The air is sharp in my lungs, and soft snowflakes drift around me like light dandruff falling from the sky. Sure, winter can be magical or whatever. But ever since I started seeing them, I've learned that anything beautiful is either a disguise, or it can't be trusted.

One of them is coming closer to me. I'm waiting for a bus on a deserted corner. Being alone is when I'm especially tense and anxious.

I pretend to scan the road ahead, like I'm watching for the bus that's taking forever this morning. In reality, I'm inspecting the intruder as much as I can without giving myself away.

She's beautiful. But I'm starting to realize that most Fae are. Even if their skin is sickly green, or they have sharp fangs and a tail, all of them carry a captivating glow that beckons me closer. And at the same time, their careless, often malicious actions constantly keep me on edge.

If they find out I can see them, who knows what they'll do to me.

Cináed's warning echoes through my mind like a long forgotten dream. I only wish it were a dream, or that I could forget it ever happened. It's been months since Darren and I returned from the Otherworld, and I've heard nothing of Cináed or anyone else for that matter. Now that my eyes have been opened to the world of faeries existing within the mortal realm, I can't go a day without being reminded of that past.

Blinking away the snow settling on my eyelashes, I step under the overhang as the female faery glides closer. To her, I'm just an average human who can't see through the glamour that makes her invisible. I learned quickly that if you keep to yourself and never draw attention, the Fae ignore you.

The closer she gets, the more I realize that she's not using glamour to turn herself invisible. She's using it to make herself look human. I've never seen any faery do that except for Cináed. Her confident stride and alluring smile make me squirm. I was hoping that by standing underneath the overhang, she would walk around it and leave me alone. Instead, she comes to stand right beside me.

Of all the days to be late, the bus driver had to pick today.

I focus my gaze straight ahead, clenching my hands inside my coat pockets. Do I make small talk to show that I really believe she's mortal? Or do I hold still like a mute statue and ignore how close she's standing to me?

"Hello."

The sound makes me jump. I try and hide it by turning to face her with a forced smile.

"Hi."

She's dressed in a white cloak laced with cream fur. Actually, that's what she's wearing underneath the glamour. Her "mortal" self is wearing the same thing, but as a fashionably modern coat buttoned down to her thighs. A pair of slim pants and heeled boots complete her human guise. Her irises are nearly white. They remind me of glittering crystal, or a glass of frozen water. Thick locks of white-blonde hair are braided around her pale face, and my eyes rest finally on her full, red lips. She's hiding her real pale blue lips in glamour as well. It's for the best because she already looks like she's dressed up as the Lady of Winter or something. Hiding her frozen lips helps a little.

"Waiting for the bus?" She says. Her voice is modulated and slightly husky.

A group of blue skinned, sharply jointed Fae are walking along the other side of the street. One of them pushes a passing human and shrieks in delight when he falls on the ground. I keep my eyes on the human. To anyone else, it looked like the man simply slipped in the snow. But everyone else can't see the sharp faced faery leering over the man, licking his face with a forked tongue and laughing as the man winces and holds his cheek.

My jaw sets. There's absolutely nothing I can do. But it doesn't make watching it any easier on my conscience.

Winter lady is still observing me, her eyes sparkling with interest. While I know she can see the scene across the street, it doesn't seem to phase her at all. I finally respond to her question and say that I'm on my way to school.

"I thought as much." Is all she says.

The blue faeries shuffle away and leave the man alone and I hold back a sigh of relief. Then I see the bus creaking around the corner in a puff of gray exhaust. As it grinds to a stop and the door swings open, winter lady rests a hand on my arm.

"I enjoyed speaking with you."

Her words sound sincere enough, but the fact that she's showing obvious interest in me makes me want to escape as fast as possible. I force another smile.

"Yeah, nice to meet you."

"I am Erwen."

"Roisín." My name pops out of my mouth before I can catch it.

Winter lady's smile stops my heart. "Roisín. Of course."

The bus driver calls out to me and I race up the steps. After apologizing to the driver, I glance out the window and see a deserted sidewalk where the winter lady just stood. Seeing her gone leaves me relieved, but also terrified.

If she wasn't waiting to catch a bus, that means she stood there pretending to be human just to talk to me.

This isn't good.

I take a seat and rest my head against the window, staring at my footprints in the snow and wondering why the mysterious faery didn't leave any behind. As much as I hate to admit it, I can't ignore the incident with winter lady. I'll have to tell Darren about it tonight.

<<—————>>

The first three class periods pass by in a distracted blur. School is usually one of the only places where I can relax. For some reason, the Fae don't like buildings and prefer to wreak their havoc in more open areas like the city park. So while the hallways are only full of other mortal students like myself, today I can't shake the feeling that winter lady's visit means something. And it makes learning about Chemistry basically impossible.

As the teacher ends the class, I glance over my page of notes with a sigh. Nothing but meaningless doodles—and there's a test next week. I gather my things into my backpack and am about to stand up when I notice a piece of folded paper on my desk. I glance around and my eye catches onto a head of golden hair leaving the room in a crowd of students.

Snatching the paper, I push through the line of people exiting the room—ignoring the complaints—and search the packed hallway for another glimpse of him. But he's gone.

My heart is in my throat as I tear open the note, scanning it over so fast that I have to go back and reread it to try and comprehend the words.

