Tiffany Dunn - If I Should Never Find You

Visibly trembling, Melissa hugged her arms to her chest. "I'm from here? That's not possible. My parents are from the Ukraine -- I have a birth certificate!" She looked to Terry, her features pleading. The older woman had covered her face with her hands, and soft sobs shook her. "Terry?" Melissa whispered. Wendell had a feeling that the real trouble was about to start.

"Did you lie to me Terry?"

"Yes." It was more a sigh than a word.

The quiet was threatening. Wendell put a hand on Melissa's shoulder, but she jerked away.

"Tell me," she demanded.

Teresa wiped her face and looked up. "I don't think here--"

"Here is perfect. Tell me," she ground out. Wendell's heart ached for them both.

Standing, Teresa faced them, her eyes and voice dull as she spoke. "What Inesh says is true. You are the daughter of Prince Andre and Princess Jelena. The Prince was the son of Prince Byron, who loved the Little Mermaid. You are his granddaughter, raised in the Tenth Kingdom."

Through his shock and concern, realization settled over Wendell. It did explain her almost preternatural beauty and stately bearing. Byron's family, all but one believed to be dead he recalled, were famous for how they looked. That must be what Teresa wanted to tell me before. And if Teresa was from here as well, it explained how the mirror had been turned off, a problem that had subconsciously nagged at him for days.

"Why wasn't I raised here?" Melissa asked into the silence. Her voice was too calm.

"Because your family was being hunted." Teresa moved to touch her, but Melissa kept distance between them. "Missy, someone was killing them all. Your grandparents, your aunts and uncles and cousins. An older brother you never knew." Teresa pressed her lips together as the tears slipped from her eyes. "Freak storms that would hit with such a fury, and always where your family was. They came out of perfectly clear skies and thundered with magic. Your father decided to move you and your mother to safety after Dale died." She faltered, bringing her hands up to cover her face again.

When it looked like she wasn't going to continue, Melissa yelled, "Finish the damn story, Teresa!"

The older woman's chest hitched and she spoke through her hands, muffling her words. "Your father was crazy with grief after Dale died. He found out about the Traveling mirrors from a dwarven friend, and stole it with the help of my husband. At that time, I was your mother's young maidservant. We had both loved Dale very much, and I think Jonathan was as sick at his death as your father was. Jon and I went through the mirror and learned the ways of the Tenth Kingdom for a year. When we came back, your mother was very pregnant with you." Teresa drew in a ragged breath and looked up again.

"Prince Andre was adamant that you were to be born here but brought up elsewhere, in safety. So we stayed, and I helped Jelena through the birthing, and then returned to the Tenth Kingdom to get everything ready. We made up the story that your parents had fled from Russia, because at the time it was easy to believe. Jon and I returned six months later, and everything appeared to have calmed down. Even the prince. He had determined that the danger had passed, and you would stay in your home." She stopped, and began crying again. "And then Jonathan was killed."

Wendell moved to Teresa, placing an arm around her shoulders. "It's all right," he whispered. He glanced at Melissa, and was shocked by the anger he saw.

She clenched her hands into tight fists. "Finish the story," she ordered.

"Melissa, please, let her --"

"No, Wendell," she interrupted, glaring at him. "She picked this time by not telling me sooner. I just want to hear it before she starts lying to me again."

"Melissa!"

"Tell me!" she shouted.

Teresa tensed under Wendell's arm, and he tightened his grip around her. "I can finish," she assured him quietly. She didn't leave the circle of his arm, though. "Your father was furious, and he ordered me to join them in their exile. I had nothing else here, so I gladly went. Because six months had passed, I returned for another month and settled everything, and then came to retrieve your family. But Andre was terrified that someone would follow us through the mirror, so he devised a plan. We would go through, and then he would take the mirror out into the Great Northern Sea and enter the mirror there, making sure it was closed and tossed overboard after. His most trusted servant agreed to help him, and so you, your mother, and I went through. He never followed. We didn't know what had happened, but your mother went to the rendezvous spot every day for almost a year, slowly wasting away until she could no longer make the journey. A week after that, she died."

