The words don’t scare me like they should. But there is genuine fear in the eyes of my friends.
“And why do you think that?” I ask her.
“That’s what the prophecy says. The healers figured it out.”
“And what did they say?” Lachlan grinds the words out.
Evander shifts on his feet, stuck between defending me and protecting Luna from the violence in Lachlan’s eyes.
She stifles a sigh while pulling out a scrap of paper from her leathers and clears her throat before reciting it.
The pendulum swings in a kingdom of the sea,
A queen of two worlds shall rise up and lead.
The chosen of thirteen, her heart will deem,
If the night will grieve, then the land will bleed.
A mate’s whispered plea,
For their fate is forged by loyalty’s key.
Her voice takes on the same hauntingly beautiful quality that Elowen’s had when she revealed what her sight had shown her.
The words seem distant though, like they’re spoken underwater. I feel Lachlan turn towards me and he speaks. But my mind is miles away.
Their fate is forged by loyalty’s key.
I knew it was too good to be true. That we might survive this, that we might all come out of this unscathed. My breath slips through my lips, and the world comes crashing back down.
“Lena.” Mathilda’s eyes shine with her tears. “Did you hear us?”
I shake my head, my mind clearing.
“It means nothing.”
Mina’s bottom lip quivers. “It meanseverything.What are you talking about?”
I look at my friends. “The prophecy can’t be about me. It says the chosen ofthirteen. There’s seven of us.”
My shoulders shrug of their own accord, effusing some of the lackadaisical feelings into my words that I don’t truly feel.
“Freya and Odr thought the prophecy was about ye, too,” Lachlan whispers.
I turn to him and my heart breaks. Such sadness and hopelessness are etched on his face. It’s enough to make my chest ache.
“Look, even if it is about me, it saysmy heartwill deem what happens. Not that I will die. Apparently, fate hasn’t decided yet. It changes nothing.”
Lachlan’s hand squeezes mine and I know what he’s thinking.This changes everything.Now more than ever, my life truly hangs in the balance.
“We have happier things to focus on right now.” I gesture to Tane and Mathilda, still wrapped around each other. “We can’t give you guys a huge mating ceremony, but we’d like to do a small one if that’s agreeable?”
Mathilda looks up to Tane. His brow is lowered until he feels her looking at him. He softens, looking down at her, love shining in his eyes.
“I’ll do whatever she wants.”
Mathilda giggles. “That’s what you said when I brought you here.”
