Ow! Pain lanced through my calf like an electrical shock. Grabbing his hair, I tried prying his teeth from my skin, but he clung to me like a leech and bit down harder. It felt like glass shards stabbing into my leg. Tears blurred my vision, and my knees almost buckled from the pain.
Meghan!
Robbie stood inside the front door, a backpack flung over his shoulder, his green eyes wide with shock.
Ethan released me, jerking his head toward the shout. Blood smeared his lips. Seeing Robbie, he hissed andtheres no other way to put itscuttled away from us and up the stairs, vanishing from sight.
I shook so hard I had to sit down on the couch. My leg throbbed, and my breath came in short, uneven gasps. Blood, bright and vivid, seeped through my jeans like an unfurling blossom. Dazed, I stared at it, numbness deadening my limbs, freezing them in shock.
Robbie crossed the room in three strides and knelt beside me. Briskly, as if hed done this kind of thing before, he began rolling up the cuff of one pant leg.
Robbie, I whispered as he bent over his task, his long fingers surprisingly gentle. Whats happening? Everythings going crazy. Ethan just attacked melike a wild dog.
That wasnt your brother, Robbie muttered as he pushed back the material, revealing a bloody mess below my knee. An oval of jagged puncture wounds marred my leg, seeping blood, and the skin around them was already purpling. Rob whistled softly. Nasty. Wait here. Ill be right back.
Like Im going anywhere, I replied automatically, and then his previous statement sank in. Wait a minute. What do you mean, that wasnt Ethan? Who the hell else could it be?
Rob ignored me. Walking to his backpack, he opened it and pulled out a long, green-tinted bottle and a tiny crystal cup. I frowned. Why was he going for champagne now? I was hurt, in pain, and my kid brother had turned into a monster. I was certainly not in the mood for celebrating.
With the utmost care, Robbie poured the champagne into the cup and walked back, being careful not to spill a single drop.
Here, he said, giving it to me. The cup sparkled in his hand. Drink this. Where do you keep the towels?
I took it suspiciously. In the bathroom. Just dont use Moms good white ones. As Rob walked off, I peered into the tiny cup. There was barely enough for a swallow. It didnt look like champagne to me. I was expecting something fizzy white or pink, sparkling in the glass. The liquid in the cup was a deep, dark red, the color of blood. A fine mist writhed and danced on the surface.
What is this?
Robbie, returning from the bathroom with a white towel, rolled his eyes. Do you have to question everything? It will help you forget the pain. Just drink it already.
I sniffed experimentally, expecting hints of roses or berries or some type of sweet scent mixed in with the alcohol.
It smelled of nothing. Nothing at all.
Oh, well. I raised the glass in a silent toast. Happy birthday to me.
The wine filled my mouth, flooding my senses. It tasted of nothing, and everything. It tasted of twilight and mist, moonlight and frost, emptiness and longing. The room swayed, and I fell back against the couch, it was so strong. Reality blurred at the edges, wrapping me in a fuzzy haze. I felt sick and sleepy all at once.
By the time my senses cleared, Robbie was tying a bandage around my leg. I didnt remember him cleaning or dressing the wound. I felt numb and dazed, like a blanket had dropped over my thoughts, making it hard to concentrate.
There, Robbie said, straightening up. Thats done. At least your leg wont fall off. His eyes swept up to mine, anxious and assessing. Howre you feeling, princess?
Un, I said intelligently, and tried to sweep the cobwebs from my brain. There was something I wasnt remembering, something important. Why was Robbie binding my leg? Had I hurt myself somehow?
I bolted upright.
Ethan bit me! I exclaimed, indignant and furious all over again. I turned on Robbie. And youyou said that wasnt Ethan at all! What were you talking about? Whats going on?
Relax, princess. Robbie tossed the bloody towel onto the floor and plopped onto a footstool. He sighed. I was hoping it wouldnt come to this. My fault, I suppose. I shouldnt have left you alone today.
What are you talking about?
You werent supposed to see this, any of this, Robbie went on, to my utter confusion. He seemed to be talking more to himself than me. Your Sight has always been strong, that was a given. Still, I didnt expect them to go after your family, too. This changes things.
Rob, if you dont tell me whats going on
Robbie looked at me. His eyes gleamed, impish and feral. Tell you? Are you sure? His voice went soft and dangerous, and goose bumps crawled up my arms. Once you start seeing things, you wont be able to stop. People have gone mad with too much knowledge. He sighed, and the menace dropped from his eyes. I dont want that to happen to you, princess. It doesnt have to be this way, you know. I can make you forget all of this.
Forget?
He nodded and held up the wine bottle. This is mistwine. You just had a swallow. A cup will make everything go back to normal. He balanced the bottle on two fingers, watching it sway back and forth. One cup, and youll be normal again. Your brothers behavior will not seem strange, and you wont remember anything weird or scary. You know what they sayignorance is bliss, right?
