A White So Red

by Krystle Jones

  A sour expression came over her face. Via must have run off or hid. That or she did her vanishing trick again.

  Vaguely, Natalia wondered how long she had been gone. How soon did Wormwart say she would feel the effects of the binding contract? Not having any desire to expose herself to prolonged suffering, she said briskly, “I should go.”

  “Wait.”

  He grabbed her wrist, but it was not harsh. His touch was light, as if he were afraid of breaking her. “Please stay.”

  Her stomach did a little flip. A sliver of disappointment jabbed at her heart when he let go, which he thankfully didn’t seem to notice.

  She crossed her arms, eyeing the sky. Maybe it was her imagination, but it didn’t look as dark. It had to be drawing closer to dawn, and she knew she needed to get back. But for some reason she couldn’t pry herself away. She wanted to stay.

  “So,” she said, her voice slightly higher-pitched, “how exactly are you going to go about killing the Queen?”

  A slow grin lit up his face. Somehow, it set her more at unease than his flirting.

  “Meet me here tomorrow night and I’ll tell you,” he said. It sounded more like a dare than anything else.

  “Why tomorrow night? What’s wrong with during the day?” Not that she would be able to escape the dwarves, but it was worth asking all the same.

  “Because,” Caspar said with a wriggle of his brows, “moonlight is much more romantic.”

  She suppressed a smile. Somehow, she didn’t think he was joking. “And why exactly should I return? How do I know I can trust you?”

  “You can’t,” he said, locking eyes with her. His gaze burned, fierce and true. “It’s called having faith.”

  Rose once again flickered to the forefront of her thoughts. “The protection spell is still cast upon her,” Via had said.

  “Faith,” Natalia murmured.

  “So you’ll meet me here tomorrow night?”

  His voice sounded hopeful. And so infuriatingly sure.

  Without knowing why, she whispered, “Yes.” Immediately, she bit down on her tongue. She barely knew him.

  Caspar’s face betrayed his excitement for only a moment before returning to his token cool smile. She thought he would say something witty and then leave, but to her surprise, he sauntered forward with all the grace of a predator. Keeping his eyes locked on hers, he picked up her hand and brought it to his lips with a small bow.

  “I look forward to it, my Lady,” he murmured.

  For a moment, she was speechless. No one had ever kissed her hand before. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, flying to her cheeks and staining them scarlet. He dropped her hand and the sensation faded.

  “I’ll take this for some insurance.”

  There was a great pressure around her neck for a few seconds, followed by a snap. Her hands flew to her now bare neck.

  Caspar twirled the pendant, wrapping the length of the broken chain around his fingers.

  She grabbed for it. “Give that back!”

  He stepped away, smiling and fueling her anger. Her fists itched to knock that self-assured grin right off his face.

  “Nothing personal, my Lady, but I want to make certain you return.” He wiggled the pendant at her.

  Her glare was so hot it could have melted the flesh right off his bones. “If anything happens to that necklace –”

  He quirked a brow. “Then I guess you’d better show up tomorrow night to claim it. Tell you what, if you come, it’s yours. Are we agreed?”

  She glared at him.

  That only caused his grin to widen. “Careful, lioness,” he said, running the back of his hand along her cheek and shooting shivers through her. “Anger looks sexy on you.” He leaned in, dropping his voice. “And it only makes you more enticing.”

  “Stop it.”

  “Stop what?”

  “Stop trying to win me over with pretty words! I’m not some simpering chamber maid!”

  His lips parted and she gasped slightly. His eyes moved to her mouth while his fingers slipped into her hair, gently guiding her head back. Her eyes drifted closed, and god if she knew why. All she felt was the fire burning beneath her skin and his intoxicating touch, making her feel more alive than she had in ten years.

  She held her breath, waiting for his kiss.

  And waiting.

  Her eyes opened dazedly.

  She blinked. He was gone, vanished literally into nothing. She blinked again, making sure she hadn’t imagined it, but he had disappeared. She looked around.

  Nothing.

  Her hand felt at her throat. The necklace was most definitely gone.

