Wayward: St. Croix Falls Book 1

by Melody Personette

  Mia balked. “Goblin?” She’d been hanging out with a goblin this whole time? Mia imagined green skin and warts and craggly teeth… not the cute guy she’d become friends with.

  Rhett’s eyes danced with amusement when he saw her reaction. “Yes goblin. They aren’t as ugly as your world makes them out to be, though… I would prepare yourself when you see him next. For you, his natural appearance might take some getting used to. That’s also why I said not to get on his family’s bad side. Goblins are notoriously territorial and keep to their extended family units. Anyone who interferes with family business winds up dead.”

  “Oh…” Mia trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

  Kai seemed too nice to be called a goblin. Mia gave herself a minute to process. Her new best friend was a Sidhe. Her other friend was a goblin and all the Fae in this town were Unseelie. Part of the court who despised humans.

  “Sooo… Angie can control plants and Kai can do goblin-y things. He’s probably strong and all that, right?” Mia glanced at him for confirmation.

  Rhett nodded, smirking.

  “If they can do that, then what kind of special powers do you have?” She wondered what Cillian could do. Besides turn into a cat. But what kind of cat? Like a house cat or a big cat? It would be kind of funny if he turned into a house cat. Mia snorted out a laugh and quickly covered her mouth when Rhett shot her an odd look.

  “They aren’t special powers like I’m some kind of superhero,” Rhett said with disdain. “But yes, I do have unique abilities.”

  “Like what?” Mia said through a yawn. She snuggled back into the seat and closed her eyes. Maybe it was an after effect of the silven dust Lilac had given her, but her brain felt all warm and fuzzy now.

  “Well, like all Fae, I can use a glamour. Mine happens to be stronger than others since I’m Sidhe. I can expand my glamours and project them onto other people.”

  “What does that mean? Like what is a glamour and what does it do?”

  Rhett let out a small sigh. “A glamour is kind of like an illusion. I can make people see what I want them to see. That’s why, when you first got to town everyone looked normal to you, because we all had glamours over ourselves to make us look human.”

  “And the silven disrupts that?” Mia asked, eyes still closed.

  “Yes.”

  “What else can you do?”

  He snorted. “That not impressive enough?”

  “Sounds like every other Fae out there can make a glamour. It’s not that exciting. Tell me something cool you can do.”

  “Well aren’t you a hard crowd to impress,” he teased.

  Mia grinned, waiting for him to go on.

  “But if you must know,” he said just like she knew he would. “Umm… advanced healing factor. Immortality, obviously. Affinity with plants and nature and all that stuff. Sidhe also have magic they can draw from the elements. Oh, and I consider this more of a weakness, but I suppose you would call it an ability. I can lie, but I can’t break deals.”

  Mia stared at him. “You can lie, but you can't break deals? That’s kind of a weird mix.”

  “Agreed. But that’s how it is for all Fae.”

  “Huh… interesting.”

  “Yep. And that is about it. How is that for impressive?”

  Mia shrugged aloofly. “It’s OK.”

  He flashed her a smirk. “Whatever. I’m amazing.”

  “You are so full of yourself.”

  “Yeah but that doesn’t mean I’m not amazing. I know you think so too.”

  “Whatever,” Mia shot back but unable to stop from smiling. Yeah… he was kind of amazing. Good thing Fae couldn’t read minds.

  They lapsed into silence, Mia trying to come up with more questions. There wasn’t a lack of questions, but there were too many to choose from. Just as she was about to ask something else, she remembered Lilac’s words before she left Mia. And tell Rhett he’s not in charge anymore.

  “Lilac told me something before she blew that dust stuff in my face…” Mia murmured, glancing at him.

  Rhett flashed her a sharp look. “What did she say?”

  “To tell you that you’re not in charge anymore. What she did to me was pay back for the race…”

  Rhett’s jaw clenched. “She always was the vengeful sort. Most Unseelies are. I’m sorry she took her anger out on you… I should have been more careful.”

