The Fallen Prince Part 16

The back door opens and Wyatt calls into the house, "Hey, do you all know there's some ugly little guy outside slurping down burned worms?"

"It's disgusting," Grandma mutters, unconsciously balling the wet cloth in her hands.

"What happened?" he asks.

Leo waves at me. "Dylan happened."

Wyatt slumps onto a nearby chair and tosses his feet onto the coffee table. "Why am I not surprised?"

Leo gives Wyatt a condensed version of events from the wriggling monster to the flying beast, throwing strained glances at me as if he expects me to go supernova on him again.

"He could've been hurt," Grandma says. She moves near Wyatt and smacks his legs, and he drops them off the table.

Leave it to her to think of my welfare when I could have so easily crispified her and Grandpa. I don't deserve her devotion. I hate causing her worry, but what other choice do I have? I nod Leo toward the door. "Go get Bodog."

Leo takes off to do as I ask, and Grandma's expression pinches with anxiety. "What're you going to do?"

I don't answer her. If she knew what I planned, she'd try to stop me.

"Dylan?" Her worry echoes in the sound of her voice.

Nothing can stop me now. I get why everyone's on edge. I get that I'm not superhuman. But I'm more than human. I've got powers none of them know about. The explosive nature of my new gift races under my skin in a way that's frightening...but I'm done being scared.

I'm going to let the first part of me take control. On purpose this time. It's the only real weapon we've got. And for the first time, I can honestly say I'm not scared of what I am.

Part Two.

The land burns.

The dark rises.

Only one can save.

what was once lost to a living grave.

Edge of the Unknown.

The talons clenched around Kera's shoulders dug into her muscles. She hadn't thought this through. Her scream caught in her throat as the creature lifted her high above the treetops. Twisting and turning, she tried to reach her incordium dagger, but couldn't. No amount of struggling helped.

She was roughly s.h.i.+fted, and the next moment they dove toward the earth. Their descent crashed them through the ends of branches that slapped and stung Kera's cheeks. Her feet hit the ground, and she was dragged, ripping a long furrow into the dirt. The tri-top's wings flapped in hard sweeping beats, creating a huge wind as it ripped a hole through the barrier. The mist surged around her, clung to her skin, pulled her forward, and all too soon they were in Teag.

The tri-top raced upward until the scope of Teag lay below them. The land was under attack. How could so much have changed in one day? Kera could see small skirmishes, feel the heat of fire and smoke as far-flung towns burned. Refugees clogged the roads as they fled. It was as if someone was creating a ring of fire, burning Teag from the outside in with the intent of driving the people toward a ma.s.sive walled city under construction that Kera had never seen before. The city was as beautiful as it was frightening. Like unwary cattle on their way to the slaughter, none of them knew the danger they were running toward. Kera screamed for them to turn back, but her warnings were stolen by the wind.

When she was young, her dreams had been dotted with feelings of helplessness, feelings of being caught and unable to break free. Her nightmares had come true, but seeing others marching into a trap was far worse.

Ahead, an old bridge no one ever used-ever-stretched across a river less than a mile long that would mysteriously appear and then disappear into the ground. Horrific stories were attached to the place. Stories of death and despair and lost hope. Get too close and the hair along the back of the neck would rise, followed by the sensation of a hundred needles stabbing the skin. Linger too long and the pain turned torturous and always convinced people to find another route.

Yet the beast flew straight for the bridge. Twenty feet. Ten. They were moving so fast, the pain of needles quickly morphed into the dig of a dagger. Kera cried out and fought against the bubble of her rising panic. Five feet. Two feet. They were at the edge of the gorge.

The tri-top pressed forward. Kera felt the thickness of magic give, like a heavy velvet curtain being ripped apart, and the little gorge suddenly turned into a gaping canyon.

The next wingbeat brought into the view the land of the Unknown. No one had to tell her. She just knew. It was a place where only the harshest and most vicious of creatures lived. Nothing kept the evil in check except the cloaking spell and the ragged and impossibly deep chasm magic had created.

As soon as they hit the edge of the canyon, the pain ceased and Kera closed her eyes. All sound dropped away as if it were being sucked into the abyss. The tri-top's wings beat harder, straining to reach the other side. Only when the sound of the wind against the leaves returned did she open her eyes. The Unknown stretched out before them, much larger than she ever dreamt possible. In the distance, a lake the color of amethyst sparkled eerily, and beyond that a smoldering caldera spewed thick, acrid smoke.

The struggle to fly across the chasm caused them to drastically drop lower. They were skimming the top of the forest where the trees jutted out at strange angles and rough leaves edged in silver s.h.i.+mmered prettily. Kera couldn't stop her feet from hitting a few branches and knocking the leaves free. Dozens of cuts slashed across her boots' stiff leather, and a silver-edged leaf got stuck.

The leaves were as sharp as knives.

The tri-top fought to fly higher, banked to the left, and headed straight toward the caldera. Even in the light of day, the pop and spit of lava could be seen.

"Oh no, no, no." An image of her being dropped into the caldera, skin and muscles blistering off her bones, caused Kera's stomach to wrench against itself.

