by K. T. Webb
Once inside her tent, she carefully lay on her cot. After that night, her life may change forever. What would she do if her mark and the visions that would accompany it told her of a dark future? What would happen if her destiny was to find true love? That was probably the least appealing thought that nagged at her; that she would be expected to settle down and raise a family when she was not ready to do so.
Honor thought back to when Rowan received his mark. He only told her vague details, he was a firm believer in the power of the visions and the mark he now bore. The belief that his destiny could be altered simply by sharing what he saw was so deeply rooted, that he would not tell her more than the odd feelings he experienced during the process. Because of his candor, she had a vague idea of what she would endure once they reached the practitioner.
It would not be long before Maris came to get her to begin the celebration. As the moon reached its brightest, she would be taken from the festivities to drink the herbal potion with the practitioner. Honor did not really know what to expect from there, only that she would awaken from a deep sleep with some murky visions of the future and a painful mark permanently etched into her skin.
She sat up in her tent, looking around at the small space she called her home. Honor trembled with anticipation as she thought about what the night would hold. She’d had nightmares about waking up to discover she did not have a destiny to fulfill. As far as she knew, it had never happened, but it was her one true fear.
“Honor? Are you in there, honey? It is time,” Maris called quietly from the other side of the fastened flap of the tent.
Honor cleared her throat, “I am here. I just needed a few minutes to clear my head.”
She exited the tent with a smile plastered on her face. Maris knew her well enough to recognize it was fake and cared for her enough to keep her knowledge to herself. They walked arm in arm toward the center of the small encampment that housed the outlaws. First, they would feast, then she would journey to the nearest town to meet with the practitioner. Rowan insisted on accompanying her and she was thankful for it. His company would keep her grounded.
When she emerged into the center, cheers erupted in the light of the fire. Her friends and family wished her a happy and prosperous year, making remarks about her appearance and the full moon. Ash, always desperate to prove he was more worthy than Rowan, rushed to her side to offer his assistance with her meal. Honor hated having everyone dote on her. It left her feeling inadequate when others felt they needed to do things for her. This night was all about her, so she begrudgingly accepted his offer as she made her way to the canopied table decorated for her.
In the villages and towns, these celebrations were much bigger events. People would bring gifts and food for the honoree. With larger populations came longer and more frequent celebrations to the point of needing to bring in additional practitioners to allow for each newly minted adult to receive their mark. This celebration in Ternion Forest was more meaningful to Honor than anything she could have experienced in the villages. These people had raised her and shaped her into the woman she would become.
Ash arrived with a heaping plate of roasted canthion meat and mushroom stew. Honor thanked him, hoping that would send him on his way. Instead, the young man stayed at the edge of her table as though awaiting further command. From her seat, Honor caught a glimpse of Rowan leaning against a tree at the edge of the firelight. His arms were crossed as he delivered a sulky glare in Ash’s direction. Honor stifled a giggle at the sight. She knew Rowan was accustomed to being the one at her side whether they were going about their everyday business or causing mischief. Seeing him look so irritated made her feel a little guilty, but not so guilty that she was willing to dismiss Ash. It would not be long before she and Rowan would be making the trek to Milltown. He could sulk until then.
While Honor ate, she enjoyed watching her family laugh and sing around the fire. Aside from Gray, Maris, and Saige, there were seven other adults ranging from age eighteen to sixty-seven. There were more children than there had ever been because so many had paired up, making the best of the lot they’d been given. At eighteen, Rowan was considered prime marriage age and had already been pursued by a very attractive young woman from Milltown. Honor knew it was selfish to feel jealous. If Rowan wanted to marry, he would choose his wife and settle down. A knot formed in her gut knowing that while she was receiving her mark, he would have hours of carefree time to spend with Risa, the girl from the village.
“Do you want more food, Honor?” Ash asked with a barely contained squeak to his voice.
“No, I am done, thank you.”
“Well, then, would you like to dance with me?” Ash requested.
Honor was relieved the heat from the fire gave her a good excuse for the color rising in her cheeks. The simple answer was, no. She did not want to dance. Not with Ash, not with anyone. But she knew it was part of the celebration and soon, everyone would be joining in a spirited jig in the fading firelight. Before she could give an answer, Rowan appeared by her side.
“Sorry, Ash, I already claimed the first dance with our newest adult.”
He gently took her hand and led her away from the awkward situation. With a quick flick of his wrist, he twirled her around, so she was facing him. They began to move to the music, laughing and high-stepping while everyone clapped and cheered. Soon, the children began to prance about, and before too long, everyone had joined in.
Rowan had one hand at the small of her back, the other clasped around her hand firmly. Honor never would have guessed she would truly enjoy herself while dancing about, dressed in a style that was far from her usual dress. She danced freely, feeling safe in the arms of the man she had grown to love. It was unfair that she had developed such feelings. If she allowed them to take over, she may inadvertently alter her own destiny. If she told Rowan how she felt, she may open herself up for an unwanted heartbreak. His destiny was already in motion, hers was yet to be discovered. She could not let anything keep them from becoming who they were meant to be.
