The Princess Protects Her Huntsman: A Nocturne Falls Universe Story

by Kira Nyte

  “Hank’s going to have my ear for this.”

  “Oh, but he’ll love the new outfits on you.”

  Ivy laughed. “Thanks for easing my shopper’s guilt.” She took the bag from Rhy and waited for Dalila to make change. “I have to agree. He’ll definitely like the outfits. Especially that dress. We’ve got a date night scheduled, a rarity with his job and Charlie’s activities. I’m looking forward to surprising him.”

  “It will certainly be a stunning surprise. Here you go.” Dalila handed back the change and waved. “Have a good afternoon, Ivy. Tell that Sheriff man I said hello.”

  “Will do. Bye, Rhy.”

  “Good day.” Rhy held the edge of the counter while her fingertips rapped along the countertop. Could the wolf Sheriff Merrow crossed be the same one who stalked her?

  “What’s got your ears in a droop, Rhy?”

  Rhy shook her head and flashed Dalila a feigned smile. “Nothing.”

  Dalila waved a hand toward the door as she pranced out from behind the counter. “This isn’t the first time trouble has come to Nocturne Falls, and it won’t be the last. Whoever this guy is, he won’t last long if he’s here to cause problems. There’s too much at stake between the tourists and businesses and keeping the façade of this town in place for the sheriff and the Ellinghams to take a possible threat lightly.”

  “Good. That’s good.”

  If she learned anything since coming to this town, it was that she would be safe. She had begun to make friends, and those friends watched out for her. Everyone watched out for everyone else here. She loved that about this quaint little place, but it didn’t quell the homesickness.

  The rest of the afternoon and evening went smoothly. Dalila left at five for another date. Rhy neatened up the store after the last customers left at nine, making sure everything was in order for when she opened in the morning. She had checked her cell phone a few times, hoping to find a text or message from Arrick. The sinking feeling in her belly surprised her, but what could she expect? They hadn’t gone on a single date yet.

  Still, she hoped…

  Tugging on her coat and gloves, she locked up for the night and started toward the lot down the road where she parked her car. The click-click of her small heels echoed off the buildings, all closed up for the night. She could hear the laughter and music coming from Main Street, where tourists most likely indulged in the sideshows and fortune telling. The bars would be busy while business at the restaurants tapered off and they prepared to shut down until tomorrow.

  She turned the corner and came to a halt. A large black shadow slipped between two cars only a few spots away. Her throat went dry and a spurt of anxiety shot down her legs. Slowly, she crept along the bricks of the building that flanked the small, gravel-covered lot. A line of tall bushes and thin trees enclosed the lot at the far end.

  Rhy craned her neck as she came parallel to the pair of cars the shadow had disappeared between. The lighting was poor in the lot, creating ominous shapes on the ground and the brick walls. Every slight movement set her on edge until her entire body grew taut and stiff.

  Nothing.

  The space between the cars was empty.

  Releasing a sigh, she hustled toward her small car.

  A scrape to her right brought her up short. She scanned the lot, searching for the source of the noise. Her skin tingled in warning. The subtle whisper of another presence caressed her mind, the undeniable feeling of being watched.

  She opened her mouth to call out, but decided to keep quiet. Once she reached her car, she’d be safe.

  Lips pressed together, fingers squeezing the strap of her purse until her knuckles ached, she hurried forward. Shadows stretched around her like ghosts coming out for the night. Dark energy cascaded down her back. A fierce chill spread through every vein.

  She picked up her pace to a jog and cast a glance over her shoulder.

  Nothing.

  She turned back—and shrieked. Fear gripped her as the big black wolf with glowing red eyes stepped from behind her car.

  For a long moment, they stared at each other. Rhy shuffled back a few steps, gauging the distance between herself and the wolf, her chances of escape, and the probability of someone hearing her if she screamed louder.

  “What do you want from me?” she whispered. A gasp fled her when her back hit the brick wall. The wolf padded toward her, those eerie eyes locked on hers, unblinking. It moved like a shadow, blending with the night.

