Page 83 of Destined Dawn

“Christopher Kennedy?!”

“Yes.”

The room spins and my stomach plummets and yet, for some reason, I am not surprised.

Although, should I believe him?

“And yet now he’s your ally?” I say in disgust, snatching my hand from his.

“You are young and still have so much to learn.” He sighs. “Sometimes we must make alliances with our enemies for the greater good. I do not want war for my people.”

I rub at my forehead trying to make sense of this all.

“And if he asks you to hand me over, will you do it, for the good of your people, to prevent a new war?”

“No,” he says simply. “I will not.”

I’m not sure how the hell that makes me feel. A new war? Because of me?

We are both silent, Pip snuffling in my lap and the fire flicking in the grate.

“What was the argument about?” I ask. “Between you and my mom.”

“I forget.” He shakes his head, his gaze disappearing off into the distance as if he’s remembering it all. “Something small that seemed so very important at the time. A quarrel I wish with all my heart I could go back and undo. Both of us lost our tempers and said things we didn’t really mean.”

I think of all the times I’ve fought with Stone, with Tristan, with Azlan. Those rows had seemed so important in the moment, and then afterwards so small and trivial.

“Let us not dwell on the past,” he says next. “Let us think on the future.”

“I want to understand my past. To understand myself.”

“What is there to understand? You sense that greatness in your veins. We all do. You wish to grow it.”

I frown. “I don’t want–”

He leans forward, his face suddenly eager. “I’ve beenwaiting, Rhianna, ever since the moment your mother saw your future, waiting for you.”

That dark magic seems to sizzle in my blood, awakening with every word he says. Pip squeaks and butts his snout against my hand. I push him gently away. My aunt gave him to me as a way to leash my powers, to stop me from becoming whatever I was destined to be.

And I want to know what that is. I need to. Maybe my dad is the one to show me.

“What did she see?” I say my gaze sinking into his dark eyes.

“A girl with a power that would know no bounds. A girl who could not be stopped, who could not be contained. A girl who could both see the future and bend it to her will.” He peers deep into my eyes. “My daughter.”

My magic crackles, pushing against the constraints that hold it tight, straining to break through and rip everything apart.

“They told you all sorts of lies, Rhianna.” I can’t look away from him, his words igniting an anger inside me. “They told you those who lived in the West were evil. That they’d been beaten into submission. They told you the only thing keeping those evil forces from consuming your country was magicals – trained to protect their lands, sacrifices to the cause. And they told you I was dead.”

Yes, lies, lies, lies. So many lies.

“But why?” I cry out. “Why did they tell us all this?”

“Why else?” he says. “To control you.”

I frown. It can’t be that simple.

“Tell me, how do matters work in your great republic? Do the people live in peace and harmony? No one hungry? No one poor? No one sick? No one suffering? Each bearing equal burden and equal reward?”