by Alicia Fabel
“Where is your charge, by the way?” the Maiden asked, eyes slipping closed.
“Sleeping.” Kale frowned, noticing the pink sunrise through the window. “I should check on her. You rest.”
Eggbert snapped up another mayfly. Vera cringed. A tentacle hung from his beak before floating to the ground. He’d eaten more bugs and frogs than Vera could count.
“You’re disgusting, Berty.” Vera patted the chick’s head affectionately when he rubbed against her leg.
Something caught Eggbert’s attention near the water. He raced across the rocky bank to chase it down. Vera shivered. The sun had come up, but the bluffs still shadowed the lake. She shuffled closer into the narrow wedge of sunlight shining through the pass.
“I can’t believe how healthy he seems,” Vera marveled.
“Do a lot of people where you’re from have healing magic?” asked Gage.
Vera chest constricted. “What do you mean?”
Gage pointed at Eggbert with a gentle smile. “He didn’t get better that fast without some help.”
“Oh. I, um…” Lady, have mercy.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked about your realm,” said Gage. “I know it’s improper, but I’m finding myself very curious about you, Vera.”
“Oh.” Wow, you’re impressively articulate this morning, Vera. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it. I didn’t even know it was improper or anything.”
“Honestly, if the Guardian had been around, I wouldn’t have brought it up. He’d have ripped out my spine already.”
“Kale can be a little intense,” Vera agreed.
“I’m surprised how relaxed you are around him.”
“Kale’s not as scary as people think.”
“Oh, I think he’s every bit as scary as people think he is,” Gage said. “But around you, he’s tempered. Perhaps you have won the Guardian’s affections?”
“Noo.” Vera blushed, which was infuriating. “I’m just a job for Kale. He’s counting the seconds until he can send me home. Trust me, we do not get along at all.”
“You must be fearless, then.”
“Not at all.” Vera laughed lightly.
“You dashed to Eggbert’s side without a second thought for your safety.”
“Stupidity and fearlessness are not the same things.”
“I know. I didn’t mix the two up.” Gage bumped Vera softly. “While I’m being honest, I’m relieved I’m not competing against the Guardian for your attention.”
Vera blushed again. Dang it. “Nope.”
Gage didn’t move away. His arm brushed against Vera’s when she shifted. Vera turned her face away to check on Eggbert, using the chick as an excuse to hide her silly grin. Eggbert trotted across the beach toward them with a stick in his beak.
“He’s like a puppy,” Vera observed.
“What’s a puppy?”
Way to go, genius. Puppy doesn’t translate. Now that Vera thought about it, she hadn’t seen a single dog in Summartir. That’s why Kale told her not to talk to anyone more than necessary. A little flirting and Vera’s mouth was misfiring.
“It’s what we call baby goats,” Vera said lamely.
Gage eyed Eggbert. “Huh. You must have strange goats.”
“Uh huh.”
Eggbert shoved the stick at Vera. She grabbed it, wondering if the chick would play fetch. Her fingers closed around something slimy and squishy, something that moved. With a squeak, Vera flung the stick into the water. One of the squishy bits stuck to her hand. It was a slug. Vera flicked it to the ground and wiped her hand on her pant leg, scowling at Eggbert.
“He’s trying to make sure you get fed too.” Gage chuckled.
“So sweet of you,” Vera said when Eggbert cocked his head at her, looking at her through his one eye. “But ya know, I’m not hungry right now.” Vera’s stomach rumbled. “Okay, I’m hungry, but I’m not that hungry.”
Eggbert’s excited bouncing slowed. Had she hurt his feelings? Gritting her teeth, Vera bent down and pinched the slug between her fingers. The things I’m willing to do for this chick. Vera wiggled the slug in front of Eggbert. His tail feathers waggled. When Vera tossed the slug into the air, Eggbert snatched it, his beak clacking. Then he looked at her for more.
“That’s all I’ve got,” Vera told him.