  She had to escape.

  Rhy spun and bolted. The click of claws mixed with the sound of her heels as she ran toward Main Street. She whimpered when the wolf growled, too close for comfort. She dared to steal a look back and instantly regretted it.

  She would never reach Main Street. It was a block and a half away. The wolf was right behind her, following in an easy lope. One leap and it would have her.

  Rhy cut down a small pathway between two buildings. As she came to the end, she glanced back.

  The pathway was empty. No wolf. The tingling along her body didn’t dissipate.

  Rhy didn’t wait for the wolf to appear. She curved around the side of the building, looking up and down the street for any sign of her adversary. She ran toward the line of bushes that bordered the parking lot.

  A deadly growl behind her launched her into a dead sprint. Pants as the wolf came at her filled her ears.

  Rhy reached the bushes and dove between the prickly branches of evergreen and wood. Thick mist rolled through the parking lot. Rhy jerked around. The wolf loped up the street toward her on one side. The mist came at her from the other.

  She was trapped.

  “Woodland Goddess, protect me,” she whispered in her native tongue. Shaking, she sank to the ground. She pressed one hand to the mulch, one to the closest bush, and began chanting, “Cast me in nature, surround me in nature, I am one with that which surrounds me.”

  Warmth spread up through her fingers and arms, filling her body as the air around her turned dense and stifling. The sensation of being in a bubble made her dizzy. The protection magic drained her of vital energy far faster than she had ever experienced back home. Her nose itched and the bushes around her began to blur.

  She quieted when she caught sight of the wolf from the corner of her eye. Holding her breath, she watched those glowing red eyes scrutinize every inch of brush. The large beast lowered his head, snout to the ground, and sniffed around. The wolf paced back and forth along the wall of brush, sniffing, searching. To her right, the mist rolled through the brush. She pressed her back to the bush, closed her eyes, and prayed to the Goddess that her magic would hold.

  Only when her chest began to burn from holding her breath did she finally release the air and open her eyes. The mist funneled into the shape of a cloaked figure beside the massive wolf. The wolf stood painfully still, ears perked, head up, red eyes glued to the brush.

  “Find her. Do not fail me again.”

  Rhy blinked. The voice was female, airy and hollow like that of a ghost. The cloaked figure misted and disappeared.

  The wolf snorted, turned his back to the brush, and trotted away.

  Rhy let out a sigh mixed with a whimper. She sank back into her green haven, her body weak, her mind fuzzy. She reached up to rub the itch beneath her nose. Her fingertips slipped through thick liquid. When she looked down, blood stained her fingers.

  “Sweet Goddess.” Rhy dropped her head back and closed her eyes. She may have escaped this time, but what would happen next time?

  * * *

  “Rhy!”

  Rhy moaned as the darkness lifted. She rubbed her eyes. A strange crunching sound drew her curiosity.

  “Rhy! Where are you?”

  She pressed up on her hands and shook out her head. A dull throb pulsed along the back of her skull and her arms trembled under her weight. What had happened…

  “Rhy!”

  A chorus of voices called her name. Beneath her, dirt, leaves, and pine needles. She sat back a
nd looked around, momentarily confused. She was incredibly cold. She reached up, but before she could tuck her hair away from her eyes, she caught sight of the dried smears of red on her fingers.

  Her heart thumped hard as memories rushed back.

  “Thank you, Goddess. Thank you,” she whispered, feeling gratitude for her safety while her body suffered the repercussions of magic used beyond the veil. She twisted onto her hands and knees and crawled out from the thick wall of brush toward the voices.

  “Over here!” a deep voice boomed.

  As she climbed to her feet, she swayed, a wave of weakness sweeping through her. A pair of strong arms caught her before she fell.

  “Are you okay?”

  Rhy lifted a shaking hand to her eyes and rubbed them until the faintness passed. Before tonight, she had never tried to use magic in Nocturne Falls. Such a small thing as a protection spell would have left her unaffected at home. Here, that small burst was debilitating.

  “Just a moment,” Rhy murmured.

