Chapter 199 The Fae World

Chapter 199 The Fae World
???'s POV

Hazel grew up watching fairytales on Disney. She puckered her lips and kissed the Frog Prince with Tiana, just like Belle, she fell in love with the Beast. She and Gabrielle danced with Pocahontas in the wind, and she can't forget when she fought a war with Mulan. 

Fairytales had always been her thing. So her imagination conjured up what she thought the Fae World would look like; gold, silver, and shimmer everywhere. She even pictured pink talking clouds that tasted like cotton candy. But to her dismay, she wasn't prepared for the truth.

There was no wind in the Fae World. The portal vanished with a tremendous cracking sound. Like glass being broken, leaving our nine supernatural friends simplified.

"Is this it, Mommy? Is this where you're from?" Tia looked up to a teary-eyed Cedella. Her ghostly tears were the only shimmering detail Hazel saw. She couldn't answer her daughter. The only thing she could do was moan like the lost spirit she was. 

Hazel's knees wobbled, so Zander scooped her up bridal style. "What are we gonna do, Zander?" She snuggled her face in the crook of his neck. She inhaled, breathing in his musky scent. 

"We are going to find Queen Magdalena and get you the help you need. Don't worry, My Little Kitten. I will let nothing happen to you."

"This isn't right," Isis hissed. "Something evil happened here. I can taste it on my tongue."

"But that is impossible. There should be no good or evil in the Fae World. This realm should be neutral," Cedella wailed. "This may cause the universe to collapse."

"Everyone, let us just catch our breaths," James suggested. "We'll find the Queen, and she'll explain to us what happened here," he finished. His wolf, Optimus was howling and raging in his head. James begged him to calm down. He had never been a talkative or troublesome wolf, so James couldn't understand why he was behaving so rowdy all of a sudden. 

The nine creatures huddled close together as they tried to see over the thick, red fog. There in the distance, Carson spotted a building. 

"Look, there is a castle up ahead," Carson pointed. 

Cedella gasped. "That's the Shimmer and Glimmer castle. If my mother is still here, that will be where we'll find her."

"OK then. Let's go," Declan said. Everyone stepped off except Cedella. 

"Come on dear. It will be alright." Isis tried her best to get the ghost princess to calm down. 

"I want to believe that, Isis, but I can't," she whispered. 

"Why is that?"

"Because there are no fairies in sight. There should have been faires to greet us, riding on Pegasuses and singing, dancing, and playing magical harps."

"I know, child," Isis replied. 

"The mountains should shimmer and glimmer. Fairy dust should fall from above like rain," she continued. "And why is it so dark? There should never be nighttime here."

"Again, I know child. But we have to get moving. We can't stay in one spot too long." Isis gently dragged her along. They soon caught up with the others. 

The nightfall was heavy and black upon the thick, cracked cobblestone walkway like a cold, damp, black blanket. Red lightning cut across the sky, with pieces of grey ash floating everywhere. 

Declan stretched his palm out, catching some ash in his hand. "It's burnt flesh," he examined it. Dimitri caught some, too. 

"You're right. It is fairy flesh." The vampire furrowed his brows. His fangs grew out of place as he prepared to protect himself and his friends from any harm that may come their way. 

The castle was a couple of yards away now. They could see the old charred stone walls, which were black and crusty like the pathway beneath their feet. Hazel looked to the far left, where she saw the aged portcullis hanging rusted and dull. The vestiges of a stable stood rotten and disused, and tarnished leather saddles lay propped against the decayed fragments of a wall. 

"They are all gone!" Cedella was in pain. "The Pegasuses are all gone."

They continued on the trail to the castle. The smell of the night air was stale and unclean. Another thin grey-stoned path, formerly a grinding, gravelly road, ran straight ahead through an empty courtyard into a towering stone keep. All around, there were monstrous spiderwebs of cracks in the walls, with chunky pieces missing here and there. Isis quickly used some magic to clear the webs. 

