Trees in the Desert (Afterlife Book 8) Read online

  The group talked about mostly nothing as they walked. Occasionally, Conner made a joke, but Sarah could tell it was forced. She had been so wrapped up in losing Samuel that she hadn't given much thought to what went on between Alec, Conner, and Harper. She wished she could make it all better. That's what she did, after all. She was a fixer.

  "Guys," Harper said.

  "Let's play twenty questions," Conner suggested.

  Sarah groaned, which came out as a whine.

  Conner glared at her. "You know you like the game, Sarah. There's no sense in pretending otherwise. I'll go first. I'm thinking of an object."

  "Guys," Harper repeated.

  Alec sighed. "Is it smaller than a loaf of bread?"

  "Yes."

  "Is it bigger than a snow globe?" Brittney asked.

  "Unfair question," Chloe chimed in. "Snow globes can be many sizes. You can't use that as a metric. Don't answer that, Conner. Doesn't count as a question either."

  "Listen," Harper said sharply.

  Everyone turned toward her. Sarah felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

  "What is it?" Alec asked.

  "Demon," Harper said. She pointed ahead at a woman. "Succubus."

  "Let's get her," Conner said, flexing his fists. Sarah howled her agreement, and the group started in that direction.

  "Wait," Harper said.

  "What?"

  She nodded at another woman, who'd joined the first. "There's another one."

  "We can take on two easily," Chloe said.

  "Well can we take on more than that?" Harper asked. She nodded around at the people on the road. "They're demons. All of them."

  Sarah looked around. There were at least thirty people. They were slowly forming a circle around the members of Afterlife. She transformed into her panther form, which was much more deadly when it came to a fight. Would they fight, though? Who would get hurt this time?

  "What are they?" Brittney whispered.

  "A mix," Harper said. "Vampires, succubi, harpies, and some that I don't recognize. We're outnumbered, guys. We're outnumbered by a lot."

  Conner shook his head. "We have to get out of here."

  "We can't just leave," Alec said. "We have to fight. We've been outnumbered before. We can't just go. They'll massacre the fairies."

  "The last time I fought outnumbered, Samuel ended up getting bit," Conner said sharply. "He's turned into a vampire, in case you've forgotten. This isn't even our fight."

  Sarah growled again.

  "Well, it isn't!" Conner protested.

  "We promised to help," Harper reminded him.

  "And this is what we do," Brittney said. "We help people who need it. In case you've forgotten."

  Conner cursed.

  Alec put a hand on Conner's arm. "I know you're scared--"

  "--I'm not scared!"

  "You're scared that somebody is going to get hurt," Alec said. "You're scared we're going to lose someone else. I understand, Conner. But we can't live our lives in fear. We can't just stop everything because of what might happen."

  Conner said nothing.

  "We can do this," Harper said.

  She unholstered her gun. Brittney did the same. Chloe took a stake from the bag she was carrying. She glanced at Conner and nodded.

  "Fine," he said. "Fine! We fight!"

  Brittney stood back, firing shot after shot at the demons who came at her. Some of them she just clipped, but others she managed to shoot in the head, and they dropped to the ground, their green blood pooling out in giant puddles.

  Sarah fought as a panther, ripping and clawing at anyone who came near her. Her teeth and claws were sharp, and she didn't hesitate, tearing out throats and letting demons bleed out near her.

  Alec and Conner fought together. Conner transformed into his incubus form, and snapped the necks of demons who tried to take him on. Alec couldn't transform, and he was weak, so Conner made sure that nobody got too close to him as he fired off rounds.

  Harper wasn't nearly as good of a shot as Brittney, but she still managed to take down a few. For the most part, she screamed orders out to Chloe, who was fighting vampires with her stake and pepper spray. She was levitating while she did so, kicking out at anyone who got too close to her.

  Meanwhile, other fey joined the battle. They brought their own weapons, curses and spells, and weaponry. Marissa was right in the middle of the battle, aiding however she could.

