Horizon

by Christie Rich

  She whinnied before she lowered her head. My fingers shook as I brought them over her shimmering mane. The soft cushion captured my attention for a short moment. She really was breathtaking.

  Using slow movements, I brought the apple to her lips. She didn’t even sniff it this time. She just took it gently into her mouth and chewed.

  I smiled at her. “Will you be so gracious as to give me a ride to the borderlands?”

  Her head bobbed down then back up. Yes! I whispered thanks into her ear then wasted no time in going to her side. Before I could give a good jump, Zach lifted me onto her back. Using his momentum, I swung my leg over her and settled in.

  In no time, Zach straddled Styx. Anticipation sliced through my belly before we even took off. Bastion spread her gigantic wings and pumped. We lifted off the ground, gliding on the wind immediately.

  Every flawless movement she made took us higher until pretty soon we sprang forward into the night. I glanced behind me, pushing my hair out of my eyes, taking in the glowing castle, full of activity. From here it looked magical. It was, in the strictest meaning of the word. Unfortunately, the manipulative people that lived there were more interested in making the amazing place a prison.

  I made myself turn away then hugged Bastion. Maybe not the smartest thing to do, but I was so grateful for her help. “Thank you,” I said, again and again. Tears streamed down my face and onto her neck. There was no way Styx would have come without her, and I knew it.

  Despite my growing worry that we would be immediately found out and hunted down, a growing hope bubbled inside me. I didn’t dare let it spark into full blown optimism, yet the glow slowly worked onto my face. I found myself smiling.

  Zach sidled up next to me. He held a similar expression when I looked over at him. I laughed, letting joy spread through me. No matter what happened between us, he was my friend. He had risked everything to help me escape. I still didn’t know what the council might do to him if they found us. I wouldn’t let the when slip into my thoughts. If Valen could manipulate people so easily, we would have a real problem on our hands when he caught up to us. It was a matter of time. I wasn’t foolish enough to think I wouldn’t have to face him at some point, but at least now we might have a shot of being ready for him. We needed to gather our forces, whoever would fight with us. This wasn’t going to be easy. Nothing about this life had been easy. So much for living a fairytale.

  “We’re nearly to the borderlands,” said Zach. “Once we’ve landed, I’ll cloak us, but I will need your help.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. Since when did he need my help? I’d seen him cloak the entire castle just a few days ago.

  He held up a hand. “Now don’t get your brain overworking. The borderlands warp our power. I will need yours for backup. The guard will likely find us if we aren’t united.”

  “Once we’re cloaked, then what?”

  “We need a game plan.”

  Now he was talking. “What do you have in mind?”

  “Not here. It’s too risky. Anyone could be watching.”

  Was he serious? I needed to trust him for this to work, but it was difficult given what had happened between us. For all I knew, Ainessa was following us, waiting for the right time to take over Zach’s mind again. No matter how many times he had assured me that she wasn’t capable anymore, I couldn’t let myself believe him. And no matter how much I sympathized with her now, I couldn’t trust her. She’d do anything she could to make her plan work.

  His expression softened. “Don’t worry, lass. We’ll figure it out. You and I can do anything together. Remember that and we’ll prevail.”

  Too bad we didn’t even have a plan. I didn’t think Zach would approve of mine. Once we were out of the realms I fully intended to find Travis first. Every time I let myself think about him, regret filled my mind. I’d missed so much time with him. He’d been like a brother to me, but knowing that he was really my sibling made me all the more eager to rescue him.

  Had he felt the same connection I had? It wasn’t likely with how he’d treated me. I’d been nothing more than a fill-in for him when he wanted to get out of his responsibilities at home. We’d shared a few great moments together, like when he’d defended me in the hallway when some of Brody’s friends had tried to label me a whore after I broke up with the jerk.

