Meanmna: Book One of the Daearen Realms (10 page)

I was still crying when we pulled into a parking spot near Visions.

“
Do you want to come in?” Elwin asked. “This should be really quick.” I was practically hyperventilating, so I shook my head no. “I’ll be right back. Lock the doors.”

Elwin got out and ran
across the street. I forced myself to breath normally by leaning down and putting my head between my knees. After a few minutes, I heard Elwin scream telepathically
Sarette!
Get ready to unlock the doors!

Startled to attention, I sat up and responded,
what’s wrong?
I looked across the street at the store.

I’m coming!
Elwin burst out of the shop doors in a sprint. He had a backpack over his left shoulder and his sword in his right hand. In my peripheral vision, I saw a dark object materialize out of a shadow. It screamed as it launched itself onto Elwin’s back. It looked like the ROUS, or rodent of unusual size, from
The Princess Bride
, but it had long human-looking arms and hands. Its back claws were trying to rip the backpack off Elwin. It reached its arms around Elwin, trying to scratch his face and take his sword at the same time. I didn’t think; I just reacted. I unlocked the car and ran toward Elwin, thinking only of his safety.

“Get back in the car Sar—”
The rat thing covered Elwin’s mouth and pulled his head backwards in a lightning quick motion.

I fe
lt something jump on my back. “No!” I screamed. I was trying to knock it off when my hand brushed against the spirit blade tied to my thigh. Out of instinct, I unsheathed it and sliced one of the creature’s arms circling me. The cut started smoking. The creature let out a wail that sounded like two pieces of Styrofoam rubbing together. I used the opportunity to shake myself loose and turn just enough to stab it in the gut. I pulled the dagger out and ran toward Elwin, who was still wrestling with the first rat. I reached him at the moment he managed to throw that creature over his head. It landed directly front of me. I stabbed it in the middle of the chest.

“Car!” Elwin screamed.

Elwin and I sprinted to the car. I was shutting the door when Elwin threw it in reverse and crashed into a parking sign. I turned to look at the creatures as Elwin slammed the car into drive and we took off. They burst into a flash of black smoke and vanished as we fishtailed our way down Maumee Street. We were still screeching tires when we turned on US 223.

I took
a quick inventory of Elwin’s wounds. He had three claw marks from his mouth to underneath his chin. There was a deep cut on his right bicep that was leaking blood and making a dark stain all over the bottom of his jacket sleeves.

“What were those things
? What happened at the shop? Is Celine okay?” I knew the answers couldn’t be good.

“
When I walked into Visions, I could smell the roushum.” Elwin looked at me and said, “That’s what those things were. I was too late to help Celine, but I did find the bag she had ready for us.”

“
I don’t understand? Why were those things here? What does all this mean?”

“
This means that you are not a secret anymore, and that’s not a good thing. We need to get to Daearen now. I can protect you better there, but this means our passage is going to be anything but safe.” Elwin hesitated, then blurted out, “You shouldn’t have gotten out of the car. You could have been hurt.”

“
You needed me. And look, not a scratch on me.”

“
Luck. Next time I give you an order, you follow it. Do you understand?”
Wow, Elwin is angry at me—very angry
. I watched him for a moment. He was white-knuckling the steering wheel.

“
I’ll listen next time. I promise. So what now? Are we still going to Tennessee?”

“
No.”

“So
, where are we going?”

“
There’s a cairn in Irish Hills.”

“What! I’ve lived here my whole life and I’ve never seen a cairn in Irish Hills. There’s no way I missed a giant
hill you walk around and into and end up in la-la land. How is that even possible?”

“Were you ever looking for a portal to
la-la land?”

I
shook my head no and looked at his bicep again. The bleeding had stopped, but it was a really nasty-looking cut. “We need to get that looked at, it could get infected.”

“
I know someone near the exit of the cairn who can remove the poison and seal the wound.”

“
Poison!?”

“
The roushum’s nails have venom in them, like a rattlesnake. Don’t worry, we have plenty of time before the poison works its way to my heart.”

“
What happens if we don’t have plenty of time?”

“Hide. Nora will find you.”

“Elwin?”

“Uh huh.”

“Drive faster.”

