and jumped in excitement. The alfar didn’t even acknowledge them.
The rest of us stood back, waiting for our marching orders like obedient dogs. One of the males gestured for us to take a seat around the fire. They handed us each a silver bowl with meat, potatoes, fresh vegetables, and a glass of wine. We looked at each other, unsure if it was real. The food smelled better than anything I had ever eaten.
The alfar sat across from us, eating in silence. The six girls looked at the rest of us, their expressions smug. We were still wary of the food and good treatment. I held the plate in my hand as my mouth watered. The smell of the food was torturous to my empty stomach.
“Is there something wrong with the food?” asked the yellow-eyed leader. He appeared in front of me, tall and stoic. I didn’t even remember seeing him leave from his seat across the camp. We all looked at each other, not knowing how to respond. I bowed my head, refusing to make eye contact, hoping he would just go away. He bent down slowly, stabbed a fork into one of the potatoes on my plate, and placed it in his mouth. I looked up to find his eyes locked onto my own as he chewed quietly. “Eat,” he demanded.
I took a small piece of meat and slowly placed it in my mouth. Closing my eyes, I tried to hide my satisfaction from the alfar. I swallowed the piece of meat and looked at the other three guys, nodding that it was safe. They began digging in as if they hadn’t eaten for days. I looked back at the yellow-eyed alfar. His mouth curled at the corner, and he nodded at me approvingly. I turned my attention back to my plate, watching out of the corner of my eye as he took his seat across from us.
After dinner, all ten of us were piled into one tent. The alfar stayed around the fire whispering amongst themselves. My stomach was cramped from all the food I had consumed. So, this was what it was like to go to bed with a full stomach. The others fell asleep within the first thirty minutes. I dozed in and out of a light sleep. As I felt my mind slip into my subconscious, I was greeted by the familiar images that had haunted my dreams for the past three years.
Flashes of a person, a man, that I had never laid eyes on. A dark-inked design was drawn into his skin, starting from the left side of his lower neck, and extending down to his shoulder and upper arm. I never saw the man fully, only small details of his features. His smile, his hands, and ever so often I heard the faint sound of his laugh. He was always surrounded by a darkness which kept him hidden from my sight. The dream haunted me because I didn’t know what to make of it. Lilian was the only one I told of it.
A few hours had passed when I was startled awake by rustling in the nearby bushes. I popped up, moving slowly to the opening of the tent. I peeled the fabric back and took in my surroundings, steadying my breath, and listening for the sound again. The chattering of teeth, followed by the rustling of leaves, caught my attention to the left of the camp. An alfar appeared in front of me, taking me by surprise as I fell back on my bottom.
“Get back inside and stay silent,” he demanded before closing the tent flap. I quietly woke the others, signaling for them not to talk. We crawled to the opening of the tent and listened.
“We just want one. That’s all we are asking of you. Surely you can spare one,” came a high-pitched, crackling voice.
“They aren’t for sale,” said one of the alfar.
“We didn’t say we would buy one. We will simply let the other nine live if you give us one,” said another high voice, followed by teeth chattering together.
“They’re under our protection. Now be gone,” demanded the yellow-eyed alfar. We heard more rustling coming from the outer edges of our campsite. One of the creatures clicked their tongue loudly.
“No, no, no. See, my friends and I are being generous, only demanding one from your harvest. As you can see, you are outnumbered. If you deny us what we are owed, most of you, if not all, will die, and then we will take all ten. But, if you give us what we ask for, then we will be on our way, and you can spend the rest of your evening knowing you prevented bloodshed. Is one pathetic human snack worth the price of the lives of you and your men, my lord?” The creatures chuckled.
I peeked out of the tent to see humanoid figures with sharp teeth, narrow features, and wings. They were the same height as the alfar, but leaner. Only one creature that I could recall had these features...fairies. The alfar looked at each other, debating how to handle the situation. The yellow-eyed leader looked as if he was in pain as he hung his head. The blue-eyed alfar snapped his fingers as one of the other soldiers made his way toward us. We all moved to the back of the tent, trying to get as far away from him and the creatures as possible. The girls began yelling and crying, begging not to be taken.
The alfar reached inside, taking one of the girls in white by the arm. “No, please, no! Not me, please!” she yelled, reaching for one of us to save her. I closed my eyes, trying to drown out her plea for help. I couldn’t take any chances or step out of line with the alfar. I had to get to Lily. I was her only hope. Or at least, that was what I told myself.
The girl yelled and cried as they brought her to the fairy. From beyond our tent, we could hear a chorus of chattering teeth erupt at the sight of the girl. Loud, high-pitched sounds surrounded us as if they were cheering in excitement.
“Wise choice, my lord. We will accept this gift and bid you all a good night,” said the fairy.
“Valor,” said the yellow-eyed alfar in a deep voice. “If I ever see you again, or you try to take what is ours on this road, I will personally hunt you down and eliminate your whole hive. Are we clear?”
“Mm, we shall see about that. The dark alfar finds us quite useful from time to time. They may have something to say,” said the fairy I now identified as Valor. A loud buzzing erupted around us as the swarm of fairies took off into flight. The young girl’s screams faded into the night sky.
“What are they going to do with her?” asked one of the girls in white.
“Eat her, what do you think?” said an older boy.
The girls continued to cry for their friend.