55. Tempest
55
TEMPEST
D rask perched on the lower bed rail, his head cocking this way and that.
He watched me.
Vexxion stirred but didn’t wake. He rolled away from me as I slipped from the bed and walked over to the window.
Drask soared over to land on his perch, staring up at me as I slid the window open for him to fly through.
As I suspected, he didn’t leave.
I turned to face him, and his gaze sunk into mine . . .
When I jerked my eyes away, he flew up to land on my shoulder. He pecked my cheek gently, the fingerbone he held in his beak gouging my skin.
The third vision waited.
“It’s time?” I hissed, wanting to see but wishing I could hold it back. This bone had taken me to the cave where I’d listened to Ivenrail and the Liege arguing, where the king revealed how he’d twisted dregs with magic, where I was shown they could fly.
Whose bone was this?
He thrust it toward me again.
Taking it, I was sucked down into . . .
Dark blue drapes had been cinched back at each of the four bedposts, and their ends fluttered in a floral-scented breeze coasting through the large bedroom.
I lay in the bed beneath soft blankets.
No, no, it couldn’t be me.
“Who?” I whispered, and the words echoed around me.
I’m grateful you’re here, a lilting woman’s voice said in my mind. Watch closely. You must not miss this, dear one.
Who are you?
You’ll soon know. It’s . . . wonderful.
What is wonderful?
My eyes were guided down to the child I held in my arms, swaddled in a sapphire blue blanket. The newborn stared up at its mother— me —with equally blue eyes.
Vexxion? I croaked. He was beautiful with his plump, pink cheeks. He cooed at her—me—and everything inside me melted.
Why was I being shown this memory from . . .?
You’re Vexxion’s mother, Ellyn, I said. Ivenrail stole your finger bone. You took me to the cave and—
I love my son deeply. I can see you feel the same and that makes me incredibly happy. Thank you for loving him, for believing in him when he couldn’t believe in himself.
He’s everything to me. Loving him was lightning striking the same spot repeatedly, blistering and electrifying and joyous. I wasn’t sure I could stand the overwhelming feeling.
Yes. Yes, he is , she said. I rejoice in this.
How did you see inside the cave? You were already dead. For years. It wasn’t possible.
He stole everything from me. My heart. My court. My future. But he did not steal this. She tightened her arms around the infant. Leaning forward, she kissed his forehead . Not yet. Never if the fates agree to my bargain.
What bargain?
Safety in exchange for a life.
She’d sacrificed everything she had for her son. She’d remained stoic and strong while Ivenrail killed her. He’d done everything he could to torture the information from her, but she’d held strong because she knew doing so would protect her son.
Not quite, she said softly. Yes, I sacrificed myself to keep my son alive. But I also held strong and did not give him the information he was seeking for one other, wonderful reason.
The memory I’d seen in the dungeon washed through me.
Hanging from the wall, Vexxion lifted his head. The scars he carried today were branded into his chest, a network of scarlet puckers coiling up and around his neck. Marking him forever as the king’s new toy.
“Do you know where she is?” Ivenrail asked Vexxion.
She, she, she.
“Your mother refused to tell me,” the king snarled.
“I don’t know what you mean.” Hearing Vexxion’s tortured, little boy voice gutted me all over again. He was small. Defenseless. And already incredibly strong.
Ivenrail sighed. “You might not know. It would be just like her not to tell you.”
But I did, Ellyn said, tugging me back to the current vision and away from the dungeon. My son deserved to know even if I made sure he didn’t remember.
Ivenrail’s speaking of me, correct? I asked. He was looking for me because he knew Vexxion and I could control enormous power once we were finally together.
The fates accepted my bargain, she said. Watch.
The door to this room swept open and Aunt Vera hurried inside, her face creased with age and concern. She carefully shut the door and crossed the room, stopping beside the bed, staring down at Vexxion’s mother and him. “You’re sure? I’m willing to cast the spell, but it will leave a gap in his mind.”
“Can you hide him?”
