You scan the tavern, suspecting it's either the pair of elves in the corner who have been shooting glances your way or the bearded man who glares at you from the open doorway he just burst through.
Either way, the spell sends you through the window. Glass rains down as the other patrons scream. The onset of pain releases you from their control. You...
The elves watch you enter, their faces passive. The bearded man is nowhere to be found, but the memory of him lingers in your mind. He’d resembled your best friend Javier, but that wasn’t possible.
The rest of the patrons all scatter, some taking a back exit and others weaving between you and the door while the bartender sweeps up glass. He’s new to town, and he clearly wants to kick you out, but he saw your black tongue when you ordered earlier. He knows what you are. So he says nothing.
You…
head for the elves. Enemy or not, they saw what happened.
head for the bartender. The elves don’t interfere with humans, so they won’t help you.
They watch you approach without a word. The one seems ancient—something about her eyes and white hair which contrast her smooth brown skin. The other is her opposite—young, light skin, dark hair. Perhaps a son. They have the same ears. But don’t all elves?
“Did you see where he went?” you ask.
They exchange a glance, but remain silent. The older one takes a slow sip from her tankard.
Your hand twitches over your cloak pocket where your wand sits.
You…
pull out your wand. Maybe that will help you get answers.
give up. You’ve wasted enough time. Time to try the bartender.
The moment your wand is out, the elves rise, the eerily fluid motion making you step back. The bartender shoots them a grateful look before hiding behind the bar.
“You’re not wanted here,” the older one says. “Leave now.”
The younger draws his hands together, the air around them blurring with the pulse of his energy.
You…
back away, tucking your wand in your pocket. Your attacker is probably long gone anyway. This isn’t worth the fight.
flick your wrist. You’ve always wanted to test your skills against the elves’ magic.
You're spit out into a glittering cerulean expanse, but you can't tell up from down. You…
fall fast, barely recognizing the expanse as water before you drop into the vast ocean.
soar high, aiming for the pink clouds breaking up what you think might be sky.
Your body seizes and morphs, adapting you to your new environment by forming gills, scales, and fins. The pain of the process is over in seconds, leaving you feeling stronger than before. You scan your surroundings and…
head to your right where there are glimmers of light, like a distant city.
head to your left, where the hull of a ship breaks the water’s surface.
The closer you get, the more you make out individual homes and buildings. A store, a meeting hall, even a park where dozens of miniature creatures like you swim through tunnels of coral. You thought the sun had been rising, but the sky above darkens as if it has set, and the bioluminescent glow of the town’s plants grows brighter.
A young woman with scales and fins bumps into you.
“Sorry.” Her voice comes through like it has a direct line to your brain, bypassing the water. “I was distracted. Didn’t see you.” She smiles, then moves to leave. You…
ask her to show you around. She seems nice.
follow her. She seems to know what she’s doing.
She blinks at you, then glances out to the deeper seas where you’ve just come from. Had she been headed to the boat?
“Sure,” she says slowly. “I’m Eliza. Did you just come through the portal?”
“Yes,” you say in surprise. “Is that how you got here?”
“It’s how everyone gets here.” She laughs. “No one’s made here. We’re just remade. Except for the king.” Her gaze angles back out to sea again.
“You were leaving, weren’t you? I can show myself around,” you say.
She sighs. “No, it’s all right.” Then she leans in conspiratorially. “Do you want to see the king for yourself?”
You shrug. “I guess.”
She takes off, and you follow, hardly able to keep up with her swishing fins. The hull of the ship comes back into view, and you slow, no longer able to match Eliza’s speed, which is why the net that suddenly drops only catches her in its grip.
She screams, fighting against the ropes as they draw her back in. You…
rush forward to help her. Between the two of you, your teeth should be sharp enough to gnaw a hole through the net.
back away. If someone on the boat is hunting creatures like you, you don’t want to be near it when it casts its net again.
You tear through the net together, but you’ve nearly broken through the surface and she’s stuck, half her body out of the net, the other half still trapped.
“It’s the king,” she says in a panic. “Those he catches never return.”
You…
make one last attempt to chew apart the rope, knowing it’s futile.
grab on to the net. Maybe if you’re both caught and you work together, you can both get away.
You’re both hauled over the ship’s edge and unceremoniously dropped onto the deck. The rope clings to you, heavier now than it was in the water. At first you’re merely cold, but as the time lengthens, you sense pain in your chest.
You reach scale-studded hands for your neck, where gills suck at the air, trying, unsuccessfully, to pull oxygen from it the same way they get what you need from the water. The young woman does the same, her panic mirroring your own.
You gasp and thrash with new abandon, but hands firmly grip your wrists. When you turn, the sailor bent over you smacks your hand, like you’re a child reaching for an extra cookie.
“If you fight me, it won’t go well.” Slowly, he releases your wrists with a raised eyebrow.
