Everlasting

by W. J. May

  “Dylan!”

  Without stopping to think, Katerina launched herself across the room as fast as her bandaged leg would go and threw herself into his arms. He staggered back a step, but held onto her fiercely, burying his face in her hair with a hidden smile. A second later, the two of them staggered back again as Tanya added onto their huddle, throwing her tiny arms around the pair of them.

  Even Cassiel tried to push to his feet, but at that point Dylan detached himself from the others and was quick to stop him, easing him back down with brotherly concern.

  “Careful,” he chided gently. “It’ll be no fun screaming at you if you’re already passed out from the pain...”

  The two men locked eyes, and a truly indescribable look passed between them. One that encompassed all those things they’d never be able to say. The women stared on in fascination, but a second later it was like it had never happened. They were back to their usual selves once again.

  “I told you the forest was cursed.”

  Cassiel lifted his shoulder in a would-be shrug as Dylan stared down with a cool glare.

  “You didn’t tell me you’d turn into a homicidal zombie the second we stepped inside, though.”

  There was a guilty pause, then the fae’s eyes dropped down to the bedspread. “Yeah...that was a surprise to me, too.”

  A medley of both extreme amusement and exasperation flickered across Dylan’s face, but before he could open his mouth to respond the door opened, and the four friends leapt back of one accord—huddled closely together as they braced themselves for whatever was to come.

  Fortunately, it was nothing more than the world’s friendliest doctor.

  “Oh, my heavens!” He almost dropped his pen and clipboard as he stared up at them in shock. “You’re awake—all of you! I didn’t think that would happen for quite some time!”

  “We’re just full of surprises.” Dylan stepped forward with a tight smile, casually shielding the others from view as he looked the doctor up and down. “I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met...”

  The man stared at him for a second more, remembering his manners all at once.

  “Of course. You must have thousand questions.” He grasped Dylan’s hand without a second’s pause, shaking it profusely. “My name is Tobias Matlock. I’m the resident doctor here in Vale. You were brought in late last night for treatment. Some rather serious injuries between the lot of you, but don’t worry, you’re all going to be just fine.”

  “Vale?”

  Dylan pulled back in surprise. Apparently, they were much farther off course than he’d originally thought. His eyes flickered automatically out the window before returning to the doctor with an instinctual unease. It wasn’t in his nature to rely upon the kindness of strangers, and he didn’t quite know what to make of this one now.

  Katerina, on the other hand, couldn’t be more grateful.

  “We really can’t thank you enough.” She limped forward with a smile, pushing past Dylan despite his continual efforts to shield her from view. “All of us,” she added pointedly, elbowing him discreetly in the ribs. “If it weren’t for you, there’s a good chance we could have died out there.”

  There was an awkward beat of silence, then the others took their cue. Filling the air with half-hearted murmurs of gratitude, while taking great care to avoid the doctor’s eyes. After another elbow to the ribs even Dylan joined in, though he continued to study the doctor cautiously.

  “I’m sorry, but I’m having trouble understanding...” Dylan trailed off, searching the man’s face for any hint of a lie. “Where exactly did you find us—”

  “Perhaps I can answer that question.”

  The door pushed open again, and a group of five tall men strode into the infirmary. This time, the gang’s reaction was much more difficult to hide. Katerina fell back into Dylan’s shadow, while his hand drifted instinctively to his blade. Tanya’s eyes darted swiftly to the exits, forming a dozen contingency plans on the fly, while Cassiel pushed slowly to his feet.

  It was a defensive posture that didn’t lessen in the slightest, even when the man in the middle stepped forward with a reassuring smile.

  “Henry Chambers, acting magistrate of Vale.” He wasn’t exactly friendly, but at least he was courteous. And his eyes shone with open curiosity as he looked the youngsters up and down. “It was my men and I who found you on the edge of the forest; we were coming back from a hunt.”

