by Jayne Hawke
Of course they were. I’d realised when I saw the arrows came from nowhere that we’d unwittingly stepped into Fae. There should have been a shimmer, a clue, and yet I found nothing. The fae didn’t like to do things by halves.
We pushed forward towards Cole while trying to avoid the arrows that flew around us. I swore I saw one swerve towards Briar. She ducked and rolled at the last second, causing it to collide with the far wall.
The arrows stopped, leaving an eerie silence. Cole was within reach. We all paused, waiting for the next attack. I was expecting elves to appear out of the ether. It was worse.
Writhing snakes made of pure fire began forming out of the concrete and made their way to us. They were as big as my forearm and were headed straight for me. The sound of hissing and crackling filled the space almost as quickly as the scent of burning paper. That didn’t quite fit with what I’d have pictured, but it was the fae game; it clearly made sense to them.
The snakes moved in quick fluid motions, carefully spacing themselves out to cover the most ground in searing-hot fire.
“Anyone have some water?” I asked.
“How do we kill them?” Briar asked, a tremble in her voice.
“Hack and slash,” Sky said confidently.
I wasn’t convinced that was going to work with fire, but we didn’t really have another choice.
Leading the way, I leaned down and hacked at what I thought was the head of the first snake. Blisters bubbled up over my hand from the heat, but the snake did seem to stop.
“Really wish I had my magic right about now,” Sky said as she kicked one of the snakes.
Cole was fighting against his bindings, his eyes amber where his wolf was trying to break free of his human skin. There must have been some form of magic wrapped around him holding him firmly in his human skin. I moved as quickly as I could, feeling the fire licking at my jeans, leaving charred flesh in its wake. The snakes slowed down when we cut them in half, but they returned with a vengeance. Hot fangs sank deep into my thigh. The pain blurred my vision before I felt the very different pain of a blade slicing through my muscle.
I turned to see Sky shrugging as she pulled her knife away and the snake dropped.
“What else was I supposed to do? You’ll heal.”
I snorted a laugh and continued hacking at the snakes as we inched closer to Cole.
Amy spread her arms wide and screamed a single guttural word. Suddenly, everything slipped away. We were no longer standing in a concrete room with fire snakes. There was a rolling green meadow around us, slender trees covered in lilac leaves. Magic pricked my skin and I rushed to Cole, slicing through his bindings before the next thing came.
We were in Fae. It was dangerous enough for actual fae; my kind didn’t stand a chance there.
Cole pulled me into his arms and gently bit my neck. I desperately wanted to return the gesture, but we needed to get out of there. I kissed him quickly as I pressed a knife into his hand.
Turning, I saw the soft shimmer of the entrance we’d come through beginning to dull and fade. We ran faster than we’ve ever run before. That was our only chance of making it back to the Earth plane.
25
COLE PRACTICALLY CRUSHED my hand as he gripped it in his own and pulled me through the thin slice that had once been a large doorway. We had sent the rest of the pack through first.
Landing with a thud, I was glad of the soft ground as we seemed to land from some ten feet up. Damn fae.
I didn’t get a chance to stand. Cole glared at everyone else, who quickly took the hint and returned to the cars. He held me close and stroked my cheek as he looked into my eyes with an intensity I hadn’t seen before.
“I’m sorry that I trusted Natasha. My sense of honor overrode my instincts. Natasha played me and put our pack at risk. Can you forgive me?”
I took his bottom lip between my teeth and slowly bit down.
“I’ll think about it,” I said playfully.
He buried his face in my neck and kissed along my collarbone. My heart fluttered in my chest as I felt the deep affection through the bone. Every kiss was a gentle caress and a promise that this would never happen again.
“This isn’t over yet,” I whispered.
Cole took a deep breath and nodded.
“No. It’s far from over.”
“I brought the Blue Dagger pack onto our side.”
He quirked an eyebrow.
“They refuse to speak to anyone.”