  First Via, now Caspar. Did everyone know how to seemingly evaporate except for her?

  “He’s handsome.”

  Her heart threatened to explode, and she clutched her chest. “For heaven’s sake, Via. Stop sneaking up on me!”

  Via flinched, looking hurt. “I’m sorry.”

  “Where were you anyway?” Her words were sharper than she meant them to be, fueled by her fried nerves.

  Via didn’t seem to notice. “Around.”

  Natalia let out a shaky breath. “You did it again.”

  “Did what?”

  “Vanish.”

  Via didn’t say anything, though she looked like she wanted to.

  Natalia straightened. “I know you have secrets, just as I have mine, and I don’t expect you to tell me everything. But I have to know – what are you?”

  “I am like you,” Via said. “A girl, that is.”

  Natalia shook her head. “You’re more than a girl. I don’t know what you are, but you’re not human.” She thought of Caspar’s denial at having seen Via, and she reached out to touch the girl’s red cloak. It was soft to the touch, like kitten fur.

  “I can’t be imagining this,” Natalia murmured, more to herself than Via.

  Via had grown still. Natalia’s eyes flicked to her face. Via’s eyes were wide, her expression turned to stone, as she stared at something over Natalia’s shoulder.

  The hairs along her arms pricked upright as she slowly looked behind her.

  A cloud had eclipsed the moon, plunging the clearing into darkness. It was eerily silent, save for the flapping of large wings overhead. The lonely call of a raven echoed through the forest.

  Via’s eyes filled with fear. “We need to go. Now.”

  She seized Natalia’s hand and began dragging her through the forest at a dead run. Natalia wanted to demand why they were running, but every lungful of air was spent trying to catch her breath.

  “I thought you said the forest was safe, that it was your friend,” Natalia shouted.

  “It is… most of the time.”

  “What?”

  A howl ripped through the night, a choir of vocal chords that sounded human yet animal, the screams of the tortured crying out for salvation.

  They stopped dead, paralyzed by fear. Via whimpered and covered her ears. Natalia also covered her ears, her teeth grinding together against the sound.

  It ended and she dropped her hands. “What was that?”

  “Nefrim,” Via whispered.

  “Who?”

  Low growls snaked through the shadows, and they both whirled.

  For a few seconds, Natalia forgot how to breathe. It was the biggest wolf she had ever seen. Its fur was black and slick as oil. Shadows, or perhaps smoke, curled along its massive paws as its long black claws raked the ground. Bloody pawprints smoked along the ground where it stepped. Its muzzle was long and bared; teeth the size of dinner knives curved along its jaws. Its body wasn’t bulky; it was sleek and thin, with long ears drawn back against its skull. Eyes burning like amethysts roved between them.

  “Don’t move,” Via whispered, so soft Natalia was barely able to make out what she was saying. “And try to resist.”

  Natalia was about to ask what she meant when a wave of invisible energy rolled on top of her, so forceful her knees shook and nearly gave. She choked
on a cry, gritting her teeth.

  A voice boomed in her head.

  “So much power… I have not felt this much raw energy off a mortal for over ten centuries.”

  Listening to him made Natalia’s head hurt. His voice was air and darkness, or nails scraping along metal.

  Via clasped her hand, squeezing.

  The wolf circled them.

  “It makes me hungry thinking of what I could do with all that power…”

  His proximity was overbearing. Natalia struggled to breathe as the smell of blood and old earth rolled off the wolf in droves, filling the air.

  Via tugged on her hand slightly, and she turned her head just enough to catch the other girl’s eyes. They darted quickly to the right and back again. Natalia looked where her eyes pointed. There was a tiny clearing between the brush.

  The wolf came back around, stopping in front of them several feet away. It snapped its teeth, sounding like a thunderclap.

  “Do you know who I am, girl?”

  Girl? Why didn’t he say girls? Natalia started to look at Via, but Via squeezed her hand so tight she thought she would lose circulation. Via shook her head quickly, once. Natalia kept her gaze forward. The sinister energy emanating from the wolf was making her sick. Her whole body shook with the effort to remain standing.

