Leave it to Fate Page 4

  She ran those creepy fingers through my hair and brought a portion to where her nose should have been. I heard an intake of breath and her dress fluttered around us. A deep chuckle followed when she let my hair drop.

  “So, you’re back, are you?”

  My heart thumped. “Do you know me?”

  “We’ve met.” She grabbed my hair again, this time less gently. “You don’t remember me, Meghan?”

  She shoved my head forward, still holding my hair and I cried out as several strands pulled away. She released them and brushed her hands together, as if wiping off something offensive.

  “You always were such a difficult one. I wondered how you might turn out.” There was no mistaking the sneer in her voice. “Coarse, I see. Like your human father.”

  My lips trembled. She couldn’t mean … no, she couldn’t be ….

  “I see I did the right thing sending you away. You are more trouble than you are worth, after all.”

  She swiveled her head toward the maggots which had come within an inch of my legs. They were holding back, bristling at an invisible barrier they couldn’t cross.

  “You are unlovely and unlovable. They can have you.” She clicked her long nails and the swarm broke free. All over my body, which had become trapped by vines and roots.

  I tried to buck them off. When I screamed, they crawled into my mouth. Gagging, I struggled to spit them out and choked as several went into my throat. My eyes were squeezed shut, but they wriggled into my ears, whispering her words, “Unlovely and unlovable.”

  “Going to Hell,” they laughed in Helen’s voice. The more I struggled, the tighter the vines and tree roots tugged at me, trapping me under the worms.

  Unlovely and unlovable. That’s what I was. All I had ever been. No one, and I mean no one, had ever genuinely loved me in my entire life. I thought once that Jim and Helen did. Which is why I was so devastated to learn they didn’t. At least, not enough.

  Unlovely and unlovable.

  Going to Hell.

  Unlovely and unlovable. I moaned, recognizing the truth of it.

  Going to Hell. Wait. A niggle … a tiny spark of rebellion.

  ‘No! This is Hell!’ My brain protested. Other people are hell. Not being loved or able to love is hell.

  I’m not going to Hell. I’ve already been there, and I survived!

  Hot, white light bolted from me as I wrenched free from the tree, nightmare maggots burning away as my vision cleared and I stood, victorious and gasping.

  It was over. I’d passed the test though my mind and body were still in shock. A moan that was not mine drew my attention.

  Puck lay trapped against the trunk of a tree, its roots pulling his legs through the ground, his eyes open but sightless. I ran toward him then stopped. Would I get pulled under too? As his feet disappeared into the earth, fury pushed me forward.

  “You are not dying and leaving me alone, you jerk!”

  Another bolt of light burst from my fingertips, and the tree roots curled back and whipped around like snakes. I gave it another shot, and the forest rumbled around us, as if the earth itself were growling.

  “Puck, damn you,” I shouted. “Snap out of it. We don’t have time for whatever pity party you’re living over there. It’s not real. You can beat this, you bastard.”

  I kicked back the whipping vines and roots, and to my surprise, they stayed away. I guessed my having passed the tests gave me immunity. I slapped Puck, putting eighteen years’ worth of anger into the blow.

  His eyes blinked and cleared, and the tree ejected him, forcibly. He came up, coughing, a few feet away.

  “I’d say that went well,” he gasped.

  “Swimmingly. Now, let’s get out of here before the trees change their minds.”

  He nodded and grabbed my hands, our fingers in matching tremors. We ran and didn’t stop until the dense forest parted and tossed us into a field.

  Right in the middle of a bunch of … lions?

  Chapter Six

  “F

  uck. Chimera,” Puck muttered.

  Right. Not lions. I guess the snake tail should have given it away. And the dragon-looking wings … not to mention the extra goat heads on a few.

  “So, what now, chief?” I whispered.

  “Chief? He grinned. “I like that. Shows you’re finally coming around.”

  I rolled my eyes then backed up when the chimeras stalked forward.

  “Just follow my lead.” Puck barely moved his lips as he whispered, so I gave a small nod.

