“You’re lying!”
I turn away from him and move toward the shallow bottom, making sure to stay below the surface. I don’t get more than three paces before Ryder reappears in front of me. The water only reaches the middle of his protruding abs now, and my eyes land on the scar shaped like an X over his heart.
“You’re in denial, and it’s okay, but that doesn’t change the fact that what your father wrote to you is true.” His tone is gentle, but his words carry a sharpness. I step to the side, trying to pass by him, but he matches my movement, cutting me off. “I know it’s a lot to process and you don’t know what to think or what to believe, but your father wanted you to know the truth. He knew they were coming for him, and instead of fleeing, he took the time to write you this letter.”
“You don’t understand.” I draw a deep breath as the tears start to fall from my eyes.
Ryder dips his head down, and the expression he wears is one I haven’t seen before.
“I may not understand completely, but I do know what it’s like to learn information that you wish you didn’t.”
“If I’m not theirs, then who am I?” I managebetween sobs.
“You’re Reign Calloway. You’re still their daughter. None of that has changed. There’s just more to your story now.” Something about what he says seems to comfort me, and I catch my breath, allowing the feeling of panic to calm. “I’ll take you,” he offers, taking a step back. “If you want me to, I’ll take you to the Oracle.”
Chapter 12
Ryder’s offer to take me to see the Divinity Oracle has been replaying nonstop in my mind the past three days. Once the shock wore off, I was finally able to accept the truth of the words written in the hidden message. More than anything, I wanted to just forget about it all and go back to the way things were before I found out, but my mind won’t allow it. If there’s any chance of me getting answers, I need to take it.
“Were you serious about taking me to see the Oracle?”
Ryder swallows his bite before answering. “Yes. We can go tomorrow night if you’d like.” There’s a kindness in his eyes that feels foreign. “That is, if you’re ready.”
I hesitate. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready, but waiting won’t change that.”
“We’ll leave tomorrow when I get back from the kingdom.” Ryder pushes his plate away and stands up. When he comesback to the table, he has the piece of parchment with him. “Three drops of blood. Think you can handle that?”
“Yes,” I scoff, grabbing the letter from him.
He hands me a dagger from his thigh to borrow since mine are still stuck in one of the body targets from earlier. There’s a twinge of pain as I twist the tip into my finger, but I do my best not to show it.
The others lean in close as the blood drops from my finger onto the paper. Within seconds, the words that have been decoded fade away, revealing a map in their place. The three drops of my blood come together and move around the map until eventually coming to a stop.
“The Dread Woods,” Ryder mutters. “That must be where the Oracle is.”
“What are the Dread Woods?” I ask, looking up at the others, who have grim expressions on their faces.
“They lie just east of here in the Dead Lands. No one has ventured there for years. Anyone who dares to enter, doesn’t come back out,” Artemus answers in a low voice that makes me shiver.
“This definitely makes things a bit more difficult.” Ryder folds his hands under his chin.
“You don’t want to go now, do you?” I don’t mean to sound so defeated, but it’s how I feel.
“I didn’t say that.” He turns to me, putting his arm on the back of my chair. “This won’t be like the caves. These woods are crawling with creatures you’ve never even heard of. We won’t be able to just waltz through them with only a cloak this time.”
“I understand.”
He looks me in the eye far longer than I’d like before turning to the others.
“We’ll be gone for two days, maybe longer. I’ll make sure everything in the kingdom is handled, but I’ll be counting on you guys to hold things down here and in the realms.”
“Don’t worry about a thing.” Artemus glances between us. “Just stay safe.”
“Here, put this on.” Ryder tosses me a leather waistband to wrap around my stomach. “Turn around.” He gently moves my hair over my shoulder before fastening the back of the band. It almost feels as though I’m wearing a corset with how tight it is. I watch him walk over and grab my daggers as well as another set. “I hope you won’t have to use these, but just in case.” He tucks each one into the designated spots around the waistband before handing me the last one to secure on my thigh.
“Don’t forget this.” Artemus hands me my father’s letter, which now contains a map. “Once you land in the Dread Woods, you’ll feel a pull in the direction you need to go. Your blood is now tied to the location of the Oracle, so listen to it.”
Ryder looks me over one last time.
