Forever

by Chanda Hahn

  Mina swallowed and turned her thoughts toward the jet. She felt the Fae power gather around her and channeled it to the approaching aircraft.

  Jared growled when she hesitated. “You have to protect them!”

  Kino was trying to fend off a helicopter, so Charlie focused on taking down the rest of the bridge by himself. She had to do it and do it now. The fighter jet fired it’s guns, and a line of bullet spray ripped into the water to take them out.

  She whispered to the pilot. “You can’t see! Pull up.” Immediately, the fighter jet veered to the left and peeled off. She breathed a sigh of relief as he missed her brother. That was easier than she’d expected. “Stay away,” she told him.

  Within minutes, the bridge was destroyed. Mina looked at the strangely empty skyline. Her heart grieved that the landmark had been annihilated.

  She stared at the water, awed at all of the destruction that had happened because of her cursed life.

  The Godmothers rushed to help any injured they found.

  Even Brody and Nan left to help, unwilling to stay idle.

  Mina, on the other hand, could barely stand without Jared’s support. He held her close, as helicopters continued to zoom over them on their way to the bridge. Many were news copters. She could only imagine the stories that were being played out on screens across America. “It would take a miracle to erase the damage we’ve done.”

  “You’re right,” he admitted. “This is beyond altering the memories of a girl and her friends.”

  “Or school.”

  “Or school,” he repeated.

  “Then what can we do?”

  “Who knows where Annalora is at the moment—or how many she’s working with? For now, here, we try and protect the innocent Fae. We police our own and try to win the trust of the Fae that are here. Or we find another big enough gate and force them all back into the Fae world.”

  “That seems a little harsh.”

  “My reign of terror, followed by my parents’ impaired judgment—that was harsh. I made all these Fae leave. I could force them to come back.” He flickered again, and this time, she felt him disappear and come back.

  She pulled from his embrace “Jared?” Mina grabbed for him, but her hands went right through him. He tried to speak, but she couldn’t hear him, which meant Taz couldn’t sustain him much longer.

  One minute he was there—Mina felt a warmth encompass her body, and her heart burst with love in a final goodbye—and then he was gone.

  Mina stared at the empty beach and the spot where Jared had stood. She wanted to scream her fury into the sky. She sat on the sand and looked back at the water. She waited. For what, she didn’t know.

  It was almost sunset when Nan and Brody found her. Ever and Nix came up behind her too. Both of them had been bandaged, and Nix complained about whoever had made the poultice for his wound. Mina felt relief at seeing her friends still alive, safe and sound. The omen hadn’t taken them. But she could tell by the way Nix walked and Ever limped that they hadn’t completely escape its fury.

  Others gathered on the beach. It seemed that the worst of the war was over.

  What was left of Teague’s and Annalora’s armies had run and were hiding in the hills. Apparently, with the destruction of the gate and without their leaders, they didn’t know where to go. They would have to hunt them down another day.

  Mina watched as Charlie met his grandparents, and he immediately hugged them, not letting them go. Ternan leaned down and lifted the boy up, holding him high in the air.

  It seemed that everything would probably be alright for everyone. Except her.

  Chapter 33

  “We did it! We won,” Ever cheered as she came and stood by Mina. She didn’t even attempt to hide her wings.

  “If you call this winning,” Mina answered. She looked across the Bay at the flashing lights and mob of rescue vehicles.

  And Annalora was still out there, plotting.

  “Well, we didn’t die, so yeah,” Ever glanced at Mina and her face turned solemn. “What’s up?”

  Taz Clara rose out of the Bay. Water trailed over her skin, dripping off in rivulets. She moved closer to the shore but didn’t step onto the land. “I’m sorry. I held onto Jared for as long as I could, but he just slipped away from me.”

  “Ohhh,” Ever whispered.

  Every part of Mina wanted to scream and yell at her for not trying harder, but the sea witch did not deserve her temper. Taz hadn’t plunged the knife into Teague’s chest. Mina had. All Taz did was give her more time with him. She should have tried to bind him to the Grimoire despite his argument. But he would’ve ended up hating her in the end, because he’d once again be a prisoner. She couldn’t bear to do that to him.

