"The other. What other? I have no idea what--or who--you mean."
"You know exactly who I mean. Matilda, Gwynn, Arawn. Over and over, until the damage is fixed. Until the two sides"-- she held up her hand, a black and a white stone on her palm; she closed her fist, and when she opened it again, there was one stone, two colors swirling through it--"are one again."
"You realize I have no idea what you're talking--"
"You will."
"But this Matilda . . . am I her? Reincarnated or something?"
"Or something." She pursed her lips as if in thought. "Reimagined. Not reborn, but born anew. As he"--she motioned at Gabriel--"is not Gwynn ap Nudd, nor the other Arawn. You are, and you are not. You are destined to play the roles again. To give us another chance. But when two sides have been at war so long, neither cares for peace. Only victory."
"Two sides," I said. "You mean the Tylwyth Teg and the Cwn Annwn, right?"
"There's more to this story," she said. "Follow me."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The girl tore off. When I started after her, Gabriel caught my shoulder.
"We're done here," he said.
He still had his shades off and was looking toward the house, his gaze distant.
"Gabriel?"
"We want answers, but not at the expense of showing you horrors you can do nothing to stop. It's pointless and cruel."
"It's data."
His eyes narrowed as if I were mocking him. I took his hand from my shoulder. When I touched it, I expected him to pull back. He gave no sign he even noticed, still watching me with that wary look. I lowered his hand but didn't release it.
"It's information," I said softly. "You need it. I need it. And this is the only trustworthy source."
I thought he'd say there were no trustworthy sources. He only gazed in the direction the girl had run, that cautious look easing but not evaporating.
I squeezed his hand. He still didn't pull away. He looked as if he wanted to retreat behind his wall, snap at me not to be foolish, to leave this place. Yet he couldn't. He looked at me, and I felt so much. Too much.
I dropped his hand and turned in the girl's direction. She was long gone.
"I need to see this through," I said, and took off.
Gabriel ran after me. I heard a grunt and turned to see him pulling off his suit coat. He caught me looking and scowled as he laid the jacket over his arm.
"Next time you plan to take us climbing through ruins, I would appreciate advance notice,
so I may dress appropriately."
"Do you even own anything appropriate?"
Another scowl, as if this wasn't the point.
"Tell you what, the next time you get a fake message telling you to meet me at some remote location, just hit a Target on your way."
I took off again, hearing him growl in annoyance as he came after me. As his mood darkened, it lightened mine. This wasn't Gabriel truly angry--it was pique and ego and mild discomfort. It was a Gabriel I knew well, and it chased off the last shadows of my vision.
We came around the side terrace, picking through rubble and brambles until . . .
"This," I said, waving my arm toward the lake. "This is what I want."