When my soul was finally pried loose.
And that would be soon. Very soon.
Chapter 92
Red-Black Hands
Maddie:
I stood, bathed in silver light, head cocked to one side, listening to the battle, remembering the last bitter words spoken by Ash. A heavy silence now reigned. I couldn’t hear him anymore, couldn’t feel his heartbeat pulsing in my red-black hands, couldn’t smell his fragrance seeping through the horde of Darkling wings that surrounded him.
No. This will not happen.
You will not take him from me.
I clenched my fists, then ran toward the crowd of black and gray flesh that separated me from Ash. I raced across the torn and muddy field, leaping over those humans who still slept, anger replacing any fear I might have had. I struck the Darklings on their leathery backs, surprised when sparks tumbled from every blow.
“Let me in!” I cried, though none of them moved aside.
Instead, one of the beasts turned his head and snarled. He swiveled around until he faced me, his mouth open wide to reveal dagger-sharp teeth. He snapped and growled with a sinister grin, threatened to bite my arm if I dared strike him again.
Then, suddenly, two ghost-white creatures came between us, they grabbed the menacing Darkling and cast him aside, sent him tumbling into the distant wood.
I stared at the hovering transparent beings, who in turn looked back at me in silence. They glowed from the silver light of the moon, as if made of fire. Nick and Pinch. They came nearer until they stood at my side; they each bowed a knee to me.
“Send us in,” they said in unison, their voices rough as a winter storm. “All you need do is give us the word.”
Ash’s daughter was beside me, fists clenched, tears on her cheeks. She nodded.
Then I—Madeline MacFaddin, known to many as Mad Mac—turned and pointed toward the Darkling flock that would not move, that would not let me pass.
“Go!” I said.
It was such a simple command and yet both Nick and Pinch knew exactly what I wanted and were willing to do it. With hearts ablaze, my transparent creatures pushed their way through the growling horde.
And their magic was stronger than any the Darklings had ever seen.
Chapter 93
Smoke in the Wind
Ash:
My dreams continued to be peeled away, from skin to bone to marrow, and then finally to soul. With each passing second, I felt as if I was becoming a mere wisp of who I had once been. Cherished memories rose to the surface, only to disappear: my father teaching me how to hunt through the midnight streets of Amsterdam; Lily pausing during a harvest to kiss me, the wildness of it stealing my breath; Elspeth running and laughing as a child, delicate wings lifting her off the ground for her first flight. My memories were fading and with each one, my dreams were being stolen as well. Before long, I would be nothing but a wraith, exiled from this world forever. Still, I clung to that one last dream until it consumed me, until it became all that I was. Everything else had been burned off and destroyed.
All the dreams of revenge faded, turned into smoke in the wind.
All hope of being set free from the curse—of one day pledging Ticonderoga Falls to Elspeth as her birthright—vanished.
All the hunger and anger and disappointment evaporated—the serpentine veins that had laced through me and held me captive against my will for nearly a century crumbled and broke.
Until, finally, the only thing left was this fragile hope of love.
My body sagged against the earth, muscles weary from the battle, while the thunder of the outside world grew dim. The only thing I could hear now was my own meager heartbeat. Meanwhile, the final chapter of the Legend circled through forest and field, as if testing the hearts and character of all who had been beckoned by the incantation. It whispered Yes, a thousand times, yes, and I tried to lift my head, to understand why it would say something like that at such a time as this. Why would it betray me and rejoice in my death?
Then suddenly, miraculously, the tapestry of Darkling flesh parted. Black wings no longer hid the sky from view and the sweet fragrance of life swept over the battlefield. Overhead, the moon broke through and cast beautiful silver beams down, drenching me in nocturnal brilliance. Then I was able to see what had parted the death throng that surrounded me. Two ghost-like figures sailed past the Darklings: two imaginary beings, transparent yet having substance.
They came with a fury, kicking and punching, knocking everyone aside, forcing the barbaric Darklings to move. Cries echoed and wings thundered and enchantments were cast in a flurry.
