Death Card

by A C Wilds

  “Where do I cut you?” I ask, as I pull the knife from the bag.

  Along my neck. Be careful to avoid my artery though. Not too deep.

  “Well that’s just great. Now, all I’m going to think about is doing it wrong,” I say to him, with a scowl on my face. He just laughs in my head.

  I bring the knife up to his neck and put pressure until the blood wells. It’s so dark that it’s hard to see. I move the knife in a horizontal line, and I feel it trickle onto my fingers. It’s hot and sticky. The smell is so strong, like pennies and rust. I bring the bowl with the chicken blood up to the cut and let Red’s blood ooze into it. The blood slows, and I move the bowl away.

  Rub some of the paste on the cut, Red says.

  “Isn’t that going to burn?” I say, but I do as he asks, rubbing a generous amount onto the cut. The bleeding stops instantly, and the cut line disappears. “Whoa! That’s so cool!”

  Give me your arm, Azra. I’m going to bite down with one of my sharpened teeth and make the cut that way. It won’t sting as much because of the properties in my saliva. Hold the bowl underneath your arm to catch the blood.

  I hold out my arm and pull up the sleeve of my shirt. My pale skin glows in the moonlight and is such a stark contrast from Red’s dark rippled coat. His eyes get super black, and small white veins pop up below both of his eyes. He bears his teeth to me, and two long dagger like fangs drop down from his mouth. “Holy fuck! What the hell are those?” I screech.

  They are my fangs. How else do you think I kill my prey? With these useless chiclets?

  I’m pretty sure a family of flies could land in my mouth and make a home right now. “Are you a vampire horse?”

  He laughs at me. It’s the equivalent of a belly laugh. It’s loud and deep in my mind. It makes me smile, and I forget where we are for a second. No, I’m not a vampire. I am however a carnivore and an Arion. We aren’t regular horses. You need to stop comparing me to one.

  With that he bites down. It’s like a thousand drops of acid are on my skin. The burn is so bright that I’m afraid my skin is going to peel off. Then, a wash of cool sensation runs over the wound, and I feel dazzling. It’s like a million little diamonds are shooting stars behind my eyes. I nearly forget to bring the bowl up to catch the blood. I have never felt so relaxed and euphoric in my life. I could stay in this moment forever.

  When Red pulls away, the bowl is almost full. I have no wound where he bit, and I feel a thousand times better than before. All my anxiety has left, and I feel an instant connection to him. His heartbeat is my heartbeat. His strength is mine. I can see everything so much clearer, and at a much further distance than before; I can see all the way to the palace with no problem.

  Our blue wall is still around us, but now I can see that it is actually tendrils of energy weaving in and out of each other. It’s a moving entity that is feeding the energy of the bonding. It’s beautiful.

  Now that we have the blood connection, we have to bathe ourselves in the combined blood. Pour half from my head down my back and let it drape over the sides. Do the same with yourself starting from your crown and going along your arms and legs. When the bowl is empty smear it all over us and make sure to massage it in, he tells me.

  I take my shirt and pants off and leave myself in my underwear. The energy wall around us offers me a hook to place my clothes on. Very convenient. I pour the blood over Red first, and then myself. It smells really bad; raw chicken, pennies, and something else sulfury. Once it has seeped into our skin, the blue energy wall turns a vibrant purple. The air around us gets hot and stifling.

  Red starts to chant in another language, and before I know it, the energy wall plunges into both of us. The pain and sharpness of it knocks me over. I fall backward into the water and am submerged in an instant. The water wasn’t deep when we waded in, but now I am floating in the depths of it. Red is next to me wriggling in pain. We both are so close to each other, but I can’t reach out for him. My lungs start to hurt, and there are black spots forming around my eyes. I’m scared that we did something wrong. I can still feel Red inside of me. It’s like we are one person, so my panic is starting to increase his. There is an unseen weight on my chest preventing me from swimming to the surface. I struggle, but the more I do, the more it feels like I am being pushed down. Why didn’t Cass warn me about this?

