The auditorium was deserted, the dead silence bearing little memory of the musical magic that had taken place an hour before. Clutching my cell phone like a lifeline, the words replayed as if a recurring nightmare. Your mother is dying. She’s in a coma on life-support. There is nothing more we can do for her. She hasn’t much time. You need to be here.
Memories of my childhood came flooding back. Memories of the first time she got sick. I couldn’t cure her. It was the one and only time my abilities had no effect. Doctors wrote it off as a mysterious, incurable illness given how suddenly it took her over. They had only given her a few days to live. Gran and Neil had worked for hours after the lemon balm closed, concocting all sorts of pungent mixtures. And it was only after Gran had given her every last drop of the thick pea-green remedy that she got better.
I had no idea what caused her illness or its return, but I knew she could die if I didn’t get there in time. That thought tore at my insides as I dialed Neil’s number with sweating hands. Pick up, pick up… Please pick up. Neil was the only other person alive who knew about Gran’s secret book of herbal remedies. It went to his voice mail. Crap. My fingers flew across the keys as I texted a message. ‘it happened again. mom’s illness came back. she’s in hospital, critical. need gran’s blend. assemble stuff. getting vervain, meet me at LB 2nite asap.’
I hit send, hoping he checked his messages for a change, and I staggered back to the reception. It seemed different now… foreign… my darkening mood noticeably out of tempo with the partiers.
“Hello… Lorelei, right?”
“Yeah?” I looked blankly into a face I’d never seen before. A short rotund man, the only one in the place dressed in a three-piece suit aside from the judges. He stuck out a plump hand, with more rings than I could count. I glanced at the program rolled in his other hand and his face broke into a jovial smile, accentuating his double chin.
“My name is Howard.”
That name seemed familiar, but with everything going on with my mom, it was hard to focus.
“Hi,” I replied, sounding unintentionally rude.
“Great performance tonight. Is your mother here?” he asked, craning his thick neck. “Or Camilla? I haven’t seen them.”
Oh, right… the talent scout. “No. Actually, she’s… touring.” I swallowed. “And concerts aren’t Aunt Camilla’s thing." My stomach tightened. I had to get out of there.
“You have an impressive voice. It's quite a rare gift. Who was your duet partner?”
I searched for an escape. It’s not that I wasn’t interested in a music scholarship, but college was still another year away, and Mom needed help now. No time to talk… gotta get my jacket and purse. Find Adrius and make up some excuse for leaving early. And this dude seriously needs to stop talking already.
"I’m sorry to interrupt you, Howard, but I’m in the middle of a bit of an emergency, and I have to find my… date. Could we talk some other time?”
He chuckled. "Of course, of course… I remember what it’s like to be young. A little boyfriend trouble." He winked.
Why was it always so obnoxious when people winked?
"Not to worry.” He pulled a card from his jacket inside pocket.
His suit looked well-made and expensive, like the gold, diamond-studded watch he wore. It was rare to see so much bling in Drearyton, especially on a man. “Here, hold onto this and we will talk some other time.”
"Thanks," I muttered, and then whirled in circles to search for my things.
The room was spinning. Or maybe it was just me. Finally I spotted my jacket slung on the back of a chair near the glowing red exit. I decided to leave a message with Abby who was flirting shamelessly with the football coach’s son. This way Adrius would know I had to leave and didn’t just ditch him.
I spun around and slammed into Adrius. Cherry liquid sloshed out the plastic cups he held up high to keep from spilling them. Music swelled from a live band playing a medley of tangos, while couples young and old swayed and twirled on the makeshift dance floor. They weren’t particularly good — the musicians or the dancers — ironic considering the venue.
“Oh, sorry. Did I hurt you?”
“No, I’m fine.” He exhaled setting the cups on a speaker. “Humans can survive on just one lung, right?” He clutched his chest in mock breathlessness, but as he studied my expression his smile faded. “Are you okay?”
“Not really,” I mumbled, still too shaken to come up with a plausible explanation. “But I have to go. Now.”
“What? Where?” Worry lines creased his forehead.
“I can’t explain.” I made a beeline through the crowd for my coat having to weave through bodies revolving on the dance floor. As I yanked my arms into the sleeves, Adrius caught up with me.
