Page 193 of Mountain of Mirrors and Starlight
“I should like a list of their attributes.”
“You shall have it.”
Hawthorn rapped his fingers against the table. “I’ve managed to slow down whatever was happening to Caerwyn, which is our only advantage at present—it means we don’t have to meet Aeron at the appointed time. We can strike earlier, or later.”
“He is likely anticipating an earlier attack,” Minerva suggested.
“But the longer we wait, the longer he has to plan, too,” Bell added.
Hawthorn sighed. “I wish Miriam was still pretending to be me. She’s much better at this war-planning stuff. I’m going to explore this roomy hovel and clear my head.”
He walked towards the rotten steps, shaking his head at the state of them, and placing his hands to the floor. Branches wove through the cracks in the tiles, winding upwards towards the remains of the stairs, joining them back together. Tiny buds bloomed in the bannisters.
“Show-off,” Juliana said, not looking up.
Hawthorn shot a rude gesture in her direction, then glanced at Aislinn and signalled for her to follow. She headed after him, following his shadow as he moved from room to room, checking the place out.
Finally, he came to a disused bedroom at the back of the house and closed the door behind them.
“Father?” she questioned.
Hawthorn moved towards the empty hearth, resting his hands against the mantlepiece, and then again to the window, as if searching for somewhere comfortable to put himself.
“You’re making me nervous,” she added. “We’re on the brink of war downstairs andyou’remaking me nervous.”
“I’m nervous myself,” he explained. “I have an idea—a terrible idea, but an idea—and I really don’t know if I want to share it with you.”
“Father, don’t make me threaten to torture you.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“I’ll tell Mother.”
Hawthorn exhaled. “There is a chance,” he started, “that no matter what we do, the other side is going to get the upper hand, and Caerwyn is going to be taken.”
Aislinn’s stomach dropped. A sensation gripped her, like being plunged into a pool of ice. That couldn’t happen. She wouldn’t let it happen—
Hawthorn came forward, taking her shoulders. “We are going to try everything we can to avoid that,” he insisted. “But we are outnumbered greatly, our magic won’t work within their walls, and I suspect this Aeron chap has still got a trick or two up his sleeve. If he gets hold of Caerwyn, there may not be a lot we can do.”
“No—”
“There might be somethingyoucan do, however.”
Aislinn stilled. “What?”
Hawthorn sighed. “Now, here comes the part I don’t like—”
“Justtell me!”
“There may be another option,” Hawthorn said, “a fallback, as it were. But it depends.”
“On what?”
“If you feel forever about him.”
Aislinn’s throat bobbed. “And if I do?”
“We could try sharing his heart with you. Being part fae might offer him some more protection, might help you get him back if he’s taken, might help him survive the process. But it’s a risk. If—”
