by Megg Jensen
“You’re a good boy.” My mother patted Bryden on the cheek, as if he were a puppy who’d just performed a trick. “Lianne, we’ll meet up sometime soon so I can teach you how to do it too. That army doesn’t stand a chance against us. Our magic will destroy them.”
She left as quickly as she’d arrived, leaving nothing but silence in her wake.
The door opened again, as swiftly as it had shut moments before.
“If you think you can just push us around like that —” I started.
“Sorry? What did I do?” It was Chase.
“Nothing, nothing. Come on in.” He looked over at Bryden, who simply shrugged. “Have you met Sebrina?” I asked, pointing at my sister.
Chase glanced at her, and then back at me. “I thought you two were supposed to be twins. You don’t look anything alike.”
“Are you kidding me?” Sebrina asked. “Same hair, same face, same eyes. We are mirror images.”
Chase squinted and cocked his head. “I guess, but the way you hold yourselves, the expressions, the little way Lianne’s nose wrinkles up in distaste whenever I’m in her presence. I guess it’s the small things that make such a big difference.”
“My nose does not wrinkle when you walk into a room.” Ridiculous.
Chase just shrugged and winked at Sebrina. “Lianne’s probably right. I’m just imagining it.”
Bryden cleared his throat. “Let’s get to work on the battle and not worry about Lianne’s reactions to Chase.”
“Right,” Chase said. “The Malborn are going to be on their way soon. They want Lianne.”
I stood still, stunned.
“Why me? Don’t they have other girls they could go after?” I tried to ignore Bryden’s sour expression. He wasn’t going to give up on torturing me, even though I probably deserved it.
“They’ve seen my drawings. It’s possible they’ve seen something that makes them believe you’re more powerful.”
“Well, that’s obvious,” Sebrina said. She crossed her arms across her chest. “Apparently our mother stole my magic and gave it to Lianne when we were babies. She’s super-charged.”
Chase raised an eyebrow. “Interesting. But I can’t see how any of my drawings would have clued them in to that. I didn’t even know.”
“It doesn’t matter why,” Bryden said. “All that matters is that they’re after Lianne. We won’t let them have her. It’s that simple. We just need to know when they’re coming and how to stop them.”
“I’m pretty sure the Dalagans will mobilize against them,” I said. “I explained to the emperor and he seemed interested in using my mother’s technique to steal their magic.”
“We’re trading one conqueror for another?” Sebrina asked. “I guess, better our people than theirs.”
“Really? Why?” Chase asked. “Just because they’re yours makes it okay?”
“Well, who do you think should win?” Bryden asked. “Your people? From what I’ve heard they’re just cowards who kicked the Malborn in the shins and ran away at the first opportunity.”
I expected Chase to lash out at him, but he didn’t. “Why do you think I’m here?”
Bryden’s eyes flicked over to me, but then focused back on Chase just as quickly.
“Regardless of what you may think, I’m here to stop the Malborn. My parents did something, but they didn’t do enough. I want to fix that.”
“Maybe I can get my mother to teach me what she did to us,” I said. It wasn’t like I wanted to learn, but if it was the only way to stop their army, I had to try.
“Hold on.” Chase held up a hand. “You are not going anywhere near your mother.”
“Too late, she just barged in. Left right before you got here.” Bryden said.
Chase rushed to Bryden and grabbed him by the collar. He lifted Bryden a good six inches off the chair. “You let her around Lianne? Are you crazy?”
Bryden didn’t flinch. I wasn’t sure what to do. I knew they had a secret they hadn’t told me. It was clear from the look they’d tossed each other when Chase interrupted us the other night. I hadn’t dug too deep, assuming it was just their common goal to protect me, wrapped up in a little rivalry. What did my mother have to do with any of it?
“Put me down,” Bryden said, sure and steady. He rarely got angry. He’d spent his whole life learning to cope with a disability and biding his time, waiting for me to get a hold on my magic. Patience was his greatest strength. “Lianne’s fine.”
