Minx

Minx

The squeezing in her chest faded, followed by the burning pain in her veins. She could take a deep breath, relishing in how her lungs filled with the clean mountain air. She could taste the flavors of fall on her tongue, but it was a bitter, one-note flavor that stuck in the back of her throat.

There was no magic here. She understood why Sage had made Alec bring her - to save her life. But now she was trapped in this world with no way of getting back.

And her friends were in a cave with the Demon King. But Minx didn’t have time to think about them now. She had her own dangers to think of.

Alec groaned, falling to the ground. His arms weakened around her, spilling her body. She yelped, rolling gently away. Sitting up, she frowned, seeing him so affected.

“What the hell is this?” he gasped. “My body feels so heavy. And what is that smell? It reeks of death and decay.”

“Fall,” Minx explained, drawing his arms to her. He was shaking. “You’re adjusting to this world without magic.”

“No wonder you left this hellhole.” He scoffed, then groaned, looking into her eyes. “I can’t hear you.”

“I said-”

“No,” he cut her off, then raised a quivering finger to her forehead.

“Oh,” she said, her lips quirking. “There are no mind readers here.” She lifted her arm to brush the hair from his face and winced. Looking down, she noticed the knife wound no longer seeped with poison, but it was still bleeding.

“We need to get that patched up,” Alec said, trying to stand. His legs gave out, and he crashed back to the ground, cursing. Minx looked around for something to help him, but the cave was empty. She was in the Blackwood cave, above Seraphina’s property. A sudden jolt of fear shot through her. They couldn’t stay here, not like this. If any of the Blackwoods found them, they’d be dragged back to her mother.

“Alec, we need to get moving.” She said quickly, getting to her feet. Her body wobbled. The poison was gone, but she was still recovering from the damage and the lack of magic. She held out a hand, and he took it. Helping him to his feet, they both struggled to get out of the cave, leaning on each other for support.

The cave opened to a mild fall afternoon. Below them, the Blackwood manor loomed in the shadow of the mountain.

Alec gazed out over her world, his eyes wide. “Wow. It’s ugly.”

Minx couldn’t help but chuckle. It kind of was after seeing the beauty of Neaviah. But this world had its charms too, though she doubted they’d have the time or means to see them.

She led them down the path and cut into the forest.

“Why can’t we go to the manor over there?” Alec asked.

“That’s where Sage’s family lives. You know, the ones who tried to sacrifice her to Kade?” She smirked.

He huffed, but said nothing as they limped on into the trees.

“There are some old cabins not too far from here. Sage used them when she escaped - she said they were falling apart, but they’ll work for now.”

“Won’t her family find us there?” He asked.

Minx shrugged, then winced as her wound burned with the movement. “I’m sure they’ve checked them many times since we left. By now they must think where ever we’re hiding, it’s far away or too good of a spot to be found.”

“You mean they don’t know you two went through the portal?” He asked, incredulous.

Minx nodded. “There’s no reason they would think so. No one saw us go through.”

She followed an old walking trail but stuck behind the trees, just in case a Blackwood popped out of nowhere. They reached the lake before sunset, finding the cluster of abandoned cabins. Minx struck out for the furthest cabin, closer to the tree line, in case they needed to make a quick escape. They took a few moments to observe it quickly before entering carefully.

It appeared empty. Dust covered the broken surfaces of tables and moth-eaten couches. Minx eyed the dusty floors, unmarked by footsteps. Either no one had been inside for a long time, or the Blackwoods were great at staging sets.

She was willing to bet it was the former.

She glanced at the moldy, crumbling couch and flexed her fingers out of habit, trying to call upon her gift. Alec pretended not to notice, but she blushed with embarrassment still.

“Here, sit for a minute.” She kicked over a chair that didn’t look like it would collapse under his weight. Alec sank into it, groaning. Minx trudged around the room, looking for a linen closet. When she didn’t find one, she braved the molding stairs into the basement. She found a few plastic tubs in the darkness and lugged them back upstairs.

Alec watched her with his brows knotted. She could tell he wanted to help. “Here,” she slid one over to him. “See what’s inside.”

It took him a minute to figure out the latches, but once he observed her opening one, he mimicked her movements. Minx found a bunch of dehydrated meal packets and old pots. She doubted the plumbing worked, so she’d have to resort to boiling water from the lake for food and drink.