“You know I can’t.”
This didn’t make sense.
Ellyn’s soft, tortured sigh rang out. “Thank you anyway.”
Vera rubbed Ellyn’s shoulder. “I would if I could. Please know this.”
“I do.” Ellyn’s chin lifted. “The plan is set. I can only pray to the fates that the things we’ve put into place will bring about the end we need, that they’ll fulfill their side of the bargain.”
“I wish I could see what happens.” Tears trickled down my aunt’s ruddy cheeks. “In this, everything’s much too blank.”
“Because there are too many paths yet to follow. Trust. It’s all I can do. ”
Vera kissed Ellyn on the forehead and stared into her eyes for a very long time before she nodded. “You’re brave. Braver than I could be.”
“The love I have . . . I happily give everything I am to make sure they have a chance.”
“We could board a ship and flee.” Vera’s feverish voice rang out. “I’m sure the king of—”
“You saw what could happen if we leave.”
“Danger awaits them on every path they follow.”
“But not the death you’ve seen if we continue on this path.”
“Leaving the continent holds many futures.” Vera swiped at her eyes. “They don’t all contain death.”
“I cannot risk them. Please do this final thing for me. Everything else is in place.” She smiled down at her baby. “So precious. So small. Yet with so much potential.” Her head lifted. “It’s time. Bring him to me.”
My aunt sucked in a breath and released it before she jerked out a nod. Turning, she walked over to the door, opening it, and gestured for someone to enter.
A small boy walked through the gap, his gaze only on the woman lying in the bed.
“Mummy.” With the smile I’d seen on the man I loved, he raced over to the bed and climbed onto it, settling to lean into his mother’s side, gazing up at her with complete adoration.
My breathing stuttered.
The infant was not Vexxion. Not now and not in the other vision.
“This is your sister, Vexxion,” Ellyn said.
Sister? I barked. Vexxion has a sister ?
“Isn’t she pretty?” she said, stroking her son’s dark hair.
He nodded, gazing raptly at the swaddled baby who peered toward him, cooing. His fingertip traced down her cheek like a tear she had not yet shed.
I suspected she’d wear many.
“Love her, because I won’t be there for her.” Sobs choked Ellyn’s words. “When it’s time, she’ll remind you, and then you’ll know.” She looked up at Vera. “Do it. Please. I cannot bear this any longer.”
“Come, little one.” Aunt Vera held out her hand toward Vexxion. “Now that you’ve met her, your mother needs to rest.”
I’ll rest forever soon, Ellyn said in my mind. For now, it’s wonderful to see him and my daughter together. I’m grateful I could share this memory with you because you’ll know what to do.
Who is she? I barked. Who?
My aunt took Vexxion to the door, stooping down in front of him and holding his arms before he left. He looked up at her, and she whispered a spell I couldn’t make out.
His gaze went blank, and he turned and left the room.
“It’s done,” Aunt Vera said. “He won’t remember his sister until he’s reminded.”
“Thank you,” Ellyn said. “There’s only one thing left for you to do, and then you can hide.”
“Hiding’s not part of my future, but I’ll do all I can to make this easier for them. I promise you this.” She walked back over to the bed and held out her hands. “They will treat her well. They will love her. I’m sorry I can’t see more than that.”
“We have to do this, right?” Ellyn’s voice shook as much as her hands did holding her daughter. “Otherwise . . . ”
“He’ll mold her into something hideous. All other paths lead to this.”
“Alright, then.” Ellyn lifted her daughter, and Vera took her, gently cradling her in her arms.
“Sleep if you can,” my Aunt Vera said. “I’ll be back once it’s done to share what I can.”
“Thank you.”
Aunt Vera blinked back her tears.
“Before you flit.” Ellyn’s fingers stretched out to touch her daughter one last time. “Would you tell them her name and ask them to keep it?”
Vera paused. “Of course.”
“Love you, sweet,” Ellyn told her daughter. “I’ll always love you, my Reyla.”