by Meg Anne
Her heart stuttered as he lifted a hand and brushed a few wet strands of hair off of her face.
“You are so beautiful, Effie. Damn near takes my breath away to look at you.”
His words were reverent, and she went still, afraid that anything she said would only break the moment.
“I can’t stop thinking about you,” he confessed, his hands closing around her waist and pulling her that last inch forward until their bodies all but touched.
The heat of his hands over her wet clothes made her shiver.
“Cold?” he asked.
She shook her head, never once looking away from him. She’d freeze to death before risking anything that would cause him to let her go and leave this moment.
His gaze roamed over her face, pausing on her lips before lifting back up to her eyes. There was a question in his own, a request for permission. She tilted her chin up, hoping that was the only answer he required. She didn’t think she could form coherent words; her heart was beating so fast she could feel it in her throat.
He moved slowly, giving her every opportunity to stop him. She would have laughed if it wasn’t so heart-wrenchingly sweet. If he only knew how desperately she wanted him to kiss her.
Maybe he did.
His breath fanned over her lips before finally brushing against hers. It was the barest hint of a touch, a butterfly landing on her cheek would have been more aggressive, but her heart exploded all the same.
Lifting her hands to his shoulders, she pressed her lips against his.
Darrin groaned, one of his hands lifting to cup her cheek while the other held her body against his.
“Effie? Are you alright?”
The voice pulled her back to the present, and she blinked back tears, refusing to let them fall.
It had been her first kiss. A perfect moment that was forever imprinted on her heart, and one she’d refused to let herself remember in the days after Darrin’s passing. It just hurt too much.
“Effie?”
She looked to Kieran as he swam toward her, frowning with concern. Holding up a hand, she stopped him before he could step out of the water.
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
“It’s rude of you to say so.”
Kieran groaned. “Oh, come on. I should be allowed to comment on the fact that you look about one heartbeat away from sobbing.”
Crossing her arms, Effie glared at him.
“Are you going to at least tell me what has you so upset?”
“Absolutely not.”
He rolled his eyes. Standing there in the water, he looked so much like her lost love that it hurt to breathe.
“I . . . I have to go,” she stammered, spinning away and practically running to the exit.
“Effie, wait!”
She heard the splash of water as he tried to follow her. No longer trying to hold on to pretense, Effie ran.
She didn’t stop until her legs were shaking and she was gasping for air.
Chapter 12
She fell to her knees in the jungle with absolutely no clue how she’d arrived there. After fleeing from the hot spring, she’d blindly ran through the halls, aware of nothing except her overwhelming need to get away.
Effie sucked in breath after breath, her shaking limbs unable to do more than crawl over to the base of a nearby tree. She slumped against it, using it for support while she tried to slow her breathing. There was only one possible explanation she could find to explain how she’d ended up here: she’d stumbled through a portal during her flight.
It wasn’t until her heart slowed and inhaling no longer felt like tiny knives scraping against her throat that she realized how much trouble she was in. Alone in the jungle, with no clue how to get back to the citadel and no weapons to speak of. Rowena and her army may not have made their way to Bael, but that hardly meant it was safe.
“Great job, Effie,” she scolded herself. “You’re really making a name for yourself here. At the rate you’re going, it’s not going to take more than a few days for the Keepers to realize you’re more trouble than your worth and send you back to Helena in disgrace.”
Closing her eyes, Effie continued her tirade in silence. She couldn’t seem to go more than five minutes at a time without humiliating herself.
Gauging the sun, she estimated it was just after midday. Good, that gives me at least a few hours of light.
Not quite ready to stand, she scanned the jungle, making note of her surroundings. Huge trees with heavy vines hanging between them, and massive flowers with blooms easily the size of her face ranged as far as she could see. The low hum of insects filled the air, but that was it—until a branch snapped.
Effie’s body went rigid. She pressed back into the trunk of her tree, hoping it concealed most of her body, regardless of the fact that her cream tunic must have stood out like a beacon in the otherwise verdant colors of the jungle.
She peered around the tree searching for the source of the noise. There was nothing there. Only slightly mollified, she started to turn back around until one of the shadows on the floor rippled.
Fear shot through her body, but outwardly she remained calm. She’d held her own in enough battles to know how to deal with an enemy. Yeah, but here I am without a weapon, like a fool. Crouching low, Effie kept her eyes on the shadow while her hands moved over the dirt nearby searching for something she could use to protect herself.
She found and discarded a couple of branches. They were unlikely to cause any significant damage. After a few more frantic swipes, Effie’s hand smacked into a heavy rock. It took both hands for her to lift it, which didn’t make it an ideal weapon, but if she could heave it at an opponent’s head, it should buy her the time she needed to run like hell.
Her heart thumped erratically in her chest as she waited. Just when she thought she might have imagined it, the shadow moved again, this time peeling away from the darkness.
Effie’s mouth dropped as a horrified gasp escaped. The sound of her terror seemed to encourage the monster. Its scaled body crept closer, two forelegs dragging the rest of it into the light. She scooted back, trying to keep the distance between them. The rustle of her movements brought its head twisting toward her.
