by Dyan Chick
I shook my head. "I don't want to talk about that right now. I don't have much time. I just need a distraction, anything to help me clear my mind."
Lainey gave me a gentle push toward her pillows in the corner, her only real seating area unless we wanted to sit on the bed. I sat down tucking my feet under me. "I'm not taking away time from clients, am I?"
"Oh no," she said. "When we lose our clients, like you saw last night, we do get a little punishment. No clients for me for a week. So I have plenty of free time if you stick around," she said.
"I'm so sorry." I knew she was saving money and sending it back to her family. A week without making anything was probably rough.
She shrugged and pulled a box out from under her bed. Walking over to me, she shrugged. "It's not so bad. I'm sure I'll make it up next week."
She settled onto the cushion next to me and set the box in between us. Lifting the lid she revealed what looked to be a game with lots of little pieces. "You said you need a distraction; this is my favorite game. I rarely have time to play, but this seems like the perfect time."
Lainey laid out a wooden board that she pieced together from the contents of the box then set up a series of game pieces across the squares. "Have you ever played?"
I shook my head. My father had a couple of games like this in his study, but he never permitted my sister or me to play them.
"You can be red and I'll be black. The object of the game is to capture the other's queen. Sound fun?" she asked.
"You might have to walk me through the first time," I said.
Laney explained what each piece could do and how to play the game as we each took turns going through the motions.
As I got the hang of the game, I started thinking ahead of just one or two moves. There was a lot of strategy and every detail had to be considered. Laney was an excellent opponent, keeping me guessing at every move.
While I played, there was no time to worry about anything else. I got completely sucked into the game and focused all of my attention on trying to capture Laney's queen. The time flew by, the first round ending horribly for me; the second round proving to be more of an evenly matched playing field.
A gentle knock sounded on the door and we both turned.
"I'm sorry, My Lady, but it's time," one of the guards said.
My shoulders sank and I looked longingly at the unfinished game in front of me. "I wish I could stay and finish."
"Me too. You know where to find me." Lainey gently swept the pieces off the board and into the box. Then she picked up the flat pieces that made up the board and stacked them together before sealing the whole thing back into its container.
There was something symbolic about watching her close the game box. I wouldn't be able to delay the test, the longer I sat there, the worse it would probably be for me.
With a sinking feeling in my gut, I forced myself to stand and gave Laney a weak smile. "I hope we'll see each other soon."
Lainey hugged me, catching me off guard, just for a moment. I smiled, embracing her back. I never would have guessed that after everything, while staying at a brothel, I'd make one of the first true friends in my new life. Possibly, one of the first true friends ever. The other children I played with growing up so easily walked away from me when my father threatened them. I didn't blame them, but something told me Laney wouldn't give up on a friend as easily. I let go of her and stepped away, heavy sadness hanging over me as I worried this might be the last time I saw her.
"We need to go now," a guard said.
I sighed and gave Lainey one last smile. "Thank you, for everything."
"I should be thanking you. If not for you last night, I don't really want to think about what that orc would have done to me."
I gave her one more, quick hug, then turned and left the room. My throat was tight as we parted. I hope she was going to be safe and I hoped I was going to survive. There were a lot of things about us that made us different, like she had said, there were a lot of things about us that were the same.
Silently, I followed the guards to the fourth floor. When we arrived, Tiana's guards were already stationed outside the double doors. One of them nodded as I approached and reached for the doorknob, opening the door for me.
I glanced around quickly, hoping to catch sight of one of my princes. A familiar face would go a long way toward soothing my nerves, but none of them were around.
My chest felt tight as I crossed the threshold into the large room. I knew this needed to be done, it was the only way to send Tiana back to where she came from and the only way to get the audience I so desperately needed with the Queen. I had to learn how to control this magic.
Tiana stood when I approached. She was in a new dress, still gold, but this time it was slimmer, hugging her figure. The plunging neckline and generous slit up the side left little to the imagination. Every inch of it was covered in thousands of shimmering gems. The dress barely skimmed the floor whereas her last one left the puddle of fabric in her wake. I supposed this dress was the formal attire she changed into for dinner. I tried not to think about her slinking around my princes in something so obviously designed to show off her body. It made me hate her even more.
"Are you ready?" Tiana asked.
No formality, straight to business. I nodded. "I'm ready."
Tiana gestured to one of the chairs and I followed the silent order, settling into the seat.
Tiana snapped her fingers and one of the guards came bolting into the room. A moment of panic welled up inside me as the large male Fae in the burgundy and gold uniform trotted over to me.
Before I could get too nervous, he picked up the chair that was across from me and moved it next to me. With a bow, he took his leave, closing the door behind him.
Tiana settled into the chair next to me and extended her hands, palms up, just as she had done in the memory I'd seen. I hesitated, wondering if I should wait for an order.
"Go ahead, I know Tristan told you what you have to do." Her voice was surprisingly gentle, as if pretending to be kind. That sent a chill through me straight to my bones.
