Forever (12 page)

“How did he gain control of
the army?”

“Similar to the sweetsuckle
bees,” Queen Maeve answered, referring to a Fae bee. “Just as the queen bee
controls the swarms of soldiers, the Fate controls our armies.”

“We need to turn our enemy
into our greatest weapon,” King Lucian said.

“Stop it.” Mina stood and
stared down at the king and queen. “I am not a pawn.”

Her anger was so evident, and
her power flowed forth so violently, that the mushroom under the king withered
back into the ground, and he fell into the grass. The queen’s swing dropped her
on the ground and retreated back into the canopy above. “I am a Grimm.”

King Lucian recovered first.
He stood up, dusting the dirt from the back of his trousers. “
That
is the power we need if you are to
succeed where we have failed.”

Queen Maeve gave him a
hauntingly sad look.

“Succeed by doing what
exactly?” Mina snapped.

King Lucian didn’t look
thrilled himself, but he swallowed and looked deep into Mina’s eyes. “By
killing our son.”

Chapter 14

There was never any doubt in
Mina’s mind that it would come down to death—hers or Teague’s. But for
the command to come from his own parents! Their willingness to betray their own
flesh and blood so they could once again rule as the Fates turned her blood
cold. No wonder Teague was so conflicted. His own parents had just put a bounty
out on his head.

At first Mina started to
empathize with the Fates, but she didn’t expect them to betray their own son.

“I can see the accusation in
your eyes,” Queen Maeve said firmly. She came and stood before Mina. Her chin
held high as she looked down her nose at her. “You don’t understand how we, his
own parents, can wish that upon our son. But you don’t know what havoc he has
wreaked in our world. Thousands have died. Thousands more will as well.”

“He’s your son!”

“That beast!” Maeve’s hand
shook as she pointed outward toward the swamp. “Is not my son.”

“Deep inside, he is still the
same young man, under an evil spell. I came here seeking help. Hoping you would
stop him from destroying my world.”

“How can we,” Queen Maeve
whispered, a tear slowly sliding down her dainty white cheek, “when we couldn’t
stop him from destroying ours?”

Mina’s heart was breaking for
Teague. She remembered how she felt when her mom abandoned her, but that was
only until she realized that
her
family would do whatever it took to rescue her. By making the greatest
sacrifice of all. Her life.

Maybe if the Fates had been
willing to risk themselves, they might have been able to help him. Didn’t they
understand that he was scared of ruling? Of losing control? He became the very
thing he feared. He’d never wanted this to happen. But instead of searching for
another solution, Teague’s parents gave up and were resorting to murder.

She would have to stop him
without their help, because she certainly wasn’t going to help them regain
power to a throne that rested on the blood of their son. Even Teague was able
to dethrone his parents without killing them.

How horrible it must be to
have such heartless parents. She was so furious, she had problems reining in
her anger.

She stormed to the wall of
willow branches and waited while King Lucian unwove the ward to release her.
When it was down, and she could no longer see the glowing spider web of power,
she turned and said her farewell to the Royals before her.

“So while my world crumbles,
you hide in your swamp kingdom…scared of your own son. No wonder it was easy
for him to steal control from you two. You’re cowards.”

Mina walked out of the boughs
and into the swamp. She heard the roar of King Lucian’s angry retort, but she
didn’t dare look back. She pulled out her seam ripper, created a gate, and
stepped back to her world.

The gate slowly closed, and
she didn’t even care if something followed her through. She didn’t think the
king and queen would send anyone after her. Not when their whole plan started
and ended with her doing all the work. The weight of her current plan fell on
her shoulders like a ton of bricks as soon as came through the gate.

Her back-up plan had failed,
and the task laid before her made her nervous, agitated, and resigned. She
hoped she was strong enough for what was to come, prayed that she was brave
enough to both save her brother and end the curse on both their worlds. Maybe
she’d be alive in the end to tell the story to her kids one day.

Mina put her seam ripper in
her pocket, looked around her bedroom, and wondered how much time she had left.
Had time passed at all while she’d been on the Fae plane, or—like Brody
said—had it been mere moments? She made her way to the kitchen.

Ever sat at the breakfast
table eating toast with peanut butter and marshmallows on it. She raised one
dark eyebrow and offered Mina a piece. “Want some? It’s great for curing the
blues, and we have some time to kill.”

