Beneath the Earth Read online

  “It’s settled then.” Malan announced. “Flint, Rónán and Cam will head for the sea and the Great Orca, while Macey and Jared head beneath the earth to check everything is running smoothly. And all in time for a spot of tea.”

  Macey gaped at the prophet. How was he even going to drink it? It baffled her every time he mentioned food and drink. He seemed to be so obsessed with it, yet there was no way for him to even ingest it.

  “You don’t want to know,” Cam whispered in her ear.

  “What?” she returned.

  “How he eats and drinks. You don’t want to know.”

  She nodded once, accepting his words as true.

  “So what’s the plan?” she asked her men, ignoring the floating prophet. “I mean, we need one of you who can travel the Staran to take us to earth, right?” She looked between Flint and Cam, wondering which of them would respond to her first.

  Jared laughed heartily. “Oh little kelpie, we don’t need the Staran to get where we’re going.”

  “We don’t?”

  “Not at all.”

  Seven

  After a hug with Flint, Cam and Rónán – all of them took a long time to let her go – Jared led her outside, into what could be described as the prophet’s front garden. She grinned when she saw the bench once again. Malan was so strange that it was almost endearing.

  “Why are you smiling?” Jared enquired.

  Macey shrugged. “Just… Malan.”

  He winked. “Yes, he’s rather special. He can be terrifying though if you’re not on his side. He’s fought in wars before, and yes, I know how weird that is. His powers are legendary, even considering his lack of a body. I guess it makes him less easy to hit in battle.”

  He walked a few more steps away from the house and kneeled on the misty ground. Macey couldn’t even spot what they were walking on, but she assumed it was Earth, judging from the way Jared’s eyes began to glow in magical delight. He didn’t have the chance to use his magic often, less so than the other guys. His powers were too volatile, too damaging.

  When nothing happened after half a minute of him kneeling on the ground, his hands touching the earth, Macey asked, “What are you doing exactly?”

  “Shhhh.”

  She grimaced and continued to wait. Jared didn’t move, not even averting his gaze from the ground. Was there something he could see and she couldn’t?

  After three minutes or so, the question of what they were waiting for threatened to burst from her lips. Last time she’d seen him use his magic, he’d lowered them into the earth back on St Kilda, it had been quick, not like this.

  It was boring.

  The others had probably reached the ocean already. Why couldn’t Macey and Jared travel on the Staran? It was so much easier, especially now that the pathways had been healed.

  “I can sense your impatience,” Jared muttered. “Relax. I’m almost there.”

  “Almost where?”

  “You’ll see,” he murmured and went back to staring at the mist beneath them.

  Macey looked back at the prophet’s house. Was Malan looking at them through the windows? She bet he was. They had to look completely incompetent from a distance.

  Suddenly, the ground shook and Macey whipped around to look at Jared – who was now sunk halfway into the earth, only his torso looking out.

  “What. The. Waves?” She clutched at his arms, pulling at them, trying to get Jared out of his predicament, but she stopped when he began to laugh loudly.

  “Stop, that hurts,” he joked. “This is what’s supposed to happen. We’re going to travel through the earth, that way we’ll know if something is wrong straight away.”

  “Wait. We’re travelling through the earth? How are we going to breathe?”

  “I’ve made us a tunnel. I hope you’re not claustrophobic.”

  “Wait,” she repeated. “How is a tunnel from this place going to connect us to Earth? That’s impossible!”

  He grinned widely. “Nothing is impossible. But you’re right, it’s not a physical tunnel as such. It’s metaphysical, an abstract concept that is turning into reality by my magic holding it in place.”

  “What?”

  “It would take too long to explain. Just trust me that this will get us back to Earth. If I’ve calculated correctly, we might even be able to get some real Belgian waffles at the end of our journey.”

  Macey stared at him, not quite sure about the whole thing. Were they really going to travel through the earth? That was so impossible that she was beginning to think he was playing with her. Only one way to find out.

  “Let’s go,” she said far more confidently than she felt. “What do I do?”

  “I’m going to lower myself further down and then you’ll climb into the tunnel. I’ll keep hold of your feet so you’ll know you’re still with me. Don’t worry, I won’t let you become lost.”

  “How long is it going to take?”

  “Maybe an hour, maybe longer. I don’t usually take other people with me when I travel this way, so I’m going to need to use more magic.”

  Macey put her hands on her hips and glared at him, just to make sure he got how unhappy she was with this mode of travel. “Promise me I won’t suffocate?”

  He chuckled. “I promise. You’ll be safe as mud.”

  She wrinkled her brow. “Is that an Earth mage saying?”

  “Nope, just a Jared expression. Besides, if you suffocate, I’ll just have to give you the kiss of life. Now, are you ready?”

  Macey took a deep breath and approached her incubus. “I guess I am.”

  “Good. Once I’m lower down, just sit on the side of the hole and I’ll pull you down.”

  “Do you know how creepy this is? It’s usually in horror films that people get dragged into the ground.”

  “I’ll keep you safe.” His eyes met hers and she was struck by the warmth and confidence in his gaze. Yes, he really was going to keep her safe.

