Chapter 3

It felt like we had walked for hours through the inky blackness of the tunnel. My makeshift slippers were beginning to fray and come loose. I did not think that I was going to be able to make it another step. I sat down on a large rock.

Brokk turned and saw me struggling to wind the scraps of fabric back around my feet. “Let me carry you the rest of the way. I promise that I will be more careful this time. We can get there a lot faster if I can run.”

I made a grimace as I thought about that. “Why do you seem to have all of these super powers, while I can barely walk in a straight line without falling on my face? I thought I was supposed to be some kind of fairy princess?”

He smiled and I swooned. He really did not smile nearly enough. “I do not have super powers really. I have been training for this position all of my life. You will master some of the same things with practice.”

He reached for me and scooped me up, cradling me in his arms. “Hold on tight.” He said with a laugh and took off running with blinding speed.

We ran through the darkness of the tunnel for some time. His grip on me never faltered. I kept my face buried in his chest to block my eyes from the wind. I drank in his manly scent and it set my head spinning. I could really get used to this, I thought.

“Look Callie.” He said as I felt him start to slow.

I lifted my head and looked out at an enormous city built within a large hollow beneath the earth. I could hardly believe my eyes. There were twinkling lights strung along the rocky streets. Every street was lined with elaborate buildings. Some of them appeared to be homes. They were mostly wooden one or two story structures. Each had been painted with dark shades of either blue, red, or green. Every one had a couple of quaint little windows and a door made of heavy yellow wood.

The businesses were made of both wood and brick. The wooden storefronts were also painted in bright colors. Over the top of each large glass door was an elaborate sign bearing the store’s name and what they offered. The merchants had all sorts of food and wares proudly displayed in large glass windows. It was just as I had always imagined that New York City might have looked two-hundred years ago.

I could hear children laughing and playing somewhere close by. I took a deep breath and drank in the delicious aroma of fresh brewed coffee and baked goods. Fairies drink coffee? Who knew?

We made our way down what appeared to be the main street through the city. People, fairy people I assumed, stepped out of their shops and homes to watch us as Brokk carried me passed them. He just nodded to them here and there as we went by. For the most part, I kept my face buried in his shirt. I did not want anyone to see me looking so rough. I was starting to feel a little embarrassed.

I glanced up to see Brokk looking at me. “We need to make a quick stop.” He said softly in his smooth sexy voice.

He turned down a small side street that was lined with little wooden homes and stopped in front of one that was painted sapphire blue. How fitting, I thought to myself as I stared up at his eyes. My new favorite color.

Brokk stood me up on my feet on front of the large yellow door. A small sign painted gold off to the right was inscribed with the name Lucerne and the number twenty-three in black lettering.

“Is this your house?” I asked, looking around. He smiled slightly and nodded in affirmation as he used a key to unlock the door. “Your name is Brokk Lucerne?”

“Yes, Callie Rose, that is my name.” He sounded amused, but he said nothing more as he pushed the door open and gestured for me to go in.

The inside of his home was warm and cozy, just like I would have imagined it to be. The small living room was neatly decorated with dark brown sofas and shiny black tables. There were a few books scattered on the coffee table and several framed photos hanging on the walls.

The photos were mostly done in black and white. They contained pictures of a happy looking family with two young children, a boy and a girl. “Is this you?” I asked, pointing to the young boy.

“Yes.” He grinned as he stared at the photo. “And that is you.” He pointed to the young girl in the picture. I flinched and looked from him back to the photo. The girl appeared to be about five or six years old. She was wearing a long flowered dress and her hair was done up in braided pigtails. The two children smiled happily at each other as they ran hand in hand and played in a field of wild flowers.

It really did look like me. I could not deny it. The boy in the picture looked familiar too. I was not sure if it was because I remembered him as a child or because he so closely resembled Brokk as a man.

“We looked so happy.” I murmured and then I turned to face him. “What were we doing that day?”

“My parents had taken us to the surface. They thought that we needed to experience as much of the human world as possible. They wanted us to experience the sunshine and the fresh air.” He smiled, mostly to himself I think.

“So we visited the surface regularly?” I asked.

“Pretty often.” He replied. “It was one of the advantages of being a royal at the time. Most of the Fae never get to see the sun anymore. They spend their whole lives down here. Only a select few get to go up there now. Mostly just merchants and occasionally a guard can go, if needed.”

It must have been really hard to spend so much time underground. I had only been there for a few days and I was already missing the sun. Not only that but also the flowers and the trees, and the feel of the breeze on a hot summer day. All of the things that people normally take for granted.

“Why did you have to stop? Why can’t anyone go up there now?” I asked.

“Well, once Lilith took control she made it a law. I am not really sure why, but if you are caught going without permission there are major consequences. Some have been jailed or even killed.”

