Page 12 of Broken Lands

None of us spoke as we began to move. There was nothing important enough to say, as the loss of one of their own kept both Stefan and Professor Darmon in a quiet, thoughtful reprieve.

I hadn’t thought I’d be able to sleep after what we’d just been through. The fear of further attack was weighing heavily on my mind. My muscles tensed, ready to fight should the need to call for it. Surprisingly, it wasn’t long before the rhythmic swaying of the carriage and beat of the horses’ hooves on the dry dead earth pulled me under and I drifted into a restless sleep.

Waking with a start a few hours later, I found I’d shifted in my sleep, my head resting on Stefan’s lap. It wasn’t long after dawn, a gentle orange light flowing through the small window in the carriage door.

Stefan was still asleep, snoring lightly, his head resting against the side of the carriage, his bright pink hair contrasting sharply against the dark navy of the interior cabin walls. The Professor was also asleep, having lain out on the bench across from us, his glasses hanging crookedly on his nose, his mouth hanging open slightly.

Suppressing a giggle, I rose gently, careful not to disturb Stefan, and moved toward the window. The scenery had changed, and I blew out a breath of relief as I realized that we’d made it through the dead forest without further incident. My eyes widened as I studied the new land around us, land I’d never ventured far enough to see.

The carriage was trundling through what must have been old farmland, though there was absolutely no sign of life here now. Broken gates and fences made of rusty criss-crossed wire littered the ground. Grass that had once surely thrived in these paddocks, feeding the livestock, had long since died, leaving a dry and hard floor of dirt stretching out around us.

My heart ached at the state of the land here. It was dryer, deader, than the land in Sommers. Sommers was one of very few areas left on earth with enough life left to sustain a small community, and that was a stretch. Seeing just how desolate some of the earth really was made something ache deep in my chest.

I slid the window open and stuck my head out, twisting slightly to peer in the direction we were travelling. The morning air was fresh and cool on my face, the smell of it … salty? That was new. I liked it. Something coiled tightly in my gut unraveled as I inhaled deeply. It kind of smelt like hope.

A large stone wall loomed in the distance, standing taller than any man and stretching across the wide expanse of dead fields. Two massive hardwood gates stood directly in front of us, an ornate D for Danann carved in the center of both. We would reach them in a matter of minutes.

Pulling my head back inside the cabin, I sat back down next to Stefan—still sound asleep—my stomach tying itself up in knots as I wondered what I’d find through those gates. He was still sound asleep, Professor Darmon too.

What an imposter I’d become. I felt responsible for the guard we had lost last night. No one had said anything that implied they blamed me, but I couldn’t be the only one who thought it. They’d been transporting me. I’d left the cabin when I shouldn’t have. The Resistance was after me.

Closing my eyes and rubbing my slick hands on my skirt, I tried to calm my racing heart. All I could see was Henry’s face, and the strange meadow he had somehow turned into at the end. My breath started coming faster and shallower. There wasn’t enough air.

“Hey, hey, hey, shhhhh, little dove,” Stefan rubbed my back with the palm of his hand in a soothing motion. Realizing I was no closer to calming, he continued. “Riley, little dove, we’re safe now. We’ve almost arrived at Danann. We’ll be protected behind the walls in no time at all.”

For the first time since I’d met him, Stefan had misread my emotions and the reasons behind them. My panic rose from the fact that we were about to enter Danann. Not that I felt unsafe outside the walls. I was terrified of what I was about to face, the way my life was about to change.

Riley. I was just Riley, an orphan girl in search of the only family she’d ever known. My only goal was to find James, and I feared the fae were going to distract me or keep me from that goal in some way. They had such high expectations; believed I might be one of them. Me! Riley Emmett! fae? It couldn’t be true.

“I think that’s what’s causing her panic, Stefan. Riley, dear, look at me.” Professor Darmon had woken and was kneeling before me, reaching for my hands reassuringly, his eyes gentle and kind.

“You have nothing to fear. We are here only to help you. Yes, you are an anomaly. Yes, we are curious how you came to be, and what power you may possess, but you do not need to be afraid of us. Like any other who has ascended, we will help you settle into our society. There are no great expectations upon you.”

His words were sincere and had an instantaneous calming effect. With the way he spoke, and the speckle of grey through his dark hair, he reminded me of a father. He’d known I was afraid of what their plans for me might be. Knowing there was none was reassuring, even if I didn’t completely believe him.

Despite that, his words had reminded me of my true goal, the reason I had applied for ascension. I needed to be accepted into their society. Needed to build relationships with the fae and be trusted in a way that would allow me to discover what happened to James. And find out how to get my brother back.

Straightening, I took a moment to find my center, breathing in and out until my heart rate settled and I felt like I could talk again. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. Thank you.”

“Nothing to apologize for. I can’t imagine how overwhelmed you must feel given the events of the last 24hours.” He smiled at me and let go of my hands, pushing to his feet just as the carriage drew to a halt.

“Come on, little dove,” Stefan said, as he pushed to his feet and offered me his hand. “Let’s get your first look at your new home.”

Professor Darmon opened the carriage door and stepped outside, moving immediately to General Brand’s side at the front of the carriage. The General was speaking to a couple of guards in front of the gates. They nodded at him, confirming his instructions as he turned to approach us.

As the two of them moved toward us, one of the guards they’d been speaking to strode towards the gate. There was no mechanism I could see with which it could be opened, but as he stretched his arms out wide, a loud creaking and clanging rang out across the barren fields and the gate swung open of its own accord.

My jaw dropped as I watched it open, amazed at yet another display of magic. Less than a day ago, I’d never witnessed any magic in action. It amazed me each time. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to it.

The second guard had joined us by the carriage and was directing the coachmen inside. I made a mental note to find the stables later so I could check on Annie. There was no way to explain it, but I felt connected to the mare and even though I was sure she’d been healed, I needed to ensure she was okay following her injury in the dead forest.

“Let’s not linger out here,” General Brand said, his deep voice rumbling with thinly veiled anger. Or maybe it was frustration? His eyes caught mine as I studied him, and he shuttered them, crushing any hint of emotion or clue what was running through his mind as he looked at me. “The Academy is a short walk inside Danann. The Professor and Stefan will escort you inside and show you to your accommodations.” Breaking eye contact with me, he turned to the others, addressing them directly as he continued. “We will then need to debrief. I expect you both at Headquarters in an hour.”

With that he turned and marched away, his dismissal of us clear. I watched as he went, my attention drawn to him in a way I could not explain. My attraction to him was fierce, and that scared me. I’d been with other men before, but they’d all been a distraction from the harsh realities of life in Sommers. None of them had been anything serious or raised any feelings within me. Allowing myself to be distracted by General Brand would be a mistake. I had a mission. My focus must remain on finding James.

Trailing behind them, I followed as Stefan and Professor Darmon led me inside the gates of Danann City. The further I wandered in, the more I questioned whether I had stepped through a portal of some sort. Behind me had been old paddocks, the land so barren that the only sign of life were the old gates and fences, half destroyed with time.

Once upon a time, these fields would have been luscious and green with livestock feeding on the fresh grass. Now they were just dirt. Hard, dry, soil lacking any nutrients to support the growth of flora.

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