FIFTY-TWO
WILLOW
“Selah will not relent.” Hassha’s voice fills the main room and vibrates in the hollows of my skull.
I look past her, peering out the wall of windows and focusing on the ocean. It’s the only thing that feels real, alive, safe even. Everything else seems like it’ll crash and burn in the blink of an eye.
My throat burns as a wave of nausea runs over me, but I swallow it down and keep my focus on the dark current. Caz takes my hand, and I steal a glance at him as he squeezes it.
We’re okay. His voice is sure, confident. Even while we’re in peril, he’s acting like what we’re facing is normal.
We’re far from okay, Caz.
I feel him studying the profile of my face as I put my attention on the ocean again.
“She will bring everything she can to this war. Those creatures you saw?” I look over as Korah speaks, her eyes landing on every individual in the room, even the wolves. “They may have seemed countless to you, but that was only a speck compared to how much more she can create. She’ll have more dragons, more of those trench hounds, and many other things we won’t even recognize because they’re fueled by her dark energy.
“Some of those creatures were people from Ripple Hills. She took the most wicked and turned them, made them fight for her, and she’ll keep doing that. We are not like Selah. We don’t steal lives. We don’t use people. I feel like we have made that abundantly clear to you. Regardless of what you may think about us, we want to keep you alive.
“We are doing everything in our power to make sure Vakeeli stands, but we will not achieve that if you work against us. That means you must lower your guards and stand by our side. We will grace your weapons, we will train you to become better, but we cannot do that if you lack trust in us.”
The room falls silent. I can hear the ocean roaring, the waves crashing.
“You don’t think we’ll win, do you?” Caz asks after some time. All eyes turn to him before they settle on Korah and Hassha.
The sisters look between each other.
“If we train you properly, we can,” Hassha says.
Korah presses her lips.
“Can?” Caz shoves off the couch. “What’s the point of going into this war? We’re better off trying to find a way out of Vakeeli. We could travel to Earth and live there if we must.”
“Doesn’t matter where you go, she’ll find you,” Hassha returns.
“Then you can take us someplace else—another universe or something where it’s safe.”
“That doesn’t matter, Caspian!” Hassha frowns. “She will not stop hunting you until she has the power you carry.”
“Well maybe we should just give her Yuri’s power then, huh?” Caz shouts back.
“ What ?” Hassha grimaces, and her armor clinks as she takes a heavy step toward him. “ Give her Yuri’s power? Simply hand it over to her after spending all this time protecting it? I know you are just a commoner in mind, Caspian, but that is by far the stupidest thing to come out of your mouth.”
“It makes sense though,” he goes on. “If it’s that power she wants, let her have it. Why should I care when she hates both of you? Your fight with her has never been ours. Perhaps if I give it to her, she’ll spare me and my family.”
“You’re a fool if you do not care!” Hassha claps back. “Because if she takes your power, she takes all of you . You will die and your mate will too, as well as the child in her womb. Is that what you want? For everyone you love to die because you gave up? All those years you spent fighting and now you want to quit? Are you that pathetic and selfish, Monarch Harlow?”
Caz’s jaw ticks. He clenches a fist as he backs away.
“You have the power in you to take everything from her. Do you not understand that? You have the power to strip her away and store what she has inside of you . Korah and I cannot do that alone. All we can do is fight her and hope she remains wounded long enough for us to create another plan. But you, Caspian. The power you carry is Yuri’s. He was born from a separate line of tears. He is similar to us, but he is also so much more. He descended first and reached Gaea’s lips. And when he drifted to open air, he absorbed much of her strength and became everything we are not. Korah, Selah, and I—we stopped at her cheek. She wiped us away, but we were still born and still sent to aid the gods.
“It is you who will save us, but if you keep doubting yourself and doubting what we tell you, she wins. That is exactly what she wants. She wants you to feel incapable of such power so that you’ll willingly hand it over. She’s waiting for you to make an agreement to spare the lives of your loved ones, but we will not allow such an agreement to happen. We will not let her win. Is that clear?”
Caz’s turns away like a child who’s been scolded. He stares out the window, where the black ocean and bloated gray clouds steal the remaining color of Blackwater.
“If that is what you believe, so be it.” His shoulders sag as he turns his head a fraction and peers over his shoulder. He stares for so long, it makes everyone but The Regals shift with concern.
“Caz?” Juniper calls, her voice laced with worry.
He turns to face us, tilting his head up again. “If we have any chance of winning this war, everyone in Vakeeli must help. Our strongest fighters, our biggest allies—they have to know the truth. There will be no more hiding in the dark for you Regals. We will make your history abundantly clear so that there are no questions and no room for error.
“Some of the most powerful people of Vakeeli live in or near Vanora. We can talk to their queen, tell her to aid us. We can rally up the Mythics, the Gilded, the soldiers—everyone. The Rippies have no place else to say, and their monarch saw what you can do. Once they find out Selah turned some of their people to those creatures, they’ll straighten themselves up enough to fight. They may be ignorant, but they aren’t stupid. The Whisper Grovians want to reclaim their peace, and though they have little, they’ll assist too. We may just be commoners to you, but if we band together—if we’re united —we can be equally as strong.”
