Behind me, I sense the presence of the other fae kings, their footsteps echoing through the woods all around me, but I don’t slow my pace to run beside them. Attempting to give them another olive branch doesn’t matter. Nothing matters. Nothing but getting the human back.
Alette is the key.
For better or worse, this strange, tiny human woman is the key to restoring elemental magic to our people. It’s a truth I cling to with a fervor that borders on desperation. The goddesshas designed this, crafted this fate for us. We can’t fight what she wants from us. We’ve tried, and failed, many times over. She decreed that only we four and her chosen human have a chance to survive the labyrinth, and just as she’s said, no fae warrior who has entered the labyrinth since has ever returned.
We need Alette. We need to walk the path the goddess has paved for us without question. It’s our only chance at restoring our connection to the elements, which we desperately need. Without our powers, we’re like men and women without arms or legs. We’re simply missing something vital to the way of life that makes us happy.
The deeper I push into the woods, the more shadows seem to cling to me, the more my thoughts move to the countless fae warriors who have tried to navigate the labyrinth before me. All have vanished into those dark depths, to never return, swallowed by the very trials meant to test our worth. That wretched place is not for the weak of heart, and certainly not for a fragile human woman, but these are the cards we’ve been dealt, and I refuse to let this woman, this key to our happiness, slip through my fingers.
After nearly a hundred years of waiting for a chosen human, the last thing we can afford is to lose her.The thought sends a surge of determination coursing through me, each beat of my heart pounding louder than the last. I spot a flash of pale green lace up ahead, a glimpse of her that makes me run even harder.
“Alette!” I shout, my voice cutting through the stillness of the forest. “It’s not safe out here!”
She only runs faster. Branches whip past her, her pale green dress flashing between the trees like something fragile and fleeting. And I can’t seem to stop thinking about just how fragile she is. There are a million different ways she can die out here, if I don’t get her back safely.
“Wait!” I call again. “Alette, stop!”
She doesn’t listen. Of course she doesn’t. She’s afraid. And fear makes people stupid.
My senses sharpen as I push harder, scanning the forest ahead, and then I seeit. I stop instantly. It stands in the shadows between two ancient trees, watching. It’s a massive bear, changed by the magic of the fae lands to become something more, its body made of something more than flesh. Its fur shimmers faintly, like stone and moss and moonlight woven together. Its eyes glow with a quiet, unnatural intelligence.
An earth guardian. Ancient. Deadly. And it’s already seen her.
Alette slows. She doesn’t understand what she’s looking at, but instinct tells her enough. Her body stiffens. Her breath catches. And I imagine everything in her body is screaming that she’s in danger.
I reach her a heartbeat later and pull her against me, my arm locking around her waist before she can take another step. She gasps softly in shock, her back pressing into my chest, and she goes limp with fear as I gather her closer.
“Don’t move,” I murmur against her hair.
The Earth Guardian’s gaze shifts to me. It knows what I am. It knows what she is. I don’t reach for a weapon. I don’t show myself as a threat or show fear. Earth guardians do not respond to heightened emotions or force.
Alette trembles in my arms, her fear pouring off her in waves. I can feel every small shake of her body, every fragile breath. Without thinking, I tighten my hold on her. Not to restrain her, but to steady her.
“I have you,” I whisper.
The Earth Guardian watches. Judges. The forest itself feels suspended in that moment, waiting to see what I will do. What I will choose.
I do nothing. I simply stand there, holding her, ready to shield her with my body. Ready to offer her my protection.
After a long, endless moment, the Earth Guardian exhales. The sound is deep. Ancient. Then it turns and disappears back into the trees. The danger passes as quietly as it came.
Only then do I realize how tightly I’m holding her. How tense and ready I’ve been to put myself between her and the danger. She's still trembling. Still pressed against me. I don’t let go. Not yet.
“You’re safe,” I tell her quietly.
The words feel foreign on my tongue. I’ve never been great with comfort or emotion, but they words are true. And since I know that she’s the key to restoring our powers, ensuring her safety suddenly feels more important than anything else.
“Don’t run away,” I tell her, breathing hard.
“I don’t want… this. Any of this,” she whispers.
The pain in her words cuts deep, stirring something within me. It’s a softness I’ve experienced so rarely enough that it feels like a flaw. From the moment I saw this woman, I was torn between disbelief that she was our chosen one and just being grateful that the goddess finally gifted her to us. Now, my mind moves in a different, unexpected direction. She’s a vulnerable human in fae lands, surrounded by fae kings. This must be a lot for her. Overwhelming even. Perhaps we should be handling her with more care.
“I understand,” I tell her, desperation creeping into my tone as I try to bridge the gap between us, but she just pulls away, turning to face me.
“Do you?” Her big blue eyes search my face, and I can see the doubt there.
Do I?“I understand that you want to go home and don't want to help us.” It feels inadequate, a mere shadow of what I wish to convey, but it’s the best I can do at this moment.
