Rell

Lorcan and I leaned against the brick wall, a current of water coursing down from the roof separating us from the rain beyond. The colors of the world seemed faded and dark, almost as if nothing had changed and we were both back in the Dark Realm. Poxel was snuggled into the pocket of my jacket as a chipmunk. He'd been exstatic to find Lorcan here, so much so that I'd wondered why I hadn't felt the same.

And now, in the rain, I felt the same foreboding feeling I had the first moment I'd seen Lorcan standing under the fluorescent lights of the high school, as foreign and ominous as the sun shining through the Dark Realm's sky.

"Why are you here, Rell?" his voice was low, soft, and he stared ahead at the rain, as if he couldn't bear to look at me. I wondered if he was angry, or worse, disappointed. I raised my chin, and steeled my voice before I answered.

"The same reason as you— to find the Blood Rose."

"And yet the realms are opening and closing at will, creatures crossing over and the portal is no longer in my control." His breath clouded in front of him, and he suddenly turned the full weight of his dark stare to me. "How did you get through? Did the magic trick you as well?"

I hid my surprise— the magic had tricked Lorcan? I didn't know that was even possible. I suddenly wanted to squirm away. "I made a deal."

His eyes flickered, dangerous. "A deal? With whom?"

"I'd never met him before. A human. He called himself James."

"And what was his price?"

"A single petal," I said with a whisper.

Lorcan's eyes flashed, and I took a step back, afraid of what he would do. But then, after a moment, he leaned his head back and laughed. "Clever. Very clever."

I let out the breath I had been holding. "Why is it clever?"

"Asking for a single petal. It holds enormous power, but for so small a portion, it won't bestow the curse." He breathed a sigh. "I suppose what is done is done. What debt you owe, you must repay."

I nodded solemnly, a part of me hurt by the way he had separated us. I had always served my Realm, and Lorcan, faithfully, never asking for anything in return. But I had made the deal, I would take responsibility.

"I will repay my debt. But now we can find the rose, together."

When he turned to me, I was surprised by the coldness in his eyes. "And that's what you've been doing here? Diligently looking for the rose? To save your realm?"

I bristled and stood a bit taller, a sudden flare of anger growing in me.

"Of course. I have served the crown my entire life. I have given the Dark Realm all that I am." I was surprised that my voice sounded almost... bitter. Never had I held bitterness towards my service. But now I realized that was no longer true. I'd seen the glories of the Human Realm. Before I pitied their lack of magic. Now I realized the Human Realm held magic all it's own. And I wasn't so sure I wanted to give that up.

Lorcan took a step closer, and even without the Dark magic that usually coursed through him, there was danger written in every line of his body. "And that boy... He's what? Helping you?"

I didn't back down. "Yes. He gave me the idea for how to find the Beast. The night after the Halloween dance is the full moon."

But Lorcan wasn't ready to let it go. "Rell, I might be a prince, but I'm still a man. I can see the way he looks at you. He's not of your Realm— the Dark Realm. There is only one way this ends."

"Why do you even care?"

His voice and eyes suddenly softened. "Because I care about you. You are my oldest friend." He went to put a hand on my shoulder, but I stepped away from him, unable to stop the building anger. Yes, Lorcan was my Prince. And I would serve and follow him. But that didn't mean I couldn't call him out for being a hypocrite.

"And how about you and the girl you saved— Catalina? I've seen the way she looks at you. And the way you look at her."

It was like his whole body froze, the only movement the white ghosts of our breath as we both stared at the other. Then he stepped all the way up to me, so that our breath mingled. His eyes held a cold fury, but I didn't look away.

"I am the Prince of the Dark Realm. Everything I am and will be is to serve and protect my realm. Our Realm. That's the way it's always been and always will be." His eyes burned into mine. "We are both of the Dark Realm. If we do not save it, it will be forever forgotten. Is that what you want?"

I hesitated. Then, "No, of course not."

"Good. Then, we need to make— "

"I want to make a deal."