  Dylan never blinked, staring at the man with a carefully practiced calm. “You hunt in Laurelwood Forest?”

  It was a test. One they’d had the unfortunate experience of learning firsthand. But the man didn’t falter for an instant. He appeared to be telling the truth.

  “No, none of the villagers go into the forest,” he replied evenly. “But we hunt in the glen that borders the northwestern edge.”

  “A lot of pheasants this time of year,” one of the men standing behind him volunteered.

  “Yes, a lot of pheasants.” Henry’s eyes twinkled as he continued to look the travelers up and down. “Like I said, no one goes into the forest—for the simple reason that no one who’s tried has ever come back out. Which is why we were so surprised to have found the four of you.”

  A little chill crept up Katerina’s spine, and she inched even closer to Dylan. His eyes were fixed on the man, but he said nothing. Waiting for him to make the first move.

  “Rather, we found the two of you,” Henry clarified, gesturing to the girls. “This one was unconscious, and this one,” he jerked his fingers towards Katerina, “kept screaming that there were two more inside. Wouldn’t let us touch her until we promised to go and look.”

  The princess blushed. She didn’t remember any of that. But the words had a profound effect on Dylan. For the first time since the door had opened he lowered his defenses, staring at the man with something close to respect.

  “And you did?” he asked, unable to keep the surprise from his voice. “You went inside?”

  The man met his gaze for a moment before his face softened as well. While the gang was in their late-teens—with one immortal exception—he and his men were close to forty. It was impossible not to feel protective, even slightly paternal, at the sight of injured youngsters travelling on their own.

  “You’re just a kid,” he said quietly before becoming abruptly gruff. “At any rate, it isn’t often that we get strangers up in these parts. The last thing we’d want to be is...inhospitable.”

  His tone ended the discussion, at least for now. With a quick gesture of his hand, the rest of his men emptied the room. He made to follow them, pausing only to give instructions to the doctor.

  “Let me know what they need, and I’ll send up supplies.” His eyes flickered over the blood-stained sheets before tightening around the edges. “In the meantime, make sure they get lots of rest.”

  At this point Cassiel and Dylan shared a quick glance, after which Dylan stepped quickly forward. A charming smile was painted across his face. One that very rarely failed to hit its mark. “Thank you for that. But it won’t be necessary.” He cocked his head towards the others in a seemingly casual gesture. “It’s actually time we get back on the road.”

  Both Henry and the doctor turned to him with matching looks of amusement but said not a word. Instead, they simply watched as he stammered on, sounding less and less credible all the while.

  “Seriously, we’re just fine.” To prove his point he clapped Cassiel cheerfully on the shoulder, ignoring the fresh wave of blood that followed. “If we could just give back our clothes—”

  “You’re fine, are you?” Henry’s eyes twinkled as he stepped forward again, staring at the boy in front of him with growing fondness. “In that case, I wish you well.”

  He offered out his hand for a cordial farewell, and Dylan glanced down in surprise, pleased he was relenting so quickly. His body relaxed, and he flashed a quick smile, nodding his gratitude.

  Then he made the extreme mistake of shaking the man
’s hand.

  To start, Henry Chambers didn’t shake. He pulled. And the second he did, the newly stitched hole in Dylan’s shoulder reopened with a vengeance. He jerked forward with a gasp, unable to hide it, then bowed his head, refusing to meet the man’s eyes.

  Everyone else in the room froze as Henry gently released Dylan’s hand, staring down at him in a way that convinced Katerina he had sons. After a moment’s pause he cleared his throat softly, a silent demand that the young man meet his gaze.

  “What’s your name?”

  Riley. Katerina had heard the alias before. Riley O’Keathe.

  “Dylan.”

  For the second time the room froze in surprise. But Henry flashed him a genuine smile.

  “Get some rest, Dylan. We’ll see you for dinner tonight.”