You…
fight anyway. He caught you in a net. It’s not like he’s your friend.
hold still. Maybe he’ll throw you back like a fish that’s too small.
Footsteps pound the gravel behind you, and you pick up your pace. The dark path splits, one fork heading toward the woods, the other leading deeper into town. You…
take to the woods. You’ll be too exposed in the town, and you’d rather lead your enemy away from your home.
head into town. The woods are full of sprites and fae, evil creatures that would love to see your end.
You pull out your wand, uttering a spell to give you light. Still, you’re lost within minutes, no longer sure if you hear your pursuer behind or ahead of you. You pause, trying to control your panting so you can listen. To your right there’s a faint hum, like the song of the sprites. Can’t go there. Up ahead there’s a glow, like the fae have begun their nightly dance. No. You already made that mistake once before.
To your left there’s nothing but ominous silence, and behind you sense more than hear faint steps.
You…
head left. You came in the woods to hide from your attacker. No sense in confronting him now.
turn around. Whatever’s chasing you can’t be any worse than what has silenced an entire portion of the forest.
You hide behind a tree, watching the path. As soon as your pursuer rounds the bend, you’ll be able to attack. You withdraw your wand, running through the list of spells that might be most effective.
When a dark figure emerges, you hold out your wand…
uttering a quiet spell that binds your attacker’s legs. You don’t want to attract the sprites or fae.
shouting a violent spell that brings your attacker to his knees, squeezing the breath from his lungs.
The bartender keeps cleaning, ignoring you as if that might make you go away.
“Did you see where he went?” you ask.
He shakes his head so fast you hear it crack. The quick answer exposes his lie.
You…
pull out your wand. This will go faster if he has adequate motivation.
pull out money. Anyone can be bought.
Your body seizes and morphs, adapting you to your new environment by sprouting wings. The pain of the process is over in seconds, leaving you stronger than before. You scan your surroundings, realizing the clouds separate you from more than just sky. You…
fly for the dark mass above you. It almost looks like land.
fly for the water below you where a ship sails across the endless ocean.
The closer you get, the more certain you are that it’s land. Purple and green plants and trees you don’t recognize grow down from its surface, like stalactites in a cave. You…
reach for a branch, tucking in your wings so you can climb deeper into the tree like a monkey.
fly toward the sun, which seems to be setting upside down as it disappears behind the land above you. Maybe it’s some sort of floating land mass, and you can get above it.
The deeper you get into the grove, the more impossible it is to spread your wings, making you nervous that it will be difficult to escape if you come across something dangerous. But the most dangerous thing you find is a rosy red fruit hanging from a tree. It could be poisonous. Your stomach rumbles. Or it could be the major source of food for the hybrid creature you’ve become. You…
take a tentative bite. It’s not like one swallow will kill you.
leave it alone. You’ll have to be more desperate before you take a risk like that.
It tastes like sugar and strawberries, but it’s as juicy as an orange, its juice dripping down your chin. You close your eyes and swallow, desperately hoping there are no harmful side effects, not sure you can wait long enough to know for sure before taking another bite.
When your stomach doesn’t cramp and your mouth can’t stop salivating over the scent now clinging to the air around you, you take another bite, and another. You’ve reached the fruit’s core and you debate dropping it to the ocean below when there’s a flutter in the tree beside you.
Actually, there’s a flutter in the trees on either side of you, and the one in front of you. In moments, you’re surrounded by tiny furry creatures, with heads and tails like monkeys and plump furry bodies with short arms like squirrels. Well-fed squirrels. They eye the core in your hand, their beady eyes narrowing.
You…
scramble down, hoping to get to the treetop in time to drop below the treeline and resume flying.
hold out the core as an offering, or apology. You’re not sure exactly what they want, but you hope it’s enough.
As you approach the ship, a net drops, trapping you in its ropes. Your screams are lost to the depths of the ocean, without anyone around to hear them. As the net gets dragged in toward the ship, you…
thrash against the net and attempt to bite your way through the rope with your newer, sharper teeth.
reserve your strength. Once your captor gets you out of the net, you’ll have more opportunities to run, or swim.
You make a hole large enough to get your arm out, but the rope is too thick and strong to get through more. You’re hauled over the ship’s edge and unceremoniously dropped onto the deck. The rope clings to you, heavier now than it was in the water. At first you’re merely cold, but as the time lengthens, you sense pain in your chest.
You reach scale-studded hands for your neck, where gills suck at the air, trying, unsuccessfully, to pull oxygen from it the same way they get what you need from the water.
You gasp and thrash with new abandon, but hands firmly grip your wrists. When you turn, the sailor bent over you smacks your hand, like you’re a child reaching for an extra cookie.
“If you fight me, it won’t go well.” Slowly, he releases your wrists with a raised eyebrow.
