Fire and Ice (22 page)

“I –I dont' know what you want with me,” I stammered. “But I'm on an assignment from Mythlandria. The king won't be thrilled to know you're interfering with it.” I had no idea why I was talking. It was clear these wild beasts couldn't be reasoned with. But hearing the sound of my own voice meant I was still alive. And somehow that small thing was incredibly comforting.

Another Redcap sneered, baring a crooked row of jagged canines, coming to needle points. “Let's eat it now. Fresh human meat is better alive and wriggling.” He dragged a talon-like fingernail down my arm, piercing the skin, then shoved it in his mouth, a swollen tongue licking the blood clean. I whimpered and squeezed my eyes tight, trying to block both the pain and the salty smell of rust filling my nose.

“No. We take it to the caves,” another commanded.

I cried for help, but when I opened my mouth, there was only silence. Panic washed over me as I realized that I couldn't speak or move. I'd lost muscle control from the neck down, my body still cocooned in the gummy webbing. Dragging me from my sticky trap, a goblin slung my limp body over its rancid shoulder and carried me into a cave, the others whooping and hollering on our tail. He dropped me on the ground, which reeked of death, and they scurried away.

Sensation trickled back into my limbs and I was able to turn slightly. I could make out a rusty cauldron in the corner over a fire pit with leaping green flames. Two torches were stuck in the dirt, casting an eerie yellowish light. Surrounding the pot were bloodied bones, feathers, and skulls blackened and charred. I had no idea when they'd be back, but I was sure it would be bad news for me when they were. No part of me wanted to stick around to find out what they had planned.

I wriggled to loosen the glistening threads binding my arms and legs, with no success, it only made them cut deeper into my skin. Twisting to my side I felt around for a rock or something I could use, patting the ground until a cold, slimy substance oozed between my fingers, dripping on my hand. I stopped searching and looked up into the frothing mouth of a Redcap with broken yellow canines and scars zigzagging across its atrocious face hovering above me. He stomped on my back, pinning me in place under the oppressive weight of his mangled boot.

“There's no wheres to go. You're as good as dead,” he cackled, snorting and spitting out phlegm. A glob of wet foam dripped onto the back of my neck and I shuddered.

The other Redcaps came back, gathering around me, their hungry cries fueling my despair.

As I lay there, my hands half-buried in rotting innards, waiting to die, one thought plagued me. Adrius. I wouldn't get to see his face again, to tell him how much he meant to me. It struck me as odd the person I was going to miss most of all in death was the one person I could never actually have in life. The goblin pushed on my shoulder with his boot, rolling me onto my back.

The largest Redcap approached with a cleaver, and a hungry gleam in his soulless obsidian eyes. I bent my head, curled into a fetal position, and shut my eyes.
Mom, I'm so sorry
.

An icy breeze brushed past me and the scent of thyme momentarily replaced the stench. Then a splintering crack echoed in the cave, and I jumped. A collective hiss snaked through the horde. The sounds of scuffling and scurrying filled the air, amid animal cries and shrieks. But these were not the festive yells from before… this was the sound of fear.

I opened my eyes, not sure I wanted to know what had the deadliest creatures I'd met so far scared out of their wits.

“It's the eye, ‘tis. This one's got it!”

They stared, faces twisted with fear and anger. “What's she doin' with it.”

“Fools! She's the
One
. The half-breed the queen talked of,” he snarled. “They'll be lookin' for ‘er soon 'nuff.”

“Even after we feast, ‘er bones will tell the tale. They hold the memory of The Inner Eye.”

I wasn't sure what they were talking about, but whatever it was seemed to have stopped them in their path. Then I saw. The necklace I'd so carefully kept concealed had fallen to the ground, radiating blue green swirling light in the dimly lit hovel.

I was still alive. And in one piece. For now. I tried to pick up the necklace, but my muscles still felt like lead… heavy, numb, and impossible to control.

The Redcap with the longest talons approached me cautiously. “It can't be eaten.” He scowled. “Must give its soul to the Ice Witch. Only then can we feast on her flesh in peace.”

“Into the cage with 'er,” some hollered.

