The Willows: Haven

by Hope Collier

  After breakfast, Harry left to take care of some business. Gabe and I wandered through Charlie’s palatial three-story house, exploring rooms long since visited and uncovering more of what my life could have been like had we been a normal family.

  “Gabe?” I began as we roamed through the library. “What was my mother like?”

  His hand paused on an overflowing shelf near the window, and he turned to face me. “She was very much like you,” he said and then gave me a playful smile. “Though slightly less stubborn.”

  I stuck my tongue out, and Gabe laughed.

  “What do you remember most about her?” I asked.

  “Everything for that matter,” he said. “Nymphs never forget. But the thing I appreciated the most was her laughter. She lived as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Edlyn saw the best in people.” His eyebrows lowered. “That was both her most noble quality and her downfall. She chose to live as if everyone had some redeeming trait, and it only took the love of one person to bring it out.”

  “Finding the best in someone is a bad thing?”

  “Of course not. Searching out the best is never wrong. One can never be entirely good, but I’m not so sure they can’t be entirely bad. All the world has shadows, but there are some places the light simply can’t reach. Edlyn’s fault lay in her believing otherwise.” Gabe drew a breath and met my eyes. “Do you think that’s the wrong mindset?”

  I considered his question. Everyone had faults; Gabe was right about that. But can a person be beyond saving?

  “I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “I’d like to think there’s a measure of good to everyone, but I haven’t seen what you have. I haven’t lived through it.”

  Gabe’s mouth pulled into a soft smile. “If I learned anything from Edlyn, it’s the same lesson you teach me as well: Have compassion for all and grow from experience.”

  I laughed without humor. “I can hardly teach anyone about compassion or growing. Or has the impossible happened, and you’ve forgotten my story about Allie?” Thoughts of my behavior toward Charlie and the trouble I’d caused in the past filed through my head like a suspect lineup.

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Gracie.” Gabe’s hands settled around my waist. “You have every right to be upset with what’s happened in your life. To make matters more complicated, you’ve recently discovered you’re not human and of all the things expected of you. But you aren’t bitter and resentful. You take what life’s handed you, and you make it work. That’s what I admire most about you.”

  “Thank you.” I smiled and stretched up on my tiptoes to meet his lips.

  Gabe and I spent the remainder of the day lounging inside the house, passing the time with trivial stories about my life up till our meeting — leaving out the bits about Kevin. Guilt gnawed at my insides for not broaching the matter given the opportunity, but I had no idea what to say, and honestly, I was just too chicken either way. By the time bedtime rolled around, my stomach felt like I’d swallowed a broken glass.

  “Are you feeling well?” Gabe asked as he walked me to my room. “You’ve been quiet since we talked.”

  “Sure. I’m fine. Just tired, I guess.” I paused with my hand on the knob and met his worried gaze. The shame amplified.

  Gabe nodded and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “If you need me, you know where I’ll be.” He smiled softly. “Goodnight, Gracie.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Taken

  I wrestled with sleep that night. Images of gray eyes and wicked smiles filled my dreams. Finally, I gave up and switched on the bedside lamp. The clock over the mantle chimed five-thirty in the morning. With a sigh, I slipped into a bath robe and crept downstairs.

  The double doors to Charlie’s office stood open. Soft light from various electronics blinked on his hutch. The smell of pipe tobacco and peppermint lingered in the room, setting my heart aching. A studded leather chair rested behind his desk, the material faded and worn with age. Stepping through the doorway, I turned a lamp on and caught sight of a laptop.

  Taking a seat behind the desk, I opened the lid and connected to the internet. I clicked on Kevin’s address. I needed to let him know what was going on before he did something drastic. A cruel smile touched my lips at the thought of simply typing “It’s over” in the subject line. The smile slipped from my face imagining of the reaction that would cause. I couldn’t do that. I needed to confront him face-to-face.

  Hey, I’ll be gone another week, but we need to talk when I get back, I typed, leaving out any formalities.

