She would become Queen of Evalon.
And the Vallentis family —
Jaren —
Kiva couldn’t finish the thought.
She reminded herself there was no point in worrying about a future that hadn’t yet happened, especially when their elemental magic was more than enough to keep them safe. Each of them, even young Oriel, was a force to be reckoned with. Panicking about undetermined events would help no one.
So Kiva focused only on staying on her horse, on riding faster than the wind.
She reached the swamp in half the time it would normally take, her horse panting as she leapt from the saddle and bounded up the porch steps, her heart lodging in her throat when she saw the door to the cottage cracked open.
“Delora!” she called, sprinting through the doorway and into the living room. There she came to a dead halt, taking in the mess of books and ornaments strewn all over the floor, the shelves stripped and bookcases overturned, the entire room looking as if it had exploded.
Zuleeka was nowhere to be seen.
But at the center of it all, face-down on the ground, was Delora.
“No!” Kiva gasped, lurching forward to kneel beside her grandmother, gently turning her over.
One look and Kiva recoiled, her hands flying away in shock and uncertainty. But then Delora moaned and Kiva realized the old woman was still alive. She just didn’t know what was wrong with her.
A shadowy mist had settled over her abdomen, like a swirling black cloud. Kiva had no idea what it was, just that it was hideously unnatural. She was loath to touch it, but she made herself lay trembling hands on Delora’s stomach, once again calling upon the healing magic in her veins, begging it to come to her grandmother’s aid.
Her fingers started to tingle, her skin burned, her power rose to the surface . . . but the golden light didn’t appear.
Something was wrong.
Her power wanted to heal, she could feel it there, ready and waiting for her to release it, but something was blocking it. Something that, for once, had nothing to do with Kiva.
Delora coughed and her eyes fluttered open. She seemed unsurprised to see Kiva, and equally unsurprised by the darkness that eddied along her torso.
“It w-won’t work,” Delora said in a weak voice, eyeing Kiva’s hands hovering above her. “Don’t waste your strength.”
Kiva ignored her and pushed harder, again urging her magic into the woman. But still, nothing happened — aside from a wave of dizziness hitting her, the force of which made her reach out to steady herself on the ground.
“The she-devil came for the d-dagger,” Delora said, her wrinkled face pinched with pain.
“What did she do to you?” Kiva breathed, reaching for the hem of her grandmother’s tunic. If magical means were beyond her, she still had mundane healing skills.
But Delora raised a fragile hand and stopped her. “I t-told you, she’s as dangerous as your mama. The same evil is in her.” She coughed again, a rattling, wet sound, her fingers tightening around Kiva’s. “This is what h-happens when you yield to Torvin’s darkness. When you turn from healing to hurt.”
Kiva’s stomach bottomed out. “But — Zuleeka doesn’t have magic. She’s never had magic.”
“She lied. Your mama —” Another wet cough. “Your mama taught her everything she knew. They learned together.”
“No.” Kiva shook her head. “You’re wrong.”
But then she heard Torell’s voice, whispering across her mind: She and Mother were really close, especially toward the end. They spent every minute together.
Could it be true? Did Zuleeka have magic? Had she hidden it from them all? The evidence lay before Kiva, and yet, she still had trouble believing it, even seeing the darkness with her own eyes.
Delora coughed again, this time violently enough that her whole body buckled, a thin trail of blood leaking from her mouth.
Kiva cursed and demanded again, “What did she do to you?”
“My organs are sh-shutting down,” Delora whispered. “There’s n-nothing you can do while her power is working in my body, so you n-need to listen.”
“This is my fault,” Kiva moaned. “She came for the dagger because I —”
“Listen,” Delora urged, as more blood trickled down her chin. “The dagger —”
“I know it’s the Eye of the Gods,” Kiva said, wanting her grandmother to stop speaking, to rest. “I know Zuleeka can use it to take the throne.”
“No, you d-don’t understand,” Delora said, before launching into another coughing fit, pressing her free hand to her abdomen, her other still holding Kiva’s in a death grip. “The dagger — Sarana used it on Torvin. It’s how she s-saved the kingdom.”