(Cambion 04) Have No Mercy, page 17
I was reminded me of my phone, which was back in Fairy.
When we were deep enough in the tangled forest, he took a great deal of time watching and listening before he raised his palm. He answered my questioning gaze. "No one here knows of my gift. If they did, they would try to use me or figure out a way to stop me so I couldn't ever leave on my own. So I ask that you keep it a secret."
I frowned, and he said, "Even from Flynn."
He didn't have to explain why. If Flynn had started eating the food, who knew if he could be totally trusted, even against his own will. It pained me to think I had to keep something from him. I shrugged it off. There were many things I’d already kept from him because of his choice to stay.
Crossing through the orb of light was just as disorienting as it was the first go around. And through that light, we were back in darkness, not literary. But I could feel my skin crawl once back in the lion's den.
Footsteps were approaching, and Tristrom had the peace of mind to duck us into a room. When I thought we might just hide there until the coast was clear, he cleared his throat and waved me over to a hidden panel in the wall. Light on my feet, I scampered over and into the true dark.
I couldn't be sure where we were in the castle. Each hall looked like the last in the labyrinth that had become my self-imposed prison. It was possible if I had enough time, I might have figured out where we were. We walked briskly but came to an abrupt halt.
The voices were muffled voices ahead.
I peered into the peepholes and got an eye full of Flynn. His shirt was untucked from the crazy short pants medieval men wore. I had no idea if he was getting in or out of his clothes. Thankfully, Morgana was fully dressed in the same gown from earlier. At least time hadn’t jumped centuries in our short time out of the Fey realm.
“What do you mean she’s gone?”
Morgana came close and reached her hands up, but he caught them. “What do you mean?”
She sighed. “I hid her away from my brother as promised but she’d no longer there.”
“She wouldn’t have left without saying goodbye.” His back was once again to me, so I couldn’t see his expression.
Morgana, on the other hand, was clear as a bell, and her eyes began to lose some of their softness. “Why do you care so much if you’ve chosen me?”
He dropped her hand and turned away from her. Many of the buttons on his shirt were undone, and I got a good view of the smoothness that lay beyond.
“She’s a friend. And I made a promise to keep her safe.”
Morgana pretty features turned into something ugly as he faced away from her. She sneered her next words. “She’s safer where ever she is as long as she’s not here. My brother claims she owes him a debt and he will not rest until she pays with interest.”
He spun around. “What debt?”
The lines on her face had smooth before he caught sight of her. She shrugged prettily. “I’m not sure.” Somehow she was telling a lie. Maybe the Fey could do so after all. “I just know she made a bargain and didn’t keep up her end of it.”
“Well, I have a bargain too. He better not so much as touch a piece of lint on her shoulder or I will kill him.”
“Mother wouldn’t allow it,” she quickly replied.
“You mother is queen. So I assume her bargain trumps his.”
“Fine, I’ll go talk to her. You just remember you have to make good on yours too.”
She turned and nearly stomped out of the room. Flynn sighed as he continued to get dressed.
“Mercy what did you do? What trouble have you gotten yourself into now?” he asked to know one because he thought he was alone. When I opened my mouth to answer, Tristrom covered it with his hand.
I let a glare spear him. He shook his head and led me to down the corridor. We entered a room that wasn’t occupied and didn’t look like it had been. Everything was in white from the furniture to the paint on the walls, to the rugs on the floor. Tristrom did the lookout thing before we stepped in the hall, and he led me to my room.
“You should be fine for now,” he said after a moment.
I nodded and watched him walk away. We’d made no plans and I needed to talk him into leaving. I still had two things to do before I left.
The walk to Flynn’s door wasn’t that long at all, the crumbled bag still in my hand. I had a pretty good guess after seeing it through the peephole moments before. I held up my fist and took a second to gather myself before I knocked.
