I shrank back against the tree, drawing my knees up to my chest and tried to disappear. I trembled against the bark, my body aching as I tensed, readying myself for the onslaught of wolves that were going to pull me apart. I couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps that had been Luthien's plan all along, to feed me to the dogs, knowing there was no way I could escape them and free Niven.
There was a silence...a nothingness that stilled the trees and filled the darkness, a waiting hush that pulled at every instinct. I crawled forwards, forcing myself to stand as I searched deep down to find the strength to flee again. A tiny cry slipped from my mouth, echoing as loudly as if I had shouted. I froze...waited...one foot in front of the other. It was too dark.
Too quiet.
My breath a cloud of fog in front of me, my heart a drum.
I couldn't hear the wolves...just the sound of my own panic. It was a pounding in my ears, a rush of breath past my lips, a blinding knowledge that I wasn’t fast enough.
I would never be fast enough.
Something snapped behind me. Before I could think, before I could move, it had grabbed me, clamping a hand over my mouth to shove the scream straight back down my throat.
“You crazy bitch,” a voice hissed in my ear. My knees gave out at the sound, my hands digging against him as his arm came around tight to hold me up. “You drugged me? What the hell do you think you were doing?”
He spun me around to face him, his hand still over my mouth. There was no colour to his eyes, just deep and utter blackness. His hair was a wild mess around his face, his cloak snapping like a furious shadow behind him. He looked as wild and untamed as the wolves. I struggled against his hold, and he dropped his hand.
“How are you awake?” I asked, my voice quiet and lost. His lip curled, and he was literally shaking he was so furious.
“Oonagh found me,” he gritted out, as if that was answer enough.
I shook my head, a new panic settling over me. If Luthien found him with me… “You're not supposed to be here.”
“Would you rather I was still tucked up in bed sleeping soundly?” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “Would you rather be out here alone?”
“Yes,” I breathed, my heart aching at the pain that washed over his face, tingeing the blackness of his irises with a bright purple. “She said she would kill you.”
“You did this to keep me safe?” he asked, incredulous, as if the very idea was unthinkable.
“It was the only thing I could do, I can't lose you!”
“So you take off without even a goodbye?” he snapped, clinging to his anger, thinking I couldn't see how much I had hurt him.
“I did say goodbye.” I reached for him, but he flinched away. “It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but it was what I had to do, Laphaniel.”
He narrowed his eyes at me, still not closing the distance between us. “What did she make you bargain?”
“It doesn't matter, it's done now.”
“Tell me,” he demanded, but I couldn't meet his eyes. “Teya!”
“This is how it was supposed to be all along,” I choked. “This is what I came for...”
“You didn't…” he spluttered, and I could see the moment understanding hit him. He took a step back, as if I had physically struck him. “Please tell me you didn't offer to take Niven’s place.”
“I did.” I held my head up with a determination I didn't feel. “And I would do it again if it meant keeping you safe.”
“No,” he breathed, finally stepping closer so I could fall against him. “I won’t let you do that.”
“It’s already done,” I said. “There’s no going back now.”
He closed his eyes, shuttering the anguish burning within them away. “I’m not worth throwing your life away for, Teya.”
I placed a hand to his cheek. "I’ve made my choice."
“It's a castle of nightmares.” He folded his hand over mine. “Its shadows bleed darkness, it is a forsaken place, Teya.”
“I wasn't expecting it to be the Bahamas,” I replied, pressing my lips against his in a brief, desperate kiss.
We both tensed as the wolves screamed again, the noise sucking away any shred of hope I was still holding onto.
“We need to run,” Laphaniel urged, pushing me forwards. “Now...go!”
“This seems to be a common theme with us, doesn’t it?” I said, as my feet slid against the frost-soaked ground.
“And you were worried I’d grow bored of you,” he replied, clutching at my hand, his eyes focused on the surrounding darkness. “This way!”
