Lorehnin: A Novel of the Otherworld

by Johnson, Jenna Elizabeth

  Moira had finally reached us and was chatting happily with Jonathon, who seemed both overwhelmed and excited that the belle of the ball had chosen him as her conversation partner. Jon was playing the part of the listening receptacle on the other end of a one-sided conversation. From what I could gather, however, he didn’t look too upset by this fact.

  Moira turned her head and spotted me, her eyes growing wide with delight.

  “Oh, Robyn! I talked to Mikael last night,” she crooned, her joyful look turning mischievous. “He says he can’t wait until New Year’s.”

  I gave her a watery smile, and Kelly arched a curious eyebrow in my direction.

  Before my friend could inundate me with questions about our co-worker’s brother, Margie stepped out of the restaurant and caught sight of us. She waved a bangle-encrusted hand, and we started heading in.

  Kelly linked her arm with mine and yanked me forward. My feet screamed in protest, but I managed not to stumble and pull her down with me. That would have been awesome in the worst sense of the word.

  “Let’s go,” she hissed into my ear, “and I insist on knowing what Moira’s talking about with regard to her brother and New Year’s.”

  Releasing a mental groan, I complied and began to whisper the whole story to Kelly as we found our seats. After all, if I wanted to play this out properly I had to be the character Moira expected me to be: the awkward mortal girl, oblivious to her and her brother’s origins but very much ensorcelled by their charms. So far, I was hoping I had pulled it off.

  Kelly was thrilled to hear I would be spending New Year’s Eve with Moira’s handsome brother, and I, the ever semi-simpering college girl, agreed.

  “What about that other guy that was hanging around for a while? The seven-foot-tall blond that resembled a Norse god?”

  I froze in the middle of buttering a dinner roll and arched an eyebrow at her. Out of the corner of my eye, I could just make out Moira’s head tilted almost imperceptibly in my direction. I almost informed Kelly that he was busy and I hadn’t seen him in a while, which was true, but some instinct told me to take a slightly different path.

  Clearing my throat, I set the knife and bread down. “Well, things really didn’t work out with him. Turns out we are not at all compatible.”

  “That’s too bad,” Kelly murmured, sounding genuinely disappointed. “You two seemed to have some good chemistry going on.”

  I shrugged, trying not to look too pleased at her comment, and picked up the recently buttered roll on my plate. “Haven’t seen him in weeks and I have no idea where he is. Might have gone back home for all I know.”

  Kelly sipped her iced tea. “And where’s that?”

  Again I shrugged. “I don’t know. Somewhere back east or something. He told me once, but I can’t remember.”

  After that, the conversation moved in a different direction. As I ate, I made a note to check on Moira every now and then, wondering if she believed the story I had fed to Kelly. There was no doubt in my mind she had been eavesdropping. I only hoped that my nonchalant attitude toward Devlin gave her the impression that he truly wasn’t around anymore and that I no longer had my Otherworldly guard. If not, then I was going to all this ridiculous trouble for nothing.

  Jonathon didn’t offer to walk me home after dinner like he normally did. He was far too enamored with Moira. Not wanting to ruin his evening by bringing it up, I slipped away as fast as my limping feet could carry me. Kelly ran me down, asking if I’d like to split a cab with her.

  “No thanks. My apartment’s really not that far. I can manage.”

  “Robyn, the way you’re walking, you look like some well-dressed, drunken zombie. It can’t be good for your feet.”

  Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to stand upright. Splitting a cab fare wasn’t a bad idea. There was just that whole stubborn thing I had going on that made things difficult.

  “Really, Kelly. I’ll be home by the time the cab gets here.”

  “All right, but if you can’t walk tomorrow, don’t blame me.”

  Waving my friend’s concerns off, I turned and walked down the street. Okay, it was more of a slow limp than anything else, but I was making progress. By the time I reached Mission High School, a full four blocks from the restaurant, I was convinced the skin on both heels had been ripped away and my shoes were slowly filling with blood.

