by Leela Ash
“What exactly is this test?”
“You will see.” Cold, glittering eyes studied her.
Could she pass such a test? Two days ago, she didn’t even believe in love. Now…
Now, she knew. How it felt to give yourself, wholly, to a man. The joy that came from sacrificing for someone else. The peace, the confidence that had swept over her as she stepped into the Mist. Knowing that, no matter what happened to her, Finn would be spared.
That was love. Not the half-hearted, lukewarm ‘love’ of the Other Side. Passion and devotion, the highest emotions humans could feel.
Hell yeah, she loved Finn. And her love could beat any test!
Still, a good negotiator knew when to toss out a counter-offer.
Let’s see how much he wants to prove his Lady wrong.
Bree sighed and shook her head. “Without knowing the test, I can’t say. Who knows what could go wrong? I could die.”
The king leaned forward. Excellent – it meant he was eager. “Yet, this is your only chance. I will not allow you to leave otherwise.”
“Staying here doesn’t seem that bad…” It did. However, the King of the Other Side could never guess how creepy his little ‘paradise’ was to a human.
Hemming and hawing, she gave him a minute to stew. Then she tossed out the bait. “How about sweetening the deal? If I pass, you agree to allow magic to flow through the Wellsprings again.”
He reared back, offended. “Why should I take such a risk?”
“It’s only a risk if you think there’s a chance I’ll pass your test.” Bree gave him her sweetest smile.
One long, elegant finger tapped on the arm of his throne as he pondered that. Bree waited, expressionless.
“Very well. I accept your condition. Do you submit to the test?”
“If I pass, you let me leave and allow magic to flow through the Wellsprings again. If I fail, I remain here. Or go home in pieces.”
The king nodded.
“Sounds good. I accept and submit to your test.”
Murmurs of delight swept through the watching Adanai. It looked like nothing this exciting had happened on the Other Side since… well, probably since Princess Tess ran away.
Her Hare was a tiny bundle of nerves, shivering endlessly.
Calm down. You’re spooking me, and I need to think, okay?
Waves of fear sank to ripples. Guess that was the best her Shifter soul could do.
Once more, she thought of Finn. His pride in himself and his Flight. How much the Wellsprings meant to them all.
This would be her final gift to him. To all of the Shifter world.
The joy of that settled even her skittish Hare. Calm and confident, Bree took a breath and faced the king.
A slow, gloating smirk twisted his handsome face. Now that she’d consented to his test, he didn’t bother to hide his contempt for her.
“Let us begin, then,” he said.
The Other Side vanished, and she appeared at her lover’s bedside.
Daven’s bedside.
Not Finn’s.
Chapter 15
“Whoa! Wait! Stop!” Bree yelled.
Her cry woke Daven. With a squawk, he sat up, eyes darting between her and the dark King who stood beside her. “What the hell?”
“This is not a fair test! I don’t love him!”
“And yet, you pledged your life to him. You still wear the mark of that vow.”
That damnable engagement ring!
“Only because I can’t take it off,” she snapped. “Which I’m starting to think is your doing.”
Daven rubbed his eyes. When that didn’t make the two interlopers disappear, he groaned. “I’m dreaming. I have to be dreaming.”
“Think of it that way if you wish.” The king raised his hand with languid grace. Then his fist snapped shut, as if he grabbed some unseen fly.
Pain tore through Bree. She fell to her knees, sparks of light flooding her vision. Everything – love, fear, thought itself – disappeared, washed away by that agony.
When it dimmed to mere pain, she glanced up, panting.
The king held a rabbit by the scruff of its neck. No, not a rabbit. A Hare, tied to her by a thin, silvery cord.
Her Hare! Her soul!
“Did you think that death was the worst that could happen?” Turning to the dazed lawyer, the king explained, “This is the source of your problem.”
“A rabbit is the reason my fiancée left me for another guy. Riiight.” Daven rolled his eyes. Bree could sympathize.
“Think of it as a symbol. Is your woman a rabbit?”