Chase’s lip snarled as he slowly lowered Bryden back onto the needlepointed chair. He shifted on the seat, acting like nothing had even happened. Chase wiped his hands on his breeches, obviously avoiding my gaze.
“Is anyone going to tell me what’s going on here?” My hands planted on my hips. I hated acting like their mothers, but someone needed to take command.
Chase refused to look at Bryden, or me but Bryden looked me directly in the eyes. “It’s not my place to tell you,” he said. I resisted the urge to attack him. Of course it was his place to tell me. If he knew the truth, then why not?
“Chase?” I asked. Sebrina stared at all of us, her eyes wide with wonder. She’d fallen into something far bigger than anything she’d asked for.
Chase stared at his toes.
“Tell me. Now.”
He didn’t flinch.
I walked over and punched him in the gut. Chase stood firm, his eyes still locked on his shoes. I wrapped my hand around his throat, pushing on a pressure point with my thumb. Still, nothing. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I wanted him to react. I needed an answer.
“Chase?” I tried again.
He lifted his chin, removing his eyes from his shoes and focusing firmly on me. “Do you remember when I explained that my drawings tell the future? Sometimes I want to change that future, but the things I do end up bringing it about anyway.”
“So you’ve seen something tragic involving me and my mother?” With a war coming up and Marek’s insistence I learn her magic siphoning trick, I could believe that something might end badly.
He nodded.
“And you’ve shared this with Bryden?” I asked.
Chase’s eyes flicked, momentarily, to Bryden.
“Yes,” Bryden said behind me. “I’m going to die and I’ll do it saving you from your mother.”
Chapter Nineteen
“That’s crap!” Sebrina sputtered from the bed. “Our mother may have siphoned my magic, and she may have given Lianne away to the enemy, but she would never kill her. Never!” The tears spilled over her cheeks. She didn’t even try to hold them back like I would have. The mirror image of us cracked. I didn’t know Sebrina well yet, but Chase was right, she was nothing like me.
“Sometimes people get blinded by power.” I wanted to soothe her, to let her know that maybe anyone was capable of anything.
“This coming from the girl who killed her own sister.” Sebrina’s words pierced my heart.
“It was an accident,” I said.
“You’ve spent your whole life training to hurt people,” she said. “How was killing someone an accident?”
“Didn’t anyone tell you what happened?” I shouted. I couldn’t help myself. “It had nothing to do with any of my fighting skills. Those are things I use to protect myself. I killed Albree because I couldn’t control my magic – the magic our mother stole from you, dumped in me, and then locked up so I couldn’t have the chance to learn how to use it.”
Sebrina looked down at her skirt, tugging on a stray string with her fingers.
“Look, I’m not saying she’s going to kill me, but Chase wouldn’t work this hard against it if he didn’t believe it was a possibility, right Chase?”
“Of course not,” he said. “I don’t like causing drama. I’m just trying to keep everyone safe.”
“Saving the world and a girl he’s never met. Upending everyone’s lives so he can play the hero.” We all looked at Bryden, surprised at the tone of his voice. “I do wonder sometimes if
he’s telling the truth. I mean, none of us have ever seen one of his drawings come true.”
I tentatively raised my hand. It wavered in the air. “I have. When I discovered his drawings, the first one I saw was like looking in a mirror. It was me, opening the chest and discovering them.”
My mind wandered back to that moment, recalling how startling it had been seeing myself on a piece of paper, drawn in such minute detail down to the expression on my face, one of surprise - not the supposed wrinkling of my nose when Chase walked in a room.
“The one I saw was accurate beyond all argument,” I said. “I believe in Chase’s visions. If he drew something that showed my mother trying to kill me, but killing Bryden instead, then it’s a threat we have to take very seriously.”
At that moment, the truth of the situation and what Bryden and Chase had been doing hit me hard. Bryden saw a drawing where he died saving me and he hadn’t run away. Not once. In fact, he’d put himself directly in the line of fire, sticking by me every moment. He easily could have abandoned me to whatever fate Chase had seen.
