Rebels and Realms: A Limited Edition Urban Fantasy Collection

by Heather Marie Adkins

  Rider reached out and took hold of my shoulder. The Path snapped back to the present.

  Seeing I was firmly in the present, I closed my eyes and pushed the Path away before it whisked me away again.

  "Why do I feel like I've missed something?" Logan asked, as I watched the vivid colors of the Path fade into the dull shades of our real world.

  Rider let go and began to circle around the area again. I watched him, uncertain about what had just happened.

  "Everything okay?" Logan asked.

  "What?" I tore my eyes away from Rider and put my mind back on the job. "Oh, it's fine. Just a little unsteady. As far as I can tell, this whole area is clear of pixies. They passed through, but the only things that have been here since then are little animals—squirrels or something—and us."

  "Two squirrels and a rabbit," Rider said, still circling out.

  Logan gave me a questioning look, but I could only shrug. I had no idea what had happened.

  "Okay," Logan said, "let's get this area well marked. Make sure you know where to come back to. When you hear Henderson, if you haven't heard from me, go meet him and lead him here. Start to fill him in."

  Looking around, I saw nothing that might indicate that this piece of forest was any different from the other stretches we had been in, save for the red flags that Logan tied to the trees. I tugged one from my pocket as well, trying hard not to unzip my coat much in an effort to keep out the cold.

  It didn't work well, so I grabbed the insulated bottle. The coffee was still warm, and after my foray into the Path, I definitely needed the caffeine boost.

  "Stick together," Logan said, checking the markings one last time. "We'll meet back here when Henderson's team arrives."

  Then he was gone.

  Clouds were starting to build while I tried to take a mental imprint of the area. Thankfully, the bright red plastic stood out in the dreary forest.

  "Let's get going," I said, stowing the coffee. "Do you mind leading for now?"

  "I do not mind." Rider grabbed the bag, slung it onto his back, and started through the woods.

  "Any ideas of what this thing might be?" I asked.

  "No," Rider said. "Maybe when we get closer there will be other signs."

  Rider veered off in another direction. Like an arrow, he walked straight through the trees. Ten minutes later, his trail began to weave around, seemingly at randomly.

  "This thing couldn't make up its mind about where it was going, could it?" I asked.

  "I am not sure," Rider said. He stopped abruptly and I almost walked into him.

  "What is it?" I asked.

  "It spent some time here," Rider said.

  I looked around. Tracking was definitely not my strong suit. At least not without using my powers.

  "Was anything else here?" I asked.

  "I do not think so," Rider said. "The scent is stronger, but if anyone was here at the same time, I should be able to smell that as well."

  Shivering, I realized that stopping wasn't doing me any favors. "Which direction did it go?"

  Rider pointed.

  "Let's keep moving, then," I said.

  I tried to burrow deeper into my layers, but it wasn't getting any warmer. There were people out here that needed our help, though, so I pushed thoughts of warm fires out of my head.

  Maybe I spent a little too much time thinking about getting warm. Paying attention again, I looked around, but couldn’t spot Rider.

  I groaned. "Could you at least make a little noise?"

  The sound of a twig snapping came from off to the side, so I moved in that direction. "You should stay in sight," I said, finding him standing behind a clump of trees.

  He was eyeing the ground intently.

  "What are you doing?" I asked.

  He didn't answer right away. I watched as he circled a space on the ground.

  The spot looked unremarkable to me, but I knew my friend would fill me in. While I watched, I bounced up and down a little in an effort to keep moving. My fists were balled up and my toes were curled in an effort to nab a little more warmth.

  It wasn't working.

  "Something else was here," Rider said.

  "That doesn't give me much," I said, starting to feel cranky.

  "It smells as though the forest bled here," Rider said.

  "I don't know what that means," I snapped.

  Rider looked up at me, frowning.

  "Sorry," I said, regretting the sharpness of my words. "Wait. Do you mean a pixie?"

  "I do not know," he said.

  It was impossible to forget about the cold at the moment, but I was able to at least push the thoughts aside and take a closer look at the area. "Are there actual blood drops?"

  "It is possible," Rider said. "I do not know enough about the pixies to be certain."

  I nodded. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and jumped into the Path.

  My stomach churned the moment the brighter world appeared. I slapped a gloved hand over my mouth, clutched my stomach, and looked around. The cold air burned as I breathed quickly in and out of my nose.

  "What is wrong?" Rider asked.

  I shook my head, too afraid that I would throw up if I opened my mouth. My heart beat faster and I backed away from the area. I took three steps before my foot caught on something and I fell back, straight into the Path of the creature we were following.

  Somehow, I managed to roll over onto my stomach before I threw up. The Path seemed to engulf me. I barely noticed the cold ground as I curled into a little ball.

  "What should I do?" Rider asked, hovering over me.

  The creature's Path was what was causing the issue. Rider's own Path was cleaner and fresher. With him close by, I felt a little better.

  Gritting my teeth, I closed my eyes and pushed the Path away. The world seemed to lurch when it drained of color. The feeling of illness slowly dissipated and left me on the ground colder than I had been.

