by K. T. Webb
“Slow down there,” Honor stopped Rowan’s flow of questions. “I did not ask these things. I was mostly concerned about who my father was . . . or is.”
Rowan blinked, “And?”
A shrug of her shoulders was meant to convey the frustration and confusion she felt. “Like I said, all she knew was he must have been from somewhere between Milltown and Pallisaide.”
“Wow, maybe Meadowbrook or Goldenlark?”
Honor knew he was being a bit of a smart aleck since the towns he mentioned were the only towns on a direct route from Milltown to Pallisaide. It seemed too easy to assume her father might be waiting for her in one of the villages just a few days walk from where she grew up. But now that she knew how scared her mother had been, she was torn about whether she truly wanted to know about her father. She knew she would have to go in search of him at some point, if only for her own peace of mind. But the idea of going to Pallisaide did not sit well with her. Not only did her visions explicitly tell her to stay away, but the King was there. The Makt were in full force in Pallisaide. Most people avoided the capitol city if they could for fear of being forced into servitude or killed for breathing too closely to someone.
A glimpse of running through the streets with Rowan surfaced. “Hey, have you ever been to Pallisaide, Rowan?”
“No, I have no reason to go there. I am the product of outlaws. I live in a tent in the woods. The more civilized people of Pallisaide have no use for people like me.”
Honor furrowed her brow. “How do we know that’s true? Who says we are outlaws, anyway? Did anyone ever tell you what they did to be considered such?”
Rowan appeared to carefully consider his answer. “I know Dad used to own an inn somewhere to the south. Mom is from the northern lands by Mount Crystalline. I never asked what brought them both to Milltown. Neither talk much about their life before, though. I know they lived in a town on the southern border of County Hare when they married.”
“When did they leave that village?”
“I was born in Briar, so they were still there back then. I could not have been too old, because I do not remember a lot about our home. What makes you ask all this now?”
Honor shrugged as they walked the narrow path that led to the inn at Milltown. She realized there were all sorts of things she did not know, and she did not know them because she had never thought to ask. It was not that anyone seemed overly secretive about their pasts, but life at their camp was like a fresh start. Maybe no one talked about what was behind them because they were focusing on what lay ahead.
“I guess learning more about my mother has me wondering about your family before I met you.”
Rowan seemed satisfied with her answer for the moment as they approached the inn. He pulled the door open, holding it wide so she could enter. The smell of unwashed bodies, ale, and roasted almonds mixed together assaulted her senses. Honor could not decide if it made her want to turn on her heel or head inside with a growling stomach. Inns were always crawling with drunkards and farmhands; many fell into both categories. It was one of her least favorite things about eating in the village. The enclosed walls gave each building an odor that felt both oppressive and confined. She much preferred the freedom of living in the forest.
Rowan led her to an open table in the back corner of the dimly lit room. Once they were seated, a young woman brought them a handwritten menu. There were only three options for breakfast, so they decided to pick two and share. When the food arrived, Honor found herself ravenous with hunger. Rowan stifled a laugh as she eyed the plates like a starving wolf.
“Are you going to need any utensils, or do you plan to dig in with your hands?” he asked.
“Har, har, har. You are so funny.”
“Here, allow me.” Rowan divided the eggs, bacon, and blueberry pancakes between them, giving Honor more than he took for himself.
If he had intended to carry on a conversation during their meal, she would not have noticed. The food tasted better than anything she had ever eaten. Honor could not tell if that was due to the recipes or the fact that she felt as though she had not eaten in days. Rowan casually ate his meal and sipped his mulled cider, watching her with ill-contained humor. It was not until Honor stuffed the final bite into her mouth that she really noticed his expression.
“Easy there, girl, I am not going to carry you home.”
“No one asked you to,” she replied through a mouthful of pancake.
Rowan paid the server when they’d finished. Upon exiting the inn, Honor was surprised by how busy the street vendors were at such an early hour. She rarely had the luxury of browsing through shops. Most of their belongings were acquired through trade, so it was rare that they had need of money, but Gray always kept some on-hand for the instances when trade did not get them what they needed. Even though they were probably poor, Honor had never felt in want of anything since being taken in by Maris and Gray. They had welcomed her into their world with no hesitation. Honor once again found herself looking through the lens of her visions; the image of Maris’ mark resurfaced. She knew her mind had created that mark, there was no way for her to know what the mark of another looked like when she had never seen it. But still, the mark was only partially colored. Honor did not know if that was even possible. How could someone have completed only part of their destiny? And, more importantly, why was the part that was yet to be completed in the shape of a flowering laurel branch?
“I guess we had better get headed back to camp. I am sure Mom and Dad will be eagerly awaiting our return.” Rowan reached out to offer Honor his hand, she took it without hesitation.
She was desperate to look at her mark, but Renata had given strict instructions to leave the bandaging on for two days. There were special herbs under the dressing that would fully heal it before removal. Ignoring those instructions could mean a terrible infection. Rowan confirmed that he, too, had waited two full days before seeing his mark. It seemed cruel to have to wait.