Time flew past her in a flurry of activity. She was out of breath and beginning to tire when Rowan whirled her aside, leaning in to whisper in her ear.
“If it were up to me, we would do this all night. But, if we do not leave now, we will not reach Milltown before the toll of midnight.”
His breath tickled her neck causing her cheeks to flush with warmth. Honor leaned into her best friend, resting her head against his chest. At first, he stiffened at the intimate embrace. She was relieved to feel him not only relax but also return her hug tightly.
“Okay, I am ready. Lead on brave man.” She giggled knowing that if either of them was going to protect the other it would be she protecting him.
To her surprise, Rowan took her hand and led her through the trees. Their encampment was set away from the road, but years of coming and going had worn winding paths around the massive trees. They walked hand-in-hand until a branch snapped to their left.
“Get behind me,” Rowan commanded with an urgent whisper.
Honor already had her knife drawn and was cursing herself for not having the foresight to bring her bow and arrows. The trees rustled, and a few small branches fell to the ground on their right. Either they were surrounded, or something was in the trees, moving quickly.
“What should we do?” Rowan asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Shhh! Do not move. Do not speak.”
Rowan appeared to take her instructions as an invitation to imitate a statue. He stopped moving in the exact position he had been in and awaited further instructions. Honor could not help but feel she knew exactly what was stalking them in the night. The best and only option was to continue to lure it away from their home.
“Let’s get moving again. Slowly.” Honor reached over and took Rowan’s hand once more.
With measured steps, the pair began their journey again. Honor was on high alert as her target continued to stalk their every move. She knew it would not
follow them past the tree line that met the only dirt road for miles. After another thirty paces or so, the movement was closer, lower than it was before. Rowan’s sweaty palm pressed tightly to hers as he gripped her hand in apprehension. Honor knew he was brave; she knew he would hold his own if he had to but use of force was never his first option. The night air was cool, a mist had begun to creep over the path, its sneaking fingers reaching for them as they walked. Honor’s heart pounded wildly even though she tried to tell herself to stay calm.
Commotion directly in front of her brought the baby canthion into view. Her eyes immediately met those of the creatures. That same intelligence that startled her during their first encounter was present. As unnerving as it was for Honor, Rowan did not appear to have noticed at all. Rowan breathing began to grow heavy, punctuated by the occasional wheeze as he gripped his chest, eyes wide with the verge of panic.
“Stay calm. They can smell fear. This is just a baby. It may not have made its first kill yet, let’s not volunteer ourselves.”
The baby whimpered softly, sniffing the air. Honors heart dropped into her stomach. The poor thing was still looking for his mother.
“Go on, get out of here! You’ve got to grow bigger before I’d get any use out of you,” she insisted.
The canthion locked eyes with her again. A low growl resonated deep in its chest. Honor kept her hands held straight out in an attempt to appear less threatening. She knew it could lunge for her at any moment and if it did, she was afraid she would not be fast enough to stop the attack. The beast inched forward, still maintaining eye contact, the growl changing slightly to resemble a somehow menacing purr.
Rowan audibly gulped. “What does it want?”
Honor watched the baby carefully. Other than the growling, it did not appear to be a threat, and it did not seem to be threatened by them. “I think it is lonely. We just ate its mother.”
“Oh. Well, when you put it that way . . .”
Honor grabbed Rowan by the hand again, taking a tentative step forward. The canthion stepped aside slightly, still whining and watching them with interest. Honor continued to walk, her confidence growing with each step until the animal was behind them. It started keeping pace with her. That was not what she had been hoping would happen. By the time they reached the road, the canthion had taken to the trees again. It whimpered again as the pair stepped onto the rocky dirt and continued walking toward Milltown.
“Well, we’ll be there in less than ten minutes with only five minutes to spare until midnight. How are you feeling?” Rowan gave her hand a squeeze.
“I think I am more ready than I have ever been. I do not know if I will even be the same person when I wake up, but I will be one step closer to becoming the person I am meant to be. Is that how you felt?” Honor was not sure if she sounded overly confident or if the excitement rushing through her body like lightning was normal.
“I was terrified. I honestly still do not know if I am on the right path or if there’s something more I am supposed to do. You know, some destinies are intertwined. I feel like my life is on hold until the paths connect.”
It was the most Honor had heard him say on the subject. Could their paths be connected somehow? Her concerns about her destiny holding nothing more than marriage and children resurfaced. With a shake of her head, she reminded herself it did no good to dwell on things outside of her control.
“Let’s race.” She challenged and took off at full speed.
“Oh, come on! You cheater!” He called from behind as his heavy footfalls slapped against the ground. It was not long before Rowan’s long legs brought him next to Honor. She pushed her own legs harder as he passed her with ease. Milltown was just over the next hill, and Honor realized that by running, she was shortening the time she had left with Rowan before everything changed. Her steps faltered. She brought herself to a stop, watching her best friend jog away.
