Mark if Destiny

by K. T. Webb

  “You need to rest now, but I have to ask, where is Rowan?”

  Honor did not feel like she needed to rest. Instead, she wanted to hear all about the journey that had brought Gray to Frosthaven. She wanted to hear about the others and if they had settled down together or continued their travels to another location. Honor knew he would be unlikely to indulge her at least until she gave him news of Rowan.

  “Rowan is with a friend of ours searching for practitioners and impaisos. We need all the help we can get and since he has decided to apprentice to Renata, it seemed logical for him to go in search of practitioners loyal to our cause.”

  Gray raised an eyebrow. “And what cause might that be?”

  Her heart leaped into her throat. Of course, she knew she could tell him anything. Gray was practically her father. But she did not know if she could trust the listening ears that accompanied them in the small hut. Honor motioned for him to lean closer before she dared speak. When his ear was as close as possible, she told him why she had come.

  “I have a lot to tell you, but first, I need to speak with someone from the Resistance in Frosthaven. Do you know of anyone?”

  Gray drew back and delivered a knowing smile. “I have a feeling you need to talk to someone a bit more important than me.”

  Honor was taken aback, then she remembered who she was talking to. Honor returned Gray’s smile. If she had known about the Resistance years before, she would have known Gray and Maris would be involved. Living in the woods without reason seemed unlikely, even for someone as rough around the edges as Gray. He had taught her skills that prepared her to become a warrior. For a moment, Honor wondered if he had known who she had been all along, but the thought passed as quickly as it arrived. Her family at the camp would have treated her with more care and concern if they had known she was royalty. Not that her childhood was unhappy, but she was treated like any other child at camp.

  “I guess I was not given a level of importance to search for, but I do need to speak with someone who can activate the chain of communication,” Honor explained. “I have been sent to rally those who remain loyal to the Kingdom of Man, those who would see it returned to its former place as part of a triad rather than a dictatorship.”

  “Renata always said we would be surprised by our General. I did not understand just how right she would be.” Gray stood and turned on his heel. He leaned close to one man who had been with him when he found Honor. “Let no one in here without my say so. Protect her at all costs. I will return shortly.”

  Honor lay in the hut staring at the cross-hatched ceiling. She would have preferred that Gray stay with her and send someone else to fetch whoever he thought she needed to speak with, but knew Gray must have his reasons.

  The adrenaline was beginning to wear off reminding her just how tired her body was after her journey and the fight with the woldigo. She had been starting to drift off to sleep when the door opened once more. Honor kept her eyes closed, expecting Gray to take her hand again any moment. Instead, a softer hand gripped hers.

  “Honor?”

  Tears instantly sprang to her eyes. She did not dare open them for fear of discovering the owner of the voice was not there. Honor tightened her grip on the hand that held hers.

  “Honor? Are you awake, honey?”

  It had to be her. Honor could not stop herself any longer. Her eyes sprang open and while they were swimming with tears, there was no mistaking the face of the woman sitting next to her. Gray had gone to get a higher-ranking member of the Resistance to meet with her, and he had returned with so much more.

  “Maris. I thought you were . . .” she shifted her gaze to Gray and back to Maris.

  “So did I. It happened just as I saw it in my visions. But after Eirny delivered her pain-relieving bite, I fell into a deep sleep. When I woke, I had an odd sensation at my side. I looked for evidence of the mortal wound I had sustained only to discover that my mark had expanded. It is the strangest thing I have ever heard of or seen, but apparently Alderwood decided my destiny was not complete.”

  Honor had never heard of a mark expanding of its own accord. “It seems fate is full of surprises for us both.”

  “Now, tell me why you have come. Gray says it is about the Resistance. I am the person who can get messages to other outposts. Tell me what you need.”

  “First of all, I am not the person you think I am. So much has happened since we thought we lost you. So much has changed,” Honor whispered.

  “I see you are officially my daughter. That golden circle is hard to miss. I am so pleased, though I wish we had been there to witness such a special moment.”

  “We married in Goldenlark, actually, Lord Mahuron performed the ceremony.”

  She laughed. “I can think of no one I would rather have preside over something so important. Justice is one of my dearest friends.”

  It sent a wave of relief through Honor to know that Mahuron had indeed been trustworthy and not just probing them for information. Even though she had instinctively trusted the man, there was something about knowing Maris approved of him that solidified her instincts.

  “There is so much more than that. Maris, I found out who my father is.”

  Honor fought her tired mind to stay focused long enough to tell Maris the basic details of her origins. Both Maris and Gray hung on her every word. Judging by their surprise, she knew she had assumed correctly—they were unaware she was truly the daughter of the king.

  “So, you are a princess, but not destined for the throne?” Honor jumped at the sound of the man by the door. She had forgotten he was still there.

  “Yes. There was a child born two years before me. She is my sister and the future Queen of Alderwood. We are beginning the movement to set the world right. I am here to urge the Resistance to join us at Kilgore in two weeks’ time.”

