Date: 2018-02-26 05:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Fantasy; Short Stories; Fae; Romance; Fiction
Description: Do you believe in fairies? A pair of lovers accidentally wander into the fae kingdom. Now a price must be paid. To escape, they must play the Thorn King's games. But can their love stand the test? A short tale of love and magic.
Rights: All rights reserved (#1453594755891454)

Fairy Ring

nicolette andrews

Published by nicolette andrews, 2018.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

FAIRY RING

First edition. February 18, 2018.

Copyright © 2018 nicolette andrews.

Written by nicolette andrews.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Also by nicolette andrews

Dragon Saga

The Priestess and the Dragon

The Song of the Wind (Coming Soon)

The Sea Stone

Reign of Prophecy

Duchess

Princess

Tales of Akatsuki

Kitsune: A Little Mermaid Retelling

Thornwood

Heart of Thorns

Standalone

Fairy Ring

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Also By nicolette andrews

Fairy Ring

Also By nicolette andrews

A blanket of stars cloaked the night. The bright face of the moon watched over the silent manor house. Thick tendrils of ivy wormed their way across the stone exterior, encircling the darkened windows. The only sounds were the chirp of crickets and the distant call of an owl. The house was asleep, but the forest was awake.

From the alcove of a back door, a figure bolted across the lawn. Pale moonlight lit their path as they scurried to the nearby shelter of an orchard. They were halfway there when a faint yellow light flickered to life in a second story window. The golden color drew moths from their hiding as the light grew brighter. The silhouette of a woman could be seen just as the runner disappeared into the shadow of the trees.

Brenna leaned her back against the rough bark of an apple tree, gasping for breath. She cocked her head to one side, watching the shadow linger at the window a moment more before disappearing into the dark house. The light fading with them. She let out the breath she had been holding. And then reached into her pocket, fumbling with heavy metal keys in trembling hands. The gate lay a few yards ahead. She had only to make it there, and then she would be free.

One last glance to the house, and she sprinted for the gate. The keys rattled against the lock as she forced them in. The unused hinges squealed as she pressed her shoulder against the ancient wooden door. The sound carried through the still night and she froze in place. It seemed even the crickets had ceased their singing upon hearing the sound.

When she saw no lights illuminate any windows, nor heard any running footsteps, she slipped through the small crack the door allowed and left the keys inside to be discovered, hopefully long after she was gone. Beyond the walled gate, sheep dozed doting the rolling hills of green. The moon lined everything in silver giving it an eerie glow. A taste of magic on the air made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

Where is he? He didn't change his mind, did he?

A hand grasped her from behind, planting his palm firmly against her mouth. She started to scream, until Edric came around, his handsome face filling her view.

"You scared me half to death!" She said a little too loud. The sheep baa'd plaintively.

A Shepard, previously unseen stood up and peered in their direction. He was too far away to see their faces clearly. Before he could get a good look at them, Edric grabbed her by the hand and they ran across the field toward the nearby forest.

Brenna laughed as her hair whipped behind her like a banner. Her feet felt lighter than air as they ran.

They did not stop running until they reached the edge of the forest. Edric looked behind them, to be certain they were not followed.

"Old Mr. Samuels won't chase us, he's more worried about his sheep." She teased, patting him on the shoulder and turning him to face her.

He had a frown on his face. "He'll know it was us. When they find you missing in the morning..." before he could finish the thought, Brenna pressed her lips to his.

He leaned down to kiss her again. She was used to hurried kisses, snatched in the stables or behind a shed. Despite his protests of urgency, he took his time exploring her mouth with his tongue, one hand tangling in her hair. The other caressing the fabric of her bodice. Normally she would have swatted his hand away, but tonight was special.

They broke apart panting, skin flushed. Edric leaned his head against hers, his breath raspy. "We best get going, unless Samuels decides to tell your father," Edric said.

Mention of her father was like a cold bucket of water dumped over her head. "Let's not talk about that." She leaned in to kiss him again.

They spent another couple of precious minutes, before he broke away. Taking her by the hand, they turned to the forest behind him. A chill crept down her spine. Every child for miles around heard stories about these woods. In the daylight, the tangled briar filled with shadows and mist played tricks on the eyes. Looking at it set your teeth on edge. In the moonlight, the branches were long fingers tipped with claws, and the mist transformed into gruesome hollow-eyed faces, open maws waiting to devour the hapless fool who wandered in.

Brenna took a step back.

"Not having second thoughts, are you?" Edric teased.

A single pathway dissected the forest. It was the only way through the tangled wood, but Brenna did not know a soul who had gone through it. They said it was a road used by the Fair Folk to travel in and out of their world and that of man. When they had made their plans, laying out in the grass on a bright sunny day, it had not seemed so scary, but now that she stood at the Fair Folk's doorstep, she had second thoughts.

"No." She bit her lip as she looked away from the woods. "Are you sure there is no other way? Perhaps if we went around?"

He looked to the woods and then back to Brenna, "Are you afraid of a wee little woodland? Don't worry, I'll protect you from the Fair Folk."

An owl hooted, and Brenna flinched.

Edric laughed and she pulled a face at him.

He cupped her face in his hands. "If you're afraid, we can go another way."

Brenna sighed with relief before giving him one last quick peck.

They compromised by walking along the perimeter of the forest, though she hated being this close. Branches along the edge, snagged her dress, and when she attempted to break free, she only managed to tangle her hem up in it. Edric came over and tried to set her free. But had to rip it in several places to get her out.

"It's like the forest is trying to pull me in," she said, holding the tattered ends of her favorite dress in her hands.

"Don't be silly."

Just then the mournful sound of a hound cut through the stillness of the night. Brenna's head shot up, across the rolling hills where the sheep slept, she saw torches.

"My father has realized I've gone missing."

"This way." Edric grabbed her hand and the pair of them dove into the forest.

Where thick undergrowth had been moments before, cleared away to create a pathway leading them further into the forest. The shouts of her father and the baying of his bloodhounds grew closer. She kept her eyes on Edric, praying they would not be caught.

Edric tugged her along after him. To their left, a patch of moonlight illuminated a grassy vale, on the other side, a straight pathway leading to the road, she could see a man with two horses waiting just up ahead.

"That's the man I told you about, we're almost there," Edric said, increasing his stride.

She stumbled, tripping over the ragged hem of her gown. As she fell to her knees, Brenna looked around the dark forest. For a moment, she thought something had been watching her. Edric lost grip of her hand and turned around to help her back up.

"We cannot waste any more time," he snapped.

"But—" she cut herself off, she didn't want him to think her silly.

He hurried her to her feet and they pushed through the forest. The dogs and men were getting closer. The wind picked up and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. He pulled her along though she tried to resist. This wasn't right. They were tempting things that should not be trifled with. It would have been better to get caught by her father, than wander where they didn't belong.

As they hurried through the clearing, they did not mind their steps. By the time she saw the circle of white mushrooms, it was too late. Edric stepped into it as his hands slipped from hers and in a blink, he was gone. Nothing left but a shaft of moonlight falling on the center of the Fairy Ring.

Her hand flew to cover up her mouth, to stifle the scream that threatened to escape. She turned toward the torches, just at the edge of the forest.

"Brenna!" her father called out her name.

She looked to her father and then to the ring of mushrooms. She could go home back to her father and the safety of the human realm, but then Edric would be trapped in the Fairy Realm forever. He didn't know their ways, not like she did. A few brave men were stomping through the forest, there was no time to hesitate.

She had only one choice left. She stepped into the Fairy Ring.

***

Dragging open heavy eyelids, Edric blinked into the dim light. A single globe of diffused light hung above him suspended by the fingers of roots that grew from the ceiling. Groaning, he sat up and rubbed his head.

"Brenna?" he called. His voice echoed back at him reverberating up the walls and disappearing into the dark above. Where am I? The last thing he remembered was the forest and the horseman just a few feet ahead. Then everything went dark. I must have fallen into a hole. He titled his head backward to get a look. But there wasn't one, just a dirt ceiling.

As he climbed to his feet, he surveyed his surroundings. He was in some sort of underground chamber, there were no windows but a single open doorway stood opposite him. The door was made up of a pair of wood planks crossing each other in an x. Beyond that was a tunnel illuminated in strange green light. He crept up to the exit and peered out. There was no way he had rolled here or otherwise fallen. Someone had brought him here.

He reached for the small knife he kept hidden in his boot and was relieved to find it had not been taken while he was unconscious. How long that had been he did not know. I hope Brenna is alright. I'll be with you soon, my heart.

Edric slid out into the corridor, back against the wall, knife clutched in one hand, he looked both ways as he did. There was only one way to go. The passageway was lined with numerous doors, all painted different colors. He inspected the nearest one, the jamb had been carved to resemble a living tree. The door itself was painted to resemble a red bird, and the carved maple branches spread outward from the jamb like a bird in flight, complete with crimson leaves. This craftsmanship is impressive, what wealthy man lives here?

A few feet down, there was another, orange as a flame at the top until the color faded into a black coal. A chill permeated from an icy blue door, the knob carved to look like a shard of ice. Standing in front of it, Edric shivered and rubbed his free hand up and down his arm, as he continued down the hall. The hallway seemed endless and he decided to try and open one of the doors, but every one he tried was locked. As he tried his fourth door, unsuccessfully, he heard the faintest thread of music drifting from down the hall.

Following the sound, it led him to the end of the hallway, where it spilled into a cavern. Multi-colored light danced across the walls. Edric had to shield his eyes, the light coming from within was so brilliant. Flute and harp music drifted upward toward him.

The pathway spiraled downward into the bottom of a large room, it was all carved out of stone. Globes of every color hovered from invisible threads and danced on the air. He watched them bob up and down on the wind, seemingly changing color in a slow dance along with the music.

From above, he watched as people at the bottom of the cavern danced to music, not the structured and orderly dance of which he was used to seeing but something much more animalistic and wild. While the dancers twirled, the musicians played off in one corner.

Edric inched down the spiraling pathway, entranced by the spectacle before him. It had to be some sort of masquerade, they wore flamboyant wigs in outlandish colors: aquamarine, violet, crimson, chartreuse. And even more wore the most realistic animal masks he had ever seen. On first glance, he could have sworn a fox was dancing on hind legs with a deer wearing a hide gown. When he got closer, he could see their masks pushed back on their heads. Their capes fluttered like the wings of butterflies, but they were still just capes.

At the foot of the path, he was so transfixed by the array of strange party guests that he could not help but stare. Clever gloves made to look like claws, were pushed through manes of red hair. Other's had false teeth made to look like fangs glimmered in feral smiles as they danced to the beat of the music. A man with deer antlers pushing through curly brown hair danced with a woman whose long translucent hair reminded him of spider webs. Everywhere he looked there was a new exotic and beautiful sight to behold. Women with flowers in their hair that looked more part of it than decoration, weaved back and forth as men with knotty knees and nut-brown skin jumped into the air doing amazing feats of acrobatics.

To one side of the room was a buffet table, almost buckled beneath the weight of all the food. Cornucopias overflowing with fruit that tumbled across the table, roasted meat served on large leaves, and drinks in glasses cleverly designed to resemble flowers. Edric's own stomach grumbled at the sight, he had been so nervous about running away tonight, he couldn't eat. But the sights and smells of their feast changed his mind. As he stared with envy at the feast, he watched a man wearing a bird mask pick up a roasted fist on the table. Instead of pushing back his mask to eat, however his bird beak opened and he dropped the fist in whole.

Edric blinked in confusion, and then he took a closer look at the dancers. Now that he was closer, he could see some had eyes slit like a cat, or cloven feet of a deer. How is this possible? He took a few steps back as a horrifying realization dawned on him. As he backed up, he collided with someone. He swiveled to look into the dark bottomless gaze of a man. His hair like a tangled briar, and his skin coarse and rough as bark. His feral smile made Edric's blood turn to ice.