“No. She’s a wolf. A killer,” he said sadly.
Once, that would have pleased her. Now, she knew how hollow those things were. Better to be a Hare, a creature of intuition and insight, than an unfeeling competitor.
A black dagger appeared in the king’s left hand. He offered it, hilt first, to Daven. “This creature, this weakness, has polluted your woman. Destroy it and she will be yours once again. She will become the woman you knew and loved once more.”
“Daven, don’t! That’s my soul!”
He turned the knife back and forth in his hand. Gingerly, as if he feared it might bite him. “You’re not a rabbit, Bree. You’re stronger than that.”
“Look, I love this thing. It makes me whole. For the first time in my life, I’m happy.”
“Without me.” His grip on the knife firmed.
“Please don’t hurt it,” she begged.
He glanced at the king and the squirming Hare he held. “I think he, uh, may be right. You’re probably better off without that thing.”
And with him? No!
Screw the king and screw this unfair ‘test.’ Bree threw herself toward her Hare…
…and nothing happened. The air turned to molasses around her, cementing her in place.
“Daven, please no! That Hare means everything to me!”
Wrong thing to say! Her ex-fiancé’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Well, maybe it shouldn’t. Maybe you’d still love me without it.”
How had she ever thought she could marry such a selfish bastard? “Don’t my desires matter? They would to Finn Donnelly!”
Daven ignored her. “She’ll forget him, right?”
The king nodded and held out the kicking Hare.
Shit! Time to try another tactic. “Seriously, Daven? You’re going to stab a rabbit? You’ll get blood all over yourself!”
“Oh, ugh.” Nose wrinkling, Daven recoiled in disgust. He always was the fastidious sort.
“Are you so dainty that you cannot slay a Hare?” Shocked by the lawyer’s revulsion, the Adanai shook his head. “And you think yourself a predator.”
“Uh…”
“Blood everywhere.” Bree threw her arms wide. “And it’s going to scream. Did you know rabbits scream? They do. It’s horrible. Sounds like a dying child.”
“Is this not a mere dream?” the king thundered. “Can you not at least dream of being a man and reclaiming your woman?”
Hopefully not! “That’s right, this is a dream. You, Daven, are dreaming that if you sacrifice a bunny I’ll come back to you. In what world does that make any sense? Damn, you need therapy. This is pathetic. What would the guys in the office think if they could see you now? Daven Kane – Bunny Slayer!”
“And now, I’m getting nagged in my dreams.” Rolling his eyes in disgust, Daven tossed the dagger aside and flopped back against his pillow. “Dammit, this is ridiculous!”
As soon as the knife hit the floor, the bedroom vanished. Once more, Bree and the king stood in the gardens of the Other Side. Around them, the members of the Court chattered in their musical tongue. Several ducked their heads to her. Seemed like she had the audience’s favor.
But she didn’t have her soul. Bree rounded on the king, who still held her struggling Hare. “Give her back!”
His grip tightened, sending darts of pain shooting through her chest. “Restrain yourself. You did not pas
s that test. Even you must agree that cowardice is not love.”
“Well the ‘test’ was rigged.” To her relief, his grip loosened when she stepped back and once more, the agony faded. “You know I don’t love Daven.”
A rustle of silk on grass announced that the queen had glided up behind her. “One might think, my Lord, that you fear a fair contest.”
Once again, Bree was glad to have her on her side.
The reprimand stung him, and his eyes narrowed. “Very well. You shall have your ‘fair’ test. I do not ask your consent, Lady, for what comes next. You have already proven that is not necessary.”
The king raised his left hand – and suddenly, out of nowhere, Finn staggered into the clearing.
Chapter 16
Again.
Head down, feet tearing ruts in the soft earth, Finn threw himself forward. His Dragon poured its strength into his mortal body, holding nothing back. Power surged, the veins in his neck stood out with the strain. Every muscle in his body twisted, reached the tearing point…
Yet, he went nowhere. The mist surrounding the Wellspring resisted his assault. Soft as cotton, thin as smoke.
And completely impenetrable.
