“What the hell is happening?” she called over the rush of air that beat her hair against her face.
“I believe that was the equivalent of an earthquake, but somehow I don’t think it was a natural occurrence. Do you feel the magic around us?”
Lothar circled, landing near the top of the waterfall. This part of the island was less grown over and more rock than lush soil.
The shaking stopped and was followed by more eerie silence. He set Holly on her feet and studied their surroundings. The island seemed different. New life or, more likely, old life, had been breathed into it. The magic was ancient and something told him they needed to get off the island and quick. The sun began to rise quickly, adding light to what their eyes hadn’t been able to pick up before. The forest below was moving; life was rising all around them. Lothar eyed a flock of large birds take flight from somewhere deep inside the tall palms.
“Where do you suppose those birds came from?” Holly asked as she eyed the bright, colorful flock.
A screech rent the air as the trees bent to the mass of a large creature also taking flight as it followed the flock that was clearly slated as its breakfast. The creature’s eagle-like mouth captured half the flock, blue feathers lifting around its neck as it worked to swallow its prey. Its tawny-colored, lion-like body took unsteady flight on white wings as it chased the remaining birds that bobbed and weaved in an attempt to elude their pursuer.
“Oh, son of a bitch.” Holly moved to Lothar, her eyes wide and frightened. “Get us out of here,” she shrieked.
Lothar watched the griffin as it consumed the flock of birds, and then seemed to scan the skies for something more to sate its hunger.
“Run!” Lothar growled urgently.
“Fly us out of here!” Holly shrieked as Lothar grabbed her arm to pull her with him.
“It just ate like fifty birds. I don’t think we want to be in the sky right now,” he yelled, still dragging her with him. “Now beat feet, little vampire.”
The creature shrieked, sending chills down Lothar’s spine as he found a thicket of trees to duck into. The wings of the massive creature beat the air down on them as it passed over, screaming into the once-still and quiet air.
Lothar and Holly both watched quietly as it moved over them and eventually disappeared into the rising sun.
“That was a griffin,” Holly whispered in shock.
Lothar sighed. “That it was.”
“I don’t remember them being that big in all the stories. Where the hell did it come from?”
Lothar shook his head as he took her hand, tugging her deeper into the few trees that provided them with cover.
“Where are we going?” she asked numbly as she followed.
“I don’t know. I think we should probably head back down to the forest below. We need to find a way down that doesn’t require flying.”
Holly nodded as they moved towards the cliff’s edge, but remained in the sparse trees.
Time seemed to fly by them as they made their descent down the front of the cliff to the base of the waterfall and into the dense foliage. Lothar prayed it would give them a better chance of maneuvering through the island to find some place for them to locate cover while they figured out how to get off this now-living island. Animals and creature were abundant around them now, even thousands of insects had come to scurry, flit, and fly in the rich ecosystem.
“Lothar, I need a break,” Holly grumbled as they followed a stream that would lead them to the sandy shores.
Lothar saw the stress on her face finally, taking a break to truly look at her.
“Ok, let’s find a spot for the night.”
Holly looked around them. “Where?”
“I would suggest somewhere off the ground. Can you pull out a little more magic to help us out?”
She nodded. “What do want me to conjure?”
“It should be any easy one.” He pointed to a cluster of trees. “Build us a deck up there, and I will do the rest.
Holly nodded and created a deck that connected the three trees closest to them. Lothar pulled her into him, kissing her forehead as he leapt up on the deck, testing their weight on it before he set her down and got to work creating a shelter. He used large banana leaves, creating a cover that would go unnoticed by most things that went bump in the night. Most things. He wasn’t sure what other long extinct creatures lurked around them, but he figured this was a good cover. Still, he doubted he would be sleeping tonight.
Holly dropped to the floor of their accommodations and pulled her knees to her chest.
Lothar sat next to her, pulling her tight to his side. “Talk to me.”
A smile flirted over her lips, but never made a real connection. Just having him there and holding her made her feel a little better but still, the truth nagged at her. “This is my fault. We could die because of me.”
Lothar tipped her chin so he could see her beautiful, albeit haunted, lavender eyes. “Did you flash us here on purpose?”
“You know I didn’t. I still don’t know where here is”
Lothar nodded. “Are you able to flash us out of here, but just aren’t?”
She tilted her head in understanding of what he was doing. “No.”
“Then this is not your fault. This is just the circumstances we were dealt. We will make it out of here, I promise.”
He kissed her gently as they lay back on the unyielding flooring. She closed her eyes and imagined something plush replacing the hard ground. Lothar pulled back to see what she had conjured up. A soft feather bed appeared beneath them.
“I am too worn out to conjure anything else,” she murmured against the crook of his neck.
“I know,” he whispered against the top of her head, where he placed a gentle kiss. “Get some sleep.”
Lothar was thankful Holly was in a deep sleep as the forest burst into life late in the night, roars, screeching, cries, and thrashing echoed all around them.
Chapter Seventeen
As dawn began to break over the island, the noises calmed to those of a normal forest. Only then did Lothar allow his lids to close and a brief moment of sleep to take him.
