Page 50 of A Brighter Yellow
“Yes,” she said, grabbing Ochre’s hand. “Yes, I know. I have it.” She pictured the jagged skyline of New York City and the grubby city trees of Central Park.
“All right,” said Ochre, his voice slurring. “All trees are one tree. All forests are one forest.”
He took a step forward and then another. He staggered forward as the woods seemed to howl around them. Anna clung to his hand, trying to awkwardly direct Charlie’s staggering steps at the same time.
“Anna,” gasped Charlie. “Where are we?”
“In the fairy woods,” said Anna. “Hush now.”
Before, the woods had seemed like an eternal walk in the gloaming of some unknown forest. Now the trees seemed to snatch at them, tearing at their clothes. Nothing was solid. The trees shuddered, vibrating as if frames were being removed and indiscriminately added to a film reel. Ochre walked on, but his head was down as if he walked into an invisible headwind. Soon she could feel it too. The woods did not want them here.
“Ochre,” gasped Anna, trying to hold Charlie up and put out an arm to help Ochre as well.
“Keep going,” he said. “Almost there.”
She pushed forward, lowering her head. She could feel the weight of Ochre’s hand on her shoulder, and she couldn’t tell if it was driving her forward or dragging her back.
“Almost there,” he said again.
She pushed forward, trying hard to keep the picture in her mind. She knew where she wanted to go. She knew what she wanted to have happen. She just had to keep pushing. She could do this. Ochre and Charlie were relying on her.
“Anna,” whispered Charlie. “Who is he again?” She had the bleary-eyed look of someone who’d lost track of reality. Anna thought about how to answer. She had an answer. All doubts about who Ochre was had been stripped away the moment Elliot had tried to kill him, but she felt like she probably ought to let Ochre know before she went around announcing it. Also, she was pretty sure Charlie wasn’t really going to remember the answer anyway.
Ochre stumbled and pulled them to a stop. Anna reached back and grabbed him.
“Anna,” he said, smiling at her. “Anna, you are the brightest gold. I love you so much.”
Anna felt tears well up in her eyes. “Ochre, I love you too, but we have to keep moving. We can’t stop here.”
“I’m confused,” he said, looking left down a fork in the trail. “I want to go down that path, but that’s not where you’re going, but I can’t….” He trailed off and looked down a side path. To Anna, it looked black and frightening.
“I need you to stay with me,” said Anna, trying to keep her voice from showing how scared she was. “You’re my own and my love, and you must come with me.”
“Right,” he said, nodding. “Right. Hold tight. Here we go.”
He staggered onward, and Anna pulled Charlie.
“Almost there,” he said.
“Oh good,” murmured Charlie.
The smell of blood was getting stronger. There was a definite force pushing against them now, and Anna leaned into it. She kept one hand over Ochre’s hand on her shoulder. His fingers felt clammy.
“Almost there,” he gasped. Anna leaned into the force that pushed against her, keeping her arm wrapped around Charlie’s waist. Then through the trees, she saw buildings and sky—true sky with an actual sunset. She took one step and then another, shoving Charlie in front of her. Her sandals crunched on a hard crust of snow, and then there was a rending sound as if tree branches were being torn and Ochre’s hand was ripped away.
Anna spun around and saw nothing. Only the empty space between the trees. The fairy woods were closed, and Ochre was gone.
Episode 25
Liam & Scarlet
Anna
Anna banged on the door as she tried to hoist Charlie up a little higher and thanked her lucky stars that they’d come out of the trees not too far from Liam’s apartment. Their journey out of Central Park had earned them some stares and more than few honked horns as she’d hauled the mostly unconscious Charlie across the street. Liam Grayson yanked the door open, concern on his face. He’d probably smelled the blood through the door. As always, dark-haired Liam looked handsome, but Anna no longer cared. He was too short anyway. She was practically eyeball to eyeball with him. How had she ever thought he could be her mate?
“Where’s Scarlet?” gasped Anna, fighting the rising panic in her gut. How long had Ochre been alone? How long did she have until it was too late to reach him?
“Get inside,” Liam ordered, reaching for Charlie. Anna gratefully let him take Charlie’s weight but followed him impatiently into the apartment.
