Unbound, page 21
“You will need to rest for the night, but you don’t have to worry about being bothered,” Riona said, stopping past Eleanor’s house. She pointed to the northwest. “It is a straight shot from here. If you make good time, you will be there by tomorrow evening.”
“Thank you for everything, Riona,” Alannah said.
Riona put her hands on Alannah’s shoulders. “You’re welcome back anytime. All of you are. For a visit or even to stay if you like.” She squeezed Alannah’s shoulders. “This can be your home.”
Something worth considering if Alannah succeeded. She wouldn’t be alone anymore if she came back. She nodded and Riona let her go. With that, Alannah turned her back on the village and began to walk. There was a sense of relief in knowing they wouldn’t be bothered. The assassins wouldn’t stray here. Getting back to Valeria would be another story.
Alannah started off strong, but after lunch, her energy begin to wane. She should’ve taken some medicine at lunch, but she thought it could wait until they stopped for the night. She had miscalculated. Every step became harder than the last. She stumbled over roots and small rocks. Her head spun. No one said anything, but Elliot slowed his pace. She was holding everyone back, costing them time, all because she had to use her powers. All because she stayed in the village a day longer than she should’ve. How selfish of her.
They walked for another hour before Elliot stopped. “Maybe we should stop for the night.”
“Really? It’s still so early,” she said.
“I’m not sure you’re going to make it farther without stopping.”
“I can make it.”
“You’re unwell,” Mr. Pinkus chimed in. “If you push too hard you won’t make it at all.”
She sighed. “Maybe for a short. I can drink some medicine and then we can go a little further.”
Elliot and Mr. Pinkus shared a look. Apparently, they reached an unspoken agreement because they both nodded. “We’ll take a break, but if it still looks like you need rest then we’re camping here for the night.”
She nodded, knowing she wasn’t going to get a better deal. She shrugged her backpack from her shoulders before sitting down on a tree stump.
Elliot sat down across from her and watched her unscrew her water bottle and pour in some of the powder Makenna had made for her. Alannah closed the bottle and shook it to dissolve the powder. With the water being cold some of it stayed clumped together. She swallowed it down quickly, grimacing at the texture.
“What do you think it will be like?” Elliot asked.
“Hm?” She closed the bottle.
“Meeting the goddesses. It must be exciting for you.”
“It’s a little scary actually. I don’t know what to expect,” Alannah admitted, placing the bottle back into her bag.
“I’m sure it will be fine,” Mr. Pinkus piped up.
They sat in silence. Not once had he mentioned what she had said the night before. Perhaps he was trying to forget it. She was. Mostly because she doubted she would like the answer and she didn’t want to ruin anything between them. He could be her first friend besides Mr. Pinkus. She would like that.
Minutes ticked by and Alannah felt a tiny bit better. She stood up. “Let’s go. I’d like to cover a little more ground before we stop.”
They trailed behind her, watching her for the first sign of exhaustion. The medicine helped her for an hour then her energy began to wane again. Alannah yawned but pushed on. Despite her exhaustion, they walked until the sun began to sink below the horizon.
Elliot wouldn’t let her help make camp. She sat off to the side, her fingers in Mr. Pinkus’ fur while Elliot made the fire. Flames blazed to life. Warmth spread to her toes and first and then up to her chest. She sighed. Elliot sat down next to her, opening the satchel of food. Makenna and Niamh had packed leftover bread and hand pies, as well as meats, cheeses, dried fruits, and nuts. Simple. Perfect. Anything heavier and Alannah didn’t think her stomach would handle it.
She picked at the food and drank more tea. While the silence saved them from having any awkward conversations, she found herself missing the ease at which they conversed before she had suggested something so awful.
Elliot tied the satchels closed and stored them in his backpack. “Feeling okay?”