"You've wandered where you should not, human," the man-creature said.

Edric jerked away from the man he had collided with too terrified to speak. As he did, the otherworldly music stopped, leaving a deafening silence in its wake. And as one, the room's occupants turned to look at him. Pointed teeth were barred, and clawed hands reached for him, as he skittered backward, only to be snatched by the shoulder by the dark-eyed man.

"Forgive me, I did not mean to interrupt," Edric said looking at the hostile creatures who encircled him.

They stared at him with a hundred different colored eyes, without blinking, without saying a word. He shifted uncomfortably, waiting for someone to speak.

"Can someone tell me where I am?" he said, his voice sounding terrified and meek.

"You have wandered into the Thorn Kingdom," said a voice that shook like thunder.

The crowd parted, and a man wearing a crown made of interlocking thorns stood. His hair was like a tangled mass of vines and fell down over his nut-brown shoulder. The revelers bowed as he moved through them.

He loomed over Edric, half a foot taller at least. "How is it that you find yourself in my kingdom?" he asked.

Edric could not tear his eyes away from the man. There was something predatory in those eyes that set him on edge. "I am not entirely sure. I was running through the forest with Brenna, when we got separated."

"Who gave you permission to enter my woods."

He swallowed past a lump in his throat. "No one, my lord."

"Take him," the king, for he presumed him to be so, waved his hand to take him away.

The man-creature, tugged on him to drag him away. Remembering his blade for the first time, Edric swung it toward the creature. It hissed in distaste and recoiled away from it. He spun in a circle threatening them all with the blade. Though he could not imagine what he would do against so many.

"Get back," he said. It was said the fae feared iron but he'd never taken any stock in the old tales. But it seemed that it was true, if they were afraid of this tiny little dagger.

If only Brenna were here she'd know what to do, she loved all those old stories her grandmother told. He had to mentally shake himself, he wouldn't wish this sort of fate upon her.

The king looked scornfully. "You dare threaten me and my court," he said, his voice seemed to shake the ground beneath him.

"Just let me go, and I'll be no trouble to you."

Just then, a wolf-like creature lunged and bit his wrist. Edric yelped in pain dropping the knife. It was then kicked by another one of the strange courtiers far from Edric's grip.

Once he was without a weapon, it was easy enough for them to overpower him. The feral man-creature grabbed his arm and pinned it behind his back.

"Please, I just want to get back to Brenna," he shouted fighting against his captors, though it was futile.

"Who is Brenna?" the king asked.

Edric looked up at the king, eyes wide, he couldn't let him have Brenna, let them do what they wanted to him. But they could not harm his Brenna. "You stay away from her."

"Perhaps I will ask her, myself," the king said, then turning to three more of his subjects. "Find the girl, bring her to me."

"No!" Edric shouted as he was dragged from the room.

***

Brenna's eyes fluttered open. Through the fog of waking, she looked around her room. Had it all been a dream? She pulled her blanket up to her chin. It was a nightmare, I hope when I do run away with Edric it does not go awry like that. Her blanket brushed against her cheek, she had not remembered it being quite this soft, and her mattress did not have its usual lumps. She burrowed further into her bed, stretching limbs gone tense from sleep. As the sleep faded from her eyes, she realized the blanket was not hers.

She shot up and surveyed the room, a globe of yellow light hung suspended above her, tangled among roots that dangled from the earthen ceiling. The bed on which she slept was nestled between two massive twisting roots and the mattress made up of green moss. More roots twisted in and out of the earth walls, creating nooks holding an assortment of odds and ends, preserved flowers, a jar with strange multi-colored liquid, a nutshell with an unknown powder. The truth settled upon her.

This is a Fair Folk dwelling.

Next to her bed, on a stump, a platter of mixed berries and unfamiliar pastries had been set out, and a strange elixir in a goblet made from a branch and polished to a shine. Gently tossing back the soft blanket, she slid out of the bed and onto the earthen floor. The room had one door which was closed, and most likely locked. She crept toward it very slowly, but before she could try the handle it swung open. She stumbled backward as a very tall man entered.

His head nearly brushed against the roots hanging from the ceiling, and his long brown hair cascaded over his shoulders, only to be parted by his bare shoulders and a defined chest. On his head he wore a crown made of thorns, the size of her middle finger. Eyes, the most peculiar shade of green, studied her.

"Did I startle you?" he smiled.

"Who are you, what am I doing here?" she demanded. It was a mistake. She had spoken without thinking, they'd already insulted them by entering their domain without proper respect. The Fair Folk were known for their mercurial tempers.

He chuckled. "You have many questions upon first waking. Why not eat and drink first and then we can talk."

She looked to the platter of food. It had to be a trick, they had wandered where they did not belong, if she ate this perhaps she'd break out in boils, or be shrunk down to the size of a thimble. They never should have gone through the forest. But if she refused his offer, that might offend as well. She sat back down on the bed and picked up one of the pastries and nibbled on the corner.

"I will leave you to enjoy your meal." He turned to walk away.

Brenna was on her feet once more. "I am sorry we entered your domain. But please if you let us go, we will never return."

"We?" the fae man, tilted his head to the side as he examined her.

"The man who I entered the forest with, he stumbled through the fairy ring first. He means well, but he doesn't understand your kind."

The man took a step toward her, his body filling up all of her vision.

"And you do?"

Her heart leaped into her throat. It was easy to let her fear get away with her and to snap and snarl, but she took a deep calming breath, and met the man's gaze. His eyes were an unsettling shade of green. "My grandmother raised me on stories of Those Who Dwell in the Thorns. I did not want to come through the woods. But we were desperate."

"And what is it that you are running from?"

His green eyes never once left her face. She debated on whether or not she should answer, give him too much information and he gained power over her. Give him too little and he may take it as an insult.

"From my father."

"I do not know much about humans, but why would you be running from your own?"

"Because he wouldn't have let us marry." She clamped her hand over her mouth, she had spoken without thinking. But she had given the king a thread to pull and he would keep on pulling until her story was unraveled.

"And why is it you could not marry in your father's household?"

She bit her lip to hold the words back, but she could not, he had her pegged. She could not ignore a direct question. Not without consequences. "Edric is a blacksmith's apprentice, and my father is a gentleman, Lord of Thornwood. He would never agree to such a match."

"So you asked him, and he declined?"

"No." A blush stained her cheeks. Saying it out loud, her actions sounded impulsive and foolish. She still felt the need to defend herself. "We knew it was no use, so we decided to run away."

"Ah."

She could have imagined it but there seemed to be some judgment in that single utterance. She held her tongue for fear it would land her in even more trouble.

"And though you knew you were not welcome, you attempted to cross through my forest?" his eyes traced over her, and she felt naked under his gaze.

"We did."

"Hmm."

She squirmed beneath his cold gaze, waiting for him to speak. Fearing if she was the first one to do so, she'd say the wrong thing.

"The young man came through here earlier. I sent him back in the human world."

"You are lying to me; he would never have left me behind." As soon as the words came out, she regretted them, she clamped both hands over her mouth, as if she could hold back any more impulsive reactions.

"Believe what you will, it is the truth."

Her stomach dropped down to her toes. Edric would never have left her behind, their love was too strong. She wracked her brain searching for an idea, this had to be a fae trick.

"Please I'll do anything to get him back."

"I will not hold a child of Thornwood against your will. You are free to go." He stepped aside showing her the door. "Go down this hall, and it will lead you to the surface and back to Thornwood."

"And Edric, he's a child of Thornwood. He's lived his whole life in the village."

"He is different." His green eyes sparked in the dark.

Her grandmother had told her the stories but she'd never believed it.

"If I leave now, Edric will remain trapped here."

He did not respond but continued to stare at her in that uncanny way.

She would get no answer from him. This was a game, a riddle she had to solve. "What happens if I stay?"

"You can join me for dinner. As I said, I would be honored to have a child of Thornwood as my guest."

The Fair Folk's tricks were often disguised as a kind gesture. A girl wandered into their kingdom for a night and came out to find her family long dead, and her sweetheart old and bent. But could she run the risk of leaving Edric behind if she did not play his game?

"Very well but show me your true face first."

He started looking at her with a furrow in his brow. "Why would you ask such a thing? Does this face not please you?"

It was a very pleasing face indeed, and one meant to entice and entrap her, she knew. She would not let him use it to trick her. She knew enough about them to not be so gullible.

"If you show me your face, I will stay and have dinner with you."

He bowed low and when he stood again, she was face to face with a man that was both feral and beautiful. High cheekbones came to points like thorns. Long knobbed fingers, like the branches of a tree, opened and flexed. His hair, no longer silk, was a tangle of vines.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yes," she breathed out, at once both entranced and terrified.

"Dress and I shall return for you."

"Make me a deal," she blurted before she lost her courage. He raised a single brow in question.

"What sort of deal?"

"My family is bound to yours. What can I give you to have Edric back?"

A slow smile spread across his face. "Remain here in my kingdom until after dawn's first light and you may have whatever your heart most desires."

No deal came without a price, if she failed to stay, there would be consequences, but what she wanted more than anything was to have Edric all to herself. If she left before then, that meant she'd lose him.

Her heart was thundering in her chest as she said, "You have a deal."

***

His captor dragged him by the pits of his arms, while Edric kicked and screamed, their grips were like a vice and no amount of fighting would save him.

"Let me go, I've done nothing wrong." He wrestled against them but his pleas fell on deaf ears. I have to find Brenna before that monster gets her!

They pulled him down a long dark hallway, the only light was that carried by a second strange creature. Who had large bulbous eyes atop its head and slimy black skin. It grinned at Edric and revealed rows of sharp needle-like teeth. He shuddered just to look at it. At the end of the long dark hall, was a single dingy cell. When Edric saw it, he fought harder, twisting his back, swinging punches, that did not land. The big-eyed creature, left the glowing globe hanging in the air while he fiddled with a ring of keys, opening a cell.

"Would you stop squirming, you're only making it worse," his captor said.

"Never, I'll fight to the death to save Brenna," he snarled like a wild beast.

"Humans and their love," the captor said to the bulbous-eyed creature who cackled in agreement.

As the cell door swung open, Edric broke free for a brief moment. He swung a surprise left at his captor, who easily dodged his blow. But he only needed a moment's opening to run for the exit. He did not even get two feet before he was sent crashing to the ground, vines tangled around his feet. His captor walked over and stood above him shaking his head.

"You've done this to yourself, you know," the feral-eyed man said.

"I've done nothing but try to make a better life for me and Brenna. What right do you have to keep us from crossing the woods?"

The feral-eyed creature only shook his head, as he picked Edric up as if he weighed nothing at all and tossed him into the cell. The bulbous-eyed creature leered at him through the bars.

"I hope you find it comfortable," he said in a creaking voice. "You're going to be in here for a very long time."

"Please let us go and we will never return to your forest."

"You threatened the Thorn King with iron, that in itself is punishable by death," said the feral-eyed creature, who stood just behind the other, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I didn't mean it, you have to believe me," he pleaded, hands pressed together as if in prayer.

They only laughed as they turned to walk away, taking the globe of light with them. All he could do was watch as the only source of light faded away until he was left in utter darkness. Never before had he ever experienced the complete absence of light. He could not even see his hand in front of his face. It was cold in his cell, as he held out his hand to find a wall to lean against it felt like ice. He decided against leaning against it and sat on the floor. He reached into his shirt and pulled out the locket he always wore close to his heart. He rubbed his thumb against the warm metal. Inside was a lock of Brenna's hair. Don't worry, darling, I'll think of a way to get us out of here.

It was hard to say how much time passed. It could have been hours, or it could have been days. All that he knew was the darkness started to lessen and he turned his head toward the growing light. Someone was coming down the tunnel once more. He jumped to his feet, hurrying to the bars, he tried to grab a hold of them, but they were covered in large thorns he pricked his hand upon and made them bleed. Instead he hovered as close as he dared to get a look at who was coming. Did they find Brenna? He prayed she was still safe.

