Chapter 12
“Mama!” Ana runs into my arms. I close my eyes and smooth my daughter’s hair as I hug her tight. I kiss her head over and over until I feel her tense up and push her tiny hands against my shoulders.
“Mama, let go.”
What kind of mother am I wallowing in my shame and humiliation? Ana’s all I need in this world. I don’t even know how many nights she’s been away from me. Three? Four?
“I missed you so much, baby!” I kiss her on the cheek.
“I missed you too!” She pulls out of my embrace completely, and I think I’m going to crack in half. “I’ve been having so much fun. We made loofahs and played games all day. The fireflies made a movie for us last night. At least, that’s what Aunt Erin called it. She said she misses movies and thinks you’ll like it when we get them to do it for you, too.”
“I’m sure I will.”
My eyes find Erin. Part of me is thankful that she’s taking such good care of Ana. My daughter doesn’t seem to mind this separation at all. The other part of me is furious that she’s allowed this to happen and didn’t stand up to the thing she calls her husband. Especially now that he has Finn trapped.
It’s hard for me to see Em as anything but a monster now. He may play make-believe and put on a human skin, but he bleeds blue instead of the crimson that runs through our veins. He’ll only ever be an imposter.
“I’m glad you came.” Erin gives me a sympathetic look. “I take it you’re feeling better?” She sounds hopeful.
I shake my head. “I threw up twice on the way here. I barely made it.”
“Come, sit.” Erin takes my hand and leads me to the rock slab they use as a table. “I have extra brimberry for you. I was going to bring it, but since you're here. . .”
“No. I can’t eat. Just thinking about food makes me sick.”
“If it’s a virus, the brimberry will help you feel better.”
“It’s no virus. It’s the fact that I let that thing . . .” I look to see my daughter’s reaction. Nothing. She’s none the wiser that I’m not feeling well. There’s no need for her to know either. I’ll be fine in another day or two, when the shock wears off. Ana’s happy being here and playing fetch with Fang, and that’s the way I want to keep it. “Never mind.”
After a few more attempts to get me to eat, I take a small sip of water infused with brimberry to appease her. I worry if I say no, she’ll force my mouth open and squirt a brimberry directly in it. As much as I hate to admit it, that little bit of water goes a long way to make my insides feel less like a shriveling plant.
With a trifle of energy rushing through my veins, I’m ready to face my demons. Literally.
*
The sharp crack of a whip sounds, followed by a loud shriek of pain. I look to my side and find Safra’s wide eyes staring back at me.
“Hurry, girl.”
We rush toward the fray. Each time I stumble, Safra stops and waits for me to steady myself. I don’t know what’s happening, but I know it’s bad, and I have to stop it.
Closer to the river than Em likes for me to be, but far enough that I still don’t see the water, is a small clearing. Finn stands in the center with thick layers of vines wrapped around each of his legs from top to bottom, crisscrossing above and below him, then stretching around four different trees.
Finn’s head hangs to the ground. His legs shake and look like they’re so strained he’s having difficulty balancing. Even though he can’t speak or move, I know he’s weak and pained. I feel it.
The whoosh of the whip slices through the air, cracking just before it slashes against Finn’s flesh. My mouth drops and fear wrings my heart as the strike hits. An inhuman squeal pierces the air, and Finn stumbles from side to side. I think the vines around his legs are the only thing keeping him off the ground.
“Stop!” I yell, rushing forward and jumping between the two.
Tears form and burn my eyes. What the hell is happening? This isn’t like Em. Yes, he’s my guardian, but he doesn’t hurt people for the sake of being cruel.
Finn, on the other hand, was underhanded and has proven to be a threat to Ana and me by making it into the forest undetected, but not for one second was he mean or hurtful. He hid important information, but I can’t believe he did anything so bad he deserves to be tortured. At least not by Em.
He deserves to face consequences, maybe even some sort of punishment, but of a different sort, coming from me. He didn’t tell me the whole truth about who and what he is. But would I have believed him if he did? Maybe not. Probably not.