But none of the Darklings’ whispered spells could stop this pair.
I grinned weakly, for I recognized them. Maddie’s characters had been following her throughout the evening, her invisible companions, ever faithful to their creator.
Then they pushed and shoved against the wall of Darklings until it opened and she walked in with the ethereal carriage of a queen: Madeline, bathed in moonlight, her face and hands covered in mud, as if she had just been born anew from an earthen womb. Elspeth, Sage and Sienna followed her, while the werebeast clumped in behind them all, carrying the boy in his arms, holding the lad high where none could touch him.
At the sight of them, Thane stopped his feeding, a look of surprise and horror on his face. And in that instant, my heartbeat returned, became a natural rhythm again.
Perhaps my last dream could still come true.
Chapter 94
Crowned with Dreams
Thane:
The wall of Darklings parted as two diaphanous creatures cut through like scythes. These transparent beasts didn’t respond to any of my spells or songs. Relentless, they fought against my northern cousins until an opening appeared and the moon shined upon me. I cowered. Silver-white light poured down.
Exposing the sacrilegious ceremony and my hollow heart.
I crumbled to my knees then, at last, when the moon found me, when it scorched me as the traitor I truly was. I had turned against my own clansman. I couldn’t bear to look up, to see the brightness blinding me, to feel the wickedness in my own soul, and I held one arm over my head to shield my eyes.
Then Maddie walked in, crowned with dreams like sugar candy. Stained with mud and glowing in moonlight, she didn’t look human anymore.
Maybe she never had been.
“Him.” She cast a long finger at me and then, like vengeful ghosts, both of the transparent figures circled me. They grabbed me by the arms, their rough fingers digging into my flesh like claws. One of them kicked me in the leg, just for the fun of it, then giggled when I cringed.
These transparent creatures were as solid as any beast or person I’d ever encountered.
Moon magic.
“Take him to the Land of Nightmares and see that he never escapes!” Maddie cried.
“No!” I begged. “Please, not that, don’t—”
But pleading only made my captors laugh harder. They jostled, pulled and wrenched my arms, kicked and bit, then laughed in unison. They lifted me high in the air and swung me around and around until I begged them to release me. Then, when everyone had seen my true character and cowardice, they carried me away from the feasting field, away from Ticonderoga Falls, away from everything sweet and good and wholesome.
Into the clouds and the sky, toward the black empty terror that waits just on the other side of every dream gone awry.
Toward the Land of Nightmares.
Never to return.
Chapter 95
Faery Tales
Ash:
Elspeth came forward, tears on her face, her voice so strained she could barely speak. She knelt and wrapped her arms around me and Maddie stood beside both of us. Sage came nearer, tugging a vial that hung around her neck on a cord. She opened the slender flask, then placed it to my lips. The Nectar of the Hunt, the dreams of a hundred Sleepers. My sister fed me until my strength returned.
“Take it,” I sai
d, looking up at my daughter when I was finally strong enough to stand again. “Claim the village. It was always your inheritance. Don’t let anyone steal it from you.”
I watched the wild Darklings who continued to hover and lurk in dangerous, brooding clusters, knowing that their storm of black wings could rain another attack at any moment. I was ready to fight, if need be, to claim what was rightfully ours. Elspeth turned slowly, gazing at the crowd that had surrounded us. I could sense the anger within her, a righteous anger, and I smiled when she brazened a clenched fist over her head.
“You have broken your sacred vows today!” she cried, her eyes like flames in the darkness. “Life and limb. You dared to attempt the Feast of Forbidden Dreams!”
She took a step forward, one hand pointing in accusation at the horde of Darkings, their voices now a low chattering moan. “I curse you!” she said. “All of you—”
The moon seemed to draw nearer as she spoke, until the luminous orb was three times its normal size. It set Elspeth aglow with a silver-blue fire. Strands of thin white lightning danced about her, crackling and sizzling. “—How dare you try to take anything from this village, from this land that is my birthright!”
