Paranormalcy: Endlessly Part 10

Strong arms grabbed me, and with a bright flash we were pulled out of the Faerie Realms and into the blessed darkness of the Paths.

POWER NAP.

I sank to the ground, holding Lend and blinking against the cold, bright suns.h.i.+ne streaming down on us. The gravel of Lend's driveway dug into my knees, but I didn't care.

We were here. We did it.

I looked up at Reth, the sun behind him creating a blinding halo around his head. "Thank you," I said, tears streaming down my face. "Thank you."

He reached down and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, then leaned over and put his fingers briefly on Lend's forehead. I reached for his hand, but without a word he turned and walked away.

"Evie? Evie! Oh my-Lend?" Arianna started toward us, then ran into the house and yelled something. She sprinted back, joined by David.

"Is he okay? What happened? Is he-"

I shook my head, then nodded, not knowing what to say. All I knew was that he was here, with us. I had no doubt I'd pay for what I'd done to the Dark Queen. She couldn't be killed by something as simple as a silver knife; all I'd done was borrow more time. Time that never should have been mine to begin with, so what was another threat of death hanging over my head? With Lend here I didn't care. I'd take her wrath, all of it, anything.

David reached down and took Lend out of my arms, straining but carrying him into the house. Arianna helped me up and I cried out with pain. My feet had finally thawed.

"What did you do?" she asked, horrified, but I just shook my head, taking her arm for support and hobbling after David. I needed to be where Lend was.

We made it to the house and I tracked smears of blood on the hardwood before I sat heavily on the floor next to the blue couch where Lend was lying. He was still breathing evenly, for all appearances deeply asleep.

"Do you think he's okay?" I whispered, looking up at David, whose worry and heartbreak mirrored my own.

"I'm sure he is." David's face turned into a mask of bravery as he smiled and knelt next to me. "Evie, what you did, I can't even begin...thank you." He wrapped me up in a hug and I buried my face into his shoulder.

"I had to bring him back."

He nodded against my head, and even though I knew he was as terrified as I was, I let myself lean against him and pretend for a moment that he was my dad, that I had someone like that who could be strong for me when I didn't have any strength left. I wanted Raquel here. I wanted Lish here. I wanted the mother I'd never known. But I could pretend Lend's dad was enough.

"Evie, we need to fix your feet," Arianna said when I let go of David and sat back against the edge of the couch.

"Yeah, they kind of hurt. But there is no way we're letting a unicorn inside the house. You'd never get the smell out."

We both choked out a laugh. Arianna and David wanted to carry me out to the unicorn, but I waved them away. I wasn't leaving Lend's side until he woke up. I put my head down on the couch next to Lend's. He would wake up soon. He had to wake up soon.

"Do you think Cresseda would know something, be able to help?" I asked.

"She might. I'll go see." David nodded and hurried out the door.

"So, how did you pull this off?" Arianna asked, sitting next to me with her legs against mine.

"I have no idea. But Jack helped before he got hurt and had to leave. And Reth did, too. I wouldn't have been able to do anything without Reth. He was kind of amazing, actually."

"Guess there's a first time for everything."

"Seriously."

I saw my purse across the room and asked Arianna to hand it to me. I pulled out my phone to see several missed calls and texts from Carlee. The most recent read: "where r u meg said u were supposd to email her dance plans shes p.i.s.sed and wont stop bugging me. also my mom is making me watch white christmas please call save me must go shopping." I hesitated, then texted back. "Lend sick. Not fun. Will call when better."

Please, please let me be able to call her soon. She texted back immediately, as usual, offering soup. If only.

I looked up as Donna came in with David, her usual exuberantly bouncy step subdued. I was. .h.i.t with a wave of guilt. I hadn't even thought of Kari or Nona or Grnlllll this whole time. Now that I had Lend back, everything I'd been avoiding came rus.h.i.+ng in.

"Donna, is Kari-" I couldn't finish the sentence, but Donna gave me a brave, heartbroken smile, then shook her head.

"I'm so sorry. And Nona?"

"It's too early to tell," David said softly, but it didn't sound hopeful. "We're going to take Lend to the pond. There are a bunch of paranormals down there; they might be able to help or tell us something, and Cresseda wants to see him."

David put his arms under Lend's knees and arms, picking him up with a sharp exhalation, then cradling him and walking out the door.