  We were standing close enough I felt his deep inhale. He was gathering energy again; I could feel it. I tried to do the same.

  Meanwhile the … pride? … of chimeras silently moved closer. Would they respond to a “Nice Kitty”? Or a bit of tuna?

  I bit my lip to stifle the inappropriate giggling, which often started when I was nervous. Breathe, Meghan. Gather energy.

  Problem was, I’d already expended a great deal of it getting us out of the forest (thanks for nothin’, Puck), and I suspected my accomplice was running low as well. I could only wait to see what he would do, and hope he’d at least done it before.

  He bowed low, pulling me with him, then slowly straightened. The chimeras watched in silence. Ever so slowly, Puck held out a hand, palm down, as if approaching a strange dog.

  Oh, God. I couldn’t think of dogs. No, no dogs.

  As one, the chimeras inhaled and narrowed their yellow eyes on us. “You smell of fear and forest,” the largest one growled. I guessed he was the leader.

  “I smell The Hound, too,” grumbled another who sidled next to the leader. His mate, maybe? This one seemed smaller and the voice softer.

  “Why do you trespass our lands?” the big one asked.

  “We’ve passed the trials of the Shivering Woods. This is where it sent us,” Puck explained. He sounded more civil than I’d ever heard him. Almost meek, even. “We only seek safe passage to Connleath.”

  He extended a hand in entreaty and the chimera snarled. “Don’t attempt your magic here, Entreater!”

  Puck backed up several feet, dragging me with him, and bowed again, though his eyes never left the monsters in front of us.

  “I wasn’t,” he said, hastily. “I’m merely explaining and asking your permission.”

  My brows shot upward, and I was glad my hair covered my face. Since when did he ask permission for anything? I could almost get used to this new Puck.

  “You may go. Leave the human with us. She smells delicious.” The forked tongue of its snake tail tasted the air and hissed.

  I shivered against Puck and he squeezed my hand.

  “I could do that,” he said, straightening and pulling me up with him. “But what are you offering in return?”

  I gaped at him as all the chimera bristled, their growls and hisses filling the air.

  Their leader snarled. “You dare ask for more?”

  While at least sixteen deadly beasts glared our way, Puck whispered, “How much juice you got, love?”

  What?! He expected me to get us out of there?

  “A tiny star will do,” he said. “Just enough to distract them.”

  “While you do what, exactly?” I ground out from clenched jaws, simultaneously flexing my fingers, just in case.

  “Trust me. Try to blind the leader when I give you the signal.”

  “What signal?”

  “This.” He blew a great gust of wind in their direction, greater even than what he’d used on the hound. Leathery wings clapped back, catching the snake tails unawares, and lifting several chimeras a few feet from the ground. I stood immobilized by the sight.

  “Now, Meghan,” Puck shouted.

  I flicked my hands at the angry chimera leader rushing toward us and nothing happened.

  “Hurry!”

  Damn it. Didn’t he remember I was new at this? I turned and ran back toward the forest, ignoring the explosions of sound behind me. At the edge of the tree line, however, the woods
made their verdict known.

  A great fence of thorns rose before me, blocking my entrance just as the hot breath of a monster blew across my back. I ducked and rolled, and the chimera landed in the thorns. I scrambled back in horror as the living fence sucked in the howling beast, then I spun to check if his friends had followed.

  Puck battled those airborne ones who’d managed to get control of their wings after that first gust of air, but they were heading toward me, screeching. They must have seen their fallen comrade.

  Now, Meghan, now, my mind screamed at me. I’d not been able to work up even a flicker when the Grand Poohbah of their kind had rushed us, and I doubted I’d be able to unless by accident.

  I prayed for an accident.

  But what came next took my breath away. Freaking Puck was flying. Why hadn’t he done that earlier? He sailed over the chimeras that dove toward me at high speed, some shooting fire from their mouths like dragons. I barely managed to miss a few flames which went into the thorns and sparked a few trees beyond. Puck swooped down to pull me out of danger and the smaller chimera—the one I’d figured to be the leader’s mate—broke formation to leap at Puck.

