“Can it be done? Because the fate of Faerie rests on it. This is the only way to heal the crystals and restore the Tree of Life.”
She chewed at her fingernail. “There are monsters and darkness that lurk beyond this village. Things that have morphed over time, horrors you can’t even imagine.”
I shivered. “That’s why I’m asking you to go with me. For Faerie.”
She sighed, tightening her belt that held her prized sword. “Alright, let me talk to the elders while you get Elle.”
I almost wanted to tell her not to involve the elders. They were on my shit list right now. Something about that scene with Liam didn’t sit right with me, although I understood it. They hated him; they saw him as evil. It was crazy how quickly Indra had gone from a loving and wise leader to … whatever that was. It unsettled me toward them. They saw the soul light and still didn’t believe he was my soulmate.
After finding Elle training in her garden, I filled her on everything. I meaneverything.
“Soulmate ceiling sex!” she gasped, her brow beaded in sweat as she stepped away from the crudely made leather punching bag. I slapped my hand over her mouth.
“Yeah, but he was a giant douchebag the next morning.”
She shrugged unstrapping her gloves. “Well, he was raised by the leader of the Dark War so …”
Touché.
I changed the subject: “So now I need you to go with us to get this healing water and then we can meet up with him and get the next crystal.”
She nodded. “Not gonna lie … half terrified to leave Faerie and head out into the darkness, and half curious what it’s like out there.”
I chuckled; she always was a curious soul. “We’ll have Trissa. It should be fine.”
Right? That dude wouldn’t lead me astray on purpose … would he?
Trissa arrived wearing her traveling cloak and a backpack slung over one shoulder, bow and arrow on the other.
“We’ve been permitted to go if it will help heal the tainted crystals,” she announced.
Permitted? Since when did I need permission to go exploring in my own home?
“Alright.” I decided to play this politically correct. Something about the elders was rubbing me super wrong.
Trissa pulled a wax-coated map from her side pocket. “If we swim under the protection shield and head east, we should meet the other side of the river in about a five-minute swim.”
I rolled out my neck. “Not bad.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Not if we don’t get attacked by water creatures, no.”
I gulped. “We could fly over the river? Not as fast with our wings wet, but doable.”
She shrugged. “If memory serves me, the trees of Spring have fallen over the river and blocked out the sky.”
Geeze.
I shifted on the balls of my feet. “Okay, let’s just assess it when we get in there.”
Trissa nodded. “Good plan.”
She started to wade into the water and my stomach tightened with anxiety. Never had I questioned myself and my decision-making skills so much. Was Liam to be trusted? Was the old warlock? Were the elders? Could I even trust myself at this point? That was the scariest thought. When we reached the edge of the dome, the water was up to our waists.
“Lily, the elders have told me that the dome will only part for a seeker,” Trissa said. She waved me to go in front of her and Elle. “You must touch it for it to move. We’ll swim through quickly and then you can remove your hand.”
I frowned. My mother told me to never touch the protection. Was this why? It would have opened up? That thought was unnerving. I wondered why it would open for a seeker and not any other Fae. Maybe it used the same crystal technology as the blue door.
Without thinking much into it, I waded out into the water, kicking my legs to keep myself afloat. The water was the perfect temperature, warm and soothing. When I reached the protection, I did the thing my mother told me never ever to do. Reaching up, I pressed my hand to the cool, flexible, magic encapsulation.
