“I don’t know. The future supposedly. Of what would happen should we fail. It feels like they’re coming to pass.”
Raine winced as the healer cleaned his wound with antiseptic, waiting for Ava to continue.
“There was one of Casimir being tortured and that ended up happening…”
“But he’s safe now. He’s okay.”
“I know. And then there was a vision of them attacking Mosshaven. Killing citizens. Like what happened tonight,except it was much worse…and they had killed—” She paused, shaking her head.
Raine squeezed her hand. “Go on.”
“Everyone was dead in the vision. All of you.”
His stomach turned over. “That’s not going to happen. Wewon’tlet it happen.”
Maeryn shifted on her bed, looking at the two of them. “We won’t, Your Highness. We go to the Wastelands the day after tomorrow.”
Raine met her eyes. “You’re too injured. We must delay it.”
“No time to delay,” Maeryn insisted. “With a good night’s sleep, I’ll be just fine in the morning.”
“She’s almost as stubborn as Cas,” Ava murmured.
Maeryn raised a brow, having overheard. “Then that makes us both strong leaders.”
Raine chuckled, shaking his head. The healer finished bandaging his shoulder. “It should be completely healed in a couple of hours.”
Raine sat up. Kai had wrapped Maeryn’s leg and stood, turning to help another injured. Ivy, his deer companion, trotted over to Maeryn and nuzzled her hand. She took her job as assistant very seriously.
“Kai,” Raine said. “Will she be alright to leave when we had planned?”
Kai hesitated. Maeryn gave Kai a withering look and he cleared his throat. “She’ll be sore, but she can go.”
“See? Now off with you. I must sleep.” Maeryn waved her hand.
Raine stood. “Thanks a lot,” he whispered to Kai as he and Ava passed.
Kai chuckled quietly.
Raine approached his sister and father, both now awake. Sitting on the edge of Fanya’s bed, he grabbed her hand. Her eyes filled with tears.
Pax tucked a curl behind her ear, seated in a chair on her other side. “You’re alright now, sweetheart. You’re safe.”
“I thought—the kids—they were trying to get to the kids…I couldn’t let them…” Fanya’s lip quivered. “We tried to hide…and then the—the house was burning…”
“I know, sis,” Raine said. “They’re safe now.”
Pax continued to soothe her, cupping her face with a tenderness that seemed at odds with his massive size, wiping a tear from her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.
Raine turned to his father. A relieved smile pulled at his mouth, the corners of his eyes wrinkling. “You did well, son.”
A lump formed in Raine’s throat. “The farm is gone.”
His father reached for him and Raine took his hand. “We’ll rebuild. All that matters is that you and your sister are safe.”
“I know…it’s just…everything we know was there. Our childhood. Our memories…” he whispered.
His father placed a hand on his heart. “We still carry that here. Within us. Homes can be replaced. But people cannot.”