“Ugh, no,” Mina rubbed her
face and sat on the stool, burying her face in her arms.

“Coffee?” Ever held up a mug
with the words.
Coffee is my happily ever
after.
“It’s just black. Nothing weird in it. I promise.”

“No, I can’t handle that
stuff unless there’s tons of cream and sugar.”

“I’m on it.” Ever slid from
her chair and went to fill an empty mug. She poured in a splash of cream. Then
she waved her finger in the air, and a pink and white striped tube appeared
next to her. The paper tube opened, poured into the cup, and the spoon stirred
on its own.

“What is that?” Mina asked,
her piqued curiosity overriding her burden for a moment.

“Sugar,” Ever answered,
handing her the cup. The spoon swirled twice more in the mug and came to a slow
stop.

“What kind of sugar?”

“Only the best ever.” Ever
smiled and clinked her cup against Mina’s. She took a swig and rolled her eyes
in pleasure.

Mina stared at the empty
wrapper on the counter. A Pixy Stix. Of course Ever would find a use for her
addiction to the Fae named candy.

Not wanting to offend her,
Mina took a sip and tried to keep her face as neutral as possible. Huh. It
wasn’t half bad.

Mina glanced around the
kitchen and then to the hall, looking for Nix.

“He’s not here,” Ever
answered. “He left after you went upstairs.”

“Yeah.”

“You know, you treated him
like garbage.”

“I know.” Mina grumbled,
feeling worse.

“I get why you did it. It’s
easier to push them away so they don’t get hurt. Like you did with Nan, Brody,
and Charlie. You sent the ones you love the most away. And you started to treat
Nix bad, hoping he’ll abandon you too. You’re trying to protect him.”

Mina didn’t answer. She
didn’t have to. The truth was written across her face.

Ever just continued to talk.
“And since you barely tolerate me, you won’t send me away, because I’m not
important to you.”

Mina’s head snapped up.
“That’s not true at all.”

“Relax, Gimp. I know I’m your
favorite.” She smiled wryly and took another bite of her peanut butter
marshmallow toast. “Plus, you need me,” she said around her mouthful of food.

Mina sat there staring at
Ever. Finally, she reached for that offered piece of toast and took a bite.
Something crackled in her throat. Mina coughed into her napkin, and shot Ever
an awful look. “Pop rocks?”

Ever opened her mouth, so
Mina could hear the popping noise. “It’s the best.”

“You’re worse than Charlie.”
Mina coughed again as a stray piece of popping candy lodged in her throat.

“Naw, he’s just got the great
Fae taste in food. Always has.”

“Why is that?” Mina asked,
wiping her mouth.

“Because Charlie and you are a
part of our world as much as yours—and magic is your legacy. You can feel
how it flows naturally to you. You just need the confidence to control it.”

“That’s what scares me. I can
feel it hovering, especially whenever I’ve been scared or angry—the
weakness of all sirens. Everything Nix wanted to avoid. Neither of those
emotions are great influences on my power.”

“Sirens are some of the
strongest Fae around. If you start practicing, maybe you’ll be a match for
Teague.”

There’s
not enough time.

“I’ll never be a match for
him.”

Ever tossed her toast back
onto the plate and shoved away from the table. “How can you say that about
yourself?”

Mina winced. Did Ever not
remember that he could be watching them? Teague was always watching. Of course,
it was possible that was the
reason
Ever was being so adamant and loud in her confession. She was trying to taunt
him.

“Do you still not realize
your potential?” Ever went on. “You passed the Fates’ tests! You, who are a
half-breed, not even born on our plane, have more Fae power at your fingertips
than some of the strongest Fae families.”

“Why is that?” Mina asked,
frustrated with her own ignorance.

“Beats me, but I wouldn’t be
looking a gift dog in the mouth.”

“Horse. You mean gift horse?”

“Dog… horse. Whatever. Your kind
talks funny.” Ever picked up her backpack from the floor by the door and put
her arm through the black straps. So, promise to not leave the house until I
get back.”

“I won’t leave the house,”
Mina promised.

A sly look passed between
them.

Ever sighed and shook her
head. “I hate leaving you this soon, especially after yesterday.”

“Go,” Mina answered. “It’s
more important that you find help.”

Ever gave her a long look, a
silent communication. “We’ll beat him Mina. For what he did to your family.”