Gasping, he staggered back to the edge of the trees. “Again.”
Once more. This time would be different. This time, he’d break through.
“Finn?”
Tess Morland limped out from the woods. Her Mate, Darian, held her elbow, alert to any threat.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Finn rasped.
“Five minutes after the Adanai hurt Tess, I was on my way to the airport. Finn, listen.” Darian grabbed him by the elbow, but he jerked away. “You’ve been banging your head against this thing for a day now. You’ve got to stop.”
“I can’t.”
His eyes flickered to Tess. Darian caught his silent question at once and bowed his head. He, too, knew that no Dragon could ever rest while his Mate was in danger.
Tess, however, didn’t grasp just how stubborn Dragons could be. “C’mon Big Guy, take a break. If we could just kick our way into the Other Side, we’d be there already. It’s going to take more than just brute strength to get through.”
“Fine.” He called on his Dragon for another run. “You work on the ‘more.’ I’ll keep trying the brute strength.”
“Finn…”
“Again!” His Dragon’s roar joined his as he charged forward, tensed for an impact…
…that never came.
The unbreakable wall melted into fog and Finn went sprawling into the Other Side.
He hit the ground rolling.
Keen Dragon senses and years of battle laid the field plain to him even as he leaped to his feet.
Garden full of Adanai, screaming in horror and fleeing.
Not threats. Ignore.
Bree.
Unharmed. Ignore.
Guy in black holding a dagger to Bree’s Hare.
Target acquired.
Magic swirled around him, weaving the world together. Each draught of air he drew filled his body with its intoxicating richness. Pure oxygen for the fire of his Dragon soul. Finn gave himself to that wild power. As his Dragon’s might poured into him, he crouched and prepared to tear the Other Side apart for kidnapping his Mate.
Alone among his people, the black-clad stranger didn’t even flinch. “Shift and the Hare dies.”
With razor sharp precision, Finn froze. His Dragon screamed in outrage. Fast and lethal, it knew it could kill that creature before he hurt Bree.
Maybe. Probably. But we’re not taking that risk.
Hissing with fury, his Dragon sank back. Coiled and ready for his call. Its fire burned in Finn’s eyes.
“Good. How pleasant to learn that you can control yourself. Now we can speak.”
Just keep thinking that, buddy. I don’t need a Dragon to snap your neck.
“Bree? You okay?” He inched closer to her. Testing to see how near he could get to his true target, the guy with her Hare.
“Yeah. Rattled, but fine. I… Finn, I’m so sorry.”
“No closer,” the Adanai ordered.
Okay, so the guy wasn’t a complete idiot. Too bad. And what the hell was that strange, pale cord tying Bree to her Hare? “Who’s the jerk?” he asked her.
“The king of this place. I think he’s Tess’ father.”
Killing Tess’ dad could make Flight gatherings awkward.
Oh well. He’d deal with that problem when it arose. The SOB shouldn’t have hurt his Mate. “All right, Mr. Everlyn.”
The Adanai frowned. Wasn’t ‘Everlyn’ Tess’ maiden name?
If so, her dad didn’t seem to recognize it. Finn decided to keep using it anyways, since it annoyed the bastard. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re gonna let go of that Hare. Then Bree and I are walking back to the Wellspring and we’re returning to our world. You don’t attack us, and I won’t set your little Enchanted Forest on fire. Everybody happy, nobody gets hurt. Sound good?”
“The doors and gates are closed to you. So they shall remain – until you pass the test.”
“What test?”
Despite her bravado, he heard a quaver in Bree’s voice. “The king is trying to convince his wife there’s no such thing as true love. So far, all he’s managed to prove is that Daven and I don’t like each other much. And, frankly, that Daven doesn’t love anyone except himself.”
Only six feet separated him from that arrogant prick. Six feet. He could cross that in the blink of an eye. Snap the bastard’s arm before he could even twitch.
Couldn’t he? His Dragon believed it. So did he.
But something in the Adanai’s face held him back. A hint of eagerness, as if he hoped the Dragon would attack.
