“Gah! Boys are so stupid!” She yelled with her fists clenched at her sides. She didn't care if the others could hear her. Paden wasn't making any sense at all. How could he jerk her around like this? She had just gotten her first kiss, and then he turns around and acts like nothing had happened. She thought they had made progress. She headed for her room, thoroughly ticked off. She wanted a long shower and to be left alone.

“So, is it all males in general? Or just the younger version?”

Ree turned around and stared at Roland angrily. He was buckling a sword and sheath around his narrow waist as he walked down the hall.

“Right now? I'm thinking they’re stupid no matter how old they get.” Suddenly she was aching for a fight and it might as well be Roland that caught the brunt. After all, he was the one that had ruined her perfect moment in the kitchen.

“Ah, I see your boyfriend is being pigheaded.” He gave her a soft smile. “But his loyalty is admirable.”

“I think it’s a little skewed.” She snorted. Boyfriend, yeah right. “So, do you want to tell me what all of that in the kitchen was about? Why were you acting like such a jerk?”

“I'm sorry about that.” He smiled at her sadly. “I shouldn't have done that.”

“I know that already. What I want to know is why?”

“You don't really look like her, you know. Tria was your height, but she had this lovely dark hair that reached her waist. Her eyes were the softest brown.”

Ree stared at him and had the faint hope that her mouth wasn't hanging open. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it wasn't this. What did this have to do with anything?

After a moment, Roland continued. “But she had this amazing amount of courage, just like you do. She was thoughtful like you are, and so very funny. People were drawn to her, wanted to be around her. There is something so similar between you.” The anger drained out of her as she heard the heartbreak in his voice. The pain was almost enough to bring tears to her eyes. For just a moment, Ree could see the boy he had been, not the adult trapped in a teenager’s body.

“I'm sorry, Roland. I can tell that you really loved her.” She leaned against the wall and slid down to sit in the hallway. With little hesitation he joined her on the floor, leaning his head back against the wall. The sword belted at his waist jutted out to the side, away from them both. “I feel like my life is on fast forward, you know? I'm so frustrated with everything, and I took it out on you.”

“You were right to be angry. I shouldn't have behaved that way, but when I saw him with his hands on you. . . .” He stopped and looked at the ground in front of him. “I wanted to rip his arms off.”

“I'm not Tria, Roland.” Her voice was quiet, but firm.

“Would you know?” He shook his head and smiled before looking up at her. “It doesn’t matter now, Ree. The only thing that does matter is making sure you and the others are able to beat the Dark Ones.”

“Roland, I’m not Tria.” Ree’s voice was quiet, but her need to comfort him was overwhelming. She reached a hand over and laid it gently on his shoulder. “I’m just me. Ree McKenna.”

“You are not just anything.” His eyes flashed like lightning and he briefly covered her hand with his.

Ree wasn't sure how to respond to that. She didn't think it really had anything to do with her at all, but he probably would be insulted if she said so. “Well, let’s just let it go, okay?”

“I’m willing to let it go for now. I am sorry I baited your Paden. I shouldn't have said what I did.” His voice sounded like he truly meant it.

“He isn't my anything. I don't know what’s going on with Paden. And really, I'm not sure I can spare the brain power to worry about it.” She braced her elbows on her knees and leaned forward. “I feel like there’s so much to digest right now.”

“It is never easy. Not once has an Alastriana said, ‘Oh, Okay. No problem.’” He smiled and she chuckled. “Most of them get very angry when they find out the truth. I once heard a story about an Alastriana that refused to acknowledge her powers. She was from a very wealthy family and was convinced she was being kidnapped for a ransom.”

“What, the green glow and scary fangs weren't enough to clue her in?” Ree asked.

Roland chuckled in agreement. “I am told she thought it was a ploy to brainwash her. She kept asking them where the green lights were hidden.”

“No way.” Ree laughed and was surprised to find her mood lightening. Roland had a way of making her feel at ease.

“Way.” He nodded. “When she finally came around, she turned all of that stubbornness on the Dark Ones. She died of old age many years later.” He stood up and held out his hand to Ree. She took it and let him pull her to her feet. “I must get going. The young bloods should be nearing the end of their run.”

