by Linsey Hall
A figure drifted out from the trunk. She looked a bit like a ghost but tinged vaguely green and with rough, bark-like skin. A tree spirit.
“Keep going,” she whispered. “You are not there yet. The way is long and dangerous.”
I moved slowly through the woods, threading between the large trees as I followed the pull of my druid sense. Lachlan stuck by my side, but I barely noticed him. Every bit of my attention was glued to the forest around me.
At one point, the Cats of Catastrophe joined us, prowling along at my side.
The smell of fresh water filled the air, followed by the sound of a rushing river. I spotted it a moment later and hurried up to it.
A small boat sat against the shore, clearly waiting for me. It was tiny—big enough only for one. I turned to Lachlan and pressed a kiss to his mouth, then walked to the boat and stepped on. This was a journey that only I could make. I turned back to Lachlan.
Worry etched into his face. “Be careful.”
I nodded. “I’ll see you soon.”
The boat pushed off from the shore, driven by magic. There were no oars or sail, just the pull of power.
Muffin meowed, Hey! Hang on!
“You can’t—”
He sprinted away from the shore, then leapt onto the tiny boat. It rocked precariously. Princess Snowflake III and Bojangles followed, leaping off the shore to get onto the boat. Snowflake barely made it, her front paw grabbing onto the stern while her butt went in the water. She hissed and dragged herself on board.
Bojangles missed the boat entirely, but I was pretty sure that was on purpose. He swam alongside, his little head just above water and his goofy grin wide.
“Thanks, guys.” I smiled, then gave Lachlan one last look.
I turned to look back at Lachlan. Behind him, a strange creature crept from the forest. It looked like a giant centipede, ten feet long at least. A shudder ran over me and I pointed. “Behind you!”
But he was looking at the river, a frown on his face. A splash sounded.
I turned to look.
Another centipede had slithered out from behind some bushes and into the river. It swam after me, its shiny eyes riveted to the boat.
Muffin meowed. It wants to stop you.
A third centipede emerged from the forest.
“Keep going!” Lachlan shouted to me. “I’ve got this.”
“Alone?”
He just laughed confidently, then shifted into his lion form. His paws thundered on the ground as he raced toward the river and took a flying leap toward the centipede. The massive splash rocked my boat, and soon, he was wrestling with the beast, water flying all around.
Frustration seethed in my chest. Worry, too.
Muffin meowed. You can’t help him. This is his task. You must complete yours.
I gritted my teeth as my boat drifted down the river, away from Lachlan. I watched him kill the centipede, his claws flying, then swim for shore. There were two more to deal with.
Something flashed in the forest. A third centipede.
One was already to the water. Lachlan went for him, lunging and driving him to the ground. He battled him in the shallows, water splashing.
Muffin meowed. He’s got this. You focus on what’s ahead of you.
Wherever I was going, it had to be me, alone. And Lachlan had my back.
7
As the boat slowly drifted away from the grove, the river entered a wide, flat field full of golden wheat.
Muffin meowed. I’ve always hated boats.
“Thanks for coming. You didn’t have to.”
We’re a team. Of course I had to.
I reached down and scratched his head.
The boat continued to drift, floating past the fields that radiated a calm energy. It made my heart slow and my mind relax.
Shadows began to fill the air, floating alongside the boat. I blinked, squinting at them. My sisters? And my mother. Uncle Joe, from back in Death Valley. Anyone I’d ever loved followed along.
After a while, it seemed that we drifted through scenes of my past. Happy days with my mother. The horror of losing her to the bastards who’d hunted us. Lean days with my sisters, on the run. Finally making our way in Death Valley. Our first trip in the buggy, where we proved that we were as brave and strong as we’d always thought we were.
By the time we reached a split in the river, my mind was spinning from what I’d seen.
The boat stopped right before the river diverged into two. It hovered at the precipice of a decision.
My decision.
The left fork pulled toward answers. I could feel it as strongly as I could feel the wooden boat beneath my feet. If I went that way, it would be safe and comfortable and full of answers.
The other path…
The sound of a battle echoed from that one. Swords clanging, people screaming. No doubt, danger lay that way.
But also someone who needed me. I could feel it. Maybe it was my druid sense or just the nature of this place, but I knew that someone needed help. It’d be dangerous and take me off my path, but they needed me.
I looked down at Muffin.
He sighed, his little shoulders moving. Really?
“Yeah. I really think we need to go that way.”
Of course you do.
I leaned right, directing the boat toward the battle. A prickling sensation skittered across my skin. Nerves. What would we face there?
The boat drifted down the right fork, headed toward the fight.
Muffin meowed. Honestly, I think these are the trials that make you worthy of entering the sacred grove.
“I have no idea what this is. Just that we need to go this way. Someone needs our help.”
Fair enough.
I peered ahead, trying to spot what might wait for us. But all I could see was the river, winding ever onward. Anxiety pulsed in my chest, making my ribs feel too tight. The sound of the battle grew, but I could see nothing.
Finally, the boat beached itself on the side of the river, right below a hill. I scrambled out and raced up the hill, the cats at my side.
