by Amy Cissell
Just the Fae and the witches left now.
One Fae rose from his knees and approached me. When he got just beyond arm’s reach, he sunk back to his knees, but his eyes never left my face. He held out his hands and as if he was expecting something. I resheathed one knife and reached out my left hand. He grasped my hand in both of his, kissed it, and then touched his forehead to the back of my hand.
“Your Highness,” he said. “We have waited centuries for you to arrive and reopen the old paths. Most of us have been trapped here, cut off from our lands, our families, and our magic. We will do whatever it takes to ensure you complete your journey, but alas! We are too weak to accompany you out of the places of power we’ve built for ourselves. We will send word and tokens of safe passage so that all the Fae will give you whatever aid or succor you need.”
I leaned forward and placed my right hand, being careful not to touch him with the iron blade of my knife, under his elbow. “Rise, please. Your loyalty and faithfulness do you and your family credit. Might I know your name so I can ensure that you—as the first among the Fae to welcome and show your loyalty—will have every honor bestowed upon you when you return to your homeland?”
He blushed a brilliant crimson, which looked out of place on his mottled gray skin, and then whispered so that I could barely hear him. “Engvald Sigurdarson, my lady. Thank you.”
He backed up, bowing repeatedly, and when he reached the line of Fae, they stood and walked into the forest.
Now it was us and the witches. There were thirteen of them—a full coven. They were overwhelmingly female and even more overwhelmingly hostile.
The witches stepped forward, and ahead of them came an invisible wall of power. I fought the instinct to step back.
Three women stepped forward from the group and crossed the clearing. I didn’t know much about witchcraft or sorcery or magery, or whatever they wanted to call it, but I was pretty sure this was the maiden, mother, and crone of the coven. When they’d crossed about half the distance, the younger two hung back and the oldest kept moving. She was old, but not how I would describe a crone. She looked about sixty and had smooth, tan skin; long, brown hair barely sprinkled with white; and clear, blue eyes. When she looked at me, I was struck by the intensity and power she had. As suddenly as it had hit me, it was gone. She folded in on herself. Hunched back, gray hair, and more wrinkles than a Shar-Pei. I even spotted a tiny, hairy mole on the side of her hooked nose.
I stared at her, and she shimmered in front of me, like I was looking at her through waves of heat rising from asphalt. This old woman was illusion. The straight-backed, power-packing woman was the reality. She was trying to get me to lower my guard.
She spoke, and her voice quavered and cracked, “Child, I am here to caution you. I know you’ve been led astray. You don’t know what you’re doing, but it’s not your fault. Come with us, let us train you. Let us help you! It’s not too late.” She wobbled on her feet, and both Isaac and Finn stepped forward to steady her.
I dropped my knife, grabbed their arms, and held them back. “Don’t!” Fear made my voice sharp. “She doesn’t need your help.” They looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
I held on to them. “Look at me,” I commanded. They obeyed and I stared at the witch. For a second, the illusion wavered, then another burst of power rolled across the clearing, carrying with it the scent of fresh cookies.
“Aren’t you tired, dear?” she asked. “This is all so much, and you’ve only started. Come with me and rest before journeying on.”
I was tired, and I loved cookies. A nap sounded delightful. My foot left the ground, and I took a halting half-step towards her. I gripped the arms of my companions even tighter.
Again, the illusion wavered. I don’t think she’d been expecting someone as stubborn as me.
“I’ve given you two chances, dearie,” she said. Her voice didn’t quaver this time. “A third is all you’ll get.”
“I don’t want your third chance, witch.” Finn flinched beneath my grip when I said the “W” word. “If you’re here to help, you wouldn’t be trying to deceive us into thinking you’re helpless. If you were here to help, you wouldn’t be attempting to put us to sleep. And since you’ve done both of those things, you are not helping. Either tell me what you want or get the fuck out of here.”
