by T. N. Hayden
“Who?” Whitney looked beside her, but all she could see were the eyes of her companions, wide and full of something stronger than surprise. Kaleb’s emerald eyes caught hers, and she couldn’t look away from him. She didn’t understand what the words of the Spádómur meant.
“You.” Kaleb whispered.
“My name is Whitney Kilton.” She tore her gaze from Kaleb to look at the Spádómur once again. “I’m the child of Faith and Telford Kilton.”
“But you bear the marks passed on from your mother.” Esperanza touched a strand of Whitney’s dark purple hair.
“But I—” She trailed off. It had never made sense. No one in Faith or Telford’s families had ever possessed magic. Even Henika had never been able to explain where she’d gotten her magic, but the Spádómur had given her the answer she’d always longed to know. “I’m not Whitney Kilton?” She couldn’t be right. She was Whitney Kilton. She was Brent’s twin sister, Faith and Telford’s daughter. She was not the heir.
“You are Alana Masen.” Agardamos answered. “Your mother never told Faith your true name, but she’s always thought of you as Alana.”
“I…” Whitney shook her head. “I can’t believe this.”
“You must accept this.” Esperanza stated.
“And you must accept your destiny.” Agardamos added.
“Then who is Kaleb?” Whitney turned back to look at him. He was Jenkin’s son, but if she was Jenkin’s daughter, then whose child was he?
“We cannot see your line.” Esperanza stated. “You have no magic. All we can say for sure is you are not the son of Rose or Jenkin Masen.”
Agardamos turned back to Whitney. “You must face the king and bring the kingdom back to the peace it knew in the reign of your parents.”
“Fight for your people, Princess Alana.” Esperanza seemed to fade. “Fight for your family.” She vanished.
“She did everything to protect you.” Whitney could see through Agardamos as the Spádómur spoke. “Speak with her, and you must find the man who can help you both understand.”
Whitney clenched her fists. “How can I?” Fury threatened to explode as silent tears welled in her eyes. Her head hurt, as did her heart.
But Agardamos was gone, and the Spádómur had disappeared back into the ruins of the castle.
Silence whispered on the wind as the seven companions stood together in the ruins. Whitney closed her eyes, and she heard the rushing of the river playing with the stones. Fresh fruit wafted to her nostrils, and she knelt. Sobbing, she covered her face. Everything had been a lie. Faith had lied to her, perhaps Telford too, and Queen Rose had been there. She’d stared at her through the fire, and she’d lied through her teeth. Rose had always known the truth: Alana was her daughter.
A hand touched her right shoulder, and another rested on her other side. Someone stroked her hair, and she knew it was Brent.
“Whitney.” Brent’s voice was soft as he spoke.
She blinked tears free as she turned her gaze to the men surrounding her. Kaleb, Cyril, and Brent knelt around her. Kaleb removed his hand from her shoulder, but Cyril’s remained firm.
“We have to get back to Pheant.” She stood. “We have to get back as quick as possible.” She shoved her long skirt and cloak back as she rushed to the horses.
“Whitney, let me ride with you.” Kaleb begged.
“You need your friend.” Cyril whispered as he touched her shoulder. “You know I won’t bother you.”
She mounted and looked at the men, Cyril’s dark brown and Kaleb’s emerald eyes, both pleading. “Come on Cyril.” She couldn’t trust herself around Kaleb until she was in control of her emotions once more. She was too vulnerable to be around the prince she wanted to love. How was it possible she could love him? She was a princess? The word was foreign, and she didn’t want to believe it.
Cyril’s smile made Whitney pause. Why did he look like he’d won something Kaleb had just lost?
“Let’s ride.” She kicked her mare into a gallop as Cyril held onto her.
She didn’t see if the others were following. She wanted to hit something, preferably something her mother loved.
“You’re going to be alright.” Cyril’s breath tickled her ear, but while Kaleb’s breath caused sensations down her spine, Cyril’s only rustled her hair.