When I crested the top, I gasped.
Below, a battle raged. There were two factions. One was clearly made up of Celts. The other side was made up of Roman warriors, their armor gleaming in the sun.
Muffin meowed. We’re losing.
We really were. There were two main sections to the battle. At the front, the Celts were trying to defend a village of round houses that sat behind them. The Romans pressed in, overwhelming them with greater numbers. It wouldn’t be long before they overran the Celts and took over the village, killing or enslaving whoever was within.
There were Celtic reinforcements trying to reach their comrades, but they were blocked by a huge giant at a choke point between two rivers. The giant stood right in the middle, blocking the path to the battle. He swung a massive club, smashing anyone who tried to approach.
Without the reinforcements, the Celts would lose.
“We’ve got to stop that giant.” I turned and raced back toward my boat.
Muffin meowed. I like a challenge.
I leapt onto the boat. There was no way I could beat my way through the army to reach the giant, so I had to attack from the side, using the river.
The cats followed me onto the boat, each making it on board easily this time, and the vessel pushed away from the shore. It continued downriver, and I willed it to go faster. We didn’t have a lot of time.
The boat picked up speed as we moved, rushing through rapids that nearly threw me overboard. I crouched down and held on, the cats huddled around me. My own weird little army, but I wouldn’t trade them for anyone.
My heart thundered as the sound of the battle increased. Shouts and moans, the clashing of blades. Soon, we were drifting by the horde of Celts who pushed toward the giant, trying to get past him at the choke point.
I drew a dagger from the ether and got ready to jump. The boat careened toward the choke point.
Muffin meow
ed. Get ready!
As if it followed my will, the boat veered left, toward land. Toward the giant, who stood on the little stretch of land between the two rivers, swinging his club toward the warriors who darted from the crowd. He took them out one by one, and the reinforcements didn’t stand a chance.
The bow of the boat slammed into the dirt, and I jumped off, racing for the giant.
He turned to me, thirty feet tall and as wide as a semitruck. His ugly face looked like it’d been squished in by a brick. He roared and raised his club.
I am going to die.
The thought flashed in my mind, so bright and fierce that I knew it was true.
But the bodies of the fallen caught my eye. They’d raced forward, trying to dart past or take him out. All so they could get to the village and protect their friends.
I sucked in a deep breath and raced for the giant, the cats at my side. We had to take him out. There was no other option. If I could draw his attention for long enough, maybe they could sneak by.
The giant stepped toward me, his footsteps shaking the earth.
Muffin meowed. We’ll distract!
The cats split up and raced ahead, circling the giant. He stopped and looked at them, confusion spreading across his face. I didn’t blame him. It wasn’t often you saw house cats who wore jewelry and were intent on killing you.
He swung his club for Bojangles, but the little cat was so fast that he leapt up onto the club itself, then lunged for the giant’s head. He landed on the beast’s nose, digging his claws in and holding on for dear life.
The giant howled and smacked at Bojangles, but he was too slow. The little orange cat scrambled onto the giant’s head, digging in with his claws.
I took advantage of the distraction, trying to use my light magic to stop him. At first, I struggled. My tattoos made it hard, blocking my magic before it could leave me.
I have to save this village.
Finally, the light glowed from me, bright and fierce, but he was too big. Or too evil. Whatever it was, my magic wasn’t working against him.
Crap.
I drew a dagger from the ether and hurled it at the giant’s head. The steel plunged into his eye, and his roar shook my bones.
Yes!
Then he plucked the dagger out of his eye and turned to me, growling like a hellhound.
Oh, shit.
He didn’t even look a little wounded.
Muffin and Princess Snowflake III went for his ankles, trying to distract him. I conjured another blade, this one longer, and darted left, trying to draw him toward my side of the river. If I could leave a gap between him and the other side, maybe some soldiers could sneak through.
The giant lumbered toward me, and fear chilled my skin. My weapons were too small.
I sucked in a deep breath and shoved the fear aside, then hurled my dagger.
He swatted it away.
Bojangles was attacking his head, but the cat was just too small to do any serious damage to a giant with skin as thick as an elephant’s.
The giant swung his club for me, and I dived. Air whistled over my head as the club swung past, and I scrambled up.
The giant threw out his hand, shooting a blast of dark magic at me. It smelled of mildew and decay. I lunged left, barely avoiding it, and it plowed into the river behind me. In that one small area, the water grew deadly still, no longer flowing but not exactly ice, either.
What the hell was that magic?
I had no idea, and I didn’t want to find out.
I needed something to take him down so I could get at his throat. Like a rope, or something.
A warrior in the crowd caught my eye. She stood at the perimeter of soldiers who watched us, her brow furrowed. At her waist, a whip was coiled.
I lurched toward her and reached out a hand, dodging a blow of the club before shouting, “Your whip! I need your whip!”
Her eyes flared wide, and she struggled to yank it off, then handed it over to me. I grabbed it and spun. The giant was lumbering toward me, club raised.
