Chapter Ten
Meg
I wake the minute he leaves the small nest we slept
in. I felt him disentangle himself and missed the heat of his body. He draped
himself around me all through the night, tangling our limbs together. It’s the
best sleep I’ve gotten in a long time.
I stay still, listening as he dresses, rebuilds the fire,
and prepares to hunt for breakfast. He leans over and kisses me softly before
he stalks off to find food.
The sweetness of his actions almost makes me reconsider what
I’m about to do.
Almost.
I force myself to count to one hundred before getting up and
tossing on my clothes. I pull on the boots last and then retrieve the saddlebag
Dante gave me the day before. There’s food and a canteen, and what looks like a
first aid kit. He also slipped his business card in. It declares him Head of
the Green Sales Unit. Ah, used car salesman to the core. There are a few other
things I don’t recognize, but I throw the bag over my shoulder and wonder which
way to go. I decide on south, since I can make it back to the market. Obviously
I’m not planning on going to the market since they would likely call up Beck to
retrieve his wayward property, but perhaps there will be someone on the road
who can help me.
As I begin to walk, I wonder how Beck will take me leaving.
My heart hurts when I think of him. How could I get so close to someone in so
little time? He’s a heartbreak waiting to happen. He can’t accept himself. How
will he ever accept me? The endless forest seems to fly by as I walk briskly,
unable to get my mind off the faery prince.
He’s a victim of his own success. He’s proven to me, once
and for all, what I want in a relationship. Then he turns around and tells me
he won’t give it to me. I’ve suspected for a while that I prefer to be
submissive during sex. I’m not sure how I feel about submission outside of the
bedroom, and that’s the reality that gives me pause when I contemplate jumping
into the lifestyle. It’s probably asking far too much to get what I want in the
bedroom and remain autonomous outside of it.
I’ve been walking for a good half an hour when I suddenly
feel disoriented. I’ve seen that tree before. Right? I thought I was walking in
a straight line, but I’m almost certain I’ve been here. Panic starts to grow. I
can’t find the path. This isn’t the one we’d taken the day before, and it seems
to get narrower and narrower. I squint, trying to see ahead. Does it stop?
What the hell am I doing? I’m not nature girl. I don’t hike.
I really don’t hike in faery forests. Yes, there’s the panic attack. I can feel
my heart beating a hundred miles a minute. I’m lost, and I swear I can feel
eyes on me. I turn, but everywhere I look is exactly the same. That’s
definitely the same tree. It leans the same way as the other one. Which way am
I supposed to go?
Dante told me these woods are dangerous. I thought he was
exaggerating to make me stay close to Beck, but now I feel real fear.
Oh, why had I ever left the comfort of our bed?
It’s stupid decisions like this that always get me in
trouble. I’m impetuous. I get lost at DFW airport, but I think I can navigate
on an entirely different plane of existence? I should have waited until we made
it to Beck’s village. Maybe there, I could have hired a guide or something.
What the hell am I doing walking through the woods alone?
I should have stayed with Beck and helped his brother. After
I save his brother, he’ll be reasonable and help me find my way home. This was
an act of pure arrogance. Or desperation. I wanted to spare my heart, but it
looks like I’ve put much more at risk.
“Can I help you, miss?”
The sound makes me start in pure terror. I spin around and
barely miss clocking the little man with my twirling bag. Naturally I end up on
my ass in the dirt, looking up at the strangest thing I’ve ever seen. Given my
recent travails, that’s saying something.
He’s small, no more than four feet tall, with a stocky body.
He’s barrel-chested with squat legs. His torso is the longest part of him. His
face is dominated by a large, doughy nose, and his skin has splotches of yellow
across it. He seriously needs to get his liver checked.
The suit he wears is the most disconcerting thing about him,
though. It’s a brilliant, vibrant red. From the top hat on his head to the
socks and shoes on his small feet, every piece of clothing he wears is red. The
man brushes invisible lint off his coat and shakes the tails out. They trail
along the dirt. He looks down at me, waiting for a response.
“I’m lost,” is the only thing I can think to say.
The red man cocks a bushy eyebrow. His accent is even
heavier than Beck’s. “Are you, now? And here I was thinking you were out for a
pleasant walk in the woods.”
I shake my head. “I need to get back to the marketplace.”
The red man frowns. “And why would you need to do that? See,
I was thinking a girl like you would prefer to go home to the Earth plane.”