You…
fight anyway. He caught you in a net. It’s not like he’s your friend.
hold still. You’re already exhausted, and maybe he didn’t mean to catch you. Maybe he’ll throw you back like a fish that’s too small.
She takes off, and you follow, hardly able to keep up with her swishing fins. The hull of the ship comes back into view, and you slow, not finding near as many plants to hide behind. A net suddenly drops, catching her in its grip.
She screams, fighting against the ropes as they draw her back in. You…
rush forward to help her. Between the two of you, your teeth should be sharp enough to gnaw a hole through the net.
back away. If someone on the boat is hunting creatures like you, you don’t want to be near it when it casts its net again.
You pick up your pace, dodging through a back alley that leads out to the church. As you round the corner, the echo of your footsteps briefly doubles—your pursuer is in the alley.
You can’t keep running. You…
find a hiding spot in the churchyard. It doesn’t matter who’s buried there. Plenty of the gravestones are tall enough to hide your small frame.
stand at the mouth of the alley. You’ll have the element of surprise when they round the corner.
Sweat drips down your neck as you count the minutes. You ignore the name on the headstone beside you, not wanting to know which of your neighbors lies below your feet.
“Psst! You there?”
You let your guard down at the sound of the familiar voice, even though he’s likely to now be an enemy.
“The elves are after you. Please, let me help!”
You…
stay hidden. It’s a trap.
come out, wand at the ready. Javier was never much for magic. The cost was too high.
You grow more certain that it’s Javier the longer he calls for you. He was once your best friend, but his intended rests in a nearby grave, her death having been at your hands. Javier isn’t here to help you. When the urgent whispers die down, you wait for several long moments before peeking around the headstone. Javier is nowhere to be found. Instead, the two elves explore the churchyard, their faces set in passive study. You pull back, making sure you’re in the shadows as you watch them.
They close their eyes, muttering incantations too low for you to understand. Their arms spread wide, invitingly, and the churchyard fills will groans.
You stumble back as one after one the spirits of those you’ve murdered rise from the ground, all of their sightless eyes fixed toward you. Soon after, the younger fae’s gaze is on your, the shadows no longer hiding you among the spirits’ incandescent glow.
You…
“Psst! You there?”
You let your guard down at the sound of the familiar voice, even though he’s likely to now be an enemy.
“The elves are after you. Please, let me help!”
You…
run. Doesn’t matter if you’re running from the elves or the spirits. They all clearly want you dead.
pull out your wand. You can’t run forever.
After throwing down a few coins, you rephrase your question. “Where did he go?”
The bartender glances at the elves, then the coins. He slips them in his pocket. “Your friend went out the back. I saw him head into town.”
“My friend?”
The bartender nods, then hesitates. “I thought you and Javier were still friends…”
So it had been Javier.
“As much as anyone wants to be friends with a wizard.”
The bartender shudders and averts his eyes. Ignoring the elves you exit the tavern, taking off toward town. You…
make your way to the churchyard. If it really was Javier, that would be his first stop.
make your way home. If Javier came for you, he won’t rest until he’s destroyed your life the way you destroyed his.
Despite being the one to chase Javier, you sense eyes on you as you rush through the cobble streets. It’s late enough that few are out, but that doesn’t mean no one’s watching. What will they think of you making a trip to the churchyard?
It doesn’t matter. You enter the grounds, ignoring the familiar names on headstones, not wanting to picture their faces, especially in their final moments. You head straight for Eliza’s grave, where a cloaked figure bends over her headstone, shoulders shaking with silent sobs.
You…
leave. He won’t want you here while he grieves.
cough, giving him time to recover before he turns to face you.
Before you get home, two tall figures step out from an alley, silhouetted by the lone street lantern’s light. They shift, revealing the white hair of the older elf from the tavern. How had they arrived here first?
You…
back away. You’re no match for the elves. Besides, it was Javier who attacked you, wasn’t it?
pull out your wand. You’d thought Javier had been the one to attack you, but it’s clear these two have it out for you. Besides, you’ve always wanted to test your skills against the elves’ magic.
Muscles you didn’t realize you had grow weary as you push your wings to their max, hoping the ship’s occupants will be nice enough to let you rest on their deck. Your eyes have become like an eagle’s, so you’re still dozens of feet away when you make out a lone sailor casting a net.
A fisherman. Maybe he’ll tell you about this world while you rest.
You circle the boat, giving him ample time to see you as you decrease your elevation. As you line up to land, he abandons his net, which seems to have caught something far larger than a fish. He reaches for a bow and arrow, then aims it right at you.
You…
flee. You don’t want to be shot down.
call out your surrender. You don’t have the strength to fly anywhere else anyway.
