Victor clasped his hands in front of his body. “Druids were gifted with the gift of prophecy, the ability to tell the future. They were sent messages from the gods to convey to the Arcanean race. The majority of these teachers... some, not all... were Marked. These sorceresses had a special connection to the Great Hunting Grounds, and could therefore impart their wisdom upon the masses as they learned it directly from the spiritual realm. Since there are no prophets remaining in the Arcanean world, we can deduce that the druids have gone extinct.”
What he said was true. Prophecies only came now by use of hags or other monsters, like in Emma’s situation. We fae had long lost the ability to receive prophecies. Another consequence of war. The more I learned about the split between the Seelie and Unseelie fae, the more I wondered why it was even necessary in the first place.
“Though the druids are gone, we still have records about them and their lore,” Victor explained. “Fae scribes were able to record some of their teachings, as the druids themselves preferred oral instruction to keep their most sacred knowledge secret within their own circles. There is one particular tale of druid legend that has remained a secret— the Hidden King.”
That got my attention. I leaned forward. I wasn’t the only one. Several other boys stopped taking notes to look up.
I remembered the sight of Professor Waldron’s body hanging from a spear on the wall, and the message written in blood beside it.The Black Claw has found its master. Hail to the dark god Droga. Hail to the Hidden King.
Professor Victor swallowed. “I know this may be upsetting to some of you, but I can assure you, the incident surrounding Professor Waldron’s death is nothing like the true history behind the legend. Many centuries ago, adrycareceived a message from the gods about the Hidden King. She foretold that the Hidden King would doom fae kind and bring an end to the Seelie fae.”
“What’s the exact wording of the prophecy?” Nicoli asked. He was a griffin shifter, and uncontrollably curious. He was always asking questions every class. His binder was stuffed full of all the notes he’d taken.
Professor Victor smiled. “It’s nice to see a student so involved. Though I have to tell you, it’s not elaborate.”
He shrugged. “Just wondering.”
Victor cleared his throat before he began to recite.
“The Hidden King shall bring an end to the Arcanea
It is he who will change our world forever.”
A shiver crossed over my spine. There was a beat of silence before Nicoli asked, “That’s it?”
A laugh traveled throughout the classroom. Nicoli went pink, and he objected, “It’s not that scary, really.”
“Yet it is. It’s vague enough to be terrifying,” Professor Victor insisted. “That there are no specifics is very important to fae culture, and how the druids used to prophesy. The end may come at any time, or any way, and our world will be irrevocably changed by it.”
“So if it hasn’t come true yet, how do we know it ever will?” Nicoli asked.
Professor Victor shrugged. “The prophecy was foretold centuries ago, and so far, has not come to pass. There have been so many false claims that many fae regard it as a fairy tale.”
I recalled the prophecy spoken to Emma by the hag, that the Hidden King was her enemy, and she needed to beware of him. He would bring her death. My blood ran cold, and my mouth became exceedingly dry. I wasn’t sure if the hag had told the truth or not that day, but the fact that Emma had come face to face with Milonna and the name of the Hidden King had come up more than once was too much evidence to deny.
I’d tried and failed to find Black Claw members to interrogate last semester about the Hidden King. I’d caught one over the break, but I was too busy trying to find their hideout instead, convinced the Hidden King would be there when I arrived, and I could kill him.
How stupid I’d been. The Hidden King was still running loose, and now I had the White Rose to deal with. My chances of killing him with her in the way were dismal.
But I had to... for Emma’s sake. Otherwise, my mate would end up dead, and on my life, that wasn’t an option.
“It’s not a fairy tale, is it? The Black Claw said that their leader was the Hidden King. They wrote the message when they killed Professor Waldron,” Nicoli asked.
“Whoever murdered Professor Waldron was using the Hidden King as a way to foster fear,” Victor stated. “It’s an old story, but is still remembered by many elderly Arcanea. The Black Claw will use any opportunity to frighten the public and cause hysteria. If they declare the Hidden King as their leader, people will take him to be the prophesied one when really, there’s no proof. Just because someonesaysthey are something doesn’t mean they are. It’s propaganda by the cult in an attempt to terrorize the masses. Nothing more, nothing less.”
The class settled then. Victor rattled on for another hour about druid customs during the fifth century, but I was hardly paying attention. The druids might have answers to the mystery of the Hidden King, but since they’d been wiped out, I wasn’t getting any information from them.
Victor could be right about the Black Claw using the Hidden King as propaganda. Or what if they had truly found him?
All I knew was I needed to get answers.
* * *
Stefan was halfwaythrough his meal when I stopped by the dining hall for lunch. Alexei and Theo were with him. Theo was tucking into a salad— alicorns didn’t much like meat— while Stefan stuffed down a bloody steak. Alexei, who always ate like a bird, was being quite peckish with his sandwich.
We usually ate with the girls, but I didn’t see them around. I slid next to Alexei.
“Something wrong?” he asked of my perplexed expression.
