Rell and The Rose

Ch. 39, An Unexpected Arrival

Rell

"Rell, where are you going?"

I spun, surprised to see Bastien walking through the rain from the small outlying house that his mother lay forever sleeping in. I had noticed that Bastien was often absent from the house in the mornings and evenings. I thought maybe he was out hunting, but now I realized he was likely with his mother. It wasn't quite dawn, and the rain made the forest and buildings seem darker and more distant, as if we'd taken a step away from reality. Maybe we had.

"I was going to run to school." I gave a small, involuntary shiver.

"In the rain? Come on, I'll drive you," he smiled, warm and friendly, a complete change from the old Bastien. A thousand things changed this weekend. Bastien and I had begun to work together for the Blood Rose. But as I walked quietly through the morning chill, I wondered for the first time if that was a good thing.

I couldn't forget the body of the shadow dragon we had killed. When it's body had turned into smoke, shrieking as the sun stripped it's magic and essence away, I couldn't help but think of Poxel's brother and sister dragons. How many beasts from the Dark Realm were slipping over and dying with the morning sun? I had come to find The Blood Rose and save the Dark Realm, but so far I'd done nothing.

And worse, was the message the creature sent to Poxel before he died, the terror, the fear, his insistence that the Beast was near...

Or, as Pozel translated: the Beast is here.

My eyes slipped to Bastien and then back to the ground again as he led us through the rain.

Bastien had become my friend... yet how much did I really know of him? Why was his mother searching for the Blood Rose? I suddenly felt as cold and grey as the day. Would it be better for me to distance myself from Bastien? I'd spent my whole life following commands, but without Lorcan's guidance I was no longer sure I knew the best way forward.

We slipped into the garage and the rain pounded out a symphony above. Bastien opened the door to his father's car, but I didn't look at him as I stepped inside. The car smelled like cold leather, and I resisted holding my fingers out to the radiator, instead burying them in the new jacket I'd bought at the incredible Walmart.

Despite Bastien telling me the tiny tags of paper attached to each item weren't meant for decoration, I'd saved each one of them and placed them in a pocket in my new backpack. I wanted to remember that night forever. It made me sad to think that once I found the rose, I might never see this realm again.

I might never see Bastien again.

"So I wanted to ask you," Bastien began, interrupting my thoughts, "the Halloween Dance is coming up, and it's kinda fun, everyone dresses up. Plus the Erikson's throw a huge party at their lake house after. This year it's going to be extra cool, because it'll be on the night of the Blood Moon."

I had meant to stare out silently out the window, tracking the streaks of rain, but I jerked and turned back. "What did you just say?"

"Would you umm, want to go with me, to the Halloween party?"

"No, after that."

He paused, his eyebrows pulling together as he turned the car onto the main road and the noise of the rain increased as we drove faster. "Halloween will be the night of the Blood Moon. It only happens 4 or 5 times a century."

I exhaled, eyes wide as I sunk deeper into the leather seat. My mind raced as fast as the trees streaking by the window.

"The party, where is it?" I asked.

"They have it out at the lake house out in the woods. It gets kinda crazy so if you'd rather go somewhere quiet-"

"No." I cut him off. My face was flushed, my pulse racing. "It's perfect. I'd love to come with you."

"Cool," Bastien settled back into his seat, and again the silence crept into the car. But this time I didn't notice, I was so preoccupied with thoughts of what he told me, and what it meant. When we pulled into the parking lot the first bell had already rung, and all the spots in the front were taken, so we sprinted through the rain.

Bastien opened the door for me, but I was too preoccupied to thank him. I barely noticed the floors were slick with water and mud until I slipped and Bastien caught me with one hand, holding me upright.

"You okay?"

I made the mistake of looking up into his eyes. Some of the black hair from his ponytail had come loose, and his dark eyes were warm, and far, far too close to me.

"Bastien!" I jerked away at the sound of Bastien's name, somehow feeling guilty. But it turned out that I didn't need to worry— a crowd of students gathered before the front office.

"Bastien! " One of tall, athletic looking boys in the group called again, beckoning him forward, and Bastien and I exchanged a look before we made our way over to the group. The group was buzzing with conversation, all pointed inward to someone I couldn't see, and instantly my mind jumped ahead: something terrible had happened. Another person was missing.

Instead the crowd parted, and a lovely girl with dark, glossy hair and eyes like midnight pools sauntered forward.

Bastien stopped, his face lined with shock, and then relief. "Cat, You're back! What happened? Do you know what happened to Carter? Where were you?" Then he surprised me, and judging by her face, her as well, by reaching forward and crushing her into a hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he said, holding her out before him. Over his shoulder, our eyes locked. Her gaze was both curious and wary. Who was this girl?

She pulled back and cleared her throat, shooting another quick, curious glance at me and then back to Bastien. "I'm fine, but no, I don't know anything about Carter. I got lost in the woods, after... after we talked." Her smile faded, and she threw her hair over her shoulder and turned back to the circle of friends who were now all watching expectantly. Her voice rose, a touch haughty now, "I was lost for two days, and then I was saved." Her face lit up, and I had to admit that when it did, she was rather beautiful.

The circle parted, and a dark figure walked forward.

My mind went perfectly, completely, horribly blank.

"Everyone this is-"

"Lorcan," I whispered in shock.

(Hey guys! Been a little while since I left a message, so wanted to let you all know I just put up some pics of early reader copies of THE LAST SHE on my Instagram! (you can read an unedited version of the series on Wattpad as well). It will be out December 7th, and Wattpad should be doing a cover reveal very soon! Fun to see a project that I started on Wattpad in 2015 getting closer to being on bookshelves for all of you to enjoy. :) It wouldn't have happened without all of you reading and supporting the books, so thank you. 

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Might be taking off a day or two from posting new chapters this weekend, but will be back to new chapter almost every day on Monday ;)

Hannah