  The battle seemed to go on forever. All of them knew they couldn't let a single demon escape, or they'd bring back more. This was obviously a coordinated effort already, but the good part was that they didn't expect the Afterlife crew to be there.

  Sarah felt a talon from a harpy go into her side, and she howled in indignation and pain, but didn't transform back. Instead, she turned and bit the demon's throat out. Then she looked around. The ground was littered with bodies. Some of them were fey.

  She transformed back into a human and touched the wound on her side. It was deep -- she'd need stitches. She looked around for the others. Alec had a long cut on his face, Conner was cradling a broken arm, Chloe's nose was bleeding, and Brittney was limping. The only one who looked unharmed was Harper.

  Then she saw Marissa. The wood nymph was lying on the ground, bleeding profusely from a cut on her neck. Sarah ignored the pain in her side and ran up to the woman. She knelt down beside her and felt for a pulse. There was one, but it was weak.

  The wound was bad, and Sarah didn't know if she could survive it, even with the fey's ability to heal themselves. She yanked her shirt off over her head, and made a bandage out of it, holding it against the gaping hole.

  "We need help over here!" she screamed.

  "I don't think she's going to make it," Chloe said softly as she approached and knelt beside Marissa. "She's losing too much blood."

  "She's going to be fine," Sarah said.

  She thought of Joseph, the younger fey who'd shown her the pictures of all his dead wives. She didn't want Marissa to be just another picture on the mantle. Someone who'd been a part of his life, and was now gone.

  "She's going to make it. Somebody help me get her inside. Now!"

  Conner appeared, and picked up Marissa. He carried her into the closest house, and Sarah turned to the fairy who was watching. "Clean your table off. Get me water. Get me alcohol. You have alcohol, right? Get sheets too, clean ones."

  The fairy didn't argue but immediately set off to collect the things asked for. Sarah felt her own wound bleeding, but she ignored it for now. Chloe cleaned off the kitchen table and Conner laid Marissa on it.

  Sarah went to work immediately. She cleaned out the wound, poured alcohol over it to disinfect it, and then looked around. She was thinking hard. "Do you have super glue?"

  "Super glue?"

  "Yes!"

  The fairy hesitated and then went to her closet. She began digging around in it.

  "Hurry up," Sarah demanded.

  The woman returned a moment later holding a bottle of super glue. Sarah poured a liberal amount into the wound and pressed it together. Then she bandaged it using strips of the sheet that had been brought out.

  She checked Marissa's pulse again, and then turned to Chloe. "She's going to live."

  "You're sure?"

  "Yes."

  Marissa's eyes flickered and then opened. She tried to sit up, but Sarah pushed her back down again. "Don't move. You were badly hurt. You're going to be okay, but you need rest."

  "Get me Joseph," Marissa whispered.

  Sarah turned to Chloe. "Go get him."

  Chloe turned and ran out of the house. Once again, Sarah was surprised by how fast the fey could move. They'd returned in what seemed like just a few moments.

  Joseph leaned over Marissa and kissed her forehead gently. Then he looked over at Sarah. "You saved her life?"

  "Yes."

  "Then thank you," Joseph said. There were tears in his eyes. "Thank you so much, Sarah. You have no idea how much this me
ans to me."

  "I didn't want her to be another picture on your mantle," Sarah said. "She deserves better than that."

  Joseph gave a shaky laugh.

  "Joe," Marissa whispered. "Come here."

  "You shouldn't be talking," Sarah said.

  Joseph went back to her and took her hand. "Be quiet, love. Let yourself heal."

  "We need the contingency plan," Marissa whispered in a raspy voice. "You know what to do. Call the council."

  "Are you sure about that?"

  The look in her eyes said enough. Then she closed them and passed back out.

  "You're calling the council?" Chloe asked.

  "Yes," Joseph said. "Come with me, Chloe. You should be there. You're one of us, after all."

  THIRTEEN

  Chloe walked with the other fairies to the center tree in the middle of the village. Afterlife followed her, but none of them were talking. Everyone was too exhausted by the fight. Sarah had taken time to see to their wounds before Joseph had blown a horn that would summon all the fey.

