My head was resting on Kull’s shoulder, and my fingers were threaded through his. For a moment, I panicked. How had I gotten so close to him without realizing it? But then my brain informed me I was dreaming, so I brushed my fear aside. Instead, I enjoyed an episode from My Life That Should Have Been.
I stood with Kull on the terrace, overlooking the Rheic Sea. We were in the stronghold on the eastern peninsula, and I’d decided it was the most beautiful place in Faythander. The water here, unlike so many other places, sparkled glacier blue. A thin layer of snow blanketed the water-worn pebbles along the seashore, but I didn’t feel the cold up here. The room’s enormous fireplace put off a heat strong enough to combat the outside air.
“It’s very pretty here,” I said.
“Yes.”
“Why have you never brought me here before?”
He shrugged. “My family has so many strongholds it’s hard to keep track of them all. I haven’t been here since I was a child. Do you like it?”
“I love it. I think I could spend the rest of my life here and be happy.”
“Then we shall not leave until you are ready.”
He gently stroked his thumb across my cheek, then brushed away a stray strand of hair that glowed auburn in the morning sunlight.
He leaned close to my ear, whispering, “It’s not as beautiful as you.”
“Stop it. You might make me blush,” I whispered back.
“Good.”
He cupped my face, smiling that grin I hadn’t seen in so long, yet when he smiled now, it didn’t seem so long ago.
“It is my life’s mission to see you blush. My work is not complete until I have made you blush at least once every day for the rest of your life.”
“That might be a very long time, you know. I could live well past your lifetime.”
“No. We will die together in each other’s arms.”
“How could you possibly know that?”
“Because that is the only way it can be. The gods will allow nothing else but for us to be together until we make our final voyage together to Valhalla.”
I wished it were true. But then I realized that in this world, it was.
His lips met mine, catching me off guard. He kissed me slowly, but with a passion that made excitement ripple through my body. The warmth of his body engulfed me, and all my thoughts disappeared. It was just him and me, alone, and nothing else.
When he pulled away, a twinkle lit his eyes. He left me breathless, speechless; and though I was dreaming, I hadn’t felt so alive in ages—ten and half months, to be exact.
“There,” he said with a smile, his thumb gently caressing my cheek. “Now that’s a proper blush.”
Beyond the terrace, gray clouds rolled in, stronger and faster than any natural weather pattern. The contrast of the light and dark began to form a picture. Hollow eye sockets appeared, and around them formed a skull. Even in my dreams I couldn’t escape the evil that stalked me.
“Don’t worry,” Kull said. “It cannot harm us here.”
“I know,” I said.
Soon the wind picked up, breaking the clouds apart until once again, the sunlight broke free. I rested my hand on his chest, feeling the steady beating of his heart.
“I miss you,” I said. “I don’t feel right being away from you. I don’t even feel like myself anymore. My magic knows it, too.”
“But you are here with me now.”
He took my hand. I tightened my grip on his fingers, feeling that as soon as I let go, he would be gone.
“Sometimes it’s good to experience sorrow,” Kull said, gently squeezing my hand in return, “because it makes you appreciate the better times.”
“Do you think there will be better times?”
“There are always better times. Just as the mountains have peaks and slopes and the waves rise and fall, so life is filled with heartache and happiness. Better times will come. We’ve just got to be patient through the hard times until they arrive.”
I sighed, wanting to believe him, watching as the clouds cleared to reveal snowcapped peaks far in the distance, their sun-streaked slopes colored in shades of pink and lavender.
“It really is so beautiful here,” I repeated. “I wish I could stay forever.”
“We can if that is what you wish.”
“Yes,” I answered. “I wish to stay here forever and never leave again.”
He smiled. “You might get bored after a while.”
“Maybe. But if I do, then we’ll go on a vacation to some far-off land. We could visit the dragons for a time, or—if I’m feeling adventurous—we could even visit the elves.”
“Hmm, sounds terribly adventurous. I am sure I will need Bloodbane for such a quest, won’t I?”
