12. Kayan

TWELVE

My body is not my body. It looks like mine, but it’s brighter. Bluer. It glistens and small shivers run through me every time I move.

The things that happen, happen without me having to think about them. Moving, appearing, disappearing.

I knew Alana was going to be in the woods. I was nowhere, and then I was there with her.

I am here and I am not here. I know what I’m here to do. I know how much I can show her, and what I’m not allowed to show her. Yet, no one has explained the rules.

It is just there. Knowledge, that feels eternal, like I’ve never not known it.

As the sun climbs higher in the sky, Alana leads me to the edge of the lake once more. The water is still, a perfect mirror reflecting the endless blue above. I hover beside her, my ethereal form shimmering in the golden light.

“I want to show you something,” Alana says, a glint of excitement in her eyes. “Something I’ve been practicing.”

I tilt my head, curiosity piqued.

She grins, a mischievous expression that I know all too well. “You’ll see. Just watch.”

With that, she turns towards the lake, confident and sure. The Alana I remember. The woman I fell in love with so many years ago. Before she was just my friend. Before Rosalie.

I try to shift thoughts of Rosalie from my mind, direct them back to Alana. She is my purpose here. She is my reason for returning.

I watch as she closes her eyes, her brow furrowing in concentration. For a moment, nothing happens.

And then, I feel it. A surge of power, a ripple beneath the surface of the lake. The water crackles with energy, and I swear I can taste the magic on my tongue.

Alana’s eyes snap open, and she raises her hands, palms outward. The water begins to churn, a whirlpool forming at the centre of the lake. It spins faster and faster, a vortex of liquid fury that sends spray flying in all directions.

But that’s just the beginning. As I watch in awe, the waterfall at the far end of the lake begins to slow, then it stops altogether. The roaring cascade hangs suspended in mid-air, droplets glittering like diamonds in the sunlight.

And then, as I stare in disbelief, the water begins to flow backwards. It rises up the cliff face, defying gravity, defying the rules of science, and bending instead to Alana’s will. To her magic.

I turn to stare at her, transfixed more by the expression on her face than by the magic itself.

Her features are a picture of fierce concentration, her eyes shining so bright it’s like a fire burns inside her. Her purple wings are spread wide, catching the light, and for a moment, she looks like a goddess.

The reversed waterfall reaches the top of the cliff and begins to spill over the other side, creating a new cascade that flows away from the lake. It’s a sight that takes my breath away, a display of raw power and skill that I never could have imagined; she doesn’t just have my power, she has supercharged my power.

Finally, with a flick of her wrist, Alana releases her hold on the water. The whirlpool dissipates, and the waterfall resumes its normal course.

She turns to me, her chest heaving, her face flushed, her freckles brighter than usual, her eyes sparkling.

“Well?” she asks, a grin spreading across her face. “What do you think?”

I shake my head, lost for words. “Alana, that was... incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve never done anything like it. How did you...?”

She laughs and shakes her head, and something tells me it’s the first time she’s laughed like that in a long time. “I’m not sure,” she says. “I haven’t practised since we left the castle. I thought it was the adrenaline of the escape that powered the magic. But maybe...” She looks down at her fingers. “Maybe it’s just there now. Whenever I need it.”

I drift closer to her, my own essence buzzing with the afterglow of her power.

“Do you mind?” she whispers, her smile dropping. “I took this from you.” She flexes her fingers.

I shake my head. “Never. I could never mind,” I chuckle.

Alana’s smile softens, and she reaches out instinctively, her fingers passing through my translucent form.

“You wear them better than me,” I tell her, nodding out towards the lake. “Power looks good on you.”

“I hope you’re not flirting with me,” she says, her cheek dimpling. “I’m taken.”

“By Finn?” I try not to let my tone become gravelly at the mention of his name. Try not to let her see how uneasy I feel at the thought of him. At all of the Shadowkind.

She nods, studying my expression. Is she trying to read me right now? If she is, she’ll have no luck.

“I’m taken, too,” I remind her, sitting down even though I have no need to. “At least, I was.”

Alana swallows hard. “Do you know what happened to her?”

I shake my head. “Do you?”

She smooths her hands over her skirt and wriggles her toes into the damp earth. “No. The last time I saw Rosalie was at the auction.” She sighs, hard, the joy she was feeling a moment ago waning. “You can’t find out where she is?”

I sigh, too, even though the feeling I want to feel is like the ghost. Not quite there. Not quite tangible. Muted.

“It doesn’t work like that.” I beat my wings slowly, causing a soft breeze to drift over us.

Alana laughs, this time a softer, sadder laugh. “I wish you could tell me exactly how it did work,” she says.

“Trust me.” I meet her eyes. “So do I.”