“Who are you?” Crimp suddenly growled. “What are you?”
“No one,” she whispered.
“Only those gifted by the natural kingdom can control animals like that.”
Realization dawned slowly, seeping through my awareness like a fog over a harbor. Of course. She had the gift. It all made sense. The fairies, the unicorn, this. Dear God, I’d thought it a myth.
“What does he mean?” she demanded, looking to me for answers. “I’m not gifted.”
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my emotions under control. Give nothing away. “There are those who believe a person is born blessed with the ability to speak to animals.”
She shook her head. “I don’t understand. I’ve never been able to speak to animals.”
“Well then,” the man snapped. “If you weren’t born with the ability, it was given to you recently. Was it a fairy? Sprite? Woodnymph? Who blessed you?”
She hesitated, her hands curling. “No one. I swear.”
But even I could see she lied. Hell, I’d been worried about protecting her, when she had an entire army of natural beings under her power.
****
They watched us warily. Between Shay’s newfound powers and the troll dagger, they didn’t trust us in the least. But they also weren’t going to let us go anytime soon. We were too valuable. At least Shay was too valuable. I was dead weight. At some point, they would try to get rid of me, and I had to be prepared for that moment.
“Did you know?” I whispered near her ear as we lay on our sides next to each other, pretending to sleep. My wound throbbed, the blood caked dry. I prayed to the gods it didn’t get infected. “Was that the plan all along?”
I felt her stiffen. Had I offended her, or was it guilt that made her react? Had she meant to hide her powers, just like she’d meant to hide the fairy dust and dagger? Hell, I hated that I couldn’t trust her intentions.
“Know what?”
Her voice was laced with wariness. She didn’t quite trust me either.
“Did you know Queen Iduna blessed you?” I asked in a low whisper. “Tell me the truth.”
She rolled over to face me, her warm body pressed against mine, so close I could feel the beat of her heart. Damnation, I shouldn’t have noticed her soft curves, but I did. She tilted her head back and glared at me. Her lips, those beautiful lips, were disconcertingly near. “Did you know when you’re upset your eyes glow green?”
It was my turn to stiffen. “They don’t.”
“They do. I saw it days ago, and noticed it tonight when the others were too concerned with the wolf to see it.”
“Don’t be absurd, and don’t try to change the subject. Did you know Queen Iduna blessed you?”
“Are you kidding?” She pressed her tight fists to my chest. Her gaze was so full of righteous anger that I knew in that moment she had been as innocent as I’d first assumed. “I don’t even know what the hell you guys are talking about, let alone what the queen did to me.”
She was telling the truth. I sighed and closed my eyes. I needed to regain control of my emotions, my body, but everything had felt wrong the moment we’d stepped back into this world. “When? When did it happen?”
It was a rhetorical question; one I didn’t expect her to answer. I understood enough about magic to know the blood she’d spilt upon the ground right before we’d left Iduna’s land had been to bind the magic. But when, exactly, had Queen Iduna done the spell? I tried to focus on the murky memories, but they dissipated like fog under the rising sun, fading into nothingness.
Maybe it had happened with the unicorn by the creek in Queen Iduna’s land. Or maybe it had been happening since the moment we’d arrived, slowly, hour by hour that we’d lost. My gaze shifted to the men around the camp, some sleeping, others keeping watch. How had he known, but I hadn’t? Because, I’d been too concerned with my own problems. Because my brain was muddled by my attraction toward Shay.
“Mak?” she whispered, her hands flattening to my chest. “Explain it to me. I need to know what these powers mean.”
She sounded confused, and slightly scared, and damnation if I didn’t feel the sudden softening in the walls I’d put up around my heart to protect me, and her. I didn’t want to fall for her. For the first time in a long while I wondered what it would be like to return home. To see her only as the enemy. To not care. Life was so much easier when one didn’t care. Was compassion something one could turn on and off? And if I could turn it off, would I?
“I felt weird by that creek just yesterday when I saw the trapped unicorn,” she whispered, interrupting my thoughts. “Like I could sense its feelings, control them. Was that the magic working?”
