Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 129912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
“Oh, Korah,” I breathe, pressing my fingers to my lips.
“I watched you and Warren on Earth often,” she goes on. “Always from a distance. But I stopped eventually because I was an easy trace for Selah. Like I told you, she worked through Decius as well. Some of the things she was aware of, he was too. I knew if she found me, she’d find you. I didn’t want to leave you alone on Earth though. I wanted to stay there, make sure your life remained steady, even if it weakened me.
“I found my way to New Orleans. It was the only place I could think of where doing just a little bit of magic would be normal to mortals. They’d easily be fooled, or think it was a trick up my sleeve. Plus it was nice being normal for once. To blend in and have physical struggles. Being there allowed me to understand mortals and commoners a lot more. It made me realize just how privileged I was to live such a long life and to use magic to solve all of my problems. Oddly enough, Vakeeli never really felt like home. But when I went there, it was just…I don’t know.” She smiles a bit. “It felt like I belonged. No one expected much from me and I preferred it that way.
“Eventually, I left you and Warren to your own devices. It was best for it to happen this way because I knew what came next. No matter how long we postponed it, mating with Caspian was in the plans for you.”
A thick silence settles between us. Then Korah sighs and turns her head a fraction, glancing at the tips of the manor in the distance.
“People think Hassha and I were afraid and that we gave up. The truth is we were just tired. Why continue fighting for something that would happen anyway? It felt like there was no winning, no matter how long Selah had been put to rest. Sometimes it felt easier to just get rid of everyone ourselves, but I never allowed my thoughts to drift that far. Genocide. Destruction. Chaos. Those are only the works of Selah. So instead of being in my world where I was hunted, I stayed where no one knew me.
“And Yuri…he made a sacrifice for us so we could thrive for many more years. The least I could do was stay alive for him so that when the time came for me to act, I could do my part.” She takes my hands in hers. “That time is now, Willow. You may not trust me, but you have to believe that I have your best interest at heart. I dedicated a lot of time and energy to you and Warren just to keep you alive and to fulfill Yuri’s prophecy for Caspian.”
“Wow. This is a lot to take in.” I look over her shoulder at the water foaming on the shore.
“I held you and Warren often. You felt like my children too. Though you were Selah’s creations, I shared a bond with you two that I’d never felt before. Hassha believes the energy I put into protecting you two still lingers inside you.” Korah shrugs, smiling. “She could be right. I’ll never know. All I know is I’ve already lost one of the children I was meant to protect. I refuse to lose the other.”
“I just don’t understand,” I murmur, fighting tears. “Why not tell us this before? Why wait until now?”
“I’d planned on telling you and Warren eventually, but now that he’s gone, I feel you should know everything.” Her lips twist as she ponders something. “It…is not like me to reveal so much of myself to people, Willow. So forgive me for the secrets I’ve carried. Forgive me if my stubbornness has hurt you. I’m realizing that Caspian was right. Commoners aren’t like what they used to be. There is some good now.”
She gives me a warm smile, and I can’t help returning one.
“I forgive you,” I say after a few quiet seconds. “But we have to at least save Danica.”
“We will. She’ll come to her senses. For now, we have to let her grieve. And when she’s ready to fight, I’m sure she’ll be on the frontlines. Kessel warriors do not quit, and she has their blood running through her veins.”
I smile, thinking of Danica and her katana sword.
Then a thought strikes me. “So when we found you in New Orleans, you knew exactly who I was?”
“Yes.”
“So why did you try to kill us?”
“I was never going to kill you. I just wanted to put a little scare into Caspian,” she says, chuckling. “See if he was worth being the Seed of Yuri.”
“And? Did he live up to your expectations?”
“Though he’s a sad, grumpy little boy, yes.” She cracks a smile. “He did. The fact that he risked his own life to save mine when that Garrett person attacked proved it for me.” She releases my hand and steps back. “Speaking of, Garrett is dead now. Hassha killed him once he’d turned into one of Selah’s creatures.”