Magic wasn’t in this realm anymore. No one—not even the powerful queen—could reverse it because they couldn’t use their nature cores. The Fae were like mortals except for being long-lived.
I closed the books quickly, my mind not able to handle any more information. I set them on the table and stared at the Fae dancing in the garden below. Over and over I churned the idea of how I could possibly get the princess out of the tomb without magic. What talents did I possess for this seemingly impossible task?
There was still so much I didn’t know, so much to ferret out, and there was only one person to give me some insight. I was too wired to sleep, too invested in this overwhelming mystery. I had to talk about my finding and sort out my thoughts.
Throwing on my slippers, I peered into the hall to make sure no one was there before slipping from my room and making my way toward Celestine’s cave. Hopefully, since she had been a seer, she would know I was coming. I’d hate to wake her but I was too hyped over everything I’d learned. I needed to know more, and she was my answer.
I passed three guards on the way out, none of them moving from their posts. They only watched me. As I walked onto the grass, a brisk wind fluttered my tunic and the chill bore into my bones.
Shit. I was so determined to get out of the room and find Celestine that I forgot to grab some pants. While the thought was embarrassing that the guards had seen my bare legs, I didn’t turn around to change. My attire was still more modest than some of the Fae dresses at the ball tonight.
“Sapphira.” The cave winds whispered to me again. This time I didn’t shy away or crave to run. I took a step without faltering into the stone narrows toward the only person who could answer my questions.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Celestine waited for me by her cat-owl creatures. The first time I arrived, the sight had shocked me, but now I was more familiar with the Fae realm and its inhabitants. I wasn’t shocked when I saw some tea and grapes on a plate waiting for me on the ground by the fire.
“You do know everything, huh?” I joked, while plopping down where I was supposed to, making sure my dress wasn’t showing anything I didn’t want seen.
“I’ve only seen as far as I dared look before the magic was gone, which was thousands of years. I have some ways to go before I am surprised, my dear.” She enjoyed my light teasing.
“Then you know why I’m here.”
Her pointed fingers smoothed over the head of a white owl cat; its purr quietly echoed around the dark woods.
“I do, and you must know I can’t tell you everything.” She continued stroking the happy creature.
“I don’t understand why. If you want me to save the princess, then tell me how.” Maybe it was cheating to know the future, but I was out of my league with this place and this destiny.
Celestine pondered my words, remaining silent as she pet her friend a few more times before strolling over without making a sound. Graciously, she lowered her body, her cape drifting out of her way to across from me and the fire.
“Do you not think the future would change if I told you what was to come? Are you ready for the answers you seek?” She tilted her head to the side with interest.
If she was to tell me I would have to die in order to open the tomb, would I go through with it? Or if I was going to lose someone like the queen or Dris, could I sacrifice them?
“The destination is not what matters in a hero’s story, only how he or she got there. When all hope seems lost, the hero battles on, refusing to give up. You have it in you. You feel it in your very blood that you can do this. You’re just impatient.”
I wanted to stomp my feet and argue like a child because I knew she was right. I had only been in this realm for a week. I still had three more until I would rescue Tor. What else would occur between now and then?
“I’m afraid.” Confessing my fear aloud wasn’t easy. Better telling her than it slipping out around Rune.
“Fear is in your head; the danger is what’s real. Fear is your mind telling you to run, and if you run, you’ll never know what it’s like to live, my dear. To face the danger and leave the fear behind is a true hero’s destination.”
It was like being hit with a hammer in the chest. She was right—completely. From the nerves firing in my mind to the tips of my toes, her words seeped into my very being.
“I hope I can live up to this amazing person in your head.”
“That’s up to you. Who you want to be entirely depends on the decisions you make. You can choose to leave the survivor side of you back in the community where the rest of your former people died and become the warrior you were always meant to be. Or you can stay as you are, a survivor of the apocalypse and nothing more.”
I was speechless. It was a lot to live up to being someone I didn’t believe I could be. But that was part of the problem. I didn’t believe. I was letting the fear and possibility of failing hold me back. I snatched a few of the grapes and sipped some tea. Every thought I’d come in here with had silenced.
“Now that my grand speeches have been made, I can give you a few little details that won’t cause any harm to the future.” She leaned in, her hands rubbing against each other like she was gearing up to do something like magic.
I set the cup down and gave her my complete attention. If she was willing to part with information, then I would take every word into memory like it was life or death because in the end it might be.
“I know you read about Rune and his cores. Do not be afraid of him. He will not hurt you. Don’t approach him about them; he will tell you in his own time. Heed my warning.” I would keep my mouth sealed despite wanting to ask him questions. If I bombarded him with my thoughts before trust between us grew, he would completely shut down.
“Anything else?” I dared to ask. There had to be more morsels of the future for me to gobble up.
“You can trust Dris. She will be a very helpful friend to you in times to come.”
She smiled, her white teeth beaming in the moonlight. Her cat-owl hooted, which still sounded like a meow.
“In two days’ time, your general will be away. I suggest a nice long walk in the Hallowstag Woods while he is gone. A creature of legend will find you. Do not be afraid when he shows himself.”
Her mischievous smile blatantly indicated there was something more to her words. I wanted to know what she hid from me, but if I knew, would I still go for a walk in the woods?
“One last matter before you go back to the palace. Pay attention to your dreams, dear, for in them we see things our conscious minds did not. Answers to your own questions might be in your head, waiting for you to acknowledge them.”
She stood there with her creatures one minute, and then was gone, like smoke billowing from the fire.
Her departure surprised me, but I’d give her points for intrigue. I sat by the fire, eating and drinking. The tea she gave me was most likely some concoction to help me relax. She liked me calm, and I did, too. My mind reeled from everything she said. It was all so grand, even though none of my questions were answered. I didn’t know who had an onyx core or how I was going to save the princess and Tor. I did feel different as I gathered my strength to stand and leave for the palace—stronger, like I had been given the right kind of pat on the back needed to push through.