The sailor hesitates, and for a moment you think he’ll let you land. Instead, he lets the arrow loose, and it slices through your wing. Air ripples over the gash, dropping you through the sky in a strange pattern that’s half-fall, half-flight. You try to control your landing, but even if you can control it, you don’t have good options. You…
attempt to land on the boat. The sailor shot you, but he didn’t kill you. Anything’s better than drowning.
attempt to land in the water. You’d rather take your chances with the unknown than someone who shot at you.
After a while, you catch sight of furry brown wings curled up like your own. You sneak through several more trees to get closer, but it’s impossible to approach silently with your wings crashing into branches.
The figure turns, and a young man breaks into a grin, his wings rising to flutter slightly as if involuntarily greeting you.
“Hello, there! I’m Haruto.” The man swings through the branches with a practiced ease. “You must be new. Did you just come through the portal?”
“Yes,” you say in surprise. “Is that how you got here?”
He laughs. “It’s how everyone gets here. No one’s made. We’re just remade. Except for the king.” He angles his gaze downward. “Did you see him when you arrived?”
You shake your head.
“He lives on a boat in the water,” Haruto says, leaning in conspiratorially. “Want to go see him?”
You..
agree. Maybe the king knows how you can get back home.
say no. You’d had a bad feeling about that boat to begin with.
The two of you make your way back through the trees, then fly toward the ship you’d been avoiding.
You circle the boat, giving the king ample time to see you as you decrease your elevation. As you line up to land, he abandons his net, which seems to have caught something far larger than a fish. He reaches for a bow and arrow, and Haruto growls, diving at the king. He’s shot down before you can blink, landing in the water with a sickening splash.
The king pivots, adjusting his aim for you.
You…
flee. You don’t want to be shot down.
hold your hands out in surrender. You don’t have the strength to fly anywhere else anyway.
You’re hauled over the ship’s edge and unceremoniously dropped onto the deck. The rope clings to you, heavier now than it was in the water. At first you’re merely cold, but as the time lengthens, you sense pain in your chest.
You reach scale-studded hands for your neck, where gills suck at the air, trying, unsuccessfully, to pull oxygen from it the same way they get what you need from the water.
You gasp and thrash with new abandon, but hands firmly grip your wrists. When you turn, the sailor bent over you smacks your hand, like you’re a child reaching for an extra cookie.
“If you fight me, it won’t go well.” Slowly, he releases your wrists with a raised eyebrow.
You…
fight anyway. He caught you in a net. It’s not like he’s your friend.
hold still. Maybe he didn’t mean to catch you. Maybe he’ll throw you back like a fish that’s too small.
You sense eyes on you as you rush through the cobble streets. It’s late enough that few are out, but that doesn’t mean no one’s watching. Before you get home, two tall figures step out from an alley, silhouetted by the lone street lantern’s light.
They shift, revealing the white hair of the older elf from the tavern. How had they arrived here first?
You…
back away. You’re no match for the elves. Besides, it was Javier who attacked you, wasn’t it?
pull out your wand. You’d thought Javier had been the one to attack you, but it’s clear these two have it out for you. Besides, you’ve always wanted to test your skills against the elves’ magic.
He frowns. “Good luck, then.” He takes off through the branches, faster than you imagined someone with wings on their back. Once he’s gone, there’s a sense of loss, and your stomach rumbles even louder. You should have at least asked if the fruit was safe to eat.
You grab one, taking a small bite from its flesh. It takes like sugar and strawberries, but it’s as juicy as an orange, its juice dripping down your chin. You close your eyes and swallow, desperately hoping there are no harmful side effects, not sure you can wait long enough to know for sure before taking another bite.
When your stomach doesn’t cramp and your mouth can’t stop salivating over the scent now clinging to the air around you, you take another bite, and another. You’ve reached the fruit’s core and you debate dropping it to the ocean below when there’s a flutter in the tree beside you.
Actually, there’s a flutter in the trees on either side of you, and the one in front of you. In moments, you’re surrounded by tiny furry creatures, with heads and tails like monkeys and plump furry bodies with short arms like squirrels. Well-fed squirrels. They eye the core in your hand, their beady eyes narrowing.
You…
scramble down, hoping to get to the treetop in time to drop below the treeline and resume flying.
hold out the core as an offering, or apology. You’re not sure exactly what they want, but you hope it’s enough.
You step out of the tavern, irritated at the way the night has gone. You’d just wanted to drown yourself in ale to forget about all the murders from the last year.
Instead, you let your growing paranoia over the number of people seeking vengeance get the better of you. Any one of them would take your black tongue in an instant, hoping it might reverse the words you spoke to kill their loved ones.
You debate whether or not you’ll wake with a hangover when you’re clubbed from behind and the world goes black for the last time.
<><><><><><><><>
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Before a spell can leave your lips, the younger elf has lifted his hand, freezing your tongue. Your eyes widen in panic, knowing what comes next.
