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Whatever that was, whatever this was, it needed to end. Now. It was reckless. Irrational. Stupid. And I’d almost lost control.
I whirled around and stormed in his direction, angry. At Talon—at myself—I didn’t know which, finding it increasingly more difficult to concentrate the closer I got to him. Why couldn’t the castle be in the other direction?
Talon touched my arm as I brushed past him, and I froze, his touch melting me in place. “Where are you going?” he asked.
“Back to the castle.” I yanked my arm away and continued ahead. There was no way I could face him right now, not when my heart was in my throat. “Where else would I be going?”
He walked along beside me with his hands in his pocket, keeping his distance. “I see. So, I take it we’re not going to address what just happened?”
I tripped on my feet. “What?” There wasn’t a shot in hell I was going to address anything, but the way his eyes burned into the side of my head, I knew he wasn’t going to let me avoid it. “Oh, sorry. Yeah, it was beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like that before. So stunning. Thanks, uh, thanks for bringing me here. That was nice of you.”
Talon huffed a laugh. “You know that’s not what I’m talking about.”
“What are you talking about, then?”
He stopped walking, and I followed his cue. “I see. That’s the game we’re going to play, then?”
I wiped my palms on my pants.
It was a silent battle of wills, as neither of us dared to look away first, but I told myself it was for the best. Nothing good would come from these feelings—only pain and disappointment—and I wasn’t in the market to lose more than I already had. My focus was on the trials. To save my mother and get home. This growing desire be damned.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I pinched my brows together for emphasis.
He sucked his teeth, huffing his disbelief, but said nothing more as he continued forward.
The trek back to the castle was painfully tense and awkward. Though I had no right, I wished I knew what was going through his mind again—and desired it more than I wished to evaporate into thin air.
Twenty-One
The blue river water glistened under the sun’s rays as I stood at the edge of the bank. It was hotter than usual for this time of year—my skin blistered with heat as sweat dripped down my back. I needed to cool off before I made the trek home. A quick dip to revitalize myself sounded perfect. But I wasn’t ignorant of the stories about how dangerous and unpredictable the river was. Or of the evil fae that lived on the other side.
Sugarfoot neighed from behind me as if she’d read my mind.
“Please, no one’s seen a fairy in over five hundred years.”
She snorted in response.
“For all we know, they no longer exist. Besides, I’ll be quick.” I pulled my tunic off over my head. “I promise.”
She kicked at the ground as I poked my toes in first, adjusting to the temperature before I walked in. With a delighted sigh, I rolled onto my back and let the gentle waves cradle my body, savoring the river’s cool and gentle caress. My eyes were closed for all of two minutes when my foot brushed against a rock, startling me out of my trance.
I tried to swim to the shore, but I was stuck.
Something had caught around my ankle and was keeping me trapped in place.
Trying not to panic, I reached down to free myself when I caught a pair of unblinking eyes staring back at me.
I screamed—the sound dampened by water—as I attempted to thrash my foot out of its grasp.
But it was unmoving. Like a metal statue that had rusted over.
“How could you do this to me, Elowyn?” Their voice was familiar.
The sun above disappeared behind a cloud, making it hard to see.
“Elowyn, help me. Please, how could you do this?”
My chest ached as I ran out of air, straining to see through the murky water, when I noticed her.