He was able to love me, wholly, even through the darkest hours. The chaos surrounded us, but he didn’t even flinch. Not once. Guilt enveloped my soul. I’d given up on us because I was worried about stability. Bryden, on the other hand, was willing to sacrifice everything for me.
If anything, it proved love could thrive in the worst situations, grow without sunlight, be nurtured without rain. A seed sprouted in my heart, growing quickly until I couldn’t stand it any longer. I couldn’t deny it. Bryden was the only one for me. Not because he was willing to give up his life for me, but because he showed me, in that moment, exactly how to love in uncertain times. Wholly. Completely. Without reservation.
“I want you to leave,” I said to Bryden. I tried to read his expression, but I couldn’t. He didn’t let one drop of emotion pass through the wall he’d erected since I told him I needed time. He’d reverted into that awkward, secretive boy I’d grown up with after his accident. Everything we’d shared, everything we’d given to each other was no longer open to me. He’d cut me off. Again.
I chose to love him. Not by default, but because I knew deep down, that was what I wanted. I didn’t care that our love blossomed too fast. We lived in an uncertain world where anyone could die at any moment. Why not grasp for the few things that made us feel alive and worthy? But if Chase was right and Bryden would die saving me, then I would take the future into my own hands. Sending Bryden away would ensure his safety. I’d rather have him alive and hating me, then dead because he loved me.
“Why?” he asked. He stood up and made his way across the room toward me.
My heart thumped in my chest, threatening to break through my ribs and throw itself at his feet. Instead, I grabbed Chase’s hand in mine. At first, his grip was reluctant, then he squeezed my hand back so hard I worried my bones might crack along with my resolve.
Bryden’s eyes trailed down my arm to my hand, my fingers entwined with Chase’s.
“Nevermind. I don’t even want to know.”
He stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him without even a backward glance.
I broke his heart again. I’d done it so many times, I knew he’d never forgive me. But this time I’d done it for him. Living without me was better than dying for me. I’d just saved him, but doomed myself to a life of loneliness. No one could ever measure up to Bryden.
I ripped my hand from Chase’s grasp and ran over to Sebrina. Pulling her into a hug, I buried my face in her hair. “I love you, sister. Please don’t tell our mother any of the things we discussed. I’ve averted everything by rejecting Bryden. There’s nothing to worry about now.”
She nodded her head. Her curls fell over her shoulders, just like mine did. We were twins, but not exact replicas of each other. I was okay with that. The world did not need two of me. Her innocence, her willingness to trust people she loved so fiercely and easily, was a trait I deeply wished I could develop.
“We need to leave, but we’ll be back soon. Before the invasion.” My promise was sincere, even though I wasn’t sure I could keep it. “Chase and I have some work to do.”
Sebrina nodded again, then a tentative smile graced her face. At that moment, she looked like a totally different person. The first time we’d met, her wide, adventurous smile matched mine. But today, this trusting smile couldn’t have marked us any more differently than if I’d had black hair and amber eyes.
I slipped my hand back into Chase’s. I wouldn’t look him in the eye. Not yet. He tugged me into the hallway. With Bryden gone, Sebrina behind a closed door, and the two of us finally alone, I collapsed into his waiting arms. Chase rested his chin on my head.
“You still love him, don’t you?” he asked.
“Of course I do. I rejected him so that he’d go away. He’ll be safe now.”
“Do you really believe that?”
The tears sliding from my eyes told the truth. I’d pushed Bryden away. I could only hope, against all hope, that it was enough.
Chapter Twenty
We arrived back at the tree house community as twilight tucked the world into bed. I stumbled into Chase’s cottage, exhausted and drained.
Chase stood in the doorway. I waved him in, but he shook his head. “I think I should sleep outside. Keep watch over you.”
“They don’t know we’re back here. Besides, if they do come looking for me again, and see you sleeping outside, they’ll know exactly where I am. If you’re inside with me, and the lights are out, they may not even know we’re back.”
