Free Iron's Prophecy by Julie Kagawa

looked up at Ash, and he offered a faint smile, taking my hands. “It’s all right,” he murmured, gazing into my eyes. “I trust you. I know you’ll do what’s best for our son, even if I can’t be there. Just remember this, Meghan.” One hand rose to cup my cheek. “Whatever the oracle shows you, no matter how bleak or terrible or frightening, it hasn’t happened yet. Don’t let her terrify you into doing something we’ll both regret.”
    I nodded, my heart pounding. Ash lowered his head and kissed the side of my neck, right below my ear, and I shivered. “I love you,” he whispered. “Know that I’m with you always, even if you can’t see me.” He pulled back just enough to place a soft kiss on my lips, his gaze intense. “Whatever you discover, you’re not alone. You have me, and Puck, and a whole kingdom, ready to stand beside you at a word. There is nothing the oracle can reveal that will make us abandon you.”
    My throat felt tight. I wanted to fall into him, to curl into his arms and shut out the whole world. But the oracle was watching us; I could feel the hollow pits of her eyes on the back of my head, and I could not appear weak, not now. So I pressed a palm to Ash’s cheek, trying to convey what I felt without words. He covered my hand with his own and smiled.
    Then I turned, raised my chin and walked back to the oracle.
    She was no longer in the same spot but had drifted out into the center of the Dreaming Pool, still watching my every move as we joined Puck at the edge. Our reflections gazed back at us, perfect mirror images on the glassy surface: the Iron Queen, her knight and the infamous Robin Goodfellow, smirking at the hag in the center of the pool. The oracle stood on top of the water, as if the pool was only an inch deep. Though the water was so still, it was impossible to discern the bottom; all I could see was the brambly roof of the grotto, reflected back at me.
    “Step forward, Iron Queen,” the oracle beckoned. “Come to Anna, and I will show you your son. Remember, only you are allowed this privilege. Your knight and the Summer prankster must stay behind. Do not worry, it will not take long.”
    “Oracle,” Ash said in a deadly calm voice as I took a step forward, halting at the water’s edge. “I am trusting you with the well-being of my wife and a queen of Faery,” he continued as I hesitated. “If she returns harmed in any way, not only will you face the wrath of the entire Iron Court, you will have to deal with me, personally.”
    “Yeah, and he won’t be alone, either,” Puck chimed in, sounding more serious than I’d heard in a while. “You’ll have to deal with both of us, not to mention a very pissed-off Summer King. And probably the entire Seelie Court.” He grinned then, but it was one of his scary, evil smiles. “Just a friendly warning to bring her back unscathed.”
    The oracle pursed her bloodless lips. “Your queen’s physical body will be in no danger,” she said reluctantly, as if being forced to read the fine print of a contract. “However, glimpsing the future, even a small part, is a serious matter, and can be traumatizing for weaker minds. I cannot promise that your queen will not be changed by what she will see. I can only show her the future. I cannot be responsible for how it affects her.”
    Puck turned a worried gaze on me. “Sure you wanna do this, princess?”
    I felt Ash at my back, remembered his words, the look in his eyes, and felt no fear. “Yes,” I said firmly, facing the pool again. Ash had seen our future, a possible one, anyway, and it hadn’t stopped him. I needed to do this, to discover everything I could about my child, our son. “I’m ready,” I told the oracle. “Show me what you’ve seen. I want to know.”
    “Then, come,” the oracle whispered, holding out a hand. “Step into the Dreaming Pool, Meghan Chase. Step into the pool, and I will take you to your son.”
    I walked forward, expecting the sink