flames.
Once Iโd cleaned the floors to Neliaโs satisfaction, Auria came and found me. She was friendly with one of the cooks, and we sat in front of the fire, shoes off, aching feet close to the warmth of the
Iโd met some of the maids as they came and went, finishing their work and readying themselves for dinner. Most of them had been kind, although they seemed to keep to themselves. A woman named Yirus had winced when sheโd learned which bed I had, then offered to show me the quickest routes around the castle.
Auria would have made an excellent spy herself. Over a bowl of thick stew and fresh bread, she chatted relentlessly about the castle, the king, the queen, the queenโs ladies, the kingโs guardsโshe found one of them exceptionally good-lookingโand I attempted to memorize all of it.
โIโm sorry,โ she laughed. โIโve done it again. My mother always said I talked like it was a competition.โ
โItโs fine. Truly. I can be a littleโฆshy.โ
She smiled, and I reached for my wine. โUh, earlier you said not all of the queenโs ladies were nobility?โ
Auria nodded, using her bread to mop up the last of her stew. โYes, while most of them are, the queen has always been a littleโฆeccentric. I think sometimes she grows bored with court life. Caraceli was once the girl in charge of lighting her fire each night and keeping it burning. They became close, and when she was old enough, the queen offered her the position. And Katina was born in one of the northern villages. Close to the mountains.โ Auria gave a mock shiver. โThe queen was traveling, and Katina was at the market, selling her fatherโs wares. They began talking, and before anyone realized what had happened, Katina had been plucked from her village and was living here.โ
โSo, each of them either showed loyalty to the queen or amused her in some way.โ There was potential there. I tucked that information away to think about later.
โI guess you could say that.โ Auria shrugged. โOne of my friends says itโs the queenโs way of undermining the king.โ She flushed. โBut you didnโt hear that from me.โ
My head felt stuffed with all the information I needed to consider, and I finished the rest of my stew in silence while Auria told me a story about one of the kitchen maids.
โYou must be exhausted,โ she said finally, when I was stifling a yawn. โLet me show you to the bathing rooms. Youโll need to clean up before the ceremony.โ
I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry. โWhat ceremony?โ
โOh, I forgot, villagers donโt pay homage to the gods as often as we do.โ Auria smiled and took my arm. โI suppose thatโs why most people living in the city are given back more magic than the villagers.โ
I stiffened. โMost of the villagers I know were too busy to worship every day. They were trying to eke out a living to take care of their families.โ
โI would argue that if they had worshipped more, perhaps they wouldnโt have needed to work so hard. Perhaps the gods would have rewarded them. Oh, listen to me,โ Auria said. โGoing on when you need to bathe. Itโs justโฆ the gods were here for me when my mother died. Without their blessings, I donโt know how I would have gotten through that time.โ
I tamped down my instinct to defend my neighbors. Instead, I offered her a smile. โI understand.โ
And I did understand. Many people used faith to cope with the worst parts of their lives. As something greater than themselves to turn to when they had lost their way. But some people used it to justify why others had less than they didโand whyย theyย were deserving of more. As much as I burned to tell Auria exactly why people in the cityโespecially the courtiers
โwere so much more powerful than us villagers, I bit my tongue until it almost bled.
One day, Auria would learn just how many lies she had believed.
She smiled at me somewhat awkwardly as we approached the bathing rooms. Thankfully, she was ready to launch into an explanation about how the servantsโ bathing rooms were divided based on rank. Usually, one had to put their name down to use a bathing room, hoping it became available before you had to return to your duties. If you missed your turn, you went to the back of the line.
Thankfully, Auria was friends with the servant in charge of the bathing rooms. As she seemed to be friends with everyone.
โI can give you ten minutes,โ the woman said, handing me the key.
โOh, hereโs a fresh dress.โ Auria opened a closet and handed me a maroon dress identical to the one I had on. โIโll get this one back to you once itโs cleaned.โ
โThank you.โ
The bath was better than the rivers and streams Iโd been bathing in while traveling with the mercenaries. But my mind returned me to the bath Iโd taken that night at the inn, right after Iโd heard Lorian laugh properly for the first time.
Heโd seemed bemused by himself, as if unused to laughing.
We donโt think about him, Prisca.