  The ranger said not a word as the man swept out of the room. The doctor was soon to follow, and only a moment later the four friends were left alone. No one said anything for a moment, they merely stood there in an increasingly comical silence. Then Dylan tilted his chin with an admirable air of nonchalance and headed back to his bed.

  “I decided we should stay.”

  It was a testament to the delicate state of his ego that none of the others said a word to contest this. They merely climbed into their own beds, hiding secret smiles all the while.

  Sure. Katerina pulled the blankets up to her face, covering her mischievous grin. You decided.

  Chapter 12

  The gang didn’t rest at all that day. Didn’t sleep a wink. Instead, they spent every second strategizing. Mapping routes, patrolling the infirmary, and devising various methods of escape should their new hosts turn out to be less than hospitable.

  At least, that was the plan. But then they accidentally fell asleep.

  There was only so much abuse the human body could take. Only so much blood loss, trauma, and sheer exhaustion before it took matters into its own hands and lost consciousness. It was a full twelve hours before Katerina opened her eyes again. A full twelve hours on a mattress, with a pillow, in a heated room. Three things she half-thought she’d never experience again.

  “Dylan?” she murmured automatically, pushing back her messy curls and gazing in sleepy disorientation around the room. “Are you here?”

  The others were still out cold. All sprawled out in various poses of childlike fatigue on the beds. Cassiel had pulled the covers all the way over his face, Tanya had somehow twisted around herself like a pretzel, and Dylan? Well, Dylan had to be the cutest one of all.

  Katerina pushed to her feet and tiptoed across the room with a little smile, gazing down at him with a feeling of tenderness she was having a hard time trying to control.

  His hair was sprawled across the mattress like a messy halo, one shoe had been lost while the other was dangling from his ankle by nothing but a lace, and he was hugging a pillow to his chest like it was some kind of teddy bear, squeezing it occasionally tighter as he twitched in his sleep.

  Too. Cute. For. Words.

  For a moment, she simply stared. Then, without saying a word, she perched upon the edge of the mattress and brushed back a strand of his wild hair. His eyes snapped open the instant they touched, and his hand shot out to catch her wrist. She flashed a smile, then waited patiently.

  Her new friends spooked easily. She was learning to adapt.

  It took him a second to get his bearings before he slowly released her. He was just as thrown by their cushy surroundings as she was herself, and by the time he registered that it was beginning to grow dark outside he sat up on the mattress in alarm.

  “What time is it?” His voice was scratchy, and his words were thick with sleep. Although he had yet to notice, he had not yet let go of the pillow.

  The princess smiled even wider, reaching up again to run her fingers through his hair. “I think it’s coming up on around seven. There’s a giant clock in the town square, and you can see it from here. People are getting ready for dinner.”

  He nodded quickly, then registered her touch for the first time. While he instinctively tensed, he didn’t pull away. Quite the contrary. His eyes flickered to hers with a curious little smile. “What’s this?”

  She had no idea what was making her so bold. She had no idea what was making her feel this way at all—given the living hell they’d just been through. But, for the first time in what felt like ages, she was rested, well-fed, and felt some small degree of security. It left her mind free to wander onto different things. Like the man who occasionally kissed her with no explanation.

  She flashed another grin but didn’t remove her hand. She rather liked touching his hair. The messy waves. The silky texture. It was the kind of hair that was just dying to be played with. “I don’t know,” she answered coyly, twirling a lock of it between her fingers. “Nothing.”

  His lips parted uncertainly, but for once the great Dylan Aires didn’t know what to say. He simply sat there, staring back with a tentative smile, leaning subconsciously into her hand. They stayed that way for a long moment, and it looked like he was about to break the silence, when there was a faint rustling of sheets behind them as Cassiel unearthed himself from his nocturnal tomb.

  “Seven hells.” The fae stretched his arms painfully, feeling the spot where the doctor had laced a series of silver stiches through his skin. “I could use a drink.”

  Katerina retracted her hand immediately, and Dylan dropped his eyes with a grin. The moment was effectively ruined. But that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be plenty of others to come.

