by Chanda Hahn
The phoenix’s feathers began to dim a little bit in sadness.
“But I will find a way to free you. If not today, then soon,” Mina promised.
Then I will grant you your wish. I will send you to the Fae plane. The phoenix flew into the air, his feathers burning so bright they were blinding. Mina heard the classroom door open, and Jared rushed into the room in a panic. He saw the bird and began to maneuver around the lab tables. Mina was absorbed with the firebird flying in circles above her, weaving a blazing trail of fire.
“No, Mina, don’t!” Jared yelled. “It’s too dangerous.”
A yellow flash whisked past her shoulder, and the piercing screech ripped through the air again. A vortex of fire whirled above her and began to descend upon her, as if to swallow her whole.
She saw Jared try to grab her arm, but he was fighting the vortex of wind and kept being pushed just out of reach. Her hair whipped around her face painfully and she tried to warn Jared to stay back, but he kept pressing forward.
“I won’t let you go.”
“I have to go, Jared.” She saw his face fill with despair as he realized he couldn’t save her, as the fiery vortex swept her up and she disappeared.
Chapter 19
Pain! A burning sensation ripped through her. She gasped for air, but nothing but heat filled her lungs. It was as if she was underwater, and when she opened her mouth, something else rushed in instead of oxygen. She panicked and tried to scream, but again nothing would come out. Tears streaked down her cheeks as she thought she was suffocating, slowly dying.
Something punched her in the stomach, and all of a sudden she could breathe again. Winded, she lay immobile until the blinding lights disappeared from her vision.
Mina lifted her head from the grass she was lying in to take in her unfamiliar surroundings. Gone were the brick walls, windows, and desks of the school. Instead, she was surrounded by odd-looking trees and plants and flowers. They were twisted, warped and menacing-looking, and not a single breed was familiar. A few minutes ago it had been daytime, but here it was night.
“Jared!” Mina called out, and looked around to see if he had made it through the portal. He hadn’t. She was alone.
The forest unnaturally echoed her call, and she decided it would be better if she didn’t do that again. Who knows what was out in the Fae woods? Gathering her nerve, she stood up and dusted off her pants, and saw the phoenix feather lying on the ground next to her.
But she felt like she had forgotten something. Her hands went to her jacket pocket where she kept the Grimoire, and the pocket was empty. After a few minutes of searching the immediate area, she came to the conclusion that the Grimoire couldn’t exist on the same plane as the Fae book. Or it was because it was so tied to Jared that if he didn’t cross over to the Fae plane, neither did the book. Either way, she was up a creek, without help.
Instead of standing still, waiting for Stiltskin to find her, she thought she needed to start looking for him or the palace. She started walking and kept getting distracted as some new species or flower caught her eye. Mina stopped and sniffed a flower, and it smelled like…blueberry pie, but better. Curious, she walked over to another bright orange flower and took a careful sniff. It smelled like a mix between snicker doodles and butter pecans.
Even the insects that buzzed around the flowers were larger than any she had ever seen in her own world. There was a yellow bumblebee the size of her fist. She watched as the bee came to land on a large lily, but no sooner had the bee landed than the flower closed up and ensnared the bee. Mina swallowed nervously and decided to give all flowers a very wide berth. Jared was right—even though his world was beautiful, it was also dangerous.
Mina walked along a path until she came to a fork in the road.
“Now where?” she groaned, and accidentally bumped into the branches of a nearby bush. Small lights the size of fireflies lifted off the small berry bush and began to dance around her head.
Captivated, Mina reached out to try to touch one of the lights. One of them flew closer and almost alighted on her finger before flitting away just out of reach. She smiled and kept walking until she heard the most wonderful voice. Melodic, wistful, full of longing. The worry she had felt moments ago was forgotten as the desire to follow the song and dancing lights grew.
Her feet moved on their own accord, and she followed the song away from the fork in the road, onto a different, almost indiscernible path that led deeper into the woods and toward a large lake.