I sprinted around his left side, catching sight of Princess Snowflake III clinging to his leg, her claws dug deep into muscle. Bojangles was partway up his side, climbing toward the head. He’d probably fallen off, but he wouldn’t give up.
“Bail out, guys!” I shouted.
The cats leapt off. Muffin sprinted toward me from the other side.
He meowed. Give me an end!
I tossed him the narrower end of the whip, and he gripped it in his teeth, then sprinted around the giant. The beast roared as he raised his club to smash my head in, not noticing the little cat that raced around his legs.
I held the whip handle in my left hand while I drew my dagger with my right, trying to keep his gaze on me. On the blade that I waved in the air like a moron. He didn’t look too smart, and it seemed to work.
Panic thundered in my chest as I aimed and threw. The blade sank into his chest, but he hardly seemed to notice.
The giant raised a hand and threw another blast of dark magic at me. The scent of mildew and rot followed it through the air. I barely managed to dive left in time, and it plowed into the ground behind me.
Muffin had made a complete circle around the giant and was racing back toward me.
It was time.
I tugged the whip hard, yanking the giant’s feet out from under him. He roared, crashing to the ground. A blast of his dark magic shot from his hand, but I didn’t see where it landed.
I drew my sword from the ether and scrambled up on top of him, climbing over his belly like he was a small mountain. Before he could focus his eyes on me, I plunged my sword into his throat. Blood spurted. I yanked the blade to the right, determined to finish this.
The steel cut easily into his flesh. I yanked it around, doing as much damage as I could.
When a huge hand gripped me around the waist, shock dropped the world out from under me. Pain flared at my middle, greater than anything I’d ever experienced. The giant lifted me up and off him. Through bleary eyes, I could see that his own gaze was fading.
The arm holding me flopped to the ground, and I rolled out of his loose fist. Agony flooded me as I lay there, staring at the sky. I couldn’t feel my limbs. And the battle had gone strangely silent.
Get up!
I tried to move my arms. My legs. But nothing worked. Finally, I managed to turn my head toward the giant, my head flopping onto the ground.
He lay still, staring at the sky through blind eyes.
I’d killed him.
Problem was, he might have killed me, too.
People surged around me, some racing for the battle on the other side of the path, others kneeling at my side and trying to help. The expressions on their faces said it all.
Something white caught my eye.
Princess.
She lay on her side, frozen and still. A woman was kneeling over her, a frown on her face.
No.
Princess must have been hit by the giant’s dark magic. A blast of it had escaped him as he’d fallen.
Tears pricked my eyes. She couldn’t be dead. Not one of my cats. She was frozen at the very least, some dark magic binding her limbs.
It took everything I had, but I managed the strength to move my arm toward her. I reached out my fingertips, calling upon the light inside me. It was partially a healing light, right?
I had to try.
I used what Lachlan had taught me—didn’t even have to try, really. Of course I wanted to save Princess. The desire to heal her, to remove the dark curse, filled me. Sulis’s light expanded in my chest, and gratitude for her help pounded in my heart. The light burst from my fingertips and shot toward Princess, making her glow golden and bright.
This was easier. Using it to heal rather than to maim. This felt natural.
Princess twitched.
Strength leached from my muscles.
All around, warriors ran. Those who surrounded me were growing quiet. Their lack of noise
seemed to correspond with the fact that my vision was going dark.
I struggled to suck in a breath as I pushed my magic toward Princess. She moved her legs. Warmth filled me.
I gave her more magic, feeling the last of it slip through my fingers. As it did, she stood, hissing.
My vision went black.
I felt nothing.
In the distance, Muffin screeched.
8
Consciousness came slowly, though the world around me moved in a blur.
Warriors still streamed through the pass, and several people crouched around me, horror on their faces.
But it was the sight of Muffin’s ugly mug hovering right over my own that really scared the crap out of me. He sat on my chest, staring down at me.
“What are you doing?” I croaked.
His green eyes widened. Holy toadstools.
“What?” I tried to shove him off me, but my hand went right through him.
What the hell?
I tried again, but my hand passed right through the cat. It was transparent. Like a ghost’s.
Holy fates.
Had that giant killed me?
I sat up, feeling lighter than I ever had. As if gravity didn’t bind me to the earth. But I wasn’t floating like I would if I were in zero Gs.
So what the heck was going on?
The people around me didn’t gasp or even acknowledge that I’d just risen from the dead. Their gaze stayed riveted to the ground. Where my real head probably was.
I’m not sure I’d look, if I were you. Muffin leapt to the side, and I had to assume he’d leapt off my body’s chest, which was now slightly behind my head, since I was sitting up.
“As if I could resist.” My stomach clenched as I turned, dreading what I would see.
I nearly hurled. Or I would have, if I weren’t a ghost.
My body lay still and silent, my face unnaturally pale and my eyes wide open. A woman next to my head reached out and closed the eyes. I shuddered and turned.
“This isn’t good,” I said.
MTE. MTE.
“What does MTE mean?”
My thoughts exactly. Internet speak. Aren’t you hip with the kids?
“No.”
Well, I am.