  Mia shook her head. “It’s not your fault. She was just being awful. Why does she hate me so much, though? What did I ever do to her?”

  Rhett grimaced. “She’s jealous of you. Lilac’s always had her eyes on the throne and, well, with the two of us being so close… I suppose she figures you’re a threat to that.”

  “You guys aren’t even in Faerie. There isn’t a throne to fight over.” Mia wasn’t sure if she should be embarrassed or flattered that Lilac thought Mia may become, what? Princess? Queen, one day?

  “It doesn’t matter. The politics still apply here, apparently. Anyways, I think this has more to do with me than you.”

  Mia frowned, arms folded. Why? What’s the deal with you and her?”

  Rhett ran a hand through his hair. “She blames for what happened with the door to Faerie locking us out. I was in charge that day… And… I should have stuck around to help take care of everyone, to do my duty, but I didn’t. I was so guilt-ridden over the whole thing that I just stopped being there for people. Someone had to take charge and Lilac ended up becoming the queen bee… Now I realize my mistake. I should have been there, so she couldn’t completely take over,” he explained, peeking a glance at Mia.

  Mia bit her lip. So that was why she couldn’t stand Rhett. He threatened her power. She didn’t know what to say to that though, so instead she asked, “What is she anyways?”

  “Her mother was a shifter and her father a Sidhe in the Unseelie court. Her mother died when she was young. She was raised by her ruthless father which was no doubt where she learned to be the nastiest shifter I’ve ever met. Growing up in surrounded by pure blooded Sidhes wasn’t easy for her,” Rhett explained.

  Despite what the cruel girl had done to her, Mia couldn’t help but feel a little bad for her and what she must have gone through. The Unseelie court didn’t seem like the happiest place to grow up in.

  “I’ll be having words with her,” Rhett said, his voice darkening.

  Mia frowned, unsure what she thought of Rhett facing Lilac. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  He rounded on her. “What do you mean? She could have seriously hurt you with that dust. I’m not going to stand by any longer and get away with whatever she wants.”

  “I’m not saying you should let her get away with it, I’m just saying, I think you shouldn’t rush into a confrontation.”

  Rhett glanced away. “I’ll consider it.”

  Mia hid a smile and nodded. “OK then… Anyways, where are your parents?” she asked, trying to change the subject.

  Rhett tensed, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. “I haven’t seen them in years…”

  “Oh… do they not live around here?”

  He stared straight ahead, jaw clenching. “There’s a barrier around the town keeping us in, so no they don’t live in the city. Before the portal closed, they were left behind. I don’t even know if they’re alive or dead. The Seelies may have the reputation of the benevolent race, but they can be just as cruel as us.”

  Mia’s heart hurt for him. She touched his arm. He glanced at her, eyes widening. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “That’s horrible. I couldn’t imagine not having my mom.”

  He grimaced and nodded. “It was a long time ago like I said…”

  “That still doesn’t make it OK,” she whispered.

  Rhett gave her a tight smile.

  Mia decided to change the subject to spare him. “What about Angie? She told me she doesn’t have a lot of family around here?”

  “She doesn’t. She’s Seelie and left her family behind in Fa
erie when the barrier shut.”

  Mia frowned. “That’s awful.”

  “A lot of the people here left behind family… So, uh, what about you? Your father?” he asked.

  It was Mia’s turn to glance away. Her father? She had vague memories of him. The sound of his voice… And that was about it. But when she thought of him, all she really felt was bitterness. He had left her and her mother. To Mia he wasn’t even worth thinking about. “He left when I was young. I don’t even really remember him,” Mia said in a monotone voice.

  “I’m sorry,” Rhett murmured.

  Mia shrugged. “I don’t care,” she said flippantly. “As long as I have my mom, I’m good.”

  “I can see that. You two seem very close.”

  Mia smiled, her heart warming at the thought of her mother. “Yeah,” she murmured. “We are.”

