Reign (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale 4)
Brody and Nix were carrying a female Fae out of the tunnel. Nix shot Mina worried looks as they carried her—not over to the trucks with the survivors—but down by the waterfront, where the rows of the dead lay.
“That’s not—?” Mina didn’t finish, because she jumped up and dashed after Nix. Ever called out after her. “Don’t go down there.”
Mina didn’t listen. She recognized the dark hair, saw her beautiful brown skin and her lifeless eyes. “Mei!” She rushed down to the waterfront.
Nix ran up to meet her and blocked her from heading down to the shore. “No, Mina. Don’t.”
“That’s Mei. Let me go. That’s my Godmother!”
Nix looked pained, but he yelled at Brody to help hold her back. Brody pulled her out of Nix’s arms and tried to lead her back up the hill.
“Mei,” Mina cried, scratching and kicking at Brody so that he would let her go.
He gripped her wrists and held on. “Mina. She’s gone. There’s nothing you can do.” Just then, another rumble started from deep in the earth and everyone scattered as the Green Mill Recycling Center collapsed in upon itself. It was as if the earth opened up and swallowed every inch of the place in a giant sinkhole.
The Fae who were coming out of the escape tunnel ran for their life. Cries rose up around her as others screamed for loved ones that hadn’t surfaced yet. But the collapse triggered the water, and it rushed back down into the middle of the river, filling the escape tunnel and cutting off the last refugees.
She couldn’t breathe. It was impossible to inhale, and it burned as she tried to gasp for air. Finally, her lungs expanded and she started to sob. “It’s all my fault. It’s because of me that this happened.”
“No, it’s not your fault.” A feminine voice spoke up from behind her. “It’s mine.”
Through her tears, Mina looked into the face of Ferah. Like Ever, the girl hadn’t aged much since she last saw her running away in the tower. Her hair was still a wild red, her eyes a deep blue.
Mina filled with rage at the sight of the girl. She lunged for her. Ferah stepped back in surprise and Brody held her back.
“Y-you,” Mina snarled. “It’s because of you this happened.”
“But I would have finished the job, Mina. I would have been able to kill the prince if you hadn’t interfered,” Ferah added.
“If you hadn’t tried to assassinate him with a cursed knife, he wouldn’t have turned evil and destroyed hundreds of innocent Fae.” She pointed at the bodies lining the beach. “They wouldn’t have died. Mei would still be alive. My father would still be alive.”
Ferah had her own tears rolling down her face. “Blame me all you want, but if you hadn’t fallen out of the tower and used the seam ripper at that place in time to go to Halle, you wouldn’t have saved Wilhelm. You would never have been born.”
“But why?” Mina sobbed, finally wrenching free from Brody.
“I did what I had to do to try and prevent this from happening. Prophecies aren’t fool proof. Ask Constance. I’d do it again.”
“I hate you.” Mina hissed.
“Yeah, well, get in line,” Ferah laughed. “Behind me.”
“I think I’d like to join the I Hate Ferah club as well.” Ever grumbled.
Ferah turned and looked at Ever. “Oh look, if it isn’t the oh-so-shy Ever Farindale. Looks like you got over the shy bit and grew up into a big girl.”
“Almost being killed in a maze will do that to you,” she shot back.
Ferah looked over the Goth pixie and smirked at her footwear. “Nice boots.”
“Yeah, the better to kick your little elf—”
“Hey, I helped you that night.” Ferah cut Ever off. She thrust a thumb out at Mina. “She would have forgotten about you, if it wasn’t for me.”
“That doesn’t make us friends,” Ever snapped. “I’ll have to agree with Mina on this one. It’s all your fault.”
“What do you two not understand? I was just following orders.” The elf girl flung out her hands and pointed back to the burning building. “I was trying to prevent this. This is what the Guild does. Help Fae.”