A yawn caught her by surprise and she did her best to muffle it in her hand while she nodded. She wasn’t excited to sleep on the ground again. Still, she laid back and stared up at the twinkling lights overhead. Were they the same lights Elliot saw in his home? Or were they different? What else was different? It would be exciting to find out.
Elliot laid down beside her. Mr. Pinkus moved in-between them and sat down near her shoulder. There were no ominous sounds in the distance or shadows that scared her. The only sounds were the crackling fire and their combined breathing.
“I am proud of you, Alannah,” Mr. Pinkus said abruptly.
“Why?”
“For coming this far. For being brave and taking a chance. I know your grandmother would be proud too.”
She turned her head to look at him. “I couldn’t have done it without you. Both of you.”
He sighed. “I wasn’t that much help. Not in this form.”
She scratched behind his ears. “Nonsense.”
“I think…I think I’d like to tell you why I am in this form,” he said.
Her interest piqued, but he sounded unsure. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“I do, Alannah. I promise.” He cocked his head to the side. “I know a fair deal about humans because…I fell in love with a human.”
“Really?” Elliot asked, rolling onto his side and propping his chin up with his hand.
“Really. Her name was Fia and she was wonderful. Kind. Caring. Open. We met in the forest often. I showed her what I could of our world and she showed me what she could of hers. I truly believed that we would be together against all odds, and there were many.”
Alannah tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Like what?”
“Well, it wasn’t allowed for one thing. Living in her world would’ve been difficult for me. Too long in the human realm would be difficult for any of the Fair Folk. And there is the fact that she would grow old and die and I wouldn’t for a long time.”
“That sucks,” Elliot said.
“That’s the price of loving someone from Underhill. You have to accept that they will greatly outlive you. And they have to accept that they will lose you.” Mr. Pinkus’ tailed twitched. “It doesn’t mean the love wouldn’t be worth it. I certainly believed it was.”
“What happened to her?” Alannah asked.
He took a moment. She didn’t think he would answer at first, but he sighed. “She came into the forest to meet me, but I was late. She was captured. I was a part of Valeria’s court, mostly because of my friendship with Selanna, and I was able to set Fia free. But I was found out. Fia escaped, and this was my punishment.”
Tears gathered in the corner of her eye. Valeria wasn’t only horrible to her. It wasn’t a surprise, but it still upset her. “Did you ever see Fia again?”
“No. I made it to the fringe but that’s as far as I got. That’s when your grandmother found me and nursed me back to health.”
The tears spilled over and she sniffed. Mr. Pinkus rubbed his cheek on hers. “You don’t have to cry for me, Alannah. I have treasured my years as your companion and friend. And I will see my Fia again.”
She reached for him and tugged him close, much like she used to when she was a child. He purred as she did so and he curled up against her chest. How could she ever have doubted him? He was her best friend when he couldn’t speak, and he was still her best friend now. Alannah kissed him on top of his head.
***
Elliot watched her sleep, looking for any sign that her fever was returning, but so far, she seemed alright. Her chest moved up and down with deep breaths. The fire still blazed, mostly because he kept sitting up to put another log on. He didn’t want her to get cold. What if you stayed? She had asked him that and he it had floored him. Left him struggling to find an answer he didn’t have. What if he stayed? One of the reasons he came here with her was to find a way to go back home. To leave with Bev and Sean if they were still alive. But what if he didn’t?
Mr. Pinkus was curled up to her side. His yellow eyes tracked Elliot’s movements. “Are you going to tell her?” he asked.
“Tell her what?”
“That you care for her?”
Elliot sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t think she would want me to.”
“Truly?”
“She’s confused. Experiencing things for the first time. Hell, I’m confused.” Elliot ran his fingers through his hair. “And do I only care for her because we’ve been forced together? If I had met her under any other circumstances, would I still have these feelings?”
“Does it matter?”
“I mean…I think so.”
“The important thing is Elliot, you didn’t. You met her. You care for her. Is that not enough for you? To have met her under different circumstances means you would not have met the Alannah you care for.”