  My shoulders tensed as I read the message several times to be sure I didn’t leave a window for any misunderstanding. The last thing I needed was for Kevin to show up here. I clicked the send button before I could change my mind, and flipped back to the inbox. There were a half-dozen emails from Kyle, all with similar messages in the subject line.

  Checking in.

  Hey,Monet. Any new news?

  Where are you?

  Is everything okay?

  Seriously, I’m getting worried.

  Ashton, call me, please!

  I needed to call him today. Kyle was such a worry wart. I should’ve contacted him as soon as we got here, but I didn’t want to draw Gabe’s attention to that situation. Kyle didn’t deserve to stress over me.

  A new message popped up in my inbox. I held my breath then frowned. It was from Kevin. I glanced at the time. What was he doing sitting by the computer? It was 3 AM in California. My hands shook as I clicked on his reply.

  We will have a discussion. You can be sure of that.

  Heat flooded my face as adrenaline kicked in. How on earth had I let it come to this?

  “Morning, love. What are you doing up so early?” Gabe’s voice sounded from behind me. I reflexively slammed the laptop closed. I swiveled around in my seat, and his eyes narrowed as I stood up quickly.

  “Are you all right?” Gabe studied my expression, his eyes falling on my flushed cheeks.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. You scared me, that’s all.” I hurried from the office, trying to distract him from the computer. Gabe followed me into the kitchen and propped himself against the counter. He crossed his arms and studied my harried movement.

  “You want some breakfast?” I rummaged through the cabinets in search of a skillet.

  “Ashton?” He continued to watch me.

  I ignored him and opened the pantry door, hoping to hide behind it.

  “Ashton.” The door closed firmly, Gabe’s hand pinning it to the frame. “Would you please stop flitting around and look at me.”

  I drew a quiet breath and forced a smile. “Yeah?”

  “What’s going on?” His eyes searched mine.

  “Nothing is…” I paused, not wanting to lie. “I’m just feeling a little strapped right now. You know?”

  “If there’s something you need to tell me, you should do it now.” He sounded suspicious. Or maybe my guilt made him sound that way to me. “Is there anything you want to share?”

  I hesitated. I didn’t mean to, but it was enough to give me away despite my words. “Nope. There’s nothing I want to share.”

  His hand fell and he backed away, hurt clear in his eyes. Seeing the pain I caused him, guilt swelled inside. I stared through the window, willing the truth about Kevin to be told whether I wanted it or not.

  “Okay, yeah, I do need—” My sentence cut short as I caught sight of Harry walking toward the mailbox. What was he doing out there at sunrise?

  Gabe stood at the next window down, staring toward Harry like me. I looked at him with question before turning my gaze back outside. The sound of an engine racing pulled our attention to a black SUV screaming down the street. Tires squealed to a stop next to Harry. Panic rose up, and I banged on the glass.

  “Harry!” I yelled, but he didn’t turn.

  Two large men dressed in black hoodies jumped from the SUV and grabbed him. One of the men wrapped a white cloth over Harry’s nose and mouth and pulled him
into their truck before peeling out of sight.

  “Harry!” I screamed and stumbled around the table. “Gabe!”

  “Stay inside!” he commanded, already out the front door.

  I hurried to the porch overlooking the now empty street. The acrid smell of burnt rubber stung my nose. Gabe, like the SUV, was nowhere to be seen. I paced the cobblestone around the side of the house, anxiety suffocating me. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t call the cops, not if it was something more than human going on.

  Without thinking, I set off on foot down the hill to the main highway, each step more frantic than the last. “Gabe?” I called as I crossed a bridge. I stopped on the other side, listening for any sign.

  “Here!” Someone whispered from the tree line.

  “Gabe, is that you?” I inched toward the forest, searching the shadows.

  “Shh, come on. This way,” the whisper said.

  I scanned the empty town behind me. Not a car or person in sight.

