Page 17 of Nix and Tell (The Arun Nixes #1)

17

Chlo

I t’s getting cold when we head back home, and I sling my jacket around Violet’s shoulders as we make our way back into Wyrten Bridge, almost taking out Kit, who’s walking past with Marla. They make the cutest non-couple couple.

“Where’ve you guys been?” asks Marla.

Vi grins at her and starts bubbling over with excitement, telling them both all about our date. Kit shoots me a look. She’s used to me holding myself apart from most of the other nixes in town, but I’ve never dated anyone from the village.

I shrug and grin, but the worry in her eyes doesn’t alleviate, especially when Violet’s gaze catches on the shimmery green scales on her arm. I’ve always wondered about Kit’s tatts, and the way that the inked fish seem to swim behind and in front of the scales that are scattered across her body, just like mine.

Her eyes widen in panic, and she takes a step back.

“Kit?” Marla’s confused and Vi’s trying to hide her dismay. She must have forgotten what Hazel and I have impressed upon her.

“It’s fine, Kit, I?—”

“It sounds like you had a nice date.” Her words are loud enough to attract attention from other people walking around, and there are more than a few nixes who start to shoot us odd looks. No one whom I’d be worried about, but I’ll be getting a call from my parents this evening. If Trisantona’s attempts at matchmaking were clumsy enough, Goddess only knew who my parents would try to set me up with. Probably some completely inoffensive fae with a career in river management who wouldn’t arouse even the slightest desire in me.

Kit looks apologetic, and I realise that somehow, she’s managed to keep her status as a nix complete secret from Marla.

Recovering quickly, Vi smiles at them both and makes a joke about rowboats and picnics.

“You took her on the river?” This time Kit sounds pissed. “You know how dangerous that is.”

Marla’s hand is tight on Kit’s arm, and I remember that why Kit’s estranged from her family. “You do have to be super careful around here, Violet. My brother died when we were kids. Drowned.”

I’ve never seen Vi with anything other than rosy cheeks, but at Marla’s cheeks she goes pale. “I’m… I’m so sorry, Marla.”

“We went further downstream,” I say. I know I’m being short, but I can’t believe that Kit could imagine that I’d ever take part in some antiquated bullshit ritual. “Away from the village. Where the Arun is calmer.”

Her answering nod is short, and her face looks strained. “Chlo’s a good one. Not many like her.” To Marla it sounds like she’s talking about people in general, but the three of us know that she’s warning Violet about nixes. “You ever need to talk to someone, you can pop into the Arms any time.”

“Thank you.”

Violet stares after the two of them as they walk off, and she’s decidedly more sombre as we head back to her apartment. When we get into Spellbound, she sends me up to the living room whilst she finishes off something downstairs in the shop. I can hear her moving about, and the clink of glass jars.

She’s doing an enchantment, I guess, a protection spell. Remembering the look on Marla’s face, I don’t blame her. The summer her brother died, everything changed. Up until that point, all of the teenagers in Wyrten ran about together, nix and mortal. It was before the Veil had lifted and all that energy, all that frustrated potential, manifested itself in strange ways.

I’d been too nerdy to be much involved, but Kit and Marla and their friends spent all their time clambering around the South Downs, swimming in the Arun, being chaotically happy. That was what I remember of the few times I’d joined them. Cider and crisps and music played too loudly in the sun.

When Johnny drowned, shock rippled through the community.

Mortals started clustering together, spending less and less time with the nixes, their subconscious somehow warning them of the dangers. As for the nix community, it was riven in two. Half condemned the death of a child, and the other half sneered at the fragility of mortals, and claimed that only sacrifices would bring back the gods and our power.

Us kids didn’t care about any of that. We just cared that Johnny, who’d been beyond vivacious and full of life, was dead on a slab in the funeral home.

Kit walked out of her father’s home and never went back.

The sound of Violet’s footsteps brought me back to the present, and I smiled tiredly at her as she entered.

“I just wanted to renew my wards; I’ve adjusted them so they don’t hurt nixes in general.”

“But?”

“But there’s a nasty little surprise there for anyone who steps over my threshold whilst wishing me harm.” She was still, almost as still as when I’d had her in my rope. “I don’t know what happened to Marla’s brother, but?—”

“Johnny,” I interrupt. “His name was Johnny.”

I’m still standing, because why would I sit, and she tugs me over to the sofa and I sink into the cushions without another word.

“Johnny.” Her voice is gentle, and her hand strokes my hair, and I allow myself to be pulled close against her and she holds me. “It sounds awful.”

“It was terrible,” I say, the words spilling from me in a rush. “There were people who were pleased about his death, pleased because he was only a mortal and they weren’t as important as bringing back the gods, and us nixes shouldn’t be cavorting with humans anyhow and… and…” I taste saltiness on my lips, my tears surprising me.

Vi doesn’t say anything else, just holds me tighter and rocks me in her arms.

“And then Kit looked at me on the bridge like I was going to do the same thing to you, and I swear Violet, I would never .”

“I know baby, I know.” She mumbles the words against her hair, and they loose a dam inside me and all the tears that I’ve held back for years come tumbling forth. I cling onto Violet and sob.