I grinned at him.
“I’m a guardian.”
Pride shone from his face and warmth spread through me in response. We both stood, and Cole put his arm around my waist. I leaned into him, glad to have him back where he belonged. It was far too easy, but I allowed myself a few quiet moments of happiness.
Cole tensed when he saw Rowan leaning against the hood of my Mustang with his arms crossed.
“This is Rowan. Beta of the Blue Dagger pack.”
Rowan nodded to Cole who in turn relaxed.
“Tell me everything,” Cole commanded.
I gave him a quick summary of the mess we’d gotten ourselves into while Amy plied him with food and water.
“We’re in a worse position than I’d feared,” Cole said.
Everything was going too smoothly. I couldn’t hear any footsteps. There was no sign of the witch or Natasha.
“Where are Natasha and Liam?” I asked Cole.
He frowned, deep lines forming between his eyes and at the corners of his mouth.
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen them since I was knocked out. It’s difficult to track time in that place.”
No. This was too easy. Something was very wrong here. They’d never make it this easy.
Looking around, I tried to spot the traps, the incoming army, the attack. There was nothing. Just beautiful old forest and the crumbling stables.
Cole flickered out the corner of my eye. His eyes sparked a brilliant green for just a second. Amy blurred and became slightly taller when I glanced over at her.
No. This was wrong.
I pulled away from Cole and snarled.
“Who and what are you!?”
26
“DON’T YOU RECOGNISE your life-bond, sweetheart?” Cole asked, wounded.
I reached for my knife. Cole would never use the word ‘sweetheart’.
My knife was gone. Running my hands over my sheaths, they were all gone.
Cole tilted his head slightly and watched me with an increasingly wide grin as his face dripped and contorted into something horrific. I watched, unable to look away as the handsome face of the alpha I’d come to call my own slowly turned into something black and angular. Gone were the beautiful blue-green eyes and brilliant smile. Instead, a cold flat darkness watched me.
My heart was trying to break free of my ribs as I realised that nothing was as I had thought. How much of the past few hours, or even days, had been real? Where was I, even?
Swallowing down the blossoming terror, I knew that I needed to know if I was stuck in Fae, or in a dream. That would dictate my next move and how I got back.
My friends all vanished in wisps of meadow green smoke, leaving the black creature that had been Cole. The surroundings remained solid and unwavering, but that could just have meant whoever or whatever was in control wasn’t ready to rip those away just yet.
“You’re in my land now,” the black thing rasped.
I stepped forward and bared my teeth.
“I will free myself of this place and ensure no harm comes to my pack,” I snarled.
“Such fire for such a weak little being,” it taunted.
The entire supernatural society had viewed me the way that creature viewed me in that moment. Something small, weak, and laughable. Even when it had come out that I was a guardian, they had continued to see the quiet little baker. I had reached my limit.
I surged forward and punched it in the throat. I was a guardian. My people were in danger, and I wasn’t g
oing to sit around allowing some irritating thing to get in my way of saving them.
It felt as though my fist collided with bulletproof glass. There was a cool smoothness that I associated with glass, but it didn’t flex or move much, like punching a wall. The creature laughed at me. A vicious rasping sound that echoed around us, taunting me.
Anger rose within me and I tried to remember everything I’d learnt about Fae. It was full of magic, and far more dangerous than anything on the Earth plane. If there was magic there, maybe my own guardian magic would be of some use. One thing was certain, I wasn’t going to give in or lose this fight.
“You can use your fists to your heart’s content, it won’t do me any harm. Although, time is ticking. I’d be looking for a way home in your shoes.”
I exhaled slowly and searched my inner calm. He was right.
The landscape around me flickered and suddenly I was standing right in the middle of something from The Wizard of Oz. Rolling greens hills stretched out all around me with a golden-yellow path slowly unfurling before me. I narrowed my eyes; this was ridiculous. There wasn’t a chance that path led to where I needed to be. That would be far too easy. If this was Fae, then it likely led to a death pit or something.
