another word I suddenly got a chill, a dark sense of foreboding. I looked at Michael and saw the same realization in his widening eyes.
::Princess, do you think this has to do with what King Rhys told you earlier?::
I inhaled sharply.
“There is a prophecy,” Kieran said, confirming what Michael and I were thinking. “It was revealed last week, on the very day Princess Nikki turned sixteen. At the time, it wasn’t known what it meant or who specifically it pertained to, but now it’s very clear to the council.”
“And what does this prophecy say?” my father asked sharply.
Kieran’s blue eyes tracked back to me. “That your daughter, the first Darkling born in a thousand years, will single-handedly destroy us all.”
6
Rhys had been right, after all. He wasn’t lying. There was a prophecy about me.
And it was a really sucky one.
“That’s completely crazy,” was the first thing I said after I found my voice again. “I’m going to destroy everyone? That doesn’t even make sense.”
Kieran’s intense gaze didn’t waver. “That is what the prophecy says.”
“I don’t care what it says. It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”
“I agree,” my father said.
I stared at him. “You do?”
He nodded, and looked at Kieran. “Who related this prophecy?”
“The official palace oracle. One who has relayed prophecies for a hundred years to my mother and to her mother before her. He has never been wrong before and certainly never about something so specific or catastrophic.”
“Well, your oracle is wrong now.” My father dismissed him without missing a beat. “It’s clear to me this must be a false prophecy based on a thousand years of rumors and lies about Darklings.”
“Your opinion is noted, of course, Your Majesty,” Kieran said thinly. “But I’m afraid your objectivity in this matter is at question.”
My father ignored him and placed his hand gently against the side of my flushed face. “There is no part of you that is destructive, Nikki. I know that. You are so much like your mother, and she is a beautiful and truly good woman. She’d never hurt a fly.”
I nodded in full agreement. “She takes spiders outside in glass jars so she doesn’t have to kill them.”
He smiled and rested his hand protectively on my arm. “I don’t doubt it for a moment.”
I relaxed ever so slightly. He didn’t believe the prophecy, so of course I didn’t have to freak out about it. This was a major relief.
“Prophecies are taken very seriously by the council,” Kieran said. He leaned casually against the edge of the large black table.
“And what does the council propose to do about this?” my father asked evenly.
“That remains to be seen, based on my report,” he said. “It’s likely the next step will be for the princess to be presented to the council in person, and a decision will then be made regarding what to do about her.”
“That’s not going to happen.” My father kept his hand on my arm, as if shielding me from the prince. “You insisted you tell us this news in person. I now see that wasn’t entirely necessary, was it?”
“There are procedures to be followed,” Kieran said. “It’s a rule that information of this level must be given face-to-face.”
My father hissed out a breath, betraying the annoyance he’d been trying to hide until now. “You have delivered this news. I respectfully request that you leave my kingdom.”
“But there’s much more to discuss,” Kieran protested. “This is a highly volatile situation and one that needs to be handled immediately. A prophecy like this can’t simply be ignored. I need to ask the princess more questions about her intentions.”
“No. You’ve had your say. You’ve gauged our reactions. Now it’s time for you to leave. If there is anything else you wish to discuss, you may contact me by gazer.”
His hand began to glow with red light and he waved it toward the door, which turned from
::Princess, do you think this has to do with what King Rhys told you earlier?::
I inhaled sharply.
“There is a prophecy,” Kieran said, confirming what Michael and I were thinking. “It was revealed last week, on the very day Princess Nikki turned sixteen. At the time, it wasn’t known what it meant or who specifically it pertained to, but now it’s very clear to the council.”
“And what does this prophecy say?” my father asked sharply.
Kieran’s blue eyes tracked back to me. “That your daughter, the first Darkling born in a thousand years, will single-handedly destroy us all.”
6
Rhys had been right, after all. He wasn’t lying. There was a prophecy about me.
And it was a really sucky one.
“That’s completely crazy,” was the first thing I said after I found my voice again. “I’m going to destroy everyone? That doesn’t even make sense.”
Kieran’s intense gaze didn’t waver. “That is what the prophecy says.”
“I don’t care what it says. It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”
“I agree,” my father said.
I stared at him. “You do?”
He nodded, and looked at Kieran. “Who related this prophecy?”
“The official palace oracle. One who has relayed prophecies for a hundred years to my mother and to her mother before her. He has never been wrong before and certainly never about something so specific or catastrophic.”
“Well, your oracle is wrong now.” My father dismissed him without missing a beat. “It’s clear to me this must be a false prophecy based on a thousand years of rumors and lies about Darklings.”
“Your opinion is noted, of course, Your Majesty,” Kieran said thinly. “But I’m afraid your objectivity in this matter is at question.”
My father ignored him and placed his hand gently against the side of my flushed face. “There is no part of you that is destructive, Nikki. I know that. You are so much like your mother, and she is a beautiful and truly good woman. She’d never hurt a fly.”
I nodded in full agreement. “She takes spiders outside in glass jars so she doesn’t have to kill them.”
He smiled and rested his hand protectively on my arm. “I don’t doubt it for a moment.”
I relaxed ever so slightly. He didn’t believe the prophecy, so of course I didn’t have to freak out about it. This was a major relief.
“Prophecies are taken very seriously by the council,” Kieran said. He leaned casually against the edge of the large black table.
“And what does the council propose to do about this?” my father asked evenly.
“That remains to be seen, based on my report,” he said. “It’s likely the next step will be for the princess to be presented to the council in person, and a decision will then be made regarding what to do about her.”
“That’s not going to happen.” My father kept his hand on my arm, as if shielding me from the prince. “You insisted you tell us this news in person. I now see that wasn’t entirely necessary, was it?”
“There are procedures to be followed,” Kieran said. “It’s a rule that information of this level must be given face-to-face.”
My father hissed out a breath, betraying the annoyance he’d been trying to hide until now. “You have delivered this news. I respectfully request that you leave my kingdom.”
“But there’s much more to discuss,” Kieran protested. “This is a highly volatile situation and one that needs to be handled immediately. A prophecy like this can’t simply be ignored. I need to ask the princess more questions about her intentions.”
“No. You’ve had your say. You’ve gauged our reactions. Now it’s time for you to leave. If there is anything else you wish to discuss, you may contact me by gazer.”
His hand began to glow with red light and he waved it toward the door, which turned from
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