A pair of figures, the squat form of the jailer holding the light in front of him as they made their way toward him. Behind him was the king.

"What have you done to Brenna, I swear if you harm a single hair on her head!" Edric shouted as the king approached.

The Thorn King stopped in front of Edric's cell, his uncanny green eyes looking up and down.

"What can you do behind bars?"

"You let her go."

The king smiled deviously. "She is safe for now. But what shall I do with you?"

"Please let me out and I'll never return again?"

"Let you go when you threatened me and my court?"

"I didn't mean it, I swear."

The king raised a single brow. "No? Your kind, know the rules. You are not to enter our domain without due respect. You did not pay the proper rights, you interrupted our dance, and brought iron here." His mouth twisted into a sneer. "You've broken many laws, a payment is required for such crimes. A hundred years in the dungeon should suit."

The toad-like creature which held the lantern for the Thorn King snickered.

"Do what you want to me, but let Brenna go. She did nothing wrong."

A slow smile spread across the king's face, the looks of it made Edric ill. He should never have mentioned her name.

"What is she to you?"

"She's my wife—well, that is I am intending to make her my wife. We were on our way to elope."

"Is that so?"

"You have her, don't you? Please, I'll do anything if you let her go!"

"Oh, I am sure." He pressed his knotted fingers to his chin. "But are you certain you'd pay any price to get her back. Even give up your own life?"

He did not hesitate in his response. "Anything! Please just let her go. "

The king's hand darted forward and through the bars, before Edric had time to react, he snatched the locket off Edric's neck.

He dangled the chain from knotty fingers. Swinging it just out of Edric's reach.

"Give that back," Edric shouted reaching for his locket. The thorns on the bars of the prison scrapping against his skin.

"You said you'd give anything to set her free," the king said.

Edric's hand drooped to his side. "What do you want with something like that?"

The king tilted his head to the side. "That doesn't concern you." He waved his hand and the necklace disappeared.

"Open the door and let him go." The bulbous-eyed creature scurried forward and unlocked the cell door. Edric hesitated to exit. A locket seemed a slim price to pay given the King's reaction to his crimes.

"What about Brenna?" Edric asked.

"You may both leave, if you leave before the first dawn of morning."

"That's all I have to do?"

"That is all."

"Where is Brenna?"

His lips curled into that dangerous smile once more. "You'll have to find her."

Edric licked his dry lips. He could do it, the sun had only just set there were hours until dawn. "What happens to us, if I fail?"

"Then neither of you will ever leave here again," the king said with a slow creeping smile.

He clenched his fists at his side. I can do this. He'd come this far to obtain her love, he'd go through hell and back to keep her. "Then I will accept your challenge."

"Good," with a snap of the king's fingers, the dungeon disappeared and they were both standing in the hallway full of doors where he had first arrived. Three doors stood directly in front of them. The first was dark blue, rimmed in river stones with a moon-shaped handle, the second, was the flame door, the handle formed of a lump of coal, the third was gold and black, with a sun-shaped knob.

"Choose a door."

Edric stared for a moment deliberating on his decision. In the old stories, there was always a trick when it came to the Fair Folk. The doors in themselves were a riddle, or a test, maybe both. "Where do they lead?"

"To your beloved, if you choose wisely."

"And if I don't?"

The king shrugged his shoulder. "That is for you to find out."

Edric took a deep breath. He picked the door to the far left, the dark blue reminded him of Brenna's eyes. Besides it had been night when he stumbled through the ring, so perhaps this would lead him back to that moonlit vale. When he approached, the doorknob changed shape, blooming into a white trumpet flower. This had to be it. He grabbed a hold of the knob and stepped into darkness.

***

Brenna paced the length of the chamber several times. Counting the steps, one by one until she got to one hundred. When she reached it, she headed for the door. Edric was here somewhere and she was going to find him. It was in the Fair Folk's nature to deceive. He wanted her to believe that Edric had abandoned her, but she refused to believe it. She would find him and they would escape this place together. The door creaked as she opened it, and Brenna put her eye to the crack, when she saw nothing outside, she poked her head out. There was nothing but a long empty hallway. There was not a soul in sight.

She slid out the door, making sure to close it behind her. She waited for a few heartbeats, as she gathered her bearings and then she sprinted down the hall. Her feet slapped against the earthen floor as she ran. The hallway ended at a fork, she took the passage to the left. A few feet more and there was another split, she went to the right.

The passageways were nothing but a twisted labyrinth. Globes of light hung from the walls, casting a strange ethereal light over everything. The hall in which she was running emptied out into another chamber, but this time three choices stood before her. In the old tales everything came in threes and it gave her pause. This was not a choice to be made lightly. Each path led in different directions. The first tunnel was illuminated in green light. The tunnel to the center, was cast in blue light and she felt a cold chill coming off it. The tunnel to the right, was cast in a yellow light like sunshine. She could almost smell a summer breeze wafting off of it.

Which do I choose? She wondered.

As she pondered her decision, music drifted out from the leftmost passageway. The sound was achingly beautiful. All her life Brenna's grandmother had warned her about the song of the Thorn Dwellers. It was said to entrance those who heard it, drawing them into their forest never to be heard from again. I cannot go that way. Which only left the other two hallways. But as she tried to deliberate between the two, her eyes were continually drawn to the way from which the music was coming.

The song was haunting, it filled her with a feeling of love and devotion. It evoked memories of her first time seeing Edric's mischievous smile, the flutter in her stomach the first time they had kissed, and the exhilaration when they'd decided to run away together. He had to be down that passageway.

The path was not long and after the first bend, it emptied unto the forest. Moonlight fell through the treetops and for a moment, Brenna thought she was back where she started. But this place was different. The trees here tangled together forming a ceiling of branches, the space was long and narrow, it reminded her of a chapel, but alive and so much more grand. Enormous white flowers, bigger than her head, bloomed along thorny vines. Their perfume sweeter than anything she had smelled before.

The music continued to play, turning to a melancholy song that spoke of love lost without the need for words. Tears sprung to her lashes, as she thought of Edric, lost and alone somewhere in the Fair Folk's domain. Where are you? She wondered. She continued along, searching for the source of the song, which reeled her in. The grass beneath her feet was thick and soft. She took off her shoes in order to wiggle her toes in it. She reached for one of the flowers to caress the velvety pillows but she did not notice the equally large thorns behind them.

She pricked her thumb upon one, and a single crimson drop of blood bloomed upon it.

She hissed and sucked on her thumb. Suddenly the flute music ceased. She'd accidentally revealed herself to the player.

From around a bush of flowers, the fae man appeared, once more in the visage of a handsome man. I should have known he was the one luring me here. What a fool I was to not see it for the trick it was.

"What are you doing in my throne room?" he asked.

Brenna blinked surprised. "You're the king?" she gasped and quickly covered her mouth. She had not offended just any of the Fair Folk, but the King of the Thorns.

"Was it not obvious when you first met me?" he asked, a single brow raised.

Brenna looked at her feet, as she bowed into a deep curtsy. "I apologize your majesty, I did not know."

The Thorn King did not reply, and she dared to look up at him. Only to find he was staring at her with the most peculiar expression on his face. She suddenly felt very exposed, and wrapped her arms around her. If he was the King of the Thorn Dwellers then she was in much more danger than she thought. I called him a liar. A warm blush flooded her features.

"Now you fear me?" he asked.

She couldn't look him in the eyes. "I did not know it was you, I apologize for my impertinence."

"There is no need, you are my guest."

"I should leave you." She turned to leave, intent on continuing her search for Edric.

"What led you to this place?"

She paused, her back to him, perhaps if she looked into his eyes she'd fall under his spell. But despite her fear of him, she answered him honestly, "I heard your music. It was beautiful."

He held up the flute looking at it as if he had just remembered it was there.

"Do you like music?"

She half turned toward him, it felt rude to keep her back to him, and nodded slowly. There was no harm in admitting so. But her lips spoke freer than they should have. "I've never heard a song quite like that. What is it called?"

He laughed softly. "It has no name, I was just playing what I felt."

There was a deep sadness in his eyes, and she found herself drawn to it. She took a step closer. "How can you be sad?"

He turned toward a pair of thrones, they were formed out of the same thorny bush as the rest of the room. Only one of them was in bloom. The other remained empty, the flowers withered and gone.

He strolled over toward them and rested his hand on the one which lacked any bloom. "I was thinking of the past," he said staring at the empty chair.

"You lost someone?" She took a guess, though it might have been rude to do so.

"My wife, the Queen of Thorns."

Brenna's eyes flickered toward the empty throne.

"I am sorry." She should not have asked. "I apologize, I shouldn't pry."

His green eyes were focused on her searching her face. "I hope you're coming here means you've changed your mind about dinner."

Brenna couldn't seem to take her eyes off of his face, without meaning to she had moved closer to him and the throne. She shouldn't be wasting time here, she should be looking for Edric.

"I should go," even looking away didn't break his spell on her. His melancholy expression was burned into her, and she wanted so badly to take away his sadness. As she turned to leave, he grabbed her wrist halting her in place.

"Please, don't."

Every inch of her body felt as if it was alive, the hairs on the back of her neck filled with electricity. Just his touch seemed to set her ablaze.

She turned toward him and once again he was watching her.

"Join me, it would be an honor to have one of the children of Thornwood at my table."

She gulped but she couldn't seem to tell him no.

She nodded.

"Lovely."

It should have meant he was pleased, but the way his hungry eyes stared into hers, she wondered if he meant her.

***

The halls were a tangled mess of twists and turns. The only light came from the occasional globe which cast faint yellow light along the walls and created long shadows that appeared to watch him as he passed by. Some turns led to a dead end, others to bottomless drops or stairs that stopped at a ceiling with no trap door to be seen. No matter which way he turned, he was redirected downward, deeper into the caverns where there were fewer and fewer globes to light his way and he was forced to find his way by running his hands along the jagged rock walls.

A song floated up from the depths of the tunnel. His instinct was to ignore it but he was lost, even if he tried to turn around, he was not sure he could find his way back out. The sound led him down a twisting corridor that stopped along an adjoining cavern surrounded by high whiles and craggy rocks. Moonlight filter through a hole in the ceiling. If the walls had not been covered in sharp rocks, likely to tear apart his flesh if he dared tried grab hold of them, it could have been an escape route. The full moon shone through the ceiling and illuminated a pool in the center of the cavern. The water was perfectly still and incredibly dark, so dark all light seemed to be absorbed and all that remained was the outline of the moon.

At the edge of the pool, a woman ran her fingers through her long silver hair as she sang a song, the words in a language he did not recognize. The hem of her dress fell into the pool absorbing the color of the water and bleeding up to a pale gray. When he took a step closer, he knocked a rock lose. It tumbled down a set of stone steps and broke the water's surface. For a moment, he saw Brenna's face flash across the water's surface, but as quick as he saw it, it faded away.

The woman's song faded to one lingering note that hung on the ear. Eyes dark as the pool without bottom set in a deceptively youthful face. Around her neck river rocks had been strung together. And upon her brow a white stone glimmered in the light of the moon.

"Have you come with questions, dreamer?" she asked.

"What is this place?" he did not remove his foot from the threshold, there was a current on the air, a tension that pricked at his skin and told him he should turn around and run before it was too late.

"This is an old place of secrets. Care to look?" she gestured to the pool.

"I think I should be going." He had been foolish to come even this close. Perhaps his luck would be better, if he went up to the original chamber, if he could find it.

Before he had taken more than a step she said, "You are trying to find something you have lost."

He turned back around. "How do you know that?"

"The dreamer's pool told me," she said nodding toward the smooth surface of the pool. There was not even a ripple to indicate it had been disturbed just moments before. He crept closer, even though it felt mad to do so. When he was at the surface of the pool he stared down into the water, he saw nothing but his own reflection. The woman in gray rested a hand on his shoulder.

