Almost an hour after Kara had left, I broke out of my daze hearing a knock at the door. 

“Who is it?” I called out

“It’s Reli, Miz Shana,” she answered with her small cute voice, “Lady Kara wanted to see us.” Oh yeah, she did mention that didn’t she? I sighed and rolled out of bed. Gabby had been holding me since Kara left, and she seemed almost reluctant to let me go. She didn’t know what had me in my stupor, and partly blamed Kara for it, I just let her think that. I didn’t feel like explaining things at the time, and I knew she’d get over it. As jealous as Gabby can be, she’s gotten used to Kara and mine’s relationship, well whatever our relationship was. Actually I think Gabby started to like her too, or maybe that was just my own wishful thinking. Regardless, she respected what we had, even if I didn’t know what that thing was.

“I’m coming,” I grumbled a bit loudly, and Reli made a squeaking noise. Shit, didn’t mean to scare the kid. I opened the door and saw my sweet little buddy standing there with her wide watery hazel eyes. “Aw, hey kiddo you’re not still worried about me are ya?” I grabbed her hand and squeezed it, “come on, lighten up will ya? I’m fine.”

“If you say so Miz Shana.” She sniffled a bit then smiled at me, squeezing my hand back.

“Right, then let’s get going, can’t leave Kara waiting too long right?”

We walked the halls together, Reli holding onto my hand still, till we found our way to the throne room, where we met with Kara, in the company of a mysterious girl. I leered at her, scrutinizing her odd appearance.

She was tiny, Reli looked like a bodybuilder in comparison to this girl. She wore a gray and black striped wool scarf around her face, covering her mouth and ears. It made me feel hot just looking at it. Her hooded jacket was made of a fabric I didn’t recognize, and she wore the oddest shaped hat that kind of reminded me of a cake with the way the colors were layered on it. She must have noticed me staring at her, because she shifted uncomfortably beneath my gaze.

”My darling Shana and Reli, this is my old friend the Wanderer Vox, and he has news,” Kara introduced the boy. Wait, waiiiiit, he? A boy? But he was so cute!

This Wanderer cleared his throat, “Yes, it’s regarding a successor,” he began, “she has been found in the second ring, she’s due for execution in three days.”

“And this is good news?” I asked bluntly.

“Well not the execution part, but the fact that she’d been found,” he answered nervously, “you see, I knew the River had found a witch, but I didn’t quite know where she was, but now we do. So like, you know?”

“Come now my darling, you are the voice crying out in the desert, why so shy now?”

“Well geez Kara, it is not every day you see the kids of your best friends all grown up.” 

“Children of your best friends?” Looking him over again, there was no way this boy was old enough to know either of my parents, that was for certain.

“It’s not important,” he coughed, “what is important is, well, rescuing her.”

Yeah so eloquently put 'Voice in the Desert’, my eyes rolled. “Okay cutiepie Vocks or whatever your name is. How do you know this?”

“Shana, don’t you recognize his name? He’s the prophet.” Reli told me.

I was even more lost now, Prophet? What the hell kind of prophet could this guy be?

“The Messenger of the valley, the Voice in the desert, the Crier of Barbello, the Witch Queen’s Proclaimer,” Reli listed off names. 

That name I know! I thought, This couldn’t be that bastard could it? I looked at him more intently than before, staring hard as if I could see through his thinly veiled disguise. The man from legend certainly had golden hair and was said to look as though he were a young man with the wisdom of some geezer, but like this boy looks like a girl. Actually I wasn’t still convinced he was a boy, maybe a shifter like Josie? Reli had to be wrong, there was no possible way this young, albeit odd, boy could be the same person. He’d have to be almost twice the age he looked like.

“We have strayed off topic, the girl, the successor, that is, she is being imprisoned in the town of Lus Kento,” he said, waving his hands all over the place, “reports are saying she’ll be hung soon, like very soon!”

“So what is a successor anyways?” I asked, having definitely heard the word before.

“Oh Shana, do you jest?” Kara laughed lightly, “you, Reli, and I. We are the successors. Have we not explained this?” 

“Heh?” I cocked my head and shrugged.

“Bearers of the Witch Queen’s familiars,” Reli explained. 

“Oh, that’s what that means!” I said, eliciting a long exasperated sigh from Gabby.

“Yes, it is true, those who bear the carta inherited from the Witch Queen are said to be her successor,” Gentle appeared as she explained, “of the many thousand witches and familiars, only seven could be so fortunate.” 

