Shadow Heir

A week or so into my gainful employment, Evan surprised me with a daytime visit. He was in his usual jeans and T-shirt but had obviously cleaned up and didn’t have the typical wear and tear from working outdoors.

“Wondered if you wanted to go see some more local sights,” he told me. “There’s a plantation south of here that’s a historic monument.”

I made a face. “Thanks for the offer, but I don’t really like the history of those places. It’s hard for me to get too excited.”

He nodded, his face serious. “The history is ugly, but it’s an amazing piece of architecture. And sometimes ... sometimes it’s good to have a reminder of the evils of the past.”

The comment surprised me. I’d known Evan was neither stupid nor close-minded, but much like with Candace, it was easy to think he was just all laid-back charm. “Okay,” I said. I glared at Candace’s business phone. “Voice mail can take over today.”

We drove deep into the country, about an hour and a half away from Candace’s. The land was beautiful, and deep-rooted trees fought fiercely to maintain their green leaves in otherwise yellow and brown terrain. Evan left the windows open, and I leaned back with eyes closed, enjoying the rush of air over me.

A strange longing suddenly welled up in me, filling my mind with images of desert shrubs and cherry trees in bloom. The Thorn Land and the Rowan Land. How long had it been since I’d been away? Nearly a month? The time seemed both impossibly long and short. The longing within me grew more intense, and in that moment, I would’ve traded anything for my kingdoms. I’d had those lands call to me before and knew this sudden urgency wasn’t coming from them. This was all me, my own body’s withdrawal from the Otherworld. If the lands hadn’t sought me out, then Jasmine’s bonding must be satisfying them. Somehow, that made me feel worse.

“What are you thinking about?” asked Evan. I opened my eyes. “You looked like you were a million miles away.”

“Nearly,” I said with a small smile. “Just feeling a little homesick.”

“I can imagine,” he said. “I’ve traveled a little, but most of my life’s been here. Not sure what I’d do if I was suddenly taken away from it.”

“Do you plan on staying here for the rest of your life?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “I love the land. I love my house. I even love my students. You always hear about teachers who are relieved when school’s out, but me? I miss the kids the whole time. Can’t wait to get back into it.”

“Do you teach the same thing each term?”

“Pretty much.”

“And you don’t get bored?”

“Nope. I love the material. And there are always different kids cycling through, so it’s new to them each time. That’s fun to see.”

I shook my head in awe. “That’s kind of amazing.”

“What, that I like kids?”

I laughed. “No, no. That you’re so content with your life. I don’t think that’s very common.”

He shrugged. “When you’ve got everything you need, why complicate it? I mean sure, I’d like a family someday, but other than that, I’ve got a lot of good things going on. People get too caught up in what they don’t have and get bogged down as a result. There’s joy in the present. It’s important to just make the most of these moments we have. Keep an eye on the future, but don’t forget to enjoy now.”

His eyes held mine for a brief moment before returning back to the road ahead. Evan had never made any romantic overtures toward me or behaved in any way that wasn’t gentlemanly. That was fine by me. I liked him a lot, but after everything I’d gone through, I was in no way ready to get involved in a new relationship. Nonetheless, I’d gotten the vibe for a while that he wouldn’t be opposed to something more developing between us. As his words had just confirmed, though, I’d also gotten the impression that he was more than willing to be patient. He really was content with what we had now.

And that was what was remarkable about him. He was content, at peace with what he had. He wasn’t a slacker by any means, but there was none of that burning ambition to shape the world, as I’d experienced too often with Dorian and Kiyo. There were no greater machinations here, just a simple love of life. Things were uncomplicated around Evan, and it occurred to me that maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. Complicated had been my operating procedure for so long that I’d never given much thought to living without it. Would it be so terrible to let go of Otherworldly politics and prophecies? Maybe it would be good for me—and my children—to live around people who simply loved unconditionally.