by K. T. Webb
“Honor, you misunderstand. I did not choose at all. I already had Legacy. She was already mine. When you were born, you had a mother to love and care for you. I had hoped she would remain with Soren, but she was too afraid of what may happen if you were discovered. When your mother passed, I knew, as the oldest and rightful heir, Legacy would be the one to sit on the throne. I did not yet know of your countenance. There was no way to judge the purity of your heart at such a young age. I could not chance bringing the two of you together and risk having you end her life the way your grandfather killed his own sister. If that had happened, I would have lost the only chance I had at a good-hearted person claiming the throne at Pallisaide.”
Honor had not considered any of those things. She had assumed a choice had been made when her mother died. There was not a single thing she would have changed about her own life after the death of Laurel. She belonged with Maris and Gray, just as she now belonged with Rowan. Anything else would have made her life less meaningful in so many ways.
Legacy would be the ruler Alderwood needed. She knew how to use the wild magic and had the best of intentions. Honor still questioned if she could trust herself to continue to deny the Shadow Mages if she were able to wield the power of the wild magic. It was her destiny to kill the king. If she kept herself focused on that task, she knew that would be her strength in resisting the temptation presented to her by the Shadow Mages.
Once Legacy sat on the throne, Honor intended to focus her efforts on helping her sister in any way possible. The idea that both girls would have to face the darkest parts of themselves to reach that point was terrifying; Honor would become a murderer and Legacy would be handed the reins to a long-neglected kingdom. It would be easy for either of them to turn to the darkness. They would have to rely on one another to stay the course.
Chapter 22
Over the next few days, their numbers grew significantly as more people and creatures trickled in. Maris had arrived and taken up residence in the caverns with Gray. They eagerly awaited the return of Rowan. There had been no way to get him the news of his mother’s survival, so he was out in Alderwood with no clue of the surprise awaiting him upon his return.
Harcos arrived the day after Maris. Honor had anticipated the large numbers of canthions that would accompany him, but it was nothing compared to actually witnessing their arrival.
The humans already there had been forewarned of the intimidating army heading their way. Many were nervous, and a few were outright terrified. Honor could tell which ones would find their place in the Gildi by their eagerness at meeting the creatures. When they finally appeared, it was one of the most beautiful sights Honor had ever had the pleasure of experiencing.
She had wondered if she would be able to tell the difference between Harcos and the other canthions. Their winter coats had fully grown in, so each canthion was at least half a size larger than they would be in warmer conditions. They weaved between trees, some on foot, others from the branches above. Harcos bounded toward Honor as though they had been separated for years rather than a week. He stopped before he came in contact with her, instead eyeing her suspiciously.
“You were injured while we were apart.” Harcos furrowed his brow.
“How could you possibly know that? I am all healed now.”
“I can smell the difference. You may think you are completely healed, but your body is still knitting back together inside.”
Honor raised an eyebrow. “I am sorry, did you just tell me I smell different?”
“Yes.” The canthion was completely bewildered by the uncomfortable thing he just said.
“Yeah, could you try not to make it a habit of smelling me?” Honor whispered.
“How else am I supposed to know such things?” Harcos inquired.
“Well, I was thinking you could just ask.”
“Humans are strange,” Harcos muttered as he leaned his body against hers. It was a gesture of affection just as a cat would rub against the legs of the person they loved.
“I missed you, too. Come, we have a lot to talk about.”
The remaining canthions had already begun to integrate themselves with the humans at Kilgore. Soren took the lead on easing the minds of the men and women who were more skeptical about their arrival. None of them had run away in fear, so Honor was confident the hundred or so canthions would soon find their human partners. The Gildi needed to be reformed before Legacy took the throne. There would be those still loyal to King Junius, and the looming threat of the Shadow Mages who would undoubtedly work to corrupt as many people as they could when they lost the stronghold at Pallisaide.
Honor and Harcos began the journey back to the caverns alone. It gave them some much needed time to talk about their individual travels. Because of their mental connection, neither had to tell the other about their experiences. Honor was relieved she did not have to recount the story yet again; it made her understand why canthions used their sense of smell to gather information. Not that she was going to encourage him to sniff her again anytime soon.
“I am pleased Rowan’s mother is still alive.”
“I am too. I cannot wait for him to get back. I have never been away from him this long.”
Harcos grunted in acknowledgement. Honor knew he understood her connection to Rowan, but she also felt his jealousy at how deeply she felt that link. There was no doubt that she and Harcos were destined to be partners, but her relationship with Rowan was different. Someday, Harcos would find a canthion mate and he would understand what she felt for Rowan. The canthion huffed in doubt at her thought.
“Hey! We talked about this, Harcos. You cannot just listen to my every thought.”
“Sometimes you are impossible to ignore. Do you know how difficult it is to tune someone out who thinks as much as you do? You are constantly questioning everything.”
Honor did her best not to pout. “Yeah, well, not all of us are as single-minded as you are. All you ever think about is food and the mission.”
