This Blood (28 page)

“Is he having a seizure?” Ann whispered, her grip tightening.

I winced, shaking my head. Obviously, Ann’s fear made her oblivious to the powers swirling around us. She was simply petrified.

“No, I think he’s getting your bird’s eye view.” I smiled, trying to reassure her. “It’s okay, Annie. He’s still a good guy, only a little more powerful than we first thought.”

“Yeah, okay… if you say so.”

I had the feeling Lucian had been superstitiously crossed off Ann’s
This Guy Would Make a Great Lover
list. She’d been through enough, and seeing one of the good guys make with the scary was probably not the best thing for her nerves right now.

Lucian jerked as his eyes focused again.

“Gavyn isn’t anywhere nearby. He must have left long before any of us woke up, but, the good news is we aren’t far from a clearing, It’s as big as a football field, and it might be enough to give you some relief, Ann.”

“Um, Lucian? What the hell was that?” I asked. “And, since when did you become the Beast Master?” My head was spinning. If he were this powerful, why the hell didn’t he help Ann and himself out of that cell?

He looked sheepish. “I hoped to conceal most of what I am from you. I knew you were aware of my inhumanity. I just didn’t want to rub your nose in it. But, don’t be too impressed. My magic springs from the earth. I can’t invoke a damn thing without some shred of nature around me.” He seemed to read the question in my eyes. “They were very careful to keep all forms of nature out of our cell.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell him that a veritable forest was just a few steps from his glass prison, not that he could have used it, but I still found it sadly ironic.

“Well, let’s move it then,” Ann shouted. She wasn’t into details, apparently. We began walking, following Lucian’s lead. After what felt like miles, we finally stumbled into the clearing.

Lucian was right, it was huge. I could see the relief flooding Ann’s face. She sighed and dropped to the ground. 

“This is better,” she breathed. “Not by a whole lot, but better. I swear this isn’t a normal forest. The trees are so large. And those birds - what kind of birds are those? I’ve never seen anything like them before!”

“None of us have, honey, and that is a very bad thing.”  I stood, turning in a slow circle. I tried to absorb all the slight differences. For one thing, the trees
were
strange. Not only their size, but the leaves looked odd. Not so much their color, but their shape. They were more triangular than any leaf I’d ever seen. I crouched down to examine the ground. It wasn’t covered in grasses and leaves, but rather more like a thick moss. It was soft and spongy in places, like a natural shag carpet. And what I originally thought to be sticks were tubular fungi, hard as hell and rooted to the ground at their centers.

“Toto, I don’t think were in Kansas anymore,” Ann’s voice quivered.

I frowned at her. “You took the words right out of my mouth.”

Lucian sat on the ground next to Ann. Her hand moved from the ground between them, to her lap, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“Well, now what?” I stood, wiping my hands off on my pants. “I think we’ve established that we are nowhere near home. Do we continue wandering around ‘til we escape this place? Or do we stay put until Gavyn decides he needs me?”

“’Til Gavyn decides he needs you.” The voice came from somewhere behind us.

We all spun around, as anxiety and relief filled me simultaneously. Gavyn’s form broke through the trees.  He was accompanied by three other men. They were all tall and willowy. Their hair was styled in the same fashion as Gavyn’s with several small braids lying atop a mass of flowing strands of shining silk.  Their faces were just as angelic as his, only each man had very different and distinctive features

“Gavyn!” I stood up and started toward him, “Where have you been?” I tried not to sound too happy to see him. Lucian was my friend at the moment. I didn’t need him acting like a slighted boyfriend. I smiled at the group as they approached. Then suddenly, my view was blocked by the golden hardness of Lucian’s body.

They stopped approaching.

“What do you want?” Lucian growled. “Have you come to claim Grace? If so, you will find yourself limping back to wherever it is you crawled out from.”

I scowled, shoving him aside with all my strength. “Oh, move over! I swear, Lucian! Gavyn saved us. Do you truly believe he would have done that if he was up to no good?”

He turned to me with piercing eyes. “My God, woman! Are you that daft? He stole the ring!  He obviously wants you as his slave!”

“No, he doesn’t. Do you Gavyn? You said so yourself. All you wanted was a little insurance, to feel sure I wouldn’t harm you in my rush to help my friends. You saved us. You kept us together. You don’t want anything from me, right?”

