“Fine. Call me when you know what’s going on,” I replied, swiping at the glass and spilling water on the tiled floor. I downed the contents in one long swig, and turned to leave.
Chester reached for me when I stomped away, probably afraid that I’d fall on my face. I was glad that I managed to keep my composure until I made it through the classroom door. I was tired from my ordeal and wanted nothing more than to sleep.
Drekvic was in a smaller room across the hall, sitting with an older man.
Hope looked up and smiled when he saw us, his gentle face as perfect as ever. He had slight wrinkles around his eyes, and laugh lines, but they only accented his strong cheekbones and long lashes. His dark hair turned silvery at the temples and it swept back from his face to hide the tops of his ears. I could see Drekvic in the straight lines of his nose and the plumpness of his cheeks. If Drekvic ever aged, he would age well.
“Done already? You look terrible,” he said. He stood and walked over to me, his gait rolling and unhurried.
“I feel kind of terrible,” I replied, unable to stop my smile.
Hope had a way of making everything seem less important. He put an arm around my shoulder and led me into the room where Drekvic still sat on the floor, pointedly not looking at me. He looked a little green himself, and I wondered what Hope had done to work him up so much.
Hope’s arm was warm, but not blindingly hot like Chester’s. His energy settled into mine, and by the time he got me into the small library, I felt a thousand times better. Chester trailed behind in silence. His shoulders had relaxed. I think we both liked Hope.
All of us do, Joy reminded me, sounding slightly annoyed that I had excluded her from my thoughts.
Sorry, I said. I forget, sometimes, that I’m not alone in my head.
I felt her settle back into the opal on my hand. She liked to give me privacy, although there was no fooling either of us. Joy was always in my head, and while I cared for her, it wasn’t always ideal. I glanced over at Chester and almost blushed, wondering how many fantasies she had put up with since joining me.
“I was just talking to Drekvic about his future. I didn’t expect Fate to be done so soon,” Hope said, dropping me off on a low stool with a large cushion. I sank into it, watching him move to the corner between shelves. I heard a faint clinking and wondered if he was making tea.
I told him what had just happened, not really thinking to censor anything. When I got to the point where I hadn’t been able to breathe and disconnected from my body, he came back over with a small cup filled with a citrus-smelling tea. The liquid was clear with orange peels floating in it. I finished my story before taking a sip.
Drekvic had lost some of his pallor and was looking at me with a strange intensity in his hazel eyes that made me blush. I looked away and cupped my tea tightly in both hands.
“Fate and I were born gods,” Hope said, his melodic voice soothing the last of my nerves. “We’re still learning how to step aside and pass the power along. No one gave us an instruction manual. Maybe… next week, come see me. My love’s darkness wasn’t able to reach you, but I have nothing but light,” he smiled beatifically.
“Okay,” I replied, willing to try anything at this point.
“Now, drink your tea and take these boys home. You need some rest.” He gave me a fatherly look before brushing his hands on his khakis and turning towards Fate’s classroom.
I raised the ceramic cup to my lips, trying not to shudder at the memory of drowning in Fate’s magic. Anything Hope could give me would be better than that experience.
CHAPTER FOUR
My lungs burned in the cold as I gasped for air. My feet pounding into the pavement and my labored breathing were the only sounds I could hear. There was no birdsong and the winter morning made other runners scarce. I knew it would pick up as the day went on and the sun rose higher on the horizon, but I hadn’t been able to sleep.
I couldn’t help but think of Jana. I’d never run without her, and even with the passing of so many weeks, it still hurt to know that she’d never run with me again. My younger sister had been full of life, the only real friend I’d ever had. Running had been her thing, always leaving the house before the sun was even a hint in the sky to get in her miles before she had to start her day.
