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“Annalyse, you are my last hope. I need to get her out of the country and with people who will be able to protect her. Please, reconsider,” I pleaded with the woman. “I’m not asking you as a fellow leader of our world, but as a friend.”
“I’ve got my own children to think about, Isadora.” The beautiful visiting royal rubbed a hand across her large pregnant belly and glanced at her son, Killian, the future Sovereign of Taramur. The small boy sat on a couch next to us, holding baby Isla in his arms while she drank from a bottle.
“Mamma, this baby has the prettiest eyes. Look!” He lifted his arm and shoulder, propping Isla up so that we could see her grinning face.
“She sure does, little man,” Annalyse said.
“All I’m asking... is that when trade negotiations end tomorrow, you take her with you. I will make sure that nobody knows. The child will be disguised.” My fingers pinched the small glittering amulet in my pocket—a family heirloom. It would change Isla’s appearance when she wore it. “You are one of the few people in the world that has the means to care for someone like her.”
“You know I would like to help you, but Victoria is... well, she’s always been a bit off. Unhinged. Before she came into her powers, she was obsessed with unlocking them. Now that they’ve manifested, she’s not someone I want to cross. Her ability to control people with her mind is... well, I wouldn’t have even brought Killian with me, had I known. She’s dangerous.”
I sighed. “It’s partially my fault. Before her powers manifested, she always felt... less-than. People treated her as though she were inferior. Then things got worse. When she was a girl, we received death threats. Certain people didn’t want her to ascend because of her perceived weakness—her lack of powers.”
Standing, I made my way to the bar to pour myself a drink.
“We were so scared—terrified that something was going to happen to her, so we kept her sheltered. It was an ongoing battle between us, but we never realized the extent of her resentment. She took our protection as us exerting control over her.”
Annalyse nodded slowly. “I always knew she didn’t have the best relationship with you, but I never understood why.”
I took a drink. “We only wanted the best for her. Then, as you say, she became obsessed with gaining her magic. When she was about twenty-five, she asked me to peer into her future—she begged me to tell her about her powers. As you know, using my ability is dangerous for me.” I tapped a finger on my temple. “Doctors have warned me about the real possibility of serious brain injury, so I’ve always used the gift sparingly. I’ve hardly used it at all on Victoria throughout her life—mostly because of the other costs.”
“Which are?” Annalyse asked.
I sat down in a plush chair opposite of Annalyse. “I learned in my younger years that knowing the future doesn’t bring one peace. Quite the opposite, actually.” I gave Annalyse a purposeful look, and she nodded back skeptically. Waving my hand, I continued, “Anyway, after months of pleading, I finally relented. When I walked into her future, I saw that she would come into her Ruling Powers once she produced her Heir—once she had Isla.”
I grimaced, swirling the drink in my hand—the ice clinking against the glass. I always hated this part of the story.
“I didn’t tell her right away because she wasn’t even dating anyone at the time, and I didn’t want her to do anything rash. When she asked, I told her to keep doing what she was doing—that her powers would come. Disgruntled, but seemingly appeased with my response, she carried on. Then she met Randall, who, I think, truly does love her.”
I stood again, walking over to peer down at Isla, who was reaching up and tugging on Killian’s hair. “I regret telling her at all, but I did—the day of her wedding.”
“That was what the big fight was about. I remember seeing it all over the mage news and tabloids,” Annalyse said.
I nodded.
“Putting it lightly, she was incensed that I kept it from her. Our relationship has never been the same. Compound that with the several years it took to conceive, and we have Victoria as she is now. Angry at the world. Vindictive to those who have previously intimidated her. I would have never believed the lengths she would go through to maintain control if I hadn’t seen them with my own eyes—both now and in the future.”
“And what are those lengths?” Annalyse asked hesitantly.
I closed my eyes for a moment.
“She wants Jakob and me removed so she can rule her own way. She wants to ignore that Isla was ever born because Isla represents a future where Victoria’s not in charge. She also blames Isla for a lot of her problems.”
“And you can’t stop her?”
“I’m doing everything I can to try. Starting with getting my grandbaby out of her crosshairs.” I paused. “Annalyse... she’s important,” I said, nodding at the babe.
Annalyse glanced over at Killian and Isla.
After a pause, “Okay, I’ll help.”