Blood of the Fey (Morgana Trilogy) (56 page)

I jerk back at his words, unable to process the data. There is one thing that seems clear to me, however.

“You knew,” I breathe. “You knew all along.”

Arthur’s lips thin out, but he finally nods.

Rage wells up inside me, unchecked. I jump to my feet, but the guards hold me back. “You traitor!”

“Please, hear me out,” Arthur says.

“So you can spew more lies?”

He winces, but keeps on going. “You don’t understand,” he says. “There was a reason this was kept from you—”

“What? You were afraid that the freak would go vicious if she found out the truth?”

“Don’t say that,” Arthur whispers.

“Afraid the rest of them will learn you and your family have been hosting a demon in your house? Afraid the school will stop seeing you as a perfect person?”

Grabbing me by the shoulders, Arthur shakes me. “Don’t be a fool. What they think is no concern of mine. What you think about yourself, however, is.”

“Please, don’t pretend like you care now,” I say. I should’ve trusted my instincts from the start—though fairies may exist, and knights in shining armor are still around, there is no such thing as a Prince Charming. “And stop ordering me around like you own me,” I add as my guards pull me away at a sign from Irene. “You’re not even my brother!”

Shackled and closely guarded, I follow Irene and Luther back outside under the curious stares of hundreds of students. We march toward the back of the church, where small stairs lead us belowground. Luther pushes a small door open, and I’m dragged into a damp hallway, past dark, empty rooms, and down more steps.

Finally, we stop before a bolted iron door. Luther inserts a key, turns it, then pulls the screeching door open.

Without a pause, my guards shove me in. Unable to catch myself, I land with a heavy thud and smack my head on the grimy floor.

Rolling over onto my back, I see Irene smile, the light of one of the guard’s torches distending her features.

“Welcome to your new home.”

STRANGE PRANK GOES AWRY – THE AUTHORITIES ARE STUMPED

In an odd turn of events, the elaborate hoax, which started a few months ago and involved the replacement of the native cairn on Island Park with monoliths worthy of Stonehenge, has turned sour.

The police, after getting reports of explosions originating from the island, found upon arrival that the circle of standing stones had been destroyed. When called upon to comment, the chief of police refused to say a word, claiming the investigation was still under way. An eyewitness, who wishes to remain anonymous, stated that the place reeked of sulfur and that blood had been found on the premises.

Some locals are accusing Natives American tribes of being behind the vandalism.

“You saw how they was protestin’ when the stones were found first,” Mr. Ethan Pearson, owner of a small bar just north of Oshkosh, stated. “They just can’t take a joke. Those kids, or whoever they were, didn’t hurt no one, and look what they did, blowin’ the whole place up like it’s Armageddon!”

Whether these accusations prove to be true, or the act of destruction was performed by aliens, as another group claims, nobody knows. The authorities were still trying to work out how anyone could have brought in those gigantic stones without being noticed in the first place.

But that is not the end of the story. Scientists have been called in to analyze a plant that was discovered growing out of one of the stones. According to a member of the staff, it may be a genus of completely unknown origins. Most baffling of all is that the plant is inextricably attached to its rock and is resisting any attempt at being cut out, no matter the tool used.

Perhaps those who state this is all a trick played on us by aliens aren’t too far from the truth after all.

About the Author

Alessa Ellefson is a bit of a globe-trotter--born in Texas, she was raised first in Spain, then Belgium, before landing in the US of A to study... math (the one subject she’d vowed never to take again after graduating from high school). In terms of writing, she’s tried her hand at a number of different genres, including screenwriting and poems.

Blood of the Fey
is her first published novel (her previous stories are tucked safely away for fear of adding more horrors to this lovely world). It is also the first in the
Morgana Trilogy
, though many more tales are jousting in her head for the next spot at the end of her pen.

More information on what goes on inside Alessa’s devious mind can be found at
www.alessaellefson.com

1
Loose accumulation of silt.

2
Police officer.

3
Menu of the day.

4
What had to be proven.

5
Caste of unskilled workers in India.

6
An incense holder used during certain Masses.

7
Charmed.

8
Dear.

9
Group of three men.

10
Baby.

11
Motherless calf.

12
Smooth talker.

13
Kill.

14
Crazy.

15
Enjoys heavy drinking.

16
Lies.

17
Of the day.

18
Darling.

19
Quickly!

20
An encyclopedia of herbs and plants and their uses as medicine, but written in code. Only one example’s ever been deciphered, and it resides with Dr. Cockleburr.

21
Long flags, usually found on a lance.

22
Standing stone.

23
A Fey who’s half goat, half man.

24
The dip above the upper lip.

25
Missy.

26
Russian knight.

27
Knight.

28
Good luck.

29
Disease found in domestic animals transmittable to humans, usually in the form of jaundice and fever.

30
What’s the matter?

31
Let’s get going.

32
Going to beat you up.

33
Alarm bell.

34
My dear.

35
Eh?

36
Brave little one.