No. I would not be merrily wandering along that path. Looking around for something else, I tried to get a feel for what I was dealing with here. There wasn’t the tingling sensation I’d come to associate with magic, and I could feel my wolf just fine. So that meant I hadn’t been bound. The landscape could change at will, which made me think it was more likely dream magic than Fae. If I was locked in a dream, then I could take control and break myself out.
Of course, if I was in Fae, then I was nothing more than a plaything for the fae. Getting out would depend on finding an ally, or pure luck. Gritting my teeth, I refused to give in and think negatively.
Behind me there was a dark gnarled forest full of closely-packed trees covered in large thorns. The smell of decay and blood came from the area, and I knew that was where I’d be heading.
27
MY BODY REBELLED AGAINST me. Everything screamed that I should turn away from those woods and flee down the yellow brick road as fast I could. My feet became leaden and my mind turned into a haze of pure terror. Slowly, I pushed on, refusing to believe that I needed to walk that ridiculous path.
Finally, I reached out and grasped onto the thin, twisted black branch of the closest tree and used it to haul myself into the darkness. Shadows writhed around my feet. Small slivers of light revealed dark oozing pools of deeper darkness riddled between the broken and twisted trunks of the trees.
Once I had fought to drag my entire body into the confines of the woods, I was free to move once more. Everything unlocked, and my senses returned. I’d passed the first test.
Closing my eyes, I breathed deep, trying to find something, a clue to point me in the right direction. The only scents were those of rotting leaves, old damp wood, death, and blood. My guardian instincts cautiously spread outwards, giving me a different feel of the space. Somewhere deep within myself, I became aware of a path to the other side. This was only the beginning, but at least I was fighting now.
The need to mentally chastise myself for not realising something was wrong sooner was strong. Allowing myself to do so was a waste of energy, but the desire remained. How much danger had I put my pack in by being a fool and not seeing the signs sooner?
Thorns scratched at my skin, leaving burning lines in their wake. My natural healing was slowed by some fiery poison that coated every spike adorning the trees. The deeper I got into the darkness, the more comfortable I became with it. Everything was black on further shades and hues of black, and yet I could see quite clearly. The trunks of the trees were heavily knotted with large balls of rough bark. Something told me not to touch them. There were creatures hiding there. Awful, painful creatures.
This was a place of pain and sadism. It filled the air with a sense of glee and watchful eyes. Every touch of pain brought those watching such pleasure. I refused to acknowledge the pain, or the way my blood slowly dripped down my arms and legs where the thorns sank into my flesh. The burning fire layered, turning into something that pushed me on. I would not be defeated.
That time spent in the woods was the first time I had felt a real purpose. Every step taken was for my pack, and for my garou as a people. Earlier in my life, back in the hazy days as an innocent baker, I had casually drifted through life. I had my dream of becoming a star baker, but that was never anything concrete. And even that I never pushed myself towards, not really. Blair had been right to fire me. My heart just wasn’t in that goal. I’d told myself it was, because it was all I had left of my mom, but I wanted and needed something more.
Valentin had been a dick to change me against my will, yet, in that darkness with nothing but silence and thorns for company, I was almost grateful to him. He had pushed me onto this path and given me so much more to live and fight for. Now I had a pack that needed me to step up, an entire people to watch over and protect. That had given me a fire that I never dreamed could have lived within me.
I would never be truly thankful, but I could acknowledge all that I had gained thanks to his actions.
WHEN I FINALLY TASTED fresh air and stepped out from the darkness, my body was exhausted. Every inch of me felt as though as I was covered in bone-deep bruises. I fell forwards onto my knees, landing on deep lush green grass beneath an amethyst sky.
I dug my fingers into the grass and tried to gather myself up. Who knew when I had last eaten or slept, who knew if I still needed to do those things. I was no closer to knowing if I was in a dream or Fae.
