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“Why would I have heard of you?” I spat. “Where am I? Do you know who I am?”
She started to laugh and reclaimed her spot on the bed, but a little farther down on the wide, pristine mattress. “Of course, Elix. Everyone knows who you are. Your powers are renowned in probably all four kingdoms, but certainly here. You can’t yield abilities like yours and hope to keep them a secret forever, no matter how much you’re sheltered and protected by your king lover…”
She trailed off as if she were going to say more, but changed her mind. Her small hands picked at the duvet, her lashes shielding her eyes from me seeing whatever was happening behind her irises.
My mind whirled as I tried to make sense of what I was doing there, why Lysandra had chosen me, and I settled on a weak thought.
“Is that why you took me? Because you think I can do something for you with Jace?” I pressed. “Your timing is a little off, sweetie.”
I pursed my lips, reminding myself that I didn’t have the upper hand here.
Don’t antagonize her,I inwardly reprimanded myself.
She cocked her pert, pretty face to the side, and I caught the haunting in her soulful, dark eyes. “You’ve never heard my name before? Really?”
My insistence seemed to genuinely bother her, and I wracked my mind, trying desperately to imagine why I would know her.
Maybe she has me confused with someone else?
“No! Why would I?”
“I know you spent some time in Ironhelm. I thought maybe you’d spent some time in Silverhold, too,” Lysandra explained, but her statement only confused me more.
I shook my head uncomprehendingly. “What do the other kingdoms have to do with anything? Are you from Goldhaven? Is that why I should know you?”
She tittered again, and I realized that was the sound I’d heard in my motel room, my blood running cold again. How had she gotten in there without me seeing her?
I realized then that I really had no idea how deep the potential for dark magic ran. But I knew I was in trouble.
“Look,” I said reasonably, steeling my temper. “If you want us to trust one another, you’re going to have to give me something, right? I don’t understand what I’m doing here and what you want from me, Lysandra. So let’s start with some basics, okay?”
She shrugged and nodded.
“Where the fuck am I?” I blurted out, forgetting about keeping my composure.
Raising a hand, she gestured around vaguely. “You’re in Silverhold, my dear.”
I gasped, shocked. “What? You brought me to another kingdom?!”
My eyes whipped back toward the window as I tried to make sense of the fact that I was on the other side of the continentnow, closer to the palace, but still far off from where I’d started. How had I not woken for any of that journey?
More shivers spilled down my back. I hadn’t been expecting that response, but I was quickly learning to expect the unexpected.
She must be working with others. I couldn’t have been out for days. There’s no way. Perhaps a teleportation spell?
I didn’t put my concern into words, choking back the barrage of questions as they threatened to spill from my lips.
“Why?” I sputtered, picking the easiest query for the time.
“It’s better than the hellhole I rescued you from, isn’t it?” Lysandra asked, wagging a finger at me. “You deserve a nicer place to rest your head than that, don’t you?”
“I didn’t need you to rescue me!” I howled furiously.
She paled and stood, exhaling. “You should probably rest. I doused you pretty good to keep you out. I didn’t want to risk you waking while we were traveling. You have quite a strong power inside you, and I didn’t want to go head-to-head with it.” She winked at me. “Go to sleep. We can talk about all this later.”
“NO!” I growled as she stood, and Lysandra turned in surprise.
“No, what?”
