SOMETHING STRANGE
13
- KAILU -
“ A lanis?” I shake her, but she doesn’t respond.
I can feel raw fear begin to crawl up my spine, my hands clammy, and adrenaline courses through my body, making me dizzy. Trying to calm myself with a deep breath helps, but not much. Sarya leans down next to Alanis and places her hand on her chest.
“She seems unharmed. I am guessing she passed out from the stress.”
I release the breath trapped in my lungs and pick Alanis up to carry towards Zephyr. Hendrix ambles closer, wiping blood from his ears as he peers over the Elf’s shoulder. “I’ll hand her up to you once you mount Zephyr.”
Nodding, I quickly get situated onto Zephyr’s back and gingerly lean Alanis against my chest. “Let’s keep moving,” I say. “We need to make it a little further today before settling down for the night.”
As we continue on, I rub my temples, still fighting the headache that the Banshee’s scream left behind. The absolute terror of realizing what creature stared back at us will forever be ingrained in my memory.
I could do nothing to help Alanis. She stared directly at me as the thing loomed over her, almost as if she didn’t want to look away. I have no idea what the Banshee said to Alanis, but seeing her drag her finger along her face made something in my soul shrivel up and die.
Everyone in this realm has learned to fear a Banshee’s touch. I couldn’t protect her. I fought like hell to get to her, no matter how many times the pain knocked me to my knees, rendering me immobile.
I look up at her and can’t help but appreciate the rise and fall of her chest. She is stunningly beautiful, but it is so far beyond that now. I haven’t known her long, but she is slowly working her way under my skin. Something about her drew me in, even when I couldn’t stand her. I was annoyed by her sass and attitude at first, but now I realize it is because she is brave and sure of herself. She is headstrong and too smart for her own good.
I don’t know much about her, but I find myself wanting to learn. I want to uncover every piece of her.
The sun is just starting to creep toward the horizon. Alanis is still unconscious. I scope out the area before me. Mountains loom ahead and to the side, providing protection from the elements. I signal to set up camp and walk Zephyr to one of the few trees in the area. I gently hand Alanis down to Hendrix, who cradles her to his chest as I set up my tent. Placing Alanis inside, I softly move her chestnut hair from her face. Her breathing is steady, her face serene.
When I come out, Hannah is waiting for me, eyes wet. She still has scrapes and bruises from falling off the horse, and dried blood in trails from her ears thanks to the Banshee’s scream.
“Do we think she’s all right? That Banshee scream didn’t harm her brain or anything like that, did it?”
“I’m not sure,” I say. “Why don’t you sit with her? I’m going to talk to Novus and Sarya and see what they can do for her.”
After a brief talk with the Elves, they both agree to take a second look at Alanis to ensure she truly is unharmed. As soon as they disappear into my tent, I check in with my soldiers, ensuring they’re not hurt as they go about setting up camp: collecting firewood, preparing rabbits caught during the day, lining the campsite with torches to ward off ghouls.
It’s three of the Fae in my charge who catch my attention, standing in a small cluster with their heads bowed, voices too quiet to overhear. I casually make my way over and ask, “What are you all whispering about?”
All three of their heads whip around, but it’s Siveral who answers me. “Orion and Alvar are concerned with why the Banshee seemed to target Alanis. They fear that there are darker forces at work and are not sure if this mission is worth risking the wrath of the Gods. They feel she is putting everyone at risk.”
When I look to them, they avert their eyes. “So let me get this straight,” I say. “You want to abandon the soldiers and head back home? Let me remind you that we did not force you to come—you volunteered and knew that there was some tie to Alanis before we even left the juncture.”
It’s the silver-haired Fae, Alvar, who speaks up. “Sir, we mean no disrespect. We didn’t realize that every damn creature might target us specifically on this journey, and it is our duty to keep the citizens safe. If we go to local towns and villages, we take the chance of leading these creatures into more populated areas.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose as frustration takes hold of me. They have a point. If everything is centered on Alanis, these creatures will keep coming for her. We can’t risk taking her to more populated areas and putting others in danger. But if we leave her behind, she is left alone and vulnerable. I open my mouth, not sure what’s about to come out, but Novus and Sarya emerge from my tent before I can speak. “We will discuss this later, give me a moment.”