Eggbert waited another minute before wandering back down to the water’s edge, looking for more treats since Vera had thrown his slug-stick into the lake. Three slugs sat on top of the bobbing stick to stay dry. Eggbert nosed around the weedy patches, moving farther and farther away. After a few minutes, he stopped to peck at something in a shrub. Vera sighed and went to see what he’d found while Gage sat on the bank to watch them, arms draped over his knees.
“Hey, Berty,” Vera cooed when she got close. “Whatcha got there, buddy?”
Crap. Vera tried to nudge Eggbert away from the nest of duck eggs. These had not been empty. Eggbert was slurping up the tiny forms along with the egg matter. Gage couldn’t find out.
“Stop,” Vera hissed, trying to push Eggbert without alerting Gage.
The stick of slugs. It had floated away but not too far. Maybe Vera could distract Eggbert away from the nest with those slugs. Vera kicked off her shoes and pulled up her pant legs. Gah, this is gonna suck. Stupid chick. The water was freezing. Just a few steps out, that’s all I need. Holding both pant legs with one hand, Vera reached for the stick. One pant-leg fell loose, dipping into the water before she could catch it. She snagged the wet fabric, hiking it up before it got wetter.
A shadow beneath the surface of the water caught Vera’s attention. She opened her mouth to scream when something powerful clamped down and yanked her off her feet. Pain sliced through Vera’s leg. The water hurling past swallowed Vera’s scream as something towed her into deeper water. Silt and pebbles from the lake-bottom scraped Vera’s cheek. Instinctively, Vera kicked out, trying to free herself. The creature held tight. Vera’s arms pulled helplessly at the water. Something coiled around Vera’s ribs, squeezing. Inside Vera’s chest, her lungs heaved, demanding air. Then the water began to glow. Only it wasn’t the water, it was something hurling through the water. The glowing thing slammed into the creature, which released her. She floated limply. Faster than the creature had traveled, something else flung Vera toward the surface.
Gage sucked in air, tugged Vera closer, and kicked for the bank. She coughed up water. Eggbert paced at the edge of the lake, cheeping for Vera, who did not respond. Dragging her onto the beach, Gage pressed a palm to the center of her chest. A pulse of white light flashed between Gage’s hand and Vera’s chest. She expelled water from her lungs. Gage tipped Vera to her side and sent another pulse through her, forcing the last of the water out. Eggbert’s cheeping turned frantic.
“Eggbert?” Vera pushed herself up, looking for the bird.
“He’s fine. He’s just mad I won’t let him crawl on top of you.” Gage moved aside, letting the chick see Vera.
“What was that?” Vera pulled her feet from the water then gaped at Gage. “Are you glowing?”
Gage’s eyes widened. “You can see that?”
“Yeah,” Vera said slowly. “Another thing my kind can do, apparently.”
Vera put a hand to her forehead. Her head swam. Eggbert splashed into the water to get to Vera, tired of waiting for Gage to get out of the way.
“Eggbert, get out of there!” Vera yelled.
A tentacle shot from the water and wrapped around the chick’s leg. A broad, flat mouth full of teeth rose from the water. Vera screamed, grabbing the chick and trying to dislodge the tentacle. Gage sent a pulse into the tentacle and it released. The creature hissed. A different tentacle flew from the water, wrapping around Gage’s neck. It shook Gage then slammed his head to the ground. Vera snatched Eggbert’s stick, floating near the bank, and swung it down, pointy end first. The creature let out a raspy cry as the stick pierced through its tentacle and out the other side. The lake monster recoil
ed, sinking back into the water. Vera pulled Gage past the beach, onto the grassy edge. Eggbert hopped around anxiously, favoring one leg.
“Hey, buddy. It’s okay. We’re okay.” Vera’s voice cracked.
She shivered. Gage groaned, holding his head. He rolled to his side, trying to sit up. Vera noticed a growing, red puddle around her. Strange. The world spun.
“Vera,” bellowed Kale, as he scrambled over the bank.
“Kale?”
“Are you okay?” Kale pushed the hair back from Vera’s face.
“I feel dizzy.” Vera blinked slowly. “Don’t hurt Gage. He saved me.”
“I’m going to kill him for getting you hurt.”
