Reflection Pond (25 page)

The older woman patted the cushion next to her, scooting to make room for Callie. She climbed up, noticing the blood that smeared the pillows. Hazel didn’t seem to care. The suspended perch swayed in a slow, undulating pattern over the water.

“Hazel,” Callie started when she didn’t speak, “shouldn’t someone heal you?” Thin lines of crimson spilled from gashes on her neck. A dark bruise, blue as an angry ocean spanned her forehead and blackened one of her eyes.

Hazel sighed and rubbed a dirty hand over her face. “Accepting a healer now would be admitting weakness. I will mend the old-fashioned way, though I assure you, I’m far from death’s door. As a race, we are resilient. It’d take far more than one disgruntled faerie to take me down. When no one could find you after the challenge,” Hazel drew a deep breath, winced, and continued, “I was worried. Sapphire had a vision of your future.”

Callie’s stomach leapt. “She did?”

“It’s not much, just muddled flashes, but she’s certain you’ll leave us.”

Callie swallowed, tasting the smoke that clung to Hazel’s ruined dress. She remembered the human world she’d escaped; her foster family, the boy she’d never loved, the despair, heartache. Callie didn’t want to go back. Then, even more awful, she imagined the Fallen, a faceless enemy that grew in her mind until they all resembled Elm.

Except one.

Rowan.

“What do you mean by leave?” she asked finally, keeping her tone neutral. She could evade the truth if she had to.

“She saw you surrounded by darkness. The vision is hazy, changing, but she thinks as the events draw closer, the images will clear. I’ve ordered daily reports, but I thought you should be aware.” Hazel caught Callie’s gaze and lifted her eyebrows. “You do realize how detrimental your departure would be for the city, especially after all the,” she waved a hand,
“indecision
surrounding your arrival and the chaos I’ve moderated.”

“I don’t want to leave,” Callie insisted. It wasn’t a lie. Even though Rowan had given her that option, she didn’t want to leave Sapphire, not if she didn’t have to.

“Perhaps it’ll be by force.”

She froze.
“Force?”

Hazel slid lower into the cushions, closing her eyes. Her words were soft. “It is your destiny to stand beside me. I won’t accept anything less. Everything I’ve done is to keep you safe. I need to know where you stand.”

The hairs on the back of Callie’s neck stood. “Where else would I go?” Callie asked, thinking of the binding spell.

“There is no other safe place, child. I hope you know that. Find your
amulet, bind yourself to me—to the city. Let me protect you.” Her eyes opened to slits. “You do realize the danger we’re in, under attack from all sides. You may be the only one who can defend the city, Callie. I need all of you. Sapphire needs all of you.”

“But the wards,” Callie said, thinking of the protection everyone seemed to take for granted.

“You’re not listening.” Hazel sat up and caught both of Callie’s hands. “You
will
bind yourself.”

And just like with Rowan and Ash, Callie slid inside of Hazel’s mind.

She saw greed. It tasted bitter and black. She saw a man she didn’t know. And she saw herself, wedged between Hazel and the man, her eyes vacant as a blank sheet of paper. A sea of unglamoured faeries stood before them, and as the man spoke, the faeries fell to their knees. A sharp, victorious smile spread across Hazel’s mouth. Rowan was among them, an inky imprint spreading across his chest. He kept his gaze on Callie, even as his body bowed under the weight of her power.

Callie tugged her hands from Hazel’s grasp and herself from the woman’s mind, ignoring Hazel’s sound of protest.

“I—uh,” Callie said, backing off of the dais, dread filling her throat. “I gotta check on Sapphire.”

“Sapphire’s fine,” Hazel called after her. “I saw her myself and you’re not allowed…”

Hazel’s voice faded away as Callie ran for the tunnels that led back to the city.
Was this the future Sapphire had seen for Callie? She shuddered. She wouldn’t be used. She felt stupid for trusting Hazel. Callie had played right into Hazel’s hands.