  “I know you’re evil,” Natalia said. “That much I can sense, and that is all I need to know.”

  The wolf laughed. Its breath stank of rotting flesh.

  “Evil is in the eyes of the beholder. I am Nefrim, keeper of lost souls and guardian of the Nether.”

  Natalia blinked. The Nether was nothing more than a fairy tale, or so she had thought. It was the place where the souls of the damned and the wicked went, a legend she thought mothers told their children to keep them in line.

  “Tell me your name,” Nefrim demanded.

  “Snow,” she said.

  “Snow…”

  He purred her nickname. She felt invisible wires pulling at her mind, but they relaxed almost at once.

  Nefrim growled. “You lie. That is not your true name. What are you really called?”

  Via stepped in front of Natalia, letting go of her hand. “Her name is not your concern,” she said. Though she trembled slightly, her voice was strong and stately.

  The hairs along the wolf’s back stood up as his hackles rose.

  “Via. I thought I sensed another presence; you must have been cloaking yourself. Last I saw, I had left you in the Nether to rot. How did you escape?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” The hatred in the girl’s voice surprised Natalia. “What matters is I’m here. And I won’t let you take her too.”

  “A threat strong as glass. You are powerless to stop me if taking her is my will, just as you were when I took her.”

  Natalia glanced at Via, a question in her eyes.

  Nefrim pawed the ground. His claws dug small trenches into the frozen ground.

  “Get out of my way, Via.”

  Via raised her palm. Threads of light materialized in the air, weaving together to form a glowing white saber. She held it out in front of her.

  “No,” Via said.

  “Then I shall take her by force.”

  The wolf leapt, and Via shouted, “Run!”

  Natalia spun for the opening, sparks flaring behind her as bolts of white energy sizzled through the air. She glanced back. The wolf was clawing and snapping at Via, but every time he drew close, she blocked him with the sword.

  Natalia plunged into the brush, propelled by her fear. A boom rang behind her, followed by a swell of sound that grew louder right before a massive force knocked her to the ground so hard she lost her breath. The leaves and brush swayed and hissed as the energy wave passed. Her breath came back in coughs and sputters, and she crawled to her knees, gripping a tree as she stood.

  Angry snarls came from the clearing, and she took off at a dead sprint. Tremors shook the ground as the wolf pounded after her, snarling and snapping its teeth. She gripped the dress in both hands, holding it up and casting furtive glances behind her but seeing only darkness. If the wolf was upon her, she would have no idea until it was too late.

  There was a flash of white as a hand shot out from behind a tree, grabbing hold of her upper arm and swinging her about. Another hand clamped over her mouth, pulling her to the ground behind some bushes.

  “Don’t move,” Via hissed in her ear.

  Natalia nodded, her heartbeat pounding in her ears, and Via’s hand slipped away. They listened. Natalia clapped both hands over her mouth and nose to stifle the sound of her frenzied breathing.

  The tremors slowed, becoming thumps. The cloud cover shifted and white light spilled onto the wolf’s muzzle as it came into view, directly beside them.

  He sniffed the air as he passed, glancing in all directions. His coat was so glossy Natalia could see her reflection in it. The wolf seemed even larger this close.

  Neither of them moved.

  Nefrim slinked into the shadows, low growls humming in his throat.

  They waited. It was only after her lungs felt like bursting that Natalia dared breathe again.

  “We’re not safe, not yet,” Via said quietly, standing. She pulled Natalia up and pushed her forward. “Go, before he decides to –”

  Her words cut off abruptly as Nefrim appeared beside them.

  “Cloaking the girl, Via? It was a clever trick, but the smell of your magic gave you away.”

  Via shot a wild look at Natalia. “Run! Don’t let him catch you!”

  Natalia looked from Via to the wolf. He was becoming easier to see thanks to the brightening sky. Night was drawing to an end.

  She started to turn, muscles prepped with every intention of obeying Via.

  The wolf snarled. “No! She is mine!”

