Tamsin Eventide
Tamsin waited, his carriage hidden by a copse of trees, for the tithe to show itself in the clearing. He was just out of sight. He didn’t need them to see him. It only added to the poor sacrifice’s confusion. He only hoped it would be over quickly and wouldn’t awaken the terrible hunger in his own curse.
One day, he hoped to control it, himself. Control his own ability to transform from man to wolf. But now, it came with the rise of the full moon. He’d been told by the Witch Queen that taking a mate would help him control his abilities, but he didn’t want to endanger anyone, especially not a future wife. A queen.
He watched as the Fae Cinder, peered through the doorway between the human world and their own forest. He seemed particularly delighted. “A pretty one this time,” he said over his shoulder, clearly talking to Tamsin.
It didn’t entice Tamsin as he was sure that’s what Cinder wanted. The Fae had a sadistic streak. But curiosity won out in the end, and he approached the doorway, looking through it.
There, a beautiful young woman stepped into the trees, following after Cinder’s deceptive and ever elusive faery light. The very sight of her, her pale face and dark hair, her slender frame...Tamsin repressed a shiver. There was something about her, something he couldn’t look away from.
Turning away from the doorway, Tamsin stalked back into the forest, his pulse accelerated, his mouth dry. He felt flushed. He’d never had that sort of reaction before. It was like the days before the moon was full, and he felt out of control. Just the sight of the girl had nearly driven him to do foolish things. He wanted to jump through himself and warn her. Tell her to run back to safety. To ignore Cinder’s light, his trap.
He stood in his spot, where he was forced to watch and tried to calm himself. He couldn't get the sight of her out of his mind.
#
River Black
River tucked her phone back in her pocket and kept going. The sparkle flared again, brighter now, she could see it refract light on the trees. Just a little into the woods. Not very far. She didn’t plan on actually going into the dense trees and underbrush.
River set one foot into the treeline and felt suddenly very strange. She felt as though she’d taken too much cough medicine. Drowsy and dizzy. Before she could ruminate on it, she kept going, walking deeper into the woods, falling the sparkle of silver light. A couple of years ago, she’d had a couple of drinks at a party, and she felt the very same way. Intoxicated.
Vaguely, she thought she heard music, like something wistful spilling from an old music box. It reminded her of being little, sitting on her mother’s bed and playing with her old costume jewelry while the little plastic ballerina spun around and around in the jewelry box.
A little voice in her head told her that she should go back. That this was all somehow a trick or dangerous, but she pushed away, stumbling over fallen branches and twisting vines. She just wanted a closer look at the little, sparkling light. It felt like a dream as she walked further into the woods. The little light grew brighter and was always just out of reach.
River laughed, almost as though this was a game of chase. She kept getting her clothes snagged on brambles but it didn’t matter. She had to see. She had to catch the little light. She kept pushing, kept walking. Her campsite wasn’t even visible now, she was too deep into the woods. The initial fear she had drifted away.
The trees started to thin out just as her legs hurt from exertion. The little silver ball of light flashed brightly and led her into a clearing. For a moment, she faltered. River looked around, totally lost. She felt confused, turned around. She had zigzagged and taken so many little game trails that she was sure she’d never be able to find her way back to the campground. Her parents might be worried.
She heard a twig snap and the rustle of branches. She spun around, facing the clearing again. “Hello?” she said, barely above a whisper. Frightened now, she was tempted to head back into the woods. At least the trees and vines offered cover. She felt so exposed in the clearing.
Probably just an animal, River thought, turning around in a semicircle, looking for the sparkling light. It seemed to be gone and the strange, tinkling music had faded and stopped too.
“Just great,” she muttered. “Now I’m lost.”
River took out her phone, even though she knew it was dead and had no signal. She hoped she could get it to come on. Mashing on the power button, nothing happened. The phone’s screen was black and not even the batter icon flashed. It was super dead.
“Dammit,” she cursed, stuffing the phone in her back pocket again.
She debated waiting until the sun rose to try and find her way back to the campsite. It couldn’t have been -that- far. She had no idea how long she’d chased the twinkling light, she had no concept of how much time had actually passed. It could have been hours or it could have been minutes. River had no clue.
Something about the clearing, though pleasant enough, bothered her. It made her feel really vulnerable, like a dream where you go to school with no pants on. She kept looking over her shoulder, feeling like someone was watching her. Probably just an animal, a raccoon or something, she reassured herself.
Still, she couldn’t shake the dread. River knew it would be smarter to head back to the campground when she could see better, but she couldn’t take just sitting there not doing anything. Just waiting. Waiting for what? She wasn’t sure, but she didn’t want to find out.
