- NINE
Cece
I hit the ground with a sickening thud, rolling onto my stomach, and immediately getting onto my feet.
My side hurt, something bruised or busted, but I didn't have the time to think about that.
I took off toward the trees faster than I had ever moved in my life, faster than the run from the tree line to the barn in the first place, because this time I knew exactly what kind of monsters were on my heels. My chest burned as I counted.
Ten. Eleven. Twelve.
Was it even possible to make it to the woods in twenty seconds? I wanted to look back and see if someone was chasing me, but that risked me losing my footing. And then it would all be over.
Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen.
They had to be following me, otherwise how would they get me if I didn't make it in time.
Eighteen. Nineteen.
Was I really safe once I broke the tree line? Or was this whole thing some elaborate ruse to watch me get hopeful, run for my life, only to be dragged back and laughed at?
Twenty.
My foot crunched a twig and I knew I had crossed the line. I turned back and saw three men. Freaked, I turned forward again and kept running, sure they were on my heels, needing to save myself, needing to lose them.
I had no idea how long I ran. It felt like hours, like days. Sweat prickled up all over my skin. My chest burned. My thighs screamed. But I had to keep going. If I didn't, they could get me.
I turned over my shoulder, needing to see, needing to know how much harder I needed to push it, and promptly ran into something. Someone. Both of us tumbled to the ground, a mess of tangled limbs, and I felt the defeat, the confirmation of my greatest fears overwhelm my system.
"No no no!" I shrieked, tears teasing my eyes.
Why did I have to antagonize him? He had been letting me go pretty fairly for such an evil bastard.
Why did I have to go and make him angry?
"You can't take me back. You can't. He said I had twenty seconds.
I made it. I counted. You can't bring me back! "
"Cece," the voice said, falling on fear-deaf ears. "Cece... Celestine!" he almost yelled. "It's me. Okay? It's me."
Then his hands were on my face, pulling it upward, forcing me to face him. "Doyle?" I asked, my voice a croak.
"The one and only. You're safe. Take a breath."
"We have to go. They're coming," I said, trying to scramble up.
"No, they're not," Doyle said, voice calm. "They stopped when you crossed the border. They can't come."
I looked past his shoulder, not quite believing. "You're sure?"
"Yeah, I watched them turn back before I realized you planned to run all the way to China and realized I had to stop you."
"I didn't think he'd stick to his word."
"Who?"
"Declan. Jasper's father," I added, not sure why seeing as Doyle surely knew a hell of a lot more than I did about Jasper's family.
"He came to you personally?" he asked, surprised. "And then let you go?"
"Yeah."
"He do this?" he asked, raising his hand and gently stroking it over my cheek.
I had entirely forgotten about my face until that moment. "No. This was one of the henchmen after he caught me in the barn... with a draca."
"You must have that wrong. They don't exist," Doyle said, brows drawing together.
"Well, they do. And he tried to save me. It didn't end up working in the long run, but it was nice seeing as he was captive himself. How did you escape?"
"Jasper got in the door just as the guards closed in.
I knew I wouldn't make it so I headed for the woods behind the house.
Then guards were everywhere. I figured it was best to wait until things settled down, figure out what was going on, then head back in.
" He paused. "I was coming back for you, Cece," he said, his voice fierce and I had no doubt that he meant that.
"I knew you would if you didn't get caught yourself."
"So where's Jasp?" he asked, looking around as if he might have been hiding behind a tree.
I looked down at my feet, fighting the urge to cry again as an image of Declan's bloodstained hands flashed across my head.
"They got him," I said, my voice breaking.
I forced my eyes up and saw the horror in Doyle's face.
"His father is torturing him," I told him, needing to share that burden.
"When Declan came in to see me, he was wiping blood off his hands. "
"Fuck," Doyle said, running a hand through his hair.
"We have to get him. I know it's hard... especially because I was explicitly told not to try to save him. But we have to save him. He would save us," I said, knowing it down to my marrow.
"It doesn't make sense why they let you go," Doyle said, shaking his head.
"Yeah, I dunno. I did this... thing and they kinda freaked a little."
"What thing?"
"I don't know. I was so desperate to escape and save Jasper that I kind of tried to ask the angels for help, but ended up just getting angry instead. When I opened my eyes, there was this forcefield around me. When Declan tried to touch me, it burned him."
