Page 3

Everetta

Pulling one after another. I sent my feathered arrows flying. Aiming at the center between their eyes. Right against the large red dot on their foreheads.

Who knew these hairy black ten-foot beasts could be brought down with one mere arrow right at their center.

Haha! Who's the bigger boss now, bitches!

Smirking, I felt so proud of myself, until I saw the five other werehounds lying under Eli’s feet. I frowned knocking another arrow. Jumping up to avoid a bite to my calves I twisted midair. The cool breeze of the forest howled against my face as I launched an arrow at the beast behind me. Guess it wanted to play tag.

Wait, I wonder...

Maybe, I should try two arrows at a time. That would be much quicker.

So I did and man was I good with an arrow. I was just zipping them through the air at lightning speed.

One after the other.

Two more hounds fell on my count just as I spotted Eli lunging for another. His movements were like a wolf on the prowl as he pounced at his prey. He ducked to avoid the werehound in front of him just as another was coming from behind him as he popped up to stab at the underside of the werehound's belly. All the while his blond hair shone like the mane of a lion against the glow of the full moon.

Of course, stabbing it underneath its stomach wouldn't kill the monster but it would injure it enough for Eli to aim for the center spot between its eyes.

But don't try this at home kids.

Normal fae typically struggle with these beasts. Me and Eli handled them with ease only because we had more magic storage in our system.

You know I sometimes think that red dot at the center of their heads is like their third eye or something. But whenever I mention it to Eli he just frowns and sneers his nose at me.

Prim prick.

But he didn't refuse the thought.

So, did that mean he just hated the thought but agreed with it?

Closing my left eye to center my focus, so as not to nick Eli, I let the arrow loose with an exhale of my breath. Opening my eyes I watched the wooden sharp stick flying across the air. Beaming I watched it land its mark.

Bullseye!

I'd practiced shooting my bow with just my senses a few times since meeting Eli. I also nicked him a few times. Only because he was being such a prick. Always telling me what to do and how to shoot my weapon.

To be honest with you, this is the first time I haven't nicked him. Bad, for me. Good for him. I did ever so enjoy the small little victories I had over him. Each small cut against his face was like a badge of honor for me.

With the sneaky werehound at Eli's back taken care of, I hopped off to retrieve my arrow. Yanking it out of the werehound I watched as Eli slammed the werehound in front of him down. Turning he nodded. Giving me his silent thank you.

Ek, ya I did it! I finally did it!

Yes!

Can't quite use my magic to recall my arrows yet but hey, I'm getting there, I think. Also, it's not that I wanted his praise. But well seeing him acknowledge that I'm actually good at something.

Well, that's a victory.

Boomshakalaka!

Two points to mwa, one unfortunate point Eli.

I was all but happy for two seconds until a quick breeze flew past me. I spotted a small fleck of golden hair falling to the ground. I whirled back to glare at the bastard who'd thrown the dagger I could practically see the glimmer of a smirk in his downturned lips. Sure he wasn't smiling per se but I knew he wanted to. Never mind that it hit a werehound, my hair! Asshole! He did that on purpose. The guy didn't even dare to look back at me. He definitely did that on purpose! Just look at how guilty he is that he can't even face me!

I glared daggers toward the back of the said blond head. This wasn't over yet! I didn't even nick him this time. How unfair!

Turning back around I took out my anger on the werehound behind me launching one arrow after another before tossing the bows and arrows aside and going head-on with my small leather-wrapped daggers. Its black coloring was a contrast to the sharp white pointy side in the starry night.

I wasn't made for close combat but that didn't mean I wasn't good at it. Jabbing the damn thing against one werehound I launched towards another one behind the one I was currently injuring. Using my foot to unhinge the knife from its belly I launched myself back standing atop one werehound and plunging the dagger right into the bullseye.

"Fuck ya!" I hollered just as one last thump hit the ground.

I turned only to frown at the sight before. The bastard just had to one-up me. Taking my kill like that. Eli stood one foot atop the last hound, joyful pride gleaming in his eyes.

"I hate you," A fog of air curled in the howling wind as I seethed venom at the boy in front of me watching as he ripped up his dagger from the werehounds that lay dead at his feet.

"Yes, yes, never mind that just grab one and help me skin them," Ignoring me like always Eli bent down reaching for one of the werehounds. Rolling my eyes I reluctantly did as he commanded. He was right we did need them for more meat.

What would be nice is if I could just use magic to store all these werehounds that way we wouldn't have to go hungry all the time. Plus, eating berries gets tiring, and they're not very filling.

