weakened you now, made you useless. You will never lead your people to immortality. You will never bring back the Twin Suns of Feyland! You will fail all of Feyland, and all of Feyland, all of the Wolves, and Breena herself – they will all know it. They will know it before they die…”
“No!” Logan cried, tears pouring down his cheeks.
“No!” Another voice echoed him. It was Rose, running into the room, her cheeks bright pink with energy. “Let him go.” She raised her wand high and pointed it straight at the spirit, words Logan did not understand escaping from her lips.
Instantly yellow, viscous liquid appeared on the spirit’s mouth, sticking it shut. Silenced, the spirit began to flicker – its shadow-form seeming to darken the Panthea-image within.
“Logan!” Rose ran over to him.
“Rose?” Logan was still disoriented from Panthea’s words. “What are you doing here?”
Chapter 12
R ose instinctively gathered Logan into her arms, stroking his shoulders as she comforted him. She was surprised at her own strength. The spell she had cast had been a childish one – a simple spell she had learned on her first day of the alchemy apprenticeship: a prank that caused honey-thick molasses to appear on its intended’s lips, sticking them shut. She wasn’t sure why that spell, of all the ones she knew, had come to her now; nevertheless, she was grateful for its efficacy. But she had bigger problems to worry about. Logan – great, strong, brave Logan – was shaking in horror. Rose knew that whatever the apparition had said had cut him to the quick. She had never seen such pain in his eyes before now, and her heart ached with compassion for him. How she longed to comfort him, to make him forget all that he had suffered! How she longed to stroke his hair, to kiss his forehead…
She stopped herself before her thoughts grew too painful. “Look, Logan,” she whispered, “I know what you’re going through. I could feel it – I can feel it now. Whatever you’re experiencing, I feel it too. I don’t know why. I don’t know how. But it’s there. And whatever spirit’s been talking to you, it’s not your Grandfather. It’s not this Queen…”
“How did you…?” Logan’s eyes opened wide.
“It’s a dark spirit,” said Rose, “posing as these people – the people closest to you. It took the form of Redleaf and of Shasta’s mother. It lies to you, it tricks you. But it isn’t real. You have to believe it isn’t real.”
“But you knew about Panthea!”
Rose turned pink. “Remember that day at the Winter Palace, when I read that passage about the prophecy of the Twin Suns?”
Logan nodded mutely.
“Ever since that day…I don’t know what it means, or why it’s happening, but we’ve started to be tied together in some way. Maybe it’s because of the quest. Maybe it’s because I have been a Harvester fairy or because I have an affinity to communicate with certain fey creatures in Feyland. I don’t know. I’ve been able to feel what you’re feeling. To sense what’s going on in your head. Telepathically. Not on purpose,” Rose quickly added, “it’s just been happening to me, that’s all. Maybe it’s time for you to have someone who can understand you. Who can be there for you. You do it so much for Bree…for others…” Rose corrected herself quickly, “maybe it’s time for someone to do it for you.”
Logan looked up, astonished. But his quizzical glance soon faded into a kindly, warm smile, a smile that made Rose’s heart leap in her chest. He took Rose’s hand, and she could feel her whole body seem to melt into his warmth. “Thank you, Rose,” he said quietly. “I guess, going through all this, I could use a friend.”
Rose couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment. Friend? Was that the word Logan wanted to use? She shook her head. Well, what did she expect –
“No!” Logan cried, tears pouring down his cheeks.
“No!” Another voice echoed him. It was Rose, running into the room, her cheeks bright pink with energy. “Let him go.” She raised her wand high and pointed it straight at the spirit, words Logan did not understand escaping from her lips.
Instantly yellow, viscous liquid appeared on the spirit’s mouth, sticking it shut. Silenced, the spirit began to flicker – its shadow-form seeming to darken the Panthea-image within.
“Logan!” Rose ran over to him.
“Rose?” Logan was still disoriented from Panthea’s words. “What are you doing here?”
Chapter 12
R ose instinctively gathered Logan into her arms, stroking his shoulders as she comforted him. She was surprised at her own strength. The spell she had cast had been a childish one – a simple spell she had learned on her first day of the alchemy apprenticeship: a prank that caused honey-thick molasses to appear on its intended’s lips, sticking them shut. She wasn’t sure why that spell, of all the ones she knew, had come to her now; nevertheless, she was grateful for its efficacy. But she had bigger problems to worry about. Logan – great, strong, brave Logan – was shaking in horror. Rose knew that whatever the apparition had said had cut him to the quick. She had never seen such pain in his eyes before now, and her heart ached with compassion for him. How she longed to comfort him, to make him forget all that he had suffered! How she longed to stroke his hair, to kiss his forehead…
She stopped herself before her thoughts grew too painful. “Look, Logan,” she whispered, “I know what you’re going through. I could feel it – I can feel it now. Whatever you’re experiencing, I feel it too. I don’t know why. I don’t know how. But it’s there. And whatever spirit’s been talking to you, it’s not your Grandfather. It’s not this Queen…”
“How did you…?” Logan’s eyes opened wide.
“It’s a dark spirit,” said Rose, “posing as these people – the people closest to you. It took the form of Redleaf and of Shasta’s mother. It lies to you, it tricks you. But it isn’t real. You have to believe it isn’t real.”
“But you knew about Panthea!”
Rose turned pink. “Remember that day at the Winter Palace, when I read that passage about the prophecy of the Twin Suns?”
Logan nodded mutely.
“Ever since that day…I don’t know what it means, or why it’s happening, but we’ve started to be tied together in some way. Maybe it’s because of the quest. Maybe it’s because I have been a Harvester fairy or because I have an affinity to communicate with certain fey creatures in Feyland. I don’t know. I’ve been able to feel what you’re feeling. To sense what’s going on in your head. Telepathically. Not on purpose,” Rose quickly added, “it’s just been happening to me, that’s all. Maybe it’s time for you to have someone who can understand you. Who can be there for you. You do it so much for Bree…for others…” Rose corrected herself quickly, “maybe it’s time for someone to do it for you.”
Logan looked up, astonished. But his quizzical glance soon faded into a kindly, warm smile, a smile that made Rose’s heart leap in her chest. He took Rose’s hand, and she could feel her whole body seem to melt into his warmth. “Thank you, Rose,” he said quietly. “I guess, going through all this, I could use a friend.”
Rose couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment. Friend? Was that the word Logan wanted to use? She shook her head. Well, what did she expect –
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