Without turning, she said, “Grand display, Cassian, truly.”
He laughed. “How did you know I was here?”
“You may be able to hide from my eyes, but you aren’t so skilled at deceiving my ears.”
“Ah, but now I know to be more careful next time, Princess.”
They stepped forward together, waving as the crowd saw them side by side. As the crowd cheered, Cassian held out his hand and said, “May I?”
Ros looked at his outstretched hand, the playful smile on his lips. She felt her heart jittering in her chest, urged on by the thrill of the unknown. “What are you doing, Lord Cassian?”
He grinned. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I haven’t tried this with another person before.”
“Then we shall have an adventure.”
Cassian stepped behind her so his right hand could hold her right, and he put his left on her waist, whispering, “Put your other hand over mine.”
As soon as she did, there was a strange sensation that passed through her body. Time slowed and stretched as they moved—however they moved—through space. It wasn’t darkness that surrounded them as she had expected, but the most beautiful, brilliant colors she had ever seen. And Cassian was there beside her through the whole thing, watching her as she watched everything else.
When he released her, they were in the stands next to a little girl with brown pigtails and freckles. The girl dipped into a sloppy curtsy and stuttered, “Milady.”
Cassian stepped forward and shook hands with the girl’s father. “John, good to see you again.”
“And you, Lord Cassian. I can’t thank you enough for what you did for my family.”
Cassian shook his head. “I did nothing, sir, except make a request of our grand Healer. But it is nice to see Sasha standing on her own.”
“Aye, it is,” John said, wiping a tear from his eye. He pulled the little girl to him and kissed her on the head. “Thank you, milord. And you as well, milady.”
John grabbed Rosalinde’s hand and pressed rough lips against it. A moment later, Cassian held her again and they moved through the light.
They appeared on the other side of the stadium where a woman grabbed Cassian by the shirt and began kissing his face. She finally stopped and began bowing to Ros.
Ros took her arm and said, “Please, tell me what’s happened.”
“The Lord of Night, milady, he came through the village this morning. Said he wanted to see the people, those who were sick and injured. Said to make sure to be in the stands today.” The woman pointed at the man standing beside her, his wrinkled face tear-streaked. “My husband lost his leg eight years past. But look at it, Princess. It’s grown back!”
Ros looked from the leg back to Cassian. “You arranged all this?”
In answer, he swooped his arms around her and they disappeared again. They were in the center of the ring now, the crowd clapping for him. Ros looked at him, brows raised, waiting for an answer. He scratched at the back of his head, his expression almost embarrassed. “The Water mage asked for suggestions. He didn’t know what to do today.”
“And you made this happen? So many people’s lives were changed today. How did you know he could even do that?”
He sighed. “If I had his powers, no one would ever hurt again. But I don’t, so I did what I could. I wasn’t sure he could do it. He wasn’t either. We thought he’d manage a few—his parents are both healers, making him stronger still—but I had no idea he’d be able to do that.”
“It was incredible,” Ros said.
Cassian nodded. “I don’t want credit for his work, Princess. That’s not why I took you to see them.”
“Then why?”
“Because you need to know your people.”
Ros felt heat rise up her throat. “I know my people.”
Cassian smirked, sending anger bubbling through Ros. He said, “Don’t take it personally. Most Elementalists don’t bother with the magicless and royalty has a tendency to avoid them altogether. But the things we do affect them, too. Sometimes rulers just need to be reminded.”
Ros realized she was still standing against him as they talked and she pulled away. “You have some nerve. Coming here with your little party trick, trying to guilt me about knowing my people. You know nothing about me.”
“I know more than you think, Rosa. I know what it means to love you, that shallow part of you that you return. At least you’ve known a magicless person as more than a servant,” he said.
Her breath nearly stopped. The shadow in her room last night, the one she saw moving after she’d made Alaric leave…it was him.
When she didn’t respond, Cassian added, “And I can do more than a little party trick, Your Highness.”
His hands stretched out and dark swirls rose from all around them. They stretched up and out over the stadium, filling it in darkness. He turned to look at her and signaled a finger above them. As he did, a single star shone in the spot where he pointed. He jerked out his other hand and gestured to the side where another star emerged. He moved his hands faster and faster until there was a whole galaxy above them.
She looked up, unable to hide the interest on her face. Almost as soon as he saw her expression, the stars disappeared. The darkness above began to crack, letting seams of light shine through. The shadowed sky splintered open and the darkness returned to swirls that spiraled back down to him. They pooled under his and Rosalinde’s feet, lifting them higher and higher into the night.
The shadows dropped out from under them and they were falling. Ros screamed, true terror filling her as the ground grew closer. At the last second, she felt Cassian’s arm slip around her waist and the next moment, they were back in the royal box.
“I can be stealthy,” he said, but his face showed no hint of joking. His eyes grew darker still, almost completely black as he growled. “You hear me when I want you to hear me. You see what I want you to see. I am not one of these boys here to impress you with silliness, Rosalinde. I hold true power, the likes of which you’ve never seen. This performance is just that, a show for the people around us. But I can show you my strength. I can teach you how to tap into something so much bigger than everything you know about the Elements. Do you crave that kind of power, Princess?”
