Page 25 of The Eighth Isle

“Quite a view, huh,” Reeva said, taking a small sip of her lemonade.

“It really is beautiful here.” More so than in Faeries’ Aerie.

“Which is a shame, don’t you think?” When she turned to look at me, she noticed the necklace around my neck right away. “You kept it.”

“I did,” I said, taking it off. Such a beautiful piece of gold, and that crystal inside it trapped between the vines. “This helped me a great deal, Reeva. Thank you.” I put it on the small table between us. “And this. Forgot to return it at the party.”

The napkin that fixed your makeup for you had remained with me that night, though I’d meant to give it back. But I’d been too distraught by Mama Si to remember.

“Keep it. Keep them both. I have no need for them anymore, and neither will you,” she said with a wave of her hand, her voice bitter.

My stomach twisted instantly. Just the way she said those words. They didn’t set well with me at all.

“What do you mean?” I wondered.

“Exactly what I said,” she whispered, turning toward me with her whole body, eyes locked on mine. “Why are you here, young one? Why have you come to me?”

“I think you know,” I said reluctantly. “I think you know I’ve come to ask for your help.”

The words weighed so heavy on my chest. The beautiful view around me, the ocean and the sky and the pleasant rocking of the chair were already forgotten.

“Help,” Reeva repeated, sipping her lemonade.

“To get Grey back from the Eighth Isle.” And I knew what she’d read from my words—impossible.I had no doubt in my mind about it, but I liked to think that she also knew that Ihadto come here and ask.

A deep sigh left her dry lips. “That cannot be done, young one,” she said, and despite having told myself that I had no hope at all, my heart still fell all the way to my heels. “And even if it could, it wouldn’t matter.”

I shook my head, sinking my nails into my palms once more. “Of course, it matters,” I choked. “He’s being kept there against his will. He’s?—”

“WithSyra,” she cut me off. “The same siren who’s donethisto our lands.” And she waved her lemonade ahead at the ocean.

“She’s not invincible,” I said through gritted teeth, the anger making the blood in my veins rush.

“But very,veryclose,” said Reeva. “Let it go, Autumn. It’s not worth it.”

I laughed. “It is to me—she has Grey.” Had she no idea what he meant to me?

But, of course, she didn’t—nobody did. They were all content to let Syra force Grey to stay with her so long astheywere safe. So long as the evil siren didn’t come fortheirheads or take away someonetheyloved.

I stood up. “I knew you were going to say this, Reeva, and it’s fine. I still had to try,” I said, offering her a smile. Not because I liked this, but because I couldn’t blame her for not choosing certain death to helpme,a nobody. A stranger she was once kind to.

“But that’s just it—it’suseless. It doesn’t matter whether you try or don’t, young one. It’s all over anyway,” she said, so matter-of-factly it took me by surprise.

I stopped in front of her. “What do you mean, it’s all over? What’s over?”

She waslaughingnow, shoulders shaking and eyes mad as they glistened with unshed tears. “Everything.”

The word echoed in my head a million times before it settled and began to make sense.

That bad feeling in my gut intensified as if by a press of a button. “I don’t…I don’t understand.”

What the hell is going on?!

But then Reeva put her glass down on the table and stood up. She was shorter than me only by a couple of inches, and barefoot, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“Follow me, Autumn Hayes. I’ll show you, but…” She raised her finger and waved it at my face. “You’re going to wish you didn’t know. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya!”

Laughing that awful sound again, Reeva jumped off the porch and onto the grass, suddenlyfullof energy, and she waved for me to follow.

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