Holly woke to the chirping of birds. Her instant reaction was fear that their morning greeting would alert the griffin that had stalked the skies. Rolling on her side, she looked down at a wary and exhausted-looking Lothar. His breathing was steady, but she had no doubts that he had only recently fallen to the Sandman. The thought had her brows furrowing… was the Sandman real too? With a soft sigh, she stood and stretched, thankful to find her body felt rested and prepared for the long day of travel ahead of them, also glad to hear the birds had quieted down. Moving a few leaves aside, Holly peered out of their shelter. The forest was covered in a light dew that made her throat dry. Looking back at a content and sleeping Lothar, she chose not to wake him as she leapt from the tree to the soft forest floor. The stream was only a few feet away; the rushing water called to the dry state of her mouth. Cupping her hands, she dipped them into the rushing water and brought it to her lips. She was thankful that, as a vampire, or really a Fae in general, she didn’t have to worry about the water making her sick.
This part of the stream was more a river with its depths and width. Holly wondered if she might find some fish for breakfast. She also wondered what else might be in the water. Taking a step back from the shore, she turned to move away, never seeing the white skin and blue mane that briefly broke the surface to watch her walk away.
“You shouldn’t be out here alone,” Lothar said as he hit the ground and watched her come back to the cluster of trees.
“I know, but I was thirsty and the water was calling to me.”
“Well, next time, wake me and I’ll go with you.”
“I am not incapable of defending myself.”
Lothar nodded. “I am well aware of that, but we have no idea what is on this island so someone keeping an eye on your back is simply prudent.”
Holly grunted befor
e lacing her fingers with his. “We should head out.”
Lothar pulled her to him, dipping his face to press his lips to her neck. “Let’s go, love.”
The walk was tedious, the ground uneven, and the temperature was steadily rising. Holly’s eyes drifted over all the plant life. There was an odd combination of trees, palms mixed with Aleppo pines, a few small groves of fruit-bearing trees, an olive grove, some pomegranate trees, and even a patch of Mandarins. Beyond the thick trees that held the scorching sun at bay, the forest floor was full of blossom-bearing bushes.
“This island is strange… It seems eclectic, for lack of a better word. These plants aren’t meant to be found all together, are they?” Holly asked.
Lothar stopped at a large plant covered in beautiful, deep azure trumpet blossoms cradling a cream-colored center and encompassed with dark green leaves. Just next to the Trumpet Gentian, a flower he recognized from some time he spent in Italy, was a gigantic, full-leaved plant that stood nearly as tall as Holly, with massive, white calla lily-like blooms.
“It does seem to have an interesting variety of plant life.” Lothar bent to pluck a blue blossom and smiled as he handed it to Holly.
Holly smiled as she brought the flower to her nose, taking a deep breath of the sweet scent. She fought back a sneeze, having brought the fragrant flower too close for her heightened senses.
Lothar shook his head and took the flower from Holly, tucking it behind her ear, and then kissed her briefly. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and they continued on their path along the river.
“How far do you think we are from the shore?” she asked.
“At this rate, we probably still have three days of travel.”
“I haven’t heard the griffin again, have you?”
Lothar gave her a sidelong look. “I heard a few things last night, but not the griffin.”
Holly’s brows arched. “What did you hear?”
“I can’t say for sure, but I have a feeling we are surrounded by more than just ancient Fae magic.”
The familiar pulse of the life that radiated from the very core of the island was indeed familiar, but Lothar couldn’t quite place what he felt. The griffin struck a chord niggling at his memory, the history of his people, the stories that were passed to each and every warrior. And still something blocked him from the details he struggled to see. Last night, he heard the calls and cries of predator and prey and he recognized a few of the sounds, none of which he wanted to believe were really sharing space with Holly and himself.
“You know something. Don’t hide it from me just because you want to protect me.”
Lothar studied her beautiful face, her chin slightly jutted in challenge, her eyes slightly narrowed, and her lips set in a nearly pressed line.
“All right, I swore I heard a few long forgotten Fae creatures.”
“Such as?”
Lothar smirked. “Such as… the call of the banshee, and I am pretty sure I saw a faun when I was building our shelter last night.”
“Ok, the banshee isn’t good, but the faun isn’t necessarily bad… right?”
Lothar shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know, Holly. I am fairly certain that we aren’t supposed to be here and as such, there are few things that I would say aren’t threats.”
Holly squeezed in closer to him, tipping her face towards his ear. “So the fact that something is following us, is cause for concern?”
Lothar dipped his face towards her. “You caught that, huh?”
She nodded. “Whatever they are, they’re small, and there are at least eight of them.”
Lothar smiled, impressed by her observation. “Shall we find out what is following us?”
Holly nodded before they both swung around with blinding speed, catching the group of goblins that followed completely off guard. Their scrunched-up faces with elongated noses and pointy ears brightened with surprise. They stood at maybe a foot and a half tall, and Holly heard the word “aw” slip through her lips before she could stop herself.