Meet me at Brookline Cemetery.

Come alone.

- C

My face is heating up, and I feel like my nerves are using my stomach as a stress ball - gripping and squeezing it over and over again. Before my fears can talk myself out of going, I tuck the paper into my pocket and speed walk out the doors of the high school. I feel a twinge of guilt at the thought of skipping AP European History. I've been getting good grades this semester for the first time in my life. 

But the guilt is quickly lost in the cacophony of other emotions tossing around inside me as I zip my coat up and keep a steady pace away from the school. The cemetery is just across the street, and while every step feels like an eternity, I'm grateful for the time to compose myself.

What if it's him?

But what if it isn't?

Stop thinking and just focus on walking in a straight line!

I'm still attempting to sort through my demanding thoughts when the stillness of the cemetery grounds rushes over me and silences my inner warfare.

Gray headstones shrouded in snow cover the lawn that's protected by an outer brick wall. I step inside and let my exhaling breath swirl around my face as I search for another living soul besides myself. I've also noticed that faeries don't come inside cemeteries, so I use them as a refuge on especially bad days.

When I don't see anyone standing out from the rows of graves, I keep walking down the path. A splash of color startles me, but it's just a leftover Christmas wreath keeping a headstone company.

Rolling my eyes at my skittishness, I'm starting to think someone just pulled a stupid prank on me by leaving the note, when I turn around and see him. He's standing with his back to me a few yards away, staring at a headstone. I'm frozen in place, unable to move as I watch him.

Can it be?

He must sense my presence because he turns his head and meets my gaze. Somehow my legs move forward, and he meets me halfway, but doesn't close the last bit of distance between us that feels like a mile. Snowflakes cling to his hair, dampening the curls into a dark gold. His green eyes are just as bright as I remember, and I see a small smirk peeking above the scarf wrapped around his neck.

"You came." He says, sounding relieved.

My arms ache from resisting the urge to hug him. I laugh a little too loudly, feeling my cheeks blush again.

"I'll do anything to skip class."

My lie falls flat, and his smirk widens into a grin. "I have missed you, Roisín."

Hearing him say that releases an onslaught of emotions I didn't know I still had. Feelings of betrayal, anger, and confusion bubble up in my throat, making it hard to breathe.

I blink and look away, mortified at the sudden moisture in my eyes.

"I've been waiting for months, you know. Faery time might not exist, but mortal time does." My voice is thick and strangled.

I look back up at his perfect face, hating that my nose won't stop running and that I sound like a whiny teenager. But this teenager has put up with a lot of faery crap since coming home, and that wasn't part of the deal. I was supposed to bring Darren back and have a fresh start. No more faeries. No more crazy adventures.

"I can still see them." I add when he doesn't respond. "The Fae."

His attempt to look surprised is weak, which makes me wonder if he knew this would happen all along.

"And how has that been?"

The words are slow and calculated, like he's a doctor and I'm some mentally deranged patient that he's trying to calm down. I exhale loudly and the white cloud floats between us while I glare up at him.

"How has that been?" I repeat, my tone laced with venom. "I'll tell you how it's been. It's been a total nightmare! All I know is that I'm not supposed to be able to see them, but I can. You made it sound like I'll get killed if any faeries find out, so I've had to pretend I don't see what I do."

The memories of the past few months filter through my mind, making me cringe.

"I didn't see a girl get felt up by a faery last month. I didn't feel it when a faery pinched my arm and left a bruise for a week. And I didn't hear them calling names at Darren and I when we went to a movie on Saturday."

Cináed's eyes dim and his forehead creases together while I talk. Now he's the one who seems to be fighting back the desire to pull me close.

"Roisín, I did not realize how difficult the transition would be. I have been gone traveling for this very reason, and would not return until I found answers to bring back to you."

My tongue tingles with a fiery rebuttal, but his response surprises me. "What kind of answers?"

"The answer to why you and your brother can see through glamour. The reason why I felt drawn to you when we first met. The secret as to how you were able to injure Naoise."

The silence that falls around us deafens me like a scream. I'm wavering between asking for the truth, and running from it. If I'm being honest, I think I've known the answer for awhile. I've been ignoring the signs ever since we got home. Hearing him confirm it could send me over the edge, and I might not be able to handle it.

Cináed pauses a moment longer, then says, "Your mother is a faery. You and Darren are half mortal, half Fae."

My ears are ringing, and my knees feel weak. I'm shaking my head, trying to find a loophole in order to save me from this reality.

"She is a faery? But that means..."

"Your mother is alive. She sent me here to tell you, and asked me to bring you to her."

<<---------->>

*mic drop*

I had several readers guess the ending awhile ago, so I'd like to know: Did you know Roisín had some faery blood in her, or is your mind totally blown? 

As promised, the adventure of Roisín will be continued in another book! I created a Wattpad story with a temporary cover so you can add it to your library and be ready when chapter one is posted.

If you want to be the first to know when Come Away is released (WITH BONUS CHAPTERS) as a paperback and ebook, go to my author site and sign up for my newsletter! I'll also be sharing bits of the story-making process and insider info just for Come Away fans (that I don't post anywhere else).

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Let me know what you want to see happen in book 2 in the comments! I honestly love you guys. Thank you!

X Logan