He stalked toward me, a blade hovering above his head. I screamed, trembling hands flying up over my face, as he swung the blade, and sliced the filaments binding my hand and ankles. Then once again, I was airborne, carried by the foul beasts to my next holding place.

“Where are you taking me?” I groaned, my voice broken and raspy yet audible. I was covered in scrapes and bruises which didn't hurt as intensely as they should because of the numbing effect of the webbing. I was almost thankful for that. They'd heal soon enough, but the process was never pain-free. My healing gifts had never prevented me from pain.

Either they were ignoring me or didn't hear me, but it wasn't long before I discovered our destination. The entrance to a tunnel lay open like the gaping mouth of a whale, a minefield of stalagmites and stalactites lined the ceiling and floor, tearing my clothes and scoring long scrapes across my skin as they carried me into the gloom. In the center of the round, dim space hung a cage, thorny vines, interwoven to form an impenetrable enclosure. There was no doubt in my mind where they were going to put me. Calloused hands with taloned-fingers groped and shoved, thrusting me into the confine barely large enough for a child.

Barbs tore at my face, tangling in my hair, making even the motion of breathing unbearably painful even with the lingering anesthetic coursing through my veins.

The one who seemed to be the leader of the clan crawled forward, jabbing my back with a stake. The cage swung perilously. I flinched and a thorn bit into my shoulder.

“By flame and light of the full moon shall we bleed her? Only then can her soul be released and her flesh consumed.” With that, the torch light faded as the last of the Redcaps retreated to their cave.

They left me hanging alone in the dark for some time. I had no idea how long. My body was stiff and aching from being contorted in such an unnatural position, but I dared not move. Caged and drugged by whatever poison they laced their weapons with, my thoughts circled around and around, desperate to find some way out of this nightmare. No one was coming. There was no escape, and no way out. The Redcaps' fires burned higher and brighter through the tunnel and I knew the only possible ending was death. As disturbing as that realization was, it wasn't as awful as the debilitating knowledge that my death would result in the death of countless others as well.

I closed my eyes, giving in to sudden tiredness tugging at me, but the approaching muffled footsteps kept me awake. The nearly silent steps came closer and closer.

But these steps were different. Not the shuffling of Redcaps who dragged their deformed feet when they traveled. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. Whoever was in the darkened cave was now right behind me. There was a violent tug on the cage. I opened my mouth to scream but a hand quickly covered it. Biting down, I struggled to move away, a near impossible feat in my thorny prison.

A voice whispered so close to my ear I could feel the warmth.

“Shhh… don't say anything.”

I gasped. “Adrius!” It was hard to focus; my thoughts were fuzzy, keeping my panic and elation equally sedated. But staring into those eternal eyes, I knew it was actually him and not some drug-induced apparition. I smiled. The sight was like a life-raft to a drowning victim. His eyes darkened briefly as he looked at me, taking in the gashes and purple bruises marring my skin, but then silently he raised his index finger to his lips. Taking a slow steady breath I remained as still and soundless as possible, determined not to do anything to get either one of us into more trouble.

With one swift slash of his glowing blade, I was cut free. Kneeling on the ground, I rubbed life back into my cramped legs, glancing up just as a group of Redcaps skulked in.

“Adrius, watch out,” I cried, a second too late. He'd spun to face them, but before I could warn him, an arrow pierced his leg, I watched helplessly as one knee crumbled to the ground.

“Run, Lorelei,” he ground through clenched teeth. He rose, limping slightly on his injured limb.

I stared at him, shaking my head. “No, I'm not going to leave you here.”

“Go. Now! The path is clear,” he insisted, arrows deflecting off his blade and shattering to the ground.

I searched wildly for something to use as a weapon. Retrieving my pack the Redcaps had left behind, I hunted inside for something useful then scrambled back down the tunnel to retrieve the necklace. The Inner Eye was on the ground pulsing violet rays of light. Grabbing it, I raced back to Adrius still battling Redcaps; I slipped it over my head and tossed the pack across the room to divert their attention, enough for Adrius to get out.