Before she could set foot back into the woods, to try and find the way she’d come, the sparkling light returned. Instead of delight or curiosity, she felt angry. It was that thing’s fault she was lost! She wanted to pick up a rock and childishly throw it at it. Instead, she stood still, watching it with narrowed eyes.
The light expanded, still shimmering, pulsing gently. It kept growing, almost stinging her eyes it was so bright. No longer angry or curious, River felt frozen in fear. Finally, the light flared so brightly she had to look away, shielding her eyes with her arm.
Just as suddenly as it returned, the light was gone. River blinked, spots dancing in her vision. When they cleared, she saw something so strange, she thought for sure this whole thing had indeed been a dream.
Standing in the center of the clearing, rippling like heat shimmer on the horizon, was a perfect rectangle, just a little taller and wider than she was, like a doorway. Inside of it was a blue sky, beautiful, bright colored flowers and a rippling stream. River shook her head as though it would make the vision go away. It didn’t.
It had to be a dream. Her breath came in short gasps and her ears rang. She didn’t know why. Maybe she was on the verge of a panic attack. She’d been having them lately. River closed her eyes for just a second, just to calm down.
When she opened her eyes, she was standing right in front of the strange doorway. It was daylight there, wherever there was, maybe close to sunset. She knew it must be a dream, but it all felt so real. And if it was a dream (which it had to be), then it couldn’t hurt to test it out, could it?
River extended her hand, putting it through the doorway shimmering in the air. Her arm didn’t hurt, it just tingled and felt warm. She could see her arm and hand on the other side. She could -feel- the breeze. She laughed because it was all so absurd, so strange.
Just as it had been warm, a sudden freezing chill wrapped itself around her wrist. Gasping, River tried to pull back. She couldn’t. Something she couldn’t see held on fast and pulled -back-. She dug her heels in, but whatever it was, was much stronger than her and gave another vicious yank.
“No!” River cried. “Help!” She hollered as loud as she could. Screaming until her throat hurt. She told herself she couldn’t be -that- far from where her parents slept in their tent. They had to hear her. If her dad ran, he could get her. He could save her. He was strong.
She just had to plant her feet, keep trying. She had to keep screaming for help. If she could just hold out a little longer, it would give her dad time to find her. To help her.
But there was nothing to brace herself on and whatever it was on the other side of the strange doorway was so strong, so powerful, that it only needed to give three more vicious tugs and it sent her tumbling through.
River tumbled end over end, confused and disorientated. She quickly scrabbled to her feet, her long, brown hair tangled with bits of twigs and leaves, her jeans torn, her blouse losing a button. The rectangular doorway now showed the nighttime clearing she’d just come from. It was so much farther away than it should be. And it started flickering, fading.
“No! Wait!” she cried, sprinting as fast and as hard as she could towards it. As she got nearer, she could see one of her converse tennis shoes on the ground and her drained cell phone. That’s all that was left of her. Before she could even touch the doorway again, it flared brightly once and then disappeared altogether. It was gone. Home was gone.
River Black River collapsed to her knees in front of where the doorway had just been moments before. She prided herself on being strong, being brave, but this was so far out of reality that it rendered her weak. Just for a moment. Tears streaked down her lightly freckled cheeks. “I’ve gotta wake up,” she whispered to herself, pinching her arm. All it did was sting a little. There was no way this was actually happening, she knew that. It wasn’t possible. You just didn’t get yanked into other...what? Dimensions? Worlds? After following a strange light. She knew it was stupid now. The music, the light. She’d heard fairy tales before. She’d listened to YouTube videos about going missing in the woods under bizarre circumstances. It was just she hadn’t believed in any of that stuff. She never really thought very deeply about it. After crying and pinching her arm until it was red, River got to her feet. She only had one shoe on. It would mak
River BlackRiver scrambled to look, but the man with red hair was gone. Like he’d never even been there at all. If he’d simply run off, she’d have seen him. There was no way he could leave so quickly without a trace.“Where did you go?” she hollered out. No one answered.Every second that passed, the sun began to sink lower and lower. The shadows grew longer and the air grew more chill. She only wore a short sleeved, thin t shirt over some skinny jeans. She wasn’t equipped for a cold night. That and her socks were soaking wet from accidentally stepping in the creek.River didn’t know how to start a campfire, and she didn’t know where to go or where to run. The man had said something was going to happen to her. That it would be ‘nasty’. She didn’t know what that meant, of course, but she was utterly terrified, her hands shaking.Before the sun sunk utterly below the