Suddenly a white box appeared in front of me. Well, not technically a white box more like some portal thingy. I smiled already knowing what it was. Lately, my magic has been coming back to me rather quickly. I think it's because I'm closer to my other half, but whatever it is I'm just happy.

I smiled at the thought. So what do I do?

I boast about it in front of Eli.

Making sure to touch each werehound individually with my magic box. Dragging the process out as much as possible all the while staring directly at my chosen victim. I watch the simmering anger hidden behind his oh-so-annoyed cold cyan eyes. Also calling this magic box sounds a lot better than " the magic portal thingy ". I mean who'd wanna call it the magic portal thingy?

I just hope the werehound meat stays fresh. I don't want my magic box to be stinking of rotten werehound corpses. Oh well, I'll find out sooner or later. What matters now is that Eli was glaring at me with green envy.

Mwah ha ha ha ha! I could make this magic box and you can't~

At least that’s what I wanted to say but I found myself unable to. No, like literally. I physically couldn't say anything. My mouth wouldn't move.

"Mmhwa?" I moaned behind my closed lips, glaring as I turned to a smirking Eli. It was as if my lips were glued shut. Eli shrugged as if to say, he could do magic too.

"You're not the only one with new abilities, darling. Maybe if you spent more time actually studying instead of drinking your life away, you would have discovered this little thing." Waving a book the size of a journal toward me Eli smirked. My gaze instantly honed in on the wrapped book like a fly to a beam of light.

He flung the worn leathered thing toward me. It stopped mere inches from my face before I clasped it between my palms.

Wait, never mind. This was not made of leather! I repeat it is not made of leather!!!

The pages were glued together in this nearly soft mushy texture of a book cover. It was cool yet warm to the touch almost like...

Holy shit! Was this made of skin and tissues?! Like the tissues of a body?! Not like the paper tissues made from trees. But like whoa. So cool! Whoever thought of this is a fucking psycho but also so fucking genius.

The wrapping of the skin/tissues was like how a regular leather-bound book would look like. Except of course the multiple spider web-like stitches connecting each chunk of flesh together to make the cover.

Again, so cool!! It was like a Frankenstein book! Hmm, wonder where that name came from? I feel like I've heard of Frankenstein somewhere but where? Oh well, I've got a new book to read! Also, I so don't drink. I mean the taste was just, yuck! Why would Eli even say something like that?

Opening the book I skimmed through a few of the notes. There were spells upon spells of ruins and scribbles until finally I spotted the hex for shutting one's lips, Aufer sonum unde venit. Labia signa a quo possidet. Growling, I turned my face towards a smirking Eli.

"You know, magic isn't always the be-all- end-all of this realm. You could just try being more humble. But whatever, I shall forgive you this time. Here, you could try an undo seal on the spell I cast on you. Or-." Eli suggested as I turned back toward the front of the book.

Ya, I stopped listening to him as soon as he said magic isn't the 'be-all-end-all'. I mean seriously we live in the Fae Realm. Magic is the 'be-all-end-all' of this damn realm.

I skimmed through the ancient scripts and texts on the pages until something finally caught my eye.

Eeek!!

Yes, ruins!

Ruins you see are like spells but you'd need to physically draw symbols on some type of surface, flat or bumpy, doesn't matter. But spells on the other hand you could just chant out loud and it would be cast so long as your gift and affinity matches the type of spell. Ruins, however, are a lot stronger than a spell and thus require a lot more magic. Because the magic used to make the ruin can last for decades or even eons long. Whereas spells are only temporary depending on the spell you use. Say you wanted to cast a fire spell it will only last a few hours or minutes. But if you make a fire ruin you can have the fire go on for as long as you want without having to recast the spell or be there to recast the spell.

Essentially you would be embedding your magic onto another object living or nonliving. Which is why it's called a ruin because it's a magic-embedded symbol carved onto an object. In a sense, it ruins the original look of the object. Hence, ruin and not runes. But if you ask me I think runes make more sense.

Now back to my wonderful explanations. Ya, ya, ya I know it's a lot to take in but hey, information is the key to life in the Fae Realm.

A fae's body can only produce a certain amount of magic before it needs to replenish its supplies. To this day, many still do not know how. It’s believed we replenish it by taking from the magic in our environment then when we use magic we give it back to the environment.

Beaming, I stared down at the title, “ Exponentia pro Tironibus I '”. The words seem to have been ironed into the skin. Like charcoal black letters tattooed against the rubbery brown tinted layer of flesh.

The odd thing, besides the whole fact that the cover was made of skin and tissues, was that the name of the author was scratched out. Thin lines almost like claw scratches swiped five indented lines until none of the letters were visible.

