Chapter 24: When the west wind moves....

Rayne wanted to pace but he couldn’t move unless the fey bitch said he could. So instead he was stuck sitting on a plush chair facing a marble fireplace ...he could do nothing but stare at the fire as it burned. He had no idea how long he had been there...or even when he became aware of his surroundings. It was like he had blinked from the time he had been in Doucette’s Woods to where he was now...for all he knew it was.
At least he had no sound of a clock ticking away. That would have driven him insane... Instead he sat in silence as he tried to surmise his surroundings; anything to help him figure out a means of escape. He was indoors; the house or at least the room in which he was being held was on the large end of the scale. Everything he could see was upper class, a velvet chair with silk trimmings.... the rose marble veined with gold....crystal vases filled with roses...the scent of apple wood as it burned.
There was a slight whisper of air as a door was opened from behind him. “And how are we doing?” asked the fey woman as she came into his line of vision.
She had changed he noticed. Gone was the simple grey gown and in its place was a deep royal blue hue that made her amethyst coloured eyes stand out. She gave a slight frown and then clapped her hands in delight “I have forgotten! You cannot do anything without my permission!”
Rayne glared up at her as she patted him on the head and then wiped her hand off on a linen handkerchief. “Since I have your attention though I think it is time I explained why I have brought you here instead of disposing of you like I did your parents. Though it is a pity that we have no time for games; I have no doubt that you would prove to be amusing...” she let out a disappointed sigh before continuing “Are you comfortable? Good.” She sat across from him in another velvet chair and smoothed her dress out as she spoke.
“It is quite simple you see; I want to kill my step-son. The little bastard has wormed his way into my husband’s affections and as a result my two sons and the legitimate heirs to the crown have been all but forgotten...That is not satisfactory, not at all. From what I have been told your sister has been the object of Lorcan’s desires and he seems quite attached to her. It was her that I had originally wanted to capture but I have settled for you in her stead.” She leaned back and studied him as she rested her chin upon her clasped hands.
“In fact; now that I think on it, this may work to better my advantage. When she persuades Lorcan to help rescue you, I will be able to kill all of you at one time! Then there will be nothing in my way when I unleash my kin from their prison! No longer will we hide ourselves from the filth of humanity!” Her eyes became lit with the fevered light of insanity and if he could have Rayne would have shuddered. She got to her feet and stuck her nose an inch from his; “Your kind will be wiped out and we will rule once more!”
Suddenly she tilted her head to the side and then said “Come in”. The change was instant; gone was the raving lunatic and in its place was the cold calculating fey Rayne despised.
There was another whoosh of air and a soft spoken voice requesting the Queens presence in the great hall. With a wave of her hand she dismissed the servant and turned her attention back to Rayne. “Well that was a pleasant little chat! No need to get up; you just stay right where you are until Cayden comes for you. Then you can do what he tells you.”
As she started to exit she paused and stared at him as if trying to decide whether to say something else ...Rayne stared back at those cold eyes and let every ounce of hatred he had for her show in his. She laughed at him and left.
* * *
The house was shaking. The whispers had turned into screams and Wynter was beyond pissed. Ignoring Shannon’s pleas she flung open the bathroom door and fought her way back down the stairs. Her kitten streaked past her and hid under the sofa while winds and unseen hands flung objects about the entire house.
Wynter wanted to scream and shout at them but she bit her tongue instead. Screaming would do her no good. She needed to do something else to get their attention...As she was thinking on just how to do that, the front door swung open and all went silent.
Pushing her hair off of her face she peered around suspiciously. The faint sound of Shannon’s crying was the only other sign of life within the house. Squaring her shoulders she went out onto the bridge. She was greeted by a bloody sunrise that stained every surface with its rosy radiance.
It was in this momentary reprise from the horror of the dark night that something drew her attention downwards to the swing where there sat a letter, propped against the back of the seat. It appeared to be glowing as the sun’s rays shone through it....
Scrawled in a very feminine hand it looked like it had come out of the Victorian era. Picking it up; she read it over twice. Putting it back where she had found it she made her way around the back of the property and into the woods.
Like the house, the forest was quiet. Not even a wind dared to rustle the leaves above her. A weight like a great stone sat in her stomach. She knew what she was doing was fool hardy; suicidal even but an invitation from the fey Queen was not one you could turn down...So she continued to go deeper, her head held high and her senses in overdrive.
The sun had shifted and little streams of its rays broke through the branches to create tiny spotlights on ferns and the decaying leaves that formed the forest floor. The air stirred and she felt something following her; she didn’t dare look back.
Something else caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. There amongst the birches to her right was the transparent form of Sarah Companion and behind her were several others including Mrs. Furlong...all of them were dressed in red. Turning her head to the left she saw another group and gasped. In the lead was Mark.
Suddenly chilled to the bone Wynter wanted to turn around and run back to the house. Pride wouldn’t let her of course, nor her need to save her brother and finish this once and for all. The silent parade marched onwards with her as the forerunner.
Death candles floated everywhere within the green darkness. So many that the sheer numbers of them turned Wynter’s stomach as she wondered how they could have been remained hidden for so long...Why no one had stumbled upon a body over the years...
A chorus of giggles had her jerking her head around searching for the source. “Come out and face me!” she demanded as her hands clenched into fists; but nothing came forth. “I’m not afraid! Do you hear me? I’m not afraid of you!”
“Liar” accused a harsh voice.
“We can smell your fear” exclaimed a trio in Wynter’s ear.
Wynter was speechless; never before had she felt so close to understanding the meaning of evil. She was surrounded by it. And she was all alone.....

* * *
It was when he felt the West wind move that Tanner realized that he was headed in the wrong direction. He came to a halt and called out to Rathnait for an explanation.
The little fey circled back to him and landed on a pine bough that was eye level with him. Annoyance flickered across its homely face as she spoke “We have no time for romantic notions! I am to take you to your mother without delay!”
“My mother is in hiding! I haven’t seen her in seven years! Why would she want to see me now?” he demanded.
“You will have to ask her that question yourself; as I don’t know why. I was merely sent to fetch you, so that is what I am doing....Or at least that it is what I am trying to do. Will you not come then?”
Tanner stood there unsure of what he should do.
“You can’t get to her now-you know that” stated Rathnait in a matter fact tone.
Tanner cast one look over his shoulder and then started walking forward again.
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