Mina was enthralled. Never before had she seen or heard something so glorious, so enchanting, so unnatural, and something told her she needed to possess it—if only it would stop moving over the lake. The song grew louder when Mina paused and hesitated, urging her on.
Her sneaker dipped into the water’s edge, and she lingered momentarily as the cold seeped through the canvas, but it wasn’t enough. Shaking off any hesitation, she listened to the song and stepped farther into the water. She could always dry her shoes later, but right now, right this moment, she needed to obey the song more than she needed anything else, and nothing was going to stop her.
A few steps later, the water was up to her knees, but she was undeterred and waded farther into the stream. She could swim; she wasn’t afraid. Moments later the water was up to her waist, and a triumphant smile reached her lips. The smile only lasted for a second, replaced by fear as something large grabbed her around the legs and pulled her under the water.
She didn’t have time to scream as an icy chill wrapped around her and she plunged deep into the dark water. The dancing lights fading from above the water no longer seemed so beautiful. Now they seemed deadly as they illuminated her watery grave.
Mina tried to struggle and kick at the thing that grasped her foot, but it held her like a vise. A momentary illumination from the light gave Mina a glimpse of what had captured her, and the image terrified her to the core.
It was a young woman. Her skin shimmered like scales, and her long hair, the color of seaweed, flowed past her waist. But her huge cat-like eyes were black as night, and they glared hungrily at her.
Mina’s mouth opened to scream in terror. Water rushed past her lips, and she unconsciously swallowed. She panicked and tried to swim up to the surface, but the sea witch clung on and pulled her lower. Mina could feel herself starting to black out, and unlike moments ago when her mind was muddled with an enchantment, now she had control of her full faculties, and she did the only thing she could do. She let the cold seep into her bones until she felt the familiar tingle of power. It could have been her body shutting down and losing feeling in her fingers, but she didn’t think so. She didn’t have much time.
She reached into her jeans pocket, which was a struggle in itself, and pulled out the shard of glass and held it in the sleeve of her jacket. She swung the shard of glass downward and missed the monster. She tried again and again, and on the third try, she stabbed the water witch in the hand.
The witch ceased in her struggle to overpower Mina. She became paralyzed and released her hold on her. Mina watched as her attacker sank into the darkness below, her body slowly turning to gold as if Stiltskin himself had touched her. The witch sank with her hand outstretched, her last moment of humanity slowly slipping away. Instinctively, Mina tried to grab the woman’s hand and swim upward with her, but she couldn’t. The witch was dead weight and pulling her down farther. Left with no choice, Mina had to let go of the witch’s hand, and she watched as she slowly disappeared into the darkness below, a golden carcass.
Remembering her predicament, she tried to swim toward the surface, but it was too far, and she was so tired. She shouldn’t have wasted those precious seconds trying to save the monster that was trying to kill her. Now she was going to die anyway. Her eyes started to close, and she saw something green rocket through the water in her direction. She had just enough time to realize it was another monster…and it had come to finish her off.
Chapter 20
Her mo
uth was dry and her eyes were crusted shut. Her hands felt like giant hammers pummeling her face as she tried to wipe away the offending crud to open them. Something hard and cool was pressed against her mouth, and she pinched them shut against the unknown liquid being forced down her lips. She heard a sigh of frustration before green fingers appeared over her nose and gave a slight pinch.
Mina gasped in alarm, and her mouth opened. The cup was back at her mouth, and she felt something cool and minty fill her mouth. Don’t swallow. Don’t swallow, she told herself, and when the cup moved away, she turned her head and spat out the liquid. She tried to knock the helping green hands away, but her own body had trouble obeying her commands. The green hand came to her mouth again, and she used every bit of effort to bite at the offending fingers.
“Hey. Ouch!” a male voice grumbled.
Mina turned her muddled head to stare at the green-skinned young man. His green hair was medium length, just touching the edge of his neck, and flowed back and forth as if it was being tossed in an invisible current. He was lean and well-muscled, like a swimmer. He wasn’t wearing a shirt but long green pants that looked to be made of grass or seaweed.
