by Linsey Hall
“Oh no.”
He nodded. “We fought back. I took out six, but there were ten. By the time help arrived, we were both nearly dead.”
“Oh, Lachlan.” I couldn’t imagine how terrible that must have been. In pain. Afraid. Young. “What happened then?”
“Recovery was an ugly process. Our relationship didn’t survive it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“That part, I’m not sorry about. We were never meant to be. But her injuries…” He sounded agonized. “I couldn’t bear it. If I hadn’t been so infatuated, so obsessed, I would have been more on my guard. We wouldn’t have been out at night. Or if we had been, we’d have stuck to the safer streets. I vowed I wouldn’t let anything like that happen again.”
“Which is why you made up the excuse that we couldn’t be together.”
“Exactly. I wasn’t quite ready to bare my worst failing to you. But when I started to feel something for you—something I’ve never felt before, not even with her, I knew I was in trouble.”
“I can take care of myself, you know.” His story sliced at my heart. “But I don’t need you to be watching out for me all the time. I’ve managed fine on my own since I was thirteen.”
I felt him turn to look at me, so I met his gaze. Conviction burned within the dark depths of his eyes. “I know. And that’s what changed. I realized that you could take care of yourself. Better than I can take care of myself, half the time.”
“I wouldn’t say that. I’ve seen you fight.” But the words mollified me.
“I want to protect you, Ana. I can’t help it. I need to. But I also want you. And I recognize that you’re more than capable on your own. It was stupid of me.”
I liked what he was saying. Liked it a lot. “Well, don’t be stupid anymore. Kiss me.”
A rakish grin swiped across his face right before he pulled me to him. His thick arms wrapped around my back, and I reveled in his strength.
I crushed my mouth against his, my breath already coming fast. He kissed like he couldn’t get enough of me. Like I was oxygen to a dying man.
My head spun as his mouth moved over mine, strong and sure. He tasted like wine and something that was indescribably him. I ran my hands up and down his back, over his shoulders and chest. I couldn’t get enough of him.
He growled low in his throat, an animal noise that lit my senses on fire. “I can’t get enough of you, Ana.”
“Same.” I kissed my way down his neck, loving the taste of him. “I’ve never felt like this before.”
“I’m damned certain I’ll never feel like this again.”
I moved my lips back to his, and he devoured me, so skilled that my head began to spin. As he lowered me back onto the couch, I was certain that I never wanted to kiss anyone else, ever again.
6
The next morning, after waking up with Lachlan on the fluffy cloud couch, we had a quick breakfast that involved far more smiles than any other breakfast I’d ever had. Last night, we’d kissed for over an hour—I wasn’t ready for more—then fallen asleep in each other’s arms.
It had been the best night of my life.
I was well and truly infatuated and trying my best to play it cool. I was probably failing, but in fairness, Lachlan was clearly not totally cool himself. I kept catching him looking at me with this goofy smile on his face. Considering that his brand of attractiveness was the slightly scary kind—all dark hair and sharp angles and wicked dark eyes—it was pretty awesome.
My ego was definitely a fan. And so was my heart.
After eating, we met Bren and Errawen, our fae guides. They led us back up the path toward the exit from Annwn. Each of them led a majestic white horse. The hounds followed us, silent sentinels who walked on soundless paws.
“Be careful,” Errawen said as we stepped out into the dawn light. “Otherworld has never seen such a threat as this. The destruction that it is causing….” She looked toward the dark scar in the land, her eyes sad. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I’ll fix it.” I had no idea how, but I would. This was my second home, in a strange way. I couldn’t leave it like this.
“Stay alert,” Errawen said. “Take help when it appears. Otherworld wants you to succeed in this. It will help you. You aren’t terribly far from the sacred grove now, but you must be prepared to make a sacrifice.”
“I will be.” Yikes. Sacrifice never sounded fun. “And thank you.”
They nodded once, then handed us the reins. “The horses will help you go fast. When you’re done, release them. They will find their way home.”
“Thank you.” I patted my horse on the neck, noticing that her white fur sparkled slightly. Her mane was a pale blue, along with her hooves. She looked a lot like what I’d imagine a unicorn would look like, though she had no horn. As a kid, I would have lost my mind over this fae pony. Adult me was having a bit of a fit as well, honestly.
Bren and Errawen turned and went back into the hill. The door disappeared.
Lachlan and I mounted our horses. We hadn’t seen hide nor hair of the cats, though I had a feeling Muffin would like to ride on this horse.
I didn’t need to tell the horse to set off. She picked up the pace and went straight toward the black scar on the earth, following the premonition that dragged me in that direction. It was almost as if she were connected to me, knowing which way I wanted to go. Lachlan’s mount kept pace with mine, and we galloped across the fields, making excellent time toward the sacred grove.
When a pond glittered in the distance, I pointed. “See that?”
“Aye. We headed that way?”
“Yep.”
My horse went faster, slowing only once we had reached the pond. It was about a hundred yards wide. The air on the other side shimmered as if something there was hidden by magic.
I dismounted and patted the horse’s neck. “Thank you.”
