My chest burned as I careened down the slope. They reached the edge of the forest that bordered Ryan’s property – the same wood that met up with Briarwood. There they stopped, as if waiting for me to catch them up. The largest horse snorted at me, impatient to be on its way.
I landed at the bottom of the hill, doubling over and gasping for air.
“You…” I gasped, struggling to regain my strength. Performing the spell had taken every ounce of my energy. I was in no state to be running around after shades.
But these shades…
As one, the two riders turned to face me. Without the black cloud in the way, the clear moon lit up their faces, showing every feature in brilliant detail.
From atop their midnight steeds, Matthew and Louise Crawford smiled down at me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
TWENTY-SIX: MAEVE
For the newly dead, they fared pretty well. Their discoloured skin had sunken around their eyes, and Matthew’s cheekbones were visible through torn flesh on his cheeks. Below the collar of his black cloak, I could see the ugly striped t-shirt Kelly and I bought him for his birthday, the shirt he was wearing the night of the fair. The collar charred around the edges, as did the hem of Louise’s favourite floral maxi dress.
“Maeve, we miss you.” Matthew’s jaw jerked open and shut.
“Come join us.” Louise’s skeletal hand stretched from her dark robe. Cold fingers brushed my cheek, shooting needles of ice into my skin. My body froze, torn between two actions – wrapping my arms around them and accepting their embrace, or running as fast as I could in the opposite direction.
My jaw moved, but I couldn’t form a sound. A flicker of magic passed over my palm, and with it a fury, so raw and hard it frightened me.I shouldn’t have to face them like this. I should never have to say goodbye a second time.
“We just want to be a family again,” Matthew cracked, his jaw jerking like a ventriloquist dummy. “You, me, your mother, Kelly?—”
“You stay away from Kelly!” I yelled, throwing a blast of spirit magic at him. He reeled for a moment, then urged his horse forward. The animal took another step toward me. Matthew’s hand extended down, the fingers outstretched, tender, ready to scoop up his little girl and make everything okay again.
Matthew froze. His hands flew to his chest.
A green-tipped arrow stuck out of his robes, right where his heart would have been.
My Dad’s mouth hung open in silent terror. The glow in his eyes flickered out, and he toppled off his mount. His cloak flapped around his body. Louise screamed as he hit the ground and shattered into a pile of bone and dust.
Her scream cut off as a second arrow punched through her forehead, bending her head back and sending her toppling over the arse of her horse. Louise sprawled across the grass, her dress balled up against her knees. She opened her mouth in a silent cry as her body collapsed to dust.
The two black beasts bolted, heedless to their lost riders. They cantered down the slope, their hooves fading into the woods as they disappeared between the trees, becoming just another secret of the ancient Crookshollow Forest.
I whirled around, searching for the source of the arrows. My heart hammered in my chest as I scanned the trees sheltering the garden. At any moment I expected to feel a barb pierce my chest.
“We meet at last,” a cold voice rasped in my ear.
I spun back around so fast that I lost my balance and toppled into the statuesque figure standing uncomfortably close to me. A pair of brilliant emerald eyes regarded mine with the wry amusement typical of the fae. She clasped a bow in her good hand, while with the other she unwound the rope that formed her makeshift firing device.
Liah.
“They were my parents,” I said, not certain if I should be hurting her or thanking her.
“Not anymore.” Liah slid the bow up on her back. “I assume you know why I’m here.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
Liah peered at me with a quizzical expression. “I thought you were the clever one. It’s obvious.”
“Nothing about this situation is obvious.”
Liah sighed. “Corbin explained it all in your dream. I’ve come to help you defeat Daigh.”
“That’s no good. Daigh escaped. I assume a demon helped him, because the door to Ryan’s safe was blown to pieces. I’d like to have that kind of power.”
