Rory Blackwood's Arc

Chapter 6 of 13

Rory tore a strip from the back of her notebook at lunch. She wrote six words. *Grove. After dinner. Come alone.* She folded it twice and pressed it into Kael's palm when she passed his table. He did not look up. His fingers closed around the paper. That was enough. She ate fast, left Void curled on her pillow, and slipped out the side door while the halls were still loud. No boots behind her. The corridor stayed empty all the way down the stair Aphrodite had shown her. The stone arch stood dark against the trees. The lanterns were out. She lit one with a thought, small, the way she had been taught. Kael came through the arch a minute later. All black, tie loose, sleeves shoved to the elbow. He stopped inside the ring of light and looked at the door behind her, then at the trees. "No one followed you?" "No one. He's off me." "For now." He sat on the moss across from her. The shadows in the grove leaned toward him and he let them. Rory pulled her knees in. "I need the rest of it. Convergence. What it does to me. What she wants with it." "Two lines of power in one witch. I told you that." "You told me the name. Not what happens." Kael was quiet. A shadow slid up his wrist and he pushed it back down. "The lines fight for the same body. One wins. If neither does, the witch burns from the inside. Your grandmother wrote *not yet* because she was waiting for you to be old enough to survive it." Rory's hands went cold. "And Aphrodite?" "Aphrodite wants to be standing next to you when it happens. Whatever wins, she wants to hold the leash." Rory made herself breathe the way the Headmistress had taught her. In. Hold. Out. The lantern did not flare. "Why are you telling me this. Really." He looked at her. His eyes stayed his own. "Because you asked." "That's not an answer." "It's the one I have." "Kael." Her voice cracked on it. "I don't have anyone else who knows what I am. If that's all this is, tell me now." He did not move for a long second. Then he leaned forward and put his hand over hers on the moss. His palm was warm. He did not squeeze. He did not let go either. "It isn't all this is," he said. "But my court is coming apart. If they see me choose you, they use you to reach me. So I can't. Not out loud. Not yet." Rory turned her hand under his and held on. "Then not out loud." "Not out loud," he said. A branch cracked past the arch. Kael was on his feet before the sound stopped. Rory killed the lantern. Someone was already inside the trees, walking toward the grove.