So, this is goodbye (An iron fey fan fiction) book 3

chapter 3

AUTHORS NOTE: Please go back and re-read the ending of chapter 2, I have made a few changes. Thanks!

I limped across the tunnel, weaving my way through hordes of iron fey.  Most of us hadn’t seen daylight for a month. There had been several fights since, and I now had another few cuts to add to my collection of scars. At one point I had been so badly wounded they had considered taking me back to Mag Tuiredh. I had recovered from my sever injuries faster than expected though, and they decided to keep me here in this hell hole. It had gotten to the point where I was craving a fight, just so I could get some fresh air and exercise my aching muscles. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Both Keirran and Ethan had become increasingly edgy; neither of them did well confined.   

“Hey.” Ethan greeted and I walked toward where he was standing.

“Hey. You ok?”

“Apart from being bored out of my mind?” 

I giggled. “Yeah apart from that.”

“I’m good. Just thinking about home. Moms going to be so angry when I go back. If I go back…   sorry.” He said, realising what he had just said.

“It’s ok. Your mum isn’t not allowed to be worried just because my mums been kidnapped.”

He smiled at me weakly. “Yeah well, I don’t know what she’s gonna do when I go back. Dad will be  furious too of course, but at least he wont know I’ve been in a faery war. And Kenzie…”

“You really love her, don’t you.”

“Yeah.” He breathed, tilting his head toward the ceiling.

“I wish I could find someone like that. Someone I wanted to be with no matter what, someone  I could  trust with my life.” I said, trying, and failing, to keep my thoughts far away from Keirran. “Someone to love, to laugh with, someone to grow old with.” Ethan’s body tensed as I said those last few words, and I saw tears spring to his eyes though he didn’t let them fall. “Ethan? What did I do?” instead of answering he turned and stalked away, leaving me standing there confused with a growing sense of guilt. 

“What did I do?” I repeated, turning to Keirran, unsure of whether I was talking to him or myself. “Why do I keep upsetting everyone?” I sniffed trying to hold back tears. I know it was stupid to cry when all I had done was try and have a conversation, but Ethan was one of the only people I knew and trusted beside Keirran and didn’t want him to be angry with me. 

“She has leukemia.” I jerked my head up to stare at Keirran in disbelief.

“W-what?” I stuttered, praying that I had heard him wrong. 

“Kenzie has leukemia. She isn’t going to grow old. Please don’t cry.” He begged as tears started rolling down my cheeks. He hugged me tightly and I buried my head into his chest. Unlike every other time we had been near each other, alone, since the kiss this wasn’t awkward, or embarrassing, just friendly. It was nice to lose some of the awkwardness that hung between us. 

“Cant Meghan heal her?” I asked, burrowing deeper into his chest, clinging to him like a lifeline. 

He frowned. “I’m not even sure that Meghan knows she has cancer. Besides, all the best healers the iron realm has to offer already have their hands full with casualties from the war. I don’t think that we will be able to heal her anyway. If it makes you feel beater then I can tell mom after the war, if we win the war that is.”

“Thank you.” I whispered into his shirt. “I feel like such a bitch.”

“Its not your fault. Ethan has to come to terms with it at some point, and how were you to know that she was ill, or that he would be affected like that. Its not your fault Beck.”

“Still, I should apologise.” I said, wiping tears from my eyes as I turned to leave. Keirrans hand whipped out and grabbed my wrist, turning me to facer him. “You should probably wait first. Give him some time to cool off.” I stared at him for a moment.

“Okay.” I turned to face the molten pool. “Do you think anyone’s ever tried to roast marshmallows over this?” Keirran burst out laughing at my random question.

“Probably not considering that a) We don’t even eat marshmallows here and b) no-one is crazy enough to try it.” I stared at him like he was some kind of freak.

“You’ve never tried marshmallow?”

“No. I’ve had crisps and stuff but-”

“”Wait have you had gummy bears?”

“Gummy bears?”

My jaw dropped. “OMG, have you never heard of gummy bears?! I used to put them in my hot chocolate with mini marshmallows. Mmmmmm. I love melted gummy bears. Wait, you know what hot chocolate is, right?” he nodded, laughing at me. “Thank God. Seriously though if we get out of here alive I am buying you a packet of gummy bears.”

“I will look forward to trying these ‘gummy bears’ that you think so highly of.” He said smirking. I punched his arm.

“I don’t care if you are a prince, you can never be too good for gummy bears.” He laughed and after a short while I joined in. we sat like that, holding our aching ribs as we shook with laughter until Ethan entered the main camp site.

My laughter ceased immediately as I saw him. “Do you think he’s calmed down now?” I asked Keirran quietly.

“Probably. Only one way to find out.”

“Wish me luck.” I said, getting to my feet.

“Hey.” I said tentatively as I walked toward him. 

“Hey.” We stood there awkwardly not knowing what to say. 

“I’m sorry I-”

“Look I-” We both started to speak at the same time. “You first.” I said gesturing at him to continue.

“I’m sorry for just leaving like that, its just-” He broke off, unsure off how to say what came next.

“Its ok. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m really sorry Ethan, I didn’t know.” 

“You do now?” he said looking at me puzzled.

“Yeah.” I admitted. “Keirran told me.” he gave a sigh, of relief or pain? I didn’t know. “I’m so sorry Ethan.”

“I'm sorry for storming off like that. I should have explained.”

“Don’t worry about it. It can’t be the easiest thing to talk about.”

“Its not.” He gave another sigh, making me feel guilty for making him feel this way. “What were you and Keirran laughing about?” It was a very deliberate change of subject and I went along with it happily. 

“Gummy bears.”

“Gummy bears? You were talking to a faery prince about gummy bears?” he said choking on his laughter.

I winced. “Well of course it sounds bad when you say it like that… let’s just view it as discussing food with a friend.” I said, giggling along with him.

“On a more serious note, Meghan has sent spies to try and locate your mother. We should know if she made it out alive or not within a few days.”

I squeezed his hand tightly. “Thanks Ethan.”