Footsteps preceded Flynn answering the door. His eyes widened, and his hands cupped my cheeks. Only he didn’t kiss me. Tightly, I closed my eyes, so I didn’t close the distance and initiate contact.
“You’re okay.”
I shook my head unable to look in his eyes. When his hands dropped from my face, I did open my eyes wondering what changed.
His jaw worked as he held himself back from speaking. He shoved his hands in pockets.
“I’m glad you’re okay. I thought maybe you left.” He searched my face and swallowed thickly. “You wouldn’t leave without at least telling me goodbye.”
“No,” I said in a tiny voice hoping he wouldn’t hear the emotion it held. I wouldn’t keep forcing his hand with my own need. Isn’t that what he’d said? I kept wrapping him in my web.
“I brought you some food. I figured you might be hungry.”
I held the brown bag up, and the delicious smells wafted between us.
He didn’t take it. “You didn’t have to do that.”
I glanced to the floor and tried to keep my voice matter of fact. “Yeah, I heard. But I thought you might miss the real thing.”
“Mercy.”
“No, Flynn, it’s okay. I’ll be leaving soon, and I don’t want to come between you and Morgana.”
I’d seen first-hand her fury and the thought that he might still be interested in me. I was once again becoming a thorn in his side.
He took the bag and tossed it on the bed. “Thank you.” He paused, then licked his lips. “We’re still friends right?”
“Yep, friends.” I searched the ground again. “I should go. I’ll be leaving soon.”
“Hug for old-time sake?”
I stepped into his open arms. I breathed deep never wanting to forget the scent that made him who he was. A little sweet and a lot spicy. That’s what I would dream of. I stepped back when I felt myself begin to cling to him.
His smirk appeared, and I mentally capture that picture in my head as his dimple appeared. “Don’t tell me you went out like that?”
I glanced down to realize I was still in the nightgown. I shrugged. “It all the rage in Fairy.” But my quip was said with a sad laugh. “I guess I should go and get dressed before Madeline comes up with a new punishment for not being probably dressed.
His eyes questioned, but I’d half turned and caught Morgana standing less than ten feet away. Flynn caught sight of her too.
“Thanks, Morgana, for clearing things up with Madeline.”
I watched her fake a smile. “I’ll leave you too.”
On rapid feet, I made it down the hall to my room. Before I opened the door, I saw Morgana disappear into Flynn’s room. I the stab of jealous wasn’t unexpected. I tossed it away as I got dressed in my own clothes in the first time in days.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Before I had finished tugging on my shirt, there was a knock at my door.
It was Morgana, no less, in her perfect dress, looking perfect, with an innocence that fooled no one, but herself if she thought for one second I believe it.
“I know you don’t like me and granted I’m jealous of you.” Was she? “I think we should talk.”
“For what?”
“Come on Mercy. I helped you twice today.”
“Oh, helping, that’s what you call it. You put me in a room hoping I’d stay there forever.”
Her eyes widened as she realized I knew the truth.
“You made it out just fine. I thought you might want to see your boyfriend again and live the life you dreamed of. Despite what you think, I still have hope for us being friends.”
Had that been my dream? Apparently my subconscious was just as confused as my consciousness. I still couldn’t choose between Flynn or Luke.
“Whatever, and I’m not interested in talking to you.”
“You might want to. Flynn is not safe. And I know how you can help him.”
She knew exactly the right thing to say. Hadn’t Madeline warned me that Flynn had bargained for my wellbeing and not his own?
I let her lead me to the garden maze knowing I shouldn't trust her. Cherry lips widened in an infectious smile peered over her shoulder at me. I didn’t want to grin, but I did. We were running through the hedges paths like children whose lives still felt like freedom.
As I ran, my thoughts turned inward. Maggie. I remember running like this with Maggie. We ran like there was nothing to lose in this world. So much had changed since then. How I wished that I could go back and totally enjoy that moment and hang onto one more time?
