A Discovery of Secrets and Fate (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 2)

Mad?

Twisted?

Has she turned evil?

The thought is too horrific to linger on.

“The changeling… it was my sister for twenty-eight years,” I murmur, almost too afraid to know the answer to this question. “Was it evil all along?”

Arwen shakes her head. “No. That’s what it means to be a changeling. It took the form of an ordinary human baby, then grew into an adult human. The magic enacted changed it back into a Dark Fae. The time you spent with that sister was real and genuine.”

I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or worse. On the one hand, it revives the grief over losing Fallon, knowing that all of our memories and love were real. On the other hand, it helps to know that, despite those memories, she was never destined to be my sister. In fact, I had a real one stuck in the Underworld.

“What else?” I demand to know. “How can I figure out what to do next?”

Had she eyes, I know they’d be boring into me at this moment as Arwen holds statue still, her face aimed right at me. “The feather on your leg.”

I jolt, my hand going protectively to my right calf. “What about it?”

“I saw that, and I believe it holds the power to help you. You also have a light inside of you that is undefinable but important. This is where I told you that sometimes I have to make guesses, but my intuition tells me that angel at your birth is responsible for all the gifts you seem to have. I believe the path of your journey will be to find that angel.”

I shake my head back and forth. “No. No, no, no. There can’t be angels. I can’t handle one more paranormal entity.”

“There are Earthbound angels,” Arwen says, then qualifies, “According to our fae history books, I believe humans call them guardian angels.”

“Does that mean God has something to do with this prophecy? Did he send an angel to attend my birth? Give me this feather?”

“I’m sorry,” Arwen murmurs, her head bowing slightly. “I do not know that for sure, but I think it would be reasonable to assume He could potentially grant grace to you and your plight.”

“Why would He do that for me?” I wonder.

“Because to stop this prophecy, I have foreseen there is going to be a great sacrifice made. I think it’s going to be required of you, Finley.”

That knocks the wind out of me, because, in plain speak, that sounds very ominous. Regardless, I’m in too deep. I know there’s no backing out, and the path forward will only be made easier the more knowledge I can get. “What type of sacrifice?”

“I’m not sure. Only that it’s yours to bear.”

“What the hell does that even mean?” I mutter, wishing for more clarity and knowing I’m not going to get it.

Arwen stands, a subtle indication our meeting is over, and I follow suit. She starts to turn for the door, but I reach out and touch her forearm. “Is there anything else you can tell me, no matter how insignificant you think it might be?”

I get a smile from her, big and bright, and she seems eager to tell me something. “Yes. I’ve seen very clearly… you can trust Carrick with everything, but he’s the only one who should ever know all your secrets. You should not doubt him.”

Great. The enigmatic mystery of Carrick Byrne, who I vacillate several times a day on whether I can trust, continues to grow.

If Arwen is to be believed, I can at least take that stressor off the table.

“Finley,” Arwen says, head tilted to the side. “May I ask one thing of you?”

“Of course,” I reply. She just gave me so much information that we’d have never found anywhere else.

“A lock of your hair,” she says simply. “I know that must sound odd and I don’t know why I need it, but I just know that I do.”

Yes… that’s incredibly odd, but if she feels like she needs it and I trust that Arwen wouldn’t harm me, there’s no reason not to. I have lots of hair.

I agree and Arwen cuts a piece about six inches long and holds the wavy lock up to gaze at it. “Perfect,” she says before laying it on the table.

To my surprise, Arwen puts her arms around me and pulls me into a hug. As she holds me tight, she says, “Good luck and may the gods grant you favor. I know you don’t ever want to return to Faere, but, if you do, I hope you will grace me with a visit.”

That actually touches me, and my arms go around her to return the hug. “And if you come to the Earth realm, you can visit me as well.”

Arwen pulls back, grinning at me. “I shall keep that in mind.”