Chapter 4

Rose

T he sky still churned with dark, ominous clouds, rain pelting down like hail across the surface of the water above. Will and I slipped out of the cave he'd hidden us in, him pointing at me to keep close to the ocean floor as we made our way around a land mass I instinctively knew to be Nora. Deafening cracks of thunder all but shook the world around us as flashes of lightning illuminated the gloomy water every minute or so. As we dodged through coral and what little local wildlife was out, the flashes were enough to help us see in a world darkened by the storm that had followed me home.

Will brought me to the west side of Nora, to the tip of the finger-like protrusion that was the Iva Cliffs. I furrowed my brow but didn't question him as he swam ahead of me toward the rock face that towered hundreds of feet above water level. When he reached the rock, he stopped and turned, looking around to ensure no one had followed us. Once I caught up, his voice whispered in my mind.

No one can know about this place. No one , he said, his tone a little hard. But I suppose you don't really need me to preach about that. You were always good about keeping secrets.

I wasn't sure if that was a dig at me or a compliment, even with how soft his expression was, so I nodded. I won't say a word .

This is even more important than humans needing to be kept out of the loop about Otherkind. Not even other Otherkind can know about this, not when my father can pry the information out of people's minds. But someone more knowledgeable about it can explain it better than I can. Come on .

Though my confusion only mounted, I let him take my hand anyway. But never in a million years would've guessed what he did next.

He pulled me through the rocks.

The sensation was disorienting. My mind screamed that this was impossible—that I was going to hurt myself swimming headfirst into the cliff face—while my body felt like it was being vacuum sealed from head to toe, every particle of me scanned, pressed, and squeezed into a space that was too small. The experience lasted only seconds, but it felt like an eternity. When I slipped out onto the other side, my ears popped painfully.

"Holy fuck," I gasped, listing against the wall.

My tone made Will stop. "Oh, shit. Sorry. I should've warned you about that," he said, genuinely remorseful. "It only feels like that the first time, I promise. It's the magic barrier making sure you aren't here for malicious reasons."

He took my face in his hands and sent warmth and healing through me, soothing the dull ache in my ears and head. There was a second where he leaned forward after he finished, as if to kiss me on the forehead, but he backed off, his hands dropping to his sides again.

"We're almost there," he whispered before he turned, ensuring I nearly missed the mark on his chest flare with light as he moved forward without another word. It left me wondering what caused it to react.

The corridors of this underwater cave were more maze-like than the one at the sacred cave, and I had to really move to keep up with Will as he navigated through them. No lights guided his way, and there didn't seem to be any discernible pattern to which branch or hallway he took, though I supposed that made sense if not even Otherkind were supposed to know about this place. But something within me beckoned me to follow him, and I was helpless to resist.

Magic imbued every inch of this place. It pulsed along my senses, brushed against my aura like a loving hand. It sang in my heart a melody that was ingrained in my very soul. The further in we got, the louder the song became, until it was bursting within me in full symphony.

It felt like home .

Darting forward, I found I didn't need Will to guide me. I listened to my heart and the notes singing in my soul until it brought me to a dead end. Shifting into my human form, I jumped out of the water and onto the ledge above me, my legs wobbling on impact. Will, still close behind me, chuckled as he joined me on dry land and full-on laughed when I pouted at him even as he dried the two of us off. I didn't let my lack of land legs stop me from continuing, even if Will kept snorting. I used the wall to keep me steady as I moved forward.

Still following the music, I continued down the corridor until it opened into a large den. There was a couch and armchairs and a coffee table, all of which looked straight from the Victorian era. The walls were a dark volcanic rock of iridescent black, red, and dark brown, and the only sources of light were a roaring blue fire in a hearth to the right of where I stood and floating balls of light suspended in the air. Glimmers of magic floated all around us, lazily sparkling when caught on a draft of wind.

