by Riana Lucas
“How did…” Reed begins to ask but is cut off by shouts sounding from behind us. I had forgotten about Damien. He was probably as shocked as the rest of us, but he too has come out of his daze and is taking action.
“Guards! Guards! Come quickly. Your king has been killed—seize them!”
The king is dead and Damien is still alive. No doubt he will use this as an opportunity to save himself. We are the only witnesses to the king's death order for Damien. Rho may have saved us, but she also saved Damien, something I know I will grow to regret. Yet another thing I would have to worry about later.
“Hurry up. Get in!” Everyone makes it through the passage, Reed being the last. I press the locking mechanism to seal the doors, just in time. They close as the other doors fly open as what looks like every unseelie guard in the court crashes through them.
I lean against the wall, finally taking the time now to look at the others. While I was in my dazed state, they were all thinking clearly. Everyone is armed except for Reed and I. Immediately Gideon hands me my daggers and the Night Sword, and I nod my thanks before averting my eyes from the sorrow I can perceive in his.
With the weapons firmly placed in my hands, I take a deep breath. Reed comes to my side, his arm brushing mine. I look up at him, and the pain in his eyes is almost too much for me. Before I can say anything, the sword in my hand hums to life. I know instinctively what I had not before: the Night Sword belongs to Reed. A halfling should not be as in touch with his fae side as Reed is. This is yet another incident that proves Reed is so much more than just a halfling.
Handing the sword to Reed, I gawk as the blade glows in the darkness of the corridor. The radiance is bright enough to reveal the look of wonder on Reed’s face. My eyes widen, and my breath catches, but now is not the time to think about what is going on. The sword I handed to him was meant for him; how I had felt a connection to it as well is something we will have to explore later. Right now, I hear pounding on the wall behind me and shouts muffled by the thickness of the wall. The guards are searching for the way in. We need to get moving.
I run as fast as I can, knowing the others will follow. We sprint for probably about ten minutes, finally making our way to another door. Again I quickly find the mechanism, making the door spring open. Everyone rushes through, and Reed slams the door shut behind him. When I glance around, I see that we are in the king’s stables. Momentarily safe, we all take a moment to catch our breath before anyone speaks.
I had been purposely not looking at any of them, unsure of who held Rho, because I was reluctant to see her. But when Holly speaks, I look up at her and the bottom of my stomach drops out.
Rho lay bloody and lifeless in her arms, Willow, Gideon, and Thorne all surrounding her.
For once, Holly does not have a sneer on her face or sarcasm in her tone. Her words are rushed and frantic. “We have to get to the forest quickly so Willow can try to save her.”
I pull myself from my morbid thoughts and begin to look around. “A horse,” I mutter, mostly to myself but loud enough for the others to hear.
Reed nods. Wordlessly, we disperse in opposite directions, looking for horses to use as a quicker way of escape. But there are none.
Moving all the way to the end of my row, I find every stall empty. “Where are they?” I mutter to myself in frustration, unable to believe that the king’s stables would be completely empty. Walking back to the others, I can only hope Reed has found something. When I find him, he is standing at the end of the other row, completely still and staring into the stall. I do not know what he is looking at, but his stance scares me. I quickly pull my daggers out and make my way to him. Since he does not acknowledge my presence, I am forced to peer around him.
Blinking innocently back at us is a Pegasus.
Chapter Seventeen
Not just any Pegasus. Our Pegasus. The same Pegasus Reed and I both dreamt of when we first met.
“That…but…I…How?” I breathe out so soft I am not sure Reed has heard me.
“He’s the same.” Reed’s voice holds both wonder and fear. I am sure he is feeling the same things I am. It is impossible for this animal to be standing here gazing back at us. I blink a few times, thinking he would disappear, but he does not.
Then our observations are confirmed by Willow’s soft gasp from my other side. “Wow,” she breathes out.
