The Prophecy - ACOTAR

Chapter 36

Astrid stood outside next to the wintery remains of Elain's gardens, the cold hair brushing over her skin, the skin along her exposed arm crawling with shivers. She could feel the heavy gaze of her mate from the house, but her mind was racing to fast to be able to explain to him what she was thinking, she could barely understand it herself.

Her nightmare last night had been mostly the same as her last one, making it easier for her to pull herself from the reality of it. Az hadn't pushed her to talk about the dream either time, he just held her and let her say what she needed. Right now, he was giving her space to think, and she couldn't thank him enough for that. She would have to find a way to thank him for everything, for the baldric and frogs, for being there the last couple of nights, and just everything since she had woken up.

Astrid closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath of the crisp winter air, letting the chill air flood her lungs. The same words from her nightmare were still ringing in her ears, you're special. She had heard that twice now, once from Amren and again from the Bone Carver. For five centuries she had been treated like she was the complete opposite, because someone special enough, that one of the old death gods would bow to her, surely would not be whipped in front of a court.

Rain, salt, and Citrus flowed from the back door to where she stood with her face turned up to the bleak sun. Astrid slowly opened her eyes and turned to look at her brother, "What's going on in that head of yours?" He asked her.

"Something the Carver said, I can't shake it." She paused, "Well I can't shake anything he said but this one thing is haunting me. Amren said the same thing."

Rhys's eyebrows scrunched together, his arms folding in front of his chest, "What was it?"

Astrid sighed, turning away again and looking out at the snow covered land, "That I'm special." Her nostrils flared in frustration, "I don't feel special. If I was so special wouldn't my life have been different?"

His steps crunched in the snow as he walked closer, stopping when he was next to her, "I hate everything you went through, I wish I could turn back time and fix it all, but I can't. I can't explain why you had to grow up in that place, but I fear if you hadn't you would have died along with our mother and sister." Rhys paused as he took in a breath, "But I can explain what Amren meant, I suspect it's the same thing that the Bone Carver meant, if you want."

Astrid swallowed hard, her nerves twisting her stomach. This could change her life, again, and she didn't know if she was ready for that. But would she ever be ready? She didn't think anyone was ever ready for their life to change, so she nodded her head slowly.

"Have you heard about the Warrior?" Rhys asked gently.

"My aunt, Camryn, told me about a prophecy that mentioned a warrior. She would tell me about it as a bedtime story."

"That would be the one, it is a true prophecy, a very old one that slowly turned to fiction as the years went on."

"What does it have to do with me? The Warrior is referenced as a male." Astrid turned to look up at Rhys with a confused scrunch of her nose.

"With time, words can be changed and twisted to fit what the speaker wants. In the original prophecy, the Warrior was a female." Rhys had a soft, knowing smile.

Astrid's eyes widened slightly, the new information tumbling through her mind, "They think I'm her... don't they..." She whispered.

"And I'd be inclined to agree with them." Rhys pulled out a small book, flipping through it. "You were born on the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. You disappeared the same night. You came back when Amarantha was keeping us all hostage and then right as the war with Hybern is ramping up. You can move through the shadows, and they seem to get excited when you get near Az. You're incredibly strong, I don't know anyone outside of me and Az that could take down Cass the way you did. When you sing, it charges the air with magic, and you were born a princess of the Night Court. That's all but one part of the prophecy, Astrid. I couldn't imagine it being anyone other than you."