Page 109 of Song of the Dark Wood

Rowan stuffed down her horror and met his eyes. She clung to what little anger she could wrangle. Everything was made so much worse by the fact that he felt everything she did, so even if she succeeded in hiding how broken she felt, he’d feel every bit of her despair. She flipped the blade in her palm, slipping it from the sheath and pointing it at him.

“You knownothingof what I’d do,” she gritted out. “Say what you want about me, but don’t dare to speak her name, or I’ll?—”

“You’ll what, Rowan?” he taunted. There was a distinct challenge in his eyes. Perhaps he did know what she intended with that dagger. “Will you fuck me into submission?”

Rowan swallowed hard. “No. I’ll end you without a second thought. I might have been foolish, but I’ll not make the same mistakeeveragain.”

A flicker of what looked like pain passed through his eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared, and she was left with the cruel god of death once again. He grabbed her arm and practically dragged her down to the foyer and out the front door. She had to jog to keep up with him, taking in lungfuls of fresh, snowy air.

She paused when they reached the gates, staring out into the snow-covered forest. The Dark Wood looked like it had been dusted in powdered sugar.

“If something happens to me, it’s on you,” she said.

She didn’t look back as she passed through the gates and into the Dark Wood for the first time in days. She walked quickly through the forest, blinking away hot tears that froze in the cold air.

Footsteps crunched in the snow behind Rowan. Her heart leaped into her throat as she spun, hoping for a contrite Conor. Instead, Charlie stood there, a grim smile on his face in the fading daylight.

“I’m to see you back, lass.”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” she huffed, starting back down the trail.

Charlie rushed to fall into step beside her. “It’s for the best, lass. Much safer for you to be back in Ballybrine.”

Rowan laughed bitterly. “Charlie, I’m not safe anywhere.”

“Yes, but what about that little lass you take care of? If those elders will hurt you, do you imagine they’d leave her be?”

The words sent a chill through her more vicious than the icy wind ever could. In her own selfishness, she’d completely forgotten Aeoife. She was probably terrified on her own with so much turmoil. She deserved better than being abandoned by Rowan when so much was in flux.

Rowan pushed her pace even faster, the red dress swishing around her legs.

Everyone would be delighted to see her in red. She’d been eager for it herself. Now it seemed silly. Before she met the Wolf, before she’d been the Red Maiden, she’d been so foolishly eager for experience. The rebel in her was always so ready to run free. Now, that rebellion was responsible for the savage pain in her chest.

She reached for anger, but it was stubbornly elusive, as if she’d used the last of it to try to wound Conor on her way out. It wasn’t as if she’d been in love with him, but she’d at least felt the stirrings of something. The idea that someone could look at her and truly see her had been dangled in front of her—having it wrenched from her grip was cruel.

The song Conor had played for her still reverberated through her chest. She swore he understood. She let him close because she thought he did. Rowan pushed, and she’d been the only one burned by her foolishness. She only had herself to blame.

She brushed a rogue tear from her cheek. Charlie gave her a pitying look.

“I’ll not take pity from the likes of you. Your job is literally to reap souls,” she barked.

Charlie didn’t look hurt by it. His eyes were fixed on the trail in front of them until he abruptly stopped. She followed his gaze and found Cade standing in the snow a few yards ahead of them.

“Row, what did he do to you?” Cade asked. He seemed to be looking through her, but his eyes were full of fury.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

Cade glared at Charlie, but the reaper shook his head. Something unspoken passed between them.

“I’ll take it from here, reaper,” Cade said with disgust.

Charlie opened his mouth. “I don’t think?—”

“Charlie, you’ve done enough. Run back to your keeper,” Rowan said, reaching for Cade’s arm.

As they walked away, she felt Charlie’s eyes on her back. She supposed he felt the same way about demons that Conor did.

Good, she thought,go back and tell your master.

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