by Sarra Cannon
"Yes," I said, wondering why she had really come to my room this late at night.
Tuli came to stand in front of the large map of Peachville. "Your father loves them too," she said. "He takes very special care of his white rose garden."
I sat up.
"I think he spends so much of his time in the garden because it makes him feel closer to your mother." She paused. "If, for some reason, you wanted to feel closer to your mother," she said, "you might also take a stroll through the roses sometime. There is a particular spot near the back corner that is especially beautiful."
With that, she lay the white rose near the edge of the map.
I gasped, my eyes wide as I stared at the rose. Of course. It made perfect sense. The white roses at Brighton Lake bloomed all year long, despite the weather. They were magical roses, brought there from the shadow world. That had to be the secret to the portal.
Why didn't I see this sooner? The black roses also held special powers related to portals. When Jackson had pulled me through to the shadow world from the Peachville portal, there had been a ring of black roses around it. In order to close the portal temporarily, we'd had to cut down the roses.
The entrance to the Underground had also used black roses. It made sense the white roses held a similar power. Somehow, the white rose garden here connected to the roses near Shadowford.
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked in a hushed voice. I knew it must have taken great courage for her to go against the king's wishes.
Tuli looked at me, her violet eyes gleaming with tears. "Ever since my family disappeared, I have mourned them as if they were gone forever," she said. "You give me hope that someday I may see them again."
My heart overflowed with appreciation. "Thank you," I said. "I promise I will do everything I can to bring them back to you."
I pulled her into a hug. She squeezed me hard, then wiped away her tears. With a sad smile, she bowed and walked quickly from the room.
I got down on my knees in front of the map and picked up the white rose. I breathed in its sweet scent, then placed it down over the spot marked Brighton Lake.
A Life Of Our Own Choosing
I crawled into bed next to Jackson. He opened his eyes and yawned.
"What time is it?" he asked, pulling me into his strong arms.
I pressed against him. He wasn't wearing a shirt and the feeling of his bare skin against mine sent warm tingles through my body.
"About three in the morning," I said. "This time tomorrow, we should be on our way to Winterhaven."
He sighed. "If we can figure out where the portal is in time," he said.
"It's in the white rose garden," I said.
Jackson sat up slightly. "Seriously? How do you know for sure?"
I smiled and placed a finger over my lips. "Shhh," I said. "Mary Anne and Essex are sleeping near the fireplace."
"How did you find the portal?" he asked, his voice low now.
"Tuli," I said. "Well, she didn't come right out and say it, but I know. Besides, it fits doesn't it? It comes out at Brighton Lake."
"The white roses at the lake," he said, laying back down and holding me tighter. "I don't know why I didn't think of that sooner. It seems obvious."
We snuggled closer and I breathed in the scent of him. I felt so safe here in his arms.
Part of me never wanted tomorrow to come.
"Is this how it felt the first time you went through the portal?" I asked him. "When you went after Aerden?"
"Not really," he said. "I was so angry back then. I wasn't thinking clearly or going in with any kind of plan. I was stupid back then."
"I'm angry," I said, "but it's more than that. What I feel isn't that kind of raw passion. It's more like focus. Like I know what I need to do and I'm resigned to it."
"I know what you mean," he said. "When I went after Aerden the first time, I just wanted to kill everyone in sight. I went in there thinking I would have to fight one battle and then it would all be over. This time, it's so much bigger than that. We're truly going to war this time. A war that could last for years."
I sighed. "Do you think we'll ever come back here?"
Jackson kissed the top of my head and ran his fingers through my hair slowly. "Someday, when the war is over. We'll be free of the Order of Shadows," he said. "Maybe we'll decide to rule the Southern Kingdom or maybe we'll live in the human world for a while, but someday, we'll have a life of our own choosing."
I pressed my body closer to his. "It sounds like a fairy tale," I said. "Tell me what else we'll do someday."
Jackson put his mouth close to my ear. "Someday, far in the future, after your father has passed on to the Afterworld, we'll have a child of our own. A son."
I sat up and peered through the darkness at his face. "Now I know it's a fairytale," I said. "You know as well as I do that women in the prima line can only have daughters."
Jackson smiled his half-smile and raised an eyebrow. "In the future, anything is possible," he said.
And I spent the rest of the evening dreaming he was right.
One Way Or Another
I woke before the others and left them sleeping while I walked out onto the balcony to watch the suns rise. I leaned over the cool stone banister and placed my chin in my hands.
Was I crazy for going back?
I was doing exactly what Priestess Winter wanted me to do. Expected me to do. I knew I was playing right into her hands, but what choice did I have?
What kind of traps would she have set up around my sister?
Would she block my magic so I would be defenseless? Was I really strong enough to survive? I shivered, thinking of all the possible dangers. Hopefully Zara's crystal butterfly would prove useful in rescuing my sister, but how? I prayed I could trust her and that Zara's note wasn't just another part of Priestess Winter's trap.