  Let go. It’s the only way, Red says to me in a strangled cry. I listen, and just go limp. The weight on my chest eases, but I am still trapped. I trust Red, so I just close my eyes and give in. I give in to this new life, and everything it has brought me. I give in to all the trials we are going to face in the future. I give in to the fact that I will have to go into battle to correct all the wrong, and I give in to the love I am starting to feel, for Red, and for Cass. I know deep down it’s not reached its full potential yet, but it is a start.

  As soon as my thoughts end, I am being pulled up by strong arms. We break the water’s surface, and I gasp a huge lung full of air. My breathing is heavy as it tries to regulate itself. I look around and see both Cass and Grey standing next to us in the water. It has returned to its original depth. I look up at Red and see a horsey smile.

  “We did it,” he says out loud, which earns him quite a few strange looks.

  We sure did. I project to him through my mind.

  The Great Escape

  Azra

  After getting out of the stream, Cass helps us both dry off with his wind magic. It’s pretty handy having a mate that can instantly blow dry your hair. It makes me think of what else he could do with all that hot air.

  “We need to move. You took too long during your weird Fae show. The guards are going to be patrolling this area in less than 20 minutes,” Grey says, with his usual irritated voice.

  “Lead the way then, O’ Grumpy One,” I say to him, with my arm outstretched in invitation.

  He stomps away from us toward the other horses near the big tree. Both are tacked already and grazing on the grass. He picks up Logan and places him on Hurri. I move up to Red’s tack and get it ready. We don’t need to speak to one another now. His movements have become an extension of my own, and he anticipates where I need him to be to dress him properly. It all takes less than 5 minutes.

  We are all mounted up and riding toward the dome barrier that surrounds this whole compound. Now that we have bonded, I can see things I couldn’t before. The tendrils of energy are just like the ones from our blue wall. You can see where they fit together and where there are weaknesses. There is a seam along one portion that can be ripped up so we can squeeze through. I have no idea how I know that, but Red instinctively heads that direction without any prompting from me. I hop off and walk towards it. I can hear the hum and see the energy trying to jump out at me. It makes me hesitate a little.

  “This is portal magic. It is fueled by the changeling sacrifices. It keeps the Fae and slaves in and keeps other humans out. It is said that the only ones that can wield it are the King and his heir. I wonder what it would do if the Changer tries?” Red says. It’s going to take me a bit to get used to hearing him out loud. I was just getting used to his voice in my head. Not that it isn’t a good voice. It is clear, thick, and hypnotic — a horse version of Morgan Freeman.

  “That’s creepy as fuck,” Grey says, as he hops off Hurri. “A lot of freaky shit happens here, but I would never have imagined I’d hear a talking horse.”

  “I am not a horse. I am an Arion. You should look it up, human,” Red retorts. I guess he is miffed at being compared to a horse. Oops.

  “What do you think would happen if I touch it?” I ask Cass. “I can see the tendrils of magic, and just right here is a seam. I think if I lift it, we should be able to get the horses through it.”

  “You can see the magic?” Cass asks, a little in awe.

  “Can’t you?” I ask him.

  “No, I can feel it, and if I outstretch my hand it will respond to me, but I cannot see it.”

  “Let’s just add tha
t to all the other shit I can do that no one else can.” I roll my eyes because really, why can’t I be fucking ordinary.

  “If I touch it, I will set off the alarm. We will have about 20 minutes to get far enough away from here, so they don’t catch us,” Cass tells the group. I didn’t think it was like that. How are we going to get three horses away from here without alerting anyone? If any of the humans see us, they will remember people riding through the streets. It’s not like this is the Wild West.

  “I want to try,” I tell them. “If it doesn’t work, then Cass can do it, and we can make a run for it.”

