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“What’s gotten into you?” my sister asked one night when my magic burst out of me in a turbid rush.
To blow off some steam, I was practicing my air affinity, making the doors open and close under my magic while Cailis reported her findings. It was something she’d started doing weekly as we prepared for our escape.
I made myself sit still and stop practicing. “Nothing. Sorry. I’m fine.”
“Are you even listening to me?”
“Of course, I am.”
“Then aren’t you concerned that I’m being followed?”
I stilled. “What?”
“I knew you weren’t listening, but you should because I’m pretty sure someone’s following me when I’m walking around the castle. More and more it feels as though someone’s watching me. My guard insists that I’m safe and no one’s about, but I canfeelit, Ilara.”
My heart beat harder, and I grabbed her hands as fear threatened to consume me. “Do you think whoever it is was the same one who tried to attack me?”
“No.” She tugged her hands free, then pulled me into a hug and only let me go once my pulse calmed. “That’s the weird thing. At first I thought that too, but unlike what happened with you, I’ve never actually felt that my safety’s in jeopardy or that an attack is imminent. Whoever I’m sensing has never approached me, and my affinity doesn’t sense maliciousness. I just feel someonewatching, like they’re curious.”
My heartbeat slowed even more. Cailis’s instincts were usually spot-on, thanks to her affinity, but her experience only reaffirmed that very strange things were happening within this castle. “So, you believe someone’s following you towatch you?” Whatever I’d encountered in the darkened hall the week prior had intended more than watching. I was sure of that.
“Yes, so, there’s that interesting development, but there’s also the matter of possible exits I’ve found.”
She went on to describe them, and even though I was happy she was finding options for a potential escape, I still knew that mistphasing was the best choice.
I sighed. “I’m glad your searches are proving resourceful, but if I could only learn how to reliably transport someone with me, none of this would be needed.”
“Keep practicing.”
“I will.” And I would, because knowing that my sister was also experiencing strange encounters within this clandestine castle lit a fire within my gut to try harder, because I needed to keep my sister safe, and it was becoming more and more apparent that staying in this castle was entirely dangerous—especially if the crown prince was my mate.
* * *
“Again, Ilara!”Matron Olsander barked at me. “Imagine your fire needling through the wall. Your affinity should be like an extension of yourself. It’s no different than poking your finger at the wall.”
Brow furrowing, I concentrated harder on the mental images that allowed me to better control my elemental affinity, and slowly, my fire burned a precise hole through the steel wall in front of me.
Matron Olsander nodded and crossed her arms. “Very good. Very good indeed.”
I panted, the exertion of maintaining such control harder than anything Sandus was training me to do, despite those trainings making my muscles quiver and burn.
“Now, again. You still have much to learn.”
I forced myself to straighten and concentrate, but it was hard. It’d been weeks since the dinner in which I’d had my epiphany about the prince and then was nearly attacked in the hall. Since then, I’d returned to avoiding the prince, even more so since my conviction in our shared mate bond grew—as though avoiding the prince would make our mutual attraction disappear—but despite my frustrations at having such a bond, one blessing did manifest in my life.
All of the Isalee fields I’d been working on outside of Whimseal had bloomed to life.
Like the field in Harrivee, young plants emerged, budding signs of life despite the fierce weather and raging snow. The gray dirt was gone, healthy and moist black soil taking its place. And the vibrant colors of the immature, nurturing plants made any doubt over those fields’ failing future vanish from my thoughts.
“Again, Ilara! No dilly-dallying.”
I pulled up my fire affinity once more. Across the room, Meegana and Beatrice practiced their affinities too, while a group of males watched on. Georgyanna hadn’t made an appearance yet today, which had at least allowed me to practice in peace.
Matron Olsander barked out another order, then activated the training room’s magic to make my next drill even more challenging. She didn’t let up. The female constantly pushed and coaxed me, yet her uncanny knack for helping others understand their affinities benefited me immensely, and I was so very grateful for that.
Hours later, I eyed the clock as my stomach let out a ferocious growl.
Matron Olsander must have heard it because she said, “I think that’s enough for today, Ilara. Why don’t you venture to the kitchens for something to eat? You’ve worked hard. Consume much nutrition and get plenty of sleep tonight.”