“You chose poorly when you took Alethia’s life,” the older elf says. “Not yet grown into her power, but anchored to those who were.” She tucks her hair behind her ear, revealing a gash in her lobe that you hadn’t noticed before.
“We all felt my daughter’s soul ripped from the world,” The younger elf says. “You’ve taken many souls, but hers was the last.”
You can’t help your gasp of understanding. Ever since you came into your power, you’d had to take the lives of women, men, children—any life that could prolong your own. Until the last girl. For some reason her life had freed you from your curse.
Had she been an elf?
Against your will, your mouth opens and your black tongue extends. For the first time the elves’s faces twist with emotion—disgust. And then they take your tongue.
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Your self-hatred grows as you watch her break the surface and eventually disappear. Is she suffering? Is she dead? Could you have done something to help her? The ship’s hull shifts, pointing a new direction. The fisherman must have raised his sails, because now the boat is headed further out to sea.
Will he sell her? Keep her as some sort of prize? Eat her? You shudder.
You’re so caught up in the horror of what you let happen that you don’t notice the glow from the bioluminescent plants shifting as a large figure swims between you and the few plants this far out. The water around you grows warmer, but by the time you sense the change, it’s too late.
You turn to see the pale white nose of a beast.
Whale? Shark?
It doesn’t matter. Its jaw widens, revealing row upon row of teeth. At least your end is mercifully quick.
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You bare your new teeth and clamp down on the sailor’s hand. He howls, then wraps an arm around you and drives something sharp into your back. You release his hand, making your own undignified noise in responds to the sharp burn of whatever broke skin and flesh.
You crumple to the deck, too damaged and worn out from your efforts to keep fighting.
“I warned you,” he says, then he picks you up and heaves you over the edge.
Blood clouds into the water around you, and you know that should worry you, but your body gains a euphoric burst of energy as your gills take in water. You spin around, trying to reach the blade or arrow, but it’s no use. You’ll have to find someone willing to help you. Maybe in that town you’d seen.
Before you can swim away, the glow from the bioluminescent plants shifts, and the bloody cloud surrounding you is replaced by the pale white nose of a beast.
Whale? Shark?
It doesn’t matter. Its jaw widens, revealing row upon row of teeth. At least your end is mercifully quick.
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He eases back, hands out like he’s calming a wild beast. You stare at each other, both your chests heaving. That’s when you realize you’re breathing the air around you. You reach a hand for the gills on your neck, but they’re half their size, along with the fins and scales on your body.
One glance at the woman reveals she’s transitioning like you. Within moments, you both have human legs and skin.
The man smiles and nods, then holds out a hand in greeting. “I’m Javier. I’m one of the Betweens.”
“The Betweens?” you ask.
He gestures between the sky and the water. “We live between the Bottom-feeders and the Sky-scrapers.”
You think you understand, but you’re scared to hope. “There’s more of you?”
He nods. “Dozens. We’re trying to find a way back through the portal. This world isn’t any kinder to the Betweens than it is to Bottom-feeders and Sky-scrapers. I come out to collect stragglers and recent portal jumpers, but most days I return empty-handed. Everyone will be excited to meet you.”
“Why?”
“Because you survived.” He thumps me on the back before taking to the ship’s wheel. “That’s rare in this world. You should be proud.”
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The silence of the woods is enough to make a person scream. Each step you take feels magnified in your ears. You no longer hear anyone behind you, so you stop and wait. The trees surround you, not a single leaf stirring, but instead of offering protection, they seem to loom over you with judgment. You debate turning back. You can’t imagine spending the night out here hiding from your enemy.
Before you can give into your fears, one of the elves from the tavern stands at your side, like she blinked into existence. You jump back, but her expression remains flat. She blends in with the woods, her hair and skin taking on the bark’s texture, as if she could become one with them at any moment.
“You chose poorly when you took Alethia’s life,” she says. “Not yet grown into her power, but anchored to those who were.” She tucks her hair behind her ear, revealing a gash in her lobe that you hadn’t noticed before.
The younger elf appears at her side. His camouflage is more complete, leaving mostly his hands and eyes for you to see. Or maybe his power is less, making it harder for him to resist the woods and hold on to his human shape.
“We all felt my daughter’s soul ripped from the world,” he says. “You’ve taken many souls, but hers was the last.”
You can’t help your gasp of understanding. Ever since you came into your power, you’d had to take the lives of women, men, children—any life that could prolong your own. Until the last girl. For some reason her life had freed you from your curse.
Had she been an elf?
Against your will, your mouth opens and your black tongue extends. For the first time the elves’s faces twist with emotion—disgust. You close your eyes, unwilling to watch as they cut it out.
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A twist of your wand causes an internal bleed that doubles him over in pain. He could survive the choking spell, but now you can get answers before he dies a slow and painful death.
