I went for a run. The one thing that usually cleared my mind wasn’t working.
My thoughts cycled in a whirlwind of why’s. Cassie was definitely lying to me about something big, and I had come to the conclusion she had been lying to me for quite a while. I was pretty sure it had to do with when her mom took her away, but I couldn’t be sure. I wanted to think Aunt Grace was the deceitful one, but that didn’t feel right. Her words came back in a rush: ‘Fae lords will be coming for you.’
Considering such a thing went against the foundations of reality. Even if I had hallucinated the pegasus, the guy on the bike was more than an ordinary man. Something within him called to something within me. I didn’t understand it. The only thing I could really hope for now was that I would never see him again. I shuddered at the thought even though I had always wished something magical would to happen to me.
I hadn’t realized as a child how frightening being swept off my feet by a fairy prince would be in real life. What would that man have done with me if I had stopped the car? He hadn’t exactly been the prince charming I had conjured up as a kid, either. He was a far sight larger and an eternity scarier.
I just needed to keep telling myself that none of this was true; none of this was real. The logical part of my mind sure thought that. Cassie was right. Aunt Grace was probably playing a trick on me.
My feet flew over the pavement, making short work of campus. I should have been recuperating from our trip, but I couldn’t rest with so many unknowns parading through my brain.
I slowed, my lungs needing more air than I could currently give them at the pace I had set. My mono-vision blurred outward. Enormous pine trees surrounded the narrow path I stood on. Dizziness overwhelmed me when I looked up at the sprawling branches. What the heck? No buildings were in sight.
How had I gotten into the woods? The place looked more like the Redwood Forest than the Nature Area of campus. This was just great. It probably wasn’t the best idea for me to be out here alone.
Okay. No need to panic. The rush of water thundered somewhere near me. If I followed the river, I could find my way back to my dorm. I headed toward the sound, kicking myself for not paying attention to where I was going.
A fat drop of rain pelted my cheek and slid down my face. A couple more splattered on my scalp. What was going on? The sky had been clear moments before. I gaped at the voluminous clouds rolling toward me. They were the deep, dark gray of a turbulent, summer storm. The wind picked up, sending my hair whipping around my face; I pulled it into a makeshift bun to get it out of my eyes. I had to find shelter. If only I had a clue where I was. Why had I been this stupid?
The heavens dumped on me like a waterfall. I usually loved staying out in the rain—that was because I had never experienced a tempest like this. A small roofline caught my attention, barely visible through the trees. I cut into the bushes toward it. The bramble dug into my flesh, leaving a crosshatch of welts on my arms.
The door of the old shack hung open at an odd angle, only attached by one leather hinge. Most of the windows were broken. Even though this was the sort of place an ax-murderer would hang out, I raced inside. It wasn’t like I had a better option.
The second I entered the room the musk of wet earth and ancient wood surrounded me. I breathed in deeply, savoring the freshness. The world seemed newer somehow.
The intricacy of the hand-planed walls mesmerized me. Even with how small it was, it must have taken forever to build this place. I sat cross-legged on the rickety floorboards waiting for the clouds to break. I could probably sit here for hours without much of a problem even if it wasn’t raining.
The sounds of nature floated near—the song of a bird melded with the percussion of the rain in a timeless, soothing rhythm. I closed my eyes, my nerves calming with every revitalizing lungful of air.
I would figure this out. Whatever it was, I would deal with it. My plight couldn’t be as bad as Aunt Grace had implied.
I pulled out my phone, trying her number again. It was busy. Of course.
I called Cassie to smooth things over before I went back—the same. It didn’t even roll to voice-mail.
I hit every saved number I had. They wouldn’t go through.
I tried the customer service number. No luck.
Frustration bubbled up in me like an over-full pot. What was going on? Despite the trees and the rain, I had a clear signal.
I took some more calming breaths, squaring my shoulders. I would use Cassie’s phone to call home. Everything was going to be fine. It had to be.
