This man is going to kill me.
I had never had a vision like that before. Then again, I had only ever seen the king’s future until today, and he had never given me any futures that were quite so grim. My shaking paused as a new wave of understanding crashed through me.I had never seen a vision while I was panicked before...The two snippets of this man’s future must have been from moments that he shared a similar feeling. It was no wonder I saw something so traumatic.
“I beg your pardon, but are you alright?” The man’s voice shocked me from my thoughts and I kept my head turned toward the floor. He sounded more irritated than concerned, so hopefully, he wasn’t planning on helping me to my feet.
“S-stay there,” I stuttered the command as firmly as I could, but it was hard to mask the sheer trepidation I was enduring.
The man scoffed, “You’re in no position to be ordering me around.” The door creaked closed, and I noticed his heavy-footed steps thumping toward me.
Frantically, I scurried across the floor on my hands and knees in an attempt to dodge the man’s gaze. I had already broken enough rules to get me thrown from the tower, and the last thing I needed was to see another forbidden vision. The man’s steps halted, likely confused by my awkward scramble. I didn’t give a single care about the propriety of my actions, and instead, I followed the familiar patterns on the stone floor. A moment later, I was staring down at where the dining table leg touched the ground. I was so close to the man that I could see his shadow looming beside me from the light of the window. My pulse spiked again at the daunting sight, but I pushed it aside long enough to stretch a hand onto the top of the table and snatch up the familiar strip of silk.
An instant surge of comfort eased me as I pulled the blindfold up to my eyes. I tied the strips of silk into a sloppy knot then fluttered my lashes beneath the shield.
Relax, Elle... It’s safe now.
I stayed on the floor for a moment as I caught my breath, and the man’s steps clicked a breath closer. “What in the realms are you doing, woman!?” the man sneered sharply.
I flinched at the stranger’s berate.Who is he? Why is he here?His footsteps echoed closer until I could feel his body heat radiating beside me. The man snatched me by the fabric on my sleeves and forced me to my feet. I let out a soft shriek at the unexpected touch, but when I shrunk back, the man’s grip softened and I noticed a change in his breathing.
“I’m not here to hurt you,” he said flatly. Silence followed his statement, as if he was waiting for me to display a show of gratitude for his kind heart. I remained stiff, and he released my shoulders and took a step back. “I demand that you explain your purpose here to me. What is this room? Who are you? And what bewitchment did you try to use on me now?” His voice was stern and commanding, but also held a touch of hesitancy.
My sensitive ears picked up on this acute shift and I relaxed the smallest amount.He’s likely scared of me, too... I bet he didn’t know there was a mage in here.Maybe if I made it clear that he was the one in the wrong, he would back down and leave. It was a terrifying idea, but I was willing to try anything to be free of this trespasser and his horrifying future.
I straightened my posture and held my chin higher to match his confidence as best as I could. “I don’t owe you a single explanation,” I said callously, trying to hide the shake in my voice. “You’re the one who trespassed into my home. What gives you the right to command me of anything? I demand you leave immediately before the king decides he’ll have your head for this intrusion.” I pointed viciously toward the door and poured every ounce of authority I could into my expression.
The man laughed cruelly, and I fought the urge to shrink back again. “You foolish servant, the king would never touch my head. It’s intended to bear his crown one day.”
My confidence unraveled, and I felt my knees shake with fresh fear. He was a potential heir to the throne, which meant that he must have been one of the two remaining sons of the king. It was no wonder he’d looked so familiar—I must have seen him in the king’s visions before. He had looked too young to be Prince Conan, so that must mean...
“Y-you’re Prince Miron.” I swallowed nervously. My head was spinning as the vision of his attack replayed vividly in my mind.Why would the prince try to kill me…?
“Clever girl,” the prince said in a pleased voice. “If you had guessed Conan, you may have perished where you stand now. Some believe my elder brother should inherit the throne, but I’m satisfied to hear that at least the meager servants know who to bow to.”
I heard his feet move again, and a high-pitched screech sounded as I presumed, he pulled out a dining chair. A soft thump informed I was correct and he was now seated a few feet in front of me. “Now, why don’t we try this again? Who are you, and where is the crystal?”
chapter seven
“Crystal?” I blinked confusedly behind my blindfold as I attempted to process the prince’s inquiry.Was he looking for me?
“Yes, the crystal ball,” the prince confirmed with an agitated huff. “It’s one of the enchanted artifacts the king hoards. I know Father must keep it somewhere in these towers. Surely, you’re familiar with it if you reside up here.”
His irritated tone pricked at me.What in the realms is he talking about?He may have been the prince, but he clearly didn’t know anything about the situation he had put us both in. “Your Highness, I know nothing of any enchanted artifacts. The only ‘crystal’ in this tower is me.”
A brisk silence followed, and I shifted uncomfortably. This man didn’t know how to talk to me like Mabel did. He often left prolonged gaps of quiet where I was left to hopelessly guess at his mood and reaction.
A slight creak brushed my senses, and I assumed he had shifted in the wooden chair. “What isthatsupposed to mean?” he asked in a severe tone.
For a moment I thought I had angered him, but when I replayed his voice in my mind, I noticed his anger didn’t feel pointed at me. I grabbed my braid and pulled it over my shoulder to place it in full view. The sun had been warming my cheek and arm, so I knew that by placing the thick bundle of silver there, it would shimmer against the light.
“My name is Crystal. I’m the sole resident of this tower and a wielder of magic. Perhaps your information was slightly skewed.” An unforeseen spike of courage rolled through me, so I quickly made use of it. “You may be the prince, but this is my personal space granted to me by King Darius himself. He is the only one permitted to visit me, and by entering this room you have committed a grievous crime I shall report when I next see him.” I crossed my arms stiffly and gave him the dirtiest glare I could while being unable to use my eyes.
The prince remained obnoxiously silent for another minute before creaking up from his seat and clicking his boots back across the floor. “So, you’re a mage, then?” he said in a foreboding voice. I took an involuntary step back as I heard his steps grow closer. “I’ve heard that silver hair is a mark of power. Does this mean that your magic is strong enough to, oh I don’t know... see the future, perhaps?”
I carelessly let out a shocked gasp, and the prince laughed ruefully at his clever, deductive reasoning. My nails crept back up to my mouth and I bit them.How does he know my power?No one was permitted to know the truth of my magic. I nearly got Mabel killed when I was little for explaining my power to her. The king used my gift for information on his sons frequently, so I highly doubted he would tell them he had been peering into their future since they were young.
“I-I don’t know what you’re...” My mind went blank as I tried to concoct any type of explanation.
“Don’t try to lie. I know all about how the king has been looking into the future,” he said brashly. “What I didn’t know... was that the power actually came from a young woman.” He awed in thoughtfully. “Tell me, Crystal was it? How long have you been living here?”