I searched his face. His placid expression gave little comfort.

“Do you?” I squeaked.

“I’m afraid I do need something from you, and until you agree to help me. I will be forced to keep the ring.”

“What?” I stammered. “But you said you would give it back! You promised me!” I looked at his men standing beside him. They appeared to be a proud race. I had to play my last card. “Have you no honor, Gavyn?”

He straightened, his eyes narrowing. “I am honor itself,
Madea
, but for the sake of my people, I will do anything.” 

Well hell. I was stuck again. And to make matters worse, Lucian turned out to be right. I hated that.

Gavyn held out his hand. “If you will follow us, we will take you to our village. There you may bathe and fill your stomachs. We will discuss my terms after you have settled.”  I ignored his hand, taking Lucian’s instead. His grip was warm and strong. Lucian reached for Ann’s arm. She cringed only slightly, and then took his hand in hers. Her face was a forced calm.

We trudged through the thick forest for several miles, twisting and turning through a maze of dense trees and foliage. My feet were killing me and I began to lag a little. Lucian slowed to match my pace but never let his eyes drift from our new companions.

“It’s just over the next rise,” one of the men said over his shoulder.  We were led to the edge of the forest. As we pushed past the trees, my breath caught in my throat.

THIRTY

It was enchanting. Never have I seen a more beautiful place.

The houses were silvery-white orbs that glowed like moons. It was as if a giant had plucked monstrous pearls from the sea. I saw this strange forest in a new light. It was dazzling here. Long vines hung from impossibly tall trees to sweep elegantly along the lush green floor. Handsome citizens milled about, oblivious to the grungy intruders.

I was stricken with awe.  I turned to Lucian and Ann. They must have been just as moved as I. Both their mouths were open, their eyes moving rapidly to take in the pristine surroundings.

I elbowed Lucian. “Close your mouth, before you start to drool.”

“I had no idea,” he breathed.

Gavyn and his men called out to the people. We were led forward, as the men and women gathered to greet us.

“Please welcome our guests,” Gavyn called to the group. “They are weary. Their journey was not an easy one.”  That was the understatement of the century. The group closed in around us. They were all of the same physique - tall and elegant. I knew that Lucian was accurate in calling them elves; their splendor and grace were beyond anything human.

I scanned the crowd, noticing for the first time how very few women there were. I remembered Gavyn saying his people were dying out. I frowned. I had forgotten until now. Seth was supposed to help him bring his people back from the edge of extinction. Something must have gone wrong. The plans must have shifted out of Gavyn’s favor. If his people were dying, I could understand his desperation. All of a sudden, I didn’t feel so trapped.

“You will bathe, and then we will feast in honor of your arrival.” Gavyn’s eyes fell on me. His people’s eyes followed his gaze and I soon found myself under the scrutiny of a race of supermodels.

Uncomfortably self-conscious, I took a small step back. I looked down at the mess that covered me. Blood, dirt and bits and pieces of my enemies clung to my clothing and stuck to my skin.  My hair was a long tangled mass of bloody knots. My feet were bare and battered. Basically, I looked like I’d been through hell.

Two of the women from the large group came forward to grasp Ann’s and my hands. “We will attend to your bath and provide you with fresh clothing.”  They swiftly led us away with sincere smiles on their faces.

They seemed neither surprised nor bothered by the evidence of violence that covered me from top to bottom.  I looked back to see if they were assisting Lucian as well. Our eyes met and I smiled, hoping to convince him to relax and not start a scene.

“This is freaking bizarre, Gracie. Have you ever seen a group of more perfect people in your life? I feel like a sideshow freak next to these gazelles.” Anne pointed to the tall slender figures who attended us. “Let’s just hope we clean up enough to be presentable. Did you see those men? I mean, whoa! Its like my own private ice cream bar.” Ann heaved a feminine sigh. I rolled my eyes. Personally, I was getting rather sick of gorgeous men.

“We need to be a hell of a lot more than presentable if we are to stand out with the women of this place.” I scoffed under my breath. We weren’t hags, but waif-thin, flawless beauties, we were not.   