My head swam with information, worries, questions. My toe tapped against the stone floor. In less than twenty-four hours, it would be done.
One way or another.
Below me, footsteps sounded on the tiles of the garden path. I straightened and looked down to see who was taking a stroll in the garden at this early hour.
Silver hair caught the light and my stomach twisted with nerves. My father. He was headed for the white rose garden, a place I'd seen him go to think many times in the past weeks. I glanced back toward the bedroom, then decided they were fine in there without me for a few minutes.
I wanted to be snuggled in the crook of Jackson's arm, not arguing with my father. But I knew I had to talk to him. I had to ask him to give me the ring back. If Jackson and I survived, we'd need it to perform the ritual reversal and try to free Aerden. He'd taken it to put it somewhere safe, but he'd promised to give it back when I asked. It was time to find out if he could be trusted.
I took a deep breath. Then, as I released the air, I shifted into my demon form and flew toward the garden below. My feet landed beside the fountain where I'd spent so much of my time here at the castle. I reached into my pocket and withdrew a small red gemstone. It wasn't a coin, but it was the closest thing I had to one here in the shadow world.
I brought it to my lips and made a wish, then with trembling hands, I tossed it into the water.
You Might Not Get Another Chance
My father stood just outside the garden gate, his hands wrapped around the silver railing as he stared into a sea of white blossoms.
He didn't turn as I approached, even though I was sure he must have heard my footsteps.
I moved closer, placing my hands near his on the railing. It took me a moment to work up the courage to speak. "I wish you would come with me."
My father didn't answer or acknowledge me in any way, and for a moment, I was sure he was determined to ignore me. Then, as I turned to go, he finally spoke.
"I still remember the day I met your mother," he said.
I turned back, my heart racing.
"She was the most beautiful human I'd ever seen
in my life," he said, a faint smile on his weathered face. "She was so young and full of life, but in her eyes, I saw an old soul. Wise beyond her years. Like you. She saw things the way they really were, and she was so determined to change things. She really wanted to make a difference."
I swallowed a lump in my throat.
"I tried to stay away from her," he said. "I already had a human family there in Peachville. A wife. A daughter. I didn't want to destroy all that I had built in the human world, but your mother, she was... irresistible. So beautiful."
I couldn't speak for fear he would stop. I could barely breathe. I'd been waiting for him to open up to me since the first day I'd come to the domed city.
"Claire." Her name was a whisper on his lips. A prayer. He closed his eyes. "I never should have left her there."
"You couldn't have known what would happen," I said.
"I know, but if I had stayed," he said, "or if I hadn't broken things off, at least she would have died knowing how much I loved her."
I drew in a nervous breath. "Why did you break things off with her?"
He sighed. "She was a prima futura," he said. "With her mother dead, she was going to be initiated as soon as she turned eighteen, and I didn't have any way to free her from that bond. There was no possible future for us and knowing that was torture."
"Is that why you left Peachville?"
"That was part of it," he said. He cleared his throat. "I already had plans to leave once I told her we were through, but I couldn't bring myself to walk away. Then, my father died and everything changed. It was my duty to come back here and take over as King of the South. If I had known about you or about the danger she was in, I never would have left you both there."
"What about Angela?" I asked. "You left her."
He nodded and pulled a hand through his hair. "She was safer there with her mother, a reputable member of the Order," he said. "No one there knew who I was or even that I was a demon. Claire was the only one who knew the truth."
My lips parted. My mother had known he was a demon. "Did she know you were a prince?"
"She knew everything," he said. "I even brought her here once to meet my father before he passed."
"What happened to him?" I asked.
He shook his head, his jaw tight. "He chose to cross into the human world to try to save someone he loved," he said. He gripped the railing so tight his knuckles turned white. "He thought he was strong enough to fight Priestess Winter. To force her to release someone he cared for very deeply. After he died, and then your mother, I knew it was useless to try to save anyone once the Order had them. I vowed that I would never be foolish like my father. He had a responsibility to his people. To me. And he threw it all away to save someone who simply couldn't be saved."
"That's why you won't go after Angela? Your own daughter?"
He looked toward the front of the castle. Toward the city beyond. "Everyone in this city has lost someone they love to the Order. A daughter. A father. A husband." He lowered his head. "They are powerless to go after them or to save them. If I abandon this city to go after my own daughter, what am I saying? That my family is more important than theirs? That I care more for this one girl than I do for any of them or their loved ones?"
I placed my hand over his and he turned to meet my eyes. "Then let's save them all," I said.
He looked away, pulling his hand from mine. "You're so much like your mother," he said. "Like I used to be when I was younger. Thinking you can change the way things are. Well, you can't. No one can. The Order is so much more powerful than you know. We've sent armies to fight them. Armies that have been slaughtered in a single afternoon. The best we can do is protect those who have not yet been taken. It's the only way."
"You're wrong," I said. "Things are different now."
