“The war?” Bracken repeats, staring intently at me. “What do you mean you saw the war?”
“That’s what I mean,” I say. “I saw the war between the monsters and humans. I saw them put up the wall, like a memory.”
“The temple was showing you the past,” Zetros murmurs softly, glancing at the red diamond again. “But for it to react so…”
“Your magic must be strong,” the orc king finishes. “Every creature within this world will have felt that pulse. I suggest we move before they hunt us down here.”
Nero is studying me, his eyes on my face. “Is that all you saw,parum anguis?”
I meet his eyes and consider my options. Biting my lip, I say, “No, but I’m not ready to talk about the rest yet.”
He nods and helps me out of the temple. The others grumble at my silence, but they respect it, which is good, because I don’t know how to explain that I saw a vision of me, dressed in pale lilac, walking at the head of the monsters.
I don’t know how to tell them about the crown upon my head.
ChapterTwenty
We encounter more creatures through the rest of our travels, everything from strange reptile beings to things I have no names for. My monsters easily take care of them, and we quickly cross more of the distance, but eventually, we have to camp for the night, all exhausted and needing to rest.
Grimus builds a fire large enough to keep the smaller creatures away, and they all decide on their schedule for who will keep watch. After the temple, they are no longer taking any chances, especially since I seem to have blown magic far and wide, summoning all the monsters like a beacon.
I don’t even know how I did it, but my mind keeps drifting back to the red diamond and the visions it gave me.
The past and the possible future.
I take a seat near the fire, warming up, even as Nero curls around me, offering his coils for both warmth and rest. He’s always near, always conscious of my comfort and making sure I’m okay. Of all my monsters, he’s the most caring, and to think I thought he was going to eat me in the beginning. What would have happened had Grimus not rescued me from him when he did? Would he have even realized who I am? Or what I am?
Do I even know what I am?
“If I have so much magic at my fingertips, does that mean I’m not human?” I ask as I stare into the fire.
The others all pause at my question, turning to look at me.
“I think we can all agree you’re achingly human,” Zetros offers. “But you carry magic within you unlike any human in my memory. When the war happened, the humans wanted the magic we’re born with because any they possessed was muted.” His eyes soften. “But you, you carry magic like a monster.”
My eyes crinkle. “Maybe I’m a monster then,” I joke, thinking it’ll be funny, but too many serious eyes study me. “I’m just teasing.”
“It’s a good question,” Nero muses. “Even more so because none of us know the answer.”
We fall into silence except for the crackle of the fire. While we all think about those words, and the vision of myself in a crown filters through my mind again. Grimus grabs a large stick and begins preparing some sort of creature we encountered earlier in the day for cooking. I hadn’t even realized he’d picked up a few of them. My stomach turns at the sight of the three-legged tree creature and Grimus skinning it, but I know I’ll eat it. Growing up in the Shadow Lands, I didn’t know where my next meal would come from. It was best to eat whatever crossed my path.
As time moves on, the conversation picks up again. Zetros and Bracken are laughing about something. Grimus says something to Nero that makes him snort and shake his head. Grimus grins at him and bumps him with his elbow, as if they are friends.
“Look at them,” the orc king murmurs.
I jump, not realizing how close he’s sitting to me. He doesn’t join in the joking and conversation. Instead, he sits beside me and watches them.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
He gestured to them, at the way Zetros suddenly throws back his head and laughs at something Bracken says. “You did this—you brought them together like this.”
“I don’t know about that…”
The orc king leans closer. “They have spent years killing each other, fighting, and holding their territories like beasts, and now one little human has stopped that.” He meets my eyes, and I realize, for the first time, just how beautiful his are. They are the color of beaten steel, shining brightly beneath the flames. “You are more powerful than you know, Cora. All humans are, but you are something different. That’s what scares the monsters so much and why they kill them like they should have killed the king.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I ask, staring into his eyes. “You don’t even like me.”
He tilts his head. “Now what exactly gave you that impression, little human?”
