Page 33 of Shadows of Ruin (The Broken Prophecy #2)

Chapter 32

Lana

“ I ’m sorry,” I apologized, stepping from Kade’s firm grasp. “It just caught me off guard.”

Kade tensed beside me, but instead of pulling me back to him, his shadows closed in around me. With him by my side, I stepped fully into the living room.

The furniture in the home lay scattered and broken, disheveled from the obvious fight on that night. Nothing remained upright or whole. A thick layer of dust covered the home and shifted with our steps.

I walked up to a long-crusted bloody streak and gingerly touched it.

Tears silently fell down my face as I placed my hand on the wall.

“Why?” I asked to no one in particular. “Why leave it like this?”

“Sometimes grief makes people do horrible things.” Jax stood beside me, closer than he normally did. I looked at him to find his focus solely on me and not the mess around us.

“Horrible things?” I asked.

“When I was a boy, dark ones murdered my mother. I grew up on a farm, and my father had been working in the fields when it happened.”

“Oh Jax.” I brought a hand to his arm.

He smiled softly. “He refused to move anything in the house. He stopped working, started drinking. The grief consumed him. So much so that a year later, he dropped me at the palace gates to be taken in as a Guardian, sort of like Raya. He couldn’t bear the sight of me, because it reminded him of his failure to protect her.”

I squeezed his arm.

“The guilt he felt for not being home, for leaving my mother there alone—it was too much. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t his fault, he held on to the blame and never moved past it. I haven’t seen or heard from him since. But as someone who has seen what guilt and grief can do together, perhaps the king couldn’t do any more than leave this place alone. If I had to guess, I would say he loved his sister very much and never quite came to terms with her death.”

“The man knows,” I said. “The one who led us here. That’s what he meant by preserving their life.”

“I have a feeling you’ll be the one to do just that. In more ways than simply fixing up a home, Lana.” He didn’t say any more, but walked away, back toward where Hale and Corbin stood.

I held my palm to the wall. “I will make your deaths, all of your deaths, count. Andras and the darkness will not win. I will be the queen the four of you raised me to be.”

The small cottage didn’t take long to walk through. A small library alcove, a dining room table, the kitchen area, a sitting room, and two bedrooms made up the entirety of the home. Imagining what it looked like originally remained difficult, and didn’t give me much of a picture of the lives my real parents led.

I climbed a small set of stairs leading to two bedrooms. Corbin stood in the doorway of the smaller room .

“I found this,” Corbin says quietly. “I think you should take it with you.”

He handed me a small folded-up piece of paper, and I looked at him quizzically, furrowing my brows. All he gave me was a soft smile in return. I gently unfolded the paper and gasped when I saw its contents.

I stared down at a painting of my mother and father, holding a baby. Holding me . My knees wobbled, threatening to give out.

I held the painting to my chest, taking measured breaths.

“Thank you, Corbin. Just…thank you.” It was all I could get out without completely losing it. I wrapped him in an embrace. He awkwardly patted my back. He never was one for physical touch, but especially not from his princess.

Though he hastily pulled away, a faint smile graced his lips before we returned to the others, who were waiting for me in the backyard. I had seen everything I could bear to see in this home. The thought of seeing where my parents slept. Where I slept… It would have to wait for another day.

I took one more steadying breath, determined to regain my composure and accomplish our goal here today. Ian turned as soon as I stepped outside and immediately approached, noticing my tears. I shook my head indicating I was all right.

Behind the house, a small outbuilding sat untouched, but in surprisingly good shape considering the rest of the property.

Silently, Kade’s shadows entered the outbuilding, feeling for any disturbances, and unlocked the door upon their retreat.

Everyone waited, allowing me to open the double doors.

“Fates above,” Kalliah breathed out from behind me.

Beyond the entryway lay grass trimmed to perfection. A beautiful archway of roses accented a small space with three gravestones. One for my mother and another for my father. And one for me.

The others remained silent as I stared at the etchings in the marble.

There were floral arrangements everywhere, of all colors and shapes. Magic pulsed against my skin. The area must have been warded in a way to allow it to stay in such pristine condition.

I approached reverently. Tracing the carved words of the headstones as I dropped to my knees on the small ivory runner lying between the graves. Two to my left and one to my right.

“Hi,” I whispered.

I kneeled by myself for a few minutes, until one by one my friends joined me.

