by K. T. Webb
“Look, Legacy, I do not know what the future holds. My visions ended with you wearing the crown. This new mark is different. No guidance came along with it, no hints at what would be expected of me. All I truly know is that I must keep moving forward to completely establish you as the Queen of Alderwood. You have a lot riding on your shoulders now—you have to find and defeat the Shadow Mages.” Honor paused to turn Legacy toward her, “You are not going to do those things alone. I promise.”
Legacy allowed herself to be enveloped into a fierce hug, which she readily returned. Honor was leaving in the morning. She and much of the Gildi would be gone as long as it took to eradicate the rest of the Makt. In her mind, Legacy knew she would not be alone during that time, there were plenty of people in the castle to talk to, not to mention Renata would still be with her.
By the time the sisters retired to their individual chambers, Legacy was feeling more at ease about the time they would spend apart. She fell asleep knowing that when she woke, things were going to be different.
Legacy sat on the center throne, surrounded by the presence of her fellow rulers, but each time she tried to look at them, they faded away. After trying and failing too many times to count, Legacy rose from the throne and followed the vibrant red carpet leading out of the room.
As she dreamed of the castle, she encountered Evander. His gaze left her feeling lightheaded; in her dreams, he seemed to be attracted to her. He followed her as her visions slipped back in.
A dark forest closed in around her as she searched desperately for someone or something. Legacy stumbled through the underbrush as she continued looking for whatever was missing. It was the same every time; she never quite found what she was searching for. This time, a brilliant orange glow blazed around her. Legacy coughed against thick smoke that pressed in from all directions. Attempting to get a lungful of clean air, she dropped to the ground below the hot air that threatened to suffocate her.
Legacy curled into a ball. Her dreams and visions had never mixed together so vividly, and she had never been so aware of what was happening to her. For the first time, she realized who she was looking for—Noble. He was gone. He was lost and alone amid a raging fire in the Ternion Forest. If she failed to find him, she was sure he would die.
As she lay on the hard earth, desperately trying to think of a solution, she felt herself lifted from the ground. Legacy opened her eyes against the burning air to find Evander had her in his arms, running with her. She barely moved in his embrace as he leaped over fallen branches and blocked her from sparks as they flew at them.
Legacy sat bolt upright in bed. Her heart pounded erratically in her chest. There was no fire, there were no trees, everything was as it should be. It took her a few moments to regain her composure. She had dreamed of the same things many nights since receiving her mark. Everything had remained the same as it had for the past two years, everything that is but the addition of Evander and the knowledge that she was searching for Noble. Legacy shook her head; it had only been a dream. She had no reason to believe it was anything more than that.
Just as she had convinced herself it was still nighttime, and she should lie back down, there was a knock at her door. Thinking it was Honor saying goodbye before setting out on her journey, Legacy quickly rose from her bed and rushed to open the door. She was shocked to find Evander standing shirtless in the hallway wearing loose pants. Legacy did her best not to look too closely at the definition of each exposed muscle. It took everything inside her to force herself to bring her gaze back to his face.
“Oh, thank goodness, Your Majesty.” Evander’s face was flushed, sweat beading on his forehead.
Legacy regarded him with a quizzical look. “What on earth are you doing here?”
Evander stared at her open-mouthed. “I . . . uh . . . had a dream?”
“Are you asking me or telling me?” she replied with a raised eyebrow.
“No. I had a dream. There was a fire, and you were lying on the ground. I had to save you. When I woke, I was certain you needed my help. This must seem crazy to you.” he sighed and raked a hand through his disheveled hair.
Evander had no idea just how crazy it sounded. Somehow, he had managed to infiltrate the nightmares she had been having for years. His presence was not the only difference in the dream, but the fact that he saw what she had seen gave her pause. Legacy had never heard of anyone entering another person’s dreams, and it seemed especially odd that someone she hardly knew had been able to see hers, let alone influence the outcome.
“Come in here, quickly.” Legacy grabbed Evander by the shirt sleeve and yanked him into her bedroom. “Tell me everything you saw.”
He blinked rapidly for a moment, clearly taken aback by her sudden demand. “Well, I . . . uh . . . I was sleeping, of course, then my dream sort of changed. It was strange. I was dueling with my older brother—you have yet to meet him, but he always has to win—and I was besting him for once, absolutely pulverizing him. Suddenly, I saw a ripple like a curtain blowing in the wind, and somehow, I knew I needed to be on the other side of it.”
“A ripple?” Legacy narrowed her eyes.
“I have no idea how else to describe it. So, this ripple caught my eye, and everything else seemed to disappear. I rushed through the ripple and found the forest on fire. You were walking ahead of me, so I started to follow you, to warn you to get out of the trees before the flames engulfed you. Perhaps you could not hear me over the crackling wood. You fell to the ground. You were going to let the flames take you. I couldn’t let that happen. I had to save you.” Evander held her gaze for a moment before his cheeks flushed in embarrassment, and he looked away.
