Forever (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale #5)

“Mina!” Nix slid over the hood of a car to get to her. “Catch!” He tossed her journal to her, and Mina caught it mid-air. Her used-to-be notebook of Unaccomplishments and Epic Disasters. Now, leather bound and ready for action.

“Nix!” Mina looked down at her book and smiled.

“Yeah, I thought you might want that. If today isn’t a day to use it, I don’t know what is.” He winked.

“Stand back.” She waved them away.

“What’s your plan?” Ever said as she flew around a nearby car.

“Ever, I thought I told you to get back!”

“And when have I ever listened to you?”

“I listen to her,” Nix answered from the other side of Mina. “Just not this time. And yeah, what she said. What’s the plan?”

“My plan is to not have a plan.”

“I’m down with that.” Nix pulled up short when they confronted the stone golem. “Except for now. Now, I think a plan would be dandy.”

“Well, anyone know how to weaken a golem, so I can capture him in the Grimoire?” Mina asked.

“Water. No, fire… I think,” Nix answered.

“Which is it?” Mina sang out as the golem turned and noticed the three teens standing below him on the bridge.

“Fire!” Nix yelled.

“Got it!” Mina turned the book into a large, flaming fireball, which she sent shooting directly at the golem’s eyes. It roared in distress as it fell backward onto the cars, which rolled right off the broken bridge through the railings it had destroyed. The splash reached them on the bridge, soaking them.

Kino was there to meet the golem and introduce him to his powerful siren gift. A few seconds later, the golem was more debris littering the San Francisco Bay.

“One done, a hundred to go!” Nix marked an imaginary line in the air.

Ever rolled her eyes and said, “We can’t take them on one at a time. Where are the Godmothers when you need them?”

“That’s what you’re for, remember?” Nix called out jokingly. “You always said you were worth a hundred Godmothers.”

“You’re right, Nix.” Ever’s shoulders went rigid as she took a deep breath. “I am.”

She flew straight and true toward the mass of the army. Her fluttering wings created a wave of blue and purple in her wake. Above the army, she began to fly in circles. Round and round she flew, and blue pixie dust fell from her wings toward the army of Fae warriors climbing onto the bridge.

Mina waited, confused, as the first one playfully jabbed the second and laughed. Then the other one started laughing. One after another, the Fae stopped fighting and started rolling on the ground in hysterics.

Ever flew back, her face flushed with excitement. “Can you do anything now?”

“Yeah, the laughter is making them vulnerable.” Mina rushed forward and held open her Grimoire.

The pages began to glow, and light burst from within, covering the Fae army in a gold aura. The book lifted out of Mina’s hands, and she stepped back. The laughing army cried out in fear as they were dragged into the pages of the book. Trapped forever.

“Wow, Ever, who are you and where did you come from?” Nix looked amazed.

“I’m a pixie, you nitwit, and my gift just happens to be joy.” She grumbled at him and punched him in the arm. “Don’t you ever, ever tell anyone, or I swear I will send you to your grave.”

He only grabbed her around the waist to bring her near. “So, Miss Pixie-of-Joy, am I going to die laughing?”

“Nix!” Ever growled and stomped on his toe.

“Ow, okay, okay. Your secret’s safe with me,” he mumbled as he jumped up and down on one foot. “If anyone asks, you’re an irritable tyrant.”

Nix covered his ears and looked around in panic. Mina didn’t hear anything at first, and then her skin crawled as she heard the haunting whistle.

Just across the expanse of the gaping hole in the bridge, yards away, the Death Reaper with chin-length black hair stood beside the driver’s door.

Mina’s heart seized. The Reaper disappeared.

Then she heard the click of the omen’s claws on the hood of a nearby Chevy Impala.

Mina stood there facing her doom. With Teague gone, she almost felt a sense of relief that it would all be over. But then she remembered Charlie.

“No!” Mina tried to send a full blast of her siren power at the dog. It phased right through him.

“You can’t, Mina.” Ever answered her question before she even spoke. “He’s dead. Nothing can stop it. I don’t even think the Grimoire can.”

“Run!” Nix yelled. He tried to place himself in front of Mina to block the omen.

She didn’t need any more prodding. She turned and ran, and she heard the sound of Nix screaming as the omen attacked.

“Nix!” Ever yelled.

“Get her out of here,” Nix commanded. He tried to hold onto the dog.

Ever grabbed Mina under the arms and flew up in the air. Mina looked down and saw Nix lose his grip. He fell, struggling under the large black beast. He kept his arms up to protect his face, but its teeth and claws tore at his chest.

Come on. Come on. You want me not him. The farther away they could get, the sooner he’d give chase.

She heard a howl of pursuit, and the dog was after them again. She tried to look past her feet dangling in the air above the roofs of the cars, but was unable to see what had become of Nix. She prayed he was okay.

Something wet landed on her cheek, and Mina first thought it was rain, but then she looked up and saw Ever’s face, wet with tears. Another one fell on Mina’s shoulder.

They heard a growl beneath them, and Mina instinctively pulled her legs up. Ever tried to fly higher, but she was struggling with the added weight and getting tired. Ever couldn’t keep up her pace. She was slowly flying lower and lower. Mina tried to reach into her bag for the Grimoire, but it was behind her.

She heard a howl and tried to scan the ground below her, but she couldn’t see anything. The omen had disappeared. Ever whimpered, and her grip loosened. Mina’s shoes brushed the top of a Toyota. She was too heavy for the sprite.

“Ever, stop. Put me down. It’s fine,” Mina said.

“No, I can’t. I promised to protect you.” She choked as more tears poured out of her eyes. “Even if we’re doomed, I’ll still protect you.”

“Then fly over the water, and let’s see how well he can swim.”

Ever, too tired to answer, nodded and turned to fly Mina over the water. They had just cleared the railing when Ever cried out in pain.

The omen had pounced on her back.

“No you don’t, you ugly beast!” Ever shouted as she turned on the invisible dog and tried to fight. She let go of Mina.

Mina plummeted from the bridge. “Ever!” she yelled, just before her body smacked against the water and everything went black.

Chapter 32

“Wake up!” his warm voice demanded.

Mina knew that voice, remembered it and sighed in contentment, knowing he was near.

“You have to wake up!”

“No, because if I wake up, you’ll be dead,” Mina answered. “In my dreams you’re still alive.”

Teague appeared in front of her, hair slicked back, wearing his royal robes, the same ones he’d worn when he greeted her on the steps for the Choosing Ceremony. His eyes weren’t blue though. They were a comforting light gray. But that didn’t matter like it had once upon a time. She knew now that she wanted to be with him, in any form.