Chapter Thirteen
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Iona followed Liam out to the truck, happy to be brought along.
Ostensibly, she hoped to find a treat for Orla, as thanks for her help earlier that morning. Though, if she were being honest with herself, she would admit that she also wanted to spend more time alone with Liam.
Not that his friends were unpleasant company—on the contrary, she was growing rather fond of them. They reminded her of her own friends in many ways. Regardless, their arrival had interrupted her meeting with Liam, and the whole day had turned into quite the ordeal, with no sign of letting up. It seemed the trip to the gas station with Liam was her only opportunity to catch him alone.
Something had shifted between them. At least it felt like it to Iona, who had little experience with these things. The unease which had marked their early interaction had faded, and Iona was certain Liam enjoyed spending time with her, as she did with him. He was charming, and not unpleasant on the eyes.
Only once she had settled herself in the car did the panic set in. She’d never been in a vehicle, as embarrassing as it was to admit, and the thing felt terrifyingly similar to the mechanical shells of the logging machinery. The truck did not belong to Liam, Iona knew from the smell. It bore nothing of his scent. Instead, it reeked of harsh cleaners and chemicals meant to imitate the scent of pine that stung her nostrils.
The lights of the interior went out, leaving them in the dark. Then the beast rumbled to life, and bright lights flooded the trees before them.
“You have to buckle this,” Liam said, and reached in front of her to pull a heavy strap down and across her body, perilously close to her in the small space. “It’s your seatbelt.”
“Seatbelt?” she asked, apprehension creeping into her voice.
“Yeah, it keeps you safe, if we crash, or whatever.”
Iona swallowed deeply, beginning to regret her decision to come along. He’d said it so casually, and that made his words all the more alarming.
Liam then seemed to realize what he’d done and hastened to correct his mistake. “Not that we’re going to! I mean, it’s just in case. But we’re not going far, so don’t worry about it.”
The words, while comforting, did nothing to ease her worry. Liam had trusted her to transport them magically through the forest, so trusting his human methods was only fair. She had little choice but to steel herself for the journey.
He turned the dial on the dashboard. Hot air flowed at her feet and towards her core, which was still cold. At least she was dry and in warmer clothes. She held her hands out to it, the warmth seeping into her thin fingers, thawing them out.
“Are you warm enough?” Liam asked, and she nodded back.
That did not make the overall experience more pleasant. As soon as the vehicle began to move, Iona’s stomach lurched. He drove down the winding road that led to the edge of the property. The twists and turns made Iona nauseous.
Her eyes were shut tight, hoping that by not looking at the road before them, she might ignore the speed at which they were traveling.
Liam chuckled beside her. “You should look at the road. It’ll help.”
Hesitant, Iona cracked an eye open, her gaze locked on the road before them. It did help settle her stomach, but they were still moving at an alarming speed. “I don’t like this,” she said breathlessly .
“No, I guess it’s a bit jarring for you. I didn’t think about that,” he replied apologetically. “Don’t worry, it’s only a few minutes longer.”
The words echoed what she’d told him, after stepping through with him just days ago. Iona scowled in the dark cab of the truck.
***
As promised, the truck soon came to a stop in front of a small building. This place, Iona had been before. Many times, in fact.
Liam opened the door and moved to step outside, but Iona remained still.
“What is it?” he asked when he noticed her hesitation.
“Well, I don’t think the man who works here would appreciate my presence. Vall and I come here a lot to… borrow things.” Her face went hot at the admission. “I would pay for them, of course, but we don’t have money, really. So…”
Liam only laughed. “Of course you don’t. But don’t worry, I’ll buy. Let’s go.”
“Sure, one moment, though.” She closed her eyes tight, focusing what little power she had left to hide her horns and ears, her red hair fading to a dull brown. When she looked back at him, Liam’s eyes were wide. He’d seen so much of her abilities so far, it was a wonder she could surprise him at all. “What do you think?”
Liam studied her, and she felt her cheeks go hot again under his gaze. His lips pursed.
“I liked you better the other way, but you do look pretty normal .” He said it like it was a bad thing, and it put a strange twist in Iona’s chest.
Then in an instant, he’d come around the other side of the big truck, holding a hand up for her to hold on to as she exited. Iona climbed down from the tall car, landing gracefully on the concrete. Liam tipped his head towards the gas station, and she followed him inside.
They were met with harsh, unnatural light from overhead, and the dull sound of coolers buzzing.
