AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I don’t know,” replied Rose, slightly defeated. “The prophecy speaks of an end to the curse, but it doesn’t give anything more.”
Malaki’s face contorted with rage as he fixed his glare on Rose. “They brought her here, Rose. Why?”
Rose did not cower under his glare as most people did. Instead she met his gaze and said, “I am not a seeing eye, boy,” she admonished him. “There was a rumor of a second verse, a second prophecy, not given by my ancestors. Maybe they know of it? Perhaps it is your father you should ask.”
Malaki gave a grim laugh. “Yes, let me ask my father why he brought a reincarnated goddess living on a farm into Valmere and then married me to her?”
Wren couldn’t help the sharp sting of hurt at his words though she did not understand why.
“That is your choice,” Rose said as if she were washing her hands of the matter.
Malaki sneered at her, his rage growing by the second. “Malaki. You need to calm down,” Wren said the words slowly.
His gaze turned to her. “Calm down? Wren, how am I supposed to calm down if I don’t even know what they want from you? How am I to keep you safe if I don’t know from what?”
Wren stared at him, feeling as though one minute she was drowning under the weight of his words and then not all at once. “I don’t know,” was all she could think to say.
Malaki didn’t take his eyes from Wren as he said, “Is there anything else that you can tell us, Rose?”
“Only that she calls back her magic into her and it is why you have seen the changes in her. I only worry what will happen if what little magic that remains in our world were to leave us.” Her words were said with gravity.
Wren felt fixated in place by Malaki’s gaze on her, feeling as if he were begging her to give him something she didn’t have. Wren nearly let out a sigh of relief when he broke away to look at Rose. “You think she is stealing the magic from the land?”
“It is not stealing if it was yours to begin with. She is taking back what is hers, perhaps unconsciously.” Rose shrugged as if it were nothing.
“The goddess gave her power to protect Valmere. Without it, would it not leave us without protection?” Malaki seemed to calm down with the need to theorize.
Rose only shrugged again. “What is protection against vengeful gods?”
Malaki stood perfectly still. “Do you think the other gods are still angry for what she did?”
“A god has eternity to stew on the wrongs done to them,” Rose said simply as if none of this was cause for concern.
Malaki paled at her words and his eyes drifted to Wren once more. “Don’t be so nearsighted, boy. Who was it that sentenced Serephina to her life of mortality?”
It was Wren who answered, “Lucius.”
Rose nodded. “Very good. Why did he do it?”
“To protect her,” Wren answered, remembering the story well.
Rose nodded enthusiastically. “An act of protection does not usually lead to certain doom, does it?”
A flicker of hope lit within Wren’s chest. Malaki felt it, too, from the way he nodded. “We need the other part of the prophecy.”
No one said anything, and it was just as well because everyone in the room knew it to be true.
Chapter 21
Theyrodewithouthasteback to the castle. Conversation seemed like it might as well have been miles away after so many revelations. The weight of them all was heavy on them both. Even the air did not breathe life into Wren like it had before, not after she learned why it had in the first place. Questions ran through her like water over a stone.
How could she be a reincarnated goddess? It didn’t make sense that she would grow up on a farm in a different world only to be the reincarnated goddess of a world she had never heard of or knew existed.
Wren’s thoughts circled until her mind felt fuzzy and her heart heavy. She hadn’t even noticed that they had come upon the castle till they were stopping and having the horses taken to the stables. Wren patted Wanderer fondly before the stable hand took her. Wren hadn’t realized how long they had been in the village as the sun began to set behind them. She absentmindedly thought that dinner would be starting soon, the thought settling in her like vinegar. She could not tolerate the small talk and mingling after so many burdens were placed upon her.
Malaki and Wren walked in silence through the halls. Wren was grateful the silence did not feel pained or uncomfortable, as if they both needed the quiet to hear themselves think over the roaring in their ears. Malaki passed her rooms without saying anything, and Wren couldn’t bring herself to be offended that he was finished with her presence. Wren turned the doorknob, preparing to crawl into bed and forget about the day, when she felt so much as saw Malaki still before he turned towards her.
“I would very much appreciate it if you came with me.” There was a strain in his voice that Wren had not heard from him convincing her to nod her head in agreement.
