his, his blue eyes fixed on mine. It was hard to believe that only months ago we were seemingly normal teenagers, me crushing hard on him, him pretending to be normal and not some prince from a different world. And now, he was my fiancé, and my boyfriend was dead.
I swallowed hard, my lip trembling.
“Hey, now,” he said softly. “None of that.” He pulled me in for a tight hug, and I lay my head against his hard chest, letting him hold me. “I know it’s hard, Ana. It won’t always be. You just have to believe that.”
“I know.” I pulled away and wiped at my eyes. “I-I’m trying.”
He looked at me sympathetically, and I forced out a smile at him.
“We should practice. If Tarek found out I came out here and simply enjoyed the scenery, he’d be spitting nails.”
“I’m not worried about anything Tarek has to say,” Kellin grumbled.
“What’s with you two anyway?” I asked, pushing all my sad thoughts away. I felt better when I was distracted.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re both pretty hostile with one another,” I answered, gauging him for a reaction.
“We’ve never gotten along,” Kellin replied, staring out to the lake. “He’s a good fighter. There’s just something about him that’s off. In the years I’ve known Tarek, I’ve never been able to figure it out. It’s just something I feel. Something isn’t right with him.”
“Like how?” I pressed.
“He’s shifty. I can’t explain it. Call it intuition.” Kellin turned to me, his lips set in a hard line. “Plus, I’ve seen the way he looks at you. I don’t like it.”
“Looks at me?” I asked, surprised. “If Tarek is looking at me, it’s only to figure out how best to humiliate me out on the grounds.”
“No, Ana. I saw it in his eyes today. I saw it in the gardens last night. Tarek wants you.”
“You’re being ridiculous,” I scoffed. “He hates me. I don’t even need to ask him to know it. He’s been a jerk since the day we met.”
“I just don’t like it. I don’t like that he’s training you. Maybe I’m just being overprotective of you. But you’re mine, Ana. I want to keep it that way if I can help it.”
“Kellin—” I started, but he shushed me quickly by taking my hand again.
“Let me have that thought, OK? I know you’re not ready, but you will be someday. I’m just going to wait for that day.”
I withdrew the statement I was about to say, agreeing that perhaps, maybe someday, I’d be ready.
“What’s the name of this lake?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Summit Lake,” he murmured, leading me to the edge of it.
It was beautiful and expanded as far as my eyes could see, which was quite far. Since becoming the Oracle, I found that my eyesight was more pronounced, as well as my hearing. “Why is my eyesight so good?”
He chuckled softly. “You’ve always been that way, well, maybe not that way. But you’re a Fae and with that comes certain enhanced attributes. I daresay you’ve always had incredible hearing and vision, but now that you’re the Oracle, things you’ve had before are better. Tell me, Ana, where is the end of the lake?”
“Um.” I looked back out over the glassy surface and could only see endless waters. “I don’t know. All I see is water.”
“No.” He shook his head then came and stood behind me, his fingers touching my face as he directed it toward the lake. “Focus, Ana. You have it in you to see the end. You just need to look for it.”
“I don’t understand,” I said, narrowing my eyes and staring out at what seemed like a giant lake without an end. “I only see water.”
“No, you only see what your brain tells you that you can see. Expand past it.”
I narrowed my eyes again and strained my sight to see where the lake ended but saw nothing. I let out a frustrated sigh.
“I can’t. I’m the worst Fae ever. The worst Oracle ever.”
“Ana,” Kellin’s soft voice tickled my ear.
I closed my eyes as the goosebumps erupted along my skin.
“Close your eyes.”
I did as he instructed, nothing but his heat and the warm breeze surrounding me.
“The lake only seems endless because your mind is still in Earth Realm. You aren’t that girl anymore. You are the Oracle, a Fae. A mighty, warrior princess.”
My lips quirked up in a tiny smile at the mention of me being a warrior princess. I could only imagine myself out on the battlefield