* * *
Owen walked, waiting for Nora to come after him. When she didn’t, he swore under his breath. He never knew what to say to her anymore. He used to feel like he knew her so well. She’d changed since they got to Helicon. At first it had seemed good, but then he’d felt her pulling away from him. It terrified him, the thought of being without her. It scared him so much that he’d clung as tightly as he could to her. And somehow, he’d driven her away because of that.
Well. There was the fairy, of course. But Nora should never have seen that. That wasn’t about her, anyway. That was about something completely different. He hadn’t felt anything for the fairy. He’d only been curious. What would it be like to touch her? To kiss her? Besides that damned fairy, he’d never kissed another woman besides Nora.
And now she hated him. If she’d felt something for him, she’d have come after him just then, when he’d bared his soul to her, made himself vulnerable to her. She’d ignored his pain, just like everyone else did. Well... if that was the way it was going to be, then Owen could handle that. He’d get her back, of course. But no more begging. He’d humiliated himself, and it hadn’t gotten him anywhere.
He needed to step things up. Make it impossible for Nora not to come back to him.
He set his jaw as he emerged from the woods into the tweens and rebels enclave, his black cloak furling out behind him. Ahead, he spied Maddie. She was dressed up as a squirrel. Owen smirked. It fit her. She was like a squirrel, pudgy and jumpy and cute. And weak. He’d known right away that Maddie was the weak link. But he’d thought that getting Maddie to be on his side would convince Nora to come back to him. He’d underestimated Nora.
Owen strode over to Maddie, smiling. “Nice costume.”
Maddie grinned nervously. “Oh, you like it? I can’t pull off those sexy costumes. I’m too fat.”
Well, at least she knew her limits. “You’re adorable,” said Owen. He lifted her chin with one hand, so that she stared into his eyes. Softly, he whispered an incantation under his breath, letting the words wash over Maddie.
Maddie’s eyes went glassy. She stared at him blankly.
Owen’s smile faded. “You said she’d listen to me if I admitted I was wrong. You said if I didn’t make it her fault, she’d change her mind.”
Maddie didn’t answer. In this state, she wasn’t about to defend herself. Ah, well. There was no reason to take his anger out on her. It wasn’t her fault, anyway. It was Nora’s fault. Really, everything was Nora’s fault. If she’d only cooperate, Owen wouldn't have to do these things.