by Chanda Hahn
Mina knew Ternan and Winona would do their best to fight off Teague’s army. But she also knew they were vastly outnumbered. There was only one way to stop this.
She couldn’t feel her legs. They had gone numb from Teague’s grip on her neck. But she had to fight against his power. As she hung in the air, she gathered all of the love she had—all the feelings and memories of Teague before he was poisoned—and she willed those images into his subconscious. Her memories of Ferah stabbing him, of Mina trying to save him, to close the wound in his chest.
He shook his head and shoved his hands into his hair. “Stop it. It’s all lies.” The pressure released from her neck, her feet touched the ground, and she sucked in a deep breath.
“No, only truth,” she gasped out. “Love always prevails. Good always wins.”
Teague turned and this time physically grabbed her by the throat. She slipped and fell backward onto the pier. He landed on top of her, and she tried to push against him, but he was too strong. The knife landed with a thud on the pier next to a piece of broken railing.
Mina used her right hand and scrabbled around trying to find the dagger. In a desperate attempt to stall, she closed her eyes and willed a piece of wood to morph into a decoy dagger. Then she made the dagger look like the broken railing stake. Jared had once shown her that very same trick on a beach.
She turned her head, frantic, and reached for the true dagger. Teague hadn’t noticed her switch. He turned, grabbed the fake, and raised it above his head.
“I love you!” she choked out. “I always will.”
It was about to come down toward her chest, when with a final lunge, her fingers reached her goal. She closed her eyes. The stake grew hot in her hand, and then it was gone. Disappeared. Morphed back into the dagger of Erjad.
Without hesitation, she thrust the blade upward into Teague’s chest. He shuddered, his blue eyes opening wide in pain and then traveling to look at his closed hand. He opened his fist, and the wood shaft fell to the ground.
Mina sobbed as she shoved the knife deep, deeper, until it couldn’t go anymore.
Teague’s mouth opened and closed, and he reached down to gently touch her face. He didn’t look angry. He didn’t look full of hate. He looked… relieved.
“I knew you had it in you,” he whispered and slowly fell forward.
Mina caught him and helped him onto his back. She leaned down and took his hand in hers. “I didn’t want to. I never wanted to kill you. But you’ve hurt too many people, taken too many lives.”
He tried to say something, but it was lost in a scream of pain as the blade, made entirely of hate, began to poison him again.
Desperate, Mina pushed more power into his mind. She searched and called and coaxed. He had to be in there. She imagined it like the dream, different mirrors with different reflections of Teague.
“Don’t! Let me be. Let me die in peace,” he said, trying to push her hand away.
Mina ignored it and kept holding onto him. “No, I won’t give up on you. I won’t.”
Teague screamed at her, his eyes glowing with hate. He transformed, his mouth turning downward, his hands arching into claws. “Get away! I hate you.” Blue veins appeared along his face as the dagger’s hate-poison traveled through him, changed him. He gasped, and black blood bubbled up and poured slowly from the corner of his mouth. He grabbed at Mina’s hand.
She gripped it tightly. His eyes opened again, and she watched the familiar blue slowly fade to gray.
“Mi…na,” he mumbled. “You did what I didn’t have the strength to. Thank…” He coughed, and more blood came up. He lost the battle with one last word, whispered across his lips. “you.”
Grieving, she eased her grip. His hand fell to the ground.
Chapter 31
“I’m sorry, Teague. I’m so sorry. I tried, and now I’ve lost you.”
Mina felt the tingling of an approaching Fae and turned in time to see a wave rise up. The sea witch appeared.
“Aw, a death to feed on.” Taz Clara stepped up onto the pier, her green skin slightly glowing, her dark green hair moving on its own.
“No, you can’t feed on him,” Mina spat. She stood.
The sea witch’s face turned ugly. “You don’t want to share? You’re the one covered in his blood, not me.”
“Go away!” Mina said.
“Listen, child, and listen well. Let me feed, and I’ll see if I can save a part of him for you.”
