by J. L. Farey
She was almost to the steps when he called after her. “I know about the tree.”
Laurel froze and turned back to him. He had managed to climb into the trailer and was looking up at Horatio.
“It’s surprising how much real information you can find on the internet about magical creatures. Like what it means for a nymph to be soul-bound. I know that you’re soul-bound to this silly tree you saved before I could have it cut down for the golf course.”
“You?” She didn’t understand. “How?”
“See, there’s something else you didn’t know. I’m rich. That whole hippie thing was just me trying to stick it to my parents. Bet now you wish you’d stayed with me.”
Nothing he said would make her wish that. “You know about the golf course?”
“Who do you think planned it? Me!” He stepped closer to the tree. “I knew you were in Tennessee and that you hung out in that grove. So I bought it. I knew when you heard all those trees were going to die, you couldn’t help but save one.”
“You sick pig.” The idea of so much carnage, just so Dillon could take his revenge, turned her stomach.
“But wait, that’s not all.” He leaned against the container and put his palm on the tree trunk. “Aren’t you wondering why I cared if you were soul-bound to any tree?”
It came to her in a flash, at the same moment that he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a lighter.
“Silly old man.” He flicked the lighter open. It was an older one, the kind that stayed lit whether you held the lever down or not. “Can’t do much damage with one lighter, can I? Unless I dowsed the container with lighter fluid before you came out.”
“No!” Laurel screamed as she ran toward the trailer, but she was too late.
Flames licked at the sides of the tub, encircling the tree. In the distance, a police siren wailed. Aiden. It must be him. But she couldn’t wait. She ran to the side of the house, cranked on the water spigot, and grabbed the hose. Before she could get to Horatio, something hard cracked down on her back. She hit the ground, water pooling around her from the hose she’d dropped. Dillon stood over her, a branch in his hand. An ironic choice of weapon.
“Goodbye, Laurie.”
A flash of black and white bounded over Laurel and through the air, sinking its teeth into Dillon’s wrist. Thrown off balance, Dillon fell backwards with a scream. Bailey stood between Laurel and her attacker, ready to protect her.
“I always knew you had it in you.” Laurel started to get up, but the world spun around, knocking her back down.
Smoke burned her eyes as her vision grew hazy. With one ear against the ground, she heard the pounding of feet coming in her direction. Someone grabbed Dillon and drug him away. Someone else dropped beside her.
“Laurel.”
Aiden. Her Aiden.
“Laurel. Did he hurt you? What’s wrong?”
How could she explain it to him? She was so weak she could barely speak. “Tree. Dying.”
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. “I’m so sorry. There’s nothing we can do about the tree. What about you?”
Her lips moved, but no sound came out. This was it. She was going to die. But at least she’d die in the arms of the man she loved.
“She’s dying because the tree is dying.” A strange voice spoke. It was deep and rough, with a slight British accent.
“Bailey?” Aiden sounded shocked.
Laurel was too weak to be shocked. She’d be shocked tomorrow, if she lived that long.
“She’s soul-bound to the tree.”
“Okay,” Aiden said. “So if it dies...she dies?”
“Yes, unless the bond transfers from the tree to you.”
How did he know that? What a smart boy. If this worked, Bailey was getting steak for dinner for the rest of his life.
Aiden didn’t stop to ask how to transfer the bond. Through some instinct, he knew. He nestled her in his lap with her head against his chest and her ear over his heart. He spoke to her, telling her how much he loved her, how important she was to him, and how he would be with her till the end, whenever it came. They stayed that way for a very long time, until the last flame died, leaving behind pieces of charred wood and ash. Finally, Aiden kissed her, and she felt the life flowing between them.
She gasped for air. Her vision cleared. She reached up, stroked Aiden’s cheek and wiped away a tear.
“Well,” she said slowly. “You’re stuck with me now.”
“Is that so?”
“Yep. That whole ‘till death do us part’ thing.” She pointed a finger at him. “That’s us now. Which means you may live to be the oldest bear in the woods.”
“As long as we’re together,” Aiden grinned, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“And you,” she stroked Bailey’s head. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
He cocked his head and answered, woof.
Aiden laughed. “Even if he never talks again, at least he spoke up when it was most important.”
Bailey flopped back down, head on his paws, and Laurel was sure she heard him whisper, “Indubitably.”
THE END...FOR NOW...
About the Author
J. L. Farey (Jennifer, to her friends) was born in Hollywood, California. For the first ten years of her life, home was an apartment above a mortuary one block away from Hollywood & Vine where she watched Dark Shadows with her mother and heard tales of her Hungarian grandfather and his good friend, fellow Hungarian, Bela Lugosi. It's no surprise she jumped at the chance to be part of the Nocturne Falls Universe. She now lives in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada, with her British husband, the best cabbie in town. When she’s not busy spinning tales, she enjoys playing tabletop games, attending live theater and movies, and singing at the top of her lungs to whatever happens to be playing on Pandora. Jennifer loves hearing from readers. You can contact her via Facebook or her website.