by Dyan Chick
Nothing was happening.
Still focused on my magic, I switched tactics. Forcing my eyes open into the darkness, I saw a faint glow ahead of me. Malin must have reignited her orb of light. I swam toward her while pushing out with my magic the way I did to create a shield. If I could protect myself from something reaching me, why not send the water away the same way.
Slowly, I felt the water give as my shield pushed against it. I grabbed Malin’s hand and tugged her close to me, extending the shield away from both of us until we were in a bubble of air.
“How did you do that?” she asked.
“Shield. Now help me move it. We have to look for Dane.”
She nodded and I felt a burst of magic joining mine as the two of us directed the bubble out of the training room into the hallway.
The hallway was flooded but the water was lapping on the steps, providing fresh air. I lifted my chin toward the stairs, still lit by the glowing blue and gold lights. The two of us worked to float in the water toward safety.
As soon as we reached the steps, I collapsed, taking deep breaths. My whole body shivered from the cold as I surveyed the damage below us. The water looked like it had flooded the entire level and both the main training room and the smaller rooms were full of water. I took a few deep breaths. “I have to go back in there.”
“No, you can’t,” Malin said. “You’ll get yourself killed.”
“Dane could be in there.”
“Is he?” she asked. “You should be able to sense if he’s in danger.”
My eyes widened. I’d used that before but didn’t think of it now. Closing my eyes, I focused on my prince. My shivers faded as I felt our connection warm me. He didn’t seem to be in any danger.
Just as a surge of fear shot through me, I felt him behind me. I turned to see him coming down the stairs.
“What happened? Cassia, are you hurt?” He set his hands on either side of my face, staring at me with fear-filled eyes and furrowed brow. “Talk to me, Cassia.”
I set my hands on top of his. “I’m fine. We’re fine.”
Dane dropped his hands and cleared his throat. “Malin, forgive me.”
“It’s alright,” I said. “She knows, anyway.”
Dane raised an eyebrow but didn’t push.
“Are you safe?” I asked.
“I’m fine. I was called upstairs and when I came back, I saw the water.” He took hold of my elbow. “Come on, let’s get you two upstairs.”
“Where did the water come from?” Malin asked.
“I don’t know,” he said.
“Do you think it was an accident?” Malin asked.
I stopped walking and looked at her. “You think someone did this on purpose?”
“We were the only ones down there, Cassia. Lilian and Rose weren’t down there.”
My jaw tensed and I glanced behind me at the churning black water. It was ice cold and had come on so quickly it could have easily killed us.
“Come on,” Dane said, urging me forward.
We continued our ascent back into the sunshine filled main level of the palace. Several guards noticed our appearances and ran toward us.
“Send for the queen,” Dane called. “There was an attempt on the lives of two of the candidates.”
Chapter Nine
A guard wrapped a thick blanket around me as my teeth chattered. I tugged it closer around me, grateful for the warmth.
Malin moved closer to me until I could feel her pressed next to me, wrapped in her own blanket. “They were targeting you.”
I glanced over at her. “Or both of us.”
She shook her head. “They know I’m not a risk.”
“You need to be,” I said. “If anything happens to me, you cannot let either of them have the throne.”
Her temples bulge as she clenched her jaw. I could tell she was thinking about what I’d said.
In a swish of fabric, the queen came walking into the room. Her gold dress shimmered in the sunlight with each flowing movement. Though she carried herself with grace, her hands were balled into fists and her lips pulled into a tight line. She stopped in front of us. “Are either of you hurt?”
“No,” we said in unison.
She nodded once. “Good. Did you see anyone or anything unusual?”
I shook my head. “The lights were off.”
The queen turned her gaze to Dane. “You locked them in a room with no light?”
“Training exercise, your highness. I wanted them to use their senses and their magic to find something in the dark.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “The coin trick never gets old, does it?”
Dane inclined his head. “It’s a classic.”
The queen turned back to where Malin and I were dripping on the marble floor. “Go clean yourselves up.” Then she turned to her guards. “Take care of the mess and find out who is responsible for this.”
Without dismissing us, the Queen turned on her heels and walked away in the direction she’d come from. Two guards followed her.
“I’ll take the candidates to their rooms,” Dane said to the remaining guards.
They nodded at him.
“Come on, Ladies. You both need to get out of those wet clothes and warm up,” Dane said.
“I can walk myself to my room,” Malin said. “Get Cassia to safety.”
“No,” I said. “They were after both of us unless you can prove otherwise.”
“She’s right,” Dane said. “I’ll walk you both.”
All the candidates had rooms on the same floor. I paused as we passed the room where Lilian was staying. The sound of laughter drifted into the hallway and I scowled.
“Don’t let it get to you,” Malin said.
I took a few steps, passing Lilian’s room and stopped in front of Malin’s door. “She tried to kill us. How am I supposed to act?”
“With grace and dignity,” Malin said.
“Befitting a queen,” Dane added.
I glared at them. How were they so calm about this?
Malin opened her door. “I’ll see you at dinner.” She closed it behind her before I could say anything else.
