Page 20

“Is this part of the sabotage?” he asked.

“Maybe.”

“Are you taking me somewhere secluded to kill me?” There was a hint of humor in his voice.

“If I took you somewhere secluded it wouldn’t be to kill you,” she said, flashing him a smirk.

His face reddened.

Without wasting any more time, Dagmara led Aleksy to Magda’s chamber. Luckily, he didn’t seem to press her further with questions. She was flattered he trusted her so much.

First, Dagmara knocked, hearing a soft ‘come in’ before she entered the room. Dagmara opened the doorway, seeing the chambers bustling with commotion. Magda was in the center of the room, standing on a platform, while maids rushed to and from. They were simultaneously doing her makeup while others laced up the bodice of her dress—or at least one of the many layers. Urszula, her personal maiden, seemed to direct everyone, clapping her hands lightly to ensure they kept up the pace. Odie, on the other hand, was napping at the foot of the bed.

Magda made eye contact with Dagmara through one of the floor length mirrors. “Urszula,” Magda said, shying away from a brush. “I need a moment alone to speak with Dagmara.”

Nobody stopped working. In fact, the commotion continued. “A moment?” Urszula asked, her voice respectful but stern. “You have now run off twice, and we’re already behind!”

“It won’t take long,” Dagmara said, though her statement went unheard.

“We only need a minute.” Aleksy’s voice was commanding as he stood behind Dagmara in the doorway.

Immediately, the room was silenced. They whirled to face the crown prince, curtsying until they were nearly kneeling. Scattered “Your Highness!” flew throughout the room.

Urszula cleared her throat. “I will give you five, Your Highness.” Then she began waving her arms, silently shooing the maids. Urszula was the last to leave, stopping at the threshold and pointing her finger at Magda. “Five minutes. So help me, I will not let you be crowned a guardian without looking perfect. Your mother will have my head.” Then she gave a sharp curtsy, flashed a smile and exited, closing the door behind her.

“What is he doing here?” Magda demanded of her friend before sharpening her gaze on her brother.

Aleksy parted his mouth, but was at a loss for words.

“Magda,” Dagmara started, “I found our solution.”

CHAPTER 8

Magdalena

“You told him?”

“No, of course not. I promised you I wouldn’t tell a soul. But I have a plan that involves telling Aleksy.”

“Telling me what?” Aleksy shut the door behind him as he crossed to the two girls.

“I…,” Magda stammered. This was her brother, someone that she trusted more than anyone else in the world. If there was anyone that would help her, he would.

Magda noted the crimson boutonniere pinned to her brother’s chest. He was all ready for the coronation, dressed in regal attire, and his golden crown was pressed to his head. Her head spun as she demonstrated the magic she had exuded already three times today. In a flash, the petals disintegrated into dust as she destroyed the boutonniere. The flakes fell to the floor like airy, blood droplets.

“Your eyes…,” Aleksy reached out toward his sister. “They turned yellow.”

“Apparently, I have Soul magic,” Magda went back to the mirror. She stared deep into her brown eyes, trying to glimpse the lingering yellow tint, but to no avail.

Aleksy’s hand was trembling. “You must be related to the Guardians of the Soul.”

“How is that possible?” Dagmara asked.

“I don’t know…somewhere in our family line, maybe the lineages crossed…” mused Aleksy.

“I know what you’re thinking. Maybe dad is not my real dad,” Magda said.

Aleksy shook his head, not wanting to believe the possibility. “All those times that we went to the embassies when we were growing up, spending time with Kiran and Claude—”