As they walked the path that led through Milltown, Honor caught sight of something that made her stomach turn. Risa. The girl was beaming at Rowan, completely ignoring Honor’s existence. Of course, he did not see her until Honor had already slid her hand out of his and slowed her steps to give him space. Rowan glanced back at Honor with a furrowed brow.
“Rowan! What a nice surprise. I suppose you were being a good big brother by bringing little Honor to the practitioner.”
Her condescending tone made Honor’s skin crawl.
“Hello, Risa. It is nice to see you.” Rowan expertly avoided the part of her statement that included Honor. Though she could not discern if that was by design or accidental.
“Hello there, Honor. I hope your mark does not hurt too much.” Risa’s voice took on a lilting tone as though she was speaking to a small child.
“It is fine, thank you for your concern.” Honor replied before continuing on her way, leaving Rowan to fend for himself.
Through her irritation, she could hear the conversation as it continued behind her. Once she rounded a corner nearby, she stopped to listen to the exchange. Honor knew it was stupid to listen, she was only going to upset herself.
“Now that she has gone, we can chat about last night. I know you do not want her to know you came to see me.”
“That’s not . . .”
“Oh, come on, Rowan. I know you only see her as an annoying little sister. What we have is different.”
Honor had heard enough. She turned on her heel and continued up the path leading away from Milltown. Tears burned her eyes as they threatened to fall. Part of her knew it was not fair to be upset about Rowan finding someone to spend his time with. But she could not help the hot jealous rage boiling inside her. Had Rowan not all but told her the night before that their destinies were intertwined? She thought back to their conversation. He had not said anything specific to make her think he was talking about their future. He had only told her she would never lose him; thinking back now, she realized he h
ad meant they would always be like siblings. He was probably just trying to make her feel better as she faced the cluster of nerves that had her in their clutches on the way to Milltown.
Honor cursed herself for allowing her feelings to grow deeper than friendship. Then she cursed herself for not just grabbing him and kissing him when he had turned to face her the night before . . . maybe everything would be different. Maybe he would not have gone to see Risa. Pain shot through her, resonating from the mark on her side and blossoming into her chest. She was nearly to the edge of Milltown when the rash decision was made.
With hurried steps, Honor veered off the road and into the trees. When she was satisfied that she was concealed from anyone who may pass by, she unhooked her corset. With a deep breath, Honor began unraveling the dressing wrapped around her body. Maybe if she just took it off enough to see the mark beneath, then replaced it, she would not risk infection. The bandaging came away with little effort, but the pain she encountered from moving in such a way caused discomfort in her side.
When she finally reached the last layer, she carefully peeled it away, holding onto the leaves held in place by a ground up paste of herbs. Honor gently revealed her ribcage and gasped at the disturbing image she saw.
A human skull had been intricately etched into her skin. An ornate crown hung haphazardly on the head, engraved with a single word, Legacy. Finally, a bejeweled knife lay next to the smiling skull . . . in a pool of blood. It was red. There was not supposed to be any color in the mark. The site of the color already present sent shivers through her. Again, she thought back to her vision and the partially colored mark on Maris’ side. She began re-wrapping her torso, careful to be certain the mark was once more covered by the herb paste and leaves.
As she finished buttoning her corset, Honor was reeling from the shocking imagery on her side. She felt a twinge of disappointment that her mark offered no ties to a life with Rowan. Honor rolled her eyes. That was not what she wanted at all. She had not wanted a destiny that would simply tie her to a man, she wanted her destiny to mean something. But, if her mark had revealed that Rowan was her destiny, she would feel confident in declaring her feelings for him.
She broke through the tree line, hating herself for the thoughts she had been entertaining. Part of her wished she had not looked at the mark early. Now, she was left with two more days to wonder what horrors awaited her in the future. How was she supposed to pretend to be excited about her future when it contained death and blood? And what of the crown? The words of the prophecy came back to her. The King had to die, perhaps she was the one who would do the deed.
“Honor! Wait up!” Rowan called from behind.
Honor wrapped her arms around her midsection and continued her pace. She could not be mad at him forever, but she was definitely planning to give him the silent treatment.
“I have been looking for you all over Milltown. Why would you start heading out on your own?”
Without thinking, Honor whirled around to face Rowan. “I do not need a big brother to protect me from the wild animals or perverted travelers. I can take care of myself. You are released from your duties.”
The look on his face made her instantly regret the words she had spat at him. Her attempt at the silent treatment had, of course, failed miserably. Just because she was feeling the fresh heartbreak of his apparent secret romance with Risa did not mean he deserved to be treated so coldly.
“Look, I am sorry. I just did not realize you and Risa were . . . together.” Honor continued to walk away with arms protecting her midsection. She felt as though she would fall to pieces if she let go for even a second.
“Honor, wait,” Rowan caught up to her with little effort. “It is not what you think.”
“Rowan, it is none of my business, okay? Let’s just get home.”
They walked in silence for what seemed like forever. Honor had nothing else to say, and Rowan did not seem to know what to do to ease the tension between them. Anger and jealousy were bubbling inside her, fighting their way to the top like water boiling over the edge of a pot. Honor swallowed against the words struggling to get out. Her thoughts were clouded by the anxiety of receiving an ominous mark, the thought of Rowan moving to Milltown to be with Risa, and her realization that regardless of whether she was destined to kill the king, she would have to leave her home in the forest.