You roll him over, then suck in a breath as Javier’s panicked gaze meets yours. You hadn’t recognized him beneath the scraggly beard and shapeless cloak. Your best friend had been gone for over a year. What had brought him back?
His hand reaches for your face, and you shake your head in horror. There’s no way to undo what you’ve done.
He nods. “I came to forgive you.”
A cry breaks loose in your throat as he offers the thing you never expected.
“Your power is strong, but your heart is weak.” He taps your chest. “That’s why you took her life. It was the only way to keep your power. You didn’t realize it would be better to strengthen your heart.”
The hundreds of faces plaguing your nightmares flash through your mind, including Javier’s intended. All the people you’d killed to maintain your power for another day.
“Tomorrow you’ll have power because today you took my life.” He groans, the swell of his belly and the paleness of his skin evidence of the injury caused by your spell—by you. “Still, I forgive you. Find a stronger source.”
You shake your head, not knowing how to do what he asks.
His eyes lose focus over your shoulder, and peace washes over his face. “Eliza,” he murmurs before growing still.
You bury your face in his chest, screaming against his lifeless body. His life is the last you’ll ever take. You break your wand in half and throw the pieces amongst the graves.
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Behind you, a bright light floods the path before you can turn over your attacker and identify him. You glance back, where a dozen fae line the edge of the clearing, still dancing despite the cold calculation in their eyes. The song of the sprites grows louder, rooting you to the ground, your spell no longer effective.
The man rises, saying something to you, but you only have ears for the sprites, who now fly in circles around you, and eyes for the fae, who continue dancing, the spins growing faster and closer, hemming you in between them. The other man tugs on your arm, but you slap him away. Why won’t he let you watch the dance in peace?
Thankfully the man leaves, but he’s replaced by the two elves from the tavern. What are they doing here? You begin dancing with the fae, the sprites’ song matching the fae’s rhythm. You try to remember why you didn’t want to be with these creatures in the first place, but it doesn’t seem to matter anymore. As you spin, you vaguely notice a sprite and fae joining with the elves, their heads all bent together in discussion.
Finally they turn, and for a moment the music and dancing stop. Your heart aches with the loss, but your head clears. No.
No, no, no. You have to get out of here before they trap you again. Before your connection to them becomes permanent. You reach for your wand, but your arms can’t move. While you remain frozen, the elves take several steps closer.
“We’d planned to take your tongue. Maybe even kill you,” the older elf says. You chose poorly when you took Alethia’s life. Not yet grown into her power, but anchored to those who were.” She tucks her hair behind her ear, revealing a gash in her lobe.
“We all felt my daughter’s soul ripped from the world,” The younger elf says. “You’ve taken many souls, but hers was the last.”
You can’t help your gasp of understanding. Ever since you came into your power, you’d had to take the lives of women, men, children—any life that could prolong your own. Until the last girl. For some reason her life had freed you from your curse.
Had she been an elf?
“We’ll still take your tongue,” the older elf says. “But then we’ll leave you to an eternity of dancing with the fae. Seems more fitting.”
Against your will, your mouth opens and your black tongue extends. For the first time the elves’s faces twist with emotion—disgust. You close your eyes, unwilling to watch as they cut it out.
<><><><><><><><>
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You fly along the land mass until the foliage grows more sparse and just soil rests above you. You run your fingers through it and let your wings brush against its surface, trying to figure out how there’s gravitational force holding the dirt in place while there’s also gravity forcing you to fly.
The muscles between your shoulders and wings grow more and more weary. You aim for what looks like the edge of the land mass, but it never seems to grow closer. When your wings want to give out, you look back, no longer able to see the trees that might give you rest. You hover, shoving your hands in the dirt as if you might be able to hang from the ground like a bat taking its claws to a cave’s ceiling.
Instead, your hands lose purchase, and your wings falter, their self-protective mechanism closing them in for a necessary rest. Your stomach drops out from under you as the land above grows smaller and the waves below grow larger.
You open your mouth to scream, but your throat is too parched to let anything come out. As you’re about to hit the water, you can’t help wishing you’d never gone through the portal.
<><><><><><><><>
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It’s slow moving through the trees, and the branches scrape your arms, legs, and wings as you drop through them. The creatures chasing you screech and howl, the sound more painful than your injuries.
Their furry bodies surround you, blocking your vision and nearly suffocating you, but instead of tiny teeth or claws, you sense only pricks on your skin, like hair being plucked. You continue dropping, knowing you can finally be free of them the moment you can fly.
As you fall into the sky and spread your wings, several monkey/squirrels fall with you, but they smile in victory. Too late you realize what the plucking sensation means. Air flows through your featherless wings, the thin skin, muscle, and bones powerless to aid you.
Your stomach drops out from under you as the land above grows smaller and the waves below grow larger. You open your mouth to scream, but your throat is too parched to let anything come out. As you’re about to hit the water, you can’t help wishing you’d never gone through the portal.