“For the elves, yes. Or, if you’d rather go on a real quest, there’s always the outer isles we could explore again.”
“Ha, with the dragons there, I believe I’ll pass. We should quest to the Southlands. I hear the vexons have been ravaging the Wult outposts. I’ll make quick work of the beasts. Plus, I may have a few new trophies for my wall.”
“Very well,” I said, sighing. “But can it wait until after breakfast at least?”
He kissed my forehead. “Of course. I’ve prepared a meal for you.”
“You prepared the meal? What did you make?” This should be interesting.
“I, ah…” he cleared his throat as a half-smile lit his face. “I happened to find an Earth Kingdom text in the library—a cookbook.”
“A cookbook? Enlighten me—what did you cook?”
“A soufflé made of eggs and cheese, sausage, green onions, and topped with crumbled bacon and shredded cheese. I also prepared pancakes with syrup. I had to improvise as I was limited to Faythander food items, but I believe you will not be able to tell the difference.”
“You made all that?” I asked, shocked.
“Of course,” he answered, smiling. “I made it for you.”
“You’re spoiling me.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
My vision blurred, and I blinked to try and combat the dizziness, but it did no good. Kull’s hand disappeared from mine, and soon he and the fortress disappeared altogether.
No, no, no, I can’t go! Not yet. Kull, don’t leave me!
A cold emptiness settled in the pit of my stomach. I lurched awake.
“Kull?” I said as I woke, blinking, trying to make sense of the world around me.
When I was finally able to focus, I realized several things at once. I was sitting on the floor inside the cabin. My hands were tied with chains in front of me. I was wearing only my bra and panties. And it was seriously cold inside—so cold that a glass of water in the sink sitting across from me had an inch of ice on top.
How had it gotten so cold? It never got this frigid in Houston in October. Was there magic at work?
The room’s only light came from a flashlight lying on the floor. If it was Officer Gardener’s flashlight, then where was he?
My breath came out in puffs of white clouds. I wiggled my fingers and toes; both were numb. Goose bumps prickled my skin, and my neck ached where I must’ve been hanging my head while I slept.
Fragments of last night started to surface in my memory. I remembered Officer Gardener bringing me here. He’d scouted around the place and gone inside, and then he’d come back and gotten me out of the car. But what had happened after that? I remembered he’d led me outside in the rain, and then… only fragments of memories…
Something in the woods—something frightening. Unnaturally long nails that grew from misshapen arms. A face… terrifying. A horse’s skull. Its eyes. Glowing green. It attacked the cop.
I couldn’t remember anything else until now. Taking stock of my current situation, I scanned the cabin. Why was I tied up? And where were my freaking clothes?
The sensation began to return to my hands and feet, and without bothering to worry over my magic, I balled my fists, preparing to conjure a spell to break the chains off my hands.
When I conjured the word in my mind, the bands around my wrists grew cold. Icy tendrils wrapped my skin, and I clenched my hands into fists as I fought with the strange magic. It wasn’t just a physical pain, but a power that pushed against my own, nauseating me, making me dizzy and filling me with dread. My stomach sickened, and repulsed by the chains’ dark essence, I quickly let go of the magic.
In the near darkness, I focused on the chains binding my wrists. Inky black magic shimmered around the coiled loops. Magic-repelling chains. And most likely indestructible. Peachy.
I didn’t know much about the chains, but I could feel the spell powering their magic. It was a complicated enchantment. If I could manage to get one hand free, I would at least have the advantage of movement, but the metal refused to loosen as I worked my hands back and forth.
Focusing on getting my hands free wasn’t enough to distract me from realizing the enormous danger of my situation. Someone had put me in here on purpose, but who? Thinking through my list of suspects frightened me more than I cared to admit. The only person who knew I was here was Brent.
Could it really be him? I’d known him for years, but I didn’t pretend to know everything about him. We’d been out of contact for almost a year, and he wasn’t the same person he used to be. If his body had been taken over by the bloodthorn, how was I to know?