The fierce longing in my chest threatened to break my rhythm, so I pushed the feeling into the soles of my feet, shoving it into the ground with each step until I was no longer blinking back tears. I hadn’t been paying attention to the distance, so I was surprised to see the parking lot as I finished the two mile circuit. The trail went through a manicured wood that was meticulously maintained by a coven of nature witches. I had to pay to use the space, but it was close to home and I’d never minded the small fee for such a safe park.
I slowed to a walk, stretching my legs as I bounced along, wondering how sore I’d be later. As it was, I felt drained, and was happy to drop into my car and roll down the windows. I’d probably pushed myself too hard, but without Jana to do it for me, someone had to.
I felt Chester’s presence in the car before noticing him sitting next to me. He was scanning the woods, looking up at the still-barren branches.
“Hi,” I said, still slightly out of breath. He had slept on the couch the night before, and I thought I’d left him still sleeping there this morning.
“You were gone when I woke up. I got worried,” he replied, shrugging, his eyes tightening slightly as he looked into the thick underbrush. “The energy here is strange.”
I followed his stare and tried to see the world like he did, as energy and magic. All I saw was twisting foliage and dead grass, but the intense scrutiny wasn’t entirely wasted, as I saw something shift in the undergrowth. It looked like a small bundle of clothing, arms waving in the frosty air.
I was out of the car before I had time to think, hearing the solid thunk of the passenger door as Chester followed close behind me. As always, his feet were silent while mine crunched on the uneven ground. What I had thought was a child seemed to vanish as I got closer, and I paused about halfway to where I’d seen the strange bundle, listening closely. I didn’t like the implication that I’d imagined something, so I moved forward again, this time looking at the surrounding area as well.
Chester followed, his lips making a hard line that matched his dark eyebrows.
“Did you see something here?”I asked, knowing that he could sense things that I couldn’t.
“Nothing,” he replied, sounding worried.
I took one step into the darkness of the trees and knew something was wrong. A heavy presence settled onto my shoulders. It was all I could do not to jump back into the emerging sunlight. I looked up into the canopy of the trees, my muscles seizing in horror as I saw the webs.
They were thick and tangled, stretching from one tree to the next in wispy threads. The trees that surrounded me were different than the ones I’d just walked into. They were thicker, not fledgling creatures but ancient sentinels. The webs blocked out what little light there was, and I took an involuntary step backwards.
I ran into the cold shield and stumbled forward, catching myself before I fell onto a cluster of the roots. Chester was there to steady me, his eyes flashing with intensity as he pressed against the barrier with his other hand. His hand stopped exactly in the space where the shadow of the trees turned into rays of sunlight.
Joy was not afraid, her annoyance at being trapped hard to ignore. Her fire gave me confidence, but as I turned, I decided if I saw any type of spider I’d torch the place.
“I don’t think we can get through,” Chester said, his fingers glowing a brilliant green in the gloom as he tried to force his way through the barrier. “Something is blocking my teleport spell.”
I tested the barrier with my own magic, but it felt solid. I could probably use a magical hammer to break it, but depending on how strong it was, the backlash could kill us.
An eerie cry broke the silence, and we turned as one to lo
ok into the woods. It sounded like a child in pain, and I wondered if there was a ghost here.
“We need to get out,” Chester said immediately, his voice strained. I felt him draw on more magic, pulling it out of his cairn as he pushed it into the barrier, still trying to break it.
“Why? What if there’s a ghost?” I demanded, not wanting to turn away from the painful sound.
“It’s not a child,” Chester replied, “and there probably are ghosts, too many for us to deal with right now.”
I wanted to disregard his words and look for the child, but I knew Chester well enough to know that he wouldn’t turn away from ghosts without a good reason. I turned to put my hand over his, the warmth of his skin shocking as I pushed magic into his spell.
As I’d feared, the backfire of our combined power shoved me off my feet and through the air, too quickly to react. Chester faired a little better, his hand turning and gripping tightly onto my wrist to keep us from being separated. If he hadn’t acted so quickly, that was exactly what would have happened as the roots shifted into a gaping maw, ready to swallow us whole.