Vera put a weak hand on Kale’s face, leaving a smudge of blood when she turned his face toward her.
“Promise me. Not hurt him.” Vera was having trouble catching her breath. “Promise.”
“I promise,” Kale conceded.
“Sorry,” Vera slurred.
“For being stupid and sneaking out when you know you’re not supposed to?”
“For blood on your face.”
Vera passed out.
15
Smoke filled Vera’s lungs. All around her, huts burned. An entire village was on fire. A woman screamed. Vera twisted to look over her shoulder. An unnatural held the woman in the air by the throat. Blood and dirt were smeared over the unnatural’s arms and legs, like war paint. Vera looked away when the unnatural shoved the woman against a hut wall and pressed against her. Vera couldn’t help the woman so she walked away. Slipping between two huts, Vera hoped none of the unnaturals would see her. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to notice her. A young boy raced around the corner and stopped short when he saw her. The child’s frightened face contorted in fury then. He charged Vera, holding a shovel above his head. Vera batted the shovel away and threw the boy to the side. The boy grunted then pulled back into a pile of straw and dung. If he stayed there, the unnaturals might not notice him. She didn’t stay to see if the boy was that smart.
Vera kept moving. She ducked into a hut when two unnaturals galloped by with their most recent trophies. One held a young girl’s head by the hair, adding more blood to his already stained coat. The other dragged an old man behind him. The man’s clothes were gone, his skin ripped away by either hands or dirt. Unfortunately for the man, he was not quite dead yet. He would be soon enough. A noise behind Vera made her turn around and eye the room. She didn’t see anyone, but she wasn’t alone. Vera moved farther into the hut, knocking chairs out of the way. There was a single bed, which Vera flipped over, tossing it to the other side of the room. Two young girls huddled together. One was a toddler and the other a girl barely past the edge of childhood. She’d be a prize for the horde.
“Please don’t hurt the baby,” said the older girl, pulling a chain from around her neck and extending it toward Vera. “You can have me but please take this instead of her.”
The door crashed open behind Vera. Vera’s nose flared. If it hadn’t been for these girls, she’d have been away from here already. They’d slowed her down, gotten her caught.
“What have we here?” asked an unnatural, shifting to get a better look at the hut’s occupants.
Vera kept her back to the unnatural. Her shoulders tensed as she reined in her anger at the girls for the trouble they’d brought her. Part of Vera wanted to bash both girls’ heads in and be done with it.
“Please,” repeated the oldest girl as she rose to her feet.
“Well, well,” said the unnatural. “Look at that.”
“You can have her,” Vera said simply.
“You’re not going to fight me? Try to stop me from taking her from you?” There was disappointment in the unnatural’s tone.
“No.” Vera picked up the girl by the front of her dirty shirt and tossed her to the unnatural.
“If you insist.” The unnatural carried the girl from the hut.
He wouldn’t go far or take long. Then he’d be back for Vera and the toddler who’d remained hidden by Vera’s stance. The tiny girl began to moan.
“Cry, and I snap your neck,” Vera warned.
The tiny girl hiccupped. Vera reached for her neck.
“Vera,” called Kale.
What does he want? Vera picked the child up by the neck. The smelly thing choked and wriggled.
Kale shook Vera firmly. “Vera!”
Vera jolted. Her eyes snapped open. Kale pulled back cautiously, shuttering his expression. He hadn’t had a choice. An artery in Vera’s leg had been nicked, she’d been bleeding out, and one of her broken ribs had pierced a lung. A few more minutes and Kale would have found Vera dead.
“Are you okay?” Kale asked Vera.
“You healed me…” Vera sobbed, lifting a hand to cover her mouth.
Kale’s gut heaved. He’d promised Vera that he wouldn’t harm Gage, otherwise Kale would have eviscerated the man at that moment. Instead, Kale looked away.
“If you could walk, or if Gage could carry you, I promise I would not touch you,” Kale told Vera before lifting her into his arms. “As soon as I can set you down, I will.”
