Memory's Wake Omnibus: The Complete Illustrated YA Fantasy Series (77 page)

The woods were cut through with the horizontal orange beams of the setting sun. The light cast long shadows and created sharp contrast against a black and white ground of sludgy leaves and spots of melting snow. The cold air was scented with wood-smoke, and the trees above Memory and her friends leafless, showing the darkening sky above.

Eloryn, Roen, Erec, and Clara trailed after Memory silently as she led them on through the forest. They were all dressed and prepared for a long journey. Even Eloryn had chosen pants, and brought the satchel that had once belonged to Alward, which curiously seemed to fit more food and supplies than expected. Memory refused even the suggestion of a skirt, and instead wore tough leather riding pants and knee-high boots that buckled tight three times up the sides. The deep purple coat she wore matched her pinned-back hair, and had its own mini-skirt length bustle at the back and double breasted buttons of brass.

She had left off the corset, breathing would be fairly important today after all, and had been hard enough to do since Will had been stolen away. Six days it had taken to wrap up her affairs as queen so Avall could continue on while she was gone, or if she never came back. Six breathless days.

The new government Memory had been working toward was already close to complete. Between them, and Lanval, who she’d left as her replacement, if she never came back, she felt confident Avall was in good hands. Honestly, she was more confident in the adults she’d put in charge than she was in herself as a ruler anyway. She felt good that the people of Avall had someone as their leader other than a seventeen year old girl with possible mental health issues. She had found a desire in herself to lead, and a desire to lead changes and progress in Avall, but knew she wasn’t ready. She was little more than the Maellan-blooded figurehead and knew it, but those desires had become one more reason she wanted to live- to grow old and wise enough to rule well, one day.

And she wanted to grow old and wise with Will by her side.
Worlds couldn’t keep us apart.
She would get him back. And then she could breathe again.

That morning, Memory had said her goodbyes to Maeve and the children. Maeve had wanted to come with Memory, to help however she could, but Memory needed her to stay and look after the other kids. She couldn’t bear for something to happen to them again.

Saying goodbye was hard, especially when Isa clung to Memory’s leg and had to be pried off, crying and screaming, by Maeve.

Clara, on the other hand, had flatly refused to say goodbye. “I’ll say goodbye when it’s time to say goodbye, and then I will say see you soon.”

“It might be a long way out into the woods,” Memory objected weakly. She didn’t want to say goodbye either, but knew a foray into the fairy realm was no place for Clara.

“I’m perfectly capable of walking. It’s just the hunting grounds anyway.”

Memory watched her now, tripping over more sticks than she managed successfully to step over. Erec kept close beside her to keep her upright, a gentle smile on his face when he caught her arm each time. Memory started to wonder if the damsel in distress act was for his benefit. It worried Memory to be leaving Clara out here alone after saying goodbye, she would have arranged an escort to take her home again if she’d had more notice, but she felt better knowing she had a way to call home and check on her.

That had been the last thing Memory did before leaving. On their way out of the palace, Memory took her friends to the chamber that kept the Speaking Mirror.

The piece of magic mirror in Caermaellan castle was a long, thin sliver, shaped almost like a scimitar and about that size. Memory reached up and reverentially placed her hands on either side of the frame that held it, and lifted it from the wall.

She could see Eloryn’s eyes pop wide as she brought the frame over her head then threw it on the floor.

The frame broke apart and the Speaking Mirror shattered into pieces.

Eloryn cried, “Are you insane? That is priceless! Irreplaceable!”

“So are you.” Memory crouched down in front of the wreckage, and collected out the five largest pieces. One for her, and one for Eloryn, Roen, Erec, and Clara. That left a few small pieces for those remaining in the palace as well. She stood back up and passed them around to her friends, careful to not let the razor edges slice their hands.

“When magically connected, each part of this mirror can see and hear the other parts, right? I didn’t break the magic, I just made more pieces. One each, so we won’t be out of contact.”

Eloryn stared at the triangular shard in her hand. The mirror glinted and sent sparks dancing up onto her cheekbones. She choked on words that she couldn’t quite get out. “But… it’s…”

Memory shrugged. “If you guys had mobile phones or walkie-talkies I would have used them instead, but we use what we’ve got.”

“Only Erec, Clara, and I can use them anyway,” Eloryn said. “You know you and Roen can’t without someone to make the magical connection.”

Memory nodded slow and deadpan. “I did realize that. I figure it’s still worth it for you guys and was hoping you could set it up now and keep the line open. Connect yours to Roen’s, and mine back here to Clara and the Palace. That way we’re always connected to someone if we are separated, and if we’re together then all is good anyway.”

Eloryn hesitated, still pouty at the destruction of a precious magical artefact. Then she sighed and spoke her behest words to connect the mirror pieces. Memory held hers up, and could see part of Clara’s red hair in the icicle shaped mirror. There was barely enough mirror to see a complete eye when Clara also held hers close to her face, but when she spoke into the mirror, her voice came through clear and loud to Memory’s piece.

Roen and Eloryn tested theirs as well, and Erec flipped his around in his hands. “I sure feel left out,” he said.

“You can connect yours to anyone whenever you want,” Memory said.

He grinned and tucked it away in a pocket on his vest. “Details.”

Memory put hers away as well in a pouch on her belt. “We all have iron. We all have a speaking mirror. We have a plan. I think we’re ready.”

In the hunting grounds, Memory stared at the small ring of red and white spotted toadstools in front of her. It sat within lush green, needle-thin winter grass and a spray of white wildflowers.