“Evander,” Legacy led him to the window seat beyond her bed and pulled him to sit next to her. “I have had that dream many, many times. The outcome is always the same. I lie down in the fire and wait for it to kill me. I always wake feeling like my skin is melting away.”
Shock washed over his face at her words. Despite having only met a handful of times, Legacy knew there had to be a reason Evander could share her dreams. Her visions had tortured her for years; she was sure she was heading straight for death by fire, but she had no idea when it would happen. Now that she knew she was searching for Noble as the Ternion Forest burned around her, it did not make things less complicated. She looked at Evander as he stared at his own hands.
“Can I ask you a question?” Evander whispered.
“Ask me anything.” Legacy tried not to let her voice betray her thoughts as his gaze rose to meet hers.
“Do you know why it felt so real? I could feel the flames singeing my skin; my lungs rejected the smoke that filled them. How is that possible?”
Legacy shrugged. “I have no idea. I cannot think of a single instance in which someone has done what you did. Evander, this was not just a dream; that was part of the visions I experienced the night I received my mark.”
Evander furrowed his brow. “This is impossible. I mean, I do not even have a mark. How could I jump into the visions you have from receiving yours?”
Legacy gasped, then put a hand to her mouth as though she could stuff the sound back in. Of course, as a member of the Makt, he had been denied the right to receive a mark. King Junius had believed the marks would keep them from fully submitting to his will; if they had to worry about their own destiny, they would not focus on what he needed them to do.
For Junius, it had been just as much about power as it was control. The marks had initially been created to help the wild magic guide the right people toward the choices that would help them free Alderwood from the Shadow Mages grasp. Regardless of how many soldiers Junius controlled, the inevitable came to pass, and his own children were responsible for his downfall. Legacy was not equipped to answer Evander’s question. She knew the only person who could was sleeping down the hall, but she was hesitant to share the information with anyone just yet.
If she involved Renata, it would take the oracle
away from her current task, determining how much the Shadow Mages played a part in Noble’s existence. Evander’s ability to connect with Legacy in such a manner was not necessarily cause for alarm. For the time being, Legacy decided it was best to keep the information between the two of them.
“I have no idea how this is happening, but the fact that it is can only be a good thing, right?” Legacy asked.
“Maybe. I mean, I did save you from burning to a crisp on the forest floor,” he smiled sheepishly.
“In a dream. . .” Legacy corrected.
“Should we be faced with the situation, in reality, I shall not hesitate to do the same,” Evander replied softly, placing his warm hand over her chilly fingers.
“I appreciate that. Hopefully, we never find ourselves having to make that call, but it is comforting for you to say.” Legacy tried not to seem uncomfortable at his lingering touch.
Evander turned on the window seat to face her fully. “I cannot explain it, Legacy, but from the moment I met you, I have felt an undeniable connection. I have no way of knowing what it may mean, but I know you were the reason I switched sides.”
Legacy furrowed her brow. She thought he had defected when Honor gave her speech about not having to follow the general. He was, after all, the general’s son, she had assumed they fought together. As she reflected on the battle, and when Evander may have joined their numbers, she felt his gaze on the side of her face. She glanced at him, trying not to appear uneasy.
“I was in the castle. My father trusted my brother and me implicitly. We were tasked with guarding the King should anyone from your army make it past our other defenses. I fought against the canthions, parried a blow from your sister, and prepared myself to strike down whoever approached next. The problem was . . . it was you.” He took a moment to breathe deeply and soothe his shaking hands. “I looked at you, and somehow, I just knew there was something about you that would need me one day. I put down my sword immediately. My brother continued to fight for a bit longer, but soon followed my example and laid down arms.”
Legacy shook her head. “How could you possibly know any of that from simply looking at me?”
He laughed quietly and shrugged. “If I knew, I would not have been following you around the castle looking for a reason to talk to you. It was pure luck that I was able to lead you to your father’s secret study.”
It was Legacy’s turn to laugh. “I do not believe in luck, Evander. And I think deep down, you know our paths were destined to cross. You may not have a mark, but that does not mean you do not have a destiny. Yours just might be a little harder to pin down than it is for some of us.”
He nodded in response. “You may be right, but it is hard for someone like me to believe in a destiny I was denied. If King Junius or my father had known I would end up being able to cross into the dreams of the very person they sought to destroy, they would have killed me without thinking twice.”
“I would respond with shock that your own father would kill you for something so ludicrous, but I really have no room to talk.” Legacy smiled.
“I wonder if Emrys has ever experienced anything like this. . .” Evander’s words trailed off as he allowed himself to become lost in thought.
“Emrys?” Legacy did not think she had heard the name before.
Evander snapped back to reality. “Yes, sorry. Emrys is my brother.”
“Oh, the one who joined our fight when you did?” Legacy questioned.
He nodded. “It surprised me when he followed my lead. He was always a staunch supporter of the King and his agenda. He was father’s favorite and never questioned orders. I was not meant to be that kind of soldier. It was a never-ending struggle for me.”
