Page 71 of Whispers of the Water

“Can we talk? Um, I thought maybe we could go for a walk outside, just the two of us.”

Concern immediately clouded his features. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah, no. Everything’s fine. I’m fine. I just–I just need to talk to you about something.”

The worry didn’t leave the slant of his brow, but he slowly nodded. “Okay. Let me run all of our stuff up to the room. I’ll meet you outside in a second.”

I nodded and watched him take the stairs. I took a deep breath and tried to tell myself I was doing the right thing. This conversation had to happen. He deserved the truth, and I really did want to tell him. But I was still unsure and afraid, though I doubted there was any real way to truly prepare myself for this moment. I just had to do it, terrified or not.

I turned to head down the hallway to the backdoors, but as soon as I rounded the corner, I came face to face with Aidan in her Fae form. She no longer wore her apple cider dress, but instead sported jeans and a low-neck sweater. Myra stood behind her, and the elder Fox Fae’s golden eyes hinted at some brewing plan as she watched me over Aidan’s shoulder.

“I see you guys made it back,” Aidan said, crossing her arms.

“I see you changed,” I said calmly, despite my mounting disdain.

She scoffed. “No thanks to your dumbass friend.”

Anger sank its claws into me. “Don’t call him that.”

“Or what?” She laughed, curling her lip at me to flash her sharp canines. “From what I’ve seen, you’re all bark and no bite.”

“I haven’t had a reason to bite, but if you talk down my friends or any of the people I love, that will quickly change.”

“Is that so?” She raised a brow and smirked. “Let’s see it then. I challenge you to a game.”

A game.

I glanced at Myra and realized this was what had her eyes glittering. She was setting me up with another test, and this time, she wanted my opponent to be Aidan, her choice of mate for Rune.

Rune had warned me about being challenged to a game before. The night we’d first kissed, he’d been explaining that if anyone challenged me, I was to ignore them and walk away, because it wouldn’t be a game for me. He never elaborated on what that meant or what the game consisted of, but he’d also said it while believing I was human. Maybe it was because as a human, I wouldn’t have the strength or the heightened senses to win. That wasn’t the case now. I was Water Fae, which meant I had strength on my side.

Aidan clearly read my hesitation as fear because she laughed and said, “Are you not Fox enough?”

I should’ve ignored the obvious taunt and spiteful attitude. I should’ve walked away and waited outside for Rune. But I’d had enough of Aidan. She’d been nothing but a bitch, blatantly trying to get Rune to cheat and choose her. Logic was out the window, and seated in its spot was a need to put Aidan in her place once and for all. I’d had enough of her and her friends harassing me and my family.

Not only that, but with Myra standing there watching, I felt like I didn’t have a choice. Myra probably expected me to cave under the threat and run away with my metaphorical tail tucked, but that wasn’t happening. I was strong. I was worthy. And I was tired of being treated like I wasn’t.

“Let’s play,” I forced past my bitter smile.

Aidan and I moved to the backyard where we stood ten feet away from each other. Aidan stood closest to the house, and her straight back and raised chin exuded nothing but confidence. Myra’s dark presence hung back to watch the unfolding scene. A sly grin graced her lips, and the obvious amusement in her gaze made chills run down my spine. Suddenly, the weight of my choice hit me, and I realized too late that this was probably a mistake.

“The game is simple,” Aidan sang in the sweet tune that I pictured a demon would use when coaxing its prey into its hands. “Don’t die. Easy, right?”

I swallowed hard. Before I could form a response, Aidan reared back her hand and launched a ball of flames straight toward me. I gasped and ducked, barely missing the orb of fire. My heart quickened as dread nearly swallowed me whole.

Fuck, of course this game involves fire. Why didn’t I think about that? Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Before I could gather my bearings, she let out a roar as she threw another in my direction. I rolled to my left and quickly got to my feet, but she’d already thrown another right at me, which I narrowly avoided.

“Stop this, Aidan!” Bassel yelled as he raced from the back door with Carlos on his heels, both back in their Fae forms.

Hope blossomed at his sudden presence, but I soon realized hope was futile. Myra held out her arm to block him, and the narrowed slits of her eyes promised anguish should he intervene.

Aidan sneered at Bassel and hissed, “Stay out of this, stupid cat.”

Realizing I was on my own, I turned and ran toward the lake in an attempt to distance myself from her until I was able to come up with a game plan. Her laughter followed my retreat. I glanced over my shoulder to see another flame heading in my direction. I tried ducking, but I was too slow this time. The flame brushed across my shoulder, and I cried out from the pulsing burn. My hand went to clutch the wound on instinct, and it shook as I slowly pulled it away from my shoulder with gritted teeth. My shirt was charcoaled and torn open, and the skin beneath it was red and blistered. Tears welled in the corners of my eyes, but I fought to keep them at bay.

The cool caress of the water greeted me as I blindly splashed into the lake until I was calf-deep. While I’d intended to get closer to the lake for safety, I hadn’t meant to go into the water. The adrenaline coursing through my body was tapping into instincts tied to my Fae side, so on impulse, I’d gone into the waves.

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