  Just a few more blocks Robyn, just a few more blocks, I chanted to myself as I pulled my sweater close. The night was cold, and it had rained earlier in the morning, so the dark puddles on the road and sidewalks shone like patches of ice under the street lamps and occasional strand of Christmas lights winking from the eaves of the houses I passed.

  I was just coming to the corner of the next street when the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Instantly I stopped my hobbling, the burning sense of fear freezing me in place. Nothing stirred on the quiet street, no rustling in the bushes, no shadows moving in the distance. And then a cold voice whispered next to my ear, “Now I’ll have you, Robyn Dunbarre.”

  Letting loose a scream, I swung my purse around, the small bag making contact with something solid. A grunt, followed by a growl met my ears and I bolted forward. Too bad I had forgotten all about my shoes and my raw feet. My heel wedged in a sidewalk crack and jerked me to a stop, sending me tumbling to the ground. A nasty crunching pop, followed by a sharp sting, blossomed in my ankle, and my knee burned with pain as it made contact with the abrasive concrete.

  Oh crap. I was totally screwed. Strong, gloved hands grasped at my good ankle, but I kicked out, the narrow point of my other heel digging into fabric and then skin. My attacker cursed in anger and drew back. I took that moment of reprieve to glance up. Whoever was intent on capturing me wore a dark cloak with the hood pulled over his head. I was convinced it was Mikael, hiding his identity under the dark cloak, or one of the Noctyrnum working for him, though they usually wore hooded sweatshirts, not capes. And I hadn’t seen them lurking around my apartment since the night I met Devlin. What I couldn’t figure out was why he was attacking me now when I had a date set up with Mikael. My blood grew even colder when a thought dawned upon me: What if Moira knew about my plot to play along with their act? What if she and Mikael had arranged this; had planned to attack me when they discovered Devlin wasn’t around?

  The conversation with Kelly at dinner came roaring back into my mind. I had said, plain as day, that Devlin was gone for good, right in front of Moira, thinking that such information would help my plan. Now I was regretting that decision.

  The man took an unsteady step forward and clutched at his side, dragging my attention back to the present. Good. Maybe my kick had injured him. The moment of triumph passed, however, when he pulled a dagger free of a sheath attached to his belt. Oh, no. Was I going to die tonight?

  Trying to fight my fear, I crawled backward, the puddles leaving my dress and sweater damp. Reaching down, I pulled off my remaining shoe, holding it up with the heel facing outward like a weapon. Sure, it wasn’t a knife, but I wasn’t about to give in without a fight. With my other hand I dug around in my purse, searching for the pepper spray. Come on, come on . . . where was it?!

  The cloaked figure moved closer, muttering something under his breath. Words I didn’t recognize filled the air. There was something familiar about that voice, something that didn’t remind me of Mikael’s smooth charm. Whimpering in pain and fear, I tried to stand up, but my hands and feet were too numb to be of any use. I turned anyway, ready to push myself up and run on my injured ankle if need be. Bad idea. Searing pain shot through my scalp as the cloaked man grabbed my hair. Gritting my teeth, I reached up and tried to grasp his forearm. That’s when the numb feeling in my hands burst into a thousand, hot pinpricks. The sensation was strange, but not unpleasant, and when my attacker bellowed in agony and let me go, I bolted, as fast as my sprained ankle would carry me.

  I flung myself around the corner and the short length of my street stretched ahead. Too bad my house
was at the end of it. The sound of footfalls close behind pressed me on, though my head was growing light from the pain. Just a little farther.

  A familiar shape pulled away from the shadows far ahead, and I almost cried out in relief.

  “Devlin!” I screamed just as my pursuer threw something that forced me into a stumble.

  I cried out again and crashed onto my neighbor’s lawn. As the rain from earlier that day soaked through my already soggy dress, the dark figure moved to stand over me, his dagger ready. Whatever he’d used to trip me, a whip or a rope, remained tangled around my ankles, the other end of it gripped tightly in his hand.

  Dark spots were dancing in front of my eyes, and nausea threatened to ruin an already horrid night. Before I had a chance to black out, my attacker moved out of the shadow cast by the closest house. My heart dropped from its lofty perch in my throat and slammed into the pit of my stomach. His hood had come loose in the struggle, and now his face was clearly visible in the sickly glow of the streetlights.