Below the packets of food, she found a mini first aid kit.

Alec pulled out a few sleeping bags and candles. Minx rummaged around in his bin and took out a box of matches.

“This should be fine for now. Stay here while I get some water.” She took the pots with her and went down to the lake. The water was crystal clear, but she’d lived in the mountains long enough to know that meant nothing. Filling her pots, she made her way back to the cabin.

Alec laid out the sleeping bags and placed candles around the living room. He had to lean against the walls, but his legs looked stronger.

Minx began breaking up the worm-eaten chairs and wood, piling it into the fireplace. She lit the kindling and placed the pots surrounding it, sitting back on the sleeping bags. Alec helped her take her shirt off, then she showed him out to use the first aid kit.

He stitched her wound up while the water boiled and the sun set behind the forest.

“What do we do now?” He asked.

Minx put her shirt back on and then held out two packets of food. “Chicken Alfredo or Salisbury Steak?”

Alec eyed the food with caution, and she didn’t blame him. They both were going to taste terrible.

He motioned to the chicken, and she tore it open, pouring the boiling water inside. She handed it back and told him to wait. He sniffed the packet and paled.

“This is what you eat here? No wonder Sage acts like she’s starving.”

Minx chuckled, “No, this is what we eat when there is nothing else to eat. We call these survival packets - because you have to be pretty desperate to survive to eat them.” She winked and poured water into hers.

They ate what they could and curled up in their sleeping bags.

Minx listened to the sounds of the forest at night - and found she didn’t recognize them. She’d grown so used to the magical forest in Neaviah that she felt like a stranger now in a strange world.

There’d been something about that world that felt like home, more than this home ever felt to her.

She tried not to think of the others. She really did. She had to believe they were alright. Sage always managed to come up with some hair-brained plan to get herself out of danger.

But this was the Demon King. The most powerful Demon who slew their Goddess. Even Kade was afraid of him. Minx had seen the way he looked at his father before Alec jumped into the portal. Broody, sassy Kade who had no problem ripping people’s hearts out was afraid of him.

She shut her eyes, willing sleep to take her. She had to believe Sage would find a way like she always did. That she would come for her, and they’d go back to Neaviah together.

“Do you think we will be stuck here forever?” Alec asked. Her eyes shot open and for a moment she forgot he couldn’t read minds. He was just thinking the same thing.

“I hope not.” She said. If Sage never returned… no, she wouldn’t think about that. Not now. “It could take some time. But I believe Sage will come back for us.”

Alec went silent. The only sound was the crackling of the dying fire and the nightlife outside. Alec shuffled next to her, then wrapped his arm around her waist. She melted into his warm embrace.

“I cannot express how glad I am you’re alive.” He said, his lips pressing against her hair. “If it means I have to live in this ugly world with its terrible, mushy food, then I will gladly do it.”

She smiled in the darkness, but hot tears pricked her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I hope we won’t have to stay here, but if we do, I am sorry.”

He pulled her closer. “I’m not.”

After some time, his breathing became soft and deep as he fell asleep against her. She didn’t remember falling asleep but must have because she was startled awake by something scraping against the ground. At first, she assumed it was rats crawling around the food and pots, but when she glanced at the fireplace, the embers dead and cold, she saw nothing. The gloom of the fall moon cast an eerie silver glow over the room.

She kept her breathing even as she silently looked around. Then she heard it again. Something scraping. Slowly, she sat up and noticed the dark figure hunched over the bin with the food.

As quietly and carefully as possible, she grasped one of the empty pots nearby and got out of her sleeping bag. Alec quietly slept on, undisturbed. She didn’t want to wake him and risk alerting whoever was in the cabin they were awake.

Thinking they had to be a vagabond - a Blackwood would have dragged her out of there by now - she carefully approached them.

As she padded across the room, her bare feet silent, she noticed how ratty their clothes looked even in the gloom and darkness. Relief washed over her - they had to be from the town. They probably took shelter in the cabins and knew some had stocks of supplies.

Minx loosened her grip on the pot, not wanting to startle them.

“Excuse me,” she said softly, and the figure leaped up. They turned, and the moonlight caught their sapphire eyes, causing her heart to hammer against her chest.

His face was covered in dirt and a mangy beard and his jet-black hair had grown well past his chin, but his eyes were the same.

“Trent,” she breathed.