Page 112 of When the Woods Go Silent

Ruby stays silent long enough that it feels like she’s done telling her story, although there are certainly some gaps and questions I’ll ask her about - later. Now, it’s my turn to spill.

I haven’t told her the hardest part. But if I hold this back, she’ll never forgive me.

“You might need more wine for the rest of my story,” I warn quietly, and she tilts her head at me as if to say nothing could surprise her now. Unfortunately, I know I’m about to shake every foundation we’ve ever built together. I take a deep breath.

“Kier thinks... he... and this is insane, but he thinks I might have fae magic.” The words rush out, and I see Ruby go through half a dozen emotions in the span of a few seconds. She settles into something that looks like excitement on the surface, but I see the shadow of hurt lingering in her eyes.

Magic is real, but it should be Ruby who has it. Not me. Never me.

I don’t want it. If I could hand it over to her, I would.

“Why?How?” she manages.

I tip back onto the pillows, staring again at the damn ceiling as though it might have the answers we both want. My appetite is good and gone, and if I drink any more wine I’ll just get more nauseous.

“It has something to do with a fae someone hid on Earth as a baby. A changeling. And they’ve been looking everywhere for her, for years and years.”

“And he thinks it’syou?”

I flinch a little at the incredulity in her voice. It sounds ridiculous, that someone like me would have hidden magic like in the books we love to read. I wish I could close the cover on it, put it away on a bookshelf, and forget all about it.

“He doesn’t know for sure. He, um, took some of my blood and had it tested somehow. It was negative. But I... I made something. Twice, I think.”

“Made something?” Ruby echoes, sounding far away.

“I think I made vines, like Kier does. And a rose, although we both thought he’d done that at first. I don’t know how it works, and I have no clue how to make it happen again.”

“Then why does he think you have magic? The test was negative?”

I pull the crumpled paper from my pocket. It seems like months ago that Ronan was in the shop, sliding this paper to me. Was it really only this morning?

“Kier’s brother Ronan found this. That blood disorder I had when I was a baby? I had a full transfusion.”

Ruby nods. “Yeah, I remember the story. So, they think you had fae blood before, and now you have human blood? That’s wild, Rosey.” Her eyes are shining, though, and excitement is starting to win over whatever hurt and jealousy might have been creeping in. She has the look she gets when she’s wrapped up in a great story.

“You have to show me.”

“But I don’t even know if it’s true,” I protest, raising my arms and letting them flop back down on the blankets.

“It’s true,” Ruby says simply, returning to the same childlike faith in magic that’s carried her through all these years. It’s true because she says it is. I huff out a laugh, wishing I could have the same faith. In anything.

“What’s Kier’s brother like?” she asks.

“You saw him, actually. The guy from this morning,” I admit, and she makes a face, rolling down beside me, her shoulder bumping mine in a gesture so familiar that my eyes grow wet with tears of relief.

“Ugh. Asshole for sure. Hot, though,” she teases, as though she’s getting tired of all the serious talk. “Sounds just like a fae to me.”

I can’t help it, what comes out next. “It’s not a story, Ru. If this is all real like you say - like they say - it’s going to change everything. And it won’t be fun and exciting all the time.”

“I know,” Ruby says quietly. “I know that. But we came here looking for a change. I’m sorry it’s different from what you hoped, but aren’t you even a little bit excited?”

How can I tell her I’m not? How can I admit that the only thing I feel is fear and regret?

I don’t have to say anything, though. Ruby can read it on my face.

“I know you think I like Torrence because of his magic. That I’m conveniently forgetting about the violence. The darkness. But I do see it, Rose. I think I saw it even before I knew what I was looking at. It’s part of what he was born into. He’s different with me, though. There’s a lot more to him than monster.”

“Your very own beast to transform,” I tease lightly, unwilling to say anything else against him right now.

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