  “No,” I rasped, my eyes welling with tears.

  Evan Miller, my awkward friend who I had thought I’d saved from the dangers of the Noctyrnum and the Daramorr, gave me one hard, ravenous look before turning and bolting back up the street, disappearing into the shadows just as Devlin’s heavy footfalls sounded right behind me. I gave up my struggle to remain with the conscious world, the blackness taking me as the sound of Devlin’s curses filled the air.

  -Nineteen-

  Impulse

  I woke up on a boat. Or at least I thought I was on a boat, going by the swaying, weightless feeling that surrounded me.

  “I’ve got you, Robyn,” a familiar voice whispered just beside my ear.

  Something soft and warm brushed my temple, and I made a great effort to remember what had happened. My eyes fluttered open, and I hissed as the harsh light of an orange street lamp pierced my brain. Ow. Everything hurt.

  Suddenly, the movement stopped. “Robyn, I need to set you down, but I’m going to hold onto you. Do you have your key?”

  Huh? Who was going to set me down and why did he have to hold on to me? What key? I tried that whole opening my eyes thing again, and this time the light didn’t hurt as much. The headache was still there, however, and it was so intense I could feel it in my molars. I must have gone to a party and had way too much to drink.

  I sucked in a deep breath and detected the scent of a wild forest. I knew that smell.

  “Devlin?” I whispered. “What’s going on?”

  As my mind grew less fuzzy, I came to realize the reason I felt like I was floating was because Devlin had been carrying me, his strong arms more than capable of supporting my weight. I turned my head and found my face pressed up against his shoulder. The heat of his skin burned through his thin shirt, that smell of trees and rain and wilderness once again flooding my nose, and I nearly blacked out again. Whoa. Sensory overload.

  Devlin shifted, and my legs were lowered to the ground, cutting short my little fantasy. Instead I came fully awake when my bare feet touched the concrete and pain exploded in my ankle. I cried out and clung to Devlin.

  “Steady,” he said calmly, taking more of my weight. My ankle throbbed, but at least there was no longer any pressure on it.

  “Your key?” Devlin asked again.

  I swallowed back a wave of queasiness and fished through my purse, the same purse I had used to fight off. Oh, god. As the memory of the attack flashed into my mind, that uncomfortable acidic feeling rose up again. Had it really been Evan? Had it always been Evan? Even when he had seemed to be back to normal right before winter break, when we quizzed each other for our finals? I found my keys and handed them to Devlin, sniffling as the ache of betrayal rushed through me. After being there for him through all his ups and downs, how could Evan do this to me?

  A click followed by the soft swoosh of a door opening drew my attention.

  “Come on, let’s get you inside,” Devlin said.

  I’d been so overwhelmed with the attack and Evan’s betrayal that I was just really beginning to notice Devlin’s presence.

  “You’re back,” I stated blankly, blinking up at him as if seeing him for the first time that night. Wow. I must have hit my head on the concrete earlier.

  Before I could so much as ask him about his time spent in the Otherworld, he reached down and swept me up into his arms again. I squeaked in surprise, then tried to tell him he didn’t have to carry me anywhere. He growled something unintelligible and kept walking. It didn’t take long for him to reach my bed, where he gently set me down before turning to shut the door. Only when he faced me once again did I notice how tense he was. His blue eyes spit fire, and his jaw was locked so tight I was waiting for the sound of his teeth cracking to fill the silence between us.

  “Are you okay?” I mumbled, rubbing at the side of my head where the invisible railroad spike was lodged.

  Devlin’s hands shot up and he raked his fingers through his hair. “You were nearly killed just now, and you’re asking if I’m okay?”

  I couldn’t help it, I laughed. Maybe it was because I was in desperate need of a light atmosphere, or maybe my mental health was finally taking a dive or perhaps that railroad spike had given me brain damage.

  “Sorry,” I breathed, “I think I might be delirious. But I really am concerned. You look like you’re about to implode or something.”

  Devlin didn’t answer. He only turned and strode into the kitchen. “We need to get your feet cleaned up, and something needs to be done about that ankle.”

