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“Well, you did ask me to train you, so… yes—it seems that your current state ofcaptivityis entirely your fault, and that makes me feel quite a lot better, so thank you. Given your age and unusual set of circumstances, your education will be unorthodox, to say the least. I was starting to feel marginally guilty, and it was a very unpleasant emotion.”

Taly leaned back. “I asked you to train me,” she murmured to herself.

Though it didn’t stop Azura from muttering, “Have we really not established that yet?”

“And if I said I no longer wanted your help?”

“Oh, I gave my word, dear. I never go back on my word.”

“But you gave your word to me. A future version of me, but still me, and I’m telling you,right now, to let me go. You’re not breaking any vows.”

Azura paused, considering. “Well, that is a conundrum,” she said at last. “Oh, it makes my head hurt. Are you the same Talya Caro as the one I know, or are you different, in which case which woman’s wishes take precedence? Would the fabric of the universe come crashing down if I allowed you to deviate from the path I know my friend is supposed to follow, or would the timelines stabilize? Would there be an entirely different universe that grew from the divergence, with another you and another me?” There was a pause,and a sly smile slowly spread Azura’s lips. “You would know these answers if you had even a basic knowledge of time magic.”

Shit. She’d walked right into that one, albeit unknowingly. “I want to go home,” Taly tried again.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Azura reached for an empty plate. “You will stay here,” she said, piling the plate high with an assortment of cakes and cookies, “until I say you can leave.”

Taly eyed the plate that was placed in front of her. Her stomach gave a vicious growl, reminding her that it had been literal days since she’d last eaten. “And when will that be?”

Azura began to fill her own plate. “Eat, dear. You really are nothing but skin and bones. Any thinner, and I’ll be able to see right through you.”

Taly obeyed, taking a shaky bite of what appeared to be sponge cake. Something in the back of her mind cataloged the taste and texture—both more exquisite than anything she remembered from her human life. “You still haven’t answered my question. How long do you intend to keep me here?”

“And there goes Lady Fun-Killer again,” Azura said, waving her fork imperiously. “Can’t we have one conversation where you don’t try to talk business? The humans have a saying about all work and no play, and even though they don’t get many things right, they were right in this one instance, soeat, my dear. You’re going to need your strength.”

Something rattled from behind the hedges, and Azura’s eyes abruptly flicked away. “Finally!” she exclaimed, smiling brightly. “The tea is here! But… oh my.” Her expression wilted when Leto drifted into the clearing pushing a gilded tea caddy. “Why aren’t you wearing your uniform?” she whispered, glancing at Taly nervously. “It’s her first time here, remember? She’s not used to seeing all of you just… floating around.”

The ghostly woman bowed. “Forgive me, Majesty, but the armor caused her Ladyship great distress.”

“What?” Azura looked to Taly, then reached into a pocket hidden inside the seam of her skirts, pulling out a worn, leather notebook. Loose leaves of paper had been stuffed between the dog-eared pages, and stains spotted the spine. “Oh dear…” she muttered as she frantically rifled through the pages. “Oh dear, oh dear, oh… Here it is!” She tapped the page. “It says right here:no armor. Leto, why didn’t you remind me?”

“I did, Majesty.”

“Fairies lie, Taly.” Azura shoved her plate away, making room for her journal on the table. “No one told me! Absolutely no one, and I just wanted everything to be perfect.” She turned the page. “What else have I forgotten?” Another page. “Tell me, Taly—what else have I forgotten?”

“I… I don’t know.” Taly glanced at Leto, who just shook her head, turning away as she busied herself with the tea. “I’ve never been here before. In fact, I still don’t know wherehereis. We haven’t covered that yet.”

Azura sniffed as she reached for a lavender tea cake. “We’re in a garden, dear. Shards, you didn’t mention just how slow you used to be.”

Leto poured the tea with a practiced hand, serving the Queen first before offering Taly a teacup painted with gold. She eyed the amber liquid warily before taking a tentative sip, sighingat the taste. Reysang tea—one of her favorites, though the flavor seemed off somehow. Stronger, more nuanced than it would’ve been to a human tongue. She could taste the minerals in the water, the slight tang of gold from the rim of the cup. She could even taste the smoke from the ovens that had been used to dry the leaves.

Leto leaned down and began whispering in the Queen’s ear.

“It’s that late already?” The journal snapped shut. “My, time did get away from me today.” Azura rose from her seat. “We need to go.Now.”

Taly let out a yip when Azura reached down and yanked her to her feet. The teacup flew from her hands and promptly shattered on the white paving stones. “What the hell is going on now?”

The Queen said nothing as she proceeded to march them back through the garden and across the stone pathway that bridged the reflecting pool. Leto followed close behind, still pushing the tea caddy and what little remained of the pastry tower.

“Oh, dear,” Azura muttered. “I was hoping to avoid this conversation for a few more days, but I always seem to lose track of time when we get to talking.”

They started back up the avenue, the palace rising in the distance. Even though it was nowhere near sunset, the sky was already turning dark, the remaining light rapidly waning.

Taly jerked her arm, but Azura’s grip held firm. “You’re hurting me,” she bit out, stumbling on the main stairs. She would’ve fallen, but the Queen dragged her back to her feet.

With each step, Azura’s back seemed to straighten, her expression turning colder. “Whileyou’re here,” she said, not a bit out of breath, “there is just one rule. Do not leave the palace after 18 bells. Lock your doors. Lock your windows. Do not go outside. If you leave the palace’s protection, I will no longer be able to guarantee your safety.”

They burst through the main doors of the palace, barreling through a dense throng of fairy fire waiting on the other side. There were hundreds of them, and their smoky blue forms filled the vast chamber, bell-like voices echoing off the walls in a deafening clamor.