Chapter 6
Stricken
Robin did not sleep for much of the night. After sprinkling salt in the shape of protective runes in the corners of the cottage, she sat up on her futon, her glasses in her hand.
The runes would limit her own power but stave off attacks from outside. There had been no more disturbances, and from the silence coming from Amon's room he seemed to be asleep.
That troubled her. If Amon knew who or what had attacked him, why wouldn't he tell her? It hurt to think that no matter how much she trusted him, he would never trust her. Perhaps he couldn't trust anyone.
Robin woke up at the first light of dawn and scolded herself for falling asleep. She had only meant to rest her eyes for a minute.
She didn't see or hear Amon, so she peeked into his room and saw he was sleeping. He was usually up earlier than she was.
Robin circled the cottage, searching by the light of the newly risen sun for any footprints besides their own. There were none. She went back inside and began boiling some water to make coffee and oatmeal.
She turned at the sound of a door sliding open and froze at the sight of Amon with his gun raised.
"Amon?"
"I'm sorry." He lowered the gun. "I thought I heard something outside."
"That was me," she said. "I was taking a look around. I'm making breakfast."
He said nothing.
She poured two spoonfuls of ground coffee and some hot water in a French press. Then she joined him at the table.
They ate breakfast and drank the coffee in a tense silence. Then Robin asked, "Amon, if something were wrong you would tell me, right?"
"Yes," he answered after a moment.
"Is something wrong?"
"I don't know."
"I'm sorry about causing so much trouble. I know hiding out with me away from everyone is not what you would choose..."
"No. I did choose this. What happened last night had nothing to do with you."
"What is it, then? What attacked us last night? Who attacked you?"
"I don't know."
She gaped at him. He was lying. She knew he was lying. She stood up, hurt and angry. "You trusted me as a partner once," she said before stalking out the door.
She had it in mind to leave, to just keep walking into the forest, into the mountains, with no destination but away from Amon. But in the yard, in the fragrance of the newly blossoming cherry trees, she realized if whatever had attacked came back while she was gone and something happened to Amon, she would never forgive herself.
So she sat under the cherry tree, picking fallen blossoms from the ground, plucking the petals off them, and incinerating them one by one. The concentration needed to create the tiny fires was calming to her, cathartic.
Amon appeared at the door, watching her. She stood, dropping a handful of blossoms, and walked up to him. "When you met me, I was a child," she said. "A well-trained and skilled witch hunter, but still a child. I relied on you. I deferred to your opinion. When I was alone, afraid to show my face because I was being hunted by Solomon, I wished so many times that you were there to tell me what I should do. But I'm not a child anymore." Her voice hardened. "I'm a Witch. Whyever you think it's best to leave me in the dark, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's happening. You don't need to protect me."
"You're right," he said. "I do want to protect you, but that's not why I didn't tell you."
"Why, then?"
"I can't ask you for help. If something happens to me, you'll need to run. You'll need to protect yourself."
She shook her head. "I would never leave you behind. I'm afraid of the same thing you're afraid of: becoming dangerous because of my power. I'm relying on you to kill me if I reach that point. I need you."
Amon stared at her with an intense but unreadable expression. He reached out and touched her cheek. "Robin. Sometimes I wonder..."
"Wonder what?" she asked when he trailed off.
"You asked me if I've ever been in love."
There was a sound in the forest behind her, a rustling in the trees of something more solid than the wind. Amon's eyes rose from her face to the forest and a look of horror came into them. She whirled around.
There was a shadow there, the shadow of something enormous and lurking.
"It's here!" Robin exclaimed.
"Because of me," Amon stated.
Robin put on her glasses and prepared to attack, even though, since fire had proven ineffective against the previous night's attack, she didn't know what exactly she could do.
"Go. It's not a threat to you," Amon said.
"If it's a threat to you it's a threat to me."
The shadow moved closer. She still couldn't make out what it was. She formed a fireball above her hand and waited vigilantly.
"Ugh!" Amon grunted in pain and clutched at his shoulder. He doubled over, falling to his knees.
"Amon!" She turned away from the beast in the forest and dropped to his side.
He attempted to struggle to his feet. Robin caught him before he could fall. She supported his tall frame and helped him back to the door of the cottage. Glancing behind them over her shoulder, she saw with confusion that whatever had been there seemed to be gone.