Rubbing my temples as I followed Dane, I walked to my room. He held the door open for me and I found Nani pacing. She jumped when I stepped into the room and started toward me before she noticed Dane. Then she stopped and lowered her head. “Your grace.”
“Please, that’s not necessary,” Dane said.
Nani lifted her head and waited silently.
“Are you staying?” I asked Dane.
“I have to get back to the Academy. But don’t worry. I’ll check in with the guards before I go.”
“You’ll be here for the ball, right?” I asked.
“If I’m not here for the ball, I’ll be here as soon as I can,” he said, taking my hands in his. “You did everything correctly today. You thought fast and you used your own magic to get yourself out of there. That’s what you have to do to win this. Keep fighting all the time. Never lower your guard. And don’t trust anyone.”
I nodded. “I wish you didn’t have to go.”
He leaned down and pressed his warm lips to my forehead. “I’ll be back before you know it. Besides, I have to give you a little time to miss me, right?”
I laughed at his playful banter. Slipping back into his usual way of speaking made me feel better. It was as if he really thought I could do this. And I supposed I had done it. I had saved myself without help.
Letting go of Dane’s hands, I smiled. “Safe journey.”
“Safe journey,” he said with a bow.
As soon as the door was closed, Nani wrapped her arms around me. “I was so worried about you.”
She let go of me quickly and shook her hands out. “You’re soaked! Come on, into the bath.”
As I soaked in the warm rose scented water, I closed my eyes and tried to clear my mind. We hadn’t even officially started the trials and I’d already had someone try to take me ou
t of the competition. The next few weeks were going to be some of the hardest of my life.
Suddenly, a flash of light crossed my line of sight and I was dragged into a vision. Monsters growled as they sped across an open field. Fire crackled in the distance, eating away at buildings I didn’t recognize as ash fell from the sky. Someone screamed.
I opened my eyes, breathing heavy as the sounds of battle still echoed in my ears. What had I seen? Was that something that was to be or was that my own fear or nightmares getting the better of me?
Afraid of closing my eyes, I rushed through the rest of the bath and dressed as quickly as Nani would allow.
“What’s wrong, child?” Nani asked as she brushed my hair.
“I’m not sure.” The weight of the vision hung heavy on me. I could almost feel the heat from the flames and smell the smoke in the air.
Nani pinned my hair in place and then set her hands on my shoulders. “Whatever it is, you’ll need to get it out of your head. Whoever tried to kill you today declared war and you must keep your head about you, so you’re prepared for battle.”
A knock sounded on the door. I followed Nani to find out who it was. Part of me hoped it was Dane telling me he changed his mind, but I knew that wasn’t likely.
My shoulders slumped as soon as I saw the guards waiting at the door. “There’s been an accident. We need to take Lady Cassia to safety.”
“An accident?” I pushed past Nani.
“One of the candidates was mortally wounded. The queen has requested that all of you are moved at once.”
I looked over at Nani then turned back to the guards. “Who was injured?”
“We weren’t told,” the guard said.
“We better go,” I said.
“Not her,” the guard said.
“She’s coming with us,” I said.
“No,” the guard said. “We were given strict orders. Candidates only.”
My brow furrowed as I stared at the two guards. The second guard had remained silent behind his companion and when I locked eyes on him, he immediately looked away. Everything inside me was signaling warning bells. Nothing about this was right.
“Give me a minute?” I said. “I need to change. This dress might not be warm enough.”
I closed the door on the guards before they had a chance to argue then turned the lock.
Nani seemed to read my mind. She was already packing a bag with things from the wardrobe. Quickly, I pulled off the dress I was wearing and changed into the tunic and leggings from training.
Nani fastened a cloak over my shoulders. “Be careful.”
“You’re coming with me,” I said.
She shook her head. “I’ll slow you down.”
“What if they hurt you?” I asked.
“I’ve done pretty well for myself so far, haven’t I?” she asked.
The guards knocked on the door. “Lady Cassia, we have to go now.”
“Hurry,” Nani said.
They pounded again. “Lady Cassia, we have direct orders.”
I crossed the room to where the huge windows led to the balcony. After giving Nani a quick kiss on the cheek, I stepped outside, then climbed over the railings.
Squatting on the guardrails, I lowered my hands as far as I could then removed my feet. My hands slid to the bottom of the railing. Gripping as tight as I could, I swung my legs until I felt like I had enough momentum. Holding my breath, I let go.
My legs made it onto the balcony below, but I smacked my back on the railing as I landed, throwing off my balance. Quickly, I righted myself and moved toward the window of the room below mine.
I had no idea whose room this was. I just knew that all of the rooms on this side of the palace had matching balconies in them. Slowly, I pushed on the glass until it moved aside.
“Where is she?” a guard yelled from above, his voice muted.
I hesitated, feeling torn about leaving Nani yet again. How many times was she going to stay behind so I had a chance at survival?
Realizing that I was wasting her gift, I stepped into the room, closing the window behind me.