A twig cracked near the back of the shack, startling me. My scar lit up like a skyscraper at midnight. I turned toward the broken window. Nothing was there, but a dark foreboding washed over me in thick waves. Was that the wind or a hungry growl?
Another crack.
I bolted out the door, bounding on the sodden ground. I ignored the branches pulling at my arms and hair like greedy fingers. The rain soaked through my sweatshirt and jeans as if they were nothing more than linen sacks. I had to get to my dorm. I needed the safety of people.
A person stepped onto the path up ahead, undoubtedly male by the bulking frame. I skidded to a stop, my arms flailing for balance.
Most of his face was shrouded by the hooded trench coat he wore. Despite that and the sheets of rain, the caress of his gaze traveled the length of me. Not a second later, he started toward me in determined strides.
Frantic to find an escape, I searched the landscape for a side trail. I was being ridiculous. He was just a man—probably a Notre Dame student caught in the rain, just like me.
I would glide past him calmly. I might even say hello just to cut the tension.
A niggling thought made its way to the surface of my mind: What if he won’t let you?
A new emotion hit me like a tsunami. Incessant need climbed into my pounding heart. My body ached to be near him…just like the man on the bike. Could it be him? Had he really followed me here?
I stepped forward timidly.
What was I doing?
One more step.
Oh, no.
Why were my legs moving without me telling them to?
A horrible impulse surged through me to rush to his side. I longed for him to fold me in his all-encompassing embrace.
I was insane.
I did not know this man.
So why his pull command me forward no matter how hard I fought? Maybe I was hallucinating again. But how could a hallucination make my heart ache like this?
My faltering will and terrible need collided violently. I had to get closer to him.
He was my world.
I was reborn.
I smiled at my redeemer.
He moistened his bottom lip, biting down invitingly. Ever so slowly, his hands moved to the edge of his hood. Purple light pulsated from his fingers, spiraling down his body.
That wasn’t normal.
The thought floated away before I could grasp it.
A new one needed my attention.
My heart beat frantically in my chest as if it might sprout wings. I was going to see him.
Did I look okay? I raised a self-conscious hand to smooth my saturated hair and wiped running mascara from under my eyes. Hardly aware of what I was doing, I took another step toward him.
He hesitate and my body convulsed from the distance between us, but right now I couldn’t make myself move at all. When he pulled his hood back into place I nearly screamed. The only part of his face I could see was those glorious lips that turned in a violent frown? Did I do something wrong?
Voices cut through my thoughts.
No.
Laughing.
Giggles to be more precise. I hadn’t seen it before, but another path shimmered into view between us.
The hold the man had on me shattered. Apprehension flooded through me in a relentless surge.
He moved closer.
What was I still doing here? Why hadn’t I run when I had the chance? I retreated
a step, searching for the happy people that might just be my salvation. I could still scream.
He frowned as if reacting to my thoughts and spun toward the chatter.
His rugged jaw tightened before his head veered to the right and back at me. His fists clenched at his sides.
One heartbeat. Two.
A flash of white.
A predatory smile curved his mouth moments before he saluted me. Then he stepped off the path toward the forest, disappearing behind a thicket of trees.
I remembered how to breathe.
A group of girls stomping through puddles came barreling toward me. One of them gasped, breaking away from the others. “Are you okay,” she asked, genuine concern clear in her tone.
“I—I think I’m lost.” I glanced ahead. The man was gone. The tree line looked different, not so thick. I would have sworn I had been in the middle of a vast forest, but I was on a large path in a thinly wooded area. I even heard the sounds of campus now. Where was the shack that had been there moments before? I forced myself to turn toward the girl on trembling knees. “How do I get back to Le Mans Hall?” My smile took quite a lot of effort. I didn’t want her to know how freaked out I was.
She gazed at me through kind green eyes. “This trail is tricky. I’ll show you.” Holding her umbrella higher, she stood beside me. “Here”
“Thanks,” I said, ducking under it. I welcomed the cover even though the rain had turned to a drizzle.