“You said you wouldn’t help me with Teague.”
“Not unless you killed him. I am a sea witch after all. I feed on the dead, the dying, and their fears.”
“You can save just a part of him?”
“Did I stutter?” She smiled. “I am the most powerful after a death.”
“Then save him!”
“How about a please?”
“Please,” she added softly and kneeled back down next to Teague.
Taz Clara sighed. “I do owe you a boon after all.” She smoothed out her sea green dress and kneeled on Teague’s other side. Her mouth opened, and Mina caught a glimpse of sharp, pointy teeth. She almost changed her mind—but the sea witch-sprite didn’t bite or tear into Teague. She began to sing.
It wasn’t a happy song but a low-pitched song of mourning. Her voice carried across the bay. Time slowed as Mina listened to the haunting song and watched as the sirens battled the giants, ogres, and golems.
One of the giants picked up an abandoned truck and threw it at the ship. Kino blasted the truck mid-air. It exploded into smaller pieces, still hitting the ship but causing less damage. Mina saw someone or something flying along the bridge, leading a mass of people away from the army. Ever had revealed her wings to the world. Compared to the beasts behind them, she probably looked like a guardian angel.
The Coast Guard had shown up. They were trying to shoot the giants, but bullets kept bouncing off their thick skin. Another stone golem appeared out of the water, picked up a passing fishing boat, and launched it across the air. The crew on the US Coast guard ship dove overboard just as the boat crashed into their deck. An explosion followed, and Mina turned her head to protect her eyes from the blast.
Teague was dead. This should have stopped. Why were they still fighting? Mina had to do something. She looked over just as Taz stopped singing and lifted Teague’s wrist, bending her mouth to it.
Mina couldn’t stay and watch. She could do nothing more for Teague, but she could do something to help the others. She weighed her options, looked once more at Teague and Taz, and back to Ever at the bridge. Then, she took off running.
Mina had to tread carefully over the broken boards and walk along holding the handrails. When she got to the street, she waved down a passing car and leaned into the passenger window.
“I need to get to the bridge,” Mina commanded. But when she saw a small child in the back, she quickly told the woman to go home by another route.
She waved down a white van. The driver was a heavyset guy, probably in his late forties. “I need to get to the bridge.”
“That’s where I’m headed. I hear there’s a Godzilla-type-thing destroying it. Hop in.”
She jumped in and held on as he drove crazily, weaving in and out of traffic. He ran two red lights as he made his way to the bridge. When he got as close as he could before being stopped by the police, he pulled over, jumped out, and opened up the back.
That was when Mina saw the camera gear and paid closer attention to the signage on the van. She’d gotten in a news cameraman’s van.
“You can’t video this,” Mina begged.
“Are you kidding me? How can I not? This footage will be the start of a new career. I’ll be famous.”
She touched the camera and willed a flare of power into it. It sparked and caught fire.
“Ow, what’d you do?” He dropped the camera to the ground, reached in for a fire extinguisher.
“Sorry!” Mina called over her shoulder, as she ran past the police tape.
No one tried to stop her from going in, because the police were so busy rescuing people from the bridge.
Mina was exhausted, darting left and right of abandoned cars. She made it past the school bus, grateful to see it was finally deserted.
She found a metal pipe on the road and held it between her hands. Concentrating, she felt the power flare up. She turned it into a glowing sword just as a troll attacked.
Mina screamed and swung blindly at the troll’s midsection. She let loose her power and—as she let the grief of Teague’s death wash over her—the power eked through her skin.
She swung again at the troll. This time, he howled in pain and jumped off the bridge to avoid another onslaught from her. She turned to the next opponent—another smaller troll. On and on she fought, clearing a path until she got to the middle.
It seemed the advance charge from the sirens had stopped. Kino was on defense now, fighting off projectile attacks. Her grandparents and half the sirens were diving under water and doing their best to rescue people from the sunken cars.
