The flickering of horror crossed her features, as though the mention of Raithian brought back memories she had long repressed.
Braxton instinctively stepped towards her. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s fine.” With a shake of her head, she stood, wrapping her arms around herself. “I fear I don’t know enough to help you, Son. But I do remember some things from my granddaddy.”
Walking to the open doors that gave way to a large deck, she stopped before the opening, letting the breeze flow around her body soothingly.
“Everyone believes Raithian killed his father right away to take the Dragon Throne from him, but the truth is that he captured him first, keeping him in the dungeons. He drained my granddaddy slowly. Painfully. My father kept him alive for years just to rob him of magic whenever he wanted.”
Her head was low when she turned to us again, eyes closed, like she was reliving those days. The urge to go to her and console her became overwhelming inside me. Pain was still edged on her features.
“I was too small to do anything that could truly help him, and my mother was always weak from Raithian’ssessions…” She paused, her eyes opening to interrupt the memory. “I used to sneak into the cells to see my granddaddy, because I never knew him outside those bars. I would take him food, mostly, and books for him to read.” Light returned to her face as she smiled. “He loved books most of all, and I was really good at sneaking past the guards.”
“Evanna used to do that to me too when she was younger. Drove me insane,” Kingston grunted with the confession, and everyone chuckled, even the princess.
Unfortunately, the light dimmed in her again.
“You can use your magic to protect others, Braxton.” Her comment seemed disconnected from the conversation, causing concern to color Braxton’s features.
“Mom?”
Knowing she wasn’t making much sense, she waved at him dismissively. “The last time I saw my granddaddy, he used what was left of his power on me. To protect me. That was the only thing that kept me alive through my father’s attempts to drain me of magic… until Khayden took me away.”
Gods…
Something tore in my heart. Listening to such a loving soul relate some of the things she’d been through, even in passing, made me want to rip Raithian apart limb by limb and then throw him to the shah.
From the way Braxton’s hands fisted, I wasn’t the only one.
“Was it a spell?” I asked, trying to pull Braxton’s mind away from his mother’s unsettling torture, one handed by her own father.
Princess Keira sighed. “Not exactly. Granddaddy used to call itsetting anintention. There wasn’t any specific sentence to recite. It exuded from within him…”
She paused for a moment, glistening tears returning to her eyes.
“I just remember him pulling me into his arms through the bars and hugging me fiercely, harder than he ever had. Granddaddy sent every ounce of magic left in him into me, and I instantly felt his energy coursing through my body. His love.” Shaking her head, she glanced at us. “It’s the only way I can describe it. It was his love for me, powerful and everlasting. He set it to protect me from any harm. To protect me from my own father.”
Tears spilled freely from her eyes with the memory while she hugged herself like he had held her.
“He collapsed onto the cold stone floor afterwards, shallow breaths struggling to pass his lips. ‘I love you,’he whispered before ordering me to leave, and I knew that was the last time I would ever see him… but I couldn’t do anything to save him.”
A sob swallowed her words, and before I knew it, I was by her side, wrapping my arms around her and hugging her tightly. My throat burned with her pain, and it became difficult to speak, so I just held her.
When Princess Keira finally pulled away, her trembling hands cupped my cheeks.
“For so long, I wished I’d never been just a princess. I wished I could have been a fearless warrior, like Khayden, like Kingston, likeyou,Evanna. Maybe I could have fought back against that monster… but we are all born with different destinies, I’m afraid. I was never meant to be strong. I was only meant to give my son life so he could be strong for all of us.”
Disbelief captured my being while I stared back at her.
“Princess Keira, you watched your father kill everyone you loved, destroy your home, and even try to destroy you too, but you never gave up. The day you took Kayden’s hand and left with him, you dared to dream of a better life. You helped your mate become none other than theHarbinger of Justice,so he could fight to make that life a reality for everyone. You supported him along the way, loved him, and bore his child. And when you found out that child could one day help save Caelisium, you left the only place you had ever called home, to a world you didn’t even know.
You ran through a wall of Dragon fire to save your son’s life, knowing you were leaving the man you loved behind to do so. And despite how much you loved Braxton and still needed him, you ascended so he could let go and find his way back to his world with me. So, he could claim his destiny.”
My lips trembled as I looked at her, fighting to rein back the emotion.
“You were neverjust a princess, Keira Devenish. You are one of the strongest and bravest women I have ever met, and I hope that one day I can be as brave and strong as you are.”
Fresh tears fell from her eyes with my words, but a brilliant smile of gratitude and appreciation accompanied them. “Oh, Son. This one is a keeper, for sure.”
