Chapter 28

The brush rustled, sending a flock of birds scattering across the sky.

The little girl flinched, her little body coiled tight, ready to strike.

Abby stepped out of the foliage.

“Wait. Don’t do anything.” I grabbed the little girl’s arm. She was trembling, her wide eyes impossibly wider. I put a protective arm around her and softened my tone. “It’s okay. She’s a friend.” At least I hoped that was still the case, after…everything.

Luc scooped up the quivering child and held her in his arms. Abby stood rooted in place surveying us. She looked tired and weary. Her mocha skin seemed thin and gaunt, and her dark eyes were sunk deep in their sockets. Her gaze shifted from me to Luc to the girl clinging to his neck.

“We thought…” Her voice trailed off. “When Vivienne’s house exploded, we thought…you’d been inside. But they searched—” Emotion choked her words. “We’ve been worried.”

I looked at her, my insides knotting at the memory. “What did they find?”

She shrugged a heavy shoulder. “Not much. Mostly structural damage. Nobody was hurt.”

I exhaled a sharp breath. So Brigit hadn't been inside. One less death on my conscious.

The little girl clasped my hand, and I surprised myself at how easily my fingers folded around hers.

Abby’s eyes roamed from Luc to the little girl and then back to me. “Okay, um…is that—is that blood?” Her finger wavered as it pointed at my gown.

“No?”

“Yeah, that's not the kind of question you answer with another question.” She shook her head. “Venus, what happened to you?”

“The MBD happened to me.” There was no time for explanations. “Here.” I pointed to the little girl. “You have to get her to safety.”

Abby stared at me, eyes wide, head shaking. “What? What do you mean? Who is she?”

I glanced down at the small child, half hiding behind me like I was the hero. The good witch. “I don’t know. She’s someone they’d taken for their twisted experiments. I just…I couldn’t leave her there.”

Abby’s wide-eyed bewilderment didn’t fade, but she made an attempt to move past it. “Okay, but where do I take her?”

“I don’t know. Wherever they take children in crisis," I pleaded. I had no idea if she had a family or where they might be, but we didn’t have time to get better acquainted. And she still hadn’t uttered a word, so I had to trust that Abby would know how to get her somewhere safe. “Just, make sure she’s somewhere she won’t be found. I’m serious, Abby. All of this is…serious.” I frowned, pushing my matted hair away from my forehead. A few strands stayed stuck in place. “Is Vivienne okay?” I could only imagine how she must be feeling, the regret at letting me, the villain, back into her life.

“She’s shaken, but mostly worried about you. You should come see her.”

“No.” I shook my head. “That only puts all of you in greater danger.” I gripped her shoulders. “Abby, listen to me. You have to get away from here too. All of you. It’s not safe. The MBD, Peterson, Greenbalm, they’re all way more dangerous than you could imagine.”

“Greenbalm? You mean Lorelei’s shrink?” Her bewilderment returned and she pressed both hands to her forehead. “You need to tell me what happened, Venus. What did they do to you?”

“I’m fine. And there’s no time to explain. They’ll be after us. We have to keep moving.”

Abby’s gaze slipped curiously to Luc.

No time to explain that one either. “Just take care of her and get everyone with magical abilities out of this place. As far from the MBD’s reach as possible.”

“But, we have no idea how far their reach is,” she said.

“It’s far,” Luc offered, though his gaze remained fixed on the ground.

I nodded. “Exactly. That’s why you need to go. Run. Stay hidden until this is over.”

“And will it be over?” She frowned, doubtful. “I mean, it seems like it’s only the beginning.”

Something whizzed through the trees. Like a soft, high-pitched whistle.

The moment it struck her, Abby collapsed on the ground.

Luc grabbed the little girl and darted into the thick brush.

Crap. Crap, crap, CRAP. I ran to Abby and dropped to my knees by her side. I held onto her hand and dragged her into the brush as she twisted and moaned in agony. “Abigail? Abby, can you hear me? Speak to me.”

“Yes,” she groaned. “But. I. Can’t. Breathe.” She wheezed between words.

The tiny dart had nicked the side of her neck, but fortunately hadn’t lodged in her flesh. For the most part, she was human and more vulnerable to attacks, especially ones with a magical force. And this had the stench of magic all over it. They’d meant to hit me, or the little girl. I had to assume Abby was collateral damage. Luc and the child crawled over to us. I waved my hand, casting a thin veil of protection around us. My magic was weak, having been suppressed for so long, but it should hold, keeping us out of sight, at least temporarily. The witch hunters from Greenbalm’s organization trekked past us and headed in the opposite direction.

“You’re going to be okay, Abby,” I whispered once they were out of range. “Just stay calm. Take deep breaths.”

Her eyes widened as she clawed at my shirt to pull herself up. “Take deep breaths? My throat’s been punctured.”

“No, it hasn't. Stay still so I can heal you.” I untangled her fingers from my shirt and pushed her back down. Her head thumped against the ground harder than expected.

“How is it healing me feels a lot like killing me?” she groaned.

“Because I'm still on the fence over which one I'll choose. Now shut up and lie still.”

I wove a light of green energy over her body. It wafted and rippled through her before dissipating like smoke on the wind.

Moments later, she stopped thrashing and moaning. Tentatively, she sat up, pressing both hands to her chest and taking timid breaths to make sure it had really worked. Her eyes met mine, and for a few seconds she didn’t breathe. Then she blurted, “Thank you.”

I leaned back, resting on my heels, feeling a swell of relief mingle with my fatigue. “It wasn’t just for your sake. Do you have any idea how much trouble I’d be in if I let anything happen to you?” I rolled my eyes. “Way too much drama for me, and not the good kind.”

I rose and offered her my hand. She took it, even though she could stand fully on her own.

Abby cleared her throat, running her still shaky hands up and down her arms. “Well, I’m thanking you anyway. Another version of you would have been more than happy to let me die.”

“Another version of me would have been the one to fire the dart in the first place,” I said darkly. Then I looked away. “But she’s not here anymore. Good thing for you.”

“Yeah,” she whispered. “Good thing.”

Something creaked behind us. I grabbed her arm and tugged her deeper into the brush. “Listen, you have to get out of here. As in, right now.” My voice dropped to an urgent whisper. “Go and warn Vivienne. She has to know what’s coming. And what Lorelei will be facing in the Nevermore.”

Abby was shaking her head before I finished. “But what about you? You should come with me.”

“I can’t. I have to go back to the Nevermore and warn them.” I didn’t have the luxury of worrying about what would happen to me when I got there. Not when so many other lives were in jeopardy.

“I’ll be fine,” I added when Abby’s doubtful look didn't shift. I swallowed, backing away from her. “This will end, Abigail. I’m going to make sure that it does. You have my word.”

And with that, I gave the small girl a smile and then nodded to Luc.

He took my hand, and we ran, heading back into the forest, deeper and deeper, further away from the people I’d come to care for as my own.