Reflection Pond (32 page)

A cleaner break,
Rowan thought.

As Rowan walked Callie back to Sapphire’s cottage, he remembered the last funeral they’d attended, and how Callie had nearly died. She was quiet as the left the others for the solitude of the cottages. He wondered if she was thinking about the same thing.

They’d wait until the city was asleep, and then they’d go.

He’d find a way to protect her. He’d give up everything, his claim to another city, being fae,
everything,
to keep his promise.

Rowan closed his eyes, remembering the slide of his foster father’s knife against his skin, and the answering flood of pain. He couldn’t let that happen.

They stopped at the foot of her stairs. Callie released his hand and hid both of hers behind her back. “Thanks,” she said.

“Usually they thank me the morning after.” Rowan smirked, but he didn’t feel it in his heart.

“I’m sure,” Callie said.

“So you’re not going to invite me in?”

Callie paled.

“I’m kidding.” Rowan shoved his hands into his pockets.

Callie took a breath. “Where will we go first…you know, after we leave?”

“We’ll go into hiding. I know some places.”

“And if nothing happens?”

Rowan turned his face upward. A full moon presided over a star filled sky. “Maybe I’ll go to medical school. I don’t know. We’ll figure it out.”

“You aren’t—” she hesitated, drawing Rowan’s gaze back to her face. “You aren’t scared?”

Rowan grinned. “I love adventure. What’s there to be afraid of?”

“Being alone. Won’t you miss this?”

“I’ve been alone my entire life, Callie. Whether I’m here or out there hardly matters.”

Callie’s cheeks reddened. “That goes both ways, Rowan. Maybe you don’t need anyone, but there are people who need you. I hate that you act like it doesn’t bother you to leave.”

Rowan drew a deep breath, regretting walking her home. They’d have plenty of time to argue once they got outside. He should’ve let Ash do it, or Jack, anyone else. He put his hands on her shoulders, and for once, she didn’t immediately pull away. “You think you know who I am, but you
have no idea. Whatever it is you think you feel for me, it isn’t real. I’m not Rowan of
Eirensae.
I’m not some good faerie who heals people. This is all a product of my situation, but it’s not me. You’re trying to make me into the hero.”

Callie looked up, eyes furious. “Why do you do this?” She shoved his shoulder. “You let people in just to push them away. The other night—” she broke off and waved a hand. “The other night I saw you, Rowan, and I saw
all
of you. I know what you are and I’m still here. You keep pushing and pushing, but guess what? I’m pushing back. All that doesn’t matter to me. I’m going with you, but you’re not making it easy on me.”

Her face was inches from his, her eyes narrowed and pale blue in the moonlight. He could feel her heartbeat and the intense tingle of her power sizzling along his skin. He told himself not to, but his hand lifted, caressed the soft angle of her jaw.

Callie inhaled sharply. Closed her eyes.

“I push because I want to keep you safe.” He slid his hand to her neck. “This,” he pulled her closer, until his lips grazed her ear, her cheek, “isn’t safe.” Her pulse leapt beneath his hand.

His nose skimmed along her cheek as he moved back. Callie’s eyes were open now, luminous and wide. He cupped her face, slipped his hands into her hair. He knew she would pull away at any second. She was terrified. He felt it in every sharp breath, in the way her hands fisted at her sides. He saw it in her eyes.

Stop me,
he thought, as his head dipped.

The kiss was leaping off of a five-story building. It was the sunset over the ocean on the longest day of the year. It was holding someone too tightly so
they couldn’t let go.

Callie’s mouth was warm beneath his, her lips pliant. She didn’t lift her hands to his neck or pull him closer, but she didn’t push him away, either. Rowan kept it gentle, though the urge to drag Callie against him pulsed beneath his skin.

Her energy was fathomless against his lips. Strong as faerie wine, Rowan was drunk with it by the time he pulled back to catch his breath. Callie had her eyes squeezed shut, her hands stayed balled into tight little fists. Rowan stroked his thumbs over her face.