“Wh-who are you?” Her voice was wrecked, and she had to lick her lips and swallow a few times before she sounded normal.
The young man turned, shaking his injured finger in the air, and gave her a wary look before answering, “Nix.”
“You saved me, didn’t you?” She couldn’t tear her eyes away from his skin, which out of the water looked very human, except for the greenish tint. If he moved, the light would catch the faintish shimmer of his scales.
“Yes, I almost couldn’t revive you, so I’m sorry if you’re a little sore.”
Mina was wondering why her chest felt like an elephant had been sitting on it.
“Thank you…Nix, is it? What an odd name.”
“It’s a perfectly good name for a nixie.” He looked offended and held out his bitten hand, and small translucent webbing appeared between each of his fingers. When he was positive they were all intact, they disappeared again.
Whoa! she thought. So this is what a nixie looked like.
Nix looked at her again, and this time stood up and moved even farther away from her, then sat closer to a water-filled hole in the ground. He sat on the edge and put both of his feet into the water, and stared at her from a distance.
Mina sat up, and one hand went to her rib cage in pain. She must have been passed out for a while, because all of her clothes were dry. She looked around at her prison. She was in a cave, and the walls were covered with glowing crystals that created the luminescent light. There was a small bed, which she was lying in, a blanket, a cup, and a small pack of items by a far wall, but no obvious exit.
“What did you do to her?” he asked warily.
“You mean the girl who tried to kill me?” Mina answered.
He nodded.
“I’m not sure. I stabbed her with a piece of golden glass, and she changed,” Mina replied, trying to sound nonchalant.
He looked at her, and she felt herself shiver under his dark stare. And then she realized the difference between Nix and the woman. Where the sea witch’s eyes were an intense black, Nix’s cat-shaped eyes were bright green and still very human-looking.
“You’re different. You and her.” Mina pointed to his eyes. “Her eyes were filled with evil.”
Nix’s green skin turned an odd shade as he paled and refused to meet her gaze. He leaned forward and ran his fingers through the water as if he took comfort from its touch.
“Yes. She was seduced by our own blood.” He sighed and pulled his leg from the water, and leaned his chin on his knee. “Water witch, sea witch, nixies…we are all one and the same. Cursed by our own desires, so most think of us as evil. But I tell you, we are not born that way. We are gentle creatures. Once we reach a certain age, our power over water fades and we become desperate, thirsty for that power again. And then we have to make a choice: to eventually lose our connection with water, grow old, and die, or begin drowning and killing innocents to feed on and live forever.”
Fear raked through her body. Her eyes searched the cave again, looking for another way out, until it dawned on her. The water-filled hole. The only way out was through the water, and Nix was blocking the way.
Nix could see her fear and raised his voice. “Yes, but not all of us are like that! Look at me! Look at my eyes. I’m not like her. I’ve not become seduced by lust for power. Raina wasn’t always like that, either.” Nix looked so heartbroken and alone that she couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
“What happened between you?”
“We were in love once. We made a promise to each other to grow old and die together. To not give in to the curse of our race. We thought we were stronger than the temptation, which usually surfaces once we reach adulthood. But then one day last year, I found her crying in the shallows of the water. She could no longer hear the fishes’ thoughts, or speak to the tadpoles. No matter how much she sang to them, they never answered. I told her it was okay, she could still speak to me. She was older than I am, so it affected her first. It’s scary, to see a curse affect someone you love and knowing that it would be my fate as well.”
“Yes, it is,” Mina said, thinking of her own troubles.
Nix nodded; he was lost deep in thought. She thought he was done, but he turned his head, and she could see that there was a tear sliding down his delicately scaled cheek.
“I told her we would suffer together, that I would always be there for her until our very end. Then I awoke one morning to a song—her song, and I knew. I knew she had made her choice, and I didn’t stop her. I could have. I knew what she was doing, but I refused to watch. I was scared. I was scared that I would join her and turn, too.” He sniffed and then looked up proudly into Mina’s eyes. His deep green eyes filled with tears. “But I haven’t.”