  She sighed and leaned her head back. Her mom had no idea… Mia suddenly lurched up in her seat. Oh crap. Her mom was going on a date with Cillian tonight and she had no idea what he was. Mia had to stop her.

  Rhett frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  “My mom’s supposed to see Cillian tonight. I can’t let her do that he’s… he’s…”

  “Dangerous?” Rhett offered. “Yeah, he can be.”

  “I was trying to think of a better way to say freaky looking, but I guess calling him dangerous is nicer…” Mia said.

  Rhett snorted. “Well he’s that too.”

  “You don’t have a very high opinion of the guy,” Mia noted.

  “I can’t say I do.”

  “Mind cluing me in as to why? Now that I’m in the know, I think I should know what your problem is with half the people in town.”

  Rhett’s fingers on the steering wheel flexed, and he rolled his shoulders without looking at her. “You don’t want to know.”

  Mia scowled. “Actually, I do. I want to know everything I can. I feel like I’ve been a total idiot, blundering around not knowing anything. I bet you all sat and had a good laugh behind my back for being the dumb human.”

  Rhett shot her a glare. “I never did. I can’t say the same for Angelica and Kai.”

  “See!” Mia gestured at him. “Like that. Why do you hate her so much? And what did Kai ever do to you?”

  “Kai didn’t do anything to me. I’m just not a fan of goblins. They’re dangerous and emotional. Angelica on the other hand…”

  “Yes?” Mia snapped. She wasn’t going to let him get away with keeping her in the dark any longer.

  He stared straight ahead, eyes focused on the road. “We used to be friends. Close friends… until the civil war. Angelica came from the Seelie Court and she betrayed her people, her family for me. For that I will forever be indebted to her.”

  “Wait a second,” Mia held up a hand. “You’re talking about the civil war story you mentioned at the Falls?”

  Rhett nodded. Mia’s eyebrows knitted together as she tried to run through the numbers. He’d said that had happened years and years ago, back when the town was first settled in. But then that would mean… “You were there? During that time?”

  Rhett nodded again, saying nothing.

  “That would make you like… I don’t even know. Really old.”

  Rhett flashed her a half smile. “Immortal remember? Honestly, I don’t pay attention to birthdays anymore. There’s no point. And besides, Mia, when I told the story I sort of over dramatized. It was only ten years ago. We’ve been stuck in this town for ten years.”

  Wow… so old that he didn’t even care about birthdays? Mia sat back in her seat, staring at him and seeing him in a new light. This guy before her was years and years older than her. He could be centuries older and yet he still went to high school and acted like a teenager. The whole ten years part though did make it a little easier for Mia to wrap her head around the story.

  Rhett’s smile grew the slightest bit when he saw the confusion on her face. “I know it’s unsettling to think about. I still look like a teenager but that’s only because us Fae grow at a normal human rate from birth to around twelve or thirteen and then our growth begins to slow. I won’t look like a full adult for years to come.”

  Mia couldn’t help but crack a smile. “So, you’re stuck reliving high school?”

  “For your information,” he shot back, still grinning. “I didn’t attend classes until you got here. I was enrolled, but I didn’t see the point… until you showed up.”

  Mia’s heart fluttered in her chest. “You only went to school… because of me?”

  He shrugged. “Pretty much.”

  Mia didn’t know what to say to that. The fact that he would willingly go to classes even though he probably already knew everything they taught just for her… that was the sort of thing that made a girl feel pretty dang special. She blushed and glanced out the window. Instead of trying to find something to say she remembered her original question.

  “Hey, you never answered my question. Why does everyone in this town hate you?”

  “That was not your original question,” Rhett said pointedly, eyes gleaming. “Your original question was why do I hate everyone in this town? Truth is, I don’t. I don’t hate anyone and especially not anyone in this town… Yes, I sometimes greatly dislike them and yes, I feel immense annoyance and anger at them, but I could never hate them…”

  “Why?” He said it with such conviction and truth and passion that it made it hard for Mia to not believe him. But his actions didn’t fit his words and for the most part, action spoke louder than words.