  Rider looked as if he was in a near panic.

  "I'm okay," I said. I hate being sick. It was even worse in front of someone. "Whatever we're following has a Path that doesn't seem to sit well with me."

  He gave a curt nod and lifted me off the ground, and then he turned and ran.

  8

  "What are you doing?" I snapped.

  "Moving you away," Rider said.

  "I'm okay now," I said. "I've stopped reading."

  Rider looked nervously down at me before stopping and setting me back on my feet.

  It wasn't until he let go of me that I noticed the amount of warmth he gave off. It instantly felt colder without his body heat.

  I shoved my gloved hands into my pockets and shivered. Much like Rider had stalked about the clearing a few minutes ago, he circled me now.

  "You are shivering," he said.

  "Yes," I said, "it's freezing. Let's get moving."

  He looked around, the worried expression still evident.

  "I'm okay now." I thought about what had happened. "The Path made me sick."

  "Is that normal?"

  I rolled my eyes, unable to stop myself. "Is anything I do normal?"

  That made him grin. "You are asking me?"

  "Well, no." I returned the smile. "I guess not. Let's get moving before icicles start to form."

  "We should not go much farther," Rider said, sticking close to me. "The trail we are following now is only a few hours old."

  "We're that close?"

  "I do not hear anything unexpected, though," Rider said.

  "We don't know what we're listening for," I reminded him. "This could be an animal."

  "Is there an animal that makes you sick?" Rider asked.

  I thought that over. "You mean like an allergy?"

  He shrugged.

  "Not that I know of." Was it possible to be allergic to a Path? "It might be feasible, though." It was past time for me to track down other Readers. I really needed someone that I could compare notes with. "I guess we should turn aro
und. Is Logan on his way back?"

  "I have not heard him in a while."

  I wasn't sure if that should make me feel worried or not. Hearing a goblin stomp around miles away made a strange sort of sense. However, I couldn't even hear Logan when I was next to him. He might not have to go far before Rider stopped being able to hear him.

  "Let's go back to the area you found," I said.

  "I am worried about the pixies," Rider said.

  "Me, too." It was hard to imagine something happening to Laurus again. She had been through so much already. Who, or what, would hurt a pixie?

  "I do not think a normal animal could harm them," Rider said.

  "What makes you say that?"

  "Their smell is hard to track here. It blends in too well. They cannot be seen unless they want to be."

  "True. They do seem to meld with the forest." I thought that over.

  Rider held up a hand and stopped. After a moment he said, "There are others in the forest."

  "Henderson?"

  "That is probable," Rider said.

  "Do we have time? I think we need to mark the spot you found and take a closer look."

  We didn’t make it far before large white flakes began to fall. Rider stopped and stared up. I couldn't help but smile and do the same for a moment before watching him. The white flakes stood in brilliant contrast to his black hair.

  "Do you like snow?" Rider asked.

  "If it's going to be cold, it may as well be cold and snowy. Otherwise, it's a waste of cold air."

  His face crinkled in momentary confusion. "Does that mean yes?"

  I grinned. "Yes, I like the snow. Not necessarily driving in it, though. How about you?"

  "I enjoyed spending time in the snow," he said.

  "Does that mean you like it?"

  His smile matched my own. "I do. The world gets quieter. At least for a while." He watched for another minute before moving on. He walked more slowly this time and stayed beside me.

  "I guess this world is noisier for you than it is for me," I said.

  "The amount of noise is the same."

  "You hear a lot more of it."

  He looked down at me. "What do you hear now?"

  "Not much over the sound of my own feet."

  "That is all you hear?"

  I laughed. "No." I concentrated more on the world around me. "I hear birds. There's something rustling in the leaves over there." I pointed off to the side. There were more sounds than I could put a name to. "The trees sound like they're creaking. There are other little noises that I don't know."

  Rider nodded. "I was curious about that."

  "Anything else you're curious about?" I asked.

  "Everything."

  I couldn't help but laugh again. "Well, I can't help with everything."

  He smiled, but looked a little lost in thought.

  "I'll help with what I can, though," I added.

  The snow blew through the bare trees, and I thought about the pixies. They did okay in the cold, but would they without their glen? It would be nice if they knew what was out here. There was nothing we could do besides find out for ourselves. Maybe the goblins would know more.

  "The smell you mentioned earlier," I curled my nose up, "the one before I got sick. You weren't sure if that was a pixie, right?"

  "It is likely a pixie, but I cannot be certain," Rider said.

  "If something were to attack a pixie—or anything for that matter—it would have to see it, smell it, or sense it in some other way, right?"

  "Yes," Rider said.

  "Could you smell one well enough to find them?" I asked.

  Rider shook his head. "I do not think I could and be certain that it was a pixie."

  "Is there anything around here that you know of that can smell better than you?"

  Rider appeared to think that over. "Not that I know of. However, if it was something that had lived here for a long time, it would be more familiar with the scents."

  "This has to be something new, otherwise, the pixies or goblins would have had an issue before now."

  "That is likely," Rider said.

