by Stella Snow
“More magic?” she asked quietly.
“I can help things grow,” Salathia explained. “It’s part of who I am as a dryad. I can explain later, we are running out of time.”
Melodie followed her back through the narrow tunnel, enjoying the trip even less the second time around. They hurried back through the woods in complete silence.
“Who killed my parents?” she asked as soon as they got back in the car. There was a lump in her throat, something she hadn’t expected. Melodie had never really missed having parents since she had no memories of them, and her grandmother had rarely spoken of her mother. With good reason apparently.
Salathia paused with her hand on the keys and turned toward her. “The King of Telagrad, who was your mother’s husband. His name is Pareth. He’s been hunting for you and the Stone since before you were born, though I suspect he is more concerned about reclaiming the Stone.”
“Do you think he is the one that sent those things to attack us today?” she asked.
Salathia started the car and took a steadying breath. “There has been a bounty on your head for years. They could be here because of that, or because he sent them directly. There’s no way of knowing. They shouldn’t have been able to find us though. There is always a chance they could track us down using human means, but we moved so often I thought it would be beyond their skill.”
They drove back toward town. Melodie stared intently out of the window, looking for a glimpse of red, or a flash of movement. This stretch of road was quiet and lonely. The perfect place for an ambush.
The longer they drove, the more uncomfortable Melodie became. The conversations replayed over and over in her head, and she kept coming back to the fact her grandmother—no, her guardian––had lied to her for her entire life. She leaned over and turned the air conditioning up. Her skin was hot and flushed like she had a fever.
“Melodie, what’s wrong?”
She glared at Salathia. “You’ve been lying to me for my entire life, and I nearly died. What do you think is wrong?”
“Your eyes,” her guardian whispered, before turning her attention back to the road and accelerating. Her knuckles were white on the steering wheel.
“What about them?” Her hand flew to her face, but nothing felt wrong.
“The binding is failing. I don’t know what is going to happen, but I can feel the magic pouring off you and it is getting stronger. Magic feeds on your emotions, you have to calm down.”
Melodie yanked down the visor and flipped open the little mirror. The strange, green eyes reflected back widened. She touched her cheek; her skin looked different too. There was an odd sheen that made it glow in the weak light. She turned her head to the side; her ears had become pointed.
Her breath caught in her throat. Nothing was real. Nothing about her, not even the way she looked. The pulse started deep inside her chest, the same thing that had happened in the woods.
“What is happening to me?” she choked out, trying to hold back something she didn’t understand.
“The binding is failing, and your magic is trying to protect you. We’re almost there, Melodie, hang on just a few minutes longer. We can find somewhere safe for you to get through this.”
She gritted her teeth against the feeling building in her chest. There was no way she could just calm down, not after everything that had happened. The lies. The attacks. This was all wrong.
Salathia drove recklessly fast through the subdivision as Melodie struggled against the pressure that was going to rip her apart. The car screeched to a halt in front of a sprawling old house guarded by two very old oak trees. Salathia jumped out of the car and ran to the front door, banging on it frantically.
Melodie pushed opened her door and stumbled out, falling to her knees in the driveway. Her chest ached and her fingertips stung with the need to do something. People were shouting, but it all sounded very far away. A strange surge shuddered through her and the concrete cracked under her hands, splintering out around her like a spiderweb.
A man with long black hair that was tied back in a braid approached, her guardian following close behind him. He had broad shoulders and walked like he was invincible. Melodie couldn’t tear her eyes away from him.
He stopped barely a step away from her and spoke loud enough that she could hear him over the ringing in her ears. “We can’t stop the binding from failing now, but I won’t let anything hurt you,” he said calmly.
Salathia stood just behind him, the strain evident on her face. She leaned in like there was a strong wind, but Melodie couldn’t feel anything.
Melodie looked into his eyes and everything else fell away. They were dark gray ringed with a bright silver, and for a moment, it was all she could focus on. She had the strangest urge to touch his face. “Who are you?” she choked out.
“My name is Gavriel,” he said calmly. “I’m here on behalf of Arsadia, your father’s people.”
“What’s happening to me?”
“From what your guardian told us, it seems there was a binding placed on your magic. Now that it’s failing, your magic is forcing its way out. This will be easier if you just let it go.”
Melodie’s breath caught in her throat as she held back another searing pulse that threatened to tear out of her. Gavriel’s face kept flickering in and out of focus, but his silvery eyes stayed steady as though they were pinning her in place.
“Melodie, trust me.” He placed a cool hand on her shoulder.
When the next wave hit her, she knew she didn’t have a choice. She closed her eyes and let go.
Something bright sparked inside of her. It rolled and stretched along her skin. This was vibrant life. She had been asleep when this was locked away. With her head thrown back, arms spread wide, the first charge of magic surged up through her body. It leaped from her hands in an uncontrollable burst of light and sound that felt a little like screaming.
The power of it shocked her and she clenched her fists, trying to pull it back. Wind whipped her hair around her face as she tried to push down the panic, but it grew. There was something unthinking inside of her that wasn’t afraid. Just free. It fought against the panic until she was overwhelmed with a sense of euphoria.
