One glance at Drake clearly showed he didn’t agree.
Chapter Twenty-Six
I squeezed Drake’s waist even tighter as we approached the bridge, which consisted of a couple of fallen and twisted trees crossed over each other and tied with a rotting rope. The other side was a narrow cliff path that we would probably fall off of if we breathed wrong. Under the bridge, a river spewed out of the mountains like wet fireworks—part waterfall, part permanent tornado.
“This is crazy,” I shouted over the roar of the water. “Absolutely fucking crazy.”
The horse danced back from the violent spray.
“The horses might refuse to cross it,” Drake said with a hopeful note in his voice.
“Reynard and his men are watching the Hollows,” Brendan said. “They have to be. Nella obviously traded information to pass, and now they’re trying to take us to that castle. I’m not going to let myself become some captive of Sadler’s while he takes over the entire realm. We’re going this way.”
“Or die trying?” Drake added grimly.
“There used to be bridges,” Brendan murmured.
“Once,” Drake said. “But when the Darkside was noticed and continued to grow, people panicked. They tore down the bridges because they thought it was some kind of plague that could be carried. All of the people who lived beyond were stranded. That must be why this bridge exists.”
“But this is all the Darkside, too,” I said, confused.
“It kept spreading,” Drake said. “But it was never a plague, at least not in the way they thought back then.”
Brendan stared across the river. “And it’s still spreading.”
I looked down at the water. It appeared as though a chunk of the mountain’s rock had been simply blown out of the way by the power of the falls. The water was frantic and wild. It had eroded a path all along the mountain range. “We could follow the river and see if there’s another place to cross. This might not be the bridge the Watcher told us about. The river has to slow down at some point, right?”
“It’ll take too long,” Brendan said. “We could get caught up in Sadler’s games before we even reach a way to cross. This is our best chance.”
“Let’s take a look around first,” Drake said. “Let the horses get used to the noise.”
Brendan nodded. “I’ll go east; you two look west. We’ll meet here again in an hour.”
Drake pulled on the reins. Our horse turned eagerly away from the waterfall gone wrong.
“Are you all right?” Drake asked. His words were clipped. He hadn’t been as comfortable with me since Brendan’s return. He didn’t believe Brendan’s story about a mirror and had insisted I ride with him all day. I was pretty sure he was trying to figure out if I was losing my mind or not.
“I’m not going to strip off and run into the woods to become a wildcat lady, Drake.”
“I didn’t say… I’m just checking. You were asleep for a long time.”
“I needed to sleep. Thanks, by the way. I kept seeing things. It was freaking me out. I felt better when I woke up. Better than I have in a while, actually.”
“Good.” He pointed across the water. “Over there is the desert. Hopefully, any time we spend there will be brief.”
“We were there before,” I reminded him.
“What we passed through was just the outer edge. The worst of the desert is a wasteland. We’ll never make it through if we take the wrong path. The mountain cuts through a portion of the desert, so we shouldn’t get lost unless we’re unlucky enough to experience a major sandstorm. We’ll soon be back in the Great Forest, and from there, it’s easy going.”
“This place is huge. I mean, we’ve only been to certain parts. What’s beyond?” I pointed. “Over there. Or there. What else is out here?”
“Nothing you would want to see. More of the Darkside in one direction, more of the wastelands in the other.”
“But people live there?”
“Forgotten tribes, mostly. Some exiles. So-called lesser beings. Worse, perhaps.”
“But where do you live? And Brendan? And all of the fae that will swear fealty to you?”
“The Great Forest is the edge of neutral territory. It’s huge, and some fae live there, but most have moved to cities. You forget, but many live in the human realm. They just mask themselves in their own magic. It’s easier than living in the fae realm. Others are like I was, flitting in and out of either realm at will. You remember the ceremony? Beyond that are where more territories divide. There are neutral places, and then there are the courts.”
“Are there castles? Like the one we saw? I mean, what is normal life like?”
He considered that as we walked. “Life is tough for anyone who isn’t a part of the court. And I mean a powerful part of the court. Not the pixies or anyone like that. The Queens built their own castles on mountains that faced each other. There’s an ocean between them, and then both of their lands beyond, but they liked to keep an eye on each other as much as they hated seeing each other. Their relationship must have been complicated.” He shrugged. “The old castle, the one Brendan’s family owned, has been left alone by all but the Irish fae. They protect it, even now.”
“But you’re Irish.”
“When I say the Irish fae, I really mean the court of old—Brendan’s people, the ones who have always been here. The queens and their people branched away from the term when they took over, even though they came from the same bloodlines. That’s the way to distinguish new and old, the betrayed clan from the newly risen one. The old fae, the ones loyal to Brendan’s parents, were collectively known as the Irish fae.”
“And you were solitary, not loyal to anyone?”
“That’s what they say.”
“Where are you going to live?” I asked. “When you get back, where are you going to go?”
“I’ll find somewhere. An opportunity will present itself.”
We had come back to the bridge again. “It’s a good thing we’re a small group. I doubt everyone would have made it over.”
“It’s good that some chose to leave.”
