Chapter 12
O ur easy cadence resumes the next day and continues the day after as well. Finding the third ingredient has my optimism at an all-time high.
“Here, try this.” Elias has stripped the outer layers off the thick grass stalks we picked and sticks the pale end of one in his mouth, holding the other out toward me.
“You want me to eat it?” I twirl my pen between my fingers. My notebook is open in my lap. I’ve been using every opportunity I can to jot down some of the things I’ve learned, and this rest stop was a chance too good to miss.
In response, he holds it a little closer, brows raised.
With a sigh, I drop the pen in my lap. “Okay, fine.”
I take the offered stalk, stick the end in my mouth, and bite down. A tang zips across my taste buds, and I pull the stalk out immediately.
“Wow, I did not—” Then it’s back in my mouth, and I’m biting down again. “So good,” I say around the stalk.
The answering laughter that rises from the depths of his chest is a treat all its own. And when he stares at me with that broad grin, it’s not the tart but sweet lemony flavor of the plant consuming my thoughts anymore.
I smile in return, my cheeks growing warm, before I stare back at the notebook in my lap.
For a land that’s dying and nearly dead, it’s strangely beautiful.
The plants and animals I’ve come across that manage to endure despite the environment fill me with such hope.
What would this place look like fully revived?
What wonders would it hold? I flatten my palm against the soil.
Could I really help heal it? Something in it calls to my soul.
I’ve always wanted to be a healer—mostly for Matt—but the urge to fix, to make things better, has always been there, the driving force making me study my ass off when I was in school and work as hard as I can since.
“My sister loves these.” He spins the half-chewed stalk back and forth between his fingers. “They’re harder and harder to find lately.” His smile dims. With a sigh, he uses his claws to slice off the chewed end before tucking the rest into his pouch.
“Oh.” I pull the stalk out of my own mouth and hold it up. “You should save the rest of this then.”
“No.” He shakes his head. “I think she’d want you to enjoy it. Besides, I already tucked a few away for her.” He pats the pouch.
Well, if he insists. I chew on the end again, then ask, “Will you tell me about her?”
Elias huffs like I’ve said something funny before rising from the tree stump he’s been resting on. I expect him to deflect, to suggest we move on. To my surprise, he sits on the ground next to me. When he holds his legs under him crisscross-applesauce style like mine, our knees nearly bump.
“Where to start?” He gives a wistful sigh. “She is…a bit like lightning. Vibrant. Bright. Quick. And deadly when she wants to be.”
I sit a little straighter at that last comment. “Quite the warrior?”
He nods. “One of the best. Though I wish she would not put herself in danger so often. It worries me. But I cannot ask her not to. I would never choose to cage her or limit her choices. More than anything, I want her to be free to live as she would. But I’m not sure she will ever rest.” His gaze drifts far away before coming back.
“At least, not until things in our land change.”
“She’s allied with the king?” I hedge.
“Yes, a very loyal supporter. Likely carrying out his orders somewhere right now.” He kicks a little rock, sending it tumbling away from us.
“And you support the king as well,” I say. I’d gathered as much from his defense of him. “But you don’t stay with your sister? If you love her so much, why be apart? Are your assignments different?”
He leans back a little, glancing up at the hazy sky. “Our goals are the same. But she is my older sister and has looked out for me since we were children. I may not limit her choices, but she is quite determined to keep me safe and away from danger as much as she can.”
Now that’s unexpected. “And you don’t mind that?”
Elias shrugs. “She’s always been protective like that, especially since our mother died.”
“Oh.” I pull my knees up toward my chest at the admission. “I’m sorry.”
He nods once, throat bobbing. “She deserved better. I wish… I wish I could have given her that. I won’t fail my sister like I did her.”
There’s so much sorrow radiating from him that I don’t think before setting my hand on his knee. His body jolts, head snapping over to stare at me.
“I have a feeling you would never fail anyone if you could help it.” At his silence, I start to pull my hand away, but then he grabs it, covering it with his own and giving it a little squeeze. Breath catches in my throat.
His hand is warm, calloused, and strong. But it does not hurt. His claws do not cut.
When I finally look up, Elias’s eyes search mine, some question there I can’t figure out. He visibly swallows.
“So, um, you loved your mom,” I say. “Do you have a dad?”
It’s the wrong question. All the softness vanishes from his face, and he lets go of my hand.
“He’s dead too.” Conversation closed.
I toy with my pen, twisting it between my hands to fight the urge to get up and away from the awkward tension that has descended over us.
“I wish…”
I hazard a glance at Elias and find him staring out at our surroundings but looking at nothing. His attention slides to my notebook.
“I wish I could read what you’ve written.” He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
“Maybe I can teach you?” I worry my teeth with my bottom lip. I’ve never been a teacher, and I don’t know how we would have the time, but… Maybe.
The corners of his lips pull up. “I’d—”
He freezes mid-sentence, going absolutely still.
“Elias?” My instincts kick in, gaze darting over his body looking for an injury.
But he’s not even looking at me. His gaze goes unfocused. His upper lip curls back in a snarl, and suddenly he’s shoving to his feet and stalking a few feet away before dropping to his knees and scratching at the ground with his claws.
“Elias.” I jump up, following him. “What’s wrong? What’s happening?”
He moves to the side, continuing to carve at the soil and probably ruining his nails.
“I have to go,” he bites out, not looking up.
“What?” I demand. “Go where?”
He moves again, and I notice the fresh symbols on the ground. Wards? Goosebumps race across my skin. He plans to leave me behind.
But he doesn’t answer, just continues to make the markings with shocking speed until he’s made a complete circle.
“Don’t leave this spot until I get back.” He points at the wards.
The order bristles. “I’m not some dog that you can—”
Faster than I can blink, he twists around, putting us face to face, barely a foot between us. I crane my neck to scowl up at him, but the desperation in his eyes cracks my fury.
“Please.”
That word hits like a kick to the chest. I feel myself flinch.
“I’ll be back as soon as this is dealt with,” he says.
“What?” I ask. But he’s already turned and stalked a few steps away. “Just tell me what is—”
Poof.
Gone.
One moment he’s standing there, and the next, the space where he was is empty. It’s so jarring that I stumble back, nearly falling. When I crouch on the ground, it’s just inside the wards he drew.
Elias didn’t vanish, not exactly. I know what this is.
He shifted, the fae method of traveling almost instantly from one place to another via magic.
He said only the most powerful of Unseelie could do that.
That’s what all the knowledge we have says too.
He implied he couldn’t, but he most certainly just did it.
I shiver, despite the hazy sunshine, and hug my arms about myself. Being near me, a human, couldn’t teach him something new like that, could it? There’s no way.
Who exactly have I been walking around Faery with?