Lena Marsh's Arc

Chapter 18 of 24

Lena stepped into the square with the silver needle in her fist. Nell was already moving. Forge took the left with his hammer. Linny went right with the iron blade. The thin, many-jointed creature dropped the woman it was dragging and turned toward them. Two more slid out from behind the well. Then four more from the burning bakery. Lena counted eight and stopped counting. "Too many," Forge said. "Push them off the villagers," Nell said. "Then hold." Lena spun a length of thread from her palm and threw it at the antlered thing on the well. The thread caught its wrist and jerked it down onto the stones. Forge stepped in and broke its knee with the hammer. Linny drove the iron through its throat. A creature came at Linny from behind. Forge saw it and shoved her sideways. The claws opened his shoulder to the bone. He kept his feet. He swung the hammer one-handed and cracked the thing's skull. "Forge," Linny said. "Fine," he said. Blood ran to his elbow. "Keep moving." Nell's eyes glowed green. He caught one by the jaw and held it while Linny cut. Another raked Nell's ribs. He didn't sound. He kept his hand on the jaw until the thing stopped kicking. More came from the alleys. Lena's needle hand shook. Iron would not be enough. Not for this many. Then she saw the cobbles between them and the tree line, the long stretch of dirt path leading out of the square toward the woods. "Nell," she said. "The roots. Can you call them here?" "They're waiting for me," he said. "They want me." "I'll give them thread instead. You give them a direction. Drag the fae back." He looked at her. He nodded once. Lena dropped to one knee in the middle of the square. She opened both hands. Thread poured out of her, silver and endless, more than she had ever spun. It ran across the cobbles in every direction, hooked around ankles, wrists, antlers, jaws. Nell pressed his palms to the ground. The stones split. Roots came up under the thread and took it and pulled. The fae were dragged backward across the square. They clawed the cobbles. They screamed. The roots did not stop. Something with claws broke loose and lunged at Nell's throat. He was still on his knees, still holding the roots. He could not move. A pale light rose behind him. A woman stood there, made of light and winter air. Nell's mother. She put her hand through the creature's chest and it fell apart like ash. She looked at Nell once. Then she was gone. The roots dragged the last of the fae past the well, past the baker's step, past the gate, into the trees. The square went quiet. Forge sat down against the well. Linny knelt beside him and pressed her coat to his shoulder. Lena collapsed. “Lena!” Nell shouted. He crawled to her, weak from his own usage of power. Still, he took her in his arms. She was barely conscious. He felt her pulse. She could feel it slowing in her chest. “Please, Lena.” His lips pressed to her head. “I love you.” Darkness threatened her, but she managed the words with a smile. “I know. I’ve always known.” He met her tired gaze. “I was too scared to admit that I love you too.” His face flashed from elation to fear. He held her tighter as she drifted off.