Would her departure bring about the deaths of her family or would their deaths lead her to abandon her forest home? If all those things happened, where would Rowan be? With her in Pallisaide? Probably not. All the thoughts mixed together to create the perfect storm and she reacted by exploding. She stopped in her tracks, turned to face him, and released the feelings she had tried to repress.
“You know what, it is my business. How dare you paint a picture of helping your defenseless little sister to that . . . that . . . venomous snake. Were you trying to get her sympathy or what?”
Rowan blinked in response. Honor poked him in the chest as she continued, “And how dare you tell me you would be right outside Renata’s shop the whole time when you actually intended to sneak off to see your girlfriend. Beyond that, how stupid do you think I am? You told me on this very road that you were waiting for your destiny to begin, you made me think that . . .”
Honor stopped herself mid-sentence. She could not tell him what she thought. Not without telling him how she felt.
“I was telling you that I would always be here for you, no matter where our destinies take us. I still mean that.”
Honor arched an eyebrow and asked the one thing she knew was probably off-limits. “And Risa is your destiny?”
Rowan looked as though he had been smacked. He blinked a few times and ran his hand through his hair. His eyes looked back into hers and he stepped closer to her. Her arms dropped of their own accord as she prepared to receive a tight hug. They almost never fought, and whenever they did, a hug always ended it.
“For your information, Honor, my destiny does not have anything to do with whom I choose to spend my life with. I went to see Risa last night to make it clear that her flirtations were not going to get her anywhere. She knew you were listening, and apparently you left before you heard me reiterate my sentiments from the night before.”
Honor’s breathing was shallow as she listened to his explanation. She wanted him to stop talking and just give her one of his bear hugs. But he did not stop.
“I meant what I told you last night. Honor, I do not know how you cannot see that I no longer see you as a sister. I do not know exactly what my mark means, but I know it will not take me from your side.”
Honor swallowed. Rowan reached a hand up to touch her cheek. “You’ve had me in the palm of your hand for quite some time. The only reason I haven’t said anything was because I wanted you to make your own choices. I needed to see how you would feel after your mark. I still do not know how you’ll feel when you see it, but right now, I do not care. I want to know how you feel standing here, in the middle of the road between home and Milltown.”
Honor stared into his eyes, terrified to take a chance on the boy she had known most of her life. She could not live in fear anymore, not if she was going to fulfill the grim destiny that awaited her.
“Rowan, I cannot bear the thought of living without you.”
He did not need to hear anything else. A million thoughts that had crowded her mind disappeared in a single second. Rowan laced his fingers through hers, leaned down to her height and placed a sweet kiss on her lips. It felt like nothing she had expected of a kiss. Her heart beat wildly, knots formed in her stomach, and everything else faded away. His lips gently pressed against hers for a few more heartbeats before his arms wrapped around her waist, he lifted her from the ground and kissed her deeply. This kiss sent fire burning through her. When her feet touched the ground again, she opened her eyes to find Rowan smiling like he used to when they were children.
“Now that, was a long time coming,” he stated.
Honor cou
ld only nod. She was stunned. The last few days had held so many surprises and startling discoveries, she was not sure what else she would find around the next turn. Her head was swimming with possibilities as she considered all the things her future held. Did any of them matter if she and Rowan ended up together? The instant the thought crossed her mind, hot shame rose in her face. Of course it mattered, Maris and Gray, their life at the camp would be destroyed if her visions came to pass. How could she be so selfish?
As though sensing her pain, Rowan pulled her in for the hug she had wanted so desperately just moments before. He kissed the top of her head. Hand in hand, they continued on the road leading them to the wooded trail they would take back to camp. As they approached the trailhead, a familiar sound filled her ears.
The breaking twigs and falling leaves alerted Honor to the presence of something lurking nearby. Her instinct told her it was the young canthion. It had waited for them. In her vision, she had seen the intelligence in its eyes. She no longer feared the animal. They were connected somehow, and she had a feeling she would find out how in the journey she would embark on to fulfill her destiny.
As they turned onto the trail, Rowan kept a firm grasp on her hand. She did not mind, but a tickle at the back of her mind told her to beware. The setting, the presence of the canthion, it all felt familiar. Honor did not have to wait long to find out why.
A sound to the left alerted her to the imminent appearance of a wild boar. She shouted a warning to Rowan, but it was too late. The lumbering run of a starving animal was heading directly for him.
Honor moved quicker than she thought possible, rushing forward to keep the animal from Rowan. She did not make it in time. Instinctively, she reached behind her for the bow and arrows she always kept with her; it was not there. In her vision, she had been able to shoot at the animal. Reality was far more terrifying than her vision had been. The boar knocked Rowan to the ground, drawing back a gnarled hoof to end the life of the young man. A guttural scream ripped through the air. Honor was watching the scene unfold like a spectator watching a play. The canthion had released the flaps under its legs to soar to the ground. It all happened in less than a single horrific second.