  "Is there anything you can think of that can see better than anything else around it?" I asked.

  "An elf." There was no hesitation.

  I hadn't really thought of that, but it was true. "An elf isn't likely, either. I think this is an animal. Anything else?"

  "Not that I am aware of," Rider said.

  "I can't think of anything that can hear better than you or Logan," I said.

  Rider nodded. "We know it is not an elf, and this is definitely not a werewolf. I would know."

  "And since no one can find a pixie by sound, what does that leave us with?"

  We walked in silence for a short time.

  "You could find the pixies using the Path," Rider said.

  "True. I couldn't have done so last year, but now I can," I said.

  "Is there anything else that can read the Path?"

  "Huh. You know, I have no idea. I don't think so, though." I looked closely at Rider, debating if I should ask him what he saw when I was in the Path.

  "This is the spot," Rider said.

  "I hope I didn't mess up any evidence," I said. "Can you mark the outside edges of..." I waved at the area, "the edges of where the incident took place?"

  Rider drew out a fist full of red plastic in a tangle mass. I watched him untangle a flag.

  "And where was the spot where..." I didn't know how to finish that sentence. I couldn't say ‘where the forest bled,’ because it didn't make sense, and I really didn't want to say where the pixie died. We had no proof it was one.

  Rider pointed to a patch on the ground that looked much like anything else. He continued to mark the area, but watched me closely as I examined the ground. Knowing that the Path was all around me left me unsettled, but I wasn't going to let it stand in the way of my work. Since I didn't know what I was looking for I wished I had my phone or a camera, anything with which I could take pictures. The ground was starting to show traces of snow as it began to form a layer.

  When Rider was done, I was happy to see that I had been sick outside of the area he marked.

  "Maybe I should step back and read the Path from a distance." I couldn't bring any real enthusiasm into my voice over the idea. Nothing about the ground gave me a clue as to what happened there.

  "It sounds as though the other team is getting close," Rider said.

  "We should still check the area for pixies. If one is hurt or—" I stopped that line of thought. "We need to check the area. Do you hear Logan?"

  Rider appeared to concentrate for a moment. "It is faint, but I think I hear him moving."

  "Ask him if we should meet Henderson," I said.

  Rider smiled faintly at me. "He can hear you as well as he can hear me."

  "Right, uh." I cleared my throat. "Wait, which direction is he in?"

  Rider pointed, and I turned that way.

  "Logan," I raised my voice, but not loud enough to yell. "We found something, so I think someone needs to stay in the area, but Henderson's team is here. Are you close enough to meet him?”

  It felt silly talking to someone, but having no idea if they heard you and knowing that you had no hope of getting a reply.

  Rider frowned and shifted uncomfortably while studying the landscape.

  "Did he hear me?" I said after a while.

  "Yes. He said he is not close enough," Rider said. "He suggests that one of us should meet Henderson, but says that it is your call."

  "That'll work," I said, taking a quick look around. "You're best suited to find the others. Go and lead them to the area we marked off earlier, and wait for instructions from Logan."

  "We do not know what is out here," Rider said, "but we do know that it makes you ill."

  "Good point. Show me an area here where the animal never went. I'd like to make a mark there as well."

  Rider walked a few paces away, looked around, and then moved back
a little farther. "If you stand here, you will be ten yards away from where the creature stood."

  "Thanks." I took out two flags and twisted them together to mark a nearby tree.

  "Logan asks that you give us updates as you work," Rider said.

  "I'll never know if you're hearing me or not."

  "We will be listening." Rider stared into space for a moment. "Logan said, if you find the animal, do not approach it." His forehead wrinkled. "Will you go looking for it?"

  "No, I want to make sure this area is clear, though. If a pixie is hurt, we need to find it."

  Rider nodded. "We will join you when we can."

  "Wait," I called as he turned to leave. "Leave the coffee."

  He nodded and rummaged around the bag, leaving me the hopefully still warm coffee. "Be careful," he said.

  "You, too."

  Rider's retreat was soundless, but the area hadn't felt empty until he was truly gone. I stood in the spot the animal hadn’t touched and looked around at what was quickly becoming a winter wonderland. I shivered and sipped some coffee before setting it aside and getting to work.

  Crime scenes are not my area of expertise, but if a Lost was injured, I was going to find it. I carefully sifted through the area where the pixie might have been attacked. No trace of blood was on the ground, but what did pixie blood actually look like? Was it even red? If there was no blood, did that mean it had been drained?

  That wasn't a nice thought, and it caused my memories to stray to Vincent's departure from this world. Vampires were rare, vicious, and almost impossible to take down if you were caught unaware. We had never expected to see one. I had it trapped, but I couldn't hold it for long. Vincent had solved the problem by tackling the monster, tumbling with it between the dimensions.

  Why he thought he could take care of it away from us was beyond me.

  It had been messy, though. The vampire had left his victim torn to shreds, yet there was nothing like that here. This couldn't have been a vampire.

  Did anything else drain their victims?

  Looking around, I realized that I was going too far down a rabbit hole. There was no evidence of a body, much less a bloodless one.