“How will I be alright?” Her voice was bitter to her ears.
“You’re the strongest person I know.” He replied. “You’re brave, and you’ve always been sure of everything you put your mind to.”
“But how I can be so sure of this?” She demanded. “I’ve known who my parents are my whole life, and now I’m supposed to believe everything I knew was a lie. I’m the daughter of Faith and Telford Kilton, the twin sister of Brenton Kilton. My name is Whitney Kilton.”
“Alana. It’s a pretty name.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Alright Whitney.” He paused. “Why did you choose me?”
“What?”
“Why didn’t you want to ride with Kaleb?”
“Does it matter?”
“He loves you.”
Whitney scoffed, but her heart sailed. She wanted Cyril to be correct.
“Don’t do that.” Cyril replied. “He does love you. I think he’s loved you since you revealed the whole truth to him. He didn’t know you as Whitney Kilton, only the rebel Sorceress. The moment he saw you in his ballroom, he couldn’t take his eyes off you. It was like he somehow knew you were the Sorceress he loved.”
“Kaleb doesn’t love me.”
“Trust me.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he looks at you the way I look at you.”
The words hung in the air, and she didn’t know what to say. They’d met several years back when she needed a true friend. She loved Cyril, but she wasn’t in love with him. She was in love with Kaleb.
“It’s okay.” He whispered. “I already knew. I just wanted to make sure I said something just in case I was wrong.”
“I’m sorry.” Her voice was soft. “I’m sorry, Cyril.”
“If you love him, why didn’t you want him to ride with you?”
“I’ve tried to keep him at arm’s length.” She confessed. “I thought the daughter of a rat catcher could never be with a prince, and I knew he could never truly love me. Everything’s changed, and now I don’t know what to think. His father murdered my father, and my mother raised him. We have two brothers. Prince Izik and Prince Spencer are my brothers too.”
“Kaleb isn’t your brother. We don’t even know if his father is Marc. The Spádómur thought it could be Marc.”
“We just know who his parents aren’t.”
“He loves you.”
“I don’t know.” She groaned. “I can’t wrap my head around anything right now. All I can think about is finding Queen Rose and demanding she tell me the truth.” She touched her locket. “Did she give me this? Is that why I can’t open my locket? Does this have something inside which reveals the truth about me?”
“You’ll find out in a few days.”
~ Chapter 28 ~
Whitney paused as Cyril dismounted. She glanced behind her as Kaleb leapt off his stallion and began to unpack the supplies on his horse.
“Everything alright?” Cyril glanced at her.
“Fine.” She murmured. Could it be possible? Did Kaleb love her?
Cyril left her to speak with Nate and Delisa, and Brent walked to his sister. “How are you doing? Are you alright?”
“I wish everyone would stop asking me that.” She groaned.
Everyone seemed to watch her, and Whitney dismounted, jumping from her saddle as her skirt and the end of her cloak flapped behind her.
Whitney wasn’t surprised when Brent touched her shoulder.
“How could she look at me, speak with me, and not tell me the truth?” Whitney exploded at her brother. “We’re twins. How can we be twins and not related? How’s it possible that I could
end up with Mom and Dad if my birth mother is Queen Rose?”
“Maybe Mom was the midwife for the queen?” Brent shook his head.
“Does Dad know?” Whitney looked at him. “Did you know?”
“I’ve always believed you’re my sister, and you’re always going to be my sister, Whitney.”
“I lost you once, and I can’t lose you again Brent.”
“You’ll never lose me again.” Brent promised and embraced her.
Whitney couldn’t keep her tears back any longer, and she wailed as she hadn’t done since they were children. Everything was changing, and she didn’t want any of the differences. She wanted to be Whitney Risalina Kilton. She had never desired power or wanted to be royal. She’d despised the wealthy, seeing their opulent ways, and she wanted to be the kind of Sorceress who did good and right in the world, not because she had the means and money to do it, but rather because it was the noble thing to do.