Salathia dropped to a knee with a pained grunt, her skin flushed dark brown.
“Just go if you can’t stand. You’ll only risk getting hurt if you try to stay,” Gavriel shouted.
Salathia grit her teeth but took slow steps backward until Melodie lost sight of her.
The ground shook, shuddering and rolling in answer to the chaos that grew inside of her. Light exploded outward, but instead of flooding the area, it shuddered to a halt near Gavriel’s feet. He leaned in closer, straining against the pure magic that was pouring out of her.
Chapter 6
Light relentlessly pushed around them until they were standing in the middle of a hurricane. Gavriel took a step forward and grabbed one of Melodie’s outstretched hands. “That’s enough, you can stop this now,” he said, his face inches from hers.
“No, I can’t,” she whispered, terror and exhilaration storming through her.
He pressed his other hand to her face and brushed his thumb along her cheek. “You can. You’re strong enough and you can control this.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and focused on the coolness of his hand on her cheek. His fingers tightened against hers and the panic eased. The tide of magic shifted directions. She took a breath in and the wind whipping around them slowed. The light stilled, hovering in the air like a flash of lightning frozen in time. With one last shuddering gasp, she fell forward into his chest. The light rolled back into her with a clap of thunder that rattled the windows of the house.
Gavriel scooped her up as Salathia rushed toward them.
“Is she okay?” Salathia demanded. Her voice was fuzzy to Melodie, like she was listening through cotton in her ears.
“She’ll be fine, she’s just exhausted herself,” Gavriel said.
He car
ried her inside and she caught a glimpse of an empty living room before they turned left and walked into a room lined with bookshelves from floor to ceiling. A large mahogany desk sat in the back of the room framed by two tall windows.
Gavriel set Melodie down in a leather chair near the desk. A woman with pointed ears brushed past them, stopping in front of the desk and crossing her arms. She wasn’t human either. A few other people filed in, but Melodie couldn’t tear her eyes away from the woman’s ears.
“There have been rumors of people having their magic bound, but such a thing has never been seen before. How did her mother do that?” the woman asked.
“I don’t know,” Salathia snapped.
“You should have contacted me about it years ago. We could have avoided this spectacle.” The woman’s anger made her seem larger, as though she was not a barely five-foot-three woman with a neat French twist. She wore a mismatched blouse and yoga pants––she must have been in the middle of changing clothes when they’d arrived.
“There was no reason to worry before, Esther,” Salathia insisted.
A man leaned against the doorjamb with a wistful sigh. “Our poor driveway is a total loss. We just repaved it last month.”
“John, call the others and organize a patrol while I deal with this,” Esther said, ignoring his attempt to lighten the mood. “We have to make sure there aren’t any more mercenaries wandering around unchecked. Call Ms. Nancy too, I want to know how the hell they got here.”
The man nodded and left the study.
Melodie pulled her knees up to her chest and rubbed her eyes trying to wake up a little.
“I will not risk exposure because of your mistakes.” The woman jabbed her finger in Salathia’s direction. “You’re lucky all our closest neighbors are Forgotten.”
“We did not bring trouble to your doorstep; it was already here. Are the Forgotten not still guardians of the Gate?” Salathia said, a growl tinging her words. Her sharp teeth were bared as she glared at Esther, her hands clenched into tight fists.
Esther glared back at her and began pacing in front of the window behind her desk. “What attacked you and how many were there?”
“There were three men and three barghest that I saw. Two were killed along with the barghest, one ran, and I didn’t try to chase him down.” Salathia crossed her arms.
“Barghest? On this side of the Veil?” Gavriel’s head jerked up.
“Someone is targeting you,” Esther said, her brows pulled tightly together and her frown deepening. “Do they have anything they could track her with?”
“No. No one on that side of the Veil has ever been near her,” Salathia said.
“What about you?” Gavriel asked.
Salathia tapped her fingers against her arms. “Anything is possible, but I doubt it. If so, surely they would have found us years ago.”
Esther pursed her lips as she assessed both of them. Her eyes skipped over Melodie like she was a stain on her carpet. “Then you stay here with us. She’s not leaving this house until we know for sure that what happened tonight will not happen again. We can’t afford to be exposed like that, especially not in this town.”
“I’ll figure something out,” Salathia said.
John came back into the room with a grim look on his face. “The gate is closed.”
Everyone in the room froze, though Melodie had no idea what he was talking about. Salathia had said something about a gate, but the whole conversation was fuzzy.
“Are they absolutely sure?” Esther asked, her expression hardening further.
John nodded. “Ms. Nancy is there. She was about to call you when I called her, it started acting oddly about two hours ago. No one else knows yet. She also confirmed that no one has come through it, the watch did not lapse.”
“I have to go deal with this,” Esther said.
“I’m going with you,” Gavriel said. Esther opened her mouth, but Gavriel stopped her before she could speak. “I have to know if I’m cut off from returning home and if there is any way to send a message back.”
“I’m going too,” Salathia said.
Esther let out a harsh breath through her nose. “I’d rather leave both of you here.”
