Pixies… that means he must have asked them for it.
Eating the cookie, I moved to the washroom, a strange flutter in my chest.
Liora helped me bathe and change, and I managed to take a few bites out of a savory thyme and cheese pastry before climbing under the covers and drifting off to sleep.
When I woke hours later, a sliver of moonlight cast through the open windows. I had no concept of how much time had passed, but it was still day when I had fallen asleep. Gideon never told me when he could meet me.
After this afternoon, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue this alliance with Gideon. In the short time we’d been together, Kane had shown he had no vile plans to murder me or see me hurt.
Before, I was so sure of what I wanted, what I needed to do, but now…
For most of my life, I was raised in the belief that I would serve a higher purpose.
The child of prophecy could have been born in any race, yet the All Father chose me.
After the Rift into the Shadow Realm had been closed, all of Saol sang praise, but the evil left from the hole into the Never was not gone for good. In fact, more dead walked and the southern lands where the Lich King resided teamed with activity as if the ancient lich had plans for something nefarious, especially after his attempt to stop the magi from closing the Rift failed.
Darkthings continued to fester in the lands, and the evil that all of Saol so desperately fought to end seemed to be thriving.
Hugging the pillow to my chest, I gazed out at the moon, remembering the rest of the tale.
On the thirty-third year of the anniversary of the Rift closure, two priests had the same vision. A child would be born with a star birthmark over her right eye. This child would marry the fae king and their union would finally end the darkness in the lands.
The child of prophecy could have been anyone… yet I was born with the mark.
As a child, I would trace the mark while looking in the mirror, wondering when I would save the world. When that never happened, the mark became a curse.
My entire childhood, I believed in this moment… and now it’s happened.
What if the prophecy is true and me running away causes the whole world to fall into darkness?
It’s hard to believe that I could be that important, but what if?
There was a slight tap at my door, and I jolted.
Rushing off the bed, I grabbed the robe draped over the settee and slipped it on.
“Hello,” I whispered, leaning against the door.
“It's me,” Gideon said in a low tone.
I unlocked the door and opened it. But no one was there.
Something covered my mouth and I nearly screamed as I was dragged backward.
The door closed on its own, and then whatever held me, let go.
Gideon appeared in my room.
“Illusion,” he said, holding a finger to his lips. “My moon power can turn us invisible, but you need to be touching me.” He held out his hand.
“I still don’t understand what we’re doing?” I took his hand.
“You still want to be free, don't you?”
“Yes,” I said, though I wasn't sure if I still believed those words.
“Do you think it’s a coincidence you lost everything and then ended up in a collar? That’s not fate. That’s strategy. Kane has calculated every moment. You can be sure of that.”