She laughed. “Won’t do you much good now. You look like you’ve been swimming in the river.”
My lips twitched into a minute smile, but it I couldn’t hold it long. Was that man still lurking in the shadows waiting to strike until I was alone? Was he a fae lord? Aunt Grace said they ran in packs. I prayed he was just a figment of my overactive imagination, all the while knowing in the bottom of my soul that he wasn’t. With more effort than it should have taken, I tore my gaze from the trees. “I should have paid attention to the weather when I left my room.” I glanced at the woods again. I couldn’t help it.
“Wow.” The girl’s gaze roamed over me. “You’re really shaken up.” She placed a reassuring hand on my arm. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you home and dry in no time.” She extended her hand toward me, grinning. “I’m Natalie Walker.”
She had an infectious smile, a short curvy frame, bright green eyes, fair freckled skin, and thick, bouncy auburn curls.
I gave her a curt nod and shoved my trembling hands into my pockets. “Rayla Tate.” I couldn’t say anything else. My throat was too tight with fear.
“Where are you from?” she asked, following my gaze over to the trees.
I ignored the intrepid call of the forest. I made myself look only at her. “Utah. You?”
“Arizona. Technically, we’re neighbors.” She smirked, cocking her head. “I can’t seem to get used to this place. There aren’t any landmarks to keep me grounded.”
Natalie Walker was a refreshing distraction. My fear slowly subsided with every normal word she uttered. I laughed. “I know, right? I feel lost without the mountains.”
She pointed toward her friends, who huddled together under cheery umbrellas, talking and giggling. Their bright rain-boots rebelled against the turbulent sky. “They keep telling me I’ll acclimate. I don’t know if that’s possible. Air is not supposed to be wet.”
I laughed. “You got that right.”
We walked toward the group. She introduced me. I was never going to remember all their names.
“Are you coming with us, Rayla?” asked one of the girls.
“I…” I should have been settling into my new life, making new friends, doing whatever college students normally do, not worrying that a pack of fae lords were going to come for me. Whatever that meant?
Having one man stalk me was bad enough, even if by some miracle he did turn out to be imaginary; more likely, a college student that was trying to be friendly. All I knew was nothing or no one could get me to go further down that path.
“I’m taking her back,” Natalie said, saving me. “She’ll catch a cold if she doesn’t get out of those clothes.”
I gave her a shy glance. “I don’t want to be a bother.”
Natalie took my elbow. “Couldn’t be if you tried.” She twisted toward the girls who were already skipping down the path in sets of two, arms linked. She shrugged. Her tone lowered. “See you guys later.”
I fought the temptation to tell those unaware girls, and campus police, about the man because I was probably either being paranoid or delusional. If I set aside the purple light I had seen, which I definitely could have imagined, that guy hadn’t actually done anything but walk toward me and smile—for all I knew he had been going for wolfish.
“I’m sorry to ruin your fun,” I said. I should have insisted she go with her friends, but I couldn’t get the words to come out.
She nudged my shoulder. “I hardly think pounding through puddles is enjoyable. You just got me out of an entire afternoon of wet misery. I should be thanking you.”
My mind stuttered momentarily. Was I actually having a real conversation? I blurted out the first thing that came to me. “Well, when you put it that way, why aren’t you?”
She laughed and I smiled. She showed me around campus a little bit before depositing me in front of my dorm.
Most of the buildings had a similar gothic charm, but some, like Regina Hall, were decidedly minimalistic boxes. Who knew the two styles could mesh so well.
She walked part way up the steps with me then smiled. “See you around, Rayla. Thanks again.” Without giving me a chance to reply, Natalie headed for her dorm.
She couldn’t know how grateful I was to her. I was going to have to be more careful from now on. Aunt Grace had been right about one thing, at least. I needed to stay around people.
Five Page 7
