The Faery Keepers Read Online Free

deadly looking thorns, a thorn circlet wrapped about their brows.
                  “Whoa,” I breathe.
                  A light source illuminates from within the depths of the tree changing every few seconds, first a golden honey color, then a whitish blue, a violent red, and finally a dim dragonfly green, going through the cycle endlessly. It’s mesmerizing to watch and I feel myself lulled into a dreamlike trance. There was nothing in the world but those colors.
                  “Snap out of it!” Maggie pinches my arm sharply.
                  “Hmm?” I mumble drunkenly.
                  She turns me roughly to the side, away from the light show, slapping my cheek lightly.
                  “Ow!” I protest. “What was that for!?”
                  “Don’t look directly at them,” she says in my ear.
                  “But—”
                  “ Don’t !”
                  I nod. She searches my face with her eyes to make sure I’m fully aware of what I’m saying. I must be because we turn back towards them. But this time I fix my eyes on the bark above the opening, taking in the whorls and knobs in the tree, refusing to look back at them.
                  The majority of them are whispering something. Something that sounds like: “They have the Sight. They can See us. How is that possible?” over and over again. 
                  “Why are you here?” One of the thorn clad Faeries demands over the murmuring.
                  “We’re here to help,” Maggie acts as spokesperson.
                  “We do not need help from mortals,” another of them speaks icily, taking a long, straight thorn from a sheath at his side and brandishes it at us. “Trespassers,” he hisses venomously. “Leave now .”
                  “Why?” pipes up the first. “They would make good fun. Fine servants they would be.”
                  Fury makes me glare right at him. I ignore the stupid lights completely. “We’re here because someone tried to kill her .” I point angrily at the flower in Maggie’s grasp. “Now, we’d be plenty glad to just let her die. But we came here in hopes you could save her. If you don’t want your own kin back, fine by me. Maggie, let’s go. This is a waste of time.” I grab her by the arm and begin towing her back down the hill.
                  “Stay your foot!” one from behind what must be the guard calls out. “Let us see her.”
                  Maggie and I exchange glances. “Fine,” I say.
                  Maggie puts the flower/Faery down in front of them.
                  The one who spoke pushes through the front line. It turns out to be a female with raven black hair and a silver dress; she has a tiara of brambles that have a multitude of tiny flower blossoms on it and some sort of sparkly substance. Royalty then?
                  She touches the pink petals and they quiver and jump until they dissipate completely, leaving nothing but the Faery left. She’s even grayer than before, the blue is gone. Her dress has even faded in color. Gray tinges the edges of each once emerald leaf. What I didn’t notice before is that she wears a circlet of tiny flowers that look like miniature, in the extreme, white roses.
                  The other Faery gives a gasp of disdain. “I feared so.” She covers her mouth with her hand. “Breen, gather her up.” Her voice is melodic, like the tinkling of a bell whereas the others were rough and roguish.
                  The Faery which had said we were trespassers sheathed his weapon and came forward to take the girl in his arms. He then retreated to the depths of the tree.
                  “You may go,” says the silver dressed Faery. She