Wings of Shadow (The Underground Trilogy) (20 page)

“I have an idea,” Kiernan said. “Come on.”

They strolled along a little path running parallel to the brook. The sun shone strongly on them, a surprisingly warm day for late October.

“You have not talked a lot about what you have given up, before today.” Meghan said.

“I try not to think about it. Really, the Underground is all I know. I’ve lived there since I was three, and I almost never left London.” Kiernan pointed at the grassy knolls of the countryside and the babbling creek beside him. “This is all new to me.”

“Do you regret leaving?” She could not imagine walking away from her family and friends.

“I regret having to leave. I developed close friendships over the years. And Father…”

“Do you think your friends would ever leave from there?”

“Some of the Fae have been in the Underground for so long they could never be satisfied with returning to the countryside. I wish there was a way for them to remain in the Underground without the blood-sharing and the drainings.”

Meghan looked up. “Is that even possible?”

Kiernan shook his head. “Not right now. But I cannot get over this feeling that I am missing something, something important.”

He paused. They were standing next to a small pool the creek had formed. An unusual smell drifted through the air, reminding Meghan of her mother’s Sunday morning scrambled egg breakfasts.

“Feel it.” He pointed to the water.

Meghan stuck one finger in the water. “It’s warm! Is this a hot spring?”

Nodding, Kiernan looked smug. “I found it when I left this morning. It is amazing to soak in, if you can ignore the sulfur smell, that is.”

A hot soak, with time to scrub off all the grease and dirt, was just what she needed. After having been worn day and night over the last week, the emerald gown was soiled and smelly.

As if he had read her mind, Kiernan presented her with a clean shirt. “Wish found me some clean t-shirts when he was gathering costume supplies. I brought one so you would have something clean to wear. I’m going back to the cottage to prepare for our date.”

Meghan hesitated. She was nervous about bathing in such a public manner, but the temptation of the hot water overpowered her anxieties. She waited until Kiernan was far down the path before quickly undressing and submerging herself in the warm water.

After a long soak, Meghan pulled on the oversized t-shirt. It hung to her lower thighs. While it was shorter than what she typically wore, the sensation of being clean felt incredible. As she walked back to the cottage, she wrung the water from her hair and tried to comb the snarls with her fingers. She was surprised to see the sun sinking lower. How had the day passed so quickly? She wondered what Kiernan had planned for tonight.

She felt nervous as she grew closer to the cottage. She trusted him now, but she was anxious, thinking about the two of them alone for the entire night.

She hesitated before opening the door and peeking inside. Meghan froze. The room was transformed. The table had been moved in front of the fire where the flames danced merrily. Lit candles were arranged in small groups, their collective light adding a warm, flickering glow to the room. Kiernan stood, waiting for her to enter.

She looked at him. “How…?” Words escaped her.

He pulled out a chair, and waited for her to sit. She stared at the plate in front of her. The many colors of the root vegetables, roasted perfectly over the fire, blended together in a rainbow of oranges, browns, ivories, and reds.

“I’ve wondered about your vegetarian diet. Why not eat meat when you were already drinking blood?”

“It is tradition for the Fae to eat only of the plant world, not to kill any living thing.”

“That makes sense for the village Fae, but what about the Underground Fae?”

“Father is still rather traditional when Mr. Darwin’s teachings do not apply. Eating animal flesh provides no evolutionary advantage, so it simply is not done.”

She consciously took a bite and forced herself to chew.

Kiernan scowled. “Are you still distressed that Avery left you behind?”

Startled, Meghan stared at him. “No, that’s not it.”

“What’s wrong? You look so uncomfortable.” He reached across the table for her hand.

She felt warmth creep into her face. “I… I’m just nervous.”

Kiernan rubbed her palm, waiting.

“This is the first time that we’ve been alone, since…” She looked down again.

“Since you decided I was not a blood-thirsty monster?”

She shook her head. “Since I decided that you were worth having feelings for.” She could say no more. The feelings racing through her head and into her heart were too difficult to describe.

Meghan watched Kiernan studying his plate. She finally had been brave enough to admit she was having feelings for him, and he wasn’t going to respond? She was so used to his casual flirtations that the silence took her by surprise.

After several awkward minutes, which involved much rearranging of food on their plates and no conversation, Kiernan stood. “We do not want to miss the beginning of our movie.” He walked to the door.

Meghan followed him, curiosity mounting, as he strolled down the path leading to the deserted garden. He led her to a little alcove, and they sat on the moss-softened ground.

As her senses adjusted to the night, she became more conscious of the sights and sounds of the garden. Frogs, invisible to the eye, croaked a throaty lullaby, filling the garden with their song. The rogue flowers, which had survived their abandonment, released their fragrance, filling the night air with perfume. And little lights shone throughout the garden, creating an amazing light show. Looking closer, she saw tiny insects were creating the glimmer.

“Look,” she exclaimed. “What are these bugs? They’re actually glowing!”

Kiernan gently picked up one and brought it closer to her. “They are glow-worms. We are lucky it has remained so warm into October. Usually the glow season is finished by now.”

Meghan looked around the garden, trying to absorb everything. She was witnessing a wonderland of sights, smells, and sounds. “I have always dreamed of seeing fireflies. They don’t live in Oregon, so they always seemed like something magical that you could only find in a storybook.”

“Like faeries?” he teased.

She lay back and gazed at the marvels around her. “This is my kind of garden. Glow-worms or fireflies, they are both amazing!”

“What about the faerie?” Kiernan pouted.

“The faerie is pretty amazing, as well.” Her voice wavered.