"How?"
"We have the journal," I said. "A true account of the Order's beginnings, written by one of the five original sisters. A true path to freeing the demons who have been slaves for so long. If we can break the bond between the humans and demons, we can destroy the Order and save all of those who are still alive."
He closed his eyes and drew in a long breath. "I wish I could believe that."
Frustration became a raging river inside me. "I'll prove it to you," I said. "I'm going to save my sister, and then together, my friends and I are going to perform that ritual and you'll see. I only hope that once you see the truth, you'll find the courage to join me in freeing all the demon gates."
My father turned and started to say something, but then shook his head and looked away.
"If there's something you want to say to me, you better just say it." I looked out over the white roses. "You might not get another chance."
My words carried a weight that hung in the air between us. The future was so uncertain. I thought of my mother and how she never really knew that he had loved her. She died with a broken heart, not understanding the true reasons behind his actions.
Now, here he was years later, still regretting everything he kept from her. But would it make any difference in our relationship? Or was his heart so damaged he would never really let me in?
His silence said it all. I waited longer than I should have, wishing he would tell me he loved me. Wishing he would push past his fear of loss and find the courage to follow me to the human world. But he didn't say a word.
Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the blue ring. He stared down at its glittering stone, turning it back and forth between his fingers.
Then, in one swift motion, he placed it on top of the silver railing and disappeared into the morning breeze.
I'll See You Soon
Mary Anne and Essex sat on the floor of the bedroom, supplies and clothing spread out in front of them. They looked up as I entered.
"Hey, where have you been?" Mary Anne asked.
"Talking to my father," I said. I clutched the blue ring tight in my fist. His silence still stung. It felt like a betrayal. An abandonment.
My frown must have kept them from asking me a bunch of questions. Instead, they both turned back to their work, packing the four brown bags Essex had made for our journey.
"Where's Jackson?" I asked. The bed had been made and there was no sign of him.
"I think he went back down to his room to get a few things."
I walked over to where they sat and joined them. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"I think we're just about done gathering all our supplies, but you can help us pack them all up," Mary Anne said. She handed me one of the backpacks. "Everything's arranged in piles. Just take one of each and put it in the bag."
We worked the rest of the morning to get ready, taking a short break when Tuli brought in some muffins. In the afternoon, after all our work was done, Jackson and I took them on a tour of the domed city, introducing them to some of the friends I'd made over the past few months.
I didn't tell anyone we were leaving, but I think many of the people knew. I could see it in their eyes and the way they held on to my hand just a moment too long.
We made a special trip to the city's school to see Ryder. He was such a different child from that silent boy we'd found in the abandoned northern village. He laughed and played with the other kids and watching him, you'd never have guessed he'd suffered such great loss.
I was going to miss him with all my heart.
When we said goodbye, I pulled him close and hugged him tight. "You be a good boy, okay?"
"I promise," he said. He placed his small mouth near my ear and whispered, "I'll see you soon."
I stood and swiped at a tear as it rolled down my cheek. I smiled, hoping he hadn't seen. "See you soon," I repeated. I brought my fingers to my lips and kissed, then placed them against his cheek. "I love you."
"Love you too," he said with a toothy smile. He gave Jackson a hug too, then ran off to play with his friends.
"He seems sweet," Mary Anne said. "That's the little boy you found all alone on your way h
ere?"
I nodded, sniffing as I held back my tears. "Come on," I said. "It's getting late. We should head back to the castle and get something to eat."
As we left the school, I glanced back and saw Ryder watching us from across the room. He placed his tiny fingers to his lips, then held them out toward me. Something he had seen Jackson and I do a hundred times.
I touched my cheek as if to accept his kiss, then followed the others through the door.
The Tattoo
There was one last order of business before we could make our way through the portal.
I had to get rid of my demon tattoo.
"I'm not looking forward to this," I said, pulling up the back of my shirt and laying down on the floor in my bathroom.
Jackson held a mortar and pestle in his hand and was using it to crush up black rose petals. "We don't have a choice," he said. "If you step through that portal the human world, Priestess Winter will know you're back."
"Worse," I said. "She'll know where the portal is. That would put this whole town in danger."
I knew there was no choice, but the idea of having the magical ink sucked from my skin made me feel sick.
"How do you even know how to do this?" I asked.
"In the beginning of my time as a human, the Order tried to brand me with one of these marks," he said. "They wanted to keep track of me and make sure they knew where I was and what I was doing at all times."
He poured a little bit of water into the mortar and continued to mix up the paste.
"They did?" I asked. "I've never seen a tattoo on you before."
He raised an eyebrow. "Exactly."
I laughed. "You figured out a way to get rid of it?"
"I found the room on the third floor with all those spell books," he said. "I used to go up there in the middle of the night and memorize the ingredients to different potions. The Order had stolen my magic, but that didn't mean I couldn't create a little bit of magic for myself here and there."
