“I wish I could help you find Morgan. But that is in the hands of the Goddess now.” She continued to hold Avery’s hands. “Tell me, what is your name?” Kyla asked.
“My name is Avery. Avery Hollis.” Tears streamed down her face. She had been gone for three days. She was somehow in a different world. There was probably a search happening now for her. Was Morgan even alive?
“Hello, Avery. I will do everything in my power to help you. That I swear,” Kyla said, the earnestness glimmering in her dusty-blue eyes as she held Avery’s hands tightly. Tears trickled down Avery’s face as she felt a mix of emotions. She had no choice but to trust this woman and hope that she could get back home.
“Those men on Quartz Mountain were after me? Why?”
“It is complicated, and you need your strength before I tell you.”
As Kyla squeezed Avery’s hand, her strange tattoos whirled, and an immediate sense of well-being wafted over Avery. She took a deep breath and sat back on the bed. Everything would be alright somehow.
Kyla stood and took a few steps away from Avery as she said, “In the meantime, you need more rest to help your body heal. I will go to the kitchens and get you something to eat. I will also need to let my brother know you are awake.”
Avery’s eyes flashed up at Kyla. She wasn’t ready to see anyone else yet. Especially not the man who’d severed a head into her lap. What kind of place could she be in that chopping heads off solved a problem?
“Can we start with food first? My head is spinning from all this information and from what I suspect is a nasty concussion.” She paused, choosing her words carefully. “Then I’d like to ask you some questions.”
“Of course! My brother can be a lot of things, and I’m sure he will want to bombard you the moment he hears you’re awake. But he’ll respect your space, even if it isn’t what he prefers,” Kyla replied as she walked out of the tent.
As Avery sat in the tent, she noticed the sounds outside the canvas walls. People talking, work being done, footsteps going past her tent. There were a lot of people in this area. She thought about what Kyla said. Was she lying? Was this some kind of hoax?
But if this was a hoax, things weren’t adding up. The GPS on her phone couldn’t track her at all. The light at the top of the tent floated in midair. She hadn’t understood a word Kyla said until she touched her and that glistening light had entered her body. And there was Kyla’s body. It didn’t seem human. Her limbs were longer, stronger. Her features were more perfect than anyone she’d met. She had thatunusual pattern beneath the surface of her skin. Avery thought she had glimpsed pointed tips at the top of Kyla’s ear, hiding behind her dark braids and earrings.
Avery’s mind flashed to the movie,The Lord of the Rings. Was she rescued by elves? The thought sounded so ridiculous to Avery that she let out a laugh. But these people did not seem human. She had no reference for fantasy creatures. Reading or watching anything about supernatural stuff or magic had never interested her.
Avery’s stomach grumbled as Kyla entered the tent. Kyla carried a carved wooden tray with a lidded wooden bowl, a piece of flat bread, and a glass of wine. “I got you some food. I don’t know what you eat in your realm, but I brought you forager soup and agaso bread. I also brought you a glass of wine. You probably need one after the shock I delivered to you,” Kyla cheerfully spoke as she placed the tray on Avery’s lap.
“Thank you,” Avery said before she sniffed the soup. It smelled like vegetables and mushrooms. As she stirred the spoon, she saw chunks of mushrooms, root vegetables, and leafy greens floating in a creamy spring-green broth. The bread, if you called it bread, was flat and hard. They sprinkled it with salt and herbs on top. It seemed more like a very large cracker to Avery. Avery hesitated. Even the food seemed foreign. She still struggled to wrap her head around what was happening to her. And what if this friendly elf lady wasn’t as friendly as she let on?
“Taste it. It will give you the strength you need to get well. The cook puts some of his essence in every dish he makes,” Kyla said.
Avery sipped the soup. It was incredibly flavorful. The rich broth, combined with the full-bodied mushrooms, made the soup much more savory than she expected. She took a bite of the agaso bread. It was crunchy on the outside, but the inside was flaky. It reminded her of the layers of biscuit, but in cracker form. Avery dipped the breadinto the soup. They complimented each other well. The wine was lush and had a hint of berry. It tasted decadent and made her aching head spin with just a sip.
Kyla busied herself at her shelves, pulling a variety of herbs and tinctures down and setting them on the table. Avery was so preoccupied with the food that she hardly noticed.
Avery put her spoon down and looked at Kyla. Her long black hair was in a loose braid down her back. Some of the dark strands fell forward as Kyla bent over the herbs at the table. Regardless of Avery’s situation, this woman showed her undeniable kindness, all things considered
“When you have a moment, can I ask you some questions?” Avery asked.
“Of course. I’m preparing your tinctures and ointments to help with your healing,” Kyla said. “Let me finish, and I’ll sit with you in a moment.” Kyla busied herself with the herbs as Avery leaned back on the pillows behind her. It was odd how this stranger made her feel a sense of calmness. She thought it must have been Kyla’s soothing voice, friendly face, and calm demeanor that put Avery at ease.
Avery gazed into Kyla's blue eyes as she settled at the foot of the bed. She tried to be tactful as she said, “What are you? I mean-you’re not like any human I’ve ever seen.”
“You’re right. I am not human. You also answered my question about whether you are actually a human. I am a Latian fae. Although we often call ourselves the folk,” Kyla replied.
“Fae? Like a fairy? But you’re not tiny, and you have no wings. I thought you were some kind of elf,” Avery said. Her cheeks reddened as she felt embarrassed at questioning whether this woman was a fairyor an elf.
“Hmmm,” Kyla said, while she gave Avery a puzzled look. “I am not sure what a fairy or an elf is. No fae are small, other than the Bayberries, but they are about your height, I’d guess. There are pixies in some forests. They are tiny. Some fae have wings. Particularly the fae from Nephel. They draw their essence from the sky,” Kyla said. Like Avery should understand anything she shared.
“What is the essence?” Avery asked as she took a sip of her wine.
“It is the magic the Premier Goddess Althea gives us at birth. We draw our essence from the nature of Aeritis. As a Latian, I am connected to plants and animals. Although Althea blessed me with other gifts as well.”
“Is your magic in those lines and swirls? I’m sorry if my questions are rude. I’ve just never seen anything like this.” She wasn’t being tactful, but how could she when she was questioning a magical being?
“There’s no need to feel embarrassed. You can ask me what you like. The essence flows under my skin. I was born marked with the essence showing in the whorls and lines like bark on a tree. Others may have a pattern similar to my own, but some have a pattern of fur and even scales. Folk from other nations have different markings as well. No one’s essence is alike, and it shows itself differently for all the folk,” Kyla stated without offense or embarrassment.
“Thank you for sharing that. I’m guessing you have some sort of power over speech? I couldn’t understand you until you touched me earlier.”
