She nodded. “Of course,” she said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Your whole blood line, your mother’s daughters, are all the heirs to the High Warlock. If they find out that you are not the only one, they will send people to hunt down all three of you. Worse, they could start using you against each other.”
Oh, god... no.
“Speaking of which,” I said, swallowing hard. “Any news from Tavlor about his mission? Where has he gotten to now?”
Abigail looked at me for a long time. I hoped I wasn’t blushing and giving my feelings away.
Finally, she nodded. “I have heard from him,” she said. “He is searching the human world at the moment, pretending to be looking for you. But I think he will be here soon. He wants to see you in person.”
My cheeks heated like a summer sun and I looked away, not sure how to handle the sudden intense amount of embarrassment flooding through me.
“Oh... well...”
What could I say? I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Did he want to see me because he missed me or because he wanted to kill me?
I had to hope, and assume, that Abigail wouldn’t lead him to me if he wished me harm.
Abigail chuckled and touched my hand to get my attention. “The Mage Horlow is ready for you. He has been wanting to teach you some protection spells for the fights he believes you will soon be in.”
Had he had a vision? I needed to speak to him. “Thanks. Where is he?”
“In the main eating area.” She gestured behind her, towards the door and the woods. “He is getting some lunch if you are hungry?”
On cue my stomach rumbled. I loved food, but what was produced here was better than that. I wasn’t sure what to call it, but food felt like an understatement.
“That sounds like a great idea, thanks.” I hadn’t realized how much time had passed since I’d sat down to write a letter to my sisters after breakfast. Time was different here, though that wasn’t exactly a bad thing. I stood to follow her. “How are you doing?”
Abigail was one of the few people I actually considered a friend. Even though she was the one to administer the test, she was always careful about revealing too much of my power in front of the Council. She had protected me then and she was protecting me know. We chatted as we left the small abode where I was being kept and stepped out into the rich forestry that surrounded us.
The sun was high but it wasn’t blinding, and the air was cool and refreshing. I took a deep breath and filled my lungs with crisp, clean air. It almost reminded me of the place my mother had carved out for all of us to live in, completely isolated from people and pollution. It was lonely at times but I missed it, looking back now.
The Fae lived within several large kingdoms, all structured like massive towns, with lots of security and little crime. I felt safe almost immediately upon arriving here, even though I was worried I would be found out. I wasn’t sure if the Fae were okay with hiding me here or if they would turn me over if the Council demanded it. But I felt like I could live here and no one would look my way.
The whole community functioned on the premise of helping one another, sharing their food, their jobs, the raising of the children.
Humans and warlocks alike could learn a lot from these ancient people.
The main eating area was twice the size of my cottage and already filled with people. There were spots to eat outside, and the Fae who lived here were sitting and talking quietly amongst themselves.
Abigail and I stepped into one of the large eating halls, where tables were laid out with huge banquets of food. More Fae sat around talking and eating. They didn’t even look at me, which was a good thing. I didn’t feel like I was out of place. I could blend in and not get any unwanted attention.
My stomach tightened and my mouth began to water as the scent of the food wafted towards me.
I licked my lips.
“I’m still getting used to the richness of the food here,” I admitted.
Abigail chuckled. “Did your mother cook... badly?”
I laughed. “Well, she never really cooked, we had servants...”
Now that I thought about it, her magic created and controlled all of the servants so did that mean that my mother technically had cooked for us?
I shook myself, not wanting to focus on the past, nor the questions my mother’s untimely death had left me with. I could still feel the locket against my skin and I was glad it remained silent, even now.
I cleared my throat and got in line. “Either way, I love the food here. It’s just different to what I’ve eaten my whole life.”
Abigail handed me a faded orange tray from the banquet table before grabbing one for herself.