Page 16 of Rage of the Fallen

I swallowed hard. “Okay,” I replied, trying to keep my voice calm. “So, we’re dealing with easily offended, potentially kidnapping fairies. Anything else we should know, Zara?”

“They become angry if you trespass on their homes, especially if you damage them. They also like to leave gifts, and if you refuse, it will stir their anger,” she explained.

“Great,” Damon muttered. “A bunch of touchy, kleptomaniac Tinkerbells. Fan-friggin-tastic. Let me guess. They also get pissy if you step on their fairy dust or forget to clap?”

“I mean it, Damon.” She straightened and scowled. “Are you listening to me? You don’t want to make a fairy angry unless you want to be taken to their realm and become a slave.”

“I get it, Zara,” he snapped. “Your rules are crystal clear.”

My mind raced. If Lisa’s magic was being drained while she maintained the light spell, what did that mean for our mission? For our safety? I unconsciously tightened my grip on my backpack, acutely aware of the artifacts inside.

“We should be careful,” I stated, addressing the group. “If this place is interfering with Lisa’s magic, who knows what other surprises it might have in store for us? Let’s stick close together and keep our eyes open for anything unusual.”

I turned back to Lisa, concern etched on my face. “Don’t push yourself too hard with that light. We need you at full strength. Maybe we can find another way to illuminate our path if it becomes too draining.”

Soft, measured footsteps approached us, and Brody emerged from the darkness. He scanned each of us, exuding calm authority despite the strange circumstances.

“Is everyone accounted for?” he asked as he moved closer, placing himself centrally within the group. “Sound off. Any injuries?”

“No,” I told him. “Luck was on our side.”

He glanced at us, his gaze searching and comforting. “Good work on the light, Lisa,” he added with a nod of appreciation. “It’ll help us get our bearings. Justice, what’s our situation?”

Justice pointed, his keen vampire sight piercing the darkness thanks to the light boost from Lisa. “There’s a path that goes up next to the fairy pools. It will be slow going unless Lisa can make more lights.”

The glowing orb in Lisa’s hand pulsed erratically, its light waxing and waning like a feverish heartbeat. One moment, it cast long, eerie shadows that danced around our small group, creating a fragile island of illumination in the vast darkness. The next, it dimmed to barely a spark, plunging us into near-total blackness.

“Come on,” Lisa muttered through gritted teeth, her face contorting with concentration as she struggled to maintain the spell.

The orb flared for a second, then sputtered out completely. We held our breath in the sudden darkness. When the light flickered back to life, I caught glimpses of worry etched on my companions’ faces.

In the intervals of illumination, I tried to make out our surroundings. The air carried the crisp scent of wet stone and verdant moss. A symphony of nocturnal sounds enveloped us. The gentle burble of cascading water, the whisper of wind through unseen foliage, and the occasional rustle that could have been a small animal or something else entirely.

As Lisa’s magic continued to flicker unpredictably, I couldn’t help but feel we were exposed and vulnerable. Each time the light failed, my heart raced, imagining what might be lurking beyond the reach of our faltering radiance. The unreliability of our only light source added a new layer of tension to an already nerve-wracking situation.

As my eyes adjusted, I glimpsed the silhouettes of jagged rocks and the glint of moonlight on water. The fairy pools were a series of natural, crystal-clear pools stepped down the glen. In the day, they would be a tourist’s dream. Now, shrouded in night, they held an otherworldly, almost menacing beauty.

I thought of my vision back at Rimespire Isle. The phoenix was in a cave, but nothing looked familiar. Had the vision been wrong? Had I led my team on a wild goose chase?

Doubt crept into my mind. What if the phoenix wasn’t here? Had Maci guessed our plans and moved it? I shook it off and tried to concentrate on the mission.

A cool mist clung to my skin, raising goosebumps along my arms. The taste of pure mountain water lingered on my lips, carried by the light breeze. Beneath our feet, the ground was uneven and slick, a treacherous mix of smooth stones and damp earth.

“We need to be careful. According to my vision, the phoenix is at the end of the fairy pools in a small cave,” I whispered, as if speaking too loudly might disturb whatever magic lingered here. “The path will be slippery, and who knows what might be hiding in those shadows?”

It was bad enough fighting demons and a shadow dragon. I didn’t want to add fairies to my list of enemies.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Lisa led the way, the flickering glow from her palms casting long, wavering, intermittent shadows across the white pebbled path. Its mercurial radiance painted the surrounding landscape in shifting hues of silver and azure.

As we approached the fairy pools, the magical light grew more intense, as if responding to the mystical energy of the place. It sent prismatic reflections skittering across the water's surface, creating a mesmerizing light show rivaling the aurora borealis. The pools seemed to come alive, their waters no longer merely bubbling but swirling with an inner luminescence that pulsed in harmony with Lisa’s light.

The cascading waterfalls appeared truly enchanted. Each droplet caught the magical light, creating cascades of liquid starlight that tumbled down the dark rocks. The mist rising from the falls shimmered with rainbow hues, forming diaphanous veils that drifted on the cool night air.

I picked my way carefully along the path, my eyes constantly drawn to the fantastical scene around us. The white pebbles beneath our feet seemed to absorb and reflect the magical light, turning the trail into a winding ribbon with a soft, pearlescent glow. When we reached a small stream crossing our path, theslippery rocks glistened like polished opals, their surfaces alive with swirling patterns of color.

Justice followed close behind me. I could sense the others behind him, all moving in a hushed procession through this transformed landscape.

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