I was too drained to respond, and the king seemed content to let the subject drop. We stayed as we were and I was surprised to find that I welcomed his presence—there was something inherently comforting about him.
“Nyleeria?” he asked, his voice tentative.
“Hmm?”
“May I ask you a personal question?”
“Sure.”
“When I found you here…you looked like you belonged. And the cabin… You don’t call it home, justthe cabin. Is that because the woods are your home?”
I searched his face for why he was asking, but only found the look of someone who was trying to place a puzzle piece. Ponderinghis question, I realized he was right—I’d never called the cabinhome. The woods were more of a home to me than anywhere else.
“I suppose so,” I admitted.
As if holding a new puzzle piece, he asked, “The markings on the map in the middle of the clearing, what do they mean to you?”
“There were three main areas I frequented in the forest: a meadow, a lake, and that clearing, or ring. That ring has nothing in the middle. The day you said the map appeared, when that symbol materialized, I was in that clearing. I knew it represented me because the markings were an exact match to a birthmark I had.” I caressed the inside of my forearm where it had been before fading entirely during my adolescent years.
“Interesting,” he said, then let it drop.
“Do you truly believe I have the spark?” I asked into the darkness.
“Yes.”
“But I’m no one, from nowhere. I truly couldn’t be more ordinary.”
“Nyleeria, a seed is just like any other, until it’s not.”
Stars, he was so certain.
“And you think others are after me?”
“I do.”
“What about Cassy and Leighton, do you have any idea where they are? If they’re okay?”
“Let’s just take it one step at a time, shall we?”
My stomach dropped. Surely, if he knew, he’d tell me, which meant he didn’t, and we both knew I couldn’t handle any more bad news—at least not today.
“Please, just promise me that your plan involves getting them home safely. I’ll help, whatever you need. I just…please.”
“I promise that their safety is of utmost importance to me, Nyleeria. As is yours.”
I let out a long sigh, not realizing how much I needed to hear those words.
After a few minutes of silence, he asked, “Would you prefer to stay here a while longer or make our way back?”
I appreciated the lack of judgment, and it was something in that small mercy that made me feel safe with him.
“Let’s go back,” I said.
He stood, and I accepted his help up.
We walked in companionable silence until we reached the door to the chamber I was staying in.
“Good night, Nyleeria,” the king said. “Get some rest, and I’ll see you tomorrow.” He inclined his head before turning to leave.
