Supernaturally (Paranormalcy 2)

He lit both wicks and grabbed one of the bottles. Grinning maniacally at me, he turned and hurled his bottle. It spun lazily, a trail of light until it disappeared behind the deck of the ship. Maybe it wouldn't work. Mayb

e-

A massive fireball billowed up, scorching the air and flowering along the boat.

"Evie? You might want to throw that thing. "

I looked down in horror at my own burning Molotov cocktail, then flung it as far from myself as I could. It smashed against the side of the boat, most of the flames falling down into the silver water.

Which proceeded to catch fire.

"Wow. Didn't expect that!" Jack nodded appreciatively as the flames spread, eating their way outward along the top of the lake. The boat, now engulfed, creaked and groaned its death cries. "Adding a touch of faerie liquor to the petrol gave it the extra kick, I think. "

An unearthly shriek ripped through the air, jarring me to the bones. I did not want to meet the owner of that voice.

Jack laughed, taking my trembling hand. "This is the part where we run. "

Chapter Thirty-Four

Old Friends

Jack!" My voice came out unrecognizable, nearly an octave higher. Part of it was terror, but most was a reaction to the thick, acrid smoke, solid as a fist, shoving its way down my throat. The air filled with it as the lake behind us became an inferno.

I could barely see Jack, his hand my only lifeline in this nightmare. "Get ready!" he shouted, and with a dizzying twist the landscape warped. We still stood on the same blasted plain, but far enough away to be out of danger. Tendrils of smoke clung to us like living things, and I tried my best to brush them away.

I watched as the dark clouds undulated sinuously up, blacking out the red night sky. The lake burned evenly, a single body of flame, the Dark Queen's boat barely more than a pile of fire now.

Jack put his hands on his hips, surveying the scene with a satisfied nod. "That turned out much better than I'd hoped. "

"Please, let's leave!" If we could still see the chaos, we were far closer than I wanted to be. I could imagine what the Dark Queen's midnight gaze would feel like if she found us. My skin crawled-with fear or anticipation, I couldn't tell. Neither was good.

"What's your hurry? Let's take a moment to bask in the satisfaction of a job well done. "

"I didn't want to do that!"

"No?" He cocked his head and raised his eyebrows. "I thought you hated the fey. "

"I do, but that doesn't mean I want to run around the Faerie Realms lighting everything on fire!"

"What's the point in hating something if you aren't proactive?" He put his arm around my shoulders, steering me to look at the inferno with him. "You can't tell me that's not satisfying, not after what you saw. Faeries care about very few things, but they're quite fond of their little trinkets. That boat was a particular favorite of hers, not to mention the entire lake. All the centuries she spent crafting this landscape, then poof! One excellently thrown firebomb, and you've made her feel anger and pain more deeply than she's probably ever known. And far less than she deserves to know. "

Watching the flames, it was as though the lingering smoke wove its way into my chest, dark and seeping, replacing my fear with anger. He was right. They deserved this. They deserved far, far worse than this.

I narrowed my eyes until the brilliant line of fire was all I could see. Come to think of it, it was exactly what this landscape needed. It belonged here.

I turned to Jack. "What else did you have in mind?"

His face burst into a dimpled smile. "I knew you weren't useless. A quick stop to gather more supplies and-"

"You. "

We both jumped in shock, turning around to find the source of the horrid, rasping voice. Something crouched, feral and twisted. Wild and matted hair half covered sunken features. What had no doubt once been fine clothes were now filthy and torn beyond recognition. But then I found the eyes-her eyes. Ruby red eyes. Ruby red eyes that had once gone with a voice like shattering glass.

Fehl.

The last time I'd seen her had been in Lend's kitchen, when Vivian tried to drain the life from her. She'd gotten away but was apparently much worse for the wear. Gone was the ethereal, disconnected grace of the fey. She was a thing gone wild, her eyes feverish, her movements jerky and darting.

"You did this to me. "