by Allie Santos
It all came out in an outpour of hiccups. By the end of it, everyone was joined in a group hug and soaked. Through my tears, I saw Rian standing to the side, his arms crossed and an uncomfortable look on his face.
There was a grunt to our side, and I whipped my head around to see Thea unfreeze with a gasp and clutch at her body. She looked up at us and smiled. “We made it,” she squealed. “By the way, girl, when you lose your temper, you lose your temper.”
Something occurred to me. “If you’re unfrozen, they must be, too. We need to go,” I said stiffly.
I cleared my throat, huffed out a breath, and straightened my spine. A chill rent the air as I stood up, rubbing the tears from my eyes. I was done feeling sorry for myself. I looked at Rian, and our gazes indicated our agreement.
“I think our best bet is to plan our next step in the human world. They won’t find us there. The only magic is bound inside other Unnaturals and they can’t access it. The only reason we can in Faerie is because we’re in a place that is made of magic. If we go there, they’re blind as long as we don’t use it,” Rian said.
I nodded in answer to his words. “Do you know how to get to a portal?”
“Yes, can’t you feel it?” he asked, tilting his head. I closed my eyes but nothing. I shook my head. “I’m sure many abilities will develop in the coming days. Prepare yourself.”
It was all so ominous, and I told him so with the roll of my eyes.
“How do these portal things work? Can it take me anywhere I want?” Jasmine asked.
“Technically, yes, they can take you anywhere. The issue is finding one. Portals tend to be fickle and move around, especially since magic was bound.”
“As long as it gets us out of here, I don’t care,” I said.
Rian nodded and made his way to the portal with us trailing behind him.
“Is it me, or is the weather acting weird?” Camilla said, staring up at the sky that was darkening and clearing erratically.
“The weather is tied to the Queen. Who is now Rae,” Rian said conversationally.
That was awesome. My own little sky mood ring… not. The tumultuous emotions roiling through me were there for everyone to witness. I really couldn’t wait until I got out of here.
The twin curving trees came into sight, and I grabbed Rosalind’s hand. “Everyone grab onto Rian or me. This was how Roark and Sabine would do it,” I said, not feeling at all confident. I really hoped this thing didn’t cut anyone in half.
A striking chill went through my body as we stepped through the portal. The chill matched the one in my heart. I was really going to need a tub of my favorite ice cream—Idaho Mint ChocoChip—when I had a moment to wallow in my pain. The chill subsided only slightly when we got to the other side. And that was because there was snow everywhere. Ugh, I’d thought I’d be done with snow.
“Where’d you bring us, Rian?” I muttered.
“I’ve never come to the human world. This was not me.”
If it wasn’t him… could it have been me? Oh lord, where did my subconscious take us?
I heard car engines and tilted my head. “This way.”
Everyone trailed behind me, and I walked in that direction. Not long after, the whooshing of tires crunching through the gravel invaded in a loud burst of noise. I pushed aside branches with snow-covered leaves. When my hand came into contact with the snow, I realized I wasn’t uncomfortably cold.
Another car zoomed by, following a dark road. I could see clearly all the way down.
“Stay back.” I waved everyone back and did one thing I swore I’d never do. I walked to the edge of the road, and my thumb went up. There was a soft gasp behind me.
I heard Rian whisper, “What is she doing?” to someone.
“Just watch,” Jasmine said curtly.
A car slowed as it approached and went a bit forward until it came to a halt. An older dark-skinned woman stepped out.
“Are you okay, honey?” Worry coated her voice. It was then that I realized what I looked like with the shabby lavender blood-stained dress. I hadn’t even realized there was a draft caused by the slight hole in the stomach area.
“Oh, yeah, I’m fine! Sorry, I got lost. I was just wondering if you could tell me where we are…”
She did not look convinced. “Well… we’re about fifteen minutes from town.”
“Could you give us a ride?” I asked, clasping my hands together, trying to hide my dismay at the lack of details.
“Us?” she said, confused. Caution entered her gaze.
“Yes, my friends and I got lost.” I waved to the edge of the woods. The girls stepped out, all looking like they were slowly becoming icicles.
“Oh, dear,” she exclaimed and waved us forward. “Yes, yes. Come with me. There’s a diner we can call for help at.”
I looked at the little SUV. It was going to be a tight fit, but we would manage. Everyone but Rian came out of the woodlands and piled in. I sat in the passenger seat, and the rest sat on each other’s laps in the last rows. I crossed my legs and settled in for the questions brewing in the lady’s eyes.
