the trees. The only sound in the forest was the wind whistling through the branches.
After all she’d experienced in the last few days, Brea no longer trusted anything she saw. She no longer trusted anyone, least of all herself. She had no idea where she was going. She only knew she needed to get away from her jailor and his freaky fruit long enough to clear her head and make a plan.
With that thought in mind, she kept going, following the pathway through the forest. She had no doubt Leith and Griff could track her and drag her back, but she had to try.
Finally stumbling from the forest, Brea found herself in a clearing beside a beautiful lake. Beautiful was such an arbitrary word to describe what she saw. If the forest was breathtaking, then the lake was out of this world. A laugh bubbled up inside her at that thought. She clapped a hand over her mouth to keep her laughter in check. Clearly, she wasn’t in Kansas anymore.
Azure water rippled in the cool breeze. As Brea peered into the lake, she realized it was deceptively deep. She could see the rocky bottom like it was only a few feet away, but her eyes played tricks on her. Brea wondered how strong the current was as she watched leaves drift and swirl a little too fast on the calm surface.
Impossibly high mountains bordered the lake on the far side, with a cascading waterfall crashing down from the snow-capped peaks. Behind her lay the forest and the prison-cottage she’d left behind, but to the south lay rolling green hills dotted with trees and Gelsi berry bushes as far as she could see. She could walk for days in either direction and not meet another living soul.
Brea walked along the edge of the lake, hopping from one moss covered boulder to the next, contemplating her next moves. Catching a whiff of herself in the breeze, she almost choked. She couldn’t remember the last time she showered, and the lake called to her. The water was so clear under the sparkling sunshine, she wanted nothing more than to dive right in and not come up for air until she was clean. Edging closer to the water, Brea caught her reflection in the surface.
Gasping, she knelt, staring at herself. “I’m seeing things again,” she whispered, reaching to touch the tips of her ears. Her pointed ears. Tucking her hair behind one of them, she leaned in closer.
All her life she’d caught glimpses of the people with pointed ears. They always had fathomless eyes too. And she’d convinced herself they weren’t real. But now she was seeing those same features in her own reflection. She knew she should be freaking out right about now, but the only thing Brea felt was a weird sort of… relief. Finally, here was physical proof she wasn’t seeing things that weren’t there. If she could see it and feel it for herself, it had to be real, right?
Feeling suddenly giddy, Brea stood and lifted her foot. She wanted to see how cold the water was before she waded in.
”I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The voice caught her by surprise, and she almost fell in right there. But Griff reached out and pulled her away from the water. “Loch Villandi is beautiful but dangerous.”
”Dangerous?” Brea couldn’t seem to break her gaze away from the water.
“Beautiful things often have a sharp bite.” He lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. “The Villandi waters have claimed many lives. On the surface, she looks harmless and inviting, but underneath lies a heartless current that will sweep you into the bottomless depths never to be seen again. It is best to leave her be.”
”I wish you’d leave me be.” Shrugging out of his grip, she ran back to the relative safety of the forest. But she wondered how dangerous it was. If Loch Villandi was treacherous, then the forest surrounding it must be too.
”And where would you go if I left you to your own devices?”
”Home.” Brea lifted her chin.
“And how would you get back to the human world?”
“I… I will find someone to help me do that portal thing you did.”
”You’ll be looking from now until forever if that’s your plan. Only those of my clan can open a portal between realms to bring fae or humans through, and most of them are long dead.”
“What do you want from me?” Brea stomped her foot in the grass.