Reign (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 4) (12 page)

Mina and Nan let go of the door. Anders
crawled up into Mina’s arms and they watched as Ever closed her eyes and concentrated
on turning the hatch handle. She got it to move, but even once turned, it
wouldn’t open. Her forehead glistened from sweat. They could hear the giant
door groaning, as it glowed brightly from Ever’s magic.

“Ever,
hurry
!” Nan screamed and wrapped her hands around Mina.

The door flew open, splashing water
everywhere and revealing a downward staircase that was quickly filling with
water.

“Go now!” Mina yelled, carrying Anders
down the stairs into the darkness. Nan and Ever were on her heels. “Ever, can
you get the door?”

Ever turned and used magic to pull the
door closed just as the wall of water broke. The hatch fell back down, but didn’t
latch because of the rushing water pouring into the stairwell.

Mina dropped Anders and ran for the hatch
wheel. The force of the river almost swept her away. She held her breath and
dropped her head under the water. Bracing her feet against the frame of the
door, she pulled with all of her might. It felt like eternity, and her hands kept
slipping, but if she didn’t close the door and stop the water, they would
surely drown. Another pair of hands closed over hers and together they were
able to turn it until they heard a click. They’d sealed off the onslaught of
water.

The flood level began to recede, drains
pulling gallons into the walls of the culvert every second. As Mina’s head
broke the surface of the water, she looked over and saw Nan holding onto the
large handle, her eyes squeezed shut.

“Thank you.” Mina coughed.

The rushing water pulled at them, but Nan
smiled and nodded.

Mina reached up to wipe the water from
her eyes.

“Don’t let go!” Nan reached out with one
hand to stop her from releasing the wheel but realized her own mistake. She slapped
her hand back on the cold metal and gripped even tighter with both hands.

“I think it’s fine. The river will keep
the door sealed now that it’s closed,” Mina tried to reassure her.

“How do you know?”

“I don’t, but Anders seems sure.” She
pointed to the Baldander who was now waiting a ways down the tunnel looking at
them eagerly.

Ever walked up to the door and inspected
the lock. “I wonder why it wouldn’t open. It’s kind of odd for them to send you
this way if it’s going to almost kill you.”

“It’s been welded shut.” Nan pointed from
her perch on the stairs. She finally released one hand to point at the bead
trail that ran around the whole door.

“It’s a good thing it was shoddy work,
otherwise I might not have been able to get it open,” Ever admitted.

“No, it’s a good thing you were with us.
Otherwise we wouldn’t have made it.” Mina looked up at Ever gratefully.

Ever shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t
mention it…really.”

“Now what?” Nan asked finally gathering
enough courage to let go of the door handle.

“We follow the wet rat.” Ever pointed at
Anders in his otter shape, who was shaking the water from his wet fur and
giving her a pointed glare. He moved forward and then turned back to the tunnel,
trying to get them to follow him.

“She’s right. We follow him.” Mina
instructed.

Anders went farther up the tunnel, trying
to stay on higher ground—anything that hadn’t been submerged in the floodwater.
He peeled off down a left passageway, and they came to a second set of air lock
doors. Anders jumped up onto the round wheel and—this time when Mina
turned it—it unlocked and opened easily. He scampered right through the
door.

The girls were a bit more hesitant.

Mina went first into the second air lock.
It was dark. There was a slight smell of kerosene in the air as if a lantern or
heater had been lit recently. She put her hands out in front of her and tried
to make it to a wall, but she stumbled over something on the floor. Mina let
out a cry as she fell forward onto the large form. She got up and tried to feel
around on the ground but almost lost it when she realized what she was feeling.

Her hands were roaming over a dead body.

Chapter 12

Mina’s hands stilled on the dead body as
bile rose to her throat.

But then she realized it was still warm.
Even though every part of her wanted to run away, she stayed.

She heard a slight moan, and instinct
kicked in.

“Light! I need light!”

Ever and Nan searched the room until one
of them found a kerosene lamp and matches. The room was quickly illuminated as
Ever held the lamp close to Mina.

“It’s Nix!” Ever cried out. “He’s hurt.”

Nix was sprawled across the floor. He
groaned and his eyes started to flutter open. He immediately reached for the
back of his head and winced. “Where am I?”

Mina looked around, unsure exactly how to
answer him. “Right outside the air lock, below the river.”

“That’s right,” he said, cringing again. “I
was supposed to meet you and take you to Constance.” He groaned and tried to
sit up but almost tipped over from the pain. He curled up in a ball and nursed
the wound on his head.

“Nick?” Nan said.

“Yeah. He’s one of us,” Ever said without
a blink. “Nix, what’s the last thing you remember?”

“I remember coming around the corner and
putting the lamp down to unlock the door. I think someone came up from behind
and attacked me.”

“You poor thing!” Ever said softly.

Nan cast an odd look over to Mina, both
of them surprised at Ever’s nurturing side appearing out of nowhere.

“You mean someone from this side of the door?”
Mina asked. “Are you sure? Because that would have to mean it’s one of the
Godmothers.”

Nix stood slowly with Ever’s help. “Yeah,
it must have been. But why would they attack me? I’m so confused.” He leaned
against the wall.

“Someone sealed the outer air lock door,
and we were caught by the river when the walls started to come down. We could
have drowned. I’m guessing whoever did that didn’t want you in the way,” Mina
answered.

“That’s terrible! I’m so sorry. If I had
been paying more attention—or if I was still a Nixie—I would have
been able to sense someone down here, so close to water. Mina, please forgive
me. I’m such a failure!”

“So you’re a…a Nixie?” Nan breathed out
slowly.

“Uh…hi, Nan,” Nix said sheepishly. “It’s
Nix actually. I mean down here with my kind it is. But for school and stuff,
Nick is better.”