28
When the sweet older lady named Ruth dropped us off, I explained that we had already contacted my brother, and he was going to pick us up. Rian stood waiting in front of the building and waved at me. I waved back and the lady seemed comforted that we were going to be taken care of. She looked between Rian’s pale beauty and back to my tan features questioningly but didn’t mention anything.
“Stepbrother,” I hastily explained, and understanding flashed across Ruth’s face before she kindly patted my hand.
It was moments like these, although few and far between, that really made me proud to be human.
…Was I still human?
I shook the thought off. That was an issue for another day.
Sliding out, I walked to Rian and turned back to wave at Ruth. She smiled and pulled out.
“What now?” Eliza asked.
I began to turn to her but, in a blink, found myself facing her. A couple coming out of the diner shot me a glance. I smiled sheepishly. Gah, I forgot. I was really going to have to get used to the whole being Fae thing.
“Where are we?” Rosalind said, looking around at the diner located at the entrance of a town that stretched out for miles.
“There’s a newspaper. That should tell us,” Thea said and strode to the dispenser. It was old and had a film over it. A creak irritated my ears as she pulled it open. “Looks like we’re in Bunket, Idaho.”
“As we were crossing the portal, I was thinking of Idaho ice cream.” My nose wrinkled.
“What the hell?” Thea whispered, a shocked edge to her voice.
“What?” I asked.
“The date… it’s a year and a half after I was taken.” A crinkled formed between her eyes as she sat down on the curb. “I’ve missed a freaking year and a half of my life? I’ve only been gone for a few months!”
The newspaper was handed to each person, and every face paled. It got to me, and I looked down. It was an entire month after my accident. An entire month since I caught my jerk of an ex-boyfriend screwing someone else.
“We should go inside,” Jasmine said.
I shuffled in after everyone, who wore varying degrees of shock on their faces. I was the last to go in, and when I finally processed that someone was talking to me, I looked up and found myself squished in a booth.
“So, this means you’re a year older, Thea,” Camilla drawled unthinkingly. Her eyes flashed up nervously after she said that.
“So much lost time…”
“Our parents must be so worried,” Camilla said, looking off to the side.
“Or pissed, in my case,” Selina muttered, grief lining her face. She was probably thinking about her sister.
“At least you have parents,” Rosalind stated.
At the sad declaration, we quieted down in contemplation. I’d been gone from home too long. My sister probably thought I was ignoring he
r. Even now, all I wanted was to get to her. I wanted to offer her a room at my place. After all, I was going to have space when I kicked that asshole of a boyfriend out… if he was still there. A groan slipped out, and I tilted my head back, squeezing the bridge of my nose.
I still had to deal with him. Or did I? I mean, everyone probably thought I was dead. Finding my flipped car with no one inside would lead anyone to believe I’d been dragged away by a hungry animal.
The temptation to reinvent myself rose in me. How sweet it would be to start over, to be someone else…. But I stopped that train of thought before it could go anywhere. I couldn’t do that to my sister. I couldn’t run again. Reality intervened like a lap on the face—I had no options.
Before I went down that rabbit hole, the server arrived to take our orders. I realized I wasn’t hungry, like, at all, but ordered an ice cream sundae for appearance’s sake. The waitress nodded after she finished and trailed off cheerfully.
“Sabine said we had Fae blood,” Jasmine said. Her lip curled when she said Fae. “What does that mean for us?”
“Nothing now,” Rian said. “But when we”—he turned to look at me—“finally find a way to unbind it, you will all probably begin the transition if you are on your twenty-second year of life. There hasn’t been one of you coming into your full potential because of the—”
In synchronization, we all said, “The bind.”
My lips twitched at the exasperated look on Rian’s face.
“Then I prefer you don’t unbind magic,” Jasmine replied. I understood her more than I could let on. How I wished to return to my mundane life. Moan about the papers I had to write or difficult professors.
“Their species is dying. I have to help. It’s obvious not all of them are power-hungry like Sabine and Roark.” When I said his name, my breath hitched. I felt breathless for a second, and not the good kind. It was an uncomfortable pressure.
Thankfully, before anyone could question what was wrong, the server came around with the drinks and my sundae.
“Your food should be out in any second,” she said and left.
“And what happens if we come into our Fae-ness?” Eliza asked.
“You’ll become just like us. Fast, strong, immortal, and you’ll have a magical ability.”
“Hold up, did you say immortal,” Eliza gasped.
“Yes, when you reach maturity,” Rian answered, scratching his neck nervously.
I narrowed my eyes, feeling like he was about to say something I wouldn’t be happy about. “And what does reaching maturity entail?”
