The Willows: Haven

by Hope Collier

  “Aiken knew my life, where my heart lay, but still, he wanted me. And over these many years, though I have never regained the heart that longs for my Naiad, I have grown to love Aiken. He is more than I deserve, better than I’d ever been allowed to hope. …And things aren’t always the way they seem. Oftentimes a compromise can work better than one might ever imagine.”

  The story of Ilana’s history replayed through my mind as we made our way back to her family. Without hesitation, she walked over to her husband and smiled before lighting the room with a loving kiss. I forced my gaze away from their intimate encounter, and caught a glimpse of Kyle as he rounded the corner on his way out.

  The rest of the evening passed by quickly and with little required of me. I barely spoke more than a couple of sentences, only speaking at all when required to do so. Ilana’s story replayed through my mind as she hugged me, expressing yet again her joy with my arrival. Kevin escorted me to the entrance of the palace as I bid everyone, except a missing Kyle, goodnight.

  “Why are you so quiet?” Kevin asked. “Didn’t you like my family?”

  “You’re family’s great,” I said. “Most of them anyway.”

  “Yes, my mother can be tiresome.” He sighed. “Her life is all sunshine and rainbows. She wouldn’t know what to do if something bad actually happened.”

  Disgust twisted through me, and I fought not to slap him. He had no idea what he was saying, and I guessed he really didn’t care. “Your mother is one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met.” How she ever got stuck with a selfish and ungrateful son like you is beyond me.

  “Smiles never got anyone ahead. She’s too much of a dreamer.”

  “So if someone isn’t ruthless or selfish, they’re inherently worthless? Looking for the best in people is a bad thing?” I asked for the second time in my life.

  “It depends on who you ask — the person who’s trusting or the person being trusted. I’ve always found that quality quite helpful in getting what I want.” His smile turned callous.

  It was all too much. Anger swelled inside and bubbled over. “Is that what you told my mother before you took matters into your own hands?” I spouted, tears cascading down my cheeks. “Did you tell her how stupid she was? Was that the last thing she ever heard before you killed her?”

  “I never touched your mother,” he said coldly. “I didn’t have a reason to after your father ruined the situation. My hands are spotless … on her account, at least.”

  I froze, pulling my arm away from him. “Then what happened to her?”

  “How should I know? Why don’t you ask my brother? Kyle was the one sent to deal with it when Oren brought her back.”

  Kevin ushered me to the front door and hemmed me in the corner. My stomach rolled, and I fought the bile rising in my throat. Kevin didn’t give me a chance to react.

  “Now then, I’m not the villain, so you can end this crusade at being angry with me. Forget the past, Ashton. Your future is with me,” Kevin murmured against my unyielding lips. He pulled me into his chest, his hands blazing against the small of my back. I closed my eyes and shut off my mind until I felt his mouth still, and he backed away.

  “Your future is with me,” he said again then retreated into the darkness.

  I did the same but in a different manner. My darkness was inside, hiding in the emptiness that used to house my heart.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Acceptance

  Relief seeped through my closed eyelids. The teabags made from the silky grass soothed my tired and swollen eyes. I sat at the kitchen table, a plum in hand, and relaxed my head against the chair as I chewed.

  Someone tapped gently against the glass of the back door. I pulled the teabags off and opened it to Kyle.

  “Morning.” I said, confused.

  “Morning, Monet.” His smile faltered. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “I was just wondering why you came to the back door.”

  “I heard you in here, so I figured I’d save you the trip.” He looked down, shuffling his feet.

  My eyes narrowed.“Hmm.”

  “Oh, calm down, Ash. It’s not like I hang out here all day and eavesdrop. I was just close.”

  “If you say so. So what’s up?”

  “We’re going to the clearing for a while, and I hoped you’d come.” Kyle shoved his hands in his pockets, his eyes hopeful.

  “Who’s going?” I really didn’t want to put myself in Kevin’s line of sight — or Adare’s for that matter.

  “Mostly my siblings,” he said. “Kev’s working today though.”

  “Sounds great to me then. Let’s go!” I shrugged.