Finn may not be human. He may appear to be a vile creature, but he’s a gentle one for all that. Unless, of course, he’s trying to knock you up. He didn’t hurt me in any way that threatened my life or in any way that I didn’t enjoy.
“Get out of the way.” Em sneers, the skies above turning gray like his mood.
“No.”
I look at Finn’s blue eyes. I don’t know if he won’t look at me or if he doesn’t have the strength to. His eyes have lost their twinkle. They look dull, almost lifeless. I rush to Finn’s side and throw my arms around the horse’s neck as Em warns me to get away and keep my distance.
I stand my ground. I can’t allow Em to kill him. Finn loves me. I know he does. I’m not sure how I know, but I do. I glance at the bracelet I fixed on my wrist before leaving my house. I think I understand why he wanted it on me at all times. I can’t be sure unless I speak to him, and if he’s trapped as a horse or, worse, dead, I’ll never get the answers I need.
Finn lets out a weak whine as he touches his head to the crook of my neck. He nuzzles against me as much as he possibly can. Without thinking, I reach my arm around and stroke his soft, velvety nose.
“Move, Masha, or I will move you.”
“No.” My eyes fill with tears. “I’m angry that he lied,” I explain to Em. “But I swear he didn’t hurt me.”
“Because I saved you. Masha, he’s a killer. He killed an innocent woman and left nothing but her liver on the shore. He tricks people and drowns them before tearing them to shreds.”
I look at the trapped animal. He won’t meet my eyes. A chill runs up my spine because I have no doubt he’s capable of it. Even as a human, he’s sculpted like a flesh-covered statue. But no, I can’t believe he did it. He’s too sweet. Too gentle.
“It wasn’t him.” I plead my case to Em, but I see he isn’t buying it. “Please, give me a chance to speak to him and get some answers.”
“I tried. He isn’t volunteering anything, and the fae magic in him blocks me from reading his mind.”
Em looks at me with his lips pressed together. I wondered how Finn bypassed Em’s detection. Even if he couldn’t read Finn’s mind, he should’ve been able to read mine.
“Can you hear me?”
“Only if you scream your thoughts. I gave him every chance, Masha. For you. I even searched for his silver chain. If I had it, maybe I could give him a chance to explain himself, but he hid it so well I can’t find it, and without it, I can’t take a chance that he won’t hurt you.”
“You mean this?” I pull the silver chain out of my dress.
Em doesn’t try to hide his surprise. “Where did you get that?”
“He gave it to me.” Em’s mouth opens in disbelief. He looks like he’s about to say something, but I stop him before he has a chance. “He didn’t have to. I didn’t know about it, but he gave it to me anyway. Voluntarily.”
“Masha, you don’t understand what kelpies do.” Em looks troubled. Horrified. “Once you touch him . . .”
“What? They muddle your brain? Hypnotize you?”
Em shakes his head. His eyes narrow, and he takes a step back. “You’re touching him. You touched him before.”
I squeeze my eyes closed. I didn’t want to get into this now. First, I need to save Finn’s life, then I can deal with the ramifications of our primal actions.
“We can talk about that later, but I don’t see how we’re that different from you and Erin.”
Em closes in on us, and Finn trembles against me. “You’re touching him now,” Em says as if it doesn’t make sense. “And you’re not sticking to him.” The leshy looks confused.
“I didn’t stick to him when you pulled him off me either.”
With a murderous look, Em pulls a machete from his pants and lunges toward Finn. I gasp, clutching my chest. My heart stops as he slices the vines off the horse’s legs, a little too close to his flesh for my liking.
Em closes in on Finn, and I swear the big tree grows a good five feet taller than usual. He holds the tip of the knife to Finn’s throat. “Hurt her, kelpie, and you die a death ten times more painful than any you can cause.”
I take my first easy breath since seeing this horror show play out. “Thank you, Em!”
“If he does anything,” Em warns, meeting my eyes. “Call me, and I’ll be here.”