Every action in life carried risk. If she did nothing, she was sure she would die. She had to reach her incordium dagger. Seeing a branch sticking into the air, she waited. When they flew over, she placed her feet on the limb and pushed, sweeping her legs up. She grabbed the dagger's hilt sticking out from her boot and pulled the weapon free. Her grip was so tight, she could feel the ridges on the hilt dig into her fingers. The tri-top jerked higher, gaining distance between them and the treetops.

Falling into the trees, there was a chance at life. With a quick motion, she cut the tendon on the tri-top's left claw. The animal screamed and jerked its foot up, letting her left arm go in the process. As she hung suspended in one claw, she waited for a gap in the trees. When she saw one, she quickly slit the other tendon. The claw opened and she slid free, the talon sc.r.a.ping her skin raw.

She called on the trees to catch her, but only a few limbs quivered at her command. Concentrating harder, the leaves trembled, and at the last moment, they detached from the branch, falling to the ground just as the limb shot out and plucked her from midair.

Kera's heart thudded wildly as she lay stunned in the crook of the newly bare branch. The landing had been hard, not at all like the soft touch of the trees in her woods. It was almost as if the tree fought to obey her. Her right shoulder was b.l.o.o.d.y and raw, and her back hurt from the landing, but she was alive. She eased herself into a sitting position and gauged the distance to the ground. More than ten feet by her estimation. She carefully plucked an especially nasty sharp leaf from her boot and prepared to jump.

Before she could do it, a bird landed on the end of her branch and c.o.c.ked its vibrant blue head. A series of crisp, high notes sang out and the bird turned its hypnotic yellow eyes on Kera. The long, multicolored tail swished in a way that made the colors s.h.i.+mmer. Like the eye-catching s.h.i.+mmer of the silver-edged cutting leaves, there was always danger hidden within the beauty of the Unknown.

Kera sat perfectly still, hoping the bird would fly off. One moment the bird sat prettily, the next moment, it morphed into an emaciated girl, crouched and snarling. The beautiful feathers were replaced by reptilian scales, and the tail was now a whip of skin and bone. The girl's stiff lips parted. No sound came forth, but Kera's head felt as if it were being torn apart.

She slumped backward and flipped off the branch, miraculously landing solidly on the ground. Like a worm working its way into an apple, the pain burrowed deeper inside her head. Kera closed her eyes and blindly darted into the shadows. She wanted to cry, to stop and curl into a ball. Her feet tangled and she stumbled. Mind full of pain, she whimpered and felt a warm trickle of blood seep from her nose. Even as she felt her mind tearing under the onslaught, she forced herself to keep moving.

Though she tried, the forest didn't respond to her commands, as if it balked at helping something destined to die anyway. She ended up barreling through the brambles. Barbs tore through her clothes, leaving behind nasty scratches.

Though the pain slowly faded, her heart raced. She had to calm down. Her mad dash into the woods was doing more harm than good. Slowing, she listened for any pursuit.

The woods were quiet, all except a strange cry she couldn't quite place. Was it up ahead? Behind her? Kera pushed her way forward until the trees thinned at the edge of a clearing. The strange cry sounded again, closer. It held a note of misery to it. Peeking through the brambles, she saw movement in the clearing. The wounded tri-top that had carried her here lay on the ground as a pack of huge wolflike creatures soundlessly tore into it. Their quiet ferocity chilled her, and in minutes, the tri-top was a jumbled pile of blood, feathers, and bones. It had served its purpose by bringing her here. She could only guess that whoever had enchanted it didn't care if it lived or died. Much like her. A s.h.i.+ver crawled down her back.

One of the wolves suddenly turned and stared in the direction Kera was hiding, its eyes glowing red in the fading light. The creature stood on its back legs like a man and walked closer, its powerful body undulating grotesquely as it moved. It sniffed the air. Kera shrank against the shadows, her breathing so faint, her vision blackened around the edges.

The wolf-man suddenly stopped when one of the others drew closer, yipping and snipping, sharp teeth flas.h.i.+ng threateningly. The wolf-man turned with hackles raised and growled.

While their attention was diverted, Kera scooted away on trembling legs. A light rain had begun, its erratic patter enough to cover the sound of her escape. It was all she could do not to run from the area in horror at what she'd just seen.

When she finally stopped, the woods were cloaked in rain and darkness. The downpour made her progress miserable. Standing still left her struggling to stay upright. She had to find shelter somewhere safe and dry, but all she found was rain, soggy ground, broken fingernails, and a bone-deep chill. She couldn't imagine finding a dry patch of ground, let alone shelter. It took her a half hour more of slipping and catching herself against one tree after another before she found a den made by some large animal. It had been dug at the base of an earthen slope. Bushes not only concealed the entrance, but it was a natural wind- and rain break. Kera eased the foliage from the entrance and stooped inside. Cobwebs stretched across the opening and clung thickly to the walls-a sign the den had been abandoned long ago. Although she wasn't fond of spiders, she didn't think twice about going in. The den wound deeply into the earth, and when she reached as far back as she could go, she dropped to her knees and hugged her torso.

s.h.i.+vering in the dark, she thought of what she knew of the Unknown. None of it was comforting. No one knew for sure exactly what lived in the region, but she'd already seen enough. It was exactly why the chasm was created. To trap the evil and let it fight and feast on its own kind. In theory it sounded rational; seeing it with her own eyes made her sick.