“This is our bathing chamber,” the brunette woman stated as we entered one of the iridescent houses. “Please, remove your clothing. We will dispose of them and provide you with suitable garments for the celebration tonight.” She smiled warmly, her eyes pausing on me for a heartbeat. Somehow, I gathered she knew who, (or should I say,
what)
I was.

Ann and I both nodded like a couple of bobbleheads, our eyes fixed on the huge swimming pool before us. “This is a bathtub?” Ann exclaimed, voicing my own thoughts. “It’s gigantic! Big enough for everyone at once!” She stopped short and her eyes grew huge. “I assume there is another one around here for the men, right? I’m not going to strip down to nothing and have and bunch of guys pop up, am I?”

“Do not fret. Although both men and women share this chamber, you are guests, and no one will intrude while you are bathing, or any other manner of rude behavior. Please do not worry, your man will be taken to the river to bathe. The waters there are warm. Many of our men prefer to bathe there.” She turned, grabbing a large glass vial, and began pouring some of its contents into the pool.

“This potion is of my own making. It consists of healing herbs and the purest balms. It will sooth your aches and heal your wounds.”

I watched as the bluish liquid swirled and spun in the water. She reached out a delicate hand as if testing the temperature. “I am Andrea, and this is my daughter, Misha.”

Ann and I turned to look at the other woman. She was standing by the entrance, her hands folded demurely. They looked about the same age, no older than twenty. Damn, to be part of that gene pool!

“We are very pleased to meet you both, and thank you for your hospitality,” I said, smiling. I was thinking a simple “thank you” was nowhere near adequate enough for how I felt at the prospect of being clean again.

“We will leave you now.” Andrea said, “And return shortly with your clothing.”

They left, closing the door soundlessly behind them.

I began the arduous task of peeling my blood-caked, brain-laden clothing from my body. My skin was stained pink where the blood was especially thick. The dry goop pulled at my skin, making me grimace. I pulled my panties and shredded bra off and tossed the disgusting garments into a pile by the door.

Ann’s clothing was much easier for her to remove, being as she was already half naked. Soon, we were both stepping gingerly into the soothing pool. We walked out until the water hit our shoulders. I could feel the strange liquid tingling along my skin, making me feel energized with each passing second.

“This is heaven,” Ann moaned. “Do you think they’d get offended if we stayed here all night?”

“I don’t know, and I almost don’t care.” I swam to the other end of the pool where several jars and bottles were placed. “Do you think they use regular shampoo? My hair really needs a good scrubbing.” I reached for a bottle. The contents smelled delicious. “Whatever this is, it’s fantastic.” I poured a small amount into my hand, feeling the silky consistency.

“Think it’s soap?” she asked. “We are in a bathing chamber, so I think it’s safe to assume these are here for bathing.”

That was good enough for me. I poured a larger amount into my hand and began massaging it into my hair. It felt great. My scalp tingled, feeling alive and fresh once again.

Ann swam over to the bottles and began washing her hair with the liquid as well. She grabbed a sponge from a silver basket and lathered her arms with the same bottle. Taking her lead, I did the same, and in no time we were sparkling clean and feeling wonderful.

I was floating on my back, the healing water lapping at my battered body.  Ann was humming some song I couldn’t identify and sounding more like herself. Her foray into hell seemed to be working itself to the back of her injured mind.

“This is a fairyland, Gracie. I think I could live here.”

“All this from a good soak in a tub?”  I was smiling at the ceiling, my ears filled with water as I turned to see her face.

“Don’t you feel it?” she asked, frowning at me from the far edge of the pool. “The draw of this place, the beauty? It’s the world I’d always imagined when I was a little girl, the beautiful fairy people, the enchanted forest, the magic. Why, I bet if I asked to go for a ride, they’d bring me a unicorn!”

“I feel it, but it’s not the same. While you’re imagining unicorns, I’m envisioning dragons. Don’t let your guard down, Annie. This is a strange world. Don’t make the assumption that these people are your friends. We don’t know them and we can’t trust them yet. Let them earn it.”

“How can you say that?” she scoffed. “They are so beautiful, so graceful. They aren’t trolls. How can they be bad? I don’t see them drinking blood or strapping us to some bed in a dungeon. They gave us a bath, they are healing our wounds, they’re going to feed us. If they’re not good people, I’ll eat Lucian’s loincloth!”