“Are you ready?” Ian asked, his hand slipping into mine.

I nodded. “Ready.”

“Corbin?” Ian called. “We need to get the journal and go. Andras may have let us escape, but the last thing any of us needs is him learning of our position.”

Corbin stepped forward, followed immediately by Hale.

“I can use my summoning magic on your mother’s coffin, so we don’t have to disturb too much of the earth or the magic here,” Hale said. “If there is any risk to the grave being destroyed, I’ll stop.”

“Thank you.” I gave him a small nod.

“I’ll use my earth magic to get through some of the extra layers on top,” Corbin explained. “As gently as possible.”

The care and respect the two of them displayed for my birth mother warmed in my chest. Their love of a woman they didn’t know was because of me. Because of what this moment meant for me.

The numbness I had been worried about seeping into me and staying didn’t stand a chance. I knew that now. Grief would not consume me. There were too many people to live for .

Corbin rarely displayed his magic in front of others. As a private person who preferred to work alone, it had taken most of us years to witness him at work. I had only recently seen him in action in my garden the past few years. I knew he hated being a lesser Fae, but his magic was extraordinary in my eyes. His attention to detail and care for nature always made me appreciate his talents.

Concentrating on the ground, Corbin carved shallow lines through the earth, moving clumps to the side. After a few moments, he nodded toward Hale, who took it as his cue to summon the coffin.

They moved carefully, respectfully, as promised. Hale’s body strained with his magic, as Corbin continued to move mounds of dirt. Suddenly, with a loud thud , a massive double-wide white marble coffin appeared.

“They’re together,” I said, my voice cracking.

Ian and Kade moved forward and stood on the left side, readying to use their combined strength to open the tomb.

“Are you all right?” Kade asked. When I nodded, he instructed Ian as well as Storm, who joined him by the coffin’s lid. “On three,” Kade instructed. “One, two, three.”

They pushed the top cleanly off.

I prepared myself for the stench of death to fill the air, but instead, the scent was masked. I stepped forward. Even if it was only bones, I would see my parents.

The skeletal remains of my mother and father lay together, hands clasped side by side, in purple and gold robes. The colors of Brookmere. While only bones lay before me, whoever buried them did so with care and compassion. I could feel their love of each other, and the way they were positioned so delicately side by side.

I let out a shaky breath and stepped forward, falling to my knees beside the coffin. Resting my head on the side, I whispered a prayer to the Fates, hoping their souls remained together in whatever came next. A gentle breeze swept through the room, caressing my neck in response. Willing myself to stand, I knew I must continue the journey started for me at their deaths.

Raising my head, I searched the coffin for the journal. It should have been plainly visible.

Only there was no journal there.

“What’s that?” Kalliah asked.

Storm reached into the casket and pulled out a small scroll. Not a journal, but it was something. He handed it to me, and I unrolled the delicate paper, reading it once to myself first.

My heart sank. It didn’t make sense.

“What does it say, Lana?” Kalliah asked.

I looked up at all of their expectant eyes, so eager to find an answer, even if we had no idea what answer it was.

Anger coursed through my veins as I gripped the scroll in my fist. I thought this path would lead to something of value, something to save Brookmere. Instead, we got a dead end on the only lead we had for this ridiculous mission.

“Are you okay, Little Rebel?” Kade whispered, sending his shadows to my waist in an embrace.

I took a deep breath and read the words so hastily scrolled upon the weathered parchment.

“I must protect the secrets of Atheria. Only one shall be brave enough to end our blight, and she must always look to the light. Search in the realms of nowhere and nightmares for answers you seek, for the royal blood’s journal cannot be obtained by the weak.”

The stupid text sounded like a riddle and reminded me too much of Vivienne’s or Cassandra’s nonsense. It reminded me why I loathed seers.

“Well, that is less than helpful,” Ian stated. “Let’s take the parchment and get out of here before we attract too many eyes. We can regroup once we are out of Valeford.”

Everyone murmured in agreement. Hale, Ian, and Storm shifted to move the coffin lid back when a flicker of gold flashed in the corner of my eye. “Wait,” I said, stopping them. Squinting, I peered into the casket once more.

Again, a small flash of gold flittered in my vision, on top of the regal robes.

“Kade, do you see that?” I asked quietly, as the rest of the group spoke among themselves.

