Fable (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale #3)(49)

“I really wish we had a faster mode of transportation,” Mina said, after she tripped over another tree root and fell face down in a pile of leaves. That was the third time she’d tripped in the last two hours.

“What’s a mode of transportation?” Nix asked, and helped her back up.

“Um, an automobile, a car…you know, vroom vroom.” She made a driving and sitting motion. Goodness, she sounded stupid.

Nix just looked at her in confusion, and then his face brightened. “Oh, I get it. This way.” He motioned for her to follow him, and he walked back toward the river they had very carefully been skirting. They’d been careful to follow it so they wouldn’t lose their way, but he always carefully kept a wary distance. He paused at the river and hesitated.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

“I don’t know if they’ll answer me. I haven’t been able to talk with them. They may not even come, so don’t get your hopes up.” He walked along the riverbed amongst the tall grass until he found a blue speckled reed. Using a sharp rock, he quickly carved out three holes and another toward the top.

Mina watched in fascination, and once his whistle was done, Nix waded out to the middle of the river and began to play a silent song. His hair began to come to life again and flow widely with the rushing water. His mouth blew, his fingers moved, but Mina didn’t hear a single note from the flute. On and on he played his silent flute, but nothing happened. After two more songs, he walked out of the river and sat on the bank solemnly.

“I couldn’t hear anything,” Mina said.

“That’s because you’re human. You can’t hear the beautiful music I played for them. It would have paid for our passage, but I don’t know. I couldn’t hear the music, either. I had to play from memory.” He flopped onto his back and stared at the sky.

“They’ve never before taken so long to come. I’m sorry. I failed you,” Nix groaned.

“Who, Nix? Who were you trying to call?”

“The kelpies. But I should have known it wouldn’t work.” He ran his hands through his hair in frustration and let out a really long sigh. “I haven’t been able to hear them in a while.”

Mina knew he was thinking about the consequences of staying a nixie, and everything he had lost.

“It’s fine, really. I don’t mind the walking.”

“No, it’s not fine. I think we’re being followed, and I can’t stray too far from water without weakening further. We need the kelpies if we want to outrun her.”

“Who…you mean the sea witch is still after us?” Mina asked, balking.

“Yes, it’s because I helped you escape. She’s tracking us. I keep crossing the streams, following along different paths, but she knows and I know that I can’t stray far from a water source.”

“Why is she so set on getting us?”

“It’s because I interfered. This isn’t just any sea witch following us…it’s my mother, and she won’t stop until she’s found us.” Frustrated, he lunged up from his sitting position and hurled the reed flute into the middle of the river. It made a plunking sound, then disappeared. Nix had turned and begun to walk up the riverbank toward Mina when a loud rushing sound caught their attention. He turned back to the river; a wide smile formed across his face.

“They came,” he said in awe, as if he hadn’t really believed they would come.

Mina turned to watch the middle of the river become a vortex of swirling, rushing water. The waves collided against each other, and the noise was loud, like a crashing waterfall. An otherworldly sound erupted from the middle of the river, and a glorious translucent head came from the center of the vortex. It was a horse made of water. Then another one stepped from the middle of the river, and then another. Six beautiful translucent beasts stood before them, shimmering and reflecting back Mina’s and Nix’s own images.

The horses walked toward them but stopped at the water’s edge. The lead horse separated from his brethren, and as soon as he touched his hoof to the rocky shore, he transformed like a snake shedding his skin. The lead horse’s coat turned white, while the others stayed in their translucent Fae form, safe in the water’s embrace.

Nix ran to the horse and pressed his face to its muzzle. The white horse pressed against him in mutual delight. A second or two later, Nix pulled away with a frown on his face. “Oh, how I wish I could hear your sweet voice again.”

“Will they take us?” Mina asked. She was somewhat hopeful and scared of riding the beast at the same time.

“I can only ask.” Nix leaned forward and began to speak with the kelpie, but all Mina heard was a soft clicking and popping nose, similar to how a dolphin would speak.

She watched closely for the kelpie’s reaction. The lead horse walked back to the others, and they started to step back into the middle of the river.

“What’s going on? Are they leaving?” she asked fearfully.

“I don’t know,” Nix said slowly.

The white horse was still in a physical form, and there seemed to be a bit of a discussion going on between them. One of the horses neighed and rose up on his hind legs, his front hooves kicking the air in displeasure. Others danced about sideways, while some shook their manes.

“Oh, geez, Nix, you didn’t tell them I was a Grimm, did you? Probably not the surest way to gain their trust or help,” Mina said sarcastically.