“We’ll see,” he said.
We arrived at the county lockup. It was a small building that sat away from the road—one of those places you’d pass by without noticing. There were only a few streetlights that illuminated the building. Around us, the dark forest stood watch, hulking trees hiding the stars.
The officer led me outside his car and toward the front entrance. Cold air bit at my skin, and sharp gravel poked the bottom of my feet through my slippers. When we made it to the door, he punched a button and, following a loud buzz, shoved it open. His grip tightened around my arm as he led me to a small office, where he and a few other officers proceeded to take my fingerprints and issue me a set of standard jail clothes.
I supposed I should have been frightened that I was getting booked—and an arrest wouldn’t look good on my record for sure—but I had to keep from laughing as they finally finished up and locked me inside a cell.
Magic played on my senses, buzzing in my ears and throbbing through my fingers. If I wanted, I supposed I could have just blasted my way out of the place. I could’ve burned it to the ground if I’d wanted. But burning down a government building would look even worse on my record. If I wanted to get out of here, I’d have to play it smart.
I scanned my surroundings—the open, stainless steel toilet, a thin mattress atop a bedspring bolted to the wall, and a tiny sink. No windows, of course, only cinder-block walls. As I sat on the edge of the mattress, the desire to torch the place welled up inside me once again.
The bed in my trailer hadn’t been much to brag about, but at least I’d had my own sheets to lie on and my cat to keep me company. I forced myself not to breathe as I lay on the mattress, the acrid scents of sour sweat and urine embedded in the worn, scratchy fibers.
I stared at the ceiling, feeling as if the bloodthorn were mocking me. He was the puppet master, we were his puppets, and I didn’t know of any way to cut the strings tying me to him.
The thought nagged at me that perhaps Brent was wrong. Perhaps I wasn’t safe here at all; perhaps the bloodthorn had me precisely where he wanted me.
I drifted off until the sounds of an irate female voice woke me. Standing, I walked the short distance from my bed to the door and looked through the small, barred window. I was surprised to see both Kull and Heidel standing at the front desk with several officers surrounding them. Kull stood straight and unmoving, staring ahead as if the sound of his sister’s rant didn’t bother him.
Heidel yelled at a police officer, but her screaming was cut short when Officer Gardener entered the room and escorted them both to an office away from me.
Nervousness knotted my stomach. With Kull and Heidel both in custody, the bloodthorn had the advantage. Rolf and Brodnik would hopefully be able to guard the fairies as their search for the stone continued, but how long could that last?
I lay on my cot once again, feeling helpless. If my suspicions were correct, the bloodthorn would have used the energy from Madame Glitter’s death to charge the gemstone. Chances were he was even closer to returning to his own realm. I couldn’t let that happen. If it did, then it was only a matter of time before the fairies suffered the same fate as the unicorns.
I paced my cell as sleep escaped me, wondering if I shouldn’t just blast my way out and be done with it, when a quiet knock came at my door.
One of the security officers stood outside. Her keys jangled as she unlocked the door and then opened it. She stood a little shorter than me, and her dark blue uniform bulged at her hips and around her waistband. She didn’t meet my eyes as she spoke to me.
“You’re being transferred,” she said.
“Now?”
“Yes.”
I eyed her. “But it’s the middle of the night. Are detainees usually transferred at such an unusual hour?”
She shrugged. “It’s not typical, no. But they want you back at the fairgrounds. Didn’t tell me why, so don’t bother asking me questions. Put your hands behind your back and turn around.”
I did as she said, still puzzled at the odd change in protocol. Maybe Brent had convinced them I could help with the investigation. I’d given him some decent leads so far, and if Madame Glitter had been murdered in the same way as the other two men, then they may have wanted my help deciphering the cryptic message of the flowers that had most likely been left in her eyes. There was no way to know for sure except by going back and learning for myself what it was they wanted.
Officer Gardener waited for me. He escorted me to his patrol car, and I climbed inside. He didn’t speak as he drove me back to the festival grounds. A nervous feeling nagged at me. This whole situation seemed odd, but I didn’t know enough about law enforcement to decide if something was actually wrong or not. Maybe it was time I asked for that lawyer Brent had suggested.
We arrived back at the fairgrounds, but instead of parking in the designated area, we drove past the main gates, past the camping area, and onto a narrow gravel road that cut through the forest.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“I’ve been instructed that you’re necessary to an ongoing investigation. Security at the festival requested your assistance. We’re going to the main security headquarters.” After a pause, he added. “Wherever it is.”
We drove in silence for several minutes. When the officer slowed the car, pulled into a farmhouse’s driveway, and then turned around, I was certain he was lost. I held my tongue, thinking that maybe being lost would work to my advantage.
He radioed in, got a confirmation of the address, and sped up. We turned onto another road, this one narrower and filled with potholes.
The road curved sharply to the left, and soon we pulled into a driveway covered in pine needles, as if it hadn’t been used for some time. At the end of the drive, the car’s headlights illuminated a cabin that overlooked a lake. Moonlight reflected off the rippling water. Officer Gardener pulled a radio off his collar and spoke quietly into it.
“Dispatch, this is Officer Gardener. I need a confirmation of correct location and address, over.”