Hmm. How strange .

Well, whatever I got a book, yay!

"Where did you even find this?" I couldn't help but ask knowing that caster books and spell books in general were all believed to be highly guarded. Even such simple spells as these.

As if reading my thoughts, Eli explained even more, "You know, Everetta, spells are crafted from the very essence of nature. Since magic is the life force we harness within ourselves. There is-."

I rolled my eyes cutting him off, "I know that , you don't have to go into another speech.” I crossed my arms in front of my nonexistent chest as I trailed after him.

I really didn't want to have to listen to another one of his lectures. Man acts as if he knows everything when I don't think he does.

Peaking a glance towards him I started to read through the book as I walked. Five pages in and I wondered if there was a spell for reading through this book faster. I could ask Eli but he doesn't need any more of an ego boost than what he already has. No doubt, my admitting that I need help from him of all fae would make him feel so much more snobby than he already is. If there was, I'm sure I'll find it on my own. Five more pages in and I was about to ask until the guy suddenly stopped.

Bumping my nose against his back I frowned up at Eli, wondering what the hell was the hold up. What was there another werehound attack?

Sensing the air I didn't feel anything different. No change in energy. The wind was howling its normal chilly air. Not the deadly silent winter winds that came along when werehounds were afoot.

Haha, get it werehounds afoot? Wait, that's not funny. Why did I laugh?

"Well stop here to rest for the day,.”

Eli halted resting his things in the middle of the clearing.

"Are you serious, right now? Here? On the ground? We couldn't just rest back at the fucking inn?" I gawked at the guy while also managing to give him my fiercest glaring down. Pointing a thumb back toward where I think we came from.

I mean seriously the inn had beds.

Beds for magics sake!!!

Eli rolled his eyes pulling out a blanket from his pack, "This is far safer.” I rolled my own eyes at the stupid answer but I settled down my things as well. Hey as long as we get to finally rest I'll take it. Who knows when the next rest period will be? Plus constantly casting that spell to help prevent us from needing sleep was getting a little tiring. Like I said, just because we didn't need to sleep didn't mean we weren’t drained from having to be constantly on the move.

Like what was the rush anyway? Maybe he really was an aristocrat on the run.

Unhinging the bag from my shoulders-

Wait, I could put this in my box! This way I don't have to lug around a heavy ass bag anymore!

I smiled doing exactly that. Earning a glare from Eli.

So worth it.

"Fine." I mean, I knew what he meant. We're less likely to be noticed here than in the inn but, this wasn't really any safer. I mean we had werehounds to look out for especially on a night like this. It'd be a miracle if we don't get scented out within five minutes.

As if sensing my thoughts Eli shot a narrowed gaze at me, "We'll be taking turns on the night watch. So your first since I was first last time, I'll have you know."

With that, the fucking asshole just went to sleep turning his back at me huddled in his warm small makeshift sleeping bag. I gawked at him glaring at his back as I started to ruthlessly skin the werehound I'd stored in my magic box.

"Just so you know I'm getting more of the meat," Sticking my tongue out I turned towards a retreating Eli, only to have him wave a hand back tucking himself into his little blanket.

Guess the guy was tired. I didn't even know he could get tired. He was the one who suggested we keep hiking without more rest. Either way, he was still an asshole.

Within five minutes I've skinned the werehound into a nice neat pile. Another good thing, the meat still seemed, smelled, and looked as red as an apple and as fresh as newly brewed wine. The marbling on the meat was simply divine too. I smiled. Now we won't have to starve and be able to eat good meat. I do love me some werehound meat.

Makes me thankful that I found Eli as quickly as I did because now my magic is coming back in leaps and bounds. Hmm, I wonder if I'm able to perform more magic now, does that also mean I have a greater supply of life energy in my system? Let's see, I wonder if it would be possible for me to sense my own energy? So, I could see how much magic I had. If I recall sensing someone else energy is simply focusing your mind on the person you want to see the energy of. Then you'd focus on your general environment to get the scope of the energy around you. Right now sensing energy is like a second skin to me. So maybe if I focus on myself.

Closing my eyes I tried to close off the sounds around me.

Focus. Focus. Focus. There!

A bright globe illuminated the core of my being. It was as if I was outside of my own skin as I stared at my life energy. I noted the abnormality of it all. It was larger than the others I've seen so far. Does that mean the larger the life energy the greater the magic one would be able to perform?

I bit down on my lower lip, well it does explain why I could do more magic than others. But how exactly does one's life energy or magic grow? I moved ready to stir Eli awake to answer my questions.

