and they had talked about her and Cephy.
Aeron didn't love them. She had said she had no use for them, and was happy to let them go away with this stranger they didn't know. They weren't wanted in Blackrock and they weren't wanted here, either. Maybe they really weren't wanted anywhere. Their home with Aeron had been an illusion. A lie .
Rachael felt stupid. Back in Blackrock she would never have trusted someone like she had trusted Aeron. Sooner or later, people always betrayed one another. She had lived by that rule all her life, and it had served her well. Why had she allowed Aeron into their lives so easily? Because they had been tired? Because Aeron could use magic, too?
Because she had wanted to believe that there was a place for them in this world, after all?
Rachael had never felt so childish in her whole life. She had been stupid enough to let a pretty face fool her, and Cephy's hands had suffered for her ignorance.
“Aren't you hungry?” Aeron's words called her back into the hut. Rachael looked down at her plate to see her own honeyed bread still untouched whereas Cephy's plate only had crumbs left. Aeron herself wasn't eating anything and was sipping her tea slowly. Rachael felt sick just watching her.
“Not very.” Every instinct told her to run, but Aeron would never let them get far. This was some kind of twisted game for which Rachael didn't know the rules but which Aeron had mastered. She should have known better than to let Aeron's kindness fool her. It hadn't been real.
Rachael felt as alone as she had done every day in Blackrock.
“Well, try to eat a little bit. You have a busy day ahead of you.”
“A busy day?” Cephy asked, looking hopeful. “Are you going to teach me how to cast the special flames you told me about?”
Aeron shook her head, taking their hands into hers. “I'm afraid not, my Fox. Today is an important day for you both. A man has come to me and has asked me to let you go into his custody. He is coming back for you soon, and you both need to be ready.”
The look of disappointment on Cephy's face nearly broke Rachael's heart. If only she had woken her up last night, Cephy would be relieved to leave Aeron behind. Her love for the woman was dangerous.
Rachael wanted to say something, ask who this man was, and confess that she had overheard their whole conversation, but she didn't say a word. It would be safer to be away from Aeron than to have her be mad at them. She could still tell Cephy what she had overheard once they were out of Aeron's reach.
“We have to leave you? Why?”
“I will explain it to you when you're older.” Cephy didn't look happy with that answer, but accepted it regardless.
“So we will come back?”
A terrifying smile showed Aeron's lips for a moment so brief she doubted that Cephy had noticed it. “Of course you will, my little Fox. You can come back to me any time you like. You'll always have a home here.” Rachael doubted that the same offer extended to her.
She wanted to interrupt, tell Cephy that it was a trap, but knew that this wasn't the moment to do it. Not while they were still near Aeron.
“Come, now. He will be here soon. He is bringing horses so you won't have to walk.”
“Where is he taking us?” Cephy's voice was trembling. Her hands folded into themselves, but Rachael couldn't comfort her yet. She wasn't so sure that she should comfort her at all. The night before she had felt excited, right before the man had arrived. Was this a sign that he was better for them than Aeron?
“I don't know, but you must go with him.”
Resigning herself to her fate, Cephy nodded.
“When do we leave?” Rachael knew she should thank Aeron, pretend she didn't know what had been said, but she didn't think she could bring herself to lie like that. Aeron hadn't made any attempts to lie last night. She had been very forthcoming in her opinion of her and Cephy. Why should she lie now?
“As soon as you have eaten. Finish your
Aeron didn't love them. She had said she had no use for them, and was happy to let them go away with this stranger they didn't know. They weren't wanted in Blackrock and they weren't wanted here, either. Maybe they really weren't wanted anywhere. Their home with Aeron had been an illusion. A lie .
Rachael felt stupid. Back in Blackrock she would never have trusted someone like she had trusted Aeron. Sooner or later, people always betrayed one another. She had lived by that rule all her life, and it had served her well. Why had she allowed Aeron into their lives so easily? Because they had been tired? Because Aeron could use magic, too?
Because she had wanted to believe that there was a place for them in this world, after all?
Rachael had never felt so childish in her whole life. She had been stupid enough to let a pretty face fool her, and Cephy's hands had suffered for her ignorance.
“Aren't you hungry?” Aeron's words called her back into the hut. Rachael looked down at her plate to see her own honeyed bread still untouched whereas Cephy's plate only had crumbs left. Aeron herself wasn't eating anything and was sipping her tea slowly. Rachael felt sick just watching her.
“Not very.” Every instinct told her to run, but Aeron would never let them get far. This was some kind of twisted game for which Rachael didn't know the rules but which Aeron had mastered. She should have known better than to let Aeron's kindness fool her. It hadn't been real.
Rachael felt as alone as she had done every day in Blackrock.
“Well, try to eat a little bit. You have a busy day ahead of you.”
“A busy day?” Cephy asked, looking hopeful. “Are you going to teach me how to cast the special flames you told me about?”
Aeron shook her head, taking their hands into hers. “I'm afraid not, my Fox. Today is an important day for you both. A man has come to me and has asked me to let you go into his custody. He is coming back for you soon, and you both need to be ready.”
The look of disappointment on Cephy's face nearly broke Rachael's heart. If only she had woken her up last night, Cephy would be relieved to leave Aeron behind. Her love for the woman was dangerous.
Rachael wanted to say something, ask who this man was, and confess that she had overheard their whole conversation, but she didn't say a word. It would be safer to be away from Aeron than to have her be mad at them. She could still tell Cephy what she had overheard once they were out of Aeron's reach.
“We have to leave you? Why?”
“I will explain it to you when you're older.” Cephy didn't look happy with that answer, but accepted it regardless.
“So we will come back?”
A terrifying smile showed Aeron's lips for a moment so brief she doubted that Cephy had noticed it. “Of course you will, my little Fox. You can come back to me any time you like. You'll always have a home here.” Rachael doubted that the same offer extended to her.
She wanted to interrupt, tell Cephy that it was a trap, but knew that this wasn't the moment to do it. Not while they were still near Aeron.
“Come, now. He will be here soon. He is bringing horses so you won't have to walk.”
“Where is he taking us?” Cephy's voice was trembling. Her hands folded into themselves, but Rachael couldn't comfort her yet. She wasn't so sure that she should comfort her at all. The night before she had felt excited, right before the man had arrived. Was this a sign that he was better for them than Aeron?
“I don't know, but you must go with him.”
Resigning herself to her fate, Cephy nodded.
“When do we leave?” Rachael knew she should thank Aeron, pretend she didn't know what had been said, but she didn't think she could bring herself to lie like that. Aeron hadn't made any attempts to lie last night. She had been very forthcoming in her opinion of her and Cephy. Why should she lie now?
“As soon as you have eaten. Finish your
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