The Mortal Falls

by Anna Durand

  "And what about you?"

  "Since I am of no further use, you must leave me here. I have vowed to retrieve your brother and I shall keep my promise."

  "Your plan sucks," I said. "I veto it."

  He hissed a breath out his nose, eyes squinted. "I am useless."

  "You, Nevan, are not in any way impotent, with or without magical abilities."

  "Currently, I am but a man. Unable to defend you."

  "Oh please." I shook my head. "You are not a man, as you've told me so many times. You're a hot sylph with cool armor and a wicked sword."

  "Even if I had my sword and armor, without powers I am — "

  "Not useless." I punctuated each word with a thump of my fist on his chest. "I need you in warrior mode, not moping like a fairy."

  A small, tight smile stretched his mouth. "Warrior mode is pointless without armor and a sword."

  "Maybe I can help you with that."

  His smile changed into one of bemused interest. "In what manner?"

  "Well, I've got all this power, right?" I swept a hand up and down, indicating myself. "I'm so strong, the mage couldn't suck the magic out of me. I've got serious power."

  Nevan got that dubious look again, the one that said he knew I was about to suggest something wacky and he wouldn't like it, but he'd give me a chance to explain anyway. "Janus was the god of doorways, which is why you can open the portal and transport immortals across the boundaries in the mortal realm. Not helpful in — "

  "Shush." I took a breath, rolling my shoulders back. "Think. I have Janus's power. He was the god of doorways, yes, but also of beginnings and endings, and of transitions."

  "Information I gave you."

  "Zip it. I'm not finished."

  He mimed zipping his lips shut. Cheeky sylph.

  "This Janus guy was tough, right?" I gnawed the inside of my cheek, flipping through the pages of my mental book for answers. "You said Janus was so powerful the other immortals feared him and so the gods banded together to destroy him. But they couldn't get rid of his power, so they scattered it into the winds."

  "The Four Winds, which are not winds as you know them. They are both avatars and guardians of energy and magic."

  "Doesn't that mean they must've been the ones who put Janus's essence inside me?"

  "I suppose," Nevan said slowly. "Not directly, however, since Janus was destroyed eons ago. They must've set things in motion. Why does it matter?"

  "They imbued me with magical powers, right?"

  "Yes."

  "Here's my plan." I paused — not to be dramatic, but because I also feared my plan might be too crazy. "Step one, I make use of my Janusite magic to re-empower you."

  From the look on his face, I could tell he really, really wanted to Lindsey me. "I doubt that is possible."

  "You're awfully pessimistic at the moment, so I'll go with my instincts this time." I walked straight up to him, bounced up on my toes, and leveled our gazes. "I'm giving you back however much of your power I can, whether you like it or not. The life debt ought to smooth the way."

  His arms went limp as he gave a tiny shake of his head. "I've come to realize I cannot stop you, when you've set your mind to a task."

  "Smart man."

  "Do I want to know about step two?"

  I sank back down onto my heels, patting his chest. "Step two, I'm going to give Skeiron exactly what he wants."

  Nevan flinched away as if I'd shot him. "You will not surrender to Skeiron."

  "I have to. He has Ash." I tugged his hands and he shuffled closer. "Besides, after I've shared my magic with you, I'm counting on you to crash through the wards, empowered by your debt to me. In fact, I hereby command you to rescue me and Ash once I've found him."

  "Let us pray the life debt is strong enough for that. What is the rest of your plan?"

  "I invite Skeiron to take a jaunt across the boundary with me. If we pull it off, this little field trip will be one Skeiron won't enjoy."

  He covered his face with his hands for a second, and then let them drop away. "Your plan sounds exceedingly dangerous — and it requires you to be alone with the king. Even with an infusion of your power, I rather doubt I'll be strong enough to aid you if things should go awry."

  I placed a kiss over the scar on his chest. "You are smart, resourceful, stubborn, and brave. With or without magic, you have what it takes to help me defeat Skeiron."

