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Chapter 42
Theo
Soft, gentle arms wrap around me as the scent of lilacs warms my heart. I pull back from our embrace and stare down at my mother. Her dark-hazel eyes filled with all the love and warmth I remember.
“Mother?” My voice is childlike as I scan her face.
“My sweet Theodore. Look at how handsome you are,” she says, cupping my cheeks. She smiles brightly up at me, reminding me of how much I have missed her.
As her hands fall from my face, I take in the empty room around us. There’s a faint hue of purple floating in the air, dancing on an absent breeze. The ground is firm beneath my feet, but when I glance down, there’s nothing below me.
“You need to remember who you are, Theodore. It’s always been your destiny. The realm is depending on you.” Her lilting voice brings my attention back to her.
“What do you mean? What destiny?” She pats my cheek, and I lean into her touch, soaking it in. I could stay here like this—with her. I’ve missed the way she calms all my fears and her sweet humming that always brightened my days.
“You need to remember the stories I told you. She can’t save the realm without you. She needs you just as much as you need her.” My mother places a kiss on my cheek before releasing me and stepping back. I reach for her, not wanting our moment to end.
“Please stay. Don’t leave me again. I need you, mother. Please,” I say, pleading like a child as my heart aches with the loss of her.
“You must remember who you are, my sweet boy.” The mist next to her thickens and a shapeless figure steps from it. My mother looks at the veiled being and smiles. The mist thins slightly, and my mother walks into it. A hint of red hair gleams from the top of the figure before the mist disappears entirely.
My eyes snap open, and I’m back in my cell. The scent of lilacs clings to my skin. I scan the cell, expecting to see my mother, but I’m alone.
I rub my face, trying to wrap my head around the bizarre dream. It felt so real. I swear my mother was truly speaking to me. There’s a faint dampness on my cheek where she kissed me before leaving.
I should have left last night, maybe then the strange dream wouldn’t have plagued me. The logical part of my mind told me to run, see how far I can make it before the queen has her Cypres rip apart my mind. But a soft voice urged me to stay. I took it as a warning from Astra that worse would happen if I fled in the night, opting to hide away in the cell one last time.
Crawling out of bed, I try to shake off the strange feeling and get ready for the day. After a quick shower and shave, I slide into the same outfit I arrived in. The once familiar clothes feel odd against my skin, as if they never belonged to me.Just the queen’s words messing with your head again.
I take a deep breath, collecting myself. The threads around my heart hum, and I try to remember the last time they felt taut. I’ve grown so used to them being stretched since losing Lily. Only in the past few years have they relaxed and warmed, but within a day or two, the tightness would return.
My breath quickens, and my heart races as I realize that, since arriving in the shadow kingdom, the threads have seemed to rejoice. Especially after meeting the queen. My body responding to her presence as if she were the other half of my soul finally found.That’s not possible. She’s not Lily.
My mother’s words ring in my ears. What do I need to remember, though? My mind has been so twisted by the games and emotions of the past month that I don’t know if anything in my life is real anymore.
I groan, dragging my hands down my face, knowing I need answers to make sense out of all of this. The dream about my mother has shaken my once-firm hold on what is the truth and what is the lie. Her words, dark and ominous, are a stark contrast to her sunshine personality.
Swinging open the cell door, I head to the dining hall to ask Pyke where the apothecary is. He graciously points me in the direction, and I push through the crowd to make my way there.
The door chimes as I enter the shop. The herbal scents overwhelm my senses, and I wrinkle my nose. Loma stands at the counter, her eyes locked on me. “Theodore,” she flatly states.
“You can call me Theo,” I say, stepping up to the counter with an uneasy smile.
“No. Your name is Theodore. Your mother named you that for a reason,” Loma answers with a scowl. My eyebrows draw together, confused by her statement. Her hazel eyes scan me, seeming to assess my worth.
“You’re a gift from the gods for her.” She slams the vial of black liquid on the counter. “You’ll be the reason this realm is built anew or bathed in darkness for all eternity.” She narrows her eyes at me, lips pinched tight.
Pushing the vial toward me, she taps it on the counter. The clink of the glass on wood echoes through the shop. I pick it up hesitantly, unsure of what to do. “For the sake of all the mortals in Omnia, I hope you make the right choice, my king.”
My breath lodges in my throat at the title. I back up slowly, forcing my body to move. I exit the apothecary, my eyes never leaving Loma’s.
