“We need to talk, Elodie,” he pleads.
“Tomorrow.” I say back, lifting my head and pushing my chin out. He presses his tongue briefly against the inside of his cheek, restraint etched into every line of him. He takes a steadying breath before turning and walking out the front door with a loud slam. I collapse into the chair as soon as I hear the door shut, my hands gripping the chair on either side. I look to Mara.
“Thank you. You didn’t need to stand up for me,” I offer sincerely.
“No,” she says firmly. “But I get the feeling that someone needs to. You two will work it out. You just need space.”
Chapter 18
Elodie
I wake slowly, blinking at the unfamiliar surroundings. I feel a surge of panic before the night before comes back to me in pieces. Kael, Mara… Rowan. I sit up carefully, the blanket slipping from my shoulders. I breathe in the faint smell of fresh bread. My silk dress hangs over the chair, wrinkled and out of place, but next to it is a pile of clean clothes. Staying in bed seems like a much better idea than facing the world. Is Kael still gone? Where is Rowan? More importantly, why do I even care? The image of his face in pure anger flashes through my mind.
Asshole.
I blow out a breath, standing to my feet and changing into the clothes I assume Mara left for me. Heading downstairs to thank her, I’m cut short by a soft voice.
“Elodie, how are you this morning?” Bryn says, walking out of her room, shutting her door behind her. “My mother said it was a rough night.” Her brother has all but abandoned her, and she’s asking me if I’m okay?
This family is something else.
“I’m okay, thank you, Bryn, for last night. How are you doing this morning, more importantly?” I watch her expression as she bites back a response, her lip wobbling. “He will be okay, Bryn. I can fix it.” These promises are going to bite me in the ass. She doesn’t respond, only smiling back at me, but I catch the brief look of pain on her face. We walk together towards the smell of home-cooked food, entering the kitchen.
“Hi girls, breakfast is ready,” Mara calls over her shoulder. Turning only to fill a cup of coffee on the table before returning to her cooking. Wait. Coffee?
“Oh my god. Is that coffee? You have it here?” I’m locked into a trance, staring at the mug in front of me. They both give me a concerned look before smiling at each other.
“You’ve been here how long now?” Bryn says. “And you haven’t had a single coffee?”
“Well… no. I guess I just assumed you didn’t have it. Which is stupid because it’s not like it’s overly different to back home. Other than the runes, of course…the knights… magic gates to other—” I cut myself off, looking up at them both before laughing to myself. “I guess it is different.”
Bryn laughs softly,
“Maybe a little.” I slide into the chair, wrapping my hands around the mug she’s poured for me. The first sip makes me groan aloud. Actual coffee, strong and real.
“I could cry,” I say to the room. They shake their heads at me, smiling to themselves. I turn to look at Mara, who is lost in thought and gazing fixedly at the window in front of her. My mind wanders back to Kael and the promise I made to her last night.
I will get your son back
If it were only that easy, but I swear to myself that I’ll try. I have to try not only to get myself back home but also to fix this broken family. The door opens behind us, no knock, just the soft sound of the hinges opening.
I know who it is before he even speaks.
His presence causes the air to thicken.
“Good morning,” Rowan says softly, almost a whisper. His voice is rough, as if he hasn’t slept properly, or at all.
“Morning,” Mara and Bryn say in unison. She grabs a plate of food for Rowan and passes him a drink as he takes a seat at the table.
“You’re early,” Mara says to him.
“Just wanted to make sure we had an early start,” he says. I feel his eyes burning a hole through me, but I’m not ready to look at him yet. I want to enjoy my coffee first.
“You haven’t slept, have you?” Mara comments, less of a question and more of an observation. That makes me look at him. She’s right, he looks rough, his hair a mess, eyes red. And I hate myself for it, but he looks just as dangerous as he always does, a man cut from stone. Not that I would admit that to him, but it’s true all the same.
“I was busy.” Is all he says back, his eyes remaining on the plate in front of him.
“What’s this I hear about you not giving Elodie any coffee?” Mara juts her head at him, hand on her hip. I smile to myself, dipping my head down as I meet Rowan’s eyes briefly.
