Vivian
“What an asshole.”
Man shows up, builds me a fucking house, introduces me to how great sex can be, steals my heart, and then leaves to resume his role as tortured bartender.
I’d gone through every stage of grief and settled on anger; it numbed the ache of his absence the most. I hoped he wasn’t lying when he promised he’d be back, because I had some words to share.
I’d been rehearsing all winter in this shuttered-up cabin.
I was mumbling those very profanities to myself as I scooped handfuls of snow out of my garden beds. Everything needed to melt so my plants could grow and I could have fresh food in the house again.
The rich green dips and hills of clover were just beginning to peek through the last patches of unmelted white snow.
The wheat border in the distance sparkled from droplets of thawing ice.
I should be grateful my field had stayed warm enough for too many inches to accumulate on the ground.
The forest wasn’t so lucky; a solid wall of white swallowed the surrounding tree trunks.
It was a little daunting, but I figured it wouldn’t be there for much longer—it was hot outside.
My bones ached from the transition of blizzard to searing summer day, and the melting snow made the humidity nearly unbearable. I’d slept like shit, completely overheating from the winter blankets I’d fallen asleep under. To top it all off, I was of course on my period.
The towering trees groaned as their trunks adjusted to the temperature shift. They didn’t like the drastic change, either. At least we could commiserate.
It was eerie, like the sound of a creaky old house surrounding you for miles. The chittering and roaring of the local creatures only made it that much creepier. Sure would be nice to have a seven-foot-tall, four-armed god to make me feel safe right now. But he was busy bartending.
Nurghle ducked his head outside for a fleeting moment before swiftly returning to the shade of the cabin—it was a little more bearable in there.
I was tempted to stay inside myself, but living with Theo last summer had instilled in me the irritating habit of waking up and being productive.
I would’ve been just as happy to stay in bed before I met him.
If it wasn’t for his influence, I could be inside right now. Relaxing.
Armed with my new reason to be pissed, I shoveled handfuls of snow rapidly and complained under my breath about the rat bastard that had made me improve myself.
I really wished I could head straight for Drifael today—I missed Ida something fierce—but it just wasn’t happening.
Even if the wall of snow around my field melted immediately, the resulting water and mud rolling down the mountain would make it impossible to trek.
Plus, my body needed to adjust to the changes in the atmosphere.
I felt feverish. I should’ve expected as much—last year I’d been out of commission for three days when the seasons changed—but my loneliness hadn’t let me admit that to myself.
I’d been routinely repeating “summer” out loud for fifty days to self-soothe, not allowing myself to consider when it would be realistic to travel again.
Summer… day four? That didn’t sound as appealing.
I shook my hands dry after finishing my self-assigned task.
Plenty of productivity for one day. Sure, I needed a shower, but the alcove’s waterfall was freezing from all the melted snow.
Bathing would have to wait like everything else; I had a date with my increasing madness.
Time to go inside, talk to my cat, and doodle more in the notebook Theo had left behind.
The pages were filled by now; I was squeezing new designs into every square millimeter of margin.
I’d try the trip to Drifael in just a few more days. I could totally make it that long without losing my fucking mind. At least I was pretty sure I could.
I weaved around another cascade of pine-scented rainwater plummeting from the tree branches well-above me.
The arboreal waterfalls always reminded me of the day Theo and I had formally met.
They’d been everywhere, decorating the forest with inconvenient shimmery ribbons.
The trickling and splashing of water hitting the ground reverberated in the air.
Had that day been the sixth of summer too?
That would explain why he was so heavily on my mind as I made my way towards Drifael—it was an anniversary of sorts.
It couldn’t possibly be because I was fucking obsessed with him.
Who was I kidding? I would gladly throw my crystal in a puddle and sacrifice myself to another monster if Theo would show up to save me again, but something told me he wouldn’t be here for the rescue.
I’d be in charge of saving myself. And frankly, I didn’t think I was cut out for that.
My self-defense had proven to be nonexistent when I was attacked; I was as good as dead if I found myself in a rematch against nature.
Another column of falling water. Weave.
I began to romanticize the idea of Theo returning to find me frail and devoured, a petite little maiden who couldn’t protect herself. He would regret leaving me to my loneliness. He would say “obviously Vivian needed me, she didn’t stand a chance on her own” and hold my corpse in the rain.
“Stop, Viv. You’re being childish and a shit feminist,” I grumbled to myself, stepping around yet another stream of plummeting rainwater from the umbrella-like leaves of the blue pine trees.
There was a rattling nearby. I glanced to my right to find a spindly creature—something between a dog and a horse—with vacant eyes, clicking its sharp front teeth in my direction.
Its black bones were saran-wrapped in pale flesh, a dark mist hovering around it.
It must’ve been the tenth monster I’d passed today, and I hadn’t even reached Ida’s cabin yet.
Maybe another mile to that half-way mark?
Weave.
I grabbed for the jar I had tied to my hip. Even though I didn’t expect to be out past dark, I found the charm comforting. Theo’s blood drizzled protectively over the spell’s herb. It was a little piece of him that made me feel safe, like he was still here taking care of me. Even though he left.
Weave.
Funny how I missed this man so bad a jar of his dried blood was an emotional support tool. Vampire romance was starting to make a lot more sense to me. To love someone so much that you’re fixated on what pumps through their veins. Too bad on Trebianna I’d never have the chance to reread—
“Hi there!”
