KDBookOnline
Share Us
“Just give her a minute. Let her fully wake up,” said Gaelin. He handed me a glass of water. I sipped it slowly as the memories of my vision came flooding back more clearly. I looked at the map on the table and then at Gaelin.
“The enemy isn’t coming from the south,” I blurted, needing to tell him everything I remembered before it escaped me. He looked at me, confused.
“What?” he asked.
“They will come from the north. They will take the city while you seek them out in the south. They will kill the royals and everyone who is left inside the walls. When you return, they will kill you as well. It’s a trap, Gaelin,” I said frantically.
He pulled back. “Gen, you hit your head pretty hard. Maybe you need to rest a bit longer before you try to get up,” he said.
“Please, listen to me. I know this sounds crazy, but I saw it. I saw everything,” I said.
“What do you mean, you saw?” Levos asked.
I bit the side of my lip, not wanting to sound like a fool. “I think I have powers, like other alfar. I think I have visions,” I said slowly.
Gaelin huffed with amusement.
“Gen, we’ve been over this,” said Levos. “If you had powers, they would have shown themselves when you were young. Plus, we don’t have that type of gift at court.”
“What if I am not part light alfar? What if I am dark?” I asked, feeling sick at the possibility.
Both their faces went stern.
“Don’t talk like that,” snapped Gaelin. “You hit your head. That is all.”
“Gaelin, please, just send out the scout one more time. They can be back before dinner. What is it going to hurt to make sure? Please,” I begged.
He looked at me for a long moment and then nodded. “Levos, send out two scouts immediately,” said Gaeln.
I exhaled in relief and fell back to the pillow, as Levos left the room. Gaelin sat by my side on the edge of the bed.
“Would it be a horrible thing if I was part dark alfar? Would it change anything?” I asked.
He leaned down kissing my lips tenderly. “You’d still be you. That’s all I care about. Now get some sleep. I will come to wake you before dinner.”
I stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, glaring at the bandage that covered the brand. I had to look at it. It was a part of me whether I wanted it there or not. I could carve it out of my skin, but knowing Daealla, she’d just mark me somewhere else out of spite. I pulled the small square of cloth away from my skin.
Underneath, inside a raised circle, was a beautiful winding tree. Its limbs stretched to the edges of the circle. It was actually kind of pretty, in a way, but it’s meaning still bothered me. I was branded by the light court for the rest of my life. No matter where I went or what I did, people would know they had owned me. I was branded just like a heifer.
Gaelin came in, seeming shocked to see me out of bed. I turned to him, anxious for a report.
“Have the scouts checked in?” I asked.
“Yes. The threat still lies at the southern border. They saw it with their own eyes,” said Gaelin.
I braced myself against the sink, sure of what I had seen. Something wasn’t right. This must have been a trick. It felt so real. Just like when I saw the dark court arrive. When I felt the pain in my hand. Those visions had all come to pass.
Though, I had never had a vision while I was awake. I had always been asleep when they came, but this one was clear as day. No room for misinterpretation. I went to Gaelin, throwing my arms around him. I had to make him trust me. I had to make him understand.
“Gaelin, I know I am asking a lot, but you need to trust me. I’ve had these visions before and the events in them have come to pass. This was more clear and more real than any I’ve had. If you don’t listen to me, we are all going to die. Please trust me, please,” I begged.
He gently pulled my arms from his neck, taking a step away. “I do trust you, and I’ve done as you’ve asked, but the threat is still to the south. If you do indeed have these gifts, you are new to them. You may not understand what you’re seeing, or you may be misinterpreting them. Relying on your gift at this point is too great of a risk.”
“I don’t want to see you die, Gaelin. Please trust me. I would have never said a thing to you if I wasn’t sure,” I said.
He exhaled, standing in the doorway of his room. “I’m sorry, but I need to go with the source that is most accurate. My orders remain the same. I will be late tonight after dinner is over, so don’t wait up,” he said, then shut the door, leaving me alone in the room.
I spent the entire dinner trying to figure out a way to make them believe me. Though I wouldn’t mind a few specific alfar dying terrible deaths, there were humans here. Innocent humans that didn’t deserve to be mixed up in a war they could never win.