“Deal.”
He extended his hand for her to shake. Ellery hesitated.
“Look, in the interest of no bullshit…” She curled and uncurled her fingers. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but when we touch, I—no,we—feel something, don’t we?”
Something intimate flickered in his gaze, like the glint of candlelight. “I feel your magic. It’s kinda like being thrown in a full-body ice bath.”
“An ice bath? Really?”
“Well, what’s it like for you, then?”
When Domenic had touched her, she’d felt his magic kindle like a flame, and her own magic had drawn toward him, so sharp, so alert.
“Uh…”
The door creaked open. Ellery and Domenic lurched away from each other just before Councilor Seong strode in, a stack of notecards in one hand and Calynia in the other. She frowned and flicked her wand, and an additional notecard soared in from the hallway to join the others.
“Caldwell, your remarks are all finalized, and if you’re ready we can… Oh, Dom. I didn’t realize they’d finished with you. You look…” Seong pressed her palm over her heart.
Domenic chuckled. “That bad, huh?”
“No, you don’t look bad,” she managed. Then, collecting herself, she smoothed down his sleeves that didn’t need smoothing. The gesture was so familiar, so parental, as though she’d done it dozens of times before. “You look the part.”
“I can play the part,” he told her firmly.
Seong squeezed his shoulder. “I know you can. I’ve always known how talented you are. It’s just… Never mind. I’m so proud of you.”
Ellery knew that Domenic lived with Seong and Mayes, but over the last day she’d come to realize that the Councilors weren’t just his mentor and his friend. They were his family.
It was impossible not to see parallels to her own situation, except for all that Glynn had tried to defend her to the Council, he’d always kept her at arm’s length.
Maybe he’d suspected she had Winter magic all along. Maybe that was why.
Seong distributed notecards to both of them. “Now I ought to warn you: I’ll do my best to corral the reporters, but they’re impatient and riled up. However, so long as you stick to your scripts and maintain calm, that should minimize any problems. Understood?”
“Yes,” Ellery said.
Domenic gulped as he tucked the notecards into his blazer. “Yeah, I can do that.”
“Then come on. It’s best not to keep them waiting any longer.”
Ellery and Domenic followed Seong, Domenic’s posture rigid, Ellery’s sensible heels clicking against the floor.
They emerged onto the Citadel’s front steps, through the arched stone gate separating its campus from Gallamere’s iconic Main Street, the star of a million postcards. Neat rows of trees ended in two gigantic flagpoles, each proudly flying the Aldrish green and white.
Immediately, cameras flashed, smoke coughing from theirshutters and swathing everything in a disorienting, dreamlike haze. Behind the reporters were a series of barricades, blocking off traffic and holding back the crowds of spectators. There were hundreds—no, thousands of people, blanketed by a heating spell, their breath fogging as they chattered excitedly.
The roped-off first row was crammed with faces from the newspaper’s front pages, including the Prime Minister. Nerves stirred in Ellery as she walked to the podium with the same polished poise that she’d honed at the academy, then positioned herself behind Seong, Domenic at her side.
“Thank you all for gathering here today,” Seong said into the microphone. “Since Valmordion’s vigil, the Magicians Order has worked tirelessly on behalf of this nation’s future. And as the Director of Public Relations, on behalf of the Council, I am proud to now address the Aldrish people regarding the developments of the past several days.”
The rest of the Council sat amongst the Gallamere elites. Yet Mayes was notably absent, a chair for her missing entirely.
“Over the last millennium, our country has been given a series of prophecies to ensure our survival against Winter. Along with each prophecy comes a hero. Again and again, they have shielded us from cataclysm, and as a new one approaches, for the first time in history, we have been granted a Chosen Two: one who wields Valmordion, the great wand of Summer… and one who wields Iskarius, a new wand of Winter.”
The crowd began to rumble, but Seong continued, seemingly unfazed. Ellery kept her countenance unfazed, too.
“It is with great confidence that I introduce Alderland to Domenic Barrow and Ellery Caldwell.”
