Mythical (The Mystical Series Book 2) (10 page)

I started to cry because I couldn’t move; I was stuck. Mom didn’t get to me in time; the current constantly forced me down, pulling me back into the mouth of a large wave. The water poured over me, sucking me into its depths.

“Eliza!” Mom screamed for me.

I thought I was going to die.

Eliza get up, push through the water, get to the surface!

I was running out of oxygen, and I couldn’t feel my heartbeat. The push-pull of the current diminished and I came to the surface, gasping for air, far away from my mom on the shore. I’d never felt so alone, so stranded from her. The water was pulling me back still, but I eventually made it back to the shore. If only Ariel could’ve saved me. That’s when I thought mermaids were different, and Disney created all princesses perfect in their ever after worlds.

I’m starting to shiver in my jacket. Christian holds me against him and leads me through the forest, our boots crunching on the white blanket beneath us. We stop at the edge of the frozen ocean.

“Okay, so Terese says the kingdom will appear in front of us,” he says.

“Wouldn’t you already know where they live? I mean, you kind of share a home with them.”

“We’re not allowed to go that deep.”

“You must be kidding. All the shit you caused me to go through? You’re clearly a fake.”

“Strict rules. Disobey strict rules you get kicked out. Get kicked out, you become corrupt. Once you become corrupt either a witch kills us or we’re sent to Rav.”

“You’re already evil, and if I’m not mistaken, already corrupt too.”

He ignores my statement, walks up to the edge of the ocean, turns around, and starts to walk backward on the ice.

“I don’t think I’m corr—” The ice breaks and he falls through.

I rush over to the edge, stepping carefully on the ice where he fell through. There’s bubbles on the surface. I should let him die, I shouldn’t care…but I can’t. What if he has answers I need?

Eliza, let him die.

Something grips my ankles, pulling me back on the ice.

It’s a guy, his dark blue hair shimmering and his ears a tad sharper than Christian’s. Around his upper arm are blue tribal markings.

“Do you want me to save him or what?” His deep voice vibrates, and his light blue eyes, lighter than Donovan’s, look at me expectantly. “I think he’s drowning. You better make a decision.” He twirls his index finger, aiming at the ice in front of me. It cracks apart. “Elves can’t swim. I’d say you got about four seconds, maybe three to answer.”

“Yes,” I say.

“Bummer. I wanted it to just be you and me.”

He dives into the water, and the same blue markings around his legs and ankles glow.

This mermaid was in the water when Donovan and I first arrived here.

Chapter 10

The first time I dove underwater at the pool, the feeling of chlorine swishing inside my eyes made me cringe; this feeling is the same. Fairytales aren’t real, but if we’re talking about corrupt mystic creatures and kick ass witches, you’d think otherwise.

I drifted into my past again to when my mother read me stories to help me fall asleep.

I was so tired of hearing fairytales, so Mom decided to read an urban legend. It was Anastasia. The story follows a princess who escapes from, basically, a massacre at her palace. She then becomes an orphan, where she is left with no recollection of her past. It’s intriguing really; I found it amazing how emotionally stable Anastasia was with her strange life, how strong and independent.

However, people were after her and she didn’t know what to do. Anastasia couldn’t trust anyone, because everyone was out to get her. She didn’t know who she truly was, and she was struggling to find out her entire life story. It was like she was stuck in the
middle of a never-ending path, struggling to get to that light.

Anastasia took a leap of faith and trusted an orphan boy; it was the hardest thing ever to do for her. At times you have to sprint instead of jogging, sometimes you have to trust and not assume. Call me a cornball all you want, these stories and Disney movies really meant the world to me. At first, I believed in all of their stories. I believed in a happy ever after.

Now I look at where I am, and it’s happy ever disaster.

***

I walk over to the hole in the water Christian fell into. It’s been about five minutes since the mermaid has returned. I wait for anything, a frozen body, a splash of water. The ice crackles and snaps from each step I make on the surface.

This is so stupid of me, but my help is needed. I take off my coat, walking back to the edge. The ends of my fingers are freezing, and I start to go numb.

I leap into the water, diving head first into the cold hell. Everything is a blur at first. It’s dark and not blue. I lose focus and my head bumps against the hard surface of ice. I see neon blue lights below me. It’s semi clear now; I don’t think I can make it. I swim back over to the hole, take another deep breath, and dive back into the water.

I swim deeper, following the blue lights. The mermaid is holding Christian’s arm, swimming against the freezing water. He floats, his light blue eyes lighting up the dark water around us; he then swims by me. Christian’s markings are still glowing, and I lose sight of the mermaid.

