“I don’t know if I can handle being a councilor like her,” she admitted.
“You won’t know until you try. You’re already an advocate, whether you realize it or not. And the new council will be different from the one your mother led since it won’t be headed by the military, that’s the whole point. Who else is going to lead them and shepherd the changes needed? Think about it. If not you, someone else will step into your mother’s shoes, and they won’t do it with the same spirit you would.”
Althea had said much the same, but Celina had yet to admit her real fear. “What if I can’t live up to everything she was? She lived and died saving them.” As a leader, she could fail them all rather than just a single individual she was called upon to heal.
“No, she didn’t.”
The strength of the statement knocked her out of her fearful thoughts. “What?”
“You’re a healer, Celina, and you think like one. Davina was a warrior. Your mother died because some unscrupulous, immoral fools were hunting children, trying to enforce their own beliefs on the rest of us. She believed in a different world, like Cat does, and she fought every day to bring it into being. She died fighting for our safety, our right to practice magic, and our future, like Connor is willing to do.”
“I never thought about it like that.”
“Well, you wouldn’t… you weren’t born with a sword in your hand.”
Celina’s breath caught in her throat, and she swallowed hard, wiping tears from her eyes. “True.”
She’d been honest with Rodric when she’d confessed that being at the Refugee Center was the hardest. Her mother’s presence infused the place, and Celina wanted nothing more than to carry that piece of her mother’s heart. Her passion had grown far beyond healing, but so much was at stake. So many people who could suffer for her choices.
“You have the same fire in you, Celina. I know you do. Your siblings aren’t the only ones who carry her spirit. You can do it as a healer, but I think you’d make an amazing leader for the refugee program. So does Morgan.”
“You really talked to him about that?”
“Yes. For the record, though, he brought it up.” She raised her hands in anI’m innocentmotion. “I was just coercing him into telling me where you’d headed. I told him to stay out of it and mind his own business. And that I’d talk to you.”
Could she do it? Anxiety rose like a feared thunderstorm as she considered it. She’d known for a while that something was missing. Was she really ready to step past the fear? She couldn’t devote her entirety to answering that question until Connor was safe. But she was running out of time to join the council if that was where she was really called to be.
“I’ll consider it when we get back home,” Celina promised.
Cass nodded solemnly, and Celina shook her head, offering her friend the truce of a smile.
“Why is it that you insist on giving me reality checks?”
“I’m the honest friend, remember?”
“Well, that’s true.” Her brutal honesty may be harsh at times, but she was always astute.
“Also, because no one else will, powerful royal matriarch that you are.”
“Right,” Celina said, bumping Cass’s shoulder.
“Seriously. You’re more intimidating than you realize. Just not with a sword.” Cass winked. “That’s what I’m here for.”
“Thanks. For the sword and the advice. I appreciate both.”
“I swear, if everyone would just listen to me…” Cass laughed when Celina tried to push her off the log into the mud, her balance and quick reflexes keeping her from falling.
Celinawasstudyingthemap when Rodric returned. Responsive to touch, detailed imagery grew from the page as she ran his fingers over a particular area, holding still briefly before falling back into flat ink.
Standing behind her, Rodric rubbed his hands over her arms and shoulders. “Of all the magic-related things I’ve had to come to terms with, this has to be my favorite.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. I use maps constantly, and I’ve never had one this… real. It’s incredibly intricate.” He hesitated a moment before continuing. “How does he do it?”
Her brows rose in surprise. It was the first time he’d broached the topic of magic without her nudging the conversation that direction. Maybe Zora had knocked some sense into him on their walk in the woods.
“From what I know, he takes samples of earth from the area he wants to map and uses them as a foundation to draw the surrounding land. You should ask him to explain it when we return.”