<><><><><><><><>
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They hiss, and suddenly their furry bodies surround you, blocking your vision and nearly suffocating you, but instead of tiny teeth or claws, you sense only pricks on your skin, like hair being plucked. You drop through the branches, knowing you can finally be free of them the moment you can fly.
As you fall into the sky and spread your wings, several monkey/squirrels fall with you, but they smile in victory. Too late you realize what the plucking sensation means. Air flows through your featherless wings, the thin skin, muscle, and bones powerless to aid you.
Your stomach drops out from under you as the land above grows smaller and the waves below grow larger. You open your mouth to scream, but your throat is too parched to let anything come out. As you’re about to hit the water, you can’t help wishing you’d never gone through the portal.
<><><><><><><><>
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He eases back, hands out like he’s calming a wild beast. You stare at each other, both your chests heaving. That’s when you realize you’re breathing the air around you. You reach a hand for the gills on your neck, but they’re half their size, along with the fins and scales on your body.
Within moments, you’ve transitioned back to your human self, with legs and skin.
He smiles and nods, then holds out a hand in greeting. “I’m Javier. I’m one of the Betweens.”
“The Betweens?” you ask.
He gestures between the sky and the water. “We live between the Bottom-feeders and the Sky-scrapers.”
You think you understand, but you’re scared to hope. “There’s more of you?”
He nods. “Dozens. We’re trying to find a way back through the portal. This world isn’t any kinder to the Betweens than it is to Bottom-feeders and Sky-scrapers. I come out to collect stragglers and recent portal jumpers, but most days I return empty-handed. Everyone will be excited to meet you.”
“Why?”
“Because you survived.” He thumps me on the back before taking to the ship’s wheel. “That’s rare in this world. You should be proud.”
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You watch and listen, timing your spell so that as soon as your pursuer rounds the bend, you’re able to attack.
When the dark figure emerges, your spell brings him to his knees, squeezing the breath from his lungs. You add a twist, causing an internal bleed that doubles him over in pain. He could survive the choking spell, but now you can get answers before he dies a slow and painful death.
You roll him over, then suck in a breath as Javier’s panicked gaze meets yours. You hadn’t recognized him beneath the scraggly beard and shapeless cloak. Your best friend had been gone for over a year. What had brought him back?
His hand reaches for your face, and you shake your head in horror. There’s no way to undo what you’ve done.
He nods. “I came to forgive you.”
A cry breaks loose in your throat as he offers the thing you never expected.
“Your power is strong, but your heart is weak.” He taps your chest. “That’s why you took her life. It was the only way to keep your power. You didn’t realize it would be better to strengthen your heart.”
The hundreds of faces plaguing your nightmares flash through your mind, including Javier’s intended. All the people you’d killed to maintain your power for another day.
“Tomorrow you have power because today you took my life.” He groans, the swell of his belly and the paleness of his skin evidence of the injury caused by your spell—by you. “Still, I forgive you. Find a stronger source.”
You shake your head, not knowing how to do what he asks.
His eyes lose focus over your shoulder, and peace washes over his face. “Eliza,” he murmurs before growing still.
You bury your face in his chest, screaming against his lifeless body. His life is the last you’ll ever take. You break your wand in half and toss the pieces amongst the graves.
<><><><><><><><>
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You turn back to the churchyard, irritated at the way the night has gone. You’d just wanted to drown yourself in ale to forget about all the murders from the last year. Instead, you let your growing paranoia over the number of people seeking vengeance get the better of you. Any one of them would take your black tongue in an instant, hoping it might reverse the words you spoke to kill their loved ones.
You debate whether to go back to the tavern for another drink or look for Javier once more when you’re clubbed from behind and the world goes black for the last time.
<><><><><><><><>
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“What do you want?” you ask.
He shakes his head. “I came to forgive you.”
Your heart stills. It’s not possible. Not after what you’ve done.
He glances over his shoulder. “Come, we can talk about this somewhere else. The elves are coming.”
Your suspicion returns. “I’m not going anywhere with you. You’ll kill me.”
Javier groans with irritation. “They’ll kill you! You killed one of their people. Why do you think you no longer need to kill? That elf will last you hundreds of days.”
You can’t help your gasp of understanding. Ever since you came into your power, you’d had to take the lives of women, men, children—any life that could prolong your own. Until the last girl. She had freed you from your curse.
“Your power is strong, but your heart is weak.” Javier’s words rush together in his desperation. “That’s why you took Eliza’s life. It was the only way to keep your power. You didn’t realize it would be better to strengthen your heart.”
The hundreds of faces plaguing your nightmares flash through your mind, including Javier’s intended. All the people you’d killed to maintain your power for another day. Perhaps Javier was right. It had been long enough since you killed. You no longer desired it the same way you desired magic. Maybe you could go on without killing, and eventually—when it ran out—without magic.
