Mina grinned and hopped out of the car. He was right. There was something between them, and it spun her in circles with confusion. Was it a crush, an infatuation, love? So soon after losing Jared, she didn’t want to even think it was possible, but …what if what she had for Jared hadn’t been real? It had only been a few weeks ago, but in her heart it felt like years.

The stress of the quests was wearing on her. She could feel the next one looming over her. But for once, she felt like her future might not be so bleak.

One final question hung over her, though. Teague would manipulate this. How would she survive it?

Chapter 9

Nan insisted on taking Mina dress shopping for her date with Brody after school on Wednesday. Since her car was in the shop, they were stuck with the horrible public transportation system. Maybe it was the combined stench of exhaust and sweat that filled the air making her feel uneasy. Maybe it was the odd look that Ever kept giving her from across the aisle.

It had started as soon as Nan compared Mina to Cinderella going to a ball.

The bus dropped them off at Harlow Street in a quaint area filled with small nook and cranny stores and family-owned businesses. They were heading to Nan’s favorite café for a bite to eat while they decided what type of dress she should wear. Mina wanted simple; Nan wanted something spectacular, and jaw dropping.

“You don’t want any old dress. You need a dress fit for a queen.”

Mina shivered. “Don’t say that too loudly. I have no desire to be queen of anything.”

Ever snorted loudly.

“Fine. Then you’ll be the belle of the ball.”

Mina inwardly groaned. Now it sounded like Beauty and the Beast. The last time she’d gone dress shopping, she was stuck in a Red Riding Hood tale. “No belles, no queens. Just a dress. A simple one, with not too much stuff on it.”

“Boring. Got it,” Nan answered.

“No, not boring. I just don’t want any extra attention on my date with Brody.”

Nan looked to Ever and wiggled her eyebrows. “You heard that. We got our marching orders. We are on a mission to make her as unattractive as possible.”

Ever smirked. “Shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Hey, watch it!” Mina bumped her shoulder into Ever playfully. Ever withdrew and moved away to walk on the other side of Nan. That hurt.

Mina wanted to say something, but Nan pointed to a sign above a store with a bunch of old clocks. “Hey, I’ve never heard of this one. Hickory Dickory Dock! We should—”

“No!” Ever and Mina answered simultaneously.

Nan’s eyes went wide and she was about to ask why, when Mina noticed the traffic. A large garbage truck barreled toward them. She thought it would slow down for the light.

Only it didn’t. It continued picking up speed.

“Watch out!” Mina shouted. The garbage truck hit the curb and vaulted onto the sidewalk. It was heading straight for them.

The ground rumbled and noise split the air as the driver blasted the horn in warning. The world moved in slow motion as the faded green garbage truck crashed through a newspaper stand, scattering papers into the air. The license plate came into focus. After all, she was only feet away.

Mina saw Ever grab Nan and try to fly up into the air, but the Pixie wasn’t going to be fast enough.

Instinctively, Mina stretched out her palm and used power to launch her friends out of harm’s way. That was it. She knew it. Save her friends or save herself. She turned and saw the driver’s terrified expression as he raised his arm to cover his face, prepared to slam into her.

But right before impact, she heard the sound of metal scraping across cement. And it wasn’t from the truck.

Chapter 10

“Stupid! You’re so stupid. I can’t believe you didn’t try to save yourself. How dumb can you be?” A male voice growled into her ear as her rescuer carried her, pressed tightly to his chest.

Mina couldn’t see the person who spoke. Her arms were wrapped awkwardly around his neck, and she didn’t let go for fear of being dropped.

It was dark, and the sounds of the city were faint. Where was she? It had happened so fast. One minute she’d been facing death, the next she’d been pulled downward into someone’s arms. The person holding her stopped and tossed her roughly to the ground.

She slid across the cement in something slimy and let out a pathetic yelp.

The voice continued to berate her for her stupidity as her rescuer walked back and forth in the darkness. “You helped them instead of yourself.”

She kept quiet and let her eyes adjust to the lack of light. It took almost a minute, but light trickled down through a hole in the ceiling, circular like a manhole. After a few more seconds, she saw rungs in the wall near her and made out that the top of the manhole was partially blocked. From this distance, she could see part of a wheel and the undercarriage of a car up there.

Now that she could see, she stood and glanced over to spot Teague only a few feet away, his chest heaving in anger, his hands clenched into fists. The look he shot her was pure disgust.

Had Teague just saved her? Why?

Before she dwelt on those thoughts too long, she took another look at her surroundings. She decided to wait before she called him savior. Right now, since she couldn’t find an exit, he was her captor.

“Teague.”

Like a flash, he closed the distance between them and pressed her into the ladder rungs. His forearm barred across her chest, preventing her from moving. He held his other hand over her mouth.

“Don’t speak. Don’t you dare say my name.” His eyes blazed as he glared at her, but something was wrong with them. It was like they couldn’t decide on what color they were. Shifting between a furious gray and an even angrier blue. He looked pained, and he momentarily released the pressure on her.

Mina lifted her hand to gently brush across his arm.

He inhaled in a quick hiss and jerked at her touch. He was shaking he was so furious.

But he pushed her against the ladder again. The back of her head connected with the upper rung, sending blinding arrows of light into her vision. His arm pressed harder into her body, making another rung dig deeper into her shoulder blade.

Tears formed at the corner of her eyes, and she lashed back in anger. “Get away from me, you freak!”

His lips formed a cruel smile as he leaned forward to whisper into her ear. “I could have let you die up there. In fact, I’m not altogether of one mind why I didn’t…Oh, that’s right. You have something I want.” He took his free hand and gently stroked the side of her cheek, running his fingers over her lips. The move sent an unwilling shiver through her until his fingers moved under her chin. “I want that dagger.”

“Even if I had it, I wouldn’t give it to you,” she spat out. She pushed against him to escape, but his fingers dug deeper into her throat, cutting off her air.

“Tsk tsk tsk,” he clicked his tongue. “I thought you would have heeded my warning. I told you your friends aren’t safe if you don’t give me the dagger.”

“It was you that attacked Brody.”

“I thought it pertinent to give you another warning, to show you I mean business. But it will be your last.” He pushed away and turned his back on her.

“No, leave my friends out of this. You have no right to bring them into our fight.”