Even now, with Sapphire under Hazel’s control, Callie questioned herself.

She didn’t know what to do.

***

Rowan looked out over the wreckage, feeling his insides tighten. This was only the beginning of a long path of destruction. Beside him, Cypress wiped her hands and stood. He’d lost count of how many injured he’d healed. His head felt full of sandpaper, his ears rang.

“Not many more,” she said with a smile. “The city is lucky to have you.”

Rowan snorted and regretted it. “Doesn’t seem that way.”

“I know otherwise.” Cypress hesitated and then led him out of earshot of the others who were working to clear the area of debris. “I’ve spoken with Sapphire. She’s told me of your involvement with Callie.”

He lifted his eyebrows, impressed with the risks Sapphire was willing to take for Callie. How did it feel to be so central to someone’s existence? Most days, Rowan was an island. Uninhabited.
Lonely.
Yet, any other possibility terrified him. Love and caring were a two-way street. If he gave part of himself away, he became responsible to that person, his decisions would affect them.

It was better to remain alone.

“I know it hasn’t been easy for you here.” Cypress continued, laying a gentle hand on his arm. So few people touched him that the contact surprised Rowan, and he fought to keep his expression blank. “Sometimes I think you’re stronger than any of us…more vital. I’m not Sapphire, and she’s limited on what information she can give me.” She squeezed his arm and some of her healing energy cooled his skin. “She said you promised to protect Callie, and I wanted to thank you. We’ve lived this way for so long, I think we lost sight of what change feels like. I’m guilty of it just as much as anyone else.”

Rowan swallowed and felt some unnamed emotion catch in his throat. He imagined it was something like love. Cypress and Sapphire, they’d always believed in him when no one else did, listened, when all other ears would rather tune him out. She made him wish he could stay.

“I don’t know details, it’s safer that way.” She smiled now, and it transformed her face. Rowan thought he saw the same curve that turned Callie’s mouth upwards. “Loud, disorderly revolutions never change the future. It’s the quiet, determined movements that shape our paths and bring about change.” She touched his face and then pulled him into an embrace. “I hope, one day, when we’ve put all this behind us and peace instead of war appears above our horizon, that we will sit and you will tell me the story in full.” She hugged him tighter. “Just in case I don’t get to say goodbye.”

As Rowan moved on, stooping to heal a broken arm, he made his decision, or maybe he’d made it long ago. He’d stay two more weeks; spend as much time with Callie as he could, train her to defend herself, and then hope she made the right
choice when the time came.

A little over a month remained of his two-year time limit to find his amulet. Sapphire had admitted that he wasn’t from
Eirensae.
If he didn’t leave on his own accord, his powers would be stripped, his longevity removed. Once outside, he’d have two weeks to figure out where he belonged and locate his amulet. If not, he’d have to accept life as a human.

There were worse things.

Still, the possibility of leaving Callie behind in
Eirensae
made him ache. He’d have to respect her decision, whatever it was.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“Good, you’re back,” Rowan said, striding toward Ash and Callie and catching Callie’s elbow. “You’re staying with me tonight.” Before he said the words, he hadn’t realized that was his intention. Jack, Callie’s usual guard, had left along with Hawthorne and a few others to bring home the body of the child. He didn’t want her out of his sight. Rowan let a chill fall over him. He’d keep her close, but not too close. It wasn’t fair if he tried to muscle her out of
Eirensae.

Next to Callie, Ash stiffened. “He’ll protect you. You can worry about all this and everyone else in the morning. You need to sleep and you’ll be safest with him, away from the city.” Ash turned his back to Rowan, blocking Callie from Rowan’s view though he still held her arm. “Please?”

Rowan felt rather than saw Callie’s distracted frown. He tugged her arm. “Come on. You heard the man.”

A few minutes later, Rowan held his cottage door open. The walk had been long and silent and Callie was shivering as she stepped around him and inside. Rowan shut the door and slid the wooden plank he used as a deadbolt into metal hooks.