"You need to get closer, to see." She guided him to his knees. It felt like madness, but he did it anyway.

Squinting at the water, he saw nothing but darkness. When nothing happened, he looked up to the woman but she was no longer next to him, a flash of silver caught his eye. Beneath the surface, dark eyes stared up at him. When he opened his mouth to shout, bubbles came out instead. He was no longer on the edge of the pool but in the dark water, enveloped by darkness. He sank down and down, deeper and deeper. His breath ached in his lung desperate for release.

He could not hold his breath any longer and he let it go, prepared to let the darkness take him. But as air rushed out, no water took its place. He was in a one-room cottage. Herbs dried on the rafters and a fire burned on one side, a pot over its flames boiled over.

A woman with wide hips and a threadbare gown stirred at the contents of the pot. Her hair, tied back in a single braid down her back, was liberally streaked with gray. She turned around, and her wrinkled and weather-worn face seemed familiar to him. Though he could not say where he knew her from.

"Edric," she hollered.

"Do I know you?" he asked.

But she ignored him and shouted his name again, just then a man stumbled into the room, his clothes were shabby and stained. His beard was unkempt as was his greasy hair. He carried a bottle in his calloused hand which he set down hard on the room's only table. That cannot be me. He peered into the man's face, and tried to explain away the shape of the eyes, and the color that was so similar to his own, but so much more defeated. He saw a lifetime of hardship reflected in that gaze. What is this, some fae trick?

"I'm here, woman. What do you want from me?"

"Dinner is ready," she said gruffly and ladled gray gruel into a bowl for him.

"What is this slop?"

"The same slop we had yesterday and the day before."

"Well can't you make something better, Brenna?"

Horror gripped him hard. This had to be a nightmare. This could not be a glimpse of the future. These two miserable souls, haggard and old, could not be Brenna and him. Where were their half a dozen children, their cozy farm, and all the other things they dreamed of?

"Maybe if you put down the bottle and got work, we would be able to afford meat, every now and again."

He scoffed. "You're a nag. Where would you be without me."

She shook her head and turned away. He could tell this was an old argument. When he looked at this woman, he saw a shadow of Brenna. Life had not treated her kindly, her soft hands were hard, cracked and calloused, her face was red and chapped, the skin around her jowls hung low. When they had spoken of their future together, they talked about the plans they had, the love their house would be filled with. Was this the real future?

"I never wanted this for you," he whispered to her. And she looked up at him with tears in her discouraged eyes.

"You should have left me be. My father knew better, you were beneath me. We had no means to take care of ourselves from the beginning, and I was too naive to see it. If you had given me up, I wouldn't have lost the baby. And as I got uglier you got colder. You never loved me, you only wanted what was between my legs. I would have been happier without you."

He stumbled backward too ashamed to face the horrifying truth. Brenna was used to the finer things, her perfect pale hands were not made for hard work. Would a life as he had lived turn her twisted and hideous? Would his desire for her run cold as a result?

He ran from her, out the little cottage and into the dark. When he stepped out, he returned to the shore of the dreaming pool, where the woman in gray was sitting, her petite hands folded in her lap as she regarded him.

"You dreamed?"

"I did." He rubbed his face trying to wash away the image of Brenna's dejected face. "Is this true."

She gave him a noncommittal shrug. His hands shook. That was the end of their plot to run away, a lifetime of misery? What have I done?

***

Brenna was escorted back to her room, where a bevy of uncanny creatures awaited to dress her. They were of varying sizes, and wore an odd assortment of clothes from dresses woven from spider's silk to pants and shirts patched together with leaves.

"Your skin is so pale and beautiful," a fae woman with hair the color of poppies cooed as she caressed Brenna's arm holding it up to examine it in the light.

"And your hair is soft," said a tiny creature who wore an acorn for a hat and sat upon Brenna's shoulder braiding the strands together.

"Thank you," she stammered, though she was accustomed to being dressed, it felt strange to have so many unfamiliar hands upon her at once.

A pair of fae women held up a dress for her. The gown was made of a thin fabric, that was pale as moonlight. It glimmered softly under the multi-colored lights that hung from the ceiling of her chamber. Brenna reached out to touch the fabric, it fell over her hand like water and felt as light as air.

"It's stunning," Brenna said in a hushed voice.

The fae woman with lilac eyes said, "The King had it made for the Queen of thorns before—"

"Hush!" said the second who resembled a bird, complete with a pointy beak for a mouth. They both looked at Brenna and then away, as if they'd said something they weren't supposed to.

"What happened to her?" she asked, she could not help her curiosity. Despite what seemed to be an obvious ploy to get her to ask questions.

"She died," said the tiny sprite on her shoulder. "She took ill like many of our kind, the king lost his wife and children all together."

The fae creatures looked down away from Brenna. A heavy silence fell over the room. Brenna wrapped arms around her. Not certain what to say, maybe they had all lost loved ones to this illness.

"I'm so sorry to hear that."

"Don't mind that," said the fae woman with poppy-colored hair. "It's in the past now. The King will find a new Queen and we will all be happy again."

She assisted Brenna out of her plain wool dress, while Brenna thought about the sad look she had seen in the King's eyes. He must have loved his wife dearly to continue to mourn her.

They slid the gown over her head. It glided over her skin, and clung to her curves in flattering ways. When she shimmied slightly, it flowed around her fluttering in the light breeze. There was a tingle of magic in the fabric, I shouldn't be wearing this. What am I thinking? She'd been so distracted by their story, she hadn't even realized.

She was about to tell the fae folk as much but before she could voice a protest, they were hurrying her out the door.

"The king is waiting," they said.

"You don't want to keep him waiting."

The creatures shared conspiratorial smiles as she was led down the hall and into a large chamber with a ceiling so high up she could not see where it was. Darkness loomed above, while globes of glowing light floated on the air bobbing up and down casting multi-colored light onto the ground.

To one end of the room, musicians played music like she had never heard before. The very air vibrated with magic and Brenna found herself whipping her head around to take it all in, giddy at the very sight. It was as if her grandmother's stories had come to life before her eyes. This was the Thorn King's court.

At the center of the room was a long table, or rather several tables made up of flat boulders, logs with sheered tops, and the stump of a very large tree. An assortment of dishes had been laid out on platters made from shells, bowls of woven grass and goblets made of horns. The guests that sat around the table were just as strange as the table settings. She spotted a man with antlers on his head and the bottom half of his body that of a deer. Across from him a woman glistened in shimmering gold fabric, skin so dark it looked like ebony night and eyes that twinkled like the stars in the sky. Scattered among them were creatures which resembled the king, knotted hands, wooden skin and hair like vines.

When Brenna entered the room, the chatter stopped and the music faded leaving behind a deafening silence as all eyes were trained on her.

The Thorn King, at the head of the table, stood. His green eyes focused on her alone. He strode toward her, a smile spreading across his face.

"Brenna," he said huskily, "that dress, it looks more beautiful on you than I could have imagined."

She could not help the blush that spread across her face. As she looked away, she replied, "Thank you, your majesty."

"Please join me," he touched her gently upon the elbow with one hand gesturing to the chair beside his with the other. Once again, she felt that electric feeling spread through her entire body. What was it about him that made her feel so alive?

She kept her gaze at the floor, to hide her blush as she took a seat. Her chair was made of tangled vines the arms and legs made of branches. As she sat down, she felt the gazes of the ethereal creatures upon her. She should have feared their feral gazes, the undercurrent of tension made her skin prickle but to be truthful, she liked the looks, their admiration. At Thornwood Abbey, she loved to sing and to entertain others.

And what was she to them but entertainment? Her arrival was a distraction from their usual lives. Though she imagined their lives were much more exciting than her own. She felt no malice from these creatures, only curiosity, which made her heart beat faster as she took her seat at the king's side. This is more adventure than I could have ever hoped for.

He leaned over to fill her glass, it was a kind gesture, surely he had servants who could do so.

"You look beautiful," he said.

"You've said that already," she teased as she looked up to make his gaze, she saw a hunger reflected in them. He wanted her.

"It needed to be said again."

The thought of such a powerful creature desiring her, gave her a thrill. She laughed throwing her head back as she tossed her hair over her shoulders, "You wield flattery like a weapon." She leaned closer to him.

He leaned in toward her, "Only because it is effective."

As he leaned toward her, she saw a flash of silver around his throat. She reached for it without thinking, the locket lay in the palm of her hand, hanging around the throat of the Thorn King. It could not be a coincidence, this was the locket she'd given Edric.

"Where did you get this?"

The Thorn King pulled away slightly and the locket fell from Brenna's hand.

"It was the price he paid for his freedom." He fixed her with his gaze, daring her to refute it.

This was a trick, it had to be, Edric said he'd never let it go.

"You're lying."

The mood changed, as there was a subtle shift in the king's gaze. "Why would I lie to you, Brenna?" the way he said her name, it was almost like a caress.

She should have seen through his compliments from the start, she'd gotten so caught up in the beauty of this place, she'd almost forgotten where she was. She blinked as if she was seeing for the first time, the strange creatures all staring at her hungry, wanting. Was she the feast here?

She sat up very straight in her chair aware of all the inhuman eyes upon her. It was dangerous to let her guard down even for a second. "Because that is what your kind do."

He leaned in close to whisper in her ear, she should have slapped him or pushed him away but she let him, even being this near him she felt the ripple of excitement over her skin. "What if I was to tell you, I never wanted you to leave?"

A shiver ran up her spine, a part of her wanted to stay.

"I have no intention of staying longer than the night," she tried to laugh, and pretend that this was all a game. But she was in dangerous waters. The more he learned about her the more power he had over her. The only thing she had left to protect her was not letting him see how truly terrified she was.

"Is that so?"

"Once I find Edric, we are leaving." Her voice shook. If I can ever find him. I don't know why I agreed to play his games. I never think these things through.

"Why are you waiting on him, when he's already forgotten about you?"

***

By some miracle, Edric found his way back to the hallway where the Thorn King had left him. After a few minutes deliberation, he chose the third door. If the first door had led him astray perhaps the king expected him to try each door in turn. By that logic it meant Brenna would be behind the third.

When he touched the sun-shaped knob, it glowed with bright light only to fade in a dark obsidian stone a moment later. Edric hesitated just a moment, but he could not stand to stay in this place another moment. He threw the door open and was blinded by sunlight. He found himself not in a long hallway but a sunny forest. The vale in which he had first stepped through the fairy ring, was filled with diffused light peeking through the canopy of the trees. A breeze blew through the branches and brushed against his skin, like a whisper.

He let us go? He turned around, expecting a door where Brenna would appear. But there was nothing but an old tree, even the ring of mushrooms had disappeared.

"Brenna!" He fell to his knees and clawed at the ground, as if he could dig through the earth back to her.

"You said I had until sunrise to find her! Was this all a trick?" Edric shouted at the forest.

Laughter filtered through the treetops, and he froze in place but his eyes flashed from side to side.

"We had a deal!"

A flash of gold moved about the trees jumping from branch to branch. Edric stood and with hands fisted at his side, tried to pin down whatever it was that was creeping around. But it moved too fast for him to pin down.

"Come out and face me!"

A woman dropped down from the treetops. Long golden hair fell down her shoulders and draped over her golden skin. She tilted her head to regard him, and as she did, revealed the top of her naked breast. There was nothing underneath her hair. Edric turned his head away to avoid looking where he shouldn't.

"You've escaped the Thorn Kingdom, that is rather impressive." Her voice was a sultry purr. She sauntered around him and her fingertips brushed against his shoulder and sent a shiver down his spine.

Though he tried not to look, from the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of her exposed breast, tipped in a pink nipple.

He swallowed hard and shut his eyes to avoid temptation. He had grown up hearing stories of Fair Folk's seductresses: they lured men in with their come-hither glances only to take their youth from them, or some other horrible fate.

