I furrowed my brows. “I’ve never heard of a magic thread.” But even as he spoke it, I could see it in my mind’s eye—the flicker ofyarn, the shimmer of gold, the waver of it as it passed by me mid-spell. I hadn’t known what it was, but I’d encountered it briefly time and time again over the years.
“The theory behind it is quite new. We, or, I mean, the Mage Council has been expanding its search for wisdom beyond Amouridian borders in hopes of observing other magic theologies in search of deeper truths.”
“So where does the magic thread belief come from?”
His eyes crinkled, a spark of enthusiasm lit from within. I leaned forward.
“I’m glad you asked.” He took his finger, shook it, and drew in the air. Mist trailed from his finger, dark and smoky, creating a jagged shape that hovered between us. “Okay, imagine this is Amouridia.”
My mouth gaped. “How did you do that?”
He laughed, his eyes twinkling. “We can study air magic next. But focus here. This is us.” He added a curved line above our kingdom. “And here is Kerimiya to the North, and the wild mountains that connect to us both.”
My eyes followed along as he roughly drew the borders of lands I’d dreamed of seeing.
“Junira is to the west—that’s where many mages go for studies abroad—and Pa’abo’s deserts to the south. And here—” he scribbled with the mist so it floated east of Amouridia’s border, “—is the island of Cobleran and the Isle of Hearts.”
His eyes finally turned to me, inquisitive and energetic.
I smiled. “My Papa used to tell me of these lands. Of trolls and centaurs and sirens. We were—” My voice cracked, and I coughed to cover it up.
“I was insensitive earlier,” Thom said, his eyes heavy. “I’m sorry.”
I nodded, shoving away the ache of his memory. But no amount of smothering the pain ever truly worked. The memories only seemed to fester with time.
“You could always travel in honor of him,” Thom offered.
My mouth twisted. “It’s a nice idea in theory, your Highness, but you are forgetting one crucial fact.”
He lifted a brow.
“I’m a chambermaid.”
His expression fell. “I forgot that pesky detail.”
“It’s easy to forget not everyone has the privilege you do.”
“So I’m learning.”
My mouth curved upward.
Thom drew once more in the air, strengthening the lines of mist that had begun to fade. “Of all our neighbors, Junira is a great ally for magical exploration. Their system is set up similar to ours, both magically and politically. And even more importantly, magic is stronger in the forests and mountains, away from our plains. Kerimiya would also be a useful ally,” he said, drawing a rough etch of the landscape. “With the mountains being another strong source of magic, it would expand our continental mage network, but they are very superstitious about magic.”
I tilted my head. “Oh?”
“Have been for a long time. I believe a rogue mage or two terrorizes much of the country. The Mage Council has offered to assist the Kerimiyan royal family, but at the mere mention of magic, they cease discussion with us.”
I pulled my robe closer. “Oh, dear.”
He hesitated. “Are you cold?”
I lifted my brows. “Sorry?”
Before I could answer, he pulled his coat off and slipped it overmy shoulders. “That should improve your situation.”
“I… thank you.” His coat was warm from his lingering body heat, and the smell of crisp, turning pages filled my nostrils. I sank into it, my heart fluttering.
“As I was saying,” he said, pushing his glasses up his nose, “Kerimiya refuses to work with us. Cobleran is a wild card in terms of politics, and Pa’abo is incredibly challenging to traverse, so our current efforts have been toward an information exchange with Junira.”
