Page 65 of The Rowan's Stone
Angry tears fill my eyes.Who is Meri? Why is she spying on me?I decide to keep listening.
“There’s a small chest with a tree on it,” she mentions to the person on the phone. “I don’t know, I can’t open it. Stop. I can’t open it. There’s a grimoire. I can take pictures of it,” she says, then silence.
“Fuck!” I hear her exclaim. “I don’t know why the box won’t open. It’s not like I have any powers to open it. Care to share yours?”
Hearing enough, I grasp the knob and slowly open the door. Meri is standing by the chest, taking pictures of it. “You won’t be able to open it because you don’t have the special key,” I explain softly.
When she turns to me, I see a red welt across her cheek. “She’s back,” she spits into the phone and hangs up. Crossing her arms, she stands there defiantly, saying nothing.
“What did you tell the person on the phone? Did you send them pictures?” I ask angrily. When she continues to be silent, I plead with her. “Who are you? Are you my friend, or are you only using me to find information? Talk to me. Please.” My voice rises as I panic. Was it the Primary?
Her mouth compresses into a straight line, and she remains mute.
Setting the coffee and water on the desk before I throw them, I take a deep breath. “The cadre can help you,” I tell her. “Please tell me something.”
She snorts and looks away.
My hands start shaking as the anger builds in me. “I know you,” I say, my voice breaking, “and I know you wouldn’t do this if you had another choice. If you don’t want the cadre to help, what about Callyx?” I know they text each other regularly.
Her eyes are angry, and she scoffs. “You know nothing about me, only what I’ve chosen to tell you. A few truths and lies. Our friendship is built on air.” She throws up her hands. “Even if you knew the real truth, you wouldn’t understand it. You’ve lived this remarkably sheltered life, and I both envy and pity you for it. Would you even be able to make it in the real world without the cadre? You lived in a bubble for a few hundred years and traded it for another bubble—The Abbey.”
She laughs. “Me? I’m a survivor, and for almost a thousand years, I’ve survived the worst of the worst. You think I need your help? It’s worthless, like your friendship. I need friends like Cormal, who know how to get their hands dirty.” She strides to the door. “I’m glad my secret’s out. If I had to hear more of your pathetic whining about the cadre and this destiny of yours, I’d seriously consider cutting my ears off. We’ve all got a destiny, Arden. Maybe now I can start searching for mine.” She strolls out the door, and I let her.
My chest feels tight with anger, and I’m having a hard time breathing. Magic builds inside me like a wave. I swipe at the tears on my face, but they keep coming. The edge of my control slips, and I panic. Racing through the door, I head toward the gym, praying I’ll get there in time. I pass Daire and Theron, who stare after me, but I don’t stop.
Slamming through the door of the gym, I run to the side where we train with magic. Daire and Theron are right behind me. “Stop!” I shout to them. They pause, and I bolt through the magical barriers. When I get to the middle of the room, my control shatters and my magic explodes. Wave after wave rolls out of me as I scream, my anger bottomless, continuously feeding my magic. The building sways, and Theron scans the walls with concern. Bringing the phone up to his face, he calls someone. Valerian comes into the room, but I turn away, not wanting him or any of them to see me lose control. I’m crashing, my anger is overwhelming, and my throat is so tight, I can’t breathe.
Astor comes running through the door at full speed. Stepping through the barrier, he saunters slowly to me, holding up his hand. “Hell, gorgeous, you’ve been holding out on me. All this lovely power, and you couldn’t share some with me?” He braces himself when a wave of magic pulses out of me. “Fuck, that’s painful. Now why don’t you tell me what this is about?”
I clench my fists and try to hold back the next wave, but it rolls out of me anyway. He winces again.
“Go away. I don’t want to hurt you,” I scream at him. My anger rises higher.
“Is this about Fallon?” he asks. “Theron said he’s dealing with his father, and—”
“He called Theron?” I yell angrily. “Of course he did. He can’t call me, his mate, or even send me a fucking text, but he calls Theron?” I tilt my head at Theron. “How many times?”
“There are things he has to take care of that he can’t share with you yet. He’s trying to make it safe for you,” Theron explains, defending Fallon.
“How many?” I repeat. When he holds up the number three, I lose it. “Between him and Meri, I don’t know who I’m pissed at more.”
Astor lifts his head. “Meri was here? Why are you angry at her?”
“She left,” I snarl at him, and then I cry. “And she won’t be back.”
Astor scoots closer to me, and his fists clench when another wave hits him, but he doesn’t stop until he’s by my side. “Did you two have a fight?”
“When I came back to the room, she was talking to someone on the phone, telling them about the journal and the rowan chest,” I explain, sniffing. “She sent them pictures of everything. The person on the phone was furious when she couldn’t open the chest, and I heard her cry out. So I stepped into the room and confronted her.”
The anger is turning to hurt, and the waves are finally softening. I hear Astor sigh with relief. “Apparently, everything was a lie,” I tell him, finally sliding to the floor.
He gathers me in his arms and rocks me. “Tell me what she said,” he demands.
I start at the beginning and tell him everything. “Some of what she said hit home. She’s right. I’ve been sheltered my entire life. Could I even survive on my own?”
“I don’t doubt it for a second,” he assures me. “Besides knowing how to fight and how to wield magic like a badass, you’re pretty resilient. You might make a few mistakes, but we all do. Hell, I’m the poster child of screw ups. I’ve been on my own since I was nine, and yet I still manage to make colossal mistakes.” He sweeps my hair out of my eyes. “And I like your innocence, it’s refreshing. This world needs more of it, along with a good dose of your kindness. Meri is a product of her background. You don’t need to be like her.” He kisses my temple. “Never let anyone change you to fit their mold.”
I listen to him intently. Gripping his arm, I ask him the most important question. “Do you think it was all fake?”