“Mayhap.” She seemed perplexed by it all, and even though she was obviously anxious, she couldn’t possibly comprehend the weight that a blessing like that carried. I rubbed my hands over my face. She was like an innocent child, and I was the only thing standing between her and this harsh, uncompromising world she didn’t truly understand. “You need to be careful with power like that.”
“Mak?” Shay whispered. “Was it a blessing or a curse?”
“I don’t know.”
She was quiet for a few minutes. I wondered what she was thinking. I’d never cared so much what another person worried about. But I couldn’t help but feel as if this was my fault. My plan to find the fairy dust, my plan to go with Queen Iduna. And now, it would be my plan that would hopefully get us out of this.
“I really, really hope it’s not a curse,” she whispered.
Unable to stop myself, I found her hand and wrapped my fingers around hers. Despite the heat of the night, her hand was cold. I clasped it tightly, warming her fingers with mine. She was the only thing solid, real, familiar. She was the enemy. I was engaged. She wasn’t even a damn princess.
Dear God, she wasn’t the real princess. Which meant the real princess was still out there. Meant that Shay wasn’t destined to save them after all. And I couldn’t tell her because…because I wasn’t sure if I should. What if it was the leverage I needed to win?
Could I turn on her? Betray her trust?
And even though the thought left my head the moment it entered, I hissed with annoyance. Fact was, I didn’t want to tell her the truth because I knew it would break her heart. She didn’t want to rule for fame or fortune. She wanted to belong, to prove herself, to make Acadia proud. Damn her for being so honorable.
I shoved the worry aside. Escape first. Worry later. “We need to act soon. Tonight. Is there any way you can call the wolf back?”
“I don’t have to. He’s still here.”
My instincts went on high alert. How had I not sensed him? I jerked my gaze toward the trees. An owl hooted from somewhere in the shadows. No movement. I felt nothing. Or maybe I was feeling too much, and it was clouding my judgement. “You’re sure?”
She nodded. “I can sense him somehow. And Mak? He’s not alone. There are more. I’m sure of it.” She shivered and I had to resist the urge to wrap my arm around her, pull her closer. “I don’t know how many, but there are more.”
“Do you sense anything else?”
“Bats.” She frowned. “I think.”
“Bats?”
Well, that was not helpful.
Someone snored loudly from the other side of the camp. Two men were whispering near the fire. I didn’t miss the attention they kept throwing our way. They wouldn’t let us out of their sight. They were trying to decide what to do with us. Kill me, use her.
“I’m not positive, but I think they’re bats.”
“How can you tell?”
Her nose wrinkled in a completely adorable way as she concentrated. “They’re in the trees. They want to fly. They sense something is wrong. But they’re nervous to leave the protection of the branches.”
I studied her face as she closed her eyes and focused. By the gods, she didn’t just sense animals, she knew what they were thinking, what they were feeling. “Can you call the
wolves?”
She opened her eyes and shrugged. “They’re still there. I can’t explain it, but I can feel them. And there are more, so many more out there. And Mak?”
I slid my hand up her neck, cupping the back of her head. “What is it?”
She lifted her chin and met my gaze, her eyes glimmering in the dark. “I think they’re just waiting for my approval to kill.”
I swallowed hard. If they attacked, could she control them? What if it was too much for her to handle? She hadn’t had practice. I could save myself; I had no doubt. But could I save her if she lost control of the animals?
She frowned. “I’m worried.”
“Why?”
“What if I can’t control them? What if they attack…you?”
She was worried about me. Only me. My chest grew tight with an emotion I had no right to feel. It was like someone reached between my ribs, grabbed my heart and squeezed. Damnation, I cared about her. More than I wanted to admit. More than I should.
I smiled grimly. “Death by wolf. I could think of worse ways to go.”
She trembled against me. Perhaps my jest had been too much. She was trying to control her emotions, was holding back her power. Afraid. I understood more than she realized. Resolved, I leaned toward her and pressed my lips to her ear. She might not be able to stop the wolves from attacking me. So be it. “Do it, Shay. Call them. It’s the only way, and it’s my choice.”
