by Dyan Chick
Max paused and glared at me. I took a step back.
“You know she’s right. The king clearly wants something from her or he would have had her killed last night.” Master Flanders stood next to Max. “I think you need to let her do this. She’s proven she can defend herself.”
Max sank back into his chair and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger. “This is not going as we planned.”
“It’s a war, Max,” Master Flanders said. “Last night was a battle. A battle that we can claim a tentative victory thanks to her.”
Max ran his hands through his hair and settled his gaze on me. It had softened at Master Flanders’ words. He nodded. “Okay. You can go.”
A wave of both relief and horror flooded me. I lifted my chin. “I’m taking Ashton.” My eyes held Max’s and I didn’t blink.
“You two work well together,” he said. “You can go find him and let him know.” He waved a hand at me.
I took one last look at the sorcerers sitting around the circle then inclined my head toward Max and left the barn.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Ashton asked for the third time.
Every time he asked me, my resolve crumbled a little. “Please stop asking that. You know I have to do this.”
He sighed and stretched his hand out to mine. I took hold.
“Be careful. Get out of there right away if you sense anything is off,” Max called.
A small crowd had gathered to see us off to our meeting with the king.
I smiled at them. “We’ll be fine.” I squeezed Ashton’s hand. “Let’s go.”
He squeezed my hand in return and gray smoke started to circle my feet. I felt my feet leaving the ground as I hovered in nothingness. Next time I set them down, we’d be standing in front of the king’s castle. I tried not to think about the knots in my stomach as my feet found solid ground.
As the smoke cleared I saw the domineering fortress that was the king’s home. It was a massive stone structure. At the top of the castle, I saw small dots that must be archers guarding the entryway. The tingle of magic flowed through my entire body. This place was overflowing with magic. I let out a breath as I failed to feel the coldness of the Reapers. They weren’t here.
Ashton’s hand was still in mine. A shiver moved through him, though he faced forward without a glimmer of fear in his eyes. I let go of his hand, took a deep breath, and forced a half smile. It was the best I could do. His mouth was set in a line of repressed worry.
“It’s going to be fine,” I said. What had I done by bringing Ashton here? I’d never forgive myself if something happened to him. Then again, I doubt he would have wanted me to bring anybody else.
We stared at the castle for several minutes, unmoving. A loud clicking noise punctuated the silence and I flinched. The drawbridge started to descend. He must know we’re here. I took a tentative step forward. When Ashton followed me, I picked up my pace.
The bridge was lined with armed guards. A chill ran through me as I walked through the line of guards. Their eyes followed us as we walked but they didn’t advance.
A young woman with bright red hair waited at the end of the drawbridge. She wore a long flowing black gown and stood with her hands clasped in front of her. She curtsied low to us as we approached. “Welcome, your highness.” She drew out the words as she spoke.
I didn’t attempt to smile at her and did not return the greeting.
When she realized that I wasn’t going to speak, she spread her arms wide. “We are so pleased to have you in our home.”
She wasn’t much older than me and I wondered if she was the king’s wife. I wasn’t sure if I felt bad for her or if I hated her.
“Please, follow me. The king has set up dining in the great hall.” She walked toward a massive archway, her long dress flowing over the cobblestones.
The archway led into a large, dark stone hallway. There were no windows so the only light came from the sconces on the wall. I hugged my arms across my chest. The temperature dropped inside these thick walls, it was freezing. Ashton walked right next to me. His fingers brushed against my hip every so often. I was grateful for his closeness as we strode further inside the king’s fortress.
We made several turns and passed closed doors before finally reaching another massive archway. When we crossed through, the temperature rose and I was no longer cold. This room was lined with windows, making it almost cheerful. Four large fireplaces, one on each wall, roared with bright flames.
The king was seated at a long table but rose when he saw us enter. He smiled at me as if we were old friends and spread his arms wide. “Etta, so nice of you to join me.”
In the darkness of our meeting last night, I couldn't make out the details of his face. He was younger than I expected him to be. He had brown hair with no signs of gray and a full brown beard. He was about the same height as Max, making him on the tall side of average. He was likely muscular under the leather armor he wore. His face was surprisingly friendly, with warm brown eyes and a full mouth. This is the man who killed my whole family. I clenched my fists at my sides.
Forcing myself to be civil, I inclined my head slightly in the faintest of bows.
He extended his hand, palm up. I hesitated before extending my own. He took hold of my hand and lowered his face, giving me a soft kiss. A wave of nausea rolled through me from his touch. All of this pretending and formality was making me uncomfortable. It took every bit of my willpower not to pull away. I’m in his home surrounded by his guards. Now is not the time to upset him.
I risked a quick glance at Ashton. His face was red, his mouth pulled into a tight line.
The king noticed the shift in my gaze and looked at Ashton for the first time. “Who is your friend?”
Trying not to show my repulsion, I pulled my hand back as slowly as I could. I gestured to Ashton. “This is my friend, Ashton White.”
The king smiled. “Welcome to my home, Ashton. Won’t you please, both of you, join me for dinner?”