I’m running out of oxygen, and I crash down on the ice, shivering next to Christian’s frozen skin. The water inside of me forces its way up and out of my system. I gasp for air, coughing, my palms stuck to the ice beneath me.

“You couldn’t wait?”

I look up at the mermaid. He’s wearing dark blue, skintight sport water pants. The mermaid walks over to me.

“A witch in a mystic world, how did she survive?” he says. “The world may never know.”

There are sharp fins on the sides of his arms, and the veins that stick from his muscles are outlined a light blue. He notices what I’m looking at and balls his hands into fists. The fins disappear.

“You must be cold,” he says. “Don’t want you to die.” He flicks his hands at me and the water evaporates from my skin. He looks over at Christian and then back to me. “Should we save ‘im?”

I don’t know, should I? Will I be able to free Donovan without Christian alive?

I’m pretty sure the Queen of Ellevil wouldn’t be pleased to find her charming little prince dead. The mermaid keeps his focus on me, and I hear gargles of water from behind him. I stand up, watching Christian throw up the water he swallowed. The mermaid flicks his fingers at him, evaporating the water from his body too.

I’ve never seen a guy mermaid before. His thick eyebrows and athletic body type really pull me in. Only thing I don’t know is if he can sing as beautifully as the mermaids who tried to kill me.

“You guys should be all right. From the currents in the water, the storm should be passing by soon.”

“Thank you.” I look up at him.

“We’ll see each other again.” He smiles and the ice melts beneath him, causing him to dip into the water. I’m not sure why he was helping us, and I wonder if he was the reason why the ice broke in the first place. Christian coughs, collecting himself.

“What happened?” he asks.

I pick up my jacket and put it back on and grab my metal bar. “You were going to die.”

He looks up at me, his eyes wide.

“A mermaid saved you,” I elaborate.

Christian walks over to me and grabs my hand, looking intently into my eyes. “Why would a mermaid save me? Elves and mermaids don’t get along.” I lower my eyes and turn away. “Thank you for jumping in.”

I guess he was in my head again, reading my memories, thoughts, and feelings. He hugs me, his heart beating against my cheek. The heart I’m going to stab soon.

Is this really happening? Why am I allowing him to hug me?

I jerk my wrist from his grip and push him away from me. I have the urge to go back into the ocean. Even if I’m horrified, it’s a feeling I can’t really explain.

The fairy kingdom will dissolve in front of you
, Miss Canary’s voice reminds me.

I walk by Christian, glancing down at the ice and the hole that almost killed us. I know that something’s down there; maybe it’s the mermaid kingdom? I take out the rose from my jacket and hold it in the air. “Reveal yourself,” I say, mimicking the voice of a fortuneteller, as if I have the power to summon the kingdom.

“Please don’t go back in that. Are you stupid?” Christian says.

I sigh. “No, I’m insane.”

I step out onto the ice. For a minute, I’m still. I’m not far out on the ice, and I’m sure if anything happens, he’ll reach for me, pulling me back from falling into the water again.

A soothing feeling of serenity and comfort flows through my body, and I let the feeling drown within me. My arms start to tingle with their usual sensations. A force snaps through my mind, and images flash vividly in front of me.

A huge tree appears in what looks to be a forest with orbs; colors of the rainbow float in the air. Plants wave their leaves around by themselves, quickly vanishing as the huge tree flashes back in to reveal a carved entrance.

Another punch presses against me, and I’m not sure if what I am seeing is real. Christian is standing in the forest at the place where Donovan and I first kissed, and he is staring at me like he is aware I am watching him. Then he starts to walk toward me. The smell of lilies and roses wafts in the air, and I am knocked out of my soothing trance. I’m about to crash into the water, that is, until Christian grabs my waist, pulling me back. I turned around to look at him; he knows I saw him in my head, and he’s smiling at my reaction.

He smirks. “So that’s where the kiss was, yeah?”

“That’s none of your business.” Then I realized Donovan didn’t save me that night; I woke in my room with Emily and Christian arguing.

“He was there, but he left you.”

“You’re lying. He would never leave me alone in the woods in a place like this.”

“Seems to me he did. Terese knows too.”

Snow flurries fall once more from the purple sky, and I circle around, looking for the place we played tag. Digging my boots in the snow, I reach the top of a hill. Everything’s covered in white, and I’m not sure which forest it is; blue and green leaves glow to my right, and then the pink and green colors are to my left.

“I, uh, I think I know where the kingdom is. The fairy kingdom.”

Christian is leaning over me once again. I place my hand on his chest, shoving him back. How would he know where the place is? The idiot fell into water clearly wanting to die; did he not predict that would happen to him? Without wasting any time, Christian begins to walk over the hill. He takes my hand, forcing me to walk with him.