Which were still being tossed from the bridge by one of the giants.
At the center, she realized there were too many. Fae were still pouring through the gate, more than just the strongest of Teague’s army who had come through on small boats and vessels. This was a different army, more human-looking with tanned skin and angry eyes. Familiar, but Mina couldn’t place who they were or why they would attack.
She had to stop the giants and the stone golem.
Ever waved and flew past her, knocking into a Fae wolf who looked a bit like Lonetree. He flailed and hit the water. He started to swim toward the land, but a siren pulled him beneath the water. Bubbles surfaced for a moment, then stopped.
Mina’s stomach rolled. It would only get worse if she couldn’t stop this.
“Mina!” Nix slid over the hood of a car to get to her. “Catch!” He tossed her journal to her, and Mina caught it mid-air. Her used-to-be notebook of Unaccomplishments and Epic Disasters. Now, leather bound and ready for action.
“Nix!” Mina looked down at her book and smiled.
“Yeah, I thought you might want that. If today isn’t a day to use it, I don’t know what is.” He winked.
“Stand back.” She waved them away.
“What’s your plan?” Ever said as she flew around a nearby car.
“Ever, I thought I told you to get back!”
“And when have I ever listened to you?”
“I listen to her,” Nix answered from the other side of Mina. “Just not this time. And yeah, what she said. What’s the plan?”
“My plan is to not have a plan.”
“I’m down with that.” Nix pulled up short when they confronted the stone golem. “Except for now. Now, I think a plan would be dandy.”
“Well, anyone know how to weaken a golem, so I can capture him in the Grimoire?” Mina asked.
“Water. No, fire… I think,” Nix answered.
“Which is it?” Mina sang out as the golem turned and noticed the three teens standing below him on the bridge.
“Fire!” Nix yelled.
“Got it!” Mina turned the book into a large, flaming fireball, which she sent shooting directly at the golem’s eyes. It roared in distress as it fell backward onto the cars, which rolled right off the broken bridge through the railings it had destroyed. The splash reached them on the bridge, soaking them.
Kino was there to meet the golem and introduce him to his powerful siren gift. A few seconds later, the golem was more debris littering the San Francisco Bay.
“One done, a hundred to go!” Nix marked an imaginary line in the air.
Ever rolled her eyes and said, “We can’t take them on one at a time. Where are the Godmothers when you need them?”
“That’s what you’re for, remember?” Nix called out jokingly. “You always said you were worth a hundred Godmothers.”
“You’re right, Nix.” Ever’s shoulders went rigid as she took a deep breath. “I am.”
She flew straight and true toward the mass of the army. Her fluttering wings created a wave of blue and purple in her wake. Above the army, she began to fly in circles. Round and round she flew, and blue pixie dust fell from her wings toward the army of Fae warriors climbing onto the bridge.
Mina waited, confused, as the first one playfully jabbed the second and laughed. Then the other one started laughing. One after another, the Fae stopped fighting and started rolling on the ground in hysterics.
Ever flew back, her face flushed with excitement. “Can you do anything now?”
“Yeah, the laughter is making them vulnerable.” Mina rushed forward and held open her Grimoire.
The pages began to glow, and light burst from within, covering the Fae army in a gold aura. The book lifted out of Mina’s hands, and she stepped back. The laughing army cried out in fear as they were dragged into the pages of the book. Trapped forever.
“Wow, Ever, who are you and where did you come from?” Nix looked amazed.
“I’m a pixie, you nitwit, and my gift just happens to be joy.” She grumbled at him and punched him in the arm. “Don’t you ever, ever tell anyone, or I swear I will send you to your grave.”
He only grabbed her around the waist to bring her near. “So, Miss Pixie-of-Joy, am I going to die laughing?”
“Nix!” Ever growled and stomped on his toe.
“Ow, okay, okay. Your secret’s safe with me,” he mumbled as he jumped up and down on one foot. “If anyone asks, you’re an irritable tyrant.”
