Page 20 of Crown of the Courtesan

And everything goes quiet.

My mind, usually swimming in vague whispers and a spitting, crackling noise, silences itself for the first time in a long time. I blink, then blink again.

I gaze into the king’s face and see a father’s pain. His eyes flutter, and he falls back into his chair, struggling for air until his breathing calms. He keeps his eyelids shut, as if he fears what he has just seen.

A council member mumbles, “How will we know it’s working?”

“She either has the fae bloodline or she doesn’t,” says General Metalla, his voice dominating the entire room’s attention. “There’s only one way to find out.” He walks to the hole in the turret wall. “Here, girl,” he commands, knocking the telescope out of the way.

Once again, I obey despite everything within me screaming to run in the other direction. I swallow my fear and stand at the floor-to-ceiling opening, the night breeze cooling my heated face and whipping my skirts around my legs. In the expanse, the stars twinkle, undisturbed by the chaos of mortals. Rubble, nudged by my slipper, falls two hundred or so feet down the sheer drop.

I feel his presence from behind, and it strikes me. General Metalla—he’s my uncle by blood. He presses his chest against my back and points at the gravel path winding through the castle gardens. “Light that lamppost with your power,” he says for all to hear. The men laugh mockingly, their voices mixing across the room in a piercing tone that hurts my ears. “Should be easy enough if you are a true Metalla.”

“B-but I’ve never done this before. I don’t know how…”

“That’s too bad. Perhaps you are not of royal lineage after all.”

“All right, all right. As much fun as this has been, let’s leave poor Tabitha alone. She obviously has no power,” Balor calls out to the other lords. “I’ll order a carriage and escort her back to my manor.”

So many things flood my thoughts. Anger. Disbelief. Refusal. Denial. I don’t want any of this, but that monster will not decide my fate anymore.

“No.” My voice leaves zero room for debate. “I haven’t started.”

The chamber goes quiet.

“You heard her,” General Metalla warns. “Let her show us what she’s capable of.”

“What happens if I fail?”

“You return to your old life,” he whispers in my ear.

I shake my head, refusing his terms.

The general laughs. “Then you’d better start.”

The only way through this is to try. Overthinking will get me nowhere.

“Don’t bother. You’ll just humiliate yourself,” someone says behind me.

Standing as close to the edge as possible, I stare at the lamppost, straining my mind, trying to light it or ignite a spark—or anything. My eyes blur, and I realize I’m staring at the leaves of a tree swaying in the wind.

I need to focus.

Without warning, a boot slams into my spine, knocking the air from my lungs and sending me hurtling through the serrated sky toward the grassy slope below.

Ten

Betrayal.

Treachery.

The night sky spins as I plunge through the open air. The dark ground of the rippling lawn surges closer, resembling a looming grave. This is it. The sorrow and rage I’ve choked down now erupt with volcanic force.

A wave of fire sears through my veins, gathering speed and power. It charges every fiber in my body until magic detonates within me.

Invisible winds swirl and crackle, enfolding me in a protective cocoon.

I’m weightless, suspended in a cyclone of energy.