Guardian by Sam Cheever Page B

falls. He stamped a foot, reared up dramatically, and called out before taking off again toward them.
    “Oh shit!” I screamed as I went into the death grip again. Please don’t let him go back through the falls! I prayed silently.
    But he simply returned to the spot beside Ian and his mount where he should have been all along.
    I glared down at the stupid animal, pushing wet tangles out of my eyes and blowing water off my lips.
    Ian’s grin couldn’t be repressed this time. “Is it raining, Monad?”
    I had been tugging my clothing away from my body, wringing the loose bits to extract as much water as possible, but his words brought my head up. My mouth was open, ready to deliver a scathing response, when I caught sight of him and the Elvin queen.
    Dry.
    Water-free and perfectly coiffed.
    “Son of a demon!”
    Faerydae’s mouth curled up and her eyes sparkled. “We’ve played you a dirty trick I’m afraid, Monad, the falls are magicked for those we aid. We neglected to engage the magic when you went barreling through. I fear your abrupt departure discombobulated us.”
    Around us, soft chuckling ensued at my expense.
    I glared at her, wondering if “we” were using the royal plural, or if the other elves were capable of this magick.
    “Shall we continue?”
    The horses started walking again and I slumped in the uncomfortable saddle, dripping and fuming. I shook my head occasionally so that water droplets sprayed Ian, just to be mean.
    Finally I got bored with pouting and started taking in my surroundings. I’d heard the expression ‘faeryland’ all my life. But I had never really understood the meaning of the word.
    It all became clear to me in that place.
    Moving toward Faerydae’s castle at that moment, it suddenly clicked. This was faeryland. This was what the ancient human faerytales were based on. This was a magical land.
    In the distance, built upon a small mountain, Faerydae’s castle rose above us, with pristine white towers that climbed to the sky and sparkled in the sun. Pink domed turrets graced the long walls of the castle at regular intervals, a faery flag undulating from the top of each one. The walls were dissected by regular rows of large windows and every third window had a balcony beneath it, which overflowed with vibrant flowers. The castle rose above a perfect lake, and was surrounded by an enormous green park.
    It was a beautiful thing. A magic place. It could easily have been created by an artist, pulled from a hopeful place in his fertile mind.
    As we rode forward, and I began to dry and warm in a welcoming sun, it became harder to stay cranky. Against my will, I soon found my good spirits returning.
    We climbed the winding road toward the castle in narrow bands. I’d gotten pushed behind Ian and Faerydae due to the narrowness of the road so I watched them carefully as we rode. Though the Elvin queen’s greeting of Ian had been hostile at best, her body language as they conversed was anything but.
    She leaned toward him as he spoke to her, nodding and smiling easily. I’d even seen her reach across the space between their horses once or twice to touch his forearm. They were a decidedly handsome couple and I wondered suddenly about the nature of their relationship.
    As we rounded the last curve and the castle exploded into view before us, it was all I could do not to gasp. Where it had seemed a beautiful and magical place from a distance, it was even more impressive close up.
    The castle was enormous, spreading across the mountain on either side almost as far as the eye could see. It was a beehive of activity. Servants and Elvin folk alike strolled the grassy walkways and skimmed across the pristine surface of the lake on Elvin boats. Riders on horseback walked and trotted the grounds and filled the streets of the city nestled in the shadow of Faerydae’s castle.
    We continued climbing until we reached the castle. There, in a wide, pink bricked courtyard beyond the gates to the