Rowan and Heather(continued) By Eilis O'Neal Rowan flicked the lid of the compact open to reveal the
palest pink, then swept the brush through the color. Heather, she thought,
as she touched the brush to the Queen's cheeks. She went slowly, selecting
first one color to hold near the Queen's face and then another before
deciding on one. Compassion, she chose the word as she rubbed a delicate
green shadow over her eyes, and wisdom as she combed black mascara
through her lashes. Understanding, she whispered to herself as she ran
a thin line of black liner across her eyelids. She did not know how
long it had been when she finally capped a tube of lipstick named Bewitching
Berry. "I'm finished," she said quietly. The Queen gazed at her for a moment, her face still the
one that Rowan had seen from the Open Rose counter. Gracefully, she
turned her head to look into the mirror. Rowan would never remember the precise moment the Queen
changed. Only that when she met the Queen's eyes in the mirror, Heather's
looked back at her. There was a clap of thunder and the world slid sideways.
You bear watching, she heard the Queen's terrible voice say inside her
head. Who knew that a human could possess the magic to give the Queen
of Faerie a heart, if only for a moment? Long enough to merge with yours.
You'll keep your soul now, but we'll be watching you.
Rowan turned, scowling, to see Rhys leaning against a
tree near them. "What do you want?" she said. He quirked an eyebrow at her and crouched beside them.
"Don't worry about her. She'll wake as soon as I'm gone, and will
remember nothing of this." Although suddenly filled with the intense desire to say
Well, why don't you go then, Rowan asked, "What happened
in there?" "You gave the Queen a human heart for the briefest
moment. How did you do that?" "I don't know. I just thought that she needed more
compassion. I always think about what the person needs. But why "
She paused, remembering. "I thought of Heather, right as I first
touched her. I don't think I've ever thought someone's name while I've
put makeup on them." Rhys glanced at Heather, something passing across his
face that Rowan couldn't identify. "A strong name, to give the
Faerie Queen a heart. As is yours." Rowan shook her head. "I just wanted my sister back.
Haven't you ever loved someone enough to do whatever it took to save
them?" Rhys eyes flicked to Heather again for the barest of seconds
before he said, "Of course not. I'm fey." He turned and spoke
a word Rowan couldn't quite hear, and the hill opened. "It must be a lonely place to live, if no one loves
each other," Rowan said with a glance into the opening. "All things change," Rhys said, echoing the
Queen. "For a moment the Queen of Faerie had a soul, a bit of yours
and a bit of your sister's. And those hearts are capable of love, especially
hers." At Rowan's confused look, he added, "The Queen is
our center whatever she is, we become. That heart was all of
ours, for that brief moment. I see now that I have grown "
he paused, as if searching for the word " fond of
your sister, which is almost unheard of for one of my kind." "I don't want any more games," Rowan said sharply.
"You should leave her alone. You might enchant her again, or me." Amusement flashed across Rhys' face. "I doubt that
very much. Your name still protects you and her... Well, for a moment
it was the same as the Queen of Faerie's. That should be enough protection
for any human." He bowed. "Until next time, Rowan." She could hear his footfalls as he walked away from them,
but she did not watch. As the hill closed, Rowan reached for her sister's
shoulder to wake her.
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