John stepped up and put a hand on her shoulder. “You shouldn’t make the trip by yourself right now, we have no idea what might be out there. I’ll stay with the kids.”
Esther ground her teeth together, then sighed and nodded her agreement. “She can’t be alone right now.” Esther pointed at Melodie. “John, have Ethan stay with her. I need you to coordinate with the others for me and keep tabs on the patrols.”
John opened the door. “Hey, Ethan, can you come in here, please?”
Melodie’s jaw dropped when the young guy from the cabinet factory appeared in the doorway.
“How can I help?” Ethan asked as he stepped inside.
“John, I’ll let you explain. I have to go,” Esther said. Salathia and Gavriel followed her as she swept out of the room, leaving Melodie alone with these strangers.
“You need to stay with Melodie while we deal with this. Get her whatever she needs, but come get me if there is even the slightest hint she might be about to lose control,” John instructed before rushing from the room as well.
Melodie was still reeling from the fact that Ethan, of all people, was involved in this. He knew who she was, and what she was, from the way he was looking at her. “You knew who I was when I came in for the job interview, didn’t you?” she asked hoarsely.
“Um, yeah, I did.” Ethan dropped his eyes and scratched the back of his head. “Your guardian petitioned my mom to request a job for you in order to keep you safe. Dale agreed to hire you.”
“She arranged all of that without telling me.” Melodie let her head fall back against the chair. “Of course she did.”
More lies. More of her choices taken away from her. She swallowed hard to get the lump out of her throat. She had no intention of crying in front of a stranger.
“Need a hand?”
“No.” She struggled to her feet and shuffled toward Ethan. Her legs were like jello, but the farther she walked the better she felt. Ethan tried to help her again, but she shrugged him off. He followed her out the door, and when the door clicked shut behind them, turned to her with a smile.
“So, this is all probably pretty confusing.”
She glared at him. “I almost died. I’m apparently not human and I’m exhausted. Confusing is not the word I’d choose.”
“I’m sorry,” Ethan said, his grin fading into a frown that seemed unnatural on his face. He ruffled his wavy brown hair and looked around the hallway like he was searching for answers. “Any chance you’d like some dinner? I had just put it in the oven when you guys arrived, but it only has about ten more minutes to go. Or I can make you a cup of tea or hot chocolate?”
Melodie sighed and dropped the glare. She knew none of this was Ethan’s fault.
“Hot chocolate sounds great.” She didn’t have much of an appetite, but something warm sounded nice.
“Follow me then.” Ethan led Melodie back down the hallway and through the living room. The lights had been turned on, illuminating the well-worn, dark wood floors. Pictures of Esther, John, Ethan, and a young girl hung on the wall in various sizes. Melodie paused in front of the family portrait for a moment before following Ethan into the kitchen. They looked happy and normal in the picture, no one would suspect they weren’t human either.
A large island with white and gray marble separated the kitchen from the living room. The kitchen was pristine from the white cabinets to the vase of yellow flowers set in the middle of the island. Ethan opened the large stainless-steel refrigerator to reveal neatly organized bottled water, containers full of leftovers, and fresh fruits. The entire house looked like something out of a magazine.
Ethan pulled out a gallon of milk and set it on the counter.
“We always make hot chocolate from scratch. It’s one of those things you shoul
d do right, I think,” he explained as he pulled a pot out from the cabinet.
“Do you cook a lot?” She wasn’t sure if she should offer to help, or just stay out of his way.
“Yeah, my mom can’t cook to save her life, and she’s too busy to anyhow. My dad always works late too, so I just kind of took it over. I like trying out new recipes on the family.”
Melodie walked over to the little four-person table in the breakfast area next to the kitchen and sat down. She hesitated for a moment, then decided she might as well try to get answers where she could.
“I hope this isn’t rude to ask, but my—guardian,” she stuttered, unable to say grandmother at that moment, “was trying to explain things to me on the way over here. She said that the Forgotten are descendants of some elves that were trapped over here a couple of centuries ago?”
“Yep, that’s the quick and dirty version.”
“Your family and the others, you just live as humans now?”
Ethan nodded and stirred some cocoa powder into the heating milk. “Yeah, none of us are pure elf anymore. And our magic is fading, probably because we’ve married humans. A few of us can’t use magic at all, not that the opportunity really comes up. Magic use is super restricted because of the need to keep what we are secret. A lot of people in the community have just given it up voluntarily.” He lifted his shoulder in a shrug, not looking concerned about it at all. “I’ve always felt more human than anything else. We all live here, none of us can ever go live in the Sidhe, it’s just become who we are.”
“Wait, what is the shee?” Melodie tilted her head to the side in confusion.
“The world on the other side of the Veil,” Ethan explained, waving his spoon in the air to gesture all around them. “It’s spelled s-i-d-h-e, but pronounced shee, a little confusing I know.”
“And you can’t live there?”
Ethan snorted. “We’d be second class. Every race in the Sidhe is obsessed with a person’s ability to use magic, and they kind of hate humans. We couldn’t work there. Definitely wouldn’t find anyone willing to marry us, and depending on how snobby they are, they might not even want to be friends.”
