Shattered Heart (Red Queen)

Chapter Thirty-Five

•Cal POV•
I left her. I left her to die in the woods. She sacrificed herself so I could save Norta. So that I could live to fight again.
When the sun begins to set, I slow to a stop and rest against a tree. I slide to the ground and catch my breath. Everything that happened today comes crashing back to me and I suddenly feel sick. I reach up to wipe the sweat off my forehead but freeze when I see my blood-stained hands. Mare's blood. I feel dizzy and cold, like the world was swept away from under my feet.
I want to go back for her. My heart yearns for Mare, but I know that the only way to save her is to build an army. I will tear apart the whole world to free her from Carac. She will not die and she will not be his prisoner.
       Darkness wraps around me and sleep calls my name. I close my eyes and dream of death and darkness.
Mare is standing on a hill, facing an entire army alone. I scream her name and she turns slowly. She smiles at me and tells me she loves me. I try to run to her but my body betrays me and I cannot move. Carac approaches her, sword in hand.
"Mare, watch out!" I yell.
She still stares at me, as if she didn't hear me. Carac raises his sword, ready to deliver a killing blow. He shoves the sword down and it pierces her body, straight through her heart.
"NOOO!" I scream and fight with all of my strength to run to her.
Carac pulls the sword out of her body and blood blooms at her chest. Mare looks down and touches her shirt. Her hand comes away wet with blood and her eyes widen. She starts to shake and coughs up blood. Her body falls to the ground and something breaks inside of me. I am finally able to run to her and I collapse by her side.
I gather her limp body in my arms and scream her name. Tears pour down my face as I hold her close. Gone. She's gone. I have nothing left anymore.
She suddenly opens her eyes and grabs my shirt. She pulls me down to her face and her nails dig into my skin.
"You did this. You left me in that forest to die. Carac found me and he will kill me and all of Norta on a battlefield of death. You must stop him, or this will be my fate. Do not let this come to pass."
After she speaks, her eyes close once again and she fades away from my arms. I look around and notice the thousands of bodies around me. So many dead. So many people that I could not save.
      One body stands out among the rest. The second I look upon his face, I cry out. Maven. My little brother, dead, because I could not stop Carac. No, this is a dream. I can stop Carac. He will not take Mare or Maven from me. Despite everything he's done, I still love him with my whole heart. 
       I finally wake up from my nightmare. I run my hands through my hair and sigh. Was my dream a glimpse of the future or just a bad dream?
"Oh, I can assure you Prince Tiberias Calore, what you saw was the future before you," a voice from the woods behind me says.
I whirl, my hands ignited with fire, ready to burn the threat lurking in the shadows. An old man with a matted beard and hair stares me down. Even in the shade of the trees, I can see the dirt on his skin and ragged clothes. Who is this man?
       "Who are you, and how did you find me?" I demand, not lowering my hands.
      He takes a small step forward and my flames grow bigger. The man shakes his head and chuckles.
       "I am no threat to you, your highness," he says in a rough voice that used to hold authority.
       "I'll decide that when you tell me who you are," I counter.
      He bows his head and says, "You have changed since I last saw you. The king in you has taken over for the young, foolish prince you used to be."
"Who. Are. You?" I growl. I do not have time for this old man's games.
He closes his eyes and mutters, "A king indeed." His eyes open again and he finally answers my questions. "I knew your mother long ago. Back when you were only a child and the world was not on the edge of destruction."
"My mother? You knew her?" I question.
He nods. "I miss her dearly. We parted ways before she died and I blamed myself for her death."
"Why? She died because of-"I begin but he cuts me off with a wave of his hand.
"I know what happened, boy. But I blamed myself because because I could have prevented it."
I let the flames in my hand burn out and take a step closer to him. "You're an Eye from House Eagrie, aren't you? You can see the future."
"Yes, I used to be from House Eagrie until I ran from Norta. I ended up here in the Lakelands, far away from the terrors of your kingdom," he tells me.
"You blame yourself," I say, suddenly understanding, "because you could have prevented my mother's death if you had stayed."
A subtle tilt of his head is his only reply.
"It was you, wasn't it? You sent that horrible nightmare into my dreams. But how?"
"Very good, Prince. I was able to do that because I am not an ordinary Eye. Normal Eyes can only see a few second in the future, but I can see years. I also can project the future into others, like I did with you. And that's why I ran from Norta. People wanted my power, but i would not become a slave," he explains.
"Then you know that if I don't get back to Norta, Mare and Maven and everyone else will die," I say, suddenly in a hurry to get out of here.
"Yes, and there is something else you need to know," he says in a rushed tone. "Mare is the key to everything. Find her and tell her tha-"
A thump sound comes from the old man's chest and I look down to see an arrow head protruding from his heart.