"Why did she die?"

Teresa's lips twisted, and for the first time, Wendell saw a flash of anger. "Because she loved him, Missy. Without him, she saw no reason to live."

"What about me?"

Wendell wanted to go to Melissa, pull her into his arms and soothe away the pain he heard in her words, and he saw in Teresa's eyes that she felt the same. "Oh, Missy," she breathed. "She loved you just as much. She wasn't thinking straight, but she knew how much I loved you, and that I would take care of you. Jelena died of a broken heart."

"So, what," Melissa threw her hands in the air. "My mother was co-dependent and irresponsible, is that what you're saying? I guess I'm better off without her then!"

Teresa surged forward the few feet that separated them, and slapped Melissa across the cheek. "Don't you ever speak about your mother like that!"

In the stinging silence, they all gaped at each other, and Wendell rubbed his eyes, not sure he really believed what he had seen and heard. Melissa pressed her fingers to her cheek.

"I'm sorry, Missy," Teresa whispered. "I shouldn't have done that. I just ... your parents, like your grandparents, had true love. They were a part of each other, and without Andre, Jelena wasn't whole. Just before she died, she said to me, 'How can I live when the best part of me is already dead?'"

Melissa grasped the back of her head with her hands. "This is ... I can't ... " she shook her head frantically. "You lied to me, Terry. You've always been lying to me."

"No, Missy. Just about your past. Everything else I've ever told you has been the truth."

"Please," she whispered, and even from where he stood, Wendell could feel the ragged ache in her voice. "Leave me alone. I can't look at you." She covered her eyes and turned away, her whole body moving with the force of her breaths.

Teresa bit her lip, glancing at Wendell briefly. "Melissa, I'm sorry."

"Go away."

Without a sound, Teresa pushed past Wendell and fled into the forest. He moved to follow her when he heard Melissa call his name. Instantly he turned to her, pulling her limp body into his arms and hugging her tightly. Teresa, he was certain, would be all right. But he couldn't bear to leave Melissa alone with her pain, astonished as he was at her anger. Her hands clutched the smooth fabric of his shirt, and she hung onto him as though she'd fall if she let go.

He faced Inesh, angry at the hurt Melissa was feeling as she cried in his arms. "You could have warned them," he hissed.

The unicorn, who had not moved the entire time, shook his great head. "I did," he said sadly. He pointed his black horn at them. "You chose to ignore me."

He wanted to growl at the Oracle, but stopped himself. He couldn't help Melissa if he was going to go doggy. "You knew what would happen, why didn't you say anything at all?"

"I know only what is, King of the Fourth Kingdom. Not what will be." Inesh sounded frustrated. "I did warn you."

Wendell huffed, pulling Melissa tighter to him. Underneath his feet, the ground vibrated and then stilled. He thought he had imagined it, until it happened again. "What was that?" he asked Inesh.

The unicorn's eyes closed, and his body seemed to shimmer in the shadows. "An enemy comes this way." The pauses between vibrations grew shorter, and the shaking stronger. "He comes for you." Inesh's eyes opened, the blue depths bright with things unseen. "King of the Fourth Kingdom, this is what you must know: a giant comes this way, hungry for destruction. Within the heart of the Fire Tree is a poisonous vine. Put your dagger through the middle of one of its leaves and then stab the giant. That is the way you must destroy it. Hurry -- it will rip through my forest, looking for you!"

"The fire tree? Where in the fairying forest is that?" Wendell gestured with one hand, Melissa still in his arms. She was looking around, her eyes dazed. The vibration was almost constant now, and leaves fluttered down from the trees.

"Come with me, I will show you. You must hurry." Inesh stamped his forehoof, and started trotting further into the forest.