Mina only nodded. If she
spoke, Ever would be able to read the doubt and fear in her voice. She needed
to act scared, not wired up.

As soon as Ever left, Mina
locked the door after her. She sat at the kitchen table and watched the clock’s
second hand tick. Then, she went back up to her room, laid across the covers of
her bed and waited for the end.

Chapter 15

“Mina…” The voice drawled out
her name, the whisper echoing throughout the room.

Mina sat up in bed and stared
around her empty bedroom, the hair on the back of her arms lifting with the
flow of power that radiated throughout the room. The air was so full of
magnified Fae power, she could almost choke on it.

It was the mirrors. Not only
were they distorting the looking glass to keep Teague from spying on her, they
also seemed to be bouncing his power back on itself and magnifying it.

“Why do you try and hide from
me, Mina… Mina… Mina?” Teague’s voice was unmistakable, as was his tone of
displeasure. He was using power to amplify his voice, causing it to scatter and
repeat through multiple mirrors.

“I’m not hiding. I’m right
here.” She threw off the cover and stood next to her bed. His image faded in
and out as he tried to see her. The mirror-protection was working. He couldn’t
focus on her.

“Ah, I see what you’ve done.
But you can’t stay in the circle forever. Have you gone back on our deal?”

“Of course not. But I want a
guarantee you won’t go after my friends,” Mina yelled.

“Give me the dagger, and I’ll
leave your friends alone. No other bargains will be made. I could send a Reaper
after your brother right now to help you understand the necessity of following
through.”

Her body started to tremble.
How could she win against him? Despite what Ever said, here, now, in this
moment, she doubted her strength. If she risked the fight and lost, she’d only
guarantee the death of everyone she loved. A tear slid down her cheek. “Okay,
you win. Take the dagger, but leave my friends and family alone.”

“Step away from the circle,”
he demanded.

Mina stepped away from the protection
of her circle. A glow of light appeared under the hallway door. The knob
turned, and the door opened. Teague.

He came in and studied the
display of mirrors. “Very impressive for a human.”

As he moved toward her, she
backed up. The back of her knees bumped against her bed.

He chuckled at her fear and
reached out for her face. She turned away, but he gently plucked a strand of
hair off her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. “Where is it? Do not make me
ask again.” His voice was softer than she expected.

Her eyes flicked to her
nightstand and back to him.

Teague pulled open the small
drawer filled with her hair brush, numerous hair bands, and pens. His hand
lingered over her blue notebook of Unaccomplishments and Epic Disasters. He
pulled it out, flipped open a few pages, and skimmed them.

“You really are bad luck,
aren’t you? Some would say cursed.” He tossed the notebook onto her bed. “Of
course, that could be in part because of me.”

Teague reached back in and
dug around until he pulled out the dagger. He stared overly long at the small
missing tip. His free hand touched the spot over his heart where the tip lay.
An expression of contemplation flickered across his face, and she saw a chance.

“Teague,” Mina whispered his
name. “That dagger is evil. It’s changed you. If you’d let me help you, we
could remove the rest, and you’d be back to normal.”

“And why would I want that?”
His eyes went dark, and he turned on her. “I’ve never felt so alive… so
powerful… so in control of my own destiny.”

“Fine. So does this mean it’s
over?” she asked. “That you’ll leave me and my family alone?”

He turned to her, his face
lighting up in an evil grin. “I’ll spare your friends, but I’m not done with
you.” Within seconds, he was pressed up against her, his hand cupped around her
face, his thumb just brushing the corner of her lip.

Mina’s breath caught as he
leaned forward to kiss her. She pinched her eyes shut, scared to fight, scared
to breathe as his lips barely brushed hers.

“My only wish,” he whispered,
“is for you to share my fate.”

Her eyes shot open. The
dagger glinted as his arm lifted to plunge it into her.

“No!” Mina screamed and
reeled backward falling onto her bed.

Her fall made her even more
vulnerable. He smiled.

The door burst open, and Ever
exploded into the room flying straight for the dagger in his hand. She grabbed
his wrist mid-lunge and yanked backward.

“Now, Mina!” Ever shouted, as
she struggled with Teague to pull him closer to the their target.

Mina pulled all of the power
through the mirrors into the room. The mirrors glowed, lights flickered, and
the paintings on the wall shook.