She hesitated, searching my gaze as I pulled back. Vaguely I was aware of the three men standing guard, the others sleeping. They didn’t matter. They would be nothing against a pack of wolves. Only she mattered. Shay, and what she could do. Her magic.
“And if you lose control,” I whispered. “If they come after me…run.”
She shook her head. “I can’t do that. I—”
“Shhh.” I cupped the side of her face. She might doubt herself, but I had complete faith in her. “Do it. I can take care of myself. I promise. You aren’t the only one with secrets.”
She frowned, perplexed.
“Focus, Shay. Call them.”
She hesitated for the longest moment, wariness and determination wavering in her gaze. Finally, she took in a deep breath & closed her eyes. There was nothing in particular that happened to warn me they were coming. No snap of a branch. No low growl. No glowing eyes. It was only a shift in the very air around us. An energy that lifted the hair on the back of my neck.
Slowly, I pushed up on my elbow, searching the darkness beyond the firelight. Shay’s entire body went still. She barely breathed. Power seeped from her pores, whispered through the very air around us. She was stunning. Or perhaps it was merely her truth, finally freed. Was the beast my truth?
The men keeping watch went silent, their nervous gazes flickering around the area, sensing something amiss, but unsure what. This time they didn’t have an opportunity to prepare. The very world shattered before they could reach for their swords.
Dark forms leapt from the woods, morphing from the shadows like a nightmare come to life. Fierce, snarling animals that knew no fear. Two jumped toward the men keeping guard. Their screams ripped through the camp, shattering the quiet calm. I started to stand, when Shay’s warm body hit me hard, pinning me to the ground.
“What the hell are you doing?” I demanded, gripping her waist.
“Stay down!”
Shite, she was actually trying to protect me. “Shay, move!”
“No!” she cried into my ear. “They won’t come near me. If you’re here, you’ll be safe.”
She wrapped her arms and legs around me, clinging like a starfish on a rock. Damnation, she cared about me. She actually cared. I wasn’t sure how to feel about that revelation. Over the harshness of her breath in my ear, I could hear the screams of the men around us. The sound startled me into action. I gripped her hips and tried to pry her away.
“Damnation, Shay! You can’t protect me.”
She wouldn’t let go. Desperate, I rolled her onto her back, a movement that opened my wound, and made me hiss with pain.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. But you have to let me go.”
As I looked down into her pale, worried face smudged with dirt, I knew with clarity I would do the same for her. I would give up my life to protect her. And the realization that I would give up everything for her, perhaps even my kingdom, terrified me.
Caring made you vulnerable. Love made you weak.
Disconcerted, I tore my gaze from her and stumbled to stand. The moment I regained my feet, she was gripping my arm, trying to pull me back down. “Don’t go! Stay near me!”
I shrugged off her hold. Sword. I needed a sword. Some kind of weapon. Surely there was a sword or two nearby. I turned in time to see one of the men being dragged into the woods, kicking, screaming, leaving behind a trail of glistening blood. I’d seen worse. I’d seen people blown to bits. I’d seen children dead in their mother’s arms.
But to see people torn apart by animals…
The moment the man’s screams went quiet, the area grew oddly still. Three wolves remained, forming a half-circle around the injured men who lay strewn about the area, but their gazes were on me. Fiery, heated gazes that recognized the threat within. The true threat.
A low growl rumbled behind me. My entire body went on alert. Slowly, I turned. The heated breath of a wolf brushed the hair from my temples. So close, I could smell the human blood upon his breath.
His yellow eyes narrowed on me, his lips lifting, as a growl rumbled through the air around us. So loud I could feel the vibrations on my skin. Beast to beast. There was recognition in his yellow eyes. Understanding.
“Mak,” Shay whispered from a few feet away. “Move toward me. Slowly.”