  Nevan stopped blinking, his cheeks faintly pink. "I am yours to command."

  We stared at each other, unspoken things hovering between us, things we both wanted to express but each held back for different reasons. Or maybe the same reason. Fear.

  At last, he said, "Explain to me how transporting Skeiron across the boundary will end anything. You took me through the barrier and I am quite alive."

  Okay. Honesty time. "We both know why I was able to take you over the boundary, without even touching you."

  "Do we?"

  I didn't pull away from him, but I did squirm and start counting the swirls in his eyes. "It's not about sex, Nevan. It's about you. How I feel."

  He searched my face, his brow pinched above his nose.

  "The point is," I explained, "I could take you over the boundary because we have a… um… "

  "Connection." No inflection, no smirk, a simple statement of fact.

  I nodded. "My magic was awakened by my desperation to save you. I don't have that connection with Skeiron. If I take him across the line — "

  "He will be destroyed."

  "That's the idea. He doesn't understand why my powers worked with you. He believes I can take him over the boundary."

  Nevan gazed at me with admiration. "You are a genius."

  I rolled my eyes.

  He kissed my forehead. "I will do as you ask."

  "About damn time." I ran my hands over his chest. "I wish I could give you all your powers back. Make you whole again. But I think partway is the most I can do."

  He thrust a hand into my hair, angling my face up to his. "I was whole again the moment you looked at me in the forest that first day, when you saw me as I truly am and looked on at me without fear or disgust."

  "That moment changed me too." A better confession clamored to get out and I no longer saw any reason not to tell him. "I love you, Nevan."

  "I love you, Lindsey Astrid Porter."

  He kissed me long and slow, with a tenderness and yearning equal to mine, and I relinquished my body and soul to him yet again, within the confines of this bubble we always erected around ourselves whenever we touched. When our lips parted, I cleared my throat, still feeling the slickness of his mouth on mine.

  Energy tingled over my skin, diving under the surface to suffuse my entire being. I crushed my mouth to his again, willing my power to infuse him too. He made a surprised noise deep in his throat, his body tensing and then relaxing.

  Metal materialized between us.

  I moved back a step, smiling when I caught sight of the armor shielding his body and the sword gripped in his hand.

  A rustling, faint but distinct, lured my attention to the woods behind me. An instinct stirred inside me, warning of Skeiron's approach.

  "Go," I told Nevan. "Skeiron's almost here, I can feel it. Find Tris, he'll help. Find my parents and Travis. Gather our allies, Nevan."

  "I will." He laid a hand on my cheek. "Be careful, my love."

  He turned and jogged off into the woods. Despite his armor, he made little noise as he slipped away into the night.

  I walked in the opposite direction, into the deeper shadows where the forest canopy thickened. Strange insects chirped, orange specks danced in the bushes and trees, and the moss-like ground cover squished under my boots. I ducked a hand under my shirt to touch my holster. With no bullets, the gun was useless — yet reaffirming its prese
nce comforted me somehow.

  A raven swooped down from the trees to land in front of me.

  Brennus rose, a rippling, roiling shadow that transformed into a man-like creature. His black eyes locked on me. "You are without your guardian."

  "And you're without your king."

  The weight of another gaze prickled my skin. I spun to face Skeiron.

  "He is my scout," the king said. "But never out of contact with me."

  "Does he want to serve you, or do you have something on him?"

  "There is no difference." Skeiron strode up to me. "Your guardian will not save you this time."

  "Don't count him out yet. You may have stripped his magic, but he's still ten times the man you are."

  "He is powerless, no better than a mortal." Skeiron nodded to Brennus. "Find Nevan and kill him."

  The assassin morphed back into a bird and launched into the sky. His cackling echoed down through the forest.

  Nevan, please, run fast.

  26

  Skeiron zipped me back to his subterranean palace, straight into the room where he was holding Ash. The instant we materialized, my brother flew off the bed where he'd been sitting cross-legged and tackled me. I staggered backward but clung to him as fiercely as he clung to me.