“Hey,” he said gently.

He watched her throat work. Her eyes were wet when she finally opened them. She unclenched her hands and lifted her palms. Each hand had four bright red crescents where her nails had dug in.

Callie blinked, spilling tears, and looked away. “I’m sorry.”

“God, Callie,” Rowan breathed.

Heat rose in her cheeks. She swiped at the wetness there. “I’m sorry,” she repeated.

Rowan caught her hands. He forced her to look at him. “For what?”

She swallowed hard.

“Tell me what you’re sorry for,” he pressed.

Callie’s eyes widened. Her body went still, even the pulse of her energy against Rowan’s skin stuttered. He turned, following her gaze.

Flames rose from the city like a rainbow of destruction. The sight was so wrong that Rowan could only stare for a moment, derailed.

Eirensae
was on fire.

His fingers tightened on Callie’s hand. “We’ve got to go.”

Callie remained rooted to the spot, the flames dancing in her eyes as they’d done earlier at the funeral. “Sapphire,” she whispered.

Rowan pulled harder. People were beginning to spill from between the tall buildings. From this distance, Rowan couldn’t tell who they were. Panic fizzled into his veins. “We have to go.” He shook Callie’s arm until she looked at him.

Her expression was a mix of horror of disbelief. “I can put out the fire,” she said, trying to pull away from him.

Screams came from far off. Rowan’s gut clenched. He may not belong to
Eirensae,
but he never wanted to see it destroyed. “Listen to me.” He caught Callie’s chin between his fingers. “They are coming for you.” He didn’t know who it was, whether it was the Fallen or
Fraeburdh,
but this was what Sapphire saw. This was the beginning of the end. “You have to get out of here and we have to go,
now.
Remember what Sapphire told you.”

Callie opened her mouth to protest, but Rowan pulled her toward the caves before she could speak. She may have been magically stronger than
him, but he still had the advantage when it came to physical strength. It didn’t take long for her steps to match his.

He didn’t let go of her hand as they raced along the cottages. They passed a few fae stumbling from their homes, the fire lighting their faces. They all shared the same expression.
Disbelief. Fear.

They were supposed to be safe, hidden away beneath the pond.

Hazel had promised.

There was no relief when they passed through the portal to the caves. Callie gasped beside him and pressed a hand to her side. Voices bounced through the passages, reverberating off the walls until Rowan couldn’t tell which direction they’d come from.

Callie’s eyes went wide. Rowan held a finger to his lips and pointed to the opening that led to the library. If someone was lurking around
Eirensae,
they probably weren’t looking for books. They slipped into the tunnel and pressed flat against the wall just as two men emerged from the far side.

Rowan’s insides sank.

“Perhaps we should thank Elm for making it so easy to sneak in with the child,” the taller one said. His accent was thick and unfamiliar.

The shorter boy, however, Rowan recognized instantly.

Hawthorne had both arms wrapped around the cauldron. His muscles bulged with the effort. Sweat beaded on his forehead and upper lip. He grunted.

“Father may be disappointed with the loss.” The taller boy tilted his head. A shock of black hair slid over his face, covering one eye. He tossed it away. “Would you like me to carry that burden for you? It seems…difficult.”

“Oh, shut up, Coal,” Hawthorne said, thrusting the cauldron into the other boy’s hands. “King Arol will have plenty of faeries to choose from. I still can’t believe it worked.”

Coal chuckled, lifting the cauldron easily under one arm. “They will flee like sheep headed for the slaughter and we will capture them up.”

Next to Rowan, Callie’s breath caught.

Hawthorne and Coal froze.

“Who’s there?” Hawthorne called.

Rowan let go of Callie’s hand. He felt her fingers brush against his as she searched for it again. He stepped out into the open and prayed that Callie would stay hidden and not do anything stupid.