I scrambled up with my hand clamped in his, my fear mingling with the sheer relief I felt at having him back at my side. I couldn’t dwell on what that could mean for him, what wrath Luthien would bring down upon us when she found out he had helped me.
Laphaniel's legs were much longer than mine were, so it wasn't long before he was practically dragging me behind him, his fingers unrelenting on mine as we tore through the woods. My legs tangled in the silk of my skirt and I stumbled, dragging Laphaniel down with me as we skidded over a rocky slope. We tumbled together, my skull rattling as it hit the ground, tasting blood on my lips as the back of Laphaniel's head struck mine.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, dragging me back up, a steady dribble of blood trailing down his face.
“I don't think so,” I answered, reaching to lift the hair from his face, taking in the gash above his left eyebrow. “Are you okay? That looks pretty nasty.”
“I hit my head on the way down, don’t worry, I’ll live.”
I glanced up to where we had just fallen, watching in mute terror as the pack of wolves stared back at us, edging around the rocks to source a safer way down. Smaller rocks skidded down the incline as they tested the ground, low snarls rumbling deep within their chests as they began to circle us.
Laphaniel’s hand gripped my arm, tugging me away as I stared at the hungry dogs that pawed against the rocks, working as a pack to find a way down to us. From where I stood, I could feel the warmth of their breath, smell the tang of blood on their lips. They were far bigger than normal wolves, a mass of matted fur and slitted eyes, reeking of death and screaming like nightmares. They were everything I had feared was hiding beneath my bed as a child.
“Move slowly.” Laphaniel whispered, pulling me back. “Don't look away...just keep walking backwards.”
“Laphaniel...”
One of the wolves had found a way down, lips pulled back over a mouthful of teeth as long as my fingers. It inched closer, feet splaying slightly on the uneven ground, hackles raised. The others joined it, slowly…creeping down as if they had all the time in the world. They lifted their noses in the air to scent blood, heads snapping at the air as they watched us, yellow eyes blazing with hunger while thick saliva pooled around their mouths.
Laphaniel raised his hand to his head, his palm coming back red since the wound to his forehead continued to bleed freely. It was driving the pack crazy, stirring up their bloodlust.
“Run!” Laphaniel urged, all but yanking my arm from its socket as he hauled me onwards, and, with the beasts howling at our heels, we fled.
My feet pounded over the ground and my heart hammered in my chest. Everything in my body was shrieking, and I knew it was only blind fear that was stopping it from collapsing. I didn't dare look back. I didn't need to. I could hear the wet snapping jaws as they hunted us.
Laphaniel’s hold on my hand was relentless as he wove in and out of the trees, skidding down slopes and through brambles that tangled around us, their thorns tearing at our skin as we fought our way through.
“Jump!” he shouted, barely giving me time to comprehend what he was saying before he shoved me roughly over a gully.
I yelled as I fell, plunging into icy water that stole my breath away. The swirling waters engulfed my gown, the layers of fabric turning to lead to drag me down. My lungs screamed…
I broke the surface with a shattering cry, gras
ping at Laphaniel while he held me up. I fought the urge to give into panic, focusing on kicking my legs to keep my head above water, as Laphaniel dragged us to the riverbank.
I clawed my way out, coughing and spluttering, shivering. I whirled on Laphaniel as he tried to catch his breath, smacking him sharply in the shoulder.
“Don’t ever launch me over a cliff again!”
“I thought you could swim,” he panted, stepping closer to drag me into his arms in an embrace that was far too brief.
“You try swimming in a corset and a hundred foot of silk.” I retorted, turning to eye the swirling waters we had just climbed out of. I couldn’t see the wolves.
I could hear them though…
“Keep moving,” Laphaniel said. “They won’t be far behind.”
“Wait.” I reached down to grab a handful of sodden silk, ripping it so it hung in rags just above my ankles. “Can you loosen the stays on my dress? I can barely breathe.”
He worked quickly, and I took a huge gulp of unrestricted air before we started running again, the baying of wolves echoing just across the river.