I tightened my jaw, then lifted my hands and slowly moved them over to Tiana's waiting palms. Her hands were like ice and I almost pulled away on instinct from the sheer surprise of how cool they were. Instead, I managed to force my hands to stay, as steady as I could, waiting for her to begin.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I braced myself, as green strands of shimmering lights wound their way around my hands. Tiana wasn't wasting any time getting started and as Tristan anticipated, she started with Summer.
I waited for the pain to come and took a deep breath, trying to center myself. I had no idea what kind of magic I had inside of me and I didn't know how to fully control it. Tristan had said that if I had an affinity for the type of magic I was being tested for, I should let the magic go in the same way I had practiced finding it when I worked with Cormac.
Tiana's eyes were locked on me and I knew she was studying me. I didn't want to drag this out any longer than necessary. I closed my eyes, letting my thoughts wander through my body, paying attention to every flicker and every movement. If I had magic from the Summer Court, I wanted to show a sign of it so we could be finished here.
All at once, I felt it. That familiar clawing sensation only this time it burned. I winced as tongues of flame seemed to lap at my insides. Was this the pain that came from not having the power or was this my magic responding to the test?
I took a deep breath again and focused on seeing if I could find the origin point for what I was feeling. Mentally searching, I managed to find a thread that felt like it could be the pinnacle of the magic I was looking for.
Using what I had learned from Cormac, I tugged on the thread, eager to get it to respond to me. Another surge of heat rose through me and I gritted my teeth, letting out a grunt. I opened my eyes and stared at Tiana. She was smiling at me, and I wondered if she thought my response was caused by a lack of magic. I knew f
or sure that wasn't the case. I maintained eye contact with her as I continued to pull on the thread, willing the magic to surface.
As far as I knew, I had never called on this magic before. It felt foreign and uncomfortable, but the more I focused, the more it responded. Another rush of heat surged through me and my hands trembled. Trying to capitalize on the surge, I directed it as best I could through me, into my hands, and into Tiana. I wanted to burn that smirk right off her face.
Tiana's eyes widened, then she looked down. I followed her gaze and felt a swell of triumph as I watched the green bindings start to gain in intensity as the green shifted to yellow, then gold, and finally bright orange as flames danced in a circle around our hands.
Tiana broke contact, tearing her hands away from me. The smile was gone from her face now.
"You do have Summer magic." She wiped her palms on her dress then extended them again, slower this time, as if some of her confidence had seeped out.
I didn't say anything, I simply set my hands on top of hers once more.
This time, shimmery silver strands wrapped around our hands. I knew she was testing me for the Winter Court. As the threads tightened around our hands, pain shot through me. It was as if the clawing inside me was trying to turn me inside out.
I gasped against the sudden rise of intensity as magic wreathed and twisted and turned inside me. I'd never felt a response like this before. Suddenly, I was standing inside a stable. Quiet conversation sounded near me and I turned, surprised to see Tiana with Cormac. Tiana had tears streaming down her face, Cormac was just as serious as ever.
"How long have we been friends, Cormac?" Tina said.
"I'm still your friend, but you don't understand the pressure I'm under. I can't endorse a different candidate than my father. You know what he would do to me."
"You can't do this to me." She wiped the tears from her face. "I need this, Cormac. This is my one shot."
"I'm sorry, I've already cast my ballot. I can't change it now."
Tiana scowled. "You're weak, you know that?"
"Tiana, some people just aren't meant to be Queen. Your sister, she's a natural born diplomat. She knows how to handle herself."
"And I don't?" Tiana asked. "I thought this was about your father. Since when do you care who wins the title of Queen?"
"Tiana, I can't support you for this."
"You owe me, Cormac," she said. "You know that."
"You do realize that being sister of the Queen is a very strong place of power," Cormac said.
"And you realize," Tiana said. "That if I don't get this endorsement over my sister, I'm going to be putting pressure on Angela."
"You can do whatever you want, she's already declined. She knows she's not cut out for it."
"I have more power than you think. Change your vote." The tears were gone from Tiana's face now her gaze on Cormac was like fire or maybe ice. She was doing everything she could to try and manipulate him.
A sting hit my cheek as someone's palm came in contact with my face. I gasped and opened my eyes to find Tiana hovering in front of me, hand drawn back ready to hit me again. "That wasn't for you."
"I don't even know what happened," I said.
"Who sent you?" she asked.
"No one, I swear. I don't even know how that happened. I don't know what I did and I wouldn't be able to repeat it even if I wanted to."
Tiana narrowed her eyes and lowered her hand. Jaw tight, she stared at me, unblinking. Finally, she backed away from me and settled into her chair. "You will never speak of what you just saw to anyone. All parts of what happens in a test is confidential. If I hear that you broke that confidentiality, I’ll have you tried for treason."
I swallowed and nodded. "I won't tell anyone. I'm not here for any reason, that I can tell you. I'm just here because I want to figure out how to survive. Cormac told me the creatures from the Under are attracted to untamed magic and he mentioned that if I couldn't control it, it was possible I could be in even greater danger. I just want to learn how to tame this and live in peace."
Tiana narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're very convincing, I almost believe you."
"I'm serious. I have no greater ambition than that."
