Free Spirit by Shauna Granger

old faiths. I couldn’t imagine when the Slaugh
had last been summoned from the Outlands.
    Gwyn
started off without a word before I could thank him. I had to hurry to catch
up, his strides the length of two of mine. I cleared my throat. “So, this is
the Slaugh?” I gestured to the encampment. “I thought it would be bigger.”
    “It
is,” he said with a nod. “This is only one hunting party. There are many, many
more.”
    “Oh.
Listen, I was hoping you could tell me how to get back to my world.”
    “Now
is not the time for that,” he said bluntly, cutting me off.
    “Why?”
I realized I was almost out of breath from trying to keep up with him.
    “Because
now it is time for the feast.” I gritted my teeth and kept pace with him until
we made it to one of the fires. Three of the not-opossums were already roasting
on a spit over the flames. When I looked around, I saw more of the skinned and
spitted animals over the scattered fires, and the various creatures of the Hunt
circled them, waiting for their roasts.
    Gwyn
sat on a rough, hand carved stool, the only one by his fire. Everyone else
crouched on the grass, gazing into their fires. I could smell the roasting meat,
and the sounds of dripping fat, sizzling in the fire, made my mouth water. Like
a punch in the gut, I realized it had been ages since I last ate. I stood
awkwardly outside of the circle, sure I had no place there since I hadn’t
caught any of those animals and wasn’t even helping cook. A cramp knotted my
stomach, making me grimace.
    I
rushed forward with a wash of relief when Gwyn casually waved me over to join
them. He gestured to the empty space by his right, and I dropped to my knees in
the grass, resting my hands on my thighs as I too became entranced by the fire.
All thoughts of how to get home suddenly fled from my mind. So desperate for a
full belly, I didn’t even blink when a small, hunchbacked creature with black,
leathery wings bursting from his back reached over to turn the spit, rotating
the cooking animals. Before long, the meat was ready and everyone had their
share, Gwyn’s notably larger. I only had a moment’s hesitation as I held onto
the steaming leg, the juices greasing my fingers, when I realized I was about
to bite into an overgrown rodent. Then my stomach got the better of me and I
bit into the charred meat.
    I
groaned in satisfaction as the juices burst in my mouth and the meat shredded,
almost as soft as butter. I wondered if I was being as foolish as Persephone
trusting Hades, but then I reminded myself I was in the Celtic afterlife; they
bound you with words, not food. And that was the most delicious risk I had
taken in years.
     

 
    Chapter 5
     
    After
the food had been consumed, the group began to scatter to the various crudely
erected shelters, though some creatures disappeared over the hills. I sat and watched
the flames gutter until only glowing embers were left. Those tiny sparks of
heat were all it took to change my life, to steal it away. I realized I hadn’t
thought about Steven or Jodi or getting back to my old life for over an hour.
The draw of the Slaugh was a sneaky one; if I wasn’t careful, I would be like a
mortal trapped in the Shide and all memories of my human life would be
forgotten.
    I
blinked rapidly, shaking my head to clear it, and got to my feet. Gwyn had
disappeared somewhere. I looked up into the sky and realized the moon hadn’t
moved even an inch since I last looked at it.
    “What?”
I whispered. How could that be? I last looked at the moon at least six hours before,
so how could it be in the exact same position in the sky? Was it perpetually
night there? Or did time stand still? Was there a difference? I closed my eyes
and shook my head again. That moon was just another thing that would distract
me from my goals. I started walking. I didn’t know where Gwyn had gone, but the
encampment wasn’t endless like that forest had been. I figured I could find a
six-foot tall elf with