“I thought nobody had locks here,” she said, rubbing her arms. She was backlit by the dying fire. It turned her hair and skin golden.

“I do.” He went to the fireplace and added a log, waiting until he could feel the flames.

Callie prowled his space, wearing her restlessness like armor. The cottage was neat. A single mattress took up the corner, covered with a green blanket. A cup was drying next to the sink. Apples and oranges filled a bowl in the center of the scarred table. His collection of weapons resided in the corner, the quarterstaff resting atop a sword, bow, and an overabundance of knives. She paused at his bureau.

“Are you tired?” he asked.

Callie startled and turned, wide-eyed. She lifted a shoulder. Her gaze traveled to the bed.

Rowan’s stomach clenched. “It’s the middle of the night. You should try to sleep.”

She looked at him, face full of terror. He wished she would tell him who had hurt her so badly. He wanted to go to her as he had earlier, take her into his arms. He could still feel her there, soft weight against him as she cried. Needing his hands to be busy, he went to the counter and lit the two taper candles. When the tiny flames danced before him, he sat at the table and folded his hands, resting his chin. He wished she were tired. Rowan felt exhaustion in every inch of his body, but knew he wouldn’t sleep, not with Callie this close.

Her voice broke the stillness. “I think you should apologize to Ash.”

“For what?”

“You know what.” She crossed her arms. He felt the ice of her stare from across the room.

“I’m sure Ash wouldn’t appreciate you questioning his decision. It’s safer for all of us to know how to fight. I’m sure he wouldn’t like that you’re a better fighter than him, either.” He punctuated it with a grin, just to goad her further.

“Have you seen the bruises? That was more than training, Rowan, and you know it.”

“It’s nothing a little glamour won’t fix. He can pretty up his face and while he’s at it, maybe doctor up his body to be more to your liking.”

Callie grew quiet, her gaze turning inward. He’d expected her to have a sharp comeback. She spent so long thinking that Rowan felt sweat bead in his hairline.

“You were right,” she breathed. “I saw it inside Hazel’s head.”

“You saw Hazel?” Rowan said, pushing from his seat. “I told you to stay away from her.” He went to stand next to
Callie, as though too much distance between them put her in some kind of danger. “God, Callie. I meant what I said.”

“I know,” she exploded, waving her arms. “It was terrifying. I had this blank look,
like my eyes were empty. All these fae were bowed before me. And Hazel was with some man.” She met his gaze then. “You were there.”

“So you’ll leave, then?” he asked, quietly, afraid of her response.

Callie shook her head. “I can’t. Not until I talk to Sapphire. I can’t abandon her. Not without knowing what Hazel would do to her.”

“It’s too dangerous. Hazel will know.”

“If it’s so dangerous, how come you’ve done it? I saw it in your memory. I know where she lives.”

Rowan flinched. “Sometimes you’re too powerful for your own good.”

“I need time to think. Elm already tried to kill me. If he’s banished to the outside, what’s to stop him from attacking me as soon as I leave? Plus there’s the binding spell. It’s not just going to disappear.” She swallowed hard. “This isn’t a choice I can make arbitrarily.”

“I know.” He wanted to touch her again. His insides ached with want of her. Silence swelled between them. Rowan took in the curve of her jaw, the way the scent of smoke clung to her clothes and skin. Callie was fragile and beautiful as glass. If he held her too tightly, she would shatter beneath him. He curled his fingers inwards to keep them at his sides.

“I want you to teach me about glamour,” she said finally.

“What?” Rowan said, derailed from his fantasies.

“The night of the welcome ceremony, you said you’d show me what you look like sometime.” She kept her gaze trained on the wall behind his head.

“No, I said
maybe
I’d show you sometime.”

“Rowan…” Callie sighed, long and heavy. “Please. I need—” she broke off. “I need the distraction.”

He could tell it cost her to ask. Rowan dragged a hand through his hair, catching tangles. He gestured to the seat across from him. She took it and mirrored his pose, resting both arms on the table.