Screw feeding his pride and one-upping him! I needed my answers!

But then I remembered the demon I'd summoned the last time I woke him. I mean those eyes, it was like he was striking me down with his lightning sapphire thunderbolts. The way he had glared at me. I am by no means a coward but let's just say I am not poking that bear again. Then again wouldn't answers be worth the risk? I can just say it was his turn to stand guard. I looked over at the crescent moon. High in the sky, shining the brightest amongst the millions of stars. A pale white globe against the midnight blue sky. No, he'll know. The moons barely moved since I took the position. One look up and he'd know I was just saying it so he could take my place. It wouldn't be a lie that it was his turn if he actually took the position.

I closed my eyes, sighing.

Well, I guess I can try and find the answers in this book .

I picked up the skin leather book just as a small note slipped out. Unfolding the piece of paper I noted nothing on it.

What the?

I was about to toss it aside if it hadn't been for the worn-out angles of the paper. Not to mention its small tanned skin. It was old, and from the feel of the rubbery texture, it was very old. But why was it kept for so long if it had nothing on it, and why hidden in the pages of the book? Could it be that it was just left in this book?

Examining the paper again I noticed the folded and unfolded wrinkles on the paper, "A hidden spell?"

I tried examining the paper again. Maybe this time I could find a crack or something hidden within its surface. I sighed, shaking my head, no I'm such an idiot it's spelled so maybe there is some key to it. The key, a magic counterspell, or something. Ok, so the words are spelled to be covered, like how a mask covers a face.

I wonder.....

I flipped through the journal remembering that in the few pages I'd read, there was something about unraveling a meaning or truth behind a lie. Well if one was masking something it's the same as covering something with a lie right? So in theory telling the truth would bring it to the surface, right? Or at least I hope so.

Hey! I am doing the best I can with what I have so, don't judge.

Ah, here it is. " A tergo vela detege. Illumina tenebras et veritas revelari sinas ." I beamed, staring at the paper to see if anything was appearing on the wrinkle-aged paper. Nothing. Hmm. I wonder.

Maybe instead of just saying shadows I should try mask instead? Also, if Eli didn't need to speak his spell to cast it then maybe I don't either. I thought about recalling his silencing spell on me and how he might have done it. Perhaps chanting it in my head and picturing how it would work out? Cause he definitely didn't say anything.

" A tergo vela detege. Illuminare verbis larvatis et veritatem revelari permittas. " I thought, closing my eyes and hovering my fingers over the empty paper. I peeked open one eye but nothing. I sighed ready to try something else when suddenly the words started carving themselves onto the page. Letter and after letter etched themselves onto the leather-like skin pages. Starting from the edges of the book to the center. Almost like a circle.

I smiled widely as I looked over towards Eli to boast about my triumph. Fuck, he was still asleep. But this was so much more important than sleep. Plus the sky was glowing a tint of orange against the midnight blue. Huh, who knew the time had passed so quickly? I swore the moon was still right above the skies when I checked last time. Had I really been reading this book for so long?

"Eli, wake up! Look at what I just found!" Thrusting the wrinkled paper I just uncovered in front of him partially in hopes that he wouldn't be angry with me for waking him if he found out that I had discovered something great, then again I wouldn't know if it was. I didn't even look at it yet.

Shit, maybe I should have looked at it before shoving it at his face. Who knows it could just be a secret recipe for scones.

"What the, it's a map." Eli marveled, sitting up and taking the paper from me as I stared at him befuddled at his sudden curiosity. "Really?" I asked, scrunching up my nose before realizing my mistake.

"I mean ya I found a map," I smiled, beaming over at his scowling face as if I totally knew what I was showing him.

Rolling his eyes no doubt having caught my false confidence because I didn't even know it was a map until he said it was.

But wait, a map to what?

Looking over Eli's shoulder I stared down at the map. "Quinque gemmis regni absconditi" It read before several snake lines spread through the map with one small dot centered at the corner of one end. Eli frowned before taking out his own map. "The Five Gems of the Hidden Kingdom?" I read blinking in wonder.

What the hell did that mean?

I peered over at Eli who was now fully awake I realized.

Aaandd ~ he's not mad! Yay!

He was moving like a madman on a hunt. Placing his map on the ground, and setting the new one atop it he suddenly shouted "Aha!" Eli exclaimed as he moved, allowing me to spot the alignment of his paper and the map.

"Finally! Fucking finally! I finally found them." Eli acclaimed his hands thrust in the air in celebration, smiling like a madman as I took a small step backward from his maddening haze.

