Page 92 of The Heir

“I am headed out,” he said directly to Shad.

I turned to see him wearing something very foreign to me. He wore a silver and black suit of some kind; I assumed it was his ancient warrior attire,because he is an ancient warrior, right? So, of course, he has a special armored suit. Attached to the back of it was his shield, and at his belt, was a sword. In his hands, he held the ax that I saw the day before. He looked powerful with his brown hair flowing on either side of his neck, reaching just below his jawline. The glasses that I saw him wearing the first time that we had met must have been for show because he had not worn them at all during the trip. Mary walked to him and gave him a hug.

“Keil, I am so grateful to you for doing this. Please, be safe.”

He nodded.

I walked over to him and hugged him, too.

“Thank you, Keil. Thank you so much for doing this for Ryker.”

“I do it for the true heir of Haleston.” He bowed to me. “For you, Princess—You need him, and that is enough.”

“Please be safe,” I said between tears.

The last goodbye was from Shad. He walked to Keil, and they did something with their hands, which I could not see because tears blurred my vision.

“Keil, thank you for being a true warrior of the Ancients. You honor the Ancients today.”

Keil bowed to Shad, and they both nodded.

Shad held my hand.

If Keil died, it was entirely my fault. I prayed and hoped that he would live.

Stop thinking so many terrible things. All will be well,Shad whispered to my soul as we watched Keil get smaller and smaller with distance. I looked down at Shad’s digital watch, marking the time as ten forty-five. We would give him two hours, and if he wasn’t back, then we would send Mary. I tried not to think of that because Mary shouldn’t have had to go. It should’ve been me, but I was useless.

You are not useless.I turned to look at Shad, and he leaned in, and before his lips could caress my cheek, he pulled back and spoke to my soul:He will be back.

I echoed his words over and over and over again in my soul:

He will be back—

He will be back—

He will be back—

Maybe if I said those words enough, they would become the truth.

Two hours passed quickly.

“He isn’t back yet. Something must be wrong.” Mary was pacing by the fire. She finally said what we were all thinking. It was two o’clock, and I turned to Shad.

“We must move forward with the plan, but we need to adjust it.” Shad stood up from where he sat, holding my hand. “I know we said Mary would go, but I have a connection to Emma. Icould let you know what I find and what is happening through her. That way we are all connected, and you both can be safe here. That way, you both won’t be just sitting here, wondering what is going on.”

“Shad, it is too dangerous; you are an Ancient Heir–” Mary spoke softly.

“I assure you, Mary, I have been through more danger than this.”

“Shad, I don’t want you to go—what if—what if they take you, too,” I whispered, tears forming in my eyes.

“I have to go, Emma. Please, trust me.”I cannot let you lose Mary.

“You said Keil would come back, and he didn’t, so what’s to say you will never return, either?”

“I didn’t say it would be easy; I just said he would be back. We have a little bump in our plan. That is all,” he said while pulling me in for a hug.

Please, Emma, I will find them.

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