Epilogue

Evangeline stumbled through the woods knocking into trees and tripping over vines. She winced as her joints and muscles all cried in protest, but she refused to stop moving. Someone could be just seconds behind her and one pause would doom her. She pushed faster over the dirt and grass, risking a glance over her shoulder. As she did, an exposed root caught her foot and Evangeline crashed face first into the ground. She spat dirt out of her mouth as her lungs burned from the fall. She gasped and attempted to steady her trembling legs to stand up. The ground felt nice though. It felt safe and secure. Evangeline rested her head on a patch of grass and closed her burning eyes. Sleep, that's what she needed, sleep. The gentle rustling of leaves and sounds of wildlife served as a rhythm rocking Evangeline to peace. Maybe when she woke up her body would be more useful, her head wouldn't be pounding, and her lungs wouldn't struggle to draw breath.

A loud snap of a stick brought Evangeline up off the ground in a frenzy. She stumbled backwards into a tree panting and heaving. The sky was black and a cool breeze was whispering through the trees. It was night. The moon glowed happily above her but the light was minimal at best. Her eyes scoured the darkness for what had made the noise that alerted her. Off in the distance she saw a light bobbing and flickering, moving closer to her. It was fire of some kind. A candle or lantern perhaps. She crouched behind the tree and watched as the figure pushed through a bush and stopped 6 feet away from her.

"Come out Evangeline," he called. His voice was smooth and melodic like the steady flame he carried. "I know you're here, I can see you."

It's a trick, Evangeline thought. The man waited a few more seconds before sighing and approaching the tree. He stopped in front of it. Damn, she sighed.

Evangeline stepped around the tree to stand face to face with the stranger. The light of his candle shadowed his face from her but she couldn't sense any weapons on him. Whoever he was, he was pretty stupid. "Who are you?" She asked. "How do you know me?"

The man chuckled. "I know everyone my dear. It's my curse." He extended his arm to which Evangeline jumped away quickly. He laughed again. "No, I'm not here to hurt you. Just look at my arm Evangeline." She waited a few seconds more then stepped closer. In the light of the candle she could see the fleshy color of his skin, the purple bruise on his arm, and the dark color of his veins.

"You're Red," she said. "You're like Mare and my sister. You have some power don't you?"

He nodded. "Yes. I can see the future. It is moreso a curse than anything."

Evangeline's heart jumped. "So you know what's going to happen to my sister!" She grabbed onto him excitedly, but he moved back.

"I do, but I can't tell you. It's not safe."

Evangeline's stomach turned. "What do you mean? Tell me!"

He shook his head. "I can't. The future is a very volatile thing. I can only guide you to the path, but it's up to you to make the decisions that alter it. Which is why I'm here now." He took a step away from Evangeline and surveyed the area. "We're safe. No one has followed you." He lowered his candle and she could see his face. Pale and unassuming, much like his voice. "The Scarlet Guard is going to fail in their mission unless they get a key player on their team."

Evangeline watched him dubiously. "They're a strong, secret, and smart organization; how could they possibly fail?"

"Well they just lost one of their best reconnaissance officers, and Maven Calore took their symbol of freedom and your sister captive a few hours ago."

Evangeline lunged at the man and grabbed him by his shirt. "What?! He took my sister! I asked if she was okay and you lied!"

The man remained calm under her grasp. "You asked if she would be okay. And that is what I can't say. But she is not okay right now, she needs help. So does Mare Barrow. The only way they are going to get any help is if the Guard gets back on their feet. And to do that they need your help."

Evangeline released him and rubbed her hands furiously through her hair. "What do you mean? What can I do?"

"You need to find a Newblood named Cameron Cole. She is the key to the guard's survival, and your sister's. Find her."

"Why are you asking me?" Evangeline asked. "I'm no hero, I'm a coward. I alienated my sister, killed my friend, and ran from the consequences." Her stomach twisted again and Evangeline felt hot bile in her throat. She leaned over and vomited on the grass. It was nothing but bile and sparkling Silver blood.

"Evangeline," the man said, "you are looking for redemption for your mistakes right?" She nodded. "This is your chance. Find Cameron Cole, save your sister, help the Scarlet Guard, and maybe you'll find what you're looking for."

"If I'm going to trust you," Evangeline spat, "I need to know one thing." The man nodded for her to ask. "What's your name?"

"Jon."

She scoffed. "Yeah that's not made up at all."

"That is my name. I would never lie."

"Fine. Where do I find this Cameron girl?"

"I can't tell you where she is now, but I can tell you that she's looking for her brother. He is a child soldier."

Evangeline rubbed her head some more. The headache was back. "So find the brother and I'll find her. Great got it. I don't even know where I am, but sure I can find two people I've never heard of before."

Jon laughed and turned to leave. His candle flickered in the breeze as he walked into the brush. "Oh, you might want to hurry Evangeline!" He called.

"Why?" She scoffed. "Do I have a time limit for this already impossible mission?"

Jon's figure shrugged. "Perhaps. You're weak, vomiting, plagued by soreness and headaches right?" His voice was fading into the darkness.

"Yeah so?" Evangeline called as she followed him to the edge of the thicket.

"Well my dear," his voice drifted back to her by the wind, "you appear to be afflicted with silent stone poisoning. You'll probably be dead in a week or two. I do hope you find Cameron in time."

Well this is it! The end of book 2! I hope you all have enjoyed this journey, I truly enjoyed spending more time with Evangeline in this book. Book 3 is probably going to be the most disturbing of the series because I am going to focus not just on Evangeline and her impending death, but also on Maven's torture of Mare and Oliverara. Anyway, stay safe everyone and stay tuned for...

The Queen's Web

Coming soon to a computer near you lol. -RR