We followed him to the grand table, covered in food. Cautiously, I sat in the chair he indicated for me to sit at. I was seated at his right, with Ashton on my right.
Servants arrived and they silently filled goblets with wine and piled our plates with food. I stared at the meal in front of me and kept my hands in my lap.
“Please, eat.” The king took a sip of his wine. “I promise if I wanted you dead, you’d be dead already.”
Hesitantly, I took a sip and nibbled on some of the food. The king smiled and ate his own food.
We sat there in awkward silence for a long time, the king happily eating, while I tried to look like I was eating. Ashton’s hands remained in his lap.
Finally, the king set down his fork and waved his plate away. A servant came and collected it. Then they retrieved mine and Ashton’s plates. I was grateful that the farce of dinner was over.
“Etta, I can see that you are a woman who wants to get straight to the heart of the matter.” The king folded his hands on the table in front of him. “As I’m sure you realized, I do have ulterior motives for asking you here today.”
My pulse quickened. Of course you do. What could he want from me? He’s been trying to kill me since I was a baby. Other than my death, what could he want? My hands were sweaty and I tucked them on my lap under the table.
“I have to admit, I didn’t think you’d have such control over your power so quickly. I suppose that goes to show that one of your talents can excel even without formal training.” He laughed to himself, a low rumbling noise. “While I have been trying to kill you, you have developed quite the following. There are songs about you spreading across all of Illaria.”
My brow furrowed. What does that have to do with anything? Max seemed just as irritated about this as the king. Who cared if a few peasants were singing songs about a girl who made lightning?
He laughed again. “Why, you’ve become rather popular with the people in the last few weeks. So if I were to kill
you, imagine how bad that would make me look.” He took a long draw from his goblet.
“When it was just your brother, I didn’t care about those pesky Ravens. They didn’t stand a chance, but you…” He set down his goblet.
“Why me?” I asked. “Why didn’t you try to kill my brother? You had people on the inside the whole time, it would have been so easy.”
He narrowed his eyes. “He didn’t tell you, did he?”
“Didn’t tell me what?” I asked.
The king’s smile almost looked sympathetic. “I didn’t do anything about the Ravens because they were harmless with him in charge. They gave people false hope, kept them occupied. When they found you, the hope became real.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You are the heir to the Aqualine throne. If people didn’t believe it before, once you started using water elements, they couldn’t deny it. Your brother only has a small claim on the throne, which is really only valid if you were to give up your claim.”
“Just because our parents weren’t married when he was born?” My voice was high. Was the king playing tricks on me? Trying to confuse me?
“That’s what he told you? I wondered what lies he had been sharing to gain his followers.” The king shook his head. “No, my dear. Your brother has no right to the throne at all. Unless you offer it to him.” He paused for a moment.
What is he talking about?
“While it’s true that you share the same father, you do not share the same mother. His mother was a childhood romance your father had years before he even met your mother. Max was raised by his mother away from the throne. Hidden so as to not ruin your father’s reputation. So, no, my dear, I never needed to seek out your brother. He was never a threat to my throne. You, on the other hand. You are the real thing.”
I stared at the king, wide-eyed.
A grin spread across the king’s face. “How mad was your brother when I ended your engagement to the Sardinian prince? You do realize, that under Illarian law, you’d be giving up your claim on the throne if you married a foreign prince. Why do you think your brother wanted you married so badly?”
I felt like the wind had just been knocked from my lungs. The pieces to the puzzle were sliding into place. How had I not seen this before? In my mind, it all made sense, but I didn’t want to believe it. I turned to Ashton. “Is this true?”
Ashton’s eyes were just as wide as mine. “I don’t know.”
The king’s smile was poisonous. “I have no reason to lie to you. You know it’s the truth.”
I swallowed. My eyes searched the room for something to take my mind off of what the king told me. Max has been lying to me. I didn’t want to believe it.
“Go ahead,” the king said. “You know the spell to see if I’m being truthful, don’t you? My old teacher would have taught you that right away. Master Flanders has always been the paranoid type.”
My breath hitched. Master Flanders taught the king how to use magic? How was it possible that I was learning magic from the same man that taught such a monster?
“I take it from your expression that I was correct in my assumption. I’ll wait.” He leaned back in his chair. “Unless you need a review on the spell.”
My chest tightened and I crossed my arms over my chest. I didn’t need his help. I inhaled and moved my fingers in my lap to cast the truth spell. I thought about how to phrase my question carefully. I’d only get one. “Do Max and I share the same mother and father?”
The king locked his eyes on mine. “No.”
Is he lying? Maybe he knew some way around this spell. But if he’s telling the truth will it matter anyway? Who would believe me? I need something that I can take back with me. Some type of common knowledge information that would prove this was true. My leg brushed against Ashton’s as I fidgeted in my chair. A momentary flicker of heat transferred to my leg. Ashton felt like he was on fire. Was he holding it inside him waiting, just in case? That’s it.
“Water.” I stared at the king. “Everybody said my father aligned with water. What was my mother?”
“She never told me specifically, but I believe it was air,” the king said.
“It can’t be,” I said. “She must have been fire.”