The chains wouldn’t budge an inch. My fingertips burned with an unnatural icy sensation where I pried at the metal links.
The sound of footsteps came from outside the cabin. I stopped, listening, using my elven senses to amplify the sound.
Someone walked slowly and deliberately, their feet crunching over dead leaves and debris with each footfall. I froze, readying my magic, only to realize that the metal bands would block me from using it. The inability to use my magic left me panicked. What could I do? How could I fight anything without my powers? Unpredictable or not, magic was my only defense.
I needed another weapon.
I crawled closer to the flashlight and grabbed it up. I doubted it would be enough to fend off a predator, but I kept it close all the same. Sitting on the floor, I waited, the light illuminating the white puffs of air exhaling from my mouth, feeling that each breath I took was too loud.
The sound of footsteps faded and soon disappeared. When I was sure that whoever had been outside was gone, I crawled to the door. Grabbing the knob, I turned it, then pushed the door, but it didn’t budge. I rammed the door with my shoulder but with no success. Panicking, I tried again and again, when I finally felt a spell woven into the wood. Someone had used an elemental spell. Normally, reversing the spell would have been simple enough, but with the chains binding my wrists, I had no chance of negating the magic.
The bloodthorn, or whatever creature had captured me, had no doubt locked me inside. Shivering, I backed away from the door, trying to be logical while fighting my growing panic.
I held the flashlight close, but my only source of light seemed to grow dimmer with each passing minute. Scanning the room, I searched for another way out. The cabin had only one window, so I crept toward it on quiet feet, but as I drew closer and pointed the flashlight’s beam at it, my heart sank. Inky black magic emanated from the window as well.
Still, I couldn’t just sit around and wait for the creature to come back, so I used the butt-end of the flashlight to attempt to bust out the glass. After several tries, the glass remained intact without a scratch—the black magic making it stronger than steel.
Collapsing to the floor, breathing heavily, I felt hopeless. What chance did I have of breaking free? The chains had stifled my magic. I had no way out. I sat, huddled and shivering, trying to think through my situation.
Someone had planned this. The wards on the window and door, the magical chains—they had all been done specifically to trap me. Someone who knew me had done this—someone who had studied me.
It couldn’t be Brent. I knew, deep down inside, that it wasn’t him. But what if the bloodthorn had taken over Brent’s body?
No, no, no.
While I didn’t love Brent anymore, it would still hurt if anything happened to him. It had to be someone else. That was the only logical explanation.
When I closed my eyes, images of the dream I’d had of Kull returned, and the pain of losing him hurt worse than the pain of being trapped.
Holding the flashlight tight against my chest, I felt a dent in the top of the metal band. A memory surfaced…
He used a strange metal stick. We do not have them on our planet. It was round and flared at the top.
The door banged open, and in the dim light cast from the flashlight, I stared, shocked, as the creature entered the room. The door slammed shut behind him with a flash of black magic.
The creature stalked toward me, and I backed away, fear running like ice water through my veins. It was so tall it barely fit inside the room. Although its face was partially hidden by a mane of thick, coarse hair, I could see it had a horse’s skull, and its green, pinprick eyes glowed in the darkness. The creature walked on two legs, though hunched over, and its fingers were tipped in unnaturally long, dagger-like nails. Chains clinked around its shoulders as it walked toward me.
As it moved, black magic shimmered around its body, flickering lights that blinded me for a moment. I shielded my eyes, but when I turned back to the creature, it had transformed. Officer Gardener stood in the room with me.
I gasped and drew back. “You,” I said, “it’s you?”
“Yes, Olive. It’s me.” He smiled, a look that sent shivers down my spine.
“But, the beast attacked you… I remember it attacked you.”
“Are you sure about that?”
I pondered the past several hours, trying to remember correctly. He’d gotten me out of the car, and then… something sharp had stabbed my arm. A syringe! He’d drugged me with something. That’s why I’d had so much trouble remembering.
