Page 38 of The Witch’s Shifter (Season of the Witch #3)
Rowan
THE RAIN HIT SOON AFTER Faolan and Aurora vanished into the forest. We all sought shelter from the storm in the Golden Lantern, and I’ve been pacing the windows in the sitting room ever since.
Alden is dozing off in an oversize armchair near the big roaring fire, the ale finally having caught up to him.
I’m not sure where Evelyn went, but Selene and Wyland are here with us, sipping tea at a table beside a window.
Outside, it’s so dark that all I can see is my own reflection in the glass. My green eyes stare back at me, mouth set in a grim line.
I want to be livid, to crash through the forest after Faolan and then demand to know what he was thinking, carrying Aurora off into the night like that. And with her on his back, of all things. What if she slips and falls? What if she hurts herself?
My stomach pinches as the fears I’ve carried for so long come back to me, tenfold now that I’m soon to become a father. Despite Niamh’s placating words at the festival, I find myself spiraling again, caught in a whirlpool of worries.
It’s my job to protect her, to protect my child. What if I can’t do it? What if I fail and—
“Rowan?” Selene calls softly.
I turn from the rain-streaked window and try to wipe the frown from my face, but I’m not so sure it works, because Selene’s forehead furrows as she studies me.
“You’re worried about her,” she says.
I nod once.
She sighs. “Of course you are.” The furrow in her brow softens, and she gestures to the empty seat at the table. “Join us?”
Just as I approach, the baby starts to fuss.
“I’ll take him upstairs,” Wyland says. He’s tall and lean, and when he stands from the table, his legs look long as tree boughs. Selene hands Fletcher to him, and then Wyland pats me on the shoulder before heading into the candlelit foyer and up the stairs to the second floor.
Now it’s just me, Selene, and a gently snoring Alden. I don’t know how he’s so relaxed about all this. Does it really not bother him that Aurora is out there in the dark, in the rain , with a shifter?
With Faolan , I remind myself.
Heaving a sigh, I sink into the chair across from Selene. It squeaks beneath my weight.
“Sugar?” she asks, already pouring me a cup of tea from a dark blue teapot.
“No, thank you.”
I take the cup, and the calming scent of chamomile washes over me. It doesn’t smell nearly so good as what Aurora brews, but it’ll do.
We lapse into silence. Selene watches the fire and fiddles with the vial around her neck. Finally, I clear my throat.
“May I ask you something?”
Her gaze is soft when she meets my eyes. “Of course.”
After taking a sip of tea, I shift in my chair and lean forward, bracing one arm against the table. “Your mother... Why does she treat Aurora so coldly? I knew they didn’t have the best of relationships, but watching them, I can’t help but to feel something is amiss.”
Across from me, Selene averts her blue eyes.
Her hair, silver like moonlight, absorbs the firelight and looks almost orange as the flames flicker.
“I don’t claim to know everything that goes through my mother’s head, but I believe it has something to do with this place.
” She looks around the inn’s comfortable sitting room and draws her shawl closer.
“She’s never liked it here, but Aurora.
..” Her quiet laugh dances between us. “Aurora has always been drawn to Faunwood. She was made for these trees. Though I’m sure you know that by now. ”
Despite my dark mood, I smile. “That I do.”
“Even as a girl, she wanted to be here , with Auntie. And my mother couldn’t stand that.
She and Auntie Lilith didn’t get along, even up to the very end.
” Crystalline tears brim along her lower lashes, but she dabs them quickly away with the end of her shawl.
“Forgive me. It’s still painful, talking about her now that she’s gone. ”
“I understand. I didn’t intend to dig up painful memories. Forgive me.”
“There’s nothing to forgive.” She smiles at me, and I can see a bit of Aurora in her, even if they’re different in so many ways. “I’m so glad to get to know you”—her gaze flicks past me, to where Alden is still snoring softly—“and Alden. It’s clear you both treasure my little sister.”
My mood lifts, if only slightly. “She’s special,” I say, voice barely above a whisper.
Selene dabs her eyes again, then takes a steadying breath. “I know. And I’m glad someone else does now too.” She reaches across the table and places her hand upon mine. Despite the heat in the room, her hand is a bit cold, and I wonder if it has to do with her magic.
Her words bolster me a bit. “Do you know where I might find your mother?”