Before you have time to decide, the elves round the corner, their faces twisted with rage. You reach for your wand, but they’ve already frozen you in place.
“You chose poorly when you took Alethia’s life,” the older elf says. “Not yet grown into her power, but anchored to those who were.” She tucks her hair behind her ear, revealing a gash in her lobe.
“We all felt my daughter’s soul ripped from the world,” The younger elf says. “You’ve taken many souls, but hers was the last.”
Against your will, your mouth opens and your black tongue extends. For the first time the elves’s faces twist with emotion—disgust. And then they take your tongue.
<><><><><><><><>
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You fly high, quickly moving out of the sailor's range. But the muscles between your shoulders and wings grow more and more weary. You aim for the land above you, the ludicrous idea making you wonder if your brain is being affected by the lack of oxygen the higher you rise.
Only the air seems richer up here, like crisp mountain air with the scent of pine and…are those flowers? You crane your neck to see the expanse of foliage above. Hardly any of it’s recognizable with its purple hues, but it invites you in, offering a place to rest your aching wings.
But the distance is too far. Your wings falter instead of stretching, their self-protective mechanism closing in for a necessary rest. Your stomach drops out from under you as the land above grows smaller and the waves below grow larger.
You open your mouth to scream, but your throat is too parched to let anything come out. As you’re about to hit the water, you can’t help wishing you’d never gone through the portal.
<><><><><><><><>
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You land on the deck with a thump, your breath heaving as the pain from the wound mixes with the pain over your overworked wings. The man eases back, hands out like he’s calming a wild beast. That’s when you realize your pain is fading. In fact, your wings are fading, and your wound along with it.
Within moments, you’ve transitioned back to your human self, with arms and skin and no wings.
The man smiles and nods, then holds out a hand in greeting. “I’m Javier. I’m one of the Betweens.”
“The Betweens?” you ask.
He gestures between the sky and the water. “We live between the Bottom-feeders and the Sky-scrapers.”
You think you understand, but you’re scared to hope. “There’s more of you?”
He nods. “Dozens. We’re trying to find a way back through the portal. This world isn’t any kinder to the Betweens than it is to Bottom-feeders and Sky-scrapers. I come out to collect stragglers and recent portal jumpers, but most days I return empty-handed. Everyone will be excited to meet you.”
“Why?”
“Because you survived. “He thumps me on the back before taking to the ship’s wheel. That’s rare in this world. You should be proud.”
<><><><><><><><>
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When your body hits the water, pain seizes you once more, but this time your wings transition to fins, your feathers to gills. Before you can process how your body is breathing in water, a net wraps around you, and you’re being pulled onto the boat.
The sailor eases back, hands out like he’s calming a wild beast. You stare at each other, both your chests heaving. That’s when you realize you’re once again breathing the air around you. You reach a hand for the gills on your neck, but they’re half their size, along with the fins and scales on your body. Within moments, you have human legs and skin.
The man smiles and nods, then holds out a hand in greeting. “I’m Javier. I’m one of the Betweens.”
“The Betweens?” you ask.
He gestures between the sky and the water. “We live between the Bottom-feeders and the Sky-scrapers.”
You think you understand, but you’re scared to hope. “There’s more of you?”
He nods. “Dozens. We’re trying to find a way back through the portal. This world isn’t any kinder to the Betweens than it is to Bottom-feeders and Sky-scrapers. I come out to collect stragglers and recent portal jumpers, but most days I return empty-handed. Everyone will be excited to meet you.”
“Why?”
“Because you survived.” He thumps me on the back before taking to the ship’s wheel. “That’s rare in this world. You should be proud.”
<><><><><><><><>
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The king miraculously waits, allowing you to land on the deck with a soft thump. He eases back, hands out like he’s calming a wild beast. That’s when you realize your wings are fading. Within moments, you’ve transitioned back to your human self with arms and skin and no wings.
The king smiles and nods, then holds out a hand in greeting. “I’m Javier. I’m one of the Betweens.”
“The Betweens?” you ask. “Haruto told me you were a king.”
He shoots a glance toward the space where Haruto had disappeared beneath the waves. “I’m sorry about your friend, but he did attack me. And I’m not king.” He gestures between the sky and the water. “We live between the Bottom-feeders and the Sky-scrapers.”
You think you understand, but you’re scared to hope. “There’s more of you?”
He nods. “Dozens. We’re trying to find a way back through the portal. This world isn’t any kinder to the Betweens than it is to Bottom-feeders and Sky-scrapers. I come out to collect stragglers and recent portal jumpers, but most days I return empty-handed. Everyone will be excited to meet you.”
“Why?”
“Because you survived. “He thumps me on the back before taking to the ship’s wheel. That’s rare in this world. You should be proud.”
<><><><><><><><>
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