She dropped the illusion, and that much raw power all at once nearly blinded me. Fortunately, Finn and Isaac weren’t as affected. They held me up while I blinked against her power, feeling like someone had opened the blinds in a pitch-black room at noon. My eyes watered, and I saw spots for a while before my vision cleared. The maiden and mother stepped forward and joined hands with the crone.
The maiden opened her mouth. Her voice was so clear and melodic that it brought tears to my eyes. It was so beautiful, I couldn’t even concentrate on what she was saying. Finn’s face went slack, and he took a step forward. As soon as he moved, the illusion broke. I grabbed his arm to hold him back.
“Stop it! All of you, stop! If you can’t have a conversation without clouding our minds and making yourselves more than you are, why should we talk to you at all?”
The mother stepped forward. “I told them it wouldn’t work, that you were too clever to fall for our little tricks.”
“Yeah. I am. You have about thirty seconds to tell me what the hell you want. I am tired. I have a headache. I do not need this shit right now.”
She dropped the nice mama act, and her face went cold. “We could’ve done this the easy way. Since you will not yield, I will give you a warning. We will not stand for this. After this day, any further action you take to open the subsequent gates will be met with opposition from us. We will not be enslaved again, and we will fight to the death, every man and woman of us, to make sure that does not happen.”
“If you’re so opposed, why wait until now to let me know? You had to know what I was up to before this. Everyone else has given me a piece of their mind before today.”
The mother smiled, and my stomach curdled. “You are weak. We did not regard you as a threat. We prefer not to kill, but will not hesitate to do so to save our lives. You have twenty-four hours to decide. In twenty-four hours, your amnesty ends, and we will do whatever it takes to stop you.”
She stepped back to the maiden and crone. The three of them rejoined the rest of the coven and they all disappeared into the woods.
There was no one left in the clearing but Finn, Isaac, and me. I let go of them and collapsed. They knelt on either side of me.
“Are you okay?” Finn asked as Isaac said, “Tell me what’s wrong!”
I smiled up at them. “Big day. We did it. It’s open.” And then, everything went black.
Chapter Seven
MY EYES FLUTTERED open, and I stretched my arms overhead in an attempt to wake myself up. Every muscle in my body hurt like I’d gone ten rounds in the ring with someone three times my size. I rolled over and fell out of bed, which was my first clue that I wasn’t in my room, or even the guest room at Finn’s. I stared at the warm oak floors and then rolled onto my back and looked up. Lacy curtains fluttered in the breeze against the light blue walls. The bed I’d rolled off of was a twin-sized day bed painted white with blue and pink flowers. Even the sheets and comforter kept with the blue, white, and pink theme, and the bedside stand had a doily on it.
Shit. The old crone had managed to kidnap me after all, and I was stuck in grandmother hell. I sat up, groaning as my muscles protested. I ignored my body’s aches and leapt to my feet when I heard footsteps pounding from somewhere else in the house. I was still dressed in the hiking pants, sports bra, and tank top I’d been wearing in Forest Park, but someone had removed my shoes and all my knives.
Shit, shit, shit. I looked around the room for something to use as a weapon. My eyes settled on the white, porcelain faux-gas lamp centered on the doily. I grabbed it, ripped the cord out of the wall, and stood at the ready.
The door opened. Isaac stood fram
ed in the doorway, dripping wet and clad in nothing but a towel. “What happened?” he asked.
I set the lamp back down on the table and tried not to stare at the water droplets glistening on his washboard abs. “Fell out of bed,” I mumbled.
“Why were you wielding the lamp?”
“I thought the witch had captured me, and since I was weaponless, I was making do.” I couldn’t stop staring, and I licked my lips as I imagined capturing those shining drops with my tongue. I forced myself to meet his gaze.
The smirk on his face revealed that he knew exactly what I’d been thinking. “Finn will be here with your coffee momentarily,” he said. “Otherwise, we could spend a little more time exploring those thoughts.”
Right on cue, Finn appeared and handed me a cup of coffee.
“Someone needs to tell me exactly what’s going on.” I was confused and that always pissed me off.