"Wait-" Wendell sighed, releasing Melissa. "Stay here," he told her, staring into her stormy eyes. "Just stay here." She nodded slowly. Relieved, he let her go and started running after the Oracle. Branches had begun to creak with the weight of the vibration, and a deep, deep voice could be heard rumbling on the wind. He followed the pale white flashes he saw, hoping they were Inesh. Birds flew around them without direction, bouncing off of the trees and each other, filling the air with their tiny shrieks of terror. The forest was alive with chaos.

The shaking grew stronger, and Wendell stumbled, tripping over a fallen branch. He fell to the ground, scraping his palms raw on an exposed root. Inesh's white form disappeared into the forest. "Inesh!" he called out, desperate to be heard. "Wait!" Pushing himself up, he followed, praying he hadn't lost the unicorn.

Darting between two huge trees, he exploded into a clearing, where the Oracle had stopped. Inesh's white flanks heaved with the exertion, his red head marred with lather. "It is here," he said, no trace of breathlessness in his words.

The horn pointed to a tree a short distance away. It was short for a tree, no taller than Wendell himself, its leaves a deep sunset-red. They way they lay on the branches, it looked like it was on fire. Presumably where it had gotten its name.

The young king rushed to it, spotting a small hole at the base of the trunk. He slipped his dagger from his belt, and fell to his knees, bending down to peer in. In the shadows, he couldn't tell where the leaves were, so he reached his hand in to pull one out.

"No!" Inesh shouted, whinnying loudly. Wendell jerked his hand out quickly, startled by the sudden noise. "You must not touch the leaves. It will kill you if you touch it. Stab the dagger -- quickly." The ground rolled under their feet, emphasizing his words. "The giant comes!"

Wendell thrust his dagger into the hole, feeling the point slice through the faint resistance. He had no idea if he'd hit the right spot, and when he brought the weapon back out, it looked dry. "How will I know if I hit it?" he asked.

"Stab the giant. The poison cannot be seen, that is why it is so dangerous."

Groaning, Wendell forced himself to his feet, holding the knife carefully away from him. "That's bloody perfect," he mumbled, running after Inesh as the unicorn took off without a word.

Branches were falling to the ground now, and it was getting harder to stand, much less run. The deep voice was still speaking, and over the cacophony of birdcalls, Wendell made out the words: "Little King! Where are you hiding? My lady wishes to speak with you!" He swallowed down his fear and ran faster.

Reaching Melissa again, he found her hugging a tree, looking around wildly. Her gaze was sharp again, and panicked. "What's going on?" she shouted when he came near.

Keeping the dagger as far from her as possible, he took her outstretched hand and began leading her out of the forest. Inesh watched them for a moment, then disappeared the other way. "It's a giant!" Wendell had to shout over the noise now, even though they were right next to each other. The vibration had become a constant, and his bones felt like they would crack from the pressure. Birds fell out of the sky and were quickly covered with leaves and twigs. A branch snapped and plummeted from the top of a tall tree, narrowly missing him.

And suddenly, it went absolutely silent.

The vibration had stopped without warning, and the birds, apparently as surprised as Wendell, had quieted. A few leaves fell to the ground, and a last branch cracked, the noise like lightning in the stillness. It tumbled to the ground, crashing into a bed of leaves, sending up one last flurry of chirps before silence settled again.

"What happened?" Melissa whispered.

In answer, there was a long, low roar, a crash, and then a woman's terrible scream.

"TERRY!" As if called to action, the noise and clamor sprang up again, and Melissa ran for the edge of the forest, Wendell following her closely.

They came bursting out of the tree line into shade, and saw their carriage lying crumpled, a hundred feet from where it had been. To the side Wendell first saw toes, and craned his head backwards to see the entirety of the giant. It was enormous, taller than Aileen's castle, with feet as large across as the river that separated his kingdom from the trolls'.

"Suck an elf," he breathed.

White-faced, Melissa was staring at the carriage, breathing fast. "Wh-what are we going to do?"