She whinnied and began to chomp grass, going straight for the clover. Every one she plucked up had four leaves. The luckiest horse on the planet. Or in Otherworld, at least.
Lachlan jumped off his mount, who began to mow the lawn as well, cleaning out every clover in the place. I left them to it, following the black scar in the land as it stretched toward the pond.
Just like at Sulis’s Roman baths, the water looked like it had an oil slick snaking through it.
“They’ve been here.” I stepped up to the slick and bent over, peering at it. The stench of rotten meat wafted toward me, and I gagged, stumbling backward. “Wow, they’re foul.”
“Aye, that’s the truth.” Lachlan walked around the edge of the pond, peering into the depths. “There are weapons in the water.”
“Weapons?” I joined him and spotted several old daggers and a sword. There was a shield, too, along with a small metal figurine. Understanding dawned. “They must be sacrifices. Remember what the fae said?”
“Aye. Which means that this must be something we have to decipher. Or do.”
“Maybe we make a sacrifice?”
“Maybe.”
I turned and inspected the land around us. About ten yards farther down the lakeshore, there was a large flat rock. It was shaped like a disc and set perfectly into the ground. I walked toward it, noticing that there were four indents carved into the rock. One in the center, and three around the edges, forming a triangle.
I climbed onto the rock and peered at one. It was shaped like a short sword, roughly two feet long with a slender hilt. The second one was a figurine, and the third a shield. In the middle, there was one shaped like a dagger. I looked between the lake and the platform, then at the hazy air across the pond. It was shaped roughly like a tree.
“Hey, Lachlan? Will you walk around the pond toward the tree? I want to test something.”
“Aye.” He started around the pond, going clockwise. I went counter-clockwise.
After about fifty yards, I slammed into an invisible barrier, just barely managing to stop before smashing my face.
“I can’t get through. There’s a spell.”
“I think I know what it is.” I approached Lachlan, who met me at the flat stone disk. “There’s a spell protecting whatever is on the other side of the lake, and we need to earn our way in. I think we have to find sacrifices in the lake that match the shape of the indentions on the stone.” I pointed to the sword-shaped one. “That’s what the fae meant about sacrifice.”
Lachlan grinned. “Aye, you’re onto something.”
I turned toward the lake. “Our target already completed the task.” The black oil snaked through the water, making me shudder. No way I was getting in that water as long as it was there. “I’m going to try to clean up the pond first.”
“Good plan.” He held out his palm. “Want a hand?”
“Sure.” I smiled. Teamwork. I liked that. When I had the torc, it’d be easier to do this on my own. But for now, I’d take all the help I could get.
I gripped his hand, my body lighting up at his touch. When his magic flowed into me, strength followed. I called upon my gift of light, catching onto it quickly. Sulis’s help had broken a barrier inside of me, making it easier to call upon the gift.
The light barreled out of me, shooting straight toward the black oil and lighting it up. It disappeared instantly, leaving the lake clear and calm.
I grinned and let go of Lachlan’s hand. “I like getting the hang of this.”
“You’re good at it.” Lachlan stripped off his shirt, getting ready to go hunting for the appropriate sacrifices.
It wasn’t easy not to stare, so I focused on taking off my boots. Next came my jacket, and since I didn’t want to run around in wet clothes all day, I stripped off my jeans and shirt as well.
“Would it be rude to stare?” A bit of heat echoed in Lachlan’s voice.
I shivered. “Frankly, I can’t take the distraction. So eyes on your own paper.”
He chuckled. “Agreed. But I will be thinking about you. Can’t help that.”
I grinned. “I’m fine with that.”
He finished stripping down to his underwear, and we waded into the cool water.
I took one deep breath and submerged myself, opening my eyes underwater. Things were a bit distorted, but it was clear enough that I could make out the various weapons and other items scattered across the sand below.
My lungs burned as I tried to stay under as long as possible. When I spotted a sword about two feet long with the distinctive handle, I kicked hard toward it, cutting through the water.
It gleamed, calling to me, and I reached for it. I almost had it when a snake darted out from behind a rock. The beast was as thick as my thigh and as long as I was, a brilliant green thing with big yellow eyes.
I kicked away from it, shooting for the surface, but the water made me slow. Panic stabbed me as the snake wrapped around my legs. Briefly, I broke the surface and gasped, sucking in a ragged breath before the snake dragged me back down.
Water rushed around me. I bent over, calling my dagger from the ether and stabbing for the snake. He’d wrapped himself around my legs and was pulling me back to the bottom.
My blade plunged into his side. He didn’t even flinch, just yanked me deeper. Fear screamed through me as I thrashed, trying to break free while stabbing at the serpent.
He’ s just too strong.
Something flashed out of the corner of my eye.
Lachlan. He cut through the water toward me, then grabbed the snake around the middle and yanked. The beast uncoiled as he dragged it off.
My mind buzzed, but one thought remained clear.
Get the sword.
I was almost out of breath, but this might be my only chance. Who knew how many snakes were in this lake, protecting the sacrifices?
I kicked toward the sword and grabbed the hilt, then shot to the surface. I broke through with a huge gasp, sucking in as much air as I could. The aching in my lungs subsided, and I stuck my head underwater, searching for Lachlan.
