by Shea Berkley
“Excuse me?” What was she talking about?
“When you saw he was no longer in the pool. You thought to end your life.”
I furrowed my brow, remembering how easily it would have been to die. “How do you know?”
“I know a lot of things. More of some things that I shouldn’t, and less of other things that I should. But this. I have been waiting for this moment for a long time. As soon as she took him, I knew.”
A strange little smile tipped her lips. “The nix would have been pleased if you had died. I am glad you listened to me.”
“What do you mean?”
“I told you he was alive. You doubted for a moment. Thought you were crazy. But now you know. He is alive. And you must find him.”
“That was you?” She was the voice that had penetrated my misery? If that were so... “Then you knew I was coming?”
She nodded.
I looked down at my torn clothes and scraped flesh. “Then why…”
“Love is never easy.”
“If you know all about me, then you know why I’ve come.”
Again, she nodded. “What do you wish of me?”
“Help me save Ryne from the nix. No one believes he’s alive but me. I am the only one who is willing to save him before it’s too late.”
She sat working the pestle against the mortar. Pound and twist. Pound and twist. The vein of her thought was covered by the rhythmic action. I had come for help, but she could easily turn me away. What if the deed were impossible? What if I was not strong enough? What if my journey here had been a useless cause and Ryne were already dead?
The last thought spiked fear through me. I fell on my knees before her. “Please. Tell me I’m not too late. Tell me he is still alive.”
Her hand stilled and her eyes bore into mine. “Do you want me to tell you what you wish to hear, or do you wish to know the truth?
My body tensed. I couldn’t live another moment in ignorance. “The truth.”
“So be it.” The old woman closed her eyes and began to hum.
A crisp wind whipped through the hilltop, causing the small swallow to duck its head within the gray tresses. The mouse squeaked and ran away, and I hunkered down, my breath suddenly puncturing the air with puffy white clouds as I shivered at her feet. When the woman opened her eyes they were as white as a snow-capped mountain.
The nix is bound deep within the lake,
though soon her binds will loosen.
Woe is that day, the day of her freedom,
For death will quickly follow.
Her eyelids fluttered down against her suddenly pale skin. The wind settled, and the mouse slowly came out of its hiding place. A shiver raced down the sage’s back, and when she again opened her eyes, their unnatural whiteness was gone, replaced by sadness. “He is in more danger than ever.”
“How can I help him?”
“Let’s have some tea.”
“Tea? Are you going to read the leaves?” I had heard how some wise women did that.
“Not at all, dear,” she said slowly rising from her chair. “I always get a chill after a vision. Come along.”
She hobbled into the house, and I rose to my feet and followed her.
The kettle was already on and the water hot. She emptied the crushed tea leaves mixed with mint into two mugs that were waiting on the table. “Do you mind pouring?” she asked. “I have something for you.”
I stood in the doorway, my gaze wandering to encompass the whole room and finding it a homey mesh of nature and needs. And just like outside, tiny creatures were making themselves busy. A collection of mice darted in and out of an overturned boot, reattaching a new sole to the leather. I jumped to the side as a squirrel skittered past with a bunch of herbs in its mouth and watched it climb the wall and hang the bunch from the rafters to dry. On the far side of the room a goose nudged a ball of yarn into a basket while a fox pumped the pedal of a spinning wheel as a raccoon fed the wool.
No one would believe me if I relayed the sight. Not even old man Tiller, and he believed almost everything. I could only stare, dumbfounded at them all, and as I stared, their work slowed until they were all looking at me.
The heat of embarrassment crept up my neck, and I executed a quick curtsey, and stuttered painfully, “E-excuse me. S-she wants me to pour.”
Why I expected one of them to start talking, I couldn’t explain, but when it was clear none would, I stepped over to the fire, bunched my skirts together to buffer my skin against the kettle’s hot handle and lifted it from the fire. As I poured the water, I heard the sage rummaging in another room. The animals had resumed their work by the time I finished pouring, and I put the kettle back on its hook. Straightening, I wiped my hands on my skirts, turned and gasped. The old woman stood directly in front of me. An intensity shone from her that caused the hair on my neck to rise.
