The Seelie Curse

Chapter 28

Rowan looks down at the runestone in her hand. She frowns at it. How should she do this? Use the memory rune of course, but what else? The frown deepens slightly, becoming thoughtful. Perhaps using a truth rune to ensure it comes out, but what if that just ensures she tells the memory properly once she starts to tell it? That might not help her start to tell the story. So what now?

Her eyes widen. A guide rune! If she uses a guide rune with the memory rune, it could help Star get past the block. She could probably tell the story on her own, but the truth rune could still help her. So use all three of them. The memory rune spirals up to the surface of the stone first, glowing faintly against the shifting surface. The truth and guide runes war with each other, each trying to find a position on the stone.

Rowan doesn't know if it's difficult because the runes somehow know the task she is about to set them to or if it's because three runes at once are harder than two, but the runestone is still fighting her. She grits her teeth and concentrates, forcing the runes to the surface. They shift on the stone, still trying to find a place for themselves. Finally, they click into place. The guide rune settles on one side of the memory rune, the truth rune on the other. Rowan extends her hand to Star.

"Here."

Star's gaze flickers between Rowan's face and the stone. "What do I do?"

"Just take the stone and hold it while you try to say what you remember, what you need to say."

Star frowns briefly, unsure. Then her hand flashes out to take the stone. She grips it tightly in her hand, light streaming out between her fingers. Rowan sees the older girl's expression tighten. In concentration, in pain, in desperation, Rowan doesn't know yet. But when Star's expression turns grim, Rowan knows.

It's in concentration. The girl's breath comes out in gasping pants. She's fighting the name, but it seems like the runes don't seem to be helping much. The light seeping out from between Star's fingers dims and fades, the rune's power has been used up. It didn't work. Rowan sighs just as Star lets out a gasp of exhaustion.

"I'm sorry, I can't do it."

Rowan shakes her hand and reaches out to touch Star's shoulder, careful not to touch the fur of her coat- pelt. "It's alright, its not your fault. Names are powerful and I could have made the same mistake. I wouldn't be guarding my name as carefully with the merrows."

"But you still wouldn't have told it."

Rowan frowns, but she has to admit it. "That's probably true, but only because I've known about the faeries-" She winces at Star's expression. "Sorry, Aos Sí. I've known they existed my whole life, even though I couldn't fully see them until recently."

"Why not?"

"My magical blood was dormant until recently. It doesn't matter right now. What I was saying was that I've always known that names have power, ever since I was a child. So my name has always been locked away to those beyond my family. To you and Wave though, I think your peoples are your family. So you trusted them with your names. I can't fault you for that."

Star shakes her head. "But that isn't important. We made a mistake, but I still need to tell you. I have to. It's important."

Rowan is shaken by the urgency in Star's voice. Whatever Star wants to tell her so desperately, she won't give up until she finds a way to share the information. She raises her hands and then lowers them back to Star's shoulders. "Hey. We'll figure it out. There's something else we can try."

Star's voice is so sad, so hopeless, that Rowan has to swallow back tears of her own, tears that she doesn't understand. "What?"

"You can't tell your memories, so what if we show them?"

"I'm not sure I understand, but alright. Do you need your stone back?"

Rowan smiles. "Please."

Star tips her hand, letting the runestone slide back into Rowan's palm. A new rune swirls to the surface almost immediately, already recognizing Rowan's wish. The memory rune is the first to appear, the sight rune overlaying it. Rowan smiles at the stone, her expression flickering. She doesn't know if this will work, but she hopes so. She truly does. Not just so she knows what she needs to, but so that Star can be free of the information pressing down on her. Rowan lifts the stone in her hand, her hand hovering in the air in front of Star's forehead.

"Are you ready?"

Star's voice is sure, unwavering. "Yes."

But her eyes are shadowed; she's scared, worried. She's hiding it, trying to be strong, but her emotions are still leaking out just a tiny bit. Hope that it'll work this time, hope that she'll finally be able to say what she needs to say. But fear too, fear that it won't work, fear that they'll fail. Rowan touches the other girl's shoulder.

"Hey, it won't hurt. I promise. I think it'll work. We aren't trying to break through the block this time, we're going around it."

Star takes a deep breath. "Okay. Do it."

Rowan presses the stone to Star's forehead. She really hopes this work.
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I love how Rowan's trying to reassure Astrila but she's still just a teeny bit judgy because she's so careful with her own name. Do you think this second try will work? What's going to happen next? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.