Was it all a lie?
“No, Elodie, I swear. My friendship with you was andstill isreal. I came through that gate to find the true blood heir of Greyhollow.” I shake my head, not wanting to hear anymore, I don’t even know how to process everything that’s happening.
“It’s a long story, but you were not some piece of a puzzle for me. Our friendship has nothing to do with Greyhollow or my life back here, okay?”
“Did you send me here on purpose?”
“What? The overgrowth was my assignment, Elodie, and you were never meant to be at the gate. I always made sure it was my job. I was going to come help you, remember? And more so, the gate was sealed. I tried to come back home once before, but it didn’t work.”
“Then how did I get through?” I ask, my stomach tightening into coils.
Something is wrong.
He’s hiding something and I can feel it.
It’s too coincidental.
“I don’t know,” he says, not meeting my eyes.
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not. I don’t know, Elodie.”
“You were the one who kept planting ideas in my head. About the plants. Teaching me. Were you training me for this?” I move away from him, the room feeling like it’s closing in on me.
“No, when I couldn’t return home. I worked on figuring out a way to get the Widowsbloom to grow. Weeks of research had gone into this, and I already had seeds in my pockets. I tried to plant it where it wouldn’t be easily seen. And I found it grew by the burn pits. It grew really well. So I researched what I could, and that’s when I realised fire was the answer. I was telling you because it made me feel like I was still talking to someone from home.”
“So you’re telling me you came through the gate and you were exactly where you needed to be to cultivate Widowsbloom without being suspicious? I don’t buy it, Sam. It’s too easy.”
“You’d be surprised at how much your people love old relics. The other gates I found were also in public gardens and national parks. I mean, seriously, you all seem to build these high-rise buildings and then flee to green spaces for downtime. Why build it to escape it? I never understood,” he trails off. I don’t respond, unsure what to even say.
“Look, Elodie. I promise I never meant to hurt you with anything I did.” Before I can answer, a scream rips through the cottage, followed by a low, wet cough. Something’s wrong.
“Bryn,” Sam says, rushing out of the kitchen as I follow behind him in a panic. Bryn is sitting upright in Mara’s arms, coughing and sputtering onto the floor.
“Help her, please, somebody.” Mara pleads to the room, but no one knows what to do. Everyone is frozen with panic. Sam kneels next to her, glancing at the black tar-like substance streaked across the floor. “Rowan, get a bowl. Kael, hold her shoulders.” Sam commands.
“Mara, I need to take her from you, okay? You can stay by her side, but I need to get this out of her, okay?” he says softly, Mara simply nods through her sobs. I feel lost, unable to help, watching the chaos unfold. Each shrill sound of Bryn’s cough with Mara’s heavy sob. Rowan storms back through the door.
“Elodie, get behind me now!” he shouts. I’m confused about where the sudden panic is coming from when I hear King Aldric’s voice through the window outside.
“Elodie Hawthorne. Step outside, and there will be no casualties.”
The shift in the room is instantaneous. The panic over Bryn now eclipsed by a cold, sharpened terror. Rowan does not just step in front of me. He becomes a barricade of muscle and sheer violent intent.
“Elodie, get behind menow!” His voice is raw and guttural. I can hear the clatter of armour from outside and the King’s voice shouting constant threats.
“Rowan, let me go,” I say firmly. “He will kill you all to get to me.”
“No,” he growls. “He doesn’t touch you whilst I still draw breath.” In the centre of the room, Bryn lets out a horrific gurgling sob, her body convulsing on the floor.
“She’s seizing!” Sam shouts, his voice cracking.
“Rowan, I need you. I can’t hold her.” Rowan’s eyes dart between me and Sam.
“Kael. Where’s Kael?”
“He’s holding them off at the door,” Mara sobs.