  The dense mountains swallowed me in a matter of seconds as I entered the trees. Dew soaked through my socks, and the smell of wet moss and rotting bark wafted through the chilled morning air.

  “Where are you?” I searched the darkness, an unease beginning to grow inside. I turned to look for the road, and fear enveloped me like the morning fog. It wasn’t there. My breathing spiked as I took a step back, nearly tripping over a fallen log, then set off in a sprint the way I’d come.

  Sunlight flickered through the wind-blown branches and sliced across the forest floor. Thistles and thorns tore at my arms and legs as I fought my way through the heavy branches and dense undergrowth. Where was the road? Was I even running the right way?

  Rustling footsteps sounded behind me. I bit back a panicked whimper and pushed my muscles harder. The sound grew louder, accompanied by a frustrated grunt. This time, I couldn’t bite back my fear. Something brushed my back, and I let out a cry before racing blindly ahead.

  The sounds of the river flowing pulled my focus back. I pushed my legs with everything in me toward the water. Whoever, or whatever, was behind me had better know how to swim.

  My lungs ached for the air I couldn’t pull in fast enough, and my legs felt like boiled rubber, but I pushed them on. Finally, a faint light shone in the distance. My feet skidded across the wet grass as I came to sudden stop, twenty feet above the river. I looked over the edge and back toward the shadows. There was no knowing if the water was deep enough, but I didn’t have time to debate my options.

  My sharp cry pierced the morning air before the rush of the river filled my ears. The slick rocky bottom skimmed my feet as I pushed off and kicked toward the air. A brief sense of relief washed over me that I hadn’t broken my legs.

  Breaking the surface, I stared toward the rising sun to see the broad silhouette of a hooded man against the forest. He made no attempt to follow as I swam to the opposite bank, but his hostility radiated through me. Climbing ashore, I peered around and realized I’d circled the woods behind Charlie’s house. I wrestled my socks off and clamored over the back wall, hurrying up the stairs beside the veranda.

  “Ashton!” Gabe rushed from the sitting room, wrapping his arms around me. “Thank God you’re safe.”

  I nodded and let him pull me closer.

  “I told you not to leave the house.” Gabe backed away, really taking me in for the first time. His eyebrows lowered as he studied my wet clothes, breathlessness, and various scrapes and bruises.

  “What happened?” Fear and anger burned in his voice.

  My eyes filled with tears. I bit down on my lip to stop the quivering. “Someone chased me. I thought it was you out there.”

  Gabe pulled me into him, his embrace tight and protective. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you here. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

  “Harry.” My voice broke as I choked back a sob.

  “Don’t worry.” Gabe’s shoulders tensed. “We’ll figure something out.”

  “Gabe—”

  “I know, love.” He sighed. “Let’s get you some dry clothes and clean up these cuts.”

  I followed him upstairs. Gabe flipped the switch on in my bedroom and froze in the doorway.

  “What?” I pushed past him and saw a piece of yellowed paper lying on the pillow of my recently made bed. My body suddenly went cold.

  Gabe reached around me and lifted the note, his eyes frantically scanning the words.

  “What is it?” I asked, dread filling my tone.

  The skin over his knuckles whitened as the paper crunched inside his fist. “It’s them. They found us.”

  I yanked the note from Gabe’s hand, trying to steady my own enough to make out the writing.

  “Dearest Ashton and ‘Gabe,’” I read.

  “I regret to inform you that you are too late. However, I commend you on your efforts. Ashton, I have taken your uncle as means of ensuring payment to my debtors. My apologies, Ruarc, for luring you into this chaos. Nothing personal, it just seems that you’re always in the wrong place at the wrong time — or in times past, the right place at the wrong time.

  In the meantime, Ruarc, I expect that you will be compliant with our demands. Seeing how much you typically love the women in your life, I’m sure you will.

  I have enclosed a map for Ashton to follow. It is the forest after all, I’m sure you both will keep that in mind; you do have quite a long way to travel. I anticipate your arrival, Ashton. Do not keep us waiting.