  Travis wanted to beat them all up, and at that point, he probably could have. He’d gone from a skinny kid to a blonde warrior with bulging muscles and a bad attitude in three months flat. I laughed, thinking about just where he’d gotten that attitude. An image of the man I now considered might be my father tried to settle into my mind, but I wouldn’t allow it. Like Zach said, anyone could be listening in right now and even though I had been able to keep people out of my mind, I wasn’t sure that I could keep it up in the borderlands.

  The last time I’d been there was with Gibbit. The little troll had taken pretty good care of me, for what time we’d had together. I hoped at some point I’d be able to make a difference for him; maybe give him a legitimate job?

  There were so many things that needed to be fixed in the realms. The houses clearly weren’t functioning right, but no one seemed to be concerned, except for when it came to obtaining more power. What good was power if it didn’t help their daily life? It was like having truckloads of money and living on a desert island. What was the point?

  Styx turned his head and looked at me. “You have high ambitions, young one.”

  “Nice to have you talk to me for a change,” I shot at him.

  “I’ve been busy,” he said. “If you hadn’t noticed, I have my own problems to deal with.”

  He could say that again. Bastion may have relented to aid us this time, but there was no telling what she really had going on inside her head. She banked left suddenly, throwing me off balance. “Sorry,” I thought. How was it she could dig into my mind when everyone else had to have permission? It was different with Styx. I trusted him.

  Styx chuckled. She has skills even I can’t fathom.

  Well, that was comforting. Something occurred to me then. Her skills might just become a comfort if she’d talk to me. It would be nice to have a confidant, and it sure wasn’t going to be Cassie now that she’d lost her mind. Cassie had been my idea of what normal looked like growing up, which brought a smile to my face now. I’d envied her ability to leave home whenever she wanted, which happened to be not that often. It wasn’t until I’d learned about her abilities to see the fae and how she’d struggled to cope with what her parents thought were hallucinations that I really understood how hard her life had been.

  She’d tried to be normal, and in the sanctuary she could be, but any time she left, she had to deal with her ability. The truth was I missed my best friend…the way she used to be. I’d seen a glimpse of the carefree girl I knew a few days ago, but that was because Finn had altered her memories. It was wrong of him. The fae shouldn’t have kept Elementals from their families at all. What was the difference between them interacting with the Order and interacting with Elemental Families? Things didn’t have to be like they were. There could be dating and even choice for everyone.

  Zach made it sound like I’d get Cassie back eventually, but I didn’t want to wait centuries. Heck, I didn’t even want to wait an hour. I needed to figure this out so we could all live again. It seemed to me that life was on hold and would be until something definitive happened.

  I thought back over my training and even though I knew how to wield my power better now, I still didn’t really know what to do with it. The unfortunate part about this was the only one I’d seen that really had a plan had been Ainessa. Everyone else seemed to be so focused on conquering me that they hadn’t looked past that moment to what they’d do with me once they got me.

  Unfortunately for them, I wasn’t going to turn out like Cassie. Every time she looked at Finn her eyes blanked out. It was like he’d taken her brain when they bonded. I hadn’t noticed it at first, but the longer she
was with him the worse it had become.

  Styx cut into my thoughts. “Do not judge that which you do not understand. The bond has helped countless Elementals adjust to their new life. Would you rather they pine away for something they can never have again?

  “When they are returned to the human realm, the bond is severed, saving them the memories of a life they usually grow to love. I hope for your sake that when it is your time, you will enjoy the same disconnect. Otherwise, your life will be wasted and your time cut short. Sometimes memory is nothing but a burden.”

  “That’s pretty deep, Styx,” I said, trying to make light a situation that was sinking fast.

  “Just because you don’t want to think about something does not take away the need. There are many things you have not considered.”

  “Like?” I asked, hoping he’d give me the magic ingredient to my life’s recipe.

  He grunted, blowing great puffs of smoke out his nostrils. “You seek to bring together nations that have warred in secret for centuries. Hedonistic ideals might be appealing, but they will never happen without clear leadership. You must consider that when choosing your mate.”