“Will do, P
rincess.” Elwin stepped on the gas, blew past the light and got onto US-12. Rounding that curve at breakneck speed, I realized my seatbelt was unbuckled when my side forcefully hit the car door. I blindly buckled myself in because I was too afraid to take my eyes off of Elwin.
Poisoned fingernails? What’s next? Dandelions blow darts?

Elwin had a slight grimace on his face when he slowed and turned into the
Prehistoric Forest. It was once a busy tourist attraction, but it hadn’t been open for years. All that remained was a run-down amusement park with creepy dinosaurs made of paper-mâché and plaster.

Elwin pulled into a carport
so covered in vines and brush that I hadn’t even realized it was there. He popped open the trunk and we got out. I looked into the trunk and I saw my sword. I still had no idea how to wear it, so I stuck it through the belt on my left hip.

Elwin grunted when he lifted his bag and said, “Y
ou’re going to have to carry your own bag, Princess.”

I gasp
ed when I saw him. He already had dark rings under his eyes, like he hadn’t slept in a week, and the cut on his bicep made me gag. Thick, green, tar-looking bubbles oozed out of it and dripped onto the ground. They hissed and disappeared, leaving burn marks on the pavement.

“
I’ll grab your bag, too.”

“Prin
—”

“
I’m stronger than I look.” I took his duffle bag out of the trunk and put it over both shoulders, then I grabbed my backpack and slung it over one shoulder. I put my other arm out and Elwin handed me the small backpack from Celine’s. I slung it over the other shoulder. “Where to?”

Elwin tried to smile when he reached in
to the trunk for his sword. He looped it through his belt, which looked just like mine. Elwin shut the trunk and started walking past the first set of decaying plaster dinosaurs. He made a sharp left and walked into a small copse of trees to the right. I followed behind him, taking in the shadows, watching for movement and sagging dinosaurs.

I
was using all my effort to carry the heavy bags. I didn’t want Elwin to know I was struggling.
Sure Sarette. Big strong Sarette. Maybe you should carry Elwin, too.
We quickened our pace and made our way into a small clearing. In the middle of this half-acre space was a giant hill. I didn’t have time to pay attention too closely. Just then Elwin started to trip. I dropped both backpacks and reached him before he fell. He looked at me, but wasn’t able to speak because of the swollen scratches on his face. I helped him stand. He took the duffle bag that was still on my back and started toward the cairn. I retrieved the backpacks and put them on as I caught up to him. We walked counterclockwise around the cairn and on the third loop, a shimmer appeared just ahead of us. Elwin took my hand and squeezed it as we walked into the cairn together.

Inside the cairn, I fe
lt like I was on a ride at the fair—the ride that swiftly spins around and causes your body to stick to the sides, and then the bottom falls out. I squeezed my eyes shut and anxiously rubbed my thumb back and forth on Elwin’s hand. The spinning stopped abruptly and we fell into a heap on the ground.

Elwin did
n’t look good. His face had a green sheen, and sweat was beading on his forehead. The tar-looking substance was dripping bigger drops. A single drop landed on my arm as I tried to help Elwin stand up. It ate through the fabric of my sleeve, burning like battery acid on my skin.
If one drop did that to me, what must it be doing to Elwin?

“
Elwin, what do I do? Where do I go? Where does your friend live? Help me!” I was trying to physically pull him up by the front of his jacket, but he was just too heavy!
Oh God, his eyes are rolling backward in his head!
“Elwin! Please! You can’t leave me!” His lips were moving, so I leaned down to hear him.

“Greee shutt.”

“What?”

“Grreeeeen shut-ah.”

“Green shutters?” Elwin barely nodded his head. I stood to look around. We were in the middle of a road that ended at the cairn behind us. I ran around the cairn to see if there was a house on the other side. There wasn’t a house or even a road on the other side of it. I ran up the hill, and in the distance I could see a stream of smoke ascending from another, smaller hill about half a mile away.
Hills do not smoke. That has to be it. There is nothing else around, and I can’t see any other signs of life.
I half-ran and half-slipped down the cairn and knelt by Elwin. “The hill? Does your friend live in that hill?” He nodded once and I took off running toward the smoke.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. Even though I fe
lt a pain in my side, I pushed myself even harder.
Hang on, Elwin,
I repeatedly chanted telepathically, sprinting so hard it felt like my insides were ripping in two.
I’m almost there!
A house built into the hill started to take shape as I came closer. There was a normal-sized door and a window to the side.
Green shutters! Yes!