  They all agree. Grey gets back up on Hurri, and Red stands next to me at the seam. The magic jumps out to me again, and I grab it this time. It feels tacky and cold in my hand. It is malleable enough to shape, so I begin to form a doorway. I pull up the magic and create a big opening. The energy sticks to itself and reforms to accommodate the shape I want. Looking through the barrier, I see a forest, but no other signs of life. I take this as a good thing. It takes me all of five minutes to make our door, and I gesture for Grey to go first. He walks Hurri through with no problem. We all stand with bated breath, waiting for a magic alarm to go off, but none does.

  Cass trots Storm up to the entrance but then stops. “Let’s go together. I don’t like leaving my mate to go last, and I can’t hold the portal as you can,” he pleads with me.

  “Ok, but we need to make sure we go at the same time. I don’t know what will happen if I walk through and you don’t,” I tell him, as I hop back onto Red.

  There is a shout from behind us. We both whip our heads around and see a small army charging toward us. There is a man on a horse standing above all the rest. I know without asking that it is Michael. We make eye contact, and at that moment war is declared. His expression is savage. If we were in front of one another, I know he would destroy me regardless of his son’s safety. I stare at him a few seconds more. I want him to see me at this moment; to know that he hasn’t won, and that I won’t be behaving like a good little Changer.

  Next to him, an image moves, and I see a body floating in the air. She is dressed in a flowy skirt with her chestnut braid hanging limply in the air. She is in a horizontal position, but I’d know that figure from anywhere. Noli. He has her. My breathing picks up, and my heart is banging in my rib cage. Before I know what, I am doing, I jump down off of Red and make a beeline toward them. “NOLI!” I scream. I get about two feet before Cass grabs me around the middle.

  “We have to go,” he says into my ear. The soldiers are still running at us and will be here any minute. I can hear them — they sound like thunder in the sky.

  “I can’t leave her! She’s my best friend, my only friend! He’ll kill her!” I yell at him. I can feel my powers coming to life. It starts in my chest this time, and a burning sensation travels down my arms. I pick up my arms and point at the nearest soldiers. Lightning comes out of my hands, and it hits them directly. Three fall instantly and turn to ash — the fourth screams in agony rolling around on the floor.

  “There is no choice here, Azra. We need to leave, or we won’t live, and you can never make anything change. We will all suffer, and it will be for nothing,” Cass says to me, as he is pulling me away. I can see Michael tense, and I feel the atmosphere change. A storm is coming, and I know we will lose if we stay.

  I can’t take my eyes off of Noli as Cass drags me away. Tears start to form, and soon my face is dripping with salt and sorrow. A violet light begins to form around her, and I see Nora for the first time. She is controlling the bubble that surrounds my dear friend. That traitorous bitch! When she did my tarot reading, she presented herself as someone who was not out to do Michael’s bidding. My sadness turns to anger as I look upon the scene. They will pay. I vow it right here and now. The Seelie King and the Seer of the Seelie Court are both going to die for what they are doing to Noli.

  Giving them my back, I run and hop up on Red. The soldiers are so close; I can hear their footsteps. I reach out and grab Cass’ hand, and we ride through the portal lightning fast. It doesn’t close behind us I like I expect. I jump down off of Red and pull at the energy to close the door. I am met with some resistance, but then it finally gives way and starts to bend to my will.

  “Hurry the fuck up, Azra! They are getting closer. They are going to kill us all!” Grey yells at me.

  I give him some major side eye, and I continue to pull and push the portal closed. “What the fuck do you think I am doing, setting a table for tea?” I ask through gritted teeth. The first of the soldiers are close, about 100 yards away. The portal is coming down, but I don’t know how fast I can get it closed. We might not make it. I double my efforts, bearing down and pulling with all my might. I feel Red come up behind me and place his nose on my shoulder. My strength multiplies by ten. The seam is almost repaired when a Fae soldier bursts his torso through the portal. His sword clips Red in the shoulder. And my Arion knickers in protest. Cass is there in an instant to block the second swing that would have gotten me in the neck. I start to turn and give the soldier some of my electrical power, but he screams in agony as the portal shuts around his body. He is sliced in two, and his pain-twisted face is the last thing I see before I feel powerful hands lifting me up and onto Red.