Mina couldn’t help but feel sorry for Nix and Raina’s lost love, and wiped at the corner of her eye as a tear began to manifest.
“She is no longer the Raina I knew and loved. She is a monster, a true sea witch, and I am cursed to die alone.”
“And I’m cursed to die during a fairy tale, so we won’t go out alone.” Mina laughed softly.
Nix leapt up from the water’s edge and stumbled away from her. “You’re a Grimm! Here on the Fae plane.”
“Yes, and you’re a nixie. So what?”
“But—but there are too many tales involving us and Grimms, and we are the ones who end up dead. I don’t want to be a part of that.”
Mina sighed loudly. “I think it’s already too late. If you didn’t want to get involved, you should have let me drown.”
He stood there, silent, before he nodded in agreement. “Yes. You’re right. I should have let you drown.” He dove into the water, and like a fish shot through the murky depths and disappeared. Mina went to the water’s edge and looked into the darkness, and knew that he’d abandoned her to die.
Chapter 21
Mina picked up the cup that Nix had been trying to coerce her to drink from and dropped it into the watery abyss, counting how many seconds it took before she could no longer see it. It disappeared into the blackness after three. Who knew if there even was a bottom? She sat back on her heels and tried to not panic. They were probably in an underwater cavern that was only accessible from, well, under the water. But what if there was a maze of caverns. If she could hold her breath long enough, she might be able explore or find a way out. Or she might drown in her attempts.
What to do? She chewed on her bottom lip as she looked around the small cave and contemplated her options. This was not the time to break down and cry. This was the time to be smart. Mina went to Nix’s pack and dug through the items he had left behind. He had a few small sacks with shells in them, some twine, a knife, and a lidded jar with some blue liquid in it.
A plan began to form in her mind, and she took the knife, went to the cavern wall, and began to d
ig out one of the glowing stones. Again and again she scraped, hit, and pried at only the red and green stones, being careful to separate them into two piles.
When she had what she thought was a sufficient amount, she dumped out the bag filled with shells and replaced them with the stones. She washed out the jar, phoenix feather inside it, resealing it with the wax and twine. When fully dry and protected from the water, the feather created a warm glowing light inside the jar. She had gotten the idea from Jared’s Coke bottle. When the feather became wet, the fiery light burned down to almost nothing until it was fully dry again.
Mina then went to work on making a weapon out of the shard of the Stiltskin’s glass. She found a piece of wood and attached the glass shard to it by wrapping it with more twine, creating a small knife. She made a sheath out of seaweed, and attached the knife and sheath to her thigh with twine. Mina was pretty proud of her ingenuity and was ready to test out her plan.
She took off her shoes and jacket. After tying her hair back with a piece of string she found and using more of the string, she attached the two sacks and the jar with the phoenix feather to her shorts. She then took her first plunge and gasped at how cold the water was against her skin. The water could only be this cold if the cavern was really deep. Mina took a couple of dunks and started to practice deep breathing and counting how long she could hold her breath. She refused to die in an underground cave on the Fae plane alone. She had to save her brother.
Confident that she could hold her breath for at least a minute, she took one last look around the cave before taking a breath and beginning her escape. It was dark, and the jar with the feather created a beautiful warm glow against the shadows. She could see at least two paths, and who knew how many more after that. She was going to have to leave a breadcrumb trail back to this cave if she got lost.
Mina dropped the first glowing green stone under the opening to the cave and was surprised that there was an actual bottom. It stopped there and continued to glow. She swam a few yards down the tunnel to her left and dropped another green stone. She swam a few more yards before deciding to retrace her path back up into the cavern again for another breath. This was going to take awhile, and she was tiring quickly. Mina repeated the actions, breathing, following the same tunnel until it came to a dead end, and then replacing the green stones with red ones to mark the lack of exits.
