Page 56 of The Curse of Eternity
“It is one theory as to why the fair folk live so much longer than humans,” Drake explained. “The manna here is so concentrated compared to where we are from.”
“You know a lot about us.” Atticus glanced over his shoulder, his tone flat. “For a dead man.”
Drake said nothing in response, or maybe I just stopped paying attention. Our location had changed again without me realizing it. Weirdly, my lack of awareness wasn’t worrying, because I was entranced by every step I took over the smattering of pebbles we crossed.
A creek carried golden waves downstream, the color reminiscent of champagne. Sparks danced across the glittering surface, but I couldn’t blink fast enough to catch them. Whispers seemed to echo all around, and I strained to listen, but the words were just out of reach. Frustrating, until it wasn’t.
The sudden urge to break away took root. Sprinting in any direction would’ve been fun, but the hands on my arms only tightened their grip. The ground molded into a firmer surface, coated with trodden cherry blossoms. Dewy, discarded petals were gone in a blink to be replaced by crunchy grass that smoothed into moss a heartbeat later.
When I tried to stop to think, I was only pulled harder by Drake’s much greater strength. A powerless feeling surged, along with the desire to scream, or cry, but the emotions soon faded to the recesses of my mind. Butterflies crossed my vision, rushing closer. They were closing in, and I struggled. The smaller hand on my left fell away when I slapped at the flitting bugs.
Then I was being spun, the motion repeating like an afterimage until it slowed and I stared straight into Drake’s bloodshot eyes.
“Maria?” His voice sounded sweetly melodic, and I felt my mouth crack into a grin without a reason. Gasping for breath, I tried to focus despite my stinging hand.
“You alright?” Atticus sounded distant, but he was only a few feet away, staring down at Daphne. She nodded, rubbing her cheek with her palm. Understanding dawned as my face fell, and I opened my mouth to apologize, but nothing came out.
“I’m fine,” Daphne assured, her gaze briefly meeting mine before falling to my feet.
“The human won’t be able to make sense anymore, not until she leaves. And that should be quick if you want her sanity to return.” The full-blooded faery sounded bored, leaning away from a stocky leafless tree.
Its long branches sagged under its own weight, and the ground surrounding it was pale and barren. The gray flaking grass circled us, the space devoid of vegetation except the tree at its center. I glanced up to peer at the highest branches.
“What kind of tree is that?” Daphne asked.
“A hornbeam,” Drake said, his expression forlorn but certain.
Daphne stared around us. “Why is everything here so…”
“Dead,” Atticus supplied, his gaze on Drake. “It’s the vampires. Ever since Dracula spun his cursed magick, this access point to the human world has been infertile. A scar, like the marks that boils leave on healed flesh.”
“How do we leave?” Drake demanded, holding me with an unwavering grip.
“You should be able to just climb the tree,” Daphne answered. “I had to get us to where Atticus was waiting before. That’s why I needed to cast the spell in Aelvyn—the faery language—”
“My compensation, vampire,” Atticus interrupted, holding out his palm. Daphne pinked, and the sudden urge to sock the faery man in the jaw sparked to life. If I had complete control of my limbs, I would have.
Instead, Drake managed to keep me pinned to the side of his torso, with one arm around my waist, while handing over the comb. Atticus pocketed it swiftly, a superior grin stretching his features into ugly greed. “Much obliged.”
“As am I,” Drake said, but his kindness was directed at Daphne. “Winston keeps loyal companions, and I am indebted to you.”
The changeling smiled sheepishly, her gaze averted as her hands fidgeted inside the oversized pockets of her hoodie. I wanted to say something, to apologize for having slapped her when the memory swept through my head, but all I could manage was to open my mouth. Then I was being pulled toward the emaciated tree, and swiftly given a leg up to reach the lowest branch.
On instinct, I gripped it and wedged my booted foot into the crook of the trunk. My stomach swooped when I nearly slipped, so I hurried to climb higher up the gnarled and blackened tree. The sky above darkened one shade at a time, until it felt like I was scaling into the expanse of the night’s sky.
Stars twinkled overhead between clusters of charcoal clouds, moving through empty air at a glacial pace. A cold gust of wind caught my clothes, and I clutched close to the tree’s trunk. A warm presence neared against my back, and I turned, finding Drake standing right beside me. The last week returned to my living memory, and I nearly choked.
My heart pounded, and all at once, I wanted to go back. Where the entrancing manna’s power kept me mindless. Because the short reprieve from reality made our next task seem even more impossible.
Until Drake placed his palm against the side of my face, his fingers trailing across my cheekbone to tuck my windswept hair behind my ear. Suddenly, whether we made it out of this alive or not didn’t matter. There was something I needed to tell him before it was too late—and I held on to that purpose as Drake turned to face our left.
Following his gaze, I inhaled a sharp breath. The ruins of an ancient castle were nestled into a steep hillside overlooking a dense forest valley. Their discarded, dilapidated stone structures appeared deserted, but something in my bones spoke otherwise.
A wholly different sentiment ignited the fluttering in my stomach when Drake took my hand, and our fingers intertwined. Flecks of moisture hit my face while I held tightly to him. Thunder boomed through the treetops, and rain fell across the land from the storm clouds above.
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Free from Falling