I spotted him about twenty yards away, snakeless and swimming for the surface.
Thank fates.
I surfaced, then kicked for the shore, cutting through the water toward the stone disc. By the time I reached it, my muscles were trembling from fading adrenaline. I crawled up onto the grass and flopped down.
Lachlan joined me.
“I thought St. Patrick drove the snakes from Ireland,” Lachlan said.
“He did. But the Celts lived all over. I think this part of Otherworld represents somewhere else.” The trembling in my limbs finally stopped. “What happened to the snake?”
“He disappeared as soon as you got the sword to the surface.”
“Magic, then.”
“Aye. They want to make this a challenge, it seems.”
“We should work in pairs, then.”
“Agreed.”
I climbed to my feet and stumbled toward the stone disk, then set the blade into the proper indentation.
It fit perfectly, and a little jolt of magic shot up my arm as I set it down. I returned to Lachlan, who was standing in the shallows and staring out at the lake. I made a point not to look at his butt, though I really wanted to.
As I stopped beside him, he pointed toward a gleam of silver in the middle of the lake. “I think that’s the shield.”
“It’s big enough.”
“Aye. You go for it, I’ll watch for snakes.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I waded into the water, glad to have Lachlan on my side.
Together, we swam out toward the gleaming shield. When it was right below us, I dived, cutting through the water quickly. Lachlan stayed at my side, his long arms making him look like a freaking Olympian.
The shield itself was decorated with swirls and red enamel. I reached for it. As soon as my fingertips made contact, a snake darted from behind a rock.
Lachlan was fast, grabbing the snake while I swam toward the surface. I broke through and sucked in a deep breath, then looked down and spotted Lachlan right as the snake disappeared.
Heck yeah.
He shot toward the surface. I started kicking for shore, dragging the heavy shield along. A few moments later, he joined me, reaching for my heavy cargo.
“I can handle it.” Water nearly got in my mouth. Okay, maybe it was pretty heavy.
“Together.”
I grinned, then let him grab one side of the shield. Together, we swam it to shore, then put it in the proper indention.
Finding the figurine took a bit longer, but it was the dagger that really gave us trouble. I grabbed a few off the bottom, but none of them seemed quite right. Worse, the snake never showed up, so they definitely weren’t the correct daggers.
It took over an hour to pick up every one, and we devised a system that worked along a grid made from landmarks around the pond. Funny-shaped rocks and that kind of thing.
By the time I tested the last rock and it failed, frustration beat inside my chest. I shot toward the surface and sucked in a deep breath. Lachlan’s head popped up near mine.
“It’s not here,” he said.
“Which sucks.” I cut back toward shore, my mind racing. Had our target stolen it? And if so, was the path forever cut off to us?
Panting, I climbed onto shore and sat, staring at the lake. So many people had made sacrifices here over the years, and the one item that we still needed was gone.
Lachlan joined me, stretching out on the grass and staring at the sky. “What if it was never there to begin with?”
“The dagger?”
“Aye.”
“Ah. So you think that we have to make a sacrifice.”
“Seems likely.”
I nodded. “I think you’re onto something.”
I scrambled up and shook myself off, trying to get as much of the water as possible off of me. Quickly, I pulled my clothes back on, then went to the stone disk. If Lachlan was ri
ght and this worked, I wanted to be dressed for whatever was coming next.
He followed, pulling on his clothes, and stopped at my side.
I stared down at the indention of the dagger. Suddenly, it looked familiar. It resembled one of my favorites, a gift from my sisters. I called on the dagger from the ether, then held it up for Lachlan to see.
“It’s probably not always a dagger, but for me, it is.”
“Aye, that’ll be it.”
I placed the dagger in the indentation. Magic fizzed up my arm, and I stood.
In front of me, the air shimmered.
I grinned. “It’s working.”
A delicate bridge formed over the lake. It looked like it was made of glass. Could we possibly walk on it?
The air on the other side of the lake cleared, revealing an enormous oak tree. It soared toward the sky, at least three hundred feet tall. The branches spread out so far that the thing was at least as wide as it was high.
“That has to be it,” I said.
“The sacred grove? But there’s only one tree.”
“Maybe it’s almost it.” I stepped off the stone disk, leaving my dagger behind. Sadness tugged at me. I hated leaving it there, but that was the point of sacrifice, wasn’t it? “Whatever the case, it’s definitely the right direction.”
I turned to look at the horses. They were way too big to make it over the skinny bridge.
“Bye, guys!” I waved at them.
They looked up and neighed, then turned and trotted off.
Lachlan followed, and we hurried across the bridge.
When I stepped onto the other side of the lake, magic enveloped me. It was comforting and warm, all the while making me slightly nervous. The feeling itched along my skin.
I looked at Lachlan, but before I could ask, he nodded. “Aye, I feel that.”
“Strong, right?”
“Aye. This place is special.”
I stepped toward the large tree, letting the magic wash over me. As I neared it, I spotted other trees. They seemed to come out of the mist. It felt like I was entering a land of dreams—hazy and vague.
“Keep going,” the woods whispered.
I squinted at a tree trunk. Was that a face?