“Never trust a nix.”
The advice was given much like a scolding. I nodded. “And never shall I.”
“Good.” She went to the table and placed the basket she carried on top. “We haven’t much time, so we must work quickly. We need to outwit her. Give her a reason to come near you.”
“We want her to come near me?” That didn’t sound particularly promising. “But she threatened to kill me.”
The sage shot a steely glance in my direction. “Do you love him?”
“Yes.” There was no hesitation. I loved Ryne more than anyone.
“Then you must risk much, even death to rescue him.”
I stared into those hard eyes and nodded. “I will do whatever it takes to free him.”
She dug out a large shell and held it out to me. “Take this. When you leave here, go directly to the edge of the lake. Night will have fallen. Blow into it until a mournful tune sounds. As soon as you do, the mist will rise, and she will come. The nix must obey the summons. She has no choice.”
I took the shell and frowned. “But you said she was bound—”
“She will soon be free.” The agitation in her voice quickly silenced me.
This,” she said, pulling out a necklace made of brilliant colored stones, “is what you will show her.” She grabbed my free hand and placed the necklace in the center of my palm. The stones had been polished smooth and felt warm to the touch.
“Do not give it to her. It is your lure. Whatever you do, stay out of the water and away from her reach. She cannot harm you if you are on dry land, for a nix is a creature of the lake and only the lake. Whatever is done. Whatever is said. Do not trust the nix.”
She took both gifts and wrapped them in some cloth and packed them in a leather pouch along with a small loaf of bread, a wedge of goat cheese and a bottle of tea. Her worried gaze lifted to mine. “I have a horse that will take you back, but you must go now. You must reach the lake by midnight, for that is when she will be free.”
She ushered me through the house and out the door to where a pure white stallion stood. On seeing us, he shook his mane and stamped his hooves as if he were eager to be off. She slung the pouch over the horse’s back and gave me a boost. Sitting astride the animal, I tangled my fingers in the heavy mane and looked down at her. “Thank you. I—”
“Do not thank me yet, for I fear…” She dropped her gaze unable to finish. Giving my leg a gentle pat and squeeze, her face vacillated with a show of grief.
My chest tightened, and my breathing grew shallow. If she believed my mission a hopeless endeavor, then what chance did I have?
Suddenly, a firm resolve appeared on her face. Her eyes sharpened as she stared up at me. “We must not lose heart. Tell the nix she must bring Ryne to you. It is your only hope of stealing him from the nix. Do not compromise. She must bring him to the surface. Only you can do this. No one else.”
“And if she doesn’t bring him, what then?”
“She will, for she will do anything, brave anything, to have the necklace. What happens after he appears, I cannot say. But I have faith you will know what to
do.”
18
Hurry.
The word flew on the wind, rolling over me and the stallion, urging us faster and faster. Noonday turned into evening and evening into dusk. I leaned over the horse’s neck and gripped his mane tighter as he raced forward, his breathing deep, his legs strong. We darted through deep woods and charged through ripening fields. The ground we covered amazed me. Night closed in and overtook us, but the stallion still did not falter. Exhausted, I could only cling to his back and pray.
The darkest point of night hovered in the air as the stallion burst through the woods and onto the shore of the lake near where Ryne’s house stood. Sand and rock flew in the air as he jolted to a stop, his lungs heaving, his legs shaking. I slid to the ground and collapsed. Never had I been on such a harrowing journey. The horse neighed and flung his head, his body quivered, drawing my attention to the pouch. This was no time to give into weakness. I had only moments before the nix would be free. I had to call the nix now or I may never see Ryne again. I forced myself to my feet and pulled the pouch off his back. As I tipped the bag and shook the contents onto the sand, the horse went to the lake and took a long drink.