“Killed?” I was shocked. “Why would she kill someone?”

“She did not want your parents alerted to what was going on here. If they were to return, she would lose her status. So she considered anyone caught trying to pass any information on to them to be a traitor.” He looked grave.

“Then why would she want me here?” If she did not want my parents to know what she was up to, you would think that the last thing that she would want was for me to be here.

Brokk stood in silence for a moment. “Her plan was to show the people that she is willing to work with you. She would still be in power but she would be willing to take you under her wing and prepare you for when you take the thrown.”

“This all seems a little crazy. Obviously, my parents are going to wonder where I am. They are going to come looking for me. I can’t possibly stay here. ” I started pacing the small room.

“Maybe, but I think that she was hoping that they would allow you to stay here if they knew that she was getting you ready to take control.” He said.

That seemed a little far-fetched to me too. I don’t know why but everything about this situation left me feeling uneasy. I had never even heard of these people or anything about being a queen or princess, or whatever. Now I was supposed to just give up my life and stay here, far away from everything that I knew and loved? I just did not think that I could do that.

“Brokk, even if you are right. Even if my parents think that is okay for me to be here, I don’t know if it is even something that I want.” I began. “I had a life. I was about to graduate. I was supposed to start college in the fall. I never even wanted to be a princess when I was a little girl. I wanted to ride horses and roll around in the dirt. This just isn’t for me.”

He moved toward me then and held me in place by my left bicep as he looked me in my eyes. “Callie, Petrona was always meant to be yours. You were born here, your parents were born here. There is not another place on this earth that is more for you than right here.”

The tension in my body grew to a palpable level, and not because of all of the talk about queens and kingdoms. Brokk’s eyes bore into me with such intensity that I felt myself drifting towards him without any effort at all. I stopped thinking about cities and tunnels. I became solely focused on the way that his mouth moved when he talked and I completely lost myself in his eyes. I couldn’t even speak.

“Callie?” His faced changed to something close to worry.

I snapped myself out of it. “Sorry.” I said as I felt my blood rush to my cheeks in an instant and embarrassing blush. I must have really zoned out for him to react like that. “Maybe I better sit down for a little while.” I had to do something to distract myself from wanting to pounce on him every time that he looked at me.

Brokk directed me over to one of the couches. It was plush and comfortable. I sank down into it and started to relax. He went into one of the rooms toward the back of the house while I waited.

When he emerged, he was carrying a small cardboard box. He sat down on the couch a few feet away, but he propped his back against the armrest so that he was facing me. He stared down at the box for a few minutes, he seemed hesitant to open it. When he finally did, he held out a ring to me.

The ring was gorgeous. The center stone was a large square sapphire that perfectly matched the color of his eyes. I was not sure which sparkled more, the stone or Brokk’s eyes as he held it out to me. The sapphire was surrounded by several tiny diamonds and even more ran around the platinum band.

“Brokk?” I was speechless once again.

“Callie, I know that you have only known me for a short time but you and I were meant to be together. Not just because our families arranged for us to be married, but because we are so strongly linked to each other. You must feel it. I know that I do.” He said.

I just sat there looking at him. The truth was, I did feel it. It was hard to explain, but I was drawn to him. Even under the most dire circumstances, I could not fight it.

When I did not speak right away, he continued. “This ring belonged to my mother. She had always hoped that you and I would be together once you returned. She gave this to me just before she passed away. She always wanted you to have it.”

He took my hand in his and slid the ring onto my finger. “I know that it is too soon for us to make any real promises to each other, but it would really mean a lot to me if you would wear it. It was always meant to be yours, and so was I.”

I did not know if I was going to laugh or cry but I suddenly felt tears spring up in my eyes. “Brokk, I don’t even know what to say. It is so beautiful.”

“You do not have to say anything. I just wanted you to have it.” He said nervously.

“Thank you.” I flung my arms around his neck. “I will never take it off.” I said softly into his ear.

He pulled me even closer so that he held me in his lap and wrapped his arms tightly around me, burying his face in my hair. He held me as if he never wanted to let me go.

We stayed curled up together in his couch for what seemed like hours. Neither of us really spoke, we just savored the feeling of being so close to someone.

Our moment was interrupted by a sharp knock at the door. Brokk rose to answer it. I could hear him speaking sharply to someone outside. When he was through, he returned to the living room looking very grim.

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

“The queen has sent her guards to see if we have returned. She is expecting you at the palace shortly.” He frowned.

I nodded. “Okay, I think that I am as ready as I will ever be.”

He took me by the hand and pulled me to my feet. He stopped just before opening the door and hugged me tightly for a few more moments. Then we stepped out onto the darkened street.