Page 17 of A Bolt of Magic

I feel different. I feel… Something niggles in the back of my mind, but I push it away. There is no time to think on it. I need to hurry. I leap to my feet and start sprinting.

My heart pounds in my chest as I run toward the tree line, adrenaline pumping through my veins. The shadows are longer than normal for this time of day because of the sun still being partly obscured. The ground blurs beneath me, my breath coming in quick gasps as I push myself to go faster.

I reach the edge of the trees and dash between the two tallest of them. Then I rush down the path, retracing my earlier steps.

I hear a horse nicker. Hope and relief surge through me as I break through the honeysuckle bushes, spotting McColl up ahead.

She must hear me crashing through the undergrowth because she turns, her eyes wide.

“Alaric?” Relief bleeds into her expression before she staggers back, her mouth falling open. “No! How?” She’s gripping one of the horse’s reins. The other is tied to a tree. “Stay away!” she yells. “Leave me alone.” She sounds scared…of me. Why is she afraid?

I look behind me, expecting to see fae guards, but there are none. Is she afraid of me? Surely not.

“McColl,” I call out, my voice hoarse. “It’s me, Alaric,” I say stupidly because she doesn’t seem to recognize me.

Alaric… That doesn’t feel right.

Why?

She turns away, facing her spooked horse. “I said to stay away.” She tries to mount up, but the animal dances around her in circles, making it impossible.

“It’s okay,” I say in a soothing voice as I slowly approach. “It’s me.”

“You…you…” She shakes her head. “It can’t be. It can’t. No! No. No. No.” She tries to mount up again and fails.

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay, Alaric. Have you seen yourself?” A tear streaks down her cheek. “You’re a fae. You’re one of them.” She looks at the side of my face, at my ears.

What?

What is she talking about?

I put a hand to my head and sure enough, my ears are pointy. It all comes flooding back. All of it and all at once, leaving me stunned. My mouth falls open.

McColl finally manages to pull herself onto the horse’s back, and the beast starts to run. She almost topples off the animal, somehow managing to stay in place by holding onto the saddle horn. The shaggy pony is surprisingly fast. She almost comes off again as it snakes through the trees.

I have no time to ponder on all that has happened. I touch my ears again. This can’t be happening.

It is!

Iama fae. Not just any fae but…

No time!

I run to the tethered horse, taking precious seconds to untie him, and am on in one leap, kicking the animal into a gallop as soon as my butt hits the leather. I lean forward, giving the animal his head. The horse follows his stablemate, weaving through the trees and then jumping over a fallen log. I move with the animal. It comes naturally to me, like breathing. It feels good to be back in the saddle.

It doesn’t take long to clear the forest, and when I do, I instantly see McColl ahead, her hair streaming out behind her as she rides. I push my horse to go faster, trying to catch up to her.

“McColl!” I shout, my voice carrying through the forest. She glances back, her eyes widening at the sight of me. She turns back, kicking her horse, trying to get away from me.

I can’t blame her.

“Stop! Please!” I shout. She looks back over her shoulder again before riding on. She’s terrified…of me.

I draw closer, trying to keep up with her horse as he gallops through the meadow beyond the trees. The sound of hooves thunders, and the dome barrier grows ever closer. McColl’s horse is swift and sure-footed. McColl is much lighter than I am, which means that I’m struggling to catch her. I can’t close the gap.

Up ahead of us, the barrier looms. Lush green grass on this side and mud and a wasteland on the other.

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