Laphaniel slowed to keep pace with me, dragging me on and on and on until I thought my lungs would give out, my body using the desperate fear flooding it to power me onwards, because I had nothing left.
A dry, broken sob gurgled from my lips as the trees finally thinned out, revealing the faded golden gates of the Seelie castle. Dropping Laphaniel's hand, I slammed into them, my fingers curling around the handle desperately. I pulled and I pushed, and I rattled the bars, shouting at them to open. I begged, but they only creaked slightly and refused to give way.
Laphaniel swore beside me, taking the bars in his own hands and forcing them forwards. They gave an inch more for him, a tormenting gap and nothing more.
“Climb up,” he said, grabbing me by the waist to push me up against the bars, just as the wolves burst through the clearing. “Quickly!”
I scrambled up and clung to the bars, leaning back to reach for Laphaniel. His fingers barely brushed mine before snapping jaws caught his leg and snatched him away. I felt him slip from me, a gasp of pain rushing from his mouth as he tried to hold on. The monstrous wolf released its hold, only to throw its head back and lunge forwards again, dragging Laphaniel further down the gate.
Without thinking, I slid down and using every bit of my strength, I kicked it hard enough to force its mouth open, releasing Laphaniel's leg in a burst of blood and spittle. I grabbed his hand again and forced him upwards.
The bars were so cold, numbing my struggling fingers as I hauled myself up. I clung on tightly, my hands cramping, knowing that if I slipped and the fall didn't kill me, then the wolves would.
I reached the top before Laphaniel, swinging my leg over to clamber down the other side, my hands sliding over the frost-soaked bars. I jumped the final couple of feet, rolling onto the unforgiving ground and away from the snapping jaws of the wolf pack outside. Laphaniel followed, hitting the floor beside me with a grunt.
I dragged him away from the gates, where the wolves snapped and flew at the bars in a furious attempt to get to us. The foam at their mouths turned bloody as they ravaged the gates, the metal shrieking against the onslaught, but they couldn’t get to us. They knew that.
They stopped, watching us with too much intelligence behind their feral eyes as they backed away, hackles still up, black lips still curled to show off their teeth. As one they lifted their heads, and howled up at the sky, their echoes ringing through the trees as they vanished back into the shadows.
Turning my attention to Laphaniel, I pulled up the soaked remains of his trouser leg, wincing at the torn flesh just below his knee. "Can you walk?"
"I think so," he grimaced as I pulled the fabric away, ripping strips off my dress to form makeshift bandages. “It will heal in a few days.”
“Will it scar?” I asked, tying off the scraps of silk, relieved the blood didn't seep through much.
“Would you be willing to stitch it up?” He gave a small smile as I felt the blood drain from my face. “No? Then it'll probably leave a mark.”
I helped him up, taking some of his weight as he tested his leg. He winced but was able to walk with only a slight limp.
“Why did you choose this?” he said, as he looked up at the twisting towers of the castle.
I followed his gaze, taking in the ruined splendour of the former Court of Seelie, the court of Light.
“Because it was too late to choose you.”
Laphaniel closed his eyes, his hand coming up to shove the wild hair away from his face. “You have finally reached the castle,” he said sadly.
The castle loomed over us, like Disney on meth and it was exactly like something out of my nightmares. I counted six towers that rose high above us, their peaks disappearing into the cloud overhead. Tattered flags snapped against the breeze, ruined by age so I couldn’t tell what colour they had once been. Huge windows stretched over the stone, all black…all void of any light. The drawbridge was down, the chains that once held it up, shattered. Nothing swam within the moat, nothing lived. The earth below was dry and cracked, even the weeds creeping over the edge had withered and died.
Laphaniel was right, it was a forsaken place.
“Thank you,” I said, turning away from the sprawling nightmare, “for everything. I wouldn’t have made it without you.”
Laphaniel continued to gaze up at the castle, his expression unreadable, “Perhaps not.”