"You can look, I don't mind," she said.

She stopped in front of him. The glow of her skin seeped through his eyelids, coaxing him to take just a single peak. A voice at the back of his head reasoned, what harm would it do?

He opened his eyes halfway, the woman was very close, and she'd pushed her golden hair behind her back revealing everything down to the patch of golden hair above the apex of her legs.

"I've heard a lot about you, Edric."

His eyes snapped up to her face, "You have?" he stammered. Her lips were rosy red glistening and her eyes were large and framed with long lashes.

She came very close to him. Her breasts pressed against his chest as she flung her arms over his shoulders. She shifted her hips back and forth, just inches from his groin in a tantalizing dance. All of the sudden his trousers were much too tight.

She whispered in his ear. "Mmm." She trailed her hand down his chest. When her hand found the hem of his shirt, he opened his eyes and saw her smirking at him, her lips tantalizingly close, golden-brown eyes crinkled with mischief. Her hand stilled at the hem of his pants, daring him to stop her or urge her further.

"How many times did Brenna tease you this way, getting you close only to pull away?"

"Where is Brenna?" he asked, but only half-heartedly as she stroked the fabric along his thigh.

"Don't worry about her. I can take care of you, and unlike her I will never age, never grow haggard," she purred in his ear before nibbling on his earlobe. "And I'll never tell you no."

Images flooded his mind at her words of all the things they could do together. Edric groaned and threw his head back, closing his eyes as she kissed his neck. But soon his erotic fantasy turned to more domestic fantasy ones, of cuddling close with Brenna beneath a quilt. The soft feel of his beloved's lips against his.

Very gently, he pushed the fae woman back. He did not want to do her any disrespect, but he had let this go on too far already. "Don't you want me?" she said with a pout.

"I belong to Brenna."

"I know what you saw in the dreamer's pool. If you remain together you'll only make each other miserable."

He thought back to that horrid vision once more, they were trying to trick him. This had to be a test, like the ones all heroes endured when they wandered into the Fair Folk realm.

"I don't care if she gets old and fat, I'll love her anyway."

She laughed again, throwing back her head. Her breasts bouncing as she did. He started to lower his gaze but he thought of Brenna, her smile, her laugh. He turned his back to the temptress. That was the only way he was going to avoid further temptation.

"You think you're a good man, Edric?" she asked as she pressed her breasts against his back and traced her hands over his chest running down and down once again. For a moment, he let himself get lost in the spell of her and let his mind wander. He thought about how it would feel to have her peel off his clothes, and to lay her down on the soft grass and make love under the canopy of trees.

He mentally shook himself. You cannot do that to Brenna, she's the one you love.

He broke free of her grip once more and stormed to the opposite side of the clearing.

"I do not mean to insult you, but I have someone I love and I would rather remain faithful to her."

"Do you really love her Edric?" the woman asked, "or is it her body that you're lusting for?"

He turned around to refute her accusation but when he did, she was gone and so was the forest. All that remained was a wooden door set into a cave wall.

***

A band of creatures played instruments that were both familiar and foreign. The otherworld creatures at the table, abandoned their meals to dance in the center of the room, under a hundred globes of multi-colored light that changed with each unearthly tone.

The king stood and outstretched his hand to her. Did he know how much she loved to dance? Or was it mere coincidence. He had yet to return to his true form, perhaps knowing that she preferred the handsome human visage. All of these things to trick her, Edric would not leave her behind, she knew it.

"Will you dance with me?"

"What happens if I say no?" she stared at his outstretched hand, as if it was laced with poison.

"I will be disappointed."

The creatures around the room stared at her, waiting with expectation. She did not need to be told that disappointing a fae king, would hold consequences yet unspoken. Perhaps playing along with his games would help her find Edric.

The Thorn King took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. The music swayed and shifted as the singer's voices wove together with words that were ancient and full of power. When she danced with the king, he placed his hand on the small of her back, keeping her close, the racing of her heart pressed against his firm chest. His gaze burned into her.

"You still don't trust me?" It was more of a statement than a question.

She looked around the room to the creatures that stared at her with hungry eyes. She doubted the king often danced with human girls. She thought of her friends back in Thornwood, they would never believe she had done this. But I'll never go back. Once she and Edric escaped, she could never go home again.

She shook herself of melancholy thoughts, "I know Edric, he would not leave me behind."

He twirled her around the floor, fast enough that her head spun.

"Why him?" the king asked as they came to a sudden stop in the center of the dance floor.

It took Brenna a moment to gain her bearings, the Fair Folk continued to dance around them, the music took on a thumping beat which seemed to vibrate through her. The king held her close, looking at her as if she were the only one in the room.

"What do you mean?"

"You're leaving everything behind for him, why?"

Her breath caught in her chest, no one had ever put it to her quite that way before.

"Because I love him," she said a little breathlessly but it sounded flimsy even to her ears.

The Thorn King tugged her along, resuming the dance. Together they glided across the room together, her feet finding the rhythm with ease. If she just kept looking into the king's eyes everything else just melted away.

"I think there is more to it than that," he said, leaning forward, his breath whispered against her cheek. It smelled like pine and the earth after the rain. She shivered anew.

"I wanted adventure," she admitted, though she had never said so aloud before. "Nothing happens in Thornwood. My entire life was planned out for me. Edric was different, he went where he wanted. He wasn't like those stiff gentlemen my father invited over. I want to travel, to see the world."

He scoffed and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, she'd only ever talked about these sorts of things with Edric.

"Why do you laugh?"

"Your dreams amuse me."

"They're not just dreams. That is how I will live my life once I leave here."

He twirled her around before saying, "I have been around a long time and very rarely does reality match up with imagination."

"You're wrong."

"Hmm."

"How can you possibly know what it's like to be human."

A crooked smile crossed his expression. "I do not."

She frowned up at him, everything else seemed to melt away, even the music faded to nothing. It was as if they were dancing together in starlight, lost to the world, just the two of them.

"Then you cannot say what the future will hold for us."

"I can see your heart Brenna, being a farmer's wife will never suit you. And after this night you will always wonder if you could have had more."

"After tonight, I will be thankful I am with my beloved. We shall be too happy to care about anything else."

He leaned very close, his green eyes focused on her, entrancing her. "Does your Edric know about your aspirations?"

"Yes, of course," her breath hitched. His lips were too close. This was dangerous.

"Not your silly dreams. Your addiction to opulence, your craving for all eyes upon you."

"I do not want those things!"

"Do you not? Then why did you not leave when I gave you the chance."

"I have to save Edric."

"I told you he left. So tell me the truth, why did you stay?"

There was a strained silence. She was wasting time, indulging in the King's attentions, while Edric was likely worried sick about her while she twirled in a pretty dress, flirting with the Thorn King. I should demand he set us free, not that it would do any good.

When she didn't answer he asked, "Do you tell him everything?"

She looked away from the king, but he grabbed a hold of her chin forcing her to look at him. His eyes on her lips. "Why wouldn't I?" she said in a husky whisper.

He kissed her. She knew she shouldn't, but between the sway of their bodies, the sound of his voice, she had gotten lost in him. Her breath came in short gasps. She wanted to taste him. His tongue parted her lips with ease, he tasted like honey. Like ecstasy and danger in one body. And then just as suddenly as it happened, the music faded away and she was back in the chamber, but everyone was gone but her. The lights had all disappeared but for a single glowing orb hanging above her.

She spun around and saw not a sign of the revelers. She touched her lips where the king's had been moments before.

"Brenna?"

Edric emerged from one of three doors on the far wall. She stared at him for a moment. Not sure it was a dream or not. And then he started to run toward her and she ran into his arms, throwing her arms around his neck.

"I have been looking everywhere for you," he said as he buried his head in her neck.

She inhaled the scent of him, as relief calmed her nerves. The king had brought Edric back to her, maybe he wasn't so bad. She had played his game and won, it seemed.

"The Thorn King said you left for the human world," a sob caught in her throat. She hadn't realized how terrified she was of that until she had him back in her arms again.

He cupped her face in his hands, staring into her eyes. "I would never leave you..." He looked away. There were shadows in his gaze.

"Edric, what is it?"

"Nothing. We should get out of here, before the Thorn King changes his mind." He took her by the hand and led her to the middle of the three doors, painted red and fading to black and shiny like it had been burnt.

"How do you know the way out?"

"I am not certain, but I went down that one and it leads nowhere we want to go." He pointed at a blue door, with river rocks around the edges. "And that one...." He trailed off. "This is the only one I haven't tried yet."

Something had happened, she could see it in his eyes but she feared to ask because she was holding her own secrets.

***

The relief at finding Brenna again was overshadowed by the visions of the dreamer's pool and what the fae woman had said. When he looked at her, he saw the hag she would become. He held her at arm's length, there were tears in her eyes. She looked a vision in the strange fae dress, it clung to her body, accentuating her hips and the swell of her breasts in a way no human garb ever had.

They held onto one another a moment longer, but time was running out, he could feel it. They had to leave before the sun rose. Whatever the future held, he owed it to her to get her away from this cursed place.

She squeezed his hand and leaned on his shoulder as they walked up a flight of stairs. It felt good to have her lean upon him once again. Unlike the passageway that led to the pool, this hall was filled with light. The walls were a dark onyx, which glimmered beneath the hanging globes. From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw minuscule figures in the light's reflection following their steps. But when he would look again, he saw only the reflection of the globes and nothing more. This must lead to the surface, where else could it go?

"This place is beautiful, isn't it?" she asked as she stared enraptured by the reflection of light in the black walls.

He had to pull her along behind him. "This place has been a nightmare." If only she'd move a little faster.

They hadn't gone long when Brenna started to lag further behind. "I'm tired, can't we rest a while?" Sweat made her hair damp and it clung to her forehead in curling tendrils. Even more than before her dress hugged her body, and the very outline of her breast drove him wild. He had to look away. His clothes were sticking to his body, the stairwell was damn hot.

Brenna sat down on the steps and fanned herself. Each moment felt like a tick on the clock, if only he knew how much longer to sunrise. Just the thought of it was driving him mad.

"We don't have time to waste," Edric said, he scooped her up into his arms.

"Edric!" she screeched, but she only wrapped her arms around his neck as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Isn't this terribly romantic, what a story we'll tell our children." She sighed against him. Her breath felt like flames licking against his skin.

He couldn't set her down, or her dawdling would doom them both. The air was stifling hot in the tunnel and sweat gathered along his neck and rolled down his spine. With both his hands occupied, he couldn't even wipe away the sweat from his forehead and instead it rolled into his eyes making his vision blurry. Where was this heat coming from? It felt as if they'd wandered into the pits of hell itself. Brenna's close proximity only made it worse.

"You're going so fast, you're jostling me," Brenna whined as she wriggled in his arms.

He was forced to set her down, as his breathing was labored and each step seemed to take more and more effort. They'd stop just long enough for him to catch his breath. He leaned back against the wall, dabbing at her his sweaty forehead. How much further did they have to go, he tried looking back where they had come, but the lights had gone out as they passed, leaving him guessing. Looking ahead, he could not see the end, there seemed no end to this infernal tunnel.

"Edric, you're drenched in sweat. Perhaps we should go back, there has to be another way out." She reached out to touch his face, but when he looked at her he saw not his beautiful Brenna but the weather old woman from his vision.

He smacked her calloused hand away. "Don't touch me."

She recoiled and once more returned to her youthful self. He'd spent too long in this horrid place, it was starting to play tricks on his mind.

"You don't need to snarl at me." She turned to pout. The heat was affecting her, and her dress clung to her body in a tantalizing way. There'd been many times where he'd fantasized what her body looked like under all the layers she wore. This dress left little to his imagination. But it occurred to him, he'd never seen such a thing before and lust turned to jealousy.

Normally when she played at being mad he found it charming, but now he found it exceedingly annoying. Where had she been while he faced dangers to rescue her? The heat was beating him, sapping all his energy.