Selene’s brows arch up. “In her room, I believe. She went straight upstairs when we arrived.”
My gaze shifts to the staircase in the foyer. “Perhaps I’ll pay her a visit before we head back.”
When Evelyn opens the door and sees me standing there, her scowl lifts into curiosity.
“Sir Rowan,” she says. “To what do I owe the visit?
“I apologize for arriving uninvited.” I bow my head to her, then straighten and hold up the tiny plate of apple-cinnamon cake I was able to procure from the cook. “Selene told me you like sweets.”
Her lips curl on one side as she regards the cake. Then, finally, she eases back and opens the door. “Come in.”
I step into her room, and she closes the door behind me. Her fire is burning, chasing the chill from the air, and a book and cup of tea sit on a table beside the rocking chair. Given the smell in the air, I believe the tea to be of the mint variety.
Evelyn moves toward the rocking chair, one hand gesturing to the additional chair tucked beside the wardrobe. I fetch it, careful not to tip the cake from its plate, then sit. She sits as well, a small sigh slipping from her as she eases down.
Her dark hair is in one long braid, and the strands of silver around her temples glisten in the firelight. Her eyes, purple like amethyst, regard me.
“The cake got you through the door,” she says, holding out a hand so that I may pass the plate to her. “Now tell me why you’re here.”
I can’t help but smile. “You’re direct.”
“It’s so much easier that way, don’t you think?”
Can’t disagree with that.
“Very well.” I adjust my tunic and sit straighter. “I’m here to speak with you about Aurora.”
Evelyn’s shoulders tense, but she hides it well. It occurs to me she’s been masking her true feelings since she arrived here. But why?
After taking a bite of cake, she flicks her gaze to me. “You’ll have to be more specific, Sir Highcliff.”
“Are you angry with her? Has she done something to wrong you?”
Now her eyes narrow. “Why would you ask such a thing?”
“Because Aurora has spoken to me of you. She feels she is a disappointment to you. And watching the way you interact with her, Lady Silvermoon. ..” I shake my head.
“I’m sad to say I see why she feels this way.
But I don’t understand, no matter how I try.
I may be biased, but I believe your daughter is one of the most caring, gentle, beautiful-hearted people anyone could meet, and for the life of me, I cannot comprehend why you don’t seem to see that in her, why you don’t appreciate and nurture her delicate nature. ”
Evelyn’s lips tighten as she stares at me. Her eyes simmer, but she says nothing. I remain quiet, waiting. The fork clinks against the plate as she takes another bite of cake and chews slowly.
“There is much you don’t understand,” she whispers at long last. Her gaze is on the fire now instead of me.
I turn her words over in my head for a moment, then ask, “Does Aurora understand? Because so far as I know, you’ve left her in the dark, haven’t told her why you are so hard on her.”
That elicits a reaction. Her head snaps toward me. “I fail to see, Sir Highcliff, how the relationship I have with my daughter is any of your concern.”
Now, for the first time since stepping into her room, an ember of frustration flares to life in my gut.
“I love Aurora, and if that is not good enough for you, she carries my child. I have every intention of raising that child, of being there for them— both of them—every day for as long as I breathe. Does that not entitle me to concern for Aurora’s well-being? ”
“Planting a seed does not make you a gardener.” Bitter resentment colors her tone. “And while I can appreciate you coming here to speak with me, I must say, it’s quite brash of you.”
“You said it yourself—it’s best to be direct.” I sit straighter in the chair and hold her indigo gaze. “Would you prefer I not try to protect the woman I love?”
“I would prefer ,” she says as she stands slowly, “for you to leave. Promptly.” The sharp edge of her jaw and the set of her lips leave no room for argument. But even if I were to press, I don’t believe I’d make much—if any—progress.
With a sigh, I push to my feet. “As you wish, Lady Silvermoon.” My boots brush softly over the rug underfoot.
After crossing the room, I pause at the door.
“For what it’s worth, I know Aurora loves you deeply.
I hope you see that as well and can find it within yourself to value her in the way she deserves.
” My hand rests upon the gleaming metal door handle.
Before slipping out, I add, “I know how it feels to lose someone you love, and I would hate for you to lose the chance to truly connect with your daughter. It would be a tragedy.”
Then I leave, and she says nothing else as her door closes quietly behind me.