Bouncing on my toes a little – I was filled with nerves and I had to pee – I set my sight on what looked like the end of this platform. I could do this. I could ignore everything I saw, no matter what it was.
Feeling eyes on me, I lifted my head to find Lexen staring at me. “You ready, Em?”
Dammit, I was starting to like the sound ofEmfrom him. The accent. The fact he wasn’t sneering and calling me human. I was a goner.
“I’m so ready.” I bounced again. “Ready as anybody here. I was born ready. Running is my thing.”
So many lies.
I was trying to convince myself as well, so hopefully the pep talk worked. Lexen and Daniel just shook their heads at me. “Try not to fall over, badass,” Daniel finally said.
I very maturely stuck my tongue out at him, receiving a glimpse of dimple in return. With a wink, he faced out across the snowy plain again. I saw him taking a few grounding breaths, before he nodded his head. “Let’s do this,” he growled.
Then we were running.
Now, under normal circumstances I have the grace of a hippo on land, all wobbling and roaring, jaw flapping in the breeze. Add in some snow to that mix and I turned from hippo to fish – flopping around, gasping for breath, dying second by second.
And I was wearing a dress.
We were all going to die.
Sure enough, I almost went down in the first five steps. Somehow Lexen snaked a hand around my waist, catching me with speed and grace. Athletic bastard. He didn’t stop moving, flying along behind Daniel, who was pumping his arms rapidly, head firmly facing forward.
My feet weren’t really on the ground now, so I kind of just skimmed my feet along as Lexen ran. At what looked like the halfway point, I started to feel hopeful. We were close. We were going to make it. I hadn’t seen anything that would hold me up at all.
Daniel let out a roar then. “Leave me alone!” he shouted, starting to slow. As we drew even, his eyes were squeezed tightly closed and he swung out blindly.
“What’s happening,” I asked Lexen.
There was no answer, so I tore my gaze from Daniel and looked up at the Darken. Those fires were back in his eyes; he watched his friend closely. “Will you be okay, for a second?”
Lexen’s soft question jolted me, but I nodded rapidly. “Yes, I’ll just stand right here.”
He focused on me. “Don’t move from this spot. Daniel … he needs a little help right now. But … don’t move, okay? Can you do as you’re told for once?”
I huffed, crossing my arms, rubbing them to create some warmth. It wasn’t cold here, despite the snow, but a chill still ran along my body. “Just go,” I finally snapped. Bossy dude thinks he just has to give me an order and I’ll obey. I had been more than happy to stay in this spot, but the moment he ordered me to, well … I immediately wanted to move.
“Stubborn little human,” Lexen said with a grin, before turning away and slowly approaching Daniel. I narrowed my eyes on him, trying to drill a hole through those broad shoulders. Why did I not have the ability to shoot lasers from my eyes? Why?
That would be such a useful skill.
White drifted past my eyes, and I was startled to realize it had started to snow. Within seconds the snow was thick, blizzard-like, even though no breeze disturbed me. I lost sight of the boys, and despite Lexen telling –ordering– me not to move, I took a few steps closer to where I’d seen them last.
“Lex?” I called out, blinking rapidly to see clearer.
No reply. Well, not at first, but then I heard a faint whisper. I walked closer again, sure that I should basically be running into them now. Only they were gone. “Lexen!” I called louder.
The reply came from the last voice I’d ever expected to hear again.
“M&M … baby … it’s Dad.”
I ground to a halt, examining the man standing across from me. Chris Walters looked exactly like he had the last time I saw him: tall, strong, dark inky-black hair that was just starting to get a few grays at the temples; eyes two shades lighter than my cobalt, with one or two laugh lines around them.
“Dad?” He was the only one to call me M&M, my favorite candy and a play on my name. Apparently, when I was two, I snuck into his office and stole a bag and managed to eat a bunch before my parents found me. I’d always had a sweet tooth.
“I’ve been waiting for you to get here. We have so much to tell you.” He took another step closer, the white snow swirling between us, but somehow not blocking my line of sight to him at all.
Hot tears were sliding down my cheeks, silently falling. “You’re dead, Dad. You and Mom … there was a fire.”