"Where did you get that dress."

She looked down at it, picking up the edges, without looking at him, she said, "it was a gift from the Thorn King."

"Are you a fool! Why would you take anything from him?"

She looked up at him, hurt and anger in her gaze. "Don't blame me, I told you we shouldn't go through the forest. I did what I had to to save you."

Edric shook his head and laughed, each breath felt like it burned, the heat in this place was overwhelming. This wasn't her fault.

"I shouldn't have yelled. I'm sure you've been through quite the ordeal as I have. I have half a mind to go back there and make him pay."

"Don't!" she shouted, her voice echoing off the walls.

He turned to her, brows raised in confusion.

"Are you defending that monster?"

She looked away down the stairs. "He was kind to me, it is in their nature to deceive, but I don't think he meant us any harm."

Edric made an incredulous noise. All this time he had been searching for her and she was treated like a princess given a fancy dress and who knew what else. But wasn't that just like Brenna? She loved the finer things in life. Things he could not afford to give her.

A question came to mind, "Brenna, have you thought at all to what we'll do when we get to the next town?"

She looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Does that really matter right now?"

"Answer me, what do you think will happen?"

"We'll buy a farm and love and care for one another." She spat out their dreams like an accusation.

"How do you think we're going to buy that farm?"

She rolled her eyes. "What's your point?"

"We need money, Brenna, and we don't have any."

"You'll get a job."

"It isn't that easy to find work. And even if I did, a farm is expensive. You'll have to work too, washing clothes and the like."

"Then that's what I'll do." She placed her hands on her hips glaring at him defiantly.

"You've never worked a day in your life. What are you gonna do when there's no money to put food on our table and you can't afford nice dresses and your cosmetics?"

The color drained from her face as if she was realizing these things for the first time. "Why are you saying this?"

He slid down the wall so he was squatting beneath her. He titled his head into his hands. As if his fears were all that had been keeping him upright. "There's something I need to tell you." He said toward the ground.

"What is it?" her tone was wary.

He gulped. "I saw a vision of our future."

"Oh?"

He rubbed his neck and avoided her gaze. "Well, we were actually rather miserable. You got fat and I became a drunk."

"I get... fat?" she hesitated, "Are you saying you're having second thoughts because of that?"

He got to his feet and grabbed her hands, realizing too late how awful his words sounded. Tears gathered along her lashes. He waved his hand in front of her, forcing her attention back on him. "No that's not it, we just looked miserable. In the vision we were very poor, and we suffered a lot of hardship. And you told me that if I had not run away with you, then you would not have ended up losing all your children and I wouldn't have started drinking. So I thought..."

"That you wanted to call it off? That you want me to return to that prison." She crossed her arms over her chest and spun away from him. How could he make her understand that this was for her own good? She had a good life, a charmed life. All he could give her was his love and that might not be enough.

When he reached for her, she knocked aside his hand. Her flesh, when it brushed against his, was feverish and clammy. And he realized as she ran up the stairs and out of sight, the suffocating heat which threatened to strangle him had dissipated. He sighed and leaned back against the wall. It was better if he let her go, surely. She would find happiness without him and he would move onto the next town as he had always done.

His reassurances were dashed however, when he heard Brenna's scream.

***

Brenna ran, eyes blurred by tears, when suddenly fire leaped out of the ground blocking her path. She screamed and stumbled backward a step as a man burst from flames and stood blocking the flaming blockade. His hair was crimson and around his neck was a torque with a red gem that flickered in the firelight.

"You have wandered where you do not belong, girl," he said. His breath brushed over her with a touch of heat.

"I'm sorry. I did not know where I was going." She sniffled and rubbed the tears from her eyes.

"Well you should have.

Edric, having heard her scream, came running up from behind her, and stepped in front of her, shielding her from the man.

Edric threw out his hand and said. "Stay away from her."

"And who are you?" the red-haired man asked.

"I am her protector. Why have you blocked our way? The Thorn King made us a deal, if we leave before sunrise we're free."

Brenna looked to Edric, perhaps she had been too hasty getting upset with him. Of course, he still loved her. He wouldn't have come running to her rescue if he didn't.

"You can take this way to freedom, if you pass my test." The red-haired man said with fists placed one on each hip.

Sweat poured into her eyes, but she thought it indelicate to wipe it away. Her skin chaffed from the pressure of the heat of the room, radiating off the man and the flaming barrier. But only Brenna seemed affected by it. Edric, who had been sweating before, looked at ease now.

Edric grabbed her hand, "Don't worry. I will sort this out." Her stomach twisted with guilt. She had lashed out at him out of guilt, the thought of the kiss she shared with the Thorn King weighed heavy on her chest like a stone.

Edric turned to the flame man and asked. "What must we do?"

Sweat rolled down her cheeks, and dripped onto her shoulder. Her palms were slick with it. She rubbed her hands on her dress.

"Those who can step through these flames will find the freedom they seek." He gestured with his hand toward the barrier of flame.

"This is unfair, we're human, we can't walk through fire!" Edric shouted at the fae creature.

A smile curled the fae man's lips. "Those who hold no deceit in their heart will walk through unharmed."

Edric stared at the flames for a long time, without a word. While Brenna brushed her fingers to her lips where the Thorn King had kissed her. If she told him the truth they would leave this place together, but she'd also lose him. How could he forgive her for such a betrayal? It was more than the kiss, she had lingered too long in the Thorn King's company when she could have left to find Edric. She was frozen in place, if she asked to go another way, he would know she was hiding something. Her tongue was swollen filling up her mouth, and her clothes were drenched with sweat from the heat of this tunnel. Desperate for a breath, she tugged at the collar of her dress.

Suddenly, Edric turned to face her. "I need to tell you the truth."

She blinked at him in surprise, "I'm terrified of running away with you."

His words were like a cold bucket of ice over her.

"What?"

He took her hands into his. "I'm sorry, Brenna. If we leave Thornwood, we'll only make one another miserable. But the least I can do is return you to where you belong."

"Where I belong?"

"You need the finer things."

She pulled away from him. "Is that what you think of me?"

He took a step toward her, but she took a step back. "We don't time to fight, it's almost sunrise."

"Did you even love me?"

"What sort of question is that?"

She shook her head. "Everything we had was a lie. You've seen the future and now you're done with me?" Tears sprung to her eyes once more. Perhaps the Thorn King was right, maybe he couldn't make her happy.

She turned to run away but he grabbed her by the hand stopping her along the steps.

"Hate me if you want, but I won't leave you trapped here. Go back to your father, I will never forgive myself if I don't save you."

She yanked her hand away. "I don't need you to save me."

"Don't be stubborn, Brenna."

He pulled her closer to the fire, as they drew closer the flames became unbearable. Just a hand's space away and she felt as if her flesh would melt off her bones. She lurched backward, tears streaming down her face. The honeyed taste of the king's kiss turned to bitter bile in her throat.

"Stop," she shouted.

"Don't be afraid, you'll be safe," Edric said holding his hand out to her.

"But I won't," she said as she lowered her gaze to the floor, too ashamed to look him in the face. "I kissed the Thorn King."

Edric dropped his hand to his side. The only sound was the crackle of flames.

"You kissed him?" Edric said at last his voice incredulous.

She couldn't bring herself to face him. If only she had resisted the Thorn King's temptation, if only she had been stronger.

He took a few steps back away from the fire, eying it warily, perhaps realizing how close he had come to burning for her lies. "Did you even care that I went missing? You've spent the entire night drinking and dancing while I searched for you."

When she saw the hatred in his eyes, it was as if she was seeing him for the first time. Her eyes fell to the place where her locket had once hung. "You gave me up without a fight before that."

"What are you talking about?"

"You gave him my locket, even though you swore you'd keep it forever."

"I had no choice!" his voice echoed all around them trailing down through the hallway.

"Are you going to cross or not?" the red-haired man asked.

Edric turned on him and for a moment, she thought he would punch him for interrupting. He reached for the place where her locket used to hang. Then he turned to the flame man.

"I demand I speak to your king," Edric said.

The flame man pointed back down the hall. "Go the way you came, and you will arrive in his throne room."

Edric stormed down the steps, and Brenna chased after him. When his temper was hot he didn't think clearly.

"What are you trying to do?" she shouted after him.

"I'm going to make a new deal," he snapped and kept on walking.

She grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him to face her. "You shouldn't try and tempt his anger, what if we can never leave?"

"That would suit you, wouldn't it? Then you can remain with your beloved Thorn King."

His accusations were like a slap across the face, and a truth she could not deny. She turned to look away.

Her silence was a harder blow than any words ever could be.

"I hope you're happy."

He disappeared out of sight down the hall, while Brenna fell to her knees.

***

Edric threw open the door at the bottom of the stairs, and stomped out, not into the hall of doors and not the chamber from which he left. But onto a grand room filled with thorns and bright white flowers. The ceiling made up of tangled vines and the walls the trunks of large trees. At the far end of the room were two thrones. And in one throne sat the Thorn King. A cape of green moss flowed over his shoulders. His chest was bare, and wrapped around his arms were bands of vines.

He stormed up toward the throne but as he got closer the full splendor of the Thorn King made him hesitate. The uncanny green eyes glowed as they regarded Edric. This was not just some boy who'd kissed his sweetheart. This was a powerful creature, one of unspeakable danger and Edric was still his prisoner. His anger had blinded him for a moment but as the Thorn King stared down at him from his throne, he felt suddenly very small and very powerless.

"It is almost morning, shouldn't you be leaving," the Thorn King asked, his voice echoed around the chamber. Around his neck Edric saw Brenna's locket. Something grabbed a hold of Edric's heart and squeezed.

"You lied to us." He pointed a finger at the Thorn King. "You used that necklace to bewitch Brenna."

The King leaned forward, resting his knobby elbows on his knees. The locket swung forward swinging back and forth mocking Edric. "When did I ever lie to you, Edric? You gave me this in exchange for your freedom." He pinched the locket between his thumb and forefinger.

His words were cold and sent a shiver down his spine.

"You led me on a wild chase for Brenna when you had her all the time. And you..." he couldn't make the words pass his throat.

"I kissed her."

He wanted to punch that smug smile right off his face. How dare he. The Brenna he knew and loved would never betray him like this.

"You seduced her. You used your magic to confuse her."

The king stood and strolled down from his throne to stand in front of Edric, he was a head taller than him. And there was danger in those green eyes.

"What Brenna did was by her own choice."

"I know her, she wouldn't have done that."

"How well do you really know Brenna?" he asked. He paced around Edric, while he slowly turned in place to keep the king in front of him. This monster would stab him in the back the first chance he could. His mistake had been believing he'd not use tricks to keep Brenna from leaving.

"Don't pretend you know her better than me."

"Oh but I do. I've watched over her since the day she was born. Her family and my kind have a special bond you see. They are bound to the forest by blood." The Thorn King waved his hand and in his hand were two vials, each with a few drops of red thick liquid. Blood? Edric narrowed his eyes at the Thorn King.

"You're blood too has been spilled here."

Edric touched the place where the thorns had scratched him in prison. They'd just started to scab over. These were more of his illusions meant to sway him away from the truth.

"You bastard, I'm tired of your tricks," Edric growled.

The king shook his head. "Don't you see. She can never leave Thornwood, it is much a part of her as it is a part of me." He lifted up his hands and the flowers all around them bloomed, filling the air with their sweet fragrance. Edric's eyes darted around. The king sauntered up to one of the flowers plucking it from the vine.

As soon as he did, it withered, curling up in upon itself. "What you saw in the Dreamer's pool is your fate, if you take Brenna away from here, that is what will befall you both."

Edric balled his hands into a fist. "I know that. I've given her up. Keep me here if you must, but let her go."

The king gave him a slow smile. "Even if I were to lock you in the dungeon for 100 years?"

Edric hung his head, this was his fault. None of it would have happened had he not led them here. "Do what you must."