I lounged in the bath, stopping and starting time to stretch out the bath while also getting some practice in. It gave me time to go over everything Iโd heard so far.
Iโd seen a variety of people in the castle. Some of them had already reached their Gifting, the blue on their temples marking them as safe. But plenty of younger servants were here as well. According to Auria, several of the queenโs ladies hadnโt yet reached twenty-five winters.
Auria knew more than I couldโve hoped, but she wasnโt an idiot. Sheโd made a few comments that told me just how closely she paid attention to everyone around her. Hopefully, she could also tell me where the dungeon
was. The sooner I could see Asinia, the sooner I could begin working on a plan to get her out.
Finally, the water was cold, and my eyes were heavy with the strain of holding my power. Slipping out of the bath, I pulled on the dress, braided my hair, and opened the door to find Auria waiting for me.
โWe can go to the sanctuary together,โ she said, taking my arm once more. โThis service is just for people who work in the castle. The royal family and the courtiers have their own service available to them in the mornings, although few of the nobles worship as they should.โ She frowned.
The sanctuary turned out to be in a separate building behind the castle. The stone was so light it was almost white, and the walls inside were draped with swaths of light-blue cloth. Hundreds of servants dressed in maroon were making their way from the castle toward the sanctuary, and Auria and I joined the crowd shuffling inside.
The ceiling of the sanctuary towered over our heads, adorned with gold etchings. Huge windows on either side spilled the last of the daylight onto the wooden floors, and I followed Auria to a chair a few rows from the front.
Glancing behind me, I looked for Tibris but couldnโt see him anywhere. The skin on the back of my neck tingled, and I turned back around to find one of the kingโs assessors sweeping his gaze over the crowd. His black robes swished around his feet as he turned to the priestess.
I sucked in a breath. Theย Highย Priestess. She wore a long blue-and-gold gown, a plain gold diadem on her head. I wanted to rip it off her and slam it into her face.
โAre you well, Setella?โ Auria asked.
โYes. Merely excited to worship.โ Did the assessors know what the king did with our stolen magic? Did the priestesses know?
The crowd quieted, and the High Priestess launched into her prayers. Most of them were the same as those that were said during Giftings and Takings in the villages, and I followed along automatically.
I turned my attention to the assessor, watching him beneath my lashes. Even disguised as I was, I had to fight the urge to duck lower, hiding myself within the crowd. This assessor was an older man, tall and lean. A permanent frown line was etched between his brows, and his mouth turned
down with displeasure. He angled his head, revealing a long scar across his neck.
I drew in a slow breath as nausea swept through my body.
I was eight winters, and we were preparing to move once more. I would miss my friends, but Papa said it was an adventure, and Tibris had promised he would make enough friends for both of us.
One of our neighbors had insisted we attend a party at her house. Ovida was one of the wealthiest women in our village and had become friends with my mother. Her son Ardaric was Tibrisโs age. He and Tibris would sometimes let me play by the river with them.
โCome, Prisca. Have something to eat.โ Ovida smiled down at me.
The door crashed open. Ovida whirled, her smile disappearing. My father grabbed my hand and pulled me away, holding me close. โTibris,โ he called, and Iโd never heard his voice sound like that before.
Papa was scared.
Tibris stood next to Ardaric, both of them staring at the doorway. I turned my head, dread rippling through my body.
A man dressed in black robes stalked into the room, guards behind him. โArdaric Narayon,โ he called, and Tibris went rigid, shoving his friend behind him. Papa let out a desperate, choked sound that made my chest hurt.
The assessor strolled toward Tibris, and all I could see was my brotherโs face, so pale, his lower lip trembling. But he stood his ground.
I launched myself toward him. Papa scooped me up, holding me against his chest and covering my mouth with his huge hand. I twisted in his arms until I could see the assessor looming over Tibris, his hand inches away from his chest. The assessor angled his head and then pushed Tibris away. Mama darted forward and grabbed Tibrisโs arm, pulling him toward us.
Ardaric faced the assessor. His chin stuck out, but his eyes were wide and glassy. I kept my gaze on his face as Mama took me from Papaโs arms. Ovida was struggling in the arms of one of the guards,
โPlease, please donโt hurt him. Please!โ Ovida screamed. โHeโs just a little boy.โ
Why would Ardaric be hurt? Heโd never hurt anyone in this village. He always shared his toys.
