Chapter 21 #2
Well, that wasn’t comforting either. Bridget’s neck heated as she obeyed the wave of Marin’s hand and followed her into the room.
It was smaller than Cade’s, and darker. There was only one window covered by a deep blue curtain.
Tiny yellow lamps were scattered on every surface, creating looming shadows as Bridget sat down on a velvet chaise next to the small table where Marin poured a glass of wine.
She handed it to Bridget and sat down in the armchair across from her.
Bridget took a sip of the red liquid and forced herself not to down it in one go. “So how are you doing?”
The corners of Marin’s thin lips turned up. “That’s not what you came here to talk about… But I’m fine.”
Bridget eyed the black mark on Marin’s arm.
It seemed to have grown since she’d seen it.
It now curled up her arm like a snake. Guilt brewed in Cade’s eyes every time it was mentioned.
“You did that to yourself to protect Cade,” she said.
She could still hear Archer’s screams from the blood spell. “Why?”
Marin stared at the glowing lamp next to her for a very long time.
Finally, she tilted her head. “We need him. I’ve seen more of the future than my father.
I’m not afraid of it,” she said, her voice calm and matter of fact.
“And I’m not blinded by guilt or the past to see it clearly.
What we see… It’s not always straightforward.
Sometimes they come in metaphors. Or riddles.
I’ve perfected untangling them. That’s how I knew what to do at Cavamyne. ”
Bridget’s heart flipped in her chest as she remembered the unbearable pain in her side and the air leaving her lungs as she went through the gate.
She unconsciously rubbed the scar. I have to get the timing right.
Marin’s words hadn’t made sense to her then, nor had her incessant chanting before she’d sent her through to the human realm.
Now, it finally hit her that she’d been breaking the curse.
“Thank you for that,” Bridget said, chugging the rest of the wine. She wished it was something stronger.
“You’re the first to do so.”
Bridget cleared her throat. “You tried to tell me before, didn’t you? In your own way.”
You’re one of the oldest souls I’ve ever met.
The signs had been in front of her, the whole time. If only she’d bothered to ask the right questions.
Marin didn’t answer. Her silence was confirmation enough.
Quietly, Bridget continued, “So without Cade, we lose against Vega. That’s why we were brought back, right? He can use that sword.”
Marin sighed. For once, frustration gleamed in her eyes. “It’s more than that. Cade’s just one part of it… He’s one factor that we need for the future I’m working for...”
“Which is what?” Bridget asked, almost holding her breath.
“The future that my father believes doesn’t exist.” Marin’s face softened. “One where he’s happy.”
Bridget’s eyes widened. Her actions revolved around Stellan?
Half of her understood, she would do anything to ensure Nylah’s happiness.
But the other half… She glanced at the rotting mark on Marin’s arm again.
She’d basically ensured her demise for the chance to give him the future she wanted for him. Even if it was without her.
A ghost of a laugh crinkled Marin’s face. “Don’t worry,” she said. “Defeating Vega is a part of that future too.”
Relief bubbled in Bridget’s chest. At least that was still a possibility. “If you’ve seen bits and pieces of the future… why did you tell the others you were blocked?”
Marin tilted her head, considering. “It was the easiest way to get them to stop asking questions. I saw what would happen if I told them anything. The future changed in ways that was catastrophic.” A low blush lit her cheeks.
“Besides, I didn’t completely lie. There is one more person I’m waiting on to make a decision. ”
Bridget leaned forward. “What decision?”
“The decision to be brave.”
Marin didn’t elaborate. The flames crackled softly between them. Bridget glanced down at the black mark on her arm, her skin crawling with unease.
“What about you?” she asked.
“What about you?” Marin countered.
“I have a feeling I don’t want to know everything.”
Now that she was in front of Marin, the idea of knowing the weight of her future made Bridget’s hands tremble. If she was truly destined to lose her mind to magic, she didn’t want the fact hanging over her head every day until then.
“It’s better that way,” Marin said. “Don’t let anyone tell you differently”
Bridget gave her a forced smile, then took a deep breath. There was still one answer that she needed. One answer that she came to Marin for. She couldn’t leave without it… she couldn’t breathe until she finally knew. The question almost got lodged in her throat. “Am I going to kill Cade?”
Marin didn’t flinch at the question or give any indication of surprise. In fact, her face remained passively blank. “Like I said, visions aren’t always what they seem.”
Frustration shot up Bridget’s spine. Before she could open her mouth to argue, Marin held up her hand.
“There’s no future that I see where you kill him. It’s up to you to trust me or not.”
Bridget couldn’t help but sense another lingering truth in her statement. There was too much forced casualness in her tone. A tightness to her gaze too obvious to ignore. “That’s it? There’s nothing more to it?”
Suddenly, Marin stood up. “Like I said, trust me or not. Your decision to do so won’t change what happens,” she said, smoothing out the lines of her pants.
She glided to her bedroom door and opened it.
“It was a pleasure to know you, Bridget Adams. You have remarkable resilience for a human. I hope you remember that.”
Bridget slammed the empty wine glass down on the table and rushed to the door. “What do you mean it was?”
A terrible dread settled in her chest. The urge to question Marin further spiked her adrenaline. What else did she know? Was she closer to succumbing to the price of the blood spell sooner than they realized?
“It is nice knowing you,” Marin corrected. Her pale face forced a tight smile. “I’m sorry. My head has been pounding all day. I really do need to rest, or I’ll hear an earful from my father.”
Bridget searched Marin’s gaze for a lie. Her dark eyes were tired and hazy. Still, unease lingered in her bones. Throat tight, she forced herself over the threshold. The icy air of the hallway sent a shiver up her spine.
Marin gripped the side of the dark brown oak panel that was about to separate them. “When the time comes, don’t blame yourself, Bridget.”
The door closed before Bridget had a chance to ask whether she meant her inevitable surrender to the price of magic or something else entirely.