The leaden-tipped bolts of ballistae had etched into the walls metallic gouges, in a forgotten war that seemed like eons past. Ancient arrowheads littered the courtyard like rust-red flowers on a field of grey. Notched sword blades lie askew, their edges bent and torn, their might eroded by the passing of time. 

The lawn smelt of rust and decay, a fungus-like smell permeated the air and clogged their noses, and its malodorous stench conjured up images of rotten flesh. The stumps of four once-tall towers lie low maimed and forlorn, and the tattered remnants of Queen Magdalena's flag fluttered like a rag in the breeze. The sense of loss was subtle yet profound.

"You think it's wise to go in?" Hazel asked. 

"No. But we have to," Carson answered. 

So they entered through the perished oak doors of the scarred, looming keep. There was a large chamber scattered with a few relics of rusted armour and ceremonial swords, a smattering of tainted coins, several silver necklaces, and some small, shiny gems. There was faint chatter coming from the corner to the right. They peeked around the bend and finally, they saw at the end of the hall, upon a squared, high-backed throne, robes bright, rings sparkling, a shimmering crown lying low on his brow, sat the round-faced man with silver skin. His purple eyes focused on the wand in his hand. 

"Magnus," Hazel murmured. Before any of them could unhide themselves, a familiar voice halted them. 

"Alpha Zander," the voice whispered. "Come with me if you want to live."

Zander spun around to see the hollowed face of Alphonso, advisor of Queen Magdalena. His eyes were wild, and his body seemed frail, even though he was mostly hidden by a green robe. "Come. We don't have time to waste. The Queen sent me to fetch you."

"The Queen?" Cedella asked. "Where is she?" 

Alphonso's eyes turned saucers when they settled on the ghost, then they became sad when he realized the fact of it all. "Princess Cedella. This isn't how I pictured your return."

"Me either Alphonso."

"Mommy, who is he?" Alphonso's views settled on the child hiding behind Cedella's glowing ghost skirt. 

"This is Mommy's friend, Alphonso. He's going to take us to see Grandma Magdalena."

"Hurry before the Prince catches a whiff of you all," Alphonso gestured. 

"How do we know we can trust you?" Zander asked. 

"Because I know why you are here. And I know your mate needs the Queen's help."

"OK. We'll go with you, but if this is a trap, I'll kill you," Isis warned. 

Magnus was barking at one of his guards. "Where is she? I need my cock sucked." He howled. 

"I don't know, Sire. We've looked everywhere."

"You're all useless." Magnus sighed. "It has been months and you still haven't found my mother. I WANT HER HEAD ON A PLATTER!" He howled. "And find me that other bitch. My cock won't suck itself."

The sounds of boots scraping across the floor became louder as the fairy guards drew closer to the group. 

"Let's go. Now." Alphonso begged. 

"Follow him. Quickly," Zander whispered. 

They hurried behind Alphonso into a secret passageway. It led them into the Fairy Woods. 

"My brother did this. Didn't he?" Cedella asked as soon as they emerged into the forest. 

"Yes. Prince Magnus is greedy for power and change. And when his suggestions went to the Queen's deaf ears. He orchestrated a plan to take over. I saw the betrayal from a mile away. But when I sought to tell the Queen, she was so blinded by her love for her son, she locked me away in the cellars. After Magnus took over, he decided to execute me, but the Queen saved me, and we've been hiding in the woods ever since, waiting for the chosen ones to arrive."

"And we are here now. Take us to the Queen," Zander spoke. 

They walked through the dead forest. The trees looked like fire burned them. There were no leaves, nothing but charred bark and branches. But soon a sparkle so bright came into view. Her crystal wings glowed magnificently and were even more beautiful than Zander remembered. The Queen had a sweet smile on her face. 

James, however, couldn't contain his wolf. Optimus bore past James' barrier and forced his way to the front. His eyes were jet black. His chest was heaving as he stalked closer to her. His nose flared and the scent of caramel and raindrops hit him like a bolt of lightning. He lifted his head and howled loudly out of excitement before he galloped closer to the woman who caught his view. His canines sparkled as he grinned. In a husky tone, he said, "Mate."