Beyond the Iron Gate (The Faery Meadow Book 1)

Elaine woke up to the sound of the old trees around her swaying against the harsh wind. The last place she wanted to be in a wind storm was in a tree. Speaking of which, a certain someone, brought her up there against her will in the first place.

Turning her head around, she jumped at the startling sight of Lorcan’s piercing red eyes wide open staring right at her.

“Morning, human,” he said shortly.

At this point, she realized he must have never heard her say her name was Elaine.

She started to stand up, brushing off her cloak that was now covered in a couple of dead leaves from the tree. No doubt her hair looked like a tornado ran through it. She carefully weaved through strands of her hair tugging out the knots.

Lorcan stood farther out on the branch watching her curiously.

“How do your wings disappear?” Elaine asked him.

He only gave her a sly smile. She nearly choked as she watched him abruptly jump down from the soaring tree. Now she was alone on the branch with the wind literally at her back waiting for her to fall to her death.

“We don’t have much time,” Lorcan hollered up impatiently at her.

Elaine stared down at him taking in the great distance to the ground.

“I can carry-” he started to say, but she interrupted him.

It’s time I do things on my own. I have to become stronger, Elaine convinced herself.

“I can get down on my own.”

“On with it then,” Lorcan yelled. He was already walking away.

The tall dark trees seemed to swallow him as he left out of her sight. She was alone. She knew she had to hurry after him or she would get lost.

Taking a deep breath, she threw her hood over her head and muttered a few quick reassuring words under my breath. Her heart quickened and she bit her lip.

She took baby steps to the middle of the branch. Then she dared a look at the ground below. She continued to lower herself carefully onto the branch. Suddenly, she lost her balance as her foot slipped out from under her.

“Eeeek!” she squealed in terror.

Elaine thought no one was around to hear her. She hugged the branch with her arms tightly and wrapped her legs around it as she lay on her belly with her hair dangling downward.

The wind picked up around her. A strong gust of wind forced her to release her grasp on the branch. Instinctively, she kicked her feet out below her. Her arms just barely were clinging to the top of the branch. She still dangled from the tree. She thought of yelling for Lorcan, but he was the one who walked away and left her.

Swallowing her fear, her hands loosen their grip. Slowly, she lowered her head downward and released her grasp from the tree. A small smile formed on her face as she happily landed on a branch below. Now she understood how she could get down. Elaine thought she could hop onto the branches below her. She carefully repeated the pattern lowering herself on a branch then carefully dropping to the one below.

Finally, she arrived at the ground. The morning sun filtered through the foliage from the trees above as if congratulating her on her silent victory.

She took off running, bursting through the trees in search of Lorcan. She didn’t care if she was being noisy. Lorcan was the one who went ahead.

At last, she spotted a familiar figure wearing a cloak similar to hers. She took a moment to catch her breath.

“Why didn’t you wait for me?”

The figure turned around slowly to face her. His dark green hair confused her and his eyes are a dull pitch black.

“Who knew we’d find something out here, boys. Come on out!” he called snapping his fingers.

He pulled his hood down revealing a nasty scar across his neck. Now that she had a better look, he couldn’t have be much older than her and Lorcan -- probably even around the same age. Something about the man’s voice seems off though as if he was nervous.

Following his command, his henchmen revealed themselves from the shadows. The henchmen seem older than the green haired man. One had pale long, greasy hair. He was extremely large and his meaty hands form fists. His eyes moved rapidly from side to side landing on her. He stilled his pace standing by the green haired guy.

“What do we have here boss? A were?” he asked with a confident grin.

His pale lips were cracked and bloody.

The other faery man entered from behind them silently standing on the other side of the green haired man. He didn’t look up from the ground. His hair was short and dark brown. One of his hands was missing, to be replaced by what looked like a mechanical weapon. He was slightly shorter than the paled haired man.

“Well, let’s get on with it then!” the faery cackled with a psychotic look in his eyes.

Something told Elaine this trio wasn’t as tough as they acted. They definitely weren’t as intimidating as the faery soldiers, that was for sure. Their faery wings appeared behind them.

Her back hit a tree. Feeling trapped, Elaine stood still watching them and analyzing them carefully. Their wings were small -- a yellowish brown. They seemed burnt and ripped up like they’d gone through a war. The faery men, however, remained on the ground, as if they were thinking of what to do.

Elane spoke with confidence, “I don’t think you’ll hurt me.”

“Don’t you know?” the green-haired faery spoke with a strange smile as if finding her being all alone in the woods funny. His head perked up though as if he came up with a new idea, “Come with us hurry!” the faery pleaded.

She shook her head “no”.

“You’ll regret that,” the green haired man said under his breath. His two henchmen already took off into the sky.

“Come with me, please. I can save you from him,” he said in a softer tone as if he’s trying to coax me away from Lorcan.

She heard a guttural growl come from Lorcan. She hadn’t even noticed his arrival. A new warmth flushed right up against her back. She turned around to find his wings stretched to their full length right behind her.

He gave Lorcan a cold glare. “Well, that explains it,” the green-haired faery man said in disgust.

“Get out of here, Aifric.”

Aifric turns his back to them and leaped into the air flying off towards his two other acquaintances.

What were they doing out here anyway? I mean, we haven’t run into any faeries out here except the palace faeries, Elaine wondered.

Elaine jerked around facing Lorcan in anger, “You know they were actually helping me. You’re the one who left me out here.”

“Come on.”

When she didn’t listen, he grabbed her arm and made her follow him. Once again, they were submerging themselves deeper and deeper into the woods. Elaine thought it was just her, but she felt as if the trees were closer together. She could barely see the sky.