He stopped, his eyes shocked. But I raised my chin, determined.

"I will help you find the Blood Rose, and return it to its place. I'll help you close the Realms.... But then I want your blessing to make my own choice. To choose my own Realm."

He stared at me as if he didn't know me. Then he sighed, and leaned back against the wall. His shoulders sagged a bit as he stared out into the rain.

"Rell, you are my oldest friend. But you swore an oath to serve me and the Dark Realm. That is not a promise easily broken."

"Is that my friend speaking, or my Prince?"

I counted five white clouds of breath, and when he spoke again his voice was low, with a vulnerability I had never heard from him before.

"Rell... I need you beside me in this. Please." The plea was a whisper, broken, begging almost, as I'd never heard him before and sent a wave of shame through my body. How could I have forgotten my prince so quickly?

"Of course, Lorcan... I'm sorry. I won't speak of it again." I reached out, as if to set a hand on his shoulder, but instead let it drop to Poxel's warm form pressed against my hip. The moment of anger passed, snuffed out by the truth of what Lorcan said. Our Realm— my home— needed me.

I would serve my Prince and the Dark Realm. More importantly, I wouldn't abandon my oldest friend when he needed me the most.

So why was it, even in that moment of clarity, my heart twisted as Bastien's face came to mind?

The rain pounded harder, splashing and soaking the bottom of my jeans.

Finally Lorcan spoke again. "You said Bastien gave you an idea how to find the Beast— what is it?"

I happily took the subject change. "The night before Halloween the school has a dance. And the day after there is a party at the lake house out in the woods. The night of the party it's a full moon... a blood moon."

"And you think the Beast won't be able to resist the call?" Lorcan finished for me.

I suddenly realized that my suspicions about the moon were based on the book Bastien and I had found together. And I wasn't keen to explain that to Lorcan. So instead, I pretended it was common Beast-Slayer knowledge. "Even the humans here have stories about the full moon. It's the night the realms are closest together, the veil between them the thinnest." I paused, adding, "And only students from Shadowglen have disappeared. The Rose must be nearby— I wonder if it is calling to the students, feeding on their blood..." I swallowed, not wanting to say my final suspicion, but unable to hold back the truth from my Prince. "I think it's likely that one of the students at the school might be the Beast."

The brick wall behind us suddenly seemed colder. Lorcan nodded slowly as he said, "It makes sense. Everything has centered on this school."

"I've been assembling weapons. You, Poxel and I will be patrolling the woods and party. We follow the Beast back to the rose."

Lorcan smiled, "I can only see about a thousand things that could go wrong— so less than your usual plans."

I almost smiled. It was good to see the old Lorcan returned, and the easy camaraderie that had always lived between us. "Well I don't see you coming up with a plan."

"So... what do we do until then?" he said somewhat dubiously.

"We go to the dance. See if anyone is acting strange. Then we go to the lake house party, lay a trap in the woods for the beast. Till then, we pretend to be normal high school students."

"Right," Lorcan's voice was dubious. "Normal high school students..."

A bell chimed, and students began to pour out of the building, dispersing for lunch. Lorcan and I had skipped our morning classes, not exactly a promising start.

I pulled my hood up over the rain, and then lifted the flap for my pocket, making sure Poxel was securely tucked within. He hated the rain.

And then I saw him.

Bastien walked out of the school, a hood through over his head, and his shoulders hunched against the rain. One of the street lights lit up the streaking rain and he came to stand beneath it.

I cleared my throat. "We can start by meeting some other students. You may as well meet Bastien."

Lorcan frowned at this, but instead of waiting for a response I pushed off into the rain, walking towards Bastien. I heard Lorcan sigh and follow me.

The rain pelted down, but when Bastien turned and our eyes met, his face lit up in a smile. I suddenly realized that I didn't mind the rain here— actually, I liked it. I liked it alot.

I sank my face back into my hood so Lorcan couldn't see my answering smile.