Looking around me, I saw nothing but open flat grasslands and the brilliant purple sky overhead. Pushing myself into standing, I was painfully aware of the clock ticking. Somewhere on the Earth plane, the Apophis witch was preparing to become an avatar.
Gritting my teeth, I closed my eyes and tried to take control of my surroundings. It was time to dig deep and really find out if this was Fae or a dream. Lucid dreaming had never been my strong point, but by the gods I was giving it all I had.
I reached out with my mind, searching for the edges of this space so I could tug on them. My hands shook with exertion and my mind struggled to do much more than form basic thoughts. I pushed harder, determined to bring this all to an end.
Slowly, I became aware of the fabric of the space around me. I tugged at the seams with my mental fingers and felt something give. Success! I was locked in a dream, which meant I could get myself out of there.
28
SLOWING MY BREATHING, I focused on the fact I was within a dream. That meant all of the pain and exhaustion I felt weren’t real. They were nothing more than an illusion constructed by whomever had locked me away in this dream.
The pain seeped away, leaving my mind and body feeling stronger than they had done in a long time. Opening my eyes, I saw flashes of slate grey and brilliant white high in the sky. A sense of foreboding settled over the land, and I knew that whoever had locked me in here was unamused at my having made some progress.
I held my hands out near my hips and pushed everything I had into the image of a pair of beautiful moon-silver daggers forming in my hands. This was a dream, which meant that I had some control here. Threads of something pressed cool and firm against my palm. I fixed my mind on those and pushed the idea of their growing into daggers with every fibre of my being.
Lucid dreaming came easily to some. I had never been one of them. I was left panting by the time I’d made a pair of pocketknives. My mind was telling me, reminding me, that using such a level of magic on the real world would have left me exhausted. Garou didn’t have enough magic to do such a thing, and my mind hadn’t quite latched onto the idea that this was a dream. Something was stopping it. The panting was more of a reflex from the exertion than true exhaustion. It was difficult to remember that as everything felt so real.
Thundering hooves began towards me. The so
und hardened my resolve as the ground began to shiver under the weight of the incoming stampede. Slowly, the pocketknives extended and grew into what I needed. It was taking every scrap of focus that I had, leaving me vulnerable to changes in my surroundings. My balance was thrown by something unseen, but the daggers were so close now. Simple and elegant, they shone with the soft light of the full moon. I was a garou, and they were my purest weapon.
Lifting my eyes and returning my attention to the grasslands around me, I was dismayed to see a herd of purest black horses galloping straight at me. Their manes flowed in the breeze like inky ribbons. Eyes as red as pure blood blazed at me with malice and promises of pain.
Nightmares.
I’d heard about them but never encountered one to my knowledge. They could be defeated through courage, as they were nothing more than fear distilled into the form of a powerful horse.
Thoughts filled my mind as they approached- the understanding that I wasn’t worthy and I would never be able to save Cole, let alone the rest of the garou. What was I thinking? I couldn’t even make it as a baker, how was I supposed to be a guardian? I was a joke. I should just lie down and give in.
I lifted my chin and stared down the leader of the herd. It was going to take more than some fear to take me out.
Images of Cole torn and bloodied formed around me, each one worse than the previous. His eyes stared at me accusingly. The rest of my pack piled up around him. Soon the entire green space around me was covered in bloody corpses of garou that I couldn’t save.
My mother stood at the very edge with a look of deep disappointment on her face.
I swallowed hard and laughed as hard as I could. They were nothing more than images, possibilities that I would never allow to occur.
The horses began circling around me, snorting and stomping their large hooves as they did so. I kept my gaze hard and sure as I looked deep into those red pools and felt terror clutch onto my heart and squeeze tight. The world around us was charred and black. Everyone I had ever known was nothing more than scraps of memory. I’d failed. Apophis had swallowed the sun and plunged everything into chaos and darkness.