“You’re running… from something, or someone… or me. Tell me which it is. Please.”
“I’m not running. There’s just something I have to take care of. It's complicated.” I tried to leave but he stepped in front of me.
He looked down through thick lashes. “Whatever it is, I can help.”
“No, you really can’t.” I slung my bag over my shoulder, accidentally hitting his chest in the process.
He folded his arms. “How long are you going to live in fear, Lorelei?”
Swallowing hard, I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze head on. “You have no idea what you’re talking about, so just back off.”
“I know what I see,” he goaded.
“And what is that?”
“Someone who’s scared… too frightened of being seen, of being judged, to let herself be the amazing girl she is.”
“Oh, and you think you know me so well after spending a few hours with me?" I snapped. "What did you do, ransack your father’s case studies, read my file? Well, he’s a quack, and you’re delusional.” I shoved past him, out the back doors. The cold air hit me, stinging my forehead. It wasn’t like me to be so defensive, but stress caused strange reactions and it was like he was deliberately pushing my buttons.
Adrius followed. “And so she runs and hides herself away from the world.”
Stopping, I inhaled a deep breath, letting the cold soothe my anger. Outside in the night air, the music and laughter lingered, fading slowly as the heavy doors groaned closed. It clicked shut, cutting off all sounds of life completely.
I turned to face him. “Why are you here, anyway? You could have pretty much anyone at this school. Why are you here… with me?”
“Because I find you fascinating.”
I searched his face to find a trace of sarcasm. There wasn’t any.
“She draws, she sings, she heals. One has to ask oneself is there nothing this girl cannot do?”
“And is there?” I held my breath.
“That remains to be seen.” he said with a captivating look. His eyes shone into mine in a way that was too intense, too inviting, too intimate for me not to look away.
I sighed, closing my eyes. The fight had drained out of me, leaving me exhausted and cold.
"I have to go.” It wasn’t the best idea to go wandering in the woods at night, but there was no other choice. “Good night, Adrius.”
”Lorelei… slow down. I’ll drive you.”
“No, I have to walk.” I broke into a jog, racing through the field toward the dense wall of trees silhouetted against the full amber moon.
Where was I going to find Vervain this time of year? I knew my chances were slim, but the blend Gran used to save Mom the last time called for freshly picked Vervain. I had to find some. I ran faster. Moist air filled my lungs, laced with the familiar yet strange scent of thyme.
So lost in my thoughts as I entered the woods, I didn’t realize I was still being followed. My heel caught on a rock, and I pitched forward, but before I could hit the ground, strong arms were there to catch me.
Adrius.
“Why are you following me?” The irritation in my voice surprised me.
“Why won’t you let me help you?”
“Because—” I stumbled. “I told you, it’s com—”
"— Complicated." He placed himself in front of me, so close it seemed there wouldn’t be enough air for us both. “But you’re obviously upset, Lorelei. You’re wandering in the middle of a forest. At night. All dressed up.” He motioned to my little black dress which was now splattered with mud and dust. “And you’re looking for something. Something I can help you find."
I stared long and hard for a moment. His face looked more angular bathed in the cool moonlight. Chiseled, like a mythological god carved from stone. His expression was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes I couldn’t place.
I felt a shift. It was a physical sensation in my mind. In that moment, I knew he could help. It wasn’t clear how, or why, or even where the knowing had come from. But I knew I had to trust him.
“Vervain. I need to find Vervain.” I inhaled, realizing I’d been holding my breath. “For my mother.” Warm tears stung the corners of my eyes. “She’s…”
“In a coma… I know. And you'll need more than just Vervain if you want a permanent cure.” He placed a hand on my cheek to brush away a tear.
Again I shook my head numbly. How was he doing this? I peered up at him. “Are you psychic or something? Is that how you know so much about me… about my life?”
His brows furrowed briefly, as though struggling with a reply, but he didn’t answer. “Lorelei, listen to me carefully. If you come with me, I can help you. Do you trust me?”
