Behind |First book in The Risen Saga|

Chapter Six|Emma - A Ringed Stump

The air was moist, thick. I could feel it like a thick fog pressing against my skin. It'd been a while since I'd been in this forest, since I'd been dead. It was like a swamp now, years upon years of rain had soaked into the ground. It was nothing like the kingdom of vibrant green that I remembered. What a shame that I'd missed so much. 

But no matter the difference in the ground or the color of the leaves, it was still the same place. It didn't matter that the trees had overgrown and begun to sulk because my feet knew where I was going. 

We'd come here so often.

The thickness of the branches above me began to lessen, allowing the sun to cut through as I neared what looked like a doorway. With the fey, it was common for them to make the tiniest thing their own. Even just the arch in a tree branch would be made an entrance. I used to think it was fascinating—that the whole species was. 

The ground became more solid as I walked into a clearing, the muscles in my legs tense as I scanned my surroundings. Short, green grass blanketed the dirt, the only thing other than the gigantic tree in the clearing. 

The grass looked too bright, too healthy. Almost fake. 

Carved into the roots of the tree was a door, symbols circling it. They were meant to ward off humans and animals, anything that might harm the tree unintentionally. Fortunately, it didn't affect me. 

As I neared, my finger slid across my belt, putting the smallest amount of pressure on the small golden coin embedded in it. Immediately as the coin popped out, it grew, the sun reflecting off the golden metal. My whip felt warm in my hand, coiling and snapping against the ground of its own accord. 

I knelt beside the roots, my fingers running along the wood, the outline seeping through my skin. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't think of anything that would explain my skin transparency or the black substance I'd been able to control. After years of "training", it still did me no good in the end. 

A flash of movement tore my attention away from my hand but before I could react, I was thrown to the ground, my back arching painfully as it landed on a raised root, a throbbing in my head accompanying the loss of air in my lungs. My whip tumbled out of my hand, a few feet away, but my eyes darkened as I forced my body to move. 

I rolled to my feet—just like he taught me—and shook my head, shooing away the black fog. 

Standing before me was a woman, her shimmering red hair cascading over her blue skin, several necklaces dripping diamonds from her throat, and her yellow-green eyes glaring. In her hand and pointed menacingly at me was a dagger. My whip was motionless on the ground behind her, leaving me defenseless.  

"How dare you tread on sacred land!?" she snapped, her teeth sharp as she dripped acid in the form of words from her mouth. 

I lifted my hands in submission. "I seek assistance," I simply answered, dipping my head slightly. "I need a faerie potion and I know that the Queen and I had a mutual friend a long time ago."

The faerie rose her eyebrow, a smile spreading across her lips. "You seek assistance from the Queen!?" She cackled, throwing her head back, her sharp teeth seeming to shine. 

"Yes," I said. I knew it was best not to give the fey a chance to twist my words or play games. A straight answer was the best option. 

"And you think you are worthy? A child like you? A human child, no less," she asked, letting her head fall to the side, but her dagger never wavered. 

I felt my legs move before I thought about the action. I moved quickly and with fluid motions like the air was thinner and gravity didn't affect me. My knee connected with the woman's stomach, causing her to keel over and giving me an opening to lunge for my whip. As I wrapped my hands around the handle, I spun around as quickly as possible, raising my chin and flicking my whip.