  "Zee!" Ash clinched me hard enough to make me gasp. "I knew you'd come back. Can we go home?"

  "Soon, I promise."

  His saucer eyes latched onto my gaze. "I don't like it here."

  "I know." With a pointed look at Skeiron, I told Ash, "I have to talk to our host first, but then we are going home."

  Possibly to die.

  I pulled Ash tighter to me and kissed the top of his head. Then I said something I'd never said before to my brother. "I love you, Ash."

  His head popped up again, his eyes no longer wide but squinted with befuddlement. I tried to clap the old lid on my emotions, but my hazmat-level containment had fractured. My face must've revealed everything — my guilt at failing to protect my family, uncertainty about what was to come, and so much more — but my brother noted only the fact of what I'd said.

  A grin broke out on Ash's face. "I love you too, Zee."

  I mustered a smile, weak but genuine. "I need you to trust me, sweetie. I will get you home, but first, I have go outside for a few minutes."

  His eyes widened again as he bit down on his lower lip.

  "I'll be back," I said. "Just a few minutes."

  Ash nodded, eyes glistening with unshed tears. He scampered over to the bed, hopped onto it, and dangled his feet over the edge. The heels of his sneakers bumped the wooden bed frame with each swing of his feet.

  A shadow shifted in the far corner, and I abruptly noticed the obsidian-armored sylph posted there.

  I led Skeiron out into the corridor.

  He shut the door. His expression revealed nothing, but he watched me as if waiting for me to initiate our discussion.

  Trying for nonchalance, I let my arms hang slack, my shoulders relaxed and rolled back, resting my weight on one hip. The mistake I'd made before was allowing Skeiron to witness my fear and anger. Time to rein it in again, Lindsey.

  This part of my plan required cool detachment and clear thinking. I hadn't shared the details about this phase with Nevan, because he would never have agreed to my surrendering to the king if he knew. I needed him far away, gathering our allies in the relative safety of the mortal world. Of course, he couldn't breach the boundary on his own, which left him vulnerable.

  To Brennus. To whoever framed me for murder. To Skeiron and his freaking army of sylph warriors, all armed with magic while Nevan had none.

  Focus, Lindsey. You've got the power here, remember?

  I deliberately met Skeiron's gaze, ignoring the cold that slithered through me at the eye contact. "I want to make a bargain with you."

  No reaction. "What sort of bargain?"

  "You want me to help you cross the boundary." My fingers had started to twitch. I closed them into loose fists. "I want a few things in return."

  "Bargains are formal agreements with magical power."

  "That goes both ways, you know."

  He crept closer, bending forward to loom over me.

  I squelched the impulse to back away. This was it.

  His eyes glinted with pure white and seethed with putrid green. "Speak your demands."

  "You release my brother and agree to never kidnap, harass, injure, or kill any member of my family ever again. They are safe from you and everyone who is, was, or will be associated with you."

  He slanted lower, descending over me. His odor, sharp and sulfurous, suffocated me. I fought back a retch as he plunged his head down to sear his gaze into mine. "In return, you will share the power of the Janusite with me and only me. You serve my will, without question."

  "As long as you're king."

  He blew a breath out his nose. "As long as I am king. You will also remain with me, physically present at my side, for the remainder of your life."

  "Or the remainder of yours, whichever ends first."

  "Agreed." He smirked, clearly certain he'd outlive me.

  "One more thing." I resisted the urge to scuffle backward, to escape his vile presence. "You will call off Brennus. No harm will come to Nevan for the rest of his existence and you'll return him to his full power, releasing him from any and all bargains he made with you, as well as from the curse on his heart."

  I didn't believe Skeiron had really cursed Nevan, and Nevan believed I'd broken the curse anyway, but I wanted nothing omitted from this bargain.