"If that were true, why would all the princes be helping you? And why did you reappear just in time for Queen's Trial?" she asked.
"They're helping me because they're the ones who found me. I can't explain the timing. I just want to have a meeting with the Queen."
"Let's finish this then," Tiana said, extending her hands in front of me again.
Dread hung heavy in the pit of my stomach as I slowly set my hands on top of hers. Terrified of what would happen next, I swallowed down the fear as pink shimmering threads wrapped their way around my hands.
The magic inside felt a bit weaker this time, but it was still there. This time, I understood why Cormac had insisted on the importance of keeping the magic near the surface at all times. It would be much easier if I learned how to keep the magic with me so I could use it when needed.
Thinking of what Cormac had said about clearing my mind, I focused on finding the pinnacle. It came quicker than last time, even if it was weaker. I harnessed what I could of the feeling, forcing it into my hands as I had done before.
To my surprise, the pink strands changed before my eyes into little pink flower buds. My eyes widened as the flowers opened and I couldn't help but smile at how something so beautiful had come out of thin air. Tiana pulled her hands away snapping the vines that had replaced the pink strands. The little flowers fell to the floor.
"That's three." Tiana extended her hands again, not making a scene out of the fact that I had magic from the Spring Court. That left us with Autumn, the final court.
I set my hands in Tiana's and braced myself.
The gold strands wrapped around my hands sending a rush of power through me I didn't recognize. This wasn't a clawing. This was like a wave rolling through me. Every part of my skin tingled with a level of awareness unlike anything I'd ever experienced. My pulse raced as my breathing grew rapid. Whatever was happening wasn't what I expected. There was no pain, but the sensations I was experiencing were overwhelming. As if I was feeling the dust floating in the air as it passed over my skin.
I watched the gold strands, waiting for them to do something in response to the power surging through me. I'd seen them catch on fire and grow plants, but I couldn't even guess what they'd do with Autumn magic. Suddenly, I could no longer see my hands. Only Tiana's surrounded by the glowing threads. There was still a space where my hands should be, but I couldn't see them.
Tiana dropped her hands, breaking the connection and as soon as she did, my hands reappeared. I held them up in front of me, inspecting them. "What was that?"
"It seems you are able to take stealth to a whole new level," Tiana said. "I've heard rumors of hunters who can make themselves invisible, but I thought they were only rumors."
"I can turn invisible?" I asked.
"Well, with the aid of the test you can. It doesn't mean you will be able to harness that in real life." She frowned.
I tested as having magic for each of the four Courts. Just as the princes had predicted. What did that mean for me moving forward? "Can I see the queen now?"
Tiana frowned. "I thought Cormac was testing me. I never thought you actually had the magic of all four Courts."
"Please," I said, nearly begging. "I need help with this. I don't want to be monster food and I don't want to draw monsters to those I care about."
She raised an eyebrow. "All four of them, right?"
My heart pounded. I had a feeling the more she knew about me, the more fuel I gave her against me in the future. Something was telling me to protect myself with her. I knew I needed to be careful with my words. "Of course, I care about all of them. They've helped me. And as you said, had I met you, you'd have thrown me to the beasts."
"This changes things you know." She stood, the fig
ht seeming to have gone from her.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"We have to see the Queen immediately." She walked toward the door, not looking back at me.
I scurried behind her. "Are we going now?"
"Try to keep up," she said without turning around.
The doors opened as she approached and she swept through, I stayed behind her. I didn't want to be depending on Tiana for anything. Least of all my meeting with the Queen, but I knew I needed to see her.
"How did it go?" Dane asked, hurrying to catch up with us as we walked down the hall.
"I'm not sure," I said, which was the truth. I now knew I had the powers of all four Courts, but I didn't know what that meant. Tiana's reaction wasn't exactly as I'd hoped.
"Where are we going?" Dane asked.
"You are going nowhere," Tiana said. "But you can fetch Cormac. I don't want you anywhere near me."
Dane looked like he wanted to object, but he held his tongue.
"We'll be in the lobby," Tiana said. "Hurry back, errand boy."
My brow furrowed and my jaw tightened at the words Tiana used toward Dane. She had no reason to be so terrible to people. Then, I remembered that Dane and she had a past. It wasn't my business and it was possible that she had a right to be upset. Especially if he had gone to bed her and then turned her down before the test. I really hoped that wasn't the case, but I wasn't sure what had happened in the brief time they were away from me today.
I could hear Tiana's guards following behind us, staying with us as we made our way back down to the main floor. At the bottom of the staircase, Tiana stopped and I looked up from the ground to see Tristan blocking her descent.
"Move," Tiana said. "I have no quarrel with you, Winter Prince."
"You will if you take my guest without my consent," he said.
"I'm taking her to see my sister," Tiana said. "Isn't that what you wanted?"
"It is, but I know you far too well to let you take her alone. I'll be accompanying you," Tristan said.
A surge of gratitude welled up inside me at Tristan's insistence that he attend the meeting with the Queen. While meeting the Queen was exactly what I wanted, going anywhere with Tiana was not on my list of things to do.