Kale did not speak as he carried Vera through the pass toward the farm. Eggbert ran alongside them, picking at Vera’s hair with concern. Gage stumbled behind, doing a decent job of keeping up despite his injuries. Vera’s chin quivered.
“I’m going to be sick,” Vera said suddenly.
Kale stopped, knelt to the side of the pass, and tipped Vera so she could retch. Gage hurried forward and held Vera’s hair away from her face. Afterward, Gage wiped Vera’s mouth with his hand. Snaking up Gage’s wrists were the deception marks Kale had glimpsed before. And yet, Kale would’ve handed Vera over to the man if he could. After whatever she’d just experienced in his memories, she shouldn’t have to endure his arms around her. Vera shook. Kale was not sure if she was cold or in shock. Probably both.
“We’re almost there,” Kale assured her.
Up ahead, two figures moved into the pass. Apparently, Mitch had received his dose of witch healing as Kale had prescribed. Someone also must have told Mitch that the Guardian was going after his son. Kale didn’t mind that, except Mitch had dragged the Maiden along too. She was supposed to be resting.
“What the hell are they thinking?” Kale asked, not speaking to anyone in particular.
“Who?” Gage swore and ducked into a crevice in the rocks.
“What are you doing?” Kale asked the moron.
“She cannot find me like this,” Gage explained.
“Like what?” Kale eyed Gage with disdain. “I’m sure the Maiden has seen a wet man before. She’s as old as me.”
“No, it's not that. I can’t…” Gage shut his mouth and ran a hand over the back of his neck.
“The lines on your hands are growing,” observed Kale. “Either explain how your deception involves your Maiden, or I’ll toss you at her feet and let you explain it to her yourself.”
“You can’t do that.” Gage backed farther into the crevice.
“I can if you don’t start talking. Quickly.” Kale angled his body so Mitch and the Maiden would not see him talking to Gage, just in case.
“The Maiden can sense magic,” said Gage.
“Try telling me something I don’t know,” Kale replied impatiently.
“I am a witch,” Gage announced.
Kale laughed. The man had hit his head too hard.
“He’s telling the truth,” Vera said, but Kale already knew that because the marks on Gage’s hands faded.
“Keep talking,” Kale said.
“Monroes have been passing magic to their sons ever since the world unraveled. Stitching the world together required more magic than the triads possessed, so other witches lent their magic to the cause. But the triads took more than they needed. My many-times-great-grandmother knew they’d never give any of the magic back—and they didn’t. So, she gave the last of her magic to her infant son to keep it safe. My famil
y has continued to keep our magic safe that way ever since.”
“Men cannot harness witch magic,” Kale argued.
“When we have sorcerer’s blood in our veins, we can.”
“How has your family kept that a secret for so long?”
“We make sure we don’t get noticed. As long as we don’t use the magic, it lies dormant, undetectable.”
“You used magic to rescue Vera,” Kale concluded.
“A lot of it.”
“What will happen if you’re discovered?” asked Kale.
“The triads will come to collect all the magic from our family. Like they did during the unraveling. We would fight.”
“The other men, the ones who left in the middle of the night, they’re witches too?” asked Kale.
“Yes.” Gage lifted his brows with surprise.
“Unless you can heal yourself, you won’t make it to your hiding brethren before you fall and kill yourself with that head injury,” said Kale.
“I have to try.” Gage was determined.
The sounds of approaching steps reached them.
“Put me down,” Vera demanded.
“That’s not a good idea,” Kale replied carefully.
“I said put me down.” Vera put every shred of her pain in those words. “I want to say good-bye.”
Kale set Vera on her feet. She wobbled but put up a hand when Kale reached for her.
“I want Gage,” she informed Kale.
Gage tucked an arm around Vera’s waist. Vera shifted her weight to the other man and wound her arms around Gage’s neck. Rising to her tippy toes, Vera pressed her lips to Gage’s before pulling back to look the man in the eyes. Kale flexed his fists and turned away.
“We have to head the Maiden off so Gage has a chance to sneak away,” Kale said.
“Here,” screamed Vera without warning. “We’re over here.”
“What are you doing?” Gage backed away as if Vera had slapped him.