  Once they'd arrived, Chloe went over to Joseph. "What's this about? What's the plan? What was Marissa talking about?"

  "You'll find out," Joseph said.

  He avoided her gaze, which made Chloe very worried. What could they possibly be thinking of doing? She didn't think she'd like whatever it was, or he'd just tell her.

  Joseph walked to the center of the fey, who were sitting in rows around the tree. There were some who were still injured but they were already healing. The ones who didn't make it, the ones who died, would be removed later. Chloe remembered what happened to a fairy when they died. Their bodies were burned, and their ashes scattered under trees. Then their souls would be lifted and they'd return in another life.

  "As you all know by now, our home is no longer safe," Joseph said. "Our magic is fading, and we don't know why. What we do know is that demons are coming in and they're attacking. We are lucky that today we had the members of Afterlife with us, because without them, I don't think many of us would be here."

  He looked around at Sarah. "They saved my wife," he said, "and Marissa speaks for us, but she is healing, and she has sent me in her stead. She wants to lock the forest."

  There were murmurs around among the fairies.

  Chloe's eyes widened. "You can't do that!"

  "We can," Joseph said. "And at this point, we must."

  "What does that mean?" Harper asked. "You're going to lock the forest? How do you do that? What will happen?"

  Joseph looked straight at Harper. "Marissa asked you for help, and you graciously fought for us. We are forever grateful for the help you've given us, and I apologize for what we must now vote on. If we lock the forest, there will be no entry and no exit. Those that are here will stay here."

  "You can't do that," Alec said. "You have to let us leave first."

  "We don't have time," Joseph said. "There could be more demons on the way right now. We must lock the forest and figure out the problem before anyone can leave."

  "No," Brittney said.

  "No," Harper agreed. "We don't belong here."

  Sarah looked over at Conner. Chloe saw the way they were exchanging glances.

  "No," Chloe told them both. "You can't want to be locked in here. We don't belong here."

  "You're one of the fey," Sarah said. "You belong here, Chloe, and the rest of us do here, at least until we figure this out. We owe them that much."

  Conner nodded. "Alec was the one who said we couldn't be scared, and Brittney, you said that this is what we do. We help those who can't help themselves. It's not forever."

  "It could be," Chloe said.

  "It won't be," Sarah said. "They'll figure out their magic, and we'll leave. Until then, we stay."

  The members of Afterlife began arguing, but Joseph cleared his throat and interrupted them.

  "It is not your decision," he said. "This decision rests with the fey. We will put it to vote. Those who believe we should lock the forest, lift your hands. Chloe, you may vote."

  Chloe looked around. Almost all of the fey had their hands raised.

  "And those who believe we should leave the forest unlocked..."

  Chloe half-heartedly raised her hand, as did a half a dozen others.

  "Then the motion has passed," Joseph said.

  He approached the tree they were gathered around and said a few words. There was a shimmering that passed over them all. Then he said. "The spell has been completed. Nobody may leave. Nobody may enter. Go home now and rest. Those of you from Afterlife may stay with me and Marissa."

  Chloe shook her head and stormed off before anyone could stop her. She went to the edge of the forest and tried to walk out. She hit an invisible barrier. She cursed and tried again. The same thing happened. She felt tears streaming down her face. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to go home.

  Part of her didn't know why she was so upset. She was fey; this could be her home too, if she let it. It was, at one point. She went back to her house, the one she'd shared with her parents. Brittney was waiting on the steps.

  "I'm sorry," Chloe said. "I shouldn't have left you there with them."

  "It's alright," Brittney said. "Are you okay?"

  "Are you?" Chloe asked. "Your ankle is twisted, isn't it? I saw you limping."

  "I'll be fine," Brittney said. "Should we go back? Marissa and Joseph will take us in."

  "No," Chloe said. "If I have to stay here, I'll stay here, in my house. Do you want to stay with me? It's not clean, and it's not cozy, but it's my home, Brittney."

  "Yes."

  "Will Peter be alright?" Chloe asked.