The Thorn King threw his head back and laughed. "You've amused me. But I will not keep you here. A deal is a deal. But to show that there is no ill will between us, I will give you a gift." He removed the necklace from around his neck, opened the locket and took out Brenna's lock of hair. With a wave of his hand, the hair transformed into a ring. He removed the cork from the vial and poured the blood onto it. It transformed into a ruby stone.

He held it out for Edric who only stared at it as if it would bite him.

"Take it," the king said.

"Why would you give me a gift?"

"For bringing me my bride."

Edric had to hold back his angry shout. "Give me Brenna and you can leave a wealthy man. If you wear this ring it will give you everything you ever hoped for."

"I don't care what the price, I won't give you Brenna." Edric turned to storm away.

"What will you do? Doom her to a life of misery or give her a life she's always wanted."

Edric froze. "I won't leave her here to be your prisoner."

"She would not be my prisoner but be my Queen. Think Edric, what does she want more than anything?"

His head drooped, he could never be with her. Not with the future that laid before them. Her only chance at happiness was with the Thorn King, he could see that now.

Edric turned around to face the King. "Swear to me you will let her make that choice."

The Thorn King smiled. "It has always been."

He took a step toward the King but kept his hands at his side, taking this ring from him felt wrong. But the visions of the future continued to haunt him. He held out the gift, the chance for a life Edric had only dreamed about. But one without Brenna.

He closed his eyes and before he could second-guess himself he took the ring from the King's hand.

***

She had lingered in self-pity on those steps for a few minutes. I can't let it end this way. She leaped up and ran down the stairs after him. He should have only been a few feet ahead of her but by the time she got to the bottom of the stairwell, he was gone.

The door opened onto the Throne Room. At the far end of the room the two empty thrones sat side by side. They were made of tangled vines, and thorns jutting out from all sides.

"Edric?" she called his name but he did not answer.

Instead her own voice echoed back to her.

The wind blew through the trees, and it almost sounded as if they were trying to reply, but she could not make out the words. When she spun around to try and catch a strain of the sound, she found the door she had come from had disappeared. Even the passageway she'd taken the first time she'd come here was conspicuously absent. She was surrounded by trees, ancient trees twice as thick as she was tall.

Clutching her hand to her chest, she turned back to the thrones. The one on the right was no longer empty. The thorn king stood up, his hand outstretched to her.

"Brenna."

"Where is Edric?"

He stepped down from his throne, a cape made of moss trailed after him as he approached her. The crown on his head made of sharp thorns looked even more opposing surrounded by all the dagger points of this throne room. He did not disguise his appearance this time, and he was both beautiful and terrifying.

"Gone."

"What did you do to him?" she couldn't even raise her voice to shout, what if she had driven him to the unthinkable. Why hadn't she stopped him when he ran to confront the king?

"I let him go as was his wish," the king said as he strode closer to her.

"He wouldn't leave without me," she said. Though, after their fight, she doubted that was still true. She looked down at the ground.

The Thorn King stopped just in front of her, grabbing her chin to tilt her head back and regard him.

She could not look at his alien face and not think of what she had done. She turned her gaze away as she said, "Then let me go, too," her voice sounded small to her own ears. She was too heart weary to pretend to be strong any longer.

"You've never been my prisoner."

Her heart caught in her throat. "That's not true, you told me—"

"It's not too late, you can go if you wish." He pointed toward the end of the room, toward rows of trees all lined in up in a lane. If she squinted she could see the edge of the forest beyond, and home. Thornwood Abbey, mother, father, grandmother. And Edric...

She looked away, how could she face him. If he wanted to give her up, then let him. As much as she'd gotten caught up in this place, the beauty of it, the intoxicating nature of the Thorn King. She ached for home and everything she'd left behind.

"Do not despair, my dear," the king said as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Not all hope is lost."

"How can it not, I've lost the man I love." Tears rolled down her cheek and the Thorn King wiped them away.

"You can learn to love another." He cupped her cheek as she looked up at him. His fingers slide back to tangle in her hair as he cradled the back of her head. "I want to make you my queen."

Her breath caught, this could not be real.

"Why me?"

"You crave adventure and you chafe at the bonds of human life. I can give you everything you dreamed of in the way he never could."

Just the thought of it made her heart flutter. To be dressed in fine clothes every day, and showered with adoration from her subjects. But what was that without love?

"Those would be my reasons. Why do you want me?"

"Because I am in need of a queen," he laid the words out in black and white, no declarations of love, only a role that needed to be filled. And who was she to him but a woman likely to agree.

"You do not love me?"

He smiled at her in a way that made her feel like the question was foolish.

A part of her wished he would declare his love for her, that he would whisper promises and devotion in her ear, as Edric had. But looking into his ageless eyes, she doubted he was capable of love.

"What about my family?"

"You mean your captors?"

She lowered her eyes. "I can't just forget about them."

"And yet you were willing to run away with Edric and leave them all behind."

He eyes shot up to look at the king. "We would have come back...eventually."

He shook his head slowly, "I have watched humans, their lives so full of struggle. Once you were away, it would have been impossible to return." He dropped his hand away from her face. "Besides the forest remembers and she does not forgive."

The wind rustled through the trees, as if voicing their agreement.

She pulled away and turned her back to the Thorn King. "I cannot be your queen."

"That is your choice then?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"I must admit, I am disappointed, but not surprised."

Was it just her imagination or was there a hint of longing in his voice?

"I am sorry, but my heart belongs to Edric."

"Our deal remains, if he is really what your heart most desires than go to him. But you must not cross before the sun rises or you will lose him."

She looked to the edge of the forest, down the row of trees, the night sky was already starting to turn gray. Dawn was approaching, there wasn't much time.

She motioned as if to leave, but then he spoke. "Even if you return to the world of man, a day may come when you can no longer resist our call." She turned to face him one last time. His green eyes darkened by sadness and disappointment. But it was just a flash of emotion quickly buried. "Remember should you ever change your mind..."

She reached up to place her hand against his cheek. "I will never forget you. Thank you."

She took a step back and he bowed to her, the sweep of his cape enveloped him as he transformed from man to a tree, the entwined branches of the room where she had been faded away and all that remained was the forest around her.

"Go to him, before it is too late," his voice whispered across her like the wind.

Brenna turned and ran.

***

Edric stared down at the ring in his hand. The doorway opened out onto the forest. The exit was a large oak tree, he stood just inside the hollowed-out center. The forest was just beyond, and he could see the fading night. He needed to only take one more step and his wildest dreams would come true. But all he could think of was Brenna.

She would be happy here. Brenna who loved to dance and sing, this sort of life suited her. When he thought of her again he could be comforted by the fact that she would never age never change. She'd always be that girl twirling in her favorite dress. The smile that transformed her face.

With him, she'd only be trapped in a miserable marriage. They'd both be happier this way, wouldn't they? He looked down at the ring again.

"Having second thoughts?" Edric startled to see another of the Thorn Dwellers leaning against the old oak tree. It was the same man who had thrown him in the cell.

Edric closed his hand around the ring into a fist. "The Thorn King has let me go, you cannot stop me."

The man leaned against the exit. "And I will not stop you. But why haven't you left yet, the sun has almost risen?" he nodded toward the growing light at the tops of the trees.

"I was just about to," he said, but he couldn't seem to make his feet obey his commands. He looked at the thorn dweller. "Why are you here if not to stop me?"

"How else will the Thorn King know you left in time."

Edric frowned. "I thought he would just know."

The man threw his head back and laughed, the viney ropes of his hair swinging back and forth.

"What's so funny." He glared at him, somehow, he thought he'd become the butt of a cruel joke.

The man wiped laughter-induced tears from his eyes. "The king may be powerful, but he isn't omnipotent."

Edric flushed to realize his mistake, and instead asked another question to cover up. "Is he a kind man?"

The Thorn Dweller's eyebrows shot up toward his hairline. "What sort of question is that."

Edric looked away and rubbed his neck, "Will he treat Brenna kindly?"

The Thorn Dweller tilted his head to the side as he regarded him. "Don't you know? She turned the King down." He shook his head. "What a fool, she would have been Queen of the Thorns."

Without thinking Edric lunged forward and grabbed the man by the shoulders. "What did you say?"

The man gave him a slow smile. "She chose you."

Edric turned and ran down the hallway from where he had come, but it was beginning to fade. The forest was bleeding through.

"You better hurry, it's almost sunrise, " the Thorn Dweller shouted after him.

His heart hammering in his chest, he ran as fast as he could down the stairwell from which he had come, taking steps two by two. With his head down trying to go as fast as he could, he didn't see Brenna running up the stairs toward him. They collided in the center, each of them almost thrown backward, but Edric caught her around the waist and took the fall for the pair of them.

The pain in his back was nothing compared to seeing her face staring down at him. Before he could get out a word of apology, she kissed him fiercely. He put everything he had into that kiss all of his love and regret. They'd done one another wrong, but he couldn't live without her.

They broke apart panting. "I'm sorry," she started to say at the same time as him.

He kissed her again, heedless of the time running out. When he pulled back he said, "No, it was me who was a fool. I shouldn't have been so jealous."

"I should have known it was a trick all along."

He cupped his hand against her cheek and drank her in for a moment. She stared back into his eyes, until her gaze flickered upward toward the top of the stairs. "It's almost daybreak."

Edric gently pushed her off him before leaping upward. "We have to leave this place now before dawn's first break."

He tugged on her hand to follow him up the stairs but she pulled back. "But if I leave before daybreak, I'll lose you."

"The Thorn King told me I had to leave here before the sunrise."

They stood trapped in that limbo, they'd been deceived even in their last minutes. "I'll kill him."

Brenna laid her hand on his shoulder. "No don't you see, it's a riddle."

"We don't have time to solve riddles."

She smiled and somehow that made everything better. "I've already solved it. You must leave before sunrise. And I must leave after."

He kissed her again, and she looked at him with a surprised expression. "What was that for?" she asked.

"I never knew you were so clever."

She gave him a playful hit, before taking his hand and they ran up the stairs together. A golden line lined the tops of the trees, the sun was breaking over the treetops now.

Just as it was about to break, Edric let go of her hand and stepped over the threshold into the forest. As the first rays of sun illuminated the mouth of the tunnel, Brenna stepped out and into the forest, joining Edric. He picked her up into his arms and spun her around.

"We've done it," he cheered.

After spinning her around until she was dizzy, he set her back down again.

Edric cupped her face in his hands. "I've been a fool," he said.

She shook her head. "We both were, can you forgive me?" She rested her forehead against his. "We cannot run away."

He exhaled. "I know. But I'll fight for you, whatever I must do, I'll fight to keep you."

She laced her fingers with his. "And I you, my love, and I you."

***

Thank you for reading Fairy Ring. If you've enjoyed this short tale, you may also enjoy Heart of Thorns set in the same world as Fairy Ring. Continue on for an excerpt from Heart of Thorns.

No one seemed to notice the girl in the corner except Catherine. As the housekeeper, Mrs. Morgan, ushered Catherine into the breakfast room, the girl in all white lifted her head and peered at her with dark eyes, like a pair of bottomless pits. Auburn hair fell in tumbles over her shoulders. It did not completely conceal the bloody gash in her chest, or the stains that ran down the front of her gown.

Catherine's eyes darted to the housekeeper as she wrung her hands.  This is a sick joke, surely. The woman in white took a step closer and the butler walked through her without pausing. Catherine knew then that her symptoms had returned. She closed her eyes and counted to ten as the doctor had taught her. When she opened them, the woman in white was close enough that she could see the gaping hole where her heart should be.  Catherine's own heart rattled in her chest and she turned around to the banquet. She isn't there, she chanted over and over in her head. With trembling hands she reached for the lid covering a serving dish. An icy hand rested on her shoulder, and Catherine yelped and dropped the lid with a clatter.