  Rhett let out a long-suffering sigh. “Like I said, there’s no point talking about it.”

  “Yes, there is. I want to know.”

  He cut her a glance. “Do you really?”

  “Yes!”

  Rhett let out a sigh, turning back to the road. “Fine, the whole town despises me because they are almost all Unseelie and my parents… they were their king and queen.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Mia gawked. Rhett was… a prince. She should have known. He had the whole arrogant royal attitude thing going for him.

  “I was on the front lines that day,” Rhett whispered, his car rolling to a stop between their two houses. “I was the one that was supposed to beat back the Seelies and bring us victory but… complications arose, and I failed. None of them can appreciate the difficult situation I was put in. All they think is that their prince, who promised to protect them, locked them out of their home. All for a bunch of humans. We were fighting to shut the barrier in the first place. To completely lock us out of the human world for good, so to be stuck here? It’s the last thing they wanted. That is why all of them hate me so much, and that is why I do my best to avoid everyone. I’d rather not be a walking, talking reminder of all they lost. Some of them left family members behind. Some of them were Seelies battling on our side because of friendships forged and got stuck on this side. Those are the ones who hate me the most… because I took away their families and trapped them in a town full of Unseelies and humans.”

  Mia didn’t know what to say. That was so… awful and unfair of them. She could see how much it hurt Rhett that his own people despised him so much. How he thought of himself as a failure… No wonder he skipped school every day. Mia wondered if he had ever even left his house before she got there. But why he would leave the house to brave that kind of persecution for her was beyond Mia. She reached out, placing her hand on his. His eyes slid from straight ahead to her, steely and angry, his jaw clenched.

  “You did what you thought was best for your people. I can tell by the way you talk about what happened that you regret it every day… And obviously these people are too blind to see how difficult that must have been for you. You love your people, and I don’t think you would ever do anything to intentionally harm them,” she murmured.

  Rhett shook his head, a muscle in his jaw feathering. “I would never.”

  “Then don’t let them get in your head. You’re still their prince,” Mia said, g
iving his arm a squeeze. “Don’t let them treat you like anything else.”

  Was it just her or did she see tears sparkle in his eyes? Who knew such a big tough Fae could tear up? But as quickly as they came, he blinked and glanced away. “You have to keep everything that you’ve learned to yourself, do you understand?” he asked out of nowhere. “You can’t tell your mother. It would put her in danger.”

  When he looked back at her, his eyes were dry. She saw such intensity and passion in them that it took her breath away. Mia nodded. “I understand.”

  “Good.” Rhett placed his hand over hers on his arm and leaned forward. For a second, she thought he was going to kiss her… and Mia was perfectly OK with that. But then he said, “And if you want to know the story behind me and Angie. You can ask her. I think I’ve done all the show and tell that you’re going to get tonight.”

  “Thank you,” Mia blurted.

  Rhett blinked, drawing back. He let go of her hand, and Mia reluctantly returned her hand to her lap. “For what?”

  She shrugged, fiddling with her hair. “For being the one to come find me in the woods. For trusting me with all this. For just… being there. You can be a nice guy when you want to be.”

  He smirked. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  Mia snorted and rolled her eyes just as the front door to the house opened and her mom stepped out. “Oh no,” Mia murmured, ducking down. She peeked up and saw her mom coming toward the car. Ruh-roh. Busted.

  “My mom’s coming,” Mia hissed.

  Rhett seemed unconcerned, a charming and pleasant smile on his lips. “I can see that. Want to be less conspicuous and sit up in the seat?”

  Mia straightened her posture and rolled down the window when her mom gestured for her to. “Amelia, where have you been? This is the second evening in weeks that you’ve missed my calls. What have you been…?” Her mother’s eyes went from Mia to Rhett and stopped there. Her mom’s eyes widened as they gave him a once over, and Mia could have sworn she saw a flicker of recognition in them before it vanished.