“Do you think Dad knows?” Whitney whispered.
“I don’t know.”
“Could Mother have kept this secret from him as well as us?” Whitney shook her head. “How could she do this to me? To us? Why did she never tell me? She could have at least said I was adopted or something.”
“She was probably relieved when we looked alike enough for people to believe we’re twins.”
“Was she ever going to tell me? Would she have told me I was Queen Rose and King Jenkin’s daughter?”
“I don’t know.”
Whitney shook her head as Brent held her.
“You’re my sister.” Brent whispered as his arms were a comforting blanket around her. “You’ll always be my sister. Everything else may change, but that one thing will never change. You are my twin.” He wiped tears from her cheeks. “I promise you.”
“Thank you.” She threw her arms around him and held him tighter.
Whitney stared at the water as it rushed past her. It seemed to tell her life was no longer calm, but rather is was a gushing journey filled with rocks and currents trying to remove peace. She sighed as she rested her chin against her knees, pulled up against her body.
“Whitney.”
She turned as Kaleb made his way toward her.
“Hi.” She grunted.
He paused, standing beside her, but she only eyed him out of the corner of her gaze. Could Cyril be correct? Did Kaleb love her? It seemed impossible.
“Mind if I sit?”
“Go ahead.”
He lowered himself beside her, and Whitney turned her attention to him.
“Do you remember when we first met?” Kaleb looked at her. She couldn’t take her gaze from his beautiful emerald eyes. “You were in that all black outfit, and I thought you were some hideous rebel with white eyes.” He smirked. “I had no idea who or what you were. You are something stronger than your magic, and you are more beautiful than your looks.” He reached his hand toward hers, slowly, almost as if he was afraid she would pull away. “You’re a beacon of hope for the people, now as something more than just the Sorceress of Prophecy. You’re the only living relative to King Jenkin, and the people loved their king. Once they find out Jenkin’s heir is alive, the people will rally against my father. You are destined for so many great things, and I love you so much.” He paused, as if the words slipped from his mouth without his meaning to. Whitney couldn’t take her gaze from his wide emerald eyes, and she could barely breathe.
Kaleb continued in a whisper. “I love you, Whitney. You are brave, honest, kind, loyal, and patient. You have something about you no one else does, and you don’t even know how incredible you are. Your humility is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Everyone at home thinks they’re better than the people around Waden. You’re the rightful princess, the true heir to the throne, and yet you’ve always lived an honest life. You call yourself the daughter of a rat catcher and midwife, yet you’ve always been the daughter of a king.”
“But I don’t even know what that means.” She whispered, her heart clutching the words she wanted to say back to him.
“It means you are as you always have been, a true princess at heart.” His fingers finally touched hers, and when she didn’t pull them back, he twisted them around her hand.
“I never meant to,” she bit back a smile, “but I love you too, Kaleb. I—”
She couldn’t finish as his mouth embraced hers. She gasped slightly as his fingers plunged into her hair, and she kissed him back. She grabbed his jacket to pull him closer, and his mouth paused. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize.” She laughed.
“I don’t know what I was expecting.” He blushed. “I hoped you had feelings for me too, but I didn’t want to give myself false hope.”
“I am a beacon of hope.” She teased.
He chuckled. “I did call you that.”
“I’m sorry I chose to ride with Cyril instead of you.” She glanced at him. “But I promise you, Cyril and I are just friends. I love him like a brother, which is different than how I love you.”
“I love you.” Kaleb grinned. “I can’t believe you love me. My father murdered yours and kept your mother prisoner.”
“You are not your father’s son. Besides, we don’t even know if you are Marc’s.” She assured him. “I’ve known you were different from the moment we met. When other troops of soldiers hunted rebels, they tore apart villages, homes, families, but you, you never did. You’ve always been the kindest executioner hunting me.” She laughed. “And it wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know the truth.”