The beast hadn’t attacked him. He’d transformed, and then he’d taken my clothes and tied me with the chains. I couldn’t remember anything else after that. Rubbing my temples, I wished I could remember more but came up blank.
He circled me, his booted footsteps echoing through the cabin. I could tell he was holding something, and when I focused I discovered it was a syringe.
My insides squirmed. He was going to drug me again. I couldn’t let it happen.
“I suppose you’re confused right now. Possess does that sometimes—makes you see things that aren’t real—but mostly, it just makes you forget your pain. For a little while, anyway.”
“You? You created the drug? Why?”
“It helps cull the soul’s energy. Everyone I collect from has been on the drug for some time, just as you will be. It makes taking your soul an easier process, and for you, it’s almost necessary. Yours will be a hard soul to collect.”
“You won’t get the chance.”
“Don’t be so naïve. I will take your soul just as I’ve taken the others, and then creating the portal to the undiscovered land will be a matter of using your energy to reunite the fairies’ stone with the smaller piece.”
He reached in his pocket and pulled out the fairy princess’s ring. Kneeling beside me, he held the ring close enough for me to see the glimmering red jewel.
“I need the stone intact, you see. The larger stone collects dark energy for the time being, but if I ever want to use it for the portal, it will have to be in one piece.”
“I don’t understand. Why do you need the stones?”
He gave me a leering smile that made me draw back.
“I’m glad you asked. When I first discovered the dark land, I was much younger and wore a different skin—the form of a unicorn. I saw images of the undiscovered land in the pool I guarded. Voices came to me—softly at first, and then their pull became stronger and stronger until I listened. Bring me the starstone, they said, and I had no choice but to do what they wanted. I took the unicorns’ stone and descended into the world unknown. I lived there for many years, until I nearly forgot my past life. But the unicorns’ stone was not enough, for those in the under realm needed the power of the fairies’ stone as well.
“I returned to our world and took the fairies’ stone, but I was forced to come to Earth Kingdom. Now, I have only one way to get back. I must use the fairies’ stone to create a portal, but I cannot use the stone without the energy of mortal souls, and I cannot open a portal without your magic.
“I’ve had help, of course. Otherwise, I never would have accomplished it.”
“Who helped you?”
He shrugged. “It’s not important. After I became trapped on Earth, I knew that if I wanted my plans to succeed, I would need a suitable body to inhabit, so I took this man’s form. His was an easy soul to possess. He had lost much—his family had left him, he was plagued with nightmares of the wars he’d fought. He was compromised, so I used his weakened state to my advantage.”
“But why? Why take the starstones to the undiscovered land?”
“For the same purpose that many have been seeking for years—to bring about the return of Theht. She will return to the world once again, whether you fight it or not. Her arrival is only a matter of time. I seek to call her forth.”
He grabbed my arm, his callused hands rough against my skin.
“Now,” he said, a sly smile on his lips, “are you ready for another dose?”
“Stop!” I screamed, aiming a kick at his face.
I caught the corner of his jaw, and his head snapped back. He released me for just a moment, and I used the time to race away from him. His form blurred for half a second, growing so tall it loomed in front of me, and then it faded, taking on the officer’s form once again.
My mouth grew dry as he walked toward me. I had nowhere to run or hide. I tried calling my magic but only found emptiness inside. I had nothing left. No magic. No weapons.
He lunged for me, and though I darted backward, he caught my leg and slammed the needle deep into the tissue of my calf muscle.
I screamed, feeling the solution burrow inside my veins. My breath came out in labored gasps as the drug took effect. I clawed at the wooden floorboards, my nails scraping over small grains of gritty sand. I needed to think, to concentrate. My mind was the only weapon left in my arsenal, and without it, I was completely helpless.
My back hit the wall. Whimpering, I huddled into a ball with my arms wrapped around my legs. The liquid worked its way through my bloodstream, warming me, making me immune to the cold.
“Don’t fight it,” he said.
I heard his words as if from far away, though I knew he was sitting next to me.
“You’ll enjoy this part.”