“Where will you go now?” I asked, not knowing if I could say goodbye to him again. “Please don’t go back to Luthien…if she finds out you helped me…promise me you won’t go back to her.”
He looked at me strangely, before drawing me close, his lips brushing the top of my head. “I promise.”
“I didn’t mean for it to end like this,” I whispered against him, listening as his breath caught.
“I’m coming with you Teya,”
I pulled away at his words, hardly believing the ones that tumbled from my own lips. “You can’t, I made a bargain with Luthien. You have to go, she’ll kill you.”
Laphaniel took my hand, closing his fingers around mine. "Luthien won’t look for me here, it would be incomprehensible to her that someone would return to this place. It’s cursed, Teya, remember? Can’t you feel it? No one comes here except to lock away the new human Queen, in compliance to Sorcha’s curse.
“Luthien will know…”
He shook his head. “No, she won’t, because she has never sacrificed anything for someone she loves.”
So very gently, he brought his hands up so they cradled my face, his fingers lightly brushing against my skin. I squeezed my eyes closed, not daring to hope for anything more than a few more moments in his arms.
“You'll have to search for my replacement when the time comes.”
“Don't,” he said, touching his head to mine. “Don't find reasons why I can't come with you. If we can't have forever, Teya, I'll take whatever I can get to be beside you.”
“I love you,” I breathed, as quiet tears trailed over my cheeks. “More than I can bear.”
He nodded, though there was something that looked like regret behind his eyes, as if he were giving up what happy ending he had once wished for us. But if it were to be my ending, I would take it with grateful arms and be content with the few years fate had granted us.
Chapter Twenty-nine
The great doors of the castle screeched open, protesting after so many years of disuse. Cobwebs broke over us as we entered, our feet making trails in the dust on the floor, revealing the swirl of colours hidden beneath. Blues, greens and violets all trailed together in the marble, flecked with hints of gold that would have once shone beautifully. Age and neglect had darkened it, coating it all in a film of misery and despair.
Candle stubs flickered in dusty alcoves, ancient webs hanging from the wicks so I had to wonder how they burned at all. Tattered scraps of cloth hung from the windows, swaying along the f
loor like ghosts. It smelled of damp, of lost things. It was little more than a bitter memory, and it was suffocating.
“Did you ever live here?” I asked, my echo stealing away my voice and rebounding it off the walls.
“No,” Laphaniel said, turning around slowly as he took in the decay around us. “Luthien's sister ruled here, and as we never won the war against Sorcha, I never got to see anything but the tower where she placed the curse on the Seelie.”
“It must have been breathtaking once.” I said, craning my neck to take in the two spiralling staircases that wound around each other, leading up into darkness. “Wait, I thought you were one of Luthien's knights? Didn't you stay at the castle before the war broke out?”
“I never said I was a knight,” he said, taking a step onto the staircase and looking up. His fingers swept over cobwebs clinging to the faded gold, sending spiders scurrying down the steps. “I was born a long way from this place.”
“With Nefina?” I pressed, skipping aside as the spiders fled by my feet. I realised then how little I knew of his past. “You grew up with your sister? Where is the rest of your family now? Your mother and father?”
“My past is something that I do not wish to dwell on, Teya,” he answered. “Leave it be.”
“Why does Nefina hate you?”
He turned, stepping down so that he was level to me. “Because I abandoned her.”
“Laphaniel...” I began, as he sighed, brushing off the look of regret with a quick shrug.
“She was with Oonagh tonight. She was always gifted at potion making, so much so that Luthien accepted her as an apprentice. She made the antidote to the Goodnight Kisses, and they covered my escape.”
“What will happen if Oonagh and Nefina are caught?” I asked, and Laphaniel shook his head.
“I don't know.”
I reached for his hand, entwining my fingers with his, relieved when he squeezed back. “I never meant for this to happen. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of my mistakes...my choices.”
Darling, There Are Wolves in the Woods Page 23