Forever (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale 5)

“Sorry!” Mina called over her shoulder, as she ran past the police tape.

No one tried to stop her from going in, because the police were so busy rescuing people from the bridge.

Mina was exhausted, darting left and right of abandoned cars. She made it past the school bus, grateful to see it was finally deserted.

She found a metal pipe on the road and held it between her hands. Concentrating, she felt the power flare up. She turned it into a glowing sword just as a troll attacked.

Mina screamed and swung blindly at the troll’s midsection. She let loose her power and—as she let the grief of Teague’s death wash over her—the power eked through her skin.

She swung again at the troll. This time, he howled in pain and jumped off the bridge to avoid another onslaught from her. She turned to the next opponent—another smaller troll. On and on she fought, clearing a path until she got to the middle.

It seemed the advance charge from the sirens had stopped. Kino was on defense now, fighting off projectile attacks. Her grandparents and half the sirens were diving under water and doing their best to rescue people from the sunken cars.

Which were still being tossed from the bridge by one of the giants.

At the center, she realized there were too many. Fae were still pouring through the gate, more than just the strongest of Teague’s army who had come through on small boats and vessels. This was a different army, more human-looking with tanned skin and angry eyes. Familiar, but Mina couldn’t place who they were or why they would attack.

She had to stop the giants and the stone golem.

Ever waved and flew past her, knocking into a Fae wolf who looked a bit like Lonetree. He flailed and hit the water. He started to swim toward the land, but a siren pulled him beneath the water. Bubbles surfaced for a moment, then stopped.

Mina’s stomach rolled. It would only get worse if she couldn’t stop this.

>He tried to say something, but it was lost in a scream of pain as the blade, made entirely of hate, began to poison him again.

Desperate, Mina pushed more power into his mind. She searched and called and coaxed. He had to be in there. She imagined it like the dream, different mirrors with different reflections of Teague.

“Don’t! Let me be. Let me die in peace,” he said, trying to push her hand away.

Mina ignored it and kept holding onto him. “No, I won’t give up on you. I won’t.”

Teague screamed at her, his eyes glowing with hate. He transformed, his mouth turning downward, his hands arching into claws. “Get away! I hate you.” Blue veins appeared along his face as the dagger’s hate-poison traveled through him, changed him. He gasped, and black blood bubbled up and poured slowly from the corner of his mouth. He grabbed at Mina’s hand.

She gripped it tightly. His eyes opened again, and she watched the familiar blue slowly fade to gray.

“Mi…na,” he mumbled. “You did what I didn’t have the strength to. Thank…” He coughed, and more blood came up. He lost the battle with one last word, whispered across his lips. “you.”

Grieving, she eased her grip. His hand fell to the ground.

Chapter 31

“I’m sorry, Teague. I’m so sorry. I tried, and now I’ve lost you.”

Mina felt the tingling of an approaching Fae and turned in time to see a wave rise up. The sea witch appeared.

“Aw, a death to feed on.” Taz Clara stepped up onto the pier, her green skin slightly glowing, her dark green hair moving on its own.

“No, you can’t feed on him,” Mina spat. She stood.

The sea witch’s face turned ugly. “You don’t want to share? You’re the one covered in his blood, not me.”

“Go away!” Mina said.

“Listen, child, and listen well. Let me feed, and I’ll see if I can save a part of him for you.”

“You said you wouldn’t help me with Teague.”

“Not unless you killed him. I am a sea witch after all. I feed on the dead, the dying, and their fears.”