Lothar arched a brow at her before returning to the group of creatures standing in front of them. His gaze lasered the group, causing six of the eight of them to flee into the dense bushes around them. The two that remained exchanged irritated glances before the chubbier of the two turned to the bush, shaking his fist at the direction of their fleeing comrade. “Cowards,” he accused, in a small, but deep voice.
“What are they?” the other asked the obvious leader of the group, that was now just a pair.
“They are what woke us.”
“The tall ones have disturbed the Island.”
“The tall ones are Fae.” The lead goblin took a step closer and stared up at them. “The male is Light… the female is a vampire.”
The other goblin screeched and backed up from them. “Vampires walk in the light now… this can’t be good. They set off the balance. The Fates will not like this… nope…nope… no, they won’t.”
Holly furrowed her brow and looked to Lothar. “Did they just say the Fates?”
Lothar squatted and caught the gaze of the leader. “I am Lothar, son of Ragnar, and a Light Fae warrior. What is your name?”
The goblin puffed his chest out, taking pride as he spoke. “I am Nebo. That is Kebo.” He gestured to the goblin behind him who had a cautious eye on Holly as he backed up towards the bushes the others had disappeared in to.
“Nebo, it’s nice to meet you. That pretty lady behind me is Holly. She wouldn’t hurt you or any of your friends. We’re just trying to get out of the forest and back home.”
“You cannot leave the forest. Only the Fates… only the Fates,” Kebo said as he stopped, half hidden in the thick brush.
Lothar eyed Kebo before turning back to Nebo “What is your friend talking about?”
“Kebo is brother. He is skittish one.”
Lothar smiled. “But what did he mean?”
“Once in the forest, no one leaves. All who dwell within stay within.”
Lothar lifted his gaze to Holly. She bit her lips and stepped forward to kneel with Lothar in front of Nebo. “So, will this river not lead us to the beach?”
Nebo shook his little head, causing his pointy hat to bob with the movement. “The river will lead you back to the falls where it starts.”
Holly furrowed her brow. “Is there no way off the island? What about flying?”
“We no fly, but the griffin does. It eats all that try to fly from the Fates.”
Lothar cut in then. “You and Kebo both mentioned the Fates. Who are the Fates?”
Nebo chuckled. “Everyone knows who the Fates are. Stay on land. Not in sky, not in water.”
Nebo looked past Lothar and Holly. “Take cover, tall ones!” Nebo dove into the safety of the bushes as Lothar grabbed Holly by the waist and ducked behind a tree. Mere minutes later, the spot where they had stood was overcome by a herd of white horses led by one black, very unique creature.
Holly looked to Lothar a small smile lifting her lips. “It’s a unicorn,” she murmured.
The beast was large. A shiny black coat covered its thick body, longer hair hanging at its massive cloven hooves, with a silky main of onyx hair falling along its neck. The spiraling horn from its head reminded Holly of a raven’s feather in the sun, shades of deep blue, purple, and even a light dusting of dark pink stretched from its forehead. The herd stopped briefly, the unicorn blowing and stomping its front hooves before they took off and disappeared from sight.
“Nebo?” Holly called out.
The small goblin peeked out from the large, crown flower bush. Pushing aside one of the white blossoms, he smiled. “Petran never looks where he stomps with his females.”
“Is that what the unicorn’s name is?” Holly asked.
“Yes, be wary as you make island home, tall ones.” Nebo disappeared back into the thick bush.
****
Izzy sat in Rowan’s study. Her eyes flicked around the room with impatience. It wasn’t like
Makyle to be late. Something was up with the Immortal, but as always, Izzy couldn’t truly read what hid behind his stunning eyes. He was all things good girls were supposed to avoid: tall, dark, and dangerous. And that was the true kicker for her… something lurked beneath the surface of the man. He was hiding something from her, and she didn’t like it one bit.
“What are you thinking about?” Izzy almost jumped out of her skin as Makyle all but materialized out of the shadows.
She shook her head at him. “Damn it. You scared me.”
Makyle chuckled. “Jumpy are we?”
“There’s a lot going on around here.”
He nodded as he pushed off the wall and came to sit next to her. “I know. Are you doing ok?”
Izzy titled her head at him, a small smile gracing her lips. “I wasn’t referring to my new powers.”
“Ah, so Lothar, then?”
“I am worried. He’s been missing for a few days now. Everything Cree has tried isn’t helping.” She shrugged and let the unknown of the situation make her statement end there.
“Does it help if I tell you everything that is happening is part of the greater plan?”
Izzy rolled her eyes. “You said that same thing when I trashed that room at Desert Brew, with Uriah’s power.”
“True.”
“True? That’s all you have to say about it?”
“You wouldn’t be given more than you were meant to handle, that much I know for sure. Those same rules apply to Lothar and all the brothers. Life is a set of trials, all of which you are capable of prevailing through.”
“Do you know the crap that has happened to me since you woke the Fae in me?”
Makyle laughed. “I have heard some rumors.”
“It’s not funny!” she said in exasperation.”
He shrugged. “Maybe not to you. It matters not, Isabelle—it was your destined path.”
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