King of the Wilds - Tasha Black Page 0,19

Bron cried, his voice breaking as he ran after her.

Dorian was calling midnight now, shadows gathering over his dark head, swirling over the creek to blot out the moonlight.

Sara held out the mirror in quivering hands as Tabitha followed Miranda into the depths.

Bron dove in. Even though it was full summer, the water was so cold he thought it might stop his heart.

Instantly, he felt the presence of the algae and fish that called this place their home. Their universe was awash in activity and they sensed the inherent wrongness of the kelpie.

Pushing their bubbling fretfulness aside, Bron reached out with his mind for Miranda and found her struggling.

She was somewhere on the rocky bottom of this pond, hooves holding her down as the kelpie raged against her for trying to steal its prey.

Bron moved toward them, feeling for the boy.

A grassy green energy tinged the water where the young one thrashed.

“Easy,” Bron murmured when he felt warm flesh against his hand.

He could feel the kelpie now. It was not really a horse, or he could have communicated with it easily. Its energy was pinched and wild.

He placed a hand on its muscular neck and managed to cling on to the rough mane.

“Easy,” he said again, trying to reach the part of it that was a horse.

It stilled for an instant and he heard Miranda and the boy both break the surface of the water.

The boy scrambled instantly for the bank, where Sara and Tabitha pulled him up.

“Are you okay?” Bron heard Sara ask.

The boy ran into the trees, presumably back to his car and home.

“Easy,” Bron told the kelpie again.

It tossed its head and he could see the whites of its eyes.

“Easy,” Miranda whispered from the other side of the beast.

Bron noticed that her hand was on its sleek neck, same as his.

She was echoing his words and commands.

And it was working.

Between his command of the horse nature of the beast and her ability to compel creatures with her words, they were holding the thing still.

“Now, Sara,” Tabitha said quietly, realizing they had a small window of opportunity.

Gorgeous hunter of the sea,

Mouth so hungry, hooves so free,

You came here to find new prey,

Shallow water stole it away,

Empty belly, you need more,

Hunt no more upon this shore,

Back to your home and waters deep

With prey to chase and souls to keep

Flimsy boats, prey at the helm,

Are back inside your mirror realm.

Sara closed her eyes.

Bron felt huge muscles move in slow motion under his hands.

The kelpie leapt bonelessly out of the water and disappeared into the mirror shard in Sara’s hands as Dorian bound the veil of midnight tightly around them.

An instant later, it was done.

Sara held the mirror, an amazed look on her face.

“Where’s Tristan?” Tabitha asked.

They looked around.

“There,” Dorian said, pointing past the inlet.

Tristan stood in the distance. Light emanated from his whole body.

The Will o’ the wisps surrounded him like stars in a galaxy.

Sara took off toward him, digging in her bag for the last mirror shard.

Dorian was right behind her, midnight trailing behind him like a cloak.

“Are you okay?” Bron asked Miranda.

“I’m fine,” she gasped. “We should help them.”

“No, love,” he told her, holding her close. “The wisps have nothing left to lure travelers to. They’ll give up without a fight.”

She relaxed slightly in his arms and he became aware of the warmth blossoming between them.

“You’re crazy,” he murmured into her hair. “You could have died.”

“The boy was in trouble,” she said. “I can take care of myself.”

And he loved her for her pluck, even though she had clearly been on the creek bed being trampled and drowned when he’d found her.

“I was glad to see you though,” she admitted.

He threw his head back and laughed.

Beyond them, he could hear Sara singing to the wisps, drawing them into their shard.

“I guess that’s it,” Miranda said softly. “No more monsters.”

He heard what she was saying, and knew what it meant. There was no more reason for them to spend time together.

He felt as if the garden in his soul were withering.

The others cheered as they all headed down the bank.

“We still have to return the shards to the mirror,” he told her. “You’ll come with us for that. You’re the only one who is legally allowed to be there.”

“Sure,” she said, looking chastened. “Of course.”

“I didn’t mean—” he began.

“It’s fine,” she said lightly.

“Ready to head to the mansion?” Sara asked excitedly as the others joined them.

“Sure,” Bron said. “Miranda is coming, too.”

“Of course she is,” Tabitha said, marching past