Static filled the line for a moment, and then a female voice came through. “Ten-four, Officer Gardener. Address is 105 Greenbriar Drive.”
I focused on the cabin and found the numbers 105 tacked to the doorframe.
The officer radioed back, then shuffled through a few papers stacked on the passenger’s seat. “Surely this can’t be right,” he muttered to himself.
Something about that cabin sent shivers down my spine. Didn’t serial killers always flock to these sorts of places in movies?
A light rain began to fall, covering the car in a mist that pattered against the windows. Officer Gardener absentmindedly turned on the wipers.
After a few minutes of sitting in the rain, Officer Gardener grabbed his flashlight and stepped out of the car. “I’ll be right back,” he told me, then slammed the door shut behind him. I watched as he circled the cabin, the steady back-and-forth swishing of the windshield wipers the only sound breaking up the silence.
The darkness and rain-covered windows made it hard to see anything outside, but I focused on the flashlight’s beam as he circled the cabin and then knocked on the door.
When no one came to the door, he went inside. A hazy yellow glow appeared in the cabin’s window as he turned on a light. I watched but saw no signs of him for several minutes until he came back outside and walked to the car.
He wore a sour expression as he opened the door and grabbed my arm. After helping me out of the car, he led me toward the front porch as the rain fell in a slow drizzle.
“What are we doing here?” I asked.
“Not a clue,” he answered. “Fifteen years in the armed forces taught me not to challenge my superiors, but I can’t for the life of me figure out why Officer Sanchez requested you be sent here.”
“Officer Sanchez requested it?”
He nodded.
“Is that like him to send potential suspects to some cabin in the middle of the woods?�
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“To be honest, I don’t understand the man at all. You, for example, should have been detained after the first murder. Now this whole investigation is just laughable. He’s broken every procedural code in the book. In my opinion, Officer Sanchez ought to be fired.”
“Fired? Don’t you think that’s a little harsh?”
“Not at all. And now I’m just supposed to leave you here until the investigation starts again. But why? None of this makes any sense.”
I had to agree with him. I was just as baffled as he was, and I didn’t know how to make sense of it, except that if Brent wanted me here, then maybe this would be my way out. In truth, escaping from this tiny matchstick cabin would be much easier than burning down an entire county lockup.
Maybe that’s exactly what Brent had intended.
Chapter Twenty
My head was resting on Kull’s shoulder, and my fingers were threaded through his. For a moment, I panicked. How had I gotten so close to him without realizing it? But then my brain informed me I was dreaming, so I brushed my fear aside. Instead, I enjoyed an episode from My Life That Should Have Been.
I stood with Kull on the terrace, overlooking the Rheic Sea. We were in the stronghold on the eastern peninsula, and I’d decided it was the most beautiful place in Faythander. The water here, unlike so many other places, sparkled glacier blue. A thin layer of snow blanketed the water-worn pebbles along the seashore, but I didn’t feel the cold up here. The room’s enormous fireplace put off a heat strong enough to combat the outside air.
“It’s very pretty here,” I said.
“Yes.”
“Why have you never brought me here before?”
He shrugged. “My family has so many strongholds it’s hard to keep track of them all. I haven’t been here since I was a child. Do you like it?”
“I love it. I think I could spend the rest of my life here and be happy.”
“Then we shall not leave until you are ready.”
He gently stroked his thumb across my cheek, then brushed away a stray strand of hair that glowed auburn in the morning sunlight.
He leaned close to my ear, whispering, “It’s not as beautiful as you.”
“Stop it. You might make me blush,” I whispered back.
“Good.”
He cupped my face, smiling that grin I hadn’t seen in so long, yet when he smiled now, it didn’t seem so long ago.
“It is my life’s mission to see you blush. My work is not complete until I have made you blush at least once every day for the rest of your life.”
“That might be a very long time, you know. I could live well past your lifetime.”
“No. We will die together in each other’s arms.”
“How could you possibly know that?”
“Because that is the only way it can be. The gods will allow nothing else but for us to be together until we make our final voyage together to Valhalla.”
I wished it were true. But then I realized that in this world, it was.
His lips met mine, catching me off guard. He kissed me slowly, but with a passion that made excitement ripple through my body. The warmth of his body engulfed me, and all my thoughts disappeared. It was just him and me, alone, and nothing else.
When he pulled away, a twinkle lit his eyes. He left me breathless, speechless; and though I was dreaming, I hadn’t felt so alive in ages—ten and half months, to be exact.
“There,” he said with a smile, his thumb gently caressing my cheek. “Now that’s a proper blush.”
Beyond the terrace, gray clouds rolled in, stronger and faster than any natural weather pattern. The contrast of the light and dark began to form a picture. Hollow eye sockets appeared, and around them formed a skull. Even in my dreams I couldn’t escape the evil that stalked me.
“Don’t worry,” Kull said. “It cannot harm us here.”
“I know,” I said.
Soon the wind picked up, breaking the clouds apart until once again, the sunlight broke free. I rested my hand on his chest, feeling the steady beating of his heart.
“I miss you,” I said. “I don’t feel right being away from you. I don’t even feel like myself anymore. My magic knows it, too.”