All sound ceased, everything around me faded away, when I saw who was on the far side of that room. As I took her in, my eyes filled with tears, my fears that I'd never see her again shattering in an instant.

Violet.

Vi was on the other side of that room, sitting on the couch with a book in her hands.

When I let out a sob, she looked up, her eyes going wide as she realized I was there. She stood and took a step toward me before stopping. Disbelief was written all over her face as she whispered, "Rose?"

"Aunty," I choked out.

My feet unglued from the floor, and I ran to her, my unstable legs hindering me from getting to her as fast I wanted to. But the moment she was close enough, I wrapped my arms around her and sobbed into her neck. I never wanted to let her go. Never.

A hand on my arm and a gentle voice cut through the sounds of my sobs. "Rose, darling, you're much stronger than her," said Will from beside me. "You'll hurt her if you keep squeezing her like that."

Pushing away from Vi, I looked at her face to check on her. "Oh, shit. I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Please tell me I didn't hurt you."

The very thought of injuring her had me in a tailspin until she smiled at me. "Only restricted my breathing a little. I'm fine, I promise."

More tears welled up in my eyes. "I thought I was never going to be able to see you again. I didn't… I didn't want to leave you alone. I wanted to stay."

"I know, sweetheart. I know." She cupped my cheeks in her hands. "What matters is that you're here now."

"But how… and the house… and…" My words stumbled over one another as my questions rushed out all at once.

"There's a lot the both of us need to talk about, I think," she said, and I nodded.

No more secrets , I thought. I'm not hiding anything from her ever again. I can't. I love her too much to keep her in the dark. To hell with any Otherkind who tries to stop me .

"I'm going to go do a perimeter check and let you two have time to catch up," said Will.

"Is your spell still holding up?" asked Vi. "Any more hiccups?"

"Not a one. I think I finally figured out what the problem was." He beamed, pride lighting up his features.

"Still. You be careful." She eyed him sternly.

"I swear on the sea I will be. I have something worth protecting now." His gaze flicked to me then back to Vi's so fast I almost missed it.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.

With a predatory grin, Will gripped the necklace he was wearing, then disappeared right before our eyes.

"Oh!" I exclaimed. I'd forgotten he could do that. Again.

"I had to tinker with it so my thoughts and aura were hidden as well as my body," said Will from everywhere and nowhere all at once.

"And he's been a menace since then," added Vi with a laugh.

"You only think I'm a menace because you wish you had one. But I'll leave you two to catch up. Oh, and Rose desperately needs to eat something."

"I'll make sure to get her fed," she promised.

"Thank you, Violet."

He tugged on a stray piece of Vi's hair, the lock lifting by means of invisible fingers, just before a featherlight brush of knuckles against my cheek sent shivers through me. Vi swatted at the air and clearly missed where Will was, because he laughed, the sound getting further and further away.

"I swear, you attract trolls to you, Rose," said Vi affectionately.

"I almost wish I didn't," I replied, not ready to speak about romantic things, especially not when I still felt incomplete and at loose ends.

"It can't be helped, really." She smiled. Taking my hands in hers, her expression fell a little. "You're so beautiful now. You almost don't seem real."

I squeezed her hands, taking care with how tightly I did so. "I could say the same thing for you. I feel like I've never seen you before."

Just like with Will, there was so much about her that I hadn't noticed before. Our features were nearly identical—many of our non-islander customers often mistook us for sisters rather than aunt and niece—or they had been before my change. Her caramel-colored hair was not in its usual 1800s twisted updo but was loose and fell to her hips. She must've cut it while I was gone. Her honey-brown eyes had little flecks of gold in them that I hadn't noticed before. She was paler and a little thinner than she had been, and coupled with the dark circles under her eyes, the sight made my guilt for leaving her tripled.

Still, her lips curved into a beautiful smile that soothed my soul a little. "I know you have a million questions. I know I do. Why don't you sit down, and I'll grab you something to eat, then we can come clean about everything, hmm?"

