by H. D. Gordon
She had to find Charlie.
Sudden pain exploded in her shoulders, and only when her feet left the ground did she look up to see the wide, fanged grin of a Fae above her, his clawed feet digging into her shoulders and making her momentarily light-headed, holding her arms immobile.
The ground receded below her, her stomach dropping at the sudden rise. A funny thought occurred to her that this must be the way a field mouse feels when a hawk snatches it up into the sky.
All she saw next was a flash of black and blue, and the talons digging into her shoulders disappeared as a bird-like screech scraped across her ears.
She hit the ground hard, but managed to land on her feet, a thing she had picked up from Samson at a young age.
“Miss me?” asked a wonderfully familiar voice in her head.
Surah’s head whipped around, and there was Samson, standing over the dead and mangled body of the Fae who had taken her a moment ago.
She took the smallest of moments to stare at the enormous cat she loved so much, soaking up the warmth that radiated from his amber eyes.
She felt instantly safer despite the fact that everything was crumbling around her. Samson would see to it that she and Charlie made it out of here—
“Sam, we have to get Charlie and get out,” She told him telepathically, shoving and slicing two more Hunters that came her way.
The crowd was giving Samson a wide berth, but now, the Fae seemed to be focusing more attacks on him, and he was ripping them up with his claws and teeth, not letting a single one of them reach Surah.
Sapphire blood sprang into the air and splattered the terrified crowd. Some of it landed on her lips, and she brushed it away with the back of her shaking hand.
“Your father is in danger,” Samson responded, his voice in Surah’s head sounding out of breath.
Surah spotted Charlie being beaten by several Hunters near the city gates, which were still closing slowly but surely, cutting off any escape, as well as leaving people on the outside unprotected against the Fae’s attack.
The Hunters were dragging Charlie toward a place where she knew a secret passageway was cut into the stone wall. If they got Charlie through there, he was as good as dead. All these thoughts came to her before she actually processed what her tiger had just told her.
“What do you mean he’s in danger?” she asked, rushing the words out as quickly as she could think them. “He’s probably protected better than any of us right now just being inside the castle. The Hunters won’t let the Fae reach him.”
“Wrong, love,” Samson responded, pausing to leap into the air and clamp his jaws around the throat of a Fae that had ventured too close.
He ran his tongue out over his face and turned to look at her with serious amber eyes. “Your father’s enemy is inside the castle. I think your uncle is planning to kill him. I was watching over him for you, but when I saw what was happening down here, I decided you needed my help more.”
Surah’s heart dropped, and again time seemed to slow. Samson knelt down in front of her, and she hopped onto his back feeling very much like a puppet, acting on automatic.
Her eyes went to Charlie, who was fighting like all hell but also losing, as he was far too outnumbered and being dragged nearer to the secret passageway that led back to the castle with every passing moment.
When she spoke again to Sam telepathically, her voice sounded small and inexplicably young even in her own head, like a child who can’t quite comprehend what they’ve just been told.
“But I have to get Charlie out of here, Sam. If I don’t, they’ll kill him. Once those gates close, they aren’t going to open again. Not after this. Not for Charlie.”
Samson looked back over his shoulder at her where she sat on his back, her fingers digging into the thick fur around his neck. She could see so much in the way he looked at her, and her sunken heart gave one thud at the sympathy there.
“I can’t make this decision for you, love. Both your father and your… Charlie are in immediate danger. I can get you and Charlie out of here if we go now, or I can take you back to the castle and we can take it from there, but you’ve got to tell me what to do here, Surah. You’ve got to make the choice.”
“Can’t we take Charlie out and put him somewhere safe and sneak back in afterward? It doesn’t have to be one or the other, right? We don’t even know where Gregory is in this mess, if he made it back inside or not.”
There was so much Samson wanted to say. She could see as much just from the look in his eyes, could hear it in the brief moment of silence as he continued dodging through the crowd.
It was as if he knew that this choice was all-or-nothing. Protect her father. Or protect Charlie. Like he knew that she would only get to do one. But how could that be so? It couldn’t, she decided… Even though her gut told her it was.
All Samson said was, “Sure, love. We can get Charlie out and come back. Is that what you want? Are you sure?” He glanced at the sun, as if its position were somehow important. “There should be time.”
They both knew that he wanted to follow that last statement up with hopefully, but Sam didn’t. He was far too in tune with her to do that.
Surah felt tears pooling in her eyes, and it was harder to answer than she thought it should be. She swallowed hard and forced them back.
Then, she agreed. She would have time to come back and make sure Gregory didn’t harm her father.
The Hunters were already receding into the castle, ushering Highborns into the protection of the stone walls and shamefully leaving the common folk to fend for themselves.
When she noticed that the Fae were also beginning to clear out, it became clear to her what was going on, why Black Heart and the Fae Queen had made this attack, and she felt foolish for not seeing it all before.
All the puzzle pieces clicked into place, and as they locked in, a chill passed through her body, as if a goose had just walked over her grave.