I didn’t like the tone of his voice. “And you don’t think it’s strange that Dymphna left?”
“Why would it be strange?”
“The daoine sídhe have her daughter. They made her come with you to prove herself. Why would she stop before the end?”
“She didn’t.”
“You made her go?”
“I asked her to keep an eye on the others. That’s why she left.”
My heart raced. He wasn’t telling me everything. His tone had turned hollow, the way it did when he avoided the truth. It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole story.
Brendan rode toward us, taking away my chance to pry. “There’s a large group nearby. We need to leave now. If we’re separated, head to the Great Forest. We’re sure to fall in together again. And if not, we’ll see each other when we find our way out.” He turned and cantered toward the bridge.
Drake nodded. “Hold on tight.” He kicked the horse into a trot.
The water roared in my ears, making me lightheaded. My fingers dug into Drake’s waist. I would fall. We would all fall. Dubh had been way more secure and steady than the perfectly ordinary horse we were riding. I almost smiled at the thought. In the human realm, the horse would be a monster, but it paled into a puny weakling next to Dubh.
Brendan urged his horse onto the bridge. The animal reared, but Brendan managed to force it to move slowly across the wood. The trees stayed secure, but the trunks were wet from the spray.
“Holy mother of…” I shook my head as Brendan’s horse slipped a little. “I can’t do this.”
“We have to,” Drake said firmly. “Cara, if Reynard’s men take you… anything could happen. You would rather die than let that happen. Do you understand me?”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying if it all goes wrong, and there’s no way out, use your dagger on you
rself before you become a captive of Sadler’s.”
I understood. I wanted to scream and cry like a baby, but I understood.
Finally, Brendan passed onto the other side. There, his horse stood on a flat ledge, its flanks shaking and wet. He waved at us.
“I hear something,” I muttered as Drake snapped the reins.
The horse followed the other’s path well enough. I made the mistake of looking down. There was a massive drop. The wild water would kill us if falling against the rocks on the way down didn’t. The noise was unbelievable, and the spray was so strong, the drops of water felt like needles on my exposed skin.
The sun was high. My back ached. I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw hurt. I held on as tight as I dared to Drake. His wings were hidden under his cloak, and I was afraid I would damage them. Whimpering when our horse stumbled, I squeezed my eyes shut.
“Easy,” Drake said. “Easy there.”
The horse shook beneath us, but she kept moving. I opened my eyes and realised we were more than halfway across. I breathed a sigh of relief when I caught sight of Brendan. His hands were on his head, and he was biting his lip. I knew how he felt. It was agonising to watch and not be able to help if something happened.
“We’re almost home,” Drake whispered. “Almost safe.”
I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me or the horse. And then we were across, all of us laughing jerkily and rattling off comments that didn’t make much sense.
“And now for the hard part,” Brendan joked.
As we moved across the flat ledge, I saw what he meant. The mountain was impassable, apart from one tiny path that wound down and alongside the desert. On the horizon, I saw green. The Great Forest was within sight. We followed Brendan along the ledge, moving slowly because the path was so narrow and uneven.
“This is worse than the bridge,” I said.
“It’s not as wet at least. This is the safe part. I promise.” Drake cleared his throat. “You can hold on to me, Cara. You don’t have to worry.”
I leaned against him. I wanted to believe him, so I did. The ledge widened and curved around the rock face until I could plainly see the Hollows again.
Then I spotted an opening. “There’s another path.”
Drake looked around. “Where?”
“Can’t you see it?” I pointed. “It’s small, barely big enough for a horse, but it’s there.”
After a moment, he said, “You’re right. I see it. The access probably comes from the Hollows.” He raised his voice slightly. “Brendan, move!”
Brendan didn’t look back or ask questions. He urged his horse on as fast as he dared, given the unsteady ground. We had almost reached the end of the mountain path. The descent into the desert area was steep, too steep for a horse, but we were about to ride straight ahead on flat patches of sand broken up by grass. The drop down made my mouth dry. The horses had to walk close to the edge until the mountain range came to an end.
Someone shouted behind us. I refused to look back. The horses moved into a gallop. Something hot hit my shoulder. Startled, I let go of Drake and reached for my back. I fell off the horse, and as I hit the ground, I curled into a ball in an attempt to avoid the horse’s hooves. The horse leapt away, kicking me off the side of the ledge in the process.
Screaming, I tumbled backward down the steep sandy hill. I hit the bottom and lay there, terrified and winded. Looking up, I saw our two horses being chased by Reynard’s gang. Drake and Brendan were leading them away from me. At least I hadn’t managed to break my neck on the way down.
The severity of the situation kicked in. I was alone… in the fae realm, in the Darkside, in a desert. I had no hope of finding Brendan and Drake. I had no food, no shelter, no water, and no hope.
I was completely and utterly screwed.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
I sat up slowly. I ached all over, and I was covered with grazes and bruises, not to mention the swipe on my calf that always managed to start bothering me by the end of the day. But the worst pain was in my shoulder. I put my hand up there and felt a stick protruding from above my shoulder blade. An arrow? The shaft must have broken off in my tumble. My fingers came away bloody.