I slammed into the ground, the wind rushing out of my lungs. My wrist twisted painfully where Chester dragged me to his chest, but I was grateful he was there as the roots wrapped around us, closing off the twisted trees and webs above. Plunged into darkness, I gasped for air, trying to force my lungs to work again.
Chester released my wrist in favor of wrapping an arm around me, pulling me into his lap. He had managed a sitting position before the roots made it impossible to move, lighting a small green orb to hover in the air over his shoulder. I felt trapped and swallowed the lump in my throat even as my skin turned clammy. Joy fumed as she sent tendrils of magic to test the air. Something kept snapping the magic back. It stung like a heavy slap.
Stop it, I told her, wanting to rub my arms and shoulders from the sensation.
You are a goddess. Other things are not supposed to be stronger than us, she hissed back. I almost laughed out loud at her outrage.
Chester saw my smile and raised an eyebrow.
“Happy to be in my arms?” he asked, his voice teasing.
That, of course, wiped the smile completely off my face, and my skin burned with embarrassment. I was pressed against his chest, my butt on his leg and my own legs curled up against his side. His presence was overwhelming, and I was acutely aware that I had just run for two miles and probably smelled like sweat.
“Joy is annoyed,” I managed to stammer out, wanting to bury myself in the root cave and never come out.
“You’re really red. Are you okay?” he asked, his brown eyes full of concern as he put a hand against my forehead.
The rough texture of his skin tingles up my spine and I pulled away only to smack my head against a root.
I cried out in pain and reached up to cradle the injury, feeling a tender spot already forming. Chester reached up as well, and I wanted to melt into the ground. I couldn’t meet his gaze as he fretted over me.
You are an embarrassment, Joy moaned. I was such a bumbling idiot whenever it came to confronting my feelings about Chester, but she was also annoyed because I was still sitting in the semi-darkness instead of trying to escape.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, to her and to Chester.
“Nothing to be sorry about. Are you okay?” Chester asked again, and I made the mistake of looking up at him.
His face was so close to mine, and once I met his gaze I couldn’t quite look away. It’d been a long time since I’d had a boyfriend. Once I realized I wanted to pursue magical research, romance had taken a backseat, and I hadn’t considered it at all until Chester had entered my life. I wanted nothing more than to press my lips against his, wrap both arms around him and await death by whatever monster had trapped us.
My mouth opened slightly, a shaky breath escaping before I could stop it. Chester’s hand fell from the back of my head to rest on my collarbone, and I felt a faint tremble in his touch. I considered moving the couple inches toward him that would damn us to never going back when a loud crunch sounded from above.
We looked up, blinking as dirt fell through the cracks into our faces and hair. A heavy creature was snorting above us. The creature let out a low growl that faded into the din of a soft rustle as it moved away. We waited awhile longer, but no other sounds were forthcoming.
This has been nice, Joy snarled. Now stop thinking with your libido and get us out of here.
You are so bossy, I commented, but still did as she asked. I reached into the well of magic within me, finding what I needed. I expanded my awareness toward the roots around us, feeling the living pulse of the trees. With a gentle hand, I pushed the roots to release us.
What I had thought was earth holding us up vanished, and we fell into darkness.
The freezing water stole my breath completely, and I felt Chester slip away from me as I flailed frantically to keep from being submerged. I managed to get in a quick breath of air before I scraped a rock and was forced under the water by a strong current.
I couldn’t see anything, but when something soft and warm hit my hip, I lunged for it, recognizing the burning heat of Chester’s skin. I managed to grasp a handful of wet leather before something else slammed into me, scraping my skin like it was trying to tear my arm off. It was the current, trying to drag Chester away from me while I’d been wedged against a rock.
I pulled with all my might, my lungs burning, starving for air.
Me! Joy shouted, bursting through the panic in my mind.