She fought a scream as she searched for a place to strike. The creature was easily the size of two men, but there was nothing human about it. If anything, it seemed reptilian, but Effie had never seen anything like it before. Its scales were the color of night and thick like armor, so any kind of body shot would be useless. She had to aim for its head, although the rock that had felt like it was half a boulder now seemed like a piece of flint. Gulping, she scanned its face. Its eyes were two red slits set above a wide mouth filled with what had to have been hundreds of needle-like teeth.
How in the Mother’s name am I supposed to fight this?
Ronan had always told her that every enemy had a weakness, you just had to find it. But standing here in the dappled sunlight with a monster bearing down on her, she knew he was wrong.
A grim acceptance worked its way through her, numbing some of her terror. If she was going to die, she wasn’t going to make it easy.
Springing to her feet, Effie pulled the rock back before hurling it at the monster’s head. It flew wide, landing to the far left of the creature’s body with a thud.
Fuck.
The beast snarled, its head tracking the movement of the rock while Effie darted back to her tree and started to climb. The rustle behind her was the only proof she needed that it was coming after her. Palms slick with blood from the rough bark, Effie didn’t stop pulling herself up the tree, using the vines for leverage as she scooted higher.
What am I going to do? Think, Effie.
If she’d been one of the Chosen, she could make quick work of this creature with her magic, but she wasn’t. Once again, her gift was utterly useless. The only thing she had at her disposal was her wit, for all the good that would do her when fighting this threat.<
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Effie watched the beast push against the base of her tree, causing it to tremble beneath her hold. Her head smacked into the wood as she struggled not to fall. She hissed in pain as something wet and warm started to trickle down her face. Blood. But that was the least of her worries. A few more powerful hits and the tree was going to break.
I’ll never survive the fall, unless. . .
A plan clicked into place.
She started to tug at one of the nearby branches, nearly toppling out of the tree as the creature below slammed into the tree trunk a second time. Just a little bit further, she chanted, her arm burning as she stretched it to get a better grasp on a sharp piece of bark.
The monster rammed the tree a third time, and the responding crack was Effie’s only warning before the tree began to tip. It was more than she needed. Angling her body, Effie prayed her plan would work.
As the tree fell, the monster’s mouth gaped open, eagerly anticipating its dinner.
“Sorry to disappoint you,” Effie growled, swinging her feet up before letting go of the branch and flying through the air. She landed on the monster’s back hard enough that her teeth clanged together. The impact was more intense than she’d imagined, and for one terrifying moment she forgot to hold on.
She started to slide down its back, its scales shredding what remained of her sweater. Effie threw her free hand out, grasping onto one of them with a cry. The edges were razor sharp, but she only needed to hold on long enough to twist her body around.
Beneath her, the beast roared, trying to dislodge her, but Effie clung to its back, working her fingers beneath its scales to help her climb up to its neck. One wrong move and she’d slice herself open before the beast could eat her. Not necessarily an improvement.
Mercifully, Effie managed to hold onto the branch she’d pried off of the tree on her way down.
There was a snap and then a loud curse.
“Why can’t you ever do as you’re bloody told?”
Effie’s head shot up, her eyes flying wide as she spied Lucian bursting out of the trees, sword drawn.
His shout provided the opening she needed. The monster twisted its head toward the newcomer, and Effie wasted no time slashing her makeshift spear down into one of its glowing eyes.
Its shriek of agony was deafening, and it began tossing its head left and right in an attempt to dislodge the piece of wood.
Guess it had a weakness, after all, she thought with a savage grin. But the moment was short-lived. The frantic movements beneath her had broken her hold and Effie started to fall.
“Effie!” Lucian roared.
Airborne, her arms windmilled as she was thrown off the monster’s back, trying to catch hold of something that would keep her from hitting the ground, but it seemed that her luck had finally run out. With nothing else to do, Effie closed her eyes and prayed.
She landed arm first, the small bones shattering with a sickening crack as the rest of her body followed. She didn’t stop once she hit the ground, the momentum sending her tumbling across the jungle debris. White-hot pain burst through her, nearly rendering her unconscious with its intensity. Screaming, Effie skidded, finally coming to a full stop when she slammed into another tree.
Spots danced behind her eyes, further clouding her vision. She tried to push herself up and failed. With a whimper, she watched Lucian hack at the beast. Everywhere his weapon made contact with the monster’s body, black blood sprayed out.
Effie blinked, trying to clear the oncoming haze. Something had happened to his sword, and she was certain it was just her addled mind playing tricks on her. It looked like smoke was wafting out of the black hilt. She knew that didn’t make any sense. Swords couldn’t be made of smoke. Her thoughts grew sluggish and it was a battle just to keep her eyes open.
“Don’t you dare,” Lucian barked at her. “You stay awake, damnit.”
“Ass,” she muttered, but if his white-knuckled grip was any indication, she sounded less than threatening.