“Did you give up already?” he huffed as he came back to her.
“Sure. We can say it is that.”
“Hey, are you okay?” Rowan leaned closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“I am fine, really. Just did not want to rush it anymore.”
Realization crossed Rowan’s face. He placed one hand under her chin, leading her to face him. For one terrifying moment, Honor thought he was going to kiss her.
“Listen to me. I know what you are thinking. I know you well enough to see the fear written all over your face.” Rowan let his hand fall, running his fingers through her loose hair. “No matter what you see in your visions, no matter what your mark is, you will never lose me. I will follow you no matter where you go.”
Honor bit her lip. “Spoken like a man who is either ignoring his destiny or certain it involves me.”
“Maybe it is both. Just know that we are going to face whatever comes our way as a team.”
Honor narrowed her eyes at him, unsure where his words were coming from. Only time would tell if he could hold to them. For the time being, she would accept his promises at face value. His hand slipped back into hers, this time he laced their fingers together.
“No time to waste, we do not want to be late.”
They passed the rest of the time in silence. Honor thought about the days when Milltown was her home and wondered if anyone ever thought about the little girl who’d been orphaned so long ago. Of course, she had been to the village on more than one occasion since she had been taken in by her new family, but she had never seen anyone she recognized. Now, walking between the stone pillars that marked the perimeter of Milltown, Honor thought about the parents she had lost. Each year, the memories of her mother faded further into the murky areas of her mind. She had no memories of her father. The problem was, she did not know if that meant he had died before she could remember him or if she had simply never known him. Either way, there was an aching space in her heart from their absence.
“We are here,” Rowan interrupted her walk down memory lane.
Panic rose in her throat like hot bile. She was not ready. She did not know what to expect, and she suddenly was not sure she wanted to get a mark at all. Her chest grew tight. Honor tried to breathe, but black shadows crowded the edge of her vision.
“Honor, sit down. Here, I will help you.” Gentle arms guided her to sit on something hard and flat. A hand was placed on the back of her head, pressing it down between her knees.
“That’s it, breathe. Slower. Everything will be okay. I am right here.” Rowan’s soothing voice brought her back to herself.
When she finally felt like her breaths were coming evenly, she brought her head up. “Sorry, I do not know what came over me.”
“It is okay. It is probably normal.”
Honor laughed, “What do you mean ‘probably’?”
“I mean . . . well . . . I did not freak out, but I am sure some people probably do. It is a big deal.”
Honor appreciated his attempt to make her feel better, so she nodded and accepted his hand to help her stand. They were standing in front of the practitioners’ shop, the scent of burning incense wafted into the street. It was now or never. Honor turned to pull Rowan into a fierce hug, feeling at home when his arms were wrapped around her.
“I will be here when you wake,” he whispered into her hair just before he kissed the top of her head.
Honor turned to knock on the door but found herself face to face with an elderly woman. Long black hair sprinkled with silvery gray was piled on top of her head it a nest of ratty waves. She was a head shorter than Honor, barely reaching the girls shoulder. Her back bent slightly as though the years were weighing down on her. The wrinkles accenting her eyes told of a happy life filled with laughter. Honor liked her immediately.
“Hello, young one, my name is Renata. I am here to help you transition.”
“Nice to meet you, Renata. My name is Honor.”
“Do not be silly, child, I know who you are. I helped bring you into this world nearly sixteen years ago. You would
not remember me, of course. I will always recognize the souls I introduced to this plane.” Renata closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly.
“What? Renata, you have been here on and off for many years. How did we not know this before?” Rowan demanded.
“I am a private person.” Renata shrugged.
Rowan looked at Honor, he clearly wondered how she had never spoken to the practitioner before. Honor tried hard to recall, but for all her memories of Milltown she could not find a scrap of a memory with Renata.
“I . . . I do not know. I guess I never asked anyone anything about my parents when we came to the village.” Honor had never cared to search out more information about her origins. Her memories were scarce, but she held onto the few she had.
Now, as she faced the most life-changing experience of her life, she could think of nothing more important than learning about her history. If Renata delivered her, what could she tell her about the mother she barely remembered? Had her father been present at her birth? Many questions swirled around in her mind, but she knew there was no time to ask them all before the strike of midnight. So, she settled for the one that burned the brightest.
“Can you tell me about my parents?”
Chapter 3
“I will tell you what you need to know when you wake. It is best for you to go into your transition with only the information you have now. I will not risk my stories sneaking into your visions.”
Honor understood. She bade farewell to Rowan and followed Renata into her shop. With the door fastened behind them, Renata led her down a short hallway into a dimly lit room. Of all the scenarios she had been expecting, Honor had least expected to find a bed of smooth river rocks suspended from the ceiling with rope. The rocks lay in a shallow wooden frame cradled like a swing by four lengths of braided rope. In the right corner of the room stood a fireplace that contained a pot simmering over a low flame. The warm scent of cinnamon tickled her nostrils, but something wild and bitter fought to overpower it.