“You know?”
“He came to see us both this morning. Warned of something he needed to do, said not to worry about him, that he could fix it all.” She shakes her head, tears forming in her eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Mara, truly. Kael, he was… He was one of the few reasons I have smiled since arriving here.” I offer, placing my hand over hers.
I can’t understand why he would leave.
He loves his family.
Did he find a way to come back?
“My son,” she says, her lip wobbling and pure pain lining her face. “He shouldn’t be the one trying to save this kingdom. We tried to stop him, did everything we could to make him change his mind.” She shakes her head, her head falling into her hands. “He wouldn’t tell us where he was going or why. Just that he knew something in his gut and he had to go.”
“Is there really no way to come back?”
“No. Not without a Mourningwing. I can’t understand why he would risk it.”
“Mara, I can fix this. I can get this kingdom's key back. I will get your son back.” I don’t know if I fully believe my own words yet, but there is no choice but to try. The words hang in the air between us, false promises that we both cling to for hope. We both stare out into the empty room, neither of us wanting to fill it with noise.
“What happened tonight? I can tell you’ve been crying, and by the look of your beautiful dress. The annual Mourning was tonight?” She asks me carefully.
“It was Kael, actually, who picked the dress out.” My cheeks flush as I cover myself more with the blanket. “After a guard stormed in to tell us about Kael. I followed Rowan to the gate. He was furious. I’ve never seen him so mad, and I didn’t want to leave him. I wanted to help. I didn’t know how, but I just wanted to be there somehow. We got into a brief argument and something he said… well, it caught me off guard. So I just left.” I pick at my nails, not wanting to face Mara. Rowan is as good as a son to her. I’m not sure how she will react.
“Rowan has always been… fiercely protective of those he loves,” she says carefully. “He carries every failure as if it were deliberate. If something breaks, he believes he should have prevented it. If someone fails, he believes it should have been him to stop them.” She doesn’t smile, only shakes her head. “It doesn’t make whatever he said right. He knows better than to speak down to a woman. Whatever it was, clearly upset you. But deep down, he can’t have meant it,” she says, turning to me now.
“I have never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you, Elodie.” My cheeks are warm. “He is… softer with you. He listens instead of barking orders. I have known him most of my life, and he doesn’t do that for many people. Make of that what you will,” she says, offering me a warm smile. I feel myself slowly sinking into the warmth of the blanket when a knock thuds at the front door. Not polite, not patient. We both look at each other, panic rising in my chest. Mara gets up to leave, turning to me,
“Stay here,” she says, almost protective.
“Where is she?” I hear Rowan’s voice rattle through the walls like a storm given shape. I stand on instinct, moving away from the door and back away from the room. He appears at the door, his cloak gone, hair loose and eyes wild and searching. They land on me immediately, his chest heaving.
“Elodie,” he breathes, stepping toward me. I step back, mirroring his movement. Mara pushes in front of him, planting herself between us.
“You do not get to storm in here like that. Not tonight,” she says, her voice firm. Rowan keeps his eyes locked on me, his eyes wild. His jaw clenches as he tries to move past Mara, who now has her arms up to block him.
“She shouldn’t be here,” he says hoarsely. “It isn’t safe.”
I let out a humourless laugh.
“That’s rich,” I say to him, meeting his gaze with my own. He gives me a pleading look.
“Elodie, I—”
“No!” I snap. “You do not get to say my name like that. Not after tonight.” Silence crashes down. Mara looks between us.
“She is not the reason for your loss, Rowan. You do not get to blame this girl,” Mara says. Rowan gives a pained expression, dragging a hand through his hair, pacing like a caged animal.
“Kael is gone. I failed again. I was distracted and…” he stops short, facing me again. He runs a hand over his face, rubbing his cheek and shaking his head. “I snapped. I shouldn’t have said what I said.”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” I reply, I tighten my arms around myself. He licks his lips, looking between me and Mara.
“I’m here to bring you back,” Rowan says finally.
“I’m not going, not yet,” I say firmly.
“Elodie, I—”
“She can stay here. You both can,” Mara says. “If you have a problem with that, you take it up with me,” he looks between me and Mara, unsure of his footing.
