by Dyan Chick
Interlacing my fingers in his, I squeezed his hand. "He's right. Despite everything, I trust him."
Chapter 16
"It's time to focus on the real bad guy here." Adam stood and walked to the middle of the room, pausing in front of the elders.
He'd been so quiet lately, I'd forgotten he was here.
"Brenon isn't the dangerous creature we were taught about as children. He hasn't tried to hurt any of us since he arrived last night. Maybe this feud is outdated? Ever consider that? Times have changed."
Mercy stood, the other elders following her lead. Adam lowered his head in what almost looked like a bow. Was that what you were supposed to do with the elders?
Brenon tugged on my hand, then lifted his chin as he stood. Understanding his meaning, I stood up next to him. Aunt Kay, Adam, Maggie, and Gia all stood, joining in with the little nod-bow. I joined them, feeling awkward about bowing to someone, but the last thing I wanted to do was make her mad because I wasn't following protocol.
Mercy seemed pleased with the display. She nodded her head in a bow of her own. "We'll take it to the council leaders tonight. We'll have an answer for you by morning. I will present both sides, and I can't make any promises. It will go to a vote. Majority will decide if we get involved."
"Thank you," I said.
The elders made their way out the front door, Aunt Kay holding the door for them. After she closed the door, she turned to all of us in the room. "I think we have a chance at this working."
She glanced down at my hand, still clasped with Brenon's, then looked away. I dropped his hand. There was no reason to be holding on to him while we stood there.
"Thanks for calling them," I said. My insides perked up at the prospect of a phone. "Hey, could I use the phone to call Ryder?"
Aunt Kay smiled. "No phone here, too much magic. You'd have to go into town."
"Where's town?" I asked.
"Twenty miles south."
"I can drive you there," Joe said. "Might be nice to explore a bit."
I looked at my Aunt, half expecting her to object to me leaving the house while we waited for the Elder's response.
She shrugged. "Take Maggie or Joe in case anything happens."
"I'll go with her," Brenon said. "I'm sure you don't want me hanging around here."
Aunt Kay looked down at my hand and let out a sigh. "There's a phone at the gas station. And you might as well go to the market and pick up something for dinner."
"Got it," I said. "You ready, Joe?"
He was halfway to the door when I asked, obviously ready to get away from here for a while.
"Can you pick up some Tequila while you're in town?" Adam asked.
"And limes," Maggie added.
"Sure, no problem. Shots tonight?" I raised my eyebrows, surprised at the request.
"You'll see, we might need the distraction while we wait," Adam said.
He had a point. The night was going to be long while we waited to find out if we were going to have any support. I elbowed Brenon as we walked to the car. "Guess we should pick up some vodka for you, too. Right?"
"You're getting the hang of being around me," he said.
Joe got into the driver's seat, and I slid into the passenger seat, Brenon situating himself in the back.
We were on the road for a few minutes before Joe broke the silence. "So, what is going on between the two of you?"
I wasn't sure how to answer that question.
Every time I tried to tell myself I was finished with the Ringmaster, he did something that made my heart flutter. I wasn't even sure I wanted to be apart from him. The thought of him leaving had been what I was using to convince myself that we shouldn't be together but the argument was getting weaker in my mind. Instead of feeling confident in the reasoning, I was feeling depressed that I was going to lose him forever.
"Awkward silence, not a good sign," Joe said. "Ara mentioned some guy that broke her heart. I'm guessing that's you."
"We all do things we regret," Brenon said.
"Ah, the picture is coming into focus," Joe said.
"It's complicated, Joe," I said. "I don't think Brenon meant to hurt me."
"That's true," Brenon said. "If I could take it back, I would. Maybe if you let me apologize properly..."
"How would you apologize properly? What does that even mean? You tricked me. You changed my whole life. I thought it all made sense before I met you, now nothing makes sense. I don't even know who I am anymore." The words rushed out of me in a wave. It was everything I'd felt since I joined the Circus but couldn't communicate. It was all true. My life was never going to be the same again. No matter how much normal I forced upon myself, I'd never fit into that cookie-cutter anymore.