He peered into the casket. “See what?”

Summoning all of my bravery, I reached into the casket and moved the robes of my parents, right where the gold reflection had caught my eye. I reached out and grasped the golden shimmer, which turned solid at my touch.

I inhaled sharply and wrapped my fingers around a solid hilt. When I pulled back, a white dagger lay in my hand. A wave of energy raced down my spine, and the dagger thrummed in my palm.

My eyes widened in disbelief.

“How?” Kade murmured.

I stared at the dagger in my hand, humming with a kind of power I didn’t recognize. The consistency wasn’t metal, at least it didn’t look like it. “This feels unlike anything I have ever held,” I said. I turned the blade in my hand again. The weapon quieted, the hum settling. I tucked the dagger into an empty sheath along my thigh. I needed to keep this safe and out of sight for now. Daggers didn’t have a habit of appearing out of nowhere, even from powerful magic.

The men returned the lid to the casket, and both Hale and Corbin replaced the coffin and land to its natural state, as if completely untouched.

Corbin kneeled in front of the graves, touching the ground. When he stepped back, a small ring of purple and yellow roses rested at the headstone. A parting gift in honor of my parents, who’d died protecting me. Protecting Brookmere’s future.

Despite all the troubles that still lay before me, I couldn’t help but feel an unknown weight lifted. Even though they were dead, I’d met my parents. Stood in their home. I would carry the pieces of them with me through this fight, whatever battle awaited.

Corbin turned, still on his knee, and remained bowing before me. “I know you hate the reverence, but you are my queen now, Illiana. What you had to face here today and the dignity with which you did it reminds me why I’m proud to be your humble servant.”

I touched his shoulder. “You are no servant, Corbin. You are my friend.”

He shook his head and rose before leaving me behind. Corbin, the unsung hero of today.

The others left, but Kade lingered by the doors when Hale stood beside me next. “Did you know, after Andras caught us in the gardens the first time we tried to fool around, your mother came to visit me?”

A low growl escaped Kade’s lips, but I shook my head and flicked my hand at him, dismissing him and his protectiveness.

My gaze shifted to Hale’s face. Somehow in the past few weeks he had transformed into something harsher. More determined.

“How terrifying was that?” I smiled thinking about our younger selves and how discussing a tryst with my mother would feel.

He grinned back at me. “She asked me my intentions.” He raised his eyebrows.

“What did you say?”

He sighed, putting his hands into his pockets. A warm smile remained on his lips. “I told her you were too good for me, but I would spend time earning your love.”

“Hale,” I breathed out. How many times had Ian and I joked about Hale as a mere distraction? I told him during the marriage trials that he would always be my friend, and I had no intention of going back on that now, but a nagging guilt puttered in my chest. I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d missed out on years of having another close confidant.

He took my hand but didn’t turn from my parents’ grave. “I told your mother that if you wanted me, I would bask in your presence forever. If you didn’t, I would serve by your side however you saw fit. Whatever you chose, I believed I might love you until I died.”

I squeezed his hands. “What did she say?”

Tears pooled in Hale’s eyes. “My mother was— Well, you saw how important appearances were. I never quite lived up to her expectations, neither in the strength of my magic nor my ability with a blade. But your mother cupped my face and kissed my cheek. She said my belief in you was all she needed to see, and I was worthy no matter what your heart chose.” He looked over at me. “Then she told me if I did anything more serious than romping around in her rose bushes before you were ready, she’d banish me.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “I can hear her saying that.”

“My point in telling you is that your mother saw the good in everyone. She had an ability to make people feel seen when she spoke to them. She made people feel as if they mattered. You have that ability too. Your heart for your people is exactly like our queen’s was, and your tenacity is like the king’s. I obviously didn’t know your birth parents, but I can only imagine the force they were to have created someone like you, Illiana. Meeting them would have been an honor.”

I leaned my head against Hale’s shoulder, and he kissed the side of my head before he spoke again. “You carry the traits of four parents who left their mark on this world not only in their actions, but in you. Our queen.”

Hale squeezed my hand once, then walked away, leaving me privacy at my parents’ grave. This time, I looked at their headstones with a smile on my face. A new stirring blossomed in my chest.

One of hope and pride. One of determination.

I looked at the headstone one last time. “For Brookmere and for you, I will fight.”