We watched the children play, and had conversation by the fire as the afternoon stretched on. Just before Theo and Odette disembarked the ice, I caught something.
Odette had been staring at the ice for too long, her eyes locked into the immersion of its depths. I knew that look so well, and I dreaded whatever came with it.
She came to sit beside us. The others were off with the children, helping them build snow forts and chase after the ice pixies. In a low voice, she said, “The visions are getting worse. Nearly every day now.”
“What do they mean?” I pressed.
“I don’t know. I can’t gather much, but I see Kalina in all of them,” Odette replied. “Once I grasp on to something, it’s gone just as quickly as it came. Something is coming, my friends. I don’t know what it is, and I can’t be sure of what it means for our kind. All I am certain of is that Kalina has a great destiny.”
Her proclamation caused me to shudder. In our world, it was expected that our children would grow to see battle. To shed blood, to fight.
But this was a fate beyond anything we’d ever seen before. I didn’t want Kalina to have any part of it, and at the same time, I couldn’t stop what I knew was coming…
The next Great Supernatural War. A horrid battle between all the supernatural races, the possible end of all magical kind. This was bigger than the fae. It involvedeveryone.Somehow, this was Kalina’s path and her journey.
All we could do was prepare her for it.
Emma dug in her pocket, then handed something small to Odette— the powerful magical key she’d had for years. “I know you’ve looked at this before, but I really have to ask you to try again. I’m certain this has something to do with Kalina’s quest. It only shows a reaction when it’s around her. It has to mean something.”
Odette held the key in her palm and observed it keenly. “I couldn’t sense the key’s power before, but now that my abilities are more developed, it’s unmistakable. Didn’t Professor Calliope give this to you?”
“Yes,” Emma said. “Do you believe it wasn’t a coincidence?”
“No. She must’ve known what it meant,” Odette insisted. “There’s a reason why she gave you this key.”
“Then we need to ask her about it,” I said firmly. “We have to find her.”
“Lucien might know where she is,” Odette offered. “You should ask him.”
I was already rising to my feet to do just that. I roamed toward him. Kalina and Kazim dangled on each of his arms, and he chuckled as he swung them around. His head lifted as I approached.
“Do you know where Professor Calliope may be?” I asked. “I have something to discuss with her.”
Lucien rubbed his chin. “Hm. Calliope retired from teaching after the war. I believe she moved to the countryside, to live out her days with her daughter. I have the address if you’d like to visit.”
“That would be wonderful.”
We left the twins with Lucien and said goodbye to our friends before we left the palace. We snuck off the grounds without alerting the guards. No one needed to come with us and potentially overhear whatever Calliope had to say. Once we were deep in the woods, I flew Emma out to the countryside, to the address that Lucien had given us.
We landed outside a quaint cottage overlooking the hills. I shifted back, and Emma gave a knock.
A young woman opened the door. I didn’t recognize her. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise as she took us in. “My king and queen—”
“We’re here to visit a beloved old teacher,” Emma said kindly. “If Professor Calliope is in, we’d love to see her.”
The woman’s eyes saddened. “Yes. I suppose you’ve heard the news.”
I was about to ask whatnewsshe meant, before she stepped aside, allowing us into the cottage. Once she did, the sour smell of cancer hit my nose, and it was strong, filling up the entire house.
The woman led us through the cottage, dodging knick knacks that were placed alongside medical supplies and potion bottles. “I’m sorry for the mess. I wasn’t aware you were coming.”
“We don’t mind. You have enough to deal with,” I said.
I felt her sadness from here. This was a daughter carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders as she cared for Calliope in her last days. To remain strong at all was a great feat.
“My mother is very weak. She doesn’t have much energy for visitors, but I’m sure she’d love to see you,” the woman stated. “I’d suggest asking whatever you need to quickly. She’s not able to speak for long.”
“We’ll only be a minute,” Emma promised.