Legacy thought for a moment, trying to find the best way to advise Evander against sharing the strange events of the night with anyone, especially a brother who suddenly switched sides. She felt terrible even thinking it, but she could not help but wonder if Emrys had followed him for nefarious reasons rather than a change of heart. The fewer people who knew Evander had entered the Queen's dreams, the better.
“Are you planning to talk to Emrys about what happened tonight?”
“No. I do not think that it would be a good idea until we know more.”
Legacy sighed in relief. “Good. I feel the same way. This may have been a fluke. Perhaps something we both touched in the study affected us, and this will never happen again.”
Even when she said the words, she knew it was unlikely. Nothing in Alderwood happened by chance. Legacy learned long ago that every moment, every interaction was part of a greater plan put in place by the wild magic and Renata. Of course, they could choose to ignore it all and do as they pleased; they were not puppets doing their master’s bidding. But for those who played a role in emancipating Alderwood from the control of the Shadow Mages, it seemed impossible to fight the path laid out for them.
“I should be going. Do you think you can try to stay out of any burning forests for the rest of the night? Maybe dream about puppies?” Evander joked as he rose to his feet.
Legacy laughed aloud. It was easy to laugh with Evander; he had a way of speaking to her that made her feel “normal” when others insisted on treating her like the Queen. As she closed the door behind him and returned to her bed, Legacy secretly hoped she would reencounter the young soldier when she drifted back to sleep.
Morning brought a whole new set of problems when it broke across Alderwood. The Gildi set out at sunrise, leaving the people of Pallisaide without its new military regime for the first time since Legacy had taken the throne. It was a complete mystery to her why they had not anticipated even a small rebellion from people who still harbored support for King Junius.
Of course, they were not unguarded. Some members of the Resistance had remained at the castle after the coronation, taking on the task of guarding their new Queen in the absence of the Gildi. But even with the group of experienced soldiers she had to protect her, Legacy was sorely missing the assistance of Lord Mahuron, Soren, Varya, and Agnar. Allies who had become friends that had returned to their homes as representatives of Queen Legacy. It was too much to expect them to stay.
Lord Mahuron had been tasked with reaching each of the county seats to determine where their loyalties fell in the aftermath of King Junius’ death. Varya and Agnar returned to the northern reaches to work on reuniting the North with the rest of Alderwood. Soren was already deeply connected to the sprawling network of Resistance sympathizers throughout Alderwood; he planned to continue to use his connections to rebuild what had been lost. With her trusted friends leaving, Legacy was left with Gray, Maris, and Evander to fight off any threat that may arise. There were other soldiers, but none she would trust as implicitly as she did those who had departed after the coronation.
Mere hours after the Gildi left the borders of Pallisaide, the people who wanted to put an end to any monarchy began to rear their heads. Legacy felt for them. Her father had been a ruthless man who not only allowed but encouraged senseless violence from his army. What evidence did they have that might lead them to believe Legacy would rule any differently? The Resistance army had infiltrated Pallisaide and taken it by force. The battle ended when the King had been slain and the Makt defeated in a bloody fight. While Legacy herself had only played a small role in the actual battle, it was understandable for the subjects, who knew so little about the dark plots that had been in play for centuries, to think their new Queen would be just like her father before her.
Now, as she surveyed Pallisaide from the balcony where she had been announced as Queen Legacy, it was clear there was unrest brewing in the city. Shouts could be heard echoing through the streets. Not the happy shouts of children playing or the cheerful calls of neighbors greeting one another, but the angry cries of unhappy citizens. She felt the negativity rippling through the atmosphere. The breeze carried it toward her on crisp air that brought flurries of snow along the way. Legacy sensed a presence b
ehind her, and without looking, she knew it was Evander.
“Do you know what is happening down there?” she asked without turning around.
“No, Your Majesty. But, rest assured, I sent Emrys and some of our men down to see if they could find the source of the problem,” Evander replied formally.
Legacy laughed at his tone. In the short time they had known one another, she had not yet known him to be so proper. She glanced over her shoulder to offer him a smile and see why he was speaking to her in such a manner. One look told her all she needed to know. A small group of soldiers stood at attention behind Evander. There was a mixture of men she knew from the Resistance and some she did not recognize.
“Is there a reason for this?” she asked, growing wary.
“We are prepared to defend you should a threat enter the castle walls,” Evander advised.
Legacy rolled her eyes and sighed. “I hardly think that is necessary. I appreciate you sending a small group out to the city. A larger group may appear threatening and cause a larger problem than we may be facing as of now.”
“My Queen, I understand that you feel safe here, but you need to think about the possible danger we may face.” Evander’s voice altered an octave as he tried to keep himself from speaking too boldly in the presence of other soldiers.
She arched an eyebrow at his response. While Legacy appreciated his dedication to her safety, she did not feel it was necessary to take any precautions unless they were confident something would cause them concern. At that moment, she wished he had come alone. They understood each other well enough to speak freely. With every fiber in her being, she tried to send Evander a non-verbal message, one that her expression must have given away completely.