“Yeah, duh,” I said, with an admittedly attempt to play it off, “I know that much.”

“She seems to have inherited her mother’s beauty, but her fathers lack of wit,” the Wanderer sighed.

“I heard that weirdo!” I snapped at him, “And what do you know of my parents!” 

“I’m sorry, forget I said anything,” he turned his face away.

I stepped forward, holding my bicep as I wound up my arm, “No way am I letting a remark like that go! Tell me before I knock your head off!” 

“Shana my darling, please don’t be so rough with my little guest,” Kara pleaded, stepping between us, “I don’t want you getting any blood on my good pillows.” The boy made a loud sigh and drooped his head down.

“Well he better start talking,” I stood resolute, and continued to give him my most cold and deadly glare.

“It’s as I said, I knew your mother,” he said softly, “and she was a wonderful lady, who was strong, smart, and resourceful. And your father was humorous, rowdy and tough.”

“How the hell could you know my mother? She died when I was eight!” I objected.

“Wasn’t that only like ten years ago Miz Shana?”

“Umm that’s twenty I think dear, remember?” Michael corrected her. 

The boy looked at me, and turned his head once more, “I know, I was there.”

My eyes grew wide, and my mouth quivered. I clenched my fist and prepared a punch, before relaxing my hand, “Only two men were there that day, my father and the Grand Inquisitor!” 

“I can assure you that I am neither, your memory must be fuzzy, you were young so it makes sense,” he said. 

“You think I’m going to forget the day I watched my mother burn at the stake!” 

“How did you escape?” he asked.

I stopped and stared blankly, blinking, dumbfounded once more, “escape?”

“Yes, the city was besieged, the witches were burned, and then the surviving citizens were also hanged for harboring the ‘criminals’. Yet both you and your father escaped.”

I thought hard, back to a day I did not want to remember, back to the day I couldn’t forget.

Just a child, weak and helpless I stood crying for my mother, as my father wrapped his body around me. He told me not to look, but I couldn’t look away. And then a great blaze erupted, before the world went black. I woke just briefly, my father’s unconscious body pinned me to the ground. Three inquisitors approached us, their dark emotionless masked faces leering down on us. The glass eye guards, the filtered breathing tubes, the sound of the muffled voices haunted me.

”Thank...goddess...child,” all I could remember hearing them say before I also blacked again. When I came to, I was in a wagon, my father still out cold lying next to me. Driving was a youngish man, and next to him a child. I tugged on my father, trying to rouse him from his sleep, but it was no good. Frightened, I curled in the corner by his feet. The boy must have noticed because he spoke out, “Don't worry little Shana, we are going to bring you somewhere safe, where you will be free, at least for now.” His words did not comfort me, despite his best attempts I continued to cry. “Sweet little Shana, you should know that your mother is still with you, and she always will be,” he attempted to ease my sadness, “look inside your pocket, there’s a gift from your mother.”  I didn’t trust the boy, but I reached into my pocket anyway. I pulled out a card, with the image of a strange creature on it, and foreign writing. “When the time is right, you will use that Carta, and you will make your mother proud.” I grasped the card in my arms and held it tight, wailing uncontrollably.

“Were you in the wagon that brought us away?” I asked the Wanderer

“I was,” he confirmed. I wiped a tear from my cheek and took a step back. “I was right though,” he said, “you will make your mother proud with that carta.”

“I would like to believe she already has,” Gabby stated, wrapping her arms around me as she took form, “my Shana has become quite the admirable lady.”

“No,” I said, “I have done nothing but help myself,” I pried myself from Gabby’s arms and began walking towards the door. “I don’t got it in me to fight for others, not really. I… I just can’t do it.”

“This is your opportunity Shana MacArthur,” the Wanderer called out, “you can start to use your power for others, I know it is in your heart.”

“What do you know about my heart?” 

“I know that Gabby would have never chosen you had she not sensed greatness in you. You have the potential to move mountains, Shana, you’re a successor for a reason.” He must have followed me because he was now standing in front of me.

“Your eros is pretty strong, that means you got a lotta love in your heart. I believe deep down you want to use your power to do what’s right.” He delivered his cheesy line with the cutest smile. I wanted to groan, to scoff at him and walk away. But I didn’t. 

“You want us to save this suitor girl?” I said, lingering in front of him.

“Yes my darling, that is what I had hoped,” Kara replied. 

“Yeah, then fine, I’ll do it,” I said as I left the room.