I allowed her free reign, and immediately her magic formed a shield around us, forcefully draining the water as she cut her way to the surface for air. I gasped at the energy required to hold back the underground river, but I bolstered her shield with my own, pulling Chester’s face out of the water and into my bubble.
Water sputtered from his mouth as he coughed, leaning into me to keep us from being separated again.
“You’re bleeding,” he said, his voice hoarse from coughing. With his free hand he reached out to wipe away blood from my forehead. I blinked at the sting of it in my eyes, but I wasn’t seeing double or fainting, I had to assume I was okay.
“Can you get us out of here?” I asked, gesturing to my leaking bubble.
I felt the press of his magic, but nothing happened and he shook his head.
“Something’s wrong. Can you open a portal to the next realm? Maybe we can get out that way,” he suggested.
Joy was already straining to keep us from drowning, but she did her best to produce the glowing house key I needed to open the first gate. I conjured the door from my mind, and inserted the key. I’d barely opened the door a crack before I realized something was extremely wrong.
Pain split down the center of my skull, my already weak knees folding me to the ground as I lost balance. Joy screamed in my head, and it was all I could do to slam the door shut before her bubble failed. Chester was still holding me, and when we were thrown back into the darkness of the freezing river together.
A second pain tore into my chest as water met my lungs and my entire body seized up, blackness threatening to overwhelm me. Joy was still screaming, trying frantically to put up the shield as my flesh failed me and I fell into a deep void.
I slammed into Chester’s chest and he hit my back frantically as water spewed from my mouth and nose. Cold fire licked up my throat as I tried to breathe. Chester had created a second bubble, and was shouting at me to not die. When I stopped vomiting water he knelt down in front of me on the uneven rocks. His hands touched my face and I managed to focus on his face, barely.
“We aren’t in my reality anymore,” I croaked, stunned at how horrendous my voice sounded.
“I know what happened,” he replied, kissing the top of my head and hugging me tightly. “Thank Fate you’re okay.”
I fell limply into his arms, frozen. I was trembling so badly I thought I’d shake myself apart.
“I’ve got you, Ellie,” Chester wh
ispered, adjusting so he could pick me up under my knees. I leaned into him, shivering violently into the incredible heat of his skin. I blinked tears from the corners of my eyes and inwardly cursed my weakness.
Joy was silent, a gentle presence pressing against my soul, trying to comfort us both.
Chester’s magic enveloped me, and I felt the uncomfortable pull of teleportation before we were in the collector’s village, right outside his home. The change of scenery surprised me. I’d known that there was no way we were still in my reality. To jump through so many gates just by walking into a forest was terrifying.
With a trembling hand I grabbed a fistful of Chester’s leather vest as he jogged toward his building. The beautiful colors of the spirit world’s crystal structures normally soothed me, but the beating I’d taken was making me dizzy, and I was afraid I was going to be sick. Chester whispered soothing words to me, but none of them were making sense.
Instead, I focused on the tenor of his voice and the strength of his arms cradling me like a child. I focused on the curve of his jaw and the wet hair that stuck to the side of his neck. The edges of my vision were blacking out, and blood was still streaming from the wound on my head. My stomach was doing strange flips and I clenched my jaw.
Chester shoved his door open with a shoulder when we reached it, and I heard the knob snap, but didn’t worry. Chester could fix anything. The world spun when he settled me into a semi-sitting position on the couch. Without his warmth next to me, the cold and damp came rushing back. I was trembling so badly I started to pitch over onto the floor, but Chester was already back, a warm washcloth in his hands.
He braced me back up on the couch, kneeling and pressing the washcloth against the wound on my temple. The flash of pain brought back the nausea and I closed my eyes, trying to block out the world.
Closed eyes is good, Joy mumbled, and I could feel her own nausea as she saw the world through my unfocused gaze.
“It’s okay, Ellie,” Chester whispered, gently sliding onto the couch next to me. He kept the pressure on my wound as he pulled me closer to him, sharing his warmth.
Wayward Hope Page 3
