Rowan groans, the heat stifling her. It feels like she's been left in the sun. Then her eyes flash open, fear coursing through her. If she passed out at the edge of the river, the Seelie Lord could have found her again! But . . . the sun isn't above her, she sees the panels of a wooden ceiling. Why is she so warm? Something tickles her nose and Rowan sniffs, then she freezes. Is that . . . smoke? There is a shout from somewhere else in the room.
"Ro! Your hands!"
Rowan sits bolt upright, her head swimming. Andrian is sitting in a chair beside his desk, his eyes wide and fixed on her hands. What's he worrying about? Rowan glances down and gasps. Her hands are on fire! The sheets she was touching a few moments ago are charred, burnt. Rowan lifts her hands into the air, trying to keep them as far away from anything flammable as she possibly can while also keeping them away from herself. She barely registers it when Andrian rises from his seat, she's still staring at her hands in horror. He skirts around the bed, staying well out of reach of the red flames. He touches her shoulder gently.
"You're alright, Ro. The fire won't hurt you. You're controlling it, so it can't. But you need to relax."
Rowan gulps, her mouth dry. The flames flare up, causing her to flinch away. He starts rubbing her back in slow, calming circles. He murmurs gently to her.
"Think of something peaceful, Ro. What makes you happy?"
It comes out in a whisper, whooshing out with her breath. "The forest."
She can see the trees in her head. Tall and green, full of chattering animals and the breeze whistling through. The sun speckles the ground, spattering it with gold. In her mind, Rowan reaches out a hand to one of the trees and strokes the bark, warm beneath her fingers. The flame in her hands flickers, dying out, and Rowan smiles. Her eyes flick shut, leaving her in the forest. The leaves dance and Rowan can see a chanterelle mushroom peeking out from behind the tree.
She steps around the trunk to find it, reaching down to pluck it from the earth. Hidden away beneath it, smothered by the mushroom's bulk, is a tiny tree sapling, just the barest bit of green. Rowan reaches out to touch it and it seems to wave at her, just as the forest flashes green, the sunlight trying to poke through a leaf. Rowan can hear Andrain. Why's he in the forest? He hums.
"That's interesting."
He sounds close by, as if he's right beside her. She spins, looking for him. But he's nowhere in sight. "Andrian?"
"Yes?"
"Where are you? I can't see you."
He laughs. "Open your eyes, Ro."
She frowns, turning back to the sapling, confused. She strokes one of the young leaves, soft beneath her touch. "Why are you telling me to open my eyes? They are open. Where are you?"
Andrian's voice hardens, edged with panic. "Rowan, open your eyes. Now."
"But-"
"Do it! Think of my house, my room, and open your eyes!"
Rowan blinks, and when her eyes open again, she's no longer in the forest, that peaceful place. She wants to go back, it was lovely there. She tries to think of the forest again, closing her eyes, but Andrian places his hands on either side of her head, freezing her in place.
"Don't Rowan. Don't think of it, wherever you were."
"Why?"
"That was magic, pulling you in. And it was getting out here, too. Not just inside your head."
"What?"
He slides off the bed and beckons for her to rise. She does as he asks, still frowning in confusion. Andrian points out the window, at the edge of the forest. It seems closer than it did before, the trees reaching out towards the cottage.
"Were those there before?"
Andrian shakes his head. "No, they moved as you were inside your head. That was the magic, reaching out."
"What does that mean?"
He sighs. "It could mean two things. One, you almost got sucked into another faerie realm and it was leaking into your real surroundings or two, your magic is presenting itself as both fire and a gift with plants."
Rowan looks down at the floor, whispering. "But it was just the forest."
Andrian places a hand on her shoulder. "No, it wasn't. It was a forest, yes, but there was something else to it. And Ro, it could be a forest in another realm. Let's not get you stuck there."
She smiles weakly. "I'll try." Then she pauses, frowning. "What am I doing here? I don't remember coming through the passage."
________________________________________________________________________________
What do you think the forest actually was? Which option Andrian presented do you think it is, or is it neither? What do you think is going to happen next? Tell me your thoughts!
Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!
~ Goddess of Fate, signing out.