A haggard man sat behind the counter reading a book. He gave them a curt nod as they entered. His hair was white with age, long but neatly brushed back behind his ears. He was much older than Liam, by human standards, and looked tired. Iona averted her eyes to avoid being recognized, but her guise was still in place, different from the one she’d worn last time she’d been here.
“Grab whatever you want, and I’ll meet you at the front,” Liam told her, and drifted off towards the beer fridge, leaving Iona to wander the shelves.
She wove through the aisles, rows of items stacked neatly before her, their bright and shiny packages catching her eye. She and Vall had been in the gas station before, but mostly for the booze—she had little idea what any of the rest of it was.
A few more paces brought her to the end of the row. There was a door to her left, marked “restroom.” A loud whooshing sound came from within, then a moment later, the door swung open.
Iona’s heart stopped beating.
Standing before her was none other than Andrew himself.
Iona took an automatic half-step back, but he clearly didn’t recognize her, and walked by with only a passing glance. Of course, he hadn’t seen her before, she had only watched the confrontation in the clearing from the mist… but Liam.
She turned again, but was cut off by the row of shelving, and the man reached Liam before she could.
“What are you doing here, kid? Thought I told you to get lost.” Andrew’s gruff voice rumbled through the small store.
Iona turned the corner to see Liam frozen in place. He dropped the case of beer he’d been holding with a dull metallic thud.
Andrew’s back was to her, his shoulders straightening as he advanced on Liam.
Iona reached out with her magic, grasping at any wood nearby—but came up short. The shelves were made of thousands of wooden shards pressed together and wouldn’t serve her purposes. Even if they could, Iona was still so drained there would be little she could do.
Besides, using her magic in front of the man would only expose her further, and she wasn’t keen on that either.
She watched helplessly as the man threatened Liam.
“You stay out of our business, city boy. You’re too soft for things out here, you don’t belong. I would have thought a gun to your face would have taught you that. But if you need a bit of encouragement… We wouldn’t want something to happen to that house of yours, now would we?”
An involuntary gasp escaped Iona’s lips. The man turned to her, the glint of malice in his eye caused her to recoil. She collided with the cool glass of the fridge. Trapped, she felt panic rise up in her chest.
“This your girlfriend?” he asked Liam.
“You leave her out of this,” Liam’s voice out came firm and clear. Andrew whirled back around, assessing Liam’s resolute expression. Then he burst out laughing.
Liam didn’t falter, and only Iona would have noticed the slight tremble of his hands.
Down the row of shelves, someone cleared their throat loudly, drawing everyone's attention. The man from behind the counter was standing there, shotgun in hand.
Andrew glanced at the other man, looking irritated, but he didn’t back off.
Liam’s eyes met Iona’s and she nodded once to tell him she was alright. She didn’t dare go to him, not with a fuming Andrew still between them, but at least his attention was diverted for now.
“What are you gonna do, Walt, shoot me?” Andrew goaded, and his mouth curved up into a mocking smile.
It set the hairs on Iona’s neck on end.
Walt didn’t so much as flinch. Instead, he cocked the shotgun, and lifted an eyebrow. “You do what you want out there, Andrew, but this is my store, and I’d like you to stop harassing my customers.”
Andrew hesitated, then eventually gave in with a huff. “You lot aren’t worth my time.” He walked past Walt, not bothering to step around him and letting his shoulder slam into the man.
Walt didn’t react, but held the gun at the ready until the small bell on the door chimed, and Andrew had left for good.
“Are you alright?” Liam asked Iona as soon as they were alone. He drifted closer, raising his arms as if he might reach out to her, but stopped.
“I am fine. He did not touch me, and was only mildly successful at scaring me,” she confessed .
Walt, still standing with the shotgun in the middle of the isle, grunted and returned to his seat behind the counter. His expression was stony and unreadable.
Iona looked back at him, and a curious thought struck her. She approached the counter, leaving Liam to collect their things scattered on the ground. “Would you be Walter Shaw, by chance?” she asked, keeping her voice soft.
The man’s eyes narrowed as he studied her. “Who wants to know?” he grunted out.
“I wanted to thank you for stepping in. And, well…” She ran a finger up the edge of her ear, where its pointed tip was thankfully still hidden. “I just noticed you knew that man. My… friend and I, we’ve been looking into some trouble he might be causing. We were hoping you might help us out.”
The man’s scowl deepened, the creases hewn into his skin from decades of wearing that expression. “Now you seem like a nice girl, but you best stay out of that business. Andrew Wilkenson is not a man to be messing with. He’s got himself quite a bit of power out in these forests.”
