One Heart

7. How about both?

Kensie waited for Sorah to fall into a deep sleep before she sat up, not wanting even the slightest of movements to wake her. They'd talked the rest of the morning away, about vampires and their interactions with humans, but about each other most of all.

Orla's death had devastated Sorah—torn her life upside down, though she tried her best to hide it. If only Sorah knew the rest of the pain and heartbreak. 

Only one day she would, she'd know it all as if she'd lived it when she inherited the memories of every queen before her.

Downstairs, Kensie found her father in the study, pouring over information on his computer—information shared between his contacts about Beth's whereabouts.

"Do you really think that was a good idea?" she asked. "Vampires makes sense, but Companions?" She didn't want to overwhelm Sorah so soon. Once she knew about companions, she would begin to ask questions. Why were they created by the gods? What does the term companion mean? 

He smiled, looking up at her over the screen of his laptop. "She needs to know who she is, Kens. Better for her to learn what a Companion is before she finds out she's the Companion Queen."

"Heir," she corrected.

"Yes. For the time being. Although now that she's met you..."

Tightness gripped Kensie's chest. It felt real, the energy between the two of them. It explained so much about her own past—why she could never connect with anyone on an emotional level. And Sorah—it wasn't likely she would gravitate toward Kensie with such intensity if she weren't the one she was destined to be with. Still, the doubt remained. As did the feeling of guilt that never faded. "Perhaps," she said.

"You know it in your heart," he said, stepping around his desk. "Why do you hesitate?"

There were many reasons she didn't deserve such a role.

She needed Sorah more than she'd though possible, but the idea of ruling by her side churned up every thought of failure within her. She remained silent. He understood, without her having to explain it.

"Sorah's your destiny," he said. "And you're hers. And no matter how much you blame yourself for what happened, that's not going to change. It was written long before either of you were born. Long before..."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I know." She gave him a slight nod, before leaving the room.

Without needing to search, she knew the rest of her family were outside. On such a sunny day, it wasn't surprising that Josh and Daniella were in the pool. "Hey Kens," Josh yelled out as he jumped into the water, his hands out flat ready to splash his sister.

They were her refuge—all of them. The rest of the world saw her as cold and detached, but her family, for the most part, knew her. There was so much she didn't share with them, yet they understood all the same.

Maggie was in the shade reading, but she lowered her book as Kensie walked toward her. "How's our dear princess doing?"

"She's asleep." Kensie frowned, taking a seat beside her. She watched Josh and Daniella in the pool for a while, taking comfort in their childish banter. "She's been through so much already," she said, turning to Maggie. "And we're about to turn her entire world upside down."

"Yes, I'd thought the same thing. When it was Orla we were looking for it was easier. She grew up knowing who she was. She knew one day she'd find her Ahein Rah."

Kensie pondered the title, the translation in her people's ancient language to mean of one heart. It was a respected role for the part the Ahein Rah played at the side of the queen. For the part they played in awakening the power within her. But it was never a title she would expect to one day represent.