[Relentless 01.0] Relentless

by Karen Lynch

  After my meal, Aine took me for a stroll around the lake. Everything here was incredibly lush and vibrant, from the thick green grass to the sky so blue it almost hurt my eyes to look at it. The air was the sweetest I had ever smelled, and brightly colored birds sang to us from the trees. A few times I spotted tiny faces peering out from the underbrush and heard what sounded like giggles. When I asked Aine about them, she smiled and said the sprites were curious about their new cousin but they were too shy to come forward. I shook my head in wonder. The more I saw of this place, the more unreal it seemed and the harder it was for me to believe that part of me belonged to this world. I still was not entirely sure I wasn’t dreaming.

  We reached the far side of the lake, and I looked back expecting to see a building, but all I saw was the small courtyard nestled among the trees. I didn’t need Aine to explain that it was Faerie magic at work.

  We made our way back to the courtyard and walked through the hanging vines into a sunny room with comfortable couches and a low table set with a pitcher of juice and two glasses. Aine poured me a glass of juice, and I took a sip, savoring sweetness the likes of which could never be found in the human world. I leaned back on the soft cushions with a contented sigh. There was something about this place, a sense of tranquility that seemed to soak into every pore and lift every worry and fear from my mind. For the first time since my world had shattered ten years ago, I felt no fear or loneliness, just a deep sense of belonging.

  I wasn’t sure how long we sat there talking. Aine told me how a pair of selkies had rescued me from the ocean and called for her when they recognized me as one of their cousins. I told her I vaguely remembered hearing voices while I was unconscious, and she said the faeries had tended to me because nothing but their magic could have saved me. I had been stabbed with the same knife I used to kill Eli. To a Mohiri, vampire blood was just blood, but to a Fae, demon blood could be lethal. Aine said the faeries believed it was my own demon side that allowed me to finally absorb Eli’s blood harmlessly into my body.

  I asked many questions, and she answered them all. She told me about undines and how rare it was to find a female descendent of an undine/human mating. Because undines were female, only their female descendents inherited any of their powers. I was relieved to learn I would not get the sudden urge to take up residence in the nearest pond.

  “Was it my undine power that let me control my Mori all these years without training?”

  “Yes. Demons fear earth magic not only because of its strength but because of its purity. For that reason demonkind has hated us since time began. But you may be the first of your kind, half-Fae, half-demon, and your power is not like any other. It seems almost impossible for you to exist, but here you are. You are still so young. Only time will tell us what that means for you. You are something of a curiosity, even to us.”

  “Why would you or any Faerie help me? Aren’t you afraid of my demon blood?”

  Aine smiled, and her red curls bobbed when she shook her head. “Your Fae blood is stronger than your demon blood, or you never would have been able to hold back the demon in you. You are more one of us than them.”

  I didn’t like talking about my demon half, so I asked her to tell me more about undines. She was happy to comply. She told me that all elementals had certain abilities in common and some unique to their element. Elementals lived forever unless they chose to give up their immortality. They had the gift of healing and could draw on the magic in the earth itself. They were the only beings in existence that demons truly feared. Undines could also manipulate water and create or control storms. Being only half undine, there was no way to know exactly what elemental abilities I had inherited until they manifested – if they did at all. She did say that if my healing power was any indication, there could be others and she would help guide me when the time came.

  In addition to their elemental powers and angelic singing voices, undines – pure undines, not half-breeds like me – possessed an unearthly beauty that had a dramatic effect on humans. Females felt threatened and an instant dislike for undines, whereas males could be driven almost insane with desire. Such intense emotions affected males in one of two ways: they either became completely enamored and protective or they were driven to darker impulses that resulted in violence.

  At my look of dismay she assured me that only a full-blooded undine could affect males to that extent and my mixed heritage diminished the attraction considerably. That made me feel only slightly better. It did explain, though, why I had no female friends. It also made me analyze every relationship I had ever had with males, and what I found did not make me happy. Both Roland and Peter had confessed to having crushes on me at one point, and they’d let me know that all the boys at school liked me that way when I first moved there. Scott was one of those boys, and his feelings toward me had definitely turned dark after I rejected his friendship. Then there was Greg, who for some reason chose to befriend me and who, according to Roland, had threatened every boy in school, effectively keeping them away from me. And I could not forget Francis, who despised me for no other reason than my existence. Was it actually my undine nature that made him feel such animosity for me?

  And finally there was Eli who had been so obsessed with me after one brief conversation that he had died trying to claim me. I shivered even though I knew he was dead and could never threaten me again. I asked Aine if vampires could be affected, and she nodded delicately.

  “Vampires were once human, so they are susceptible as well, but they can feel no love, only a dark desire to possess and inflict pain, not that they could act upon those desires with an undine.”

  Great where did that leave me? “Can a vampire tell I’m half undine? Eli said something about me having no idea what I was.”

  “If he tasted your skin or your blood – yes. A vampire would not face a full elemental, but you are very young and weak compared to one of us.” Her smile faded. “Even though they fear us, our blood is like a drug to most demons, causing heightened infatuation.”