Mama leaned close until her lips were pressed against my ear.
โWatch, Prisca. Watch closely. See what happens when a child is caught using forbidden magic.โ
The assessor was smiling now, his hand hovering above Ovidaโs chest. โOne of the corrupt, here in this very village,โ he announced.
โArdaric!โ a voice roared. Matous was here. Ardaricโs father was a bear of a man, and he carried his sword. He sliced through one of the guards holding his wife. The assessor ducked, but Matous caught his neck with the edge of his sword. Blood sprayed.
Black spots danced in front of me, and the world suddenly seemed far away. Voices had turned to echoes, but I could hear my father.
โCover her eyes,โ Papa hissed, holding Tibris back. Mama ignored him.
Matous fought like a man possessed, but more guards were streaming into the house, the crowd of villagers pressed against the walls with nowhere to go.
One of the guards ran Matous through. The big man fell to his knees, the light already dimming in his eyes. The eyes that had crinkled each time he smiled at us, handing out sweet treats whenever we visited.
Ardaricโs scream was haunting. Ovida echoed that scream, falling to her knees.
A healer had already arrived and was holding one hand over the assessorโs neck. He pushed her away.
โWithout proper healing, it will scar,โ she said. โSilence,โ the assessor hissed.
The room was quiet but for Ovidaโs sobs as the assessor stood once more.
โOh, how the corrupt have been allowed to flourish in this village,โ the assessor said. โWe must keep a closer eye on the peasants. Take the corrupt to the city,โ he ordered. Ardaric struggled, but he was no match for the guard, who cuffed him about the head. He reached for his mother, arms wild, his mouth open in a silent scream.
โPlease donโt take him. Please. Burn me instead. Please! My baby!โ
The assessor ignored her, stalking toward the door. Ovidaโs eyes met mine, and then she gazed past me to my mother.
โYouโre a seer! How could you not see this?โ The guard swung his sword.
I cried out. My fatherโs hand clamped over my eyes. Ovidaโs scream cut off with a thud.
I shuddered. A cold sweat broke out on the back of my neck, and the assessorโs face swam in front of my eyes. The High Priestess was still chanting, so I bowed my head in an attempt to pull myself together.
Had my mother allowed that family to die so I would be forever haunted by the knowledge of what would happen if I were caught? So I would stifle the flame of my magic until the day it burst free, too strong for me to control without training?
She couldnโt have done something soย evil. Surelyโฆ
Yet this was the same woman who had stolen me from my real family. And never returned me. I had parents out there somewhere who had mourned me. Who had likely assumed I was dead.
I felt eyes on me and glanced over my shoulder. A woman with pale blond hair was staring at me, her gray eyes burning into mine. I turned around and leaned close to Auria.
โWho is that woman behind me? The one who looks like she wants to slit my throat.โ
Auria turned. โOh, thatโs Wila,โ she whispered. โDonโt worry about her.
She hatesย everyone.โ
The High Priestess flicked us a glance, and I bowed my head. When I was sure she was no longer looking, I watched the assessor.
The child-killer.
I mouthed the prayers and made my own vow.
Before I left this castleโwhether it was out the front gates, through the tunnel in the dungeon, or through that same tunnel to the stakeโthe kingโs assessor would be dead.
Finally, we were ready. Time and time again, spies had been sent into Sabiumโs castle. And always, he had found them, killing them in new and inventive ways.
So now, it was my turn. Our new plan was boldโbordering on reckless.
But Sabium had taken so much from us, our revenge was well overdue.
I pulled on my boots. We were in some no-name inn, and Iโd had little sleep on the sagging mattress the night before. I would have preferred sleeping on the ground, but my men had once again demanded better food.
โYou think heโll issue the invite?โ Rythos asked.
Sabium wouldnโt be able to help himself. โOh yes. If I act suitably chastened and desperate for an alliance, heโll invite me into the castle.โ
โHunting with him? How will you refrain from killing him?โ Marth muttered.
โSimple. Lorian kills him, and we never get into that castle.โ Galon glowered at Marth, then turned the same look on me. โThis is risky, and you know it.โ
โItโs the only option. Iโll meet him to hunt a few beasts, let him best me with his magicked arrows, and tell him Iโve rethought Gromaliaโs insistence on staying out of his little issue with the fae.โ
As far as the king was concerned, Iโd taken the first step, tucking my tail between my legs and agreeing to meet in his kingdom. Sabiumโs hunting cabin was close to the town where I had forced Prisca to use her magic.