Despite my uneasiness, I felt a slow flame of anger burning my chest. So, you want me to drink thatthat stuff, and just forget about Ethan. Just forget about my only brother. Thats what youre saying.
He raised an eyebrow. Well, when you put it like that
The burning grew hot and furious, searing away the fear. I clenched my fists. Of course I wont forget about Ethan! Hes my brother! Are you really that inhuman, or just stupid?
To my surprise, a grin spread over his face. He dropped the bottle, caught it, and put it on the floor. The first, he said, very softly.
That threw me. What?
Inhuman. He was still grinning at me, the smile stretching his whole mouth so that his teeth gleamed in the fading light. I warned you, princess. Im not like you. And now, neither is your brother.
Despite the fear prickling my stomach, I leaned forward. Ethan? What do you mean? Whats wrong with him?
That wasnt Ethan. Robbie leaned back, crossing his arms. The thing that attacked you today is a changeling.
CHAPTER FOUR
Puck
I stared at Robbie, wondering if this was another one of his stupid pranks. He sat there, observing me calmly, watching my reaction. Though he still wore a half grin, his eyes were hard and serious. He wasnt joking around.
Ch-changeling? I finally stammered, looking at him like he was insane. Isnt that some kind ofof
Faery, Robbie finished for me. A changeling is a faery offspring that has been switched with a human child. Usually, a trolls or goblins, though the sidhethe faery nobilityhave been known to make the switch, as well. Your brother has been replaced. That thing is not Ethan, any more than I am.
Youre crazy, I whispered. If I wasnt sitting, Id be backing away from him toward the door. Youve gone off the deep end. Time to cut back on the anime, Rob. Theres no such thing as faeries.
Robbie sighed. Really? Thats what youre going with? How predictable. He leaned back and crossed his arms. I thought better of you, princess.
Thought better of me? I cried, leaping off the couch. Listen to yourself! You really expect me to believe that my brother is some kind of pixie with glitter dust and butterfly wings?
Dont be stupid, Rob said mildly. You have no idea what youre talking about. Youre thinking Tinker Bell, which is a typical human response to the word faery. The real fey arent like that at all. He paused a moment. Well, except for the piskies, of course, but thats a different story altogether.
Dont be stupid, Rob said mildly. You have no idea what youre talking about. Youre thinking Tinker Bell, which is a typical human response to the word faery. The real fey arent like that at all. He paused a moment. Well, except for the piskies, of course, but thats a different story altogether.
I shook my head, my thoughts spinning in several directions at once. I cant deal with this right now, I muttered and staggered away from him. I have to check on Ethan.
Robbie only shrugged, leaned back against the wall, and put his hands behind his head. After one final glare at him, I rushed up the stairs and opened the door to Ethans bedroom.
It was a mess, a war zone of broken toys, books, and scattered clothes. I looked around for Ethan, but the room appeared empty, until I heard a faint scratching noise under his bed.
Ethan? Kneeling down, pushing away broken action figures and snapped Tinkertoys, I peered into the space between the mattress and the floor. In the shadows, I could just make out a small lump huddled in the corner with his back to me. He was trembling.
Ethan, I called softly. Are you all right? Why dont you come out a second? Im not mad at you. Well, that was a lie, but I was more shaken than angry. I wanted to drag Ethan downstairs and prove that he wasnt a troll or a changeling or whatever Robbie said he was.
The lump stirred a little, and Ethans voice drifted out of the gap. Is the scary man still here? he asked in a small, frightened voice. I mightve been sympathetic, if my calf wasnt throbbing so much.
No, I lied. Hes gone now. You can come out. Ethan didnt move, and my irritation sparked. Ethan, this is ridiculous. Get out of there already, will you? I stuck my head farther under the mattress and reached for him.
Ethan turned on me with a hiss, eyes burning yellow, and lunged at my arm. I jerked it back as his teeth, jaggedly pointed like a sharks, snapped together with a horrid clicking sound. Ethan snarled, his skin the ghastly blue of a drowned infants, bared teeth shining in the darkness. I shrieked, scrabbling back, Lego blocks and Tinkertoys biting into my palms. Hitting the wall, I leaped to my feet, turned, and fled the room.
And ran smack into Robbie, standing outside the door.
He grabbed my shoulders as I screamed and started hitting him, barely conscious of what I was doing. He bore the attack wordlessly, simply holding me in place, until I collapsed against him and buried my head in his chest. And he held me as I sobbed out my fear and anger.
At last, the tears stopped, leaving me drained and utterly exhausted. I sniffed and backed away, wiping my eyes on my palm, shaking. Robbie still stood there quietly, his shirt damp with my tears. The door to Ethans bedroom was shut, but I could hear faint thumps and cackling laughter beyond the door.