“I… I don’t know,” I finished, biting back the impulse to say yes. I stared at the ground, trying to rein in the emotions threatening to overcome me. I wanted to trust him, wanted to say yes. But a sharp tang of herbs filled the air on a sudden cold breeze, burning my sinuses and leaving me chilled by more than just the night air. Why was it so comforting and so terrifying? In that instant, everything about this night became unnerving. The way he subtly changed in the moonlight, becoming more beautiful, more ethereal, more haunting. The sound of dried leaves crunching underfoot, though spring had just arrived. The invisible eyes I felt watching us from the darkness.
A wisp of light dashed by. When I looked for it, there was nothing… just the inky void, leaving me vulnerable and exposed.
Adrius held out his hand and I took it blindly, shoving aside the weird sensations. He held it gently but firmly, the way Gran used to when we went to the carnival and she didn’t want to lose me in the crowds. Only then I was struggling to break free. Tonight, in this blackened forest, I felt compelled to hold on tight. Because even though it was just the two of us, I couldn't shake the disturbing sensation we were not alone.
We strolled in silence for a while, as Adrius led me through the forest with surprising ease. It amazed me how comfortable I felt just being next to him. He felt warm, safe, and electric. Like touching him sent a low voltage charge straight up my arm, but in a good way — a very good way.
There was no trail to follow, and yet he led us through waist-high brush on a path that seemed to form itself with every step we took. If it weren’t totally insane, I’d swear the densely tangled branches parted to allow us through, and then sealed themselves behind us. My foot caught on a vine, and I lurched forward. These boots were definitely not made for hiking. With his usual finesse and speed, Adrius caught me, lifting me upright just inches from his face. I was steady on my feet, so there was no reason for him to keep his arms wrapped around me for as long as he did. A shudder ran through me, and tiny goose bumps lined my arms. Finally, and regrettably, he let go. His hand found mine again and there was a wave of relief that a part of me was still physically connected to him.
I cleared my throat. “How do you know so much about healing plants?” I asked, more to distract myself from the slight numbing sensation in my hand and the creepiness of the mist now swirling at our feet.
“I’ve done a lot of research. Do you know any of the history of this forest?”
“Everyone has heard the legends, but I wouldn’t exactly call them history.”
“No? Why not?”
“Well, for one they’re all made up… based on fairytale and fantasy.”
“And you don’t believe in fairytale and fantasy. Or in people who can just do things.” He glanced over his shoulder at me. “Unexplainable and miraculous things…”
I had to stop and think. “I guess I believe more than what most people are willing to accept. I mean, how do you explain what I can do? But, I think you have to draw the line somewhere.”
“And where do you draw that line, Lorelei?”
“Honestly. I don’t know. But I don’t buy the stories about people disappearing in an enchanted forest, taken by the trees, their roots dragging them into the underworld to exist in purgatory forever and ever until the end of time. It sounds like the lamest horror movie plot ever written.”
A branch snapped suddenly and I jumped. My fingers clenched tighter around his hand.
Adrius laughed.
“Are you telling me you believe in fantasy and fairytales?” I asked, turning the tables.
“I believe in everything,” he said in earnest.
“How very liberal,” I scoffed.
We trampled through the ankle deep piles of leaves as the temperature continued to fall. I was freezing, and my feet were killing me. The black high-heeled boots were uncomfortable enough walking on stage, but they were completely useless for a midnight hike through the woods. The winds had picked up and the light jacket I wore didn’t offer much protection from the rapidly dropping temperature. More leaves drifted to the ground, crunching beneath our steps. Clouds covering the moon passed, lighting the forest once more, illuminating trees which were almost bare. The few remaining leaves tumbled to the ground with each chilling gust. Leafless branches reaching like skeletal fingers against the yellow moon, a perfect Halloween backdrop — except it was May, not October.
“What happened here?” I kicked at the dead leaves blanketing the ground. “It’s spring; these trees look more like late fall.”
Adrius examined the barren limbs, but didn’t say anything. He must have noticed I was shivering because he stopped to pull off his jacket and wrap it around my shoulders. I inhaled deeply, quietly relishing his lingering warmth and delicious scent.
“It’s not much farther,” he said, taking my hand again.
