Page 21 of King of Knights

“Put the weapon down, my child. I mean you no harm. I am here to help. You will learn to trust me in time.”

She pauses and her brows furrow. I lower the bow, still watching her closely. Her mouth hasn’t moved once, although I can hear her speak to me clearly.

There’s something about her voice. It’s melodic and soothing. Almost as if she could lull you to sleep.

She tilts her head to the side. A smile comes to her lips. Suddenly, the feeling of warmth falls over me.

It’s as if the weight of the burden I’ve been carrying has been lifted. Then, in the blink of an eye, the woman is standing right before me. It feels like she’s reaching into my womb. My bow and arrow vanish as I lose my hold on my powers. I look down and gasp.

“I am not hurting you. The child needs my help. Your spell is changing his essence. Ah, yes, there, that’s better.”

She pulls her arm back and takes a step away from me. I palm my belly with trembling hands. Tears slip down my cheeks.

“What have you done?”

“He will be well. I had to stop what you have set in motion. He will not survive this suppression you are creating. Yes, he carries his father’s blood, but a special child like yours absorbs and reflects.

“Your spell is only allowing him to absorb. This cannot be. In magic, you need to—”

“Reflect as a way to release and restore,” I cut her off and finish. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

“You are still learning. We intended to help you learn. We weren’t expecting you to start this spell.”

“He,” I croak. “It’s a boy?”

“Yes, my child. You are carrying a king.”

“Have I… will he be okay? I haven’t hurt him, have I?”

“He will live. Only time will tell what damage, if any, has been done. I’ve done all I can to reverse the change to his essence.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

“Don’t thank me. You have the favor of the gods. It is the only way you could conceive and carry such a child.”

“What do you mean?”

She lifts her hand and one of the scrolls I had on the table floats into it. She unrolls it and seems to scan it with her eyes. I watch her nervously.

“Here. This is the one,” she says and hands the scroll over to me.

I take it from her and begin to read it for myself. My eyes widen as I murmur the passages before me. I stumble back a little.

“What does this mean? Am I his true mate?”

“No, my child, you are not. However, only his true mate can bear his child.”

“I do not understand,” I say and shake my head.

“This child has a purpose. He was given to you to fulfill that purpose. I have been leading you to the scrolls in hopes of connecting you with the desired path.

“I did not foresee your actions, and for that, I am sorry. This cannot continue as planned. Your body will not hold him to term, or you will not survive his birth. It will be one or the other.”

“What? But you just said he will be fine.”

“He will, just not with you as the host. I want you to read those scrolls more carefully. Have you found the key to becoming Kendrick’s mate, or have you found a way to find his true mate?”

I frown and think over her words. The scrolls are in an ancient language. One of the reasons it’s taking me so long to get through them. I could be misinterpreting them.

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