“No, I have far more thoughts, I just know how to keep them to myself.”
She rolled her eyes. “Maybe someday we will have time for you to teach me your ways. For now, we have a bit too much going on to worry about whether you can hear my inner monologue.”
They walked in silence for a few moments. Their companionship was growing every day. Honor had grown accustomed to his company in a manner that made it impossible for her to imagine a time without him. They would rely on one another in the coming weeks more than they had ever relied on anyone.
“How are we going to take a throng of untrained humans and lead them into the battle of a lifetime without experiencing extreme casualties?” Honor asked him.
“Training is not necessary when they partner with their canthion. They will instinctively connect to the wild magic and it will guide them in battle.”
“So, they will suddenly become expert swordsmen?” she questioned.
Harcos gave her a look that told her he was done with her questions. “Do not be ridiculous. Do you truly think the Makt are well-trained? Their strength is in numbers, not skill. We do not need to have expert swordsmen to defeat them, we need something far more important.”
“What is that?”
“The will to win. The Gildi will fight for a world where they can be free. They fight for what is right. The Makt fight because they are afraid. The strength of the Gildi lies in their hearts. That is not to say there will be no losses, but if we truly have soldiers dedicated to our cause, we will overcome the Makt.”
The more she learned about how the wild magic was meant to function, Honor felt more confident in her mission. She was ready. The rest of their walk was filled with companionable silence. Both lost in their own thoughts that sometimes intermingled resulting in mutual understanding. As they approached the caverns, Honor could sense an excited buzz coursing through the air. Something was different from when she had left to meet the canthions.
Honor increased her speed as they
entered the caverns. Rowan was back. She could feel it. By the time she left the sloping tunnel and entered the courtyard, her heart was nearly bursting from her chest. Harcos kept up easily as she ran into the main living area. Rowan had his back to her, Eirny perched on his shoulder. The impaiso saw Honor just in time and practically leaped from her perch. The collision would have been better if he had been able to wrap his arms around her the way she enveloped him in hers from behind.
“Honor! I knew you were back. I could feel it.” Rowan turned in her arms and pulled her in for a deep kiss.
When they broke apart, a huge smile spread across his face as she stared into his eyes. “Did you just arrive?”
He nodded. “Yes, I have only been here a matter of seconds.”
“Good. Do not move!” Honor took off for the kitchen. Maris and Gray were undoubtedly still where she had left them that morning.
As predicted, the couple was sitting with Renata at the large wooden counter positioned in the middle of the kitchen. They both registered the look of pure happiness on Honor’s face; they knew what it meant. Without another word, she led them back to where she had left Rowan just moments before. His expression changed from confusion to disbelief before finally landing on elation. Tears of joy formed in his eyes when he saw his mother standing next to his wife and father. This would be a reunion none of them would soon forget.
Rowan crossed the distance between them. The four of them nearly collapsed under the bone-crushing hug they found themselves tangled in. Tears and laughter overwhelmed them as everyone spoke at once. Honor could not have been happier to reunite her family.
Amidst the confusion, Honor noticed Legacy looking on from the foot of the stairs. Her sister’s expression was easy to read; she was filled with happiness for them, but a tinge of sadness clouded her elation. Where Honor had been welcomed into a family, Legacy had been raised knowing she was without the basic connections that made up such a unit. Honor was her only real family, and they had only known one another for a few weeks. It must have been very difficult for Legacy to swallow her pain.
Honor came to stand next to her sister. “We are all family now. They already love you because of who you are to me, but as we all follow the paths of our destinies, they will love you for the person you are.”
“Thank you, Honor. I only wish we had the opportunity to experience a reunion such as this with our mothers.”
“I have come to believe that our mothers met their destinies the day we were born. I do not think they were meant to be ours for long,” Honor whispered.
Legacy nodded her head as she wiped a tear from her cheek. “You are probably right. There is always a plan for the people of Alderwood. I can only hope to be half as brave as you are when it is my turn to face my destiny.”
Honor took her sisters hand and squeezed. “Can I tell you a secret? I am terrified. I know what is expected of me, and I know what I must do, but I am afraid of what will happen when I hold that dagger in my hand. What if I cannot kill him? What if I kill him and I become him?”
Legacy turned to look her straight on. “You will never be like him. We may not like the things we must do for the good of Alderwood, but we know the reasons they must be done. You are not going to kill our father for your own personal gain. You are not killing an innocent man. You are avenging the deaths of our mothers and every man, woman, and child who has been slaughtered in the name of King Junius.”
“And then it is your turn to follow through with your destiny.”
“Yes. Then it will be my turn.”
The girls were quiet for a few moments as they stood together. Both admitted their fears for the future, but neither were willing to walk away from their destiny despite those fears. Honor would do what she had to do in order to ensure Legacy would take the crown from their father. Legacy would do what she must in order to bring an end to the Shadow Mages and release the wild magic back to the heart of Alderwood.