“Lorelei, don't —” His voice faded as black shrieks of hatred and anger filled my ears. Immediately the Redcaps stopped their attack on Adrius and stalked toward me as though compelled.

I tried to run but I wasn't fast enough. Rushed by the grunting desperate creatures, I had no idea how many, they climbed over me, pushing me to the ground, holding down my arms, clawing and biting my legs. I screamed, kicking and bucking. One reeled backward with a cry when my foot slammed into his chest.

There was a flash of light followed by a thunderous rumble. The Redcaps backed away from me, their eyes wide in terror. I followed their petrified stares. Adrius stood over them; his sword held above his head was glowing with swathing green smoke, sending radiant tendrils of fire into the ceiling of the cave. Another ground-tremulous-crack sounded in the hollow and chunks of rock crumbled and fell.

The Redcaps began to scatter, racing away on all fours, skittering up the walls, across the falling ceiling, toward the mouth of the tunnel.

I reached for my pack as Adrius pulled me off the ground and out of the collapsing cave with lightning speed. Before I knew what was happening we were standing outside watching the remains of the cave crash to the ground amidst hollers, screams, and a mushroom cloud of dust and cinder.

When only a mound of rubble remained I whirled to Adrius, in amazement. “I can't believe you found me.” Without thinking, I flew into him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He smelled like the forest and rainy nights and…
life
. A breath of fresh air to chase away the Redcap stench of death I'd been inhaling. “I knew I'd have good luck on this trip.”

“
Good
luck? Really,” he said, pulling free from my clasp to sheath his sword. “It's great to see you're still in one piece, Lorelei, but the luck you live by isn't what I'd call good.” He grabbed my pack and yanked it open. “They've taken the map,” he said, tossing it on the ground and meeting my confused gaze.

“What does that mean?” I asked, knowing it wouldn't be good.

“It means the map to Faerie is on its way to the Ice Witch.” He scowled.

I took in the crumbling remains of the cave. How could any of the Redcaps survive that?

“After your little
stunt,
and the goblin scum got his hands on the map, I had to either go after him and save it… or save you.”

My stomached tightened as I watched his sullenness escalate to anger.

“Isn't there some way I can get it back?”

A smirk crossed his face, but it was dark and humorless. “Of course there is.” His tone dripped sarcasm. “You stroll into Noctria and politely ask her to return it… and she'll have your soul infested with evil before your tortured body can scream for death.”

I stared at him horrified, afraid to say anything else.

“Unfortunately,” he said slowly, watching my r
eaction. “If your insane plan includes staying alive we have to retrieve the map. Not only can't we get to Faery without it, but it's a direct map to you. Octãhvia won't need the ice she uses as a seeing glass in order to find you. Which means killing you
will be that much easier. If your luck takes a turn for the better, that's all she'll have planned for you.”

“Can't we get another one?” I asked, more than a little freaked out by his sudden despair. My question was met with dry, brittle laughter.

“No, we
can't get another one,” he scoffed. “There is only one. It cannot be replaced. And it cannot be destroyed. You can rest assured Octãhvia will not let it go without a fight if it reaches her. She's been anxious to wage war on the Seelie and Unseelie Courts.
Theirs is an ancient never-ending feud. A war between the witches and fey will not end well. For any of us,” he said, his lips drawing tight.

"A war over what?"

A moment of silent communication passed between us. He saw I knew he was keeping something from me and I saw he wasn't going to say anything more about it. Not now.

Perhaps because of the fury rolling off him in waves… fury I'd caused, I let it go. Under my lashes I focused on the ground. “Adrius, I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do,” I whispered. “I thought they were going to hurt you, and I couldn't bear —
I had no idea they would take the map to Octãhvia.” My voice faded.

The wind whipped through the branches, tousling his moonlit hair. It was colder now than inside the cave and goose bumps spread up my arm where the fabric had been shredded by thorns.

With a sigh he ran his hands through his hair. “Don't worry about it now.” He reached under my chin to tilt my face up to his. When I looked up he was examining my wounds, with a pained expression. “Does it hurt much?” A thread of concern wove through the anger in his voice.