“Yeah, I want to try and get some extra sleep tonight,” she said and tried to not look down at the hand he was still holding. Her cheeks felt warm, and she wondered how she could go from being so angry with him to blushing when he touched her. His thumb stroked the back of her fingers and she tugged lightly to pull away.

“Sweet dreams, Ree.” He bowed his head to her and then turned and left. He was gone so fast she wasn't sure what direction he had left in.

Chapter 27

Sunlight streamed into Ree's room through a crack in the heavy curtains. She flipped over to her other side and groaned. The clock on the nightstand said it was only nine o'clock – barely five hours of sleep. Nice. Noticing that her mother’s cell phone was blinking, she picked it up and realized she had missed several calls. The voice mails were from her mother, wanting to know how she was doing. She groaned and sat up when she heard the last message. Agitated because she hadn't heard from Ree, her mom was planning on cutting her trip short to come home.

Quickly, she sent a text message telling her she was fine and hadn't been able to charge the phone because she had lost the cord. Within seconds her phone began to buzz, and she answered it, trying to sound chipper.

“Hey, Mom. Sorry about the cord. Sophie bought me another one when she ran out to get dinner last night.”

“I'm glad you're okay. I was so close to having a panic attack. Don't do that again, you hear me? Just call us from a landline. I'm sure your boss has a phone in that shop.” Her mom’s voice was agitated, and she sounded tired. Ree would bet money she hadn't slept last night and grimaced in regret. She should have known better than to not check in with her parents.

“I'm sorry, Mom. You didn't cancel the rest of your trip, did you? I mean, I'm fine. I didn't want to bother you and Dad on your trip and didn't even realize the cord was missing until last night. The phone was dead so I had to charge it before I could call you.” She gritted her teeth to stop rambling and hoped she was a better liar over the phone than in person.

“No, no. I haven't canceled anything yet. Your dad made me wait until today before I did anything he deemed ‘irrational.’” Ree laughed. That was one of her father’s favorite words. “But I can if you need me. My stuff’s packed and I was just about to go down and withdraw from the seminar today.”

“No, you need to have some fun. Besides, we still have at least another day of work to do before we’re finished.” Ree said it all so quickly she wasn't sure her mother would even understand the words. “I'm kind of glad I’m making this money before school starts back. Means I’ll be able to get some things that I’ve wanted.”

“Oh. Are you sure?” There was disappointment in her mother’s voice.

“Yeah, I'm sure. This will help pay for some of my trip to visit colleges this summer.” Ree was using the big guns now. College was the Holy Grail in her parents’ eyes.

“Yes, that will help, sweetheart. Okay, well, since I’m staying I need to hurry up and get downstairs. They’re having a cake decorating class today.”

Ree smiled in relief and lay back down on her pillow. “Yeah, have fun. I’ll try to call you tonight, okay?”

“Please do. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

After hanging up the phone she realized she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. She felt restless even though she hadn't slept well. Her dreams had been achingly real, waking her up several times. She was running in the dark, her thin sandals kicking up plumes of dust and dirt as she moved through an alley. At one point she had been holding a long dagger and talking angrily in a language she didn’t understand. No matter what was happening in the dream, a woman in a heavy cloak was always present. The woman felt old and powerful, like she could make your biggest fears materialize before your eyes. She was tall – much taller than Ree, and model thin, but not once had Ree been able to see her face. But she had felt the woman’s eyes following her every movement

Ree shivered and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders and wriggled into her pillow. Despite all of the weirdness of the last few days, she was still very freaked out by the nightmare. Closing her eyes for a moment, she tried to banish the image of the woman from her mind. When it didn't work, she got out of bed and threw open the curtains to let the sunshine fall on her face.

She stretched for a little while, trying to work some tension out of her body, and decided she was going to get some extra running in this morning. Practice made perfect, and she was far from perfect. Throwing on some yoga pants and a light hoodie, she headed for the kitchen to grab something to eat. Pam, the cook they had seen when they came back to the island, was bustling around the kitchen.Ree’s mouth watered as the smells penetrated her sleepy brain.