"Help?" I asked Arianna and Donna. They stood on either side of me and I put my arms around their shoulders. Donna's were lean and sinewy, powerful. Arianna's were frail and felt like I would break her if I put too much weight there. It couldn't be helped though.

We'd barely made it to the trees and already my feet were in such agony I didn't know how I'd get down to the pond. "I'm sorry." I gasped. "I can't. Where's the unicorn?"

"Probably by the pond. Want me to run ahead and try to bring it here?" Arianna asked.

"Allow me," Reth said from behind, scooping me into his arms like I was nothing and striding down the path with his usual graceful gait. Arianna and Donna were quickly left behind.

"Reth, I..." I paused, then took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"Whatever are you sorry for?"

I shrugged. "How about threatening to kill you, for starters."

"That is an excellent place to start, although I must tell you those threats were rather more endearing and humorous than frightening."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. You really came through for me when no one else could, and I know Lend wouldn't be here without your help. So thank you." I leaned my head against his shoulder and it seemed like he almost missed a step, but then he continued on as graceful as before. I lifted my head back up, staring ahead and straining for my first glimpse of the pond. "Why did you do it? Help me, I mean. I know you don't love Lend."

His golden voice was as deliciously warm as it had always been, wrapping around me in a comforting blanket, insulating me from the bite of the December air. "No, but I do love you, silly creature that you are."

I nodded. I felt like I should say something back, but I honestly had no idea what that something was.

We came out of the trees to even more paranormals and elementals gathered around the banks. The water was still frozen solid, but a small hole near the banks boiled furiously, steam dancing into the air.

David saw me and shook his head. "I thought he was waking up for a minute on the walk here, but he didn't." He laid Lend gently on the ground in front of the ice hole and Cresseda appeared in a geyser of water.

Reth kept me in his arms, angling me so I could see everything. The unicorn, bless its dirty, filthy heart, trotted up and set to work on my feet as they dangled in the air. I focused as hard as I could on Cresseda to try and avoid being overwhelmed by the rainbow-suns.h.i.+ne-b.u.t.terfly-moonlight happy cloud the unicorn was creating. It mostly worked, although I had to shake my head and wipe off several goofy, sloppy smiles.

Cresseda's voice had an undercurrent of storm water, angry floods, and tsunamis breaking the surface of her normal tranquillity. "What of the traitor queen?"

I raised a hand. "I kind of stabbed her. In the neck. She's probably not happy."

Cresseda nodded, her clear features reflecting the sunlight in a fierce way, almost painful to look right at. "You have my grat.i.tude, Evelyn."

"Will he be okay?" I asked, my voice catching.

Cresseda reached out a water hand toward Lend and was quiet and still for almost a full minute. Finally, she nodded, and her voice rang with the melancholy of the tides. "He is still ours."

I let out the breath I was holding. He'd be okay. He'd be okay. It was all worth it.

I motioned and Reth set me down, my feet still tender and raw, which surprised me. They weren't as bad as they had been but last time the unicorn had healed me completely. In answer to my unasked question, Reth said, "I am afraid that, as I said, my patch did more harm than good. A unicorn's magic cannot combat my own."

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter. We did what we had to. They'll get better eventually."

Cresseda nodded at Reth. "Son of the Light Court, all is not forgiven, but I thank you for your service to my son. And I trust you to never reveal or use my Lend's true name again."

"That's how you could find him?" I asked, looking up at Reth, but for some reason he avoided my eyes. Of course it made sense that Cresseda would have given him Lend's true name (although I'd had no idea he had any besides his normal one). Reth knowing my true name meant he could find me anywhere, anytime....

Instantly.

"Wait a second," I said, everything clicking into place. "You-you could have found him immediately. You knew exactly where he was the second she gave you his name. So our little detour through the horrors of faerie land-" I closed my eyes and shook my head. Of course. Of course Reth wasn't being selfless by helping me. He just wanted me to see what the Dark Court was doing, how they were hurting people so I'd be more sympathetic to what the Light Court and the paranormals wanted me to do. The entire thing-always, like always-was just another way to manipulate me.

EAU DE FAERIE.

Evelyn," Cresseda said, but I stopped her.