The mist was inching its way up, enveloping my legs in a smoky haze. An agonizing howl rang through the trees. Was it the wind, a wolf? I couldn’t tell. This was beginning to seem like a really bad idea. But Vervain was almost impossible to find this time of year, so if he knew where to go… Anyway, it was way too late to turn back now. We were alone in the woods, out of screaming range, so if he ended up being some psycho, I was already screwed. Whatever secret he held behind those intense olive eyes, I didn’t think serial killer was it.
We climbed up a steep rocky hill. It struck me as odd there should be something like the side of a cliff in the midst of a forest, but before I could say anything, something cold and wet landed on my face. And then again. I peered up at the night sky, expecting rain and was shocked to find snow.
“This is crazy! It’s snowing!” I had to shout over the howling winds. “How can it be snowing?" Goose bumps traveled down my spine and I shivered. The snow quickly became heavier, and before long the ground was completely white. Since when did we get snow at the end of May? Drearyton Cove was in the midst of its mildest spring yet and while it was not unheard of to have the occasional hailstorm, a blizzard dropping three feet of snow was a record first. The temperature was plummeting by the minute. The winds were churning at a furious rate, gusting in huge gales, whipping a steady stream of flurries in our faces. My teeth chattered uncontrollably. Adrius seemed oblivious to all of it, pressing on like a man on a mission, he pulled me up the rocky slope.
“Where are we?” I hollered. Adrius didn’t hear me or he didn’t know, either way there was no reply. He just tightened his grip on my hand, crushing my knuckles together in a hold which might have hurt if my fingers hadn’t been frozen.
A gust of wind tore through the trees, sending flurries swirling into the night air. Suddenly, I was engulfed in a blinding whiteout. The flash blizzard blazed around us whipping my hair in frenzy. Every part of me was freezing, and I struggled to keep moving forward. My hand slipped away from his; numb from the cold, it took me a moment to realize he was no longer holding onto me. I squinted through the whipping flakes, searching for him.
“Adrius? Adrius! I can’t see anything.” Ice pelted my face, stinging my cheeks and forehead.
“Lorelei?” He sounded so far away.
“Where are you? I can’t see you.”
I took a step forward, but didn’t meet with the ground. Instead I found myself falling, tumbling down the steep hill we had just climbed. My body plummeted uncontrollably, until I slammed onto solid ground, striking my head against something sharp. I couldn't feel my fingers or toes, and my lungs threatened to explode out of my chest. Panic rose in my throat, choking off any air. Freezing to death became a very real and terrifying possibility. I gasped for air, each chilled breath more painful than the last. Drifting snow blanketed me at an impossible rate, burying me alive in cold. The burning in my limbs subsided, leaving me numb from head to foot.
High above me, naked limbs curled and coiled in distorted knots, reaching for me through the wailing flurries. They slithered and wound themselves around the snow-covered trees, as though draining any remaining life from them. A pair of thick thorn-infested vines coiled around one another, piercing and ripping their flesh in a morbid tango. Was I hallucinating? Maybe this was what hypothermia was like. I wanted to scream, but couldn’t.
I lifted my head and tried to look around, carefully avoiding the serpent-like vines moving deftly against the wind. Warm fluid seeped down my forehead, burning a trail to my cheek. Wiping it away with the back of my hand, I recognized the sickly sweet scent of rusted metal and salt, which made my stomach roil. My head dropped back to the ground and I stared in paralyzed horror as my vision blurred, before fading from white to black.
****
It was silent when I opened my eyes. The room was bathed in soft buttery sunlight streaming in through an open window. I blinked, trying to focus in the brightness. The faint scent of cloves and roasted chestnut lingered in the air. It was warm… too warm. Across from me were voices in hushed tones. One familiar, the other I didn’t recognize.
“How long will it take before she wakes?”
“Not long now, son. She has to adjust to the air here. It’s lighter than what she's used to.”
“This is making me crazy, Hawthrin. How long can I go on like this? I mean, I can’t get her out of my head. She’s all I think about.”
Was that Adrius? Who was he talking about? Couldn’t be me. Was I hearing things correctly or was I dreaming. I closed my eyes, straining to listen over the blood rushing in my ears.
“You have to do something. Too much is at stake.”
“Adrius, you know there is little I can do in this matter. You brought her here. We must let things play out from here. One cannot pick and choose between prophecies. For one to come to pass, all must come to pass.”