"My lady, please let us serve you," Mr. Hobbs, the butler, said as he righted the overturned lid.

He hardly came up to Catherine's chin. Over the top of his head, the woman in white watched her with hooded black eyes. She tore her gaze away as the butler showed her to her seat at the far end of the table. As she walked, she focused on the bald spot on top of his crown. The woman in white hovered at her shoulder demanding attention Catherine was not willing to give. Eyes downcast, she took her seat.  The woman in white grasped at the hems of her sleeves, but her hands passed through Catherine and gave her a chill. You are not real. Go away!

Catherine stared down at her platter. She had been famished before but now her stomach was tied in knots. The servants, silent sentinels of the morning room, awaited her command.  She picked up the fork and prepared to make a show of eating when the woman in white leaned over the table, coming nose to nose with her.

"He is coming for you next, leave while you can," said the woman in white.

"Go away!" Catherine slammed her fist onto the table. She could ignore her no longer. Screwing her eyes shut, she took ragged shallow breaths.

"My lady, would you rather eat alone?" asked Mr. Hobbs.

Catherine covered her mouth. It never had been her intention to make a scene. They will think I am mad, and rightly so. The woman in white had disappeared. At least she had managed to overcome the delusion. But what if I start seeing things again? She must rid herself of such dangerous thoughts. The agitation only made her condition worse. If she was to avoid another fit, she had to stay calm.

"My lady?" Mr. Hobbs prompted once more with a hint of agitation in his voice.

In need of a new subject, she asked,  "Will Lord Thornton be coming down to breakfast?"

The butler raised a skeptical brow.  "The master never takes breakfast in the morning room."

Catherine blushed, feeling a fool for asking something the servant considered obvious. There was still much to learn about her husband, she realized.  Everything about her new life was different than her old one. She had seen hardly a hint of her husband since they arrived. Is this to be my life, alone in this giant home haunting the halls? She looked back to the place where she had spotted the woman in white. There was no hint she had been there, but the hairs on the back of Catherine's neck still stood on end. I am seeing things because I am fatigued. They are not coming back. They cannot be.

"The former Lady Thornton took her breakfast in bed," said Mrs. Morgan, the housekeeper.

Catherine sank down in her chair as the older woman surveyed her. There was something about the high-collared black gown and her severe expression that reminded Catherine of a governess that had terrified her as a child. "Oh," Catherine squeaked. She had made another mistake. "Then tomorrow I suppose I shall as well." It would be relief to be away of the scrutiny of the staff.

The housekeeper continued seemingly without noticing Catherine's reply. "His lordship sent me to tell you he will be busy tending to his affairs today and wishes that you be at your leisure."" Her lip curled as if the very idea of relaxation was repulsive to her. "He asked that I send you his love, and he says he will see you tonight at the dinner party."

The dinner party. She had been dreading this evening. Edward insisted on having some friends from the neighborhood over to make introductions. I only hope I do not embarrass him tonight. I have never been good in a group. She hated crowds. When her affliction was at its worst, being around others had brought out the worst of the symptoms. And to this day she still feared parties as a result, despite a lack of symptoms for some time. Until today that is.

"That would be pleasing," she lied, thinking that was the answer that was expected of her. What did a lady do with her day? She peered at her soft-boiled egg and toast, the yellow yolk bleeding across the blue pattern of the china. She had no stomach for them after all.

Catherine pushed back her chair, or attempted to, as a footman ran forward and scooted it back for her. Still unaccustomed to so many servants, she smiled at him in thanks. It was going to take time to get used to this lavish lifestyle. But the footman did not return the gesture. His expression was stony and his lips were pressed in a thin line.

"Thank you," she murmured as a flush burned her skin along her cheeks and neck. He nodded his head and stepped back in line with the other two footmen.

"If you are finished eating, my lady, why not take a walk in the gardens?" Mrs. Morgan said, her arms folded over her chest.

"I thought we might speak about the household management: what is expected of me?" When she lived with her mama and papa, she had helped with much of the day-to-day management of their small household.

The housekeeper looked taken aback. "Do not trouble yourself, my lady. I have always managed things here at Thornwood Abbey. If there is an important decision on décor or china, I shall consult you."

She thinks little of my intellect, I suspect.  Mrs. Morgan, presumably, had better things to do and headed to the door.

Pale gray light filtered in through the windows of the morning room. "Very well, I shall take a walk, then," Catherine said to her retreating back.

Mrs. Morgan stopped at the door leading out into the hall and said, "Be careful. The lawns can be slippery early in the morning. And there are bushes you could get tangled in. Take care to stick to the marked paths." She took a few steps, hesitated, then turned around and added, "And stay clear of the woods by the south end. They are wild, and there are no pathways."

"Thank you for your kind advice." Catherine made a note to stay clear of that area. She had never like wooded areas, thinking of those long creeping shadows and all manner of beasts terrified her.

After donning an outdoor coat and a pair of boots, provided and draped upon her shoulders by her Lady's maid, Miss Larson, Catherine headed out. She strolled along the well-maintained garden path. A lingering fog clung close to the ground, swirling about her ankles. The gravel path crunched beneath her boots. Gray dominated the scenery but for the green of the lawn and the shrubbery that fought the encroaching fog. Ash and oak trees loomed above everything, seemingly threatening the cultured spaces. The gardeners must be in a constant battle to keep these hedges from going wild. And from the natural flora from encroaching upon the flowerbeds, Catherine mused. Maybe I can speak with the head gardener. I would love to plant irises. Perhaps I can be of some assistance there, at least. She turned a corner, contemplating the notion, when the chatter of two women stopped her in her tracks.

"I cannot understand it, Miss White. Why would he marry such a girl?"

"I have not the slightest, Miss Brown. The way I heard it, he was rejected and to soothe his pride he went off in search of a wife. Next we heard, he's married some girl!"

Catherine knew she should retreat but she was glued to the spot: too curious for her own good. There was so much to learn about her husband. Before he asked her to marry, there had been another woman. Perhaps that's why he had rushed the wedding.

"Have you seen her yet?" Miss Brown whispered.

"Yes, a pale little thing, dark hair and huge eyes. Utterly average, really. I cannot imagine why a gentleman would settle for her."

"Maybe she has a bit of personality?" Miss Brown offered, though she sounded skeptical.

"Not that I have seen. She's silent as death, and when she speaks you should hear the airs she puts on, you would think she is Queen Victoria herself!"

Hearing this harsh assessment, she turned to leave. It was bad enough she had listened this long, but their next words held her in place.

"Maybe Lord Thornton is enchanted, growing up next to that forest. I have heard some awful tales."

"Don't be daft. Those are just stories mothers tell their children to keep them minding."

"I would like to see you going for a stroll during a Thorn Dwellers' Moon."

Miss White laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Let's take this washing in. It won't dry out here in this wet.""

The sounds of the gravel crunched beneath their feet as they retreated. How disgraceful, to eavesdrop on the housemaids! Tears pricked her eyes, and Catherine backtracked the way she came, hoping to avoid an uncomfortable run-in with the gossiping maids. If she had been a braver woman, or even a brasher one, she would have confronted the two of them. However, her cowardice sent her further from home than she planned on venturing.

She hurried along the path, her mind swirling with their criticisms. They were not incorrect in their assessments. She was the daughter of a gentleman of little standing who could hardly offer a dowry that would entice any man, and Edward was a lord of considerable income. He would have done better to marry someone whose dowry could have added to his own wealth. Men of his status married for gain, not for love. But he swore he loved her, and could not be without her. Being desperate as she was Catherine agreed, though she did not know her own feelings. What if she was meant to be a replacement for another woman?

The fog seemed to be growing rather than dissipating, and since she was not paying attention to where she was going, before too long she was lost. She looked up and the house loomed in the distance. It was a two-story manor, ivy clung to its sides, and turrets erupted through the fog like spears. In the swirling mist, one would think the house abandoned. Trees lined the path she had stumbled upon. Judging from the overgrown beds, she suspected few came this way. A bench beneath an oak tree promised a good spot to rest and recollect herself.

The sun struggled to break through the haze of the earlier rainfall and she shivered in her coat. The bench was practically ice as she sat down upon it. The cold seeped through her skirts, but she did not move, too afraid she would be seen tear-stained and sniveling.

A breeze prickled the hairs on the back of her neck. Catherine looked up as the fog shifted and exposed a copse of tangled dark trees. They lay thirty paces from where she sat beyond the line of oaks, and were swirled with mist. The branches seemed to reach out for one another, grasping and twisting until she could not decipher where one tree started and the other ended.

It struck her as odd to see such an untamed place among the manicured lawns and well-cared-for hedges and flowerbeds, well, except for these at her feet. It occurred to her: this must be the place of which Mrs. Morgan had spoken. A fine mess she had gotten into. Looking at these dark woods, she could see where the maids' superstitious fears came from. The trees were ominous.

A faint song drifted on the wind. Catherine lifted her head to listen, straining to catch the tune. The words were unearthly, the singer somewhere between man and woman, the voice high and fluting. It beckoned to her. She stood and edged towards the end of the gravel path where the manicured lawns sloped down towards and crashed against the wild forest. The song grew clearer; she could almost make out the words. If she just stepped a few feet closer she could hear it better.

"Be careful," an amused male voice said.

Catherine tensed and then twirled on the ball of her foot. A man with wavy dark hair tied into a knot at the base of his neck smirked at her. His white teeth flashed against his olive skin as his smile widened.  His smile was almost lewd, but that could have been her imagination. She ducked her head when she realized she had been staring.

"Haven't you heard the stories?" he asked.

The sensible thing to do would be to politely excuse herself, but her mouth moved without her consent. "What stories?"

"Those are the Thorn Dwellers' Woods. The locals say there are creatures who live in these woods, and at night they lure the unsuspecting in with their song before they take their heart."

She shivered and pulled her arms close to her. There was a reason she hated the untamed places; they were full of dark strange things. Her heart raced just thinking about it.

"What an awful tale," she said and hated the haughty contempt of her voice. He smiled again and she fidgeted. "I should be heading back. It was a pleasure speaking with you......" She realized he had not introduced himself, nor had she. She was not certain she wanted an introduction. A gentleman would never tell a lady such a ghastly story. It had been anything but a pleasure. Good manners, however, had been ingrained in her like breathing.

"The pleasure was mine, Lady Thornton," he said.

She turned to face him as if drawn in by the spell of his voice. She searched his face. He had full lips, high cheekbones, and eyes dancing with mirth. He was handsome. Even she could not deny that.

"Who are you?"  Even though she knew she should leave, Catherine lingered.

"My apologies, my lady.  My name is Ray." He bowed and extended his arms as he did so. His movements were as fluid as water and as elegant as a dancer. The hairs on the back of her neck were raised and everything fiber in being was telling her to run but she could not move. A small part of her, despite her fear, was intrigued. The staff had all been cold to her and he had been the first kind person she met.

"You have no surname?"

"It's Thorn. Ray Thorn." He smirked as if he were indulging in his own private amusement.

"I should be going back now."

"Be careful, my lady."

She hesitated. She may have been reading into his words, but that was the second time he had said that. Perhaps she was searching for a meaning where there was none. She decided not to ask. Sometimes things were better left without answers. But she took a few steps before changing her mind. When she turned around, the spot he had occupied was vacated as if he had disappeared into the mist.

Read more here.

Nicolette is a native San Diegan with a passion for the world of make believe. From a young age, Nicolette was telling stories whether it be writing plays for her friends to act out or making a series of children's books that her mother still likes drag out to embarrass her with in front of company. She still lives in her imagination but in reality she resides in San Diego with her husband, children, a couple cats, and an old dog. She loves reading, attempting arts and crafts, and cooking. Connect with her at:  Website, Facebook, Twitter.

Also by nicolette andrews

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Kitsune: A Little Mermaid Retelling

Thornwood

Heart of Thorns

Standalone

Fairy Ring