The room I’d entered looked like a replica of mine. Four-poster bed covered in luxurious white bedding and tons of soft pillows. A small desk and seating area, a dormant fireplace, and a doorway to a bathroom. Grateful that the palace wasn’t full of guests, I tiptoed toward the door, hoping to get a peek into the hallway.
“Lady Cassia,” a female voice sounded from behind me.
I jumped at the unexpected company and turned slowly to find out who had been hiding.
In the corner near the window, standing in nearly plain sight, was Lilian. She took a step out of the shadows into the last of the sunlight streaming in through the window.
I squinted as a glint of light hit me in the eyes and had to step aside to adjust. That was when I noticed that Lilian was holding a sword.
Chapter Ten
I locked eyes on Lillian, my insides swirling with both anger and fear. "Was this the plan all along?" I had to give it to her, using the guards the way she had to send me with them. She'd expected my moves, knowing that I would flee. She had used my own intuition against me. How is that even possible? Those were palace guards.
"You're not the only one with a well-connected family."
I glared at her, teeth clenched as the few remaining bits of fear withered away. It left me with nothing but seething anger. Lillian had shown her hand. She had tried to kill me today and failed. Now, she was going to try again, and I couldn't let her win. "So this is what you are? A cold-blooded killer?"
"If you knew what was at stake, you'd be doing the same thing. Especially after your failed attempt earlier today. You act all high and mighty. You act like you're not one of us. But you're just as conniving as any other member of the court."
Lillian lunged, sword pointed at me. I dodged, narrowly avoiding the blade. "I'm nothing like you. You're attacking me while I'm unarmed. I would never do such a thing."
"Don't give me those lies." She lunged again, swiping the blade through the air wildly. She was unfocused, angry, not thinking clearly. Her swings were wild and easy to avoid. I dodged again, backing up as I did. I knew eventually I would run out of space, or eventually she could get lucky and draw blood. I knew I could use magic to defend myself, but I wasn't feeling especially threatened. Besides, no matter what she said I was, I was none of those things. I wasn't a killer. At least not unless I had to be. And with every lunge of that sword, Lillian was driving up my adrenaline to the point where I was starting to feel like I might fight back or my magic might fight back for me.
"Stop it. I don't want to hurt you."
Lillian lowered the sword, her eyes narrowed into little slits as she focused on me. "Rose is going to take days to recover from what you did to us. Ensure your only regret is that you didn't succeed in killing us both." Lillian lunged again, only this time I wasn't as quick, and her blade sliced my upper arm. Burning pain shot through me and I grabbed the wound with my hand pressing my palm against it as I winced in pain. "I don't know what you're talking about. Stop it before you do something we regret."
"Where's that magic of yours? That famed defense system? I thought you were better than this. I thought you'd fight back. But your weak, deceitful, and manipulative. Instead of facing an opponent head on you, you revert to scare tactics and tricks. I can stoop to your level just as much. You're going to regret everything."
"Because I didn't drown this morning when you flooded the room?" I asked. "When I walked past your bedroom you seemed happy enough about it."
Lillian flinched, dropping her guard for just a second. I moved quickly kicking her in the wrist and making her drop the sword. I kicked the sword away and cornered her, preventing her from moving toward it without pushing me over. "We didn't die in your attack. I know it was you. But if something happened to you and Rose this morning, that wasn't me."
“What are you talking about?” Lillian asked. She looked like all t
he fight had gone from her.
“I didn't try to drown you this morning. We spent most of the morning in the infirmary. A massive fall fireball landed right in between us while Rose and I were training outside. It missed me, but it got her. I managed to get the flames out but like I said, it will take a few days for her to heal. I know you have all four kingdoms worth of magic. I know you can wield fire. You saw Rose using it and you were jealous. You wanted to show us. Message received.”
My brow furrowed as I tried to read her for any lies. None of it seemed possible. I knew that they couldn't lie, but they had a good way of testing and twisting the truth. No matter what angle I took it from though, I couldn't find any hidden meaning in her words. "I didn't attack you. And if you didn't attack me, who did?"
Lilian blinked at me, her gaze softening for the first time. "What happened to you this morning?"
"Someone flooded the lower training rooms. Malin and I almost died. We had to use a shield charm to make a bubble to get out of the water. It filled all of the rooms up to the ceiling. Whoever did that, didn't intend for us to survive."
"And at the same time, we were attacked?" Lillian asked.
"It seems so." I stepped back, giving Lillian some space and letting her know that I didn't mean her harm.
“This doesn't mean I like you, but it seems we have a common enemy.”
I nodded. "You trust rose?"
She nodded. “You trust Malin?"
"I do. Besides, she's from the Spring Court. She can't use fire magic."
"I don't know what kind of magic it would require to flood those rooms you were in. That's power beyond what either Rose or I have. Someone who could do that, has been training for a long time."
"Whoever did this will probably strike again."
Lilian's nostrils flared as she took a few deep breaths. She looked like she was thinking about something.
"We're going to have to work together. But I think we need to keep our truce a secret." I stretched my hand out. "In public, we’re enemies. But behind closed doors, we need to get to the bottom of this. All dead and nobody will be clean."