"I'd like that very much. Thank you."

"Alright."

She pointed at the couch, and I sat down, suddenly self-conscious that I was still in the same dress I'd been wearing since the night I died, who knew how long ago. Vi was gone for only a moment, but when she came back, my eyes zeroed in on the plate of food in her hands. Almost as soon as I saw the pasta and steak, my stomach screamed, which had Vi smirking as she handed it to me.

"All for you, sweetheart. You look like you could use several good meals," she said, the concern in her voice unmistakable. She moved to sit in a chair close to me.

"I don't know if I've eaten much..." I trailed off, trying to think about how long it'd been, but had no answer. "How long have I been gone?"

"Three months. It's the first week of October now."

Silence blanketed the space between us as I scarfed down the food and sat with the horror at how long I'd been gone. Not even the ever-present crashing of thunder broke the quiet stillness of the room. The sense of being home, of being welcome, warmed me even as I struggled with how to start this conversation. What could I even say? How could I make up for lying to her for over a year now?

Instead of telling her what I knew she wanted to know, I voiced the one question on my mind. "How did you escape?"

I knew what had happened to the house and shop, the intense sting of pain sinking deep into my chest just as sharp as Davis's blade against my skin.

"I almost didn't. Joseph nearly killed me," she replied, her gaze going far off. "And he would've succeeded were it not for Will and Milo."

Will and Milo?

"What happened?" I asked.

"Joseph knocked me unconscious and lit the house on fire with the intention of me burning with it, but they snuck in and pulled me out. They took me off the island, then brought me here, where it was safe. They've stuck around ever since."

"I... That's not what I expected."

"I know. I was shocked, too, to be honest—with Will, at least. We both know Milo's a good man. But now that Will's free of his father's influence, he's not a bad kid. He's even been keeping me up to date on what's happening topside."

The conversation lulled. I didn't know what else to say. It was clear she knew at least a little about magic. But was she ignorant otherwise?

"So," said Vi somewhat hesitantly, pulling me out of my thoughts as I finished my plate, "what happened to you, Rose?"

I exhaled harshly. "That's really complicated, to be honest. I guess I should ask first what you do know."

"You mean if I know about Otherkind?" she asked in such a cavalier tone that I choked on my own spit.

"Y-Yeah. That's a big one," I sputtered.

"I know all about Otherkind. I learned it from your grandmother before you were born." Vi opened her mouth as if to keep going, but she shut it again. "I'll explain that to you later."

"Okay." I barely got the word out as I nodded.

My world spun out of orbit. This whole time, this whole freaking time , she'd already known about the supernatural beings that lived in secret alongside humans. I hadn't needed to lie to her or keep secrets from her at all. All the feelings I'd bottled up to pretend I was okay around her… it was all unnecessary.

More tears sprang to my eyes.

"Okay, well, then I don't need to go into detail about that, then," I forced out, trying to keep my voice even and failing. "But are you in a place where I can talk about Eli?"

Vi's body stiffened. "Even if I'm not, I think it's best to lay everything out on the table."

"Okay," I repeated for the millionth time.

Taking a deep breath, I centered myself before everything spilled out of me. Everything that I'd hid from her, I laid bare. From being lured over a cliff by Will's sisters to the night Eli had been murdered and everything after, I left nothing out. A wealth of emotions washed over me as I spoke, reliving each moment as if it were happening all over again, and I struggled to talk about my change and my death at the hunter's hand—though I kept the details of how he'd killed me out of it. In truth, I struggled to talk about it all. But I needed to come clean. I needed her to know everything.

Vi was silent throughout, and when I finished, I expected her to yell at me about lying to her or lash out for keeping something as big as Eli's fucking murder from her. But she didn't. In fact, she did something I didn't expect.

She moved to sit next to me and cried into my shoulder, holding me tightly to her.

"Oh, Rosie," she cried, "you shouldn't have had to shoulder that all by yourself. I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I'm so sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" I asked, my own tears streaming down my face. "I lied to you."