She stared at him in stunned silence, unsure how much time passed between them. There was nothing she could say, nothing to quench the fear inside her as she searched those black eyes for a hint of the man he’d been just minutes before.
Finally, she managed to find her spirit again, saying, “I want nothing to do with you or the power you claim to have. I don’t need that to be a good queen.”
“What do you need, Rosalinde?”
“Heart. And I have more than enough of that.”
Without another word, he disappeared from the box and reappeared in the center of the arena, smiling and waving to the crowd. They cheered for him, whether from the things he had done or the healed people spreading the story of how he had come to them, how he had saved them.
Rosalinde’s shaking hand went to the paper with his name on it. She gave him the lowest score possible. She wanted to tell him to leave now, to go back to the nothing he came from and never return. But she couldn’t, not until the end of the week. Still, she could rate him low in every event, make it clear she had no interest in him, and chase away his favor with the townsfolk.
She had to. After his display today, she knew any kindness he had shown was false. He was dark-hearted, callous, and manipulative. Worst of all, if he hadn’t let his mask fall and shown her who he truly was, she probably would have considered him as one of the top contenders. Ros had thought he was handsome, mysterious, and a little bit dangerous; now though, his features looked sour and the mystery had revealed a cruel man.
The dangerous part—that was real.
But Rosalinde Managold could be dangerous, too.
Chapter 12
Outside was dark, but the castle was ablaze with light shining fro
m every window. Rosalinde’s hands were still shaking when she stepped back inside. Though she’d been escorted by a dozen guards, and despite her own elemental potency, she still felt disturbingly inadequate compared to the Night mage.
Cassian’s powers didn’t seem violent, but they were still menacing. And his temperament seemed fickle and unknowable. If he desired to be good, he could use his gift to rescue people from death’s grasp. But if his mood shifted, what might he do? He could capture his victim from anywhere, taking them any place he wanted, and they were powerless to defend themselves. And what could guards do against a shadow, a wisp of darkness?
Ros shivered, despite the warmth of the castle. She couldn’t let her mind dwell on Cassian, not when there was so much else to think about. She’d spent her day being the dutiful princess, keeping her focus and being who they needed her to be. Now that she was home, she was ready to just be a daughter again, desperate to know what was going on with her mother and father.
She passed the dining hall. Glancing in, she could see it was already filling up with hungry mages and guests. She didn’t have time to stay, despite the way her stomach growled at the aroma wafting from the nearby kitchens.
Ros turned the corner to go up the servants’ passage to the royal chambers. She’d only taken one step when she heard someone yell her name. She paused, wondering how far she could make it before whoever it was caught up to her, but no, it was already too late.
Zandor came into view at the edge of the passage. “You’re not coming to dinner? Won’t the judges be announcing the scores?”
Ros took a step back down, closing the gap between them. She whispered, “I’ll be there as soon as I can. I need to find my parents.”
“I’m sure they’ll be along shortly.”
Zandor’s sister, Larkin, ducked her head under his arm and stepped into the staircase entrance. “There you are. I’ve been trying to catch up to you but the crowd was crazy and there were guards everywhere.” She took one look at Rosalinde’s face and added, “What’s wrong?”
Ros shook her head, unsure how much she should tell them. “Nothing. Everything’s fine.”
“You’re a terrible liar, babe. Did my idiot brother—”
“I didn’t do anything,” Zandor said.
Larkin took Rosalinde’s hand in her own and asked, “What’s wrong, love?”
Ros felt a sob rise in her throat and fought to hold it back. She choked out the words, “The last I heard, my father is missing. Mother was too distraught to stay for the performance today. I need to find out what’s going on.”
“Missing?” Zandor asked, his voice pitching high.
Ros shushed him and said, “Please, keep this between us. I don’t need the whole palace in an uproar because the king is missing.”
Florian’s face sprang into view behind Zandor. “The king is missing?”
As soon as the words left Florian’s lips, she could hear them move down the hall like a river of gossip. Panicked voices echoed the words and Rosalinde knew she would need to address the people before she could go any farther.
She looked at the siblings and said, “I’ll have to take care of this.”
“I’ll go find your mom,” Larkin said.
Ros nodded. To Zandor, she said, “Lord Zolto, would you be so kind as to escort me to the great hall?”
Zandor held out his arm and she took it, letting him push their way through the concerned guests. She went to her place at the table, but with everyone milling around and talking about the missing king, no one noticed she was prepared to speak.
Graeme cut through the room, his wind moving ahead of him to push people out of his way. When he reached her, he said, “I just heard about the king. Is it true?”
Ros pressed her lips together and nodded. “I must address the assembly, but they have yet to notice me.”
“I can help with that,” Graeme said.
He held out his hand and Ros took it. She felt a breeze pick up around them and then they were levitating above the table on wings of air. Those closest stopped talking, distracted by the floating princess in their midst. Soon the entire room had quieted down and all eyes were on her.