Her reaction is no surprise. Pegasi are very rare. As a child, I had dreamt of finding one, how it would become my pet and friend. I listened to stories of them and hoped I would one day find one, and yes, I dreamt, but I had never imagined I would actually come face-to-face with the Pegasus of those dreams.
The dream Reed and I shared was already a huge puzzle I had yet to figure out, which time hadn’t permitted. There is also the question of the dreams I had of Reed in the dungeon, calling out to me, but again time has not allowed for much thought on that subject either. Can Reed and I somehow connect with each other in our dreams? Was all of that real? I had not completely believed Reed and I could communicate in our sleep, but now the beautiful Pegasus is standing before me, and I cannot deny the reality of it. Unfortunately, time is of the essence and I do not have a chance to think about this now.
Holly reminds me of this from behind: “We have to go, Poppy. Now!” The fear in her voice forces me into action.
I begin to walk toward the animal, as not to spook him, but my efforts are unnecessary. In the next instant, I can hear an oddly familiar voice in my head.
“ It’s okay. I’m not afraid. I’m here to help you.”
“Oh my…” Reed says beside me, having also heard the words. The others are wearing expressions of concern and determination, not of shock, so Reed and I must be the only ones the creature speaks to.
“Poppy?” Reed asks softly. I nod my head to reassure him I heard it too, but say nothing more. This will need to be figured out later. Rho’s life is more important now.
I turn back to the Pegasus. “Dash?” I ask so the others will not pick up what I say. My dreams of Dash are something I am not ready to reveal.
The animal snorts, and his head bobs as a typical horse would. Pushing everything else to the back of my mind, I walk swiftly over to Dash so I can run my hand over his neck. When I glance up at the others, my throat tightens upon seeing Rho again. I clear the knot from my throat and address my friends, “Willow, you have to ride with Rho so you can start healing her immediately. We cannot risk staying here to do it. If the guards get through that wall or figure out where the path led, we will lose her for sure. The rest of us will follow as quickly as we can.”
Willow and Holly, with Rho in her arms, begin to walk hesitantly toward Dash.
“He will not harm you. Now hurry.” I try to avert my eyes from Rho, focusing on Holly and the gentleness with which she carries my best friend.
“You can’t send them alone,” Gideon says. “They’ll be vulnerable until we can get to them.” I whirl around to face Gideon, realizing he is correct and fumbling as to why I had not realized this sooner. It must simply be the shock of everything that has happened causing me to not think things through properly. The feeling is not one I am familiar with and extremely frustrating.
Before I can come up with a solution, Dash speaks into my mind again. “I can carry three of you, but they must be the females.”
“Someone else…” I start.
Holly cuts me off before I finish the sentence. “I’ll go with them.” Her face set in a stern and determined line, leaves me with no doubt that should be the obvious choice. My mind still has not set itself right, and I cannot afford to be distracted while protecting Willow and Rho. She will be able to defend them should anyone attack once they arrive in the forest.
“Agreed,” I say and take a step back to allow Gideon and Thorne to assist. Thorne gently takes Rho from Holly's arms, standing back as Gideon helps Willow and then Holly onto Dash. Thorne cradles Rho in his arms while he waits and then, as delicately as possible, places
her into Holly’s waiting arms. I cannot help the sob trying to escape. My throat chafes with the effort of holding back the tears.
Reed steps up beside me and takes my hand in his. He squeezes tightly once as we stand together, watching them settle. Gideon gives Holly instructions on where we will meet them. I do not interfere or offer any input. I have only the strength now to follow.
Dash speaks once again in my mind. “Don’t worry, Poppy. I’ll keep them safe.”
I nod once then watch as Gideon and Thorne lead Dash out of the stable. Reed and I follow behind until we are all outside. The stable is at the back of the castle. It is not very busy at any time of day, but since it is still early morning and the sun has not even begun to rise, the place is deserted.