Nix covered his ears and looked around in panic. Mina didn’t hear anything at first, and then her skin crawled as she heard the haunting whistle.
Just across the expanse of the gaping hole in the bridge, yards away, the Death Reaper with chin-length black hair stood beside the driver’s door.
Mina’s heart seized. The Reaper disappeared.
Then she heard the click of the omen’s claws on the hood of a nearby Chevy Impala.
Mina stood there facing her doom. With Teague gone, she almost felt a sense of relief that it would all be over. But then she remembered Charlie.
“No!” Mina tried to send a full blast of her siren power at the dog. It phased right through him.
“You can’t, Mina.” Ever answered her question before she even spoke. “He’s dead. Nothing can stop it. I don’t even think the Grimoire can.”
“Run!” Nix yelled. He tried to place himself in front of Mina to block the omen.
She didn’t need any more prodding. She turned and ran, and she heard the sound of Nix screaming as the omen attacked.
“Nix!” Ever yelled.
“Get her out of here,” Nix commanded. He tried to hold onto the dog.
Ever grabbed Mina under the arms and flew up in the air. Mina looked down and saw Nix lose his grip. He fell, struggling under the large black beast. He kept his arms up to protect his face, but its teeth and claws tore at his chest.
Come on. Come on. You want me not him. The farther away they could get, the sooner he’d give chase.
She heard a howl of pursuit, and the dog was after them again. She tried to look past her feet dangling in the air above the roofs of the cars, but was unable to see what had become of Nix. She prayed he was okay.
Something wet landed on her cheek, and Mina first thought it was rain, but then she looked up and saw Ever’s face, wet with tears. Another one fell on Mina’s shoulder.
They heard a growl beneath them, and Mina instinctively pulled her legs up. Ever tried to fly higher, but she was struggling with the added weight and getting tired. Ever couldn’t keep up her pace. She was slowly flying lower and lower. Mina tried to reach into her bag for the Grimoire, but it was behind her.
She heard a howl and tried to scan the ground below her, but she couldn’t see anything. The omen had disappeared. Ever whimpered, and her grip loosened. Mina’s shoes brushed the top of a Toyota. She was too heavy for the sprite.
“Ever, st
op. Put me down. It’s fine,” Mina said.
“No, I can’t. I promised to protect you.” She choked as more tears poured out of her eyes. “Even if we’re doomed, I’ll still protect you.”
“Then fly over the water, and let’s see how well he can swim.”
Ever, too tired to answer, nodded and turned to fly Mina over the water. They had just cleared the railing when Ever cried out in pain.
The omen had pounced on her back.
“No you don’t, you ugly beast!” Ever shouted as she turned on the invisible dog and tried to fight. She let go of Mina.
Mina plummeted from the bridge. “Ever!” she yelled, just before her body smacked against the water and everything went black.
Chapter 32
“Wake up!” his warm voice demanded.
Mina knew that voice, remembered it and sighed in contentment, knowing he was near.
“You have to wake up!”
“No, because if I wake up, you’ll be dead,” Mina answered. “In my dreams you’re still alive.”
Teague appeared in front of her, hair slicked back, wearing his royal robes, the same ones he’d worn when he greeted her on the steps for the Choosing Ceremony. His eyes weren’t blue though. They were a comforting light gray. But that didn’t matter like it had once upon a time. She knew now that she wanted to be with him, in any form.
“But sleep is not your destiny.”
“Was it your destiny to die by my hand?”
“You freed me, and for that, I can never repay you.” Teague’s eyes were so full of love and understanding—the way they should have always been. He looked at her—not with accusation or contempt—but simple adoration and love. Seeing those emotions made her feel inadequate.
“I killed you! You can’t possibly forgive me for that. Not when I don’t forgive myself.”
Teague came forward and wrapped his strong hands around her. “I forgave you the moment you stole my heart. A part of me will always live on.” He pulled away just enough to touch her heart. “In here. Forever. But only if you wake up and fight for it.”