“Hey there, sweetie. You're up early, considering how late y’all stay up.” Her thick southern accent warmed the air in the kitchen even more than the food cooking on the gas range. The older woman maneuvered her body around the kitchen like a ballet dancer, warmth and laughter filling her blue eyes.

“Thought I’d do a little running.” Ree grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge. “Are there any granola bars?”

“What, you ain't gonna eat some of the food I've been slavin' over?” Pam placed a hand on her hip and pointed a finger in Ree's direction. “You need to eat, child. They got you doing a whole lot, and you need food to keep up your energy. Sit down.” She pointed at a stool at the island and Ree sat down without thinking about it. This woman was not a person to ignore. It was obvious that when she said ‘hop,’ she expected you to ask how high.

“What do you like on your waffles?”

“Um, waffles?”

“Yes, homemade waffles. Butter and syrup? Or would you prefer some fresh fruit? I have strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and caramel apples.”

“Syrup and butter. Maybe some strawberries on the side?” Ree watched as the woman started arranging things on a plate and setting stuff in front of her.

“Bacon or sausage? Don't tell me you’re one of those girls that don't eat meat,” she said when Ree hesitated.

“No, it's just that I was going to go running.” She tried to explain but the woman waved a hand over her shoulder and interrupted her.

“There’ll still be time for that, child. Right now, you need to eat.” She set a plate in front of her, piled with waffles that smelled divine. Another plate held four strips of bacon, a large helping of hash browns, and a fried egg. Her mouth started to water and she picked up her fork and dove in with gusto.

“There, I knew you’d want more than one of those ol’ breakfast bars,” Pam said, making air quotes around the word breakfast. Ree nodded because her mouth was too full to speak.

“So, you're the one, huh? You're so little to carry such a big weight.” The woman sat on a stool across from her and set her chin in her hand while she examined Ree. Not sure what to say, Ree just shrugged. “It’s always that way I guess. A mortal obligated to protect the world, while the gods hide away and let you do the hard work.” She sighed and pushed the bacon at Ree, who grabbed a piece and quickly took a bite. Her eyes closed in pleasure as she chewed.

After swallowing, Ree took a drink of water and looked at the other woman. “How many of us have you met?”

“Oh, you're the first. But I've heard the stories and the rules. Still seems unfair to put such a task on such a young pair of shoulders.” She picked up the rag that was next to her and wiped the counter. “But I guess it ain't my call to make. At least I can get you some good food while you're here.”

“It is good. The food I mean, it’s delicious.”

“Thanks, sugar. Go ahead and finish up. I’m just gonna finish working on the rest of this for the others. The more they get accustomed to their new life, the more fuel they’ll need.” She smiled at Ree, then got up and hummed while working around the kitchen. It was actually pretty peaceful to sit there and listen to her work. Ree took a little longer to finish her food than it would have normally taken just so she could relax a little longer.

Eventually she made herself get up and cleaned up her dishes. She told Pam thanks and headed outside to run. The sun was out and the air had lost a little of its chill. Ree grinned when she heard a couple of birds singing in the trees. Maybe this was a better way to start the day than I thought. I needed to spend some time in the sun. She turned her face up and enjoyed the warm rays that washed over her.

Smiling to herself, she stretched and then headed out on the trail for a little while. It was quiet, except for the wind and the chirping of birds and bugs. There was something brilliant about being alone, even if it was only for a little while. Ree hadn't thought about it much because she had been so very busy, but the only time she had truly been alone in the last few days was when she was in the shower. It was exhilarating to have the beautiful island to herself, even it was only for an hour or so.

When she got to the giant tree with the large, low branches, Ree stopped to catch her breath and rest. Sitting on one of the huge roots peeking from under the dirt, Ree stretched her legs out in front of her to work out the kinks. She had been pleasantly surprised by how far she had gotten before her legs felt the strain. It seemed her body was finally starting to accept the torture she had been putting it through. She tilted her head and looked up at the tree that towered over her. A breeze rustled through the leaves and washed over her skin. The chilled air caused goose bumps to erupt along her arms where she had pushed up her sleeves. She tugged the arms of her jacket down and pulled the zipper up higher.