The Seelie Curse

Chapter 84

There is a soft tap on Rowan's window and she looks up from her desk. She's been grounded from the woods, so she's trying to distract herself with one of her books on plants. It just seems to be making her longing for the forest worse. Grateful for the distraction, Rowan props open the window to find an acorn sitting on the sill.

She frowns and picks it up, turning the acorn over in her hands. It's light, very light. There aren't any oak trees nearby either, the closest ones are in the forest several hundred meters away. After a moment of hesitation, Rowan twists the cap of the acorn.

It shifts easily, sliding right off. She turns the acorn over and taps it into her palm. A small slip of rolled paper falls out. She uncurls it and flattens it against her desk. There is a note written on the paper in tiny, familiar handwriting.

I have found the information on your new power. Come to the clearing that bears loyalty to you. Quickly. We don't have much time.

Rowan moves a book on top of the paper, hiding it from her family. Then she frowns. She's grounded, how exactly is she going to get out of the house in the first place, let alone to go to the very place she's grounded from? She pulls one of her runestones from the bag hanging from the closest bedpost and frowns at it, pausing to turn to the rune book.

She flips through the pages and pauses on one. Then she flips the stone over in her hand, summoning two runes to the surface. As Rowan looks down at the runestone held in her palm, her hand flickers out of view. She blinks and shakes her head. Her hand comes back into focus and Rowan grabs the bag from her bed, quietly cracking her door open to slip through.

It might be hard to see her body right now, but she doesn't doubt that she can be heard. The back door proves to be a little more challenging, it's always been a little creaky. She pulls it open quickly, trying to do so quickly enough that the sound isn't stretched out. It's still loud though and Rowan freezes as the sound of footsteps come down the hallway.

With her gaze fixed on her hand, still grasping the doorknob, she sees her skin stop shifting between there and not. Before anyone can come into sight, she pushes through the door and starts running, trying to summon the runes back to the surface of the runestone.

They flicker but don't disappear entirely and she pushes through the gate of the yard. The hinges metallically squeal and she winces. The door opens with a bang and she half-turns to look back to see her mother running through the door, apron strings whipping around her.

"Don't you dare, Rowan!"

Rowan ducks into the trees, sucking in a breath as the pain she hadn't known was there disappears, no longer weighing her down. She can feel the slight hitch in her steps as the speed picks up, almost stumbling over a knot in the roots of a tree. She catches herself at the last second on a tree and keeps going. She doesn't slow until she reaches the clearing, having to reach out and grab onto one of the trees before she runs facefirst into one. Panting, she turns away from the tree to see the Forest King staring at her, mouth hanging open.

"Is there a reason you are barreling into the clearing?"

"Ummm. I'm technically grounded from the forest right now? Mum caught me sneaking out."

On cue, there is a cry from somewhere in the forest. "Rowan Aria Glenbrooke! Get your arse back to the house right now!"

Both Rowan and her father wince at the anger in Arwen's voice and the Forest King mutters under his breath, "At least that wasn't directed at me."

"Hey!"

He gives Rowan a look. "I'm well aware of how she is when she's angry. I'd like to not be on the receiving side of that anger."

"And you're fine with me being on that side?"

He pauses and then smirks, flicking his fingers. "Of course not. She won't find us."

Rowan raises her eyebrow when Arwen comes running into the clearing, her face flushed in fury. "Rowan!"

Rowan tenses as her mother turns toward her, but Arwen's eyes don't focus on her. She's invisible. She glances towards the Forest King to see a strange expression on his face, heartbreak and longing and an impossible sadness etched across his features. She reaches out a hand to him, lightly squeezing his hand once he takes hers.

He dips his head towards her in a silent gesture of gratitude. Arwen turns from the clearing a heartbeat later, still calling out to Rowan as she wanders through the forest. Swallowing against the lump in her throat, Rowan turns to her father. Her voice is soft when she speaks, barely a whisper.

"What did you find?"

Her father latches onto the distraction with eagerness, blinking back almost invisible tears. "About your new power?" Rowan nods. "It's an ancient gift, that we already knew. It's rare as well, it hasn't been seen since my own father was a boy."

"And . . . how long ago was that?"

"A millennium past."
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What do you think? What is he going to tell her about that power? What's going to happen next? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~ Goddess of Fate, signing out