"Ok? What are the five gems? And what's the hidden kingdom?" I asked my voice, hesitant and squeaking just a little at the end.

It totally wasn't because I was a bit scared of the man just now.

Just a little.

Because the guy looked like he might pounce on me with that look in his eyes. Plus that dagger was way too close to him for comfort. Eli rolled his eyes. "Don't you remember the stories your parents used to tell you?" Eli asked, but I just shrugged.

I mean what? Shaking my head I shrugged " I have no clue what you mean, dude."

Eli sighed, seemingly having composed himself, if only just a little. Because let's face it he's always mad, both crazy and angry-wise.

“The Five Courts used to be Faedom.”

"But, don't we only have four?" I might not remember much about my past but I sure as hell knew my present and currently there are only four courts.

It didn't make any sense if the five hidden kingdoms were our realm why do we have four now?

"Back then there were five, the Griffins, Wolves, Phoenix , Serpents, and Dragons. Until one day the Royal family of each kingdom just disappeared." Eli explained, unsure of that part himself.

"That's when our current rulers, the Winter King, Summer Queen, Spring Maiden, and Fall Duke came to rule. But no one quite knows how the current rulers came to power. It was believed that they were the royal family's right-hand persons, and well, actually no I'm not quite sure. There are rumors about them being close to the royals but that's all there was. No one's quite sure what position they actually had. Anyway, each kingdom had one of these special books called Gems. These Gems possessed great power that people believed if we used them we could bring back the fifth royal family, which had disappeared, the Serpent. And here we have a possible map to find the Gems." Eli continued, the madness creeping back into his eyes as his thirst for power gleaned through the rising morning.

I do recall hearing the stories about the five courts and how one came to fall. But not of these books or gems? Or exactly how the fifth kingdom fell.

"But Eli, what about the fifth? What happened to the fifth kingdom? How did it fall?" Eli halted in his maddening smile, I swear he looked like one of those creepy clowns right about now. Was this map really that important? Pausing Eli seemed just as stumped as I was, “I-I'm not quite sure, it was assumed that the current rulers just split the land." I shook my head, that just made no sense. I mean if the royal family's so-called right-hand person took over then shouldn't the fifth kingdom also have their right-hand man or woman take over? Eli must have been thinking the same thing as he voiced both our questions aloud, ''But the fifth kingdom should also have had their own ruler now too, shouldn't they?"

Unless perhaps they were overrun by the current rulers?

I frowned, pressing my lips together into a thin line at that question. Something didn't feel right. No, not at all.

"No, some things are definitely not right," I spoke, a slimy feeling oozing in my gut as I looked over at Eli as a sudden memory stabbed into my brain causing me to cry out.

A woman's hair as bright as the sun and eyes so golden as if they could outshine even the brightest star peered at me. Horror and pain covered her face as she spat out blood covering the smirking women above her, the image blurred. "You won’t get away with this." Someone spat, venom gushing from their words before the memory went dark leaving me panting for breath. "What the bloody hell?! Everetta! Are you alright?!" Eli looped around my waist holding me up. Man, did he just curse? I haven't heard a single curse word leave his posh lips since I met him. More than that why the fuck does my head feel like a thousand knives just found their resting stop at the top of my skull.

I shrugged, “I-I don't know. Some-some images just popped in my mind, I-I don't-"

Something wasn’t right with that folktale Eli just told me.

"Eli, something tells me the throne is gonna be fucking hard to take back,"

Groaning I bit down on my lower lip trying to unsheath the knives from their resting place. Rubbing against my temples I felt the shadows underneath my skin creep in. Ya, something was definitely not right.

"What are you talking about?" Eli frowned a crease marring his perfect features as he used his ice magic to help calm my mind. He's been doing that a lot. Using his cold touch to soothe my mind whenever these images pop into my mind. I had wondered if they were my memories but Eli's always just passed them off as my imagination.

"I don't know but I don't think their crowns were simply just handed over." Shadows, I think I even got confused by what I just said. But that made no sense. Didn't Eli just say they were given their thrones by the past rulers? Or he might as well have. He made it seem like the past monarchs just up and left.

"Perhaps you're right, I had heard rumors of some dreadful things occurring in the other courts, all except Winter," Eli muttered as we looked beyond the forest to the rising peaks of the creeping heat that was the Summer Queen's castle. If what I saw was supposed to be the Summer Queen dying, something told me the current Summer Queen wasn't all too friendly. Like she wasn't going to simply roll out the red carpet for us to get back our courts.

"Eli, do we have to save that girl?" We both stared out into the darkening dead trees and black grass looming beyond.