Maggie wasn't there. And I was shoulder to shoulder with a girl who wanted Flynn and wanted me to still like her despite that. I felt the impact against the top of my foot, but there was no stopping my tumble forward. I whipped my hands up before I fell into the face shedding rose. A body pressed into me, and my nose made contact. I threw my head and pushed off the prickly bush as the white rose turned blood red. I stumbled into a body nearly tripping us both in the hedge behind us.
Morgana moved forward and yanked me back to balance me. "Wow, that was close." Her smile was a little too big to be truthful.
"I can't imagine what I tripped on," I said sarcastically as the illusion of happiness drained from me.
A slender finger pointed behind me, and I turned to see a stone protruding from the ground guilty.
"You can't believe I would..." She frowned like she was hurt by my accusation.
I had thought her guilty and felt stupid for accusing her only to be proven wrong.
She smoothed her frown out and held out a hand after giving her head a little shake. "It's okay. Let's go, I have something I want to show you."
Gullible, I took her hand as I was forced to see her innocence. We transcended into the maze like it was our personal playground. The icy wind in our hair cooled the heat from our skin as we continued to run.
When we came to a stumbling stop in the outdoor hall of ice sculptures, I swallowed heaving mouthfuls of frigid air feeling all of sudden vulnerable. Had she brought me here to turn me into a piece of frozen art much like her brother had tried to do?
“Larrison,” Morgana called.
I wasn’t unprepared for this encounter. I knew she was up to something.
“Sister.” The word sounded more like the slithering tongue of a snake than a word.
Morgana stepped in front of me as if she were shielding me.
“Larrison wait?”
He stopped and eyed her coolly.
“I brought you both here to work this out. There doesn’t have to be a war between you.”
She glanced back at me.
“I didn’t ask for your help in this matter,” I sneered.
“No, but if you don’t correct it, Flynn may pay for your mistakes. And I can’t let that happen. I don’t think you want that either.”
She was right. I didn’t.
“I believe the girl doth owe me a kiss.”
I felt sick, but it was a kiss. And I wasn’t alone with him, even though Morgana didn’t actually count as an ally. She’d played me, but I’d expected it. I could do this. And if he tried anything more, I kill him or die trying.
“Fine, let’s get this over with.” I stood not making a move towards him.
He gave me a once over before he stepped to me and cupped my head. His lips pressed to mine as he tried to take it deeper. Then something changed. It tasted like peppermint as it cooled me. But the power surge made me feel alive.
I opened my eyes, which I’d closed so that I would vomit on him when he kissed me. And I saw his face covered in spider webs of black veins that crept further down.
I pushed him back wondering how it happened. He stumbled then he breathed in the frosty air. Whatever he did made the veins disappear slowly but surely.
“What are you?” he asked.
I was a demon in Fairy. How could that be? Why didn’t McKalya respond to me?
I turned around wondering how Morgana was responding. But she was gone and the way we’d come blocked.
Larrison decided not to wait to find out. Words as soft as the breeze murmured from his lips. It sounded something like kill her. I wasn't sure if I imagined it, but then the ice figures began to move.
I heard the air move and instinct had me ducking. A frozen sword landed a fraction away at my side. Power flowed over my skin, and I twisted because another song of the wind warned me of an attack from behind. I moved forward and underneath my frontal pursuers legs as my quarry was larger than life.
Shards of ice hit me hard in the back as my attacker accidently hit the one I'd just ducked under. I was far from out of the woods. I could feel my blood trickled down the back of my shirt. I turned in time lucky to miss strikes one after another from in front of me.
The sculptures were not average human height. They were the size of giants compared to me.
I dodged and moved behind assailants forcing the enemy to inadvertently take care of each other. The wiz of the slice of the wind was my only helper. Unfortunately with all the ice hailing down as the sculptures broke apart in the fight, I didn’t come out totally unscathed.
Cornered, I was forced to take a running leap up the back of a fallen soldier while contorting my body in ways I didn't think I was capable of to avoid strikes and create chaos. One by one, my attackers slayed themselves leaving me in the end with only one as I stood on the head of a fallen enemy.