The moon’s silvery light illuminated the shell. I wrapped my right hand around it, my fingers perfectly fitting along its boney spine while my left hand slipped against its smooth interior. Coming to my feet, I drew a deep breath, put the shell to my lips and blew. Just as the sage had said, a mournful sound emitted from the shell.
I slowly lowered it, and stared out over the lake, searching for even a whisper of movement. My fingers ached against the shell’s spines as the minutes passed. Too many minutes. Was one call enough? Should I sound it again? I didn’t know.
From the corner of my eye, I saw the horse bolt away from the water. My senses sharpened. I stepped forward, my gaze intent on the horizon. A line of mist had formed and was barreling over the water toward me.
I’d never seen it form so quickly or move so fast. As I stared wide-eyed with amazement, it rushed ashore, slamming into my body so hard, it knocked me off my feet. The shell landed in the sand, but I didn’t bother retrieving it. The nix was coming. I needed the necklace, but I couldn’t see. The mist was so thick, I could only hear the water’s rhythmic lap at the shore. On hands and knees, I crawled, patting the sand, my fingers outstretched and shaking. Idiot that I am. Why didn’t I retrieve it first? She would be here any moment.
My fingers splashed against water. Was it a puddle or was I too close to the lake? The hair on my arms rose. I didn’t know, but I felt a presence. I turned my head and froze. The mist thinned to reveal bare legs wrapped in coal blue skin standing in the shallows before me. The nix’s face was wreathed in anger, and her hair whipped around her like dancing black flames.
“How dare you call,” her voice rumbled threateningly and she came to the edge of the lake. “Who gave you the shell?”
I scampered back, the warning to stay out of her reach screaming in my head. As I did, my hand touched something smooth. I slanted my gaze downward and saw the necklace lying half buried in the sand. Relief eased the tightness in my chest, but only for a moment. I was not safe.
Casting a worried glance at the nix, I slowly gathered the necklace into my fist. “I wish to make a trade.”
The nix leaned forward, It was evident she wanted nothing more than to attack me. “He is mine. There will never be a trade.”
She turned and began to wade back into the lake. If I didn’t act now, she would be gone. I swallowed with difficulty and raised my hand, letting the necklace unravel and hang from my fingers. “Even for this?” I yelled after her.
“Nothing can tempt me,” she shot over her shoulder.
I stood and took a step forward. “I think you are wrong. You want this.”
The confidence in my voice must have intrigued her, for she stopped, turned ever-so-slightly and glanced back. Her eyes locked onto the necklace and her face instantly hardened. Her skin flashed red to purple then back to the deep coal blue. The look on her face made my blood run cold.
“Where did you get that?”
My heart was beating frantically, but I would not let her see my fear. “It doesn’t matter. You want it. I have it.”
“It is not yours to keep.”
My own anger rose and I sneered, “Neither is Ryne, but that has not stopped you.”
The water exploded before her, creating a shallow path while the excess waves surged around me, wetting my hem and seeping through my shoes. I panicked, and stumbled back as she charged forward. My back slammed up against a tree, the bark digging into my arms. The horse whinnied somewhere in the distance, and the nix’s face loomed before me, her hand clawing toward the necklace. I screamed and dove behind the tree, falling into a ball as I curled myself around the necklace.
I had to keep hold of the necklace.
She mustn’t get the necklace.
My breathing sounded ragged to my ears as I waited for the nix’s hands to rip me apart and tear the necklace free. But no harm came. The wind died, and the water sounded far away. Slowly, I uncurled my limbs, got to my feet and peered around the tree. The water had returned to its tide and the nix stood in the surf with her back toward me.
I eased around the tree, stepped onto the sand and inched my way closer.
“What do you want?” Her voice sounded sad, resigned even.
“To see Ryne.”
She turned and it was then I noticed her skin had changed into a dusty rose, the color highlighted her beauty in a way no other color did. “Come,” she said as she waded a few feet into the lake.
