Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

ORION

M y side was warm and wet, too much blood leaking out of me. That root had done some serious damage.

"Kill the cherry fae!"

The thirteen assbugs were almost upon me. I attempted to stand, but the pain dismissed my efforts.

I was going nowhere.

"Kill the cherry fae!"

Did they have to keep saying it? It distracted me from my battle with negative thoughts. Suggestions like bleeding out on the snow before they chopped me up, and the possibility of me not dying a quick death under the blows of their axes were running rife in my stupid mind.

"Kill the fae! Kill him good!"

Oh, good. A slight change in speech.

They were so close now, my end was in sight. I hated thinking the worst, especially after surviving so many dark days and nights. What would be waiting for me on the other side? Peace? Sorrow for never getting to fully embrace my status as a werewolf alpha's mate?

Tears brimmed in my eyes. A kernel of grief flared in my chest, growing by the second. I couldn't believe this was it for me, dying in this wretched place. Stars, I would have loved to pick myself up to fight until the end, not lay here in a helpless heap, the snow landing on my cheeks as soft, icy kisses.

"I love you, Miko," I said. "I'm sorry I?—"

A roar dragged me out of my hopelessness.

What in the stars' name was that?

A huge mass leaped over me. White fur, big hands, smelling slightly of oats. It bounded up the slope, heading straight for the army of undying fae.

I watched the furry beast launch into an attack, taking down two men in a bone-crushing rugby tackle. The undying fae tumbled down the slope, pink smoke streaking behind them like those chemtrails in Earth's skies. They landed dangerously close to me, thrashing their limbs in fury, spraying snow into the air.

Helpless, I watched the show play out on the slope. The creature's speed hurt my already pounding head. With its big, bear-like hands, it tore through flesh, pulled off arms, crushed one head like a watermelon.

Pink blood drenched its fur.

How many undying fae were down now? Seven, including the two close to me? A woman still standing on the slope took a swipe at the creature with an axe, releasing a blood-curdling scream to shake the snow.

I winced at the sound, my eardrums throbbing.

The creature grabbed the axe from the fae, taking off her head in one easy strike. It threw its head back, roaring into the sky like a wolf baying at the moon. My blood went cold, my fear as paralyzing as my injuries.

Oh, stars. Oh, stars. Oh, stars.

"Kill the fae…" a raspy voice hissed close by.

By watching the show on the slope, I failed to notice the two fae getting back on their feet, pink blood streaming from both their noses. One of them even had a broken hand, his fingers as twisted and broken as the trees of this forest.

"Kill the fae…" The closest one licked his lips, eyes flaring with pure murder. "Kill him. Kill him. Kill him."

Crap. Crap. Crap. In desperation, I attempted to move and failed miserably, releasing a yelp as agony sizzled across my nervous system.

I wasn't going anywhere, expect maybe to meet the stars.

To my left, the creature continued to slaughter the remaining undying fae. I heard the carnage, but kept my eyes on the man, his straggly hair trailing behind him in the wind.

He reached my feet, holding his axe above his head. The snowflakes seemed to beautify the situation, fanning around him in a white curtain to grant me a somewhat pretty sight to end my life on.

Hmmm. I wasn't so sure about that, actually. Because when that axe came down, it would bury itself in my chest and hurt to the deepest of hells.

"Just… Just get it over with…" I breathed out, hating myself for accepting this.

The axe came down.

Goodbye, Miko.

Goodbye—

The white creature crashed into the fae, tumbling over the rock with him. My chest froze, my lungs forgetting to function amid the shock.

Screaming. Violent commotion. The breaking of bones.

The undying fae with the broken hand threw himself at me, cracking his head on the boulder. He landed on top of me, sending a riot of agony through my body to make my head spin.

"Stars!" I cried.

My vision blurred, the images melting together like a painting left out in the rain. I needed respite from this hurt, my veins and bones lava.

At least my cry kickstarted my lungs again.

The undying one hissed, his good fingers pawing at me as he sat on my legs, weight crushing me. His cold touch was slimy, his fingernails nicking at my skin.