  I instinctively threw out both hands and a blast of light finally appeared. Thorns from the surrounding bramble shot through the air and speared the creatures. Several went down in the chaos, and the smaller chimera was hit. She spun out of control, snake tail flailing as she slammed into the earth just as Puck reached my side.

  The impact of the monsters’ landing shook the ground, and I grabbed for Puck’s hand to steady us. As soon as we’d managed to stabilize, the earth opened before our feet. A few scorched trees from the edge of the Shivering Woods had ripped up from the roots and were marching toward us.

  “I believe it’s time to run,” Puck said.

  We jumped over fallen chimeras, dodged craters and sinkholes and the fangs of snakes who still flapped weakly at the back of lion bodies.

  The smack of a tree root hitting the ground behind me was too close for comfort, and I screamed with what little breath I could afford. “Hey, we already paid our dues. Take those big guys behind us – they should be tasty!”

  Maybe I should have felt guilty about that, but I was too busy running for my life. After several minutes, my sides ached and my lungs were squeezed so tightly within my chest, I was sure I would faint if we didn’t stop soon.

  Puck still had my hand, but his long legs easily outstripped mine, and he was basically dragging me by then.

  I spared a glance behind us and no longer saw any pursuers. In the distance, the uprooted trees were pulling their prey back to the Shivering Woods, settling in to torment other unfortunate souls.

  “Stop,” I gasped, throat burning. “We can stop now.” I let go of his hand and bent to put my hands on my thighs as I struggled for breath.

  “We need to keep moving,” Puck said.

  “In a minute. Just give me a second.” I sucked in wheezing breaths, hating my weakness while he strode toward me. I gasped again when he grabbed my waist and hoisted me over his shoulders.

  “Hey! I can walk.”

  “Too slow.”

  He took off again at a fast clip, my head bobbing against his back. Despite how offended I was, I let it happen. I was too tired to do otherwise. But when his pace slowed maybe a quarter of an hour later, I had enough energy to protest when the hands holding me slid a bit too far up my thighs.

  “Put me down, now,” I insisted.

  He complied, none too gently, and I stumbled back a few steps.

  Glaring, I brushed the hair out of my face. “Was that necessary?”

  He blinked innocently. “I acted on your request. Do you want me to carry you longer?”

  “You know what I meant.” My evil eye gave out as weariness set in, but I still had a bone to pick. “If you can bloody fly, why didn’t you just fly us away earlier? Like when the hound was chasing us, or in the woods?”

  “Why couldn’t you do what you did before?” he countered.

  “That’s different! I’m new to this. You aren’t.”

  “And yet, we both seem to work best under pressure, don’t you agree?”

  Hmn. He might have a point. Even so … “You’ve been doing this your entire life. And you’re full fae. According to you, I’m only half. So, all things considered then, I think I might even be doing better than you.”

  The astonishment on his face gave me new life.

  “You know, it really seems to me that I’ve saved your bacon a few times today. I thought you claimed to be protecting me. Really feels like the other way around.” Okay, maybe I was pushing it. The dark clouds gathering in his eyes weren’t quite so life-giving as his offended surprise had been.

  But I’d always been reckless. “So, why don’t you start pulling your weight around here and find us somewhere safe to rest?”

  He stomped off toward a narrow stream, which we followed in silence until the sky darkened from dreary lavender, to dark purple and finally, inky black with scattered stars and the largest, brightest moon I’d ever seen. I was hungry, tired, and cranky, and had been for the past few hours, but pride held my tongue. It didn’t hold the rumbling of my belly though.

  He glanced at my midriff, his bright, neon gaze bathing his cheekbones in a soft blue glow, which was crossed with shadows from his long lashes. The otherworldly beauty made me shiver. I wondered if the light helped him see in the dark, since he hadn’t stumbled about like I had.

  “Yes.”

  I startled. Had I spoken aloud, or had he read my mind?

  His sigh spoke volumes of frustration. “Did you know you talk to yourself? Mumbling constantly.”

