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The second was a boy; he couldn't be more than ten. He was on his knees, his head tilted back so that I couldn’t see the top of his face, but his mouth was open as he cried. Tears dripped down his cheeks and met at his chin.
He was clutching a bloodied white wing to his chest.
The painting was breathtaking. It was so incredibly detailed that I could make out the Ambrose Estate in the background between the trees, the grass and leaves and twigs the little boy knelt on.
“You…”
“I don’t know how I do it,” he quickly explained. “Sometimes, I get a feeling: he’s going to die, I’m going to meet her, this will happen to me. They’reknowings, things I’m certain of. When I started painting the wolf, I had no idea what the fuck was going on. I waited to feel something since I kept painting it, but I got nothing…”
I stared at him as I processed his words. “So… what? You can see the future?”
“Not quite… but, yes.”
The painting of the little boy caught my attention again. “That’s not you in the painting, is it?”
Sariel’s face twisted into a grimace. “It’s Auren.”
I nodded.. “Okay… okay. This shit just continues to spiral out of control.”
Sariel’s laugh is strained. “It does.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I didn’t want to scare you,” he said with a shrug, putting away the paintings. “You were already overwhelmed and exhausted.”
My throat closed up. On the one hand, I was grateful that he would be that considerate. On the other, I didn’t like that he’d kept this from me.
I just nodded and slipped out of the room.
“You can roam,” Credence said when she saw me. “You’re safe here. Just don’t cross over into the forest. I’m starting on dinner; Sariel will come get you when it's done.”
Thank heavens. “Thank you.”
Credence smiled at me. “Anytime, darlin’.”
13
BONDS
Aria
Dinner was a silent affair.
Credence served a delicious pot roast with vegetables, followed by a warm peach cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Although her cooking was fantastic, my stomach remained in knots throughout the meal, even as she attempted to make small talk and ease the tension between Sariel and I.
I offered to clean up afterward and was glad for the reprieve.
From the kitchen, I could see the backyard. Half of it was a food garden with herbs, tomatoes, lettuce, and carrots growing in abundance, and the other half was covered by a huge awning. A small patio set was set in one corner; on the other was a grill. A sturdy-looking doghouse also laid beneath it.
I’d gone exploring before dinner and found wild citrus trees growing outside the backyard fence. Bunny had found me when I thought I was lost, whereupon she had unhappily guided me back to the cabin.
I’d noted that the cabin was massive while looking at it from the backyard, beyond its spacious living area and its big kitchen with modern appliances. The cabin’s furniture was older and well-loved, but comfortable; they were precisely what made the cabin homey.
Aside from the living, dining, kitchen, and art room, I found three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a small library.
“I remembered you saying you like to knit?”
Credence’s voice made me jump. In her hands was a pair of old knitting needles and several balls of yarn. A phantom ache started in my hands as I thought about the last time I’d gotten around to knitting.
