Richelle Mead - Shadow Heir

We were in the Rowan Land.

My eyes had a difficult time believing it, but my heart knew. I sank to my knees and rested my palms flat on the ground. There it was, the hum of energy that sang within the land of every kingdom, the energy that made up the bond we shared. It screamed out to me for help ... and at the same time, it felt muted. It was like someone beating on glass, desperate to get out but unable to break the barrier. I couldn’t break it either and understood more than ever why I hadn’t known about the lands’ distress while in the human world. The land hadn’t been able to fully reach me.

Roland touched my shoulder. “Eugenie, come on. We shouldn’t stay out here any longer than we have to.”

I knew he was right and reluctantly got back on my feet, surprised to feel myself shaking all over. I suspected it was as much from shock as from the cold.

“I didn’t expect this,” I said as I began following him down the road. “I mean, visually, yes. Each time you described the blight, I kept picturing this documentary I once saw about Antarctica. This isn’t far off, except with less penguins. What I didn’t expect was how the land felt. This cold, or rather the magic that’s causing it, goes all the way to the land’s core. Until now, I thought only I could reach that deep.”

“If you’re able to reach that far, were you able to get any sense if you could undo the magic?”

“Not just then, no. It seemed like the magic was entrapping the land, and there was nothing I could do to break through.” I saw Roland frown but didn’t know if that was in disappointment or because of his inability to fully comprehend gentry magic. “Maybe in time, I could find a way.”

I wasn’t so sure, however. I had to imagine the other monarchs had experienced the same sensations I had, and if they hadn’t been able to find a way to crack the enchantment after all this time, it seemed unlikely I’d be able to either.

After a little traveling on the road, the land shifted, and we found ourselves in a different kingdom. I knew instantly that it wasn’t mine and was almost relieved to be free of the Rowan Land’s pleading. Without that innate connection, though, I couldn’t readily identify where we were. It took the sight of some massive oaks in the distance, their leafless branches burdened by snow, to tip me off.

“The Oak Land,” I murmured. Dorian’s kingdom. Even though I knew he’d been affected, it was still incredible to see the reality. Many of the other kingdoms around here had changed since I became a frequent visitor, but the red-hued, perpetual autumn of his realm had remained constant. It was unreal to see a land that had once flourished in vivid color, now so barren and stark.

“Do you want to see Dorian?” asked Roland.

“No,” I said, even though I kind of did. “We’ll stick to the original plan and check in with the Thorn Land first. I need to see my own people.”

Another shifting of the road took us back to the Rowan Land, and still another took us into the Willow Land. I cringed, expecting an ambush, but the world around us remained frozen and silent. The only change was that in addition to the wind that had been constantly blowing, snow now began falling as well. It stung our faces and eyes and continued when we made our next crossing, into the Thorn Land.

Although the land had its own unique feel, its cry for freedom matched that of my other kingdom. I stared around, watching the snow fall, unable to believe that this landscape had once been a mirror of Tucson.

“We’ve got to go off the road now to reach the castle,” I said. “Usually there’s a smaller road or at least a path that splits away, but if there’s anything like that ...” I shook my head at the drifts, unable to differentiate one from another. “Well. It’s buried.”

Roland eyed the snow, which was as high as three feet in some places, depending on how the wind had blown it. The visible parts of his face were red, and I knew he was as cold as me. “This is going to be fun to walk through. You’re sure you know where you’re going?”

“Yeah. I can feel where everything is around here, and the castle’s that way.” I hesitated before continuing. “You probably won’t like this, but I can make things a little easier.”

The blight’s enchantment was too powerful and all-encompassing for me to break or affect on a large scale with my weather magic, but I still had some control over the individual elements. The blight’s greater spell had been to simply lay wintry weather on the land. Once in place, that weather behaved like any other. I summoned my magic to me, gathering the air and already gusting wind. Directing it forward, I made the air blast into the snow ahead of us, serving as a magical snow blower to create a more accessible path. Roland scowled but didn’t protest. He knew as well as I did that we’d be out here all day if we had to trudge through this mess unaided.

Still, it took us a few hours to reach our destination, and by that point, I could barely feel my limbs. I kept telling my legs to move forward and took it on faith that they’d obey. I was also just exhausted. Even with magical help, we still had to walk through some snow, and I was a long way from being in my former physical shape. Roland, judging from his heavy breathing beside me, was fighting hard too.

The Thorn Land’s blocky fortress of a castle came into sight when we were still a good distance from it. The terrain’s basic features had remained under the blight, and the land was relatively flat here, making the black stone building show up in high contrast against the snow. We were close enough to be in range of patrolling guards, and one of them soon rode up to us, demanding to know who we were.

“Me,” I said, braving the cold to remove my hat and scarf.

It took several moments of staring before his face registered recognition. Even then, it was easy to tell he didn’t believe what he saw. “Y-Your Majesty? Is it really you?”

“The same,” I said, bundling back up. “Just a little colder.”

The guard turned and yelled something. Moments later, another scout rode up and shared his colleague’s shock and amazement. “Ride back and tell them she’s here,” said the first guard. He dismounted and offered his horse to Roland and me. “Go on and get warm. I’ll follow on foot.”

I started to protest, but the guard was dressed warmly and had probably become more used to this weather than we were. I thanked him and mounted the horse with Roland. My body remembered how to do it without difficulty, and I was again pleased to be regaining my former agility. The horse moved slower with two, but our speed was much better than if we’d been on foot. The guard who’d ridden ahead had long since beaten us, so we found a crowd waiting for us at the castle’s entrance.

I climbed down from the horse ungracefully—reminding me I shouldn’t be quite so cocky yet about my improved athleticism. The clumsy move made me look like an undignified queen, but it was clear none of that mattered once the people caught sight of my face. I heard awed gasps, and one by one, they began falling to their knees in the snow with murmurs of “Your Majesty.” I’d never been entirely comfortable with these shows of loyalty in the best conditions, let alone snowy and frigid ones. I was about to urge them to get up when I noticed one person still standing.

“Jasmine!” I exclaimed, rushing forward.

My sister stood wrapped in a fur-lined cloak, her face pale. It flooded with relief when I caught her in a big hug. She returned it with more fierceness than I would’ve expected, considering we weren’t usually so touchy-feely. “Thank God you’re back,” she said into my shoulder. “Now we can fix all this.”