Then she stared up at the moon, raised both hands above her head, palms open, and she cried out, a primal shout so raw that it cut all who heard it in the belly and few could stay standing on their feet. Like a shock wave, it surged forward, causing the mountain itself to tremble. In the near distance, trees wavered and houses shook, windows near and far rattled and broke.
Both of Elspeth’s arms swung down and in that instant an impenetrable darkness fell from the heavens, her enchantment so strong that it wiped out all sound and movement. It forced everyone to stop and listen. The entire crowd of Darklings turned, every one of them facing her now.
“A curse be upon you and your entire clan,” she continued. “On those who live here and those back in the homeland. Barrenness shall fall upon your houses and every harvest you gather shall turn bitter in your mouths! A curse be upon each and every one of you, if you do not grant me obeisance on this day.”
As one, their heads lowered.
“Kneel!” Elspeth demanded.
And all the Darklings knelt before her. Even her own kinsmen.
I too knelt, until she took me by the hand and nodded for me to rise. From that point on, I stood at her side as each of the wild Darklings came forth, one by one, each pledging that they would never hunt again in Ticonderoga Falls without her permission. This act of fealty lasted for hours, until the moon hovered on the edge of the horizon, almost ready to slip away and give the world back to her sister, the sun. Then finally, at last, a quiet peace rolled over the field, as if all the venom had been drained from an old wound. Now the humans gathered in small groups, laughing and joking, as if they knew that they were safe from the nightmarish beasts that still roamed the field. Like weary children, the humans began to scatter, free to go home now, their innocence intact.
Just as it should be.
Only a few remained.
Joe Wimbledon ambled forward then, his limp more pronounced than before. His clothes were dusted with snow and dirt, for he had been among those harvested in the field. He knelt before me, although we both knew that I was no longer the ruler and Joe had relinquished his title as Legend Keeper.
“You will always be my friend,” I told him as we clasped hands and I lifted him to his feet. “And I promise safety for you and your family for all that you have done for me.”
Joe nodded his head quietly, tears in his eyes, perhaps saddened because he could no longer hear the whispering Legend as it cantered among the treetops.
Ross Madera came forward next, concern on his face. Despite all he had been through tonight, my friend approached with only thoughts of my well-being. “Come with me,” he said. “Let me bandage your wound. I’ll see if I can find something to take away the sting of pain—”
“Not yet,” I answered. “I’ll stop by later.”
Sienna watched the two of us, something in her eyes much deeper than hunger when she looked at Ross.
“Let me see your arm,” I said to Ross.
He pulled back his sleeve to reveal the long jagged scar on his forearm. I whispered a singsong poem, words that none but a Darkling could understand, and the mark on Ross’s arm vanished.
“I release you,” I said with a smile. “Now you’re free to choose.”
Sienna and Ross strolled away, arm in arm, as if they had known each other all their lives. I could hear her chatting in a low, sultry tone about possibly moving to Ticonderoga Falls and making it her home.
All the while, Sage stood nearby, sacrificing the rest of the Hunt to make sure that both Elspeth and I were truly safe, although we told her she was free to harvest. She merely shook her head and said that the best harvest was right here, right now.
Then a young man came nearer and he lingered at Elspeth’s side. He seemed unafraid of the other Darklings, as if his desire to be near her overshadowed any potential danger. I recognized the lad, for I had seen him often at Joe Wimbledon’s house. He was Joe’s nephew, Jake.
I had been wrong to think that no one would ever love my daughter. There were already strong feelings between the two of them, although they were probably too young to feel this way. Still, I knew better than to argue with her when it came to matters of the heart.
She was the ruler now.
I lifted my head and caught a new fragrance on the wind. A new harvest was growing in the village. Hidden and secret. Somewhere, somehow, on this evening, Darkling seed had been planted in the wombs of twelve human women. This would be an uneasy harvest when revealed, but I knew that those children would be innocent of the crimes of their father—whoever he had been.
