Ravens and Crows

Chapter 26 ~Ronan~

I didn't know if this would work or not, but the list of things that I didn't think would work that actually ended up working is so overwhelmingly long that most of the time I throw caution to the wind and just try it anyway.

The gang led me back to the forest we had walked out of two days ago. It was a long walk and during most of it Wylan and Kaz bounced ideas back and forth about how to get rid of the crazy pyro bitch.

When we got there I told the gang to wait on the edge of the forest.

Kaz didn't love this idea. "Why?"

"I didn't make this one, it might not like me." I said.

"It's a forest," Inej said. "What can it really do?"

"Oh," I said. "You'd be surprised. Just wait here, I'll be back." And without waiting for them to argue more I ventured into the forest.

I walked into the woods until the seasons changes to bright hot summer, then I tried my luck with the forest. "Salve." I greeted.

The trees rustled in a language I only knew when I slept, but I heard one word that I knew in my waking moments. "Greywaren."

I was half relieved and half creeped out. How did this forest from three hundred years ago know me?

"Latino loqueris?" I asked.

The branches whispered more and I wished I had the puzzle box.

I need you to do something for me. I thought.

Still the branches swayed.

I thought of what Adam had said to me one time. That Cabeswater doesn't always use words to communicate, it sometimes uses memories, pictures, feelings.

So I thought of Adam, I thought of him in Cabeswater moving rocks and using his cards and helping and thought of needing him, wanting him.

Magician, I thought, I need the magician.

A warm feeling spread through me and the trees whispered something then fell silent.

I waited. Then suddenly an image was in my mind: Adam, Blue, and Gansey running for the Pig. They cramped into the car and Adam stared into the light in Gansey's phone; he was scrying.

The images stopped and in front of me was Adam.

It had only been two days but God was it good to see him again. If two days was this rough, how was I going to make it when he moved off to college.

Don't think about that. I pushed it out of my mind.

"What did you do?" Adam demanded.

"Good to see you too, asshole." I said smirking. "And I haven't done anything."

"Yet."

"Yet." I agreed.

"Are we in Cabeswater?" Adam asked looking around.

"Sort of, this is what Cabeswater was three hundred years ago."

"I thought it died three hundred years ago?" Adam asked. "That's why you had to redream it."

"Gansey actually thinks it died more recently, sometime after Glendower was laid to rest-but whatever, it's not history class. Adam, I need to ask you something."

Adam looked at me catiously. "What is it."

"I-" I swallowed. "I think it's going to be a little longer until I come back."

Adam narrowed his eyebrows at me. "What do you mean?"

"There's this lady-"

"With fire powers and cannons," Adam interrupted. "I know, Cabeswater showed me or the leyline, or whatever this is."

"Oh, cool. So listen, this lady is going to torch the whole city and I want to help."

"By doing what? Boxing your way to victory?"

"I was actually thinking a night terror would come in handy, or a dragon, or a sea monster."

Adam shook his head. "Cabeswater is already weak."

"I know, but I have to help."

Adam let out a deep breath and looks down. "Why do you have to be so damn problematic?"

I shrug. "Pretty sure it's genetic."

Adam's lips quirk at that.

"Is there anything you can do to give Cabeswater some extra juice?" I ask.

"Not at the one back home, but the leyline here needs some work."

I raise my eyebrows at him. "You can feel the leyline while you're scrying?"

"I can always feel the leyline." Adam says then starts walking toward a group of rocks and moving them-from what I can tell- mindlessly. "I can only work on what's in the forest, but that should help a little."

I squat down next to him and grab his hand. "Thank you."

He doesn't meet my eyes. "Just be careful, you don't need to save them. You have people back home that need you more than they do."

"Like you?"

"Like Matthew."

"I know," I put my other hand on his face and move it to look at me. "But I'm coming back. I swear it on my mother's grave."

Adam puts his hand over mine. "You better."

~-~

I met back up with the Ketterdam group with Adam after a few minutes. On the way we stopped here and there to move some stuff around to help the leyline. A couple times I think Adam was just mad at me and wanted to make me move some rocks out of spite.

"Adam?" Wylan asked, eyeing Adam cautiously.

Adam nodded. "Wylan."

"How are you here?" Jesper asked. "I thought the trees were tired."

"I'm not actually here," Adam explained. "I'm scrying."

Nina raised an eyebrow. "You are what?"

Adam tilted his head back and forth a couple of times, then said, "It's like a spiritual projection."

Nina narrowed her eyed. "Hm, okay."

"Why are you here?" Kaz asked Adam.

"I'm strengthening the leyline energy in the forest. Ronan's dreaming requires a lot of energy from the leylines, especially if it's something big; like a creature."

"So he can? The forest is strong enough for that?" Wylan asked.

Adam nodded. "It should be good for most creatures Ronan can think of."

"What are you going to take out?" Inej asked me.

I smirked at her. "Have you ever heard of my friend Nessie?"

It's a little shorter than I wanted it to be, whoops. The end is coming; I'm thinking maybe another five chapters or so, but I have finished it yet, so it might be more. -RW