A good warrior trusted his instincts. Finn forced himself to wait. “Look, buddy, I don’t know what’s going on between you and the misses. But I don’t intend to jump through any hoops for you. Screw you and your test.”
“Then you will remain here, with this woman, for all time.”
A slight flare of the nostrils betrayed his eagerness. Oh yeah. The SOB was trying to goad him into losing his temper. “Let me get this straight. If I don’t pass your test, I will be forced to live forever in a faerie paradise with the woman I love?”
Love.
There. He’d said it. And it hadn’t been anywhere near as hard to admit as he’d feared.
“Yes.”
“You need to up your threat game, bro. That’s not a scary prospect.”
Now the creature did smile, a thin-lipped, arrogant smirk. “For you, perhaps. However, the child she carries will not fare as well. Mortals do not thrive here. What crawls from her womb will not be human.”
A fine red mist settled across his sight as Bree choked back a whimper. This thing dared to threaten his unborn child? Blood drummed in his ears as rage set his heart racing. His Dragon crouched, begging him to Shift and loose it upon their enemy.
Not yet. He still has my Mate’s soul.
Humor was his shield, the only thing keeping him from going berserk. “Attaboy. ‘Pass my test or your child suffers’ is a much better threat.” As anger lit the Adanai’s eyes, a vicious joy flashed through Finn. Somebody didn’t like getting mocked, at all. “Here’s my counter-threat. You can’t hold a knife to that Hare’s throat forever. Sooner or later, you’ll have to put it down. And when you do, I’ll tear you to pieces. So how about you let us go, now, and nobody has to die?”
The king waved the Hare’s limp body back and forth. Only its rolling eyes proved it was still alive. “Is this all that holds you back from slaying me? Then let us dispense with it.”
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the Hare into Bree’s arms. Her Shifter soul melded into her body as she caught it.
That was all the invitation Finn needed. He pounced on the Adanai, grabbing the wrist of his knife-hand with an iron grip. Triumphant, his Dragon urged him to Shift, to rend this villain to pieces and…
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Calm, unworried, the king studied him.
“Drop the knife!” Finn growled.
“Take it. You’re going to need it.”
He grabbed it – not because he believed the guy. But Tess claimed the Adanai had Dragon-slaying weapons. Maybe this was one of them. “Now open the Wellspring and let us out.”
“No. You have not passed my test.”
Bree hurried to his side, tremors shaking her lithe form. Gently, he pushed her behind him. “Hang on, babe. I’ll get us out of here. You.” He shook the king like a terrier with a rat. “You think I won’t kill you?”
“I know you won’t.” That sneer was really getting on his nerves! “I am the only one who can open the Wellsprings. Kill me and your child pays the price.”
“Death isn’t the worst thing you need to worry about,” Finn growled.
An actual flash of happiness lit the jerk’s bony face. “I am pleased you know this. Your Lady seemed quite unaware of that fact.”
“Let us go or I will hurt you. Badly.” To emphasize the point, he squeezed the man’s delicate wrist.
“And how do you plan to do that?”
In his hand, the bones of the king’s arm melted away. The skin twisted like taffy, then tore. With a gentle ‘plop’ his hand fell to the ground.
Finn jerked back in shock.
The Adanai raised the stump of his wrist. Tendrils of dark mist rose from it, forming fingers, then skin that paled to ivory white. A second later, he held aloft a new hand.
Without a single wince of pain. “I am the Lord of this realm. You are a mere trespasser. You cannot harm me.”
Free me, his Dragon demanded. I will teach him differently.
Can you do that without killing him?
Irritation and silence.
I take it that’s a ‘no’.
Bree snuggled close to him. Feeling her heart beat against his arm, Finn’s stomach roiled with impotent fury. He couldn’t risk her and their unborn child. That only left him one option: play along. “So, what’s your test?”
“Prove that true love exists.”
“Fine.” If that was what was needed, so be it. “Let her go. Keep me here.”
“Finn, no! I won’t leave you!”
