Page 83 of Reaper’s Curse

What had he done, and what had he seen that prompted him to write his request in this morning’s note?

Camilla shrugged. “He didn’t say. The girls probably talked to him more than I did.” She motioned to the dress with a lift of her finger. “Turn around and let’s get you out of this thing. Now that I have the length marked, I need to add the adornments that will make it turn heads.”

I lifted my hair so that Camilla could unzip the gown down the back. “You don’t need to go to such trouble. I can’t imagine I’ll be attending the ball.”

“You have to go!” Kira darted to my side. “He’ll be there.”

“Chace?”

Kira nodded, a face-wide grin in place.

“How do you know?”

“Myla knows. She told me.” Kira pointed to her afflicted twin.

Camilla followed the directional point and my gaze. “Ah, yes. Myla used to be my little seer before we lost magic. Now, she mostly just sees where Kira is, but sometimes she gets small glimpses of other things.”

“A seer and a healer,” I said, recalling how Kira had helped heal my wounds when I’d been close to death. “That’s amazing. Does that mean you or their father is either a healer and a seer?”

“No.” Camilla held the gown while I stepped out of it. “Magical abilities don’t run in family lines that way. Magic tends to have a will of its own. It picks who gets what.” She carried the gown to the rack and carefully hung it up. “The girls’ father, August, wielded fire magic, and my magic is…well… It’s hard to name or explain.”

“Why don’t you try?” I started to shimmy into my leathers, but Camilla stopped me and pointed to the rack of new options.

With a forced smile, I handed my leathers to the seamstress and picked a nice pants outfit for my upcoming time with Valen.

Won’t he be surprised, I thought.

“My magic…” Camilla mused and sucked on her tooth. “My magic is like knowing the heart of something or someone with little more than a touch.”

“What?” My mouth popped open.

“Yeah. It can be a little overwhelming at times, and often intrusive to the other, but it’s not like I collect thoughts or memories. It’s merely a knowing. That being said…” She tilted her head and smirked. “Having this magic doesn’t mean I can’t be fooled. Because let me tell you⁠—”

“Hello, darlings!” Lucas drawled as he swung open the door and stepped into the room.

“You didn’t even knock,” Camilla reprimanded. “She could have been naked.”

She thrust a point toward me.

Lucas’s gaze swept over me in my new outfit. “Wouldn’t be anything I care to see. No offense, esteemed guest.”

Esteemed guest. I wanted to laugh. If the palace personnel only knew the truth of why I was here. Trapped under the queen’s thumb. A queen I’d only seen once since striking the deal.

I snorted. “No offense taken.”

“Wonderful.” He kicked the door open wider. “Now that we have that established, I’ve come to escort this ravishing beauty to her next appointment. The royal healer is a stickler for punctuality.”

Dang it. I wanted to hear more about Camilla’s magic and her story about getting duped.

With a farewell to the seamstress and her kids, I followed Lucas as we made our way to my next scheduled appointment for the day.

Lucas was quiet during the stretch of the first hall, and I allowed him that, but once we turned the corner and traversed another desolate passageway, I dug in with my inquiry.

“What were those shackles you put on Winter the other night?”

“Oh lordy.” He rolled his eyes. “Why do you have to go there? I don’t want to think about what I had to do.”

“Was it that bad?” I whispered.