He lay next to her. “So, you are enjoying the movie?”

“It’s better than any blockbuster I’ve seen.” She smiled at him.

The tension from dinner was gone, and Meghan was relieved. She wanted to enjoy the time that she had with him. Who knew what would happen tomorrow?

As the night grew old, the glow-worms ceased their luminance, and the frogs quieted their songs. Kiernan rose and offered her a hand, which she held as they made their way back to the cottage.

Inside, the fire had died, leaving only glowing embers. The candles burned low but still cast a dim glow around the room.

She turned to Kiernan. “Thank you. That was perfect.”

He squeezed her hand. “You should get some rest. We will need to leave early in the morning to make it to the bonfire ceremony in time.”

He moved in the direction of the mossy pad he had been sleeping upon the past week.

“Kiernan.” Her voice caught in her throat. Was she really brave enough to ask him? “You don’t have to sleep down there. Why don’t we share the big bed? It will be more comfortable.”

He spun around, surprise in his eyes. Meghan climbed into the bed. He walked across the room and slowly joined her. They lay upon their sides, facing one another, with only their fingertips touching. She could feel sparks jumping from finger to finger. From the way Kiernan gazed at her, she guessed he was feeling the same electricity. For a while, she was content to look back shyly, enjoying the moment. Finally, she closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.

~ 18 ~

While the sun slowly rose to its highest point, Kiernan and Meghan trudged across endless pastures, and up and down too many hills to count. As she hiked, she saw many villages in the distance, the cottages all made of the same stone blocks, roofs alternating between limestone tiles and thatch, and the streets cobble-stoned together. Meghan loved the peace of the English countryside, so different from the hustle and bustle of Portland.

“How are you holding up?” She was worried about Kiernan. They had been walking for hours, and he was still adapting to his new blood-free diet.

“Never better,” Kiernan huffed. Sweat trickled down his brow.

She tried being discreet. “I’m exhausted. Is it all right if we stop for a break?”

He flung himself onto the grass. Sitting atop a hill, they had a panoramic view of the meadow below them. The last of the wildflowers dotted the edges of the field.

“Are you really feeling alright?” She couldn’t hide her concern.

He sighed. “I don’t know. In some ways, I feel better than ever. Being here, in nature, away from all of the toxins, it feels right. The Fae were not made to survive in dirty cities.”

“But …?” Meghan prompted, feeling he had more to say.

“I’m weaker than I can ever remember being. That makes it harder to resist the cravings. It would be so easy to—”

“Are the cravings…” She picked at the grass blades. “Are the cravings bad?”

He shrugged. “Sometimes, but they seem to get a little better each day. And I want to overcome them. I am determined to conquer them. This is the first time in my life that I am able to choose my own actions. I need to make the right choices.”

She noticed a red rash spreading underneath Kiernan’s silver necklace. “Your necklace!”

“My tolerance for metals is waning. I know that I need to remove it.” He hesitated.

“It’s important to you?”

Kiernan scowled. “I don’t know why I care. It was a gift from Father. He enjoys watching the Underground Fae parade about in metal. All the metals and piercings serve as constant reminders that he has found a way to conquer the toxicity of the city.”

“You care because it was a gift from your father. Leaving the Underground doesn’t mean you severed your love for him.”

“It’s wasted love. There was no reciprocation.” He took off the necklace. Rising, he moved his arm back, ready to throw it.

Meghan grasped his wrist. “Kiernan, you don’t need to toss it aside. You spent your whole childhood with him. It’s a reminder you’ve never lost the ability to love, no matter what was done to you.”

“And you are the other reminder I never lost the ability to love. It is only fitting you should have it.”

He reached around her neck and gently fastened the silver chain. Their eyes met. Meghan was stunned by his honest words. Had he really said what she thought? Had Kiernan used the words “love” and “you” in the same sentence?

She stroked it. The metal was intricately welded into a cross, with a small oval at the top. “Does this symbol have a meaning?”

“The ankh symbolizes immortality. Father is drawn to the idea of immortality. Not on a personal level, but on a societal level. He doesn’t wish to be immortal himself, but wants to create a society that is strong enough to survive through the ages.”

They resumed their walk in silence. At times, she would glance at Kiernan, and he would already be watching her. Meghan wanted to say more, to tell him how she was feeling, but the words escaped her.

*

The sun sank, releasing a blaze of colors across the horizon. They were close enough that Meghan could see the boundary of the village. The disorientation spell had not affected her this time. She wondered if Solas’s glamour recognized her because she had spent so much time there. Kiernan had not been influenced, either. Was that due to his first three years in the village or his Fae blood?

They carefully kept to the shadows of the hillside so they would not be spotted. She could see a large pile of brush and logs just inside the village boundary and realized the time for the bonfire ceremony was nearing.

“I cannot wait to see you in your costume again,” Kiernan murmured, his breath tickling her ear.

Meghan pointed in the direction of a small grove of trees. “How about I change over there?”

“Good idea. We can go together.” He took a few steps toward the grove.

She sighed. “Please, can I have some privacy?”

“I promised Avery that I would keep you safe. I intend to honor my promise by not losing sight of you.”

“What about all of the walks I took in the countryside?”

“Our hide-away was so remote, it wasn’t an issue, especially with Wish’s protections. This is where Father would post his scouts. We have to be careful.” Kiernan’s forehead wrinkled as they approached the trees. He spent a few minutes examining the area, looking up into the treetops and in nearby bushes.

Appearing satisfied, he leaned against a wide trunk. “Your changing room, my lady.”