  I grunted. “I’ve already chosen my mate, Styx, but no one will listen to me.”

  “Heath may not be the best bondmate for you. Have you considered that? Have you considered what he offers you? Have you considered how he would lead if he was in charge?”

  “A little,” I admitted. “You don’t understand him.”

  “A rebel domesticated will never be happy.”

  Was he right? Since the moment I had made my choice, I’d had peace in my heart, but was that—

  Bastion tucked her wings into her sides and dived for the ground. Geez. Jealous much? It wasn’t like I was trying to take her mate from her. All I was doing was talking to him. Didn’t she know I was trying to make sure she could be with him? Within seconds we touched down. She sidled and neighed enough to make me more than a little uncomfortable. I jumped off her back and moved away.

  Just as quickly as our arrival, she took to the air again. I gaped at her retreating form, wondering what I’d done this time. It seemed to be a recurring theme with us. One of these days I was going to figure her out, but today was not that day.

  Styx hovered over the ground while Zach jumped off then he took to the skies, as well. I shook my head. “I might never understand the inner workings of a pegusus.”

  Zach stood next to me, watching the pair disappear into the clouds and smiles. “Don’t even try,” he said. “Come on. Let’s go.”

  “Where?” I asked.

  “The last thing we can do is stay in one place for long. Think of the borderlands as, let me see, like the Bermuda triangle of Faeresia. Nothing works right in here.”

  I frowned, thoughts racing through my mind about Cerberus. Would I even be able to find him in this place? Should I try? “Why is that?”

  Zach slouched then lifted his hand to brush his hair out of his eyes. “When we separated from the mortal realm, we caused a rift in space. This is not a normal occurrence for your world, but it was necessary. We had to make sure humans couldn’t mistakenly find their way into our world. We’d been warned about having further interaction with humans, and we took that warning seriously. We had to limit our contact with mortals, and the only way for us to truly do that was to have a barricade that wouldn’t be easy to breach. Most fae won’t even attempt a crossing due to the dangers.”

  As I followed him deeper into the trees, darkness swallowed up the view in front of me. Even with the vines glowing, I couldn’t see very well. The borderlands seemed to merge bits of the mortal realm with the fae realm, having characteristics of both.

  The cover comforted me somewhat, but I still couldn’t disguise my growing anxiety. “So,” I said, pushing a branch out of my way. “That’s why you chose the least accessible realms for the portals?”

  When I glanced at him, one side of his mouth tilted up. “That’s part of the reason. The truth is Altasians have always had a special relationship with humans…more so than any other fae race.” He stopped suddenly, turned to face me and guided me around what looked like a squishy patch of ground. Even with that effort my boots sunk into the marsh three inches. Once we were on solid ground again Zach continued, giving me a sad smile, “We left the mess to the newcomers, which was a mistake. We had no idea how much they would abuse their new gained power.”

  I grunted in understanding. “What about Luke?”

  Zach shrugged. “Luke has an exuberance not easily swayed. He campaigned for integration from the beginning. We even thought he might accomplish the goal during the golden age. The Romans and the Greeks both took to his teachings, yet he couldn’t quite get those teachings to stick.”

  My mouth fell open and my eyes dried out from not blinking. “Are you telling me Luke is responsible for the myths of Zeus and Jupiter? And just which golden age did he rule over?”

  He chuckled then smirked at me. “I’m telling you he is Zeus and Jupiter, and you name it, he was there.”

  “No way!” I hissed. I mean, that didn’t make any sense. “Shouldn’t he be, like, Poseidon or something?” Zeus had power over lightning and that was a power only given to Eirians, and even at that only a few could control it.

  Zach scoffed. “You should know him better than that. He seeks to rule. It doesn’t matter where. He has sought to control all the elements since the moment his toes met soil.”

  I couldn’t believe it. The whole idea was just so odd. Luke had implied he’d had a connection to Earth’s myths, but this was just weird. “What about the other gods and goddesses?”

