Everwild (The Healer Series, #1) (20 page)

He quickly looked up at her and then at
Chase. “I’m fine.”

“Did I say something last night?” She
prompted, hinting at him to explain everything to her.

“I said I’m fine, Willow, okay?”

“Okay,” she said and looked down. Suddenly,
her half eaten plate of food made her sick to her stomach. Okay, so
what was his problem? Was he really beating himself up about last
night, or was he just trying to forget it ever happened? Why won’t
he tell her what was upsetting him so much? Why won’t he just talk
to her about it?

Chase jerked his head up. “Do you guys smell
that?” He practically hissed at them. Chase took a big sniff of the
air and then his eyes bugged out of his head. “Fairy.”

“What?” Willow said looking around quickly.
“Where?”

“Oh, shit, I’m in trouble!” Chase said
panicking and jumped up from the seat. The wooden chair scratched
against the floor and toppled over. “We have to get out of here!
Now!”

Before they had time to react, the Neutral
Zones’ doors burst open and filled with Fey hunters with bows and
arrows. Everybody in the inn dispersed and took off running at the
sight of the hunters. At least a dozen or more Fey jumped and
flipped over the furniture like ninjas.

“He’s over there!” Alex’s voice carried
through the crowd.

“TRAITOR!” Chase bellowed and made for the
back exit. “Come on guys, move!”

The sound of a whirring arrow zinged past
Willow and hit Chase on his calf. He screamed in pain and fell to
his stomach but didn’t waste any time yanking the arrow out and
scurrying to his feet. Willow and Declan were close on his heels.
The door was just within touching distance when a whip snapped out
and wrapped around Chase’s neck pulling him away from the door.
Chase roared at the restraint and turned feral. His eyes glowed
blue and his teeth extended. He was going to shift!

“Oh, I don’t think so, wolf,” a smooth, calm
voice behind them stopped their retreat. Chase whipped around and
blocked Willow and Chase with his body. His arms were stretched out
and he was crouching in defense mode.

A very tall Fairy warrior approached them. He
had long, shiny silver hair that matched his silver eyes and a
hawk-like nose. He was wearing a long green tunic and knee high
black boots. His bowstring was slung over his lean abdomen. The
Fairy held the whip in his left hand and smirked proudly at his
capture.

“As you probably realize by now, this whip
prevents you changing. Not that it would do you any good against
us,” the warrior said gesturing to the hunters. The other hunters
snickered and tucked their bows away, knowing their prey wouldn’t
give up much of a fight.

Chase’s eyes stopped glowing as he watched
the Fairy warrior. He stood up straight and crossed his arms,
making his biceps pop out. “I’ve missed you, Eeydyn. How’s your
Queen doing?”

Eeydyn narrowed his eyes on Chase and flicked
his wrist. The whip around his neck tightened and Chase uttered a
low, guttural growl. The elf, Alex, stepped up next to Eeydyn
extending his hand. Eeydyn dropped a black bag in it.

“As promised,” Eeydyn said dryly. Alex smiled
and jingled the moneybag.

“No hard feelings, Chase, really,” Alex said
shrugging. “But you’re just a puppy who needs to learn their
lesson. Here’s lesson number one: Karma’s a bitch. What goes around
comes around. And I’ll be seeing you around,” Alex said turning to
leave and then regarded the looks of hatred on the Fairy hunters’
faces, “…or maybe I won’t.” He left the main area laughing.

“I’m gonna kill that
son-of-a-no-good-Elf-carcass with my bare hands,” Chase growled and
fisted his hands.

“Unlikely,” Eeydyn snorted, turning their
attention back on him, “since you’re now in our custody.”

“What?” Chase said baffled. “I’ve done no
crimes against your people!”

“You call stealing the scepter of Queen
Eclipsia not a crime?” Eeydyn asked curiously.

“It was a harmless prank!” Chase roared, “And
I returned it! Diazinon and Grissom agreed on a truce! How dare you
fall back on my Alpha’s treaty with you!” If he was in wolf form
right now, his hackles would be up and he would be pacing and
readying himself for attack. Eeydyn seemed to sense this and lifted
a corner of his eyebrow like he was intrigued, but not intimidated
by the werewolf’s outburst.

Willow was literally shaking in fear behind
him. Declan’s fingers sizzled by his side. She knew he was calling
upon his magic. But what could he do against beings that were the
epitome of the word? He wasn’t even half as powerful as the Fey
before her. She looked at him and shook her head slightly. Declan
frowned.

