him? I haven’t told him, and I don’t want him to think that I don’t care for him.”
“No, Annwyl,” I said gently, and she raised her head, eyes widening. “I’m not going to tell him anything. You’re going to tell him yourself. Don’t give up before we even get started.”
She blinked, her forehead creasing as if she’d never thought of that. Before she could answer, my phone rang, the screen flashing Kenzie’s name. I slipped into the hall to answer it.
“Well, we’re all set,” Kenzie said when I picked up. “The whole family is ready to go—Dad hired a car to take us and everything.”
“Kenzie—”
“Oh, and I have the hotel address where we’re staying.”
“Kenzie...I don’t want you coming with me. To the goblin market.”
A long pause on the other end. I swallowed and braced myself.
“Come again, tough guy?” Kenzie’s voice was cool, but I could hear the fury beneath it. “Care to say that again? I don’t think I heard you the first time. Did you just tell me you don’t want me going to New Orleans?”
I bit my lip. You can retract it, Ethan. She’s giving you the chance to take it back. This will not go well for you if you don’t. Abort, abort!
I hardened my feelings. No, this was necessary. The goblin market was dangerous, full of conniving fey that would trick you into giving them your own heart if they could. Not only that, now a faery assassin was skulking around, and I did not want that creepy Forgotten anywhere near my girlfriend. Kenzie had followed me into the Nevernever and ended up in the hospital. She was still gravely ill. This was for the best. Even if she disagreed, even if she hated me for it, I wanted her to be safe.
“No, I don’t want you to come.”
I heard her take a quick breath, as if holding back a sharp reply. “And all the plans we made?” she asked in an overly quiet voice. “Agreeing to meet in New Orleans? Looking for the market together? Me convincing my dad to take my whole family on vacation, just so I can find you there? That doesn’t mean anything to you.”
I could feel her anger through the phone line and knew I was on dangerous ground, but still stuck with my convictions. “Kenzie, you’re sick. You just got out of the hospital. If we go to the goblin market and something happens to you, your dad will kill me. It’s not that I don’t want to see you,” I went on, trying to be reasonable. “I’m just trying to keep you out of all this craziness. If you get hurt again, I’ll never forgive myself.” I paused, then added the final nail to my coffin. “I don’t want you following me this time. Stay with your family.”
“Please tell me you’re not doing this.” Her voice cracked a little, making me wince. “After everything I confessed, about borrowed time and my mom and wanting to live my life, please tell me you’re not going to ignore that like everyone else.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Fine.” Her words were stiff, cold and sent a fiery lance through my stomach. “If you don’t want me there, Ethan, fine.” A tiny sniffle echoed over the receiver, worse than if she had screamed or yelled or cussed me out. “I guess I was wrong about you. You are just like everyone else.”
“Kenzie...”
She hung up.
I lowered my arm, not knowing exactly what I felt, apart from pretty lousy right then. Wandering back to my room, I saw that Annwyl had fallen asleep on my bed, her hair spilling in waves over my pillow. Unable to relax, I sat in my computer chair and opened my laptop, but I didn’t do anything with it. I just sat there and stared vacantly at the screen, replaying Kenzie’s last words over and over, and wondering if I had just sabotaged what I had with her beyond repair.
CHAPTER NINE
THE SHADOW FORGOTTEN
Early the next morning, I woke up two minutes before 5:00 a.m. and instantly turned off the alarm set to buzz at the top of the hour. Stifling a groan, I threw back the cover and sat up, already
“No, Annwyl,” I said gently, and she raised her head, eyes widening. “I’m not going to tell him anything. You’re going to tell him yourself. Don’t give up before we even get started.”
She blinked, her forehead creasing as if she’d never thought of that. Before she could answer, my phone rang, the screen flashing Kenzie’s name. I slipped into the hall to answer it.
“Well, we’re all set,” Kenzie said when I picked up. “The whole family is ready to go—Dad hired a car to take us and everything.”
“Kenzie—”
“Oh, and I have the hotel address where we’re staying.”
“Kenzie...I don’t want you coming with me. To the goblin market.”
A long pause on the other end. I swallowed and braced myself.
“Come again, tough guy?” Kenzie’s voice was cool, but I could hear the fury beneath it. “Care to say that again? I don’t think I heard you the first time. Did you just tell me you don’t want me going to New Orleans?”
I bit my lip. You can retract it, Ethan. She’s giving you the chance to take it back. This will not go well for you if you don’t. Abort, abort!
I hardened my feelings. No, this was necessary. The goblin market was dangerous, full of conniving fey that would trick you into giving them your own heart if they could. Not only that, now a faery assassin was skulking around, and I did not want that creepy Forgotten anywhere near my girlfriend. Kenzie had followed me into the Nevernever and ended up in the hospital. She was still gravely ill. This was for the best. Even if she disagreed, even if she hated me for it, I wanted her to be safe.
“No, I don’t want you to come.”
I heard her take a quick breath, as if holding back a sharp reply. “And all the plans we made?” she asked in an overly quiet voice. “Agreeing to meet in New Orleans? Looking for the market together? Me convincing my dad to take my whole family on vacation, just so I can find you there? That doesn’t mean anything to you.”
I could feel her anger through the phone line and knew I was on dangerous ground, but still stuck with my convictions. “Kenzie, you’re sick. You just got out of the hospital. If we go to the goblin market and something happens to you, your dad will kill me. It’s not that I don’t want to see you,” I went on, trying to be reasonable. “I’m just trying to keep you out of all this craziness. If you get hurt again, I’ll never forgive myself.” I paused, then added the final nail to my coffin. “I don’t want you following me this time. Stay with your family.”
“Please tell me you’re not doing this.” Her voice cracked a little, making me wince. “After everything I confessed, about borrowed time and my mom and wanting to live my life, please tell me you’re not going to ignore that like everyone else.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Fine.” Her words were stiff, cold and sent a fiery lance through my stomach. “If you don’t want me there, Ethan, fine.” A tiny sniffle echoed over the receiver, worse than if she had screamed or yelled or cussed me out. “I guess I was wrong about you. You are just like everyone else.”
“Kenzie...”
She hung up.
I lowered my arm, not knowing exactly what I felt, apart from pretty lousy right then. Wandering back to my room, I saw that Annwyl had fallen asleep on my bed, her hair spilling in waves over my pillow. Unable to relax, I sat in my computer chair and opened my laptop, but I didn’t do anything with it. I just sat there and stared vacantly at the screen, replaying Kenzie’s last words over and over, and wondering if I had just sabotaged what I had with her beyond repair.
CHAPTER NINE
THE SHADOW FORGOTTEN
Early the next morning, I woke up two minutes before 5:00 a.m. and instantly turned off the alarm set to buzz at the top of the hour. Stifling a groan, I threw back the cover and sat up, already
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