CHAPTER 32

Standing up, Dana coughed a few times in an attempt to get her lungs to function properly. She didn't need the air to breathe, but did need it to talk. Several moments passed before the pinching sensation in her chest vanished.

Scowling, she looked at the top of the gate and saw that none of the spikes were bent.

That was odd. She could have sworn she felt it bend. Shrugging, she tried again. This time, she was far more careful about where she put her feet, which was good, because she nearly slipped twice.

Near the top, she put a hand out to grab onto the brick wall and pulled herself up.

"Ha!" She wouldn't let an old, rusty gate defeat her. Twisting around, she dropped onto the ground and started looking for the drone.

It was gone. Puzzled, she walked back and forth along the brick wall.

It should be right here. Dana turned to look at the wall and froze.

There was no gate on this side. It was just a solid wall of brick.

"I... that's..." Logically, she wanted to debate the reality of what she saw, but she had already seen far weirder things. Turning to look at the forest, she saw that the forest itself was different as well. Instead of closely grouped trees and thick vegetation, she was looking at a large area with a path that ran through it, as well as a few benches along the path. People walked along it even now, but nobody seemed to pay her any attention. On the other side of the clearing was the forest itself, now suddenly over a hundred yards away.

Looking around, she spotted what looked like a makeshift step stool by the wall. Some rocks had been stacked, and when she stood on them, she got a good view of the back of the house. It took her a couple of jumps, but she made it up and onto the wall.

"Super weird," she muttered to herself, then dropped down onto the other side. She was expecting to land on the soft grass of the backyard, but was surprised when she landed on the hard concrete of a sidewalk. The suddenly stiff landing caused something in her leg to pop, and when she stood up, her leg was at a weird angle.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." She looked around, realizing that she was now out in front of the house. How had that happened? Hopping over to the entrance, she was relieved when she passed between the lions without any issue, and was greeted by the sight of a pair of centaurs talking with a man in black.

"Um, hey." She waved for their attention, and the centaurs immediately recognized her. "Could I get a little help?"

"Oh, now you're a fascinating lass," the stranger said, and she realized that this must be Sulyvahn. "What on earth happened to ye?"

"Broke something, probably." She indicated her leg. One of the centaurs helped her over to a stone to sit on, and the other one examined her, then declared he could set the bone. The process wouldn't hurt, but it would be tough to do.

"Oh, I'm not talking about that." Sulyvahn knelt down next to her, his eyes on her breasts. "You've got the divine spark in ye, I can see it. But no heartbeat. Are you a member of the undead?"

"Yeah, it was a pretty fucked up Monday. Could you step back please?" She shooed him away, and one centaur held her down while the other twisted her leg back into place. The bones realigned, and she felt a chill spread through her as the break repaired itself. That was a serious injury, which meant she was going to have to feed sooner rather than later. Already, a gnawing sensation formed in her belly.

"Now tell me, lass, how did ye come to be in such a predicament?"

"My name is Dana. Don't call me lass."

"Beggin' yer pardon, Miss Dana." Sulyvahn gave a slight bow. "I meant no offense. I've not met such a creature as yourself, one with her faculties still intact. I've rarely seen such a feat."

"Wait, you've seen this before? Hold on a second." She stood up, testing her leg. It seemed to be fine. She thanked the centaurs, and they went back to their gardening duties. "Have you met someone else like me? An undead that could think for herself?"

"Not quite. The few I've met like ye have been the cursed ones, men and women of great power who refused to move on. But you don't seem to have the aura of a lich, Miss Dana."

"I'm definitely not a lich. But out of curiosity, what are you?"

"I'm a dullahan, la—Miss Dana." He grabbed his hair by the hand and pulled, revealing a black mist that flowed from the hole in his neck. "It's my job to make sure lost souls get to the afterlife."

"Great. Can you help my soul cross over?"

"Eh... not that I'm aware of. I can only affect the dealings of a soul that isn't anchored to this world, I'm afraid. I imagine trying to ferry you over would be like trying to raise the bottom of the ocean by giving it a good yank."

"Shit. Sorry, I'm actually in the middle of something right now. Nice talking to you." She walked past the dullahan at a fast pace, more pressing concerns on her mind. How had she ended up in the front yard? What had happened to the gate? Passing through the house, she heard the others talking in the dining hall, but kept going down the hall to the backdoor. Once she stepped outside, she saw Naia standing in her fountain, gazing toward the gate.

"Oh, there you are." Naia gave her a wave. "I was down in my spring and came up just as you hopped the wall. Are you okay?"

"I've been better." Her leg clicked when she walked now. "Do you know why I ended up in the front yard?"

"You can only get in through the front. If I had known what you were doing, then I would have warned you."