“You tell her,” Isaac said. “I’m going to go finish my shower and get dressed.” He turned and walked out of the room, but before he disappeared from view, he dropped the towel. I swallowed.
“…drunken helium balloon.”
I wrenched my attention back to Finn. He’d stopped talking. Apparently, I’d missed the entire explanation.
“What?”
He sighed. “Drink your coffee.” He sat down on one of the high-backed, chintz-covered chairs by the window. “What’s the last thing you remember?”
I took a big swallow of the coffee and reveled in the taste of the bitter liquid made sweet with a hint of cream before answering. “The witches came, threatened, and left.”
“You passed out. We weren’t too far from Isaac’s place, so he carried you here, and I went and got your truck.”
“This is Isaac’s place?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“What’s up with the grandmother theme?”
Finn looked confused. “What do you mean?”
I sighed. “Never mind. What time is it?”
“About seven.”
I glanced out the window in confusion. It didn’t feel like evening.
“In the morning,” Finn clarified.
“It couldn’t have been much past mid-afternoon when I passed out. Did I really sleep that long?”
“You did. It was a bit odd at the beginning as we couldn’t keep you in bed. That’s why you’re in this room. This bed was the easiest to tie you to.”
“Couldn’t keep me in bed? Was I sleep-walking?”
“Nope. Floating. You’d float up and bounce off the ceiling like a…”
“Drunken helium balloon.”
Finn laughed. “Exactly. Around midnight, you settled down, so I untied you. I didn’t think you’d be in a good mood if you woke up and found yourself bound, and didn’t want you to burn Isaac’s house down.”
“So, what did you two talk about while I was out? You seem to be getting along.”
“We had dinner, then made some road trip plans and sold your truck. Those things are solid male bonding rituals.” I looked up from my coffee cup and found that Finn had stood up and was edging out of the room.
“Did you say you sold my truck? You. Sold my truck? First, how is that legal? Second, how is that ethical? Third, how fast can you run? I loved that truck. I’ve had her for ten years. I named her. How the hell am I supposed to get to the Black Hills without it?”
“Are we going to the Black Hills, then?” Finn asked.
That stopped me, because until that moment, I hadn’t known what was next. I’d wondered how I’d know where the next gate was, but now I knew. I could feel it pulling at me.
“Yes, we’re headed east. Now, answer the questions. What have you done with my truck?”
“It wasn’t exactly legal,” Finn hedged. “But we don’t have much time to get out of town before the witches and vampires come after you, and your truck wasn’t big enough for the three of us. It was the most expedient use of our time and resources.
“The three of us?”
Isaac reappeared in the doorway, blocking Finn’s escape. He’d found a pair of jeans but hadn’t managed to acquire a shirt. It was both disappointing and delightful. He handed me another cup of coffee. I took a sip almost instinctively and smiled in bliss.
“Her love of coffee is a little extreme,” Isaac said.
“It’s almost pathological,” Finn agreed.
“I’m still mad at you, Finn. And possibly you, too, Isaac, depending on how much you had to do with selling my truck.”
“I found the buyer, negotiated the price, and got the replacement.”
“What kind of replacement?” I asked. “It’s not a minivan, is it?”
Isaac laughed. “It’s not a minivan. Finish your coffee and go check it out. Do we know where we’re going yet?”
“The Black Hills,” Finn explained.
“In South Dakota? That’s a pretty big area, isn’t it? Do we have anything more specific?”
“Maybe if I had a map,” I said.
“I’m going to go pack,” Isaac said. “Your bags are in the corner. The shower is down the hall and there are fresh towels waiting for you. When you’re ready, find the kitchen, and I’ll have your map.”
He left, and Finn followed him out with one backward glance at me.
I sat, savoring my coffee and tried not to worry about my truck, or the trip, or the fact that I was pretty sure my attraction for Isaac was going to be a big problem on this road trip. I grabbed clean clothes and went in search of the shower.
