Liam rubs his temples and groans, but Thom clears his throat, interrupting them. “If you two are done, we have more important matters to discuss.” Mikal sticks out his tongue and flicks Liam off, and Liam whips a decorative pillow from the chair at him, smacking him in the face with an audible whack. Completely ignoring them, Thom continues, “As I was saying… I believe the king and queen tried to hide the relics as well. I can only imagine what power would drive them to sacrifice themselves. It can’t be anything that should ever see the light of day again.”
That quiets Mikal and Liam, and the rest of us as well.
Corren breaks the silence. “Niethal’s interest in Grace would make sense, then. If she is the last magic-wielding descendant of House Anaeris, he may believe she’s the key to opening the city and bringing down the borders.”
Niethal intends to take back the human lands; that much he has said, and Grace fits with possibly opening Anaeris. My stomach drops. If the king and queen had to sacrifice themselves to seal the city with blood magic, what would it cost Grace to open it? I push the thought away.
“Well, we won’t find out more until tomorrow’s first meeting,” I say to everyone. “Get some rest. It’s been a long night.”
They stand, grumbling about the court clothes they’re still wearing, and move toward the door.
The last to leave is Thom. “I believe everything you said about your connection with Grace. We’ll figure out what it is.”
After he leaves, I flop on the mattress and stare at the ceiling. As I’m sorting through everything we’ve discovered about the relics and Anaeris, my mind continues to drift to Grace.
Drowsiness pulls me toward sleep, and as I fall into the darkness, there’s a warm presence hovering on the edge of my mind. It’s comforting, like staring out my bedroom window with a summer breeze wafting in.
Home.
Somehow, I know it’s Grace.
CHAPTER 15
GRACE
“D
amn it.” I’ve been at this for hours and still can’t manage more than a pea-sized flame. It should be easy. Niethal only touched me last night, and I exploded. Now I can barely call anything.
I pound my fists on the arms of the chair, stand, and stalk to the window. The sun shines high in the clear blue sky, and the fae below stroll through the courtyard as if not a care in the world weighs on them. Not long ago, that was me, carefree back in Trimton, where my biggest worry was a leaky roof, and now… now I have too many worries to count.
Scraping a hand down my face, I turn from the window. I’ve been in here all morning, and the only people I’ve seen were the two servants who delivered breakfast and garment bags. But they didn’t speak to me. They barely even looked my way.
I’m beginning to feel like the prisoner I am. Ihaveto get out of this room.
Forcing my eyes shut, I take a deep breath. None of my brooding will teach me how to use my magic. What I need to do is focus the excess energy on something productive.
Heading back to the fireplace for inspiration, I imagine the fire in my hands, the warmth twisting between my fingers. A pulling sensation forms in the pit of my stomach, and what feels like a current of water flows from my chest, down my arm, until a tiny grape-sized flame sparks to life, hovering just above my palm.
Ha!Finally, progress.
A knock at the door startles me, and the fire blinks out as Delphina enters and sets a tray on the tea table. “I thought you might want to eat before today’s events. The king requested you accompany him to this afternoon’s meeting and dinner this evening. Someone should have delivered your dresses earlier.”
My eyes dart to the garment bags hanging on the armoire. I didn’t open them, mostly out of spite. While I’m sure they’re gorgeous, and under any other circumstance, I’d be excited to wear such beautiful gowns, it feels like I’m on display.
“I’ll start on your hair while you eat.” She grabs a brush and gently combs through the tangles. I’m starting to enjoy being pampered, and Delphina doesn’t seem to mind either, so I relax and eat.
Once she finishes brushing and styling my hair, she clicks her tongue. “I’ll be right back. I need to get your makeup from the washroom.”
While she’s gone, curiosity gets the better of me and I open the garment bags. The first dress is an amethyst-purple floor-length gown with gold accents. Its cap sleeves flutter prettily, and the neckline plunges into a deepV.
It’s stunning.
I peer into the second bag and find an emerald-green dress with thick straps, a plunging neckline, and a ruffled slit up the front.
These are dresses I would have picked for myself. My lips turn down, not wanting to like them as much as I do.
“Are you unhappy with the gowns?” Delphina asks as she steps out of the washroom with two small bags in hand.