“I should have.” Kaleb paused. “I think I know why Mom didn’t tell you.”
“What?” She felt cold. “What do you know about me?”
“The ring Henika gave me could only help her remember the night everything changed for her.” He paused. “She might not even know you’re her daughter until Henika frees her mind from the Darbina magic.”
“Then we should hurry back so I can get answers from the woman who will know the truth.”
~ Chapter 29 ~
The wind in her hair felt almost as good as the hands around her waist. Whitney was glad to ride with Kaleb rather than Cyril, as they had been since they’d admitted their love for each other.
The group was silent as they rode, and Whitney knew everyone had questions. She had so many about herself, and she hoped Rose would have answers for Kaleb as well. She must know who his parents are. Was he Marc’s son? Was he a kidnapped child? Who was his mother? Was his mother alive or dead?
“We’re only about a day away now.” Kaleb whispered in her ear.
Chills went down her spine, and she nodded. “One day, and we’ll get all the answers.”
“I hope.”
“Maybe now that she’s no longer under magical influence, Rose may know the truth about your parentage.” Whitney replied. “I need to know if my father knows about me, too.”
“Your father? He’s in Pheant?”
“He is.” Whitney paused. “I guess I never told you about our father. After our mother died, my magic manifested. It didn’t make any sense because neither of my parents had magic in their bloodlines. I suppose I understand why now. Before, I believed I had magic because of the prophecy. My father and I buried my mother and left Darter. Father wanted to storm the palace and get Brent back, but I was able to talk him out of that suicide mission. We went to Limpkin, and that’s when we found out Nate’s parents were dead. I met Cyril and Henika there, and they took us to Pheant with them. Cyril and Nate would secretly communicate together through hawks, so he told Nate that Father and I were in Pheant and safe. He also told Nate about my powers.
“Henika started training me, since she was the only person I knew who had magic. Even though we didn’t have the same type, she was able to give me lessons of control. I can knock two people unconscious at a time right now, but I’ve heard that the masters of Llempac magic can use their power against whole armies. I just haven’t met anyone who can teach me.”
“Perh
aps Rose can.”
“Perhaps.”
“You can only use your magic against two.” Kaleb chuckled. “Nate pretended to be immobile, didn’t he? We thought you could use your powers against three.”
“He’s a good friend like that.” Whitney smiled.
“I’m glad.” Kaleb admitted. “With Brent and I both truly wanting to kill you, I’m very glad there was someone on my team who wanted to keep you alive.”
“Me too.”
The mountains were steeper and rockier than Kaleb thought they would be. He and Whitney rode in the lead.
“We’re not too far now.” Whitney promised him. “We’ll be in the outskirts of Pheant within a few hours.”
“Are the outskirts where people threw stuff at us?”
“They won’t throw their cow pies at you again, I promise.”
“It was cow poop?”
“I made sure they only got one shot at you.” Whitney’s voice held a level of amusement in it.
“Thanks.”
“And I wiped it off your shirt before I unchained you from that wagon.”
“Gross.”
“Well you were cute, and I didn’t want them to ruin more of the chances we had to make you trust us and believe the truth about yourself.”
“I’m glad you never gave up on me.”
The once-familiar home seemed strange to Whitney. Everything in her life had shifted, she was no longer the person she had always thought she was. She was a stranger to herself.
Edwin greeted them, and Whitney’s voice was flat to her ears. “Where is she?”
“Who?”
“Queen Rose.”
“She can’t answer your questions without me.” Edwin’s dark blue gaze made Whitney pause.
“What?” Whitney demanded.
Edwin gestured to one of the dwellings, and Whitney followed him inside.
Whitney saw Spencer and Queen Rose sitting together in the light coming from a large window.
“I need to speak with you.” Whitney’s voice was hard. “Alone.”
Rose and Spencer looked up, and Whitney noticed the confusion in Spencer’s brown eyes. Rose’s red-ringed, sky blue eyes were as confused as her son’s.