I See Faeries

~chapter eighteen~

A Little Feathered Goddess

~

Roman did not like Torrin.

"And what, you trust him because he gave you a baby bird?" He asked incredulously.

"No," I snapped. "I trust him because everything he told me makes sense. He is my half-brother. What reason would he have to lie?"

The faerie threw up his hands in frustration. "I don't know, maybe so that he can get close to you and kill you before you get the chance to save the world?"

I stared at him, unmoved. "He's a human. What reason could he possibly have for wanting the demon invasion to continue?"

Torrin cleared his throat uncomfortably before the faerie could retort. We were all in my room at the Ferndell Inn - Lukas, as well - and had been arguing from the moment I'd introduced my newly discovered relative to Roman. Torrin had stood quietly beside the door, until now. He stepped forward, clearly uneasy under the scrutiny of our three combined gazes. His owl clacked her beak, and dug her claws into his shoulder.

"I can see that you don't like the idea of me coming with you," he said, addressing Roman. I noted with interest that Torrin appeared to have Sight, given that he was human and could see both the faerie and the vampire. Lukas hadn't had much of an opinion either way, and had silently watched the two of us argue without intervening. I wondered if he was beginning to regret leaving Hannroc with us.

"You're right," Roman said, his voice low and hostile. He narrowed his eyes. "Go on."

I wanted to slap him for his rudeness. My brother had done nothing wrong. Yes, it was all a lot to wrap one's head around, but everything added up - for me, at least. If Torrin wasn't who he said he was, then how did he know what he did? 

"I won't come," Torrin said.

My eyes widened. "No-"

His eyes met mine, and he shook his head. I fell silent, fuming. Roman's head is so far up his ass, he can't see a good man when he's standing right in front of him, I thought angrily. 

"I can see that my presence would cause more trouble than I'm worth," he continued. "I don't want to create any problems for Cass." He lowered his eyes, refusing to look at me. "I only want to help. If leaving will help you, then I shall."

I looked from him to Roman. The faerie's brow was knit in a frown, and he was running his fingers through his dark, unruly hair like he did when he was struggling internally with something.

"Let him come," I said. I lowered my voice to a near-whisper. "He told me he came here because a woman in a dream told him to go to me, and to help me."

Roman's eyes flashed up and met mine, startled. His fingers froze in his hair. "A dream?"

I nodded. "Yes. And the woman he described sounded exactly like Clarabelle Heath. She told him I have a great destiny." 

He blinked at me. "Clarabelle Heath," he murmured, and looked away. He didn't move or react for a moment as he seemed to process this. Then, his hand fell from his hair, and his face became an expressionless mask. "In light of this information, I suppose he should come," Roman said, though he sounded less-than-thrilled.

Torrin looked up, a slow smile illuminating his features. I smiled back before turning to the faerie. "Thank you," I said earnestly.

Roman's blue eyes were dark and cold as he looked at me. "Don't thank me yet." He turned, and strode from the room.