  "Peter can take care of himself," Brittney said. "We were supposed to go car shopping, but he'll manage. I left a credit card, and there's food in the house. At least someone's there to take Ash. Chloe, how long are we going to be here?"

  "I don't know," Chloe said. "It's a complex spell. Only Joseph can undo it, because he cast it. Normally only the leader of the fey would be able to, but Marissa must have granted him the power. She's in charge around here. We just have to figure out why their magic is fading, and then we can leave."

  "I can't believe Sarah and Conner took their side," Brittney sighed. "You would have thought that Conner at least would have spoken up for us."

  Chloe nodded. "They're both hurting for their own reasons. My guess would be that Conner thinks he can make up for what happened to Samuel. As for Sarah, she's just trying to forget him."

  Brittney nodded.

  "Come on, let's go inside," Chloe said. The two of them went in, and sat down on the musty couch. "We can sleep in my parent's room."

  "Tell me about them," Brittney said. "You never talk about them."

  "Sometimes I forget about them," Chloe said. "I forget what they looked like, or what kind of people they were. When I'm here, though, it's so fresh. My mother could sing. She had the most beautiful voice. Whenever I had some kind of scratch or whatever, she'd sing and it would heal. That was her power. My father was a big man, bigger than most fey, and he would pick me up and swing me over his head."

  Brittney smiled.

  "My mother couldn't cook either, did I ever tell you that?" Chloe asked. "It was my father who would do the cooking at our house. He would make huge meals that we could eat for days, and we would take the leftovers to people who were sick."

  "I'm sorry for what happened to them," Brittney said.

  "Me too," Chloe said. "And I'm sorry I let it keep me away for so long. Maybe afterward, after we can leave, and this whole mess is resolved, maybe we can come back and visit."

  "They don't like me here," Brittney said.

  "They're going to owe you," Chloe said with a laugh. "They're going to owe all of Afterlife. If you want to visit with me, you can visit with me. Forget anything else."

  For a moment, the two of them sat in companionable silence.

  "Chloe, do you want a family someday?" Brittney asked.

  "What?"
/>   "You know, the whole kids thing," Brittney said. "Do you want kids someday?"

  Chloe was taken aback by the question. "I don't know. Do you?"

  "Yeah," Brittney said. "I do."

  "Maybe someday we'll get handfasted," Chloe said.

  "What's a handfasting?"

  Chloe went to the mantle and took down one of the dusty pictures. She wiped it off and took it back to show Brittney. It showed a woman and a man standing together, dressed in bright robes, emitting a soft glow. There were ribbons tying their wrists together.

  "It's like a wedding," Chloe said. "Except they bind your souls together for all of eternity."

  "I see."

  "Can I tell you something?" Chloe asked. "Without you getting upset?"

  "Sure."

  "Wren said I'd end up with a member of the fey."

  "What?"

  Chloe nodded. "I've thought about it a lot since, because I love you, and you're the one I want to be with, but he told me I'd end up with a member of the fey. He said that, and I didn't want to believe him, but I ran into a friend of mine from childhood, another love fairy, and he told me the same thing."

  Brittney didn't respond.

  "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier," Chloe said.

  "Well then, I guess let's just enjoy the time we have together, Chloe," Brittney said.

  "It doesn't mean anything," Chloe said, frowning.

  Brittney reached over and took Chloe's hands. They clasped them atop the picture of Chloe's parents, forever smiling.

  "Oh, Chloe, my love. It means everything."

  FOURTEEN

  Conner and Harper walked around together, silent at first. Neither of them wanted to drag up a conversation that would lead back to their breakup. Conner hated it; he wanted things to go back to normal, the time before they started dating. He wanted to laugh and joke and tell stories like they used to.

  He realized now he should never had even tried a relationship with Harper. He should have accepted the fact that she loved his best friend and moved on to someone else. The problem was there was nobody else. Any girl he went after would fall under his spell eventually. He didn't have to keep them there, but it was always a possibility.

  "So are you going to stay with Joseph and Marissa?" he asked.