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“You break into our realm, invade our palace, and then have the nerve to ask who I am?”

The woman was remarkably old, older than Almory, older than anyone Grayden had met before. Her curly hair fell past her shoulders, and it was so white that it almost seemed to absorb the light from the chamber behind her. She was dressed in a simple, flowing white dress. Her face was so wrinkled that she looked like she was in a constant state of confusion, with her forehead scrunched up and her eyes pulled back. Her skin was almost as pale as her hair, and Grayden figured that she must hardly ever leave the indoors. She carried a short staff with a gaudy sun emblazoned on the top, and a giant ruby in the center of the sun. Her eyes were a piercing gray, and she looked at Grayden and Selenia as if she could see all the way into their very souls.

“I'm here seeking knowledge about breaking a blood promise,” Grayden said, putting himself in front of Selenia. “I'm Prince Grayden from the Snow Lands.”

The old woman glanced behind his back at Selenia. “And who is this?”

“My sister,” Grayden responded, shielding Selenia further.

“You can calm down, I'm not going to hurt her,” the old woman wheezed, her voice crackly as if she had a perpetual case of pneumonia. “Come inside,” she said, and turned her back to them and walked into the room.

As soon as they entered the room, the door shut behind them with a loud boom. Grayden turned and instantly noticed there was no handle or knob on the door. He fought down the panic he felt, ignoring the hair that stood up on the back of his neck as he worried that this was some kind of trap.

He looked around the dimly lit room, searching for something, anything that would signal he was in the right place. That he had finally made a step in the right direction, one tiny moment closer to breaking the blood promise and freeing Renya from...her mother. However, as he took in the small chamber, with nothing more than a short bookcase alongside one of the walls, his hope fell. This was the ancient library of the Sun Realm? The place where magic from the old Gods was kept and protected?

Selenia caught his eye, and he could tell she too was not impressed at the sight before her. Aside from the wooden bookcase, there was an oak desk with a large, open book on it, as well as a quill. Another door, slightly smaller than the one they entered through but no less grand, stood next to the bookshelf.

The woman finally spoke. “You say you seek ancient knowledge?” she said, looking directly at Grayden.

“I seek a spell to break a promise my mate made.”

She let out a shrill laugh, which echoed in the empty room, bouncing off the bare, stone walls.

“You foolish boy, do you think it's so easy to break a fated bond? It's hard to do and requires a sacrifice. One that you are unable to pay.”

Grayden didn't ask for her to elaborate her meaning. “I would never break my bond,” he said, trying not to raise his voice at the anger he felt at the mere suggestion. “I wish to free my mate from a blood promise she pledged to another.”

The woman looked over at the bookcase for a split second, but it was enough for Grayden to catch the look. There was knowledge there, important knowledge.

“Why do you think I could undo this promise? A blood promise is never meant to be broken. The very nature of a blood promise is that it can't be undone.”

Grayden lifted his chin. “This promise was nobly made, and my mate suffers because of it.”

“Ahhhh...you want your mate back. All those who seek magic in this library are selfish and only travel here for their own wish-fulfillment. One of the many reasons why the rumor that the Sun Realm had fallen was spread. Representatives from every land from every corner of our world have been here, seeking our knowledge to better or enrich their own pathetic lives.”

Selenia finally spoke up. “We need to break this bond to vanquish the Shadow Queen.”

Another cackle came from the old woman. “A boy with no magic? And a girl who refuses to use hers? You think you can take down the Shadow Queen? Ha! Her ending has already been foretold, and it is not some silly love-sick prince who will bring it about.”

“No,” Grayden responded, his eyes beaming with pride. “It's the light bringer. My mate.”

Before the woman could respond, the earth underneath them began quaking, and a violent tremor knocked them all off their feet. As they picked themselves up off the ground, they noticed the woman was gone.

“Well, that could have gone better,” Selenia said dishearteningly.

Grayden's shoulder was in agony, but he wouldn't give up.

“Grayden, you're going to kill yourself,” Selenia said, as he rushed the door again, trying to get it to open. He bounced off, hesitated for a second, then rammed it with his other shoulder. Nothing. It wouldn't budge.

Grayden stood back, rage rushing inside of him. He didn't come this far to get stuck in this chamber. Surely there must be a way out. He guessed the elderly woman left by magic, but there must be some other way. He stared at the door, then held out his hand, focusing as hard as he could. Nothing. Just as he suspected, he had no magic left.

“Selenia?” he asked, looking over at her. She was slumped against the wall, listening intently as if she could hear a way out. “I know you don't use your magic, but could you please try?”

Selenia looked at him sadly. “I already tried, Grayden. I don't know if this room is protected from outside magic, or if mine is gone as well.” She sniffled, and a single tear dripped down her cheek. Grayden stopped ramming the wall and sank down to sit against the rough stone wall with his sister.

“I'm so sorry, Selenia,” he said, putting an arm around her shoulders.

“I'm not upset about my magic, I'm just upset that I can't use it when I need it. Part of me felt comforted, knowing it was there, just in case. But I guess that's gone.” She looked ahead, unseeing and with her arms wrapped around her knees.