Revenland

V

We decided it was best to stop and make camp, since Finnegan said the forest wasn't safe to travel by night. Peter and I gathered wood as Finnegan, with a snap of his fingers, was able to make a flame magically spring forth and lick the wood in a burning hunger. Peter and I marveled at his magic, and although Finnegan usually wore a disinterested expression, I swore I saw a beginning of a smile.

Peter came out from the woods once again carrying many stacks of large twigs and branches.

"That should get us through the night." Peter said as he the wood dropped to the ground bodily.

He stood their watching the fire happily while bouncing on the balls of his feet like he had too much energy than he could contain.

"You look awfully energetic." I couldn't help the yawn that escaped my lips.

"It's weird, I feel more." He paused and sat down beside me. "More alive."

"It's Revenland." Finnegan finally spoke, occupied with counting his gold.

"What?" Peter and I asked.

Finnegan looked up, appearing annoyed.

"That's what the Faery realm is called." He said matter-of-factly. "This realm affects humans differently. It literally stops time for them and enhances certain things such as health and agility. That's one of the main reason we try to keep humans out. If they stay, they could practically live forever."

Peter's brow furrowed in thought, but I just shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't feel any different." I murmured.

"I said it effects only humans."

I met Finnegan's eyes, the way they tried to assess me made me uneasy.

I quickly made my way over to him until I was sitting next to his pot, meeting his gaze.

"What do you mean?" I asked and thought back to what he had said earlier. "How did you know my mother died?"

Finnegan's eyes swam with curiosity.

"You're a Banshee." He said, as if that answered everything.

"What is that suppose to be." Peter silently asked from behind.

I had almost forgotten about him.

"It's a spirit of a woman who died young. She usually senses death and is an omen of death to whomever sees her in their path."

I vaguely remembered Nan mention such a spirit, but I was so young at that time that I hid under my covers and stopped my ears. I was afraid I would see her once my Nan left my room. I was afraid that she was following me wherever I went.

I suppose my fear of death was because of my mother.

"I'm alive though, I can't be a Banshee."

"You have an aura of death around you child, it's unmistakable." Finnegan said gravely. "I suppose you inherited it when you took your mother's life at birth. You were practically born through death."

—

Finnegan's strange words seemed to echo inside my head as I gazed at the stars. My thoughts seemed to shift between my mom to Fiona and I closed my eyes, feeling completely overwhelmed.

My sister was kidnapped by a Faery and I was an omen of impending death.

Yay!

I sighed deeply and heard Peter quietly lie down beside me. I peered over at him only to see him staring at the stars.

"I can hear your head spinning from all the way over by the fire." He said with a small smile before he looked at me with a serious expression. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, but I bit my lip hard so that the tears wouldn't spill.

He took my hand and it felt warm and welcoming against my palm.

It was strange to say but I could feel the life surging in his veins, it's energy strangely humming.

"Just think of a happy thought."

A smile tugs at my lips. "That only works on children."

He had used it on Fiona once when she had scraped her knee. He was trying to clean her cut, but it would burn and would cause Fiona to cry. Peter then leaned in close and told her to think of a happy thought to distract from the pain. Although she still winced while he was working, she wore a small smile as she talked about Nan baking her favorite cookies and reading our favorite stories.

"Oh that's not true." Peter said with a smirk. "Nothing beats negativity like good old positivity."

"Sounds like a good way to ignore your problems." I joked.

"Sometimes the only thing to do is to ignore your problems.." His voice quieter than usual.

"Fine." I said scrunching up my face as if thinking hard. "There are you happy?"

Peter wagged his finger disapprovingly. "Nope. Say it out loud."

I rolled my eyes in protest, but I was secretly thankful for his caring insistence.

No matter how annoying.

"We're going to find Fiona." The smile grew on Peter's face and I couldn't help but smile back. "And we're going to make it home to Nan and live out long lives without any faeries interfering."

Peter frowned slightly and dropped his gaze.

I studied him curiously and squeezed his hand gently. He looked back up at me and smiled, but it was different this time.

It didn't reach his eyes.