“I’m sorry to break it to you, but the truce
was broken,” Eeydyn said.

“In what way?” Chase demanded.

“The truce clearly acknowledges that if any
werewolf breaches our boundaries, we have the right to imprison and
detain that wolf without cause.” Chase went still as a stone as
Eeydyn lowered his voice menacingly. “Were you not just recently
ensnared in one of our traps?”

“I knew I smelled Fairy scum there. But that
wasn’t your territory!” Chase bellowed angrily.

“It seems as though your Alpha forgot to
inform you that the treaty also expanded some of our domain.”

“That’s not fair!” Chase whined and walked up
to Eeydyn. He got within a few feet when an invisible barrier
blocked him and pushed him away from the Fairy.

“It matters not that your Alpha neglected to
do his duty and tell you,” Eeydyn said, his eyes flashing
dangerously. “But you
will
come with us. In the Name of
Diazinon, Fairy King of the Everwild, we take Chase Hawthorne of
the Whiteclaw pack to stand trial for trespassing on Fairy
ground.”

Chase cleared his throat. “Yeah…um, that
sounds very official and all, but here’s the part where I call upon
my pack. I think it’s called the right to an attorney, or something
like that.”

“
That,
wolf, is a human ritual,”
Eeydyn spit out.

As Chase and Eeydyn were talking and battling
it out, Willow felt Declan’s arm run down her forearm and grip her
hand. She felt a zing of his magic shoot up her arm and she looked
at him alarmed, on edge from the Fey hunters, and completely
terrified. He was charging his magic. Declan looked at her intently
and then began backing up towards the exit. They were literally one
foot away from escaping. Declan put his left hand on the door to
push it open, but it didn’t move! Willow looked at Declan
desperately.

From her right, two Fairy hunters attacked
her, ripping her away from Declan. Willow screamed and struggled
against them, but seconds later, she was restrained. A green flash
from the corner of her eyes caught her attention and she saw that
Declan was using his defensive magic against the hunters. Declan
whipped his arm out at an attacker and sent a shock of magic out of
his palm that sent the hunter flying backwards in the air. He
collided with the bar and landed on the floor knocking over the
stools. But another hunter came up behind him and snatched his arms
behind his back, quickly tying his hands with silver twine-the
Fairy form of spidery silk that is indestructible and completely
inescapable. It hindered any creature from using magic.

Five Fey hunters surrounded Declan and aimed
for him with their bows. The strings were taut and if Declan made a
move, he would be done for without questioning. Willow knew better
than to fight the Fey hunters. This particular group seemed
ruthless and cunning. They were apparently tracking Chase since she
saved him two days ago.

“What are you doing?” Chase declared in rage
after the excitement of the fight died down. “You’re business is
with me! Not with them!”

“On the contrary,” Eeydyn said, casually
wrapping the whip around his hand. Declan’s sudden burst of energy
did not daunt him in the least. “We also have means to bring the
Healer.” Willow’s head shot towards the Fairy in shock.
Her
?

Chase growled deeply. “No.”

Eeydyn just smiled. “You speak as if it would
make a difference. However, the Healer released you from our trap
and used her powers to heal you. No one comes between the Fey and
their prey. She broke the law by saving you.”

“What! You have no right!” Willow struggled
against the Fairy holding her. He tightened his grip on her arms in
a warning.

Eeydyn sighed. “Honestly, Healer, don’t you
know the laws of Fairy? Haven’t you learned about us in your
training? Apparently not, but we cannot overlook your lackadaisical
teachings. Besides, King Diazinon has business with you.”

Turning to the Fey holding Declan, Eeydyn
said, “Release him. He’s just a juvenile warlock who thinks he can
best us. Huh! We have no use of him.”

Eeydyn turned to leave until Declan roared,
“NO!” The Fairy stiffened and then turned back around. Declan had
gained his attention. “Where she goes, I go!” Declan looked at
Willow and back at Eeydyn whose eyebrows shot up.

“Very well, warlock,” he agreed easily.
“Nobody here will stop you, right brothers?” The other Fairy’s had
unsettling smiles on their faces at Declan’s persistence of going
with them. Willow was relieved, but also afraid for him. She wanted
him to escape. Better they take her, than him.

As they walked out of the Neutral Zone and
gathered together around a patch of grass, Willow found Declan
surrounded by Fey hunters with his hands still tied behind his
back. He looked her way and nodded his head. More hunters were out
here milling about. They looked her way and smiled. They were
beautiful creatures, but also very deadly.