***
Hours later, the group of handpicked leaders Honor had chosen sat around the dinner table with Renata and Legacy. Rowan and Eirny were preparing to share the report of their journey. Honor looked at the group gathered around her. They were certainly not what anyone would characterize as a typical war council. Soren and Justice had become her trusted advisors. Both understood the Resistance and Makt; neither was willing to accept defeat. They had each chosen a captain to act as their right hand; Justice had chosen Varya from the furthest reaches of Mount Crystalline, while Soren had chosen Agnar. Their captains remained at the ruins of Kilgore, working continuously to find temporary quarters for the constant influx of men and women arriving to join their cause.
Renata and Legacy joined their meeting to learn what had been accomplished thus far, though they would not normally be part of the council. Of course, Maris had a deep connection with the Resistance and Honor herself; for her, the battle was personal, a lifelong dedication to justice for all she had lost. Gray was an excellent hunter and had already begun working with the more promising soldiers on their archery skills. Honor enjoyed watching them all laugh and talk together; it would only be a matter of time before they would be forced to face the terrifying reality of battle.
“We have news!” Rowan announced with the impaiso sitting in her favorite spot.
The group quieted quickly, turning their attention to Rowan as he stood next to Honor. “There are some practitioners who are willing to join us. It was not easy finding those sympathetic to our cause; many of them prefer to remain neutral. The handful that returned with us have sensed a shift in the wild magic and want nothing more than to help restore it.”
Honor had not expected large numbers of practitioners to be willing to join them. There simply were not many people who had been trained as practitioners, for one. Also, practitioners tended to stay to themselves. Renata was not the only practitioner who had isolated herself from the rest of the world. Honor was more interested in whether they had found any more impaisos during their mission.
“We did not have high hopes that there would be any impaisos left,” Rowen explained. “Eirny said she had not seen any in the north for many years. The practitioners we found in County O’Hehir had never heard of an impaiso and I was careful not to show Eirny to them for fear they would want to take her and use her magic for their own practices.”
“Are there more out there?” Maris asked, sitting on the edge of her seat.
Rowan nodded. “Eventually, we did find them. There are not many. They were in hiding not too far from here, actually. They have been living in an area of The Ice Forest that has grown to meet Ternion Forest. They will join us when the time comes, but they were unwilling to leave their young any sooner than necessary.”
“How many are there?” Renata broke her silent observation of the gathering. “I can offer them refuge here, in the caverns.”
“I was hoping you would offer that.” Rowan grinned at Renata.
“My people will appreciate your offer, Oracle.” Eirny bowed her head.
***
Over the next week, Rowan and Renata worked hard to enact a plan to relocate the impaisos, Honor turned her attention to Harcos, Soren, and Justice. They had much to discuss regarding the rebuilding of the Gildi.
It had been almost a week since the canthions arrived, the partnerships were growing by the hour. Each canthion was almost immediately able to recognize their human counterpart as they arrived at the base. The connections between them were undeniable. Harcos was growing more and more confident that they would be ready to infiltrate Pallisaide when the Winter Festival began.
Chapter 23
The army was separated into battalions led by Soren, Varya, Agnar, and Justice. Honor and Harcos took responsibility for the Gildi; they would be the soldiers who would continue in the service of the new Queen, so it was essential for them to begin following their new General.
As they began to make their battle strategies, Honor called the leadership team together. It was tim
e for a solid plan. The group settled around the table. This time, Varya and Agnar joined their number. It was essential that all battalions knew what was expected of them. Victory depended heavily on their ability to operate seamlessly during their attack.
“I understand you would like to bring Ash in to discuss how we will enter the city. I can accept his presence as long as we all remember he is not to know that the King has two daughters. At this point, King Junius is looking for one child. Ash has undoubtedly shared Legacy’s identity with his friends, but as long as he still thinks I am the orphan girl from his childhood, he will believe I am out of my depth here.”
A murmur of agreement rippled over the table. Varya raised a hand to signal her intent to speak. Honor offered an encouraging gesture since it was rare for the young woman to offer anything aside from silent agreement.
“I understand why you do not want Ash to know your identity, but why can we not share it with the rest of the army once he leaves?”
Honor considered her answer. She herself had wrestled with the decision to let the rest of their people in on the secret. Ultimately, she had decided it was for the best, though she had not explained why. “Honestly, I want them to follow me because of my dedication to the cause. I do not want any of them to follow me because of my lineage . . . or worse, to question my ability to lead our army because of who my father is.”
“You are a noble leader, Honor. I believe they would follow you regardless of who you come from,” Varya paused before continuing, “But, I respect your decision and will continue to keep your identity a secret until you are ready to reveal it.”
“Thank you, Varya. Now, we must first decide who will enter the city and when.”
Agnar was always ready to rush in and fight. Stealth was not his strong suit. Being as large as he was, if he was part of the first wave, he would be easily noticed as out of place. After listening to the varying opinions of her team, Honor held a hand up. Harcos sat beside her, echoing her thoughts back to her. At least they were on the same page.