With that, I turn on my heel and head over to hear the verdict on Alanis.
Novus is the one who comes to me while Sarya and Hannah grab something to eat.
“Alanis seems unharmed. Neither of us can feel any illness or injury lingering from the Banshee. There is something strange, though.”
The relief was short-lived. “Strange,” I repeat.
“Usually, when we check for injuries to the brain, we can sometimes find ourselves in memories or even feel emotions. With Alanis, there’s nothing.”
I frown. “I’m not sure I understand. Are you saying that the Banshee’s scream wiped her memory?”
Novus looks to the sky, like he is trying to figure out the best way to explain it to my dumb ass. “It is like she has a shield over her mind. There is this wall we hit that we can’t seem to get through.”
“Do you think it’s some sort of spell?”
Novus shakes his head. “If it was a spell, we would be able to feel it. Spells leave behind their own mark, an imprint of sorts. There is a darkness to it.” He pauses and looks me in the eye. “I’m not sure why or how it’s possible, but it is cloaking a lot, not just memories or emotions. When we pressed up against it, it was like something was fighting to get free.”
A shudder runs through me. “What are you implying?”
He purses his lips in thought, then shakes his head. “Whatever is happening, I am a firm believer that it revolves around Alanis. What is concealed within her is powerful. Alanis might be the key to figuring out what is happening to the soldiers, but be aware that it might cost you all, especially her.”
I blink. “What do you mean by that?”
He looks at me with pity. “You care for the human. You might not want to, but you do, and that makes you blind to the danger surrounding her.”
I growl, “Stop reading my mind, Elf.”
He raises his hands, as if to ward off my rising anger. “I’m not sure what led Alanis here, but I do believe she is the key. I think the Fates have entwined her story with a very grim and powerful one—one she most likely won’t survive.”
I stare at him, unwilling to acknowledge his words. Acknowledging them makes them real.
Instead, I duck into my tent and set up my bedroll next to Alanis. I lay on my side and watch the steady rise and fall of her chest. The assurance that she is still breathing lulls me into a fitful sleep, nightmares plaguing me. Some are memories of my father and the sharp sting of his belt when I disappointed him. Others are full of the love I once had and lost. The female I loved destined for another.
The worst of them feature Alanis laying on the ground, eyes open and unseeing.
When I jolt awake, breathing hard, it’s to a hand resting gently on my chest, as if to feel for my heartbeat. I look over to check on Alanis, my dream still clinging to me like a leech. My breath gets lodged in my throat.
“You’re awake.”
- ALANIS -
I stare at Kailu, unable to look away. I take in every inch of his face and body, unashamed of my blatant ogling. I thought I was going to die, and in that moment, I regretted not living my life to its fullest. I have been going through the motions, just happy to have a safe place to call home again, too scared to really live.
Kailu pisses me off more than anything, but my body doesn’t seem to care. Even from the start I couldn’t seem to stop admiring how handsome he is. Three days I have known him, but it feels somehow longer. In what I thought was my dying moment, all I could think of was what it would be like to kiss him.
Everything in my body hurts. It feels as if I ran for miles. My neck is stiff, my arms and legs aching like I’m sick, though I know I’m not. I have no clue how long I have been out of it, but Kailu looks as if he hasn’t slept in days.
“I’m awake,” I whisper back instead of asking why I’m in his tent in the first place.
He doesn’t move, but I hear him release a breath.
“How long have I been out?”
He takes a minute, probably trying to decipher what time it is. “A little over twelve hours. I would say we are about an hour away from sunrise.”
I inhale slowly. I don’t want to think about what the Banshee warned me of. Instead I decide to have a normal conversation with Kailu, without the constant bickering.
“What were you dreaming about?”
He’s quiet for so long I think he won’t answer, but at last he whispers, “My family. Mostly my father.”
I pillow my head on my arm. “Will you tell me about them?”
He mimics my position. “My mother is a seamstress in our village, a family business passed down generations. She makes most of the clothes the nobles wear at court. When my sister was born, she started making children’s clothing. My father is a soldier through and through.” He shrugs one shoulder. “He always expects the best from his children and raised us the way his father raised him, with an iron fist. I’m not actually sure how my mother ever married him. They are polar opposites in every way. He’s the reason I haven’t seen her in decades, unless she visits me here.”
