Bezbell: Fire Lily, #2

By Judy Lunsford

After Lily and Alastar banished Bezbell from the swamp, Bezbell had only on place she could go.
Severely burned and banished, the Unseelie Court seemed to be her only refuge.
But things in the Unseelie Underground didn't turn out quite the way Bezbell expected.

Welcome to book 2 of the Fire Lily trilogy, where the Seelie and the Unseelie Courts come in to play, and where villains can become heroes after all. Join Lily and Bezbell back in the swamp in this fantastical, magical, and surprising fantasy story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Judy Lunsford
• Release date: Jul 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393602460

Judy Lunsford

Born and raised in California, Judy now lives in Arizona with her husband and Giant Schnoodle. Judy writes with dyslexia and a chronic illness & is a breast cancer survivor. She writes mostly fantasy, but delves into suspense, horror, romance, and poetry. She has written books and short stories for all ages. You can find her books and short stories at your favorite online retailers.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Ientered the Unseelie Court cautiously. I had never set foot in the underground of the fae community. I had always hung closely to my half-brother, even though he had never really seemed to like me. He had been safe. He had been familiar.

He had betrayed me.

As I entered the Great Courtroom, I stayed near the walls, trying to conceal myself from sight. Few seemed to notice me, and those who did seemed uninterested.

The light was dim and things lurked in the shadows of the room. I could feel them as I scanned the darkness. I could feel their eyes when they were on me, like ice running up and down my back. But most of them were uninterested in me as well.

I looked around the room as I emerged from the hallway, into the great area. I felt like I should be looking for someone. I searched the faces and tried to recognize anyone from my past. I had to know someone here, somewhere.

There were hideous creatures everywhere. There were goblins, hobgoblins, pookas, even a few trolls. Quite a few had been disfigured or deformed in some way. I shuddered at some of the creatures I saw. There was a dryad not far from where I stood. I actually thought he was handsome until he turned toward me.

The other side of his face was disfigured. He was missing a whole piece of his head and shoulder, like a burned-out stump in an ash-covered forest after a brush fire. I turned away in revulsion.

But when I did, I found myself facing a cracked full-length mirror bolted to the wall. I looked at my own reflection and was once again shocked with the realization that I fit in there. I was no longer the beautiful dark fairy I once was.

My face was scarred by fire. My shoulders and arm were completely disfigured and branded by what that lying flame-head, Lily, had done to me.

My disfigurement meant that I was no longer welcome in the presence of the Seelie Court, the Court of the beautiful fae. And now, thanks to Lily and my own half-brother, I no longer had a place in the swamp. The one place where the unwanted were supposed to be wanted. Where the fae that didn’t fit in anywhere, were welcomed like family. I was now an outcast. Banished from the swamp and bound to do no harm. Helpless.

I looked around the room and realized that this was my last place of refuge. The Unseelie Court, where the only rule was that there were no rules. Mischief and mayhem were the rule, not the exception. This was the place where those who were expelled from the Seelie Court avoided at all costs. This was where Seelie fae were tortured and where barbarism and debauchery were condoned. No matter what trouble I may have caused in the swamp, I didn’t deserve to be seeking my solace here. Especially bound from doing harm.

I had yet to find out if I could defend myself, and I was not anxious to test out the limits of the spell that had me bound.

I watched in revulsion as I scanned the room. Fae were drinking and fighting at random. All sorts of dice and card games were being played at tables around the room. Occasionally, someone accused another of cheating and a table was flipped over and a brawl ensued.

I looked over at the table a few feet from where I stood and saw that they were playing a card game and using bound pixies and brownies to bet with. A slobbering, drooling goblin won a hand and pulled the squealing pixies toward himself, salivating all over each one as he picked them up to examine his winnings. They all shrieked in terror as he casually popped one into his mouth and crunched away.

I unwillingly thought of Natash. The pixie that had befriended Lily. I wouldn’t even wish that fate on her.

I looked away quickly and continued to scan the room. As I stood there, another dark fairy approached me. He was taller than me, and when he came and stood next to me, he seemed to tower over me.

You’re new here, he said.

I glared at him and turned my back to him. He leaned around me and tried to catch my attention.

I was talking to you, he said.

I know you were, I said while still trying to ignore him.

Usually, in polite company, one faces the one who is speaking to them, he said.

Does this actually look like polite company to you? I gestured around the room.

He slipped around me so he was in front of me. I was hoping that you would be the polite company.

I stared at him for a moment, then remembered my scars. I looked away quickly.

He was tall, and had long blond, almost white hair. His hair hung down to his waist and he had it braided at his temples, to keep it away from his face. A dark fairy with blond hair was unique. We were made for the nights, getting our power from the moon, hiding in the shadows.

But even more unique were his eyes. His eyes were red, and they seemed to pierce right through me. Or at least that’s how I felt.

I could still feel him staring at me, even though I wasn’t looking at him. He was dressed all in black and had on a black trench coat that was so new, I could smell the freshness of the leather. I was slightly repulsed by the smell, but I still secretly thought it was a very cool coat.

He bent down slightly and put his fingers under my chin and lifted my face to look at him. I pulled away and tried to step past him.

He quickly stepped in front of me to block my exit. Hey, I was just trying to be social. No need to run away.