  Skeiron's tongue snaked out to moisten his lips. "Nevan has no value to me anymore, so I accept your conditions. In return, you will have no contact with Nevan for the duration of your bargain with me." He snatched up a lock of my hair, coiling it around his index finger, and pulled it taut. "Our bargain will last forever, you realize, as I am immortal."

  But not invincible. The king had no idea Nevan apprised me of that fact.

  I squared my shoulders, clearing my throat. "Do we have a deal? Based on the parameters we've outlined since the moment I initiated the process by stating my clear intention to strike a bargain."

  He brought his finger to his lips, my hair wrapped around it, and inserted his long finger into his mouth, lips puckering around it as he sucked. His face contorted in disgust. He spit out my hair. "You taste of him."

  "Do we have a deal, Skeiron?"

  He straightened, a tower of muscle and menace. "Yes. A bargain is struck."

  Magic shot through me, fire lashed with ice, electricity sparked by rain. The ground trembled, or maybe my legs quivered. I struggled to keep my footing as the power of the bargain coursed through me.

  The energy faded into a simmering discomfort and I regained my equilibrium.

  Brennus appeared beside Skeiron. "I was a feather's breadth from capturing the guardian. Why have you commanded me to return?"

  "I have struck a bargain with the Janusite."

  Though I supposed Janusite was an improvement over wench, I still fumed at the moniker. "I have a name."

  Skeiron sniffed. "I've no use for mortal names. You are a tool, not a comrade."

  A tool. Fabulous. I prayed I'd done the right thing, instead of just royally screwing myself and everyone who mattered to me. The one thing I'd most wanted to ask for had been the one thing I could not request.

  That he leave the mortal world alone.

  Skeiron would never have made such a vast concession, what with multi-world domination tops on his to-do list. Saving my family and Nevan was the most I could ask for and I was banking on my ability to craft a solid bargain — and on the hope Skeiron wouldn't finagle a way around my terms. I bore sole responsibility for saving the world.

  Not entirely accurate. I had my allies. My well-armed family, a tough sheriff
, and one testy fae. My best hope for rallying those allies lay with a singular sylph clad in armor, who wielded a magnificent sword.

  Nevan believed his current lack of power made him useless. I would've bet on him in any fight — unpowered, unarmed, with both hands tied behind his back. But my deal with Skeiron, sealed by our mutual agreement, ensured Nevan would regain his full power.

  I pointed toward the doorway. "My brother."

  "Will accompany us to the portal, which you will open. Once we are through, your brother may return to your family."

  "And Nevan?"

  "He has been restored."

  I'd have to trust him on that point, since I'd agreed to stay away from Nevan for the duration of our bargain. An ache throbbed in my chest, squeezing my heart. I'd couldn't see Nevan again, much less touch him. And God, how I yearned for the comfort of his arms around me. Out of reach forever.

  Unless I succeeded. Unless I liberated two worlds from a tyrant.

  Me. The one-time man-killer who'd hidden out in a rock shop for three years, too afraid to deal with the past.

  Nevan's voice echoed in my mind. You are a goddess, in every way. Time to act like one.

  I was more than the frigging Janusite. I was Lindsey Astrid Porter, daughter of gun-toting hippies, girlfriend of an immortal elemental warrior from the Bronze Age, and the tough chick who'd blasted .357 rounds at a sylph king and bridged two worlds to resurrect my lover. Plus, I'd talked a powerful being into agreeing to every one of my demands.

  No time for basking in my accomplishments. The greatest risk of all was ahead of me.

  The door pivoted inward and Ash trotted out, escorted by his sylph guard.

  "Let's get moving," I said. "We've got a boundary to cross."

  *****

  I punched through the falls and sidestepped onto the ledge, my hair glued to my face and my clothes dripping. Goose bumps pebbled my skin, chilled by frigid water. I threw a hand up to shield them from the brilliant sunlight, as my eyes slowly adjusted. Humid summer heat blanketed me, turning my drenched self into a clammy mess.

  Ash tumbled out of the falls. I snagged his hand and urged him onto the ledge beside me, scooting sideways to make room.