"Because if I'd have been honest with you from the start, when you started showing signs, you wouldn't have had to suffer through this without me."

"I… don't understand."

She pulled away from me but kept my shoulders in her hands. It killed me to see the tears in her eyes, the regret on her face. "There's so much I need to tell you, that you deserved to know almost as soon as you arrived, but I wasn't ready to share it with you. I wasn't sure you could handle it with everything going on." She sighed, putting her hands back onto her lap. The regret in her eyes gave way to resolution. "So, you know that the Goldens were merfolk, yes? And that our ancestors were close with them?"

"Yes," I replied. Our families were the two most famous on the islands, being the founders and all.

"Our family knew of the Goldens' secret and helped them stay hidden away from the hunters that were after them. When Thomas and his family left the islands, we were left in charge of keeping the islands and all the Otherkind safe and cared for."

"Left in charge how?"

"We're what's called the Keepers of the Keys. We have a magical bond to the islands. It's our job to ensure the safety of the Otherkind that live here and to keep the islands healthy and clean. I can't explain everything to you right now, but I swear I will show you everything when you've settled back in. All this is a lot to take in."

I sat with that for a moment. It didn't make sense. Her response left so many questions unanswered, but despite her saying that she couldn't go into detail, I asked anyway. "How does this work, then? Is this why you invited the hunters to the house for dinner that day?"

Looking up, she struggled to find the right words. "Yes. I needed to know if they'd found anything or anyone yet, and if they had, I needed to get that person to safety. I just never imagined..." She cleared her throat, holding back tears. "I just never imagined that person was you. I feel like shit that I missed the signs. As for how all this works, every generation since Markus and Bryony, there's one Sutton who's chosen to take up the mantle of Keeper. There are certain signs that they're going to be chosen, but when they are, the current Keeper teaches them about the truth of the islands and the world."

I nodded. There was a lot she still wasn't saying, but I didn't get a chance to ask. A gleeful scream split the air—my name being cried out at the top of two little people's lungs. Before I could comprehend who was shouting or what was going on, I was tackled and hugged so hard that the couch nearly tipped over with the force of their pouncing. When I looked down at my tiny attackers, I saw the joyful faces of Jesse and Callie.

"Rose!" screamed Jesse. "You're back!"

"Adrian and Violet said you were going to be gone for a long time!" added Callie.

Like the leaky faucet I'd become, more tears welled up in my eyes. "I came back as soon as I could."

"We missed you so much!" they said almost in tandem, both squeezing me tight enough that, were I human, I might've gotten a few broken bones.

"Now, now, you guys. What have I told you about ambushing people?" asked a new voice over the din of my two favorite kids trying to talk to me at the same time. A voice that had me freezing in place.

Eli's voice.

But not, at the same time.

I looked up at the speaker, who'd entered the room behind the kids and was now approaching me. He even looked like Eli, as if I'd made some mistake and the man who'd been murdered before my eyes wasn't actually supposed to be dead. How many dreams and nightmares had he featured in—had haunted me—for him to now just waltz in like a ghostly specter? Yet he smiled at me? Despite what I'd been part of?

I don't understand.

My lungs ceased to function, and fear, grief, disbelief took over. I couldn't even blink. There seemed to be a delay in my companions noticing my reaction, as it took far too long for the man-who-couldn't-possibly-be-Eli to stop approaching and the kids to push away from me.

One word, his name, was all I could force out of me as he stared, baffled by my reaction. "E-Eli?"

"Oh. Oh, sweetheart, no," said Vi, gently moving the kids so that she could wrap her arms around me. "This is Eli's older brother, Adrian. I forgot that you didn't get to meet him before the kids left last year."

"It's nice to finally meet you," Adrian said, taking a seat on the other side of Vi, nearly thigh to thigh with her. "The kids and Vi have told me many a story about you."

