Chapter 31

“What now?” I asked, looking around the room curiously. Nothing seemed to change.

“Just wait.” Sara said, her eyes closed as she repeated the chant. Not sure it’ll work; I did the same. Repeating the chant twice more as the others joined us.

Finally, the winds began to kick up in the enclosed catacomb. Our feet were lifted off the ground and the room began to spin. We continued to say the chant until the whirl wind died down and we were safely back on the ground. When our eyes opened, we were no longer in the catacombs. Instead we were on a forest path lit by lights that dangled in the air.

“Who goes there?” A deep voice echoed throughout the forest. I looked around at the others, who looked just as uncertain as I was. I noticed Scott shift towards me, and he gave me a calm smile.

“My name is Khloe Giles.” I said finally, “We come asking assistance from the Queen.”

“And what makes you worthy to walk in the Queen’s presence?” The voice asked. I paused for a moment, because I had no idea, until I remembered the sword I was holding in my hand.

“I come bearing the sword of Excalibur, the mark of Avalon.” I extended the sword forward to show it off. The trees around us rustled and kicked up a soft breeze. I swore in the silence I could hear whispering, but I didn’t have time to focus on it. Ahead of us appeared a figure on the path. Soon I could make out the figure of a man.

He was tall and cloaked. I couldn't make out his face at first, until he came even closer.

"Who are you?" I asked wearily, holding the sword in front of me for protection.

"My name is Favar, guardian of The Hollow. You may rest your sword now. I have come to take you to the Queen." Favar gave a short bow.

"Please tell me that they make all fairies like that." Sara breathed beside me, her blue eyes were wide.

"Oh dear god Sara you are hopeless." I mumbled back, rolling my eyes. Together, we began following Favar as he leaded us down the narrow path.

"Sara nothing. You have two hot guys to look at. I deserve a little eye candy."

"You deserve a nunnery is more like it." I rolled my eyes, stopping short behind Seth. I looked ahead of us to see why we had stopped, only to realize that Favar had stopped as well and was whispering to himself.

"Nice Sara. Your eye candy is crazy."

“He’s not crazy. He’s a fairy.”

"Maybe coming here was a bad idea." I looked around us uncertain, feeling more like an animal trapped in a cage then anything.

"It was part of the prophecy. We need the Queen's assistance to get into Avalon." Sara said.

Finally Favar turned around to face us.

"Please wait here, the Queen will welcome you to her court when she is ready.” He stood with his arms behind his back like a soldier.

An awkward silence enveloped us, and the more time passed, the more I felt like running. Finally, Favar held up his hands and motioned toward us.

"Follow me." He ordered and the forest behind him opened, trees and vines splitting into a huge doorway that revealed another path leading straight ahead. We stopped about a foot behind the wall before Favar turned and faced me.

"The Queen of Avalon must face the Queen of The Hallow alone if she wishes to seek help." He said, giving me a short bow.

"Not a chance." Scotty stepped defensively in front of me.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. She won't hurt me."

"How do you know that?" He looked at me unsure.

"I just do." I gently pushed him aside and stepped forward.

"I will see the Queen alone." I agreed, sliding the sword back in its holder. Favar nodded, "She will see you now."

I followed him further down the path, glancing back at the others, who simply waved.

"Watch your step milady." Favar requested, "Many dangerous things lurk in The Hollow."

"I thought that the Hallow was the home of the fairies." I looked up at him uncertain.

"It is." Favar nodded, "But with all things, comes darkness. Even for fairies. We are not protected from dark magic, though we can sometimes work beyond it."

"Ah." Was all I can manage to say.

"You are nervous." He noted his head tilting towards me.

"Yes." I saw no reason to lie to him.

"Don't be afraid. The Queen will not harm you and should dark magic wonder across our paths, the guardian fairies will assist us." He said confidently.

I wanted to ask how he could be so sure about that, but I figured it might come off as a bit rude, so I refrained. We walked down the path about a mile before the forest opened up once more to reveal a wide opening. The clearing was squared with vines and trees growing around the edges, several feet taller than our heads. Ahead of us, at the end of the clearing was a long chair made from vines and different kinds of plants I had never seen before. On the chair was a woman who was picking fruits from a vine. Favar bowed before her.

"Queen Mother, I bring you-" Before he could finish the woman raised her hand.

"I know who this is, do not bore me with such detail." She snapped. Favar simply bowed and stalked away, dismissed.

"Come forward child, don't just stand there gawking. Didn't your mother ever tell you it is rude to stare?" She glared darkly at me. For a moment I was captivated by her eyes.

They were dark and distant. A hint of something I couldn't quite place lingered in them, and I didn't think I could quite trust her.

"You know who I am?" I asked, surprised. It was the only thing I could think to say.

She looked at me, merely annoyed. "Of course. And you know who I am yes?"

"Um sure, you are the fairy queen."

"I am Queen Tatiana and I have ruled these lands for five decades. And you are Queen of Excalibur, the Queen that will soon be dead."

I stared up at her, shocked by her words and unable to respond until she waved a hand.

"Oh fear not child. It is not I who threatens you, but the dark one. He wishes you dead. His anger is strong and when anger wishes someone dead, he doesn't rest until his request is granted." The queen mused, her voice was sing song like. I let out a breath, realizing that she was talking about Hades, though I still didn’t feel comfortable, and I was already wishing I was back home.

"Now, you have something to ask of me yes?" The Queen questioned, looking at me bored.

"Yes. We received a prophecy a while ago-"

"We also receive the same prophecies." The queen nodded.

"Oh, so then you know about the prophecy of awakening Avalon." I was becoming annoyed with the Queen's games.

"Yes." She nodded.

"And you know that part of the prophecies is that we need assistance from the fairies to help open the door."

