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‘Thea got caught in the Bloodwoodsby a Warsword,’ Ida supplied, the kohl around her eyes smudged. ‘But then… if that was the case, you wouldn’t be here, would you?’

‘I…’ Thea tried again and failed.

‘Althea, so help me if you don’t tell us what’s going on right now…’

Thea swallowed the lump in her throat and allowed her sister to lead her to her bed. There she sat and took a minute to gather herself before looking at Wren and her friends.

‘It’s true,’ she said.

‘What?!’

Thea met her sister’s celadon gaze and told her everything.

When she was done, to her disbelief, a whisper of a laugh escaped Wren.

‘What is it?’

But Wren shook her head, still laughing. She rummaged through the trunk of belongings at the end of her bed and produced a small traveller’s pack.

Sam and Ida were laughing, too.

Thea rounded on them. ‘Will someone tell me —’

It was Wren who answered, amusement bright in her eyes as she shook her head again. ‘You’re going to petition the rulers… You truly are Althea Nine Lives, aren’t you?’

It was still dark and icy when Thea arrived at the stables, pulling her cloak tight around her and adjusting the pack on her shoulder. She had hardly slept, tossing and turning into the early hours of the morning, wondering what Harenth would be like,wondering if she’d packed the right things. Wondering what the royals would make of her petition, or if she’d be laughed out of the palace.

But regardless of the uncertainty squirming in her gut, there was a much stronger feeling coursing through her: hope. She had been given the chance she’d always dreamt of, the chance to fight for what she wanted so desperately. She wouldn’t squander it.

Audra was in the tack room, dressed for riding, hauling a heavy saddle blanket from its hook with surprising strength. Thea watched from the doorway, thinking back to their time together over the years… Audra had always kept her at arm’s length, had always been impatient and easy to anger. But that fire had come to Thea’s defence, had given her a chance at greatness.

Her warden spotted her. ‘Well, don’t just stand there. No one’s saddling your horse for you.’

Ignoring the sharp words, Thea followed the librarian to one of the stalls. ‘Audra?’

‘What?’ she snapped, looking up from where she was adjusting the length of her stirrup.

Thea couldn’t help smiling as she peered inside. ‘Thank you.’

Audra’s gaze briefly softened, before she made an impatient noise at the back of her throat. ‘You’ve got the grey mare in stall five. Be quick about it. We need to leave within the quarter hour. Don’t dawdle.’

Soon, both women rode through the gatehouse, the guards staring after them. It was an unusual sight to be sure: the librarian and an alchemist on horseback bound for Harenth.

Thea’s chest swelled as they left the fortress. It had been an age since she’d escaped the grounds in the light of day, with nothing to hide, and even longer still since she’d ridden. All Thezmarrians were taught the basics from a young age, but rarewas the opportunity for women to develop and nurture those skills later on. Those fleeting months with Evander had seen her brush up on her horsemanship, but she’d avoided the stables since his cruel words. Now, she relished the rhythmic trot of her mare beneath her.

For a moment, Thea dared to hope what her days might entail should the rulers grant her request.

‘Pick up the pace,’ Audra commanded. ‘It’s three days to the capital of Harenth.’

The words were music to Thea’s ears, and she urged her mare into a canter, passing the outer stone walls of the fortress and the gates that opened up onto the Mourner’s Trail, the only way in and out of Thezmarr. It was a narrow, rocky path that cut through the Bloodwoods, known for its deadly traps and magic wards. The name alone sent a small shiver down Thea’s spine. Just how many mourners had it greeted? In the watery light of early morning, it seemed unthreatening… Nothing horrific sprang out at them, nothing dared to stop them leaving. But Thea knew Thezmarr and its masters better than to take things at face value.

Thea had only travelled it once, or so she’d been told – the day her parents had abandoned her and Wren. She wondered how they’d navigated the dangers, or if, because of what they offered the guild, they’d been given safe passage to the gates. It wasn’t often she allowed herself to think about her family. Wren had always discouraged it, insisting that the fact they’d been forsaken said enough. Thea was inclined to agree, though sometimes she wondered if fighting was in their blood.

Thea and Audra rode in silence, cantering along the infamous trail, the crisp morning air stinging Thea’s cheeks. She didn’t know how much time had passed and she didn’t care. She simply revelled in the freedom of the ride, and the unobstructedview of the Mourner’s Trail, the grey sky peeking between the canopy of leaves that arched overhead.

But after a time, Thea could stand the silence no longer. ‘Audra?’

‘I knew the peace wouldn’t last,’ the older woman muttered.