  “My sister decided to play along with Luke and pretty soon they had half of Lombarda in on the act.”

  Good grief. Act. As in play. No wonder the gods seemed so fickle. “What, did they all decide to visit the mortal realm to cause havoc?” I wondered if that was when Ainessa had fallen in love with Luke.

  He laughed, smiling as if the scene replayed in his mind. “I assure you that was not their intention. You should have seen them. They really got good at creating believable glamour. If I remember correctly, Levi was Pan.”

  I hadn’t thought about Levi since I left Ignis. He had been funny once I got to know him. His sense of humor could be dry at times, though. Even with that I couldn’t imagine him with goat’s legs.

  In the dimming light, Zach resembled a dark angel. All he needed was a set of wings. I caught myself and stopped my thoughts from going down that road. Speaking of wings… “Do you think Styx and Bastion will come back?”

  He shrugged then gave me his signature wink. “Not to worry, love. We don’t really need them anymore.”

  “Why’s that?” I asked, stopping near his shoulder, not too close, though.

  He extended his hand in front of him, pointing to a patch of trees that looked no different than the ones we stood under. “Up ahead is a weak spot in the rift. With your help, I think I can open the portal.”

  Excitement rushed through my veins. “Really?”

  “Don’t get too eager, lass. First of all, opening a portal might prove difficult even with our combined power. Then we have to consider where we will end up after we find out if you can cross the barrier—”

  A low groan of thunder split the night, followed by a blast of lightning. Terror ratcheted up my nerves. “They’ve found us,” I whispered.

  Zach hushed me, cocking his head as if he was trying to concentrate. Another boom sounded, this time much closer.

  Without saying anything at all, Zach pulled me into his arms and pressed me along his body. I didn’t even have time to protest before his lips covered mine. All sorts of sensations washed over me. My body responded to his urgent call. It took every cell in my brain to keep myself from falling into a deep chasm of need. Sound and space disappeared, leaving my only anchor to the world the man that clung to me.

  There was no telling how long our kiss lasted, but it was too long as far as I was conc
erned. When I pushed on his chest, he only pulled me closer, intensifying his kiss. This was idiotic. I didn’t care how much he wanted me right now, we had to get out of here before the guard found us. For all l I knew, Valen led the mission.

  In a desperate attempt to get away from him, I used my power. It was only a little bit, but instead of shocking him away from me, his body lit from the inside as if taking my energy.

  Dizziness swarmed me, threatening to take what composure I had left. I gave one last push and Zach finally stepped back.

  I turned my head, checking the area for signs of the guard. I didn’t want to yell before I was sure we were alone. Zach grabbed my shoulders and twisted me around.

  Not two yards in front of me stood Nicco with another guard close behind him. Before I could gasp, Zach covered my mouth. His body pressed against my back, which was a good thing because the shock of the whole scene made my knees go slack. The guards searched exactly where we stood, but somehow Zach had cloaked us.

  “Their tracks lead right to this spot,” said Valen from the side of us.

  My whole body tensed from the expression on his face. It was more than just angry. In that moment rage twisted his ordinary face into something sinister.

  “My lord,” said Nicco. “Perhaps they drifted from here. Rayla has the capability.”

  Valen let out a scream so raw I covered my ears from the noise. “We must stop her from crossing into the mortal realm at all costs. I will not lose this woman. I do not care what you have to do, find her, and when you do, you bring her to me. I did not battle the entire fae army for nothing.” He walked up to Nicco and took hold of his collar. With the strength of ten lords, he yanked the man that towered over him toward his face. “Do you understand me? You would not like to find out what happens if she escapes.”

  Once they stepped away a relieved breath escaped me. Valen whirled around. His eyes searched the area we stood in, but they did not rest on my face. He stepped closer making me want to bolt. My heart thudded so fast I could barely hear anything else. His jaw clenched before he punched his fist right through my chest.