The king shook his head. “My poor girl, they really have kept things from you, haven’t they? The entire royal family in Gallia aligns with Air. They’ve never had a fire sorcerer in their line. You can ask your Gallic friend. She’ll tell you.”
My eyes widened for a moment. “How do you know about my friends?”
“You were in town with a Gallic girl. I assume she’s a friend.” He interlaced his fingers and rested his hands on the table.
I slumped back in the chair. Of course he knew about Celeste. He’s had people watching me whenever possible.
“I still don’t understand what I’m doing here,” I said.
He leaned forward. “Don’t you see? They’re lying to you. They want to keep you from reaching your true potential. Your half-brother, he’s a fire sorcerer. While that is rare, it’s not as special as the power you wield.”
If the king was telling me the truth about my mother, there was no way Max could be my brother. Why had they been keeping so much from me? I would have supported his claim on the throne even if he had told me he had a different mother. I never wanted to rule. “Who was his mother?”
The king gave me a bored look. “Her name was Lady Gracelyn. She was a frequent visitor to the castle. Your father and her grew up together and they fell in love. They hoped to marry one day. But Lady Gracelyn was already spoken for. When she fell pregnant, she refused to say who the baby belonged to. Your father arranged for her to hold titles and land in her own name. It was clear who the father was and her newfound wealth made it so her betrothed could overlook her pregnancy.”
“Why are you telling me all of this?” I asked.
“Because I want to end this rebellion that is starting in my kingdom. To do that, I’ll need your help.”
My eyes narrowed and I scoffed. “Why would I ever help you? You killed my family. You’ve been trying to kill me.”
The king pushed his chair back from the table and stood in a single fluid motion. “Can you imagine how much power we would have together? How much power our children could have?”
My blood went cold, and it wasn’t from Reapers. How dare he. “Do you seriously think I’d help you?” I was yelling now. “You’re the last person I would ever help. The day you die, I’ll celebrate.”
He leaned across the table toward me, unflinching at my words. “We’d be unstoppable together. You could rule, as is your birthright, at my side.”
I pressed myself back against my chair, trying to get further away from him. How could he even suggest such a thing? “I never even wanted to rule. I didn’t want any of this.”
“You were born to rule, Etta. Power like yours does not belong to the masses. It belongs on the throne.” He held his hand out to me.
My lip curled and I turned away from him. The thought of helping him was nauseating.
“Etta, my patience won’t last forever.” His voice was stern. “Your place is here, as my queen.”
I pushed my chair back and stood. “I’d never marry you.” My words came out through clenched teeth. I have to get out of here. If I gave in to him, every sacrifice ever made for me was worthless. All of those deaths meant nothing. I thought of my grandmother, of my parents and all the others who gave their life to see the end of his reign.
“You will.” He snapped his fingers.
A guard came through the archway with a frail woman in his arms. I gasped. Grandmother.
“If you ever want to see your grandmother again, you’ll be my bride.”
I looked at the woman who had raised me. A lump rose in the back of my throat and my eyes burned with tears. How many times had I imagined this? The chance to have just one more conversation with her? The chance to tell her goodbye.
“Wilona?�
�� she coughed. “Is that you?”
I couldn’t speak, my throat was too tight.
“Wilona, I hear you are getting married. I’m so happy for you.” The small figure clasped her hands together.
I froze. My grandmother was dead. I watched her die. This isn’t my grandmother. I glared at the king, my eyes locked on his. I watched as the triumphant smile from his mouth spread to his eyes. Without breaking eye contact, I reached my hand behind me and found Ashton’s hand. I squeezed hard three times in a row.
The king’s eyes flashed and he yelled out to me as the gray smoke consumed us.
31
When my feet touched solid ground I collapsed into a fit of sobbing. He is using my grandmother’s body. All of the pain, anger and fear of the last few days consumed me and I shook with tears.
Ashton wrapped his arms around me and held me, stroking my hair. How did this happen? How did I end up as the pawn in Max’s plan for the throne? How did I end up facing the same problem with the king? Why did everybody want to marry me off for their own power? Wasn’t I good enough on my own?
When I finally ran out of tears I pushed the damp hair away from my face and wiped my eyes. “I’m sorry,” I said.
He smoothed back my hair and pulled me in for a hug. “Don’t be. You have nothing to be sorry for. You are the strongest, bravest person I know.”
I wiped away a few stray tears on my cheeks and took a deep breath. I am strong. It was time to start making my own decisions. How did I go about doing that? I pulled out of the hug and looked around. We weren’t at the barn. It was dark but in the dim moonlight I noticed that we were surrounded by trees. “Where are we?”
Ashton smiled. “Back at the old Raven camp. I thought you could use a moment to breathe before we face Max.”
The tension fell from my shoulders and I exhaled. “Thank you.” I closed my eyes and focused on the sound of the wind in the trees. I missed that sound.
“Come on.” Ashton took my hand and led me through the trees. I stumbled in the darkness but he seemed to have every step memorized. Sadness washed over me when I remembered that this place had been his home. Now it was a ghost town, just like my village.
