Chapter 2 #2
“I’m not sure,” he answers. “She died the night I was born.” At my shocked expression, he chuckles. “Now, now. Don’t give me pity. I might not have known my mother, but I had Fee and I had Kaden. They kept her memory alive for me and loved me as surely as she would.”
Bumping my shoulder with his, I say, “So, that’s why you’re so loyal to them.”
“Besides them being my only family, they helped to raise me. Zelos never wanted me, I know that.” His voice cracks but he continues on, “But where he stepped out, Kaden stepped in.
He taught me how to fight, how to strategize, and direction.
He showed me kindness in ways no else would.
When he was battling his own demons, when he could barely remember who he was, he still loved me.
When he was away, Fee would tuck me in at night, or read to me in the gardens.
More often than not, she snuck through the palace with me, grabbing sweets from the chef.
“They took care of me.” He looks skyward, the dazzling stars so pure and awe-inspiring that I follow his gaze.
It’s been some time since I’ve looked at the stars—truly admired them for their beauty and not felt dwarfed by their existence.
“Though I was loved, there are days I wished I knew my mother. What she sounded like, what she smelled like. How her voice sounded when she was happy, or how she would yell my name when I was in trouble.”
“If you shared the same humor. If she were also allergic to dandelions just as you were,” I add wistfully. We drift off, letting our thoughts consume us. Just two children wishing for something else.
Reid finally winks. “The things most people take for granted, we miss deep within our bones.”
I have to agree. We were left to the world, searching for the one person who is supposed to make us feel like we belong, like everything will be okay once we find them.
I never found Thea, but I did find Kaden. He’s been that person for me.
Gently, Reid taps my hand. “But you have something I don’t.”
Together, we look across the campsite, to my father who leans against a thick tree. Away from the group, he doesn’t sleep, but searches the surroundings on his own watch. I’m not sure what he waits for, but it’s something that only he can see.
“You should sleep,” he pushes, inclining his head to my unbound bedroll. I don’t think I’ve slept in it yet.
I also refuse. There’s such little time, that sleep seems like a waste. But his—and Baris’ warning—rings in my ears. If I die, Kaden dies. I have to take care of myself if I want to save him. Slowly, I stand, body cracking as I go, feeling at once ancient and yet young.
Taking one step toward the sleeping mat, I stop and turn toward Reid.
“Oslo said you were kind like her. Serafina. That her laugh is your laugh. Boundless. Open.” He smiles, eyes glassy as the words sink deep and I push further.
I might not have closure, but I can give it to him.
He can feel it for the both of us. “Zelos never wanted you, but she did. Because she loved you before she knew you. That’s why she wanted one more.
And I hope you know, she continues to love you in the Underworld. ”
I let the silence lay, as I take my roll to Baris. The eyes of my soldiers follow each step, and I try to keep my back straight.
I’m not a queen—but I am theirs. As terrifying as it is, I must push on. I must be the queen they deserve. A queen that Kaden needs.
“It’s warmer by the fire,” he says casually as I drop the roll and lean against the tree with him.
It’s far cooler here, but I’ve never slept well beside a flame.
“I know.” I don’t touch the roll, but let my father’s body heat warm me. Scanning the field, the trees further back are black. Somewhere out there, my mate walks and my heart yearns to be close to him.
“When you saw this curse last, did they recover?”
He exhales quietly, shifting his weight. “No, little one. But they did not have you fighting for them. That is why this is different.”
So much confidence, and yet I don’t feel the same. It’s hard to feel anything past the lead stone in my gut, the worry that something terrible is coming. And I am wholly unprepared for it.
In the distance, a sharp howl sounds.
No one seems to hear it—except Baris and I. A beat, then it sounds again, closer, carried on the wind like a specter. It’s primal, a calling. An alert.
My shoulders tense. “That’s not Kaden,” I whisper, panic causing my voice to shake.
Baris looks to my daggers. “Get ready.”
The trees in the back sway, as if the forest has inhaled. Tilting my head, I watch the branches blow, and the leaves shake. The air shifts, and in my belly, the energy turns to something deadly.
My magic feels it, stirring to fight.
“What is it?”
Another howl, this one much louder. Letting my mental shield down, I listen with my magic. Heartbeats, ranging from various distance strike my head and I gasp.
Baris shucks off his cloak, pulling a short sword from his hip. A snout materializes at the tree line, before dozens of blue-white eyes flicker in the darkness.
One coarsely furred paw steps forward and the ground trembles.
“Wolves.”