Page 59 of The Rowan
Stunned,I sit there staring at the letter. I hear a delicate sniffle and turn to Solandis. “She’s right. I couldn’t have asked for better parents than you two,” I whisper, not trusting my voice. “Without you both, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I love you.” I reach over and pull Solandis into my arms for a hug, then Vargas.
My eyes find Valerian’s, and I ache for the anger and utter wretchedness I see in his eyes. “We’ll make this right,” I vow. We will find a way to honor the MacAllisters.
He gives me a determined nod.
I sit back and pick up the second paper. There’s a verse written on it.
The Rowan,hidden and free,
Dark and light battle for thee,
Nature gives life and purpose,
Nurture gives power and drive,
When the one binds the five.
Only then can the Prime decide.
“I hateprophecies and obscure lines of fate,” I growl, brave and calm on the outside, but inside, I’m anxious. Am I strong enough? Smart enough? What if I fail? Is the world going to end?
But a kernel of excitement worms its way into my thoughts. Can I find my father? Is he still alive, or am I hunting for a ghost? He’s immortal, but anything could have happened in the last three hundred and twenty-eight years. I remind myself that my mother was a seer and would have foreseen his death. But then again, I wonder why she didn’t foresee her own. Or maybe she did.
Sighing, I pick up the last paper. It’s blank. I hand it to Theron, who studies it, then passes it around to the others. They all look puzzled, then Astor tries a reveal spell, but nothing happens.
When it comes back to me, I stare down at it. “Now what?”
I almost drop it when script appears on the paper.
Find the journals.
