“Well, then.”
She walked resolutely toward the path, flower petals drifting down into her hair as she passed. Ducking beneath the last of the branches, she found herself standing on a white sand beach, a cerulean colored sea spread out before her. A warm breeze blew her hair across her face, as she walked down to the water's edge.
“There you are, lovey. I was wondering when you would make it down here.”
“Indeed, your mother and I have been quite anxious waiting for you.”
Tears pricked at Josselyn's eyes as she turned around, falling into her parents' arms. They held her close, letting her cry. When all of her tears had run their course, her mother held her out at arms length, looking her over with loving pride. Her father smiled benevolently, his arm wrapped around his wife's waist.
“Oh, lovey, what a strong, young woman you've turned out to be.” She ran a hand over Josselyn's hair. “And such a beautiful one at that.”
“I've missed you, so much, Mama.”
“And I you, my love.”
Her father cleared his throat, his eyes a touch misty as he added, “But that isn't why you're here today, is it? I believe there's someone waiting to officially meet you.”
And as Josselyn watched, the water before them rose in one, huge wave, making a terrifying wall of water that would wash them all away should it collapse. An opening formed at the base of the wave and a beautiful door made of translucent, green sea glass materialized within the space.
“Go on then, sweetheart. Be the queen I've always known you could be.”
Her father patted her shoulder and stepped back, allowing her mother to wrap her in one last embrace. “You can do anything you set your mind to, lovey. I believe in you.” And with a final kiss pressed against Josselyn's forehead, her mother stepped back with her father, nodding toward the glass door.
“She's waiting for you.”
Wiping her face quickly, Josselyn gave them a tremulous smile. “Wish me luck.” And with that, she stepped forward and opened the final door.
Chapter Twenty-Six
A light mist spritzed over Josselyn's face as she stepped through the doorway, the sound of rushing water blending with a symphony of cicadas, birds, and the occasional howler monkey. She let her eyes soak up the lush greens that surrounded her, from the long, slender leaves of the trees and bushes to the moss covering the damp rocks that she currently stood upon. A series of four small waterfalls to her left joined together to fill a deep pool of water that poured out into a wide creek that split the jungle clearing in two halves. A single, fallen tree bridged the gap between her and the other side.
“What is this place?”
She turned in a slow circle, awestruck by the natural beauty.
“My home.”
A low, feminine voice filled her mind, the same one she'd once heard in the castle gardens, warning her about the prince's necklace, and then again in the forest, when it urged her to fight. Looking around for the source of the voice, her breath caught in her throat as a huge, black cat slunk out from the bushes on the opposite side of the creek. A feeling of wonder washed over her as she watched the beast move gracefully across the mossy rocks and onto the fallen tree.
“Kella,” she breathed, reaching her hand out as the beast approached. The cat looked back at her with solemn, yellow eyes. Her head came all the way up to Josselyn's chest, even as she stood on all fours. Muscles rippled beneath her sleek fur, oozing power. Her chest rumbled with a low purring sound, and she leaned her head into Josselyn's outstretched hand.
“You came,” she said, projecting the words into Josselyn's head.
Josselyn ran her hand up over Kella's head, stroking the fur behind her large, tufted ears before sliding down the cat's neck and leaning in so that their foreheads pressed together.
“I had a little help.” Her lips quirked upward into a slight grin, as Kella's chest rumbled with something akin to laughter. “Okay, I had a lot of help, but I'm here, and that's what matters.”
She pulled back a bit, giving Kella a serious look. “I've been trying to reach you, to call you out, but it never seemed to work.”
“I know. I could hear your voice, but the words were muffled, absorbed in some sort of barrier that was keeping me from reaching you. I was only able to break through with Luxeos' assistance.”
Josselyn wandered over to the edge of the pool, focusing on the churning water at the bottom of the falls. “I wondered... I wondered if maybe you were displeased with me... that I wasn't the warrior you'd been hoping for.” She wrapped her arms around her waist. “I've always prided myself on being strong, but I'm not... I'm weak. And then Luxeos shows up and tells me I'm descended from some ancient Shendri warrior who helped to unite the kingdoms in the fight against some crazy demigod? What a let down I must be for you.”
Kella huffed, dropping down onto the ground beside Josselyn and pressing her considerable weight against her legs. Josselyn's fingers reached down to trail along the cat's silky fur, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do.
“Shendri, please. Did you or did you not free yourself from that guard in the castle, allowing you to escape through the kitchens?”
Josselyn lifted a shoulder in a shrug but didn't respond. Kella pressed on. “And that night, in the forest, when you were running away. Didn't you stop and face your attacker, defeating him soundly, I might add?”
Josselyn's hand stilled as she thought back to that night.
“And when