Everyone remains silent now as we watch Dash spread his wings, revealing just how beautiful and majestic they are, glittering even in the moonlight. He seems to glow slightly under the sparkle of the stars, the only peaceful thing about this place and time. Holly pulls Rho, still limp and lifeless, closer into her arms. Willow sits in front of them, gripping the hair of Dash’s mane but still casting glances back at Rho. My stomach flips, wondering if Willow will be able to save her. Her magical abilities rival many, but Rho’s injuries appear far worse than any I have seen healed before. If I had brought another healer along with us, could we have already saved Rho? I know rethinking every decision I made so far is a waste of time, but I cannot help but wonder if I had done something, anything, differently if Rho would be standing beside us right now.
Dash takes a step, then another, and then he is running. His wings move up and down in a graceful, rapid movement. My stomach is taken over by the ball of nerves that rolls around and makes me queasy. I am amazed at how the scene before me can still inspire so much awe in the midst of all the tragedy around us. A few tears leak down from the corners of my eyes, tickling my cheeks as they run down my face to my chin. I flinch when Reed’s warm hands cup my cheeks to wipe the tears away with his thumbs.
He drops his hands from my face to take one of mine and tug it. “Let’s go.” Gideon and Thorne stand a few feet away, scanning the darkness for threats. I nod once, and we begin to make our way back toward the forest.
It is not a long walk, and the pace we keep makes the distance even shorter. The stables were strategically placed on the grounds so the king could make a quick escape from the court, should he ever need to. Gideon takes the lead, Thorne the back. There is no communication and no waiting for my orders. I could not give orders even if I wanted to. Reed maintains a firm grip on my hand. We stay between the other two as we near the forest.
Since I am no longer planning or leading and we walk in utter silence, my mind begins to wander. So many questions bounce around in my head. Just thinking all of them brings a new wave of anxiety and exhaustion. I just want to curl up in a bed and sleep and, when I wake up, have all of this to be over. Actually, I want to wake up and realize this was all a horrible dream. That it never even occurred.
But do I really?
If this were all a dream, I would never have met my mother. I would not have made the friends I have, and I would not know Reed. Does the idea of losing Rho cancel all of that out? Would I trade one friend for the other? I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to silence the questions. I need a clear mind so I can focus on one thing at a time.
Reed squeezes my hand. I stare up at him. His eyes are sad but even in the dark I can see his concern for me. “We’ll get through this, Poppy. I promise. I know there’s a lot going on in that head of yours, but let’s get through one thing at a time. Okay?” He squeezes my hand again.
I offer a poor excuse for a smile, but I do admit his words help. I have known Reed for such a short time, half of which we were separated from each other, but he understands me so well. Sensing when I need his comforting arms around me or when I need soothing words to calm my frazzled nerves.
“Okay,” I whisper back. “Thank you.”
“Thank you, Poppy.” His eyes bore into mine, and everything else disappears. “Thank you for saving us. I don’t …” He shakes his head and I know he is thinking how impossible it is I even found them. He does not say anything else, but he does not need to, because I know what he is thinking.
This time, I squeeze his hand. “I know, and you are welcome, but you do not need to thank me. I was going crazy worrying about the two of you. And now Rho…” I break off before the sob comes out. I still my thoughts, turning them to anger and determination so I will not cry. “We have to hurry.”
The trees and forest around me still blur as I follow blindly, but everything comes back into focus when we step into a clearing in the woods. I sense the magic around me shift as the unseelie pull fades and the new sensations of the wild forest surrounding me takes over. As horrible and unsafe as the forest can be, I let out a small sigh of relief at being out of the court.
My attention is drawn quickly to the middle of the clearing. Dash is on one side, wings pulled back, head up high as if he is keeping guard over the fae kneeling on the ground before him. Willow and Holly are both crouched down, bent over Rho. Willow is already working on her, and Holly is leaning close to Rho’s face.
