My eyes fly open, staring up at the bright sunlight once more. The peaceful sound of birds chirping and the sound of the cool wind blowing through the trees grounds me. Heavy breaths fan against the drenched hair hanging around my shoulders.
For a few seconds, I only hear my own terrified heart filling my ears.
Until she speaks.
“And now you see. There are those greater than you.” The Traveler’s ominous dark eyes pin me to my submissive place on the dirty floor. “You arenotthe Eminence, my child.”
Chapter Twelve
Outshine the Darkness
For several long seconds, I just stare at her. Her features starting to blur into the shadows as the blazing sunlight encompasses me.
“I’m not the Eminence,” I whisper. The Traveler with the scarred eyes flashes through my mind. He was so adamant that I was their savior.
He couldn’t see visions at all.
He was a fake.
Just like me.
“Am—” My tone falters, shaking slightly as I try hard to get a grasp on my own fucking life. “Am I an angel?” I whisper again.
The room erupts into laughter. All of the Travelers chuckle deeply at the poor stupid girl at the center of the room.
Her beautiful face slowly falls into a look of pity.
“You are not an angel, my child. Not in the sense that angels have children.”
A heavy feeling weights my chest.
I’m not the Eminence. I’m not an angel. I’m entirely ordinary.
How thoughtless of me to be convinced otherwise.
With effort, I swallow down the dryness in my throat.
The Traveler steps closer, kneeling in front of me. The sunlight streams across her flawless skin, gleaming in her inky eyes as she stares down on me.
“You are a gift from the gods.” Her hand skims across mine with the fiery feel of powerful magic, and I try not to pull away from her. I try to let her comfort me. “You are only a fae, but a powerful and blessed fae at that.” Her fingers trail over the ebony feathers of my wings that now hang tiredly against the floor. “They chose you. Among all others, they chose you to be blessed in their image. You have ties to the mortal world.” Lady Ivory’s sweet smile so similar to my own flashes through my mind. The Traveler’s head tips up to the man I know is still standing behind me. “You have ties to the Hopeless world. Use them wisely and you could save us all.”
Save us all. Does she know what everyone’s future holds?
I want to nod to her. Reassure her I wasn’tblessedfor nothing. But I can’t. I can’t reassure her when I can’t even assure myself of anything.
“The darkness in the world is always emphasized. It is always remembered and always dwelled upon. What mortals never seem to understand is that there are those of importance who lived, who thrived, and who did not go down without a fight. And those people—like you, like me—they will be so quickly forgotten. But their existence will outshine the darkness, even if their memory is left in the shadows. Never be afraid to outshine the darkness.”
Her words course through me on repeat. Circling my mind with vengeance until I do finally nod.
“They need you, Zakara Storm. Even if they do not know it.”
Darrio kneels at my side. A warm palm pushes down my arm as I stare up at her strong features.
“Kara,” Darrio’s deep voice tingles through me, “let’s take this information and use it. Come on.” Gently he pulls me up with him.
My gaze trails through the dozens of Travelers. Their depthless eyes are fixated on me. I know I must look weak tucked sweetly beneath Darrio’s coddling body. I feel weak.
But I don’t have the privilege to be weak.