  She felt adrift without him. It ached to admit it.

  How could she ever smile again?

  Until she heard it.

  Thump… Thump… Thump.

  And she remembered. Mina pressed her hand to her heart, and a tear slid down her cheek. He would never truly be gone, because she loved him.

  Their small group on the beach started to grow in size as a meeting of the guilds and sirens coalesced on the shore.

  “We have done all we can, for now.” Strong Arm’s voice rumbled deeply. “We must leave. It is no longer safe for us. Constance, your guild is welcome to join mine until yours is rebuilt.”

  Constance nodded her head in agreement. “Thank you for the offer, Strong Arm. I think we will take you up on it until this boils over.”

  She turned to Nan and Brody. “I think it’s best if you two head home as soon as you can. Don’t mention that you were anywhere near here. I’ll send someone up to help smooth over your parents’ memories, so you can try and slip back into your normal lives. I heard that with the school destroyed, you’ve been on a long break, so at least that bit should be easy enough.”

  Just hearing the news about her school being on break filled Mina with relief. She knew the Godmothers would take care of Nan and Brody. Their parents wouldn’t even remember that Nan and Brody had disappeared. They had a chance at regaining their normal lives, and she was happy for them. As happy as she could feel with all these circumstances.

  “Do we have to leave now? What will happen to Mina and Charlie?” Nan ran over to Mina and gave her best friend a hug. “I feel like I just got her back.”

  “They will be taken care of,” Constance assured her.

  “Will we see them again?” Nan asked.

  “That will be up to them, but it might be better if you forgot all about them for the time being.”

  “No!” Brody and Nan answered together.

  Mina was pleasantly surprised at her friends’ determination.

  “That will never happen,” Brody looked over at Mina and smiled, his eyes crinkling ever so softly. Mina tried to offer a half-smile back.

  Constance sighed. “Very well, but there’s no time to waste. The sooner you leave, the better.”

  Nan reluctantly pulled away from Mina’s side, and Brody came over to give her a hug. His embrace offered a familiar warmth and comfort. Mina sighed sadly as she struggled to keep her emotions at bay and her will from washing over him. Just because she was afraid of being alone didn’t mean Brody was hers to keep.

  He gave her another squeeze before he pulled away and reached for Nan’s hand. Mina realized in that moment that maybe she was never meant to have a happily ever after.

  Maybe, they didn’t even exist.

  Mina watched as Brody walked hand-in-hand with Nan up the shoreline and to the sidewalk before they took off at a jog for the car. She prayed they’d have a safe journey.

  “Thank you, sea witch, for your help,” Constance said.

  Taz Clara remained, standing regally in the water. She smiled and brushed her hand in front of her in a mock bow. “I didn’t help to gain the favor of the Godmothers, but of someone much more important.”

  Constance’s lips pinched together, and Mina picked up on the tension be
tween the two women. “I understand. I’m sure the effort will be repaid.”

  “I hope so,” Taz said as she slowly sank into the bay and disappeared.

  The siren ship Serenity pulled as close as they could, and Reef and Genni brought the ship’s tender into the shore to pick them up and ferry them out. Nix, Ever, and Mina quickly sat down as the sirens swam them out to the ship. As soon as they were aboard, Ternan and Winona set sail.

  Taz rose out of the water, her eyes black as night as she called forth a deep rolling fog to hide them. The sea witch raised her long green arm in a parting farewell. The sirens sailed out into the deep ocean, needing time to tend to their injured and find another way back to the Fae plane. The farther away they sailed, the less the damage seemed, until Mina could barely see San Francisco.

  It all just felt like a horrible dream.

  Charlie had been unwilling to leave Kino’s side since the battle. Kino had already dubbed him the Sea Prince. Winona and Ternan struggled to hold their emotions in check as they stood before their grandson. Winona’s face was washed with tears, and Mina swore she saw Ternan’s beard tremble with pride.

