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Evelina

Evelina’s eyes snapped open.

She was staring up at soft green leaves, the sky beginning to lighten above. Everything that had happened in the dream replayed through her mind: the dragon enveloped in shadows running from her light; Vero dying and saving Brielle as they hit the ground; Daimon thrusting a dagger through Moros’s chest.

Daimon had seen her, had told her to wake up. She tried to tell him she wasn’t going, that she wanted to bring him back with her. But he couldn’t hear her.

Her pulse raced. Was it just a dream? A nightmare?

“Evelina,” Annora whispered.

She blinked, her mind still foggy.

“Moros is dead,” Iris said slowly, snapping Evelina’s attention to her surroundings. She turned to the Aegis council head, the woman’s sharp cheekbones and piercing green eyes standing out in the dark forest. Dream orbs glowed around her, the twisted trees of Nox Grove curling over her.

She realized she wasn’t alone. Annora helped Evelina to her feet and the entire council stared down at the dark orb in Annora’s other hand.

“It’s over,” Seretha whispered .

The council watched Evelina closely. Evelina shook her head, trying to piece together what was happening.

“What are you all doing here?” Evelina breathed, putting a hand over her racing heart.

“Annora had a feeling you would be waking soon,” Iris answered. “We moved you to Nox Grove.”

Annora placed a hand over Evelina’s. “I was tending to the grove when your dream orb…changed. When I looked closer, I saw Moros.” She took a deep breath. “We were able to pinpoint where the dream was happening and sent reinforcements to where he was hiding.”

Evelina’s breath quickened. That was just a dream—a nightmare. “How are they there already?”

She had just awoken; they couldn’t be at the coast already.

“You’ve been asleep half the night,” Annora said softly. “They left hours ago.”

It wasn’t a dream. Everything she saw—Daimon, Moros, Senna… It was all real.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light. Then a loud crack followed, sounding as if it had split the ground open. The ground beneath their feet shook. Evelina reached out for Annora, and they clung to each other until the shaking subsided.

“What was that?” Annora breathed.

The council looked between themselves, a moment of fear passing through the grove.

“The temple.” Seretha pointed to where the light came from. Evelina could see the tip of the temple poking through the trees.

They all rushed toward the temple, but Evelina froze after taking a few steps. She placed her hand on a tree to steady herself. She screamed as a tidal wave of pain tore through her. It felt as if her entire stomach was cramping, twisting tightly together and then releasing. Her hand flew to her stomach.

“You’re in labor.” Annora’s voice trembled. “The baby is coming.”

The pressure subsided and Evelina’s eyes widened. “But Senna isn’t here. I can’t—” Another wave shot through her body, and this time, it almost brought her to her knees.

Maliena appeared at her side, lifting her. “Get Gloriana to meet us at the temple,” she said to Annora.

Evelina didn’t have time to celebrate the death of Moros or to investigate what had happened to the temple. Her baby wasn’t waiting any longer.

She cried out in pain.

A rush of liquid hit the ground at Evelina’s feet.

“The baby is coming,” Maliena said. “Now.”

It wasn’t until the next day that the baby arrived.

There were whispers of the child born the morning after the temple was struck. They’d arrived just after the flash of light and the quaking of the ground, finding new markings on the temple wall. Ellerry spent the entire night deciphering it, while the council waited at the palace. The temple priestesses all gathered, praying to Eurydice to bless the birth.

Senna made it back just before the baby came. Evelina reached for him, pulling his forehead against hers. He did as Gloriana instructed when the head began to crown. Evelina didn’t know if the pain would ever end. But when she was finally holding her little girl in her arms, the memory of the pain melted away. She cried and laughed, her body drained from her labor.

“Queen Evelina,” Gloriana said softly. “The council is arriving for the blessing.”

There was no resting, even after just giving birth. A child’s Essence would drift out of its body not long after it took its first breath. They would all rest later, but first, they had to bless the child’s magic .

Gloriana stood and walked to the gate of the temple to meet them.