  My face heated. I did know but wasn’t aware I’d been doing it with him. I thought of the long walk and how I breathed murder and retribution against stupid fae oafs and wondered how much of that breathing had been audible.

  “I live alone,” I muttered. “It’s a habit.”

  The moonlight shone so brightly I could see the confusion then amusement pass over his face. “Do try self-control. I understand your level of conversation might entertain you, but I find it tiresome.”

  Far be it from me to chat someone’s pointy ears off. I expressed myself in universal sign language instead, one extended finger in the middle of each hand.

  “I’m not opposed to the idea, but I think we might want to bathe and eat first,” he said dryly.

  “It wasn’t an offer. Though food might be nice.”

  Or would it? Maybe I shouldn’t dare, for fear of being trapped in this world forever, if folklore were to be believed. And why shouldn’t it? It had been right about tricky faeries and the dangers of the fae realm. I shouldn’t tempt fate.

  “Never mind,” I said hastily. “Is the water safe to drink? Or wash in?” If he didn’t offer me food or drink and I just happened to get some water in my mouth from the stream, that shouldn’t count, right?

  “So long as you avoid the kelpies.”

  “Kelpies? But it’s just a small stream,” I protested. I thought the dangerous water horses only lived in rivers.

  The lift of his brows reminded me that I was being an idiot. Nothing was as it seemed in this world. Or in any other that I knew of.

  “Fine,” I grumbled. “Since you can control water, do you think you could jet some of that over here?”

  “I’m tired. Do it the old-fashioned way.”

  “You mean risk poison and death? You’re ever the gentleman.”

  “Fine,” he mocked my earlier grumble. “I’ll come with you to make sure you aren’t dragged under.” His face brightened. “But I get to wash your back.”

  “You’re a pig.”

  “Only under a new moon.”

  My eyes bugged and he laughed.

  “You are so gullible.” He picked a smooth rock near the stream and skipped it over the water several feet. I held my breath, waiting. Was he checking for kelpies? Something else?

  “You try.” He handed
me a stone and I exhaled.

  “Try for what?”

  “See if you can beat my stone. If you can throw farther than I did, I’ll make a fire. If I win, you bathe naked in this stream.”

  I weighed the small rock, tossing it up and down in my palm a few times before narrowing my eyes, gauging the distance, and pivoting on my foot just right. I didn’t throw the stone farther, but it hit exactly where I’d targeted: right in the middle of his forehead.

  “I win.” I strode away from the creek, up the bank and toward a small copse of trees, eyeing them carefully before approaching. They were small and friendly looking compared to the imposing, spiky pines we’d barely escaped, but I couldn’t take anything for granted.

  I glanced back to where Puck stood by the moonlit water, glaring at me. I held out my hands in supplication and asked, “Well, what did you expect?”

  The small twitch at the corner of his mouth relaxed me. He didn’t look angry anymore. But I couldn’t allow myself to relax too much. We were in fae lands and he was a trickster at best. At worst, who knew?

  Shivering, I rubbed my hands together. Who knew, also, what else might be lurking in the night?

  “What are we going to do now?” I stamped my feet a few times to keep blood flowing in my legs. Whenever Puck “borrowed” our clothes, he’d dressed himself in jeans, t-shirt, and a hoodie—which I’d thought strange for the summer—and left me with my bikini on under a t-shirt and shorts. And too-large sandals that were giving me blisters.

  Jerk.

  “Can you at least build us a fire? I’m freezing over here,” I complained.

  He approached the small trees and entreated them for spare wood, which they refused to give up.

  “That’s it?” I asked. “Couldn’t we just pull—”

  My words were cut off by his palm over my mouth.

  “She’s new here,” he said to the trees.

  My eyes widened and I nodded vigorously at the branches, mentally kicking myself. What was I thinking? Hadn’t I just worried about whether they were safe? The hunger and exhaustion were getting to me. I slumped against Puck’s chest and he steered us away from the trees.

  I wanted to cry. It was cold, scary, and everything about the day had gone wrong from beginning to end. Harsh tremors rattled throughout my body and I surrendered to Puck’s strong arms when he wrapped them around me.