On this announcement, the red man turns and begins walking
down the path. I scramble to my feet to chase after him. Can he really get me
home?
Do I want to go home? Of course I do. Don’t I? The idea of
Beck’s brother dying without my help weighs on me. Shouldn’t I try to help? I
shove the question aside for the moment.
“How did you know that?” I ask, following him.
He winks a dark eye my way. “I know everything, little
human. I know you couldn’t possibly want to stay here. Your home is waiting for
you.”
“Yes.” Even though he’s a good foot and several inches
shorter than me, he moves quickly. I have to jog to keep up with the little
man. “I was taken from my home, and then they sold me at some tournament
thingy, and apparently now I’m married, but I didn’t say ‘I do,’ so I don’t
think I am. I just want to get home.”
That’s the right answer. Yes, I should hurry. I need to get
home to my fantastic life on the Earth plane. I need to get back to work, so I
can go back to my dreary apartment at the end of a long day and microwave
something I don’t want to eat and watch television I don’t care about. I don’t
want to stay and explore this strange place. I don’t want to give that gorgeous
hunk of a man a chance. I certainly don’t want to meet the other, possibly even
hotter, half of him. No, I wanted to go back to a place that probably doesn’t
even realize I’m gone.
I’m being an idiot.
I stop in the middle of the trail. A vision of Beck swamps
my senses, and I’m stunned by how much I feel for him. I’m walking away from
Beck after a day?
Everything crystallizes as I stand in the middle of a faery
forest. I have to shake my head in an attempt to think clearly. I’m in the
middle of a freaking faery forest. All of my life, I daydreamed and read
fantasy novels and did anything I could to escape my sad reality. In those
daydreams I’m a different person. I’m a confident, lovable woman who faces
challenges head on. Who fights for what I want.
Maybe it’s time to be the person I’ve always wanted to be.
I’ve been scared up until now. No. I’m still scared, but
something else takes over in this moment. Some deep sense of adventure. I’ve
waited for this all of my life, and now I’m running away?
“Come along, miss.” The red man stares curiously. “Well,
what are you waiting for? I can get you home.”
I can’t believe I’m doing this. I shake my head in the
negative. It’s insane, but my decision is made. I’m going to help Beck save his
brother. I’m going to explore and see what’s out here. I’m going to gently try
to push Beck into the kind of relationship that will satisfy us both. “I
changed my mind. I don’t want to go home. Honestly, my life there kind of
sucked. Maybe life here will suck, too, but shouldn’t I give it a chance? When
you think about it, it’s kind of cool. I mean, I have seen more weird-ass shit
in the last twenty-four hours than most people see in a lifetime. Vampires. How
freaking cool is that? They have their own plane and apparently are just as
interested in their stock portfolios as they are in blood. And gnomes. Sure,
they didn’t actually have any travel tips for me, so they weren’t like the ones
at home, but the ones at home are ceramic. They aren’t half as awesome as the
ones here. And the sidhe.” I sigh. “I think I care about him. He needs
me. I can’t walk away.”
“So you don’t want to go home?”
Now that I’m being honest with myself I have no idea what I
was thinking before. “Screw my home. Somewhere out there is this superhot
faery. He paid a lot of money for me. My ex-husband never took me to any place
nicer than a Chili’s because he was a cheap ass. Beck already spent more on me
than any man ever has, and then he had to do the Fight Club thing. No
one ever fought for me before. Sure, he was kind of a dickhead afterward, but I
think I can work on that problem. And I haven’t even met his other half. I
think they’re identical. Twins should be identical, right? Even if they aren’t,
even if he’s unattractive, I’ll be okay with it because Cian is a part of Beck.
If I care about one, then I have to accept the other. Right?”
The red man takes a deep breath. “You’re a strange girl. You
speak faster than my ears work. Are you saying you no longer wish to return to
your own plane?”
“Yes. I’m going to give this marriage thing another shot.
Apparently, if it doesn’t work out, murder is always an option. Beck promised
me.” See. I have outs. Of course Beck’s going to be pissed I left. Maybe I can
tell him I was looking for a place to use the bathroom. Or trying to find him
because I got lonely.
Maybe he’ll spank me.
“Well, that throws a different light on the thing, then,”
the red man mutters.