  Charlie stared wide-eyed at the scars along his grandfather’s arms. His mouth opened but then firmly shut.

  Ternan kneeled down, his eyes shining bright. “There’s no need to fear, my boy. You won’t hurt me with your gift. As the siren king, I—” His words were cut off as Charlie tossed himself into his grandfather’s arms.

  Ternan held his hand out to the side, and her grandmother stepped into his arms and joined in the family reunion happening on deck. Mina met Winona’s eyes and simply nodded.

  Maybe she should have joined them, but something held her back. She couldn’t have explained it, other than she felt too much was left undone.

  She turned to look at the ocean and asked Ever, “When can we get back?”

  “We just left. Why would you want to go back?”

  “Not to the pier—to the Fae plane.”

  Ever bit her lip as she tried to think. “I’m not sure. We may be stuck here for a while.”

  “That can’t be. We have to get back,” Mina’s heart told her something was wrong.

  “There’s another natural gate, but it may take a while to sail there,” Kino answered as he came to stand by them. His face was covered with soot, and his arm had numerous cuts.

  “Where?” Mina demanded.

  “Well, the biggest one is the Bermuda Triangle.” He rubbed the back of his head and winced when he brought his hand away with a bit of blood on it.

  “We don’t have that much time.”

  Annalora was out there somewhere, and Mina didn’t know what else she had planned. But she would not let that stuck up gnome destroy everything.

  “Well, you could always go yourself and use the seam ripper, but what’s the hurry?”

  “Annalora. I feel like I’ve missed something obvious. I don’t like not knowing what’s going on over there. There’s… there’s something big happening, and I can’t tell what it is.”

  Ever faced Mina. “Let’s use the seam ripper. I’ll go with you. I trust your instincts.”

  Saying goodbye was difficult, but Mina knew her grandparents and Kino would watch over Charlie as they sailed toward the Bermuda Triangle.

  None of them belonged here. She didn’t even know if she belonged here, but they would all find each other again on the other side.

  Ever and Nix stood directly behind Mina as she pulled out the seam ripper and opened the gate between worlds. But something was wrong. The gate didn’t glow like it had before. It opened into a dark swirling vortex of wind, and sparks of lighting shot in and out of the gate.

  “What’s happening?” Ever yelled as she held up her hands to deflect the flying debris stirred up by the gate.

  “This is what I’ve been feeling,” Mina answered. “I think the gates are closing.” She stared at the gate with mixed emotions. For a few years, this had been all she wanted, to close the gates between the worlds and to stop the Fae from coming over. Now, if it closed behind them, it would trap the sirens and her brother in the human plane forever. And it would also mean she’d never see her friends again.

  “But why are they closing?” Nix yelled as he held onto Ever’s shoulders to try and steady her.

  Mina, unafraid of the wind and the vortex of darkness, walked toward it and listened. She let herself hear and feel what was coming through the gate. “There’s not enough magic to keep them open anymore.”

  Mina took a step back before running toward the gate and jumping through. Coldness rushed through her body, followed by prickly pain. When she landed, she rolled through rough grass that scratched at her arms. Mina sat up and watched the gate close slowly. Come on, guys.

  Ever and Nix came flying out at the last second.

  The gate closed, and the wind stopped. They were left in utter silence.

  Ever was the first one on her feet. Her mouth dropped open, and her hands flew to her mouth in horror. “Holy snickerdoodles on toast.”

  Mina got up and looked at the Fae plane. The trees were brown and withered, the grass had dried up to a crusty brown, the river beds were dried, and fish lay dead in the mud.

  Nix turned away and covered his eyes. As far as they could see, the magic and life in their world was fading away.

  “What’s going on?” Ever cried out in despair.

  Mina knew. She could feel it deep in her soul, and she answered. “The Fae plane is dying.”

  “How can that be?” Ever whispered. “We only just left.”