They were ready, they had a plan, but the next step, literally, was a scary one.

Eloryn stared as well. “Do you think this will really work?”

Memory shrugged. “Only one way to find out.”

“Why must you be so flippant? If this doesn’t work, you will be lost.”

Erec, Roen, and Clara stood across the ring from them, and all looked up at Memory for her reply. She didn’t want to lose herself, or lose them. But she’d already lost someone and that had to be fixed.

“It works, or it doesn’t. I’m doing it anyway, so why ask?”

Eloryn turned from the fairy ring to stare at Memory, her green eyes squinting, assessing her. “I just want to know if you are doing this because you truly care for Will or just because your pride is hurt.”

Memory felt the verbal slap in those words. She took a deep breath to let the stinging fade. There was no question anymore what the truth was. “I care for him,” she said. “As deeply as you care for Roen. Don’t ever question that again, Lory.”

Eloryn grinned a little slyly. “I was just waiting for you to finally admit it.”

“You little trickster!” Memory shoved her sister’s shoulders with both hands, laughter in her words. Pointing at the other three who were all grinning as well she said, “Go on, get. Time for you lot to hide.”

Roen and Erec patted Memory on the shoulder as they walked past, and Clara kissed her on the cheek. Eloryn just nodded to her, her expression serious again. Memory returned the nod and tried to wear a hopeful smile. She watched them disappear behind thick tree trunks, the echo of Eloryn’s behest words settling in the cool air as her magic concealed them further.

Letting out one long, deep breath, Memory clenched her jaw.
Life as a flower couldn’t be too terrible, could it?

She stepped forward and instantly she felt the tug and pull of the fae magic there, enclosing her within the small ringed space. Reaching out her hands, she ran them around the edges of her confines, feeling the firmness of the air there. Memory leaned her whole body into it, pushing as though to escape. She wondered if this was how being in a padded room might feel.

After ten minutes of pushing and prodding and waiting, Memory started to get anxious.

Clearing her throat, she called as loudly as she could, “Oh bother, I seem to be trapped.”

The sun had fallen low, and shone directly into Memory’s eyes. A rustle of leaves had Memory squinting into the light and a silhouetted shape crept toward her, haloed by the golden glow of the sunset behind.

“Hello human.” A soft whinny shook the words as the fae creature spoke. The faun stepped close to the fairy ring, the white fur around her cloven hooves muddy and spotted with wet leaves.

“Hello… furry thing.”

The faun regarded Memory with all black eyes, spiked with silvery lashes. “Stumbled in again, did you? This time, you are mine for reals. Isn’t that how you said it? For reals? You belong to me now.” Lips covered in a soft white down pulled up into a satisfied smile.

“Oh no, oh dear, alas, you’ve got me now,” Memory said, the back of her hand against her forehead.

“You are mocking me?” The faun shifted, her legs coming up and her hooves pawing at the ground. Silvery dust fell from her eyelashes as she snorted. “I think I will turn you into a flower this time. Let the bees have you.”

Memory barked a laugh. “You’re such a bluffer! You got me with your lies last time, but I know what fairies can and can’t do now. Got myself an education.”

The faun gazed at her, body rigid with what looked like anger, or confusion. “You know nothing.”

Memory began ticking off items on her fingers. “I know you guys are all strong and nearly immortal, can glamour appearances, and travel through the Veil, but unless you learn human magic there is very little else you can actually do.”

The faun showed its teeth in a truly cheeky grin. “Maybe I hoped I could just glamour you to look like a flower, and you’d be so shocked you’d fall down dead from fright.”

Memory raised an eyebrow at the faun’s honesty.

The faun’s grin widened. “Flower or not, I still own you now.”

“So are you going to keep me as your pet, or what? Take me back to Tearnan Ogh? Can you even do that with your puny fairy magic?” Memory folded her arms, unimpressed.

“Of course I can! Don’t know if I will though.” Her long nose wrinkled and trembled as she sniffed the air. “You still stink of iron.”

Memory nodded out into the trees. “Actually, this time it’s not me.”

As if sensing what was about to happen, the faun jumped and turned to run but was too slow.

Memory could hear Eloryn’s behest words as she sprang the trap. A thin, web-like iron cage encircled the faun, trapping her within its toxic framework. Every piece of iron they carried had been given to Eloryn, and she used her magic to stretch and spread the mass of them large enough to hold the creature.

Erec, Clara, Roen, and Eloryn stepped out from hiding and into a circle around the cage.

The faun shrieked and her body started to swirl with Veil mist, trying to escape through the Veil. But it was obvious she had no strength surrounded by iron, and the wispy smoke evaporated uselessly. In panic she lashed out, kicking at the cage and her hoof sizzled at contact.

Clara gasped and turned away. Memory’s stomach clenched violently, watching the little thing buck and shudder. “Just stay off the bars, calm down!”

The faun’s eyes widened to completely round black orbs and her goat-like ears hung down. She shrank herself small, desperately trying to keep clear of the iron web. “Let me out!”

Memory made calming gestures with her hands. “Make a deal with me and I will. You will take me and my friends into Tearnan Ogh. You will be our guide there, will not harm us or knowingly lead us to harm, and you will return us to Avall. And then you will be free again.”

“Free?” The faun sagged against the ground, her body shuddering and heaving with sobs. Perspiration foamed and curdled on her snowy coat. “Taking you there, it will be death for me. The members of the court will kill me for taking you to our lands.”