Evelina looked down at her little girl, at her perfect eyes as she stared up at her. She was so small, so fragile and innocent.

“Have you thought of a name?” Senna asked quietly when it was just the two of them.

Evelina smiled. “You know the tradition is to wait until after the ceremony.”

The morning sun was warm and cast soft hues of purple across the sky. Shadows briefly flew across the grass. Evelina looked up, seeing wyverns flying above. But their Riders were no longer with them. They were all flying south together, back to where they came from with the threat of Moros gone.

It felt like a part of Evelina left with them; as if a piece of her soul was carried away on their wings. She watched as her old life disappeared into the clouds. She wasn’t a healer in the war anymore, nor was she a princess who met her soldier beneath a waterfall for stolen kisses, making promises neither of them would keep.

Evelina smiled softly, her heart squeezing in her chest as happiness and sadness warred inside of her. Moros was dead. The war was officially over, and now her child was in the world, tucked within her father’s arms. She had never felt so much joy and so much agony at the same time.

She wished Daimon was here.

Every new beginning felt like losing him all over again. But this time, she wasn’t alone.

From the corner of her eye, she could see the council gather beside her and Senna. But she kept her eyes on her child and so did he.

She expected it—the council was always present when the Essence was blessed for a new heir. The Sacred came out of the temple, clothed in her usual robes. Still, Evelina glanced nervously at them, feeling exposed even as she lay in the grass fully covered .

“Hey,” Senna said gently. “It’s just you and me.”

She tore her gaze from the council to focus on him. A gentle breeze picked up around them and the Sacred drifted closer as Senna handed the child back to her.

As soon as the sun peeked over the horizon, Evelina felt a surge of Essence buzz around her. She gasped as a small light emerged from the baby’s chest. It hovered in the air between Senna and Evelina.

“Light for the Woodland mother and father,” the Sacred said from in front of them. “May it return to which it came.”

Slowly, the light separated into two. Evelina watched in fascination as one of the orbs floated toward her and the other to Senna. She felt the light wash over her as it passed through her chest, warming her body and making her whole. Senna shivered beside her and placed a hand over his chest.

The Sacred stepped closer and laid a single white rose at Evelina’s feet. “You have chosen to have your child on the sacred grounds of Eurydice’s temple,” she declared. “Your child will be blessed for it.”

A tear slipped down Evelina’s cheek and she smiled down at the baby. “What do you think about Leda?” she said softly to Senna.

He reached for the baby’s hand and watched as her tiny fingers curled around his finger. “Leda is perfect.”

Evelina laughed, holding Leda tighter. “She is perfect.”

“I believe I’ve deciphered the writing on the walls!” Ellerry sang as she skipped out of the temple. Her bright eyes widened, landing on the child. “Oh! A baby! We can wait until later to?—”

“No,” Evelina cut in. “What have you learned?”

Ellerry paused. Even the Sacred was waiting with wide eyes.

“ Her mark is in her gift of light,

Her throne of wood and early morn’

Yet a savior she will never be ? —

Lest she’s earned her crown of thorns. ”

The words settled heavily against Evelina’s chest. Something tapped against her memory. Her mark is in her gift of light.

She’d heard that before.

“What does it mean?” Iris asked.

Everyone looked at Ellerry, who smiled. “A prophecy, of course.”

A prophecy on the night of Moros’s death, the night before Evelina’s child was born. There were no coincidences.

The council immediately started to discuss potential meanings, but Evelina’s focus quickly drifted away. It was too much—exhaustion was catching up. And she had had enough of fate for a lifetime.

The baby was sleeping peacefully in her arms. She felt her eyelids grow heavy.

“You need to sleep, Evelina,” Senna said softly, reaching for the baby. “I’ll watch her, but you should rest.” He helped her to her feet.

The council fell silent as she stood. They all bowed, dropping to one knee before the new heir.

“What should we call her?” Ellerry asked.

Evelina looked at Senna, and he smiled.

“Leda,” Evelina said. “Leda Manor.”