Beyond the Iron Gate (The Faery Meadow Book 1)

“I don’t trust you. I want out, now!” Elaine huffed while trying to push the faery man out of her path.

However, Lorcan continued blocking the door.

Elaine shuddered while looking around the claustrophobic room. A twin-sized bed barely fit inside it leaving only about a few inches between the bedside and wall. The walls looked newly painted black to Elaine and she wondered if it was possibly to cover up blood.

The house reeks of it, she thought to herself while covering her mouth and nose.

On the walls of the room were numerous skeletons belonging to small animals. There were several scribbled drawings hanged by just the strength of a rusty nail.

She coughed and one of the illustrated pages fell to the floor. It was a picture of a grotesque looking rat. Elaine kicked it under the bed feeling nauseous. Lorcan poked her shoulder drawing her attention to himself.

He pointed at the ceiling with a frown. A set of wafer-thin boned wings hung by a thread and the head of a very furry dead wolf sat on top it.

Suddenly, the door opened and the witch popped her head in.

“Kids! Dinner’s ready. Can’t have you starving and giving me a bad rep.”

“Bad rep?” Lorcan laughed lightly while tugging Elaine along.

“Just who is she?” Elaine hissed behind Lorcan.

She was fed up with his limited answers and beginning to grow frantic being stuck in the small house with the woman she was fairly certain had no intention of letting them leave.

Once the trio reached the bottom of the steps, Gurnava handed Elaine a pile of clothes. Elaine politely thanked her and then the witch directed her to go back upstairs.

Lorcan gestured toward the steps by jutting his chin out in the direction when Elaine didn’t move. He suspected she wouldn’t stop freaking out until she was home, but nevertheless, he went back upstairs with her and waited outside the bathroom when she refused to go alone.

Inside the bathroom, Elaine quickly changed into the set of clothes the witch gave her. She the outfit was decent and eagerly slid on the pair of jeans and a dark green long sleeved shirt. She felt warm and glanced into the cracked bathroom mirror seeing her blonde hair in a rat’s ness even worse than witch’s downstairs.

“Is this all a dream?”

Lorcan heard her and then pounded on the door, “No. Now, hurry up!”

Elaine glared at the door and opened it finding her captor already striding down the hallway to go downstairs. Elaine followed angrily and tightened her fits. She crossed her arms wondering when she’d have her chance to escape.

She found the witch in the kitchen and Lorcan already seated at the table. A giant cooked turtle rested in a big brown bowl and Elaine gagged at the sight and smell. The turtle’s head was still stuck out as if it was killed that way. When Gurnava slammed a butcher knife down on the head and severed it Elaine nearly threw up seeing a bunch of gross brownish liquid spew out onto the table.

The witch smiled at her guests, “That’s the most nutritious part!”

Elaine heard Lorcan make a grunt of approval and in her own mind the two were nuts. The witch’s face turned sour at the girl’s hesitation to sit and eat. Elaine made her way to the table and sat down. The witch gave her a turtle leg just like Lorcan.

“It tastes like chicken,” Lorcan said through a mouthful in pretend wonder.

Elaine bit her lip then forced a mouthful down knowing the meal would be a necessary obstacle to overcome to escape the witch’s patronizing stare. She gagged on the slimy texture of the turtle meat, but managed to swallow each bite she took until there was nothing left but the yellow bone of the turtle leg.

It was a meager meal and she was glad. The witch waved them off when they both finished.

“I’ve got a lot of work to do and I don’t need you two in my way. What are you looking at me like that for? Off you go!” Gurnava sneered seeing Elaine lag behind the man who paid her for not just the portal, but their stay.