"Come on, you ugly bastard!" I raised a fist to pump with adrenaline. The one thing I had going for me was that this fight happened on a day when I decided to wear my own clothes. I would have lost easily in one of Madeline’s dress she had made for me.
My final attacker turned his murderous gaze on me. It lifted its sword so high, it bent backward. I couldn’t imagine how it thought that smart. But it was an ice thing and not a real person, at least not anymore.
I used the time at my advantage. I ran towards it, throwing it off. It paused still bent inadvertently giving me the opportunity to leap and land on his chest to take two quick steps to jump off on his nose. I jumped again to land on his forehead hard enough to drive him back. It teetered. I went for broke and took a flying leap to land hard on his arm. I raced for the hand forcing his arms to bend to the breaking point. It's balance lost, it fell back towards the earth with the two head sword beneath him. The sword to lance through his back and dismantled him. But when he went down, and I went with him landing so hard darkness took over.
Somewhere out of the darkness, I heard a voice I clung to trying to resurface.
"What are you doing?"
Flynn. He sounded so angry.
"What nothing? Why are you here?" a female voice said.
"You asked me to meet you here." Flynn sounded closer.
"What happened?"
Then strong arms were under me.
"I don't know. She acted strangely before she passed out."
I tried to open my lids, but it felt like they were forced closed.
"I've got her."
Flynn again.
"I can help."
"I can take care of her." In a softer voice he muttered, "I've been doing a lot longer than you."
I blinked against the invading light as my eyes tried to focus.
"Hey." His voice was indulgent.
"Hey, yourself," I said feeling extremely tired and remembering the last time I was cradled in his arms. "You're making a bad habit of holding me. Will you kiss me this time?" I giggled feeling drunk. Something wasn't right. I hadn't had anything to drink.
"I think you hit your head pretty hard."
That comment also sounded familiar. I wanted to argue, but my mind rebelled and thoughts of Flynn and Morgana together invaded my mind. Question like... Do you think she's prettier than me?
"No one is pretty than you."
"What I said that aloud?"
He didn't answer. Only movement as I felt our forward. Was I dreaming? I hoped so before I started to tell him how much I loved him and how Luke would hate me.
"Luke would never hate you, me maybe, but not you."
I felt my cheeks burst in flame before I fell back into darkness.
Chapter Thirty-Five
My eyes peeled open to the sight of three handsome guys peering down at me. I lay on my stomach, and I shifted to raise myself up by my arms.
“Relax Mercy, don’t move. Rowen is here to help.”
That was when I felt the cool air on my exposed back.
I looked down to see I was shirtless and quickly lay flat as I felt embarrassment and anger that these three guys and found it necessary to undress me.
“Down killer,” Flynn said, always able to read my thoughts. “Molly here undressed you and didn’t let us in the room until you were ‘proper’ as she put it.”
He tried to make a joke, but I could hear the worry hidden there. I turned my head to see Molly’s sullen face on the other side of the bed. She gave me a tight smile. I could feel the covers on my hips, so that was good. Too many things hurt so I couldn’t tell if I was clothed lower. I did know I wasn’t in my jeans, and I didn’t have shoes or slippers on.
I gave Molly the best half smile I could muster. I was grateful for her and all her help. I turned back to Flynn. So you believe me. I was set up.
“Shh,” he said, kneeling by the bed. Let Rowen heal you.
Flynn got to his feet, and Rowen’s handsome face replaced it. Tristrom stood standing in the background as if he wanted to disappear. I could help him disappear if he let me. I didn’t understand his reasons for staying. But I’d talk to him once I was better.
I was brought out of my thoughts when Rowen placed his palm on my cheek. His eyes closed in concentration and mine followed on the heels of pain. It was as if I received a thousand bee stings, and all my nerve endings had lit on fire.