  Maris nodded her agreement. The man by the door looked dumbfounded but seemed to believe her enough to bow his head in respect. Maris gave him a few brief orders before he turned on his heel and exited the hut without another word. Gray seemed to be processing the abundance of information he had just received. To him, Honor was the little girl he taught to hunt. He was likely having a hard time reconciling that little girl with the young woman who had been sent to lead an army. As Honor lay her head back on a pillow, she thought about all the bizarre things that had happened. The heartache of losing Maris had not completely healed, even with her sitting in front of Honor. In fact, her survival brought more questions to mind. It proved it was possible for a person to have more than one destiny, it proved it was possible for someone to come back from the brink of death to live the life the wild magic had in store for them. She thought of her own mark and what else it could become. What would her life hold after she killed the King and helped Legacy take the throne?

  Honor had to believe everything would turn out the way it was meant to. She had to believe there were more amazing things for her to discover along the seemingly dark path she was destined to walk. Maris reached up and stroked Honor’s head as she fought to stay awake. It seemed impossible, but she was looking into the eyes of a woman she thought she would never see again. Maris did not make her wait any longer for the embrace she was longing to receive. The only mother she had ever known was alive and well. Honor sobbed into her shoulder as relief washed over her. She had a lot to tell her family, but most importantly, she had to get word to Rowan. His mother was alive.

  Chapter 19

  When Honor woke the next morning, the pain in her leg was almost nonexistent. She shifted it to get a better gauge on the healing progression. There was definitely still some pain, but nothing she could not handle. The healer must have set the bone while she slept. Another few layers of pungent linen had been wrapped around her leg leaving a bulbous disfiguration between her knee and ankle. Honor tentatively swung her legs to the edge of the bed, placing her feet flat on the floor. She took a deep breath before attempting to stand. Honor instinctively put more weight on her l
eft leg, allowing the right to ease into the pressure of her body weight. Pain shot through her right leg as she stumbled back onto the bed with a whimper.

  “I would not do that again if you know what is good for you.” The voice had the same lilting accent as Eirny.

  “I have to be able to walk. How long will it take to heal?” Honor asked.

  “You will be good as new in a weeks’ time.”

  “A week? I do not have a week. I am to return to Kilgore immediately.”

  “Just because you cannot walk, does not mean you cannot complete your return trip. Maris will be here to talk to you soon. I will let her know you are awake.”

  Honor furrowed her brow like a sullen child. She was not going to sit around and wait for her useless leg to heal when she was needed back at Kilgore. As the army began arriving, they would expect to find their general waiting. She had to be there to give direction and work with Harcos to rally the troops when he arrived.

  The healer had not been gone long when Maris reappeared alone.

  “I know that look all too well. You are stubborn, always have been.” Maris laughed softly.

  “I need to get back. Have you reached out to the other Resistance outposts?”

  “I have. I want you to rest for one more day, then we will ride back to Kilgore. We can make the journey in half the time on horseback.”

  Honor had only ridden a horse a handful of times. She was not confident in her riding skills under normal circumstances, let alone with a broken leg. Honor tried her best not to look like a pouting child but was obviously failing miserably. Maris’ eyes were alight with humor which only made Honor frown deeper.

  “Everything will work out, I promise. Now, there are quite a few people here who would love to meet you. They know you are not to be Queen. They are all just very interested to meet the woman who will bring down the King after all these years. You and your sister may even be responsible for reuniting Alderwood.”

  “That is the entire point of this mission. We are going to restore the three kingdoms. Legacy is going to rule as the wild magic intended for us to rule all along. With respect for the power we could wield.”

  Maris nodded her agreement. “That is not what I meant, but I am pleased you already recognize the importance of the wild magic. What I was indicating is that we may finally see this northern county return to the rest of Alderwood. It has become a bit of a safe haven for those of us who have fled the tyranny of your father and his father before him.”

  “Maris, did you come from this town?”

  “No, my family was from farther north. We lived off the land, making our home in the mountains.”

  “What brought you to the camp? I have already determined that the word outlaw was used to describe members of the Resistance rather than those who had actually broken the laws.”

  Maris considered her answer carefully. “Essentially, those are one and the same. We did not live by the rules of the King and we certainly did not support the actions of the Makt. By setting ourselves apart from the villages, we were proving a point. Not everyone who ended up in the camp with us was a member of the Resistance. Some ended up joining the cause over the years, but I never forced anyone and never expected anyone to follow us. In the end, as long as we were giving people safety from the Makt, we were doing what we had set out to do.”

  “But what made you move so far from home?”

  “Before the Makt stopped coming to the north, they ventured far enough into this area to burn villages and murder innocent people before they reached our settlements. I was nearly eighteen, newly married and expecting my first child.”

  Maris held a hand up to stop Honor from asking the questions that threatened to spring from her lips. Honor had never imagined that Gray was not Rowan’s father. But the words she had used gave Honor reason to question herself once again. Maris had said she was pregnant with her first child; she did not say she was pregnant with Rowan.

