Fragile Eternity
Page 50
Aislinn was a little surprised that Seth wasnt at her door that morningand a lot disappointed. The meeting with Keenan and Tavish and a handful of other faeries last night had run into the early hours, but shed come home afterward in hopes of seeing Seth. They usually grabbed breakfast together before school at least twice a week. Today shouldve been one of those days.
Invisible to the world, Quinn and a small group of guards were waiting along the street downstairs. She caught Quinns eye and smiled. Theyd developed an accord on the whole privacy bit. It was hard enough to explain Keenans omnipresence to her friendsand to Seths friends. If she had a wholegroup of mostly male strangers shadowing her everywhere, thered be no chance of explaining them away. Unless they were at the Crows Nest or faery-only places likes the Rath, her guards stayed invisible.
Seths walking speed was a slow lope, so she usually left extra time in the morning so they could go slowly. Without him beside her, she walked at a brisk pace.
I could run.
She tried to shake off the uneasy feeling: Seth had been late a few times. Maybe hed be at the Depot already. He hadnt said hed meet her, but surely he wasnt that upset still. Seth wasnt temperamental like her. He was reasonable.
Everything will be fine.
Shed forgotten to charge her phone, so she couldnt call him.
The uneasy feeling wasnt letting up. She turned into a lot and around the side of a buildingout of sight of mortalsand donned a glamour so as to be invisible to all but faeries and Sighted mortals. Then, she ran.
It felt amazing to move that fast; her body tingled with the sudden freedom. There were parts of being fey that thrilled her far more than she could ever have imagined. The speed at which she could now move was one of them. The downside, of course, was that she was where she needed to be in a few brief heartbeats. It was useful, but it was also over too fast. Being a faery skewed her sense of time. She hadnt yet tried to come to terms with the alternate time that existed in the removed part of Faerie, in Sorchas demesne, but until she had to meet the High Queen, she wasnt interested in pondering that particular paradox. For now, shed been having enough trouble thinking about how finite everything mortal was, how brief a time shed have with Seth and Grams.
She stopped in front of the Depot. The coffee spot was crowded. A number of people she knew were there, filling the tiny tables and leaning against the walls. Aislinn was glad they couldnt see her as she went inside. She rushed through the main room into the smaller rooms: Seth wasnt there either. Her sense of unease grew.
Maybe hes at school.It was possible. Sometimes he met her there before he went to the library or to sketch at the park. If not, it meant that he was upset enough to not meet her, to not want to talk about things. Panic tightened her lungs.What if he wont talk to me?
He was the only one whod ever accepted her as she was, for who she was, with both sides of her new life. Grams tried. Keenan tried. Only Seth truly knew her; only Seth understood her completely.
Still unseen by mortal eyes, she crossed the street and rushed to Bishop OConnell High School. Not caring how stupid it was, she became visible in between steps. Quinn, behind her, made a disapproving sound, but he wouldnt say anything. He wasnt the sort to comment on faeries arrogances.
Aislinn glanced back at the guards.
Quinn said, Well be here.
She nodded and went inside. For a few moments, she stood there, but the familiar sounds of her classmates voices were disquieting. These were the people she was to protect, but unlike her fey, they had no idea that she stood between them and a potential war that could devastate the earth. She watched them and listened to snippets of conversation that were so far removed from her now as to be in another language. This was the world she had never truly belonged tothe world her friends lived in, a world where economics exams and prom were life or death, a world where a fight with a boyfriend was even worse. She paused. Some things were the same.Seth being upset is still that important. She might not be prom bound, but the faery revels offered her more than enough dancing. Econ still matteredin very practical ways. And Sethhe was everything.
The best time to see him was now. Without another moments hesitation, she turned and walked right back out the door shed just entered. Shed go see him.Maybe he overslept. Or maybe he didnt want to talk. So he can at least listen. She wasnt going to let this fester. Shed go to him. Theyd talk it out. He was essential to her.
So she ranthrough the streets, across the railroad yard, and to his door. She heard the guards trailing behind her, but she didnt stop to speak to them.Let them think Im impulsive. All that mattered was reaching Seth.
A few minutes after shed left the school, she turned her key in Seths lock and pushed it open. Seth?
There were no lights on, no music playing. The teakettle sat on the burner. Two unwashed teacups were on the counter. It looked like Seth had gone out suddenly. He didnt usually leave his cups or dishes unwashed.
Seth? Aislinn walked back to the second train car and into the bedroom.
It was early morning, and the bed was already made. Hed left too quickly to wash his cups, but not too quickly to make his bed. She leaned over the side and plugged her phone into the spare charger. As the phone came to life she saw the voice mail notice. He had called.