  He pounced, snatching the end of her dress in his jaws. He yanked backward and she went down, catching most of her weight on her palms and sending shoots of pain up her arms. Nefrim dragged her backward, and she turned, kicking at his face hard as she could. The heel of her boot struck him in the lip, and he winced but didn’t let go.

  There was a flash of white, so quick and bright she first thought it was lightning. The wolf yowled and released her as Via lifted her glowing blade from his muzzle. The sword dripped with black blood that sizzled on the ground where the drops fell.

  “That was very foolish.”

  The wolf stalked toward them. Via ran to Natalia and wrapped her up in her arms.

  “Close your eyes!” Via said.

  The wolf lunged.

  Natalia’s eyes widened, her gaze frozen on its open jowls, when streams of white light blazed around them, emanating from Via, who now glowed bright as a beacon. Natalia shut her eyes against the blinding light, feeling the earth drop out from under her as she plummeted down a tunnel of wind and light. Sounds whirred by, distorted because she was moving so fast.

  Suddenly, she stopped moving. Her head spun, but when her vision straightened, she saw she was hovering above a narrow, empty space of wooden floorboards. Books lay in stacks all around the small room.

  Her room. She was back at the cottage.

  Whatever force that was holding her up let go, and she dropped to the floor, landing with a thump. She shook her head, feeling queasy. “Via?”

  The room was silent. The other girl was not there.

  “Via!” With a start, Natalia stood. The room spun, but she managed to stumble to the window. The yard was empty, the sky a pale silver sheet as the moon surrendered its nightly reign to the sun. Natalia’s heart dropped. Fragile, little Via was out there in the woods alone with the wolf.

  Natalia bolted for the door. Via needed help. It made no difference what she said, Natalia wasn’t about to leave her –

  A soft “coo” akin to a purr came from the window, startling her. A white dove was pecking at the glass.

  She ignored it, thinking it would grow bored and fly away, but it persisted, pecking more insistently.<
br />
  Crossing the room, she watched the bird. It did not shy away from her presence. Curious, she opened the window the way Via had showed her, and the dove hopped onto the floor, flapping its wings and strutting around before shifting into a girl in a swirl of wispy white light.

  Natalia smiled. “Via!”

  Via gave her a tired smile back. Circles drooped under her eyes, and her body sagged as if it were drained of energy.

  Natalia looked her over with growing worry. “What happened to Nefrim? Are you all right?”

  “He’s gone… for now,” Via said. The weakness in her voice scared Natalia. “He can never stay in the Light Realm for long, at least, not while being so far from his Host.”

  “Host?”

  “A Host is a carrier of Dark Magic, someone who’s been so consumed by it that he becomes its living incarnate. Nefrim is one of the oldest creatures alive, if not the oldest entity of Dark Magic. He came into being at the same time as the Fey, the essence of goodness or White Magic, because light cannot exist without darkness and vice versa.” Her eyes shimmered. “He does have some differences from the Fey. In order to exist on our plane, he must always have a Host, or a being to possess. It’s the only thing keeping him alive here, not to mention he leeches off the Host’s power, making the parasite stronger.”

  A cold chill raked Natalia’s skin. “The Queen. She’s his Host, isn’t she?”

  Via’s eyes turned grim. “Yes, she is. And her power weakens the longer she is bonded with Nefrim. That’s why he is seeking a new Host.”

  Natalia gulped and decided to change the topic. “You don’t look well,” she said, gazing at Via with growing concern.

  “I’m fine,” she said, waving her hand as if to flick her worry away. “It’s you I was worried about, which is why I came.”

  “Why did Nefrim want me?”

  Via’s smile turned dark. “Because he wishes to gorge himself on your power or perhaps even try to make you his new Host. And I wasn’t about to let that happen.”

  Natalia sighed, rubbing her temples. “Everyone keeps telling me I’m this powerful Charmed one, and yet I have no idea how to summon my power, if it exists.”

  “Oh, it’s there. It will take a bit of practice and perhaps some prodding to draw it out, but make no mistake it’s inside you.”