Chapter
Twenty-Five
NISSA
Cillian swings his arm out to stop her. The perfect milky skin on her cheeks goes red as she stumbles backwards, only avoiding falling when she catches herself on a table inside.
“We aren’t here to hurt you,” I call out as she continues her retreat. I step out from behind Cillian, my hands held up in a non-threatening gesture.
The fear on her face contorts to a moment of confusion. Then horror returns to her delicate features. “Nissa,” she breathes out, her eyes frantically darting between Cillian and me.
Both of us go unnaturally still. “You know who I am,” I say as I take a step into the doorway.
“Of course. I would recognize those eyes anywhere.” She grips her forearms and looks to the floor, “may stone and soil steady your steps,” before straightening again, looking between us.The earth fae respect.
“I was hoping to ask you some questions, Celyste,” I speak slowly and softly to not spook her any further. “May we come in?”
“And him?” She tilts her head towards the prince behind me. Cillian has a hand on my lower back in support.
“And him.” The storm is raging at our backs. What sounds like a tree crashes in the distance.
This gets Celyste’s attention too. She finally gestures for us to come inside. Walking carefully backwards, her distrust obvious, she leads us to a room off the hallway and offers us seats.
The inside of the cottage all feels verymortal,or at least what I have learned of it. Very little evidence of the elements are present: a single plant, one wind chime by the window, a candle glowing on a shelf, and a tiny recirculating water feature in the corner. Other than that, there’s simple seating, lamps, and a table at the center of the room.
Cillian and I settle next to one another on a couch. I welcome the heat of his skin as his body brushes mine.
Celyste looks down at our wet legs pressed to one another. After a moment she tosses me a blanket. I wrapped it around the two of us.
“What can I do for you, Princess?” She sits nervously on the edge of the cushion, hands tangled in her lap, and back straight.
It doesn’t go unnoticed that she’s only addressing me. I give a quick glance to Cillian and decide to take the lead. “I was hoping you could tell me about the prophecy that calls me a ‘mirrored princess.’”
Her eyes dart back to Cillian and hold. “Why come all this way when you can just ask him?” Her voice is cold.
The thunder above shakes the trinkets on the shelves.
“I’m just here to help Nissa find the answers she is looking for,” he says. His tone is stern, demanding. One of the royals.
She lets out a humorless laugh. “And bring Gaia’s wrath to my doorstep?” She gestures outside to the storms.
“You thinkthisstorm is from Gaia too?” My heart sinks into my chest in a downward trajectory to my stomach. This confirms my worst fears. “Please,” I plead, “Is my sister’s death a part of prophecy? Do you know what is causing the storms?”
She studies my face while the wind continues to howl outside the windows. Pity fills her eyes. “Nova may be part of the storms now,” she offers, her tone softer. “But it started with you.”
“Me?” I stare at her, confused.
“I left because of you. The storms are because of you. The answers to all your questions come back toyou.”
That can’t be correct. I’ve only been the Princess for a few weeks.
Cillian threads his fingers through mine. “We’re going to need more information than that.” The deep timber of his voice sounds lethal.
“Yourfamily,” she snaps at him, “wanted me to lie to the Fae about what the Goddess wanted. What was prophesied from the beginning! And I wasn’t going to lie to you.” She looks at me now, the look of a mother trying to comfort a child.
“Why would they want it hidden? What does the prophecy say?” I fight the quaver in my voice. I’m not a younging. I’ve come for answers.
Cillian grips my hand tighter, both of us waiting, worried this can only get worse.