  The sun shone brightly, warming me from the outside in as we walked. Kyle whistled an upbeat tune, his face as bright as the glow in the sky.

  Figuring it would be a good time for more answers, I jumped in without warning. “So what’s up with your eyes?”

  “What do you mean?” His head fell to the side.

  “Your eyes shine yellow. Some of the others here are reddish-orange, some are golden. Why is that?”

  “Just like animals. Different animals have different eyeshine. Green, red, blue. I’m a Dryad and we have darker eyes, so warmer shades, I suppose. I don’t think there’s an exact science to it.”

  “That makes sense, I guess. Is it the same with scents then? Is that why you all smell like plants and fruit?” I asked.

  Kyle’s laughter bounced off the trees. “Yeah. Of course, I don’t smell like fruit. Right?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “No. You smell like sandalwood.” I elbowed him. “What do I smell like?”

  “Do you really want to know?” His nose scrunched up.

  I rolled my eyes.

  Kyle leaned down. His nose skimmed my jaw, and he took a long slow breath. He exhaled, sending a shiver down my spine.

  “You smell like Monet.” Kyle’s voice grew husky as his breath tickled my ear. “A mix of lotus, wisteria, and fresh water.”

  “Good to know. Thanks.” A thought crossed my mind. “Could you smell me in the rain or water?”

  “No, not really. Your kind smells of watery things to begin with, so the scent of rain dilutes it. One of the many irritating ways of making it hard to find you.” He winked and tugged me forward.

  “Do I get a question as well?” he asked carefully.

  “What could you possibly want to know?” I laughed.

  “Where did you get that ring you refuse to take off?” Kyle looked at me from the corner of his eye. My smile melted.

  “I found it,” I said. Kyle laughed without humor.

  “Lucky find,” he murmured. “Where?”

  “In Texas,” I answered gruffly.

  Kyle let it go with a simple, “All right. Just curious.”

  The clearing came into view. Sunlight streamed through wispy clouds, and the scent of honeysuckle clung to the air. I stared out over the long rectangle bordered by fields of heather. Squares of checkered grass stretched across the meadow, looking much like the courtyard of a European castle. The soothing meadow cooled the soles of my feet. I sighed, digging my toes in further.

  What looked like wide open-fronted cages on either end of the clearing caught my eye, and I shifted a questioning glance to Kyle.

  “I thought you might enjoy watching us play,” he said.

  “Play?” I repeated, surprised that anyone did anything recreational here. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what their idea of play was.

  “Soccer,” he said as if I’d missed the obvious.

  I appraised the odd looking shapes in the clearing with understanding. “Mm-hmm,” I said. “But what’s with the maximum security nets?”

  “We have a little more oomph behind our kicks than most.”

  “Ah, I see.” I smiled, envisioning that.

  “We kept whisking balls through the cloth nets like cannonballs. I swear Oren had one smoking one day.”

  “Well, what if I want to join
in?” I asked.

  “You?” he questioned with more disbelief in his voice than I appreciated. “You want to play with us?”

  “Yeah.” I crossed my arms. “You gotta problem with that?”

  Kyle bit back a laugh. “Come on, Ash. You can’t be serious. Do you even know how to play?”

  I balked but stood taller, squaring my shoulders. “Yes!”

  Kyle’s face stayed in a grin. “No way. You wouldn’t even be able to keep up with us.”

  I couldn’t argue the fact. If they played full speed — and why wouldn’t they? — it would be impossible. And I didn’t think they’d want to devise a new set of rules for playing in water.

  My shoulders fell, and I turned to take my place on the sideline.

  “Hey. Wait a sec.” Kyle grabbed my waist and pulled me back. “Maybe we could improvise. Make it an even game somehow.”

  I lifted an eyebrow. “What did you have in mind?”

  Kyle’s gray eyes turned scheming as the rest of the Hawthorne clan emerged from the woods.

  “Hey, Ashton! Did you come to watch?” Kyle’s oldest sister trotted toward us.

  “Hi, Erin. Yeah, I guess so.”

  “Actually, Ere, Ash was hoping to join us,” Kyle said. Everyone froze mid-stretch and stared at me.