Now that he was closer, I could see some differences between him and the ghost that haunted my dreams and memories. There were slight dimples on both of his cheeks, and his eyes were much sadder than Eli's had ever been. He was a bit paler, too, though that might have had more to do with being down here for however long than anything else. But he had the same kind, ocean blue eyes and gentle demeanor Eli had, as well as the same sandy blond hair, and looking at him made my heart hurt.

"It's nice to meet you, too," I said, "but—and please don't take this the wrong way—why are you here? It's not safe."

"We were going to come for a visit while the kids were still on break from school anyway, but when Violet told me what happened to her house and that she was by herself down here, I couldn't let her be alone," he replied. The softness in his eyes when he gazed at Vi surprised me.

When I glanced at Vi to silently question why, she looked away, and I couldn't read her expression. Was there more going on here? There had to be. But I didn't need to ask, not when Callie giggled.

"Because they're in love!" she said in a sing-songy voice.

"Yeah!" Jesse added, wrinkling his little nose. "They even give each other cooties when they kiss!"

I almost thought I misheard for a moment, but when I looked back at my aunt and Adrian, Vi's cheeks were bright red. All I could do was stare at the two of them for a long moment. When had that happened? And how? It must've happened while they were stuck down here. Forced proximity and all that… right?

"There's a lot we need to discuss still, but now isn't the time," she said instead of explaining herself, and I wasn't about to push, especially not in front of the kids and Adrian. "I think it would be safer for both of us if you were to stay with the Kings until we can handle our problem, Rose." Before I could begin to feel more hurt, she added, "And it's not because I don't want you here. It's because it's safer if we split up, given our importance to the islands."

Taking a deep breath, I tried very hard not to take it personally. She was right. If Joseph got his hands on one of us, it would be bad enough. But both of us? It would be catastrophic news for everyone. I needed to put my own battered feelings aside and think of what was best for the islands and for the people I cared about.

Jesse and Callie were sitting at my feet, watching us as we spoke, their little faces sad that I'd need to be leaving. "You're one of us now, aren't you?" Callie asked.

I gave her a smile. "I am."

"Oooh! Maybe we can all go swimming together when this is all over!" said Jesse, bouncing up and down.

"I'd like that a lot. When it's safe, we'll definitely do that, I promise."

Will strode back in, carrying some toys in his arms. "I heard some munchkins were bored."

The kids hopped up to see what he'd brought, and I sat back, pensive. After the intensity of the day—of the last three months —exhaustion once more crept into my awareness. I wanted to sink into the cushions and close my eyes, but the voices around me kept me from relaxing enough to be able to. I needed to stay awake, just for a little while more.

"I think it'd be best for me to take her to the Kings' now," said Will. "Come on, sweetheart. They'll have a place for you to sleep that isn't the couch."

"Yeah, 'cause that's where you sleep sometimes!" laughed Jesse.

I opened my eyes and quirked an eyebrow at Will, and he shrugged, unashamed. "Where else am I going to sleep during a sleepover?"

Oh.

That's right.

He doesn't have anywhere else to go.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet, speaking softly. "Come on. My father's lackeys will be changing guard soon, and we need to make sure we leave before their patrols start again."

"Okay."

I didn't want to leave. I wanted to stay with Vi and the kids, and it pissed me off more that I couldn't. What matters is that she's alive and that she's safe. When all this is over, we can live together happily again.

After a round of hugs and tearful goodbyes—from me, mostly—Vi walked me and Will to the entrance. "I'll send Will over to bring you back when he's made another one of those necklaces of his so you can come and go as needed, but it probably will take some time. I promise I will show you everything when it comes to being a Keeper."

"I'd like that a lot."

"Good. Now, go before you get caught."

I hugged her one last time, lingering for just a moment before steeling myself. The hard part was already done. I'd left, and now I was back. We would be together again soon.

Yet, walking away from her again was still one of the hardest things I'd ever done.