My heart fell. I knew from Finn’s geography lessons that there were too many towns along the border for me to ward a building in each location. And what of all the people in between the towns? There was no way to create a sanctuary for them. How would they even get there in time? There had been no warning when it happened.
Just further evidence that I needed to figure out how to repair the Veil and endthis danger.
As soon as we returned,we ran into an irate Zachariah. Steam might as well have been coming out of his ears.
This was not going to be good.
Althoughnoneof the interactions I’d had with my grandfather in the past month had been what you’d call good.
“Leave us,” he barked at Griff.
“No.” Griff crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, a picture of immovable patience.
I could see the thoughts warring within Zachariah. The need to get whatever he had to say off his chest was at odds with doing so in front of an audience.
The need to say something won out.
“Where were you?”
“Terraleth.”
“And who gave you permission to go gallivanting off in the countryside? You have work to do here. You must be training. You must be studying.”
“I was,” I bit out. “I was working with my earth channel and?—”
“Earthchannel,” Zachariah scoffed. “I highly doubt the answer to fixing the Veil is within theearthchannel.”
“Doesn’t the prophecy start with ‘when power and earth at once combine’?” I quoted. “Seems like the earth channel may be important.”
“That simply has to do with the bloodline. We already know you’re of the right bloodline.”
Griff was watching the whole confrontation, maintaining that relaxed position, although I could see tension creeping through his shoulders. I had a feeling that the second I stopped fighting back, he would step in and end this. I wasn’t about to have my Champion fight my battles. Not now. Not ever.
“And I was able to ward sections of Terraleth as protectionagainst the dorchas. Tell me,Grandfather, have you encountered the dorchas? Have you done anything to protect our people from it?”
He tried to tower over me, but he wasn’t that much taller than me. “Do not accuse me,Granddaughter,of abandoning our people. I was here. I was the one who stayed. No thanks to you.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “I was ababywhen I left. You’re honestly blaming ababyfor this mess?”
“You will stay within these gates and learn everything you can to fix this problem!” he demanded.
“I will do everything I can to fix the problem,” I agreed, “but I determine how to do that. Or doesn’t your precious prophecy say ‘hold on, hold true, hold in faith,’ blah blah blah—meaning you need to trust the Orlaith.Me. And I am doing everything I can! No thanks to you,Grandfather.”
I couldn’t stand this one more minute. I spun on my heel and stalked off.
Griff quickly caught up with me, but after taking one look at my face, he wisely stayed silent.
I eventually bit out, “Was that normal?”
“That was… aggressive. Even for him.”
“Great. Maybe it’s just family he treats this way. Not that I would know, with them all being dead.” I continued on with my ground-eating strides, Griff’s long legs keeping pace with me. “I’m starting to feel like I’m not wanted here. Like it would be better if I had never left Fairhaven.”
He lightly gripped my upper arm, not in a hold—I could break it at any time—but more to get my attention as we came to a stop. He stepped closer, close enough that I had to tilt my head up to meet his eyes. I could see the green specks, swirling in the hazel.
“You’re wrong.” His voice was low, intense. “You are wanted here. You’reneededhere. And I’m not just saying that because I’m the one who brought you back.”
I stared into those captivating eyes, my heart beating too fast. “I’m going to need allies here. People I can trust.”
