Chapter 34

Ava turned off the engine and sat there. Not her brightest moment. Taking off without checking the gas tank. She looked around, she wasn’t even sure where she was. Putting the kickstand down, she looked at the gas gauge. She should have enough to get back to that gas station. But not yet. She needed some time.

Getting off, she set the helmet on the seat, pulled the elastic holding her ponytail out, and shook her head. Right now, she just needed some quiet. She looked at the lake at the bottom of the hill—nothing but nature.

She didn’t know how people lived in the quiet like this. She may have when she was younger—but now she needed the constant pulse of the city. It either fueled her anger or soothed it. She wasn’t sure, but she needed it right now. Walking over to the fence, she leaned on it.

Where did she even begin with what Firo told her? She felt like she was treading water, trying not to sink with all of it.

Her mother was a fairy princess. Just thinking it made her roll her eyes. This was not some fairy tale story—that much she knew without a doubt. A princess. She blew out a breath and moved away from the fence.

Looking around, she tried to figure out if there was a way down to the lake. She didn’t see any building near it, so it wouldn’t be trespassing, right? Not seeing anyone, she climbed over the fence and started down the hill.

Firo had saved her from what she could tell. Saved her from whatever had happened that day. A slight twinge in her head made her pause. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and blew it out. She wasn’t going to think about there—not right now. She started walking again. Today’s mental torment was going to be about many other things.

She paused again, remembering she was going to ask him how he had felt her distress that day. Could all those from his realm do that? She shook her head and started walking again. That would be crazy—they’d never get a second of peace. All people were always distressed, stressed, or caught in drama.

It had to be because of where she’d been, maybe he had some sort of connection because of her mother dying there. She sighed. A morbid thought. That he had made her home where her royal mother had died.

A sensation went up her spine. She stopped and looked around. Someone was watching her. She knew it wasn’t Firo. In the last week, she’d figured out that it felt a certain way when it was him, and that was not what she was feeling right now. She waited and didn’t feel that sensation again.

Shaking her head, she started toward the lake again. The level of weirdness in her life lately was reaching epicness. How did she turn it all off so she could go back to the way things were? Fixing bikes, helping around the house and neighborhood and on good weeks, the local bike shop called her to help with repairs. That was her heaven. Snorting, she stopped and looked up at the sky. “Hey, Dad, is that you lurking?” She laughed and walked to the shore.

Picking up a small stone, she threw it into the lake and then stood there and watched the ripples.

The grass and plants around the outside were long and unkempt, telling her this wasn’t a place where others came. That was good, she might be here for a long while trying to work through all of this.

A breeze blew her hair back from her face. It was warm. She glanced over the lake. It was completely placid; the water was flat, with not a ripple anywhere. Shouldn’t any wind cause movement or waves? It happened again, and she stiffened. It wasn’t a breeze. It felt just like that magic crap at the river. She looked around, scanning the area slowly. She knew something or someone was out there, but she couldn’t see anything. When it brushed over her again, it was with more force, causing her to step back.

She needed to tell someone. Patting her pockets, she realized she’d left her phone sitting on the workbench. She was right up to her neck in stupid moves today.

Squatting down, she kept looking at the other side of the water while making it look like she hadn’t noticed. She picked up another stone and tossed it in, trying to pretend she hadn’t noticed. She felt her back twinge and knew it would only be moments before her wings were out. The problem was, she didn’t know if they would be the hard-to-see ones or the ones that were very bold and visible.

Firo was right. She needed to learn how to work this—whatever it was. Clenching her teeth, she focused on keeping her wings tucked in—wherever they were when they weren’t out. She didn’t even know the answer to her own anatomy.

“Firo, now would be a good time to be all lurky.”

She thought she saw something on the other side of the lake move but couldn’t focus to look when another sensation passed over her. It was not a gentle inquiry this time. It was prickly and hurt.

Why couldn’t whoever this was just straight out face her? This was a cowardly way. It hit her again hard enough that it took her breath away. Pains moved up her arms into her head.

“Avalie.”

She turned to see Firo running down the hill. His wings were in full sight, and he had his sword in his hand.

She started to stand when it hit her again. This time, it knocked her back. She stumbled over something in the grass behind her and fell, hitting the ground hard. She gasped when pain shot up through her tailbone.

Firo appeared in front of her and held his hand out.