It was the same thing I’d told her only hours ago. But I felt no fear. The animal within me knew he could win against a pack of wolves. No one could hold me down. The wolf, too, knew he’d lose. “No. I’m well.”
She stumbled to her feet. “Don’t be stupid!”
I was being stupid. I knew it. She knew it. Hell, even the wolf that stared at me only a step away knew it. Yet, it didn’t seem to matter. From the moment I’d looked into Shay’s eyes in that alley in New York, I’d known I would protect her with my life. She was a part of me. I was a part of her. Our lives entwined.
I could sense Shay coming closer. Her hand rested on my arm. “Mak, trust me.”
Annoyed, I clenched my jaw, warring with my instincts. Rationally, I knew she was the one with powers. But deep down, the animal within me demanded I protect what was mine. “This isn’t about—”
“This is about me. This is my battle. My army of wolves.”
Hellfire, but I knew she was right. I felt her shift as she stepped around me, her sweet scent bringing calm relief from the musky scent of the wolf. My entire body tensed. It took everything in my power not to block her path. To push her to safety behind me.
Trust her. Trust her powers.
Trust Queen Iduna’s magic.
She stepped in front of me, her warm back pressed to my chest.
My hands curled. I wanted to bring her closer, to melt together as one. The beast within me shivered, vibrating with a power of his own. Tense and waiting. Did she sense him? She was only a breath from the wolf. One bite and she would be dead.
Slowly, she lifted her hand. “You won’t hurt me, right?”
The animal growled.
She didn’t even flinch. Instead, she sank her fingers into the fur on his neck. A soft smile lifted her lips. She was like a mother proud of her child. “Well done. Go on then. It’s over.”
The beast pawed at the ground, and shook his large head sending a huff of heated breath our way. Even I could tell he didn’t want to go and leave her unprotected. I had a feeling he was anxious because she was with me. I almost laughed at the absurdity of it all.
“Go on,” she murmured.
Reluctantly, the wolf turned and trotted toward the woods. His friends
followed.
The clearing grew quiet, watchful. We were alone. The fire crackled beside us, but I felt no warmth. She wrapped her arms around herself, staring blankly at the scenery of carnage, body parts, and blood. Although she was so close we were touching, she felt a world away.
“There’s so much blood,” Shay whispered.
Even in the dark, I could see her face had gone pale. She was trembling, close to losing what little control remained. I rested my hand at the small of her back. “All is well. You’re safe.”
She’d done it. I could hardly believe it. She’d actually controlled her ability. She’d saved us both. I’d been worried when I needn’t be, because she was so much more than just a girl from New York. Yet, I could see the vulnerability beneath her hard exterior. I could see the despair & fear deep within her eyes. These new powers frightened her.
“I did this.” Her hand suddenly clutched mine, her eyes wide and desperate. “I didn’t mean to…I was going to…I just meant to scare them off, not kill them.”
She was close to panicking. I pulled my hand from hers, reminding myself that despite her bravado, she was still just a young woman who had never harmed anyone. Never seen a war. Death. We needed to leave as soon as possible, and I needed to get her as far away from the carnage as I could. Back to normal. “Stay here.”
Slowly, I made my way around the bodies, ignoring the pools of glistening blood. The limb, or two, the glassy eyes. They were things I’d seen before. For some reason, today, it was difficult to witness. Perhaps because I was seeing it all through Shay’s eyes.
But I wasn’t interested in bodies or death. I was interested in life and living. We needed supplies. Weapons. Swords. Food. I knelt by a body and found the sword Iduna had given me. I had no idea how long we’d be traveling, but I did know one thing: I couldn’t take her to Cashel. Which meant we’d be going to Acadia, where they just might kill me.
A sudden groan caught my attention.
One of the men lay on the other side of camp, writhing in pain. Crimp. Their fearless leader. I surged to my feet and moved around body parts to get to him. His left leg had been bitten off at the knee. There was a gaping wound in his side that seeped blood and organs and other things I’d rather not identify. The pouch of fairy dust lay uselessly at his side, the light fading fast. It would be of no help.
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