Feel him.
All at once, Markis went limp. He crumpled down on top of Saffron, his hot chest against hers and her askew bra. The undone buttons on their jeans gave a little clink when he fell. His eyes stayed open and staring.
Saffron, chin on her chest, looked at the top of Markis’ unmoving head. Then she slammed her fists on the forest floor. And slammed them. And slam, slam, slammed them. Above her, the tops of the pines swayed. She screamed. “Ny — !” holding on to the last syllable until it sounded like blood gurgling in her throat. Then she screamed again, receiving no response but the keening of the gulls, the roar of the breaking waves at the bottom of the cliff, and the buzzing of cicadas.
Chapter 6
“ M arkis?” No movement. “Markis?” She looked back over her shoulder at the space he had been staring. There was no one there. Yet, she felt someone there. She shook Markis harder, rocked his entire body back and forth. He wouldn’t wake up. She felt for his pulse with clammy, shaking fingers. She couldn’t find anything. But what did that mean? She had never felt for someone’s pulse before – maybe she was doing it wrong. She feebly shook him again. She tapped his shoulder and stared at his frozen face. She got up, fastened her bra, and was on her knees in less than two seconds. She put her ear to his mouth. No breath. Panic slammed into her like a throat-punch; it whitened her already pale skin to parchment. She jumped to her feet as the color rushed back to her face in a mottled-red rage. “Ny!”
With a click and a boom, sound burst back into the universe. Animals scurried and chattered — their small squeaks, hoots, and whistles chorused throughout the woods, blending with the waves and wind.
“ Ny!” Saffron crumpled to a sitting position beside Markis’ stone-still body. She slapped the blanket as angry tears spilled down her cheeks. It was no use. With the return of the noises Saffron had felt a change. Ny wasn’t here, and neither was Markis. She took two deep, shaking breaths, forced her eyes shut and concentrated.
Li, where are you? Come here.
But she couldn’t keep her eyes shut, couldn’t concentrate. A sob heaved up from her chest and poured out. She covered her eyes with cold, sweaty hands, and tried again — breathing deeply, in and out, in and out.
Li, come here.
It took almost half an hour.
But then, they came. She saw them, hastening across the sea, floating towards Saffron like winged specters, glorious and shimmering. A whole flock of them. Saffron was not impressed.
The fairies touched down, spry and delicate, one by one, until they stood before her, still as statues except for their fanning wings. Li walked over to the blanket where Saffron crouched over Markis’ body. The fairy looked down at Saffron with compassion, her porcelain-perfect skin glowing as if she were a Christmas ornament. White hair like spun-glass filament blew across her lavender eyes, fringed with white lashes. She moved the hair back over her shoulder with very long, very slender white fingers. The other fairies stood two yards behind her, as if loathe to move any closer to Saffron.
Saffron wasn’t fooled by Li’s pitiful glance. She knew Li too well by now. Knew her well enough to know Li probably knew all about Ny’s plans. Saffron looked away from Li, her eyes burning into Markis’ staring eyes.
“ I did not know, Saffron. I do not know everything that Ny thinks.” Li’s voice was feathery-soft, like a voice from a far and hazy dream.
“ Is he dead?” Saffron’s eyes blazed as she crossed her arms across her chest and waited for the fairy to confirm.
Li knelt at Markis’ side and touched him. She adjusted his body to a position that appeared more comfortable, smoothed the hair from his forehead, then touched her fingertips to his eyelids to shut them. She straightened his clothes. “No, he is not dead.” She held his hand. “A fairy cannot kill. You
All at once, Markis went limp. He crumpled down on top of Saffron, his hot chest against hers and her askew bra. The undone buttons on their jeans gave a little clink when he fell. His eyes stayed open and staring.
Saffron, chin on her chest, looked at the top of Markis’ unmoving head. Then she slammed her fists on the forest floor. And slammed them. And slam, slam, slammed them. Above her, the tops of the pines swayed. She screamed. “Ny — !” holding on to the last syllable until it sounded like blood gurgling in her throat. Then she screamed again, receiving no response but the keening of the gulls, the roar of the breaking waves at the bottom of the cliff, and the buzzing of cicadas.
Chapter 6
“ M arkis?” No movement. “Markis?” She looked back over her shoulder at the space he had been staring. There was no one there. Yet, she felt someone there. She shook Markis harder, rocked his entire body back and forth. He wouldn’t wake up. She felt for his pulse with clammy, shaking fingers. She couldn’t find anything. But what did that mean? She had never felt for someone’s pulse before – maybe she was doing it wrong. She feebly shook him again. She tapped his shoulder and stared at his frozen face. She got up, fastened her bra, and was on her knees in less than two seconds. She put her ear to his mouth. No breath. Panic slammed into her like a throat-punch; it whitened her already pale skin to parchment. She jumped to her feet as the color rushed back to her face in a mottled-red rage. “Ny!”
With a click and a boom, sound burst back into the universe. Animals scurried and chattered — their small squeaks, hoots, and whistles chorused throughout the woods, blending with the waves and wind.
“ Ny!” Saffron crumpled to a sitting position beside Markis’ stone-still body. She slapped the blanket as angry tears spilled down her cheeks. It was no use. With the return of the noises Saffron had felt a change. Ny wasn’t here, and neither was Markis. She took two deep, shaking breaths, forced her eyes shut and concentrated.
Li, where are you? Come here.
But she couldn’t keep her eyes shut, couldn’t concentrate. A sob heaved up from her chest and poured out. She covered her eyes with cold, sweaty hands, and tried again — breathing deeply, in and out, in and out.
Li, come here.
It took almost half an hour.
But then, they came. She saw them, hastening across the sea, floating towards Saffron like winged specters, glorious and shimmering. A whole flock of them. Saffron was not impressed.
The fairies touched down, spry and delicate, one by one, until they stood before her, still as statues except for their fanning wings. Li walked over to the blanket where Saffron crouched over Markis’ body. The fairy looked down at Saffron with compassion, her porcelain-perfect skin glowing as if she were a Christmas ornament. White hair like spun-glass filament blew across her lavender eyes, fringed with white lashes. She moved the hair back over her shoulder with very long, very slender white fingers. The other fairies stood two yards behind her, as if loathe to move any closer to Saffron.
Saffron wasn’t fooled by Li’s pitiful glance. She knew Li too well by now. Knew her well enough to know Li probably knew all about Ny’s plans. Saffron looked away from Li, her eyes burning into Markis’ staring eyes.
“ I did not know, Saffron. I do not know everything that Ny thinks.” Li’s voice was feathery-soft, like a voice from a far and hazy dream.
“ Is he dead?” Saffron’s eyes blazed as she crossed her arms across her chest and waited for the fairy to confirm.
Li knelt at Markis’ side and touched him. She adjusted his body to a position that appeared more comfortable, smoothed the hair from his forehead, then touched her fingertips to his eyelids to shut them. She straightened his clothes. “No, he is not dead.” She held his hand. “A fairy cannot kill. You
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