I was running
so fast that I couldn’t stop. I skidded into the door and banged it with my fists. The door opened and middle-age woman was standing there.

“What’s going on?”

I collapsed into her arms and tried to tell her what was wrong, but I the only noise coming out of my mouth were deep wheezes. “Hhh, hhhhh, hhh!”

“
You have to calm down, sweetheart. I can’t understand what you’re saying. Philip! Help!” She yelled to the back of the house. A man came out from a hall.

I managed to say, “Elwin.”

With clear recognition of the name, the man pulled a wand out of his belt and ran past me and the woman, who was still holding me. About two steps from the door, the stick burst with white light. The man leapt upward and took flight toward the cairn and Elwin.

“
Let’s get you inside, Sarette,” the woman said as she tried to lead me into the house.
How does she know my name?
I broke away from her grip to see what was happening in the distance. She kept trying to take hold of my arm, but I wouldn’t let her pull me away. I had to know what was happening to Elwin. The fear of losing him made my heart feel like it was being ripped in two.  I was at the point of tears when I saw them coming. The flying man had Elwin in his arms, and our forgotten luggage was floating behind them as they approached. As I turned to the woman, I suddenly felt very lightheaded. Everything went dark as I heard her say, “Oh, dear.” I was still semi-conscious, but I didn’t have control over my limbs. I began to feel weightless, even though I hadn’t felt any arms lifting me. “I’m going to put her in our room. Take him to the back. I’ll be right there.” I felt myself being lowered onto something soft before sleep overtook  me.

“Sarette, Sarette!”

I sat straight up and turned to the female voice. It was the woman from earlier. “Is Elwin okay? Please tell me he’s okay.” Pretty, she was older than my mom, but around her same height. She had mostly brown hair with some gray mixed in throughout. Her blue eyes gazed at me with compassion.

“
He’s going to be just fine. We’re going to let him sleep for now. Come, get some food, we have soup.” She smiled and left the room. I followed her.

The house wa
s incredibly bright and modern, especially for one built into a hill. It looked like a normal house on the inside, including drywall and a regular looking kitchen. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was back in Adrian. The woman was ladling a bowl of steaming soup and motioned for me to sit.

I took a seat opposite of the “flying guy” and asked, “
How did you know my name?”

“
Elwin told us about you on his last visit.” She put the bowl of soup down in front of me. It smelled delicious. “Eat up.”

“
And, who are you?” I swallowed the first bite. I had no idea what I was eating, but it was yummy.

“
Old friends of your father and Elwin’s father, dear. My name is Marge. My husband’s name is Phillip.” She motioned to Phillip as she introduced him.

“
You did good, half-blood.” Phillip had a smirk on his face.

“
Phillip! Her name is Sarette. Do I also need to remind you that she is a princess and one day will be queen? Perhaps we should provide the same courtesy and respect that we provide Roland and Paige. You never know. . .” she paused for dramatic effect. “She might want to bring back the guillotine.”

I look
ed from one to the other and they both burst out laughing.

“Sarette, you saved Elwin’s
life . . . Thank you. Just to be clear, even though you are a half-blood, I am giving you the same amount of respect I gave Roland well before he was king,” Phillip said with a wink.

“
Can I see Elwin now?”

Marge looked at my bowl and noticed it was empty. I would have licked it clean if I had been alone. “If you’re full
, he’s in the room past the kitchen on the left.”

I smile
d and made my way to the bedroom door. I took a deep breath and went in the room. Elwin was in the middle of a gigantic bed with the sheets pulled up to his waist. His eyes were closed and he was shirtless.
Wow, even injured he’s beautiful.
I walked over to his injured arm to take a closer look at the cut. It was stitched together with what looked to be a tiny clear tube of rope lights, and it looked like it was already healing.

I sa
t carefully on the bed, making sure I didn’t wake him, and inspected the cuts on his face. The scratches were gone and his face was no longer red or swollen. I reached out my hand and traced where the scratches had been. Elwin started to stir a little. “Shhh, it’s just me . . . sleep,” I whispered.

C
arefully, I crawled over him, avoiding his injured arm. I lifted his good arm and snuggled underneath. Elwin gave a contented sigh and pulled me closer. He kissed the top of my head as his injured arm crossed my chest and held my hand that I had placed over his heart. “Love you,” I murmured into his chest, then I closed my eyes and fell asleep.