Then, when the crowd of Darklings was finally dispersing—as they were all spreading broad wings and sailing through rose-tinted skies, as the humans were wandering off toward home and the promise of soft beds—Maddie came forward and knelt before my daughter. She was the only human who had offered obeisance and the gesture confirmed those deep feelings I already had.
She and Elspeth spoke quietly for a moment, then Maddie rose and came to me.
The field was near empty now. The werebeast meandered back and forth, always within sight, still carrying Tucker in his arms, the lad fast asleep.
Maddie gently placed one hand on my wound and she held it there, ignoring the heat and the sparking light; she pressed it there until the flow of red-black blood finally stopped. Until healing returned to my bones, to my marrow.
And, most important, to my heart.
Meanwhile, the Legend zipped overhead, leaping merrily from one tree branch to the next in the nearby forest. This was the happy ending that I had never anticipated. It was destiny after all. Madeline was meant to be here. Meant to be part of this century-old legend.
“I nearly lost you tonight,” she said.
“And I you.”
“Promise me,” she said then, with a smile that rivaled the brilliance of the setting moon, “if you’re ever in trouble again, you will call me.”
I smiled.
“I promise,” I answered.
Then she cupped my face in her hand, her fingers brushing my cheek and chin, almost exactly like I had held her in the forest. She remembered everything now, even how my Veil had held her still in the forest, she remembered it all and she was unafraid.
She came even nearer, her eyes like starlight, and she kissed me.
And with that, I wrapped my arms about her and pulled her close, held her so tight that no magic could ever separate us.
The dream worth dying for was alive and well.
Epilogue
Eight Months Later
Maddie:
I stood with my hair pulled back, sweat dripping down my neck from an unexpected flurry of Santa Ana winds. Boxes were stacked waist-deep inside the bungalow and a moving van slugged its way out of the driveway, back toward civilization. Mean
while, the sun was sliding toward the Pacific, the shadows were growing longer and I was wondering where I was going to put everything once I unpacked. This mountain cottage was about a third the size of my Malibu home, the one I finally sold just last week.
Tucker sat on the front porch, an advance reader’s copy of The Dream Eaters open across his knees. His ten-year-old eyes searched through the pages for the true story written between the lines—the story about him and Samwise and the entire community of Queensbury Falls, a mythical town nestled in the forests of the Adirondack Mountains. Meanwhile, Samwise scampered and rolled in the grass, yipping at the leaves that occasionally sailed to the ground. Thankfully, he’d gotten used to wearing dog skin unless it was absolutely necessary not to—though it had taken him a long time to figure out when that was.
Just then I heard a familiar voice, a lumbering step climbing the stairs.
Sheriff Kyle.
“You need some help unpacking?” he called.
I glanced at him and grinned. He limped now, but fortunately, all the other scars and wounds from his brief battle with Thane had healed.
“Sure,” I said.
We worked side by side, ripping boxes open and unwrapping the contents. Every hour or so throughout the evening, a neighbor would drop by to welcome me back to Ticonderoga Falls, giving me cakes, pies and cookies, until the sweets lined my kitchen table and counter. And now, in their midst, two pizza boxes stood open and empty. Tucker fed the last slice to Samwise, despite my protests.
Meanwhile, the moon rose in the heavens and its silver light poured in every uncurtained window.
Until, finally, the last moving box was unpacked.
I stretched and yawned, surprised that somehow everything had been put away. Even my son and the dog had been tucked away for the evening, both of them already asleep. It was hard to concentrate right now. Moonbeams showered the kitchen, brilliant as sunshine, and I kept hearing a familiar song. I glanced at the clock.
Kyle slugged down a last cup of coffee, then got ready to leave. He paused at the front door and glanced awkwardly at his feet. “I don’t know if I ever—if I thanked you for what you did,” he stammered. “If it hadn’t been for you—”
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