 
“Nix
used
to be a Nixie.” Ever spoke up.

“What is that?”

“Think jolly green giant but likes the
water,” Ever explained.

Nan chuckled. “You said ‘used to be.’
What happened?”

“Something happened on the Fae
plane—and he was dying,” Mina answered. “Charlie and I brought him over
and now he’s human. But he’s still learning to adapt.”

Nix grinned ear to ear. “I’m a fine
specimen of human if I do say so myself.”

Nan leaned over and whispered loudly to
Mina. “That explains…a lot.”

“Nix, I think we better find Constance.”
Mina was exhausted, but whoever tried to kill them still had to be around
somewhere. This day felt like it would never end.

“Of course, yes. Right away. That’s what
I was supposed to do. It was my only job and I botched it.” Nix turned and led
the way, slowing a few times to touch the back of his head.

Mina was so worried about him that she
wasn’t paying attention to the way they headed. She needed to do better.

“She’s waiting for us.” Nix took a back
hallway, and they passed the dining hall. Nan craned her neck, apparently
wanting a slower tour of the place.

When Nix opened the door to the library,
Constance was sitting in the same high back chair as last time, drinking tea
and talking with someone. Mina wasn’t surprised to see her music teacher, but
Nan certainly was.

Constance glanced over at Nan. Her short
white hair was particularly spikey today, reminiscent of a hedgehog. Her teal
wing-tipped glasses matched her knitted button-up sweater and pencil skirt.

“Mrs. Colbert?”

Constance straightened in her chair.
Mina’s guest seemed to take her by surprise.

Quietly, Nan said, “Our music teacher is
a Fae too. This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder.”

“Yes, dear. I’m a muse.”

As they approached and could see both
women, Mina cleared her throat, feeling awkward. “Nan, you remember Mrs. Wong?”

Nan’s eyes widened as she recognized the
small Chinese woman as well. She nodded.

“She goes by Meira here.”

Mrs. Wong smiled at Nan. “I’m a brownie.
You can call me Mei.”

Anders ran across the polished floor toward
Constance in obvious distress, squeaking and making odd noises. Her brows
narrowed and she frowned. Apparently, Constance could understand them. “What
happened, Baldander?”

The creature answered.

“I see. That’s horrible!”

She looked to Nix. “Are you okay? Would
you like to go to the healing garden?”

Nix shook his head. “I’ll be fine. I
won’t leave Mina.”

“As you like. Let’s get them dry.”
Constance nodded to the puddles that were forming under their feet.

Mei waved her hands over the girls’
clothes and, within seconds, they were dry.

Mina filled Constance in on their earlier
events—the accident and Teague’s warning. Both Mei and Constance were
stumped.

“We shall have this incident investigated
immediately,” Constance said.

“Mina,” Mei said softly, “on the tail of
our recent discovery, this is worrisome indeed.”

“The reason I’ve brought you here, Mina,
is so you can meet with the leader of the Guild and we can discuss a
development. Come with me now; Nan and Ever can stay here.”

“No, they come with me. I’m not letting
Nan out of my sight, until I know that no one is going to mess with her
memories.”

Constance’s eyes squinted, her thoughts
impossible to discern.

“All right. But you mustn’t interfere
with the Guild’s decision, Mina.”

“I won’t. As long as I agree with their
decision,” Mina added. She slowly stepped in front of Nan, in a protective
manner. Mei caught Mina’s eye and gave a subtle wink.

A small smile flew across Constance’s
lips. “We shall see. Mei, notify Ken and the others to put more wards up and
send a team to investigate this interloper. We can’t be left vulnerable,”
Constance warned.

“Yes, we’ll get right on it,” Mei
answered before disappearing out into the hall.

“Follow me please.” Constance gestured
toward the girls.

Nix stepped in line behind Nan.

“Nix, you don’t have to come,” Constance said.

“Yes, yes I do,” he said.

“Very well. This way.” Constance pointed
toward a gray metal door at the back of the room, the rings on her fingers
glinting in the light.

They followed Constance out the door and
down a hallway. The temperature started to drop and Mina’s heart felt heavy.
She could tell just from these two signs which way they were heading.

“Nan, close your eyes and give me your
hand,” Mina whispered.

“What?” Her small voice sounded so
distant and unsure. “What’s happening?” Even now she was affected by the dangerous
feelings assailing her. Nan gripped Mina’s hand tightly. Nix slipped in front
of Mina and took her hand, taking lead. He used his own body to block the
Troll’s unnatural gaze.

Ever sucked in an audible breath and
shivered. “What is that?”

Constance turned to warn them, but nodded
her head for Nix to continue leading Mina and Nan past the troll. Mina’s skin
prickled and she could feel the hate radiating from the large gray troll who
was slowly turning to stone.

“He’s been trapped here for the last
twenty years, when Teague last attacked the GM’s headquarters,” Mina said. “As
long as you don’t look the troll in the eyes, you can pass him. Most everybody
is used to ignoring him.”

“I’m scared.” Nan’s hand shook in Mina’s.
“I feel…I feel…I need to get away from here.” She pulled her hand away, and
Mina knew the moment Nan opened her eyes and saw the troll. She froze on the
spot—her mouth opened in fear, her eyes locked onto the troll. Tears
started to pour from her eyes and her body trembled.

“Nan, don’t look.” Mina yanked on Nan’s
hand, but she wouldn’t budge.

Nix rushed forward and wrapped his arms
around Nan in a strong hug, burying her face in his chest, breaking the visual connection.
His arms rubbed up and down her back in a comforting way. He whispered soft,
encouraging words to her. When he was able to move her, he guided her down the
hall and around the corner.