***

Callie bit her lip to keep from calling Rowan back. The knobby wall pressed into the back of her calves, her shoulders. She was afraid to close her eyes, even for a moment. They were stealing the cauldron, and with it, all of
Eirensae’s
power.

Hawthorne’s eyes widened as Rowan moved for the open space.
“Rowan? This is excellent.” He clapped Coal on the arm. “Look who it is.”

Coal’s face transformed as a grin spread across it. “Brother!” he boomed.

Rowan’s back was to Callie. She saw his shoulders tighten. “I’m gonna have to take the cauldron back,” he said.

Coal’s grin dropped into a frown.

Hawthorne smirked. “Go ahead and try.”

Callie stared at Coal, feeling a snap of realization rise in her mind. He had black hair, and even in the dim light, the blue of his eyes was striking. They reflected
like an animal’s, casting two dancing beams wherever his gaze landed.

He was taller, more muscular with broader shoulders, but he looked just like Rowan.

Nausea filled her throat.

“Brother,” Coal repeated, quieter this time. “I have always wondered what our first encounter would be like. I assumed we would forgo the fighting. It is destined for
Fraeburdh
to have the cauldron.”

“I’m not your brother,” Rowan said.

“You cannot deny genetics,” Coal said. “We have our father’s look. Surely you must have noticed.”

Rowan moved so fast that Callie almost couldn’t follow as he slid around Coal and landed a debilitating blow to the bigger boy’s shoulder. The cauldron hit the floor with a muted thunk. Hawthorne swore.

Coal laughed. “Fighting it is, then.” He swung his arm, catching Rowan across the throat and throwing him to the ground.

Hawthorne waded into the fray only to drag the cauldron out of the way. He made for the tunnel that led to the pond,
hefting the cauldron into his arms.

Rowan leapt to his feet to counter Coal’s next attack as Callie stepped out into the open. She couldn’t
let Hawthorne get away.

Her sudden appearance distracted Coal long enough for Rowan to get a jab into Coal’s throat. Rowan dodged Coal’s kick. “Run, Callie.”

Coal was grinning again, a wide, maniacal smile that lifted the hairs at the back of Callie’s neck. Coal slid his arm around Rowan’s throat. Callie saw Rowan’s eyes widen as he struggled to get out of the grasp. Callie knew he would, he’d taught her how to escape it, after all.

She hesitated. She didn’t want to leave him.

Coal’s eyes were heavy on her like a touch. The reflecting beams of light traveled from her face, over her chest, her belly, her legs, before returning to her face. “Who is this beautiful creature?” he asked, his face pressed against Rowan’s. “The infamous Calla Lily? Hawthorne did not do you justice.”

Her stomach soured.

Rowan’s face darkened. “Go,” he mouthed.

He was stalling, she realized, giving her time to get away. Heart pounding, she turned from Rowan and hurried after Hawthorne.

The sound of a body hitting the floor came from behind her.

She flinched, instinct telling her to turn around and help Rowan, but she kept her feet moving forward. Hawthorne couldn’t have gotten far and Rowan would catch up. She ran, flinging herself through the tunnel at breakneck speed, gathering the energy beneath her skin. She’d never attacked someone on purpose. Today, she would learn how.

All at once, it went dark, as though someone had flipped the light switch for the orbs. Callie stumbled, missed a turn and slammed into rock. She bit her lip to keep from crying out, fingers scrabbling for purchase on the slick, vine covered walls. Her knees throbbed in time to her racing pulse.

Silence.
Callie reached into the blinding darkness, stretching her fingers along the wall, searching. Carefully, she took a step and then another, holding her breath. When she grew dizzy, she allowed herself a tiny bit of air. The sound was loud in her ears. Petals caressed her cheek, silky, like gentle hands. She shuddered.

She drew another shaky breath, wincing at the noise. Her progress was slow, the darkness so complete that it relegated her to molasses speed. The caves seemed to press against her, heavier and heavier until she thought she would suffocate.