by A. K. Koonce
Not all of it was a nightmare …
I clear my throat, shaking the warm thoughts away.
Through the crowd, my grandfather makes his way over to me near the tree line. He claps a few mystics on the back as he passes, laughing at a few jokes here and there. It’s amazing and ridiculous all at the same time.
“It’s nice here,” he says, admiring the hundreds of mystics and mortals eating their food.
I nod, trying to think of something safe to talk about.
“How’s Fallon. Are you two okay? I haven’t seen her since we arrived.”
None of that is a safe topic.
“She’s good. We’re good. She’s just … under the weather, Grandpa.”
A line forms between his brows, one more wrinkle among thousands. “Don’t mess that up, son. She’s a good woman.”
I bite my lip at the word woman but nod adamantly. He gives me a smile that makes his eyes shine as he gives me a side hug, his gray hair barely leaning into my shoulder. I hug him back, and I want desperately to cling to the normalcy we have, but in a matter of minutes he’s out mingling with my grandmother in the crowd.
My grandmother’s laughter howls through the loud chatter, happiness lining her face and a look of youth filling her bright eyes.
They’re happy here.
My attention drags back to Declan’s blonde hair by default, and the small calm my grandparents brought is pulled away in an instant. My lips pull into a thin line as my glare sets in.
Gabriel gives me a smirk, his eyebrow rising. He appears to be balancing a line in his mind, as if he wants to ask me what my problem is but also wants nothing to do with it.
Finally, he stands from his spot against a tree and joins me in my tedious job of glaring a hole into the back of Declan’s head as he eats his lunch.
“What’s your deal?”
I roll my eyes and finally look away. “Nothing.”
He bites his lip as he nods, not believing me.
“I – I want to surprise Luca tonight.” Nervously he shifts from one foot to the other before folding his arms across his chest, his metallic fingers tapping against his bicep as he waits for my reply.
“Okay. What kind of surprise?” I pull the Crimson Sword from my belt and begin polishing it with an old rag, careful not to touch the blazing and cursed material the sword contains.
“I – I was think of surprising her with a spur of the moment wedding.”
A clattering sound pulls too much attention to us as the sword slips from my hand and falls forgotten to the ground.
“A wedding? That isn’t a surprise, Gabriel. That’s a commitment.”
An excited smile pulls at his lips and touches his white eyes. “I know! It’ll surprise the hell out of her.”
“Yeah, and it’ll surprise the hell out of you if she says no.”
His smile slips away, his eyes growing wide with seriousness. “You really think she’d say no?”
My lips part, and a laugh I can’t stop bubbles to the surface. “It’s a fucking possibility.”
“She wouldn’t say no.”
“Maybe. Or maybe she might.”
His brows crease as he studies the dirt, confusion and fear replaces the carefree appearance he always seems to hold.
“I’m sorry. It’s not my relationship. I shouldn’t have said anything,” I tell him, squeezing his shoulder, trying desperately to wipe that look off his face.
“Would you have asked Fallon?”
“What?”
“If she didn’t ask you, would you have asked her?”
I pause, thinking about how surprised I was when she proposed in front of the entire community.
“Yeah. I definitely would have.”
He nods, his eyes still filled with fear. “Meet me here tonight just before midnight. Bring Fallon.”
He jogs away, his red hair like a beam of fire through the crowd. I don’t stop smiling even after he’s out of sight.
I never in my life thought I’d have a family. And yet here they are. My grandparents, Gabriel, and Fallon are all right here.
I once thought a life of hiding was the easiest way to survive. It was.
But surviving isn’t living.
Chapter Eighteen
Love and War
Fallon
Luca’s nimble fingers twist through my hair, weaving my tousled curls into something almost manageable. It’s been months since we’ve done something so … normal.
“It feels weird to be going on a date in the midst of a war,” I tell her as I slip on a pair of black heels and stand to meet her at the door.
“Gabriel insisted we do something fun before the world possibly ends.”
“He said that?”
“Yep.” A smirk touches her lips as she looks at me, and the moment of silence doesn’t go unnoticed.
A small, black nose nudges open the thin door of the hut, sniffing curiously. A smirk tilts my lips as Ripper stares hesitantly into the room. He paces a little on his dirty paws as he stares at me from only a few feet away.
Luca turns and starts to slip her flats on as I kneel in the dirt, desperately reaching my palm out to the little dog that was once my best friend.
He takes a single unsure step closer to me, a soft whine drifting from his tiny snout.
His white tail begins to wag just slightly, his head still dipping low, uncertain if he should trust the vampire before him. With his head still low, he scurries closer to me, his dark eyes flinching as my fingers run lightly over his soft hair.
A long tongue slips out, happily licking at my hand, his shoulders still hunched as if I might turn on him at any moment. Yet, he’s here anyway, trusting me when he isn’t sure he should.
“I’m really sorry, Luca.”
She blinks, staring at the floor for a moment.
“I guess, in the back of my mind, I didn’t think you’d do it even as you were doing it.” She breathes out a shaky laugh.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. None of this is your fault.”
Declan’s words about fate twirl through my mind. If I hadn’t went into the Red Hills this never would have happened.