I freeze for a moment at the look on Holly’s face. She seems determined, but there are also tears in her eyes. She has Rho’s hand clasped tightly in her own, her ear close to Rho’s lips as she listens to her. I run over to them as fast as I can, sliding to the ground on the other side of Rho’s body.
Holly glances up at me when I take Rho’s other hand but does not speak to me. She pulls herself back from Rho’s face, but does not release the hold she has on her. I look down at Rho to see her eyes are closed. I take a moment to look her over.
She has grown even paler, causing the blood to stand out starkly against her delicate skin. Her hair is no longer pink but red from all of the blood that has soaked into it. Willow is moving her clothing, checking her all over for damage. But it is clear the damage is everywhere. Her skin is ripped and torn from the top of her head to her toes. Her clothing is shredded, revealing the deep gashes she suffered without so much as a scream while King Foxglove bellowed and begged for his life.
Willow reaches for her satchel, and Rho’s eyes flutter open. I gasp at the look in her eyes. There is no light or laughter but worst of all, there is no hope. I tighten my hold on her hand in mine and lean as close as I can to talk to her. “You are going to be okay. Do you understand me?” I cannot hold back the tears now, and I do not try.
“Poppy,” she says so softly I barely make it out, even with my ear practically touching her lips.
“I cannot believe you did that. What were you thinking?” I want to shout this at her, but it is just a soft whisper. I cup her face with my other hand, not letting go of hers for even a second.
“Couldn’t…let…him…hurt…you…” There is a long pause and deep breath between every one of her words. I can see the struggle in her to even form them.
“You did not need to do this. We could have come up with something. Why?” I am sobbing now. She closes her eyes and takes a breath. It wheezes from her chest and ends with a cough, sending blood trickling out of her mouth. “No. No, no, no. Do not do this, Rho. You cannot leave me. I need you,” I beg.
“I’m…sorry. I…love you…Poppy. Thank…you.” She closes her eyes and although still breathing, she does not open them again.
“Willow! Willow, help her please!” I scream helplessly.
I feel hands on my shoulders, trying to pull me out of the way, but I cannot move. I cannot let go of Rho’s hand. If I let go, she will leave me. I am sobbing uncontrollably now, but still not accepting what is happening. “Willow!” I wail.
“Shh, Poppy. Shh,” I recognize Reed’s voice, his hands moving up and down my arms, trying to comfort me. But it does not work. I push away from him to lean over Rho.
“Rho! Open your eyes. Now!” I imagine her eyes opening and her giving me the look she gives when she thi
nks I am being ridiculous or over-protective. The teasing looks she used to give me when she was telling me she could beat me at any fight.
But it does not happen. She does not open her eyes.
I sit there staring at her chest, willing it to keep moving. It does for a few moments, but every rise and fall begins to take longer and longer.
Finally her chest does not rise again.
I continue to stare, waiting.
Her chest does not rise.
My best friend has died.
Chapter Eighteen
I curl my body around Rho, crying like I never cried before. Holding her close, oblivious of the blood soaking into my clothes, I rock with her as the sobs wrench from my throat. My voice has grown so hoarse from my screaming that now I can only sob and moan.
Time stands still, minutes or hours passing, neither of consequence. My friend is gone, and therefore none of it matters any longer. I would have stayed this way forever, her delicate body protected within my arms, but for the strong, sturdy arms wrapping around me like steel bands. They try to pull me from Rho, but I fight, kicking out and screaming, to no avail. I tighten my grasp on her, but I stare pitifully as her hand slips from mine, falling limply to the ground. The sight of her lifeless body on full display takes all of the fight out of me. Only then do I allow myself to go limp.
As I stare at Rho’s body, Reed takes my place. I am surprised for a moment when I realize it is not his arms I am in, but gut-wrenching sadness takes over once again when I peer into his face. It is drawn tight in grief and anger. He kneels down on the ground next to Rho, looking down at the hand that dropped from mine before gently taking it in his. He studies her hand for a moment, tracing the lines of her fingers.