Midnight End

23

There was no way I could outrun them, but what other choice did I have than to try? I pushed my legs as hard as they could possibly go, pumping my arms and leaning into my momentum. One of the Spriggans closed in behind me, its claw snagging hold of my backpack. Just as I thought it had me, the canvas bag sprung free, catapulting me ahead. Already leaning forward precariously, the added momentum unbalanced me, and I dove into a forward roll to avoid face-planting on the forest floor. I attempted to continue the roll and use evasive maneuvers to escape their grasp, but the Spriggans were on me in an instant. With a victorious roar, one of the creatures clamped its hand around my arm and yanked me back so hard, I thought my arm would dislocate. Diplomacy had gotten me nowhere and running had been a monumental failure. It was time to fight. With their numbers and size advantage and my inability to use magic, there was zero hope in winning, but I wasn’t going down without a struggle. Momentarily surprising the creature who held me, I sprang to climb up his torso and thrust my fingers into his eyes until fluid oozed from the sockets. He bellowed in rage, flinging me off him with the force of an enraged dragon. I flew in the air until I cracked my back and head against the unforgiving trunk of a tree and fell in a heap to the ground. Black spots dotted my vision, and the world dipped and swerved as I attempted to stand. Before I could regain my bearings, a second creature pummeled his fist into the side of my face, sending me careening back to the ground. This time, the world went dark for a second. I cleared the cobwebs as quickly as I could and realized my hand lay over a large stone the size of my fist. I clasped the rock tightly, my heart pounding a furious rhythm in my chest. When I was yanked back to my feet by another Spriggan, I used the momentum to swing the rock up and across its hideous face. He wailed out in anger, but never eased his grip on my arm. The third Spriggan approached, taking hold of my other arm, and the two stretched me wide until I was powerless. The one I had blinded had disappeared, but the two who remained were more than ready to avenge their friend. I would not survive this. The pain of realizing I had failed was a far greater agony than any blow I could have received from the Spriggans. My whole life, centuries spent getting onto Seelie Lands; and after only a day within its borders, my quest would end. Please, forgive me. I tried so hard to get him back, but now, I’ve failed. At least if I die, there’s still a chance we can be reunited. The thoughts flashed through my mind erratically as I prepared for my death. It wouldn’t take but a single well-placed blow for the Spriggans to shatter my skull. A sob tore from my chest as I was faced with a surprising revelation. I didn’t want to die. So many times in my life I’d thought I was ready—that I would prefer death to the constant turmoil of life. It would be so much easier—no struggle, no pain. There was even the chance I would be reunited with those I had lost. Sinking in the dirt had been terrifying, but I must have had more faith than I had realized that Knight would save me. Being held by the Spriggans was different. There was no rescuer. I was helpless and about to be beaten to death. Never had I been faced with my own demise with such certainty. When the moment was finally upon me, I had no doubt in my mind that I wanted to live. I kicked my legs frantically and yanked my arms against their hold. “Please, no, let me go!” I cried with growing hysteria. The Spriggan I had pummeled with the stone lifted his free arm to backhand me across the face. All I could do was lower my head and squeeze my eyes shut with a whimper as I prepared to receive the blow that might end me. OceanofPDF.com 9 It was a given Morgan would try to escape me, but I had hoped she wouldn’t do anything stupid. So much for wishful thinking. Did she truly believe my presence was threatening enough to justify wandering off in the middle of the night? She hadn’t even taken the knife with her. She was defenseless, for f**k’s sake. I stomped through the woods with the knife tightly gripped in my fist, continuing to follow her trail as I had done since I woke alone just before dawn. She appeared to have maintained a breakneck pace with minimal stops, but that wasn’t enough to shake me. She had to have known spending a lifetime as a wolf had given me impeccable tracking skills. Had she thought I would wake alone, shrug my shoulders, and simply saunter back home? Who knew what the hell the crazy woman had been thinking. Regardless of her reasons, I was absolutely livid. Almost equally upsetting as her actions was how anxious I felt over her safety. I had no business worrying about Morgan. If she was dumb enough to run headlong into danger, that was her own damn fault. Yeah, and that’s why you’re tearing ass through the forest after her. I argued with myself relentlessly that it was only the cauldron I was after—if Morgan was killed, it would make my chances of finding the cauldron that much more difficult. That was the only reason I was upset. My racing heart had nothing to do with the way her soft lips had molded against mine, or the way her body had fit perfectly pressed against me. If the wolf was acting possessive, it was irrelevant. Morgan was a means to an end. That was it. And my means had made a run for it. I came across a fallen tree with a butt-shaped area of compacted dirt. Instead of being relieved to see I was on the right track, a dark sense of foreboding wound its way into my gut. Next to where she had sat was a fresh, deep gouge in the soil along with an enormous footprint. Something had attacked her.