Aria's POV
Again.
Elder Mira's voice is patient but firm. We've been in the palace gardens for three hours, and I'm exhausted. My hands ache. My head throbs. But we can't stop.
Two weeks. That's all the time I have before the Duke performs his ritual. Before he starts killing servants starts with Lyra to force me to surrender.
I can't let that happen.
I close my eyes and reach for the magic inside me. That warmth in my chest pulses, stronger now that I'm learning to use it. I feel the earth beneath my feet, the grass, the roots of trees spreading underground like veins.
Focus, Mira says. Don't force it. Let it flow naturally.
I picture what I want: vines, rising from the ground, wrapping around the stone target dummy Kassian's soldiers set up for me.
Green light glows around my hands. The earth trembles. Thick vines burst from the soil, shooting toward the dummy
And then spiral out of control, whipping wildly through the air like angry snakes.
Stop! Mira shouts.
I try to pull the magic back, but it's too strong. The vines slam into a tree, cracking the trunk. They tear up flowers. One vine nearly hits a guard standing watch.
Panic floods through me. I'm going to hurt someone
Kassian appears out of nowhere, grabbing my shoulders. Aria, look at me.
I do. His ice-blue eyes lock onto mine, steady and calm.
Breathe, he says quietly. The magic responds to your emotions. You're scared, so it's scared. Be calm.
I can't
Yes, you can. His hands are firm on my shoulders. I can feel your heartbeat through our bond. I know you're stronger than this. Now breathe.
I take a shaky breath. Then another. The panic slowly fades.
The vines stop thrashing. They hover in the air for a moment, then gently sink back into the earth.
I collapse to my knees, exhausted.
Kassian crouches beside me. Better. That was better than yesterday.
I almost hit that guard, I say miserably. I almost
But you didn't, Elder Mira interrupts, walking over. You stopped yourself. That's progress, child. Two days ago, you couldn't control anything. Now you can pull the magic back when you need to.
Two days. It's only been two days of training, but it feels like forever.
I'm not learning fast enough, I whisper. The Duke Lyra I don't have time
Which is why we keep practicing, Mira says firmly. Rest for a moment, then we try again.
Kassian helps me stand. His hand lingers on my arm, and I feel that strange connection between us pulse stronger. The marriage bond. Always there, linking our hearts.
You're doing well, he says quietly. Better than I would, if I suddenly discovered I had ancient magical powers.
You're just saying that to make me feel better.
I don't say things I don't mean. He's serious, his scarred face showing no humor. You're strong, Aria. Stronger than you know.
Before I can respond, he walks away to talk with his guards, leaving me confused and warm.
He cares about you, Elder Mira observes, watching him go.
He barely knows me, I protest. We've been married three days.
The marriage bond works quickly, Mira says. Especially when both partners have magic. His Northern magic and your Old magic they're connecting, creating something new. She gives me a knowing look. Whether you're ready for it or not.
I don't know what to say to that, so I change the subject. What's next? What do I need to learn?
Fire control. You can create it, but you need to learn to direct it without burning yourself or others. Mira gestures to a series of candles arranged on a stone table. Light each candle one at a time. Just the wick. Nothing else.
It sounds simple. It's not.
For the next hour, I try to light candles with magic. I burn my fingers twice. I melt three candles completely. I set a bush on fire (guards had to put it out). But finally, finally, I manage to light one candle perfectly.
Just the wick. A small, controlled flame.
I nearly cry with relief.
Excellent, Mira says, actually smiling. Now do it nine more times.
By the time the sun starts setting, I can light all ten candles without destroying anything. My hands are covered in small burns that I heal with my magic (another skill Mira is teaching me).
Kassian has been watching for the last hour, sitting on a garden bench. When Mira finally dismisses me for the day, he stands and walks over.
You did well today, he says.
I set a bush on fire.
But you learned from it. He looks at me seriously. Aria, I know you're scared about the Duke and the deadline. But you're getting stronger every day. We'll find Lyra. We'll stop him.
How can you be so sure?
Because I don't lose, he says simply. I've been fighting since I was sixteen years old. I've fought armies, assassins, blood magic users. I'm not going to let one scheming Duke take what's mine.
What's his? Does he mean me? Or just his kingdom?
Before I can ask, he adds, Get some rest. Tomorrow we add combat training to your schedule. Theron will teach you knife work in case your magic fails.