My heart stopped and every muscle tensed. Of all the hissing, growling, roaring, dripping, whooshing, clacking, whistling, trickling, groaning sounds of the forest… I was surprised to hear a person.
I recognized that familiar, earthly clothing even at a distance. I’d run into this man both times I was in town, even though he was an outsider.
My pulse sped up. Why the fuck would Cassius be out here? Of all people? He was too close to my field for comfort.
“I’m so glad to see you,” he panted as he approached me.
I kept my feet planted and my shoulders squared. “What are you doing out here?” My eyes inspected the inky black splatters and smears across his nicely fitted crew neck t-shirt.
“Just thought I’d explore a bit, then I got lost.” He noticed my wandering eyes. “Oh, these are from those things that live out here. They are nasty! Honestly, I thought I was a goner.”
So the stains were… blood. More proof he was an outsider. Cassius hadn’t learned enough from the locals to know basic protective measures, like charms. I guess he wasn’t as interested in the people of Drifael as he was with me when we ran into each other in town.
How did he take one of the creatures down himself, anyway? That wasn’t normal person shit. Alarms rang: Get away. Should I run back to my field? Away from it? I didn’t know why he was out here and I didn’t care; I didn’t want to be alone with him in the woods anymore.
“Do you have a place nearby where I can get some water and a bite to eat? I underestimated the hike difficulty. After that, if you can tell me the way back to town, I’ll be out of your hair.” He rubbed his chin and put on a sheepish expression. He wore it like a mask. Fake.
“No, I’m sorry. I don’t have a house out here.” I shook my head. My heart was thumping in my ears. Run up, or down? I needed to decide soon. My instincts told me I may need to haul ass at a moment's notice.
“No home, huh? Anywhere you know that might be helpful for me?”
He means my field. Fuck. This wasn’t your standard issue scary man in the woods. This was targeted. “I think you’ll have to go back to Drifael. Maybe we can walk together?” If he wasn’t going to leave me alone, I could at least move him in the wrong direction.
“I’m worried I won’t make it that far,” he chuckled with false exhaustion, offering me that genial, shining grin and ruffling his fingers through his light brown hair.
“Sorry, I don’t know anywhere else nearby. Going down the mountain should be much easier for you. I know the way.”
His smile faded, his lips twisting to the side. A shadow fell over his eyes. “You know, I’ve never seen a Pyran without an emblem on their neck. How odd.”
My hand went to my throat. I hadn’t put on my choker yet. Why would I? I was panting my way down a mountain, having something around my neck would feel awful. In retrospect, not as awful as the terror constricting my lungs in this standoff.
“How about that field, Vivian? I really need to recover.” His face reverted to pleasantness, eyes squinting with a smile. “I won’t tell anyone about it. I just need some food and fresh water.”
“Field? I’ve never seen a field out here. Just forest.” I’d give him the satisfaction of a confession over my dead body.
He sighed, his hand reaching under the open front of his jacket. “Too bad.”
I’d grown up around violence. There were very few things I hadn’t been exposed to. Still, I’d managed to avoid finding myself at the business end of a gun until now. The pistol looked as misplaced in this world as his fucking gore-splattered bomber jacket and white t-shirt.
Cassius clicked the safety off and tilted the weapon up the incline. “Lead the way, angel.”
Nope.
I turned on my heels, burst through a stream of falling water, and sprinted as fast as my feet could carry me.
I thought I’d be caught immediately—if not shot—but that didn’t happen. I heard strange noises, sloshing, a thud, and a growled out “gods damn it.” He slipped in the mud? That was one leg-up I had on him. I spent a lot of time keeping my balance on these slippery slopes.
“Vivian, you can’t outrun me!” he called as I leaped over a large root, holding my dress bunched up against my hip to avoid it snagging.
A gun shot rang out. I winced, but the bullet hit a branch far above my head. Was he avoiding hitting me purposely? Right. I was precious cargo. A dead battery was no use to him.
In the distance, I saw something large and white, obscured by shifting darkness. It grew closer, but I couldn’t turn away. I couldn’t lose what little head start I had. Seconds mattered.
Running parallel to the slope was working in my favor so far. I could hear my pursuer grunting, struggling to keep his footing behind me. But there still wasn’t enough distance between us, and I was no runner. Sooner than later, I’d lose this chase.
The creature ahead was the same species that attacked me when I was stuck on a root last summer, only bigger.
Larger than a bear. I clung to my crystal a little tighter and felt the jar banging against my hip as I ran.
I was protected. I didn’t need to avoid it, it would avoid me.
If only this jar worked on the man chasing me.
Sure enough, the creature backed up and turned toward the hill as I grew closer, climbing upward.
Its predatory maw opened and roared in my direction, but its frustration wasn’t my problem.
I pumped my arms faster, trying to widen the distance between myself and Cassius.
If I could just get a little further away from him…
Four consecutive gunshots piercing the air was all the confirmation I needed that he didn’t have a crystal to ward off the creatures.
Good. It was going to take a lot more than a handful of bullets to kill what I’d just run past. A yell of terror broke through the forest behind me, and the slightest kernel of relief sprung tears into my eyes.
Just a little further in this direction, and I’d turn to start making my way back to my field.
Sorry, Ida. I’ll be there soon. Need to wait until the coast is clear. The ongoing gunfire indicated the beast hadn’t gotten Cassius yet. He was still able to fight.
I really hoped those things were bulletproof.