  Slowly, he sank into the earth as if pulled by an unseen rope. She gasped when his head disappeared, but then hurried to sit on the side of the hole like he’d instructed. She gasped again when he wrapped his hands around her ankles, even though she’d expected it. This had to be the weirdest thing she’d ever done.

  Macey took a deep breath, just in time because a moment later, Jared pulled on her legs and she slid off the ledge and into the dark, deep tunnel he’d created.

  She closed her eyes to prevent any earth from getting into them, and tried to breathe as shallow as possible. The air in the tunnel smelled funny but not unpleasant. It reminded her of nutmeg and paprika powder.

  There was a strange kind of buffer between her and the tunnel walls, like an air cushion, preventing her skin from chafing and her clothes from getting dirty. She had a newfound respect for Jared’s powers. This was incredible. Magical.

  After a few minutes, when she was sure that no earth was going to hit her face, she dared to open her eyes – and grinned when she didn’t see anything but darkness. She should have known that. At least it was more comfortable to keep her eyes open.

  Time passed slowly. She tried calling out to Jared, but it seemed that they couldn’t hear each other. It was completely silent in the tunnel; the only sound was her breath. The barrier surrounding her seemed to muffle all sounds, especially that of them rushing through the earth.

  The darkness made her tired and she let her mind drift off into daydreams of her other men, on their way to fight the Orca. Strange how she counted all three of them as her men, even Rónán. He fit so well into their dynamic that she had trouble imagining that he’d only just joined them. She was so lucky to have such amazing guys.

  She smiled. She really was one lucky kelpie.

  “Remind me why we’ve never used this before?” she asked once they’d made the excruciatingly long journey.

  “It wasn’t working before.”

  “Right…and it’s safe now because…”

  Jared didn’t respond im
mediately. Instead, he paced around where they’d landed.

  Damn. She should have gone to the sea. At least there she’d know what she was up against. Water was her element after all. She could deal with it in her sleep. Past drowning experience notwithstanding.

  “I didn’t have the energy before,” he admitted. “But being with you has recharged me enough.”

  “Reassuring,” she muttered.

  Jared chuckled and turned to her. Leaning down, he pressed his lips against hers and kissed her gently. Their lips moved in tandem, a warmth spreading through her body at the touch. Maybe whatever had caused the scales really had made it so she needed to devour men now. .

  “Stop thinking about it, we got here safely,” Jared mumbled against her lips, his hot breath fanning against them and setting every nerve on fire.

  “I can’t,” she replied as she stepped back and broke their kiss. “Something’s changed, Jared.”

  He frowned at her. “And you think you’re turning into an incubus?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “Wouldn’t it be like a succubus?” she prompted, genuinely curious.

  “Technically not, we’re different in a couple of ways.” He shrugged as if it wasn’t all that important.

  “Alright then.” She paused, trying to compose the thoughts in her head so she could actually express them. “I don’t think I’m turning into an incubus. But there does seem to be some kind of hunger I didn’t have before.”

  “A sexual one?”

  “I’m not sure.” She grimaced, not at all happy with the vagueness of her own words. “I don’t think so. But I’m also not sure what it is.”

  “Could it be magic?”

  “What?” she snapped.

  “A hunger for magic and power,” he clarified.

  “I…” She glanced away from him, unable to stand the empathy in his dark eyes.

  “We’ll figure it out, Macey.” He stepped forwards and cupped her face in one of his hands, lifting her chin slightly so their eyes met. “We love you. All of us. We’ll figure out what’s going on inside you and we’ll do our best to make it right.”

  “I love you too. All of you.” And she loved how he’d included the others, even if they weren’t actually there with them anymore.

  “Exactly. Now, let’s get going and we can sort out inner-Macey later.”

  “Inner-Macey?” She snorted without meaning to. “Are you seriously going to call it that?”

  “It’s what makes the most sense.” Jared shrugged. “Now, after you.” He waved towards the path they’d landed next to.

  “No way. We go together, or I’m staying here.”

  “You were the one who insisted on coming with me,” Jared pointed out, a smug note in his voice.

  “Stop being right,” she muttered.

  Jared held out his hand and she took it, enjoying the warm feel of his skin against hers. In all the daydreams she’d had while living in the Loch, this hadn’t been one of them. None of this had. And while the bad things weren’t exactly great, the good that came with it was definitely worth it.

  “You do know where we’re going, right?” she asked him.

  “Of course.”

  “Care to enlighten me?” she prompted after he chose to ignore her for a moment.

  “How familiar are you with Belgian geography?” Jared sounded amused and she was tempted to stop walking and cross her arms to get him to pay proper attention to her.

  “Not at all. Are you trying to tell me…”

  “That we’re in Belgium? Yes.”

  “But why?”

  “I have some friends here.”

  “Other incubi?” she asked after a pause.

  “No. I don’t really know any other incubi.”

  “Then how do you know how to use your powers?” She frowned, trying to imagine how she’d have managed as a youngling without older kelpies to teach her what to do. Basically, she wouldn’t have gotten anywhere.

