by Dyan Chick
He pulled away from me before I could touch him. "I'm trusting you with this. Both the Summer magic and the fact that I can share memories."
"Thank you for showing me," I said, lowering my hand. I ached to touch him, to be near him. But I knew that wasn't a good idea. Letting any of my lust for Tristan through would make things far too complicated. "I'll keep your secret."
I could understand why he didn't want people to find out that he could wield magic from two different kingdoms after I saw how strongly Tiana reacted toward me for having magic for more than one. Though, she didn't threaten him the way she threatened me. "Tiana doesn't know about your ability to share memories, does she? Is it because she never tested your winter magic?"
It was coming in sharper focus now, the fact that Tristan held secrets about his true strength from Tiana and everyone else. It was a weapon he could wield against any enemy that they'd never see coming. From a strategic point of view, it was brilliant.
Tristan nodded. "It's the only thing I have against her, in case I ever have a reason to challenge her."
"Do you think you will need to challenge her?" I asked.
"When you have a father like mine, you grow up with a target on your back. You learn to start collecting things on others. Things you can use against them if you ever need to," he said.
"What are you collecting about me?" The words came out before I thought through meaning.
He chuckled softly and a hint of a smile played at his lips. "I can't tell you that. You're smart enough to realize what your own weaknesses are."
"Why are you helping me?" I asked. "For real. This goes beyond the promise you made me. You promised you would help us to defeat the monsters and they're gone. Yet, you're not. Is this really about paying tribute to your late wife?"
"That's a good question for another time." Tristan cleared his throat. "Now you know what to expect in the test. What I just gave you is the closest you'll ever come to feeling it firsthand. Until your own test, that is. I don't think you're going to experience the same pain that I did because I do think you're going to test as having an affinity for every court. She'll likely to start with Summer, since that's the one we're least sure about. The way to complete each test the quickest is to find that point of your magic, the pinnacle, and set it free. Don't resist. When you feel it coming, let it go. Encourage it and don't hold back."
I stood and lifted my chin to make eye contact with Tristan. "Thank you. I'm sorry you had to go through that."
I wanted to ask about Sasha and his other siblings, but if I'd learned anything from Tristan, it was that he gave information freely when it was information he was willing to share. The fact that he hadn't offered to tell me about them, made me think he wasn't ready to share. It was similar to Cormac, but he didn't lock everything down for me, only I suspected, the really painful things.
My heart ached for him and I had an overwhelming urge to pull him into my embrace and whisper comforting words into his ear. But he wasn't Ethan and he wasn't Dane. Tristan was something else entirely and I didn't know exactly how to respond to him. All I knew was that with each passing moment the two of us spent together, I was growing more and more attached to the Winter Prince. I wanted to keep my distance from him, but he kept making it harder for me to do. He let me in, even when he didn't have to.
"You should eat. And try to relax, save your strength." Tristan walked to the doors and opened them. Ethan, true to his word, was waiting outside. The two males exchanged a glance as they passed.
"How did it go?" Ethan asked.
"Fine," I said. "I think I'll be ready when she tests me."
Ethan nodded, his tight lipped expression more serious than usual. "Good."
I took a deep breath in and let it out, telling myself I needed to let go of some of the tension I was holding. Tristan was right, there wasn't much more I could do to prepare. And if he was correct about me having magic from each of the four Courts, I didn't have anything to worry about when it came to receiving pain during the test. For some reason, that didn't make me feel better. I had a feeling that if Tiana found me to have all four Courts, I was in for a heap of trouble.
Chapter Twenty-One
When dinner was announced, I declined, stating that I wasn't hungry after the snacks that have been brought to the room on the fourth floor. Apparently, the dignitaries ate in a grand dining hall of some sort. I wasn't interested in spending any more time with Tiana than I had to. Two of Tristan's guards trailed behind me as I paced down the hall, trying to keep my head clear while I waited for my test. I knew I still had a bit of time before she came, but I couldn't bring myself to relax.
The House of the Moon was a strange place, half palace, half brothel. As I continued to walk, reflecting on the oddness of the combination, I couldn't help but wonder at how much of Tristan's past happened here or at places like it. I knew I shouldn't care, but every time we spoke, it seemed like we forged a deeper connection. It wasn't the same as what I felt with Ethan, but there was a connection there. I wondered if he felt it too. It made me feel guilty, like I was betraying the others, but it was hard to suppress.
I pressed my palms into my temples and tried to think of something else. The last thing I wanted to do when I met with Tiana, who could read my mind, was to be sitting there thinking about Tristan. I knew she'd find a way to use that against me if she knew that I was starting to develop strong feelings toward him. Deciding I needed a distraction, I walked down the stairs. Tristan's guards silently followed me, but didn't object to me leaving the fourth floor. Before I realized where I was going, I found myself in front of Laney's room. I hesitated, wondering if I should knock. It was possible she had a client and showing up outside her door could be seen as unprofessional.
Pressing my ear to the door, I listened for any sign of her or any visitors she might be entertaining. After a few heartbeats of not hearing anything, I knocked quietly on the door.
Laney opened the door, a wide grin on her face. "I wasn't sure if I'd see you again." She glanced at the guards behind me and her brow furrowed. "Your entourage?"
"Tristan, I mean His Grace insisted."
"Can she come in?" Lainey asked the guards behind me. "It's a pretty small room, I'm not sure all of us will fit, but you're all invited."
One of the guards peeked his head in the room and looked around. "Leave the door open."
"Thanks." Lainey grabbed my hand and tugged me into the room. "Come on, tell me all about how the meeting with the fancy dignitary went."
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. Sou
nd 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 for 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."
