Forever (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale, #5)(67)

Someone picked Mina up by her forearms and dragged her through the water. Her brown hair was wrapped around her face, and she didn’t fight the helping hands. Until she felt cold steel handcuffs placed around her wrists.

“What? No. I didn’t do this.” She tried to swing her head to brush the hair out of her eyes, but it clung to her face like tentacles. An uncaring female police officer shoved her forward.

The fire department and police rushed toward the building but stepped back when a shark made its appearance flipping and flopping along the deck. They had their hands full. Mina wasn’t given a chance to explain as the female cop pushed her along, away from the others. Hmm. Something feels off.

When they walked past the cruisers and continued, that confirmed it. The woman kept silent, despite Mina’s attempts at small talk. When they passed a store front window, she caught a glimpse of her captor, and her heart stopped in her chest. It was Claire.

“Claire! No, stop!” Mina reared back and fought the witch.

By now they were out of sight of help, and Claire turned, reaching for Mina’s sopping wet head. “Should have known you were part Fae. Otherwise you’d never have beaten me.” She laughed, and Mina felt herself start to suffocate.

How did they know she was Fae? She could breathe, but everything felt heavy, and her limbs wouldn’t obey. She slid to the ground and noticed a dark form move out of the alley. Grey Tail.

“We have permission to kill her, right?” Grey Tail asked, his voice gruff. He still wore his black leather vest, and the wolf tattoo stood out as a taunt across his chest.

“Yes, we’re supposed to kill her before he comes for her.”

Wait. They’re not here because of Teague?

“We need to move her farther away. There’s enough Fae magic in the air, I can smell it for miles. It will attract unwanted attention.” Grey Tail looked nervous and kept sniffing.

“You’re right for once. We can’t stay here.” She pulled Mina roughly along.

The cuffs dug into her wrists, making her wince. As they walked, the police uniform slowly faded from Claire’s form until she was in a skirt and her signature red heeled shoes. Her face was younger, proving she had been stealing the youth from others.

Mina tried to keep her head low as she gathered power to her. She had to try and control both of them before they caught on.

Grey Tail froze and looked at her, his nose sniffing the air, while Mina pushed at his mind, her arms tingling, the hair on the back of her neck telling her she was ready to attack. As She pushed toward Grey Tail, she felt Claire’s hand on her head again. Her power was quickly siphoned off. Mina gasped for breath again, and she clutched at her chest.

“Keep it up, child. Grey Tail can smell magic, and you can’t use it on me. All I have to do is keep draining you, and soon I’ll drain you dead. You don’t have a magic book this time. Let’s see how you fare against me now.”

If only Claire wasn’t so close to her. If she could get away, maybe she’d have a fighting chance.

They kept hurrying her along the pier, and Mina only had one last idea. Maybe she could slowly pull enough power and not direct it at her captors but somewhere else, like a beacon for help.

Mina closed her eyes and felt the power tickle her fingers. She tried to keep it at bay and not let it rush to her. She pushed the power out and away from her with one intentional command.

Help me.

Claire and Grey Tail stopped by an abandoned building along the pier, far away from the flashing lights but still close to the water. Grey Tail ran his clawed hand along her cheek and tapped his nails against her skin.

“Very pretty. I can’t wait to rip it to shreds.”

Mina tried to stare him down and not show him how terrified she really was. Claire’s phone beeped with an incoming text. Mina ignored Grey Tail and looked to Claire. She flipped her phone open and spoke in another language, quick and direct.

She turned with a scowl. “We have to wait. They want to be here to see her die.”

“Who?” Mina asked, irritated that she couldn’t face her enemy.

Was this the same person in the cloak who sent the trees to attack her? It certainly seemed, as she thought back, that there were some attempts on her life that had nothing to do with Teague. She was tired of playing hide–and-seek.

“Someone that you’ve ticked off. Apparently you stole something that belonged to them, and now you have to pay.” Claire had leaned down to look her in her face. “Really, I was glad to take the job. You’ve been nothing but a problem for me since you walked into my factory. Now I’m free from one prison but stuck in another—servitude to the Fae Prince—but there’s no reason I can’t do a few odd jobs.”

Claire’s phone beeped, and she looked at the incoming text. Her face broke into a grin. “Never mind. The boss isn’t coming, and the others don’t care. We can kill you now.”

Grey Tail made an excited snuffing noise, and Mina pushed out harder with her power, hoping someone would answer. But then Grey Tail’s head cocked to the side, and he slowly turned toward her, eyes dilating.

“She’s using magic again,” he sneered.

Claire reached out and grabbed her arm roughly. “You think you’re so smart? There’s no one to save you now.” Claire reached for Mina’s head and began to drain her.