"Yes. I am well aware of this." She nodded again, picking a grape from a vine and plopping it into her mouth..

"Will you help?" I asked, refusing the urge to roll my eyes.

"The gates to Avalon have long since closed and many have thought them destroyed over time. What makes you think we have the power to open them again?" The queen questioned, her beady eyes looking at me.

"Um the prophecy?" I suggested doing my best to calm the level of sarcasm in my voice.

"Yes, a prophecy spoken of by your people and your gods. Do you think, Khloe Giles that your gods and leaders are trustworthy?" The Queen asked, her voice almost mocking.

"I don't know. And I don't care." I told her, unable to hold back my frustration.

"Then what is it you do care about?" The Queen asked curiously.

"I care about protecting my family.” I flashed back to a scene of Abbey and I in the living of our home when she made a similar statement. “I care about protecting innocent people caught in a war they don’t even know exists.”

“And what is family to you Khloe Giles?” The Queen asked, surveying me for a moment. “Is it blood?”

I stared her down for a moment, pondering the question myself. “Anyone who stands with me. Anyone who stands with the side of good.”

The Queen considered me for a moment. Her eyes scrunch together in a curious gaze, her head turned from side to side, as if waiting for me to falter. I didn’t.

"The fairy kingdom cannot help you in this matter." She said finally.

I stared her, shocked. "But the prophecy-"

"The blood that would be needed to spill to open the gates of Avalon would not be a benefit to the fairy kingdom. We have already lost enough to you mortals, and we will lose no more." The Queen waved her hand in dismissal. She had made her choice. I couldn't argue.

"Rayland will take you back to your friends. It seems that Favar has deserted me again. Ungrateful soldiers." She gave an annoyed huff as a big, gangly looking fairy stepped forward from the vines. He bowed.

"Milady." He stood up, motioned for me to follow him. I stared at him, uncertain for a moment before I followed.

"I will not bring harm to you. I will return you to your friends. I swear it upon the name of Raylandutsion of the West Summer Forrest. A fairies vow is solid." He assured me, voice strong and firm. I trusted him.

"Thank you." I said, not quite sure what else to say.

"I apologize for the Queen's...how would you say it....short comings?" He said as he began to walk.

"I don't understand how she can ignore the prophecy." I frowned as we walk back the same path Favar had originally brought me down.

"The Queen thinks in ways we do not always understand, but it usually manages to work itself out somehow. You have a lot of support here, don't think that the Queen's decision is the decision of the kingdom itself.

"Her rule doesn’t always follow the law of the land and we fairies tend to have a mind of our own. If we feel that something against the law will benefit our people, we will break the law and withstand the ruling of the Queen later." He explained.

"That's a lot of risks to take." I noted impressed and not quite sure I believed him.

"What would you do for your people?" He asked, turning to cast a glance in my direction. “We have lost just as much as you have due to this war. We wish to see it end just as you do.”

I considered his question for a moment, and I understood.

"I'm already doing it." I told him and he nodded in agreement.

"It takes courage to come here, to follow something you have no idea what the results will be." As he spoke, the others come into view. Scotty and Seth standing waiting for me.

"Where's Sara?" I asked, frowning lightly, looking around the forest floor.

"Sara!" I shouted, glancing around worriedly. Rayland frowned.

"Do not panic. I can track Favar." He said, reaching into his pocket. The trees are rustling, like I've disturbed something, but I didn’t care, my sister was missing.

"Would he hurt her?" I asked, eyeing Rayland.

"Only if he wishes for death from the Queen." Rayland said and I wasn’t entirely assured by that. But a moment later, I heard Sara giggling and she and Favar stepped from behind from a tree. Sara was whispering something in Favar's ear, and I groaned.

"Sara!" I shouted, glaring at her. She gave me an innocent look.

"Yes?" She asked.

"We don't have time for you to roll around in the hay." I glared. She huffed and rolled her eyes.

"We weren't rolling anywhere." She replied casually.

"My apologies if I have offended you. I simply wished to speak privately with this beautiful creature." Favar offered, giving Sara a little bow. And okay, I had to admit that was kind of cute, but still annoying.

"We have to get home now." I told her sternly. She sighed and gave me a glare.

"I hope to see you again Favar." She offered.

"You as well Miss. Sara." He bowed again.

"Best of luck to all of you and know that there are fairies who will support you." Rayland offered.

"Thank you." I gave him a quick nod.

"You know the way home?" Favar asked.

"Yes, I believe we have everything we need." Sara said.

"Alright, we will guard your passage and make sure that nothing follows you home." Rayland said, stepping back.

"Shall we meet again under better times." They bowed and vanished into the vine covered forest.

"We know the way home?" I asked, looking at Sara.

"Yes, we do. I have the spell that will get us home. Seth, will you hand me a vase please?" She asked, looking at the guard. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small potion bottle.

"Thank you." She popped it open and raised her right hand. Something silver colors her nails and I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

"What is that?" I asked curiously.

"What we need to get into Avalon." Sara replied, "Fairy blood."

"Sara did you-" I started, but she held up her hand.

"Aha, a girl never kisses and tells." She smirked and I made a noise of complaint.

"You need serious help." Informed her.

"I just saved your ass." She grinned, "You should be more grateful." I rolled my eyes.

"Let's go home." I groaned.

"Yes let's, before we lose anything else." Scotty said making a similar noise of complaint.

"So how do we get out of here?" I asked, looking at Sara as she placed the potion bottle in her pocket. She raised her hand, silently telling me to wait as she searched her other pocket. She pulled out four other potion bottles.

"These will get us home." She said, also pulling out spells. We uncapped the bottles and tossed them back.

"Oh, ew. For once I just want one potion that tastes like a strawberry daiquiri." Sara said,, making a face. We tossed the potion bottles aside and began calling out the spell.