"An angelic forcefield? I've never heard of something like that. But, even so, that's all the more reason for them to want to keep you. They are known for collecting creatures or fae with particularly useful powers."
"That's disgusting," I said, shaking my head. "But, yeah, Opal wanted to throw me into a cell next to Jasper but Declan said something about the Courts and out of respect for the Light, they would let me go. Whatever that means."
"How generous of him," he said dryly. "It doesn't make any sense though. You're not Light. You're not Dark either. You're nothing that we know of."
"Yeah, who knows. It doesn't matter now. What matters now is trying to figure out how to get Jasper out."
"I've been working on that all day. All I do know is, we can't go back yet. They'll be expecting us. It's too risky."
I sighed, my stomach rolling in a way I was sure must be audible. "This sucks."
"Yeah," he agreed before we both fell into a silence, lost in our own thoughts, schemes, and worries.
"Alright," he said suddenly a while later.
"We should go find some food. We can't go charging in there weak and tired from hunger," he said when I started to shake my head.
"Come on, I'll show you some edible plants.
It's not good for you to be out here and not know how to survive.
" With that sound bit of logic, I nodded, stood, and followed him.
"When it doubt, avoid anything fuzzy or spiky.
Always break open the roots first too. If the inside is a milky consistency or color, avoid it.
And until you know more about them, avoid all berries except something you know by sight like strawberries or blueberries.
Let's see. Clover is edible. Just plain ole' backyard 'lucky you' clover.
And dandelions, of course. Oh, and if you're by water, kelp is good. "
"Kelp? Like the stuff the sprites have as hair?"
"Yeah," he said with a boyish smile. "Just make sure it isn't attached to a sprite first. Alright," he said, suddenly lowering himself onto the ground. "I am going to rest here. Take this," he said, producing a bag he had stored food in when he came upon me and Jasper, "and get us some sustenance."
"By myself?" I asked, brows raised.
"Don't wander too far and don't eat anything before I inspect it." With that, he gave me a dismissive little wave and a confident smile, and I turned to go get us some food, both nervous and excited at the prospect.
I wandered for a while, finding not a thing before my foot crunched down on something, drawing my attention.
I looked down to find a spiky ball like I had on trees in my backyard growing up.
Wanting to make sure, I grabbed a stick and poked the ball until a perfect little chestnut popped out.
Excited, I poked all the balls on the ground before swinging myself up into a branch to shake down some more.
It was a couple minutes later when Doyle's voice reached me, loud and searching.
"Up here. I found a chestnut tree!"
"Good job, rookie," he said, giving me a sweet smile. "Now swing down so we can eat and come up with a plan."
"Catch," I said, tossing the bag down at him and he snatched it. "Now turn," I said, painfully aware I was in a dress and he was right below me.
His eyes went a little wicked, but he turned.
I scrambled toward the trunk and got my tiptoes on the branch below me.
I lowered down, the pain in my side from where I had fallen from the porch suddenly becoming blinding as I elongated my torso.
I shrieked and lost footing, feeling myself free fall for long enough that I felt sick before I landed into Doyle's arms.
"What happened?" he asked mere seconds after his arms went around me.
I sucked in a breath which only made it hurt worse. "I think I hurt my ribs," I said, trying to shift to ease the strain on my side.
He settled me carefully on my feet and, too quickly for me to stop him, grabbed the hem of my skirt and hauled it upward.
I yelped, trying to slap his hands away and his eyes found mine, an amused smile on his face.
"Oh, please. It's nothing I haven't seen before.
Besides, this is purely for medical reasons.
" He lifted my dress and his fingers glided across my side, poking occasionally.
"I don't think they're broken. You just have some deep bruises.
It'll hurt for a while, but you'll be fine.
Come on, let's go eat," he said, dropping my skirt and turning away.
"I went to grab some water while you were scavenging. "
He'd left me?
My stomach rolled a little, thinking about how Jasper had been mad about him with the sprites.
Because he wasn't careful enough. While Doyle's devil-may-care attitude and imprudent bravery made him a great friend, I realized I didn't want him to be the one responsible for my safety in what seemed to be a woefully unsafe place.
I wanted Jasper back.