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“Again,” Azura commanded.

Stepping across the room, Taly yanked the dagger from the wood, and then aimed for the door, managing to catch the center of an elegantly carved knot of wood. She used less force this time, but it didn’t matter.

The dagger stopped with a solid thud, embedded down to the hilt, the blade no doubt protruding from the opposite side.

“You’re strong,” Azura commented, running a thoughtful finger across her chin. “And you seemto have some fighting skill. Do you know how to use a sword?”

Taly shrugged. “I manage.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I prefer guns,” Taly answered simply. “Or bows. Any ranged weapon, actually. Ivain always told me to avoid getting too close.”

“Smart man,” Azura mused. “I’ve never seen a human win a fight against a fey. And I’ve been alive a long time.” A snap of her fingers had the dagger shuddering, and Taly ducked as it yanked itself out of the wood, flying across the room to land back on the table like it had never left. “Leto says you were unhappy with your reading assignments.”

Taly bristled. It seemed the Queen had been getting her messages—and just hadn’t cared enough to do anything about it. “I have a solid background in aether mechanics,” she said. “Something you would’ve known if you’d taken just a few moments to speak with me. But since you didn’t, these past two weeks have been a waste.”

Azura chuckled softly, clasping her hands in front of her as she settled back in her chair. “Already concerned about time, I see.”

Taly’s heart pounded out her frustration. “Of course, I’m concerned. I don’t want to be here, remember?”

“And just where do you want to be?”

“Home,” Taly bit out. “I want to go home.”

“Back to Skye, I imagine.”

Taly remained silent, refusing to look away from those strange, golden eyes.

“Funny,” Azura said, the edges of her mouth lifting into a mocking smile. “You were so eager to leave him at Ebondrift. I wonder what changed.”

She had survived, that’s what had changed. The more Taly thought about it, the more she came to realize that she had never expected to come out of the Vale relay. She had left Ebondrift fully expecting to die, but now that she hadn’t—she wanted to go back. She wanted her family.

Azura rested her head on a fist. “I’ve already told you—you’re here until I say you can leave.”

“Actually, you said I’m here until I can earn my third seal.”

“And I suppose you’re looking to hurry that up?” Azura arched an amused brow. “As if running back to the man you abandoned will change the fact that you ripped his heart out when you left? Or did you not think of that? I’ve always wondered—does Talya Caro ever think of the people who get hurt when she decides her life isn’t worth as much as theirs?”

Taly’s temper finally snapped, and the air in the room began to spark as she snarled—actuallysnarled—in a way that was more beast than woman.

“Tem-per,” Azura crooned.

Taly followed her gaze, sucking in a gasp at the wisps of golden aether that snaked around her arms. She shook her hands, and the fog immediately dissipated.

“Good,” Azura muttered, letting her head fall back. “I rather like this room. It would be a shame if you reduced it to dust on your first day.” Before Taly could ask what she meant, Azura continued, “Now then—for the second seal, we’ll be covering basic spellcasting and aether management, so from now on, I want you to spend at least an hour each morning meditating.”

Taly resisted the urge to roll her eyes, muttering under her breath, “Shards, I knew that was coming.” Every mage learned how to meditate, to inwardly manipulate the rate at which their bodies absorbed aether from the air. “Look,” she said, putting her temper on a tight leash, “are you sure meditation is the best use of my time? Surely there’s something else I could be doing, like casting or crystal inscription. You know—useful things.”

Things she would need for her third seal.

Azura fixed her with a stare. “Meditation is a necessary skill. Every mage has a pool of magic—a set maximum concentration of aether that can be dissolved in their bloodstream at any one time.”

“I know.”

“No, child—I’m not sure you do. Knowing a thing is not the same as doing it, and while the size of your aether pool is immutable, the rate at which your body replenishes itself can be trained. Your magic is a muscle, and though you may have potential, make no mistake—right now, you areweak.”

“Fine,” Taly sighed, and sat down in a chair opposite Azura. “If it’s so important to you, I’ll meditate.”Maybe, she added silently. If there was time.