  “What?” I almost jumped out of my chair. “You’re telling me my blood is a frigging aphrodisiac to demons?” Could this get any worse?

  “In a manner of speaking,” she answered bluntly.

  “What about other half demons like the Mohiri? Please don’t tell me I’m going to have to fight them off, too?” I thought about Nikolas and how overly protective he was for a guy who was just doing his job. I hated to think that it might be nothing more than my Faerie DNA driving him.

  “No, the Mohiri were created to be the perfect warriors and are immune to most forms of compulsion and weakness.”

  “Good,” I breathed, settling back onto the couch.

  Thinking about Nikolas made me remember how I’d felt when he fought all those vampires and demanded my release. I remembered his rage and him shouting my name when I fell. After this, he’d probably try to lock me in my room forever, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Nate helped him. My lips curved into a small smile. They could try.

  Oh God, Nate has no idea where I am! I couldn’t believe I had spent the entire day hanging out here with no thought about what my uncle must be going through.

  I jumped to my feet. “Aine, I need to go home.”

  “This is your home now, if you want it to be,” she replied. “Don’t you like it here?”

  “I love it. But my real home is with my uncle back in the human world. He’s all alone, and he needs me.”

  Her happy smile faded a little. “But there is so much evil in that place. Why would you want to return to that?”

  “The world isn’t evil, even if there are bad things in it. I have friends and family there, and I couldn’t imagine leaving them. Plus, out there I can help animals and the People. No one needs my help here.”

  She studied me as if still trying to understand why I would prefer that world over this perfect one. Her smile was sad when she finally nodded. “For you to wish to leave here this much means you really do not belong
here yet. No one who truly belonged to Faerie could ever call another place home.” She stood and held out her hand. “Come. I will take you to your human home.”

  I hugged her happily then took her hand. In seconds, the air around us began to shimmer and grow warm and the room started to fade. There was a terrifying moment of blackness where I could feel and hear and see nothing, and it felt like I was alone in a void between the worlds. But before panic could set in, the light returned and I found myself standing at my front door and looking down at Nate’s car.

  Aine let go of my hand and wrapped me in a gentle hug. “Good-bye for now, little sister. It made me happy to get to know you. You will always have a home with us if you ever choose to return.”

  Tears welled in my eyes as I hugged her back. I’d never been so happy to see my front door, but I’d only just discovered my new family and it felt like I’d lose that part of me when Aine left. “I’m glad I got to know you, too. Thank you for everything you did for me.”

  She pulled back, and her expression grew serious. “Sara, do not forget what I told you about demons and our kind. I fear there are many who will not be happy to learn of your existence. I have done what I could over the years to keep you safe, hiding you from those who sought you. Go to your Mohiri family, because you will not be safe on your own. I will find you and visit you no matter where you go.”

  Her words made me remember what David had said about how someone had wiped out all documents and trails that would lead to me and Nate, making it impossible to find me. All this time, Aine had been watching out for me and I had no idea.

  “Stay safe, little sister.”

  “I will. Thank you, Aine, for everything.”

  Aine’s only reply was a small smile before she quickly faded from sight. I found myself alone, barefoot, and shivering in a thin dress meant for the perfect warm, sunny days in Faerie. It was colder here than I remembered, but despite my discomfort I took a long moment to look around at the place I never thought I’d see again when I drove away from here a few days ago. I was home.

  Chapter 22

  I dabbed at my eyes and reached for the doorknob, barely able to control my excitement. I couldn’t wait to see Nate again. Between my revelations, his kidnapping, and then me going missing, the last few days had to have been pretty awful for him. I had miraculously been given a second chance, and I was going to use that to make things right with him. Starting now.

  I tried the door, but it was locked of course and my keys were probably at the bottom of the ocean. So much for a grand entrance. Wearing a sheepish smile, I rang the doorbell.

  It took a minute for Nate to reach the door. I heard the deadbolt move, and my stomach fluttered nervously as the door opened.

  “You’re early. I wasn’t expecting you until – ”

  Nate’s mouth fell open and his hand flew to his chest as he stared up at me like I was an apparition. It occurred to me that dressed as I was, barefoot in this flimsy dress, I probably looked like one.

  “Sara?” he whispered hoarsely.

  The words I had planned to say could not get past the lump in my throat, and I threw myself at him, almost knocking him out of his chair. His body was stiff, and I wasn’t sure if it was because he was shocked to see me or because I was actually hugging him. But then his arms went around me and he held me so tightly I thought my ribs would crack.

  After the longest hug of my life, he held me away from him so he could look at me, and I saw that his face was haggard. Wonder shone in his eyes. “Jesus – it’s really you!”

  I nodded and gave him a teary smile.

  His hands dropped to his lap. “I-I can’t believe it.”

  “Nate, I’m so sorry,” I blurted before he could say anything else. “For the lies and keeping everything from you – and for what happened to you.” I knelt in front of his chair and searched his face for some sign he might be willing to forgive me. “I know I screwed up, but I promise no more secrets. And I have so much to tell you.”

