Kelpie Curse: A Feyland Urban Fantasy Tale (The Celtic Fey Book 2) Read Online Free Page B
Author: Roz Marshall
safety threatened to paralyse his muscles, but with an effort of will he pushed away his worries.
But his anxiety rekindled when, at the corner of his vision, he spotted something large and white swimming from the edge of the pool and heading in their direction. Another rescuer?
Or trouble?
Instinct told him it was the latter, so he kicked even harder for fresh air and safety.
Seconds later, they broke the surface and he gulped a lungful of air. But Corinne lay slumped in his arms, not breathing, and his heart contracted again. Pulling strongly towards the side, he did not dare look behind him for fear of what he might see, but instead swam as fast and as hard as he could.
It seemed to take forever, but he finally reached the shallower water at the bank. Heaving her out of the water and scrambling out himself, he glanced behind him just as a huge white shape turned and flicked away from the edge, back towards the middle of the pool. What was that thing?
Something told him they had been lucky to avoid being caught by it, and he would have breathed a sigh of relief—but Corinne lay motionless on the grassy bank beside him. Still not breathing. His heart cramped. What if she had swallowed some of the faerie water? That would surely bind her to the Realm just as he had been bound, many years ago.
Would that mean she could not save him? I cannot risk it.
Dropping to his knees beside her, he pushed on her chest with the heels of his hands, hoping to dislodge any water she had ingested. But there was no change.
He searched his memory. Somewhere in the distant past, he had seen a veterinarian revive a new-born lamb by breathing for it. Would that work with Corinne?
He leaned over and opened her sweet mouth, cupping his lips over hers and sending a blast of life-giving air into her lungs. Her chest rose and fell with the breath he had given her, awakening a faint glimmer of hope in his breast. He tried another breath, and a tinge of pink returned to her cheeks. A third, and she suddenly pulled in a great draught of air for herself, then started coughing and spluttering.
Rolling her onto her side, he thumped on her back as she cleared her lungs. "Did you swallow any of the water?" he asked urgently.
"D—don't know," she gasped.
"Spit it out if you can," he said, the knot of worry building again. "You should not eat or drink anything here or you may not be able to return to your own world."
-::-
Not be able to return? But who would look after Ghost? And what would Mother say? "I—I've got to return." Corinne said, propping herself on an elbow and looking up at her rescuer.
"Did you get rid of all the water?"
"I think so." I hope so. Her mind clearing, she looked from Elphin in his drenched clothes to the deep water of the pool and back again. Her mouth went dry. I would have drowned without him. She was lucky he'd been there. "Thank you for saving me, Elphin," she said, touching his hand. "I slipped. And I can't swim. I'm so glad you saw me."
"Think nothing of it. I am indebted to you for saving me from the Wild Hunt."
"Oh, that was more the unicorn than me." Some of her strength returning, she sat up properly and plucked absently at a blade of grass. "I thought I saw him again, in here, but it was just another horse. But you remember how he disappeared into the ring of trees on that hill, after we escaped the Hunt?"
Elphin nodded.
"Well, that night in real life, in the middle of a standing stone circle near my house, I found a white horse. All on his own. No saddle or bridle." She met Elphin's kind orange eyes. "I—I think it was the unicorn from here. Though I can't explain how or why."
Elphin sat back on his heels. "It could be… A stone circle can act as a conduit between worlds. So it does not surprise me that the unicorn would go to join you in your world."
"But that's why I need to get home. I need to look after him. I can't stay here, even if I have swallowed some water. Surely it won't count if it was
But his anxiety rekindled when, at the corner of his vision, he spotted something large and white swimming from the edge of the pool and heading in their direction. Another rescuer?
Or trouble?
Instinct told him it was the latter, so he kicked even harder for fresh air and safety.
Seconds later, they broke the surface and he gulped a lungful of air. But Corinne lay slumped in his arms, not breathing, and his heart contracted again. Pulling strongly towards the side, he did not dare look behind him for fear of what he might see, but instead swam as fast and as hard as he could.
It seemed to take forever, but he finally reached the shallower water at the bank. Heaving her out of the water and scrambling out himself, he glanced behind him just as a huge white shape turned and flicked away from the edge, back towards the middle of the pool. What was that thing?
Something told him they had been lucky to avoid being caught by it, and he would have breathed a sigh of relief—but Corinne lay motionless on the grassy bank beside him. Still not breathing. His heart cramped. What if she had swallowed some of the faerie water? That would surely bind her to the Realm just as he had been bound, many years ago.
Would that mean she could not save him? I cannot risk it.
Dropping to his knees beside her, he pushed on her chest with the heels of his hands, hoping to dislodge any water she had ingested. But there was no change.
He searched his memory. Somewhere in the distant past, he had seen a veterinarian revive a new-born lamb by breathing for it. Would that work with Corinne?
He leaned over and opened her sweet mouth, cupping his lips over hers and sending a blast of life-giving air into her lungs. Her chest rose and fell with the breath he had given her, awakening a faint glimmer of hope in his breast. He tried another breath, and a tinge of pink returned to her cheeks. A third, and she suddenly pulled in a great draught of air for herself, then started coughing and spluttering.
Rolling her onto her side, he thumped on her back as she cleared her lungs. "Did you swallow any of the water?" he asked urgently.
"D—don't know," she gasped.
"Spit it out if you can," he said, the knot of worry building again. "You should not eat or drink anything here or you may not be able to return to your own world."
-::-
Not be able to return? But who would look after Ghost? And what would Mother say? "I—I've got to return." Corinne said, propping herself on an elbow and looking up at her rescuer.
"Did you get rid of all the water?"
"I think so." I hope so. Her mind clearing, she looked from Elphin in his drenched clothes to the deep water of the pool and back again. Her mouth went dry. I would have drowned without him. She was lucky he'd been there. "Thank you for saving me, Elphin," she said, touching his hand. "I slipped. And I can't swim. I'm so glad you saw me."
"Think nothing of it. I am indebted to you for saving me from the Wild Hunt."
"Oh, that was more the unicorn than me." Some of her strength returning, she sat up properly and plucked absently at a blade of grass. "I thought I saw him again, in here, but it was just another horse. But you remember how he disappeared into the ring of trees on that hill, after we escaped the Hunt?"
Elphin nodded.
"Well, that night in real life, in the middle of a standing stone circle near my house, I found a white horse. All on his own. No saddle or bridle." She met Elphin's kind orange eyes. "I—I think it was the unicorn from here. Though I can't explain how or why."
Elphin sat back on his heels. "It could be… A stone circle can act as a conduit between worlds. So it does not surprise me that the unicorn would go to join you in your world."
"But that's why I need to get home. I need to look after him. I can't stay here, even if I have swallowed some water. Surely it won't count if it was
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