Page 41 of The Source of Storms

The sounds of the square were replaced by the steady gentle roar of the ocean as we drew nearer to the shore. We stopped in front of an immense pine that towered high into the forest canopy. An arching wooden stairwell curved up to an oval door wreathed in moss and ferns and carved with intricate fae designs. Windows dotted the trunk, visible between branches.

As we ascended the stairs to the door, Byrgir said, “Elenwen’s place. She’s an old friend. We’ll be welcome to stay as long as we need.”

Before he could reach for the handle, the door swung open. Warm orange light flooded out, splashing into the cool green tinge of the forest. In the doorway stood a woman like none I had ever seen before.

From her wild red hair rose two horns that curved to the sides in loose spirals like a ram’s. Red curls and waves framed animpossibly beautiful face of sharp, dainty features, and two long, pointed ears poked out from beneath her hair. Her fiery eyes were both stunning and unsettling: Thick black bands around her irises framed an inner ring of saffron-orange flame around deep black pupils. She looked like the corporeal incarnation of fire; even her skin held a tinge of peachy-pink. A light blue dress in the same style I had seen around the city complimented her bright hair from under a shimmering silver cloak.

Elenwen’s face lit up in a brilliant smile, exposing teeth that were just a little too sharp to be human. She flung her arms around Byrgir in a strong hug, and I felt a stabbing lance of jealousy. My ribs felt as if they tightened around my lungs, squeezing the breath from me.

“Byrgir! Ah, it has been too long!” Elenwen squeezed him tightly. “And who have you brought me?” She pulled away from him and turned to me, taking my hands gently in hers.

“This is Halja. Halja, this living ball of flame is El,” Byrgir said.

“Welcome, Halja, it’s such a pleasure to meet you.” She squeezed my hands and smiled, then let go, sweeping her arm toward the door. “Come in, please! Both of you, you must be exhausted. Wow, Byrgir, you look like shit. What happened?”

She ushered us in, deftly lifting a bag from my hand and carrying it inside for me. Her every move was as graceful as a choreographed dance. We stepped over the threshold into an entryway lit by low lamps, glowing warmly with no clear fuel source. Polished walls showed the natural grain of the surrounding wood, and a thick rug welcomed our tired feet. Elenwen hung our cloaks and led us up a stairwell that opened into a large sitting room.

Deep green walls framed a thick stone hearth that radiated heat. The smell of warm pine pitch, old beeswax candles, and baked bread permeated the house. Evening light lanced throughwindows, mingling with the golden glow of more fuel-less lamps splashing warmth about the dim interior. Through a glass door at the back I saw a low patio of woven tree branches and vines, and glimpsed pots of tiny green shoots and damp earth. Beyond the patio was a garden of green grass, moss, and rows of rich soil ready for the growing season.

The plush couches and chairs of the sitting room beckoned my sore body, but we set our bags down and followed El through a dining room and into the kitchen. Stone-topped counters ran the length of two walls, and an island counter stood in the center under a hanging frame dangling pots and pans.

El opened what looked like a large cupboard door to reveal a storage area set deep into the wood of the tree, and I felt a draft of cold from it as she did. She retrieved a block of cheese and a wrapped package that looked like raw meat. Byrgir grabbed a cast iron pan from the rack and set it on the stove, then lit the fire in the firebox. He moved around the kitchen, and Elenwen herself, with a familiarity that made my stomach twist. He had clearly spent a lot of time here.

“Sorry, is that a cold storage in the wall?” I asked.

El chuckled, a bright, sparkling sound. “No need to apologize for questions, Hal, ask away! And yes, it is. It’s amazing how handy old fae trickery can be when you use it right.” She flicked her wrist at the fledgling flames Byrgir had just lit, and they roared to life immediately. The stove beneath the cast iron pan instantly glowed with heat.

El sliced bread, cheese, and carrots, sliding me platters of food while Byrgir prepared the steaks.

“So what happened? Why are you here? My curiosity is killing me,” El said, leaning over the kitchen island and crunching into a carrot.

Byrgir sighed. “It’s not a happy story. And I’m not really sure where to begin.” He glanced at me, then said, “Halja is a friendof Eilith’s, her apprentice actually. I found her in the woods a year or so ago with a nasty head injury and brought her to Eilith. She’s been staying with her ever since.”

Elenwen raised her brows and tilted her head, looking at me, but Byrgir carried on.

“She was living with Eilith, learning her magic and healing, until a few days ago.”

Byrgir told the story of the attack on Eilith’s steading, and I filled in the details of the arrival of the Paragon soldiers, how Eilith had fought them and ordered me to escape while she held them off. How I had raced down the road, terrified and confused, and ran into Byrgir coming to help. Byrgir explained how we traveled here, slaying two men who trailed us to ensure nobody knew where we were going.

Elenwen’s face grew more and more grave as she listened. “So you’ve made it here safe, but nobody knows where Eilith is? Or if she’s alright?”

“Unfortunately, no. I came straight here with Halja when I found her. Figured it was too risky to hang around and go back to Eilith’s house after, and this is the safest place I know. I’m hoping we can hide out here and get some help gathering information from Crow. Find out if Eilith is even in trouble, or if she fought those men off and is sipping tea hearthside, safe in her home.”

“If the Paragons took Eilith or, gods help us, killed her, this will be a serious escalation,” El said.

“Escalation?” I asked.

El nodded. “Things between the Paragons and the Order have been increasingly tense. The Paragons have recently moved into the political world and are gaining a concerning amount of influence over King Evander, or at least we suspect. The High Priestess of the Paragons has been spending a lot of time at the castle. So much so that there are rumors of a not-so-holy affair.”

This time Byrgir raised his eyebrows at El, and she nodded at him.

El continued, “The Paragons have been a dominant presence in the capital of Avanis for decades, but now they’re pushing their influence into small rural villages where the Old Ways have been the only practice for hundreds, even thousands of years. Where people still worship all the old gods. Where people never forgot the way things were when they shared this land with fae.”

“But the Paragons are seeing to it that they do,” Byrgir added. El nodded.

Their easy conversation and casual manner with each other made my envy increase. I wondered where Byrgir usually slept when he stayed here. Wondered if I would be subjected to hearing them share a bed tonight. My heart dropped though the floor of my chest cavity at the thought, but El was still speaking, so I tried to focus on the information she gave.

“We’ve had several more new fae-touched families find their way to Rhyanaes in recent months. They said anti-fae sentiment is too strong where they came from. One family even lost their steading in a fire. Right after all their cattle fell ill with some mysterious disease that caused uncontrollable bleeding from gashes in their throats.”

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