He sucked in a breath. Damn. The cat had a point. “But what if it doesn’t work out? We’re different in the end, and what if she realizes she doesn’t like me at all?”
“I told the story about Fia, not only because I wanted to unburden myself, but also for your benefit. There are challenges in any relationship and one with Alannah would be no different. But you have to decide that it’s worth the risk. That the possible love will be worth it.”
“Do you think it is?” Elliot asked.
“Always.”
Chapter 27
When Elliot first woke her, she noticed the dark circles under his eyes. She had a bad feeling it was because of her. That he abandoned sleep to watch over her instead. Guilt burrowed in her chest, clawed at her ribs, even more than it already did. Especially when he had her breakfast ready for her to eat and her tea ready to drink—the powder fully dissolved in the warm water—and he had already doused the fire. She felt useless. Like baggage.
Mr. Pinkus stayed by her side. She fed him shredded pieces of ham and cheese while she finished her breakfast. The fever had her feeling hot the day before, but now she felt chilly. A breeze drifted across the grass and she shivered. When they got up to leave, Elliot shoved a sweater in her hands before she could put her bag on.
The warm knit fabric smelled like him and smoke and spiced apples. She pulled it tightly around herself, pretending for a brief moment, that he was hugging her, his warmth combating her chill. And this time when they began to walk, Elliot reached for her hand. Their fingers interlaced together. He wasn’t really speaking, but it said enough.
Gentle rays of light reflected against the morning dew, making the grass sparkle. A beautiful morning. She hoped that it was a sign that meeting with the goddesses would go well. But it wasn’t the meeting that worried her.
Yesterday the medicine had held her over past lunchtime. Now they had barely walked for two hours and she was already dragging. She shivered even while bundled up in the warm sweater. Her feet grew heavy as if weights were tied to her ankles. Her stomach rolled, threatening to get rid of breakfast. Wisps of hair clung to her sweaty face and neck.
Fuck Valeria.
Using her powers to save Elliot shouldn’t have cost this much. Saving someone shouldn’t cost anything. Certainly not this kind of punishment. Yet here she was, so close to making it those who had offered help and feeling like she wouldn’t make it at all.
Alannah kept going. Kept pushing. She held it together until lunchtime and took another dose. The medicine barely made her feel any better, but she didn’t stop, if only to spite Valeria. Alannah would relish the look on the woman’s face when she succeeded. All of this pain and suffering she had caused and it was only fair to have it blow up in her face.
The sun sat high in the sky, but its warmth barely touched her. Her teeth chattered. A root caught her boot and she stumbled, reaching out for a tree to steady her. Rough bark scraped against her fingers. She doubled over, her breathing labored, her hand on her knee. I don’t think I can do it.
“Alannah,” Elliot called her name, crouching down in front of her. “Do we need to take a break?”
She shook her head. “It will cost too much time.”
“Sitting down for a few minutes won’t cost much. Come on.” He tried to coax her to sit down with him.
“Elliot, I…” she trailed off. She wanted to make it. Goddess, she wanted to succeed so badly. But she had to face the reality that she might not. That her odds were slim. She drew in a breath. “I need you to promise me something.”
“What is it?”
“If I don’t make it, I need you to leave me here—”
“What!”
“You have to make it back to the fringe, to the house. It will protect you and Mr. Pinkus. I know it will,” she continued, knowing that if she didn’t, he would talk her out of saying it at all. “It’s the only way that you’ll be safe.”
Elliot cupped her face between his hands and tilted her face up. “Listen to me carefully, Alannah. I’m not leaving you here.”
She sighed. “Elliot—”
“No!” His voice was loud and forceful and slightly panicked. “I will not leave you behind. We walked into this damn place together and we are going to walk out of it together or not at all. I’m not leaving anyone behind again. Is that clear?”