She was relieveduntil she heard it: Im leaving tonight, and He stopped, and Aislinn could hear another voice faintlya girlbut couldnt make out what she said. Then Seths voice was back. And Ill calllater. I just need to go now. I dont know whenifI need to go.
Invisible to the world, Quinn and a small group of guards were waiting along the street downstairs. She caught Quinns eye and smiled. Theyd developed an accord on the whole privacy bit. It was hard enough to explain Keenans omnipresence to her friendsand to Seths friends. If she had a wholegroup of mostly male strangers shadowing her everywhere, thered be no chance of explaining them away. Unless they were at the Crows Nest or faery-only places likes the Rath, her guards stayed invisible.
Seths walking speed was a slow lope, so she usually left extra time in the morning so they could go slowly. Without him beside her, she walked at a brisk pace.
I could run.
She tried to shake off the uneasy feeling: Seth had been late a few times. Maybe hed be at the Depot already. He hadnt said hed meet her, but surely he wasnt that upset still. Seth wasnt temperamental like her. He was reasonable.
Everything will be fine.
Shed forgotten to charge her phone, so she couldnt call him.
The uneasy feeling wasnt letting up. She turned into a lot and around the side of a buildingout of sight of mortalsand donned a glamour so as to be invisible to all but faeries and Sighted mortals. Then, she ran.
It felt amazing to move that fast; her body tingled with the sudden freedom. There were parts of being fey that thrilled her far more than she could ever have imagined. The speed at which she could now move was one of them. The downside, of course, was that she was where she needed to be in a few brief heartbeats. It was useful, but it was also over too fast. Being a faery skewed her sense of time. She hadnt yet tried to come to terms with the alternate time that existed in the removed part of Faerie, in Sorchas demesne, but until she had to meet the High Queen, she wasnt interested in pondering that particular paradox. For now, shed been having enough trouble thinking about how finite everything mortal was, how brief a time shed have with Seth and Grams.
She stopped in front of the Depot. The coffee spot was crowded. A number of people she knew were there, filling the tiny tables and leaning against the walls. Aislinn was glad they couldnt see her as she went inside. She rushed through the main room into the smaller rooms: Seth wasnt there either. Her sense of unease grew.
Maybe hes at school.It was possible. Sometimes he met her there before he went to the library or to sketch at the park. If not, it meant that he was upset enough to not meet her, to not want to talk about things. Panic tightened her lungs.What if he wont talk to me?
He was the only one whod ever accepted her as she was, for who she was, with both sides of her new life. Grams tried. Keenan tried. Only Seth truly knew her; only Seth understood her completely.
Still unseen by mortal eyes, she crossed the street and rushed to Bishop OConnell High School. Not caring how stupid it was, she became visible in between steps. Quinn, behind her, made a disapproving sound, but he wouldnt say anything. He wasnt the sort to comment on faeries arrogances.
Aislinn glanced back at the guards.
Quinn said, Well be here.
She nodded and went inside. For a few moments, she stood there, but the familiar sounds of her classmates voices were disquieting. These were the people she was to protect, but unlike her fey, they had no idea that she stood between them and a potential war that could devastate the earth. She watched them and listened to snippets of conversation that were so far removed from her now as to be in another language. This was the world she had never truly belonged tothe world her friends lived in, a world where economics exams and prom were life or death, a world where a fight with a boyfriend was even worse. She paused. Some things were the same.Seth being upset is still that important. She might not be prom bound, but the faery revels offered her more than enough dancing. Econ still matteredin very practical ways. And Sethhe was everything.
The best time to see him was now. Without another moments hesitation, she turned and walked right back out the door shed just entered. Shed go see him.Maybe he overslept. Or maybe he didnt want to talk. So he can at least listen. She wasnt going to let this fester. Shed go to him. Theyd talk it out. He was essential to her.
So she ranthrough the streets, across the railroad yard, and to his door. She heard the guards trailing behind her, but she didnt stop to speak to them.Let them think Im impulsive. All that mattered was reaching Seth.
A few minutes after shed left the school, she turned her key in Seths lock and pushed it open. Seth?
There were no lights on, no music playing. The teakettle sat on the burner. Two unwashed teacups were on the counter. It looked like Seth had gone out suddenly. He didnt usually leave his cups or dishes unwashed.
Seth? Aislinn walked back to the second train car and into the bedroom.
It was early morning, and the bed was already made. Hed left too quickly to wash his cups, but not too quickly to make his bed. She leaned over the side and plugged her phone into the spare charger. As the phone came to life she saw the voice mail notice. He had called.
She was relieveduntil she heard it: Im leaving tonight, and He stopped, and Aislinn could hear another voice faintlya girlbut couldnt make out what she said. Then Seths voice was back. And Ill calllater. I just need to go now. I dont know whenifI need to go.
