Shadowborn Queen - G. Bailey Page 0,8
worried and Scott tries not to appear so concerned, but his body language gives him away.
I have to do this.
I run and jump into the pit, using my wings to hover over it for a moment before pushing myself down and flying right into the darkness. My wings give off a little bit of light as I fly further down, not stopping until I get to the edge of a rock and I fly around it. The ground soon appears and there is no light at all down here as I land.
"What does a light fae want with this place?" A female voice asks me in the darkness.
I swiftly turn around to face whoever it is and hear her horseshoes click across the dirt as she comes closer. The centaur woman is beautiful, there is no other word to describe her. Her long white hair falls around her shirtless pale white body.
"The Titan key. Are you the monster?" I question and she laughs, the sound echoing.
"Men think women are monsters only because they cannot control us," she tells me. Yup, I get you, girl. "Women are welcome in our home. But not men."
"So you aren't going to attack me?" I ask.
"No. Now why do you need the key?" she asks and clicks her fingers. The room suddenly floods with light, reflecting off the dozens of mirrors littered around the room.
I hold my hand up to shield my eyes and slowly lower it, seeing an actual city below the sand. Dozens of wooden houses smother the rocks, big crops fill the edges of the city, and there are massive amounts of trees everywhere. Centaur women run around with young children and many stop to stare.
"My name is Izora Dawn and I am a Light Fae Princess who will take the throne. I want the world to be better and part of my destiny is to find the keys. The Titans are free, and they will not stop until the Enchanted Forest is destroyed," I inform her.
"Come with me, Izora Dawn," she tells me and turns around. I have to jog to keep up with her four legs as we walk through the city and to a large house at the bottom.
"Shouldn't I know your name?" I ask her.
"No," she answers plainly. The doors are huge as she pushes through them and I step in after her to a large cabin style room with orange fur rugs on the floor. Strange metal things hang from the walls in all different shapes, and there are several large boxes.
"You will rest and let us dress you more fitting for a princess. I will give you the key, in exchange for your silence on this place and one other thing," she tells me.
"If it is possible, I will try," I answer.
"When you become queen, you will come to our aid if we wish for it. One day we will take back the lands above and not hide in the dark. We will need help," she bargains with me.
"You have my word," I tell her.
She smiles at me and nods.
"The word of a royal is binding. The promise we will make will be that as well."
Somehow, I don't doubt her.
The centaur tells me I can help myself to any of the clothes in the boxes before she leaves me in the house. I find several buckets of hot water and washcloths near the boxes. After scrubbing my hair with the soap and rinsing washing it out, I clean my body and dry myself with a towel.
In one of the boxes, I find a long silver dress that falls to my knees and a tight leather belt that leaves my wings free. I keep my old leggings on under the dress and put on the socks I also find in the box.
After putting my boots on, I dig through the boxes and find a thin black coat, an old blanket, and rucksack. I need to cut holes in the coat to wear it with my wings, but I can do that later. I shove the blanket in the rucksack, knowing it will be useful just as the centaur woman comes back into the room. In her one hand is a small red fabric pouch and in the other a cardboard box.
"I have packed you food and water in this," she hands me the box. "And this is the key. My ancestors have protected it for as long as I can remember, but passed on the message that