Isobel’s eyes widened. “Like what?”
“This is—This isreligious, Isobel. They’re paying homage, like I’m a…”
God.
He couldn’t get the word out. Couldn’t acknowledge he’d even thought it.
She reached for him as he retreated. “It’s hard to explain.”
Raging heat swirled inside, eclipsing everything. Those people had bowed and scraped and poured out their thanks. But thanks forwhat?
“They call me Savior, Isobel. What the fuck does that mean? There’s more to this than you’ve told me.”
“It’s just a nickname!”
“You arelying! What do you know?”
She took a deep breath, the vial at her throat rising and falling. “There’s so much I haven’t told you. It’s been two days, Sean. You have to be patient.”
The answer was a dodge, but voices traveled through the trees nearby, and Sean cringed at the idea of more praise, more smiles, more thanks.
These people didn’t know him. They had some idealized version of Caden Seán Sidera they’d invented in their heads, and he would never match their expectations.
Bel touched his arm. “If you want to escape, I can hide you.”
“Please.”
The celebration grew faint as they ran, until the roar of water replaced it. Her fingers threaded through his, and they approached the precipice of a cliff. The short crag crested over a river, and a half-moon waterfall spilled over the edge of rock opposite. At the base, the water churned, and where it should have been frothy white, itglowed a faint blue. The sky above, now blooming with puffs of purple galactic clouds, reflected on the water. A dazzling, inhuman landscape.
“This is the Onyx River. Beyond the river is pixie territory.” She led him toward the falls, where a small, worn path hugged the edge of the cliff. It grew wet, narrowing into a ledge behind the waterfall. As they entered the cave of water, blue light rippled against her skin. The path descended until it met the edge of the river and opened into a small grotto covered in moss.
Bel turned to him and put one hand on her hip. “I used to come here as a girl.”
“You’re not going to tell me why they treat me like that, are you?”
She sighed. “Lhynion Sidera was well loved, Sean. They mourned when he was killed. They fought a war in his name. You lookjustlike him.”
Sean peered into her face, searching for any sign of deception. Steady eyes gazed back. A small smile curved her pretty lips.
It hurt to look at her.
It hurt not to look at her.
“I wanted somewhere I truly belong. I wanted a family. I wanted my mother back. I wanted…” He swallowed, and it hurt too. “I don’t want this.”
A small measure of sympathy softened her gaze. “I don’t either.”
Sean raked his fingers through his hair. Nails dug into his scalp.
She took a slow step toward him. “You’re the lucky one here, Sean. Autumn has to live up to the woman who led our armies into battle and won. David is living down the iniquity in his bloodline. I will sacrifice everything I am for this. But you… You inherited loyalty and love, the destiny of a hero. Youareour Savior.”
He shook his head. “I’m not. You can’t know…”
“The Mother has given us signs?—”
“Signs? You’re basing this onsigns? If it’s all based on some unexplainable magic, how can it be trusted? You’re blindly guessing andhoping you’re right, when really some unseen force is calling all the shots.”
She touched his face. “We aren’t blind. We seeyou. You’re the answer to all of this. You just can’t see it yet.”