With a roar that rivaled the beast’s, Lucian flung his weapon high. It arced through the sky, the foggy tendrils looking like a million daggers, before sliding across the monster’s elongated neck. With a gurgle, head separated from body, the beast fell.
Lucian grabbed his weapon, which looked like a standard sword again. Effie blinked at it curiously, wondering which of the Mother’s Branches he controlled. She’d never seen any of the Chosen do anything like that with their power.
Wiping the blade along his leg, Lucian didn’t stop walking until he was kneeling beside her.
He cataloged her injuries before returning his dark glare to her face. “I thought you were told not to go anywhere without a guard.”
“Wasn’t intentional,” she gasped, his harsh words helping her think through the pain.
Instead of lessening his anger, her words only seemed to enrage him further.
“I’m going to have to carry you,” he declared, looking thoroughly put out.
“Sorry for the inconvenience.”
His lips flattened. “It’s going to hurt.”
“What’s a little pain amongst friends?”
His brow quirked. “Friends?”
“You saved my life.”
There was no response. Lucian slid an arm beneath her legs, and another beneath her back. Effie didn’t know if he’d even bothered trying to be gentle. It hurt almost as bad as the fall itself.
“Hold on,” he growled above her.
Effie snickered at the absurdity of his order. With her arm shattered, there was no way she would be able to hold onto him.
“Just don’t fall,” he amended.
Too late, she thought with another snicker. Apparently, Lucian is a barrel of laughs when I’m suffering from blood loss.
“How did you even find the portal?”
“Accident.”
“Why weren’t you armed?”
“Rough morning,” she wheezed, her eyes fluttering closed.
“Effie,” he snapped.
Her eyes flew open, finding his intense gaze on her face. If he was relieved she was still conscious, he didn’t show it.
“Why did you flee?”
“I didn’t.”
He shook his head, jaw hard. “The citadel,” he clarified.
Even if she was capable of forming the words, she wasn’t about to tell him about that. “None of your business.”
He looked like he wanted to shake her; thankfully, he didn’t.
“How did you find me?” Effie asked, interjecting before he could question her further.
“Wasn’t hard.”
How underwhelming.
“How?” she pressed.
“The two of you were making enough noise that anyone would have been drawn to you.”
Anyone with a death wish, maybe.
“What was that thing?” Her voice was thin; her words barely audible.
Lucian must have had excellent hearing because he still caught her question. “Angcerta.”
“Ang-what?”
“Certa.”
The combination of syllables didn’t make any more sense the second time.
“Right,” she murmured, resting her head against his shoulder.
Lucian’s arms tightened and the added pressure made her squeak in protest.
“Sorry.”
“The Guardian apologized. I must be dreaming,” Effie murmured.
Not breaking his stride, Lucian glanced down at her. “Fucked up dream.”
A laugh burbled up and the side of Lucian’s lips twitched in the hint of a smile.
“Definitely dreaming,” she decided, the fingers on her mostly uninjured arm lifting to touch the side of his mouth.
This time when her eyes closed, not even he could bring her back.
Chapter 13
“Effie, my sweet girl, where are you hiding now?”
Hearing her grandmother’s voice, Effie thrust the heavy curtain aside and clambered down from the window seat
, her joy making her clumsy as she awkwardly scrambled off the ledge.
“There’s my girl.” Miranda’s smile grew, her dark sapphire eyes glowing with pleasure. “What were you doing up there?”
Effie shrugged, not wanting to tell her grandmother that she’d been hiding from the other children.
Miranda’s shrewd gazed missed nothing. Kneeling down, she tilted Effie’s chin up, brushing back the heavy wave of curls that hung around her face.
Effie tried to pull away, but her grandmother’s grip, while gentle, was unyielding.
“How did you get that bruise?” she asked, her voice sounding like quiet thunder.
She recognized that voice. It was the one her grandmother used when telling the grown-ups her important stories. Effie knew better than to lie if her grandmother was using her special voice.
“B-Ben . . . threw his book at me,” she whispered.
“Why would the Olivesters’ son do that?”
Effie’s eyes prickled with tears as she recalled the hateful words he’d hurled at her. “He . . . he said that a waste of space nothing girl like me had no right to read about the history of his people. That I-I wasn’t good enough to be taking lessons with them.”
“Is that so?” her grandmother asked, her voice hard.
Effie swallowed and nodded once.
Sighing, Miranda sat back on her heels. “Effie, look at me.”
She lifted her eyes.
“Do not let their ugliness cloud your kind heart, darling. There will come a day when this is behind you. When the short-sided pettiness of others can no longer touch you.”
Effie’s disbelief must have shown because Miranda gripped her hands hard.
“I mean it. All of the realms will be open to you. Your destiny does not lie within these four walls. When the time comes, do not stray from the hard path. You will discover wonders you never even dreamed of, if only you have the courage to follow your heart.”
“You sound like you’re telling me one of your stories.”
Miranda smiled. “There is truth in all of my stories. This is no different.”