His face loomed above mine, his breath a sewer. I gagged, struggling to free my poor legs. My vision snapped back into focus, prepared to witness my final moments clearly.

"Kill the fae…" he hissed, blood streaming down his chin, grabbing my neck.

Before he crushed my windpipe, the creature grabbed his head and tore it from his shoulders. It came off with a vile pop, a fountain of pink blood spraying in the air. I clamped my eyes and mouth shut against the downpour.

The creature roared, then stomped. The undying one's weight came off me. I wiped my eyes with my good hand, seeing the furry beast toss the body away.

It looked down at me, covered in blood, yellow eyes like urine in the snow.

What now? My turn to have my head removed?

"Please…" I tried rather pathetically.

"You poor fae," a soft woman's voice responded.

Oh. I hadn't expected such gentleness.

"Let me help you," the creature added, reaching for me with her big bear hand.

Understanding clicked into the place. This creature was a yeti. Much more ape-like than bear, built from muscle and white fur and deadly strength. I'd never seen one before in real life, only pictures. I did know they lived in the cold parts of Faery and were said to be quite solitary creatures. Rare beasts who fed on the wildlife they shared their habitat with.

"I'm Erna, the finest yeti of this forest."

"I—"

The yeti held up a hand, displaying impressive claws. "Save your strength. Let me take care of you." She smiled, revealing a scary set of teeth. Fit for crunching bones, rendering flesh, maybe even chewing rocks.

She scooped me up in her arms, taking no care with my broken arm. It swung, sending more pain to attack me. I squeaked, my head sinking into sickly soup.

"I will heal you, fae. I will heal you and make you mine." She began marching off through the forest, the snow crunching under her big feet.

Her words slapped the agony away. "What did you?—"

Movement in the trees caught my eye again. This time, the thing fell from the end of a partially knotted branch and landed in the snow.

"Watching orb?" I managed, bouncing in the yeti's arms like a puppet without strings.

"They are all over the forest," she answered, "looking for the lost bee queen."

I swallowed, the sensation like chugging razor blades, recalling what she'd said about me being hers.

"What did?—"

"Hush now, fae. Hush." She began singing a lullaby. The melody wafted over me in magical tones, wrapping me in a blanket of song.

I'd never heard a song so sweet.

Memories of home greeted me, taking me back to my days as a lounge singer. My last shift was just a couple of nights before I headed off to London for my ill-fated vacation.

Stars, that last performance had been epic, my voice better than ever. I belted out every song on the set list, embraced every request. I think my love for Basil galvanized me into giving an amazing performance. A love that never really existed, our relationship more of a silly infatuation.

Not like my love for Miko. He was sunlight against the shadows of doubt, a man to make me believe in romance again.

I miss you, Mr. Robot…

I drifted away into a dream, the memory returning in full color. Patrons handing me flowers, throwing Faery coins at me, the applause almost taking the roof off the bar.

Over in the corner, Elise, my boss, clapped with a big smile on her face thanks to the bar sales for the night being unbelievably high.

I salivated over a possible pay rise.

My dream swirled, moving on to the two of us in her office sharing a Vodka Flower—my favorite Faery alcoholic beverage.

"Cheers to you, my superstar!" she declared, lifting her flower to me in a toast.

"Thanks." We both took a sip, the cold yumminess a real treat after all those ballads.

"Ah. Nice." She put her drink down. "Where is that boyfriend of yours tonight? He missed an amazing show."

The dream blurred into a messy pallet of color, our voices fading away to muffled hums.

What was the point of this dream? Brought on by the yeti's voice because it reminded me of my own singing prowess? Ugh. At least send me into an interesting memory. Better yet, one without me still drooling over Basil.

"Take me to Miko, please." As I spoke, the colors swirled as if reacting to my voice.

But they didn't take me anywhere, just left me drifting in a gently swirling rainbow. As light as a feather, free of pain, warm, none of the harshness of the waking world touching me.

I'd rather hurt than be trapped inside this nebula.

The yeti's song returned, honey to my senses. I found myself smiling, embracing it.

"Hush now, beautiful one…"

A few glints of starlight broke through the color.

"Hush your pretty mind and sleep."