  “Trial and error.” Jared shrugged as he carried on walking. “For my incubi powers anyway. The people we’re going to see now are who taught me how to work with earth.”

  “People?”

  “You’re full of questions today,” Jared teased.

  “I wonder why,” she muttered.

  “We’re going to see the kabouter.”

  “Bless you?” Macey frowned in confusion.

  Jared laughed. “No, ca-bow-ter,” he said slowly. “Gnomes,” he added when he noticed her confused face.

  “Then why didn’t you just say that?”

  “Do you like being called a mythical water horse?”

  Macey pouted but conceded the point. She just wanted to kick something whenever anyone used that to describe her.

  “And the kabouter taught you how to control the earth?”

  “Yes. I seemed to attract them the moment my powers manifested. They’re big fans of mudslides.”

  “That’s how your powers manifested?” Her lips pulled up at the side as she tried and failed to smother a laugh.

  “And how did yours manifest?” he asked, attempting to sound stern. The laughter was bubbling up in him too though. She could sense it.

  “I was born a kelpie,” she replied. “We know what we are the moment we’re born.”

  “And your water powers?” he prompted.

  Macey frowned as she tried to recall the moment she’d first done magic. “I made a small whirlpool that ripped my brothers’ clothes.” She smiled to herself at the memory, before recalling how trapped her brothers were.

  “We’ll get them back.” Jared slipped an arm around her as they walked and squeezed her to him.

  “I’m starting to doubt that.”

  “We will.” Even as down as she was, she could hear the doubt in his voice. She appreciated what he was trying to do and knew all of them would try their best to free them.

  “I know we’ll try,” she acknowledged. “But will we actually succeed? There’s another question.”

  “Hmm.”

  They lapsed into silence as they walked.

  Kabouter

  Eight

  Jared brought them to a halt in front of a collection of tiny mushrooms on the forest floor. He leaned down and began to almost tickle the fungi, a smile lighting up his face.

  “Did you eat some of these?” Macey asked, trying not to laugh. Her mood had lifted substantially since walking through the woods. There was something magical about it. Haunting even. And the beauty had chased away some of her inner demons.

  “No,” Jared replied. He rose to his feet, chuckling away before speaking words Macey didn’t understand.

  Before her eyes, the earth began to peel backwards, leaving two great hills topped with mushrooms and what seemed like a stone staircase leading into the earth between them. The whole transition must have only taken a few seconds, and she was once again in awe of the wonders magic could achieve.

  “I take it that’s where we’re going?”

  “You got it.” Jared placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her to the stone stairway.

  Carefully, she placed one foot after the other. The last thing she wanted was to fall down and break something. Or make an ass out of herself in front of the kabouters.

  The moment their heads were lower than the earth, it began to close in on itself, darkening their path and making the way more difficult. Much to Macey’s delight, a couple more steps revealed glowing jewels in the sides of the walls, allowing her to see once more.

  “It’s beautiful,” she gasped as she really took it in. There were gems of all different shapes, sizes and colours, and the lights they created were dancing across the stairway and down into the depths.

  “They really are. The kabouters take great pride in their pathways.”

  “I can see why.”

  Macey was at least a little surprised by how free she felt. The earth always sounded so claustrophobic and not at all like the open water she was used to.

  “J
ared!” a little girl’s voice screamed.

  From the corner of her eye, she spotted a blur firing itself at Jared, who just laughed as he caught it.

  “Gisella!” he cried. “How are you doing?”

  “Well,” the little girl answered. She was wearing what Macey could only describe as a blue pinafore dress with a checked shirt underneath and a pointy red hat. She hated thinking it but the little girl was every stereotypical thing she’d expect from a gnome. Other than being female, anyway.

  “Is your grandpa in?” Jared asked.

  “Yes, should I take you to him?”

  “Please.”

  Gisella squirmed in Jared’s arms and he set her down on the floor. She trotted off into the distance, leaving the two adults to follow.

  “How come I can understand her?” Macey asked.

  “I wondered if you’d notice that.” Jared chuckled. “It’s something to do with the magic of this place. Everything is translated to the hearer’s natural tongue. Even childlike language is basically non-existent. This place just changes it into what is meant.”

  “Wow. Magic…”

  “Is pretty cool, right?” He grinned widely at her.

  “Are all the kabouter like…” she waved in front of her at Gisella rather than voicing the words.

  “Short? Yes. They’re pretty much like they are in your culture, but you know… Flemish.”

  “And I shouldn’t call them by their other names,” Macey finished for him. “Got you. Anything else I should know?”

  “I don’t think so.” Jared shrugged. “But I’m not sure. I can’t say I’ve ever brought a water being here before.”

  “Reassuring,” Macey muttered.

  “Jared!” a voice boomed. “You finally brought a girlfriend for us to meet.” The man in front of them was a quintessential gnome as far as Macey could tell, even down to the wide grin on his face as he studied her incubus.

  “Jerimiah,” Jared acknowledged, dipping his head in respect..

  Jared turned to Macey with a wide grin.

  "Meet Jerimiah, crown prince of the kabouters, son of King Kyrië, and father to lovely Gisella." He tickled the little girl's neck and she squealed in delight.