  We take off like a shot, and I only have seconds to adjust myself in the saddle, so I don’t fall off. Red is fast, like super-fast. He is in the lead with the others trailing behind. At first, I don’t hear anything, and when I look behind, I notice we are too far ahead.

  “Red, you need to slow down a little and let the others catch up,” I yell at him over the roar of the wind, as we whip past the trees.

  “If we stop, they will catch us. You are more important than the rest of them,” he tells me.

  “We are not leaving them! It is bad enough that I couldn’t save Noli.” My heart is cracked in a million pieces. It feels like there is a gaping hole in my chest. I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t even go to her. I squint my eyes shut and try to force back the tears.

  “We are stopping now.” I tug at the reins. I force Red to a stop and hop off near a grouping of trees. He gives me a huff of disapproval and a head flick. Let him be pissed. I need my mate, and I won’t let Grey and Logan suffer at the hands of the King.

  The guys catch up to us a few minutes later. Cass gets off Storm and rushes to me. We embrace, and I bury my face in his shirt. I can feel his strong arms around me, and at this moment I feel a bit better. I know that I can get through this with him by my side.

  “I’m sorry you had to see that. I know Noli is your friend. I wish we could have done something,” Cass whispers in my ear.

  “I am going to kill your father,” I say to him, as I look up right into his eyes. I don’t see shock or remorse there. He’s ok with what I have to do. He gives me a nod of the head and then gives his attention to Hurri who is breathing loudly.

  Looking at Hurri, I am concerned she might be hurt. I detach myself from Cass and approach her slowly. I ask Red telepathically to tell her I need to check for injuries. He conveys the message to her because I see her body shift to the side I am approaching. She allows to me run my hands down each of her legs. Her right front is a bit hot. It could mean there is inflammation in her muscles. This poor horse ran for her life. “You’re such a good girl,” I tell her, while petting her neck. She nuzzles into me and gives me a soft snort. I take off all of her tack and find a brush in one of the saddlebags. I give her a quick rub down and then call over to Logan.

  “Have you ever groomed a horse before?” I ask him.

  “Yeah sure, when the other stable hands needed help, I volunteered,” he tells me approaching Hurri and putting a hand on her nose. Her breathing seems to have evened out some, and she looks a bit more relaxed.

  “Here you go then,” I say, handing him the brush. “I want to make sure Red is ok.”

  “I’m fine! I am an Arion, not an ordinary horse. I could have done that all day. Now, if you will
excuse me, I am going to go in search of some water. I hear a stream about a half mile away,” Red tells us, and then trots off. I didn’t even get a chance to take his saddle off.

  I make my way over to Cass as he is grooming Storm. “Hey, are you OK?” I ask him. He looks scared out of his mind right now.

  “Yeah, I just think after seeing my father like that, it became real,” he says, as he drops his brush and steps in my personal space. “I always dreamed of leaving him, but it was never something I could ever do alone. Then I met you, and all that changed. You give me hope for a better world. One where we don’t have to be scared all the time.”

  “Cass…,” I say, before I lean into him and find his lips. They are so soft. The kiss is kind and full of reverence. He breaks it off too soon and offers me a sweet smile.

  “When we are out of these woods and somewhere safe, I want to explore every inch of you. Taste every part of you. Run my tongue the length of you. Our first night was amazing, but now I want to take my time.” he tells me with lust in his eyes. His words go straight to my clit, and I have to shift my legs to get comfortable again. Gods, this male is making me into a pile of mush. I instantly feel guilty about this happiness I have. My best friend is trapped in the worst place I can imagine, and here I am sharing kisses with a male I just met.

  “I am going to hold you to it,” I tell him, kissing him again like my life depends on it. I put so much lust, love, and feeling into that kiss that it leaves us both breathless and panting.