  Another set of arms came down on her shoulders. “Rhy! I was so worried when you didn’t come home. Why didn’t you answer your phone? Oh, my dear! Your nose. You’re bleeding!” Dalila swiped her thumb beneath Rhy’s nose. “Dry. What happened?”

  Rhy looked up and met Dalila’s terrified gaze before switching to Sheriff Merrow’s concerned eyes. His brows went up when she straightened off him and situated herself on her own two feet. “I-I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

  “What were you doing in the bushes?” Dalila pressed. Two other officers jogged over to them, followed by Sheriff Merrow’s brother, Titus. Sheriff Merrow remained silent, but his intense gaze promised a well of impending questions if she didn’t start talking.

  “Someone was following me from the store. I panicked and hid,” Rhy said, keeping it vague. She was too used to keeping her trouble to herself to help it. She sighed when she held up her fingers. “I used magic to hide and it caused my nose to bleed.”

  Dalila’s eyes widened. “Oh my. I should have warned you that the use of your magic here would have a terrible effect on you. Temporary, but terrible, nevertheless.”

  Rhy shrugged. “I found out the hard way. I won’t be panicking again.” To Sheriff Merrow, she offered a small smile. “Thank you. I didn’t mean to cause concern.”

  “May I speak with you for a moment?”

  Rhy nodded and followed the sheriff to an empty corner of the lot, away from the small search party. He turned to face her, thumbs hooking on his duty belt. “Want to tell me what really happened?”

  “I did. I panicked when I thought someone was following me.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Rhyannon, you said someone was following you. Did you get a good look at this person?”

  Rhy blew out a sharp breath. She was never good at lying. “Something was following me after I closed up the store.”

  “What kind of thing?”

  Rhy tugged her lower lip between her teeth. She glanced down at her watch and was shocked to see the time. Almost midnight.

  “A wolf,” she murmured.

  “A…wolf.” Sheriff Merrow took a deep breath, his chest puffing out before he crossed his arms over it. “What color was this wolf?”

  “Black.”

  “Have you seen this wolf before?”

  “I, um, I’m not sure. I thought I might have seen it across the street from Dalila’s house, but it was late and stormy. I may have seen a shadow.”

  “Any idea why a wolf might be following you?”

  Yes and no. The wolf was hunting her, but she didn’t understand why she was the target for the wolf, or the sorceress. Before she was forced to flee Andallayne, she had never seen the wolf or heard mention of the sorceress. She didn’t even know who the sorceress was or what she wanted with Rhy.

  “No. I don’t.” Her shoulders sagged. “I don’t.”

  Sheriff Merrow rested a hand on her shoulder and lowered his chin, leveling his gaze with hers. “Are you sure you’re okay? I can get you over to the hospital if you want to get checked out.”

  Rhy forced a smile and shook her head. “I’m fine. A few hours sleep and I’ll be good as new tomorrow.”

  “I’ll be looking into this and let you know of any developments. If you see this wolf again, I want you to call the station. They’ll let me know. I won’t have a rogue wolf traipsing around this town. Not one with intent to hurt my residents.”

  “Thank you, Sheriff. I appreciate it.”

  She did appreciate the effort, but she knew deep down in her heart no one could save her from a threat she didn’t understand herself.

  Chapter Seven

  The phone sat in his palm like a worldly weight. He stared at the contact glowing up through the dim room. Several times, his finger hovered over the call button, but he failed to push the button each time.

  “Don’t do it.”

  Arrick needed to leave. Plain and simple. He needed to leave Nocturne Falls. Before tonight. Before his date.

  After last night, he couldn’t risk being alone with Rhyannon again. He didn’t remember much, only the witch warning him not to fail. Her voice scorched his mind like a brand. When he woke up in his bed, he scratched at his head and rubbed at his ears until his head hurt, but her warning remained. A resonating taunt.

  To top it off, he received a visit from Sheriff Merrow at one in the morning and suffered a slew of prodding and accusatory questions regarding his whereabouts earlier in the evening.