“In human terms, it would be like hitting puberty. Hormones intensified, and those aspects involved. Your senses will expand. You will desire…” He coughed into his fist.
“What?” I asked, dreading the answer.
“Food?” Rosalind supplied.
“Money?” Eliza input.
“Sex,” Selina said bluntly, and we quieted. The scent of pancakes and sausage intensified, and I turned to see food brought our way. Everyone was momentarily distracted as they caught sight of the meals. I swear I saw drool seep out of all of their mouths, except for the uncomfortable-looking Rian.
“Thank goodness,” Rosalind said.
“I know,” Thea moaned. “Human food.”
“Correction, good human food,” Camilla drawled as they dug in.
I looked at the only other Fae sitting at the table. “I’m not hungry.”
He nodded as if I had just asked a question. “You never will be again.” My chest constricted… never to eat again. I loved food. I blinked away the tears rapidly and focused on the conversation.
“Why aren’t I going through all that puberty-like stuff? Considering what the Queen did to me.”
“The Queen transferred the essence to you. It seems to have turned you, or at least enough to give you some of the perks of being Fae. Like strength and healing. This is all new territory. I assume when magic is unbound you will transition fully as well as have access to your abilities.”
“Will we ever be able to release magic?” I sounded like a total downer, but I couldn’t help but doubt it.
“I hope,” he said, worry furrowing his eyebrows.
Rian looked at me pityingly, and the girls kept shoveling food in their mouths with their eyes settled on me.
“In all our research we’ve come to find that the Queen—” he paused. “You will play an important part in making that come to pass.”
The girls looked at me, intrigued. Rian didn’t look surprised.
“It’s been hundreds of years since magic has been around. What happens to the other Unnaturals, not only in Faerie but in this world?” I asked.
“Fae have kept to Faerie for the very fact that we have been targeted for being the race that bound magic. Many hate us for it. Some hunt us.” Shit, it all sounded so ominous. “They have lived many years with their Unnatural aspects locked within them, craving to come out. If we ever manage to unbind magic… there will be chaos.”
“Example please,” Camilla said, looking way too intrigued.
“Werewolves. Their beasts live within them, but they have remained chained inside, not having been let out for such a long time. It drives some mad.”
Rosalind’s mouth opened in awe. “What’s the plan then? The first step to unbinding magic?”
“We must return. We need to stake your claim as the Queen,” Rian said, pinning me with his eyes.
“But—” I tried to argue. It wasn’t like I hadn’t known I had to return, but so soon?
“No, you must do this or rebel camps and who knows what else will rise and take over.”
I felt a migraine coming on. I didn’t want to go back there, but I knew this was the right thing to do. Plus, that little request the Queen made of me. I owed her, but we would definitely make a pit stop first…
“What will you all do?” I asked, looking at my newfound friends. Friendships forged in a hellish environment that were all the stronger for it.
They looked at each other, then me, the same scared confusion on their faces.
“Finish college?” Rosalind said, unsure.
“Same for us,” Eliza said, elbowing Camilla.
“We can’t let what happen stop us from our plans,” Thea said, straightening.
Jasmine grunted. Selina stayed silent.
“So, we have a potential magic unbinding catastrophe and being horny at a supernatural level to look forward to? Sounds like a great mix,” Eliza said sarcastically.
We fell into separate conversations after that as we contemplated our futures and threw scenarios around.
“Rae,” Thea said softly as the others continued their conversations. I looked at her. “What will you do if Roark comes looking for you?”
My teeth automatically clenched. I highly doubted Roark would. I had thought Jeff’s betrayal had been bad, but my heart hadn’t even known pain before Roark. I needed to bury that ache, to find a way to stifle it. I would find a way.
“Nothing,” I said simply. “Roark made his decision, and it wasn’t me.”
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Acknowledgments
I, for reals, couldn’t have done this without my ride or die critique partner. Grace Coronado—you’re da bomb. Thanks to my amazing cover artist from Victoria Cooper Arts and editor from TellTail editing. Also, thank you to my fam, we’re not perfect, but we’re always there for each other. Aaron, thank you for supporting my dreams and taking the dogs out to potty when I’m in the middle of feverishly editing. Everything I do, and will ever do, is dedicated to my parents for emulating that hard work pays off.
About the Author
Allie wishes she’d discovered books sooner than she did but has made up for the lost time by reading everything romance related that’s crossed her path. She has a proclivity toward sexy, possessive heroes and headstrong, stubborn heroines. So, it’s no wonder characters just like that bustle to escape her imagination.
When she’s not working away at her keyboard she can be found in bed with a good book or bingeing Netflix.