A parent like his father, one who isn’t proud of you no matter what you do, is a familiar pain. “And what about your sister?”
His face shutters, and I regret asking even as he says, “I’m not sure. She went missing about five years ago. We haven’t seen or heard from her since.”
I squeeze his hand, hoping to give him some sense of comfort. “I’m so sorry.”
He smiles, though it doesn’t reach his eyes. “It was hard. On everyone. Even Hendrix. He’s been in love with her since we met.”
He stares at our joined hands for a minute, and I’m half-expecting him to pull away. Instead, he interlocks our fingers. I smile despite myself.
“I thought you were dead.” He raises his eyes to meet mine. “When she ran her finger across your cheek, I was positive she gave you the touch of death, so when you passed out…”
I pull my hand away to touch the healing cut on my face. He traces it, too, his soft touch sending sparks throughout my body and down into my core. He runs the pad of his thumb over my lips and they tingle under his touch.
“You were staring at me, like you were begging me to save you and I couldn’t. I couldn’t get my damned feet under me.”
“I wasn’t staring at you to save me,” I whisper into the quiet space. “I was staring at you to ensure you were the last thing I saw at the end. To give me happier thoughts.”
His hand drops from my face and he snorts out a laugh. I’m not sure how or when we moved closer together, but we are so close that, were I to lean forward, I could brush my nose against his.
“What, like your constant nagging and arguing with me?”
I smile at him, a real smile. “As much as I do love that, lollipop, no. I do have another idea of what you might shift into, though.”
His smile grows at the use of my obnoxious nickname for him. I think this might be the first time I’ve seen him truly smile, not flash those cocky smirks. He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and rests his hand on the back of my neck, bringing his forehead against mine. “Do tell.”
“Definitely a mouse. A cute, fluffy little one.”
A laugh rumbles in his chest. “What were you thinking about?” I can feel his whisper on my lips, and I suck in a breath.
“What do you mean?”
He shifts, moving closer. “You said you were looking at me for happier thoughts. Like what?”
In this dark, quiet space, I feel free. Free to tell him the truth and not worry about embarrassment or rejection. I was never good with people, always awkward, but in this moment I decide to take a chance. I am sick of living life only halfway.
My heart thuds so hard, I’m certain he can hear it. “I was thinking that I really wished I had had the chance to kiss you.”
He pulls away slightly, and a part of me sags in disappointment. Another part braces for the rejection that is sure to follow. When he doesn’t fully release me, I look up at him. He stares at me for a second longer before yanking me towards him and claiming my lips.
My every thought vanishes as the world goes still. His lips are just as soft as I imagined. He’s tentative at first, but that isn’t what I want. I wrap my arms around his neck, threading my fingers through his short blond hair. He growls into my mouth and I open for him. His tongue tangles with mine. All I can hear is our breathing, and all I can feel are his lips on mine.
He sits up, bringing me with him until I find myself straddling his lap. Everything in me is on fire, my face warm with embarrassment, my heart beating an erratic rhythm in my chest. He grabs the hair at the nape of my neck and pulls my head back so he has access to my throat. He runs kisses along my neck and behind my ear. I wiggle in his lap, his hands flying to my thighs with a bruising grip.
Halting my movements.
I look to him with wide eyes, wondering what I did wrong.
“You keep moving on me like that, sunshine, and I won’t care who is nearby, I will make sure they hear you scream my name.”
Heat blooms in my face, my cheeks surely turning pink, and my core instantly liquefies. He leans in, giving me a soft kiss before moving us back down to the bedrolls. He wraps me in his arms and kisses the top of my head.
“You’ve been through a lot. Let’s get a little bit more sleep before we have to keep moving.”
I want to argue, but the events of the past couple of days catch up with me as if waiting for someone to point them out to me, and the fatigue hits. I nuzzle my face into his chest, breathing in his scent.
“We need to do that again sometime”
His chest rises and falls with his chuckle. “You can bet on it, sunshine.”
I smile, closing my eyes. His breathing slows and my body relaxes into him.
I’m asleep within seconds, knowing I am safe in his arms.