More training, I sigh.
More training, he agrees. Until you're so strong that the Duke will regret ever learning your name.
That night, I'm so exhausted I think I'll fall asleep immediately. But I'm wrong.
Someone knocks softly on my door the new room I've been given, private and safe with guards outside.
Come in, I call nervously.
A girl slips inside, and my heart leaps. Lyra!
My friend looks terrified but unhurt. She rushes over and hugs me tight.
I thought the Duke had you, I gasp. His letter said
I've been hiding, Lyra whispers. In the servant passages. Aria, I had to warn you. I overheard something terrible.
Ice floods my veins. What? What did you hear?
Princess Celeste is back. She arrived this morning with guards loyal to her family. And she's been meeting with someone in secret I think it's one of the Duke's men. They're planning something for tomorrow morning.
What kind of something?
I don't know exactly. But I heard her say your name. And she said, 'The servant girl won't see it coming.' Lyra grips my hands. Whatever they're planning, it's meant for you.
My heart races. Princess Celeste. I haven't even thought about her since the wedding. I was so focused on the Duke and my training that I forgot about the princess who made my life miserable for years.
I'll tell Kassian, I say. He'll protect me.
Be careful, Lyra begs. Celeste is cruel, but she's not stupid. Whatever she's planning, it'll look like an accident. She's good at that.
After Lyra leaves (she's still hiding, afraid the Duke's spies will find her), I try to sleep. But I keep thinking about Celeste's face when she watched me marry Kassian. The pure hatred in her eyes.
What is she planning?
The next morning, I'm walking to breakfast when I see her.
Princess Celeste stands in the hallway, blocking my path. She's even more beautiful than I remember golden hair perfectly arranged, skin like porcelain, wearing a silk dress that probably costs more than I earned in my entire life as a servant.
She looks at me with utter contempt.
Well, well, she says, her voice sweet as poisoned honey. If it isn't the little servant girl playing queen.
I lift my chin, trying to look brave. Princess Celeste. I thought you fled the palace.
I did. But I came back when I heard the most amusing news. She steps closer, circling me like a predator. The Warlord married you. You. The worthless girl I used to beat for fun.
Her words sting, but I don't show it. Things have changed.
Have they? Celeste laughs coldly. You think because you have magic and a fancy title that you're special now? You think he actually cares about you?
Kassian protected me, I say, even though my voice shakes. He
He used you for politics, Celeste interrupts. Don't be naive. Men like him don't fall in love with servants. They use them until something better comes along. She leans in close, her breath hot on my face. And when he gets bored of playing with his little magical pet, I'll be waiting. The way I've always been waiting.
You're wrong, I whisper, but doubt creeps in. Is she right? Does Kassian only see me as useful? As a tool?
Celeste smiles, reading my uncertainty. You'll see. A servant is always a servant, no matter what dress she wears. And servants can be replaced.
She starts to walk away, then pauses. Oh, and Aria? Enjoy your breakfast. I made sure the cook prepared something special for you.
She leaves, her laugh echoing down the hallway.
My hands are shaking. I should go tell Kassian about the threat, about Celeste's warning about breakfast. But part of me the part that was beaten down for twenty-three years whispers that maybe she's right. Maybe I'm just fooling myself.
I'm so lost in thought that I don't notice when I reach the dining hall.
Don't notice the servant setting a covered plate at my usual seat.
Don't notice the strange, sweet smell coming from under the silver dome.
I sit down, still thinking about Celeste's words. Absently, I lift the dome to reveal my breakfast.
And freeze.
On the plate, arranged in a perfect circle, are seven black roses.
Dead. Rotting. Covered in a substance that glimmers like oil but smells like death.
Poison. Blood magic poison.
I jerk back from the table but I've already breathed it in. The sweet smell. It's in my lungs now.
The room spins. My vision blurs. I try to stand, but my legs won't work.
Help, I gasp, but no sound comes out. The poison is affecting my voice, my body.
I fall from my chair, hitting the floor hard. Through failing vision, I see servants running toward me, shouting. I see guards rushing in.
And in the doorway, I see Princess Celeste watching with a satisfied smile.
The last thing I hear before everything goes dark is Kassian's voice, desperate and terrified, screaming my name.
Then nothing.