Or would it?
“Let’s go.”
It only takes a few minutes to realize how hard it is to trample through the forest in heels and a skirt. The grace I was just starting to get used to is nowhere to be seen. I trip over a log, skinning my knee against the rough bark before healing instantly. Only the clinging scuff of dirt blemishes my skin.
Luca helps me up, and we make it to the clearing in one piece.
The open space is the same area where Declan trained me so long ago. In the center is a small candlelit table, and Asher and Gabriel stand the moment I come tumbling out of the forest.
Gabriel laughs as I fight a vine for my shoe. They’re the only pair of heels I own.
When I turn, Asher’s there taking the shoe from me and slipping it on my foot, his palm warm against my ankle.
“You look beautiful,” he whispers as he stands, his hand running up my arm, sending a shiver across my skin.
I push my hair back from my face before telling him thank you.
He takes my hand and leads me to the table. Subtly I lean into him, clinging to the warmth he seems to radiate.
“I want you to know I’m not responsible for anything that happens tonight,” he says in a rush against my hair as he pulls out my chair. I throw him a weird look that he promptly ignores and takes a seat at my side.
“This looks perfect,” Luca says, a smile like I’ve never seen before fills her face as she looks at Gabriel.
A pang vibrates through my stomach as I realize he can’t see how happy he makes her. He’s always made her happy without even trying, and he can’t even see it.
“I made your favorite.” Gabriel lifts a silver covering from her plate, revealing what appears to be … fried sausage links.
My stomach turns at the sight of the gr
easy food, my lip curling slightly.
Whose favorite food is fried sausage?
Luca squeals with delight as she picks up the meat with her hands and begins digging in. Asher shoots me a queasy look, his lip curling before taking a long drink from his glass. I follow suit and take a drink as well. Looks like we’re going to need it tonight.
The drink fizzles over my tongue all the way to my stomach.
“What is this? It’s good,” I tell them before downing the rest of the sweet tingling drink.
“It’s champagne,” Asher says, his arm slipping around my shoulders, brushing his fingers back and forth along my arm.
His silver eyes sparkle, absorbing the clear light of the moon. His crisp, button down shirt reminds me of the shirt he wore on our wedding day.
That day feels so far in the past I almost don’t remember the girl who stood on the cliff, afraid of what might lie in the water below. But he’s the same. He’s the same mystic who always believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. We’re starting a revolution together. Because he believed in me and because I trusted him. My chest warms at the memory.
Just as I begin to get lost in Asher’s eyes and the only sound is the continuous and pleased chewing from Luca, Gabriel pushes out his chair and kneels in the dirt as if tying his shoe.
The greasy sausage slips from Luca’s fingers as she stares down at Gabriel in confusion. His red brows arch high; his smile is so wide I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much happiness before.
“Luca Raske, I think I loved you from the moment we met.”
“Gabriel, what the hell are you doing?” Luca’s head tilts as she studies the hybrid at her feet.
“You were fearless. Like an Amazon Goddess. I remember thinking something so perfect could never come from this cursed world. But you did. I want to be there for the rest of your life to remind you how incredible you are.” A smile bites across her lips as her eyes begin to water, and I can’t stop myself from gripping Asher’s hand beneath the table. “Say you’ll marry me, Luca.”
My chest rises and falls, my body coiling with energy as I wait for my friend’s response. I sneak a glance to Asher and realize he’s staring at me. A look of wonder fills his face, and he squeezes my hand just lightly before smiling.
I never thought I’d find love like this. I thought I’d be content but not … not this. I never thought my government would allow me to be this happy. I’ve learned that no one is responsible for your happiness but you.
“When?” is all she manages to say with a shaky breath as she nods repeatedly.
“Right now.”
“Now?” she echoes in a confused voice.
“Asher said he’d marry us. Right now. Tonight.”
Asher’s attention snaps to Gabriel, his smile falling away and replaced with a look of alarm.
“Wait, I never said I’d marry you guys.”
Gabriel and Luca’s happiness doesn’t slip away as they look at him. Gabriel opens his mouth, his straight white teeth displaying his excitement, but I’ll never know what he was about to say.
A shriek scratches through the night like a war call crawling through the darkness.
The sound is high pitched, angry, and monstrous. I know exactly what it is the moment I hear it.
I scramble through the forest, limbs snapping at my flesh, my heels stumbling through the leaves until I’m back at the Infinity witch’s house. With fumbling hands, I shove my bedroom door open so hard it snaps in two right down the middle, and I barrel through it without a second thought. Leaping over the bed, I snatch up the Crimson Sword, and in less than a second I’m tearing across the land to the cliff.
In the peaceful and clear night, the waves of the Emerald Ocean rock gently and leisurely as they pull the ominous ships closer to our shore.
Asher runs up to my side, his eyes widening as he takes in the sight of the countless ships. Another shriek sounds through the night from one of the veil down below.
“Wake the others. Hide them.”
“They’re strong, Fallon. They won’t hide.”
My fingers tighten on the hilt of the sword, my jaw clamping shut at the sound of his words.
“Then make sure they’re ready.”
***
I had forgotten the height of the veil. Their long and towering bodies like disfigured skeletons clawing up the shores.