Amber eyes flashed in front of my face, filled with accusation. I shoved the image away and reached for my bow.
The thought of butchering an animal without the need to eat it was distasteful.
But not as distasteful as the thought of a conversation with Sabium. Of standing that close to him and not ripping out his throat.
โYou kill him, and we have no way to findโโ
โI know. I wonโt kill him. Have our friends arrived?โ โSee for yourself.โ
Pushing the curtain aside, I looked down into the courtyard, where several men waited, all dressed in dark green overcoats.
โGood.โ I glanced at Marth, who was waiting by the door, dressed in the same color. He was the only one of us the king would not be looking for. He
nodded to me, and I slung my bow over my shoulder, taking the quiver Galon handed me.
Everything we had done so farโall our plans, years of waiting, and each endless minute of travelโall of it had led to this. I would control my temper, curb my instincts, and secure my invite to the castle.
And then, Sabium would pay.
I spent the next several days cleaning the floors in the servantsโ quarters, until Nelia was finally pleased and I was allowed to clean the rest of the castleโalthough sheโd insisted I had to prove myself once more by cleaning the lower levels.
On my fourth day in the castle, I caught sight of Tibris. Something in my chest relaxed. If anything had happened to him, Vicer wouldโve found a way to get a message to me. But that hadnโt stopped me from imagining the worst. My brother winked at me as he walked past with several other men, all of them carrying large crates. He was wearing tight breeches that fell to his knees, a maroon waistcoat embroidered in gold, and a shirt withโฆfrills. I gave him a smirk.
When he returned, he nodded to the other men. โI just need a word with my sister.โ
โDonโt be too long,โ an older, bearded man said. โAre you okay?โ Tibris asked.
I nodded. โYou?โ
โYes. Priscaโฆโ He lowered his voice to a whisper. โI know where the entrance to the dungeon is.โ
My heart stopped. โTruly?โ
โYes. I set everything up for tonight.โ His mouth twisted. โBut Iโve just learned that the king is traveling overnight and I may be sent as part of his entourage.โ
โIโll go,โ I said. โJust tell me where it is.โ โI donโt like the idea of you going alone.โ
โTibris,โ I said warningly, and he sighed, handing me a few pieces of parchmentโall of it in our code. I studied the map on top of the pile, and my heart beat faster in my chest. This was the key to our plans. With this, I could find Asinia.
โIโve been working on the guards.โ He nodded to the parchmentโand the instructions Iโd have to decipher later. โBut I need you to promise me youโll be careful.โ
โI promise.โ โLoukas. Letโs go.โ
โIโm coming.โ Tibris squeezed my hand. โGood luck.โ
That night, I studied the parchment. As usual, my brother had done his research. The guards were replaced at midnight, which meant the best time to get near the dungeon was right before the change, when they would already be tired.
Vicer had said the prisoners were fed once a dayโin the morning. Iโd still need to watch out for the guards adding new prisoners. Each shift had one guard who was in charge of the dungeon keys. Those keys hung on a large ring from their belt.
I would need to freeze time before they noticed me, take those keys, and sneak into the dungeon. I couldnโt risk getting locked in, which meant I needed to keep the keys. The most dangerous part would be the time I was in the dungeon. If the kingโs guard noticed the keys were missing, I was dead.
But Tibris had helped there too. According to his note, heโd made friends with those guards, offering them several of the many bottles of wine that didnโt meet the standards for the kingโs table. By the time I arrived, the guards should be deep into their cups.
It was risky. But I needed to see Asinia. Needed to give her hope. There was no point being in the castle if I wasnโt actively finding a way to get her out.
The other women were already in bed when the clocktower struck eleven. Most of them were sound asleep, although Auria was tossing and
turning. Wila had sneered at me when sheโd walked in, making it clear she wasnโt interested in friendship.
With a deep breath, I pulled my power to me, jumping out of bed to drag Galonโs cloak over my nightgown. Stuffing a pillow under my blankets, I bolted for the door.