  His tone was cold and strained. I bit my bottom lip. Great. Not only had I just found out that my classmate had finally, and fully, succumbed to Mikael’s influence, but Devlin was mad at me too. Taking a deep breath, I fell back onto the bed, throwing my arm across my forehead. I really needed a timeout from my current life.

  The sound of water running from the kitchen faucet helped distract me for a few moments, and when Devlin returned to the living room, he carried a large plastic container full of steaming water. I glanced at him from under my arm.

  “Hey, that was my potato bin,” I grumbled.

  “Well right now it’s being used as a bath for your feet. Sit up.”

  Not wanting to anger him any further, I obeyed, pulling on the skirt of my dress so it covered the tops of my legs.

  Devlin reached out and took one of my feet and drew it toward him. Despite his obvious irritation, his touch was gentle. I scooched forward and let my foot descend into the hot water. At first, the shock caused me to hiss in discomfort, but eventually the heat began to soothe away the hurt of the cuts and blisters. Devlin took my other foot, the one with the injured ankle, and did the same, only this time his hand lingered on the back of my leg, his thumb running softly over the curve of my calf. Warmth blossomed in the pit of my stomach and spread throughout my body. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, opening them again just enough to study Devlin’s face. He knelt in front of me, carefully cleaning the grime off one foot as his hand remained in place behind my sprained ankle. He was concentrating on his task as if the fate of the world rested on the outcome.

  As I watched him, it slowly dawned upon me that he wasn’t angry. Those tense lines around his mouth, the slightly haunted look in his eye. No, he wasn’t mad at me. He was frightened. That seemed silly, considering he was a trained warrior from the Otherworld. Then again, he was hunting for a man intent on gathering the Morrigan’s foul magic, he had been for quite some time, and the frustration of having the Daramorr just out of reach had certainly been wearing away at him for the past few months.

  Then another thought came to mind as his thumb continued to caress my skin. Devlin was afraid for my sake, and I was beginning to wonder, or hope, that this fear was something that went deeper than your garden variety concern for a friend. Suddenly, it became hard to breathe. As Devlin continued to attend to one foot, and then the other, all sorts of splendid, glorious and terrifying thoughts were running throug
h my mind. Eventually he stood up and removed the now tepid water.

  “Dry your feet. I’ll get some ice for your ankle.”

  I complied without a word, my mind still on fire from my earlier observation.

  Devlin came back with a small towel wrapped around a pile of ice. He dragged my desk chair over to the bed and instructed me to prop my foot up onto a pillow before arranging the ice around my ankle.

  “I don’t think it’s broken. I doubt it’s even a bad sprain, what with the way you were able to get up and keep moving. But you might want to keep your weight off it for a while.”

  Again, that bland tone of voice, this time with a dark shadow haunting his expression. He still wouldn’t look at me, and he seemed overly distracted by my swollen ankle.

  Feeling brave, or maybe just reckless due to the effects of my earlier adrenaline rush, I cleared my throat and said, “Devlin. Look at me.”

  Slowly, his eyes left my ankle and met mine. I sucked in a breath. Holy crap. Talk about a gaze that could melt through steel walls. The fire was still there, barely contained under the surface of his mask of control. The intensity surrounding him was nothing compared to his compassion a few weeks ago when he comforted me about the letter from my parents. That had been an extension of his friendship. This passion rolling off of him was an entirely different animal.

  I swallowed hard, “I’m, I’m sorry about tonight. Kelly offered to share a cab with me, but in my glorious stubbornness I insisted on walking.”

  If anything, his eyes grew brighter. My own gaze dropped to my hands as I smoothed out my skirt again. Pull yourself together Robyn. You’re never this flustered! But too much had happened in the past months, and the tough, hard-as-nails exterior I had built up and preserved so conscientiously over all these years was crumbling apart. Turned out I was human just like everyone else.

  “This is my fault. You warned me to be careful at night, but I just wanted to pretend that that spirit guide wolf was a fluke. I mean, it was the first Otherworldly thing to invade my yard in weeks.”