  Oren, like Kyle, burst out laughing. “You’re kidding, right? Does she even know what this thing is?” He held up a checkered soccer ball and twirled it on his fingertip. The colors blurred into a solid orb of red.

  “Yes!” I offered him the same response as I had Kyle.

  “Well, I had an idea for leveling out the playing field, so to speak.” Kyle dashed into the trees quicker than I could blink.

  “Long as you have a plan,” Oren spoke to the empty space where his brother disappeared.

  Several seconds later, Kyle reappeared carrying a length of rope and a pocketknife.

  “Good plan there, big brother.” Oren offered a sarcastic thumbs-up. “You gonna hogtie us so she can play? Or maybe hamstring me with that knife?”

  “Don’t tempt me,” Kyle said. “I thought we could do it like a three-legged race but let Ashton run by herself.”

  Kyle unfurled the rope and began cutting sections away.

  “You’re serious?” Oren scoffed. “That’s stupid.”

  “I think it sounds fun!” Erin chimed, wearing a grin that made her look a lot like Kyle. “We always play by the same old rules. Let’s mix it up for a change.”

  “No way!” Oren opposed. “You’re not tying me up.”

  “What’s wrong, Oren? Afraid I’ll win?” I quipped. Probably a stupid notion given the fact that Oren lacked a that’s-too-far switch in his brain.

  Everyone’s gaze lighted on me before cutting to Oren. Surprised entertainment washed over their faces.

  “In your dreams, hot stuff.” Oren grinned. “Or have I already been starring there?”

  I wasn’t the only one who scoffed and rolled their eyes.

  “She’s got guts, Kyle.” Erin laughed as she jogged over to stand beside me. She gave me a playful nudge in the arm and winked.

  Kyle and Oren divvied up the teams. Thankfully, I was on Kyle’s, but only because he called the coin toss and chose first.

  “So how are we going to do this?” Erin held up her piece of rope.

  “Just find someone and tie yourself to them.” Kyle fastened his leg to Pearse’s.

  “You break my leg, and I’m going be to mad,” Oren threatened as Erin secured their ankles together. She bit down on her lip, trying not to smile.

  “You do know how to play, right?” Kyle leaned down to whisper as everyone hobbled toward the field.

  “Sure.” I shrugged and pointed. “The little ball goes in those thingies. You’re not supposed to use your hands though, right?”

  Kyle tried to repress a sigh, but it escaped anyway. “Yeah.”

  The game started off slow at first. Oren yelled at Erin, telling her to pay attention. She laughed him off and finally let him take the lead. Kyle and Pearse moved without much trouble while Elon and Adare struggled to time their steps. After several minutes, everyone figured out how to move symbiotically.

  I followed after Elon, trying to sweep the ball away. In a flat sprint, they flew past me, whizzing the ball toward the goal. I felt sorry for the goalie when he stopped it against his chest. The loud smack of a speeding ball with Dryad flesh sounded like a blue whale doing a belly flop from a mile high.

  Erin’s mate tossed the ball back out. I swooped in and stole it from Oren, dribbling around him before I kicked it between his legs and zipped down the field. Knowing I couldn’t get around the lone goalie, I passed the ball to Kyle and Pearse. Pearse intercepted it and sent it flying over Elon and Adare’s heads.

  The ball whizzed like a bullet through the air toward the improvised net, rattling the metal as it made contact. Cheers erupted from my team and everyone clapped me on the back for the assist. Even Oren smiled and shook his head.

  I flopped down, panting beside Kyle as he and Pearse untied their legs.

  “Thanks for this.” I gave him a genuine smile.

  “You’re welcome.” Kyle’s eyes held mine, warmth coating his expression. “I’m happy to see you smile again.”

  Erin bounded over to stand at my feet. “Hey, Ash. Are you coming to dinner tonight?”

  “I guess so.” I looked at my grass stained knees and muddy shirt. “I should clean up first though.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” Erin grinned. “We’ll all be grimy. Don’t worry about it.”