  Until we meet again,

  Leith

  “Leith? My mother’s uncle who betrayed our family? What do we do?” My fingers ached with the viselike grip I had around Gabe’s arm.

  “We do nothing. I’m going after Harry. Alone.”

  “No, you’re not.” I squared my shoulders.

  “Ashton, you cannot come with me.” A muscle worked in his jaw.

  “I’m not letting you go alone,” I spouted. “They want me. I can end this.”

  “And what, you think I should just lead you to the lion’s den?” he demanded sharply.

  “They have Harry. They won’t let you get away with this. It’s ridiculous to think there’s any hope if you go alone. I can’t lose you like that. I won’t!” I could see the logic working on him, but he still fought it.

  “This isn’t just about you,” I spoke, trying to sound calmer than I felt. “In fact, it has little to nothing to do with you. Leith told me to come. I won’t let Harry suffer over something that is all my fault.”

  All my fault, I thought. It’s always my fault.

  The walls and furniture around me contorted. I dropped to the bed with my head in my hands. Gabe sat beside me, his arms around my shoulders as I blubbered about my seeming curse.

  “This is not your fault,” Gabe said. “You can’t fix everything, love. There’s nothing you did to cause it or anything you could’ve done to prevent it. Things happen all the time. In our world there or in our world here.” He lifted my chin to look me in the eye. “You cannot blame yourself for something you had no hand in. This started even before your mother’s time.”

  “It doesn’t change anything.” I huffed. “They still want me. It’s irrelevant who started it. What’s important is that I can end it.”

  “I can’t let you go.” His fingers tightened around my arms.

  “You have to. It’s the only way,” I spoke firmly.

  A plague of emotion flashed across his face. Fear of what could happen if he agreed to my demand. Dread of what would happen if he attempted this by himself. And finally, a tiny shred of uncertain hope of what might happen if we worked together.

  His determination wavered. “If you’re going with me you will have to agree to trust me and do whatever I ask without question. Will you do that? Or rather, I should ask can you do that?” he amended, understanding the way I function all too well.

  I peered back at him, cautious to consent to such a hefty demand. I had no doubts that he would do what he thought was best for
me. But would his idea of what’s best really be the best?

  “I trust you,” I said without painting myself into a corner.

  Gabe lifted my chin and eyed me. I tried to look away but he wasn’t having that. “Ashton, I’m serious about this. You don’t know…”

  “Know what?”

  “Why all of this is happening. You have no idea who Leith truly is or why he would even take Harry to get to you.”

  I swallowed hard and shook my head.

  “Aren’t you wondering why any of this matters if your family is gone, and you aren’t human enough for it to make a difference that you know? Why Leith wants you and no one else?”

  “Well, yeah, but there’s just been so much going on,” I said, trying to excuse my shortsightedness. I had never asked myself why I seemed to be doomed to calamity, I simply accepted the fact that I was.

  Why?

  Charlie was gone. It had to have something to do with Oren, Leith, my mother and Darach. Their names looped through my mind over and over as Gabe paced my room, grabbing anything he deemed useful and shoved it in a bag. How did they tie in? What was the connection?

  Gabe paused in front of me, his expression torn. “Do you remember what I told you about rules, laws, and how those things have an order in our world, especially regarding the royal families?”

  “Yes.”

  “You remember what I said about Edlyn being next in line.” This wasn’t a question.

  He never finished the story of my mother’s intended fate. I never asked.

  “But you said Oren didn’t want to kill me, just that he needs me.”

  “She was next in line,” he repeated once more, his voice gruff.

  “In line for what?” The question hung heavy in the air.

  Gabe’s eyes finally met mine. “To marry.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The Truth

  “I’m supposed to marry him?”

  Gabe nodded, confirming a destiny that would out-shadow death by an immeasurable margin. “If you join the Dryads, they will be effectively marrying into the most powerful family in the Naiad realm. That would result in a great deal of influence, which is exactly what Darach wants most. Power.”