At that, a faint smile appears on Hassha’s lips. “ That is the Caspian I’m looking for.” She moves across the room to get closer to him. “You can inform the others and make them aware. Get them to agree and to assist.”
“I can talk to them as much as I want, but they won’t believe me about Selah and the war unless they see you ,” he says.
Hassha and Korah share a fleeting glance.
“You have to drop the fear,” Caz says. “Stop thinking all commoners want to hurt you. The world isn’t like it was all those years ago.”
Hassha’s eyes fall as she allows that to digest. “No. I suppose it isn’t.”
Korah purses her lips but doesn’t protest.
“I will travel with you for your arrangements,” Hassha tells him. “But we go our way. We teleport, we inform, then we return home so you can train. This must be done as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
“Right. Let’s go then.” Caz marches through the room, his boots thudding on the floor. “Row, Kill.” He stops in front of his cousins. “I need you to contact Devlin and Conan. Tell them to bring their people and meet us in Vanora if they’re not already there. Last I heard, Devlin was already making his way there, but he could’ve changed his mind.”
“You got it,” Rowan says as Killian replies with an affirmative grunt.
“I’ll get in touch with Alora.” Caz glances at me. “Willow, you can come with me.”
“No.” Korah steps between us, blocking my view of him. I push out of my chair. “Willow stays here. She needs to train.”
I step to the side to look at him. By the way his nostrils flare, I know he wants to go off on her.
We’re supposed to trust them , I remind him, even though I don’t fully believe those words myself. When he hears me, his face softens and he breathes in deep. Exhales.
“Fine,” he mutters.
“I’m coming with you, Caz.” Juniper meets at his side.
“And I’ll stay here with Willow.” Maeve stands next to me and takes my hand. I smile as she gives it a loving squeeze.
“Okay. Just give me a moment with her.” Caz strides past Korah, and when Maeve releases my hand, he takes it and guides me out of the grand room.
“Will you be okay?” he asks when we’ve stepped onto one of the balconies.
“I’ll be fine, Caz,” I assure him. “Please don’t worry.”
“Right. Yeah.” He sighs, raking his fingers through his hair. “I’ll try not to.”
“Are you sure we should do this?” I ask. “A war , Caz? So many people will get hurt. There has to be another way to take her down.”
“If there were a quicker way, Hassha and Korah would’ve told us,” he says. “All the pressure is on my shoulders. So many lives in my hands. Why did he have to choose me?”
“Because you were most worthy.”
“That’s bullshit, Willow, and you know it. I’m sure there were people reborn before me who were worthier.”
“Sure, there could’ve been, but he chose you. He saw something in you from the moment you were born and decided to activate that seed. If anyone can do it, it’s you , Caz. You’re strong. You fight so hard for everything you love. You’re loyal. Passionate. Sexy .”
At that, he huffs a laugh but still shakes his head, not wanting to fall into it. “Now I know you’re making things up.”
“I’m not. I’m telling you what I see, so just let all those good qualities guide you. Let your strength take over.” I take both his hands in mine. “Go with Hassha and do what you have to do. And when you’re done, come back to me.”
He nods, pressing his forehead to mine. “And if I fail?”
“You won’t,” I whisper.
“You have too much faith in me, Willow Woman.”
I laugh. “If my faith in you is what keeps you encouraged, so be it.” I stroke his chin, and the stubble grazes the pads of my fingers. “I’ll hold on to all the faith for you.”
He smiles as he pulls his head away. “Spending time with Korah doesn’t seem like it’ll be an enjoyable occasion for you, by the way.”
“Ugh. Yeah.” I roll my eyes. “She’s going to hate dealing with me.”
“Well, whatever you do, don’t go chopping your hands off with swords or shooting yourself with guns. I need you to stay safe.” He presses a warm hand to my tummy. “You and our baby.”
I smile up at him and can’t help rising on my toes to kiss his lips. They’re warm and soft. I moan as he does. When his arms circle my waist, I throw mine over his shoulders so our bodies fuse.
He cups my ass as his mouth parts and our tongues collide. I want so badly for this moment to last, for all the worries to fade, and for The Regals to go back into hiding so we can cling to the happiness we’ve created.
But, of course, our happiness never lasts.
Not right now.
Not until Selah is defeated.
I break the kiss first because I know Caz won’t walk away until I do. With one last peck on his cheek, I step back with a lengthy exhale.
“I love you, Caspian Edgar Harlow.”
A smile adorns his beautiful face as a gleam appears in his eyes. “My love for you is infinite, Willow Austin.” He strokes my chin, lingering, not wanting to walk away. “You’re more than worth fighting for.”
I fight the urge to cry, but the heat builds behind my eyes anyway. I blink quickly to fan the oncoming tears away, forcing a smile instead.
I have to be strong for him.
“All right, go,” I laugh. “Show them why you’re the chosen one.”