Tamsin Eventide:He moved without telling his body to do so. The illusion of control he had over his curse broke. The safety of the new moon was a lie. He moved stealthily through the trees, his sea green eyes slashed with silver crescents. He could feel himself change, not wholly, but enough.Enough for what? He didn’t know.His lips peeled back from his teeth, now sharper, elongated, and his nostrils flared. He tracked the Dain through the trees, intent on killing the monstrous son of Carmun if he must. Nothing could touch his woman. His mate.His curse demanded he have her. Possess her. No treaty made in heaven or hell could stop him or stay his hand. Tamsin had never wanted anything so badly in all his life. Just this woman. River. Though he couldn’t see her now as he moved, silent and deadly, through the trees, his mind supplied him with the picture of her beautiful, tear-stained face. Her sweet cries for help.The
Chapter SixRiver BlackHer mysterious savior led her by the hand through the dense woods. Sometimes, he would look over his shoulder at her, his gaze intense. His expression remained neutral and friendly so she tried not to read too much into it. She was still shaky, still unable to process not only what she’d seen, but what had happened.Tamsin, didn’t speak as he helped her along. It seemed the whole forest held its breath as that -thing-, the Dain, hunted the woods. It had been hunting for her. She was chosen, Tamsin had said. She was a tithe. River didn’t know what all that meant, but it filled her with fear and dread. Still, this all felt like some unreal nightmare. She was half sure she’d wake up any minute, safe in her tent with her parents.It seemed like they walked forever. She wanted to fire out a thousand questions in quick succession, but didn’t know where to start. She’d open her mouth to ask one and it w
River BlackHouse Eventide was a sprawling manor surrounded by a wrought iron fence dripping with crimson roses. Four stories and made of marble, it was the most beautiful building she’d ever seen in person. It did look like a prince would live there. Something about it was sad too, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Most of the windows were dark, heavy curtains drawn. The gardens in the courtyard were a little overgrown. It looked to be a grand place forgotten. She supposed that’s what made it sad.Tamsin helped her from the carriage and took her into the manor, sneaking her in almost. He said that though he hadn’t seen his brother in a long time, he wasn’t keen on visitors and had a fiery temper. Plus, he’d broken the treaty, and he was sure his older brother would be angry with him. He promised her he would deal with it and told her not to worry.River was too confused and dazzled to worry. Opu
River BlackRiver held the candelabra in her hand, holding it aloft, looking around the huge room. It was so big, it dwarfed her living room back at her parents’ house. Everything was draped in white cloth and for a moment, she felt lost in that room too. It had no windwos and seemed to be below ground, in a basement level, though she wasn’t entirely sure. It had been a disorientating walk in the dark mansion. River hoped it was nicer during the day. Less confusing. In truth, she hoped that when she woke up, she’d be inside her tent, safe and sound and all this would be a strange dream.Finally, she found the bed. It too, like the room, was a huge, down stuffed four-poster monstrosity. It looked like the bed a queen would sleep in. It smelled regrettably musty, but it was soft and dry and better than any other option she had.She set the candles on a shrouded dresser and tugged off her dirty, wet socks. Her jeans were torn and
River BlackThe man just collapsed. She’d been asleep only to wake to someone standing over her, threatening her. Scaring her. His surname was Eventide, just like Tamsin’s. It was likely his older brother he’d kept mentioning.She didn’t really see the family resemblence. Where Tamsin was lithe and athletic, this man was taller, broader, more muscular. Despite his masculine frame, his face held the same delicate beauty that Tamsin’s did. He had an aquiline nose, high cheekbones and eyes fringed with dark, sooty lashes. His hair was a bloody auburn, like polished mahogany.He’d cut a powerful figure but now, crumpled to the floor, seemingly lifeless, he looked ill at best. River feared he was dead. She tugged on her filthy jeans and knelt beside him, brushing his long, silky hair from his throat to feel for a pulse.There wasn’t one.With great effort because of his muscular bulk, River grun
Tamsin EventideHe’d left her far away from him for a reason. He felt the change coming. It was the wrong time and he didn’t understand it but he wanted her far enough away from him in case it happened anyway.Tamsin stripped out of clothes hurriedly, not wanting to ruin them if he were to change. He stood, bare, in the bathing room of his personal chambers in the manor. It was a dark night, no moonlight and dawn was still a few hours away. He looked at himself in the polished silver mirror. His taut, muscular body was slick with sweat. Tamsin trembled, his eyes fully silver.He closed them. He had to control himself. He’d been around beautiful women before and hadn’t lost control of himself like this. It fully set in what he’d done. Damned his House to war. Over what? A pretty face?But even as he thought this, he knew it was something more. Something beyond words and time. He had felt so lost, trying to pus