“A bit. You also have elements of your father to you. The resemblance isn’t so striking that someone would notice if they weren’t looking, though.”
“But you were looking.”
“She was my friend. I’ve always been looking.”
“Tell me more about them. Please.”
“They were incredibly powerful. Kind. Honest. They were truly fae, despite the fact that your mother was a witch.”
“So, some fae courts are willing to accept witches as their queen.”
“Perhaps, though she wasn’t queen. And your father wasn’t king. They were mediators. Neutral parties, a bit like me. They resided here at High Court Palace as stewards of the grounds. They became known and loved by almost everyone. Their judgement was respected, though they never exerted power over anyone.”
“So they kept this place running smoothly.”
“Essentially, yes. When they went missing, it was a tragedy. This statue was erected in their honor.”
“And no one knows why they went missing?” My heart ached to think of it.
She shook her head. “They told no one. I’d thought they might have been killed—though by whom, I had no idea—but when I saw you, I knew they must have survived.”
“Not for long. I never knew them.” My heart ached. I hadn’t expected to find them alive and well and ready to give me a hug—but I sure would have liked that.
She nodded, her eyes sad. “I thought that might be the case.”
“Do you think other people will recognize me?” I asked. “Is it bad if they do?”
“I’m not sure. They disappeared after finding out you were coming. That might have something to do with it. Your magic is unique.”
I looked up at the clouds, wishing I could see the stars. “They might have left here because of me. Is there any way to find out?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps there is a seer who knows. Or perhaps not.” She looked toward the statue. “But I thought I should tell you what I know. I have no idea what’s coming for you in the future but knowing about your parents can only be a good thing.”
“Do you have any pictures of them?”
She nodded. “Come visit me in my archives some time, and I will share what I have. They were a fixture of the High Court Palace for so long that there is more information about them. Nothing groundbreaking, but little day-to-day details that I imagine you might like.”
“Thank you. So much.” I stared up at them, unable to look away.
“We should go,” she said.
I wasn’t ready to leave the statues quite yet. It felt like I was meeting them for the first time, though it was probably a poor imitation of what it was really like to be with one’s parents.
But she was right. I could always come back tomorrow.
The four of us exited the maze and returned to the palace. We stopped in the main entry hall, and the historian said, “There is great power in you, Sia. I’m sure I will be writing of you one day.”
“Hopefully not too soon.”
“Things always happen sooner than we expect them to.”
She wasn’t wrong about that.
With a quiet goodbye, she left. Eve and Meria accompanied me to my room, and I went immediately to the window to look out, wishing I could see the statue from here.
I couldn’t, but I could see the dark clouds swirling overhead. They were so much lower than they had been before. Their power pulsed in the air, seeping through the open window to wrap around me.
I drew in an unsteady breath, gripping the windowsill.
I felt drunk. Woozy.
And desperate to get outside.
The urge filled me so powerfully that I knew it couldn’t be natural, but I couldn’t fight it.
Was this magic?
The vague thought whispered through my mind.
I turned from the window and walked toward the bedroom door, my feet moving without me commanding them. Or was I commanding them?
I couldn’t tell.
All I could do was follow the urge that sang to me like a siren song.
Goosebumps rose on my skin, and the strangest feeling filled my chest.
I saw no one as I walked through the hall and out the castle exit. If I had, they might have stopped me. I certainly couldn’t stop myself.
I walked away from the maze, headed toward a field of flowers. In the middle, a large glass greenhouse glowed with a faint light from inside.
It was such a beautiful building that I wanted to explore it.
I walked toward it, tiredness like a weight around my ankles, heavier than I could bear. It took all my effort to trudge across the field, but I kept going.