Isaac and Finn were seated next to each other at the kitchen table looking at a map.
“So, tell me about this plan you two came up with while I was unconscious. Oh, and I want to see my new minivan.”
Finn laughed. “The vehicle is outside. Go look.”
I walked over to the large picture window in the dining room and saw two vehicles in the driveway. One was a silver 1962 Aston Martin Vantage. I almost stopped breathing. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I shook myself; there was no way that was mine. I braced myself. It might be better than a ten-year-old Toyota Tacoma, but now that I’d seen the Vantage, I knew I’d be disappointed. I was right. It wasn’t as nice as the Vantage, but it was better than my truck. Next to the Vantage was a forest green, brand new Toyota Tacoma extended cab. Not as practical as the minivan for space—especially considering that Isaac and Finn were both over six feet tall—but it was pretty and exactly what I would’ve chosen for myself.
I turned around. “I’m guessing we’re taking the truck and not the Aston Martin?”
“You’re adorable, Princess,” Isaac said. “But no way in hell are we doing a cross-country drive with angry vampires and witches chasing my classic car.”
I pouted for a second but couldn’t hide my grin for long. “I love it! But how on earth did you get an almost new truck for the price of my old one?”
Finn laughed. “You wouldn’t believe how persuasive Isaac can be with people from Craigslist. The man that bought your old car paid a lot more for it than it’s worth.”
Isaac handed me the title and a set of keys. “It’s all yours.”
I clapped my hands and squealed with delight. “So, what next? When are we leaving? I’m driving first. I don’t care if I would fit better in the back seat.”
Isaac smirked at me. “I guess I’ll have to wait a bit longer to get you in the back seat.”
I stuck my tongue out at him.
“Let’s load up the truck and leave,” Finn said. “No reason to stick around talking when we could talk as easily on the road.”
I looked at him, but the easy grin was back on his face, and I decided I was imagining the terse tone.
“All right, let’s go.” I laughed. “It’s surreal. There should be more…something.”
“Glad you’re being specific, Ellie,” Finn groused.
“You know—hoopla, brou-ha-ha, uproar, magical special effects. Something.”
“It’s early yet. It’ll ta
ke a little while to get out of town. Maybe something exciting will happen between now and then.”
“One can only hope,” Isaac said.
I laughed, grabbed my bags, and headed out. Less than ten minutes later, I was in the driver’s seat. “Okay, let’s head to South Dakota.” I started the truck and drove down the short driveway. Only then did I realize that I had no idea where I was. “Ummm…a little help? Where are we? Which direction do I go to get to I-84?”
Isaac laughed from the backseat. “Turn right, then right again on Skyline when we get there. We’ll be heading towards the city then. Do you know your way from there?”
“I do.” I turned right and headed on to the next part of my big adventure.
We took turns driving, made a couple pit stops, and chatted, but mostly the first leg of our trip was spent in silence. After a stop in Baker City, Isaac took over the driving, and I slipped in the backseat for a nap.
I slept fitfully and had odd dreams. I was flying. The wind washed over my outspread wings, lifting me up even further. I tried to look over my shoulder to check them out, but something else caught my eye. I was scaly. Snake scaly. I cocked my head to one side and saw the entire length of my body. My eyes were no longer on the front of my face; they were on either side of my head. Like prey, I thought. A second thought came immediately on the heels of that one, Not prey. Ultimate predator. I turned my head to look behind me again and saw a tail. It was greenish purple, covered in iridescent scales, and tipped with spikes. I twitched my ass as an experiment, and the whole tail moved.
“Well, shit.” I sighed and smoke rolled up in front of my eyes. I tried to laugh, but the sound that emerged didn’t resemble laughter. It was deeper, a bit growly, and was accompanied by flames. I was a dragon.
I woke up with a start and realized that I was smoking. Again. I looked around. I wasn’t in the truck anymore, but was lying on a blanket in the middle of a deserted-looking expanse of sand. I sat up carefully and saw Finn and Isaac sitting a respectful distance away.