Alannah looked away, ashamed of what she was asking of him. She just wanted him to be safe, but after what happened to his friends, there was no way he would leave her behind no matter how much she begged. “Why are you so damn stubborn?” she grumbled.
“Part of my charm.” He let go of her face and unclipped his backpack, letting it hit the dirt. “Besides there’s no way I’m spending the rest of my life with Mr. Pinkus as my only companion.”
“Ditto,” Mr. Pinkus replied. “Please don’t suggest something like that again, Alannah. We will not leave you.”
She sighed. “Fine.” Regardless of their protests, she hoped when the time came that they would reconsider. Her life wasn’t worth theirs.
Elliot turned around and crouched down in front of her again. “Get on,” he instructed.
“What?”
“On my back.”
“Why?”
He chuckled. “So I can carry you.”
“You can’t carry me all the way there, Elliot,” she argued.
“I can and I will. Now get on, we don’t have all day.”
He wasn’t going to let it go. With a sigh, she placed her hands on his shoulders and climbed on his back. He waited until she was steady before he stood up. His hands clutched her thighs to keep her from sliding down and she clasped her arms over his chest. When she was secure, he grabbed the backpack and carried it in his hand.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“I don’t think we have much further to go. It will be fine.”
Relieved she didn’t have to walk, Alannah leaned into him, pressing her cheek to his back. Where it used to be awkward to be this close, she now found herself liking it more and more. Elliot kept her steady against his back. That was him. Steady. An anchor in a storm. Not once did he complain about how difficult carrying her was.
While she didn’t mind the thought of him carrying her back across Underhill to Valeria, she hoped the goddesses would have something for her. The answer to get guest. A way back to Valeria that wouldn’t cost her time. Alannah wanted to walk across the threshold of the Ruby Court on her own two feet.
She noticed the court first. Or at least, she thought it was the court. Valeria’s court had been huge. Opulent. The forest had merged with it and created a harmony together, but this wasn’t that. Columns that were probably once large had crumbled to stumps. Chunks of marble littered the ground around them. Weeds and vines choked out flowers—she could see some of the petals peeking out from underneath the green—and twisted around each other. Her eyes followed them up a wall that looked as if the vines were the only thing that kept it standing. Windows were broken, their sills peeling and cracking.
Elliot stopped in front of the stone steps so she could stand on her own. She kept her hands on his shoulders to keep herself upright. A large, gaping opening in the stone façade looked as if it held doors once. “This can’t be right…can it?”
“This place is falling apart,” Elliot murmured.
“It has been this way for quite some time,” a voice came from inside.
Alannah jumped and Elliot stepped in front of her. Two people emerged from the opening. They were both tall, at least a foot and a half taller than Alannah. One had stark white hair that fell to her waist and pitch-black eyes. A black long-sleeved dress covered her from neck to ankles, the skirt brushed the top of her black boots. Her nails were black and sharp. The other had dark brown hair that was pulled back into a braid. Her face was softer, chubbier, and her eyes a deep green. A sage green dress accentuated the plump curves of her body. Billowy sleeves fell back to reveal green ink-stained fingers.
“Welcome Alannah, I am Macha,” the woman in the green dress spoke.
The woman in black inclined her head. “And I am Badb.”
Alannah nodded. “Hello. I’m here—”
“We know why you’re here,” Badb interrupted. “We have what you seek if you are ready.”
“I am,” Alannah said, taking a step forward. “I don’t have much time left.”
“We know.” Macha frowned. “Using your power was not a wise choice, but it would be hard not to in Witches End.”
Alannah shook her head. “Why?”
“Many of our people died there and their spirits linger. You called to them when you needed help and they answered.” Badb clasped her hands in front of her. “Unfortunately, it cost you, but we will do our best to make sure you succeed.”
“Why?” Elliot piped up.
Both of them turned to him with a piercing gaze. He swallowed and shrugged. “Sorry. I’m a bit skeptical after some of the things that have happened lately.”