This would be the most Iโd used my power in days. And while Iโd practiced on the mercenaries while we were riding, this was much, much more important. I dropped the thread of magic and tiptoed down the hall. If only I could freeze time for longer.
I lost myself in fantasies of freezing the entire castle for hours at a time, free to do whatever I needed to do.
Scuffing sounded, and I froze, peering around the corner. Nelia was walking down the corridor, a lamp in her hand. I sucked in a breath, freezing time once more. I wanted to conserve my power, but at this point, I had no choice.
Breaking into a sprint, I careened past Nelia and down the stairs, feeling the thread slowly slipping through my fingers.
By the time Iโd reached the lowest level of the castle, that thread had fallen from my grasp. Time resumed, and I was sweating with the effort of holding it as long as I had.
Urgency crawled through me. I needed to move faster.
Tibris had said the entrance to the dungeon was next to the wine cellar. I crept toward it, my heart pounding in my throat. The door looked like it opened to some kind of storage room or closet. It was only the muffled sounds of the guardsโ voices that made me pause.
โYou hear something?โ one of the guards asked, and I scowled down at my traitorous foot.ย Weeksย of traveling with the mercenaries, and I was still no better at sneaking.
โSure. I heard the sound of me opening another bottle of this wine,โ the second guard laughed.
Thank you, Tibris.
Closing my eyes, I reached down, down, down into the place where my power resided. I needed more than a few seconds. I needed enough time to steal the keys and open the door. I needed to get far enough down the stairs that the guards wouldnโt hear me.
I visualized each move Iโd make while the guards gossiped about the queenโs ladies. Apparently, one of them was particularly inventive in bed.
Asinia was on the other side of that door. Asinia, who probably assumed sheโd been left to die. I didnโt have time for fear. Didnโt have time to second-guess myself.
I opened my eyes. And time stopped.
I knew before I was moving that this time was different. Usually, the thread of my power immediately began slipping from my grasp. Now, I held it tighter than ever before.
Launching myself into motion, I opened the door. This was an antechamber that allowed for the dungeon itself to be guarded without the guards needing to be posted down with the prisoners. Across the room, the door I needed looked like steel, heavy and secure. The guards were sitting down, leaning against the wall next to the door, a bottle of wine on the floor between them. Three other empty bottles were lying next to them.
My brother had done everything he could to make this easier.
The keys hung from the guardโs belt, and I crouched in front of him. It took me several seconds to unhitch them from his belt, but then I was standing, hands shaking as I shoved one of the keys into the door.
Time had begun to slip once more. As tightly as I grasped the thread, it was sliding from me.
Wrong key.
My hands shook harder. The thread slipped even more. My eyes burned.
This wasย notย how it ended.
The next key went all the way in. The lock clicked, the door opening to dark steps. Shoving the keys into the pocket of my cloak, I darted through the door, closing it behind me.
My eyes were still adjusting to the dim light, but I only had moments to get as far as I could from the door. My hand found the smooth wall of the dungeon, and I used it to steady myself, wincing as my palm touched moss and mold. My lungs ached, my mouth was bone-dry, but I picked up my pace, stretching my power until black spots appeared in the edges of my vision.
I dropped the thread and time resumed. A surge of victory flooded through me. Iโd made it this far. Ahead, a torch cast an orange glow on the stone wall. I wiggled the torch free and took it with me.
The stairs felt never-ending. The scent of rusty metal and human waste slid up my nostrils before I heard the groans. Dread rose, quickening my
pulse and making my head swim. I forced myself to take several deep breaths, but by the time I reached the bottom of the stairs, I was trembling. The stench was sickening, but it was the cold that made me shudder.
I pulled my cloak up over my head, just in case I found Lina here. She would be desperate for the kingโs pardon, and there was a good chance she would recognize me.
Tightening my hand around the torch, I stepped forward.
This was an ageless, evil place. Cells stretched out on either side of me for as far as I could see. I splashed through stagnant puddles of water, peering into each cell, my heart breaking.
Would Asinia even still be alive?
All the prisoners were lying on the floor. Many of them seemed half dead. I crouched outside the closest cell and pressed my face next to the bars.
โHello? Can you hear me?โ
The man opened his eyes to slits, but that seemed to take all of his energy. A moment later, those eyes were closed again.
Vicer had warned that the prisoners were kept docile. But this wasnโt just docile. This was much, much worse.
