Chapter Two: The Tithe

Tamsin Eventide

Tamsin waited, his carriage hidden by a copse of trees, for the tithe to show itself in the clearing. He was just out of sight. He didn’t need them to see him. It only added to the poor sacrifice’s confusion. He only hoped it would be over quickly and wouldn’t awaken the terrible hunger in his own curse.

One day, he hoped to control it, himself. Control his own ability to transform from man to wolf. But now, it came with the rise of the full moon. He’d been told by the Witch Queen that taking a mate would help him control his abilities, but he didn’t want to endanger anyone, especially not a future wife. A queen.

He watched as the Fae Cinder, peered through the doorway between the human world and their own forest. He seemed particularly delighted. “A pretty one this time,” he said over his shoulder, clearly talking to Tamsin.

It didn’t entice Tamsin as he was sure that’s what Cinder wanted. The Fae had a sadistic streak. But curiosity won out in the end, and he approached the doorway, looking through it.

There, a beautiful young woman stepped into the trees, following after Cinder’s deceptive and ever elusive faery light. The very sight of her, her pale face and dark hair, her slender frame...Tamsin repressed a shiver. There was something about her, something he couldn’t look away from.

Turning away from the doorway, Tamsin stalked back into the forest, his pulse accelerated, his mouth dry. He felt flushed. He’d never had that sort of reaction before. It was like the days before the moon was full, and he felt out of control. Just the sight of the girl had nearly driven him to do foolish things. He wanted to jump through himself and warn her. Tell her to run back to safety. To ignore Cinder’s light, his trap.

He stood in his spot, where he was forced to watch and tried to calm himself. He couldn't get the sight of her out of his mind.

#

River Black

River tucked her phone back in her pocket and kept going. The sparkle flared again, brighter now, she could see it refract light on the trees. Just a little into the woods. Not very far. She didn’t plan on actually going into the dense trees and underbrush.

River set one foot into the treeline and felt suddenly very strange. She felt as though she’d taken too much cough medicine. Drowsy and dizzy. Before she could ruminate on it, she kept going, walking deeper into the woods, falling the sparkle of silver light. A couple of years ago, she’d had a couple of drinks at a party, and she felt the very same way. Intoxicated.

Vaguely, she thought she heard music, like something wistful spilling from an old music box. It reminded her of being little, sitting on her mother’s bed and playing with her old costume jewelry while the little plastic ballerina spun around and around in the jewelry box.

A little voice in her head told her that she should go back. That this was all somehow a trick or dangerous, but she pushed away, stumbling over fallen branches and twisting vines. She just wanted a closer look at the little, sparkling light. It felt like a dream as she walked further into the woods. The little light grew brighter and was always just out of reach.

River laughed, almost as though this was a game of chase. She kept getting her clothes snagged on brambles but it didn’t matter. She had to see. She had to catch the little light. She kept pushing, kept walking. Her campsite wasn’t even visible now, she was too deep into the woods. The initial fear she had drifted away.

The trees started to thin out just as her legs hurt from exertion. The little silver ball of light flashed brightly and led her into a clearing. For a moment, she faltered. River looked around, totally lost. She felt confused, turned around. She had zigzagged and taken so many little game trails that she was sure she’d never be able to find her way back to the campground. Her parents might be worried.

She heard a twig snap and the rustle of branches. She spun around, facing the clearing again. “Hello?” she said, barely above a whisper. Frightened now, she was tempted to head back into the woods. At least the trees and vines offered cover. She felt so exposed in the clearing.

Probably just an animal, River thought, turning around in a semicircle, looking for the sparkling light. It seemed to be gone and the strange, tinkling music had faded and stopped too.

“Just great,” she muttered. “Now I’m lost.”

River took out her phone, even though she knew it was dead and had no signal. She hoped she could get it to come on. Mashing on the power button, nothing happened. The phone’s screen was black and not even the batter icon flashed. It was super dead.

“Dammit,” she cursed, stuffing the phone in her back pocket again.

She debated waiting until the sun rose to try and find her way back to the campsite. It couldn’t have been -that- far. She had no idea how long she’d chased the twinkling light, she had no concept of how much time had actually passed. It could have been hours or it could have been minutes. River had no clue.

Something about the clearing, though pleasant enough, bothered her. It made her feel really vulnerable, like a dream where you go to school with no pants on. She kept looking over her shoulder, feeling like someone was watching her. Probably just an animal, a raccoon or something, she reassured herself.

Still, she couldn’t shake the dread. River knew it would be smarter to head back to the campground when she could see better, but she couldn’t take just sitting there not doing anything. Just waiting. Waiting for what? She wasn’t sure, but she didn’t want to find out.

Before she could set foot back into the woods, to try and find the way she’d come, the sparkling light returned. Instead of delight or curiosity, she felt angry. It was that thing’s fault she was lost! She wanted to pick up a rock and childishly throw it at it. Instead, she stood still, watching it with narrowed eyes.

The light expanded, still shimmering, pulsing gently. It kept growing, almost stinging her eyes it was so bright. No longer angry or curious, River felt frozen in fear. Finally, the light flared so brightly she had to look away, shielding her eyes with her arm.

Just as suddenly as it returned, the light was gone. River blinked, spots dancing in her vision. When they cleared, she saw something so strange, she thought for sure this whole thing had indeed been a dream.

Standing in the center of the clearing, rippling like heat shimmer on the horizon, was a perfect rectangle, just a little taller and wider than she was, like a doorway. Inside of it was a blue sky, beautiful, bright colored flowers and a rippling stream. River shook her head as though it would make the vision go away. It didn’t.

It had to be a dream. Her breath came in short gasps and her ears rang. She didn’t know why. Maybe she was on the verge of a panic attack. She’d been having them lately. River closed her eyes for just a second, just to calm down.

When she opened her eyes, she was standing right in front of the strange doorway. It was daylight there, wherever there was, maybe close to sunset. She knew it must be a dream, but it all felt so real. And if it was a dream (which it had to be), then it couldn’t hurt to test it out, could it?

River extended her hand, putting it through the doorway shimmering in the air. Her arm didn’t hurt, it just tingled and felt warm. She could see her arm and hand on the other side. She could -feel- the breeze. She laughed because it was all so absurd, so strange.

Just as it had been warm, a sudden freezing chill wrapped itself around her wrist. Gasping, River tried to pull back. She couldn’t. Something she couldn’t see held on fast and pulled -back-. She dug her heels in, but whatever it was, was much stronger than her and gave another vicious yank.

“No!” River cried. “Help!” She hollered as loud as she could. Screaming until her throat hurt. She told herself she couldn’t be -that- far from where her parents slept in their tent. They had to hear her. If her dad ran, he could get her. He could save her. He was strong.

She just had to plant her feet, keep trying. She had to keep screaming for help. If she could just hold out a little longer, it would give her dad time to find her. To help her.

But there was nothing to brace herself on and whatever it was on the other side of the strange doorway was so strong, so powerful, that it only needed to give three more vicious tugs and it sent her tumbling through.

River tumbled end over end, confused and disorientated. She quickly scrabbled to her feet, her long, brown hair tangled with bits of twigs and leaves, her jeans torn, her blouse losing a button. The rectangular doorway now showed the nighttime clearing she’d just come from. It was so much farther away than it should be. And it started flickering, fading.

“No! Wait!” she cried, sprinting as fast and as hard as she could towards it. As she got nearer, she could see one of her converse tennis shoes on the ground and her drained cell phone. That’s all that was left of her. Before she could even touch the doorway again, it flared brightly once and then disappeared altogether. It was gone. Home was gone.