Shifting the dagger in his sweaty grip, Wendell brought it around to show Melissa. Compared to the giant, it's slim blade looked as effective as a flower stem. "Inesh showed me the way." He was surprised at how confident he sounded. Above them the giant laughed, and they both spread out their arms to keep from falling.

"There you are little king! Have you come to play?" He lowered his big face a little, and Wendell was surprised to see that he wasn't ugly. "But we have no time for games. My lady wants you, little man." His powerful breath blew their hair and clothes.

Wendell searched frantically for a place to hit him, but the giant was wearing boots as thick as a wall, and everything else was too out of reach. He would have to wait to be grabbed. "Let me handle this," he told Melissa hurriedly. "And whatever you do, let him get me first."

She was still staring at the carriage, but she nodded quickly.

Summoning courage, Wendell waved his hand at the giant. "Good!" he shouted as loud as could. "I want to meet her, too! If she is so weak that she must send others to do her work, then she doesn't frighten me!"

The giant laughed a long time at that. "She should!" he answered simply. But he brought his hand down, the fingers as thick as the trees that stood behind them.

Licking his lips, Wendell waited until the hand was almost around him, and he gripped the handle of his dagger with both hands, holding it out in front of him, so it would pierce the soft flesh between the thumb and first finger.

When the fingers closed, he threw himself forward, and felt the knife embed itself up to the hilt. The giant grunted and shook him roughly. He felt his head snap back, and blackness crept in at the edges of sight. "What are you doing?" the giant asked. Wendell's stomach lurched as the ground rushed away, and he was suddenly much too high in the air, eye-level with his captor. He waited for some sign that the poison had worked, but the giant merely smiled and bent down again, Wendell's breakfast rising into his throat. "I will play with the woman, though," the giant announced.

Melissa didn't respond, and when Wendell shifted enough to turn around, he saw the giant's hand close around her, as well. They were both rushed back into the air and turned to face each other. "You will make a good doll for my child," he told her. "And perhaps she can have a little king when my lady is finished."

Fear finally registered, and Wendell stared across the empty expanse that separated him from Melissa. He had failed, and now the giant had her, and she would die. Even his own death didn't matter as much. He twisted the knife furiously, and although the giant grunted and shook him again, nothing else happened. Wendell forced back unconsciousness and looked at Melissa once more. Their eyes met, and he shouted his love to her, but he couldn't tell if she'd heard.

"My daughter would love -" The giant stopped talking abruptly, and when Wendell looked up, he saw his mouth hanging open. The huge man grunted once, and without warning the body started to topple backward.

"Hold on!" Wendell shouted, grabbing onto one of the thick fingers. They sped towards the ground, and faster than he dreamt possible, the body had crashed. The impact jarred Wendell's grip loose, but he fell into the giant's palm and was buffeted around in the fingers, which hadn't moved. The noise was overpowering and for a long time after he had stopped moving, he heard rumbling in his mind.

Some time later, his whole body bruised and aching, Wendell pulled his dagger out of the giant's palm and climbed out of his hand. He scanned the body, but there was no sign of movement. The poison had worked.

"Melissa?" he called out, struggling to breathe deeply. His ribs were aching, but it was nothing compared to the fear he felt. Scrambling down the arm and across the chest, Wendell made his way to the giant's other hand, in time to see Melissa pulling herself out. She looked as sore and frightened as he felt. Her hair was tangled in a mass, and tears had dried on her cheeks, which were red and raw. But seeing her alive, she looked more beautiful to him then than ever before.

He crawled up the arm to her, and hugged her close, although they both grimaced at each other's touch. "Are you okay?" he asked, kissing her forehead.

"I think so." She felt her arm and winced. "Just very, very sore." She looked around, and he saw a memory in her eyes. "Oh God. Terry, where is Terry?"

"I don't know." He surveyed the area as well, but could only see the carriage. He prayed that she wasn't inside. "Come on, let's go look for her, I'm sure she's fine."

"Did you hear her scream?"

"Melissa." He cupped his hand under her chin. "Let's look for her first."