Let him help you, trust him.
The voices in my head return to haunt me.
Christian is the one for you. Stop fighting it. Trust him, trust him.

Christian wraps his arms around my body, trying to keep me warm. I hate his minty breath and woody scent, but I admit this coat really isn’t enough to keep me warm.

“Shouldn’t we take her words seriously? She said it would appear in front of us.”

“No, not really. She likes to talk in riddles—haven’t you noticed?” he says.

No kidding
.

I remember a conversation Donovan and I had while wandering around the castle. I’d drift away from his supervision, exploring the home of elves and what made them so mysteriously deadly. I walk up the large staircase, looking for the library.

***

“I don’t know why I’m following you,” he says.

“Witches stick together, right?” I reply sarcastically. “Plus, I’m pretty sure you don’t have a better idea. I’m here for answers.”

“Yeah…kill the elves and get the hell out of here,” he says.

“Hush before they find us lurking around this place.”

“I already know about myself. I don’t need corruption in my life. Neither of us do, especially you since you’re acting all wacko.” I can tell Donovan isn’t trying to be rude; he is agitated and is just, I don’t know…Donovan.

“I still need to protect you, so try and act smart.”

He didn’t really protect us from getting dragged to the elf queen. I chuckled.

***

We stop in front of the forest where I played tag.

Either or, Eliza. Choose.

I hold my bar up, aiming at Christian. “Try anything and I won’t be afraid to use this.”

He smirks and disappears into the forest.

“Hey, are you listening to me?” I follow him. He’s focused on following his little trail, leading me through this dead forest.

“It’s in here,” I say. “The kingdom, it’s somewhere in this forest.”

“Yeah it is. I can feel it,” Christian says.

The trees are blue and pink; a color of yellow and then purple wink on, glowing vibrantly under the snow. The tip of my nose is freezing, and I can feel my lips start to chap. I lick them, but they burn from the cuts on them.

My left arm is freezing and glowing green. I cover my arm so that Christian can’t see it in case he wants to carve on my skin once more. I’m doing what Donovan wants, and that’s playing the part. Showing no resentment and proving that I’ve ‘changed’ the way Christian wants. The evil sort of change, you know, how zombies are made? Get a bite from a corrupt one, and you’re bound to become evil. I know Christian wanted this; he wanted me to be like him: soulless, corrupt (or so I think), and evil. His black eyes are a clue that he’s one of them. One of the many mystics I’ve killed and watched their mist float up into the sky.

We try to retrace my steps back to the tree I chased Emily to. I remember lifting my hands, silencing all the noise the forest made around me. I feel a tree’s bark, and the same feelings of serenity come upon me as I remember this is the area I tasted vanilla and touched the cotton inside a pillow, eventually falling to the ground, paralyzed from the pain Donovan caused, only to wake up to Christian saving me.

I gasp for air. I guess I am back in reality. I need to get used to these weird moments.

These visions would control my mind and let me see what I’ve already seen or let me venture off into the future. I can’t help but wonder if there is some sort of way to trigger it, so that it can help me find the place Donovan and I kissed.

Then it hits me.

Whenever Christian touches me, my veins zap and the same sensation buzzes on the surface of my skin with Donovan. The only thing different about the two is that Christian freezes me and Donovan burns me. Then I remember what I need to do; I needed to kiss either Donovan or Christian, and maybe the trance will come upon me and help us find that tree. This is completely stupid. I shake my head. There is no other solution. What else can I possibly do in order to trigger the buzz in my head? Christian stops walking, and I can’t believe what I’m about to do.

I know he’s not going to mind us kissing; he practically undresses me with his eyes all the time. I have to take the kiss, not ask for it. I have to act not think.

Get it together, Eliza. You’re not a rookie anymore. Take what you want. Take Christian.

He’s placing his hand on the tree’s bark, seeing if it will speak to him.

I hold out my bar, getting ready to aim it against Christian’s neck. I don’t know why I figure knocking him out first, then kissing him would be a good idea. Maybe it’s the sense of being safe; I don’t know what’s going to happen if I kiss him.

Will the black eyes return to pierce my soul?

He’s uncontrollable, and if I give him a taste, he’s going to bite the whole thing. I don’t think ‘doing the deed’ in a forest with a bunch of snow is realistic; we’d get frostbite and die. I need to get one peck on the lips and that’s it. I have to feel the adrenaline rush. I have to get that tiny pinch in the back of my head to set off, causing one of my eyes to twitch. I need to kiss him so that I can trigger this trance. I breathe in the cold air that surrounds us and grip my weapon. I charge at Christian from behind; he turns around and holds up his hands, blocking my attack successfully. His eyes gleam, locking their green color onto me in fear.