“Let’s get Charlie, Sam,” she said, and she heard the finality in the words but refused to acknowledge it.
With all that was going on, she had to believe the Hunters would be watching over her father very closely, as he was still their king. She had to believe that she could get Charlie to safety and get back in time before something terrible happened.
With her track record of losing family members, even these good arguments held a sense of foreboding.
But the choice had been made. She just couldn’t let the Hunters take Charlie. Theo would kill him before the sun had a chance to set on this terrible, bloody day, and though she loved her father like the stars loved the night, she just couldn’t imagine her life now without Charlie in it.
It was impossible, absurd, even foolish, but somehow, in the course of a week, after having not seen the man since they were both little more than children, she had decided she wanted to keep him.
Not just for one night. Not just for a while. Surah had decided she wanted to keep Charlie Redmine until the sun set for her for good, until all the lights in the universe died out. Until forever.
And as Samson raced through the crowd, splitting the sea of people like a great deity, she clutched her faithful tiger tightly and buried her face against his fur, closing her eyes for a moment so she could just take in the smell of him, so it could drown out the world.
When Samson came to a stop, she opened her eyes and was face-to-face with Charlie, who was bloodied and beaten, but still standing. Charlie had a knack for standing when he should have long been knocked down, and she was glad for it. The Hunters who were restraining him must have taken off like frightened rabbits when they’d seen Samson barreling their way.
Surah held out a hand to him, which Charlie took as he climbed up onto Samson’s large back behind her.
His arms slipped around her waist, and then they were off, racing toward the exit gates on the back of the Great Tiger, skirting around hacked bodies and crying women, leaving behind people she had sworn to protect, leaving behi
nd a mess on her father’s doorstep.
Surah kept her eyes open only long enough to see that though the crowd was still frenzied, the Fae had all disappeared, having made their point rather clearly. She had to give Charlie’s brother credit. His plan was a clever one, and she could see now this was only the start of it.
Sam slipped through the gates just before they slammed shut, and the crowd beyond fell all over themselves in an attempt to get out of his way. If the situation weren’t so awful, it might have been kind of comical, but nothing about this was funny.
Samson was tired. Surah could tell. He was built for short bursts of speed, not endurance. Even so, he leapt over several heads and trampled others as he shot off toward the trees in the distance, racing past people who had been smart enough to flee the scene as well.
As soon as they were out of the city, and had left the whole thing behind, she shut her eyes and laid her head back against Charlie’s chest, trying not to think of her father.
She would go back. He would be fine. She’d made the right choice.
Well, she’d made a choice, anyway.
And she hoped like hell it was the right one.
Chapter 31
Surah
“I…can’t…run…much longer,” Sam told her, his thoughts laboring along with his breathing.
They had made it to the dense forest that lie east of the castle, and Surah hadn’t seen anyone following them, though it was impossible to be sure with how crazy things had been as they’d left. She let out a breath and rubbed Samson’s neck.
“I know. You need to rest. Stop and let us off now. You and Charlie can walk the rest of the way. You’ll just have to be careful.”
Samson came to a stop without arguing, and Surah and Charlie jumped down from his back. Once they were off, the tiger laid on his stomach and rolled over to his side, his chest rising and falling as he sucked in air.
After a few moments, he lifted his head and looked at her. “The rest of the way where, love? Where do you think Charlie and I are going?”
Surah knelt down beside him and stroked behind his ears, earning a few small chuffs as his eyes narrowed to happy slits the way they always did when she petted him.
“Somewhere safe,” she told him. “Somewhere the Hunters won’t find you.”
“Really? And where do you think you’re going all by your lonesome?”
Surah stared into his amber eyes, trying to put on an immoveable expression and knowing she was failing. She couldn’t seem to be able to control anything lately, least of all her own emotions.
“You know where I’m going, Sam. You said Gregory is planning to kill my father. I’m not just going to stand by and let that happen. I meant what I said back there. Charlie and you are safe now, and I’m going back to ensure my father is as well. You know you can’t stop me, so don’t even try.”
One of Samson’s whiskered eyebrows shot up, and he blinked slowly at her before closing his eyes and licking his left paw. “I’m not so sure I would say I can’t stop you, but you’re right that I won’t. However, you can’t stop me from following you back, either.”
Surah shook her head. “No, Sam. I wouldn’t be able to take it if anything happened to you. I need you to be safe right now. I can only deal with one person I love being in danger at a time. Please, just listen to me. You and Charlie should go to the jungles and find a cave or something.”
Surah reached out and cupped his large, furry face in her small hands. Samson stopped licking his paw and looked up at her with so much love she could almost hear her heart break.
“I will come back to you,” she told him. “That’s what we do, you and I. We come back to each other. Always. This time won’t be any different. I just need to go make sure my father is okay…Okay?”