The sound of the tires on the pavement was the only sound inside the car. The air was thick with tension, and I regretted the words I'd spoken. If it weren't for him, my world probably would have still been turned upside-down by Terra. At least he'd kept me safe.
"Ara, I say this at the risk of my own well being," Joe said. "But have you considered the fact that you haven't really known who you were for years? I mean, I never pegged you as a math teacher. It didn't seem like it ignited any passion in you."
I glared at Joe. It didn't matter if he was right. "Aren't you supposed to be on my side?"
"She's right, Joe. I didn't go about things the right way," Brenon said.
"Listen, I'm on your side, Ara. But seriously, I could cut the fucking sexual tension with a knife."
I opened my mouth to speak, then closed it, not sure how to respond. Was Joe telling me I should be with Brenon? When did that shift happen? Had they bonded in the short time I was in the shower? Joe had seemed wary, even afraid of Brenon when I arrived with him and now he was encouraging him? "I think I'm done talking about this."
"Ara, I just don't want you to shut out someone you care about. I've seen you do it too many times over the years," Joe said.
"What are you talking about?"
"You don't let people in. You know that."
"I said I'm done talking about this." I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back against the seat. The last thing I needed right now was a lecture from my best friend that encouraged me to get together with a Fae king who was about to leave my world forever. Things between Brenon and me were confusing enough as it was without Joe getting involved.
"Ara knows I don't expect anything from her. But I also hope she knows that I'm sorry," Brenon said.
"I do know that, Brenon, and I believe you. I just don't know what to do about it, okay? Can we stop talking about it now?"
The rest of the drive into town was silent.
We pulled into a pump at the gas station, and while Joe filled up the tank, I found the pay phone. Brenon stood nearby while I dropped the quarter in to call Ryder. After three rings, he picked up and my spirits instantly lifted at the sound of his voice.
"Hey! How's everything going?" I asked.
"Good, survived my first blue-book exam. Feeling good about that," he said.
"When do you get the test back?" I asked.
"Sometime next week. But I'm pretty sure I aced it." He sounded happy, and blissfully unaware of the issues I was facing.
I let out a long breath without thinking.
"You okay, AB?"
"Oh yeah, I'm good. Actually, Joe and I are on a little road trip. Totally spontaneous. I'm at some random gas station in Kansas somewhere."
"What? Without a plan?" Ryder laughed. "Maybe that Circus was good for you. I'm glad you're loosening up, having some fun."
The words stung a little, reminding me of what Joe had said in the car. "Hey, Ry, do you think I shut people out?"
He was quiet for a moment. "Sometimes, but I know it's just because of what you've been through. I think you'll learn to trust people again someday. Why? Did you meet someone?"
"No, nothing like that, just something Joe said." I glanced over at Brenon. I could tell he was listening to eve
ry word. "Listen, I gotta go. Joe's done getting gas, and we're going to do some more driving today before we find a place to stay for the night."
"Have fun, AB."
"Thanks, you too." I hung up the phone. A feeling of relief mixed with wistfulness. It was nice to hear his voice, but I was still a bit concerned about his safety.
Turning to face Brenon, I had to ask, "you sure your people are keeping him safe, right?"
"Yes, Ara. He's well taken care of."
"What if something happens? What if Terra's wolves get past your people?" I asked.
"If anything happens to him, I will know within minutes." He reached for me, then pulled his hand back. A pang of regret shot through me. I wanted that touch, but I'd put an end to that during our car conversation.
Joe walked over to us. "Everything good?"
I nodded. "He sounded great."
"Awesome. I'm going to run in and grab a snack. You want anything?" Joe pointed to the gas station doors.
"I'm fine, thanks."
