Hope is all he has left...
Prince Kian is supposed to be dead. He was only 8 years old when the Dark King came into his home and slaughtered his family. Now 21, he lives in hiding, grieving the family and the kingdom both lost. With no magic left...
Kian was handsome with his pale skin, big chocolate eyes, and clean-cut brown hair. But that was not what I had noticed first about him. It seemed that he could talk anyone into anything. Which would be helpful when trying to convince the people of Stockgrove to follow him. I knew better than anyone that they could be a tough crowd. I wondered if I was crazy for deciding to walk back into Stckgrove. But then again, this whole situation was pretty insane.
I had decided to go with Kian because of what Tyri had told me earlier. We had all been saying we wanted a chance to do something about the Dark King for years. If we let this pass us up then perhaps we would never get another opportunity.
Areis hadn't said much since the previous night, and I had decided to search for him when he was gone in the morning. If he didn't want to follow me to Blackcap then I needed to know. He was my family and I couldn't just leave him behind. Cayra had said he needed to go for a walk and clear his head. I had a feeling I'd know where to find him.
As I walked deeper into the woods, I sighed in relief as I finally heard the babbling of a nearby stream. I walked towards the sound, reveling in how the soft melody of the water contrasted with the loud crackle of my boots on the fallen leaves. I stepped through the shrubbery to see the morning sun reflecting off of the clear water.
Surely enough, Areis sat on the bank of the stream, making the water dance before him. I observed in silent admiration as he brought it into the air and wove it through his fingers. When I watched him back in Stockgrove, I had often wondered what it would be like to have the power to create instead of destroy. When the moment passed, I cleared my throat. Areis turned to me-his light hair looked almost silver in this light-and let the water fall back into the flow of the creek.
He didn't say anything as I took a seat beside him, we sat in silence for a while, just listening to the aubade of the woods. Almost half an hour had passed by the time he finally spoke.
"Is this really happening?" I looked over at him, his eyes were filled with confusion. I knew that he was not thinking of himself, but of his sister. I stayed silent, willing to listen as he worked things out, as he had done for me so many times before.
"Two weeks ago our biggest problem was rationing for Winter. Now here we are, planning to help a prince who we thought was dead all this time. And what if it's all for nothing? What if this is just a suicide mission? In Stockgrove, we may have been in hiding but at least we were safe," I took his hand.
"Areis, after what I did Stockgrove will never really be safe again. The Dark King will hunt and hunt and eventually, he will find us. I'm sorry, I really am, but things can never go back to the way they were," My voice came out with compassion that I had never been able to muster before. The monster in my veins had been silent since that day and I was finally beginning to feel human for the first time in a very long time.
"I know, I guess I just worry about Cayra. I don't want her anywhere near this revolution but there isn't any way I can stop her from doing what she wants," He said, putting his head in his hands. I rubbed his back.
"I know it isn't easy, but we'll get through this together. You're not the only one looking to protect her, you know. We're all family. The four of us have only got each other," I said, giving him a comforting smile. He returned it with a smirk of his own.
"And I suppose we just adopted Kian, as well."
I chuckled, glad to finally get a smile out of him, "I suppose so."
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I took first watch for the night, glad to finally have some time to myself. The firelight crackled and the air smelled of pine. It was the closest thing to peace I had felt in days. That peace was swiftly put aside when a soft voice spoke from across the cave.
"Zora, can we talk for a moment?" Kian asked, sitting up against the wall. I had been purposely avoiding him all day, while he had been trying to chase me down to talk business. I suppose he finally had me cornered. I looked down at my sleeping friends, Cayra was curled up into Areis' side and Tyri had fallen asleep with her dagger in her hand. After we went with Kian, how many more peaceful nights would they have? I motioned for him to join me outside.
"It'd be a shame to wake them," I whispered.
In the moonlight, Kian's gentle features looked sharper than normal. He finally seemed well rested. He appeared more regal than I'd ever seen him. It was still hard to believe, really, that the young man in front of me was a prince. Someone people might rally behind, someone who could change the world by simply being alive.
"We need to discuss how we're going to go about this because, quite frankly, I can't just march an army of magic wielders back to Blackcap," He started, "I think that you should first come back with me, let me prove to you that I can deliver on what I offer." I looked at him skeptically. It was at least a three-day hike to reach the mountain range. But then again, Kian got snared the first time he attempted to travel by himself. It would be stupid to let him make the journey alone.
"Fine. But we come back to Stockgrove as soon as possible."
"It's a deal."
A/N What do you guys think of the new cover? And what do you think will happen at Blackcap?