Chase walked in and closed the door behind him. He slouched on the corner chair. For such a large man, he seemed to deflate before my eyes. Everything about him was worn and weary. He rubbed his temples while his legs stretched out into the tiny room.
“You can have the bed.” I gestured behind me. I kicked around the idea of just curling up on the floor with a heavy blanket. After what I’d done to Bryden, I felt I didn’t deserve better than that.
“Do you really think I’d sleep there with you on the floor? Did you just meet me? I would never agree to it.” He took off his boots, tossing them closer to the door. They clattered next to the chest that contained his drawings. I hadn’t seen the scene he and Bryden talked about. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to.
“Fine. Then we can both sleep on the floor.” I pulled a blanket from a small cabinet in the corner of the room. I rested on half of it, wrapping the other half around my body. I felt like a caterpillar entering a cocoon, except I didn’t think I’d emerge a butterfly the next morning.
Chase rustled around in the room, but neither of us spoke. There were too many questions, too many problems, just too much to deal with in one night. I hoped the morning would bring a new perspective.
He laid down a blanket on the floor next to mine. Making his bed the same way I’d constructed mine, Chase then hunkered down for the night. We stared at each other in the dark. Moonlight streamed through the upper windows, illuminating our prone bodies. I couldn’t put anything into words – I didn’t want to. I held out my hand to him. He took it in his and we fell asleep.
The next morning, birds heralded the start of the day. I groaned, pulling the blanket over my eyes. Surprised, I noticed my other hand was still firmly encased in Chase’s. Neither of us had moved all night. I slipped my hand out of his, hoping not to wake him.
His eyelids opened, his eyes boring into me just as they had the night before. His hand stayed where it was, even though I half-expected him to reach for mine.
“You don’t have to say anything,” Chase said. “I know that wasn’t an invitation of any kind. My promise stands. I won’t ever take advantage.”
“I know,” I said. “I trust you now.” It was mostly true.
“You trust me about as much as you trust anyone else,” Chase said. “It’s okay. I get that. I wouldn’t trust anyone either, if I’d been raised like you. I was lucky to have my parents and their friends. T
hey cared for me very much.”
“Except that time you spent as a prisoner in the Malborn home world.” I sat up and rubbed my lower back. Sleeping on a wood floor wasn’t exactly my idea of comfort. I glanced at the bed, still made, not regretting my decision one bit. I forced my mind to focus on Chase instead of worrying about Bryden. I had to let him go if he was to live.
“The worst four years of my life,” he said. Chase rolled on his back, crossed his arms behind his head, and stared at the ceiling.
“How old were you?”
“I was ten when they lured me away.” His eyes clouded over. “I was playing in the forest, alone, of course, because I’d run off on my own, just like I wasn’t supposed to. I still didn’t know much about how to use my gift yet. I saw this thing jumping through the trees. Like any kid, I followed it. Unlike every other kid, I’d never been warned not to be alone or interact with anything I didn’t already trust. We thought we were safe. My mother didn’t want me to grow up afraid of everything like she did.”
He sat up. His legs crossed in front of him and he rested his hands on his knees. “I trusted everyone. I thought my parents were paranoid when they doled out warnings.” His bitter laugh echoed in the small room. “Everyone tells me not to blame myself, that I was just a kid. I still do, though. If I’d just listened…”
I placed my hand on his shoulder.
“It’s not like they didn’t warn me a hundred times a day.” He rolled his eyes, obviously still irritated with his younger self. “I followed that thing, a kalli like you saw, through the forest. A woman waited in the clearing. She was beyond beautiful, so I ran to her. She held out her hand, I took it, and that’s when she whisked me through the portal to the Malborn home world. She turned back into a kalli on the other side. I’d been tricked so easily.”
He shrugged my hand off his shoulder and stood up. Chase smoothed his pants, then ran his fingers through his hair. I could tell he was uncomfortable, but I was glad he was finally sharing with me. Our lives, our stories, were interconnected. I had to know more.