She nodded, and they slipped off of the hand together, helping each other down. Wendell wanted to search the forest first, they both called Teresa's name repeatedly, but he felt drawn to the mangled carriage. Unable to avoid it, they headed straight for it, and stopped several feet away.

"Terry?" Melissa called, her voice tremulous.

There was no answer.

"Let me look," Wendell said, holding her back. She protested, but he pushed her away and she fell silent. He didn't really want to be the first, but he couldn't let Melissa do it.

Reluctantly, he put one hand on the door and took a deep breath. "Teresa?" he asked. His heart was exploding in his chest. Peering into the shadowy interior, he didn't see anything at first, and then, he caught a faint paleness in the dark. He covered his mouth with his hand and forced down the knot of grief that choked him. "Teresa," he said again, carefully making his way into the carriage. Splintered wood jutted out everywhere, the seats and roof torn by it. Teresa was tucked into a corner, her gentle eyes closed.

Wendell settled himself next to her and felt the carriage shift under his weight. When it had stopped moving, he felt for a pulse, listened for breath, looked for life. And found none. "She's dead, isn't she?"

He turned, surprised by the words. Melissa was looking through the window at them, her eyes dark.

Wendell couldn't speak, so he nodded.

Pressing her lips together until they disappeared, Melissa nodded in return, and her eyes caressed Teresa's still form. The silence crept into the carriage, swathing them in their grief.

"Melissa," Wendell whispered, helpless to do anything else. "I am sorry."

She shrugged carelessly. "It's not your fault, Wendell. It was that bitch," she spit the word out and then calmed again. "The Soul Ravager. It wasn't you."

He climbed out of the carriage, peering up into the afternoon sky. It was a long walk to the nearest castle. He wasn't sure which way to go next.

"Was Sport in there?"

Wendell watched her, shaking his head. "No, he wasn't." She seemed to stagger with relief and he thought she would finally crack, before she pulled herself back together. He could only stand there as she turned to the forest and began calling for the cat. Her reaction worried him, but he had no idea how to help her, so he started calling Sport's name as well.

The orange tabby ran from the forest's safety, and leapt into Melissa's open arms. Behind him came the driver, leading the four carriage horses. "Y-your High-highness." The man was still shaking.

"Driver." He hadn't even asked the man's name, he realized. He did so, and was told 'Joseph.' Nodding, Wendell ordered him to take Teresa's body back to Aileen's castle, where it was to be stored until she could have a proper burial in her true home. They pulled the body as gently as they could out of the carriage, and settled it over one of the horses. It was an unpleasant sight, her arms dangling off one side, her legs off the other, and knowing it was Teresa only made it worse. Joseph hurried off at Wendell's command, leaving the other two horses behind.

Wendell watched them go, unable to look away. Gentle Teresa, who had traveled so silently and well, who he had come to care deeply for, was gone. The horses' departure made it seem all the more final. He wiped at the corners of his eyes. And now they had to leave Teresa like that, to try and find the woman who had killed her before anyone else was hurt.

"Melissa, we need to go," he said, trying to coax her onto the horse. She wouldn't let go of Sport long enough to get on the horse. "Please, we don't have time to walk to Antony's."

"I don't want to lose him."

He looked away, feeling her pain as his own. "I will hold him while you mount, and then you can have him back."

"He might jump from your arms."

"I won't let him, Melissa. I swear it. Please?"

She studied Wendell, apparently weighing his worthiness, before thrusting Sport into his arms. He grasped the wriggling cat tightly, and willingly gave him up when she was situated.

Mounting his own horse, Wendell made one last survey of the area, appalled at the destruction. The giant's body stretched out before them, to the side was the ruined carriage, and behind was the forest, it's leaves and branches and birds scattered all over the ground. Wendell owed this 'Soul Ravager' much. He glanced at Melissa, but she was whispering her secrets to Sport, oblivious to anything else.

With a sigh, Wendell spurred his horse onward, making sure she followed after him. They still had a long way to go.