  Then, the sheriff mentioned Rhyannon by name and he had to keep his face from showing anything but concern when he answered.

  “I’ve met her a couple of times. We’re supposed to get together tomorrow night. Rather, tonight. Why? Is she okay? Nothing happened to her, right?”

  Once the sheriff left with the promise to keep an eye on him, Arrick kicked himself. He had no evidence on his person of a late-night hunt in the form of mud or dead brush, but the knowledge that he had tracked and frightened the woman he so desperately wanted to protect left a void where strength should have resided.

  He stared down at her name on his phone, contemplating their plans for later.

  An hour later, he finally cracked and called. To his utter delight, Rhyannon picked up on the second ring.

  “Good afternoon to you,” she greeted, her voice like satin floating in a breeze. His reaction was instantly visceral. Every inch of his body warmed and tingled. A smile curved his lips and his nerves settled. “I hope you’re doing well.”

  “Much better now.”

  “Flattery, Mr. Luvell?” Rhyannon laughed. Arrick leaned back against the headboard.

  “Honesty, Ms. Andal. So, I hope you haven’t changed your mind about tonight.”

  “Have you?”

  Arrick chuckled. What he wouldn’t do to see her. Now. A few hours seemed too long to wait. “Not in a million years. I’m looking forward to spending time with you.”

  “The feeling’s mutual.”

  “Do you have any preferences? I’d hate to make a mess of our first date.”

  Oh, man. You’re making a mess of everything.

  “The Poisoned Apple is a safe bet. Are you averse to starting there?”

  “Not at all. Six o’clock?”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  “Then I’ll see you at six.”

  They said their good-byes and Arrick disconnected the call. How could it be that such a simple motion left him bereft? What was it about Rhyannon that drew him in, held him close, and refused to let him go?

  He pondered the fairy for a long minute, tapping his phone against his leg. He was being selfish. The best thing he could do to protect her was leave, but that had become an impossible feat.

  Arrick paused, his thoughts drifting. A moment later, he dialed up Pandora and was relieved when she answered immediately.

  “Pandora, I need your help. Can we meet up?”

  “Well, I’m at a showing right now, but I’ll have some time in ab
out an hour. Is everything okay?”

  “No. Can I trust you to keep this quiet?”

  “Arrick—”

  “Please.”

  Pandora hesitated. “I suppose.”

  “Thank you. Meet me at Howler’s. I need to be someplace busy.”

  “Does this have anything to do with what happened yesterday?”

  Arrick nodded, though she couldn’t see him. “It has everything to do with it.”

  If he had any hope of starting something with Rhyannon, he’d have to figure out a way to break free of the curse. He only hoped he’d be free before his secret got out.

  * * *

  Arrick spotted Pandora at the bar, talking to the auburn-haired bartender who had stared at him after his little show the other day. As he came up to Pandora, the bartender’s gaze landed on him and her smile waned. She tossed a bar rag over her shoulder and rested a hand on her slender hip.

  Pandora twisted around and greeted him with a friendly smile. Caution and curiosity resided in her green eyes.

  “Hi there.” Arrick cast a curious glance toward the bartender before smiling at Pandora. “Sorry. I had to pick something up before coming here.” He tapped the notebook he held in his hand. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting?”

  “Nope. I was catching up with Bridget.” Pandora spread a hand toward the bartender. “This is Bridget Merrow. Bridget, this is Arrick Luvell. He’s one of my newest clients.”

  Arrick arched a brow at the bartender as a hole opened up in his gut. Her golden eyes glinted as she lifted her chin and observed him.

  “Any relation to Sheriff Merrow?” Arrick asked.

  “Nice to meet you.” Bridget grinned and held out a hand. Arrick took it in a firm handshake. “Hank’s my brother.”

  Damn me.

  The more he stayed, the more he learned how intricately woven together the members of Nocturne Falls were. He’d have to watch his step. Carefully.

  “That explains the resemblance. Pleasure to meet you,” Arrick said, pouring on the charm as best he could while his mind spun in circles. To Pandora, he asked, “Want me to grab a table?”