A Kelpie of Rowan

Chapter 56

Andrian stops at the edge of the river and looks at Rowan. "Make sure you get plenty of rest tonight, alright? You need it."

Rowan nods. "I'll try, but I have lessons with my mother and Darach still."

Andrian frowns. "No magic lessons today, Rowan. You know what Aoife said."

"But my lessons are just about turning my magic off right now. Wouldn't that be good?"

Andrian just looks at her, his gaze sharp. It's almost as of he's looking right through her. "Rowan, no magic. No lessons."

She sighs. "Fine. I won't go to my magic lessons, but I will tell Darach that I can't do them tonight."

Andrian tilts his head. "If you're going to tell your teacher, then you technically are going to the lessons, you will just not be participating in them."

Rowan wacks his arm, smiling. "Oh, hush."

He dips his head. "As you wish."

Silence falls for a few seconds before Rowan bursts out into bright laughter, the sound reaching the kelpies beyond. By the time she stops, she has a stitch in her side. Andrian is visibly restraining his own laughter from beside heer and Rowan turns, lightly swatting his arm. That slight distraction is all she needs to send him into laughter. She grins and hugs him, only for his laughter to abruptly stop. Rowan frowns.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, I'm just surprised."

Her arms tighten. "Well, don't be."

He nods, lowering his chin to rest it against her head. He says something, only for her to be distracted by the reverbrations the words send running through her. "Hmm?"

"You need to go now, or you'll be too exhausted to function later. Aoife may have gotten you a bit of sleep, but you need more than that."

Rowan sighs and pulls away to look up at him. "Tomorrow, then?"

"Yes. I'll see you tomorrow."

Rowan nods and lowers her arms. Andrian stays with her until she reaches the water and then he stops at the edge. Rowan continues wading in, letting the water reach her knees, then her waist, her shoulders, until it finally closes over her head. She emerges at the river by her house and she glances at the bank briefly before she starts swimming for it, making sure to keep her head low.

She really doesn't want to have to deal with the Seelie Lord today. Her day has already been bad enough and she's out of magic. No one is standing at the shore so she starts to swim, her arm mercifully not twinging from the rotation of her shoulder. She clambers onto the bank and starts off in the direction of her house. Rowan follows the familiar path, twisting around the trees that serve as landmarks and holding her bag close to her.

There is a sound from behind her and she spins. There is nothing there, but . . . she looks again. There is a flash of gold in the trees. No, it's brighter than gold, more yellow, like sunshine. She gulps and backs away. The gold spot moves, stepping out from behind a tree. The Seelie Lord. He smiles maliciously.

"Well. I wasn't expecting you to actually notice me."

Rowan clutches her bag to her chest. "So what was your plan then?"

"Why, to follow you home of course. I think it's time to meet the rest of my bloodline, don't you?"

Rowan shakes her head. "No. You leave my family alone. You leave me alone."

His grin turns savage, his teeth bared. "No. If you won't take me to your family, I will take you. You aren't going to get away."

He starts stalking toward her and Rowan drops her hand into her pocket, reaching for her bag of salt. She pulls out a handful, but it's all clumped together from the water still remaining in it. She throws the glob of salt at him anyway. It wacks his cheek and he snarls.

"Did you really think that would work?"

"It was worth a try."

Rowan breaks into a run, moving for the bramble patch. The trees there could protect her, she thinks. But no, she can't hurt them again. Or Darach! Before she can divert her course, a wall of flame springs to life in front of her. Rowan spins, ready to run to the side, but he's anticipated that. The flame corners her, enclosing her in a ring of it. The flames part for a moment and he steps through.

"I told you, you can't get away from me."

Rowan glares at him. "I'm not going to stop trying. Even if you take me with you, I will never stop trying."

He laughs, dark and cruel. "Enough of this. You are coming with me, now."

He grabs her wrist and Rowan gulps. She knows she shouldn't be trying to use magic right now, but she has no choice. She summons fire to her palm and claps her hand around his wrist, sending fire surging through his skin. Maybe he won't be affected because he can control fire, but it's worth a shot. He lets out a cry of pain and releases her, his skin bubbling where she had touched it. Rowan bolts, leaping through the flames.
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Aww, it's the Seelie Lord again. Dang it. Her bad day just won't get better, will it? What do you think is going to happen next? Will she make it to safety? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.