magic illuminating that tree. Everyone gasped as Mariah stood before them. Glowing in a beautiful light, her dress glowing red, her skin glowing in a golden light. It was Mariah made of light. Anwar released the magic and dropped his staff. His connection to everything around him gone, the pain flooded back in. He sagged there, staring at the woman he loved. The woman he would never see again.
“Thank you , Anwar, for blessing this place with the beauty of your wife. She will be remembered here for eternity.” The words were beautiful, but they didn’t ease his pain any.
Fairies came from all over to see what he had done. Hundreds of them were all around them. The light was beautiful. Then they began to sing. None of them understood what the music meant, but it was the most beautiful thing any of them had ever heard. Even Grundel was finally mesmerized.
When the song was done the fairies dispersed. “Anwar , you are welcome to stay as long as you like. When you are ready to leave I will have one of the fairies lead you out of the forest.”
Grundel stepped up next to Anwar. “So we can leave? Everyone we talked to told us that if we came in here we would never be al lowed to leave.”
“ Humans believe that we abduct them because of the pixies, who lure men into the forest. The pixie is an abomination of the fairy. The fairy is the essence of purity. That is why we are able to travel into the waiting, and between planes. Thousands of years ago an evil wizard abducted a fairy who traveled outside the protection of the forest. He transformed himself, making himself as small as a fairy. He mated with her and the offspring was the first pixie. Pixies are beautiful and enchanting. They have long lives longer even than dwarves, but they do age and die. They are mortal. Unlike fairies, pixies have only daughters, so they must breed with mortal men. That is why men are often lured into the forest. Once the men are with the pixies they are enchanted and never want to leave. They breed with the pixies for the rest of their lives. The men are happy and treated well, so we do not interfere. The pixies will not bother you again.”
Anwar looked around. He didn’t care about fairies and pixies right now. Mariah was dead and he needed to repay Delvidge for that. They needed to get back and stop whatever he was sending against Evermount. Once Evermount was safe , he would learn how to control all the power he had and then he would go after Delvidge.
The fairy queen must have seen something in his face. “Anwar, remember to hold on to the love that you and Mariah shared. If you don’t, you could become the thing you hate most.”
“I will remember. I will never let go of her. But we need to get back. Delvidge was not finished when he attacked us. He is starting a war with the dwarves. We need to get back and help fight that war.”
“Fae will guide you to the edge of the boundary. Navaeh will not be returning with you.”
Rundo immediately became defensive. “What? You said we would all be free to go. What about all that fairies are the essences of good stuff?”
“Navaeh’s connection to the world is to o strong. The magnificence of everything she has felt here is too great. If she left the forest now the loss would be too great, and she would soon die.”
Grundel was about to protest, but Anwar stopped him. “When I connected with my magic I felt this place. What she says is true.” For now he had covered his pain with determination. He had lost Mariah, but he had something to do now that could occupy the empty space she left. They needed to get back. He looked at Navaeh, who still stared at the queen, entranced. “Will she be like that forever?”
“No. Her connection is very strong. Being in my presence is overwhelming for her. The other fairies will teach her to adapt to the connection here. It won ’t be long before she gets used to me, and she will live normally.”
Anwar believed her. “We are ready to
“Thank you , Anwar, for blessing this place with the beauty of your wife. She will be remembered here for eternity.” The words were beautiful, but they didn’t ease his pain any.
Fairies came from all over to see what he had done. Hundreds of them were all around them. The light was beautiful. Then they began to sing. None of them understood what the music meant, but it was the most beautiful thing any of them had ever heard. Even Grundel was finally mesmerized.
When the song was done the fairies dispersed. “Anwar , you are welcome to stay as long as you like. When you are ready to leave I will have one of the fairies lead you out of the forest.”
Grundel stepped up next to Anwar. “So we can leave? Everyone we talked to told us that if we came in here we would never be al lowed to leave.”
“ Humans believe that we abduct them because of the pixies, who lure men into the forest. The pixie is an abomination of the fairy. The fairy is the essence of purity. That is why we are able to travel into the waiting, and between planes. Thousands of years ago an evil wizard abducted a fairy who traveled outside the protection of the forest. He transformed himself, making himself as small as a fairy. He mated with her and the offspring was the first pixie. Pixies are beautiful and enchanting. They have long lives longer even than dwarves, but they do age and die. They are mortal. Unlike fairies, pixies have only daughters, so they must breed with mortal men. That is why men are often lured into the forest. Once the men are with the pixies they are enchanted and never want to leave. They breed with the pixies for the rest of their lives. The men are happy and treated well, so we do not interfere. The pixies will not bother you again.”
Anwar looked around. He didn’t care about fairies and pixies right now. Mariah was dead and he needed to repay Delvidge for that. They needed to get back and stop whatever he was sending against Evermount. Once Evermount was safe , he would learn how to control all the power he had and then he would go after Delvidge.
The fairy queen must have seen something in his face. “Anwar, remember to hold on to the love that you and Mariah shared. If you don’t, you could become the thing you hate most.”
“I will remember. I will never let go of her. But we need to get back. Delvidge was not finished when he attacked us. He is starting a war with the dwarves. We need to get back and help fight that war.”
“Fae will guide you to the edge of the boundary. Navaeh will not be returning with you.”
Rundo immediately became defensive. “What? You said we would all be free to go. What about all that fairies are the essences of good stuff?”
“Navaeh’s connection to the world is to o strong. The magnificence of everything she has felt here is too great. If she left the forest now the loss would be too great, and she would soon die.”
Grundel was about to protest, but Anwar stopped him. “When I connected with my magic I felt this place. What she says is true.” For now he had covered his pain with determination. He had lost Mariah, but he had something to do now that could occupy the empty space she left. They needed to get back. He looked at Navaeh, who still stared at the queen, entranced. “Will she be like that forever?”
“No. Her connection is very strong. Being in my presence is overwhelming for her. The other fairies will teach her to adapt to the connection here. It won ’t be long before she gets used to me, and she will live normally.”
Anwar believed her. “We are ready to
Similar Books
