Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 129912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
“It’ll be different without Mum,” adds Maia.
“Yeah, I know. But you can always call on me and Caz. I promise we’ll be here for whatever you need.”
They smile, but it hardly reaches their eyes.
I look back at Milandra as she speaks to Asteria, who just approached.
That’s when I notice another person walking behind her, dressed like a member of the Kessel tribe. Who is that?
My brows pucker as she nears us. When Caz picks up on my thoughts, he points his gaze past them too. Then we both feel a hum beneath our skin.
I gasp, and Caz’s eyes drop to mine as a smile appears.
Milandra notices us staring past her, and her head turns. Carra gasps at the twins’ side, and they twist their necks to look too.
When they see Hassha, they suck in high-pitched breaths.
“MUM!” they scream, dashing from the sand to the grass. They clash into her while we jog to meet them. Milandra beats us there, staring wildly as Hassha crouches to hug her daughters.
How is this possible? How is she here right now?
“M-my queen,” Milandra utters in shock.
Hassha tips her gaze, and that’s when I notice the change. Her eyes remain the same, one sapphire blue and the other hazel, but they don’t glow. Her skin isn’t as bronze, but it’s still tan like it’s been kissed by the sun. And when she stands, the height difference is shocking. She’s much shorter, probably a head shorter than Milandra.
I can’t believe it.
She’s a—
“A commoner,” Caz says, unable to look away from her.
Hassha opens her arms, and Milandra drops her spear to hug her tight. “Oh, my queen! I thought you were gone. I thought we lost you.”
“I know, I know. But I’m still here.” Hassha smiles over her shoulder.
Due to the commotion, the other women and children near the ship notice and rush our way. One look at Hassha, and elated gasps and murmurs swell around us.
“She’s alive,” some whisper.
“Our queen lives!” others cry out.
Hassha pulls away from her first in command, eyeing me and Caz. “It’s nice seeing you two like this.” A grin splits her face as she peers up at us. “Love of Vakeeli. Was I really that tall?”
Caz laughs. “Oh yeah. You were, trust me.”
Hassha winks. “Suits you.”
“How did you manage this?” he asks, looking her over.
“By separating the energy from the body,” she answers. “I created a commoner version of myself a long time ago. It was simply a vessel waiting to be used. It had no life. No purpose. I hid it in Kessel, deep in on of the caves. My physical body and energy may be stripped away, but my mind remains. Can you imagine me forcing my thoughts onto my daughters? They’d curse me for the rest of their lives.”
I laugh.
“I wish Yuri would’ve considered that,” Caz chuckles.
Hassha steps closer, clasping Caz’s face in her hands. “This is your world to lead now, Caspian. I have full faith in you.”
He nods. His emotions are all over the place. “I’ll do my best to make this world worth living in again.”
“I know you will.” Hassha’s eyes slide my way. “And I’m sure your mate will support you in every endeavor you take.” When she steps in front of me, she takes my face in her hands too and sighs. Her bottom lip trembles, and I can’t fight the blur that blocks my vision. I blink it away, but the tears accumulate again, despite it.
“What about Korah?” I wonder. “Will she come back?”
Hassha’s face saddens. “I’m afraid not. You have her energy and you are her vessel. Her thoughts will come to you soon enough.”
“Oh.”
“But don’t worry,” she goes on. “This is exactly what she wanted. After what happened to Warren, she wanted nothing more than for you to survive. Don’t think of this as a sacrifice. Think of this as a union. Korah lives in you—I feel her now. I see her. So long as you do what’s just, so long as you spread the good and fight for what’s right, she’ll aways be there.”
Before my tears can fall, Hassha reels me forward and hugs me. Her words bring me so much comfort and joy. And after spending time with Korah and training with her, I realize she was preparing me for this moment.
These powers.
This magic.
This energy.
She was investing herself in me because she considered me worthy.
Hassha leaves me to hug and speak to everyone in her tribe. She kisses the heads of her warriors, and though she’s simply a commoner, she still drips with royalty.
Regardless of having none of her power, she will always be respected. And now she gets to enjoy a normal life, all while teaching her daughters how to harness the gift she’s given them.
I can see the twins now. They’ll grow up and become powerful leaders. They’ll be unstoppable, and if they ever need anything, Caz and I will be right behind them.