  “We have to get to the Fates and fast,” Mina answered. “They were last in the swamps.”

  Nix looked around at their surroundings and ran up a small hill. He placed his hands on his hips and turned around to look at them. “I hate to tell you this, but I think we’re in the swamps. Or what’s left of them.”

  Mina turned full circle and then ran up to where Nix stood. Sure enough, he was right. The valley lay in the distance, and she recognized the mountains, so that meant the Fates should be here. She turned and spotted the large willow tree. And she took off running.

  It was easier to cover the distance when the swamp was dry as a bone. She kicked up dust as she leaped over dried shrubs. She slowed when she came to the withered and dead willow tree. She should have been stopped. A guard or Reaper or someone should have tried to stop her, but there was no one. She reached forward and gently pushed the withered hanging branches to the side. She stepped under the boughs.

  Her breath caught. Captain Plaith kneeled in front of the bodies of the Fates, who were laid out along the ground. Dried flower petals had been scattered across their formal outfits. The Captain of the Guard turned to look at Mina, his eyes red-rimmed and his face pale and covered in a fine coat of dust.

  “Captain Plaith, what happened?” Mina asked, staying as far away as she could from the grieving man.

  “How dare you enter here!” He spun on his knee and pulled a weapon out of his robes to attack.

  Mina held up her hand in panic, and his blow froze mid-air. All she wanted him to do was stop, and he had.

  His eyes looked about wildly, his teeth gnashed, and spit came flew out of his mouth. “I know you! I remember you from the maze, but you look different. How are you doing this? With the death of the Fates, there shouldn’t be any magic left in our world.”

  “Well, maybe it’s because I don’t come from your world,” she said coldly. “Now, I’m going to ask you again. What happened?”

  “Poison,” he said. “An offering came from the gnomes, and it was poisoned.”

  Mina closed her eyes and felt a pang of deep sorrow. It seemed that the all-powerful Fates were not immune after all. The whole family fell to poison. “What can we do?”

  “There’s nothing to do but prepare for the end,” Captain Plaith answered. “The reason the Fates are so strong is because they are the conduits of all power that flows through our plane. That link has been br
oken. If Prince Teague were here, he could save us, but I fear he doesn’t care about his people anymore.”

  “He’s dead,” Mina answered solemnly. She released Captain Plaith from her hold.

  “Then I fear the worst.” He put away his weapon.

  “There has to be someone else.”

  “The strongest Fae have gone to the palace to see if they can restore the magic to our lands. Others are looking for ways to cross over to your world, since ours is doomed.”

  “Then we will go to the Fae palace,” Mina said.

  “Good luck. It’s become quite the battleground. I’d stay very far away from there.”

  “Look, I didn’t have to come back. I’m not even sure why I did, but if I’m not giving up on your world, then you better not either. Do you understand? That’s an order.”

  Captain Plaith swallowed nervously, and a small smile crept onto his face. “Yes ma’am.” He stood taller and gave her a bow before walking to the willows and pulling the branches aside so she could pass through.

  On the other side, she met Nix and Ever. They nodded silently, as if they had overheard everything.

  Captain Plaith pulled out a small flute and played a simple melody. A few minutes later, three centaurs came over the hills in a cloud of dust, all of them heavily armed. The dark-coated one had a long sword, a palomino female wore a long bow, and the tallest—with the whitest of coats—carried an axe.

  “Thank you for coming Adrith, Basal, and Prase,” Captain Plaith addressed them in order. “I think one has come who is able to save us. Can we count on your herd to escort us?”

  The white centaur, Adrith, held up his axe and reared in challenge. “We do not fear battle. Your company will be safe with us.”

  “Then we must hurry,” Captain Plaith answered. He gestured for Mina to mount Prase, the closest centaur, but Adrith stepped forward.

  “I’ll guard this one.” He offered her his hand.

  Mina placed her hand in his palm as he kneeled and helped her onto his back. Ever and Nix climbed upon Basal and Prase, while Captain Plaith readied his own Fae steed.