“This wasn’t supposed to happen. I didn’t know the full prophecy. You carefully left out my part in it. You know I can’t control it…”
“You will control it. Or… you will not.”
There was a deep sigh, I think it came from Adrius. “But if she does this, and anything were to happen to her…”
“That, my boy, is beyond your control I’m afraid.”
A door creaked open and the muffled voices ceased.
“Shame on the two of you.” A female voice joined the others. “She needs her rest, you shouldn’t be disturbing her,” she scolded. “Fine job you’ve both done. You’ve woken her.”
The knocking of hard shoes against hardwood grew steadily louder until it reached me, and then stopped. Someone was standing over me. My eyelids cracked open, taking in a slender face framed by long dark hair and golden eyes. I frowned. Who was she? Then it occurred to me I had no idea where I was. It was a struggle to sit up and a stabbing pain shot through me. My head ached and my limbs were weak.
“Take it easy, dear one. You’re not yet fully healed,” she said in a voice which sounded like wind through the trees.
Memories came back to me like snapshots; the performance, my mother, the forest, losing Adrius. Where was he? Panic rose, but I consoled myself with the reminder I’d heard his voice. He had to be okay. I looked up at her again, opening my mouth to ask about him. My lips were dry and chapped; it felt like I’d swallowed sand. I tried to speak but what came out was garbled. She leaned in to offer me a sip of clear liquid which seemed like water, and her salt and pepper hair fell away from her angelic grandmotherly face. It was then they came into view, the long slender ears that tapered to a long thin point.
I gasped sharply, sucking in more air than my recovering lungs could hold. When I finally stopped sputtering and coughing, I attempted to jump out of this strange bed and demand some answers. But my body wouldn’t cooperate. Heavy limbs pinned me down, immobilizing me.
“Lorelei? Are you in pain?”
Adrius was suddenly there, leaning over me, his brows furrowed in concern. He looked nearly unrecognizable… otherworldly, in a literal way.
“Wh-what’s going on? Who is she?” I pointed, my hand gripping the bed sheets.
“It’s okay. You’re safe here,” he soothed, sweeping hair away from my face. I turned away slightly and he immediately dropped his hand. The smile in his eyes faded.
“What do you mean I’m safe here?” I rasped. “…Safe from what? Where are we?”
Before he could answer, the woman shooed him away with a terse glare.
“No, wait.” I wrestled with the blankets entangling my legs. A gentle hand held me down, while a sharp sting bit into my arm and I watched in horror, unable to move as the strangely beautiful alien woman depressed a syringe, injecting me with some sort of green liquid. “Just relax… Prince Adrius will not be pleased to see you upset, my lady.” She studied my face closely; her faint smile tinged with sadness. Again, I slipped into darkness.
But this time I wasn’t alone. The flutter of wings rustled faintly, my heart quickened and my flesh prickled. A voice whispered on the wind, “Do you want to see me again?”
The overbearing scent of herbs spread abruptly as I stood motionless in the middle of this strange room, dressed in nothing more than a gauzy, moon-colored nightgown.
A voice in my head whispered, Yes.
Then he appeared. The temperature fell as he approached me with a feral grin, his eyes glinting like silver bullets in the darkness. I shuddered. He circled slowly, a cat stalking his prey. He moved in closer, taking a deep breath inhaling my scent. He continued to circle me and I spun around to keep him in sight… partially out of fear, partially because his eyes were mesmerizing.
My blood froze in fear of what came after his game of cat and mouse. The corners of his lips curled into a thin smile and I waited, ignoring the sinking sensation in my stomach. Hands clenched at my sides, my breathing rapid and shallow. He took another step closer without seeming to notice. A part of me wanted his touch. After all, I’d called to him somehow… hadn’t I? But this overwhelming urge to get closer to him terrified me. Staring into depthless mercury eyes, half in anticipation, half in dread, I watched a pale hand reach out and lift a lock of my hair. He sniffed it, the chill of his breath raising hairs on my nape, and let it fall. There was a voice, like a phantom melody, his words like frost against my skin.
“I knew you would come to me, my Ilyandra. Now we can be together. …Forever.”
It was so familiar. Could it be happening again? His long icy fingers wrapped around my throat. I woke up to the sound of my own screams.