If only I could break them all out. Could lead them straight out the front door of the castle and set them free. Back to their families.
My eyes burning, I stumbled to my feet and kept moving, passing prisoner after prisoner. I kept my voice low, but none of them responded, and I didnโt see Lina.
It felt as if years had passed by the time I found Asinia. She was on my left, curled into a ball on the stone floor, without even a blanket.
My heart cracked into pieces. โAsinia?โ
She didnโt reply. My hands shook as I shoved the key into the lock, swinging her cell door open. Crouching next to her, I leaned down.
โAsinia. Please be okay. Asinia, open your eyes.โ
She cracked them open. โPris?โ she whispered, her voice so quiet I could barely make out her words. โDreaming?โ
โNo, youโre not dreaming.โ I pushed Asiniaโs hair off her face, and my blood froze in my veins. โYouโre burning up.โ
โMiss you.โ
I had to get her some medicine.
Her eyes met mine, blurry and lost. โMy mother is dead.โ They sharpened. โSo is yours.โ
My breath hitched. โI know.โ
And then her head was lolling once more.
โSheโs not going to last,โ a weary voice said, and I turned my head.
The man in the cell to the right of Asiniaโs looked about Tibrisโs age, although he was little more than skin and bones. I could barely make out his face in this light, but a beard covered most of the lower half of it.
โSheย willย last,โ I snarled.
He smiled. โPerhaps she will, with a friend as fierce as you.โ
I glanced around us. The cell to the left of Asiniaโs was empty. Across the narrow corridor, most of the cells were occupied by more prisoners who lay as if already dead.
Turning my attention back to the prisoner, I surveyed him. The light was too dim to see much, but I could tell his hair was dark and his clothes were in even worse condition than most of the other prisoners Iโd seen so far.
โHow can you hold a conversation and no one else can?โ
He twisted his lips. โIโve built up somewhat of a tolerance to the guardsโ poison.โ
I swallowed around the lump in my throat. โWhatโs your name?โ โDemos.โ
I closed my eyes.ย Thisย was the man Vicer had ordered me to get out when I freed Asinia.
โIโmโโ
โDonโt tell me.โ
Because if he was tortured for that information, he would be forced to give it up.
I blew out a breath. โHow long have you been here?โ
โAlmost two years.โ He must have seen the surprise on my face. โI was caught days after Gods Day. For some unknown reason, I was spared during the next Gods Day. I doubt Iโll be as lucky this time.โ
He didnโt look all that concerned about it. I had a feeling he was ready to end his existence in this cell.
โWhy canโt any of you use your powers?โ โIron poisoning.โ
I frowned, peeking at his ears, which were most definitelyย notย pointed. โWeโre not fae. We can tolerate fae iron.โ
He nodded. โWe canย tolerateย it. But the first thing they do when weโre brought here is slice at our skin and push fae iron into our wounds. Then they crush it into dust and feed it to us in what little food they give us.โ
I stored that information away, attempting to distance myself from the sickening reality of it. If I was going to get them both out of here, I needed them to be able to walk.
โIs the iron still in your body?โ
He shifted closer, and for a moment, he seemed so familiar I had to blink. Then he was holding up his arm once more, the rags he wore shifting back to show me his shoulder.
The world dimmed around me. Demos was cursing as he tried to cover the wound, but I couldn’t shake the image from my mind. I could still see the infection spreading through his shoulder, the pus oozing from it.
I leaned over Asinia, pushing her tunic off her shoulder. She had a wound in the same spot, though it wasn’t nearly as infected as Demos’s.
Exhaling, I met his gaze. “Why is yours so much worse?”
“I thought I’d dig the fae iron out myself. Turns out, not the best idea. Still, dying from infection beats burning alive,” he said with a grim smile.
I couldn’t disagree. “The guards still only feed you once a day, in the mornings?”
Surprise flickered across his face. “Yes. Keeps us hungry for the next bellyful of iron.”
“Don’t eat for the next few days. Try to make sure Asinia doesn’t either.” It was risky, considering she had no weight left to lose, but a few bites of food tainted with fae iron would likely do more harm than good.
He tilted his head. “You’ve got some kind of plan. Normally, I’d laugh at you. But getting down here tells me you might be my only hope.”
“Just don’t eat the food. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”