Samson stared at her for a long time without responding, and once again she felt the sting of hot tears threatening in her eyes. Sam wasn’t the only one who was tired. She would like nothing more right now than to curl up beside him and snuggle into his warm fur, breathing in his familiar scent until the world slipped away and sleep took over. In her heart of hearts, she knew that Samson wanted just the same thing.
But this was not an option, and they both knew it.
Samson began rubbing his head against her, and she resumed stroking behind his ears as he finally spoke again in her head.
“Fine, love, I will do as you say, but only because I know you’re a survivor, and are very well capable of looking after yourself. If you tell me you will come back to me, I believe you, because you have never lied to me before… but before you go, at least let me tell you why I think your uncle is planning on murdering your father. In your absence I’ve learned many things.”
Surah swallowed, and wasn’t aware of doing so, but spoke her next words aloud in a small whisper. “Why, Sam? Why would he want to kill him?”
Samson licked her hand before silently saying his next words. “Because a Fae came to Gregory and told him that if he wanted to bring the magic back, he had to spill the blood of his king before…”
Samson paused, his head turning as he glanced at the position of the sun.
Surah’s eyes followed his and she saw that sunset was not too far off, and already the light penetrating the trees all around them was growing dim.
For some reason, the sight of this made her heart skip a beat.
“Before what?” she asked.
Samson let out a puff of air. “Before the sun sets on this day. And if your father’s blood does not run, the Fae said the magic would be gone forever.”
Surah’s mouth fell open and her stomach twisted. “That’s bullshit. This Fae was lying. I’m not sure yet how they accomplished taking the magic away, but I know enough about our power to know that it doesn’t work like that. Only one of the Gods could do away with our magic for good, and the Gods take no interest in our affairs, so this must be temporary.” She shook her head to exaggerate her point. “Killing my father can’t be the only way to bring the magic back. I don’t believe it. Not for a second.”
Samson brought his head up slowly, holding her gaze in a way that she knew meant he was about to point out whatever big thing she was overlooking.
“I didn’t believe it either, love,” his deep voice rumbled. “But I’m pretty sure Gregory Brightstar did.”
Chapter 32
Surah
Surah jumped to her feet, her eyes darting back to the sinking sun.
She nearly punched Charlie when he spoke from behind her because her nerves were so on edge, and with everything that Samson had just told her, she had forgotten Charlie was there.
“Why do I get the feeling you two are having a whole conversation I’m not in on?” Charlie asked.
Surah spun around to face him, her mind flying a mile a minute. She wondered how long it would take her to get back to the castle and sneak inside. She wished more than ever that she could just teleport into her father’s chambers and make sure he was all right.
She would just have to travel as fast as she could, and since she was in good shape, and great with her weapons, she had to believe she could make it back there in time to stop her uncle should he decide to take matters into his own hands.
Checking the position of the sun, she figured she had at least a couple hours before it descended completely.
Still, it would be wise to make haste, so she grabbed Charlie’s hands in hers and pulled him close, knowing this goodbye would need to be done quickly, and hoping it would not be the last that they shared.
“Because we were having a whole conversation without you,” she said. “But it’s not important. What’s important is that you listen to me and trust me, because there isn’t much time. Can you do that, Charlie?”
Surah watched as that haunted look passed behind his emerald eyes, but there was love there, too, and it warmed her. He nodded slowly and brought his hands up to cup her face.
“Yes, love, I can do that,” he said.
Samson
’s head tilted as he heard Charlie’s way of addressing her, and she smiled at the cat when he gave her a look that said only he was supposed to call her love.
“Good,” she said, and allowed herself to take a small breath because she would not let herself cry right now.
Right now, she needed to be strong. If she allowed one chink in her armor, the whole suit would slide off and she would succumb to all the stress and worry she’d been nearly constantly enduring since this whole thing started.
“Then go with Samson,” she continued. “He’ll take you somewhere safe. I have to go back and make sure my father is protected.”
Charlie’s brow furrowed and he shook his head, clearly not approving of this idea. Before he could argue, Surah held up her hand to stop him.
“We don’t have time to discuss this,” she said. “You said you trust me, so trust that I’ll be fine. He’s my father, Charlie, and I have to protect him.” She forced a sad smile to her lips, though it caused an ache in her heart to do so.
“You understand, don’t you?”
Charlie’s eyes went distant for a moment, the way they always did when she knew he was looking back on something that had happened long ago, and she realized she’d never asked him the details of his parents’ deaths, but by the look on his face, she got the feeling this particular memory involved them.
Before he even confirmed that he did understand why she had to go back, she knew he did. He probably understood better than most.
“All right,” he said. “But I’m going back with you.”
She sighed, her eyes darting to the sun and back to him. “No, you’re not, and I don’t have time for an argument. I’m not sure what’s going to happen with my father, but I know I can’t stand to lose you, Charlie, and we both know that if you go back to the city, you’re a dead man. I can take care of myself, but I can’t do that if I’m worried about you. Promise me you’ll do as I say.”