  Hopefully.

  “Dylan?”

  The ranger twisted his head, glancing over with an amused smile at his friend. A friend who seemed blessed with the world’s worst timing. “Yeah?”

  “At some point in the woods...did you stab a tent peg through my arm?”

  Katerina took that as her cue to leave. She pushed quickly to her feet, taking a step back as Dylan did the same. “You should probably—”

  “Yeah, we’re going to need to talk that one out.”

  There was an awkward moment as they both tried to walk past the other, mirroring each other’s every move. Then Dylan lifted her by the shoulders and set her aside, giving her a little wink as he headed over to discuss with his friend the hazards of witchcraft and camping.

  “Oh, that’s fine. No one ask about how I’m doing.”

  Katerina turned around with a grin to see Tanya sitting up in the center of the bed. A small nest of blankets was circled around her, and despite the fact that they were safe, dry, and indoors for the first time in weeks, she was looking distinctly sorry for herself.

  “Well good morning, sunshine.” The princess perched on the edge of her bed with a little smile, wondering what could possibly be going on inside that crazy head. “Sleep well?”

  “Too well,” Tanya replied, stifling a shudder. “I dreamt we were all trapped in this cursed forest where I got bitch-slapped by a fern, then one of us went crazy and started trying to kill all the others.” She looked up dryly as the room fell suddenly silent. “What? Too soon?”

  In what turned out to be rather fortunate timing, there was a knock on the door.

  “Who is it?” Dylan called warily.

  No sooner had he asked the question than it pushed open and a tiny, middle-aged woman bustled inside. In her arms, there was a stack of freshly laundered clothing. Clothing that looked very familiar, despite the uncharacteristic absence of blood.

  “Your clothes,” she said with no preamble, setting them down on a chair. “And after you get dressed, Mr. Chambers requested the pleasure of your company at a feast in the town square. He wanted me to let you know we’re having pheasant. It’s already started, so no need to rush. Just come down whenever you’re ready. And let me know if there’s anything else you need.”

  She left as quickly as she’d come, leaving the gang staring blankly at the clothes. It was quiet for a moment, then Tanya turned with a hopeful smile to the others.

  “So, I
know we were heading to Brookfield, but I have a better idea. Let’s stay here. Forever.”

  Cassiel laughed quietly and moved forward to grab his shirt, tossing the shifter her cloak at the same time. “You have my vote. Dylan can build us a house at the edge of the village.”

  “Wait,” Dylan slipped his leather jacket over his arms, “why do I have to build the house?”

  “Because you stabbed me in the shoulder with a tent peg.”

  “I thought we’d gotten past that—”

  “Guys.” Katerina stood in the center of the room, fully dressed and feeling happier than she had in a long time. She waited until all eyes were on her, then cocked her head towards the door with a little smile. “Let’s go to a feast.”

  IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN a ‘feast’ by any royal standard to which she’d become accustomed, but Katerina couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun. While she’d only been in exile for a little over a month, so much had happened that she’d almost forgotten what it felt like to relax, let her guard down, and simply enjoy herself in the company of good friends.

  The gang ate, and drank, and laughed far into the night. The second the sun went down the villagers had lit a massive bonfire. Musicians wielding flutes, and guitars, and fiddles weaved their way seamlessly through the crowd—all chiming in with the same festive tune that looped in a continual chorus as the stars peeked down curiously through the clouds.

  Henry Chambers—or just Henry, as he insisted on being called—turned out to be everything the four friends could have hoped to find in a host. He was as generous as he was engaging. As curious as he was kind. And no matter how many drinks they consumed or how late the conversation stretched into the night, he never pressed. Never asked a single question they wouldn’t be able to answer. Never said or did anything to set them on guard. By the time the dinner portion of the evening was over, and the dancing had begun, Katerina looked over twice and saw Dylan laughing openly at something the man had said. No defenses. No resistance. No lies.