Eden Riverwallow's Arc

Chapter 3 of 18

Eden pressed a rag to her wrist and watched Kane from the porch rail. Maleficit was gone. He had left the moment Kane crossed her yard, backing into the trees without a word. The cut had already stopped bleeding. Kane stood at the bottom of her steps with his hands in his jacket pockets and would not look at her. "You knew he was there," Eden said. "Before tonight. You've known." "Yes." "Then tell me what he is." "He told you himself." "He told me he's old. He didn't tell me what you are." Kane's jaw moved. He looked past her at the door. The cottage was quiet behind them, the way it went quiet when it was listening. The black cat sat on the top step between them, tail curled around his paws, eyes on Kane. "Come inside," Eden said. "I made tea an hour ago. It's still hot. The house keeps it hot." "No." "Then answer one question and go." He waited. "What are you." "Not something you need in your kitchen." "That isn't an answer." "It's the one you get." Willow drifted through the doorframe and stopped at Eden's shoulder. Kane's eyes tracked her. He saw her. Eden noted it. Most people who came to the fence looked through Willow like weather. "He can see me," Willow said. "I know," Eden said. Kane's mouth tightened. He had given something away and knew it. Eden stepped down off the porch. The cat moved with her. She stopped one stair above Kane so their eyes were level. "You put yourself between me and him," she said. "Twice now. You watch my fence. You know my friend is dead and you can still see her. Whatever you are, you're closer to this than I am." "That's why I'm telling you to stop." "Stop what." "Whatever you started with him tonight. He crossed your line because you called him. Don't call him again." "I wasn't going to." She held his eyes. "I was going to call you." Kane went still. Not surprised. Caught. His hand came out of his pocket and hung at his side like he had forgotten what to do with it. In the porch light his eyes caught yellow at the back for one blink and went brown again. Eden saw it. She did not look away. "Don't," he said. "Too late." He stepped back off her walk. "Wash the cut. Salt the sill. Don't open the door tonight, not for him, not for me." "Kane." He was already at the treeline. He did not turn. Eden went inside and locked the door. Willow was waiting by the stove. The cat jumped onto the table and sat. "His eyes," Eden said. "I saw." "He's not a man." "No." Eden set the rag down. She had wanted a name for what Kane was. She had gotten a color instead, and a warning, and the certain knowledge that he was afraid of what she would do with either.