  “Sara, where the hell have you been?” he demanded, and the anguish in his voice spoke of the hell I’d put him through.

  God, how did I tell him exactly where I’d been? I tried to start slowly. “I was hurt, and someone took me home with them to help me get better. I know you’ve probably been worried sick the last few days and I swear I would have let you know where I was, but I was pretty out of it.”

  “The last few days?” Nate echoed incredulously. “You’ve been gone three damn weeks.”

  “What?” I said dumbly.

  “We thought you were dead. They searched the water for days, and they couldn’t find your…” His voice broke, and I saw the pain and grief he had suffered. “We–we had a memorial service last week.”

  It was a good thing I was already on my knees because my legs wouldn’t have been able to support me at that moment. Three weeks – how was that possible? Was I unconscious that whole time, or was it true that time moved differently in Faerie?

  And all that time Nate thought I was dead.

  “Oh God, Nate, I didn’t know, I swear.” My eyes pleaded with him to believe me. “I’ve made a horrible mess of everything, but I would never hurt you that way.”

  He closed his eyes and let out a long, shaky breath. “I’m afraid that I’ll open my eyes and find out you’re not really here.”

  I took both his hands in mine. “I’m here, Nate.”

  His eyes brimmed with tears when he opened them again. “Jesus, I need a drink. And then you are going to tell me everything.”

  I got up to shut the door and followed him into the kitchen. It was strange how everything seemed so familiar yet so different at the same time. The kitchen looked exactly as it had the last time I stood in it. I glanced at the phone and remembered pleading with Haism to not hurt Nate. So much had happened since that call, but it was not our home that had changed, it was me. I was not the same person who walked out of here that day. That girl had spent her life afraid and haunted by her past, unable to move past it and pushing everyone away, afraid of being hurt again. The girl who had returned in her place was no longer chained to the pain in her past. She was uncertain about her future, but she was also braver, stronger, and she would never let anything come between her and those she loved again.

  Nate reached into a bottom cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Johnnie Walker. He laid the bottle in his lap then grabbed two small glasses from the rack on the counter and rolled to the table. “Sit,” he ordered, pouring scotch into both glasses.

  I took the chair across from him, and he slid one of the glasses toward me. “You’re giving me a drink?”

  He shrugged and took a long drink from his glass then refilled it. I’d never seen him consume more than one drink at a time.

  Never one to drink much myself, I picked up my glass and took a cautious sip. I sputtered as the liquor burned my tongue and seared a trail down my throat. It hit my stomach and a warm, pleasant feeling spread through me. I took another sip for courage then laid the glass on the table.

  “How much do you know about what happened that day?”

  Nate set his own glass down, and I saw the bleakness on his face again as he remembered. “I know that man Haism took you down to the cliffs to turn you over to the vampires and they killed him. Then your Mohiri friends and the werewolves showed up and there was a fight. They told me you killed a vampire. Then one of the other vampires threw a knife at you and you fell off the cliff. Nikolas went into the water after you, but you were nowhere to be found.”

  It was surreal to hear Nate talking so easily about vampires, werewolves, and Mohiri. The last time I saw him he was still in shock from the things I’d revealed to him. It looked like I wasn’t the only one who had changed.

  “You met Nikolas?”

  “He showed up here minutes after that man brought me home. I told him what I knew, and he took off looking for you. He’s come by a few times since you… disappeared. He was sure you were still alive, and he
refused to go to the service. I asked how he knew, but he wouldn’t say. I’ll say one thing; he doesn’t give up easily.” Nate gave me a questioning look. “Were you and he…?”

  I choked as scotch went down the wrong way. “No. That’s just how he is. He’s pretty intense.”

  Nate did not look convinced, but he didn’t push it. “So what happened? Where were you?”

  I told him everything that went down from the moment we parted on the street in front of the empty building. I had intended to spare him some of the harsher details, but I found myself pouring it all out to him as if I’d opened a dam that couldn’t be closed. When I got to the part about my dad, I choked, but I forced myself to keep talking. Nate’s eyes reflected my own horror when he heard how Eli had revealed that he had killed my dad and meant to take me as well.

  “I killed him.” The fierceness in my voice startled Nate. He didn’t speak, but his hand crept across the table to cover one of mine. I went on to tell him about falling into the water and dreaming of my dad, then waking up in the room with Aine. His face registered his shock when I explained what Aine was and exactly where I’d been. Then I told him what Aine had revealed to me about my dad’s – and Nate’s – side of the family and what I had inherited from our undine ancestor. Aine had told me to be careful, but she didn’t say I couldn’t tell anyone what I was. Not that I would have kept it from Nate. I was done hiding things from him.

  Nate was on his third glass of scotch by the time I got to Aine bringing me home. I swirled the liquid in my own glass while I waited for him to speak.

  He inhaled deeply. “I honestly don’t know what to say.”

  “But you believe me?”

  “Yes.”

  My body sagged in relief. “You’re taking all of this a lot better than last time.”