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She blames her own kind for what happened in the sky, and she praises Eldrion for vanquishing the threat.
That does not sit well inside me. Seeing her come to his aid like that doesn’t feel right. And the way she looks at him afterwards doesn’t either.
I try not to let myself think about what it means, but as I follow her and Briony towards the healing wing of the castle, I cannot help feeling like something is changing.
She is not the same girl I knew back in the Leafborne forest, or even the same girl who was sold at auction to a cruel fae lord. She’s becoming something else, and I’m not sure I’m prepared for what that is.
As she moves, I study her.
I am not imagining it. Her mannerisms are the same, but they are a little sharper. Her voice, too, is different.
I want to shake her and tell her to come back to me. But I can’t even touch her, let alone shake her.
She stops outside a large oak door and taps on it with her knuckles. It is Maura who steps outside.
“How are they? How is Raine? Is the baby—” Alana’s eyes are wide, and her fingers are entwined in front of her.
Maura looks her up and down, then sighs heavily. “You are not welcome here,” she says, turning away.
Alana catches her elbow. “Maura, please. We are kin.”
“We are not kin.” Maura draws her shoulders back and narrows her eyes at Alana. “We never have been.”
I watch as Briony braces a hand on Alana’s back, and Alana’s wings droop. Her shoulders drop too, and the overwhelming, acidic taste of her rejection fills the air. Why must they always do this to her? Do they not see what they’re doing?
With a flick of my own wings, I materialise in between Alana and Maura.
“There you are.” Maura looks me up and down. “I wondered where you had gone, Kayan.”
“You can see him?” Alana steps around me, looking at Maura.
“Of course, I can see him.” She looks at me again, then shakes her head. “But I have nothing to say to him. I have more important things to deal with.”
“Maura...” I try to catch her arm but, of course, can’t take hold of her.
She shudders, a flicker of my energy zipping through her. “She is yours to deal with, now, Kayan. If you want to do what’s right, you’ll take her far away from here and drown her in a lake.”
Briony releases an audible gasp. Alana turns away, clutching her stomach as if Maura’s words have physically wounded her. Purple smoke begins to curl at her feet. Her shoulders stiffen. She spins back around, and her wings fly out to the sides, glowing with flickering purple light.
“See.” Maura looks her up and down. “If she’s not out of control now, she will be soon.” She looks at me and holds my gaze. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Kayan.”
By the time we reach Alana’s chambers, she is shaking from head to toe. Briony lingers in the corner of the room, watching us.
“How are you...?” she asks, her voice almost a whisper.
“He’s been here for weeks,” Alana says, pacing the room.
“You didn’t tell me?” Briony sounds hurt.
“I thought you’d accuse me of losing my mind,” she replies, casting a quick glance at me. “I’m not convinced that I’m not.”
“Briony sees me too, Alana. So does Maura.”
“How? I thought it was only me?” she asks, then shakes her head. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is...” She hesitates, then glances at Briony. “I’m sorry. I need to talk to Kayan.”
Briony smiles at her, although it’s a sad smile. “I’ll go and freshen up.” She looks down at her clothes, laced with dust and some traces of blood.
When she closes the door behind her, Alana rushes towards me as if she wants to fall into my arms. She stops a few paces away, then lets out a frustrated growl.
