Page 6 of Consumed
Around us, a web of blackened brambles had burst from the ground. To my alarm, they were deformed from their natural growth, curling into agonized shapes thatstretched outward, climbing over each other rather than aspiring toward sunlight.
I could hardly believe I was capable of producing such a thing after the rose bush.
Eyes wide, I took a steadying breath and comforted the earth. The forest seemed to exhale in time with me. Crackling surrounded us as the brambles flattened to the ground. The thorns fell from the vines in a soft clatter. Soon, the tangle was reduced to a peculiar carpet around us. Peculiar, but harmless.
“I am the forest,” I offered in a weak breath.
Eoin’s brow knitted, glancing from me to the growth encircling us. Despite being unsettled, he offered the kindness of tucking silvery hair behind my ear and tipping my face up to examine me.
“What could possibly prey on that beautiful mind of yours?”
The gesture shouldn’t have felt as delightful as it did. My sisters whispered in the branches like an ornery gust of wind. I turned from him, ushering him behind me. “We’re nearly at the spot.”
I had chosen this grove with care. A human would have never found such a verdant location on their own. Here, the trees twisted higher and spread further; the grass was softer, the flowers brighter. A crystal-clear pond lay at the center, fed by a spring that pulsed beneaththe earth like a heartbeat.
The steady thud of his boots paused behind me. He searched his surroundings with reverent intimidation before meeting my questioning gaze.
“I may not be afraid, but it doesn’t feel proper for me to be here,” he admitted in a hushed voice. “This place—it feels strange. It’s for those likeyou.”
Always observant. He didn’t plow through the world like other humans I’d encountered. No, he watched. He reflected.
“You are safe and welcome,” I said resolutely. “So long as you are with me, you belong.” I returned to him with soundless steps until I was tilting my head back to hold his eyes. I slipped my fingers into his. “Do you believe me?”
His lips parted, his honeyed eyes flickering over me. “You’ve yet to lead me astray, little niamh. If I am here, then I trust you.”
My heart swelled. I wanted to lean closer, to press my cheek to his chest and bask in the warmth of his pulse, but he looked past me and tensed suddenly. Following his gaze, I found a small family of deer entering the grove—a doe with twin fawns. The creatures regarded us for only a moment before proceeding toward the pond.
“Come,” I whispered, tugging Eoin in the direction of the deer.
“I’ll frighten them.”
“You’re no hunter,” I said, throwing a teasing grin over my shoulder.
The deer did not flee upon our approach—on the contrary, the fawns trotted closer curiously. The mother bowed her head in deference to me before returning to her tranquil drink from the pond. I extended a hand, stroking the soft head of the nearest fawn, only to have the other bleat and stamp its hooves in protest for attention.
Eoin chuckled, tentatively mirroring my action. The second fawn regarded him with suspicious stillness before ducking its head under his palm, unafraid. The soft wonder on his face made my breath catch.
“Incredible,” he murmured, smiling at me as though I’d given him another gift.
The fawns were not content to stay still for long. One backed up and shook its head playfully, and the other followed suit. The two of them bounded off together around the pond, chasing one way and then hopping in the other direction.
“I’ve never seen such carefree creatures,” Eoin said.
“They know they are safe here.”
The doe calmly lifted her head from the pond and exited the grove, her fawns circling her as their game continued, unbroken. For a few long moments after they disappeared, Eoin still stared after them.
I approached the pond, kneeling to slip my hand under the water. Eoin sensed my stare upon him. Not breaking his gaze, I took hold of the hem of my dress, wading into the water. It lapped againstme like a kiss of coolness, plastering the lighter-than-air fabric of my gown against my ankles. The pond was deep at its center, with water so pure you could see right to the bottom where tiny tench fish darted between moss-covered rocks.
“Come and dance with me,” I called out, whirling back to face him.
“In there?” Eoin barked a laugh. “I’ll freeze, are you mad?”
My smile turned wicked. “You’re as cautious as a child.”
After a moment of hesitation, he submitted to my coaxing and knelt by the bank to slip his hand into the water. He tensed at the sensation, then relaxed. The bewilderment on his face was charming—his wonderment seemed in unlimited supply during our times together.
“See? It’s perfectly warm,” I said. And it would remain that way, so long as he stayed by my side.