Teague blasted Ever against
the wall, leaving a spidery crack up the plaster. She looked a bit dazed, but
the pixie shook it off and flew toward him again, grabbing the hand with the
dagger. Teague seized her in a net of power, frozen, her hand still wrapped
around his wrist.

Mina didn’t have much time.
The mirrors were charged, but Ever was too close to Teague to go through with
their plan.

Ever’s eyes flicked to Mina.
“Do it!”

The joint attack surprised
Teague. He spun his attention on Mina. She aimed the concentrated power from
the mirrors at the knife and Teague. Power shot into him, making him glow,
turning a bright white.

He screamed in frustration
and countered her power with his own. Teague was stronger. He released his hold
on Ever.

Screaming, she fell to the
floor with a thud.

Teague began to laugh.

That worried Mina.

“Don’t quit, Mina. Keep
going,” Ever shouted. “This
has
to
work!” She got back up and flew behind Teague. Grabbing him around the waist,
Ever lifted him into the air. He roared as the pixie pulled him toward the
center of the circle of mirrors.

“Come on, Mina,” the pixie
yelled over the glowing ball of light that now almost engulfed her.

“Move. I can’t do it,” Mina
hesitated, desperate to keep from hurting her friend.

“It’s my job to protect
you
, Gimp. Forget about me. Think of
your family!”

Teague slashed Ever across
the arm with the poisoned dagger. She yelped and let go to grab her arm.

Mina had no choice. With all
her might, she focused the magnified Fae power and, with a metaphysical push,
shoved it straight into the center of Teague’s chest.

He released his own burst of
power as he started to fade in and out.

“This is for my mother!” Mina
screamed.

Her arms and hands tingled as
she sent another burst of power into Teague, pressing him toward the glowing
circle. He held up his hands and began to separate into rays of light but
fought being pushed into the circle.

“Aaahhh!” Ever jumped into
the air and charged Teague, knocking them into the bright light. Teague split
into seven
forms of himself, a
nd
Ever and several Teagues were dragged into the mirrors.

The power backlashed, sending
Mina spinning through the air to land on her bed. The house shook, and she
heard the unmistakable sound of glass breaking.

“No!” Mina ran to the edge of
the circle and looked within. Three of the mirrors were cracked and dark. Ever
banged at the other side of the intact bathroom mirror.

When the power flowed out of
the room, and it was safe for Mina to enter the circle, she ran to Ever’s
mirror and pressed her hands to it. Ever met her gaze and slammed her fist into
the mirror.

At first, Mina thought the
pixie was trying to get out, but then she saw a shadowy figure pull himself up
off the bathroom floor behind her. Ever wasn’t trying to get out, she was
trying to break the mirror and trap herself inside, with a version of Teague.

It had worked. Ever’s secret
plan to try and once again divide Teague’s power and trap him within the
mirrors worked. And Mina was the only person strong enough to do it.

Ever had said it was like a
prism. Fae were in essence magic, and magic had seven colors—like a
spectrum. She had thought of—not just splitting him in two—but using
a prism and mirrors to split him seven ways. Each one would weaken a part of
him. Then Mina and Ever would simply have to destroy the mirror and trap him
inside. He’d never be able to cross over and hurt one of them again.

Except that Ever was trapped
in one of the mirrors with him.

Thankfully, she wasn’t split.
She hadn’t been in the center with the prism long enough. But she was injured
and with a shadow form of Teague. Which one would he be? Would he be evil?
Good? Something else?

Beads of sweat appeared
across Ever’s forehead, and her eyes started to look glazed.

“Oh no no no no!” The effects
of the poisoned dagger were causing Ever to fade fast. Mina pressed herself to
the mirror and called out. “What do I do?”

Ever bent down out of sight
and stood back up, her right hand hidden out of sight. Ever smiled sadly and
mouthed the words. “It’s too late for me. Break the other mirrors.”

She raised her hand and held
up the towel bar she’d pulled off the wall.

Teague came into focus,
running toward the mirror, just as Ever smashed the bar into it.

It shattered.

What
had Ever done?
Did she
not think Mina could save her?

Mina stared at the broken
mirror before wracking her brain for answers, but she didn’t have any. Ever
sacrificed herself for the plan by destroying the mirror from the other side.

Then her bedroom door burst
open with a flash of light as someone blasted her in the chest. Pain surged
through her body as she flew through the far mirror.