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Forget about monsters in children’s stories, hiding under the bed. As Conjurites, the monsters were inside of us, and there was no getting away from them, there.
The fear that settled in the pit of my stomach was the essence of the dark magic in me, and I had to force myself to ignore it.
“I want you to consider it,” Rainier said. “We might not do it right away, but in time, we’ll find out how to fight the Conjurite magic you wield. Once you’re free, you can have Palgia to rule as your own.”
I frowned. “What?”
“You heard me. Once you’re rid of the Conjurite magic, you’ll be King of Palgia, and the kingdom will belong to you.”
“You’regivingme a kingdom?”
“I am.”
I was confused. “Why?”
Rainier had been kind to me from the start, merciful after Falx had been killed and just when it came to what I’d done for my kingdom. But this was about the spoils of war, about the right Rainier had to Palgia since he and Ellie had defeated its king.
“Because you deserve more than what this life has offered you, and I want to set things straight.”
“It wasn’t your fault it went wrong in the first place.”
Rainier shook his head. “We’re not only bound to fix something if we ruined it. It’s the right thing to do. If you really want it, then I know you’ll do what it takes to get it.”
I didn’t know if he was talking about my Luminescence or Palgia. But right now, it was one and the same, wasn’t it?
“Okay,” I said.
Rainier grinned at me. “We still have a long road to walk, my friend.”
Friend.
“But every step we take in the right direction is a victory. One day, we will look back together, as allies, and know that we overcame the darkness together.”
He held out his hand, and I took it. This time, my darkness didn’t rise to fight him. We shook.
I wanted this. To be king—not just a regent acting in Rainier’s absence, but a true king—and to rule my people with a just hand, to lead them back to the light.
Was it really that simple?
A part of me said “yes.” It was nothing more than a choice.
But if it really was that simple, I would have been able to leave the darkness behind a long time ago.
The darkness was still here. It wasn’t going to be that easy.
3
HAZEL
The fire crackled happily in the hearth, although it wasn’t cold outside. Nylah almost always had a fire going, and we were welcome to join her in the cathedral at any time. We had all found unexpected friends in Nylah and Ellie.
The four of us—Nylah, Ellie, my mom, and me—sat curled up on the couches surrounding the fireplace. We had our fingers wrapped around cups of coffee and herbal tea, and soft music floated from invisible speakers overhead.
“Last night wasn’t so bad, was it?” Ellie asked, glancing at me.
“Not at all,” I said.
“I know you were nervous about seeing Erol again.”
