Page 117 of Omen of ice
I won’t take her as a courtesan. Not with what she truly means to me. That would be an insult, and I won’t betray her—Aphelian is wrong about that. But I can’t ask Tania to leave, either. With her or not, my heart has already made its choice.
“I know this isn’t what you wanted, but you were born to protect these lands. It’s in your blood.”
“But what if it’s true? What if I’m the Omen?”
“What if you are?” He rests his hands on my shoulders and gives me a gentle shake. “Who says the Omen is a sign of destruction? Prophecies are open to interpretation. I believe you are the sign of things to come, yes, but I believe they are good things. Things that will bring these lands back to what they once were.”
There’s a soft knock on the door, and a moment later, Tania pokes her head through. “Oh. Sorry. Didn’t realize—”
Delkin smiles. “I was just leaving.”
“Leaving?Or…?”
“I’ve sent Benj back to the village. He and Ander can keep an eye on things for a bit. I’m going to stick around and help Valen settle in and learn what he needs to run things smoothly.”
She smiles. “I think it will be good for him.” Her gaze flickers to mine, and she flashes me a mock frown. “Goddess knows he’ll screw it up without your help.”
Delkin snickers, then slips out the door, leaving Tania and me alone.
39
Keltania
Goddess, why is my heart hammering so hard? I’m a warrior, capable and strong. Yet the idea of admitting out loud that there might be something more going on between Valen and me turns me into a sweating, fidgeting mess? I should be ashamed. But I’m not.
I’m terrified.
“I wondered if we could talk?”
He straightens and nods. “If you’ve come to worship at my perfectly shaped feet, then by all means…” He grins and gestures to his shoes. “Have at it.”
“You are insufferable,” I say, fighting a smile.
“I…” He runs a hand through his hair, and he might as well have skimmed my own scalp for as real as the sensation is. In the beginning, I hated it. Now, it’s like a breadcrumb—something I want to chase. “I have something for you.”
I smile. It feels like the sun coming out after so many years of darkness. “Just so you know, I’m not a jewelry type of girl.”
Valen doesn’t return the smile. In fact, his face is a bit grim. Instead, he reaches back and grabs a glass case. Inside is a small, clear crystal. “As I promised. Aphelian’s tear.”
“You never promised, remember?”
“If you had used your fungus brain, you would have easily known that’s what I intended to do.”
I hesitate for a moment before taking it from him. It’s so small, so unassuming. Looking at it, you’d never know what kind of power that small drop of magic contains.
“Well?” He forces a smile, but it doesn’t fool me. There’s something on his mind. “Aren’t you going to crack it open? Be the hero?”
I want to. More than anything, I want to head back to Lunal and give our people back the piece of themselves Servis had stolen. In that moment, I understand Aphelian’s anger. Her desire for revenge. We’ve become shadows of what we once were, and here I am with the ability to change it all.
But I can’t do it.
“I think it will have to wait.”
His brows rise. “But you’ve been—”
“Think about it, Valen. If I bring this back to Lunal, the magic will begin to return. It will find its way back to all druids, everywhere. In a month’s time, we’ll be as strong as we were the day Aphelian gave it all away.”
He nods slowly. “And that would mean Aphelian’s powers would grow as well.”