  Everyone else ran ahead while Kyle lingered at my pace. Fun and games aside, my mind reeled with unanswered questions again.

  Kyle’s eyes raked over me, his brows lowering. “What’s on your mind, Monet? You’ve gone solemn all of the sudden.”

  I shrugged him off and shook my head.

  “Don’t do that. What’s so bad you won’t tell me?” He nudged me. When I didn’t return his smile, he stopped. “Ash, what’s wrong?”

  I bit my lip. Kevin had to be wrong about Kyle’s involvement with my mother’s death. Still, I had to know, or it would eat at me forever. “I need to ask you something, and I need you to answer me honestly.”

  Kyle looked at me, concern etched in his face. “What is it?”

  I drew a deep breath, my skin cold. “Were you sent to deal with my mother?”

  Kyle’s expression melted then turned blank. “It was my responsibility,” he said then just the hint of his eyebrows pulled up in the middle.

  “You didn’t answer my question,” I said, recognizing the expression.

  Kyle grabbed my arm at my elbow and encouraged me forward. When I tried to pull away, he met me with a pleading glance. “This isn’t the time or place for this conversation, Ashton. It was my job to fix things, and I did. Please, don’t ask me about this any further right now. I know it’s hard, but I need you to trust me right now.”

  His gray eyes burned with sincerity, battling against my emotions. Maybe he had followed instructions, but I couldn’t believe Kyle was capable of taking anyone’s life, no matter who ordered it. Kyle had proven to be the only true thing in my life. While I knew there was more to it than he was telling me, I couldn’t help but trust him.

  “Okay,” I whispered. “But I need to know, Kyle. I’m counting on you. You’re all I have, and if I thought you had—”

  “I know,” he interrupted quietly. “I’ll tell you everything. I promise. Just not today.”

  Kevin waited by the door when we filed through the front gate.

  “Where have you been?” His lip curled up as he appraised my filthy clothing.

  “At the clearing,” I said. “We played soccer today.”

  Kevin stared at me, disbelief or irritation in his eyes. I couldn’t tell which.

  “She was incredible, man.” Kyle stepped forward and draped a friendly arm across my shoulder. “You should’ve seen her, she totally nutmegged Oren and Erin. Caught t
hem flat-footed and went right between their legs, and that’s saying something considering they were tied together. We were in tears.” He gave me a mock punch in the shoulder, and I smiled.

  “You want to run that by me again?” Kevin said.

  Kyle explained his ingenious idea and the day’s events to Kevin, who stood wearing an expression that reeked of, Are you kidding me?

  “Ashton?” A recognizable voice spoke at the same time the smell of a damp hayfield hit me. I swallowed hard, anger and feelings of betrayal rolling inside. I slowly turned to face the man behind me.

  “Come now, don’t be like that,” Harry said, a derisive smile on his face.

  “Why are you here?” Kyle asked, his jaw tight with restraint.

  “What? You would have me miss out on seeing my niece and her loving fiancé all this time?” Harry’s eyes settled on me. “How are things, Ashton? I see you found your way home after all. Did you have a pleasant trip?”

  The flagrancy behind his words rang loud. Heat flooded my body, and my vision ran red. I didn’t recognize the mocking face staring back at me. I searched Harry’s eyes for some sign of the man I’d always known, but only found disregard. My teeth cut into my tongue and the taste of blood filled my mouth.

  “Kev, why don’t you get Ash something to drink?” Kyle motioned behind him toward the kitchen. “Ashton, what do you want?”

  “He knows what I like,” I responded, sounding surprisingly nonchalant.

  “I’ll be back momentarily.” Kevin ran his hand along my arm, gripping my fingers briefly before offering Harry a questioning glance and striding off.

  My careful façade wavered. Fury bubbled close to the surface, scorching from my hairline down to my toes. I craved violence for the first time in my life as I stared wordlessly at Harry’s smug unrepentant expression.

  “What do you think?” He glanced around the palace. “I guess you never expected this.” Harry’s focus flitted through the hall, and his eyes paused on Kyle who watched us carefully. “He seems to have taken a keen interest in you all of the sudden. What’s that about?”