Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 129912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
“I’m afraid so.” I press my lips and drop my gaze.
“You’re lying!” Minka shouts. “She can’t die. She’s a Regal!”
When I look up again, Minka’s tears race down her cheeks. Maia looks from me to Willow before breaking down in a sob. She throws her face into Carra’s stomach, and Carra rubs her back, but her eyes are just as wet.
Footsteps crunch along the sand, and Milandra appears with Asteria. Both have fresh bruises and scars. Asteria has a bandaged ear, and a deep cut is on Milandra’s upper arm. I shouldn’t be surprised that Milandra hasn’t addressed her wounds yet.
I rise to my feet and open my palm to them. Their eyes drop to the glowing seed, and for the first time in my life, I see Milandra’s eyes water.
“Did she leave instruction?” Milandra asks, trying to keep her voice from shaking.
“Hassha spoke to me days ago about this. She told me her plans. The seed will be split between the twins, and you will guide the tribe until the girls are old enough to lead.”
Her eyes fall to my hand again, and she doesn’t blink. “She risked her entire life for you.” Her nostrils flare, and the grip around the handle of her spear tightens. “You have the power now, so you will guide them. You’ll come to Kessel weekly to train them, teach them how to harness their energy, and it will be my duty to protect them.”
“If that’s what you need from me, so be it. I’ll split the seed and give it to them. You can take them away from everyone else to digest it if you want.”
With a nod, Milandra gives me her back and stares at the ocean. I don’t miss the way her body shudders.
Sighing, I split the seed in half and hand a piece each to the twins. They stare at it as it rests in their palms, eyes full of tears, little bodies shaking with grief.
“You should know, girls, that she was very proud of you,” I tell them. “And with this, she’ll always be here. She’ll be in you, and she’ll guide you. Understand?”
They nod in unison. When they close their hands around their halves, Carra brings them close and makes her way to Milandra.
None of the older women look back, but the twins do. They stare at me, as if searching for an answer to questions they don’t even know how to ask.
But they’re strong. They’ll be all right.
That’s a lot more than I can say for my brother Rowan.
NINETY-THREE
CAZ
There were too many people lost to count.
I believe many of the bodies went away when I tapped into all my energy. Everyone who was alive was spared and sent to a safe space. Granted, it was in the middle of the ocean, but it was better than being electrocuted.
Alora and Valden, though injured, rally up the remainder of their soldiers and return to Vanora. Neither of them has much to say.
Neither do I.
Everyone is still in shock.
I tell them I’ll see them in Vanora in a few days once things are settled in Blackwater.
Devlin survived the war, but his friend Bolv didn’t. I checked on him, and he’s with the Kessel tribe, having his wounds tended to by one of the Mythics. With his territory charred and most of his people dead, I’m not sure where he’ll go or what he’ll do, but we’ll figure things out when he’s better.
There are more people I need to check on, but none of them are as important to me as Rowan. I rush into the manor with Willow, and we hurry up the stairs to the second floor.
When we near his chamber, I spot his body on the bed, his face ghostly pale and his lips blue. The gash in his chest is deep with black veins spread around the edge of the wound, proving there was poison at play.
Killian and Maeve sit on either side of him, and Juniper is at the foot of the bed. All have tears in their eyes.
Maeve clings to her deceased son’s hand, sobbing. Willow and I look at each other, sharing a tightness of grief in our chests.
“I told you not to die, you idiot,” Juniper sniffs.
“Can I have the room please?” I ask.
They all look to me, a pause in their cries.
“What for?” Killian asks. “We’re all grieving, just the same as you, Caz.”
“Kill,” I reply calmly. “Trust me on this one. I need the room.”
He frowns, swinging his eyes from me to his brother. Then he pushes out of his chair and reaches for Maeve. “Come on, Mum.”
It takes him a while to wrench Maeve away, but he manages and takes Juniper along with him. Willow shuts the door after them, and when her eyes meet mine, she nods.
“I don’t know if this will work.” I stand over Rowan, my heart beating twice as fast. Being this close to him makes my stomach twist. “My poor brother.”