I instinctively stepped forward, but caught myself. The nix didn’t seem to notice as she bent, dipped her finger into the water and twirled it until a small whirlpool formed. She glanced up at me. “Come and see. Look. He is safe. Unharmed.”
My feet moved on their own. To see Ryne safe. To know he was alive…
Never trust a nix.
I suddenly stopped. “No.” I shook my head. “Bring him here. To me. I want to see him, to know without a doubt that he…”
I couldn’t say it. I would not allow myself to believe he preferred the nix to me. My voice grew stronger. “Bring him here.”
The nix’s color paled. The whirlpool vanished and her skin flashed violet. She waded backward, staring heatedly at me. “Tomorrow night.”
I nodded stiffly, and she threw her arms over her head and arched into the lake and out of sight.
My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the soft sand. I’d done it. I’d made a deal with the nix and she would bring Ryne to me. I slipped the necklace about my neck, curled into a protective ball and fell into an exhausted sleep.
When I awoke, I found myself on a bed and in a cottage I knew very well. Ryne’s mother sat in a nearby chair sewing as she hummed to herself.
I eased myself up on one elbow, a feeling of panic rising. “How long have I been asleep?”
“Most of the day.” She looked over at me and smiled.
The room was dark. Only one candle gave off light, and it sputtered near Ryne’s mother. I glanced toward the window as I pushed the blanket off me. “What time is it?”
The sun was just saying its final good-byes for the day, coloring the waters of the lake a bright orange. Ryne’s mother knotted a thread. “You have time.”
“What do you mean?”
“I could not sleep last night. Since Ryne…well, I cannot find peace. When I went outside, I saw you. I saw her. I heard everything. Nari, you were so brave.”
I didn’t know what to say. I stood and realized I wore only my corset and shift. A quick glanced confirmed Ryne’s mother was repairing my torn dress. The necklace. My hand immediately went to my neck and to the string of stones lying there. I sighed in relief.
“For once,” Ryne’s mother said in a contented voice with no trace of sadness, “I am glad you were such a hellion as a child.”
I frowned, not understanding what she was talking about. �
��You are?”
“Yes.” She bit off the thread along the top of the sleeve and stood, shaking out the creases in my dress. As if this were a common occurrence, she rose and held the dress out for me, and with twinkling eyes said, “I have no doubt that if anyone can save my son, it is you.”
19
The sun had gone to bed and the moon had begun its nightly climb as I wolfed down a bowl of stew. Between mopping up the bits and pieces with a thick slice of bread, I relayed my recent adventure to Ryne’s parents. When I was done, the air crackled with tension.
His father sat in the chair before the fire and suddenly smacked his palms on his knees and shot to his feet, shaking his head. “This isn’t right. I should be the one risking my life. Not some slip of a girl.”
I threw him a wary glance. “This is no longer your fight. This is about me and Ryne. The sage made that very clear.”
“Surely, as a grown man—”
“We know the fight is in you,” she said softly, “but Nari is right. This is no longer our fight. If it were, the sage would have made it known.”
He harrumphed, and stared into the fire. “Maybe. Maybe not. How wise is a woman to send a girl to do a man’s job?”
I stood and approached him. “You cannot interfere. We cannot risk it. Please. I know what I am doing.”
A slash of doubt crossed his face. “Do you know that she has killed dozens of men whose only crime was to fish in her lake in order to feed their families? In my pride, I ignored the legend, placing it in the realm of superstition. I dared the curse. I caused all this. And now you want me to stand back and watch that evil creature wreck further havoc? How can I?”
The tortured look on his face pained me. “You must. It is the only way. Do not fear I go unprepared. I have given thought to a plan.” I didn’t know what else to say.
He grabbed my hands and peered down at me. “You don’t understand. Just thinking of you getting harmed scares me.”
And to think many in the village had scoffed at this man for years. He had far more goodness in him than any of the other men. I squeezed his fingers. “It scares me, too. But living without Ryne scares me more. Do not try and talk me out of this. It is for me to see him home, and only me.”