  “The Makt came to our home and destroyed everything. My husband was killed, I was beaten to the point of losing my child. So many lost their lives, but I think I lost so much more because I was left alive to pick up the pieces of my pain. I wandered aimlessly for a long time. The oracle found me, sick and riddled with infection from the child still dead inside me.” Maris shuddered at the memory.

  “Oh, Maris. I am so sorry.”

  “It is all a distant memory for me now. As much as it all still brings me pain to relive, I know those things had to happen for me to end up where I am today. I used to wonder what that child would have been had he lived. Renata told me it was a boy, but I did not see him. It would not have done me any good to see that child by the time he was removed from my womb. When I recovered from the infection, I discovered a new fire inside me. I wanted to fight! Renata gave me something to fight for.”

  Honor was beginning to understand a deeper layer of Maris’ story. She became the person she was through pain and loss no one should ever have to experience. It made Honor’s stomach turn to think of all the blood on King Junius’ hands. He was a despicable person.

  “When I met Gray, I knew I was where I was supposed to be. He, too, had been touched by grief profoundly. First, we bonded over that grief, then we bonded over our shared mission, we were in the middle of love before we even realized we had started to fall. I would not trade my years with Gray for anything in the world. We built a life around the things that brought us the most pain and turned them into the things that drove us toward happiness.”

  The amount of respect she felt for Maris increased exponentially. Losing her had been almost unbearable for both Rowan and herself, finding her alive and well left Honor with new hope. No matter what they faced, they could overcome it. Maris was living proof that nothing could keep them from moving forward. They may lose loved ones and face defeat, but they could win. Honor understood now that her mission was about more than just killing a king. It was about avenging the deaths of thousands of innocent people and making a better world for those left behind.

  “Maris, does it not bother you that Renata never told you who I was?”

  “She has her reasons for everything. I did not even know she had a hand in bringing you to me until years later.”

  Honor yawned deeply as though she drew the breath from her toes. She fought to keep her eyes open as she leaned back against the pillow. Maris carefully helped her ease her leg back up to the bed and covered her in a heavy blanket. Honor wanted nothing more than to stay awake and talk to Maris about how they ended up in each other’s lives, but her body had other plans. It was time to rest, and she was in no position to fight it any longer. The world went dark just in time for her to open her eyes to the last place she wanted to be.

  She was back in darkness surrounded by the shrouded shapes she now knew to be the Shadow Mages. Honor willed herself to wake up. Nothing happened. A strange haze filled the room as though fog had infiltrated the air and hung on everything within. She steeled herself for the temptation likely to come. No matter what the mages had to offer her, she would not give in. Honor would not become the same power-hungry monster as her father.

  “We meet again, princess.” The drawn out “s” made the title feel like a mockery.

  “Why have you brought me here? I believe I made my feelings clear regarding your offer.”

  “But now that you know who you truly are, we want to show you how much more you can be.”

  The haze increased and images began to appear within it. Honor watched as though experiencing her own life events through a stranger’s perspective. She saw things she had never considered before and things she had wanted deep within her heart. In a matter of seconds, they took her from having her first child to standing over the body of her sister as she bled to death on a stone floor.

  “Enough!” Honor waved her hand through the fog causing it to separate and fade away. “I will not be the person you want me to be. It does not matter what you show me.”

  “You know, chi
ld, we have not told your father who you are. We know he will kill you when he finds you. But his time is limited, we want you to be the future.”

  Honor willed herself to wake up, to leave that place and return to her body. The more time she spent with the Shadow Mages the less she felt strong enough to resist them. In her heart, she knew she did not want any of the things they offered if it meant she would lose the people she loved. In her mind, every enticing detail called to her as though she would never be happy until she gave in. There was something familiar about the feeling of magic in the air. It was intoxicating. The magic called to her. It called to her in a soft, familiar voice that felt like home.

  “Yes. We know you feel it. All you have to do is reach out and take it.”

  Honor felt her arm move of its own accord. In a trance, her body seemed to be making its own decisions. Inside she was screaming to stop, but no noise came from her mouth. The Shadow Mages leaned closer as though waiting for her to fall into their black abyss. She wanted to feel the power, she felt it there and knew it could be hers if she wanted it. A voice broke through to her in her trancelike state. A voice she had not known long but knew with all her soul. Legacy.

  “Honor, wake up!”

  She froze in the middle of reaching for the darkness that threatened to devour her. Without hesitation, Honor pulled her hand back to her side. The instant she did, the visions they had enticed her with showed her their true colors. Every moment she had thought would be joyful instead proved to be tainted by the blackened edges of the wild magic of Alderwood. The familiarity she had felt was her connection to the purest forms of the magic, not the power they wanted her to seize.

  “I will not fall for your tricks. I stand for more than you will ever know and will accomplish more than you could ever offer me. I will not give in to you!” Honor exclaimed.

  A roar of rage erupted in her ears. It was loud and unending. It continued even when she opened her eyes and found herself back in the hut in Frosthaven. Honor covered her ears hoping it would block out some of the noise. She closed her eyes again, wordlessly begging for relief. Hands wrapped around her wrists, pulling her hands away from the ears she was desperately trying to protect.