With the gut-wrenching scream still ringing in my ears, I lunge into a sprint and hope I'm moving in the right direction. Away from the púka and out of this forest. 

Dodging trees—that appear in the dark a half-second before I hit them—I ignore the painful sting of branches whipping my face. And as my bare feet start to ache from the cold impact of earth, and I regret leaving the old boots behind at the hotel.

Images of Cináed searching the city for me are snatched away as I hear racing hooves approaching. I know they'll reach me any moment, but I can't run any faster, and there's no where to hide where the monster won't find me.

Because the púka can smell fear.

Clambering up a boulder, I scan over what I can see of the forest ahead. Maybe there is somewhere I can hide.

With a new idea buzzing in my mind, and an overload of adrenaline pounding in my veins, I stand atop the boulder and leap to grab the closest branch above me. One hand successfully grips the bark, and my feet make their way up the trunk until I'm dangling around the branch.

I hear a snort and look down as two red eyes appear behind another tree. The púka's on to my scent. It must know I'm close by because it steps closer with nostrils flared. All it has to do is look up to see me, and then stand on its hind legs to reach where I'm hanging.

But I'm not ready to give myself over as demon-horse-chow just yet.

Closing my eyes, I imagine the dark forest away. Instead of hanging from a tree, I'm hanging on a jungle gym at a park. To drown out the sounds of the púka, I repeat the words in my head...

I'm just a kid playing at the park. I have nothing to be scared of.

The next snort sounds dangerously close, so I peak my eyes open and they land on ruby red eyes that are staring right back at me. My breath catches, and neither of us move.

I have nothing to be scared of.

I have nothing to be scared of.

I have nothing to be—

"Your bravery amuses me."

The words must have come from the horse. I see rows of fangs when it opens its mouth. The monster's voice is surprisingly calm, and feminine too. Not knowing how to respond, I just hang there, my fingers throbbing and my head pounding with blood.

The púka moves closer, but instead of chomping at me with her fangs, she continues until her back is beneath me.

"Come, child. I will take you where you need to be."

I turn my head to look at her. She really thinks I'm going to jump onto her back after what she did to that goblin?

Her neck twists around and those red, unblinking eyes settle on me. "Do not mistake my favor as kindness, child. I am not known for my patience, and if you do not accept the favor quickly, I will grow bored and eat you."

My legs slowly unwind from the branch, and I lower them until my feet hang on each side of the horse's middle. Then I let go and fall the rest of the way, landing on the púka like a stiff board.

Her gaze still lingers on me, and I see my terrified face in those red eyes. My breaths are quick and shallow, and my chest hurts from trying to contain the beatings of my frantic heart.

"Where are we going?" I say, my voice sounding strange in my ears.

"So you can speak." Her tone is tainted with humor. "Such an interesting creature."

All I can do is try not to swallow my tongue and hope my question didn't convince her I'm better off eaten. But then she turns her head forward and starts walking.

"We shall journey to where your heart longs to be. I can hear it calling louder than your fear. A rare and noble trait, especially for a creature as fragile as yourself."

The púka's thick mane brushes my arms as she shakes her head. "Hold tightly to my hair and lean low on my back. When you ride with me, you must become one with the night."

I obey, grabbing two handfuls of black mane and bending over like I did when I raced with Skye. The púka's pace increases into a gallop, and then into something much faster than even Skye can go. Trees turn into whispered shadows that pass so quickly I wonder if I reached out if they would mist through my fingers like clouds. I let my face rest against the horse's neck and close my eyes, keeping thoughts of Darren at the forefront of my brain in case the púka can read my mind like Skye can.

Don't worry, Darren. I'm coming.

<<————>>

My eyes stay closed until I feel the púka slowing to a walk. We're near the edge of the trees because I can see fragments of moonlight covering the ground. The horse stops and shakes her head again.

"Climb down, child. This is as far as I take you. Even on Samhain when my temperament is mild, the King's warriors would like nothing better than to hunt me down and hang my head on a mantle."

I slide to the earth and brush my bangs from my face. "Thank y—" I stop myself, remembering what the winged faery told me in the park. "I mean, I'll never forget what you did for me."