“But you are here with me now.”
He took my hand. I tightened my grip on his fingers, feeling that as soon as I let go, he would be gone.
“Sometimes it’s good to experience sorrow,” Kull said, gently squeezing my hand in return, “because it makes you appreciate the better times.”
“Do you think there will be better times?”
“There are always better times. Just as the mountains have peaks and slopes and the waves rise and fall, so life is filled with heartache and happiness. Better times will come. We’ve just got to be patient through the hard times until they arrive.”
I sighed, wanting to believe him, watching as the clouds cleared to reveal snowcapped peaks far in the distance, their sun-streaked slopes colored in shades of pink and lavender.
“It really is so beautiful here,” I repeated. “I wish I could stay forever.”
“We can if that is what you wish.”
“Yes,” I answered. “I wish to stay here forever and never leave again.”
He smiled. “You might get bored after a while.”
“Maybe. But if I do, then we’ll go on a vacation to some far-off land. We could visit the dragons for a time, or—if I’m feeling adventurous—we could even visit the elves.”
“Hmm, sounds terribly adventurous. I am sure I will need Bloodbane for such a quest, won’t I?”
“For the elves, yes. Or, if you’d rather go on a real quest, there’s always the outer isles we could explore again.”
“Ha, with the dragons there, I believe I’ll pass. We should quest to the Southlands. I hear the vexons have been ravaging the Wult outposts. I’ll make quick work of the beasts. Plus, I may have a few new trophies for my wall.”
“Very well,” I said, sighing. “But can it wait until after breakfast at least?”
He kissed my forehead. “Of course. I’ve prepared a meal for you.”
“You prepared the meal? What did you make?” This should be interesting.
“I, ah…” he cleared his throat as a half-smile lit his face. “I happened to find an Earth Kingdom text in the library—a cookbook.”
“A cookbook? Enlighten me—what did you cook?”
“A soufflé made of eggs and cheese, sausage, green onions, and topped with crumbled bacon and shredded cheese. I also prepared pancakes with syrup. I had to improvise as I was limited to Faythander food items, but I believe you will not be able to tell the difference.”
“You made all that?” I asked, shocked.
“Of course,” he answered, smiling. “I made it for you.”
“You’re spoiling me.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
My vision blurred, and I blinked to try and combat the dizziness, but it did no good. Kull’s hand disappeared from mine, and soon he and the fortress disappeared altogether.
No, no, no, I can’t go! Not yet. Kull, don’t leave me!
A cold emptiness settled in the pit of my stomach. I lurched awake.
“Kull?” I said as I woke, blinking, trying to make sense of the world around me.
When I was finally able to focus, I realized several things at once. I was sitting on the floor inside the cabin. My hands were tied with chains in front of me. I was wearing only my bra and panties. And it was seriously cold inside—so cold that a glass of water in the sink sitting across from me had an inch of ice on top.
How had it gotten so cold? It never got this frigid in Houston in October. Was there magic at work?
The room’s only light came from a flashlight lying on the floor. If it was Officer Gardener’s flashlight, then where was he?
My breath came out in puffs of white clouds. I wiggled my fingers and toes; both were numb. Goose bumps prickled my skin, and my neck ached where I
must’ve been hanging my head while I slept.
Fragments of last night started to surface in my memory. I remembered Officer Gardener bringing me here. He’d scouted around the place and gone inside, and then he’d come back and gotten me out of the car. But what had happened after that? I remembered he’d led me outside in the rain, and then… only fragments of memories…
Something in the woods—something frightening. Unnaturally long nails that grew from misshapen arms. A face… terrifying. A horse’s skull. Its eyes. Glowing green. It attacked the cop.
I couldn’t remember anything else until now. Taking stock of my current situation, I scanned the cabin. Why was I tied up? And where were my freaking clothes?
The sensation began to return to my hands and feet, and without bothering to worry over my magic, I balled my fists, preparing to conjure a spell to break the chains off my hands.
When I conjured the word in my mind, the bands around my wrists grew cold. Icy tendrils wrapped my skin, and I clenched my hands into fists as I fought with the strange magic. It wasn’t just a physical pain, but a power that pushed against my own, nauseating me, making me dizzy and filling me with dread. My stomach sickened, and repulsed by the chains’ dark essence, I quickly let go of the magic.
In the near darkness, I focused on the chains binding my wrists. Inky black magic shimmered around the coiled loops. Magic-repelling chains. And most likely indestructible. Peachy.
I didn’t know much about the chains, but I could feel the spell powering their magic. It was a complicated enchantment. If I could manage to get one hand free, I would at least have the advantage of movement, but the metal refused to loosen as I worked my hands back and forth.
Focusing on getting my hands free wasn’t enough to distract me from realizing the enormous danger of my situation. Someone had put me in here on purpose, but who? Thinking through my list of suspects frightened me more than I cared to admit. The only person who knew I was here was Brent.
Could it really be him? I’d known him for years, but I didn’t pretend to know everything about him. We’d been out of contact for almost a year, and he wasn’t the same person he used to be. If his body had been taken over by the bloodthorn, how was I to know?
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