When Joe walked away, I turned my attention back to Brenon. "Hey, about what I said in the car."
"Don't worry, Ara. Sometimes things aren't fixable."
His words hit me like a punch in the gut. He turned away and headed toward the car. My breathing grew rapid as I watched him go. I couldn't let it end like this. If I didn't care so much, I wouldn't hurt this bad. Both Joe and Ryder had said I didn't let people in. That I didn't trust. Hadn't I said I trusted Brenon? He was the first person outside of those two that I'd trusted in years. "Wait."
I ran after him, grabbing his upper arm and pulling him toward me. "I don't want to lose you. I don't know how to handle this. None of it makes sense. I can't stop thinking about you, and even if I let you back in, I'm going to end up just losing you again when I open that gate."
My throat tightened, and tears pooled in my eyes. Brenon stared at me, face impassive. Why didn't he say something? I turned away, embarrassed that I'd made a scene.
Brenon's fingers gently turned my chin, so I was looking at him. He wiped away the tears from my cheek. The familiar surge of electricity that came from his touch shot through me and my breath caught as I stared into his eyes. My breathing grew shallow, and I took a step closer to him, closing the gap between us.
Without a word, he lowered his face to mine, our lips met, and it was as if I lost all control. Suddenly, it no longer mattered if he was leaving. All that mattered was making the most of the time we would have together. I pressed my body into him, feeling safe, feeling home.
Chapter 17
Brenon eased up on the kiss, pulling away from me. I ran my hands through his hair and pulled his head back to me, prolonging the kiss. I wasn't ready to let him go now that I decided to fall. His hands moved up my sides, sending a tingle up my spine. Finally, I released him and took a step back. For a moment I stared into his eyes, working to catch my breath. My whole body felt like it was on fire and I was sure my cheeks had flushed. I felt like I'd just run a mile as fast as I could, yet all I had done was stand here and kiss him.
"About damn time," Joe said.
I covered my face with my hands. How much had Joe seen?
"It's fine, Ara. I was starting to worry about you." Joe's keys jingled as he walked toward the car.
Brenon took my hand in his, and we walked behind Joe. What did this mean? What was going to happen between the two of us now?
Joe unlocked the passenger door and held it open for me. "Now I can tell you about Cheryl."
"Cheryl?" I asked as I dropped into the seat and Joe closed the door before I got an answer.
I heard Brenon slide into the back seat and shut his door.
Joe was in his seat now and started the car. "We've been dating a few months already, but you had been having such a rough go of it in the romance department I was afraid it would bother you to hear about her."
"You don't have to keep anything from me, I could have handled it," I said.
"Maybe," Joe shrugged, "or you might have tried to convince me that she was just going to break my heart like you do for any new person you meet."
I slumped down in the seat. He was probably right. For the last few years, I struggled to see the good in people and didn't think that possible successful relationship was worth the chance of going through the pain I had been through in the past.
"Now, where's the market in this sorry excuse for a town?" Joe asked.
We drove around in circles for a while before finding a place we could buy provisions for dinner. After we finally secured our contribution to Aunt Kay's household, thanks to Joe since I didn't have a dollar to my name, we headed back. There was nothing to do in this town even if we had wanted to linger.
"What do you think the Elders will say tomorrow?" Joe asked.
"Don't know," I said. "But I sure hope they agree."
"What will you do if they don't?" Joe asked.
I turned around in my seat and looked at Brenon. "What will we do?"
"If they won't help us, we'll still need to fight her. The longer she lives, the more at risk you are," Brenon said.
"But how?" I asked.
"We'll cut off the blue pills," he said.
The words hit me like a sack of bricks landing on top of my lap. I was so torn about those pills. In the wrong hands, they caused harm, even death. To the supernaturals who came here from Faerie, they hid their magic, helping them to blend in. "Won't that bring all the magic back?"
"Exactly. It might be enough to take on Terra if we can unify everyone. With the pills gone, they'd have no choice but to fight her."
