Page 66 of Shadows of Ruin

The sooner Kade accomplished whatever it was he needed to, the sooner I’d force him to take me back to Brookmere. Far away from his father.

He promised.

Steadying my nerves, I took a deep breath and opened the door.

Before me stood the grey-haired seer of Mysthaven, Cassandra.

“May I, my dear?” She peeked around me into the room.

“Yes, of course,” I assured her without hesitation. “Come in.”

I ushered her into the room, looking down the hallway to see if she had come alone, before shutting the door.

I met her in the middle of the room, and before I could say anything, she grabbed both of my hands. Her eyes appeared to be searching for something within me. They darted back and forth, up and down, and I could not tell what she was trying to find.

“It is a great honor to meet you officially, Illiana,” Cassandra said. Her wiry hair reminded me of Vivienne. In any other circumstance, one would have thought they were related. “I don’t wish to keep you long, I simply wanted to come by and heal any injuries you may have sustained from earlier. You fought spectacularly.”

She gently clasped my hands as if to prove herself. A warmth spread over my back, tingling up my spine as my injuries soothed. I watched our hands, noticing a faint glow of light emitting from her palms as she channeled her healing power into me.

I’d seen it so many times before. When Elisabeth healed me.

My chest tightened, watching the last bit of light fade from Cassandra’s hands.

Giving them a squeeze, I smiled at the woman, even if I struggled to give her my full trust. “Thank you. I’m not sure how you knew or if Kade sent you, but thank you.”

“Ah, Illiana, it is my job to know. To see. It is the least I could do after the Fates forced my hand today.” She didn’t let go of my hands, instead gripping them more firmly in her own. “I have lived a thousand years, and when such a lightcomes before us, we must bask in its glory. Feed it, feed it. Feed the light.”

I stared at the woman. She slipped into a nonsensical chatter under her breath, sounding far too much like Vivienne’s.

She shook her head and smiled once more at me, our hands remaining clasped.

“Kade wanted to bring me to you to talk?—”

She let go of me and brought a finger to her lips. “Not now. Not now, but tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow will do nicely.”

She bowed her head slightly and walked to the door. Just as she reached it, she turned back to me.

“Illiana, what you believe you see may be something else entirely.”

Before I could even try to comprehend what she’d said, she walked out, leaving me standing in the open doorway, confused.

I shut the door, backing up into the room.

What you believe you see may be something else entirely, played on repeat in my head. Something clawed at the back of my brain.This is important.

I returned to the large window, staring into the depths of the canyon below. The sun setting in the background made the stone mountains glisten with the last minutes of daylight.

Gasping, it finally struck me.

What you believe you see may be something else entirelywas far too close to my father’s saying,never trust something is as it appears at first glance,for it to be a coincidence.

A lesson he’d reminded me of since my childhood.

A pang of hurt echoed in my heart. I missed my father. So much. He’d have advice or know what to do. How to act with this vengeful king.

I hated fate, hated prophecies. Especially after living so long in the shadow of my own. Things seemed far too coincidental to believe anything other than the Fates were atplay. Cassandra said tomorrow. Kade and I would get the answers we both sought, and then I would go home.

Once I was with Ian and Kalliah and my mother, then I could deal with what had happened. For now, I had to steel my resolve and shove the emotions threatening to take hold of me for good deep within.

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