Tears swelled in her eyes. She never expected
to be captured on this journey, especially by Fey. There was no
escaping them once they caught you. Despair lodged in her throat.
How was she going to find her talisman now? The Fey hunters didn’t
put silver twine around Willow, but they still stood idly by just
in case she was to take off. There were at least two dozen hunters
out here.

“It’ll be okay,” she heard Declan say softly.
“I’ll be here with you.”

Trying to be strong, Willow refused to let
the tears in her eyes fall. Her voice was unstable when she
responded. “You should go, Dec. They don’t want you.”

“You’re not doing this alone, Willow,” Declan
said defiantly, his eyes blazing. “I’m
with
you. I’m not
leaving.”

“How gallant of you,” a Fairy hunter mocked
him and pushed him away from Willow. A small squeak escaped
her.

Eeydyn came up to Willow. “Have you ever
flown before?”

“All the time. I’m a witch,” she said snidely
and crossed her arms.

Eeydyn laughed. “I mean, have you ever flown
by Fairy powder?”

“Since this is the first time I’ve been
around Fey, I’ll say that’s a big no,” Willow said flatly. The
Fairy smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“There’s much for you to learn about us,
then, isn’t there? Perhaps
I
might be able to teach you…”
Eeydyn said suggestively. He came up to her and with his pale hand,
brushed the spirals away from her neck. Willow recoiled at shied
away at his cold touch.

“Don’t touch her!” Declan erupted in rage
behind them. Willow watched Eeydyn’s smile widen before turning to
Declan.

“King Diazinon waits. We go.”

The Fey warriors disappeared right in front
of Willow. The ones holding Chase vanished before her, leaving only
those that were with Declan and then Eeydyn and Willow. “You know
what to do with that one,” Eeydyn instructed. “I’ll stay with the
Healer.”

Before Declan could say anything in response,
the Fey disappeared into thin air with the man she secretly loved.
Willow turned a furious gaze on Eeydyn. He stood with his arms
crossed and a malicious grin on his too perfect face. “That one’s
very protective of you, isn’t he? But then, you are a great prize
for anyone to treasure. Grab my arm Willow Rose, my King is very
anxious to meet you.”

Heart beating out of her chest, she took a
hold of Eeydyn’s forearm. In his other, he produced a fine white
powder with flecks of gold in it. “Fairy powder,” Eeydyn explained.
“You may feel a little dizzy after we transport, but that’s normal
I guess. It’s a far better method of traveling than just enchanted
brooms
.” He spit out in a degrading way.

“Just do it already,” Willow snapped. “We all
know how you Fey like to make a big show of everything,” she added,
just as degrading as he was.

Eeydyn’s silver eyes flashed dangerously and
then he threw the powder down at their feet. Instantly, Willow was
wrapped in a spinning current of wind. Her stomach plummeted and
she slammed her eyes shut they were spinning so rapidly. Her head
still spun with the movement, and then BAM! Her feet landed on
solid ground.

Willow hesitated opening her eyes, but when
she finally did, shock consumed her. She was standing on a dark,
wet rock a few feet away from a massive waterfall. The waterfall
roared and fell in constant streams downward to the start of the
river, where white foam and spray churned and flowed. The mist hit
Willow’s face as she took in the beauty of the falls. The waterfall
was nearly 1500 feet wide and absolutely breathtaking.

“Come,” Eeydyn said and traveled down the
rocks straight to the waterfall. Willow followed and gasped when
Eeydyn waved his hands and the waterfall parted before her eyes.
Beyond that was darkness. Willow gulped and followed the Fairy
warrior through the waterfall.

The beauty of the waterfall was nothing
compared to what she now saw. Purple crystals were glowing
everywhere, lighting up the darkness of the cave. Willow’s heart
soared. They were here! This was the crystal cave! She wanted to
stand in awe of the crystals, but couldn’t as Eeydyn called to her
down the narrow path. Willow still looked around in amazement as
she walked. The cave was tall and the sound of the waterfall echoed
in here. The waterfall was so powerful that the crystals shivered
and rocked back in forth from the vibration force. There were
different shades of purple to the crystals’ luster, but they all
shone with glistening beauty tucked away between the rocks of the
cave. They hung in clusters on the ceiling and stretched out
towards her on the walls. There were even some smaller ones on the
floor of the cave poking out like flowers in the ground. They were
magical and very entrancing.