Forever (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale, #5)(2)

“I think I prefer these clothes to your fancy dresses,” he said, his voice like velvet as he stepped closer to her.

“I think I prefer your other clothes. Are you auditioning for an episode of What Not to Wear?”

Teague frowned and shook his head. “Again with the insults that mean nothing to me.”

“How about this? You look like an animal.”

His handsome head fell back, and his eyes closed in laughter. “Now that is funny.”

He came up and reached out to touch her cheek, but she slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me.”

His nostrils flared in anger, but he held back his biting remark. Instead, he turned away from her and placed one boot on a rock, gazing down over the smoking building in the valley. Here come the insults.

“Do you have it?” His voice had lost its teasing tone. He was asking for the dagger.

“Yes.”

“Then give it to me, Mina.” He cast a forlorn look over his shoulder at her.

“I didn’t bring it.”

She could see his jaw working as he clenched it. He straightened, cracking his neck as he faced her full on. “Did you not get my warning?” He pointed down below at the very spot of the burned river rock. “I’m done playing games.”

“Well, the game now has new rules. It’s an expanded edition.”

He raised one eyebrow. “You think to outplay me?”

“Did you bring my mirror?” she shot back. “I may exchange one for the other.” She wanted the mirror. With that mirror, he could always watch her. Always.

This time it was Teague who looked surprised. “May exchange?”

“How about: You bring me the dagger, and I’ll let your friends live.”

“Without my mirror, I won’t even think about giving you the dagger.”

He sighed and sat on the large rock, extending his legs in front of him. He crossed them at the ankles. “I think I’ll hold onto my mirror a little longer. I’ve learned that women can’t be trusted, and I like the idea that you know I’m watching you. It makes it harder for you to plot against me when I can watch your…” He stood up and slowly walked around her. “… every… single… move.” He leaned in on the last word and inhaled the scent of her hair.

“I hate you,” she seethed.

“Wrong.” He grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. “I know how you feel about me.” The corner of his mouth crooked up. “Or at least a part of me. You were in love with me.”

He tapped his head. “I have his memories.”

“Then you know how he felt about me?” Her voice rose in hope.

“Pity.” Teague said, sending her moment of hope crashing to the ground. “He pitied you.”

It was a jab in the heart. She couldn’t deny that his words hurt, but Teague was a liar, and she couldn’t trust anything he said.

“Mina.”

She lifted her head up to look at him.

“It seems you need a lesson in obedience.” Something suddenly drew his attention past her, across the river, to the woods. Mina heard a thin, eerie whistle, and she looked at Teague.

His face took on an expression of contempt. “It seems you have company. I warned you I would take away your friends one by one. You like games? Well, so do I. But I’ll wait my turn. Someone has a message for you.”

He turned to glance back and pointed his finger across the river to the distant woods, far behind the wreckage. “I’d get moving if I were you. And fast.”

“What did you do?” She turned to watch Teague disappear into the woods. Then she looked back in worry at the forest and the remains below.

There was still a single safety worker down there. She watched in trepidation, but nothing happened. The man was satisfied with his work and threw his tools into the back of the white city truck. A few minutes later, he was gone, driving away.

The wind changed course and blew in her direction, sending the smell of burnt wood, oil, and fumes over her. She ducked to avoid the onslaught of the aroma and caught a glimpse of something moving in the woods. Across the river, on the south side, there appeared to be a large black dog the size of a German shepherd, but with huge ears and paws.

The dog followed a scent trail. It came into the open, stared at the debris, and spent a bit of time nosing around the burned lumber and scrap metal. It walked through the large puddles left by the fire hoses. Back and forth the beast went, even stopping to scratch at something in the dirt.

After a few minutes, nothing significant had happened. Mina figured she was probably making too big a deal out of the dog’s presence. Teague must’ve been warning her about something else. Either way, there was no point in lingering. She stood and stretched.

At least she’d been able to take the time for one last goodbye. The wind whipped her hair into her face as it shifted back toward the wreckage.

The dog’s hackles rose as soon as he caught her scent. Even across the river, she saw the beast change its posture from curious to killer.

The forest around the dog blurred and shifted as a large being took his place. The thick man wore a long cloak of grayish-black wool covering black leather armor. Across his chest hung a row of throwing blades. He fingered the hilt of a knife just before he turned death-like eyes, orbs of white, her way.