Liam had gathered their things, collected himself, and joined them at the counter, listening.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
Walt straightened, looking them up and down, unimpressed. “That company of his is a big employer, out in these parts. Used to belong to Andrew’s dad, you know, decent man. Well after he died, the outfit passed down to Andrew—and he didn’t care a lick about anything other than profit. Never bothered replanting anything, took more than he ought to. That, and he’s a real son-of-a-bitch these days, if you couldn’t tell. Wasn’t real happy when I up and quit, year or two ago.”
“You worked for him?”
“Worked for his old man, you mean. He and I went way back, but between my old age and Andrew’s temper… Let’s just say I’m happy sitting back here now. And I intend to stay out of his business.”
“We’ve been gathering evidence. Did you know he’s been clearing logs on your property? If you wanted to press— ”
“I said I’d stay out of it,” Walt interrupted. “Best you do too, like most of us around here. Little to gain from it anyway, and a hell of a lot to lose. It’s just a bunch of trees.” His gruff voice was steely, but Iona could hear the lie in his words. He didn’t approve of what Andrew was doing.
“You could help stop them,” Liam insisted.
“You city kids are all the same. You come out here, you stir up shit, then scurry back to your lives and leave us to deal with the fallout. Trust me, even if I wanted to do something about Andrew, I wouldn’t need your help to do it.”
The words were harsh, but didn’t have much heat in them. Iona was not overly familiar with the mannerism of humans, but he looked more tired than angry.
Walt looked a little too closely at Iona, “Have I seen you out here before?” he asked.
She ducked her head, hiding her face behind the temporary brown of her hair. “No, no. I’m, uh, not from here,” she muttered.
“I’ll leave my number here for you, if you change your mind,” Liam said, then dropped a piece of paper with his contact information on it. Iona was grateful for his diverting the man’s attention. “I’m Liam, Liam Wesley.”
If the name meant anything to him, he didn’t let on. Then he gave a hefty sigh, and gestured at the beer and snacks piled on the counter.
“Just take it and get out of here. On the house.”
Liam opened his mouth as if to say more, but instead he led her out of the shop, the little bell dinging overhead as they left. Iona’s eyes widened, but Liam didn’t protest, and since she had nothing to pay for the items with, she followed his lead.
He said nothing as he loaded the things into the backseat of the truck, and Iona climbed in on the other side. He slammed the door shut behind him and clenched the steering wheel a bit too tight, his knuckles going white. His face was indecipherable, a mixture of frustration and something else she could not read. Iona thought to speak, but decided to let Liam speak when he was ready.
It took a few long minutes, but he did eventually say something.
“Andrew can’t get away with this, Iona. ”
She was quiet for a moment. It wasn’t that she disagreed with him, quite the opposite— but she had also realized what it meant for Liam and his vulnerable human friends to keep putting themselves in danger…
“You should stay out of this, Liam. Let us take care of it.”
“How could I just leave? Let Andrew and his crew clearcut the whole place?” his voice cracked, and Iona saw anger in his eyes.
“Well…” she hesitated. What she wanted to say would be hurtful to him, even it were true. Ultimately though, she was not someone to hold back just to spare other’s feelings. “You are leaving. You were always going to leave. I appreciate your help so far, but my kin can take care of it now.”
What Iona had not counted on, however, was that the words would cut back at her just as sharply. It was the truth she had tried to avoid so far, ignoring what was plainly before her. Liam was passionate, and he did care a great deal about the trees in her forest—but his life was no longer in the valley. His fate lie in the city, with his work, and his friends. And this… her forest, was just a whim he had followed for the short time he was visiting.
It may have been childish, but she wanted him to push back, to agree to stay and help her.
They sat in the dark, the car still off. A dim streetlight some ways off lit up the truck’s cab. Her words, spoken in a whisper, hung heavily in the air between them.
Liam shifted, twisting in his seat to face her, and a warm hand was on her cheek. With an impossibly gentle touch, he turned her chin so that their eyes met. The fire in his eyes blazed even in the low light. His anger had lessened, replaced by something more akin to passion.
He leaned forward until and there was only a few inches between them.
She looked down, studying his soft lips, letting herself imagine how they might feel against her own.
“Iona,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically heavy, “I wish, more than anything, that I could stay. But I won’t let this go—I’m going back to work, but I’m going to keep working on getting them out of these forests, okay? ”
“Of course,” she breathed. The words were like ice water, and she pulled back, leaning into the leather of her seat. She’d been a fool to let herself imagine there could be anything more between them.
She kept her gaze focused out the window for their return journey.