Ros said, “As you’ve all recently heard, my father is missing. I’m certain everything is fine and there’s nothing to worry about, but as soon as I have more information, I’ll let you know.”
“Is that why he wasn’t at the opening ceremony?” someone yelled.
She winced, unsure what to say. At this point, she needed to assuage their fears without diminishing the significance of what was happening. More importantly, she didn’t want to lie and make things worse.
“My father loves our yearly celebration in all its forms. He was likely caught up in some other form of entertainment for the afternoon. Again, I’m still waiting for further information.”
“Speak plainly, Princess.”
Rosalinde looked towards the man who spoke to her, the crowd parting before him as he moved towards the table. Her knees shook as she watched him approach, knowing whatever happened next would define this whole event. Hessian Barclay, the Lord Ruler of Air House and her father’s most outspoken rival, would undoubtedly find a way to use this moment.
“What would you have me say, good Lord?” Rosalinde asked, drawing herself to her full height. “I do not wish to cause worry when my father could walk in at any moment. Until I have more news of what has happened today, the conversation is at a standstill.”
A fresh gust of wind lifted Hessian so he was face to face with Ros. Though he would never be so brazen with her father, his absence seemed to have allowed the man to grow emboldened.
“I appreciate your desire to keep things calm. But the people gathered here are not the magicless herd you’re accustomed to. We desire, nay, we demand the truth,” he said, his voice carrying through the room. “Could there have been foul play?”
Whispers surged at his words. From the edge of the room, Florian called out, “We all saw what the Night mage can do. If anyone’s to blame, I’d bet it’s him.”
Ros tried to block out the words, the sense it made. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t already considered it. He had the ability, and even if he didn’t have a motive, perhaps his mother still held a grudge. But she knew where he’d been that morning when her father went missing. The townsfolk could clear his name.
“It wouldn’t be the first time your father had trouble with a Night mage,” Hessian said, his eyes narrowing as he looked across the room to Cassian.
Ros looked to Cassian, expecting a denial or an alibi at least. Instead, he took a bite of a bright red apple, his expression wholly unconcerned.
“He doesn’t bother denying it,” Hessian declared. “Princess, what are you going to do with this fiend?”
Ros felt her cheeks burn as people turned accusing eyes between her and Cassian. She said, “There’s no reason to assume the Night Lord has anything to do with this. As I’ve told you—”
“You haven’t told us anything,” he said.
The crowd grew more reckless with the Air house Lord’s words. Now that they had a leader to step behind, they would all soon back him unless she could squash it right now.
Rosalinde let her anger rise, bidding it to fuel her gift. She felt the familiar surge of power as the magic in her veins began to burst from her. Water dripped down her body now, pouring from skin. Her hair and dress were soaked through in an instant and she let a tsunami build under her feet.
Graeme and his wind fell away. She didn’t need him, not when her own gifts could raise her as high as she wished. And she let it. The wave lifted her above the Air Lord, higher into the room until she could turn and see every person, every horrified face as she looked down on them.
Her voice boomed through the room: “Do not question the House of Water, my Lord, or you will find yourself ill-equipped to handle the reply.”
She felt the power surging below her, begging for release. She could drown the lot of them, i
f she wished. Part of her did. The dark part of her, the side she kept locked away, the reason she never used her powers. She felt that secret portion of her fighting for control even now.
Her eyes trailed from one face to the next, though none would meet her gaze. Even Hessian had lowered himself back to the ground. Though he wore a mask of calm, she knew she had only distracted him from his goal. He would come for her house again, her throne.
It would be so easy to kill him now. To let the water flood over him. She could control it and everyone else would be safe. She could…
Dark eyes met hers as Cassian appeared in front of her. “Recede the waters, Rosalinde.”
“You dare—”
He grasped her shoulders with both of his hands. “Let me help you.”
She stared into his eyes as he held her in place. A jolt passed through her, lurching her towards him, and she felt the dark part of herself seep away. Slowly at first, but then urgently, as if it couldn’t wait to get out of her.
Rosalinde took a deep breath. She hadn’t noticed the tightness in her lungs, the pressure on her chest, but now that it was gone she wasn’t sure if she’d even been breathing. The water receded below her feet, leaving her drenched and embarrassed as she stood in the middle of the room.
A path had been cleared around her, and though Hessian Barclay had ceased his questions, Ros couldn’t help but feel she’d made things far worse. She looked to Cassian who now stood beside her and whispered, “Get me out of here.”
She felt his fingers at her wrist and the room disappeared.
Chapter 13
They stood in her chambers near the window. For a moment, she simply stared at him, forgetting the chaos of everything going on around her.
He turned his face from her and cleared his throat. “I thought perhaps your family would be in a nearby room.”
She inhaled sharply as everything came back to her. Without a word to him, Ros darted from the room. She went to Elsabet’s chambers, but there was no one inside. Her mother’s room was next, but again there was no one.
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