Page 74 of Whispers of the Water

My cheeks warmed, and I prayed that no one noticed, because now really wasn’t the time. Judging by Ardley’s subtle grin and small nudge at Rune, I guessed the blush was very noticeable.

Rune was silent for a long moment, and his jaw worked as he tried to fight whatever he was feeling. Finally, he asked, “When did you awaken?”

“The night before our painting picnic. I went back to my dorm to grab your birthday present, and while I was there, Jonah showed up. It was—”

“Jonah showed up?” Rune snapped, concern dripping from his words. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was scared, Rune.” My voice came out harder than I meant it to, and I wiped at the tears coating my cheeks. “I was so confused and feeling hopeless and afraid. Water Fae are your enemy. I am your enemy. All of yours.” My gaze found each of them only long enough to get my point across. I worried if I looked for too long, I’d see exactly what I’d been dreading in their gazes. “You guys have become such a part of me. I–I think of you as my family, and I was so scared to tell you because I didn’t want to lose any of you.”

The air became quiet again as my bottled-up fears exploded. I waited for their judgment, their anger, their hatred.

Avana broke away from the group and slowly walked toward me. Her face remained completely blank until she stood right in front of me. Her big, brown eyes searched mine for only seconds before she wrapped her arms around me and pulled me in for a tight embrace.

“Tiako ianao,” she whispered against my head.

I didn’t know what she’d said, but based on the acceptance in her voice and the way she held me as if to promise that everything was okay, I knew it meant something good. I hugged her back and let the tears fall as I hid my face in her shoulder.

My secret was finally out. The burden of the truth had been lifted, but six new weights had taken its place.

Avana pulled back, but she didn’t leave my side. She stood right next to me as I faced the rest of the group.

Bassel was slow to smile, but eventually, he and Carlos walked over and patted my shoulder.

“We’re still friends,” Bassel started. “Don’t worry. While Water Fae and I have our history, I also have a friendship with you. I’ll try not to associate the two.”

I forced a smile past the small twinge in my heart. It wasn’t a jubilant reassurance, but I’d take what I could get. I still didn’t know exactly what Bassel had been through, so I refused to hold any reservations he might have against him.

My attention turned back to Ardley and Rune. Ardley focused on his cousin, his brow pinched with concern. He and I were both clearly waiting on Rune.

Rune’s eyes zeroed in on me, and despite how hard I tried to decipher his thoughts, they remained a mystery to me. I couldn’t read him past my own frantic emotions.

“Go.” Rune said, turning to stare straight ahead at some far-off place behind me. He took a deep breath and folded his arms over his chest in a tight grip. “Go inside. Akira will go with you. Stay in our room, and don’t leave until I’m back.”

I inhaled sharply. He was sending me away. I hadn’t even gotten to explain everything, to apologize for hiding it, or to tell him that I still wanted us to be together, despite our situation.

While I wasn’t ready to leave things like this, I knew he needed time to process. That, or he planned on losing his shit. Maybe even both. So, while I hated leaving, I knew I must.

I nodded and slowly walked past Rune. Akira followed alongside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder as though to give me support and comfort. I gave him a half-hearted smile in thanks. Glancing behind me, I stared after Rune as we walked away. He was rooted in place, looking out over the field. His shoulders shook with budding rage, and I knew he was about to explode.

Turning away, I squeezed my eyes shut. I didn’t want to see him like that. His anger was overwhelming, but even more devastating was the guilt consuming me. This was all my fault. Everything that we’d worked for was slowly crumbling, because I had ignored his warning to not engage in a game with anyone. My pride had driven us to this point where things now felt broken, and as Akira and I neared the house, another realization dawned on me. My life was still in danger. Not necessarily from my friends, but from Rune’s family.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“WELL, THAT WAS a shit show,” I grumbled.

Akira and I neared the backyard of the house, but I kept my eyes averted from the home, too afraid to look at it. Not when a potential threat lurked in its halls.

“I mean,” Akira said, “the reveal could’ve gone better, sure, but the reactions were great given everyone’s history with Water Fae.”

“Speaking of everyone’s history,” I started cautiously. “What’s Bassel’s story? Did he lose someone he really cared about to Water Fae, too?”

Akira tilted his head side to side as he slowly said, “He didn’t really lose someone. Rather, he lost something. Do you remember when we first met, and in Bassel’s introduction, he said he didn’t remember how to speak Arabic?”

I nodded.

“Well, that was a lie. He still knows the language. He still remembers everything from when he lived in Egypt. That was his home, and he loved it there. One day a group of Water Fae invaded the small town he lived in, and they took it over. Bassel and the rest of the Land Fae who managed to escape were forced to flee the area. He hasn’t been back since, and that kills him. He pretends he doesn’t remember life there, because pretending is easier than thinking about it.”

Remorse drenched my veins in an ice-cold wave. Water Fae, the group I now led, had hurt far too many people. It made me feel responsible for my friend’s pain. Even though I hadn’t been the one to take Bassel’s home, even though I hadn’t even been born yet or known anything about this war, I still felt guilty by association.

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