I glared at him again, and pulled my dark hair away from my face to expose my scars to him. Do you still want to stand there hitting on me?

He took a slight step back and laughed. Are you ashamed of your scars? Is that all that’s stopping you?

I looked him in the eyes. They were like pools of blood in perfectly formed circles.

That doesn’t make you sick to look at?

He smiled and then turned around. He dropped his trench coat and shirt down to expose his bare back. There were huge scars where his wings used to be on his stark white back. The stumps of his former wings were rough and almost looked like they had been chewed off. He pulled his shirt and coat back up and turned back around, and he straightened his clothes as he did.

He leaned towards me again as he buttoned his shirt and asked, Did that make you sick to look at?

I shook my head. He had strikingly sharp features. I stood speechless in front of him, not knowing what to say or do. I suddenly felt like an idiot.

So, shall we start again? He smiled down at me, You’re new here.

Bezbell, I said softly.

Bezbell? It’s nice to meet you, I’m Leif.

I nodded, not sure of what to say.

So, Bezbell. Can I get you a drink? he asked.

I shook my head. I wasn’t sure I wanted to drink anything from this place.

Well, then, he paused for a moment. Would you like to find a quiet corner to talk?

I looked at him again. He seemed sincere, so I nodded. He took me by the hand, but I pulled away. He paused to look at me before he shrugged and simply led me to an empty table in a corner not far from where we had been standing. I quickly took the chair by the wall so I could keep an eye on the room.

Ahh, he said, as he took the chair next to me. A true warrior always keeps their eyes on the room. You know how to protect yourself; I like that in a woman.

What do you know about true warriors? I narrowed my eyes at him.

He smiled, and looked slightly surprised by the question. I am one.

Most who say that are all talk.

Only if they are the ones who bring it up.

You did bring it up, I observed.

Only because you asked what I knew. I know from experience.

Is that how you lost your wings? I asked.

Very good, he said, and winked at me. Which was a little creepy, honestly. This one is quick.

Well? Is it?

As a matter of fact, it is.

He sat and grinned at me. He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands across his chest.

I waited for a moment before getting impatient, Well?

Well, what?

Aren’t you going to tell me how you lost your wings?

You didn’t ask, he grinned mischievously.

I sighed in exasperation, I’m asking now. How did you lose your wings?

I lost them in a fight with a kelpie.

A kelpie? I was amazed. I had never heard of anyone surviving an attack by a kelpie, fae or otherwise. What happened?

Oh, now you’re actually interested. He leaned forward on the table and looked directly into my eyes. I was on a quest, and I got too close to the kelpie’s favorite feeding ground. She jumped out of the water and grabbed me and tried to drag me into the water.

I found myself leaning slightly forward to listen to his story. What did you do?

I did what I had to do. I killed it.

You killed a kelpie? I was even more impressed.

Yes. It was me or her. She grabbed me and tried to pull me into the water. So, I fought with all my strength. I was able to squeeze out of her grip for a moment, but she caught me by the wings. She bit them clean off. But I endured the pain and drew my sword. She was busy spitting out my wings when I stabbed her, right through the heart.

Why didn’t you try to have your wings put back on?

Put back on? How? he asked.

Healing magic. Don’t you know any?

The kelpie chewed them up too much for them to have been of any use, he said. He seemed disappointed that he had lost the momentum of his story. Why didn’t you use healing magic to fix your burns? Don’t you know any?

I glared at him and leaned back in my chair.

I’m sorry, he said. But you started it.

The only one I know who knows enough healing magic to fix these burns wouldn’t have helped me.

Why not?

She’s a water elemental, but she’s friends with the one who did this to me.

Who did this to you? he asked. He sounded genuinely concerned.

Apparently, a fire elemental, I said, completely annoyed.

Much harder burns to heal, he agreed. They run very deep.

Thank you. I was even more annoyed by that observation.

You didn’t know she was a fire elemental?

No, I replied. I thought she was human.

Leif laughed loudly, How on earth do you confuse a fire elemental for a human?

I guess she was glamoured. By her mother. I couldn’t see through it.

"Now that is interesting," Leif said.

Chapter 2

Leif sat back in his chair and eyed me for a moment. I heard a scratching sound to my left and turned to see what it was. A small gargoyle was sitting on a ledge near our table. I watched him for a moment. He sat perfectly still, just like they do on human buildings. I decided to ignore him and looked back to Leif.

Why would a fire elemental glamour her daughter to look like a human? Leif wondered out loud. He glanced briefly at the gargoyle as it changed positions.

I don’t know, I shrugged.

Leif was thoughtful for a moment. Why did she attack you?

Because she hates me.

Leif chuckled and leaned forward onto the table. What did you do to make her hate you?

I was quiet for a moment. I thought back on all the things I had done over the years to harass Lily and her troll of a father. A lot of things, I said simply. But she was probably mostly mad because I tried to kill her. And then I had her father killed.

Leif laughed out loud, You tried to kill a fire elemental that you thought was human? You’re lucky to be alive!

She didn’t know enough fire magic to kill me.

And why not? Was she new?

Yes, and no.

Leif frowned, Well that about covers the field. Explain.

"She wasn’t new age wise, but she didn’t know she was a