The heat of fear raced through her body. She was trapped with all manner of evil.

And no one knew she was here.

Remembering the stretch of empty air over the deep rip in the earth, tears spiked her lashes. She didn't bother wiping them away. A wave of defeat washed over her. Lying down, she drew her knees to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut. She was good and stuck. No one could help her now, even if they realized where she had gone.

Because no one, absolutely no one, left the Unknown alive.

Whispers of Fear.

"What is he?" Wyatt whispers to Leo while I sit across from Bodog at the kitchen table, sketching a picture sure to make the little guy squirm.

"I'm not sure," Leo says. "Some sort of cross between a goblin and a gnome maybe?"

"He's the perfect case against genetic engineering."

Done, I toss the pencil on the kitchen table and flip the paper to face Bodog. He takes one look at my drawings and cries out, throwing his hands up as if to ward off the creatures. Yep, he knows more than what he's saying. I thrust it closer to him and demand, "What are they?"

"Terrible," his suddenly small voice says.

"Tell me something I don't know. Why'd they come here?"

"I know naught."

"This one wanted me. Only me. But this one wanted only Kera. Why?"

"I know naught."

"Not good enough, Bodog." I lean closer. "I need to know why it wanted Kera."

"Reasons for enchanting are for the enchanter to know."

"Someone enchanted that thing? Whatever happened to making pumpkins into coaches and mice into horses?" Wyatt asks in disbelief. "This has all the makings of a twisted Cinderella story."

"Who?" I demand, ignoring Wyatt.

"I know naught."

With each question, Bodog slips in his chair until he's a puddle of brown- and green-colored rags.

My hand slaps the table. "You have to know something. Where would it take her? Think!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a movement. Leo leans forward, his broad shoulders breaking into my line of vision.

"Don't interfere," I snap. He has no right. He returned after everything went quiet-after Kera was taken and the area lay in ruins.

I shouldn't blame him. Leo has no powers, no defense against the creatures that inhabit Teag. But his abandonment still stings and brings out one clear fact. Nothing has really changed. No one has my back.

Not put off, Leo moves closer. "You're scaring him."

His deep voice, usually calming, has no effect on me. "Good! I'm freakin' p.i.s.sed, and I need him to tell me something I can use."

"Remember who and what he is."

"Okay," sarcasm drips from my tongue as I lean back in my chair, "what is he?" My gut clenches when I watch the odd little man nudging the image of the beast I'd drawn off the table. "I'll tell you. He's a guy who showed up uninvited and probably let that thing into our world."

"Untrue." Bodog straightens in his chair.

"How'd it get in, then?"

"The wall weakens."

"Are you telling me the wall, the whole thing, is breaking apart now?"

Grandma, who'd been quietly staring out the window waiting for Grandpa to return, whirls around in time to see Bodog nod. "Good G.o.d."

Leo lets loose a m.u.f.fled curse. His fingers grip the back of my chair, and he turns to glance out the window. "Anything can be out there. Like the pux."

"What are pux?" Wyatt asks.

"Spiteful little flying devils. They outfitted me like a ganja-smoking Rastafarian and nearly enslaved me in their world."

I pop out of my chair; my heart is pounding, telling me to do something, except I have no idea what. "Lani caused the breach, but they were small areas."

Bodog slips the corner of his s.h.i.+rt collar into his mouth and nervously chews. "The pux made their sacrifice. The powers that kept it strong have gone."

I don't like the sound of that. Especially since I'm the brand-new owner of some pretty intense powers that aren't my own. It would be just my luck if Navar had been the one keeping the barrier strong. I spin around and head for the back door. "This is stupid. I shouldn't be here. Kera's in trouble. I've got to go."

"Yes, yes, yes. Find Kera." Bodog hops out of his chair and scurries next to me, his expression hopeful.

Grandma grabs my arm. Her eyes cloud with sudden panic. "And exactly how are you going to do that?"

Bodog grabs my other arm, his determination equaling Grandma's fear. "I will help."

Her fingers dig in, and she throws Bodog a hard glare. "Help him get killed is more like it. You've already admitted you don't know anything. Now let go or I'll...I'll throw you in a tub full of soap. G.o.d knows you need a good dip and scrub."

The back door opens, and everyone turns to see Grandpa and Reggie enter the kitchen. They're loaded down with some impressive weapons. Grandma lets go of my arm and rushes to Grandpa, while Leo and Wyatt take the bulk of the guns and stack them on the counter.

Bodog pulls me down to his level. The hunching coward is gone, and the Bodog I know he can be stares back at me, strong and insistent. "Her usefulness is in bringing you back. To hurt you. You must go now or she dies."