"Were you all in on it?" I glanced around the sh.o.r.e at the gathered paranormals: selkies and banshees and a gnome and a sylph and a few other things that were new that I didn't care enough to study. "Did you really risk Lend's life just so I'd see what the Unseelies were like? I already know what they're like! I already know they're terrible! I can't believe you"-I pointed right at Cresseda's watery chest where the light of her soul s.h.i.+mmered-"his own mother would do that. Every minute he was with the Dark Queen was dangerous. Who knows what she did to him!"

Cresseda shook her head, droplets spinning off like liquid light. "I simply gave Reth Lend's name and asked him to help you in whatever way he could."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, because Reth's opinion on how to help me has always been spot-on." I raised my scarred wrist from where he had tried to force more soul energy into me. "Brilliant move. For someone who's been around for eternity, you don't learn very fast. You. Don't. Trust. Faeries! Ever! Especially not him!"

Okay, forget that I had been guilty of trusting him. I couldn't believe how grateful I was, how willing to forgive him for past offences.

"I took the path that was necessary." Reth's voice was firm and unapologetic.

"By whose standards? No, whatever, don't answer that. David, can we take Lend back to the house now? It's freezing and I don't like the company here."

Arianna put a hand gently on my shoulder; I hadn't realized she was behind me. "Lend's home. That's all that matters."

I shook her hand off, tired and devastated and needing Lend to wake up, just wake up.

"Please stay and hear us out, Empty One," a beautiful dryad asked, her skin a soft mossy green beneath her glamour, large brown eyes pleading.

"My name is Evelyn." My voice caught. I couldn't handle the mixture of hope and sadness in her eyes, couldn't shoulder the burden of the entire paranormal world. I'd worked so hard for my life. They'd find another way. I wasn't an Empty One, not anymore. I was an Evie.

David sighed. "Will you go put his pillow and blankets on the couch? We can watch him easier down there. I'll bring Lend back to the house in a minute."

"Yeah."

I turned on my heel and hobbled toward the house. My feet were still tender, sore, and freezing but I didn't care.

"Hey," Arianna said behind me; I walked faster. She ran to catch up, keeping pace with me. "Seriously, why won't you listen to them? You saw how bad things are in the Faerie Realms. You could stop it."

"Yeah, I saw it. My feet? That was because of the field trip Reth took me on-a field trip specifically designed to make me sympathetic toward his group of faeries. To convince me to do what they want me to. That's all any of them are trying to do: force me to be what they want me to be. I don't belong to them!"

"Just because he tricked you into seeing it all, does that change how bad the things you saw were?"

I shook my head angrily, trying not to think of the girls blissfully unaware that they were carrying around Empty Ones inside them, nothing more than tools for the Dark Queen. Then there were those locked forever in the dance. And the village. All those lives, stolen, destroyed on a whim by creatures that shouldn't be here at all.

Creatures I could send back forever.

This shouldn't be my responsibility!

Arianna put her hand out on my arm and forced me to stop. "Listen," she said, her voice soft and intent. "Just because someone else-even someone you don't like-wants you to do something, doesn't mean it's not your choice. Doing the right thing is still doing the right thing. And if you make the right choice, whatever that is, it's still your choice, no matter who wants you to do it. They can never force you to. But you can choose to."

I put my hands up over my eyes and breathed into them. "I need some time. I'm...I'm scared. Of all of it. I need Lend to wake up and be okay before I can think about any of this."

"Okay." She put her arms around me and leaned her forehead against mine. "But promise me you'll think about it. Really think about it. I spent way too many years doing things just because my parents didn't want me to, and I ended up dead. I know what I'm talking about. Promise me."

"Yeah," I said, my voice exhausted.

She hugged me close, then shoved me away. "Let's go fix up the couch for Lend, then you need to take a shower. You stink like a faerie, all flowers and suns.h.i.+ne and evil manipulation."

"I thought he was going to wake up again on the way here; he was stirring and starting to put on glamours. It shouldn't be long." David smiled tiredly at me after tucking Lend in, and I nodded.

I crawled on the couch and scooted in to Lend, spooning against the whole length of his body and tucking my head into his neck under the curve of his chin. I put his arm over my waist, taking comfort in its familiar weight.

Sleep was coming on heavy and desperately needed when I heard Arianna swear. "Where did you come from?"

Jack's voice answered, whispering. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's okay."

"She b.l.o.o.d.y did it." His voice was filled with wonder and admiration.

"Stabbed the Dark Queen herself."

He snorted. "Oh, she's in for it now."