"Why didn't you do that ages ago?" Joe asked.
"It's risky," I said, cutting off Brenon. "If they let their magic out, Terra can steal it. If the others decide to stay in hiding, rather than fight, she could pick them off one at a time for years, getting stronger with each stolen magic."
"That sounds bad," Joe said.
"That's why this has to work," I said.
When we pulled up to Aunt Kay's house, we weren't the only car. A sleek, black Jaguar was parked where Joe's car had been. He pulled up next to it and parked. "Expecting company?"
My insides bristled at the nice car parked in front of my aunt's house. The last time I'd seen an unexpected fancy black car, Terra had taken me to her pool hall. "Not that I know of."
I opened the door and stepped out of the car.
"You two wait here," Brenon said. "I'll check on it."
"No way," I said. "I'm going with you."
Brenon looked like he wanted to argue with me, but he didn't.
"I'll stay here. I'm just in the way if there's magic involved," Joe said.
"Good idea," I said, without even looking back at him. I was already a step behind Brenon on the way to the front porch.
We hesitated at the door, listening for any sounds that would suggest a struggle. Hearing nothing unusual, I nodded at Brenon. He threw open the door and rushed inside. I came in right behind him, prepared to have to fight.
Instead, we crashed right into the Elders sitting on the couch once again.
Mercy stood, then swept her arm to the empty love seat. "Please, sit."
"Uh, just a sec," I said, stepping back outside to signal to Joe to come in. Once he was inside the house, I popped back inside and settled on the love seat as directed. Joe sat down on an empty chair, grocery bags and bottle of tequila in hand.
"What's going on?" I asked. "I thought we wouldn't see you until morning." They'd only been away a few hours.
"Something has happened," Mercy said.
The sound of sniffing pulled my attention to my Aunt Kay. She was dabbing a tissue under her red eyes. She'd been crying. I looked over at Maggie and Adam. All sign of defiance was missing from both of them. They looked beaten down. Gia wasn't even in the room. "Is Gia okay?"
"She's fine, she's upstairs," Aunt Kay said.
"What happened?" I asked Mercy.
"There's a small Sayge village in East Tex
as. It's very isolated, few even know it's there." She took a deep breath.
I squeezed my hands into fists, my whole body tensing as I prepared to hear the terrible news, hoping she wasn't going where I thought she was going with this.
"It's a town of magic. They didn't hide it or keep it secret." Mercy swallowed. She was struggling to get the words out.
"Late last night, Terra and her wolves attacked. She took the magic from every citizen there. Young and old alike. There were no survivors."
I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand as tears blurred my vision. A whole town wiped out, and Terra more powerful as a result.
"She's never done this before," the male elder said. "She's kept her attacks random, and mostly focused on the Fae. This is the first time she's targeted us that we know of."
"There were 300 people who called that village home," the other woman said quietly.
My heart felt like it was shattering. This was all my fault. She was sending me a message. I wanted to say something, but my voice was missing. How do you react to that? How could she be so evil? I looked at Brenon. How was he related to that crazy Fae? They were so different. He'd been working to hide his kind, protect them from her. She would do anything for power.
"What happens now?" Joe asked.
"We fight back," Mercy said. "The vote was unanimous. The Sayges will stand with you. You tell us what you need us to do and where you need us to be, and we'll be there."
This was really happening. We were actually going to stand up to Terra and I could stop worrying about my safety and the safety of my brother. But it also meant that I was going to lose Brenon soon. A weight rested in my stomach. The cost of the Sayge support had been too great. The loss of life was the thing we were trying to prevent. Now, it was an aim to beat the clock. Stop Terra before she did any more damage.
I knew the next few days were going to keep moving fast as we figured out how to challenge Terra. It was also going to be the most dangerous thing I'd ever done. I took a deep breath, pushing away the fear. "Thank you. This is more important now than it ever was. We can't let Terra harm anyone else."