The púka's eyes rest on me. "You reek of mortality, and yet you seem to be learning the ways of our kind. Be wary of the deals you make with other Fae. I offered you a favor for curiosity's sake. Others will use deals and favors to trick you unless you are mindful of their exact wordings."

I bend at my waist and give a small bow because it seems like the right thing to do. The púka nods back and flicks her tail.

"Be gone, strange creature. The night is giving way to the dawn. If the fates allow, we shall meet again."

Turning, I walk a few steps until I reach the tree line. The castle stands right where I left it, the walls of dark glass reflecting the last light of the moon. When I look behind me, all I see are trees and a mossy forest floor. I send a mental goodbye to the benevolent demon-horse before I break into a run, crossing the lawn of grass between me and the castle.

I recall hearing that the mortal boys were being kept in the stables, so I veer left away from the main gate and towards the buildings along the outer wall. When I see a guard pacing above me, I slam my back into the stone and hope he didn't see. Nothing happens for three heavy breaths, so I keep to the wall's edge as I continue toward the wooden building that looks like it could be a stable.

The rectangular structure is windowless except for the front. I peek inside, shielding my eyes as they try to adjust to the dark interior. Besides a dirt floor and some wooden beams along the ceiling, it seems to be empty.

Two voices in conversation are getting closer. I inch the door open and squeeze inside, thinking to hide here until they pass. Sure enough, two guards holding spears walk past the window without so much as a glance inside. As their voices fade, I start to open the door when I hear something behind me.

"Roisín?"

A small shadow peaks around a pile of crates. I can see a disheveled mess of hair outlined against his head. Closing the distance between us, I wrap my arms around him and a string of apologies starts tumbling out of me.

"I'm sorry Darren. I never should have brought you with me. This was never supposed to happen. I'm so sorry."

I can hear him crying into my neck, his hands clenching the back of my shirt. "Th-they took me, a-and I didn't know what to do. I-I thought you left me h-here alone."

My eyes are filling up with tears fast, and I my throat is tight with emotion. "I would never leave you, Darren. Everything's going to be okay now. I'm here."

I'm kneeling now, holding him to me like a lifeline, rocking him back and forth as I try to sooth him.

"I'll need you to be extra quiet if we're going to get out of here." I say, painfully aware of the limited darkness we have left.

"B-but we can't leave." He lifts his head, his hazel eyes still swimming. "They'll k-kill us."

I want to say that we'll die anyway if we stay here, but maybe he doesn't know about the mortal sacrifice. And I don't want him to. He doesn't need that thought terrorizing him right now.

"Hey," I whisper, wiping the streaks on his face, "I made it here to find you, didn't I?"

He nods meekly.

"Then we can make it back home." I stand up and take his hand. "Come on."

"But we don't have a home." His voice breaks at the end, and more tears start to fall.

I sigh and kneel in front of him again. He stands a bit taller than me when I do this, and I know it won't be much longer until my little brother isn't so little anymore. And right now, I'm starting to realize that I won't be there to see him grow up. Before I start crying again too, I inhale deeply and steady myself for what I'll say next.

"Darren, there's something I need to tell you. Something about the Roberts."

The corners of his eyes pinch up. "Did something happen to them?"

The concern in his voice makes telling him all the harder. 

I've been so stupid.

I shake my head. "No, nothing happened. Actually, something was about to happen before I brought you away with me."

Now his expression is quizzical as he wipes his button nose on his sleeve. "What?"

"When you said you don't have a home to go to, you were wrong. The Roberts want to adopt you, Darren. And if we leave now, I'll bring you back to them so you can have a real family."

That gets my little brother to stop crying, but then his brow furrows into a mess of lines before he punches me right in the stomach.

<<-------->>

Would you be brave enough to try and outsmart a púka? Why or why not? I'm leaning towards a no for me, just because I'm a total pansy when it comes to anything demonic in movies. So real life would be WAY worse.

And who thinks that Roisín could have handled the situation with Darren differently? The problem with secrets is they get told eventually. What would be your reaction if you were in Darren's shoes?

Thank you for reading! Click the star and be sure to leave your thoughts below <3