Silver Secrets

Chapter 25: Mel

I'm starting to wonder how my people could stand living around each other. Then again, they probably weren't all as paranoid as Rowan.

"I don't understand why you're so frightened of her," I whisper, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. An owl hoots somewhere outside. "You aren't like this with me."

It's pitch black, but I can feel Rowan glaring at me, no matter how hard I try to tune out his thought-buzz. "But you're you, Mel. I know you try not to hear what I'm thinking. She's different."

"Is that why you woke me up at this time of night? So Aster won't hear anything?"

"I don't trust her."

I think I know what he's getting at. "Rowan, if you want some privacy then we could just tell her we're going for a walk or something."

His thought-buzz goes quiet instantly. "What?"

I'm glad it's too dark for Rowan to see me blushing. "Is that not what you meant?"

"No."

"Oh."

"I mean, no offence," he says quickly. "It's not that I don't want to, I mean, but..." He sighs through his teeth. "Let me start that again."

I sit up on my elbow. "You're giving me mixed signals here."

He pushes me back down with a hand on my shoulder, and I hope he doesn't notice how I shudder at his touch. "That wasn't what I was talking about. What I meant was, I think we should talk about our next step."

I bunch the blanket up around my chin. "You're not happy here, are you?"

"No." He starts twirling a lock of my hair around his finger absently. "When Captain Holanan briefed me on this mission, my objective was to get you safely to Highhold so you could start learning how to control your powers. You're definitely making progress with Aster, but I'm getting worried about the 'safety' part."

"Aster wouldn't hurt me," I say immediately. "Or you. She's harmless, just a bit lonely."

"Is she?" Rowan sinks back against the pillows, sighing. "Have you noticed how she keeps washing her hands?"

"She likes to be clean. So what?"

"I don't know, that's the thing. She confuses me. We also have winter to think about. By the time it sets in for good, we should be well within Deepacre. That was always our plan, remember?"

I nod. I can't really deny that. "I suppose. How long do you think we have?"

"I'm sorry, Mel. I smelled snow coming when I was out hunting today. I think we only have a couple of days."

~

I spend the rest of breakfast the next morning trying to think of a way to tell Aster that Rowan and I want to leave. Maybe I won't need to tell her; maybe she already knows. It's not like I'm thinking of much else.

As I'd thought, it's Aster who broaches the subject first, when I'm helping her with the dishes and Rowan's slunk off to split more logs, at Aster's request.

"You've made a lot of progress with me, Mel," she says in a voice as sweet as honey.

"I think so too," I reply cautiously, wiping off a plate with a rag.

"You know there's only so much I can teach you. Our magic is more down to practice than learning theory and all that."

"I know." I set the plate down. "And Aster, really, I'm so grateful for everything you've—"