I moaned because I knew what I had to do, but I was not looking forward to it. After wiping my bloody hand on my trousers, I gripped the piece of wood. Blowing out a breath, I gritted my teeth and yanked hard, squealing with pain. The arrow moved about an inch before it stuck fast. I wiped my sweat-sticky fringe out of my eyes and rested a minute before trying again.
The next try, I swore loudly as I pulled, but it barely budged. After another break and a sharp tug, the arrow came free. The missile was thin and sharp, and the person who had shot it at me was a massive prick. Aggravated, I tossed it away. My bundle was still on the horse. All I had was the small dagger in my boot and the broken arrow I had just thrown away.
I struggled to my feet and gazed up at the slope. It might as well have been a straight wall. I made a couple of attempts to climb back up, but I kept sliding back down. Besides, up meant danger. I needed to find another way.
My side hurt, my shoulder burned, and my mouth was drier than the sun-soaked sand stretching behind me. Still, the river was nearby. I decided it would be stupid to wander in the sand with creepy tunnellers hiding under my feet. If I followed the river away from Sadler’s men, then maybe I would have water, at the very least. If I stayed were I was, Sadler’s men would eventually come for me. I moved away from the desert and back in the direction we had come, following the sound of the thundering waves until I reached the water’s edge.
On the other side, I could have probably found food, but the river was huge and impassable. I was stuck with the sand. After gingerly testing the water, I discovered it was fresh and didn’t offer any weird aftereffects. I washed the sand, sweat, and blood from my body, trying to avoid the currents threatening to pull me into the centre.
I spent extra time trying to clean the wound in my shoulder. The skinny arrow hadn’t caused much damage. The hole felt about as big around as a pencil. The Darksiders hadn’t been aiming to kill. Still, it was bleeding, and I worried about infection. I found the arrowhead again and used it to tear off a corner of my cloak. I pressed that against the wound then covered it with my shirt and hoped for the best.
I walked along the river for the rest of the day. I was too scared to wander into the desert, and I had nothing to use to carry water from the river. I hoped Brendan and Drake were okay, but at least they knew how to find their way home. If I bumped into anyone, I was likely dead. If I could just make it back into neutral territory without getting lost in the desert, I had a much better chance of survival.
The sun beat down on my back. Sweat trickled down my body until my skin felt raw and irritated. I found some grey-toned berries on some bushes growing on the riverbank. They looked okay, but I only ate a handful, just in case. I was tired and hungry, but at least I had water.
When the sun started to set, I saw black shapes writhing around in the water. There was no way I was going to sleep next to that. Spotting some patches of sparse trees ahead and a few metres from the river, I decided to find shelter there. The tree trunks and branches were thick and sturdy. I took that as a good sign. I thought about sleeping propped up against a tree trunk, but when darkness fell completely, lights appeared in the distance. Panicked, I climbed a tree, curled around a branch, and waited.
About fifteen minutes later, a male voice said, “They have to be around here somewhere. I know I saw footprints on the riverbank. If he would just tell us how many there are, then maybe I could tell for sure.”
“Well, you’re not a tracker, are you?” a husky voice replied. “Sending out the entire court was pointless. I say they’re long gone.”
“Sadler won’t be happy.”
“Then be grateful you’re not responsible for this. Reynard’s a dead man if he doesn’t think of something.”
As both men passed through the trees, I caught
sight of their faces by the light of their torch. They were both dark haired and dark skinned, looking almost identical. Their wings beat rapidly, belying their casual conversation. They were too slight and slender to be warriors, so who were they?
More lights appeared, but they seemed to be sticking close to the river. I waited for a long time, afraid to move, but nobody else approached my little patch of trees.
I dozed in the tree then was jolted awake when I almost fell off my branch. I had never wished for fae magic more in my life. Afraid of falling asleep again, I watched the lights recede until I couldn’t see them anymore.
At first light, I tentatively made my way back to the river. I saw horse tracks and footprints, but no one was in sight. I was lucky they had taken such a half-arsed approach, but that didn’t make sense. Why would Sadler send everyone out looking for us, even fae who weren’t warriors or trackers, but refuse to tell them who exactly they were looking for, or even how many?
I drank some water and cleaned my shoulder, which was aching and hot to the touch. Exhausted, I started walking again, though I had no idea where I was going. The river separated with a stream leading in the direction I wanted to go, back toward the Great Forest. So I turned and began following the small branch.
“Don’t you want to play a while?”
I froze. Slowly, I turned, biting down on my urge to scream. Bobbing in the water was a woman covered in grey and green scales. Her nipples rested against her belly, her bare breasts partially covered by dark seaweed-like hair. The lower half of her body consisted of about a dozen tentacles that skimmed across the water, reaching for me. I stepped back, but the weird appendages stopped short at the river’s edge, curling just under the water.
“No need to stare,” she said. “Come swim. The water is good today.”
“Um… I have to go. I have somewhere I need to be.”
Her tentacles sank lower, drawing half of her torso under the water. With just her head above water, she seemed a lot less scary. “So I’ve heard. You’re a popular little girl today. We’ve heard so many whispers lately.”