“What?” I wasn’t sure I properly caught that last part. The
small man doesn’t make sense.
His face is jovial as he looks up, as though all his
consternation has floated away. “Nothing, dear, nothing at all. I think it’s
marvelous that you’ve decided to give the king another chance. Love is more
important than any other consideration. I know how to get you back to your
husband, dearie.”
He starts down the path again. I follow him eagerly this
time. It would be best if I can get back before Beck realizes I’m gone. When I
find my way to camp I’ll throw off my clothes and sneak into our nest of
blankets. When Beck shows up, I’ll tempt him into bed where I intend to prove
to him we’re perfect together.
“How do you know all this stuff?” I didn’t mention that my
husband is the king. I follow the red man off the path and hear water flowing
somewhere close by. Maybe I haven’t gotten so far. We followed a river last
night to get to our campsite by the lake. I must be getting close.
“I know everything, dearie,” the man states plainly. “It’s
all a part of who I am.”
Before I can continue the line of questioning, I’m halted by
a sight so beautiful it takes my breath away.
We’ve crested a small hill, and the river is now in view.
There’s an early morning mist floating off the water giving everything a hazy,
soft feel. Standing gracefully in the shallows is the most elegant horse I’ve
ever seen. It’s pure white and gives off a sheen of sweetness and innocence as
it leans down and drinks.
Magic. This whole place is magic. How could I have ever
thought about leaving?
“It’s so beautiful.” I speak in hushed tones, not wanting to
scare it off.
“She’s magic, dear,” the red man explains. “She roams the
forest and aids travelers in getting to their destinations.”
I search my brain, trying to remember the one class I took
in mythology and lore. It was mostly about the Greek and Roman gods, but there
was a small section on Irish folklore. I think I skipped that day. My penchant
for urban fantasy and romance novels are the only reason I know what a sidhe
is.
“She’ll take me to Beck?”
There’s an odd light in the red man’s eyes. “Yes, dearie.
She’ll take you to your husband.” He notes my hesitation and shrugs. “Or you
can walk aimlessly through the woods and never find him. These woods are
enchanted. If you don’t know your way around them, you could be lost forever.
Your husband will wander the woods, seeking you. It happens all the time.”
The red man looks like he can’t care less what I do. Time is
running out. I decided to take a chance on Beck, so it only follows I can take
another. “All right. How do I get back to him?”
The red man is already retreating. “She will tell you.” I
turn and the red man is completely gone. His voice still echoes through the
trees. “Just let her lead you home.”
A shiver passes through me, but there’s nothing else to do
but take the chance. I start toward the river. The horse turns her head toward
me, and for a moment I worry that I’ll startle it away. Then the gentle eyes
look right through me, and I feel as if the horse can see to my soul. Now that
I’m close, I can see that there are flowers woven into the mare’s mane. The
mare has obviously been swimming in the river because her mane drips with pure
river water.
Feeling more comfortable, I step closer. The horse’s eyes
seem luminous in the early morning light. It feels like a magical moment when I
hold my hand out and gently brush the horse. I’m surprised to find the skin
cold. There’s no warmth in the flesh, but perhaps I’m being fanciful. Of
course, if the horse has been wading through the river, it follows that her
skin will be cold.
The horse snickers, a welcoming sound. She shakes her head
and gracefully leans down, as though inviting me to mount her.
“Okay, but I gotta warn you, I’m not good at this.” The
horse shakes her mane. Suddenly, I know the horse wants me to haul myself up
this way. “I hope this doesn’t hurt.”
I wrap my fingers in her mane, noting the flowers seem to be
attached to weeds in some places. I manage to get my leg over the horse’s back
and am pleased when I get into an upright position.
“Piece of cake,” I mutter to myself. My hands are shaking as
I try to pull them out of the mane to get a better hold. “Take me back to my
husband.”
My hands seem stuck in the coarse hairs. I pull, but they
don’t budge. I try to shift my legs. They hold fast to the horse’s flesh.
The horse snickers. This time it sounds less gentle, more
triumphant, and not in a good way. The horse’s eyes narrow and become somewhat
cruel.
“Oh, shit.” Something has gone very wrong.
The horse rears up and takes off at a gallop. I fly with her
and then scream as the horse plunges us both into the deepest part of the
river. I feel the horse stiffen as something hits it, but it doesn’t matter.
My scream is cut off as water begins to fill my lungs.