On the first ship, I see her. As the others disperse, rallying up our land and ready to face their deaths, President Docile stands immobile. She stares up into the night, her dark veil blowing in the strong wind, her sights set on me as if she can sense me among the chaos.
In one swift movement I kick off my heels, the dry dirt clinging to my feet as I jump without fear. Nothing but adrenaline courses through my body as I free fall from the cliff. The wind whips at my hair, snapping it across my face for only a matter of seconds before I land gracefully on the rock below. My feet welcome the cool stone as I make my way toward her.
In a quick sweep, I assess the people around me. Determination lines their features, clinging to the useless mortal weapons as they storm up the coast.
They’re all mortal. Fighting a war they know nothing about.
Only a handful of veil fall from the ships; with reckless limbs they thrash through the dark waves and up the shore. Long arms slash through the clear water, disrupting the calming sea with every reckless step. One storms right up to me, shrieking into the night until it’s less than a foot away.
My back arches, and I do the only thing I can think of; I shriek back in its graying face, my teeth bared and a hint of a hiss in my voice.
Its mouth opens, seething with anger as it blindly assesses me. Its claw lowers to the ground as it cowers away. Long limbs creep along the smooth rocks, slowly backing away from me. It doesn’t make it far, though.
In the flash of an eye I sink my sword into its spindly chest. A low and weak sound cries from its thin lips before I pull the sword from its body, flinging its blood back with the movement. Slick, inky blood stains my skin.
The president drops from the ship like an angel falling from heaven. She lands with unwavering posture just in front of me, and her beautiful black gown drags across the damp rocks as she stalks closer to me. My attention is drawn back to the ship when I realize someone is still on it.
My father. He stands in a burly coat, his nose red from the winds of the sea. Unsteady hands grip a hand gun, but his gaze appears somewhat vacant as he stares out at the night with a look of uncertainty and fear smeared across his face.
“I considered your proposal,” she says, her eyes skimming the length of the bloody sword in my hands. “Unfortunately, we were unable to come to an agreement.” A cruel smile twists her red lips.
My lungs burn as I breathe rapidly through my nose, my fist clenching the sword so hard it hurts. With too much force, I swing the sword up, but in a flash she dodges the sweep of the blade. Stumbling feet carry me into the cold waves of the ocean as I try to regain my balance. Her body seems to coil with the wind as she sidesteps my attempt and begins running up the coast.
With more energy than I’ve ever felt, I run after her, my feet slipping against the rocks. She’s just a few yards ahead of me, but she’s coming closer and closer to the Wanderer’s community by the second.
I push myself harder as my bare feet fling dust in my wake, the woods coming into sight now. The screams and clashing of an unseen battle echo into the night.
When her thin body is just a foot away, I lurch forward taking us both to the ground. With shaking anger I raise the sword, but it barely singes her skin. She rolls out from beneath me, sending me spiraling to the side.
“I’m not a fighter, Fallon.” She circles me, holding her pretty dress in her petite hands. “I’m a survivor.”
Forceful breaths shake from my lungs as we begin to almost dance together. Every move I make closer to her she takes several quick steps back. It’s a circling and infuriating dance I’m not v
ery good at.
“Oh, look your mate seems to be in a bit of trouble.”
I peer off into the distance, my eyes scanning over the hundreds attacking one another. Among the chaos I spot him with ease; two veil are attacking Asher, and he seems to be trying to hold them off from the mortals. His sword plunges into the nearest one just as it sinks its teeth into his forearm.
He needs my help. It’s the last thought I have before the president moves with unseen speed. Her small hand shoves me harshly, and I lose my balance. The rock cuts into my feet as I teeter on the cliff, hanging on to the edge of the world.
Panic fills Asher’s eyes as he spots me from across the crowd. The wind pulls at my body, taking me down once more.
Chapter Nineteen
The Infinity Witch
Asher
The look of fear in her eyes has my muscles tightening with rage. With ease I cut through the veil before me like it’s nothing more than smoke. Its blood spatters my face as its thin body falls to the ground with a sickening splatter.
But more thrash up to me without delay. I breathe hard, realizing the veil are too much of a threat for the recently trained mortals of our community.
I have to believe in her. Fallon’s always been strong. Now her strength burns through her in cursed blood. I’ll always worry about her, but right now I have to protect the people she cares about. The people she risked everything for.
As I raise the sword, my fists tightening on the hilt, I slice into the shrieking creature racing toward our community. The blade sinks into its thick arm, clipping it almost entirely in half but it doesn’t delay the veils rage. Long claws sink into my chest, tearing me to the ground in one swift motion.
Rows of sharp teeth sink into my shoulder, and the pain flares all the way to the bone. My jaw clenches, and without thinking I bang my head into its slick gray skull. It jars back from me, a shriek flinging from its lips. Its hind legs crouch ready to leap, but a flaming blue light ignites across its spindly body.
Louder, its cries carry, and it only takes a moment for me to find the source of the burning magic. The Infinity witch glares with determination. The image of my brother stands beside me with fumes of blue light blazing from his palms, hitting the crumpling veil in the center of its chest.